The Crimson Sunrise - a fan-written alternate ending to 'Background Pony'

by Malckeor

III - Sunrise

We both know what it is worth.

"Ugh... Back on my hooves again... No, I'm fine! Where's the cabin? Which way?"

You bear the Nightbringer, lost one. You have earned it.

"The Requiem... It's not working. Again. AGAIN!"

All of them once lived happy and industrious lives, until they became cognizant of the unsung realm...

"Please, excuse me. Let me through. Sweet Apple Acres... Somewhere close..."

I am as powerless as you are to change this.

"It has to be here. It has to be... Feels like I'm out of my head..."

As she had her purpose, and my sister had hers, this was mine: to be lost.

"NO! SHUT UP! She doesn't... She..."

Sing my song. Become nothing.

Moonlight blanketed the distant cabin. I burst through the door to an ecstatic Al, and my magical glow immediately formed around the carpet and latch as the Nightbringer was levitated into my hooves. A quick rendition of Twilight's Requiem thundered from the holy instrument.

The raging whirlpool was calmed halfway through a second Requiem. On my lyre, it took more than several renditions just to get back home. The Nightbringer's power had started clearing most of the clouds in a matter of minutes. Alabaster's gift saved me right here just as everypony else had. The Grass stuck to my coat from the few times I collapsed had assured me that Aria's curse was at last destroying my mind.

Al looked up at me while the Nightbringer did its work. "I'm an idiot. A stupid, stupid idiot." I kept strumming. "Everything still feels wrong, buddy, but now it's a different kind of 'wrong.'" He moved close and nuzzled one of my shaking hooves.

I giggled at my orange friend. "I'm still processing, but..." My voice trailed off as more came back to me. Bits and snippets from that day and the previous months molded together into a cohesive form. In that moment, I'd remembered everything, and I shivered not because of the unstoppable cold, but because I'd at last made sense of everything. "I know what I have to do." He meowed as if understanding.

The Nightbringer's sound faded, and I dropped it while pulling Al closer. "I'm sorry buddy, but I have to leave again for a little while." I filled his food bowl back up and left the front door opened just a tad. He nuzzled my nose when I picked him back up. "If I'm not back soon, Al, find Fluttershy. She'll look after you. Understand?" Another meow. I said this for my own comfort. There was no telling what would happen in the coming hours with what I was about to do. "I'll see you later, buddy." Another kiss on his orange head, and I was off.

My hurried hooves clopped down the stairs. One last time, the dug-out cellar served as my lonely, secluded stage as I played through the twisted Nocturne of the Firmaments, from the paranoia-inducing Prelude to Shadows to the foreboding Threnody of Night.

The Threnody's final chords sounded, and the cellar became a twisting violet vortex rivaling the one in my head. Chains clinked through the storm, and in an instant the vortex subsided to reveal the familiar cold realm. She looked down at me with two piercing eyes from the throne room above.

Aria landed before me in the midst of her clinking choir, next to the pedestal that held Dawn's Advent. Her empty gaze moved to the chained ponies around us and back to me, as if my choice and fate were inevitable. I gazed back at her, adamant in light of what I'd pieced together and what I was about to do.

"Lost one," She said in a tone as cold as the ocean below. "You've returned so soon."

"Have I? Were you expecting me to stay in Ponyville until I'd forgotten you?"

She looked on unmoving. "I assume you're ready to choose? My choir awaits your addition." The chained ponies rattled, but their moans were absent.

A wave of rage steamed from my shivering body. "Oh, I'm not here to join your choir, or to 'see the dawn' as you put it."

Aria was silent. The clinking around us seemed to lessen.

I continued. "I visited a couple of amazing ponies after you sent me back. They helped me realize a lot of things that this damned curse kept obscured."

Now she spoke. "Nothing more than a dream. A figment. You know of what's at stake, of why your predicament can't be changed. There is no other way."

A laugh escaped my mouth. "You'd reduced me to a fool. They brought me back to my senses."

The clinking around us came to a stop. It would have been silent if not for the distant sounds of churning water. Aria kept her gaze on me, still blank. "Do explain."

Deep breaths. The steaming anger receded just enough for my thoughts to clear. "For starters, the explosion in Celestia's palace, the parasprites..." I took a moment to sift through my racing mind. "None of that was the Matriarch's song trying to protect itself, or whatever drivel you told me. I saw Celestia's eyes just before the parasprites appeared, those strong, violet eyes..." A quick pause. "That was your song, Aria. The powerful song of an alicorn. It was you who summoned the parasprites, who caused the explosion in the palace so many years ago. Reality wasn't 'erased'. Your song, your spell removed the incidents from our minds for a time. Alabaster and I, the ones presenting the Firmaments to the princesses, were naturally forgotten due to this curse. Those who witnessed our performances explained away the mental void with drivel; drivel in place of the destruction that your paranoia spawned." The chains began to rattle once again.

Aria's expression was unchanged. "You're wrong, lost one. I've already told you that I have no power in-"

"Don't give me that! You're an alicorn born from the essence of the Cosmic Matriarch herself! You expect me to believe that you have no power in the mortal realm, in Equestria, whatsoever?! You know deep down just as much as I do that you're mistaken." The chains rattled louder, faster. "Whether it happened consciously or unconsciously, your own flawed philosophy led to the destruction and consumption of so many lives, and to even more of our suffering. I've seen things, learned things throughout these months that-"

"Enough." Aria's voice thundered in my ears. "These fantasies do not concern me. You will join my choir." Her horn began to glow. "The song must be protected."

The rattling was now the only thing I heard, and it was getting louder. The braces sounded as if they were hitting the ground, and I heard objects plopping into the water. A familiar large platform came by with hundreds of ponies attached and collided with the side of the metal floor we stood on. Faster and angrier the ponies struggled in their chains...

And then they were moving closer.

"Come, lost one. Join us in infinite bliss."

I held the Nightbringer up in front. My eyes darted for a way out, but the half-chained ponies left no escape. I ran a hoof along the onyx strings in an attempt to summon my shield. When that didn't work, I began a quick rendition of Penumbra's Echo, but stopped myself. My gaze went to Aria's horn, still glowing with a powerful intensity as the rattling husks closed in. No. This has to end here. They were within a foreleg's distance. "Alabaster..." I inched away from the moaning ponies who were now gracing my nostrils, when a hoof slipped.

The Nightbringer left my grasp as I flew down and crashed into the depths below. Dark shapes reached out and pulled me deeper, and I felt a cold shackle lock around one of my legs. I kicked and kicked until my hoof struck a metal muzzle, and I was free. I broke the surface, freezing, gazing around across the endless ocean.

A golden object rose up from the depths, just a short paddle away. Numb legs reached and pulled closer, and my alien limbs were soon wrapped around the Nightbringer. I took a calming breath, but soon felt more iced hooves clasping onto my legs. The Nightbringer was going under with me. "N-NO!" An emerald radiance shot just below from my horn, and for a moment the dark figures were gone.

I soon found myself on a half-submerged metal platform, coughing up water and cherishing the short moment of rest. A lone shackle was still attached to my hoof. The Princess of Twilight was above, gazing down from another platform with eyes that now glowed as intensely as her horn. "You m-may be able to block th-the Nightbringer's magic, Aria, but you have nothing to stop the m-melodies themselves." More half-chained ponies were rising from the water as I began the opening chords. They're slow. I should be able to-

What surprised me here wasn't the outright confirmation of my suspicions, or the lessening glow of Aria's horn. No; what surprised me here was the choir joining their voices together with the Nightbringer's melody. At once, they all turned to face their princess, their warden, and began to sing.

"Sleep now, my little bliss

From sundown to morning mist

And dream of all the games you'll play

While parades of pretty sprites

Twinkling with forest lights

Shall gobble all your troubles away

Rest now, my little bliss

There's nothing more serene than this

Winged helpers dance into the day

They eat all fears, shadows and ghosts

And all the things you hate the most

To make mornings free of dismay

I love you, my little bliss

And hope that you'll never miss

The pretty sprites' cheerful display

And someday you'll tell your foals

About these enchanted forest souls

That clean our world while in bed we lay."

I opened my eyes and basked in the long silence. The chained ponies still faced their princess, whose horn was no longer glowing. Aria's eyes seemed to open just a bit wider. A twinkle in the abyss?

The ponies nearby moved back to the depths, while the rest of Aria's choir went to their chained places around her. Before long, her magic was carrying me back to the platform above. I couldn't make the effort to stand when she released me. The Nightbringer landed with a clunk.

"Well. I knew that song was special, but..." A shivered giggle left my mouth.

Her eyes were opened wider. "How?"

I rose my head. "During my experiment with the parasprites, there was a vision..." Feeling was returning. There was still a cold metal encased around my right hind hoof. "For a short time, softly, I heard what sounded like the Parade I'd just played being hummed between two voices." The shackle clinked as I moved to stand. "Later on, I heard it once again deep in the vision you showed me, but my memory was too messy to make a connection. An early rendition of this song was sung for comfort ages ago, from a mother to her foal, and from foal to mother, who had both experienced a heavy loss the universe hadn't seen; a loss more powerful than any other: the death of a loved one." I shivered harder at the distant sound of water.

She kept staring with that wide expression. "The foal would write lullabies years later for little ponies she cared so much about. Cute, repetitive lullabies. It's no wonder they sounded so similar. Memory loss or not, it's the same foal all grown up with the same simple melody. I was able to put them together when I remembered the Parade."

Aria replied with a short nod. "Yes. When I was still, the Matriarch and my sister held each other and sang between mother's wails of despair. But this doesn't-"

"Aria... I think you're confused," I interrupted. "None of what you've told me adds up. You say the universe would fall apart if your mother were to learn of your survival, but I think she'd be happy you've turned out okay rather than distraught with guilt."

She blinked. "You can't know that for certain, lost one."

My eyes at last met hers. "There were these two ponies back in Ponyville," I began. "A mother, the mayor of the town, and her daughter named Scarlet Breeze. They hadn't spoken in years, and Scarlet Breeze couldn't even bring herself to call the mayor 'mom.'" The chain on my leg rattled as I stood straighter. "The mayor had made a lot of mistakes raising her daughter, and she knew it, but Scarlet wouldn't hear any of her apologies." I smiled. "At some point, they found themselves in a situation where they could speak with one-another in private. The mayor had changed, and more than anything, she couldn't bear how empty she'd made herself by driving her daughter out of her life. They made up, and are now a family again on good terms."

The Princess of Twilight stayed silent. "What your mother did with the Firmaments had to be done for the universe's sake, but their purpose has long been served since you awakened, Aria. This Nocturne now only brings suffering to ponies who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ponies like Alabaster, like me, like these hundreds who are chained. What's more, those who were close to us are forced to live their lives with the eternal feeling that something is missing." I moved closer. "You yourself have called this realm a prison. Tell me: do you forgive your mother and sister for their oversight? For constructing this prison as you call it?"

Before long, she replied. "Yes. Yes, I do. But-"

"Then all you have to do is talk, and everything will be alright." She'll be there, in some way. In some form. I know it.

She blinked a few times, but shook her head in silence.

"Aria," I said. "I know my purpose is to set this straight. Everything I've seen and been through has led me to this spot. As you said, I'm the only 'lost one' to have reached your throne room, and no less with the Nightbringer itself in hoof." I strummed a chord. "The Firmaments have been searching, and through the Nocturne they found me. It just took me a while to put everything together."

More contemplating silence. There was one last thing. "When your sister became Nightmare Moon, Celestia was forced to banish her for what would feel like eternity. She would spend years and years on the lunar surface in solitude. The Matriarch must have had an idea of what would come during the Longest Day 1000 years later, for Equestria remained intact. Would the Matriarch not come to understand that your burial and imprisonment with the Firmaments here was once necessary for the survival of Equestria, as she did with Luna's thousand-year banishment? It was Luna's time to return on the Longest Day of the Thousandth Year; now, after all these eons, it's your time, Aria."

To my surprise, the Princess of Twilight's eyes were now shut. I let her have this silence. "It's been so long..."

I took one of her hooves. She was warmer than I'd expected. "You don't have to be afraid, Princess. I'll be right by your side." Just the thought made me shiver, but I had to be there. The princess' memory could only be restored by the Nocturne, and I'd felt obligated to support Aria regardless. "I'd assume you know how to teleport?"

She nodded. "Yes, but the mortal realm is foreign to me."

"Don't worry. I've had a few magic lessons from the best there is, and I know where we're headed like the side of my hoof. I can help you." A pause. "We're going to Canterlot."

Another nod. "But just one thing." I rattled the chain still attached to my leg. "Can you help me out first?" I said with a giggle.

Aria showed a strange hint of a smile as her horn glowed once again. The black chain vanished in a puff of particles. "Thanks." I paused. "Sorry about the way I acted earlier."

Her magic formed around us. "It would seem we were both at fault." She took a quick look around and stopped channeling her spell. "May I have one last moment with them?"

That was unexpected. "Oh! Yes. Take as much time as you need." I stepped away to the other side of the platform. In the distance, Aria moved to each of the chained ponies, occasionally giving them a nuzzle as she did in the vision. There was a bit more warmth to the gesture now. Was that blank nature all a facade?

Another platform came by with hundreds of ponies chained to it. I soon realized it was being pulled closer. All of the ponies' chains were vibrant with the glow of Aria's magic; I even saw the powerful violet coming up from the water below. In the next instant, all of the chains were gone, even from their faces. For the first time in millennia, the lost ponies were free. They galloped around the metal platforms together, and some were even swimming. Their tired voices were raised in the most joyous sound I'd ever heard within the unsung realm. One startled me when she ran up and wrapped her hooves around my neck. Her warm tears trickling onto my mane assured me I was safe. I wrapped my hooves around her in a returning embrace as relieved tears of my own rolled down my cheeks. Her face had been scarred raw, but I nuzzled her regardless.

Aria walked up beside us. "I'm ready."

The lost pony trotted away towards another. "What will happen to them?"

"Perhaps they will find peace with each other?" She paused. "Or perhaps my sisters..." Her voice trailed off.

I smiled. "You're right! I'm sure they'll have some sort of idea." I moved closer and took her hoof again. "Now let's go 'see the dawn', together." I giggled before wincing at the thought of what I'd soon feel.

With that, both of our horns were glowing. The surrounding area began to shake as the ponies looked on. In an instant, everything vanished, and the chained lost ones that had been slave to the Firmaments for years beyond our comprehension would at last find their rest.

Home...

My body collapsed on arrival. Bracing for the overwhelming freeze didn't make it any easier to bear. I couldn't keep my eyes opened.

"Lost one..." Aria seemed to be placing a hoof on me.

"I'm f-fine." I wasn't. "Wh-where are we? Look f-for a s-sign..."

She searched with her unfamiliar gaze. Seeing her thin figure in Canterlot's crimson sunrise was quite the change after visiting the unsung realm so many times. I could only imagine how different the world would be now; another alicorn princess was coming home. What would she do? Would everypony accept her back into the world just as quick as they did Luna?

"One of these structures is labeled with, 'Magic Goods: all a unicorn needs to enhance-'"

"N-no, look for one on the s-side of..." I opened my eyes. The air might as well had been filled with glass. I wiped the rogue liquid away and found the familiar signpost. "N-Nebula Avenue." A nostalgic giggle tried to escape.

"Lost one, are you sure-"

"Yes, I-I'm f-fine. W-we need to go straight th-this way." I pointed a shaking hoof down the road past the magic store. "The th-third right from h-here should..."

A salespony came trotting by with a fancy wagon full of early morning goods. His whistling faded upon seeing me. "Whoa! Are you okay? What's-?" He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Aria. "AAAAHHHHHH!!!! NIGHTMARE MOON'S RETURNED, AND SHE'S ALREADY CLAIMED A VICTIM!" He turned tail and cantered away with a bouncing wagon in tow. Windows around us were lighting up.

"W-we have to m-move." My legs refused to work. Aria scooped up myself and the Nightbringer with her magic and plopped us on her bony back. She didn't seem to have a problem carrying me despite her figure. "D-don't fly. Th-the guards might... They m-might see you and try to sh-shoot you down."

"Just tell me which way." Her hooves thundered on the stone. Doors opened around us as we moved through the streets. The citizens of Canterlot were no doubt confused and afraid, but soon they would all know the truth.

"Take th-this right." She turned. The cold was worse every second. If nothing else, I would be there for their reunion. I'd come too far to miss it. This was my purpose. "Go left h-here." On this turn, my shaking hooves lost their grip, and the stone ground gave me a grazing welcome. The Nightbringer tumbled with a series of clangs. Aria doubled back, but was engulfed in a magical wave before she could reach me. Her legs buckled beneath the strain.

No. Not now. Please...

Several royal guards approached from the forming crowd, their horns bright in the early morning shadow. The ponies around us whispered with their eyes on the lost princess. One guard spoke over them. "Return to your homes! The situation's been dealt with." The crowd began to disperse. "Sir, what do you make of this?"

A grey-coated guard stepped closer to inspect a glaring Aria. "She doesn't seem to be Nightmare Moon. Look at her skin, and the wings. There's almost no coat to speak of." He paused. "Can you hear me, Miss? Who are you?" She kept glaring in silence. He turned to his unit. "Can we confirm the Princess of the Night is still in her-augh!" The others joined in his wail. "By the sun, I-I can't see!"

I wasn't about to let the princess' reunion take place through dungeon bars. "G-get us out of h-h..." That was the last of my strength. My now-blind self was once again levitated through the air onto Aria. She didn't seem to be affected. "Down th-that same road. It should b-be the fourth or fifth left. We're..." I couldn't even shiver.

She had said nothing by the time my vision returned. "I'm s-sorry, Aria. They're just afraid after wh-what happened with Luna. Everything will be f-fine once w-we get to-"

The words froze, but she half-glanced back and replied regardless. "I truly hope you're right, lost one." My scrapes felt as though they were being pelted with icicles. We're almost there. Just a little longer.

"You must try the purple variety, sister! It's as if every bite contains the combined essence of...FUN itself!" Luna was on a couch, holding out a purple-topped cupcake towards an open door that led to a balcony. Celestia came walking in, the sun now higher in the sky.

"You've gone through four boxes, Luna? Didn't these arrive just last night?" She snickered.

"Why did thou not introduce us to such sweets sooner? Shall we rely on Miss Sparkle and her friends to show us the wonderful wonders that hath graced the world since our banishment?" She smirked at her sister who was moving to the couch.

"Well, if you'd like," she began after sitting. "I could teach you how to fence later today..."

"Fence! Yes!" She threw two hooves in the air and paused. "What is this 'fence' thou speakest of? Is it the act of placing fences, such as those around the royal gardens? Or of jumping over them as sheep do in some subjects' dreams?"

Celestia let out a giggle. "'Fencing', Luna, is a sort of sport. Two ponies put on protective suits and each take a sword. And then," she grabbed a pillow with her magic. "They duel each other." The pillow went flying at Luna's face.

Celestia laughed at her sister's frown. "No fair! We weren't ready!" She enveloped three pillows in her blue magic and lobbed them back at Celestia. Pillows flew back and forth over the cake boxes as the room erupted into giggles. Both princesses were soon on their backs laughing before a familiar white-coated guard entered the room and kneeled.

"Your highnesses! Pardon my interruption." He was unmoved by the state of the room. The princesses sat up with a hoof around one-another.

"At ease, Shining Armor," Celestia said. "Is there a problem this morning?"

Shining Armor rose and darted his blue eyes around. "It's all jumbled... I'll just get right to the point. There have been strange sightings reported near the Alabaster District. Ponies are claiming to have seen Nightmare Moon herself wandering the streets."

The princesses exchanged a glance. Celestia spoke. "That can't be. They must be mistaken. How many have claimed this?"

"Just the residents of six or seven streets, and that's not all. A magic patrol found themselves under some kind of blinding spell, but couldn't remember anything leading up to it. Nopony was harmed, and their vision returned minutes later." He gulped. "The same just happened to me, and a few others on watch nearby. Something strange is going on..."

They both rose at once. Luna spoke first. "Bring my word to the sarosians, Captain. Have them scattered amongst your guard, and send more to patrol the castle."

He and Celestia nodded before the Princess of the Sun said, "You'll remain here, Sister. I'll go with the Captain and a regiment to the Alabaster-"

She froze with her gaze on the other end of the room. Luna soon followed. Their faces were getting closer in my blurred vision. Shining Armor moved in front of his two princesses and assumed a combat stance at the sight of Aria.

The Princess of Twilight looked back to me. "Lost one..."

"S-speak to them. Please. I-I'll just be..." I plopped to the ground like a sandbag, holding the Nightbringer close in a vain attempt to heat myself up. Aria took a step towards me, but I rose an alien hoof. "I-I'm fine. T-talk to..." I couldn't speak. My eyes were on her sisters.

Luna moved past Shining Armor, but Celestia remained stunned. Luna's horn glowed, and I soon felt her magic tingling around my numb body.

Celestia stared at her emaciated sister. "Leave us," She said to Shining Armor.

"But Princess-"

"Please," Celestia interrupted. "Leave us, and make sure we aren't disturbed."

After a pause, he nodded and galloped out the door. It closed with a lock, and Celestia addressed her lost sister. "You..."

The Princess of Twilight took a step back. Her horn seemed to glow for an instant. "My... My name is Aria. I'm your sister; the Matriarch's second born."

With that, I felt Luna's magic dissipate. She looked up from where she sat, but soon looked back to me and resumed channeling while circling her hooves through my coat. It wasn't enough to suppress the icy ache that cleaved my insides with each heartbeat. "She's freezing. Who is this? What hath th-thou done to her?" Celestia shook away her shock and moved to join Luna in my aid.

"Her name is Lyra Heartstrings. If it weren't for her, I'd still be trapped in Mother's oversight."

Both sisters looked up at Aria in silence. Their magic kept flowing. "I-I can't..." Celestia said with a hoof on her temple. "This can wait. We need to get her to-"

"NO!" I interrupted. Feeling had returned to my limbs, but the cold was still fringing on unbearable. "Pardon m-my interruption, your majesty, but th-the only thing that can fix me is going back to Ponyville."

"It's true," Aria chimed in before taking an awkward look at the sky outside. "Mother's Firmaments have cursed her. Soon neither of you will remember this conversation. We must act fast."

I nodded, shaking. "M-my plan is to help you both r-remember your sister at the same time. Your m-memories were removed by a sp-spell when I last tried this. The th-three of you together m-might then have the knowledge to bring an end to this c-curse."

Luna spoke. "This is so much for us to take in, Lyra. And so fast..."

"I-I know, but please understand th-that this is necessary to set everything right. There's a certain melody." I grabbed the Nightbringer with my magic. Luna's eyes were wider than ever.

"W-we hath seen this in our presence before..." She moved closer to Celestia.

"Alabaster Comethoof s-sends his regards." I mustered a weak smile at the glance they gave each other. "Please k-keep your magic going if you can. I don't think I-I could get through this without it."

Both sisters nodded with glowing horns. Aria took a few glimpses around with a shake of her head.

"Aria?"

She hesitated. "Do it. Play the Nocturne."

I nodded and began the intro to the Prelude. They were both engrossed following the transition to the Sunset Bolero. I apologized for my use of the Darkness Sonata on our way here, and kept going with the Threnody shivers and all as my audience began shedding tears. Aria looked more and more uneasy with each transition. I finished Twilight's Requiem, and a long silence followed. Both princesses were weeping, Celestia more-so. Luna wrapped her in a comforting embrace, and their gazes went to the emaciated princess when they'd calmed enough. They tried to wipe away their tears, but more flowed.

Celestia got up and approached an unsettled Aria. Luna's magic was still around me. "My sister..." The Princess of the Sun stroked Aria's thinning mane just as a powerful tremor sent us to our knees.

No...

Aria's horn glowed bright as the ground shook harder. "The song must be protected." The three of us couldn't stand by the next tremor.

"Aria, th-the song is fine. Everything is. Please..." I reached towards her.

"The song must be protected..." I tried to inch closer as the sound of churning water echoed in my freezing ears, along with the never-ending melody of the Firmaments. The unsung realm was calling me back. I'm going to forget, and everything will be reverted. It's over. We were so close...

A violet glow was now radiating from Aria's eyes and mouth. I found the two grounded princesses through the vortex. "Please do s-something."

It was no use. Their eyes were soon radiating the same powerful violet. Celestia and Luna mirrored Aria's aerial pose, and I felt myself weep as the spell did its work.

"THE SONG MUST BE PROTECTED!" thundered from all three alicorns.

I sounded the Parade from the Nightbringer in an attempt to stop Aria's madness, but it would only make my end a tad bit more peaceful. The light was now too overwhelming for sight, and a high-pitched hum filled the room. I'm sorry Alabaster, Twilight, Moondancer, Mom and Dad, everyone, for not being able to set this right. My body stilled as the tremors thundered a final song.

A brightness lit up my eyelids, and this one wasn't violet. All of the cold was gone. For a moment, I thought the spell had outright killed me; it's not every day a reality-shattering inferno is cast by the three most powerful beings in Equestria.

The lighting started to adjust. I was still in Canterlot, and the princesses were now standing among each other with shielded eyes on the opposite end of the room. The intense light grew dimmer until we saw a mane of various indigo shades, flowing from a coat that glimmered with the essence of Creation itself.

All of the breath left my lungs.

A few shared glimpses, and Celestia led their kneel.

Our kneel.

Her pure white eyes gazed at the three shocked princesses. She moved closer, the constellations on her coat twinkling with each step. Her ethereal mane soon flowed over the three alicorns in an almost comforting manner, and the motherly eyes fell to the thinnest of the three.

I froze when she faced me, invoking the echoes of countless peaceful melodies in my head. Her eyes met mine, as beautiful and cosmic as the stars themselves. They soon moved down to the ancient piece of her song that rested in my hooves.

Then she waited.

My heart was in my throat by the time I'd processed what she wanted me to do. I glanced at Aria, her eyes wide with shock but dry unlike her sisters'. She soon nodded to me, and her flute appeared in a violet blaze.

She moved to my side and exchanged another nod. The Desolation's Duet began in face of our godly audience. Luna had a hoof over her mouth, and Celestia smiled warmly towards us with glistening eyes. The Matriarch tilted her head with the haunting harmony as if in remembrance. Again, I thought of Alabaster and Luna discovering this melody so many years ago, and of Vinyl Scratch, J.R. Bard, Melodia, Octavia... If only they could see this place they've helped me reach; this performance worthy of splitting the heavens apart.

Aria's part had finished. I played on through the final chords, now thinking of Mom asking me how Twilight's been while we set the table, of Dad coming to dinner after having been absorbed in a painting all day, of dressing as Starswirl for Twilight and Moondancer during our play dates, and of our trip to Sugarcube Corner just a few months ago before things took a turn for the worse. Soon, the Duet was finished. I let a slow breath escape. Aria's flute was gone, and she stepped away to join my audience as her horn glowed.

The scroll that held Dawn's Advent was now in front of me.

"Go and see the dawn," she had said. Somehow, I knew things would be different. I knew I wouldn't forget; that history wouldn't twist and turn around me. Something much more magical was happening here. A different spell; a spell that the Mother of All herself had heard and come to witness. A spell that was almost complete.

I rose the Nightbringer once again as the four alicorns stood close. With a deep breath, the final leg of our journey sounded from the holy instrument. After all these millennia, the Matriarch and her daughters would see the dawn. The Advent sounded just as epic and triumphant as I'd imagined. Halfway through, a smile perked up across my lips. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of pride.

My warm eyes moved across the sheet. I now thought of Caramel and Wind Whistler holding each other at a bonfire in the Summer Sun Celebration's dusk, of Morning Dew walking with Ambrosia aside a field of flowers he'd planted. I thought of Mayor Mare and Scarlet Breeze embracing in the old windmill at the edge of Ponyville, and of a little orange Al nuzzling my nose. I remembered everpony whose lives I'd somehow touched while cursed: Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Scarlet Breeze, Morning Dew...

Dawn's Advent was abound halfway through when the Matriarch shed a tear. She wiped it away and bowed her head. A cosmic hoof was over her eyelids, but Aria moved closer to grasped it. She said something to her mother that I couldn't hear over the Advent, and the Matriarch remained composed.

Minutes later, the Nocturne was finished.

I stood in silence as my audience looked on through the dimming brightness. The Matriarch turned to her emaciated daughter and lovingly stroked what remained of her mane; a mane that had been braided on a still body when she last saw it. Before anything could happen, Aria had her mother in an embrace. Celestia and Luna joined them, and the world remained still. Shining Armor had burst in unbeknownst to the princesses, and he froze at sight of the Matriarch. He saw the embrace, and quietly retreated back to his post.

"I'm here, Mother." Aria spoke just three words and looked the Matriarch in the eye. Nothing else had to be said. Any amount of forgiveness or understanding was all there, as if Aria had always been with them. The Matriarch wiped her eyes and held a hoof on her daughter's face. There were no sky-shattering tremors, or ear-piercing wails. They embraced again, and the Matriarch kissed the lost princess on her forehead. Celestia and Luna each hugged their sister, and then their mother. Aria was home.

I wiped away happy tears, and the four alicorns were right in front of me when my vision cleared. I dropped the Nightbringer and knelt without thinking, but the Matriarch lowered and directed me to rise with a gentle hoof on my chin. She put her horn to mine, and the warm sensation of her spell lined my skull. In an instant, she understood everything I'd been through. She nuzzled me and put a wing over my body, like a mother would to calm a distressed foal. I could almost feel the twinkling constellations on her coat.

The Matriarch then rose and walked back to her daughters. She motioned Aria towards me, and her sisters followed after exchanging another glance. An intense glow filled the room once again, and I noticed the Matriarch's magic around me. The never-ending melody of the Firmaments was becoming louder. Closer. Not as it was earlier when the unsung was calling me back; it now felt as though the Firmaments were being pulled to me, rather than me to them.

I felt the powerful glow dissipate, and the cold was returning. The Matriarch rushed to my side with grace and looked towards her daughters. She nodded, and Aria returned it.

"Sisters, I know where we're reaching all too well. My magic will be the guide. Join with me when I say." Her horn began glowing, and a violet energy was around me. "Brace yourself, lost one."

"Mother-" Luna hesitated. "Sisters, what is it that we're doing here? Will she be alright? Is there no other way?"

Aria shook her head. "There's none. After all she's been through, she can take this."

Celestia chimed in. "She'll be fine, Luna." I nodded towards the Princess of the Night to reassure her, and she exchanged a glance with Celestia before complying.

I wasn't fully aware of what would happen, but the Matriarch soon had me sheltered under her wing as if to keep me warm, and still. I had a feeling this wouldn't be pleasant. She held me even closer as Aria called out: "Now, Sisters."

Celestia's and Luna's horns brightened. I felt the magical wave getting stronger around me, and then it went...through me. The sudden cold was more powerful than it'd ever been. My insides were chilled with a vein-splitting pain that refused to relent. I screamed and cried, all the while being nuzzled by the Matriarch. The cold wouldn't falter. My agonized tears trickled onto her coat, blotting out some of the constellations. As the spell had its way with me, however, the melodies that played in my head from morning to night throughout all those months faded. Further and further the Firmaments drifted away. Just when I started to lose consciousness, the Cosmic Matriarch added her magic to the wave.

Silence. The Matriarch folded her wing. Her daughters galloped close with Luna in front. She knelt down with two hooves on my coat once again. "Can you stand, Lyra?" I couldn't reply. Each alicorn sat around me. "What in Tartarus hath this mare gone through that such pain is bearable? And who are we to inflict...?" A tear trickled down her face.

"She's okay, Sister." Aria said. "You see, this was-"

I forced myself up on wobbling legs. The Matriarch placed a celestial hoof quick on my shoulder, and Celestia gasped. "Take it slow, my little pony. You've been-"

"I can't..." I paused. "I-I can't hear the Nocturne anymore. It's gone..." I was relieved, but the sound of the Firmaments had been playing in my head from dusk until dawn since the curse found me. They'd helped me reach the unsung realm, and get to where I stood, and now they would never be heard again. Despite the hell they'd put me through, a part of me would miss them.

"From you," Aria noted. "We've severed the Firmaments' hold on you, but destroying the song itself requires more direct measures." She glanced at her sisters. "We'll handle that in due time."

The Matriarch removed her hoof when I was steady. She bowed her head and began striding towards the balcony. "Mother." Celestia stepped forward.

She stopped and remained still. A long silence filled the room, and the Matriarch soon turned and walked to her daughter. She gently nuzzled Celestia, and the family moved in for one last embrace. I turned away until their hooves were settled back on the floor.

Farewells were said, and the Matriarch prepared to depart. "Just a moment, your uhh, your Majesty." I wasn't sure how to address the Mother of All herself, but she stopped and acknowledged my call. I grabbed the holy instrument nearby and held it forward.

She tilted her head. "It's a bit too flashy for me, and after all it's been through here on Equestria, I think it belongs with the rightful owner."

The Matriarch soon smiled with a humble nod and took the Nightbringer from my grasp. She nuzzled me again, and went to the door leading to the balcony. Facing us, her horn began to glow, and the Nightbringer lifted into the air. A brilliant light once again filled the room until we had to hide our gaze. A melodious voice spoke from within:

"Thank you, Lyra Heartstrings. The stars across Creation will twinkle in your name this night."

With that, the light dissipated, and she was gone.

"Well... I had a hunch something would happen, but that was a bit more than I expected," I said with a giggle that froze without warning. A sharp breath, and my legs were dead. The cold was back in an instant. Aria ran up and caught me with Celestia and Luna in tow.

"There's more to the spell. Sisters, if you have anything to say-"

"Not now, Aria," Celestia replied. "She's been through enough. Finish it."

Luna nodded. "Another time. Set her free, Sister."

With that, Aria placed her horn on my perspiring forehead. I mustered an unsure smile. The room once again shone with a blinding radiance, and the cold began to fade; that was something I wouldn't miss. By the time it was gone, I heard birds chirping and a familiar flute sounding off in the farmland air; an air that I'd long ago shunned as a hole in the ground, but had since grown to love.

When my eyes opened, I was back in the center of Ponyville, right where Nightmare Moon had descended. Ponies around bustled with their morning routines; Carrot Top trotted with a wagon in tow, while Dinky performed a flute rendition on a bench at her mother's side. Rainbow Dash kicked a cloud in the distance, and Caramel walked with Wind Whistler among Morning Dew's thinning flowers. I stood there taking it all in, until a couple playful claws were jabbing at my hind legs.

"Ouch. What in the...?" My magic surged, and the orange little feline was soon levitated to my level. "Al!" He nuzzled my nose, and I pulled him close while returning the gesture. "How did you... Are you okay?!" He meowed and nuzzled me again. He was fine. "I-I'm sorry I worried you, buddy. I'm here to stay now. Promise." I plopped down right there and just held him. At that moment, after everything, his purrs were all I needed. I shut my eyes and stroked his soft fur, but somepony was soon trotting up.

"I'm so, so sorry, miss! He just took off! He didn't mean to hurt-" I wiped my eyes. Fluttershy had stopped just a short distance away. "Oh! Is he yours? Were you looking for him?"

I sniffled. "Yes. H-He's mine, and finding him here... It means the world to me."

"Thank goodness! This little guy was close to the Everfree Forest when I found him this morning. I kept him safe and fed, don't you worry." She paused, and her tone changed when she spoke next. "You should keep a sharper eye on him! Who knows what could have happened if Angel hadn't woke me up early?"

I stood with Al still purring in my hoof. "I-I'll never be putting him through this again, Fluttershy. As long as I live. You have my word."

She went on, moving closer to stroke Al's coat. "I'm glad to hear. You take care now, Al." My eyes opened wide to match hers. She stepped back. "Al. H-his name is Al, isn't it?" Her gaze glided up to me and then back to the ground. "Wait... Haven't we...?" Fluttershy soon retreated into her pink mane and spoke almost at a whisper. "I-I'm sorry, M-Miss Heartstrings. I have to-" She trotted away with a squeak.

My heart was racing. "Fluttershy, wait!" By now, she was flying off towards her cottage. Is it just her shyness? "She knew who I was, Al. She said my name." He meowed through my shock. "Hold on tight." I broke into the fastest canter I could muster without throwing him off my back. The library door burst opened, and my eyes found the windowsill. Nothing was there. I darted to the table on the other end of the library, where a photo rested face-up.

On the left, next to two other ecstatic ponies, was a mint-green unicorn who looked more privileged than ever to be spending the day at Bridleway with her friends.

"Uhh, can I help you with something?"

It took a moment for the voice to register. I turned to face her, and Al climbed up through my mane and was soon nuzzling my forehead. He must have noticed I was crying.

Twilight moved closer. "What's going on here? Are you alright?!"

I placed the picture down and took Al in a hoof. "I-I don't think I've ever been better, Twilight." He meowed.

She stepped back. "How do you know my...?" Her brow unfurled as she spoke. Was she remembering on her own?

I took a deep breath and composed myself. No more beating around the bush. "Because we've known each other since our foalhoods," I began. "I met up with you here in Ponyville about a year and a half ago for the Summer Sun Celebration."

She said nothing. I still had no clear idea as to what was going on or how much anypony remembered. I plopped Al onto my back and grabbed the photo, moving to Twilight's side. "This looks different from yesterday, doesn't it?" I snickered. "We had this taken on our way to see-"

"'Mare of La Mancha...'" I almost jumped. "Moondancer was through by the time The Impossible Dream started, but you were there." She ran a hoof over the mint-green pony in the photo and faced me. "Y-You were always there; back when I messed up my teleportation spell in Summer Camp, you both took me to that doughnut cafe and cheered me up in no time. That was when you girls learned I was accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I gave you both a tour of the campus later on when you got in." She paused for a moment and sniffled. "And I remember when we were little, when all three of us would play together, and y-you were always Starswirl." I placed a hoof on her shoulder, and she soon returned the gesture. "And y-you've been here as well, more times than I can count. All those times, you returned my life to normal, but it all kept going away over and over again. There's so many gaps..." She placed a hoof on my face and caught a tear rolling down my cheek. "Lyra, wh-what in Equestria have you been through?"

My emotions collided all at once, and I was hysterical. Twilight had her hooves around me in an instant. Her own tears were soon trickling onto my neck while Al crept off my now-seated body to nuzzle my face again. In those sixteen months, some part of my mind became a fjord, and the memory loss towards the end spanned it even further. Throughout all I'd been through, particularly in those parting weeks, I'd forgotten just how it felt to be known, supported, and loved all at once. Right there, I was reacquainted with that feeling; the warmth of being embraced by a dear friend who remembered me and was there, along with my sole companion who'd done all he could to keep my lone spirits high. In that moment, the frozen fissure melted. The secluded journey was over, and in Twilight's arms, I'd come to realize that I was alive.

Comments

[Greatazuredragon]

A melodious voice spoke from within:
"Thank you, Lyra Heartstrings. The stars across Creation will twinkle in your name this night."

I was starting to think the Matriarch was suffering from Silent Hero Syndrome...
So not only has she escaped but everypony will remember her actions during the curse? Interesting.