"Oh my Celestia!" Twilight said in pure unrefined shock. "I can't believe it!" In all her years of studying and reading she had never seen or heard of anything like this before.
The ponies were staring dumbfounded at Crystal. Though Applejack was aware of what had just happened she had returned to Rainbow's side and was struggling to hold back fresh wave of tears.
"She beautiful!" Rarity said almost at a loss for words.
"What is it, what happened?" Crystal asked just as confused as the ponies who eyes where glued to her. "Why is everypony staring at me?"
"Crystal you're a- you're a PONY!" The purple unicorn said with astonishment.
"WHAT!" Crystal could not believe her ears so she immediately started to examine herself.
She looked all over herself and found a beautiful black coat. Beautiful black feathery wings replaced the translucent material and she could feel each feather ruffle in the breeze. She ran hoof through her mane and tail full of green silky smooth hair feeling each individual strand. Her horn was straight cylindrical her fangs were gone and not a hole to be found and to top it all off a crystal star on her flank.
"I-It's a miracle." Crystal said tears freely flowing down her now furry cheeks. "I do not feel the hunger for love anymore I feel hungry for hayfries and hayshakes, I feel hunger for food!" The changeling turned pony said overcome with joy as did a few twirls.
"That's great darling." The alabaster unicorn said excited for the new alicorn.
Before she could even respond to Rarity, Twilight had called her name snagging her attention away from the other unicorn.
"Crystal look!" Twilight said pointing to other changelings that were standing around.
Crystal followed the unicorn's hoof and what she saw filled her heart with joy all over again. Changelings all over town were becoming beautiful mares and handsome stallions, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi of all shapes, sizes and colours. The ponies still around to witness this truly magical event stared on in ah.
"I don't believe it it's truly a miracle." The new alicorn said tears still streaming down her cheeks as she witness the saving of her race.
For a few moments nopony knew what to say too much had happened in such a small period of time it was too much to take in especially the for the five mare who just lost their dear friend right in front of their eyes.
"I still don't see how this is even possible." Twilight said still looking at the new alicorn in front of her. "Do you know Princess Luna?"
"I do not Twilight." The lunar princess answered. "I have never seen any like this before.
"It's simple." Crystal said quoting Twilight words from a few minutes ago. "It's Rainbow's gift to us." She said looking at said pegasus, she hadn't moved an inch since her mother she struck her down.
"What do you mean Crystal?" The studious unicorn asked questioning the black alicorn's explanation.
"Think about it, Rainbow Dash wanted us to be able to live together It was her element that saved us and the rainbow light it gave off when it did considering all that." Crystal said. "I would like to believe it was Rainbow's last gift."
"I think thou as a reasonable explanation." Luna said seeing all the rejoicing ex-changelings and their happy faces they wore as they examined themselves and each other.
"I only wish she could see what has done for me and my race." The black alicorn said looking sadly at the lifeless pegasus and the apple farmer holding her. "I will never be able to express my gratitude to her."
"Ah can't believe she is gone." Applejack said unable to hold back a fresh wave of tears as she again cried for the lover she would never get to have. "A-Ah loved h-her so m-much and Ah wanted t-to tell h-her so badly but now Ah can't." She said braking down in sobs again.
"We all loved her very much Applejack." Rarity said rubbing the farmer's back with her hoof as she cried. "She is in a better place now."
"Ah know Rarity a-ah know." AJ continued sobbing.
As if the changelings turning into full fledged ponies wasn't enough of a surprise the arrival of Princess Celestia moments later was.
"Princess Celestia!"Twilight cried running to her mentor and embracing her in a hug, tears running down her face.
"What is wrong my faithful student did you not win the day?" The princess asked puzzled by the unicorns tears.
"Yes we did, but-" Twilight said sadly her tears intensifying.
"But what my child?" The regal mare asked. "What has you so up set?"
"Rainbow Dash is dead and the elements are gone."Twilight said pointing to the grieving mares and the bloody pegasus for whom they were grieving.
Celestia took a few moments to process this information. "That is most troubling news." The princess said softly surprised by her student's answer. "I'm truly sorry for your loss Twilight Sparkle how did this happen?"
"My mother, Queen Chrysalis murdered her without hesitation." The black alicorn said as she walked up to Celestia. "I tried to stop her, I'm sorry."
Celestia studied the new alicorn for a few brief seconds before she came to the conclusion that the same thing that happened in Canterlot also happened here in Ponyville.
"I see the changelings here have also become ponies just like in Canterlot." Celestia said still looking over black pony.
"Yes they did I think it's a miracle." Crystal said noticing that Celestia was looking over her new body.
"It would seem that way." The princess responded. "Where is your mother now?"
"She's gone, I destroyed her to protect Rainbow's friends and your sister. She trapped everypony but Rainbow in a M.S.F as soon as she arrived." She answered the taller alicorn.
Again the sun goddess was surprised that a changeling would fight her own mother to protect ponies that was unheard of.
"Luna is this true?" Celestia asked her sister not quite believing her ears.
"Yes sister, she speaks the truth" The night princess said backing Crystal words. "She fought bravely for us."
"Well then, thank very much for protecting them." The tall regal mare said showing her gratitude to Crystal.
For a few moments there was silence as Celestia assessed the situation. They may have won the day but it was a bittersweet victory losing a best friend and an element barrier and the elements themselves was a huge blow but right now the elements did not matter right now what did matter at the moment was Rainbow Dash. For awhile nopony spoke until Twilight saddened voice broke the silence.
"Celestia, is there anything you can do Rainbow Dash?" The lavender unicorn pleaded with her mentor.
"I'm very sorry Twilight the only thing I can do for her is give her a proper a funeral which I assure you she will get." The princess said sadly. "My sister and I will go back to Canterlot with Rainbow and prepare her for the funeral and have it held here in Ponyville tomorrow."
"Okay princess thank you." Twilight said using her hoof to brush away fresh tears as she looked at the ground she was crestfallen and so were her friends.
Celestia was also crestfallen to see her faithful student like this but there is nothing she could do. Over the thousands and thousands of years of her life she had hundreds for ponies ask her to save somepony dear to them but every time she would have to say no and she dreaded the day she would have to say no to Twilight.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I truly wish I could help Rainbow but I can not." The princess said to crying unicorn.
"W-What about the e-elements?" Twilight asked trying in vain to hold back her tears.
"Do not worry about them now Luna and I will deal with that when the times comes." Celestia answered her crying student. "Come Luna lets return to Canterlot and prepare for the funeral.''
"Wait Celestia before you go if I may request something of you?" Crystal asked her fellow alicorn.
"I'm listening." Celestia said.
"Rainbow Dash was the first pony to offer me friendship even after all the torture she was put through." Crystal said.
"She died believing that my race could live peacefully among the ponies and as respect to her I would like to honor her belief and live among you."
Celestia looked around Ponyville at the many ponies that stood around as she considered this. Some ponies were still confused the nights events but there also ponies that were welcoming the ex-changelings and being nice to them and that was enough help her make decision.
"Yes you may live among us." Celestia said with small smile as she saw black
alicorn's face light up.
"Thank you so much Celestia." Crystal said with joy, all the ex-changelings rejoiced.
"Would you like to come back to Canterlot with us to spread news?" The princess of the sun asked.
"Yes I would like that thank you." Crystal replied.
"Well then let us return to Canterlot so we may honor Rainbow's life tomorrow." Celestia said.
As three alicorns prepared to leave Luna used her magic to levitate Rainbow's body but as she started to lift her Applejack refused to let go forcing her to release her magic.
"Please don't take her." AJ begged holding on to Rainbow for dear life as she sobbed. "Please don't take her."
Everypony was sadden by this the apple farmer was obviously taking it the worst as she grieved for the pony she would never get to share her love with.
"Applejack dear please let her go she is in a better place now." Rarity said rubbing the farmers back again, her mascara had long since run down her face from her constant tears . "There is nothing we can do for her."
Slowly but surely Applejack let go of the cyan pegasus. Her friends embraced her in a hug and cried with her after she let go and Luna levitated Rainbow again to herself and the other two alicorns.
"We must go now we will return in the morning and again I am truly sorry for you loss she will be missed by all." Celestia said as her horn lit up with a golden light.
Her horn grew brighter and then there was a flash of light and just like that the three alicorns were gone leaving semi-destroyed Ponyville, no elements and five grieving mares.
"So what do we do now?" Pinkie said finally speaking up her mane and tail still flat and the cheerfulness gone from her voice.
"Lets go to the library you can all stay there tonight." Twilight said as she slowly started toward her home as did her friends except Applejack.
"Come now dear lets go cleaned up." Rarity said looking at the blood covering most the farmer's underside, Rainbow's blood. Pulling AJ to her hooves the two started walking after their friends to the big oak tree.
The night went by relatively quick and uneventful and nopony really slept all that well after the tragedy they were forced to watch and all the craziness the day before. The three alicorns had returned around noon in town square with a beautiful silver coffin with a multi-colored lightning bolt on top and
multi-colored flowers surrounding it.
Many ponies attended the funeral to pay their respect for Rainbow and to give their condolences to her closest friends. When all was said and done ponies lined the dirt roads of Ponyville as Rainbow's five friends carried her coffin slowly through town to Ponyville cemetery once there they gently lowered her casket into the freshly dug grave and buried her. Eventually only the princesses and her five friends were left.
"I-It ain't the s-same without her and it n-never will be." Applejack sobbed into her hooves.
"You're right Applejack. Pranking wont be as fun anymore." Pinkie said tears streaming down her face and her mane was still flat. "I'm going to miss her every minute of everyday."
"It j-just ain't f-fair." Applejack said trying to control her sporadic breathing. "She didn't deserve this."
"No Applejack she didn't." Twilight said rubbing the farmer's back with her hoof. "She really didn't."
"She was such a loyal pony never hesitating to help a friend in need." Rarity complimented the deceased pegasus, her mascara had run again as she placed bouquet of seven different color roses on her friend's grave.
"S-She was t-the very f-friend I ever m-made." Fluttershy said quietly sobbing behind her light pink mane. "I-I don't k-know what I am g-going to do w-without her."
"It will be okay Fluttershy we will get thought this some how." Rarity said copying Twilight's actions trying to soothe the crying pegasus by gently rubbing her back.
The eight ponies sat at Rainbow Dash's grave for what seemed like hours mourning their friend, telling stories about her life and just overall trying to cope with losing their best friend. Soon the two sister alicorns had to return to Canterlot to raise the moon and lower the sun. One by one they left their dearly departed friend's gave until only Applejack and Crystal were left. The cowpony had sat there all day reading the headstone engraved with the cyan mare's cutie mark over and over again.
Rainbow Mariam Dashery
The Element of Loyalty
And a great friend to all
1025-1056
The two sat there for awhile in silence staring at the final resting place of their friend until Crystal spoke up.
"I'm so sorry, Applejack." Crystal said whipping her eyes free of tears.
"For what?" The orange earth pony questioned her eyes bloodshot.
"For everything, for Rainbow, for- just for everything!" The black alicorn blurted out as she started to cry again. "I never wanted for anything of this to happen none of it!"
"It's ok sugarcube it's not your fault." Applejack said taking her turn to comfort a pony today by rubbing her back.
"I never wanted for any of this to happen." Crystal repeated. "I never wanted to watch her be beaten or abused I wanted to help her so bad but I couldn't." Crystal sobbed. "I knew what they were doing to her was wrong but I did nothing in fear my mother would shun me out of disappointment for helping a pony."
"It ain't your fault what happened to her and it never will be." The farmer said taking her signature stetson off her head.
"I just didn't wont ponies or other races to judge us or hate us for my mother's actions."
Silence returned to the duo for a long while as they watched they sun go down lost in their own thoughts most likely some fond memory about Rainbow Dash. Applejack was the first pony to break the silence this time.
"If Ah learned anything form this whole awful experience it was what Rainbow taught me." AJ paused.
"What did she teach you?" Crystal said intrigued as she wiped tears from her eyes.
"Never judge a changeling by their colours."