//------------------------------// // Prologue: The Ultimate Spell // Story: MLP Scions Unite!! // by Chrome Masquerade //------------------------------// “Come on, everypony! We can't... can't give up!” Twilight Sparkle said, coughing up blood. “If you... don't *cough!* mind me s-s-saying, Twilight, i d-d-don't think we can beat this.” wheezed Fluttershy, barely staying conscious. Applejack said, “Ah think she's right Twi. This... thing beat even Discord! Even with our Rainbow Powers, it's just too strong!” The voice of the gigantic beast they were facing rang out, with a laugh that pierced the sky and echoed for miles. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! FOOLISH PONIES. YOU NEVER STOOD A CHANCE AGAINST ME! YOUR PITIFUL LIVES ARE NOW OVER!” An idea came to Twilight. “We aren't beaten yet, beast!” The laugh came again, even louder. “HAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!! WHAT COULD YOU DO TO ONE SUCH AS ME IN YOUR WEAKENED STATE? YOU CAN BARELY STAY AWAKE, LET ALONE CAST A SPELL.” “Maybe, but...” Twilight turned to her friends. “Everypony! I have an idea!” Rarity spoke. “What is it, darling?” “Yeah! If you have a plan, I'm all ears.” said Rainbow Dash, finally standing up, panting heavily. “For the good of Equestria, we must sacrifice ourselves!” Her friends all exclaimed, “WHAT!?” “I understand your trepidation, but we have to do this.” Twilight said, stepping toward her friends, drawing runes in the earth beneath her in her own blood with her magic. “For the good of hundreds of thousands of ponies, we MUST sacrifice everything we are today. A living sacrifice! It may just give us enough power to destroy it! But i can't do it without all of you. First, put every bit of magic you have left into this spell!” Twilight said. “Ah'm behind ya!” Applejack said, standing and forcing her Earth Pony magic into the ground, beginning to turn grayish as she did so. “Me too!” Rarity exclaimed, doing likewise, her horn glowing like a torch. “Me three!” Added Pinkie Pie as she added her power, her coat darkening and her mane and tail slowly going flat. “Let's do this!” Rainbow Dash said, adding her own power, her trademark multicoloured mane and dail fading to brown. “I'm *cough! Hack!* not sure how much help i can.. can be, but I'm with you!” Fluttershy put in. “Everypony, there's no going back. We may never see each other again. But know that i'll always love you all, wherever i might be.” Twilight said, pulling her friends into a group hug. “He's going down!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, determined now. “Alright, here goes.” Twilight spoke in the Royal Canterlot Voice, calling out to the heavens. “Hear our plea! Any force of good out there that might be listening! We willingly sacrifice our lives, our bodies, our magic, our very SOULS if you will help us destroy this creature and save our home!!! Please! Answer our prayers! The fate of millions rests on this!” A booming voice -more like many voices at once- rang out. “We have heard your plea and accept your sacrifice.” Suddenly the Element bearers were enveloped by a blinding light, slowly dissolving them. Simultaneously, a similar shaft of light enveloped the creature, not just dissolving it, but utterly obliterating it, scattering its essence across the multiverse. Before it died it cried out, “NOOOOOOOO!!!!! THIS CANNOT BE!!” before both parties vanished. A circle of colored scorch marks in the shape of the cutie marks of the six brave ponies, and the fallen Elements of Harmony were the only indication that any fight had occurred at all. Later that day, a ceremony was held, nearly every pony in Equestria came to mourn the loss of the heroic group. Mayor Mare came up first. “We are here to commemorate our friends, our comrades. These ponies that, though from vastly different walks of life, showed that friendship can unite us all. We... may have had tough times with -sometimes because of- them, but I have nothing but respect for them. I... hope that they knew- no, know that, wherever they are.” Princess Celestia came to the makeshift podium next, tears in her eyes, not even hiding them. “I... always knew that Twilight and her friends would do great things. In our very darkest hour they have made the ultimate sacrifice -literally!- to save us all. I am... so proud of them, that they did something none of us could do.” Celestia sobbed and wiped her eyes before continuing. “I knew Twilight ever since she was a little filly, and even then saw her potential. But as she grew up she grew... reclusive. Only when she met her friends did she truly let friendship into her heart. They saved us from Nightmare Moon, from Discord, from Chrysalis, from Tirek, and many more. And now they have saved us once again. I hope that wherever they are, they know that we are thankful. That we could never thank them enough for what they did.” The alicorn princess stepped aside, allowing her sister to take the stand. Luna said, “You shall have to forgive me. I have never been good with these public speeches.” eliciting a few muffled snickers from the crowd. “Twilight and her friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie... they saved me. They did forgive me for what I had done, and became my friends too. They showed me that friendship is truly the most powerful form of magic there is. New heroes may come, mayhaps one among you all, amd maybe they might hold more power than these ones did. but I do doubt that they will be quite so powerful of spirit, or so warm of heart.” The Lunar princess said, sniffling more than a bit herself. “I... Will miss them more than they could ever know.” Luna left the podium and made way for Discord. “What is there to be said? Those ponies showed me true friendship. They... accepted me for who and what I am. Even though I tried to take over Equestria, even though I betrayed them the one time. They still accepted me as a friend. Especially... especially Fluttershy. She was my first true friend and she was the one who I came to fall in love with. I even proposed to her last week. She... said yes. But we will not get the chance to be together again, it seems. I don't think my life will be the same without them all, especially her. Therefore, I am giving up my chaos magic, and will put my affairs in order before offering myself to whatever force cane to us. And I will do it as my old self... Starswirl, the Bearded. Or, a part of him, anyway. I'll not explain any further than that.” The gathered ponies gasped at this bombshell that was just dropped on them. “Maybe... just maybe we might see each other again. Who knows.” Discord reverted to the form of Starswirl the Bearded and left the stage, taking the time to hug both Celestia and Luna before disappearing in a flash of white light. Thus the way was cleared for Spike. “Twilight and her friends always accepted me, just as if i was another pony. Our lives got so much better when they came along. So it's only right that I pay my respects to them all. "Applejack was always kind and honest, even if a bit stubborn at times. Okay, a lot stubborn, but we all loved her.” Spike said, getting a few laughs from the Apple family. “Rainbow Dash was always cocky, kind of brash, but she was very loyal and never left us hanging. Rarity... Well, it's no secret that I loved her at first sight. I was going to even propose to her this week. I still have the ring. Anyway, she was so generous, nice, funny at times... She worked me nearly as hard as Twilight, but I could tell that she loved me too. Iiiin her own way. "Fluttershy was a bit slow to warm up to us. At first she couldn't even finish a sentence before backing up from us, or at least Twilight, a few steps. Oh, she was so kind to everypony, to all her animals...I hope that wherever she is she stays that way. "Pinkie Pie, well, I think that we can all agree that there are no words to fully describe Pinkie Pie!” Spike smiled and made a wide gesture with his hands, the audience laughing out loud. “But a few words come to mind. Random, funny, skilled, surprisingly knowledgeable... and she always loved to make others happy. I hope that wherever she is in that big bunch of stars up there that she still does. "Twilight was my first friend, my mother, my sister. My everything. She meant the world to me. She was the first pony i saw, the first pony who i truly felt... love, of a sort, for." Everypony was crying now, even ponies like Diamond Tiara and Prince Blueblood. “But anyway, let me just say that... I may or may not live on, but every night I do will be a bit colder without them around. Every day I'm sure that I'll cry a little. If i could go where they are, I would, in a heartbeat.” Spike finished, Princess Celestia once more taking the stand, but not before hugging Spike briefly. “I know that everypony is sad that they're gone, but i'm sure that, wherever they are, they would want us to be happy. So... let's celebrate what they did while they were alive instead of focusing on how much we miss them, now that they, well... aren't. We should be happy that they saved us. So... is anypony hungry? Pinkie seems to have made a few cakes in advance.” The crowd smiled slightly as one, before Spike hopped up. “Well? You heard the princess! As Pinkie Pie would say herself, LEEEEET''S PARTY!!!” Princess Celestia frowned a bit at Spike's interruption, but this just made the crowd laugh harder. Luna came up as well. “Yes! Let us smile as I'm sure they would want! Let the fun be restored!” The crowd walked off into the town as a whole, smiling. However, they were being watched “Did you see that?" a voice said. "Methinks these souls could be better than sustenance.” “Are you thinking what i'm thinking?” another commented. “Ragnarok is fast approaching.” a third put in. “Let us each take one. One day, they might meet again.” said the first again. A fourth voice spoke up. “Honestly, I think i speak for the Loa in general when I say, 'pass'.” “How can you say that?! They just gave up everything to save their home. Something you should be able to understand.” the second inserted, angrily. “You know full well that we value prosperity of a single town over the salvation of a world. In our eyes they may have aided this, but can no longer aid in its defense or amelioration. We are not perfect, but we have our own standards.” the fourth replied before vanishing entirely. “Your loss, then." the first said, dismissively. "Wait, there are six. Seven, if you count the dragon. Who shall take the extra?” There was some argument before one was decided. “This One is badly damaged. I'll need to work with one of my brothers to help her.” yet another new voice said. “That dragon will come with us as well. I feel that he needs his... sister.” one more voice added. “So be it. These will be our scions. Death is just the beginning of their journey.” the first said, with finality.