One-winged Alicorn

Chapters

2. The Arrival
3. Feeling of Cold Umbrace
4. Discord in the Fray!
5. Remember the Elements?
7. Elementa Trifecta II
8. The Final Push
1. Homeward Bound
6. Elementa Trifecta I

2. The Arrival

Twilight’s hooves softly crunched on the ground as she traversed the quiet and empty streets of Ponyville. Her arrival at such a late hour seemed fitting, given that nopony was even expecting her to come in the first place. She took delight in the fact that she avoided the manic fanfare and possible tears of her return. Twilight raised her wings into the air to lift off again, but suddenly halted her motions and slowly folded her appendages back into place.

“Three months, and you’re not even going to say hello?” Twilight whispered to herself, looking around. She stood in the middle of town, a few steps in front of the decorative town hall. Taking a closer look, Twilight’s investigation led her to assume some sort of celebration took place.

“I didn’t even notice. I wasn’t told,” Twilight said to herself examining the streamers that lightly flowed in the calm breeze. A smile formed over her face after she held the piece of fabric in her hoof. “That’s Rarity’s cloth for sure. However, this layout just screams Pinkie Pie,” she concluded.

She chose to fly now, but not away from her old home. Instead, Twilight’s next stop was the darkened and silent Sugarcube Corner. The young alicorn’s eyes flitted up to the window of Pinkie Pie, and Twilight exhaled slowly.

“You always made me laugh, and I’m happy for that. I miss your shenanigans Pinkie.” Her horn emanated with a magical aura and combined with her breath. The lavender mist sparkled brightly and floated above, penetrating the window of Pinkie’s room. Twilight, however, was sure she would enjoy the gift.

“Well, it’s not fair that she should be the only one to get a present,” Twilight said then and took to the air. Her course set for Rarity’s boutique. Twilight floated up to the second story and peered through the window. Rarity was hidden in her covers, but her work was on full display, open for the world (if everypony could fly that was) to see.

“I still keep your dresses Rarity. I don’t wear them too often, but that’s because I’d rather not get them dirty. Thank you for your generosity my friend,” Twilight said and performed the same spell she used earlier.

She landed now in front of the gate leading into Sweet Apple Acres. From the road, she could see the many barrels of apples that the apple family had filled up, as well as the ones waiting for their turn. A single light remained on, which puzzled her, but she did not leave yet.

“Applejack. Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better friend. It’s a shame we don’t get to hang out as often nowadays.” Twilight performed her dream spell again and promptly left. Even if AJ was awake, she would get the message when she chose to lie down.

“Fluttershy, how I’ve missed you so,” Twilight whispered gently as she landed outside of her friend's cottage. Fluttershy lived quite a distance from Ponyville; her home rested on the outskirts some, dangerously close to Everfree. It was a little ironic that she chose to nestle in such a place given her nature. Twilight’s touchdown had stirred some sleeping rodents nearby, but she made sure to hush them with a slight gesture of her wing. The creatures squeaked compliantly and returned to bed.
“It was because of your kindness that we were always able to stick close together. Thank you,” Twilight said and repeated her earlier process.

As Twilight flew back to Ponyville, she began wondering what exactly she was doing. Well, her mission was to investigate the mysterious source of this malevolent feeling, but that didn’t necessarily prompt a farewell of sorts to her friends did it? Now that she thought about it, Twilight found herself acting out of blindness again. She hadn’t been thinking the entire time she was sending these sweet dreams.

“Too late to stop now,” she said hovering outside of Rainbow Dash’s cloud villa. “You were always so loyal Rainbow. I feel kind of bad knowing that we left on ill terms. For what it’s worth, I haven’t forgotten you, nor do I plan to.” She performed her spell one last time and waited a little outside of Rainbow’s home before gliding away.

Twilight prepared to depart from Ponyville then, hoping to one day come back for a visit that didn’t require princess-like duties. As she continued her flight, her form stopped in mid-air and stared at the old large tree that sported a very familiar and homely sign. Twilight descended again, and brushed off the small amount of dust that layered on the library’s sign post.

“Wow, feels like ages.” As soon as the door opened, the aged aroma of dusty papers and unused quills wafted through the air and tickled Twilight’s nostrils. She was led in by the scent that had attracted her so much in her earlier days as a simple unicorn.

“Neat, and tidy; exactly as I left them,” Twilight commented looking at her bookshelves and the rolls of parchments within small cubby holes. “Nopony comes in here anymore. What a shame,” she said trotting upstairs. She found her bed, empty of sheets and pillow, but neatly tucked and ready for sleep. A yawn escaped her mouth and she wearily looked out of her bedroom window.

“So late…maybe I can spend the night, and leave in the morning,” she concluded. The moon still sat a good distance in the sky, but she knew it would not for much longer. Rather than deprive herself of rest, she decided to settle in, grabbing some spare sheets and pillow from nearby. “All I need…is a…few…hours…” Twilight told herself, lulling in and out of sleep. Finally, she knocked out.

*****

“…light,” a voice called out from the darkness. “Twi…light…Twilight, Twilight!” The voice became louder, more obtrusive and eventually the whole world began to shake. Twilight opened her eyes with a start, and found herself shifting up and down violently. What she perceived as an earthquake at first turned out to be something a little less alarming.

“Pinkie…Pie, good morning,” was the purple alicorn's tired reply. Her eyes jolted awake along with the entirety of her body as she found herself suddenly within the grasp of Pinkie’s forelegs.

“Oooooh Twilight! You didn’t tell us you were coming to visit!” Pinkie Pie shouted jubilantly, swinging her friend to and fro. Twilight gasped for air, rescued by Applejack shortly after she turned blue.

“Now, now Pinkie Pie, no need to wrangle up Twilight like that. Though I reckon’ she was askin’ for it,” Applejack chuckled winking at her. The purple alicorn caught her breath and laughed a little before hugging the orange pony before her. “Seriously Twilight, some warnin’ woulda been nice,” Applejack said.

“I’m sorry. To be honest, all of this was sort of on the fly. I came here to-” Twilight began, but was cut off by another pony’s embrace; this time, by a beautifully manned alabaster pony.

“Twilight my dear, it’s been too long! We’ve all missed you so much!” Rarity shouted squeezing a little. Twilight chuckled off her new captor and backed up to get some room.

“I know Rarity, I’ve missed you girls too. But listen, I need to tell you something,” Twilight said, shifting her tone.

“Oh, um, I hope I’m not interrupting anything…” Fluttershy said then, trotting into the library. Everypony turned to face the meek pegasus and welcomed her into the throng. “Twilight, I had the most wonderful dream about you. Oh, but not like that, I mean…” Fluttershy sputtered out fumbling her words. Twilight stopped her before she could continue.

“It’s okay, I know what you mean Fluttershy. I’m just happy to see you too,” Twilight said.

“You’re just happy? I’m bouncing off of the walls here!” Pinkie Pie shouted bounding up and down.

“Yes, I know, but I need you girls to listen, please!” Twilight said more persistently now. Everypony huddled up, curious as to what she had to say.

“I know it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you all, and while this is fun and all, I came here for more important matters. I don’t why I landed in Ponyville first but…” Twilight stopped then, and searched the faces among the crowd of ponies before her, and found one to be lacking.

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?” she asked, suddenly thrown off track of what she even had to say.

“Oh, RD’s around. Probably cloud bustin’ which gets to me since she knows that you’re here and all,” Applejack answered.

“Yeah! I had a dream about you! A nice one, and you said some really nice things to me and we partied and I shared that with Applejack this morning who said she had a dream about you too, and then everypony said they dreamed about you, so I had this hunch that we should check the library, and here you were!”

“Are you quite finished?” Rarity asked, giving Pinkie an annoyed stare. The party pony nodded and smiled widely for her friends to see.

“Well, I wouldn’t expect her to be too excited to see me,” Twilight said stretching her limbs.

“Ya know, Rainbow Dash is just a little sensitive sometimes Twi. She’ll come around,” Applejack said supportively.

“So, you said you had something important to tell us?” Fluttershy peeped suddenly from the midst of things. Twilight’s face displayed an abrupt change of countenance and she remembered why she had stopped by.

“You crazy ponies. You’ll make me forget everything if I just stay with you,” Twilight joked. She used her magic to grab the cushions that they would normally sit on and asked her friends to get comfortable. “Like I was saying,” Twilight began, “I am here on official Canterlot business. It’s nice to see you ponies, but I’m afraid I can’t stay,” Twilight finally was able to get out.

“What do you mean you can’t stay?!” Rainbow Dash shouted standing in the doorway of Twilight’s library.

“Dashie! You’re here!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed pulling her further inside. “Quick! Come say hi to Twilight before…she…wait! You can’t leave, you just got here!” Pinkie Pie’s face fell at the sudden realization. She let go of Rainbow and swiftly clung to Twilight.

“I’m sorry Pinkie, but I’m investigating something for Princess Luna. I only stopped here to rest,” Twilight said, trying to convince herself that was why she had actually arrived. Her original intentions were set with doubt when she suddenly felt that odd pressure, now closer than ever.

Twilight trotted over to Rainbow Dash and smiled at her. The sky blue pegasus half-smiled back but walked past her and into the group of her friends.

“I thought maybe you’d wanna chill or something because you’re in town,” Rainbow said then, as if apologizing for her earlier outburst.

“That would be great, but I have this task I have to do first. Maybe if I finish early, I can come back. That is, if the princesses allow me to,” Twilight said muttering now incoherently.

“Um, Twilight? I think you’re going over an invisible schedule in your brain,” Applejack said, waving her hoof in front of Twilight’s eyes.

“Huh? Wha-Oh, sorry. It’s just a habit now. Being a princess is busy work,” Twilight said apologizing frankly.

“Well you can spare a few moments can’t you? Tell me, how do the Canterlotians like my newest fashion line?” Rarity asked changing the subject.

“Okay, I guess? Look, I promise I’ll have more time for you ponies, but right now-”

“You gotta leave huh?” Rainbow Dash finished. Twilight looked at her sorrowfully and nodded.

“You really can’t stay any longer?” Fluttershy asked dejectedly from the side.

“One more day can’t hurt,” Applejack protested then, getting Twilight’s attention.

“Please! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!” Pinkie Pie rambled.

“I’m sure the princesses won’t mind. They have to understand if you choose to stay a little longer,” Rarity pleaded as well. Twilight, now bombarded with the depressed expressions of her friends’ faces sighed in defeat.

“How could someone say no to her friends whom she hasn’t seen in forever? Thank you girls,” Twilight said hugging them tightly. Everypony cheered in happiness and Twilight figured the princess would indeed understand. Maybe this was what she needed after all.

“Hold on, the troupe is not complete!” Rarity said with her hoof in the air. “Where is my Spikey Wikey?” she asked concernedly. Twilight rolled her eyes and chuckled.

“He’s back in Canterlot. Though I’m sure he’ll love to see you girls again,” Twilight said relieving Rarity.

“You say that like he’ll be here today,” Rainbow Dash said a little confused. Twilight smiled playfully and nodded.

“How about right now?” she asked, summoning magic from her horn. A bright flash of light filled the room, and then standing in the center of the group was a very confused baby dragon.

“Huh? What?” Spike looked around puzzled at his sudden manifestation, but relaxed after catching sight of Twilight.

“Spike!” Rarity exclaimed gleefully and embraced him. Spike nearly melted from the hug, but regained his composure and hugged Rarity back.

“Rarity! Oh man it’s great to see you again! Hey, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash! I guess I’m in Ponyville then?” Spike concluded peering around at the old library.

“You’re right Spike. I brought you here,” Twilight said proudly.

“Oh, I get it. You used the advanced version of the teleportation spell!” Spike revealed.

“Advanced version?” Rarity asked, still clutching the baby dragon.

“It works like my other one, but I can travel further distances. What’s even better is that I can transport other things as well. It works a lot easier with live subjects, since I can feel their natural energy, but as long as I know the location of an object I can zip it to my location, and vice versa,” Twilight explained in full.

“Whoa, that’s awesome,” Rainbow Dash said excitedly. “So it’s like…an instant transmission! You don’t even need to fly!”

“Well, it does use quite a bit of magic, so using it all the time isn’t very resourceful. Not to mention, I have to concentrate really hard if I plan to travel longer distances than a few miles,” Twilight said.

“I bet you could beat Rainbow Dash with that sort of speed!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

“That’s not speed Pinkie Pie, that’s magic,” Rainbow protested.

“She’s right Pinkie. I wouldn’t dream of using that if we were to ever race though,” Twilight said to Rainbow.

“Hey, ya know yer last letter mentioned you’d show us some other spells you’ve been workin’ on. How’s about givin’ them a go?” Applejack asked pumped with excitement.

“You want me to use all of my magic is that it?” Twilight asked sarcastically.

“Oh please, I would love to see that lullaby spell you told me about,” Fluttershy said just then. “The way you described those falling feathers was simply amazing.”

“Or how about you show us that spell that turns water into grape juice?” Applejack asked.

“Didn’t you say there was a spell you discovered that doubled the size of whatever it was cast upon?” Rarity inquired then.

“Whoa! One pony at a time!” Twilight said. She paced a little, and thought hard about which one to perform first.

“Well, since they all know about those spells, how about one you didn’t tell them about?” Spike suggested. Twilight’s eyes lit up and she rubbed her assistant’s head scales.

“That’s why you’re number one Spike,” Twilight said and gathered her friends outside. The sun shone brightly in the sky, and the town now teemed with life. Birds and insects of all kinds went about their day, just as the many ponies of Ponyville did. Twilight’s appearance caught the eyes of several ponies who gave an excited wave and a generous smile.

“Wow, everypony is so much nicer here. I guess I forgot how different the culture is in Canterlot from Ponyville,” Twilight said to herself.

“Twi, that spell?” Applejack asked then.

“Huh? Oh yeah…right,” Twilight said preparing herself.

“You seem to be a little distracted dear. Is everything alright?” Rarity asked before Twilight could summon any energy.

“Well, it’s just that…you know its fine. I’m just reminiscing a lot this morning,” Twilight lied, hoping she wouldn’t have to concern her friends with her other business. Something seemed to be preventing her from telling them in the first place. It would be better to not endanger them she figured.

“So what exactly is Twilight doing?” Rainbow Dash asked nudging Spike in the shoulder.

“Oh, that’s called Harmonia. We stumbled upon it in the Starswirl the Bearded section of the Canterlot archives. Supposedly, it’s a form of magic that the Elements of Harmony are said to emit,” Spike explained.

“Wow, and uh, has Twilight been able to master it?” Fluttershy asked. Spike turned in Twilight’s direction and gave off a puzzled look.

“You know, I don’t know why she chose to show that spell. I was actually thinking about the spell that turns me into a moustache-toting gentledragon, but I guess this works,” Spike replied.

“Um, is that a no?” Fluttershy asked but was startled by a loud crack of magic.

“C’mon!” Twilight said, straining to release her magic correctly. Everypony backed away while she tried to perform this new spell, but at the apex of the activation, it stopped and instead resulted in a small fizzle of wasted magic.

“Not quite what I had in mind,” Rainbow Dash said dully.

“On the plus side, it makes an excellent trick candle!” Pinkie Pie said putting out the small flame on Twilight’s mane.

“I was sure I would get it this time,” Twilight said disappointedly.

“This time? You mean you nearly blew up Canterlot more than once?” Applejack asked a little disturbed.

“You think maybe we need the actual Elements of Harmony to activate it?” Spike asked then. Twilight shook her head and sat down.

“The whole point of the spell is to not have to use the Elements Spike,” Twilight said rather nonchalantly.

“Wait, a spell that works like the Elements of Harmony, without the Elements of Harmony? How does that even work?” Rainbow Dash asked narrowing her brow and flying closer to the ground.

“Well, in theory…if I can harness the harmony from all around me in a natural environment, the energy should be able to flow naturally through me. This way, artificial harmony created by the Elements doesn’t have to be used.” Everypony gawked at Twilight’s declaration.

“That is quite the spell indeed,” Rarity said still awestruck by the concept of harnessing natural harmony.

“So then, what you’re saying is that you won’t need the Elements of Harmony anymore?” Fluttershy restated, yielding a nod from Twilight.

“So then, what you’re saying is that you won’t need us anymore?” Rainbow Dash shot out spitefully.

“What the hay Rainbow Dash, nopony said that!” Applejack rebuked.

“Rainbow Dash, I can’t believe you even said that,” Twilight cried out defensively. “The Elements of Harmony are sacred relics to be used only in the most dire of circumstances, Don’t you see, if I am able to perfect this spell, then we won’t have to rely on them anymore.”

“But those Elements are specific to us right? So in a sense, not using them is like abandoning our very friendship,” Rainbow Dash argued, getting on Twilight’s level.

“That’s not true. The Elements do not determine our relationships. We do,” Twilight said back a little more incensed.

“Umm, can we stop the yelling please?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“Hey ya’ll, listen to Fluttershy. We’re friends okay? It’s alright to have a little spat every now an’ then, but we gotta work through it together now, ya hear?” Applejack said coming in between Rainbow and Twilight.

“I bet the Elements don’t even work anymore,” Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath.

“Why would you say that? Are you implying something?” Twilight responded.

“Maybe, not that you would care,” Rainbow spat back.

“Spike, go get the Elements so Rainbow here can see there’s nothing to worry about. They’re in the library basement, in the chest.” Spike quickly obeyed, running off pretty relieved to be out of the ensuing mess.

“I’m not worried, you’re the one freaking out right now,” Rainbow argued.

“Why are you acting like this?!” Twilight suddenly yelled out pushing Applejack aside.

“Acting like what? You’re the one being a pompous jerk and flaunting your princess hood all around Canterlot!” Rainbow shouted back.

“I am not! I’m trying to learn how to become a princess so I can lead Equestria as well as I led you girls!”

“Now I said quit it!” Applejack shouted squeezing between both ponies again. “Rainbow, its Twilight’s first time here in ages and we don’t need anypony screwin’ it up because of past hurt!” Applejack then turned to Twilight and gave her the very same look. “And you Ms. Princess, you may have more responsibilities and obligations than before, but we’re your friends, first and foremost. I expected better from you than arguing with RD here.”

Twilight looked at her friend’s critical stare and sighed. She looked at Rainbow Dash with sorry eyes and backed away.

“You’re right Applejack. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten defensive like that. I’m sorry Rainbow,” Twilight said feeling more than awful for how she acted.

“Well, Rainbow, got anythin’ ya wanna say?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah. I’m sorry too then. I just…overreacted is all. It’s hot outside,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Really, it’s my fault. I need to tell you girls something. Before I came here, I sensed something foul moving in the wind. Not just me, but Princess Luna did as well. She just now sent me to investigate but I’ve been feeling this angst for a long time now.” Twilight finished her explanation and took in a big breath. It felt a little good to get that off of her chest, but she still couldn’t feel any peace.

“So that’s why my TwiTwi isn’t feeling so good?” Pinkie Pie said and hugged her friend. Twilight took comfort in her embrace for a little while, but left it to speak some more.

“So, that’s the official Canterlot business. Now you girls know why I was in such a hurry to just leave.” Nopony responded but Twilight wouldn’t let them feel bad about it.

“It’s not your faults, it’s mine. And this responsibility falls on me. I don’t want you girls to get hurt,” Twilight said. The whimsical visit passed on, and Twilight’s motion to stay seemed to move along with it. She had explained her reasoning, and nopony would stop her.

“Well, if that’s how you feel, then we can respect that Twilight,” Rarity said a little teary eyed.

“You don’t have to do everything alone Sugar Cube,” Applejack said. “This may be Canterlot Princess phooey, but our friend is involved, and so are we,” Applejack said confidently. Twilight looked out to her friends who all gave her a reassuring smile. Even Rainbow seemed a little more lenient than before.

“Thank you girls. I’ll remember that,” Twilight said more to herself than to them. “But as is my duty as Princess Sparkle, I cannot allow harm to befall my friends. So I have to go without your help-”

“TWILIGHT!!!” Spike suddenly called out.

“The day’s just blooming with interruptions,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.

“Twilight, we have a problem. The Elements of Harmony…you have to…come on!” Spike sputtered in short gasps. Everypony ran back inside the library and down into the basement.

“What’s the matter Spike,” Twilight asked, looking around for any immediate danger.

“It’s here!” Spike said out of breath, hanging on Rarity’s leg.

Twilight trotted over to the opened chest and recognized the engravings around the linings. This was the right chest, so what was the problem? Twilight peered into the box and her face contorted in terror.

“The Elements…they’re…”

“They’re colorless!” Applejack screamed in shock.

“No, my precious Element of Harmony has turned into this nasty shade of gray!” Rarity cried out.

“Wh-why are they like that?” Fluttershy asked, picking one of them up. The entire relic remained the same in design and shape. The jewel still felt very real and the form was perfect, but there was no life in the Elements whatsoever.

“Do they…still work?” Rainbow Dash asked cautiously. Twilight gasped and reached for her crown. She pulled it off of her head and examined it, but it still remained intact in both form and pigment.

“Well, my crown seems okay. Maybe…maybe it’s just a resting state?” Twilight wondered examining one of the other Elements carefully.

“You think maybe cause we haven’t used them in a while they’re turning back into stone? Like when we first found em?” Applejack asked.

“No, I don’t think so. The reason the Elements were turned to stone was because Celestia and Luna lost their connection to them. They lost…their harmony…” Twilight said slowly. She handed the element she had in hoof to Pinkie Pie who put it on promptly.

“It still feels okay.” Pinkie observed twirling around a little.

“You think maybe we should try activating them Twilight?” Rarity asked placing hers on as well. Twilight considered the circumstances and realized that this must have been the ominous feeling from before.

“Yes. I have a feeling the Elements of Harmony were what caused my earlier feelings of angst. I can’t believe I could feel it all the way from Canterlot,” Twilight said, marveling at the awesome mysteriousness of the six jeweled relics.

“Well, yer crown is one of em,” Applejack replied.

“So maybe, my crown was crying out to the other Elements? I suppose we’ll see,” Twilight said a little apprehensively.

“Let’s move it outside maybe? I don’t want to have to clean up before I set up for Twilight’s I-fixed-the-Elements-of-Harmony party.” Pinkie Pie said happily. Everypony chuckled at her humor given the situation and agreed. Spike followed behind, worried for Twilight and his friends.

“Be careful okay?” he said to Twilight after tugging her tail.

“Hey, it’s me we’re talking about,” Twilight said gently. She circled up with her friends and awaited everyone’s signal to begin. “Alright girls, activate your Elements. We’re going to see if we can’t fix this,” Twilight commanded.

Everypony shut their eyes and began to unite in harmony. Twilight activated her spark, causing the rest of the Elements to activate in turn, emanating the strange light that they always produce when working together. A swirl of colorful aura hummed around the levitating ponies and Twilight began to feel the magic surging from within her. The air around them whipped about wildly, turning over light obstacles and causing nearby buildings to shake.

A few ponies unsure of what was going on fled from the area and watched a safe distance away. All they could make out was their new princess and some other ponies activating the Elements of Harmony for some reason. As the team finally reached the point of activation, Twilight meant to power down the magic, but felt a strange sensation jolt through her.

“Wait…something’s not right!” she cried out in mid-trance. The spell began to take a violent turn, whipping up stronger winds and picking up larger chunks of debris. The sky above began to darken and the ground shook tremendously.

“Twilight…what’s going on?” Spike yelled out dodging a few flying chairs. Ponyville citizens began fleeing further away, avoiding the rainbow storm that was manifesting in front of the library.

“It’s going to collapse!” Twilight shouted out. She could not control it anymore, and the magic began to warp. Instantly, it collapsed within itself and burst, breaking up the party of ponies and spreading the collected debris it had managed to pick up. The shockwave spread throughout the entire town, knocking many ponies off of their hooves and disturbing some settlements.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack yelled out in pain. The aftermath had upset the ground around them and the Elements were scattered about.

“Twilight, what the heck? How come that happened?” Rainbow Dash asked removing a large piece of earth from her mane.

“I don’t know…” Twilight replied back tiredly. She examined the area and counted all of her friends. She then looked out at Ponyville and bit her lip. “Whoops, that’s going to come back to bite me,” she said lowly. Several houses had suffered some damage, and many carts and market stalls were upset due to the freak windstorm. The villagers began to clean up, but not before casting a disapproving glare towards the six ponies responsible for the mess.

“Twilight, what happened? It looked like you girls had it, but then I saw you flinch in pain and then it all went south from there,” Spike said.

“It’s hard to explain,” Twilight said, removing her crown. “It was almost as if…the Elements were in pain.”

“What?! That’s ridiculous. They’re not alive silly,” Pinkie Pie said from under a pile of strewn about leaves.

“I know that. But I also know what I felt,” Twilight said sternly. She then looked at her crown and consequently yelled in surprise, chucking it away.

“What now?” Spike asked, running over to the crown. “Oh no.” The words just rolled out of his mouth. “Your crown…it’s like the rest of the Elements now.”

“That’s not the worst part…” Twilight said. She trotted over to the baby dragon and pointed out a large fissure within the jewel. It ran up along the edge and penetrated the Element of Magic in the middle with a single menacing crack.

“You thought that was bad?” Spike suddenly said. Twilight followed his claw and noticed the other despondent Elements lying broken on the floor.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no…the Elements of Harmony are shattered!” Twilight exclaimed.

“What?!” Rainbow Dash yelled out rushing over to her Element. She picked it up and examined it. Her reflection split into several obscure Rainbow Dashes, each holding the very same irritated look. “They don’t work anymore?”

“No, that’s impossible!” Rarity shouted as she galloped over to her Element. “First it loses its sheen and now it shatters?! This goes beyond a fashion problem Twilight.”

“Yeah, what do we do without the Elements of Harmony? Does that mean our friendship isn’t true anymore?” Pinkie Pie asked sadly.

“Of course not,” Fluttershy interjected then. “Oh, sorry, but I don’t think this means our friendship is over or even tainted. We just need to go to Princess Celestia about this.”

“Way to use your head Fluttershy,” Applejack complimented to the blushing pegasus.

“Okay. It’s safe to say that this was the cause of Princess Luna’s angst as well as mine. I didn’t think I’d find it so quickly,” Twilight commented. She gathered the Elements and levitated them with her magic. “Alright girls, I’m going to go back to Canterlot with the Elements. You ponies should stay and help clean up our mess,” Twilight suggested.

“It’s your mess too,” Rainbow commented. Applejack nudged her roughly, to which Rainbow just rolled her eyes. “I mean, yes Your Highness.” She received another nudge.

“Quit it!” Applejack snapped.

“I was only joking, geez!” Rainbow said.

“Girls, not again…” Twilight said about to intervene until the Elements of Harmony began to act up. Twilight dropped them, burned somehow by some dark force.

“Oww! What the…” Twilight dropped her spell and the Elements clattered about. They began to seep a dark smoke, at first slowly, but then more rapidly and forcefully.

“That isn’t normal…is it?” Spike asked.

The rising smoke gathered in the air, forming a dark cloud over Ponyville. Twilight felt that cold chill again and trembled. The smoke finally ceased its hissing and gathered into one large cloud. The shapeless shadow began to mold itself, shrinking in size and gaining form. The mass hardened, and began to form what seemed to be a set of hooves. The clouded darkness solidified even further, revealing the outline of large wings, flared to their full span sprouting from the back of what was clearly being defined as a pony.

The shadow began to fade, making way for this thing’s facial features and body details. A slight mist remained, surrounding the gray coated pony still floating in the air. His glossy silvery mane blinded the six ponies below and hung long, past his shoulders and over a dark, spikey breastplate. Dark purple crystals protruded from his shoulder blades and his circlet sported the very same design of spiked crystals.

The final details that awed the six friends below remained in this being’s wings, and his malevolently tattooed horn. The creature finally caught sight of the figures below him and scanned the floor with his piercing yellow glare. His wings; one decoratively painted in white soft feathers and the other, wicked and craggy, devoid of feathers and instead sporting horrendously filed scales began to beat against the air.

“An alicorn…” Twilight said fearfully enthralled. The nearby ponies all stopped to stare at this new creature as well. The gray-coated alicorn landed on the ground, shaking the earth under his tremendous pressure. His face held no visible sign of emotion, and his eyes ripped right through one’s soul. Twilight mustered up as much strength as she could to address this alicorn, but still felt weak under the amount of power that exuded from him.

“Who are you? How were you inside the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked. The beast shifted his scan to lock on to Twilight, and she nearly wet herself from the sudden glare.

“Who am I?” he responded slowly. His voice was flat, deep and absent of any passion. It was almost as if his very voice could suck out one's life force. “I suppose…Gray Umbra will suffice, don’t you think?”

Twilight couldn’t understand why this alicorn was asking her such a question. Gray continued, “To answer the latter part of your inquiry, it was by your doing that I ended up in there. Personally, I find it…amusing…that I should even get to address myself as such.”

“I-I don’t understand…”Twilight said still trembling in fear. Gray Umbra brayed loudly, startling the six ponies before him. He trotted closer to Twilight so that his form could loom over her. His entire shadow swallowed her frame and he peered down at the helpless mare before him.

“You created me,” he finally said and continued to stare down the Equestrian princess.

3. Feeling of Cold Umbrace

“What are you playing at?” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly. Gray shifted his attention to the rainbow-maned pegasus allowing Twilight a chance to escape.

“I am not playing. I speak the truth,” Gray said monotonously. His gaze fell upon Ponyville then, frightening the inhabitants and sending them in a manic flurry.

“Alright mister, you’d better skedaddle or else we’ll put the hurtin’ on ya!” Applejack threatened, grinding her teeth and stirring up dirt. Gray Umbra simply scoffed and blinked once. A shockwave escaped from his being and crashed into the six ponies around him. Everypony slammed into the ground, taken aback by Gray’s effortless assault.

“Buddy, you just declared war on Equestria!” Pinkie Pie growled. Gray turned to face the six directly.

“I’ve always been at war with Equestria Pinkie Pie,” he said.

“You know my name?”

“I know all of your names. I know all about you six, I know all about your battles, and I know all about your friendship. Might I add that I abhor the idea?” Gray inquired of the pink pony.

“So then, what’s the secret? How do you know everything about us and how were you able to come about?” Twilight asked displaying a little more confidence.

“I, Gray Umbra, am the sole manifestation of chaos. In essence, I am everything you six have lived to fight against and prevent,” Gray stated. “You know nothing of the powers hidden in those relics,” he continued on. Twilight peered over at the lifeless jewels Gray was referring to.

“The Elements of Harmony were forged in order to dispel chaos and to repair the natural flow of things whenever evil tipped the balance of chaos and harmony. However, this would imply that the reverted chaos could not be destroyed, but instead only contained and then safely restored to the world. In light of recent events, the Elements of Harmony were used in such abundance that the chaos contained in them could not flow out fast enough, and the scale tipped a little too far towards harmony. A tip on the scale in either side could mean total annihilation for the world you all live in. In order to balance out the natural flow of things, you have this creature standing before you.”

“Hold on, are you saying that the Elements are a bad thing?” Rainbow Dash asked with a little contempt in her voice.

“No, I am saying that they are meant to harbor a set amount of chaos and it takes time for that chaos to be released back into the world. Everytime you ponies used the Elements, you reverted a chaotic event and trapped that energy inside of the Elements. Naturally, it takes about ten years for the Elements to properly cleanse themselves after such catastrophic events,” Gray explained. “Your overzealous use of the ancient gems rendered them inert. In this state of dullness, the Elements dispel the stored chaos progressively faster, but at a terrible consequence. They cannot be used at all.”

“It all makes sense now…I was feeling the release of evil energy into the world. I tipped the natural scale of things and when we tried to use the Elements in their inert state…”

“They cracked under the pressure,” Gray finished for Twilight. “You’ve abused the power given to you by your Princess Celestia,” Gray said and stamped his hoof on the floor. The ground below him shattered, raising large spires of broken earth into the air and upsetting a plethora of vegetation.

"What are you doing?!" Twilight yelled out.

“Once, the Elements were used to dispel the chaos that was Nightmare Moon. Second, the Elements were used to amend Discord’s chaotic realm. Both instances erased chaos, overloading the Elements with darkness. Combine that with their next two uses, one to free Discord from his stone prison, as well as activate them while they were going through their cleansing process, and you have one big mess,” Gray said rising into the air.

“Wait a minute! I thought you said you were created to balance this scale thingy!” Rarity shouted.

“That is true, but being the full embodiment of chaos, I find this world quite displeasing. In fact, I think I’d rather see it drown in chaos than live a boring life of mere existence,” Gray bellowed.

“You can’t do that! It’ll destroy everything!” Twilight cried. Gray zoomed down from his perch and stared at the lavender mare.

“I house an extreme hatred towards your harmony Twilight Sparkle. If you did not want this to come about, then you should not have used the Elements of Harmony in the first place,” Gray said.

The evil alicorn began charging an unholy magic in the tip of his horn and set his gaze on Ponyville. Twilight jumped to her hooves as quick as she could, heading straight for Gray. Gray released his dark magic amidst the town of the frantic residents. Twilight teleported just in time and performed a barrier spell to deflect the attack. The force of the two magics colliding caused both spells to break and created a large explosion in mid-air instead of on the ground. The force repelled Twilight away from her friends and into Ponyville’s center, crashing her into a small vendor’s stall.

She removed the wreckage around her and caught sight of Gray Umbra trotting into town. As he moved, the buildings around him shook violently and structures began to crumble. The green grass died under his hoof steps and the sky darkened directly over his figure. Twilight sprung up from her posture and met the villain in the middle of town. Gray ceased his trot and eyed Twilight carefully, a little curiosity brooding within his mind.

“Twilight!” Spike shouted from behind Gray. Spike and the rest of Twilight’s friends galloped over to her, standing firm and clearly showing their defiance towards the evil stallion that loomed over them. Gray brayed loudly and shoved the group aside using his telepathy.

“Hey! That wasn’t very nice!” Pinkie Pie shouted dismounting Applejack’s back.

“Gray Umbra, stop your destruction now!” Twilight commanded rising boldly to her hooves. The dark alicorn halted once more, and turned around. The party of multicolored female ponies stood ready once more, almost as if unshaken by Gray’s last warning shot.

“Twice I have allowed you to perhaps flee with your lives, but I see now that you wish to be destroyed immediately,” Gray said and flew into the air. Twilight held her ground, backed by the five mares she had always put her trust in. She looked to each of them and gave everyone a sorry expression. What she received however, was the very confident and determined faces of five best friends.

“Like I said, we’re in this together,” Applejack repeated.

“Then die together,” Gray cried out and beat his wings in the air. Visible forms of the wind manifested out of his gesture, and tore wildly through the sky. Twilight skipped in front of her friends and formed another shield, this time enveloping them in a spherical orb. Gray’s attack struck the barrier and rocked the party about in a small maelstrom. Twilight could hear the vicious scrapes against her protective magic and concentrated hard to keep the magic solidified.

“I’m going to drop the shield! After I do, I need you two to distract him Rainbow and Pinkie!” Twilight said. Rainbow Dash nodded in response and awaited her window. Pinkie Pie saluted comically. “Applejack, you and Rarity are going to help me launch a ground assault on Gray.” Both ponies agreed and then Twilight turned to Fluttershy. “Alright Fluttershy, you’re going to-”

“Oh please Twilight, don’t make me do anything too dangerous!” Fluttershy peeped out. She was already hiding under her hooves with her rump in the air.

“No Fluttershy! You and Spike need to get away as far as possible. Get a message to Princess Celestia and then have Spike send me a letter telling me where you two are at! Spike,” Twilight said shifting her attention now. The force field around the group popped a hole, allowing a single blade of wind to enter. It lightly grazed Twilight’s mane, cutting off a few strands of hair. “Spike, there’s not much time, get a message to Celestia and Luna and then go someplace familiar to me. Let me know where okay?” Spike nodded, though he too was as terrified as Fluttershy. The shield popped another hole.

“Uh, Twilight?!” Rarity called out trying to patch the magic with her own.

“Don’t bother; I’m going to drop the shield after his attack ends. I can feel it waning,” Twilight responded. As soon as she finished, Gray’s spell ceased and Twilight released her magic as well. Fluttershy picked up Spike and darted off as fast as possible. Twilight tried to catch what Spike was trying to say, but all of her attention was on Gray Umbra at the moment.

Rainbow Dash lifted Pinkie Pie into the air and soared into the sky to meet the evil alicorn head on.

“Hey ugly!” Rainbow Dash called out, seeking Gray’s attention. Gray locked onto the duo flying before him and sent a stream of dark magic in their direction. Rainbow glided out of the way just in time and Gray’s attack collided with the spire of Town Hall. The building shattered in a deafening explosion and lifted more dust into the air.

“Hey, be more careful Dashie!” Pinkie Pie shouted, waving her limbs about.

“Rarity, I need you to locate some gems for me. Large ones preferably,” Twilight said.

“But I can’t detect gems in Ponyville that are as big as you want. Not without digging too deep that is…” Rarity protested.

“Would you just quit yer yappin and do it already!” Applejack shouted. Rarity began dowsing with her horn, occasionally glancing at her friends in the air.

“Applejack, we’ll use those bucking legs of yours to launch any gems Rarity finds at Gray. All we have to do is hold him off until one of the princesses arrive,” Twilight said, going over the plan in her head again. She looked up at her other friends and hoped they would stay relatively okay.

Pinkie Pie hung from Rainbow Dash’s forelimbs and bucked about whenever Dash would get close to Gray. None of her attacks actually landed, but she was enjoying herself.

“Pests,” Gray uttered and roared in their direction. His voice crossed their flight plan and knocked both of them off course, stumbling Rainbow Dash and causing Pinkie to lose her grip.

“AHHH! HELP!” Pinkie Pie shouted, hanging by one hoof.

“Hold on Pinkie!” Rainbow said straining to pick her up. She lost her grip on the pink pony however, and Pinkie Pie fell from the sky and crashed into a building below. “Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash shouted out, rushing to her aid.

“Oh no, he got em!” Applejack yelled.

“Aha! I found one!” Rarity gleefully cheered. Twilight ran over to her position and felt out the crystal’s form. It was moderately sized, but it would do. She concentrated real hard and her horn began to emit a faint glow. Suddenly, a bright flash of light blinded the area and faded to reveal a beautifully formed diamond.

“Perfect, sharp edges,” Twilight said. “Applejack, I’m going to toss it to you. Buck it straight at Gray while Rarity distracts him!”

“Whaaa?! I thought Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were doing that!” Rarity cried.

“Gray Umbra knocked em down, so we need a new distraction before he decides to attack us again!” Applejack said. Quite suddenly the building that Pinkie and Dash had landed in ruptured, opening up the top floor. Everypony turned to see a damaged Sugarcube Corner, and standing on the second floor with her hooves around a large cannon was Pinkie herself.

“Heeeeeeere’s Dashie!” she cried out and fired her weapon. Rainbow Dash sped out of the barrel lightly covered in confetti and party streamers. She rocketed towards Gray and spun about in order to plant a firm set of hooves into his muzzle. The winged beast dodged the assault, but Rainbow quickly zoomed around him and clung onto his mane.

“Never mind, Applejack, get ready! Rarity, help me with the gem!” Twilight commanded. Both she and Rarity lifted the diamond and flung it at Applejack. The orange cowpony situated herself exactly where she needed to be and bucked the jewel at the still preoccupied Gray Umbra.

Rainbow Dash saw the incoming diamond and moved out of the way, freeing Gray from his frantic struggle with her. Twilight concentrated her magic again and aimed at the diamond flying straight at Gray. It absorbed the magic and doubled in size just before impact, crashing into Gray Umbra and sending him, along with the giant rock, crashing to the floor.

"Whooo Wee! We still got it!" Applejack cheered hoof bumping Rainbow Dash.

“What a relief! You think I can keep the diamond now?” Rarity asked.

“Hold on, that won’t be enough,” Twilight said, feeling the rising pressure of Gray’s power seething from under the diamond. Before she could react, a green flame sprouted from above her head and a piece of parchment landed on the ground. Twilight hastily opened the letter and called her friends over to her.

“Okay girls, Spike just confirmed that he's sent the letter, but we can’t remain in Ponyville. If we fight here, Gray will destroy everything,” Twilight informed them.

“Know any good wastelands nearby?” Rarity inquired to Rainbow Dash.

Gray forcefully removed the diamond lying on top of him and crushed the gem into an innumerable amount of worthless shards. He fixed his tattered mane and brayed off the shock that came with being struck by the ton of rock.

“How very resourceful,” Gray complimented soon after rushing the group of idle ponies.

“Everypony move!” Applejack screamed out. Rolling away, she caught a few of her friends and tumbled with them just barely avoiding becoming skewered ponies. Twilight covered the rest of her friends, rolling in the opposite direction. Gray tore up the earth as he passed through the group. Twilight shielded her face as strewn about clogs of dirt littered the air. She quickly pulled everypony to their hooves and braced for another assault.

“Where are we going Twilight?” Rainbow asked.

“Let’s try Everfree Forest. There aren’t too many ponies or innocent animals there,” Twilight responded.

“Fluttershy won’t like that,” Rainbow objected.

“We really don’t have a choice now Rainbow, don’t argue.” Twilight’s voice resonated with a little more authority than Rainbow Dash would have liked. She chose not to respond back however and awaited an order.

“We’ll wait until Gray attacks again and make a break for Everfree,” Twilight planned out.

“How are you so certain he’ll follow?” Rarity asked.

“I’m not. But he seems too focused on us to just let us escape. It’s our best bet,” Twilight reaffirmed. Gray Umbra fell out of his spin and straightened his flight. His glare returned to the defiant ponies before him and he prepared for another charge.

“Rainbow, get his attention so he’ll be more inclined to take the bait,” Twilight suggested.

Rainbow zoomed ahead of the group and stuck her tongue out at Gray.

“Pretty lame for somepony who claims to be all of chaos an evil. You can’t even stop five little ponies!” Rainbow teased.

“I’m working on it,” Gray responded beating his wings in Rainbow’s direction. A small gust knocked into Rainbow Dash and tumbled her about. Twilight halted her somersault and pulled the rainbow pony to her side.

“Sorry, but if it helps, you did a good job,” Twilight said timidly. Gray Umbra charged again, this time manifesting a magic drill over his horn.

“Here he comes!” Pinkie Pie shouted tensely jumping up and down.

Gray lowered his head and flew aggressively towards the group once more. Twilight waited until the last moment and clutched her friends together in a telepathic bond. She shut her eyes and teleported the group behind Gray seconds before impact. With the path now clear, Twilight led the charge, galloping towards the Everfree Forest, with the others following closely behind.

“Where’s Gray Umbra?” Applejack asked suddenly. She increased speed after the ground trembled and began to smell of smoldering ruin.

“Guess that means he’s behind us,” Pinkie Pie answered.

Twilight turned her head to get an estimate on how far away Gray actually was, but she quickly recanted after she saw him soaring through the air instead of galloping as well.

“Figures,” Rainbow Dash shouted, remarking about Gray’s aerial chase. “Why don’t they ever play by the rules?” she questioned. The group was able to maintain a good speed above Gray, just barely avoiding all of the chaos magic he tossed in their direction. However, the evil alicorn was catching up, and Twilight needed to act again.

“I’m going to transport us again, this time deep into the forest. Everypony grab a hoof!” Twilight shouted. The group halted their gallop and locked hooves, now at the complete mercy of Twilight’s rapidness.

“Hurry up Egghead!” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight shushed her and continued to meditate.

“For goodness’s sake perform the spell already!” Rarity cried out teetering back and forth.

“Alright, got it!” Twilight yelled out.

Gray Umbra sent a wave of dark energy to destroy his foes, but instead wasted another spell on the empty dirt beneath him. He brayed irritably and examined the large expanse of tree and root before him. The evil alicorn dropped to his hooves and entered the dark woods, choosing to travel by lesser means. He entered the dank and dreary settlement of the many dangerous creatures that Equestria had to offer, and began dowsing for the group of escaped ponies.

“I’ll see to it that this world suffocates in a cloud of chaos, but not before I snuff out the very light you ponies choose to keep lit,” Gray said menacingly. Although the fluctuation of his voice did not rise above an indoor setting, he was sure at least Twilight would catch his message.

Twilight and her friends manifested within the deep thicket of the Everfree Forest. The group stumbled on the floor and sprawled about groaning in moderate queasiness.

“Ngh…I guess I forgot to mention…I don’t like teleporting much,” Rainbow Dash uttered out sickly.

Twilight picked herself up and began casting another spell. She felt out for her remaining two friends and instantly teleported them to their location.

“Oh! Oh my, that was…different,” Fluttershy said nervously.

“Twilight, I’m happy that you’re still safe!” Spike yelled. He elatedly charged his pony counterpart and hugged her. Twilight shared his relief and hugged him as well, but attended to the matter at hand shortly after. She lifted a misty veil around them and encased the whole area within a sweet smelling purple fog.

“What is this stuff?” Applejack asked, brushing sticks and leaves out of her mane.

“This will keep us hidden from Gray a little longer, just long enough for a response from Celestia,” Twilight said.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you,” Spike blurted out, “The princess already responded. She needs you back in Canterlot immediately,” he finished as he handed Twilight the rolled up scroll.

“What? She expects me to just leave Gray to his own devices?” Twilight hastily concluded opening the paper. Skimming the message, Twilight lowered her head and sighed. “Alright, it doesn’t seem like I have a choice. I need to get back to Canterlot.”

“Hey, what about us?!” Rainbow Dash cried out angrily.

“I’m sorry Rainbow, but in order to get there as fast as I need to, I’ll have to use my instant transmission, and it doesn’t work too well with more than one pony over a distance that far,” Twilight explained.

“But you can’t just leave us here!” Rarity begged noisily. Twilight looked out over her friends and then stared back at the letter. She looked at Spike who simply shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t think there’s another way, I’m sorry girls,” Twilight said sorrowfully.

“Don’t worry about us Twi. You need to take care of what you need to. We’ll be all right here,” Applejack suddenly shouted out. Twilight quickly had doubts about leaving again, until Pinkie Pie spoke up.

“You’re trying to weigh the upsies and downsies huh Twilight? Applejack is right. We’ll be okay, especially inside of this funny purple misty stuff!” she said nuzzling the floating mist. Rarity suddenly had a change of heart and nodded as well.

“Well, I do suppose I can live with it. Better to be hidden here, even if it is a little dirty, than to be out there with that brute,” Rarity told her friends.

“I would just feel terrible if something happened to you while I was gone,” Twilight said trotting over to her friends.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll stay with them,” Spike suggested then. Twilight gave her assistant a concerned stare, but the resolve imbedded in his countenance altered her previous reservations. “I’ll give a holler if anything goes down, and you can zip back here on the fly.”

“Okay Spike. We’ll go along with it. Everyone,” Twilight called moving her gaze from face to face. “I’ll be back as soon as possible. Keep each other safe please, and I’m counting on you to hold off until I can get back.”

“Um, if it’s not too much trouble, can’t you take at least one more pony?” Fluttershy whimpered out, trembling uncontrollably. Twilight motioned over to ease her tension, but was beat by Rainbow Dash.

“It’s all right Fluttershy, as long as we stay inside Twilight’s spell we’ll be safe,” Rainbow said comforting her. Twilight nodded and prepared her spell again.

“Thank you girls, I’m sorry we couldn’t have reunited under better circumstances,” the purple alicorn said before entering her trance.

“It’s all good Twilight, we understand,” Applejack whispered respectfully.

“Some of us anyway,” Rainbow muttered under her breath.

Twilight located the magical aura of Princess Celestia and smiled once more for her friends to see. She motioned with her hoof a wave bye and vanished in a flash of light.

“Five minutes tops,” Twilight’s voice echoed throughout the forest.

*****

“This is most disturbing,” Celestia said, sharing her sister’s concern for Equestria’s safety. She motioned for her guards to leave the chamber and joined her sister in the middle of the room. The lunar princess sat across from her sister, silently mulling over the thoughts in her head. Celestia herself seemed preoccupied with the situation as well, unable to explain the sudden occurrence of this chaos.

“How is it that even we did not know about this?” Luna finally asked. Celestia could hear the distress in her voice, and lowered her head somberly.

“It is not important that we dwell on the past Sister, but look forward, and come up with a solution to this problem. All of Equestria depends on it,” Celestia said firmly.

“Well, what do we know then?” Luna asked.

“His name is Gray Umbra,” Twilight’s voice called out. She appeared in the center of the room, landing on top of the table as her spell wore off. “I don’t know how much Spike told you, but this creature is more dangerous than I had previously thought.” Twilight dismounted the table and took a seat as well, catching her breath before continuing on.

“Twilight Sparkle? You are fatigued,” Luna said, examining her.

“Yes, Gray attacked me and my friends shortly after introducing himself,” Twilight explained. “He claims to be the embodiment of the chaos and disharmony that the Elements have purged from this world.” Twilight turned to Luna then. “I figured out that ominous feeling from before was coming from the Elements themselves.”

“Princess Sparkle, your crown,” Celestia remarked. Twilight reached for it, but remembered how it had been suddenly misplaced.

“I’m sorry Princess. In the mass confusion it got tossed aside along with the other Elements.”

“Spike has related to me everything Gray has told you Princess Sparkle,” Celestia said to her then. “I am aware of Gray’s origins, and I am sorry to hear that it had happened as such. I accept some blame for this manner,” Celestia stated in apology.

“It wasn’t your fault Princess,” Twilight said then. “I was rash and rushed to a solution, and I now realize that was pretty out of context for me. If anything, I should accept full responsibility.”

“Regardless of whose fault it was, we cannot dance around the matter any longer. Now, what do you suggest we do in order to deal with this Gray Umbra? What are his motives?” Luna inquired starkly.

“Gray was formed to balance out the order between chaos and harmony, but he’s let his carnal nature rule over that and openly stated that he’d rather destroy Equestria in a chaotic rampage,” Twilight restated. “So, we need to find a way to reset this scale so that Gray shouldn’t exist.”

“That sounds…illogical,” Luna replied.

“What you need is somepony familiar with situations like these.” A small chuckle resonated throughout the room trailing closely behind the mischievous tone of the voice that just spoke out. “Sorry about the awe, but you know me, I have to make a grand entrance,” Discord said appearing in the doorway, bowing haphazardly to the three princesses in the room.

“Discord, I am pleased that you could join us,” Princess Celestia said, extending a hoof towards him. Discord raised a brow and walked into the chamber, admiring the awfully plain set up of the room given its importance. Then again, what did he know about war rooms? The thought lingered in his mind and caused him to grin. He grabbed Celestia’s hoof and bowed again, taking the seat across from Twilight then. He waved a salutation with his lion paw, though kept that smug demeanor over his face.

“Discord…” Twilight said in acknowledgement.

“Twilight…oops, I mean, Princess Sparkle,” Discord said mockingly.

“Enough,” Celestia quickly interjected before either had a chance to speak again. “Discord, we were discussing on how to handle this new threat known as Gray Umbra. What do you suggest?” Celestia asked straightforwardly.

"Right to the point, as always Princess. We never get to have any fun beforehand." Discord summoned a thinking cap and placed the object over his head. He promptly placed his claw under his bearded chin and mumbled about, shifting his eyes back and forth as if stimulating thought.

“I see that we have some bloke who claims to be inherently chaotic, not a bad chap either if I do say so myself,” Discord said aloud, forming a thought bubble of precisely what he was stating. “What I would suggest is the alteration and or subjugation of said issue into the manipulative matter of whence he manifested, performed by a genius of equal to or greater than skill than the average pony.” By this time, the visual Discord had so generously presented skewed into an unintelligible mess.

“We take the foal and crush him,” Discord said in layman’s terms, crumpling the mass of confusion hanging over his head. “Pfft, embodiment of chaos and disharmony; IF that’s the case, then the Lord of chaos shall put him in his place.”

“That makes sense,” Twilight suddenly said, much to everyone’s surprise. Discord reeled back lazily and placed his arms behind his head.

“Well, that’s one vote,” he said confidently. Twilight narrowed her brow and stamped her forehooves on the table.

“Hold on Discord, I said that it made sense. I didn’t say I agreed with your plan,” she shouted out. Discord opened one eye and yawned. “Why is he here anyway?!” Twilight blurted out.

“I have informed Discord of the situation and have asked him to help us,” Celestia said, clearing up the confusion. “He is a resident of Equestria now, as we all are. AND he vowed to me that he would use his magic for the sake of good rather than evil, correct?” Celestia said, eying Discord severely.

“Guilty as charged my dear princess,” Discord said properly. He turned to Twilight now and sneered in her face. “I offered my help to you Twilight Sparkle, so think about that before you go accusing me of foul play.”

“Even if you are the Lord of Chaos, Gray Umbra is nothing to take lightly," Twilight said shoving him away. "We don’t have the Elements of Harmony on our side this time, and he seems pretty bent on not just the destruction of harmony, but ponykind too,” Twilight shared.

“This guy isn’t satisfied with just throwing the natural order out of whack? He wants to erase the world from existence? Kids these days, they dream too big if you ask me,” Discord replied lightly, chuckling at his own comment.

“This is serious Discord!” Twilight shouted again. “The Elements of Harmony are broken and we’re the last defense against Gray. Why can’t you take this more seriously?”

“Wait, the Elements are broken? He broke them? Oh now I am jealous,” Discord said nonchalantly.

“Actually, we did,” Twilight admitted backing off some now. She could feel the pressuring eyes of the draconequus across from her itching to know more. Discord abandoned his lax position and straightened his posture. He was fighting back an outburst of laughter, and needed something else to catch his attention.

“W-well…what else…what else do we know?” Discord struggled to say with a straight face.

“We know that Gray Umbra is situated somewhere around Ponyville, and that he is already beginning his path of destruction,” Celestia intervened for Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, I must ask you to recover the Elements of Harmony so we can find a way to repair them. Meanwhile, Discord will handle Gray until we can figure something else out,” Celestia finished.

“Evacuation measures have already begun,” Luna interjected suddenly. “After Spike sent his message, we ordered a mandatory evacuation to Canterlot for Ponyville and all surrounding cities. Discord, you will be free to handle the situation as you see fit,” Luna said, stating that last part a bit apprehensively.

“Now, I’m all fine and dandy with this plan, but I see one problem,” Discord butted in amidst the planning. “The Elements of Harmony are busted, and even if you ponies found a way to repair them, they would more than likely burst under the pressure of destroying Gray and any residual chaos he would leave behind him. You would be repeating the process,” Discord explained.

“So do you have a plan that will eliminate Gray Umbra without the need of the Elements?” Luna asked.

“In fact I do. Allow Twilight to accompany me back to Gray’s location and there I will combat Gray Umbra while Twilight performs that good ol’ harmony spell of hers,” Discord suggested. Both ethereal princesses stared at Twilight who in turn gave Discord a look of contempt.

“How do you know about that?” Twilight asked angrily.

“Please, you don’t make it very hard to conceal when you practice every day,” Discord said bluntly.

“Twilight Sparkle, are you capable of performing this spell?” Luna asked intrigued. Twilight fumbled about for a straight answer, afraid to dispel the rising hope she could see in Luna’s eyes, but she had to answer honestly.

“No Princess, I can’t. I haven’t been able to once activate it,” Twilight answered.

“Why even suggest such a thing then?” Luna interrogated of Discord. The nature of her voice held a harsh tone, and she nearly sprung across the table to snap at him.

“She’s close, I’ve seen her practice. I know for a fact that she’ll be able to pull it off under the right circumstances,” Discord said positively. “She’s never been able to use it on an actual situation. I’d say this situation is chaotic enough to warrant a bit of harmony juice eh?” He elbowed Twilight a few times before returning to his seat.

Twilight did not feel as assured as Discord did, but what he spoke was the truth. If the spell was to emit an energy similar to the Elements of Harmony, then perhaps it did require the need of a chaotic event.

“What about the Elements then?” Twilight asked.

“Somepony else can deliver them to Celestia. How about your friends?” Discord asked in response.

“Oh no, my friends,” Twilight cried out suddenly, leaping from her seat and running towards the nearest window.

Her eyes scanned the horizon and she looked over the land towards Ponyville. “I had left them with Gray before coming here.” The sentence left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Were they in a safe location?” Luna asked concernedly.

“Relatively…” Twilight's answer came out uneasily. “They’re hidden in the Everfree Forest right now.”

“Then you must hurry,” Celestia commanded. She rose from her seat and trotted over to Twilight. “We will go along with Discord’s plan for now. The safety of friends comes first. Had I known you were actually in their presence, I never would have asked you to leave,” Celestia said a little sadly.

Twilight felt a big rip in her gut and she regretted her decision after all.

“In my blindness to attend to this meeting, I forgot about the safety of my friends,” Twilight said tearfully. “They assured me it would be fine but, I should have never left regardless.”

“Well then,” Discord entered into the conversation brazenly, “I don’t know about you, but I am not going to sit here and contemplate the fate of my friend. I can’t believe you would leave Fluttershy alone like that,” Discord said to Twilight.

“She wasn’t alone Discord,” the lavender alicorn replied defensively.

“You know what I mean,” the draconequus said in all seriousness. He was actually emitting concern now, and that startled Twilight some.

“I bid you good luck, and hope for the very best,” Celestia said in a bow. “Luna and I will take care of the evacuation and recovering the Elements. Once we finish, we will join you and your friends in combating Gray Umbra.”

“Please be careful Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “Discord, you as well. Should anything happen to Twilight under your watch…” Luna left the statement at that. Discord grinned a little and bowed.

“I find your lack of faith in me disturbing Luna,” Discord replied, picking up Twilight in his arms. “Ready my dear Princess? We shouldn’t let you chip a hoof or anything,” he said mockingly. Twilight struggled out of his arms and knocked his leg with one of her hind hoofs.

“I’m sick of your taunting Discord. Let’s hurry up if you really want to help,” Twilight said scornfully, glaring harshly at the draconequus.

“Sheesh. You try and do somepony a favor…” Discord muttered, vanishing Twilight and himself at the command of two claw snaps.

4. Discord in the Fray!

“Do you even know where we’re going?” Twilight screamed. Her voice fluctuated into a high screech at the peak of Discord’s spell and they both manifested within a pink, glittery cloud. Her cheeks flushed red in response to Discord’s condescending gaze. Twilight braced herself, expecting a flurry of emotion to ram into her from all sides, but her friends were nowhere to be seen.

“Girls? Girls? Where are you?” she called, pacing around each corner of the mist. As if blinded by her quest to locate her friends, she completely disregarded Discord’s presence. The draconequus walked over to his frantic companion and lifted her off of her hooves again.

“Obviously they’re not here, so keeping this shrouding mist around us won’t help,” he said.

“Okay, you’re right about that. Sorry, I’m just a little completely hysterical at the moment,” Twilight seethed out. Discord set her down and she retracted the magic. The heavy fog thinned and fell to the earth, revealing for them the Everfree Forest.

“Wait a minute,” Discord uttered awkwardly. “I teleported us to Everfree correct?” he asked, snapping a seared twig off of a completely charred tree. Twilight remained silent, unsure if her inability to speak originated from the sulfurous odor pervading her lungs, or from the extreme radius of destruction that blemished the land before her.

“How could this have happened?” she finally said. “Where are you girls?” Twilight called out. Her voice carried throughout the field, emptying into a vast landscape of smoking nothing. Only upon the edge of the burnt circle did she catch a glimpse of green. Whatever had done this had selected the area specifically, and that left an unpleasant sensation in the pit of her stomach.

“Now I’m all for a little chaos, but without anything to rule over what’s the point?” Discord suddenly said aloud. Twilight snapped out of her daze, ready to lecture him on his mouth again, but halted as she realized his speech was directed not towards her, but to a menacingly tall, evil alicorn.

“You’re responsible for this,” Twilight accused, biting down hard. Gray Umbra scoffed exasperatedly, marching towards the two after blowing off Twilight’s rage completely. Every hoof step crushed the scorched ground underneath him, scattering whole clouds of ash and soot. His journey ceased when he remained but a few yards away from the party.

“I am not entirely at fault,” Gray responded without diverting his gaze. He focused on Discord intently, but his words honed in on Twilight. “Your unwillingness to be destroyed led to this, and now it seems like we both have lost sight of your friends.”

“What do you mean by that? How do I know you didn’t…do anything to them?” Twilight asked reluctantly.

“I haven’t. Even as a creature of pure chaos I am still true to my word.” Gray’s statement caused a small chuckle to escape Discord’s lips.

“A stallion true to his word? Not as impressive as you made him out to be Twilight,” Discord openly mocked.

“Not now Discord,” the small princess responded.

“You were a foal to bring Discord here Twilight,” Gray said threateningly. Both Discord and Twilight gave the stallion a puzzled expression. Gray leapt back, lifting his wings high into the air and prompting a readying stance from his two opponents.

“She’s the foal? How can you hope to stand against me, the Lord of Chaos!?” Discord announced. The draconequus snapped his claws, bringing to life the charred landscape all around them. The blackened trees stirred awake, expanding high into the air and becoming like rubber binds seeking to fasten the floating alicorn above them. They raced through the air, branches and all, aiming at Gray Umbra with the intent of capture.

“Don’t treat him too lightly!” Twilight warned.

“Lord of Chaos, even you cannot hope to contain me,” Gray responded, allowing the tendrils to reach him. He waited until they crept upon his coat and released a blast of light that incinerated the makeshift chains. His returning stare upon Discord then worried Twilight, yet seemed to only invigorate the smirking draconequus next to her.

“Not bad for a pony,” Discord replied wiping his snout.

“Hold on Discord, we need to find out what he did with my friends,” Twilight interjected.

“He already said they weren’t here, and I legitimately believe he is telling the truth. Now wasn’t it our job to distract this colt until you came up with a solution to that Harmonia thing?” Discord whispered.

“I can’t just-”

“They’ll be fine! It’s us that you need to worry about now,” he interrupted. Twilight wrinkled her nose and to her amazement, once more, admitted that Discord had the better suggestion.

“You’re right. We’ll take care of the matter at hoof first,” she resolved, forming a barrier spell around her own self. Gray folded his wings around his chest and began amassing some sort of devilish aura. As they opened again, a volley of dark magical pulses shot from his wings, hailing on top of the duo below. Discord lifted his lion paw in response, shielding himself and Twilight from the heavy rain. Gray’s attack reflected off of the octagonal-patterned shield that covered the draconequus and the lavender alicorn. Sprays of diverted magic collided with the ground and the surrounding skeleton trees, disrupting the land further. Small craters resided in the areas that Gray’s attack had struck, smoking with a devilish red hue.

“You can’t compete, Gray Umbra,” Discord yelled out after Gray’s attack ceased. “I’m the master of chaos!” Discord declared reaching out with his eagle claw. His talons snapped together and brought forth a wall of earth from below, encompassing Gray on both sides. He then lifted the massive monolith of soil and with another talon snap forced it to condense into a sphere of dirt, crushing its host with an unbearable pressure.

“Discord…” Twilight uttered out in shock. The draconequus looked at her smugly and brought the ball down hard, crashing it into the earth, launching several chunks of Equestria into the air. The resulting debris transformed into giant stone hooves and fell methodically on top of the clod of dirt that encased Gray Umbra.

“I’m far more powerful than I let on to believing my dear,” Discord bragged as the earthquake he created stopped.

“So why don’t you just destroy him and we can let this be done with?” Twilight asked rather ticked at Discord’s ease of victory. Suddenly the ground afar radiated a few beams of light and a deafening explosion of dirt and dark magic filled the air. Gray slowly rose from the wreckage created by his opponent, and brayed loudly.

“I guess you don’t know enough about chaos Twilight,” Discord replied. “My initial attack was a test to see if I could manipulate Gray or not. Those tree tendrils were a direct link to my power, and they smoothed over his body.”

“And?!” Twilight asked as Gray began to fly over to them.

“He’s compiled of too much disarray to easily manipulate,” Discord responded.

“I thought you were LORD over chaos!”

“Don’t snap at me missy,” Discord rebuked. “This is very complicated. If the chaos hadn’t taken on the form of a physical being I might have been able to dispel it safely. But because it now resides as an alicorn, it’s gained the ability to block some of my chaotic abilities.”

“So basically we’re fighting against another you,” Twilight said despondently.

“No, I’m more attractive silly,” Discord said in a chuckle.

Gray prevented Twilight from replying by firing a warning shot of magic between her and Discord. He was now soaring at full speed towards the duo with his horn already charged for another attack.

“Forget that, concentrate on Harmonia!" Discord shouted, bringing up a barrier moments before Gray’s latest assault. The attack destroyed the shield, but was negated itself, clouding the immediate area in a plume of smoke. Twilight leapt into the air to escape, keeping her shield around her and looked below. Nothing moved and she couldn’t make out either Discord or Gray Umbra in the dark cloud.

Very quickly, she heard the sound of wing beats behind her and spun around to catch a glimpse of the gray alicorn charging directly at her.

“No!” Twilight strengthened the durability of her barrier and received the vicious head butt that Gray had dealt. She rocketed back, protected by her magic but nevertheless juggled about within her own spell and tossed aimlessly around the battlefield. The shaking ceased after a moment as she suddenly found herself within the grasp of Discord’s limbs.

“I had you covered Princess, you didn’t need to go and do that,” Discord said exasperatedly.

“Next time make it more apparent,” Twilight scolded. She hid behind him and tried to concentrate once more.

“Now just relax, take your time but hurry up. Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll keep you safe and-”

“Discord, shut up!” Twilight shouted.

“Well excuse me Princess, I was only trying to help!” he replied bitterly.

“You can help by making sure I stay safe,” Twilight responded. Suddenly Gray was on top of them, leering vengefully into Discord’s eyes.

“Begone!” he declared in a moderately raised voice, releasing an explosive wave of magic into them. Discord and Twilight catapulted away from Gray and smashed into each other a few yards into the distance.

“Your shield…” Discord groaned out after recovering from the attack.

“I…know,” Twilight strained out. “I couldn’t keep it up long enough.”

“You foals will die under my hooves,” Gray said increasing his magic output. His body now surged with chaotic energy swirling around him and creating an ethereal effect about his mane and tail. He opened his jaw, focusing magic inside of his mouth. His very next exhale launched the wave of destruction at the wounded party.

The beam of chaos ripped through the ground, blocking out all sound aside from the deafening roar of its fire. Everything in its path was immediately obliterated, strewn about or completely vaporized.

“Get up! We have to get up!” Discord cried out leaping to his feet.

“I can’t!” Twilight winced. “I’m exhausted,” she finished wearily.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me. I know your damage tolerance is higher than that!” Discord said as he lifted her up.

“I used a lot of magic to solidify my shield spell! Augh, why do I have to explain myself to you?” Twilight responded then.

Discord snapped his claws together, safely teleporting them away from the attack. From the safety of the sky, they watched as the beam vanished into the horizon. A quick flash of light followed shortly after, and whatever landscape that had previously decorated that particular spot of Equestria ignited in a large dome of fire, smoke, and devastation.

“What in Celestia’s mane?” Discord yelled out. Twilight did not verbally respond, but instead lowered her head and clenched her eyes shut. A sharp pain shot through her entire body.

“Discord,” Twilight said rather sullenly to him. A few tears rolled off of her cheek, startling him.

“What is it?” he asked, keeping an eye on the now debilitated Gray Umbra.

“Thank you, for helping me back there.”

“This is no time for that Twilight,” Discord replied. She flew out of his grip, watching Gray pant a little heavier than before.

“You’re right. That last attack was a lot for him. We’ll use this moment to our advantage. You still have my back?” Twilight asked.

“Why so suddenly severe?” Discord wondered.

“I won’t forgive that pony down there,” Twilight answered without taking her gaze off of Gray. “I’m fed up with this, and I just want him gone. I’m sorry for being so harsh on you earlier, but you’ve proven that you can be relied on.”

“That was eerily close to how Celestia speaks you know,” Discord pointed out. Twilight cast him a stare demonstrating prevailing determination before landing on the ground below. Discord followed, noting the subtle changes within Gray all the while.

“He’s almost recovered fully. It’s too bad we didn’t do anything while he was vulnerable,” Discord complained.

“In hindsight it wouldn’t even matter. He may have been exhausted, but so were we. He still had enough energy to fend both you and me off. We would have just wasted ours while he slowly recovered his. This way we can recover too,” Twilight explained, surprising the draconequus.

“So, I assume you’re ready to perform that spell?” Discord asked.

“Yes. I’ll need you to distract him for me. I think it’ll be easier to concentrate without a barrier spell to focus on as well,” Twilight said.

“Hmph. Somepony has their act together now,” Discord teased. Why he continued his pestering went far beyond Twilight’s reasoning, but she tossed her annoyance aside.

“I just realized that this is a whole lot bigger than just you, me, and him.” Twilight locked eyes with Gray again. His mane assumed its previous glossy appearance as his breathing slowed. The flux of energy from before left his body, leaving Gray to stare back at Twilight in a peculiar fashion of curiosity.

“Just tell me when to move. I don’t want to be hit by that thing either,” Discord said, walking out to meet Gray Umbra directly.

“Whatever you two are scheming, I promise it won’t work,” Gray said confidently meeting Discord halfway.

“Let’s just focus on me right now. So far we’ve been a little hazy on whom exactly the Lord of chaos is,” Discord replied, fighting for Gray’s attention.

“I am aware of your status Discord, yet I care not for it. Trivial disharmony is a joke in my eyes, and one such as yourself is not fit to bear the title of Lord.” Discord summoned a knife and jabbed it into his chest.

“Ouch, you know that really stings!” he cried out in dramatic sobs. He shifted his persona, tossing the knife at Gray in an attempt to hit him. Gray tilted his neck over, allowing the knife to float to the ground as a harmless paper airplane. “If you truly believe in such a thing Gray Umbra, then maybe you are not fit to be considered the pure manifestation of chaos!” Discord accused back.

“I tire of your voice,” Gray brayed out.

“The wife says the exact same thing; I’m used to it.” As quickly as Discord snapped his claws, Gray reacted in defense, flaring his wings out over his body. Nonetheless, the dark alicorn found himself shoved aside by an unseen force, traveling away from Discord and the meditating Twilight. Snapping his fingers a few more times, Discord created a series of theatrical explosions launching Gray Umbra about wildly.

“Now I know I’m no Pinkie Pie, but I sure can throw one heck of a party huh?” Discord asked, prompting sound effects to manifest physically as Gray flew about. Gray broke free of the spell, firing a volley of corrosive magic in Discord’s direction. The draconequus snapped an umbrella into his claw, shielding himself from the magic just before it struck. He then extended the umbrella inside-out, and flung the magic beams back at the evil alicorn.

“So it’s like that then,” Gray remarked holding his wings out. He allowed the bursts of magic to hit, but simply brushed off the attack as if it weren’t even a gentle breeze. He remained still, keeping his wings extended to each side.

“Thanks for the target!” Discord shouted in glee. Within his lion paw manifested a small baseball. Discord’s pitch whistled through the air, catching fire as it traveled along and suddenly spreading into a cluster of scalding fiery arrows.

Gray responded as well, forming six orbs, three to each side of his wings bursting with chaotic magic. A single wing beat launched his chaos bombs, three of which set course for the incoming attack. The remaining spheres of annihilation divided into smaller energy balls, concentrating their damage on Discord himself.

“Roses?! You shouldn’t have,” Discord said snapping his claws. Gray’s menacing attack fell lovingly over Discord as a spray of scented rose petals. The dark alicorn released a frustrated bray, sick to death with the Lord of Chaos and his games.

The next few moments passed quickly for Twilight. Her eyes remained closed as she too was able to catch her breath. A few times she was startled open by a clash between Discord and Gray, but after several more moments her mind quieted, and everything around her became blank.

Start by focusing on the inner self. Work outwards, tracing the networks of magic within. The surest path is the most calm. Feel for it, and grab onto it. Now, circulate your energy, manage the magic that naturally flows inside and keep the flow at a steady pace. Control, control, control. Shift it, mold it, bend it to your whim and channel it through the surest path. Easy…control, control, control…gather the magic, condense the energy and feel again for the surest path. Finally, reach from within, grasping outwards; feel for the natural magic of harmony in the earth, stretch for the peacefulness of the trees, long for the solace of the skies, and collect within yourself the magic of Harmonia…

Twilight’s prayers escaped her mind, traveling throughout the land. She pleaded with the sky and the earth to grant her their peace and solace, even in times of abnormal distress. Her cries of help echoed silently across Equestria, reaching the ears of all nature around her. The conviction within her soul drove her spirit to ask earnestly of the land this time.

The apex of her spell drew closer, prompting Twilight to proceed onward carefully. A natural stream of harmony began its flow inside of her, stockpiling higher and higher within the tip of her horn. Her body tensed, awaiting the subsequent collapse of the pressurized energy. Seconds passed, followed by minutes, eventually leaving Twilight to wonder about this odd feeling; this feeling of being strangely more in control than before. Her body did not overheat this time, accepting the stress that the spell exuded on her form.

It’s working? It’s working! I can feel it…I can feel the harmony all around me!

A warm, whimsical sensation danced around Twilight’s body. In a wave of sudden realization, Equestria became more intimate with her. Every tree, dead and alive whispered lightly into her ears. The sky shared its content with her, bearing down tenderly upon her back. Despite the soiled state of the earth, it too spoke to Twilight, offering her words of encouragement and fortified her will. Happiness and joy welled up inside of her and she no longer felt fear, confusion, or angst. The range of her euphoria traversed well beyond the limits of her own body; saturating the very air in a potent, heartfelt impression.

Discord and Gray stayed their assaults, completely overwhelmed by the sensation that leaked out of the radiant alicorn princess. Discord cracked a grin, socking Gray in the jaw before he could return from his awe. The evil alicorn stumbled back in griping pain.

“How’s that for ‘trivial disharmony?’” Discord mocked and teleported behind Twilight. “What did I tell you? We don’t need the Elements of Harmony. I bet those princesses are feeling what we’re all feeling right now!”

“It’s wonderful,” Twilight commented.

“Well then, do something with it!” Discord shouted.

Twilight’s eyes rested on Gray Umbra in contempt. As if motivated by her feelings against Gray, the magic within her magnified to an incredulous degree, outlining her entire body in an ever flowing array of supernatural harmony. Violet hued flames broke off of the surrounding energy that spiraled around her. Her mane flickered like wild fire, and her eyes revealed the newfound assurance of her abilities.

“Impossible!” Gray sputtered out.

“I won’t let you have your way!” Twilight shouted. A massive wave of magical pressure spewed forth, crashing into the evil alicorn and disrupting his balance further.

“Harmonia!”

A beam of magic launched viciously from Twilight’s horn, recoiling hard enough for her to crash painfully into Discord. Gray Umbra lifted his wings in defense, blinded by the spell’s penetrating light. Harmonia immediately collided with his body, sending a flux of electrical shocks throughout his system. The ground underneath crumbled in fury as Gray Umbra lit up brighter than the sun. His pain filled cry echoed throughout the land, flying skyward along with him, a trail of residual magic tracing a path for all to see. Higher and higher it climbed until not even the sparking ball of energy remained visible.

“It…sent him…away?” Twilight gasped out in short breaths.

“I suppose so,” Discord replied. “Welcome back. I didn’t know you had such a fiery side.” Discord would not ease her inquiring face, but she had more than a feeling as to what he was speaking about.

“What power…I never felt anything like it before. I thought the harmony from my friends was strong. But the harmony residing in the nature of Equestria is something else,” Twilight panted. She fell over on her back then, wasted from the potent magic she had just released. Discord couldn’t help but smile at her weakened figure, bearing a half-grin while lying on the floor.

“Well be glad that it actually worked this time. I swear I’m on it today. Not once have I been wrong!” Discord rejoiced in a light frolic.

“No wait, what’s that?” Twilight asked squinting into the sky. A feeling of dread washed over her being, shadowing the jubilancy she had experienced earlier.

“Real cliché,” Discord answered, arms crossed indignantly. Both stood terribly awed as the object in question came hurdling down to the earth. A pocket of air formed around it, subsequently collapsing as this winged pony broke through the sound barrier in free fall.

“You can’t mean that all of that power wasn’t enough to destroy him!?” Twilight screamed.

“Talk about falling action,” Discord snarled out.

“Focus, we need to think fast. Harmonia may not have gotten rid of him, but he’s got to be significantly weaker than before. Think you can manipulate that chaos now?”

“It’s worth a shot,” Discord answered. The draconequus held out both of his arms, forming a triangular shape with his hands. Gray’s distant body fell into the shape, granting Discord the ability to zoom in on his falling form. “One hay of an attack there Princess, he’s completely broken,” Discord mentioned astonishingly.

“So take care of the rest! Turn him into a worm or something!” Twilight commanded wearily. Her knees buckled abruptly under the sudden pressure of standing. Dizziness set in and her stomach twisted inside her body. “Cra-crab apples…” she whispered out in pain.

“Here goes!” Discord shouted, folding his paw extensions and talons over each other. From above, Gray Umbra halted his descent, trapped in a mime-like state.

“What are you doing?” Twilight was able to ask after regaining her resolution. She caught his appearance, and understood his lack of speech then. Discord’s brow lined with sweat and his eyes were firmly sealed shut. His arms shook vigorously as he tried to separate his interlocked appendages. Twilight’s gaze turned to the heavens in hopes of further explanation. Eyes suddenly wide open, she gasped at the sight of Gray Umbra dematerializing in the sky.

“Keep it up,” Twilight said grinning. The cheery crease across her face fell however as Gray’s eyes burst open in surprising awareness. The one winged alicorn adjusted his topsy-turvy alignment and examined his fading body. “No,” Twilight uttered lowly. Gray’s wingspan extended to its fullest, his wings utilizing every muscle possible in order to reach his target with the intended speed of a demon.

“No, Discord stop! He’s awake!” Twilight shouted. Her body failed to respond, and she fell once more after trying to rise. A sharp yelp jolted out of her mouth in response to the burning sensation that drilled into her thighs and forelegs. “Discord, Discord can you hear me?!” Twilight called out desperately. Gray approached evermore closer, dematerializing at a slower rate than he was traveling. Twilight forced herself up, grinding her teeth to fight past the searing pain that laid all about her being. She lifted a leg, unable to move without crying in agony.

“Got to…break his trance,” Twilight whimpered painfully. “He defended me…I have to defend him!” she said in an attempt to boost her morale. No more than a few steps however, and her body collapsed, shutting down entirely. Her face lifted off of the soot of the ground, tears streaming down her face smudging the ash around her visage. “Please…please let me help him!” Twilight cried out.

The entirety of Gray’s hind quarters had vanished, dispersing into the world around him. He hastened his pace, storing an unholy accumulation of dark magic in his horn.

“Like I said Discord, it…won’t…work!” Gray Umbra shouted, releasing his magic wave at the draconequus.

“DISCORD!”

Twilight’s scream drowned in the ensuing chaos of Gray’s magic burst. The initial blast consumed Discord’s body, breaking his trance and whipping him about wildly in a flurry of chaotic explosions of fire and lightning. She too lifted off of the ground from the fallout of the attack, knocked backwards by a wall of powerful wind and left over lightning. As she lifted off, her eyes caught sight of the writhing draconequus peering straight at her.

It was almost as if Twilight’s sinking heart dragged her further into the depths of the dread sea. What could she say? How could she respond? Regardless, she was not able to. Her body was sent flailing into a dead tree, snapping its trunk and possibly fracturing something on her side of the impact. Another groundswell of pain rode up on her spine and forced her body to cringe after it fell to the floor. In her current position, she could just barely make out the two distant figures afar, one of which was still being consumed by a ring of fire.

“I’ll admit it, you and Twilight Sparkle had me for a moment, but as I promised, I came out the victor,” Gray said. He wasn’t expecting the screaming draconequus to answer, but he relished in the fact that Discord could very well still see him. “And now, to make sure you don’t interfere any further.”

“Two vessels alike in scheme will come together to fulfill my dream. Repair thy form which Discord has destroyed; Yes, a suitable victim to fill the void!” Gray’s chant boomed throughout the field, ending his previous spell. His body floated into the air along with the limp form of the Lord of Chaos. Eerily, a dark wind swept across the land, summoning malevolent clouds of shadow and malice. The sky darkened above the broken Everfree Forest, birthing a funnel of evil to envelop Discord. Gray Umbra’s celestial wing began to wither, torn apart by the very same wind storm, consumed by the same tornado that covered Discord.

Twilight could only watch in agonizing terror as the dark twister lifted itself higher, slamming into Gray’s chest. His screaming echoed everywhere, filling Twilight’s head with fear and saturating the environment in horror. Lightning and thunder accompanied the theatric, adding to the overbearing evil that would surely come about. Little by little, Gray allowed the twister into his body, until all that remained was a solitary ebony scale, frozen in place in front of the panting alicorn. After a moment, he placed the scale in a telekinetic field, pinning it on his wing then and chuckling lowly.

He stretched his haunches, impressed with his own ability and flapped his remaining dark wing. Twilight could not grasp how he was able to fly with only one, but that did not disturb her as much as the naughty grin that stetched over his face.

“W…what?” was all that Twilight could say. She remained prostrate, unable to even breathe without difficulty. Her eyes scanned the area for Discord, frightened at his sudden disappearance. Where did he go? Twilight thought.

“Hahahahaha.”

What?

“Hahahahaha! Hahahahaha, Hahaha!” Gray laughed out. His head lifted high into the sky, mouth open and mane flying about wildly. Twilight shook in trepidation, unsure about everything now. “Poor Twilight Sparkle,” Gray said suddenly, causing her heart to jump. She strained to lift her head in observance, but was aided against her will by Gray Umbra then, lifted into the air with his telekinesis.

“Waaah!” Twilight screamed. Pain ripped at her body as she floated in the air. Her filthy face smeared with dirt and dried tears. More liquid oozed from her eyes as Gray shifted her position so that she was just inches away from his nose. She bore her teeth and sobbed silently, begging for the hurt to depart.

“I’m willing to bet you’re confused out of your mind right now,” Gray chortled impishly. “I just put chaos in its place!” he declared joyously. Another cackle rang out from his throat and he dropped Twilight roughly onto the ground.

“N-no…”

“No? Yes!” Gray shouted, correcting the young alicorn. “Do you know what the saddest part of it all is?” Twilight glared at the stallion with unparalleled scorn. Her will wanted to act, but her body refused to. Gray could read the disdain in her eyes and simply smirked in acknowledgement. “Despite all of your efforts, nopony will ever know what happened to you!”

“Where…is Discord?” Twilight winced out in pain. Gray chuckled evilly, gesturing to his chest.

“It’s all in here,” he replied, pointing methodically at his torso. “And up here,” he said again, motioning towards his head.

“How?” One word responses were now beginning to take their toll on the wounded alicorn.

“Heh, it’s all because of you Twilight. You allowed Discord to become a part of me. You’ve given me his personality, and his powers,” Gray said, demonstrating both. “Do you know how much easier it will be to cover this pathetic world in chaos now!?” Twilight did not respond.

“Well,” Gray Disumbra began, “much easier, especially after I steal your abilities as well.” Gray ‘s smile crept back on his face and he readied his horn for the same enchantment. “Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle.” Gray allocated the energy into his horn and grinned devilishly at his victim. Twilight shut her eyes, accepting the inevitable, unable to even defend herself in speech.

“STAY THY EVIL MAGIC BEAST OF TARTARUS! REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE COMPANY OF MY FAITHFUL STUDENT!” Gray turned around slowly, an incensed countenance pasted on his face. He bared his teeth in defiance, displaying his new canines as a threat.

“Who dares?” Gray wondered, staring furiously at the figure before him.

“YOUR PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT, ROYAL BLOOD OF THE DIARCHY OF EQUESTRIA, PRINCESS LUNA!”

“Princess…Luna? I see,” Gray spoke, playfully intrigued.

Author's Note

Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!

5. Remember the Elements?

“Princess Luna!” Twilight shouted.

“Be still Twilight, I shall continue on from here,” Luna said. Her hooves stamped on the ground, creating a swell of starry cloud to fall over Twilight.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked.

“Celestia and I have finished our part. I thought it best to come aid you and Discord after witnessing the destruction of the Macintosh Mountains. Luckily nopony resides there,” Luna replied.

“So, my stray magic wasted on a pile of rocks. How embarrassing,” Gray chuckled.

“Silence beast! You will not be allowed to cause further harm to Equestria!” Luna avowed.

Gray lifted a fore hoof into the air, manifesting a violet colored ball of magic. A wide smirk cut across his face as he released the attack, shooting wild streams of magic blasts all about the battlefield.

“FIEND!” Luna cried out, covering her eyes in response to the wake of destruction Gray had just released. The smoke settled, unveiling the entertained Gray Umbra rolling around in side-splitting laughter.

“I suppose you aren’t going to stop me then! Ah hahahahaha!”

“Irk…Twilight Sparkle, I am relieving you of this burden. Return to Canterlot with my sister. You will be safe there,” Luna resolved, activating her spell.

“Wait Princess-” Twilight pleaded, but suddenly found herself reaching a hoof out towards a passing by Canterlotian unicorn.

“Can I…help you Princess?” he replied, reeling back subtly after making note of Twilight’s damaged figure.

“What? Where am I? Where’s Princess Luna?!” Twilight cried out.

“The Princesses are busy evacuating the country, something about trouble looming over Ponyville. Honestly though, that place is always buzzing with excitement. They’re not being too privy with the details…” the unicorn stated, opening his eyes in bewilderment as he was no longer talking to anyone.

“Oh no, Luna casted me back to Canterlot! I need to warn her about Gray’s ability!” Twilight said, rushing to a secluded corner of the capital. Her journey was heavily hindered by the constant bumping and shoving of large crowds of ponies. She had forgotten her injuries and a few times wobbled in and out of place due to her fatigue.

“What is with all of these ponies in the capital?!” Twilight wondered. “Wait! That’s right. Everypony was being escorted to Canterlot!” she recalled.

“Twilight Sparkle!” a voice called out hurriedly. A pegasus guard zoomed over the princess and bowed as he touched ground. “Princess Sparkle, Princess Celestia is requesting your presence at the castle,” he reported.

“Thank you,” Twilight responded. “I need to get a message to Princess Luna immediately!”

“My Goddess! What happened?!” the guard questioned, finally noticing her bruised body.

“Gray Umbra did this,” Twilight said swaying a little. “Please, take me to the Princess…” Twilight responded, leaning wearily on her guide. She could not recall how they had gotten airborne, or how long they had been flying. A block of unintelligible speech echoed out of her mouth, however, she refused to reiterate when questioned and passed out completely.

***

“It’s so soft…” Twilight thought, shuffling her hooves.

“Stay back, allow her some room to breathe,” she heard through an undulating cloud of darkness. A ray of light penetrated the haze, lifting her eyelids open so she could gaze upon the shining countenance of her beloved teacher.

“Celestia…”

“I am here,” Celestia answered, stepping away.

“Princess Celestia, Gray Umbra has-”

“There will be time for that Twilight. Right now I believe you are being sorely worried about,” Celestia replied. Twilight sought past her celestial instructor and her face lifted nearly a mile high.

“OH TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a jump. Twilight bounded into the air with her, laughing just as happily as the pink pony.

“Pinkie Pie! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight said.

“I sure do hope ya got enough lovin’ for all of us Twi,” Applejack commented before halting Pinkie’s latest hurdle.

“How? What happened?” Twilight cried out. She leapt from the bed and onto the floor, pausing a moment to flex her wings. “They’re not sore,” she noted.

“They shouldn’t be. Celestia spent almost a whole hour patching you up,” Spike said suddenly.

“An hour?!” Twilight cried hurriedly.

“It was necessary,” Celestia responded then. “You seemed to have exhausted most of your magic supply as well as sustained heavy internal and external damage. I could not bear to watch my faithful student suffer like that.”

“Thank you Princess,” was all Twilight could say. “I need to know what happened,” she abruptly inquired of her friends. “After I left, where did you girls go to?”

“We had to leave your hidden mist technique,” Rarity answered.

“After you left us in the forest, Gray decided to flush us out,” Rainbow Dash interrupted from the corner. “The whole place just…lit up.” Just under her forelegs, Twilight caught the sight of a trembling pony rocking back and forth in hushed sobs.

“Flutter…shy…?” Twilight finally asked edging closer to Rainbow.

“I saw…so many animals…I couldn’t…do anything,” Fluttershy wept. Rainbow gripped the frail pony tighter, resting her chin over Fluttershy’s head. Twilight peered through a gap in Rainbow’s hold, disgusted with herself and the contorted face that wrinkled her friend’s countenance.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Twilight whispered. Her flank rested flatly on the ground, a small pool of liquid forming under her face.

“My dearest student, I understand your sorrow, but we cannot dwell in this low trough forever. You have seen that your friends are all right. We must act now,” Celestia reminded Twilight. Twilight’s gaze lifted from the floor and back onto the embracing pegasi. She turned to face her other friends along with her teary-eyed assistant and wiped the stinging water from her eyes.

“Just a moment,” Twilight said. She trotted over to Rainbow and Fluttershy, keeping her head down in respect. Rainbow Dash lifted up, slowly moving away from the hug Fluttershy locked her in.

“No, please don’t…don’t…” Fluttershy whimpered into Rainbow’s chest.

“It’s okay Fluttershy. We’re all here now. We’re all together,” Rainbow Dash comforted. A nasty glare shot from Rainbow’s eyes as Twilight came closer. The timid pegasus slowly raised her face and looked at the lavender princess behind her.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said, unsure if she should even apologize again. Before getting to say another word, she embraced Twilight, sobbing uncontrollably on her shoulder.

“Twi-light! Y-you’re o-okay!!!” Fluttershy sobbed. Twilight swallowed a lump of emotion, but could not hold in her grief. She too held Fluttershy in the same desperate grip, apologizing profusely over and over again.

“I swear Fluttershy…I swear by my life that Gray Umbra will pay for his evil,” Twilight promised.

“When that soldier brought you in,” Fluttershy began, “I thought you were gone too. We all did. I’m so glad…you’re okay!”

“But the forest isn’t,” Twilight replied. “And every creature in that area is gone because of me.”

“Nonsense!” Rarity blurted through deep sniffles. “You did not burn up the Everfree Forest. That monster Gray Umbra did! If anything he should be the one to blame!”

“That’s right!” Applejack shouted in steaming anger. “I don’t blame you Twilight.”

“Well I do!” Rainbow Dash crossly shouted.

“D-Dashie?!” Pinkie Pie wondered in bewilderment.

“My little ponies, now is not the time,” Celestia hurriedly interjected. Rainbow Dash ignored her however, and flew over to Twilight, slamming her hooves on the ground as she landed.

“You knew perfectly well the kind of enemy we were facing and still left us to ourselves!” Rainbow Dash seethed out.

“I know, and I made a mistake abandoning you guys,” Twilight replied in defense.

“A mistake? No, NOT a mistake, more like a disaster! You failed to keep your word, you failed to protect us, and you failed to even come looking for us!” Rainbow shouted. Twilight opened her mouth in protest, but shut her jaw at the sight of her friend’s tear-soaked eyes.

“We waited Twilight…I waited. I waited for you to come find us. And then Princess Celestia tells us that you went to fight Gray instead…alone!”

“I wanted to look for you Rainbow! Really I did! But see, Discord and I thought it better to handle Gray first!” Twilight said.

“You don’t get it, do you Princess?” Rainbow said. She turned away from Twilight.

“The day you became a princess, I thought that was the best day of our lives. You came to Ponyville in hopes of making friends, and got the best friends you could ever ask for,” Rainbow Dash explained.

“I see…” Twilight carefully mused, lowering her eyes as well. “It’s about that.”

“While nopony else will openly admit it, we all thought you wouldn’t let your new duties interfere with our relationships. Turns out, you did just the opposite.” Twilight forlornly looked upon her friend and sighed. Her eyes scanned the room, setting on each pony before her.

“It’s okay girls, you can tell me,” Twilight said, refusing to divert her eyes from the floor.

“I think maybe RD’s exaggeratin’ a bit Sugar Cube,” Applejack began, “but I was a mite disheartened when ya’ll left so suddenly,” she finished.

“The fact that you left wasn’t all that bad,” Rarity said wiping her face. “It was just that the days dragged on for weeks, and the letters became more infrequent. There were no visits, and no communication for almost a whole month at one point.” Her voice cracked at the end of her last sentence, as she sniffled into a handkerchief.

“Well, it wasn’t too too bad Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said quickly jotting in from the side. “Sure the parties weren’t as fun, and the library was just a big empty sad reminder, and it was a little hard to keep the town fully happy when I was always sad, and-”

“I think she gets it Pinkie,” Fluttershy interposed. Her eyes held remnants of tears; however the mournful sobs ceased along with her trepidation. “Oh Twilight, it wasn’t really our choice in whether or not you would stay, it was just more unexpected than we would have thought,” Fluttershy said.

“I know you girls are trying to sugar coat things,” Twilight said then. “But Rainbow Dash put it best. I’m sorry if it seemed like I only used our friendship to further my learning and my own desires.”

“Whoa, nopony said that!” Applejack disputed.

“Nopony had to, I can just hear it in your voices,” Twilight responded. “I made so many connections. I shared so many of my happiest moments with you girls, and when the opportunity came, I didn’t even regard our friendship as a factor. Only recently was I able to perceive this.” She lifted her eyes in sincere regret. All of her friends, save one particular rainbow-manned Pegasus returned the stare.

“I didn’t consider the toll my absence would create on our friendship. I failed to keep my loyalty to you girls, even though you all have kept yours to me. I was so concerned with how I would able to rule and govern Equestria, I forgot to acknowledge the reasons that allowed me that very same opportunity,” Twilight spoke softly, trotting closer to Rainbow Dash.

“There probably won’t be anything I can say to make you forgive me, but right now I need to be able to rely on you Rainbow,” Twilight continued. “I intend to right every wrong that I’ve brought about this land, and that starts with you my friend.”

Rainbow Dash’s gaze met with Twilight’s again, and she began to cry once more.

“Shoot, this is ridiculous,” she said vigorously rubbing her face.

“No it’s not.” Twilight’s voice felt as warm as her embrace. “You have a right to be upset, and I don’t hold it against you. All I ask is that you forgive me when you feel like you need to.”

“I strongly believe you’ve done the right thing Twilight,” Celestia said after having remained so silent. “Ruling a nation goes beyond making sure it runs smoothly. It also relies heavily on the status of your subjects,” Celestia continued. Her radiance began to fill the room, seeping in through the glass stained windows of her private chamber.

“You’ve done well to recognize that without complete loyalty to one’s ponies, one is surely destined to fail. And as such, it is imperative that you six amend your tarnished hearts. Defeating Gray Umbra will need to be a collective effort. While the Elements of Harmony may be inert against this enemy, the spirits of those elements still reside in each of you,” the solar princess explained as she graced everypony with her sight. “I refuse to believe that this world will drown in the despair Gray Umbra hopes it to. As long as you six remain true to yourselves, nothing is impossible.”

“I believe so as well Princess,” Twilight said as she removed herself from Rainbow Dash. “You will help me, won’t you?” she asked looking into her friend’s eyes. There was a short pause, followed by the cockiest smirk Twilight ever laid eyes on.

“Heh, I’m not like you,” Rainbow teased. “I wouldn’t abandon my friends ever, especially at a time like this!” She held her hoof out proudly, chuckling as Twilight met her halfway.

“So, what now then,” Spike chimed in tugging at Twilight’s tail. “We’re all still friends, right?”

“Of course Spike. We were just doing what good friends are supposed to do.” Twilight nuzzled the baby dragon affectionately, placing him on her back then.

“Now,” Celestia sounded with more regal authority than before, “We move this conversation elsewhere. A bed chamber is not a proper place for an official report.”

“Sunshine, lollipops, and laser beams everywhere!” Gray shouted maniacally, aiming his last assault at the lunar princess. A fiery red spell volleyed from his forehead, deflected at the last second by a shield of intangible cosmic dust. The sparkling glitter fell, revealing its exasperated host.

“How far must you push me Gray Umbra?” Luna asked with rising ferocity.

“How about, several miles away?” Gray answered wittily. Raising his fore hoof, the evil alicorn pressed against the space between himself and Princess Luna, forcing a large wall of air to charge at the unsuspecting mare. Luna shielded herself within the folds of her wings, but was unable to resist the rushing pocket of wind. Her form rocketed through the sky, tumbling about in midair before colliding with a steep cliff a great distance away.

“Curse you…” Luna groaned. She removed her body from the sediment of the small mountain and teleported her being back to the battlefield.

“I am enjoying this a lot,” Gray said before Luna could attack. “I’m glad you don’t feel an urgent need to stop me before I start my monologue,” he teased with a raspberry soon after. Luna fired several waves of magic in Gray’s direction only to have them glide by harmlessly through a incredulously leisured afterimage.

“Why dost thou toy with me?!” Luna bellowed.

“Such language! Who can understand it? Watch your tongue princess,” Gray Umbra sneered from behind her suddenly.

“Thine incessant banter shall be thine undoing!”

“Do you always do that when you’re angry?” The stallion arched back as Luna spun around for an attack. Her face shifted in surprise as Gray’s left hind hoof blurred towards her face. Promptly moving to the side, she avoided the first strike, however suffered two blows from Gray’s other hooves. Luna countered with several advances of her own, but to no avail. A large, green flash of light combusted between Gray and Luna, separating her from their initial mortal combat.

“If this is all a Canterlotian Princess has to offer, I’d hate to see how awful her subjects would perform in battle.” Gray spouted insults from above Luna, loosening the tension in his neck while flexing his wings. Luna waited patiently, unsure of what to do or how to change the current situation.

“He’s had the advantage since we began, yet he does not declare victory. He’s either really dense, or he knows something I haven’t a clue about,” Luna thought out loud.

“As I was trying to say earlier,” Gray began as if on cue, “I am thoroughly enjoying this augment Discord’s power has given me. Imagine it, a wellspring of chaos flowing so freely!” He cried out pouring numerous objects of particular and unimaginable interest from his hooves. “Now imagine it with the supreme knowledge and skill of a master of bedlam… It’s not controlled, nor is it feral. It simply is,” Gray finished. His strings of turmoil ceased their secretion, wrapping around his body in an abhorrent casing of malignant disgust.

“By my sister’s word,” Luna proclaimed, immobilized by the towering mass of ridiculously zany apparel, confections, appliances, and whatever else the mind could sum up to describe the new beast that Gray Umbra had formed.

“In order to fully display the mastery over… Well, myself, I felt it necessary to change form. Is this perhaps a better portrait of the manifestation of chaos!?” The colossal wrym roared. The limbless dragon held together through a sticky black gel that oozed through any of the cracks and crevices making up the ghastly creature. Although absent in form, Gray’s harsh, piercing glare bore deep into the contour of the beast’s face.

“You’ve just realized what you’ve been fighting haven’t you princess?” Gray mocked through sludge infested fangs.

“I care not for the form you take on Gray Umbra. Altering your appearance into something so beastly only condones my actions against you!” Luna protested boldly.

“Such tripe,” Gray growled severely. “I can smell your fear princess. I can sense your angst. You do not have the power to stop me. You are only a distraction so that I may be further prevented from fulfilling my intended purpose.”

“Then why not strike me down where I stand foul creature?” Luna prodded. Gray Umbra slithered past with extreme speed, tearing up the earth as he traversed the broken forest. His tail end wrapped viciously around the lunar princess, dragging her twisted body closer to his distorted snout.

“I guess I like playing with my prey now,” Gray answered as he brought down his captive head first into the ruined thicket below.

“When you say he absorbed Discord,” Rainbow Dash started slowly, “Do you mean that he just ate him?” Her expression held a peculiar look that almost read perception into Twilight’s mind.

“More like inherited most, if not all, of his traits and abilities,” Twilight cleared up.

“You don’t need to continue Twilight. I can grasp the situation from what you’ve just told me,” Princess Celestia said from the head of the table.

“If we got such a solid idea on what’s goin’ on, why are we still sittin’ here doing nuthin?” Applejack asked fidgeting almost as much as the hovering Rainbow Dash.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you ponies,” Rainbow Dash pressured. “Princess Luna can’t possibly stand up to this guy now! Not by herself anyway!”

“I understand your concern for my sister, but her mission is separate from ours,” Celestia reminded of the vexed mares.

“I’m worried about Princess Luna as well,” Twilight interjected. “I was unable to warn her about Gray’s newfound powers.”

“No doubt she’s already discovered them Twilight Sparkle. Since Gray has not appeared yet, it is safe to assume that Luna has everything under control,” Celestia reassured.

“Celestia,” Twilight said with increased vigor, “Luna can’t handle this on her own. Discord demonstrated this while we were fighting Gray. “

“Then what would you suggest?” Celestia quickly responded. Nopony else seemed to be able to enter the current exchange. Twilight’s friends sat silently, watching her and the ruler of Equestria negotiate.

“We know the Elements of Harmony are useless in their current state, and even if we repair them they may not work to banish him; but that doesn’t mean we still can’t use the power of harmony against Gray,” Twilight began.

“So then, we’ll find a way to fight without the elements?” Rarity spoke up then.

“Not exactly,” Twilight said, trying to choose her words carefully. “Princess, while I fought alongside Discord, I was able to successfully perform Harmonia.”

Celestia’s eyes widened a bit at Twilight’s revelation.

“You mean you didn’t almost blow up the world?!” Applejack inquired.

“I dunno,” Pinkie Pie said, “I saw an awful lot of explosions in that direction.”

“How did it fare against Gray Umbra?” Celestia asked bringing things back on track.

“It worked perfectly fine, only it didn’t completely get rid of him. There was just enough energy to maim him for a few minutes. Discord tried to break up the remaining chaos, but it was able to regain consciousness and Gray Umbra attacked.” Twilight averted her vision from her mentor to the table and spoke a little softer as she continued.

“I was left weak and completely vulnerable afterwards though. I couldn’t do a thing to help him,” Twilight sighed.

“What are you going to do now?” a softer voice asked from down the tabletop. Twilight looked at Fluttershy who had finally surfaced after learning of Discord’s defeat.

“I’m going to use the power of our friendship to activate Harmonia again and try to get it one-hundred percent this time!” Twilight vowed to her friend.

“So you are suggesting a foalhardy frontal assault in lieu of rekindling the Elements of Harmony?” Celestia prodded.

“That is exactly what I’m proposing,” Twilight said more confidently. Celestia’s light smile penetrated through her earlier critical glower.

“Spoken like a true princess with some authority in the matter,” Celestia commented with a chuckle. “Very well then, elaborate, as I am not so sure rushing in is your entire plan.”

“As long as we hold our ground and fight as one, the power of our friendship will fuel the spell with enough energy to completely eradicate Gray Umbra,” Twilight began. “Princess, we won’t completely leave your idea unattended. I agree that the Elements are essential to us. While we may empower them, they are also a way for us to unite together with the harmony of Equestria as a whole.”

“Enough fuzzy wuzzy juice and that spell will be strong enough to pop that baddie like a balloon!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“We’ll split up,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll take a couple of us and we’ll hold off Gray Umbra while Twilight uses her magic thingy. Everypony else can help the Princess with the elements.”

“Won’t splitting up just ruin the whole plan in the first place?” Everypony glanced towards the other side of the room.

“What the… What are you three doing here?!” Applejack asked.

“We’re here cuz we wanna help!” Apple Bloom said with a large grin.

“Just how do you think you fillies are gunna help us?” Applejack brought up with a cocked eyebrow.

“And how did you get past the guards?” Rainbow asked immediately after.

“Sweetie Belle, what have I told you about snooping?” Rarity remarked after her sister removed herself from Rarity’s side.

“But we weren’t snooping,” Sweetie responded.

“We were kind of exploring the castle and overheard a lot of everything,” Scootaloo entered now. “We wanted to help you guys save Equestria, because it’s our home too! There’s no way I’m going to let some crazy pony chase me out of my home and beat Rainbow Dash!”

“Ha, you’ve got nothing to worry about there, Scoots,” Rainbow said ruffling her mane.

“Well that’s mighty thoughtful of ya’ll. Still, that don’t mean ya’ll can just barge in here and put yerself in harm’s way!” Applejack protested.

“But you do that all the time!” Apple Bloom cried.

“Twilight just said it was important that you guys do this together, so while you all are fighting that gray pony, we’ll fix the Elements of Harmony!”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity exclaimed. “That is simply outrageous! I won’t allow my dear sister to be subject to the cruelty of that maniac!”

Twilight stepped away from the table and joined in on the rambunctious meddling from the side. She rounded the three fillies together despite awkward glances from their guardians and smiled contently as if she were a nurse giving good news.

“Girls, I appreciate the concern you’ve given for all of us, and I also think it’s wonderful you want to help, but I’m afraid this is something that we can’t allow you three to help us with,” Twilight said in a soft tone.

“Aww, no fair,” Scootaloo whined. Twilight diverted her pleading attention away from Rainbow Dash.

“Not so fast Princess Sparkle,” Celestia sounded. “I actually think it’s a wonderful idea.”

“Princess?” Twilight started, but was cut off.

“You said yourself that the elements were essential to the defeat of Gray Umbra. I know a way that these fillies can help while adhering to the safety concerns their sisters have for them,” Celestia continued, meeting the squirming fillies in the middle of the room.

“Yes, yes what is it?!” Scootaloo cried out elatedly beating her wings.

“We’ll do anything to help!” Sweetie Belle eagerly responded.

“And maybe get our Cutie Marks in the process!” Apple Bloom reminded of the other two fillies. “What? I’m just sayin’ maybe saving the world is our special talent!” she replied to everypony’s expressions.

“The Elements of Harmony need to be wielded by a force that unites the mystical gems as one unit. Divided, they cannot do much, if anything at all,” Celestia began. “Therefore, if we are to succeed on all fronts, I believe it is essential that the three of you remain here in Canterlot, but…” Celestia’s interjection raised the hopes of the young mares.

“You three will be my personal assistants in keeping our fellow ponies unified. Your adorable quirkiness and strong friendship will motivate everypony to remain united under harmony and love. If we are to truly lend Twilight some power, I know doing so will make a difference.” Celestia finished, knighting the three fillies with her horn as a means of titular motivation. Twilight smiled at her mentor’s cunning, wondering if perhaps that was another personal demonstration reserved for her.

“Keeping everypony in the loop and providing them with the hope that we can defeat Gray Umbra will definitely help us out,” Twilight added then.

“Ya hear that sis?” Applejack asked drawing her sibling in. “You keep Big Mac and Granny Smith believin’ in your older sibling!”

“You don’t know how proud your willingness to help makes me Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said to her sister. Sweetie widened her already drawn-out smile and nuzzled her.

“Anything to help you, Rarity!”

“I swear you take after me!” Rarity squealed in delight.

“Staying inside this bubble is going to help you?” Scootaloo asked Rainbow Dash.

“You know something Scoots, it actually will,” Rainbow Dash said much to the young filly’s surprise. “If I can be out there, knowing you’re safe and sound while still helping us kick flank, then that helps a whole lot.”

“But it’s not as exciting as what you’ll be doing!” Scootaloo argued.

“You’re right,” Rainbow said flatly. “It won’t be exciting, but every hit that I give to that horned freak I won’t be believing in me, but in you who believes in me!” Rainbow’s corny speech lifted Scootaloo’s mood and she hugged the rainbow-maned pegasus.

“What about me?” Spike said motioning over to Twilight.

“Spike, I think you should remain here with the princess,” Twilight said.

“Babysiting huh?” he asked lifting a thumb to the jubilant fillies.

“No Spike, not babysitting. Gray Umbra has threatened to cover not only Equestria in chaos, but the whole world,” Twilight said grimly. “We want to be able to inform the other nations of this imminent threat, yet keep them united in this plight.”

“I will have Spike deliver messages to the other nations of the world,” Celestia said. “Their cooperation will be invaluable.”

“I’d probably just get in the way if I went,” the small dragon said dejectedly.

“Never,” Twilight replied delicately. “Like Celestia said, we all have a part to fill. This is yours Spike.”

“If we’ve got everypony’s parts down, what’s stopping us from going?” Pinkie Pie asked quite obtrusively.

“We just need to decide who will help Princess Luna distract Gray Umbra and who will search for a way to repair the elements,” Twilight answered.

“We may be splitting up, but we won’t be split up,” Applejack said before Apple Bloom could muster a sound.

“Right! Just like Rainbow Dash said, believe in each other who each believes in you…” Scootaloo struggled to put out.

“Meh, close enough.” Rainbow ruffled the tiny mane of her filly companion as she spoke.

“Do we have an idea of where to start looking?” Fluttershy’s voice sounded after what seemed like an eternity of silence from her.

“Actually… I’m not completely sure,” Twilight revealed suddenly taken aback.

“Do you have anything else you’d like to share Fluttershy?” Celestia asked. Her voice caused the timid pony to wince a little as she was put on the spot.

“Well, I umm, think a good place to begin would be… where we first found the elements… Maybe?”

“Oh Fluttershy, you’re a genius!” Twilight cried out recalling the stony quarry that used to be an ancient castle.

“No, no, no,” Fluttershy rebuked. “I was just using deductive reasoning is all, it’s completely normal.”

“The stress must be getting’ to you Twilight! Fluttershy knows more than you!” Pinkie Pie chuckled out.

“Hmm, Pinkie Pie…being right. I don’t know if I want to use that statement just yet,” Twilight muttered.

“I’ll hold onto it then, since you were so nice to foreshadow it!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Just let me know when you want to use it!”

“Alright, we can’t stall any longer,” Twilight quickly changed the subject. “Applejack, you and Rainbow Dash are going to help me against Gray. While we’re keeping him distracted alongside Princess Luna, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy will go to the ancient ruins where we first discovered the elements.”

“And what exactly are we looking for darling?” Rarity asked.

“Something that can tell us more about the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight explained.

“I seem to recall an old library somewhere in that castle, now that I’ve given it a moment,” Celestia revealed. Twilight beamed at the memory.

“An ancient library?” she asked bewitched. “Full of old and probably never recovered books?!” She debated on whether or not she should reorganize the division of the team. Her better judgment restricted the impulse.

“It has been some time since I last set hoof in that place. I cannot remember specifics, but it was sealed off to prevent Discord from reaching some of Equestria’s darkest secrets at the time. I recommend you locate this library,” Celestia said to the appropriate three.

“Then it’s settled,” Twilight exhaled. “Rainbow, Applejack, let’s go.”

“What about Pinkie Pie and everypony else?” Rainbow Dash wondered flying next to Twilight.

“Celestia will transport them to the ruins, right?”

“Correct,” Celestia affirmed to Twilight with a smile.

“One last goodbye for your sister Rarity?” the fashonista cooed to Sweetie Belle.

“Ya’ll take care of everythin’ ya hear?” Applejack said to Apple Bloom. The filly saluted and then waved goodbye. Rainbow Dash winked in Scootaloo’s direction. The tiny pegasus grinned back, asserting Rainbow’s last statement to her.

“Stay strong Spike,” Twilight related to the gloomy dragon.

“Yeah, I know,” Spike sighed.

“Do it for me,” Twilight replied dotingly. She managed to squeeze a smile from her assistant at the last moment. “And don’t fail me,” she added jovially.

“I wouldn’t dream about it!” Spike responded. Twilight’s wings flared open, touching both Rainbow Dash and Applejack then. She closed her eyes and felt out Gray’s energy. Her eyelids reopened and she gave her friends one last chance to prepare themselves before they vanished in a wisp of light.

Author's Note

Hmm...mixed emotions about this chapter. As far as plot goes, it explains a lot. Though at the same time it feels like we haven't gotten any closer to the end, but rather stalled for the sake of transition.

The fight scene is there so it isn't a full boring dialogue transition into more plot. I also tried to alleviate the dullness with some Pinkie humor, though I could probably have added more.

Anywho, this chapter was a pain to write, and I'm glad I got it out of the way. Next few won't be so drab.

7. Elementa Trifecta II

Author's Note

No flashy comeback saying, no epic speech, just writing. Lots of it. Before continuing, my older readers, It would be in your best interest to re-read the previous chapter, as it has undergone a MAJOR rewrite. Otherwise, this new content will not make any sense to you. But enough of that, you came here for a story, so continue on...

7. Elementa Trifecta II

A few moments earlier…

“Hurry up, you slowpokes!” Pinkie Pie shouted through the forest, bounding up and down the cobblestone path.

“Really, Pinkie Pie, I’m sure the castle isn’t going anywhere,” Rarity replied, making sure to avoid some messy areas of the woods.

“I think she’s more concerned with our friends than that,” Fluttershy entered now, defending the pink mare.

“Who knows what Pinkie Pie is concerned with; Obviously it’s not the dangers that this dreadful forest possesses,” Rarity snapped. “There’s more danger here than Gray Umbra, you know?”

“Nah,” Pinkie said then, slowing down to match the ‘slowpokes.’ “I’m just really excited, and you both are moving really, really, really slowly…” She exaggerated those last few syllables. A low rumbling shook the ground then, followed by several flashes of light in the distance.

“They must have begun the battle,” Rarity said, forgetting what she had just described of the forest and galloping faster towards the castle.

“Wait, don’t move so fast!” Fluttershy cried, gaining speed as well.

“So, what exactly are we looking for?”Pinkie Pie asked, opening the large set of mossy double doors for her friends.

“Anything with relation to the Elements of Harmony, don’t you remember?” Rarity answered, studying the ruins. “Specifically, the old library that Princess Celestia mentioned to us?”

“W-would we have to split up?” Fluttershy asked, shifting her gaze to and from the dark shadows of the walls and the dusty tapestries above.

“Probably not the best idea, but we never know what could come up in our search,” Rarity replied.

“Now, if I were a hidden library… where would I hide?” Pinkie asked, examining something on the adjacent wall.

“Pinkie Pie, that is an old painting, not a map,” Rarity called out.

“Or maybe… it’s a hidden map disguised as a painting!” she exclaimed, removing the piece.

“Oh, that probably wasn’t a good idea,” Fluttershy began, but was suddenly cut off as Pinkie Pie dropped into an opening in the ground.

“Pinkie!” both mares exclaimed, galloping over to where she previously stood.

“Can you hear us, dear?”

“Oh, I hope she’s alright,” Fluttershy peeped through her hooves.

“Wow! It’s dusty down here! And dark…” came Pinkie’s muffled voice.

“Pinkie Pie, this is Rarity, where are you?”

“I dunno… some kind of dark hole,” she responded. “Wait, I think I found a light!”

“The floor must not be that far down if we can still hear her,” Fluttershy reasoned.

“Okay, Pinkie Pie, don’t move. Fluttershy and I are coming to get you. See if perhaps you can find the library down there!” There was no reply. Rarity looked at Fluttershy and gulped. She peered down a long, dark corridor just ahead of them and lit up her horn. “Well, it’s a good a place as any to start, I suppose.”

“Let’s not activate anymore traps, okay?” Fluttershy stuck close to the other mare.

“Yes, let’s not,” Rarity agreed. They both exhaled and began to trek down the dank hall.

“Hm Hm… giggle at the ghostly…” Pinkie Pie hummed lightly as she made her way through the musty cavern. “This place just goes on forever, doesn’t it? ECHO!!!” She waited for her voice and laughed promptly upon its return. “Okay, back to business… library, library…”

Pinkie rummaged through her mane and pulled out a flashlight, sparking it to life. The shine radiated above, revealing a pair of glowing red eyes. The upsidedown creature hissed madly, taking flight into the darker part of the hall. “How rude,” Pinkie said. She held the light firmly in her mouth and waved it back and forth, humming all the while. Another tremor shook the castle, this time, causing large amounts of dust to fall from the ceiling.

“Wha-what was that?!” Fluttershy shouted, spinning around.

“Ooh, probably Twilight and the rest of our friends. We must hurry!” Rarity said, continuing down the dark hall.

“Are you sure this is the right way?”

“Well, if I was sure where we were going, then I wouldn’t have chosen a random hallway now, would I have?”

“Sorry, I was just wondering,” Fluttershy said, facing away from her friend.

“I’m sorry, dear, it’s just that this whole scenario is all messed up! I mean what kind of brute just wishes to destroy all things harmonious?!”

“Umm, Discord?”

“Aside from him…” Rarity raised a brow at the pegasus.

“Oh! Sombra.”

“Nevermind, let’s keep looking.”

Both mares came to a portion of the castle which had been blown away, exposed to the growth of the forest. A large willow grew into the hall they resided in, draped in wet, mossy green.

“I wonder how long this has been growing,” Fluttershy said, flying up to the tree.

“Long enough to drip this.. nasty purple goop,” Rarity cried, wiping the ooze away from her hooves. “Fluttershy, come down from there, we’re on a tight schedule!”

“Hold on,” the pegasus shouted. “I thought I saw something move. Maybe it can help us.”

“Or help itself to us!”

Fluttershy peeked through the branches, catching a glimpse of a scurrying creature. It was definitely a woodland animal. She pushed herself through the branches in pursuit, trying to track down the small thing.

“Oh, won’t you please wait? I just want to ask you something, maybe you can help me and my friend?” The creature scurried away again, moving deeper into the tree. “Wait, comeback!”

Rarity stood down below, tapping her hoof and moving her head about to peer through the thick leaves.

“Fluttershy, Fluttershy, where have you gone? I’ve lost sight of you, dear!” Rarity swallowed hard at the silence around her. “Fluttershy, please tell me you found a squirrel or something… Fluttershy? Fluttershy?!” Once again, no response.

“More ECHOOOOO!” Pinkie Pie cried out into the consuming darkness. Her flashlight only illuminated so much. She skipped along the stone path, descending now down a deep stairwell. “I wonder how far down this goes. Maybe there’s a surprise at the bottom!” The party pony removed a glow stick from her mane and lit it up. She placed it over the edge and dropped it, watching as the light changed color on its way down.

“Three seconds, and still no clack? I would probably get hurt from jumping then,” she moaned, stepping downwards again. As she continued, she could hear a slight fluttering in the distance. Every so often, she would turn around and find nothing there. “Suspicious…” she muttered, shifting her eyes left and right. As she took her final step to the ground floor, her left hoof sank a little deeper than what she had imagined. Immediately, the area above her shut, blocking out any other source of light. Pinkie held her flashlight close, and moved it around to try and find some sort of illumination.

As she searched, she noticed that her ray reflected off of something for a moment, and then stopped. Curious, the pink pony investigated, stepping on yet another trap panel, decorating the room with several light holes. A mirror stood upright under each spotlight. Some of them broken and useless, others merely dirty and cluttered with cobwebs. Pinkie jerked her head to the side, thinking she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye.

“Hello?!” she called out, but was not greeted, not even with an echo. again, she saw something flash around her and spun around to try and catch it, but it vanished again. “Hey, not funny. If we’re going to play hide-and-seek, at least give me a chance!” She huffed angrily, and felt a warm breath glide down her neck. Startled, Pinkie Pie yelped, jumping to the side and dropping her light, smashing it in the process.

“Okay,” she said with a small chuckle. “You can have home field advantage.”

“Fluttershy, this is the last time I will call you. I’m leaving after this!” Rarity warned to the tree. She paced back and forth, mumbling to herself. “Okay, just calm down, Rarity… there’s no need to panic… no need to panic…” A small stone falling in the distance alerted the mare and she took off, running past the large willow and into a dimly lit dining area.

“Whaaaaaat have I gotten myself into?” she whined, breathing rapidly. After catching her breath, she moved from her spot and began to explore the dining hall. A large wooden table, draped with a rustic cloth filled a majority of the room. An unlit fireplace, spanned from the center of the far wall and extended down it on either side. Several unlit torches were placed around the room, giving away the position of several unopened doors.

“How am I supposed to find a library in this Celestia-forsaken castle?” Rarity used her magic to light the cold torches. The room flooded with flame casting dancing shadows against the walls. In the corner of the room sat a hunched over figure, scaly and bony, hissing at the new radiance that filled the room. “Oh my… I am so, so sorry, my dear. Let me just… turn out the light,” Rarity stuttered, extinguishing the flames. The form turned around now, it’s yellow eyes slicing through the dark, glaring at the small pony.

“On second thought, how about I keep them on, for my sake?”

“This is one big tree,” Fluttershy commented, flying through the willow branches now. She lost sight of her furry friend at what seemed like ages ago, and was trying to find her way back to the castle. No matter which direction she went, however, it only seemed to allow her to venture deeper and deeper into the treetop. “Gosh, I’ve probably worried Rarity now… but I can’t seem to find my way out.”

“WAAAAAGH!”

“That was her!” Fluttershy gasped, making towards the direction of the sound. Suddenly, the branches of the willow began to writhe and slither about, locking out any form of escape. “The tree is… moving!” Fluttershy tried another exit, but it quickly closed up. The branches slithered around the pegasus, wrapping her up in a serpent-like manner.

“On no,” she shrieked, dashing away. The branch held firm though, pulling her back and slipping around her body faster than ever. “No, please let me go… I don’t want to be eaten by a tree!” The willow leaves began to retract now, losing their pigment as they retreated into the branches. The branches themselves began to darken, transforming into a deep ebony color. Fluttershy screamed as what appeared to be the trunk began to uproot and move closer towards her, taking the same form as the tendrils that wrapped around her.

The trunk split open, revealing two rows of razor sharp teeth, dripping with a violet colored sap. A large bulbous eye emerged from above the gaping mouth, and stared at the pegasus greedily.

“Long time… not try pony. Forgotten taste…”

“EEP!” Fluttershy squeaked, struggling to escape. “W-well, maybe I can g-give you something better to eat?”

“No… nothing better, not eat… Pony,” the creature gurgled.

“Y-you don’t want to eat me?” Fluttershy stopped squirming. Consequently, the tendrils loosened their grip around her body.

“No, no eat pony… Forgotten taste… of fruit,” the monster sobbed. A large branch slithered from the distance and positioned itself in front of Fluttershy. Hanging on the branch sat a plump, crimson circular fruit. It’s glossy coat shone even in the covered shading of the area.

“I try… every animal… and no tell… taste…” Fluttershy looked past the fruit and into the creature’s eye.

“S-so, y-you want… somepony to eat your fruit?”

“Tell… taste,” the thing added. Fluttershy peered back at the fruit and sniffed it. It certainly didn’t seem like a bad thing.

“What happened to all the other animals that ate it?”

“Could not… describe. So… I get mad. I stomp.” The pegasus gulped.

“O-okay… I’ll try it.” Fluttershy steadily opened her mouth and bit down. The monster withdrew the fruit and pulled Fluttershy up to its face. She chewed slowly, making sure to emphasize that she was eating. She swallowed, and smacked her lips together. “That was… good.”

“Good? Why good?”

“Umm… why?”

“Yes… describe… flavor.”

“Oh yes, umm… let’s see,” Fluttershy said, collecting her thoughts. “It was sweet, but not too sharp, like a nice coat of natural sugars. I felt the texture really complimented the flavor. It gave a nice crisp crunch, and then melted in my mouth. A very good job growing it, sir.”

“You… like?”

“Yes, I did.” The tendrils loosened even more.

“So nice… you… not lying?”

“Why do you want to know the flavor?” Fluttershy asked just then. “Can’t you taste it?”

“N-no…” the thing replied. “Lost taste… after long time,” it started. “Family… hurt. Fruit heals, but… only sweet fruit.”

“Your family is hurt? Oh my, what happened?”

“Monster… hurt. Flying unicorn hurt…”

“Flying unicorn? Gray Umbra?” Fluttershy watched the creature nod solemnly.

“I… remember ponies… live here before… I go… wait for them… but no come, so I sleep,” it said.

“You poor thing,” Fluttershy sympathized, flying up to its trunk. “I don’t like that big meanie either, we’re trying to stop him, maybe you can help?”

“Help… me?”

“Yes, I helped you,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Can you help me now?”

“Let’s talk this over,” Rarity said, backing away from the reptilian bat. It shoved a chair aside and hissed at the pony. “I understand that you’re a uncivilized feral creature, but you could at least maintain your dental health, no?”

“Who are you calling uncivilized?” the monster said, flaring its wings. “You’re the one that barged into my home and lit all of my torches!”

“I… ah… gaah…”

“Stunned, little pony?”

“More so that you can talk than anything,” she replied.

“Assuming such things,” the beelzub hissed. “Who is it that is lacking in manners?” The creature opened its mouth, shooting a slimy tongue at the small pony. Rarity dodged to the right, ducking under the table just as it latched onto the floor.

“I’m sure we can come to a reasonable conclusion as opposed to rashly smacking each other around!” she cried out from under the table.

“Stop talking, your voice is annoying!” it replied, jumping on the table. The ancient tableware began to float around now, a light blue aura surrounding them. They sped towards the creature, forcing it to fly into the air.

“Well, if you really want a fight, then come and get it!” Rarity brayed, digging her hooves into the ground. “Honestly, annoying? I’ll show you annoying!” She levitated the chairs around the room and kept a spinning barrier around her, launching them one at a time at the beast.

“Impressive display of magic, pony,” the beelzub said, barely ducking under the last chair. “But I have some powers too.” The creature’s back fur extended upwards, transforming into a brush of spiky quills. Visible electrical current then ran throughout his fur, lighting the room in a brilliant display of flashing color.

“Wow… I’ve never seen-” Rarity began, but could not finish, leaping away from a lightning bolt fired by the monster.

“Beelzubs are capable of conducting electricity,” it chuckled. “Depending on the color of the sparks, determines the power of the shock. I’ll burn you to a crisp with my Violet Storm!” It fired several more bolts, a few too close for comfort.

“You brute, all I wanted to do is find my friends!” Rarity summoned her magic again and fired a small blue beam into the floor. The beelzub flinched, expecting some pain to be inflicted on him, but grinned at the spell instead.

“What was that?”

“Mock me, will you?” Rarity lifted her head up, clenching her teeth and furrowing her brow. Several large gems broke through the cobblestone floor of the dining room and floated above her. “Took a while to find, but I was sure there was some treasure here somewhere.”

“How will you fight me with gems? Granted, they’re beautiful… but useless nonetheless,” the beelzub chuckled. It began charging the electrical current on its back again, prompting Rarity to bring up her jewels in defense. The beelzub fired, his lighting clashing with the different gems in the air, filling the area with a sharp thunderclap. Both sides stood still, slowly opening their eyes once the strobe-like flashing ceased.

“By Celestia’s mane,” Rarity sighed, gaping her mouth open at the floating stones. The beelzub stared as well, enthralled by the gleaming gems, outlined in an electrical current similar to his own. “The colors, the accents, the display!”

“It’s like a beautiful blend of art,” the creature sighed, touching one of the jewels. Rarity did the same, flinching a little as a small shock ran through her body. She looked at the beelzub now and rubbed her chin.

“Tell me, if you would be so kind, what were you doing here?”

“I was looking for hidden treasure,” it said without looking at her. “I knew this used to be an old Equestrian fortress, abandoned some time ago.”

“Hold on, you said this was your home! You’re a treasure hunter?”

“Of course!” it cried, taking its eyes off of the jewels. “I’ve traveled the world seeking the most precious gems on the planet. Nor these dull diamond or tacky sapphire, mind you,” it expressed, rubbing the jewels again. “But something… like this.”

“Would you like to keep it?” Rarity asked.

“What?” The creature peered at her now.

“I mean, you said you were searching for treasure, and I’d say that is an impressive find. It’s only fair you be rewarded for your labor,” she explained.

“Yes, I would,” it began, “but it was your magic acting against my lightning that brought this about! I am not so greedy as to take credit for the whole thing. Won’t you take some?”

“Oh no, please, I insist,” Rarity pushed on him. “Besides, I am not searching for gems. I need to find my friends and a secret ancient library. I have no time for jewels, however enthralling they may be.”

“Wait, you’re not even going to ask for half of it?” The beelzub moved over to her, scratching his head.

“As I said, it’s tempting, but I can’t let it stand in the way of my goal. You may keep it all, that is, should you allow me to pass through and we forget this whole ordeal.” Rarity let out a breath of relief and began making for the next doorway, across the room.

“I’ll have you know,” the beelzub said, stopping her. “You are the first one to not fight me over an exquisite treasure… not to mention, I attacked you and accused you of trespassing on land that is not even mine, and you simply leave?”

“Yes,” Rarity answered, hoping to avoid an explanation.

“How generous of you, pony.”

“You know, I do have a name. It’s Rarity.”

“Rarity? Rarity… what a fitting name,” it said with a smile. She raised a brow at the beelzub. “Thank you, Rarity. Please, accept my apology. You mentioned that you were searching for a library? I’ve stumbled across this while searching for treasure. Perhaps I can repay you by leading you there?” Rarity stared at him, unsure as to how or why this was even happening at the moment.

“Why, that would be lovely,” she finally said, thinking it through. “Thank you, err…”

“Oh, perhaps I need a lesson on manners after all,” he chuckled. “Call me Clu.”

“You know, this isn’t very fun anymore,” Pinkie Pie said, taking another left turn. “What is this? A maze of mirrors?”

“You’ll be trapped… forever,” an echoing voice moaned. “Lost… lost in your own turmoil.”

“Whatcha talkin’ bout willie?” Pinkie shouted, turning around as she felt a chill shoot up her spine.

“Like me, you too will be eternally lost,” the voice said, coming from all around now. A cloud of white gathered in front of Pinkie, chilling the air around her. A body began to form from the smoky vapor, floating well above the floor, but still matching Pinkie’s height. A transparent filly manifested in front of her now, wearing torn rags and bearing a wiry mane. Its eyes were gouged out, replaced with tiny beads of glowing red. It smiled at the silent pony and cocked its head sideways. “Boo.”

“GHOST?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, jumping up. The ghost’s image vanished from the air. It reappeared, this time in every mirror throughout the room.

“Heh heh… did I scare you?”

“Well, more startle me than anything… I’m not particularly scared of ghosts.” she replied, trotting up to a nearby mirror. The ghost cocked its head the other way and looked at Pinkie oddly.

“Not scared… of ghosts?”

“Nope.”

“Tee hee, you’re an interesting pony,” it said, vanishing from that mirror.

“Really? That’s what a lot of ponies say to me. You know, I’ve never really met a real live ghost before! Of course, you’re not really alive, but-”

“Say, do you want to play a game?” The pink pony’s ears perked up immediately.

“A game?! Oh, I LOVE games. What are we going to play?” The apparition had to back off from the mirror a bit after Pinkie had glued her face to it.

“How about… hide and seek?”

“Hide and seek? Okay, that sounds like fun!” she cried, bounding up and down.

“Hold on, I have some rules,” it said, removing its image from the mirrors and manifesting in front of Pinkie again. “Let’s make a bet… I never play without making a bet…”

“A bet? That doesn’t sound too bad. What’s the deal?” Pinkie asked, eager to play.

“Name your wager first. It’s only polite to allow guests the first turn,” the ghost replied.

“Okay,” Pinkie said, mulling over the various ideas in her head. She sat for a minute, straining to think about what she could receive from an undead apparition. Suddenly, her mane popped up, causing the ghost to flinch and she turned around with a competitive sneer on her face. “If I win, you have to take me to the secret library inside this castle!”

“...That’s it?” the ghost asked, scratching its head. “You are strange…”

“You know, I never got your name,” Pinkie interrupted.

“Forget it, it’s not important,” the ghost snapped. “Now, it’s my turn to place a wager. If I win, I get to possess your body and live once again!”

“Hmm… possessing my body? Well, will I still be Pinkie Pie?” The ghost cackled at her question.

“Are you ready?”

“Wait, we haven’t discussed what happens to me being me when you’re me!”

“I’ll start counting… Ten… nine… eight…” Pinkie’s eyes widened and she jerked her head left and right. She had to hide, now. The pony took off in a random direction, trying to find a hole, and tight enough spot, even a rock or something to hide behind.

“This is sooooo not fair,” she hissed, peeking behind her.

“Ready or not…” she could hear from the shadowy distance. “Here I come…”

The filly spirit glided through the room, casting her image across the various mirrors as she floated by. Pinkie could see her even in the hiding spot that she had chosen, twisting her head around in one full motion. It continued on, turning a corner and vanishing from view. Pinkie held firm, glued to a spot behind a mirror in Celestia only knows where. She could hear the slight thumping of her heart and shhed it when it began to beat louder.

“I can see you, pony.”

“Well, if I could phase through walls and float around, I’m pretty sure I could see me too!” Pinkie exclaimed to the darkness.

“There’s one more element to hide and seek that’s my favorite… do you know what it is?”

“Winning?”

“The chase,” the spirit replied, breaking through one of the mirrors and wailing at her victim. Pinkie Pie zoomed off, taking curves faster than a bullet, upsetting the mirrors as she went. “Hey! stop that!” the spirit called, going after her.

“As long as you don’t catch me, that means I can still win!” Pinkie shouted, moving about the room like a bouncy ball.

“I never lose!” the ghost wailed, flying after her. Pinkie ducked just before it came swooping down at her, and rolled back into a galloping position. She took off to the right, making sure to avoid the hazards along the way.

“It feels like we’re playing tag now, instead of hide and seek,” she giggled.

“And I’m it!” the ghost cried, popping up from the floor. It opened its arms wide, trying to grapple Pinkie, but she jumped in the air and did a small flip, landing safely behind the ghost.

“Beep beep!” She shouted, flickering her tongue at the spirit and running off again.

“Come back!” The ghost chased down her target, but Pinkie kept a good pace ahead of her. “Stop! You’re ruining my mirrors!”

“What are you talking about?!” Pinkie asked, coming to a full halt. The ghost sped right by her then, phasing through the wall. It poked its head back through, growling at the pink pony.

“I’ve caught you now,” it moaned, floating in a slow, sporadic pattern. “Your body… is mi-”

“Look!” Pinkie shouted, grabbing the ghost around the neck and pulling it to the mirror.

“How did you-?”

“Look, the mirror is all wobbly now! It makes my face look funny,” she giggled, sticking her tongue out and waving it around. She then scrunched both of their faces together and pulled her tail over their heads.

“You!”

“Us!” Pinkie interjected. “Look, we’re a Ghostie Pieclops!” she started laughing again, falling on the floor and rolling around now. “Forget tag or hide and seek, this is really fun!”

The spirit peered at the giggling pony on the floor and took another glance in the mirror. Its face was distorted, bulbous around the muzzle and thin in the neck. She floated closer to the reflection and it changed spectrum, inflating her lower face and thinning out the top now.

“Was this… always here?” she asked, a smile forming over her face. Pinkie came up behind her and began making strange faces again. The ghost began to snicker and soon was giggling. One more obnoxious face, and she busted out in full fledged laughter.

“See! This is great!” Pinkie said, laughing with it.

“Oh my gosh, look at your face!” the ghost replied, holding its side. Both of them remained there, laughing like a couple of idiots at their own reflections. Pinkie calmed down, but the spirit continued on.

“Whew, you sure can laugh,” she said. The ghost’s form shifted, becoming more pony-like now. Its ghostly tail grew into two hind legs, and its wiry mane fluffed up, turning into neatly braided golden locks. Her eyes filled with color again, revealing two hazel irises.

“It’s been… so long,” the filly chuckled, turning away from the mirror and looking at Pinkie Pie now.

“Since what?” Pinkie asked.

“Since I laughed… laughed like that, I mean.”

“Why?”

“I was… sad,” the transparent pony explained. “I ran away, because I was sad and got trapped in here. I couldn’t find my way out and I was so alone; I was so scared…”

“Hey,” Pinkie Pie said, trotting up to the ghost. “You wanna know something?”

“What?”

“My name is Pinkie Pie, I’m from Ponyville. And guess what?”

“What?”

“You’re my new friend!”

“Friend? How can we be friends? I’m… well you’re…”

“Let’s not let the metaphysical interfere with something as eternal as friendship,” Pinkie said, pretending to act like Twilight. She giggled at herself, prompting the same response from the filly.

“I never had any friends before,” the ghost said, looking back into the mirror.

“That’s a shame,” Pinkie replied. “You’re really fun to play games with.”

“R-really?” the filly looked up.

“Well duh! I mean you had me going on all cylinders to get away from you! Not to mention, you’re a natural at hide and seek. And you can make some pretty funny faces!” The ghost child smiled and rested her face into Pinkie’s side.

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” she said. “You’re fun too. You helped me laugh again.”

“Aww, it’s what I do. Like everyday. No seriously, I make somepony new laugh everyday. You’d think like maybe there was something on my face, but nah, it’s just my thing.”

“Heh Heh, well you’re very good at it.” The child began to glow now, and looked at her new friend in the eyes. “I hope we get to play again sometime.”

“Anytime you want,” Pinkie replied.

“Don’t ever lose that laugh.”

“Kinda impossible… unless I lose my voice, then I’d have to do it in sign language,” she replied, waving her hooves about. One final chuckle, and the filly vanished. The room began to rumble, and all of the mirrors shifted position, pointing towards a large door on the far side of the room. Pinkie followed the mirrors over to the door, and stopped at the last one, smiling at the message drawn in the glass. She opened the door and bounded inside, traversing down a dimly lit hall and towards another set of large double doors. She shoved them open, stepping now into a dark, dusty library.

“Oh, there you are,” Fluttershy’s voice said from the darkness. A small light rounded the corner of a bookcase, held by a flying pegasus. “Me and Rarity were going to go looking for you, to tell you we found the library.”

“Good thing you didn’t or we would’ve been lost in this castle forever,” Pinkie replied, skipping happily over to Fluttershy. They returned to a better lit area, illuminated by several floating candles.

“Pinkie Pie, I thought I heard something enter the library,” Rarity cheered.

“And you sent Fluttershy to check it out?”

“Oh, it’s alright, Rarity’s new friend offered to watch over the library and alert us if anything dangerous came.”

“Oh, so you made a new friend too?” Pinkie asked, beaming. “Mine kind of floated away, but we’re still cool, you know?”

“Right,” Rarity sighed. “Anyhow, help us search through these references. Apparently they’re all related to the Elements of Harmony, but we’ve yet to find a script that we can read.”

“Have you tried this?” Pinkie pointed to a large statue just behind the three of them.

“That’s just a sculpture of the elements,” Fluttershy replied. “There’s only a small inscription on the base.”

“You know what they say about small packages?” The pink pony asked, pushing in on a small stone on the base. The square platform began to rumble, splitting open and causing the statue on it to fall inside of the newly formed hole in the ground. The base split once more, separating to the four corners of the hole.

“Pinkie Pie, how on earth did you know how to do that?”

“My friend told me,” she replied. From the pit, another platform arose, archaic in structure. It was a large mirror, resting within a carving of a crescent moon. Around the moon were protrusions of sun-like rays. The mirror awoke, sending a stream of light from its base to the four pieces of the previous stone base. The base pieces began to resonate now, glowing in the same manner as the light that stretched out on the floor towards them.

“What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked, watching as the stone bases rose from the ground and locked themselves in place. The streams of light danced onto the newly formed pedestals, lining their tops with what appeared to be ancient runes.

“That, I don’t know,” Pinkie replied, trotting up to one of the pedestals. “Oh, hey look! It’s our friends!”

“What? Where?” Rarity asked, coming up to Pinkie’s side. She looked down at the runes and scrunched her muzzle up. “Pinkie, I don’t see anything…”

“No, in the mirror!”

“Oh, I see them!” Fluttershy exclaimed, pointing at the large mirror now. Rarity peeked as well, and nodded. The mirror then moved away from their friends and cast its glare on Gray Umbra.

“Hey, it’s that no-good brute!” Rarity growled.

“Man, I’d like to show him a thing or two!” Pinkie shouted in agreement, slamming her forehoof on the surface of the pedestal she was at. The structure lit up, sending a wave of light to the center mirror. The girls watched as Gray suddenly was struck by a wave of magic and sent flying through the air.

“Oh my… did you see that?!”

“I did that,” Pinkie replied with a large grin.

“How?” Fluttershy wondered, studying the runes and the stone pedestal they were on.

“Who cares, I want the next shot!” Rarity squealed, zooming over to the next pedestal. She peered into the mirror and placed her hooves on the runes. As if following her movements, the image in the mirror shifted across the forest and rested upon Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash! It’s me, Rarity. Can you hear me, darling?”

“I’m not so sure she can even see you,” Fluttershy said, hovering behind Rarity now.

“So sorry if I messed with your vision, Pinkie,” Rarity chimed then.

“Actually, I’m not looking at Dashie, I’m studying Twilight. She seems pretty tense,” the pink pony revealed. “Oh hey, it’s Princess Luna!”

“This is amazing,” Rarity squealed again. “The only problem is… what does this have to with the Elements of Harmony?”

“Yeah, I don’t think I got that message either,” Pinkie Pie said, messing with her controls. “Who plays invertedly? That’s just dumb…”

“Fluttershy, see if maybe you can find something about these mirrors and whatever it is we’re controlling. From the looks of things, it seems to be pretty large,” Rarity said, fixing her view on the old monolith now. The design resembled that of the mirror they were already looking through.

“What would that be under?” she asked, more so rhetorically.

“Try, ‘M’ first,” Pinkie answered.

“And do be quick about it… I believe Mr. Umbra is on his way back,” Rarity added, noticing a burning inferno rocketing towards their friends.

“Okay, umm… let’s see,” she began, quickly skimming the contents of each book.

“What is that?!” Pinkie yelled, gaping at the orange sphere expanding above the evil alicorn’s head.

“That would be trouble,” Rarity squeaked. “Hurry Fluttershy!”

“Oh, I think I found something,” Fluttershy exclaimed, showing the diagram to the other two. “It looks just like the structure and its controls.”

“Let me see,” Pinkie demanded, snatching the book away and muttering to herself as she read it. “Harmonolith… built by King… special barrier… magic controls… self-containing dimensional plane used to house raw power such as that found in the Elements of Harmony?!”

“More complete sentences, please?” Rarity pleaded.

“Quick, aim your thingy at the big mirror, you too Fluttershy!”

“But what did the book say?” she asked, flying over to the pedestal. She started it up, tapping on the controls lightly.

“We can read later,” Pinkie replied, stuffing the book into her mane. “Right now, we need to rip space a new one!”

“How vulgar,” Rarity said, shuddering. She followed Pinkie’s plan and aimed at the center mirror in the field. “What now?”

“Shoot it like we shot Gray Umbra, and it should suck him up like a new vacuum cleaner!” Pinkie slammed on her controls, launching a beam of magic into the Harmonolith’s center relic. Rarity did the same, showing Fluttershy how to operate the machine shortly after.

“Why isn’t it working?” Fluttershy asked, noticing that the beams were sparking, but not creating the rift.

“Black licorice fudge,” Pinkie cursed. “We need a fourth body for the last turret!”

“I can help with that,” Rarity said. “Clu? Darling come be a dear and help us!”

“Yes, Rarity, what is it?” Clu called back, swooping in from above.

“We need you to imitate us on that control panel over there,” Rarity pointed across the room. “Just slide your claws over the surface and position your vision where ours is at.”

“Hey, I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie shouted, startling the beelzub. “Imagine firing a condensed beam of magic, and press down on the runes to light em up!”

“Th-this is awkward,” Clu replied, following the directions given to him. “You do this kind of thing everyday?”

“Not particularly, but enough to stay calm, given the circumstances,” Rarity replied.

“What circumstances?”

“That large energy ball about to blow up the planet,” Pinkie replied, repositioning Clu’s turret to the attack Gray Umbra was forming. He quickly regained control and fired his beam at the center mirror. As the magic assaulted the mirror, it began to fade, replacing the glass with a starry expanse.

“It looks like space,” Fluttershy commented.

“It’s a whole different dimension, void of anything. That’s how it can hold energy,” Pinkie explained.

“I’m surprised you actually understood that book, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity added from the side.

“There was a nice little reference section, to make it easier on me,” she giggled. Clu shifted his eyes back and forth between the three ponies and the newly formed portal in what appeared to be the Everfree forest.

“Ponies are strange,” he muttered to himself.

“Look what’s happening!” Fluttershy shouted now.

“Hey, the portal thingy… it’s absorbing Gray’s magic!” Pinkie yelled.

“My word, so it really is like a vacuum cleaner,” Rarity said. “I-it seems to be taking in more than that magic as well!” All four of them watched as the portal forced the trees in the area to bend to its whim, sucking in loose vegetation and stone.

“Do you think that Twilight and everypony else are all right?” Fluttershy asked with a crack in her voice.

“Well, I haven’t seen any of them fly into the portal,” Rarity replied, swallowing her doubt.

“Maybe not,” Pinkie said, “but Gray is heading straight for it!” From the display, all four of them watched as the dark alicorn resisted the pull of the magic portal. His efforts were futile, however, and he plunged head-first into the dark matter.

“That’s it, is he gone?” Rarity asked.

“What about the portal? Why isn’t it disappearing?” Fluttershy wondered.

“Take your eyes off of it,” Pinkie Pie commanded, removing her turret from the center piece. Each body did the same, resulting in a small rupture of the sound barrier around the Harmonolith. After the sound had passed, peace defell the land. “We did it?”

“We did it,” Rarity repeated.

“Oh my, he’s actually gone?” Fluttershy asked, a huge smile on her face. Clu remained still, waiting to be let in on the loop. As far as he was concerned, he might have saved the world, but was a little unsure at the moment.

“This is great! Does that mean we don’t need the Elements of Harmony after all?” Rarity asked.

“I dunno,” Pinkie replied. “We should ask Twilight!” She left the humming pedestal and trotted over to the large mirror in the library.

“Um… what are you doing now?”

“The book said we can use this to teleport in front of the Harmonolith,” Pinkie explained. She stuck her hoof in, causing the glass to ripple.

“Very good, we can continue posthaste,” Rarity affirmed, making for the mirror as well.

“I guess this is good bye then?” Clu suddenly chimed in from the corner. Rarity trotted over to the beelzub and hugged him.

“Thank you ever so much, Clu. I will remember you, I promise.”

“Thank you for your generous heart,” he replied with a bow. “If you shan't need me anymore, then I’ll be taking my treasure and departing for home.”

“That would be best, considering… well, you saw,” Rarity nervously explained.

“I’m still not too sure about that either,” he replied. “Regardless, I wish you ponies the best.” Clu saluted one last time and departed, lifting off from the edge of a broken window high above the library.

“What a neat guy,” Pinkie said.

“Come now, we have to get back to our friends,” Rarity reminded them and entered the mirror. Her two companions followed shortly after.

8. The Final Push

Celestia sat on her throne, contemplative and quiet. Surrounding her presence were diplomats, concerned citizens, ambassadors of neighboring nations, and even a few ponies of whom she’s never heard of. Regardless of their status or background, her mind concentrated on the floor carpet instead of the prodding eyes of the ponies.

“Princess Celestia,” a noblepony rang out, catching her attention. “What do you intend on doing about the presence of this malicious character over Ponyville?!”

“Princess!” She allowed herself to be carried over by another voice. “Massive tremors continue to ravage the land, and plant life everywhere are experiencing an increase in decomposition!”

“Your Highness,” yet another voice called,” The masses are in a frenzy, they are claiming that monster sightings and creature natures have been going awry in just a matter of hours! Reports of this nature haven’t been documented since the rule of Discord!”

“Yes,” Celestia finally said, her soft voice quelling the tumultuous roar of the ponies in the throne room. “Yes, I am aware of all of these things, and I am aware that the stability of our land is at risk.”

“Not just the stability of your land,” a familiar mustached griffon chimed in. “My country is experiencing severe drought; literally, whole lakes drying up in a matter of minutes!”

“Chaos on this scale has pillaged your country before,” rang a Saddle Arabian from the far corner of the room. “Those nations that have neighbored yours have experienced some fallout from the troubles, including mine.”

“I assure you, the situation is under control,” Celestia affirmed, shuffling a bit and clearing her throat.. The line was too much of a cliche even for her.

“How have you decided to remedy the problem?”

“I have dispatched a trustworthy and valuable team to look into the situation,” she answered.

“Who are the ponies in this team?”

“Why have you not gotten involved yourself?”

“What if this squad cannot solve the problem?”

“Enough!” Celestia roared. As she spoke, she rose from her throne, stamping her hooves on the ground. Her voice boomed throughout the chamber, rattling the hanging chandeliers and upsetting the balance of her guarding troops.

“P-princess?” a voice questioned shakily.

“Forgive me,” she said without retreating. “Allow me to rationalize with you ponies for a moment.”

All of the bodies in the room returned to attention, quills and ears perched on the edge of their docks.

“It is true that a great evil has once again set its sights on Equestria,” she started. “It is also true that in the past, such incidents were enough of a problem to warrant such fears you have brought up; but I say to you, back then, we were not strong as a nation.” She cast her gaze upon the two non pony bodies in the room. “We were weak as a continent,” she corrected herself.

“Is this supposed to be uplifting?” a Canterlot noble asked.

“This is supposed to be a revelation, my dear Ironhoof,” she replied. “There is a power that exists in this land that has, however, bested these evil thoughts and worries time and time again.”

“Are you referring to—?”

“No,” Celestia quickly rebuked. “I speak of a stronger magic than the ones the Elements of Harmony posses. I speak of the unity of harmony between us and between the world.”

“Which unity do you speak of?” the Saddle Arabian stallion chuckled. “There is no ultimate peace or anything of the sort.”

“That is where you are wrong,” Celestia replied. “This danger threatens not only our land, but the entire world. Gray Umbra, as he calls himself, has declared war on harmony. He intends to rid the world of it, wherever it may be present, starting with our homes.”

“Gray Umbra?” Murmurs rang throughout the crowd. Some guards peered at the princess, but held their tongues and quickly retracted to their positions.

“Now do you see? There does exist an ultimate harmony between all living things, sentient and otherwise. Such a threat exists to snuff out this peace.”

“You mentioned… a solution?” inquired a pony in the room.

“I did, and it is working now, as we speak,” Celestia explained, transfixing her gaze towards the world below. “I have confidence in my subjects, but that is greatly overshadowed by the faith I give to my friends.”

“Is it… can it really be over?” Applejack asked, staring at the large structure in the middle of the wasteland. It remained dormant, save for the glimmering mirror in the center of its frame.

“This book is amazing!” Twilight suddenly shrieked, causing the ponies in the area to leap into the air.

“Cool your head, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Some of us are still on edge here.”

“Sorry,” Twilight peeped, blushing a little. “It’s just that, this book explains so much about the Harmonolith, and the Elements, and… There’s too much information to logically sort out in my current state of mind!”

“Yes, it is quite an intriguing read, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, lying on the floor. She smiled at Twilight, treating her own wounds with her magic.

“Oh my gosh, Princess, I’m sorry I forgot!” Twilight cried, setting the book down and rushing over to her. Luna shook her head.

“It is alright,” she explained. “I am still able to care for myself, though I do appreciate the aid you and your friends have brought to the battlefield this day.” An overlapping green light lined Luna’s body alongside her visible white aura.

“In truth, we should thank you for risking your life in order to fend off Gray.” Twilight spoke as she concentrated on her mentor’s wounds. “Did you really think you’d be able to do it?”

“That was my first intention, upon arriving,” Luna said, rising to her hooves now. Twilight deactivated her spell and began examining her other friends. “It wasn’t until Gray was able to morph when I fully realized the danger I had set myself in. I knew then, it would require my full effort hold him off as soon as Celestia had quelled the demands of the ponies.”

“I bet she has her hooves full,” Rarity began, helping Twilight with the quick patch ups around the camp.

“As soon as news of the incident over Ponyville spread across Equestria, my sister has had to deal with the constant complaints and demands of our country and beyond.” Luna stretched her wings out, folding them comfortably back into resting position as she continued, “We had originally planned on confronting Gray together, while we left Twilight in our stead over Equestria.”

“You what?!” Twilight shouted, dispelling her magic over Rainbow’s wings.

“Hey! Still sore here!” the pegasus cried.

“Wow, Twilight was going to be princess over all of Equestria!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Had I known, I would’ve made a cake! Then we all could’ve eaten it on your command!”

“I… I don’t know how to run a country,” Twilight breathed rather suddenly. “I’m kind of glad that didn’t happen.”

“I don’t know what caused my sister to deviate from the original plan, but I have a feeling you six had a part in it. I was stunned to see you return, even after having found you in the state you were in previous, Twilight,” Luna said.

“I was reminded of a few things, and some loose ends had to be tied up,” she said, looking over to Rainbow. Rarity had continued the healing in Twilight’s stead for the moment. “I can say that I’m thankful for your intervention as well.”

“I’ll just be holding onto this then, so we don’t lose it,” Pinkie said, lodging the book back into her mane. “Neat-O, now we need-O to leave-O.”

“Yeah, it seems we handled that Gray Umbra just fine. I don’t think there’s anything else to be worrying about,” Applejack cheered. Her hooves began to shake suddenly as the boots around them shattered into glowing shrapnel. “What the hay?!”

“I apologize, Applejack,” Luna said. “It seems the Feather Shoes have lost their durability.”

“It’s not like I needed them anymore anyway, even if they were kinda cool,” she replied.

A low rumble began to stir as the unaware ponies carried out their conversations. The tremor intensified, bringing their attention to the center sculpture of the rotating sunshine-bordered crescent moon. One of the spiked rays grew darker in color, eventually disintegrating into dust as a light breeze blew through.

“What was that?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight gasped, holding her hoof out. Pinkie Pie slid over towards her, cocking her head sideways and rattling it about. The book slid out of her mane and into Twilight’s hooves. She opened the text, skimming through the pages quickly.

“What does it say about dissolving statues?” Applejack gulped.

“Here,” Twilight said, laying the book on the floor. “The structure is built like a cosmic prison, housing the entity of any mass of power for a predetermined amount of time,” she began to read. “Its previous host revealed a mechanism most peculiar to the function of the Harmonolith, that which we have named, the Sundials.”

“Who has named?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Twilight replied, trying to find her place again. “The Sundials are an ancient timer, set automatically whenever a new force is sealed within the Harmonolith’s realm. The durability of the prison is judged upon the rate at which the Sundials decay, ranging anywhere from 10,000 years to 10,000 seconds.”

“Where… Where did you find this book?” Luna interrupted now.

“I found it in the library on a reading table,” Fluttershy answered. “It was sitting there, and the insignia on the cover looked like the structure we saw from the castle.”

“Indeed, this is an ancient relic of which my sister and I have little knowledge of,” Luna revealed. “It was here before ponykind even populated this region of the world. We simply documented our findings of the structure in that book, and hid it in secret after Discord’s invasion of Equestria.”

“You and Princess Celestia wrote this record?” Twilight gasped, losing a little of her breath.

“We wrote what we discovered, but truth be told, there was text pre-dating even our existence when we stumbled across it,” Luna said.

“Do you know what was housed in it before you discovered it?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

“It was from this that my sister and I claimed the Elements of Harmony in their pure form, and crafted them into jewels,” she explained. “We assumed that the Elements were stored in the Harmonolith because the precursor race had no way of keeping it in this world.”

“So then, this thing was built by aliens?” Pinkie asked.

“Alien is a good enough term for it,” Twilight commented. “How were you and the princess able to extract the Elements from it?”

“It was here long before Celestia and I discovered it, most likely revered as a sacred structure before our time,” Luna began.

We stumbled upon it while we were out playing one day… We were just small fillies.

The structure itself was partially buried under the forest, which is why we hadn’t noticed it before. Celestia had hidden behind one of the mirror spires, and she accidentally stumbled upon the center piece when trying to flee from me. That day, we stared into the mirror and watched as six shining lights fluttered about inside, circling the reflection of our bodies. It was our favorite thing, to visit the enchanted mirror and allow the mirror lights to whiz around us.

We thought nothing of it, and presumed it to be a simple enchanted ruin, that is, until many years later. Discord appeared, plaguing our neighboring nations, closing the distance between himself and Equestria every day. At the time of invasion, our father was able to handle the beast alone, but the toll that his chaos took over the nation was too much for it to bear. In the end, the King conceded in order to protect us, and we went into hiding.

For centuries, Discord ruled over Equestria, swatting away every attempt my sister and I made to overthrow him. He refused to destroy us however, in hopes that we would try as often as possible to overpower him, in which we played directly into his claws.

There came an instance where Celestia and I sat down-trodden and defeated. The country had lost hope in us, and we lost hope in ourselves.

It was then that we made note of the Sundials on the crescent moon. In all the years that we had been around the Harmonolith, we never documented the rays spoking out of the center piece. I could starkly recall, however, that while we were young, there was a significant amount more than what we had seen in that exact moment.

We faced the mirror one more time, disgusted at our defeat and saddened by the loss of our nation. The glimmering lights from our childhood circled our reflections once more, though this time they shimmered with a hotter intensity.

We stood stunned as the last Sundial began to vanish, and the mirror began to ripple, releasing six burning beams of color into our world. My sister and I were pushed back, unsure if this new event would unfurl fouly, or perhaps benefit us. What we saw would forever change us then.

As if designed to heal the scars that Discord had inflicted upon the land, the glimmering lights spread across the forest, mending the chaos that the draconequus left in his wake. Whole patches of forest were rejuvenated. Rivers and springs burst with life once more, and the air cleared of Discord’s pungent fog. The floating lights finished their task and came down low, flying over our heads as if they were still in the mirror.

At first, we had no clue what to expect, but the sight of these things healing the land brought a new feeling in our hearts. It was a spark of hope, and a firm belief that we would prevail this time. The lights filled us up with their peace… their harmony… and my sister and I allowed ourselves to be taken by them.

The overwhelming confidence within us brought our minds at ease, and we were awakened to the fact that these lights were in fact more than simple glowing gases. They were the embodiments of harmony themselves, the Elements of Harmony.

In the end, we confronted Discord and used our new powers to transform him into stone. We undid the evil that soaked our lands and restored Equestria to its former glory. Certain that the elements couldn’t exist outside of their dimension for long, but wanting to keep their power, Celestia and I forged six unique jewels and enchanted them with a powerful spell. We sealed the power of the Elements of Harmony within them, and placed them away for safe keeping.

“Studies were conducted by my sister and I in order to discover more about the origins of the elements and the nature of the Harmonolith, but the great divide between our subjects began to prod its way into our lives,” Luna explained. “Celestia and I grew more distant with every passing year, ignoring the Harmonolith and focusing on quelling the disputes between the disgruntled ponies until…” She choked a little.

Twilight nodded, giving Luna the chance to continue.

“Well, the structure was hidden from plain view shortly after the banishment of Nightmare Moon,” she finished. “I doubt Celestia had the motivation to resume its research then.”

“Nightmare Moon, wait a minute,” Twilight murmured, her voice shaking. “Didn’t Gray extract the essence of Nightmare Moon away from you?”

Luna gasped, rising to her hooves. She stood there, waiting and listening, feeling for something in the air. The other ponies watched as she began to move her head, a small smile beginning to form over her face.

“I don’t believe it,” she began, breathing a little quickly. “She’s gone. I don’t… I don’t feel the Nightmare’s presence!”

“That’s a good thing?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Gray Umbra actually did a good thing?”

“For now,” Twilight answered. “Gray also mentioned that it could be anywhere. He didn’t have enough time to absorb its power.”

An eerie hissing noise grabbed the attention of the party again. They all looked over to the mirror, watching silently as another Sundial began to disintegrate.

“That was two in less time than I would’ve liked,” Twilight said, swallowing the fear in her throat.

“So, I take it he’s not done yet,” Rarity said, observing the Harmonolith herself. “All we’ve manage to do is buy some time.”

“Then we must use it wisely,” Luna commanded, motioning with her wings. Twilight and her friends trotted over to her and waited underwing. “Celestia must be informed of our progress, and we must figure out a way to extract Discord’s magic from Gray’s body.”

“We can’t do that,” Twilight said quickly, halting Luna from performing any magic.

“And why is that?” Luna inquired, raising a brow.

“Gray said himself that the only reason he can’t outright destroy the world is because of Discord’s influence within him. If we remove Discord, we could doom the planet further.”

“B-but what happens if you defeat Gray Umbra without saving Discord?” Fluttershy piped in. Twilight turned to her friend and blinked. She wanted to say something positive, but all she could muster out was a soft sigh.

“This complicates matters,” Luna admitted, biting her lip. “Regardless, we must see my sister immediately. Stay close, my subjects. We will persist through this if it’s the last thing we do.”

“Hopefully it ain’t,” Applejack remarked with a gulp.

A powerful wind engulfed the ponies within Luna’s wingspan, and began sparkling with life. Magic aura spilled from Luna’s horn as a cool blue haze surrounded the party, shrouding them in a starry mist. The lunar princess’s eyes glowed a powerful white, and in the next moment, a bright flash of light replaced the seven bodies standing in a battle-scarred wasteland.

The empty landscape morphed into all manner of color, transforming from a dead forest into an overcrowded throne room. The inhabitants of the room shrieked and called out in surprise as they were greeted with the faces of seven confused ponies. A brief silence held between both parties was disturbed as one clamor rose another and one’s cries turned into cheers. Eventually, Luna and the other ponies were swarmed by the congregation in the room, ponies and non-ponies pushing and shoving, shouting and crying to vie for their attention.

“BE STILL!” came a powerful voice from the back of the room. The sea of civilians parted, revealing Celestia, standing on the edge of the stairs leading to her throne. She was breathing hard, and her eyes twisted in concern. Without thinking, she began to gallop, full speed across the room and into the neck of her smaller sibling.

“Sister,” Luna sighed, returning the embrace.

“I’m glad to see you back in one piece,” Celestia said.

“Only thanks to these ponies, dear sister,” Luna replied, letting go. Celestia cast her gaze upon the six Ponyville residents behind Luna. She smiled and trotted over to Twilight, touching the bridge of her snout to her student’s.

“Princess,” Twilight began, but was cut off as Celestia’s wings covered her body.

“You all are fine, and here I was beginning to worry,” she said. Twilight stood still, just staring off at the mix of bodies in the room. Celestia removed her hug and turned to the crowd, a radiant smile spread wide across her face. As if her very face were the sun itself, the room brightened and the air became hot, filling everypony with a powerful warmth. Her wings broadened until they were at full mass, and her mane flowed powerfully in the vibrant sunlight that streamed through the stained-glass windows.

“As I have told you, the matter has been dealt with!”

“Wait—”

“The ponies you see before you are the very reason that the world has not succumbed to the—”

“Princess Celestia, wait!” Twilight shouted. Celestia held her announcement and peered at the smaller alicorn with wide eyes.

“What is it, Twilight?”

“We… we stopped Gray Umbra, yes, but we have not defeated him yet.” The crowd in the room began to stir with commotion once more, this time with hushed words. Everypony shifted nervously and shook their heads. Some let out grunts of disapproval, and yet others murmured prayers.

“What do you mean? How could you have quelled his thirst for destruction?” Celestia wondered, lowering her wings and stance.

“Perhaps… It would be better discussing this matter privately,” Luna suggested, her eyes shifting to and from every individual in the room.

“So be it,” Celestia said, nodding at one of the guards in the room. Immediately, they began escorting the diplomats and upper-crusts out of the chamber. There arose an uproar from the crowd as they were being pushed out, demanding to know and cursing Celestia, as well as her ‘team’ for their incompetence.

She ignored their shouts, instead fully concentrated on both her sister and apprentice. After the room had been evacuated, the guards themselves left, leaving a chilling silence to now press against the remaining ponies in the room.

“There is much to be discussed, sister,” Luna began, leading them all towards the back of the room.

***

“I cannot help but feel that this whole situation is a grim reminder of our mortality,” Celestia said, musing over her new thoughts.

“But, ain’t y’all… Well, haven’t y’all lived a lot longer than normal ponies?” Applejack asked.

“Perhaps, but that does not mean we are not subject to the decay of time,” Celestia replied.

She rose from her seat and trotted over to a window, looking at the stained-glass presentation within its frames. It held the form of two ponies, circling a crescent moon and shining sun, a finely crafted depiction of Equestria in its background. “How long do we have until the seal is completely broken?”

“I am unsure,” Luna said. “However, two Sundials vanished within a short period of time between each other. I say, not enough is a fair estimate.”

“And, what about Discord?” Pinkie Pie asked. “We really can’t leave him trapped in Gray Umbra’s body.

“However tempting it may be,” Rarity added. Fluttershy directed her head towards the floor. “Oh, I’m sorry, dear… I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, you did, and I don’t think you have to apologize,” Rainbow said.

“Even so,” Celestia interjected, “Discord is now as much a denizen of Equestria as each of us are. Twilight attested to that just a short while ago.”

“Then, we truly are stuck… There’s no way to defeat Gray without destroying Discord in the process, and removing Discord from Gray’s being presents a greater danger to the world,” Luna sighed.

“Perhaps not,” Celestia chimed in after a moment. “Yes, it is true that the removal of Discord presents more of a threat to the world, but keep in mind that Gray will also be significantly weaker.”

“But that doesn’t do us any good if we can’t destroy him after the fact,” Twilight cried. “He’s not just a mindless monster, he’s adjusted his fighting to disrupt our harmony whenever we’ve gotten the edge over him,” Twilight explained. “Even if you, and Luna, and even Discord went against him, he would find a way to split us up.”

“I see,” Celestia mused. She thought to herself a short while and then spoke, “The Harmonlith is a vessel meant to house extreme power. It is there that we must defeat Gray Umbra and there alone. Anywhere else would surely result in the planet being torn apart by the strain of our magic.”

“You plan on doing this, how?” Luna asked.

“Sister, you explained to me that the Nightmare has left you, correct?” Celestia smiled at Luna.

“What does that have to do with—?” Luna gasped mid-sentence, and she returned the smile. “Of course… I understand now.”

“What? What is happening right now?” Twilight asked, moving her head between both princesses.

“Twilight Sparkle, I have a task for you and your friends,” Celestia said, turning to her. “You have done well in your efforts against Gray Umbra, and I applaud you for your bravery. However, you have played your part, and now my sister and I must intervene.” Luna gave Celestia a nod.

“Hold on a minute,” Rainbow Dash shouted, leaping in the air. “What are we supposed to do while you two fight Gray?”

“We are resuming our original plan,” Celestia began, trotting over to her throne. “Our intention was to safely evacuate the towns within distance of Gray’s influence, and then Twilight, and you all, would retreat while Luna, Discord, and I dealt with the monster.”

She stopped in front of her royal seat and used her muzzle to push in a shimmering red jewel atop the chair. Luna followed suit, mimicking her sister’s action. The platform that held their thrones began to part, and a small pedestal rose from the ground. Resting on this surface was a glass case, and within the case rested an aged book with yellowed pages.

“More books!” Pinkie exclaimed, eyeing this one carefully as Celestia removed it from its case.

“Of course,” Celestia resumed, “our plan has to be altered to account for Discord’s absence. This is the modified version.”

“Is there some kind of spell you’re going to use to extract Discord?” Twilight asked, studying the old thing. It was in glyphs she couldn’t make out, and far older than anything she’d even seen from any library.

“No,” Celestia said, opening to a crinkled page. The paper seemed to cry out in pain even with her delicate magic touch. “This spell will allow Luna and I to share the same body, and to share each other’s magic.”

“Whoa nelly,” Applejack gasped. “So, will y'all be like… double princesses or something?”

“We’ll have enough power to save Discord, and defeat Gray Umbra. In the meantime, You six will serve as a contingency plan, as well as our placeholders as leaders of Equestria,” Celestia explained.

“Twilight Sparkle, we need you to keep the spirit of hope and the magic of unity alive in Equestria. The only thing that can counter Gray’s immense evil, is our unified harmony,” Luna stated.

“R-run the… In charge… K-k-keep the peace?” Twilight began hyperventilating.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Celestia said, placing a wing over her. “I wouldn’t have asked you if I doubted your abilities. Not to mention, you’ll share this task with your friends, and I’m certain they believe in you as much as I do.”

“You got that right,” this new voice echoed from across the hall. The mares in the room turned around to stare at the stallion before them. “If anything, I’d say she’s overqualified,” he said, chuckling afterwards. The white stallion, garbed in vibrant gleaming armor stood there, a smirk of etched across his face and a hoof raised to his blue mane.

“Shining?” Twilight cried, stumbling forward as she began charging towards him.

“Reporting for duty Prin—”

“I’m so happy to see you!” Twilight shouted, jumping at the last second onto his neck. He hugged her back.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he replied. “I wish I could’ve come sooner, but I was busy preparing defenses in the Crystal Empire. The whole world is ready to defend itself from this terror.” They hugged again, this time Twilight having to squirm out of his grasp.

“Shining Armor, thank you for your assistance. Canterlot is glad to have you back in her force,” Celestia said with a bow.

“The pleasure is mine, Princess Celestia,” he bowed back. “The former Captain of the Guard couldn’t leave his home undefended in its time of need.” He looked at Twilight. “I hear you’ll be calling the shots while the princesses are busy handling the problem,” he said.

“So it seems,” Twilight replied, the butterflies flitting around in her stomach again.

“Then I’ve got nothing to worry about, and neither does Equestria.” He saluted her and bowed.

“Twilight,” Celestia called from the opposite end of the room. “We cannot dawdle any longer. I must inform you of the contingency plan, should it be necessary, and the secondary reason for you to maintain order in our absence.”

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight called, turning around to return to the meeting, but doubling back to give another hug to her brother. She hurried over to the group once more and nodded.

“Harmony is essential, not only because it keeps us together, but because we need it for your Harmonia spell. That is why, should the need arise, I will do my best to signal you in advance and lead Gray Umbra into a secluded area. There, you will strike him down should I fail to do so before the seal breaks.”

“Are we understood? This is our final push against Gray Umbra’s assault, we cannot let up for even a moment,” Luna spoke. “The fate of the world rests in all of our hooves, princess or not, pony, or otherwise.”

“Understood,” Twilight said, controlling her breathing and halting her fidgeting.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other and then towards the ancient page from the old book. They relaxed their bodies and began manifesting their magic in their horns. After a moment of silence, they began to read from the book simultaneously. Their voices boomed around the chamber, echoing off of the walls and shaking the foundations of the castle.

Powerful sparks of energy emitted from their bodies and a blinding light enveloped both of their forms. Twilight and her friends backed away, standing at the foot of the stairs as they watched a swirl of color circle the two princesses. Very subtly could they make out their forms.

Their voices stopped, and the book shut, but the lights and colors intensified. In perfect unison, both alicorns raised their wings and reared back on their hind legs. The turned to face each other, their manes flowing as wildly as the winds and aura that whipped against their celestial figures. A powerful shout from both of their lungs reverberated throughout the whole room as they brought their bodies down, their hooves touching the floor and their horns colliding in a perfect “X”.

An explosion shook the entire castle, alerting the guards and citizens outside of the premises. The royal bodies still within the castle walls shouted in mixed cries of fear and confusion, pouring out in a hurried horde. The light show did not end, however, and the power both alicorns gave off only seemed to increase. Twilight and the rest of the ponies in the room shielded their faces as a second flash engulfed the hall, coupled with a powerful wave of magic.

“Wh-what’s going on?! Why is there so much wind and light?” Rarity shrieked.

“The power of both princesses combined,” Twilight shouted. “It’s incredible! I can’t believe such a thing exists!”

Finally, the room began to fade back into existence. The gusts died down, and the noises ceased, but the aura flowing into the room remained as spirited as the body it rolled off of.

“Pr-princess…” Twilight stood, mouth agape and eyes wide.

“Yes, Princess Sparkle?” a powerful voice echoed throughout the room.

Standing before the party of ponies below was the tall form of a four-winged alicorn. Her coat divided into two colors, one an alabaster white, and the second a midnight-blue. Her wings burst open, boasting glistening white primary feathers and powerfully bold, secondary blue plumes.

Her mane flowed like ethereal starlight, a wonderfully crafted constellation of galaxies and stars within a technicolor universe. Garbed over her chest was a glistening yoke, adorned with aged glyphs, and in the center, a crescent moon within a bright sun. The alicorn’s eyes opened, her gaze sending a powerful feeling throughout the chamber. Determination, confidence, power; all those qualities and more exuded from her mighty stare.

“You are… confused as to what to make of this, yes?” she spoke, her very voice nearly bringing down the supports in the hall. Twilight merely nodded. The new alicorn looked down and examined her own body, and then back at the gawking ponies. “A name is not important, to be honest… but if thou shouldst require one…” She looked up for a moment and smiled.

“That… is…. wicked cool!” Rainbow Dash shouted giddily.

“She’s gorgeous,” Rarity exclaimed.

“Eirene,” the alicorn said.

“Princess—”

“Not Princess, just Eirene,” she asserted, folding her wings. “Now, my little ponies. We have work to do.”

1. Homeward Bound

“Diplomacy still doesn’t seem to be your forte, my dear,” Princess Celestia pensively stated to the smaller, lavender-hued alicorn trotting next to her. Twilight Sparkle was still mulling over the words that the departing diplomats had shared with each other out on the floor. She didn’t think that her comment was too out of place. After all, it only made sense to give a Saddle Arabian their fair share of griffon quills for an equal amount of gems—although she could have worded ‘cocky griffon’ a little differently.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” Twilight finally replied after realizing Celestia had been speaking to her. “I just couldn’t stand their awful bickering anymore. I wasn’t thinking when I opened my mouth.”

“I think there was more to it than that,” Celestia replied, straightening Twilight’s crown. Twilight’s wings flustered at the gesture, and she red-facedly folded her wings back into place.

“Argh! Stupid things. Still not used to them,” she muttered lowly. Her small outburst warranted a laugh from the solar princess, and the two continued to trot down one of the many regal halls in Canterlot’s royal castle.

“I would like to add to your earlier comment, Princess Sparkle,” Celestia said then as they rounded a corner and headed into a larger hall.

“Yes, go ahead, Princess,” Twilight said, a little hesitant to hear what her superior had to say about her already fluked statement.

“I know you told me that thought was absent from your mind when you spoke, but that usually implies that it was focused on something else. So, I ask, what troubles you, Twilight?”

Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at Celestia’s intuitiveness. Even after the many years of being her pupil, Celestia’s perception never failed to surprise her every now and then.

“I’m not entirely sure, Princess Celestia. It’s just that, I have this empty feeling inside of me sometimes.” Twilight diverted her path away from the velvet carpet and looked out of one of the windows in the current hall. Her eyes grazed Canterlot swiftly, but then fell upon the distant buildings of a very familiar place. “I wonder if it has anything to do with Ponyville,” she said, moving away from the window.

“I see. You are homesick?” Celestia inquired.

“How can I be homesick? Canterlot was where I was raised. Besides, I couldn’t remain there and keep my duties as a princess of Equestria. You knew that I needed to move back in order to learn all that there was to being a princess,” Twilight explained. Celestia did not respond this time. Instead, she smiled warmly and continued walking.

“The duties of being a princess go beyond royal summits and financial stability of one’s nation, my little pony,” Celestia said. She motioned Twilight into the small study they had regularly occupied in the evening.

“Well, what more is there than just making sure my subjects are happy?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight!” Spike’s voice cried out suddenly. The baby dragon jumped onto his friend’s back and hugged her neck. “Aw man, I’d thought you’d never get out of that meeting. I got bored listening to Owlicious’s rendition of MareBeth.”

“Well then, I’ll leave you to your own purposes, Princess Sparkle,” Celestia said and turned away.

“Wait, Princess!” Twilight called out, knocking Spike down. “Is that it? That’s all we’re doing today?”

“We sat through a whole diplomatic meeting, and you and I discussed about the next Grand Galloping Gala earlier today along side Luna. I think we’ve done enough for one day, Princess,” Celestia replied. The smaller alicorn blushed, nodding slightly at her mentor. Celestia smiled back, shutting the door as she trotted away.

“So, what now?” Spike asked, awaiting a command from his princess. Twilight chuckled and motioned him over to a large bookcase. Her horn lit up as she pulled a book down from one of the higher shelves, and opened it to an unmarked page.

“Alright then, you’re going to help me master this spell today,” Twilight explained. Spike enthusiastically pumped his fist into the air and ran off to collect the necessary materials.

She lowered the book and her head tilted slightly over her shoulder. Her eyes once again peered through the window and fell upon the lush green of Equestria’s landscape. Although distant, she could make out the small twirling of a windmill in the town of Ponyville. The small cottages lined in perfect duck rows along the town center flashed through her mind. As her mind settled upon the place that was once her home, she felt again that small tingle of uneasiness.

“Hey, Twilight, are you okay?” Spike said, snapping her out of her daze. She looked over to her assistant, who was standing there with his arms full.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered. “Just a little tired is all.”

*****

"More quills, Princess Twilight?" the shopkeeper asked. She examined her collection of writing utensils and shook her head.

"No, I think that will be all. Thank you, Fervor," Twilight said, trotting out of the shop. Her hooves met with the busy Canterlot road that wound down south-east from the castle. As she trotted down the road, she caught the glances of several passerby ponies who bade her good morning, or bowed in her presence. Even more, however, barely managed a cheerful nod.

"Good evening," Twilight called out to a couple walking by. They smiled out of respect and continued on their way. She stopped then and felt a little offended that they didn't even address her, let alone bow. "I know I'm not Celestia, but I am a princess now. A little more respect would be nice," she uttered under her breath.

As she looked around, it appeared that she just blended in with the crowd. There were a few who acknowledged her as Princess Sparkle, but not as much as she would have liked. Her coronation obviously yielded much better results, why was today any different? Suddenly, Twilight felt ashamed. She was asking for glory and honor where it didn’t belong, and coveting the role that Celestia had already given to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Princess Sparkle," a gruff voice said. She had managed to run into a guard patrol in the midst of her thoughts.

"No, I'm sorry, I should be watching where I'm going," Twilight said, allowing the guards to pass. She stopped then, and waited until they had gone a fair distance away. She darted into a small alleyway and activated her horn, augmenting her hearing in both of her ears. She felt out the presence of the two guards once more, and after a little fishing, caught the conversation between the stallions.

"It's still a little weird calling her Princess," one of the guards commented.

"I still can't believe it. Truth be told, I don't see why she is a princess though," the other guard stated, much to Twilight's dismay.

"I heard it had something to do with a spell," the other unicorn replied back.

"A spell? Celestia can create spells out of her rear, why does that make Twilight any more special?"

"Beats me. I just know she's now a princess in two realms. Shining Armor's sister, and newly proclaimed princess by Celestia herself."

"That sounds a little broken to me," one of the other guards chuckled out. Twilight dropped the spell. She removed herself from her hiding spot and sighed.

Her eyes fell forlornly on Canterlot Castle, moving away from the large spires and rolling onto the burgoisse of the remainder of the city. Her thoughts brooded with different claims and realizations, but she pushed them aside when a strong chill ran down her spine.

"There it is again," Twilight said to herself. Upon returning to her senses, she had noticed that several ponies had stopped to contemplate on her sudden mental absence. She smiled awkwardly and hurried back towards the castle. The words of those two guards found their way back into Twilight's mind, and she wondered if maybe that was the uneasiness she felt during the meeting earlier.

*****

“You cannot sleep tonight, Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight was at first startled by her visitor, but dropped her wings once Princess Luna revealed her form. Twilight sighed and grudgingly folded her wings again, embarrassed at the fact that she still couldn’t control that reaction.

“No, it doesn’t seem that way, Princess Luna,” she replied then, setting her gaze back on the moon. Luna sat down next to her and admired the shining sphere as well. She chuckled slightly and Twilight looked over, wanting to know what exactly was so funny.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that the sight you see before you was once my prison for a thousand years. It’s a shame I lost sight of its beauty all those years ago,” Luna answered.

“But a thousand years ago, ponies weren’t too keen on the night.” Twilight looked at her with sincere eyes while she spoke. “Times have changed, and now it seems ponies everywhere cherish the moment. It’s as if…the night gives them a chance to relax, and for some ponies a chance to party.”

“You would know?” Luna asked rhetorically. Both princesses laughed and enjoyed the small breeze that chose to glide through Canterlot this night. However, Twilight could not enjoy the feeling for long, and she winced a little when that same chill from before seemed to infiltrate the gentle caress of nature’s breath.

“You feel it too,” Luna said gravely, more as affirmation than inquiry. Twilight’s eyes found themselves staring at the stars now. They radiated brightly in the sky, but even their twinkling seemed to falter under some unseen force.

“There is something off about tonight. In fact, I’ve been feeling a little uneasy for a while now, Princess Luna,” Twilight explained, rubbing her foreleg slowly.

“It’s almost as if I’m connected to it somehow,” Luna said simultaneously along with Twilight. They both stared at each other and knew then this was no coincidence.

“I thought maybe it was because I was homesick, of Ponyville, and that I missed my friends,” Twilight confessed. Luna nodded slowly and smiled at the younger alicorn before her.

“Well, I wouldn’t doubt that it has something to do with that. After all, your bond with those ponies is strong. It’s unlike any magic I’ve ever encountered,” Luna praised. “However, my suspicions have been confirmed, and I feel that maybe this is a force that shouldn’t be left alone.”

“Did you see Princess Celestia about this?” Twilight asked. Luna shook her head.

“Like you, I attributed the feeling to a different cause. This is proving to be more so than just simple feeling however.”

“What do you suggest?” Twilight asked.

“I cannot abandon my post Twilight Sparkle. I am Princess of the Night. However, I think you would be suitable to investigate these intuitions of ours,” Luna said. Twilight jumped back a little, startled at Luna’s suggestion.

“W-what? Why me?” Twilight asked.

“As it were, you are the only princess who is not bound to any specific duty. And seeing as how you are under both the wing of my sister and I, I should find it acceptable that you undertake this task.” Luna spoke very absolute, and held a little power in her voice. Twilight looked at the ground after she finished and then back to her other mentor.

“What about Princess Celestia?” she asked.

“My sister will understand, I am sure of it,” Luna said, softening her glare then. She trotted closer to Twilight and smiled reassuringly. “Have faith, Twilight Sparkle. I trust you to do this.”

“I know, Princess,” Twilight began, smiling back. “It’s just that your sessions with me seem a little more hooves-on than one would like,” Twilight said carefully.

“I see no better way to learn,” Luna responded and lifted into the air. “Before you go, I recommend caution. If you haven’t already perceived, this pressure is leaking out a most…. malevolent force.” Luna cast Twilight a concerned look, to which the young alicorn nodded in acknowledgement.

“I will be careful. I’ll be back to let you and Princess Celestia know what I’ve discovered,” Twilight said taking flight as well. She wobbled a bit before stabilizing and catching some wind.

“Are you sure it is so safe for you to fly?” Luna asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t fly the whole way,” Twilight said. “I just want some more practice in. Also, no carriage runs this late in the evening and I’d rather not make a grand appearance to wherever it is I’m headed.”

“Have you not been practicing these past three months?” Luna wondered then. “My flying lessons are not for one to sleep in.”

“I have, just not as much as I’d like,” Twilight said quickly. She performed a few loops in the air and maintained a hovering position to show Luna that she at least had basics down. Luna chuckled lightly and flew off then, bidding Twilight one final good-bye.

“Alright, Twilight, you got this,” she said to herself and began her quest. The night air rushed past her cheeks as she soared through the darkness of the sky. The moon and stars lit her path for her, casting her shadow on the ground, startling a few night creatures. Halfway into her journey, she stopped suddenly and landed on a small rock formation in the middle of a field.

“Darn it, I forgot to tell Spike where I’m headed,” she said. After a few moments, Twilight smiled, and began concentrating her magic. Her horn lit up and enveloped her with a pink cloud. “Spike, this is Twilight. I won’t be there when you wake up, buddy. Princess Luna sent me on a mission and I felt that I had to go. Don’t worry though, I’ll be back soon. Stay out of trouble, okay?” When Twilight had finished her message, she condensed the pink cloud into a small cumulus and blew the spell away.

“He’s going to love that the dream spell works now, I almost forgot to show him,” Twilight giggled and took flight once more.

She began flying southward for some reason, as she had originally when she first departed Canterlot. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but something was drawing her closer and closer to Ponyville. Was that where the malevolent force was coming from? Hardly. But Twilight did not alter her course. It would be good to see her friends again after so long. They had sent letters to each other and visited one another periodically, but to be honest, Twilight couldn’t remember a time when they all hung out after her alicorn ascension.

“Well, I suppose Ponyville is our first stop then,” Twilight said, her body filling with mixed emotions of elated joy and sickening worry. When she could see Ponyville clearly, she vanished in a flash of light.

Author's Note

EDIT: So, I decided to rewrite the chapters of OWA because I felt it could use it. I was reading through and a lot of it didn't feel right with me. I might have potentially ruined an ok story, but I think these modifications were necessary and do not take away from the original writing, which was not as planned out as these chapters will be.

6. Elementa Trifecta I

“Hold on, do you feel that?” Gray Umbra asked, loosening his constriction around Luna’s body. “I believe we have a few new challengers approaching.” He turned his attention to the right, and chuckled to himself after Twilight manifested in front of him, supported by Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Gah! I thought we were fighting an alicorn?!” Rainbow shrieked, gazing upon the massive form of Gray at the moment.

“Why have you returned?” Luna wondered. Gray tightened his wrap again, forcing her to choke on her words.

“I didn’t give you permission to speak,” he hissed, pulling the lunar princess close to his face.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash called out. “Let go of our princess!”

“Rainbow Dash, why on earth would I listen to you?”

“Ya’ll really wanna find that out?” Applejack growled, stomping on the ground.

“Gray Umbra, let go of Princess Luna now, and we’ll settle this like we should have from the start,” Twilight entered. The giant wyrm bellowed in laughter, waving Luna around in front of the small ponies.

“You are so confident in yourself now; you actually believe you can match me? You had difficulty before I inherited Discord’s powers. What makes you believe you can now take on a god?”

“I have some help this time,” she replied, charging her horn with magic.

“If by help you mean the meager ponies standing before me, then you’re definitely a lost cause,” Gray chuckled.

“Let me show you a lost cause!” Rainbow Dash shouted, zooming around the giant creature.

“It’s impossible for me to become dizzy, so try something else.”

“You’re not supposed to get dizzy,” Rainbow replied, Her pace increased until a visible color spectrum began to whip around the wyrm’s body. He followed Rainbow Dash’s movements, but realized too late what she was doing. He began to rise from the floor, lifting off high into the air by the rainbow vortex.

“What?! Set me down!” he cried, squirming about. Rainbow Dash hastened her pace, increasing the power of her vortex to lift Gray completely above the trees. Twilight created a magic springboard in front of her, prompting Applejack to launch herself off of the platform. Twilight fired several magic beams into the air, each falling a moderate distance away from Applejack. The magic burst into shining platforms, each bearing the cutie mark of their caster.

Applejack leapt from platform to platform, charging closer and closer to Gray Umbra. Rainbow Dash let up on her assault, flying away before Gray could counterattack. As he began to fall, Applejack sprung off of the last floating platform and drew her lasso, tossing it at the beast. She wrangled Gray’s tail and swung around him, using her momentum to swing around faster and higher until eventually she became level with his snout.

“What are you doing?!”

“Goin’ buck wild!” Applejack responded, letting go of her rope and landing on his snout. She charged up close to his eyes and spun around, rearing her hind legs back and tightening the tension in her flank. Gray’s eyes widened as Applejack’s hoofs slammed in the center of his pupils.

“GAH! You…!” he cried out, releasing his hold on Princess Luna. Before she hit the ground, a violet aura cased her, levitating her figure over by Twilight, Rainbow Dash flew in, extracting Applejack from the writhing wyrm and landing next to her friend as well.

“Well, that went better than expected,” she said with a smirk.

“You’ve only angered him,” Luna replied.

“You were our primary concern, princess,” Twilight relayed. “We couldn’t begin to fight Gray until we were sure you’d be out of danger.”

“You speak as if you’re sure of victory,” Luna gasped.

“Maybe not so sure,” Applejack replied sheepishly.

“But we have a plan,” Rainbow Dash finished. “I like to call it… Full Spectrum!”

“Really?” Applejack remarked.

“We’ll discuss a name later,” Twilight objected. “It looks like Gray is ready to strike again.”

“Oh, you’d be right about that!” he yelled, baring his fangs at the group. A roar escaped his foul smelling mouth, followed closely after by a swelling wave of black sludge.

“Move!” Twilight commanded, helping Luna into the air. Rainbow Dash lifted Applejack away from the smoking fluid that poured from Gray’s mouth.

“The forest!” Applejack cried, watching as the trees and plants began to wither at an alarming rate.

“The Everfree forest will outlast any evil that befalls it; it has a will of its own,” Luna explained. “Be more concerned with the beast in front of you.”

“What now? We can’t touch the floor unless we want to end up soup!” Rainbow expressed.

“I’ll create a platform,” Twilight concluded.

“No, you’ll expend too much energy,” Luna said. “Give me a moment, I have a spell that will benefit us all.” Luna’s magic amassed in her horn, and she called a flurry of clouds to position themselves under the four ponies.

“Uh, princess… some of us can’t walk on clouds,” said Applejack.

“A quick remedy is in order then,” Luna answered, firing a magic beam at the farm pony’s hooves. Four winged boots strapped themselves over Applejack’s hooves.

“Whoa.”

“Those are awesome,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“You may now walk above the clouds,” Luna explained. “And, for a short while, you will be able to glide through the air.”

“Alright! Now that’s innovation!” Applejack said, jumping out of Rainbow’s hooves. She landed safely on the fluffy white below, and sprang into the air, jumping higher than the others were flying. She came back down and smiled, ready to face the evil monster before them.

“So you avoided my acid pool, big deal,” Gray scoffed, rising above the makeshift platform. “I can still defeat you in the air,” he remarked, lurching his body over.

His form began to shift, bubbling and oozing with strange liquids and odd shapes. His powerfully strained voice filled the area again as his transformation continued. Gray’s size decreased, becoming no bigger than an adult dragon now. His serpent-like body grew ebony feathers and his snout sharpened into a bone-like beak. Gray sprouted two forearms, a set of sharpened talons protruding from the stumps of his newly formed limbs.

His transformation concluded with the growth of two hind legs, bearing lion paws and a razor sharp claws. A lion’s tail also sprouted from his rear, igniting with flame after appearing. The feathers above Gray’s new face combusted as well, burning brightly a hazardous orange and a threatening red.

“Another form,” Twilight murmured.

“So he can transform now?” Rainbow shouted.

“Only because of Discord’s influence,” Luna replied. “He has a mastery over chaos… He’s a master of himself.”

“I believe this is called a griffon?” Gray cackled. “Light and powerful… I like it.” He flapped his wings together and in one beat rose above the ponies on the clouds. He came down hard on the new battlefield, grinning.

“That’s bigger than any griffon I’ve ever seen,” Applejack said, gulping.

“I’m still getting used to it as well,” Gray replied. He reared his head back and roared into the sky, breathing flames as he brought it back down and over the four ponies in front of him. He lifted into the air and whipped past the group, banking back around and extending his talons out at the party.

“He’s coming in fast!” Rainbow cried, preparing herself.

“I’ll take him,” Applejack said, bounding past Rainbow Dash.

“Wait,” Twilight shouted, but the other pony was already rushing in.

“Foalish Applejack,” Gray screeched.

“I can handle myself fine!” she replied, jumping up and launching one of her hind legs at Gray. He retracted his talons and brought his arms up in defense, blocking the kick. Applejack remained in the air for a short period, but Gray used this opportunity to shove her away by sweeping his arms back out. Applejack landed past the party, sliding on the cloud before coming to a full stop.

“That was awfully rash, even for me,” Rainbow Dash scolded.

“Heh, sorry,” Applejack replied. “I just wanted to try my new boots out, and I figured I could’ve gotten in at least one hit.”

“Well, you did,” Twilight spoke. “But it didn’t do anything.” Gray took off, repeating the same motion as before.

“He’s going to be swifter in that form,” Luna informed. “You ponies will have to find a way to work around his speed.”

“Or just match it,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Now don’t do what Applejack just did,” Twilight warned.

“I won’t, egghead, relax,” she chuckled. “Give me something that’ll do some damage, and I’ll see if I can’t land a few well-placed hits.”

“Quick, hold out your wings,” Twilight instructed. Rainbow complied, flaring her wings to their full span. Twilight concentrated her magic over her friend’s wings, encasing them in a transparent veil.

“What is that?”

“A new spell,” Twilight exhaled, wiping some sweat from her brow. “I don’t know how long it’ll last, but it might give you an edge.”

“Heh, no kidding,” Rainbow added, flexing her wings. The coat sharpened at will, displaying blade-like qualities now. “Alright, I’m going to show this overgrown chicken why he can’t cut it in this world!” Rainbow bolted off, spreading her wings out and sharpening the magic blades over her feathers.

“Your turn,” Gray chuckled, holding out his talons again. Compared to his mountainous size, Rainbow sped at him like a small stone. Regardless, she refused to let up, clashing with Gray’s talons in the next second. She tumbled a bit, but stabilized her flight and swooped in for another assault. Gray could not alter his course quick enough, and was struck by Rainbow’s latest attack.

“She did it!” Applejack cheered, jumping for joy. Gray swiftly avoided another assault, but was struck from behind by the follow up strike.

“His size is too much of a problem,” Twilight made note of. “He may be faster and more dangerous, but all we have to do is keep at a swifter pace.”

“I am impressed,” Luna complimented. “You have begun to take control, like a true princess.”

“I’m far from there, Princess Luna,” Twilight replied. “Right now, I’m just a concerned citizen, trying to help her country.”

“We all are,” Applejack added.

Gray swiped furiously at the incessant pegasus that circled around him. Rainbow was able to get in one final slash before the shield over her wings shattered.

“Whoops,” she cried.

“Now that that is out of the way, I can destroy you!” Gray launched three large fireballs at his opponent.

“I don’t need swords to bust you up,” Rainbow shot back, avoiding each inferno with ease. She flew in close to Gray and whipped her body around, moving in for a hard buck against his beak.

“Tch,” Gray scoffed, smacking the small pony away at the last second. Rainbow yelled all the way to the treetop she crashed into.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried.

“Twi, cover me,” Applejack requested. “I’m going to go get her!” She bounded across the clouds, making her way towards the downed pony. Gray caught sight of her and dove in fast.

“No you don’t,” Twilight muttered, firing burning magic blasts at him. He was struck by a few of the attacks, and directed his attention to the two princesses standing by.

“Annoying pests,” Gray screeched, speeding towards his new targets.

“Princess,” Twilight called to Luna. “Help me form a barrier.” Luna complied, standing next to Twilight and igniting her horn. Twilight did the same, and both princess erected a large magical shield. Gray crashed into the barrier, suffering from a surge of electrical energy soon after.

“You…” Gray strained to say, twitching involuntarily from the shock. “I’ll destroy you all!” He inhaled deeply, releasing a solid wave of fire from his mouth. The flames ate at the shield, disintegrating the barrier inch by inch.

“Twilight, what now?” Luna asked, struggling to keep the shield up.

“Just hold on,” Twilight groaned. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack will be here shortly!” Both alicorns dug their hooves into the cloud, trying to remain in place as Gray’s breath powered against them.

“Come on, we gotta go!” Applejack shouted to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow hung woozily on a tree branch, moaning something to herself.

“He’s tough,” she finally said, pulling herself together.

“Yeah, we won’t be able to win this fight unless we work together,” Applejack said.

“All of us together,” Rainbow stressed. “The way it is right now, we’re only half of a team.”

“Now ain’t the time to be thinking down, Rainbow,” Applejack said.

“I’m not thinking down, I’m just thinking,” she replied. “I don’t want us to break apart. I don’t want to be uncertain about our friendship.”

“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”

“It must have been Gray’s attack… knocked a few screws loose…” She shook her head and looked up to the cloud platform. “Twilight apologized to me, but I’m not sure if I was ready to accept it.”

“RD, don’t you remember? Twi said you don’t have to accept her apology until you’re ready. But what’s stopping you?”

“I guess… I guess it’s my fear of doing the same thing,” Rainbow admitted. “If I was to ever join the Wonderbolts, would I have to devote my life to them versus you guys? I didn’t want to think of the choice. And how about when we get older? What will we do when-?”

“Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t get upset or mad if ya’ll decided to stay with what your calling was,” Applejack said.

“Even if it separated us? Kept us apart and tore a rift in our friendship?”

“RD, where are you right now?” Applejack hardened her glare.

“What? I’m… I’m in a tree I guess?”

“You’re sittin’ here with me fighting a monster for the safety of our friends and family,” Applejack began. “How long did it take ya to rally back with Twi and face this beast?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“It don’t matter what the distance is, or how far it is,” Applejack said, picking her friend up. “Know that anyone of us will go the distance, because we’re friends. After all, if ya really didn’t forgive Twilight, would you be here, knocked silly into a tree by a giant fire-breathing griffon?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Rainbow replied.

“Twilight is counting on us now, and I’m sure as hay not about to let her down by thinking such stupid things. You’re the most loyal of us all, Rainbow Dash.”

“What?”

“You stuck by Twilight, even when she admitted her wrong, and helped us with Gray, despite it seeming like her responsibility alone. Keep that quality up, otherwise, what you fear the most will come true.” Rainbow Dash watched as Twilight and Luna struggled against the powerful flames cascading out of Gray’s beak. She lifted Applejack into the air and smiled at the farm pony.

“Let’s show this guy who he’s messing with,” she resolved.

“You mean the best darn team in all of Equestria?”

“Exactly!”

“Where are those girls?!” Twilight groaned, pushing against Gray’s attack. Her and Luna’s shield began to splinter along the edges.

“I can’t hold this much longer,” Luna said, peering at Twilight. The younger princess looked past Gray and noticed two speeding figures heading in their direction. Her face lit up immediately filling her with a sudden wave of confidence.

“Drop the spell,” Twilight called to Luna.

“Are you mad?!” the lunar princess replied.

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing!” Luna hesitantly agreed, Twilight following suit soon after. The barrier shattered instantly, allowing the flames to spread all around the duo. Twilight teleported herself and Luna out of harm’s way, and directed Gray’s attention to the opposite end of the clouds.

“I see, trying to make me waste my magic? You could’ve teleported from the start,” Gray chuckled. “It won’t matter though, as my pool of chaos is infinite!”

“Luna, lend me some of your magic,” Twilight requested.

“W-what? Some of my magic?”

“Just do it, I promise I’ll give it back.”

“That’s absurd, Twilight. What kind of spell-?”

“Only one I can perform,” she finished, looking Luna in the eyes. “Please, princess.”

“Very well then,” Luna replied. “Whatever you are planning, it must be grand.”

“Assuming it works…” she chuckled.

“Behold, unlimited power!” Gray shouted, opening his mouth for another fireball.

“Now, toss me!” a voice cried from the side. Gray jerked his head around, only for it to swing back in the opposite direction from the force of Applejack’s kick. Rainbow Dash sped up, chaining Applejack’s assault with a furious hoof plant of her own.

Gray’s body jolted around from the successive hits, allowing time for Twilight to summon a large glyph above the griffon. She brought the spell down over him and positioned it around his torso, tightening the seal around his body then.

“I hold the fate of the world in my hooves, de pilo pendet. Grant me the power to vanquish her foes; Tempest!” Twilight cast, her voice resonating with almost as much authority as a Canterlotian one. The glyph surrounding Gray Umbra rotated fiercely, giving off a powerful electrical storm as it circled his body.

“Weather manipulation?” Luna gasped. “What have you been studying on your own time?”

“I’m the Element of Magic, princess,” Twilight replied. “It just comes naturally, especially when I know I have the faith of others believing in me.” She turned her direction towards Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who had landed not too far away.

Gray Umbra broke out of the binding spell Twilight cast, growling ferociously at his enemies.

“How,” he asked, flames lining his beak. “How do you have so much power now?!”

“She’s got us to back her up,” Rainbow Dash shouted, flying next to Twilight. Applejack followed shortly after, with Princess Luna standing close behind.

“Grr… the unity you ponies share… I can’t believe it weakens me to such an extent,” Gray spat. He strained against his body once again, transforming into a smaller figure, just inches above Luna’s stature. His familiar muzzle and gray sheen replaced the monstrous appearance of the large griffon. “I’ve wasted enough magic with my transformations,” he said.

“So you think turning back into an alicorn will help?” Twilight asked.

“Maybe, maybe not,” he said, smiling. “But, I must admit… out of all of the forms I’ve assumed today, I like the alicorn best.”

“You’d give anything you turn into a bad name,” Luna snapped.

“True,” he replied, finishing the morph. “But imagine the irony in this, the extermination of the pony race by one of its own kind.”

“You’re not a pony,” Applejack brayed.

“Yeah, you’re not even a being, you’re just a mess with a conscious!” Rainbow added.

“Hmm… that hurt my feelings,” he said, moving a strand of hair out of his face. “Allow me to show you how you’ve injured me.” Gray glided over the clouds and into the party, forcing them to separate in different directions.

“Watch out girls!” Twilight called.

“Together, you are mighty,” Gray noted. “But apart, you fare no chance!” He brought his head up high, causing three orbs of the poison on the ground to shoot through the clouds. The balls orbited their master, awaiting an order. Gray launched the first one at Applejack, then sent one at Rainbow Dash. Finally, he fired his third sphere at Twilight.

“We can handle this!” Applejack shouted, jumping into the air.

“Is that the best you can do now?” Rainbow mocked, dodging the ball as well.

“Don’t let it touch you!” Twilight warned, flying out of the way.

“HA! Foals!” Gray chortled. Luna cried out in pain as the orb that passed Twilight clung onto her coat.

“Oh no! I didn’t know you were behind me!” Twilight cried, reaching out for Luna. Gray shoved her away with his telekinesis, and commanded the other two blobs to assault the lunar princess.

“Watch as your precious princess becomes a part of perfection,” Gray boasted, laughing as the poison completely encased Luna.

“We have to get her out of there, I think Gray’s trying to absorb her like he did with Discord!” Twilight shouted to her friends.

“Leave it to me,” Rainbow said, zooming up to the evil alicorn.

Gray ducked under her charge and smacked the mare away with his wings. Applejack charged in now, pulling out her lasso like before and wrapping up Gray’s legs. He untied the knot and tugged on the rope, pulling Applejack towards him. When she came up close, he reared his flank around and bucked her off in a different direction.

“Girls, keep together!” Twilight called, firing several magic beams at him. He dodged each one and fired a blast in front of Twilight, separating the cloud underneath her hooves and causing her to fall through. She caught herself in time, but when she had re-emerged onto the battlefield, Gray was standing above her, grinning wide.

“I really do like alicorns,” he said, stamping over her head. She ducked back down, just barely avoiding the slam. Gray appeared on the underside as well, startling Twilight. He took advantage of the opportunity, using his magic to conjure a binding spell as well. “Unlike most creatures in this land, they’re the most original.” He tossed her through the cloud, and she landed on her side, bound in place. Applejack and Rainbow Dash struggled in similar binds.

“We had you figured out!” Twilight yelled. “Just because you turned back into an alicorn, you got more powerful?”

“By all means no,” Gray chuckled. “I’ve just been in this form the longest, so it’s easier to handle myself in.”

“Twilight!” Applejack shouted, but was silenced by Gray’s magic. Rainbow Dash suffered the same handicap.

“It was easier than you think,” he explained to the squirming princess. “All I had to do was get you to separate… just get you to think for yourself, just once!”

“So we dodged your frontal assault in different directions, that doesn’t mean we were disunified!” she shouted back.

“On the contrary,” Gray sneered. “The moment you dove out of the way, you were thinking of yourself. However small it was, there was enough of a window for me to widen that disunity. I once again kept you all thinking about your own safety by sending exactly three dangers at you. Once your communication was severed, you each tried to land an assault, but by then, I was in the right position, easily knocking you all flat on your flanks.”

“You’ll just destroy us?”

“I wish,” he sighed. “Your Discord is more resourceful than I thought, keeping me from fully utilizing chaos.”

“What?” Twilight shuddered at his statement. That would mean… he’s been holding back all this time?

“I’ve been holding back, though not voluntarily. However, I’ve found another way to meet my goal without having to fulfill the God of Chaos’ need for fun,” Gray revealed. “Nightmare Moon should allow me to override Discord’s child-like nature.”

“N-nightmare Moon?!”

“Of course, that would mean I would need to rid myself of Discord… A servant can’t please two masters, but what the hay? If he couldn’t stop me before I absorbed him, what makes me think that he can after I’ve consumed Luna?”

“You will not touch Luna!” Twilight shouted. Gray chuckled, kicking her over to the other two captive ponies.

“I’ll touch her all I want!” he cackled, jabbing his forehoof into the swirling sphere of liquid that held the princess. “Actually, it’s only Nightmare Moon’s essence I want, so after I’ve taken it, I’ll get rid of Luna thereafter.”

“You won’t succeed!”

“Oh, come now, you’re spouting generic banter now! Do you want me to follow up?”

“Gray Umbra!”

“Well, considering this will be my final moment hosting Discord’s personality, I suppose I can entertain you,” he said, visually thinking for a comeback line. The gooey sludge began to creep up his forehoof, consuming his body now, save his contemplative head. Luna’s form resurfaced, weak and battered. Her mane had lost its zeal, and she appeared more fragile than before. Gray quickly tossed the weakened princess to the side, allowing her to fall in front of the group.

“No! Princess Luna!” Twilight cried. “You… you monster!”

“Hold on, I haven’t thought a comeback yet…”

“Why?! Why are you so intent on destroying this world? I understand that you couldn’t exist as a peaceful creature, but wasn’t there another way to satisfy your bloodlust?” Twilight shed a few tears, looking down at her mentor now.

“Tch,” Gray snapped, giving up on his final thought. “You ponies were the ones that denied me my right of existence, getting in the way as I was beginning to release my anger upon this world. There's a reason oppose rhymes with dispose!"

“Then this is the last time we’ll try to reason with you,” she said. “You’re only other option is to be destroyed!”

“And how will you manage that?” Gray asked. Before he could complete his ritual, a powerful tremor shook the earth below. “What?”

Gray parted the clouds, and watched as the poisonous sludge he had excreted began to sink into the earth, drying up the forest. Dead trees began to uproot, and dirt cracked and crumbled under some tremendous force.

“What are you doing?!” Twilight screamed.

“Oddly enough, it’s not me,” he replied, searching for an answer below. He studied the earth carefully, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. One of the fissures in the ground split open now, revealing a marble structure of some sort under the earth. The new structure shot up from the ground, directly under Gray’s position. His current state forbade him from moving, and he was struck by the pillar, breaking the incomplete cocoon around his body.

Immediately, the spell binding the three ponies released, allowing them the chance to escape the now many rising structures. They sought refuge on an undamaged portion of the cloud platform, gaping at the altering landscape around them.

“What’s happening?” Rainbow Dash asked. Four bleached pillars erupted from the earth and tore through the cloud platform that Luna had created. Each tower held a celestial-shaped arc embedded with a pristine reflective mirror.

“Is this another spell?” Applejack asked, looking at Twilight.

“It’s not mine,” she replied. “Or Gray Umbra’s for that matter.”

The four pillars locked in place, towering high above the forest. From the center of the towers, in the clear space below, arose an even larger structure. The stone penetrated the surface of the earth, shooting up faster than the pillars had arose. Tree roots and dirt clogged most of the crevices of the wide stone base, but resting in the middle of the structure was a large center pillar, raised a few feet into the air. Positioned on top of that was the masonry of what seemed like a crescent moon, outlined in solar rays. This piece held an unusually clean mirror in its center as well.

“What on earth? I’ve never even seen such a thing, even in my pre-life!” Gray Umbra had returned from wherever he had been knocked away to. The ponies faced him, a wave of concern spreading over their bodies.

“D-does he have Nightmare Moon’s power?” Applejack gulped.

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Twilight said. “He would’ve changed, and besides, Discord isn’t here, so he’s still in there.”

“What happened to Nightmare Moon then?” Rainbow asked, looking around frantically.

“Blast,” Gray snorted. “Now all of that malice is floating about, probably evolving a conscious of its own,” he finished. “Oh well, I guess I can play around for a few more minutes. After all, Discord’s influence just limits me to having some fun before I can blow up the world. What a twisted way to stall for time.”

Gray prepared his horn for a spell, but was stopped by a large blast of white light. The alicorn demon was launched from his current position and sent flying off into the ruined forest below.

“Holy cow,” Applejack gasped. She turned to face one of the mirrors resting on the tower, and noticed it was pivoting about. Pivoting about and smoking.

“Did that thing just attack Gray Umbra?” Rainbow asked.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t attack us,” Twilight whispered, observing the moving mirrors. She let her gaze fall on the princess now, and held out her horn over Luna’s body. “Please be okay,” she murmured, casting a light green aura around the princess.

“Might wanna hold off on that Twi, at least until we’re out of harm’s way,” Applejack said, tapping her shoulder. Twilight looked up from her task and noticed a raging fireball speeding back towards them. The figure stopped in the air, breathing heavily and sustaining heavy damage.

“I’m legitimately upset,” Gray snorted, huffing and puffing, glaring at the stone structure next to him. “There’s… NO WAY I can have ANY fun with this thing firing lasers at me!” Two of the mirrors pivoted in his direction, and he widened his eyes like a mad horse. Dark magic exploded from his body, outlining his form in a cloudy mixture of black flames.

“He’s upset that he got hit?” Rainbow chuckled.

“No, he’s upset that something could injure him so easily,” Twilight corrected. “Back when Discord and I was fighting him, he absorbed Discord out of spite, because he was losing. Now, this monolith is standing in his way of victory.”

“Uh… does that mean he’s going to eat it too?” Applejack asked, folding her ears back.

“I’ll get rid of it first,” Gray Umbra brayed, concentrating the flowing magic to his horn. A large fireball manifested above his head, growing larger and larger with every passing moment. A grin spread across Gray’s face as his spell increased in size, its intense heat and light rivaling that of the sun currently in the sky.

“He’ll destroy the whole world with something that large!” Twilight shouted over the roaring winds the spell was creating.

“Well, that was his plan in the first place,” Rainbow Dash screamed.

“Bigger… Bigger… BIGGER!” Gray chanted, laughing like crazy now. “You think you can stop me? You think you can bring harmony to chaos?! I’m not about to go down so easily!”

“He’s gone mad!” Applejack yelled. “Doesn’t he care that he’s close enough to get himself vaporised if he drops that attack?!”

“Twilight, we gotta do something now!” Rainbow Dash cried.

“I… I don’t know what to do!” she shouted back. “There’s no way I can conjure up a spell in time that would save us!”

“So we’re just going to die here?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Hold on everypony,” Applejack interjected. “Them mirrors are doing somethin’ crazy now!”

All three of them gazed down at the structure. It had positioned its mirrors over towards the center piece, each one firing a magic beam of light at the glass in the center. The center mirror sparked a few times, and started to fade. Twilight’s eyes widened as she watched the mirror completely fade into what appeared to be various constellations and galaxies.

“It’s a portal?” she cried out, feeling the sudden gravitational pull of the monolith. She acted quickly, placing a dense shell over herself and her friends. They all broke through the cloud, and slammed hard down onto the earth.

“Ouch! What the hay Twilight?” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Man… that fall… it hurt so bad I can’t even lift a hoof!”

“Don’t worry, your bones aren’t broken,” she explained. “I’ve placed us in a gravity field. The area is subjected to heavier gravity now.”

“Why in tarnation would ya do that?”

“Because, Applejack,” she replied, “that thing is acting like a powerful siphon. It’s pulling everything into a portal.” Twilight strained to lift her head, but could catch from the current view Gray Umbra resisting the pull of the vortex.

He growled at the stone structure and released his attack. The supernova reached just above the pillars, but began to shrink. Gray’s eyes widened and he fired several more magic beams at the monolith. Each attack remained frozen in place, shrinking in size as it edged closer and closer to the mirror.

“This can’t be happening,” he said. “I am the master of chaos! I can will things and they become! Why can’t I destroy this stupid statue?!” Gray’s fireball disintegrated into small particles and was swallowed up by the vortex. He stared at the portal, mouth gaped open and body trembling. “This is… fear?!”

Gray reeled back as hard as he could, but the power of the portal proved too much. He came too close to the structure, and as effortlessly as plucking a weed from the ground, he was carried inside, his wailing voice filling the vortex for a short while.

Twilight watched as the four mirrors diverted their attention away from the large mirror, resulting in the monolith shaking uncontrollably once more. The portal zipped shut, sealing itself with a sonic boom that shook the entire Everfree Forest. Everypony shut their eyes, awaiting the next catastrophe to take place. Silence filled the area however, and Twilight opened her eyes to find no sight of a menacing alicorn. She lowered her gravity spell and rose to her hooves shakily, tending to the princess now.

“Whoa… what do suppose all that was?” Applejack wondered, staring at the now dormant mirror towers.

“Is Gray… gone?” Rainbow Dash asked, turning her head back and forth.

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied without quitting her task. “All I know is, we can drop our guard, because I don’t feel Gray’s presence anymore… anywhere.”

“Then that has to mean he’s been defeated!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“I just don’t-” Twilight began, but was cut short by a bright light emanating from the center mirror of the large center monolith.

“Oh no, he’s not done yet!” Applejack cried.

“Oh come on, are you serious?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, preparing herself.

“Darn,” Twilight panted. “I don’t have enough energy to heal Luna and fend off Gray.”

“Don’t fret, Twi, that’s why we’re here,” Applejack stated.

“Yeah, we’ve got your back, all the way until the end!” Rainbow Dash resolved.

“Thank you… Thank you, girls,” Twilight replied. “I know that by working together, we can beat him. I have just enough magic for maybe one Harmonia, so I’ll need you two to distract him while I set it up.”

“We aren’t going to wait for Rarity and the others?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Twilight cried, watching as a hoof exited the mirror portal. “Be on your guard, and don’t let him bring you two apart!”

All three of them prepared for the alicorn’s first strike. Twilight closed her eyes and began to feel out the magic in nature. There was very little left. Rainbow Dash and Applejack tensed up as a body emerged through the portal, charging at them with incredible speed.

“Stop right there…! Pinkie Pie?” Applejack shouted, succumbing to her friend’s deadlocked hug.

“Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash yelled, breaking Twilight from her trance.

“Pinkie Pie?” she cried.

“Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie shouted, laughing.

“What? I don’t understand.. how did you?”

“It’s a long story, Twilight,” Rarity said, emerging from the mirror as well. Fluttershy followed, waving politely to the group.

“Aww, it’s not that long,” Pinkie said, waving her hoof at Rarity.

“We discovered something, about the Elements of Harmony, I think,” Fluttershy added.

“What was it?” Twilight asked.

“What is it, you mean. Keep your grammar in the correct tense, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said, pulling an old book from her mane.

“Har-Harmonolith?” Twilight asked, skimming through the book.

“We didn’t really get a chance to look through it,” Rarity said. “Well, except for Pinkie here.”

“Oh my, what’s wrong with Princess Luna?” Fluttershy cried, lifting the princess’s forehoof from the ground.

“Gray Umbra,” Twilight explained. “He tried to take her magic, but was thwarted by the sudden appearance of the… Harmonolith.”

“That would be our doing,” Pinkie said proudly, sticking her muzzle in the air.

“Ya’ll caused that big ol’ rock to break through the ground?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, how exactly did you do that?” Rainbow Dash added. Pinkie Pie shut the mouths of her two partners and cleared her throat.

“Well…”