The Ending of the End Revised, or Be Careful with what you wish for.

by SaburoDaimando

Chapter 19: A Victory Worth Celebrating

A Victory Worth Celebrating

The sun shone down on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire as ponies and other creatures of the alliance and formerly of Neigh Nanners’ own cult cheered in unison. Princess Celestia, Nightmare Moon, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Midnight Sparkle, Daydream Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow and Draconequus Pinkie Pie approached the crowd, looking as proud as ever.

“Citizens of the world,” Princess Celestia announced. “Not long ago, a terrible magic tied to nihilism came this close to shattering the whole world, and perhaps all life. Friend fought against friend, family against family, and even I knew what it was like to be corrupted into a form worse than what I imagined. And had my faithful student, who had a falling out from a failed Summer Sun Festival, not rediscovered herself and fought back, I may not have been here to talk about it today. So it gives me a great honor to congratulate Twilight Sparkle, and her magical friends from Ponyville.”

Immediately, Midnight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Draconequus Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and especially Spike stepped forward and took a bow as the crowd cheered on. Once they took a step back, Princess Celestia approached the audience again.

“But she is not the only one who deserves praise,” Princess Celestia said. “Another former student of mine has stepped forth to help solve our crisis. And because of her help, Twilight was able to find her way back and save me from my own abyss. So let’s give a warm shoutout to Sunset Shimmer.”

Daydream Shimmer approached the stage and bowed before the audience as they cheered in unison. Daydream smiled, her ears attuned to the wonderful sounds of the crowd before taking a step back.

“And there is another individual who we have to thank, despite making a serious screw up with his Grogar hoax,” Princess Celestia said. “Speaking of which, where is he?”

Immediately, the sound of Trixie yelling “WHEN I GET MY HOOVES ON YOU, I’LL SPANK YOU IN THE WOODSHED FOR THIS!” echoed through as Trixie ran from the back end of the city, chasing down Discord.

“I think I really did it,” Discord said in a humorous tone. “Someone bail me out of this.”

Midnight Sparkle smiled as she said “Oh no, Discord. You’re on your own.”

Pinkie Pie glared at Midnight Sparkle and said “That’s no way to treat a fellow Draconequus.”

Discord ran as fast as he could, laughing really hard, until he tripped and fell to the ground. Trixie ran closer to Discord, holding the chainsaw high into the air.

“I HAVE YOU NOW!” Trixie yelled.

Suddenly, the Chainsaw disappeared in a flash, and in its place was a giant sunflower. Trixie looked at the Sunflower and screamed in disbelief, causing the entire crowd to laugh hysterically. Everyone on stage, especially Princess Celestia, also joined in on the laughter.

“I think all we went through,” Celestia laughed. “This has got to be the best moment of the day.”

“As much as I want to claim credit for that,” Discord laughed. “I’m afraid it wasn’t me.”

“Oh relax,” Pinkie PIe said, scooting up to Discord. “That was me, all along.”

Trixie threw the flower onto the ground in a fit of rage before marching next to Midnight Sparkle.

“Curse those tricksters,” Trixie said in silence as she crossed her arms. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will make those two suffer.”

As Trixie marched over to the site with a pouty face, Celestia cleared her throat and approached the audience.

“Not long ago,” Celestia said. “Discord released Tirek and Cozy Glow from Tartarus and paired them with Queen Chrysalis in order to boost Twilight’s confidence. While that was a foolish decision, it wound up ironically giving us three unexpected allies in our fight against Neigh Nanners. Not to mention Discord proved himself on the battlefield as a reliable ally against the Fire Nags. I’ll be honest, had I not freed Discord from his stone prison, things may have been worse. So despite his flaws, all I can say is, thank you Discord.”

Discord took a bow as the audience cheered in unison. While Pinkie Pie wiped a tear from her eyes, Trixie just looked up at him with a scowl on her face.

“Whatever,” Trixie said.

“And there is also Starlight Glimmer and Trixie to thank,” Princess Celestia announced, which caught Trixie’s attention. “For their willingness to be given a second chance, for their heroism, and for standing up to Neigh Nanners’ own madness. So let’s also give a round of applause for the duo.”

Trixie got up and walked alongside Starlight Glimmer as they took a bow towards the audience.

“Now isn’t this worth appreciating, Trixie?” Starlight asked.

Trixie smiled and said “Guess so.”

As Trixie and Starlight backed away , Princess Celestia approached and announced “Not long ago, I considered Chrysalis, Tirek and even little Cozy Glow to be beyond redemption due to their stance against Twilight Sparkle and the rest of Equestria. But the irony of these three was that they were thrown into the madness that Neigh Nanners put them in. And not only that, it may have changed their minds, and my own, when it comes to redemption. So for Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow, I’d like to thank you three for aiding us in our time of need.”

Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow took a few steps forward and took a bow. But as they did, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, Babs Seed and Silver Spoon ran up on stage and gave Cozy Glow a hug.

“Hey you guys,” Cozy Glow laughed. “You don’t need to give me that attention.”

“We’re doing this because we’re truly friends now,” Apple Bloom said.

“And Diamond Tiara told me about you,” Silver Spoon said.

Princess Celestia looked down at the other fillies and said “And that reminds me, about the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Diamond Tiara.” Those words caught the attention of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, and Babs Seed as they got up and turned their attention to the audience while Silver Spoon and Cozy Glow stood to the side.

“That’s us,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Five little fillies were caught in the crossfire of Neigh Nanners’ madness, nearly losing everything that they held dear,” Princess Celestia announced. “But they chose to take a stand against the end of the world, and because of that, they should be hailed as heroes, just like the rest of us. So for Diamond Tiara and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, take a bow.”

With that, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara and Babs Seed bowed before the audience cheered. But as they raised their heads, they noticed that Grogar was walking through the audience and towards the stage.

“Is that who I think it is?” Silver Spoon asked.

“That’s Grogar,” Diamond Tiara explained. “The former emperor of the world who came to aid us.”

Grogar pulled himself up on stage and approached Princess Celestia, who had a confused look on her face.

“What happened to Neigh Nanners?” Princess Celestia asked.

Grogar just laughed and said “It doesn’t matter where he goes. You already have him in your hooves in a figurative state. One of you is capable of bringing him here in an instant.”

Discord’s ears popped up immediately and said “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”

Immediately, Discord snapped his fingers, and in a pop, Neigh Nanners appeared on stage, tied up in rope. The audience looked at Neigh Nanners and laughed in unison.

“What is this?” Neigh Nanners yelled as he struggled to break free. “I thought I was out of the Crystal Empire by now.”

Immediately, Princess Celestia marched up to Neigh Nanners and glared down at the fallen foe.

“Neigh Nanners,” Princess Celestia said in a harsh tone. “You have been charged with conspiracy to overthrow Equestria, controlling the minds of millions of individuals, including myself and the Windigos, attempt at the destruction of all magic and life across the planet, and nearly resulting in the death of a little filly. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“YOU CHEATED!” Neigh Nanners yelled in a deranged tone. “I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DID IT! BUT YOU CHEATED ME OUT OF VICTORY! AND YOU’VE PRESERVED THE PLAGUE THAT IS FRIENDSHIP IN THIS LAND YOU BIG, SORRY, SACK OF…”

Before Neigh Nanners could finish, ten gallons of water poured right onto his head at once, drenching him completely and causing the crowd to laugh once more. Neigh Nanners turned his attention towards Discord, who was whistling innocently.

“I am not the one responsible,” Discord said with a halo forming over his head.

“THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT,” Neigh Nanners yelled. “THIS IS WHY WE’RE ALL DOOMED TO THE CURSE OF FRIENDSHIP! THIS IS WHY…”

But before Nanners could finish again, a pie flew right out of nowhere and hit Neigh Nanners in the face. Once again, the crowd bursts into laughter. Neigh Nanners turned his eyes towards Pinkie Pie, who appeared to have snapped her fingers.

“Ain’t I a stinker?” Pinkie Pie giggled.

As Neigh Nanners growled at Pinkie Pie, he felt something slipping out of the ropes. He tried to hold onto it, but lost his grip as the powerless Emotion Amplifier was pulled out by Grogar’s magic, all while the ram glared down at him.

“I knew how dangerous this kind of magic was,” Grogar snarled. “And even then, it came close to consuming my mind. You, on the other hand, chose to be consumed by the magic, and to let it consume everything in its path. You allowed Nihilism to control your life, and even in the aftermath of this madness, you chose to justify your own actions. You have proven to be worse than any form of evil on this very planet, especially myself.”

“Grogar is right,” Luna said. “The fact that you came this close to ruining our ways of life, and even tore my own sister away from me says a whole lot about your character, and your misguided view on freedom.”

“My view on freedom is the only view that is true,” Neigh Nanners said. “That’s why I had to do what had to be done. None of your words will convince me otherwise because all of you sheep still don’t wake up and realize…”

But before Neigh Nanners could finish, a watermelon falls from the sky and hits him on the head, covering it in the giant fruit. All he could do was mumble and scream with the melon covering his head, while Discord and Pinkie Pie nearby whistled innocently.

“Then so be it,” Princess Celestia said. “Neigh Nanners, as your punishment, you will occupy Cozy Glow’s former cell in Tartarus. Furthermore, you will be assigned to mandatory, supervised community service to atone for what you did.” She turned to Discord and Pinkie Pie and said “Take it away.”

Discord and Pinkie Pie both proceed to snap their fingers. Immediately, the watermelon disappears as Neigh Nanners was now hanging upside down with his arms and legs tied to a metal pole that was held by two winged monkeys.

“You fool,” Neigh Nanners said. “You should have turned me to stone, or banish me to the void, or even destroy me alright.”

Princess Celestia just laughed and said “That’s too good for you. In the meantime, enjoy the ride.”

In an instant, Discord yelled out “FORRRRWAAAAAARD MARCH!” Immediately, the winged monkeys picked up the pole that Neigh Nanners is tied to and flew off from the Crystal Empire.

“YOU’LL REGRET THE DAY YOU SPARED ME!” Neigh Nanners yelled as he was being carried off. “YOU’LL REGRET TTHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS!”

Immediately, a portal opened up in front of the winged monkey. Neigh Nanners continued to scream in anger as the monkeys carried him through the portal before it closed up for good. The crowd cheered in unison the moment the portal disappeared.

“With that out of the way,” Grogar said as he looked down at the depowered Emotion Amplifier. “I know what you’re all thinking. Now that I have recovered what you call the Emotion Amplifier and what I call Nihilism’s Bane, I believe some things have to be settled. ”

Immediately, Grogar approached Princess Celestia as the two stared down at each other. But in an instant, Grogar held out the de-powered Emotion Amplifier.

“Though I have seen your own kind abuse powers for their own gain,” Grogar stated. “I understand one thing about you: That you are aware of the dangers of some artifacts. So I trust you well in safeguarding the Emotion Amplifier from anyone willing to once again turn it into a weapon of cruelty and nihilism.”

Princess Celestia nodded as she levitated the Emotion Amplifier from Grogar’s hoof and held it to her side.

“Should this magic ever return,” Princess Celestia said. “I will create as many safeguards as possible to make sure it will never consume us again.”

“But just to be on the safe side,” Grogar said as he unhooked his second bell from his collar and levitated it towards Princess Celestia. “It may take the power of two Bewitching Bells to hold the magic back. Do not forget this.”

Celestia nodded as she turned her attention to Pinkie Pie, who had the first bell in her left hand. Pinkie tossed the bell forward to which Celestia caught it with her magic and placed it alongside both the second bell and the emotion amplifier.

“Thank you Grogar,” Princess Celestia said. “Without your help, we would have been lost on this day to Nihilism Magic.”

“Which reminds me,” Midnight Sparkle said as she stepped forward. “I know you all are looking forward to me becoming the next ruler of Equestria. But I fear that there are other threats out there. And I also believed that Neigh Nanners is only the beginning. So for the time being, I will be declining my ascension to the throne.”

“Twilight,” Princess Celestia said in a shocked tone.

“At the same time,” Midnight Sparkle said. “I will also be stepping down from my position as head mare at the School of Friendship due to the recent revelations.”

“Twilight,” Starlight said. “You’re not doing this because of what you did, are you?”

“No,” Midnight Sparkle said. “While I do regret going down this path, I also realize that this is not really the end, but rather a new beginning. I now know that there will be greater threats to Equestria than ever before, one that will try to repeat what Neigh Nanners did and turn us against each other, maybe even worse than that. Which is why effective immediately, I will be initializing the Guardians of Harmony.”

“The Guardians of Harmony?” Daydream Shimmer said. “Are you talking about a group dedicated towards protecting the magic of friendship from being destroyed?”

“Yes, I am,” Midnight Sparkle said. “We know friendship is not easy. But we also know that the magic can be fragile at times, especially when Neigh Nanners came this close to destroying it. But with the Guardians of Harmony, we can dedicate ourselves to safeguarding the magic of friendship for future generations.”

“And that’s a cause I’m willing to get behind,” Midnight Sparkle turned towards the audience where she saw Starswirl emerge from the front with the rest of the pillars of old Equestria and the Student Six follow behind him. Starswirl got up on stage, much to the delight of Midnight Sparkle.

“Starswirl,” Midnight Sparkle said. “I’m surprised that you’re the first one to accept my offer.”

“I am for a reason,” Starswirl replied. “Even if you didn’t say what you said, I also realize that the magic of friendship is fragile and can be easily broken. So as a representative of the Pillars of Old Equestria, I wish to be the first to join the newly formed Guardians of Harmony.”

Starswirl immediately bowed before Midnight Sparkle, with Rockhoof, Mistmane, Somnambula, Flash Magnus, Mage Meadowbrook, Stygian, Sandbar, Gallus, Ocellus, Smolder, Yona and Silverstream following suit.

“This is no longer about learning about friendship,” Gallus stated as he raised his head up. “It’s now about guarding it with our lives, for future generations to embrace.”

“Gallus, Starswirl,” Midnight Sparkle said. “I’d be honored if your respective groups could join us in our new mission.”

As Midnight Sparkle bowed before Gallus and Starswirl, the crowd cheered in unison. Nightmare Moon used her magic to transform back into Princess Luna before she stepped forward and cleared her throat, calming the crowd down.

“There is one last order of business,” Princess Luna said. “As you all know, a good portion of you were all under Neigh Nanners’ Emotion Amplifier, which includes my sister. The effects of the nihilism magic can alter the mind of individuals, corrupting their thinking into something far more sinister. It was not your fault that you were forced into this mindset and lost control of yourselves. And I say the same thing about my sister, who was forced into becoming this templar of self-righteousness.”

“What Princess Luna proposes is a pardon for those forced to fight for Neigh Nanners,” Princess Cadance said with Luna nodding in agreement. “And if the effects of the Nihilism Magic are still present, we will treat the individuals so that they can be fully functional members of society. Besides, punishing those who were under no fault would only amplify the nihilism within.”

The crowd cheered once more as Luna and Cadance took a bow. Everyone else got up on the center stange and bowed towards the audience as their cheers filled the air of the Crystal Empire.

Later that day, the Mane Six and Spike, with Midnight Sparkle now reverted back to Twilight Sparkle, Applejack no longer buff, and Pinkie Pie no longer a draconequus, were walking down through the Crystal Empire with anticipation. Though the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, everyone felt optimistic.

“It’s too bad we had to revert back to our basic forms,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Sunset, Starlight, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Princess Luna, Trixie.”

“And surprisingly, even Cozy Glow,” Pinkie Pie said. “As well as myself.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll be honest. I thought you being a spirit of chaos was actually that cool.”

“Oh Rainbow,” Rarity said with a raspberry. “That’s the last thing we need: A second spirit of chaos that would make our lives even crazy.”

“I don’t know, Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “I think it would be nice to have two draconequuses around Equestria.”

“As much as having yours truly pumped out like a pair of gigantic apples,” Applejack said with a playful snort.

“That being said,” Spike explained. “Something tells me that’s not the last we’ve seen of those alternative forms.”

“Now what would you mean by that, Spikey?” Rarity asked.

“Well,” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. “Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling those forms that Twilight, Sunset, Starlight, the crusaders and even Pinkie Pie to name a few had. It was as if they were sleeping inside of them the whole time.”

“Oooh,” Pinkie Pie said, excited. “Does that mean I may become a true Draconequus in the future?”

Twilight laughed and said “Pinkie. I can only imagine a world with two spirits of chaos. And believe me. That would be something to crow about.”

As the group continued to walk through the town, Twilight’s eyes were quick to catch Grogar walking in another direction.

“Will you excuse me, ladies?” Twilight said before she made a run for it.

“Now what was that about?” Rarity asked.

“I dunno,” Pinkie Pie said. “But it does feel like Twilight ran to get her goat.”

“Pinkie,” Everyone yelled before bursting out into laughter.

Up ahead, Twilight ran up to Grogar before slowing her movement down, catching the attention of the former emperor.

“Surprised to see me out here?” Grogar said.

“I’m just wondering why you’re heading away from the center of the castle,” Twilight asked.

“It is simple,” Grogar said. “The day is won. The battle is done. And the princesses have vowed to guard the Nihilism’s Bane with their lives. So I’ve decided to return to my retirement and spend some time in peace.”

“Well you’ve done a lot for all of us,” Twilight explained. “And I’d figured we owe you for your contributions to this victory. So I was wondering if you could join us for a victory feast?”

Grogar was slightly surprised by Twilight’s choice of words. He closed his eyes and stroked his beard, pondering on what to say.

“That is the first time anyone invited me to any kind of event,” Grogar said. “Normally, I don’t do any of these events. But since you asked, I’ll consider it.”

“Great,” Twilight said. “I think you are going to enjoy it.”

But as Twilight and Grogar walked off, the rest of the group, with the sole exception of Pinkie Pie, just stood there a bit confused.

“What in the name of Lauren Faust just happened?” Applejack asked.

“Well,” Pinkie Pie said. “Twilight noticed Grogar was leaving for parts unknown, so she invited him to the victory party just because of his contributions to the fight against Neigh Nanners and because she believed that Grogar may have been lonely for all these centuries.”

“That is a lot to take in,” Rainbow Dash said. “Grogar being that lonely?”

“Well when you think about it,” Fluttershy replied. “It’s a lot like with Discord, back when he was a villain.”

“Oh, when he didn’t have a friend by his side,” Rarity replied.

“Exactly,” Fluttershy said as everyone walked after Twilight.

“To think, there may be other sympathetic individuals who deserve a friend,” Spike said. “You never know what the world will throw at you.”

Later that evening in the Crystal Empire Plaza, everyone was gathered around in separate tables, enjoying the banquet of delicious food and refreshing drinks. For all of Equestria, they seem satisfied and relieved. Nearby, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, Spike the Dragon and Sunset Shimmer were all enjoying their food together, though Luna was shoveling food into her mouth.

“Mmmmm,” Princess Luna said as she swallowed her food above what appears to be some kind of oat-based pudding. “This is delicious. I have never tasted something this rich before.”

“Well sister,” Princess Celestia said. “Sunset Shimmer told me that there was a particular dish the humans enjoyed in another part of the land. It was called…Haggis.”

“Haggis eh?” Luna said. “I like it. What’s great about it?”

“Some say it was made from the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep, boiled in its own stomach,” Celestia replied with a grin on her face, causing Luna to gag.

“I ate wha?” Luna thought to herself as she looked like she was going to throw up.

“But relax, Luna,” Celestia said. “I was informed that we didn’t use any sheep meat for this. Instead, this was made using a mixture of vegetables, lentils, oats and spices.”

Luna relaxed as she swallowed another bite. She turned to Celestia and yelled with her Canterlot Voice “Don’t you EVER pull that stunt again.”

It didn’t take long for Celestia, Twilight, Sunset and Spike to laugh hard.

“It was great that I found that recipe for Vegan Haggis,” Sunset said. “I couldn’t stomach the idea of eating sheep offals.”

“Neither could I,” Twilight said before she took a bite of food.

“Combine that with Pinkie Pie’s epic party planning,” Spike said. “And you got yourself a party worthy of an entire planet.”

Nearby at another table, the Student Six were enjoying their meal alongside fellow students Juno and Huckleberry. All eight attendees were in high spirits.

“I’ll admit one thing,” Juno said. “Huck and I were caught in the middle of the battlefield. We barely didn’t know what to do.”

“Well that’s a shame,” Sandbar said after swallowing a piece of spinach leaf. “I wonder what happened during that fight.”

“Yona bet Juno and Huckleberry went all out like my Uncle does in the ring,” Yona said as she pounded her hooves on the table, causing it to shake.”

“Yona, easy,” Ocellus said. “The last thing we need is to ruin our victory meal.”

“Oops,” Yona said in embarrassment. “Yona sorry for imitating Uncle.”

“Wait,” Smolder said. “Your Uncle is a professional wrestler?”

“Yeah,” Yona said before stepping away from the table and standing on two hooves. “Yona’s Uncle is best wrestler in all of Equestria. He sends those Jabronis to their Rock Bottom, and hits them with the Yak’s Elbow.”

“Jabronis? Rock Bottom? Yak’s Elbow?” Gallus laughed. “Now I’ve heard everything.”

“You never watched wrestling before?” Huckleberry asked.

“Not really,” Gallus replied. “First off, we never had wrestling up in Griffinstone. And second off, no one in Ponyville ever told me about wrestling.”

“Oooh, I heard they like to go all out in throwing their opponents through various objects,” Silverstream said in excitement. “Like chairs, ladders, and even….TABLES!”

Juno laughed as she said “I don’t like to watch that stuff. In my mind, Wrestling is just too much for me.”

“Too much?” Yona said as she got down on her four hooves. “What do you mean by too much?”

“I heard about some of the injuries that wrestlers got through their own performances,” Juno said. “For a sport that involves grappling, wrestling is more high risk than you realize.”

“I’m afraid Juno’s right,” Huckleberry said. “Being in a wrestling match is more dangerous than being out on the battlefield. Heck, you wouldn’t catch me performing in a single competitive sport.”

“Awww,” Yona said. “At least Yona hope to introduce best Uncle to all of you.”

“It’s okay, Yona,” Sandbar said as he got out and patted Yona on the back. “At least there are some who appreciate your Uncle’s skills as a wrestler.”

“Awww, thanks Sandbar,” Yona said before picking up Sandbar and giving him a big hug.

“No…problem,” Sandbar said as he could barely move in Yona’s arms.

As everyone laughed, Smolder noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and Babs Seed walking away from their table.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Smolder said as she got up and walked away. “I think there’s one last big of unfinished business to attend to.”

As Smolder walked off, everyone else stopped laughing and just stared at the dragon.

“Was it something we said?” Ocellus asked.

“Nah,” Gallus said. “Something tells me it’s about a certain somepony.”

“You’re talking about Cozy Glow?” SIlverstream asked.

“I think it may be some pony else,” Gallus replied.

At another table, Starlight Glimmer, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow and Grogar were all eating together, all while Grogar was striking up a conversation with the group.

“One time,” Grogar said. “I discovered a mysterious world populated by humanoid creatures.”

“That sounds alot like the human world that Sunset Shimmer invited me to,” Starlight Glimmer said. “By any chance, did you transform into a human?”

“I sure did,” Grogar replied. “But back then, they were a bit more primitive than we were and they had no access to magic. But at the same time, they built these horrible machines of destruction that could ravage cities in hours. One of the leaders was a megalomaniac that desired loyalty within his followers, and to cast out those who he claimed were unworthy.”

“Sounds a lot like every wannabe villain,” Discord said. “Especially a certain some pony we had to put up with.”

“Oh he was far worse than Neigh Nanners,” Grogar said. “In fact, this leader was far scarier than Neigh Nanners. He didn’t need magic to make his followers obey. His voice, his words, he could strike fear into anyone who dared cross him. And he wanted to wipe out certain groups of people just for being different.”

“And he didn’t have the need for an Emotion Amplifier?” Chrysalis said. “Sounds like the human world is a scary place to be, along with this so-called leader.”

“It sure is in a way,” Grogar said. “But despite his ability to strike fear into the hearts of humans, this so-called leader was revealed to be a coward when opposing forces were able to fight back against his army. In the end, his desire for power doomed him to a worldwide pariah status.”

“Even back when I had a desire for power,” Tirek said. “I thought those kinds of ideals were way too much. I would have preferred to conquer a nation, not go through with vicious propaganda.”

“Oooh, you would have hated what I did,” Starlight said. “Except not on the level of this monster that Grogar described.”

Suddenly, Cozy Glow felt something tap her side. She turned to her left and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Diamond Tiara looking up at her.

“Guys?” Cozy Glow said. “What are you all doing here?”

“We just came to check up on you, Cozy Glow,” Apple Bloom said.

“Check up on…me?” Cozy Glow replied. “Even after all I did to you?”

“Even despite all you did to us during that time,” Sweetie Belle said.

“And the fact that you took our side when Neigh Nanners attacked us,” Scootaloo said.

Cozy Glow was at a loss for words. She turned towards Starlight Glimmer and tapped on her shoulder, catching the unicorn’s attention.

“Hey Starlight,” Cozy Glow said. “I don’t get it. I was a rotten filly when I tried to take the magic of Equestria during my time at the School of Friendship. Why the change of heart?”

“It’s because you had a change in heart,” Starlight said. “You and your new friends.”

Cozy Glow turned towards Chrysalis and Tirek, who just turned away and whistled innocently. Immediately, Cozy glared down at the two.

“What is the meaning of this?” Cozy Glow said in a cold tone.

“Kid,” Chrysalis said. “You’ve been a great companion since we first met. But where we’re going, I don’t think you should follow.”

“Wait wha?” Cozy Glow said.

Tirek just sighed and said “We’re already done playing the bad guy. But at the same time, we’re not ready to be accepted into Equestrian society…yet. You, on the other hand, are far more integrated into Equestrian Society because of who you are. Therefore, we had a chat with Princess Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia about your reinstatement into the School of Friendship.”

Cozy Glow was at a loss for words. Starlight reached down and waved her hoof in front of her eyes.

“Hello in there,” Starlight said. “I’ve been going through the paperwork on getting your reinstated into the School of Friendship. Sure some of the other students are still upset over what you did. But it will take some time for you to readjust to your return, and the extra activities I have planned for your rehabilitation.”

But Cozy Glow continued to stand there. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Babs Seed just looked at Cozy, who continued to draw up a blank.

“It’s as if someone turned her to stone,” Babs Seed said.

Immediately, Diamond Tiara got on her hind legs and placed her arms around Cozy Glow, snapping her out of her trance.

“Look,” Diamond Tiara said. “I may not have been as big of a villain as you were. But I was a despicable villain, picking on the Cutie Mark Crusaders like they were inferior. And I know being given a second chance in life wasn’t easy. It took some time to get used to. But I was glad to have been given that second chance. And you should too.”

“She’s right.” Cozy Glow turned her head to her left to see Smolder standing there.

“Smolder?” Cozy Glow said, confused.

“I knew back then you were a troublesome little brat,” Smolder said. “But after what happened on the battlefield, and with Neigh Nanners, you’re not as bad as some of the more awful ponies. Sure some will be suspicious of you. But right now, I’m willing to give you a second chance, just because you helped us take down Neigh Nanners. So know that you have at least a good number of friends willing to give you that second chance.”

“And that’s not the only thing,” Diamond Tiara said, causing Cozy Glow to turn back towards the earth pony filly. “There is someone that I would like to introduce you to.”

Diamond Tiara got down from her chair and walked aside, where Silver Spoon walked up from behind the Crusaders and towards Cozy.

“Cozy Glow, is it?” Silver Spoon said, scratching the back of her head. “I…guess we both…have a lot in common.”

“Not really,” Cozy Glow said. “You were under Neigh Nanners’ spell. It wasn’t your fault that you went up against all of us.”

“And yet,” Silver Spoon said. “I don’t think I can live down what I did, even if it wasn’t my fault.”

Cozy Glow got out of her chair and sat next to Silver Spoon. She reached out and said “Don’t let that get to you. You’re far stronger in character compared to me. And what you need right now, despite myself denying it, is a friend of sorts to at least help you get through the trauma you got.”

With that, Cozy Glow reached out and gave Silver Spoon a hug, causing the filly to crack a smile. Immediately, Diamond Tiara, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Babs Seed reached out and hugged Silver Spoon and Cozy Glow.

“Friends forever?” Cozy Glow asked.

Silver Spoon looked around the others before looking at Cozy Glow and said “Friends forever.”

Back on the table, as the rest of the group watched on, Discord turned towards Grogar.

“I think this is the reason why Princess Celestia freed me from stone,” Discord said. “To remind me what new life I would have instead of staying as a villain. You never know what surprises do pop up.”

Grogar chuckled and said “Well that being said, once the feast is over I will make my departure.”

“And just where are you going?” Discord said, turning his attention towards Grogar.

“To enjoy more of my retirement,” Grogar said with a smile.

“And give up the magic of friendship itself?” Discord said.

Grogar chuckled a bit more and said “It’s mainly to enjoy some serenity following this final battle. But I will return one day to check up on any threats to this world. Mark my word.”

Discord laughed and said “Well it was fun to work with you, Grogar.”

“The feeling’s mutual, Discord,” Grogar replied.

Nearby, Chrysalis, Tirek and Starlight just stood there, smirking at the two former villains.

“Ever get the feeling that Grogar and Discord are more related to each other than you realize?” Chrysalis asked.

“That sounds a bit far fetched,” Starlight replied with a humorous chuckle.

Suddenly, Flurry Heart flew out of nowhere and grabbed onto Tirek, surprising the Centaur. Tirek gently pulled Flurry Heart off his back and held her up.

“Look kid,” Tirek said. “I know you want to see more of me. But I’ll be departing soon after this is over.”

Flurry Heart’s face turned from joy to sorrow. It looked as if she were about to burst into tears.

Tirek let out a sigh and said “Look. I’ll promise you this. When I am ready, I’ll come back to visit. So don’t let me catch you crying you silly.”

Flurry Heart giggled in delight as Tirek sat her down onto the ground. Immediately, a voice rang out. Flurry and Tirek turned to see Shining Armor running up to the duo.

“Flurry,” Shining Armor yelled as he ran up. “Please don’t give Tirek a hard time.”

“Ahhh she wasn’t,” Tirek said. “I just wanted to say good-bye to her before we parted ways.”

Shining Armor picked up Flurry Heart and said “Are you sure you wanna do this? After all you did to help out?”

“Even if all of Equestria saw me in a more positive light, I can’t just yet,” Tirek stated. “Until I truly discover why I should embrace the Magic of Friendship, I’m going to have to go on this quest to rediscover myself. Only Chrysalis will be going with me.”

“Well,” Shining Armor said. “As long as you don’t cause any trouble, you are welcome in the Crystal Empire.”

Tirek cracked his knuckles and said “Who said I was going to get in any trouble?”

Shining Armor just looked up at Tirek in a scared pose while Flurry Heart giggled again.

“Gotcha,” Tirek said, causing Shining Armor to laugh out loud.

“Real cute, Tirek,” Shining Armor said. “Real Cute.”

At a nearby table, the rest of the Mane Six sat with the Pillars of Equestria and the rest of the Apple Family, enjoying each other’s company and the food on their plate. Pinkie Pie was up on her hind hooves, making a number of ice cream plates for everyone else on the table.

“And that’s one Apple Pie ice cream for Applejack and one dark chocolate for Stygian,” Pinkie Pie said as she placed the last plates of ice cream on the table.

“Nothing like kicking back and enjoying the moment following a victory,” Applejack said. “I’d say we all deserve it.”

The rest of the group raised their spoons into the air and chanted “Here here.”

“And thank goodness,” Granny Smith said. “After what that hooligan Neigh Nanners did, I’d say we all deserve this victory.”

“Indeed,” Rarity said as she took a bite of blueberry ice cream. “But I still wonder what was Neigh Nanners’ motivation into siccing half of this whole planet against us?”

“It’s a mystery that even I won’t figure out,” Mage Meadowbrook said.

“I think the one problem that Neigh Nanners has,” Sugar Belle said “Was a desire for attention. That newspaper he put out before deciding to go all out was more like a tabloid pretending to be news.”

“That’s right,” Fluttershy said. “But I wonder how he was able to get away with it?”

“There was a report I read about Princess Celestia wanting to shut that newspaper down long ago,” Somnambula said. “But a number of ponies protested its shuttering, and when they started putting out anti-Celestia propaganda, her popularity fell, forcing her to back off.”

“I remember that,” Rainbow Dash said. “I also heard that the Wonderbolts were forced to call off a performance in Tallahorsey because of that newspaper’s own hit piece.”

“That’s just despicable,” Rockhoof said as he slammed his hoof on the table, causing the ice creams to shake a bit. “The news should point to facts and the truth, not to some mambo jambo trash words on a paper.”

“The one thing that matters is that thanks to Neigh Nanners,” Mistmane said. “That newspaper company will be shut down for good, allowing the truth to flow freely into society once more. And it’s something worth fighting for.”

Big Mac nodded with his typical “Eeyup.”

But Stygian looked up at Starswirl, attracting the attention of his mentor and friend.

“You look worried, Stygian,” Starswirl said.

“I know you were able to shrug off that fight on the battlefield and you didn’t fall to Neigh Nanners’ own spell,” Stygian said. “But I wonder what would have happened if you did fall? Or worse?”

Immediately, Starswirl got out of his chair as he approached Stygian and said “Look. One day, I’m going to be gone from this world. This time, for good. It will happen.”

“But what can I do?” Stygian said. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“And you won’t,” Starswirl said before pointing his hoof at the rest of the Mane Six and the Pillars. “You have plenty of friends to help you through these hard times.”

Stygian looked at the others before he said “I know. But…”

Immediately, Starswirl placed his hoof on Stygian’s mouth before he said “It’s going to be okay. No matter what happens, I will be with you.” Immediately, Starswirl pointed down to Stygian’s chest.

“In my heart?” Stygian asked.

“Yes,” Starswirl replied. “Never forget that.”

Stygian nodded as he reached out and gave Starswirl a hug. The rest of the group watched on with smiles on their faces.

“It’s moments like these that make life worth living,” Grand Pear said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Pinkie Pie turned to her left to see Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and Spike walking up to her.

“Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said. “What are you, Sunset and Spike doing here?”

“Just checking up on all my friends and it seems they’re all satisfied,” Twilight said.

“And we came to get some ice cream,” Spike said as he licked his lips.

“Well what will it be?” Pinkie asked.

“Make mine a cinnamon chocolate,” Sunset replied. “The spicier the better.”

“You got it,” Pinkie said as she reached down and began to dig out some ice cream.

Sunset turned towards Twilight and said “So what will happen now that you’re forming the Guardians of Harmony?”

“I’d say give it a year or two,” Twilight replied. “Once we know that all threats have been dealt with, then I can consider my ascension to the throne. What about you?”

As a plate with Cinnamon Chocolate Ice Cream sat on a table, Sunset said “I think I’m going to stick around for a while. I know my friends back in the human world will miss me. But I’ll check in on them when I get the chance.”

“Good thing you graduated, Sunset,” Spike said.

“And completed the post-graduation vacation,” Sunset said before taking a bite of cinnamon chocolate ice cream.

“You know,” Pinkie Pie said. “Whatever happened to Neigh Nanners? Isn’t he occupying Cozy Glow’s former cell now?”

“Well not right now,” Twilight smiled.

Sunset laughed and said “You didn’t get the memo?”

“What memo?” Pinkie asked.

“Well see for yourself,” Sunset said as she pointed to a nearby table.

At said table, a couple of guards stood next to Neigh Nanners, who was reluctantly placing delicious plates of food onto the table for the guests.

“That takes care of that,” one of the guards said. “Come along.”

As the guards escorted Neigh Nanners and the serving cart to another table, the defeated villain said to himself “I would have preferred being turned to stone than to go through this humiliating experience.”

That’s Not All Folks. There is one more part remaining. Stay tuned.

Author's Note:

So as you can tell, there is only one more part left. What is it that will wrap this fanfic up? Stay tuned.

Comments

[the informational dude]

If I had to guess what it is the next chapter will be, it'll have to be like a two-year time skip, to Twilight's coronation, and then a further time skip to Luster Dawn or something. Just my thoughts.

[Starlight Nova]

How dark will this story get?

[SaburoDaimando]

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There is only one more chapter left. And it will be short and sweet.

[SaburoDaimando]

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It's a surprise.