The funniest part about it all was Chrysalis and Tirek’s faces. They gaped at Sunny as they were bathed in a golden light, then realized that they were doomed, and their shock turned to fear and anger.
Sunny’s wings and horn appeared, golden with a rainbow sheen, and the colors in her mane seemed to glow brighter as well as her mane lifted off her shoulders and began to flow and wave. She rose off the ground effortlessly, without even flapping her wings, and her eyes began to glow a bright white light as magic coursed through her.
As he stared at the hovering alicorn in front of him, something strange struck Tirek’s mind. This wasn’t normal magic - it was the magic of friendship, more powerful than anything he could put together. This was what defeated him. And nothing would ever take it away forever.
His gaze switched to Cozy Glow, hugging her friends as they watched Sunny. She had left them for her friends, even though she knew that Tirek and Chrysalis would hate her for it, and if they won, would hunt her down and seek revenge. But she thought that it was worth all the potential risks, and she didn’t care what they thought of her.
You don’t need permission, or someone’s approval, to make friends, or be happy.
A memory bubbled to the surface: His brother Scorpan, begging him to give up their quest. I can’t do this anymore, he’d told him. I’ve seen what they can do, and who they really are, and I can’t take away something that important to them. And it will never make you happy, but I think that they might.
A bunch of prissy ponies? Tirek had snorted. What good could they do? He had paused as a thought struck him. You aren’t… making friends with them, are you?
And why shouldn’t I? Scorpan asked. Brother… this isn’t what you really want. This isn’t going to satisfy you or make you happy. It’s time to give this up.
No! he had roared. I will not! This is the only way!
Scorpan had sighed and pulled his medallion over his head, tying it around his brother’s neck. I love you, brother. I always will… no matter what choices you make. He took a step back and said, I’m sorry.
During his thousand years in prison, Tirek had felt nothing but hatred for his brother’s betrayal… but now he wondered, for the first time, what Scorpan had felt, handing over his brother to be trapped and imprisoned for a thousand years like that. And that madallion… Every time he thought of the words that his brother had said when he had given it to him, Tirek wondered if he had really meant it.
He may never know for sure. But, looking up at Sunny Starscout, he knew one thing.
Friendship was truly never ending. It was always there, buried underneath all the grief and pain and anger and unhappiness, and it would last. It would always last.
He wasn’t going to lose anything else.
Chrysalis finally snapped to her senses and activated Grogar’s bell, aiming it right at Sunny, but Tirek stepped in the way, feeling his strength deflate, but knowing that this was the right choice.
The changeling blinked, then, as the yellow light and black lightning from the bell vanished, shoved him unceremoniously to the side and suddenly got an idea. Turning the ancient artifact on herself, she released all the magic kept inside, the power flowing through her and making her horn spark with all the energy.
Chrysalis laughed as she flapped her wings, until she was the same height as Sunny Starscout. The mare’s eyes narrowed.
“You fools! I have all your magic, and now-” She created ropes of light that soared through the air, wrapping around Sunny and binding her wings and hooves to her sides, “-I have your friend. What are you going to do to stop me?”
“Sunny!” cried all her friends down below. Chrysalis smirked and sent a blast of magic, powerful enough to create a giant crater where it hit, intending to scatter the creatures so she could go back to her hive and take over. But the annoying little creatures just dodged around it and kept dodging every blast after that, all the while calling out to Sunny and screaming to each other that they had to make a plan.
Chrysalis spotted Monarch standing next to the trees, her calm presence and commanding composure making the creatures calm down as she shouted instructions. Her rage only doubled when she saw Cozy Glow listening eagerly with her ‘friends’, and Tirek’s horns glowing as he opened his mouth, preparing to suck away all of her magic. She snarled and fired a beam of magic at him that sent him racing back into the cave. Chrysalis clutched Grogar’s bell close to her chest and turned to Sunny.
The alicorn was still tied up, though she was struggling. Chrysalis was pleased to see that she was still in her super-powerful-magic state, and she closed her eyes, trying to find that mind link that Cozy Glow had planted there so long ago.
But… it was gone.
There was a tunnel, there was a connection, yes, but Chrysalis couldn’t enter Sunny Starscout’s mind. The earth pony had put up stronger walls and barriers - nothing was getting in there that she didn’t want.
Her whole plan was falling apart.
Chrysalis roared with fury - and Sunny lit up her horn, a glittering rainbow aura dancing up and down the golden tip, and the ropes that the changeling had put on her evaporated as easily as if they were made of dust. The former changeling queen didn’t notice yet - she was too busy lighting up her horn and forming a massive green ball at the tip, which Sunny saw, with a jolt of shock, that she was planning to throw at her friends down below. She frantically searched her mind for a solution - and then she found one.
Cozy Glow. Sunny reached out with her mind, finding the connection that was still there, strongest between her and the filly. She could block Cozy out, but now she let down her walls on purpose, she wanted the pegasus foal to talk to her. She was surprised with how easily the mental communication was coming to her - it was as if she had done this before. Listen to me. Get my friends out of here. I’m going to hold off Chrysalis for as long as I can, but if things don’t work out, you need to save Equestria. Keep everyone from fighting and keep harmony and friendship alive.
What? Down on the ground, Cozy Glow looked up at Sunny, a shocked expression on her face. I can’t do that! Nopony trusts me, remember?
I do, Sunny told her in a quiet voice. You knew my ancestor, right? Tell everyone her story. Tell them about what we can do when we work together. Teach them to be friends, not enemies. I know you can do it. And my friends will help you - I’m sure of it.
Cozy Glow looked at the ground. Then she said, Something your aunt once said to me… “The real magic has been right here. And the more who understand how powerful it is, the stronger we will all be. Together.” I never really understood what it meant, but now I do. It isn’t really about what we can do, but what we can inspire others to do. And that together, we accomplish so much more. She was quiet, then added, You really are the last Sparkle.
Sunny met her eyes, and for a brief moment, the white glow faded from Sunny’s eyes, and the two smiled at each other. Then Sunny was turning back to Chrysalis, her eyes white again, as Cozy Glow shouted instructions down below, directing ponies and creatures into the forest.
By this point, Chrysalis had realized that Sunny was no longer bound by her side, and she was now aiming the truly massive ball of destructive magic at Sunny. And when she finally shot it, Sunny just barely had time to put up a golden shield to protect herself from the force. Even so, she was still knocked over by the blast.
Sunny retaliated with a blast of her own, which met another one, sent by Chrysalis, in the middle of the space between the two airborne creatures. The beam coming from Sunny’s horn was golden, whereas the one from Chrysalis’ was a sickly green that fought hard against the bright gold. Sunny strained and pushed with all her might, but bit by bit, the beam edged closer her way - Chrysalis was winning.
“Sunny!”
Down below, Hitch, Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp were all watching with matching horrified expressions. The sheriff thought, If Sunny has friendship magic inside her… maybe we do, too. And maybe it will be enough to help her win!
A bright yellow glow surrounded Hitch, and he was lifted off the ground, his eyes shut tight.
“Sheriff?” Zipp said uncertainly, momentarily distracted from the fight above the ground. “What are you doing?”
A beam of yellow light shot out of Hitch’s chest - right where his heart was - and hit Sunny up above. The alicorn gasped as newfound strength flooded her, and she pushed back against Chrysalis with all she had left.
Pipp gasped as she realized what Hitch was doing, and soon, a pale white glow surrounded the pegasus and lifted her into the sky as well, another beam coming straight from her heart and giving Sunny more magic. The two airborne creatures were now even and in a stalemate, but it would soon be Chrysalis who felt the strain of keeping the fight going.
Zipp and Izzy, at the same time, also were lifted into the air, surrounded by their own glows - blue for Zipp, bright pink for Izzy. Up above them, Sunny was pushing Chrysalis back more than ever now - the giant orb that had formed where their magic beams connected was right on the tip of Chrysalis’ horn, and she strained to keep from losing.
No! she thought to herself. I’m supposed to win. I have all these ponies’ magic! They cannot defeat me!
A voice suddenly appeared in Chrysalis’ head: I feel sorry for you.
Chrysalis’ eyes, which had been shut in concentration, snapped open, and she stared across the battlefield to meet Sunny’s glowing white ones. She felt the connection close off, and Sunny’s eyes narrowed in concentration.
“NO!!!” Chrysalis screeched.
Sunny Starscout, fueled by a love for her friends unlike anything she had ever felt before, felt the magic come straight from her heart, surrounding the former changeling queen with blinding gold light, stripping away her magic and returning it to its rightful owners. With a final surge of power from Sunny, the changeling disappeared.
“Sunny! You’re okay!”
As she was lowered to the ground, Sunny was immediately overwhelmed by Hitch, who wrapped her into a hug so strong that it knocked her over.
“Oof! Yes, yes, I’m fine, okay, get off of me!” Sunny protested weakly, laughing too hard to care. Hitch stepped back to let her stand up, then wrapped her in another bone crushing hug, this time joined by Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy. On the shore of the lake, Flurry Heart had to hold back all the other creatures with a magical force field, just letting Sunny have a peaceful moment with her friends.
And as she stood there, ankle deep in mud and swamp and murky water, in the aftermath of one of the most intense fights she had ever been in, surrounded by the four best friends she would ever have, Sunny sighed and relaxed into her friends’ embrace, knowing that, no matter what came next, everything was going to be okay. Whatever came next was going to be, in a word, perfect.
Because with these ponies by her side… how could it not?