Dawn didn't get to finish her "little speech" because she was shot right in the back with a lightning bolt. The thunder alone was enough to knock most ponies off their hooves. After the electrical shock, the pink pony pulsed, her mane went flat, and she collapsed on the floor, seemingly dead.
"Sorry about that." Nightmare Moon 'apologized,' her voice sounding victorious and snotty. "It was getting kind of long, boring, and, let's face it, sappy." She grinned laying before laughing maniacally at all the mares' shocked faces. It was such sweet success to already have a few of them on their knees.
Her laughter was cut short, however, when a simple earth pony placed herself between the fallen pink mare and the tall black one. "You can't think you just won like that." The cyan mare spoke.
Nightmare took an involuntary step backwards. Did this earth-bound mare just speak back to her? And without a single trace of fear? At least there wasn’t an element of bravery...
"When the Elements are ignited by the spark..." The lavender pegasus placed herself next to Rainbow, continuing the thought. Twilight couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen this sooner.
"The spark that resides in the heart of us all..." Rarity added, standing beside Twilight.
"It creates the Sixth Element." Apple Jet stated, catching on.
"Ze Element of..." Fleur joined them.
"Magic!" They all spoke in unison.
And with that word, the group was lifted into the air as the magical crystals flew around them faster and faster. The light the crystals created had a blinding effect. The mare f darkness had to shield herself with her wing and hoof. Lu-Nightmare has not seen this many different colors in several lifetimes. Not since that fateful day. Nightmare Moon tried to peek through her feathers, and found that she could no longer see the individual crystals. They now blurred together in a whirlwind of color until they came together in a necklace shape. Suddenly, each necklace glowed even brighter, each with its own color of the rainbow. Rainbow had red, Apple had orange, Fleur had green, Rairty had blue, Twilight had purple, and Dawn had yellow. The lights organized themselves into colored beams in the shape of a rainbow. The rainbow then began to grow, circling itself around the six young mares.
‘Huh.’ Twilight Swish had the gall to think. ‘Dawn’s crystals can’t form her necklace. I wonder what they—oooooh.’
The magic emanating from the crystals, and from the five ponies themselves, lifted the pink pony back to her hooves. On her once again poofy pink mane, there now resided a sparkling crown with her own yellow gem in it. As she opened her eyes, a bright white light shone from them. The rainbow that was swirling around the group decided to address the tyrant in the room and took a shot at her. It raised itself high and then dashed at the alicorn, hitting her horn dead on. It spiraled out from her horn and around her body until it fully enveloped her. Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted.
Moments later, seven fillies laid on the floor. Twilight was the first one to get up. With a flap of wings she was in the air. "Omybooksomybooksomybooks!" The indigo-maned pony exclaimed. "My wing isn't broken! I can fly!"
Apple Jet chuckled at the filly's excitement. "Is everypony okay?"
A chorus of "yeahs" met her ears.
Rairty pointed to Twilight's necklace. "It looks just like your cutiemark." Her words were true, for the purple gem on her necklace was in the shape of a hot air balloon.
"So is yours!" Twilight returned, pointing to the blue butterfly-note.
"It sure is divi-ine." Fleur added, looking at her green colored, parasol shaped gem.
Apple and Rainbow let out an simultaneous "Aw yeah!" At the sight of their gems. The orange gem was a lightning bolt, and the red gem was an apple.
Dawn looked up at her crown, which she couldn't see very well because of her poofy mane, and admired the center gem. Despite the mass of hair, she could tell that it was a yellow balloon connected to a swish of blue.
The six mares looked around at each other, sharing an equal 'what now?' look. Their unspoken question was answered after another, large, blinding light filled the room. It came from an old window, where, if someone could see with all that light, one would witness the sun finally rising.
The overwhelming brightness of the light was banished, and the ponies saw their princess. The yellow alicorn stood tall and regal. Her wings were out at her sides in their full length, and her fiery mane waved in the invisible breeze that was Alicorn Magic. Although the ponies were astonished at the Princess's different appearance, they all hurried into a bow. Dawn's bow was a quick one, before she went to hug her mentor.
"Pinkamenia Dawn Pie," the alicorn affectionately addressed her student. "I knew you had it in you."
The confused pony took a step back. "But you told me it was an old pony's tale." Dawn looked at her princess for answers.
"I told you to make some friends, nothing more." The yellow princess smiled, looking at each of Dawn's new friends in turn. "I also saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return. I knew you were just the party pony to defeat her. You had the magic, but these five ponies you have met also did. Together, the magic of true friendship vanquished the evil nightmare forces." She turned towards the front of the room, where the Nightmare has been standing only a few moments prior.
Meanwhile, the alicorn princess's coat had slowly faded to a more white color, her mane of sunrises faded to sparkling morning hues. The mercies of a new morning were shown, not only in her coat, but also in her speech. "It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this." Princess Celestia Sol addressed the seventh filly—an alicorn with a light blue coat and darker hair. The filly cowered at the sight of the regal alicorn. The filly turned her head away in shame, but the now white mare used her hoof to gently turn the filly to look at her. "Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, older sister."
"Wait, huh? Wha?" Dawn babbled, expressing what everyone else was thinking.
The older, though smaller, alicorn looked away for a moment, eyes closed, before rushing up to the taller, younger princess. "I missed you too, Tia!" The filly burst out into tears before sharing a hug with her sister.
Later that day, Dawn was granted the extreme privilege of planning the 'Welcome Back Princess Luna!' party. However, Twilight Swish was also granted a position in the actual throwing of the party. Originally, the pink pony was against this, but after seeing the pegasus's amazing party hat at work, well, it was hard to turn down a friend. No matter how increasingly frustrating ‘normal’ party planning was.
The actual party—ceremony started when the royal sisters flew in on a royal chariot pulled by four royal guards, two of which were the vamponies Calleen and Theemudd. Everypony Bower before the royals as they stepped out of the carriage. Next, since Princess Luna was still saddened by all she had done, Ms. Swish had arranged for two small pegasi fillies to award the blue princess wth a beautiful flower wreath. Just as the purple Pegasus had predicted, it cheered the princess right up.
The student of Princess Celestia, on the other hand, was saddened despite her reunion with Gummy. The Princess of the Day noticed this and, already knowing the answer, asked a trick question. "Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you may return to Canterlot and studies?"
"Quite the contrary, Princess." The pink pony answered. "Just when I've began to understand the power of friendship, I have to leave the friends I've made."
With a small chuckle, Princess Celestia addressed the nearby dragon. "Gummy, take a note please." The drake did as asked, pulling out parchment and a quill. "I, Princess Celestia Sol." She dictated. "Hereby decree that the unicorn Pinkamenia Diane Pie shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings, from her new home in Ponyville." With each word, the six best new friends grew in their excitement.
"Oh thank you, Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before!" Dawn shouted in delight. She had never studied anything hard, other than parties, so this promise was a big deal. “In fact, in the spirit of friendship, let’s bring this party over to Sugar Cube Corner!”
"Isn't this exciting? Are you excited cause I'm excited I've never been so excited, well, except for the time that I went". Twilight gasped loudly. "But I mean really-"
"Twilight! Stop bothering the readers and get over here!" Pinkie called. "You can't miss out on the biggest party of the century!"