Final Part
One Final Golden Moment
Deep within the Golden Land, within the golden palace, Chancellor Cinch, Queen Novo and King Sombra sat together in the dining hall. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor walked in with Spike riding atop Shining’s back, cheering loudly.
“I take it your meeting with Twilight Sparkle went well,” King Sombra asked.
“It did,” Princess Cadance replied. “And I’m glad to see her again after a week. She was also glad to see us.”
“It felt so satisfying to at least see Twili again,” Shining Armor said as Spike jumped off his back. “But that being said, I want to at least hold her close again. After all, she is my sister.”
“And you deserve to see her in person again,” Queen Novo said as Princess Cadance and Shining Armor sat next to her. “No one should ever experience the loss of losing a loved one.”
“We’re just glad you didn’t lose Princess Skystar,” Princess Cadance said.
“Regardless of her antics, she is still the pearl of my ocean,” Queen Novo said. “If I had lost her, I don’t know what would have happened to me.”
“I knew what that felt like when I was disconnected from Twili,” Shining Armor said. “I’d thought I lost her and my folks for good.”
“When Princess Celestia was separated from her sister, she almost lost her will to live and barricaded herself in her private chambers,” Chancellor Cinch said. “Though she was able to snap out of it, I do worry for her well-being.”
“Well speaking of which,” Shining Armor said as he glanced his eyes towards the dining hall entrance. “Look who decided to show up.”
Everyone turned their attention towards the front of the dining hall, where Princess Celestia walked in. Next to her were Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz Pie.
“Princess Celestia,” King Sombra said as he got up and took a bow. “We were expecting you.”
Princess Celestia just laughed as she said “Oh no need for pleasantries, King Sombra. After all, this meeting is about all of us.”
“You’re right,” King Sombra laughed before he sat back down. “Where are my manners?”
As Princess Celestia approached the far end of the table, Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz sat across from Princess Cadance and Shining Armor before turning their attention to the prime alicorn.
“I take it you two have a situation of your own in La Maresa,” Shining Armor asked.
“We do,” Igneous Rock explained. “The rock farm is being occupied by our son Octavio Pie, who chose to look after the land until we return from our intended good-bye to Pinkie Pie.”
“And now that Gold Banks drove you to this place, he’s basically on his own,” Princess Cadance said.
“Truth be told, he takes things way too seriously,” Cloudy Quartz explained. “Much more than our daughters.”
Igneous Rock turned to Princess Celestia and said “That’s why we’re going to go with Princess Wanda and Princess Sunset to La Maresa, first thing tomorrow.”
“Are you really sure about that?” Princess Celestia asked. “You will be putting yourselves in harm’s way when you leave the safety of the Golden Land.”
“I believe they have a point,” Queen Novo said. “They are separated from their only son, and they just want to see him up close and in person again. No parent should ever be forced to be separated from his or her child.”
Princess Celestia paused for a moment before she said “Like I almost lost Wanda many times.”
Suddenly, the sound of wheels moving filled the room. Everyone turned to the front to see Mr and Mrs Cake, along with Pinkie Pie, roll in three carts with donuts piled on top. Pinkie pushed a cart that had some donut-shaped rocks next to the others.
“That must be the food,” Igneous Rock Pie said. “And it seems Pinkie Pie has outdone herself with her new rock donuts.”
“I’ll have to be honest, I’m getting a bit tired of pastries,” King Sombra said.
“I know,” Shining Armor said. “But we don’t have much else when it comes to those who can cook. Besides, our food supply is starting to dwindle a bit in terms of vegetables.”
Immediately, Mr and Mrs Cake placed each donut on the plates of the guests, while Pinkie Pie placed the rock donuts on Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz’s plates.
“There you go, mom and dad,” Pinkie said. “Just how you wanted.”
“That’s my daughter,” Igneous Rock said as he picked up the rock donut. “You sure know how to recognize good tastes.”
Igneous Rock Pie bit into the rock donut and chewed for a moment before swallowing. Some of the other guests just looked at him both confused and worried.
“What?” Igneous Rock said. “Have you never seen a pony eat a rock donut?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Princess Cadance said.
But all Princess Celestia could do was laugh out loud.
“Oh Cadance,” Princess Celestia chuckled. “You really need to lighten up. After all, I’ve tasted rock before.”
“Well lucky you, because I have one prepared, nice and crispy,” Pinkie PIe said as she placed a rock donut on Celestia’s plate.
Princess Celestia immediately picked up the rock donut and took a bite, chewing every bit. She swallowed the bite in one gulp before she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“Uggh, mother,” Princess Cadance groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me you ate rocks?”
As Princess Cadance buried her head under her arms, Mr and Mrs Cake placed a couple of donuts on her plate before walking over to Shining Armor.
“On second thought,” Shining Armor said as he picked up one of his donuts, “I think this does hit the spot.”
As Shining Armor was about to take a bite, he looked down and saw Spike stare up at him.
“Okay you little squirt,” Shining Armor laughed as he held the donut to Spike. “You can have it.”
Spike grabbed the donut from Shining Armor and bit right into the pastry. He chewed with delight before swallowing, cheering loudly before he licked his lips.
“I wish Twili was here to experience this moment,” Shining Armor said.
As Shining Armor enjoyed his donuts, Mr and Mrs Cake walked up next to King Sombra and Chancellor Cinch before placing donuts on their plates.
“So, I assume the teams are set for tomorrow’s operation,” Chancellor Cinch asked.
“They are,” Princess Celestia said. “Wanda and Sunset will lead team one into La Maresa. This will consist of Golden Lace, Abigail Albright, Starlight Glimmer and both Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz.”
“We’ll be ready for that big day, your majesty,” Igneous Rock said.
“Team two will consist of Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Spike the Dragon, Misty Brightdawn, and Princess Chrysalis II,” Princess Celestia explained. “They will head towards Vanhoover. Team three will consist of myself, Eleanor Young, Cozy Glow and the Predacons. We will fly from Vanhoover to Manehattan and establish a new ground bridge arc there.”
“This is a difficult task for my sister,” King Sombra said. “I’ll go with her to be sure that we make it through.”
“Good idea,” Princess Celestia said.
“And I’ll assist Chancellor Cinch in watching over the Golden Land refugees,” Queen Novo explained to Princess Celestia. “After what you’ve done to help my people, it’s the least I could do.”
“Thank you very much, Queen Novo,” Princess Celestia said.
“As much as I appreciate the help we have, I wonder if we truly can trust the changelings and the cultists,” Chancellor Cinch asked.
“It’s something to think about,” King Sombra said. “In fact, I think something’s not quite right with having to team up with two of the biggest foes in Equestria.”
“I would have said the same thing long ago,” Queen Novo said as Mrs Cake placed a couple of donuts on her plate. “But the difference between then and now was that my people had to team up with them against a common enemy. And we still lost.”
“That, I can agree on,” Princess Celestia said as Mrs Cake poured tea into her teacup.
Princess Celestia picked up her teacup and took a sip from the contents. Immediately, Mr Cake ran up to Princess Celestia, holding another pot of tea.
“Don’t you worry, Princess,” Mrs Cake said. “Me and my husband will keep your tea well-stocked.”
Nearby, Cloudy Quartz looked like she was about to burst into laughter.
“Now now,” Igneous Rock said. “It’s not nice to laugh at someone’s misfortune.”
Mr Cake poured some tea into Princess Celestia’s teacup before the princess took another sip. Once the princess set her cup down, Mrs Cake poured some more tea into the cup.
“There’s a lesson that says you shouldn’t over appease certain people,” Igneous Rock said. “Pinkie’s own teachers are about to learn why you shouldn’t.”
As Mr Cake poured more tea into Princess Celestia’s cup, the alicorn princess looked a little agitated from their over pouring of tea. She reached down and pretended to sip the tea before Mrs Cake poured more tea into the cup, causing it to overflow and spill over.
“Oh you sillies,” Celestia laughed. “You don’t need to take things too seriously.”
With that, Mr and Mrs Cake both bursted into laughter as Pinkie PIe approached her parents.
“You both gonna be alright?” Pinkie asked. “I could always go with you on this mission.”
“I’m not so sure about that, hon,” Cloudy Quartz said. “I want you to keep your sisters safe here, but I also want you to see your brother again. In fact, I think you should accompany Mr and Mrs Cake to the kitchen just so they can bake something good for your friends. I’ll think of something.”
Pinkie Pie nodded to her mother as she pushed her cart out of the dining room. Mrs Cake cleaned up the puddle of tea on the table before she and Mr Cake pushed their carts out, following Pinkie Pie from behind.
Outside of the dining hall, Pinkie Pie pushed her cart outside with Mr and Mrs Cake following from behind.
“Pinkie, darling,” Mrs Cake said. “You should go play with your friends right now.”
“Are you really sure, Mrs Cake?” Pinkie asked.
“Don’t you worry,” Mr Cake said as he placed his hoof on Pinkie Pie’s cart. “We’ve got this taken care of.”
Pinkie Pie nodded to Mr and Mrs Cake before she ran down the halls of the Golden Palace, leaving Mr Cake to push two carts while Mrs Cake pushed one of them.
“It doesn’t seem right for Pinkie Pie to miss out on reuniting with her friends in La Maresa while Princess Wanda and Princess Sunset embark on that mission,” Mrs Cake said.
“You know, we may consider speaking with her folks about this,” Mr Cake replied, pushing the carts. “She deserves to see her brother again after so long.”
“And there are so many ponies who deserve to taste our pastries once more,” Mrs Cake said. “Especially my famous lemon muffin surprise.”
“Ditzy enjoys that,” Mr Cake said. “Maybe we should whip up a batch tomorrow in case they do arrive. They deserve every taste of La Maresa in the Golden Land.”
“They do, my dear,” Mrs Cake said. “They do.”
Later that day, as the sun sat towards the west, Pinkie Pie ran out of the castle and through the grass of the Golden Land. Nearby, Eleanor Young was looking over the newly crafted portal arcs with Crystal Snow polishing up the portal crystals. At the bottom of the hill, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace, Misty Brightdawn and Cozy Glow laid in the grass, looking up at the evening sky.
“Hey guys,” Pinkie Pie waved. “Wait for me.”
“Well we were wondering when you would show up,” Sunset Shimmer said as she waved towards Pinkie with one of her wings.
“It was Mr and Mrs Cake’s idea,” Pinkie Pie cheered.
Pinkie Pie jumped into the air and flew above her friends. Misty and Cozy Glow looked up and screamed loudly before they rolled out of the way. Pinkie Pie landed next to them with a loud thud before turning her attention towards the sky.
“So Wanda,” Pinkie Pie said. “Are you worried about your mission tomorrow?”
“I am,” Wanda sighed, looking down at her amulet. “There is a part of me that doesn’t know if I can succeed in my duty, let alone make it back. I fear I may not see my mommies again, and end up like Aunt Woona.”
“I know how you feel, sis,” Sunset Shimmer said. “I’m still thinking about how my cursed form was bested by Gold Banks. In fact, I don’t know if my Alicorn form will be enough.”
“Well that’s no reason to worry about that,” Pinkie Pie giggled. “After all, you’ve both faced the harshest of odds, from the attack on the Ponyville Fair, to the invasion during the Grand Gallopin Gala, the time Karen the Bulldog nearly made you miss your own birthday, your own trip back in time, and our experience at Daisy Joy Tech.”
“And it hasn't been a year since we’ve attended the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Starlight Glimmer said.
"You're right, Pinkie," Wanda said. "We have gone through a whole lot since I was enrolled in alicorn mommy's school. But I do hope we can make it out of this mess."
Pinkie turned directly to Wanda's face and said "The one thing I can say to you is don't overstress it. We're in this together. No pony can take us away from each other. That, I can guarantee."
But before Wanda could speak, Karen the Alicorn bulldog ran up to the group before leaping onto Wanda. The canine proceeded to lick Wanda on the face, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.
“Hey cut that out,” Wanda giggled. “That tickles.”
Sunset just laughed before she said “It’s funny. Not long ago, Karen used to chase us and try to eat us.”
“Until we were able to tame it,” Wanda giggled as she struggled to keep the bulldog from licking her face.
“But then you guys discovered that her owner, Wild Bet, used her for illegal dog fights,” Cozy Glow said. “That explained why you guys were chased by that dog.”
But as Wanda was able to push Karen off her, she turned to Cozy Glow and asked “Hey Cozy. You seem eager for tomorrow’s run.”
“Oh I do,” Cozy Glow said. “I’ve got a score to settle with Miss Honey Twist for locking me away in a cage within Daisy Joy Tech. I want nothing more than to tear that place apart.”
“Well,” Wanda said. “What do you think of having my alicorn mommy and the Predacons aid you?”
“Right now, I don’t care that the Predacons are minions of Queen Chrysalis,” Cozy Glow said. “All I care about is how satisfying this victory will be when it’s all over.”
“That’s saying a whole lot,” Starlight said. “But that being said, I don’t know if I am up for tomorrow.”
“What makes you say that?” Misty asked.
“I’m worried about tomorrow,” Starlight said as she turned her back away from her friends. “I know my parents will worry for my safety. But I also want to see Sunburst and Trixie again. I miss them both.”
“Almost reminds me of when I originally had to say good-bye to Wanda for a thousand years,” Misty said as she rolled over and hugged Starlight close. “Believe me. I’ve really known what it’s like to be separated from friends and family.”
“If you’re not up for it tomorrow, you don’t need to go with us,” Wanda said.
“I know,” Starlight replied. “But I want to see those two again. And I want to make sure my mom and dad can have their old lives in Sire’s Hollow again. That’s why I want to go. For them, and for my uncle Meteor Flare.”
“You have such great ponies looking after you,” Misty said.
“Thanks, Misty,” Starlight said. “Just like how you have a great brother that looks after you.”
Wanda turned to Golden Lace and said “I’m sorry we have to go up against your mother, Lace.”
“It’s okay,” Golden Lace said. “It’s not the first time you had to do so. But I fear we may not win.”
“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.
Golden Lace rubbed her right hoof on the blade of the grass and said “It’s because of that stupid Alicorn Amulet that she wears. Furthermore, I dunno if the gifts you were given are enough. Can this Golden Magic of Light be the key to bring down my mother and end her reign of evil? I guess only time will tell.”
Pinkie Pie laid back on the grass, looking up at the evening sky.
“This is the calm before the storm,” Pinkie Pie said. “A moment to relax before we make our way to save everyone from Gold Banks. I don’t think anything can ruin this moment.”
Suddenly, the sound of Waspinator screaming loudly echoed through the Golden Land. Everyone looked up to see Waspinator fly through the air as if he were hit by a flying volleyball. He landed nearby with a loud crash, shaking the environment.
“Waspinator,” Cozy Glow said. “What the hay happened?”
Waspinator slowly got up and said “Dazzling bugs play rough with volleyball. Waspinator treated like second ball.”
With that, Waspinator collapsed on the ground before everyone else turned to their right. Nearby, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk were on a makeshift volleyball field along with Inferno and Quickstrike on the other side. Princess Chrysalis II sat next to the volleyball field, horrified at Waspinator’s predicament.
“Young lady,” Quickstrike said. “What in the name of Queen Papilionoidea did you do?”
Sonata Dusk just stood there blushing before she got up on her two legs and held her arms behind her.
“I, uhhh, spiked the ball,” Sonata Dusk grinned embarrassingly.
“You call that a spike?” Aria Blaze laughed. “That was more of a ground driver.”
Inferno walked up to Sonata Dusk and said “That was an impressive strike, young lady. To best my brother with that kind of power. How would you like to be an honorary predacon?”
But before Sonata Dusk could say anything, Adagio Dazzle placed her hoof on Sonata’s mouth and said “Thanks, but she’ll pass. She’s not the kind of pony who wants to get into any kind of danger.”
“Fair enough,” Inferno replied.
Nearby, Princess Chrysalis II hung her head in confusion.
“This is the kind of thing I have to put up with until tomorrow’s operation?” Princess Chrysalis II said. “Mother, please help me.”
Nearby, Wanda Young, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Karen the Bulldog, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Misty Brightdawn all broke out in laughter as Eleanor Young and Crystal Snow pull Waspinator up and shake him off.
“Man, with enemies like those, we might as well make them friends,” Pinkie Pie laughed.
“They do remind us of some of our friends,” Sunset Shimmer replied.
“It’s too bad that despite the fact they were our enemy, they lost their homes to my mom,” Golden Lace said. “Even they didn’t deserve her cruelty.”
“Hey Wanda,” Sunset asked. “I heard something happened while I was unconscious for a week. Care to fill me in?”
“Oooh, that’s gonna be a hard one,” Wanda replied. “But, I’ll do what I can to fill you in.”
As Wanda began to talk to Sunset, Abigail ran up to Eleanor and Crystal as they dusted off Waspinator.
“How are you doing, Waspinator?” Crystal Snow asked.
“Waspinator in pain, but still functional,” Waspinator said.
“I don’t know what that means, but I’ll say that you’re okay,” Eleanor Young said.
As Waspinator began to take a step forward, another volleyball smacked him right upside the head, knocking him down to the ground. Eleanor and Crystal looked down at the Predacon changeling, who was now unconscious.
“I think he needs a major fixing up,” Crystal Snow said.
“Stand back,” Eleanor Young said. “I’ve got this.”
But the only thing Abigail could do was place her paw on her face and meow embarrassingly.
Meanwhile, in a mansion due east of Canterlot and south of Manehattan with a sign that said “House of Raw and Sour Milk,” an elderly unicorn couple were enjoying the sun shining down on their face as one enjoyed a spot of tea while the other was knitting a dress.
“So did you hear about what our daughter is doing?” Raw Milk asked his wife.
“That disgrace of a pony?” Sour Milk replied. “We haven’t forgiven her for taking over Canterlot and not fulfilling our promise.”
“You mean to dismantle every government across this world,” Raw Milk replied. “I thought Spoiled Rich was a disappointment. But Gold Banks managed to top her in that department.”
Raw Milk set his teacup down on a nearby stool before he got up and walked away.
“Do you think that monster Creme Dream twisted her mind into a tyrant?” Sour Milk asked.
“Who cares who’s in charge of Equestria,” Raw Milk explained. “Creme Dream, Chancellor Cinch, Princess Celestia and Luna. They’re all the same in my book. A shame that our disgrace of a daughter chose to go down this same path."
"There are two kinds of fools that exist in Equestria," Sour Milk said. "One desires power for his or her own gain. Others would want to worship those who gain power."
"That is why every creature in Equestria has been complacent," Raw Milk said. "The Changelings, the Crystal Empire, The so-called Winterians, and even Queen Novo and her dumb birds."
Immediately, Sour Milk pulled out two pieces of paper and a feather quill with an ink pot. She dipped the tip of the quill in the pot before writing on the parchment paper.
"Writing a letter to our daughters, I take it?" Raw Milk asked.
"But of course," Sour Milk replied. “It’s time they both saw the error of their ways for being assimilated into Equestria society, and to return to being who they are: ponies who were meant to dismantle the government, not to empower it.”
“Take your time, my dear,” Raw Milk said. “We need both of our daughters to read our letters and to come at the same time. Only then will we teach them what utter failures they’ve been.”
Sour Milk nodded to her husband as she continued to write the letter, deep within the mansion due south of Manehattan, as the evening sun sat in the west.
End of Trials of Friendship
Coming Soon: Operation Daisy Joy