"Cadance..." I gently shook what was once my foalsitter, my beloved big sister. She was caked in her own blood as well as mine. She'd never looked worse for wear and yet none of that mattered right now. "Please, Cadance..." I pulled my sister's lifeless body into a tight embrace. There was no reciprocation. There wouldn't be. I howled in agony, openly sobbing into her motionless form as the reality of the situation came crashing down on me.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. I didn't... I lost..." Kis was pressed up against the glass, still trying to get out of the ball, still possibly trying to help in whatever way she could. "S-she's... she's okay, r-right? You're alicorns... You guys can't die... You can help her... c-can't you?"
I shook my head slightly, my body much more difficult to move, as if I was suddenly submerged in water. The bellow of sorrow that came from the Lord of Fate was even louder than I could ever have imagined. The darkness once again began reacting to Kis' erratic emotions. This time though, it didn't act in aggression, this time it began to liquefy and melt, the space we currently occupied slowly beginning to fill with black gunk.
"Kis," I whispered through my veil of tears, through the unimaginable pain, unable to remove my face from my sister's neck. I couldn't look at her.
First my precious little Flurry and now...
I didn't want to let go... but I had to. I finally had to accept the truth.
I can't fight death. I can't hold on forever, no matter who it is.
"This isn't your fault, Kis."
No. It's not hers. It's mine and I'm going to take responsibility.
"You'd give me a chance, even now? Even after all I've done to you and..." She sounded so very sad, so very pitiable. The grief in her was so thick it almost pained me physically to hear her speak.
To bear such heights of sorrow and have to continue in your duties. It must've been...
I suppose we weren't so different, Kismet and I.
"If I learned anything from my sister, Kis, it's how powerful love can be." I placed a gentle kiss on Cadance's cheek before whispering my thanks to her. "Thank you, Cadance... for everything." I let go, turning my attention back to the god. "You already have such a strong sense of love for Justice, Kis. Now you just need the other half of a truly blessed life."
"W-what?" she asked, the desperation on her face pleading for guidance, for a solution to this mess. I chuckled at the irony of it all. Everything had come full circle. Everything she'd taught me since I was a filly.
Had it all been for this very moment? If so, then I'll gladly play my part.
"It's the most important lesson I learned from Princess Celestia. The thing I'd lost sight of that caused all of this to happen." I melded my own mana with the gift Cadance had given me, as well as Flurry's magic that was already inside me.
My horn swirled, tricolored as two more unknown sources of mana joined my efforts. I wasn't sure where the magic had come from, but It was familiar, like a warm blanket. I was thankful for the help. The energy was staggeringly vast, my horn pulsing as I struggled to control it all. It reminded me of all those years ago when I'd been forced to confront Tirek. I casted my spell directly at the sphere trapping Kis, no doubt in my mind.
"Friendship," I smiled, the glass orb shattering into millions of pieces under the unstoppable might of my spell, freeing Kis from her captivity.
"T-Twilight... you'd... you'd still want to be friends... with me?" she was taken aback by my selfless offer. I looked over my shoulder at the all-powerful deity. She looked so shy in that moment, so miniscule, like her entire future hinged on my reply. "You'd still forgive me for..." I looked up, remembering my precious little niece's words, a smile lifting my lips.
Auntie... would you have given up on your friends?
What better way to defeat an enemy... the ultimate enemy, than to make them your friend?
"I've already forgiven you, Kis. Will you accept my friendship?" I asked. The next thing I knew I felt trembling, unsure arms wrap around my neck, holding me in a gentle embrace. She laid her chin on my shoulder. Strangely enough, It felt rather... nice.
"I've never had a real friend before," she breathed into my shoulder, continuing to sniffle. The darkness continued to draw closer to the two of us, the ceiling of the room mere feet above. Once this space was consumed, we would be as well.
"I'm glad you finally made one," I patted her hand with my hoof. "Friendship really is magic."
"Twilight... I can't stop this," she lifted her head up, staring at the dripping darkness. She looked truly remorseful. It was an odd contrast to the previous insanity. "I'm... sorry."
"I know you can't, Kis," I smiled, knowing exactly why she was saying that. "You don't have to worry. I'm not just acting like this in the hopes of being spared."
"Thank you, Twilight," she squeezed me tightly before taking a deep breath. "I may not be able to prevent this... alone, but..." she looked up yet again. "but this world doesn't have to die if..."
"What can I do?" I asked, a slight ray of hope illuminating the possibility that I might be able to atone for all I'd done.
"It'll take everything in you... and everything in me, but we can stop it... if we do it together."
"Tell me what I need to do!"
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What in all of Equestria are those two thinking?
First Twilight teleported and then Cadance flew off after her. If that thing was as dangerous as Discord had claimed, neither would survive, even together.
I have to do something!
"We must go as well," I flared my mana, prepping a spell to teleport myself.
I cannot let them die too.
I'd already failed my granddaughter ... It couldn't happen again.
I have to protect them. no matter what it may cost me.
"Agreed, Sister," Luna began to infuse her own horn with mana, following my lead.
"I'm sorry, girls, but I just can't let you do that." A loud snapping sound cut off the flow of our mana. I turned around, glaring not just daggers, but whole swords at the draconequus that was trying his best to be inconspicuous.
"What is the meaning of this, Discord!?" I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and not immediately leap at him and throttle his neck... for the time being.
"It's far too dangerous for the two of you," he looked down at the ground, sadness permeating him. "I refuse to allow two more of my friends to rush headlong into their deaths."
"And yet you did nothing to prevent Twilight and Cadance from going?" Luna was even more heated than I, bearing down on Discord as if she were about to spear straight through him with her horn.
"Those two can do something about this, Luna," he backed away from the approaching alicorn, his hands raised in front of himself. "You think I'd just let them go without a purpose?" She stopped in her tracks, a look of remorse coming to her face.
"You are chaos, but... I suppose that you would not," she sighed. "I would be remiss as a friend if I doubted your intentions."
"What do you mean 'they can do something'?" Just because Luna had relented didn't mean I had. It was my turn to interrogate our friend. I was in his face in a second, intimidation my primary tactic. Discord may be our ally now, but that didn't stop him from being the Lord of Chaos.
"Well, they are the Princess of Friendship and Love... I think... I believe-"
"Those are what Kis needs most right now," Luna finished for him.
"So what, we just stand around and do nothing? Excuse my unreasonable attitude, but I refuse to just sit by and watch while my niece and my... my student risk their lives for my well-being!" I spun around ready to take off just as Cadance had, but a powerful wall of chaos magic prevented me from going anywhere. "Discord... remove your barrier... NOW!" My glare made him shudder, even causing Luna to recoil at my sudden indignation.
"I won't, Celestia," he wouldn't look at me, his gaze locked to the ground.
"WHY!?!" I tried to calm down a bit, but my anger was still coming through in spades. "I've already faced the darkness, Discord, within Canterlot and inside of Spike. I can help them!"
"You're right, Celestia. Your undiluted heat did burn away all of the darkness that infected you. It even protected you inside of Spike... but this is different," he pointed at the black orb. "That thing is different. It is beyond even me and so... It is beyond the two of you." It was humbling to hear. Nothing had ever been. Luna and I had been defeated before, but there was never a valley... never an unscaleable mountain.
"SO I SHOULDN'T TRY!?" I was on the brink of hysteria.
I can't lose them... can't lose her...
I couldn't, yet once again, I was utterly powerless to do anything.
"Perhaps... Discord is correct, Tia." As I was moving with violent purpose toward my new obstacle, Luna's voice froze me in place.
"Lulu... you... agree with him?" I stared at her completely dumbfounded. My sister, the most aggressive being I'd ever known and the one who loathed inaction, thought we should do nothing? I fell back onto my haunches, the outlandishness of the situation overwhelming me. "You want to do... nothing?"
"Nay, Sister," she bobbed her head left to right. "This entire ordeal I have looked down upon Twilight, underestimated her," she stared at her hooves, the sadness and regret apparent in her eyes. "I am not saying we do nothing. I am saying we trust Twilight." She lifted her head and smiled at me. "She does have the greatest teacher one could ever ask for, after all."
"We have to have faith, Celestia," Discord cautiously placed his paw on my shoulder. "If there was something any of us could do I'd be the first one t-" the clap of thunder that echoed from the black orb caused everything to shake and rock back and forth.
"What in Equestria?" Luna gasped as the very air itself vibrated in response to the energy going haywire.
"I really hope that's a good sign." Discord lamented. An undeniably disturbing sound of agony followed the chaos that had erupted from the ball of evil magic.
"That was-"
"Kis..." Discord looked perturbed by the noise, so much so that his barrier trapping us flickered out for a hundredth of a second. We waited in uncomfortable silence, the rumbling of the world the only discernable noise. I suddenly felt my heart stir, Flurry's brilliant magic shining brightly in my breast yet again.
"Sister!" Luna called out to me, gasping as she also shined the same hue of Flurry's light blue magic. As we stood next to each other, unsure of what to do, the magic moved into our horns, combining with our own pools of mana. In seconds it blasted from our bodies passing through Discord's barrier and flying into the black orb of its own will.
"What... was that?" I gaped. It was clear all three of us were confused by the event. In minutes the black sphere began to collapse in on itself. I turned to Discord, eyes pleading with him to give me the chance to help them. I was given no such opportunity, the amalgam of animal parts not acknowledging me whatsoever. I believe it's because if he had, he'd have been unable to continue to imprison us here.
"If they are within the darkness..." Luna did not have to finish her thought. We stared at the crumbling ball of power, the only thing we were able to do was pray.
Then the worst possible scenario occurred directly before us. As if a dark hole had bloomed within the center of the mass, it sucked into itself, the threat of our world's destruction gone in the blink of an eye. What replaced it seconds later made my blood run cold. A single lavender figure plummeted from the sky at an alarming rate, no sign of life coming from it.
"D-DISCORD!!!" I shouted desperately.
"RIGHT!" He snapped his fingers, quickly dispelling his barrier. In a flash, I teleported underneath the falling being, catching it with the utmost care in my forelegs as we drifted slowly down to the ground.
"It's... It's not possible..." I stared at the purple unicorn in disbelief.
"What is it, Sis-" Luna's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the mare I was cradling. "H-how?" was all she could manage to say.
My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, rested in my forelegs. However, it was not the majestic ruler of Equestria. She was no longer an alicorn. How she had reverted to her unicorn form was not something I could explain. She was covered horn to hoof in bruises and lesions. Her eyes flitted open slowly, a beautiful smile coming to her battered face.
"Did... did we do it? Is it... gone?" she sounded so tired, weak, as if she'd just fought the greatest battle of her life. She clearly had. I nodded in response, tears beginning to blur my vision.
"You did, Twilight." I smiled at her as the dam broke and I began to cry. "I'm so proud of you, my most faithful student."
"How did the two of you manage to slay Kis?" Luna hopped around us with glee. "Where is Cadance?" Luna looked this way and that in an attempt to locate the Princess of the Crystal Empire, the smile on her face exuberant.
"Kis just needed a friend." Twilight said simply, her eyes now avoiding all else.
"Remarkable! And Cadance?" Luna pressed, looking down at the purple unicorn. Twilight closed her eyes, refusing to answer the inquiry. "Where is Cadance, Twilight?" Luna pressed harder, a vivid desperation coming to her voice as her smile faded. "Twilight... w-where is my niece?"
"She... she didn't make it." All the joy I'd felt at seeing my student still alive was instantly drained from me. Luna bristled, her legs wobbling as she nearly collapsed. First horror then disbelief covered her face.
"I do not... wh-what could have happened!?" Luna was about to go over the edge, her eyes begging Twilight to tell her that it was all a poorly timed joke.
"It was an accident." The look Twilight returned was saturated in pain.
"TIS A LIE! An alicorn does not simply perish due to an accident, Twilight!" Luna shouted, beyond reason at this point.
"Lun-" I tried to calm her, but to no avail.
"Sister, surely there is more to the tale than that!" I could understand her, more than anypony else, I could understand why she was so stricken with grief.
First, my precious little granddaughter and now my beloved niece? It was... it is far too much.
I continued to cry, the only way I could express the despair festering inside of me.
"I'm sorry, Luna. If it wasn't for Cadance... if she hadn't helped us, we wouldn't have been able to-" Twilight coughed harshly a small bit of blood dribbling from her mouth as her body doubled over.
"Twilight!?" I wiped the crimson fluid from beneath her mouth. "What's wrong?" I was all too familiar with that cough.
"It's... it's a miracle I'm still alive," she sighed as she was gradually able to lie back down again. "I guess Fate is letting me say my last goodbyes," she chuckled, the prospect of her imminent demise not appearing to bother her whatsoever.
"T-Twilight?" was all I managed to utter.
"The spell to stop the end had a steep cost," she looked away from me. "I really didn't expect for this to happen," she looked down at her hooves. "But... I am glad," she smiled up at me. "I get to say farewell... and I'm sorry."
"But you look fine!" Discord spoke up, snapping a finger and summoning a thermometer into Twilight's mouth. "You're not even running a fever," he said incredulously as he pulled the medical instrument from her mouth and examined it closely.
"It's not like that," she shook her head meekly. "The counterspell required mana and life energy... a monumental amount of both. Neither Kis nor I had enough to cast it alone."
"But... but she had the energy of all those... souls. How could it not..." Luna remarked, her shock palpable as well.
"The spell was never meant to be reversed," Twilight took a deep breath. "Kis gave up everything... She'd... they had won and she still..." A grin grew on her face. "Just like Starlight..."
"Kis... helped you?" Discord looked completely flabbergasted by Twilight's claim. Twilight nodded joyfully.
"I wouldn't have been able to do it without her," she explained. "In the end, she became a true, true friend."
"Y-you did it? You did it... YOU DID IT!!!" Discord's jaw went slack as he threw his fists into the air. "Oh, thank you, Twilight!" He snapped his claw, teleporting her out of my forelegs and into his embrace. He gave her a delicate hug, a pained groan her only response. He snapped again transferring her back to me. "I have something I need to do," he held his fingers prepared to snap yet again, but postponed as a look of sympathy sprung onto his face. "One last thing, before I go," he looked around at the three of us. "I know this all may seem absolutely unbearable right now, but it'll all work out... trust me. I know that to be true. Sayonara, girls," he snapped his fingers, phasing out of existence before any of us could say a word.
"He hasn't changed... a bit." Twilight's voice was deteriorating rapidly, raspy and slow. It reminded me of...
"Is there nothing we can do for you, Twilight?" Luna asked after shaking off her own stupor due to Discord's actions.
"Afraid... not," she shook her head, before looking deathly serious. "I've done so many things wrong... so much I'd do differently."
"Twilight, please don't." I stroked her cheek with my hoof.
"Please, Celestia. I need this," she returned my gesture, wiping tears from my face. I nodded in assent. "You were never anything less than kind to me," she looked at Luna. "Both of you. And I..." Luna and I remained quiet, allowing her to finish. "I'm so sorry... for everything." I gently brushed her tears away.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Twilight Sparkle. At least, not as it pertains to me," Luna placed a hoof over her chest. "Thank you, for your sacrifice and for everything you have done for me and mine." My sister, the Princess of the Night and one of the most powerful beings I knew bowed as low to the ground as she could, the greatest gesture of respect and honor she could give the Princess of Equestria.
"Thank you, Luna," she sniffled as she bowed her head as best she could in response.
"And please," the tears in my sister's eyes caused my heart to ache even more. "F-forgive me." I didn't understand and I don't believe Twilight had either.
"For what, Princess?" Twilight's head tilted to the side.
"I could not... keep my p-promise," Luna's tears fell like rain. Twilight looked even more bewildered by my sister's sorrow. "I was... not a-able... to save you," she choked out in between sobs.
"Oh, Princess," Twilight giggled softly drawing Luna's wide, confused eyes. "But you did." My student shifted her gaze to me. "You all did," she cupped my cheek with her hoof. "Even though I was so awful, you all never gave up on me," her smile shined brightly like the stars in Luna's night sky. "In the end it's that kindness and friendship... that love, that brought me back."
"Twilight..." Luna blinked away the tears, finding her bravery. "I shall give you two privacy," she smiled at us. "Fare thee well, Twilight Sparkle. It was the greatest honor and blessing to have known you."
"Goodbye, Princess Luna... and thank you." In the next instant my sister blinked out of reality, leaving my student and I alone.
"She was always so concerned about you," I smiled as I looked at the spot where she'd just stood. "And if I'm being completely honest, just a little bit jealous," I chuckled.
"I don't... understand why?" Twilight shared in my mirth.
"You're so very precious to me, Twilight." I began to tremble, the reality of losing her becoming all too real. "If anypony could come close to her in my heart... it's always been you."
"I see," she blushed. "And here all I gave you was grief and pain," she shut her eyes.
"Twilight," I waited for her to look at me. "You gave me so much more than that." I drew her into a hug. "The kindness, the friendship, the love... and so much more. I'll treasure it for all eternity. Thank you... for everything." Her face buried deep in my shoulder as she cried quietly.
"You've always been far too kind, Princess," she sniffled. "Thank you." As she withdrew from me a bright white light started to spread over her body. "I think... it's time."
"I don't want you to go, Twilight," I sobbed. "I love you so very much." I confessed as I watched the light spread from her torso out to her limbs. She shined like my sun on a summer day. Twilight tilted her head as she comforted me, feeling altogether like a mother.
"Kis said something interesting before we parted ways," she whispered.
"What might that be?" I asked, quite curious as to what the god had to say at the end.
"We'll all see each other again someday, Twilight. When we do... maybe I can be friends with Celestia and the others, too." The sentiment sent a wave of warmth over my student. I must admit my heart heated up too. "I think she's right, Celestia... I think we'll be together again... someday." She was becoming so unbelievably bright, shining so blindingly, I had to shut my eyes. "Don't you think so... too?" Her voice echoed.
When I opened my eyes she was gone.
"I do, Twilight," I whispered joyously. "I truly do. Goodbye for now... my dearest daughter..."
"Love you... Mom."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After the events that transpired near Canterlot, Celestia and I returned to the Crystal Empire. It is not like we had much of a choice. There was nowhere else for us to go. Canterlot was derelict. Not just the capital, but more than half of Equestria had become a ghost town. Kismet's machinations had done more damage than we initially thought. It was a complete and unadulterated catastrophe.
The Crystal Guard welcomed us with open arms and while they were absolutely devastated by the loss of both their captain and their princess, they remained vigilant in their duties. It was all such an unbelievable disaster. Equestria had lost Twilight, Cadance, Flurry, and Spike in less than a week.
To be perfectly honest, I was not certain our world could rebound from such a severe blow, much less a single nation. Equestria no longer had its ruler. The Crystal Empire had lost its entire royal family.
As I said, an utter cataclysm.
Our options for a swift recovery were limited at best. Celestia and I could take up the mantle of rulers once again, but the nation was in shambles regardless of whom were to try and lead it. More than half of the citizens had di- had moved on, and with their departure came a shortage of... well, everything. Doctors, farmers, weather controllers, the jobs that needed filling the most had none to do so.
We had been correct, both my sister and I. All signs pointed to a regression backwards. Back to the time when it was fight for your next meal. Back to the time when it was survival of the fittest. Back to the time when it was kill or be killed...
And so, we met with government officials, with the politicians, and with militaries. Anypony we determined might be able to help rebuild, we sought an audience with.
What a nightmare that decision proved to be.
While my sister and I had staunch allies amongst the Rainbow Guard as well as support from our devoted, we received nothing but resistance from all others.
Which led us to our current, unenviable position. Tia sat across from me, a half-genuine, half-artificial smile decorating her face. The two of us were in my makeshift room within the Crystal Empire. It felt... wrong to do anything to Cadance and Flurry's chambers. Strangely enough, my sister had taken the departure of Twilight and Cadance fairly well.
I was not sure what they had said to one another, but Twilight had obviously comforted my sister in a very real way and for that I was even more thankful to the unicorn. Still, the losses weighed heavily on the both of us. What I would not give to get better acquainted with Spike. To have a hot cup of tea with my niece. To go another round with my granddaughter. To debate the more intricate processes of magecraft with Twilight.
"Something troubles you, Luna?" My complexion must have changed or something of the sort because Celestia had been able to read me like a book. "I mean other than everything that's happened, of course," she clarified.
"What are we going to do, Tia?" I took a deep breath before rubbing my temple with my hooves. "I cannot see a clear path to any sort of recovery for Equestria."
"You may be right, Lulu," she sighed, growing silent. "We could always give up and run away... like the old days," she said after a moment. "You know, only take care of one another."
"SISTER!?" I stared at her in disbelief, her coy grin disarming me almost instantly.
"Clearly I jest, Luna," she giggled. "We are no longer those ponies." The look of determination that formed on her face made my heart pound with excitement. "We will fix things, Luna. We'll make them better. There may have been a time in the past we would've run, but now..."
"Now things are different," I nodded. "Now we are different." We had seen first hoof the power of friendship and love. We could never go back. Neither Celestia nor I could be so heartless ever again. Twilight Sparkle, Cadance, Flurry, and everypony else had taught us the true meaning of friendship. We would fight for a brighter future. We would fight for every being in Equestria. We would fight for good.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Auntie! AUNTIE!" The initial call may not have awakened me, but the yell stirred me from my slumber.
"Calm down, dear. She'll wake up when she's nice and ready." The second voice was just as familiar as the first.
"Look! She's waking up! SHE'S WAKING UP!" The first voice exclaimed excitedly. With a very pronounced yawn and a quick blink of my eyelids I came face to face with my sister and my niece. The pair stood over me, ecstatic smiles on their faces.
"I didn't know you could dream after you die," I stared at the figments of my imagination. They smiled at each other before looking back down at me.
"This isn't a dream, Auntie," my niece casted a quick spell to pinch my cheek, the pain drawing a yelp from my muzzle. "We were waiting for you... all of us," she was practically jumping up and down at this point.
"Come on, Twilight," my sister offered me a helping hoof. "Flurry's right, everypony's waiting." As I took her hoof into my own she lifted me up. That's when I finally noticed them all. A spectrum of the most wonderful colors and brilliant smiles.
My friends. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Starlight. My family. Mom, Dad, Shining Armor, and Spike. And her. I rushed over to the group, but more specifically to my precious student.
"W-welcome home, P-Princess Twilight." She was even more vibrant than I'd remembered. I couldn't contain myself.
"Just Twilight is fine, Radiant." I drew her into a tight embrace. "I missed you." I whispered into her ear, tears of joy flowing unabated.
"I missed you, too," she whispered back.
"I missed all of you so much!" I announced as I pulled out of the hug, but I didn't let the young mare go. "Thank you all... for waiting for me!"
"WELCOME HOME, TWILIGHT!" they shouted in unison as they moved in and embraced me in a group hug.
It was all I'd ever wanted...
And yet...
I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness radiate through me...
There were three... no, four faces missing. Four precious friends, four members of my family whose absence left a hole in my heart.
They were irreplaceable, but I knew I would see them again.
Yes... of that, I'm certain.