//------------------------------// // Together or Alone You Will Shine // Story: Friends, Forgiveness, and Magic // by Invinsible //------------------------------// Friends, Forgiveness, and Magic Together or Alone You Will Shine Lady Faust blinked her eyes a few times to clear her vision, before getting off the floor and bolting up to a standing position. She stumbled a little, still dizzy from whatever the twelve Elements had done to her and took stock of her situation. “What just happened?” she asked. She examined her body with a little confusion. She had shrunk down to about the size of a border collie. With shape-shifting as one of her powers, it wasn’t a normally big deal but it was concerning because she didn’t do it to herself and for some reason she couldn’t do it in wherever she was now. She looked around the room she was in, ignoring the other person sitting at the computer for now. A decently sized bookcase filled with books, shelves for several computer games, and posters and other items from Disney and Marvel stories. It was ten times smaller than the kind of room she was used to relaxing in, but she still nodded in approval of the pop culture environment. As she became aware of my presence, her magic restricted itself from harming me in any way. “Who are you?!” she asked, shocked by my sudden appearance in her vision and her inability to cast any curses on me. “It’s nice to meet you in person, Lady Faust. Or I can call you Lily if you prefer. Sorry, I have to type this conversation as we talk.” I could see her looking over my shoulder as I worked. Reading the last few paragraphs I had written, she gasped and took a step back. “You’re the one behind all this. You’re Invinsible.” “Yeah, I am,” I said to her. “Sorry it’s taken us so long to get here. And for everything you…you know.” Lady Faust frowned at me. “What are you doing? Why am I meeting you like this here in…oh, gross!” she growled as she saw the light coming in through my window. “Trees that don’t have any magic? Cars that don’t fly or transform? You actually live in this revolting world?!” “Let’s try not to focus on that right now,” I told her. “What do you think of this meeting?” She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, so I kept talking. “When I first thought of it, I thought it might be kind of fun. You know, a fanon author kind of meeting a canon author. Or something like…” She interrupted me and said, “Whether or not I think this meeting is clever is not your concern. A writer’s biggest concern is their audience. But since your readers are mostly normal humans, they probably hate this idea and everything you’ve written, and they want to murder you.” “Well that’s not very nice. I’m sure the Bronies reading this story are good people.” Lady Faust grunted. “I guess they are fans of a cartoon with magic in it. But how much do they appreciate magic, adventure, and good manners, and how many of them are only obsessed with friendship and conformity and all that garbage?” “Wait, I think we’re going in the wrong direction with this. I’m sorry-” “You should be sorry!” she growled as she cut me off again. “If you’re the one writing me, that means my life is all your fault!” “I’m sorry. Honestly, your past created itself in my head, but I guess I could have made things a little gentler for you,” I told her. “…What?” she asked, understandably confused. “There was this writer I saw on the Internet once who talked about this,” I said to her. “Sometimes when you create characters in your head, some of them get bigger than the others. Their personalities develop in ways you could have never imagined, even though you’re the one imagining it. Everything about them, their hobbies, lives, and ambitions get stuck in your head. To the point where they take on a life of their own; to the point where you can almost hear them talking to you.” I pointed at one corner of my room. “It happened with her.” Lady Faust turned to look where I was pointing. Hovering off the floor, wispy tentacles of pink smoke clinging to the ceiling, her hovering face grinned down at us. “Hello, my pretty little darlings,” the pink swirling eyes and blood-filled mouth purred. “The filly from your other story?” Lady Faust said in disbelief. “Out of all the characters you write, you allowed a sociopathic horror beast of a hero to become a voice in your head?” “She’s usually very nice to people who aren’t evil,” I defended. “She was fun to write and her personality just became too big in my head. It’s hard not to think about her.” “Well you did something to my magic and she’s creeping me out!” Lady Faust gulped as she backed away from the giggling mad-girl. “Please make her go away.” “I’ll be back,” the filly sang as I made her disappear. “You get the idea,” I told Lady Faust. “When I first thought of you, you were just a generic destructive force. I reversed a lot of roles in the story, and that had to include Lord Tirek. Since he was from a previous generation, I came up with the idea for Megan Williams to take his place as the villain while he took her place as a hero. But Megan wasn’t threatening enough to be the final boss without giving her too many extra powers. So, I thought about Lauren Faust’s OC alicorn and how powerful she could be, and filled that role with you. But while she created Equestria, you were only supposed to be a destructive force. Like Doomsday from Superman. You were always powerful, but too boring to write about.” I sighed. “But then I thought about how some pony like you would have grown up around other ponies, who are very social creatures while I am not.” “What are you talking about?” she asked. “I have a kind of social skills disability. That’s where you get it from, although your case is a hundred times more intense than mine. Sorry, maybe I’m not explaining this right…” “How…how are you still alive?!” Lady Faust asked. She sounded pretty astonished. “What do you mean?” I asked her. “I mean, at least I have magic to protect me! You don’t have that! You don’t have anything to protect you from the vile, vicious, murderously angry and unreasonable extroverts lurking out there, just waiting for you to make a mistake so that they can rip your body in half and gnaw on your bones!” she ranted. “I think you’re exaggerating. Extroverts aren’t like-” “Yes, they are!” Lady Faust interrupted me. “Ponies and humans are social creatures. Anytime they encounter people who are NOT socially skilled, they treat us as inferior, unforgivable, and expendable.” “Wait, wait, can you please calm down?” I said to her. “Remember that I’m typing this out for other people to read. I don’t want anyone to think I’m insulting them, because I’m not.” “Why do you still care what other people think of you? Why should I care?! As soon as people notice my existence, they want to torture me.” Lady Faust let out a shuddering sigh. She was quiet for a few seconds before she said, “I was forced to watch an angry mob of so-called ‘friends’ burn the only real friend I have. I’ve seen how humans mistreat those who are different. And I’ve seen how Thorax in Equestria was treated before the fictional dragon sang a song to solve all their problems.” She looked back up at me and said, “Normal people are monsters and friendship is a curse upon the universe. And there is nothing you, your audience, or the characters in your little fanfic can say that will change my mind.” “I know your history,” I told her. “I know that the Princess of Friendship and her beliefs can’t get through to you. But I don’t think you’re unforgivable. Let’s talk,” I offered. “Away from my computer. I won’t write down anything more between us. Please, give me a chance to convince you that people can be better. That people like us can be respected and loved, even in an extrovert’s world. Even if it takes us months, I want to convince you that there can be hope, and that hope can win. No matter how long it takes, you can always time travel to when Nightmare just got back. Does that sound okay to you?” Lady Faust was quiet for a few minutes before she answered me. And that was that. “I’m sorry Aunt Celestia. I thought I could restore all of you in one go,” Princess Nightmare Moon said. Duchess Celestia smiled up at her niece. “It’s no problem at all. I’d be happy to endure this for a little longer while you attend to restoring the others.” While it was a bit awkward at first for her to move her body with only her front legs, she was doing a remarkable job maintaining her dignity, even though her flank and her back legs were still missing. Nightmare sighed. “It’s not difficult, just annoying.” She cleared her throat and said, “‘Thanks to the heroic endeavors of Lady Faust, the ponies of Everfree and Equestria were restored to life, now free from the curse of friendship.’” After her second recital of the spell, the rest of Celestia’s body existed once more and she stood back up on four legs again. Luna walked up to her daughter and sister and smiled back at their friends, leading Nightmare’s gaze towards Gilda, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Queen Chrysalis, Discord, and several other allies who had been erased during their battle with Lady Faust. Nightmare Moon had spent over two hours going back and forth to spots on the battlefield and saying the same spell over and over again to bring everyone back to life. A few creatures hadn’t been brought back yet and a few others still needed to hear the spell one more time before all their limbs were returned to them. But progress was being made. Nightmare Moon was slowly undoing all the damage that Lady Faust and her actions had inflicted on Everfree. “Do you truly believe that Lady Faust was defeated?” Lord Tirek grumbled. “I have heard the praise King Sombra has for you, and I have seen your strength in battle. But the nature of this spell you are using feels too much as if she is mocking us.” Nightmare was about to respond to him, but I’m sure you have waited long enough. Discord’s ears twitched. “Eh, Moony? I think Faust is…” “Thanks to the heroic Nightmare Moon’s victory, the ponies of Everfree and Equestria were brought back to life. All the damage that Lady Faust had caused from the moment she stepped hoof in Canterlot was undone.” Long tendrils of bright blue magic burst out of the ground around them and curled around Nightmare and her friends like the fingers of a giant hand. The fingers unfurled and burst out in all directions, bringing ponies and other creatures back to life and restoring the land itself to picture pristine health. Another flash of light filled Nightmare’s vision, completely blinding her to everything happening around her. When she could see again, Nightmare blinked her eyes to take in her new surroundings. Canterlot Castle, but something in her mind told her this was Everfree not Equestria. Her fellow Elements Bearers, Smog, and King Sombra. Several other ponies appeared on the other side of the room, plus one small dragon. Again, her mind told her these were Equestria’s heroes, not their Everfree counterparts. “What the...we’re alive?!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed “We’re alive! Yippee!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she scooped up her friends in a big hug. Princess Celestia and Luna of Equestria flapped their wings and touched down beside the six ponies and Spike. The Elements of Harmony began to happily congratulate themselves while the Elements of Redemption remained on edge. A very comfy looking bed appeared off in another corner of the room, interrupting the Equestrian’s celebration. An exhausted Lady Faust appeared on top of the bed and collapsed on to it. “Hey everyone.” “YOU!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I can’t believe you killed us!” She lunged at Lady Faust, but was easily teleported back to her original position by Faust’s magic. Rainbow didn’t take the hint, and repeatedly threw herself at Lady Faust only to be teleported back. “Well somebody isn’t thinking with portals,” Discord chuckled. “Hey, cut Dash some slack,” Gilda warned him. “Nightmare, what do we do? She doesn’t look like she’s gonna attack, but I mean…” “Why are you here? How did you survive?” Nightmare asked Lady Faust. “I’m sorry,” Lady Faust mumbled, yet her voice carried itself to everyone in the room. “I finally had the chance to talk with someone who would listen to me, and I realize now that I went about this the wrong way. Even if I easily resurrected all of you, I should have realized that destroying two universes might seem scary to most people. I just…don’t know how normal people think.” Her front leg lazily jerked around and pointed at different people. “Chrysalis, imagine if your hive hated you. Applejack, imagine if your family never loved you. If they always believed you were a failure and nothing you did could change that. Pinkie, imagine hosting a party where everybody insulted everything you ever loved. Twilight and Nightmare, imagine if magic kindergarten never ended and the foals never stopped bullying you. Fluttershy, imagine if ponies tortured animals all around you. Every day, for your entire early life.” Lady Faust dropped her front leg and pressed her face deeper into the pillow, even as her rant continued on. “I grew up in a Tartarus unlike any you have ever imagined. Some ponies can become alicorns because they accomplish great deeds or absorb a lot of magic. I used to think that’s what happened to me. But the more I look at my life, the more I’m convinced it was a survival instinct. My body knew that it would take nothing less than reality-altering magic and god-like immortality for me to survive. I was too weak to live.” She lifted her head up to them with wide, haunted eyes. “And when I had the power to escape, I should have done the smart thing. Lock myself in a room so that I can gorge myself on pop culture stories and video games. But my stupid curiosity told me to see the world. My mom’s ghost ordered me to ‘go outside and enjoy the fresh air’. I traveled to countless different worlds and times. I saw ancient pony history. Human history. I’ve seen wars happen in front of me? Have you?” Twilight, Nightmare, Chrysalis, King Sombra, and the two princess sisters all looked like they wanted to respond, but Lady Faust got off her bed and began pacing. “Obviously I stopped as many wars as I could, but it’s the infinite worlds thing, you know? I stop guns from existing outside of comic books in fifty universes but they’re still around in the other fifty universes! And normal people fight over such pointless nonsense!” She stopped pacing and shook her shoulders a little as her horn started to glow slightly more. “I’m getting off track again. Long story short, my mind is messed up.” “I don’t mean to sound harsh, but it sounds like at least a tiny part of that was your fault. Not everything!” Sunset Shimmer quickly added. “Your hometown sounds like a hundred horrible prisons rolled into one, that’s not your fault! But everything afterwards...” “If you can travel through time, why not alter your own past?” Trixie asked. Lady Faust sighed. “I was afraid that changing my origin story would alter my mind or even destroy my personality. My choices were taken away from me too much, so I highly respect freedom. My rampage of revenge would have been so much easier if I just mind controlled all of you, but I would never do that. Maybe I tiptoed the line a bit with my possessions but…” She grit her teeth again as her horn glowed a little brighter. Noticing the Equestrians tense up a bit she said, “I’m not casting any spells on you. Just myself.” “Why are you using magic on yourself?” Twilight asked. “It allows me to talk like a normal person.” “You don’t need magic to talk like a normal pony, silly!” Pinkie said, waving her hoof in a cheerful dismissal. Lady Faust snorted. “Pfft! Yeah right!” She clutched her head and mumbled, “Ow.” She lowered her hoof again. “It’s already too hard for you to understand me. I need to spit what I mean to say out. I admit it: Princess Nightmare Moon and her friends won our battle. But this is unexplored territory for you all.” “Uh, not really,” Rainbow said, crossing her hooves as she hovered in air radiating confidence. “We always beat bad guys like you.” “Debatable on many levels. For one thing, I resurrected you because Nightmare Moon beat me. The point is, what happens now?” Lady Faust raised an eyebrow at Twilight Sparkle’s group. “I can’t be banished, imprisoned, or turned into stone. All your Elements did was temporarily wound me. It took twelve Elements in order to force me to another world, one which I escaped from with little difficulty.” “Um…well…” Fluttershy offered cautiously. “Since you brought us all back and undid all the damage you caused, and since we don’t really remember dying, and since you said you were sorry…” “And I have no interest in making friends,” Lady Faust stated firmly. “I won’t attack you anymore, but I will never, EVER, be your friend. Like I said, unexplored territory for you.” Twilight was incredulous. “But…why? Why wouldn’t you want to make friends?” “Um, Twilight?” Spike cautiously lifted his claw in order to get their attention. “Maybe it’s because she’s been hurt too much? I mean, you remember what happened to Moondancer because you left Canterlot instead of going to her party, right? As for her…I can’t even imagine all the horrible things she’s gone through if she’s telling the truth.” Pinkie drew a circle into the floor with her hoof. “I’m friends with Cranky, but I know that Cranky doesn’t usually like to spend time with people who aren’t Matilda. Some people just like to be alone.” King Sombra spoke up. “Is that what you want, Lady Faust? To be left alone?” Lady Faust sighed. “People actually listening to me? Will wonders never cease. Yeah, I think that’s what I should do. I’ll create my own private universe, fill it with all the pop culture items and modern amenities that I will ever need, and then never leave.” “Ya can’t spend yer life locked up indoors,” Applejack protested. “That’s right,” Fluttershy agreed. “You can’t live your life in fear.” Lady Faust gave them a sad smile. “If I did this in the first place, I would have never destroyed Equestria and Everfree. I make a mess whenever I try to care about someone.” She looked over at the Everfree heroes. “You lot have been very quiet. A sign of who’s the smarter party if you ask me. And yes, even though it’s hazardous for my health, I do care about other people. I think you know one of them.” With a small puff of blue smoke, a regal unicorn appeared. She had a white fur coat with a purple-pink mane and green eyes. Her short tail was covered up by a purple cape and a crown was perched on her head. King Sombra’s eyes widened. “Platinum? Princess Platinum?!” The dark king shadow-teleported over to her and reformed with a hopeful grin on his face. His smile faded as Platinum took several steps away from him and began shivering uncontrollably. “Platinum? What’s the matter?” He glared at Lady Faust as dark magic filled his eyes. “What did you do to her?” “Nothing. She placed a fear curse on herself. I don’t know why and I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with her. But whether you are her father or just her friend, you should know she’s one of my followers.” “Your followers?! Platinum, that isn’t true, is it?” King Sombra asked her. The king of Everfree was unaware that my magic lessened Platinum’s fear curse, allowing her to talk normally even under these severe circumstances. Platinum felt her Lady’s magic and asked, “W-what do y-you want m-me to s-say?” “I…I would like an explanation Platinum. What has happened to your speech? To the rest of you?” King Sombra asked. Platinum glanced back and forth between the two most important ponies in her life and said, “W-what is the s-socially acceptable r-response?” “I don’t know. Maybe we should ask the Princess of Friendship over there?” Lady Faust suggested. She didn’t sound sarcastic… “Um, hello there!” Twilight greeted her. “As confusing as this situation is, it is an honor to meet you Princess Platinum!” Rarity added. “Why, I once filled your role in a play-” “Hi there Platy!” Pinkie cheered. “Do you like-” “I’M SORRY!” Princess Platinum screamed. She teleported away from the approaching ponies and curled up into a ball in a corner of the room. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Lady Faust sent another spell to reassure her follower. “It’s okay, Platinum, I’m right here.” “I…I don’t understand,” a shocked Twilight said as her friends backed off. “You said she cast a fear spell on herself? Why would anyone do this to themselves?!” King Sombra growled at Faust. “As much as you think you understand friendship, you haven’t truly seen it’s ugly side. Social interaction is a skill that millions of people take for granted,” Lady Faust explained as she helped the crying Platinum back on her hooves. “Princess Platinum is just one resident of the Lily Faust Home for the Socially Disabled. A home and mental health facility for every person or entity I have met who is incapable of social interaction or making friends.” Before Twilight or any of her friends could say anything, Nightmare Moon stepped forward. “Can I try something, please?” She transformed into mist and slowly wrapped herself around Platinum. She never actually touched the princess, but it felt like a hug to Platinum. An otherworldly, magical hug that no normal person could ever replicate. After experiencing the alien sensation, Nightmare reformed next to Platinum and spoke softly. “I forgive you for not being perfect. I forgive you for not having any friends. Whatever your reason for hiding from the world, it’s okay. And if you ever decide to come back to the real world…there will be someone who loves you enough to give you the solitude and freedom you need.” Platinum’s terrified shivering faded as Nightmare spoke. She looked up at the dark alicorn with wide eyes and eventually, a small smile. “Thank you.” With a flash of light from Lily’s horn, Platinum was teleported away. She stared at Nightmare and Nightmare stared back. “She reminds me of Moondancer.” Lily blinked in surprise. Her eyes filled with magic for a brief second as she examined her own memories. “The party you and Smog were invited to before your trip to Peaceville. Before you met your friends and battled Eternal Twilight. I didn’t think you remembered.” Smog winced. “Oh no, it’s been months since we last sent them a message!” “It’s okay, Smog. We’ve been busy, and Sundancer and Moondancer will understand. You know they will,” Nightmare said comfortingly. She turned back to Lily and explained, “Sundancer and Moondancer are two old friends we made back when we were kids in the Crystal Empire. Sundancer was a little disappointed when we couldn’t make it to his party but he was a lot happier to know the reason we missed it was because of Eternal Twilight. And they were okay with being pen pals even when we lived on the same street.” Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion. “Why would you only be pen pals if you lived that close?” “Because Sundancer has Aspergers and Moondancer has social anxiety. They’re both extremely uncomfortable with large crowds and social situations in general. I had to become their friend on their terms, but I’m happy that we still keep in touch.” Lily’s jaw dropped. Her eyes widened as she regarded Nightmare with awe. “You understand. You actually understand.” “I do,” Nightmare said gently. “Do you promise me that everything is back to normal?” Lily frantically nodded. “Everyone is back the way they were before. I restored everything in both Everfree and Equestria. Me, Merry Weather, my followers, I’ve fixed it all. If there’s anything I forgot, just tell me and I’ll do it right. I’m sorry, I am SO sorry.” Even though she didn’t ask for anything, her tone was pleading. Begging for her true goal. Nightmare sighed in relief. “Then I forgive you for attacking us, Lady Faust. I forgive you for being a socially anxious, misunderstood introvert, Lily. I won’t force you to be my friend. For now and forever, we won’t force you into friendship.” “Wait, that’s it?!” Twilight protested. “You-” “Twilight…” Pinkie said as she gently held her friend back. “I think she’s right.” Everyone besides Nightmare and Smog stared with shock as Lily gave them a teary-eyed but still joyous smile. “Thank you.” A portal opened up behind Lily and she stared into it as if seeing the opened gates of heaven. On the other side: a luxuriously soft couch was seated in front of a huge TV hooked up to multiple video game consoles. Bookshelves running up and down, left to right, farther than any of their eyes could see. Every shelf stacked with perfectly organized fantasy books, movies, video games, and figurines of various fictional characters. Most likely, there was much more behind what the portal showed a glimpse of. Lily turned back to Nightmare and smiled. “Elements of Redemption. People of Everfree. You will never again fight a threat larger than me. You will never fight another threat larger than Pinkamania. Although you may occasionally get an exciting battle between good and evil, your home will never truly suffer for now and forever.” “Uh…wow. Thank you!” Chrysalis said. Gilda grinned. “She even said we’d still get a few small-scale battles to keep things exciting. Maybe you aren’t that bad after all, Faust.” Lily beamed. “Yep, the only problems you’ll ever have now are personal problems. And hey, if I had the power to solve those this whole thing would have never happened.” She turned back to the portal and waved over her shoulder at them. “Feel free to tie up any loose ends off-screen.” “Hey, wait a minute!” Rainbow said. “Can we get the same deal?” Lily’s happy face briefly soured and she rolled her eyes. “I know about Luster Dawn. You lot will be fine on your own.” Lily Faust jumped into the portal and grinned widely at them. “Before the Princess of Writing could enjoy her much-deserved, ETERNAL vacation she cast a parting spell into Canterlot. The people of Everfree were transported back to their home, leaving Twilight Sparkle’s annoying friends behind until the day they can learn to be less preachy.” “Hey!” Twilight protested as the portal shut behind Lily. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that,” Chrysalis said to the Equestrians as she and her friends began to fade away from Canterlot. “Sorry to run, but we’ll catch up later!” Gilda let out an exhausted sigh as she sank into one of the many comfortable rainbow marshmallow beds that Discord had conjured up. Large enough to sleep on, tasty and regenerating with each bite, and the marshmallow never melted despite her body heat. “I’m glad all that’s over. Imma nap for a week.” Sunset Shimmer relaxed into her own marshmallow chair. “So, what did King Sombra want to talk with you about when we got back?” Nightmare relaxed in a hot tub of swirling mini-galaxies that she and Discord had both poured magic into. “He just said we have stuff to talk about later. He’s thinking about taking a vacation; maybe trying to find where Platinum is. I think he was talking to Loony and Aunt Celestia in private too.” “Wow, really? You think we’re going to have to start calling you Queen Nightmare Moon?” Sunset hinted at. Discord floated over to the table they were sitting at in Nightmare’s library home. Chaos Corner would have been their usual get together, but for now a more relaxing atmosphere was appreciated. “I’m going to let you in on a secret, Sunny. Ponies don’t have a clue how governments or throne claims work.” “Does any species?” Chrysalis asked as she snacked on a cube of magically solidified love. “She’s got you there. Can you please make room for Trixie, Smog?” Nightmare’s number one assistant and friend moved over a bit on his marshmallow couch so Trixie could sit next to him. “So, what’s this game we’re playing?” “We’re calling it Overlords,” Smog explained to his friends. “You each get a board and a stack of cards. You’re all trying to accomplish your personal goal of taking over the world. For example, Nightmare tries to create eternal night, Chrysalis needs to build a changeling hive on each spot of her board, Sunset collects magical ingredients and crystals to become an alicorn, Trixie needs to successfully play the card Greatest Showmare in the World, and Gilda needs to defeat five specific opponents in a race mini-game.” Discord crossed his arms. “Smog and I each had our boards, cards, and goals, but the game developers we tried to pitch our idea to said we were 'too OP'.” He made finger quotes in the air then turned them into finger-sandwiches. He took a bite and spat them back out. “Bleh!” “Hey, don’t worry about it,” Smog smiled and gave him a pat on the back. “They say too powerful, I hear too awesome. Plus, there’s always expansion packs.” “Discord nodded. “Fair enough. We shall simply have to resign ourselves to giving our chosen girls the best advice we can.” “Okay, but don’t be annoying,” Gilda warned him. Discord gave her a happy smirk. “For you my companions, I can only promise I’ll try.” The Princess of Forgiveness smiled at her friends. “Sometimes, that’s enough. Let’s get this started.” Lily relaxed into her soft chair, smiling fondly as she watched the finale to her latest anime. “That was a good show.” She looked over her shoulder. “Hey Pony Janet?” A blue earth mare wearing a purple dress appeared next to Lily. Her strongest features were her helpful smile and cutie mark, which said Janet. “Your dinner is ready, Miss Lily. Cheesy pasta with Caesar salad and triple scoop banana split ice cream with sliced berries for dessert.” Lily smiled as she accepted the platter while loading up a new video game onto her computer. “Thank you, Pony Janet. You’re officially best pony.” “Not a pony,” Pony Janet corrected with a smile. “That’s what I like about you,” Lily joked. “Dismissed.” Lily grinned again as Pony Janet teleported somewhere else, leaving her blissfully alone. She glanced at her to-do list, noting the visit she was planning for her followers scheduled in a month, before turning back to her screen. As Nightmare selected cards from her deck, she happily started to sing: “Each one of us has something special. Something that makes us different. That makes us rare.” Lily smiled as her character unlocked a new summon spell and joined in on a song that wasn’t playing in her world, “We have a light that shines within us That we will never Be forced to share.” Thorax, Angle, and several changelings in Chrysalis’ hive sang along as they expanded their hive to make room for new arrivals to Peaceville. “But when we come together Combine the light that shines within There is nothing we cannot do There is no battle we can’t win.” The Cutie Mark Destroyers and their friends ran through the streets of Peaceville, chasing a giggling parasprite. Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Snips, and Snails had all gotten rid of their cutie marks. Diamond ran into Apple Bloom and her two friends and the two groups of friends joined forces. “When we come together There’ll be a star to guide the way It’s inside us every day!” Diamond sang. In a concert in Tambelon, crowds of ponies and other creatures cheered as the Dazzlings sang for them. Their pony disguises had been discarded, and the sirens could be seen by all in their true forms. “See us now! See us now!” Adagio, Sonata, and Aria sang. “Let the rainbow remind you That together or alone you will shine Let the rainbow remind you That together or alone you’ll be fine!” In a very small alternate universe, one building stands tall both in size and in purpose. Thousands of ponies, humans, elves, robots, and other creatures work with their counselors or by themselves as they try to puzzle out the mystery and the dangers of social interaction. In one quiet little room, Megan Williams and her siblings watch TV while keeping an eye on the group in the bedroom across from them. King Sombra and Celestia are introducing Zecora to Princess Platinum. “Each one of us will sometimes falter You may stumble, you may fall.” Zecora gently sang to the princess. “But we all have a kind of power One that will see you through it all,” King Sombra gently sang to Platinum, levitating a wrapped present to her confused but curious hooves. The Great Dragon Spike and Princess Twilight Sparkle of Everfree sat together in Spike’s cave, reading books together. Outside the cave, Pinkie Pie was snapping her fingers and jumping around on a trampoline-shaped pile of Smooze as she rained globs of chocolate and treats to her party guests. “And when we come together Combine the light that shines within There is nothing we cannot do There is no battle we can’t win!” Pinkie sang. At the Glimmering Stars Resort, Starlight Glimmer carried over a tray of popcorn bowls and ice cream sundaes to her guests. She dropped bowls and glasses by Lord Tirek, Prince Shining Armor and Countess Cadance, and a few Shadowbolts who were all on vacation. She turned back to the movie that was playing on the projector and sang along: “When we come together There’ll be a star to guide the way It’s inside us every day!” It was night-time. Through worlds upon worlds of imagination, Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna guarded the dreams of Everfree and sang together, letting their message be known to all who would listen: “Let the rainbow remind you That together or alone you’ll survive Let the rainbow remind you That together or alone you will thrive!” The computer screen turned itself off as it magically sensed that Lady Faust had fallen asleep. She cuddled up into her bed with her six-armed alien plush toy, dreaming about the day she would spend consuming fantasy and fictional stories tomorrow. And the day after that. And the month after that. For as long as she wished. The Divine Spirit of Forgiveness levitated the covers over the peacefully sleeping Lily. The spirit smiled at her before walking away with the Tree of Harmony’s spirit. “Let the rainbow remind you That together or alone it’s your life. Let the rainbow remind you That together or alone you will always shine.” The End.