//------------------------------// // The Third Generation Chapter Eighteen // Story: The Third Generation // by Candle Light //------------------------------// The Third Generation Chapter Eighteen By Candle Light Leaving Twilight, Kimono and the others behind at the Castle of Legend, Celestia’s first stop was Canterlot. She teleported herself right outside the barrier, then flew inside. The barrier rippled and tingled slightly against her body as she passed through, but offered no resistance. It was meant for holding back magic, not ponies. Shining Armor came galloping to meet her in the corridor the moment she landed on the balcony, a look of relief on his face. “Your Majesty,” he said, dropping into a quick bow as he skidded to a halt in front of her. “You’re safe! I was worried sick! What happened to you?” “It’s a rather long story,” Celestia said, “but rest assured that everything is under control. I was with Twilight and her friends.” “Twilie?!” Is she okay?” “Yes, Captain Armor, Twilight is fine,” she assured him, smiling kindly at the stallion’s obvious worry for his little sister. “She and her friends have found Star Catcher and Kimono.” Shining Armor sighed in relief.“That’s great news! That means this should be all over soon, right?” “Little Rarity is still being brought to them as we speak,” she replied, “but yes, if all goes well, this trial will be over within the hour.” “And not a moment too soon. I’m not sure what you did, Princess, but the spell you gave me to seal away your powers... actually, it’ll be quicker if you see for yourself. Come with me, Your Highness.” Curious, Celestia followed Shining Armor through the castle corridors... until, quite suddenly, there was no longer a corridor to follow. It was as though a portion of the castle had simply been sliced away. The aftermath of breaking through her encasement, she realized with a sinking feeling. “No one was hurt,” Shining Armor answered her question before she asked it. “But you might want to take a look at that.” He pointed a hoof into the distance outside the castle, gesturing towards the gray barrier that kept Canterlot safe. To her astonishment, she saw that a hole had been punched clear through it, one big enough for a royal carriage to fly through with ease. “It’s not as big as it was a few minutes ago,” he added. “It seems to be patching itself up. Let’s just hope it’s seals shut before another one of those things shows up. Indeed, even as she watched, the edges of the hole were rippling, growing ever closer towards its center as the barrier slowly regenerated itself. She thought she could feel a subtle gust of wind blowing through the hole... and with it,  asound. Thump... thump... The sound of distant footsteps from the behemoths that now roamed Equestria. Shining Armor clearly noticed it too, for his ears were standing on end, his body tensed. “If you see Kenbroth,” Celestia instructed, “tell him what I have told you; I’m sure he’ll appreciate the good news.” She spread her wings and took to the air, casting one last glance at Shining Armor, “I need to see to my nation. I will tell you everything when things have settled down, but for now, I leave Canterlot in your care.” The Captain of the Guard gave her a salute. “I’m glad your strength has returned, Your Majesty.” Celestia nodded with a reassuring smile, and shot off through the hole in the barrier. Things looked good for her students, but there was still much to be done. *** Wysteria had no idea where she was taking the villagers. They had been running continuously for at least half an hour at this point, going through the labyrinth of boulders until they eventually broke free to the open fields. A forest ran parallel a short galloping distance to their left, the stars and the moon giving just enough light to make out the mountain range towering beyond. She was astounded at her own strength. She had worried about what would happen when they all grew too tired to keep running, but even at full gallop, she was barely panting. The same seemed to be true for the rest of the villagers as well. Which was fortunate, because they couldn’t afford to stop. No less than three Mother Ursa could be seen on the horizon; none of the beasts had taken notice of them, luckily, but one was getting dangerously close from their right. As they ran, Wysteria continued to shout motivational words at her friends, trying her best to keep their spirits up. But the more they ran, the harder it became to hold back that sense of hopelessness that was resurficing in her mind. Was there really any such thing as a safe place? Even with their seemingly endless stamina, they couldn’t hope to outrun a Mother Ursa if the beast decided to pursue them. She did her best to block those emotions and concentrate on the task at hoof – running and leading her friends as far away from these beasts as possible – but the stress was starting to accumulate beyond anything she had ever known. Then suddenly, her worst fears became reality, as the nearest Ursa turned its head toward them, finally taking notice of them. At the very same moment, the one farther behind them roared, as did the third one behind them to their left. The villagers came to a grinding halt. The monsters were coming for them. They were done for. At that moment, Wysteria felt another emotion that was both alien and distressingly familiar. Fear. The fear of death. There was absolutely nothing they could do now; she had led her friends to their doom. She didn’t know what hurt most, the fact that her life would soon end, or that she had let everypony who had counted on her down. It weighed on her mind, dulled her senses... ...allowing herself to calm down a bit, and collect her thoughts. She shook her head, then looked around frantically as if she actually believed there was something around here that would magically stop the monsters from stomping them flat. There had to be something, anything! As she laid eyes on the mountain silhouette beyond the forest, she paused, contemplating it for a brief moment as the sight gave her a small spark of hope. It wasn’t that far, if they could just... A piece of her bravery fell back into place. She turned to face the villagers – their expressions perfectly mirroring what she felt: faces screwed up in fright, faces in tears – and bellowed. “Follow me, everypony! Run as fast as you can! I have a plan that might save us!” Without waiting for them to reply, she turned and dashed off toward the forest, pushing her legs to carry her beyond their limit, hoping desperately that the villagers would do the same. In truth, she had no plan. She was only delaying the inevitable. Maybe they would get lucky and find a cave or something that would hide them, but she wasn’t counting on it. The giants’ footsteps boomed in her ears, the magic pressure prickling her skin; it was basic survival instinct more than anything that drove her on. She didn’t even steal a glance back to see if everypony was following. She couldn’t bear it. Part of her knew that she had only managed to dig their grave even deeper by giving them a false sense of hope. And yet she ran, and ran and ran, watching the trees grow ever closer. It was all she could do. *** One by one, the Princess teleported herself to the cities, towns and villages of Equestria. She and Luna were the only two with such ability, for the spell only allowed one to transport to places known to the caster, and only they knew this land like the soles of their horseshoes. Kenbroth had done an admirable job indeed. Every town she visited was empty, its inhabitants hidden away in distant caves created by the earth dragon and protected by a set of mages to keep their presence hidden. Even she would have had trouble finding them had she not helped decide on the locations. The walls, she noted with satisfaction, were hardened to withstand the monstrous weight of the Mother Ursa, though it was uncertain how long they would hold were one of the beasts to make a deliberate effort to crush it. Still, it was the best that could be done given the circumstances. However, the more towns she visited, the more her opinion started to change. Several caves had only one mage casting the spell; not enough to keep a faint presence of the ponies inside from leaking out. In others, Kenbroth had apparently forgotten to harden the earth. Celestia found it strange; she had made sure there were more than enough mages to go around, and Kenbroth was not one to leave his work halfway finished. Maybe his claws had been  forced by an approaching Ursa? One or two simple mistakes, Celestia could understand, but by the time she’d reached the fifth such inadequately-prepared side – one where no mage had been stationed at all! – she was beginning to wonder. The sixth time made her heart skip a beat. The town of Saddleton, by the western coast, was full of ponies still going about their daily lives, as though no one had warned them about the crisis. The Princess couldn’t believe it. Had Kenbroth not told her that he had done everything in his power to move the citizens to safety? Manehattan was the only area left to evacuate, he had promised. There was no way he could have simply missed an entire town – a small one, to be sure, but one fairly well-known for its seaweed trade – but she couldn’t imagine him outright lying to her, either. Why would he? She made a mental note to ask him about it, but there was no time to waste. She would have to handle the situation herself. Only Kenbroth could harden the earth to make it safe enough for evacuation, so her only option was to move them to Canterlot for the time being. Hovering above the village, she magically amplified her voice, using the Royal Canterlot Voice to its fullest effect. “Hear me, citizens of Saddleton! It is I, Princess Celestia, coming to you with urgent news: magical beasts have invaded Equestria! I ask that you all gather outside the village, so that I can transport you to Canterlot for shelter until the crisis is past. Quickly, my little ponies; there is no time to lose!” The effect was immediate. Ponies started scurrying out from houses and the streets. Only a few minutes later, a crowd had gathered on the field just below where the Princess had landed. She was pleased to see that her subjects trusted her enough for such a quick response; she often made casual visits to little towns like this one, and though she was usually met with distant reverence, she hoped that this gesture would help convey her feelings that she was one of the people, not a deity meant for worship. She glanced over the crowd: two hundred and thirty six, by her count. An elderly navy-blue earth pony stepped forward. “Your Majesty,” she said, giving a little bow, which the rest imitated. “We heard the noise in the distance, but we had no idea things were getting so outta hoof.” “Don’t worry, we have the situation under control,” the Princess promised. “But until the situation is dealt with, your lives may well be in danger if you stay here. Is everypony accounted for?” “Yes, your majesty, every last one of us.” “Good. I’m going to teleport you to Canterlot, fifty at a time.” She didn’t much like the idea of letting the rest of the villagers out of her sight, even for a moment, but it was a risk she would have to take. There had been a few occasions in the past where she had tried transporting groups of hundreds, and the sheer amount of magic necessary had torn the surrounding scenery asunder on both ends. She would rather avoid it if she could, or she might obliterate Saddleton. “Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” The elder nodded. The Princess set to work immediately, motioning for the first group of fifty to follow her a safe distance away from the rest of the crowd, then initiated the spell. A flash later, they were looking up at the mountain on which Canterlot rested. Before she transported back, she led the group into the safety of Luna’s barrier; fortunately, it covered more than enough ground space to set up tents for the villagers. She just hoped this was the only village that Kenbroth had neglected; if push came to shove, she would have to start bringing refugees into the castle. The moment she reappeared by Saddleton, her blood froze as her eyes fell on a Mother Ursa in the distance, lighting up the dark of night like a giant torch, dashing toward them at alarming speed. It was running! She had never seen a Mother Ursa run before! But then she realized with a start that it wasn’t a Mother Ursa at all. The glowing, translucent-red skin filled with stars was the same, but it had giant antlers and stood on two tall legs, its upper body bulging with thick, corded muscle. A celestial Minotaur! For a short moment, Celestia’s fascination overpowered her sense of urgency. So the Ursa was not the only creature of Luna’s constellations after all! Celestia’s academic side was bombarded with questions: if there were others, why was the Ursa so prevalent? How many different species were there? Were there smaller versions of these somewhere in the far reaches of Equestria, like with the Ursa Minor and Major? But as the ground shook violently and the villagers started to scream, she was reminded that this was hardly the time for such contemplations. The Princess of the Sun lifted from the ground, drawing upon her connection with the sun to coat herself with incandescent solar plasma-infused magic, and shot herself at the monster. Just as she hoped, she managed to catch its attention as she rocketed past, making it stop and turn. Like its Mother Ursa sisters, the magic pressure of this creature was more than the Princess could hope to handle on her own, and she wasn’t about to let herself end up crippled like last time; she just had to lead it away from the villagers, make it lose interest... Making a U-turn, she slammed her magic-enhanced body into the beast with resounding force. Though she managed to topple it, the impact knocked the wind out of her. Celestia recovered first, giving her enough time to move herself to the side so that when it looked around to see what had hit it, it would hopefully forget all about the villagers and chase after her. That part of the plan, at least, went off without a hitch; getting up on its feet – far faster than she would have liked – it fixed its gaze upon her. Celestia took a quick but deep breath, steeling herself, her senses on high alert as the monster came at her. Her body still remembered the last encounter with a monster such as this, and she had no intention of repeating the experience if she could help it. She dodged its lightning-speed arms as it swung at her, steadily tricking the beast further and further from the village. The plan was working... or so it seemed until suddenly the Minotaur stopped flailing, turned its head and started running towards the innocent villagers again. Celestia’s heart froze; if this brute worked the same way as the Ursa, it confirmed Celestia’s suspicion: these beings were hunting ponies. There was no time to come up with a more elaborate plan, so the Princess strengthened her magic coating and shot her magic-fueled body against the Minotaur’s back, felling it before it could reach Saddleton. Once it got up, Celestia was its target once more. She bobbed and swayed between the giant’s strokes, her mind struggling to come up with a way out of this mess. Leading it away obviously wasn’t going to work, and no matter how far the ponies could run, there was no way they could outrun the Minotaur. Could she, perhaps, buy them enough time to escape to sea? Testing the theory, she led the Minotaur toward the shore, daring it to follow her out into the water. Which, to her dismay, it did. It didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the water, but the water seemed to rebel at its touch, pushing away in big waves. Closest to its body, she even thought she saw the ocean boil. The Princess flew further off-shore, testing it to see how far it was willing to go... which, it turned out, wasn’t very far. As the water came up to its waist, the beast stopped flailing its arms and halted its advance, giving her a disgruntled look. Celestia could only assume that it didn’t much like to wander where its movements were limited. Perhaps even it needed to breathe. In any case, this was good news; if she could tell the remaining villagers from here to head to sea, she could join up with them later and teleport them to Canterlot. She filled her throat with magic, preparing to— —an impact sent her senses into chaos, and the next thing she knew, she was smashed into the sea. The shock of impact knocked the breath from her lungs as she skidded across the ocean floor, kicking up clouds of mud in her wake, before she regained enough sense to magic herself to a stop. She lay suspended in the water, every fiber of her body roaring in pain, cursing herself for her moment of distraction. She had let her guard down, and the Minotaur had seized the opportunity. The magic coating around her, fueled by her connection to the sun, was the only reason she was still alive. She allowed herself a moment for her dazed mind to clear, then whipped her wings and shot out out the water. Her head darted left and right as she frantically searched for the Minotaur. She found it once again running at full speed toward the villagers of Saddleton. Celestia acted without thinking, ignoring the pain in her muscles as she speed as fast as she could toward the villagers, charging a spell as she did. Equal measure of fear and determination drove her forward; she had almost forgotten what it felt like to watch her subjects die before her, and she could not – would not – bear to see it happen again. She sped past the Minotaur with speed she never knew she possessed, and released the spell just as she reached the villagers. A brilliant flash of white blinded her, and the next moment, she and the remaining population of Saddleton reappeared on the other side of Equestria, on the field overlooked by Canterlot Castle. Somepony yelped as she realized they were standing in a smoking crater, wooden debris that was the ruins of Saddleton scattered everywhere. *** It was done. Kenbroth watched as the last carriage took the final batch of Manehattan ponies away. Far behind him, at the outer rim of the city, a Mother Ursa had finally caught wind of the ponies here, and was smashing through the houses toward where Kenbroth stood. There was nothing he could do to save the city, of course, but at least now he could rest easy knowing that whatever befell Equestria, ponykind would live on. The ark would carry them off to sea, far away from the reach of the cosmic beasts; if necessary, it would take them to a distant land, where they would have a chance to begin anew. He sighed. Back to work. With a sense of accomplishment, he plunged into the sea, where he would have to swim back to shore in order to avoid the Ursa. *** “Rainbows, darlings...!” Rainbow Dash gasped in wonder, her eyes wide as saucers as she beheld the magic power unleashed by the Elements of Harmony. “Such magnificent, beautiful rainbows!” Pinkie Pie wished she could channel some of her counterpart and share her friends’ enthusiasm, but as pretty as the rainbow-colored beams of light were, it didn’t change the fact that each one that flashed over the night sky marked the arrival of yet another Mother Ursa. The air seemed to grow heavier whenever one approached, only to let up a moment later as the six Bearers engulfed it in rainbows. Some time had passed, half an hour at least, during which time seventeen Ursa had ascended the hill, by Pinkie’s count. Rarity had yet to arrive, and Pinkie Pie’s stomach was starting to twist. What if she doesn’t make it? Then all of Equestria will be... A mint-green hoof laid itself across her shoulders, gently startling her out of her worried thoughts. “She’ll be here,” Minty said in a comforting tone. “Rarity can be a silly pony sometimes, but she always comes through when we need her to.” Pinkie Pie nodded, and tried to smile. She wasn’t sure how convincing it was. “I know... it’s just that so much is at stake, and I feel so helpless...” “You can say that again,” Minty agreed. “I mean, I guess we’re kinda important in fixing this magic ‘seal’ thing, but I don’t understand what’s going on half of the time. Seems like we’re just along for the ride, y’know?” “Magic is a mysterious thing,” Star Catcher said, coming up beside them. Her soothing voice let Pinkie Pie calm down a bit. It always had that effect. “Though it can be hard to place your trust in something we don’t understand, perhaps it is not quite so hard to place your trust in your friends.” Another flash of rainbow brightened the sky, making the air just a bit lighter. “Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie; the magic of friendship is on our side, and that is the most powerful magic of all. In fact,” she added, pointing a hoof at the sky, “here it comes now.” Pinkie Pie turned her head, and this time broke out a wide, real smile. The Crystal Carriage had arrived. Rarity was safe. *** Twilight was floating in a sea of bliss. The constant stream of magic from the Elements of Harmony brought out every imaginable positive emotion, allowing her to close her eyes and forget all about the dire situation they were actually in. It almost felt as though the Elements themselves were doing all the actual fighting against the Mother Ursa; she barely needed to lend a thought at blasting the Elements’ rainbow-colored force to reduce them to nothing, leaving her mind free to do what it liked doing best: thinking. Were these cosmic creatures specifically drawn to the castles in some way? Or were they just naturally spawned near them? Just how did they spawn, anyway? Being inside the Elements was like therapy, the ultimate form of relaxation. She found herself wondering; could she really be sure everything she had experienced over the last few days – and for that matter, her whole life – hadn’t been just a dream? Would she wake up and realize there was only one of each Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, from the one and only Ponyville? Which, by the way, was not in peril from monsters invading from another dimension. Who knew... maybe she wasn’t even Princess Celestia’s prized student, either. Did Celestia even exist? No, she would probably wake up and see that Equestria had only just been born. Wait... what was that last part? Her eyes instinctively shot open. The snowy mountainside was gone, and in its place roared a hurricane of sight, sound and emotion she could barely decipher. A reality split in two. Untold cosmic energy flowing into a newly-born world, leaving the other shimmering with magic but barren. Both worlds becoming home to creatures, one with ponies and other animals, others with giant beasts made from cosmic energy... In a moment of epiphany, it all made sense to her. If Twilight hadn’t been suspended in mid-air by magic, she would have jumped around in circles whooping. She was being shown the memories of the Elements of Harmony! They really did have a mind of their own: one unified mind of harmony! Like a holy spirit hovering over Equestria, protecting the land from harm, keeping the two worlds separate and preventing one from leaking into the other... Twilight’s heart raced, as she finally understood the true nature of the Elements of Harmony. They were the very seal they were trying to mend. *** “...ilight?” the drowsy unicorn thought she heard faintly. “Twilight!” Some other pony was yelling at her from somewhere just out of view. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands a response!” The sea of bliss fractured, and reality came crashing in as she unceremoniously slumped to the ground, the coldness of the snow gaving her a rude wake-up call. Her mind was in disarray, all her senses in a jangle, as if both in pain and comfort. Trixie’s head was hovering above her face for some reason, which didn’t help. “Uhwhu?” “Are they all right?” asked another pony that came up next to her. The new pony appeared to be some smaller, pinker, more colorfully-maned version of Rarity. Rarity...? With a start, Twilight shot up, the world falling back into place. “You made it!” she shouted gleefully. Looking over their shoulders, she saw a rather fancy carriage, from which Cheerilee’s other-village counterpart was climbing down. “Why, you didn’t doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie, did you?” asked the light-blue mare, nonchalantly rubbing a hoof against her chest. The mini-Rarity gave her a look. “’Um, I mean, these two had a hoof in it as well, of course,” Trixie added. “Rarity?” Star Catcher came forward, as did the other three from her village. “It is you, isn’t it. Do you recognize me?” The little unicorn just smiled and gave her a hug. “Star Catcher, I don’t think anypony could mistake you with that funny-looking mark on your forehead.” Star Catcher chuckled. “I’m glad.” “Is Kimono inside?” Rarity asked. The question brought back Twilight’s sense of urgency. “Yes, and we have to hurry. Everypony ready?” Her fellow Element Bearers were already in the process of getting to their feet – all except Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing around more hyper than ever. Twilight helped the rest of her friends up, wondering in passing if they too had seen what she had seen. Her heart was still pounding from the revelations she had seen within the Elements of Harmony, but she had to set those thoughts aside for now. Those same Elements were in danger. As the group ran into the castle, Twilight thought she heard the roar of another Ursa in the distance. *** The pain was actually not so horrible as Kimono had expected. Perhaps it was because she had mentally prepared herself for the worst, or maybe she was just so happy to see her friends again. “Kimono, darling!” Rainbow Dash called to her as soon as the group entered the room. “Are you okay? Are you hurting?” “Yes, and yes,” she answered, trying to smile. “But it’s all right. I’m happy to see you all as well, but let’s postpone the celebration until Twilight has done her thing, shall we?” “Of course, darling. Where do you need us, Twilight?” “Line up next to Kimono,” Kimono’s unicorn double ordered. They did as they were told, and Kimono bit back another surge of pain as her friends came up to her side. It felt as though her insides were trying to escape her body. As though the piece of Discord inside of her wanted to reunite with its brethren. She yelped and gritted her teeth as the pain grew stronger by the second. At this rate, she wasn’t sure if she could last more than a few minutes... Thankfully, Twilight Sparkle was already at work, her horn touching Kimono’s chest. *** Only when Wysteria had reached the outer rim of the forest did she allow herself to steal a glance back behind her. To her relief, all ponies seemed accounted for. It was enough to keep Wysteria going; as long as they could still move, they would be safe. When she was sure they were all within earshot, she shouted for them to follow, and began running through the forest. She cut through the underbush where needed, lending no thought to the destruction she had brought to this place by leading two Mother Ursa to stomp it flat. Such thoughts would only slow her down. Every second counted. All that mattered was their survival. All too soon, the villagers found themselves at the base of the mountain. There was no cave to speak of, obviously, but the trail seemed straightforward enough, leading steadily up and around the mountain. Maybe they could hide behind it! At the very least, putting a mountain between them and the Ursa would surely slow the monsters down. As she ran up the trail, making sure everypony followed, she felt her courage starting to resurface. They could do this! Those hopes were punctured like a balloon when they reached the other side, revealing a fourth Mother Ursa on the other side of the mountain, standing in the midst of a ruined forest, close enough for its presence to sting into her skin. She couldn’t stop. If they stopped, they would die. Those were thoughts running through her head as she kept running, following the trail that led up the mountain. A cave! A hole in the ground! Anything! They needed a place to hide! But as the villagers reached the top of the mountain, all they were greeted with was the sight of two fiery monsters, bigger than the mountain on which they stood, approaching from either side. Panic finally caught up to Wysteria. She found herself hyperventilating. Now what? She had told everypony she had a plan. She had to come up with something, anything! Fast! Maybe the pegasi could fly away, save themselves... in fact why hadn’t they? They could have flown to safety a long time ago! Because of her, she realized. They didn’t want to abandon their friends, and were counting on her supposed plan. And now, she realized in horror, it was too late. If they took flight, they would only be swatted like flies by the Ursa’s colossal paw. No matter how fast Wysteria’s head spun, no solution came to mind. Only despair, shame, and agony. As the last pony trickled in, all eyes were on her, silently telling her to hurry up with whatever she had in mind. She couldn’t face them. This time, she had failed them for real. She kept her gaze at the beast as it stomped its way through the forest. Its mere presence weighed heavily on her body as she stood there waiting for their demise to come. “I’m sorry, everypony...” *** It was taking too long. The relocating of inner magic was turning out to be a trickier business than Twilight had hoped. She knew the theory behind magic transfer, and the necessary spells, but those theories had never touched on how to grab hold of sheer chaos like this, forcing her to improvise and think outside the box. Even under ideal circumstances, adapting spells on the fly like this was no cake walk – and these circumstances were far from ideal, working against the clock, with every unexpected noise reminding her that another Ursa might show up before she could finish. Focus, Twilight, Focus, she told herself sternly, willing herself not to panic. Because if she did, Kimono would be done for, and with her all of Equestria. Twilight renewed her efforts, searching for a way to adapt the spell to deal with chaos magic. If she could just get a firm hold on it... Her concentration was broken as a sudden, violent quake threw her off balance. She caught herself in a levitation field and got back onto her hooves, and was about to go help the others up when she realized that a large chunk of the crystal dome was gone, exposing to the night sky above... until a Mother Ursa showed its face in the hole. Though slowed by the castle’s magic, its deadly presence was creeping into the chamber, and Twilight let out a yelp as its aura cut into her skin like knives. A claw of deepest black grabbed the rim of the hole, and the entire castle made a dangerous noise as the walls around it started to crack. Her friends lay sprawled all over the room. Next to Twilight, Kimono was writhing in pain. I can do this... she thought, trying desperately to calm herself. For Equestria! But before she could even reach the pony closest to her to help her up, the castle shook again, as the Ursa’s claw tore off another piece of the ceiling. Acting on reflex, Twilight swiftly cast a protective barrier spell around the hole... but against the awesome might of the Mother Ursa, it shattered like glass. The whole chamber erupted in cries of pain as the deadly aura seeped in, and Twilight collapsed as her legs gave out from underneath her. She could hardly think, let alone work a spell. All she could do was cry bitter tears of frustration. She had saved Equestria so many times before, only to let it fall like this... Suddenly the pain stopped. Not entirely, but enough to let her pick herself up from the ground, and look around to see the torn-off pieces of the castle wall encased in a light-blue aura, blocking the hole. A flash of blue caught her eye, and there was Trixie, her horn flaring with magic, the physical and mental strain of the effort smeared on her face. Twilight was moved by the gesture, but knew all too well Trixie wouldn’t be able keep it up long enough to make a difference. Trixie’s brand of magic just wasn’t meant for lifting heavy objects, and she could tell it was taking everything Trixie had just to keep the chunks of castle afloat. In a desperate attempt, Twilight reached out with her magic and grabbed the debris – negating Trixie’s hold on it – trying with all her might to reattach the pieces to the wall, just as she had once fixed the Ponyville dam. But crystals of harmony magic weren’t the same as rocks, and the aura pushing against them from the outside didn’t help either. Twilight’s entire body shook as she resorted to pushing the debris against the hole, to which the Ursa reacted by hitting the castle again. This time, she was prepared enough to stay on her hooves, but it didn’t help the situation. Her horn was tied, Kimono was dying on the floor, and it was only a matter of moments before the monster outside broke through. Twilight gave up. It was over. “Come on, everypony!” the other-village Pinkie Pie shouted, her voice resounding through the chamber. “Squink!” It took Twilight a few moments for Twilight to process the words, and by the time she did, Pinkie Pie, Minty, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Star Catcher were already back on their hooves, shaking their manes to and fro, as though in a dance pattern. Before Twilight could even begin to question what they hay it was supposed to accomplish, the walls around them started to glow. The will to live flared in Twilight anew. They weren’t done just yet! Kimono apparently had the same idea, as she was struggling back onto her hooves as well. For a few horrible moments, it seemed as the effort would be too much for her... but then, with a cry of pain and determination, she forced herself upright and began shaking her mane with the others. Back and forth, back and forth, then a squint, followed by another toss of the mane. And a wink... The entire room exploded into a storm of harmonic magic. Twilight let the castle debris fall to the floor, but the pain did not return. The beast’s claw had withdrawn from the hole, and there was a muffled roar from the outside. The magic of harmony filled the chamber in a fog of seething, swirling rainbow light, calming her mind and healing her fatigue as it washed over her. It felt much like using the Elements – only this time, she was still in control of her mind and body, standing outside the flow of magic and looking in, rather than being in the center of it. Not wanting to squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she lit her horn and peered into the magic pattern of the seal. Twilight was at a loss for words. Only now, seeing it from without, did she fully understand what a formidable force the Elements of Harmony truly were. With a growing sense of awe, she realized that all along, she and her friends had only been using a fraction of the Elements’ power – almost as if they had been controlling its “mind”, but unable to tap into its “body.” A body that, she realized with a start, was broken to a mere shadow of its former self. But even as Twilight began to fear that it was beyond repair, the the whirling energies around them were piecing themselves together like some unspeakably complex jigsaw puzzle, growing in strength as it formed magical patterns her feeble brain couldn’t begin to understand. Then came the second surge of magic. Cosmic energy, appearing as dark blue streaks to her naked eyes,  swirled around the room until they vanished, sucked back into the realm from whence they came. And as suddenly as it began, it was over. All was still. Kimono let out a scream. Bleeding cuts were starting to wind themselves around her body. The chaos inside her was literally tearing her apart. But still she kept squinking, as though her mind was stuck on the motion. Twilight shook herself back to the here-and-now, ordering the ponies back to their place next to Kimono as she put her horn against her double’s chest once more. To her surprise, she discovered that the chaos magic had changed. Instead of a dense, hard “knot” in the center of Kimono’s being, it was moving in a flexible, erratic pattern, trying to find a way out. There was more sense to its movement than before, almost as if Discord himself was in there, guiding it. Frightened by the surge of harmony... Twilight thanked the heavens for the irony. This new, movable chaotic substance was just as easy to transfer as any regular Arcane magic, and within a matter of moments, she had distributed the excess chaos between all six of the pony friends equally. *** Their demise never came. Wysteria wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened, only that in one form or another, she and her friends were still alive. Time itself seemed to have stopped, because neither of the Ursa was moving a muscle, and their presence seemed weaker. Yet Wysteria could feel her own heart beat, and the wind blowing against her cheeks. The world was moving as usual, only the big beasts were no longer closing in on them. Whatever happened next, Wysteria would not remember, as the accumulated stress finally took their toll and sapped her energy, allowing her to faint. *** When Kimono came to, she felt cold against her back – snow, she realized – but was otherwise quite comfortable. A soothing energy surged through her body, and as her eyes adjusted, she realized that Twilight Sparkle was leaning over her, a look of intense concentration on her face, applying some sort of magic. Flinching at an unexpected touch against her side, Kimono turned her head and saw a butter-yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane kneeling beside her, gently dabbing a warm cloth against her cuts as she carefully washed the blood away from her coat. “Easy now,” the pegasus – Fluttershy, Kimono reminded herself, the yellow pegasus’ name was Fluttershy – said to her in a soft, calming voice. “Just try to hold still for a little longer. Twilight is closing up your wounds so there won’t be any scars, but you’ll probably be sore for a while.” Kimono nodded, letting the two of them work. Her body stung as her wounds closed, but compared to what she had just been through, it was little more than a tickle. Staring up into the sky, she noticed the aurora lighting up the darkness of the night. Kimono was suddenly hit by a hurricane of emotions. She had lived through this trial. Somehow, she was back with her friends. Her tears froze as they escaped her eyes, but she didn’t mind; how wonderful it was to be alive to witness such a beautiful night! It wasn’t long before Twilight and Fluttershy gave her the okay to get to her feet. There were still a few dull aches and twinges of stinging discomfort as she rose, but they were all but forgotten as all of her friends threw themselves at her. They gave her a big group hug and, far from hurting, it was the best she had felt in a long, long time. Rainbow Dash, Minty, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Star Catcher... in the dream world, she had been a hermit, keeping to herself at the outskirts of Ponyville, but she remembered well the time before that – before Discord’s intervention – when these five had been her closest friends. Closer than family. She wasn’t sure how much they all remembered, but to Kimono, the events that set all this in motion a thousand years ago still burned strongly in her heart. Memories that needed to be shared. “You don’t hurt anymore, do you darling?” asked Rainbow Dash. “No, I’m fine now,” Kimono replied with a smile. “Thanks to all of you. Especially you, Twilight Sparkle.” “All I did was act on instinct, really,” Twilight replied bashfully. “If it weren’t for Pinkie Pie’s fast thinking, none of us would have made it. Not to mention Trixie,” she added as she turned to face a light-blue unicorn mare whom Kimono did not recognize. “If you hadn’t thought to block the hole.... you really saved our lives back there.” “Yeah, Trix, nice going there,” the winged Rainbow Dash praised, patting her on the back. “For once in your life, you were actually pretty great and powerful.” The light-blue unicorn named Trixie seemed quite embarrassed by the praise. “It’s... it’s nothing, really,” she replied, ducking her head slightly, as though to hide her blush. “Twilight did most of the work... I’m just happy we’re all in one piece.” “So, does this mean we’ve saved Equestria?” asked Minty. Pinkie Pie – her Pinkie Pie, Kimono thought fondly – shook her head. “I don’t think we’re done just yet. Spike – uh, Kenbroth – said we need to do the same thing at all the other castles too, remember?” “True, but the worst is behind us,” Twilight Sparkle told her. “The cosmic energy is being pulled back into the other dimension as we speak. Without it, the Mother Ursa won’t have enough energy to move.” “Does this mean that if we leave it alone, it’ll fix itself?” Applejack asked. “I don’t think so,” Twilight said, “but at the very least, it means we’re no longer in a race against the clock.” Kimono’s Pinkie Pie sat down in the snow, a look of mixed happiness and disbelief on her face. “So it is almost over. We can finally go home soon...!” “Yes, it’s almost over,” said Twilight compassionately. “Of course, there is still the question of Discord’s magic still being inside of you, and how that might affect you in the future... but that’s a question for another day.” “Although... I must ask, darling,” the earth pony Rainbow Dash said. “Do you... do you remember anything? About Discord, I mean.” “Yes...” Kimono sighed. It was time to let it all out. “He was our closest friend, a shining ray of happiness in a world full of hardship... but to me, he was something more. Discord and I... Discord and I were in love.” --- Special thanks to EquesTRON for helping out with the editing.