The King's Student

by That_brony_guy

— Chapter II - The Elements of Harmony —

Twilight hurried towards the Golden Oak library, almost breaking down the door with the speed she entered the library at. She couldn't believe it. She knew that Nightmare Moon was going to return, but she still couldn't believe what had just happened before her very eyes. The brutality, the bloodshed, she could've prepared. She should have prepared. Now princess Celestia was gone and Nightmare Moon was on the loose.

"What's the plan?" Scales asked as he held onto Twilight's back.

"Get to the library and see what I can find about the elements of harmony. They're the only things that can defeat Nightmare Moon." Twilight answered. She then began levitating books off of bookshelves, eyeing their covers and pushing the irrelevant ones to one side as she tried desperately to find what she needed.

Then as she was rummaging through bookcases and books, the library doors opened again as several ponies entered. Twilight only shot her head to the door for a second, and that was long enough for her to see the five ponies she had met today. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy all entered the library and looked at Twilight. They all had varying degrees of horror stuck on their faces, Applejack being the most calm and Fluttershy the most panicked.

"Hey, you know more about what just happened back there than you're letting on, don't you?" Applejack asked Twilight, the other four mares following behind her.

"Should we bother telling them?" Scales asked Twilight.

"You don't have a choice, scaly, so spill." Rainbow crossed her hooves as she hovered, eyeing Scales cautiously. She'd clearly seen what he had done to Nightmare Moon and didn't want to end up like her with a bleeding forehoof and possible blood poisoning.

"It's okay, Scales, we can tell them." Twilight told Scales with a small sigh, seeing that the snake was about to respond to Rainbow with something that most likely would make Fluttershy faint. She then turned back to the group of five ponies and began to explain. "I read the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and now I'm looking for the elements of harmony. They're the only thing that can stop Nightmare Moon. But I don't know what they are, where they are or what they even do!"

"'The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide." Pinkie said as she pulled a book from a shelf, reading it's cover.

"How did you find that?!" Twilight asked as she levitated the book from Pinkie's grasp.

"It was under "E"!" Pinkie replied in a sing-song voice.

Twilight then opened the book and began to read aloud to the group. "There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now--"

---

"--the Everfree forest!" the five ponies native to Ponyville collectively gasped at the sight of the enormous forest on the edge of Ponyville.

"Probably the nicest place we've seen so far in this town." Scales commented from his position on Twilight's back.

"Whee! Let's go!" Pinkie said as she made to move forward.

"Not so fast." Twilight said, standing in front of everypony else. "Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own."

"No can do, sugarcube. We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple." Applejack stated as she began to trot into the forest, the rest of the group except for Twilight trotting after her.

"Especially if there's candy apples in there." Pinkie said, looking back at Twilight before trotting into the forest. "What? Those things are good."

Twilight only sighed as she looked back to Scales. "I think it'd be best if you stay here in Ponyville. Nightmare Moon might want to get some payback for that bite you gave her." Twilight told Scales.

"Come on, I'll be fine. She tries anything I'll bite her again." Scales replied.

"Please Scales, I don't want to risk you getting hurt." Twilight said warmly. She wasn't going to back down from this one. That was a nasty looking bite Scales gave Nightmare Moon, and the response would most certainly be even more volatile if Nightmare Moon were to get her hooves on Scales.

"Fine, but if you ain't out of there in a few hours, I'm coming in." Scales stated with a small smile as he slithered off of her body.

Twilight nodded and gave the serpent a hug before turning around toward the forest. She galloped forward a few feet to catch up with her newly found 'friends'. Friends, it was weird to say that word in the way she just did. She was never interested in making friends. Scales was the only friend she really needed, he understood her and always had her back. It was like he was made specifically for her.

---

Twilight and the others then began trotting their ways into the forest, while Scales watched the group of mares making their way into the Everfree in search for the elements of harmony. The elements of harmony that'd sealed many a foe away long ago.

"Follow them to the elements. Be sure you are not seen." whispered the ethereal voice of his king, a voice that'd spoke to him many a time in places of shadow.

Scales didn't even waste a second to answer. He slithered with speeds impossible for any other serpent into the nearest tree and scaled up its height in mere moments, camouflaged in shadow and beside tree bark. Leaping from tree to tree as silently as could be, not a single decibel of sound was produced by him as he followed the ponies from afar. Carefully slithering overhead, his listened in carefully.

"So, none of you have been in here before?" Twilight asked. Scales couldn't help but smile at the sound of Twilight's voice, the only comforting thing he had in this town.

"Ugh, heavens no! Just look at it - it's dreadful." Rarity said, cringing at her surroundings as she did. Scales knew this wasn't the kind of place for a pony like her, hard to believe her ancestors might have possibly once fought against the king.

"And it ain't natural. Folks say it don't work the same as Equestria." Applejack stated, a chill running down her spine.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"Nopony knows. You know why?" Rainbow said, making spooky gestures with her hooves as she hovered above the group.

"Rainbow, quit it." Applejack said, noticing the scared looks on several faces.

"'cause everypony who's ever come in has never come out!" Rainbow called out, earning frightened squeaks from several members of the group. Foolish mare, Scales thought to himself, she shouldn't rely on outright screams to strike fear even in jest.

"Hmm, interesting..." Twilight muttered to herself as she trotted along. Always the scholarly type finding interest in everything worth being interested in, Scales smiled again.

But before anymore could be said, the ground beneath the group of ponies shook and crumbled. Scales made out the fleeing purple mass, dripping every so often with black venom as it worked its dark intent on the nightmarish mare. She thought she was strong and powerful, she would know otherwise by the time his bite had left its mark.

The cliff side the group ponies were stood on shifted and broke beneath them, crumbling as the pegasi of the group took flight and made to save their friends. Scales almost leaped down himself in order to save Twilight, but knew he shouldn't give away his position. It wasn't even about the king's orders, as much as he didn't obey them. He wanted Twilight safe but able to look after herself. She wouldn't be able to do anything if he was always there to help.

But she didn't save herself anyway, as Applejack had caught Twilight and then dropped her into the grip of the two pegasi. Scales would continue to watch over the girls from afar, slithering overhead and making sure that no harm came to Twilight.

Fortunately through the entire journey to the castle, no harm did come her way.

---

After nearly falling off of a cliff, taming a manticore with kindness, Rarity cutting off her own tail to help out a sea serpent with a moustache problem, a test of Rainbow's loyalty, and a musical number from Pinkie Pie, the six ponies finally managed to reach the ancient castle of the two sisters. Twilight looked up at the place with awe and wonder, her nerdy side showing only for a mere second before she reminded herself of why she was there. The elements of harmony.

The five mares behind Twilight followed her into the castle's main room where some kind of a strange statue or something stood with circular stones placed on it, each with a symbol carved into them. Twilight knew they had to be the elements of harmony. The group as a whole galloped over to the statue holding the elements but their hopeful faces soon quickly dropped as they brought the elements down off of the statue.

"One, two, three, four, there's only five." said Pinkie, looking around the room in hopes she had missed a sixth.

"What? Where's the sixth?" Twilight joined Pinkie in looking around.

But as the group separated, leaving on Twilight with the elements, they were all caught off guard as a large purple mass swirled around the elements while simultaneously and accidentally sucking Twilight up with it. "Twilight!" was all Twilight heard from the shocked voices of her friends before she vanished in a mass of purple smoke.

Twilight shortly reappeared in a different room entirely, though she could tell she was still in the castle of the two sisters by the decay of the place. She also saw the five elements situated around the swirling purple mass which took the form of Nightmare Moon once more. Though she wasn't as intimidating as she was back in Ponyville, nowhere near. She was now limping on three legs with her four leg raised and no longer adorned with a metal boot, and that was when Twilight saw her leg.

The leg that Scales had sunk his fangs into.

In mere hours it had become gangrenous, rotting away enough that edges of leg bone was barely exposed amongst rotting meat while blackened blood tried in Nightmare Moon's coat. Veins around and running from the wound were risen and throbbing even when she wasn't standing on it. It looked like Nightmare Moon was in agony and was trying her hardest to not show it. It also looked like the wound was also leaking... purple?

Twilight whispered out a gasp at the sight. She had no idea that Scales' bite was even venomous at all, nor did she think it would be that potent. Her leg would surely fall off if it rotted anymore. But before she had a chance to speak or do something, Nightmare Moon beat her to it.

"You fool! You dare come after me all alone?" hissed Nightmare Moon, limping a step forward on three legs.

"Please, let me help you." Twilight tried to reason with the alicorn, "your leg is in no shape to—"

"Your creature of dark magic is to blame for my wound! Sombra's tainted sorcery seeps from that serpent's very heart!" Nightmare Moon's voice boomed over Twilight's own.

"Who's... Sombra?" Twilight asked, confused by the alicorn's statements. She had never heard of anypony called Sombra, no books nor even Celestia had ever mentioned any Sombra before.

"You speak like you do not already know his shadow! Liar!" she hissed in response, coming close to stomping her hoof down but wincing upon the pain that struck up her rotting limb. "Nonetheless! A wounded limb will not stop me! I will rule the night forever!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Twilight stated, dragging her hoof cross the stone ground as she readied to charge..

She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere talking to her, so her eyes then shifted to the five stone elements at Nightmare Moon's hooves. She ignited her horn ready to cast a defensive spell should she need to and charged forward. Nightmare Moon laughed at this and ignited her horn ready for her to attack. Twilight assumed she would've gone on the offensive were it not for her horribly rotting wound.

Twilight ran and attempted to teleport her way past Nightmare Moon, only to been struck by a spell hurled her way by Nightmare Moon's horn. She was sent flying through the air and crashed against a wall, grunting in pain as she attempted to get back on her hooves. Nightmare Moon was limping her way towards Twilight, horn ignited and ready to flay the lilac unicorn.

Twilight rose up only to find herself being struck in the mouth by Nightmare Moon's opposite front hoof, the action causing the alicorn to loose her balance and stumble back. She struggled back to her hooves as Twilight wiped the blood from her own lip.

"When Scales bit you, I should've told him to go for your neck." Twilight grunted out as she rose to her hooves, spitting out the blood that'd found its way into her mouth.

Nightmare Moon snarled at that comment, pulling herself back up off the ground and standing right before Twilight. Twilight knew she couldn't defeat an alicorn head on in a battle, so she had to cheat. She raised her hoof and threw it as hard as she possibly could, punching Nightmare Moon directly in the centre of her gangrenous wound.

Nightmare Moon howled out like nothing Twilight had ever heard before as drops of black and purple leaked onto Twilight's own coat. Twilight quickly wiped the spilt fluid off of her body, scared it might burn and rot her like it did Nightmare Moon, before she ignited her horn and teleported past the wailing alicorn and in front of the elements themselves.

Not wasting a moment, Twilight ignited her horn and enveloped all five stones with her magical aura. She just needed some kind of a spark to reveal the sixth element, whatever it was, then she could defeat Nightmare Moon. She focused all her magic on the stones. Straining herself as she attempted to get something, anything from them, but nothing would come. Why wouldn't it work?

But before she could push on anymore with her failed attempts, Nightmare Moon teleported herself in front of Twilight and practically head butted Twilight back. Nightmare Moon's horn barely missed the smaller unicorn as Twilight was sent flying back with only the dark alicorn's maniacal and pained laughter echoing through the castle. Twilight looked up just in time to witness Nightmare Moon raise the five elements up into her telekinetic grasp, the stone orbs beginning to crack more and more until finally they shattered into small pieces.

Twilight stared at the shattered elements of the small pieces hit the ground at Nightmare Moon's hooves. The elements of harmony were gone. Destroyed. Nightmare Moon's laughter bellowed, forcing its way through the pain in her voice from the rot on her hoof. Twilight didn't say anything, she was in too much shock to even react to what had just happened.

Twilight stood up slowly as she watched Nightmare Moon shoot a victorious glare Twilight's way. But before anymore words could leave Nightmare Moon's lips, Twilight heard the sounds of several familiar voices galloping close.

"Don't worry Twilight, we're on our way!" called Pinkie Pie.

"Just hold on!" Applejack said.

Twilight focused on the voices of those five mares. The voices of her friends as the five ponies burst into the room. She smiled softly, like a spark had lit up the darkness.

A spark!

"You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that?" Twilight stated with newly found hope. "Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here."

"What?" Nightmare Moon asked in shock and disbelief as the shards of stone about her hooves began to shake and glow.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty!" stated Twilight, causing several pieces of stone to begin to flow around the farmpony. "Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness!" More stone circled around the somewhat frightened Fluttershy. "Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter!" Another round of stones circled the party pony. "Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity!" The same stones circled around Rarity. "And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!" Finally a ring of stones found their way to Rainbow Dash. "The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us." Twilight stated proudly with a smile on her face.

"You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!" Nightmare Moon stated, the nervousness on her face showing through both the pain and now fading victory.

"But it did! A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... are my friends! You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!"

Upon those words leaving Twilight's mouth, a strong magic surrounded all six mares as they gently floated off the ground from the sheer power it held. Nightmare Moon limped backward in fear, trying to figure out whether she should run or fight. But she had no time for either of those choices to be put into action.

Gemstones like no others found their ways about the necks of Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, held in place by gold necklaces. A golden crown adorned with a purple gemstone landed down upon Twilight's head just as all six stones glowed and spat magic out into the air, creating a stream of rainbow colours that burst forth into an arc and came crashing down upon Nightmare Moon.

"No! Noooo!" Nightmare Moon howled as the blast of pure magical energy crashed and swirled around her before closing in and enveloping her entirely.

The light produced was so bright all six mares left in the castle had to shield their eyes else they'd risk going blind. In a flash the magic disappeared as did Nightmare Moon. In fact it seemed that it was getting brighter outside of the castle as well. Twilight smiled as her hooves touched the ground again. They had done it. They'd defeated Nightmare Moon and brought back the sun to Equestria.

"Ugh, my head." Rainbow groaned, rubbing her temple with a hoof.

"Everypony okay?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, thank goodness." Rarity said happily, seeing that whatever they had done had managed to grow her tail back as well.

"Why Rarity, it's so lovely." Fluttershy commented.

"I know! I'll never part with it again." Rarity nuzzled her own tail.

"No. Your necklace. It looks just like your cutie mark." Fluttershy said, pointing to the necklace around Rarity's neck.

"What?" Rarity looked down at her own necklace to see Fluttershy was right. "Ooh. So does yours."

"Look at mine! Look at mine!" Pinkie bounced happily as she showed off her cutie mark shaped necklace.

"Aw yeah." Rainbow said, having shook off the effects of the magic easily.

"Gee, Twilight! I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship." Applejack said to Twilight.

"Indeed you do."

The six ponies turned their heads to the origin point of the voice, toward the sun as the shape of a tall pony appeared. Princess Celestia herself appeared before the six mares, immediately causing five of the six mares to bow down to their princess.

Twilight smiled upon seeing her mentor, gasping happily also. "Princess Celestia." Twilight said as she trotted toward the white coated alicorn princess.

Celestia trotted froward and extended her wing down to hug the smaller unicorn. "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it." Celestia smiled.

"But... you told me it was all an old pony tale." Twilight looked up to Celestia.

"I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart." Celestia explained as she rose back up again and looked over to the spot Nightmare Moon had once been. "Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!"

The six mares looked over to where Celestia was looking, gasping quietly at what they saw. Shattered pieces of Nightmare Moon's armour were shattered around an alicorn mare. A midnight blue coat with a cosmically flowing mane that reminded Twilight of the night sky. This princess Luna let out a sharp strong gasp, as though it were the first time she had breathed in centuries.

"It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister." Celestia said as she trotted towards Luna.

"Sister?" Twilight and Rainbow both questioned to each other.

"Will you accept my friendship?" Celestia asked the shorter alicorn.

Luna didn't answer at first, rising to her hooves and practically throwing herself at Celestia and as she hugged her older sister. "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, sister!" Luna said, pressing her face into her sister's chest as sobs of mixed feelings broke out.

"I've missed you, too." Celestia smiled warmly and hugged her sister in return.

---

Sombra observed his cauldron's swirling contents as it produced the sight of Twilight Sparkle and her newly found friends, accompanied by Celestia and her newly reunited sister Luna began to make their way back to Ponyville. Nightmare Moon was no more, and Luna remained behind. Perfect. Sombra wanted to kill Luna, not a shadow of the princess's former self. No point killing a pony if they can't fear the act happening to them, after all.

But that wasn't what was at the forefront of his mind currently. The elements of harmony had been found and he had been able to witness their power and be able to analyse it, and it was every bit as interesting as he knew it would be.

Honesty...kindness...laughter...generosity...loyalty...

...and magic.

"So...that's how they work." Sombra said, intrigued as he raised a hoof to his chin in deep thought. He then focused onto Scales' mind yo contact with his undetected spy, whispering, "return to town."

This was very valuable information to possess, it was even worth Twilight's backtracking from the path he wished her to follow down. He knew not only how the elements functioned through a spiritual link with their bearers, but he now knew the sixth element of harmony. The barrier between Equestria and the shadow realm was growing weaker, and his resolve stronger than ever.

The crystal empire would soon return to the Equestrian north, and he needed to be sure Twilight would do her part when the time came. For now, he needed to teach more lessons of his own to teach his unaware student. Perhaps it was time she do some studying, perhaps it was time for the teacher to give his student some homework...

---

Twilight, her friends and the princesses trotted back into Ponyville, where they were greeted by practically everypony in Ponyville. Scales emerged from the crowds and slithered his way from the town to Twilight's side. Twilight trotted forward and hugged Scales happily. As Scales pulled away he noticed Luna walking alongside Celestia.

"Who's the mare?" Scales asked curiously, watching her and Celestia as they walked with each other.

"Princess Luna, formally Nightmare Moon before we used the power of the elements of harmony to bring her back." Twilight answered, quickly adding, "it's a long story."

Twilight then turned back to princess Luna, and noticed her leg that had been bitten by Scales previously. It was no longer rotting away like Nightmare Moon's leg was, in fact the elements seemed to have completely healed the rot itself. But the veins running down that leg were still raised, purple and throbbing, and Luna was limping whenever she walked on it. Twilight hoped that it it would heal for her sake, it looked painful enough when she was Nightmare Moon.

Twilight couldn't help but think about that, about how even the elements of harmony themselves had struggled with completely healing Scales' venomous bite, that made Twilight wonder how venomous Scales' bite actually was.

Princess Luna looked up at Twilight, seeing the unicorn's cut lip and slightly bruised body from their previous fight. She looked like she was about to begin apologising for the actions of Nightmare Moon, but Twilight raised her hoof kindly. "There's no need to say anything, princess, you weren't you back there." she offered a smile.

Luna smiled gently at Twilight and nodded. "Thou is too kind after all we've wrought this day." Luna replied with her head low, her gaze falling onto the snake slithering its way onto Twilight's back.

"Hey princess, no hard feelings about me biting you, right?" Scales said to Luna, looking at her injuried leg.

"No, of course, we would have done the same in your position, if we had fangs that is." Luna answered with a nod, but her eyes showing suspicion of the serpent. She then raised her hoof and looked at the damage it held, scars were the bite marks had been as well as the raised veins. "Though we may have trouble walking properly for some time yet."

"And I will be there to help you until you are able to." Celestia placed a hoof on Luna shoulder, offering her a smile. Luna smiled back at her sister in response.

"Umm, princess Celestia?" Twilight asked as a thought crossed her mind, "can I ask you something?"

Celestia could tell by the way that Twilight asked that she meant in private. "Very well." Celestia agreed before looking at both Luna and Scales. "If you'll excuse us." She said politely to them both.

Luna nodded her head and began to trot into Ponyville. Scales eyed up Twilight and Celestia for a moment curiously before lowering himself off of Twilight's back and following Luna into Ponyville. Now only Celestia and Twilight remained outside of town.

"How can I help you, Twilight?" Celestia asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you happened to know somepony. Somepony that Nightmare Moon mentioned back in the castle." Twilight explained.

"That depends, what is this pony's name?" Celestia asked.

"Sombra." Twilight answered.

The name alone seemed to earn a mixed amount of emotions yo swirl across Celestia's face. Fear, anger, passive reassurance, and then finally concern. "Sombra was a unicorn king, cruel with a heart as black as night. But he is dead now, even if his magic still stains the world today," Celestia answered, "nothing you should worry yourself about now."

"But—" Twilight began before looking up at Celestia, who had a look that said more than any words ever could, a look that was telling her to relax and stop worrying. "Alright." Twilight nodded with a small smile, earning one in return by Celestia.

She didn't tell Celestia what Nightmare Moon said about Scales, how his very heart had Sombra's magic in it whatever that meant. Perhaps it was nothing, perhaps Nightmare Moon was just saying things. Strange things to say though, what made her say that in particular? Should she tell Celestia? No, she wouldn't want to bother the princess about something that probably wasn't anything worth mentioning anyway. Scales wasn't bad, he was the nicest guy so long as you were in return.

Twilight shook those those thoughts from her mind and began to trot back into Ponyville. The ponies of the town were celebrating both the longest day of the year and the return of the lost princess of the moon. Scales slithered her way back over to Twilight with a curious look in his eye.

"So, you saved the princesses of Equestria as well as Equestria itself? Quite the achievements you have." Scales said with a smile.

"Yeah, turns out that princess Celestia knew about Nightmare Moon's return this whole time." Twilight explained to Scales as he slithered back up onto Twilight's body comfortably. "Princess Celestia just needed me to make friends in order to wield the elements against her."

"So, princess Celestia risked the safety of all of Equestria... just so that she could test you?" he narrowed his eyes curiously.

Twilight made to respond, but closed her mouth as thought took over again. Testing her? Twilight hadn't thought about it like that before. Now that she was thinking about it, she couldn't help but think of how all of Equestria could be facing an eternal night right about now if Twilight hadn't of been able to release the power of the elements. She had the cuts and bruises to prove that Nightmare Moon would have possibly killed her and her friends back in the castle if they had failed. Twilight frowned for a moment, but wiped the look from her face as she turned to look at Scales.

"Princess Celestia must have know what she was doing." Twilight said.

"What, can she see into the future now? Can she choose which destinies will and won't happen?" Scales inquired rhetorically. Twilight thought about it but no answer offered itself up in her mind, the longer she thought about it making the likelihood of an answer become more unlikely. "Let's just go celebrate now, shall we? Pinkie Pie might still have some of those cupcakes left over." Scales suggested, smiling.

"Yeah, okay." Twilight nodded, smiling back at Scales as she nuzzled him against her cheek.

Twilight then galloped back into town as to join the celebrating ponies while Scales wrapped around her body like a scaly scarf. For obvious reasons, the town hall was now off limits until all the carnage that Nightmare Moon had caused was no longer there to be seen. The summer sun celebration was in full swing, not a sad face in sight except for Twilight. She looked at her five new friends and realised that now she would have to head back home to Canterlot, away from her new friends.

"Why so glum, my faithful student?" Celestia asked as she approached Twilight again. "Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?"

"That's just it. Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them." Twilight explained.

"Scales, take a note, please." Celestia asked Scales, who seemingly managed to pull a quill and paper out of thin air as he began writing with his tail. "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville."

Many ponies in Ponyville cheered at this declaration made by Celestia. None cheered more than Twilight's friends as they made their ways to her side. Twilight's glumness was completely gone as she smiled too. She was going to be staying in Ponyville with her friends, she couldn't be more happy than she was right now. She would have to move a few of her things she had left in Canterlot here to Ponyville and say her goodbyes to her parents, but that could wait until tomorrow.

She didn't know what kinds of things she'd be doing now in Ponyville, but she was glad that she was going to be doing it with her friends.

---

Hours had passed by oh the longest day of the year, and the two princesses had arrived back at Canterlot. Ponyville wasn't the only place holding celebrations, it was merely the place where Celestia rose the sun from. Ponies in Canterlot would be partying for another few hours yet, every year had confirmed that as fact to Celestia.

Luna herself was still marvelling at the sheer size of Canterlot, Equestria's capital, and how so much had changed in a thousand years. She was impressed by the size of the capital, not really that bothered at the moment by the noise coming from the various points where partying seemed to be their loudest.

But to Celestia, today always seemed to give her more time to herself. She had more time so that her time to set up defences for the elements of harmony here in the castle, inform Twilight's parents about their daughter's plans upon Twilight politely asking her to, and now she could be helping Luna to reintegrate into modern Equestria.

Currently, Celestia was informing Luna of all that had changed since her imprisonment on the moon. Quite a lot had occurred so they would probably be talking for quite some time yet, not that Celestia minded. She would have spoken with her sister for all week long if she could. She had missed her so much, and was glad that her student had managed to free Luna from her corrupted state. But one thing still rang curiously in her mind.

Sombra.

The king in the north of Equestria at one time, king of the no longer existing crystal empire. The king who had waged war with the Equestrian south in an attempt to siege power and control over all Equestria, the only thing standing in his way being the two alicorn princesses waging a campaign against all that was dark and evil. He caused more problems than any other threat the sisters had ever faced before, proving himself deadly on both the battlefield and in the arena that was the political world. He tested their steel more times than any other, but they prevailed and destroyed him. Didn't they?

"Sister, is something the matter?" Luna asked Celestia, pulling the older sister from her trance like state of thought. "Thou seems distant since thou had spoketh with Twilight Sparkle."

Celestia looked at her sister for a moment, considering just saying that nothing was wrong and leaving it at that. But keeping things hidden and ignoring Luna was what caused Nightmare Moon to break loose all those years ago. She wouldn't make those same mistakes again.

"Do... you remember what you... what Nightmare Moon said to Twilight back in our old castle?" Celestia asked.

"No, we doth not remember anything apart from shadows and screams," Luna answered, "why dost thou ask?"

"So you don't remember anything mentioned about Sombra?" Celestia asked slowly.

"Certainly not." Luna asked, growing concerned by Celestia questions. "Why would we? Sombra is long since deceased, his icy remains shattered in the north."

"It's probably nothing, I must just be thinking too much into things." Celestia said. "Sombra may be gone, but his magic still is lying dormant in various places across Equestria. It just—"

"—makes thou wonder what was destroyed all those years ago: the shadows and the crystals, or the king himself?" Luna finished Celestia's thoughts.

Celestia didn't respond to Luna's question, instead she trotted out onto the balcony in her room and looked out at the ponies below. Luna joined her side as both hoped that all of Sombra had been destroyed all those centuries ago. What was she thinking anyhow? Just because Twilight heard that name from Nightmare Moon's mouth, that doesn't mean she should automatically assume the worst case scenario.

Sombra couldn't possibly still be alive, right?

Comments

[robotic]

buitifull chapter good job

[Wallens Sparkle]

Great update!!

[Wallens Sparkle]

[[["What's the plan?" Scales asked as she held onto Twilight's back.]]] isn't suppose to be "He" rather of "She"?

[That_brony_guy]

9754976
Yeah, I've changed it now, thanks for letting me know

[Viper Pit]

Dun dun dun

[Moonlight_shadow78]

When I saw the cliffhanger I was like:

HOW DARE YOU!

[Jatheus]

I like the subtlety with which scales works... planting seeds of doubt. I somehow don't want to think of him as the villain he is, which makes him far more dangerous than most villains you find in any story. Well done on that front.

Come on Celestia! Hope for the best, plan for the worst!

[DarkSnowGaming]

Luna didn't answer at first, rising to her hooves and practically throwing herself at Celestia and as she hugged her older sister. "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, sister!" Luna said, pressing her face into her sister's chest as sobs of mixed feelings broke out.

Ok so I'm guessing the elements of harmony healed all wounds from her, that's interesting.

Sombra couldn't possibly still be alive, right?

Should have let Twilight Finnish her conversation, probably would have prevented a huge disaster.