//------------------------------// // Chapter Six – We’ve got the Magic // Story: Marking the Generations – Part Four // by Glimbursts //------------------------------// After watching Pipp’s livestream, Glory, Seashell and Peach Fizz looked at each other with a mixture of concern and confusion. “What did she mean?” Peach Fizz asked. “I...I think I get it,” Glory responded suddenly as she looked at the tree. “Me too,” Seashell smiled. “Come on, I know what we need to do.” With that, Seashell got up and started running. Glory quickly followed, leaving a confused Peach Fizz behind. However, after a moment she got to her hoofs and started running after her two friends. “Wait for me,” she cried. “I want to stay with you!” Seashell and Glory were soon running all around town, speaking with everypony they met. Peach Fizz puffed and panted as she tried to keep up. Her head was still hurting, and she couldn’t hear what her friends were saying to everypony. As time went on, she got increasingly confused. “W...what are we doing?” she shouted. “Getting everypony to the tree,” Seashell replied. “Why?” Peach Fizz groaned. “Because Princess Pipp said everypony needs to be at the tree to help them,” Glory explained. “But how’s that going to help?” Peach Fizz asked. “I want to help Princess Pipp and her friends, but I don’t understand.” “Everypony being together will help,” Seashell explained. “We’ve got the magic.” “But we don’t though,” Peach Fizz responded. “She’s taken our cutie marks just like she took my memory.” “We’ve got magic that nopony can take,” Seashell grinned. “When we’re together, nothing can stop us,” Glory added. “We can do anything.” “Peach Fizz, go back to the tree and wait for us,” Seashell advised. “We’ll come to you. We promise we won’t be long.” Peach Fizz said nothing more. She panted and grunted while she continued to struggle to keep up. She still didn’t understand, but she knew she needed and wanted to be with her friends. However, they didn’t realise she was still following. Eventually, after running all over town, Glory and Seashell finally stopped. “I think that’s everypony,” Glory said. “Let’s get to the tree then,” Seashell replied. As they both turned and started heading towards the tree, they gasped as they saw Peach Fizz was running towards them. Peach Fizz groaned as she saw them heading toward her. She turned and tried to keep up as they passed her but soon found herself being left behind again. “I thought you’d be at the tree Peach Fizz,” Seashell said with concern. “Come on Peach Fizz,” Glory encouraged. “You can do it.” “I…I’m trying,” Peach Fizz gasped. “Please w...wait up.” “We don’t have time,” Seashell grunted as she started to speed up. Glory gasped, she didn’t want to leave Peach Fizz behind but knew Seashell was right. They needed to get to the tree. She went slower than Seashell and kept an eye on Peach Fizz. As Seashell passed under the bridge, she was surprised to find a worried-looking Sparky. He was looking around town, seemingly lost and confused. However, his eyes widened with relief as he saw them. “Friends gone, taken,” he squeaked. “Need help.” “Princess Pipp sent instructions on a live stream,” Seashell informed as she skidded to a stand. “Everypony needs to get to the Together Trees,” Glory added as she caught up. “Okay,” Sparky smiled. “Go, I get Sunset and Starlight.” “Sunset?” Glory gasped. “Sunset saved,” Sparky grinned. “You go tree. I fetch.” Peach Fizz groaned as Glory and Seashell began running again just as she caught up. She watched Sparky running in the opposite direction but continued after her friends. “Please slow down,” Peach Fizz shouted. “We’re going to the tree now,” Seashell shouted back. “Take your time,” Glory added. “We’ve got this.” “N...No,” Peach Fizz panted. “W...We’ve got th...this together. I don’t want to be on my own!” Glory and Seashell looked at each other with concern and nodded, Peach Fizz was right. They skidded to a stop before they looked back and waited until Peach Fizz finally caught up to them. Then, together they continued towards the tree. Eventually, Seashell, Glory and Peach Fizz made it back to the tree. They squeezed their way through to the front of the crowd to find Phyllis was stood being questioned by Toots. “So why are we all here again?” he asked. “I told you Toots. I don’t know why we’re all here,” Phyllis sighed. “I’m not in charge, I’ve just resigned from the council this morning.” “We’re here to stand together in unity,” Seashell shouted. “We’ve got the magic in us,” Glory added. “Together we’re stronger and we need to send that strength to Princess Pipp and her friends,” Seashell smiled. “And, just how will standing here do that?” Toots asked. Seashell and Glory looked at each other unsurely as there was a flash nearby. A sofa appeared with two ponies and a dragon sat atop it. “I see you two haven’t lost your cutie marks,” Phyllis commented. Starlight grunted with pain as she held her leg. “Oh sorry,” she frowned. “Maybe you would like to have been thrown through a wall instead?” Phyllis blinked before spotting Starlight’s swollen leg along with the cuts and bruises all over her body. “Oh my, I’m so sorry Starlight I didn’t realise. Toots, you used to be our first aider at CanterLogic.” “Oh, yes,” Toots gasped looking surprised. “I can help with that.” Whilst Toots started to help Starlight. Peach Fizz gasped as she hurried over to Seashell and Glory. “Some of the ponies are starting to leave.” “But they can’t,” Glory gasped. “We need everypony here.” “Then they need a reason to stay here,” Peach Fizz responded. “I don’t get why Princess Pip wants us here and many others don’t either. If we did something everypony can join in with, it would keep everypony here.” Seashell gasped as her eyes lit up with glee. “I know what we need to do!” She ran over to the tree. Raising a hoof, she began to tap on one of the roots. Glory smiled and ran over before they both started to sing. Hey ponies, listen to me You gotta hear what I'm sayin' You've got that sparkle deep inside You've got a talent worth displayin' One by one, other ponies within the crowd began to join in. Before long, everypony was singing. We just need a little hope We just need a little unity We just need to find the magic that's inside of everypony In Zephyr Heights, Queen Haven stood by the Together Tree in the castle garden. Flanked by both Zoom and Thunder who were looking very concerned. The garden was full of ponies and there were others all around. Everywhere that was close to the garden was full of ponies. “Your Majesty, respectfully, this isn’t a good idea,” Zoom said. “There are too many ponies here. It’s too big a risk to your safety.” “Your concern is noted Zoom,” Queen Haven replied. “However, my darlings Pipp and Zipp are in trouble and said we need everypony here to help them.” “But how do we do that?” Thunder asked. “The Dragons had to leave to help Bridlewood and we can’t fly without our cutie marks.” Queen Haven looked back with concern before her ear twitched. “Is...Is that singing?” she asked. “It’s coming from the tree,” Zoom replied. Queen Haven gasped as her eyes widened in realisation. “That’s how we help them! Everypony join in, sing together.” Sometimes it feels a little hopeless But things aren't always what they seem Can you feel it? The energy? Yeah, the power is growing In Bridlewood, Spike Junior had heard the singing too. He smiled as he and the Dragons started joining in. However, Alphabittle and many of the Unicorns looked quite confused. Spike Junior walked around, waving his arms up and down. He encouraged the Unicorns until at last they were also all singing together. With that, the purple glow around the Together Trees began to get duller and duller. Slowly, their normal vibrant green returned and the trees began to look a lot healthier again. Don't look now, things will get better So, hold my hoof 'cause we're growing together We've got the strength to take on whatever 'Cause we've got the magic, we've got the magic in us 'Cause we've got the magic, we've got the magic in us In Opaline’s throne room, Opaline grinned as she walked around watching as each of the cutie marks of her prisoners disappeared. Each one looked at Opaline weakly through greyed eyes. Finally, there was only Sunny’s left, but she looked very weak. “You know Sunny Starscout, this is all your fault,” Opaline commented as she stopped beside Sunny. “I knew you’d jump forward to protect your friends. You’re the one that broke your own rule of being together making you stronger.” Sunny didn’t rise to the bait and only grunted weekly in reply. She glanced back at her cutie mark to see it fade away. Even her element looked dull and lifeless. She felt completely drained of all her energy but frowned defiantly as she looked back at Opaline. Opaline let out a cackling laugh as she met Sunny’s greyed eyes. “You can look at me like that all you like,” she grinned. “You lose Sunny Starscout. You, and your friends all lose. Now, your powers are mine and soon you will become my new heralds.” Opaline turned as her horn flared. Grinning, she fired a beam at the sphere and opened her wings wide, ready to receive her new power boost. However, she blinked with confusion after a few moments when nothing happened. It was Pipp who felt it first, a familiar tune vibrating through the vines that were wrapped around her. She grinned with joy as she started singing. Then, one by one, her friends began to join in. 'Cause there is hope when we're together (ah-ah) And it grows stronger when we sing So, raise our voices in unison Raise our voices in harmony, yeah “What’s going on?” Opaline demanded. “Why are you singing? You’ve lost! You should be despondent.” She looked around her six guests and gasped. The purple colour within the vines was slowly fading. Being replaced by a vibrant green. Eyes wide, she looked at the sphere. To her dismay, the cutie mark orbs within it were fading away. As they faded, she noticed they were reappearing on the flank of the relevant pony. “HOW? HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?” Opaline roared. “We’re not,” Pipp said as the vine slowly lowered her to her hoofs. “It’s everypony in Equestria,” Zipp added as she was also lowered. “They’re all behind us Opaline,” Hitch smiled as his hoofs touched the ground. “They might not have their cutie marks,” Misty said as she stood defiantly. “But that’s not stopping them,” Izzy beamed as she couldn’t help giving a little bounce as her hoofs touched the floor. “When everypony is together we’re unstoppable,” Sunny beamed as she also stood on her own hoofs. “Together we’re united, united in friendship and united in harmony.” Opaline roared with annoyance as the vines fell away from Sunny and her friends completely. Before she could react, they all ran so they were together. Holding hoofs in a semicircle, an aura surrounded them as their cutie marks began to glow. Don’t look now, things are getting better So, hold my hoof ‘cause we’re growing together We’ve got the strength to take on whatever ‘Cause we’ve got the magic, we’ve got the magic Just take another look, things are getting better We’re growing stronger, growing together We’ll always have each other forever ‘Cause we’ve got the magic We’ve got the magic in us (don’t look now) Desperately, Opaline fired a blast of fiery magic at Sunny. However, this time Sunny didn’t move, she knew they were ready. The aura that surrounded her and her friends deflected the blast for her. “That won’t work this time,” Sunny shouted. “You may have defeated Twilight Sparkle, but you did it when she was alone. We’re not alone Opaline. We’re united together in friendship and that gives us hope. Hope makes us stronger together, and together we have unity. We’re the Guardians of Unity and you will never beat us whilst we’re together.” Sunny’s eyes went white as she began to focus. As with Nightmare Shimmer, an orb of rainbow energy began to gather at the end of her horn. One by one, beams shot from the necklaces of her friends to the orb. The energy from their glowing cutie marks intertwining with that from the elements. Yeah, we’ve got the magic We’ve got the magic in us (don’t look now) We’ve got the magic We’ve got the magic in us (don’t look now) We’ve got the magic We’ve got the magic in us (don’t look now) We’ve got the magic, we’ve got the magic in us Opaline’s eyes widened and she tried to turn and flee. However, she grunted as she found she couldn’t move her hoofs. Looking down, she gasped as she saw the swirling wisps of magical energy that encircled them. Looking up again she spotted a smirk on Misty’s face as her horn glowed. “MISTY!” Opaline roared. Before she could say or do anything more, Sunny fired. A beam of rainbow energy shot straight at Opaline, and she cried in dismay. There was a blinding flash as all the power she’d stolen rocketed skywards. The beam of power speeded into the high atmosphere where there was another flash. A rainbow suddenly shot outwards in a massive expanding circle. As the rainbow extended out over Equestria, the ponies gasped as they felt their energy returning. Each looked at each other's flanks and grinned as their cutie marks all returned. Their magic and flight abilities quickly restoring as well. Meanwhile, Sunset suddenly felt a surge of power and energy as well. She gasped as she easily got back to her hoofs and smiled as her horn glowed. “Okay, that doesn’t make sense,” she admitted. “I didn’t think I had magic left for Opaline to take.” “Don’t question it,” Starlight smiled. “Honestly, a bit of your pain relief spell for this leg wouldn’t go amiss.” “Oh yes,” Toots smiled. “Then it will make bandaging it much easier.” Starlight shot Toots a withering look which made Toots squeak with surprise. “Please don’t blast me with your horn laser miss Starlight,” he exclaimed. “I know it hurts.” Sunset couldn’t help laughing as she duly obliged. Opaline meanwhile cried out as she was forced backwards into the trunk of the Together Tree. As she impacted, she felt the bark of the tree becoming fluid and realised she was being absorbed into it. “What? No!” she cried. “You will all pay for this!” As Opaline disappeared into the tree completely, a green flash shot through the tree. It travelled all the way to the very tips of its branches and downwards into its roots. The purple foliage flashed as it became a luminous green and multi-coloured flowers began to open throughout its branches. Sunny gasped as the last of the element’s energy exited the orb. She stumbled forward, being caught by Zipp and Izzy who had been on either side of her. “Is…Is that it?” Misty gasped. “Is Opaline really gone?” Before anypony could reply, there was an ominous rumbling sound, and the castle began to shake. They looked up and gasped in shock as they realised the roof was collapsing. “Everypony, out. Now!” Hitch shouted. They didn’t need telling twice. They all hurried towards the exit as fast as they could. Once they were safely outside, they turned and watched as the last of the roof collapsed in on itself. “T…That was close,” Pipp gasped. “Y…Yeah,” Zipp agreed. “Too close. But I think you’re right Misty. We did it, Opaline is gone!” They all stood, taking in the information together as they looked at the now vibrant and colourful Together Tree that was growing from the remains of the castle. Suddenly, a golden doorway appeared in its trunk and a familiar Yak appeared. “Ponies did it,” Runcord smiled. “Come, invited to party all dragons and ponies. You come! You guests of honour!”