"The Tree of Harmony?" Spike asked. "Is there even such a thing?"
Nightmare cackled menacingly, "What? Your beloved Princess Celestia didn't tell you about the Tree of Harmony? Or are you just another of her terrible student?" Nightmare taunted. "I should know. There was a Sunset Shimmer."
"ENOUGH!" Twilight spatted. "You're not fit to speak her name! We're ending this now! For Princess Celestia!"
Cracking an evil grin, Nightmare snorted, "Yes. But for whom, is the question."
With that, Twilight and the ponies resumed their magic show, charging up their chosen elements for a powerful spell. However, just moments before they could fire, the baboons all throw several sticks of dynamites, interrupting the process, causing the girls to lose their focus. Then, in a blur of shadows and smokes, Nightmare's whip-like tail thrusted out, slashing Twilight, knocking her tiara – the Element of Magic – off of her head.
"AAAAHHH!!!"
"Twilight!" The boys called out to the lavender unicorn.
Both Spyro and Spike helped the unicorn up, before she looked to see the Element of Magic was lying the floor, more than six hooves away from her and the boys.
"THE ELEMENT!!" Twilight wailed, galloping towards the crown, only for it to be snatched by the shadows.
"Let's see how you fare without your precious toy!" Nightmare cackled, firing a blast of lightning at Twilight, who quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the hit.
In retaliation, Twilight fired a bolt of magic at Nightmare, who quickly shield herself behind her wings. Rearing up on her hind legs, Nightmare let out a bloodcurdling roar, to which everyone all quickly covered their ears from, before the great storm beast repeatedly flaps her massive wings, creating powerful gusts of winds that threatened to blow everyone off their feet.
Rainbow Dash was the only one who appears to be resisting, "Hey! You're not the only one who can blow everyone away!" With that, Rainbow started flapping her wings like she's never flapped before, pushing her way through the wind.
"You might control the weather, pegasus," Nightmare snarled. "But I control the darkness!" With a roar, Nightmare instantly vanished into the shadows.
Rainbow Dash instantly ceases her wings, as she darts her head in every directions, "Where'd she go?" The pegasus soon got her answer, when a familiar whip-like tail burst from the grounds, and ensnared her.
"AAAHHH!!!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she was thrashed around the castle, as if she was a little rag doll. To further the pain, Nightmare's whole body sparked to life with an aura of cracking electricities, which shocked the pegasus. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Rainbow screamed louder, as Nightmare's tail tightens her grip around the pegasus, increasing the wave of electricities.
With an evil laugh, Nightmare's head emerged from the floor, "You can die slow, or you can die fast, little one," Nightmare snarled sadistically. "Say good-bye to any chances you'll ever have of becoming a Wonderbolt."
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Rainbow screamed loudly, struggling to escape, which only makes it worse in her predicament, as it furthers the beast's amusement and intensifies the electricity. Rainbow's whole life was flashing before her eyes, faster than she could ever fly.
"EEENOOOOOUGGGGHHH!!!!" Twilight screamed, firing a strong bolt of magic at Nightmare in the face, stopping the beast.
With the electricity auras coming to a halt, Applejack quickly tackled Nightmare's tail, prying its grip off, rescuing Rainbow Dash.
"No more!" Twilight snarled. "You will face justice for what you've done!" With another angry shrill, Twilight relentlessly blasted several bolts of magic at Nightmare, who counters with blasts of lightnings.
"How pathetic," Nightmare taunted.
In the meantime, Spyro, Spike, and Sparx all looked to see the Element of Magic was dangling in Nightmare's jaws. Standing between the boys and Nightmare were the baboons and their dreadwing mounts.
"Big brother? What do we do?" Spike asked.
Spyro turned to look at the little dragon on his right, showing his brother a look of conflict, anguish, and anxiety as his answer, 'I don't know,' Spyro thought in dismay, as he hung his head, lost and unsure. 'I just don't know.'
"Spyro....?" Spike called out, along with Sparx. But each time they tried reaching out to their brother, the boys' voices faded further away, as if they were calling out from a far off distance, until Spyro finds himself in complete isolation from the real world.
"....the world needs its heroes." A familiar haunting voice whispered.
'Huh?' Spyro thought, feeling a familiar sense of warmth washing over him.
"And more importantly, your brother needs you...for love, care, and attention. Because for now, he can be your new fire."
Spyro didn't need to know who it was that said that. In fact, he smiled to himself, 'Can be my new fire, huh?' Opening his eyes up again, Spyro's face dons up a look of determination.
"Spike? Sparx?" The dragon began. "You guys ready for some action?"
"Then I take it you have a plan?" Sparx asked.
"Oh yeah, I've got a plan. But do you trust me?"
"I trust ya, big brother!" Spike gave a thumbs up, with Sparx nodding his head.
"Then hop on!" Spyro crouched himself down, letting his brother onto his back. "And get fired up, Spike! Cause here we go!" With a kick of his legs, Spyro charged headfirst into the fight, against the baboons and the dreadwings.
"Whoo-yeah!" Sparx whooped. "Lights, action, MUSIC!!"
The baboons screeched maniacally, as they all charged towards the two dragon and lunged forward. In retaliation, Spike inhaled a huge gust of air, before he blasts a large green fireball, exploding the baboon upon impact.
"Whoooo-hoooo!!!" Spike hollered, blasting more green fireballs at the baboons, while his brother rams his horns to knock the baboons to the side. "Take this!" Spike shouted, blasting another green fireball that exploded upon impact with a baboon, knocking the monkey off his dreadwing.
The ponies and Nightmare continued their epic fight, when boys's scuffle caught their attention, "What is this?" Nightmare asked in outrage.
"Spike? Spyro? Sparx?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Sparkle!" Pinkie finished.
The ponies and Nightmare watched as Spyro rammed his horn at a baboon, knocking the wind out of him, followed by a quick tail strike that tripped the monkey off his feet, "Hi-yah!" Spyro screamed, jumping into the air and headbutts the baboon to the ground.
A baboon attempted to get the jump on Spyro, if it weren't for Spike, "Oh no you don't!" Spike shouted, breathing a burst of green fire that blasted the baboon out of the air.
With a kick of their legs, the baboons on the dreadwings sprang to life, surrounding the two dragons and dragonfly, "Spike! You still have that potion on you?" Spyro asked.
"Sure do!" The little dragon replied, holding up the said potion he borrowed from Pop Fizz. "Bottom's up! Say ah!" With that, Spike poured the whole vial into Spyro's mouth.
Spyro's eyes watered as the intense heat sensation returned, scorching his throat, and he screamed a long continuous stream of fire at the dreadwing bats, with Spike joining in, doubling the fiery heat. Can't standing the heat, the dreadwings flapped their wings and flew off, with the baboons on the ground following suit.
"Well, looks like your monkey helpers have gone and ditched ya, Nightmare!" Rainbow mocked.
"Yeah, that's right!" Sparx buzzed mockingly. "Go ahead and run with your tail between your smartened buttocks, ya crazy monkeys! You stinking banana breath! Ya–AAAAH!"
The boys were suddenly blasted away by a bolt of lightning from behind. Spike scrambled up to his feet, rubbing his head, only to find himself pinned down, beneath Nightmare's claws.
"SPIKE!" Twilight and the ponies screamed desperately for the little dragon.
"SPIKE!!" Spyro was about to breath another burst of fire to save his little brother, when a streak of shadows catches him by the neck and lifted him off his feet, thrashing him around the castle, until at last, he was brought before Nightmare's face.
"Little dragon," Nightmare growled at Spyro. "The Storm King will love to have an audience with you," In response, Spyro tried to breath another blast of fire at Nightmare's face, but all he managed was a puff of smoke. "Was that your best shot? Now let me show you mine."
"You leave my brother alone!" Spike strained to breath a burst of green flame.
"Patience," The storm beast sneered at the little dragon. "First him, then you."
"Hey! Has anybody seen where Pop Fizz and Double Trouble went too?" Pinkie asked.
With that, everyone in the room, Nightmare included, all looked around the area, searching for signs of the two magic users.
Then without warning, Pop Fizz, in his monster form, together with Double Trouble and the manticore from before, jumped out of hiding and tackled the fiendish storm beast, scratching, zapping, and clawing at her face.
"Get off of me!" Nightmare snarled, as jolts of electricities coated her whole form, zapping Pop Fizz, Double Trouble, and the manticore, yet still the three were undeterred.
With Nightmare distracted, Twilight and the ponies rushed in to rescue the two dragons, "Are you guys okay?" Twilight asked.
"We could've been better," Spyro groaned, coughing another puff of smoke.
"But she still has the Element of Magic!" Spike pointed.
"Hey guys!" Pop Fizz shouted, waving the tiara in his hand. "Catch!" With that, Pop Fizz tossed the element to Twilight who leapt to the air and reclaimed the stolen tiara.
"Prepare to face justice, Nightmare!" The lavender unicorn smiled in triumph.
But before the ponies can resume their magic spell again, the ground beneath them shook, and the ancient structures of the ruined castle crumbled.
"Hey!" Sparx buzzed. "This place is coming down!"
Nightmare cracked another wicked grin and laughed, "And so it begins."
Before long, the floor beneath the heroes gave way and they all fell down into a cavern, filled with dark vines, snaking and wrapping around a huge crystalline tree. In appearance, the tree has five large branches, each with large orbs at the end with empty slots. At the center is the shape of a six pointed star.
"Sweet Celestia!" Applejack exclaimed. "Is that–?!"
"The Tree Of Harmony!" Nightmare cackled menacingly, as she appeared from the shadows. “The Tree Of Harmony is dying! Darkness shall reign for all of eternity!”
With another pulse of dark magic igniting from her eyes, more dark vines sprang from the ground, ensnaring the heroes.
“Pity you will not live to see our reign over your world. But you shall be the first for me to make your end swift. Say hello to Princess Celestia for me.” With another roar of laughter, the vines tightens their grip on the heroes and their allies, intent on crushing the life out of them.
Nightmare kept on laughing, when suddenly she stopped, as a crack of red light pierced through her smoky coat of darkness, from her neck. Nightmare stopped laughing, "W-What?!" The storm beast exclaimed, looking down at the light. "What is–No!"
The vines suddenly lost their grips, dropping the heroes to the ground, "What in tarnation?" Applejack asked. "What the hay is going on?"
"Look!" Spike pointed.
Amidst the smokes, dangling around Nightmare's neck is what appears to be a red crystal, pulsing of dark magic. What's more, the crystal appeared to have a large crack on it.
"No!" Nightmare growled, looking as if she was being held back. "What have you done?!"
"Come on, girls!" Twilight shouted. "This is our chance! The Elements! NOW!!" With that, the Elements of Harmony came to life once more as the ponies focused their magic, intent on finishing the job, and to avenge Princess Celestia.
But at the same time, Twilight couldn't help but take a glance at the Tree of Harmony, and the state it was in.
Nightmare's previous taunt echoed in Twilight's mind, "Use the Elements to stop me, and let the Tree die and doom all of Equestria! Or save the Tree, and let me free, and fail your chance to avenge your precious Princess Celestia! It's your choice! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The sound of Nightmare's taunt and the sight of the Tree of Harmony suffering was enough to hinder the lavender unicorn's focus, finding herself confused and lost, between the choices she has to make. Would she be willing to take a life for Princess Celestia? Or would she give it up to save another; the Tree of Harmony?
"What are you waiting for, Twilight?" Nightmare goaded. "Do it! Attack me if you will! Maybe it will bring back your precious Princess Celestia. I'm sure she'll be so proud to know her star pupil was willing to let all of Equestria die to avenge her."
Twilight looked up, and saw the same prideful grin on Nightmare's face. How badly Twilight wanted to wipe that grin off her face. How much it burns her soul to know her beloved princess's killer could be so confident, so boastful, and so evil, even when she is on the verge of defeat.
"What are you waiting for, Twilight?" Rainbow asked, as she and the girls continued to maintain their magical hold. "Do it, now!"
"We've got to stop her!" Applejack reminded. "For Princess Celestia! For all of Equestria!"
"For all of Equestria?" Twilight repeated, before turning back to the Tree of Harmony, which looked as if it won't last much longer.
"Twilight," Princess Celestia's words from before echoed, "Find the Elements....trust your friends.....save–"
"Trust my friends," Initially unsure of herself, Twilight regains her focus, igniting the Element in her tiara with her magic.
With Twilight's cooperation, the Elements of Harmony became whole as they created a dazzling rainbow of magic, which flowed up in the air, before crashing down on the Tree of Harmony, destroying all of the dark vines that had snaked around it, and restoring the tree's luster.
"Twilight?!" Rarity exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry girls," Twilight apologized. "But this is what Princess Celestia would've wanted! She wanted us to find the Elements to save Equestria! Not to avenge her!"
"Ah, very well then. Then I'll just help myself to your demise," With a crack of thunder igniting all over her body, Nightmare was prepared to release another electrical blast, only for the red spark around her neck to stop her, interrupting the process.
"Nuh-uh!" Spyro shouted, as he jumps onto the storm beast. "I don't think so!"
"Get off of me!" Nightmare roared, ensnaring the purple dragon with her tail and whipped him off. "You cannot stop me! You're crippled! You've lost your fire a long time ago! You cannot fly! Why do you bother trying?"
"As an Aetheran dragon, it is my duty to try and stop you!" Spyro snarled, standing his ground.
"Make that two!" Spike added, as he stood next to his little brother, doing the best he can to look tough.
"Strike that!" Pop Fizz said as he and Double Trouble joined the dragons. "We make four!"
Then, at the last second, the Elements of Harmony's rainbow have completed the work, rejuvenating the Tree of Harmony with newfound magical energy that flowed into the ground around it, banishing all of the dark vines that had uprooted themselves, until the entire cavern was no longer dark and lifeless, but full of life.
"It can't be!" Nightmare roared in outrage, watching as the tree continues to work its magic, with what appeared to be translucent vines of pale lights snaking from the branches and lunging towards Nightmare. "NO!"
"The Tree of Harmony!" Pop Fizz exclaimed.
"Well I'll be!" Applejack joined. "It's fighting back!"
"Bah! This doesn't change anything!" Nightmare scoffed, blasting the vines away with her lightning blasts. "You might've won today, little heroes. But we will meet again! And you shall be destroyed!" With another blast of lightning, the fiendish storm beast disappeared.
"Welp, there she goes," Sparx buzzed.
"Hey! What...what's going on?" Spyro exclaimed, as he was suddenly picked up from the ground by the tree's vines.
"Big brother?" Spike asked. "What's going on? Twilight?"
"It's not me!" Twilight reassured.
"Or any of us!" Applejack spoke up on behalf of herself and the other ponies.
Everyone all watched as the Tree of Harmony's vines wraps themselves around the purple dragon, bathing him in its magic. For a moment, flaming stripes appeared on the purple dragon's skin before they faded and there was a sudden flash of light.
Once the light died down, everyone all stood up, having regained their visions.
"Whoa, what just happened?" Rainbow asked, disoriented from the rush of the events.
"The Tree Of Harmony!" Pinkie smiled, pointing at the newly restored Tree of Harmony. "It's saved!"
"Well I'll be!" Applejack smiled, marveling at the tree. "We did it!"
"It's so pretty!" Fluttershy commented.
"Maybe so," Twilight sighed. "But Nightmare is still at large. And the Storm King is still...."
With a look of concern, Spike walked up to Twilight and gently stroke her mane, "It's going to be okay, Twilight," Spike tried his best to comfort the unicorn. "We'll get 'em next time."
"Yeah, listen to your baby dragon friend," Sparx buzzed, much to the surprise of some friends. "We'll get that storm beast next time. Ya did a good job, braving the danger of the Everfree Forest no pony would ever venture, fight the bad guys, find the Elements of Harmony, all to save a tree's life. So kudos to you and.....what?" Sparx asked, finally noticing the bewildered look on all the ponies's faces.
"Sp-Sparx?" Twilight exclaimed. "D-D-D-Did you just talked?!"
"Well it's about time!" Sparx buzzed. "I've always been talking! But you-Wait. D-D-Did you just understand me?!" The dragonfly asked.
"Yeah, we can understand you!" Pinkie chirped.
"OH MY FAUST!! You guys can understand me!!!" Sparx buzzed happily.
"Uh, what is the little bug trying to say?" Pop Fizz asked, with Double Trouble sharing his gremlin friend's confusion.
"Well, most of you anyway," Sparx shrugged.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Rarity squealed happily, revealing her tail was no longer a stump, but was restored back to its former glory.
"Why Rarity, it's so lovely!" Fluttershy commented.
"I know! I'll never part with it again!" The unicorn squealed happily embracing her tail.
"Well, tail or no tail, you're still beautiful to me, Rarity," Spike commented.
"Aw, thank you, Spike."
Just then, a speck of dust flew pass Spyro's nose, tickling the dragon into a sneeze, "Achoo!" With that, a burst of flame erupted from his mouth.
"Big brother!" Spike exclaimed. "You just breathed fire!"
"What?" Deciding to give it another shot, Spyro inhaled another gust of air, before he lets it out in a burst of orange flame. "Hey! My fire! It's back, for real this time!" Spyro exclaimed, flapping his wings happily. "Whoa! I can fly again? I can fly!"
"No way!" Spike and Sparx shouted.
"Awesome!" Rainbow Dash smiled. "A new flying buddy for me!"
"But...but how?" The little dragon asked.
"It must've been the Tree of Harmony!" Twilight deduced. "It must've seen the good in all of us, and used its magic to restore Spyro's flight and fire, gave Sparx the power of speech, and fixed Rarity's tail! That must be its way of rewarding us for saving it!"
Pop Fizz and Double Trouble couldn't help but smile happily for their friends and the gifts they've received from the Tree of Harmony, and they turned to Twilight, "I guess it wasn't a total loss at all, huh?" Pop Fizz asked.
Twilight couldn't help but smile in agreement, before she turned to the sky, "No matter where you go, Nightmare. No matter what tricks you have left. We will stop you. I swear it." She thought.