Twilight sat alone on the cliff overlooking the castle ruins below. After leaving her friends in Ponyville, she had wandered aimlessly for a time before coming here. Her body still twitched occasionally from the alicorn magic running through her, but it seemed to have slowed down for now.
Not that it mattered now. With Discord helping Tirek, she felt it was only a matter of time before they found her, and then nothing would matter after that. They had lost, lost the moment Discord had betrayed them. She still couldn't believe he had. Did they mean nothing to him? She looked at the sky. No birds or anything, barely even a cloud. Celestia's final gamble would not last for long. There was no hope now. But one
Twilight's mind returned to the story she had been told what felt like a lifetime ago now. The one who had brought the world together in an age long forgotten. Somepony who deserved this far more than she ever would and Twilight would gladly give up all her magic to her if the world would be safe. Maybe it was a long shot, maybe it was for nothing. But Twilight didn't care anymore.
"Look. I don't know if you're real, or if you can even hear me. But, please. Come back to us." She pleaded as her tears fell. "You saved us once, and then we spat on what you gave us. But, please. We need you. Empress."
Twilight let her tears fall faster now as nothing happened. Not a peep, sound, or anything.
That was it then wasn't it? There was no hope now. If all this wouldn't bring her and her Exarchs back, nothing would. She sat there like this for who knows how long before she heard someone step on a stick. Turning around she found Crystal, Emerald, Celestial, Orchid, and Water Lilly giving her a concerned look.
She wiped away her tears. "What are you girls doing here? I told you not to follow me."
Emerald smirked. "Guess we don't listen very well do we?"
Crystal smiled. "Besides, nopony should be alone right now. Especially you."
Twilight was touched. "But Princess Celestia told me-"
"Buck what Celestia told you Twilight!" Celestial interrupted. "If she told you to jump off a cliff and not try and save yourself, would you do that too?"
"Running away isn't helping anyone anyway. Tirek already attacked Ponyville." Orchid added. "Applejack told us to find you and keep you safe. And that's what we're gonna do."
Twilight was taken aback. "But why do you care so much? Why me?"
The girls shared a knowing look and followed their hearts. "It's because we do care that we're out here." Water Lilly replied. "So what if we're not as close as you and others. We care about you Twilight, and that's all that matters."
Twilight was shocked. "Do you mean it?"
"Cross our heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in our eye." The girls replied together.
And Twilight had never heard anything so beautiful in her entire life. Her lips trembled as new tears gathered. She let go and pulled the girls into a hug and spoke from the bottom of her heart. "Then. Please. Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone anymore."
The girls happily returned the hug. "We'll never leave your side again Twilight." They said together as their own tears joined Twilight's own and fell together.
They hit the ground with a resounding plink!
***
In the Golden Oaks Library, the Element of Magic flared to life as it lifted off the nightstand. Its joy was evident as it vanished from the library.
***
The girls were shocked when they were blinded by a bright light in the sky. Looking up they found the Element of Magic above them, radiating joy and happiness, one the was evident when she spoke.
"It is time. The new age has come You are the final strands that will herald her return."
Before anypony could ask what she meant, Magic flashed again filling their visions. When it had faded, everyone had vanished from the cliff.
***
In Tartarus, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance all felt the release of magic. Cadance didn't know what it meant, but it filled her heart with a sense of joy she couldn't remember ever feeling before.
Celestia and Luna though shared a look of confusion and shock. They knew what it meant, but they never expected it now.
"They've done it?"
***
When the girls could see again, they were in a void. Stars twinkled in the distance and in front of them, a doorway carved from Mithral floated, locked by a single band.
"That's something you don't see every day." Crystal said. "What are supposed to do?"
"I think we're supposed to open it." Water Lilly replied.
"But how? Emerald asked.
Twilight smiled. "Together." She put a hoof on the band and one by one the girls did the same, putting their own over Twilight's, and pushed. The band dissolved easily and the door swung open revealing a chamber full of books and scrolls that seemed to go on forever. But it was what was in the center of the chamber that held their attention.
A suit of armor encased a pony form, one that was heads taller than Princess Celestia herself. A moment later they realized that there was no pony inside the armor and that it rested on a mannequin.
The armor itself was a beautiful shade of dark purple, each piece crafted to a high degree and protecting the wearer's vitals. On the brow, a small crown sat inset with a jewel that would make Rarity jealous. In the breastplate, an empty slot stood ready to receive a star-shaped device, one that looked very familiar.
At that moment the Element of Magic appeared before them. She was smiling, they knew it, as she backed into and began to merge with the armor. And then two voices, speaking as one, filled the room. as the crown lifted on the mannequin and floated over to Twilight, settling comfortably on her brow.
"Now Twilight, remember. Remember who you are."
And Twilight remembered. She remembered everything . The life and dream she had abandoned so long ago in a misguided assumption the world no longer needed her. She had been wrong. Now, all of it, everything she and her friends had worked so hard for, had bled for, was nothing but ash, an age forgotten and erased from history.
She smiled as she felt Crystal, Emerald, Celestial, Orchid, and Water Lilly ascend with her and take their Oath of Eternity. "The dream will live again, I swear it." Her tears fell as her armor began to lock around her form. "I am so, so, sorry. I never should have left."
For a second, she thought she saw the ghosts of the five she held dear above all others, the girls she knew she could never forgive herself for abandoning that night. The next second they were gone.
Then her gaze turned toward Equus and her gaze hardened as her form began to change. "Don't worry girls, we're coming."
And as the last piece of her armor locked in placed around her, Twilight shed the name she had worn since she was born, and took up once more the name and title she had worn so long ago.
Equus would remember why it had once feared as much as it loved her name.
***
"They did it! They did it! They did it! They did it! They did it! They did it!"
"Now comes the fun part. Anyone have any popcorn?"
"I don't think there's enough popcorn on Equus for this."
"Dangit!"
***
ENOUGH!
That one word brought everything to a screeching halt. Even Tirek stopped as she prepared to go after the last alicorn. With Discord out of the way, she was all that remained.
Discord meanwhile sat in the same cage as the Mane 5 and Spike. Only Fluttershy showed any concern for him. For the others, this betrayal destroyed what little trust they had in him.
All watched as five shafts of light descended from a cloudless sky to land before Tirek. When they faded, everyone was surprised to see Crystal, Emerald, Celestial, Orchid, and Water Lilly revealed. But something about them had changed, but before anyone could comment, they spoke as one.
The Era of the Two Sisters is over. The Time of the Empress has come once more. Now and for all time.
As one they stepped forward. By the grace we hold as her Exarchs, let this world's one true ruler return and reclaim her throne. Now and forever.
With that, the girls turned and bowed as another beam of light descended from the sky. When it too had faded, everyone's jaws dropped in surprise.
"No way..." Rainbow mumbled.
"Twilight?!" They all said together.
Sure enough, it was Twilight, but she had changed dramatically. She was now easily taller than Princess Celestia and her mane and tail now danced on an invisible breeze only they felt. Her body was covered in an armor that was a shade of purple deeper than her own coat and on her brow sat a small crown.
But what really threw them for a loop was what was on her sides. Six wings lay folded there, each covering the pair below perfectly. Rainbow and Fluttershy shared a look at that. Nothing they knew could have six wings, could it? But then remembered what they had seen at the hospital the week before. But that couldn't be right, could it?
Twilight's eyes were fixed on what was ahead of her, and as she took a step forward, her Exarchs took up a position alongside her, covering her every angle.
The girls shuddered a bit. The look in her eyes scared them on a deep level, and yet in all that there was a deep sense of reverence, a feeling of love and compassion. One that went beyond what they felt for Celestia and Luna. Their weakened state made it easy for them to fall at her hooves and worship her for the goddess she had become. Only the cage prevented it.
And then Twilight turned to look at them, and for a moment they were afraid she might strike them down for it seemed she didn't recognize them.
And then she winked at them and the mask dropped and she was the Twilight Sparkle they all knew and loved once more, but only for a moment before she turned her gaze back to Tirek.
Tirek himself wasn't impressed. "You've saved me the trouble of finding you. It will make things so much easier if you surrender your magic now."
Twilight smirked. "It's nice to see some things haven't changed in twelve thousand years. Just as overconfident as you were at Midnight Castle."
He blinked in shock while everyone else just shared a confused look. "How do you know that name? I don't remember seeing you there."
Her smirk grew another inch. "Oh, I was there, just not like this. I'm sure you remember the Rainbow of Light?"
Tirek snarled for he remembered that blasted thing quite well as well as the girl who had wielded it. "Too bad for you then that I've moved beyond that."
Twilight smiled widely. "Oh I know, so to make this more fun, I'll give a few handicaps." With that Twilight began to remove the armor she wore. As each piece came off, it hit the ground with a resounding thud!, one that rattled everyone's teeth.
Rainbow gaped. "How much does that thing weigh?" Not even Applejack could give her an answer. That armor had to weigh a ton at least, and Twilight wore it like it weighed nothing. She admitted she was jealous and proud at the same time.
As the last piece came off Twilight fluffed her wings and smiled. "Now that that's off, you can have all the alicorn magic Tirek. And then we can really get this party started."
Now the girls were really lost. "Wait. Is that why you've been avoiding us all day?" Spike asked.
She shrugged hopelessly. "Don't blame me. It was Celestia, Luna, and Cadance's idea I run and hide like a coward."
"On the bright side, we wouldn't be here now if they hadn't," Emerald said. "Was it like this last time?"
Twilight groaned. "No, it wasn't this bad. Not yet anyway."
Her Exarchs shared a look. "Is that good?" Crystal asked. "You really should tell us about that time, and your, first Exarchs." She placed a hoof on Twilights. "You can't hold that pain in forever."
Twilight sniffed. "I know, and I will tell you, girls, all about them." She smiled slightly. "I just wish you all could have met. They would have loved you, and you would have loved them."
Rarity cleared her throat. "Pardon me darlings, but who are you talking about? And is this really the time?" She asked, gesturing at Tirek, who looked annoyed about something.
Twilight chuckled as she cleared her eyes and gestured at the centaur. "Oh Rarity, you make this sound like this is a problem. I've had zits scarier than him."
That finally did it for Tirek. "Enough! I will have your magic, and I will have it now!"
Twilight rolled her eyes as she trotted over to him. "Yeah yeah, keep your pants on. Get on with it piss for brains, I don't have all day."
That made him even angrier but kept his cool for the moment. It wouldn't matter soon anyway as he reached out with his magic, took hold of the impudent princess, and began to suck her dry.
Everyone watched in horror as all of the alicorn magic was sucked out of her. After a moment the stream of magic ended and Twilight dropped to the ground unceremoniously.
She didn't even blink as her friends ran up to her. "Twilight. What were you thinking?" Rainbow asked as Tirek began to grow larger before soon towering over everything in sight.
She only grinned as she flexed her wings. "I'm making this more fun. I'm out of practice like this. Time to get back in the groove."
"How is this fun at all?" Applejack asked as she gestured at the towering centaur. "Except for that varmint maybe."
Twilight's grin grew wider as she patted Applejack on the head. "Oh ye of little faith, let me handle this." She walked away, but not before turning back with a smirk. "And my name is Cosmos now girls."
No one said anything for a moment until her last words caught up with their brains. "Wait, Cosmos...?" Fluttershy said before they all gasped in open shock.
"Empress Cosmos?!"
Cosmos chuckled. "That's me." She rolled her eyes at their shocked faces. "Oh don't look so surprised girls. Even I didn't know who I was for a long time"
"Wait a minute," Pinkie exclaimed as she hopped up. "If you're her, then what happened to Twilight?"
Her smile softened. "Oh, girls. I'll always be Twilight Sparkle." She pointed at herself. "But this is how I was always meant to be since before I was even born." She tapped her chin. "Actually, even way before that too."
"So what does that mean?" Rainbow asked.
Cosmos shrugged. "It's a very, very long story. And it'll have to wait since there's someone who needs to be taught a permanent lesson about messing with ponies."
Tirek chuckled. "Cute, the little pony thinks she can-"
That was all he had the chance to say for at the moment all four of Cosmos's hooves punched him right in the jaw and he was sent flying out of Ponyville, landing a good two miles outside of town.
Cosmos chuckled at the shocked looks she was getting. "What? Does anyone actually care what he was going to say?" Their silence said it all. "That's what I thought."
"So did that do it?" Applejack asked.
She smirked. "Oh please. If I wanted him done with that fast, that would've killed him ten times over. But where's the fun in that?"
Fluttershy almost fainted. "Killed? Are you going to-"
"No, I'm going to kill him," Cosmos replied. "He doesn't deserve that mercy. I'm just gonna beat him within an inch of his pathetic life before I condemn him to his eternal punishment. Like I should have last time." She added in a whisper.
The girls decided they probably didn't want to know what that meant as Tire came storming back into town, small brooze on his cheek that was already turning purple. "You will pay for that." He sneered.
Cosmos smiled. "Said the whore to her customer after she broke a nail."
He only blinked as everyone else tried not to snicker. "Oh snap. Burn!" Water Lilly said holding out a hoof and Cosmos obliged her with a hoof bump.
He snarled in rage and powered up his Tartarus Beam, now all powered up on all the alicorn magic, and fired it at the pony and her friends.
Everyone watched in horror as it came toward them, while Cosmos just there with a smile on her face.
It never hit any of them.
A full foot from her face the beam vanished into nothingness while space and time seemed to ripple around her before he cut it off and tried again.
This went one for who knew how long, with Tirek growing more and more enraged with each passing moment. The girls meanwhile just watched in shock while her Exarchs munched on popcorn Orchid had summoned from, somewhere.
Finally, Cosmos raised a hoof, and punched the beam, for lack of a better word, which immediately rebounded and flew off into the Everfree Forest, impacting somewhere deep within it.
Tirek stood there aghast, as did most of her friends for that matter. Rainbow finally found her voice. "That. Was. Awesome!"
Cosmos nodded. "Thank you Rainbow, I rather thought it was too." She sneered up at Tirek as her eyes began to glow. "My turn."
She knew this was a risk such a short time after her rebirth. Her powers were all there, but she hadn't used them in so long now. There was always the risk she could lose control of them and literally unmake all of reality and not be able to put it back together again, but at this point, she didn't have much choice, so she did it and spoke only one word.
"Break."
And reality broke, shattering into millions of pieces before it reassembled itself a split second later. All anyone felt was a quick sense of vertigo before it stopped.
Tirek though felt his body be beaten and battered by a billion different punches at the same time, all with the same power as the first, and the pain never seemed to end either. Until it finally did and he collapsed in a heap. He could only glare at Cosmos as she walked up to his broken form, her Exarchs at her side.
"Your time is over Tirek. You will never harm another being on this planet." She said.
He sneered. "If you think Tartarus can hold me then you're a fool."
She smiled. "Who said anything about going there? No, I have a much better place to send you, one that no being has ever escaped from once they've been sentenced there. But first." Her smile grew now. "Disjunction."
Tirek felt his magic break before it began to flow out of him, forming into a ball before dispersing across Equestria and returning to where it belonged. The girls and Discord felt it first and it had never felt so good, but Discord felt this wasn't the end of it for him.
Once she was sure all the magic had been drained from his form Cosmos spread her wings as her Exarchs moved to stand with her. "Your time is over Tirek. I sentence you to eternity in Carceri." She smiled darkly. "Say hello to Hydia for me."
No one knew what that was, but something about it sent chills down their spines.
Cosmos reached out with her own power and let the magic do the rest. Underneath his form a portal formed, from which clamps shot forth before locking around his legs and arms. Tirek's sneer was replaced with a look of fear as he was dragged down into the portal. His last sight of Equus was Cosmos gazing down with a look of utter contempt on her face before he was pulled inside, the portal closing a moment later.
Cosmos sighed as she began to reattach her armor to her form. "Well, that takes care of that."
As the last piece locked in place, she smiled. She always felt naked without it, no matter that she had born Magic for as long as she had now. Why she didn't know.
Luckily she had crafted a potent defense into the armor when she had forged it that prevented any being but herself from ever wearing it in the few instances she took it off. Of course, others could touch it, but the effect would be different depending on who they were.
Now she turned her gaze to Discord, who had just begun to try and sneak off. "And now we come to you Discord. I have a very low opinion of backstabbing traitors like you."
"But, he said he was sorry." Fluttershy tried to argue, but she was finding this harder than it usually was for her when confronting Cosmos.
Cosmos shook her head. "I don't care what he said Fluttershy. Ponies will demand he is punished, and I'm more than happy to give them what they want. Celestia is too naive, too trusting, to do what needs to be done for those who don't deserve another chance."
He ground his teeth. "And what gives you that right Sparkle?"
"I have every right you pathetic mismatched sack of flesh," Cosmos responded. "I'm sure you've figured it by now what I am. What I really am."
Discord grumbled but decided to humor her all the same and looked more directly at her, and felt his blood run cold. He had indeed seen what she had done with Break. She had quite literally destroyed all of reality and then put it back together whole a split second later.
And that was just a tenth of one percent of her power, he knew it. She was something that shouldn't be possible by all the laws of this dimension, and yet she was all too real.
But beyond that, he felt more than saw the shadow of her true self. A being that not even he could comprehend.
And then the shadow turned and looked right at him. He knew it did, and for the first time in his long life Discord was afraid and quickly pulled out of the vision, falling to the ground in a trembling heap.
Everyone gave him a confused look. "What happened to him?" Spike asked.
Cosmos smirked. "He just saw something that finally broke his mind." She tapped her chin. "Now, what to do with you."
"Twilight wait." Came a voice they all recognized. Turning around they found Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadance landing behind them Cadance was looking at the reborn Twilight with confusion. But it was Celestia and Luna that held their attention.
They were bowing to Cosmos. Not out of fear or duty, but of reverence. They could all see it.
Cosmos frowned. "That is no longer my name Celestia, you know that." She gestured at Discord. "And if you honestly think I will let him off with nothing but a warning, then you're a bigger fool than I thought."
Celestia frowned as stood straighter. "I will take whatever lumps you decide to give me, Cosmos. But I stand by what I did. It was the right thing for you."
Cosmos narrowed her eyes. "You do not decide what is right for me Celestia. You have no right too." Everyone was shocked to see tears gather and fall. "Queen Majesty once told me the same thing, and it cost her her life and me the greatest friend I had."
She looked back at Discord. "No. He will pay for this, and you will not stop me." Raising a hoof to him, she said only one word. "End."
That single word alone scared all who heard it. Not on a normal level, but on a primal level. Even Applejack was shaking like a leaf.
Discord didn't have a chance to do anything, as a magic circle formed under him and chains locked around his limbs and he began to sink into the ground.
Cosmos smiled vicious a smile. "Say hello to nonexistence you worthless piece of trash, and good riddance."
Discord threw one last pleading look to Fluttershy, but she didn't move to help him before the circle claimed him and he was gone.
Cosmos nodded as she turned back to Celestia, Luna, and Cadance with a devious smirk. "Now, as for you three. I do believe I owe you something for making me run and hide like a bucking coward."
Cadance gulped. "Now. Twilight. Let's not do something you'll regret later. Shouldn't we be celebrating your win and, whatever they hay happened to you? Think about Flurry Heart."
Cosmos smiled. "Oh we will and I am, but first this needs doing, and I need to get it out of my system."
Walking up to Cadance, she leaned down. And smacked her upside the head.
"Ow!" Cadance yelped as she rubbed the back of her head and glared at Cosmos. "What was that for?"
"That was for not telling me about you and Shinning, or the wedding until the day before. And don't give me that excuse of Chrysalis. You two had plenty of time to tell me before that misbegotten bug came into the picture."
Cadance couldn't argue that. She was right, they did have plenty of time before hoof to tell Twilight and didn't. Heck, Aunt Celestia had even recommended she ask Rarity if she would like to design her wedding dress.
Luna snickered at her niece's discomfort before she too felt a hoof connect to the back of her head. Rubbing the spot, she shot Cosmos a glare.
Cosmos just rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look, Luna. You darn well what I'm thinking of. Be glad that it's not more than that." Now she turned to Celestia. "And Celestia. I don't even know where to start with your laundry list of stupid decisions, so."
This time she put a bit more power behind the hit. Celestia knew she'd be feeling that lump for a long time.
Cosmos smiled widely. "Let that be the lump for all of them."
"So, feel any better now?" Emerald asked.
Cosmos nodded. "Yep. I'm good."