Light in the Darkest Hour
For a moment, the control room was mostly silent save for the sobs of Twilight Sparkle. Then a sudden beeping on the computer panel caused Princess Luna to raise her own tear stained face to the monitor before her. At first, all she could see was the remains of the explosion as they slowly began to fade. And as they did, her eyes filled with horror to see that the TOM was still there. The efforts of Lightning Dust had destroyed the engine entirely while also greatly reducing its mass. Just by looking at the screen, Luna guessed that at least half of its mass had been destroyed leaving a crater where the engine had once been.
Gulping, Luna went to the controls as everypony else began to raise their heads. As she worked she could hear cries of ‘It didn’t work’, ‘This is hopeless’, and so on. And, sadly, Luna’s fears were confirmed.
“It…It didn’t work,” came the sobbing voice of Twilight. “L-Lightning Dust died for nothing!” As Twilight fell to the ground, she brought her forelegs together and began to cry heavily into them. Upon seeing his future wife break down like this, Shadow moved to lie down next to her while at the same time draping a leathery wing across her body. He wasn’t the only one for Scootaloo also went to comfort the grieving unicorn.
“It’s true,” said Luna sadly as she felt warm tears appear on her face. “Despite the loss of mass to the TOM, it sadly wasn’t enough. The damage will still be every bit as catastrophic as before. The only thing she did was getting rid of the engine so its speed can’t continue to increase, giving us more time. Maybe five, eight minutes tops.”
“There has to be something we can do!” shouted Fluttershy, gaining the attention of everypony there. Yet she didn’t shy away. “Please, my family is down there.”
“Same here,” said Applejack while the others nodded.
“I-I just found my mom and dad,” said Ruby as she took a few steps forwards. “I can’t lose them like this. I just can’t! Please princess, isn’t there anything you can do?”
“I finally had a dream that I thought might come true,” said Lone Wolf. “A place where bat ponies could call their own, to live in peace. It can’t be destroyed. Not now…”
As the tears continued to fall down Luna’s face, she bit her lower lip for a second. Her eyes began to dart back and forth while a hoof went up to her chin making it look like she was pondering. “I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do now,” she said after a while. “With the engine gone, there is nothing for me to gain control of in order to redirect the TOM. And with our magic still sealed away, both me and my sister are helpless to stop this.”
“I’m still working on it,” said Gigawatt.
“WELL WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?” screamed Pinkie Pie in a panic.
Gigawatt shot her a death glare. “Well, funny thing really,” he said in a humorless tone. “When we made these things, we wanted to make sure whoever had them on couldn’t take them off or get somepony else to do it for them. At least, not easily. I am doing this as fast as I can.”
“Lastly the TOM is still far too massive for us to even hope to destroy is such a short amount of time,” continued a crestfallen Luna. “I’m afraid we are all out of options.”
“But you’re an alicorn princess,” said Pinkie Pie whose mane had deflated. “Aren’t you like super old and super smart? There has to be something you can do! Mrs. Cake is going to have a foal soon for me to play with. She can’t die yet! And I never got to say goodbye to Maud, Limestone, Marble, or my parents!”
“I…” began Luna, but paused to choke back a sob. The feelings inside of her, being so utterly powerless to stop this situation, was like being crushed by the massive gravitational forces of a black hole. It was simply too much for her to bear. She had no idea how she could live with herself knowing that she had played a part, even an unwitting one, in the destruction of the world she had been born on.
As her wings slumped down in defeat, a hoof gently touched Luna’s shoulder. The night princess turned and saw that it was Celestia giving her a knowing look.
“Luna,” said Celestia, “you need to take a deep breath and calm down. You’re no good to anypony like this right now.”
“But sister I-” began Luna.
“I know you can do this,” said Celestia. “If there is anypony out there that can do something, anything to possibly make things better in a situation like this it would be you. I trust you little sister.”
Luna’s eyes widened as Celestia said that last part. Slowly she nodded before taking a deep breath. As she exhaled, Luna began to go over what she knew. She knew for a fact that unless some miracle occurred or the anti-magic ring on Celestia’s horn was removed, nothing could stop that TOM. So, if she couldn’t stop it, the only course of action she could take would be to reduce the damage as best she could.
“Alright,” said Luna, her voice carrying a bit of the firmness it once held as she turned to the control panel. “Since we can’t stop the TOM, the best we can hope to do is give the planet a fighting chance. If we can shut down Operation: Umbrella then all of the magic that is currently being suppressed will return. That should allow various races time to seek shelter faster or put up magical barriers and the like. It will also help those with wings handle the dust cloud created by the impact. But based on what we have experienced, it would be foolish of me to assume that Land Share didn’t put some sort of safety measures with Operation: Umbrella as well. So, I guess we’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way.”
While the other ponies looked at her in slight confusion, Luna broadcasted herself to all military crafts in the area and ordered them to destroy the crystals suppressing the planet’s magic. A choir of ‘Yes, Princess Luna,’ was her response as all of the fighters that had once been attacking the TOM flew towards the planet at blinding speeds. As soon as they were close enough, they began to fire at their nearest targets. While it took several shots, a few were soon destroyed. Seeing this, Luna went back to work trying to see if she could shut Operation: Umbrella off remotely.
“So you can save our home?” asked Rarity hopefully.
Luna’s hooves paused in mid air when Rarity asked that. She could feel all of the eyes of the planet’s ponies upon her. She could even hear Pinkie’s mane poof back to normal. Waiting to hear good new that she would be unable to give. Slowly she gulped.
“I believe, given the situation, it might be a little too hopeful to assume that all of Equestria can be saved,” said Celestia remorsefully, coming to Luna’s rescue. “But there is a chance that some of the outer areas of Equestria, like Appleloosa might survive if we are able to return magic to our world. Maybe some other areas might make it as well for I am sure that the TOM is visible to them by now. Hopefully there will be enough ponies with the sense to seek shelter.”
‘A very, very slim chance sister,’ thought Luna sadly as she continued to work. ‘You have no idea how powerful the impact will be. Equestria will be taking the brunt of the damage. The ground beneath their hooves will actually ripple as if it suddenly turned into water. The shockwave will knock down entire forests even when they’re hundreds of miles away from the epicenter. And then will come the flames. The ones who die from that will be the lucky ones.’ However, Luna didn’t voice this and instead focus on the work in front of her.
-x-
At that time, down in Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac was sitting on his flank with his special somepony next to his as they looked up at the sky as the large mass of rock grew closer and closer. He had noticed it a good half an hour ago, back when it was a mere speck. At the time Big Mac had assumed it was a pegasus pony high up in the sky and shrugged it off so he could get to his chores while Zecora assisted. It was a pleasant way for them to spend time together without neglecting his work. But when he looked up a few minutes later he could better make out its rocky feature as it hung up there in Celestia’s sky. Then, not too long ago, there was a brilliant flash of light that was so bright that the red stallion was forced to cover his eyes. In the span of seconds he believed that Princess Celestia had returned just in time to destroy that…thing. But when the light faded and the ponies were able to look up, their hopes faded to see that the object continued to loom overhead.
He was mightily sure that at this point folks back in town had noticed it as well. Most likely they were panicking, screaming ‘The horror’ as they ran about. Some, he was sure, were heading to their basements in the hope that it would provide shelter in case it was heading towards Ponyville. Then there would be those who would think they could outrun it, heading as fast as they could south. Perhaps there would be one or two ponies out there that wouldn’t pay it any mind, thinking that nothing would happen. That that thing would either miss them or land somewhere else and life would go on. But they were only fooling themselves. After everything that had been going on today, nopony was in the mood to make that assumption.
As for Mac, he could tell that it wasn’t going to strike Ponyville. From what he could see, it looked like it was almost directly above Canterlot. Yet knowing that didn’t make him feel any safer. A primal instinct within him told him that when that thing hit the mountain, it didn’t matter where he was: that this was simply the end. So rather than spend his last moments alive panicking like so many others, Big Mac had decided to spend this time in peace. Here, in the fields he had worked in since he was a colt and amongst the apple trees he had tended with his parents, was where he wanted to be when he died.
One comfort to all of this was that at least he knew his sisters would survive. He knew that Applejack and Apple Bloom were on the moon and, whatever was going on with them, they were no doubt safer. They would live to see another day. Hopefully long enough to become more like Granny Smith. Imaging that brought a sad smile to his lips.
“Mac, are you are sure it is wise that we not speak to the apple monarch?” asked Zecora as she pressed her warm body next to Mac’s. Mac looked down to see her biting her lower lip slightly. “All we are doing right now is keeping them all in the dark.”
“Ah know,” said Mac as he looked down at Zecora’s lovely face, as he felt a twinge of pain in his heart. He wished to whoever was above them that he could have had more time with her. And looking into her eyes, he could see that she felt the same way. Perhaps, maybe, they could have had a family together.
He did the best he could to steel himself as he continued. “Right now, Granny should be restin’ along with the rest of the Guard. The only one fit enough to move on her own power is Poisoned. Since she ain’t outside making a fuss, Ah think she don’t know what’s goin’ on. Ah…Ah rather keep it that way. Not let their final moments be filled with fear.”
Zecora didn’t say anything at first. She simply leaned a bit closer into him. “That is a very kind thing for you to do to those you hold dear,” she rhymed. “And, I must admit, that if you were not here I would be drowning in fear. All of these things that have happened in these days past, it looks like this is the end at long last. Yet as I sit here next to you, I feel ease taking its cue. Our lack of time together is somewhat bad, still I am very grateful for those moments we had. I just wish-”
Zecora was cut off as Big Mac’s hoof touched her chin gently. Before she could speak another word the red stallion leaned down to capture her lips with his own. The two let out a bliss filled hum as they closed their eyes, shutting out the world around them in order to better savor this moment. Then, with much reluctance, Mac pulled away while keeping his eyes on hers.
“Ah know,” he said, a tear rolling down his face.
-x-
Back on the moon, Celestia watched as Luna continued her work. Information on the screen in front of her younger sister flew by so quickly that the sun princess had barely an idea what it said. But, based on Luna’s scowl, it wasn’t anything good. Still, Luna continued to type away in the hope that she might be able to do something. Knowing her, Luna would continue to seek a solution until the very last second. All while Celestia sat there, able to do nothing to help.
A lump grew in the solar princess’ throat. Her country. Her city. Her subjects. Everything that she had taken care of over the past thousand years was about to be destroyed in an instant with her being unable to do anything. Without magic, both she and her subjects were helpless against this threat. The pain she felt was so great that, despite her efforts, a choking noise escaped her.
“Princess,” came Trixie’s voice from behind Celestia. The white alicorn turned, annoying Gigawatt in the process, just in time to witness Trixie taking off her hat while lowering her head. “Trixie knows you have a lot on your plate right now. But, Trixie just wanted to tell you now how sorry Trixie is for being such a poor student.”
Celestia blinked at this. “Trixie, what in Equestria are you talking about?” asked a genuinely confused princess. “You have been a wonderful student. I have never seen you give any less than your full effort on any of your lessons.”
Trixie let out a sigh. “But Trixie misunderstood some of the things you were trying to teach Trixie,” the unicorn clarified. “Trixie didn’t understand how much you believed in Trixie or how much you trusted Trixie. Trixie was also a poor student to you in the way Trixie acted outside of Trixie’s lessons. A stupid drunk who shouldn’t have listened to what other ponies said. Trixie wishes she had realized this sooner before this.”
“Why in the void is she speaking in the third pony?” muttered Gigawatt, unable to help himself from speaking out loud. Yet his words were either ignored or simply went unheard as the two ponies never let their attention linger off of the other.
“Trixie,” said Celestia as she brought a hoof down to lift Trixie’s chin up. Their eyes met and Trixie could not hide her surprise to see that Celestia, despite everything that was going on, was smiling at her warmly. “I always knew the day would come when you would be able to see what I have always seen in you. You are an amazing mare who will one day go out into the world and do amazing things.”
“But Trixie still-”
“Trixie,” interrupted Celestia in a gentle voice. “You saw what you were doing to yourself without me having to take measures into my own hooves. And, judging by the smell of your breath, you are already working to improve yourself. Very few could find the strength to look at themselves in the mirror, say ‘I want to change’, and then actually go through with it. It is far easier to simply make excuses and leave the problem alone until it becomes too late. I stand by what I said earlier: You are a wonderful student.”
Tears appeared in Trixie’s eyes as she let her teacher’s words wash over her. Ever since she had escaped Canterlot, she had felt shame for her past behavior. While she had taken steps to improve, there had been a voice in the back of her head saying ‘too little, too late’. She had been useless ever since she had fled the capital, her only success being she had warned Cadence about Blueblood. Yet despite that, Celestia still saw her as a good student. And that was all that mattered.
“Trixie,” said Luna while her hooves continued to type. “While I know that our experiences with each other have been, er, less than pleasant, there is something that you should know. I might not always see it at first, but my sister has never failed to pick out a personal student that did not have something exceptional about them.”
Trixie gave the moon princess a slight nod. “Thank you,” whispered Trixie.
Luna did not return the gesture, however when she spoke next her voice was almost a whisper. “Sister, I…I know this might not be the best time to say this, but…thank you.” Celestia blinked in surprise, taken aback by what was just said. The same applied to Gigawatt whose hooves, for a moment, paused in his work.
“Luna, I have done nothing that deserves thanks,” replied Celestia, her eyes downcast.
Trixie frown and opened her mouth to argue this. However, it was Luna who spoke up first. “I disagree,” stated Luna firmly. “Today has been…difficult for the both of us. I cannot imagine what you are going through knowing what will soon happen. Yet you have found it in you to help get me back on my hooves twice today. Also…it felt nice to hear that you trust me.”
Celestia gave her sister a sad smile. “It was something you should have heard from me more often back in the day,” she admitted. “And, knowing you, you’ll keep working till the last second if you have to.”
A small smile appeared on Luna’s face. “That, my dear sister, is the plan.”
-x-
Cadence, meanwhile, had been looking lost for some time now. Even before Lightning Dust had made the ultimate sacrifice, she had been sitting there in the back along with most of the ponies that had arrived with her from the planet. It was a hard thing to accept that the only way they could help was to simply stay out of the way while those with the knowledge of how things operated around here worked frantically to save the planet. Right now she felt even more useless than when that griffon had attacked. At least then she was able to throw a rock in an attempt to help. Here, however, she feared that if she spoke up it would distract the Lunar ponies and cause them to lose time.
Her eyes slowly drifted to the three adult bat ponies she had brought with her. Ruby seemed like she was slowly gaining back her composure so she could better protect Cadence. Said pink princess knew this would be difficult since so many ponies that Ruby knew were still on the planet, and not just her parents. Like the bat ponies from the Everfree colony and Appleloosa. Judging by the look on Lone Wolf’s face, he was worried about the bat ponies as well. Darkwing was a different matter, frantically looking at the image of the planet. Cadence had a theory that he was trying to figure out if his home might be far away enough so that it might survive. However, before he could determine that, he needed to figure out where his home was.
“Mommy, is everything going to be ok?” asked Midnight suddenly. Currently, the young bat pony filly was sitting next to her mother, her head raised to look up at the larger pink mare with innocent eyes.
As she looked down at her daughter, a whole new level of worry appeared. Something that she hadn’t thought about until now: What was going to happen to them? Where would she go? What could she do to support the two of them? Cadence knew it was wrong to think like this when so many ponies were about to die, yet she couldn’t help herself.
The rational answer would have been that Luna would give them a place here at the castle. Perhaps take both her and Aunt Celestia on as advisors or something so they could get some income. But, then again, how much could they help in a society where they didn’t know how anything worked?
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” said Cadence, unable to bring herself to lie at this point in time. “Princess Luna is doing everything she can to help us go back home safely. But things aren’t looking so good right now. We might… have to stay here for a while.”
At first, Midnight’s eyes brightened at this. The last time she was here she got to play with Princess Luna and be with Mr. Shiny. She also had some fun with Scootaloo. On the moon was so much nicer than in Canterlot because nopony up here gave her those mean looks when her mother wasn’t watching. The little filly was almost bouncing with joy at the thought that they might be able to stay up here longer and have fun. She was about to voice her excitement when she noticed something that made her stop. Nopony else seemed to be all that happy about it, not even Miss Ruby.
“But we’ll be able to go back home soon, right mommy?” asked Midnight as she touched her mother’s leg with one of her own forelegs. “What about Mr. Wolf and Mr. Darkwing? Will they be able to go back home?”
Cadence gulped. “I don’t think so,” she answered slowly. “We…we all might have to look for a new home.”
Fear almost crippled Midnight as those works sunk in as well as their meaning to the young filly. A new home always meant new ponies. She had escaped the harshness of her first home to live on the street which was filled with ponies that were just as mean to her as her old home. Then she got a new home with a nice pony to be her mommy! But…would getting a new home now mean that she would be separated from her mommy and all the nice ponies she had met? Her small frame trembled as she looked over at Ruby and then back to her mother. Small droplets began to appear around the corners of her eyes.
“But we’ll all still be together, right mommy?” asked the panicking filly, catching her mother off guard. Quickly, Midnight wrapped her forelegs around one of her mother’s own. “Please don’t leave me!”
“What?” said Cadence as she used her free leg to stroke her daughter’s mane. “Oh course I’m not leaving you. Wherever did you get such an idea?”
“Well,” was all that Midnight was able to mutter as she lowered her head, her words becoming unrecognizable. This ended when Cadence gently brought her hoof to Midnight’s chin so that she could lift the filly’s head up.
“Midnight,” said Cadence warmly. “I’m not going anywhere nor will I let anything happen to you. Right now, knowing that you are with me and safe, is the only silver lining I can see. And I will do everything in my power to make sure it stays that way. Do you understand?” Midnight slowly nodded her head. “Good. And don’t worry about where we are going to live after that. That’s my job.”
Midnight tilted her head slightly. “But what about Miss Ruby and the others?” she asked. “What will they do? Will they be staying with us?”
Cadence bit her lower lip as she looked at the three only to find that they were already watching them. If Cadence had to guess, her conversation with Midnight had gained their attention. And Midnight raised a good point. As much as she wanted to tell them that they would all be staying together, she didn’t want to go making promises she might not be able to keep. Since this wasn’t Equestria and she had no power here Cadence didn’t want to make any promises she would be unable to keep. Especially to Lone Wolf who she had only recently earned his trust.
Still that didn’t mean she could reassure them. If worst came to worst, Cadence knew that Luna wouldn’t toss them onto the streets. Even with their strapped resources, Luna would most likely do everything in her power to see that they would be treated properly.
“You don’t have worry about that,” said Shining Armor as he walked over to them, stopping in between Cadence and Midnight. “There are plenty of spare rooms in the castle. Or, if you prefer, you can all bunker down at my place. Might be a little cramped but I think we’ll be able to manage.”
“That is very kind of you,” said Ruby as she looked over at Lone Wolf and Darkwing. Neither said anything, their expressions showed that their minds were elsewhere. Letting out an annoyed growl Ruby quickly elbowed them to bring that back to the present.
“Oh right,” said Darkwing. “Sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize,” said Shining Armor quickly. “I kind of know what you’re going through. I’ve…lost loved ones and a home before. It’s not easy knowing there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
“No, it’s not,” said Lone Wolf in a gruff voice.
“We’ll do everything in our power to make this right,” continued Shining. “I can’t promise that everypony you know will be alright, but I will do the next best thing. As soon as it’s safe to go down I will personally see to it that every available shuttle is loaded up with healing pods and sent to search for survivors. After that, well, you can either stay here with us or we’ll help you rebuild.”
Lone Wolf’s eyes narrowed. “That’s an awfully big promise,” he stated. “Who are you to make such a claim?”
“Hey!” yelled Midnight, catching Lone Wolf’s attention. He looked down as she puffed her cheeks and spread her wings, looking like she was ready to attack him as well as adorable. “Be nice to Mr. Shiny! He’s a good pony like mommy!”
“It’s alright Midnight,” said Shining as he patted the filly’s head. “Mr. Lone Wolf has every right to be upset. And I understand if he doesn’t trust us right now.” Lone Wolf snorted as he rolled his eyes.
“Excuse me,” said Ruby as she took a step forwards. “After that, er, TOM makes contact, am I safe to assume that every second will count when looking for survivors?”
“That’s correct,” replied Shining calmly, but his head lowered slightly.
Ruby took a breath. “Then, in order to save as many ponies as we can, I suggest that we do everything in our power to ensure that not a second is wasted,” she said. “Lone Wolf is the Flight Master of the Everfree Colony, which means he knows where every other colony in Equestria is located. Or, at least will have a better idea where they can be found. Most of them are located in caves so they should have a better chance at surviving.” She turned her head to look at Lone Wolf directly in the eye. “So rather than letting our emotions get the better of us, I believe that we should be putting this information to good use and saving as many lives as we can.”
Lone Wolf stared at Ruby, taken aback by this assertiveness. There also came a moment of clarity, a realization of what just happened. Ruby had known that Lone Wolf, in his anger and mistrust, would never have given anypony this information thus putting the lives of their fellow bat ponies at risk. He most likely would have remained tight lipped even after the fact in his stubbornness. But Ruby, even now, was able to see the bigger picture with a clear head making her more capable of making sound decisions. A decision that would hopefully save more lives.
“That kind of information would help out a great deal,” replied Shining Armor, getting Lone Wolf’s attention. The white stallion was looking right at him now, waiting to see if he would consent to give this information.
Lone Wolf let out a small sigh. “If it means saving the lives of my fellow bat ponies, then I’ll give you the information.”
“Thank you,” said Shining Armor before pointing to a computer station. “Over there will be a map of Equestria you can use.” When he looked back at the bat pony, he saw a rather confused looking stallion. Shining Armor then let out a nervous chuckle as he scratched his mane with his hoof. “Oh, right. You’ve never used one before. I’ll lend you a hoof.”
“Ah, Shining Armor,” said Cadence, raising a hoof to get their attention before they could move. “Could I…Could I have a word with you real quick?”
“Ah,” began Shining Armor.
“It’s not a problem,” said Ruby as she began to push both Darkwing and Lone Wolf to the computer station Shining had pointed to. “We’ll just go over there and try to figure things out on our own.”
“But why should we-” began Darkwing.
“Come on you two,” said Ruby as she gave them another push. While doing this, Ruby turned her head to give her princess a quick wink as well as a knowing smile. After that, she gave the Darkwing another push while gesturing to Lone Wolf with her head. The elder stallion turned and took a single step towards the computer station, but after that he paused before turning his head so that he could look at her with his one good eye.
Cadence watched as the older stallion turned the rest of his body to face her. As he did, a seed of dread began to take root in the princess’s chest. She had a feeling that she knew what was coming. That he would vent his anger upon her for her not being able to do more to keep his colony as well as the rest of his ponies alive. That the promise of land, a home for the bat ponies, was going to be destroyed while she did nothing. Perhaps he would even go back further, wanting to know why she didn’t help them out sooner. And, in her heart and soul, Cadence believed he would be right. She had failed them.
“Lone Wolf, I am sorry I couldn’t do more to help save the colonies,” said Cadence soberly as her wing sagged a bit.
As Ruby turned to grab the Flight Master of the Everfree Colony by the tail, Lone Wolf began to speak. “Princess,” he began, “there is no need for you to say that.” His words caused the eyes of all the ponies around him to widen in surprise.
“But I-” began Cadence.
“You’ve done all you could and more,” interrupted Lone Wolf. “I’ve seen with my own eye you extending your hoof to help us more than most ponies have done in a long time. You have given Ruby a job as captain of your guard. You showed mercy to Jackal when any other pony in your position would have justified killing him on the spot. You brought Poisoned Apple back to her family. And…you gave all of us so much hope. If none of this would have happened, it might have been a bright future for us.” Lone Wolf closed his good eye as he sighed heavily while Darkwing and Ruby moved to either side of the old stallion. “Yet, perhaps, it might still be. I know now that you will do everything in your power to help whoever survives all of this regardless of what tribe they hail from. And that will include those that Equestria has seen as nothing more than muck stuck to its hoof. So know that, when this ordeal is over and the next one begins, the bat ponies of Equestria will follow their one true princess.”
When Lone Wolf finished saying this, he bowed low to the ground and was soon followed by Ruby as well as Darkwing. Cadence stood there, completely taken aback by Lone Wolf’s words as well as his actions. Before she could do anything, Lone Wolf rose as did the other two bat ponies. Together they turned and walked towards the computer station once again.
Once the three could be seen looking at the computer screen, Shining Armor gently placed a hoof on Cadence’s shoulder and flashed her a warm smile when she turned to look at him. “Well, it’s just the two of us now,” he said. Suddenly he felt something tap his leg. Looking down he spotted Midnight with her head up and slightly tilted. “Oh, right. The three of us. What did you want to talk about?”
“Shiny,” said Cadence once Shining Armor was looking at her once again. “Thank you. I just wish I could be doing more to help and-”
“Anything for you,” interrupted Shining as he looked the pink mare in the eye. He watched as Cadence began to blush. “I…I can tell you’ve been busy. You look…tired.”
Cadence lowered her head slightly. “I am,” she replied. “I’ve been trying to do as much as I can to help the bat ponies of Equestria. Things that should have been done a long time ago. The sad thing is, before this, it looked like things were looking up for them. Now…now it feels like, despite what Lone Wolf said, everything I did was for nothing.”
Shining Armor shook his head before placing a hoof gently on her shoulder. “Cadence, I know that you know that everything you did wasn’t for nothing. You were trying to make things right and give them hope. And…I think that’s really amazing of you.”
“Shiny,” said Cadence softly.
“I mean it,” continued Shining, a small blush appearing on his face. “From what I have seen of most of the ponies in Canterlot, there couldn’t have been many that would willingly back you up. Heck, besides Princess Celestia, who would have your back in Equestria unless there was something in it for them? Many would try to talk you out of it or think the worst of you for trying to do something that you knew was right. And, well, I think it’s the sign of a true hero to do the right thing even when there’s nopony standing beside you. I just think you’re-”
Shining Armor paused for a moment as he looked at Cadence. Despite how tired she appeared and the current situation, she now had a bright red blush across her cheeks that threatened to burn her alive. Nervously, Shining Armor bit his lower lip and looked away.
“S-Sorry,” he said. “I’m just making a fool of myself right now. Talking about such things when we have a crisis. This isn’t really the time to tell you all the things I’ve wanted to.”
Cadence did nothing for a moment other than staring at Shining Armor while Midnight sat in-between them. Then, slowly, Cadence leaned forwards until her lips were locked onto Shining’s. At first, Shining’s eyes were wide with surprise yet as the seconds ticked by they closed as the stallion accepted and deepened the kiss. Neither one seemed to notice Midnight who looked confused by this display of emotion; having never seen ponies kissing like this before. The only thing she had ever experienced herself was when her mother kissed her forehead, making her feel special.
‘Perhaps this means Mr. Shiny is really, really, really special to mommy,’ thought the bat filly. ‘I hope we can always stay together then.’
Soon, Cadence pulled away disappointing Shining who didn’t want the kiss to end. “Thank you,” the pink princess whispered in his ear.
-x-
While all of this was going on, Twilight continued to sob on the floor. Part of her knew that this wasn’t the time to act like this, that there were so many lives at stake. For her to push aside her pain and plow through in order to help save the day. Yet right now, the pain she felt was far too great to be ignored. She had nearly lost her adopted daughter to a crazy mare bent on revenge, stabbed by a stallion she loved like an uncle, witnessed with her own eyes said uncle being killed by two princesses with their own horns, and now the seemingly pointless death of one of her oldest friends on the moon. All of this in the span of a few days.
To make matters worse, the rational part of her brain informed her that there was simply nothing she could do. Even if she was in prime condition, there was no way her magic alone was powerful enough to move a TOM. She would need the help of several trained unicorns who were used to working together to accomplish such a feat. Science wouldn’t be any more help than magic was either. Land Share had effectively cut them off from any solution to this crisis. And Lightning Dust…
A louder sob escaped Twilight as she thought of her friend. She didn’t want Lightning’s death to have been in vain. She wanted to do something that might help. Yet, what could she do?
It was then that Twilight’s ears managed to pick up on hoofsteps coming towards her. The purple mare managed to open one of her eyes and looked up to see Pinkie Pie. The mare was now standing in front of her, looking down at her with an unreadable expression that made Twilight sob even harder. Part of Twilight wanted to cringe in fear as she waited for Pinkie to say something. Ready for Pinkie to start yelling at her, blaming her and the rest of the Republic for what had been going on. For lying on the ground and crying instead of doing something to stop this!
For a moment that seemed to go on forever, Twilight waited. The silence between them made the moment all the worse. Twilight wanted Pinkie to start laying it on her already. She wouldn’t blame the pink mare for saying anything…unpleasant to her. Being yelled at was the only thing Twilight felt like she could do at this moment. She just wished that Pinkie would say something or blink or anything!
Finally, Pinkie moved one of her forelegs and brought it behind her back. Twilight closed her eyes and braced herself, believing that Pinkie was going to strike her. She could feel Shadow and Scootaloo moving in response, possibly to stop her. Before Twilight could tell them it was alright, wanting the pain on the outside to match the pain inside of her, she felt something soft brushing against her cheek to wipe away the tears. Slowly she opened her eyes to see that Pinkie was the one cleaning up her face using a handkerchief. Or, rather, part of a long chain of handkerchiefs that were coming out of her mane.
“Better?” asked Pinkie. Twilight looked at the mare in confusion, but gave her a nod regardless of how she really felt. A tiny smile appeared on the pink earth pony’s face as she then gave the handkerchief rope a tug before releasing it, allowing it to go zooming back into her mane.
Twilight started to stand up, but her legs were far too weak. If she had to guess the medicine that had been helping to give her enough strength to move about as she had been was starting to wear off. Instantly, Shadow and Scootaloo were there to catch her along with Pinkie Pie. As one, the three helped Twilight back into a lying position as the rest of the ponies from Ponyville, and Spike, approached Twilight.
“Twilight, are you ok?” asked Fluttershy as she began to inspect Twilight’s body to see if her wound had opened up again. As Shadow and Scootaloo moved slightly to allow her to do this, Twilight could only stare blankly at the faces of the Equestrians who looked back at her with concern.
“Geez Twi, you need to be more careful,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Why?” asked Twilight as she lowered her head.
“Because we don’t want you to hurt yourself again?” said Rainbow Dash in an uncertain tone.
“No,” said Twilight as she shook her head, not wanting to look them directly in the eye. “Why are you being so nice to me?!”
“Because you’re feeling bad,” answered Pinkie. “I know things are kind of looking a little dark right now for you and I just want to show you it isn’t so bad. Normally I would throw a big party and get you smiling, but I can tell that all you really need right now are your friends.”
Twilight stared at the pink mare in utter disbelief. “How can I be your friend after all of this?” she all but demanded as fresh tears began to fall from her eyes. “I’m a pony of the Republic! We’ve k-killed so many Equestrians already. Soon more p-ponies will d-die because of us.”
A look was passed between the five mares, ending at Fluttershy who spoke up. “But, Twilight, none of us blames you,” she said sweetly.
“But it was my uncle who did all of this!” wept Twilight while shaking her head. “He framed all of you. He-”
“Well, to be fair, I did bring that parasprite with me,” said Fluttershy. “At the time, I thought it was the cutest, most adorable thing I had ever seen. I never imagined it could ever cause anypony harm. If I had known that it was part of Blueblood’s plan I never would have brought it with me and then none of this would be happening.”
“And I did accidently dump all that water out,” added Pinkie Pie.
“But what about everything else?” demanded Twilight. “How can you all not hate me after everything the ponies of the Republic have done?”
“Because you’re not the one who did any of that silly,” replied Pinkie in a matter of fact tone.
“I don’t-”
“Twilight, we know you are a good pony,” said Fluttershy as she interrupted Twilight. “What Equestria has done and what the Republic has done doesn’t matter because we know you. You are a kind, smart, and strong mare who has done everything possible to try and stop something horrible from happening.”
“Yeah, just look at everything you’ve done,” said Rainbow Dash. “You stood up to a princess for us, you tried to warn us despite being utterly drained from that stuff they put in you, and even went with us to confront that bas-, er, bad pony. Even after all that you were still trying to save everypony by doing…something. The point is, we’ve all seen what you’ve been trying to do to help us even if we don’t understand it.”
“But the Republic has,” began Twilight, but was stopped again by Rarity placing a hoof gently on her muzzle.
“Twilight, darling, the Republic didn’t do this,” she said firmly. “It was a few with power and influence who are the ones who did this.” Rarity then sighed as she pulled her hoof away from Twilight. “Twilight, I don’t know all of the details of what happened in Equestria while we were up here. I am sure that whatever has been going on since we’ve been up here, a lot of good ponies have died thanks to the manipulation of Blueblood and Land Share. But if we keep hating each other, painting the other in such broad strokes, that things will never get any better between us. So, I for one will not be blaming the entire Republic for what has happened.”
Twilight stared at this for a moment, confusion clear in her eyes. “I…I just don’t get this,” she said while placing a hoof on the side of her head. She then pointed at the five. “You’re all about to lose your loved ones and your home! How can you ok with any of this? Why are you trying to cheer me up when you’re the ones who are going to lose everything?!” At that, all the ponies lowered their heads a bit.
“Sugarcube, we know there’s no savin’ our kin,” said Applejack as she took off her hat and looked at it. “Hurts mighty, knowing we can’t do anything. The only thing ah can take a lick of comfort in is knowin’ my little sis is gonna survive. Sure as shootin know Rarity feels the same.” At that point, Rarity gave a small nod. “Thing is, we all know this is now out of our hooves. There ain’t nothing we can do to stop it or save anypony. The only thing we can do is help our friend.”
When Applejack said this, Twilight’s pupils shrank considerably as a feeling a warmth began to emerge from within her. Twilight could feel her eyes water slightly, but not out of sadness. Even after everything they had been through, for all the reasons they should hate Twilight ranging from what the Republic had done to , ever since they had met her the lives of these Equestrian mares had become more chaotic, they still wanted to be her friend. They wanted to be there for her, in her own personal darkest hour.
And she wanted to do the same for them. Twilight tried to find the strength inside of her to stand up once more and try to find some solution in whatever time they had left. Yet there was none left. The drugs Twilight had been given were wearing off fast, perhaps thanks to the high running emotions she had been going through. She looked at all of the ponies gathered around her, seeing that they all understood and feeling the warmth they all gave her. Not just them. She could also feel Shadow’s wing around her and Scootaloo’s body pressed against her own causing the warmness inside her to grow.
“WHAT THE?” screamed Ruby, getting everyponies attention. They looked at where she was standing, her own head turned to look at her saddle bags which were now glowing.
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Friendship beam go!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i hope there more of after this adventures of the main six!
Waiiiiit, when did Ruby grab the Elements? I'd look but that's a lot of text to scan through.
Is this a Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door fanfic? The title makes it seem like one.
8109678 no idea what that is
8109684 A Mario RPG.
8109616 If I remember correctly Ruby went with Cadence to the castle in the Everfree Forest to pick up the Elements of Harmony per Celestia's Request.
8109690
"Orbital Harmony Cannon, Lock on and FIRE all Elements."
8109690 Do you remember what chapter that was? This is a rather long fic
8109746 Chapter Oh No has Cadence getting the elements I couldn't find the chapter where it mentions that Cadence is looking for the elements because Celestia asked her to. Though I believe it is more towards the beginning of the story where that happens.
Cue in Elements of Deus ex Machina. It's time to save the day.
Dang. still hate that Lightning is dead.
Couldn't Discord turn the Tom into ice cream?
Mane 6 Comments:
Lightning Dust is consumed by flames....
May your final flight give you no turbulence....
What was that Dashie?
An old pegusus saying, the Wonderbolts HQ has it on the wall in the Remberance room for our lost wingstallions and mares.
Collective eeps from Mane 6
*Maybe I should tell Spitfire about this stuff, maybe Lightning Dust could become a Wonderbolt someday.* (Rainbow thinking to herself)
Celestia and Cadence goring Land Share....
I did not expect that.... *reminder to self, make future trips less filled with death and images that disturb my thoughts of friends and loved ones*
He deserved worse.....
Ah hope he regrets his decisions.....
Cadence and Shining Armor kissing
Well this is awkward....
Elements of Harmony hint
Hey did you guys see that!
What, darling?
ITS THE ELEMENTS!!!
What was that Pinkie Pie?
THE ELEMENTS!!
Ah still can't hear ya partner
Stupid spoiler blocking technology....*grumble grumble*
What just happened?
I'm not sure Fluttershy
8110067 Discord was evil, Operation: UMBRELLA was make specifically to stop magic in a cone, thus making Discord mortal. They killed Discord.
8109678 Nah my dude, it's just Twilight changed Luna's transformation and stopped it happening (which was 1000 years ago) and how drastically the future has been changed.
What's this? An ending cliffhanger that implies something good night happen? What sore of madness is this?
So much death and destruction wrought by those in power, whether directly or indirectly. Hatred and greed has had its fun with the canvas, now let's see what love and friendship can paint instead.
8110497
Oh yeah. I forgot that part. Nevermind.
8110346
8110762 Lol it's okay. It is a long story that doesn't get updated frequently, after all.
8110067
Even if he wasn't dead, that much mass would still have an insane amount of energy. It would still impact with very similar force. Although iF the volume remained constant and the density changed, it would reduce the force by a fair amount. Not enough, but maybe some part of the planet would survive
8110838
Yes but it would be delicious. Probably melted though
So has everyone forgotten that they have time travel capability they talked about it in the beginning of the story because they were using Doctor Who
and back to the future 
references when referring or was that just a filler in the first part of the story
8110855
If you call heated to several thousand degrees and carrying more energy than the U.S. Stockpile of nuclear warheads combined melted, sure
8110899 Back at the beginning chapter Twilight was essentially producing Professor Farnsworth's "What-if" machine ala spell form.
I think this seems appropriate for this moment.
8111288 true but the what if machine allowed you to see alternate universes based on your what if .
that was my take on how it works
8112136 they're only viewing the 'what if' scenario, they don't have the ability to change anything in it; just view it. If they could change it with the information they have from their own experiences it wouldn't be the 'what if' scenario they asked for anymore. I assume it works like a television show or movie does, you just view it.
8114495 what I meant at the beginning statement the lunar Empire has time travel capabilities the only hang-up they had to finish it was the doctor who doctor and the back to the futures doc we're having an argument on weather they should install it and a car or a police call box
8111288 just stated that this was an entire what if universe and my comment to that was that Multiverse Theory states for everything that happens there is a universe for it so the what if machine looks for a universe that fits the presets of your what if then allows you to view it
8114495 I did not mean for the main six that are viewing this universe to do anything to help it they are just Observers watching it I hope this clears up any misperceptions
Aawwww Yiss Elements of Harmony GO!
FIRE THE ORBITAL FRIENDSHIP CANNON
img02.deviantart.net/8a6e/i/2011/352/b/9/orbital_friendship_cannon___hate_detected_by_deltaraen-d4jfl6l.jpg
8112108
i.imgur.com/9KvOVGc.gif
Now... LIGHT OUR DARKEST HOUR!!
8597501
sorry but is that transformers