The Book of the Ascension

by Tunneling Carp

Ascension

In the city of Canterlot, in the kingdom of Equestria, there lived a mare called Twilight Velvet, who was married to a stallion named Night Light. ²They had one foal, a colt named Shining Armor. ³The family was honorable though they had no noble blood in their line; ⁴they were obedient to Princess Celestia, and followed the laws of the kingdom.

⁵Now it came to pass that the nine hundred seventy-ninth Summer Sun Celebration was to be held in Canterlot. ⁶Twilight Velvet, who was with foal, wished for Shining Armor to see for himself the magnificent power of their princess. ⁷So the entire family rose early on that day, before the sunrise, ⁸and went to the location of the Sunraising Ceremony, which was to take place on the eastern balcony of Canterlot. ⁹And when they arrived, they saw that the balcony was already full of ponies. ¹⁰So they took a place for themselves near the back of the crowd.

¹¹When the princess appeared upon the dais at the edge of the balcony, Shining Armor was filled with great excitement. ¹²He broke away from his mother and father and galloped towards the front of the crowd, so that he might see the princess unobstructed. ¹³Twilight Velvet, not wishing to lose her firstborn foal over the edge of the city, raced after him. ¹⁴She caught up with him and began to admonish him, ¹⁵but fell into respectful silence as the princess’s horn lit and the sun began to rise. ¹⁶And when Princess Celestia brought the sun into view, its very first ray struck Twilight Velvet upon her flank, directly above her womb. ¹⁷And the foal within her was granted a portion of the power of the princess, channeled through the sun. ¹⁸But nopony at the celebration was aware such a thing had happened. ¹⁹It was in this way that Twilight Sparkle, the daughter of Twilight Velvet and Night Light, ²⁰was granted a blessing of power even before the day of her birth.

The Circle of Friendship

2When Twilight Sparkle was born, there was no outward sign of the power she had been granted. ²And as she grew and her natural magic emerged, the blessed power of the Sun still lay asleep within her. ³Her magic was strong but ordinary, no different from that of her classmates and friends.

⁴When she reached the age where young unicorns establish the path their magical talents will take, ⁵her parents brought her to the School for Gifted Unicorns, for they knew her magic was strong. ⁶And she was placed before a high committee of judges and was given a task: ⁷bring life from a shell; coax a dragon from its egg. ⁸But she was filled with great fear, and could not bring forth the magic to fulfill the required task. ⁹And so she was dismayed, and prepared to leave the testing chamber.

¹⁰Now in the city of Cloudsdale, at the same time that Twilight Sparkle’s test was to commence, ¹¹a contest was held between a pegasus filly and two pegasus colts: a contest of speed. ¹²(This race was in defense of another filly, who had suffered grave insults from the colts.) ¹³And near the end of this race, the filly, named Rainbow Dash, flew with such speed ¹⁴that she sent forth a magical wave, a ring of color, a sonic rainboom!

¹⁵The sonic rainboom was seen across all Equestria, and by certain specific fillies:

¹⁶On the ground below Cloudsdale, the ring was seen by a pegasus, ¹⁷who called out with kindness to the frightened animals around her, and they heeded her.

¹⁸On a rock farm near Ghastly Gorge, the ring was seen by an earth pony, ¹⁹and when it cleared the sky she saw the colors and majesty of the world laid bare before her, and she was filled with joy.

²⁰On the balcony of a tower in Manehattan, the ring was seen by an earth pony, ²¹who was inspired by its beauty to leave the false life of the city and return to her true home of Ponyville.

²²On a hill outside the town of Ponyville, the ring was seen by a unicorn, unveiling a hidden store of fine gems, ²³which she resolved to share and not keep for herself.

²⁴And within a chamber of the School for Gifted Unicorns, the magic of the rainboom called forth the holy power of the sun hidden deep within Twilight Sparkle, ²⁵whose horn erupted with powerful magic!

²⁶Her magic filled the room: it raised the judges from the floor; it transformed the bodies of her mother and father; ²⁷it brought forth the dragon, not as an infant, but fully grown! ²⁸The judges were rendered speechless, and Princess Celestia herself flew to the room ²⁹and undid the destructive effects of the holy magic. For it has been written:

³⁰Magic acts as the heart commands; an impure soul turns blessed magic into evil!^a

³¹And so it was that the six chosen fillies, the Elect of the pony races, received their cutie marks:

³²To the pegasus of Loyalty, the symbol of victory!

³³To the pegasus of Kindness, the symbol of peace!

³⁴To the earth pony of Laughter, the symbol of cheer!

³⁵To the earth pony of Honesty, the symbol of belonging!

³⁶To the unicorn of Generosity, the symbol of wealth!

³⁷To the unicorn of Magic, the symbol of power!

³⁸Then Princess Celestia gave honor and acclamation to Twilight Sparkle, inviting her to become her own personal student. ³⁹And Twilight Sparkle accepted, and both she and her parents were filled with pride. ⁴⁰But Princess Celestia was concerned with the power displayed by Twilight Sparkle, and pondered its implications deeply.

⁴¹Twilight Sparkle was assigned the Dragon she had hatched as her servant, and she gave him the name Spike. ⁴²And she studied under the princess’s guidance, and grew in wisdom under her teachings.

^aMorals 8:14

Twilight Sparkle Arrives in Ponyville

3When the time came for the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration to be held, Princess Celestia chose the town of Ponyville as the location where she would raise the sun. ²And she instructed Twilight Sparkle to go ahead of her to Ponyville, to oversee the preparations that were being made.

³Now, throughout her education, Twilight Sparkle had excelled in every subject presented to her, save one. ⁴And it was the most crucial of subjects that she did not understand: the subject of Friendship! ⁵So Princess Celestia spoke to her directly, saying, ⁶“Ensure the celebration is in readiness, but keep your focus on the knowledge you lack! ⁷The subject of Friendship eludes you yet, so go: ⁸learn of Friendship away from the city of Canterlot, and return as its master!”

⁹Twilight Sparkle was greatly troubled at this command, for she had learned from the ancient scriptures of the prophecy concerning Nightmare Moon:

¹⁰The thousandth year; the longest day:

The stars shall help her break away,

¹¹Her wings she spreads, from moon takes flight,

And coats the world in endless night!^b

¹²And she protested her assignment to the princess, but to no avail. ¹³For the princess knew the scriptures, and knew what Twilight Sparkle had failed to comprehend: ¹⁴the prophecy must be fulfilled, to reunite the two royal sisters, ¹⁵to make Equestria whole again.

¹⁶So Twilight Sparkle left Canterlot and traveled to Ponyville, and she began to oversee the preparations. ¹⁷But her thoughts were not with the task, for she wished to abandon her responsibilities ¹⁸and return to study the prophecy of Nightmare Moon, even against the instructions of her princess! ¹⁹But Spike, the dragon who was her servant, prevented her from disregarding the command. ²⁰So she visited each of the ponies who were to prepare the celebration. These ponies were:

²¹Applejack, the honest earth pony

²²Rainbow Dash, the loyal pegasus

²³Rarity, the generous unicorn

²⁴Fluttershy, the kind pegasus

²⁵Pinkie Pie, the laughing earth pony

²⁶And throughout the entirety of her task, where she met each of the Elect, Twilight Sparkle did not realize their connection, ²⁷that they were brought to their life’s purpose through the same event.

²⁸But Princess Celestia did know. And when Twilight Sparkle had met each of the Elect, and had been shown the path to Friendship, ²⁹Princess Celestia (who had been secretly observing her student Twilight Sparkle) knew the time of prophecy had arrived, ³⁰and she spoke to the stars, commanding them to move, so that Nightmare Moon might return.

^bThe Exile 14:21-22

The Six Convene

4When the ponies of Ponyville gathered to see Princess Celestia raise the sun, Twilight Sparkle was among them, ²for her dragon servant had brought her from the library where she had hidden. ³But when the ceremony was to begin, it was not Princess Celestia who appeared before them, but Nightmare Moon!

⁴And the ponies assembled there fled from her presence, and the Six did so as well. ⁵But the Six ran with purpose, not with fear. ⁶For they had discovered that the Elements of Harmony, ⁷the holy artifacts which had banished Nightmare Moon one thousand years prior, ⁸were located nearby, within the ancient Castle of the Two Sisters.

⁹Nightmare Moon knew this as well, for she could sense the Elements’ power, and she retreated to the castle in order to safeguard the Elements from the Six. ¹⁰And she laid traps for the Six on the way to the castle.

¹¹The first trap was the Trap of Doubt, the second the Trap of Rage, ¹²the third the Trap of Fear, the fourth the Trap of Despair, and the fifth the Trap of Pride. ¹³But all of these traps were defeated by the talents of the Six. ¹⁴Honesty led them through the Trap of Doubt. Kindness calmed the Trap of Rage. ¹⁵Laughter negated the Trap of Fear. Generosity uplifted the Trap of Despair. And Loyalty overcame the Trap of Pride. ¹⁶And Twilight Sparkle, who was the leader of the Six, saw these acts of her friends, ¹⁷and knew they possessed within them the spirits of the Elements of Harmony.

Nightmare Moon is Defeated

¹⁸When the Six arrived at the location where the Elements of Harmony were kept, and were confronted by Nightmare Moon herself, ¹⁹Twilight Sparkle provided the spark to reveal the sixth Element: the Element of Magic. ²⁰For this spark was the greatest magic of all, ²¹the magic present within Equinity since the beginning, the magic of Friendship! ²²And as the spark brought forth the sixth Element, all the Elements delivered themselves to their bearers, ²³those who were in truth the Elements in Equine form: the Six!

²⁴The Elements were thus activated, and their power was sent forth against the Nightmare, and she was once again defeated. ²⁵But the manner of her defeat was not the same. ²⁶The Elements did not return Nightmare Moon to her prison upon the Moon, as had occurred one thousand years prior. ²⁷Instead, the magic of Friendship was added to the magic of Harmony, ²⁸and stripped the Nightmare from its vessel! And thus the Nightmare was banished forever.

²⁹The Nightmare’s vessel, the mare it had possessed, lay prone in the center of the castle. ³⁰And Princess Celestia, who had kept herself in solitude so that the Six could discover their true purpose, ³¹appeared next to the mare, and spoke kindly to her, and raised her to her hooves. ³²For the mare, who had been enslaved to the Nightmare’s power and was now freed, ³³was in truth the younger sister of the Princess of the Day: Luna, the Princess of the Night!

³⁴And the Six were filled with awe, and gave honor to their princesses, ³⁵for where once there was one sovereign, now there were two! ³⁶And the princesses showered praise upon the Six, and made to return to Canterlot, ³⁷where they would reign together, as equals. ³⁸But before their departure, Princess Celestia gave one final command to her student, Twilight Sparkle: ³⁹to stay in Ponyville, to remain with her friends, to master the magic of Friendship! ⁴⁰And Twilight Sparkle accepted this command with gladness, for she wished for the Six to remain together, as friends.

⁴¹So the Six returned to Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle began her study of Friendship. ⁴²And the Five aided her in her study, and she in turn aided them, and the power of Friendship within them grew.

The Spirit of Disharmony is Released

5Within the Royal Gardens of Canterlot there stood a grotesque statue, a statue depicting a creature nopony could identify. ²For although there were familiar aspects present within the creature, these aspects were joined together in a strange^c manner. ³It appeared as an amalgamation of all sorts of creatures: goats, deer, ponies, even dragons! ⁴But none save the princesses knew the truth of the statue, that it was a magically frozen spirit, powerful and ancient; it was the Spirit of Disharmony!

⁵And one day, some time after the Six had returned to Ponyville and spread Friendship throughout the town, ⁶the bonds holding the spirit in place became weak, and it escaped from its prison! ⁷For the spell which bound it in place was tied to the Elements of Harmony through the princesses. ⁸But when the Six took command of the Elements, the spell was weakened, for the princesses were no longer connected to it.

⁹The spirit, whose name was Discord, returned to life, and took a form of flesh. ¹⁰And his magic spread throughout Equestria, replacing harmony with disharmony. ¹¹And the disharmony threatened to tear the land asunder! ¹²So the princesses summoned the Six, and said to them, ¹³“Our magic is insufficient to deal with this threat. ¹⁴You, who possess the Elements, must do what we cannot, and imprison our foe!”

The Spirit Receives Friendship

¹⁵Now the spirit was very crafty, and he knew that the Elements were required to imprison him again. ¹⁶So he stole the Elements, and hid them away where he believed nopony would find them. ¹⁷And the Six were filled with distress, for they believed there was now no way to obey their princesses’ command. ¹⁸So Princess Celestia pondered the spirit, and decided that it should be reformed.^{d 19}She came to Fluttershy, and told her, “You who embody the Element of Kindness, hear the words of Friendship through me! ²⁰You must go to this spirit yourself, and show Kindness unto him. ²¹For through you the magic of Friendship will be shared, and he shall become our ally!”

²²So Fluttershy did as she was commanded. ²³And although she was greatly afraid, she showed Kindness to the spirit. ²⁴And through this act, the spirit was given over to Friendship. ²⁵For the spirit, having tasted of the magic of Friendship, saw how it compared to his own magic of Chaos, ²⁶and resolved to join the side of Equinity, and use his magic for the benefit of ponies. ²⁷And the spirit retrieved the Elements and returned them to the Six, to reflect the Friendship he now possessed.

²⁸So it was that Discord, the lord of Chaos, became an ally to the princesses.

^cOr an unholy manner

^dOther versions command. But Twilight Sparkle, who was wise in the ways of Friendship, saw another way to defeat the spirit.

The Princess of Love and the Captain of the Guard

6At the same time that Twilight Sparkle was studying under Princess Celestia, her brother Shining Armor was growing strong in his own magic. ²And as befitted his name, his magic took the form of protection. ³He displayed much skill, such that the princess took notice of him, and invited him into the Royal Guard. ⁴And as his sister excelled in her own craft, so too did he excel in his, ⁵and he was swiftly promoted to Captain of the Guard.

⁶And while performing his duties, he encountered a royal princess, whose name was Mi Amore Cadenza, and became enamored with her. ⁷And likewise she became enamored with him. ⁸And their Love was stronger than any Love that had come before, for she was the Princess of Love. ⁹So they made plans to be married, and their marriage was to take place in Canterlot.

The Changelings Are Revealed

¹⁰Now in those days, the Changeling race was isolated and hostile. ¹¹For they had not yet learned to produce their own magic, and instead survived upon Love that they stole from other creatures. ¹²And their queen, who was named Chrysalis, sensed the strength of the Love between Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor, ¹³and made plans to take it for herself. ¹⁴For the ponies of Equestria knew not of the Changelings, and had no defenses prepared against them.

¹⁵So Queen Chrysalis used her magic to imprison Princess Cadenza and take her form. ¹⁶And she bewitched Shining Armor, so that his protection of the city would fall, upon her command. ¹⁷Then she called her own subjects to join her, ¹⁸and stationed some within the city, and some outside the city, and some in other parts of Equestria. ¹⁹And she allowed the wedding to move forward, for her plan was to distract the ponies of Canterlot as she drained Shining Armor of his magic.

²⁰The Six were invited to Canterlot to assist with the wedding, but none except Twilight Sparkle were able to sense the deception of Queen Chrysalis. ²¹So Queen Chrysalis turned the Five against Twilight Sparkle, and Shining Armor with them, ²²so that Twilight Sparkle was filled with doubt. But the queen was foolish, ²³and she imprisoned Twilight Sparkle in the same place as Princess Cadenza, for she thought her victory was imminent.

7Princess Cadenza and Twilight Sparkle quickly escaped from their captivity, ²for the magics of Friendship and Love combined were more powerful than the barriers that held them in place. ³And the two ran together to the room where the wedding was to take place, ⁴and there they found Queen Chrysalis and Shining Armor, along with the assembled guests. ⁵And when Princess Cadenza entered the room, all the ponies present were bewildered at the sight, ⁶for it appeared that she was in two places at once!

⁷Then Queen Chrysalis revealed her true shape, and, calling to her subjects, bade them attack the ponies of Canterlot. ⁸The Changelings who were exposed outside the city flew over its walls, and the Changelings who were hidden inside the city rose to join them, ⁹and together they captured many ponies, including the Six. ¹⁰And even Princess Celestia was unable to stand against Queen Chrysalis, and was placed in captivity along with the ponies of Canterlot.

Canterlot is Saved from the Changelings

¹¹Then Queen Chrysalis bound Princess Cadenza to the floor, and confined the Six within the same room, and thought her victory complete. ¹²For the Six were unable to reach their Elements, and Shining Armor had been fully drained of his magic. ¹³But as the queen celebrated, Twilight Sparkle freed Princess Cadenza from her bonds. ¹⁴And the princess galloped to Shining Armor, and broke the spell that was placed over him. ¹⁵Then Princess Cadenza shared her Love with him, and Twilight Sparkle shared her Friendship with him, and he felt his own magic return! ¹⁶And before Queen Chrysalis could act, Shining Armor sent out his magic of protection!

¹⁷The magic flowed from Shining Armor as a violent wave, expelling every Changeling from the city! ¹⁸Their bodies were as leaves before a gale, unable to resist the force that pushed them away. ¹⁹And Shining Armor’s protection once again enclosed the city.

²⁰Then the Changelings saw that they could not triumph over the ponies on this day, ²¹and they fled back to the safety of their hive, leaving only a few of their number behind. ²²And Queen Chrysalis fled with them, and cursed the ponies in her heart, and began to plot against them once again.

²³Then Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor were married, and there was a great celebration within Canterlot. ²⁴For the ponies of Canterlot were celebrating both the royal marriage, and the victory of Friendship and Love. ²⁵And after the celebration ended, the Six returned to Ponyville.

The Crystal Empire Emerges

8The Six grew strong in Friendship over the following months, and continued to spread Friendship wherever they went. ²And it was nearly a year before Princesses Celestia and Luna commanded them to return to Canterlot.

³When the Six arrived, they were told the reason they had been summoned: ⁴in the Far North, the land from whence the three pony tribes fled during the Days of Strife,^{e 5}the Crystal Empire had emerged from the spell that froze it in time.^{f 6}And with the empire’s return, its influence over Equestria returned as well:

⁷Your Spirit shall be Our Spirit, Your Heart shall be Our Heart.

We declare this before all creation: let our kingdoms be forever intertwined!^g

⁸All this was explained to the Six, and Twilight Sparkle was given a task by the princesses. ⁹She must travel with her friends to the Crystal Empire, and join Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor there. ¹⁰And together they would face the princesses’ ancient enemy, ¹¹the Umbrum King Sombra, who had returned along with the empire. ¹²Should he prevail against them, the inhabitants of the Crystal Empire would become his slaves, and Equestria would be held under his fearful shadow. ¹³Twilight Sparkle was instructed to prevent King Sombra from conquering the Crystal Empire, so that Love and Friendship would reign over the empire forever.

¹⁴The Six departed from Canterlot, and arrived in the Frozen North, and they were greeted by Shining Armor. ¹⁵But before they reached the border of the Crystal Empire, they were set upon by King Sombra! ¹⁶He appeared in the form of black haze, for as an Umbrum he was imbued with vapor magic, ¹⁷and he pursued them as far as the Shield of Hope. ¹⁸(The Shield of Hope surrounded the Crystal Empire, and drew its strength from the Hope of the ponies inside.) ¹⁹King Sombra could not pass through the Shield of Hope, but he used crystal magic to seal off Shining Armor’s own magic before he and the Six entered the empire.

^eOrigin 13:5

^fAnnals 25:18

^gAnnals 16:2

The Crystal Empire is Restored

9And inside the shield, the Six found Princess Cadenza near exhaustion, ²as she was maintaining the shield through her magic alone. ³Shining Armor had previously helped to support the shield, but his magic was now blocked. ⁴The crystal ponies who inhabited the empire were downcast and fearful, for to them it appeared to be only days since King Sombra was exiled. ⁵And they were unable to supply Hope to the shield, or indicate to the Six how to restore Hope to the Crystal Empire.

⁶Then the Six learned of the Crystal Faire, and of the Crystal Heart that was its focus.^{h 7}And the Five made preparations to hold the Faire on the following day, ⁸and Twilight Sparkle began to search for the Crystal Heart, which had been secreted away by King Sombra. ⁹Twilight Sparkle was assisted in her endeavor by her servant Spike, who had come with them to the Crystal Empire. ¹⁰After much searching, they passed through a number of magical deceptions that King Sombra had laid in their path, and came upon the Crystal Heart!

¹¹But there was one final trap, a ring of magical crystals that trapped Twilight Sparkle next to the Crystal Heart’s holding-place. ¹²For she was headstrong, and thought of nothing but her victory. ¹³And her magic was sealed off, just as her brother’s had been, and she was unable to escape. ¹⁴So she passed the Crystal Heart to Spike, and instructed him to bring it to the Crystal Faire, ¹⁵to complete the task she had been assigned. For she was unable to do so herself.

¹⁶And at the moment Spike reached the Faire, and placed the Crystal Heart on its pedestal, ¹⁷Princess Cadenza’s magic failed, and King Sombra passed through the Shield of Hope. ¹⁸And he made to steal back the Heart, and thus remove the last barrier to his return, so that he could rule over the crystal ponies forever. ¹⁹But when the Heart was revealed to them, the crystal ponies’ Hope returned, and their Hope was reflected through the Heart. ²⁰Then the Heart banished King Sombra from the Crystal Empire, and he was never seen within its borders again.

²¹The crystal ponies came to Princess Cadenza, and asked her to become their ruler, ²²for they had seen with their own eyes how bravely she had defended them. ²³And she accepted, and she and Shining Armor became Princess and Prince of the Crystal Empire. ²⁴And although Twilight Sparkle had been the one to discover the Crystal Heart, she did not complete the task as it was given to her by Princess Celestia. ²⁵So as a result of her failure, the honor was instead given to Spike, her servant, for he was the one who had returned their Crystal Heart to them. ²⁶And they named him Hero of the Empire.

²⁷The land of Equestria was then filled with Love, ²⁸for through Princess Cadenza’s wise rule the magic of Love spread throughout the Crystal Empire, and was therefore spread through Equestria as well.

^hAnnals 16:7

The Transformation of Twilight Sparkle

10And there was peace throughout Equestria for a time. ²The Six continued to learn and grow in their understanding of Friendship, and Twilight Sparkle most of all. ³Princess Celestia took note of this, and one day she sent Twilight Sparkle a copy of an unfinished spell, ⁴penned by Star Swirl the Bearded thousands of years in the past. ⁵Twilight Sparkle was instructed to study the spell, and she obeyed immediately, casting it in its incomplete form.

⁶The spell appeared to have no effect, and Twilight Sparkle continued her study until the following day, ⁷when she discovered that the Five were acting in ways unsuited to their abilities. ⁸And she examined the Five further, and discovered that their cutie marks were changed:

⁹Honesty to generosity, generosity to loyalty, loyalty to kindness, kindness to laughter, laughter to honesty! ¹⁰Of the Six, only Twilight Sparkle did not feel the spell’s effect. ¹¹But of the Five, all were acting according to their new identities, and believed they had always done so. ¹²Yet their ability contradicted their belief, and each became discouraged at her own failure.

¹³And Twilight Sparkle knew not what manner of magic had caused such a change, and despaired of returning the Five to the lives they knew. ¹⁴But the magic of Friendship burned brightly within her, and she was thus inspired: ¹⁵to the ponies bound by Friendship, Friendship would prove the cure!

¹⁶So in Friendship Twilight Sparkle spoke to each of the Five in turn, ¹⁷and showed each of them her own previous role, which had been taken by another. ¹⁸And each of the Five realized their roles were not gone, but hidden, for they succeeded at their previous roles where the others had failed! ¹⁹And in this way, each mare’s cutie mark was returned to its rightful place, and Twilight Sparkle understood the manner in which the ancient spell was incomplete. ²⁰She created the ancient spell anew, adding Friendship where previously there was none, and the spell was finally completed!

²¹And when she cast the new spell, she was immediately brought before Princess Celestia, ²²to a location in which none but the three princesses had ever set hoof! ²³And Princess Celestia spoke respectfully to her, and imbued her with a gift: ²⁴a spark of Alicorn magic, which Princess Celestia had herself received upon her own mastery of Sun magic.^{i 25}And the Alicorn magic spread throughout her, and transformed her body as well as her magic, giving her the form of a true Alicorn! ²⁶Then Twilight Sparkle was returned to Ponyville, and was met there by the Five, who marveled at her new appearance! ²⁷And Princess Celestia appeared before them as well, and said:

²⁸“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, you have advanced further than any student that has come before you. ²⁹You have taken my teachings and applied them well, ³⁰and have created within you a new magic, which will guide your path for the rest of your immortal life. ³¹Use your magic wisely, for today you have become a princess! ³²You will lead, and others will follow, and Equestria will be forever changed by your acts!”

³³And thus Equestria gained a fourth princess: Princess Twilight Sparkle!

ⁱOrigin 14:23

11But Princess Twilight was not yet aware of the nature of her new abilities. ²For although she was the creator of the magic that sparked her ascension, she did not know its true identity. Therefore, she divided her time:

³A time for research, to discover her new purpose.

⁴A time for Friendship, to strengthen the Six.

⁵A time for formality, to act as a princess.

⁶But her research bore no fruit, and formality brought her no joy. So her attention was turned to Friendship above all.

Tirek, the Devourer of Magic

⁷In a previous time, before Twilight Sparkle became a princess, the entrance to Tartarus had been left unguarded for a short while: no more than a day. ⁸And while the guard was absent, a creature escaped its imprisonment: Tirek, the Centaur Lord. ⁹He had been imprisoned for stealing and consuming the magic of Equestria,^{j 10}and upon his escape intended to resume his crimes. ¹¹But he was weak after all his years in Tartarus, and required much time to regain his strength.

¹²Once his strength had been restored, he began to once again act against Equestria, targeting unicorns and draining their magic, as well as their cutie marks! ¹³But Princess Luna sensed his actions, and conferred with the other princesses as to what action should be taken. ¹⁴And they assigned Discord, their ally, to hunt Tirek and bring him back to Tartarus.

¹⁵This is what they told to Princess Twilight, and this is what she believed. ¹⁶But in truth, Discord’s assignment was but a ruse. ¹⁷For he and the princesses always intended Princess Twilight to be the one to defeat Tirek, ¹⁸but to do so in a way that she would understand her purpose as princess. ¹⁹And so they resolved to lose their magic to Tirek, that Princess Twilight must act without their help, ²⁰and so discover her new connection to Friendship.

²¹So their plan went forward. Discord feigned betrayal of the princesses, ²²and assisted Tirek in capturing the magic of not only the unicorns, but the pegasi and earth ponies as well! ²³Then the princesses called Princess Twilight to Canterlot, and spoke to her of Discord’s supposed betrayal. ²⁴And they said that Tirek would wish to steal Alicorn magic as well, and that it must be kept from him at all costs. ²⁵So they charged Princess Twilight with securing all Alicorn magic within herself, and hiding it away from him, ²⁶for Tirek would not know that a fourth princess now existed.

²⁷And Princess Twilight accepted the task, and the three princesses; Celestia, Luna, and Cadenza, placed all of their magic into Princess Twilight, ²⁸and they themselves were left powerless. ²⁹And they sent Princess Twilight away, directing her to keep the Alicorn magic for herself, and to use it to find a way to defeat Tirek.

³⁰But Tirek learned of Princess Twilight, for Princesses Celestia and Luna had left clues to her existence in the stained glass of the castle. ³¹And he and Discord captured the Five, and displayed them publicly in Ponyville, ³²knowing Princess Twilight would come to defend her friends. ³³And when Princess Twilight arrived, Tirek stole the magic from the Five, and from Discord as well, and challenged her directly. ³⁴Then they fought, Alicorn magic against stolen magic, and caused great destruction in the lands surrounding Ponyville thereby. ³⁵And when he realized they were evenly matched, Tirek summoned Discord and the Five to him, ³⁶and offered a trade to Princess Twilight: their lives for her magic. ³⁷And despite the Five’s entreaties, she gave her magic to Tirek.

³⁸But upon surrendering her natural magic, the Spirit of Friendship came upon Princess Twilight, ³⁹and chose her to be its embodiment in Equestria, for she had taken this action for the sake of her friends! ⁴⁰And Friendship was channeled through her, and was shared among the Six, ⁴¹and they once again challenged Tirek, together as friends! ⁴²And in spite of all the magic he had stolen, Tirek was defeated, for the magic of Friendship was greater than all other magics combined! ⁴³Then Tirek was returned to his prison in Tartarus, and all the stolen magic was returned to its rightful owners. ⁴⁴And through this, Princess Twilight realized the connection between Friendship and herself, ⁴⁵and was thus granted her true title: Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship!

^jAnnals 11:35

The Castle of Friendship

12Then the Spirit of Friendship came to Ponyville, and saw the destruction that had been wrought upon the library, ²which is where Princess Twilight had lived since her first arrival. ³And upon its ruins it constructed a castle, grand and resplendent, as befitted the Princess of Friendship.

⁴The castle sprouted from the roots of the Tree of Harmony,^j that ancient object from whence the Elements had come. ⁵It grew from the ground as one perfect crystal, ⁶splitting into branches as it rose, until its form resembled the tree that it was to replace. ⁷And between its branches, more crystals formed the walls, and the parapets, and the spires. ⁸And atop the tallest tower, a single crystal formed the star of Princess Twilight’s cutie mark, ⁹that all might see and know the Princess of Friendship resided within. ¹⁰Thus was created the Castle of Friendship.

¹¹The interior was ornate and majestic, filled with many hallways and rooms, ¹²and lit with the gentle glow of thousands of crystals. ¹³And of all the multitudinous rooms, the one of greatest import was the throne room. ¹⁴A table of purest amethyst was at the center, a fine map of Equestria illuminated upon it, ¹⁵and a throne for each of the Six was placed around it. ¹⁶For it was here, through this map, that the Spirit of Friendship would speak to the Six, ¹⁷and guide them to spread its influence throughout all Equestria.

The First Assignment

¹⁸And the Spirit of Friendship spoke to the Six, and showed to them a location in the far northeast of Equestria, and bade them travel there. ¹⁹So the Six set forth, traveling by train and by hoof, and discovered a small village, which bore the name “Our Town.”

²⁰The Six were welcomed with kindness, and were taken to meet the leader of the village, a unicorn mare named Starlight Glimmer. ²¹And she spoke to them warmly, and told of the manner of friendship the ponies of the village possessed, a friendship based on uniformity. ²²For each of the townsponies bore the same cutie mark, a mark of equality! ²³And the Six were told of the unity of the village: there were no quarrels, no boasts, nothing that could set the villagers apart!

²⁴Then the Six were brought to see the display of cutie marks that the villagers had chosen to remove from themselves, ²⁵in order that they might live together in their unity. ²⁶But Starlight Glimmer was tempted by the hope of converting a princess to the cause of friendship through equality, a false friendship. ²⁷She stole the cutie marks from the Six, replacing them with the mark of equality! ²⁸Then the Six were captured and confined, for the loss of their cutie marks made them no stronger or weaker than any of the villagers.

^jOrigin 14:3

13And they sat in confinement for a number of days. ²Starlight Glimmer preached to them constantly, extolling the merits of equality, ³and each day they were brought before the village and asked to join in the false friendship of equality. ⁴And on the third day, Princess Twilight spoke to Fluttershy, and commanded her to falsely declare loyalty to equality, and thus deceive Starlight Glimmer. ⁵For of the Six, Fluttershy had professed the greatest acceptance of the equality shown to them, and thus her conversion would be believed. ⁶And Fluttershy was tasked with retrieving the cutie marks of the Six, and thus restoring their strength to them. ⁷Then, with their strength restored, the Six would show the power of true Friendship to the village, and bring the village to the side of truth!

⁸But Fluttershy, upon attempting to recover the cutie marks, discovered that Starlight Glimmer did not possess the same cutie mark as the villagers; ⁹her mark of equality was a forgery! ¹⁰And the next time the rest of the Six were brought before the village, Fluttershy caused the deception of Starlight Glimmer to be revealed before all! ¹¹And the villagers were aggrieved, and rejected their false friendship in favor of the true Friendship, which the Six had demonstrated for them. ¹²And upon taking back their own cutie marks, they drove Starlight Glimmer from the village and recovered the cutie marks of the Six.

¹³In this way, Friendship was shown to the villagers, and they chose to accept it. ¹⁴And upon returning to the Six their cutie marks, the Friendship given also was returned. ¹⁵Thus, the magic of true Friendship prevailed over the false friendship of equality.

¹⁶And the Spirit of Friendship continued to speak to the Six, and they listened and obeyed, ¹⁷traveling to all the ends of Equestria and spreading Friendship wherever they went.

Starlight Glimmer Seeks Revenge

14During this time, Starlight Glimmer also traveled throughout Equestria, seeking a way to take revenge upon the Six for the loss of her village and the ponies she commanded. ²And within the Grand Library of Canterlot, she discovered a powerful spell, one that she could use to destroy the Six.

³It was an ancient spell, hidden away for years; come forward in time, to send a pony back. ⁴And Starlight Glimmer, who herself was strong in the ways of magic, ⁵learned to change the spell, to remove that which kept the past unchangeable, that she might also remove the circle which bound the Six together.

⁶Then she came to Ponyville, and entered undetected into the Castle of Friendship, ⁷that through it she might connect the spell to the Six, and travel back to the event which set them on the path to Friendship. ⁸For, she had decided, she would punish the loss of her village’s false cutie marks with the loss of the Six’s true! ⁹And when Princess Twilight and her servant Spike came upon Starlight Glimmer, she produced the parchment upon which the spell was written, and sent forth her magic onto it, ¹⁰and the three of them were sent backwards in time, to the city of Cloudsdale, to the event of the sonic rainboom!

The Stream of Time

¹¹Princess Twilight and Spike were greatly confused, for they knew not where their enemy had gone, and knew not to what time they had arrived. ¹²But they soon spied Rainbow Dash, who was yet without her cutie mark, engaged in the race that would cause it to appear! ¹³Yet, while they watched the race, Starlight Glimmer again sent forth her magic, and prevented Rainbow Dash from performing the rainboom! ¹⁴And at the moment when the rainboom would have appeared, the spell brought Princess Twilight and Spike back to the present day.

¹⁵But the changing of the past had changed also the present. ¹⁶For upon their arrival, there was nothing left of the Castle of Friendship but the map! ¹⁷And the map showed them how Equestria had changed; ¹⁸King Sombra had succeeded in removing Hope from the Crystal Empire, and became its ruler! ¹⁹And the Empire was at war with Equestria, and indeed had conquered half of Equestria, ²⁰such that every pony was required to aid in the war, else King Sombra would conquer all!

²¹Princess Twilight knew this should not be, and having kept the spell that Starlight Glimmer used to bring them to the past, ²²cast it once more, and attempted to stop Starlight Glimmer from halting the race. ²³But again she was unsuccessful, and was sent forward once more, ²⁴to a time when Queen Chrysalis had conquered Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria with it, and was on the brink of capturing the last free ponies in the land! ²⁵And Princess Twilight realized that time was not a straight road, but a twisting stream: ²⁶that the smallest variation would lead to a tremendous change! ²⁷And she despaired that she would never be able to set things as they were.

²⁸They returned to the past several more times, and each time were unable to stop Starlight Glimmer’s interference. ²⁹They saw the everlasting night of Nightmare Moon’s reign, they saw the unstoppable might of Lord Tirek as he consumed the magic of Equestria, they saw the ruinous height of chaos under the Spirit of Disharmony!

³⁰Then Princess Twilight knew she could not defeat Starlight Glimmer through the strength of horn, and realized instead that the strength of Friendship would grant her victory. ³¹So Princess Twilight took Starlight Glimmer with them, into the present, that she might see what devastation she had wrought. ³²And Starlight Glimmer was filled with disbelief, for the land of Equestria was barren and dry, ³³with no life within it apart from the three who stood there!

³⁴Then Princess Twilight spoke harshly to Starlight Glimmer, saying, ³⁵“This is the consequence of your actions, the future you have made! Now you see a land without Friendship, a world where everyone is equal!” ³⁶Starlight Glimmer wished to deny what she had been told, but she could not, ³⁷for she herself had crafted the spell that brought them to this place.

³⁸Then Princess Twilight called forth the Spirit of Friendship, and shared it with Starlight Glimmer. ³⁹And Starlight Glimmer for the first time understood true Friendship, and from that day forward resolved to follow Princess Twilight's example. ⁴⁰Then the three of them returned one final time to the Cloudsdale of the past, to see the past put right. ⁴¹And when they returned to the present, Starlight Glimmer pledged herself as Princess Twilight’s pupil, and sought to learn of Friendship from that day forward.

The Changeling in the Empire

15Some time later, Princess Twilight, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike traveled to the Crystal Empire, ²in order to visit Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor, and to see their foal Flurry Heart.^{k 3}But when they arrived they saw the entire Empire was in an uproar, for a Changeling had been seen within its borders!

⁴So Spike took command of a conrois^l of royal guardsponies, ⁵as befitting his status as Hero of the Empire, and led them in search of the Changeling. ⁶He ordered them to disperse in their search, in order to cover more ground, and was thus left alone. ⁶And during his solitary search, he fell into a crevasse, and discovered the Changeling, who had been hiding there!

⁷But the Changeling, whose name was Thorax, did not attack, but instead spoke deferentially to Spike. ⁸He spoke of his refusal to steal Love, and of the great hunger he suffered thereby, and of the rumors of Friendship that had led him to stay in Equestria. ⁹And he spoke of his hope that through Friendship he could sate his hunger, and be welcomed among the ponies of the Crystal Empire.

¹⁰And Spike felt great pity for the Changeling in front of him. ¹¹For he knew that had he not been given Friendship from an early age, he himself would not be welcomed among the ponies of Equestria. ¹²So he promised Thorax that he would return to the Crystal Castle, ¹³and bring news that the Changeling was not his enemy, but his friend! ¹⁴But when Spike told the crystal ponies of his discovery, he was met with disbelief, ¹⁵and Shining Armor rebuked him severely, believing the tale to be but a joke.

¹⁶So Spike returned to Thorax and proposed a new plan. ¹⁷Thorax would transform into a crystal pony, and in the company of Spike pass undetected by the Crystal Empire’s defenses. ¹⁸For who would challenge a friend of the Hero of the Empire? ¹⁹And Spike and Thorax (who had taken the name Crystal Hoof) were greeted by the crystal ponies, and Thorax felt much Friendship from them. ²⁰They proceeded into the Crystal Castle, and into the throne room, where the princess and prince received them. ²¹And Flurry Heart was present as well. ²²But when Thorax approached Flurry Heart, the strength of the Love within her overwhelmed him, and he could not maintain his disguise; ²³in the presence of the Princess of Love there stood an exposed Changeling!

²⁴And the ponies assembled there called for Spike to flee to them, for they believed him to be in mortal danger from the Changeling. ²⁵And Spike himself was filled with uncertainty, for he wished not to lose his prestige as Hero of the Empire. ²⁶And when Thorax felt the uncertainty within Spike, he fled the Crystal Castle, ²⁷for he believed his friend had abandoned him in his time of need.

²⁸But as the crystal ponies renewed their efforts to find the hidden Changeling, Spike returned to the crevasse where he had first met Thorax, and called out to him. ²⁹Then with great sorrow, Spike confessed his transgression against Thorax, and suggested a new way to bring knowledge of their Friendship to the ponies. ³⁰They would appear once more before the princess and prince, ³¹using no disguise, dragon and Changeling together!

³²So they traveled to the throne room, and they provoked much distress upon their arrival, ³³and once again Spike was urged to flee from the Changeling. ³⁴But Spike was now prepared to defend his friend, even to the point of losing his title! ³⁵And so passionate was his speech that all ponies present recognized Thorax as a friend, and welcomed him wholeheartedly to the Crystal Empire. ³⁶And Princess Twilight saw that, as a result of the Friendship she had given to Spike, Friendship was shared with a Changeling as well.

^kChronicle 24:1-16

^lAn archaic term for a group of soldiers, usually numbering between 6 and 10

Queen Chrysalis Moves Against Equestria

16Ever since her defeat at Canterlot, Queen Chrysalis had been plotting to exact revenge on the ponies of Equestria. ²She realized that the seeds of her failure had been planted when she allowed her enemies, the most powerful ponies of Equestria, to move against her unfettered. ³She therefore made plans to capture all the ponies that could oppose her: ⁴the Princesses of Canterlot, the royal family of the Crystal Empire, the Six, and even the dragon Spike! ⁵And upon the eve of the fourth anniversary of her defeat, she sent forth the hive, ⁶and replaced all the ponies she had planned to capture with Changeling duplicates! ⁷Then she brought the captured ponies to the hive. ⁸For her throne prevented the use of all magic but that of Changelings throughout the entire Changeling Kingdom.

⁹Now within the Crystal Empire, the caretaker of the foal Flurry Heart realized that she had been replaced, and Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor as well. ¹⁰In order to not cause a panic, he told this to only one creature, the Changeling Thorax, ¹¹and bade him travel to Equestria to seek aid. ¹²But when Thorax arrived, he encountered Starlight Glimmer, who had been warned of Queen Chrysalis by Princess Luna, ¹³and had discovered herself that the Six had been replaced, along with the princesses! ¹⁴And with her also was Trixie Lulamoon, a performer who had once challenged Twilight Sparkle to a duel of unicorn magic. ¹⁵And they despaired of ever recovering the ponies that had been lost, for they thought their own abilities too weak to challenge the Changelings.

The Four Foes Challenge Queen Chrysalis

¹⁶But the despair they felt called to the Spirit of Disharmony, and he appeared before them. ¹⁷And when he heard that Fluttershy, his dearest friend, was among the ponies taken, he was filled with righteous anger, ¹⁸and used his Chaos magic to immediately bring them, the reformed enemies of the Six, to the border of the Changeling Kingdom. ¹⁹But he could bring them no further, for even his Chaos magic could not be used past the point where he had taken them.

²⁰So they traveled to the hive on hoof, and entered it undetected, and began to make their way to the throne room. ²¹But before they reached their destination, two of the four were captured: ²²Discord as he cleared the way for them, and Trixie Lulamoon as she sprung a trap and distracted their enemies. ²³So only Starlight Glimmer and Thorax reached the throne room.

²⁴Thorax had taken the form of Starlight Glimmer, for his Changeling magic could still be used, ²⁵and they wished to confuse Queen Chrysalis, which would allow one of them to destroy the throne. ²⁶But Queen Chrysalis saw through his disguise, and bound him to the floor, ²⁷and chased Starlight Glimmer from the throne, so there was nopony left to destroy it. ²⁸Then Queen Chrysalis made to steal all the Love present within Thorax, as a punishment for betraying her. ²⁹But Starlight Glimmer called out from her hiding place, and spoke of a new way forward for the Changeling race: ³⁰a way that Friendship would be shared among them, and they would no longer feel hunger! ³¹And she bade Thorax to share his Love, to no longer hold onto it jealously, and he did so.

The Changeling Transformation

³²And upon releasing his Love freely, his body was transformed, and he was no longer bound to his black Changeling form! ³³Instead, he took the form of the True Changeling, which had been hidden within him. ³⁴And when the other Changelings saw what he had done, they too shared their love, and also took their True forms! ³⁵And the power of their transformation shattered the throne of Queen Chrysalis, and Starlight Glimmer could once again use her magic!

³⁶Then she came to Queen Chrysalis, and extended her hoof to her, inviting her to join her subjects in their transformation. ³⁷But Queen Chrysalis rejected her, and fled the hive, vowing revenge against all involved in her defeat. ³⁸Thus, Queen Chrysalis was Queen no longer, ³⁹and Thorax, who had led his fellow Changelings in their transformation, was named leader of the Changelings, and became Prince. ⁴⁰Then the Changelings released every prisoner they had taken: ⁴¹the princesses, the royals of the Crystal Empire, and the Six; as well as Trixie Lulamoon and Discord. ⁴²For the Changelings’ hunger was now satisfied, and they had no further need to steal Love to survive. ⁴³And there was peace between the Changeling Kingdom and Equestria.

The Storm King Arrives in Canterlot

17In those days, far to the south of Equestria, there lived a wicked conqueror called the Storm King. ²He commanded an army of Storm Creatures, who had no name for themselves, for they existed only to serve the Storm King. ³He had also in his service a unicorn named Tempest Shadow. ⁴Her horn had been shattered at an early age, and she could not fully control her magic, ⁵and had been rejected by her friends as a result. ⁶But she found an ally in the Storm King, for he saw her magic was strong, ⁷and he gained her loyalty by promising to repair her horn once his conquests had been completed.

⁸With the assistance of Tempest Shadow, the Storm King conquered the kingdom of Hippogriffia, and the land of Abyssinia, and all the other southern territories. ⁹Then with the entirety of the south under his control, he sent his forces north to Canterlot, ¹⁰for he wished to take the magic of the princesses of Equestria for himself.

¹¹The Storm King arrived in Canterlot upon the eve of the Friendship Festival, when all the princesses were in attendance, ¹²for Tempest Shadow had told him of the ideal time to attack. ¹³And his army descended upon Canterlot, and Tempest Shadow demanded the princesses surrender their magic to him. ¹⁴But they refused, so Tempest Shadow used magic given her by the Storm King to turn Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadenza into stone! ¹⁵She nearly turned Princess Twilight into stone as well, but Rainbow Dash carried Princess Twilight out of the path of the magic, ¹⁶and another was turned to stone in her place.

The Six Go to the Hippogriff Kingdom

¹⁷Before she was turned to stone, Princess Celestia had called out to Princess Luna, ¹⁸telling her to seek aid from the Hippogriffs in the south. ¹⁹But as Princess Luna was turned to stone as well, the duty fell to Princess Twilight, and with her, the Six. ²⁰So they escaped from Canterlot, and made their way south, ²¹and came to Mount Aris, where the Hippogriff Kingdom was said to lie. ²²But the city of the Hippogriffs was abandoned, destroyed by the Storm King during his conquest, ²³and the Hippogriffs had fled to the safety of the waters surrounding their kingdom. ²⁴For their queen had transformed them into sea ponies, using the powers of a magical artifact: the Pearl of Alteration!

²⁵The Six entered the sea, and were brought before Queen Novo, ruler of the Hippogriffs. ²⁶And the Six told her of the Storm King’s attack on Canterlot, and beseeched her for aid, ²⁷asking that they might bring the Pearl of Alteration with them to use against him. ²⁸But Queen Novo refused them, not wanting the Storm King to gain its powers in addition to the powers he had already taken.

²⁹The Six were dismayed, and prepared to leave, defeated. ³⁰But Skystar, the daughter of the queen, asked them to stay in the Hippogriff Kingdom, ³¹for she had heard tales of the magic of Friendship and wished to know it for herself. ³²And Princess Twilight instructed the Five to share Friendship with her and the rest of the Hippogriffs. ³³For Princess Twilight intended to use the Five as a distraction, to occupy the Hippogriffs while she stole the Pearl of Alteration for her own use! ³⁴And upon giving this deceitful instruction to the Five, the Spirit of Friendship was appalled by her action, ³⁵and fled from her, leaving her with only her natural magic.

Twilight Sparkle Regains Her Title

18 Therefore, when Twilight Sparkle stole the pearl, the magic of Friendship was no longer present to aid her. ²So Queen Novo detected her theft, and cast her and the Five from the kingdom, ³and forbade them from ever returning. ⁴And Twilight Sparkle spoke harshly to the Five, and rejected their company, and set off on her own. ⁵But without her friends, or the Spirit of Friendship, to aid her, ⁶she was quickly captured by Tempest Shadow, who brought her back to Canterlot and acted as her captor. ⁷And with all four princesses now under his control, the Storm King took their combined magics for himself, ⁸and wielded their magic through an ancient artifact, the Staff of Sacanas!^m

⁹But Friendship still dwelt within the Five, who resolved to rescue Twilight Sparkle in spite of the anger she had shown them. ¹⁰And they returned to Canterlot, along with a number of friends they had gained along their journey. ¹¹They did battle with the Storm Creatures, and fought bravely against them, pushing them back to the castle courtyard. ¹²And Twilight Sparkle looked down from the castle and saw that the Spirit of Friendship still dwelt within the Five. ¹³Then she realized that Friendship had not departed from her forever, but was waiting to be accepted within her. ¹⁴She opened her heart to Friendship, and became Princess Twilight once more!

¹⁵At the same time, Tempest Shadow went to the Storm King, asking him to fulfill his promise to restore her horn. ¹⁶But the Storm King shunned her, for he now had no need of her service, and felt no obligation to her. ¹⁷So he cast her off the castle balcony, into a storm he had created with his stolen powers!

¹⁸Then Princess Twilight felt Friendship call to her, and she rescued Tempest Shadow from the storm. ¹⁹And Friendship flowed from Princess Twilight, and Tempest Shadow felt its embrace for the first time since her foalhood, ²⁰and she knew that she must now fight to defend her new friend. ²¹So when the Storm King attempted to turn Princess Twilight to stone, Tempest Shadow deflected the magic, ²²causing the spell to turn her to stone, along with the Storm King! ²³And the storm the king had created pulled him off the balcony, and he shattered into innumerable pieces on the ground.

²⁴Then Princess Twilight recovered the Staff of Sacanas, and used it to quell the storm. ²⁵And she restored to life all the ponies who had been turned to stone, and returned the stolen magic to the princesses. ²⁶Then the Staff of Sacanas was placed in the Repository of Magic within Canterlot, and it remains there to this day.

²⁷Tempest Shadow was ashamed of her part in the Storm King’s plan, and made to leave Equestria. ²⁸But Princess Twilight came to her, and welcomed her in Friendship, and asked her to remain. For it has been written:

²⁹A friend is a friend, no matter the circumstance.

True Friendship prevails over all troubles!ⁿ

³⁰So Tempest Shadow remained in Equestria, and took upon herself the task of spreading Friendship throughout the land.

^mOrigin 3:12

ⁿMorals 1:22

The School of Friendship Established

19Some time later, the Spirit of Friendship came upon Princess Twilight, and moved her to create a School of Friendship. ²For learning of Tempest Shadow’s foalhood had shown Princess Twilight that Friendship was not yet truly realized among ponies. ³So she was granted permission from Princess Celestia, and erected a school adjacent to the Castle of Friendship. ⁴She extended invitations to young ponies from all corners of Equestria, and even invited creatures from outside Equestria! ⁵So among the ponies at the school, there were five from beyond the kingdom:

⁶Ocellus, the Changeling

⁷Gallus, the Griffon

⁸Smolder, the Dragon

⁹Yona, the Yak^o

¹⁰Silverstream, the Hippogriff

¹¹Then she appointed the Five as teachers, and Starlight Glimmer as Counselor, and she herself was the Headmare.

¹²There already existed a precedent for learning within Equestria, ¹³and Princess Twilight required the Five to follow what had already been established, for her own education had come through these same means. ¹⁴She did not understand that Friendship could not be restricted in this way, and the Five suffered in their teaching as a result. ¹⁵So all the students of the school suffered great restlessness, none more so than the five who had come from outside Equestria. ¹⁶For their ways were not the ways of Equestria, and they could not bear the frustration they felt.

¹⁷But an earth pony named Sandbar took pity on them, and shared Friendship in the way he had been taught. ¹⁸And these young six fled from the school, and hid inside the ancient Castle of the Two Sisters. ¹⁹There they stayed for a time, and Friendship was shared between them all, in a way that was not seen inside the school.

²⁰Then the caretakers of the five became concerned at their disappearance, and arrived themselves at the School of Friendship, ²¹and they questioned Princess Twilight where the five had gone. ²²And when she could not answer, the caretakers became aggrieved, ²³and each made to return to his own country, and threatened war upon Equestria!

²⁴So Princess Twilight summoned the Five, and together they made a search of Ponyville and its surroundings. ²⁵And when they discovered the young six that were missing, Princess Twilight realized how she had erred in administering the school, ²⁶for in their time away from the school they had learned far more than any student that had remained!

²⁷Then Princess Twilight directed the Five to continue teaching, ²⁸but in the way they felt best, not in the way she directed. ²⁹And the young six returned to the school, and joined with gladness the lessons that were taught. ³⁰For the Five now approached their lessons with excitement, and this excitement was also spread among the students. ³¹Thus Princess Twilight discovered that Friendship could not be restricted in the way she had compelled; that it would flourish best in its own way!

^oChronicle 18:1-27, 19:1-18

The Scheming of Cozy Glow

20Of the many students present at the School of Friendship, each one possessed a unique quality that set them apart. ²One pony might exhibit great courage among her peers; another might be a beacon of calm for all around her; a third might show great patience in all circumstances. ³But one student, the pegasus Cozy Glow, had not virtue that set her apart, but villainy! ⁴For of all the ponies in Equestria, there was never one so devious as Cozy Glow!

⁵Before she arrived at the School of Friendship, she had conversed often, through written word, with Lord Tirek, the Devourer of Magic. ⁶And from him she learned of his defeat by the Six, and how Friendship had proven stronger than any other magic. ⁷Cozy Glow was then filled with great ambition, and wished to take Friendship for herself, ⁸and thus become the most powerful creature in Equestria, greater even than the princesses!

⁹So she conspired with Tirek, and discovered how to remove all magic save that of Friendship from Equestria. ¹⁰For she believed that no creature besides her should possess magic, so that none could ever challenge her rule. ¹¹And she found that the six artifacts she required to accomplish her goal were all located within the School of Magic!

¹²So she enrolled at the school, pretending to be an ordinary student, and set about to win over all the creatures therein. ¹³And once she had succeeded, and made herself invaluable to Princess Twilight, she gathered the artifacts she needed and brought them to a chamber underneath the school. ¹⁴She created an arcane symbol, and arranged the artifacts around it, and thus began to remove the magic from Equestria!

The Quest to Restore Magic

¹⁵When Princess Twilight discovered that her magic and the magic of all unicorns had disappeared, she immediately suspected Tirek. ¹⁶So the Six went together to the gate of Tartarus, and used a magical item to open it, for the magic stored within objects had not yet vanished. ¹⁷But when they confronted Tirek, they saw that the magic of Equestria was not within him, and they realized that they were now imprisoned in Tartarus! ¹⁸Tirek knew this as well, and gloated over the Six, telling them of Cozy Glow and the manner in which she had deceived them. ¹⁹So the Six learned of Cozy Glow’s treachery, and despaired at their inability to move against her.

²⁰But within the School of Friendship, the young six had become suspicious of Cozy Glow. ²¹For although she had imprisoned Starlight Glimmer and taken control over the school in Princess Twilight’s absence, ²²they realized her behavior was not in keeping with the true principles of Friendship. ²³And while they were searching for evidence to confront her, they discovered the arcane symbol that was draining the magic from Equestria. ²⁴So each of the six went to an artifact, and made ready to remove them from their place, and thus stop the plot of Cozy Glow.

²⁵But Cozy Glow brought the remainder of the students to see the actions of the young six, ²⁶and claimed that instead of attempting to stop magic from disappearing, the young six were responsible for it! ²⁷And the students believed her, and fell upon the young six, ²⁸and cast them into the arcane symbol, trapping them inside! ²⁸The symbol began to swallow them as it had the magic of Equestria. ²⁹But the Tree of Harmony, whose roots spread throughout the chamber, felt the Harmony that existed between the young six, and used its magic to free them! ³⁰Then the young six came once more to the artifacts, and removed them, and thus released the magic that had been stolen!

³¹Cozy Glow saw that her scheme had failed, and that all the students had turned against her, and attempted to flee. ³²But magic had already returned to Equestria, and the Six escaped from Tartarus and arrived at the school, ³³along with Princesses Celestia and Luna and a company of royal guards, and Cozy Glow was captured. ³⁴As punishment, she was imprisoned in Tartarus, as befitting a traitor to Equestria. ³⁵And the young six were honored for their bravery, and given many accolades, and were welcomed back with gratitude among the other students of the School of Friendship.

Princess Twilight’s Ascension is Planned

21Princesses Celestia and Luna saw how Friendship had spread throughout Equestria under the guidance of Princess Twilight, and were pleased at her success. ²For with the magic of Friendship established throughout Equestria, they knew the land would be safe under its protection. ³And, they thought, who better to lead Equestria in the new era of Friendship’s ascendancy than its princess?

⁴So they summoned the Six to Canterlot, and declared their intention to retire as princesses and take up residence in Silver Shoals.^{p 5}And they decreed that Princess Twilight would take their place, and with the assistance of the Five, become the new ruler of Equestria! ⁶But Princess Twilight was filled with uncertainty, despite the entreaties of the Five, for she believed herself to be unprepared for such a role. ⁷And she begged the princesses to grant her additional time to prepare.

⁸The princesses agreed to her request, and bade the Six return to Ponyville. ⁹But they were disappointed in Princess Twilight, for had not the tasks they had asked of her given ample preparation? ¹⁰Then they summoned Discord to them, and asked him to prepare a final trial: ¹¹one that would gather all remaining enemies that stood in opposition to Princess Twilight and allow her to destroy them irrevocably.

¹²Discord agreed, for he too wished Princess Twilight to learn confidence as Princess of Friendship. ¹³He took the form of Grogar, the Father of Monsters,^q and in this form brought the enemies of Equestria to him: ¹⁴Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow. ¹⁵He spoke to them of a plan to defeat the Six, using all their powers together. ¹⁶But the four he had summoned were dismissive of his plan, ¹⁷and King Sombra spoke openly against him, stating that he could conquer Equestria without assistance. ¹⁸Discord invited King Sombra to attempt this on his own, and then banished him from his presence, ¹⁹knowing that his failure would inspire the remaining three villains to join together.

King Sombra Destroys the Elements of Harmony

²⁰After his defeat in the Crystal Empire, King Sombra had studied the Six, and had also learned much of the power of fear and despair. ²¹He appeared before the Six, and goaded them into using the Elements of Harmony against him, for he wished to discover the location they were kept. ²²And when the Six returned the Elements to the Tree of Harmony after they believed him defeated, he used crystal magic to destroy the Tree and shatter the Elements! ²³Then the Six felt great despair, for they believed they had no further recourse against King Sombra.

²⁴Then King Sombra came to Ponyville, for he wished to humiliate the Six by using the ponies closest to them to conquer Equestria. ²⁵He clouded the minds of the ponies of Ponyville with fear, and instructed them to march to Canterlot under his banner.

²⁶At the same time, the Everfree Forest began to advance against Ponyville, for the Tree of Harmony no longer suppressed its growth. ²⁷So the Six, not wishing to lose their home to the forest, acted to halt its advance. ²⁸(They did this because they believed they were now powerless against King Sombra.) ²⁹But Princesses Celestia and Luna came to them, and spoke encouraging words to them, ³⁰stating that only the Six could defeat King Sombra, even without the Elements! ³¹So the Six set off for Canterlot, leaving the princesses to confront the forest.

King Sombra Destroyed

³²With the princesses gone to the Everfree Forest, King Sombra conquered Canterlot with ease, and established himself in the throne room. ³³The Six managed to enter the castle, but still did not know how they could defeat King Sombra. ³⁴Discord, sensing their troubles, appeared before them, and Princess Twilight begged him for assistance against their enemy. ³⁵He agreed to aid them, and brought them to the throne room, and confronted King Sombra on their behalf. ³⁶But King Sombra struck Discord with a magic spell, and Discord fell to the floor, pretending that his own magic had been stolen!

³⁷Then Discord spoke to the Six, saying, “You who once shared Friendship with me, know that Friendship still resides within you! ³⁸The Elements of Harmony were but reflections of your true nature; that nature cannot be taken from you! ³⁹Go now, bring forth the magic of Friendship, and defeat your enemy!” ⁴⁰With these words, the Six were inspired, and Friendship overcame the despair that had clouded their hearts! ⁴¹They sent forth a powerful wave of magic at King Sombra, and he was torn asunder; even the shadows from which he was formed were no more!

⁴²The Six were overjoyed at their victory, and came to Discord, who showed them that his magic was still with him, ⁴³and explained to them that his actions had been intended to demonstrate the power they still wielded. ⁴⁴Then the Six saw the correctness of his actions, and thanked him for his aid.

⁴⁵Princesses Celestia and Luna returned to Canterlot after ending the Everfree Forest’s advance, and gave honor to the Six for their efforts. ⁴⁶They instructed the Six to return to Ponyville and continue their preparations for Princess Twilight’s ascension. ⁴⁷And they themselves, along with Discord, prepared for the final test that the Six would face.

^pOne version Shining Harbor; other versions Pearly Gates

^qOrigin 2:2

The Villains Ascendant

22Under the guidance of Discord, in the guise of Grogar, the three villains grew in their combined strength, each compensating for another’s weakness. ²And in their alliance, they fulfilled the tasks they set for themselves. ³They recovered the Bewitching Bell from the summit of Mount Everhoof, they infiltrated the secret archives of Canterlot, and they sowed distrust among the three pony races. ⁴Using the knowledge gained from the archives, they accessed the power of the Bewitching Bell, ⁵and on the day that Princess Twilight was to be made ruler of Equestria, they used the bell to steal Discord’s chaos magic and take the magic of Grogar for themselves!

⁶So Discord, who was now truly without magic, traveled to Canterlot to inform the Six of the three villains and the power they wielded. ⁷And the Six scolded Discord, as did Princesses Celestia and Luna. ⁸(But in truth the princesses were pleased by the manner in which Discord had enacted their plan, even to the point of losing his own magic!) ⁹Then the Six made preparations to defend Equestria against the three villains, whose magic was greater than any they had ever faced.

¹⁰At this time, the three villains had separated, in order to weaken Equestria in the manner best suited to their talents. ¹¹Lord Tirek went to the border of Equestria and stole the magic of its guardians. ¹²Queen Chrysalis came to the School of Magic and defeated Starlight Glimmer. ¹³And Cozy Glow, who had transformed into an Alicorn by absorbing Grogar’s magic, brought the Bewitching Bell to Canterlot and sent her newfound magic against the Six. ¹⁴And when Princesses Celestia and Luna fought against her, she used the Bewitching Bell to capture their magic, and left them powerless. ¹⁵Then Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek came also to Canterlot, and attempted to imprison the Six.

¹⁶But the Six escaped their grasp, and in their rage the three villains destroyed the entire western side of the castle of Canterlot! ¹⁷And when the ponies of Equestria saw this symbol of their rulers destroyed, they felt more fear than had been seen in Equestria since the Days of Strife. ¹⁸Then in their fear, each of the three pony races isolated themselves from the others, and shut themselves off in their own strongholds. ¹⁹And upon this separation, the Windigos of old, the harbingers of the Days of Strife, were summoned from the Frozen North, beyond the Crystal Empire, ²⁰and they began to coat Equestria in their endless winter!

The Last Stand of Friendship

23The three villains confronted the Six upon the plain of Maregiddo^r, for the villains believed the arrival of the Windigos heralded their own victory. ²And the Six were themselves filled with fear, and could not stand against their foes. ³But they resolved to face their defeat together, for despite all that had happened, a spark of Friendship still resided within them.

⁴Yet unbeknownst to the Six, the students of the School of Friendship had learned the lessons taught them, ⁵and had brought Friendship with them to the places their own race had fled. ⁶And guided by the Friendship within them, they spoke bravely to the three races of Equestria, ⁷and inspired them to unite once more in defense of their land! ⁸So the three races came also to the plain of Maregiddo, to lend their support to the Six. ⁹And present also were creatures from outside Equestria: Changelings, and Yaks, and Dragons, and Hippogriffs, and Griffons! ¹⁰For the young six had returned to their homes, and brought their own kind to fight alongside Equestria!

¹¹And with all these races present, Friendship was rekindled between them, and the spark of Friendship within the Six grew to an immense flame, ¹²the likes of which had never before been seen, and to this day has not been seen again! ¹³And Princess Twilight channeled the Friendship surrounding her through the Six, and their own Friendship amplified it, and the magic of Friendship emerged from them in a mighty rainbow! ¹⁴And through this effort the Windigos were banished, and the three villains were stripped of their powers, ¹⁵and the magic that had been stolen from the princesses and Discord was returned to them.

¹⁶And with their magic returned, Discord joined the princesses in casting one final spell, one that would seal the three villains away for all time. ¹⁷The villains were turned to stone, and thus the plan of the princesses to eliminate their greatest threats was realized! ¹⁸And the Six were overjoyed, and all of Equestria with them.

^rMaregiddo: Ponish; Griffonian Armaregeddon

The Ascension

24So Princess Twilight was crowned Ruler of Equestria, and Princesses Celestia and Luna relinquished their duties to her. ²Then the princesses were princesses no more, and they left Canterlot and retired to Silver Shoals. ³And from that day forward, Friendship reigned throughout the land of Equestria.

⁴Equestria faced further perils, even under the guiding hoof of Princess Twilight, and will continue to face even more. ⁵But each one of these perils will be conquered, as long as Friendship resides within Equestria. ⁶For there is no magic stronger than the magic of Friendship!

Comments

[Latecomer]

Interesting... the writer seems torn between a desire to cast shade on Twilight and a reluctance to contradict the facts.

[Tunneling Carp]

I believe the writer was attempting to keep as close to canon as possible while still leaving plenty of room for interpretation.
Actually, one of my earlier drafts had Twilight actively rebelling against Celestia and Luna before joining forces against Cozy Glow and company. But that was definitely non-canon.