Tales of Harmony

by Starwind Dood

Chapter 12

The Everfree Forest: Path of Friendship

The end was coming, and Twilight could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Trials, born of a thousands years of hate, were going to try and bring her down and crush her, but she steeled herself. This was something she had to do, she told herself. She, the lavender unicorn from Canterlot, a simple student in the field of magic, was placed into the position to save the world. While many were probably more qualified than her, it had come down to her, and behind her were her friends. Yes, that's what she called them: friends. "You girls are better off staying in Ponyville," she commented. "You're just putting yourselves in unnecessary danger by coming along with me."

"And leave you all alone against that Nightmare Moon? Sorry, Twi', but we're sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple," Applejack joked, taking a spot right next to Twilight.

"Especially if there’s candy apples in there," Pinkie Pie gushed as she hopped around the group, licking her lips. "Those are good."

"Besides, I've got orders to accompany you," Rainbow Dash groaned. "But, even without them, I don't think an egghead like you can save Equestria alone. You need somepony like me to back you up, am I right?"

"Only in your head," Rarity scoffed. Her mirrors illuminated a path through the rather twisted paths of the Everfree Forest. "The only reason you all have managed to get this far is with my immaculate support."

"You’re a magical flashlight," Rainbow Dash quickly replied, causing everyone, including Rarity, to burst into laughter.

"Together, we're unstoppable!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she hopped into the middle of the group. "A rag-tag group of young mares with nothing but the power of friendship to help them defeat the evil and sinister Nightmare Moon!"

"That is the corniest thing I've ever heard, and I grow corn," Applejack commented, causing everyone around her to burst out in another fit of laughter. "What? I'm serious."

"Hey Fluttershy, you're still with us, right?" Pinkie Pie called to the back.

"Uh, yes?" Fluttershy squeaked. "Just keep leading the way and I'll stay right behind you."

"And the moment a chimera shows up?" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"I think I see a very comfortable bush over there," Fluttershy giggled, and everyone else did the same. Twilight began to feel like she was part of the lightest death march Equestria would ever know.

"So, you better get used to us," Applejack lightly elbowed Twilight in the side, "'cause we ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon."

"Your funeral," Twilight sighed.

Twilight: Aaaaaaand SPARK!

Applejack: Woah!

Applejack: Careful, Twi'. We ain't used to bright lights.

Twilight: Just trying to get this sixth element figured out.

Twilight: Apparently, a literal spark isn't good enough

Applejack: Well, duh, it's a mystical magical riddle do-hickeys. Those never make any sense.

Twilight: Alright, back to guessing. The sixth element is the element of...

Twilight: Hugs!

Twilight: Quick, Applejack, hug me!

Applejack: Uhhh... okay?

Twilight: Dang-it, still no element.

Applejack: Twilight, can I let go now...

Twilight: Uh, just a few more seconds...

Twilight: I, kinda, really need one right now...

Applejack: Well, no problem, sugarcube.

Applejack: I'll support you any way I can, promise.

Twilight: Thanks.

Applejack: You can do it, Twi'. We all believe in you.

"So," said Rarity, interrupting the silence, "just why do they call this place the Everfree Forest? It's a rather nice name for a place full of doom and gloom and, well, the hundreds of things that want to kill us. Why, it's dreadful."

"It don't function the same way the rest of Equestria does," Applejack answered her. "Nopony knows why though."

Twilight cleared her throat. "Actually..."

"Egghead gonna lecture?" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"Egghead gonna lecture," Pinkie Pie confirmed.

"It has to do with the high amounts of natural magic found here and—"

"Bo-ring," Rainbow Dash interrupted her. "Do you have to know the answer to everything, Twilight?"

Twilight remained quiet, completely caught off-guard by the question. "Well, I would like to know everything," she mused. Soon she found them all at the edge of a cliff with only a long way down to go. "This isn't going to be easy."

"Maybe not for you all," Rainbow Dash laughed.

A flurry of birds erupted into the sky. The forest started to grow restless, and Pinkie Pie's tail started twitching. "Uh-oh!" she squealed. "My Pinkie senses are going crazy!"

"Oh, what is it now?" Applejack groaned. Her question was answered when the ground started to shake. "Oh, hay, an earthquake? Now!?"

"Everypony, be—"

The cliff under Twilight, and everyone else, collapsed, sending everyone but Rainbow Dash spiraling downwards. "Oh hail! I'm coming everypony!" she yelled as she shot downwards. She bit down on Pinkie Pie's tail mid-fall and managed to bring her up.

"Do it again!" Pinkie Pie squealed, much to Rainbow Dash's chargain.

Fluttershy threw one of her chained sickles into the cliff, snapping out of her fall safely. "Oh my goodness," she wheezed, trying to catch her breath, but the screams of her friends quickly snapped her back to the situation. She saw Rarity and threw another chained sickle towards her. The sickle wrapped itself around Rarity's body, catching her and pulling her out of her fall and slamming her right next to the cliff, face first. "Uh, are you okay, Rarity?"

Applejack and Twilight still sped on downwards. The ground was becoming visible, and for Twilight it seemed that her untimely death was about to catch up to her, unable to concentrate on a spell with panic-filled lungs.

"Twilight!" Applejack screamed as she managed to hug on to her. "Twilight, stop screaming!"

She had forgotten she was was doing that. She didn't want to stop.

"Twilight! Do you trust me?"

There was a question, but kept screaming and nodded.

"Then relax, and leave everything to me! Twilight! Trust me!" Applejack yelled, as she maneuvered their bodies so Applejack was below Twilight, but Twilight didn't notice as the adrenaline was numbing out the world at large. Applejack closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. She was going to feel this one for awhile.

"Applejack! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy all screamed out in unison as Applejack hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Twilight, struggling to blink the world back into view, slowly rolled off of Applejack. "Applejack?" she weakly groaned. Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming. "Applejack?" she turned around, and found Applejack lying completely still. "Applejack!" She scrambled back to her side, only managing to collapse before her. She placed her horn on Applejack's body and started concentrating on her spell. "C'mon, Applejack. Heal!"

Rainbow Dash floated downward, dropping Pinkie Pie just a little above the ground. Fluttershy slowly descended with her variable-length chains. "Uh, Rarity, are you okay?"

"Darling, I'm fabulous," Rarity sputtered as she wobbled off. "Why, Fluttershy. You have a twin! Pinkie, we must celebrate!"

"Applejack," Twilight cried. "Get up, Applejack."

"Sugarcube," came Applejack's sweet drawl. "Sugarcube, are you okay?"

"Am I okay!?" Twilight angrily shouted. "You're the one who took the brunt of the fall! How can you ask about me!?"

"Because I know I'm fine," Applejack laughed weakly. "I need to know you are too."

"Oh you... you... you silly pony," Twilight groaned, and everyone started laughing again. Twilight brought her horn down on Applejack again and continued healing her, and everyone formed a circle around Applejack as they waited for Twilight to finish her healing. It was an uncomfortable moment for everyone, watching the hardest among them squirming in pain.

"This is all I can do," Twilight sighed as she raised her head. Everyone helped Applejack back onto her hooves, and she smiled back at the rest of them.

"I'm fine, really," Applejack sighed. "How can I be of any use to y'all if I keep needing y'all to help me back up?"

"Because we need you to do the same," Twilight stated matter-of-factly. "I think, that's just what friends do." Twilight turned back to the path. She could still see the top of Nightmare Moon's castle from her point. They had a long ways to go. "Well, we're all fine, right? Let's go, everypony."

"Yeah!" everyone cheered.

Twilight: Let's try this again...

Twilight: Aaaaaaaaand SPARK!

Fluttershy: Agh!

Twilight: Oh, sorry.

Fluttershy: So, uh, how is finding the sixth element going?

Twilight: Terribly.

Fluttershy: Oh...

Twilight: Why must the key to saving Equestria be locked in a nonsensical riddle!

Fluttershy: Maybe it's the element of family?

Twilight: Family? What makes you think that?

Fluttershy: I, I don't know. Forget I said anything...

Twilight: Hm, family, familial love.

Twilight: Do you see us like family, Fluttershy?

Fluttershy: I... don't know...

Pinkie Pie: Oh, Fluttershy, cheer up!

Pinkie Pie: Until you find your real family, we'll be your substitute family.

Fluttershy: Huh?

Pinkie Pie: Applejack is the mommy and Rainbow Dash is the daddy!

Applejack: Pardon me! What kind of ideas are runnin' around your empty lil' head?

Rainbow Dash: W-why am I the dad! Can't Applejack be the dad and I can be the mom?

Applejack: Don't encourage her!

Pinkie Pie: Rarity is the big sister.

Rarity: One little sister is already more than enough for me.

Pinkie Pie: Twilight is the younger sister.

Twilight: W-what! Why can't I be the big sister? I could be a great big sister!

Pinkie Pie: And I'm your auntie.

Applejack: This is one screwed up family.

Fluttershy: I... I don't think so...

Fluttershy: I think it's kinda nice.

Twilight: Family... and family love... maybe that is a key to this riddle.

It came as a surprise to Twilight. She realized too late that the further they went, the dimmer the world became. Rarity's light was growing fainter with each step and it wasn't her fault. Was this the work of Nightmare Moon, she wondered? It reminded her of the dark mist she used to encapture Canterlot. Great, now I miss home.

"I wonder what Apple Acres has been doin' in all this mess?" Applejack sighed. "My Granny may be a sour old bat, but she falls apart when she worries over family. With me and Bloom missing, Big Macintosh must be getting the licking of a lifetime."

"You lick each other? Wow, and I thought my family was weird," Pinkie Pie babbled. "What kind of family licks each other?"

"Well, most animals lick their young to clean them," Fluttershy started explained. "It's also used as a form of affection."

"Well it's a good thing we're not animals," Rainbow Dash replied as she coolly floated over everyone. "Who would want to taste fur in their mouth all day? Also, just how far are we from Nightmare's Castle?"

Twilight turned back. "Just a few hours—"

A terrible roar caught her off-guard. She turned, and limping out of the trees was the massive and hulking form of the manticore. The exact same warped manticore they had fought not too long ago. Its enraged eyes darted to the ponies and it let out a ferocious howl, pouncing on them and raising its claws to swipe them all and cut them to ribbons. They all scattered in every direction save for Rarity, who erected a barrier of light against it.

"Reflex Blast!" Rarity shouted as the barrier exploded into shards, cutting through the manticore's face and blinding it. "How do you like that one?" Rarity taunted. The manticore responded by roaring in her face, knocking her back several feet.

It thrashed about blindly, trying to get its claws on anything, but something jumped onto its back. "Yee-haw!" Applejack hollered. "I ain't out of this yet!" She raised her hooves and slammed down as hard as she could on the manticore's back. "Rending Force!" She drove her hooves deep into its hide, not puncturing it but bludgeoning it with her bare hooves. The manticore bucked up in response, throwing Applejack off of it. "All yours, Dash!"

"Just watch and be amazed!" Rainbow Dash shot herself at the monster. "I'm not going down again! Fushoku Senkuuha!" Turning into a rainbow blur, Rainbow Dash spun around the chimera, creating a tornado of rainbow colors that began to tear into her target with the sheer force of the wind she made. Again, the chimera cried out in pain, lashing out in every direction, and it managed to hit Rainbow Dash out of her attack with its flailing tail. She managed to land right next to Twilight. "Batter up, egghead," she groaned.

Twilight redoubled the magic around her spear, readying herself for one last perfect strike. "It's weak, it's blind, it might actually even be scared. This is it. I'll end it with one clean shot!"

"W-wait," Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight's spear began to glow with how much magic she was concentrating into it. She pointed it forward and sprung forward. "Final Eclipse!"

Fluttershy threw one of her chains at Twilight's back leg, catching her mid-flight. She tugged as hard as she could, and threw Twilight into the air, leaving everyone too stunned to move. "Uh, sorry." Fluttershy threw herself at the chimera. Ducking under its thrashing claws, she managed to throw one of her sickles over it and bind the claw to the ground. "Hush now," Fluttershy soothingly whispered as she threw another chain over its back. In a matter of seconds, the manticore had been chained to the ground, completely unable to move.

"What just happened?" Rarity questioned, but nobody responded.

Twilight came screaming down out of the sky, and was caught by Pinkie Pie who was standing in the right place at the right time. "It's about time I did something useful," Pinkie Pie groaned as they all continued to watch Fluttershy.

Fluttershy stared down the blinded manticore, slowly inching closer and closer to it. "You're in pain, aren't you?" She reached out slowly with her hoof, and touched the manticore's nose. It convulsed for a moment, roaring out at her and hoping to scare her away.

"I won't hurt you," Fluttershy whispered. "I won't hurt you. Nopony here wants to hurt you. So please, Mr. Manticore, when I untie you, would you please return to your home? Please?"

The manticore stopped moving for a moment, and let out a small whine.

Fluttershy gasped, falling back off her hooves, and stared at the manticore with a look of pure genuine joy. "I-I understand. But, please, we don't want to fight. I'm going to untie you now, and I promise, nopony will hurt you. Right?" she turned back to the others, a look of pure unbridled and unapproachable conviction in her eyes. No one was going to argue with her now, so she undid her chains. The normally cold weapon tenderly untied itself from around the manticore, and withdrew into her robes.

"Fluttershy?" everyone bleated at once.

The chimera sprang up, and grabbed Fluttershy with both of its claws. It let out a fierce blood-curdling roar.

"Fluttershy!" Everyone sprang forward.

"Stop!" Fluttershy ordered back at them, and they did stop. "Nopony move."

The manticore held Fluttershy in its claws, its chest heaving up and down from strenuous breathing. It seemed to slump over, somehow becoming smaller. To Twilight's amazement, it was growing smaller! The once-massive wings of the monster were now barely bigger than its own head, which had also shrunk. It's iron-like and coarse fur was now muddy-colored and plush. It, to her amazement, was one of the cutest chimeras she had ever seen in her life, scorpion tails aside. The manticore gave Fluttershy one long lick, set her down, and ran off. It was the most bizarre thing any of them had ever witnessed.

Fluttershy turned around to everyone, her ordinarily absurdly long pink mane now standing completely upward. "I did it," she whinnied softly. "I was able to listen to the chimera."

"But, what, huh?" they all bleated in random assortments.

"Just what the hay did you do?" Applejack wondered. "I can't even get my dog to pee outside the house sometimes, and you just tamed a chimera? How? Dang it, how?!"

"It was in pain," Fluttershy answered her. "It was desperate for relief, so, maybe that's why I was able to reach it."

"But, why did it shrink?" Twilight wondered.

"Magic?" Fluttershy shrugged, smiling back happily.

"Magic," Twilight repeated. "But, chimeras normally don't have magic." No one heard her, and it was time to continue their journey. There was still a lot of ground to cover.

Twilight: Family and love. Say, girls, what are all your families like?

Rarity: My parents are imbeciles!

Twilight: Well that gets me nowhere.

Twilight: Can I get some more positive answers here? How about you, Applejack?

Applejack: My family... well I just live with my siblings and granny. My parents are gone. And most of our time is spent working on our farm.

Twilight: Oh, uh, Rainbow Dash?

Rainbow Dash: Last time I saw my folks we got in a huge fight.

Twilight: Wha? Huh? Is there nopony here with a decent family relationship?!

Pinkie Pie: Ooh, ooh, pick me!

Twilight: Okay... Pinkie Pie, what was it like in your family?

Pinkie Pie: We grew rocks on a rock farm.

Twilight: Okay, moving on...

Pinkie Pie: Oh come on. Rock farming is serious, if boring, business.

Pinkie Pie: It's so serious, that we all forgot how to have fun, until a certain pony, me, threw them all one great party to remind them how wonderful smiling is.

Twilight: Good for you, Pinkie.

Pinkie Pie: But, growing up, we had to depend on each other a lot. We didn't have a whole lot of supplies since we lived from away from most ponies. There were quite a few nights when we had to go without food.

Twilight: Oh, I, er, wasn't expecting that.

Pinkie Pie: But, I kinda liked those nights the most, because when we didn't eat, dad would try to distract us all from our hungry bellies by playing music for me and my younger sisters, and my granny would sing, and mommy comb our manes...

Pinkie Pie: Now that I think about it, I haven't been back on the farm in a long time...

Applejack: Now you got me thinking. All of us working together to turn a basket of apples into meals for a week. All the zany recipes we came up with... oh Granny, I'm so sorry.

Rarity: Huddling together by a fire in one big blanket...

Rainbow Dash: Slugging the old man a good one and then laughing about it...

Fluttershy: I can remember being read bedtime stories when I was afraid of the dark...

Twilight: I guess hardships really bring out the best of our relationships.

Twilight: Families that are strongly bound together...

Twilight: I wonder what he's up to after leaving so long ago...

"Darling, hold still," Rarity groaned as she continued to brush Fluttershy's mane. "That horrible chimera—"

"I think he's quite nice," Fluttershy huffed. "He just needed somepony to listen to him instead of attacking him out of nowhere."

"He attacked first," Rarity corrected her. "Fine, whatever, I don't care about the chimera, but if I don't restore your mane to its former beauty, I'm going to have an aneurysm. So do me a favor and stop bobbing!"

Twilight sighed. One again she had found the utter casualness of her companions a little too grating. Rainbow Dash was bragging to Applejack about her exaggerated greatness, Applejack not even trying to seem interested, and at her side Pinkie Pie was babbling away about something.

"And that's why you call them thumbtacks!" Pinkie Pie finished explaining. "Bet you didn't know that, huh?"

"No, and I still don't," Twilight sighed. "You know, I bet it's not too late to turn around. You girls can go back and leave the rest to me, really."

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Applejack whinnied, "We're comin' with you."

"Why?" Twilight answered back. "I mean, the only one of you who probably has to come with me is Rainbow Dash because of orders. Why would the rest of you put yourselves through this nightmare?"

"I don't know really," Applejack answered her back with a cheesy smile. "Maybe I'm just in too deep. I've been with you since the start of this silly adventure; it just wouldn't feel right if I didn't see this through to the end."

"I'm doing this because you need me," Rarity boasted, keeping the light of the mirrors steady on their path. "Don't worry though, once the real fighting starts I'll be sure to cheer for you from a considerably safe and comfortable distance."

"I'm here because my friends are here!" Pinkie Pie squealed, skipping along at the side. "That's all I really care about, though saving Equestria sounds good. Maybe we'll get some reward bits! Oh! Maybe we can get Ponyville rebuilt! That's a nice bonus!"

"I'm here because orders," Rainbow Dash groaned, Gilda's image all over the back of her mind. "Though, you all aren't half-bad fighters. So, it's cool."

"I'm here because I was kind of pushed into it," Fluttershy responded. Everyone stopped and looked at her. "Well, I mean, normally this isn't something I would do, but, well, I guess that I don't mind as much as I used to."

"What about you, Twilight?" Applejack asked her. "Why are you here? Couldn't you have left this mission to somepony else?"

Twilight didn't answer her. She just kept going forward in uncomfortable silence. Applejack didn't pursue the subject. None of them did. They just continued to follow the suddenly solemn unicorn. Why am I here? Twilight wondered to herself. She kept her tired eyes on the ground, unable to see the monstrous image she was about to run into.

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash called to her.

"Huh?" Twilight turned up, and found herself face to face with a face of pure and unbridled rage and hatred. She tried to jump back, but she tripped, falling onto her back as the terrible face stared down at her. She screamed as loud as she could.

"Meguru No Honoo!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she threw her ignited blade at the face, but it bounced right off, ineffective. "Oh feather, somepony do something!"

"I've got you!" Applejack screamed as she threw herself as the face. "Summer Blossoms!" She turned to give a swift kick to it, but she bounced right off the moment her hoof collided with the face. "Ow!" she bleated as she hit the floor. "W-what the hay is that freaky thing made of!"

More faces seemed to appear from thin air, staring at them from every direction, covering them in their intensely spiteful glares. "We're doomed!" Rarity wailed over Pinkie Pie's giggling fits. "Just what in the stars are you laughing about?"

Pinkie Pie was on the floor, kicking at the air. "I'm laughing at those!" she said as she motioned to all the faces. She quickly shot up and jumped into the first face's mouth. "Oh no, I'm going to be eat... pft-ha-ha-ha-ha! I-I can't do it with a straight face!"

"Pinkie, what are you doing!?" Twilight shrieked incredulously.

"Oh girls, don't you see?" Pinkie began to sing.

When I was just a filly and the sun was going do-own

Twilight blinked, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. "Tell me she's not—"

The darkness and the shadows they would always make me fro-own

"She is," Rarity groaned.

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 a-all!

"Then what is?" Rainbow Dash asked.

She said, "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall!"

Learn to face your fears

You'll see that they can't hurt you

Just laugh to make them disappear

Pinkie Pie jumped out out of the face and turned to it.

Ha ha ha

As if someone turned on a light, everything became illuminated. Every face was nothing more than a twisted and gnarled tree. Everyone looked at each other, and bursted out laughing, wondering how they could ever be scared of something as ridiculous as a tree!

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... Pft-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha!" Pinkie Pie had doubled over and took in one deep breath.

Laaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuugh!

Everyone collapsed together, laughing at the top of their lungs as the not-so-scary trees seemed to back off, powerless. "I- I can't believe I-I was scared of a tree," Twilight struggled to say between fits of intense laughter.

"A silly tree!" Pinkie Pie giggled as she climbed into the mouth of the tree.

"I guess, it is kind of silly," Applejack laughed. "Gettin' scared by a tree and all."I guess for once Pinkie's lack of sensibility brought us all back to our senses."

"How delightfully absurd," Rarity giggled.

Twilight pulled herself up and waved to the others. "C'mon girls, we've got a party to crash."

"Given up on getting rid of us?" Rainbow Dash taunted as she shot up.

"You're all dead-set on following me. I'll just have to work around it," Twilight sighed. "C'mon, we're almost there."

Twilight: Strong bonds. The five elements do symbolize aspects that would be part of a strong bond.

Rarity: Still mulling over that riddle?

Twilight: Yes, and I'll keep mulling over it until I can get the last element to reveal itself.

Twilight: We're running out of time here. The fate of the world could possibly be at stake!

Rarity: Calm down. You're not going to get anywhere if you become hysterical.

Twilight: So what do you suggest I do?

Rarity: Take a deep breath, relax, and laugh it all off.

Twilight: Laugh it off?

Rarity: Yes, like this.

Rarity: Wah-hah-hah!

Twilight: That... was kinda scary.

Rarity: Fine, spurn my efforts to help you. See if I care.

Twilight: Oh fine.

Twilight: Wah-hah-hah...

Twilight: That was silly...

Rarity: …

Twilight: Pft... ha ha ha!

Rarity: Ah-ha-ha-ha!

Twilight: Okay, I feel a little better now.

Rarity: Glad I could help.

Twilight: Maybe Pinkie Pie was onto the big sis part.

Rarity: Well, being a big sister is just really tiring when you have a little sister like mine.

Rarity: But, even if I don't make it clear, I do care about all our well beings.

Twilight: We've spent so little time together, but we're all becoming really close, aren't we?

Rarity: Yes, it seems so. It's almost magical.

Rainbow Dash: You unicorns think everything is magical.

Rarity: Did you have to ruin the moment...

Twilight: But, everything is magical. Magic is everywhere.

The world was against her, Twilight mused as she surveyed the latest obstacle from afar. No one had told her that a night-trot through the Everfree Forest would be so full of nuisances. The river dividing her from her destination had become dangerously rough, but that wasn't what was stopping her. Thrashing about in the river was a massive, purple serpent-like monster with golden hair.

"Well, isn't this dreadful," Rarity groaned. "What's the plan now?"

"Ambush," Twilight curtly responded. "For once, we will be the ambushers, and not the ambushees!"

"And just how in sam-hill do you plan to ambush a giant water-guana like that?" Applejack questioned her. "It's big enough to eat us in one gulp."

"Rainbow Dash flies at it from above to catch its attention, Rarity and I blast it with magic to stun it, Applejack and Pinkie Pie attack it with a pincer strike, and Fluttershy whimpers in the corner while we do most of the work."

"I can do that," Fluttershy happily chirped.

"So, everypony on board?" Twilight demanded from her companions.

"I don't know, something doesn't seem right," Rarity commented, but was ignored.

"Charge!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew over the thrashing monster. "Hey, ugly, over here!" She flew to the other bank, drew her blade and reared it back. "Tenbaken!" She swung it forward as hard as she could, releasing a shockwave at her target.

The monster thrashed at the river, raising a curtain of water that blocked the brunt of the blow. When the water fell, Rainbow Dash was staring at one of the angriest glares that had ever been directed at her "Ugly?!" the monster roared in a rough but high-pitched voice. "I'll make you ugly!" it roared again as it lashed out at Rainbow Dash with its tail.

"Let's go, Rarity," Twilight commanded as she charged forward, charging magic fire in her spear.

"Oh fine, but don't say I didn't try to tell you," Rarity moaned as she began to gather her own magic in her mirrors. "Eternal light, ever true and—"

"Hurry it up!" Twilight roared, swinging her spear upwards. "Star Shower!"

"Oh blah-blah-blah, Ray!" Rarity shrieked.

The monster was assaulted with rays of light and flaming stars, being overpowered by the all-encompassing rain of magic.

"My turn!" Applejack screamed as she charged the serpent from one side, Pinkie Pie from the other. "Get 'em hard, Pinkie!"

"You got it, A.J.!" Pinkie Pie shouted back, priming her hoof-buzzer.

"Thunder Rush!" they both shouted, leaping at the monster's scaly face and delivering a blow from both sides. The monster had no choice but to retreat under the river.

"Well, that was easy," Twilight happily mused. Her mood was quickly killed by the shaking under her hooves. "Another earthquake!?"

"Aquarias Sphere!" the monster shouted as it erupted upwards, bringing up with it all the waters of the river, expanding and roaring outwards and claiming every one of them and tossing them into the air with enough force to knock the wind out of them. Seconds later, the water drained back into the river, and Twilight and her companions fell hard back onto the forest floor, floundering helplessly.

"No, not like this," Twilight moaned as she watched the serpentine monster arch its head over her. "I can't lose now..."

"I hope you've learned your lesson," the monster snidely hissed at her. "Thanks to you all, I've gone and chipped a claw! Do you know how hard it is to keep these things smooth?!"

Twilight felt humiliated. The last words she was going to hear was the monster moaning and groaning over its manicure. Was there anything worse for her to endure in her death throes?

"Well, aren't you going to apologize?" the monster demanded. "I'm waiting." If it had a hoof, it would be tapping.

"What?" Twilight bleated. "You want an apology?"

"Why yes," the monster agonized. "How would you feel if someone just swooped out of nowhere and attacked you?"

Twilight was reminded of Trixie. She did not like Trixie. At all. "I'm sorry, really!" she quickly blurted out. "It's just that, well... how to put this..."

"You looked like you would eat us if we got too close," Rainbow Dash finished for her. Everyone shot a glare straight at Rainbow Dash. "What? We were all thinking it."

"What? Eat you? Are you kidding? The last thing I need is cavities after... after... after..."

"After what!?" Twilight yelled. Just talking with the eccentric sea-serpent was proving to be a greater nuisance than fighting it.

"After... this!" he wailed, turning his face. His pristine scales were completely unblemished.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Twilight groaned. Would anyone fault her for attempting a sneak attack?

"My moustache! My fabulous, fabulous moustache!" He turned his face, and indeed on the other side was a glorious golden mustache. "It's been ruined!" the half-mustached sea serpent bemoaned, his roaring tears and thrashing tail turning the river into a sea of rage. "I was just minding my own business, when, whoosh, this dark mist tore it clean off and disappeared! Oh, I'm hideous!"

"A mustache... this is all about a mustache!?" Twilight angrily flared up, smoke seeping out of her mane.

"But, darling," Rarity quickly disarmed her, "this is more than about just a mustache! No, I cannot let this crime go uncorrected!" Rarity trotted up to the sea-serpent and bit down on one of his scales, tearing it clean off.

"What?" Twilight bleated.

Rarity wielded the sharp scale in her mouth, and in one swift motion cut her tail clean off.

"What!?" they all bleated at once.

Rarity picked up the tail with her magic and lifted it to the sea-serpent’s face. In one quick blue flash, the tail had become a part of the sea-serpent’s face and a part of his trendy new mustache. "Well, how is it?"

"It's... wonderful!" the sea-serpent gushed. "It's new, hip, and fabulous, like me. I'll be setting styles for another century! Oh, thank you, Miss?"

"Rarity," Rarity sighed. "And I'm happy to know you like it. You look smashing."

The river subsided, back to its former calm. "Well, it looks like we can cross now," Twilight sighed in relief. "Let's go, girls."

"Before you go," the sea-serpent quickly cut her off. "You should have noticed by now, but the forest is being corrupted by something."

Twilight's eyes shot open again. "That explains a lot," she gulped.

"It's most likely whatever it was that cut my former moustache. Only a creature as foul as that could have enough magical power to practically poison this once-pristine forest, and you're going directly towards it."

"We know," Twilight answered him. "We're here to stop her."

"Well then, good luck," the sea-serpent cheered her on, but it came close to sounding like a death-sentence.

"Magic strong enough to affect the Everfree," Twilight whispered under her breath. "I'll remember that. And, again, I'm sorry that we all attacked you."

"Oh sweetie, perish the thought. You didn't stand a chance anyway," the sea-serpent laughed.

Twilight: Bonds, warm memories, friendship. All of these things are created when ponies act in harmony.

Rainbow Dash: So, got it figured out yet?

Twilight: I feel like I'm on the verge of an epiphany.

Fluttershy: Oh my. That sounds terrible.

Twilight: It means I'm about to figure it out...

Fluttershy: Oh, I'm sorry.

Rainbow Dash: Say, Fluttershy, I've been thinking.

Fluttershy: You can do that?

Rainbow Dash: …

Twilight: …

Fluttershy: Was it a bad joke?

Rainbow Dash: Hah-ha! Oh, man, that's one for the record books.

Rainbow Dash: But, seriously. You're a pegasus, and I can see that somewhere in you is that fierce pegasus pride!

Fluttershy: I don't know about that.

Rainbow Dash: You should come live with me in Heaven. I mean, it's the pegasus capital of Equestria. We might even find out some stuff about your parents.

Fluttershy: You would do that for me?

Rainbow Dash: Why not? We're friends.

Fluttershy: I, oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash.

Twilight: That was very kind of you.

Rainbow Dash: Yeah, well, I might be in the market for a new roommate anyway. I'm not wholly selfless.

Twilight: But offering to help Fluttershy find her parents?

Rainbow Dash: I guess all that talking way back got to me, and I'm probably the only one here who can help her there.

Twilight: The power of friendship, I suppose. Friendship that can make impossibilities like Rainbow Dash doing something nice for somepony but herself.

Rainbow Dash: Hey!

The moon castle was in view, its ominous towers casting looming shadows. Twilight's heart dropped as she thought of everything that had brought her to this moment. She persevered, past her dreads, towards the bastion of Nightmare Moon.

"Twilight, stop!" Rarity cried out, shining her now dim light over Twilight’s path. She was about to walk off another cliff. "Look more closely to where

"I can't even see my hoof in front of me!"

"So what's the plan now?" Applejack groaned. "Seriously, do we ever get a break?"

"Ooh, ooh, we can shoot ourselves out of my party cannon!" Pinkie Pie excitedly suggested. "Bet that'll work."

"I would sooner try and jump it before I climb in your cannon!"

"Mares, please." Rainbow Dash smugly smirked. "Look, there's a rope bridge hanging off the ledge here. I'll just pick it up, fly it to the other side, and then we'll storm the castle. Easy-peasy."

"Then get on with it," Applejack groaned. "Time’s a wastin'."

"Rarity, light me." Rainbow Dash flew down into the cliff, Rarity shining light over her, and she found the bottom of the bridge hanging quite a few feet above the ground. No one would survive a fall like this. She grabbed the end of the bridge with her teeth and shot upward, pulling it up to the other ledge. She looped the last bit of rope of the bridge to a nearby rock. "What would they do without me?" she laughed to herself.

"With any luck, they would have bitten it a long time ago," came a rough and shrill voice. Gilda shot down from the sky, landing on the rock Rainbow Dash was using to support the bridge.

"I-I don't believe it," Rainbow Dash sputtered. "Gilda! You're alive! I mean, you're alive," Rainbow Dash sighed. "I thought you were a goner way back at Heaven."

"You really think I would die that easy?" Gilda chided back at her. "Get real, Dash."

"Oh come on, let me express some relief that my best friend is alive." Rainbow Dash finished tightening the rope. "So, ready for round two?"

"Round two of what?"

"Nightmare Moon, duh," Rainbow Dash explained. "She attacked the capital! We're knights, it's our job to defend the capital."

"And it's dead," Gilda hissed.

"Then we deliver swift and just retribution. Man, does that sound cool." Rainbow Dash turned back to the bridge. Gilda shot over to the edge of the cliff, prodding the rope with her sharp talons.

"G., why are you acting so weird..." Rainbow Dash's heart sank as Soarin's words were finally able to break through her mental blocks. "C'mon, Gilda, aren't we going to fight together?"

"Nothing would make me happier than to fight alongside you again." Gilda pinched one of the bridge ropes with her talons. "But that depends, Dash. Which team are you fighting for?"

"Which team are you on?" Rainbow Dash felt her mouth run dry.

"The winning team." Gilda cut the rope to shreds.

Rainbow Dash shot past Gilda and caught the rope with her mouth. "Hurry!" she called to the others. "Get your tails over here now!"

"Really lame of you, Dash," Gilda groaned, cracking her knuckles. "Are you really going to help out those dorks!?" Her voice was rising, replacing apathy with rage. "Where's your sense of loyalty to your friend, Dash!"

"It's right here!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she barreled into Gilda. "Thunder Hoof!" She activated her joy-buzzer and shocked Gilda, but a single spasm of the griffon's large wings batted her away.

"You," Gilda seethed. "I hate you the most! Spirale Kralle!" She shot herself at Pinkie Pie, claws outstretched in front of her and spinning to form a drill.

"Rekkuuzan!" Rainbow Dash spun right into Gilda's attack, deflecting the blow with her sword. "Gilda, keep this up, and I don't think I'll be able to call you a friend anymore."

"Friend... friend!? You think I care about such a worthless title?" Gilda laughed, chirping even with her voice. "Oh, that's rich." She wiped a tear from her eye, smirking down on Rainbow Dash and her new friends. "You've got me laughing so hard, I'm crying."

"Meguru No Hono!" Rainbow Dash roared as she threw her inflamed blade at Gilda, who knocked it away with a swipe of her claw, as if it were nothing.

"Who do you think carried your sorry hide to the top of the arena!" Gilda flew at Rainbow Dash, raising her talons. "Schatten Jagd!" She was about to slam down on her and bury her talons into Rainbow Dash, but she was pulled in another direction. "What the?" she looked up, and found that one of her talons had been lassoed and a chain strangling the other. "Huh?"

"C'mere you! Pull her in, 'Shy!" Applejack hollered as she and Fluttershy pulled Gilda straight at Applejack. "Revolution Apple Buck!" She pivoted and buried her back hooves in Gilda's beak. "This is for last time, you overgrown turkey!"

"You'll regret that, meat," Gilda cursed as she flared her wings. "I'll cut you all to ribbons!"

"Shooting Stars!" Twilight roared.

"Ray!" Rarity announced.

"Thunder Arrow!" Rainbow Dash cried out, conjuring a trio of electrically-charged spheres to surround and converge on Gilda, keeping her trapped within the rain of assaulting magic. When the dust cleared, Gilda couldn't even stand. "Just stay down, G."

"I'll kill you, Dash," Gilda spat back.

"Yeah, well good luck with that." Rainbow Dash trotted past her. "Let's go girls; we have a world to save." Twilight and the others ignored Gilda as the followed Rainbow Dash to the entrance to Nightmare Moon's castle.

Twilight: Hey, Dash, are you okay?

Rainbow Dash: I'm fine, why shouldn't I be?

Twilight: Because, well, weren't you and Gilda friends?

Rainbow Dash: Were. Gilda made her choices, and I made mine.

Rainbow Dash: If she wants to be like this then that's her problem, not mine.

Twilight: Will you be okay?

Rainbow Dash: I'll be fine, don't worry about me.

Pinkie Pie: I'm glad you chose us, though.

Rainbow Dash: I won't leave you guys hanging, you don't have to worry about that.

Lunar Castle: Anguished Halls

With their magic, Twilight and Rarity opened the doors into the Lunar Castle. Any light left in the world was devoured into the slight crack of the doors. It would be a realm of pitch-darkness were it not for various torches hanging around the walls hosting blue fires that gave off an unsettling light. The pillars were all spiked and an eerie eye insignia littered the walls along with time-withered scratched off ancient pleas, no longer legible. "This is it," Twilight whispered to herself.

"Let's give that Nightmare Moon a real whoopin'." Applejack took the first steps into the castle.

"She's going to pay for what she's done," Rainbow Dash snarled as she followed Applejack in

"Time to save the world," Pinkie Pie sang as she skipped inside after them.

"Uh, yeah, go team," Fluttershy squeaked as she crept inside.

"I'll be cheering you all on from way in the back," Rarity mused as she trotted in dignified.

Twilight took a deep breath, hoping to fill herself with courage for her last battle. There was no more time left. No turning back. Now was the end. She stepped into the dark light of the castle, and the doors closed behind them. The time had come to put her plan into action. "This is it."

"So, what's the plan?" Applejack asked her.

"There are prisoners here, right? We need to free them."

"I like that plan," Rainbow Dash replied. "I can search these halls lickety split, no problem!"

"Stay together," Twilight urged. "If you get ambushed alone, we would never know."

"Alright, message received. So, which hall do we tackle first?" Everyone turned a different direction. "I vote that way." Twilight didn't respond. "Hey, Twilight." She turned around. Twilight was gone. "Huh, what?"

"Fancy unicorn magic," Applejack groaned. "Didn't she just tell us to stick together? What's that crazy girl thinkin' now?"

"It's not obvious?" Rarity sighed. "Making Spike stay behind despite how useful he's proven, constantly telling us to turn around, and now sending us on an alternative mission while always keeping the elements to herself."

"She's going to fight Nightmare Moon alone," Fluttershy surmised.

"So, what's the plan now?" Rarity pouted.

Applejack stomped her hoof. "We're going to free the prisoners. Just like Twilight told us."

"Before she ditched us."

"I'm going to trust her on this one. She's a smart girl, smarter than the rest of us anyway." Applejack turned back to the many hallways of the castle. "Well, girls, let's go."

Twilight breached back into the world in a spark of light. It was dangerous for her to wink without a clear view of her destination, but she took a chance and willed herself deeper down the middle path of the castle. Where else would an egomaniacal monster with enough magic to move a castle straight from the moon put herself? "Just keep going forward, Twilight," she told herself. The moment that would define the future of Equestria was close, so close it could have made her heart burst in fear. Instead it pounded away, like a rabbit fleeing a wolf. "Almost there..."

A sea-green mare, clad in blue armor, stepped onto her path and planted a large golden harp on the floor. "You should leave, Twilight." Lyra leaned against her broad-edged lyre, plucking strings one at a time idly. "At the end of this hall is Nightmare Moon's throne room."

"Good, then I picked right," Twilight sighed.

"Leave, Twilight Sparkle. The only thing waiting for you at the end is your funeral."

"No." Twilight readied her spear. "I've already done a lot of fighting to get here. I've actually become quite experienced in combat." Even as she declared it a part of her wasn't happy about it. "Why are you doing this, Lyra? Didn't you sign up to protect Canterlot before? Why help Nightmare Moon destroy it?"

Lyra lifted her weapon with her magic. "Do you have any how desperate we had become, Twilight? No, of course not. You were away, studying abroad, only returning to Canterlot for brief rests. The rest of us had to deal with how poor our home had become!" Magical streams of water erupted around Lyra, gathering around her bladed instrument. "The nobles took our bits. We could barely afford food some days, and then the chimera attacked the city walls. Do you have any idea how desperate we were becoming!?" She wielded her weapon overhead. "A Princess appears, promising us a better life? Even now, this is better than our old lives."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Twilight lamented as she readied her spear, "but I'm here to stop her."

"You'll lose! Aquatic Cadenza!" She slammed her lyre into the ground, sending streams of water at Twilight, threatening to drown her.

Seeing the imminent gush, Twilight winked away just before the waters converged on her, appearing above Lyra. She aimed her spear downward and magically launched herself downward. "Nebulous Fang!" Lyra jumped away at the last moment, Twilight piercing the floor of the castle and sending waves of magic off in every direction. "My magic is stronger," Twilight pointed out, pulling her spear out of the ground.

"I spent every day fighting monsters!" Lyra lifted her spear and charged straight at Twilight. "You're a filly playing with a toothpick compared to me!"

"And running right into my spell," she mumbled, fire gathering around the tip of her spear. "Shooting Star!" As she had done dozens of times before, Twilight pointed her spear forward and fired a burning star of fire magic, but Lyra ducked under it, passing Twilight to swing at her exposed back. "No!"

"Dolente!" Lyra swung at Twilight, cutting her across her back. "Flooding Cantata!" She reeled back, and struck Twilight again. "Do you have any idea," she struck Twilight again, "how bad things were for Canterlot?!" She jumped back, channeling magic into her blade and thrust forward, spearing Twilight with magical waters, throwing her further back in the hallway. Lyra planted her broad-edged lyre into the ground. "I'll drown you."

Twilight picked herself up, coughing up lungs full of water. "Can't lose now, can't lose now, can't lose now," she chanted to herself. Her spear rose over her. "Can't lose now, can't lose now, can't lose now."

"Let loose thy marvelous voice! Tidal Wave!" Water gathered around Lyra and roared forward. She was going to crush Twilight under a thousand leagues of water.

"Trail Blazer!" Twilight screamed, her spear spinning to form a portal, summoning a barrage of comets that collided with the tidal wave. The frozen temperature created a solid wall of ice.

"What?" Lyra gasped. "She stopped my strongest spell?"

"Final Eclipse!" Twilight roared as she rocketed through the ice, spearing Lyra and slamming her against the wall. "Shooting Star!" Twilight exploded off of her, knocking them both in opposite directions. Lyra collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Twilight managed to pull herself up through the terrible pain though. Slinging her spear across her back, Twilight began trudging forward, tending to her wounds with what little magic she had left. "Can't lose now, can't lose now..."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack compressed themselves behind a corner, barely peeking out to see two soldiers with barely enough armor for a full suit between the two of them, and behind them were the prisoners. Rarity and Fluttershy waited for Applejack to give some kind of signal, and Pinkie Pie was bound and gagged with Applejack's rope and handkerchief to keep her from making too much noise. "You sure you're up for this, 'Shy?" Applejack asked her.

"As long as I'm not hurting anypony," Fluttershy sighed. "I can just tie them down, right?"

"Right," Rainbow Dash cheered her on. "C'mon, show some pegasus spirit."

Fluttershy took in a long and deep breath and whispered out, "charge!" in the softest and lowest warcry ever uttered in the history of Equestria and possibly the world. She stood perfectly still.

"When you yell charge, you're supposed to actually charge forward," Applejack pointed out to her.

"Oh, right. Sorry, nerves." Fluttershy sprung forward, sprinting down the corner and dashing at the guards.

"What the?" one of them bleated. "In-intru—"

"Aching chains." Fluttershy threw her sickles forward, knocking the guards off their hooves as well as the wind out of them. Her chains snaked around their hooves, binding them behind their backs. They were helpless and quite scared. "I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy whispered, trying to catch her breath. "B-but can you please be quiet? Pretty please?"

"Uh huh," the two guards bleated, completely entranced with the odd pony's beauty.

"I could have done that," Rarity groaned.

"Save the insecurities for later." Applejack threw herself against the jail-cell doors. "Get back y'all! Beast!" A blast of feral blue energy exploded off of Applejack, shattering the jail.

"Applejack, how do you do that?" Rainbow Dash bleated incredulously.

"Magic, now start helpin'."

"Right, right." Rainbow Dash floated over to the prisoners, helping them back to her hooves. "C'mon, get up, you," she groaned as she tried to haul up a silver-maned unicorn.

"Lyra," the unicorn groaned. "Where is Lyra?"

"Lyra, Lyra... nope?" Rainbow Dash offered him as she pulled him up.

"She's the unicorn that attacked us at Heaven and Caballus!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she popped out from behind Rainbow Dash, startling her into a wall. "I have no idea where she is, Mr. Pokey!"

"You!" Pokey exclaimed. "You're that pink pony! Which means that you're all from when we tried to escape Canterlot! The fillies? Big Whats-his-face? Lemmon chick? Where are they? Did they make it out? What's happening?"

"Is he okay?" Rainbow Dash groaned as she pulled herself out of a Rainbow Dash-shaped hole in the wall.

"Knight!" came a commanding authoritative voice. Rainbow Dash turned instinctively towards the voice. She was face to face with Commander Spitfire "Knight, how much cloud do you have left?"

"I've just got a little under a full tank," Rainbow Dash responded, saluting.

"Water. Make as much water as you can, knight. These ponies are thirsty."

"Understood!" Rainbow Dash rose over the cells and placed her hooves on her armor. A dark cloud began to manifest over the former prisoners, releasing a light sprinkle of water on their drenched tongues. "Everypony drink up!"

"And then we're getting y'all out of here."

The two guards watched the scene with a sense of amazement. Who would be foolhardy enough to attack Nightmare Moon's castle, knowing she was here? Who was kind enough to risk life and limb for ponies they hardly knew?

"Are you thirsty?" Fluttershy asked them. "I could, uh, untie you if you promise not to run screaming."

"You would let us drink? After all the terrible things we've done?" one of the guards whimpered. "We were there when Heaven fell and Caballus was ransacked! We've hurt dozens of ponies..."

Fluttershy withdrew her chains from the guards.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash agonized. "What if they—"

"They won't," Fluttershy interrupted her. She was right. The two guards stumbled into the rainwater and stuck their tongues out to quench their long-endured thirst. "They were just thirsty."

"You're bein' too kind, 'Shy." Applejack groaned. "Well, let's get to work girls. We gotta clear a path out of the castle."

Rarity: Ugh, this place is so dreadful.

Applejack: I know what you mean.

Rarity: I mean, does this Nightmare Moon have any sense of taste?

Applejack: And then you lost me. Figures.

Rarity: Do I need to explain to you what I mean?

Applejack: I would prefer you didn't, but—

Rarity: These spiked pillars are so tacky! And the eyes? Has she ever heard the saying 'trying too hard'?

Applejack: Well gee, Rarity, I bet nopony has, considering she's been too busy conquering and razing and whatnot.

Rarity: It's like a filly rebelling from her parents trying to look cooler than she actually is.

Applejack: Rarity, I really don't care.

"Can't lose now, can't lose now, can't lose now," Twilight continued to chant to herself as she leaned against the large double doors. Most of her wounds were already healed, but that didn't change how tired she was. Her body resisted every movement, almost unwilling to meet the demands of her goals, but she willed herself on. All the hardships she had endured weighed down on her with the world. The doors opened, leading her into the throne room of the lunar castle. "Where are you, Nightmare Moon?"

A dark mist began to pool in from around the room, condensing into a twister that slowly dissipated to reveal the terrible form of the Princess Nightmare Moon at her throne. "The student," she seethed. "I'll ask you again. Where is Celestia!?" Her howling voice was so powerful it kicked up a roaring gale, slamming the throne room doors shut and pinning Twilight against them. "Where is she!?" She encased Twilight in her aura of magic. "Where?" She slammed Twilight against the doors. "Where!?" She lifted Twilight and slammed her onto the ground. "Tell me where she is!"

Twilight had never been in so much pain, but she pulled herself up. "I don't know," she answered, opening her saddlebags and magically lifting out the five Elements of Harmony. "But, with these elements I will send you away back away, for another thousand years if I can!" She encased the elements in her magical aura, feeling their strong magics begin to harmonize with her own.

"You're kidding, right!?" Nightmare Moon angrily roared back, flaring her wings outward, kicking up another gale, but Twilight remained firmly planted on the floor. "I will not go back." Her mane and tail began to twist, writhing under the torrent of her own emotions. "I will not be forgotten again! Equestria will remember me, now and forever! And I will never go back!" She jumped from her throne. "You'll die here tonight!" She slammed into the ground and released a maelstrom of dark energy that washed over Twilight, blacking out her world. "I'll wring you of all your life!"

Twilight magically gripped her spear, opening her eyes as wide as she could. She couldn't see anything in front of her, so she took a chance. A small flame began to manifest at the tip of her spear. "Binary Star!" she screamed, spearing forward and releasing a long jet of fire that pierced Nightmare Moon's sea of magic and shot the mare into the back walls of her throne room. "I have to defeat you!" She reared back, and thrust forward again, releasing another blast of fire that served to drive Nightmare Moon further into the walls.

"You'll defeat nothing," Nightmare Moon snarled back as she tore herself out of the wall. "This is nothing compared to the pain I've endured for so long!" The dark mist that had been scattered around the room swirled and churned. All at once, the maelstrom gushed upwards, pulling Twilight up with it. "This is your end!"

"No!" Twilight cried as she jumped off the tide and straight at Nightmare Moon. She encased her entire body in magic, and began trying to pull magic out of the elements. "Solar Winds!" She barreled into Nightmare Moon, flooding her with an aura of magic emanating from Twilight's body. Feeling the wind being knocked out of her opponent’s body, Twilight winked overhead and pointed her spear down toward the twisted Princess. A piercing blast of magics erupted from the spear, sending Nightmare Moon crashing down to the floor. Twilight barely managed to land on her hooves, heaving for air.

"You're nothing," Nightmare Moon hissed, a howling magical shockwave dislodging her from the floor. "You're a foal playing with matches!" She turned to face Twilight, her eyes glowing with pure magic and anger. Lighting erupted from those eyes, faster than Twilight could react. She shocked Twilight with the kind of malicious intent only thousands of years of pain could give. "I'll drive your very soul out of your body!"

Twilight screamed, her body growing numb as pain overloaded all her senses. To her surprise, it suddenly ended, and she collapsed onto the floor, struggling to hold onto her vision. "Can't lose now, can't lose now." She felt Nightmare Moon's icy hoof plant itself on her back.

"I could crush you, snap you like a twig. I could tear you to pieces, one hoof at a time, but it would never equate to how much pain I've felt." She dug her hoof even deeper into Twilight. "I want you to hurt for thinking I would just let you banish me. You, you could never do what she did!" She rose up on her hind legs, and stomped down on Twilight. She shrieked out in pain, her world becoming pitch black for a moment. She magically lifted Twilight face to face with her. "There is so much pain I could give you, but it will never be enough."

"So you're going to make everypony in Equestria hurt? Some Princess," Twilight whispered. Seconds later, she was bucked against the wall by Nightmare Moon's powerful hooves, but she didn't feel a thing.

"What she and all of them did to me can never be made up for!" she screamed, temper out of control. Her starry mane and tail reflected her temperament, lashing out to whip Twilight. "This is just a fraction of what they derserve!"

Twilight pulled herself up again. "I can't lose now," she told herself again. "I have too many counting on me." She reached out again to the magic of the elements, taking it into her body. The magic was so hot she thought it would burn her from the inside out. She charged forward at Nightmare Moon, pointing her spear directly at her. "Nova Swarm!" She bit down on her spear and swung at Nightmare Moon, releasing a powerful wave of magic when the spear made contact. She swung again and again and again, far past the point when her body should have given out, shaking the room with each swing. But Nightmare Moon barely even winced with each blow. She simply grew more and more malicious.

"Is that it?" she scoffed, turning to buck Twilight again. She shot her straight up to the ceiling.

 "I can't lose now," Twilight repeated to herself again, drawing more magic out of the elements. In an explosion of magic, she shot herself downwards roaring with magic. "Nebulous Wave!" She thrusted her spear downwards, and the moment it made contact, a blinding wave of purple magic gushed out from the point, flooding the entire room, shattering the windows and pouring out. When the light settled, Nightmare Moon was nowhere to be found. "No," Twilight whined. "Where is she?"

Nightmare Moon's ephemeral misty body began to swirl around Twilight, entrapping her in a twister of hate. "This fight is over!" she laughed at her from her howling winds. "Die, my little pony! Die knowing that I will rule this land! I will make everyone you know and love suffer! Your friends and family will live their nights in my shadow, mourning your name.

"My friends," Twilight repeated to herself. This might have been her last moment as she watched the swirling vortex rise over her, and all she could think about were those that managed to stick by her side through thick and thin. They consumed her final thoughts as she felt the wind knock at her body. "I can't let you hurt them!" she roared, reaching out to the elements again, pulling as much magic as she could out of them. Her mane and tail ignited into fire, her coat turned a pure bright white. "You won't hurt anypony!" she screamed as the burning hot orb of fire began to form over her. Twilight screamed again, exploding with fire and throwing Nightmare Moon back onto her throne.

"What?" she groaned, unwilling to believe she might have felt actual pain. "You can't do this to me!"

"Searing Dwarf!" Twilight cried as she hurled the miniature sun at Nightmare Moon, exploding into a column of fire that roared upwards, breaking through the roof of the castle and swallowing Nightmare Moon in its flames, but Twilight didn't stop. She summoned three more dwarf stars and threw them at Nightmare Moon. "I'll burn you to ash!" she screamed at the column of fire before her. The fire of her mane subsided, returning to its normal flat state, and Twilight's coat softened back to a lavender hue. She dropped onto one hoof, watching the still burning fire of her anger slowly wither away, and the dark Princess walk out of inferno.

"Did you honestly think you could defeat me with such pitiful rage?" she laughed at her. "I'll show you what kind of magic true hate can create!" She stomped her hoof on the ground, and a magical glyph appeared over the entire room, burdening the air with an electric charge that bore down on Twilight.

"W-what's going on??" she bleated.

"I who stand in the full light of the heavens," Nightmare Moon rose into the air, storm clouds condensing over the castle, "call upon thee who openeth the gates of Tartarus!" Light poured upwards from the glyph, shattering what was left of the roof and pouring into the ominous storm clouds. "Bring forth divine lightning!"

"No, this can't be happening," Twilight cried feebly as the very sky turned on her.

"Indignation!" Nightmare Moon cried as out. The darkened sky gave birth to a single bolt of lightning, large enough to engulf the entire castle, tearing away at the top most layer and striking down on Twilight. In a single flash, the castle had been split in two and nearly destroyed. The Princess floated down next to Twilight's nearly-lifeless body. "Now know what true hate is," she spat unto her.

"Ugh," Twilight moaned. "Can't lose now," she repeated again, pulling herself up. "Elements..." She reached out the magical orbs, Nightmare Moon too stunned by the mere fact Twilight lived to do anything. The moment Twilight managed to touch just one of the elements, they all shattered into pieces. "W-what? No, no!"

It was over, they both thought. The elements, the source of the magic that defeated Nightmare Moon so long ago laid in ruin before them. It was like watching reality itself crumble, replaced by a terrible truth; Nightmare Moon had won. She giggled, slowly growing into a heart-heavy laugh. She threw her head back, laughing into the darkness of her Eternal Night sky. "Do you see that, sister! I have won! Nothing can stop me! Nothing! The night will last, forever! Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I win! You lose!"

Twilight stood still, frozen in fear as Nightmare Moon continued to revel in her victory. There was nothing more she could do. She was a single pony, alone, and she lost.

"Twilight," came an echoing voice. "Twilight, where are you, are you okay?"

Twilight turned around towards the origin of the echo. She could hear them: her friends. They were calling out to her.

"Twilight?" Pinkie Pie bleated as she pushed through the nearly scrapped doors. "Twilight! Hey, girls, I found Twilight!"

Twilight couldn't believe it! Despite all her efforts to throw them off of her trail, to get them away from this fight, to protect them from the pain she had jyst endured, they still came to find her, to help her. For a brief moment, she was overcome with so much emotion her vision blurred.

"Twilight!" they all called to her as they stood ready to fight at her side.

"Twi', you're some kind of crazy, you know that!" Applejack admonished her. "We follow you all this way and you ditch us at the last moment."

"C'mon, Twilight," Pinkie Pie groaned. "Can't you trust us a little?"

"So you could follow me to this losing battle?" Twilight cried.

"That's what friends are for, right? Supporting each other no matter what?" Rainbow Dash chuckled. "C'mon, we even got Rarity over here."

"And I still say this was not a very bad idea," Rarity pointed out. "But, at the very least, we can put on a good show."

"No, no you can't!" Nightmare Moon growled back. "Your elements are gone! You have nothing left that can stop me!"

"But they're not gone," Twilight responded, pulling herself back up. She felt positively light on her hooves now, a fire welling up inside her. "You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here," she said calmly, magic beginning to flow through her.

The shards of the elements of harmony began to glow, rising from the floor and covering the shattered throne room with light. Nightmare Moon began to feel fear, and she couldn't stand it.

"Applejack," Twilight started, taking a step forward, making Nightmare Moon walk backwards, "who has always promised to keep me safe, who promises to protect others and keeps those promises even if it might cost her her life, represents the element of: honesty!"

Shards of the elements began to gather around Applejack, filling her with the strength to move the earth.

"Fluttershy," Twilight continued, Nightmare Moon breathing rapidly, "whose compassion was strong enough to reach out to the manticore and sooth its wounded soul and hear its voice, represents the element of: kindness!"

Fluttershy was completely startled when the shards of the elements began to hover around her, soothing her with the power of the healing waters.

"Pinkie Pie," Twilight laughed, filling Nightmare Moon with dread, "who could never be scared, who always tries to get those around her to smile, and can pull us all out of fearful delusions with a simple song, represents the element of: laughter!"

Pinkie Pie squealed and danced in delight as shards of the elements swirled around her, zapping her with an electrifying energy.

"Rarity," Twilight went on, her voice rising with strength at the weakening Nightmare Moon, "who despite all her whining continues to fight alongside us and see the inner turmoil within the sea serpent and calm it with a meaningful gift, represents the element of: generosity!"

Rarity stood perfectly still as shards of the elements encircled her, surrounding her in wondrous light.

"And Rainbow Dash," Twilight almost bellowed, Nightmare Moon's heart sinking into a pit, "who displayed her true colors to her friends and Equestria when she chose to keep fighting and turn away the offer to save herself by allying with you, represents the element of: loyalty!"

The final shards of the elements flew to Rainbow Dash, kicking up a strong gust around her.

"All our spirits working together managed to get us through every challenge, every fight, every struggle, and every hardship that was thrown as us!" She stood tall, her wounds fading away and her strength reaching a boiling point. "Together, we can keep fighting. We can stop you. We can save Equestria. Nightmare Moon, we will win!"

"Charge!" Fluttershy roared as she threw her sickles at Nightmare Moon, gushing waters erupting around her and swirling towards her opponent. "Flowing Fangs!" Nightmare couldn't get away in time as the raging waters caught up to her, tying around her hooves and pulling her back to the floor.

"Pinkie, let's do it!" Applejack roared as she threw herself at their foe. "Crushing Earth!" She roared as she buried her hoof into black fur, crushing the floor underneath Nightmare Moon.

"Going up!" Pinkie Pie squealed, her pinwheel spinning behind her like a turbine and throwing out licks of lightning everywhere. She scooped up Nightmare Moon in her pinwheel and threw her up. "Back to the moon with you! Lightning Twister!" Lightning erupted upwards from her pinwheel, stunning Nightmare Moon.

"You're going to feel this one!" Rainbow Dash taunted as she stuck her hooves out at the helpless Princess. Flying through her with her blade. "Rekkuujin!" Streaks of wind erupted from her blade and slashing at Nightmare Moon repeatedly.

"My little pony," Rarity began to chant, "wilt thou forget thine own meagre body and attain the heights of destruction for which thou hast so long yearned?"

"Does it always have to be some kind of chant?" Twilight asked in the midst of battle.

"It's called flavoring, my dear." She turned back to Nightmare Moon, a vortex of light opening in the sky. "Judgment!" A single large and regal hoof of pure light erupted from the vortex and stomped Nightmare Moon back to the ground.

"No," Nightmare Moon sputtered. "It's not over yet. Even if you have your five elements, you lack the sixth. Your defeat is merely delayed!" She shot herself upwards, charging dark magic in her horn. "I won't be defeated by the likes of you!"

"But we do," Twilight spoke. "It's said that a spark will reveal the sixth element, but not one that I understood at first." She stepped forward against the panicking Nightmare Moon, but then quickly turned to all her friends coming to her side. "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all are my friends." She turned back to Nightmare Moon, light shining over her. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of: magic."

Magic erupted from over Twilight, forming the sixth Element of Harmony that slowly descended over her, transforming into a dainty golden crown, encrusted with a purple six-pointed star.

"No!" Nightmare Moon yelled at she let loose a torrent of darkness. "Go away!"

"Flaming Hearts!" Twilight roared back, extending her forehooves outwards to release two searing jets of fire that shot out and through the torrent of darkness, reaching Nightmare Moon and pinning her between the flames in a heart-shaped explosion. "Now's our chance!"

The various shards of the elements converged on their respective pony, forming a gem-encrusted golden necklace, each one bearing a different emblem. Surrounded in magic, they all began to float together, bathed in light.

"No... Nooooooo!" Nightmare Moon wailed again, helpless. "I don't want to go back! Stop! Please! I beg you."

The six pony friends came together, and magical rainbow erupted from their light, swirling over them and then towards Nightmare Moon, consuming her in prismatic light. She was helpless to fight it, her entire world being ripped apart from inside and outside her, powerless and unable to call out for help. One last burst of light erupted from the six pony friends, and then the world went dark again.

I can't lose now, she told herself. Her unsteady hooves reached out into the darkness, her eyes too tired to open and take in the world. Every ache and pain in Twilight's body finally caught up to her, and she no longer had the strength to support herself, but she felt someone take her hoof, pulling her up and back to the world.

"Giddy up, partner," she heard Applejack's sweet drawl comfort her. "It's all over now."

"Thank goodness," Rarity groaned as she shook all the dust off her coat. "Couldn't we all have fought somewhere with less dust? No reason we can't save Equestria somewhere clean, right?"

"Oh, Rarity," Fluttershy piped up, "that's a beautiful necklace."

"Huh? Oh!" Rarity looked down to find that a golden necklace with a purple diamond inset in the middle had been placed upon her. "But, where did it come from? Fluttershy, you have one too!"

"Huh?" Fluttershy looked down to find a similar accessory, decorated with a pink butterfly in the middle. It weighed nothing, wondrous and magical to behold. "I don't remember putting this on."

"It's the elements," Twilight sighed, leaning against Applejack. "They must have been able to restore themselves because of you all."

"You sound as if you didn't plan all that out," Applejack shot back wryly. "Did you just pull all them glowy magical friendship speeches out of nowhere?"

"And if I did?" Twilight giggled.

"Then it worked!" Pinkie Pie squealed, popping up behind the two. "You did it, Twilight! You're amazing!" She shoved Applejack aside and scooped up Twilight in a back-breaking hug. "You did it, you wonderful mare you!"

"Lights, going dim," Twilight choked. "Pinkie, put me down."

"So, can we go home now?" Applejack sighed in relief. "My back is killing me."

"Not yet!" Rainbow Dash hissed, adopting her battle stance. "Look again."

Every one of them turned back to where Nightmare Moon once stood, arrogant and spiteful, but in her malefic form’s wake was something entirely different. Another pony, lying helplessly, her coat blue like the early evening sky, but her mane a lighter and softer hue. Her wings were twice as large as most pegasi, and her horn twice as long as most unicorns. She was smaller than Nightmare Moon, but still larger than Twilight and her friends. But, even more than all that, was the complete lack of malice and hate that would flow out of Nightmare Moon and choke any pony who got to close. This pony before them was completely devoid of such emotions.

"Is that the same pony?" Applejack asked in disbelief. "I mean, I see the horn, and the wings, but she's like somepony entirely different from the thing we fought."

"That's because she is!" came Blueblood's distinct and booming voice. Everyone turned around, and leading a march of both Caballus's and the Cloud Kingdom's leaders. He stood tall and proud in his white cloak. "Twilight Sparkle, you continue to surpass my expectations!"

"Of which are so very high," Goldstar sneered alongside Blueblood.

"Caballus would surely flourish under the guidance of one so talented," Fleur de Lis added, appearing from behind Blueblood.

"Looking for another spearmare?" Quick Gleam lauded as she pushed her way past Fleur de Lis, Nimbus Knell and two knights behind her.

"Sparkle!" Night Light shouted as he burst into the room, heaving for air. "Twilight Sparkle! Where are you? Sparkle!"

"I'm right here, dad," Twilight groaned, still in Pinkie Pie's vice grip. "No need to shout."

"Oh, Sparkle, thank the stars you're safe!" Night Light cried out in relief. "Daddy was so worried."

"And embarrassing me..."

"That just leaves one last introduction." Blueblood strode past everyone, towards the mysterious new pony. "You can get up now, Princess Luna."

"Princess Luna?" Twilight croaked through her pain. "Wait, then you can't be serious. She really is—"

"The Princess Luna, the younger sister of Celestia and one of the old Princesses of Equestria," Blueblood explained, smirking to himself.

The blue pony, Princess Luna, rose slowly. Her large wings instantly curled up tight at her side and her head fell a little as she opened her eyes, peering out to everyone in the room with her little scared eyes. She jumped back, breathing rapidly, covering her head with her hooves. "N-no, g-go away," she squeaked, terrified. "D-don't hurt me, please. I beg you."

"Now, who said anypony was going to hurt you?" Blueblood asked her. He turned back to the others, smiling sheepishly. "As of now, her royal majesty Princess Luna will be cared for under Caballus. I think everypony here is fine with that, right?"

"You have got to be kidding!" Nimbus Knell roared. All eyes turned to her, and she made it visibly clear she wasn't ready for the sudden attention. "W-what I mean is that this pony, Princess Luna or whatever, is responsible destroying the capital city of Heaven, and I heard Caballus didn't escape unscathed either, and the deaths of hundreds, and this isn't taking into account the damage she caused to Canterlot or any of the cities she passed through. Shouldn't she be made to face her crimes?"

"You have a point," Bluebood started, "then how about we call it house arrest at her new home in Caballus? Besides, such were the crimes of Nightmare Moon. The pony before us is Princess Luna."

"T-this is unacceptable! My father will not stand for such terms!" Nimbus Knell cried back.

"Well from what I heard, he's got no choice but to stand. Flightless and all that, but let's not worry about those details." He knew he hit a nerve in the pegasus princess. It brought a smile to Blueblood's face. "But do you think you can contain her, especially with your shattered city? While Caballus did suffer some property damage, our cathedral made it out fine, and it's still filled with many of Equestria's finest mages."

"Are you trying to anger me?" Nimbus Knell expressed in disbelief and frustration.

"And succeeding!" Blueblood sang. "But I believe I've made my point." He turned back the the sniveling Princess. "You'll be safe from that mean old hag with me."

"Hag?! I'm not even old enough to leave the castle unattended!"

"Shall we all get going? Come, Princess Luna," Blueblood seemingly ordered to everyone. He helped up Princess Luna, and she followed him out of the room, her eyes tilted upwards in a daze.

Twilight: Oh my aching... everything...

Applejack: Slow down there, we've got to backtrack our way out of this crazy forest. Don't waste energy talkin'.

Pinkie Pie: Yeah, save that for the wrap-up party! We just obliterated Nightmare Moon, I think, and saved Equestria! We need to celebrate! I'm inviting everypony!

Rarity: A party, now? You've got to be kidding me. I am filthy, tired, and need to tend to my hooves.

Rainbow Dash: Yeah, how about we save the party for another day, when we actually have a day. It's still nighttime!

Fluttershy: I just really want to take a nap...

Pinkie Pie: Oh, okay then!

Pinkie Pie: Leave it to me, girls! You all go and rest while I work on preparing the biggest greatest most splendiferous party in the history of Equestria! It'll be our own bonus ending to our tale of heroism and friendship!

Applejack: And then you lost us...

Twilight: zzz-zzz-zzz

Applejack: Hey, wake up! We're not out of the forest yet!

Twilight: So... cold...

Applejack: Wake up!

Twilight: Agh!

Twilight: Oh... yeah...

The Broken Town: Ponyville

"Twilight!" Spike shouted in delight. "Twilight, you're back! Woah, did you get mauled by a bear?

"Very good deduction, Spike," Twilight groaned as her faithful assistant questioned her life expectancy. "And you," she turned to her father who was supporting her. "I have a lot of questions for you. Mostly, what the hay is this about mom being some kind of queen in Caballus?"

"Well, she was more of some kind of grand cleric in title," Night Light explained. Twilight elbowed him in his ribs. "Ow! Okay, I deserve that. Listen, I will explain to you about your mother and Caballus later, when you're not about to fall apart."

"You better," Twilight agonized.

"Speaking of your mother... did you find any clues about her?"

"She passed through Manehatten before the Summer Sun Celebration," Twilight answered him, her voice cracking. "She was looking for the elements, and she found one there owned by a pony named Filthy Rich. She tried to swipe it from him, but instead told him to give it to me. She knew I would look for them..."

"I'm sure she's proud of you," Night Light comforted her, brushing her mane with a hoof. "C'mon, Spike. Let's go back home to Canterlot."

"But, where are the others?" Spike asked, looking around. There was no Pinkie Pie ready to burst on the scene, no Rainbow Dash trying to look cooler than she was, nor an Applejack to roll her eyes at everything. Not even Fluttershy, hiding in a corner, or his dazzling Rarity.

"Don't worry," Twilight comforted him. "Pinkie Pie is planning some kind of huge party. We'll see them all again soon, but right now we need to go home and rest."

In the sky...

A pegasus-drawn chariot raced through the night sky, bringing with it a fuming princess, a taciturn commander, a rambunctious knight, her quiet friend and a gushing filly.

"Oh man I can't wait to get home, or at least what's left of home," Rainbow Dash yawned. "Don't worry, you'll love the Cloud Kingdom. It's full of pegasi just like you, and we'll be treated like heroes! We'll get awards, parades, maybe even our own holiday. Oh man, national rainbow day! A day celebrating how awesome we were today!"

"Rainbow day?" Fluttershy repeated to her. "Uh, shouldn't a holiday incorporate all our names?"

"Mine is catchiest," Rainbow Dash retorted. "Hey, squirt, watch where you're pulling!"

"Oh, sorry," Scootaloo apologised. "Say, Rainbow Dash, when's the next time you're going to fight at the arena?"

"Fighting is the last thing I've got on my mind, kid," Rainbow Dash sighed. "Plus, I need to find a new partner for the duo ranks... say, Fluttershy, want to be immortalized as part of the greatest two-pony team ups to grace Fillydelphia?"

"No," Fluttershy squeaked, shying away.

"Yeah, thought so," Rainbow Dash groaned.

"Oh, oh, what about me!" Scootaloo begged, prompting Rainbow Dash to fall over laughing as loud as she could.

"You, you've got to be kidding. You can't even fly, let alone fight! What makes you think you could be my arena partner?"

Scootaloo became crestfallen. "Well, I could if you taught me how to fly..."

"Sorry, kid, but I don't have the time."

Somewhere far...

Rarity and Sweetie Belle sat together at the far end of the Flying Chariot. Minuette drove them home, and while Sweetie Belle was fast asleep at Rarity's side, Rarity's eyes darted between the two elephants in the room: Blueblood, always a target of her extreme loathing, and the mysterious Princess Luna. Just who is she? she wondered.

"Are you alright?" Fleur de Lis snuck up on her, trying to give her a hoof of support. "This must have been an exhausting day for you."

"I'm just fine," Rarity lied back.

"You must have displayed an incredible amount of magic to take on such a monster as Nightmare Moon."

Princess Luna twitched from her end of the vehicle.

"When we return to Caballus," Fleur de Lis continued, "there may be a place for you in the Cathedral."

"What?!" Rarity nearly bugged out, her head snapping in Fleur de Lis's direction. "Me, in the cathedral? My own warm room where I don't have to toil day in and day out?" She just couldn't believe it. After years upon years of misfortune, her ticket to an easier life was dancing in front of her.

"As a member of the higher caste, there will be expectations of you, but I'm sure you'll pass them with flying colors."

"Oh, sure, I'll do anything," Rarity replied back in delight.

In the back of the chariot, Goldstar sat alone staring at the back of everyone's head, wanting to read all of their innermost thoughts.

In Ponyville...

"We'll need balloons, and streamers, and a giant banner!" Pinkie Pie prattled off as she assaulted a pudgy blue mare and a stick-like tall yellow stallion with her delusions. "Just think about it Mr. and Mrs. Cake, we'll throw the first ever banishing the evil princess meanie party and all sorts of tourists will flood in. We'll be up to our necks in bits in no time."

"That's all well and good," Mr. Cake told her, "but we don't have the supplies to make any of that come true, Pinkie."

"I'm sorry dear, but your party will just have to wait," Mrs. Cake sighed.

"No! It can't wait!" Pinkie Pie roared rebelliously. "We have to get the party up ASAP so that everypony can come visit me here. Oh, where are Snips and Snails. It's looting time!" She bolted off in a flash, leaving the two patissiers stunned.

"She's more full of energy than usual," Mr. Cake grumbled.

"I can only hope she doesn't get into too much trouble."

In Apple Acres...

Applejack carried her little sister, sleeping on her back, into their rickety old home in Apple Acres. "I'm home," she gulped, wide-eyed and ready for an attack, but usually Granny Smith would have had the jump on her before she could finish a sentence. "Is anypony home? Hello! Granny Smith, Big Macintosh?!"

"Shush," the eldest sibling chided her. "Granny Smith is sleeping."

"About time I got lucky. Help me put this one to bed, she's droolin' on me." She led Big Macintosh to Apple Bloom's room. "So, how furious was she?"

"She was worried sick, Applejack," he lamented. "She's actually sick."

"W-what! Then we have to start doin' something!"

"Settle down, me and Lemon Hearts have been keeping her all fine," he assured her. "Just stop runnin' off without telling anypony. Maybe then Granny Smith would be fine."

"I know," Applejack sighed. "Wait, Lemon Hearts? Whozzat?"

"That unicorn y'all beat up back in Canterlot."

"Oh... still not ringin' any bells."

That Morning in Canterlot...

Spike, alone and cold, stood on the top of the observatory roof of his home in Canterlot. "It's still dark," he whispered to himself. In the sky, the mood hadn't budged an inch. "Why is it still dark?" He turned back and climbed down the hatch of his home. "Maybe Twilight will know," he told himself, as if in a trance. "She always knows." He jumped off the last few steps of the ladder and ran right into Night Light. "Morning?"

"Yes, it is morning," Night Light told him. "But it's still dark out."

"But, didn't Twilight defeat Nightmare Moon? Wasn't that supposed to fix everything!?"

"I don't know, Spike." Night Light walked around him, climbing the ladder to the roof of their home.

"Twilight," Spike repeated to himself as he waddled swiftly through the house. "Twilight? Twilight!" He burst into her room. She was asleep, passed out on her bed, tossing and turning. "Twilight!" he called to her again.

"Too cold," she mumbled, still asleep.

"Twilight, wake up!"

Somewhere dark...

She couldn't see anything. It was pitch dark. No, there was some light. In the distance, Twilight could see rays of light pouring over from over the horizon. She was galloping towards it, but the rays never seemed to get closer. Worst of all, it was so cold. So unbearably cold.

Hours passed, and she never stopped galloping to the light.

Hours passed, and it never got any warmer.

Hours passed, and maybe it was finally getting closer.

Hours passed, and she was beginning to feel suffocatingly lonely.

Hours passed, and she started to see something in the sky. She tried to say something, but her voice wouldn't carry. There was no one to talk to though, so maybe that didn't matter. She looked up. Whatever she was looking at, it was blue and round. Like a world. Like her world.

Light, suddenly there was light around her. Her strained eyes looked out, and she could see the sun pouring down it's blistering rays on her, illuminating the white and desolate world around her, and in front of her, sneering with the hate of a thousand years of solitude, was Nightmare Moon.