The Tears of Gaia

by Redback Spino

26. Goodbyes and Homeward Journeys

The first thing Twilight noticed was just how heavy she felt. She strained with all her might to lift or move her limbs, but they refused to budge. And all of her body seemed to be tingling slightly, like when the blood-flow just begins to return to a limb after having fallen asleep.

Her eyelids flickered and twitched as she forced them open, only to squint against the harsh bright light and close them again. Again she opened them, slower this time, all that was around her blurring together into a silvery white mass of light. Gradually her eyes grew accustomed to the light as she saw that she was in a soft white bed, a thick duvet draped over her. She was in a clean, white room that looked very familiar... "Cervidas..." she whispered hoarsely.

She tried to sit up, but felt a twinge of pain in her chest as she tried, falling back against her pillow from the strain.

"I'd lie still for now, my dear Twilight."

A kind, deep voice spoke to her from the other side of the room. Craning her neck she saw a most familiar blue cloak and white beard. "...Starswirl?"

The old unicorn was seated in a silver armchair with dark green cushions at the far end of the room. He smiled and got up slowly, holding onto the armrest for support. "I'm glad to see you're awake at last. Stay in bed though, if you don't mind. You cracked three ribs in that little tumble of ours, and even I ended up with a concussion and a sprained leg."

He lifted up his left foreleg, to reveal that it was wrapped in bandages and held in place with a metal splint. Twilight yawned deeply. "How... how long have I been out?"

"Two days," Starswirl replied. "You caught the full force of that explosion head-on. Honestly it's a miracle that you weren't hurt even worse!"

"Two days... two days!" Twilight shot up again, grunting and gritting her teeth as she felt another bolt of pain shoot up trough her torso. "Nnggh! But... but what happened? The Blight... the Tears... Where am I?"

"Sshh, it's alright Twilight, it's alright!" Starswirl trotted over and gently eased her back down into bed, sitting at her bedside. "We're back at our cottage in Cervidas. The griffons were kind enough to airlift us back here when they found us. And as it turns out, that insane plan of yours actually worked!"

Twilight's eyes widened, as a smile grew upon her lips. "You mean... we did it?"

He nodded. "Indeed, my dear Twilight. The fortress of Burzkala lies in ruins, and the Blight is no more."

"But what about the Tears?" Twilight asked, rolling over to face Starswirl. "What happened to them in the end?"

But before Starswirl could answer, the door beside his chair opened and in rushed a pink blur.

"Ohmygosh, Twilight! You're awake!" Pinkie Pie squealed with joy as she bounced up and down on the spot at the foot of her bead. "Hey girls, Twilight's awake!!"

On cue, the four other ponies trotted into the room, smiles of relief gracing their faces.

"Oh Twilight, it's wonderful to see you awake!"

"You had us worried pretty bad when they found you and Starswirl!"

"How ever did you survive that blast?"

"Everypony, please!" Starswirl chortled. "Give her some space to breathe!"

The ponies stepped back a pace or two, but still gathered eagerly close to Twilight's bed. Twilight noticed that while each and every one of them was alive and well, some were a little worse for wear. Pinkie Pie's face bore many plasters covering up cuts and slashes, Rainbow Dash wore her left wing in a bandage and nursed a long gash down her withers, Rarity's right hind leg and tail were wrapped up in bandages, and Applejack's chest and flanks were covered in bruises and she nursed a black left eye. The only one who appeared virtually uninjured was Fluttershy, and even she looked like she had not slept for days.

"Girls..." Twilight said, propping her head up on her pillow. "You're all okay."

"Heh, more or less," Rainbow replied with a grin. "We're alive, at least!"

"We were so worried, Twilight." Fluttershy stroked Twilight's mane gently. "After we heard that you got caught in that massive explosion... you were knocked out for days! We didn't know what to think!"

Rarity nudged her. "Still, you kept yourself busy, didn't you? Our Fluttershy, the battlefield medic!"

"But what happened?" Applejack asked. "Where'd that explosion come from? What'd you do?"

All eyes turned to Twilight. "Well... I'm guessing you all saw that... thing, that came out of the tower, right?"

"How could we not?" Rarity replied, shuddering. "Just the memory of that monster has been keeping me awake at night! But what was it?"

"As far as I know, it was... well, it was the Blight," said Twilight. "Or, what happened if all of the Blight's power was drawn together into one creature. It was somehow able to absorb all sorts of energy around it, so it was consuming all the blightlings that were left to feed itself and grow."

"Hence why it grew larger whenever we tried to attack it. It just absorbed the energy of any magical attacks, using it to empower itself... I'd imagine if anypony tried to attack it head-on it would have just absorbed the kinetic-energy of the attack as well, before absorbing whomever attacked it."

"But what about the explosion?" Rarity asked. "How did that happen?"

Twilight blushed slightly, hiding her face beneath her bangs. "Um... that would be because... because I gave it the Tears of Gaia."

"You did what?!" Rainbow Dash shouted, leaping up to her hooves. The others flinched and backed away, and she sheepishly sat back down again. "Sorry... But that's completely nuts!"

"She has a point," Applejack added. "We'd spent all this time tryin' to keep the Tears away from these things, and then you decide to just feed it straight to 'em? I mean it apparently worked and all, but what were you thinkin'?"

Twilight shrugged. "Well, I guess in part I was sort of desperate to stop it before it got any close to you guys and the rest of the army. But still, I had a good reason for it. Starswirl was right, that thing was absorbing all sorts of energy from everywhere, making it grow bigger and bigger. But here's the thing, did any of you notice how slowly it was moving?"

Starswirl nodded. "Indeed. It was only moving out of the tower incredibly slowly, and even slower when it began absorbing the Blightlings on the mountainside."

"Exactly," Twilight replied. "Not to mention its body was constantly changing shape and size, because it was adapting. Adapting itself to the constant stream of energy it was absorbing. Even a monster like that needs to adjust itself to the massive amounts it could consume."

"So what did the Tears do?"

Twilight grinned slightly. "It fed it too much at once. When that thing consumed the Tears it basically unleashed all of its power inside itself all at once. It wasn't able to adapt to that much energy all at once, it was overwhelmed, and eventually it couldn't hold onto any more energy and exploded from the pressure."

"So..." Rainbow Dash scratched her head. "Does that mean the Blight's gone then?"

Starswirl nodded. "I believe so. Rarity, have the griffons found anything yet?"

"Apparently not. They've been sweeping over the nearby land for any sign of the Blight, and haven't found anything... not that I'd expect anything to be found. After all, that Blight creature was the centre of the explosion, with a blast that powerful it was probably vaporised... So it looks like... we did it. The Blight is gone."

The ponies sat back as they digested this information. After everything they had been through concerning the Blight, it was hard to grasp that it had been destroyed for good.

"And I'm guessing the Tears are gone too. So much for bringing them back to Equestria," Rainbow said, resting her head on her hooves.

"Ah, now that I'm not so sure about," Starswirl countered, raising a hoof. He pointed to the armchair that stood behind them. "Miss Rarity, would you be so kind as to try to levitate that chair?"

Rarity looked uncertainly at him, then to the chair. Shrugging, she fired up her horn, enveloping the silvery chair in her magical aura. Effortlessly, she lifted it several feet off the ground, flipping it over in mid-air before righting it again and depositing it back on the ground.

"Now, did you notice anything, Rarity?" Starswirl asked. "By any chance, did that chair feel particularly lightweight when you lifted it?"

Rarity nodded. "It did actually, it was light as a feather. But what does that prove? It's probably just a lightweight chair or something."

But Starswirl shook his head. "It's carved from the same wood as all the furniture in Cervidas, and that material is very heavy by hardwood standards. Under normal circumstances you would have at least felt some sort of strain as you lifted it."

Twilight tapped her chin for a hoof a moment, before beaming with realisation. "Of course! Magic is just another form of energy, and you can't simply create or destroy energy, only convert it to other forms of energy. Or, contain a portion of it. That's what happened to the Tears, their power wasn't destroyed, it was just released."

"But then where is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"All around us," Twilight said, spreading her forelegs wide. "I wasn't sure before, but when I woke up I could feel a strange tingling all around me. It's magic. The magic of the Others that was contained in the Tears. When the Blight was destroyed, it released all that energy. But now without any container, it's been released back into the world!"

"And rather appropriate, I'd say," Starswirl added with a wink. "All that raw power was too much for any one creature or civilisation to hold, so now that power has been added to the energy cycle, so instead every single creature in the world gets to share in a small portion of it!"

Rainbow shrugged. "And what does that mean?"

"Probably just that, whatever any creature does that involves magic, they'll become slightly better at it. All unicorns, deer or any other magic users will have slightly stronger magic, pegasi will be able to fly a bit faster, crops tended by earth-ponies will be a little more abundant and fertile, that sort of thing. No one creature is all-powerful all of a sudden, everyone's now just got the potential to be a little bit more powerful."

Each pony dwelt upon this fact, and what it would mean for each of them. "So," Twilight asked. "What about the others? How did the battle go for everyone else?"

Rarity looked down. "Well darling... we did win the battle, what with the Blight blown to bits and all, but it certainly wasn't easy. Alot of the others are rather severely injured, and the death-count is staggering. The entire battlefield was like one big blaze last night when they were burning the funeral pyres."

"Gellert and Gordon are in bed with broken wings, and even Yarrow sprained an ankle," Fluttershy muttered. "I visited him yesterday to keep him company."

Applejack chuckled, "We found her still there, sittin' by his side earlier this mornin'. I guess that explains the sleepless look."

The other ponies chuckled. I felt like it had been so long since the last time they had laughed a genuine laugh. For the rest of the morning the ponies gave comforting but gentle hugs to Twilight, exchanged small talk and stories about the battle, and simply revelled in the fact that, against all odds, they had not only all survived, but they had won!

"So then," Rainbow Dash asked, having perched herself in the armchair. "With the Tears gone and the Blight gone... what are we gonna do now?

Twilight lay back, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, it'll be a while before I'm well enough to travel, but after that, what do you girls say we head home?"

Fluttershy smiled. "Home... I can't wait. It's really been so long since we left! My little animal friends must be missing me so much!"

"Oooh, and Pound and Pumpkin Cake too!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "I can't wait to see how much they've grown!"

"And they'll be startin' to harvest the south orchard back at Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack replied, resting her chin on the bedside. "It's almost cider season too. I'll need to get back in time for that."

"You and me both!" Rainbow Dash said with a wry grin.

There suddenly came a knock at the door. It creaked open and in the doorway stood two large figures.

"Ah, miss Twilight, yer awake!" Gellert said with a smile. "Glad to see you're doin' well."

The White Hart himself entered, the room seeming to become slightly brighter just by his presence. "Indeed it is. And the same to your friends as well. How are you feeling?"

Twilight sat up, bowing her head slightly to the two newcomers. "I'm feeling alright sirs. Just a few broken ribs, they should be fine soon enough. Thank you so much for taking care of us like this."

The White Hart chuckled. "Well what else could you expect? After your efforts in the battle, you and your friends are being hailed as heroes by my people."

"And mine as well," added Gellert. "After all this time battling the Blight, and at last it's been defeated for good. 'Tis a good day to be alive! Though I have to ask, how did you do it?"

Twilight sat him down as she and Starswirl explained to the griffon and the White Hart about how they stood in the end against the Blight monster, facing it down and using the power of the Tears of Gaia to overwhelm and destroy it. As she explained, the White Hart nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, yes, I did notice in the aftermath of the battle, that the magical currents did feel a little strange, a little stronger. So then the power contained in that gemstone is part of the world, where it belongs." The White Hart smiled. "I could not think of a fairer use of it."

Gellert walked over to Twilight's bedside. "So then, once you're up and well what are your plans?"

The unicorn shrugged. "Home, I guess. We've been away from Equestria for way too long, it's time we got back."

The White Hart nodded. "If you like, I can have some of my healers tend to your injuries. They have some spells that would likely speed up the healing process, so you'd be up and about by this evening, and well enough to travel by tomorrow."

"That would be wonderful, thanks," Twilight said with a smile.

Gellert raised a clawed hand. "And perfect timing for what my griffons have planned. Ponies, on behalf of Fjaereir, and I'm sure I speak for Cervidas too, I would very much like for you and your pony friends to join us at our victory feast, as the guests of honour."

The six ponies looked eagerly to Twilight, who simply shrugged and grinned.

"How could we say no to that?"

---

That night, the valley was lit up by fires once more. But instead of the sombre quiet of the funeral pyres that had burnt through the previous two nights, the land rang with the sounds of merriment and music as hundreds of small bonfires and cooking fires burned, surrounded and tended to by several thousand creatures.

After pouring libations and raising many a toast to their fallen comrades, ale and wine flowed freely and makeshift tables creaked under the weight of all kinds of delicious food, having been flown in and conjured up from Cervidas and Fjaereir over the course of the past few days. From the lighter and more leafy dishes of the deer, to the more stodgy and greasy dishes of the griffons (though they smartly left out any meat-based dishes), to cakes, creamy soups, steaming hot stewpots, bread of all shapes, sizes and colours, cakes, pies, salads, and kegs filled with drinks of all kinds, from ales and beers to deep red wine, fruit juices of endless varieties, herbal teas, fizzy apple cider, and many many more, far too numerous to count.

And interspersed between all this eating and drinking, festivities the likes of which the Southlands had not seen in years! Griffons set up impromptu stages and dance-floors all around the feast, leading the partygoers in songs and dances of every variety. Of all the ponies, Pinkie Pie was the only one who managed to keep dancing through them all, leaping and twirling, bowing and kicking and whooping and leading the dancefloor through song after song, played on guitars, drums, fiddles, flutes and even that set of bagpipes from a previous party showed up. Even the deerfolk brought out a few peculiar stringed instruments, playing strange, ethereal ballads, taking the parties down to slower dances.

As another of these songs drew to a close, Yarrow and Fluttershy bowed to eachother and trotted over to their table, the highest table in the whole feast, where there sat not only the seven ponies, but also Gideon and the White Hart, as well as a few extra seats for anyone who the ponies invited to join them. With most of them tearing up the dancefloor, or going around the feast to meet the others, exchanging thanks and congratulations for the hard-won victory. So, Fluttershy and Yarrow had the table all to themselves.

Yarrow plopped down on a bench beside the pegasus, pulling up a dish of crisp green salad to share.

"I-It's wonderful that we got to spend this one last night together," Fluttershy said as she heaped herself a plate of the salad. "With Twilight on the mend so quickly, it sounds like we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Well, I'd imagine you and your friends are eager to get home, right?" he asked.

Fluttershy nodded, absent-mindedly scuffing at the tabletop with a forehoof. "Yeah, we are, but... well, it's still going to be so strange, after everything we've been through, just leaving it behind and going back to Ponyville..."

Yarrow nodded. "Hmm, I see what you mean. But now with the Southlands much more free and safe to travel about, I imagine things are going to be very different for Cervidas. I heard the White Hart talking about opening up contact with other nations more, expanding trade routes, allowing in more outsiders. I know that I, for one, would be very interested in exploring the world a bit, seeing what else lies out there waiting."

He placed a cloven hoof upon Fluttershy's. "And if you wouldn't mind, I'd very much like to visit your native Equestria one day."

She blushed, smiling underneath her locks of hair. "Oh, I'd love that! You'd always be welcome to visit Ponyville. When do you think that would be?"

Yarrow shrugged. "I'm not certain. Sometime soon, I'd imagine."

"If you could make it sooner than later, I'd appreciate it," Fluttershy whispered, tentatively resting herself against the stag's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you when I leave."

"Me too." He put a foreleg around her, drawing her in closer. "And I promise, it will be soon. But for now, let us enjoy the night that we have."

Fluttershy nodded, and wrapped her hooves around his waist, pulling him into a gentle hug and resting her head against the warm soft fur of his front.

"Um..." Yarrow stammered a moment before clearing his throat. "F-Fluttershy, I actually have something to... to tell you."

"Hmm?" She looked up to his face, and saw the first signs of a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "What is it?"

He nervously ran a hoof along the edge of the bench. "Well... i-it's something I've been meaning to s-say for a while... but I never q-quite found the words... heh, I'm still not certain I have the words."

Oh my... is he really...? "G-go ahead, Yarrow," she said, sitting up. "Just say what comes naturally to you. I promise I won't laugh."

He smiled and coughed nervously. Taking out a small slip of parchment, he cleared his throat and read aloud in the Deerish tongue.

"Lathron ben ned eryn, glamor uin galan ir govannem.
An uir aewath linnathar a chervess olthad nîn: he bada min nadhras galen a parth lothen.
Trevódiel orath drestennin, broniannem lennath dhuir a charnath arnediad.
A ivorcheneb, gweston le, meleth ú-thinnatha a harthad edlothiatha adwain."

He looked to Fluttershy, who had closed her eyes, a content smile on her face as she listened to the passage. Even now, she Deerish language sounded beautiful to her, like the language of nature itself. When he stopped, she opened her eyes. "That was really pretty... But what did it mean?"

He passed the parchment to her, now blushing even more. "I... I don't know if I can s-say straight up just yet. I translated it for you at the bottom of the scroll."

But before Fluttershy had a chance to read it, the sounds of laughter heralded the return of her friends. From one of the nearby dancefloors there stumbled Applejack and Rainbow Dash, both laughing uproariously and panting from the exertion of the dancing. Right behind them was Pinkie Pie, still bouncing merrily along with no signs of tiring alongside Rarity, who walked hoof-in-claw with Gellert, and last of all Starswirl and Twilight, the young unicorn still bandaged around her waist and walking a bit slower than usual.

"C'mon Applejack!" Ranbow Dash shouted, clapping the earth pony on the back. "You gotta sing that song of yours!"

Applejack guffawed back. "Alright Rainbow, alright, but just this once."

The ponies all sat down at the table as Fluttershy quickly stowed away the parchment in her tail and turned to eagerly listen to their friend's song.

"I won't eat pie or pudding,
With bland old grass and roots,
For me a tart's the way to go,
With lots of nice ripe fruits.
Take some good, sweet apples,
Honey thick and sweet,
In golden crust, all fit to bust,
Now that's the stuff to eat!

Say nay to hay fried in a pan,
Served with tomato sauce,
Unless you think it's better than
An apple salad course,
Sip cider pale, or cloudy juice,
Oh ain't that just a dream,
Surrounded by an apple pie,
With lots of fresh whipped cream!"

This was but the first of many songs that were sung as the party carried on long into the night, until the fires burned low and the revellers lay down to sleep where they stood. The ponies huddled together to sleep as Fluttershy and Yarrow shared one last hug and made their goodnights, everyone now very much ready for a good long rest.

Rolling on her side, Fluttershy slipped the parchment out of her thick tail and, in the low light of the campfire, read the translation of Yarrow's poem.

Blushing profusely at the words, she held the scroll tight with a smitten smile plastered on her face. "That's... that's so sweet," she muttered tiredly as, at last, the veil of sleep fell over her and she drifted off into slumber.

---

The next morning the host of creatures was gathered once more on the plains, every creatures dressed in their finest uniforms and armour. They filled the valley from one side to the other, with a wide passage splitting the host down the middle. Deer, griffons, antelope and diamond-dogs mingled side by side, standing to attention. And at the far end of this passage stood the seven ponies in a row, and before them stood King Gideon and the White Hart, both dressed in their finest garb and acompanied by Galahad, Gellert and Gordon.

"My friends," Gideon said, his booming voice echoing across the plains. "Here, in witness of these brave and true soldiers, I wish to extend my most heartfelt thanks to all of you. Without your courage and strength, we may never have been able to defeat the Blight, and the Southlands would still live in fear of those yellow-eyed monsters."

The White Hart spoke up next. "The Deerfolk of Cervidas are in your debt, ponies. And to all who stand here! The battle was not easy, and many brave souls were lost. But as we said of those lost when our forest was under attack, their sacrifice was not in vain. SO I believe I speak for all when I say, thank you, dear pony friends."

The ponies turned around and could not help but smile as the thousands of creatures gathered before them raised a mighty, cacophonous cheer. They waved and bowed humbly back. Twilight then felt the White Hart's heavy hoof on her shoulder.

"If there is anything you wish for from us, ask and it is yours," he said with a wide smile.

Twilight thought for a moment. "Hmm.. Well, it is a bit of a long way back to Equestria. The Southlands might be safer now, but there's still dangers out there..."

Gideon bowed low to her. "It would be my pleasure to offer up a score of my soldiers to escort you to Equestria."

Twilight bowed back. "Thank you... And um, your majesty? I heard my friends mention that you were an old friend of Princess Celestia's?"

"That I was, a long time ago," The White Hart replied.

Twilight asked, "Well, is there some way you could contact her, inform her that we're on our way back? I'd imagine she and Princess Luna are probably worried sick about us."

"Not to mention all our families!" Rarity added from the side.

The White Hart nodded. "I'll inform her as soon as you've left. And please know that you and your friend are always welcome to return to our lands. Are you and your friends ready?"

Twilight looked to her friends. Each pony had been laden with parting gifts in the previous night, and they carried them with pride. Rainbow Dash wore her griffon armour with pride as Rarity stood beside her, wearing the cap, jacket and cape of a commander of Fjaereir. Fluttershy wore a simple green and silver dress, made for her by the deer medics she had served alongside in the battle, and carried in a bag an assortment of sprigs of medicinal herbs that were native to Cervidas. Pinkie Pie carried in her bag a pair of thick books, one full of recipes for traditional griffon confections, and the other was a songbook, full of classic ballads and ditties written by the residents of the griffon town. Starswirl stood proudly puffing at a new silver pipe, carved from a branch of the silver trees of Cervidas. And Applejack wore a fine woven cloak made by the antelope herd, emblazoned with beautifully ornate patterns and designs. Even a pony with as little interest in aesthetics or fashion as Applejack could not deny the craftsmanship of it.

And Twilight herself smiled as she thought of the small lacquered box in her bag, and the elegant, shimmering jewel that sat within. It wasn't as stunning as the Tears of Gaia had been, but it was still a marvel to behold. And carved in bands around the edge of the box, words of thanks and friendship in the common script, the Runicorn script and the Deerish script.

The six ponies smiled back at her, and Twilight nodded to the two kings before her. They still bore a few wounds from the battle, but she could see it on her friends' faces. They were ready to go home.

"Then, my noble warriors!" Gideon boomed. "Let us give one more cheer for Twilight Sparkle! Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! Rarity! Pinkie Pie! Applejack! And Starswirl the Bearded! HAIL, AND FAREWELL, TO YOU ALL!"

"HAIL AND FAREWELL!" roared the thousands of creatures, over and over again as the ponies strode proudly down the passage through the host, followed behind by a score of armoured smiling griffons. Those in the foremost rows reached forward to touch the ponies as they walked past, eager to get a good look at the seven heroes who had helped liberate the Southlands.

And as they strode through the host and rounded the bend at the end of the valley, Pinkie could hold herself back no longer. She had been preparing a song since two days ago, and now was the perfect time!

Striding to the front of the group, she held her head high and led them in her song of victory and homecoming

"Plains green and verdant, mountains so high
Wandering through the forests, flying through the sky,
On still we travelled, following the call,
And through fights and battles 

We've gotten 
through 
it 
all!

Through beauty and wonder, sorrow and fright,
With deerfolk and griffons, and the hideous Blight,
Endless 
adventure, never did fall!
Now on our way home,
We'll make it
through
it
all!

All through this journey, we've held our own,
Now back 
to 
the 
hometown 
we've 
always 
known.
One awesome adventure, we're still standing tall!
This journey is ending,
And we've made it
 through
 it 
all!"

The Southlands echoed with her voice as she sang the song again and again, her friends joining in, until the entire group, griffon escorts included, were joyously singing at the top of their lungs.

At long last, they were on their way home!

---

The journey was fairly easy. The griffons carried plenty of detailed maps of the Southlands, so navigating the safest and most direct path was simple enough. The group travelled across the land in high spirits and good weather, and found themselves greeted every now and then by some local who had heard word of the great battle against the Blight, and the part the seven ponies played. The second night of walking, the group even found themselves roped into a local festival going on in a small village of ponies who insisted they stay the night, and regale them with tales of their adventure.

As they finally traversed across the Macintosh Hills, they bid their griffon retinue farewell and watched as they took to the skies and flew back South towards Fjaereir.

Then, later that afternoon, they reached the peaks that bordered the Southlands, and found themselves looking down at a sight they had not seen in over two weeks of hardship, strife and adventure.

For hundreds of miles there stretched before them vast forests, swamps and plains, rolling hills and rivers, and snow-capped mountains. The thin lines of railroads snaked over the land, cutting through forests and winding around mountainsides. Small settlements dotted the landscape, and in the centre of the vast land there stood a short mountain range, atop the highest peak sat the mighty city of marble towers and golden spires that was Canterlot. And in the shadow of the mountain sat a tiny, but oh-so familiar town of white thatched buildings.

"Equestria," Twilight said, a tear of joy running down her cheek. "We finally made it."

Fluttershy peered out at Ponyville in the distance. "But Ponyville's still so far away."

"We can probably make it there by tomorrow afternoon," Applejack replied. "So girls, y'all ready to go home?"

They needed no second bidding. They hiked enthusiastically through the day and long into the night, until the moon was high in the sky and they set up camp one last time, on the rim of Rambling Rock Ridge, the rocky quarry that sat on the outskirts of Ponyville.

---

That day started off like any day in Ponyville. The cockerels crowed, the young fillies and colts were sent on their way to school, mail was delivered and the ponies went about their everyday lives.

But that afternoon, anypony who was out and about the outskirts of the town bore witness to a surprising sight.

Into the town, there strode six very familiar young mares. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Wherever it was that they had wandered off to weeks ago, they were apparently back, and with a newcomer, if the strange old stallion in the blue cloak was any indication.

But what in Equestria were they wearing?

Pinkie Pie and Twilight looked normal enough, but Applejack was dressed in some bizarre cloak covered in strange woven designs, which looked vaguely similar to something Zecora might have hung up in her hut. Fluttershy blushed as her elegant green dress drew many a curious eye, but that was nothing compared to the bizarre cape and red jacket Rarity was wearing! And... Was that Rainbow Dash wearing armour?!
They strolled through the town, some of them recoiling from the attention, while others simply smiled and nodded.

"Heh, looks like they're in awe of our awesome uniforms," Rainbwo said to Rarity with a smirk.

Rarity smiled and bowed elegantly to a bemused onlooker. "Apparently so. Though it probably doesn't help that we've been gone so long. So then Twilight, where to from here?"

Twilight turned to the group. "Well, I was thinking of heading back to the library, but you guys are free to go wherever. How about we meet up at Sugarcube Corner later for tea or something?"

"Sounds good!" Rainbow nodded.

"See ya there, the cupcakes will be on me!" Pinkie Pie chirped. "Ooh, I'll bet Gummy's so excited to see me!"

So the group departed, Fluttershy heading to her cottage while Rainbow Dash flew off to her cloud house. Rarity headed for the Boutique and Pinkie bounced merrily off to Sugarcube Corner, and Applejack trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres, where no doubt heartfelt reunions awaited all of them.

"So Starswirl, care to see my library?" Twilight said, heading towards the massive tree.

The old unicorn smiled and followed. "I cannot wait, my dear Twilight."

---

The door of the library creaked open and the two unicorns stepped in. The old place was exactly as Twilight had left it. The books were all neatly stacked on their shelves, candles stood on small wooden desks and tables around the wooden sculpture of a pony's head in the centre of the room. All in all, everything seemed very well-kept.

"Hold on, gimme a sec, I'll be right out!"

Twilight froze on the spot as she heard that voice. A voice that, several times on her adventure, she was unsure she would ever hear again.

Spike emerged from the kitchen, yanking a stained and burnt apron over his head. "Heh, sorry about that, I was baking something. Now, how can I... help...?"

He froze on the spot as the two ponies came into his view. The apron slipped from his grasp and his eyes turned to pinpricks.

Silence reigned supreme in the library as Twilight and Spike stared back at eachother. Starswirl looked from one to the other in confusion. "Umm... Twilight? Why is there a dragon hatchling in your library?"

But before he could receive an answer he was bowled over as Spike rushed straight at Twilight and grabbed her with both arms wrapped firmly around her. "TWILIGHT!!" He cried, holding her tight. "You're back! Where the heck have you been?! I've been worried sick about you and the others! Why didn't you try to contact me or let me know how long you'd be gone?! Where were you...?!"

Twilight stroked his headspikes affectionately with a hoof. "Sshhh, it's alright Spike. We're all home, safe and sound... And I'm sorry we took so long."

"But where were you guys?" Spike asked through teary eyes. "I thought you were just travelling up north, and when you guys didn't come back after a week, I thought... I thought..."

But his words were muffled as he buried his face in Twilight's fur. She hugged him close, unable to hold back her own tears. It felt like they hugged silently for hours, save for the occasional sniffle or whimper from one or both of them, before Twilight finally said something. "I know, I know... I didn't mean to take so long, but... well, things sorta got in the way."

He sniffled. "Things? Like what?"

Twilight got up, hoisting the little dragon onto his feet. "I'll explain later. But first, I got a letter for you to send to Princess Celestia."

She levitated a small scroll out of her saddlebag and passed it to Spike. In a puff of green flame, it was burnt to smoke and on its way. "Hopefully she's not too busy today, I'd very much like to be able to speak with her in person. I've got some rather big news for her after all."

"Erm, Twilight," Spike tugged at her tail gently. "Speaking of big news... who's this guy?"

She turned to Starswirl, who had been occupying himself with the bookshelves that lined the library walls. Noticing their eyes upon him, he turned and swept his hat off. "Ah yes, ahem, good afternoon young sir... Spike, was it?"

"Spike," Twilight said proudly. "I'd like you to meet Starswirl the Bearded."

Spike's jaw dropped. Silently he padded over to Starswirl, peering closely at him, then stepping back to take him all in. He paced around him, examining his cloak, his tail, his beard, and becoming more and more gobsmacked as he did.

"But... how... Starswirl... alive... What?!"

Twilight grinned. "It's a long story, Spike. I'll explain once we get a reply from the Princess."

As if on cue, Spike retched and belched up a gout of smoke which formed before him into a sealed scroll. Unfurling it, he read aloud. "Ahem, 'My dear Twilight, I am overjoyed to hear you are home safe and sound. I am on my way to see you right now to hear what I do not doubt will be a very interesting tale you have to tell. See you very soon, Princess Celestia.' Huh, that was quick."

Mere seconds later, there was a flash of light outside the door, followed by a gentle rapping sound. Spike opened the door and dutifully stepped aside as in stepped Princess Celestia.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight bowed low before her.

But no sooner had she bowed that she felt Celestia stoop down before her and embrace her in a warm, gentle hug. She could not help but hug back.

"My dearest student," Celestia whispered, her voice cracking with joy. "Welcome home."

Twilight stepped back and smiled deeply. "You have no idea how good it is you see you, Princess. It feels like it's been so long!"

The alicorn smiled back with a smile that could light up the night. "I'm sure it has. And what about your friends, are they all well?"

Twilight nodded, heading out the door. "They're all fine. In fact I was just about to go to Sugarcube Corner to join them for some tea. Will you be joining us?"

"If it means I can hear about your travels, I'll gladly join you for tea," Celestia replied, ducking low under the doorframe. "It would probably make sense to hear the story from all of them. Spike, Starswirl, are you coming?"

"It would be my honour, your majesty."

"Count me in too! I'm still waiting on an explanation about the whole Starswirl-is-suddenly-alive thing!"

---

That evening, Sugarcube Corner played host to a most peculiar tea party. Mr and Mrs Cake were frantic with surprise as Princess Celestia entered their shop, eager to put on a good show for their royal guest, along with their eight other diners. Breaking out the long dining table, they set them up in a more private corner of the shop, rushing out with trays of freshly baked cakes and A steaming pot of tea.

Spike and Princess Celestia sat with undivided attention as Twilight began to tell their tale. She told of her discovery in the Canterlot Archives, their hiking out in Northern Equestria, their first encounter with Maugoth and his gang. Celestia was particularly intrigued by her description of Rowanoak, but let her carry on. Spike nearly fainted with fright as Rainbow detailed her little encounter with the kelpie, the Timberwolves, and Starswirl's coming to their rescue.

It was here that Celestia took the time to explain Starswirl's presence to Spike. Needless to say, the idea of a resurrection spell greatly intrigued him, as well as Twilight. But they carried on with their story, detailing how they met Tharos, and he led them to the strange place where they found the Tears themselves.

"But what was that thing?!" Rainbow asked. "I'm still freaked out by it, that big massive eye looming over us!"

Celestia chuckled. "If her eye alone disturbs you, you should see the rest of her."

"Her?"

They then shared a sad moment as they recollected Tharos' demise and their separation. Applejack pitched in to explain her side of the story. Spike bristled with fury as they recounted what the Blight put them through as their captives, until Yarrow and his deer rescued them. They laughed and cheered as Twilight explained how Rarity had soundly defeated Gellert at his own games, becoming a commander in the process.

And finally, they came to the story of the final battles against the Blight, and the final sacrifice Twilight and Starswirl had to make to destroy it once and for all.

"I see..." Celestia said, putting her teacup down. "So the Tears are gone then?"

Twilight nodded, looking down. "I'm sorry Princess. I was hoping we could bring it back to Equestria. I figured they could be useful for you and Princess Luna, or at least that you'd want it seeing as how you were actually there when it happened."

But Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I appreciate the thought, Twilight, but I think in the end you did the right thing. It isn't easy to just let go of that much power when you have it at your disposal. And having that much power at once does lend itself to certain abuses. Returning the power to the world's magic was the best thing for it."

"Thanks, Princess," Twilight said, smiling at her. "Oh, and seeing as we did just release the contained power of several godlike beings at once, things might get a little... weird, down in the Southlands."

The princess laughed. "Duly noted. It is nice to hear that my old friend the White Hart is doing well for himself. He and I were good friends when we were younger, you see."

Applejack raised a hoof. "But Princess, one of the deer told us about how the White Hart has some sorta personal vendetta against the Blight, but we never found out just what. D'you happen to know anythin' about it?"

Celestia thought deeply for a moment, then shrugged. "Not that I know of. To be perfectly honest I haven't actually seen him in person since he left to lead the Deerfolk. It's a mystery to me as well... Hmm, I should really write to him or visit sometime. But for now, I'm afraid I must go, royal duties and all. However, there is one more matter to attend to."

She looked past Twilight to Starswirl, who was taking a deep sip of tea. Twilight looked from one to the other. "Princess?"

"Starswirl, now that your task is completed, are you ready to go?"

The old unicorn swept up his hat and plopped it upon his head. "That I am, Celestia."

"Wait, go? Go where?" Then Twilight remembered. "Oh. You were only staying until your task was over."

"And my task was to see that you and your friends completed your quest and got home alive and well," he replied. "With that complete, it's time for me to return to my rest."

He got up to join Celestia by the door. Twilight grabbed his cloak to stop him. "But wait! Does it have to be so soon? There are so many more things I wanted to ask you!"

He looked back at her with kind, but tired, eyes. "Well, my dear Twilight, I suppose some things will remain a mystery for now then. But sometimes the mystery is more fun than the end result."

Twilight stood up before him. She held out a hoof to him. "I'm gonna miss you."

"And I will miss you, Twilight Sparkle. You truly are a unique mare, and your friends are lucky to have you."

He took her hoof and they shook, but Twilight could not restrain herself and rushed forwards to grab the old unicorn in a hug. Starswirl staggered back slightly from surprise, but steadied himself and hugged back. "Take good care of yourself, and your friends."

They broke off the hug and Starswirl gave a deep bow to the ponies. "Well, I suppose this is farewell to you all. It has been an honour to travel alongside all of you, and I hope you all live long and well. But as for myself, I think by now I've earned my eternal rest."

"Indeed you have, Starswirl," Celestia replied with a smile.

The ponies gave their goodbyes, some longer than others (They had to physically pry Pinkie Pie off of him), but soon he gave one final bow, before sweeping his big blue hat back upon his head and followed Princess Celestia out the door.

"Mr and Mrs Cake, thank you again for your hospitality," Celestia called as she left.

Mrs Cake giggled nervously to herself as she tugged at her apron. "Oh, heheh, anytime y-your majesty. It's an honour t-to have you!"

And with one final wave, and a flash of golden yellow light, Celestia and Starswirl were gone, leaving the six ponies and one dragon at the table. Twilight breathed deep and sat back down.

"So..." Rainbow said, taking a sip of tea. "Blight's gone, Tears are gone, Starswirl's gone, and here we are back home... Hey, is it just me or does anypony else kinda feel like... I dunno, unsatisfied?"

Applejack nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's like, it's not quite sunk in that it's all over."

"Well, we did just finish a two-week quest that ended up defeating an eldritch abomination from beyond the dawn of time," Pinkie reasoned, bringing up another batch of cupcakes. "It's kinda alot to take in."

Rarity giggled. "That's true. But still... Oh I don't know, I guess I was expecting a bit more fanfare for returning home from all this. That must sound so egotistical of me, but it is how I feel. We get that big grand sendoff from the griffons and deer, come home and, well, it just feels like it's back to business as usual."

The others nodded. None of them had wanted to say anything for fear of coming across as greedy or attention-seeking, but it was the fact of the matter. They come back from this great adventure, help win a war against a deadly foe, and nobody in Ponyville seemed much more than curious about where they had been all this time.

Twilight stood up. "I admit I do kinda feel the same way, but you know what? I'm really not all that fussed. Just because other ponies don't know or care about what we've been through, it doesn't make it any less of a fact that it happened."

"Yeah, good point," Applejack said with a nod. "We went on a grand adventure and we all did some mighty impressive stuff. And we don't need nopony else's to validate that for us."

"And besides," Twilight said, sitting back down, looking to her friends on either side of her, before raising her teacup. "We did gain something from all this. Gifts aside, we gained new friends. We gained new knowledge about other lands, and the history of our own homeland. And I don't know about you girls, but I certainly gained a greater appreciation of all of you. We've been through adventures, war, sorrow, captivity, and we've all come out of it together. Even through the worst of adversities, having you girls as friends by my side has made it a whole lot easier."

Fluttershy raised her cup as well. "In fact, I'd like to think this whole adventure has brought us all that much closer as friends."

The other ponies raised their teacups to clink gently against hers.

"I'll drink to that," replied Rainbow Dash. The ponies drank deep in silence as they felt relief and relaxation wash over each and every one of them.

After every ordeal and conflict, it was finally over. They were home again.

The End

Author's Note:

And so the ponies are home once again after the adventure. But the story continues...

Comments

[The Literary Lord]

So, the energy of the Tears have been freed and the Blight forever destroyed? Hooray! More ship teases I see. Who is "Her"? Gaia herself? Goodbye Starswirl! I wonder what their next adventure will be...

[The_Pegasus_Box]

Shouldnt it say complete now?

[Redback Spino]

5083606 Nope, because it's not quite done yet...

[Ookami88]

Can I ask what the poem Yarrow gave to Fluttershy means? I actually am pretty sure about the message it sends but I'd like to understand the actual content.

[Talguy21]

**Withholding comment until I've read the epilogue, against every fiber of my being**

[Alondro]

"And rather appropriate, I'd say," Starswirl added with a wink. "All that raw power was too much for any one creature or civilisation to hold,

Twilight imagines what it would have been like to hold all that power in her hoof...

latimesherocomplex.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/infinity-gauntlet1.jpg

And sighs at the missed opportunity to become a supreme tyrannical intergalactic overlord.

[Charedfirescale]

I don't know, I mean, what ever happened to Death and Decay? All those people from the previous war of the blight that are still around today, what about them? Now that the blight is gone....(It feels to easy for it to be truly gone, I mean how did it come to be?) will they ever return to their old selves?

[Charliehorse]

Overall I enjoyed reading this. It was well written and the characters were believable.

I did have a hard time believing that the griffon king would suggest using the tears as a weapon and then just shrug when Twilight declines. Has that ever really happened in history? A ruler letting a guest keep something that valuable?

I like the buck-mare shipping. Seems perfect for Fluttershy.

I thought the blight were a little too 'normal' feeling. They felt like the orcs from LOTR in that they had individual personalities and problems. Yet somehow I felt like the blight probably should have killed a lot of the free will and creativity of its victims in a more zombie kind of way if it was to be truly scary. As written it was more or less like a crime organization until it became a giant blob monster.

I'd have liked to see the white deer and Celestia meet again. Old friends and all.

I can't believe you told how the ponies back home kept making fun of Rarity's rolls of lard and fat. How they teased her and stopped buying her fashions just because she ate a griffon under the table, then feasted often afterwards for various occasions.

I think of all the ponies, Applejack got ignored the most. She never really contributed much. Then again, I know for a fact that orchard owners HATE deer!

I feel like you could have had them stop by the innkeeper pony on the way back so she could have a last word. She was a real character at the start and should have been revisited, I feel.

Many dragons knew how it felt to be roasted in the depths of the Slore that day I can tell you. THREE of them killed. Dragons were the big loser in this adventure.

Deer are always portrayed as more-or-less LOTR elves in any fic. Rightly so-- It fits them. But I think it would be fun to try to portray them in a different way somehow. Just as a challenge. Perhaps as drunken horny rednecks who make terrible decisions and yet always seem to live through stuff. Or perhaps they spend so much time fighting each other with antlers that their society never really achieves much more than individual huts strewn about the forest and fiercely guarded by the stags. Or perhaps they're all more like Pinkie Pie than anything else and never take anything too seriously-- And why bother since you'll probably get eaten by a wolf this winter anyhow?

I liked the "win by giving him what he wants" idea. Good work with that and I did not see it coming. I figured it would be another elements-of-harmony win.

Anyhow contgrats and THANK YOU for finishing. You got a thumbs up from me!

[Alchemystudent]

Hey, um StarSwirl, before you go...There's this journal that would you mind telling Twilight just what it means. Great appreciated

I have more, but that will come with the last chapter