//------------------------------// // Chapter III // Story: The Ending of the End - Love and Tolerance Edition // by StarlightisVERYcute //------------------------------// Tirek thought as he walked. The last time I fought Princess Twilight, I had all the magic of the non-alicorn ponies of Equestria, plus Discord. Now I have only a tiny fraction of that power. However, I do have something I haven’t had in so, so long: True allies. Oh, there was Discord, of course, but Discord was merely a stepping stone to my greater power. As he looked at the pony and changeling beside him, he realized he had no desire to ever betray them. When he thought of the world after Grogar was ousted and they ruled, the vision was one of him, Chrysalis, and Cozy ruling together. Forever. The revelation made him pause. Once, long ago, he had had the same bond with another. But that one had betrayed him to his enemies, and he had spent a millennium in Tartarus. Even though over a thousand years had passed since that betrayal, the memory still made him see red. Somehow, I know that won’t happen with these allies. I don’t know how I’m so sure, but I know in my very bones: Their fates will be the same as mine. Cozy Glow reclined on Tirek’s back. She could fly, of course, but she was just a kid and she didn’t have much endurance yet. Better to save her energy for the looming confrontation. “Hey,” she began, breaking the silence that had fallen over their group, “once we find those annoying do-gooders, how are we gonna get rid of them?” “Overwhelming force,” Tirek suggested. “We hit them hard before they expect us.” “Prey upon their care for each other,” Chrysalis purred. “Lure them away with the sounds of each other, and pick them off one by one.” She transformed into the spitting image of Pinkie Pie. “Oh no, not the cake! Please, spare the caaaaaaake, aughaughaugh,” she fake-sobbed. Tirek doubled over with laughter, and Cozy was thrown from his withers into the air. She couldn’t restrain her giggles either. Chrysalis shifted to Rainbow Dash. “Are those my Wonderbolts posters?! You—no, don’t tear them—oh please, have mercy!” Cozy collapsed to the ground herself, paralyzed by laughter. “Golly, Chrysalis,” Cozy choked out between gasps of mirth, “you’re a riot.” She smirked briefly, before succumbing to laughter again. “Literally!” Chrysalis smiled, then chuckled, then fell over laughing herself, right next to Cozy and Tirek. Cozy didn’t think about how easily either of them could vaporize her if they wanted to. She didn’t think about the ways they could bend her mind like a twig or even replace her outright. She just laughed along with her companions, savoring the joy of the company of creatures who understood her. Chrysalis lay on the dirt. The grass stroked against her exposed chitin, and the cold, nearly freezing wind blew through the holes in her hooves, but she didn’t notice any of that. What she did notice was the laughter playing across Tirek’s and Cozy’s faces. They were both clearly having the times of their lives, and Chrysalis had to admit that she was as well. This was a fun little adventure. Perhaps by tonight, I’ll have my revenge on that sow Starlight Glimmer and that traitor Thorax, rightful rulership of my hive, and a large swath of Equestrian territory. As she finally caught her breath, she asked, “How would you two feel about retrieving Grogar’s bell right now, and using it against Starlight Glimmer and her friends?” Tirek mulled it over. “It’d certainly make our battle with them far easier, but it’d also mean Grogar would know of our betrayal and would be ready. I feel that overall it’s wiser to keep it hidden until the very end. The most effective double-crosses are those only revealed at the very last moment.” Cozy added, “Yeah, I think so too. Speaking of, what were those sigils Grogar was carving into the floor?” Chrysalis licked her fangs in contemplation. She hadn’t recognized them immediately, but now… “They’re summoning and creation sigils of some kind,” she replied. “They aren’t there to destroy—he’s trying to create or call.” “Who would he be calling?” Cozy asked simply. A moment of silence passed, as each of them thought it out. “Sombra?” Tirek suggested. Chrysalis curled her mandibles in disgust. “That fool nearly gave away all our plans, screwed up his own victory, and then got himself completely annihilated. Bringing him back from what was done to him is completely impossible.” She rolled her eyes. “So that’s probably exactly what he’s doing.” “Or… it could be the Windigos…” Tirek said, his voice suddenly concerned. “Don’t be stupid,” Chrysalis replied. “Nopony’s crazy enough to call the Windigos. We changelings would have nothing to feed on at that point! I'm not sure if Equestria would even have enough cohesion to remain a state.” Tirek thought it over, and nodded. “You’re right, of course. I’m just worried. Grogar’s already something of a loose cannon, and he did say he wanted to ‘redecorate’ Canterlot. I have no idea what he’ll do next.” “That’s why we need to be quick,” Chrysalis affirmed with a quick nod. “We take out the Elements and Starlight Glimmer, and return to Grogar with word of our success—and the bell. And then…” Cozy gave a wickedly diabolical grin. “Ooh, it’s so lovely! I can’t wait! C’mon guys, let’s take down the Elements!” The three schemers resumed their walk towards Twilight’s Castle. Although it was unlikely she was there, it was still the first place to look. After all, the Princess had a rather amusing habit of returning to Ponyville after facing an enemy. “We could just raze Ponyville to the ground,” Tirek suggested. “Even if she’s not there, that should bring her running back.” “But didn’t she just take the fight elsewhere when you destroyed her tree-library?” Cozy asked. “And if Ponyville’s destroyed, not only will she have no motive to return there at all, she’ll be a lot less merciful to us if she somehow beats us. I dunno about you guys, but I’d much rather go back to Tartarus than get banished to the Moon.” Chrysalis found herself nodding to Cozy’s argument. As usual, the filly had seen deep into the minds of their enemies. “Could we hold Ponyville hostage, then?” Chrysalis offered. “As I recall, Twilight Sparkle has a great weakness for hostages.” “Knowing Princess Twilight, if she’s fled, they’ve already evacuated all of Ponyville.” Cozy sighed. “If only we’d caught her parents in Canterlot, she’d give herself right up.” “We can’t dwell on what we should have done,” Tirek said. “Only on what we should do.” Cozy nodded assent, as did Chrysalis, and the three of them continued their pace towards Ponyville. As they walked, they continued to develop contingencies. “So if she’s not there, what will we do?” Tirek asked. Chrysalis answered, “Check her other likely hiding spots. Canterlot’s ruled out. That leaves the Crystal Empire, Equestria’s allies, the sites of great battles she’s fought, probably every library in Equestria…” Cozy’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Let’s put ourselves in Princess Twilight’s horseshoes for a moment. Your mentor is gone. Canterlot has fallen to the most powerful alliance of conquerors you’ve ever faced. Even Discord, the greatest reality-warper in history, is no match for their attack. What do you do, after make a list three hundred pages long?” The other two snickered at her little joke. Chrysalis said, “I’d start rallying my allies. I have a lot of them.” “But they’re all over the world,” Tirek interjected, “and many of them can’t receive dragon mail.” “So I split up my group,” Cozy continued, “sending some to one region and some to another.” “But I don’t want to leave my beloved friends, so I send Starlight Glimmer elsewhere.” Chrysalis spat the name as if it were venom. “Myself and my five best friends go… somewhere.” “Somewhere everypony on our side will expect us to be, but our enemies wouldn’t think or want to go,” Cozy added. Tirek put a hand to his chin. “Somewhere secluded, but easily reached, ideally with defensive magicks that counter our enemies' powers…” The idea came to the three conspirators at once, as if they’d all been struck by lightning. “The Tree of Harmony,” he said. “Of course! That has to be it!” Chrysalis smiled viciously. Cozy gave them a big smile. “Golly, we’re a pretty great team when we all pool our brainpower!” Tirek gave the filly on his back a little smile. “We are. Of course, we should still check the Castle of the Two Sisters first, just in case. But after that, the Tree of Harmony’s remains are next.” Points of light danced in Starlight’s vision as she stepped across the world, right back into the School of Friendship. Sunburst stumbled out after her. “Back here?” he asked quizzically. “I just need to get a few things in order,” she replied. “Remember, there are a lot of creatures here, and we want them to be safe. I think it’s best to send them all home.” “I agree. It’s best to have them far away as soon as possible. We should tell them the news,” Sunburst said. “But what do we do if they panic?” “We remind them to brush up on History of Friendship,” Starlight answered with a cheeky smile. “After all, since when have the Elements of Harmony ever failed?” He chuckled a little. “You’re right, Starlight. I’ll go get Trixie, and you get all the students?” “Sounds good. I’ll be in the cafeteria.” It was currently lunch break, so she only had to visit one spot. Starlight bounded into the cafeteria at a swift pace, though not that swift. Spending so much of her time focusing on arcane magic had left her muscles somewhat atrophied. She was breathing hard by the time she reached it, and smelled the aromas of the foods of half a dozen species. She lifted herself into the air with magic, and proclaimed, “Attention everyone. Attention! I have something important to say.” The room quieted down, with only Gallus muttering something about unneeded interruptions of a good meal. “So, you know how King Sombra destroyed the Tree of Harmony when you were all on break?” Starlight asked. Creatures around the room nodded and murmured agreement. “Well, something similar might be going on now… so myself and your vice headstallion have decided to send you all home early. Pack your things.” “Will ponies be okay?” Yona asked fearfully. “I think so,” Starlight said. “But just in case, we’ll contact every one of Equestria’s allies for help. Now go pack your things; we don’t want to be here when our enemies arrive.” “Enemies? Who?” Silverstream looked around. “Is the Storm King back?” “No,” Starlight answered. The hippogriff sighed, relief spreading across her face. “But Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Grogar are.” In an instant, panic spread across the room, as terrified creatures dove under the tables. “Chrysalis?!” Ocellus actually screamed. “She’s back!? Oh no, oh no, no no no no… we have to warn Thorax! Pharynx! The hive needs to be ready for her!” “Tirek?! He drained all our magic!” Sandbar shouted. “We have to get out of here!” “Everyone, calm down!” Starlight shouted. Silence swept across the cafeteria. Starlight took a deep breath. “Your former teachers are working on it right now. It’s my job to get you all home safely and rally your countries to help save the world.” Slowly, calm returned to the room. Silverstream poked her head out from under a table. “Now, everyone, go grab only your most essential things, and then head for the train station,” Starlight instructed. The students filed out of the room and towards their dormitories as she'd ordered. Sunburst knocked on the guidance counselor’s office. “Trixie? Are you in there?” “The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie is always ready to help!” the mare’s voice replied, and with a flourish, she opened her door. “What do you need help with, Sunburst? Confessing your feelings to Starlight~?” “W-what, no!” Sunburst stuttered. “No, I-I mean, we need your help. Follow me, I’ll explain on the way.” Starlight smiled as Trixie and Sunburst returned. “All ready to go?” she asked. “Yep! Got all my stage magic set.” Trixie pulled out a few smoke bombs with a cocky grin. Sunburst nodded. “Take us there, Starlight.” If any of them had thought to look outside, they would have seen six students sneaking off. But as it was, no one realized that Gallus, Smolder, Sandbar, Yona, Ocellus, and Silverstream were leaving on a mission of their own. Starlight stepped close to her two friends, and in a torrent of light, they were gone. Once the six students were out of sight of the School of Friendship, Gallus looked to his five friends. “So, how are we gonna do this?” “I say we show those bad guys exactly what we think of them!” Smolder answered, pounding one fist into the other with a cocky snarl. “You haven’t seen what Chrysalis can do!” Ocellus replied fearfully. “She’s so powerful and scary. She ruled the hive for most of my life!” “And Tirek’s really bad news too,” Sandbar agreed. “He drained all my magic before!” “Yona think we… what pony word? Hide… attack?” “An ambush!” Gallus finished automatically. Yona smiled. “Yona think we ambush bad creatures when they fight professors.” “That could work,” Silverstream said carefully. “But we’d need to catch them when they’re off-guard.” “We should think this over at the Treehouse of Harmony,” Ocellus suggested. “It told us we’d always be safe there.” “I agree,” Gallus said. “The Treehouse seems like a good place to me.” “Sure,” Smolder said with a roll of her eyes. “Since I guess I’m the only one who wants a direct attack, we might as well wait at the Treehouse for when we can ambush them.” The six friends walked or flew towards the Castle of the Two Sisters, moving quickly but cautiously. Who knew what monsters might be coming out of the Everfree now that Grogar was back? Pinkie marched through Ponyville, singing a song that was both familiar and unfamiliar. My name is Pinkie Pie (you know!) And I am here to say (once more!) It’s time to leave Ponyville ‘cause bad guys are back today It doesn’t matter now (no sir!) If you are brave or tough (go flee!) ‘Cause saving all my friends is what Pinkie’s here to do ‘Cause I love to see you safe, safe, safe (yes I do!) She sang a few more verses, cheerful despite her rather dire message. She smiled wide as she saw ponies taking her advice and leaving Ponyville. With everyone from Derpy “Muffins” Doo to Lily fleeing, Ponyville quickly shifted to a ghost town. And Pinkie was here to giggle at the ghosties! Satisfied with the state of the town, she bounded out to her gathered friends. In just a few short hops, she'd rejoined them. She bounced along, her voice rambling on one of her funny stories while her mind wandered. The dirt of Everfree Forest repelled her with each jump. Sproing! Sure, riots in Canterlot had been bad. And the fact that nopony knew if Celestia, Luna, and Discord were okay was sad. But something still burned in her chest: the practiced optimism of a pony who had seen her home nearly destroyed a dozen times. Besides, if worse came to worst, she always had her failsafes. “…And then I was like, ‘Oatmeal!? Are you crazy?’“ she finished. “Oh Pinkie, I haven’t heard that story in ages,” Rarity said with a twinkling smile. “It’s such a great one.” “Less stories, more taking down bad guys!” Rainbow grumbled. “We need to protect Equestria!” “We can’t protect Equestria if we can’t protect ourselves,” Pinkie answered, “and we can’t protect ourselves if we’re all sad and gloomy. Stories and jokes are how we keep the fear away!” Dash blinked, a hoof on her chin in contemplation. “You know, you actually might be right, Pinkie. I guess jokes do help save Equestria after all.” Deeper in Everfree Forest, Rainbow checked over her shoulder again. Her hooves were aching to be buried in some centaur face. No matter what Pinkie tried, Rainbow’s mind always wandered back to the blast of light pressing on the princesses, Twilight’s tear-stricken face as she prepared to teleport, and the startled expression on Discord as Grogar’s beam erased him. The memory made her wings burn with fury. “Ooh, when we catch those four, they’re gonna be sorry!” she grumbled aloud. “Darn tootin’,” Applejack agreed. “Nopony gets away with destroyin’ Canterlot!” “Now girls,” Fluttershy admonished, “please don't be too harsh. Remember, we don’t know why they’re doing all this in the first place.” “We can ask them when they’re in Tartarus,” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes. “They’re bad guys. Even if someday they’ll be good like Starlight or Discord, it’s up to us to stop them now.” “Well, I was able to talk Starlight out of being evil,” Twilight said, “and she and I convinced Stygian as well…” “But even then, we still kept Starlight under a close watch, and we banished the Pony of Shadows after saving Stygian,” Rainbow argued. “And Grogar erased DISCORD! The others might’ve, you know, gotten rid of the princesses!” “I completely understand your anger,” Rarity said, “but remember, we’re trying to save Equestria, not mete out justice.” She winced as she stepped into a puddle of mud. “Really, we should get this path paved.” “Do you think Ponyville will be okay?” Fluttershy asked. Visions of the town leveled by orange-green beams flooded her mind’s eye. She beat her wings in a steady, slow rhythm. Everfree Forest wasn’t nearly as scary as it had been the first time she’d ventured in all those years ago, but it still gave her the chills. “If it ain’t, we’ll rebuild it,” Applejack said confidently. “Our little town’s been through a lot, and I think I’m pretty good at repairin’ things, if I do so say myself.” “We can throw a fixing-up-Ponyville-for-the-sixth-time party!” Pinkie suggested. Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at that. The laughter spread like fire among the others. After it had quieted once more, Twilight said, “I’m sure that no matter what we face, as long as we’re together we’ll prevail.” “You aren’t freaking out? Who are you and what did you do with Twilight?” Rainbow joked. “And what did you do with her giant list?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I know I’ve freaked out a lot in the past, but I’ve come to really believe in you five. Not a single villain we’ve ever faced has managed to stand up to us working in tandem.” At last, the Mane 6 and Spike arrived at the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was as majestic as ever, though its cold elegance was somewhat tarnished by the crystalline treehouse poking out over the top. “Hello? Anypony here?” Applejack shouted. Her voice echoed back from the canyon just behind them. “Anypony at all?” “They must still be coming,” Twilight said, not sounding like she believed her own words. “Let’s wait inside.” “That way, we’ll be more likely to get the first strike,” Rainbow added. The seven entered the ruined castle, their hooves settling on ancient, cracked stone. “It’s been forever since we last came here,” Rarity said, a wistful smile on her face. “There’s something poetic about us making our return under such dire circumstances.” Pinkie’s entire body shook violently. “W-w-w-whoa!” She gasped. “Guys! My Pinkie sense is going haywire!” “What does it mean, Pinkie?” Spike asked, nervously scanning the sky for falling objects. “I have no idea. I’ve never had this combination before. But I have a feeling it’s really important.” She bounced into the reading room/bedroom, a cautiously optimistic smile on her face. The others spread out across the reading room. As Rarity dusted the shelves, Twilight took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and felt the limitless cosmic energy flowing through her. I won’t fail. I can’t fail. All of Equestria, the whole entire world, everypony is counting on me. I won’t let them down. No matter what.