Moment passed, the Crystal Empire was left silent as it was in a ghost town. Ponies have left their home to reunite with their kind, and Cadance and the others are the only left who stay behind and confront Clipso once more. Flurry was in her bedroom writing a letter, the last letter she was gonna send.
“Dear, Luster Dawn, I have to say something before anything happens to me. I wanna let you know, we may not see each other again. I needed you and your husband to stay away from the Crystal Empire. Everypony who lives here has been evacuated. And now, Uncle Spike, my mom and dad, Celestia and Luna, and I stay behind and can't leave. So I’m asking you, do not come and see us. Just be safe, my friend. I love you.”
As she finished, she let Spike deliver it with his flames into the air. And Spike knows she’s gonna miss them cause everything is gonna to end very soon.
“This is not the end,” he recalled. “We still have more to go.”
“It’s already happened. Ponies gone, Stygian is gone, and he is coming,” said Flurry Heart. “Am I gonna die?”
“No, of course not.” He exclaimed. “You’re Flurry Heart, I know you very well. You were always meant to rule the Crystal Empire like Cadance. This isn’t the end of all of us, we always have a choice. To live, or to fail.”
“And how do you know that?” She asked.
“Cause I believe something doesn't mean it’s going to happen.” He confirms. “Our stories will continue on whenever we decide. And a decision creates a path that could lead us to hope.”
Maybe he’s right, believing something doesn’t mean their stories are going to end but make their own path. She touches his snout and accepts whenever they decide to survive their last stand. Cadance was overhearing them and knew she couldn't protect her for long. So she went to find her husband, and he was gearing himself to defend the castle.
“Cadance,” he surprised. “I didn’t hear you coming.”
“Sorry, it's just that I’m worried.” She said, feeling worried. “Clipso is coming. And we can’t protect our daughter. I’m worried I won’t survive this.”
“Don’t say that.” He comforts her. “We’re gonna make it. We have Celestia and Luna with us now. They know more magic than we can. We’ll make our stand together. And we won’t lose her too. I promise we’ll make it through.”
With it, they made their final kiss together till the end of their love. And when waiting, she felt a presence from the other side. They hurried to the balcony and saw a bright red approaching the palace.
“He’s here,” said Cadance.
Clipso has arrived and stands there staring at the castle. As he steps in, a magical barrier traps him in. He figures they will use magic on him but he breaks freely and continues onward. Then the Timberwolves attacked him to avenge their fallen, but he fend them off with many forms of weapons he made out of his body. He slaughters with each blade and consumes their essences.
“They won’t hold them for long,” she said. “Is Celestia and Luna ready?”
“They’re almost ready.” He told her. “They need to hold him much longer.”
But every Timberwolves scattered into piles and was drained from their branches. And when there’s none, he marches and enters the castle. Cadance and Shining Armor hurry to get Flurry Heart and Spike, as they know he’s here inside.
“We gotta move!” Cadance exclaimed.
“What about Celestia and Luna?” She asked.
“Don’t worry about them,” said Shining Armor. “They’re gonna help us escape.”
She doesn’t know what they’re gonna do but it has something to do with Clipso's entering. As he was already in, he searches for them with a stomp of his hoof. He senses their presence knowing their close, as a magic has almost hit him. He looks and sees Celestia and Luna arriving in the air with their armor as they land to confront him.
“You will not touch my family, Clipso.” Celestia said, standing along with her sister.
“I have waited to challenge the Alicorn Sisters for a long time,” said Clipso. “But I won't spare your life.”
“And we won’t spare yours,” Luna added. “You will stay dead as you were.”
“I’m already dead,” he commented. “Besides, Twilight Sparkle is dead like her friends.”
An enraged Luna ignites her magic at him, but he protects himself with his wings into a shield. They were stunning seeing his wings transform into metal shields, as he reverted his back and showed he has more than a shield. Then his cloak changes into tendrils and forms two weapons for him to battle, as Celestia and Luna won’t back down from his new power.
“Your powers are more dangerous than I have ever expected,” Celestia confirms.
“Me? Dangerous?” He asked with a sinister question. “You are dangerous, Celestia. I would not allow an alicorn to control the Sun all these years. I will not allow that to happen again!!!”
He swings his blade at her, but she evades him with a sword to defend herself. And Luna struck him with a spear, and it got him. But eventually pull it out and break it, not feeling pain from it. They now see he is undead that cannot be harmed by anything, as he chuckled the way they were surprised but they continue to fight on till he’s dead.
Meanwhile, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor led Flurry and Spike to the secret passageway in the throne room.
“Okay, stand back.” She said, as she carefully uses dark magic revealing a spiral staircase in the center of the room. “Hurry!”
But dark magic alerts Clipso as he knew they use it to open Sombra’s lair. So he closed it with his horns, locking them out.
“What happened?” Spike asked, confused why it closed on them.
“Clipso somewhere be able to close our escape route,” Cadance figured. “But how can he use dark magic like King Sombra?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” said Shining Armor. Then he tried to open it, but it didn’t. “My magic can’t either. He somehow put a spell to keep us from opening it. We need it to be open.”
As they try, it cannot be open. Back with Celestia and Luna, they are still trying to hold him longer with any spells they can come up with. But nothing has any harm to him as he grew tired of their magic. He increases his red magic and blasts them against the wall. Luna was hurt, and Celestia then tried to defend her sister by throwing a spear at him, but he caught it with his claws and threw it back impaling her. Luna watches her sister, as Cadance feels it, and she falls to the ground.
“Nooo!!!” She cried, angrily unleashing her magic.
She launched a powerful magic that she had never done before, and it almost hurt him. And he witnessed the magic he now saw.
“Dark Magic,” he commented. “It seems your anger unleashes your true self, Nightmare Moon.”
“Don’t you ever say that name!!!” She shouted, fury with magic.
Meanwhile with the others, they still try to open the passageway but it cannot be opened by their magic anymore.
“It’s too strong,” said Shining Armor. “Clipso has made a protection spell against ours. We need powerful magic to disable it.”
“Let me try,” Spike said, as he stepped in and firebreath the barrier.
The barrier is still standing, as Cadance believes they need to use their magic to break through. “We need to use all our magic together.”
So she and Shining Armor shared together and unleashed on the barrier. And the barrier started to weaken. With Luna, she is still enraged by her sister’s death and tries to kill him with the great amount of magic she had within. She was in the air and ultimately blasted her magic at him, but he slipped in the air with his dragon wings and did the same to her. Both struggle with their magic collide, as Luna keeps on at it and forces her magic on him.
“You…. won’t…. Win!!” She said, struggling not to give up.
But he fully uses two of his horns to empower his horn, unleashing an amount of magic at her. And she was blasting against the statue.
“You could’ve beaten me if you were Nightmare Moon,” said Clipso. “But that’s disappointing.”
He then brought down the statue on her, as she defended herself with her hooves. And when it did, she was buried by the crumbles with her hoof sticking out not moving. With both sisters gone, he continues to find two more. Princess Cadance, now knowing they’re gone, keeps on trying to break the barrier with Shining Armor, and Spike. But it was still resisting, and she sensed he was coming to them.
“He’s still coming.” She tells them, and knows what she must do. “Keep on doing, I’ll try to hold him off.”
“No,” Shining cried. “I’ll do it.”
“Shining,” she said. “He’s coming for me. I can drive him away. Just keep going!”
She quickly headed to slow Clipso down, as he was worried she wouldn't make it. But Spike encourages him not to, as they both continue to break the barrier. Then Flurry knows they won’t be able to get through so she joins in and uses her magic alongside them. Cadance arrive to the hallway and confront him one more time.
“You won’t lay another hoof on her,” said Cadance.
“You still do not understand,” he remarked. “I am not like them, or you.”
“You’re right,” she agreed more. “You’re not like us, but a monster.”
She brought out every spears and pointed at him, as he walked towards her. She strikes with everything to slow him down but nothing makes a dent on him. As she is about to use her magic, Clipso wraps around her neck and holds her with his tentacle.
“You will lose….” She struggles from his grip.
One last word, a snap came from her neck. At the throne room, the barrier was destroyed as they were finally able to get through.
“Okay,” said Shining Armor. “Spike, look after Flurry Heart. I’ll have to go back to Cadance.”
“Wait,” he stopped. “Are you sure it’s a good idea?”
“I have to go back.” He said. “I won’t let her deal with Clipso.”
“Dad!” Flurry worried, not wanting him to go.
“Don’t worry, I promise to come back.” He said, hugging his daughter one last time and headed to help his wife.
Spike and Flurry enter the passageway, as Spike closes it underneath them. Shining Armor hurries to find Cadance but cannot find her. And as he searched, he found her on the floor and became worried.
“Cadance!” He cried and found her not moving. “Cadance.” As he lifts her. “I came back for you. I’m here.” He tries to wake her. “Please, Cadance, I’m here. Please.” And as he tried to wake her, he began to grief. “Cadance! Please! I can’t lose you!”
He mourns her lifeless body, as Clipso approaches behind him seeing the pain in him. “She did deserve to die,” Clipso admitted. “Like others who would have joined her.”
Shining Armor became enraged and looked at him. “You…” He stares at him. “You did this. You took her away from me.”
“I did what I had to do,” he concluded. “Many alicorns stand in the way of Equestria. They don’t deserve to rule, only one rule.”
“And who will that be?” He asked.
“God,” said Clipso. “Gods will rule Equestria more than alicorns. Better than anything.”
Shining Armor furiously picked up a sword and tried to kill him, but was caught by red magic around his neck and brought closer to him.
“It's a shame she has to die without her husband,” he added. “But I’ll make sure she can see you.”
With no words, he pierce Shining Armor with his blade. He let out a gasp and fell to the floor dying. And Clipso walks away, leaving him to die. Shining crawl to reach his wife and lay next to her feeling his lifeforce fading away.
“Cadance,” he said with his dying breath. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t save you.” And he sees the light within his eyes.
Clipso reaches the throne room and searches for the last alicorn. And he knows where the passage is as he blows it up and enters. He walked down the staircase and searched around but found no trace of her.
“Where are you?” He angrily asked, echoing the cave. “I know you're here. Come out and I promise not to hurt you like the last time we met.”
Flurry and Spike were hiding from him with Spike covering her with his wings. Clipso started to grow tired and give up looking.
“Wherever you are, I will find you!” He shouted. “But you won’t be the problem for me. I will deal with you again sooner, at another time.”
He spread his wings and flew away from the top leaving the destruction behind of not finding her and Spike.
Days passed, Flurry and Spike waited for a long time in case Clipso came back. Spike checks the surface and carefully makes sure they aren’t alone. As they search around the castle, Spike finds them and tries to keep Flurry away.
“Flurry, don’t look.” He said, not wanting her to look.
But it was too late as she saw them and cried. “Mom! Dad!!”
He kept her away from not looking at them, as she was crying of her lost parents. Soon, Spike and Flurry gave them a funeral for Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor at the courtyard.
“Here lies our friends and family,” Spike spoke with a sad tone. “Celestia and Luna were our ruler of Equestria and a friend. Princess Cadance was our Princess of Love and the ruler of the Crystal Empire. And Shining Armor was a beloved father of Flurry Heart, and my big brother. They were a friend of Twilight, and a family to her. They love us for who we are, of every friendship we made from steps we learn together. And we will remember them for their sacrifice.”
Flurry places the rose to her parents’ grave, as they both return to the castle. Spike was in the throne room still thinking of what to do since everypony won’t come back. But he noticed Flurry was still crying because she was now alone as he comforted her.
“I’m sorry,” said Spike. “I’m sorry about them. I could’ve stopped him. He would’ve been saved.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” She said, not to blame him. “I just miss them. I miss them alot. Twilight is gone, our friends are somewhere around Equestria, and we’re just the only two left. I’m not like my parents.”
“You’re right,” he said. “You’re not like your parents, but I know you very well. You've been in Twilight’s family and friends for many moons. You wanted to help others to find friends or love, cause it was your part. We all play our part from the beginning of our story, as Twilight did. And now, what part do we take from this beginning?” He questions.
Flurry does not know but she looks at the crown of Twilight and thinks of what she will do if everything is lost. Never lose your friendship, as she remembers what Twilight told her when she was a filly. She returns to the throne room and thinks of what her mother always does. She sat on the throne and made herself a new Princess of Love, as Spike became her Guardian to protect the Crystal Empire.
Many Moons Later….
Flurry Heart was now an adult princess and remained in the Crystal Empire with Spike. She was at the tower with the statue of her parents as she placed roses next to Twilight’s crown.
“Hey, Mom and Dad. I really miss you two still.” As she always still loves them. “I’m still the Princess of Love, like you always love me for who I am. And having Spike as my assistant is great, just like Twilight Sparkle.” She steps back and looks at them for a moment. “I better get back with Spike. He’s still helping me learn a few spells around Equestria.”
She returned to her throne and seated as Spike, now a fully grown dragon, came to teach her more spells.
“So, how many spells have you learned from the beginning?” He asked, seeing she learned many more from past times.
“A lot,” she said, looking at her new spells. “Pretty much everything I learn from. But perhaps somewhere we haven’t visited.” She looks at the map. “Many places we marked off after trying out spells I have used alerting these Dragoni.”
“They must’ve had love tracking alicorn magic.” He chuckled, “But we should try some other time. Besides, they are still roaming around Equestria. So it’s better off if we lay low for a while.”
Flurry agreed and headed to her library to do research on their next plan. “Spike, alert me if anything just comes up.”
He will and let her go. And he heads outside to guard the Crystal Empire. But little did he know something was falling from the sky and landed into the snow with smoke.
The End