//------------------------------//
// Unity 7 - Generosity, Laughter and Honesty 
// Story: Those Forty Years 
// by Spell Writer 
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"To the left!" Moondancer calls out loudly, Twilight nodding as she swoops up and counterattacks Unity's punch with perfect timing. The spirit groans as she takes a perfect aerial dive to the face. The spirit was getting pushed back?! How?!

Unity loudly yells as she catches herself on the ground, screaming to the sky and raising her wings. The pain wasn't enough to overtake her rage. She shouldn't be losing. All her plans, even baiting Twilight into merging with Discord. Thwarted by one measly, loyal pony! "WHY WON'T YOU JUST LET ME WIN?!" Unity screams out. "I don't care what Discord said! I'm just trying to bring true peace and harmony to the world! So what if you lose some of your free will in the exchange. Isn't that better than living in a world of danger and strife?! Why are you fighting so hard to protect and encourage chaotic behavior?!"

Twilight glares at Unity, landing between her and Moondancer. "You still don't understand anything, do you? Harmony should be treasured, but life is made of ups and downs! If you remove every little choice and force everypony to conform to your ideals, sure, your own harmony is satisfied, but they'll be suffering in exchange for it!"

Moondancer giggles a little. "You can't laugh and play if every day is a party. You can't express yourself if you have no choice. Living life may be hard, but that difficulty makes it worth living. Improving yourself and doing something that everypony said you can't!"

Unity's eye twitches as she removes her remaining gauntlet, the metal object falling to the ground with a thick thud, burying itself into the earth below. "Thoughts like that is why this world needs to be fixed. Every other world I've been to was happy to have permanent peace. Maybe it's because it was at the end of their stories. I know better, though, once everypony is safe and protected from everything chaotic, everything dangerous. They'll learn to love it! Because they'll be safe!"

The fight's tide shifted dramatically. Unity began to fight with completely foreign techniques with a strange, almost key-shaped blade. While the weapon didn't cut, its damage was very real. Unity giggled manically as her strike with the blade clashed against Twilight's armor, denting it deeply. "It wouldn't be a final boss if I didn't have phases~." Unity says with a smirk, seeing Moondancer's horrified face. "Oh, little Moondancer, where is that bravado from earlier?! HM?"





Luna, Rain Shine, and Zera all suddenly appear in Canterlot. The flash of golden light that transported them fades from their vision, Luna looking around with worry as she sees the panic on Ponies faces. Many ponies are stacked near the balcony or flying above it, watching the fight in the distance. Luna fidgets in place for a moment before rushing towards the group. "Rain Shine! Wait with Zera and help the Kirin that get teleported by Celestia! We'll be leaving in a few minutes!" Luna yells out as she quickly flies towards the large group of ponies. Her eyes searching for a specific pony amongst the crowd.

Luna quickly lands in front of Amore upon spotting her. The lazy alicorn princess watching the fight from a random couch she must have either teleported or lugged the entire way. With a swift flap of her wings, Luna lands in front of Amore. "Princess Amore!"

Amore looks over to Luna and tilts her head. "Oh! Luna, what a wonderful surprise. I thought your mother sent you away for your own safety. I told her that wouldn't work anyway. Sooooo, whatcha need, lil moondrop?" She smiles as she sits back on her couch. Amore smiles towards Luna, who gives a little smile back. "I need your help to save my mom! How about a little adventure?" Luna says confidently with a smile. "I'm getting all the ponies and friends we've helped and seeing if they'll come along too." She tilts her head. "It's not gonna be much. I don't wanna put anypony in too much danger... But mom needs some help!" She nods confidently. Amore smiling at Luna.

"Well, who can say no to that." She giggles a little as she nuzzles Luna on the head. "What's the plan then? I do hope you have one, right?"

Luna blinks and giggles awkwardly. "Uhm. Celestia is thinking of one now, but we really have nothing aside from 'go help mom' right now." She mumbles to herself. "We're bringing a small group of Kirin that are willing to help out, but Celestia's magic won't hold out long enough to teleport them all. So, right now, we're just trying to see who's willing to help out. I don't know how many ponies we'll get besides the Royal Guard."

Amore smiles a little. "Then look a little further. Every creature here you or your mother have touched in some way, from helping the Yaks by supplying them with the things they needed to rebuild to how you calmed the wars in the griffon lands. They were all small things you did from here in Canterlot, but remember, the choices you, your sister, and your mother made rippled outwards, changing the world for the better. Your sister's generosity, smile, and honesty were all necessary to bring Equus back to its former glory." Amore smiles as she nudges Luna towards the stage. It was set up for singers and bands to play, but all of them had run away at the first signs of the battle.

Luna nervously fidgets. "W-wait, I'm not the speaker of the family! I can't make a speech! Besides, Celestia is way more popular and." She squeaks as suddenly she finds herself on the stage. Amore smiling at her.

"You can do it, little moondrop," Amore tells Luna before she trots to prepare the Royal Guard and her own forces.

Luna gulps as she stands in front of the fallen magic stone. It replaced the lost microphone technology and worked just as well. Luna takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes. 'You can do this.' "Everycreature!" Luna says into the microphone. All the panicking ponies, the worried griffons, and even the few yaks that were curiously watching the battle stop and look toward Luna. Each of them curiously watched her. Waiting for her to say her peace. "Everycreature, right now, my mom, Twilight Sparkle, is out there, fighting for the right for us to live our lives the way we want to. She's out there, mostly, if not entirely alone. She needs our help to fight against Unity. I know, It's scary, and I'm not asking you all to risk your lives. But even the slightest bit of help could turn the tide. Even a single pony, griffon, yak, dragon, whatever, could make the difference. We all need to unite as one world to show Unity that we believe in natural harmony, not her forced version of it! So please, I beg of you all, help me. Help your friend. Help the Queen. Whatever you might believe or want!"

The ponies in the crowd murmur to each other, the griffons and yaks talking among themselves. "Isn't it their job to save us? Why would we help?" "Why would the Queen need help? She too strong for even Yak!" "Eugh, why would we help ponies out here? Unity might be bad, but we aren't here to risk our lives fighting a crazy spirit thing!"

Luna winces a little as she hears all the mumbling before a single pony steps forward. Hearthfire hopping up on the stage. "OI! Aren't any of you listening?!" He shouts. "Look. Clearly, you all have some serious issues. My mom may look nice on the outside. But she's a virus on this world. She will not stop just 'harmonizing' the ponies. She will go after each and every one of you! Luna, Celestia, and the Queen are all doing their Faust-given best to try and save all of you! And you can't even give her the time of day? At least listen to what she has to say! You all know how much Luna cares, after all! Equestria hasn't had a single nightmare in over a thousand years. That's all because of her. So you can at least show a little RESPECT for your princess." Hearthfire says with a grumble as he motions for Luna to take the lead. "Sorry, princess, but I can't let my mom win without a fight. You have my horn. If you'll have it." He says as his legs shake in intense fear. "Even if I have to force myself through it. I won't run away."

Luna smiles brightly. "Of course!" The rest of the gathering mumbles to one another as more creatures and ponies walk forward to Luna. "Thank you so much, everyone. I won't let you down. We'll be going once my sister gets here!"





Dazed. That's the only word that can define what Twilight felt right now. The strange weapon that Unity brought forth wasn't the only trick she had. Strange lasers which pierced through her shields, blades made of nothing but pure magic. It was impossibly difficult to keep up with the angry spirit now. "Gng..." Twilight says as she stands up.

"Twilight, we could really use a time-out right about now!" Moondancer says nervously. The unicorn was still unscathed, but that was primarily thanks to Twilight playing Vanguard the entire time. Twilight giggles a little.

"I already have been. It barely slows Unity down at this point. She's gotten used to it. Why do you think Discord hasn't woken up yet?" She grunts a little as she falls forward. Heavy, burning pants escape Twilight's mouth as Unity tries for another flurry of attacks. The Queen's shields and hooves fight off the attacks, yet again, a thin beam cracks through her barriers and shocks her again!

"Heheh. Dealing with technology from the space age sucks, doesn't it?" Unity says with a smirk as she watches Twilight fall forward, the stun beam finally working to disable her opponent. "Well, it has been charming, Twilight Sparkle! But that being said, I do believe this is my win." Unity says as she charges her horn. "Shame. You didn't even make it to phase three. I guess my expectations of you were way too high."

Moondancer quickly runs up to Twilight, the alicorn groaning on the ground as her hooves and body don't want to follow her commands. Moondancer looked down at Twilight and shook her, trying to get her moving again. Unity smiled and continued her monologue. "I know this is totally cheesy, but I'll be honest. I think I deserve a victory monologue here. Finally, this world will be mine. With you gone, no pony has the strength to fight me. Discord is helpless against my power, and once I seal him away, he'll never be able to match it! I've won! I've finally WON!" She laughs heavily as her horn glows with its bright green aura. "Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle!" Unity says as she fires a large blast of her magic, using every bit of her mana in this one shot.

Moondancer closes her eyes before whispering something into Twilight's ear. Time falls still as Twilight gasps. "Goodbye, Twilight."

The beam hits true, as Moondancer is launched far away. As she rolls on the ground well over half a mile away, several loud thuds, crashes, and dust clouds form. The unicorn skips off the ground with each impact, each hit across the earth, making her bounce just a little less than the one prior. Finally, she stops with one last roll. The tom colt unicorn lying on the grass, quiet and motionless.

Twilight's eyes go wide. "NOO!" She says as she forces herself out of her paralysis, her horn blasting Unity with a bright beam of magic. The spirit of harmony is barely able to defend against it. She had spent all her magic to ensure Twilight wouldn't survive the blast! She didn't expect someone to be willing to do that! She thought that Moondancer would have been frozen with fear! Unity shakes slightly as she watches Twilight run over to her friend. The spirit knows she's gone too far... but sometimes there's a cost to victory. Even then, though, this left a sour taste in her mouth.

"How long are you going to be afraid Twilight?" Unity says to her. Watching Twilight holding her friend. "Will it take the destruction of all you hold dear to stop me?" She says with a glare. "How dare you... How dare you turn me into the one thing I hate the most."

Twilight just holds onto her friend. Tears drop as she cradles her closest friend. "I'm so sorry, Moondancer. I'm so sorry." She says as she whispers quietly. "I'm no Queen! I'm barely a Princess of Friendship anymore. I don't know what I'm doing. I just wanted everypony to be safe and happy. I just wanted... No." She says as she stands up. Laying her friend back down in the grass. Twilight turns to Unity with tears in her eyes. "I was running away, wasn't I?"

Unity tilts her head curiously in response. Interested in seeing where this is going.

"I was running away because I was scared. I was scared of my friends in the future not accepting me once they found everything out. I was scared that my teacher wouldn't accept me as her mother when I returned. I mean. Come on. I have one friend in total, zero now. I'm not exactly riding at the high of my life." Twilight says with a wince. "But. That was just what you wanted me to believe. Isn't it? You preyed on my fear when I was your friend, Unity. You played with it and molded it into something that I'd never be able to get over."

Twilight thinks about the words Moondancer just said to her. That last whisper. 'You were the best friend I've ever had, Twilight. Thanks.'

"You made me think I had to be a Queen or the Princess of Friendship. Sure, maybe some ponies and creatures will blame me in the future. Maybe some will remember what we did and the chaos it caused." Twilight yells out. "But I refuse to be manipulated by your words, what you told me, and how I've been trying to live. I CAN be both. I can be the Queen of Equestria and the Element of Friendship. Fighting you like this was NEVER the answer, was it?! That's just what you wanted. Well Unity." She says, "This fight is over. I'm going to do what I do best. Beating evil villains like you!" She says.

'So you finally accept it?' Eternal says to Twilight, the first words she's spoken to herself in a while.

Twilight smiles. "I do." With those words, Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, became Twilight Sparkle, Queen of Friendship and Equestria.