My Little Mages: The Nightmare's Return

by BrassHeart

War In The Ruins

Twilight could only hear the pounding of her own heart in her chest as one thought repeated itself over and over.

She’d failed. She’d been too slow. She’d failed. Nightmare Moon was awake. She’d failed. She was going to die here. She was going to die.

“Judging by the fact that thou art still amongst the living, shall We presume that Our subordinates failed?” Nightmare Moon asked. “Or didst they capture thee alive so that We might have the pleasure of killing thee Ourselves?”

“I – I am here of – of my own accord,” Twilight stammered. “I am here to avenge the death of Princess C-Celestia.”

Nightmare Moon looked around the room. “Alone?” She asked. “We did not take thee for such a fool.”

“I-I’m more than enough!” Twilight said, the shaking in her voice betraying her confidence. She threw a basic attack spell at Nightmare Moon, but the Queen of the Night blocked it with a wave of her hand.

“Pathetic,” She said, blocking another attack. “Thou truly think that thou hast a chance against Us?” Twilight cast a ball of fire at her, but Nightmare Moon brought up a shield made of shadows. “We shall not give thee the privilege of an easy death, Twilight Sparkle. We shall show thee the futility of thy actions! Come!” At Twilight’s bidding, a pillar of flames shot up around Nightmare Moon. The flames died almost instantly, showing Nightmare Moon without even a single burn on her. “Try to harm Us! Amuse Us!”

‘I can’t do it,’ Twilight thought as she tore through every spell in her Tome. ‘She’s too powerful.’

She thought of the others, the mages who had accompanied her this far. ‘I can’t do this alone.’

A bolt of fire burned past Rainbow Dash’s leg as she flew around the tallest remaining tower of the palace. She turned around and fired an arrow of her own at the Shadowbolt, but the agile flier chasing her dodged it with minimal effort.

“This is seriously pathetic! You really wanted to join the Wonderbolts with those skills?” The Shadowbolt fired three arrows in rapid succession, and Rainbow Dash was only able to dodge one of them. The other two icy-blue arrows hit her feet, sealing them in blocks of ice.

“Shit!” Rainbow Dash cursed as she realized that the ice wasn’t supposed to hurt her. It was supposed to slow her down.

“Don’t make me laugh!” The Shadowbolt roared as she sped to catch up with Rainbow Dash. She delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Dash’s side, making the Elementalist scream.

“You’re not even tough enough to make me sweat!” She pulled her fist back to throw a punch, but Rainbow Dash abruptly slowed down, letting the punch whiz past her head. She flew away while the Shadowbolt was still taken by surprise, making a beeline for the nearest wall of the palace.

Without holding back, she slammed both of her feet toes-first into the wall, shattering the ice off her feet. She looked over her shoulder, and saw her adversary flying straight for her at breakneck speeds. She held back a grin, and didn’t move to avoid.

Just before the collision, Rainbow Dash flew straight up, giving the Shadowbolt a clear path to crash into the wall.

The Shadowbolt turned on a hair when there was only an inch of space between her face and the wall, flying after Rainbow Dash with her bow ready. Rainbow Dash fired a lightning arrow, but the Shadowbolt rolled to avoid it. Rainbow Dash grunted, and did something stupid, even by her standards. She stopped flying, and let herself fall.

“Later, bitch!” She said quickly as she fell past the Shadowbolt at terminal velocity. As she fell, Rainbow Dash shot one arrow straight up. The cloudy-gray arrow flew past the Shadowbolt’s ear, but Rainbow Dash hadn’t been trying to hit her. The Shadowbolt was swept up by the gale of wind following the arrow, losing her sense of direction as she was tossed around like a ragdoll.

After a few seconds where she couldn’t tell up from down, she was sent flying away, tumbling head over heels as she tried to get control over her body. Rainbow Dash flew to intercept her, and grabbed her leg.

The Shadowbolt felt herself being swung around, the earth and sky blurring in her vision. If she hadn’t been such an experienced flier, it would have made her feel sick to her stomach.

“Eat dirt!” Rainbow Dash yelled, finally releasing the Shadowbolt’s leg. She crashed into the ground head-first.

“BOO-YEAH!” Rainbow Dash hooted, looking down at her defeated opponent. “Who’s the queen of the skies? I think I am!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, shut up!”

Rainbow Dash stopped mid-cheer. She looked back down at the ground, and saw the Shadowbolt standing up, a bit bruised, but none the worse for wear.

“Oh, come on! How are you still standing?!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “You just hit the ground face-first!”

“Nothing I haven’t been through before,” The Shadowbolt said, rubbing her skull. “That aside, I’m actually pretty impressed. I think I might actually have to stop holding back. Wait, dammit, my hood’s all fucked up.” She ripped off the tattered hood, and shook her head to loosen up her dark blue hair. “There we go.”

“…You,” Rainbow Dash said, her eyes wide. “You’re…”

“What? Recognize me?” The most infamous killer in Mystica, the murderer of four Wonderbolts (and one janitor) asked, smirking.

“Nightshade,” Rainbow Dash growled, clenching her teeth.

“That’s me, alright,” The traitorous Wonderbolt said. “Got a problem with me?”

“Hell yes, I do,” Rainbow Dash said, her face a mask of seriousness. She tossed her bow away and cracked her knuckles. “You deserve every last bit of the beating I am about to give you.”

“Oh, you’re trying to look tough in front of the big, bad murderer? I’m so scared! Somebody save me from this fangirl’s righteous f-” Nightshade stopped talking right after that, due to the sudden introduction of Rainbow Dash’s fist to her face.

“For Cloud Cover!” The Elementalist said. An image flashed through Nightshade’s mind of a handsome man wearing a Wonderbolts flightsuit, lying on the ground with a hole through his chest. “For Windswept! For Comet Tail! For Speed O’Sound!” Each name was punctuated by another hit and another image in her mind.

“For-!” Nightshade caught Rainbow Dash’s fist, and twisted it, producing a loud crack. Rainbow Dash screamed.

“You think you’re fucking better than me?!” Nightshade screamed. With her other hand, she slammed Rainbow Dash in the stomach, going on the offensive. “You think I’m the one who was in the wrong?! You don’t even know why I killed them! You don’t fucking understand!”

“You were throwing a tantrum! You killed five people because you didn’t get to be captain!” Rainbow Dash said, blocking Nightshade’s attack with her one good hand.

“Shut up! I should have been captain! Me! Not that fucking brat, Spitfire! I taught that kid everything she knew! Before me, she could hardly fly in a straight fucking line! But she got the captain’s bars instead of me, just because our fucking sponsors wanted a younger captain! Just because of that! Was it so wrong to show them why they should have chosen me?!”

"Don't try to justify what you did! You murdered four Wonderbolts at that award ceremony!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Nightshade screamed, swinging her arms without any semblance of control. Rainbow Dash leaned back to avoid an attack, and Nightshade was left wide open.

"For Squeaky Clean!" Rainbow Dash said, and her good fist snaked out and hit Nightshade in the chin with what felt like enough force to drop a gorilla. The Shadowbolt’s mind went blank, and she hit the dirt.

“I can't believe I used to be in your fanclub,” Rainbow Dash said, wincing as she twisted her hand back into place. “You fucking monster.”

She grabbed her bow off the ground, and shot four arrows at the dazed Shadowbolt without a trace of remorse. Then, her work done, she slung her bow over her shoulder and walked away.

“H-hold it,” The Shadowbolt croaked as her mental faculties returned to her. “Wh-where do you think you’re going? I’m not d-done with you.”

“Well, I’m done with you,” Rainbow Dash said, not even looking back. “I’ll make sure somebody comes by to get you after we finish off Nightmare Moon.” She grinned. “Of course, they’re gonna need an icepick.”

“You bitch!” Nightshade shouted, trying to pull her hands and feet out of the ice sealing them to the ground. “Get back here and fucking kill me! You coward!”

“Nah,” Rainbow Dash said dismissively. “You’re not worth the effort.”

“You think I wanna spend the rest of my life rotting in prison?! Fuck no! Do you not have the fucking spine to kill one defenseless murderer?!”

Rainbow Dash stopped walking, and looked over her shoulder at Nightshade. “Don’t lump me together with the likes of you.”

“Bitch!”

“I guess I am,” Rainbow Dash said.

And so she kept on walking, until she could only faintly hear Nightshade screaming at her.

Applejack was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she was a bit in over her head. There was a world of difference between the Undead in the forest and the Undead here. In the forest, they had been slow, sluggish, and could probably be outwitted by the common brick. But now? They were fast, they reacted quickly, and they actually worked together. Applejack was fairly certain that it was due to the presence of the Necromancer. The same Necromancer who was taunting her from a place out of Applejack’s reach.

“Feeling tired, Paladin?” The Necromancer called down from atop the walls. “I’d be more than happy to accept an unconditional surrender. You’d make a lovely addition to my army.”

“I’ll die before you turn me int' an Undead!” Applejack shouted back, throwing off an Undead that had managed to grab her by the shoulder. It knocked down several other Undead, and they struggled to stand back up.

“Yes, that’s kind of the point,” Her opponent said, looking at her fingernails.

“Don’t joke around with me, Necromancer!” Applejack said, a wide swing cutting a swath through the Undead. “My family defeated your kind once! I can do it again!”

“Clearly, you didn’t do a very good job during your senseless crusades,” The Necromancer said, gesturing at herself. “You missed one. Do you know who I am, girl?”

“I know that…” Applejack blocked a sword strike. “…that you’re a disgustin’ sycophant, leechin’ off the dead!”

“Ooh, a sycophant?” The Necromancer repeated. “Such a big word! I’m so impressed!” Her face lost its mocking grin, and became stoic. “But, of course, my name is one you are doubtlessly familiar with. I was High Matriarch of the Crawling Crypt coven, the very mind behind the war! I have existed for two hundred years, laughing in the face of death itself! I am Chrysalis, the Queen of the Crypt!”

“Ha!” Applejack laughed. “My Granny mopped the floor with ya, you halfwit lich!”

“It was an even battle! I only feigned defeat so I could strike once more!” Chrysalis insisted.

“You mean you played dead!”

“It's a legitimate tactic! And it worked! I’ve been gathering my strength in the Everfree Forest for fifty years! I command hundreds of Undead now, all waiting for the Queen to lead us into Camelot!”

“Twenty-seven!” Applejack shouted, ducking under an Undead’s sword. Chrysalis blinked in confusion.

“I beg your pardon?” She asked.

“Twenty-seven members o’ the Apple Family! Priests, Clerics, Paladins, an’ Preachers, all o’ them!” Applejack said, cutting through another Undead. “Ten turned the tides o’ the war fifty years back, an' do you know how many it’s gonna take t’ defeat you?”

Applejack split an Undead skull in half. “One!”

Then, she saw stars as an Undead slammed her in the back of the head with a warhammer.

With her vision swimming and knees weak, Applejack resolved to invest in a helmet the moment she got home.

A pair of Undead grabbed her arms, forcing her up to her knees. Applejack’s sword fell from her hands, and thumped to the ground. Applejack’s vision quickly returned, and she looked up to see Chrysalis standing in front of her, a small, pleased smile on her face.

“Don’t worry, little Paladin,” Chrysalis said, lifting Applejack’s chin with her staff. “You’ll forget about the pain soon.”

She swung her staff into Applejack’s face, and the Paladin could feel the blood it spilled. “Your family may have defeated me once before, but this time, I will have the advantage.” Smack. “The Queen has promised me power in exchange for my services; power enough to wipe your pathetic Cathedral off the face of Mystica.” Smack. “Your family will die, and I will not let them stay dead.” Smack. “Eternal servitude to me. That is the fate that awaits them, and you.”

“I’ll never… be your pawn…” Applejack said.

“Stupid girl,” Chrysalis laughed. “You won’t have a choice.” She raised her staff like an axe, and Applejack steeled her resolve.

With a roar of exertion, she tore her arms free of her Undead captors, and sprang forward, headbutting Chrysalis in the stomach. The Necromancer was knocked flat on her back by the surprise attack. Applejack scooped up her sword, and with a scream, brought it down.

The blade passed clean through Chrysalis’s chest, and the Necromancer stared at it in shock.

“May the Goddess…” Applejack panted. “Have mercy… on you.”

Chrysalis hissed as her skin started to dissolve. She tried to curse Applejack with her dying breath, but having a sword through her lungs prevented that. Thus, she could only hiss and spit at the Paladin as Death finally took his due. In moments, Chrysalis was nothing more than a skeleton, which still struggled and clacked its jaws at Applejack. Finally, even that dissolved, leaving behind only a skeletal staff and a ratty black robe.

Applejack sighed, and stood up. She looked around at the Undead, who were staring at her in silence. Applejack slowly crossed herself.

“In the name o’ Faust,” She said. “Rest in peace.”

The Undead turned their faces to the skies and let out a deep sigh as their bodies crumbled. Applejack stood alone as the wind claimed the dust. “Ashes t’ ashes, dust t’ dust,” She said. “Amen.”

“Hey, Applejack, if you’re gonna try to make yourself look cool, don’t do it when there’s only one person watching,” Rainbow Dash said, appearing at Applejack’s side. The Paladin’s eye twitched.

“I wasn’t tryin’ t’ look ‘cool’,” She said. “How long’ve you been watchin’?”

“A few minutes,” Rainbow Dash said casually. “Ever since Lady Holier-Than-Thou was going to town on you with that staff.”

“Hold on, ‘Lady Holier-Than-Thou’? She was a Necromancer! How was she…” Applejack’s face fell as she figured it out. “…Oh. Rainbow Dash, I oughta smack you for that pun.”

“Whatever. It was worth it.”

“An’ I should slug ya for not givin’ me a hand.”

“Looked like you had everything under control to me,” Rainbow Dash said. “I would have jumped in if it ever really looked like you needed help.”

“Sure. Let’s get goin’. We gotta catch up with the others.”

Fluttershy gulped as she looked around at the werewolves surrounding her. They were slowly getting closer and closer to her, growling deeply. She tried to hide behind her staff, but she had the strangest feeling they weren’t buying it.

“You’re… sure you don’t want to let me go?” She asked nervously.

“You have escaped us once before,” One of the werewolves, probably the Alpha, said. “It will not happen again.”

“Um, I think you’d really be a lot better off if you just… just let me be. Really, you would,” Fluttershy said. The werewolves laughed at her.

“Was that supposed to be a threat?!” The Alpha barked. “I have hunted scarier field mice!”

“I’m w-warning you,” Fluttershy said, raising her staff shakily. “B-b-back off.”

“There’s no Ursa to save you here, furless-one,” The Alpha said. “Enough talk. Kill her!”

As one, the werewolves attacked. Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut and whispered a very quick apology under her breath.

The gnarled tip of her staff started to glow. And the courtyard exploded into a frenzy of growth.

The Diamond Dogs barked in surprise as new plants burst out of the ground beneath them, entwining them with thick, woody vines. The vines kept on growing, lifting the Diamond Dogs higher and higher, until Fluttershy’s staff stopped glowing.

A single druid against a group of enemies, in the middle of a courtyard filled with overgrown plants?

It was no contest.

“What is this?! Let me go! You call this a fight?!” The Alpha screamed, struggling against the vines.

“I said that you should have let me go,” Fluttershy reminded him.

“I refuse to be defeated like this! Let me down! I demand an honorable battle that will be spoken of for generations!” The Alpha yelled. Fluttershy shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I’m really not one for fights,” Fluttershy said. “I’m just a druid. If you wanted a real fight, you should have waited for Applejack or Rainbow Dash. Of course… I doubt they would have been as merciful as me.”

The Alpha gulped at Fluttershy’s veiled threat. “D-don’t think this is over! The Diamond Dogs will hunt you down!” He swore.

“Um, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the fight is pretty much over,” Fluttershy said, walking away. “Don’t worry, the plants will let you go in a couple hours. Until then, just hang tight.” Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, I’m sorry. That was a very bad pun.”

“I WILL TEAR YOUR THROAT OUT, FURLESS ONE! I SWEAR IT!” The Alpha shouted at the receding Druid.

“Just relax, Roh-Ver,” A diminutive werewolf said calmly. “The more you struggle, the tighter they get.”

“SHUT UP, SPAHT!”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared at the scene in front of them. The werewolves, hanging from enormous plants like ugly, furry fruit, and Fluttershy – sweet, innocent, would-try-to-nurse-an-injured-fly-back-to-health Fluttershy – walking away from them as if this sort of thing happened all the time.

“…Let’s not ask,” Rainbow Dash suggested. Applejack nodded, and hurried to catch up with Fluttershy.

“Are you sure you don’t need a hand?”

“Iron Will…” Attempt to pose. Failure. “Has it under control.”

“Well, hurry it up, then,” Rarity said, going over her nails with a file. “I’d like to beat the sun-loving shit out of you, and I can’t do that if you’re stuck under a chandelier.”

“Ma’am… you would do well…” The chandelier creaked as Iron Will started to push himself off the ground. “…Not to underestimate…” Like Atlas from ancient myth, he stood up, holding the massive chandelier over his head. “…Iron…” He threw the chandelier away like it was nothing, letting it smash into a wall. “WWWIIIIILLLL!”

“Finally,” Rarity said, putting her nailfile away.

“No job is too dirty! No risk is too high! If you’ve got a problem that can only be solved by brute force and cold steel, then IRON WILL!” Pose. “Is the man to call!”

“Enough talk,” Rarity said, magically lifting a few crystal-cut pieces of glass from the remains of the chandelier. They orbited Rarity as she ran her hands over them one by one, placing Enchantments on them. “I’m here to fight.”

“Then Iron Will!” Pose. “Shall oblige!”

He moved much faster than Rarity would have expected from a man his size. Rarity was within his attack range in a heartbeat, and she was only barely able to block his attack by intercepting his axe with a crystal Enchanted to be like diamond.

Imagine her surprise when Iron Will’s axe, after a moment of struggle, smashed it like it was made of normal glass.

The fake crystal’s sacrifice was not in vain, however. It bought Rarity enough time to get away from Iron Will, and prepare a counterattack. Rarity selected a crystal with a fire Enchantment, and hurled it at Iron Will’s chest. He just grabbed it out of midair – with his bare hands – and crushed it.

“Oh, you’re joking,” Rarity said.

“Iron Will!” Pose. Rarity was starting to get tired of that. “Does not joke!”

Rarity launched another crystal at him. He knocked it aside with his axe. She threw another. He turned his body slightly so it flew past him. Once more. He blocked it. With his face.

“…Alright, new tactic,” Rarity said. Iron Will’s leather armor started to glow blue. He looked down at it in confusion. Rarity grunted as she beckoned the armor to rise, along with its wearer. The breastplate lifted a tiny bit off Iron Will’s shoulders, but the mercenary’s feet stayed firmly planted on the ground.

“Iron Will finds this almost pitiful.”

“I swear, the second I…” Rarity noticed something fall out of Iron Will’s breastplate and flutter to the ground. She pointed at it, and the piece of paper flew over to her. Iron Will’s eyes shot open as Rarity plucked the paper from the air and started to unfold it.

“THAT BELONGS TO IRON WILL!” The mercenary shouted, and he jumped at Rarity, arms outstretched. The Enchantress hopped back a bit, and Iron Will belly flopped onto the ground. She was looking at the picture in her hands appraisingly. “Um… Will you please return that to Iron Will?” The mercenary asked politely.

“Very pretty,” Rarity said. “Is it yours?”

Iron Will stood up and snatched the picture out of Rarity’s hands. He tucked it carefully back into his armor. “Not yet,” He said. “But after this job, it will be.”

“Buying a home is certainly a large commitment,” Rarity said. “Especially one so lovely.”

Iron Will sighed, forgetting about the battle. “Three bedrooms, four bath, two stories. Right on the beach,” He said. “It was love at first sight. Iron Will hopes to stay there the rest of his life, just relaxing in the sun and living off the royalties from the book he’ll write.”

Rarity blinked. “Wait… relaxing in the sun?” She repeated. “You, ah, do know what Nightmare Moon’s motives are, correct?”

“Of course Iron Will does! Rulership of all Mystica!”

“…And?”

“Eternal night!”

“…And you realize what that means?” Rarity asked.

“Iron Will is not a fool! It means that… that…” Iron Will’s jaw hung open as he finally connected the dots. “…That there will be no sun. Which means Iron Will won’t be able to work on his tan.” He palmed his face, and sat down. “Dammit, Iron Will is an idiot.”

“It’s alright,” Rarity said, patting Iron Will on the shoulder. “My friends and I are going to stop Nightmare Moon, so you can still get your tan.”

“Nope,” Iron Will said sullenly. “Gotta stop you.”

“But if you stop us, then Nightmare Moon wins, and…”

“Iron Will is a mercenary. It doesn’t matter if Iron Will doesn’t agree with what his employer wants; they’re paying Iron Will, so he has to follow their orders,” The bulky mercenary said. “Which means Iron Will is going to have to kill you now.”

“I was afraid of that,” Rarity said, keeping a hand on Iron Will’s shoulder. “Truth be told, I was actually hoping you would say that. I’m certain that you’ve noticed by now, but… I’m an Enchantress.”

“…And?” Iron Will asked.

“I can imbue magical properties on items just by touching them,” Rarity said.

“Why are you telling Iron Will th-” The mercenary noticed that Rarity had a hand on his armored shoulder. “Oh, dammit.”

“I couldn’t have put it any better myself,” Rarity said. The focus gems on her tiara glowed briefly, and she took her hand off Iron Will’s shoulder. The mercenary tried to move, but found that he couldn’t. “The Immobility Enchantment. I doubt even you could fight against that.”

“Iron Will shall be the judge of that,” The mercenary said. He clenched his teeth and struggled to at least lift his arm, but the leather armor covering it refused to budge. Iron Will’s face started to turn cherry red. He let out a breath, and his face returned to normal color. “…Iron Will has judged that he is pretty much screwed.”

“Quite thoroughly,” Rarity said, pulling a long, purple scale out of her dress. “Now, this may be a tall order for you, but… hold still.”

“Um, what are you going to do with that?” Iron Will asked nervously.

“Issue justice,” Rarity said. “You committed a terrible crime, Iron Will. You destroyed Stvenmgnyt’s beautiful mustache.”

“That river dragon?”

“Yes. That river dragon. With this scale, I am going to take vengeance for his loss,” Rarity said, a demonic look in her eyes. Iron Will could feel himself starting to sweat.

“Y-y-you’re not going to… It was a mustache! You don’t have to… d-don’t! NOOO!”

“What…”

“The…”

“Heck?”

“Ah, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy! How nice of you to join me!” Rarity said, turning away from her work. “Tell me, what do you think?” She stepped aside, to reveal a very cross-looking Iron Will, whose head had been completely shaved.

“Iron Will is not amused,” He said.

“Oh, don’t be so fussy,” Rarity said, patting Iron Will on the cheek. “The Immobility Enchantment should only last a few hours. After that, you’ll be free to go.”

“Iron Will will get you for this. He swears it.”

“Of course you will,” Rarity said. “Girls? Shall we go catch up with Twilight and Pinkie?”

“Uh, okay,” Rainbow Dash said, and the four mages filed out of the front hall, leaving Iron Will alone, sitting immobile in the middle of the room.

He sighed. “Perhaps Iron Will should consider new employment opportunities,” He said to himself. “Iron Will has always wanted to be a motivational speaker.”

An untrained eye would have been able to follow the battle, but it wouldn’t have been able to figure out exactly what was going on. The Grand Master’s sword clashed against whatever Pinkie Pie had in her hands at the moment – she was randomly cycling through various ‘weapons’, such as sledgehammers, juggling clubs, bouncy balls, pogo sticks, and unicycles – and the Grand Master dove through shadows left and right, vanishing from one spot and reappearing in another.

“Give up, Pinkamena!” The Grand Master ordered, his sword throwing up sparks as it clanged against Pinkie’s pogo stick.
“Why won’t you realize that your actions are futile?!”

“Because I’m a bit stubborn! I got it from you!” Pinkie shouted back. “Why won’t you realize that I’m not going to switch sides?!”

“Because you’re my daughter, dammit!” Clyde, the father, yelled. “I only want what is best for my child!”

“You can’t judge what’s best for me!” Pinkie said, lobbing a water balloon at her father. He slashed the balloon in midair without realizing what it was, and ended up getting drenched.

“Dammit, girl!” Clyde shouted, wiping the water out of his eyes. “Your little party tricks aren’t going to be enough to stop me!” He dropped through the shadows at his feet, and reformed behind Pinkie. The Trickster mage had evidently been expecting this, and she flipped over her father, using his head to boost herself.

“I could beat you in my sleep! You’re just lucky I’m not very tired!” Pinkie said. Clyde groaned.

“You used to be such a quiet girl,” He mused, kicking at her. “What happened?”

“Believe it or not, I almost got hit by a rainbow!”

“What?” Clyde winced as Pinkie brought a strange, long horn to her lips and blew, producing a sound like a thousand angry bees buzzing around his head. It wasn’t very pleasant. He successfully fought the urge to clamp his hands over his ears to block out the hellish noise, and cut the horn in two with one slash. Pinkie cried out in anguish.

“My favorite vuvuzela!”

“Are you trying to fight me or get on my nerves?! If you want to win, you have to actually try!” Clyde said, slashing at Pinkie, who nimbly avoided his attacks. “You’re a Shadow Blade, no matter how much you try to deny it! That episode in the forest only proved that! You can’t deny the power the shadows hold!”

“I… am not…” Pinkie jumped back, and vanished through the shadows. Clyde let himself smile a bit in victory. She’d used her ancestral abilities without the influence of the Heart’s Desire. “…A Shadow Blade!” Pinkie jumped out of the shadows only inches in front of him. She scored a clean uppercut to Clyde’s chin, shouting something that sounded vaguely like ‘shower you can’. Clyde stopped smiling.

“I’m Pinkie Pie! I do what I want!” Pinkie announced proudly as she went on the offensive against her dazed father. She kneed him in the gut, elbowed him in the ribs, and, to add insult to injury, hit him in the face with a pie. Then, she hugged him.

“I love you, Daddy,” She said quietly. “This might sting a bit.”

She let go of Clyde, and fell through the shadows. The Grand Master pulled the (blueberry) pie off his face and threw it away, wiping off the gooey mess it left behind. He quickly regretted doing that.

“PARTY CANNON!” Pinkie screamed, sitting atop the powder blue siege equipment. It fired like an oversized party popper, and Clyde was hit by a mass of streamers, confetti, and balloons being fired at terminal velocity. He hit the wall, and lost consciousness.

Pinkie swung her legs off the Party Cannon, and hopped over to her father. She took a stethoscope out of her pocket and put it to his chest, and was rewarded by the sound of his heartbeat.

The Trickster dug her hand into her pocket again, and pulled out a large, stone-gray blanket. She draped it over her unconscious father, giving him the illusion of being a simple rock.

"Okie-dokie," Pinkie said, standing up. She looked at the sealed doors to the Chamber of the Elements. "Now, Twi needs my help!" She paused. "Or maybe I should wait for the others...?"

The only thing that Twilight dared to think about was how she had failed. She’d been wrong. In some corner of her mind, she had told herself that she’d be able to defeat Nightmare Moon on her own, if not through brute strength then by some cunning strategy.

That wasn’t happening.

There was a reason Nightmare Moon and Celestia were considered demigoddesses. They were the most powerful beings in existence, capable of feats of magical power that could move the sun and moon. A single mortal had no chance of defeating one of them in a fair fight.

“How is it that thou became Celestia’s apprentice at such a young age?” Nightmare Moon asked, deflecting every single spell Twilight threw at her. “Was it through some shrewd political connections? Bribery? Because, clearly…” She held out both hands, caught Twilight’s net-like spell, and tore it apart. “…It was not for thy skills.”

“Princess Celestia chose me because she saw that I had raw talent!” Twilight said, casting a magical rope around Nightmare Moon. She just laughed.

“There is a vast difference between raw talent…” She broke the ropes like they were nothing. “…And true skill. If thou had but an inkling of true skill, thou might stand a slight chance against Us. But now… thou art but a child that breathes now only because We wish it.”

“I can still stop you, even without using the Elements of Harmony!” Twilight said, knowing in her heart that it wasn’t true.

“If thou truly believe that, then thou art a greater fool than We thought,” Nightmare Moon said. With one bored swipe of her hand, Twilight was hit by an invisible force, and she slammed into the doors. For a split second, she saw stars as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. She collapsed to the ground, magical exhaustion finally catching up with her. “Face the facts, child. Thou hast failed. Failed thy Princess, failed thy nation, failed thy countrymen, failed thy friends…” Nightmare Moon began to gather magic. “And now… thou shall die.”

Twilight closed her eyes, knowing there was no way to escape her fate. She was going to die. She was going to die here, alone.

applejackrainbowdashfluttershyraritypinkie

Oh, irony. On the brink of death, she could only think about those five people.

There was a mighty roar of noise. If Twilight’s face had not been on the cold, hard floor, she would have seen the door be blown off its hinges, and she would have seen the expression of sheer bewilderment on Nightmare Moon’s face the second before the door hit her. Magical defenses were notoriously useless against heavy stone doors.

“Twilight!” Five voices called out in unison. There was the sound of rapid footsteps, and Twilight felt herself being pulled to her feet.

“Sorry we’re late, Twilight. Got a bit waylaid,” Applejack said.

“Didn’t take me that long,” Rainbow Dash bragged.

“I’m just glad we’re all okay,” Fluttershy said, applying her magic to Twilight and rejuvenating her.

“And surprisingly none the worse for wear,” Rarity said.

“Woohoo! Now the ass-kicking can start!” Pinkie cheered.

Twilight looked at the five mages she’d come so far with. Who’d saved her life at least a dozen times over the past few hours. She felt relief that they had come to support her, but she didn’t understand why. They were just her companions. Her cohorts. Her travelling partners. Her allies. Her partners. Her…

Hell, no point denying it any longer.

Her friends.

Twilight’s pupils grew until they eclipsed her irises.

honesty loyalty kindness generosity laughter

have i ever lied

when i start something i see it through to the end

all creatures deserve to be shown a little kindness

i enjoy working pro bono

just laugh to make them disappear

It clicked.

Twilight Sparkle smiled.

“I…” She said to her friends, “Am such an idiot.”

“Huh?” They all said. Twilight stood up under her own power, and opened her Tome. The heavy, ornate chest materialized in front of her, and she gently lay a hand on it.

“I understand now, Princess,” She said. “I’ve finally figured out what you were trying to teach me.” There was a click, and the chest swung open. Five stone orbs sat on velvet cushions inside it, each one bearing a carving of a different shape. An octagon, a diamond, a triangle, a hexagon, and a kite.

“Are those…?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at the Elements.

“The Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said. “Hold this.” She picked up one of the orbs, and handed it to Rainbow Dash. She passed out the rest of the orbs, one to each of the mages except for herself.

“I was thinkin’ they’d be a bit more…” Applejack trailed off, shaking her Element as if she was expecting it to make a sound.

“Grand?” Rarity suggested, tapping hers.

“Yeah, exactly.”

“They’re still asleep,” Twilight said. “They just need to be…”

There was a twinge in the back of Twilight’s mind. Her eyes snapped up, and she threw up a shield, acting purely on instinct. A blast of darkness crashed against it, and Twilight’s friends jumped back in shock.

“Do you mind?!” Twilight shouted at the utterly pissed-off demigoddess who had just recovered from being hit by a door. “I’m trying to talk to my friends!”

“Do not think that simply because thou now possess the Elements that We are defeated!” Nightmare Moon yelled. “They still lie dormant!”

Twilight Sparkle grinned as the five orbs began to glow. “You were saying?” She asked. Her five friends and Nightmare Moon all bore matching expressions of surprise and confusion.

“Im-impossible,” Nightmare Moon breathed.

“Not at all,” Twilight said. “The Elements of Harmony are reacting to their chosen Bearers. Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, and Laughter; these five represent the pinnacle of these virtues. Let me introduce you.”

“Applejack…” The Paladin gave a start as Twilight said her name. “…Who never even considered lying about the odds of her prayer’s success, even if doing so would have made us less nervous, represents the Element of Honesty!”

“Aw, shucks,” Applejack said sheepishly. The Element in her hands turned into pure light, and reformed around her neck as a gold necklace with an orange, apple-shaped gem.

“Rainbow Dash…” The Elementalist smiled proudly. “…Who stayed true to her friends, even when faced with an irresistible offer, represents the Element of Loyalty!”

“Aw, man, it’s not going to be a girly necklace, is it?” Rainbow Dash asked nervously. Her Element turned into light and reformed in the same manner as Applejack’s, producing an identical gold necklace, except the gem was a stylized red lightning bolt. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “…This isn’t so bad,” She decided.

“Fluttershy…” The Druid squeaked. “…Who sought a peaceful solution to a problem that seemed like it could only be solved by violence, represents the Element of Kindness!”

“Oh, I… Really, anybody would have done the same thing,” Fluttershy said as her Element reformed on her neck. The same gold necklace, except with a pink butterfly gem.

“Rarity…” The Enchantress nodded. “…Who gave away her own hair without asking for any reward, represents the Element of Generosity!”

“Well, I’ve never been one to turn down free jewelry,” Rarity said as her necklace formed. Again, gold, with a purple diamond-shaped gem.

“Pinkie Pie…” The Trickster grinned. “…Who was able to dispel the darkness in her heart by making fun of it, represents the Element of Laughter!”

“Hold on, ‘dispel the darkness in her heart’?” Rainbow Dash repeated.

“Long story, tell you later! Ooh, shiny!” Pinkie said, her eyes reflecting the blue balloon-shaped gem on her necklace.

“Thou think this scares Us?” Nightmare Moon asked. “Thou still lack the final Element!”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to make it,” Twilight said. She raised her staff, and smashed it against the ground. The purple and white starburst-shaped gem that formed the staff’s focal point snapped off, and Twilight scooped it up.

“Art thou mad?” Nightmare Moon asked.

“We’ll see,” Twilight said. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out Princess Celestia’s tiara. “Princess Celestia told me that when I finally learned what she had been trying to teach me, the Element of Magic would be ready to return. Well…” She looked back at her friends. “…I did. I realized that she was trying to teach me that there are some things that can't be taken care of alone. That friendship isn't a waste of time. And I know now, without a doubt, that these people…”

She brought the gem and the tiara together.

“Are my friends!”

There was a burst of blinding white light, making Nightmare Moon cover her eyes. When it faded, she saw the impossible. The gem from Twilight’s staff and Celestia’s tiara had fused together, and the magic it was emitting was almost palpable.

“…Wow. I didn’t actually think that would work,” Twilight said as she placed the new Element of Magic on her head. “So, uh, what happens n-”

The six Elements of Harmony gave off a pulse of light, and the eyes of the Bearers turned completely white. Nightmare Moon visibly jumped back, fear on her face.

“The Elements of Harmony are once again whole,” The six Bearers said as one. “Nightmare Moon, your time is up.”

Wow, that sounded freaky.

Rainbow Dash? Was that you?

Rarity? Holy crap, am I reading your mind?

Sakes alive, I can hear both o’ you!

Oh, my. Maybe it’s because of the Elements?

Twilight, you feel like tellin’ us what’s goin’ on?

Fluttershy was right, Applejack. It’s because of the Elements. We’re all linked together, now. Soul, body, and mind.

And how do you know that?

Not a clue.

Oh my gosh, this is so awesome! Echo! Echo!

Knock it off, Pinkie.

“Th-this changes nothing!” Nightmare Moon yelled. “We do not fear thee simply because thou control the Elements! We are the Queen of these lands! We are invincible! The six of thee stand not a chance!”

Sheesh, she just keeps on talking.

What say we finish what we came here t’ do, gals?

I’m in!

Well, since there’s no way we can just talk her out of it… okay.

I concur. But… how?

Simple. We kick some tail.

Six pairs of eyes began to glow in concert. “We are one.”

The six mages sharing one mind attacked in perfect unison. Twilight fired bolt after bolt of magic at Nightmare Moon, using only her bare hands. While the dark demigoddess was distracted by that, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie charged forwards. Twilight’s assault stopped just as Applejack’s began, and the Paladin’s sword clashed against the demigoddess’s spear. While Applejack and Nightmare Moon traded blows, Rainbow Dash flew around them, firing arrows at chinks in Nightmare Moon’s defenses.

Applejack jumped back, and crouched down, letting Pinkie use her back as a springboard. The Trickster swung at Nightmare Moon’s head with a sledgehammer, but it was easily blocked by the monarch’s spear. Leaving her wide open. An Enchanted rock, thrown by the combined telekinesis of Twilight and Rarity, slammed into her stomach, and knocked her flat onto her back. The stone floor around her cracked, and a plethora of vines and weeds reached up to grab her, tying her to the ground with their iron-like grips. Her eye twitched.

“I… have had…”

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash prepared to hit Nightmare Moon all at once. Suddenly, they stopped. Applejack and Pinkie hung in midair above Nightmare Moon, and Rainbow Dash’s arrows just stopped.

“ENOUGH!”

The three mages were sent flying, and were saved from crashing into a wall by Fluttershy raising some large, leafy plants to catch them. They rolled to the ground, and quickly got back up.

“I will NOT be defeated by six mortals! Six children! The Elements of Harmony shall not stop me! They art but toys in thy hands!” Nightmare Moon ranted, as all the shadows in the room started to gather behind her. “I am Mystica’s true ruler! I have waited a thousand years for this day, and I will not have my victory stolen from me by the likes of thou!”

Hey, she’s talking in first-person!

I believe we may have gotten on her nerves.

It looks like she’s preparing something big. Girls, I think it’s time we finished this.

I’m with Twi. Got a plan?

Yeah. Focus all your magic on me. We’ll hit her with everything we’ve got.

Alrighty then! Let’s do this!

Twilight gasped as her friends poured their magic into her through the Elements, until she was so full of magic, it felt like she was about to pop. And it didn’t stop there. The magic kept on coming.

“This ends now,” The six voices said.

“Thou cannot best me!” Nightmare Moon shouted.

Twilight couldn’t take it anymore. She cupped her hands in front of her, and gave the overflowing magic an exit point.
It left her hands as a beam of light tinted with the colors of the rainbow, all swirling together and mixing as it pleased them. The light of Harmony smashed against a wall of sheer, inky darkness that sprung up in front of Nightmare Moon.

“Do not take me for a weakling! I have seen hundreds of thy lifetimes pass, and I will live to see hundreds more!” Nightmare Moon screamed, pushing against the light of Harmony with all her might. Slowly, the rainbow light was pushed back by the darkness.

I can’t… hold this much longer! She’s too strong!

Twilight, don’t even think about giving up now! The second you lose hope, she wins!

We’re here with you, Twilight. Don’t forget that.

There’s six of us and one of her. We have quite the numerical advantage, don’t you think?

Don’t forget why we’re doing this, Twilight! We can’t let this grumpy ol’ stooge win!

If she pushes you, push ‘er back twice as hard! We’re with ya!

Twilight clenched her teeth, emboldened by the encouragement from her friends. With a roar, she pushed back against Nightmare Moon’s attack, reinforcing the light of Harmony with her entire being.

“No…” Nightmare Moon said as she realized that her wall of darkness was losing ground. “No, no, no, no!”

The darkness broke like a pane of glass, and Nightmare Moon screamed as the rainbow light enveloped her, scouring her very soul.

The light of Harmony soon died out. The Bearers of the Elements felt their shared consciousness fade away, and their eyes returned to normal.

Nightmare Moon was still standing, frozen in a recoiling stance.

“You’re shitting me,” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re actually shitting me. She’s still alive?!”

“I… I don’t think she’s moving,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Did we turn her into a statue?” Rarity wondered.

“Hey, Twilight, why isn’t Nightmare Moon a smear on the wall?” Pinkie asked.

No response.

“…Twilight?” Pinkie asked, poking the Arcane Mage’s cheek. Twilight fell to the ground like a ragdoll at Pinkie’s touch, her eyes open yet empty.

“By the Goddess, Twilight!” Applejack shouted, dropping to Twilight’s side in a heartbeat. She pressed two fingers to her throat, and sighed in relief when she felt a pulse. “She’s still alive. That attack might’ve taken a lot outta her.”

“Wh-what should we do?” Fluttershy asked. “And what about Nightmare Moon?”

“It doesn’t look like she’s much of a threat,” Rarity said. “Twilight? Twilight, dear, can you hear me?”

She couldn’t.

Twilight’s mind was in a different place.

It was like she had just blinked. At one moment, she had been about to finish off Nightmare Moon, and the next... nothing. Just darkness.

"What... happened?" Twilight asked. "Girls? Where are you? I can't see!"

There was no response. Twilight looked down at herself, and was shocked to be able to see her body. She wasn't blind, she was just in a dark place. A very, very dark place.

“Hello?” Twilight called out, circling around. “Applejack? Rarity? Rainbow? Fluttershy? Pinkie?”

Nothing. Not even an echo.

“Where the hell am I?!” She shouted. The darkness surrounding her gave no answers.

“Who art thou?” A voice asked, sounding like it came from everywhere around Twilight. The Arcane Mage almost jumped out of her skin. She turned around, trying to see if she was truly alone here. Nothing but darkness.

“Who said that?” Twilight asked.

“I did,” The voice said. It sounded like a little girl. “Speak. What is thy name?”

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” She said. “Who are you? Where are you?”

“I am in the same place as thou, Twilight Sparkle,” The voice said. “Thou art inside my very soul. Or rather, what was my soul, long ago.”

“But that doesn’t explain who you are!” Twilight said. “What is your name?”

“I hath no reason to tell thee,” The voice said. “Go back to thy own body. Leave me here to rot for my failure.”

“Your failure?” Twilight asked. “How did you fail?”

“Tis none of thy concern,” The voice responded. “Leave.”

“How am I supposed to leave when I don’t know where I am?!” Twilight yelled back. “One second, I was fighting Nightmare Moon, and then…”

Twilight’s mouth hung open. “Oh,” She said. “This is… this is Nightmare Moon’s soul, isn’t it?”

“Correct,” The voice said. “There is no reason for thee to stay. I ask again, leave me to my punishment.”

“I won’t leave until I get some answers!” Twilight replied. “Now show yourself! Who are you?!”

“Thou art persistent,” The voice said, now coming from one source instead of a thousand. “I am here.”

Twilight turned to see – actually see – a single point of light in the darkness. There was a tiny human shape inside it, curled up. Twilight approached it, eying the tiny girl – as she got closer, it became more and more obvious that it was a girl – warily.

“Hey,” Twilight said softly, crouching in front of the little girl, who stared at her with turquoise eyes. “Are you – is that really what you look like, or just how you choose to look? I've never been in someone's soul before, so I don't know how this works.”

“What thou see before thee tis what I am forced to appear as,” The little girl said. “When Nightmare Moon overran me, I was forced to hide in my own soul, weak and powerless. Thus, I seem to be but a child.”

“Nightmare Moon overran you? What does that mean?” Twilight asked. The little girl looked away from her, hiding behind her soft blue hair.

“’Twas my greatest failure,” She said. “In a moment of weakness, of jealousy, the darkness overwhelmed me. Had I been stronger, had I not succumbed to envy, Nightmare Moon would not exist.” She hugged her knees to her chest. “Tis my fault. Thou must leave me here. Tis what I have earned.”

“…Do you actually believe that?” Twilight asked. “Just because you got a bit jealous, you’re blaming yourself?”

“I am the only person deserving of blame,” The girl said. “Nightmare Moon sought to plunge Mystica into the darkness because I was too weak to fight her!”

“You’re not Nightmare Moon,” Twilight said. “You can’t be blamed for something she tried to do.”

“Thou understand nothing,” The girl said. “Leave.”

“You want me to leave? Fine,” Twilight said, standing up. “But you’re coming with me.”

The little girl looked up at her in surprise. “Beg pardon?” She asked.

“My friends and I just hit Nightmare Moon hard enough to get me stuck in her soul. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s been thrown for a loop,” Twilight said. “If you want your body back, there’s no better time to do it.”

Twilight held out a hand to the little girl, who stared at it in shock. “Thou believe I can be redeemed for my failure? After all I have done?”

“Won’t know if you don’t at least try,” Twilight said. The little girl slowly took Twilight’s hand, and stood up. “Great. Ready?”

“…Luna.”

“Huh?”

“My name. Luna.”

“I see,” Twilight said. “Well, Luna, let’s get out of here.”

Twilight woke up to discover that there was a finger in her ear.

“Pinkie, get your finger out of my ear, now.”

“It worked! It worked!” Pinkie squealed, pulling the offending digit out of Twilight’s ear. “I told you!”

“You okay, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked as Twilight sat up. “You’ve been out cold for, like, ten minutes.”

“I’m fine. Just had a… I’m not sure what to call it,” Twilight said. “What happened to Nightmare Moon?”

“She’s just been standing there,” Fluttershy said, pointing at Nightmare Moon. “We’re not sure why, but we didn’t want to risk… waking her up.”

There was a tiny sound like an eggshell cracking. The Bearers, sans Twilight, jumped back in surprise, their weapons raised. Twilight motioned for them to lower their weapons.

“Twilight, what on earth is happening?” Rarity asked. Twilight just smiled.

“Something good, I think,” She said.

There was another cracking sound, and a break formed on Nightmare Moon’s face. It spread rapidly, bleeding bright light from inside, until Nightmare Moon’s body was covered in cracks.

Nightmare Moon fell apart, pieces of herself dropping to the ground like hailstones. A young woman, visibly no older than the Bearers, stood in the spot where Nightmare Moon had once been. She dropped to the ground seconds after the last piece of Nightmare Moon fell.

“I knew it would work,” Twilight said, stepping towards the collapsed Luna. Applejack grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Easy, Twilight,” She said. “I’m not sure what jus’ happened, but that's still Nightmare Moon.”

“She isn’t, don’t worry,” Twilight said. “She’s…”

“Have you lost your mind, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked angrily. She pointed at the fallen woman. “That’s Nightmare Moon! She’s the reason that Princess Celestia is…”

“That I’m what?” A maternal voice said from behind Rainbow Dash. The Elementalist’s eyes bugged out. She slowly turned around, jaw slack, and saw her.

Princess Celestia, standing there with a mischievous grin on her face.

“Please, continue,” The Princess said. “I’m just dying to know what you were going to say.”

There was a moment of silence as the six mages stared in disbelief at the woman they had been told was dead.

Suddenly, Twilight squealed and tackled her, wrapping her arms around Celestia’s midsection and squeezing her like a giant tube of toothpaste. Celestia grimaced in pain.

“You’re alive you’re alive you’re alive you’re alive SQUEE!” Twilight squealed, an enormous smile on her face.

“Easy on the ribs! Easy on the ribs!” Celestia grunted, prying her ecstatic apprentice off.

“I thought you were dead! That letter said you were dead! But how are you…” Twilight was silenced by Celestia.

“They don’t call me the Queen of Phoenixes for nothing, Twilight. Nightmare Moon… Hold on,” Celestia started to address the other Bearers. “Will you stop bowing?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” The five mages said in unison, standing back up. Celestia rolled her eyes.

Twilight gasped. “That’s right! Nightmare Moon! Princess, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I don’t think that Nightmare Moon was all bad! Her name is Luna, and she…”

“Twilight,” Celestia interrupted, looking past Twilight at the sleeping woman on the floor. Her eyes were starting to mist. “I know. Please, excuse me for a moment.”

She stepped past Twilight, walking purposefully towards Luna. The Arch Mage knelt at her side, and held out a hand to touch her. She did so gently, as if she was afraid Luna would break at her touch. As she tucked some hair behind Luna’s ear, happy tears began to drip from Celestia’s eyes.

“Hey, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash whispered. “What’s going on?”

“I… I don’t know,” Twilight said honestly.

A low, sleepy moan escaped from Luna’s lips as she started to stir. Her eyes cracked open, and she looked around in confusion. Her gaze quickly locked onto Celestia.

“T-Tia?” She asked. “Is it… truly thou?”

“I’m here, Luna,” Celestia said, grasping Luna’s hand. “It’s me.”

“Tia… Sister, thou look… so old,” Luna said.

“Sister?!” Twilight repeated, unable to contain her astonishment.

“Yes,” Celestia said. “My dearest little sister, Luna. The true Maiden of the Night.”

“I… I do not deserve that title, sister,” Luna said, sitting up. “I failed thee. I failed Mystica. I am naught but a disgrace. I could never hope to ask forgiveness of thee for my sins.”

“Oh, shush, you little worrywart,” Celestia said, pulling Luna into a warm hug. “If anyone here should ask forgiveness, it should be me.”

“But thou did nothing to…”

“Exactly. I did nothing. If I hadn’t had my ass so firmly planted up my rear a thousand years ago, I might have noticed that something was wrong with you. But… I wasn’t perceptive enough, and had you torn from my life,” Celestia said, her voice choked with tears. “And then… if I had been stronger, if I had more control over the Elements, then I wouldn’t have had no choice but to banish you, and… I’m so sorry, Luna.” She tightened her embrace with her sister. “Please, please… forgive me.”

“I… I…” Luna finally broke down into tears, wrapping her arms around her sister. “I missed thee so much, Tia!”

The two sisters cried, their emotions a mixture of joy and regret, as they were truly reunited after a thousand years.

Fluttershy sniffled. “That is… so sweet,” She said, dabbing at her cheeks with her cloak.

“So, the Elements of Harmony weren’t supposed to destroy Nightmare Moon, but purify her?” Rarity guessed. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Of course!” She said. “The Sun shall rise, the Nightmare shall fall / when the last light in the dark answers Harmony’s call! How could I have forgotten that?”

“Who knows?” Applejack said. “All I know is that we did good, gals. We did real good.”

“Yeah! And you know what that calls for!” Pinkie said, jumping for joy.

“I’m going to just go out on a limb here…”

Twilight looked around the town square in amazement. It was like the Summer Sun Celebration, but around ten times louder. She had no idea how Pinkie had thrown it together so quickly.

The townspeople had good reason to celebrate. The sun had risen again, and their Princess had returned to them from the grave. Not only that, but she had introduced to them her sister, the long-lost Princess Luna. There was some initial suspicion – she had been Nightmare Moon, after all – but that was quickly dispelled when Celestia vouched for her, and said, in no uncertain terms, that anybody who thought otherwise could bring it up with her.

By the time Princess Celestia had finished her explanation, Pinkie Pie, working alone, had managed to completely redecorate the town square. Many would call it the party of the century. To Pinkie, it was just Tuesday.

“Hey, Twilight!” Pinkie said, hopping up to Twilight with a lampshade on her head. “Just a heads up: Don’t drink the punch! It’s been spiked so many times, I think it’s, like, ninety percent vodka!”

‘Somebody say my name?’ A familiar – pun unintended, but welcome – voice said in Twilight’s mind. She looked down at her feet to see Spike, rubbing some sleep out of his eyes. ‘What did I miss?’

Pinkie Pie looked around in confusion. “Who said that?” She asked.

“Wait, did you hear that?” Twilight asked, her eyes wide. Spike scampered up her leg to perch on her shoulder.

‘There’s no way she could have heard me. I can only talk to you!’ Spike said to Twilight. Pinkie gasped.

“Holy crap, your iguana can talk!” She shrieked.

‘I’M NOT AN – oh, forget it.’

“This is so awesome! Twilight, we should totally have pet playdates! I’m sure that your iguana and my pet alligator – his name’s Gummy – would get along awesomely!” Pinkie squealed at the possibilities.

“Spike’s a dragon. Why do you have a – no, never mind. Don’t want to know. How can you be hearing him, though? He should only be able to communicate with me!” Twilight said.

“Who should only be able to communicate with who?” A tiny voice asked, so quiet Twilight almost didn’t hear it. It was Fluttershy, a slight blush on her face and a cup of punch in her hands.

“I think Pinkie is – somehow – able to hear Spike,” Twilight explained.

‘It’s probably because she’s a little bit crazy.’

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open. “Did… did Spike just say that?” She asked.

“You too?”

“Ooh, maybe we can all hear him now because we were doing that mind-meld thing earlier!” Pinkie suggested.

“That seems to be the most likely explanation.”

‘What mind-meld? What did I miss? I just woke up, and suddenly the sun is up and everybody is partying like there’s no tomorrow!’

Fluttershy snatched Spike off of Twilight’s shoulder, a beaming smile on her face. “I’ll tell you all about it! Oh, and after that, you can tell me all about yourself, I have so many questions to ask…”

‘Twilight? Uh, help?’

“You’re on your own, buddy,” Twilight laughed as Fluttershy and Spike melted into the crowds.

“Wow, Fluttershy needs to get drunk more often,” Pinkie said. “Anyway! You liking the party?”

“It’s… it’s incredible, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “I’m amazed you were able to put this together on such short notice.”

“It wasn’t really short notice,” Pinkie said. “I already had a basic plan, so I only had to make a few changes!”

“You had a few hours? How?” Twilight asked, confused.

“This isn’t just Luna’s party!” Pinkie said, pointing at the Princess, who had joined a circle of dancers. “It’s your party, too!”

“This is… for me?” Twilight asked repeated in awe.

“Uh-huh! It’s a double-feature party! One part is a ‘Welcome-Back-From-Being-Evil Party’, and the other part is a ‘Welcome-To-Magiville-Twilight’ party!” Pinkie said. “Isn’t it awesome?”

Twilight just smiled, and gave her friend a surprise hug. “Thanks, Pinkie,” She said. “This is probably the nicest thing anybody’s ever done for me.”

“No problemo!” Pinkie said, squeezing Twilight back so hard she heard a rib crack. “I gotta get back to making sure everybody’s having a good time! Catch you later!” She hopped off, disappearing into the crowds. Twilight smiled wistfully. She'd realized she was going to miss this place, crazy people and all.

If only she didn’t have to leave.

"...But what if..." Twilight said to herself, scratching her chin. She smiled as a new idea formed in her mind, and ran off in search of her mentor.

Twilight found Princess Celestia relaxing under a tree, a mug of frothy cider in her hands. She smiled at Twilight as she approached.

“Hello, Twilight,” Celestia said. She gestured at the mug in her hands. “Tell Applejack that this is the best cider I’ve had in decades. Divine.”

“I’ll be sure to, Princess. I mean, Celestia,” Twilight said, sitting down next to her. “You, uh, you have some foam on your lip, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you,” Celestia said, licking it off. She sighed with satisfaction. "No, really, this is amazing. Ask her who I have to talk with to buy enough barrels of this to sink a small boat."

"I'll pass along the message," Twilight Sparkle said, chuckling. "Where's Luna?"

Celestia pointed out into the crowds, and Twilight soon spotted Princess Luna in the center of a ring of dancers, circling and stamping her feet in a traditional dance. She had a look of pure joy on her face. "I'm so glad that she's been accepted so easily," Celestia said. "I was worried that the people would be afraid of her, knowing who she once was."

"This town is pretty accepting of newcomers," Twilight said. "I know that first-hand."

Celestia looked at her apprentice, noticing the almost wistful look on Twilight's face. "Is there something wrong, Twilight?" She asked. "You seem troubled."

“I’m fine. I just wanted to ask you about… about…” Twilight gulped. “Hold on, I just remembered. I think this is yours.” She held out the Element of Magic. “I had to use your tiara to make it. I don’t know why, it just felt like the right thing to do.”

Celestia looked at the big crown-thingy being offered to her for a few seconds. She started to chuckle, and closed Twilight's fingers around it. “Thank you, Twilight, but the Elements of Harmony don’t belong to me anymore. You and your friends are their Bearers. Keep it; it may come in handy,” She said. Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. “I have about eight of those tiaras back in Camelot, anyway.”

Twilight recognized her chance. "Speaking of Camelot..." She said. "I wanted to talk to you about... going back."

“The Alicorn's lifeboats will be here to pick us up tomorrow morning, if that's what you're asking,” Celestia said, a very small tinge of disappointment in her voice.

“Actually, I… I don’t really want to leave,” Twilight said. Celestia looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

“Oh? Might I ask why?” She requested.

“It’s… it’s for my next topic of research,” Twilight said. “Six mages, working together, were able to not only defeat an evil demigoddess intent on eternal night, but return her to normal using the magic of… well, of friendship. For this reason, I, Twilight Sparkle, have decided that this form of magic requires further investigation and studies.”

"Does it now?" Celestia asked, her eyes twinkling with pride.

"Yes, I believe it does. Thus, in order to continue my studies into the magic of friendship, I would like to stay here, in Magiville, until such a time as my research is complete," Twilight said.

Celestia hummed in thought, as if she was considering the pros and cons of Twilight's research. Finally, she smiled. “…Very well. I, Princess Celestia, Arch Mage and Dean of the College of Magi, approve Twilight Sparkle's request for continued research in Magiville,” She decided. Twilight’s face lit up. “I'll be expecting you to send me regular reports on your findings via dragonfire, of course.”

“Once a week. I promise.”

“I’m so proud of you, Twilight,” Celestia said. “You’ve grown so much.” She brought her mug to her lips, and grumbled when she found that it was empty. “Damn. I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Of course, Princess,” Twilight said as Celestia stood up to go search for more apple cider. Twilight leaned back against the tree, and looked out over the crowds of partygoers.

She saw Fluttershy off to the side, talking a mile a minute to Spike, who was staring longingly at Rarity, on the other side of the square. She saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash in the middle of an arm wrestling contest. She saw Pinkie Pie, who had broken up the traditional folk dance, mentoring Princess Luna in the sacred art of breakdancing.

But above all that, she saw her friends.

And she never thought she’d be so happy to say that.

A/N: Well, it's over. Thanks for sticking through to the end, dear readers; now, can you do me one big favor?
I spent almost the entire summer working on this. No joke. Please, validate my ego: leave a review. Tell me what you liked about it, what you didn't like, tell me what your favorite part was... just tell me something.
Again, thanks for reading. Until next time.