The final challenge

by Dianabel

Chapter 11: Grieving

Celestia woke up from her sleep giving a huge gasp, surprising her sister Luna.

“What? What happened?”

Celestia panted.

“Nothing. I´m just very worried about Twilight.” Celestia explained while rubbing her head. “I was imagining all the things that Grogar could do to her.”

Luna grabbed her hoof.

“Oh Tia, I understand you perfectly.” Luna grabbed her hoof.

“No, you´re don´t!” Celestia angrily snapped.

The princess left her little sister speechless and hurt. Luna´s eyes filled with tears. Celestia´s heart broke.

“I´m sorry Lulu, I´m so sorry.” she hugged her with her wings. “I didn´t mean to yell at you.” she inspired. “Look, Twilight is more than a student to me. Throughout all that time without you, I never encountered such a lovely pony. Everypony adored me and wanted to spend time by my side. But I knew most of the time was for show.” she laughed sadly. “And all the foals at my school loved me too, but Twilight…” she sighed. “Twilight was another level. Even though she liked reading and studying more than making friends, I knew that deep down she felt lonely. Her parents warned me about Twilight´s solitude before she came to live at my castle. She doesn´t know, but they told me that the reason she was always with her books, was because it was a way to minimize the pain that the foals of her school caused her. I understood her feelings, but I also knew that it wasn´t healthy to be reading books or studying all the time. But, when she wasn´t doing those things, she would come to my study to ask me questions about magic. Very often. It turned into a routine. And whenever she came, that was the best part of my day. And you know why?”

Luna shook her head.

“Because she reminded me of you.”

Luna gasped softly.

“That small filly had the same excitement in her eyes to yours. Like you, all she wanted to do was spending time with me. Sharing her concerns, her joys… I remember when you used to tell me everything you did, even though I was there with you in those moments.”

Luna chuckled softly.

“That was when I knew that you hadn´t left me. The real you would appear in the eyes of the fillies who dreamed about adventures, in all the love they gave me, specially Twilight. So, I decided to free you from the moon.”

“What? But I thought it happened by accident.” Luna asked stunned.

“Well, I planned out every little tiny detail. Twilight discovered about the prophecy because I recommended her to read the book where it was. That being said, I had to wait. I knew that there were more chances to succeed if she unleashed all that potential I saw in her when she was older. It hurt me to let her go, though. I grew so fond of her that I was afraid that she would forget about me. But I also knew that it was the best. For her and for you.”

Luna returned the hug.

“Of all the ponies I know, Twilight is the one who I love the most. She was the first one to give me a chance, after all. And has helped me countless times: at Nightmare´s night, defeating the Tantabus…. She´s the reason I could accept and forgive myself.” she sighed sadly. “I hope she´s well…”

Celestia stroke Luna´s mane. She observed her cell´s window made of bars, watching how Canterlot was slowly covered in snow, wondering if Twilight was cold. Because if she was, all Celestia wanted to do was to wrap her with her wings, so she could feel all the warmth Celestia was always welcome to give her. She couldn´t keep on letting her protégé freeze. So, she gently undid the hug to stand up. Luna raised an eyebrow confused.

“What are you doing?”

“We have to escape, Luna. Twilight needs our help.”

“Believe me, there´s nothing I want more right now, but how are going to do that? We can´t use any magic.” Luna pointed at the rings around their horns.

“I don´t know, but we have to think of something!” Celestia insisted. “She´s done so much for us, we need to return the favour.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of keys unlocking the door. A guard slowly opened the door, trembling. Celestia and Luna didn´t know if she was trembling due to fear or due to sadness, because it seemed like she was crying. Maybe it was a mixture of both. But why would she cry?

The guard noticed the princesses wondering about her state. She gasped and wiped out her tears. She cleared her throat.

“Your maje-” the guard took a brief pause because of a chill that ran through her spine. “Celestia, Luna. The emperor wants to talk to you.” she said in a tone full of fear.

The guard took some steps to make way for Grogar. Celestia and Luna gasped horrified when they saw the Bewitching Bell hanging from his harness. The ram smirked for a brief moment. Then, he frowned at the guard.

“Move out.” he ordered.

The guard had her doubts.

“I-I could stay to help in something.”

“I said. Move. Out.” Grogar narrowed his glowing eyes.

The guard gulped. She had no choice but obey.

“Yes, your highness.”

She bowed before closing the door and leaving. Grogar grinned victoriously at the princesses panting in fear.

“How did you-” Luna asked with a shaking voice.

“This?” Grogar returned the question while slightly lifting the bell up with his hoof. He chuckled. “It was set to happen. Deep down you two knew that sooner or later it would end up with his respective owner. But let me explain how it happened.” he got closer to the two princesses. “Your precious student and her friends were planning to use the bell against me, and it turns out that the villains had the same plans. So, they fought for it. The villains ended up winning the battle, but that´s where I came in. And took it.”

“What did you do to them?” Celestia asked aggressively. She would have thrown Grogar to the ground if her neck wasn´t chained to the wall.

“Oh please, you don´t have to pretend that you care about Twilight´s friends and Spike with me when we both know that you only care about Twilight.” Grogar said sarcastically. “But here comes the interesting thing.” he smirked. “After trying not to appear weak in front of me, I took her with my magic, targeted at her and hit her with the magic from my bell with as hard as I could until she darted far beyond. In other words, I managed to kill her.”

Celestia and Luna widened their eyes in shock. Celestia fell to the floor while leaving out a cry that a mother that lost her foal would give, breaking in tears. Luna sat down slowly and tried to comfort her sister while sobbing.

“Why? Why are you like this?” her tone changed from lament to anger. “Why do you hate ponies so muchs? What did we ever do to you? How is your heart so full of…” Luna shook her head. “So full of hatred?”

Grogar stood there indifferent to the sister´s pain, with a cold expression on his face.

“Oh, Luna. You´re so innocent to think that I´m like this because I felt misunderstood or was mistreated by your kind. You never did anything to me. Your lands happened to be the first ones to lay my eyes on. It could have been a dragons´ or a yaks´ land, but it was yours. I didn´t hate you, I thought that you were, inferior to me, something I still believe to this day. But thanks to what your mother did, I started hating ponies.” His face started filling with anger. “Do you know how much work I put to get to be an emperor? I spent years studying magic to prove that I could be a better ruler than those who came before me, having to put up with so many elders that underestimated or didn’t take me seriously because I wasn´t as strong as other rams and I learnt things at a later age than usual as a lamb! Being dethroned by your mother felt like taking work of a lifetime from me!”

“That´s what you consider work of a lifetime?” Celestia asked suddenly. “Torturing, killing and harming those who were different to you? That´s the exact reason why mother stood up to you!” she yelled at the ram. “Besides, haven´t you had enough? My mother´s dead and you cast my sister a spell that tortured and kept her isolated for so many years!”

Grogar smiled and raised an eyebrow at Luna.

“So, you told her now, huh? Can´t believe it took you so much time.”

“And now…” Celestia sobbed. “You kill my protégé!” she grabbed her chest. “What else what do you want?!”

Grogar observed his bell and then looked at Luna.

“You know what, Luna? I liked you better as Nightmare Moon. You had so much potential. But it was wasted thanks to those six ponies. But now that their leader isn´t here anymore, we can fix that.”

Seeing what he was about to do, Celestia jumped in front of her sister. So, after Grogar rang his bell, the spell was casted on her instead. After all the magic was unleashed, Celestia´s form changed. Her mane wasn´t rainbow anymore. It was fire. Her eyes were yellow, and her face seemed demonized, with a smile that showed off fangs. Even her laugh was different. Celestia´s laugh was usually child-like and playful. But now, it was diabolical.

“Say hello to Daybreaker.” Grogar told Luna.

Luna watched her sister in terror.

---

“Oof, finally.”

Starlight sighed in relief after she, along Suburst, Trixie and Zecora managed to defeat every corrupted changeling. Zecora and Trixie rounded all them up in small groups, taking advantage of the fact that they were unconscious, while Sunburst and Starlight put a magical tie around them.

“Ok. That was intense.” Trixie commented once they were done.

“What do we do next, Starlight?” Sunburst asked.

“Check on the students, I suppose.”

“And where are they exactly?” Trixie responded with another question.

Starlight had no answer for that question. She didn´t even know if they were inside the school! But then she remembered the time she was trapped by Cozy Glow. She was in a strange place bellow the school, which happened to be the roots of the Tree of Harmony. The Young Six knew that place before her. Maybe that´s where they were.

“I know where to go!” she exclaimed. “At the library, there´s a door on the floor that leads to a secret passage underground. I´m one hundred percent sure they are hidden in there.”

“Then, lead us to that place Starlight.” Zecora said. “I have the feeling that we´ll soon have to be out of sight.”

And she wasn´t wrong. In fact, just after she said that. Trixie noticed a lot of changelings arriving to the school. She dragged them to a corner.

“Hey! What was that for?” Starlight asked upset.

“Cast an invisibility spell!” Trixie commanded nervous.

“Again?” Starlight said, referencing to when Cozy Glow checked the school. “But why?”

“Because there´s a bunch of changelings coming.”

Starlight tilted her head slightly to check what happened behind them. She gasped when she saw the changelings.

“More? Did Cozy Glow tell them to come?”

Trixie dragged her back to the corner.

“Does the motive matter? Just make us invisible!”

“Ok. Ok.”

After Starlight ignited her horn, nopony, or in this case no changeling, could see them.

“Let´s go now.” Sunburst suggested.

The three unicorns began to move slowly, but since Zecora had a feeling that they were going to say something important, she grabbed Trixie´s tail with her mouth. The unicorn yelped softly.

“What the?” she asked upset. “What did you do that for?”

Zecora shushed her. She pointed outside the corner.

“Look.”

Starlight and Trixie gasped when they realized that the captain of the changelings was Pharynx in his corrupted state.

“That´s Pharynx!” Starlight exclaimed softly.

“Who?” Sunburst asked.

“Thorax’s brother.” Trixie explained quickly.

“Oh…”

Pharynx approached the unconscious soldiers.

“Soldier! Soldier!”

No response.

“I think they are unconscious.” a changeling said.

“Really? I didn´t notice that!” Pharynx answered sarcastically.

“What do we do?” another changeling asked worried.

Pharynx destroyed Starlight´s magical tides, hoping that the sound would wake them up. But there was no reaction from the fallen soldiers.

“Bring various buckets full of water.”

The changelings raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“JUST DO IT!”

Scared, the changelings nodded their heads and headed for buckets, whereas others stayed with Pharynx.

“I´m not so sure that a bucket of water will help them to regain conscience.”

“Well, do you have a better idea?” Pharynx asked frustrated. “We don´t have much time to wait, otherwise Emperor Grogar will get mad!”

The four equines gasped.

“Grogar? But I thought he was a legend!” Sunburst whispered.

“Why does every Equestrian legend turn out to be true?” Trixie thought aloud frustrated. “Especially that guy! Doesn´t it say in every darn Equestrian book that he´s practically invincible?!”

“Well not that invincible, considering that Gusty the Great banished him.” Sunburst corrected.

“Still, he´s very difficult to defeat.”

“That´s odd, I thought they were working for Chrysalis.” Starlight said.

“An interesting turn of events…” Zecora commented.

“I don´t understand.” the changeling beside Pharynx said. “Why is the emperor in such a hurry? Twilight Sparkle and her friends aren´t a threat anymore.”

Starlight bit her lip. Those weren´t good news. She and her friends shared a worried glance.

“I don´t know nor I care. All we´re doing is following orders.” Pharynx said.

“I know.” the changeling put his hoof on his forehead. “Still, I still find it hard to believe. They´re going to be super shocked and confused.”

“Of all things which one?”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle´s death.”

Starlight, Sunburst, Trixie and Zecora gasped shocked.

“Wait. What?” a changeling that was unconscious asked.

The other unconscious changelings recovered their conscience as well. Pharynx frowned frustrated. He straightened up and cleared his throat.

“What you heard soldiers.”

“How did she die?”

“Emperor Grogar hit her with the magic from the Bewitching Bell.”

Starlight grabbed her chest. She had difficulty to breath, causing her to faint.

“Starlight! Starlight!” Sunburst held her with his hooves.

Zecora lamented silently her death and shed a few tears. But she knew that it wasn´t a moment to cry. She had to keep on listening. There could be more important things.

“Speaking of which, from now on, our new leader is Emperor Grogar.”

“What about Chrysalis?” a female changeling asked.

“Forget about her! We have an important task to do right now. We have to retake the school!”

“But how? The students could have run away by this moment!” a changeling replicated.

“Or maybe they could still be in the school! Search every part! If they are not in the school, we´ll look all over pony. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” the changelings raised their hooves.

Suddenly, some changelings arrived with buckets of water. They moaned when they saw that all their work was for nothing.

“I know, I´m sorry, ok?” Pharynx said. “Besides, I don´t want to repeat everything again. But I guess I have no choice.

“We have to leave.” Zecora said. “Once we´re save, we´ll have time to grief.”

“But how? The changelings are already heading to the library!” Trixie replicated.

“I could teleport us there!” Sunburst suggested. “All I have to do is think of a cave underground!”

Trixie and Zecora looked at each other.

“Ok. Do what you have to do.” Trixie told him.

---

Sandbar and Yona helped the last students to enter the school´s underground cave.

“Is that everypony?” Sandbar asked.

The rest of the group looked to each other.

“If you´re talking about the students, I think so.” Gallus said.

“The professors are still left.” Silverstream explained.

“Do you want us to look for them?” Ocellus offered.

“I don´t know, could be dangerous.” Smolder answered.

“But we can´t leave them behind!” Scootaloo complained.

“But sometimes it´s better to go.” Punja put her hoof on Scootaloo´s shoulder. “I learnt it the bad way, you should know.”

“Besides, they have magic. In case they are in danger they could teleport themselves to a safe place.” Smolder added.

“Believe me, I don´t like the idea either. But it´s for the best.” Apple Bloom recognized.

“They´ll be fine.” Sweetie Belle reassured with a sweet smile.

Scootaloo sighed.

“Ok.” she gave up.

“The youngest ones first.” Sandbar said.

The CMC were the first to jump into the cave, Punja following behind. Smolder and Silverstream entered together. With the help of Sandbar, Yona got in. Sandbar, Ocellus and Gallus were the last to go in. After closing the door, the gryphon joined all the students.

“Is everypony ok?”

They nodded, despite being very scared.

“Now what?” a student asked.

Sandbar looked up.

“I guess the best thing to do is staying here till everything is over.”

“That´s it?” another student asked.

“Yes….?” Silverstream asked.

“We´re not going to fight?”

“Are you kidding me?” Gallus complained. “We just saved you from danger and now you want to be in danger again?!”

“At least you should fight!” another student joined the fight.

“Sure, we are going to face three evil villains in our own.” Smolder said sarcastically. “That´s what the professors are for!”

“All that me and my friends can do is look after all of you.” Ocellus calmly said. “That´s what Twilight would have wanted.”

“You´re just a bunch of cowards!” a student accused.

“Excuse me?!” Apple Bloom asked upset.

“We literally risked our lives to save yours!” Scootaloo said in defense.

“Why not do that again?”

“Because they have immense power and are impossible to defeat combined whereas we don´t have nor are?” Sweetie Belle asked sarcastically.

“I don´t understand why you´re complaining and calling us names if we were the ones that rewrote the game.” Punja raised her eyebrow.

The students raised their eyebrows confused.

“Do you understand what she said?”

“Nope?”

“Uh uh.”

“What I mean is that all of you could have done something! But instead you chose to wait to see what we could bring.”

The ponies didn´t seem to understand. Punja got frustrated.

“Nevermind.”

“What she´s basically saying is that you´re a bunch of idiots that could have tried to escape but chose to wine instead.” Gallus explained bluntly.

“What? No! That´s not what she meant!” Sweetie Belle rectified for Punja.

“Actually, I did.” Punja said.

And thus, a fight broke out. Yona was busy paying attention to the tree´s roots. She noticed that they were less shiny than usual. When the fight broke out, its crystals flickered and became less bright. She knew that the others had to know about that, so she decided to interfere.

“Guys!”

“Apologize for calling us idiots.”

“No!” Punja refused.

“Punja!” Appel Bloom called her out.

“What?”

“Guys!” Yona repeated louder.

“Apologize.”

“Why should I?”

“Exactly, she was defending us.” Gallus agreed with her.

“They were calling us cowards.” Smolder added.

“But those aren´t the manners.” Sandbar explained calmly.

“You´re better than that, Punja. Don´t reduce to his level.” Ocellus told the little zebra.

“What did you say?!” the student showed his fist.

“Nothing nothing.”

“Hey, don´t attack my friend!” Silverstream jumped to Ocellus´ defense.

“Or what?”

“You´ll have to deal with us.” Scootaloo added.

“Guys!” Yona started to sound angry.

However, they didn´t. The yak exhaled air from her nose.

“GUUUUYS!” Yona yelled as she smashed the floor, making everypony jump and stop fighting.

“Fight not important. Tree important.” she pointed at the roots.

They all gasped softly when they saw the roots. Sandbar got closer and caressed them

“What happened to you, my friend?” he whispered.

“So that´s why the tree didn´t warn us.” Smolder commented. “It´s…. weak.”

“Maybe it´s sick?” Silverstream suggested. “Don´t worry tree you´ll get better! I don´t know how but you will. Just tell us what´s the matter with you.” Silverstream pleaded desperate in the brink o tears while touching it.

“I don´t think it will respond, Silver.” Gallus said sadly.

Silverstream sniffed.

“I know. I just want to help it.”

She started crying in Ocellus´ forelegs.

“Us too, Silver. Us too.”

“Maybe we can help tree. If we fight, tree becomes weak. But if students and friends stand together, tree might get better.”

Sandbar smiled at Yona.

“You´re right, Yona.” he turned to everypony. “We must stick together.”

Punja and the student looked at each other, both with guilty faces.

“I´m sorry.”

“Me too. I guess the reason we acted like that was because we have so many things to chew.” Punja explained.

“I still don´t understand you, but I´ll take that as an apology.”

Punja rolled her eyes playfully while smiling. She and the student hugged each other.

“So I guess that the plan is just being friends, isn´t it?” Apple Bloom suggested.

“Until something happens, I guess so.” Smolder said.

“Well, that´s something easy. I love my friends.” Sweetie Belle exclaimed while hugging Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Ok, let´s set here then. Until the tree gets better.” Scootaloo sat down on the ground.

However, their plans had to change when Sunburst, Trixie, Zecora and Starlight reappeared.

“We need to leave!” Trixie exclaimed.

“What?” everypony asked.

“What you heard!”

Ocellus gasped when she saw Starlight unconscious.

“Is professor Starlight alright?”

“Yes, my little changeling.” Zecora explained while hugging Punja. “She fainted because of the news we bring.”

“What is it?” Sandbar asked.

Sunburst, Zecora and Trixie looked to each other. Zecora started to cry, Trixie looked down in guilt and Sunburst breathed in before telling what happened.

“Professor Twilight is dead.” he said before breaking in tears.

All the ponies gasped softly.

“But. How?” Gallus asked while shaking his head. “I don´t understand. How?” his voice broke a little.

“Grogar killed her.”

“Grogar? The villain from Gusty the Great?” Sandbar asked. “He´s real?”

Sunburst nodded sadly. Sandbar panted.

“Do you know anything about our sisters?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Are they alright?” Sweetie Belle continued.

“And Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo added.

The CMC flung on Trixie. The unicorn shook her head.

“I wish I did, but I don´t. We heard this from some changelings that have come. Which is the reason we have to leave.” she said this to the students.

The three little fillies began to cry. Trixie hugged them tightly.

“It´s ok. I´m so sorry.” she shed some tears.

“So that´s it? This is the end?” Smolder asked.

After shedding some tears, with Punja on her forelegs, she dried her tears and frowned in determination.

“No. We´ll have to go where the journey may lead us. Our strength we must now show. Let our prayers be our guide. And let´s not forget that our friendship is during these rough times our pride.”

“For the tree.” Punja added.

The ponies nodded. Suddenly, they heard steps from beneath.

“Let´s go now!” Sunburst exclaimed.

They all ran away.

---

Twilight´s friends were waiting in a dark cell. The poor ponies had so much to process. The most powerful pony and creator of the group, the one who always managed to lead them in difficult times like this, and most importantly, the greatest friend they ever had, had just died. Worse, she had been murdered. They had felt hopelessness before, but it wasn´t nothing compared to what they were feeling right now. Without Twilight, they couldn´t do anything to protect Equestria and the ones they loved. It was over, they had lost and failed everypony.

All of them were lying on the ground, without any energy. Except for Rainbow Dash, who tried to flap her wings, despite feeling a huge ache doing so.

“Quit it out, will you?” Applejack told her. “The only thing you´ll get is getting what´s left of your health worse.”

Rainbow moaned.

“What else do you want me to do? Lay down waiting to see how Grogar destroys Equestria? I have to do something!”

“How, Rainbow?” Rarity asked bitterly. “We have no magic left! And without magic, you and Fluttershy cannot fly, Applejack and Pinkie Pie can barely run or jump, and I can´t use my horn. Don´t you see? There´s nothing that we can do.”

“So that´s it? You´re giving up?”

The ponies looked away sadly.

“No, no! Tell me you´re not giving up.” Rainbow said desperate. She looked at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, you are the one who gets the wackiest ideas. Surely you can come up with something!”

The pink pony, however, was not in the mood. In fact, her hair was straight and her coat wasn´t the lively pink it always is.

“For what?” she passively said.

“For what?” Rainbow scoffed. “For what? To scape and save Equestria!”

“We can´t do nothing. Just, let me grieve.”

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was hugging her tail for comfort and shedding tears.

“Fluttershy, please… You have to agree with me. We´ve been friends since kindergarten! I´ve always been there for you, why are not here for me right now?”

Fluttershy didn´t respond. She was still silent and crying.

“What about Discord, huh? You wanted to save him so bad, and now you´re just standing there crying and doing nothing?! If we do nothing, Grogar will make him suffer forever! Please! Help me to make them see that they´re wrong. That there´s still a chance… You don´t have to do it for me, but at least do it for Discord…”

Fluttershy lifted her head. She sniffed.

“I´d really like to help, Rainbow. But I don´t know how…”

“Then think of something!” Rainbow yelled.

“Do not yell at me.” Fluttershy commanded angrily.

“Well, I´m sorry if I still want to save Equestria! It seems like I´m the only one who cares about what happens next!”

Applejack got in four legs and approached Rainbow.

“Don´t you dare say that! We do care about Equestria. You´re not the only one who´s affected by all of this! So stop acting if it was like that!”

“Only if you think about a plan to escape!”

“Can´t you see Rainbow?” Applejack asked desperate. “It´s like Rarity said. We are powerless! Even if we had a plan we wouldn´t be able to carry on with it because we lack the energy and ability.”

“So what do you suggest?”

Applejack sighed.

“The only thing that we can do now is standing together and supporting each other all the time we can. Who knows how much time is left… Besides, that´s what Twilight would have liked.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head.

“No, I´m not doing that.”

“Rainbow, please listen…” Rarity laid a hoof on her friend´s shoulder, but she quickly shoved it

“What is wrong with you? Why do you think that I´m being unreasonable? I´m sticking to my element, which is loyalty. LOYALTY. I´m doing everything I can in Twilight´s and Equestria´s name!”

“And I´m sticking to my element by telling you the truth.” Applejack replied back. “Even if it hurts.”

“Ok fine. Do whatever you want. I´ll think of something myself instead of acting like a crybaby. Just like all of you are doing.”

“At least we´re not acting like a jerk.” Applejack whispered.

Rainbow clenched her teeth and was about to reply something, but Pinkie Pie opened her mouth before her.

“Uuurgh! Will you please shut up?”

Rarity cleared her throat.

“I´m sorry, darling. We´re just trying to help Rainbow to accept the fact that we´re going to die.”

“We´re not going to die!” Rainbow Dash said upset.

“What do you think that Grogar is planning to do with us then, huh? Do you think that he´s going to invite us for tea? No ma´am! He wants to execute us!”

“Who cares? We lost. Twilight´s dead. There´s not a reason to live anymore.” Pinkie Pie said. “Just do me a favor, call a guard and tell them to let us die in the cold already.”

Fluttershy tried to approach Pinkie, but the chain around her neck, prevented her from doing so.

“What? No, no, darling. Don´t say that!” Rarity approached Pinkie. “Sure, we haven’t got much time left. But not yet!”

Pinkie Pie sighed.

“I´m just saying that because none of us can´t stand the pain anymore…”

“But at least we don´t say those things.”

“Ok, do you think I´m being selfish or what?” Pinkie Pie asked upset.

“Of course not! I´m just trying to cheer you up.”

“Well, I don´t think that calling me selfish is a good way to cheer me up. Specially coming from you.”

Rarity scoffed.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, ask Spike.”

“Ok, are you going to be like Grogar? Why are you all throwing that to my face right now? I´m not selfish! I am the element of generosity, for goodness´ sake! I´ve always given you everything you need. Dresses, my support… I helped you countless times!”

“Don´t do this about you…”

“How could I not? You´ve insulted me!”

“Because you told me that I was selfish.”

“No I didn´t!”

“Yes you did!”

Fluttershy looked around. All of her friends was arguing. She covered her ears.

“Stop. Please..” she begged in tears.

Seeing that nothing happened, Fluttershy frowned and raised her voice.

“STOOOP!”

The mares stopped fighting. They looked at Fluttershy surprised.

“Enough! Please. We´re about to die. All of us. Do you want to spend your last moments like this? Fighting and insulting each other? Twilight wouldn´t have liked that!”

The ponies looked away sadly

“This is very hard, I understand that.” she sniffed. “I can´t say goodbye to anypony. I can´t see my family, my animals, Discord. I won´t be able to tell them how much they mean to me. The only ones I can do that with is you. And I don´t want to remember my last moments with you as a fight. So all I want to do is what Applejack said before.”

Fluttershy sniffed. Pinkie Pie hug wrapped her hoof around her.

“At least we´ll be together.” Pinkie smiled sadly.

Fluttershy returned the hug, crying on her shoulder. The other ponies started to cry as well.

“I´m so sorry.” Rainbow apologized to Applejack. “It´s just that I feel like-” she sobbed. “This is my fault.”

Applejack gasped.

“Why would you say that, sugarcube?”

“Because I could have done more to avoid her death…”

“It´s ok, Rainbow. Come here.” Applejack put her foreleg around her. “We´re all feeling the same way. All of us are worried about our families and Equestria´s future.” her voice started to shake. “I can´t imagine what Grogar will do to my family when I´m gone.” she sobbed hard.

“Neither do I.” Rarity said. “Poor Sweetie Belle…”

“Scootaloo…” Rainbow thought aloud.

She sniffed and dried her tears.

“I´m sure they´ll be able to go on without us. Those fillies are full of ideas and super strong because we were so proud of them! They´ll find a way to survive.”

Applejack and Rarity smiled at their friend and hugged her. Rainbow Dash thought that she had to tell something important to Applejack.

“Rarity, could you leave us a minute alone?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow confused.

“It´s not because I don´t like you. It´s because I have something important to tell AJ. Alone.”

“Oh, it´s ok. I have to apologize to Pinkie anyway.”

Applejack and RD watched Rarity approaching Pinkie Pie.

“AJ. Listen…” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “I know that we have fought countless times, that we are both super competitive, and sometimes I think I´m better than you. But I want you to know that you´re my best friend.”

“We are all best friends here.” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Well, yes but what I mean that of all my best friends, you are my best best friend.”

“I´m just teasing you.” Applejack laughed sadly. “I just wanted to have my last laugh.” Applejack sighed. “Well, you are mine too. I enjoy so much being around you. I had so much fun in all of our competitions. You are very close to me.” she looked around before whispering in Rainbow´s ear. “More than the others.”

Rainbow chuckled.

“Same here.” she whispered in AJ´s ear.

They smiled sweetly at each other. But their smiles quickly erased. They knew that they weren´t going to be together anymore. They wouldn´t be able to play buckball or race like they used to do. Rainbow sniffed and hugged Applejack tightly. The earth pony returned the hug as tightly as the pegasus.

Meanwhile, Rarity apologized to Pinkie Pie.

“I´m so sorry to have said that darling. It´s just.” her eyes filled with tears. “I want to spend with you all the time I can.”

Pinkie sniffed.

“And I´m sorry for saying that. I´m just tired.”

“Me too, darling. Me too.” Rarity hugged her. “I think that deep inside we all want this to be over.”

Fluttershy hugged them both. The three of them looked at how Applejack and Rainbow Dash, a bit confused for seeing the two of them hugging alone

“Want to join us?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash interrupted the hug. The two of them blushed a little.

“Yeah! Yeah! Sure.” Rainbow scratched the back of her neck.

“Sorry.” Applejack said.

The five ponies hugged each other tightly. They smiled in tears. They felt each other´s warmth and love, which gave them security and hope. If it was for them, they would spend the rest of their lives like this, in company of each other.

But the moment did not last. They heard the door opening. They gasped when they saw Grogar. Applejack and Rainbow Dash frowned, Pinkie Pie looked sad, and Rarity and Fluttershy held each other in fear. He had some changelings and guards behind them. After smirking at them, he turned around to their changelings.

“Take them to different prisons. And leave the yellow pegasus here. I want to talk to her.”

“What?” Rarity asked. “No, you´re not separating us!”

“You want us dead, don´t you? Why don´t you kill us right here?” Applejack asked.

“Where is the fun in that?” Grogar asked. “I want the process to be painful. If you are together, you´ll have some comfort. I think it would be better if you were executed in different spaces, so none of you know which one is alive or dead.”

“Why do you want us to suffer more? Isn´t it enough?” Fluttershy asked angry. “You´ve already killed our leader and humiliated us. What else do you want? When will you be satisfied?”

“That´s the thing, my dear Fluttershy.” Grogar touched Fluttershy´s chin. “I´m never satisfied. But I´m going to be merciful and tell you which one will be the first to die.”

He signed at Pinkie Pie. The ponies gasped. Pinkie hung on to her friends.

“Come on, don´t act that surprised. We heard you saying that you wanted us to let die as soon as possible, well that´s what we´re going to do.”

“No. Not without my friends. Please!” she begged.

Grogar scowled coldly. He gave a sign to the changelings to get them separated.

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash opened her wings to defend Pinkie. “We won´t let go until we know when or where she´s going to die.”

“I said that I´d tell you who was going to die, I didn´t say that I´d go into more details.”

“But-”

“Not another word! Guards!”

The changelings took each one of the mane 6 from the cell by pairs, except for Fluttershy. They all screamed in tears, calling their names. Fluttershy would have tried to run, but she was attached to the floor with a chain. Besides, even if she was free, Grogar would have put her back in the cell. Speaking of which, Fluttershy was left alone with Grogar in the cell. She had been with villains alone before, for example when she reformed Discord. However, Grogar was far scarier. They were many differences between the two. Discord took everything as a game whereas Grogar took things very seriously. Discord usually joked or laughed. Grogar was cold, serious and threatening. And lastly, Discord was a creature who just needed a friend. Grogar was a monster. A true monster. It was incredible to believe that they were related. They might share some features in common, such as the eyes and eyebrows, but in personality, they were nothing alike.

Fluttershy was feeling lots of fear inside. However, she didn´t let it show. She stood in four legs, frowning in pure hatred.

“What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to talk.”

“About what? You´re here to tell me how I´m going to die?”

Grogar chuckled.

“Actually, my dear, you´re the only one who might get out alive from this.”

Fluttershy gasped.

“What?”

“What you heard. But there´s also a chance that you might die. Your fate lies in Discord.”

“Discord! What did you do to him?”

“He´s fine, don´t worry. I´m impressed, you´re between life and death and all you care about is your friends and my son.”

“Normally, creatures care about others.”

“You´re telling me that I´m not normal?” Grogar raised an eyebrow playfully.

“Well, mistreating your own child isn´t a normal behavior per say.” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow in return.

“Neither is turning a child against his own father. If you think about it, it´s your own fault that Discord´s suffering now.”

Fluttershy clenched her teeth.

“You immediately knew he was alone, didn´t you? From the moment you saw him at your cottage, you knew that all he wanted was somepony who understood him.”

Fluttershy looked away.

“Come on, you can´t lie to me. With just a stare, you see an animal´s true soul. Don´t tell me I´m wrong.”

Fluttershy stood silent.

“You remind me of my bell in a certain way. With your stare and actions, you change a creature´s ways. They´re very bewitching, you know that? Especially your stare, with those eyes of yours.”

The more Grogar approached her, the more Fluttershy walked backwards, leaning against the wall when she reached it.

“Because that´s what you did with my son. You bewitched him to turn him against me.” Grogar bitterly accused Fluttershy.

“I didn´t know he was your son.” Fluttershy said in her defense. “So how can I have turned him against you, huh? You speak of him as if his true nature was to be a weapon! He´s much more than that, you know? He´s goofy, sweet, creative, ingenious, intelligent… A mischievous but kind-hearted spirit of chaos. And most importantly, my friend!” Fluttershy smacked her hoof against the ground.

“Incredible. The bond between you two is stronger than I thought.” he chuckled. “The better. Discord will truly regret it if he dares to disobey.”

Fluttershy widened her eyes.

“That´s right. The only reason I´m leaving you alive is to make Discord obey me. If he doesn´t, you will pay the consequences with your death.”

“You won´t get away with yours.” Fluttershy told him hatefully.

“I´m afraid I already have.”

Grogar was about to get to the door, thinking that he had scared Fluttershy. But she wasn´t finished yet.

“As for my stare, you´re right about everything you said. And that can apply to you as well, you know?”

Grogar raised his ears in surprise.

“Deep down you´re scared of us, more specifically me due to my stare. I know that if I look deeper into you, I can see your weaknesses. And you don´t want anypony to know them. One would think that it´s because that would ruin your reputation of overlord. But there´s also another cause. It´s because you are a very private ram.”

Grogar closed his eyes.

“Something must have happened in your life to end up like you are right now. It´s sad, because if somepony had ever lent you a hoof, your life could have been very different. You wouldn´t have felt lonely and you could have used your powers for good causes. Kindness is a strong force, and I see that you don´t underestimate it. But don´t think as a tool to destroy you. Think of it as a tool to heal you. Your son Discord is a great example. I might have not healed the wounds you left in his heart, but at least I gave him the chance to trust again.”

Grogar sighed.

“I´m not trying to redeem you. You don´t want it nor it´s possible to do that. But I wanted to make you see that you´re not better than everypony else. You have weaknesses, just like everypony else. And because of them, you´ll fall again, just like you did when Gusty-”

Grogar lost his cool. Every time he heard Gusty´s name, he felt a huge anger inside because of the humiliation she put him through. He grabbed Fluttershy´s chain and pulled it closer to his face. Fluttershy groaned.

“Once again, you think you´ve outwitted me.” Grogar told her.

He pulled harder. Fluttershy closed her eyes.

“But I´m a patient and smart ram. Your psychological tricks won´t work on me, neither will save your friends from their death. I´ve lived far longer than you, and for that I´m wiser, so I know when a pony is trying to manipulate me. You won´t bewitch me.”

Fluttershy sighed angrily while opening her eyes, moving a little trying to free herself from Grogar´s grasp.

“Face it, Fluttershy. You have lost. Your friends are going to die and you´ll be alive until Discord decides to disobey, if he ever does that. You have nothing to do against me. Both you and Discord are mine.”

Fluttershy looked at Grogar scared. He released the chain, throwing Fluttershy to the floor. She yelped and panted heavily.

“Guard!”

“Sir?”

“Open the door.”

The guard obeyed. Grogar looked back to Fluttershy while he left the cell.

“But I´ll admit it was a good plan. Clever but impossible attempt. Have fun thinking about your friends.”

Grogar closed the cell in a blow. Fluttershy sniffed, slowly lied on the floor and covered her face with her hooves.

Comments

[GamePlayer64]

“What she’s basically saying is that you’re a bunch of idiots that could have tried to escape but chose to wine instead.” Gallus explained bluntly.

Won’t argue with that since it’s true. Nearly every pony from past to present always depend on their heroes and princess because they refuse to fight. Also great chapter with all the characters reactions to learning Twilight’s death and where’s Cozy, Chrysalis and Tirek?

[Xavior311]

Looks like this could be the end.....Twilight's presumed dead, and the main 5 had been captured and at death's door.....only the Student Six, Starlight, Sunburst, Trixie, King Thorax, Punja, Zecora, Candance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart and some of the uncorrupted changelings remain to retake the School of Friendship.....could Gusty the Great possibly return to resurrect Twilight and heal the Spirit of Harmony? And what will happen to the betrayed villainous Trio?

[ChubbyNia]

Great Job! This chapter nearly made me cry, I can't wait for the next one I have so many questions.

Like what will Grogar do with Celestia now that he's turned her into...DAYBREAKER!😱 What will he force Discord to do now that he's captured Fluttershy.

What will Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, Zecora, Punja, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, The Student Six, and the rest of the students do to help rescue their friends and save Equestria!?

How will the Mane 5 ever get out of this horrible mess and what about poor Spike where is he?

And if anypony cares, What happened with Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow?

Is poor Twilight Sparkle really dead?

Is this the end for our heroes? For Harmony, for all of Equestria!? We'll see next time on The Final Challenge of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!

Ha! I decided to do a dbz-like or spongebob-like narrator thing here what do think?

[Dianabel]

10464332
Loved it .

[ChubbyNia]

10465264
Thanks! See you're next chapter next Saturday.

[Phage]

What about the villains fates

[ChubbyNia]

10465264
Methinks you have something special planned for the rescue of Spike and the girls, especially Pinkie Pie since she's the one who is going be executed first don't ya I can't wait to see how everyone's saved.

[Dianabel]

10467695
You´ll have to wait to figure it out .

[ChubbyNia]

10468870
Kay kay

[SamSwordsman123]

It definitely should have been Grogar as the main villain in the final season. For my version he comes back and is defeated by Twilight's student Luster. I'm gonna read this though.

[Dianabel]

10474265
That´s also an interesting version .

[Lab 39]

Is Twilight really dead? or if so will she comeback?