//------------------------------//
// Episode 5: "Releasing the Spirits" 
// Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 14 
// by twilightsparkle3562 
//------------------------------//

…

…

Twilight felt good to be out of the hospital as she was released following her mental detox. As she walked out of the hospital, the vials containing the spirits of Sombra and Grogar were still held in Spike's claws.

"Spike, make sure those vials are protected." Twilight warned as reporters clamored for questions and guardsponies held them back.

"Uh, sure, Twilight," Spike stammered, flying high to avoid getting the vials damaged or worse, destroyed. "But, why trust me with them? Why can't someone else do it?" As he spoke, Spike felt the sudden vibrations of the spirits trying to break free from their prison.

"And not prove yourself worthy of being a royal advisor?" A familiar voice inquired as Discord materialized next to his Ogres and Oubliettes partner. "Although I will admit, they make great lava lamps." Discord took one of the vials containing the red spirit of Sombra and admired it with one of his eyes.

"They are not meant to be lava lamps," Spike advised. "Twilight intends to place them in the spirit world where they can never escape again. Where they can rest in peace," Spike sternly looked over at Discord and snatched Sombra's spirit out of Discord's lion paw. "And if you plan on releasing one of them…"

"Now why would I do a thing like that after all Twilight has been through? I'd have to be a fool to do something that stupid and destroy what good will I still have," Discord remarked. "I talked with Grogar and he refused to listen to me and what I offered him."

Saying nothing, Spike boarded the royal train back to Ponyville. As he joined Twilight, Spike couldn't imagine having one or both vials broken.

"Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if Grogar does something crazy," Discord said while coming through the car dressed in a conductor's uniform and clicking a hole puncher. "Tickets, please?"

"It's the royal train, Discord," Twilight said to her mismatched and chaotic ally. "I don't need a ticket."

"Why not try your pocket?" Discord replied, much to Twilight's confusion. "Maybe try your other pocket."

"I don't have pockets," Twilight commented, only for Discord to produce a pocket for Twilight to pull out a golden ticket, much to her annoyance. "All right Discord, what's the meaning of this? What exactly do these tickets mean? If it's for the gala, it's not for a while yet."

But Discord was too busy punching Twilight's ticket to listen. Once he returned the "ticket," both Spike and her saw that he had put in the words "GROGAR MUST…"

"Well, they aren't for the gala, your highness," Discord said in a sly voice. "It's just a little message on where Grogar must go, his spirit that is!"

Before Twilight could answer, Discord disappeared leaving only the golden ticket behind with the confused Twilight and Spike.

…

…

Upon returning to the Castle of Friendship, Twilight immediately went to her bedroom and placed the vials of Sombra and Grogar's spirits on her nightstand. Placed next to the vials was the golden ticket that contained the message Discord had written on it.

"What does this mean?" Twilight thought to herself. "'Grogar must' what? Go home? That's where I am placing him in the spirit world, isn't it? Or is it something else he's trying to tell me?" Just then, she heard a knock on the door as Starlight came in, still covered in bandages from the battle with Chrysalis' clone.

"Hey, Twilight," Starlight greeted. "Didn't mean to bother you on such short notice…"

Twilight simply sighed. "It's okay, I could use the company."

Starlight trotted in further, eyeing the vials on Twilight's nightstand. "Uh, what are those things? They kind of look like lava lamps," When Twilight shot her a look she added. "Well, I mean they're really not lava lamps, right?"

"Of course not, they are the spirits of Sombra and Grogar." Twilight explained, causing Starlight to bounce back slightly in shock.

"Spirits?!" Starlight gasped! "What happened to their bodies?! Did you…"

"-Yes," Twilight confessed. "They were executed last night on my orders. My friends, Spike, Celestia, Luna and I all decided it was better than dragging things out with a trial. This way we could begin helping Equestria to heal."

"Okay," Starlight stammered. "It could have been handled better given your mental state and all. But you are the supreme princess, so it's your call. If you and the other princesses thought it was what's best for Equestria, I don't think I'm fit to question it. I probably would've agreed if I'd been there and heard all the evidence you'd gathered against them. Not everycreature can be saved or wants to be saved, unfortunately."

"I wasn't actually there when it happened, Starlight," Twilight explained. "But I could still hear it when the executions were carried out. I made the decision, the least I can do is see it through to the end.

Having a weak stomach, Starlight felt like she needed to leave her former mentor alone. "Um, Twilight, can we discuss this further…after you do what you need to do?" Starlight suggested. "I think Trixie and I are preparing dinner tonight." And smiling nervously, she left Twilight alone with the vials.

…

Later at dinner, Twilight brought the vials with her to the dining room and placed them on the table for herself and her fellow castle residents to behold.

"I'm all for having extra dinner guests," Trixie suggested with a nervous look on her face. "But I don't think the souls of two of Equestria's worst deserve a spot at the dinner table."

"Trixie does have a point, Twilight," Celestia suggested as she took a bite out of her salad. "What exactly are you trying to get out of having the spirits of Grogar and Sombra in our presence?"

"Because I need to expose the spirits to a civil surrounding," Twilight explained, looking over at Luna. "Isn't that what you did, Luna, when you had captured evil spirits in your custody? You know, when patrolling the dream realm and driving out nightmares?"

"Well, I kept them hidden somewhere other than the presence of my friends for a start," Luna declared, immediately guessing what Twilight had wanted to ask of them. "But, I think what you are trying to do is seek advice on how to release them the way you want to release them."

"I know for a fact that you both had captured evil spirits when you were on the throne of Equestria and had them sent to the spirit world," Twilight declared. "But…there's something about Grogar that is good about him. I know there is."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"I mean that I want to return Chirin to where he belongs in the spirit world," Twilight declared, keeping her eye locked on the green spirit that was Grogar's. "With his flock!"

Both Celestia and Luna gave each other a nervous look at the request Twilight had made of them. What she was asking them to do was something of great risk.

…

…

"Twilight, if I may say something," Luna declared while rising to her hooves. "Returning the spirit of someone so evil as Grogar is both risky and dangerous. He could escape and come back in an entirely different form."

"I have to agree with Luna on this one, Twilight," Celestia somberly replied. "When we caught spirits, they were of repentant murderers and other criminals who saw the light of their actions. Grogar is not repentant. And neither is King Sombra for that matter."

"I'm aware of that, Celestia," Twilight declared while looking at the vials. "But if I could give creatures like Discord and the Legion of Doom a second chance, then why not Grogar? At least his spirit should be allowed to be set free so that he might finally know peace after a lifetime of suffering."

Curiously, Luna took the vial containing Grogar's spirit and studied it carefully. She could see the vigorous lines moving giving her clarification that Grogar was active even in death.

"I think we should try it," Twilight firmly insisted. "If he does anything worthy of an escape, then I can destroy his spirit with a powerful destroyer spell. I read about it and I'm sure I could pull it off if I had to."

"Twilight," Luna advised while placing the vial down on the table. "What you are asking of us is something that is both dangerous and risky even to alicorns like Celestia and I. If Grogar does indeed escape…"

"-We have to try it, Luna," Twilight interrupted and insisted. "I think if Grogar is reunited with his family, he can finally see the light of his actions. He'll see in spirit what he couldn't see in body."

Although unsure of Twilight's decision, both alicorn sisters reluctantly agreed to their equal's suggestion.

"Very well," Luna declared at last. "I can meet you after sundown and we can travel to the spirit world together."

"But what about Sombra?" Spike suggested while picking up Sombra's vial. "Doesn't he have…?"

Twilight took a look at Sombra's vial and found that the lines of his spirit were not as strong as Grogar's. "It looks like Sombra no longer has any fight in him," She declared. "He has admitted defeat, so he will be easier to return to the spirit world. He will pose no threat to anyone ever again. Grogar's spirit will be more difficult," Then she looked to the younger of the two alicorns looking at her and instructed. "Luna, meet me in my bedroom after sundown."

Taking a deep breath, Luna nervously anticipated the request Twilight had given her.

…

Once sundown had arrived, Twilight and Spike gathered in Twilight's bedroom with the two vials of their sworn enemies ready for transport.

"Do you think that this will work?" Spike gulped, looking nervously at Twilight, who looked at the golden ticket Discord had given her coming back from the hospital. The message "GROGAR MUST…" was still punched in with the last word (or words) yet to appear.

"It has to work, Spike, I just don't know if it will," Twilight reluctantly confided in her royal advisor. But why would Discord just leave us a golden ticket telling us what to do with Chirin, Grogar or whatever his name is? You know how Discord is. But why is he trying to test us now? Is it to make us better rulers somehow?"

"Maybe there could be something that Discord knows about Grogar that we don't," Spike suggested. "Could he be trying to help us?"

Twilight couldn't answer Spike's question, so she instead chose to focus on the task at hoof.

Just then, the door opened and Luna came into the bedroom, seeing what needed to be done. "Twilight, I hope you know what you are doing," She cautioned with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Going into the spirit world is dangerous if not done properly. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"My mind's made up, Luna," Twilight firmly insisted. "There is no other alternative. This is what must be done for the greater good. I can't take back what I've already done."

And so, after taking a deep breath, Luna approached the center of Twilight's bedroom and raised her horn towards the ceiling. "Come forward with the vials, Twilight Sparkle," She instructed in an echoing tone, and both alicorn princess and royal advisor dragon came forward. "Hold them high over my head."

Doing as they were told, Twilight and Spike lifted the vials over Luna's head as she cast a spell. Soon, they were all engulfed in a flash of light that shone throughout the Castle of Friendship!

A few moments later, Twilight, Spike and Luna found themselves in a dimension similar that of the one Discord resided in, albeit one where ghosts of the departed floated throughout.

"What is this place?" Spike wondered, suddenly getting some strange feelings throughout his body. "And why do I feel like rubber?"

"It's how it is in the spirit world, Spike," Luna explained. "If you are mortal, you are subjected to this feeling. Don't worry, it's only temporary."

"If you say so. I just hope we're not making a terrible mistake" Spike replied as Twilight activated her horn and cast a spell, trying to gain a signal of where they needed to go. After a few moments, her horn pointed them in the direction of the north.

"We go this way," Twilight declared and then said to Spike. "Follow me, and don't release the spirits until I tell you to do so."

Following her horn's magic, Twilight led Spike and Luna into the depths of the spirit world and came across the souls of the departed who'd died fighting the battle of Equestria. Pony and donkey soldier alike were present.

Finally, the trio came towards a small red barn as Twilight's horn continued to illuminate wildly. "We're here." She whispered as she saw a sheep step out of the barn.

"What is this place?" Spike wondered to Luna.

"I think this is Grogar's home," Luna answered in an unsure voice. "Or it seems that's what Twilight believes."

…

Suddenly, as they neared the barn, the vial containing Grogar's spirit began to shake wildly! Twilight knew that she needed to act fast, sensing that Grogar was trying to break free from his small prison.

"Chirin!" The female sheep called out with a look of worry on her face. "Chirin! Are you there?!"

As the female sheep called out, the vial began to shake even more! "Chirin, have you come home at last?!" The female sheep called out again as Twilight now had confirmation that she'd found what she had been looking for. "Chirin!"

"Hello there!" Twilight called out to the ewe. "Are you Chirin's mother?"

"Yes, yes I am Chirin's mother!" The ewe greeted. "Are you who I believe you are?"

"I am Twilight Sparkle, supreme princess of Equestria," Twilight announced. "Chirin is here with us, and we have come to bring him home to you."

Shocked, the ewe raced over to Twilight who motioned for Spike to bring the vial containing Grogar's spirit forward.

"Is this him?! Is this my son?!" The ewe cried out in a joyous yet also mournful tone.

Taking the vial out of Spike's claws, Twilight presented the vial to the ewe, who began to feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Chirin!" The ewe openly sobbed. "Oh, Chirin! How I've longed for and yet dreaded this day. At last you've come home."

Knowing she needed to act fast, Twilight placed the vial down on the ground and as Spike and Luna looked on, Twilight casted a spell on the vial that caused it to open in a bright flash!

Once the flash broke up, instead of Grogar, a small young lamb with a medal around his neck appeared. He looked up and saw his mother in front of him. "M… m…mother?" The young lamb asked, much to the joy of the female ewe.

"Oh, Chirin! My sweet Chirin!" The ewe cried in a loud voice as the lamb felt tears in his own eyes start to build. "My baby!"

Just then, all heard a low growling sound coming from the barn and out strolled a small brown bear cub who ran over to the reunited mother and son.

"Scar…scarface!" Chirin happily cried as he hugged his pet brown bear cub.

Watching from a distance, Twilight, Spike and Luna couldn't help but feel a sense of emotionally charged relief that Grogar was back where he belonged.

Feeling that her work was done, Twilight turned to leave along with Luna and Spike, but not before Chirin had one last parting word for his former enemy.

"Princess Twilight!" The young lamb spirit called, catching Twilight's attention. "Thank you!"

With a small smile, Twilight silently returned the response and proceeded to leave mother and son behind.

…

Just as Twilight and her friends were preparing to leave the spirit world, they suddenly heard a teenage voice call out.

"Father!" The voice called out to reveal a young unicorn stallion in a red robe. "Father, are you here?"

Immediately, Twilight could see who the young colt was. "Are you Julius Sombra?"She asked him.

The colt nodded."I am. Are you Princess Twilight Sparkle, supreme ruler of Equestria?"

Silently nodding, Twilight presented the vial containing Sombra's calm spirit, placing it on the ground.

"My father is in that vial, isn't he?" Julius asked and without saying a word, Twilight cast another spell on the vial and after another brief flash of light, the spirit of Sombra emerged, lying down on the ground.

"Where…where am I?" Sombra asked as he felt a sudden nudge on his neck. Opening his eyes, he saw his son standing over him. "Julius!"

"Father!" Julius cried and the father and son embraced each other!

"Julius, my son!" Sombra whispered. "I thought I would never see you again!"

"It's time to put the past behind us, father," Julius cried. "I've been waiting for you for a long time now."

Sombra then turned to Twilight and couldn't help but feel a sense of aura and relief knowing that he had been freed to be with his son again.

"So, now what?" Spike asked.

"We go home where we belong, Spike." Twilight declared and she soon teleported herself, Spike and Luna back to Equestria.

…

Once they were back in Twilight's castle, Twilight opened her eyes to see Discord standing over her, Spike and Luna. In his lion paw was the gold ticket and Twilight could see that Discord had punched in more words.

"'GROGAR MUST GO HOME'," Twilight read the ticket, much to her somewhat annoyance. "Did you plan this, Discord?"

"Well, how else would I have taught you another valuable lesson and convinced you to bring Sombra and Chirin home?" Discord remarked. "What kind of a friend do you think I am?"

Feeling somewhat annoyed, Twilight looked back to Spike and Luna, wanting to get their perspective on the situation. But one thing was for certain, Chirin and Sombra were back where they belonged and another step in the Equestria Healing Process was taken.

…

…

…