Sonata de Equestria

by MyHobby

Third Movement: Part 5- Reprise

Martial Paw tapped his talons against a rock. It was a nice rock, smooth and dry. He wasn’t quite sure what made it nice other than it wasn’t covered in ice like the rest of Whitetail Wood, but he felt confident in its amicability.

Gilda shifted next to him. She had put up a valiant effort walking from the coast to Whitetail Wood, but couldn’t escape the fact that cold and her injuries didn’t mix. She had collapsed several miles from Ponyville, an invalid in every sense.

She was wrapped in blankets from head to tail, completely concealing the bandages wrapped around her middle. She groaned. “It sucks not being able to fly.”

“Sorry,” Martial said.

“You sound like such a wuss when you apologize.”

“Well, I’m actually sorry. If I had gotten to Rainbow Dash before you—”

“You’d be dead?”

Martial clicked his beak three times. “Then you wouldn’t be injured.”

“Yeah. Great.” Gilda winced. “What’s taking Dash so long? She said she was just”—she stuck her tongue out—“getting somebody to carry me in.”

“Maybe they’re finding someone strong enough to carry a full-grown griffon?” Martial leaned against the rock. It was pretty big, as well as amicable. “Or a team of ponies?”

Gilda snorted. “Dash could carry me herself if she wasn’t scared of… of hurting me.”

They both jumped at the sound of rock and crystal crashing. The report echoed across the woods, causing their feathers to rise. Martial held a talon to his beak and flew up into the canopy.

A cloud of black smoke billowed up from the village. He could see colorful ponies rushing through the streets, converging on the site of the explosion. He ducked his head through the leaves, told Gilda he’d be back, and flew off towards Ponyville.

He didn’t get half-way before running into a returning Rainbow Dash. “What the hay are you doing?” she asked.

“Um.” He looked from her heated eyes to her crossed forelegs. Her wings beat at double-time. “I was coming to see if you needed help.”

“You left Gilda,” Rainbow Dash said. “You can’t just leave Gilda! What if she’s in trouble!?”

“She—” He clenched his beak tight. “Then we’d better get back there.”

“Heck, yeah, we’d better get back.” She waved to the ground. “Pinkie! Celestia! Mr. Cake! Over this way!”

“Wait,” Martial said as Rainbow flew away. “‘Celestia?’ As in ‘Celestia’ Celestia?”

“Yeah, the princess.” Rainbow Dash bolted towards the ground. “She’s here, too.”

“Awesome!” Martial pulled up alongside Dash. “With the princesses, there’s no way Gilded Wing’s gonna—”

“It’s not just about Gilded, anymore.” Rainbow Dash pressed her lips together and landed. “It probably never really was. Sombra’s back.”

“Sombra.” Marital Paw rubbed his neck. “As in the evil overlord slaver?”

“Yup.” Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on Gilda’s shoulder. “As soon as we get Gilda inside and healing, I’m headed for the Crystal Empire.”

Gilda placed her talon over Dash’s hoof. “I wanna come with you.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash said. “But you couldn’t. There’s no way.”

Gilda squeezed her talon and then let it drop to the ground. “I know. This sucks.”

Dash nodded. “It sucks cotton balls.”

Martial flapped his wings as the other ponies came into view. “I’ll have you know that you’re not getting rid of me.”

Rainbow Dash met his eyes. “I know.”

Pinkie trotted up. She gazed at the scene for a few minutes before a tiny smile tugged at her lips. “So, who’re your friends?”

“Um… This is Gilda. Gilda, remember Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash gave the both of them an uneasy grin.

“Oh.” Gilda tilted her head. “Yeah. I remember.”

Pinkie chewed her lower lip. “Hi, Gilda.”

“So…” Gilda wrung her talons. “About before—”

“Not really important right now.” Pinkie bent down and examined Gilda’s eyes. “We need to get you to safety.”

“Yeah. Alright.” Gilda waved at Martial. “Well? Say ‘hi,’ Marty.”

Rainbow Dash took a step back. She smirked. “Marty? Is that what everybody calls you?”

Martial Paw frowned. “If by ‘everybody,’ you mean Gilda.”

“Hay, Marty!” Pinkie jumped up and grabbed his talon. “I’m Pinkie Pie! I’m usually the pony who welcomes new people to Ponyville, and I can totally throw a party for you once we’ve overthrown the evil overlord and set Equestria free.”

Pinkie’s ears drooped. “And maybe… maybe that’ll help everypony to smile again.”

Rainbow Dash gave Pinkie a hug as Celestia and Mr. Cake walked towards Gilda. “It’s kinda rough out here, huh?”

Pinkie blinked. “Y-yeah. Ponies getting hurt… people dying.” She blinked harder, causing a tear to trickle down her cheek. “Yeah. It’s very, very hard.”

Martial Paw assisted Celestia and Mr. Cake will lifting Gilda. He glanced back at the Dash and Pinkie. “Are those friendship necklaces or something?”

Rainbow Dash stuck out her chest so that he could get a better look. “You know the Elements of Harmony? We got ’em right here.”

He eased one of Gilda’s wings into place before walking over to her. “Can these things beat Sombra?”

Pinkie shrugged. “They’ve never let us down before.”

Celestia and Mr. Cake stood up with Gilda balanced across their backs. They moved at a plodding pace towards the village, followed by Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Martial Paw.

They retired to the business portion of Sugarcube Corner, where Mrs. Cake and Fluttershy had moved one of the beds from upstairs. Since the second floor was recently made a bit drafty, they’d converted the warm kitchens into a makeshift recuperation room. Gilda lay in a soft bed for the first time in a week, and promptly fell fast asleep.

Fluttershy passed an ice-bag to Big Macintosh, who was harboring the mother of all headaches. He gave her a nod and leaned back in his seat. She sat near him for a moment, staring at her hooves. Rainbow Dash sat next to her and wrapped a wing around her shoulders.

“Hay,” Rainbow Dash said. “How’re you doing?”

Fluttershy leaned against her. “My little friends didn’t have anypony to tuck them in for the winter.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Are they gonna be okay?”

“They will be. Most of them. I hope.” Fluttershy gave her a weak smile. “I’ll be okay.”

Rainbow Dash grinned back. She ducked her head down conspiratorially. “So, you and Big Red, huh?”

“Um…” Fluttershy shrugged. “I guess?”

Rainbow scoffed. “You guess? You finally have a special sompony and you ‘guess?’ Your best friend isn’t supposed to show more enthusiasm than you. Especially when they’re me.”

Fluttershy giggled. “I don’t know. You seem pretty okay with mushy stuff now.”

“Mine are a special set of circumstances.” Rainbow Dash looked around at the various ponies seated around the shop. “Well… So are everypony else’s.”

Pinkie Pie watched the Cake’s twins while they and Applejack made a meal. Rarity sat by Spike, running a gentle hoof along his frills. He pulled his legs close to his body and stared at nothing. Celestia and Luna napped across the store. Martial Paw cradled a mug of coffee as he hunched over a table.

Twilight Sparkle stood by the window, looking out into the wintery streets. She hadn’t said anything since the grotesque died.

Rainbow Dash patted Fluttershy on the shoulder. “I’d better make sure Twilight’s okay.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’m scared for her.”

Rainbow stopped in midstride. “Me, too.”

She sat beside Twilight Sparkle. They looked out across downtown for a little while. Rainbow Dash moved a little closer to Twilight and lifted a wing.

“It’s like I was afraid of,” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash lowered her wing. “The spell?”

“Like I was afraid of on the train ride to the Empire.” Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash with hollow eyes. “It’s become easy.”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth grew dry.

“And yet, what else could I have done?” Twilight shrugged as she turned back to the window. “It was going to burn down the town. It was going to kill everybody.”

Twilight’s eyes fell to her hooves. “So I stopped it.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” Rainbow Dash wrapped a foreleg around Twilight’s shoulders. “So it needed to be put down like a mad dog. Cool. We’ve got that covered. But Twilight, you’re still hurting yourself. I can’t just stand by and watch you—”

“Turn myself into Sombra?” Twilight gritted her teeth. “You think that’s how it’s gonna be?”

“I don’t know what that spell does, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash placed a hoof against Twilight’s cheek and brought her head around. Magenta eyes met violet eyes. “But I think you do. I think you know that it scares me. I think you know why it scares me.”

“But I can’t let everyone down!” Twilight brushed Rainbow Dash off as she stood. “You know why I needed to use it!”

“I know why you think you need to!” All eyes turned to the arguing ponies, but Rainbow Dash ignored them. “But you don’t, Twilight. There’s got to be a better way.”

“I can’t think of one!” Twilight walked away from Rainbow Dash. Her horn sparked white, teleporting her outside.

Rainbow Dash ran through the door.

“No!” she said. “No, I’m not letting you just go!”

Twilight plopped down in the icy street. “Fine!”

“Twilight… Twilight, listen to me.” Rainbow Dash circled Twilight and sat in front of her. “Listen to me. I don’t get scared very often. You know that.”

She placed both of her hooves on Twilight’s shoulder. “And I am so dang scared that I’m gonna lose you. I am so stinking scared. Please, please find another way.”

Twilight drew back. Her brow furrowed as she spoke. “But… but I can’t.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rainbow Dash pressed a hoof to Twilight’s chest. “This is the mare who saved the Crystal Empire by realizing that she couldn’t do everything herself. This is the mare who stopped an ursa minor by taming it. This is the mare who outwitted a pony with enough power to change people’s ages!”

Rainbow Dash pursed her lips. “You’ve made a life out of taking a third option, Twilight. Can’t you do it one more time?”

Hooves crunched the snow as Rarity walked up. “Especially since we’re all here. Together.”

“You’ve said it before, Twilight,” Pinkie said. “The Elements can stop Sombra. No question.”

Fluttershy nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “We’ll all back you up.”

“We c’n be strong together.” Applejack stood by Twilight’s side. “Stronger than we ever were apart.”

“Yeah.” Spike walked up to Twilight. He sat next to her and ran his claw up and down her leg. “We need you Twilight. And you need us.”

Sitting in the street, surrounded by her friends, Twilight was unable to hold it in. She bowed her head and wept, large tears pouring down her face. They all gathered together in a group hug, sniffling and crying.

The ice and snow around them melted. Twilight Sparkle lifted her head and wiped her cheek. “Okay. Okay, the Elements… You’re right. The Elements are gonna be our best bet. B-because we’re… because we’re finally together again.”

“And ain’t no evil overlord gonna tear our friendship apart!” Applejack shouted.

Inside the shop, Luna stirred. She yawned and stretched. She peered out the window on a whim.

Her eyes widened. She nudged the pony beside her. “Celestia! Celestia, wake up!”

“Uh?” The former princess blinked lazily. “What?”

“Look!” Luna pointed out the window. “You must see this!”

Celestia ruffled her good wing as she stood. She gazed out the window, and let forth a tiny gasp. “My stars.”

“It’s started, Celestia.” Luna stood beside her sister and smiled. “The healing is starting.”

“Healing…” Celestia sat down. “It’s a slow process.”

“But it goes much faster if you simply let it begin.” Luna nudged her shoulder against Celestia’s. “Or so you’ve tried to tell me over the years.”

Celestia frowned. “We never reached this point.”

“You and I did.” Luna swallowed a lump in her throat. “And… Summer Surprise would have. So would Apple Butter and Zephyr. If…”

Luna watched as the ponies outside embraced, weeping joyously for just being together. She and Celestia leaned against each other as small tears of their own trailed down their cheeks. “If they could have.”

Cadance tossed another hefty tome across the library. “No!”

She flew up to the librarian, her eyes alight with fear. “No, there’s nothing about the Crystal Heart. Why would it talk to me? How can it talk to me!?”

The librarian took a step back. “I swear, if I remembered anything I’d tell you!”

Cadance clutched at her mane. “There has to be something! Stories from the past, ancient foal’s tales, obscure tomes, something!”

She stood still and pointed. “Do we have a copy of Starswirl’s journal?”

“Just The Collected Works, Your Highness,” the librarian said. “It’s abridged!”

“They always are!” Cadance wiped her eyes. “There’s got to be—”

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she felt the Crystal Heart’s shield contract another four feet. She shook her head and flew up. “I’m going to take a look outside. Keep looking for something. Anything!”

Cadance, Princess of the Crystal Empire, flew high above her city. She examined the top of the shield, inspecting for odd cracks or other anomalies. She ran a hoof across it.

“I protect the Empire.”

She yanked her hoof away with a hiss. “What if I’m just mad? What if the sorrow of… of Shiny… oh—”

She pressed her hooves against her face as hot tears poured out from her eyes. She sucked a deep breath in before letting it out slowly. “No. I must be strong. I must—”

She shrieked as a giant, monstrous thing impacted against the shield. It had the body of a strong ape, the wings of a giant bat, and the muzzle of a mighty dragon. Its claws raked against the shield, reaching for her but unable to break through.

It was joined by another. And another. And several more. Six of the monsters alighted the shield, clawing and scratching and blasting it with dark fire.

Alarm bells sounded all across the city.

“Get away from my kingdom!” Cadance roared. She drew a bubble of magic together outside the Heart’s shield, expanding it outward and pressing the grotesques back.

The largest brought its fists down on her spell, shattering it and sending her tumbling towards the ground. The heart’s shield shrunk inward again.

Cadance corrected her descent and rushed towards the borders. She pressed her hooves against the shield.

“Protect the Empire or I—”

“Shut up and listen!” Cadance shouted. “We can fight back. We just need more time. Do you understand? We just need to hold them off a little longer!”

“A princess protects the Empire.”

“I know that! I’m trying to—”

“I protect the Empire.”

Cadance choked. “Oh, stars. You’re a princess?”

“I am the princess,” the Crystal Heart said. “I protect the Empire.”

“Just hold up.” Cadance coughed into her hoof. “Listen, Twilight is coming. She’s bringing the Elements of Harmony. She’ll save us!”

There was a brief silence.

“The Elements of Harmony?”

Cadance sighed in relief. “Oh gosh. Yes. Yes, the Elements.”

“The Elements of Harmony protect the Empire. Protect the Empire… Or I will.”

Cadance slumped to the ground. She watched as the monsters attacked the upper levels of the shield, which held against their every blow.

She didn’t know how long it could hold.

Sombra strode forward, his iron-shod hooves clanging against the ice. He watched as his grotesques fought fruitlessly against the powerful shield. He smirked.

He tapped his hoof against the bubble of magic before pressing down. “Hello, Princess Aura. Still protecting the Empire, I see.”

“I protect the Empire.”

“You don’t say?” he chuckled. “I have news for you: I’m here to retake what is rightfully mine.”

“I protect the Empire.”

“Oh, I know. I know.” Sombra traced his hoof across the shield’s surface. “And you did such a good job of it these last thousand years. Keeping it locked in limbo so that no one could bring harm to its citizens.”

“You will fail.”

“Yes, yes. So they tell me.” Sombra grinned. “But you, too, failed.”

“I protected the Empire.”

“You hid the Empire.” Sombra tapped his boot. “You kept it locked away from those who would harm it. But you also imprisoned its people. Your people.”

“I protected the Empire.”

“You protected the Empire well enough, but what of the ponies?” Sombra shrugged. “I merely enslaved them. You took their lives from them. For a millennium. You stole them.”

“I protected…”

Sombra smirked and took a step back. “What good is it to bury a coin in the ground? You’ll receive no use from it.”

He waited for a response that never came.

He laughed as he waved Rover Redvest and Lord Gilded Wing forward. “Attack the shield. When it falls, await my command.”

Stonewall carried Sweetie Belle on her back, while Jigawatt carried both Scootaloo and Babs Seed. Apple Bloom walked close by. “We’re real close to Ponyville.”

“I know,” Stonewall said. “You’re almost home.”

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “You’re almost home, too, ain’t yah? Ah know yer sister Sweetie Drops lives here.”

Stonewall sighed through her nose. “Lived. She’s gone now.”

Apple Bloom stared at the snow as she walked. “Like mah parents are gone?” She sniffed. “Ah’m sorry.”

Stonewall smiled. “It’s alright. I’ll be alright.”

“Granny Smith says the pain dulls, but don’t go away.” Apple Bloom shook her head.

“Granny Smith is very wise.” Stonewall bit the inside of her cheek. “But I wouldn’t trade the pain. It means I remember her.”

“Ah didn’t know mah ma or pa.” Apple Bloom bobbed her head around a tree and pointed a hoof. “There’s the town!”

Stonewall watched as she ran ahead, calling out for Applejack and Big Macintosh. Applejack was in the middle of a group hug, one that gained a sudden extra member. Big Mac exited Sugarcube Corner soon after, uniting the three siblings.

“Maybe you didn’t,” Stonewall whispered. “But you’ve got their memories.”

Stonewall looked over her shoulder at the crowd of ponies following her. “Last stop: Ponyville. You’re all on your own from here, unless you decide to head on up to the Crystal Empire with me.”

The ponies entered the city in a heard. Some dozen or so ponies waited in the forest with Stonewall and Jigawatt.

Stonewall nodded at them. “Good. Then we’ll show Sombra what for.” She handed Sweetie Belle to Jigawatt and waved him into the town. “I’ll work on getting us suitable weapons and armor. We’re gonna need ’em to have a fighting chance.”

Jigawatt walked up to the small gathering of ponies outside the sweet shop. “Fluttershy?”

“Dad!” Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around his neck. “I’m so glad you’re safe! I was so worried!”

“Are you alright?” he asked as he set his three young charges on the ground. He raised a hoof and held it beside the bandage on her head. “Your ear—”

“I’m fine.” Fluttershy extended a wing. “Thanks to Big Mac.”

Jigawatt gazed up at the red stallion. “You’re the pony that saved my daughter’s life?”

Big Macintosh shook his head. “She saved mine, sir.”

“Hmm.” Jigawatt tilted his head, his frizzy pink mane sparkling with melted snow. “You’ll have to tell me about it later. Right now…” He looked around at the crowd. “Who’s in charge here?”

Twilight Sparkle stood, Spike at her side. “I am.”

Jigawatt pointed a wing at the tree line. “You’re gonna want to have a talk with Stonewall.” He looked down as Apple Bloom nuzzled her three friends awake. “Things are getting desperate.”

“Ah ain’t especially fond of this plan,” Applejack said.

Twilight Sparkle fitted a battered breastplate across her chest. “Tough.”

The Element Bearers and the displaced Manehattanites gathered in the Apple Family barn. Granny Smith had a small supply of heirloom armor and weapons from the pioneering days, while Stonewall gathered a larger sum from her family home.

“There’s barely two dozen of us against—what?—a whole army?”

“Six of us hold the Elements of Harmony.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Touché to me, I think.”

“So what if we manage to use the spell against Sombra?” Applejack leaned against the wall of the barn. “You don’t think his armies are just gonna go away, do yah?”

“No, but that’s where the Crystal Empire comes in.” Twilight tried on an old helmet, decided it was too big, and moved on to the next. “Cadance has a sizable army, including some transfers from Canterlot.”

“I just don’t know that it’s gonna be enough.” Applejack hefted a spear, which promptly lost its tip. She dropped it on the ground. “Didn’t like the balance much anyhow. Look. Ah think the six of us should just sneak in, confront Sombra all alone, and then skedaddle out of there.”

“Because when I think sneaking around,” Twilight said, “I think ‘Pinkie Pie.’”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Applejack replied.

Twilight froze. “Alright. Touché to you.” She pulled her breastplate’s straps tighter. “Ow. But the fact is that we can’t really avoid a battle, so we’re just gonna have to be as prepared as possible.” She shrugged. “Besides, we’re all meeting inside the Crystal Heart’s shield.”

“That’s another thing.” Applejack lifted a bow, tried to work the string, then tossed it to the side. “Ah don’t trust the Crystal Heart none. Not after what Celestia and RD said about who it belonged to.”

Twilight frowned. “I’m worried about Princess Aura, too. But that means we need to act even faster. If she’s the reason the Empire disappeared for a thousand years, we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Okay,” Applejack said, hooves raised. “Ah get yer point. Ah’ll go along with it.” She narrowed her eyes. “But ah’m also gonna say ‘ah told you so’ right now in case ah don’t get the chance.”

“Well,” Twilight slipped a boot that was three sizes too big over her hoof. “Let’s hope you get your chance.”

“Yeah.” Applejack picked up a shovel, swung it in an arc, and nodded. “Sure.”

Rainbow Dash dropped down on Martial Paw’s back. He jumped up with a squeal. “Yipe! Oh, uh, hi, Dash. Didn’t see you.”

“Hello, Marty,” she chuckled as she wrapped her forelegs around his torso. “Are we just gonna ignore that girly shriek?”

He pulled a rapier out of its sheath and gave it an experimental swish. “Yes, yes I am.”

Rainbow Dash rested the tip of her muzzle in his neck feathers. “That thing you did earlier, when you left Gilda. Don’t do it again.”

Martial halted his arc. “I thought you were in trouble.”

“I was,” Rainbow Dash said. “There was a huge monster. I almost got hit.”

Martial’s feathers bristled. “Then what if—”

“But Gilda was lying in the snow. Alone.” Rainbow Dash shifted her wings. “You were supposed to look after her. You were supposed to protect her.”

Rainbow Dash let a breath out through her nose. “But you ditched her.”

“I…” Martial Paw gripped the sword tight. “I wanted to look out for you. I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” Rainbow squeezed his middle. “Part of that whole ‘loyalty’ thing is sticking with what you’re supposed to be doing, you know. People need to know they can trust you.”

Martial clicked his beak a few times. He spun a figure eight in the air with the rapier.

Rainbow Dash followed the tip of the sword with her eyes. “You any good with that thing?”

“Pardon?” he asked.

“Have you ever fenced before?” She leaned her head to the side, bringing it alongside his. “Or fought at all?”

“Well…” He grinned. “I got in a bar fight in your honor.”

Rainbow held on tight as he stepped wrong and sent the rapier point into the dirt. “Did you win?”

“I got my lionesque hiney whooped.” Martial carefully slid the rapier back into its sheath. “Gilda had to step in to keep me from getting hospitalized.”

“I guess it’s the thought that counts.” She chewed her lip. “What do you mean, ‘my honor’?”

Martial grew beet-red. “They had assumed you and I were indiscrete with our relationship.”

“Uhuh.” Rainbow gave him a tight-lipped smirk. “How indiscrete?”

“Um… quoth one stripy jerk, ‘What’s it like with a pony girl?’”

“Oh wow,” Rainbow Dash laughed. “So what’d you do?”

“I socked him in the beak,” Martial said, puffing his chest out. “Knocked his drunk butt off the stool.”

“And then his buddies came to the rescue?” Rainbow Dash fought down giggles. “Wow. I wish I’d been there to see that.”

“What?” Martial craned his neck around. “Me being beaten to a bloody pulp?”

“No!” She patted the side of his head. “You punching a griffon in the jaw! Sounds awesome!”

Martial nodded slowly. “Yeah… yeah, it kinda was.”

Rainbow Dash grinned out of the side of her mouth. “You’re kinda hot when you’re kicking butt. You should do it more often.”

Martial let out a laugh. “You’re kinda hot all the time.” He brought his talon up to her face. “Sounds like we’re both gonna get opportunity to kick butt pretty soon.”

“Lots of butt,” she said with a nod.

They drew close, their mouths met, and they kissed long into the night.

Twilight looked out over the gray sky. She stood at the head of the small army, her friends all around. A small train sat in the station, two of its cars still usable despite the elements that ravaged the rest of the village. She turned to Stonewall as breath escaped her mouth in a cloud. “Non-stop to the Crystal Empire?”

Stonewall stood at attention. “Yes, ma’am. At your word.”

Twilight Sparkle walked on to the train car. “Let’s go.”

The whistle blew, and the train rolled out of the station.

Twilight Sparkle watched as Ponyville became tiny in the distance. “On the road again.”

Celestia sat beside her. “I don’t know if this is the start of a new journey, or the end of a very, very long one.”

Twilight shrugged. “Maybe we’ll find out when we get there.”

She leaned back, closed her eyes, and whispered.

Celestia spread her good wing over Twilight’s shoulders.