Twilight Sparkle approached with caution. Dawn had landed on a lonely mountain top in the Swayback mountains. The sun was setting slowly, still providing its light. She felt a cold and ominous wind whip over the range.
She was uncertain what this strange alicorn would do when approached. She knew so very little about this pony. She was a magic talent, somepony even Celestia and Luna considered powerful. She had created the ritual that had allowed for the powers of six alicorns to be bound into stones. She apparently was the driving force behind the other five alicorns supporting the decision to support Discord. Twilight knew well what trickery Discord could manage, but how exactly did a pony go from fighting chaos to supporting it? She was an unknown, Twilight hated unknowns, they made her nervous. She... was looking right at Twilight.
Dawn beckoned. "Come forward child of magic. I would have words with you."
Twilight landed a few hooves away from Dawn. She scuffed a hoof in nervous energy. "Do you know why I followed you?"
Dawn nodded. "You wish to convince me of the error of my ways. You need my help to quell chaos. Perhaps you wish to redeem me. Does that sum it up child?"
Twilight nodded. The questions seemed so astute, so reasonable. "Will you help us?"
Dawn sighed. "Child, what do you know of harmony?"
Twilight mused. Why such a simple question? "It's when a pony is at peace with itself?"
Dawn looked angry. "You are a fool. Harmony is balance, balance in spirit, in the world. Think on this, child. Why did the elements not destroy Discord?"
Twilight looked flummoxed. How had she never even considered that? Nightmare Moon had been all but destroyed, leaving the princess behind, yet the elements only imprisoned Discord? "I never thought to even question that..."
Dawn nodded. "I thought as much. I once was as blind to the nature of harmony as you. I thought power could destroy that which was destructive. Harmony is not so simple child. The world needs light and dark, it also requires order... and chaos."
Twilight denied this vehemently. "No, he's a capricious spirit of destruction, he ruined ponies' lives with endless turmoil!"
Dawn smiled, as a teacher would to a student with a good, yet incomplete answer. "That is why Harmony bound him, he was unchecked. Chaos was bound to restore balance and order to the world, but you cannot destroy it entirely. Order has had over one thousand years of unchecked supremacy. Chaos was able to break free because the world... needs him."
Twilight shook her head. "You can't possibly know that. How can the world need somepony to destroy it?"
Dawn nodded again. "A valid observation. I know because it is my business to know, it is my TALENT to know. I understand order and chaos just as I understand light and darkness."
She turned slightly, the fading sun cast relief on her cutie mark. Twilight knew that symbol... it was on the flag of Equestria.
"When I received this mark, I thought it meant I would help maintain balance between the two sisters you call mentor and friend. I have come to realize it means more than that. Balance is my talent. Chaos and Order are out of balance. Out of Harmony. To restore the balance, I must aid Discord. He must be free, or true harmony cannot exist, imprison him again, and he will only return again."
Twilight stared for a time, no words would come. Finally she spoke. "You're supporting evil, to promote harmony?"
Dawn raised her head in pride. "Who better than I? I created the elements you wield with impunity. Or did, before Discord removed our essence from them. You wish to support harmony? Join me. We will restore balance by ensuring neither order or chaos hold sway. Order unchallenged is no better than Chaos unchecked."
Twilight shook her head sadly. "You're mad!"
Dawn nodded sadly. "I expected as much. Well then, we have tried words, shall we decide who is right by way of might? I'll warn you child, I am committed to my course of action, I will not have pity on you."
Twilight spoke up in protest, but Dawn wasted no time, she teleported to Twilight's position and speared at her with her long powerful horn. Twilight reacted quickly, teleporting far into the sky where she would have more maneuverability. The horn jabbed into the flash of light a fraction of a second late.
Dawn grabbed a huge boulder from the mountainside with her magic and flung it at Twilight, who quickly cast a shield spell to block it. The force of the boulder shattered the spell, flinging Twilight backwards. She cried out. "It doesn't have to be this way! Don't do this Dawn!"
Dawn yanked several trees from the ground and flung them like spears at the purple alicorn, it was all Twilight could do to dodge them. She followed up with yet more boulders. She looked up in disappointment. "Come child, is your resolve so weak? Will you do nothing more than defend yourself?"
Twilight glared in anger. "Fine! You wanted this!" She cast on nearby clouds, brewing a storm. She sent lightning strikes at the gray alicorn. Dawn stood calmly, looking for all the world unworried. The bolts struck true, but Dawn looked unphased.
Dawn nodded. "Better, perhaps you have some spirit after all." She cast a wind spell, a great gale sprung from the north. The clouds Twilight had manipulated were blown away in a gale. Twilight flew desperately against the wind. She cast her own spell and a warm southern breeze still the air to tranquility once more.
Twilight looked up the the high stratus clouds. "I have more spirit than you could ever know, my friends give me strength!" Casting, she called hale stones the size of pumpkins. which fell like a meteor swarm from the sky. Dawn looked up regarding the coming storm. She countered with an arc of flame, the ice melted and became a thick mist which obscured the pony, and indeed much of the sky Twilight flew in.
Twilight looked around in the mist, frantically trying to remember Dawn's position. She never noticed the boulder which crushed her ribcage. She gasped for air as the bones knit themselves back together. She needed something the other pony would not expect...
Inspiration struck.
"Twilight you're still using too much magic! I am running out of busts for you to test with!"
"Sorry Celestia, let me try again..."
"How did you manage to set stone on fire?"
She looked down at the mountaintop and, using a Sight spell, looked deep into the heart of the mountain. Yes... there was power here, it could be brought back to life. She reached for the dormant heart of the volcano which had created this mountain. She poured power into it, holding back nothing. Her mane began to shimmer and lengthen in soft undulating curls.
The mountaintop exploded in a gout of fire and brimstone. Dawn one moment stood on stable footing, not deigning to join her quarry in the air, and the next was caught in the blaze. The mountain sent up fountains of lava and plumes of smoke. The jagged crater smouldered. Twilight looked around the wreckage. She did not think even a volcano would kill an alicorn. Still, she looked, Dawn could be badly hurt. "Dawn? Are you alrigh-" She was cut off by her throat being held by two strong hooves.
From the plume of smoke Dawn had rushed forward and grasped Twilight in her hooves. Dawn had murder in her eyes, she coughed from the smoke and ash filling her lungs. "I will crush you for that-"
Dawn felt something on tapping her on her back, she looked back, and saw the same pony she held in her hooves smiling at her.
Dawn stared. "Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Twilight as well. I'm here from next week. You see, I'm just here to distract you while my past self does that.” She pointed at present Twilight, who was leaning forward; lowering her horn, and casting the memory spell.
"What? How?" Dawn collapsed in exhaustion. Twilight now held her, preventing the other Alicorn from falling.
Future Twilight looked at Twilight. "You have a decision to make, make the right one. This pony is not entirely wrong, listen to her. I have faith in you." In a flash she was gone.
Dawn coughed. She was uncertain how this event had transpired, how the universe seemed to be conspiring against her when things seemed so clear... but somehow this mare gave her hope that she could win... Perhaps she was worthy to restore harmony. "Clever girl. Very well, child, I will concede my power to you. You must now decide how to restore balance. Bring Harmony back to this land." Dawn's coat changed from gray to the black of a moonless night.
Twilight landed them both, and held up a hoof to help Dawn to her own feet, Dawn clasped it.
The element of magic harmonized with the five other elements, it reformed into the shape of a crown. Each element appeared on the pony who was it's bearer.
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Pinkie had just finished her "Sending Twilight off to save the world" party, it was quite the event. Sixteen guests of honor made for quite the celebration. It had gone on well into the night, and much fun was had by all. Now it was time. Twilight prepared the ritual, and gathered power for the spell. Her friends, new and old, watched her cast. One of the alicorns in particular looked pleased, but also slightly annoyed. She at long last understood what had happened. She leaned close to Celestia. "This explains so much, so that unicorn you were training, the one with the penchant for beards, bells, and large ungainly hats, came up with a workable time travel spell..."
Celestia nodded. "Starswirl was a genius. He designed the spell to have utility, but to prevent abuse. You cannot return to the exact same point in time more than once, but you can return to one moment in time and affect events in a very limited sense."
The black coated alicorn hung her head, she had asked Twilight many questions after their confrontation, but Twilight had only said to wait, that answers would come. She shook her head. "Fascinating... The universe wanted this I suppose, I was so sure at the time I had the answers..."
Celestia laid a hoof on her friend in comfort. "We've all made mistakes. Come, let's sit and talk awhile. Twilight will be back soon. Pinkie has another party planned for the return. That mare is incorrigible."
The ebon mare smiled. "Yes, but infectious."