The spell of the Night King’s presence broken, Ponyville exploded like a burst dam. Panic took hold of everypony’s heart, and the town descended into chaos. Ponies ran in every direction, screaming for their lives. Others hugged and cried. Others simply sat there staring at the stand, a hollow expression on their faces.
Twilight held Spike close to her. The baby dragon was beyond terrified, tears welling in his eyes. He tried to be brave, he tried, but… She felt her heart break for him. She felt her heart break for everypony.
And yet, she couldn’t stifle the dark sense of vindication that festered in her insides, and she hated herself for it.
Crops would never grow, trees would wither, and ponies would never feel the warmth of the sun again. Generations would live and die waiting, hoping, praying for a new sunrise, for daybreak to come and liberate them from the slavery of darkness.
And she, Twilight Sparkle, felt glad inside because she had been right. What kind of pony did that make her? Did she truly care more for her own bruised ego, for being right, than she did for the livelihood of the rest of ponykind? Was she really any different from the Night King, then?
She gazed over the panicked ponies. She could pick apart many parents holding their fillies in arms, whispering sweet promises that everything would be right; sweet, sweet lies to calm them. Elusive was holding a wailing white unicorn filly with lavender and pink curls that she guessed was the little sister he had referred to earlier. Apple Bloom, Applejack’s heart-wrenchingly adorable little sister, was just staring ahead, utter emptiness in her eyes.
If only she could have stopped this…
If only…
Wait.
The Elements of Harmony.
If Princess Celestia was imprisoned in the sun… If ponykind was sentenced to never see another day, living in everlasting night… If no one else could stop the Night King…
Then she would have to do it herself.
Not to be a hero; if this was how it felt to be right, then she’d rather never be so again. Her ego be damned, this was for the fillies and colts. They deserved a better life than this. They deserved to play and laugh underneath the sun, to grow and live without fear.
And if she had to light the fires of a new dawn with her own bones, then so be it.
Back in the main chamber of the Golden Oak Library, and after putting Spike to sleep, Twilight was frantically looking for information regarding the Elements of Harmony. So far, however, it was proving to be a fruitless task.
“Elements, elements, elements… Gah! How can I stop the Night King without the Elements of Harmony?”
“And just what are the Elements of Harmony?” came a growl from behind her. She jumped in fright and quickly turned around to find herself face-to-face with Rainbow Blitz blocking her sight. He looked quite angry, crouched like a feline ready to pounce on his prey. “And how do we know that’s what you want, huh? Are you a spy?!”
“What?!” asked Twilight, shocked by his accusation. “Why in Equestria would I be a spy?!”
“We’ve never seen you before! Yet, you arrive one day, talking about the Night King and the end of the world, and then that same night, he turns out to be real and overthrows Celestia!”
“That was because I was trying to warn everypony, but you didn’t listen!”
“And how did you even know it was going to happen?! The guy said it himself, no one remembered the tales nor the legends nor the whatever-the-fuck-else! How come you knew about him, if you’re not part of a cult trying to bring him back?! Heck, I’m sure you used your position as Princess Celestia’s protégé to backstab her!”
“I didn’t!” screamed Twilight, enraged by the mere suggestion that she might have ever wanted to backstab Princess Celestia. “I was doing a historical paper on the thousand years of the Summer Sun Celebration as a gift to the Princess, then one thing led to another and I ended up discovering that we were in imminent danger! I tried telling the Princess, but she didn’t listen! I tried telling you lot, and you didn’t listen! I never wanted it to come true!”
“Bull-fucking-shit! I’m onto you! If you weren’t a spy, how did you know exactly who I am?!”
“YOUR MANE IS LITERALLY RAINBOW-COLOURED!!! IT WAS A VERY OBVIOUS GUESS!!!” Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs.
Blitz crossed his forehooves, and grunted. “Well, there is that...”
“Easy there, Blitz.” interjected Applejack. It wasn’t until that moment that Twilight realised Elusive, Phil and Butterscotch were also in the library, if keeping a bit of a distance. “Ah’m sure Miss Twilight is bein’ honest, she ain’t no spy and she sure seems to know what she’s doin’, so let’s hear it.”
“And what would you know, eh, Applejack? You can’t lie even to save your own hide!”
“Well, I can,” Elusive huffed, stepping forward, “and I can tell when somepony is lying. Twilight here clearly isn’t. She’s obviously as shaken from this whole ordeal as we are, but at least she’s trying to do something about it, instead of throwing senseless accusations left and right. So, Rainbow Blitz, do Equestria a favour and shut up,” the unicorn snapped harshly.
Blitz turned towards the unicorn, ready to tackle him. “Make me, you pus—”
“Guys, enough!” Twilight screamed, interrupting them and holding Blitz in place with her magic; tempers were running extremely high, which, considering the situation they were in, Twilight felt like she understood all too well.
She turned towards Applejack, took a deep breath, and let it out with a sigh. “I read all about the predictions of the Night King’s return. But I also read about his initial banishment. He was defeated by the use of a mysterious magical tool called ‘The Elements of Harmony’, but that was a thousand years ago! I don’t know where they are, how to use them, what they are, or even what they do! I haven’t been able to find anything about them!” Twilight lowered her gaze, and sighed again.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. We’re here to help,” said Butterscotch kindly. Twilight almost did a double take, but then shrugged mentally. Guess he can talk to mares.
The rest of the stallions nodded in agreement, even Rainbow Blitz, although he still looked somewhat pissed. Twilight raised her head to meet their gaze.
“What d’ya need?” asked the orange stallion.
“We need to look for anything related to the Elements of Har—” with a tremendous thud, a stack of about seven large books dropped in place in the desk right in front of her. “—mony... What the hay?!”
“‘Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide’, ‘Elements of Harmony: Historical Evidence’, ‘Elements of Harmony for Dummies’, and much more!” Phil cheerfully explained.
“Phil, you’re a genius! How did you find this?!”
“Oh, please, it’s a library! It was under ‘E’, you silly filly!”, he said, bouncing.
Twilight felt like facehoofing.
“... Oh.”
Of course it would be under ‘E’. But they hadn’t much time to lose. She opened the book and skimmed over the pages, looking for answers.
“All right, guys. According to ‘Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide’, there are Six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness and Laughter. The Sixth, however, is a complete mystery. Hmmm,” she thought for a while, before turning to the shy pegasus. “Butterscotch, what does it say in ‘Historical Evidence’?”
“Oh, uh…” he flinched slightly. “Not so much, unfortunately. But it does mention that the castle on the Everfree Forest and King Solaris’ capital are one and the same...” Butterscotch tilted his head. “That’s Princess Celestia’s father, right?”
“Yep,” Twilight nodded. “Anything else?”
“No, sorry. Just that the historical records about the move to Canterlot are very vague, and that if the Elements of Harmony did indeed exist, according to legend that would have been around the same time period, and given its importance, perhaps were stored in the same castle,” he paraphrased from the book, before raising his eyes to meet Twilight’s. “Does it help?”
“Quite! Thank you so much!” she said earnestly before turning her attention to another of the books, missing Butterscotch’s faint blush at her praise. Blitz did, however, and snickered softly.
“Oh! Oh! Oh! I think I found something!” Phil jumped up and down. “Look, in ‘Elements of Harmony for Dummies’ it says, regarding Old King Solaris’ capital: ‘it’s a gods-forsaken ruin nowadays, located deep in the entrails of what is now…’”
“... The Everfree Forest!” Phil exclaimed as the six ponies stood at the entrance to the creepiest woods any of them had ever seen.
“Oh, good, you hadn’t said a word for like half an hour, you just made us follow you without any explanation whatsoever; I was starting to get worried,” said Elusive. He then turned to Butterscotch, raised one of his forelegs up to the side of his head, and made a few circling motions while mouthing ‘cuckoo’. The butter pegasus chuckled in response.
Twilight walked a few steps and turned to face her companions. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.
“Guys, I’m very, very grateful for your help, but I think it’s better I take it from here.”
“Ain’t happenin’,” Applejack sentenced without missing a beat. “We’re comin’ with ya.”
“Guys… I don’t want any harm befalling you. This was all my fault, and it’s my responsibility to fix it.”
“Your fault, huh? Did you force Princess Celestia to ignore your warnings? Did you also make her lose against Badguy McEvilton?” Blitz asked skeptically. “Unless you actually are a spy and trying to reunite with your boss, sounds like bullshit to me. We’re going in, and that’s final! We’re not letting you face certain death alone… or betray us, for that matter.”
“Friends stick together,” Butterscotch agreed.
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat.
“F-friends?” Twilight asked softly. “That’s… That’s what you think of me?”
They all nodded in unison.
“Yep.”
“Well, of course.”
“Yes.”
“So far, yeah.”
“Ah mean, why not?”
“But… I’ve spent all day moping and being mean to all of you! Why would you consider me your friend?”
“Hey, Blitz ‘ere is an arse 24/7, but he’s still mah friend,” Applejack said. To Twilight’s surprise, the rainbow pegasus didn’t complain or shot up to the sky to defend his honour; instead, he just nodded, conceding the point. “Ya were havin’ a nasty day, that’s all, missy, an’ we didn’t really make it any easier. For what is worth, we’re mighty sorry about that.”
“I… I…” She was at a loss for words. A knot was forming in her throat, a warm feeling expanding in her chest. It was… actually nice, to know somepony considered her their friend, even if she felt it was a bit too soon for her to reciprocate. She’d reserve her right to decide that later, once they could all hang out without the threat of danger looming over them. She smiled tenuously. “Is there anything I can say to persuade you otherwise?”
The stallions looked at each other for an instant. When Applejack spoke, he spoke for everypony:
“Nnope.”
“So… has any of you ever come into this forest before?” Twilight asked her companions while they walked through the darkness. They were near a cliffside, a forested valley down below.
“I have, from time to time,” said Butterscotch. “Somepony has to help all the animals and critters who live here, after all.” He gulped. “But I’ve never gone so… deep.”
Elusive shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “I don’t know how you can like it, Butterscotch. This place just feels so… wrong.”
Butterscotch shivered. “Who said anything about liking it? I endure it for the animals' sake, but… it’s so scary in here. And some of the creatures that live here…”
“This place ain’t natural. There’s a nip in the air that gives me a bad feelin’ about this whole thing,” Applejack muttered.
“‘A nip in the air’. Classical farmer.” Blitz rolled his eyes, but he too advanced warily. Phil, for his part, just continued to bounce cheerfully, covering the rear.
“Hey! Ah take offense to that!”
“What? It’s true! You guys get bad feelings about everything.”
"No we don't!"
"Uh, yeah, you do. You act like the ground under your hooves is about to cave in or someth—"
Exactly on cue, the ground at their hooves caved in. The earthbound ponies screamed in surprise as the earth beneath their feet collapsed into a slide of rock and gravel.
Rainbow Blitz shot up immediately and tackled Applejack, the stallion nearest to him, out of the growing landslide, muttering “Me and my big fucking mouth…” He turned to Butterscotch. “Butters! Help Elusive! Applejack, get Twilight!”
“Oh-oh my! Yes, of course!”
Butterscotch swiftly managed to pick Elusive up by his tail, while Phil bounced backwards; having been the rearmost of the group, he avoided the cave in. Twilight, however, was not so fortunate. She screamed as she slided down the newly-formed slope, desperately trying to grab onto something with her hooves. Moving quickly, Applejack managed to grab her forehooves just as the unicorn reached the cliff, leaving most of her body dangling.
“Applejack, help me!” Twilight wailed, holding on to the farmpony’s hooves for dear life. “What do I do? What do I do?!” she screamed in panic as her hind hooves flailed wildly.
Applejack looked wildly around, calculating every possible option. After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked Twilight straight in the eyes.
“You let go.”
“Are you insane?! That sounds like a terrible idea!”
“Because it is,” the farmpony agreed. “But it’s the only way out of this.”
“Are you sure you’re not still drunk?!” He had been drinking pure, undiluted alcohol after all...
“Vinyl cast a soberin’ spell on us all after the party, we’ll talk about that later!” Applejack said quickly. “Now, Ah need ya to let go!”
“But I’ll die!”
“No, ya won’t. Ah promise ya, ya’ll be completely safe, but ya’ll gonna need to trust me on this.”
Twilight stared at Applejack’s green eyes. He was undoubtedly worried, but he managed to give a reassuring smile.
She wanted to tell him to buck off, to scream for help; something… but right then, she remembered Rainbow Blitz’s words back in the library: ‘you can’t lie even to save your own hide’, he had told Applejack.
Twilight didn’t have Elusive’s ability to tell when someone was lying, but something in her gut told her that Applejack, in that moment, was being completely, openly honest with her. Twilight knew, deep inside, that the farmpony would never want her to suffer any harm, nor would he let her run the risk of danger. Hadn’t he followed her into this place out of his own accord, after all?
Twilight closed her eyes and sighed.
And took her leap of faith.
She let go of Applejack’s hooves, shutting her eyes with all her might and immediately regretting all of her life choices as she plummeted towards her death.
Except she wasn’t falling.
She opened a single eye tentatively.
Holding her with their forehooves were Blitz and Butterscotch, both flapping their wings furiously as they descended with her.
“Oh my gosh thank you so much!” she yelled as they lowered her to the ground. Once her hooves touched the floor, she started kissing it before flinching. Yuck.
“Don’t mention it,” Blitz said confidently, crossing his forehooves.
“Glad to be of service. I-I’ve never carried anything heavier than a bunny or two before, though…” Butterscotch mumbled.
The rainbow pegasus looked scandalised by Butterscotch’s admission. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Uhm… no?”
“That’s it, Butters, we’re hitting the gym after this.”
“... I’d rather not, if that’s okay with you.”
“So… a sobering-up spell?” Twilight asked to break the oppressive silence of the forest.
“Eeyup. Vinyl, the DJ pony, always casts it on everypony after a party; that way we don’t have to endure hangovers.”
“She’s a proper saint, that pony,” Elusive agreed.
“Really?”
“Well, of course not. She parties all night, every night, and does every drug under Celestia’s heaven, but she’s a life saver in that sense,” the white unicorn explained, before grimacing. “Some of us have little sisters prone to squealing at unsightly hours in the morning…”
“And her wubs! She makes very nice wubs!” Phil piped in.
“Yes, she does make nice wubs,” Elusive rolled his eyes, “whatever that means.”
Twilight frowned. Is that supposed to be an euphemism for something? She opened her mouth to ask for clarification.
But the sound that came out was not her voice, but rather a bloodcurling roar. All six ponies blanched at the sight in front of them, too distracted had they been talking idly that they hadn’t noticed the enormous, ponycidal Manticore that growled at them furiously with murder in its eyes.
“Woah, nelly!” Applejack exclaimed, backtracking into Phil.
“How come we didn’t see that?!” asked Elusive.
Phil smiled without a hint of sarcasm. “Because we’re the dumbest ponies alive!”
“Well, we won’t be alive for much longer if we don’t do something!” Twilight yelled.
“I’m on it!” Blitz zoomed up to the sky. “Want some? Get some!” And promptly shot towards the Manticore’s face, bucking it with all his might.
“Wait,” Butterscotch said. Nopony paid him any mind.
The Manticore staggered, growling with hatred. Blitz prepared to charge again, but this time, the Manticore was ready. It jumped sideways and grabbed the dashing pegasus by his tail.
His eyes widened.
“Oh, fu—”
The Manticore proceeded to slam Blitz repeatedly against the ground, dazing and injuring him out of commission as he wailed in agony. Before it could go for the kill, however, a rock bounced against its head. The Manticore turned towards the culprit.
“Hey, meany pants! Look at me, I’m a target! An edible and sugary target!” Phil screamed, before scampering away. The Manticore, enraged, pounced towards the pink stallion.
“Wait,” Butterscotch said.
Nope, try again later; the gang was far too occupied with survival to pay him any attention. Elusive and Twilight were helping Blitz up. Applejack raced up a ledge and jumped to land on top of the Manticore, stunning it and allowing Phil to get away.
“Yee-haw! Giddy up, partner!” He wrestled the Manticore forcefully, trying to make it submit.
However, instead of submitting, it spread its wings and started rising up into the air. Applejack’s eyes widened as he realised what was happening.
“Oh-uh.”
And with a single barrel roll, the Manticore was freed from its rider.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH” he flailed as he fell towards the ground, but a lavender magical aura took hold of him and stopped him before he became red mush.
He had previously saved Twilight from certain death; now it was her turn to save him. As his hooves touched ground once more, he smiled abashedly at her, who nodded kindly.
“Any ideas?” Elusive asked her.
“Well… we could try to charge it and spear it with our horns on its soft underbelly,” Twilight said, remembering the tactics of the Prench cavalry of old. However, they always wore heavy plate armour, and had long metal lances; all they had were their horns.
There was a beat.
“Anypony else have a real idea?” Elusive asked drily.
“Wait,” Butterscotch tried again.
“Not now, Butters,” Blitz wheezed, still in pain. “We’re trying to kill this darned thing, if you haven’t noticed.” He coughed and twisted his face in anguish, “oh-hohoho, that’s a broken rib for sure…”
Butterscotch stared scornfully at Blitz.
“Scatter!” Phil yelled suddenly. Turning their gazes towards the Manticore, the group noticed three things.
First, it was still in the air.
Second, it was diving towards them, bloody murder in its eyes.
Third, it was really fast. Really, really fast. So fast that it would certainly kill them if they lost any more time noticing irrelevant things instead of actinOHSHI—
They immediately jumped into the bushes, all but Phil’s tail (“OUCH! HEY! BRING THAT BACK!”) just barely managing to evade the Manticore’s attack. It rose again towards the air, preparing for another charge.
Elusive glanced towards Twilight, and sighed.
“Suicidal Prench cavalry charge it is, then,” he muttered with resignation. He turned to Applejack. “Get some sticks and branches!”
The farmpony nodded, and promptly bucked the tree next to him. The trunk was rotten and brittle, so it came crashing down immediately. Most of the branches, however, were jagged and petrified, so any of them could do the trick.
If they managed to survive long enough to drive it into its heart, that is.
“All right, Elusive, let’s do this! Missy, stay back!” Applejack said, hooking his makeshift lance in his work collar.
“What?! Of course not!” Twilight protested, but the farmpony wasn’t having it.
“Look, ya’re the only one who knows how to stop the Night King! Ya ain’t dyin’ against this ‘ere Manticore, and that’s final!”
“And you are?!” She wailed. Why are stallions so stupid?!
“Just for the record, I rather like living, but I agree with Applejack here. We’ll hold the Manticore off,” Elusive interjected grimly, raising his own branch with his magic. “You go ahead and do what needs to be done. We’ll do our part.”
And without any further ado, both stallions jumped back into the open, brandishing their spears. The Manticore was still in the air, waiting for its prey to appear once again, puffy pink tail skewered in its scorpion tail.
“Hey! Over here!” Applejack yelled.
The Manticore didn’t need an invitation. At the stallions’ sight, it dived once more, scorpion tail at the ready. Both stallions steeled and braced themselves as their gallop started to pick up the pace.
Twilight despaired, thinking hard, thinking fast for something, anything, that she might do to save the charging idiots. Perhaps, she could try a spell to keep the Manticore in place, but… what if she couldn’t do it? What if her spell failed? What if Applejack and Elusive died because of her?
It can’t end like this...
It did not, in fact, end like this, for everything went deathly quiet and still when an unearthly roar shaked the ground.
“WAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!”
Even the Manticore froze in place, paralysed with fear, only a few steps from the two stallions. A butter yellow pegasus walked in front of it. And talked.
“Shhhh, shhh… It’ll all be okay, don’t worry,” Butterscotch said soothingly.
“Butterscotch, watch out!” Twilight screamed.
“Are ya outta yer darn mind?!” yelled Applejack.
But the Manticore didn’t attack him. In fact, it looked abashed.
“Oh, so that’s what this is about? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” A pause. “This might hurt a tiny little bit.”
*prick*
ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRprrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Is it… purring?! Twilight was flummoxed.
Indeed, the Manticore had melted into Butterscotch’s hooves, basking in his attention like a soft, warm, happy, enormous, potentially-ponycidal kitty. The pegasus was laughing softly as it licked his pink Beatle bowl cut mane into a rad fauxhawk.
“Oh, you’re just a big ball of fur, aren’t you? Aww, you’re so sweet!” Butterscotch cooed. “Yes you are, yes you are!”
“Butters…” Blitz began, then paused for a beat. “What the fuck?”
“She had a thorn in her paw, and before that, was attacked by a shadow. She was scared, and afraid we were going to hurt her too,” he explained. “Then you charged at her. She was just defending herself.”
“She?” Applejack blinked, lowering his branch.
“Butterscotch, that was amazing! How did you know it—err, she, was scared?” Twilight said.
“I didn’t. But manticores are rarely aggressive without a good cause, so it was a lucky guess. Besides, just because she looks so mean and scary and murderous doesn’t mean she actually is! We just have to be kind,” Butterscotch proclaimed confidently.
Is this really the same stallion that was too timid to talk to me beyond mono-syllabics? Twilight wondered, looking at him.
At the very least, she now had one certainty about Butterscotch.
The world definitely trembled when the pegasus’s balls dropped. In fact, assuming that he was a couple years older than Twilight (which, she noted, seemed to be the case with every stallion in the group), that would definitely explain the earthquake of 1605, eight years ago.
“Sooo…” asked Phil, “do I get my tail back, or what?”
“With every passing second, I think I hate this place even more…” Elusive grumbled. He held his jagged branch aloft, at the ready. Applejack, walking behind them, still held his own hooked in his collar.
Twilight had to agree. When they had entered the forest, it hadn’t been so bad. Sure, it was creepy, uninviting and unnerving, but the Everfree wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary.
But now, they were in what seemed to be another world completely, a world forsaken by gods and nature. Twisted and dark, eldritch and forgotten. They could barely see beyond their own noses, pitch black as it was.
“I can’t see anything…”
“Well, that just makes it more fun!” Phil chimed in. “Ooh, we can play Marco Polo! Marco!”
*squish*
“Ugh. Ah think Ah just stepped on poo.”
“You have to say ‘Polo’, not ‘poo’, silly!”
“No, seriously, this doesn’t smell good at all.”
Twilight grunted, before trying a light spell with her horn. The oppressive atmosphere of the forest made it hard for her to concentrate and cast the spell, but after a few failed sparkles, an orb of hard light shot from her horn to rest above her.
And she found herself staring right into a face contorted in an horrible, anguished grimace.
“AAAHHHHHH!”
“OH, SWEET CELESTIA’S STEAMING CLIT!” Blitz screamed.
“WHAT IS THAT?!”
As light filled the clearing, they found themselves surrounded by what looked like the petrified corpses of ponies and other creatures; all with the same twisted grimace of fear, hate and pain that must have surely reflected the agony they felt when unwillingly turned into stone by whatever creature had preyed upon them.
“IDON’TWANNABEINHERE!” Butterscotch shrieked.
“THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!”
“AH REGRET EVERYTHIN’!”
“HAHAHAHAHAHA YOU LOOK SO GOOFY!”
WHAT?!
Instead of screaming for sweet Celestia’s steaming clit (Twilight made a mental note to buck Blitz in the face for that as soon as she could), Phil was laughing.
Twilight knew the pink pony was an oddity, but now she was positively sure he was a complete psycho. He was doing a stare contest with one of the many petrified corpses, sticking his tongue at the dead pony’s face, trying to get a reaction out of it. He didn’t succeed, obviously.
“Phil, what are you doing?! RUN! Whatever petrified these ponies might still be around!”
“And run where, exactly?” he asked, before giggling a gloriously girly giggle. “Don’t you see? We’re completely surrounded! It’s too late to run!”
“AND WHY DO YOU SAY THAT LIKE IT’S A GOOD THING?!”
“It’s not! But it’s also not what is happening! Don’t you see?” he started bobbing his head at a non-existent rhythm.
And then he began to sing.
“When I was a little filly and the sun was going do~own!”
His voice was accompanied by a soft, catchy tune, but for the life of her, Twilight couldn’t begin to fathom where it was coming from.
“Are you actually—?”
“The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me fro~own!”
“He is,” Elusive answered with a ‘seen-it-all’ tone, his bemusement far exceeding his fright.
“I’d hide under my pillow
From what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way
To deal with fears at all!”
“Oh?” said Butterscotch.
“She said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall!’”
Blitz blinked. “Wait, who’s ‘Pinkie’?”
With a screech, the music stopped immediately. Phil, who was mid-bounce, halted in mid air. Slowly, with an unnatural creaking sound, he turned his face towards Blitz, his cheerful, toothy grin still plastered in his face.
It didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“DON’T. INTERRUPT.” he growled murderously. Then took a deep breath, and resumed the happy little song right where he had left it.
“Learn to face your fears
You’ll see that they can’t hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear!”
He stopped in front of one of the petrified ponies, and stared right at its horrible face.
“Ha! Ha! Ha!”
And just like a spell being broken, the petrified pony turned into a rather large and jagged rock. As it had always been.
“So…!
Giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky!
And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone
And if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh…
Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuugh!”
When all was sung and done, the six were laughing on the ground, surrounded by the nastiest looking rocks that had ever existed… But rocks, nonetheless.
As they stood up to continue their journey, Twilight walked towards Rainbow Blitz.
“Hey, Blitz?” she said softly.
“Yeah, Twilight?”
*BUCK*
“OUCH! WHYYYYYYYYYYY?!” he wailed.
“Blasphemy, you heretic,” she sentenced coldly before walking away without looking back.
“So, does anypony have an idea?” Twilight asked.
A wide, rapid running river blocked their way. There was no bridge in sight, nor any way to ford it without being dragged by the current.
“Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!” Phil jumped excitably.
She was tempted to ask somepony else, but he did get them through their previous trial, so she gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“Yes, Phil?”
“Blitz can ferry us one by one across the river!” he proposed. Twilight blinked. That was actually a sensible, legitimate idea.
“Yeah, ain’t happening,” grumbled the cyan pegasus, nursing a black eye. “That manticore really battered me up. I don’t think I can carry that much weight.”
“And you, Butterscotch?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, uh, I barely managed to carry you back there, and Blitz was doing the lion’s share of the job… Sorry. Please don’t be mad,” he hurriedly added.
“See?” Blitz snarked. “We wouldn’t be in this problem if you went to the gym.”
Twilight sat down and scrunched her face while she tried to come up with a solution. Surely, there was a way out of this… If only that damned crying would stop!
Wait.
Crying?
“Do you guys hear that?” Twilight asked.
Elusive pointed towards the river. “My word!”
Indeed, in the middle of the rapids, an enormous purple sea serpent wailed, tossed and turned like a filly that had been sent to her room without any ice-cream.
“Oh, what a world, what a world!” he cried desperately. “What a cruel, cruel world we must live in, that crimes against fabulosity can go unpunished!”
“All right,” Rainbow Blitz began muttering conspiratorially, “Phil, Butters, you guys distract him; I’ll flank him by the right while Applejack spears him by the left. Twilight, you use your fancy magic to blind him, while Elusive—hey, why did you cut off your tail? Eh, never mind, you can use it like a garrote to strangle him… Or, you know, replace his cut-off moustache. Whatever.”
“You know, my dear,” the white unicorn began airily, “while I agree that murder is usually the best solution” – Twilight did a double take. Celestia, that got dark quickly – “it’s not the only solution. Diplomacy can often achieve the same goals.”
“Whooo! Tailless twins!” Phil cheered, wagging his newly-shortened tail happily at Elusive. The white unicorn promptly ignored him.
“Oh, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!” squealed the sea serpent, twirling his new purple moustache with delight. “Why, you have restored Steven Magnet’s honour, my good sir! Is there anything I can do for you?”
“My good, err, sea serpent, you could perhaps help us cross these rapids? We’re on a quest, you see.”
“Oh! I loooove adventures! Oh, if only I could join you,” Steven Magnet sighed with a flourish. “Alas, I’ll do everything in my power to aid you. Hop on in!” he said, diving into the water and forming a makeshift bridge with his body.
“See?” Elusive waggled his eyebrows at them. “Let’s not waste any more time, my dears,” and moved aside to let the rest go before him.
Once they had crossed the river, however, Steven Magnet raised his head and addressed Elusive.
“This is for you.” He handed him a small piece of water-resistant paper.
“Oh? What’s this?” Elusive asked.
“My number,” Magnet winked flirtily.
“... Oh.”
“Elusive and the gay sea serpent, riding down a river, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!” Phil happily sang as he bounced.
“My dear, I thought we agreed to never speak of this again,” Elusive answered flustered.
“I agreed to nothing! Not this, nor the play park rules, nor the Canterlot Conventions! Rules are for sissies!” Phil replied in his sing song voice.
“My barn door doesn’t even swing that way!”
“Are you sure?”
Elusive rolled his eyes. “Yes.”
“Okay.”
A beat.
“But are you really, really, really sure?”
“Yes!”
“Okay, okay, dude, take a chill pill.”
A beat.
“But are you super duper undeniably completely positively undoubtedly irrevocably sure?”
“Phil, I will strangle you in your sleep.”
“I’d like to see you try~!” he said in a sing-song voice, smiling mirthfully.
“Guys! Look!” Twilight interrupted them. “There it is! King Solaris’ Castle!”
What once was a proud castle was no more. Towers and turrets had fallen apart into mountains of rubble, and what stone still stood was rotten and covered with moss. The gates had crumbled, as well as most of the vaulted ceiling it had once had. Still, the vague outline of the building could still be seen.
“Or what’s left of it, anyway,” she added.
“Drawbridge is gone, though,” Applejack muttered, walking towards the castle and noticing the steep ravine between them and the ruins.
“You don’t think Elusive’s boyfriend can help us again?” Blitz mused.
“I hate you guys so much.”
“Rainbow, perhaps there might be some sort of rope bridge on the other side?” Butterscotch suggested.
“That would be awfully convenient,” Phil said.
Applejack rolled his eyes. “Got any better ideas, Phil?”
“Well, besides running towards the ravine and hoping we grow wings instead of dying gruesomely when we hit the bottom, I’ve got nothing,” he shrugged.
“Rope bridge it is, then,” Twilight decided hurriedly, before the pink weirdo actually tried it.
“You guys wait here,” said Blitz. “I’ll go check it out.”
Flaring his wings, he shot across the ravine.
Then, nothing happened.
“... So now what?” Twilight asked.
“Now, we wait.” Applejack sat down.
Rainbow Blitz landed with a groan.
Make that two broken ribs, all right. He subconsciously caressed his black eye. Two broken ribs and a black eye. Crazy unicorn. And I thought Gilda liked it rough…
He shrugged off the pain, and looked around.
Indeed, as the gates had collapsed, there was no longer anything remotely resembling its prior drawbridge. However, two large monoliths standing near the cliff’s edge had a rope tied around it. He glanced, and noticed that, indeed, there was a rope bridge hanging down his side of the cliff. He’d just have to dive to grab the other end and tie it up at the other side, where his friends awaited. Easy peasy.
Awfully convenient, as well.
Really? He raised his eyebrow, before shrugging. Eh, you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He suddenly stopped. I’m pretty sure that’d be slavery, though. What's up with that saying?
“Rainbow Blitz…” a mare’s voice came from behind him.
He turned sharply.
“Who’s there?!”
Only silence answered.
“Show yourself!”
The fog hid the speaker.
“I ain’t afraid!” he exclaimed defiantly, and he was only 10% lying. That was a good enough stat, he reasoned.
“We have been waiting for you, Rainbow Blitz.” Out of the fog, three pegasus ponies galloped towards him. Wearing black and purple spandex like a uniform, they reminded Blitz of the Wonderbolts.
“Really?” he raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, yes. Your fame precedes you, Rainbow Blitz. You truly are a prod—”
“No, I meant, have you really been sitting here in the middle of nowhere, right in front of the creepiest ruins in the whole continent, just waiting for me to appear, for days and days on end, instead of training and performing and whatnot? If you wanted to recruit me, you could have just sent me a letter.”
The front mare blinked.
“Just sayin’.”
With a shake of her head, the mare recovered her composure. “Be as it may, we are the Shadowbolts. We are the greatest racing team in the Everfree area, and soon, we’ll be the greatest of all of Equestria. Not even the Wonderbolts will be able to hold a candle to us. But for that, we’ll need a captain. And who better than the greatest, most magnificent, swiftest and bravest flyer of all the land?”
Rainbow Blitz stared at them.
“... That’s you.”
He just kept staring at them.
“... If we hadn’t been clear, I mean.”
For a long, long time.
“... Sooo… do you accept, or… or what?”
No sell.
The mare fidgeted uncomfortably.
And then, Rainbow Blitz took a deep breath and finally spoke.
“Look, no offense if you’re the real deal… But let’s lay down the facts: First, you said you’ve been waiting for me here, yet that is impractical beyond reason as I have already pointed out. Second: literally nopony lives in the Everfree forest. So, when you call yourselves ‘the best in the Everfree area’ that means that either A) there’s no competition whatsoever, so it’s meaningless, or B) you’re bullshitting. Third: yes, I’m awesome. I’m the best flyer to ever grace the lands of Equestria, I know. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT! I’m twenty. I mean, Spitfire is a flying prodigy too, and she made her first show at twenty three, and I was barely getting into puberty by then. So, for now, I’d rather just practice and practice so I can get the best I can before I go into the stage. And last, but not least: you sound like an edgy thirteen year old’s Wonderbolts rip-off. So, yeah, try again, Night King.”
The mare stared at him with a detached expression. And when she spoke, what came out of her mouth was the low, masculine growl of the usurper.
“I wonder if your blood is also rainbow coloured,” and bared her teeth. “I’ll delight in shedding it.”
Rainbow Blitz smirked.
“We’ll see about that, bitch.”
And with a gust of wind, the ‘Shadowbolts’ disappeared from existence.
Yeah, that’s what I thought, you pussy.
“You’ve got a seven?” asked Butterscotch.
Applejack yawned. “Go fish.”
“Are you guys not worried about Rainbow Blitz?” Twilight asked, before turning towards the chasm with apprehension. What if something happened to him? Or… Or perhaps he abandoned us? A feeling of dread grew in her gut.
“Missy, Rainbow may be an obnoxious fella, all right… But he never leaves anypony hangin’,” Applejack said kindly. Then he turned towards Elusive. “Ya got a nine?”
“I’ve got a bridge!” Rainbow Blitz called as he pierced the fog, holding one end of the rope bridge in his mouth.
“Rainbow Blitz!” Twilight exclaimed, relieved.
“Sorry for the tardiness, guys!” He said, landing and starting to tie up the rope bridge to this side’s stone monoliths.
“And not a moment too soon, my dear,” Elusive said, “I was losing, anyway.”
“What took ya so long?” Applejack asked Blitz.
“The Night King? More like the Wimp Bitch. He tried to deceive me and win me over to leave you guys behind, but I’d never leave my friends hanging!”
The rest of the gang, with Blitz leading the way, started crossing the newly-repaired bridge. Applejack walked next to Twilight, and whispered in her ear.
“Told ya.”
Twilight couldn’t contain a gasp when they entered what had once been the castle’s great hall.
Half of its vaulted roof had collapsed, its banners were tattered, its pillars cracked and the floor mossy; overgrown bushes adorned the hall, filling it with a scent of dirt and wet earth. And still it was one of the most magnificent buildings she had ever set hoof on.
Perhaps its own ruined state contributed to the atmosphere of reverence it caused. Once, this was the capital of all ponykind. A thousand years later, and it’s a broken ruin. Time is truly inexorable, she reflected with a hint of melancholy. But even then… There was so much to see! This place was a live museum! She felt giddy at just the thought.
“This place is amazing,” muttered Elusive, eyeing the banners in particular, trying to discern the designs they once so proudly sported. “Perhaps I could try this pattern of stitching…?”
“It’s a mix of different pony architecture styles!” exclaimed Twilight with sparkles in her eyes. “The pillars are clearly Ancient Unicornian, the ribbed vault style is from Prance, the stained glass windows are from Herdmany, the silk of the tapestries is from Hayzantium...!” she gushed, jumping from place to place all across the hall. “There’s so much to see! So much to learn! Oh, I wonder if this place’s library is still usable…”
“Yeah, that’s cool and all, but aren’t those the Elements of Harmony?” Phil pointed out towards the centrepiece of the room.
“What?”
Among the debris, growing like a stone tree, rose an elaborate pedestal which held five perfect spheres.
“One, two, three, four, five…” Phil counted, then frowned. “Uh, Houstomp? We’ve got a problem. There’s only five here.”
“The Reference Guide said that when the five elements are present, ‘a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed’... Whatever the hay that’s supposed to mean.” Twilight deflated. So close... yet so far.
“What are you going to do, Twilight?” asked Butterscotch, always so quiet.
“I was thinking of poking the rocks with my horn. Y’know, see what happens,” she snarked sarcastically, then promptly felt awful after he flinched. “I’m sorry, Butterscotch… it’s just… It’s so frustrating to be here, after all we’ve endured, with the Elements right in front of us… And I don’t know what to do. I know just as much as I did when we left the library.” She looked down to the floor. Was it all just a wild goose chase?
“Don’t worry, Missy. Ya’ll find a way,” Applejack said, then looked at the rest. “All right, fellas, let’s give the missy some space! She’s the smart one, after all. We’ll guard the entrances. If what Blitz said was true, the Night King is lurkin’ around ‘ere, so be ready fer a fight.”
The plan was tactically sound, and Twilight was sure that, had the Night King charged into the hall, her companions would have managed to stop him, or at least they would have held him off for long enough for her to find out what they needed to defeat him once and for all.
Yet, the plan depended on the Night King entering through one of the doors.
He didn’t.
One instant, Twilight was carefully analyzing the Elements of Harmony. The next second, a fog of darkness slammed on her like a stalker on its prey.
She could discern out the faint yells of the other guys before everything went black.
Sound was the first sense that came back to her, a soft, low hum cutting through the dark.
Am I dead? She felt like she was floating in a vast ocean of darkness.
Next came smell. Rain, wet earth, trees, dirt and dust.
No, I’m not dead. I’m… Where am I? Am I still at the castle? She tried to move, but found out she couldn’t.
Then, touch came. The dark started constricting her, turning and revolving on itself like slithering snakes. She tried to gasp for air, but the pressure was so oppressive she couldn’t breathe; she tried screaming, but it was in vain, for she couldn’t even open her mouth. She was encased in darkness, and was completely helpless against it.
And then, with a flash of light, sight came to her.
Twilight then noticed four things:
First, she was bound and gagged by the fog that had heralded the Night King’s arrival back at Ponyville, wrapped from the tip of her hooves to the tip of her nose.
Second, her horn was also wrapped in the dark fog, preventing her from using magic.
Third, she was still somewhere in the ruined castle.
And fourth, the Night King was standing right in front of her, looking at his prisoner with an amused expression, his mismatched eyes boring into her.
“I thought you were a smart pony. Smart ponies don’t try to overthrow their rulers.”
“Mmphh!”
“Come again?” he mocked her, before shrugging almost imperceptibly. Like snakes, the darkness that constricted her loosened up and retracted, freeing her mouth. Twilight gasped for air, shakily. “Tell me, my little pony, who are you?”
To say that Twilight was terrified would be an understatement. But regardless, swallowing her fear, she pressed on. For the Princess. For Equestria.
“I– I’m Twi– Twilight Sparkle. I’m the Princess’s– Princess Celestia’s personal protégé.”
The Night King snorted contemptuously. “‘Personal protégé’? Is that what she calls it, now?”
“W-what do you mean?”
“She always had a thing for young fillies such as you. She tried to explain it away, to make up excuses, create fake titles and roles to post her favourites. They invariably gave themselves up to use her for power and profit, and drove the realm to ruin… But it was always the same. Tell me, then. Are you her favourite?”
“I… I…”
“You really have no idea what I mean, do you?”
“I– I don’t know…”
“Then let me be blunt. Are you her whore?”
“W-what?! No!”
“Did she force herself unto you?” he spat at her. “Tie you down to the bed while she fucked you with her horn?”
“W-what?! What are you talking about?!”
He rolled his eyes. “An unorthodox act, to be sure… But one she always enjoyed. Perhaps she found pleasure in the pain of others. Or perhaps she just wanted to have a cock. Maybe she envied me.”
“Y-you envied her.”
The Night King’s gaze was inscrutable, but his red eye flashed dangerously. “Really, now?”
“You envied her!” Twilight repeated forcefully. “You envied how much ponies adored her and her sun, while your nighttime was ignored and unappreciated!”
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “And who, exactly, told you that? From whom did you listen to that version of the story?”
“I… I read it in a book…” she muttered, suddenly painfully aware of how pathetic she sounded.
“A book!” he barked a scornful laugh. “What are books but written words, and ones that can lie just as easily as their author? Pity, I thought you were smart. I thought you could see through the veil of deceit that is the so-called knowledge. Damned lies, the lot of them,” he snorted. “Princess Celestia! What a joke of a monarch. A simpering fool, a weak-willed filly who had far more power on her hooves that she could ever pretend to wield, who had more power on her blood than she was worthy of. We were Gods, born to rule, and yet she gave herself up to petty tyranny and despicable pleasures. She was nothing but a misbehaved brat, whose misrule threatened to topple what our father, great King Solaris, had built from scratch. She had swiftly turned into the worst ruler this land had ever seen, sycophants and crooks whispering in her ears for their own personal gain. And she never stopped them. And why would she? They were enabling her. Feeding her vanity. Telling her how great and powerful she was. And, stupid as she was, she actually believed them. And Equestria bled for it.”
The Night King sneered, looking down at her. He was growing more and more irate with each word that left his mouth.
“Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, during your history lessons, did she ever mention the countless serfs’ revolts against her tyranny? The palatial intrigue that furthered her own despotism, removing any and every check her power had? The feudal anarchy she fostered to grow her own personal power base, turning our generals against each other and weakening Equestria for generations? The genocidal war against Griffonia because they called her fat? Tell me, how many ponies have suffered because of her pettiness and short-sightedness? How many have died because of her pride and her vanity? How many ponies were lost forever in the Crystal Empire because she couldn’t be bothered to stop fucking her little whores to honour her oaths and help those in need?! Tell me, do you think she fucking cared about any of that?! Do you think she cared about the countless lives she destroyed!? Do you think she lost any sleep over the consequences of her actions?! Does she, even now?! NO! SHE NEVER DID! SHE NEVER WILL! SHE’S NEVER CARED ABOUT ANYTHING BUT HERSELF!”
After a few deep breaths, the Night King sighed, recovering his composure. When he spoke again, his voice sounded shaken.
“No. Of course she didn’t care. And no amount of innocent blood could ever change that. It all depended on me. Equestria itself, peace, stability and harmony, they all depended on me. I was Equestria’s only hope… War was my only hope... and the Bitch defeated me.”
Twilight was at a complete loss of words. She was reeling at what he had just said.
Revolts? Anarchy? War?
All Celestia’s fault?
He was lying. He had to be lying! Not a single word of what he had said made any sense to her. Princess Celestia, the Princess Celestia she knew, that had fostered her, taught her everything Twilight knew, was a kind, caring pony. She valued every life as precious, no matter how unimportant it might be. How could she ever let ponies die, whatever the reason? How could she ever be so malicious to seek their deaths? How could she ever be so callous to do so without the blink of an eye?
She couldn’t, Twilight knew deep inside her. He is lying. That is NOT Princess Celestia.
She forced herself to speak, to stand up for her mentor. “But… But you want the night to last forever. You said it yourself!”
“It was a metaphor, you mewling imbecile," he said, staring at her with contempt. "A statement of a new era, ruled by the King of the Night rather than the Bitch of the Sun."
"Then... why did you rise against her, if not for envy?"
The Night King sighed, still shaking slightly from his earlier outburst. "Envy is a great motivation... That much is true. But so is desperation. The desperation of seeing how everything and everypony you’ve known and loved are falling apart, attacked, destroyed and killed, and you’re helpless to do anything to stop it. Why? Because your bitch sister has sidelined you into irrelevance and couldn’t be bothered to help. That is why I rose up against her: a monarch who doesn’t stand up for the people is no monarch at all. I sacrificed everything I had left to free Equestria from her tyranny, to save it from the terrible evils she had released. What do I care about ponies liking the sun more than the night sky?” he snarled. “What would I even win if the night lasted forever, other than famine and a harsh, eternal winter? What sort of a vain, egomaniacal moron would do such a thing, or even care about such trivial things?” The Night King rolled his eyes acidly. “Hmm, write what you know, Celestia, write what you know; you always treasured how ponies loooooved your sun. I care not for the adoration of the sheep. I care for stability and justice. True harmony.” He closed his eyes, then adopted a silly, mocking voice: “Oh, but I’m sad, and jealous of my pretty sister and how much everypony loved her and how much better she is than me, so I turned evil to become the sole subject of the people’s love!” His tone darkened again. “Oh, how simple you make it sound.”
He closed in on Twilight, before snarling on her face.
“Open your eyes, girl. Your entire life is a lie. This is not a filly’s tale. This is real life. You’re nothing but a foolish, misguided little girl way over her own head, playing a game whose rules you can’t even begin to fathom. And you’ve lost.”
Not… Not yet. She struggled against her binds unsuccessfully. She could still snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. There was still hope. Lying on the floor behind the Night King...
“The Elements of Harmony…” she couldn’t help herself from muttering.
He heard her.
“What, you mean these rocks?” he rolled his eyes. “Useless, the lot of them. They’re better off as gravel,” he sentenced, powering up his horn and blasting the Elements into oblivion with a beam of raw power.
“NO!” Twilight screamed helplessly. And yet, she could have tried drying up the seas with a towel for all the good it did her. Bitter tears of defeat started swelling in her eyes.
Her last chance, destroyed.
I failed.
Everypony, I failed you.
“Tears? No, there’s no need for tears,” the Night King muttered, all the acid hatred washed away and replaced by a venomously paternalistic tone as he walked towards her. “This is for the best, you’ll see. Despite everything, you’re a smart girl. I can see as much. Your fanaticism for your princess has blinded you, that’s all. But it’s of no matter. You’re young. You can still learn. You will learn.”
His face was far too close to Twilight’s own, his red eye wild as fire and his blue one cold as ice, both of them screaming danger.
“I will make sure about that.”
*thud*
“Hello there.”
The Night King turned on his heel. Standing in an attack position stood Applejack, Phil Pie, Butterscotch, Elusive and Rainbow Blitz.
Applejack spoke.
“Now, Ah’ll only say this once, so ya better listen up! Step away from the missy, now.”
The Night King rolled his eyes.
“Fucking peasants. They never quite know their place.”
“Guys! The elements! He destro—mmphh!” The shadows gagged her again, interrupting her.
“Then we’ll stop him the old-fashioned way, even if it’s the last thing we do,” growled Blitz.
The Night King smirked.
“We’ll see about that, bitch,” he echoed.
The dark stallion flared his wings. Tendrils of dark magic shot out from them like tentacles, frantically turning and twisting, in the stallions’ directions.
“Scatter!” ordered Phil, as he dived out of the tendrils’ way. The rest of the stallions got away just in time, shadow tendrils following and harassing them.
Butterscotch wasn’t so lucky.
The butter yellow pegasus was thrown back against the stone wall, smashing through it and knocking him out cold.
Applejack charged at the knight, spear at the ready, evading the shadow tentacles. Once he had almost reached him, however, the Night King vanished with a flash of light.
The farmpony stopped in his tracks, confused.
“What the—AGH!” he screamed in pain as a tendril smashed itself against his back, making his legs buckle underneath him and throwing him against the stone floor.
Applejack hadn’t managed to reincorporate himself before a tendril wrapped around one of his backhooves and lifted him easily, like he was just a feather.
“Woah! Help!”
“I got you!” shouted Rainbow Blitz, zooming swiftly and tackling Applejack out of the tendril’s grip. However, given his previous injures, Blitz lost control with the impact and fell to the floor with a yelp.
The Night King capitalised on his enemy’s injury, enveloping him with his magic and lifting him high in the air before slamming him against the stone floor, over and over again. Rainbow shrieked in agony as more and more of his ribs cracked.
“Could you please stop that?” Phil asked the Night King, popping right in front of him.
“What the—” he swiped at him with his forehooves.
“You’re being a meany pants!” he added, now standing in the knight’s back.
“Stop that!”
“Make me,” Phil grinned, before starting to tinker on the Night King’s back armour, loosening plates and straps. With an enraged roar, the usurper took to the skies, attempting to get rid of his hijacker with a barrel roll, but only pieces of his criniere fell; the pink menace was no longer on top of him.
A spell hit him in the side; turning, he saw the white unicorn staring at him, a pathetic petrified stick held aloft.
“Over here!”
The Night King didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. He dived towards the foolish stallion with all his might.
To Elusive’s credit, he held his ground bravely as a veritable tank of edged plate armour sped towards him. He took a deep breath, and braced for impact.
Time slowed down for the white unicorn.
*snap*
The branch broke instantly when it made contact with the Night King’s armour.
Elusive felt his stomach drop.
“Oh dear.”
And just as suddenly, the instant was gone, and Elusive was swept off his feet by the usurper’s charge with a yell of agony.
He rolled across the floor, before coming to rest face up. Dazed, he opened his eyes.
The Night King was right on top of him, armoured forehooves ready to stomp down on his face.
“Not the face!” he shrieked, preparing for his demise.
Fortunately for him, Butterscotch had come back into the fray, tackling the Night King with all his might and throwing him off Elusive.
The shy, mild mannered butter pegasus then proceeded to wail on savagely on the usurper’s face, roaring a primal war-cry as his punches dented inwards the alicorn’s chanfron.
“Quick! Before he gets up!” Elusive screamed at his companions.
Applejack didn’t need to be told twice; after being sidelined by Rainbow’s tackle, he had been busy fending off the dark tendrils with his spear. He jumped against the Night King’s body, but despite being held down by a savage pegasus, he was not defenseless. A shadow tentacle slammed against Applejack’s face, knocking him down to the floor.
With a roar, the Night King grabbed Butterscotch out of him with his magic, before throwing him against Elusive. Both ponies smashed with each other and fell to the ground.
“Mphh! Mmphh!” Twilight tried to call out to Phil and Blitz, but the former was keeping watch over the latter.
“Come on, Blitzie! How many fingers do I have here?” he waved his pink hoof in front of the cyan pegasus’s face.
“What are fingers…?” Blitz coughed up blood. “Ohh, that’s not good…”
“Mmphhhh!”
“Huh?” Phil turned towards Twilight. “Oh, right!” He galloped towards her, trying to untie her, but a tendril snatched him just before he managed to reach her, pulling him back towards the fray.
Elusive, Butterscotch, Applejack and Phil were held in the air by the Night King’s shadow tentacles. The only pony left free was Rainbow Blitz, and he was in no form to stand up and fight.
And yet, he stumbled back onto his hooves, red, bright blood dripping out of his mouth.
“Not rainbow coloured. How dull,” the Night King mused. “Yield, moron, and I promise I will make this painless.”
“It’s… It’s just a flesh wound…” Rainbow wheezed.
“Yield, for your friends’ sake,” he sentenced, his tendrils fully wrapping each of the stallions, ready to asphyxiate them at will.
“I fight for my friends’ sake. What do you fight for?” he coughed up.
“I fight for Equestria. I fight for justice. I fight for everlasting peace. If thousands have to die today so millions do not have to die tomorrow, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
A shadow tendril shot towards the cyan pegasus. He couldn’t even put up a struggle as it enveloped him with ease.
And then, they started to constrict.
This was not a battle: it was nothing but a drawn-out execution, a petty game to amuse the Night King, Twilight realised with dread. She did the only thing she could do, given her state.
She started to cry.
Tears for Equestria, which would never know harmony and peace ever again, despite what lies the Night King proclaimed.
Tears for Celestia, trapped to burn forever in the sun, with no stars to aid her escape.
Tears for all the fillies and colts, who would live fearful lives, oppressed under the hoof of tyranny.
Tears for herself, who had been trusted by the Princess to rise to the occasion, only to fail so miserably.
But most importantly, tears for the five squirming stallions whose lives were held in the Night King’s grasp. The five foolish stallions who had, against all reason, decided to follow her down this dangerous path, and would now pay with their lives.
They had families, Twilight realised. Apple Bloom. The white little filly that Elusive had comforted after the alicorn’s arrival. Phil apparently had sisters, too, for what little she understood at his rant in the library. Her folly had led to their brothers’ demise. How could they ever forgive her? How could she ever forgive herself?
I didn’t want this to happen. She cried bitterly. I don’t want my friends to die because of me. I don’t want this, I don’t want this, I don’t—
Something clicked in her brain.
And then, it all made sense.
The spark lit up in her heart.
The Night King must have surely felt it too, as he turned his gaze away from the cocooned and slowly dying stallions to look at her.
“What are you doing?”
“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?” Twilight asked, a newfound confidence in her voice. She barely even noticed how the shadows had retracted from her mouth. “Well, you’re wrong. The Elements are not some old rocks in the middle of nowhere. They’re magical entities. And they’ve been right here all along.”
The Night King raised an eyebrow.
“What?” he asked threateningly.
“Applejack, who reassured me when I was in mortal danger and in doubt, is the Element of Honesty!” and, right on cue, one of the cocoons of darkness lightened up with an orange hue from within. The Night King turned towards it, taken by surprise. Twilight allowed herself to smile softly. “Butterscotch, who showed us that compassion and kindness achieve far more than violence, is the Element of Kindness!” His cocoon lightened up in yellow. Yes! It’s working! “Phil Pie, who laughed in the face of adversity and horror, is the Element of Laughter!” a small squeal came from what Twilight presumed was Phil’s cocoon, along with a bright pink light. “Elusive, who calmed the sorrowful sea serpent by giving him a part of himself, is the Element of Generosity! And Rainbow Blitz, who scorned your offers of fame and glory, no matter how much he did desire them, just to stick with us, is the Element of Loyalty!” All five cocoons were now held aloft by themselves, shining like beacons of hope in the darkest night. “It was these stallions’ spirit that allowed us to traverse whatever obstacle you threw at us!”
The Night King was clearly unsettled, his eyes darting from cocoon to cocoon, each of them shining an ardent radiance. Yet somehow, he still managed to keep a detached expression.
“And the Sixth Element? You don’t have it. A nice speech, but your words were wasted. There was no spark.”
Twilight allowed herself to smirk, satisfaction overflowing her as she proved her captor wrong. “There was. A different kind of spark, however. I felt it repeatedly throughout tonight, when you guys showed me time and time again how much you appreciated me despite my nastiness and aloofness. I felt it when you came to rescue me. And I felt it when my heart broke at the idea of losing you guys forever… Because you are my friends. And you see, Night King,” she said with scorn, “when those elements are ignited by that spark, the spark that resides in all of our hearts, the spark of friendship, the sixth element is revealed: the Element… of Magic!”
And then, she started to glow.
The flashes of light intensified, glimmering under the night like a midnight sun.
The Night King opened his mouth to scream, but not a single sound came out, his silhouette slowly disappearing against the ever growing light.
And Twilight, too, felt herself fade away into the blinding white.
Ugghhh… My head…
“Yo, Twilight!” came a deep male voice from somewhere above her.
Huh…?
“You alright?”
Twilight slowly opened her eyes, and couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted her.
All five of her friends were standing around her, looking down at the mare lying flat on her back.
“... G-guys? Did… did we win?”
“Ah sure hope so, because Granny is gonna kill me if we died,” Applejack said darkly.
“How would that even be possible?” asked Butterscotch softly.
“That pony has her ways, Ah tell ya,” the farmpony shuddered.
Twilight looked at each of her friends, one by one. Applejack looked tired, but alright. Rainbow Blitz looked none the worse to wear, his grimace of pain replaced by a look of utter satisfaction. Phil was grinning widely as always, while Elusive smiled reassuringly at her. Butterscotch was fidgeting slightly, but he too seemed happy. All of the wounds they had suffered were gone.
“Rainbow, your wounds…”
“Gone. Dunno how, but I ain’t complaining.” He shrugged. Even his black eye was missing. “I was not looking forward to Nurse Redheart’s nagging.”
“What happened?” Twilight asked, rubbing her head as she sat up.
“I’m not sure,” Butterscotch tried to answer. “One instant, we were being asphyxiated by the Night King’s darkness, and the next… we were laying on the floor.”
“And wearing these interesting pieces of jewelry, too,” Elusive added. “Your tiara is lovely, by the way.”
Tiara? Twilight raised her hooves towards her head, and sure enough, a soft, warm metal received her touch.
“It looks just like your cutie mark, too!” piped in Phil. Twilight gazed at his necklace.
“And your necklace too!”
“And my necklace too!” he agreed without missing a beat.
“But… how?” Twilight asked after a moment’s consideration.
“How, indeed,” a soft porcelain voice interjected. With a start, they all turned to gaze at its source.
Standing at the entrance of the hall, wings flaring, ethereal mane moving as if touched by an invisible breeze, stood Princess Celestia herself. The marble white alicorn exuded elegance and dignity, even if her coat was singed and her countenance haggard.
The five stallions instantly bowed.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight ran towards her, hugging her fiercely.
“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student,” said the Princess, returning the hug. “I knew my faith in you was not misplaced.”
They broke the embrace. Twilight took a step back, tears pricking her eyes. “But… but you told me off. To stop worrying about a silly tale. I don’t understand.”
“Did you really think so low of me to believe I wouldn’t take into consideration your advice?” Celestia laughed with a heavenly, motherly voice. “I told you to make some friends, and indeed, you did. I knew you were the chosen one to reveal the Elements of Harmony, but all that potential could not be unleashed and become a power of good if you didn’t open your heart to the magic of friendship. For, despite everything, this particular mission was out of my reach. But I knew you could do it. Even as I endured the torture of the sun, I believed in you. And I was not mistaken,” she said, looking at the five grinning stallions in the room.
After a few moments, she sighed, the smile finally leaving her face, sorrow and grief taking their place. “Now, if only another will open his heart as well. Prince Artemis.”
She turned towards the lone, unnoticed alicorn stallion sitting by the window.
Slowly, he turned towards them, gaunt and with his mismatched eyes sunken and stripped of their menace. His dark blue coat was unkempt, and his nebulous sapphire star-studded mane was matted and limp.
“Sister,” he said simply, his expression indecipherable.
“Brother. It’s been far too long.”
“A thousand years, if my calculations do serve me well.”
“It is time to put aside our differences. We were made to rule together, brother. Will you accept my olive branch of friendship?”
A deaf silence took hold of the ruined hall. Nopony dared move a muscle.
Then, with a crack, Prince Artemis sobbed.
“I am sorry. I am so, so sorry,” he said to nopony in particular and everypony in general, tears running down his face. “But I was so, so angry… I felt helpless, useless, powerless… If I could not protect her, then what good was I?” he cried. “The Abyss… It offered me vengeance. It offered me power. I… I could not resist.”
Princess Celestia hugged her twin lovingly. The dam broken, Artemis started crying openly.
“I know. I know,” she cooed him.
“I have missed thee so much, sister,” he wept into his sister’s embrace.
“I’ve missed you too, brother,” she said softly, a single tear streaking down her face.
“Praise the Sun!” Phil screamed at the top of his lungs, standing in his hind hooves and raising his forehooves in a V position.
The return of sunlight was just cause for celebration, and the pink party pony had not spared any time in jumping straight into it.
Twilight couldn’t help but feel her heart warm at the sight of the same ponies who just hours ago were panicking and shivering in terror, laugh and play with no fear at all. Little Apple Bloom was playing catch with a few other fillies and colts, while Blitz and Applejack were drinking cider and chatting happily. Spike was pouring himself a soda; Butterscotch was sitting idly on a bench, just enjoying the party while accompanied by his white pet rabbit, and Elusive indulged his little sister and was dancing with her.
By all rights, she should feel just as elated as they did, but…
“Something on your mind, my faithful student?”
The Princess approached her, a soft smile on her lips.
“W-what? Why would you ask? I’m doing great!” the unicorn replied, with her best fake smile on her face.
“You look very glum. I would be a poor ruler, indeed, if I couldn’t tell how my little ponies are feeling.”
Twilight kept the fake smile a few more seconds, then sighed. “That’s the thing, Princess…” Twilight began to say, reluctant.
“Oh?”
“The Night King. He… he told me many terrible things about you. He told me that you used to be a terrible ruler. That you were vain. That you were a tyrant. That you didn’t care about your subjects’ lives...” she trailed off.
“And you’re wondering if there was any truth to his claims, are you not?” Celestia’s voice was inescrutable.
Ashamed, Twilight only nodded.
She feared the answer, and her anxiousness wasn’t helped by the flicker of red she thought she saw on the Princess’ right eye, even if she knew that it was just her mind playing tricks on her. After all he had told her, it was all too easy for Twilight to project the Night King’s cruel visage on Celestia, and the mere thought of it terrified her beyond words.
Celestia sighed.
“The Abyss makes a pony believe what they believe. It corrupted him, twisting his rage and grief until he could not tell the truth apart from his own consuming hatred.” Her voice was full of regret.
“What exactly is The Abyss?” Twilight asked, confused.
“Something I hope you never, ever, find out, my dearest Twilight.”
The unicorn turned her gaze towards the party, reflecting quietly, before softly asking one last thing.
“But… was there any truth to what he told me?”
The Princess paused for a moment, mulling on her answer.
“I’m not a perfect pony, Twilight, and I have never pretended to be. We all make mistakes. Some light. Some severe. We’re only equine. But the trick is to learn from your mistakes, atone for them, and strive to better yourself. I know I have.”
He was lying. I know it.
And I will prove it.
Twilight turned her gaze towards the town, still glum. For the most part, her concerns had been pacified… But there was still one thing that bothered her.
Five things, actually.
And the five were walking towards her, smiles in their faces, accompanied by Spike.
Celestia seemed to notice Twilight’s concern as well, because she softly asked her, “is there anything else in your mind?”
Twilight sighed, saddened.
“It’s just that… Do I have to go back to Canterlot, now?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted? To complete your quest so you can return to your studies in Canterlot?”
“I did; it’s just that... I… I never wanted any friends. I never thought I would need them. But…” she raised her head and gazed at the other five stallions, who were standing a few feet away from her. She smiled sadly. “But now I have five wonderful friends. And I don’t want to leave them.”
Celestia looked at Twilight, then at her friends. She smiled.
“In that case… Spike,” she called over to the baby dragon, “take a note.” At his ruler’s beckoning, the baby dragon stepped forward, parchment and quill on his claws. “I, Princess Sovereign Celestia of Equestria, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall now dedicate herself to the study of the magic of friendship. For this purpose, she will take up residence in the Golden Oak Library, in the town of Ponyville. She must report back to me her findings whenever possible.”
Twilight smiled widely as her friends cheered and surrounded her.
Yet, she still had one, single doubt.
“Princess… Is that even a legitimate field of scholarship?”
“Oh, my dear Twilight,” Celestia laughed, a heavenly and wonderful sound. “You should have realised by now that I can do whatever I please.”