//------------------------------// // 139. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 4 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// As she rose from the fog of unconsciousness, Twilight felt literally weightless, as she found herself surrounded by the vastness of a dream-like night sky. Everywhere she looked she saw stars, no solid ground, and no sign of life. Except, this place felt full of life! It was like she’d literally stepped into a dream, although she wished she were standing instead of floating, and just like that, she felt her hooves on what seemed like solid ground even though there was nothing beneath them. “Hello? Where am I, what is this place?” Then in the distant starlight, a familiar figure approached, and spoke a voice she knew all too well. “Congratulations, Twilight. I knew you could do it.” Trotting over, Twilight gasped, “Princess Celestia!” Celestia smiled and gave Twilight a comforting hug, assuring her she was really there with her. “I don’t understand, what did I do?” “You did something today that has never been done before,” Celestia answered as she made the spell book appear, opening it to the addition Twilight had made, the completion of the spell. “Something that even a unicorn wizard as great as Star Swirl the Bearded was not able to accomplish, because he did not understand friendship in the way you have come to understand it.” “What does it matter…?” Celestia gaped at Twilight, who looked ashamed and sad. “Because I was so foolish, I made Midnight vanish into thin air.” “Twilight, Midnight is the Element of Faith!” Celestia assured, raising Twilight’s face to hers. “So long as you have faith in him, he will come through right when you need him most. Besides, you completed the spell! I am certain that Midnight will come back to you and a lot sooner than you may think. For the lessons you’ve learned in Ponyville have taught you well.” She then walked on, a gesture inviting Twilight to follow, as she said, “You have proven, Twilight Sparkle, that you are ready.” “Ready? Ready for what?” Twilight asked as she followed her teacher. And as they walked a path of stars, they were passed by with what seemed like windows of Twilight’s time in Ponyville! You’ve come such a long, long way… She saw the day when she lost her mind and cast the ‘Want it, Need it’ spell. And I’ve watched you from that very first day! She saw that Nightmare Night where she went as Star Swirl the Bearded. To see how you might grow… She saw the moment when she first arrived in Ponyville and met Midnight. To see what you might do She saw her first Winter Wrap-Up Day in Ponyville. To see what you’ve been through She saw the day when she saw met her Future Self, the day she took part in Rarity’s fashion show with the dress she wore to the gala. And all the ways you’ve made me proud of you The day she and all her friends stood up to Discord, the day she befriended Princess Luna, when she and Midnight solved the Mystery of the Maimed MMMM, attended Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding, retrieved the Crystal Heart with Spike, how she and her friends first unlocked the power of the Elements of Harmony. It’s time now for a new change to come You’ve grown up and your new life has begun To go where you will go, to see what you may see To find what you will be, for it’s time for you… To fulfill your destiny…! From her heart, Twilight felt a power ancient yet familiar ignite as it appeared before her, a shapeless mana of magenta before it started to encircle her, going faster and faster, Twilight rising, feeling nervous yet excited, as a light began to radiate from her very soul! The magenta streaks of mana increased in speed, becoming rings of energy, surrounding Twilight like she were a nucleus to a neutron of power! All the while did Celestia watch in anticipating pride, feeling like a proud mother as she watched her faithful student rise… and ignite!!! Above Ponyville, a burst of life exploded into a shining star that reflected the cutie-mark of Twilight Sparkle! The friends all stood outside the library in awe as the star lowered, dimming as it touched the ground, a familiar figure beginning to appear from the glow. “Twilight…?” Applejack scrunched her eyes to see better, “Is tha’ you?” Twilight stood up, her eyes closed… and a pair of wings unfurled as she radiated a light divine, her friends gasping! “Uh- Ah- Ah’ve ne’er seen anything like it!” “Ha! Twilight’s got wings!” “Awesome, now we can be flying buddies!” “Twilight, old friend! You- You’ve become an alicorn!” “First you brother, then Sombra…!” “Alicorn Party!!!” Pinkie sorta lessened the tension as she swung down, wearing a party hat like a horn and cardboard wings. “Wow, you look just like a princess!” Fluttershy commented, Big Mac, saying, “Eeyup!” “That’s because she is a princess.” Everypony turned to Princess Celestia, saying a collective, “HUH?!” “Hold on a second!” Pinkie reached from behind her barrel, held up a glass of water, took a swig, and did a very out-of-place-and-time spit-take. “A… a princess?!” Twilight whispered in shock, that Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Since you’ve come to Ponyville, you displayed the charity, compassion, devoutness, integrity, optimism, and, of course, the leadership of a true princess.” “But… does this mean I won’t be your student anymore?” Twilight asked, feeling a little sad. “Not in the same way as before,” Celestia replied, “I’ll still be here to help and guide you, but now, we are all your students too. For to us all, Twilight Sparkle…” To Twilight’s shock, Celestia bowed, her friends following suit, as Celestia spoke, “You are an inspiration!” “But what do I do now?” Twilight’s neurosis was on the verge of sending her onto the warpath, “Is there a book about being a princess I should read?!” “There will be time for all of that later,” Celestia assured with a laugh. Suddenly!!! A tremor shook the ground around everypony, all of them, even Celestia crying out in alarm, as a great crack split the earth and from the crevice did erupt a plume of shadowy smoke!! Everypony watched in horror as the smoke bunched together… and a pair of the most evil eyes glared down upon them, eyes red with hate, green with madness, and flowing with blue flames, as this menace spoke with a voice deeper than the very foundations of the earth, “Alas, dear Celestia! There is not going to be a later!” “Who are you?!” Celestia stood protectively in front of her little ponies, her wings flared. The malevolence chuckled tauntingly, as it answered, “Forgotten me already? I’m insulted… It’s not every day a… Terror from your past comes back to haunt you!” Everypony gasped as they recognized the monstrosity before them, Twilight yelling, “You’re the Whisperer! You’re Terror!” “Heh-heh-ha-ha-ha-ha! I knew you’d remember me, sweet Twilight! Sorry to cut into your moment of glory… for it is time for me to take mine… BEHOLD!!!” The wraith of Terror looked up towards the moon and unleashed a beam of the darkest magic! It fired straight into the sky, lost in the distance… but where it went became known as the Moon was suddenly enveloped in a haze of poisonous green! “What have you done, Terror?!” Celestia demanded, “And how are you here? Prince Sombra destroyed you!” “Yes, yes he did!” Terror growled hatefully, eyeing Celestia with murderous desire. “What you look upon is but a remnant of the true Terror that wretch foiled! When that miserable crystal mage engulfed me with his crystal spell, I swore vengeance! You would have been wise to heed it.” “Princess! Look!” Thunderlane pointed up at the moon, “Is the moon getting bigger?” Celestia looked, her eyes furrowed… until they widened in horror. “The moon is not getting bigger… it is getting closer! It’s- It’s falling!!!” “And when it lands, all of Equestria and everypony in it, will be wiped from existence!!!” the wraith cackled in gleeful insanity. “I won’t let you!” Celestia flared her horn, only to cry out as it crackled with her aura and an ember of darkness. “Princess, what’s wrong?!” Twilight asked fearfully. “Magical feedback…” Celestia moaned as she shook the pain away. “He’s… he’s cursed the moon!” “You didn’t actually think I would bring doom to Equestria without making sure you couldn’t break my spell, now did you?” Terror mocked. “My curse has broken the powers that keep the moon aloft, and no power but my own can break it! Equestria and everypony in it will die, and from the ashes of your destruction, from the extinguished life-forces of so many, I will rise...! I will see the world tremble before me like a lamb before a wolf!!!! Heh-heh-heh-ha-haha! AH-HA! Hahahahaha!!!!!!” As the horrifying realization sunk in, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Celestia broke into tears, Big Mac, Soarin, and Blueblood trying to comfort their mares, Twilight frozen in horror, unable, unwilling that this was reality! This can’t be happening! This can’t be true!! Nearby, hiding within an alleyway, Twinken watched in horrifying sadness! He’d seen the star in the sky and had come to see what it was, and was blown to see Twilight had become an alicorn and Princess Celestia had declared her a princess. A part of Twinken had been resentful, that this mare, who had made his brother disappear, had received such honor, such prestige, but there had been a part that had been ashamed for what he had said to Twilight, and a part of him proud of how far she’d come. But now, this evil returned, this abomination had just dropped the guillotine on Equestria, and everypony’s neck was suddenly on the line! “It can’t end like this…” he whispered as a tear trailed down his face. But then, he felt a comforting hoof on his shoulder, and looked up to a Hooded Pony, only a horn indicating anything about him… until, from the shadow of his hood did glow a pair of turquoise eyes! “It won’t…” Twinken watched as the Hooded Pony stepped out, feeling, for some reason, that everything was going to be alright. Twilight faced the wraith, and realized Terror’s shadowy form was slowly but surely taking shape! She was beginning to discern a ponyish form, and realized as the despair grew, so did Terror’s power! “Is this really worth it?!” she shouted to Terror. “So much death and destruction, so much loss! Over the ages, you have been a curse on ponykind, and so many times you have torn ponies apart! But have you ever stopped and asked yourself, is it all worth it?” “It will be… when I watch the light leave your eyes,” Terror growled with eyes full of madness. “The only one leaving here is you.” All eyes turned to see the Hooded Pony, calmly walking towards the group as though nothing was wrong. But the tremble of the earth as though it shivered of the pain it would soon feel, the screaming of the wind above as the moon tore down through the sky, served to intensify this from-out-of-nowhere standoff. The Hooded Pony was tall, garbed in a cloak of shadowy soft fabric that flowed around him, never touching the ground, his horn poked through a hole in the brim of his hood, keeping it in place and hiding his face in its darkness. But then! The Hooded Pony looked up, his eyes glowing with vaporous light of pale blue that flowed out the corners of his eyes, as he spoke. “And this time, Terror, it’s going to be for good.” “Ha-ha-ha! And who’s gonna stop me, stranger, you?!” Terror taunted, “No magic of this world but mine can break the curse I’ve cast upon the moon! Not even your precious Princess of the Sun can save you! So tell me, hero! What can you do?” “This,” the Hooded Pony stamped his hoof, and holes seamed and opened in the back of his cloak… and a pair of wings unfurled through them! “He’s an alicorn…!” Twilight whispered in shock as the Hooded Pony’s horn glowed a blinding blue and white before it unleashed a beam of shining light that zoomed up and engulfed the moon! The Moon’s sickly green glow instantly brightened into a heavenly white as it shined with such intensity it may as well have been a second sun as it literally brightened the night sky to the point where it looked like it was day! “No… NO!!!” Terror fired a beam of darkness at the Hooded Pony, only for the evil spell to ricochet off a shield of white energy that appeared around the Hooded Pony as soon as the attack struck it. At that moment, the moon dimmed to its gentle silvery glow, the night returning, and the Hooded Pony willed the moon up, and it rose to rejoin the starry skies where it belonged. “NO! This can’t be!!” Terror screamed in fury as it fired another dark spell at the Hooded Pony but the shield reflected it back at Terror, right on its horn. Struck by its own spell broke the Whisperer's horn, causing the dark haze that surrounded it to be blown away, and everypony was shocked to see Terror, lying crumpled and defeated. It looked like a malformed unicorn pony fashioned from clay, a clay that was drying out, cracking and chipping, with a broken horn, a hairless, pitiful, naked, impotent thing as filthy black sludge bled from its cracks, wheezing as it began to die. The Hooded Pony raised his wings and slowly approached Terror, who gazed up at its conqueror with fear in its eyes, that slowly turned milky and losing their light. The Hooded Pony looked down at the decrepit shade as it slowly began to fall to pieces. Everypony watched as the situation grew ever tense in its silence. “H-how…?” Terror uttered with a voice as dry as death. “You said no magic but your own could break the curse,” the Hooded Pony answered. “But your magic came from me.” Terror’s opaque eyes widened in understanding as the Hooded Pony pointed his horn and said, “I’ll say to you what I said to Discord… Say ‘goodbye’, Terror! And this time, mean it!!” A blast of blinding light engulfed Terror, the abomination blowing away in dust, and was scattered to the winds. Never again would this evil ever reform to plague life, and everypony looked on as the Hooded Pony faced them. Hesitantly, Twilight approached the Hooded Pony, and asked, “…Who are you?” The Hooded Pony chuckled and, in a whirl of fabric, the cloak was flung from his back, the dark fabric turning into formless smoke that quickly dispersed into thin air, and everypony gasped!!! “MIDNIGHT!!” Everypony yelled as their eyes fell upon him! It was Midnight Blaze, an alicorn stallion! He looked different however. He was taller, more muscular like Shining Armor, his wings were the same sapphire blue as his coat, streamlined and clearly built for speed, his tail was long and leonine, his mane looked the same though the back was a bit longer and shaggier, there were short bangs hanging above his eyes, but then their eyes fell upon his flank! “Midnight! You-you have a cutie-mark!” Twilight and everypony crowded him as they looked at the cutie-mark glorifying his flank! It was of a crescent moon facing upwards, a five-point star within its crux, surrounded by five twinkles. “What happened to you?!” “How did you become an alicorn?!” “Where did you go?!” “How’d you get so powerful?!” “Guys, guys! Gimme a little room, huh?” Midnight chuckled as he unfurled his wings, a gesture that made them all back up a bit. “Big brother!!!” All eyes turned and saw Twinken as he ran out of nowhere and jumped straight for Midnight, who caught the little colt but fell over onto his back, laughing while Twinken cried. “I-I-I thought you were gone forever-her-her!” “It’s okay, little brother,” Midnight said gently, as tears of joy flowed down his face. “I will never leave you again.” “Hello Midnight.” All eyes turned to Celestia, who had approached them, her eyes on Midnight. He returned her look with one stoic and for a moment, things seemed tense. Until he dipped his head in welcoming, “Hello yourself, Princess.” “Midnight!” Twilight threw her arms around him, feeling him wrap his wings around her, as she whispered, “What happened to you?” Midnight let her go and looked around at his friends and family, all looking at him expectantly. Chuckling, he answered, “Everypony! Have I got a story for you!” At Midnight’s insistence, they all relocated to the library, everypony gathering around as Midnight began. “For all of you, this began the night Twilight cast Star Swirl’s incomplete spell, a little over a week ago.” “I went looking for you in your workshop,” Twinken commented as he sat in Midnight’s lap, looking up at him. “I know…” Midnight nuzzled his little brother, still rejoicing to feel him in his hooves again. “I was working on a new invention that involved time magic. The moment I tested it, I can only assume was the very same moment Twilight cast Star Swirl's incomplete spell.” “I thought because you didn’t have a cutie-mark… the spell wiped you out of existence,” Twilight looked ashamed, only for Midnight to put one of his wings around her and kiss her. “You didn’t,” Midnight assured her, “and actually, it’s a good thing it happened. Because of the two mixing magicks, I was transported… to a different time!” “Wait, are you saying the two magicks made you time-travel?” Blueblood inquired. “Yes they did,” Midnight nodded, “and I was sent back over a thousand years! To before the Rule of the Two Sisters, to witness an event that marked the very future of Equestria! But before we get into that, first I gotta tell you the beginning!” Everypony leaned in eagerly as Midnight started, “It all began when I came face to face… with Star Swirl the Bearded!”