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// Harmony's Hereafter Path 
// Story: Ascension 
// by cloudedguardian 
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	A string of panicked foreign language tore through the air as a cloud of dust formed by a single pony came charging into town. Ponyville’s citizens leapt back in startled worry, as the dust cloud shot past them, often staying frozen in their spot for a second as they tried to figure out WHAT that was exactly, and what had caused it. Rose immediately thought of a stampede, but Rainbow Dash was quick to assure her that she had only seen the one pony… And that she was rather impressed by its speed.
The stream of strange and somewhat strangled language continued until the dust cloud settled outside Twilight’s house, ending itself abruptly as its creator turned to pounding on the Library door.
“I’m coming, I’m coming-WOAH” Spike called anxiously, his voice getting cut off by a tremendous crash, and the following gentle thuds of falling books.
“Careful Spike!” Twilight called over to her assistant, her voice a little worried, the door swinging open a second after she finished.
When Twilight finally turned to address her guest, she hadn’t even had a chance to get out her greeting before her jaw hit the ground and she was assaulted by more of the foreign language, as well as the frustrated face-hoofs of the zebra in front of her as she struggled to recall Equestrian.
“Z-zecora, are you okay…?” Twilight asked worriedly, as Zecora groaned and faced-hoofed for the fifth time in frustration of being unable to say more than two words in a row in the language she needed to use right now. “M-maybe you should come in for some tea and calm down a little…?”
‘You know, you don’t really have to hit “sensical” right off the bat.” Spike offered, “Heck, I think I manage to get out like, seven words and an order in an emergency, and that works pretty well actually.”
Zecora looked at him blankly for a second, before taking a deep breath.
“Dragon. Ursa. Humungous. Forest- Smashed…” Zecora spluttered, her hooves waving in description, before locking eyes with Twilight. “Assistance, please.”
“Wow, that ending was… Surprisingly calm. Kinda sounded like mine too. But you know, ca-WOAAH~!”
“COME ON SPIKE! Don’t worry Zecora, we’ll handle it!” Twilight called back, Spike desperately hanging on to her mane, as she charged off to get her friends, subconsciously appreciating the longer and faster gait that the amulet had inadvertently granted her.


Exactly one hour later, not a second past, the mane six stood a hundred feet from the dragon that had been wreaking chaos. Twilight turned to her friends with a determined grin and a list held by Spike, quill in claw, and ready to scamper out of the way once the plan was double-checked.
“Ok, Go!” Spike said, poising the quill and inch from the paper.
“Alright, Rainbow Dash, AppleJack?”
‘Ropes at the Ready, Ma’am-“ Applejack offered with a mischievous grin, holding up a lasso and long length of rope which RD held the other end of.
“And ready to kick some flank!” Rainbow finished, baring her teeth in a cocky and somewhat sadistic smile.
“Rarity?”
“I have the Elements just as you asked Twilight, ready for when we need them.”
“Perfect! Pinkie Pie?”
“Party Poppers and balloons as backup emergency distracters check!” The pink pony wheeled off in excitement.
“Lovely. Fluttershy?”
“P-present…”
“Good. I think we’re all set then. Spike?” Twilight smiled brightly, before looking carefully back at her assistant.
“Yep, all boxes checked, all things are go, you’re ready! Well, once I get off anyway.” Spike added, his voice going from proud and cheery to a little sheepish.
Twilight chuckled, and stiffened her tail to allow him to slide down it as he used to when he was smaller… It worked quite well once again, now that she was bigger. Spike landed with a gentle thud and a small cloud of dust.
‘Ya know, I bet this is the exact reason why Luna wanted us to have the Elements of Harmony on hand!” He called back in comment as he scurried to the “bunker” Twilight had picked out for him when she was constructing her plan.
“If that’s the case, the Princess sure had good foresight.” AJ chuckled, as they quickly trotted to their various positions.
“Perfect foresight is to be expected from the rulers that have protected Equestria for centuries, Applejack! But a history lesson isn’t important right now,” Twilight said happily, a determined look on her face as trotted up to the dragon at an even pace. “What’s important is taking out this Chaos Dragon.”
The dragon quickly caught note of the small purple unicorn nearing its feet, and it reached down a claw to swipe at her. It wanted her, but it wanted to destroy. It would take everything in greed and desire to fill the hole it felt and could not understand… But as its claw neared her, she leapt gracefully out of the way with the cry of “NOW!”
Applejack charged in from the left, rope swinging. The lasso landed neatly over the dragons clawed hand, and with a whoop, AJ circled around behind, slowly drawing a loop around its feet. From above, Rainbow Dash increased the knots and loops, preparing to tie them all together in an acrobatic feat.
The dragon reached up to swat the annoying little blue pegasus that held something it wanted. Its claw missed her by a foot as she looped easily out of the way and drew the rope around its wrist. The dragon inhaled, preparing to let out a blast of magic onto the ponies that were irritating it so, but its concentration was shattered and the magic dissolved as a loud series of bangs came from behind it.
‘Good job on the firecrackers Pinkie Pie!” Twilight called over, as the dragon twisted itself into a knot trying to find the source of the noise.
With a tremendous crash the dragon struck the ground, hog tied, as Rainbow Dash and Applejack finished their task.
“Suuuuey, easier than trussin’ a pig.” Applejack laughed as she galloped to meet up with Twilight and the others.
‘Rarity, quickly, the Elements, before it snaps the ropes.” Twilight ordered, and Rarity quickly fished them out.
“Yeah, this ain’t really something we can aim all that well.” Rainbow Dash snarked teasingly as her necklace landed around her neck.

The dragon’s eyes widened as from the six ponies an arc of powerful and ancient magic erupted, gilded in the colors of a rainbow. As it struck, destroying the chains of sorrow and hatred that held it together, the dragon knew it had found what it wanted, and dissolved away into the magic it so desired.

The Elements of Harmony’s glow dimmed and faded away as they completed the job that their bearers, both new and old, had wished. As the orb that surrounded the girls disappeared, a new destiny’s path had appeared before them… For where six little ponies had stood, six new powerful Alicorns, confused, blinking, and unknowing of what had happened quite yet, lay.

Pinkie was the first to struggle to her hooves. “Hey, Twi, the dragon’s like gone gone. Not, gone, as in, defeated and going home, or gone as in purified and better and fluffy, or gone as in statue, but gone gone gone.” 
Twilight groaned as she shook her head to clear it. “Th-that’s weird. It shouldn’t have done tha-“ She cut herself off as she realized she could feel outside of what her body should be able to feel, in the form of two large purple wings that surrounded her like a cloak.
Applejack hadn’t moved from her spot, too startled at the orange feathers that were drifting an inch from her nose. Rarity’s face was a mask of confusion at her new height, and she was trotting over to the lake to get a look at what had occurred. Rainbow Dash was staring off into space, trying to understand the power that she could now sense but couldn’t comprehend. Fluttershy had sat up, and was clearly deep in thought, although what she was thinking about wasn’t clear.
“Uhm, Twilight, we’re like… Really… Tall… And… Princessy.” Pinkie said slowly, for once unsure of what to say.
Spike walked over to them, jaw hanging. “Uh, Twilight, I think it might be time to talk to Celestia… Whether she’s busy or not.”
Twilight had been wanting to speak to the Princess’s since their revelation last week… But every time she had tried to get in to speak with her, she was shockingly turned away! Celestia’s private pupil, unallowed to speak with her own mentor. Write a letter, they said. You specially have that ability, they said. And she had. She had written no less than four letters, and only one of them had been answered. The one on how sometimes things you’re afraid to share with your friends end up being things that bring you closer together. It wasn’t the anxious letters of worries that had been answered, but her report on friendship. Its answer had been just three lines. The greeting and ending, and “Very good Twilight, I’m so proud of you.” Suddenly the warm praise for such a simple little lesson was frightening to her.

“Y-yes.” Twilight said shakily, startling Spike. Her voice hardly sounded like her at all.
‘We’ll go right now. I’ll teleport us.”
‘Right into Canterlot castle?! Can you do that?!’ Spike asked, amazed and worried.
As thunder began to roll,Twilight felt for the powerful magic she had felt when the light from the Elements had cleared. Not only was it still there, but it was growing stronger.
“Yes. I can do that.” Her voice was calm and perfectly certain, even as her eyes slowly grew more troubled.
One by one her friends walked up to her, ready and willing, Rarity even offering to assist in the spell if Twilight could explain how to. Twilight gave her a smile, but shook her head. She didn’t need help with this. It felt to her as if even fate’s strings were pulling taut to guide her in this one spell. And in a flash of violet light that had the forest itself humming with excitement, they disappeared.

A second later, if even that, the six appeared in the very court room of Canterlot Castle. Despite it being late afternoon, the court was decorated in Luna’s colors. Night’s court had come early it seemed.
Twilight swallowed. It was a terribly rude thing she was about to do, something she would never do in her right mind… But was anything “right” or “sane” at the moment?
“Celestia! Luna! I demand you come here and talk to us! Properly.” Twilight shouted, her voice echoing off the walls.
Rarity and Fluttershy stared at Twilight in shock. Using that tone with the princesses?! That was practically an order!
“Twilight what are you-“ Rarity began, her voice a hiss, but stopping abruptly when she caught the look in Twilight’s eyes. “…doing…? Twilight..?”
A moment’s silence hung in the hair, cold and foreboding. The only sounds that could be heard was the gentle clink of metal against stone as the wind blew the flags back and forth, their rods striking the stone each time they rocked back. The silver moon on them seemed to shine blood red in the setting sun, even as rain began to strike the windows.
“Twilight Sparkle. Your Royal Canterlot Voice is developing beautifully already I see.”
Luna had stepped into her courtroom, her voice truly calm. She wasn’t the least bit upset about how Twilight was acting, or even about the fact that they had practically broken into her royal court. As the girls turned towards her, she caught the worried and anxious looks on Rarity and Fluttershy’s faces. To them, she merely smiled; A small, honest smile that held a trace of sadness, but no sadism or anger.
“No, I am not angry at you for “barging” in here, or for that matter “ordering me to appear as if I were a dog.” Correct?” Luna asked, as she had perfectly quoted the worried thoughts of the two. “Far from it. I was expecting you. 
“I am actually impressed. You are early. I thought you would take a while longer with the dragon, and wouldn’t be here until after sunset.” Luna chuckled softly. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised. You have, after all, saved Equestria twice. Three times if you count Cerberus… Four if you count the changelings… but that was more your brother’s and my niece’s deed I think.”
Princess Luna was… Rambling. It was strange enough to them that she appeared to be in her filly form once again, but added in with her aura of accepted calm and the way she was acting… She was actually creeping Rainbow Dash out just a little bit.
“P-princess Luna… A-are you alright?” Fluttershy asked cautiously, and Luna smiled at her sweetly.
“I am perfectly alright. Content, even. But that isn’t really what you want to know, is it Twilight? You wish to know of my sister, and-“
“WHAT IS GOING ON?!” Twilight yelled, her composure snapping, her confused anger pouring out into her voice.
“T-twilight! You’re speaking to the Princess-“ Spike hissed, and then looking at Luna with a mixture of surprise and relief as she stopped him.
“It is alright Spike. I understand Twilight Sparkle’s anger. It is well deserved, for far too much has been hidden from her. And I am here to reveal it all. I am sorry that it has come to this before… Before you were given the truth you should have had at the beginning. But please, understand, Sister hid it from you only out of worry for your own well-being.” Luna was speaking directly to her now.
Twilight swallowed, and nodded. She felt abashed, despite not getting told off. If anything, she felt worse because of it.

With slow and precise movements, Luna walked up to her throne and sat down, before speaking. And even though she didn’t say it, each of them knew that this was not a tale they should interrupt.
“About two months ago, a curse of black magic was weaved by the Changling Queen Chrysalis, in a fit of fury and revenge. This curse was set to destroy Equestria in a single blow, and was weaved with every last drop of magic Chrysalis still possessed from your brother, as well as every drop she herself had. It sought to do this, by painfully destroying Equestria’s guardian ruler.”
“Celestia.” Twilight breathed, the name of her mentor slipping out without her meaning to, as her worried suspicions were confirmed.
Luna simply nodded, her eyes closed.
“Chrysalis had never met nor seen me, so she probably did not even know of me, and because of that I was spared. Celestia, therefore, bore the full brunt of the curse, and I have watched as it has ate away at her, beyond my control. Don’t look like that, Twilight. I can see it, your growing plans to wipe out Chrysalis in an attempt to break the curse.”
Twilight started, surprised that Luna had figured out what she was thinking so easily. Luna sighed.
“That is the very reason why Celestia made me swear not to tell you. She was convinced that you would charge off to your death in an attempt to save her. I see that she was not wrong. But that doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Is Celestia-?!” Rainbow Dash started, but stopped her question half-uttered as Luna smiled and shook her head.
“Sister is fine. I found the way to break the curse this morning. There is a price however… But as fate would have it, my way out fits perfectly with my sister’s plan. As you may have already realized, the medallions, the dragon, everything, was her way for you to grow into the new role she sees for you.”
As the girls looked at each other in wonder and suspicion of what she meant, Twilight merely took a step back, shaking her head as her eyes dared to fill up with tears.
“She wished for you to take our throne in her wake, and I will follow that wish.” Luna locked eyes with Twilight. “But your coronation will not be in the echo of my sister’s funeral. I will not allow that. 
“I will coronate you, as I have promised. But then I will use the last of my power to save my sister, ending our reign in a better way than how Chrysalis planned.”
“But what will happen to you?” Fluttershy gasped, running forward to look at Luna eye to eye. The way Luna was acting was reminiscent of how an animal walked calmly to its own death alone to spare and save its loved ones.
“Sister and I will both become mortal. But it is fine. In fact, it is good. Truth be told, Sister never wanted to rule, as her title has gently whispered… She merely wanted to teach and guide her little ponies… And to have a family of her own. As a Mortal Pony, she can realize that dream…” Luna said softly, her smile growing a little less sad.
She looked up at them, and in return to her soft gaze, she was met with six determined smiles, Twilight’s an unhappy mask, but still accepting.
“We will be content. And you will rule.”