Everyone in the room freezes when a bright light comes from outside.
"What in the WORLD is going on here?"
"Are those, the northern lights of the Crystal Empire?!? Here in this present?!? Wait a minute. Rarity! You're mane!!! Your coat!!! It's of crystal!!!" Spike runs to Rarity and hugs her. "That means, King Sombra's destroyed. Twilight would've made a perfect score on a test if that happened the first time around."
The screen turns on in static until a clear motion image comes up. "We're getting word that a huge explosion has caused a set of visible bright jet streams to appear. What would this mean for Equestria? In other news, crystal soldiers' helmets have mysteriously stopped working. Could this mean that King Sombra is destroyed? Could this give Equestria the upper hoof in the war against the Crystal Empire? Word of action confirms the former. Which means that the war is over. And starting now, crystal ponies have been arrested by the royal guard. Stay tuned for more of what happens to these crystal ponies." The screen turns to static again and turns off.
Twilight stands alone in the familiar Crystal Empire she knows and loves. There isn't a train that comes here, Twilight realizes. "Guess I better head for manehatten all by myself by flight."
"Not on our watch." Twilight hears a bravely new, but familiar voice. She turns around to see Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie together, leading all the other soldiers. "You can fly with us."
"Pinkie Pie, Maud, Rainbow Dash?!?"
"Exactly. Say, you know your soldiers too."
"Why wouldn't I know you all?"
"How else?" Rainbow Dash asks.
"Other presents?"
"Other presents?" Pinkie Pie echoes. "You're implying time travel. Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Okay. That is awesome! Where do you want to fly to?"
"Manehatten. My assistant's there helping out with Rarity I assume."
Spitfire comes out of the crowd. "Well, not anymore. The war's over with now. We congratulate you. I wouldn't have thought to actually go for King Sombra himself to have the upper hoof."
"I assume that all this can be reasoned with the crystal ponies."
"Actually soldier, the royal guard is putting the crystal ponies on trial."
"WHAT?!? Did you see what they were wearing for head gear? It must've been powered by King Sombra. Couldn't you tell by the sickly green glow?"
"From what I saw there was just head gear that just so happened to stop working at the same time as when that huge explosion happened. Ifyou saw a sickly green glow somewhere in the head gear, you must have a pretty good eye."
"Thank you everypony. I never expected it to hold this much attention though. Last time this happened, me and my friends just went home after singing."
"It's more than worth singing about when you've destroyed this present's King Sombra. This calls for celebration."
"Will it be likely there will any guilty verdicts for the crystal."
Maud half raises her hoof. "Not if King Sombra was the entire cause of this war. I have some evidence." Pinkie passes Maud a rock King Sombra had grown. "I told Pinkie to keep this rock safe in case King Sombra was destroyed. I smuggled it. It was crystal black."
Spitfire draws a confused expression to Maud. "Wait, are you saying a rock will defend every single one of the crystal ponies?!?"
"Don't believe her? Would you believe that she was part of six ponies that defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord?" Pinkie faces Spitfire now.
"What other five ponies defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord?"
"All of us six ponies represented the Elements of Harmony. Mine was loyalty, kindness was Fluttershy, laughter was Cheese Sandwich, honesty was Silver Shill, generosity was Coco Pammel, and magic was Starlight Glimmer."
"WHAT?!? Starlight G-GLIMMER?!?" Twilight looks baffled now. "I'm willing to bet this Starlight Glimmer wasn't the one who changed the past."
"I'm sure she hasn't." Maud is still in her deadpan tone; however, she ever so slightly raises an eyebrow. "Back almost twelve years ago, the Foal Free Press said that a rainboom was confirmed, but it never happened thanks to one of three foreigners."
"We have no time to waste though. We'll figure out who it... wait a second. I think I know who they were. Pinkie Pie. You remember what you said about the alicorn implying time travel?" Pinkie nods to Rainbow Dash. "So, if you and your assistant are going back to your 'present', in the process of stopping this Starlight character from the stopping a- oh my gosh! It all makes sense now! You, your assistance and that Starlight character were the three 'foreigners'! So, who was it that froze me when I was about to make a sonic rainboom?"
"That would be Starlight Glimmer."
Maud Pai's pupils shrink with her eyes completely open.
"Don't worry, that was my present's Starlight Glimmer. She stopped the rainboom, causing everyone's lives to come to how it wouldn't have been if not for King Sombra." Maud gets back to her normal deadpan position she once held not long ago.
"Thanks for your help, soldier. We couldn't have ended the war without you."
"You're welcome, Spitfire."
"Well, we're not getting to Manehatten if we just sit here congratulating you. Let's get to the big city!" Rainbow Dash jump and flies ahead to lead the group of soldiers behind her. Twilight follows to grab his assistant at her destination.
At Manehatten, all the soldiers except for Pinkie Pie, Maud, and Rainbow Dash have left.
"Everypony, thanks for taking me over to Manehatten. It was very generous of you."
"No problem Twilight. Just call if you need anything. I gotta get to Cloudsdale. Wouldn't want to miss the celebration at home, now, would I?"
"We'll do as to return to my family. They've needed a break from all this war effort."
"Goodbye. I wish you well when you return home."
"Thanks, Twilight."
Twilight nods to Rainbow Dash in response. With that, Pinkie Pie, Maud and Rainbow Dash leave Twilight in the big city. When Twilight gets to city hall, the mayor comes to her right away. "Congratulations on helping win the war against the Crystal Empire."
"Wait a minute... just curious. Do you know Countess Coloratura?"
"Why yes, I do. I remember how she used to be one of the biggest stars in all of Equestria before the war. However, I was enlisted as mayor in Manehatten when the war started. Actually it does make some sense though, me being mayor. A manager essentially does the same thing as a mayor I assure you. When I was enlisted though, poor Coloratura and I had to part ways."
"I imagine her music must be better than ever by now."
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. She'd been on the radio quite a bit. Upon the start of the war, radios have been sent out in promoting the help of war effort. Now was the time to be on the war effort. I will say, aside from the messages from her most recent songs essentially being the same, what about all this war effort, her songs SOUND better than ever. Even better than when I was her manager. She's an independent filly now, free on her own whim."
"I bet." Twilight looks down on the ground. Who knows what songs may be exclusive to this present? It's time to leave with Spike. Something comes up though. The crystal ponies. They'd been arrested... for something that King Sombra had them do by force... by head gear. When King Sombra was destroyed, the helmets stopped working. Maud Pie had stolen one of King Sombra's crystals. Pinkie kept it safe from destruction. Now it's considered evidence that the crystal ponies were not to blame. It's the same thing as all of those unicorns and earth ponies arrested for participation in the Pegasus Khurbn over a thousand years ago, and it wasn't even a year after Equestria was founded. "Mayor Svangallop, do you know about the trials of the crystal ponies that should happen rather soon?"
"Oh, yeah. The crystal ponies were arrested as being the cause of the war. The common pony in Equestria wouldn't even connect King Sombra with the actions the crystal ponies unleashed under head gear."
"I saw what the crystal ponies wore, and in such high detail from above. That was quite the sickly green glow in them."
"I know. I saw the head gear too. Wait a minute! You can-"
"Represent the crystal ponies? I think Maud's got that covered. Pinkie Pie might as well be her co-counsle. Can I see Spike?"
"Why yes, you can. The war's over now so you can see him."
"Mayor S- T-Twlight?!? What you doing here?!?" Twilight turns to Spike at the entrance of the town hall. "I thought you'd meet me back in Ponyville."
"I did. But there was a big change of plans."
"Wait a minute. Is it about the crystal ponies?" Twilight nods in response. "You're going to defend them aren't you?" Spike bluntly asks.
"Not exactly. Maud might be able to do this on her own. Pinkie Pie will be there just in case Maud needs help. And so will I."
"I met up with Rarity while you destroyed King Sombra."
"I knew something like that would happen."
Twilight comes to the lobby from the courtroom and sighs in relief that the crystal ponies have been set free. Behind her is Spike (first one behind her), Pinkie (in the middle) and Maud (last). When Maud comes in the lobby, one crystal pony nearby instantly recognizes her.
"Everypony! Look! It's our savior, Maud Pie!"
In response, all the crystal ponies cheer at the sight of Maud Pie's presence.
"Gee, what's the praising crowd all about?" Maud asks in her deadpan tone.
"Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe it's showing a single rock that has proved that King Sombra was behind the starting of the war against the Crystal Empire." Spike smiles, elbowing Maud in the process, in which she smiles. Pinkie smirks and starts to laugh.
"Don't expect a full interview with us, crystal ponies. Maud and I have to come back to our family so we all could celebrate."
"And may Equestria have the biggest leap of technology ever since the founding of Ponyville." Princess Celestia comes out of the court room. "Who knew that a single rock from King Sombra was what it took to defend an entire population of crystal ponies?" Twilight instantly sees Princess Celestia and cues for Spike to bow with her.
"Why, hello there, Twilight. I'm sure I've seen you at least once during the rising of the sun at the Summer Sun Celebration."
"You have?"
"Of course. But I never expected that you'd be given wings. Who gave you them?"
Twilight thinks back to her coronation. It was Princess Celestia who presented her as Princess Twilight Sparkle not even a week before the Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight has no other choice. She has to let out her fact. "It was my present's Princess Celestia who'd given me these wings."
Princess Celestia raises her eyebrow. "Really? You mean you time travelled here?"
"Exactly."
"So what would your position be in your time?"
"Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship."
"Well, this was quite the unexpected visit though."
"I know. I didn't know at first that there was a war with King Sombra over in this present."
Meanwhile, Spike looks out to the main entrance after hearing a call for his name.
"Spike!"
"Rarity?!? Applejack?!?"
"I'm so glad I found you! I've gotten the biggest of news!"
"Yes?!?"
"Carousel Boutique is back in business! And I'll be back in Ponyville!"
"And we Apples in Sweet Apple Acres will demobilize our farm for local use again. It's always been my home, and it will continue to be."
"Wait, where's Fluttershy?!?" Spike looks around the crowd of crystal ponies to see if there's anything solid and yellow.
Fluttershy suddenly comes out of crowd wearing a very torn veterinarian suit with her mane rather short. "Finally! A dragon! After shaving so many sheep at Sweet Apple Acres, I couldn't bear to look at a single furry creature for so long." Fluttershy hugs Spike as tight as a bear of hers would've.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Maud Pie, Rarity, Spike and Twilight all come to the map surrounded by the five run down thrones. "Are you sure you don't want to stay with us, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asks.
"I have to stop Starlight from changing the past so I could get back to my present. Equestria will need me no matter what present I run into. And I'd say that is too important of a role to opt out of."
"I see what you mean. No matter what happens, I'm sure we have Maud and all of her friends to go to, right?" Maud Pie nods at Fluttershy. "And I'll be right there with them."
"It may be goodbye for now. But if you need, I'm sure we could help with the help of the Element of Magic."
"Same here," Maud remarks.
"So what will you do with OUR crystal heart, now that yours is in the Crystal Empire?"
"I have a pretty good idea of where to put it." Twilight raises her eyebrow at Applejack.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you again you two... if you come back that is."
"I won't have a problem with that. All I would have to do is wait for Starlight to stop the rainboom the way she did."
Spike takes out the scroll from his backpack and gives it to Twilight, who uses it to travel back to Cloudsdale just before the rainboom.
"Well, I got no apples to can now. How 'bout we have some apple pie?"
"Or maybe we'll have some cake from Sugar Cube Corner!" Pinkie Pie's mane poofs up for the first time in her life.
Everyone except for Maud cheers, who smiles. And so, everyone heads towards Sugar Cube Corner to get the treats they like.