//------------------------------// // The Other Trio // Story: Last Mare on Earth // by Coyotek4 //------------------------------// Celestia and Luna each lower their heads as their horns pulsate, their brightness intensifying … “NOOOO!!!” The sisters’ horns flicker and darken as the two lose concentration. Each looks up to see Pinkie Pie reared up on her hindlegs, her forehooves spread-eagled in front, blocking their view of the three villains. “Pinkie Pie, get out of the way!” Celestia commands, her tone a combination of irritation and determination. “I can’t let you do this!” Pinkie implores. “Well at least somepony cares,” Discord comments. Luna turns her head toward the draconequis. “You agree with her?” “Of course … you think I’m going to let the two of you have all the fun?” A sly grin forms on Discord’s face as his own horn glows. Instinctively, Pinkie leaps towards Discord and tackles him to the ground. “No, no, no … all of you, back off!” As the scene unfolds in front of them, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow exchange glances of both confusion and astonishment. Each silently watch the scene unfold before them. Discord gets up off the ground and dusts himself off. “I suppose even the Lord of Chaos is allowed to have a moment of confusion,” he plainly admits as Pinkie scrambles to her hooves and again places herself between the two threesomes. “You can’t turn them to stone!” she declares. “They’re our friends now!” Pinkie’s use of the F-word takes the threesome aback. “What do you mean by that?” Luna asks. “I mean that they’re reformed. They’ve been forgiven … I forgave them, on … on behalf of all of you.” Celestia, Luna, and Discord all pause for a moment, taking in Pinkie’s answer. Suddenly, the three burst into laughter, causing Pinkie’s ears to droop. Celestia quickly regains her composure. “There is a time for everything, Pinkie Pie, but now is not the time for humor.” Her horn glows anew as she continues: “Whatever they did to cause the disappearance of all of ponykind cannot be allowed to be repeated.” “But it will repeat,” Pinkie exclaims. “They didn’t cause all the disappearances … YOU did!” Celestia’s horn darkens again as she eyes Pinkie. “We … caused this? As in, myself, Luna, and Discord?” “I mean, you didn’t mean to … but yeah, I think so.” Celestia takes another looks towards the three foes, then returns her gaze towards Pinkie. “This is a strong accusation you make towards us,” she calmly states, “but you have always been a faithful and trusted friend. We shall listen to what you have to say, but it will take a rather convincing argument to sway me.” Cozy Glow blurts out, “Don’t worry about that, Celess … I mean, Princess Celestia. She’s very persuasive!” Celestia’s focus turns again to the threesome behind Pinkie. “And the two of you … do you agree with Cozy Glow’s assertion?” Tirek and Chrysalis silently nod. “I must say,” Celestia says as she turns to Pinkie, “I was not expecting such a respectful response. Very well … what reasoning do you have to believe that we caused the disappearance of everycreature?” “Well …” Pinkie struggles with appropriate words to use. “I mean … take Starlight.” “This would seem an unusual starting point,” Luna states. “No,” Pinkie replies, finding self-confidence, “she’s the perfect place to start. Because she … she was them,” she states as she waves a hoof towards the three former foes. “She was once them.” “Twilight has told us about Starlight Glimmer’s past deeds,” Celestia states. “but all that’s in the past now.” “Exactly! And why is that? Why wasn’t Starlight sent to Tartarus? Or turned to stone? Can you honestly say her past deeds were any less threatening to all of Equestria?” “We only learned of Starlight Glimmer through Twilight,” Luna admits. “It was never our decision to make.” “It was Twilight’s decision,” Pinkie adds. “Twilight, a pony who had her cutie mark ripped from her. A pony who experience first-hoof one horrible alternate world after another. And after all that, she chose to mentor Starlight, take Starlight under her wing … I mean, not literally her wing, but you know what I mean. And think about how much Starlight has done since then, for all of us.” “I can appreciate the work she has done for us,” Celestia states. “I doubt that I will ever forget the night I took over Luna’s responsibility in the dreamscape. But you talk as though these three haven’t had the option to embrace friendship; we both watched as Chrysalis rejected Starlight’s invitation. And of course, there’s her more recent plot along with Tirek and Cozy Glow. These are not the actions of one who believes in friendship.” Pinkie’s head lowers as she thinks about Celestia’s last sentence. Suddenly, her eyes grow wide as her head snaps back up. “You’re wrong, Princess Celestia. Their plot to take over Equestria … that whole plot proves they now believe in friendship!” Celestia and Luna both gasp as Discord bursts into a fit of laughter. “I’m serious,” Pinkie pleads; Discord pays no mind as he continues laughing at the thought. Pinkie’s eyes narrow as she assumes a mischievous grin. “Whenever you’re done,” she states. Discord’s laughter dies down. “Oh, so now you’re going to try to convince me about seeing the good in them,” he says as he waves a hoof at the three behind Pinkie. “Why not? I mean, Fluttershy saw the good in you, didn’t she?” The smile quickly fades from Discord’s mouth as his eyes turn red. “Tread carefully, Pinkie Pie,” he quietly threatens. “YOU were once them,” she counters. “YOU were once the greatest threat to all Equestria. So what changed with you, Discord? Did you suddenly say to yourself ‘Hey, I should be good now.’ … is that how it happened with you?” Discord hems and haws at a response. “Well, not in so many words, but …” “You’re able to bring together the most evil and powerful threats that Equestria has ever known. You could have taken out Sombra any time you wanted; I know, I was there. You could turn all of us into unicycling puppets in an instant if you wanted to … but you don’t. You’re the Lord of Chaos!!! … and still, you respect all of us not to go back to the way you were. Why is that?” Discord bows his head in silence, allowing Pinkie to continue. “Because not too long ago, somepony saw a different Discord from the one everypony else knew. She saw someone that just needed a little freedom, a little understanding. She saw someone who just needed a friend.” Silence pervades during a period of contemplation for all. “Could you backtrack a bit?” Luna finally asks. “You’re saying that the efforts that Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow had … involving Grogar’s bell, attacking and imprisoning us … all of that …” She shakes her head. “I am sorry, I am still very much in the dark with regard to your reasoning.” “Their actions were all for the wrong reasons,” Pinkie states. “None of us can argue that; at this point, I don’t even think they would argue that.” “We’re really sorry,” Cozy Glow pleads with sincerity in her voice; Tirek and Chrysalis remain silent but close their eyes and bow their heads. Celestia snorts. “How can we know whether this is all just another act … a longplay, to get us to let our guards down yet again? I still see little reason why they should not return to their previous stone state.” “But what about Discord?” Pinkie presses. “What reason did you have to believe he should be released?” Celestia sighs. “You remember when Cerberus left his guard of Tartarus, correct?” Pinkie nods. “By the time Twilight brought Cerberus back, Tirek had already escaped. I said nothing at the time, as I did not wish to bring panic to Equestria … at the same time, I believed we needed someone capable of defeating Tirek and bringing him in. That was why I came up with the idea of freeing Discord.” Pinkie looks at Celestia curiously. “So, the only reason you had us try to reform Discord was … you wanted to use him? Not because you felt he deserved another chance? That’s …” The revelation stuns Pinkie into silence. Discord turns to Celestia, who bows her head. “I am sorry you had to find out this way,” she quietly states. Discord stutters in response: “So … so when Fluttershy …” Quickly, Celestia interrupts: “She knew nothing of my true intentions. None of them did; not Twilight, not Pinkie Pie … I know you have little reason to believe me now, but this is the truth.” Discord turns away and quietly takes a few steps away. “Wait!” Pinkie calls out, causing him to turn around. “Think about what all this means. Fluttershy befriended you not out of a sense of duty or some scheme; she genuinely wanted to be your friend. And that’s what matters most. You can’t tell me you don’t miss her right now.” “I hadn’t really thought about it,” Discord admits. “I hadn’t thought much of anything since I was brought to this spot; I still don’t know what any of this means.” “But you would do anything to bring her back, wouldn’t you?” “… I would,” he quietly accedes. Pinkie turns her attention back to the Princesses. “Think about what all of this means. Discord reformed himself, not because you had plans for him, but because somepony cared about him just for who he was. He learned true friendship … but you’re saying these three can’t?” she asks, again pointing a hoof towards the threesome behind her. “Pinkie Pie …” Celestia pauses again as she shakes her head. “I can’t believe I still have to say this, but … they stole our magic. They imprisoned us. They destroyed the castle. They … they nearly destroyed us all!!!.” “I know … I know all of it,” Pinkie states. “But how did they get there?” “They used that ancient relic,” Luna answers. “Yes, yes … but how did they ever get it in the first place? How did they learn how to control it? How did they fool Discord, who was the only reason they were able to work together in the first place?” “Pinkie Pie, please—” “ASK YOURSELF!” Pinkie shouts, again surprising Celestia. “I’m … I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t talk to you this way, but I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t reeeally important. Please … how did they get so close?” “Pinkie Pie, lest you forget, these three wield extreme power.” “But were they so powerful recently? I mean, Tirek and Cozy Glow were locked away in Tartarus, and Tirek was really showing his age.” Tirek grumbles to himself. “And Chrysalis … the last time we saw her, she had lost her home, her army … she lost everything.” “And thank you for reminding everyone of that,” Chrysalis hisses. “And yeah, Discord did bring them together, but were they going to be any match for him under those conditions? Seeing how easily Discord could have dealt with Sombra?” “Is this leading to anything good for us?” Cozy Glow asks. “They were still strangers, knowing nothing of the power of friendship. I mean, Cozy Glow saw friendship only as a means to gain power … and for Tirek and Chrysalis, friendship wasn’t even a concept they could grasp. But then …” Pinkie turns to Discord. “You told us that they had that bell and used it to take your magic. So why did you give them any information about the bell at all?” “I was playing a part,” Discord responds. “And I knew they would never actually succeed! Or at least … I thought they would never succeed.” “Why were you so sure?” “I know enough of the olden days, back when they were current events. I knew about Starswirl’s enchantments, and how nopony could ever find a way past them.” “So how’d they do it, huh? How did three complete strangers with so little regard for each other pull it off?” She turns to the threesome. “Go ahead, tell them.” Tirek turns to Chrysalis and Cozy Glow, then back to the others. “Chrysalis allowed me to usurp her lifeforce to give me enough additional strength to break a small hole in the force shield Starswirl had put in place … and Cozy Glow was small enough to fit through that hole and retrieve the bell.” “Wait,” Luna says. “Chrysalis, you allowed yourself to be used by Tirek in this fashion?” Chrysalis nods. “And Tirek,” Celestia continues, “you relinquished your control of Chrysalis’s lifeforce once the task was complete?” Tirek likewise nods. The Princesses turn to each other, surprise in their eyes. “But there’s more to it, isn’t there?” Pinkie asks. “How would they have known how to use that relic?” She turns again to Discord. “You didn’t give them any instructions, did you?” “I didn’t even know they had it,” he responds. “And I certainly wouldn’t have told them anything about it.” “So where could they have gotten that information?” Pinkie asks the Princesses. “They would have had to infiltrate Canterlot,” Celestia answers. “But that’s impossible. All those defenses we put up … you know about all those, you tested them.” “So I ask again: how could they have gotten past all of that, on their own …” Celestia’s gaze shits from Pinkie to those behind her. “Well?” “During one of your … ‘pony celebrations’ … I may have gotten the earth ponies to doubt themselves,” Tirek admits. “And I may have caused the unicorns to revolt,” Chrysalis adds. “I may have had a hoof in the pegasi causing havoc with the weather,” Cozy Glow says. “And amidst the confusion,” Tirek continues, “the three of us may have found a way to break in and find the information we needed.” “You see?” Pinkie says. “Working together got them that ancient bell relic. Working together got them to gain the information they needed. And working together got them to overpower Discord and take his magic. Yes, all of that is evil … but they only came close to succeeding by learning the true power of friendship!” Chrysalis winces upon hearing Pinkie’s final word, but remains attentive with the others. “It is quite a tale,” Celestia states, “but I still don’t see your point.” “My point, is that with the help of everycreature in Equestria … maybe everycreature in the world, we were able to overcome all that. It took a joint effort from all of us, with Twilight leading the way, to defeat them. And we succeeded … and brought them down to normal. And … and …” “And what, Pinkie Pie?” Luna asks. “And … at that point, they were defeated. But they were defeated after having seen what true friendship was capable of, for their own benefit. Friendship allowed them to become more powerful together than they ever could have apart … and the friendship of everycreature stopped them. That was the moment, when they were at their weakest … when we could have done more.” Celestia starts anew: “Chrysalis had an opportunity—” “But she didn’t know, she hadn’t experienced friendship back then … it was too soon. But she knows it now … all three of them know it now. And maybe … if we offered that one last chance … instead of …” “Hold on,” Celestia says, shaking her head anew. “Let me make sure I’m understanding you: you’re suggesting that every creature in all of Equestria … throughout the world … disappeared because we turned these three to stone?” “Is that really so hard to believe?” Pinkie asks. “I mean, every time we’ve been close to defeat … Tirek, Chrysalis, Discord, Sombra, Nightmare Moon … hasn’t the Power of Friendship always come through for us? No matter how dark things appeared? I can’t explain it … I don’t think anyone could really explain ‘why’ all this is what it is … but it IS. It just IS. And for all the times we’ve forgiven, for all the times we’ve given our foes one more chance … is it so far-fetched to think that, in a moment when our foes were at their weakest and in greatest need of … of someone to help them … that not offering help could cause something bad?” All parties go silent. A minute passes. Celestia eventually breaks the silence, addressing the threesome behind Pinkie Pie: “Have you anything to say?” Chrysalis starts: “Maybe … maybe if things were different, I could find my place with the changelings … and be more respectful to all who once served me.” “And maybe I could try again at the School of Friendship,” Cozy Glow adds. “Well, if there was anycreature still there, I guess.” “I honestly don’t know what I could do,” Tirek says, “but perhaps with some guidance, I could find a place here … as my brother once did.” Celestia turns to Luna and Discord, who each nod in tacit approval of her forthcoming actions. She turns again to address the threesome. “Pinkie Pie said that she forgave you on behalf of myself and all of Equestria.” The threesome each nod. “I cannot say what the future will have in store for us … but if you each are indeed ready, we can help. Are you all prepared for this new journey?” The threesome each nod again. Celestia smiles. “Then far be it for me to overrule what has already been decided. Perhaps it was shortsighted of us to turn you to stone at that moment, and for that I apologize.” Luna and Discord step up and bow in agreement. “Whatever tomorrow brings, let us all face it together.” An intense flash of light blinds everycreature as a sudden burst of energy knocks them to the ground. Pinkie is the first to get back on her hooves; the sight of familiar faces brings tears to her eyes. “TWILIGHT!!!” Pinkie rushes her alicorn friend, plowing into her and the other Elements. She sobs as she squeezes the group like a vice. “I-MISSED-YOU-I-MISSED-YOU-I-MISSED-YOU-…” *OOF* “Pinkie, calm down!” Rainbow pleads. “You’re suffocating us!” “I’M-SORRY-BUT-I-MISSED-YOU-I’M-SORRY-BUT-I-MISSED-YOU-I’M-SORRY-BUT-I-MISSED-YOU-…” “Okay, okay now,” Applejack declares as she eventually untangles herself from the others. Gradually, the remaining Elements get on their hooves; Twilight in particular catches a glimpse of … “Princess Celestia!” Twilight sighs with relief, before noticing others around her. “Oh no, they’re back!” she exclaims, lowering her head and pointing her horn towards Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. Celestia walks up to Twilight and spreads a wing around her. “There is no need, Twilight,” she calmly asserts. Quizzically, Twilight looks up at Celestia. “What do you mean?” “It’s a long story … one that I’m sure Pinkie Pie will be more than happy to tell.” She turns her attention to Rainbow Dash: “Could you fly above these gardens and take a quick look around Canterlot?” “Uh, sure thing … but why?” “Call it a hunch,” Celestia replies. Nodding, Rainbow takes to the air and flies off. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight starts, “what’s going on? The last thing I remember—” “DISCORD!!!” Twilight feels a blur rush past her and watches as Fluttershy dives at the draconequis, embracing him tightly. “I thought you were gone!” she cries. “I was … I mean, I think I was, but then … oh, who cares?” Discord quickly reciprocates, squeezing just as tightly. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight starts again, “what is going on around—” An instant later, Rainbow returns. “OK, somepony owes us an explanation: ponies seem to be appearing out of nowhere, all over the city.” “Wait a minute,” Applejack says. “Ah’m rememberin’ what happened to us now … we was, like, ‘gone’, right?” “And now you’re back!” Pinkie enthusiastically replies. Twilight turns her sights from Celestia to Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, and back again. “I don’t understand; what happened?” “In due time,” Celestia states. “There will be much to explain … but first, I must address the ponies of Canterlot.” She turns to the threesome. “I will need you to join me; this may take some explaining, but I assure you, you have nothing to fear and everything to gain.” Apprehensive at first, Tirek eventually walks up to Celestia, with Chrysalis and Cozy Glow following. Together with Luna, the fivesome walk out of the gardens. Twilight turns to Pinkie Pie. “What does Celestia mean that you tell the story?” Pinkie shrugs. “Eh … I’m a good storyteller. Just ask the Cake twins.” Beaming, she pronks her way towards the garden’s entrance. “Anypony else feel like taking the long way home?” Twilight shakes her head, but laughs at the absurdity of the scene. “Guess we have something to look forward to when we get back.” As Twilight and the others head for the entrance, one peculiar sight catches Rarity’s eyes: “Is that my couch?”