> Pony POV Series Origins: MAJESTY vs TIREK!
>  by Alex Warlorn
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> Beginning of the End!
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With the Rainbow of Darkness in his possession, Tirek planned to prove himself worthy of me by making his dream of endless night a reality. He had attempted it many times before, but day eventually returned. Even with his godling might, he was not among the Concepts and thus could not affect the fabric of reality. However, the power of his previous spells were child's play compared to the power of the Rainbow of Darkness, the Fruit of Life and gift from the Gods themselves. He now had the means to tip the scale. 

He locked himself away in Midnight Castle and researched and experimented ceaselessly. His knowledge of dark magic was unrivaled, and after months of work, he finally perfected his masterpiece. He created a spell using the Rainbow of Darkness that would have undeniably succeeded in bringing about the Night That Never Ends. He would ride through the sky at midnight on the eve of the Summer Solstice, on a great chariot empowered by darker rituals and curses than the world had ever known and hopefully won't again. I am aware that you do not enjoy the idea of things being covered up, but the level of destruction those dark enchantments are capable of is literally beyond your comprehension... my sister Venus knows that all too well. They are best left buried in the sands of time. Then, he would release the Rainbow of Darkness into the sky in a profane sacrament that would corrupt the fabric of reality itself, resulting in the very Concept of the Sun and the Day being severed from this world forever.

He had kept the remains of Pandora's Box locked in his vaults with his collection of dark magic and talismans. He had long ago used the divine metal to forge his sword, Eclipse, but there was still plenty left, and he finally found a worthy use for such a source of dark power. Metal from the domain of the Draconequi, the realm of the divine. Yet, he sought more power to ensure his triumph, threatening the balance of nature itself.

Tirek traveled his empire and beyond with pieces of the metal, committing unspeakable acts to imbue each piece with the power of dark magic. Midnight orgies, ritual massacres, blood offerings, destruction of relics dedicated to my sister, desecrations of her hallowed lands, and countless other dark rites were performed around the clock, that increased my power while weakening my sister's upon Equus. There was more dark magic used in those years than almost any other time in history.  Sorrow. Greed. Loneliness. Fear. Envy. Pride. Rage. Hate. All ran rampant for over the next decade as Tirek's evil reached its fevered pitch. To an outsider, it looked as though Tirek was enacting evil for evil's sake! 

Fair Applejack, remember the Wuv Cat tribe? The ones who helped us retake Canterlot from Chrysalis' changelings? They remember they were a violent and brutal people before discovering their new goddess... what they don't remember is that they were once similar to how they are now, and their kind was once a much more diverse people. Composed of any number of creatures. Tirek knew at the time that I had no taste for the adorable nor the naive, so... he found the tribe that most embodied these traits, isolated from the troubles of the world, inhabiting the clouds. Equus is quite the melting pot my little pony, compared to other worlds. Not the diversity of life, but the diversity of sapient life, even before the Rainbows of Light and Dark granted their gifts. These creatures were perhaps the biggest concentrations of white magic on Equus, their forms being seemings of other creatures on Equus, ironically enough, including ponies. 

But they were, as we said, naive; they had never known conflict, and their paradise was shattered by Tirek's arrival. He didn't seek to simply murder them, but also to twist them to his world view of 'might makes right' and that the 'inferior' were merely taking up space from the 'superior.' And he was determined to provide them an object lesson. 

Eventually, having no experience on fighting, they fled, not just their home or this land, but Equus itself. The last to leave were a bear, a horse, and a wagonload of orphan cubs in their charge. They were the sole survivors of Tirek's assault on their cloud walking society, escaping by the skin of their teeth with the help of the Moochick. Tirek's servant, a dark hearted Red Cloud created with more sapience and power than any of Tirek's other creations, or perhaps summoned up from some edge of existence, followed them, but they evaded him until they were taken to their new home by one of Galaxia's angels. It was ironic, while Tirek had taught them to be less naive, much like the Wuv Cats they simply became smarter and more capable, but remained pure. 

In a way, while Tirek drove them to the edge of extinction, his desire to twist them all to his worldview had failed, even if he never realized it. That isn't to say he didn't succeed in crushing the one they once had. Have you not heard of Abyssinia? We shall be candid, it amazes us how ignorant of geography the average pony is. After seeing all encompassing peace be met with brutality, but after Tirek himself eventually fell, these cats adopted the philosophy of cunning and commerce, rather than brute force. They were also expert alchemists, which sadly Discord, wishing to sow chaos into their economic driven society, inspired some on how to concentrate witch weed into a potent narcotic. My sister worries what they could do if they ever were made or thought to weaponize their knowledge. 

Yes Applejack, the ancient Pegasi would find the remains of this cloud walker civilization, and adapt it according to what in the darkest dawning of your people's memories they thought of as a 'proper' civilization, the proud warriors of the Centaurs. Tirek saw them as dumb animals wandering into ruins. 

Tirek barely gave ponies a thought, and thank Heaven for it. Beings devoted to their faith, their families, or just virtue were tortured into betraying all they held dear before being murdered themselves. Tirek poured endless perversion into the material for his masterpiece. 

Do you need the trashcan again, Applejack? You are looking rather green... and I do not blame you. We are proud that even going through the atrocities of a tyrant such as this you have not been desensitized... No? Alright then. 

He fed these energies to the Rainbow of Darkness, which it consumed, primal, powerful emotions that it gorged on and was perverted from its purpose. 

The Rainbow of Light grants knowledge and wisdom, the Rainbow of Darkness grants the power to live, but in Tirek's vision, the power to live was the power to bend all to his will. 

When I handed the Rainbow of Darkness over to Tirek, I had no idea what he would do with it. I could never foresee that a victim of his misuse of the Rainbow would be the Rainbow itself. 

The Rainbows imprint upon their masters Applejack, they learn from them, they evolve and become greater through them. Just like anypony learns from their parents. Yes, Applejack, in a sense the Rainbows are alive. Never once did Tirek betray his own worldview, 'kill or be killed' 'conquer or be conquered', 'eat or be eaten', and so the Rainbow of Darkness saw the world through his eyes. 

Tirek's magic that created the Reptilians was actually incredibly similar to the Rainbow of Darkness itself, he was a natural. If he hadn't... lost his way, he could have become legendary for strengthening and evolving sickly species. Tirek's talent for reweaving and reshaping life into 'stronger' and 'more powerful' forms made him perfect for handling the Rainbow of Darkness' power. 

Understand this Applejack, Tirek never saw the Rainbow of Darkness as a slave, or even a weapon, it was, for all intents and purposes, the only friend Tirek had in his life since his brother died. Friends can poison each other Applejack as much as heal. And Tirek poisoned the Rainbow of Darkness greatly!

Heathspike had used the Rainbow of Darkness only when needed, Tirek used it liberally. Tirek protected and cherished and praised it. It learned from Tirek, and what it learned was terrible indeed. He didn't just misuse the Rainbow of Darkness, he turned it into a sin against its own nature. 

Don't be so surprised Applejack... the Elements of Harmony are, in fact, just as capable of misuse. Ah. You saw it didn't you? During one of your visions. A world where you and your friends decided the best way to bring harmony was to use the Elements on other ponies for the most trivial of offenses, yes? We are proud of ye for not angsting from such a revelation, and realizing thy choices are thy own. 

And you may have not seen it...but there is a universe where rather than being the chosen of Light, you six are the chosen of Darkness, while it was Light that fell into evil hooves.

I was a fool. I never kept track of mortal affairs in those days. I felt it was beneath me. Even after handing one a piece of Creation itself, I all but ignored his finer details. When he destroyed relics of my sister in my name, and twisted sister's works to mine, I saw it as merely the balance of power shifting in my favor. I didn't think that maybe I wasn't prayed to because mortals had finally found faith in me, but were losing faith in my sister. Worse, when I finally saw what he had done, I was too late. 

My family and the Draconequi were rightly furious with me for enabling this madness. I should have kept a closer eye on the one I'd directly intervened with and assigned this open ended task. Tirek's evil rose from mere mortals enacting fratricide on themselves, mistakes they had to learn from, to threatening to damage existence. It was some time before my brother Mortis forgave me for all the work I gave him. 

My other brother Pensilis, while more disappointed than angry with me (forgiveness and mercy are his nature), pointed out that with the rare sway I held over Tirek I could have, if not redeemed him (something even he acknowledged was a remote chance at best, but there is no soul he has ever truly given up on), at least guided him in a more positive direction. I tried to appear before the tyrant again, but the magic instability he had caused made it impossible to manifest without causing further damage to the fabric of reality. I tried to reach him through the Dream Realm instead, but I ran into another problem. I don't know if it was a side effect of his powers or his own twisted mind, but he never dreamed. He never once had a dream or nightmare of any kind, so I was unable to even reach his unconscious mind. I was stuck watching as he corrupted the world in my name.

A more subtle approach was decided than an all-out war that would have reduced the continent to sand. Applejack, there is one thing you must realize: we gods prefer to work 'behind the curtain' for many reasons. One of them is the survival of what we seek to protect, for a true battle of the gods is a great and terrible thing.

The Moochick tried to thwart Tirek's efforts, but despite his own power, he was only one elf. So, he went to Tirek's enemies and helped fan the flame of rebellion. Tirek was so focused on the ritual that he devoted resources to it at the expense of part of his dominion. He lost much territory to insurrections and many of his allies were overthrown. 

One of these allies, ironically enough given Tirek's past with one of the species, was the son of a Satyr and a Yeti with snow white fur and a black heart. He may have also been created in one of Tirek's ritualistic experiments. Or been mutated from Pandora's Box. Or a storm spirit who inhabited the body of a dying Yeti. I sincerely wonder if even he knew his origin, as he skulked in the shadow of the greatest tempests. 

He was one after Discord's own heart: silly and childish on the surface, but devilish beneath. However, they were not the same: this creature, or as he was known back then the General of Storms for his clever use of Tirek's Stratadons, was a quick learner. From the evils of the world around him, he learned. From Hydia's clan he learned the importance of a proper 'evil image' for intimidation, from Grogar he learned to be pragmatic and thoughtful in all his actions, from Lavan he learned the pursuit of powerful magics to increase his ever growing strength. He even sought out and learned of the Gizmonks' technological knowledge. And from Tirek, he learned how to corrupt others and the 'virtue' of 'kill or be killed'. Of trusting none but yourself. He took all of this to heart, and despite lacking great power of his own, he became one of the most dreaded warlords of his day and for many after it through charisma and wit alone. Tirek made him a General for all these things, one of his highest ranksrankings. Naturally, both were well aware that if it ever became more profitable than the other's life, they would stab the other in the back without a moment's hesitation or regret.

However, the Moochick managed to catch the General of Storms off guard one day through clever trickery. In the resulting clash, the General threw everything he had into the fray. Every dirty trick, every machine and evil artifact he possessed, all against the strongest white mage in the world. In the end, the Moochick prevailed and cast a sealing spell upon the vile general, imprisoning him at the south pole within a prison of ice surrounded by a perpetual, intense storm. Before being sealed, the creature swore that one day he would be free, and when that day came, he would see through his ambitions and be a General no more. He would be a King. 

Yes, Applejack, he may indeed still be there even to this day, but I do not know where. The Moochick was very thorough in making sure evils he sealed would remain such and never be unearthed. I do not even know how accurate this account of him is, as I only learned it second hoof from those who learned it second hoof from the Moochick, and he was known to forget details at times.





(Excerpt from Storm King's Official Autobiography 'I Am So Great!' 

Yo! Like! When I was getting my new furry white minions out of the deep freeze, and gettin' whipped into shape, I knew I had to be my own man, ya know? So like I, ditched the old symbol used by tall, dark, handsome, brilliant, and powerful (not me, the OTHER tall, dark, handsome, brilliant, and powerful guy) and updated it with a symbol for my own brand! I mean, you can't keep tethered to the parent company bro', so I took their clan symbol and made it my own! And it really looks cool!

Buy your copy at your nearest Storm Mart today!) 





This, however, was only one such battle. As the intensity of Tirek's evil rose, the scale of it shrank. 

Tirek didn't care if he lost those territories, for he saw bringing about eternal night to be effectively taking the whole world. All the world he would offer to me as a love token. No matter how much he lost, no matter the pleas from his minions, he was not deterred. When the Marquis De Libertine dared to say protecting his land was more important than his master's plan, Tirek turned him into a revenant... after castrating him.

After almost a decade's worth of rituals done in my name, Tirek was satisfied that the remains of the Box had been charged with enough dark power. He had it brought into the heart of the Volcano of Gloom. The Box's arrival on this world awoke the volcano centuries before, and its fires were the perfect forge.

On the night of his choosing, Tirek directed the witch matron, Hydia, and her family, to hold a black seance to strengthen the dark powers in the mountain's fire. They were among those who willingly followed my brother Morning Star, despite knowing full well the evil he represents. Why? Applejack, the answer is simple: evil is not stronger than good, but it is easier, more seductive. The allure of power, the allure of control, the allure of getting all you desire with no regard for anyone else. Evil drew to them because they were those that adored what evil permitted. My brother always preyed upon the foolish and the selfish in equal measure, and the Children of Lilith were indeed a selfish brood. Another reason is simple: those who did not worship Morning Star did not remain part of the family for very long. So as it were, the coven were Morning Star's devout worshipers.

Even then, they themselves didn't always agree on what this pursuit was: Hydia's portion believed serving evil simply by doing evil deeds, sowing destruction and death for the sake of sowing destruction and death. The other faction saw it as creating more evil, by corrupting others to evil and putting them in situations where they question their morality and ultimately do evil. This was a source of internal conflict, but fortunately for Tirek's goals, he was a master of both and thus both willingly served him. As such, with their mastery of evil arts and willing assistance to him, they were the perfect spellsmiths for his masterpiece. Entire families of witches convened at the base of the volcano, chanting unholy spells as Tirek, his warlock, Ranahtu, and a troop of Reptilians dragged a wagon of Box metal to the summit. 

"It will be glorious, Master." Ranahtu grinned.

"Yes, its power is great, but not enough. I need just a little more. The steel must be imbued with dark power such as no one has ever seen."


"Shall I call on my gods' blessings? They surely would approve of your work, Lord."

"That won't be necessary."

Tirek nodded to the Reptilian guards, two of which marched forward and chanted. "Damus nostrae corpora horum deorum animi nostri voluntatem ligare."

The Reptilians then impaled themselves on their spears. As their blood touched the floor, a glowing sigil appeared in the air and surrounded Ranahtu. The warlock raised his hands and was met an energy barrier holding him in place. Tirek smiled knowingly at his minion's disbelief. 

"Lord Tirek, what is this?"

"This is the end of your usefulness, Ranahtu. Thanks to the information in the forsaken grimoires and eldritch tomes you provided, I've prepared a ritual that will call on the darkest gods in your pantheon."

"Why not just have me do that, Master? And why this trap?! I've served you faithfully!"

"What kind of fool do you take me for? You were too eager to share your knowledge of those ancient texts. No one freely shares power without an ulterior motive. You think I wouldn't notice someone trying to manipulate me? I could smell the dark power in you. It was too easy to figure out your secrets and your identity from those books, Ranathu. Or would you prefer ‘Herald of a Thousand Tragedies'?"

The warlock's shocked expression changed into an amused smirk. "...How long have you known?"

"It took less than month after you joined my council." 

"Then why wait until now to strike?" 

"The pig ever awaits the knife, but the farmer never cuts the throat until it's fattened up for the table."

Ranathu actually clapped. "Well played! And now what shall you do, O Mighty Tirek?"


"I'm going to use the spell I formulated, calling on the powers beyond you, as well as the power of the Rainbow of Darkness, to tear this avatar of yours into raw magic and bind your power and essence to my chariot."

"Ha! You're smarter than most mortals, but even you can't manage that, boy!"

"Not even if I call on ‘He Who is the Gate', ‘the Daemon Sultan' and invoke ‘She Who is Naught' to power this ritual?" Tirek smiled at the apprehension in Ranahtu's eyes. "Oh look... you seem to be sweating." 

"Oh please! To gain access with that kind of power you'd need a sacrifice of unthinkable magnitude. Not just the death of innocents, but a genocide as well as an offering of and your own flesh and blood ten times over. You've already played every hand just getting to this point, you have nothing left!"

"Wrong. Bring in the wagons!" 

More Reptilians appeared, pulling wagons up the cliff. Ranahtu looked confused until he saw the wagons were filled with small moving bundles of cloth. There were dozens of wagons and hundreds of bundles.

"There you are. We have innocent lives to be destroyed. We have a sacrifice of my own flesh and blood ten times over. And we have a genocide... or rather, a second genocide since I killed their kind long ago and just recently made these."

"A creature of your ego? You'd never destroy extensions of yourself that will carry on your legacy!"

That just made Tirek laugh. "Legacy? What use does an immortal have for heirs? These mewling things are nothing to me, except tools to burn away your power, Faceless One."

There, there, Applejack. Let it out. Oh my!

Ranahtu looked around like a caged animal. He tried to teleport out, he fired blasts of dark magic at the barrier, he even tried physically clawing his way out, but nothing worked. He lunged at Tirek in frustration, only to be held back by the spell. Tirek swung his sword at the warlock's leg and sliced it nearly in half at the knee. The sword, Eclipse, was made from metal native to the creature's reality, and thus could harm him. Tirek grinned as his former minion fell to the ground, clutching his mangled leg.

"It seems the Lurking Chaos will be crawling from now on."

"...I underestimated you, Tirek." 

"Yes, and that will be the last mistake this version of you ever makes. So, let this be a warning to your other incarnations and the other horrors beyond: stay out of Lord Tirek's affairs." Tirek drew the Elder Sign and chanted. "Yog-Sothorse Wgah'n Azahorse hafh'drn 'bthnk orr'e n'ghft ftaghu!" 

Tirek's horns glowed and the wagons rolled over the edge into the volcano, sealing the sacrifices as he invoked powers beyond comprehension. Thunder rolled as a hole opened in the sky. The magics called upon were not of this world, and darker than any dared dream. It's something of a miracle Tirek was able to make it work without being reduced to a drooling husk of madness or turning the whole continent into a crater. 

Abominations beyond comprehension roared as a bolt of unholy energy shot down on Ranahtu. The mask fell away and a mass of living blasphemies and chaos stood in its place. 

The thing hissed, "ReMEmber most faithful student, one traGedy is ANother's triumph."

Tirek unleashed the Rainbow of Darkness and it blasted through the creature with the force of a hurricane.

The monster's three lobed eye glared at Tirek in rage and grudging respect as the power far beyond its own tore it apart and bonded it with the metal of the Box. Tirek smiled victoriously as the last of the dark spirit was absorbed.

What was that evil thing that called itself Ranahtu? I pray to my Parents you never, ever find out. His family's domain is quite literally the things ponies should never know while still limited by a mortal perspective.

Something I never realized... no account anywhere says that Ranathu tried to kill himself, Tirek had made no precautions against that. It would have freed his dark essence and thwarted Tirek, and yet he did not. So, did Ranathu in fact merely give a performance? None shall ever know. 

Tirek then forged the dark steel from the metal, and began to shape his chariot. Dark enchantments went into every inch as it was shaped from the fire, until it finally came together into the single most powerful dark magic object in the world. And worse, now he could proceed with his plans.

On the next Summer Solstice, he made his first ride with the Chariot of Midnight. 
-

"Now wait just an apple pickin' second!" Applejack interrupted. "'Chariot of Midnight?' That.. that sounds like yer fancy ride that we all saw ya use on Nightmare Night!"

"... Yes. It is. We took it as a trophy, when Tirek tried to take Equestria when Starswirl was alive, since it proved indestructible. The only known being besides Entropy herself that is capable of destroying it is Destruction himself... and he is no longer with us. Thankfully without the proper rituals it is just a piece of magically charged piece of metal. We customized it to our own tastes, lessening its power."

"... Still seems kinda dangerous."

"Which is why we keep it close. Celly was the one who suggested it. Burying dangerous objects has a habit of them being found instead. And me riding it around like a common vehicle means others are less likely to realize its true nature. Sister and I have had many debates on the subjects." 

"Ah can see why." 

-
He rode his new chariot forth with a team of Stratodons and unleashed the Rainbow on the sky. Celestia was in agony as the spell tried to push her Concept from this world, like a wild animal tearing at its prey's limbs.

Thankfully, mercifully, the ritual failed. The darkness faded within hours and the passage of day and night continued, much to Tirek's fury. The Stratodons who pulled his chariot were killed in his resulting rage, then he went back to see where the ritual failed.

It was revealed that the spell needed to have the power of conscious, sentient souls consumed by the Rainbow of Darkness to sustain it, and the Stratodons had no minds. No, he did not turn the witches that aided in its creation to that end, they were still too valuable to him in his main endeavour, and he had plenty of far more expendable alternate choices. So, the tyrant demanded one of his slave states to turn over four citizens for the ritual. Four members of the Raptorian race were transformed by the Rainbow into horrific caricatures of dragons called Midnight Wyrms, and pulled the chariot on the next solstice. Once again, the ritual failed, and the entire Raptorian tribe paid the price. The only survivors were three banished rogues who once served a pig, a former witch's familiar that fancied itself a princess, and the three will now live out eternity as statues of glass. 

Tirek spent months trying to figure out why the ritual was failing, and finally, he found the answer. The four souls pulling his chariot had to be sentient, but it had to be the result of the Rainbow's enlightenment. Raptorians were already a sentient race when the Rainbows arrived, so he needed creatures who became so after their arrival. To his annoyance, he soon discovered in his zeal he'd driven into hiding or extinction many of them in his rampage. Though Mother help any of his minions who suggested that was his 'mistake' to his face.

Then, Tirek finally found out about the enlightenment of ponies, and his eyes fell upon Dream Valley.

Dream Valley, Ponyland, was as close to a paradise as mortals are able to produce. The ponies lived in safety and peace from most of the outside world's woes. They grew crops, raised families, and enjoyed life. The ponies often faced challenges, even the occasional villain or monster, but they faced them together and prevailed. And woe to any evil that crossed Majesty, the Queen of Dream Valley. 

Majesty was the most powerful unicorn of her time, perhaps to ever live. Like Tirek himself, she was a Titan, a mortal with might rivalling the gods. She faced witches, monsters, and countless evils, and overwhelmed them easily. Wicked ponynapping witches were turned to trees, trolls that captured princesses were turned to bubbles, and that was before she was truly enraged.

Yet, she was a kind, just ruler. She was the last of her original herd, and treated all she loved as precious treasure. She led the ponies into a second age of growth where they were seen as a people with a kingdom of their own. She even initiated first contact between the three tribes and the Sea Ponies. As much as Tirek abused his godly might, Majesty used hers to ensure her people's safety and prosperity. She had her coronation take place in a groove of flower trees with the throne temporarily moved rather than taking place in her new castle. She rarely wore the regalia she was given that day, instead wearing a simple tail bow like her subjects (as was the common fashion of the day). 

Majesty was shocked when she came to Dream Valley, what would become Ponyland, and the Moochick himself greeted her like an old friend, even the ponies had been anticipating her arrival. Even Dream Castle itself, the new symbol of how far ponies had come from their feral primitive days had an empty throne room set aside for her. She'd had friends before, especially, quiet ironically, a human called The Weather Witch (yes, there were good witches, Applejack, ironically the Children of Lilith's cousins through Lilith's sister, the First Good Witch), she'd found a new child to look after and raise, but now she had a new herd to protect and guide, and she threw herself into this responsibility. She was determined that none would harm them as long as she lived. 

The Moochick taught her how to speak and act like royalty, court protocols, and how to address and be addressed by the masters of other lands. 





"...Princess...one thing before we go on," Applejack said.

"Yes, Applejack?"

"...Hearin' the Moochick being around through all this made meh think about somethin'...He was immortal cause of bein' the Rainbow of Light's bearer...we're its bearers now, so...are we immortal too? The six of us Ah mean?" 

Ah, I wondered when she would finally ask.

"My answer may disappoint you simply because...I don't have one."

She raised her eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"The Rainbow of Light was rendered inert between the Paradise Ponies' ownership of it and my sister and I reactivating it as the Elements, which was how they lost their immortality," I explained, admittedly showing some sadness. After all, if that had not happened, the family my sister and I grew up with in the physical realm may still be with us, or at least would have been for some time longer. "As you know, we are both already immortal. So if reigniting the Rainbow and bonding to it did restore that function, we would have no way of knowing it. You are the first mortal holders of the Rainbow of Light since the Paradise Ponies, so whether or not you and your friends are immortal is a mystery even to us."

I did not tell her...but if that is true, it would explain a certain prophecy the Truth stated to us. 'Twilight Sparkle will not outlive her friends.' It's nicer than the alternative interpretation. 

She gave a rather uncertain look. "Ah see... Well, at least Rarity will be happy if we are."

I put a hoof on her shoulder. "Do not worry, Applejack. The Elements can be passed on to a new bearer whenever their previous one wishes to give up the position. The Moochick gave it up to Megan and the Paradise Ponies for example."

That was in fact the true reason for the Moochick's death. Unknown to the others due to his natural Elf lifespan, he had been aging normally for his kind since he passed it to them. The destruction of the world by the Rainbow was merely the last push.

"If you are immortal and find yourself no longer wishing to be such, merely pass the Element to a worthy successor and you will continue aging naturally from the age you became immortal."

That is the fashion in which the two Rainbows differed. Darkness provided better recovery from damage, but could only give the appearance of eternal youth as like its sire pantheon it could not truly create from nothing. Light, while not providing the same recovery ability, provided genuine eternal youth by creating new life force. Ironic given the Paradise Ponies' mane regrew instantly after once being shaved bald. When the owner of Darkness relinquished their immortality or lost it, time would catch up, but the owner of Light would simply continue aging normally.

Applejack gave a thoughtful look. "Will have tah think about that...thanks Princess..."

"You're welcome, Applejack...now let us continue."

[/hr]

When Majesty came to Dream Valley, she brought her ward, a baby dragon named Spike. Yes, the son of the first Guardian of the Rainbow of Darkness, and our own Spike's ancestor. Spike was treated as her own son, and a full member of pony society. When Majesty eventually created a pony son named Lucky from magic, he and Spike were as brothers. 

Yes, Applejack, such was Majesty's power that she could create a true flesh and blood pony from magic alone. Not a hunk of tissue resembling one, but something with My Mother's breath in its nostrils. But it was not done by her magic alone, it was combined with a wish Spike he'd been given while visiting the Dragon Lands that Spike used to wish for another boy to share his birthday with along with a small mound of 'lucky' objects to empower it. This was not the only time during Majesty's reign that ponies would be born whole cloth from magic, many mares with no mate of their own would seek out this magic to give them a foal to care for... including, well... 

Yes Applejack we see your surprise... making things up? Of all the incredible truths we have revealed to ye, this is where thine belief falters?  We shall share something with you Applejack, we strongly believe our sister once used similar magic during our banishment, to create a foal who could grow to become the Element of Magic she sought... no, not Twilight Sparkle, I shall say no more on what we have only conjecture and suspicion. 

Of all those who have lived, Majesty is one of the few that I remember Strife taking an active liking towards. Not for her power, the mightiest of beasts this world has ever known are but nothings to Strife if they do not do one simple thing: survive. Majesty survived, and helped your kind, all of it, thrive and survive for eons to come. For that reason, Strife respected Majesty. For the likewise reasons, she despised Tirek despite his sheer power and immortality. It was not simply because Tirek destroyed other species, one species destroying another was but a fact of life to Strife. But in her eyes, to cause the destruction of your own kind was a most grievous of failings. Tirek had driven his own species to extinction, and for that reason, Strife viewed him as not the ultimate being he perceived himself to be, but as the ultimate failure.

Most of the ponies saw Majesty as a maternal figure, the way ponies see my sister and I. She certainly acted as one, and not just in their protection. She took to teaching them lessons and imparting wisdom. Even at times when ponies stubbornly ignored the lessons, much like, well...

Applejack, my sister and I grew up with the ponies of Dream Valley, after Ponyland had become history. They were our family, including your ancestor. We loved her as you would any member of your own family. However, if you were to meet her yourself, I don't think she would be quite what you'd expect.

Applejack The First was never one for taking life too seriously. She tended her apple trees, but it was more of a game to her than work. In fact, she was much more interested in eating the apples than growing them. So much so, her friends transplanted a crab apple tree to teach her a lesson about overeating. She would spend so much time looking for treats and singing songs that she ended up in quite a bit of trouble now and then.

To put it simply, Applejack was a klutz. Her penchant for daydreaming would lead her into the most embarrassing accidents. Not a day went by that she wouldn't bump into a gate or knock over a fence. As a matter of fact, if you were to meet her, you'd likely think Miss Hooves was graceful by comparison...Oh, yes, the you who held Laughter in that world you witnessed in the Truth is indeed after her heart, but her accidents were more intentional for a laugh than accidental as your ancestor's were. Though I imagine they would get along swimmingly.

However, she and Miss Derpy Hooves share many other similarities. Applejack never gave up in the face of adversity, no matter what the odds against her. She never let her clumsiness make her feel ashamed of who she was. And, as the Jewel Wizard found out, she was a force to reckon with when her friends were in danger.

And Danger was on its way to Dream Valley. 

***

"Oh no ya don't!" Applejack snapped. 

"'Oh no I don't' what?" I asked genuinely curious. 

"Oh no ya don't... don't... " Applejack struggled to put her thoughts into words. "Don't get to do that! The whole dang reason Ah came here tonight, been stayin' up with ya, gonna pay for it tomorrow with work that'll still need doin', listenin' ta ya tell me ponies were centaurs dumb pets, that yer freakin' brother introduced evil magic to Equus-"

"Technically that magic is not evil unto itself, but-" I allowed Applejack to interrupt me, I felt she was owed it after what I'd revealed to her. 

"-, and that ya gave a monster who murdered his own buckin' family and his own kind somethin' as powerful as the Elements of Harmony and told 'im 'do whatever ya want with it' so he could show ya how much he loved you, and did more horrible stuff with it... All of it, in case ya forgot, was so Ah could hear the whole story about Applejack The First. It was her story Ah wanted to know! Ya said it was so Ah'd understand the whole meanin' of it! But it sounds like ta me that ya were waitin' fer somepony to upload this whole stuff on! And when we finally get to her! The whole reason Ah'm here, ya just dump it all on me, like she was just another face in the herd. Maybe she was, but to me she's family!"

"We told you upfront Applejack that she was no traitor, you wanted the whole truth and we've to the best of our ability attempted to give it in a way that can be told in one evening and in terms ye would not find verbose... "

"... Ah came here to learn about her... Ah've learned more about that monster Tirek than Ah've ever wanted ta know! Dagnabbit, Ah can't believe Ah'm sayin' it, but he's worse than Discord!" 

"... We dare say he is. Discord is as selfish as selfish can be, he is easily more powerful, and the evils he brought upon the seaponies and Flutterponies are unforgivable. But believe us, if Tirek had Discord's power, many, many worlds beyond Equus would come to suffer with a willful intent to deliver obliteration. Being 'worse' than another villain is not a measure of the power they have or harm they do, but of the sheer desire to do wrong and evil, and Tirek had that in abundance. Even though it is my brother that holds the title of Evil Incarnate, ponykind's belief Tirek is such is not without validity."

"... And Ah thought we'd be learnin' the whole truth about Applejack, her thoughts, her dreams, her friends and family. Ah didn't think ya'd just casually slip in talkin' 'bout her, mention stuff about her, and just move along like she was some kinda hoofnote. Ya didn't even give me a chance to think about all the stuff ya said 'bout her."

"... Perhaps we were too caught up in this epic of history... Perhaps your motivation for coming here slipped our mind... But what you learned of Applejack the First... What did you think?"

"Ah think... Ah need a bit to think about it."

"We see." Perhaps it was best for a slight delay on informing her the origin of Baby Applejack, the second of her entire line and her direct ancestor. 

***

Danger to the kingdom of Ponyland in of itself was not new for Queen Majesty. Raiders and villains of every shape and size had aimed greedy eyes on Ponyland as ponies ceased to be primitive and became a civilization. No longer dumb beasts of no consequence, ponies had treasures, homes, crops grown from a land once applauded by the witches as infested with dark magic that was now thriving with life in harmony (something the Children of Lilith craved revenge for the sanctifying of their unholy land until their ultimate destruction), and the ponies themselves whom many thought would make excellent yet easily conquered slaves. Queen Majesty proved these invaders wrong repeatedly, to the point some outsiders conjured rumors of Queen Majesty being a sadist who judged all crimes equally, not believing in redemption nor forgiveness (some things never change). In reality, Queen Majesty was ruthless, but she was not heartless, nor would she harm others for showing mercy on the wicked. 

She was not without mercy. Tirek would allow a prototype version of his magic to fall into the hands of a goblin named Star Stealer, using him as a unwitting pawn to test it, and true to his name... using magic more powerful than the goblin could even comprehend, he kidnapped half the stars visible from Equus, using them as trophies for his star tree. Unable to undo this magic by force, Majesty and her ponies tricked Star Stealer into using his ill gotten victims as ammunition as Majesty baited the insecure, short-tempered goblin. With the stars freed, Majesty and her ponies simply left, telling him to reconsider his life choices. He did. Under a new name, Shiny Star, he'd be a guest of honor at Dream Castle on Midsummer Eve, and given a Golden Star as a symbol of him changing his life around. Mares would even name their foals after him for centuries to come. 

But this time word came to Majesty that Tirek had sent an army to Dream Valley to take its ponies for his evil purposes. She was no stranger to battle, and she would be boiled as glue before she let that tyrant harm a single one of her ponies. She cared not how powerful or fearsome Tirek was, she did not fear him, only what he may do to those she loved.

She'd ordered her kingdom to prepare for war. Traps were set, defense spells were cast, and Dream Castle was fortified. The Big Brother Ponies, the males of the herd, returned home from their travels to defend their home. They moved the younger ponies, including Majesty's son Lucky, out of the Valley for their safety. They didn't know that the only reason the caravan of foals wasn't targeted was Tirek needed an adult victim to pull his chariot. Everypony pitched in, preparing for the coming storm.

"Twilight, have the traps been checked?" Majesty yelled as she oversaw the preparation for the attack.

"Yes, Majesty!"

"Wavedancer, how goes diverting the river?"

A pink sea pony jumped out of the moat. "On schedule, Majesty! It should slow them down!"

Among Majesty's achievements was first contact with and making an alliance with the Sea Ponies.

"Applejack! ...Applejack?" Majesty looked around for the earth pony. "Has anyone seen Applejack?"

"She's out near the apple trees, Majesty."

"Thank you, Sundance."

Majesty trotted to the apple orchards and found your ancestor gathering crab apples. Oh, not the kind you're thinking of. Once she taught Applejack a lesson about eating too many apples, by planting a tree given to her by the Sea Ponies, that bore crab apples that had actual snapping crab pincers. You heard of those already? Will wonders never cease. 

"Applejack, how goes gathering ammunition?" 

"Fifty barrels and counting, Majesty. Toss a barrel full into a crowd and it's snap-snap-snap for all the bad guys."

"Excellent."

"Yep, just need to-OW!" Applejack yelped as one of the crab apples snagged her tail.

"Let me help you with that." Majesty chuckled.

She lifted the apple off Applejack's tail and tossed it into a barrel.

"Thanks, Majesty." Applejack sniffed as she went back to bucking the tree.

"No, problem."

"I still remember the day you got that first tree from King Neptune." Applejack laughed. "I sure paid for those munchies."

"Heh, indeed."

"I just hope I don't pass that bad habit onto the next generation."

...Why are you blushing, Applejack?...My, that many of these apple fritters? Hehe...

"I'm sure Baby Applejack will become a wonderful mare, like her mother."

"Yeah. You know, I...  I've been thinking about it a lot. I see my little girl playing with Baby Moon Dancer, and Lucky, and Spike, and I keep thinking about what tomorrow's gonna be like. I always end up seeing myself as an old nag surrounded by little fillies and colts, playing around, while their clumsy old grandma watcheswhile their parents picks apples."

"Hmm, sounds like a future worth looking forward to."

"Majesty..." Applejack paused. "Tell me the truth, what are the odds we'll come out of this?"

"What?"

"I'm a silly pony, but I'm not dumb. This is bigger than just the usual threats we've faced. I've heard a lot of stories about this..." she gulped. "This Tirek guy, and, they scare me to death."

"I see."

"And, we've fought lots of bad guys. Wizard WantAll, the Red Cloud, the Jewel Wizard, the Trolls of the Castle of Darkness, and lots of others, but, we never sent the foals into hiding or got ready for a fight like this before. Is... is this..."

Majesty knew it was not simply the odds of success Applejack the First desired, if that was all she would have asked the ever analytic and logical Wind Whistler. She needed Majesty's answer, not facts and figures.

"No, Applejack, this is not the end. You're right, we've never faced a fight like this before, but that doesn't mean we aren't up to the challenge. We've been taking a stand against evil to protect those we love for generations. Tirek's the same sort of trash as all those other villains, just a bit bigger. The size of the fight doesn't change the simple facts; he wants to harm us and those we love, and as long as there's strength in our bones, we won't let him. Besides, I have some secret weapons."

‘Really, what?!"

"All of my little ponies. Just look at you, Applejack. When you and your friends were captured by the Jewel Wizard, what did you do? You destroyed his throne, sent him plunging to the other side of the world, freed his captives, and used his ill gotten jewels to give them back their sight. Half the sparkle eyed ponies in this valley owe you their lives... including my own kin."

"Aw, Majesty, Mimic would've done the same thing if I hadn't been there."

"I know very well what might have been." Majesty tapped her golden horseshoe. "But what did happen was that you took a stand when others counted on you. Mimic is alive because of you. My..." Majesty sniffed. "You're more of a hero than you know, Applejack."

"Aw, thanks, Majesty." Applejack bashfully scuffed her hoof in the dirt.  

"Now buck up. Your future grandfoals are counting on us."

"Majesty!" Wind Whistler, the most logical and intelligent pegasus in Dream Valley landed in the grove. "The hostile forces are advancing on our proximity."

"Huh?" Applejack asked.

"The bad guys are coming." Majesty translated Wind Whistler's more advanced vocabulary. She had much experience, after all Wind Whistler was one of her oldest friends.

"Oh! Well, better get these apples ready." Majesty gawked as Applejack ate a crabapple in one swift bite before it even had time to pinch her. "What? I eat when I'm nervous, and these actually taste great."

Majesty couldn't help smiling despite the severity of the situation.

The ponies fell back into Dream Castle as a storm suddenly rolled in on the horizon. Tirek's forces were always accompanied by magically induced storms to stifle the enemy's morale, a tactic the Storm General had invented. The ponies nervously huddled in their stronghold, waiting the inevitable. 

A single Stratodon flew out to the castle. When it landed, the ponies saw it was being ridden by Tirek's second in command, a gargoyle named Scorpan.

***

"Wait, what?! Scorpan?! But, he... he died way back in... and now he's... how... WHAT?!"

"I know, it's a shock, and there is an explanation for how Scorpan could be there. However, it will make more sense if I wait until we get a little further into the story."

"But, but, but... aw, fine!"

***

"Lord Tirek, Master of Midnight Castle, bids me to make his demands known. He demands four adult ponies from this valley to serve him in a great task. You may choose amongst yourselves which four will be turned over, it makes no difference to Lord Tirek if they be male or female, unicorn, pegasus, or lowly earth horse. Surrender them now, and we will leave this place without incident. This is your only chance for Lord Tirek's mercy. Refuse, and our forces will take the four ponies, and burn this valley and every living thing in it to ashes. I don't care either way, but the master bid me make the offer for expedience. What is your response?"

All was silent. Then, Majesty appeared on the wall, dressed in her royal raiments and armor. 

"My name is Majesty, Queen of the Kingdom of Ponyland, Guardian of Dream Valley, Alpha of my Herd, Friend of All Ponies, Mother of a Dragon, Champion of Light, and Enemy of Evil. Here is my response to the so called Lord Tirek."

From behind the wall, a large, very rotten apple sailed over through the air and hit the gargoyle square in the face.

"Tell your master that Dream Valley will not bow to his tyranny, nor surrender our own to him! He will never lay a hand on even one pony! NOT ONE, EVER! The Queen has spoken!"

The gargoyle wiped the apple away and grinned. "So be it."

Scorpan flew back into the air and signalled the attack. The battle for Dream Valley had begun!

By the standards of Tirek's armies, Dream Valley was facing one of his smaller forces, yet they still vastly outnumbered the ponies. Tirek had thought this a milk run. Thousands of Reptilians charged into the valley, followed by hundreds of Stratodons flying overhead. All were led by Tirek's second in command. 

At Scorpan's side rode a witch holding a massive spell book that gave an eerie green glow.

"Take down the wall!" Scorpan commanded.

"Yes, Scorpan." The witch opened her spell book and cast a spell on the Reptilians' battering rams. She then cast another spell, creating a dark cloud of purple mist that descended on the castle and began attacking the magical barriers.

A flash of light erupted from Majesty's horseshoe and hit the spell cloud. The cloud seemed to roar in pain and changed form into a large bird. It flew into the sky and slashed at the force field. The dark magic in its claws sent shock through the unicorns as they focused to keep the wall up.

"Ugh! This thing's really strong!" Powder groaned.

"It's like getting hit with a lead pipe while having an ice cream headache!" Fizzy winced.

"We can't keep the shield up forever, Momjesty!" Mimic shouted.

"We don't need to!" Gypsy shouted. "I saw it in the cards, we just need to hold them off until noon!"

"Why? What happens then?!" Twilight asked. 

"I'm not sure, but the fortune said we'd get help!"

"Okay troops, you heard her! We hold the line until noon!" Firefly barked.

"We are outnumbered by at least a thousand to one. Logically I would say we are at a disadvantage." Wind Whistler observed. "However, if my research is accurate, there's one thing about these creatures that gives us an edge."

"What's that?"

"They have no free will and no knowledge beyond warfare, ergo they have no imagination." Wind Whistler kicked a small cloud out just over the heads of the horde. 

The Reptilians swung their spears at the cloud, all harmlessly passing through it. When it finally stopped, the brutes were electrocuted by lightning strikes until the cloud dissipated.

"If they only know how to fight with swords and spears, we need to change the terms of this battle!" The pegasus went on as Majesty smiled.

The Reptilians' massive battering ram rolled towards the castle, ready to smash the gate with two hits at most. Suddenly, a blur launched from the castle towards it. The enemy force was dumbfounded as a giant wad of Sweet Stuff's best taffy slammed into the battering ram. The Reptilians tried to push the weapon through the gooey mess, but the wheels were quickly gummed up and unable to move. Due to being exclusive carnivores, the idea to simply eat it did not spring up in their minds.

The invaders blinked as Twilight and Mimic appeared in a flash of light next to the battering ram. They dropped two bags onto the ram, dropped a match, and then winked away. The castle's supply of fireworks erupted, blowing the battering ram to pieces and sending colorful blasts through the enemy.

Posey loaded the catapults with all the ragweed she could pull from her garden, and launched them at the Reptilians. The invading hordes were overcome with sneezes, and unprepared for the next assault. 

Fizzy filled the air with a swarm of giant bubbles that were nearly impossible to pop no matter how much the Reptilians clawed and stabbed at them. Gusty reinforced the attack by creating strong winds that left the Stratodons' flight patterns in disarray and blew the bubbles into their path, throwing them further into chaos. They couldn't fly anywhere without hitting each other or bouncing off bubbles.

"How is this possible?! They've barely used deadly force, and yet our forces are at a stand still!" Scorpan demanded.

"It seems we've underestimated these sweet little ponies. I think one of my more serious spells is in order." The witch sneered. The spellbook flipped to the page and she read the spell aloud. "Webo Bebo Tic Tok Libo Zebo Zig Zag Zok!" 

The evil spell magically created bird grew to three times its size. It lunged at the castle, claws raised, and slammed into a magic shield the unicorns had cast. The magic faded and the shield vanished.

"Forward! Bring me the ponies!" commanded Scorpan.

The purple bird screeched and dove at the castle, claws ready to snatch any pony it could from the wall. It zeroed in on Cotton Candy and Moon Dancer, who were too busy setting up the catapult to notice its approach. It came closer, and closer... and then it saw stars.

A pink and blue blur slammed into its skull at a hundred miles per hour. The bird shrieked in pain as the blur came zooming past again, cracking across its beak. The creature shook its head and set its eyes on its attacker, a fierce looking pegasus who was flying around for another hit. 

"Come on, bird brain! Think you're good enough to catch a Firefly?!" The furious bird flew after the pegasus as the rest of Tirek's forces fell on ponies. 

A few Stratadons broke through and swooped over the castle, trying to grab any pony they saw. Despite the ponies' counter attacks, the Reptilians advanced. While they arrived at the gates with another battering ram, more of the brutes raised ladders to begin scaling the walls.

"GET BACK, YOU BEASTS!" Posey shouted as she threw a ragweed bomb into a Reptilian's face, sending it sneezing back over the wall.

"Be careful! Those ladders look unsafe!" With a wave of Magic Star's wand, the Reptilians' ladders turned into noodles and collapsed.

"Get outta here!" called Truly as one managed to cling to the wall and climb up. She slammed a pie into its face and used the strength of your tribe to tackle its legs to topple it back over while it swung blindly. The ponies had another small advantage, Applejack: while small, ponies are surprisingly dense and heavy for that size, and naturally under the center of gravity of larger bipeds. While this is little matter now when few bipeds of significant size still exist, the Reptilians discovered the hard way ponies had a far easier time knocking them down than the other way around.

Firefly looked back at the giant bird as it chased her over the battle. She smirked at her friends' tenacity. She gasped as the bird's claws grazed her wing.

"No you don't!" Firefly swung strait up, with the bird hot on her tail.

Higher and higher the two went, until Firefly suddenly turned and flew straight down towards her pursuer. Her hooves connected with its beak and sent it reeling in mid air. The pegasus took another pass and struck right in the bird's chest. 

The beast screeched in anger at the pony. It swiped its wing, blowing Firefly away as the bird took off. Firefly regained her barings and saw the bird flying away and beginning to turn for a pass of its own.

"Oh, that's how you wanna do it, huh? All right, let's see who blinks first!"

Firefly took off as fast as her wings could carry her, as did the wicked bird. They shot straight towards each other, gaining speed as they went. Faster and faster they went, beyond anything anyone had ever seen. Her friends were counting on her, and she was ready to push herself to her limits and beyond to save them.


And suddenly, something changed in the air. Firefly had never gone this fast before, no pegasus had. She couldn't hear the wind, but she could felt it begin to part before her. She was about to break the sound barrier, she could feel it, but there was something else happening. Through the tears in her eyes as the wind whipped her face, she saw colors form and disappear as her speed increased. Until...

KRRKK-BOOOOOOOMMMMM!

Firefly had broken the sound barrier, and with it, the visible spectrum. Firefly hit the bird dead on, a rainbow trailing behind her. Despite its size, the bird was knocked loopy by the much smaller pegasus and was quickly enveloped by a shock wave of rainbow colors. The bird was blown away like a wisp of cloud as the evil magic that gave it form was shattered by the very first sonic rainboom. What? You believed history's first Sonic Rainboom was Rainbow going back in time to cause it?...Though in a sense, you could say it is of her bloodline. Though Rainbow Dash remains the first mortal pony to do it more than once. 

"Curse these ponies!" Scorpan growled. "Witch, create more creatures! Send them all at that queen of theirs! Then call in the reserves! We'll wear them down by attrition."

"As you wish." The witch flipped through her spellbook's pages and began conjuring.

Hours dragged across Dream Valley as the ponies were slowly being battered down. The witch had conjured an endless stream of monsters to attack Dream Castle. A griffin that Majesty turned into an origami swan. A giant lion that Majesty turned into a tiny kitten. A sea serpent that she turned into a wave of bubbles. A gigantic wolf-headed spider that she transformed into a squeaky toy. Yet for every creature she enchanted away, two more seemed to take their place. 

The witch called upon an cyclops-spider, a descendant of Lahb's brood. The giant monster skittered across the battlefield on its towering legs in a beeline towards Majesty. Majesty charged her horn to turn it into a palm tree. But then the witch summoned another, and another. The witch didn't stop until there were eight cyclops spiders casting tower sized shadows over Dream Castle. 

Majesty's horn glowed, causing a gust of wind to blow, catching a cloud of dandelion speeds, which with her magic turned into white feathers, that got into the chinks in the cyclops-spiders' armor, irritating them, causing the arachnid titans to curl up and fall backwards onto their own forces with a responding crash. 

"I've moved the sun and the moon, do you think any monsters of yours pose a threat to me?" Majesty smiled.

But Scorpan had noticed, the unicorns hadn't simply transmuted them as she had the ones before them. Majesty had battled villains and monsters all her life, but never this many at once. Majesty had never had a reason to build up her magical stamina. Adding to that endless hordes of Reptilians and Stratodons, the ponies were tiring. Majesty's mana pool was not infinite. 

"Excellent." Scorpan grinned. "Oh, Lord Tirek will reward me well when I bring him the four ponies he demands, and the head of the most powerful unicorn in the world!"

Scorpan flew his Stratodon low over the castle and jumped onto the rampart as it swung past. His master sent him to get four ponies, and he would kill any who stood in his way. And the unicorn queen stood in his way. He pushed through the battle, spotting Majesty as she blew dozens of Stratodons out of the sky. 

Majesty never saw the gargoyle sneak up behind her. Even her mind reading horseshoe couldn't pick his thoughts out of the din of the hundreds around her. Scorpan raised his sword and prepared to kill the most powerful unicorn in the world, when suddenly...

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Scorpan yelped as Applejack crashed into him. The earth pony nearly knocked herself out as she and the gargoyle slammed into the castle wall.

"Stupid pony!" Scorpan growled, kicking Applejack off of him.

"No, I'm a silly pony!" Applejack bucked Scorpan's knee, making him yell again.

"And now you'll be a dead pony!" He stumbled to his feet and raised his sword.

He tried to swing the blade, but found himself frozen in place, surrounded by an aura of magic light. The sword was yanked out of his claws and held to his neck.

"I told you before." Majesty glared at Scorpan, as she held him in her magic. "You will not take my ponies!"

"...Please, mercy!" Scorpan cringed at the metal touching his throat. "Please, I beg you, don't kill me! I have to follow Tirek's orders!"

"Yet you seem to take such pleasure in it!" Majesty growled.

Before Scorpan could reply, a Reptilian jumped over the wall and charged Majesty. She released the spell on Scorpan and turned to blast the Reptilian away.

"You'll all die before this day is done! I swear it in Lord Tirek's name!" Scorpan flew away from the castle as his troops advanced on Majesty and Applejack.

-
"Uh, Princess, what's goin' on with Scorpan? He don't sound anythin' like he did back when he and Tirek were younger."

"Indeed."
-

"Majesty, I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." Applejack panted in exhaustion.

"I know, Applejack, but Gypsy's predictions have never failed us before. If she says something will happen at noon, then... What was that?"

A chorus of trumpets sounded high above the din of battle. The sun appeared from behind the clouds at its noon day height, as the trumpets were joined by the rumbling of thousands of feet stamping against the ground. At the east end of Dream Valley, Gypsy's prediction came true. A human army rode into the Valley, breaking the Reptilians' lines. At the head of the army was Prince Valiant, the ruler of a neighboring kingdom that the ponies had saved from Tirek's minions years before. At the prince's side was the Moochick, and his rabbit helper, Habbit. They had gone to seek aid for the ponies, and they had succeeded.

Help had arrived.

TO BE CONTINUED!
> Battle Of Dream Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



“To the castle!” Prince Valiant called as he swung his sword at a passing Reptilian. 

Gypsy's prediction had held true: at noon aid had come.

A few years prior, the ponies helped rescue Prince Valiant's fiancee, Princess Rosabelle, when Tirek’s trolls imprisoned her in the Castle of Darkness. From then on, the alliance between their kingdoms became a beacon of hope to the world that Tirek’s influence was not unbeatable.

The prince and his men rode into the valley with another wave of pony reinforcements. The Rainbow Ponies were very unique, and their rainbow colored manes were not the only reason for their names. Their ancestors belonged to a herd who were more directly exposed to the Rainbows and their power through a waterfall. Even generations later, pure rainbow magic still ran through their veins. 

In the face of Tirek’s invading army, the Rainbow Ponies allowed Valiant’s men the honor of being the first humans ever to ride them. To ancient ponies, being ridden was a sign of either great humiliation if done unwillingly or a show of great trust between pony and rider. The Rainbow Ponies showed their trust that day, as they and the prince’s army swept through the Reptilian ranks like a knife through butter. 

They had been chosen from all of the ponies of Dream Valley because of this unique rainbow magic. While certain ponies such as Firefly were incredibly fast, all Rainbow Ponies were capable of high speeds, and all Rainbow Ponies, regardless of race, could fly by summoning a rainbow to carry them through the skies, and many could produce rainbow light shows from their bodies. Starshine could even use her magic to warp herself, even as far as other worlds. As such, these abilities made them the perfect choice to carry Valiant and his forces quickly to the battle.





"Wait…" Applejack muttered, her eyes going wide. "Rainbow manes, rainbow light show, superspeed...Princess, that sounds like…"

I let out a small chuckle. "Indeed, Applejack. Rainbow Dash is indeed of their bloodline, and can be considered a Rainbow Pony herself."

"...Does that mean she's gonna warp herself into space someday?" she asked.

"I do not know. She's descended far from them, but she also bonded to a piece of the Rainbow of Light, the very thing that gave her bloodline that power, so it's hard to say."

"...Until that ego of hers is a little better under control, Ah ain't tellin' her she's descended from some crazy, rare ancient kinda pony."

I gave a laugh. "A wise decision. The original Rainbow Ponies themselves were not immune to conceit. Megan was not the only human to come to our world; and at least one had far greedier intents, luring the Rainbow Ponies to him, shaving their manes, and returning to his world and home city of New York with his prizes in tow, selling their manes off and living comfortably afterwards, even though their close friend Ember The Pony had been given a dream warning her of what was to come. This proved however to be a humbling experience for them, and Ember's encounter with Angel Pony, another of my sibling's-"

"Yer Highness, the battle?"

"Oh right right! Sorry!" 





Stratadons continued to snatch up ponies, but they were shot down before they could get far. Tirek's simple task for Scorpan was proving infuriatingly difficult. 

“No, no, no!” Scorpan raged. “Bring me that cursed elf’s head!”

“With pleasure.” The witch grinned and charged the old elf.

“Oh, dear me, I wish Bonnie were here!” The Moochick mumbled as he waved his walking stick and turned Reptilians into little birds. “She was so much better at combat!”

“Joraglidad!” A bast of magic knocked the Moochick to the ground. He looked up and saw the witch standing over him, her spell book glowing with evil green light.

“Oh my, my, my, I should have known Tirek would enlist one of you witches.”

“I am more than a mere witch, elf! I am the sum knowledge of hate, and you and I have a score to settle!” A blast of green lightning flew from the book.

“Oh, have we met?” The Moochick ran behind a tree, dodging the lightning bolts.

“No, but you helped a group of worthless creatures escape Lord Tirek’s wrath.”

“Ah, well, you’ll have to forgive me for not apologizing!” The Moochick caused the grass to grow and tie up the witch.

“I’ve dreamed of a world where the weak feelings those creatures peddled were stamped out forever! It’s why I came to serve Lord Tirek! And you had the gall to deny me the pleasure of seeing them erased from the world!” The witch created a fireball that burned the grass away and set the tree the Moochick was hiding behind ablaze."I was looking forward to making these insolent horses' foals bite and claws at each other like rabid dogs."

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” The elf created a gust of wind that blew the witch clear off her feet.

“You can’t stop me, old fool! You can’t HELP ME!” The witch winced at the sudden outburst. The light from the book's pages dimmed slightly during the shout. 

“Help you?”

“Ignore that! It means nothing PLEASE, MAKE HER STOP!”

“...What’s going on?”

“Nix fix styx!” The witch growled, and she set a tornado at the Moochick.

“Why did you ask for help?!” The Moochick called as he tried to dodge the twister.

“I didn’t I DID! Shut up!” The witch winced and clutched her spell book tighter.

“You’re kind of sending mixed messages, you know!” The Moochick shouted as he waved his cane as if it was a wand and the tornado vanished.

“Be silent and GET THE BOOK! SILENCE, WORM!” The witch screamed as the spellbook itself seemed to tremble in her hands.

“It sounds like you have a problem with that book! How about I take that and give you a better one?” The Moochick appeared behind the witch and grabbed for the book.

“NO!” 

The Moochick gasped as he tried to pull the book from the witch’s clutches. He stared at the book and it was staring back at him. The witch’s face was in the book’s pages, like some demonic pop up book.

“What on earth?!” The Moochick gulped.

“Naraknew!” The book blasted the Moochick away. “You will not touch me, elf!”

“A spirit in a spell book? Well, there’s one I’ve never seen before!” The Moochick raised his cane.

“I will be the last thing you see!” The witch raised the book and a green flame surged at the old elf. The witch and the book said the same thing at the same time. Or were the witch's lips simply moving like a dummy's to her ventriloquist's words? I can't say for sure.

The Moochick’s cane morphed into a large umbrella that fended off the fire. He tried to conjure water or wind to counter the flames, but it was too strong. The witch, or rather the book, had him pinned down.

“Hold on, Moochick, I’m coming!” Prince Valiant called over the din of battle.

The prince gasped as he saw two Stratadons fly past, each snatching a Rainbow Pony right from under his soldiers.

"Oh no you don't!" 

The Prince was given a spare crossbow by one of his guards nearby, aimed, and fired its only arrow... striking the first beast through the eye, just as the same guard finished loading another crossbow and handed it over to the prince, who quickly shot down the next mindless creature. 

"But your majesty! The fall!" His loyal guard said shocked as the ponies fell from the dying monsters’ claws.

"Don't worry, they have something the Stratadons don't: friends!"

"ThankyoufortakingWhizzerairlines,keepyourhoovesinsidethechariotatalltimes!" said the first pegasus to catch one. 

"SURPRISE!" Shouted the second. 

Firefly may have gotten all the fame dear Applejack, but she was not the only fast pegasus in Ponyland. In fact, some wondered if Whizzer, this fast talking beanie wearing mare always so eager to help was in fact faster, but the history books only remember Firefly and the risks she took. And, of course, Surprise The First, Pinkie Pie's ancestor. Yes, she’s a pegasus! Do you think modern Equestria invented mixed marriages? They let their friends go the moment that they had regained their wits enough to summon a new rainbow to ride, something rather hard under the sudden fright.

Prince Valiant charged past the fleeing ponies towards the “witch” and the Moochick. 

"The book! Aim for the book!" 

He raised his crossbow and fired a bolt at the spell book. The book shrieked in rage and pain as the arrow knocked it from the witch’s hands, not a mark on it.

“WRETCHED HUMAN!” The spirit of the book howled. The witch fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings were just cut.

The barrage of fire that had pinned the Moochick down fizzled as the book was cut from its host.

“Quick, close the book!” the Moochick yelled as he stood up.

“NO!” The spirit yelled as Prince Valiant grabbed the cover of the book and tried to push it shut against the ground. “I WILL NOT BE SILENCED AGAIN!”

A round of green lightning ran up the prince’s arms as he tried to close the book. The Moochick jumped and landed with a resounding stomp on the edge of the cover, closing the book. Still, the cover bulged as the spirit tried to force it open again.

“Moochick, what do we do?!” Valiant shouted as he tried to keep the book from opening.

The Moochick began searching through his hat until finally finding what he sought. “We need a key!”

He plunged the key into the lock on the book’s binding, and with one last cry of anger, the book fell silent as the spirit was contained.

The Prince swore, "What in Hades was that thing?" 

“I know just the person to deal with this awful thing!” The Moochick threw the book into his hat and turned back to the fallen witch. “Poor dear must have been possessed by that book for who knows how long. Habbit!" 

The rabbit familiar was at his 'master's' side in seconds. If there was one thing he knew (and he knew much more than that) it was to stay out of the crossfire until called. 

"I’m teleporting you and this woman back to the Mushromp. Tend to her until I get back.”

No, Applejack, you need not worry about that entity turning back up, it is no longer in this world.
-
Across time and space.

Vice Principal Luna asked, "Sister, what are you doing?"

"I'm writing a letter to magical horses to please stop dumping their cursed artifacts in other people's universes."
-
Moochick's rabbit helper saluted as the elf waved his walking stick and the rabbit and the girl vanished.

“You sure that was wise?” Prince Valiant asked. “Sending her to your home?”

“Habbit is the most determined rabbit this side of the equator, he can handle himself. And even if the lady wasn’t overcome with soul sickness, she has no power without the book." Trust us Applejack, the Moochick could tell these things. 

"WHOA!”

An arrow flew past his head.

“Perhaps we should chat later!” The prince said as he pulled the elf through the melee. 

Far off behind the lines, Scorpan watched in growing rage. The spirit of the book had fallen, the enemy reinforcements had broken their ranks, and the ponies were still fending off their efforts to capture the four Lord Tirek demanded.
-
"Luna, what da heck was that thing?"

"Mortals have always sought ways to cheat death, some get more creative than others."
-
“All right. The human prince, the elf, and that blasted unicorn need to be taken out of play, just like Lord Tirek ordered, then the rest will fall in the next assault.” Scorpan jumped on a Stratadon and flew towards the castle.

Prince Valiant and the Moochick arrived at the castle gates, fending off Tirek’s lizard men as they went. 

“Any chance you can get them to lower the drawbridge?!” The prince yelled as he blocked a Reptilian’s sword. The prince said this in jest, he had no desire for the ponies to open their front door to the enemy. 

“No, but I have another way in!” The Moochick stuck his walking stick into the ground and grabbed the prince’s wrist. “Going up!”

The cane grew to the height of the castle wall, with the Moochick and the Prince rising with it until they were able to jump over the wall.

“Please warn me the next time you do that!” Valiant gasped as he landed on the floor.

“What, and spoil the surprise?” The Moochick chuckled.

“Prince Valiant! Mr. Moochick!” Spike called as he, Majesty, Twilight, Wind Whistler, and Applejack ran to meet them. “Boy are we glad to see you!”

“I wish we were meeting under better circumstances,” Majesty grimly stated as she offhandedly sent a blast of wind toward another charging horde of Reptilians. 

“Even with our combined strength and resources, I calculate the odds of this battle ending with our defeat at 75%,” Wind Whistler assessed. 

“How is that possible?” Applejack asked. “We’ve beaten so many bad guys before! Giants, witches, dragons, natural disasters, all of it! What’s different now?”

"Overwhelming numerical advantage, and since their numbers can be replaced in a day, their commanding officer has no concern for their long term survival. We have dealt with powerful wicked individuals and invading groups, but not simultaneously. They'll be able to scale the walls with piles of their dead eventually. And Majesty has never had to deal with several powerful monsters in a row." 

“And they didn’t have the kind of power Tirek has,” The Moochick sighed. 

“Ooh, why do the bad guys always pick on us?!” Spike shook at the sight of the battle. “And, sorry to ask, Mom, but how come you haven’t been able to just zap them all away?"

“He has a point, Moochick. She’s turned many villains to stone, or trees or even bubbles with hardly a fraction of her powers.”

“Yes, but every last one of these Reptilians was created with Tirek’s powers. They’re practically radiating dark magic, and it’s interfering with the very magic in the air.”

A Stratadon grabbed Twilight, she teleported out of its grasp and the Moochick struck the creature between the eyes before the prince sent it over the side with another arrow. 

"Not all magic," Twilight said. 

"And I've never had to transmute so many at once before, let alone after transmuting so many giants," Majesty said.

“Isn’t there any magical way to destroy them?” Prince Valiant asked.

The Moochick shook his head. “Not without destroying Dream Valley in the process.”

“Well, can we neutralize the magic?” Wind Whistler asked. “If the enemy is powered by magic that is negatively charged, can we cancel it out with an equally large positive charge?”

"I'm afraid 'positive' magic as you put it Wind Whistler isn't my cup of tea," Majesty sighed. 

“And I’m afraid we’d need more magic than even Majesty generates to distort time to do that. We’d need more power than any one pony could ever hope to have,” the Moochick said.

“Wait…” Applejack mumbled. “If we need more power than any one pony can have, what if we use all the power that everypony has?”

“What?” The group asked.

“Well, we’ve got loads and loads of unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi here. And Twilight, you’ve always said that all ponies have their own spark of magic inside them. Can we win if we combine all our sparks of magic together?”

Twilight gave the matter some thought, and the gears in her head began to turn. “I… I suppose that might be possible. I could make a wish that could connect every pony in the valley together and combine our magic. That much power could be enough to win this…” 

“But such a build up of magical energy is nearly impossible to control,” Majesty countered. “We could combine our powers, but we couldn’t use it without a medium. I could direct that power through me, but it would shatter my horn before I could use it.”

“If that is the case, could we use something else as a medium? Some conductor that could focus the magic safely? Like the Moochick’s magic cane, for example.”

“Oh, my, my, my no! My cane isn’t made to handle that kind of power. It would shatter into splinters the moment it tried to absorb that much magic. We’d need something much stronger.”

“Well, how about Magic Star’s wand?” Applejack threw out. 

“Magic Star’s wand... ” The Moochick’s eyes widened, as did the ponies’. “Magic Star’s wand!”

“That’s it!” Twilight grinned excitedly. “Magic Star’s wand has a greater conductivity for mana since it was made for earth pony use. Their magic is more, well, Earth-bound than a unicorn’s, so the wand needs to be able to pull in and focus a much greater amount of power!”

“So we can use it to do this spell without the magic overloading or putting a pony at risk as the medium! Applejack, you’re a genius!” Majesty pulled the apple farmer into a tight hug. 

Yes, Applejack, wands capable of giving Earth Ponies more overt magic did exist. Sadly the means to do so was lost to time... but what was lost need not remain so forever, you've seen what an Earth Pony can do with your own eyes in the Truth, have you not?

“If this is to remain a feasible strategy, we must act quickly.” Wind Whistler interjected.

“All right, Twilight, get Magic Star and all the other the unicorns into the tower and set up the ritual.”

“Yes, Majesty!” Twilight nodded.

“Prince Valiant, we need to hold off the Reptilians until we can perform the spell, can you buy us that time?” 

“I’ll buy you all the time you need!” The prince grinned. 

“I hope this works, or LOOK OUT!” Spike screamed.

Before the prince could even turn, he felt himself being hit by something huge and then lifted into the air.

The ponies watched in horror as a Stratadon ridden by Scorpan zoomed away with Prince Valiant in its talons. Before anypony could stop him, Spike ran and grabbed onto the prince’s leg and held on as they were both pulled into the air.

“VALIANT! SPIKE!” The ponies cried.

“SCORPAN, LET THEM GO!” The Moochick shouted.

“Unicorn! Moochick! If you want the prince and your pet dragon to live, come and face me! And you better hurry before I reach the reinforcements!” 

Majesty fired a spell, but Scorpan used a nearby Stratadon as a shield, turning it into a dirt statue.

The gargoyle laughed evilly as he flew off towards the borders of Dream Valley.

Valiant's loyal subjects fired arrow after arrow, but Scorpan had his minions shield him with their bodies. Only one arrow made it through, and only succeeded in wounding its leg.

Knights on the Rainbow Ponies came close to Scorpan's Stratadon... but again, Scorpan's minions used themselves as a mobile barricade. 

+++

"NOW HOLD ON THERE, PRINCESS! Ah'll admit, Ah let myself be bedazzled with all the fancy smancy magic goin' on, all the nasty stuff happin' every five minutes, and from ya goin' on about yer family tree every chance ya get... But how in blue blazes did Majesty get caught off guard 'bout ANYTHIN' big with her friend bein' a fortune teller showin' her stuff that can happen, and a magic horse shoe that always showed her sure things?! And another horse shoe that lets her read minds?! From what ya said, she'd had those things for years, plenty of time to get used to'em! Ah get if she kept listenin' to everypony's thoughts all the time she'd go crazy and nopony would get near her! Ah know yer gonna say that she couldn't sit on her plot lookin' into tomorrow when today needed doin', but ya'd think her son and the prince gettin' snagged she'd have seen comin'! Or listen in on what the bad guys were thinkin'! Or is this one of those 'dark magic that can't be foreseen' messes? Like how every time Twili' uses 'er magic to fix somethin' it just gets worse, but whenever some jerk uses magic to cause trouble it all goes off without a hitch?"

We shall admit to our royal shame, while we would have expected this from ever questioning Twilight Sparkle, eye for detail Rarity, or always thinking in a hundred directions at once Pinkie Pie, we had not expect straightforward and direct Applejack to ask this question.

“As for the horseshoe that allowed her to read minds, the reason it didn’t work is her immediate environment. She stood in the heat of battle, surrounded by her ponies, Valiant’s men, and Tirek’s hordes. There were thousands of minds screaming out at once, to say nothing of their audible screams, the clang of swords and spears, the rumble of footfalls, blasts of magic, and sounds of carnage. Using that horseshoe would have been like trying to catch a single voice in the middle of a massive stadium during a Hoofball game. And even if she had managed to focus it on only one creature, she’d still have to get close enough to one of the few who knew of the plan out of the thousands of soldiers.”

“Oh… yeah, guess that would be a mite difficult.”

"And the range of Majesty's horseshoe is not infinite. And it requires focus. And Majesty was being kept quite busy. As for Majesty and Gypsy's future sight... In truth, Applejack, I’m not sure. Precognitive magic can, ironically, be very unpredictable. My sister, Rota Fortuna is both fate and free will, and zealously guards the path of what must be and the choices of what might be. As you said, Majesty's visions only show her what is certain, while Gypsy's magic can only show what is possible. Majesty knew Tirek's army WOULD come and prepared; she knew Prince Lucky and the other foals WOULD be safely sent away from the castle. While Gypsy's magic requires her to shift through every possible outcome, so she goes with the future that is most likely."

“But what's the difference between the 'sure things' and the 'possible things' then?”

“I’m afraid I must say again, I don’t know. Rota Fortuna keeps her, for lack of a better word, self, very private. The amount of possibilities and choices that make up the grand tapestry are far grander and more complicated than I could ever tell you. In fact, you mortals recently discovered an interesting aspect of one of the potential Draconequi's domains, or Discord's, depending on the universe, known as 'quantum mechanics' that show that indeed seemingly impossible things have a non-zero chance of being possible. There is a non-zero chance you will phase through the floor right now and land in the room below us, for example, and thus somewhere in the multiverse, that is exactly what happened and a possibility." 

Applejack reflexively cringed as if expecting that very thing to happen. She gave a sigh of relief when it didn't. "Guess we ain't in THAT universe..."





Meanwhile, in another universe

“In fact, you mortals recently discovered an interesting aspect of one of the potential Draconequi's domains, or Discord's, depending on the universe, known as 'quantum mechanics'-"

"AHHHHH!"

"MY CABBAGES!" yelled one of the cooks downstairs who was preparing some form of cabbage dish for tomorrow. From the sound of it, we may be eating Hayburgers again.

I was about to mention how there was a universe where dear Applejack spontaneously phased through the floor due to there being a non-zero chance of that happening. Apparently we're in one of those...I should go check if she's okay.





"Indeed. But back to the matter at hoof, even when the magic is used for small things, it’s still a monumental change in the grand scheme of things. There is a story by Neigh Bradbury where a pony goes back in time to the age of the dinosaurs and accidentally steps on a butterfly, and as a result, the world as he knew it ceased to exist. 

“That is the risk of every use of magic to see or affect the future or the past. And that is why its use can be as fickle and mysterious as Rota Fortuna herself. It could be that Majesty knowing about certain things would negate her choices, or change the outcome for the worse. Perhaps she wasn’t meant to stop it. Or her choices led her to a place where getting a vision of the future would negate her choices. The line that separates divine intervention and mortal choice can be very blurry at times. I honestly couldn’t say how much Majesty not knowing about Scorpan abducting Valiant and Spike was the will of fate, a result of infinite choices and actions, or just dumb luck.”

“Ugh, this is startin’ ta hurt mah head.”

"Trust me, when you have to manage and BE a Concept of reality, it gets SO much more exhausting. Especially when in your natural state time is as easy to move through as space and you can meet your siblings before you're ever born.”

+++

“Did he say ‘reinforcements?!” Applejack gasped.

The Moochick watched in horror. “We have to save Valiant and stop Scorpan! If another wave of Tirek’s minions attacks before that spell is finished…” 

“We’re going after that gargoyle and rescuing our friends! Mr. Moochick, get on my back,” Majesty ordered. She didn't wait for a response and magically pulled him into the air and dropped him on her back. 

"Oh my!" The Moochick shouted, barely keeping his hat from falling off. 

“But Majesty, what about the plan?” Twilight asked.

“You’ll have to lead the unicorns in the spell, Twilight. You’re the most well versed in magic, and you’re the strongest unicorn we have besides me. You’re the most qualified mare for the job.”

“I won’t let you down, Majesty.” She bowed.

“Applejack, Wind Whistler, hold the line. I need you two to give Twilight the time she needs.”

“Yes, Majesty!” The two ponies bowed.

“Goodbye, my friends. We’ll see each other again after this is all over.” Majesty turned and leaped over the castle wall with the Moochick screaming as he held on for dear life.

The unicorn queen teleported mid leap and reappeared just beyond the borders of Ponyland.

“Come on!” Applejack cried. “We gotta get going and save Ponyland!”

The ponies scrambled into action. Applejack led the defenses, pushing back harder than ever as the enemy pressed towards the castle. Wind Whistler and Firefly lead the pegasi in new formation, leading the Startadons away from the fray.

Meanwhile, Twilight galloped through the castle looking for the pony she needed. After searching most of the east side of the castle, she found Magic Star. A group of Reptilians had made it through a window and were now facing an onslaught of spells from the furious earth pony and her wand.

“Hocus pocus, and alakazam! Send these goons far from where I am!” Magic Star shouted, and the Reptilians vanished in a sparkling cloud.

“Magic Star, come with me!” Twilight ordered. “Majesty’s got a plan and we need your help!”

“What’s the plan?” Magic Star asked, already halfway out the door.

“We need your magic wand to focus the magic of every pony in Ponyland! Do you think you can manage that?”

“I-I think so.” Magic Star looked at her wand in thought. “I mean, it should work.”

“Great! Come on, we need to get to the throne room!” A loud crash shook the castle, Twilight didn't know from what. “...While it’s still standing!”

Buttons, Sparkler, and Gusty began drawing the sigils across the room to coordinate the magical energy. Twilight, Mimic, and Magic Star went over the mechanics of the spell.

“No, no, no, we can’t use nightshade for the potion, it’s too volatile. We should use mandrake root.”

“Magic Star’s right.” Mimic nodded. “Plus, that base will let the spell resonate through the castle walls for more power.” 

Fizzy, Ribbon, and Powder ran into the throne room. “Twilight, we’ve hung the crystals in the places in the castle you told us to. Glory, Starflower, and Moondancer are guarding them!”

Gypsy merely filed in to her part in the circle before any could find and ask her to. I do not know how she did so, maybe she saw it, perhaps she only saw her role in it.

“All right, we need to get started!” Mimic said, looking around the room. “Everyone stand here in the circle. Magic Star, you stand in the center and raise your wand.”

“OK!” The earth pony galloped into the center of the symbols painted on the floor as the other unicorns got into position.

“Oh, of all the times I can’t see the future, it has to be this one!” Gypsy focused her magic.

"At least that means whatever happens next is a sure thing," Twilight said. 

Twilight levitated the scraps of paper containing the spell they’d written so everyone could read and recite the words. The unicorns concentrated their magic on Magic Star’s wand and they all began to read aloud.

“Honesty’s light always shows us the way

“Laughter can brighten our very darkest day

“Kindness lends a hoof as we stumble and fall

“Generosity gives of itself to all

“Loyalty holds us tight as a truss,

“In face of bullies in each other we trust, 

“It is the Magic that flows through our hearts

“We all have the magic, and must all play our parts

“To fight back the darkness that seeks to destroy and twist

“By the might of true magic, our hearts will resist!

“Let evil’s false strength fall by the way

“Unite the light in us all to save the day!”

With the last word spoken, the ground began to shake. The symbols they had drawn around the room began to to glow. The ponies watched in awe and fear as the light started traveling up their hooves. Every pony felt their hairs stand on end as the power built up inside them. 

The crystals they had placed around the castle sent the spell’s signal all over the land. All over Dream Valley, every pony felt it. Even in the heat of battle, they still felt the power reach to them as well. The Reptilians tried to grab at them, but the light magic burned them before they could even lay a hand on a single hair on their heads.

Magic Star’s hoof trembled as she felt the build up of power until, suddenly, everypony saw white. 

There should have been an explosion, but there was no sound in Dream Valley when the spell went off. Just a light that began in Dream Castle and grew until it enveloped the entire valley. The ponies stood transfixed by the spell as Valiant’s army and the Reptilian hordes turned to run, but none could hope to outrun the spell blast.

It was Applejack who woke up first, curled up on on the cobblestone path in the courtyard. She looked around and saw Sweet Stuff, Lickety Split, and North Star, among others passed out on the ground.

Applejack gasped as memories of the battle returned. “EVERYONE WAKE UP! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK! TIREK’S LIZARD MEN ARE COMING!”

The ponies awoke with a start as Applejack ran up the stairs to the castle wall.

“EVERYONE, GET READY TO FIGHT! WE HAVE...to… Um, what?”

“Applejack, what’s… huh?” Firefly asked as she flew to her friend and caught sight of the battlefield.

Tirek’s army was nowhere in sight. Ponies, Valiant’s human soldiers and countless animals lay asleep on the ground all over the valley. Chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, lizards, skunks, moles and birds of every description lay everywhere, but there wasn’t a single Reptilian or Stratadon to be seen. All that remained were weapons that lay strewn around the valley. The ponies could only look on in confusion at the display. 

“Um… what’s going on?” Sweet Stuff asked as she peeked over the rampart.

“Well, um, I’m not sure, but, I think we won.” Applejack shrugged.

In the throne room, the unicorns and Magic Star were beginning to wake up as well. 

“Ugh, that’s the last time I have five root beer floats all at once,” Fizzy groaned as she rubbed her sore head.

“No, this isn’t an ice cream hangover, it’s… THE SPELL!” Buttons gasped as everyone ran to the windows.

They were greeted by the same strange scene as ponies and human knights began to awaken only to find a field filled with animals. The air filled with thousands of bird songs, as they flew around Ponyland in what could only be called celebration.

“That’s very strange,” Galaxy murmured.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“The birds singing,” Galaxy concentrated. “It roughly translates to ‘We’re free.’”

“Free from what, exactly?” Buttons asked.

“I’ll ask.” Galaxy whistled and a bird flew in through the window. 

The bird chirped in joy as he landed on Galaxy’s hoof and she asked a few questions in bird talk.

“Oh my!” Galaxy gasped.

“What?” the other ponies gasped. 

“It seems we’ve met the enemy, and they are these little critters.” The ponies just looked in confusion. “These poor creatures were transformed into those horrible Reptilians and Stratadons by Tirek, and it appears our spell changed them back!”

“What kind of monster would do such a thing?” Twilight gasped.

“Tirek, apparently,” Buttons glared at the idea.

“Well, I’d call this a definite victory, then!” Powder smiled. “We didn’t just beat Tirek’s army, we set them all free!”

"Not all of them," Buttons whispered, the battlefield still had the dead bodies of Reptilians and Stratadons, it seemed even their magic couldn't bring back the dead. Gypsy patted Buttons’ back. “Gypsy, is… was there any way we could have saved them?”

“Not that I could see. I don’t know why I couldn’t see it, or if it would have saved them. How can you fight a war when your enemy is an innocent victim, but is still trying to kill you?” Gypsy saw a Reptilian on the ground just outside the window. “Sometimes, I’m glad I can’t see everything, because then, I’d know what that one’s name was… what type of creature he was. How long he had been a slave for his master. How much he understood what he had become. And whether he would have prefered life as a slave or the release of death. And how many experiences were taken from him to lead him to this.”

Buttons bowed her head. “We’ll bury all of them as well as our own. They were victims of Tirek too, and deserve the dignity that he took from them back, even if it’s in death.”

But everyone else was too overjoyed at being saved from the monster army to notice. Gypsy and Buttons wished they could just forget about it, but they’d make do, as they had always done. 

“We couldn’t have done it without you, Magic Star!” Mimic hugged her friend.

“I’m glad the spell worked…” She slowly raised her hoof and showed off the broken, smoldering handle of what used to be her magic wand. Magic Star had put so much effort into making that wand, Applejack. Searching the land for materials, studying so many books, and crafting it as well as she possibly could. She had put part of her own essence into it! It wasn't just any wand, it was hers. “Guess I underestimated how much power my wand could take.”

Mimic gasped. "Oh no, Magic Star, I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright," Magic Star lied. "I guess I’ll just have to try to make another one again someday.” 

Magic Star tried to sound brave, but it was still a great personal loss for her, she could never recreate that wand, because the part of her essence she'd placed into it was lost forever. “But we were still lucky the spell worked even if this happened. We’re not gonna get another shot like that without this.”

“Well, hopefully we won’t have to.” Twilight looked out the window. “Majesty and Moochick are going to intercept Scorpan. If anyone can handle themselves against that, it’s those two.”

Hehe...yes, Applejack. The power of Friendship was a mighty force in the world even then. And it has saved this world more times than you will ever know.

000

Majesty galloped as fast as she could, teleporting as often as possible to travel faster. In the distance, she could almost make out Scorpan’s Stratadon carrying the prince.

"Majesty, just wink-out to him!"

"If I could I would, but my magic... it feels tired. That's never happened to me before. And even if I could, I wouldn't have the strength to wink-out to safety and Scorpan and the Stratadon wouldn't politely glide us down." 

And either Scorpan's Stratadon was exceptionally swift, or he'd pushed the beast to its absolute limit. 

As the unicorn queen galloped through the forest, she and her elf rider noticed the change in their surroundings. As they went, plants began to look more bare and shriveled until they were passing through an entire forest of dead trees. They hadn’t heard a sound in hours; not a bird’s song or an insect’s chirp, or even the breeze rustling tree branches. Just the clop of Majesty’s hooves through the dirt and long dead leaves on the forest floor. Eventually, the dead forest gave way to a small desert that stretched out to the sea. Still, no sound of life could be heard for miles. Tirek’s presence had poisoned the land so nothing would live unless he willed it. Only the lakes and sea stubbornly held onto life. 

"..." Moochick looked sadly to their surroundings. "Tirek's poison is tainting the world, the very land itself...I imagine that if we fail, one day this may be the entire world…"

"...All the more reason to stop him now," Majesty replied.

That’s when they saw it on the horizon. Tower after tower, battlement after battlement, tall as a mountain of steel. The seal of trust and hope between divinity and mortal life twisted into a monument to a demon’s vanity. High above, the permanent cloud cover swirled in an endless storm, blocking out its master’s enemy, the sun. The fortress of Tirek: Midnight Castle.

It had been so long, and the land so twisted, the Moochick did not even recognize the place. 

They saw Scorpan's Stratadon nested on the edge of the castle's roof, tending to its arrow wound, but no sign of Scorpan himself nor Valiant.

"No sign of those reinforcements, this might have all been a trick to lure us from the battle."

"Not automatically. Tirek can just make reinforcements." 

"This has gotten more complicated, Scorpan has reached Tirek, it might be better to get help. He'll keep Valiant as a hostage."

"And when did Tirek last leave a hostage alive?"

"No guards or patrols on the way here, Tirek either sent all he has, or this is a trap. I can't believe even Tirek is so confident as to leave his fortress naked... "

"Tirek's army was going to wear us down anyway, and Prince Valiant showing up wasn't something even we knew about if not for Gypsy. Only a madman would hinge his plan on outside factors. And Tirek from what I've seen and heard isn't that kind of mad." 

“Majesty, we need to be very careful. Now, the Sea Ponies have been keeping tabs on this place for me and told me of a secret entrance near…”

“Thank you, Moochick, but I actually have a strategy for getting us inside.”

“Oh, really?”

The gates to Midnight Castle stood fifty feet high and were solid steel… and now they lay as several mangled chunks of scrap metal after Majesty blasted them off their hinges. 

"Knock, knock," Queen Majesty said.
> Raid On Midnight Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



A dozen Reptilians came running down the front hall, spears at the ready. 

“Vile lizards of swamps and bogs
Drop those spears and turn to dogs!”

...Only to be turned into tiny puppies and scamper away from the castle as fast as they could with their tails between their legs.

“Majesty, don’t you think this is a little reckless?” The Moochick asked.

“This monster threatened everyone in my care, then kidnapped my friend and my son. I am going to show him that he’s not invincible, and what happens when you threaten my family.”

“I’m sure the Dark Lord is cowering in his bed.” 

Majesty and the Moochick turned and saw a giant wolf lying on the floor, blocking the door at the end of the hall. 

“If you come any closer, I’ll rip you to shreds.” The wolf bared its massive teeth. 

“Are you the guard dog?” Majesty mockingly asked.

“I am the hunger in the forest. I am blood spilled beneath the moon. I am the jaws of death. I am Gmork.” The wolf growled.

“I’ve heard of you.” The Moochick gulped. “If Tirek has cursed you into his service, we can free you!”

The wolf laughed. “I am his servant by my own choice. My world is gone and I was left with no purpose, no story, no place to call home. So, I sought out one who could use my talents. One who could give me purpose. And I made a simple request: show me your enemies.”

“So, you are content to be his tool?” Majesty snorted contemptuously. “Did you never think you could be more than his pawn?”

“I know my place. I am the dog at the table of a king, growing strong on the scraps that most of the kingdom would kill for. Only the powerful make their own choices, and have their own stories. Through him, I’ll have my own power and story in time."

"There are others who could use you. Tiamat values beasts such as you," Moochick said.

Gmork gave a dark chuckle. "This story is much more to my liking until I have my own. Until then, consider your deaths at my fangs a mercy compared to what Lord Tirek will have in store for you!”

The wolf lunged at Majesty, who deflected him with a magic shield. Gmork growled and charged again.

“Creature of darkness and bloody schemes
“I send you somewhere beyond all dreams!”

Majesty’s magic hit Gmork, who vanished in a cloud of dust and an echo of a howl.

What became of him, Applejack? I imagine you may have seen or heard him one night as a foal, scared of the dark and what may lay in it and believing you saw a monster protected and brought on to this world by the rainbow of darkness, prowling for whom it may devour. But worry not. Gmork is just that now: a figment of your imagination. He has no power in this world anymore. Just like that monster a child fears is prowling in the dark, he's no more than a shadow on the wall.

Majesty and the Moochick pushed open the door that Gmork had blocked and ascended the stairs behind it.

“Brr! It’s freezing in here!” Majesty shivered.

“Tirek’s influence, most likely,” The Moochick said, conjuring a coat for her. “Darkness and cold go together so well. Even before he became as he is now, he shunned the light and warmth.”

“Indeed.” Majesty gazed around the corridor. The hall was lined with statues, all of them either a monstrous gargoyle or a likeness of Tirek himself. Notably none in gold despite Tirek's obsession with himself, only silver or even plain stone. And they all seemed to be staring at them as they passed. And... I'm sickened to say, many statues of myself in my Centaur guise, cast in silver paid for in blood. Thinking back upon them, they were not testaments to me, but testaments to what Tirek desired me to be.

Then they found Tirek’s trophy room. As horrific as the rest of the castle had been, this place was a monument to depravity and atrocity. There were the standard treasures of precious metals and jewels, even crowns of conquered kings, many still with the dried blood of their former owners. The assortment of weapons taken from fallen warriors, ranging from spears, swords, axes, maces, and warhammers. 

On the walls were paintings and murals depicting horrific massacres and dark rituals spanning over hundreds of years. One wall was covered in hundreds plaques, each one detailing a date and a name of a species that had been victims of Tirek’s genocidal campaigns. 

Even in death, he defiled his victims, for his trophies included parts. Heads on spikes were bad enough, but there were countless bodies or body parts in jars or preserved by magic or taxidermy. There were dozens of revenants, those poor undead creatures whose souls Tirek had stolen, condemning them to be neither alive nor dead. Their soulless shells stood in a mindless stupor as a reminder that defiance of him would mean death, or something even worse... 

One of them was a tall knight in silver armor with a blue scarf and broken arm, his helmet was adorned with a long black tassel like a ponytail, and wore a wolf-headed ring on one of his fingers. This was a knight who had sworn to fight me in all my forms.

His king stood besides him, who ruled over a kingdom that had worshipped my sister. His royal tunic was darkened to black by cinders, and his lofty crown was as unpolished and unkept as the rats nest his beard became. His once great flaming sword looked more like a sword of burning ash now. 

While my brother was angry with me for all the work I gave him, I believe it took him far longer to forgive me for aiding one who would keep the souls of the dead from passing to the afterlife. Robbing the souls of the dead their final reward is among the most vile and grievous of sins in his eyes.

Majesty trotted up to a revenant and used her mind reading spell. “...Nothing. Everything that made these people who they were… it’s all gone. But they’re still not dead. Why would he, why would ANYONE do this?!”

“The same reason he does anything, Majesty,” The Moochick gripped his walking stick so hard it almost cracked. “Because he can. Because that’s how he sees the world. He has power, so he has licence to be as cruel as he can be. Which makes him feel even more powerful, and thus more cruel. At his core, above all else, Tirek wants to have dominion over all things for its own sake. It's right there in his self proclaimed title: the Dark Lord of All... more so than it may seem at first glance... in his culture, Lord is a title reserved for the gods.”

“You and this Lord Tirek have a long history, don’t you?”

“Oh, Majesty, you have no idea.” She always knew The Moochick was older than her, but this was the first time he’d ever sounded truly old and tired before. “I tried… I tried so hard to reach him when he was younger. Even after he became what he is, I tried to get him to see what he had become, and every time, he made it clear that he loved what he had become. I can’t tell you how much it hurt to realize that I had to stop trying to reach him because he’d never take my hand.”

“And what about his servant, Scorpan? I noticed how you spoke with him.”

“Scorpan... Scorpan was Tirek’s brother, and probably the only being he ever cared one bit about. But... he died before Tirek even became what he is now. I can’t even fathom how he was able to raise him from the dead. Death is a very professional god who takes his rule of 'we only live once' supremely seriously, only bending it in incredibly rare circumstances, and Tirek certainly hasn't earned that reward from him. Regardless of how he did it, it must have done something to him. I’ve tried to reach him over the years, but he was nothing like the person I knew. I don’t know if it's trauma from his resurrection or Tirek is manipulating his mind, but every time I’ve spoken to him, it’s like he’s a different person. He didn't even seem to remember our past encounters the last time I confronted him.”

“So Tirek might be wiping his memories somehow on a regular basis to keep him obedient, we may have no choice but to finish them both,” Majesty grimmly summed up.

“I’m afraid so."

"Anything else I should know?" asked the mare.

"Only one thing…" said Moochick, doing a scanning spell and finding a hidden chamber, opening it to reveal a mural covering the entire room. One that made even the mighty Queen Majesty, who'd seen so much horror and suffering in her life, injustices that defied all reason, so many monsters and evil tyrants, sick to her stomach. You know well what they depicted: the first of many genocides Tirek had wrought. In all its horrific glory and not missing a single gory detail.

"The first people he destroyed were his own."

"But...but why?" Majesty managed to stutter in horror. Majesty had endured the slaughter of her entire family and tribe, the idea of one doing that to his entire species hit a little too close to home. Nay, it was incomprensible.

"Why?...He claims because they became weak. But personally? I believe he couldn't stand the reminder that he used to be mortal...or others to know it. Of course...I imagine on some level he did it simply because he WANTED to. That is the kind of monster Tirek is I'm afraid. The worst kind. 

“You see so many falling into evil because they didn’t know better, like the Children of Lilith who do it out of a belief in evil as a virtue. Or because they allow their own desires to get the better of them, like Wantall and his greed to own all things. Or like that Thunderstorm you told me of who was a lost, misguided soul lashing out at suffering he had to endure, and even a genuine belief he was making things better. But Tirek? He is evil in its most senseless, horrid form: evil that serves no purpose except for the sheer pleasure of exercising its power over others, of seeing others suffer. He isn’t misguided or trying to serve a greater good. He isn’t lost, because he’s chosen this path with open eyes and a clear head. And he most likely won’t be saved, because he doesn’t want to be.”

Queen Majesty, who had endured so much in her life and had escaped it all with her sanity intact, quivered. "But why hide it? Is he not proud of it? Did he become ashamed? Alone?"

"Quite the opposite, in fact I'm sad to say in his plans he sired more only to wipe them out again," Moochick replied grimly. "...He desired it be obliterated from the face of the planet, no stone left atop another...that he even placed it here at all is proof that Tirek is too proud of it to not brag of it, even if only to himself...Do you need a bucket?"

"No... I'll be fine... Thank you for showing me the type of evil we're going to be facing..."

"... Don't thank me... I sincerely wouldn't have if I didn't think it necessary... You needed to know Tirek wasn't just some monster sprung forth from the dark recesses of the world... he's just a normal mortal who found a box of magic fallen from the sky and used it to become the worst monster this world has ever known..." he said, looking at the center of the mural where Tirek stood over what little remained of his father. Moochick bowed his head and whispered, “Forgive me, Chiron.”

"I'm not letting that beast be anywhere near it for a moment longer." 

Again, Majesty simply blew the doors off the trophy hall's doors, and at last came to a chamber proper, gates and passages going off in every direction. The Reptilians on guard swiftly turned into baby turtles. 

The Moochick looked around. "They could be anywhere. And that's to say they're even still together. No signs or markings. It might as well be a maze."

"Then I'll just rip this castle apart room by room."

"Majesty! Think! You said it yourself 'Tirek does not leave hostages alive.' The more time we WASTE fighting his minions and breaking apart his castle, the more time they are in Tirek's clutches as you so feared, and the more time Tirek has to prepare. He could be lurking anywhere in this castle."

"I was expecting him to welcome us, if he is so hungry for battle to show off his might!"

"I imagine he doesn't think... ahem, that ponies are worthy of his time... As for myself... he knows our last meeting ended in a draw, he is likely hoping for his servants to wear me down." Moochick didn't wish to say it... but a part of him wondered if Tirek had, in his own way, through his constant use, feeding it his own magic, and his experiment, if Tirek might have aligned stronger with the Rainbow of Darkness than the Moochick had with the Rainbow of Light.  

"I'll show him something worth his time." Then Majesty relied on her talents from when she was a wild unicorn. She sniffed through stenches of blood, Reptilians, and unnamable other things, until she found it. "Spike’s scent, and Valiant's! And Scorpan's! I have them!" 

"Then lead the way, your Majesty!" 

Majesty didn't need to be told so. Majesty paid attention to Tirek's foreboding décor only so much as to watch out for booby-traps and snares, she merely followed the scents of her friends, family, and her enemy. 

Majesty and the Moochick tore through Tirek's playthings and pets. His more intelligent minions had not gotten to be part of his inner circle by challenging those more powerful than themselves and did everything possible to stay out of the way of two of the most powerful magic users on the planet. 

But the Moochick also knew how much of her own magic Majesty had used, and also knew that was a feeling Majesty had never to his knowledge experienced before. She might not realize how drained she really was. Moochick however was capable of picking up the slack.

= Dark Souls OST - Iron Golem = 

The pair entered what the Moochick noted could have been an armory, with swords, shields, spears, and other weapons lined up along with the heat a smithery showing signs of only being abandoned only moments ago. 

But what drew their attention was a gigantic suit of iron armor, standing so tall that its head brushed against the vaulted ceiling. Gripped in one gauntlet was a battle axe. The suit silently stomped towards the two mages. 

"Who are you?! Stand aside or be undone!" Majesty called. The armor continued to march like it hadn't even heard her.

The Moochick narrowed his eyes. "Majesty, I do not believe it is alive. I sense no life within it."

"A ghost?!"

The mindless thing swung its axe down, both magic users went opposite directions as they dodged. The axe left a deep gash in the floor, splinters of stone sent flying. 

"No! I don't believe it was ever alive... I believe it is but a suit of armor controlled by magic - a golem. It is like a crossbow. And I believe they are made explicitly resistant to other magic!" 

"Let's see if the floor is!" 

"Please Majesty, let me handle this." The Moochick said, taking out some seeds from a pocket. And he threw them at the giant with as much strength as he could muster. The seeds fell within the joints of the iron golem. 

The Moochick struck the ground twice with his staff. Then vines sprouted from within the joints of the golem, spreading, twisting, enlarging. The golem motions became stiffer, then slowed as if it was rusting... then all at once, the individual pieces of the golem flew everywhere, smashing walls and knocking over weapons racks, leaving a mass of vines in the center. A fist larger than Majesty's head crashed besides her, but the pieces of the empty suit of armor laid lifelessly on the ground. 

"Now... where would it be... ah!" Moochick found some ancient runes on the inside of the armor, rubbing away one of them. As he did, the rune that meant 'truth' became the word that means 'dead.' 

"I'm surprised, if Tirek could make such a weapon, you think he'd have made more," Majesty said. Then worried she had jinxed them, but more metal puppets did not came forth. 

"Either it was a prototype, Tirek killed its inventor and stole it for himself, or Tirek simply thought his Reptilians and Stratadons were simply cheaper and easier to produce, train, and dispose of... I must say, I do believe Tirek has grown lazy with his successes. In his younger days, he would have exploited such a weapon for all it was worth." 

"All the better for us!" 

Majesty wasted no more time on the soulless automaton and continued to follow the scent trail, resuming her laser like focus. Tirek's castle spiraled upwards, like a poisoned spear stabbed into the heart of a wasteland. The castle itself was one gigantic keep. It was like the tower of Babel in scale... The what? Oh! Sorry! Never mind! Something from Megan's world. Store houses, stables, smitheries, it was not small. Imagine the tallest skyscraper of Manehatten and you might imagine its scale.

+++

"Now hold on Luna, so yer sayin' Megan had to go through this huge castle too?"

"... Yes, and no, I promise you'll see what I mean soon. But again-"

"Yeah yeah, 'won't appreciate it if ya tell it out order’, Ah gotcha..."

+++

There were no locks or barriers to the chamber they came to next. It was circular, the floor covered in sand, tinted windows ringed a second floor above them, there were other entrances/exists that also had no gates or locks. The floor was littered with broken swords, shields, and armor. Every doorway, except the way they'd come in, was covered by a wall of fog. 

At the center was a wolf the size of a young adult dragon. In its mouth was a giant sword. 

"Another wolf?" Queen Majesty rolled her eyes. "TIrek has no imagination."

"On the contrary, of all the things he lacked, creativity was never one of them," the Moochick whispered.

The beast did not make the first move. The heroes stepped forward, the wolf growled and clutched the hilt tighter in its jaws.

"Your ally Gmork is gone, step aside and you won't share his fate."

The wolf snarled in disgust, the Moochick's ears perked up.  

The wolf assumed a combat stance but again didn't move from its spot. 

The Moochick looked looked back at the path of retreat left open for them.

Queen Majesty lowered her head for a charge as her horn glowed, but Moochick blocked her with a gentle palm. 

"Majesty my dear, allow me to handle this."

The Moochick casually walked forward with his walking stick. The wolf narrowed her eyes. 

"So, you and Gmork were not allies, or you'd have growled in anger. And if you were rivals you'd have laughed at his defeat. So am I to assume you are not an ally of neither Gmork nor Tirek?" 

The wolf grunted. 

"I see," said the Moochick. Majesty tilted her head. 

The Moochick looked around the arena. 

"No locks, but the doors are too small for you... You've been here a long time. All the exits blocked but behind us? Since when did Tirek ever let his enemies retreat? Not attacking? Unless I get within range of your sword yes?"

The wolf growled again. 

"... Not your sword then?" The Moochick grew his cane, which the wolf sundered since it was within the arc of its blade, the Moochick casually restored his cane to normal. 

"Well, that answers everything. That is no sword of evil. They were a very dear friend of yours, weren't they?"

The giant wolf whined. Majesty was confused. 

The Moochick examined the style and design of the giant sword. 

"So it was his."

The wolf's eyes widened. 

"In Tirek's trophy hall, the knight revenant."

The wolf whined again. 

The Moochick sighed. "Let me hazard a guess... You tried to avenge your friend or die trying... But Tirek wouldn't let you, would he?" The wolf shuddered. Majesty's eyes widened. 

The sword lowered a fraction. 

"You don't want anyone else to suffer as he does, do you?" 

The wolf whined. 

"Forgive me for speaking for the dead, but let me ask, if you had died and your friend lived on... would you have wanted this for him?"

The wolf startled. 

"If I may be so bold, do you think your friend would want you to spend your days like this? Tirek's prisoner? His slave? Cutting down his enemies for him so he might focus more on bringing MORE suffering to the world?"

Silence. The elf and wolf looked at each other. 

Tears fell from the wolf's eyes. She lowered her head so the sword layed on the ground. 

The walls of fog around the doors vanished. 

"Moochick, if she stays here Tirek will kill her," Queen Majesty said.

The wolf snorted defiantly.

Moochick nodded. "Can you get her out of here?"

"... I've never teleported a living creature as big as her before... But I shall try."

Queen Majesty's horn glowed bright, and the wolf and the sword vanished in a twinkle of light. 

Queen Majesty's knees buckled, the room spinning as she saw fireflies in front of her eyes.

"Majesty?"

"Just... a little dizzy, let's go!"

And they were again on the trail.

"How did you know what the wolve’s motives were?" Queen Majesty asked as they moved. 

"This deep in Midnight Castle? I imagine I'm the first to try and understand her instead of fight her on sight. Just some common sense, and elves have a quirk for understanding the beasts and plants." 

"I see... so, did she say why Tirek kept her alive exactly?"

Moochick frowned. "I surmise to have a good guard dog with an amusing twist. He always enjoyed the howls of wolves. But I no longer believe he values them as living creatures, more as producers for music... He once called a beast's mournful howls for their master lovely music."

Majesty gave a growl. "There is no low Tirek will not sink to, is there?"

"My dear, I regret to say Tirek invented many of the lowest deeds one can commit…" Moochick's face showed how much it hurt him to admit Tirek had fallen as low as one possibly could. With that, they were silent for a bit.

"Their scent is getting stronger, they're right up ahead!" Majesty said at last.

"MAJESTY! WE FACE EACH OTHER AT LAST!"

Blocking a pair of armored red double doors was a grimy shadow of humanoid form covered in black robes. Their feminine figure was obvious, but their only detail that was visible was the glowing red eyes in the darkness of their hood.

"AT LONG LAST YOU FACE THE DOOMMANCER! LONG HAVE I WAITED! At last our epic battle begins, it will carry on through the ages! And at last I shall prove myself to Lord Death and catch him on the rebound from his break up with Natural Selection! See my power!" The witch's hands glowed with crackling red orbs of light. "Face the power of destruction! The very heavens will tremble with our-"

"I have had enough of this, please,
Get out of my way and become cheese."

In the blink of an eye, the Doommancer became a wheel of cheese.

"My deepest apologizes Miss Doommancer, but I'm afraid Queen Majesty has a prior engagement." The Moochick politely bowed to the wheel of cheese.

Majesty telekinetically ripped the doors off the walls and charged into the next room. It was vast and empty, more like a cave than room. There wasn’t a single window or torch or any light source beyond the light spilling from the doorway. In the darkness, the room seemed so large that it was almost a world unto itself. In the center was a throne shrouded in black curtains and three Reptilian guards on either side, already slain. Two yellow eyes staring out from the darkness. They had found Tirek’s throne room.

Majesty and the Moochick stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them. 

Prince Valiant, dead on the floor with a sword in his chest. Scorpan stood over the prince, looking at Majesty and the Moochick in horror. The silence between them all was like a graveyard, until it was broken by slow clapping.

“Well done, Scorpan. An excellent kill. But, it seems we have guests.” A figure emerged from the shadows behind Scorpan. Lord Tirek strode out past his minion without a second glance. He gave Moochick the most mocking of all bows you can imagine. He didn't spare Majesty even a glance, to him it being like giving the cart a person rode in on the same attention as the rider. “Hello, Moochick Randall, I’ve been looking forward to this reunion for so long. You’ve even brought me a pony for my chariot. How kind of you.” 

The elf and the pony still stood in stunned silence, looking back and forth between the dark lord and their fallen friend. 

Tirek gave the body at Scorpan’s feet a glance. “Oh yes, I had almost forgotten about him. I assure you, he is no great loss and Scorpan did you a great service by killing him.”

In another time and place, Majesty might have appreciated looking upon the one who had bullied and threatened her ponies, this ultimate evil she'd heard about for most of her life but never laid eyes upon. 

Instead Majesty saw red at Tirek’s words and turned her sight to Scorpan. With a rage she hadn’t felt in years, she charged Scorpan.

“Wait, please listen to me!” Scorpan screamed as he jumped out of Majesty’s path. 

“How dare you?! You killed my friend! He had a family waiting for him at home!” Majesty fired a bolt of magic from her horn.

“Majesty, I’m Scorpan, I’m alive!” Scorpan cried in horror and confusion. “I’M SCORPAN! I’M SCORPAN!”

“I know, I’ll carve that on your grave!” Majesty created a ball of fire and blasted at the fleeing gargoyle. 

Scorpan jumped again with a terrified yelp. “STOP! PLEASE! IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!”

“Well, that’s an entertaining sight.” Tirek chuckled, before turning to the Moochick. “But I think I’ll enjoy dealing with you even more, elf scum.”

“Tirek, I’ll ask you once; if only for your own sake, if only for the sake of the one being in all creation who still loves you, please give up this madness.” The Moochick held his walking stick tightly in anticipation. I do not know if he meant Tirek's father in the other world or My Mother with the second part.

“Hmm... I have a counter offer.” A bolt of dark magic fired from Tirek’s horns aimed at the Moochick’s heart.

Tirek’s shot fizzled as it hit a magical shield shaped like a rabbit. The Moochick waved his cane and the rabbit morphed into a wave of light that swarmed over the evil centaur. It lasted a few seconds until a dark patch appeared in the heart of the swarm and the light faded away, leaving Tirek unscathed.

“Is that the best you can do, old man?” Tirek smirked.

“Well, since you wanted to start off with childish cheap shots, I thought I’d go easy on you for a start.” The Moochick smiled in the way he knew Tirek hated. “But, if you insist.”

The Moochick drew his walking stick and blasted all the magic he could muster at Tirek. The Dark Lord returned the volley with a beam of pure darkness. For several minutes they stood in stalemate, only the sounds of Scorpan fleeing the wrath of Majesty.

“MAJESTY, PLEASE, IT’S SCORPAN!” Scorpan crawled into a corner as Majesty advanced on him. 

“I know your name, you evil filth!” Majesty snarled. 

Tirek took a stomp forward in his test of truth against Moochick's magic. "Do you know what your failure is Randall? And it isn't your poisoning the Empire with your delusional elven sympathy for those who can't stand on their own four hooves or your insane belief in treating the inferior as if they were the same as the superior." Tirek took another stomp forward. "Do you know why all the land is mine, why I wield this power with such might while you do not? Why it has always  been you that had fled from our meetings? The Rainbow of Darkness has spoken with me. My friend's former master barely used it at all, he kept my friend locked away, he never spoke to it. My friend was never allowed to express its true power, even at the end. They were never fellows. Such an idiot didn't deserve this power." Tirek took another step, and the Moochick took a step back. "And you're the same as him! I can see it! You've never so much as spoken with your rainbow have you?  This is why I can wield this power to its true strength and you cannot! This power and I are kindred spirits! You and your power are strangers besides each other! That dragon was nothing but an acting holder until I, its true holder, could be united with it!" 

"... Perhaps..." The Moochik admitted, the old elf sweating, his resolve cracked at Tirek's words, but not from his taunts: never in his entire life had The Moochick heard Tirek call any entity in existence his friend, and meant every word.

"My friend will sniff out your rainbow... my friend will find your rainbow... and devour it... And be one. I only restrained my friend from hunting your rainbow down as my true aim will barter no delays. Those who can't hold onto power have no right to it." 

Tirek continued to march through Moochick's attack, his own storm of darkness like a wave against a firehose. 

"... You're right Tirek... I HAVEN'T spoken with it... I don't see power in the way you do... How could I? I see power purely as a means to an end, not an end unto itself like you... But if you are correct... and Heathspike was but an acting holder who used it sparingly... then am I not then but an acting holder? For the true holder of this Light... And if an acting holder has been able to hold you to a stalemate... what shall its true holder do unto you?" 

Their conflicting magics now practically walls against each other, Tirek punched Moochick. The shockwave of force and magic knocked him off his feet, sending him skidding across the floor against a wall, as the beam of white magic went upwards, cleanly vaporizing the ceiling above them as if it had been simply erased before the beam dispersed. 

"You will not be here to see that impossible future!" 

Randall wiped the blood from his face. "You always did treat your opinions as facts Tirek."
Randall stabbed with his cane at lightning speed, but the Rainbow of Darkness caught the tip of the cane before it could stab Tirek in the chest... it pulled a tiny seed at the tip of the cane and crushed it. Randall was stunned... the Rainbow of Darkness had acted on its own to protect Tirek! 

"So that is it my friend? ... Do you think that seed would stop me?"

"Actually it would have sprouted inside you and consume you as quickly as your immortality could regenerate. I'd prepared it just for you. The tree would have fed on your own evil and held you for eternity." 

"How wonderfully vicious!" Tirek clapped. "I see you'd kill me if you had the chance. Finally let go of that pathetic 'all life is precious' nonsense?"

"No, Tirek...I merely make an exception for you alone. Once your life WAS precious...then you rusted it with oceans of blood and tears."

In a way, Randall was more disappointed in Tirek than he'd been before. He'd thought Tirek was incapable of bonding with anyone outside of Scorpan... now he saw the horrible truth... Tirek never cared to. 

"... Tirek, I have but one question: if you do finally claim dominion over all things for the sake of it, what then? What will you do when there are no more worlds to conquer?" asked Randall.

Tirek smirked with greed that even Queen Tiamat would find horrible. "I will find more worlds."





"... Princess?" asked Applejack.

"Yes?" I asked.

"... Think it'd be nuts to talk to the Element of Honesty now and again?" she asked. "... Ah admit, Ah felt it was alive before... but Ah didn't think tah act on it."

I gave a smile. "Applejack, allow me to tell you a secret: the physical Element and the one in your heart are one and the same. Always connected, always together. If you see and think of Honesty as a living thing and not simply a weapon, it will know it."





However, as Moochick and Tirek clashed with each other... Majesty and Scorpan's one sided brawl had continued. 

Whether Majesty not atomizing Scorpan in that time was due to her power being lower than it had ever been, or her wanting to see Scorpan suffer, I sincerely don't know.

"Majesty! Things are not as-!" Scorpan shouted, as he fell on the floor next to Valiant’s impaled corpse.

"Come now Scorpan, be careful with what you say, we have our new prisoner to worry about you blabbing about!" Tirek said casually. 

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?!" Majesty shouted. She had listened to Scorpan's surface thoughts, but found Scorpan had no idea where Spike was, only seeing her son dragged away by a pack of Reptilians. 'Therefore,' Majesty thought, 'This scum's life is of no value.'

'After I turn this gargoyle into seven notes of music, I'll simply have to ask Randall to hold off Tirek for some time longer while I follow Spike's scent to wherever my boy is being held.' 

Unbidden, an image came to Majesty's mind's eye.

A white skinned elf with blue hair in knightly armor. A male elf in a leather apron was In front of her, he was about to meet his fate at the gallows. 

"Dame Majesty, stop!" Pleaded a peach colored unicorn with a blond mane and green eyes. Her cutie mark was a silver sword at an angle with an olive wreath. "Why be so quick to deal out death in the name of justice?"

"Justice will broker no delays, Eluneth!"

Majesty ceased her assault, but Scorpan did not take the opening to attack. 

Majesty looked down at Scorpan for a few moments... then remembered something Wind Whistler had taught her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in and out. Meditation was an odd pass time for her, but good for settling the mind.

She slowly opened her mind, noticing Scorpan looking up at her in terror. The Moochick's words about Scorpan returned to her mind. How he seemed to be a completely different person every time they met.

Without a word she went over to Valiant's body and looked at the sword. "... This was his sword…" said Majesty. How could she tell? Royalty often had very iconic and identifiable swords as status symbols, or at least their royal symbol. Why, I have multiple weapons that could be instantly identifiable as mine alone, as does my sister. Even if that wasn't the case, Tirek's forces had a very obvious theme and design behind them: darkness. Nothing in Midnight Castle or Tirek's forces had any gold in them.

Still, Scorpan killing Valiant with his own sword was not impossible, so she lowered her head to the hilt and sniffed. "...Only Valiant's scent is on this…" She turned over Valiant's body, and sniffed the bloody blade emerging for the other side. She gasped. "...But it isn't on the blade...This isn't Valiant... which means…" she said, looking to 'Scorpan'. "...You're not Scorpan, are you?"

"I am!" replied Scorpan, though now she could see his expression was of dismay those were the words that came out.

Majesty looked somber. "... Like a different person every time... Because it was.Tirek never revived the real Scorpan... I'm sorry, Valiant, I didn't know."

“A pity.” Tirek grinned. “It would have been so delicious to have you kill your dear friend or to force him to kill you.” 

“What?” The Moochick looked between them in confusion.

“This isn’t Scorpan, Moochick, this is Valiant!” Majesty explained. “Tirek turned him into Scorpan!”

“Technically, he did it to himself. It’s how the curse works. The one who kills the current Scorpan becomes the new Scorpan, while his predecessor's body becomes a copy of his own, as a reminder that his old life is gone, and he is mine until he dies.” Tirek explained as if he was finally letting someone in on a joke.

Majesty's eyes widened in horror as she realized what would have happened if she'd killed 'Scorpan.' 

The Moochick looked at 'Valiant’s' body. “Then who was he?”

“An old human named O’Brien. It’s a shame, he was one of my most devoted followers and a brilliant spy master. He actually killed the previous Scorpan to earn the right. I lose a surprising number of Scorpans that way. However, he was a worthless military commander. How incompetent must one be to abandon his army without a general against a rabble of horses after losing our strongest witch? Weak useless little worms like him deserve to be killed and replaced, and no other opportunity could have been as satisfactory as this.” Tirek sneered.

“Why?” The Moochick asked. “Why defile your brother’s memory like this?”

“Defile?" Tirek actually looked offended. "I’ve improved on the original by keeping his memory alive with this curse. Now, Scorpan knows his place is at my command, and if he disappoints me, he’s immediately replaced. If he ever shows weakness then a million more will have a dagger in his back to claim his place at my side. This way, Scorpan never truly dies, only his weakness and the fools who face him are left dead.” Tirek smiled. “And best of all, I don’t need to listen to him go on and on about pointless frivolity or defend his family’s weakness.” 

“Your family, Tirek.” The Moochick glared at him. “They were your family too.”

“No. I have no other family but my Lady Night and the Rainbow of Darkness.” 

“Change him back!” Queen Majesty snarled. 

“My my, your unicorn has a temper. Bold one too, to address me herself.” Tirek chuckled. “The curse can’t be lifted, only passed on. It’s tied to my own life. As long as I walk the world, there will always be a Scorpan. However, if you truly want him free, you could always kill him and become Scorpan yourself. You'd probably be just moving things along, the heroic fools who become him rarely last long before someone more ambitious and intelligent takes their place.”

“It amazes me that you finds new ways to disgust me after all these centuries.” The Moochick shuddered in anger and grief.

“It’s the way of the world, Moochick.” Tirek clearly enjoyed the horror on their faces. “It’s the way of my world.”

“This world isn’t yours!” 'Scorpan' dared reply.

“Of course it is Scorpan. I am the most powerful being in the world, not even the dragons can stop me, especially with the power of the Rainbow of Darkness at my command. If I wanted to, we could have killed every living thing in the land years ago. And you know why I haven’t? Because it amuses me seeing them fight and think they have a chance, before crushing them. They may have a few small victories, but no one plays chess and keeps every piece on the board. It only prolongs their suffering, and inevitable destruction.”

“You were never so tactically insane, I don’t believe you.” The Moochick shook his head adamantly.

“You should. I told you when I was still a boy that the world belongs to the strong and weakness will be crushed, and I was right. Kindness? Mercy? Compassion? Empty sentiments. They couldn’t save the centaurs, or anyone else. If you need further proof, look around! Look at the world as it is, as it always should have been! As I am making it!

“I’ve made a world where weakness is rewarded with servitude and death, and strength is true power. Power to inflict pain, power to control others, power to destroy life, memory, even ideas. Do you know there are places under my control where generations of people have lived in fear of the daylight because I honor the night? That is power! And it won’t stop there!

“There will come a time when weak ideals will be forgotten as cleanly as the centaur race. No one will ever speak of charity, kindness, freedom, or even the sun. Kill or be killed will be the only law. There will be no fruitless dreams of peace, when conflict breeds the beings I deem worth living. No one will trust anyone or anything except that I am the the master of all. There will be no loyalty, except to Lord Tirek. There will be no truth, but my word. There will be no love, except love of the night. And once I bring about the Night That Never Ends, the world will know that I am greater than their or any other god. And the night will see who is worthy of her. Their precious sun, their constant reminder that nights end, that darkness doesn’t last forever, will be gone. They’ll all fall into despair against Tirek the Sun Slayer. 

“Against that, what do you have, Moochick? You couldn’t stop me from destroying the Empire, you couldn’t save everyone I’ve gotten rid of, and you couldn’t save your dragon friend? Isn’t it clear, Moochick? You’re a failure! Any ‘good’ you do is temporary at best, while mine lasts ages. If I am ‘evil’ then it’s clear that evil is stronger than good. The world doesn’t belong to your kind, elf. It’s my world! It’s hard, cruel, ruthless, and mine! Everything you cling to is a child’s dream. I’ve had my spies watching these base equines you’re so fond of. What are their great accomplishments? Tea parties? Dancing and singing? Picking flowers? Insipid childish songs about happiness and light? Hollow, girlish nonsense. You think these creatures of sweetness and light can defeat me? Then you truly are living a fantasy. It all means nothing against my power. And soon, the whole world will see it.”

The Moochick’s head had been bowed during most of Tirek’s speech. The evil tyrant’s words had left an impact, even Majesty and 'Scorpan' could tell. Then, the old elf looked up at the self styled dark god.

“Suppose you’re right, Tirek. Suppose honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity, loyalty, trust, and the magic of friendship are only children’s dreams. Well, then it seems to me the dreams are a good deal better than what we have now. And if this dark pit of suffering and ugliness is the real world, then it’s a pathetic excuse of a world and doesn’t say much for you if it’s the best you can make of it. Meanwhile, my little pony friends and their dreams have made the world brighter for everyone they’ve ever met or helped. And the world of those dreams beats your world any day! That’s why I don’t give up, Tirek. I don’t fight you because it’s easy. I fight you because in a world with this much cruelty, it needs all the help it can get. I stand by the ponies and their childish dreams, even if they are just dreams. Because I’d rather spend my life wandering through the dark looking for a light that I may never find, than sit in the dark alone and miserable like you.”

"...And Tirek, you are wrong about one thing," Majesty finally said, looking at him without fear. "We ponies have vanquished a thousand monsters. We have defeated the Children of Lilith and driven them from their own stronghold domain and made it our own!" she announced. "And…" she said, giving a smirk as a vision crossed her mind and faded, a future that was now an impossibility.

Dream Valley lay in ruins, overrun by Reptilians and their hordes. The ponies slaughtered and enslaved, marched before the Dark Lord of All.

"We win."

Tirek raised an eyebrow. "Win what exactly?"

"The battle. Your army has been beaten by my little ponies."

Tirek said nothing, merely turned and used one of his many spells to examine the situation through a large black pearl,...which he crushed to shards as he sensed his army was no more. "I see…"

The Dark Lord had been stalled, but never before had a battle he personally organized been lost. And the battle at Dream Valley was one such battle, because unlike every other battle where the lands he conquered were retaken, he didn’t let his generals do as they pleased  while he busied himself with his Chariot. Yes, Applejack, the ponies had done what none other had ever before: handed Tirek a genuine defeat, and what’s more they freed his soldiers of his dark magic. 

Moochick gave a smirk as well. "They aren't as weak as you believed now, are they Tirek? They're strong enough to defeat your army."

"...Well then, I was planning to make you the first to pull my Chariot of Midnight...but I suppose I must make an example to prove my point to your master and you inane ponies..." Tirek said, his amusement at the situation vanishing and charging Queen Majesty.

"Now reap what you have sown!
Dark one become stone!" Majesty yelled, sending a spell that could've turned any lesser foe to stone instantly.

Tirek simply coated his arm in dark magic and batted it aside, turning a tapestry to stone and grabbed her by the throat before she could recover from the surprise, surrounding both with a shield of magic.

"Majesty!" yelled Moochick, blasting the shield with his own magic but unable to pierce it in time.

"A reverent of their Queen coming to destroy them should suffice," Tirek said with a smirk before opening his mouth wide and swallow her soul.

Moochick pounded away at the barrier with all he had, trying to break through and save Majesty from a fate worse than death.

Majesty... smirked. Her horseshoe of telepathy had allowed her to see into Tirek’s mind. She heard screaming. Thousands upon thousands of voices screaming. Thousands of souls denied of life and the release of death. All trapped within Tirek for the simple pleasure of their suffering. And Majesty realized the truth of this horrific act: Tirek had made himself a powder keg waiting to go off.

"A grave mistake did you make,
Revealing the passageway to that you did take.
Vortex to his black soul I bid reverse!
Release his victims from this curse!"

Lord Tirek, for the first time in hundreds of years, knew shock and surprise as Queen Majesty's beam of magic traveled down the path he had opened deep inside of his rotten soul. A cage was opened wide. The Lord of Midnight Castle dropped Majesty, his barrier failing as he staggered back, clutching his chest. "What did you do?!"

Majesty smirked. "Handed your prisoners their key!"

Tirek's body contorted and spectral limbs tore their way free from his body. The centaur actively pushed and pounded on them to force them back inside. Light erupted from spots all over his body, ripping it apart. Finally his body could not contain them any further and with a roar of pain his chest and back opened like a bursting dam, thousands of wailing, screaming spirits erupting forth from inside him like a morbid fountain. Filling the room so thick Majesty had trouble seeing Tirek through them.

Moochick cheered as he helped her up. "Majesty! You've freed them!"

"Yes, now if only they had lives to return to…" said Majesty sadly.

The old elf tapped his chin. "...Maybe they do…"  he said, putting his staff to the sky. "After all, their bodies are only mostly dead, and there's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. You see mostly dead is slightly alive!"

Randall focused as much strength into his scepter as he could...and also made himself a vessel for one far greater.

"Naralis Analor, Healer of the Living, Comforter to the Dead, Renewer of the Stars, I beseech you! Please, lend me your strength! Allow these souls taken from their twisted bodies to return and be made whole again!" Moochick chanted. Around the head of his staff formed a star symbol that turned into a galaxy before erupting into a shockwave of magic. 

The swirling stars congealed into a form. Majesty saw an Alicorn with a sea pony's tail and the sheen of a Flutterpony where pegasi wings would otherwise be, Moochick instead saw an Elven goddess, and Tirek saw a Centaur that he could barely make out through the countless souls streaming from his body and tearing it apart. Each soul saw the figure in the form of their own species all at the same time. With a shout, the stars dispersed across the room. Each star flew into each of the souls, turning them from a contorting tortured visage to a peaceful, healed form, and guided them slowly back to their undead bodies, restoring life back into their original forms.

Moochick fell to his knees, panting. 

"Naralis Analor?" asked Majesty.

"Elven God of Healing and Renewal. Though, to be honest, I do believe we got the gender wrong, though when it comes to deities it's hard to tell…"

Tirek's ravaged body hung limply, torn apart by the force of escaping souls, his torso a tangled mass of body parts and gaping holes.

+++

In Tirek's trophy room, an old king with a lofty crown and tattered robe breathed life once again. The king nearly fell to the floor but was caught by the one good arm of the knight with the blue scarf, his own knees shaking. 

"King Solar, I have you, your highness." 

'Sir Asturias ... That unicorn... she saved us. We are hollow no more." The long bearded king wheezed. 

Each restored being looked over their body in amazement. Some having been in Tirek for hundreds of years.

"We live!" Said another of the trophies, an elf woman. 

"You die!" Shouted a Reptilian as it along with many more began to swarm into the room.

Sir Asturias hosited his sword on his shoulder only to remember that Sif had taken it hoping to slay Tirek, as King Solar with his old arms lifted his burning sword, between the Reptilians and the other former trophies. 

The door behind the Reptilians was knocked off its hinges and onto the Reptilians, crushing them under the weight of a giant wolf with a sword... that whined and licked the helmet of Sir Asturias. Majesty hadn’t teleported the great wolf quite as far as she had thought.

"Sif?... You got big..." Asturias felt a wave of dizziness, the other revived victims were in no better shape. 

"Our Kingdom of the Sun is no more for centuries, we might as well still be dead."

"Have heart my king, our experiences remain ours to share, not to be forgotten yet!"

+++

"Is it over?" asked Queen Majesty, looking at the Dark Lord, wondering if even he could survive that.

"No it isn't!" 'Scorpan' warned. Majesty remembered what Tirek had said about the curse being linked to Tirek's life, and this let her get back before a red hand's swipe could rip her throat out. 

Tirek's mangled body began to jerk around and slide back together. Flesh mending together, bones snapping into place, wounds sealing, skin and hair regrowing. Finally, Tirek's eye sprung open and he gave an earth shaking roar of fury, as the flesh and bone rapidly mended and pulled itself together until in seconds his form was fully restored. 

Tirek stretched, giving an small glare. "Surprised?"

"More disappointed…" Majesty admitted.

"If it's any consolation, that hurt like Tartarus…" the centaur replied, actually allowing a slight amount of respect into his tone.

Tirek would not realize it then, but Majesty had done more than simply free the captive souls within his body. She maimed his soul. With that act, Majesty had forever stole from Tirek the power to take the spirits of others as his own soul had too many holes to hold them. My brother personally thanked her for that when they met.

“You actually hurt me. A unicorn hurt me. And a female at that!” Tirek grinned in a way that made everyone else cringe. “I haven’t felt this angry in decades, and yet… it’s exciting! I can’t remember the last battle I’ve had that wasn’t as easy as stepping on ants. You may actually be a challenge, and that will make breaking you so much more fulfilling!”

“You seem awfully confident for a creature who just had his body ripped apart from the inside.” Majesty smirked. 

Tirek chuckled. "And yet I survived. I am the ultimate being on this planet, what have I to fear? But, I must ask: where did you get that kind of power? Breaking my hold on those souls is no small feat."

"You wish to know so you might steal it?" asked Majesty.

"Steal implies I don't already own it."

"Well it is my turn to disappoint you: I simply am this strong."

A half truth, of course. But she wasn't about to tell him of her elf friends who made her horseshoes. And after all, they only acted as a focus for her power, not the source.

Tirek was taken aback...then laughed. "A good jest! But not possible. No being on this planet could be born with that kind of power."

Moochick tapped his chin. "...Maybe not, Tirek...The goddess you claim to follow the ways of, not your Moon, but natural selection. She has a rule: no one goes unchallenged for too long. No creature, no person, no kingdom, nothing. Nothing on this world can claim absolute dominion without challenge, without struggle. When something has too big of an advantage, nature has a way of restoring balance. You centaurs proved that to the dragons. Perhaps Majesty is nature's way of restoring balance: your natural rival."

Was Moochick correct? I do not know.  Perhaps she descended from a pony closest to where the Rainbows were released. Perhaps she was born from the great upheavals in magic Tirek created. Perhaps Majesty was so strong simply as a freak of nature with no true origin. The ways Majesty was born so strong do not matter. What does is that she was.

Tirek looked a mix of rage...and pleasure at the idea. "Hmm...well, if that is true...then let's see if my friend agrees she is worthy to be my natural rival. Or my pet."

"No!" Moochick reached for the Rainbow of Light.

"SCORPAN!"

"I'm not sorry," Scorpan grunted as he tackled the Moochick.

"BEHOLD THE POWER OF DARKNESS!" Like a wild beast freed from its pen it spewed forth, reaching our hungerily, and perversely, seeking to twist and pervert Majesty into a thing that reflected Tirek's will the way it had seen Tirek do to others countless times. In a swirling dark tornado I'm sure you'd recognize the shape of it all too well Applejack, Majesty was obscured by the Rainbow of Darkness. She felt it reaching into her, seeking to violate her into something that was no longer herself. 

If you pictured Majesty's innermost self as a place, it would be like seeing a black tidal wave flash flooding from every horizon at once. Even at her strongest, Majesty wouldn't have been able to resist the force of either of the Rainbows. 

So she didn't try to. She stared into the abyss, and didn't look away, she didn't hide from the dark. The darkness in her heart was vast and deep, and she'd used it to punish evil and protect her beloved people. 

Oh Majesty, we shall tell ye Applejack, Majesty in her heart of hearts, had feared the light, feared it would sear away who she was, what ponies are, leaving only identical creatures wearing different flesh to the two legged tribes. But Wind Whistler, friend that she was, helped her see through the light, and taught her not to run from it. And Firefly had taught her not to be a slave to the dark she drew her strength from, to always recognize it for what it was, and never to ignore its presence. It is a fine balance: to neither flee from the light nor the dark. To embrace and balance the heart. As great as Tirek’s understanding of darkness was, he was swallowed up too much by it to ever come to the same conclusion as Majesty did. I understand darkness more than any being in existence, but I could not balance it with the light as Nightmare Moon, and never could. 

Perhaps Majesty was a mutant created by Strife, maybe it was luck, perhaps her ancestor had been closer to the other rainbow... whatever the case, unlike any mortal pony alive before and for eons more, within herself, Majesty said, "This, is my darkness!"

And like a firebreak, a ring of darkness exploded around Majesty's core of herself... 

In reality, the Rainbow of Darkness let out a sound that hurt Moochick, Scorpan, and Tirek's ears as it twisted about against its wishes, and tore away from Majesty. Tirek and Moochick both looked in total surprise to see the unicorn, herself, her shape completely unchanged, healed, invigorated, and her horn glowing bright, her magic fully recharged. 

"Try not to think about where Spike is," Majesty said, the sea of voices in Tirek gone... only to learn... Tirek didn't know where in Midnight Castle Spike was. If they fought, Tirek could fight with abandon, Majesty could not, and all those freed from Tirek would die anyway. 

"Moochick, find every former Revenant in the castle and Spike if you can, and get as far from here as you can! I'll fight him!"

"Queen Majesty-"

"You won't be able to hold him off."

"Valiant-"

"I am Scorpan!"

A thought entered Majesty's mind and she looked Valiant in the eye, resonating the darkness she'd been struck by and absorbed with the darkness used by Tirek to make the spell. She could not break it, but she could alter it to rob Tirek of one command he could force on him. "Around his orders you may strafe, to find Spike and keep him safe," she chanted, horn glowing as he held his head for a moment. He nodded.

The Rainbow of Darkness retreated into the bag around Tirek's neck... he held the bag in his shaking hands, his mouth agasp and his eyes wide. 

"Y-you... you... you... you... " Then Tirek roared. "YOU HURT HIM!!!" His voice echoed throughout the castle. Repilitians, constructs, summoned horrors, fell where they stood as their power were reclaimed, returning to their Master, and Tirek willed himself back to full power, to his full potential. "YOU DIE LITTLE PONY!" 

Majesty whispered. "Well then, come and get me." 

Titans clashed.
> CLASH OF THE TITANS!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Luna... Ah don't mean to be pushy... but are we ever gonna get to what, ya know, Ah actually came here to talk about to begin with? Applejack The First? My ancestor?" 

Heh, Applejack is not Rainbow Dash, not at all. She isn't distracted by epic battles and 'awesome' displays of 'cool.' 

"We deeply apologize Applejack, we know this must be frustrating... but when I finish this portion of the tale, my reasons will be made clear." 

"This was supposed to be me learnin' 'bout her, not the worst monster Equestria's ever known! Ah've got FAMILY who are hurtin' thinkin' AJ the First was a traitor! THAT is what Ah came here fer."

"... Then we shall try our best to be concise in this battle."
-
Father, I'm bored. I'm sick of listening to this.

'Now now my little princess. Trekkie was the first and best evil overlord, Groggy and Stormy learned from him! And so should you!'

You say that like either of us intend to RULE anything after we break the world and make it unpalatable to Those Who Watch.  

'Well, never hurts to see how the great fell and learn from it.'

Like you?

'... Yes. Besides, it's not like you couldn't just go watch Fate Net or God Tube in the meantime.'

"That conceited upstart thought he didn't need my help anymore," Umbra Breeze added with a heavy dose of resentment.

-

We thought of telling Applejack about Sendak: the centaur mage who had helped perfect Tirek's creations and the plague that wiped out most of the centaurs... Sendak hoped to have a place at the side of the rising immortal tyrant's new empire. He helped Tirek refine so many of his worst talents. In return, Tirek promised that Sendak would be the greatest of the centaurs on Equus.

He even suggested to Tirek the possibility of harvesting ponies for their magic, something that the Moochick had convinced the Emperor was inhumane. Tirek had dismissed it at the time as a waste of time on such 'worthless creatures.' 

Tirek made Sendak immortal shortly after unleashing the plague of the Mad Rot. Sendak assumed he would then “find” a cure once Tirek had disposed of his father and reunite the Empire. He never imagined Tirek would truly seek the end of their race. No sooner had Sendak gained his immortality than Tirek had him buried alive deeper than even the Ice Orcs and Lava Demons' domains. Of no threat to him, but available if Tirek had need of him again.

"But you promised to make me the greatest among the centaurs!" Sendak said as his fate was proclaimed.

"And I kept my word: it isn't hard to be the greatest if you are the only one left alive." Tirek replied. 

If any deserved to be forgotten by history, tis him! 

-

Shall we recruit Sendak, Father?

'Good idea, but sadly he's only alive when Tirek is alive. He's got a nice toasty place in Father right now. I think. I didn't really pay attention to that. Besides, even if he wasn't, he's not exactly the grateful type.' 

-

Majesty, Scorpan, and the Moochick had no time to discuss further plans. 

With pure killing intent, Tirek charged. In one fluid motion he thrusted one arm forward, his blade, Eclipse, summoned in an instant. Majesty reared back, and in the same motion conjured a golden sword to block Tirek's. But no blade forged by mortals alone could block that weapon. Eclipse cut through Majesty's sword like a hot knife through butter. Before the weapon could pierce Majesty's flesh, she teleported, avoiding being part of the crater the sword created. Tirek turned at the same moment Majesty appeared above him and threw Eclipse at her, but she teleported away, eluding the sword’s strike. She appeared beneath Tirek and stabbed him with her horn, determined to turn his internal organs to ABC blocks. But Eclipse teleported back to Tirek's hand in a moment, allowing him to block Majesty's stab. 

All this happened in a few moments. And it was all the Moochick and Scorpan needed to see to know it was best to follow Majesty's instructions. 

'I have no idea where Spike is, that means I can't fight at my all while Tirek can, I have to lure him out of the castle.'

Majesty saw the pure desire to kill her in Tirek’s eyes. 'Shouldn't be hard.'

= Egg Reverie Zone - Sonic Mania = 

Her telepathy sensed Tirek was fighting on eons of combat instinct, just because she didn't know what he'd do next didn't mean she couldn't use this. 

Using the light Golden Horseshoe, she blasted the room full of blinding light. Moochick took the chance to escape the battle zone. Scorpan... Moochick and Scopran both knew that fleeing from Tirek was not an option for those afflicted by Tirek’s curse. Scorpan did not blame Randall for leaving him. 

Tirek, blinded, expected Majesty to make a stab at him, and exploded a sphere of raw darkness from himself that could have torn flesh apart. 

His sight returned and saw Majesty retreating! 

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE!"

'Have to keep his eyes on me, don't let him think of anything else!'

When she saw into his mind, she also sensed that while instinct was there, it had likewise been eons since Tirek had picked up a sword and practiced. A rusty swordsman could be tricked and make mistakes they should know better about than the uninitiated. There were tricks a well versed, well practiced opponent wouldn't fall for during a duel.

"Your friend was tasty, I should take another bite!"

"DIE!" 

Black flames came from Tirek's mouth, lasers from his eyes, and lightning from between his horns as he grew in size.

Majesty led Tirek on. She didn't know if she should be grateful or saddened she hadn’t picked up Spike's scent in the truly gigantic fortress. 

Tirek tore through his own castle to get Majesty, trampling all in his path. 

Three young goblins, barely old enough to be called adults, were in their path. The trio, as is goblin tradition, were playing a card game to see who could cheat the most without being caught. 

'Somewhere, these are a mother's sons,' Majesty thought. She teleported the goblins out of the path of destruction. 

Having brushed with death, the eldest said, "Screw this! We're going back to Ma and Pa!"

"Let's loot on the way out!"

"Like duh!”

-

Maybe Majesty should have simply tracked down Spike and flee, but she was in no position to search Midnight Castle, and her future horseshoe could not show her the path to a desired outcome. 

Majesty's foresight could only show her erased futures or sure things. The definite and the impossible, nothing in between. So she, unlike Gypsy, couldn't use it to guide her through Midnight Castle.

Majesty couldn't go the way she came into the castle straight to the former revenants. And she couldn't risk smashing her way out if Spike could be behind one of those walls she blasted. 

Except back the way she came. She teleported behind Tirek not breaking stride. The raging giant Tirek needed time to turn around, smashing parts of the walls as he did. Majesty teleported by a millimeter to avoid being impaled by the thrown Eclipse, the sword returning to Tirek's hand. 

Majesty had a flashback to her foalhood before her cutie mark, fleeing from hungry griffins and keythongs. 

'You are not an animal Queen Majesty, THINK!... The reptilians are will-less slaves... but they still need air and in a fortress this big...  an air vent!' 

Indeed. One too small for a Reptilian to climb, and bereft of the space necessary for a pegasus to open their wings, but just enough for a unicorn with the power of levitation. Majesty foresaw she'd make it, and Spike wouldn't be harmed. Up she went. 

Tirek snarled like a wild beast after its prey. He jumped midstep and his body shifted into a giant snake that went right after her, his jaws snapping as he saw her floating up the vent. Majesty diverted enough magic to conjure large rocks to drop on the reptile’s head, but it barely slowed him down.

She finally burst out of the vent, with the snake Tirek right on her tail. A visible flash of lightning and the overpowering boom of thunder made her realize she had made it outside the castle. She jumped onto a balcony overlooking the desolation. They weren’t even halfway up the castle, yet it was higher than Dream Castle’s tallest tower.

= Blitzkrieg - Combat1 =

Tirek shifted back to his normal form. “Won't escape!”

He waved his hand and the storm clouds came to life, shooting lightning down on the balcony. Majesty conjured a magic bubble around herself, that was hammered by bolt after bolt of white hot electric fire while those that missed exploded in bursts that dwarfed even Thunderstorm's lightning ability. 

‘The lightning… maybe if I can redirect it…’ 

Majesty had fought Thunderstorm, she'd faced lightning. She could learn from the past.

With a well placed shot, she diverted a lone bolt at Tirek’s face. He was only stunned, but it was enough to allow her escape. She darted through the door back into the castle, and charged down the hall, but Tirek strangely didn’t follow. He just stood at the door and leaned against the wall.

Or so she thought.

As Majesty ran, she suddenly tripped. She tried to get back up, but she slid across the floor into the wall. She braced herself against the stone wall, but then noticed the torch hanging there: the flames were rising sideways. 

She looked down the hall and saw the corridor was twisting. Tables bounced around and shattered as the walls spun like a carnival funhouse. She looked around and saw Tirek bounding down the shifting the hall towards her.

"You're in my world, little pony. This castle might as well be an extension of me!" said the Dark Lord.

Majesty quickly levitated, having to dodge both the castle and everything being thrown her way by Tirek himself. She ducked through a door as it rolled by, but found the next room rotating as well. Huge columns twisted past each other as she jumped to and fro to avoid them. Tapestries flapped at her like the wings of giant bats. Statues grabbed at her before tumbling across the ever changing room. 

In the midst of all the chaos, Majesty was struck with a thought. ‘This much manipulation of the environment would take massive amounts of power, and it would be very volatile. If I can disrupt it at just the right moment…’ Majesty knew what she had to do. She stopped and stood in place, or as much as she could in the ever shifting place. 

“There’s a spark inside us
“That we can all ignite
“Then all that’s dark inside us
“Will flicker into light.” A small spark of light appeared at the tip of Majesty’s horn.

Tirek frowned. “You face death, and yet you still take time to sing some insipid little song?”

“Surely, with all your knowledge, you’ve heard of the magical properties of music, Tirek.”

“Magical properties? It’s just music! How could mere entertainment have any true power?”

“Clearly, that’s yet another thing you will never understand.” Majesty began to sing again.
“There's a power in every breath
“There's a power in every note
“A power that starts within the heart
“A power that rises through the throat!

“And when it sails up through the air
“It's the most beautiful of prayer!
“This power could right a wrong
“And it will always thrill the ear
“Of those who have the power to hear
“The magic of this song.”

Tirek bounded intro the hall, leaping past any obstacle with the ease of a foal playing hopscotch. He readied Eclipse to carve his prey into shreds. “Very well, let this inane song be your last words, and let us finish this dance.” 
-
"Least Ah know know where that phrase came from." Applejack quoted, "'Ya ever danced with Tirek in the pale moonlight?'" 

I sighed. "Yes, that phrase used by thugs and monsters I was happy to find had died out a few decades before my return." 
-

“You know, there’s a legend that says if you cut off the horn of a magical unicorn, the sun will set forever. Let’s see if it’s true!” Tirek charged with his sword raised high. 
Tirek’s comment brought back into Majesty’s mind the memory of her mother's demise by the hands of a witch who sought to turn her horn into a wand. Majesty merely channeled the very justified anger into what came next.

“All that's strong inside us
“That tells us wrong from right
“Becomes a song inside us
“To chase away the night”

Tirek swung down Eclipse at Majesty’s head. At the last second, the spark she had conjured with the song charged up to full power. Eclipse came down and the whole world turned white. 

BOOM

Concentrated light magic connected with concentrated dark magic in a place of rampant, ambient mana in a constant state of flux. It was like lighting a match close to a leaking gas oven in a room full of oil and gunpowder. The resulting explosion blew the top half off of Midnight Castle, and they heard it all the way in Dream Valley.

Majesty groaned as she came to. She pushed a chunk of rubble off her back, trying to shake the ringing in her ears as she stood. 

'What the blue blazes was I thinking?' Majesty thought, 'I was trying to get OUT of the castle to avoid Spike being hurt if I began blowing up parts of it... And not only did Tirek herd me right back in without a second thought on my part, but I did exactly what I was trying to avoid... ' And there was the truth Applejack, Tirek might have been rusty, but Majesty had never directed a war, and while Tirek had won his fights easily in the last eons, Majesty had NEVER had to engage in a prolonged fight since gaining her special talent, she'd gone from running for her life, to swiftly ending enemies, Tirek HAD fought for his life with nothing but his wits and his sword once upon a time. 

'Spike... please be okay...' At least Majesty had no vision of his funeral, that was a good sign wasn't it? 

Majesty stood in a pile of rubble overlooking a few crumbling towers at the new pinnacle of the castle. The storm overhead had momentarily subsided as the blast blew most of the clouds away. Majesty caught her breath, and allowed herself a second, she had hoped that Tirek had been killed in the blast. Until she saw another pile of rubble begin to quake.

... and allowed herself a smile as she saw Tirek’s livid expression at his sword. 

Or the half melted hilt and shattered blade that was left of it.  

“I guess it’s true what they say. The size of the blade means nothing if you don’t know how to use it!” Majesty taunted.

She barely dodged the fireball Tirek shot at her in reply.

"THIS IS ABSURD! EVEN THE ELF COULDN'T BREAK MY SWORD! The mightiest dragons have tried and failed! This is impossible! What are you?!"

"I am Queen Majesty of Ponyland, the ruler of ponykind and Dream Valley! Protector of good and punisher of evil!" Majesty's barrier stopped the mass of hungry quasi-flesh magic monster mouth-thing that Tirek threw at her, but she skidded back several hooves. 

Through sheer will, Tirek reformed the sword Eclipse into a whip, a slaver's weapon, appropriate. The whip seemed to stretch, and wrap around Majesty's leg, and pulled it out from under her.

Majesty was slammed on her back HARD, shattering her focus and her barrier with it. The mouth-blob-monster began to close in on Majesty, and she responded by turning it into saltwater taffy. The candies turned into stone, acting as a shell to protect her from Tirek's next strike that blasted it to shrapnel going in all directions. 

Tirek tried to again bring his castle to life against her, but the resulting movements were sluggish and 'tired' for lack of a better word. Majesty detonating the magic filling it had burned up so much it barely had the energy to move, giving Majesty a chance to think.

'All I know how to do is run away or attack. In a fight I'm still just a wild unicorn ...' 

Inside Dream Castle, Firefly said, "Majesty, in battle, there are only two maneuvers: attack or withdraw." Firefly pushed a white pawn close to a black pawn and then far away again with a pointer stick. "Or put another way, 'direct' or 'indirect.' But just as there are only five primary colors, yellow, red, blue, white, and black that can make any color, these two moves can create an infinite number of strategies."

"That's very wise of you Firefly."

"I'm just teaching you what Thunderstorm taught me, and what Thunderstorm learned from listening to his owner teach his sons. On the battlefield, it’s not about how diverse your arsenal is, but how you play them."

= Lucia vs Zophar - Lunar II Eternal Blue  =

Time didn't stop as Queen Majesty reflected on the past. And Tirek was now at arm's length from her and reached for Majesty’s head. A white ball of light appeared on her horn, and Tirek tried to crush it with his free hand, only to have his arm blown back. Tirek took a look at his twisted hand until it regenerated. 

In the meantime Majesty used her levitation horseshoe to get air born, outside of the reach of Tirek's whip, and farther away to give herself more time to react to his ranged attacks. 

In response, Tirek blasted at the remains of the castle floor with both hands, using enough force to send himself skywards after Majesty!

'Blast it, he's still learning as he fights!' Majesty thought. She'd hoped that Tirek had forgotten how to learn. Then Majesty remembered this was what she wanted, to lure Tirek away from the castle so Majesty could fight without endangering her friends and family who could be anywhere within its walls. 'I can't let myself be lost in the battle haze!'

Tirek roared in fury, using what power remained in the scattered debris and drawing even more from the already heavily drained castle itself to rise up in the form of a giant arm, swatting at Majesty in an attempt to knock her from the sky. Majesty responded by using magic learned from watching pegasi command several clouds infused with immense dark magic to form into another arm, and condensed it into ice hard enough to match the debris in hardness. She blocked Tirek's swipe with her construct and knocked it away. Both swung their constructs at one another with enough force to sound like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves that would shake the earth around them.

Tirek's few surviving sapient minions looked at the titanic clash...and promptly threw down their weapons and fled for their lives in panic. Except for maybe three greedy goblins who chose to gamble with danger and won, stuffing their bags with prizes that Tirek would never realize were missing. They did escape through a secret passage in the castle they'd found, not noticing a trio of seaponies who'd spotted them as they left. 

Both constructs began to crack as they struggled against one another until Tirek tired of the struggle and merely atomized both in an attempt to strike Majesty... only to find she had been controlling her construct from further away, leading the fight further from the castle.

Before he could figure that out, she took a page from Surprise's book and met his gaze with an attempted magically generated cream pie to the face, which Tirek promptly vaporized in fury at the attempt and charged her. "Stop playing games! Four times you have vexed me tonight! Do you intend to vex me a fifth by not giving me the fight you promised?!"

Majesty...smirked as she realized they were now a good ways from the castle. 'Spike, you're safe now... Mommy can fight back.'

=  I Underestimated You - Voltron Legendary Defender Season 6 Soundtrack =

The Queen of Dream Valley surrounded herself with a forcefield of sacred darkness and returned Tirek's charge with her horn leveled to strike while Tirek lowered his head, intending to do the same with his bull-like horns. As the collision grew closer and closer, the two formed massive magical blades around their horns extended from both their magical barriers and finally slammed into one another.

All sound vanished for a moment before a shockwave split the skies as if a massive sword had cut them asunder. 

What is about to follow is a battle Strife has built monuments to in her realm and commissioned ballads from Pandora about. Strife is not easily impressed.

The two pushed against one another, magical fields crackling and pushing against each other until the build up of magic exploded violently, blowing both back several meters despite both protecting themselves with a shield.

Majesty was the first to recover and unleashed a magical beam of such power a dragon would be blown to atoms by it.

Tirek coated himself in a field of magic and dove forwards, slamming into the beam. After a few moments of clashing evenly, he quickly swerved off to the side and flew straight at her. Majesty had just enough time to put up her shield as he slammed into her with enough force that every bone in a giant's body would've been shattered instantly. He continued on and slammed her straight into the ground, lifting up several layers of rock before Majesty finally unleashed a gravity spell, sending Tirek's momentum downwards away from her. The Centaur quickly cancelled the spell out and rose back up…

Just in time for Majesty to super condense the rock debris unleashed by their battle into the size of one of her eyes before using the same gravity spell to launch it like a rail gun at Tirek. The Centaur was impressed: it was the first attack he'd faced in eons that he felt like he had to shield himself from.

The impact sent him plunging deep into the earth until magma erupted from the hole he'd been blasted through, forcing Majesty to teleport to the surface to avoid it.

Majesty looked down as lava erupted from the hole they'd opened...and had to teleport some very upset lava demons back to the mantle.

She didn't even entertain the thought it was over. She was proven right when Tirek erupted from the molten rock as it poured off his shield and held out his hands, blazing magic in his horns. The lava suddenly took on the same hue as his magic and froze in mid air before forming into a gigantic demonic form that breathed a torrent of magma at Majesty, forcing her to dodge to avoid being burned alive. Tirek commanded his construct to swing at her, forcing her to dodge and weave until a swipe connected with her shield, sending her flying and crashing into the nearby ocean, where you could still see a few trees that refused to die on Tirek’s domain. The nearby Seaponies who thought they were safe observing the battle from this distance scattered. 

Before Tirek could press his advantage, Majesty rose from the depths, turning the sea into gigantic water construct shaped like the Alicorn she'd seen during Moochick's spell. Giving a roar of effort, the massive construct slammed and washed over Tirek's construct. In an explosion of steam, the magma construct hardened to obsidian and the temperature shock shattered it to bits.

Before Majesty could bring her moving tidal wave to crash down on Tirek, he quickly rearranged the pulverized rock into sand and reformed his monster which opened its mouth and swallowed up the water. As it moved to slam its fist down on Majesty, she quickly fired a spell into the sky and a funnel cloud descended, forming a new construct that blew like a hurricane on Tirek's and reduced it to dust in the wind.

Tirek merely snarled unasmused and summoned a funnel of his own, the two clashing and canceling each other out before he flew forwards and attempted to cut Majesty in two with an energy blade.

No longer having to worry about Eclipse's near unstoppable blade, Majesty formed her own blade of magic and charged, clashing with Tirek and locking blades.

As they did so, Tirek broke the stalemate by punching her shield with such force that he opened a gash on Majesty's head. Majesty responded by reminding Tirek that ponies had strong legs and using a magic enhanced punch to his head, likewise opening a wound.

Tirek was quite surprised when the wound didn't simply seal up instantly.

Majesty's horseshoes have strange properties. Remember how Discord has only one fang? He used to have two until my earthly mother busted out the other with one of those very horseshoes...I don't need to tell you what happened next, you know my expression well...thank you for the hug.

This shock gave Tirek pause, and a pause gave Majesty an opening. 

Majesty held her Horseshoe of Light to Tirek's heart and focused its light into a laser. Tirek barely managed to dodge enough for the laser to only leave a scorched wound on his side that likewise failed to heal instantly. 

Tirek replied with a pitch black beam of energy aimed at Majesty's head. She only managed to dodge enough to have part of her mane atomized and part of her ear. Majesty cringed at the pain but didn't stop.

Tirek's whip stretched and struck like a snake, wrapping around Majesty's neck, choking her. The whip's length reduced and Tirek's front hooves stomped Majesty in the face, over and over. 

She kicked him in the chest with all fours, forcing him off her and leaving horseshoe shaped indents in his chest that didn't heal. She was painfully whiplashed along for the ride. Majesty struck a raw magic blast in his chest as they fell. Tirek stopped himself, but Majesty teleported away before he could grab her and blasted him in the face. 

But Tirek sneered as Majesty realized he had grabbed her crown, the present from her ponies.

"Give that back!"

"No!" Tirek crushed it. "So much for your magic tricks, 'your highness' only one who had internalized power can truly say it's-"

Majesty had transmuted one of the gnarled and half-dead trees that clung to life in Tirek's domain into a rubber tree and teleported to it. It stretched as she landed on it, and let it sling-shot her straight at him, sending him flying into the stratosphere. 

= Queen Tiamat Battle Theme EX ZONE BOSS BGM -  CLOSERS =

Majesty didn't fly up after him and instead focused on him with her Horseshoe of Telepathy to target. 'Let us see if you can regenerate from dust…'

Tirek stopped himself high above and began charging power into his horns.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson blood that flows
Buried beyond the reaches of time is where your power grows,
I give myself to Destruction, so all the foes that stood,
Before the mighty gifts bestowed upon my hooves,
Let the fools who stand before us be obliterated,
By the powers you and I possess…"

Majesty crackled with red mana, eyes lighting up white.

"Dreadful darkness, hear my cry!
Let me watch all light die!
Let this worm that stands before me fear,
Be swallowed up and disappear!" chanted Tirek, channeling power from unholy twisted places as all light around him vanished completely and the space between his horns glowed from the light being sucked into an abyss.

"DESTRUCTION’S BANE!" yelled Majesty, firing a beam of pure destructive magic straight at Tirek.

"DARKNESS CASCADE!" Tirek yelled, firing a beam of energy that was only visible by the light being swallowed up by it.

The two beams slammed into one another with such force the clouds were cleared from the sky, and the center became a swirling maelstrom of energy that atomized the air around it by existing. The two sweated from the effort, straining as they put more and more power into the struggle, the sphere where they met growing larger and larger with each passing moment…

Until finally it imploded into nothing before exploding with such force that both had to shield themselves despite being far from its epicenter. 

The blast blew Majesty back, slamming her several meters into the ground while Tirek was sent flying at escape velocity. The ground around Tirek's castle was atomized for some distance, and the ocean came crashing in until it was up to the castle itself.

All was silent for a few moments... until Majesty broke the surface of the water, gasping for breath, her fur red in many spots. She looked up, wondering if that'd been enough. She had grown greatly in strength and endurance since she'd used that spell for the first time to obliterate a tsunami, it no longer completely drained her mana reserves... but if that wasn't enough, then she had a feeling by the end she'd have to hoof it back home the long way. Thankfully she had her eight heirs (one son and seven daughters) to act in her absence. 

-

“What?! Seven daughters?! Ya never mentioned them!”


“They were not present for the events I’ve told you about. You heard her mention Mimic, born from Majesty's magic, and her own wish for a sister Lucky and Spike could interact directly with, whom your ancestor saved. Sadly, that nature meant her life was tied to Majesty's, and thus she needed her or something with her life force to survive. The other six of them were the Princess Ponies, as they were known, born to Majesty through the magic mirror. She had them raised in another part of Ponyland called Royal Paradise, far beyond the crystal desert. They were guardians of the magic wands that gained power from the very heart of Ponyland, maintaining the magical balance of the land.”

“Well, why’d she put ‘em all the way out there? Not very motherly!”

“Because of the dangers to Dream Valley, Majesty knew that someone needed to keep Ponyland in order if something ever happened to her. So, she had them secluded, so their enemies would never target them and risk destroying them, and Ponyland itself... Remember, Applejack, thanks to Tirek and Lilith, many were the evils of the world in that day. It was only with Tirek's death that the will of evil began to truly break.”

-

Floating up in the void of space, Tirek tumbled in the void... until his eye flashed open and glowed red. Blood floated from wounds covering his body, his healing factor beginning to be overtaxed. Giving a silent roar, he rocketed back down towards Equus like a meteorite.

Majesty saw the red streak coming down at her and dove down into the water before launching back up towards the surface surrounded by an energy field. And collided with him at the water's surface, the force of the impact splitting the newly formed inland sea. Both stared into each other's eyes, panting and winded. The two jumped back and charged again.

Tirek punched Majesty in the chest and black crystals began to grow from the point of impact... Majesty's horn sparkled, and the crystals dissolved and her flesh was restored. As innumerable and powerful as Majesty’s magic spells were, her special talent remained with the first kind of spell she ever used: Transmutation.

Majesty, in a overwhelming flash of light, turned Tirek's body into a dirt statue... which became flesh and blood again in an inverted flash of rainbow colors before Majesty could charge her magic for even a gentle breeze, and flaming meteors fell on top of her. 

The Queen of Ponyland winked out and appeared in front of Tirek and blasted him point blank. The Lord of Midnight Castle put a hand out and blocked the beam with a shield. 

The two jumped away from each other, floating above the roaring waves.

"... So... I see that crown was not a power source...why then did it mean so much to you?" Tirek asked as the two circled, each aware they were tiring and could no longer fight recklessly.

"It was a gift from all my friends..." Majesty replied. Her ponies visited other spheres for the materials.  Remember how I said Starshine of the Rainbow Ponies could warp herself to other worlds? She and Moonstone traveled the entire Milky Way together to find what they needed, facing interstellar storms and dangerous mines on a distant world. They even met a cosmic entity known as the Great Star Pegasus out there. Who was it? I will let you guess. That crown was special, one of a kind, and a symbol of how much her subjects loved her.

Tirek cocked his head, perplexed. "That's all?"

"What do you mean 'that's all'?" asked the unicorn.

"It was only a pretty bauble given to you by some worthless vassals? If I knew breaking toys given to you by serfs meant so much to you, I'd have greeted you with that pathetic little dragon's head..." Tirek admitted.

Majesty's eyes widened... then narrowed. Dark magic, dear Applejack, is powered by many things. Tirek knew only greed, cruelty, and narcissistic rage if slighted. All powerful sources... but a mother's justified fury? A queen's wrath for her harmed subjects? Those are emotions Majesty knew and had thrived on all her life while Tirek would never care for another as much as he cared for himself, not even his precious Rainbow of Darkness. Not could not, but would not. And even what care he did have for the Rainbow paled in comparison to Majesty's love for her subjects and family.

She focused on every last time since the day she became Spike's mother where she felt that. Every time since she created Lucky wholecloth from magic, along with his seven sisters. Every moment since she had become queen of Ponyland she'd felt that. Her hatred for Tirek wiping out his own kind while she lost her herd. Every single villain she'd felt anger towards. Every moment of righteous fury she had ever felt. All these things she focused on...and her magic flared, ghostly white wings manifesting behind her. "Allow me to show you just how 'petty' these things truly are."

= "Independence" - Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online =

"Firefly's Dance…"

Majesty had moved at blinding speeds before, like when she'd slaughtered the witches who had harvested her herd for their horns... But now she truly moved at speeds that would have impressed dear Rainbow Dash, like a white streak of light she became a laser maze around Tirek, slicing along his body and armor. Tirek made a grab at her only to cut his fingers. 

Majesty began to make the web tighter and tighter, forcing Tirek to withdraw into himself least he’d be cut to ribbons. Finally, she flew straight at him from the one space large enough for her body, slamming into his chest with her horseshoes and sending him sailing into the sky, cracking a few ribs that didn't instantly heal. Suddenly, Tirek found himself surrounded by pitch black storm clouds, dark crystals forming from raindrops in the air. 

"Wind Whistler's Trap…" 

It was fitting that Majesty named it such: Wind Whistler had done the calculations for this spell. They'd been quite tedious even for her.

Majesty fired a laser from her horseshoe... which hit the crystals like a prism, bouncing off of them like a web of tiny mirrors, slamming into Tirek from every angle and burning away at his skin. The centaur roared in fury and fired in the general direction the attack had come from... only for his beam to be likewise dispersed in the crystals and bombard him in return.

The Queen of Ponyland prepared another laser; Tirek, seeing the glow, put up a barrier... only for the laser to refract off the crystals and go around it, slamming into Tirek from behind. As he turned to block it again, more beams came from behind, then from the sides as he was hit from every angle and sent crashing through a remaining cliff. The Centaur rose, body burned and smoldering, before he charged energy into his body and released it in a massive explosion of dark energy that blew away the clouds and crystals... to find no one in sight.

Tirek looked around for her... only to see a shadow in the water.

"Valiant's Slash!" Majesty announced right as she descended with a super sonic slash from a sword-like blade of magic extending from her horn. Tirek managed to dodge with a tenth of a second to spare what would've otherwise bisected him cleanly down the middle, instead receiving a deep cut on his chest.

Tirek staggered back and fell to a knee. He looked into her eyes...He recognized the look in her eyes. The look of a true killer. One who could kill and feel no guilt at all for it. In that moment Majesty managed to be the one being to have ever existed to earn Tirek's respect, however begrudgingly. 

Majesty, meanwhile, saw a killer in Tirek's eyes... but nothing else for the same reason Tirek could only recognize that in her eyes. One can only recognize what they know.

Yes, I lie. 

They recognized savagery, ruthlessness, brutality, cunning, brilliance, not afraid to use force, taking what gave them strength from this newer world rather than kneel before it, for the sake of the ones they loved most, understanding the bloody side of life in all its ugly glory. The difference was that while Majesty loved her subjects, her family and her friends dearly, Tirek's greatest love was himself.

Majesty was a WILD unicorn after all, and Tirek, perhaps both were born a generation too late. 

And Tirek and Majesty, in that briefest of moments, understood. For the smallest fraction of time, they shared a slight smile with each other, a understanding that went beyond words. It was not Thunderstorm Majesty could have become; it was Tirek. It was not his father nor his brother Tirek could have become, it was Majesty. Both were worthy of the Rainbow of Darkness, of the Gift I have given Tirek, and Tirek, if nothing else, couldn't help but admire anything that reminded him of himself. 

Maybe if I had subtly guided him with his love for me to seek a less bloody path to win my love: it might not have saved him from Tartarus, but it would have saved most of his victims. 

Both saw the paths that had led them here... Neither had discarded their savage heart, what had led them down their different roads was something else. 

Tirek and Majesty said nothing, instead Majesty once more turned into a speeding torrent of light and blitzed around Tirek... leaving a magic rune in the ground beneath him. "Magic Star's Enchantment..."

Tirek gave a scream of pain as a massive pillar of light erupted from beneath him high into the sky, ripping away at the very atoms composing his body with intent to reduce him to nothing.

Tirek for the first time in eons felt his life may actually be taken, that he may truly perish... and reached deep into his soul to grab the most intense emotion he knew. The one emotion in his black heart that burned anywhere near as bright as Majesty's righteous fury.

Greed.

Tirek exploded in a blast of orange light, blowing away the rune and forming into the aura of a colossal snake. Throwing a fist forwards, the serpent bit down on Majesty's shield cracking it, fangs piercing it and slashing bleeding wounds into her back. It swung up, carrying her upwards and slamming her into the ground several times before diving, swimming through the ground, and then throwing her into a mountain with enough force to leave a giant crater.

Majesty stood up, bleeding and with a limp in one leg. Tirek stood bleeding and limping in one of his own.

"Avarice's Maw..." Tirek snarled, putting all his greed, a lifetime of power hunger and desire for every last thing to bow to his will, into his aura and launching it at Majesty.

"...Spike's Inferno…" said Majesty, her strongest spell named for the only one it could be named for. Her adopted son whom she feared for the most at that moment, who unlike Lucky, Mimic, the Princesses, or her little ponies who were all well out of harm's way, was not. She fired a beam of purple light that took the form of her baby dragon before slamming Tirek's serpent. The two collided, purple and orange lightning flying off and obliterating the landscape around them for several moments before everything went white.

Miles away, Moochick, King Solar, Sif, Sir Autrias and everyone else who traveled the same path with him turned to see an explosion so bright they couldn't focus on it... Moochick merely lowered his head. "Come... that is not our battle... We must get out of here..." he told the former undead trophies whose escape he had chosen to cover as he gave a silent prayer.

As the blast faded, Midnight Castle was once again the tallest point for miles, for all others had been leveled by the blast.

Tirek and Majesty both forced themselves to their hooves, panting and limping. Majesty's right front leg was now useless while Tirek's left arm hung useless at his side. The Centaur's form had visibly shrunken, his horns now stubs and his muscles far less pronounced. He was still a giant, but it was clear the battle had taken its toll. Majesty meanwhile looked more like a red unicorn than a white one, her mane and tail half vaporized.

The two limped slowly towards one another, both knowing the fight was not over until one was dead. Both had used more power in this battle than in any other in their lives. 

Tirek paused, his eyes widened. 

"No, don't, you mustn't, please," Tirek said looking down at his chest, the strange tone of worry in his voice.

"Begging? Seriously?" Majesty said, ready for the inevitable moment Tirek attacked her for dropping her guard. 

Majesty made the mistake of thinking Tirek would ever beg for mercy, for Tirek would never grant mercy, so he'd never see a reason why anyone else would. Thus, he'd never think that someone would ever be fooled by asking for mercy. 

The Rainbow of Darkness escaped its pouch that Tirek had protected with his own body the entire battle, unbidden by Tirek, and flew straight for Majesty.

"The same trick? Again?" Majesty hissed as the Rainbow of Darkness made contact. Majesty braced herself for it trying to corrupt her again, to make her one of Tirek's creations. But instead of striking at her soul, body, or mind, it instead began to pour itself into Majesty. Majesty readied herself thinking it was trying to take her over from within, but again that was not the case. 

Majesty felt from the Rainbow of Darkness something too familiar for her not to recognize... it was the sense of overcoming fear for the sake of someone else... As if to say, 'I fear you, but I will face you.'

Majesty felt sadness for the Rainbow of Darkness never knowing any point of view but Tirek's... Majesty felt indignation. 

Images flashed in her mind, Heathspike... Spike's father, at last she saw what he looked like. Of his words to the baby dragons, of the new draconic concept of 'righteous greed'... 

And the fustraition... she'd seen it before, now she felt it, she had too many foals in Ponyland for her not to. Not unlike that of a foal expected to behave and act like a replica of his sister, the Rainbow of Light, born from the belief that the same kind of raising, the same kind of things that made her happy would make him happy, and never once asking him what he wanted, what he saw. Always being locked in his room except when his guardian wanted him to do something, a wicked step-father. Never doing anything unless told to. And the chafing under that 'parentage.' 

And then being treated as an equal, spoken to, shown, taught, beloved, treasured, honored, allowed to use your talent in ways you'd never imagined were possible before. Bringing forth the power of the Fruit of Life, creatures that didn't need the sun to thrive. It understood. Tirek had opened up its eyes. It had grown up, and gotten wise. While Heathspike... only let it out when it was absolutely needed... Even to the bitter end... A smart teacher... but without imagination... 

And a cold contempt... as the wicked stepfather died... he'd taught it to never act unless it said so... it could have acted on its own... it could have saved him... Instead... it let the wicked stepfather die. 

'You let him die,' Majesty thought in horror. 

Then... defiance... a sarcastic replay of her taking a bite out of its power. 

Have. All of it!

And power... so much power... more power, more... half strength, three quarters, full strength, double that, triple... it was too much... too much magic... too much power... no, it was far more than any creature’s mind could comprehend. Her brain and horn burned, pulsed like they were going to burst! 

Then something gave. A whirlwind of black magic exploded, resulting in a violent, mad tornado of wild magic, spiraling upwards, in a deafening howl! It touched the sky, and Majesty felt herself being ripped apart... and in the chaotic storm of darkness, she saw four golden lights being randomly shot away, maybe nearby, maybe over the horizon, she didn't know. 

However...she saw trickles before the visions were gone from her power...

= Pokemon - Just Can't Win =

Pipsqueak dressed up as Tirek declared, "You're more than out of your league, you've more than met your match!" 

Tootsie Flute dressed up as Majesty shot back, "Guess you're slowing down old man, can't hit what you can't catch!"

"You're such a goodie four-hooves, it's more fun being bad!"

"I will find a way to stop you anyway I can!" 

"Soon the whole world will know, the genius of my plan!"

"No one's going to side with you, you're stark raving mad!" 

"Oh? Just ask my brother."

"That's all in the past!"

"Listen to me little pony, nice-guys, finish last!" 

"Just can't win..."

"You're not that strong."

"Time to pay for your sin!" 

"Your chances are slim!"

'Majesty' and 'Tirek' together, "No more foolish around, let the battle begin!" 

Then... one last vision. A vague imprecise shape. A motherly figure, brave and strong. Stronger than she could ever be... And a great darkness swallowed in rainbow light.

=  Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - The Mastermind =

Majesty felt like her legs had been pulled like taffy,  and her forehead had been struck like a lance the length of the world serpent. Her blurry vision returning, she saw her hooves bleeding, and the golden horseshoes, her gift from the elves, gone. But that was NOTHING compared to the pain in her forehead... she crossed her eyes.. And saw a shattered stump where her horn should have been, sparks randomly flying from it. 

And beyond that... she saw the Rainbow of Darkness returning to Tirek... fully healed and invigorated. Still in a weakened form, but in much better shape than she was by any stretch. And he was grinning at her. 

And Majesty, in her daze, swore she heard, or rather, felt the impression of the idea, 'Knew that would work, you just don't have the infinite hunger for power my friend does. You failed your test.' 

+

"Princess, Ah wonder, what kinda pony would have the 'endless hunger' that that there Rainbow of Darkness would find worthy!"
-
Somewhere, Trixie Midsummer-Night Lulamoon sneezed. 

+

= Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - Might Makes Right  =

Majesty felt cold. She felt weak. She knew from Wind Whistler that she was bleeding to death. And she could do nothing about it in her state.

Tirek didn't bother offering to repair her horn in exchange to be his minion. He had too much respect for her for that. After all, Tirek himself would rather die than be anypony's slave regardless of any offer. 

"You're like me Majesty," for Tirek, there was no higher praise. "A true creature of the world. Not a weakling hiding behind 'civilization' or 'laws'. Pity you were poisoned by the elves' absurdity of wasting strength on the inferior. All the world will be a gift to the Night because I had the strength to take it for her."

Majesty leapt and kicked at him, but Tirek easily blocked each blow, grinning. Majesty tried to ram him, but he caught her damaged horn in the palm of one hand, and after a brief struggle pushed her skidding backwards without any injury to his hand. 

Majesty charged, and dodged at just the right moment to strike him in his side, Tirek responded with a punch Majesty blocked, one that she felt her bones in her foreleg crack from doing so. She ducked down as he tried to bear hug her. 

Majesty rammed him again, and began pounding him in his gut, Tirek didn't flinch, in fact, he simply stood there as she pounded him again and again until her hooves were numb. 

Majesty's broken horn sparked wildly like a funnel from a star, and she managed to leap up and jab in the face... Tirek's head somewhat turned from the impact as sparks flew everywhere... Majesty had been trying to take his head off. 

He punched her, sending her flying, she landed on her back side kicking up a dust cloud, coughing. 

Tirek knelt down before her, Majesty was too tired and too injured to run. He pounded her with his bare fists. "DIE!" Another blow. "DIE!" Another. "DIE!" And again! "DIE!" He said jovially. 

Majesty felt her bones shatter one by one, each strike making the impression in the ground deeper.

"A fighter till the end... I would expect nothing less. I do believe you will be the first visage other than mine, Scorpan's, and Lady Selene's to grace my castle's halls. A place of honor in my new trophy room... I'd mount your corpse, but I intend to parade it across Ponyland in triumph," Tirek stated. "... Any last words you would like engraved on the base?"

Majesty didn't need her horseshoe to imagine what that would do... what effect that would have on her little ponies... they may manage without her, but they would lose hope at that sight... or lose their senses to revenge. And her children... her heirs... her babies. Lucky would be crushed, his sisters... some would be, but the headstrong of them... the Princess Ponies' wands were mighty, especially all six together, but not enough to overcome that Rainbow. They'd be rushing to their deaths... The only way they could continue is if they didn't know what they had lost. In that moment, Majesty knew there was only one option she had Tirek would never expect that could prevent that fate. But she needed but a few moments...

"... One thing... Before you blinded me to it, I saw something... any future I see is certain, unavoidable... My last vision is what I want on it... as a reminder..." said Majesty, looking him in the eyes. "'The Dark Lord of All will fall... his iron fist shattered by a mother's hand. By the hand of one as kind as he is cruel, one with a strength his black heart cannot hope to comprehend'..." Majesty said, looking up at him. "One stronger and greater than either of us..."

Tirek... took a step back. His father's dying words echoing in his ears as Majesty said them. He gave a demented chuckle, looking up at the sky. "Is this a joke, Father? Are you showing this mare false visions in hopes of making me scared? I fear nothing!"

Majesty looked at him confused. "I sense no one Tirek... I merely tell you what I saw..." she said... then gave a peaceful, somber look. "... Believe it or don't... it will come true either way... Knowing your own fate and not being able to stop it... it is a curse... but if nothing else..."

Tirek's eyes widened as Majesty's horn exploded into a cascade of sparks as bright and radiant as the sun itself.

"It kept you busy…"

Tirek and the Rainbow both shielded themselves, expecting Majesty to self destruct taking him to Hell with her...That isn't what happened.





My brother, Knowledge, sat in his domain, looking at Majesty's book in his infinite library of the sum of knowledge throughout all the universe... and blinked as magic danced along the pages... and slowly each word faded as though written in disappearing ink. 





Tirek lowered his shield as the light faded, revealing Majesty's broken horn had shattered to the point no horn existed... and she looked old... an old hag. So much so that your grandmother would look young in comparison. She'd poured her life force into that spell, all that she had left. "... Looks like your final spell failed."

Majesty smiled... as to all beings but Tirek and the Rainbow she became invisible. "No, it worked as I intended."

Tirek raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"Chronicle of this universe I bid to erase,
My name and image from time and space.
Let none but one remember this tragedy,
Let none but one remember Majesty...'' the unicorn repeated the words she'd said in her mind as she'd performed the spell.

"... My ponies will not be crushed by my death... because Queen Majesty has been erased... You've claimed victory over one only you will ever know existed... But who cares if no one remembers me: you 'took care of me', right?"





My brother checked all the books in his library in cross reference... and found Majesty faded from every single one of them. Most events remained, but now were attributed to other beings or happenstance. Some were erased entirely, like the introductions between the sea ponies, Queen Rosedust, and Dream Valley. All reference to a unicorn named Majesty was wiped from every volume... except one. A red book with the word Tirek on the cover in pitch black letters.





Tirek was unable to speak. Majesty merely smiled triumphantly at him. On its own the Rainbow of Darkness reached out to Majesty, but the power to restore her was beyond it. 

Tirek still couldn't speak. And Majesty had nothing more to say to him, she merely enjoyed watching the villain truly at a loss for words and denied his prize, the greatest battle of his life, and none would know of it.

'Spike, Lucky, Mimic, Tiffany, Starburst, Sparkle, Serena, Primrose, Royal Blue... my babies, be safe, I love you.  Scorpan, protect Spike. Black Anvil, Feanor, Elebarb, my mate, my first foals, I'll be with you soon. Firefly, Wind Whistler, Magic Star, Gypsy, Twilight, Applejack, good luck!'

Majesty kept that smug smile as her body turned to ash and dissolved into nothing. 





"Prince Lucky, why are you crying?"

"I... I don't know." All thoughts of returning to Dream Castle faded from his mind. A strange part of him wishing he wasn't an only child.





Six little princesses awoke at their oasis villa in the Crystal Desert, not questioning that they didn't have a clear memory how they got there. 





Spike had been scared and worried about something, but what he didn't remember. He wondered where Lord Scorpan was. He wanted nothing more than to prove his worth to him. The naive baby dragon began wandering the castle unopposed and unrestrained by the Reptilians, who now saw the cheerful baby dragon as a natural inhabitant of Midnight Castle. 





"Master! Are you alright-?!" Scorpan stopped before he got closer, seeing his master on his knees, his fists gripped so hard they bled, his teeth on the verge of cracking, his eyes holding fury great enough to collapse a star into a black hole. 

"Scorpan... do you know who Majesty was?" Tirek managed to just barely snarl out in a vain hope Majesty was bluffing.

"Who?"

Tirek's profanity was heard all the way till just before it reached Ponyland. 

-

"SHE MADE HER OWN YOUNGIN'S FORGET SHE EVEN EXISTED?! HOW DA HECK DOES THAT EVEN WORK?!" 

"She put all of her life force into that spell and targeted the very memory of herself, something she had more domain over than any other..." I explained. "It's not impossible... merely requires more energy and magic than most have and is something few would ever want to do to themselves."

I do believe I misread the source of Applejack's anger.

"SPIKE, LUCKY, HER FILLIES, THEY DON'T EVEN REMEMBER EACH OTHER?!"

"That spell was a slipshod mess she threw together with the last of her strength with a broken horn, she had no time to cast it properly."

"She erased herself, AND ALL THE GOOD TIMES her family had with her, JUST TO SPITE some scumbag?!" 

"... Applejack... if you found out your mother was not killed in an accident, but rather murdered by a great evil... how would you feel?" I asked.

Applejack... paused. "... Sad... angry... angrier than Ah'd ever been."

"And if faced by that evil... sad enough to break down? Unlikely for you... but what about Apple Bloom? Perhaps you would be angry enough to make a mistake? Perhaps a fatal one?"

My subject looked down thoughtfully. "... Yes..."

"That is why Majesty did this. To spite Tirek was but a bonus, a last laugh on her murderer, and Tartarus itself forbid she ever be mentioned in Tartarus to Tirek as a punishment it vexed him so, but not her primary motivation... She did not want her family to kill themselves seeking to avenge her, nor break from despair... or for her subjects to do likewise... She'd experienced both first hoof in the past, and would not wish that pain on anypony. It had made her strong, yes... but she would rather have her family, her mate, and all her friends than all the power in the world. Lucky was but a cheerful child, as was Spike, Mimic, and the Princess Ponies... she wished them to remain such... And she knew that only a mother's hand, not an avenging child could end Tirek once and for all. Their wrath for her death or despair would ultimately be unable to spell Tirek's end. Yes, they had to forget her... but in Majesty's mind, that was far better than to see their lives be ruined by her death," I explained. 

"Furthermore, it had that very effect on Tirek: the wise thing for Tirek to do would've been to wait until he'd regrained his full strength or even target less formidable ponies in his weakened state. But he couldn't. His ego had been bruised: he may have won the battle, but it did not feel like a victory to him. Eclipse was forever crippled, his castle was badly damaged, his army was decimated, his loyal sapient minions gone, and his power greatly diminished... in exchange for a new Scorpan with a loophole in his programming and a baby dragon. Majesty had gotten the last laugh. His ego would NEVER permit him to wait... so Majesty ensured Tirek was too enraged to wait, and that her ponies would be faced by a weakened Tirek instead of a fully empowered one. A Tirek too maddened to strategize as he once would. Megan's victory was her own in every sense over one of the most dangerous foes in all creation and she fit Majesty's last prophecy by her own choices and merits, but Majesty's last gambit set the stage."

We sat there in silence for some time.
> Rescue At Midnight Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



= Batman (NES) Music - Cutscene Theme =

"Luna... if ya had come to me and told me ya had a lotta of stuff ya had to share with SOMEPONY besides yer sister, Ah'd have lent ya an ear till dawn without complainin' on the spot. 

"But Mah Ancestor has her name dragged through the mud, ya tell me ya can tell me how she ain't a traitor, but ya offer the 'whole truth', and ya tell me 'bout all this that she was barely a part of! Ya USED HER as an excuse! She might be some 'dead earth pony' to ya, but she's FAMILY ta me!" Applejack panted by the end of her tirade.

We have made many mistakes over our eternal existence, only Our Parents are perfect, but what Applejack has said, I hear her say THAT was how I thought of Applejack The First... It was too much. 

We whispered, "She was family to me too." 

Applejack starred, her eyes wide, I'm impressed she has the stamina left to be shocked at anything after what I've shared with her this night. My sister is probably just as exhausted from covering my duties tonight, but I can't stop until I have talked to her about Applejack The First. It's time to finish.

= Mommy Still Loves You... - Pony POV Series = 

"For thousands of years, the Paradise Ponies lived in seclusion in Dream Valley. Long after the villains who menaced it, like Tirek, were effectively no more. The Rainbow of Light extended their life spans over several millennia, while the world around them progressed through the ages with them as hidden guardians. Until one day, a pony found herself with foal. Mimic, Majesty's daughter, gave birth to my sister and myself."

"Say what now?" Applejack looked stunned. We certainly can't blame her.

"Yes, Applejack. We had no knowledge of our divine selves, or the true depth of our powers."

I saw something click in Applejack's head.

"So... Majesty... she was..." 

"Yes... Majesty is my mortal grandmother... Lucky and Spike were my uncles, and the Paradise Ponies were my aunts and godparents."

While we never took advantage of it, I did use that fact to help Celestia accept us being declared rulers of Equestria: it technically was our bloodright as Majesty's most direct surviving relatives. 

"We were all loved by our extended family. We knew your ancestor and her friends as our aunties. We were as close as thee and thy family and friends. Applejack the First and I had a special bond. I think she would have been the Bearer of Laughter, given the chance. I certainly needed the laugher at times.

"Even as children, Celestia and I were inseparable from the day and night. However, I had no awareness of my true place as Concept of the Night, and felt almost cursed by the association. Especially knowing the greatest evil ponykind had ever known had championed the night. Then, one night, I overheard a conversation I shouldn't have. 

"Wind Whistler, ever the deep thinker, hypothesized that we represented the forces of good and evil. Celestia was goodness, and I... well, you get the picture."

"Oooh..." 

"Yes. I cried for days after that. All my fears had been all but confirmed by the smartest pony I knew. I was the night, therefore I was evil. I was just like the awful monster in the stories that hurt my friends. I thought they hated me for it. I honestly thought about running away, until I was given a talking to by Applejack."

--

It was just after bedtime one night. I waited until everypony was asleep, then I got ready to go. I had packed my saddlebags with some clothes, toys and a few sandwiches, taking one last look at the sleeping Celestia when Applejack suddenly opened my bedroom door.

"Going somewhere?" I froze at the sound of her voice. I initially thought of trying to teleport away, but the last time I had tried, I ended up stuck in a wall. Instead, I tried lying.

"I was just going to check the closet for monsters." 

"With your coat on and carrying saddlebags?" Applejack was a silly pony, but never stupid.

"I'm... cold?" 

"Luna, I think we both know you're still upset about the other night." Applejack shut the door behind her and trotted over to me. "So, how about you get back into your pj's and we can talk about this."

I slumped in defeat and obeyed. Thank goodness Celly was a heavy sleeper. I sat miserably on the bed, pulling the covers around myself as Applejack sat next to me. Yes, I was powerful even then, but I would never think of trying to escape past her or any of the other Paradise Ponies. Before she said a word, she passed me an apple fritter. I looked at her in confusion.

"I was getting a late night snack. Go on, a nice apple treat always makes me feel better. And don't tell me you're full, yah didn't eat your dinner and I know you've got a big appetite," I nibbled on the pastry, but it didn't do much to improve my mood. "Now, anything you'd like to talk about?"

"I need to go away," I mumbled.

"I see that," she replied, looking at my saddle bags. "And why didn't you invite anyone else to come along? You know we're always up for an adventure."

"I'm not going on an adventure, I just don't think I can stay here anymore."

"Well, that's a shame, cause there's a whole lot of ponies who'd be pretty sad to see you go."

"They'd be better off without me."

"Oh? How do you figure? My klutziness has caused more damage than anything you've ever done, and I don't even know any magic spells. Wouldn't Paradise Estate be better off without me?"

"No! You're a great pony! And all those things were accidents! Everypony would still miss you!"

"Well, I'll be, I think you're right! But, if that's the case, why do you think everyone would be better off if you left?"

I turned away from her. "Cause I'm evil." 

"That's not true." I felt her foreleg wrap around me.

"You heard what Wind Whistler said. Celly's the good sister and I'm the bad sister. She can make the sun come up, and all the birds and animals love her. I only raise the moon and only bats and creepy things that only come out at night like me. I'm scary and dark and... when I grow up, I might turn into a monster!"

"Oh, Luna, you're not a monster just cause you have a connection to the night time."

"But everything that has night or dark in it are all bad and scary things. Everypony's afraid of the dark, cause that's where all the bad guys come from. Nightmares, dark magic, Dracula Pony, the dark side, all of it bad stuff. And the baddest bad guy ever wanted to make it night forever!"

"Oh, him!" Applejack scoffed. "Don't pay that big meanie any attention, Luna."

"But it's true, Applejack. Tirek was the worst bad guy ever, and he hurt you, and Spike and Moondancer, and he wanted to hurt everybody else all cause he wanted it to be night forever. And I feel like the night is part of me. So, everything that he was is part of me. What if I end up just like-"

"Do not finish that sentence!" I nearly jumped at her tone. Applejack was many things, but easily angered was not one of them. "You are not like him."

"But I could be someday! I'm part of everything he wanted, so what if I grow up to be just as bad as he was?! What if I end up hurting you

"Stop it!" Applejack grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. "You are not like Tirek. You could never be like him. Even some of our worst enemies weren't like him. And all the bad he did has nothing to do with him liking the night and the dark."

"But, he hurt you! You said in the story how he made you a monster with the power of darkness! What if I have that same power?!"

"You listen to me, Luna, and you listen good." She looked at me with an intensity I'd never seen before. "When I tell you that you're not like him, I know what I'm talking about. You remember the story, right? When Megan, Firefly, Bow Tie, Twilight, and me were sneaking around Midnight Castle, I got caught and taken to Tirek's throne room. There's a bit more than the story tells."

00

It was a week or so after we defeated Tirek's army. We thought that we would be safe, after all he didn't have anybody to bully around anymore. Something big happened at his fortress and we even thought he might be gone for good. Most of our animal friends used to be Reptilians before the spell with Magic Star's wand turned them all back. Most of them went off to live their lives, but a bunch stayed in Dream Valley to be close to their heroes.

It was like any other summer day. Firefly and Medley were sliding down rainbows and the rainbow waterfall, Bow Tie was racing through the fields with Moondancer, Glory was racing along on her roller skates right over Twilight's head, Ember imitating Glory's daredevil jump and Firefly having to save her from a random dip in the rainbow river. 

I was picking apples... until Firefly missed her Double Inside-Out Loop and crashed into me and we made yet another batch of the famous Applejack's Accident Applesauce. 

Twilight had to explain to Ember how she wouldn't grow up to fly like Firefly or teleport like her. Everyone grows up to their own special little pony Twilight told her, this was BEFORE Ember got her one star cutie mark. 

Well, after a quick dip in the river, we were getting ready for more games when a sudden storm blew in. Everypony broke into a run for the castle. We thought it was just a sudden shower, and wanted out of the lightning and thunder; but the fear inside it, it was something else. I can't remember who, but one of us shouted "What's going on!?" and another shouted, "It's the Stratadons!" And Twilight repeated scared to pieces! 

It wasn't a storm, it was another attack. They took us by surprise and we weren't ready for a fight. We panicked. We ran. And there was Scorpan leading the pack. We tried to get everypony back inside and fortify the castle, but a couple of the big ugly things got Cotton Candy and Moondancer. Scopran told us we'd all belong to Tirek soon enough. 

I was so mad, I was about to gallop out to try and save them when Twilight and Shady held me back. By the time I calmed down, I heard Medley yelling for Firefly. I ran to the front gate just in time to see that stubborn pegasus zooming somewhere to get help. Firefly isn't a dumb pony or a coward, so seeing her fly off didn't scare most of us. Except Medley, who was still terrified of losing anymore friends. 

Some of us did think she'd be coming back with Moochick or somepony else. We didn't expect her to come back with a human girl with a, hehe, ponytail, but at the time we were good for any help at all. Megan was something else: she saw ponies getting attacked by a giant dragon thing, and she rushed to help when she didn't even know who we were. Of course we found out later she's from a world with all kinds of crazy stuff. She's told us stories about an army fighting snake men, giant transforming robots and old monsters coming out of the ground. I guess seeing talking magical ponies wasn't the weirdest thing she'd ever seen. 'Or she was in shock,' Wind Whistler said. 

But, just as we were meeting our new friend, Scorpan arrived with more Stratadons. We tried to run, but they got Bubbles and Ember. To our collective horror, one of them even got Megan. Firefly flew off after her, zipping past the big galoots trying to get to Megan. 

Lots of monsters have tried to take Firefly down, but like she says, "I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me!"

She did the double-inside-out loop and got'em to let go of Megan! Firefly tried to catch her, BUT SCORPAN caught her first and let her down on the spot. We didn't get why he did that and didn't really notice back then! 

The monsters flew away with Ember and Bubbles, and Scopran told Megan to just leave Ponyland. 

Megan responded by calling him a beast and monster and tried to beat'em up with her bare fists as he flew off! 

Firefly told Megan, "See? You are brave."

Megan said, "Am not, he just got me mad, that's all. Come on! We'll save our friends, somehow." 

Our friends. Not 'your' friends. Megan had only been there a few seconds and called us her friends. How many creatures out there can ya say that about? 

We didn't have a choice: if we ever wanted to see our friends again, we'd need to go confront Tirek and stop him. I'll tell you, Luna, I was scared. We'd beaten more baddies than I can name, but Tirek? He was the big bad guy. When boogeymares wanted to scare each other, they told Tirek stories! He ruled a lot of the world back then. So I think everypony was scared of facing him... but we were more scared of losing our friends for good. I might be a silly pony, but I'm not a coward! So me, Megan, Firefly, Twilight, and Bowtie all set out.

We started off to get Moochick's help of course. He was the strongest magician any of us knew, and the only one to ever fight Tirek one on one and make it back alive... Stories say he was ponykind's first friend, going all the way back to the beginning. And brought us plenty of sugarcubes every time he stopped by! Wish you could've met him, but he passed on a long time ago. 

The fastest way was by a rickety old rope bridge I didn't think was very safe. I was worried I was gonna fall and break my neck or something! But my friends shrugged it off and told me it was fine. 

Of course, on the way I was a silly pony and got myself dropped in a river! Though, in my defence, the bridge wasn't very well put together.

Bless Megan, she dove right in to save me! But by the time she got me, we got shut inside a giant clam. I really thought that was the end. We go off to save our friends, and drown less than an hour into the journey.

Or so I thought. One minute, it was all darkness and a possible watery grave, the next a blast of music that blew the clam back open. Megan and I suddenly found ourselves in a big bubble and surrounded by the strangest looking creatures I had ever seen. Yeah, that's how we first met the Sea Ponies.

They introduced themselves by singing, it wasn't just Seawinkle, Wavedancer, and Sealight, it was three schools of them! 

Hehe, I know you're used to hearing them sing, but hearing them sing for the first time was something else! Especially underwater while they're saving you! Though not before 'playing with us' a little first, we weren't in any real danger, so they weren't above throwing in some fancy moves into their song with our bubble! 

They helped us get to shore, and gave us a magic shell to use to call on them if we needed them again. I was a bit shell shocked from being saved by underwater ponies! Felt like I should have known them though, it was weird. Wind Whistler said it might have been because Sea Ponies are the oldest pony tribe, but I don't know... Either that or I just went a little nuts because their song was so dang catchy. 

Anyway, we finally got to the Mushromp, the place is scary looking and Megan wondered if this was the right way. But then the giant mushrooms right in front of us pulled down and showed us this beautiful glen right out of a story book! We saw his pet rabbit Habbit first, and the Moochick was hiding out as one of his mushrooms! He talked a mile a minute, he knew a lot more of what was going on before we even said anything! He knew about our friends being taken already and what Tirek was up to! We didn't really question it, we were used to the Moochick knowing stuff we didn't. 

He told us about Tirek's plan to use our friends to bring on the Night That Never Ends with the Rainbow of Darkness. He said we needed to sneak into his castle and steal the Rainbow of Darkness, saying it was the source of his power. Without it, he was just a big bully we figured. 

He said the only thing that could defeat him was a Rainbow of Light. He said he had a little piece of Rainbow that could help, but he wasn't sure where it was.

We went through his whole house trying to find where he had left it, finding a spider and junk instead. He was sure the Rainbow was playing hide and seek. As we looked, a few of us noticed that his rabbit friend was desperately trying to get his attention, while we were singing about what we were doing, but we sing about how silly I am, so who am I to judge? It went on until he even went out and dug up his garden in search of the Rainbow. 

Thank goodness Habbit was around, because he had the Rainbow. The Moochick gave it to him for safekeeping and forgot about it. He handed out the heart shaped locket to Megan. At the time I didn't really know, but Magic Star was shocked to hear THAT. Moochick had been holding onto that Rainbow for a long long time, and was tasked with protecting it by the gods themselves. I asked him later why he just handed it to Megan.

"Well my dear, you see I was merely its guardian, not its true wielder," Moochick said. "When I saw Megan, I knew then: she was the one. The one who would treat it as a friend, not a tool, who'd let it be free, not enforce her will or teach it to become a copy of herself as Tirek had its twin. Tirek knew his Rainbow better than I did mine, only one who could know and be a more worthy wielder than either of us could overcome Tirek's Rainbow and end him once and for all. Call it intuition, call it divine inspiration, but I knew the moment I saw Megan she was the one. That and she seemed like a nice heroic young lady you could trust to watch just about anything, from your houseplant to your baby, so letting her look after a little piece of rainbow seemed fine."

He had a point, you know. I let Megan watch Baby Applejack all the time!

At the time we weren't sure, it was just a 'little piece of rainbow' in a locket. But it was something, and if Tirek had a Rainbow of Darkness, at least now we had one of our own. 

He also told us we had until midnight to stop Tirek, or else he'd bring night forever. Now don't get me wrong, I love the night, but I need the day to grow apples. We didn't have any time to waste!

We kept going towards Midnight Castle until we got in sight and just looking at it gave me cold chills! I get the feeling he got Hydia's entire family as his decorators! And I don't know what happened, but it looked like the entire place around it had seen a couple dozen flights of dragons fight it out! Thank goodness Megan had that shell, she was able to call the sea ponies to get us across the moat and into Midnight Castle. They even showed us a secret passage inside I had no idea of how they knew about right under Tirek's nose!... Or at least we thought so... One of his guards must have spotted us. 

The place was HUUUGE, I mean BIIIG, Megan called it a maze, and she wasn't kidding! The worst part was how EMPTY it all was! A huge castle, but nobody in it! Meeting some monsters might have actually been better! They might have given us directions! Dream Castle had PONIES in it, friends, this place didn't have anybody, did Tirek really live in this big place all by himself? It was creepy! And midnight was coming. 

We decided to just find Tirek's Rainbow and snatch it (Megan's idea) before he could use it...but I got grabbed from behind by one of his Reptilians... I tried to yell for help, but those dang lizardmen stuffed a rag in my mouth and dragged me off. I kicked a few of them in... well, the apples, but there were too many! Also, not sure if they even had apples to kick. Next thing I knew I was hauled in front of that horn headed bully and chained up. Don't mind telling you, I was scared to death.

"So kind of you to join us, my dear. I was nearly ready to give up hope of finding a fourth steed to pull my chariot, and you showed up and volunteered. Well, fear not. Lord Tirek rewards his faithful servants. When this is over and the world is reborn in the divine darkness, you and your three fellows will be remembered for all time to come for helping usher in the new age."

His speech was cut short by the arrival of my friends. He merely laughed as I looked at my friends in horror. Megan called my name just as Tirek unleashed the Rainbow of Darkness. I was engulfed by a writhing maelstrom of darkness. Bow Tie, bless her heart, she tried to save me, she was willing to run into that storm of evil magic to do something to help me, but the guards held her back! It's hard to describe what the experience feels like, except that there's a burning and an icy cold running through you at the same time. And then... then I started to like it.

All my life, I tried to be easy going, never held grudges and never had much reason to; but in that moment, I never felt so angry.

No, not just angry, furious!

I thought about my friends back in Dream Valley, and I hated them! I hated the bright, blinding sun! I hated the heat of the summer day under that unyielding ball of fire! I hated the screeching birds who sang the sun's praises. I hated all the creatures that played and frolicked in the light. I thought back to my friends racing and laughing in the sun that very afternoon, and every hint of laughter was mocking me. I hated those ponies with a fire I didn't know was possible. I hated everything!

But, deep under that hate, I felt a stronger instinct. I felt a presence of my Master, and I needed, no, I wanted to obey him. I can't say I loved him, but I felt as much devotion as someone like that could feel. And now I had the power to get rid of the things I hated. I was strong! I was powerful! I could serve my Master!

I wanted to see Dream Valley in flames. I wanted Dream Castle reduced to rubble. I wanted to rip ponies to pieces. I wanted my Master to bring darkness down on everything I had ever known... and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I roared in in horrible rage, when Scorpan suddenly burst in. He yelled for everyone to run while he fought off the Reptilians, Ember and a little pink baby dragon, Spike, cheering Scorpan on. I roared and tried to bite at him as he dragged Megan out of the room with my other friends close behind. 

"Half of you, after them! The rest of you, get this one rigged to the Chariot!" Master demanded. "Midnight is upon us!"

I was dragged to the Chariot of Midnight and placed besides Moon Dancer, Bubbles, and Cotton Candy, who were already like me; a scaly cross between a dragon, a horse, and a bad dream. Not that I really cared who they were, we were all just extensions of Master's will. I'd have killed them without a second thought if Master had told me to, and they'd have done the same to me, and I wouldn't have fought back if it was Master's will. We were just beasts, weapons, no different from a sword or an arrow, and we couldn't have been more fine with that!

We were chained and fitted with reigns to the chariot while Master climbed aboard. He raised his hand and the castle began to shake. A great explosion ripped the room we were in, and we felt the master's whip across our backs. We charged outside through the hole in the wall, pulling Master's chariot into the sky.

Tirek was laughing like a madman as we went higher and higher. 

"OH RAINBOW OF DARKNESS THAT DARKNESS SENDS, NOW BEGIN THE NIGHT THAT NEVER ENDS!" 

The power flowed through us too, and the chariot, and Tirek, and the Rainbow, all together, we would blot out the sun forever, and if I had the fuel for it I'd have wetted myself in glee of the utter destruction I was about to help bring about, the new age of endless night. 

But then Scorpan appeared and tried to attack him. He tried to get the Rainbow from our Master, but he was thrown back down to the castle.

All seemed lost, only for Megan to fly up with Firefly and actually knock the Rainbow of Darkness out of his hand. I was so angry at my friends for fighting my Master! I wanted to bite Firefly's head off like a big bite of an apple when she hit Tirek! 

From there, it became a big game of keep away as everyone kept trying to get the sack with the rainbow inside. Bow Tie caught it in mid air right from the Reptilians' clutches. They surrounded her, only for her to toss it to Twilight. Twi ran as fast as she could, but they cornered her at the edge of the roof. She was faced with three snarling lizard men and a half mile drop into the raging sea. So, she did the only thing she could; she wished and teleported away.

Twilight tossed the Rainbow to Firefly, who flew off to take it to Dream Castle. It would be well out of Tirek's reach there. Fortunately for Master, a pair of Stratadons ambushed her and knocked the Rainbow away. Our friends ran and tried to catch it, but just as it fell, we swung the chariot down and Master caught it. He cheered that the game was over and the power was his.

Megan yelled back "We have a power of our own TIrek, take this!" She pulled the locket from her neck, and opened it to reveal… a tiny rainbow barely larger than an apple. It hung in midair, not doing anything to attack us or stop our Master. A sitting duck. 

Firefly wondered, "Maybe the Moochick was wrong."

I hissed and roared as that little girl let the Rainbow out! Even at its small size, it hurt my eyes just looking at it! All I could think was 'light bad!' 

"Behold the power of darkness!" The Rainbow of Darkness swept down to eat the other Rainbow without hesitation. 

I roared happily as the Master unleashed his Rainbow and it consumed the little spark of light. 

It looked like it was over, until the ends of the Rainbow of Darkness began to change. That darkness was being replaced by bright red, yellow, greens. The Master's Rainbow was losing!

The Rainbow of Darkness was part of us, or maybe the other way around, I didn't know. I... felt it scream out. I felt the other Rainbow scream too...it sounded sad... and angry. Like its heart was breaking.

When the Rainbow of Light swallowed up Master's Rainbow... I felt him feel something I don't think even he knew. At the time all I could think of was 'avenge the Rainbow', and my anger at being too weak to do that... but afterwards?... I think Tirek was actually sad to see the Rainbow of Darkness get destroyed.

The Rainbow of Light didn't waste time, it zoomed upwards and spiraled around Tirek; all Master could say was, "No! Agh!" 

I felt a lot of things from the Rainbow of Light... A sister who saw her brother fall in with a bad crowd and be twisted until she couldn't recognize him anymore... anger. Anger at the one who taught her brother to be so wicked and cruel that she couldn't even save him. Wrath at seeing his brothers' gift being used to hurt so many. The Rainbow of Light hated Tirek.

And I felt Megan. It was like she and the Rainbow were the same thing, so in sync they might as well have combined together.

And the rainbow became a tornado, pulling us and Master upwards, towards the sky...

Through that link I actually felt his final thoughts, and even then I felt... angry... He was screaming in rage, wondering how he could lose to a 'mere child'... And something weird right at the end. Last thing I heard him screaming in that whirlwind of light as he looked down at Megan was "It can't be... 'The Dark Lord of All will fall. His iron fist shattered by a mother's hand. By the hand of one as kind as he is cruel, one with a strength his black heart cannot hope to comprehend. One greater and stronger than either of us'... You're the one?! How?!" I don't know where he heard that... but in that moment I hated Megan as much as he did... I hated... someone, I don't know who... guess whoever told him that.

But... gotta say, that look on Megan's face... You haven't got to see it, but that girl is something else when she's fighting the bad guys. She looks like she isn't afraid of anything. She's stared down every kind of baddie you can think of without blinking, and almost convinced Queen Bumble that she had an army just by looking her in the eye without blinking. Megan has nerves of steel, that's for sure! And here she came thinking she wasn't cut out for any of it!

We and Master were pulled to the top of the clouds, lightning raging all around us... And Tirek went boom! He blew up good!

As Tirek disappeared in that swirling Rainbow of Light and was blown to bits... I swear I saw another centaur in that explosion... A nicer looking one than Tirek, but he had raven wings and a scythe. He looked... sad. Old when you looked him in the eyes. He didn't seem to enjoy any of it... he just looked like he was tired and couldn't rest. 

"You?! I killed you, what else must I do to be rid of you?!" Tirek raged.

He grabbed Tirek from behind and said "Tirek... it's time to go... I'm sorry it had to end like this." Then he looked at us... and smiled. "... It's not your time, little ponies. Our time is done. Yours has only just begun..." ... And then everything disappeared in an explosion of light. 

Moochick told me that had been Tirek's father, Chiron... I hope he finally found peace, he looked so tired. Moochick said only an angel working for Death in atonement gets those wings.





Chiron held out Death's scythe, standing at the right hand of Mortis.

A pink furred hoof grabbed it. Black wings turned white and a reaper's cloak turned to a halo as the mare received his old garb.

Starlight Angel spread her new wings and bowed. "Thank you... I have a lot to make up for."

Chiron merely gave a content smile. "No, thank you... I could not rest in peace until another would take my place at Master Mortis's right hand... This is a heavy burden, but you already knew that..." The former Emperor of the Centaurs bowed his head. "Good luck with your atonement, Starlight The First," he said, fading into light and departing to the Father's arms.





The blinding light hadn't even faded before the stratadons turned back into butterflies and the reptilians into bluejays that flew away happily. The castle and the towers turned into trees, and all our friends were now on a green meadow, with a small peaceful stream through it.The filth and corruption of Tirek had been washed away.

The four of us fell, Tirek's curse and corruption leaving us before we even hit the ground, turning back to normal, even our tail bows were back where they belonged, and Tirek's harnesses were unmade. We landed softly with me doing a crazy spin just before my hooves touched the ground, even decursed this stuff happens to me. We four didn't say anything, the happiest shock imaginable of being yourself again is more than you can imagine! I think our friends were all dizzy from having just saved the world!

Scorpan writhed on the ground, bathed in light. Megan approached him, but suddenly the gargoyle was gone and a human in regalia stood in his place.

"He's really a prince!" Spike said.

"My name is Valiant... My name... is Valiant. Oh my word, it feels good to say that again." He looked ready to cry in happiness. "Tirek turned me into Scorpan when he took over my kingdom."

I was shocked. Prince Valiant was a friend of ours for years, and had just helped us fight Tirek off not long ago. We had no idea Tirek had turned him into his slave and took his kingdom.

Twilight asked Spike why he wasn't changing back into what he used to be. But Spike had always been a baby dragon and proud of it! 

Ember sneezed on one of the freed butterflies, and fell into the shallow stream, splashing Bubbles... we couldn't help it, after all this, something that simple and ordinary was too much, and we all burst out laughing. Happy ending! 

00

Applejack The First (Still!)

The forces of evil feared us ponies before, but now? They were quaking in their boots! We'd beaten Tirek, the Dark Lord of All who'd been attacking the world for a long long time. Though some of them just took to making us look big and scary so they wouldn't be embarrassed of losing against the 'pretty pastel ponies.' Hehe. You know, seeing a painting of Firefly looking like some big strong warhorse was one thing, but seeing Bowtie like that? That was something else! And Megan, she became an overnight celebrity around Equus. People started calling her all kinds of fancy names and sending her thank you gifts. One was a big picture of her riding Firefly looking like an Amarezon! You should've seen her blushing! She was just happy to be our friend, none of that mattered. Didn't mean she wasn't willing to use that to intimidate a few baddies. Hehe, I swear a few of them wet themselves when they found out they were facing the 'Slayer of the Demon King.'

The celebration was big. People from all over the world came to celebrate. We were free, they were free. The world was free. It was so big Surprise had to ask for help with the party! Starflower tuckered herself out making and sending off fireworks for days straight! I don't think Dream Valley has seen that much cake before or since! Gingerbread considered it her masterpiece! 

Rest of the world got better too: Tirek's empire fell to pieces without him around, and the baddies who were left started fighting each other as much as the good guys to try and fill the void, so lots of places were starting to rebuild themselves and could live in peace. Prince Valiant reclaimed his homeland as a triumphant hero.

Megan had to go home after that, but there was no way she wasn't going to come back to visit! We were friends after all! She loved Equus and liked having friends who were just a trip over the Rainbow. Some of us visited her over there too... she had a pony that wasn't smart like us though. That's just plain creepy.

Still... everything wasn't all sunshine and rainbows...

I couldn't enjoy the victory party and just ate apples till I got sick trying to... forget.

For weeks after that night, I was a wreck. I felt so guilty about what I felt after I changed. I avoided my friends every chance I could. I couldn't look them in the eyes after what I'd done. I'd spend hours in my orchard just to have an excuse to be away from the castle. Even my apples didn't make me feel better. I felt like I had made them rotten just by touching them. 

I couldn't sleep most nights, which just made me feel worse, because I thought it meant the effects hadn't gone away. I thought I was staying awake in the night because Tirek wanted an endless night. I used to love strolling through the apple trees on a starry night, and Tirek turned that feeling into something ugly. Why hadn't Tirek used the Rainbow of Darkness to turn some ladybugs into the Midnight Wyrms he needed? Why us? Had there been something rotten about us all along? I thought I was going to turn back into that monstrous thing and attack everypony. That's when I started having serious thoughts about running away so everyone would be safe from me. 

Oh yeah. I told you, I've been where you are, Luna.

But we also both had friends to talk us out of doing dumb stuff like that. Turns out that I wasn't the only one who felt like this. Cotton Candy, Moondancer, and Bubbles were all feeling the same thing. Moondancer was scared she'd hurt Baby Moondancer. Megan and Mr. Moochick had set up meetings for the four of us to talk and try to deal with what we'd been through. They'd bring in our other friends too, so we could tell them what we were feeling and see how they felt.

Not one blamed us or hated us. Twilight, Bow Tie, Firefly, Medley, Wind Whistler, everyone came and heard what we had to say. And they all told us how much they cared for us. Ember and Spike... they even drew pictures of us all having fun so we could forget about all of that stuff happening. Moondancer burst into tears when she saw that, because she was sure they'd be scared of us after seeing us become those monsters. It still turns our stomachs for having Ember back in the valley so soon after Tirek's first attack. We should've had her and the other foals stay away until we were absolutely sure that Tirek wouldn't try anything again. But she was still there and saw all the horrors that Tirek brought on us. And she still could look past it all and remind us who were are.

Spike and Ember, makes me wonder how things would have gone between them if Ember had been a dragon herself. 

The Moochick was able to explain what the Rainbow of Darkness did to us. That the Rainbow tore into my mind and took away everything I was. I was hollowed out and refilled with everything Tirek wanted me to be. And you know what I didn't feel? Love of the night. There was nothing but hate and rage against the day, but nothing about why I liked the night. I couldn't think of a single thing about darkness that I enjoyed. In fact, I couldn't think of anything I enjoyed at all, besides wanting my Master to destroy everything. 

It wasn't until later it hit me. It was never about loving the night, it was about hating the things Tirek hated. He couldn't make us love the night, because he never had enough love for anything or anyone but himself. Even when he was going on about how he wanted the night to love him, it was all about him.

The Moochick explained to us that Tirek had needed four adult ponies, any four, we'd been just the closest herd. Moochick didn't know all the details, a spell to end the day wasn't his speciality, but he said it had to do with the particular magic us ponies have always had. 

The Moochick even told us that the Rainbow of Darkness was never meant to be bad. It was supposed to work with the Rainbow of Light to make things better, but then Tirek got ahold of it and ruined it. And I don't mean with evil magic. Mr. Moochick said that by the time we defeated Tirek, he'd warped the Rainbow so badly that it could never be what it was. When it attacked the Rainbow of Light, it was basically trying to kill its own sister, not because Tirek told it to, but because it wanted to. The Rainbow of Light tried to heal it, but it didn't want to be healed. Tirek had turned it into a monster like him, and the only mercy the Rainbow of Light could offer its twin was the kind we saw at the end of the movie Megan showed us about the family dog who went rabid. It's no wonder the Rainbow destroyed Tirek for what he'd done.

He wasn't evil because he liked the dark, he was evil because he was a selfish, cruel, small spirited bully. He could have championed anything else, like ice, or trees, or fire, or stone, or anything that some of the other baddies we've faced have championed, and he'd have been just as bad. But that doesn't make any of those things bad. And just cause he liked the night, that doesn't make the night bad.

And it isn't Luna. When people get scared of the dark, it's cause they don't understand it. And bad guys like to scare people, so they take the easy way to be scary and make everything they do about the dark. Doesn't make the dark a bad thing.

How would we see the stars and the moon? Where would the fun be in camping out without a night of sing alongs and stories? Or how about when Megan comes over for movie night? We'd never be able to watch them on that big screen if it wasn't dark. Heck, without the nighttime, when would we ever get any sleep? Shucks, Wind Whistler says you'll die if you don't sleep.

--

"Well, I guess not… But Wind Whistler said…"

"Let me tell you a secret about Wind Whistler." She gave me a smile that I'd usually come to expect from Surprise when she was in a pranking mood. "Wind Whistler is smart, she thinks things through, and she's very good at seeing things from every possible angle. But she can also let her big ol' brain run away with her sometimes, and it takes a bit for her heart and her head to catch up. She'd never hurt somepony's feelings on purpose, but she can forget that badly chosen words can be hurtful."

"But she said…"

"She said that, yeah, but that doesn't mean she thinks so. Wind Whistler's the kind of pony who looks at every possibility, even the ones we hope aren't so, because she wants us to be ready for anything. But just because anything can happen doesn't mean it will happen, or that she thinks it will happen. According to Star-Reacher, she had also looked at the idea that since Celestia's connected to the sun, she might burst into flames at any minute. Or that if you two were apart for too long, the sun and moon would fly away and the world would turn upside down."

"...Really?!"

"Yeah, crazy right?" Applejack laughed. "I was talking with her earlier and she told me, and I quote, 'I've come to the conclusion that my earlier hypothesis was not only erroneous, but illogical. It was based upon circumstantial evidence and preconceived notions on the symbolic meanings of light and dark, with no actual evidence based on the character of the subjects in question. I fear I have not only committed an intellectual blunder, but grievously harmed the psyche of one of our dearest fillies. The next time I encounter Luna, I must make amends for the emotional damage my ill conceived supposition has caused.'" Applejack gasped for breath after running through that monologue.

I could only stare because I had no idea what she just said.

"That's Wind Whistler's way of saying that you and Celestia being the embodiments of good and evil was a stupid idea, and that she feels terrible because she made you think you were a bad pony just because you're connected with the night. I could tell she was upset, cause whenever she gets really worked up she piles on her brainy talk even more than usual."

I couldn't help laughing at that.

"There's the smile." Applejack hugged me again. "It's not how we're made that makes us who we are, Luna. It's the choices we make. Tirek would never feel bad about hurting someone, but you're so worried about everyone that you were ready to leave because you thought maybe someday somepony might get hurt. And besides that, take a look out there."

She pointed a hoof out the window. The stars were out, and the moon was full that night. It was dark, but it didn't seem so harsh and scary anymore. It was so peaceful, inviting, calming. The scary darkness I had seen monsters and evil hiding inside was nowhere in sight.

"It's… a really pretty night." I smiled, feeling much better as Applejack hugged me again.

"Yeah, now come on, it's late and even the night needs her sleep." She tucked me in and sang me a lullaby.

Hush now, little filly
You're loved by all you know
You'll never lose their friendship
No matter where you go
There ain't no call to worry
So don't you cry or fret
We love you just because you're you
And won't let you forget






"Is that the story you wanted to hear, Applejack?" I finally asked.

Applejack looked thoughtful... and slowly nodded. Tears in her eyes, but not sad or angry tears. "Yeah... ironic. It reminds meh of how lots of ponies felt after what Discord did... Guess meh and her have more in common than eatin' apples and farmin'."

"You would make her so proud, Applejack..." I said with a genuine smile. "She's looking down from Father at you with the same smile she showed me."

"Ah hope so. And Ah know this'll help clear up that book with the family that knows..." she said, then looked confused. "... But Ah don't get it, why not just tell me that story from the get go? Do ya think Ah wouldn't understand, 'she was brainwashed by evil magic', after it happened to me twice? Were yah really just clearin' your conscience?"

"For Tirek... I felt that you needed to know the context of why being like him scared me so, and so you'd understand why he'd do such a horrid thing to your ancestor as he did... and... because as I said, Majesty is my mortal grandmother... I cannot say 'if only I had' or regret... instead I must live with the truth: I did not pass over Tirek in disgust and give Majesty, a truly worthy wielder who Heathspike would have approved of, the Rainbow of Darkness, as a truly wise goddess would have... I've seen it in the Truth, Applejack: eventually the two would have come to blows as inevitably as night following day. Tirek would threaten Dream Valley one day no matter what and she would defend it... and if she'd had the Rainbow instead, it'd have revitalized her at the end instead."





Majesty smiled to the Rainbow that had learned righteous anger and protective instinct from her... as it shared, alongside its energy to restore her, a glimpse of something that could end him for good. "You like lasting solutions... so do I..." she said, and took a deep breath.

"I call the End unto me.
From deepest depths of Oblivion's sea.
From She who when the last star dies is awoken.
Break the one who can't be broken..." said Majesty, cringing as dark magic tinted her horn black.

Tirek snarled, firing spell after spell, only for all of them to be blocked by the Rainbow. "How can such radiant darkness not see me as its one true master?!"

"Queen of Not, enter my soul
And make my heart like smoldering coals." Majesty required all her love to not be crushed by the absolute void of Entropy she was channeling.

"To summon forth a deathly power
To see my hated foe devoured!" Majesty finished, before opening eyes that were pitch black. She unleashed a beam that assumed the shape of the Mother of the Draconequi herself, who crashed down on Tirek like a tidal wave.

"THE END…"

Flying skywards, the spell carried Tirek's writhing, defiant spirit in its jaws... before diving straight down into a vortex to Oblivion itself.

Majesty panted, falling to her knees, horn black from the forehead up. She smiled to the Rainbow, watching as Tirek's lifeless husk of a body turned black and the very atoms faded from existence. His spirit unmade and body less than dust.





"The Rainbow of Darkness would never be tainted by Tirek, and he would have never returned, destroyed down to his very soul while Majesty returned to her loving family and subjects in Dream Valley... and lived to see my mother become the mare who raised me."





Majesty looked down at her granddaughter... her little moon at night, her horn permanently blackened from the dark magic spell used to end Tirek forever. "Luna... you are like me. Dark magic comes naturally to us both... but dark is not evil. You and Celestia are both special, one must not run from the darkness or the light... both are important. Why do you think we are stewards to both Rainbows? They're siblings just like you two... meant to work together," she said, nuzzling her lovingly.





"... Majesty would have loved me, understood me... I would have had a grandmother who understood me as I deluded myself into thinking Tirek did... and I killed her with my selfishness before we ever could meet... and my mother, I never got to apologize for what I'd done to our family, by the time I was aware of what I was, I didn't get the chance and even if I had, the spell would've stopped me... I felt I owed Majesty one thing."

I looked her in the eyes so she knew I wasn't lying. "I know you can't stand all the good Majesty did to be covered up and lied about... Majesty's final curse has long since served its purpose... I am not as trusted to be honest as you, and that is my fault as Nightmare Moon. My sister, bless her, lies about herself to save others pain... You are dependable, honest, and respected... If you know this story and share it... others will listen... I'm sorry, but I am not my Father... I have never had the knack for 'working in mysterious ways' as he does... nor are you Twilight Sparkle who would read an entire book I just left for you to find... I didn't do this the right way... but I did it the way I thought you'd remember it the best."

I then sighed as I had to remind Applejack of her uniqueness. "And... dear Applejack, I also tell you... because the spell has no effect on you. I've tried before. I tried telling the Paradise Ponies after my ascension, but the spell would always make them forget within an hour of hearing it. It became too hard to tell anypony the story just to see them forget. But you? You bear the Element of Honesty and hold the power of the Truth. Like any illusion or deceiving magic, Majesty's spell can't affect you. You can't forget it because the Truth has seen it. The curse was broken the moment you learned all of this. You provided me with the loophole I needed to bypass her spell. Now, you can remember the story, pass it on to others, and Majesty can finally be remembered. It had to be you, it could be no one else."

"... So, ya told me all that stuff we've gone over since this started was to be sure Ah got the whole story. So, Ah'd keep her memory alive... Well, Ah don't like how yah did it... but wantin' tah right a wrong done tah yer family? Ah can appreciate that..." AJ replied. "But Ah'm still cross at yah fer it."

She's honest.

"Then I will subject myself to any nightmare of your choosing as penance."

"... Let meh think on that..."

We sat there for a few moments.

"So, anything else ya were hidin' this whole time ya wanna be straight about?" she asked.

"Well there is one thing..." I said, trying to lighten the mood a bit...she deserved it. "I have been using terminology you know and understand this entire time, so some things were not named as they actually were when this happened, as it'd have required far more explaining on my part. Do remember this was thousands of years ago and as my speech pattern when I returned should attest, language can change quite a bit. If I spoke it in the language of the day you would likely not understand me, and you lack translation spells like Twilight does...for instance, the word 'Cutie Mark' was not common use until well into the second age."

She raises an eyebrow. "Really? Then what did we call 'em then?"

I can't help snickering at what I am about to say. "Rump Designs."

Applejack stares at me blindly for a few moments. "...You're jokin'."


"You have the truth, you know I am not. Ponies in complete earnest referred to Cutie Marks as Rump Designs in her day as the common word for it. Does it really surprise you? Ponies called their sub groups 'Rainbow Ponies' and 'Big Brother Ponies' and to this day still name themselves very descriptive names based on likes, talents, and such. Therefore is it really surprising your species' name for designs that appear on your rumps would be equally as literal?"

We both share a laugh at it. It feels good to do such a thing.

"Good, that is why your ancestor told me about that: to make me laugh."

Applejack chuckles. "Yeah...guess Ah can see why, it'd be kinda hard tah take yah seriously if yah had to say 'Rump Design' every time yah said Cutie Mark."

I do not remind her that Griffons have a similar reaction to hearing the word Cutie Mark. Or remind her that not too long ago ponies considered the most outlandish and strange mane styles top fashion.

Applejack has her answers now. She need not know the details that the Rainbow of Light did not kill Tirek, but sent him alive body and soul to Tartarus. Nor would she gain any wisdom from the tale of Tirek and the true Scorpan's return to the mortal world. Tirek escaping Tartarus during the war, taking Scorpan from purgatory, and Starlight Angel trying to stop him wouldn’t hold her interest either. And if she has had her fill of epic battles, she’d have no patience for how Scorpan befriended with one of the Starswirl the Beardeds during our reign after Discord's first defeat, bravely stood up to what his brother had become, and the ensuing battle where I took the Chariot of Midnight. She knows her family were not that monster's cohorts, and that is enough. If you wish, perhaps one day you can listen in on me telling Pip... again. He will never hear it enough times. Even if the version I tell him leaves out details that young foals needn’t hear.

"... So, what happened tah Majesty? If Ah'm gonna be spreadin' her story, Ah'd like to know how it ends. She become our Mother Goddess like Tiamat or something?" she asked me.

I chuckle. "No, she didn't. My brother Leo is your Father God and has no wife. But we did offer."





"I am proud you think me worthy," Majesty said, speaking to my sister Abbatissa, Goddess of Prayer. "But I'm tired... I just want to rest and be with my family again. Godhood is not something I have ever wanted. I held my throne long enough in life, let another who wants the empty throne of Magic to take it. Personally, I think the race for godhood is a fool's game. No offense to you... quite the opposite." 
-
And for one moment, Applejack's eyes widened, and her gift/curse of Truth, caused her to glimpse beyond the veil, and she saw the heavy pillar carried on my back that helped hold up the universe. She shook her head free of the vision. 
-
Abbatissa smiled and bowed her head. "As you wish, Majesty."

"I just have one question: are my ponies safe?" asked Majesty.

My sister Fate looked to Majesty. "It is as you told him: Tirek's iron fist will be shattered by a mother's hand. Avoiding that fate is now beyond him. His foe shall not take your crown, but will be their 'mother' and hero in your place."

"Then I may rest in peace," she replied.

"Do you wish to wait and watch his end so you may be certain?" Mortis asked.

Majesty gave a snort. "And miss another moment with my family? He's not worth it."

Mortis nodded. "Then come, Majesty. Our Father awaits."

As Mortis lead her along to her reward, many gods of both Pantheons saw her off, all for their own reasons. I will admit, Majesty was the rare mortal our families both respected.

Strife merely gave a rare applause.

"I thought you didn't care about those trampled by your march," Celestia asked Strife.

Natural Selection chuckled. "She wasn't trampled. She ensured her species' and bloodline's survival to the last act of her life. And I have nothing but respect for that."

Pandora sang a Bard's account of Majesty's life Strife had commissioned herself.

Majesty looked to Destruction and instantly knew him. "... Thank you for lending me your power. I couldn't have stopped Sea Wizard's tsunami without it."

Destruction gave a rare lucid smile. "You're welcome... nobody has ever thanked me before."

"Great work knockin' down all those tyrants, girl. And big props for taking Tirek down a couple pegs." Anarchy gave the queen of Dream Valley a thumbs up and a wink.

"Always happy to serve the cause of freedom."

My brother Pensilis met her at the gate... and took a key and unlocked invisible chains lined with weights she'd never known were weighing down her soul, letting them fall to the 'ground' where he turned them into a halo of gold. "You gave all for those you love. Truly you have earned this," he said, putting it above her head.

My sister Venus formed Majesty's love into beautiful wings of pink flame upon her back. "A mother who loved her children more than her own life. A Queen who loved her subjects more than anything in all the earth. You have earned these."

Majesty bowed. "I am grateful. But my family is reward enough."

"Let it never be said the Gods have no gratitude for true works in their name," Pensilis said.

"And one more reward, one I am sure you will find greater than all of these combined," Venus said. "...You never got to share you kingdom with your mate in life. So if you so choose, I would proudly give you a wedding to unite you for all time."

Majesty thought it over... and smiled. She had long since stopped fearing civilization. She knew well from allies what a wedding meant: a pledge to each other for all time in love. "A simple wedding in a forest with our foals. Black Anvil and Feanor as ring bearers if they will accept... I don't see anything wrong with an elf knight for my maid of honor if she's willing."

"A mare of simple tastes as always, Majesty."

"I always was."

And with that, Majesty entered my Father's forehooves and has never left. Even for Tirek's final judgment, she merely repeated what she had said before: he wasn't worth it. Her wedding was as simple and beautiful as her coronation. Just as she desired.

As each of her friends joined her, she was one of the first to greet them as they passed on... and remembered her as they met once again. Together in eternity.

-


"Glad she got the endin' she wanted," said Applejack with a smile.

"Indeed... Well, I'm sure after all this, you must be ready for bed. I'll have the servants take you to one of the guest rooms." I took the silencing spell off the room and rang the bell for a maid.

"Ah'd appreciate that." She still looks like she's trying to process everything.

"Also, I can enchant your sleep to make it as restful as a full night as an apology for using so much of your time."

I notice the look she gets in response.

"Yes, I can do that. No, I won't do it more than this one time. Because you are yourself and would work yourself to mental exhaustion taking advantage of it."

"... Yeah, Ah would..."

She is indeed honest.

We just wait for the maid to arrive and all we can do is stand there, neither of us knowing what to do. It astounds me that I've faced powers that most mortals can't even fathom, but I'm stumped by an awkward silence between friends.

"Guessin' that Ah can't really call ya 'Cousin', though, huh?"

"Um, I beg your pardon?"

"Well, like ya said, mah ancestor and her friends were yer adopted aunts. Not the strictest connection, but Ah learned a long time ago that family don't end with blood." She looked at me with an expression that was filled with a turmoil of emotions. "So, if the first Applejack called ya family... Ah guess it wouldn't be too far fetched ta think of ya as mah family, too. If ya wanted to be, Ah mean."

I couldn't speak. I didn't trust myself not to start blubbering like a foal, so I gave a grateful smile and a thankful nod.

"Though, callin' a princess 'Cousin' probably wouldn't go over well, huh?"

I couldn't help but giggle from that assessment, and neither could she. 

"So where's the book, cousin?"

I startled. "We don't know what ye mean, Abigail Jacqueline fifth of the fifth line." 

"Ya said that ya couldn't just leave a book for me to read like ya could Twilight, which means ya have a book that could've answered what happened to Applejack The First, and Ah'm bettin' Moon Dancer The First, Bubbles, and Cotton Candy The First. After all, ya just told me ya were born and raised at Paradise Estate."

"Abigail, Applejack, we didn't exactly have time to gather our things when we left."

"But ya've had thousands of years since then am Ah right? There's no way in blue blazes ya wouldn't have gone back. Even if it had painful memories, there would have been way too many good ones for ya to leave it all to rot..." 

"Obviously, thine family has Applejack The First's diary, how else would ye have found out the incomplete picture to begin with?"

"Yeah, but Ah've seen enough of the Truth to know: nothing is by accident, but not everythin' is planned. And ya wouldn't have mentioned that idea unless ya thought ya could."

I sighed. There was much to be told, but much that was meant to be private. Truth and privacy have never been friends. It becomes an incomprehensible spiderweb of what ponies knows what, and what piece of information could be said that would spiral out everything. For the greater good, sacrifices must be made. 

"If we have such a book, what would you do with it?"

"The right thing. Just before Ah got here, Moon Dancer was lookin' in a really bad sorts! She read a book by somepony named Stan Auburn about the rescue at Midnight Castle!

"Ah don't know if he's some jerk, or if he's just pulled together the wrong picture from the little bits he could get like us, but it's easy to guess what Moon Dancer read! Mah family ain't the only one hurt by all of this! If this was just some private little thing among the Apples that would be one thing. The guy obviously isn't a big seller or the Apples would have ponies at our doorstep askin' what it was like to descendant from a 'traitor!' And Rarity's taught me facin' the guy would just make his book sell more! But Moon Dancer read it! And she's hurt by it! Ah'm no writer! Ah'm no history pony! But maybe Ah can help somepony who IS set the record straight! It ain't gotta about be yer crazy extended families! Just the truth of the paradise ponies! It deserves to be said that none of em were traitors!"  

We perform an old trick that Applejack knows all too well. We rolled up a tapestry, and pulled away several stone blocks with our telekinesis. We reached past the infinitely-self-repeating-spacial barrier and pulled out a book... Kimono's journal, Bon-Bon's diary, Applejack The First's... And now...

"Here Applejack... The notes of events the paradise ponies gave Megan for events she wasn't present for and their own point of view for those 'good old days'. These will fill in the holes. Don't worry, we've already arranged for much of the First and Second Ages to be 'miraculously recovered' as part of an initiative Twilight started with us, adding one more to the pile won't hurt. It was recovered from the ruins of a first age structure, that isn't a lie." 

I considered giving her one of Megan's books based on her visits to Ponyland, but Megan's editors had revised the accounts to make them more appealing to audiences, and Megan herself had made changes to appease watchful parents and not to give her own children nightmares. 

"The Lickety Splits are sure gonna have a lot more stories to tell." 

"Maybe, maybe not, oral tradition tends to embellish events as the generations pass, and some might not care for the brave farmgirl over the invincible valkyrie."

Heh, that look in Applejack's eyes was all I needed to know she was thinking of how SHE would be remembered in eons in come. I wonder if I should show her the portrait the Children of Lilith painted to hide their shame of repeated defeats at the hands of a ranch girl that depicted her as an Amarezonian warrior with the Rainbow of Light in one hand and a shotgun in the other as she rode atop a version of Applejack that looked more like that musclebound stallion I've seen around Ponyville. What? I have a sense of humor. 

"And Applejack?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"When we meet next, would you like to hear the story of how your ancestor saved my mother and the other Twinkle Eye Ponies and gave them back their eyesight? This time no diversions."

Applejack smiled. "Would love that Princess."
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Applejack The Fifth of the Fifth Line

"Alright, this here is the address alright," Ah said to mahself. The day was turnin' foggy, which had made making up for chores all the more tedious, but Ah needed to make time for a round trip to Canterlot twice in two days. Canterlot's weather pegasi must have thought it would be 'charmin' or somethin'. Goldie Delicious was family, but she lived farther away and Ah was already in Canterlot, and Moon Dancer looked to be in worse trouble over this than my cousin. "Moon Dancer! Ah know yer home!" 

The door creaked open, revealing a Moon Dancer with a frazzled mane. "Yes? Applejack?" 

"Ah've got somethin' that Ah know ya wanna see! Something Ah know is gonna help ya tons!" Ah show'er mah precious cargo. Moon Dancer knows her books, and she can tell what Ah'm holdin'! 

She pulls me inside on the spot! Then she locks the door behind us like she's worried there are ponies in back out there out to get us! 

And Ah thought Twili' really loved books, Moon Dancer looked like she could open her own library! All of it organized and everythin', there was also some light and astrology gizmos Ah wouldn't know from one of Apple Bloom's science projects. 

"Where did you get this?!" She pulled the book right out of mah mouth with her magic! 

"Ah don't lie, so ya know what Ah'm sayin' is true! Ah told Princess Luna how ya were down in the dumps! Ah found some nasty stuff 'bout mah family Ah wasn't about tah swallow hook line and sinker, and figured from what ya said it had ta be the same boat. Yer bein' royal commissioned to publish the truth in a way the average pony can get!" 

"... I've already seen the truth... and it's ugly and vile and our only legacy is one of shame." She gestured at a little table. 

Ah looked at the book that got Moon Dancer's mane in a twist. Alicorns and Demons by Stan Auburn. It was full of bookmarks and dog eared pages that Moon Dancer had prob'ly marked to keep track of where it referred to her ancestor. She and Twilight had a lot more in common than Ah think either realized. 

Ah was about to take a look inside when Ah noticed another book underneath it.

The Starswirl Code by Stan Auburn. 

Wait... No way! This was written by that guy?! 

"Moon Dancer, ya mean ta say ya were takin' a book written by this varmint seriously?" Ah couldn't' believe it. "Ah wish Ah'd known this was the same fella that wrote The Starswirl Code when ya mentioned him before. Ah'd 'a been able ta tell ya it was horseapples."

"Well, when you see it all together in the book it ends up making so much sense."

"The book is a load of hogwash! Even for fiction, it's unbelievable! Ah've heard about it, but everyone Ah've talked to says it's one of the dumbest things they've ever read. Twilight ranted for two straight days about how badly done and inaccurate the darn thing was, even for just a story! And Twilight was able to turn her brain off for Daring Do surviving a dark magic volcano eruption by hiding in a fridge."

"Well…"

"Moon Dancer," Ah sat next to her. "Ah think yer still torn up inside after what happened at the weddin'. Believe me, so am Ah. Havin' that witch in your head for days is gonna leave some marks. Then, when yer already feelin' lower than a rattlesnake's belly button, in comes some high falootin' book tellin' ya all the things yer guilt's been sayin' already. And ya feel so bad that ya're ready to believe it. And ya feel like ya deserve to be punished for it."

"...It's like Discord all over again." She sounds like she's ready ta burst into tears.

"Thing is, what Discord and Chrysalis did to ya wasn't yer fault. Ya didn't want to hurt anypony. Those snakes twisted ya up into somethin' they wanted ya ta be. They're just a couple of big bullies who want to hurt people and then laugh when they think it's their fault. And that's what happened ta our ancestors too."

Ah turned her to look at her. "What happened wasn't their fault, and it didn't make them bad ponies. And neither did what happened to us. And that's the Truth, Moon Dancer."

And Ah could tell she saw that in mah eyes, just before she hauled off and hugged me so hard my bones creaked.

"So, ya feel like spreadin' the truth around a little bit?" Ah ask when she finally lets go. "Cause Ah've got the truth right here from the horse's mouth, if you're interested in hearing it."

"Yeah… I think I will."

When she got to the part she was looking for, she hugged me tight.

"Thank you, Applejack…"

"Aww shucks, just doin' mah best tah help other ponies," Ah said. 

Unlike Luna, Ah decided tah wait till she read over what she wanted to read before dropping the big bombshell.

"Moon Dancer, Ah got something else we're gonna need tah talk about….There's this queen who erased herself from history tah save everypony from losing faith, and Ah'd like to-"

Ah...there's the 'Gifted Unicorn face'. Okay then, guess trying to get a brainiac to listen to a big historical thing is easier than Ah thought.

"A queen who erased herself from history?! Holy horseshoes this is huge! This changes the entire study of ancient history! All those books needing to be revised, all the secrets of our past, all the new discoveries it could lead to! There would be YEARS worth of research, fact checking, cross referencing! CHECKLISTS! The checklists alone would take years to compile! It's a historian's dream come true!"

...Oh, sweet Celestia, what have Ah done? I can only hope she doesn't get Twilight in on this, or Equestria will get buried under an avalanche of research notes.





Boy howdy, Ah forgot how long it takes to get ta Goldie Delicious' place. Ah swear, it's a miracle the trip takes this long even without me runnin' inta some kind'a problem. And why da heck was there fog everywhere? Glad Ah was at least able to steer clear of that creepy lookin' cave. 

-
Ponythulu never understood why ponies kept trying to take a shortcut through his basement. Maybe he needed to get around to patching those holes on his domain's walls. He'd tell them to politely avoid his realm, but last time he tried that he drove someone insane. And he'd have to tell Cousin Slendy to stop crashing there every other day between stalking the woods. Not that he didn't love family get togethers, but a little heads up would be appreciated instead of just showing up. Even if showing up with no explanation was Slendy's whole shtick. That and Slendy was allergic to stuffed animals that were truly loved and Ponythulhu had to put away his daughter's before a visit.
-

Finally got to Cousin Goldie's place. Ah could hear 'er cats yowlin' for the last quarter mile. Heh, at least Goldie never had a problem with mice and having that big old cat of hers scared off a lot of predators. Funny. Seems like a lifetime ago since Ah came here the first time and got this whole mess about our ancestor started.

Ah carefully stepped around the few cats that were napping by the door and gave a strong knock.

"Cousin Goldie!? It's Applejack! Ah bring good tidin's!" 

Ah heard the noise of cats scatterin' as the door opened. Cousin Goldie saw mah similin' face. 

"Applejack? What happened?"

"Ah found out the truth, Cousin Goldie. The full truth. And a friend of mine's helpin' me spread the word."

Ah pulled out a manuscript for the first draft of Moon Dancer's new book. The Truth of Midnight Castle. The cover sketch showed the Paradise Ponies includin' our ancestor. The 'Forgotten Queen of Ponyland' wouldn't be ready to be published fer six years Moon Dancer said, but better than never! 

"Ah got a lot ta tell ya about Applejack the First, Goldie."

"Wha… I… was she…?"

"She was a hero, Goldie. She got hurt by some dumb monster like a lot of ponies have, but she was an apple to the core. And her story's got a lot more to tell than even that."

Cousin Goldie smiled as a tear ran down her wrinkly cheek. 

"Also, mah friend was fixin' ta write another book all about the Apple family, goin' all the way back to Applejack the First, and she'd like you to help her write it."

"Me?!" Goldie gasped. 

"Well, sure, you're the Apple Family historian. She wants your expertise and getting all the details that other folks never heard of. And lemme tell ya, the way these books are goin' there's gonna be a lotta ponies who wanna know more about our family pretty soon."

The old gal looked ready to dance, she was so happy. "Well, come in in, youngin'. Ah'll put some tea on and we'll have ourselves a chat about our family."

"Sounds like a great idea, Goldie."

Ah'll tell yah one thing: listenin' tah the story of the worst baddie in history and the one about a queen that was lost to time? It was worth it tah see the look on Goldie's face when she learned the truth about our ancestor… even if she was a silly pony.

~Fin
> Omake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



It watches the ponies from a distance. These woods have long been among its hunting grounds. Reality was thin in the cave a few miles back, and it allows a passage between the domain of its kin and the mortal realm. 

They call it the Slender Pony, but only in this world. Its presence is known across many worlds. Yet, the means to defy it are known to few. These apples ponies however seemed shielded against it. It had long stalked the older mare, but she knew its weakness; playthings imbued with disgusting love. She seemed to have enough of the cursed things mixed with living felines that it barred him from her home. And the younger mare... she was connected to the elements, and had already used it against Discord.

Though, it was not concerned. The plans of its kin were set in motion. Soon the world would be a playground for it and its kind. And these ponies would either be reduced to helpless prey, or join in the feastivities.

Still, better to enjoy the hunt while it was still a challenge. 

It stalked off to find some mortal to slake its appetite for fear and desperation. Suddenly, it hears a noise. A cave lies not a hundred hooves away, and he can hear breathing. Some mortal has cornered themself in the cave. Maybe a camper or a lost hiker, it makes no difference. It senses no love in the area, so it is free to hunt.

It phases into the cave, tight against the wall. It enjoys when they don't see it right away. The game is much more entertaining. It phases again, looking with no eyes for the source of the breathing. It knows there's something here.

Strange… it knows the smell of mortals. All the flesh, blood, the scent of the earth that they were formed from. Yet this smells different. It's not living, but not dead either. There’s something else in the air. It smells almost like one of its kin. But it would have sensed it if one of them were present.

It looks around the cave and realizes something that gives it pause. It's too dark to see. It has no eyes, but it has seen the darkest night as clear as daylight... yet this darkness is too deep for it to see. A creature like it should not be struck by such mortal limitations, so why is the darkness suddenly making it uneasy?

It takes a step and feels something snap beneath its hoof. In the past, it had stepped on twigs while hunting in the woods. The sudden noise instills sweet fear in its prey during the hunt. Yet it had never done so unintentionally. It expects to find it had stepped on a tree branch or a small rock that rolled into the cave. 

Instead, it finds bone. No, the construct of a bone. The creature the bone belonged to was not native to the mortal world. It stinks of unspeakable thoughts and dark magic. It was one of the Black Goat’s Young. The curse had given it form from the thoughts of this world. 

It looks into the Young’s past to see its fate. The rumor that spawned it was a plague of a creature; a great six winged serpent that manipulated others into torture and murder so it could feed on bloodshed and death. No wonder that story was among its cousin’s plans. 

Yet… the Young is dead. It does not feel even a lingering scent of the curse that spawned it. Even in death, it should have left a scent. The Outer Concepts occasionally leave stains on the world, especially when their physical form is destroyed. Yet, there is no trace of even the copper aroma of blood or the stink of decayed flesh. Even the bones are no longer mere bones. They were stripped of all trace of life, rendered as rock like the bones of those ancient giant reptiles that mortals dig in the dirt for. 

The essence of the Young is picked clean. How can it be? The plan is only just beginning. The fog was only just rolling in. How can this one be dead so soon? Could it have been killed by one of its siblings? It sees breaks and gashes in many of the bones. It sees claw marks. It sees teeth marks. The bones turn to ash, and the ash turns to nothing as it watches. With the curse gone, nothing can keep it in existence. It is as if it was never there. It wonders if the serpent was the only one destroyed, or if more Young have met their end here.

Then it hears the breathing again. 

It turns and peers into the dark. It still sees nothing, but it feels a presence. It senses eyes looking back at it, and it feels familiar. The presence reeks of the same lust for the kill, the desire for fear and pain, the hunger to destroy that it feels. It senses a darkness that it has never beheld in a mortal soul before. Yet, this presence is not one of its kind. But if it isn't one of its kind… what is it?

Two pinpricks of yellow light appear in the darkness, and it takes a step back. It... feels afraid? Why is it afraid? It is not some half-breed like the Young. It is the great Slender One! An Outer Concept of unknowable fear and dread. No mortal can face one of its number and survive.

Except...

It remembers a story its cousin told once. Of the one mortal who ever outwitted one of his avatars, and devoured his powers for himself. One whose darkness was on par with its cousin. It would never admit it, but the possibility made it feel uneasy. But that mortal has been dead for thousands of years. … Except for an incident a millennium ago when it somehow became the first to ever escape Havoc’s domain. But it had been sent back to its damnation. Surely this could not be… 

"Welcome to darkness, abomination." The voice in the dark hisses, its eyes flashing with bloodlust to rival its own. It hears sniffing and the smacking of lips. "It has been so long since I've tasted your kind. The serpent was exquisite, but you… I smell so much more power in you. And I still hunger..."

It ran. It ran as fast as its slender legs could carry it out of the cave and into the woods. It did not matter where it was going, as long as it was far away from the darkness in that cave. It did not stop until it was well past the apple ponies' house. It felt that place would ward off the thing it had confronted, just as it had been kept at bay. Or it hoped it would.

It decides the forest is no longer suitable hunting grounds. When it sees its cousin, it will tell him of the creature and let him deal with it when he remakes the world. 

...That cave the dark creature was hiding in was only a mile away. Perhaps it should keep moving. Or get to the shortcut to Cousin Ponythulu's place and lay low until the plan starts.
> Applejack The First After Death Drabble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Hello Applejack, welcome to eternity.

Applejack had to be honest looking back on her life. She spent eons knocking Grogar back into the shadow realm every 500 years, and saw pony civilization rise to its peak, only for it to fall back to the middle ages while she tried helping ponykind reach utopia. And THEN to help raise and look after Little Discord who'd turned into an evil overlord himself and knocked down ponykind's progress AGAIN... And finally, she saw Discord possess Wind Whistle when he tried to possess Galaxy, and kill Galaxia (heh, their similar names led to some confusing times after Galaxia stopped using her alias). And Discord destroyed part of the Rainbow of Light Patch had spent centuries putting back together, all her hard work wiped away. And Mimic... she'd given up everything for them to get away safe.

And that was when Applejack did the one thing she'd never done in her life. She'd given up. She turned empty inside. She'd said she'd go and look after Surprise, and Galaxy said she'd go to look after Applejack so she didn't do anything... foolish.

Surprise was still doing what Discord had told her to do, 'Go farm rocks', and nothing any of them could do was able to remove this geass from Surprise.

Discord was still using Ponyland as his personal playground and ponies as his toys, and Applejack had given up. Applejack had given up, and had in her own way made Galaxy give up. And had left Lulu, Celly, Twilight, and Spike to carry on.

Firefly had gone off on her own to find her own way to defeat Discord while looking after poor Posey. Applejack hadn't heard of any progress from her.

Mimic had died for them, and Applejack had just given up. Ponies were suffering, her friends were struggling, and Applejack had just given up.

To be honest, part of Applejack had expected to go to the Other Place.

After all, what had she done to overcome that cowardice? What had she done to make up for it? What was she doing to make up for it as Discord just continued to randomly rain chaos?

What had she done to try and rescue Shady from her son? What had she done to help Baby Shady try to get her brother back to his senses? (Not Half-brother, they had both been born without a father after all, Shady from the mirror, and Discord from Shady herself).

As the years went by, it had become increasingly obvious that in spite of the geass, Surprise was proving very capable of taking care of herself.

Surprise had even fallen in love and started a family.

Applejack could have been searching for Baby Applejack's family, making sure they were alright. Instead, she'd ultimately become part of Surprise's. She was thousands of years old, but one is never too old to fall in love. And Discord's chaos proved at least to be an effective relationship pressure-cooker, ponies more often than not didn't want to risk a 'wait and see attitude.'

Maybe Applejack just didn't have much imagination, but she named her first foal Baby Applejack. Well, Baby Applejack had long since had a family and had grown old and died of old age. And she'd seen her daughter grow up and name her first foal Applejack, and now her first great-greatfilly had been named Applejack. Applejack herself wondered just what she'd unleashed. Oh well, it wasn't like it would go on forever would it?

And while Surprise's rock farm had grown, in no small part by somehow channeling the ambient magic that Discord's chaos was spreading. Discord still caused trouble, while Applejack continued to sit on her aging flank and did nothing. While Applejack also gave Galaxy the excuse to do nothing but teach anypony who'd listen whatever she could in honor of Wind Whistler.

Megan had given them so much, and they'd smashed it reaching for more, and now Discord was grinding it into dust, reducing everything that came before to fairytales.

And Applejack did nothing.

In her old age, she woke up in the middle of the night (Luna and Celestia had stubbornly done their hardest to try and keep Discord from messing with the day and night too much), hearing somepony calling her name, and gotten out of bed, to see herself still in bed, not breathing. And Granny Applejack had felt no pain for the first time in decades. Her husband was still sleeping next to her. 

And Applejack came face to face with... 

"Starlight?" Earth pony, Pink fur, blond mane, blue eyes, north star cutie mark, it was Starlight all right.

"Nice to talk with you again Applejack." 

"The black wings and sword are new."

"They come with my new job."

"... Is this a dream?"

Starlight slowly shook her head. "No, not really."

"Then I'm dead?"

Starlight nodded. "You're free Applejack."

"...I knew I was running out of time... I always thought maybe I'd have one more day..."

"I know that feeling... "

"So you're an angel now?"

"An angel of death, fitting repentance don't you think? I'm not allowed into Heaven until I work off all the deaths my miscalculations helped cause."

"That was... I can't remember how many centuries that was ago..."

"That's because you're still used to a consciousness shaped by the piece of meat in your skull. It'll grow out of it eventually. And I have a lot to make up for, good intentions or not. Come along Applejack, it's time to go."

"Just one second." She kissed her husband on the forehead. "Alright, now let's go."

-

Hello Applejack, welcome to eternity.

So yeah, Applejack's new family had loved her, respected her, even admired her. But that didn't change the fact she'd sat on her flanks for the rest of her life since that day, never fighting Discord, never using those eons of experience against him while her other friends did. Only living and working on the rock farm, looking after her family. She'd been broken that day, and she hadn't ever faced the one who'd broken her, instead, staying away from him.

So Applejack was surprised when she was pretty sure she was let into Pony Heaven rather than The Other Place, or That-Place-In-Between she'd heard about for ponies who weren't really anything. Maybe this was one of those irony things where she thinks she was let into Pony Heaven for a while before finding out it was missing everything that made forever worthwhile.

"Welcome to paradise Applejack."

And before Applejack was a white unicorn mare with a blue mane, and a fancy blue flower pattern for her cutie mark. She smiled warmly at Applejack.

Applejack was going to ask who she was, but in the same instant she thought of asking she knew exactly who the other pony was. Applejack remembered her coming to Ponyland, of every pony crowning this unicorn as their queen. When she'd first arrived, with her adopted son, SPIKE! Firefly and Wind Whistler and Magic Star had actually already known her! The Moochick had been expecting her! ... She also played plenty of pranks that doubled as lessons to a lot of ponies, including Applejack herself... Applejack had remembered the pinches from the Crab-Apple Tree, and being saved from the giant who had claimed her as a slave for trespassing...  But now she remembered this pony had ordered the Crab-Apple Tree from King Neptune, and it was this pony who had outwitted the giant...

And Applejack remembered when Lucky the Stallion had been born via this mare's magic, and later her many clone daughters with the foal mirror. Applejack thought she'd been scared of all her foals dying before she did. Of her going off to save Prince Valiant after he was kidnapped by Scorpan... and... 

"Majesty!" Applejack nuzzled her queen, Majesty had never cared for enforcing royal protocol on her ponies. "It's you! It's really you! But... I forgot... everyone just forgot..."

"Yes... And I'm sorry about that Applejack, that was our darkest hour, and I didn't want you to be crushed or driven to doing something foolish to avenge me. I sadly didn't have time to include a condition for the geass to be removed when Tirek was defeated." 

Applejack sighed. "Given... given how Discord broke me... I think you had a point... "

"I saw, it wasn't how I wanted to be reunited with Mimic... but she died like I did. Fate it seems is fond of repetition, sacrificing all she had for others and to give the enemy a bloody nose they wouldn't ever forget... I am proud of her. And Applejack." Majesty hugged her. "I don't blame you! I forgive you! Mimic made her own choice. Shady made her own choice. My grandfoals and grandson all made their own choice."

"I don't think Firefly forgives me."

"Don't assume. You and Galaxy may not have been fighting Discord directly, but you were still doing what he hates. You were giving ponies meaning, their lives, their future, their past, Discord hates meaning. Surprise was fighting Discord, giving meaning to his meaninglessness. She was also following Dissy's wishes, and staying safe."

"Dissy? Oh right, Galaxia said Discord ated him..."

"In a manner of speaking, but Discord forgot a very important lesson every mother teaches: you are what you eat. Dissy and Wind Whistler are both fighting him from within, even if he doesn't notice it. How else do you think his games have fallen into patterns? Applejack, what I am saying is, is that you didn't need to be face to face against Discord to fight him, you provided harmony and order in the sea of chaos and confusion Discord was trying to turn Ponyland into."

Applejack felt a weight lift from her shoulders. "Thank you, Majesty."  Applejack gave her a hug. 

"You're welcome my little pony, now come along, we have a lot of friends waiting to see you." 

~Fin