//------------------------------// // Ch.6 - The Return of Harmony // Story: A Change of Weather in Ponyville // by MLPDavester //------------------------------// Alright, here's the latest chapter to my story. I was going to make it longer and conclude the Nightmare Moon part and move on towards the Ponyville part of the story finally, but I felt that this shorter piece needed to be written before I began to wrap things up in Canterlot. Hope you all enjoy this new chapter, and look forward to the conclusion to the Canterlot part of the story within the next few days or so. Happy reading. ~Canterlot Royal Gardens, 10 PM, the night before the Summer Sun Celebration~ Maghus looked around as he relaxed in the beautiful foliage surrounding him. It wasn’t often that he came to the gardens outside the castle, most times being only to think about things and just let his emotions out. Tonight was different however, as tension and fear could be felt from all around with the coming events of the following…morning. “Why did it have to be Twilight?” Maghus groaned to himself as he let the tears descend down his face. His body was shaking with the emotions he had kept bottles inside as he had spoken to Princess Celestia. “She’s the only friend I ever had…and now she might not even be around anymore if tonight doesn’t go well!” He stomped his hooves in frustration and anguish as the ground around him began to get wet with his tears. Maghus had long since mastered most of his emotions hold on his magic, but tonight he needed a way to let it all out. This led him to allow his emotions to flow through his magic, creating a dark cloud above him that began to pour salty rain. His magic not only allowed him to let his emotions flow through his magic, they also allowed his emotions to alter the normal properties of what his magic produced. This is what caused the rain being completely identical to the tears now flowing freely down Maghus’ muzzle towards the ground in a rapid torrent. “If only my magic was powerful like hers is!” Maghus cried out from the pain in his heart. “I’d be able to go to Ponyville and help her!” Maghus began pounding himself on the head in an attempt to try and toughen himself amidst his weeping. “Why do I have to be such a weakling?!” This last cry of pain was not meant to come out so loud, but Maghus’ emotions had once again taken hold and had magnified his voice in his frustration. This caused his last comment to drift through the air all the way up to Princess Celestia’s balcony as she glanced towards the moon hanging peacefully in the sky. “I’m so sorry Maghus.” Celestia spoke gently, more to herself than anything, as a few tears escaped her eyes. Unbeknownst to Maghus, Celestia had been watching him ever since he had left her chambers. She had seen his emotional breakdown during their conversation only hours ago, and knew that he had regained his ‘composure’ far too quickly for it to be normal. She wished more than anything to be able to reach out a hoof and tell him everything would be alright, but that would be a lie. She had no way of knowing how the morning would unfold. She had the greatest of confidence in Twilight’s abilities, but a part of her feared for how strong Nightmare Moon might have become in her thousand years imprisoned in the moon. She would be weakened, yes, but Celestia wasn’t sure exactly by how much that would be. “Please be safe Twilight.” Celestia whispered to the wind as she felt a dark presence begin to pull her into unconsciousness. “For the sake…of those that…love you…” This last comment came out as a whisper, as the Princess descended into a deep sleep that would only be fixed upon Nightmare Moon’s defeat. ~Canterlot Gardens~ “Why am I crying so hard for Twilight?” Maghus spoke quietly to himself amidst the damp grass. “She’s just my friend…right?” Maghus had long since stopped crying, having cried himself out of all the pain and fear he felt. Now he could only feel confusion and frustration as he began to think about his feelings. “I mean, we’ve only really known each other for what? Four years?” Maghus thought about the moments they had shared together as classmates and friends and realized that it had taken them nearly three years to admit to the friendship the two of them had grown to enjoy. But now Maghus felt something different, something he had never felt before in his entire life. It felt like every time he thought about Twilight, with her purple coat, her mane with the pink stripe in the middle, and the big smile she gained whenever something excited her, he felt his heart flutter and his whole body go weak. It felt like… Love. “But…I can’t be in LOVE with Twilight…can I?” Maghus thought to himself as he began to wander back to the student buildings at a slow trot. He wracked his mind for any clues as to his situation, but could find nothing as this was an entirely new situation to him. “I mean…she’s a great pony, that’s true.” Maghus thought all about the things he knew about Twilight. “She’s nice, polite, a little uptight at times, even if it is kind of cute-” He put his hoof to his mouth the moment he spoke ‘cute’, fearing that he may have been heard by somepony nearby. Did he really feel about Twilight that way? His entire mind and heart were at war with each other, an epic battle going on inside of him as he tried to come to terms. As Maghus’ war in his mind continued, he didn’t realize where he was until he walked into the door to his room. “Oof…Oh, I guess I managed to find my way back after all…” He sighed as he pushed open the door, closing it gently behind him so as not to disturb anyone else in the building by mistake. He slowly trotted over to his desk, picking up the picture that had been taken that morning of Spike, Twilight and himself, all smiling and happy before they had heard the news of Twilight’s departure for Ponyville. Maghus looked carefully at the picture, examining the smiles on all of their faces, the hooves and claws around each other shoulders, and the all-around happy feeling that emanated from the entire photograph. He was so caught up in the picture that he never noticed a tear fall from his eye and hang suspended in the air from his magic. When he did notice the blur in front of him, he gasped inwardly as the teardrop began to change shape. As it twisted and turned gently, it slowly descended towards the photo, crystalizing slightly as it fell. When it did finally land on the picture, it’s shape had been completed and what sat on the glass framing told Maghus everything he needed to know. It was a heart. A small, crystalline heart that spoke everything Maghus' needed all at once. What really stood out were four simple words that made his heart soar with joy: He. Loved. Twilight. Sparkle. Maghus smiled the largest smile he had ever felt, gently putting the picture back on his desk as the crystal heart evaporated into the air. He turned towards his window and looked outside as he saw a dark misty blur fly off in the direction of Ponyville. But when he saw this, Maghus felt no fear, no sadness, no bad emotions in the slightest. All he felt: was love and joy. Because he knew that no matter what happened next, he knew everything would be alright in the end. He could feel it in his heart.