Multiversal Voyage

by King Ice

Reunion

Universe 19884

“S-Somepony help!” Rarity screamed while sliding down nearly as fast as she would have if she was in a free fall.

She didn’t know what happened. One second, she was walking after her friends in the general direction of the castle of the two sisters, the next she was falling to her death! Figuring out what occurred wouldn’t have been difficult if she was in her right mind, though. They needed to go through many obstacles to reach their goal. One of them was to walk around a nasty mountain. They weren’t at its base, which meant there was a risk of falling off the ledge… Which was barely wide enough for one pony to walk on. Unfortunately, it was also severely fragile and seemed it would crumble at any second.

The smartest action to take would have been to find a safer detour; however, they couldn’t afford to waste time or risk getting lost. By Dr Whooves' calculations, this was the fastest way to Twilight’s possible location.

Ultimately, this was also the most dangerous route, especially for magicless ponies. Before the white unicorn even realized it, the ground eroded beneath her hooves. As Rarity was tumbling down toward the spiky rocks at the bottom of the mountain, her life was about to start flashing before her eyes… Until two powerful hooves grabbed her by the forelegs.

“I got you!” Rainbow Dash shouted in relief before swiftly flying her up toward their friends.

“Oh… Oh… Thank you, Rainbow…” Rarity panted, in disbelief at the fact that she survived.

The others were leaning on the wall, doing their utmost best to stay as far away from the ledge as possible after seeing Rarity nearly fall to her death. The fact that they were four-legged creatures made it harder for them to be safe in this situation. Only Discord and Rainbow Dash could walk on this path without any issues. The former because there was enough room for his body, and the latter because she could fly.

“Ya alright, Rare?” Applejack asked worriedly. Thankfully, the unicorn only had a few scraps and bruises but was otherwise fine physically. Mentally, on the other hand, she was still a bit in shock.

“I… I am. Just… Wasn’t expecting this fall. I really thought it was the end,” Rarity responded while holding her chest after swiftly grabbing onto the wall of the mountain.

“Thank you for saving her, Dashie!” Pinkie exclaimed happily.

“Don’t worry, girls. As long as I’m here, you don’t have to worry about falling down,” The cyan pegasus assured them confidently. “Just… Make sure none of you fall off at the same time ‘cause I’m not sure I could carry more than two of you at the same time,” She added nervously, rubbing the back of her neck and flapping her wings at their side.

“Ah don’t plan on fallin’, ya can be sure of that…” Applejack muttered, gulping in fear as she looked down. She never had a fear of heights, but… She had to admit this was terrifying.

Sure, having magic wouldn’t have saved her either if she fell off a mountain, but… she still felt safer when she had magic. They all had so little strength now. At least compared to before. They became so fragile, almost like porcelain dolls. Applejack was unable to carry things she could easily throw before. She couldn’t break rocks with her bare hooves, nor tend the land as easily. She never felt so weak as she did during those past 2 years.

She couldn’t even imagine how it must have been for a pegasus or a unicorn. They both had limbs they couldn’t even use anymore. Some pegasi’s wings even died because the muscles hadn’t been used at all. She and her friends didn’t talk about this often, nearly never, so she never asked them how they dealt with it. It wasn’t because she didn’t care, of course. They simply… Didn’t want to talk about it. Losing such a fundamental part of yourself was difficult. Not just physically, but mentally as well. They weren’t complete without their magic.

Some of them also didn’t complain because… Well because there were ponies who had to live like this for years already. Pegasi who lost their wings, or unicorns who broke their horns. They didn’t get to cry because they couldn’t use magic for two years when some ponies hadn’t used it for over a decade. It still hurt, though. It hurt a lot. The ones who suffered the most were the old folk like Granny Smith but even she kept up her spirit, hopeful that they would save the day. Many of their families did.

Applejack was glad someone believed in them, at least. Hope was something they personally gave up some time ago. However, that hope came back with Rainbow Dash’s return. They could still win, and fix things. They could still take back some of the things they lost. Keyword: some.

The earth pony’s eyes traveled to the cyan pegasus flying at their side. They were all aware she wasn’t their Rainbow Dash, and that she would eventually leave. She didn’t doubt some of them, particularly Pinkie, secretly wished she would stay. But that was impossible, which was why none of them voiced their thoughts. This was the closest thing they had to bringing Rainbow back from the dead, and they had to let go. She wondered how Twilight would take it once they found her.

Honestly, she wasn’t looking forward to that. They had no idea what state in mind Twilight was in. If Spike and she never met anyone, then it would also mean they only had each other during those two years, so she doubted they were mentally well. Even if a part of her wanted to see Twilight again to make sure she was alright and safe, and because she wanted her friend back; she was also terrified of the other mare’s reaction upon seeing Rainbow Dash was back, only to shatter all her hopes by revealing this wasn’t the friend she knew.

However, perhaps thinking about all of this now wasn’t the best idea considering they were in a life-threatening situation. A single misstep could spell their doom. What nearly happened to Rarity just now was proof enough that they couldn’t have possibly done this without their friend’s alternate version.

“Finally some room!” Discord exclaimed joyfully as he ran ahead, the moment the floor got wider.

“You weren’t that bothered by it in the first place, you know?” Rarity commented, breathing in relief as she joined the Draconequus.

They didn’t have to stick to walls, thankfully, and they also didn’t have to fear falling to their death at any moment either.

“Still, it’s not like I could do anything if the ground crumbled under my feet for no reason,” Discord argued with a shrug.

“I’m just happy we’ll finally get down this mountain,” Fluttershy remarked, looking at the trail descending the mountain toward the Everfree Forest. It took them an hour to get there, but they would have needed three times that much if they had gone around the mountain.

“Are we still far from the castle?” Rainbow Dash inquired as Applejack took the map out of her saddlebag, checking the castle’s location.

“It should be two hours from here,” The earth pony replied, causing the bearer of the element of loyalty to sigh.

Frankly, she could probably fly there in a matter of few seconds. However, she couldn’t afford to leave her friends here, especially since she didn’t know what she would tell Twilight once she got there. After all, this wasn’t the same pony as the one she was familiar with. As much as she wanted to remain confident, she wasn’t a miracle worker.

“I hope Twilight and Spike really are in the castle, at least,” Rarity mumbled worriedly. Pinkie wrapped one of her forelegs around her neck, pulling her into a side hug.

“I’m sure they are! They must be waiting for us, so we better not slow down, girls!” She reassured them before skipping ahead. Seeing that the pink pony wouldn’t wait for them, the others followed after her. Rainbow Dash, begrudgingly, landed back on the ground and followed them on foot.

At least, Pinkie Pie was still somewhat positive. As agreed previously, Rainbow Dash and Applejack caught up to the other earth pony so that they could lead the way and protect the others from any incoming attacks. They hadn’t seen any other timberwolf since that first one when they entered the forest, but they didn’t let their guard down.

As long as Rainbow Dash was careful, no timberwolf should detect her magic or notice her flying. Nevertheless, many of them still lurked in the forest’s shadows. Any of these beasts could jump out of the bushes and strike them as they did with Fluttershy. A single distraction could lead to their deaths. Not to mention the forest itself may have had a few surprises left in store for them. There was one thing the pegasus was thankful for, which was the suspended bridge. The first time, it was broken and she needed to attach it back across the massive gap so that her friends could cross it.

However, this time, there was no gap at all. The two ends were slammed against one another and the bridge was crushed between the two mountains. To be honest, Rainbow couldn’t tell if this was the same bridge since the layout of the land changed so much, but she was pretty sure there weren’t a lot of suspended bridges in the Everfree Forest anyway, so it was unlikely that she was wrong.

Conversations helped alleviate the minds during their small voyage. It certainly allowed them to think about other things than threats and dangers lurking around. What she didn’t expect was for Discord to suddenly come up to her as Applejack stepped back, likely letting them talk alone while she discussed with the others.

The draconequus remained silent for a full minute, at least. Rainbow Dash usually wasn’t the brightest light in the room, but even she could see he was obviously wanting to say something. She only hoped it wasn’t a dumb joke or anything of the sort. She wasn’t in the mood for his shenanigans.

“So… What’s up?” The cyan pegasus asked, wanting to get it over with.

Discord looked around, unsure, then finally opened his mouth.

“I didn’t get to ask you, but how is your universe?” He inquired, to Rainbow Dash’s surprise. Now that was a question she wasn’t expecting.

The pegasus had no reason not to answer or lie about it. The fact that Discord was the one to ask her was what surprised her, but she expected the others to be curious about it first. Nevertheless, she told him a few things. Obviously, she couldn’t tell her whole life story nor every single change she and her friends had made. She only went over the major points… As well as what happened against Tirek in their world.

The draconequus was quiet through all of it. He didn’t react in any way to her words. He didn’t seem surprised that her Twilight’s role was that of the Princess of Friendship. In retrospect, this was something easy to guess.

“So, they really forgave my other self?” Discord questioned, slightly surprised but also teary-eyed.

“Yep. We consider you a good friend, and Fluttershy has a lot of tea parties with you,” Rainbow Dash responded. The lord of chaos looked down, a small smile creeping up his face. The pegasus was aware this didn’t happen here because of what the others had said. They didn’t forgive him. She couldn’t blame them. She tried to imagine how she would have felt if one of her friends died that day… She wouldn’t have forgiven him, no, she would have hated him. “But that’s not the case here, right?”

“I’m not stupid,” Discord scoffed in amusement. “I can see how they all look at me. Even Fluttershy. They haven’t forgiven me, and they probably never will. It’s not like I deserve forgiveness, anyway,” He shook his head.

“Why are you helping then? I thought you were doing it to earn their forgiveness,” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow.

“Earn their forgiveness? Nothing of the sort. I want to fix my mistakes, that’s all. I don’t think… I can live with what I’ve done…” Discord replied, looking down with an unamused smile. “Ironic, isn’t it? Discord, Lord of Chaos, so ashamed of his actions that they’ll haunt him for the rest of his life?” He scoffed. “Even if I don’t deserve it… Do you think they’ll ever forgive me?” He mumbled in a quiet voice, almost afraid of the answer.

“Discord…” Rainbow Dash began responding, unsure of how to continue. “You betrayed them, and their trust. It wasn’t even for an understandable reason either. You did it for power, like an absolute ass,” The pegasus admonished him coldly. “You thought only of yourself and were ready to enslave all your friends. The worst part about it? You felt no remorse until Tirek betrayed you,” She glared at him, making the draconequus look away in shame. “We forgave you back in my home because, at the end of the day, no one was seriously hurt. Here? Somepony died. If it were me? I would hate your guts until the end of time, and no amount of apologizing would change that,”

She was blunt, but she was honest. She wasn’t Applejack, but she could give the truth, too.

“But they’re not me,” She added with a sigh before Discord could reply. “They’re their own ponies, so you never know. They just might forgive you… One day,” She reassured him. It seemed to relieve him a little, at least.

“Thank you,” Discord whispered with a quivering lip. “And… I’m sorry. I really am,” He apologized. It was sincere from what Rainbow’s guts were telling her.

The draconequus clearly needed that talk. No matter how much he stated that he didn’t deserve forgiveness, he obviously wanted it. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help him with that. She was here to help them save the world, and find what she needed to go back to her friends. Whether or not the ponies here forgave Discord only depended on them. The Lord of Chaos would also have no right to complain if they refused to give it to him after everything he had done.

Talking with him made her forget her worries for a time. She didn’t fear for her original friends’ lives, and recounting the events that followed Tirek’s defeat greatly helped her remember everything they accomplished. She knew that no matter where they were, they would be alright and overcome any challenges they faced. Nonetheless, she hoped they didn’t have to go through anything as bad or worse as she currently was.

Fortunately, they managed to avoid almost dying during the rest of their trip. They didn’t meet any other timberwolf except for the first one. It was suspicious, sure, but they chose to remain hopeful and consider this was a stroke of luck. Perhaps, the timberwolves simply weren’t in the area anymore.

Any time a wild animal suddenly jumped out and tried to attack them, Fluttershy stepped in and deterred them as she usually did. Naturally, when soothing them didn’t work, she used “The Stare.”

Lord Tirek’s actions had heavily disrupted the ecosystem, so the animals weren’t even the only dangers.

“What the hay is that?!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she took off the ground, dodging a massive carnivorous plant right before it could close its maws around her.

“I don’t know… Ah!” Fluttershy responded in panic, cutting one of the plants at its base and spilling its green juice around. “But talking to them doesn’t work,”

“Hya! Ha!” Applejack slashed several plants across. Not only they were much bigger than they should have been, but they were also ferocious.

“This must be… Tirek’s doing!” Discord grunted as he plunged his spear into one of them. Unfortunately, it proved not to be enough to kill it as it roared at him. Before he could step back, several roots came out of the ground and wrapped around his legs, entrapping him. “Oh, no!” He exclaimed.

“Coming!” Pinkie Pie notified him before bringing her sword down and cutting the plant’s head off. Its green juice immediately poured out of it, covering some of Pinkie’s face. “Hey, that doesn’t taste too bad,” She said as she licked her lips.

“R-Rainbow!” Fluttershy called for help as a plant had completely wrapped her in vines, and slowly pulled her toward its mouth. Her axe was lying on the floor nearby, rendering her defenseless. The others were still busy fighting against their own green enemies. Rainbow Dash was, too. However, she couldn’t simply ignore the second pegasus’ call after hearing it!

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Rainbow shouted at the plant as she flew into its head and burst out of the other side. The plant promptly collapsed, releasing Fluttershy from its grasp.

“T-Thank you… Rainbow…” The shy pegasus mumbled shakily before retrieving her axe.

“It’s not over yet…” Rainbow Dash clenched her teeth, her gaze wandering around them. There were movements everywhere from the shadows. More and more plants were coming out of the ground, and even the trees began changing. “I’ll open a path for you and make sure they don’t catch up to us. You, run as fast as you can,” She instructed the others, who were quick to protest.

“We ain’t leavin’ you behind, Sugarcube!” Applejack affirmed confidently.

“You’ll have to make us leave,” Rarity insisted, to which Rainbow simply groaned.

“I’m not staying behind! But you girls are much slower than me. I’ll catch up to you with no problems, and those stupid plants won’t be able to do anything!” She assured them before pouncing on a nearby plant and killing it with one blow. “Just go!” She ordered while numerous other roots and vines burst out of the ground all around them.

Fortunately, they trusted her enough to listen to her. They began running in the castle’s direction as Rainbow Dash used her incredible speed to tear a path between the plants, shredding them into pieces. Battling them alone next was no fun at all, but she managed. As promised, she also swiftly caught up to the other girls and Discord.

No wonder they didn’t wish to go alone in this forest and look for Twilight if those were the dangers they faced! Ever since they got into that forest, Rainbow Dash had to save one of them from death at least 4 different times! Of course, if they had their magic in the first place, they wouldn’t have needed any saving. It served to prove how much weakened they were.

After those plants, they were forced to go around a massive swamp once they noticed a manticore falling and sinking in it, unable to pull itself out as if the swamp was devouring it. They didn’t want to risk going in there. It was quite ironic how removing all the magic in Equestria made the Everfree Forest even deadlier.

Landslides, steep mountain edges, ravines, magic-enhanced timberwolves, living swamps, and giant carnivorous plants, everything was out to kill them! They wished to say that coming out of those challenges alive was a blessing, luck… But they knew they wouldn’t have come all this way if it weren’t for Rainbow Dash. They owed her a lot already.

Nevertheless, the closer they got to the castle, the more hope they had. Soon, they would fix everything and save Equestria, no, the world. As they traveled deeper and deeper into the forest, a lone timberwolf watched them from afar.

Unlike its brethren, the creature was frail and small, yet the wings on its back proved it was infused with Lord Tirek’s magic, too. These wolves got slightly smarter when they had grown stronger, so it knew it didn’t stand a chance alone against those 6. Especially against the cyan pony. However, the magic emanating from her was exquisite, something that couldn’t be ignored. If the Timberwolves couldn’t handle the job, then only one creature could.

With a low growl, the timberwolf took off with one flap of its wings, propelling itself above the trees and flying in the direction of Canterlot, to its master.

Unaware of the now ticking clock above their heads, the friends made their way into the Everfree. After what felt like an eternity, they were finally able to see their first signs of hope.

“Isn’t that…?” Rarity narrowed her eyes, looking up. Suddenly, her face lit up. “It’s the top of the castle! We’re here! The castle is right ahead!” She exclaimed joyfully before running forward.

“Hey, wait for us!” Pinkie laughed before running after the unicorn.

Even though most of them were exhausted and panting a second ago, they instantly regained their spirits as if energy was infused into them while they ran toward the castle. Rainbow Dash couldn’t fault them for that, especially since she wished nothing more but to fly there as quickly as possible.

At least, the castle didn’t look on the verge of crumbling. It was as old and broken as it was when she first laid her eyes on it. Now, all they needed was to find Twilight and Spike.

They decided not to split up since they didn’t know what could be hiding inside. After all, they weren’t even sure their friends were in there. Fortunately, it didn’t take them too long before hearing something… Familiar. Something that sounded like a pony. Cries. Someone was crying, and Fluttershy was willing to bet she could also hear Spike’s voice in the distance.

“It’s coming from this room,” Discord pointed ahead to a slightly open door. Just as Rainbow Dash raised her wings to fly to it, Applejack put her hoof on her chest, stopping her in her tracks.

“Wait! Ah am happy as you are, RD, but Ah think ya should wait before going in,” Applejack stated. From the way her legs were shaking, it seemed the earth pony was using all her strength not to run to the door and barge into the room. They clearly wanted to see Twilight and Spike, so why were they wasting time, now?!

“What? Why?” Rainbow arched an eyebrow in confusion.

“We don’t want to overwhelm her. What will she think if you just barge in with no warning?” Rarity argued. The cyan pegasus had to bite her lower lip to avoid yelling at her because as much as she wished to deny it, they had a point.

“Don’t worry, we’ll tell you when you can come in as soon as we can,” Fluttershy reassured her.

“Alright…” Rainbow Dash sighed. What else could she do? She trusted them, but she still couldn’t deny that she needed to see the other alternate versions of her friends now. She was afraid to see Twilight’s current state.

The others looked at each other, seeming hesitant for a few seconds. With a determined nod, they slowly approached the room where they hoped they would find Twilight and her dragon assistant.

Fortunately, the moment they came in, they laid their eyes on their two missing friends. They found them. After all this time, they were finally seeing them again! However, any joy they could have felt immediately faded away as they took in Twilight’s appearance and gasped. Spike looked clean and in good health, but the alicorn was a mess. Her wings and hooves were like theirs, atrophied and filthy. If only these were the only issues. Patches of fur and feathers were missing all over her. Her mane and tail were the same as if her hair were pulled off or torn in half. From what Rarity could see, it seemed the lavender pony hadn’t taken a bath in months… Maybe more. Likely more.

She was lying on the cold floor, shivering pathetically and hiding her face behind her hooves while Spike was gently stroking her mane. He spoke reassuringly while the alicorn wailed desperately. The two of them didn’t seem to notice the new arrivals.

Honestly, the 5 of them weren’t sure of what to do or even how to approach them. It was supposed to be a happy reunion! The first one to move was Pinkie Pie. She accidentally kicked a small rock with her first step, quickly attracting Spike’s attention to them while Twilight’s face remained hidden.

“G-Girls?” He asked, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. It seemed this one word was enough to stop Twilight’s wailing, even though she was still hiding behind her hooves.

“Hey, Spikey-Wikey,” Rarity smiled warmly while the small dragon’s lips quivered in an attempt to resist the urge to cry. “Come here,” She gestured to her, already knowing this was everything Spike wanted.

The bipedal dragon dashed forward, crying all the way before throwing himself at her foreleg and hugging it.

“Y-You can’t… Believe how I missed you all! Y-You’re… You’re okay!” Tears streamed down his face, which was buried in Rarity’s leg. The unicorn didn’t mind the tears soaking her coat as she caressed the top of his head.

“Of course, we’re okay. We’re the ones who should be happy to see ya are doin’ fine,” Applejack uttered, glancing at Twilight from the corner of her eye.

“She needs help, please! Twilight needs help… She… I don’t know what to do! I tried to help her, but I just kept screwing up,” The dragon wheezed. “I’m a horrible friend!”

“It’s not your fault, Spike. No one could do it alone, I’m sure,” Fluttershy comforted him in a soft voice.

“Please, don’t leave,” Spike pleaded, still holding onto Rarity’s leg.

“We ain’t leavin’. We’re here for our friend, after all… That’s somethin’ we learned together, Twilight. Didn’t we?” Applejack responded, looking at Twilight, who lightly flinched once she was addressed. The alicorn slowly raised her head until her red and bloodshot eyes met her friends’.

“Is that really you?” She asked hesitantly with shaking legs. Pinkie Pie took another step forward, making Twilight back away in fear, which didn’t go unnoticed by her friends. Spike seemed downcast, but not surprised. “You’re not here to hurt me?”

“Of course not, silly! Why would we hurt you?” Pinkie immediately answered.

“Because of what I’ve done,” The lavender mare looked down, tears ready to flow again. “Don’t you want to avenge Rainbow Dash? I…” She stammered, the words stuck in her throat.

“No. Oh, no, darling. What happened was in no way your fault,” Rarity shook her head, a hoof over her chest. “Was that what you thought these past two years? That it was your fault?” She questioned, only for the alicorn to remain silent. Meanwhile, Discord stood awkwardly a bit further away from them, rubbing his arm.

“If anyone is at fault, here. It’s us,” Fluttershy added as the others nodded in agreement and shame. Twilight simply looked at them with an inquisitive stare, not understanding what she meant.

“The truth is that we blamed ya for this. It may have been only for a few seconds, but it was seconds too much. Ya never should have been blamed, Twilight. We’re sorry,” Applejack stepped forward with teary eyes. “Ya lost a friend, too. And we acted like ya meant for this to happen… Ah am sorry,” She sniffled. Even Pinkie’s enthusiasm died down while the pink pony wiped her tears away.

Twilight, on the other hand, bit her lower lip. There was no relief in her eyes. To her, their words meant nothing. She would always hate herself, and blame herself for what she had done. No words or apologies would ever change that.

“It doesn’t matter what you think, girls. The reality is… That her blood was on my hooves,” The alicorn looked at her hooves. Red flashed all over them, reminding her of Rainbow Dash’s body slowly growing colder in her forelegs. “We lost, and there is nothing we can do about it. I… Have no reason to live anymore,” She stated, much to everyone’s shock. Especially Discord’s. “All I want is to die in peace, now,” She turned around, ready to go back into her corner and curl on herself.

Even when he toyed with their memories and destroyed their friendship, long ago, Discord had never seen Twilight this way. No matter what defeat they might have faced, at no point the lavender mare was this broken. Lord Tirek did it. He crushed any fighting spirit there was, leaving only an empty shell of her former self. With no hope, even her friends couldn’t bring out her light. Even if they stopped her from blaming herself… She simply wasn’t willing to fight anymore.

Yet, no matter what happened, her friends would help. Discord had seen it time and time again. They weren’t the type of ponies to give up on each other. They never would be. Applejack stepped up, confidence was evident in her demeanor.

“But there is hope. We haven’t lost yet, Twi,” She assured her friend, who weakly turned her head toward her.

“How? We have no magic. We lost Rainbow Dash. We lost everything. I’m tired… I’m just… So tired, Applejack,” Twilight sniffled.

“We should hear them out, Twilight! Maybe they have a way to beat him!” Spike argued, only for Twilight to ignore him and walk away.

“We do,” Pinkie uttered firmly before turning to the door. “You can come in!” She loudly notified.

Twilight turned to look at the entrance along with Spike, wondering who they could have brought. Nothing could have prepared her for the answer because what burst through the entrance was something she hadn’t seen in two years. Bright blue wings and coat, along with a beautiful rainbow mane and cerise-colored eyes. It was Rainbow Dash in the flesh!

“No… No… This is a hallucination… Not again. No!” She shouted while carelessly backing away until she slipped and fell on her butt, only for her to crawl back. The others were dejected, but not surprised by her reaction. “Get away!” She shouted at the cyan pegasus, who softly landed near her.

“W-Wait, Twilight. I can see her, too! She’s… She’s real? I think she’s real!” Spike pointed at the pegasus with a shaking finger.

“What?” The lavender mare paused. “You are?” She questioned the clone of her friend.

“I am. I promise,” Rainbow Dash responded reassuringly while carefully approaching her. “Everything’s going to be okay, now, Twi,” She affirmed, outstretching one of her hooves in Twilight’s direction, so she would take it.

“I-I’m afraid that… If I touch you… You’ll disappear,” She gulped in fear.

“I won’t,” Rainbow shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere or my name isn’t Rainbow Dash. You trust me, don’t you, egghead?” She asked with a sincere smile.

Twilight looked into her eyes, and as much as she sought it, she found no trace of deception. If this was another illusion, a part of her wondered if she was allowed to pretend it was real. If she was allowed to forget about everything else and enjoy the moment… To feel happiness again. Did she deserve it? She didn’t know anymore. Slowly, she extended one of her hooves. Even when she was filled with so much fear and pain, she chose to trust her.

Softly, their hooves brushed against one another, and the warmth she felt all these years ago reminded Twilight of every moment she ever had with that cyan pegasus as if it happened yesterday. She didn’t disappear. She didn’t fade away. She was still here, smiling. So the alicorn allowed herself to hope once more. Before she even realized what she was doing, she jumped on the rainbow-maned mare, hurling them both to the floor.

Rainbow Dash didn’t mind at all as the lavender mare wrapped her hooves around her and cried into her chest. Warm tears freely streamed down the alicorn’s cheeks, accompanied by loud and powerful wails.

Every day for the past two years, Spike listened to her cries, unable to do anything to stop them or comfort her. No matter how much he tried, Twilight wallowed in her misery, going down deeper and deeper in her pit of self-loathing. However, those tears weren’t of despair or sadness. He could feel it in his bones. They were of joy. She was happy. For the first time in years, she was happy.

“Don’t leave! D-Don’t leave, please! Rainbow!” Twilight begged her, burying her face in the other mare’s coat while the others held back joyful tears, too.

“I’m not. I’m real,” Rainbow Dash snickered with a sniffle before wrapping her hooves and wings around the crying alicorn. “There, there,” She was not used to comfort a pony in such a way, but there were always exceptions.

Slowly but surely, the others quietly joined in, wrapping their forelegs and arms around the two ponies to make a group hug. Discord, on the other hand, stayed back, watching the display with a small grin. Perhaps, there was still hope for this, if only a little.

Author's Note:

There was supposed to be a scene of Twilight freaking out when seeing Pinkie's sword because she had a flashback to Tirek's blades. I removed it because I thought it would be a bit redundant when she panicked again after Rainbow Dash's arrival. Hope you liked the chapter!

Comments

[Mlpfan0307]

So MANY emotions...

Amazing chapter 👏👏👏👏

[King Ice]

11795116
Thank you!

[Furious Thestral]

Such a momentus ocassion... things can now start to improve.

[Screw]

Well, I'm glad you caught yourself when mixing Twilight and her sword trauma would just stretch out the scene too long. But maybe, as a compromise, she could react with a milder emotion, like surprise, upon seeing her friends armed. She had never seen them battle ready before.

I don't remember if I already mentioned this, but I believe Discord will be a great loyalty bearer. All they need is a new spark and the right "rainbow gift".

More specifically, Discord right now can't see or feel that spark.