Unity at Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

Positive Reinforcement

Dusk knew that this was the end as the Paraserpent inched him closer and closer to its jaws, the grip of its coils becoming ever tighter until he knew that, from the way his vision was blurring, he would be knocked out from oxygen deprivation, all the while the monster feeding off his terror and pain, gorging itself like a great overfed pig. That was why it was drawing this out so long, to get as much of a meal off is emotions as it could before sending him into infinity and from how weak he was now feeling, he knew that wouldn't take much longer.

While death did scare him its entirety, for he feared death as much as anypony, it wasn't so much the face that his life would be ended, but what he had failed to do. His death would only serve as an example to those who resisted Discord's reign and to provide food for his killer. They had failed to stop him, failed to save their home, his sins as Blackhole Doom would be forever unforgiven and Twilight… he'd never had the chance to tell her how much she meant to him. Now, she would never know…

His vision began to darken… or might be the fact the Paraserpent was drawing him closer to its glistening black scales, eyes still glowing red against the black, gleaming hungrily, joyously at the pain he was in. This was it…

BOOM!

Suddenly the sky, which had been obscured by clouds of candy floss, burst open, ripped apart by a flash of light and the fiery rays of the sun and jagged bolts of lightning came shooting through it, blinding him and sending shivers down his spine, a sheer sense of awe and fear coursing through his body. Fierce winds blew up, whipping through his mane, thunder boomed and rumbled across the sky and the stickiness of the chocolate rain was gone, replaced only with the warming beams of the sun, gracing his skin.

Like a storm and heat wave were happening all at once, which could only mean one thing…

"What?! NO! Impossssssssible!"

The Paraserpent too stared up in terror at this sudden event, hissing with distress and eyes widening dramatically, watching as several of its fellows were struck down with bolts of electricity or disintegrated with beams of fire, their bodies crumbling into ash, which was blown away by the gusts of wind that accompanied the heavens being ripped asunder.

Seeing a chance to fight back, bolstered by the meaning of this strange force of nature, Dusk reached into his magic and blinded the beast with an orb of light, causing it to loosen its coils. The instant it did this, Dusk struck it across the face with all his might, making it recoil into a bolt of lightning. Electricity streamed through its body, skeleton shining and eyes popping, until it fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

More bolts of lightning accompanied the first, striking down most nearby Paraserpents, all of them writhing and convulsing as they lost control of their nervous systems, their shrieks like the wailing of tortured souls. Despite their evil nature and intent, Dusk still felt a twinge of pity for them at their state and he grimaced to hear their death throes, tearing his eyes away at the sight of them twitching and smoking.

Why did this all have to be done with violence?

This however, was replaced with relief and amazement when he saw who descended from the sky towards him, bolts blazing from her horn and her expression utterly livid with rage and righteous anger at the monsters.

"Vile wretches!" bellowed Princess Luna, striking down a nearby snake with her glittering hoof. "Thou shall never threaten our subjects again, if it is the last thing we do!"

"Luna!" Dusk sprinted up to her, at first overjoyed to see her, but he skidded to a halt and turned his gaze to the ground.

He had forgotten at first, those memories of her, beneath his vision and crying out as his hooves struck her face, feeling every impact they made as they bruised her skin and shattered her bones, all the pain he had caused her. Now, they came flooding back to him, along with the guilt of having been the cause of it. What would she think of him now? How could she even begin to forgive him after what he had done? How could anypony?

He had stopped before her as she landed, bowing his head in shame and fear. He waited until she would behold him, expecting her anger to be rivalling, if not equal to, her fury at Discord's minions. After all, only an hour ago, he was no different from the rest of them, equally eager and willing to share in the suffering of others, but for his own pleasure in addition to duty to his master. How could she not hate him?

But he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Oh thank the stars!" He felt the warmth of her fur as she embraced him gently. "You do not know how much it gladdens me to see thee alive and well, my little pony."

Dusk was in such a state of disbelief at this sentence that he barely even returned her hug, didn't even respond to what she said because he knew he must have misheard her somehow. She pulled back, a look of concern etched on her face.

"Are thou feeling well, Dusk? I would have thought thou would be a little more relieved at this."

"Oh no, I am!" he assured quickly. "It's just that… I'm rather surprised that you're even… saving me… considering everything…"

"What does thou mean?" A second later, she made a sound of recognition and her features softened further. "I know what thou refers to and thou need not concern thyself with it."

"But I –"

"It has already been forgiven. Do not forget thou are not the only one who has succumbed to the call of darkness." Dusk was now silent again as her face clouded for a brief moment before returning to a look of hardened resolve. "We shall discuss this later, but right now there is a battle to be fought."

"Of course," he said with a nod. "You came in just in the nick of time. Is Celestia here too?"

"Yes, my sister is present and is currently tending to Twilight Sparkle. But neither of us can join you in the battle against the Paraserpents, for our fight lies with our ancient foe."

She turned her gaze skyward and Dusk followed it to see the disbelieving face of Discord, sat on a couch that was floating in the sky. Luna glared up at him and returned her attention to Dusk, who was feeling somewhat distressed again.

"But he's too powerful! Last time it took the Elements to defeat him and you're not connected to those anymore."

"That is true, but my sister and I are still formidable even without the Elements," she said confidently. "Our aim is to keep his attention away from thee and focused on us, long enough to fight through his minions and retrieve the Elements from the library, else he will simply create more and thou will be overwhelmed."

"But last time they almost defeated us!" he said desperately. "We can't do this, I can't do this, not without you!"

"Thou can and thou will. I know you can."

"No I can't!" He bowed his head in shame. "I'm no hero, I'd practically given up by the time you arrived. I can't possibly hope to win, none of us can… I'm useless…"

He didn't dare look up at her, for he did not deserve to even behold her face now that the truth was exposed. However, he felt a hoof gently cup his cheek and Luna lifted his face so he was looking right into her compassionate, caring eyes.

"I refuse to believe that the pony who told me not to give up until I had tried is thinking of giving in while chaos runs amok in his home." She gripped his shoulders and spoke firmly. "You are far more remarkable that thou gives thyself credit for, you always have been. You just haven't known it, but it's been there. It was there when thou rescued thy friends from the Forest, when thou began to rescue them from Discord's power and it is here now. All thou has to do is use it, as thou already has done many times. Unite them, Dusk, for that is how you can overcome thy foes."

Dusk looked up at her, taking in all that she said, then glanced at the stones that were dangling around his neck. His stone, his fragment, he noticed now was flickering, like the power it most likely held was just begging to be released, to be used for what it was meant for. He gripped this stone and nodded. She was right, he couldn't give up, not now, not while his friends were in danger, Discord was still in power and his home was under threat. He might not be a hero, a warrior, a genius or a fighter, but he was Dusk Noir and he wasn't going to let this happen without using all of what he had to prevent it.

For his friends, for Ponyville, for Equestria, he would do this, for if Luna believed in him, why shouldn't he? After all, he did like to invest in the seemingly impossible, for was there really such a thing? So many things believed to be impossible for him to achieve had now proven to be within his reach the whole time. All he'd had to do was to reach out and take it. He had always had faith when others had none before and not allowed anything to shake it, why stop and despair now? So, that was what he was going to do now.

"Right… I'll try." Now he did return her hug. "Thank you, Luna."

"I did what I had to." She pulled back and spread her wings. "Now, I must rejoin my sister and fight my own battle. Good luck, Dusk."

"You too." Something suddenly occurred to him. "Wait, just one thing! These stones… what exactly are they?"

Luna only smiled and glanced back at him. "The answer is in the number." Without another word, she took off into the sky, leaving Dusk surrounded by the fallen serpents.

He frowned and glanced down at the stones again. Why did these knowing ponies feel a need to code everything in a riddle? He sighed and started to think about their next move. There were still serpents left and they would be coming soon. But now, he knew exactly what to do, if the others were still okay.

"Dusk!" He spun around to see Rarity, bedraggled and shaken, but alive. "Oh thank goodness! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine yes… sort of…" he muttered, taking in painful breaths. "I'll live… you?"

"Well, my mane is a complete mess and my fur could do with a wash after all this, but nothing serious," she said in typical Rarity fashion.

"That was certainly a close one," he remarked, looking around at the slain serpents

"Yes, yes it was…" She trailed off, still looking shaken despite her attempts at being casual. "I really thought that was the end for a while. In that moment, I thought that I was… that we were…"

Dusk nodded in understanding. "So did I."

"Hm…" She was silent for a few more minutes before she blinked and did her best to smile. "Still, we're alright now and that's what matters. You and me and…"

"FLUTTERSHY!" they both shouted simultaneously, Dusk following up with, "Quick, we need to find her! Did you see where that Paraserpent went?"

"No, I lost her in the struggle!" She was now as frantic as he was, her eyes darting everywhere. "We need to find her, quickly! The poor dear will barely last a minute alone."

"Um, excuse me?" Even the quiet voice was enough to silence them when they turned and saw the animal lover standing close by. "I didn't worry you too much, did I? I'm sorry if I did…"

Utter relief at seeing her safe overwhelmed Dusk and, feeling like the brother she viewed him as, walked up to her, unable to keep himself from smiling at just being herself, even in the midst of all the fighting.

"Fluttershy," Dusk said gently, hugging her, "there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me too… thank you," she whispered, pulling back and giving him a gentle smile. "But I didn't come back by myself."

She gestured with her hoof to show that she had indeed returned with company, in the form of a certain striped equine, laden with two saddle bags from which he could hear the clinking of potions bottles and a long staff on her back, made from bamboo.

"Now you are not alone, for by one your force has now grown," said Zecora, speaking in her usual rhyming dialect.

Smiling, Dusk approached her and greeted her in her native language. "Hujambo, Zecora."

"Hujambo Dusk," she returned. "Ni vizuri kuona tena."

"Vivyo hivyo," he replied, knowing she said something along the lines of it being good to see him again and returned to English, for he wasn't entirely fluent in the language. "Glad you could join us."

"Yes, I too am relieved to recieve some additional support from you Zecora dear," Rarity added. "Was it you that helped Fluttershy?"

"It was not so much myself, but by her own efforts her own efforts she keeps her health, for that poor Paraserpent could not bare the held in her Stare," she said with a knowing smile.

"You used the Stare on it?" Dusk asked, knowing of Fluttershy's instinctual power to command animals with her gaze.

She blushed at the mention of it. "Well, I don't really have any control over it and... it just kind of happened. Guess I was just lucky."

"It seems these beasts were more like animals than we first thought," Rarity remarked, glaring at one with disdain. "Well, it certainly was lucky that it just happened then."

"Yeah..." She blushed again, staring at the floor. "Well, after I got free, Zecora showed up and helped fight off the last few ones and then we both came back here."

"We thought we'd lost you for a moment." He looked to the zebra. "Thank you for helping to bring her back to us."

"You're very welcome," she replied, bowing her head humbly.

Dusk felt his heart glow. Ever since he had fought his way out of his mind, he'd been reminded that he had made many other friends since he'd arrived in Ponyville. Seeing Zecora now, actually arriving to help in their hour of need, reminded him once more of just how powerful and special a bond of friendship was, no matter who it was with. Never again would he forget that power and forget who his friends were, even if it seemed like they'd abandoned him.

"Zecora, not meaning to sound rude, but I am rather curious about something," Rarity put in. "Where have you been all of this time?"

"I was in my home, where Discord's magic does not yet roam, thanks to my potions and various incanting motions," she reported. "You could say I was the rock against chaos' raging ocean."

"You managed to hold them back all by yourself?" Dusk nodded in admiration. "That's very impressive, Discord's magic is very strong."

"These facts I'll not distill, for the spells took great effort and skill. I was almost beaten by chaos' tide when our horned sages arrived."

"Celestia and Luna?" Zecora nodded in answer to Rarity. "They were there looking for you?"

"Yes, it was me they sought, for they said a great battle was to be fought." She gazed around the chaotic town, sadness in her eyes. "I knew this could only be true, so I gathered my weapon and brew and ran out here to help you."

"Well good, we need all the help we can get." He gestured to her form. "How are you in combat?"

"My brews have varying effects, from providing strength to afflicting defects." At this, she pulled out her staff and twirled it in her hoof. "In addition to my staff of bamboo, I can do much in the fight with you."

"Good, I've got a feeling we'll need it," Dusk said grimly.

"Why, do you have a plan?" Rarity asked.

"I do, but there's a downside to it," he told them, as they gathered around. "You see, for the most part I won't be able to take part in the battle, as my concentration will be needed elsewhere. Therefore, I need to make sure I can count on the three of you to hold off the Paraserpents until I'm done. Can you do that?"

"You know you can always rely on me darling," affirmed Rarity.

"On this, you have my word," vowed Zecora. "That they think they can match me is quite absurd."

Fluttershy, however, shifted nervously. "Oh um... I don't know. I mean I... you know that I... I don't like fighting... I can't fight."

"I know, Fluttershy, I don't like it either, in fact I hate the idea of it," replied Dusk, who had been expecting this from her. "But right now, we all need to fight for our home, because it's the only way we can. Do you remember when you and I sung your animals to sleep, when you helped me find Ophelia?"

She nodded mutely, her eyes shifting between him and the floor.

"Unless we fight now, no matter how much we may not want to, we won't be able to do those things ever again, because Discord will take over everything. I understand you're scared, I know, I am too, completely terrified and I understand that you don't like fighting. But right here, right now, Equestria needs us to fight, we need you to fight. I need you to fight because there's no other way." He took her hoof gently and gazed right into her eyes. "Please Fluttershy, for me?"

His emerald eyes were locked on her teal blue irises, seeing the fear and trepidation that burned in them. He hated asking her to do this as much as he hated violence, but right now he neded her help, all of their help or they wouldn't succeed without it. He just hoped that it would be worth it and that he wouldn't regret it.

Finally, she gave small, brave smile and gripped his hoof in return, though even this was as soft as a bird's feather.

"Okay, I'll do my best. For you big brother," she promised. "I won't be very good but I'll try."

"Thank you." The two of them hugged each other once more. "I know you can do it, I believe in you. Just be careful, okay?"

"Oh I will," she nodded frantically. "Right um, what is the plan exactly?"

Dusk looked around at them all, out at Ponyville and started to allow his magic to take over just as he heard the slithering of more Paraserpents.

"To unite."

---

Applejack was still doing her best to struggle out of the ever-growing tighter coils of the Paraserpents, finding it harder to see and breath with every passing second, her stamina reaching its breaking point. She wasn't going to let these overgrown belly crawlers get the better of her, not when she'd already beaten worse things, including a crazed Big Macintosh who'd had one too many salt licks. She wasn't going to lose, she wasn't!

It was her own stubbornness that kept her fighting, but now even she was beginning to consider the possibility that she might not make it out of this alive. What would happen then? What would become of her friends, her home, her family? The farm wouldn't be able to cope without her, not in this world of chaos. Little Apple Bloom too… she'd never get to see her find her special talent, finally earn her own cutie mark. She wanted nothing more than to see her, any of them, just one last time before the end…

"Hey, get yer snaky scales away from ma big sister!" she heard a familiar voice cry out.

She could hardly believe it as her ears picked up the grunts of three fillies striking something hard, fighting at the bonds that held her. Just when she thought this wasn't doing much, there was a blinding flash of light and the black scales suddenly turned to ash, releasing her from their entrapment and letting her take a deep breath of air.

Her vision was at first blurred and unfocused as the light seemed to linger, but gradually lessen. The dark pink shade of the cotton candy clouds had gone, as had the chocolate rain they brought and a good deal of Paraserpents, these beams of fire and lightning shooting through a hole in the sky. She could make out some kind of brown blob fighting off some other Paraserpents, but couldn't make out what exactly it was. Fighting off the remaining snakes and helping Rainbow Dash to her hooves were three fillies, one of them now helping her up.

"Don't worry sis, ah got ya, the monsters are all gone now," Apple Bloom's sweet voice comforted. "We beat 'em back, it's okay."

Quite unable to stem the tide of emotions that came from hearing the voice of her little sister, seeing her standing by her, right here, right now, Applejack gulped down as much air as she could, regained all the strength she had, enough to open her mouth and say her name, just to express her gratitude and relief.

"Apple Bloom." No sooner had Applejack spoken her name, she wrapped her legs around her in a hug. "Y'all have no idea how glad ah am ta see you, sugarcube."

"Me too." Her voice was muffled, due to her being in her fur. "Ah thought… well ah thought that ah…"

"Ah know, me too." In that moment, the relief at being alive and seeing a member of her family changed to worry and disbelief. "Wait, hold on a sec-!"

"We got Rainbow Dash, she's okay!" cut off Scootaloo. "I mean, you know, not that I ever doubted she wasn't cause of how awesome she is."

"Hold on-!"

"Did you find Rarity anywhere?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking around worriedly. "I can't see her anywhere."

"Don't worry, she's probably somewhere else in the town," said Scootaloo nonchalantly. "The point is, Rainbow Dash is okay, so we're gonna be just fine."

"What are you even-?!"

"But what about Rarity?" cried Sweetie, her voice breaking a little. "We need to find my sister!"

"Don't worry Sweetie, ah'm sure she's okay too, we'll find her," comforted Apple Bloom.

"But what if we-?"

"Girls!" Applejack's shout finally focused attention on her. "Not that ah ain't pleased ta see y'all, but what the hay are ya even doin' here?!"

Apple Bloom was taken aback. "What does it look like? We're here ta help ya."

"Ah can see that, but why? Don't ya know how dangerous it is!"

"Yeah, not meaning to sound ungrateful shorties," Rainbow put in, "but a war-torn village isn't really the place for three little fillies who don't even have their marks."

"Exactly!" Applejack pressed on. "What made ya even think it was safe ta come in here? Ya coulda been hurt, or worse!"

"Well, gee, you're welcome," Scootaloo said sarcastically. "Next time we just might not bother saving you."

"Yeah, why are you so mad?" asked Apple Bloom. "We only wanted ta help ya out."

"Ah ain't sayin' we're not glad ya saved us, ah'm sayin' that ah think it was foolish ta come here, by yerselves, jus' runnin' on here like a herd-a crazed cows! What were ya thinkin'?!"

Her demanding and chastising certainly had the desired effect. The three fillies looked rather shamefaced now, staring down at their hooves and shifting around on them. If any of them were planning on answering her, however, they were prevented from doing so by another familiar voice, one that she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Actually, it's somewhat my fault that they came to be here," admitted the voice of the buffalo calf Little Strongheart.

Applejack was struck dumb at the sight of the wide-framed calf, her curled brown hair as natural as the earth she ran on, the feathers on her headdress blowing in the breeze. She gasped as a Paraserpent slithered up behind her, but she kicked it once and set it sprawling without even looking around. At least now they knew what had been fighting off some of the remainder of their number.

"Strongheart!" Rainbow Dash flew up to her and gave her a noogie. "Long time, no see kid, good to see you!"

"The feeling is mutual, Rainbow Dash," she replied, laughing along good naturedly. "I must admit, it is a relief to see you both alive and well."

"Yeah, we're fine, we're both tough like that, right AJ?" prompted Rainbow, punching her leg.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Applejack turned to look at the calf. "It's good ta see ya again, Lil' Strongheart, but what did ya mean it's yer fault that ma sister an' her friends are in this mess with us?"

"Ah yes." She looked a little sheepish. "They found us when the Sky Monarchs came looking for me. You see, I-"

"Wait, hold on," Rainbow interrupted. "Sky Monarchs? You mean Celestia and Luna?"

"Yes, your rulers." Her expression became clouded with simmering anger. "As you may have noticed, several of my kin have succumbed to chaos spirit's foul magic. Somehow, do not ask me how, I remain without affliction. I could not let such a crime go unpunished, so I started to gallop all the way from Appleloosa to here in Ponyville, intending to find some kind of solution to this madness. I had hoped to find you all, that you might be able to use friendship's magic to stop him."

"Well, that was kind of the plan," Rainbow said, "but Discord sure as hay isn't making it easy."

"Yes, I noticed," she remarked. "Anyway, your Princesses found me just as I reached the town and told me they were gathering the few who had remained untouched by Discord to meet him and his forces in battle. Naturally, I send I would lend a hoof. You ponies are not the only ones who remember the cruelty of his rule."

"Ah'd think so," Applejack said, remembering the ballet-dancing buffalo. "But how do these three come inta it?"

"Well, they found us as we travelled. They wanted nothing more than to do something, anything to help their friends and their home. They were so insistent in the end I decided that, as long as they remained in my care, I would keep them safe from harm."

"An' you jus' let 'em come along, knowin' how dangerous it would be?" asked Applejack incredulously.

"Well, I thought they would be safe with me," reasoned Strongheart. "Please, Applejack, I meant no offense to you."

"No offense? No offense?!" she shouted, losing her temper. "Ya willingly put not only ma sister, but also her friends, in danger from a swarm-a hungry monsters and ya say ya meant no offense?!"

"Applejack please, there's no need to be angry," she said calmly.

"Ah'd say there is!" Applejack stepped angrily towards her. "Ah thought you were supposed ta be our friend an' yet y'all go an' do somethin' as empty-headed as this?!"

This seemed to strike a nerve with the buffalo, as she furrowed her brow in an angry frown and held Applejack's hard gaze.

"Do not call me empty headed," she growled, "or I will show you just how hard an empty buffalo head is."

"Jus' try it, ah'd probably want ta go a few rounds for lettin' ya put ma sister in danger!"

"Applejack, stop it!" squealed Apple Bloom. "It's not her fault!"

"Stay outta this Apple Bloom, this don't concern you," she ordered her sister.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" demanded Strongheart.

"Sure am, feather head!" she retorted angrily. "Jus' gimme one good reason not ta smack ya inta the dirt right now!"

"Try that and I will make you regret it."

"That a threat?"

"No, that is a promise."

"Why, ah oughta-!"

"Okay, cool it! Both of you, time out!" Rainbow Dash shot in-between them and shoved them apart. "Look, I'm not saying I agree with what Strongheart did, you got every right to be angry AJ. But right now, we got enough problems without you two locking heads with each other."

"But she-"

"I know what she did, but she meant well, you can see that. We need to stick together, that's what Twilight would say and, even though she's an egghead, I'd agree with her." She looked from one to the other. "I'll tell you something else another egghead would say: fighting, whether an enemy or a friend, won't fix this either. That's what Dusk would say and you know what? He'd be right too, even though I still think a problem's better solved by swinging a few hooves, but not here and not now. Not when there's something worse we could be swinging them at instead."

As much as her anger said otherwise, Applejack knew that her daredevil friend and fellow athlete was right. As the two smartest in their group, that would be exactly what Twilight and Dusk would say and, of course, they'd be absolutely right. All the madness that was happening and the two of them were squabbling like chickens over the last few grains of corn. Fighting each other wouldn't help to stop Discord and it certainly wouldn't help to stop his minions either.

Applejack looked at Strongheart, Rainbow's speech having a profound effect in her too. Her own angry expression softened somewhat and she looked rather ashamed of herself. Perhaps it was from the mention of Dusk that did it for her, as Applejack knew that the two of them were good friends and she was probably worried about him, just as she was about him and the rest of their friends. She met Applejack's gaze again.

"Rainbow Dash is right. Discord is the true enemy here and I lost of sight of that." She raised her neck to Applejack. "I'm sorry for my actions, my harsh words and placing you sister in danger. It was not my intention to do so."

"We don't blame you Little Strongheart," Sweetie put in. Everypony looked at her. "What? We don't, I'm just saying."

"That's good of you to say so, Sweetie, but the apology is still necessary regardless," she said. "Can you forgive me Applejack?"

"Don't sweat it sugar and… ah owe ya an apology too," she admitted. "Ah shouldn't have got all worked up at ya, 'specially when it was thanks to ya that ah can still get worked up anyways. Ah'm sorry."

"You are forgiven," she said gently. "Please understand, among my people I too am still considered a child and yet I am still able to fight for what I wish to be done. I thought it could do no wrong to give these little fillies a similar chance to fight for their home as I was, but I forgot that we have grown up in different circumstances to each other. Once again, I'm sorry for overlooking that."

"Hey, it's already fergiven sugar," assured Applejack. "Ah get that, but ah still shouldn't have gotten so worked up either."

"You had every right to be, as Rainbow Dash said, the fault is mine entirely," she insisted.

"Ah know, but ah think ah overdid it a lil' with the violent threats an' what not."

"I probably would have done the same, I understand really."

"Yeah, but-"

"Okay, you can stop apologizing now," Rainbow said exasperatedly. "Geez, I think I preferred it when you were fighting."

"Make up yer mind." They laughed off the incident and Applejack returned her attention to her sister. "Now, what am ah gonna do with you three?"

"Please don't send us away Applejack," Scootaloo begged. "We only wanted to help Rainbow Dash… and the others too I guess."

"Yeah, we jus' wanna help ya an' fight fer our home too," put in Apple Bloom.

"Please let us stay, I need to find my sister and make sure she's okay," sobbed Sweetie Belle. "You understand right?"

Applejack looked over the three young ponies. Under normal circumstances she would have preferred to send them straight home or put them somewhere safe. But, in the end, she had to admit to herself that wasn't going to happen. In this place, nowhere would be safe thanks to Discord and his pets and if the Paraserpents came after them, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves.

In the end, she conceded to reality and sighed.

"Right, ah guess it's obvious y'all ain't goin' nowhere an' ah don't have the time ta take ya back to the farm."

She perked up at her words. "Does that mean that we…?"

"Yes, ya can stay with us. Now hold on!" she called, as they leaped and jumped for joy. "Just a few rules if ya gonna stay with us. Firs', no runnin' off alone. Stay close to us an' you'll be fine."

"Right!" affirmed Apple Bloom. "We'll stick to ya like candy ta an apple!"

"Make sure ya do." Applejack smiled as she quoted her. "Second, no takin' stupid risks. This ain't a game, this is dangerous stuff an' ya can't afford ta mess around."

"Got it!" saluted Scootaloo, slapping on her crash helmet. "Don't worry, safe is our middle name."

"An' third, don't get yerselves involved in the fightin', this stuff is too much for fillies ta handle," she warned them. "Jus' let us handle it an' stay outta the way, okay?"

"Okay," nodded Sweetie. "I wasn't exactly planning on going hoof-to-hoof with those things anyway. They don't even have hooves."

"Good, jus' follow them rules an' you'll be jus' f-"

"Look! Here come more of them!" Applejack whipped up to look at where Strongheart was pointing to see even more of the monsters slithering and hissing out of the shadows.

"AGH! More of them, run!" Sweetie Belle shot off before they could do anything.

"Don't worry sis, we'll help ya beat these varmints back," Apple Bloom promised, raising her hooves.

"Hey, watch me scooter right off the head of that one," proclaimed Scootaloo, hopping on her scooter as she said it. "It'll be awesome!"

Applejack stared in disbelief, looked to Rainbow and Strongheart who looked just as flabbergasted as her and slapped her hoof to her head.

"Fillies," she groaned, "why do ah bother?"

---

Twilight was still panicking at the realisation that Pinkie's explosives had failed to go off at a vital time. As a result, her mind was frantically trying to think of some kind of new strategy, all the while the Paraserpents creeping steadily closer, squeezing through the arch way and glaring hungrily at her and Pinkie, who also was starting to panic a little.

Her eyes darted from one pointed face to another. They could try holding their ground, but she still needed some time for a little rest after performing all of those spells and Pinkie needed time to load her cannon again. If they tried fighting in their current state, they would become tired and overwhelmed quickly by the sheer mass of them. To run was out of the question, as the Paraserpents would cover the ground in seconds and overwhelm them still. What could they do? What else could they do?

There had to be a way out, there was always a way out! She couldn't be beaten now, not here. Discord was still in power, they still needed to stop him. It was just these stupid snakes stopping them from reaching the Elements. They were so close and yet this looked like the end. What about the rest of her life, all the things yet to be done that she would never do? Her training with the Princess, she'd never finish it. There was still so much she needed to learn, so many things to do, books she hadn't read and Dusk…

She'd never even told him her feelings for him, for she knew she had them. Though she'd tried so many times to deny it, they were there. Would it have worked out, if they had tried? Would she have been happy…?

"Huhuhuhuhubububu!" Twilight looked to see that Pinkie's body was vibrating violently. "Oooh, boy that was a big one!"

"Pinkie sense acting up?" Twilight asked, her gaze darting between her and the Paraserpents.

"Sure is and man is it a doozy!" She shook again and shuddered.

"Well… what is it?" Twilight asked, dreading the worse.

"I don't know for sure, but something big is coming, like a major plot twist or something," she reported. "Something along the lines of deus ex machina I think…"

"What?" As always with Pinkie, Twilight was now confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Pinkie could answer, another voice cut her off in that instant, sounding very close by and directly behind her.

"Twilight, get down!" Without thinking, Twilight obeyed the voice and ducked.

The instant she did, a green ball of fire shot over her head, so close she could actually feel the heat radiating from it, past the swarming Paraserpents and into the arch way, hitting one of the red cans she knew to be a party grenade. That was all it took.

KABOOM!

In a cloud of purple fire and pink smoke, the three grenades detonated, consuming all the Paraserpents nearby in a brilliant plume of fire and streaming confetti. Twilight conjured a shield to counteract it, watching as large chunks of stone shot into the air and came crashing down around her, some of them smacking the heads of more of the monsters and knocking them out cold. Even in the safety of her shield, Twilight could still feel the rumble in the earth from the explosion.

As if that wasn't spectacular enough, the clouds suddenly opened and a beams of light and streaks of lightning shot out of it, electrocuting or spontaneously combusting a few of the remaining stragglers nearby who were now hissing and shrieking frantically, slithering as fast as they could to try and get away from the torrents of elements raining down upon them.

Shaking her head, Twilight cut off the shield and turned to see their rescuer, who was looking taller than he usually did, reaching up to her head, as well as more muscular in his upper body, eliminating the chubby belly he had before. His mouth was smoking from the potent ball of fire he had launched, far more powerful than any others he'd done.

"Spike? Is that you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sure is!" His voice was deeper too now, flexing his muscles impressively. "Whaddya think? Pretty good huh?"

"Wow! Spike's had a growth spurt!" cried Pinkie Pie. "So what, are you a teenaged dragon now? That's not good, now he's gonna be all moody and stuff."

"Actually Pinkie," Spike began, but the pony cut him off.

"Now, at this time you'll probably start growing scales where you didn't have any before and you may find girls slightly less icky, but don't worry it's all perfectly natural," she said in a teacher-like tone. "Now, the biggest change you can experience is down in your-"

"Pinkie, enough!" Twilight said, though she couldn't help but giggle at Spike's blushing. "I'm sure it's nothing like that? It isn't, is it?"

"No! I mean, uh," he stammered when his negative came out in a higher voice than before, "no! But really though, this is all thanks to a potion Zecora gave me. Makes me stronger and my inner fire more powerful. Cool huh?"

"Wow, I didn't even know she could do potions like that," awed Twilight.

"Neither did I." He looked down at his muscular body, smiling to himself. "Oh yeah, Rarity's gonna love this."

"I wouldn't get too used to it Spike, I'm pretty sure that the effects are temporary," noted Twilight.

"Yeah I know, but I can at least enjoy it while I can." He looked around at the Paraserpents bodies and piles of dust. "Looks like we got here just in time."

"You can say that again," agreed Twilight.

"Yep, your fire set off my grenades just when we needed it," added Pinkie, looking at the remains of the arch. "I guess they weren't duds after all, they just needed a good kick to get 'em going."

"So that's what that was?" Spike whistled in admiration. "I just thought that was my fire being more powerful than normal. Those things really pack a punch."

"That's what I made them for," winked Pinkie.

"You said 'we' got here just in time, who else is with you?" asked Twilight.

"Oh, plenty of people. In fact," he said, pointing behind her, "here's one of them right now."

Twilight looked and her vision beheld somepony that completely eliminated any fear she had previously, for she knew now that they would be safe. Sailing as majestically as a cloud, her horn shining with her powerful magic and her mane flowing like a rainbow river, Princess Celestia descended from the sky and landed before her, a radiant smile on her face.

"My student, I'm glad to see your safe," she said warmly.

"And I'm glad to be safe," she beamed at her teacher. "Thank goodness you're here, I thought we were done for."

"Evidently not, I knew your magical abilities would keep you safe." Twilight glowed at this praise. "And hello to you too, Miss Pinkie Pie. Unharmed I take it?"

"Yep! Fit as a fiddle, raring as a rooster and safe as a snuggy!" reported Pinkie happily.

"Good to know," giggled Celestia. "Still keeping a positive attitude then?"

"Yes indeedy," she nodded. "I'm gonna be ace in this place head of the race and keeping pace with a smile on my face!"

"I have no doubt of that. It's good of you to think in such a way in this dark time." She passed her gaze around. "Where is everypony else?"

"We got separated in the struggle, Princess," said Twilight. "I don't know where they could be."

"Then you must find them, Twilight, it is imperative that you remain together," Celestia told her. "Only then can you defeat Discord."

Twilight already knew this, but she nodded in affirmation regardless. She'd thought that splitting up would divide the Paraserpent's forces and make them easier to manage, but it was clear that they should have stayed together from the beginning, even now when she'd spent the last half an hour reminding herself of that. That would be the last time she made that mistake.

Especially if it meant leaving Dusk alone again, she thought to herself sadly.

"I understand Princess," she said. "Now that you're here, I'm sure we can find them again."

The princess sighed. "Unfortunately Twilight, I cannot remain to help you. The focus of my fight and Luna's lies elsewhere, on a different path to you and it is with your enemy and mine."

Dread started to form in the pit of her stomach, for she knew that could only mean one thing. Twilight followed Celestia's gaze upwards and, sure enough, there he was, sitting on a couch floating in sky and surveying all that was happening below him with a contemptuous smile and just a flicker of fear on his face.

"You're going to fight Discord?" she asked in disbelef.

"We are," she said, "but just to hold his attention on us and prevent him from creating more Paraserpents to prevent your progress to the library, long enough for you to retrieve the Elements and stop him for good."

Twilight lost all composure at this. "Are you crazy? You can't fight Discord by yourselves!"

"On the contrary, my student," Celestia dismissed, "we can and we will, as we did at his first dominion over Equestria. Luna and I are more than capable of holding our own, you know that better than most."

"But that was when you had the Elements!" she cried. "He's too powerful for you to stop without them, he'll beat you and turn you probably turn you to stone too! Or worse!"

"What's worse than being turned to stone?" Spike asked.

"I dunno, being turned to concrete? Granite? Limestone? Jelly?" listed off Pinkie. "Ooh, I would love to be turned to jelly, I bet I'd taste delicious! Oh wait, then I'd be eating myself, so maybe that wouldn't be so good. Ooh, ooh I know! How about-!"

"Both of you, quiet!" snapped Twilight. "This is serious!" The two of them quickly being silenced, Twilight looked back at Celestia. "Princess, you can't seriously be considering fighting Discord."

"I am and I will," she said firmly. "Regardless of what you may think Twilight, I know what I'm doing."

"But there has to be another way!" she insisted. "Princess, please, you can't do this! He's too strong!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but no, this is the only way." The smile returned to her face. "Have faith, Twilight Sparkle. Don't you trust me?"

Twilight was about to argue back, to say that of course she trusted her judgement, but right now she just didn't think that this was the best thing to do. Her rational thought, her common sense that she relied on so well was screaming to urge the Princess to stay with them, to fight the Paraserpents because they needed her help and she would have a much better chance against them than against their master. It only made sense and she was more than willing to tell her that.

But one thing that Celestia said silenced her: have faith. Faith, that little voice telling you to believe when common sense was telling you otherwise because, deep down, you knew that little voice was right and that you should listen to it. That's what Dusk would say, that was what he believed and, as silly as it may sound to her, she found herself believing it too. Because how could he be wrong about it? That just didn't seem possible. She would never doubt him, not for a second, so why would she doubt her teacher?

In the end, she bowed her head and sighed, finally giving in.

"Okay. I trust you, Princess," she admitted. "I'm sorry that I stepped out of line and lost my temper… I just… I don't want you to…"

Staring down at the patchwork path, she became aware of warm presence close to her face. When she looked up, Celestia was craning her head down to her level, her smile as warm as the sun she raised.

"I understand your concern, Twilight. Don't worry, I'll be fine, you'll see," she assured as gently as a mother would her child.

Unable to contain herself, Twilight jumped forward and hugged her mentor, wrapping her forelegs around her soft white fur, letting all she felt and feared be expressed through it, feeling secure as she returned it. She could hear Spike sniffing and Pinkie bawling like a child, crying rivers of tears, but she didn't mind.

Somehow, that sense of security didn't completely fade when Celestia released her and turned to take off into the sky once more, her face resolved and her eyes glowing with fierce determination. It was time.

"Good luck, Princess," whispered Twilight, wiping away a tear that had trickled onto her cheek.

"Good luck to you too, Twilight." She started to walk off, then hesitated. "Remember one thing: keep Dusk close, for he is far more special than we first thought."

Twilight couldn't help but smile warmly at the thought of him. "I don't doubt that, Princess. He really is remarkable."

"I should hope so, especially considering he was there at the beginning, more than you know," she said with a mysterious ghost of a smile.

"Yeah…" Something triggered in her head when she heard that. "Wait, Dusk said something like that too. What do you mean by that?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." Before Twilight could say anything else, Celestia spread her wings and took off, soaring towards her sister who hovered higher up.

Twilight stared after her, still feeling the lingering warmth of the sun in her wake and the awakened feeling of her own faith. She just hoped it wasn't misplaced.

---

Luna was waiting at the meeting point she and her sister had decided upon before going to find their respective subjects. She was anxiously flapping her wings, glancing towards her fate when her elder rejoined her.

"Is all well?" Celestia asked when she hovered next to her.

"It is, as well as they… he can be," she murmured, glancing back down to where Dusk was. "And Twilight?"

"Shaken, but fine yes," she nodded. "We've done all we can for them now, only one thing remains."

"Indeed." Luna felt a shiver of fear down her spine at the thought of it, but quelled it, putting on a brave face.

"Ready, my sister?" asked Celestia, turning to face him.

"As I will be."

"Then let us fly, together!"

Soaring upwards into the cotton candy filled sky, Luna soon was flying side by side with her big sister, shooting off to meet Discord in battle and giving the younger princess great feelings of what she believed was commonly termed 'déjà vu'. Here they were again, like a thousand years ago, flying together to battle the evil tyrant, bonded by their friendship and sisterly love. Hopefully, that would be enough.

Luna recalled, before she'd come here, the look in Dusk's eye when she'd spoken to him, that special understanding of some deep knowledge that had been conveyed in that moment, those stones glinting around his neck. He had the skill, he had the drive and he had the purpose the fight on for his home. What was more, he had his friends and he had his heart, which she knew would not fail him now. Like herself, he was as ready as she could hope him to be and she had no doubt he would press on to the end.

Only one question remained now: if Fore Sight was right and her assumption correct, would he be able to figure it out now, what those little stones actually were? What their true purpose was? She had done her best to give him the hint and from what she could tell, he had mostly figured out that there had to be something about him, something that only he possessed which would help to defeat Discord. Of course, he was right, but would he be able to figure out exactly what? As much as she wanted to tell him, he had to figure it out for himself.

That was how it had to be.

She returned to the matter at hoof. She had done all she could, so had her sister. Now, it was time for them to face their destiny, as he casually hovered over to meet them, halting in the sky and leaving a sizable space between them. She had forgotten how much his malicious smile made her skin crawl as she beheld the spirit of chaos once again.

"Why Celestia, so glad you could come! I was missing you!" He gestured towards Ponyville. "Do you like what I've done with the place? I think it's quite an improvement if I must say so."

"It was better as it was," retorted Celestia angrily.

"Honestly, so narrow-minded," he pouted. "If you like this, just wait till I get started on Canterlot. Floating spires, stone made of sugar and a nice big cushy throne room for yours truly. Oh yes, it will look a treat, quite literally."

"I'd rather relinquish my wings and horn than see you set one hoof in Canterlot or any other part of Equestria!" spat Celestia.

"You would? Well, that can swiftly be arranged if you like." He smiled and turned his attention to Luna. "And you, little Luna, don't think I've forgotten about you. You're looking well, considering how last time you were falling to pieces, in every sense."

"Thou will have to do much better than sending one of thy lackeys to destroy me, Discord!" she said defiantly, determined to remain courageous.

"Hm, I suppose I will, hired help is so unreliable," he nodded. "Note to self: never send a pony to do a draconequus's job, especially when it means he misses out on the fun."

"Yes, thy servants do seem rather fleeting, don't they?" Luna remarked. "Blackhole is gone, thy Paraserpents are otherwise engaged and it is just thee and us."

"Oh, that's not entirely true," he said slyly. "There is still one left who serves me, one noble soul who would serve in my name if I asked him to. He's a little… preoccupied in Tartaurus at the minute, but I can soon change that. Thank you for reminding me, by the way."

"Enough," Celestia said in a low voice that made Luna shiver.

"Oh but you know who I mean, don't you Tia?" he noted. "Once your loyal captain of the guard all those years ago, willing to lay down his life for you before turning to the best side after what you did to him. Really, how could you? I thought you were supposed to be kind."

"Stop it."

"And he had such good plans too, powerful magic and the right mind to use it. I wonder if he managed to get any of them completed before you locked him up and threw away the key. There was one I was partculary invested in, one that would certainly be a lot of fun to use once it was finished. Perhaps I'll let him resume his work once he's out. You know how I hate leaving something unfinished…"

"SILENCE!" Luna almost jumped out of her skin at her declaration. "how dare you even mention him? How dare you?!"

"Ooh, touched a nerve have I?" Discord grinned even wider. "So much for royal composure then."

"Enough stalling Discord!" snapped Luna, distracting him from the point. "Thou knows why we're here."

He waved his hand in a bored sort of way. "Oh yes I know, I know. Here to do epic battle with the big boss, thunder crashing and skies flashing as we lock blades in battle upon which the fate of the whole of Equestria rests in the balance. Only one may walk away, one shall stand one shall fall, no turning back yadda yadda yadda. But really, what's the point when we all know how this'll turn out."

"Nothing is set in stone, Discord," Luna retorted. "Thou knowest that better than any."

He frowned at her intended pun. "Not bad Luna, not bad. Are you sure you wouldn't mind joining me instead?"

"She will not!" bellowed her sister. "Today, Discord, we stop you once and for all and restore harmony to Equestria!"

"Yes, thank you Miss Grimsalot," dismissed Discord. "But really, haven't the two of you come to your senses by now and seen the truth?"

"What truth?" Luna asked in spite of herself.

"That harmony and your rule is not only boring, but so, so pointless." Neither of them said anything in response to this and he continued. "You talk about restoring harmony, bringing peace and love to the land and all who live in it, but let me ask you something: how is your rule and mine any different?"

"What?!" Luna laughed decisively. "Our rules could not be more dissimilar."

"Oh really?" He paused a moment. "Think about it Celestia: we both have great power and the will to use it, the purpose of ruling in our own ways. Yet, there's one thing I wonder; who was it that overthrew me and declared themselves monarchs without anypony else saying so? Who was it that saw fit to dethrone another rightful monarch and imprison him in ice? And who is it that, when her sister put one hoof out of line, locked her away in the moon for a thousand years?"

Luna was struck dumb by his words, as was Celestia. Seeing his advantage, Discord pressed on, still grinning away.

"Yes, you see now don't you? Who's the real evil tyrant here? She, who restricts the freedom and fun of chaos and imposes her own rightful order thinking she knows what's best for everypony. You see, in my rule, ponies are free to do as they please, because nothing restricts them and they can be themselves. They don't have to be scared of the big bad princess who may banish them if they do something she doesn't like. And, unlike you I certainly don't turn ponies into stone!"

This actually made Luna stop and think for a moment, looking right into his eyes. She could see that Celestia too was considering this. Perhaps Discord had a point where this was concerned. Her sister certainly had done all of these things, particularly imprisoning her in the moon. Who knew what else she had done in the thousand years she was gone? Perhaps a world of chaos would be better for them all and Discord would be a fairer ruler than they were...

"No!" It was Celestia who at last spoke up. "You can try to trick us with your wicked words, Discord, but the fact remains that you most certainly are the true villain here. We don't set monsters on our subjects, try to deceive them or treat them as our own playthings. That's all you, Discord and you must be stopped!"

Luna shook her head furiously. How could she have even begun to think such thoughts about her sister, from Discord of all beings? He was just trying to get into her head and deceive her once again. Well, not this time, she vowed.

"Vile trickster!" Luna bellowed. "Thou shall pay for what thou has done! To us, to our subjects and to Equestria, we shall see thee locked in stone for eternity!"

He stared at them a moment, frowning again. "Is that all you have to say then?"

"That's all that needs to be said." Nodding to her sister, they both flared their horns and prepared for battle.

Discord only raised an eyebrow and gave a small chuckle.

"Still so boring. Alright then. First, let me make sure your friends are occupied." He snapped his fingers, summoning more Paraserpents below. "Next some fitting music." He conjured a radio, playing strange madcap tunes. "And lastly…" He held out his palms, various explosives floating in them. "Let's brawl!"

With this, in a bright flash of light and sound, they crashed together again and all of Equestria shook to hear their battle cries.

Comments

[SaxPon3]

Dang, that was EPIC! Almost done, I can feel it! I cannot wait.

[Stone_Mason]

We need to stick together, that's what Twilight would say

Nope. She told you all to scatter, remember?
I'm not bitter ... noooo.

Thank goodness you're here

Don't you mean... Thank Celestia?

We got separated in the struggle, Princess

You ORDERED a separation in the struggle.

It only made sense and she was more than willing to tell her that.

You know... Celestia and Luna escorting the Element Bearers to the library would make a whole deal more sense. Let Discord throw as many paraserpents ineffectually at the diarchs. Good thinking Sparkle, that almost makes up for the scatter command from before.

As much as she wanted to tell him, he had to figure it out for himself.

Erm... is the reasoning behind this explained further along?

"Enough stalling Discord!" snapped Luna, distracting him from the point. "Thou knows why we're here."

That's exactly what you're there to do. Stall Discord until the Elements get the Elements.

You see, in my rule, ponies are free to do as they please

Says the being that regularly makes use of mind control. Right. "Free."

[Carnation83]

Discord's words at the end are not without merit. Celestia sentences her enemies to stone or banishment and it does look like she's got a control complex.

[GeneraLeeDiscord]

5104946
If you believe you are free then you are. It may not be true but you wouldn't know that