Twilight stared in shock as the shards of the Elements fell around Nightmare Moon’s hooves. “N- no,” she breathed. “Where’s the sixth Element?”
Nightmare Moon laughed and lit her horn. She launched a burst of magic at Twilight, who teleported out of the way, but she fired again, this time at the ceiling. Rocks fell, and Twilight found herself trapped.
But as she lit her horn to return fire, the sound of voices made her look back. The other ponies approached, eager to help. As Applejack started to pull the rocks down, Pinkie flew in front of Twilight.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. “Oh, one of my noctrali.”
Pinkie crouched. She was clearly quivering, but stood strong.
“Good.” She gestured towards Twilight. “Take her down,” she ordered.
Pinkie shook her head. “Eeee,” she said softly.
“What was that?” Nightmare Moon asked, her voice dangerously quiet.
“Eeee,” Pinkie repeated, a bit more firmly this time, placing her hoof down firmly.
“You’d stand against me?” Nightmare Moon said, affronted. “How dare you! I gave you life! The noctrali belong to me!”
“Eee!” Pinkie retorted, and she pulled a cupcake from her mane and threw it at her, sticking her tongue out.
“Where are you getting all of those?” Twilight had to ask.
But Nightmare Moon had another trick in store. She lit her horn and began to chant. Her voice seemed to carry a haunting aura.
Pinkie suddenly bent over, shaking her head, as if trying to shake off the song. Her eyes flickered purple, and she turned around to face Twilight, ears pinned, teeth bared.
“What are you doing to her?” Rarity demanded.
“Nothing,” she said innocently. “She was born to serve me. The noctrali are my soldiers, my servants, my teeth in-”
But she didn’t get much further than that, because a sizable rock bounced off her helmet, throwing off her concentration.
Applejack pawed at the ground; it had been she that had bucked the rock. “Let her go!”
Nightmare Moon gestured with her head, and Pinkie leaped away from Twilight and tackled Applejack. She snapped at Applejack, teeth flashing, and Applejack pushed up, keeping her face away.
“Hey now,” Applejack protested. “It’s me! I’m your friend! Honest!”
Honesty…
Rainbow Dash swooped in, knocking Pinkie away. She crouched in front of Applejack, wings flared defensively. “Come on, Pinks,” she urged. “Fight it! I know you’re in there and I’m not giving up on you.”
Loyalty…
“That’s it,” Twilight realized, looking over at the ponies… at her friends. “Those weren’t the Elements! They’re not rocks, they’re you!”
“Us?” Rarity asked.
Twilight quickly recounted their experiences in the forest, lining out how they had embodied the Elements.
“Touching,” Nightmare Moon said coldly. “But that’s still only five, and your little spark didn’t work.”
“Is it?” Twilight challenged. “Because I felt it. I’m feeling it now.” She looked at her friends, even Pinkie. “I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. And that friendship is magic!”
The Elements suddenly burst into colors. The shattered Element rocks swirled around the five ponies, washing the room with light and color, and breaking her hold on Pinkie instantly. A new orb formed, the missing Element of Magic, and swirled around Twilight.
“No!” Nightmare Moon cried, but it was too late. The rainbow of light erupted upwards and then bent down, surrounding Nightmare Moon. There was a burst of color, and then everything went white.
Applejack was the first to sit up. “Everypony alright?” she asked.
Pinkie sat up, rubbing painfully at her eyes. That had been bright!
“Rarity, it’s beautiful,” Fluttershy said.
Rarity waved her newly-restored tail happily. “I know! I’ll never part with it again.”
“No, your necklace. It matches your cutie mark.” She looked at Pinkie. “Yours does, too!”
Pinkie looked down and her ears pricked as she realized what Fluttershy was talking about. “Eee,” she purred with no small pride, looking down at the blue gem on her chest and gently buffing it with a hoof.
“Huh,” Applejack said, examining her own. “I guess you were right. I guess we really do represent the Elements of Harmony.”
“You certainly do,” another voice broke in.
And then the room brightened further as Princess Celestia appeared. The ponies bowed.
“I knew you could do it,” she said warmly.
“I thought you said it was an old pony’s tale,” Twilight said.
“I said you needed to make friends,” Celestia said gently. “And Twilight, you succeeded, just like I knew you would. I knew you had the magic inside you, but without all of your friends, I knew it wouldn’t be enough.”
Twilight looked around and noticed that Pinkie was gone. Twilight’s brow furrowed.
“All six of you,” Celestia said, with a meaningful look at the wall.
For a moment, nothing happened. And then Pinkie slowly poked her head out from her hiding space. Hesitantly, and still squinting at the bright light, she pointed a hoof at herself.
Celestia nodded. “Especially you,” she said. “Even from the shadows, you’re a true friend.”
She gingerly stepped out, with slow steps to start, then as she realized she was serious, she leaped, rejoining the group, smiling widely, and squinting in the light. Applejack let her borrow her hat to shield her eyes.
The pony that had been Nightmare Moon slowly raised her head. She was now much smaller, and more blue.
Pinkie approached, slowly, forelegs bent as if in preparation to flee if needed. “Eeee?” she asked.
“Yes, she did,” Celestia said softly. “But I don’t think she’ll be casting that spell again anytime soon. Right, sister?”
“Sister?!” Twilight and Rainbow repeated.
Celestia neared. “Princess Luna,” she started. “It’s been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this. We were meant to rule together. Will you accept my friendship?”
There was a breathless moment.
Luna leaped up and grabbed her into a hug. “I’m so sorry! I missed you so much!”
Celestia quickly returned it. “I missed you, too,” she said.
Pinkie approached, stepping carefully. “Eee, eeee?” she asked, her voice a low whisper.
Luna broke the hug to look at her. “No,” she said firmly. “Pay no heed to the words of that madmare. Regardless of your origin, you are your own pony. You have your own destiny. And you are beautiful.”
Pinkie smiled.
“Are you… crying?” Rainbow asked.
“Ee,” Pinkie denied shortly.
Rainbow chuckled, and then they were all laughing, in relief, in happiness, as release, all of these things; but all together as friends.