The Pony Who Embraced The Darkness

by Zurvan

Chapter 31: Die Another Day

Chapter 31: Die Another Day

=====Canterlot=====

A flash a light is all the warning Celestia and Luna get before Eris and a large group of ponies appear in the castle. Twilight steps forward from the group. “We’ve defeated Lord Umbra.”

“We told you not to leave.” Luna says as she scowls down at Twilight. “And you didn’t listen to us.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but I did what was necessary to end this.” Twilight says.

Luna sighs. “Aye, and never have we been more happy to have somepony disobey us.”

Twilight looks relieved. “Thank you.”

“Tell us” Celestia says. “Is this all that’s left?”

“Discord took my brother and his forces back to the Crystal Empire. He should be back…” A flash that announces Discord’s arrival interrupts her. ‘Now.”

“Hello Princesses, sorry I’m late.” Discord says as he bows. “We would have done this the other way around, but my double has never been to the Crystal Empire.”

“You’re tardiness is forgiven.” Celestia says.

“We are glad to see you return.” Luna says. “Though you return with about half the force you started with.”

“Surely you didn’t send ponies to war and expect them all to return, did you?” Discord asks.

“We sent them with you, we expected few casualties honestly.” Celestia says.

“I… I’m sorry.” Discord says as he hangs his head. “So many things went wrong.”

“We understand, truly, and you have done us a great deed.” Celestia says.

“We thank you, and will go through the process of making sure families are compensated.”

“Thank you. I did what I could.”

“If that’s settled.” Twilight says as she steps up “I was wondering if you’ve looked into the other thing I’d asked you too?”

“We have.” Celestia answers. “And I believe that we have the appropriate spell ready to fix Lieutenant Greaves.”

“Fix Lieutenant Greaves?” Applejack asks confused. “What are they talking about? I thought Greaves died protecting ya.”

Twilight sighs. “He did. But I had to leave his body. Apparently Lord Umbra thought it’d a good idea to resurrect him.”

“Wait, so Greaves is alive?”

“No quite, Umbra controlled him and had him try and kill me. That’s what woke me up, I used my magic to stop him and then had him put in a cell.”

“He kept trying to hurt the guards or anypony that came close to him since Umbra was still controlling him so we were forced to put him in magical stasis.” Celestia explains.

“So he’s frozen?” Applejack asks.

Twilight nods. “I was searching for a cure when you all came to visit. I should have told you then, but so many things were going on.”

“I understand Twi.” Applejack says. “Ya didn’t want to tell me nothin’ until you had an idea of whether or not you could bring him back, right?”

“Exactly.”

“And the spell ya asked the Princesses to look into?”

Twilight sighs. “I asked them to look into a way to bring him all the way back to life.”

“Is that possible?”

“We believe we’ve found a way.” Celestia answers. “Using the rainbow power to fuel the spell, since they’ve replaced the elements.”

“You believe?” Applejack asks.

“I’ll be honest with you.” Celestia says. “Him being brought back to life is not the only possible outcome, but it is highly likely.”

“What… what else could happen?”

“The magic could destroy him.”

“Are… are those the only possibilities?”

“They are the two most likely. I could spend all day speculating the possibilities.”

“What we’re talking about is untested magic.” Twilight says. “There’s no way to tell what’s going to happen, and no way to test it except to just do it.”

Applejack nods. “I understand.”

“We don’t have to do this, we can wait until another way is found. A safer way.”

“No, I wanna go ahead and do this. This way it’ll be over one way or the other.”

“Then let’s go see him.” Twilight says. They head down the hall and enter a side room. Once in the room they see several statues, one of them is Greaves.

“I thought he was in some sort of stasis, not a statue.” Applejack says.

“This is a stasis spell.” Celestia says. “A rather powerful one.”

“Girls, gather around the statue.” Twilight instructs and the others circle the statue. “NOW!”

As the mane six embrace their rainbow magic Celestia releases the stasis spell. Once the rainbow energy starts to flow Celestia quickly grabs it with her her magic and focuses it all into one concentrated spell. The rainbow energy cascades over Greaves. After a few minutes the magic fades away leaving Greaves laying there,

“Did it work?” Applejack asks as she rushes to Greaves side.

Twilight teleports in front of Applejack stopping her just short of Greaves.. “Hold on AJ, let me use my magic to examine him first.”

Applejack nods. “Hurry, I just want to hold him. One way or the other.”

“I understand.” Twilight turns and examines Greaves. “I don’t see any dangerous magical effects, it should be safe for you to hold him while I do a full examination to see if it worked.”

“Thank ya Twilight.” Applejack say as she walks to Greaves and gets down so she can hold him in her forelegs. Twilight continues to examine Greaves then gasps. “Twi?” Applejack asks looking up from Greaves.

“Applejack?” Greaves says weakly.

Applejack looks back to Greaves. “Greaves?”

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Greaves says as he lifts a foreleg up to touch her cheek.

“My goodness.” Rarity says. “It looks like it worked.”

Celestia nods. “It did, maybe not perfectly, but he’s alive again. There could be side effects.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Twilight says. “If there are side effects we’ll deal with them together.”

“That’s right, that’s what friends are for.” Pinkie says.

“Well one he’s recovered enough to travel he’ll go home to Sweet Apple Acres, where he belongs.” Celestia says.

“Thank you.” Applejack says. “We appreciate everything you are doing for us.”

“You’re heroes of Equestria. It’s my honor to do everything I can for you.”

Comments

[SudokuBrony]

[harts fire]

[Luckyfanisaac]

“Not quite, Umbra controlled him and had him try and kill me. That’s what woke me up, I used my magic to stop him and then had him put in a cell.”

Applejack says as she walks to Greaves