//------------------------------// // Episode 1: Castle Maneia Part One // Story: The Pony Guard (Season 4) // by MXCDarkHorse2020 //------------------------------// Episode 1: Castle Maneia Part One Shortly after the Canterlot Wedding, Twilight Sparkle was admitted into the hospital after Scar inflicted a permanent mark right across her left eye which mirrors the scar he has on his face. After a day of bed rest to ensure the pain she incurred was subdued, she was discharged and free to go under the condition she keeps her eye patch on until she gets home. She did what she was told and kept it until the next morning to when she was certain that the pain had stopped throbbing really hard. She removed her eye patch while looking at herself in the mirror. The good news that had her relieved was that she was able to see through her left eye completely clear. But the bad news is that she now has a scar over her left eye just like Scar’s. And that had previous words from what happened the day she got ring and flow through her head from the previous night in her sleep. More specifically, the events of the wedding that led up to this moment… “And you can forget about being my best mare.” Her brother angrily told her before storming out of the room on her. “In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all.” “C'mon, y'all. Let's go check on the princess.” Applejack told everyone before leading the rest of the Mane Five out of the room while giving Twilight a dirty look for her outburst. “You have a lot to think about.” Princess Celestia coldly told her without even looking at her which had her tearing up and her mouth agape as their words and actions left her shunned and alone with only Simba, Spike, and the Lion Guard for company. “I’m sorry.” Twilight cried to fake Cadance before she finds herself being teleported underground to the caverns. “You will be.” Fake Cadance ominously said before turning away with a look of satisfaction in her eyes for managing to take care of her. “And the funny part about all of this was the fact you were suspicious of Chrysalis’s behavior and the fact that you were right all along.” Scar told Twilight herself before turning to her friends and mentor. “Too bad the rest of you were so caught up in your wedding plans to realize the unicorn’s suspicions were correct! Some friends you are. Guess friendship really is a sham.” “I don’t know why Twilight is even friends with you ponies, being that you never take her seriously, mock her for reading books all the time and you nearly abandoned her because you all were too naïve once again.” He later said just a minute before his first defeat at the paws and hoofs of the Lion and Pony Guard along Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor. Initially, Twilight felt that Scar was wrong about his views of friendship and initially was against joining him when he made his offer. But throughout the day, she then began to feel Scar was right. Even after all they all been through together, the ponies she came to see as the best friends a pony could ask her were still willing to abandon her when it benefited them. Her mentor even rebuked her with seven very ice cold and cruel words that made her cry. And worse of all, her brother’s harsh words left her seeing that they truly have grown apart, too far apart to be considered brother and sister anymore. Even though she and the others were able to defeat Scar (albeit barely) it was one of the two worst days of her life. And after Scar came to personally visit her at the Crystal Empire, she began to listen to him and started following in his paw prints. And even with the Pride Lands under her new master’s control, she is still determined and hungry for revenge against the Lion and Pony Guard for the way they treated her back when saving the kids along with when the Mane Five decided to send her away when venturing into the Everfree Forest to save Ponyville. “All of you feel this way.” Twilight tearfully asked her friends after barely escaping a cragadile’s attack. “Feel like I shouldn’t be here?” “It is for the best.” Fluttershy bluntly yet regretfully said despite Fuli’s stating otherwise. That along with the Guard’s response when Twilight told them that about what Scar and his former Lion Guard is no different in regards to how they handled dealing with him when he brought a valid case against the lion who scarred him with his snake friend killing his mother. Like Scar, he too was right to be suspicious of the strange lion, yet was rebuked for his efforts to save everyone’s lives from something that could have been avoided from the start. But because they didn’t, Scar then descended down the path of darkness which led to all the trouble that has happened with those who crossed paths with him and is now presiding over Pride Rock looking over his recently reclaimed kingdom. He currently looks on the mostly lush terrain with a handful animals that had left the Pride Lands scattered across the kingdom. Not only those sittings just below Pride Rock are another handful of deceased animals from being caught in the crossfires from his lava-fueled attack on the Pride Lands with an evil and satisfied smirk. A meal for fit for his pride and followers to celebrate after a job well done. Twilight unlike the army of lions and changelings, stuck to food from Ponyville consisting of multiple hayburgers, fries, and soda from a fast food joint in town. A meal that she preferred to eat in the cave at Pride Rock alone. “Is this a good time to talk, my princess?” Scar called to her from the cave entrance before walking inside. “Mmm-hmm.” Twilight nodded with her mouth full before gulping down her most recent bite. “Excuse me…” She said apologetically while wiping the ketchup off of her face with another hayburger while feigning a look of slight embarrassment. “…didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.” Even after turning evil, her eating habits when really hungry haven’t change one bit, and it was pretty amusing for Scar. “It’s okay.” He chuckled before continuing. “So now that the Pride Lands are under our control, we just need to figure how were going to take Equestria.” “Well for starters, we have the most powerful ponies and lions...” Twilight began while sipping from her soda. “…we’ll need to take them down along with the Lion and Pony Guard.” “And there’s also Kyoga along with her brother and sister.” Scar reminded. “We can’t overlook them.” “No we cannot.” Twilight responded without much thought. “Because that lioness sure thinks she’s so special just because she too is capable of magic worthy of a princess.” She added with a mocking expression of disgust. “Like that is going to happen.” “You’re right about that, like you have been before.” Scar agreed understanding her disdain. “And I have a plan that’ll take care of her and her magic not to mention Kion’s Roar.” “That’s good.” Twilight responded sounding pleased to hear with her stoic expression still staying intact. “And I too already have a plan, in regards to the Lion and Pony Guard.” “Oh do you…” Scar returned with intrigue as she pulls out a book about the Elements of Harmony and shows him the contents of said book while her princess explains to him in his ear of what she is thinking of how to go on about it. “…very interesting…” He then in whispered his plan into her ear likewise. She nodded intently with every word in his proposal before sporting a dark smile with what’s to come for them in due time. “…I think we can make this work to our advantage perfectly.” She then turns backwards and heads towards the hidden passageway that leads to the portal leading to the Tree of Harmony while Scar watches after her with an a approving smile in her direction. She bypasses the Tree of Harmony without even looking at it before making her way up out of the cave and towards a castle up ahead. A castle that looks old and abandoned like no pony has ever set foot in there for nearly a thousand years. Once she gets inside, she sees a massive room filled with her greatest desires and treasures…books! Lots, and lots of books. Twilight grinned like she was standing in a place she couldn’t have wished for a better discovery before making her way forward for a long day of research that’ll prove invaluable towards her and Scar’s plan to take over Equestria… Elsewhere in the morning, both Kion and Simba are both consulting with Mufusa’s spirit to where they have told him to what has happened the other day from Scar’s takeover and Twilight’s turning to the dark side. “So Scar has taken over again.” He asked with a solemn expression “I’m afraid so father.” Simba admitted finding it very painful to admit the truth here. “Along with corrupting our dearest friend Twilight Sparkle.” “And it’s my fault grandfather too Mufusa.” Kion confessed his part of the kingdom's downfall. “…The Roar…” “The Roar has the ability to do good and evil.” “I know.” “But now that Scar has both the Pride Lands and Twilight wrapped under his paws, how do we reverse the damage he has done?” Mufusa’s son asked hoping he might have wisdom to share to help them out. “The appearance of an evil lion from the past is beyond my experience, my son.“ The wise king of the past answered. “But you have saved the Pride Lands from Scar before.” He then reminded which had both son and grandson enlightened with smiles with this encouragement. “Trust that the wisdom to defeat Scar lies within the Pride Lands and Equestria, and within the two of you. Together, you two will be able to find a way to even help your friend come to see the light in the dark.” With what was needed to be said done, Mufusa’s spirit disappeared back into the heavenly clouds in the blue sky. “"The wisdom is within the Pride Lands and Equestria."” He repeated before turning to his father. “Dad? Do you think Grandfather means a wise animal or a wise pony like Celestia, Luna, and Cadance?” “Perhaps…” Simba returned feeling confident about that before heading back towards the entrance towards Diamond Valley. “And that means we know just who talk to.” “Hopefully they know what to do.” Kion voiced with hope just silently pleading that it isn’t too late to save Twilight while still looking saddened by what had happened. It’s been a few weeks since the loss of the Pride Lands and everyone’s relocation to Kyoga, Karabi and Lite’s old home in the Diamond Valley. The herds have settled in quite easily despite the new species of antelope and predators around. However, The Lion Guard and the Mane Five were still bummed about losing Twilight Sparkle to Scar’s dark magic and her ultimate betrayal. Simba and Nala attempted to lift their sprints but the royal couple didn’t know what they could say. It was truly the Guard’s darkest hour, having lost their friend and their home to Scar, feeling like they failed big time. Thorax, Kiara, Tifu, Zuri and Kovu stayed with Kyoga, Karabi and Lite’s in the fields near the prides temporary cave home with Kovu and Kiara comforting the trio when they would experience flashbacks to their youth. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have both heard about the loss of the Pride Lands and Twilight’s turn to the dark side and they along with both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrived in the Diamond Valley to offer what support they could. Kyoga along with Kion have been trying to find any information regarding the mysterious chest the former’s mentor created, but so far there wasn’t anything being there was little information about the Tree of Harmony since it was unknown to pony kind until the incident. “So it’s true…” Princess Cadance spoke with her voice sounding pale from what had happened back at the Pride Lands while personally speaking to the two sisters with her husband by her side. “…Twilight is now against us, and helped take over the Pride Lands for Scar?” “Oh, Twily…” Shining voiced like he had suffered painful heartbreak from hearing of her betrayal. “…How could this have happened?!” “I’m afraid it’s true.” Luna confirmed even though it pained her to say it. “Not to mention I have the strong feeling that she might have been against us ever since Scar infected her with dark magic that’s making her think and act this way. It would seem the pain she felt from the day of the wedding is still fresh in her raw and hurting mind.” “And it’s all because of me…” Shining said with his voice cracking as he sobs to himself with his finance quick to place her hooves onto the remorse filled colt. “…oh Twily, what have I done to you? What have I done?” “If anything it’s my fault too…” Celestia somberly voiced with regret. “…she needed my comfort and advice back then and I did not provide it. It paved way for the darkness growing inside of her for which I should have seen coming and prevented it. And now everyone here is now paying for my mistakes again.” “If only there was some way to purge that dark magic out of Twilight and get her open up her heart back up.” Cadance expressed with hope to see that happen. “Unless any of us want to risk her further alienating us, I’d strongly advise against it even if one of us did.” Luna cautioned with a shake of her head. “Dark magic is very dangerous and should not be trifled with and it will only increase her anger even further towards us.” “I just hope the Pride Landers aren’t taking this loss really hard…or the news of my faithful’s student turning evil.” Celestia wished knowing of what’s to come since everyone in the Pride Lands saw and knows the truth about her allegiance to Scar now by witnessing the dark alicorn floating alongside Scar's side when he unleashed fire and flame from the volcano towards them and judging from their horrified and aghast reactions to seeing Twilight like this, nobody saw it coming with their thoughts on the whole mess yet to come. Later that evening, The Pride Landers were all gathered with Simba and his pride for an important meeting in trying to come up with a way to defeat Scar and take back the Pride Lands. “What can we possibly do?” Ma Tembo questioned. “We hit them head on!” Bunga exclaimed. “Against more than 40 lions! No way! We’d get creamed!” Fuli pointed out. “Can’t his majesty and his pride handle them?” Thurston questioned. “My dad’s pride is only 25. Zira and Scar’s pride has numbers on their side along with Twilight’s dark magic.” Kion reasoned. “So then…. Will we ever go back home?” Matoto asked. “We will we….. Just need another plan, anything that can help us.” Kion tried to stay positive but with so many odds stacked against them, it was looking hopeless of ever reclaiming the Pride Lands. “What about Kyoga’s Magic? She’s still training with the Tree of Harmony, right?” Besthe pointed out. “She is but, putting her, Karabi and Lite through another war against Scar. That may be too much for them.” Ono replied. “Too much? Please. They’re tough as they come. They survived the last encounter with Scar.” Bunga brushed off. “At the risk of dying, Bunga. Remember.” Fuli pointed out. “Kyoga’s still meant to rule here.” “But that might be out the window considering she didn’t want to return here, given her past.” Besthe added. “Yeah…” Kion commented. With that in mind, Bupu expressed his thoughts on the manner. “So what do you suggest, Kion? Because unless we know for sure we will be able to return home without the risk of us dying, we’re not going back to the Pride Lands.” “Yeah, what he said.” Laini spoke fearfully. “How are we supposed to go back when Scar is there and in control?” “He’ll destroy us on the spot!” Muhangus pointed out. “There are too many of them!” Twiga voiced with a sense of safety first. “Returning there would be suicide.” Basi added seriously. “I know, I know…” Simba spoke up to get everyone to calm down. “…we just need to think of how we can do that without risking anyone’s lives.” “How?!” Bupu demanded not feeling at ease with the king’s attempted encouragement. “No offense your majesty, but seem to have lost your edge against Scar the last time you faced off against him.” “And it’s not looking good now that the mighty leader of the Pony Guard has now become the fearless and dreaded follower of said lion that took over.” Makuu added bluntly. “And to think me and my float we were just getting settled into sleeping through the dry season.” Celestia quickly stepped forward to apologize since she and her sister had to since Scar was attacking the Pride Lands. “I know and we’re sorry we had to wake you, but if you stayed you and your float would have been killed.” “It is also would have been fatal to stay in the Pride Lands least you wanted to make this seasonal slumber your last.” Luna added to back her sister up since her ability to wake others up with her ability to visit their dreams was the reason they were all awake now. “Consider yourselves lucky that we have bigger fish on the horizon.” Makuu reluctantly backed off on his stance a little. “But speaking of leaders, if neither of all of you could take down Scar himself who by the way is also capable of great feats of magic and able to set Pride Rock on fire, what chance do we have against him?” “Along with Twilight Sparkle?” Bupu added with his eyes narrowed at the Guard specifically. “She knows everyone and everything that goes on about us and is helping the bad guys and it’ll prove vital against us?” “Yeah, we’re all sitting zebras with her on their side!” Thurston spoke up. “How could she really turn on us and help Scar like that?” Laini asked on the verge of tears at the very thought that it really happened. “How is that even possible?” Muhungus also liked to know why she turned to the dark side too. “Well…” Kion spoke up rather hesitantly to bring up the truth of how it all came to this. “…it’s kind of hard to explain.” “Kind of impossible.” Bunga said unable to throw the girls, the sun monarch, and the crystal prince under the bus in this situation even if it benefits him and his friends. “What’ll we do without the Pride Lands?” “What if Diamond Valley is next?” Both Muhunga and Thurston brought up to the speechless Lion Guard leader who is too ashamed of himself to even speak of how this happened. “Kion, most importantly…” Basi questioned the young lion next. “…did you know that Twilight was against us?” “No, I didn’t…” Kion honestly answered the hippo leader’s question with his composure cracked. “…none of us knew. None of us even saw it coming.” “If she was against us this whole time assuming she had a hoof in this…” Twiga then said with another thought on her mind trying to piece together how it happened. “…did any of you do anything recently that might have caused her to harbor resentment towards all of us?” "But she wasn't." Kion desperately insisted refusing to believe that's the case. "It all happened just a month ago. She was with us on patrol the entire time." Feeling that Kion has received enough harsh criticism Rainbow quickly flew up to say a few words in his defense instead of answering the question with her emotions flying high in the heat of the moment. “Hey, hey, come on! Can we please focus on actually taking her along that tyrant of a lion down?! He’s the one who scarred and infected Twilight with his dark magic to get her to think that way! Not us!” “Rainbow Dash!” Applejack scolded while dragging her down to the ground by the tail with her teeth. “That’s no way to answer a fellow Pride Lander’s question!” “Considering we are to blame for this too.” Fluttershy added while frowning at her Pegasus for nearly getting in the giraffe’s face. “What do you mean?” Twiga inquired with everyone’s eyes and ears ready to hear what they did that might have caused Twilight to switch sides. It was a hard-hitting question that none of those that served as the catalyst for her dark descent were willing to easily confess to, not even her brother or former mentor were ready to speak up since it was largely their fault this is all happening. “Because…” Shining Armor began with a deep sigh knowing what’s going to happen next. “I said a bunch of horrible things to her I shouldn’t have and kicked her out of my wedding when she was only trying to protect me from the changeling queen disguised as my future wife. That’s why.” The Pride Landers gasped with this confession in light. “You yelled and her and kicked her out of your own wedding?” Laini quietly asked disheartened. “I’m afraid I did.” He admitted with his head bowed in shame. “He’s not the only one…” Applejack stepped forward to confess their part in the matter. “…because after he yelled at her, instead of giving her the benefit of the doubt, we walked out on her to comfort the fake princess.” “Instead of generously giving her the comfort she needed.” Rarity regretfully said. “She was the only one who saw through the changeling’s disguise and tried to warn us…” Fluttershy added with her lips trembling. “…but we instead were cruel to her in a time of need.” “No kidding.” Bupu bluntly commented which earned him an irritated look from the blue Pegasus. “Not helping.” Rainbow snipped back. “But what I don’t understand is why…” Ma Tembo then asked turning to the white alicorn. “…if she was the only one who knew something was going, then why didn’t you do anything about it?” “Because I didn’t know that said princess pretending to be my niece was really the changeling queen herself.” Celestia solemnly admitted with closed eyes. “And like the others I too walked out on her while telling her she had a lot to think about. I like the others thought she was making bold and false accusations against my own niece instead of seeing that she was onto something.” “Didn’t know, huh?” Makuu responded unimpressed. “Are you sure there weren’t any signs that should have told you otherwise?” He pressed of her and the others with the Lion and Pony Guard awkwardly looked aside rather uneasy to answer that question knowing that he is spot on before they all confessed one by one. “Her mean attitude towards us and the others.” Beshte answered. “Her horn glowing green instead of blue.” Ono added. “Made the bridesmaids disappear.” Rarity said. “And casted a spell on me and put me under her trance.” Shining finished. The Pride Landers had no words to say with the crocodile leader shaking his head in disgust with their treatment of her. “So you all just didn’t care about what was going on with her to even acknowledge Twilight’s attempts to warn you all? Makes perfect sense.” “Now come on!” Rainbow complained. “Isn’t it bad enough that we feel bad that abandoning her caused her betray us on top of conquering the Pride Lands in Scar’s name?!” “Apparently to her, not enough.” Makuu quipped indifferently and unsympathetically to them. “And here I thought not being given a chance at the Savannah Summit was bad enough but now I see that you all took the dumb flank cake with what happened at the wedding.” Normally Pinkie and Bunga would make a random moment about cake when mentioned, but since they are facing the consequences for their inaction in dealing with Chrysalis they had common sense for once not to. Ma Tembo then spoke her mind with a firm tone of voice like a mother dealing with her children when they did something wrong. “Well I’m not going to lie, but we are very disappointed in you all. In all my years, I have never seen ponies put themselves before the rest of their kingdom.” “What?” Rarity gasped in disbelief with her mouth agape with that statement. “The point being that you knew of a threat being made against Canterlot and none of you really did anything about it to prevent it. And as a result we lost the Pony Guard leader and the Pride Lands to Scar.” Ma Tembo further reprimanded the Guard along with the rulers. “It was only because she we thought she was being immature when she made her case with little evidence to back herself up with!” Rainbow protested defensively. “And it didn’t occur to you that she might have been onto something?!” Bupu retorted to the hot-headed Pegasus’s retort. Princess Cadance who had been silent up to this point throughout the meeting then broke it before flying up to the accused party’s defense. “Now hold on just a second!” She pleaded with them to back off. “I know what they did was wrong and hurtful, but they all have proven they are sorry for what they did back then so please, let’s all not be too hard on them.” “How could we not?!” Bupu asked incredulously by the pink alicorn’s insistence. “Because Queen Chrysalis even with her obviously glaring flaws had fooled everyone at the wedding…” She explained. “…and considering they had just met me, they couldn’t have known any better.” “That’s encouraging.” Makuu sarcastically remarked unconvinced by her claim. Cadance responded by making her point across to him and the other Pride Land leaders. “Point being, all flaws aside, we should at least try to forgive them and work together if we want to save Twilight from Scar because the longer she’s falling under his influence the more she’ll be likely to do anything to get her way even if it means resorting to murdering one of us.” Her future soon to be husband emitted a gulp to himself while knowing of how Mufusa met his end before speaking nervously. “Yeah, I’d sure hate to be that guy. And I guess the question now is, how do we figure out how to get her away from him? That is of course, if any of you are willing to listen to us.” “I don’t know…” Bupu voiced his reluctance to trust them after what happened. “…depends on how we can get back there and reclaim the Pride Lands without becoming dead meat.” Basi added seriously. “For better or worse, because as leader of the hippos it is my duty to protect my pod whether that’s in the Pride Lands or somewhere else.” “Somewhere else?” His son wondered what he meant by that. Simba understood what Basi meant, given what has happened since Scar’s return, not even denying that he should have voiced his concerns about the wedding plans the second something was amiss. “You’re right Basi, I never want to lose a Pride Lander. But I will always respect your decision. Including the decision to not want to come back.” He then spoke to every one of the Pride Landers that were evicted from their homes with a voice of acceptance. “This is something every herd must decide for themselves. And you'll need time. Come back here tomorrow morning where we’ll discuss our plan to combat Scar and his followers. You can tell me your decision then before we proceed with anything else.” He then turned away with the meeting adjourned while the other herds split up so they can discuss whether they want to stay, return to the Pride Lands, or find somewhere else to live. “There's nothing to discuss.” The antelope leader told his herd. “I want to hear from each of you.” The elephant leader told her herd with open ears. “Who thinks we should stay?” The hippo leader asked his pod. “What do you think they're talkin' about?” Bunga asked the others. “Probably voiced their thoughts of not wanting to return to the Pride Lands.” Applejack answered just when Pinkie dons a cat suit and dons a hay bale for a disguise. “And at least ditch the glasses.” She added while eyeing the pink pony who quickly did so before hopping over to try to eavesdrop on their conversations. “What should we do, Kion?” Fuli asked the Lion Guard’s Fiercest. “Nothing else we can do. It's up to the herds now.” Kion could only answer. “Ooh…” Fluttershy then said sadly knowing what they are going to say then. “…I’m really going to miss them.” “Me too darling, me too.” Rarity said while handling herself along with Fluttershy tissues since they are about to cry even softly and quietly. Beshte sighed knowing that they are facing rough patch here. “Think maybe we should try to reach out to Twilight again? See if we can try to get her to come back to our side?” “What’s the point?!” Rainbow turned away in a pout. “She’s already in so deep that even if we do say we’re sorry she still won’t forgive us.” “But come on Rainbow…” Beshte still persisted on wanting to save her. “…I know she made a bad choice in helping the bad guys take over, but that doesn’t mean we have to. She’s probably still just heartbroken over what happened back then and that our apology wasn’t enough to make it up to her.” “Maybe…” Rainbow then said still not mindset on trying to reach out to her. “But still…” “…she’s still our friend who’s just lost her way.” Fluttershy added to back the hippo up. “...if anything we just need to remind her that she is one of us.” “And that something I truly think you should do.” Simba having approached them and heard their conversation encouraged. “I know this might seem questionable coming from me, but from all the time I’ve known Twilight, I know deep down she is not like Scar and she just needs the proper guidance back on the right path.” The Guard thought about for a moment with some still neutral on whether to help her or not given what she has done. If she was truly against them the whole time and clearly she has been using her time as Celestia’s protégé and bonding time with the other’s keeping tabs on everyone and working herself up into becoming an alicorn princess while attempting to off them a number of times along the way. “I don’t know, Dad…” Kion spoke up with uncertainty. “…even if we find a way to defeat her, how will we know she will come around in open arms?” “And considering she has dark magic making her emotionally unstable and is need of medical care, I don’t know if she’d be willing to accept our help.” Ono added. “I know she will because I know so.” Simba gently asserted while nuzzling his son before singing an uplifting and heartwarming tune to lift their spirits while touring Diamond Valley during which they watch a mother bird feed her babies with one of the babies trying to fly out of its nest. We Are One Music starts at 0:35 “Aww.” Both Fluttershy and Beshte said together upon seeing it. “The cute little bird is trying to fly.” Rarity said in a babyish tone. But it was short-lived when the mother bird quickly herds the baby back into the nest to which both Fluttershy and Rarity both frowned sadly at the sight before Simba leads them towards a nearby ridge that overlooks Diamond Valley where they see a mother wildebeest trying to help her baby stand. Both Fluttershy and Rarity smiled once more upon seeing the baby wildebeest is actually managing to stand and even start running on its own while kicking his legs up joyfully. Although over course the mother wildebeest had to quickly run alongside him so she can steer it back towards the herd. From there Simba sang before jumping off the ledge while bypassing various animals with parents taking care of their children. During which while the Guard strides by a nearby log with Beshte swimming across the stream of water, Kion ponders his father’s wisdom in song while looking at his reflection while asking his father in song who likewise turned his head towards the sky with the forming stars and rising moon courtesy of Princess Luna. After singing another verse, he turned to hiss son while bending down to his eye level before straightening up and looking boldly ahead before racing off ahead with the others following after him as they make their way across the valley with Kion, Fuli, and Rainbow right behind him. Simba led the way over while splashing a puddle he came across with the others following after him before making their way up a series of small ledges with Simba pausing on one of the ledges above them before gesuting everyone to their closest allies, the other princesses along with Shining Armor, Kiara, Kovu, Thorax, Kyoga, Karabi, and Lite waiting for them. “As long as you stay by our side and stay true to yourself…” Simba said to his son while nuzzling him. “…it's who you are. You'll understand someday.” “I suppose I will…” Kion said back before thinking. “…I guess the question is, with whoever from the Pride Lands is willing to help us after what happened, and how are we going to take back our home?” “I have an idea.” Celestia spoke up with a proposal before explaining. “In Ponyville there is an ancient castle that I once shared with Princess Luna lies mostly in ruins, deep in the Everfree Forest. Inside there’s a library filled with books. You might want to check that out and see if there’s a book that could prove helpful for the answers you seek. It might give us a clue to how can we uncover that magical chest containing the Elements of Harmony.” Hearing this had Kion smiling upon finding they may have something to work with here. “And with that, we can work that magic to cleanse Twilight of that dark magic from her scar.” Celestia nodded. “And be able to remind her of what great friends she truly has.” “We might have hope after all.” Spike spoke finding it something very valuable to their cause. “But wait…?” He then remembered. “How are we going to get to Ponyville? The only portal we have is in the Pride Lands right nearby Pride Rock and with Scar, Twilight, Chrysalis, and Zira watching over. So the second they see us we’re dead.” “If they catch us we’ll wish we were.” Kion corrected. “Not a problem.” Celestia assured them while focusing on the golden aura from her magic. “If I can create a portal, I can do it again.” She focused her magic towards the opposite direction with great concentration before unleashing a beam of magic that created a ripple into the barrier between the two worlds. The magic used was so powerful it shook the ground around them with the nearby sounds making it sound like an earthquake is happening nearby. From afar all the way to Pride Rock, Twilight sensed a magical vibration from the rip of fabric into space just when she was arriving back at Pride Rock. She quickly moved towards the edge of Pride Rock towards the direction of where the portal is being created far away from here. By squinting her eyes while flying up into the sky to get a better look and spotted a new portal was being created with narrowed eyes. A new way to travel from here to Equestria has been created before her very eyes from afar. And from the looks of it, it is something that Scar will want to know about. And right on cue, Scar approaches the edge of Pride Rock just when her second-in-command flies down towards the stone ground. “You feel that?” “Yes. I do.” He replied. “And from the sounds of it, it looks like they have just created a new way to get around coming here to cross over to the other world.” “How do you want to handle this?” She asked. “I think maybe a little walk up call is in order.” He answered while getting a better look at the source of the magical disturbance from his magic that can keep tabs on everything around him. “To a place I haven’t been to in years…” He said when he magic shows them a visual of the most powerful ponies and lions gathered together to witness this remarkable creation. “…Diamond Valley.” “The place where Kyoga and her siblings came from?” Twilight recalled while getting a good look at the place herself. “And for a place that took quite some serious damage, it sure has made some recovery since then.” “It has…” Scar noted upon seeing the growing life there. “…Which fits in perfectly with the message I want to deliver them.” Twilight getting his ultimatum nods after getting the idea before glancing at him with a question to ask. “So how do you want to deliver your message to them. Is this something you want to do yourself?” “Actually, Twilight…” Scar responded thinking otherwise. “…I think this is something that I would like for you to deliver yourself.” Twilight was surprised at this decision from him. “Really?” “Of course.” He stated. “Because I want them to make sure they don’t get any ideas of even trying to come back here. And since they care for you so much, I think it would be fitting to show them of what will happen if they don’t cooperate and try something that would put you in harm’s way again.” “You’re talking about the wedding?” She asked with a raised eyebrow if that’s just it or more like she is suspecting, knowing Scar. And true to her suspicions, there is more to that. “Not just that, your battle against Nightmare Moon and later Discord…” “What do you mean?” She inquired of the lion now prodding her to be thinking of what he is thinking. “I mean think about it, has it ever occurred to you that Celestia could have actually taken care of those problems if she wanted to and why she never did?” He said to her who starting thinking back to the other two days to when Equestria’s balance was threatened. “Well, I mean she could have, but she wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t have faith in us.” Twilight replied with mixed feelings upon remembering that she knew they would pull through against them. “And we ended up doing just that.” “True, but it was because she pulled some strings in order for that to happen so she didn’t have to come down and do the job herself.” Scar then reminded before showing him a replay of the past events that landed in the princess’s favor. “Back with Nightmare Moon, she sent you to Ponyville to get you to make new friends in order to re-activate the Elements of Harmony, something that she couldn’t do herself. She knew about the prophecy yet she still sent you on a mission you never wanted to take part of in the first place.” “Well yes, but…” She tried to counter-argue. “…the elements worked and Equestria was saved because of it.” “Yes, no thanks to her…” Scar countered back still firm on his stance. “…because she also knew that Discord would someday return due to the fact the elements have new bearers and that he would have the power to break free from it.” He said while recalling what happened that day. “Because of that, your friends turned on you and left you behind and all alone at a very low point…” He recalled while showing her the moment she turned grey with a personal rain cloud of chocolate rain depression pouring on her before the color returned the moment she started reading her letters again. “And least until your princess sent you back all of your letters to her came into play.” To Twilight, the pain back then was really a lot to take in, and they did go their separate ways for the time being. By then she was reconsidering her stance on the good she has done when she remembered the heart-shaped tear then fell from her eye back then. “And let’s also not forget about the day you didn’t have a friendship lesson to report.” He added while showing her the day she nearly jumped off the deep end to further prove his point. “You practically came to them for help with something, and yet they treated it as something that’s easy to brush off. Sure things worked out, and that there was nothing to worry about, but imagine if that had been an actual emergency like the wedding and something bad would have happened if you weren’t there to stop it.” With that said, there was not much that Twilight could say in her defense considering the way she walked out on her back then with all of the painful memories to when she was at her lowest point with no one to turn to. Not even her family. “Even when they say they’ll make good on their promise, they never did. And look where that got you. You came to value friendship and were there for them when they needed you, but when the roles reverse they left you high and dry.” Scar said while presenting a mirror to look at herself in along with the memories of the Canterlot Wedding being re-shown to her face. “They ended up hurting you really bad, didn’t they?” “Look, I learned my lesson, okay.” Twilight responded while trying her hardest not to cry. “And if I have to give them that message then so be it.” She declared to which Scar smiled in approval of her decision. “And I have no doubt in you that you will succeed in telling them what I want them to hear.” Scar placed faith in the young alicorn who felt touched to hear that compliment coming from him before pulling her in so he can reply his message to everyone through her. “Now listen closely, to the message I want you to instill in everyone of your former friend’s minds…”