Twilight visit grim worlds 9 'Cutie Re-Mark' Part4

Alex Warlorn

(Was that REALLY a second Element of Magic? Or a restored Element of Trust?)

Meanwhile in Manehatten, Orangejack was attending a concert by her foalhood friend Countess.

Entertainers like Trixie, Countess, and Sapphire were given rather large free reign, since they kept the population happy and amused, and a happy population was less likely to rebel on you.

Trixie had actually had the gal to ask the Nightmare Queen to be her apprentice. Nightmare Moon had laughed in her face. Trixie had broken down in tears. "But, but you're everything I've ever wanted to be! Every pony ignored you, they ignored your brilliance, your greatness, they treated you like nothing, while some pony else got all the attention. I... I thought we were kindred spirits."

"Difference is little Lulamoon on a midsummer night? I ACTUALLY HAVE brilliance, I actually HAVE greatness... " Nightmare Moon had then magically struck her across the face. "Stick to keeping the empty-headed fools appeased with your lies. It's all you've ever been good for."

Trixie had tried to get the Alicorn Amulet to avenge herself for her humiliation... but Nightmare Moon's police state had no interest in allowing powerful magical artifacts to simply run loose like her sister had. Nightmare Moon had actually left a note, telling Trixie she was truly just nothing, and not worth the Nightmare's effort, even if her foolishness was quite amusing.

'Princess Starflower' became in Manehattan what Captain Smarty Pants was in Canterlot... to the point many ponies believed they were the same mare.

Countess meanwhile, her latest song lyrics had gotten a little too 'offensive' (with words like 'the sun shall rise') the royal guard had swarmed the place, declaring the concert over. For her part, Orangejack was horrified at what her friends had done, didn't Countess know what Nightmare Moon would do to her and her family?! (Nightmare Moon did not just punish you, she punished your entire family). She desperate thought of how she could get her friends out of this. Sapphire was impressed, Countess had done it before Sapphire could do the same with her act first.

Countess however had vanished in a blast of blue smoke... and found herself in the company of Trixie under the stage.

MtangaLion

"Foolishness," murmured Orangejack. "It was pointless to get our hopes up so. Even if..." She found herself looking up once more, to the glow that had filled the eastern sky for hours now. She shook her head, gathered her skirts, and made her way to the exit aisle... a lady did not hurry, after all.

She hesitated when the ponies around her started gasping, pointing at the sky with wings and hooves. Even the guards stood gawking. Orangejack lowered her parasol and saw the moon *moving*, sinking towards the horizon. "What in tarnation?" She coughed, dreadfully embarrassed by her slip, but... The for the first time in years, she dared to hope...



The moon slid beneath the horizon, leaving only the stars above and the burning glow on the horizon to illuminate Everfree City... that, and the soft rainbow light streaming from the crater that the Elements had blasted into the hillside near the palace. Moon Dancer, Twilight, and their friends crept up to the edge, nervous about what they might find. Dust and ash from Nightmare Moon getting blasted to bits or launched back into exile? Nightmare Moon herself, about to strike back?

Instead, they peered over the crater rim one by one and saw a young night-blue Alicorn curled in a ball, sobbing and rocking back and forth. The pieces of Nightmare Moon's armor lay scattered all around, too large for her now. "Don't leave me alone! Not again! Please, don't leave me alone..."

Pinkie hopped right into the crater and trotted down to her, ignoring Fluttershy's frightened gasp, Rainbow grabbing to stop her, and Zecora shaking her head and barring Rainbow's way.

"Hello," said Pinkie, in a gentle, almost motherly tone. "My name is Pinkie Pie. What's your name?"

The Alicorn recoiled, looking at Pinkie with wide eyes. "Huh?!"

Pinkie Pie smiled. "Would you like to be my friend?"

The Alicorn's eyes filled with tears. She leaped and hugged the smaller earth pony tight, crying. "Yes... Yes, yes! I'm Luna..." She stopped crying, blinking in wonder. "I'm Luna. I'm *Luna!*"

And then the glow on the horizon began shining brighter and brighter. Thick clouds started boiling up out of nowhere, sparing the eyes of ponies who hadn't seen daylight in five long years... as the sun rose.
Kendell2

Those still loyal to Nightmare Moon had been losing ground, especially with their greatly decreased numbers...but then the entire battlefield stopped in its tracks. Both sides staring in complete disbelief as the sun began to rise over the horizon.

What shocked them more is unlike Cadence's attempt, the sun wasn't being RESISTED by anything. It wasn't struggling to rise.

The Nightmare Moon Loyalists were of two minds about this occurrence.

A large portion of the army simply dropped their weapons where they stood and surrendered. After all, a tyrant who had been toppled could no longer scare anypony into service, and the enemy was much more likely to be merciful when you gave up willingly.

Some simply had an 'I fight for the strongest side' mentality and that clearly wasn't Nightmare Moon any longer.

A significantly smaller portion did their best effort to inconspicuously flee the battle field. These were ones either too frightened of retribution to surrender...who had genuinely joined the Nightmare's cause, either because they believed in it or had managed to benefit from 'fighting for the winning team'.

"The sun..." Spike said in shock. "They did it!"

Shining gave a small smile. "Way to go..."

---

In Neighpon, Empress Haruhi blinked, looking up as something that hadn't happened in years finally did: the sun...was SETTING?! "Nani?"

For five long years, the sun had not moved from the sky. The closest they'd gotten to darkness and night was covering the sky in clouds to blot it out. Thankfully, it seemed the sun had been merciful and seemingly cooled its light to prevent them from dying of a drought. Now...night was falling.

---

Mother Deer gasped, watching the sun setting. Her antler nubs flickered with rainbow colored energy for a moment. She smiled. "Harmony...is restored."

---

Everfree City was mixture of cheers of amazement...and ponies who'd willingly joined in with Nightmare Moon for their own gain trying to flee before the rebellion reached them and caught them.

Alex Warlorn

As the sun rose, a single beam of light pierced the clouds protecting the eyes of the night adapted ponies, and that beam of light struck the last edges of the moon as it set, and the image of Celestia carved into the moon's surface vanished.

MtangaLion

Rainbow sparks flew out from every corner of the lunar surface, converging on a single point... and Celestia was hurled free of the moon and into the heavens. Still in the shadow of the world below, the Alicorn princess wore no regalia, and her soft pink mane streamed behind her. Voices began to echo in her head, prayers from all her little ponies.

"It's a miracle! Praise the sun!"

"Praise Celestia, you numbskull. Come on, if we hurry, we can take credit for it..."

"Mommy, what is it? It's so pretty!"

"Yes it is, Muffin, but you mustn't look straight at it!"

"Dad, I'm scared! Is it a fire?"

"No, son, it's a miracle..."



At the sprawling Apple farmstead, still called Sweet Apple Acres even though the fields were mostly full of giant mushrooms and the new moon apples now, Big Mac took his Pa's Stetson in his hooves and wept openly, watching the sun rise.

Apple Bloom dashed out of her fancy greenhouse, full of the fancy electric lights she'd strung up, home of the last of their original apple trees. Her smock and toolbelt were cut to show off her cutie mark, an apple on a golden disc. They'd claimed it was a golden bit coin to the Night Guards, but the family knew better. "Big brother!" she shouted joyfully. "Let's get some seeds an' cuttings and plant 'em! Let's do it right away!"

Big Mac wiped his eyes with his foreleg. "Eeeyup!"



"Sister," echoed one more voice. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Celestia smiled. "You only had to ask, Lulu." Her orbit of the planet took her across the terminator, into direct sunlight. Her mane ignited, blazing gold before settling into the familiar rainbow colors. Her golden peytral, crown, and hoofshoes materialized, created from pure will. She angled her wings and flew, picking up speed...


In Everfree City, Princess Celestia seemed to step directly out of the sun. Her face lit up warmly when she saw Moon Dancer standing among the new Element Bearers. "My faithful student." Then she spotted Twilight and blinked in genuine surprise. "And my diligent scholar as well."

Alex Warlorn

"Should have been mine.... should have been mine... " The Elements of Harmony had, true to form, not only cured Princess Luna of her insanity, it had also undone the statufication of Gilda, Doctor Whooves, and Sunset Shimmer.

"Where ya goin'?" Gilda asked, her body still stiff from the petrification. They hadn't even had a good view out the window while stone.

"Should been mine... shouldn't have been mine..." Sunset Shimmer rambled to herself. The others were too tired to stop her, but Sunset Shimmer had a life time of ambition and hunger for godhood to drive her on, out of the secret chamber where the Elements had been, to Nightmare Moon's private chambers, and taking a page from a book out of her page, and place it on top of the mirror within Nightmare Moon's bedroom, and slipped inside once the surface glowed, symbolizing the gateway had opened. The page slipped out, and the portal deactivated again. But she knew how to activated, and she would be back for what should have been rightfully hers from the beginning.

!Uh, do we need to deal with that too?!

(Our job was to make sure these timelines can reach a happy ending. We have to trust in this timeline's Moon Dancer, and Elements of Harmony... and hope they can repair the damage Sunset Shimmer had to the lives of their counterparts.)

/Ya don't wanna micromanage Moon Dancer takin' care of Sunset's ego trip? Ah'm surprised./

MtangaLion


Gilda struggled to her feet, groaning, and jerked a talon in the direction that Sunset had gone. "Do ya think we should go after her, Doc?"

"I think not," mused the Doctor. "Where she's going... I don't think you'd like it very much."

"Well, I can't hang around here. I'm not gonna be the first one against the wall!" The griffon grimaced at her Shadowbolt uniform, and started tearing it off with talons and claws. She seemed relieved when the last of it was in tatters on the floor, but her expression was still grim. "This isn't enough. Folks will *remember* me. A griffon in a pony kingdom kinda stands out, you know?"

"Not to worry, Miss Gilda!" The Doctor trotted to the back of the ruined hall and opened another secret passage, revealing a tall blue box. "We can hide in my... ah, shelter here! Just until things settle down." He unlocked the box with a key from his vest, then trotted inside, disappearing.

Gilda padded over to the box and cautiously stuck her head through the doors. She recoiled at once, leaping back three paces. "What the squawk!?" She waved a wing along the left side of the box, then the right, before stepping inside.

Voices continued to echo from inside the box, through the open door. "What the hay is all this, Doc? Did I miss seeing a unicorn horn on your head?"

"It's a big universe out there, Miss Gilda, and there's more than one kind of magic. Ah, don't touch that!"

"Don't touch what?"

The door slammed shut, and the blue box faded away, wheezing like an angry minotaur.

Alex Warlorn

Meanwhile outside, Twilight bowed her head. Speaking what first came to mind. "I'm sorry I kidnapped Spike's egg Princess, that was stubborn and selfish."

Princess Luna meanwhile, too weak to fly, let alone give off so much as a spark with her magic, looked at her big sister in a mix of shame of her sins now that her mind was clear for the first time in over a thousand and five years, and terror at what wrath Celestia would deliver upon Luna for daring to bring fear and oppression upon Celestia's precious ponies. The one thing she knew that could break her sister's loving demeanor.

Ardashir

"Luna!"

The weakened alicorn of night froze as the massive form of her sister strode over to stand above her. She looked up at the sun alicorn towering over her as she spoke.

"Luna, after all that has happened..."

Celestia dropped down to lay before her sister, stretched her neck out, and... nuzzled her.

"Sister, forgive me," Celestia said. Luna looked up unbelieving as Celestia set her head over her sister's withers in an equine hug and said, "I wanted to be ready for your return, to heal you from your madness. But I wasn't. My arrogance cost everypony so much, you, me, my little ponies... Please, sister, let us begin anew. Let us work together to heal the damage we have both done by our actions, to the ponies and to Equestria."

MtangaLion


The Elements of Harmony, bowing before Celestia, jumped at her words. "Sister?!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.

"Oh my..." breathed Fluttershy.

Twilight gaped, finally recognizing the legend come to life right in front of her.

Moon Dancer smiled knowingly, and wasn't that surprised to see Zecora doing the same.

"I... I'd like that," said Luna. She nuzzled her sister back, cheeks damp with tears.

Gradually, they began to realize that the Crystal Army had caught up to them. The front gate of Nightmare Moon's palace had been breached some time ago. Ponies on the castle towers were pointing and shouting, and more ponies were approaching from every direction, both soldiers and curious townspeople, come to see Princess Celestia returned.

Flash Sentry was the first to reach the crater. The orange pegasus bowed deeply to Celestia, then, curiously, he bowed to Twilight Sparkle as well. "Twilight! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you in person sooner..."

Twilight looked right past him, her face lighting up as Spike landed, still carrying Prince Shining Armor. "Twilight!" rumbled the young, definitely not a baby any more dragon.

Twilight galloped right into her brother's embrace, hugging him tight. "Shining! Spike! Oh my gosh! What have they been feeding you?"

Shining chuckled warmly, hugging back. "All this time, I thought I was just humoring a spoiled little sister who wanted to play revolutionary." He nudged her Element choker with a hoof. "I guess Spike's not the only one who grew up. You did good, sis."

Flash blinked, forgotten, then chuckled. "She'll probably thank me later..."

Princess Cadence landed, flanked by fully-armored guards. "Aunt Celestia! You don't how good it is to have you back again!" She frowned, seeing Luna, and exchanged uncomfortable glances with her husband. "Is that... her?"

"There's nothing to fear," said Celestia warmly. "Thanks to these brave ponies and the Elements of Harmony, the evil spirit we knew as Nightmare Moon has been destroyed forever, and my sister is finally free..."

Luna raised a hoof. "Sister? Sister, NO."

Celestia trailed off, shocked. "But... Luna, don't be hasty," she whispered. "Let's talk about this."

Luna took a deep breath, and shook her head firmly. "I wish we could just wish this away too, Celly. I wish we could make all of this never have happened... but we can't." She stood up and faced the crowd, raising her voice. "Citizens of Equestria... I know there are ponies out there who think that all this is just a setback. There are even ponies listening, here, now, who want Nightmare Moon to return. Well, that isn't going to happen! Nightmare Moon can't return, because she never left. She stands before you now!"

Fear rippled through the crowd, but Celestia stood up as well and spread her wings, reassuring them with her presence... though her expression was troubled too.

Luna bowed her head. "I was insane, it is true, but that is a poor excuse for all of the things I did, all of the evil deeds I'm responsible for. I can only hope that someday, you will forgive me, as my sister has forgiven me." She stamped a hoof. "I, Luna, renounce the name of Nightmare Moon... and my throne. Until the day when I am once again worthy of your trust, I serve at Princess Celestia's command, and I will labor to right my wrongs, and soothe the dreams of every pony I tormented with nightmares... if you'll let me."

Luna fell silent, waiting for their judgment.

Kendell2



Pane Glimmer gave a sigh and set down, her age no longer being magically brought back to its prime. "Finally..." she muttered, trotting over to let things naturally progress.

"Is it over?" asked Discord, now tiny and poking out of her mane, causing her to jump a few feet in the air.

Pane sighed. "Yes, it is..."

Discord looked to the Elements. He looked tempted to try something...but then ssaw Fluttershy.

"...Can't do it, can you?" Pane asked.

Discord gave a sigh. "I suppose. It's odd, I sold my conscience on Ebray, I shouldn't be ABLE to feel hesitation for my actions at all, let alone actually feel BLECH, bad for what I'm considering doing..."

"...Hehe..."

"What?" Discord questioned.

"...The Spirit of Chaos himself is friends with a shy, timid little pegasus and a bearer the Elements of Harmony," replied the elderly mare. "That's probably the most unexpected thing imaginable."

Discord blinked...then laughed. "I suppose you're right...though I'm also going to have to explain to Celly I'm not longer evil."

"I can help with that...I know what it's like..." she replied.

"...You still smell good, so I have no problem with that."

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"You know," said Discord offhandedly, "most mortals would be a gibbering wreck if I pumped them that full of chaos, even after I took the chaos away."

The old mare felt the ghost of her old temper and tried to glare at Discord... not easy, given that he was still in her hair. "Don't you think you should have asked me first, then?"

"Well, of course, of course, being that I'm reformed now." Discord shrugged. "But desperate times, desperate measures... and I'm sorry to say, my dear, you don't have much time left. Might as well go out with a bang!"

The miniature Discord mimed being shot through the heart, fell to the ground, and literally blew up in a shower of sparks and smoke, before popping out of her hair on the other side, unharmed. "You handled my chaos with such aplomb, though!" Discord stroked his beard with a claw. "I wonder... It's been, why, it seems like half an eternity since I created a new yokai..."

Pane Glimmer started chuckling.

Discord arched a brow. "Oh, is your sanity going after all?"

Pane smiled. "You do know, I used to advocate total equality, right? I even ran a town where I forced everypony to have the exact same cutie mark." She paused, suddenly thoughtful. "Maybe even you wouldn't know. That was a long time ago in the future."

"You've come a long way from being a complete stick in the mud, then! We've all done foolish things in our youth, my dear."

"And... Fate called dibs already."

Discord grimaced and snapped his fingers. "Blast!" Then the Spirit of Chaos blinked slowly, and gave her a shark-toothed grin. "So tell me, how do you feel about wolves?"

Pane tilted her head. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason!"

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Celestia took a deep breath, then lifted her gaze, giving Luna a stern look. "You have claimed responsibility for serious crimes."

Luna took an uncertain step back, then steeled herself. "I have."

"Usurping my throne," said Celestia. "Inflicting unjust imprisonment, tyranny, and terror on our little ponies. Threatening and waging war against the Crystal Empire. Hiding the sun for five long years, an act which will change the face of Equestria for centuries to come."

Celestia paused to let that sink in, while the ponies gathered around her murmured. Moon Dancer and Twilight had uncertain looks. Rainbow was giving Luna a deeply suspicious stare, but Fluttershy slipped in between them and leaned against Luna, offering her that small bit of comfort, which seemed to surprise the former Moon Princess greatly.

Celestia's eyes searched and found Pane Glimmer on the edge of the crowd, immediately spotting Discord in her hair. Her magic plucked Discord up and poofed him back to his full size in front of everypony. "But if even the Spirit of Chaos, who did far worse, can start to learn about friendship and make amends, then how can I deny that opportunity to my own sister?"

This produced an even greater stir. "Sister?!" mouthed Spike and Shining Armor to each other.

Celestia drew herself up, wings spread. "What Luna needs is not another thousand years spent in darkness... but friendship, the support of her family, and forgiveness."

An unexpected voice rang out. "I would forgive her," declared Princess Cadence.

Some of the crystal ponies started to protest, and Shining Armor seemed shocked, but Cadence raised a hoof, quieting them. "How could I not?" She smiled, sniffing. "She put us through Tartarus, yes, but they truly are sisters. I can feel the bond, the love between them. They've missed each other so, so much!" She drew in a sharp breath, shivering strangely. "I can feel the bonds between ALL of us. I see it! I..."

"My word," murmured Rarity, nudging her Element with a hoof. "My necklace, it's..."

"Mine's glowing too!" said Twilight.

"A shine most divine," breathed Zecora. All of the Elements were glowing, resonating...

Cadence's eyes opened, glowing solid white. "I see... everything clearly!" A wash of light swept over her, and in a flash Cadence was transformed, standing nearly as tall as Celestia. Her fur shimmered like a crystal pony's, and her mane streamed in an invisible wind, flowing and shifting purple, pink, and gold. Her peytral bore six gems in a hexagonal pattern, surrounding one more in the center, their colors matching those of the awakened Elements of Harmony.

Discord drew back in haste, slapping on sunglasses and brushing stone flakes from his arms. Pane looked queasy right along with him.

Cadence strode past gaping and bowing ponies, right over to Moon Dancer. Leaning down, she whispered. "I'm sorry. You were right."

"I don't understand," Moon Dancer stammered.

Princess Cadence smiled. "You will, when it's time."

Celestia beamed at all of them. "It seems I have regained two sisters this day." She cleared her throat. "I propose that Luna be sentenced to parole, and further, and that these brave mares, bearing the Elements of Harmony, shall watch over her, and teach her everything they have learned about friendship."

MtangaLion


Later that day, a smaller herd left the Canterlot train station and made their way through half-deserted city streets. News was spreading slowly, and many ponies had outright hidden themselves in their shops and houses, unable to bear the light of the sun. What ponies their group did meet looked upon Celestia, Luna, and Spike with gasping and awe...

"Do not fear, my little ponies!" shouted Princess Celestia, putting the Royal Canterlot Voice to its best intended use in centuries. "Tell all your friends that I have returned! The sun will set and rise once more, as per the natural order!"

When they came to the Palace of Canterlot and magically pried the gates open to reveal the dusty and deserted halls within, Celestia hung her head. "All this in five years? I'm going to have to recruit a guard and staff from scratch, aren't I?"

"I couldn't keep track of many of them," admitted Twilight. "Most of them didn't want to be found, or they joined Nightmare Moon's court, willingly or unwillingly."

"Actually, Prince Blueblood set up a government in exile in the Crystal Empire," rumbled Spike. "I've heard he used to be kind of a jerk, but he seems okay to me, and Shining Armor says he's doing a really good job. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Indeed?" said Celestia, brightening up. "I'll send word to him at once. By some means..." she added sheepishly.

Luna sighed deeply, mostly just putting one hoof in front of another at this point. "Sister, have you... given any thought to where I will be settled? Me, and my guardians?"

Celestia touched a hoof to her chin. "Not here, I think... nor in the new Everfree City, or in the Crystal Empire. Someplace away from palaces and courts, that seems best."

"Your Highness," said Rarity brightly. "Might I make a suggestion? What about Ponyville?" Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all pricked their ears up, glancing at each other.

"Ponyville?" asked Moon Dancer in mild disbelief. "I'm not sure I *want* to see Ponyville again."

"Give it a chance," said Rarity. "Goodness knows what state my old Boutique is in by now, but based on the reports which passed through my hooves, I don't believe the town has changed that much. Most of us actually lived there or nearby at one time, and it always was a simple, friendly, welcoming place."

Princess Celestia smiled. "Put Ponyville at the top of our list, then."

Twilight Sparkle whipped out a scroll and quill pen at once. "I can be in charge of that!" When her new friends stared, she pointed her floating quill at the matching scroll and quill and magenta star that made up her cutie mark. "What? I like lists."

Kendell2

After a bit of settling in, trains began arriving and dropping off ponies who'd come to see if the spreading truth was indeed true.

And the group suddenly found themselves greeted by a fireworks style explosion in front of them. "Greetings everypony! The One and Only Trixie has arrived!"

She found everypony but Luna staring at her in confusion, Luna looking more shocked.

"...Trixie was Princess Starflower, she's here to get a report for her final issue...and to see the cause she's been working for through," the mare explained. She didn't seem too upset about that. After all, even recognition under a psudoname was still recognition.

"OH!" was the response from everypony except Luna and Celestia...and surprisingly Twilight.

"Princess Starflower?!" Twilight asked, galloping over.

"Yes...does Trixie know you?"

"Captain Smartypants!"

Trixie gasped. She reached into her bag and produced a letter with Captain Smartypants as the 'From' and Princess Starflower as the 'to'.

Twilight produced a letter with the opposite being the case.

The two hugged out of nowhere.

"It's so nice to finally meet you!"

"Likewise! Trixie is glad you made it through this unscathed!"

"Uh...what's going on?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"What? You thought Equestria's two biggest voices against Nightmare Moon WOULDN'T be in touch?" Trixie questioned, giving a scoff.

"We just didn't know each other's real names or what we looked like," Twilight explained.

Trixie chuckled. "After all, one of us, though extremely unlikely to be Trixie, could've been captured and tortured for information or the like. Would it really be wise to let the other have concrete information about the other's appearance or name? We used a...previously secret 'underground' network that was dedicated to getting ponies to Manehatten and smuggling them out of the country to communicate back and forth."

A look of realization crossed Rainbow's face. "So THAT'S why you two seemed to coordinate your broadcasts so well! You were working together!"

"Guilty as charged," Trixie explained, then trotted forwards and bowed to Celestia. "Princess Celestia, it is wonderful to see you again..."

Celestia smiled. "Thank you, and thank you for doing what you could to not let ponies give up hope of seeing the light again. Hope is very important."

After some explanations, Trixie and Luna were ultimately face to face.

"I'm...sorry...how I spoke to you...those things were beyond terrible...I tried to break you...the truth is..." Luna said, looking down. "...The fact you took my rejection...my words...and were able to rise above...you're right, we are very similar...but you're better than me..."

Trixie blushed and bowed. "Trixie is quite amazing...but actually, she wanted to thank you for that..."

Luna blinked in confusion. "What?"

"...Trixie wouldn't have friends if you hadn't...not Twilight, not Rara back in Manehatten, and certainly not Sapphire Shores there...Trixie used to be alone, but she is no longer...Trixie is like a phoenix, risen from her ashes! And for that she thanks you..." Trixie replied, taking her hat off a giving a polite bow. "...And if old Trixie had heard this Trixie say that, she'd accuse her of being an impostor."

"...I believe we're alike in that way as well..." Luna replied, giving a small, hesitant smile.

"Your friends?" Twilight asked. "You mentioned them with codenames, but I didn't know they were those two!"

The showmare turned underground voice of a resistance gave a proud look. "Trixie knows how to make friends in high places! They'd be here, but Rara said she had somepony to talk to back home before coming...an old camp buddy..."

MtangaLion


Early the next morning, at the Orange family estate in Manehatten, Orangejack was sitting out on her second floor balcony when the polite knock came. "Excuse me, miss," said Polite Cough. "Your guest has arrived."

Orangejack nodded. "Send her in, please." She mustered up a smile when Rara joined her, wearing a simple dark dress with none of her performance makeup. "Countess Coloratura, thank you so much for coming... and I hope you'll forgive my weakness. I confess, I haven't been myself of late, and I find that I could use a friend's advice."

Coloratura smiled gently. "Oh, OJ... You know you can always call me Rara." She stopped, lost in the spectacle of the view from the balcony. "Is that..."

A bright rainbow stretched all the way across the morning sky, framing the Manehatten skyline with its primary bow and faint afterimage.

"Indeed it is," said Orangejack. "Without the sun, there hasn't been a real rainbow in Equestria in years. Now I know what the weather schedule meant, when it said to expect a special surprise." The high-society mare and shipping executive sighed. "It got me thinking, though. Rara... what am I doing here?"

Coloratura tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean, OJ? What you're good at. What you enjoy, I hope."

OJ stamped a hoof in a decidedly unladylike manner. "There's been a war going on. Ponies fought hard and risked everything they had..." She held up a telegram in shaking hooves. "My own family was staring the dragon right in the face and refusing to blink, all so they could save apples as we know them... and I sat in a cushy office and wrote schedules and signed checks."

Coloratura put a foreleg around Orangejack, hugging her. "OJ, those food distribution schedules kept ponies from starving when the sun disappeared. And among other things, those checks allowed Countess Coloratura and Sapphire Shores to keep performing... gave Princess Starflower secure resources to keep publishing. Please, don't put yourself down like this."

"But..." OJ shook her head, fighting to keep her composure. "Lots of ponies could have done those things, but my brother and my sister and my granny are the *only* ones I have. What have I done for them?"

"I have a better question." Rara smiled and nosed her friend. "For the first time in years, it's safe for you to go and see them. What are you sitting around here for?"

Orangejack froze. Crying on the inside be danged... tears were rolling down her cheeks now. "Do ya really think... they'll want anything ta do with me..." She pulled her skirt up to expose her cutie mark... three oranges. "When Ah walk in wearing this?"

Coloratura smirked. "This is your *family*. What kind of a question is that, you silly pony?"

OJ gaped at her, then wiped her eyes furiously, returning the smile at last. "Polite Cough, clear my schedule!" she shouted. "Pack my bags for a weekend trip! I'm going to Ponyville!"

The serving pony had a reserved smile of his own. "Very good, miss."

"Better reserve two train tickets," said Rara slyly. "I'm going with you."

OJ found herself looking out at the rainbow again. "Hey, Rara? How does that song go?" She closed her eyes, trying to remember the words. "I'm here to show you who I am. Throw off the veil, it's finally time. There's... uh..."

"There's more to me than glitz and glam," sang Rara softly. "And now I feel my stars align!"

Orangejack was pretty embarrassed when the serving staff and Aunt and Uncle Orange joined in... and then random strangers sang the next verse with them all the way to the train station. She'd never started a Heart Song before...

MtangaLion


--------------------

On the far side of Sweet Apple Acres, right on the border between Ponyville and the untamed Everfree wilds, Rainbow Dash had located a cliff face with several west-facing natural caves... a perfect place for a thestral to build a roost. The prospect of having fields full of real, juicy crunchy apples right on her doorstep only made the location sweeter.

Not that she planned on *stealing* some farmer's apples... much. Maybe just a few.

Inside her chosen cave, Rainbow Dash had already made a comfy cloud bed and several chairs. She gnawed on a field ration thoughtfully, and shaped the rest of her raw cloudstuff into a ponikin and hung her Night Guard armor on it. Then she set about cleaning and polishing it, a habit from years of Guarding.

Never mind that she probably wouldn't be using that armor again... technically, she worked for Celestia now, even if she was still a thestral. Celestia had been more than willing to make her a proper pegasus again, but when she learned that the magic would likely bleach her coat white, even the daredevil speedster Rainbow Dash couldn't say "No thanks!" fast enough.

"She'd better not try to retire me," Rainbow mused aloud. "Being a Guard is all I've ever done." Then her sensitive ears pricked up sharply.

There was something big and noisy on the cliff above her cave, groaning and wheezing. "What the hay? Is that a manticore?" She darted outside and flapped her wings, rising as quietly as she could.

Somepony had parked a big blue shed on top of the cliff... her cliff! The doors of the shed swung inwards, and a maddeningly familiar brown earth pony with an hourglass cutie mark stepped out... nearly walking right off the cliff. "Oh ho! Watch that first step."

Memory jolted Rainbow... her eyes narrowed. "So we meet again... 'Doc,'" she hissed. "Now you're gonna tell me what happened to Gilda!" She crouched, ready to spring out of cover and tackle him.

"You know," said a second voice from inside the box, "your life would be a lot less nuts if you regenerated yourself some wings or something."

Rainbow slipped... her lunge turned into a short, undignified skid, still hidden from view. Could it be?

The Doctor chuckled. "Unfortunately, wings are incompatible with Time Pony physiology. Besides, what's life without a little risk?" He pulled a whirring metal rod out of a vest pocket, squinting and shaking it. "I do believe... yes, this is your stop! We've found it at last."

"You old fraud!" said the voice from inside the box. "You always say that, then... boom, Sombra Troopers! Or freaky invisible wolves, or insufferable smart-flank future me..."

Rainbow's eyes grew wide as the owner of the voice followed the Doctor out of the shed...

A griffon... A griffon wearing light armor like nothing Dash had ever seen any Guard or Shadowbolt wearing, with slim metal cuffs on her forelimbs and what looked like a serious no-fooling sword strapped to her back... but there could be no doubt. "Gilda!?" Rainbow blurted out, breaking cover.

"Or ponies that want to shoot me or lock me up because, 'Oh my gosh, a talking griffon!' Or changelings." She made a face. "Seriously, buck changelings..." And then she froze. "Dash?" Gilda's whole expression flipped. "Dash!" She sprang forward, grinning like an idiot, grabbing the smaller thestral right off her hooves and spinning her around.

Rainbow yelped. "Whoa, what the hay!?"

"Holy crap, it IS you! I missed you so freakin' much!" Gilda trailed off and came to a stop, realizing that Dash's expression had become equal parts fear, annoyance, and utter confusion. "Wait, hold on... how long has it been?"

Dash blinked slowly. "How... long?"

"How long since you beat Nightmare Moon? Duh!"

"Did you hit your head or something? That was last week!"

Gilda twitched. "But that means..." She started counting something on her talons. Her beak mouthed a foul word, and she quickly set Rainbow back down. "So, uh... 'Sup, Dash? We finally escaped. From that place Nightmare Moon banished us to." She shot the Doctor a look.

The Doctor started nodding along smoothly. "Ah yes, *that* place. Pity about Miss Sunset, long story..."

Rainbow glared at her best friend, suddenly tired. "Every time I think I've finally got you griffons figured out. Pfft. I guess... it's good to see you again too, featherhead." She smirked. "Come on in, let's talk." The thestral dropped off the cliff and glided down.

"Yeah, sure!" called out Gilda. "Just a sec." She spun around. "You!"

The Doctor froze... he'd been just about to slip quietly back into his shed.

Gilda gave him her sternest glare... then grabbed his hoof and shook it in her talons. "Tell Derpy and the fillies hi... and, uh... don't be a stranger or anything lame like that, okay?"

The Doctor chuckled and mimed tipping a hat to her. "Until next time, then." He ducked into his shed. Gilda watched the door click shut, and then the whole thing vanished as noisily as it had arrived.

Gilda took in a deep breath of good, fresh Equestrian air. "Welp. Home sweet something-or-other. Sheesh, listen to me, getting all sentimental." She spread her wings and followed Dash into the cave.

Alex Warlorn

Amicitia smiled at the world line. "Well, I think our work is done."

Nightmare Mirror raised an eyebrow in a very Applejack manner. "So that's it? No checking on how things go with Sunset Shimmer, that world's human six, the sirens, their Everfree? No seeing how THAT timeline's Starlight Glimmer and Our Town went?"

Dues Ex Machina said, "OH! I could have a meteorite just happen to fall from the sky and-"

Amicitia shook her head. "No... I think Starlight Glimmer will take care of herself, literally, and as for the rest... I have faith in them. This took a lot longer and harder than I thought."

"So what ya doing' next? The Ash Lands?"

"... No... I'm saving that for last... I want to go back now... to the timeline where Chrysalis won... and see if we can save that world within the rules we've set for ourselves."

MtangaLion

Once again, Amicitia, Nightmare Mirror, and Deus ex Machina floated in the aether, hovering over the worldline that Queen Chrysalis had dragged down into darkness.

"Zecora almost succeeded," said Amicitia, studying events intently. "She would have... she just didn't have enough time. We need to make history diverge in order to create a new world. Even a small change will do."

Nightmare Mirror frowned, deep in thought. "But even a small change could 'butterfly' Zecora's victory clean away. Ya know it's true."

Deus sipped from a big mug of coffee, drawing a sketch, then throwing it away and tugging at her mane in frustration. "It shouldn't be like this, fighting to the bitter end with no hope and no help! What these ponies need... are heroes!"

Mirror rolled her eyes. "Here we go again! No, ya can't have star ponies land their space armada, or Queen Majesty pop out of a time portal ta save the day. Even with Fate on our side, that ain't gonna fly, sugarcube."

And then Deus leaned forward, staring at the world, and a huge smile spread over her face. "Don't dismiss me so lightly, sempai. I know, I've had a lot to learn... and I'm happy that I've had amazing teachers like you and Ami-sempai!" She closed her eyes, spread her wings, and put a hoof to her heart. "There is ALWAYS hope... and you never know when heroes you'd forgotten all about might swoop in to save the day!"



It began as rumors, whispers through Zecora's camp.

"If only *they* were here," said an aged former guardpony, retired just before the changeling conquest.

"The Everfree Rangers?" asked a former Canterlot noble, now wearing rags and magical paint like all the rest of them. "Wasn't that a foal's story, or some kind of drama series?"

Another former guard scoffed. "They were as real, all right! Best of the best! Real as my hooves! Queen Bug-guts wouldn't stand a chance if the Rangers were still around."

"If I might be so bold," asked Zecora, who'd overheard them, "where now are these heroes of old?"

"I can tell you that!" shouted Lyra, causing a stir and a hush in the crowd. "I've been trying to tell ponies for years, but we've been running for our lives so long..."

Zecora put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Perhaps indeed, it's heroes we need."

Lyra led them to a deep glade in the forest... a old ruined camp filled with ponies sealed in crystal statues, all buried in changeling gunk that would have made them almost impossible to find without a guide.

It took a whole week for Zecora to concoct a ritual to release them, time and attention and resources they really couldn't afford, but in the end, nearly two dozen warriors in dark green cloaks broke free of the crystal prisons, shuddering and gasping for air. Five more among them were changeling corpses in the same gear, stabbed through with crossbow bolts or lances.

"We were betrayed," said the unicorn wizard Smoke Ring mournfully, when the survivors were gathered around a campfire, sipping a hot brew Zecora had made. "We never knew of the changelings until they turned on us... even our captain was one! We failed the Princess, failed Equestria..."

The huge earth pony Stone Wall stamped a hoof, shaking the very trees. "But we're back in the fight now, right? Let me at this Chrysalis! We'll buck her right back where she came from!"

The red pegasus Winghoof grinned sardonically. "Or die heroically trying. Though I'd rather live heroically, just saying."

And off to one side, Lyra in her war paint and Bon Bon in her Ranger cloak snuggled close, together again at last.

Alex Warlorn

"DEUS EX MACHINA!" Amicitia shouted.

"What?! They're established ponies in a related world line! It's not that much of a stretch! I'll admit I still need to explain how they ended up in crystals but-"

"Remember?! Nothing we can change can contradict what Twilight Sparkle experienced in her visit to that world line!"

"OH! Heheh... right... well... maybe they were away training... or... preparing an ambush... or were out on a raid? A small number of fresh soldiers wouldn't give Zecora's group much hope, at first . . . Maybe we can shift when it happens around?"

Nightmare Mirror herself said, "Ah gotcha, ya TRIED this time darlin', ya really did. Ya tried yer hardest to make sure ya didn't just cheat... but we gotta stick to the plan with Twilight or this becomes just another random timeline rather than a happy ending for the one Twili' visited."

Dues Ex Machina nodded. "Alright." She then shuddered. "You don't think the changelings have begun -force breeding- for ponies to keep their population up do you?"

The other two shuddered. "Her reign has only been three years... hopefully she hadn't had to worry about that yet. If she has... who am I kidding, she was already awful, it's a drop in her black ocean."

"Mr and Mrs Cake wouldn't mind havin' more kids."

"MIRROR!"

"It's the truth..."

Amicitia glanced at the world line again.

"There there Tornado Bolt, soon you won't be cattle anymore.. you should feel honored, Chryssy only lets me uplift a few select each year..." Princess Sweetie Belle of the changelings said, as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo finished cocooning Tornado Bolt.

Amicitia felt sick.

"Come on darlin', ya HAD to see that one comin'!"

Kendell2


"...You know, Deus DOES have a point..."

Deus blinked. "I do?"

"Well...sort of..." Amicitia replied. "...Let's assume Zecora defeat Chrysalis. Sweetie Belle gets the throne, we help somepony talk her down, the Changelings have a benevolent ruler who makes peace with Equestria. Celestia is still alive and unbroken or changed, merely drained of power she can regain, same with Cadence. Thank Fauna Luster she didn't realize that Cadence and her have that connection..."

"Sounds good."

"...But the ponies who were drained by the Changelings won't be able to be restored."

Deus gasped. "That's...right..."

"...I know what we need to do," Amicitia said. "We need the nail to be somepony finding the Elements of Harmony that could fit at least one of them...maybe has friends that fit the rest of them...Then they have the Elements to restore the Changeling's victims."

"And," Mirror interjected. "As a back up incase the butterfly decide to flap it's wings or Sweetie goes Nightmare when Chrysalis bites it."

"Exactly...but who?" Amicitia asked. "Trixie would normally be perfect choice, but she's a member of Zecora's camp, this Trixie wouldn't go off on her own to find something, she'd tell SOMEONE or they'd notice she's missing...It has to be someone NOT from Zecora's camp..."

"Excuse me."

The group blinked, turning to see Starlight Glimmer. Or rather, a Starlight Glimmer with clockwork wings on her back.

"Rota Fortuna told me to give you this," said the mare, handing them a book saying 'Every Potential Bearer That Physically Could Have Lived During The Second Reign of the Two Sisters'.

"...Which Starlight are you?" Deus asked.

"Does it matter?" Starlight asked. "This is the atonement for what I did."

"I guess not..."

Amicitia looked through the pages...then gasped. "I think I got it..."

---

Daring Do looked through one book after another. Zecora lead one sanctuary, she was the leader of another. And that had required her secret identity sadly having to go out the window. It helped her lair was ALREADY in the middle of nowhere and she had knowledge of the most isolated locations on the planet.

As it turned out, the Tenochtitlan Basin was a good place for a hide out, both due to the number of temples and the Shield of Razdon.

Especially given Ahuizotl had zero interest in aiding Chrysalis and was in fact allied AGAINST her. When she'd asked WHY his answer had been simple:

"Daring Do, you must know one thing about me! No one destroys the planet except for me!"

However...Daring Do didn't sit and do nothing, just wasn't who she was. Hiding. She was proactive.

She looked through the book in front of her. "I've seen so many different artifacts. Between me and Ahuizotl, we've seen more than the rest of the planet combined...one of them HAS be able to beat that witch..."

The issue was most of them had either been destroyed in their battle, put in a museum, or locked up in a vault only Celestia knew the location of for safe keeping. And the ones she had personally weren't the kind that could deal with her on their own.

"Still looking through books?" asked Cloudkicker, trotting in. Her and her little sister Alula had both fled when the Changelings took over and ended up here. They'd gotten along well.

"Yeah...there's got to be SOME artifact strong enough to defeat Chrysalis. Best thing I've found is some wands belonging to ancient Princesses and some item called the Sun Stone that could possibly restore Celestia, but we'd have to GET to her to do that...Only other thing I can think of is luring her here and frying her with the Rings of Scorchero but that would roast everything ELSE in the Basin too."

"...I'm sure you'll find something...you're Daring Do, right?"

"Yeah...thanks..."

"Thanks for giving us a safe place to stay and working your flank off to try and find a way to save Equestria...Alula really looks up to you."

"Thanks...why I write the books."

After Cloudkicker left, Daring Do got up and headed over to the book shelf. She had plenty of them, so many to look for. She was on E.

*Nightmare Moon turned out to be real...wasn't there some sort of legend about her?*

Daring Do blinked and put a hoof to her chin. "...the legend said something called the Elements of Harmony could stop Nightmare Moon..."

[If she wasn't an Old Pony's Tale, then why would be what could beat her be either?]

Daring looked through a few of the books until she found 'The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide'.

"There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree forest..."

Daring Do gave it thought...the Castle of the Two Sisters was located deep in enemy territory...but these things had been strong enough to beat Nightmare Moon...

The mare grabbed her helmet and put it on. "Ancient castle, lost treasure? At least it's something I know..."

(OOC: I'll let someone else pick out the other four Bearers who are in Daring's sanctuary or could be met on the way there. I imagine Daring and Cloudkicker being two.)

MtangaLion


Daring Do flew into the upper levels of the temple surrounding her hideout, through structures so ruined that they were exposed to open air. Cloudkicker flew after her, looking over her shoulders at every little sound of crumbling rock or gusting wind.

"I want to keep the team small and fast," Daring was saying, "so our third needs to be a heavy hitter."

"We're meeting here?" asked Cloudkicker. "I thought we weren't supposed to come up here."

Daring smirked. "Yeah. Gilda likes her privacy."

"Gilda?"

Daring motioned for quiet, then pointed a wing upwards.

There was a griffon on the highest ledge, brown-furred with darker wings and white and violet plumage. She was sitting back on her haunches and cradling a large crossbow in both sets of talons, sighting along the weapon at another temple in the distance.

"What's a griffon doing here?" asked Cloudkicker. "*Their* lands haven't been invaded and occupied... yet."

"And the 'yet' should worry a lot more griffons," said Daring in a frustrated tone.

Gilda twitched her beak towards them. "'Sup, DD." She, at least, seemed to take the changeling threat seriously. She was wearing the same war paint that Zecora had developed and distributed to the pony resistance groups.

Daring Do grinned. "Hey, Gilda! Got a job for you. We're raiding the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters."

Gilda folded up the crossbow and put it aside. "Ooh, is there going to be trouble? Heh, what am I saying? You don't come see *me* when you need rocks dusted off and put in some lame museum. Yeah, sure, I'm in." She made a first of her claws and held them out.

Daring "hoofbumped" with her. "Great! Nice bow, by the way. I might have a salvaged scope that would fit."

Gilda snerked. "Don't need a scope."

"Are you sure we can afford to bring a griffon?" whispered Cloudkicker, half-joking.

"I like getting well paid," said Gilda loudly, making it clear she'd overheard. "But that ain't what this is about." She waited, tapping her claws when Cloudkicker didn't leave right away. "What are you expecting? My bucked-up life story? Go on, get outta here. I know you've got better stuff to do than listen to that."



Daring's last errand that day was a trip into the labyrinth beneath the temple grounds. Here, a solitary wizard had built a lair of her own. She was unpleasant and sarcastic to everypony, and if she hadn't been so useful, the rebels probably would have long since asked her to leave.

Not for the first time, Daring Do wondered what the yellow and red unicorn had done to wind up so bitter at such a young age. "Sunset Shimmer... what can you tell me about the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters... and the Elements of Harmony?"

Sunset froze. "You want... I see." She was silent for nearly half a minute before she reached a decision. "I'll tell you everything I know about them... IF you allow me to join your expedition."

"What?!" exclaimed Daring, spreading her wings.

"You heard me."

"I'm only taking *flyers* on this mission," Daring protested. "You'd slow us down."

Sunset grinned. "So, I'll brush up on my Hawkwing spell. You think I can't keep up? I used to be the personal student of... never mind. It doesn't matter now."

"Ugh... fine! We're leaving tomorrow morning."

After Daring Do stalked out of her lair, Sunset Shimmer went to an old cabinet, unlocked it with her magic, and lifted out a small shard of mirror glass wrapped in cloth. A faint rainbow shimmered across it. "This Tartarus has been worse than high school, but it'll all be worth it soon..."

MtangaLion


Sunset Shimmer screamed in frustration with a throat already hoarse and raw, and slumped forward.  Iron manacles on her forehooves and heavy chains held her suspended against the wall of her prison.  No magic, with her horn completely encased in changeling slime... no light but faint phosphorescence...  "I had it," she groaned.  "I had it in my hooves..."

Daring Do's "quick in and out" mission had turned into a perilous months long slog.  If Sunset had known that fool pegasus was such a sap for helping anypony in need, she would have written the expedition off as a failure before it even began, and kept her head down.  They'd dodged relentless patrols, crept into the ruins of Ponyville itself, added even more ponies to their misfit band, and somehow escaped with their lives anyway.

All worth it, Sunset had thought, when they'd awakened the Elements in the ancient ruined castle.  Why had she felt so awful, taking the Element of Magic for herself and teleporting away?  It was what she'd wanted, wasn't it?  The thing she'd been working towards for years and years.  It was hers.  She'd earned it... how many times had her magic saved their flanks?  *She* had the power to use it.  It'd even had her cutie mark on it... so why had it remained a sphere of inert stone, even as the changelings closed in around her?

Sunset might have fallen asleep for a while.  She didn't think she could sleep like this, until she jerked awake, hearing a commotion outside the cell.  She heard hoofsteps, changelings chittering in alarm, bodies slamming against stone walls.

"They don't have the cell keys," said Gilda's voice, making Sunset jump.

"That's fine," said the voice of Applejack.  "Ah brought mah own."  The cell door jolted twice, then flew into the cell, bucked off its hinges.

"Why..."  Sunset started coughing, her throat had gotten so dry.  "Why are you here?"

Cloudkicker rushed into the cell first, and she looked worried sick.  The Element of Kindness that she wore gleamed on its choker.  "She... she's alright!  Nothing looks broken.  I was so worried!"  Cloudkicker had always been the huggy type, even when Sunset threatened to turn her into a bug, so of course she hugged Sunset right there and then, with the unicorn still hanging in her chains.

"You... idiots..." groaned Sunset.  "Chrysalis tricked you.  The Element of Magic isn't here."

Daring Do stepped into the cell next, a cocky grin on her muzzle.  "We came here for you, Sunset."  She wore her Element too... Generosity.  "What?  Did you think we'd help ponies out every step of the way getting here, and not help you when you needed it?"

Gilda ducked her wings and squeezed through the cell door, glaring dagges at Sunset.  She had no cutie mark to match, so the Element of Loyalty had gotten creative.  The red gem in her choker was shaped like a bolt of lightning, with wings in the gold filigree around it.

Sunset turned her head, unable to look Gilda in the eyes.  "Go on, get it over with.  Beat me senseless, rip my heart out and show it to me before I die...  whatever griffons do with traitors like me."

Gilda lifted a claw, her scowl deepening.  Sunset whimpered, cringing... but Gilda wrapped her talons around one of Sunset's chains and pulled, muscles straining, until she tore the chain right out of the prison wall.  Then she pulled the other loose, and Sunset toppled forward.

Gilda caught the unicorn, set her back on her hooves.  "I learned my lesson with Dash, dweeb," she said, her voice rough but not shouting.  "I don't leave my teammates hanging."

Sunset half-coughed, half-laughed weakly.  "Did you just... make a joke?"

"Teammate?" asked Coloratura, with a smile that only seemed all the more warm and radiant since she'd put on the Element of Laughter.  "Really, is that all?"  She nudged Gilda.  "Are you sure about that?"

Gilda faceclawed.  "Okay, fine.  She's our friend.  Happy now?"  She smirked.  "Hmph.  And if friends can't forgive after one or two dumb stupid mistakes, pretty soon you don't have any friends, and that just sucks."

Sunset shook, struggling with the fact that she'd dearly missed these five idiots, in spite of everything.  "I don't deserve this.  I'm not worth it."

"True enough," mused Applejack, the Element of Honesty.  "Ah would have said she got what she deserved, but Ah promised Ah'd see this thing through, and a promise is a promise.  And... heck, we love ya anyway, Sunset.  Right, girls?"

They all gathered around and hugged her, and for the first time since she'd fled to a magicless world and realized what she'd done, Sunset Shimmer broke down crying.



It took them another few minutes to remove the manacles and clean the changeling gunk off her horn.  Sunset wasn't all that surprised when they emerged into daylight, and found thousands of changelings waiting for them, surrounding the ruined guard post that had been converted into a hive.

Doctor Kabuto himself was there, confident enough to come out in the open for once.  "This is why you ponies are only fit to be cattle, and nothing more.  You're almost making my Queen's case for her!"

Kabuto gestured, and four drones flew to him, bearing a spiked iron cage with the Element of Magic inside.  "Even as we speak, Chrysalis is leading the assault against the last of Zecora's futile resistance."  He kneaded his hooves, cackling dryly.  "Really, I could have done this hours ago... but I thought it would be an interesting experiment to watch the looks on your faces when your last hope... dies!"  He put a green bolt of magic through the cage, shattering the Element of Magic to pieces.

Doctor Kabuto had them dead to rights... so why didn't Sunset feel afraid now?  She looked to each of her friends in turn, while the changeling swarm buzzed impatiently, and her friends looked earnestly back at her.  Was she beyond terrified, too fargone to feel fear?  Or...

Sunset snapped her head up, looking at the mad scientist unflinchingly.  Now... only *now* did she truly understood...  "Do you think really you can destroy Harmony itself, just like that?"

Kabuto's smug, superior grin slipped a little.

Sunset took a step forward.  "Do you think Friendship is something you can fight with magic or armies?  Friendship is Honesty.  Laughter.  Kindness.  Generosity!  Loyalty!"  Applejack, Colortura, Cloudkicker, Daring Do, and Gilda... their Elements were all glowing.

The fragments of the Element of Magic flew out of the cage and rocketed towards Sunset.  "Impossible," murmured Kabuto.  "This was nowhere in my calculations!"  He fired bolt after bolt of magic, but every shot flew wide.  Changelings flung themselves in the way, and got knocked aside like bowling pins.

The fragments snapped together into a shining crown with Sunset's cutie mark, which settled gently onto her head.  The six of them floated into the air, eyes shining white.

"Friendship is Magic!" shouted Sunset, and *everything* exploded in rainbow light.