Twilight's Nightmare

by Dulcet

Rating: everyone
Tags: Princess Luna, Original Character, Comedy, Random, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Zecora, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 16126

Twilight's worst fear had come true. She tries to run away, but a dangerous enemy has returned and now wanted revenge. It's up to Twilight to stop them, but in order to do so, she must face her fears. Can she do it?

*UPDATE: CHAPTER 2 IS FINALLY DONE!*
This story is a sequel to New Musician In Town.

Everything was suppose to turn out perfect. Everything was suppose to go according to plan. However, something happens that may perhaps change Twilight and her friends forever.

A dangerous enemy has return and now they want revenge. It's up to Twilight and their friends to stop them, but in order to do, they must face their worst fears..

Fan Art by ntsevenfour.

Published 2013-11-22 20:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-02-02 19:59:35 UTC

Part II

Part II

Part II: Party Planner

Pacing back and forth on the ground floor of her home, Twilight Sparkle wandered aimlessly in a circle nervously. Spikes looked at her with a troubling look. “Twilight, what’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing Spike. It’s just that I have a huge responsibility in holding a celebration in a few days for the ponies in Ponyville. This, being the first time I’ll be holding an important formal celebration as a princess, I have to make sure everything turns out okay! If things don’t go right, every pony will hate me for ruining an important occasion, my friends will abandon me, ponies will stop believing in me as a princess, I’ll have that day to remember for the rest of my life, and –“

“Twilight, stop! Calm down now. I think you are just overreacting a bit. Don’t worry, this celebration will be fine because you have friends like me who will help you out! I am your faithful assistance, Twilight!” Spike remarked.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight refreshed herself, but still felt the pressure of having all these responsibilities as a princess.

“Thanks Spike.” Twilight said, giving him a friendly hug. “Don’t know what I’d do without you. But I’m still feeling a bit nervous of holding this very, VERY important celebration.”

“Speaking of this celebration, what celebration are you exactly holding?” asked Spike. Twilight giggles and hands out a book about the history of Ponyville to Spike.

“Oh, it's a 100 year anniversary for Ponyville . Okay, Twilight. How should we make the celebration?” Spike inquired.

“Hmmm, we need to make this party the best for all ponies to enjoy. Spike, we’re gonna need some help planning and preparing this. Can you gather all my friends please?” Twilight politely asked.

“You got it!” Spike said, quickly leaving to gather the Mane Five.

The following week later, the party preparations had all been finished. Today was the day where ponies in Ponyville would be celebrating the day their great town had been founded. Every pony seemed excited for the celebration to start, but there stood Twilight, visibly nervous about something, pacing back and forth.

Twilight’s friends noticed Twilight’s strange behavior, concerned what was wrong.

“Twilight, darling. What’s wrong?” Rarity asked.

Twilight was still pacing back and forth, not even hearing her friends trying to ask her something.

“TWILIGHT!” All her friends yelled for her attention.

Twilight shrieked. “AH.” She stared at her friends, trying to remove the concerned look on her face. “Sorry, what did you ponies ask?”

“Look Twilight. It’s pretty easy to tell that there’s something bothering you. What is it?” Rainbow Dash worried.

“Look, I know the decorations look great and all. I-I just hope the Ponyville folks all like it as much as we do and everything turns out okay.. This celebration.. means the world to them!”

“Lighten up Twilight! This party looks great. And who knows party more than I do! I love parties! Parties are fun!” Pinkie Pie chuckled.

Twilight then smiled at her friends, relieving a deep breath of stress. “Thanks. I’m grateful to have you ponies as my bestest of friends.”

The Mane Six then rejoiced in a hug. “We’re grateful too.” Inquired Rarity.

Part III

Part III: A Disturbance in the Force

Princess Celestia gazed out the window in the Canterlot Castle, looking at the clouds glooming above Canterlot. Something didn’t seem right.

“My sister. What concerns you?” Princess Luna questioned.

“Something doesn’t feel right, my sister. I sense a dangerous foe of mine has returned. I can’t quite put my hoof on it, but I sense we are in danger.” Princess Celestia responded.

“A foe of yours? What shall you want us to do?”

“Uhm.. I.. don’t quite kn-“ Suddenly, something was trying to get into the mind of Princess Celestia. “Ah!” Princess Celestia bellowed.

“Princess Celestia, what’s happening!” cried Luna.

An evil force tried to get into the mind of the princess, trying to send out a threat to her and her subjects in Equestria.

I have returned, my princess. Stronger than ever..

“Who is speaking to me?!” Celestia demanded.

You should know. You did banish us from Equestria long ago..

Suddenly, Princess Celestria knew who was trying to talk to her. “You. What do you want?!”

Revenge.. I want the Elements of Harmony.. Nothing will stop me from achieving my goal..

Princess Celestia grunted and tried to fight it. “YOU won’t get away with this. I WILL.. stop you!” The evil force in her mind then vanished, leaving Princess Celestia extremely worried for her subjects around Equestria.

“Sister! Who was speaking to you?” Princess Luna pleaded.

“She has returned. They have returned..” Princess Celestia quietly murmured.

“WHO?” Princess Luna desperately asked.

“Empress Adrestia. Leader of the Metusonians. Quickly, my sister. Call in Shining Armor and Cadance. I need them to get some pony who is a good friend of our ponies in Ponyville. I fear Princess Twilight and her friends are in danger. This pony can possibly save us..” Celestria requested.

Princess Luna nodded under her request and galloped away to get Shining Armor and Cadance.

Princess Celestria gazed out the window, looking at the clouds glooming above Canterlot once again. “We will stop you, Empress Adrestia. No matter how much it takes.”

The front doors opened, and Shining Armor, Cadance, and Princess Luna entered.

“Princess, who are these so- called Metusonians?” Shining Armor asked.

“The Metusonians. They were a fierce bunch whose power derives from the fear of other ponies. Centuries ago, I banished them and their empress from Equestria because I saw them as a threat to take over this land. Their magic isn't like ours. It's mysterious. Not even I can understand how it works, but I know it's dangerous. This isn't good. Now, they have returned and now they want revenge.” Princess Celestia replied.

“Who do you want us to retrieve for you?” Cadance asked.

Princess Celestia gave the Crystal Princess a letter. “Here. Here’s a picture of this pony and the location of where this pony is staying. I need you two to retrieve this pony before the Metusonians arri-“
Outside, lightning storms began to erupt. The sky that was once clear then changed to dark. A maniacal laugh then bellowed at the distance.

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. You shall fear us. Mwahahaha..

“Hurry Shining Armor and Cadance. You must go at once! They have arrived!” Celestia ordered.

Using her magic, Princess Cadance teleported her and Shining Armor out of the castle and went on their mission.
Knowing she is running out of time, Princess Celestia tried to write a letter to warn Twilight and her friends of the Metusonians.

Suddenly, the front door opened. And a dark figure approached.

Part IV

Part IV: The Metusonians

Back at Ponyville, the party was about ready to begin. The ponies remained anxious to start partying to celebrate all the memories and moments that Ponyville had been through. Unaware to the ponies however, the Metusonians were eavesdropping them, awaiting the perfect moment to strike. Pinkie Pie placed the final decorations in place and screamed,
"ALL RIGHT EVERY PONY. LET'SS PARTYY!"

All of a sudden, the Ponyville folks stormed on the streets and began to party. Cheers erupted, smiles were shared, laughter was heard, everything about the party seemed to be going according to plan.

Twilight, frantically observing every detail happening at the party, asked, "Is everything going alright? Is there enough fruit punch for every pony? OH NO, there's a piece of trash over there! Some pony pick that up or else some pony will trip! Oh my, is it getting hot over here or is it just m-"

"TWILIGHT!" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Everything is fine. You have got to calm down and take a deep breath."

"Yes, darling. If anything completely terrible went wrong, we have our Elements of Harmony to help us. Stop fearing the worst, my dear," added Rarity.

"Yeah, Twilight. We are wearing our Elements of Harmony, just like you told us. If anything out of the ordinary starts happening, we'll be ready, but I'm pretty sure nothing like that will happen," Fluttershy remarked.

Hiding on top of the roofs, behind bushes, and behind walls, the Metusonians overheard the word "Elements of Harmony" spill out.

"Empress Adrestia. We overheard some ponies talking about their elements of harmony," the guard said, pointing to the Mane Six. "It's them. They are the ponies we need to target."

"Good. Good work lieutenant.." the Empress responded.

"Thank you, my Empress. What shall you want us to do next?" the lieutenant asked.

"The time to strike is NOW. Get rid of all these petty decorations. Crash this party to the ground. It's a darn shame these ponies didn't invite us. We would've been great party guests," the Empress cackled. "Attention all Metusonians, enter cloak mode. It's time to make our grand entrance."

One by one, the Metusonians used their mysterious magic to enter cloak mode, blending into the environment, out of plain sight of the unanticipated ponies.

"Gosh, Twi. It seems like this party is a success!" Applejack acknowledged.

"You said it! Pinkie giggled.

"You know. I think you ponies are right. I never should've doubted -"

Suddenly, balloons began popping, stands started collapsing, and the Ponyville ponies began panicking. The ponies galloped back and forth and Twilight started feeling that gut feeling inside of her that something had gone totally wrong. Her fears were becoming a reality and this time, she did not know what to do.
The havoc ended, but the party was all in ruins.

"This party is ruined.." one pony said.

"All of these decorations and food.. All gone.." another hinted.

"All these years of excitement waiting for this celebration to start and we get this?!" another pony aggressively retorted.

"Ponyville deserves better than this!" another pony suggested.

All the ponies began directly looking at Twilight, as if they were blaming her for the catastrophic mess.
Nervously sweating, Twilight said, "Listen every pony.. I'll.. uhm. get this.. problem.. fixed! Do not worry, things will get better."
The other ponies then began arguing, refuting excuses for Twilight doing a poor job at planning out the 100 year anniversary for Ponyville.

The lieutenant was about to give the signal to the Metusonians to attack, but Empress Adrestia held him back.

"Not yet, lietenaunt. I want to see how this chaotic scene plays out for just a little longer."

"Of course, Empress." the lietenaunt replied.

"You've done a terrible job with this party!" a pony smirked.

"I didn't anxiously wait for this anniversary to start only to get this!"

"You call yourself a princess?!"

"A typical princess would've done a better job at this than you!"

"ENOUGH! Stop blaming Twilight for this mess!" Applejack rejoined.

"YEAH! You ponies should be ashamed of yourselves! That's no way to talk to a princess!" Rainbow Dash countered.

"Twilight has done nothing wrong! I believe every pony is just overreacting on this situation." Rarity added.

"We're all friends. We shouldn't be arguing! I hate arguing! We can make a better party together!" Pinkie suggested.

"Yeah. What they said." Fluttershy murmured.

The Mane Five and the Ponyville folks then unleashed their anger towards one another. Once, these ponies were cheering, laughing, and smiling when the anniversary started. Everything seemed to be what Twilight had hoped for. However, that all changed in a blink of an eye. Once cheering, smiling, and laughing soon changed into arguing, threatening, and yelling. Twilight's emotions have become her own reality and she couldn't believe what she was witnessing.

"Applejack. Rainbow. Pinkie. Fluttershy. Rarity. Stop," Twilight said. Her friends then looked at her, concerned of what she has to say next. "They're right."

"Wha- what do ya mean, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"They are right. I don't deserve to be a princess. Their princess.." Twilight remarked, putting her head down looking at the ground.

"That's nonsense. You're a great princess, Twilight. These ponies are just letting their emotions get ahead of themselves." Rarity added.

"Rarity is right. There's always gonna be some bumps in the road, but in the end, you are a great princess. And you deserve to be one." Rainbow proclaimed.

"No. I messed up.. I should've triple checked to make sure everything was okay, but I didn't. I'm sorry every pony.." Twilight galloped off, away from the mess that she was afraid of happening in the first place. She galloped, galloped as fast as she could, away from every pony else

"TWILIGHT! WAIT!" the Mane Five repeated at the same time.

Twilight galloped into the Everfree Forest. She stopped, found a nearby tree, sat down, and cried. She was alone and every pony was against her; the only thing that Twilight could've done was cry. She wanted to forget what happened, but couldn't. No matter how far she was away from the mess, her emotions kept coming back. It was like a zombie that had taken a full magazine of shots to the torso; no matter how bad it may seem, they just keep coming. Twilight then looked up and there was Zecora's hut at the distance. She got up, wiped away the tears, and headed towards the hut.

As Twilight disappeared from the distance, back in Ponyville, her friends looked at the crowd and the crowd looked at them back. There was a moment of complete silence and anger can be felt in the air.

"Ya'll ponies should be ashamed!" Applejack proclaimed. "This wasn't her fault!"

Fluttershy cleared her voice to speak, but no one could hear her as every pony repeatedly kept arguing with one another.

"Uhm can I-"

Arguing still ensued.

"I have something to-"

More arguing.

"I really need to ask something.."

Still more arguing.

Fluttershy then tapped her friends to get their attention in which they all looked back at her, still heated from the previous arguments with the other ponies.

"What is it Fluttershy?!" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I really think we should go look for Twilight right now," Fluttershy suggested.

"She's right. Arguing with every pony is getting us nowhere," Rarity exclaimed.

Still in their cloak device, the Metusonians were still watching the hectic scene at a distance. Suddenly, the Empress told the lieutenant to give the signal to attack. The lieutenant looked around the area and waited to see if all the minions were watching him to give the signal. One by one, red glowing eyes then appear all around the area. Unaware to the Ponyville folks, these red glowing eyes were all surrounding them. The lieutenant raised his hoof to give the signal and the Metusonians soon marched into the area to make their grand entrance.

"We should go find Twilight now," Rainbow Dash proposed. "Let's go every pony! Before it gets dark." Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack nodded and proceeded to follow Rainbow Dash until the ominous color of the sky began to change, the threatening clouds began to race across the heavens, swirling and colliding, and a jagged bolt of lightning bolted through the sky.

"What in Ponyville is going on with the weather?" Applejack inquired, noticing the odd weather patterns in the sky.

"I have no idea. The pegasi weren't ordered to control the weather today because of the anniversary happening.," Rainbow Dash mentioned, scratching her mane in confusion as to what is going on.

"Uhm.. I think they might have something to do with it.." Fluttershy murmered, quivering behind her friends in fear.

"What are you talking about Fluttershy?" Applejack asked. "I don't see -" Fluttershy points directly ahead, where countless numbers of red glowing eyes are looking at them. There were red glowing eyes on top of the roofs, behind the stands, in the crowd, and behind them as well.

"Oh golly.." Applejack uttered, holding her cowboy hat in shock.

"Who are they?!" Pinkie Pie questioned.

We are the Metusonians. A voice can be heard in the distance.

"Who said that?!" Rarity asked, also cowering in fear.

On the spur of the moment, all the Metusonians revealed themselves, out of their cloaking devices, showing their true forms. The minions hissed and growled at the ponies and the Ponyville ponies all tried to gallop away, constantly bumping into one another. However, there was nowhere to run as the Metusonians all circled around them. The Metusonians all wore dark black hooded robes. Each of them had red eyes. It looked like a scene straight from Star Wars, in which the Sith were taking over a group of helpless people.

You have something we want.

The ponies all looked around wondering where the mysterious voice was coming from.

"Show yourself, coward!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Very well. Mwahahaha..

Dark smoke starts to appear and a shadow starts to form. A beam of light then shines, shielding all the ponies away from the light. Then, in the center of the circle, a tall dark figure figure is revealed, wearing a hooded robe like the rest of the Metusonians. The Empress removed her hood to reveal herself to the ponies.

"Some town you have here. Too bad, I have to destroy it to begin a new colony and era of dark magic," Empress Adrestia proclaimed.

"Who are you and what do you want!?" Rainbow Dash spitefully asked, planting her two front hooves on the ground, as if she was ready to attack.

"Oh, where are my manners? Hahah. My name is Empress Adrestia, leader of the Metusonians! What we want are your so-called Elements of Harmony!" the Empress growled.

"You're not gonna taking our elements that easily!" Rarity said.

"That's right! All right girls, let's show these Meta-whatsoever how much power these elements have!" Rainbow Dash declared.

The ponies all got in formation and waited for their elements to do their magic. However, something or someone was missing.

"Wait a minute, we need Twilight!" Applejack whispered to her friends.

"Oh no, what do we do now?" Fluttershy fearfully asked.

"You foolish ponies gonna use your elements or what? Don't you know it's impolite to keep a pony waiting? Fools! If you won't give me your elements, I'll just force them out of you!" Empress Adrestia roared.
Empress Adrestia then casted a spell using her dark magic. She directed the spell into the Mane Five, in which their eyes begin to swirl. The Ponyville ponies watched in horror as the Mane Five were being casted on. They didn't know what was happening to them, only seeing their swirly eyes, as if they were being hypnotized.

In an alternative universe, there stood the Mane Five. It was pitch black; only the color black was surrounding them; they were together, but alone at the same time. There was nothing there.

"Wh-where are we, ya'll?" Applejack asked, in a confused state.

"I-I don't know," Pinkie Pie hesitantly asked.

You're in my world now, ponies!

"Adrestia! Get us out of here this instance!" Applejack commanded.

All you had to do was give me your elements. Then you wouldn't have to be in this mess!

"Never!" Rainbow Dash snapped at the Empress.

Be that way then. How about we all play a game, shall we?

"We want no part on your game! Show yourself!" Rarity asserted.

Hahah, I won't take "No" as an answer. I wanna play a game and you're gonna play it! Let's play Face Your Fears! 3-2-1, let the games begin!

Quickly and without warning, walls began to form, separating the Mane Five from each other. This time, they were really alone. As the walls began to separate them, the Mane Five hollered each other's names, but the walls quickly barricaded them from one another.

Part V

Part V: Worst Fears

Applejack

It was dark. That's all she could see. Just darkness. It was pitch black, it was secluded, and she was all alone. Applejack laid down on the floor, with her hat covering her face. She was never used to being alone like this. Sometimes, she worked alone at Sweet Apple Acres when she was extremely busy with picking apples, but this was a different kind of alone. She didn't have her family with her and she also didn't have her friends with her this time.

Applejack looked across the room. "Rainbow Dash!? Rarity!? Fluttershy!? Pinkie!?" No answer. No pony could hear her and she couldn't hear her friends.

Suddenly, a puff of smoke is present across the room. Applejack could see three ponies across from her, but she couldn't make out who they were.

"Applejack, hon? Is that you over there?" An old, winded voice was heard.

Applejack recognized that voice. It was Granny Smith. The three ponies then galloped closer to her, to the point where she could clearly see them. She was relieved and happy to see her family with her. She was relieved she wasn't alone anymore.
Applejack gave them a welcoming hug. "Granny Smith! Bic Mac! Apple Bloom! I'am so glad to see ya'll!" Applejack stated.

"Eeyup!" Big MacIntosh agreed, with Apple Bloom nodding as well.

"Wha-what are ya'll doin' here in the first place? How did we all get here?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, we just wanted to see ya, big sis!" Apple Bloom revealed with a smile.

"I'am so glad to see ya'll too!" Applejack replied back.

The Apple family were reunited and were all happy. Suddenly, a dark cloud of smoke came over and clouded Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom. When the smoke disappeared, the smiles that were on their faces all disappeared. They looked at Applejack this time looking disgruntled, disappointed, and angry. Applejack had no idea what just happened. She was confused and wondered if she said something wrong that offended them.

"What's goin' on? Why do ya'll seem angry?" Applejack quickly asked, immediately wanting to know what was wrong with her family. She shook them, but they didn't move an inch. All they did was continuously give Applejack a dissatisfied look. She started to panic, repeatedly shaking them and asking them what's wrong until..

"Applejack, hon. Ya'll a disgrace to the Apple family," Granny Smith straightforwardly said.

Applejack checked her ears. She didn't know if she heard that right and she really didn't think what Granny Smith was true.

"Applejack, hon. Ya'll a disgrace to the Apple family," Granny Smith repeated again and again.

"How Granny? I'am awful sorry for whatever I did! I swear!" Applejack tearfully blurted out.

"Ya'll no sister of mine," Apple Bloom declared.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

The Apple family kept on repeating things that made Applejack feel she didn't belong in the Apple family and that she had disgraced their family name. Happening quickly and with little warning, each member of the Apple family started popping up in the background. Each of the family members started coming up with a barrage of criticisms and insults at Applejack and soon berated her. Applejack backed away to a corner and tried to cover her ears, but the criticisms kept coming and she could still hear it. At the corner, she found herself completely cornered and surrounded by the entire Apple family who kept giving her the same disgruntled look.

All together, the Apple family chanted, "Ya'll not a part of our family." Then they all mysteriously vanished up in smoke. It was dark. That's all she could see. Just darkness. It was pitch black, it was secluded, and she was all alone. Applejack laid down on the floor, with her hat covering her face. This time however, her family now didn't want her and she had no pony.

Pinkie Pie

In the next room, there stood Pinkie Pie. She was normally joyful, happy, jumpy, and excited, but now she was alone, scared, and sad.

"Hello? Any pony there?" Pinkie Pie asked. There was no response. She wanted to see her friends, but couldn't. She felt helpless.

A puff of smoke then appears from across the room, just like what happened with Applejack previously. large group of ponies then began to approach her. It was all the Ponyville ponies; it was all her friends.

"My friends!" Pinkie Pie gleefully cheered.

Her friends greeted her and all gave her a welcoming hug.

"Yay! My friends are all here with me!" Pinkie chuckled.

However, a dark cloud of smoke came over and clouded the Ponyville ponies. Like Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom, Pinkie's friends all gave her a disgruntled look. Pinkie Pie was too busy giggling and laughing that she didn't notice the cloud of smoke at all. When she looked back at her friends, all she saw was angry faces. She stopped hopping, giggling, and laughing. She was wondering what was going on.

"What's going on? Why the long faces?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"You're no friend of mine, Pinkie," one pony said.

"Yeah, what he said", another agreed.

"Pinkie, you're the worst friend ever," a pony reassured.

Pinkie Pie felt heartbroken. It reminded her of that feeling when Cranky Doodle first told her that he never wanted to be friends with her forever. However, this felt 100X times worse as it seemed like every pony didn't want to be friends with her ever again. It was like a million Cranky Doodle Donkeys all telling her at once that she was a terrible friend.

"No, I can be a good friend! "I will make it up to you all!" Pinkie repeatedly vowed. "I will! I will!"

"NO!" All the ponies exclaimed loudly at once.

Pinkie's heart dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't think of the thought of every single pony in existence not wanting to be her friend. She didn't want to be alone. Five ponies then approached her from the crowd. It was Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity.

"Good bye Pinkie," Twilight said, disappearing.

"No! Twilight don't go! My friends, don't leave me!" Pinkie tearfully begged.

"I'am awfully sorry Pinkie. But this friendship is over. For good," Applejack said, disappearing as well.

"Yeah Pinkie. I have new friends now," Rainbow Dash responded, disappearing too.

"Sorry darling, but you're just not a pony I can hang out with any longer. You're too.. Pinkie.." Rarity recalled.

"Yeah. Bye Pinkie," Fluttershy uttered.

Then, all the ponies in the room vanished, leaving Pinkie alone. She felt lost. She didn't know where to go or who to turn to next. All her friends had left her and she felt crushed. She just wanted to give up.

Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash was at the next room. She banged the walls with her hooves and flew as high as she could to find an exit, but nothing was working. She was furious and worked up.

"Adrestia! Let me out of here this instance!" she angrily commanded.

She banged the walls with her hooves again to unleash all her anger, but even that didn't seem to help.

"You will regret this Adrestia! Once I get out of here, I will make you pay!" Rainbow Dash threatened.

Then, a puff of smoke appeared far away. The room began to change and Rainbow Dash found herself now in a cave. There was a hole on top of the roof where she could escape.

"Sweet! There's the exit!" Rainbow immediately flew to the exit until a voice interrupted her.

"Rainbow Dash, I need your help!

She recognized that voice as one of her friends and tried to see where the voice was coming from.

"Hurry Rainbow! It's Twilight! We need your help!" Twilight echoed.

Rainbow Dash galloped through the cave, trying to find her friends. Then, in a room, she found her friends trying to open a gate wall.

"Rainbow, there you are! Look, we need ya help opening this gate wall. The exit out of here is right outside!" Applejack acknowledged.

"My friends! Glad to see you all! Wait, can't Twilight just use her magic to move the gate?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight breathed heavily. "I've.. tried, but I'm too weak.. and tired to use my magic to move the rock. That's why.. I need your help to open this gate!"

"You got it Twi!" Rainbow Dash went over to the gate to help her friends open the gate. It was budged shut, but she didn't want to let her friends down. Using all her brute strength, the gate finally opened and on the other side of the gate, they saw light.

"Freedom!!" Pinkie joyfully screamed.

"Rainbow Dash! You did it!" Twilight pointed out, giving her a hug.

"No problem, Twilight. I couldn't leave my friends hanging!" Rainbow said. "Now let's go!"

The Mane Six then galloped through the gate and towards the exit. However, Twilight stopped, realizing she had forgotten something extremely important.
Rainbow Dash, noticing that her friend had stopped suddenly, asked, "Twilight, what's wrong?"

"My crown! I left my crown! I put my crown in a bag that's over there at the gate where we were previously. Rainbow, can you get it for me?" Twilight asked, pointing to the gate.

"Yeah sure!" Rainbow Dash then flew to the other side of the gate and looked for the bag.

"Thanks Rainbow! We'll be waiting at the gate for you!" Twilight exclaimed.

Suddenly, as Rainbow Dash looked for Twilight's crown, the cave began rumbling and rocks began falling from above.
"Oh no! The cave is collapsing!" Rarity shouted.

Rainbow Dash, using her quick reflexes, dodged the falling debri. She saw the bag across from her and snatched it. However, as she made her way back to the gate, a falling rock falls on her, trapping her wing and causing her to get stuck.

"Twilight, here's your crown!" Rainbow threw the bag over to Twilight. "Twilight, I need you to use your magic to get this rock off of me! I'm budged shut!"

Twilight grabbed her bag and looked at Rainbow Dash. Her friends smiled at Rainbow and Twilight began to use her magic to close the gate.

"Wait! Twilight, what are you doing!?" Rainbow hollered, as more rocks began to fall. "Use your magic to get this rock off of me! Not the gate!"

"Sorry Rainbow! It's been nice knowing you! You were a good friend!" Twilight replied back as the gate began to close.

"No! AJ! Rarity! Fluttershy! Pinkie! Do something! Stop her!" Rainbow Dash pleaded. "I need your help! This cave isn't gonna last much longer!"

"Sorry, Rainbow. We aren't your friends any longer!" Applejack responded.

"We're not longer loyal to you anymore!" Fluttershy said.

"Loyalty.." Rainbow murmered, remembering how she was the element of loyalty.

"So long Rainbow. Have fun getting trapped under there for the rest of eternity!" her friends yelled at her.

"No, wait. You can't do this!" Rainbow Dash begged as the gate finally closed shut.

Rarity

Staying at the next room was Rarity. It was extremely quiet.

"Girls? Can any pony hear me? I need help," Rarity uttered.

Quickly, the room began to change, with the walls being replaced with mirrors. Mirrors surrounded Rarity and she could not believe what she was seeing in her own reflection. She saw a mule version of herself, wearing a hideous dress.

"AH, what in Equestria is that!?" Rarity cried, shielding her eyes from the mirrors.

Then a voice spoke. "I am you."

Still shielding her eyes, Rarity asked, "Who said that?"

"You"

Rarity opened her eyes and looked around the room. "Me? Impossible! I'm not crazy enough to be talking to myself! Show yourself!"

"The pony speaking to you is you."

Rarity looked at the mirror in front of her. "You?"

Her reflection spoke, "No, not me. You."

"AH! That's not me! I can't be that hideous!" Rarity responded, shielding her eyes again.

"For pony sake! Open your eyes and just look at the mirrors!" the reflection impatiently said.

Rarity opened her eyes, "Silly, darling. You are not me and I am not you. I am not a mule."

"Yes, you are me and I am you," the reflection repeated.

"Ok stop. You're confusing me with your phrases," Rarity stated.

"Then stop making me repeat myself to you. I am YOU and you are ME! We are alike. You are as ugly as a mule!" the reflection blurted.

"Ugly as a mule..?" Rarity muttered to her reflection.

"Yes! Don't believe me? How about we find out then!" The mirrors shattered and disappeared. Behind the mirrors was a fashion show, with hundreds of ponies looking at the stage, waiting for the next contestant to come out. Rarity walked over to the stage. She was the center of attention now. However, when she looked at the ponies, they all looked at her with disgust.

"Ew, hideous!"

"Get that monster off the stage!"

"That pony looks awful!"

"Wait, that's Rarity! Gross, I'm never buying dresses from her ever again!"

"Never buying from her business!"

Rarity looked across the crows, but all she saw was ponies with disgusted faces. They looked down on her and she started to believe what her reflection said about her being as ugly as a mule was true. She was horrified. Fashion and beauty were two things that both defined her and now ponies were shunning her for those two things. She then looked over at the Carousel Boutique, but she was even more horrified to what she saw. Her home had been condemned and her business was ruined. The ponies then started throwing tomatoes at her, causing Rarity to get off the stage. Rarity locked herself in the backstage room and looked at the mirror. All she saw was a monster. She didn't see herself in the mirror. She then began to forget who she was.

Fluttershy

Fluttershy laid down on the floor and looked at the room. Most of the time, she was okay with being alone because she didn't like the feeling of every pony staring down at her. She didn't like being the center of attention. However, this feeling of alone felt different to her. She didn't know where she was and she just wanted to go home.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke appeared.

"Is some pony there?" Fluttershy murmered.

A large group of ponies then showed up in front of her.

"Who are you ponies?" Fluttershy quietly asked.

Out of nowhere, the ponies started to laugh. Fluttershy was confused; she looked behind her, thinking they were laughing at something that was behind her. However, she was wrong. The ponies pointed at her; they were laughing at her.
Fluttershy was scared and panicked. She tried to gallop away from the crowd, but the ponies were all over the place, constantly laughing at her. Fluttershy wanted to stop and repeatedly told the ponies to stop, but they didn't listen.

Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!

That was all Fluttershy could hear in her mind. The laughing ponies kept reminding her of a time in the past when some ponies teased her to not being able to fly properly. She wanted to forget about that moment, but the laughing ponies kept reminding her of it, shoving it in her face.

Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!

No matter how hard she covered her ears, she still could hear the laughter. She laid on the floor, covering her face so she couldn't see the other ponies. At the moment, the ponies vanished, leaving Fluttershy laying on the floor all alone.

Part VI

Part VI: To The Rescue

Princess Twilight knocked on the door to Zecora's hut. "Zecora, it's me Twilight. Are you there?"
Zecora opened the door, surprised to see her pony friend at the Everfree Forest. Twilight entered her hut and placed her crown on a table.

"Twilight, don't you have an party to celebrate in Ponyville? Do you have a question that you need me to fulfill?" Zecora muttered.

"About the party, Zecora. It didn't go so good.." Twilight murmered.

Zecora looked at Twilight and noticed how down she was. "What happened, my dear? Has something happened that you feared?"

Twilight broke down. "I planned out.. this party.. and it was a mess! Every pony blamed.. me for it. I blame.. myself for it too! It was suppose to be perfect! And now.. it's all gone.."

"Do not blame yourself for that mess. Do not listen to those who oppress," Zecora advised.

"But they said I was a terrible princess! Maybe I don't deserve to be a princess in the first place.." Twilight confessed.

"Don't say that Twilight," Zecora said as she was making tea. "Your future as a princess is bright."

"But Zecora, I made a major mistake. A mistake I will probably never forgive myself nor would the ponies ever forgive me.." Twilight responded.

"We all make mistakes; they come and go," Zecora replied. "The mistakes we make always help us grow."

"So you're saying that I shouldn't expect perfection? And that instead of letting these mistakes bring me down, I should learn from them to be a better princess?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, you are a wonderful princess. That is something you should be blessed," Zecora reassured, handing Twilight a cup of tea.

"What is this?" Twilight questioned as she grabbed the cup.

"A special tea I make when I frown," Zecora chuckled when she drank the tea. "It always turns that frown upside down."

Twilight drank the tea and giggled as well. "Thank you Zecora. This tea is amazing. It makes me feel rejuvenated inside."

"Of course, that's what friends are for. Knowing you, I know you will succeed more," Zecora kindly mentioned to Twilight.

"Now off to Ponyville you should go, hang out with the friends you've come to know. And make a new party, you shall do. Just have fun and don't feel blue."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you so much Zecora." She opened the door and left the hut.

However, oustide the hut, Twilight noticed the odd weather patterns and heard screaming back in Ponyville. She galloped as fast as she could to Ponyville and noticed how much darkness had clouded the town. Going back to the party, she saw a whole lot of ponies that she couldn't recognize. They were wearing robes and they were all surrounding the other ponies.
"What in Equestria is going on here?" Twilight wondered as she inched closer to the scene.

Empress Adrestia was still casting her spell on the Mane Five. All the fears that the Mane Five were experiencing in the alternative universe were all illusions created by Adrestia. While Empress Adrestia was casting her spell on the ponies, that allowed her minions to snatch their elements from them.

"Good job my minions. Look like our job here is done," the Empress declared.

"What are you going to do with those ponies now that we have their elements?" the lieutenant asked.

"Now that we have no use for these ponies, I will cast a spell that will put them in a temporary sleep. When I'm done, get rid of them! Put them in a place in the middle of nowhere. Where they won't be able to find their way back, where they can't get help, where they won't be a bother to me!" the Empress explained.

As Twilight walked closer to the scene, she felt her heart drop as soon as she saw her friends unconscious on the floor in front of a tall mysterious figure.
"Hey! That's my friends! What do you think you're doing!?" Twilight angrily screamed. "Leave my friends alone!"

All the ponies and the Metusonians stared at Twilight. Twilight was bewildered. She couldn't recognize who the odd ponies were or where they came from, but she didn't care. All she cared about was her friends safety.
The Metusonians hissed and were about to attack Twilight, but the Empress called them off. Empress Adrestia walked closer to Twilight, but Twilight didn't seem to show any signs of fear or concern.

Empress Adrestia circled around Twilight and said "You must be Princess Twilight? Princess of this cursed town?"

"YES! And I demand you to tell me what you did to my friends!" Twilight aggressively demanded.

"Oh? Those ponies are your friends? I did nothing terrible to them, just put them to sleep. That's all.." Adrestia addressed, menacingly laughing afterwards.

"Liar! I will stop you!" Twilight snapped, preparing to shoot magic at the Empress.

"How did it feel like to have every pony blame you for everything?" Empress Adrestia asked, changing the subject.

Twilight then froze a bit. "Wha- Stop. Stop changing the subject you monster!"

"It must've felt awful to get blamed on. Being a princess and all, you're supposed to be a role model to these helpless ponies." Adrestia said, pointing to the frightened Ponyville ponies. "And what do you do? You mess up! How shameful.."

Twilight, trying to concentrate on the real matter, said "Stop! Or I will shoot! I am a great princess!"

"Are you a great princess? Would a great princess back away from a problem right in front of her?" Adrestia laughed, mocking the princess. "I saw the whole thing. Don't act like it never happened!"

Twilight then started to lose her concentration. The flashbacks of the anniversary not long ago started to haunt her mind again. She began to tear up a little, but also tried to keep her composure. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Nothing. Just revenge," Empress Adrestia replied, quickly shooting the same spell on Twilight like she said on her friends.

Twilight found herself in a dark room, just like what her friends saw previously.
"Wh-where am I?" Twilight asked. She tried to shoot magic to break herself free from the room, but the magic just deflected off.

Welcome to my game, Princess Twilight!

Twilight looked around to see where the voice was coming from. "Where are you!" she shouted.

You think you can stop me!? I won't let anyone interfere with my plans!

"You hurt my friends! You invade my home! I will do whatever it takes to protect the ponies and things that I love!" Twilight responded.

"Aw, aren't you such a sweetie?" the Empress sarcastically cackled. "Your friends blamed you.. They oppressed you yet you still back them up.. This party was suppose to be perfect..right..? Now how did that turn out..? Now you have no pony..! You're alone and continue to be alone..!

As the Empress verbally attacked the princess, Adrestia changed the room to re-play the anniversary disaster in front of the princess. Twilight watched her worst fear happen all over again and she tried to look away. It seemed so real. She observed the facial expressions of all the ponies, but all they saw from them was anger and infuriation.

Some friends you have!

"Stop! What do you want from me!?" Twilight begged.

I want revenge and I won't let ponies like YOU get in my way!

In the real world, Empress Adrestia casted a temporary sleeping spell to knock Twilight unconscious for a bit.
She looked at her minions and pointed at the unconscious ponies. "Get rid of these ponies. Like I said before, put them away in a faraway place, a place in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to deal with them any longer!"

The lieutenant nodded. "Yes, my Empress. Right away."

The minions put the unconscious ponies into a chariot and flew into the sky. As they flew farther away from Ponyville, one of the minions pointed at the perfect location: a desert. When the minions landed on the ground, they dumped the ponies into the desert as powerful desert winds breezed through.

At the city of Manehatten, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance found their way at a concert.

"Uhm, are you sure this is the right location, Shining Armor?" Cadance asked.

"Yeah. These are the coordinates Princess Celestia gave us," Shining Armor answered. "Maybe we should ask that guard over there if he's seen the pony we're looking for."

Shining Armor and Cadance made their way to the security guard. The guard, noticing the two ponies, bowed down in respect.

"Shining Armor. Princess Cadance. It's an honor to have you two here, but what are you doing at a concert?" the guard said, still bowing down.

"Thank you. We're not here for the concert however," Shining Armor replied.

"Yes, we're looking for a specific pony said to be here. Have you seen them?" Princess Cadance asked, showing the guard the picture.

"Ah, yes! Follow me," the guard said.

He led the two ponies backstage and pointed at a door at the back. Cadance and Shining Armor thanked the guard and proceeded to talk to the mystery pony. When they entered the room, they saw the pony that matched the picture and description. They explained to the pony what was going, how Equestria was in grave danger, and that Princess Celestia needed the assistance.

As the group left the room, Shining Armor stopped and asked, "I almost forgot. What is your name?"

The mystery pony also stopped and replied, "My name is Jazz."

Chapter II: Part I

Part I

Empress Adrestia was at the Canterlot Castle where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were being held captive. The Empress seemed eagerly pleased that her masterful plan was working out so far, laughing at the two captive princesses.

“Oh, what a day it has been! Amirite, Celestia and Luna!?” The Empress rhetorically asked.

“You won’t get away with this, Adrestia! The powers of the Elements of Harmony will stop you!” Princess Celestia threatened.

“Ha! Don’t make me laugh. I’ve already dealt with the ponies you spoke of and have taken their Elements of so-called Harmony! Those ponies will no longer be a threat of mine!” Princess Adrestia cackled.

The lieutenant then entered the vicinity with a box that contains the Elements of Harmony inside. The Empress opened the box and proceeded to show the captive princesses of the elements that she had taken.

“You see? These elements are mine! And with these elements, the Metusonian Empire can now use it to power up our Metus Diamond to unleash eternal darkness all over Equestria!” The Empress revealed.

“Metus Diamond?” Princess Luna asked.

“Oh, I see you ponies are not aware of the Metusonian customs..” The Empress replied.

The lieutenant and two other minions came into the room with the Metus Diamond, with the two princesses looking in shock, but also terror.

“We, Metusonians, will use this diamond to unleash great and mighty power that our empire has never relinquished. For so many years, we haven’t had enough power in our magic to activate it.. until now! Thanks to your elements, a new era of darkness will commence all over Equestria!!” The Empress roared.

“Adrestia, you fool! Equestria was always meant to be a place where ponies love and care for eachother! Your plan shall destroy the fate of Equestria and the customs that made Equestria what it always was!” Princess Celestia argued.

“I care not about its customs and roots. Love, friendship, kindness? That all sounds too boring to me. It’s all about power, Celestia. Only the strongest shall prosper and only the strongest shall rule! And I’ll show you what real power is like,” Empress Adrestia countered.

The Empress wielded the Elements and used her magic to manipulate the Elements to work for her. However, Princess Celestia noticed that one of the elements was missing: The Element of Magic. Even though she noticed it was missing, she proceeded to remain quiet.

Empress Adrestia harnessed the elements and faced the Metus Diamond. With the power of the elements, she fired an incredibly powerful beam of magic at the Diamond. However, much to the Empress’ horrors, nothing happened.

“WHAT?! What happened?” The Empress asked.

“It seems like your so called plan didn’t work after all,” Princess Celestia mocked.

Empress Adrestia growled at the princess, demanding answers from her. Princess Celestia, however, remained quiet and refused to help the Empress. Furious, the Empress looked across the room, seemingly looking for something to break out of anger, but then she noticed the stained glass window that depicted the Mane Six.

“Wait a minute..” Empress Adrestia paused, as she looked at the glass window. The painting showed the Mane Six with their elements of harmony. She recognized five of the ponies, as she defeated them earlier, but she had trouble recognizing Princess Twilight.

“I captured five of their elements. That must mean that..” Then, Empress Adrestia suddenly realized what went wrong.
“Lieutenant! Gather the minions! Send a small garrison of them to capture Princess Twilight! She has the missing element I’m looking for!” Empress Adresita ordered.

“Yes, my Empress,” the lieutenant responded as he left the room.

Empress Adrestia then stared at the princesses and said, “Well, it’s been a pleasure getting to spend some time with you princesses. I must go. My empire needs me,” the Empress said, laughing menacingly as she headed out.

She left the room and closed the doors, locking the two captive princesses inside.

Part II

Part II

Twilight galloped as fast as she could, away from something that was chasing her. She found herself, completely surrounded by Metusonians.

Your friends blamed you.. They oppressed you yet you still back them up.. This party was suppose to be perfect..right..? Now how did that turn out..? Now you have no pony..! You're alone and continue to be alone..!

You’ve done a terrible job with this party!

You’re a terrible princess!

The words by the Empress and the harsh criticism by the Ponyville ponies haunted Twilight. She began to lay down and tried to cover her ears, but she could still hear those words over and over again. As Twilight laid down on the floor, the Metusonians then laughed at her, throwing things at her like tomatoes and rotten fruits.

The Metusonians then vanished and Twilight heard something else at the distance.

Twilight!

Twilight!

Twilight!

Wake up!

It was only a dream, but Twilight couldn’t recognize the pony that was trying to wake her up as she was still in a trance.
Her vision slowly began to clear up. “Shining Armor? Is that you?” Twilight asked, still a little dazzed and confused from the dream she just had.

However, it wasn’t Shining Armor that had woke her up and Twilight’s visions started coming back to her.

“Shining Armor? I look nothing like your brother. It’s me, Jazz. Remember?” Jazz said.

“Jazz? You? How? You came back,” Twilight responded, eagerly relieved to see her friend once again.

Jazz helped her get on her hooves and said, “It’s good to see you ponies too. Are you alright? You were murmuring something while you were fast asleep.”

Twilight wanted to lie and say everything was fine, but she couldn’t. “No. Everything’s not alright. The Empress! She’s going to take over Equestria!” Twilight panicked.

“Yes, I know. The Princess told me everything. I don’t exactly know who they are, but we will get Equestria back. Don’t worry Twilight, we’ll find a way to stop them,” Jazz replied back.

“The Princess sent you?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah. I was pretty confused too. I don’t really know why she decided to send me. I’m not exactly capable or experienced in these rescue operations,” Jazz responded.

Jazz looked at the other ponies, who were still fast asleep and walked to them. “We better wake them up.”

Both Twilight and Jazz gave their friends a little shake to wake them up. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy gave out a long yawn. Twilight proceeded to wake up Pinkie Pie, who was dreaming and murmuring about cupcakes and chocolate.

As Jazz went to wake up Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash panicked and flew straight up and shrieked, “Stay away from me you Metusonians!”

Jazz tried to calm her down by revealing himself to her. “Relax Rainbow Dash. It’s me!”

The Mane Five looked pleasantly surprised to see Jazz in the cave with them.

Pinkie Pie began bouncing all around her friends. “Hey, it’s Jazz! My old buddy! What brings you here!?”

“It’s good to see you ponies too! But this isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said I would come back to see you ponies again!” Jazz chuckled.

Applejack giggled. “You got that right.”

Rainbow Dash also agreed. “Neither did we.”

“Yeah! How did you manage to find out in the middle of the desert? Unless if this is all a dream right now and I am still fast asleep..” Rarity questioned.

“Look, I know you ponies may have a lot of questions right away, but to keep the answer short, I was sent by the Princess to come rescue you ponies,” Jazz answered.

“Wow, that’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash cheered as she flew around the small cave in joy. “But wait a minute. How did you exactly manage to find us?”

Jazz was about to answer that question, only to realize that he forgot to call in Shining Armor and Princess Cadance to tell them he found the missing ponies. “I’ve completely forgotten! I had help from Shining Armor and Cadance! Twilight, your brother and Princess Cadance came along with me as well!” Jazz then headed out the cave and used his magic to send a signal to them of his location.

Twilight and her friends anxiously waited for their friends to come back to the cave, but all they saw was large amount of dust that breezed throughout the desert. Twilight seemed most eager of all, waiting to see her brother and sister-in-law. Twilight friends then realized they had almost forgotten to tell Twilight the truth of what really happened during the Ponyville party disaster.

“Twilight! The Ponyville anniversary!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Please, don’t remind me of that..” Twilight mumbled.

“No, listen! It wasn’t your fault!” Rainbow Dash continued.

“What? How?” Twilight inquired.

“It was those brutes, dear!” Rarity added. “Those Metusonians were the ones who wrecked the party!”

“Rarity is right! It was all part of their plan,” Applejack revealed.

“They ruined such a perfect party too!” Pinkie Pie cried out.

“So it wasn’t me all this time!? I can’t believe it!” Twilight exclaimed.

“To be honest, Twilight. Whether you messed up the party or not, we will always stand by you,” Fluttershy remarked.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all nodded in agreement.

“You ponies are really the greatest friends any pony can have!” Twilight acknowledged.

The ponies rejoiced and stared at the front of the cave, waiting for their friends to come back. Jazz, Cadance, and Shining Armor then returned back to the cave. They shook off all the dust from the dust storm in the desert.

Twilight then galloped over to her brother and sister-in-law to give them a welcoming hug. “Shining Armor! Cadance!”

“Twily! I’ve missed you! Is everything all right? Have those Metusonians done anything horrible to you and your friends?” Shining Armor asked.

The ponies gathered around the campfire that Twilight and her friends had previously made when they got into the cave.

“I feel fine, but those Metusonians… They’re going to take over Ponyville… What do they want from us?” Twilight asked.

“Cadance and I don’t know who they are and what they’re capable of. And Jazz doesn’t know who they are either. All the Princess told us was that she banished them long ago because they threatened to overthrow her and rule Equestria,” Shining Armor answered back.

“Whatever they’re planning.. It doesn’t seem good,” Princess Cadance added on.

“How did you manage to find us?” Twilight asked.

“Well, we were on our way to Ponyville to look for you ponies. When we got there, we overheard the guards talk about dumping off a princess and her friends at the desert and we knew they were talking about you,” Shining Armor acknowledged.

“Yup. We then snuck onto a train that was now controlled by the Metusonians and hopped off when the train was entering the desert area,” Cadance added on.

“And I found hoofsteps on the desert soil and followed it. And that led me here,” Jazz answered.

“So what’s the plan gonna be?” Rainbow Dash asked.

There was slight moment of silence, but Jazz then thought of an idea. “You still have your elements, right? We can use –“

“But.. they’ve take our elements..” Applejack brokenheartedly admitted as she cut off Jazz in the middle of his plan.

“We tried to stop them, but they were too much..” Fluttershy murmured.

“She.. she casted a spell on us..” Rarity explained, but stopped at mid sentence, seemingly still haunted by the Empress’s spell.

“She.. she casted a spell to led you to your worst fear.. Everything just felt so.. real..” Twilight said, giving a disheartening look.

“There was nothing I.. or we.. could do to stop her,” Rainbow Dash added on.

“Look. It’s not your ponies fault for what happened. We’ll find a way,” Shining Armor said, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Well, how about the Princess? I’m sure they can help us defeat them! “Twilight suggested.

Cadance gave her saddened look in her face when she looked at Twilight. “I’m afraid that the Metusonians have captured them..”

Twilight and her friends felt crushed and defeated. They sat down and looked as if there was no hope at all. Jazz, Shining Armor, and Cadance remained silent, feeling sympathy for their friends. All of a sudden, Twilight realized something.

“AJ, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie! You said she has your elements right?” Twilight asked quickly without stopping.

Her friends all nodded “yes” simultaneously.

Rainbow Dash looked confused. “Why do you ask?”

“And the Empress is planning on using our elements for her evil plan, right?” Twilight questioned.

“That seems to be the case,” Jazz replied back.

“Look, Twilight. Where are ya going with this?” Applejack wondered.

“She never took my element! The Element of Magic!” Twilight exclaimed.

“But how could the Empress forget to take your element when you were wearing it the entire time during the party?” Rarity asked.

“I didn’t! When I left the.. party.. I went to Zecora’s place and left my crown there by mistake!” Twilight realized.

Jazz reiterated what every pony was saying. “Wait a minute. If your crown is in Zecora’s, that means.. the empress hasn’t realized she’s missing an element. And if she’s missing an element..”

“Her plan cannot work,” the ponies all said at the same time.

“That’s it!” Princess Cadance concluded.

“We need to head to Zecora’s to get Twilight’s crown before the Empress realizes that she needs Twilight’s element and starts looking for us!” Applejack exclaimed.

“Well, what are we waiting for!? Let’s get that crown!” Rainbow Dash declared.

The ponies placed her hooves together and were determined to save their land from the wicked Empress and her Metusonians.

“Yay! We have a plan!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully yelled as she continued hopping up and down.

Part III

Part III

It was a long journey back to Ponyville. The ponies travelled for countless miles and endured through blistering blizzards and dust. No matter how far they walked, all they saw ahead of them was just more dust.

“Are we there yet!?” Pinkie Pie asked, hopping up and down, seemingly being the only pony unfazed by the long travel back to Ponyville.

“No, Pinkie Pie. We’re not there yet,” Jazz replied back.

Pinkie Pie putted her head down in disappointment. “Awwww.” However, after a few seconds of silence, Pinkie Pie then asked the same question again. “Are we there yet?”

Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie and responded, “No, Pinkie. We’ll get there when we get there.”

Pinkie Pie then putted her head down again and would repeat the same thing over and over again, repeatedly asking the same question. “Are we there yet?”

All the ponies stopped and looked at Pinkie Pie and shouted “No!” at the same time.

The blizzards and dust storms eventually died out, but the ponies remained determined to get to their destination before the Metusonians came looking for them in the desert. However, all the tireless walking took a toll on the ponies.

“Gah, my hooves are killing me! Can we please rest for a while? Pretty please!” Rarity pleaded.

“Hmmm. We’ve been travelling for a while. I think it’s best if we take a short rest,” Shining Armor agreed.

The ponies all collapsed on the floor and sighed in relief.

Jazz looked across the desert and noticed something begin to sparkle in the distance. When he walked closer to it to see what it was, he saw that it was a lake. “Hey, every pony! There’s a lake! We can get some water at last!”

The friends were eagerly pleased to find some water and raced to the lake to drink water and clean up. As the ponies freshened up from the lake, Rarity looked nauseous over the putrid conditions at the desert and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

“Ewwww! How does one simply capable of living in a rotten place like the desert? It’s disgusting!”

“I hear ponies who live in the desert have a dry sense of humor,” Jazz replied back as he was finishing up getting rejuvenated.

It took a second for Pinkie Pie to understand the pun, but as soon as she did, she began to laugh uncontrollably, plunged on her lag and kicked her hooves up in the air as she was laughing. “Hahaha! I get it! It’s a desert and a desert is dry and ponies who live in the desert have a dry sense of humor! Hahaha! Jazz, you’re such a crack up!”

“Thank you! I’ll be here all week!” Jazz responded, giving a bow.

However, hidden behind the puffy, luminous, puffy clouds that flouted among the now clear skies, the Metusonians were quickly making their way to the desert as they rode on their chariots.

Fluttershy, though, soon realized that there was something odd looking from above and that it was approaching fast. “Um, excuse me. I don’t mean to be a bother, but there’s something in the sky –“

“What is this something you’re talking about?” Twilight asked, as the ponies stared at the sky to look for what Fluttershy was talking about.

All they saw was a dark figure up in the sky. The ponies couldn’t quite figure out what the mysterious shadow was.

“What is that, the moon?” Applejack asked.

Suddenly, the dark figure started to approach them at full speed. “That’s no moon..” Rainbow Dash whispered.

A large fleet of chariots then appeared, much to the horror of the ponies.

“It’s the Metusonians!” Princess Cadance bellowed.

Shining Armor pointed to some rocks that were surrounded by desert grass and cacti. “Quick, every pony, hide behind those rocks and don’t make a sound!”

“Wait! We have to get rid of our hoofsteps so they can’t track us down!” Twilight cried out.

Using a spell she learned, Twilight used her magic to make the hoofsteps disappear. Jazz, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy then hid behind one rock and the rest of the ponies hid behind other rocks. The Metusonians then landed safely onto the parched desert. There were about half a dozen chariots parked onto the dusty soil and there were about 20 something Metusonian guards. The guards scanned the area to find any trace of the ponies.

“Don’t even breathe,” Jazz told Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

A large ball of dust, however, swooped in and smacked into Fluttershy.

“Wait, why does Fluttershy look like she is about to sneeze?” Rainbow Dash whispered.

Fluttershy was about to sneeze, but Jazz, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash tried everything they can to prevent her from sneezing and giving away their location. “No Fluttershy, don’t!” they all whispered at once. Twilight covered Fluttershy’s nose to stop her from sneezing. The friends then signed in relief.

“Thanks,” Fluttershy murmered. “AHHH choo.” Fluttershy sneezed, but it was the most quietest sneeze ever given that Fluttershy was a quiet pony.

“You don’t think those guards heard that sneeze, do you?” Jazz asked, frightened that the Metusonians would catch them.

“I couldn’t even hear that and I’m standing a foot away from her,” Rainbow Dash retorted.

All of a sudden, one of the Metusonian guards headed to their direction. The hidden ponies could slowly hear hoofsteps inching closer to them as it got louder.

One of the guards said, “Hey, I think I may have found something!”

When the ponies heard the guard say that, their hearts immediately dropped and this time, they really tried their best to not move, not breathe, and not move a single muscle.

“Holy Ponyville, that doesn’t sound good..” Twilight murmered.

“What did you find?” The guard asked.

One of the guards was directly in front of the rock that Jazz, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

“You see something?” The guard asked the other guard.

“Yeah I have!” he replied back.

Rainbow Dash was silently praying that the Metusonians hadn’t found them.

“Well, show me!” the other one demanded.

The guard looked at the rock and grabbed something of what seemed to be a pony action figure toy that was hidden in the desert grass. “Hey, I found that action figure toy that we always wanted! Look!”

“WHAT! No way! Bring it here! I’ve been dying to complete my action figure set of The Power Ponies!” the guard squealed, as he then pulled out his other action figures.

“Let’s play with them! I’m sure the Empress wouldn’t mind us taking a break!” the guard said.

However, with the Metusonian guards playing with their action figures by the lake, there was no way the ponies could escape without getting noticed.

“For pony sake! How are we going to escape!?” Jazz panicked.

“Leave it to me. I’ve just had enough of this nonsense!” Rainbow Dash declared. She flew up and headed towards the Metusonian guards.

“Wait Rainbow, you’ll give up our –“ Twilight whispered, but Rainbow Dash had already swooped in and began beating up all the guards. “Position..”

Rainbow Dash was reckless, not afraid of picking a fight even though she was heavily outnumbered 20-1.

As Rainbow Dash was busy fighting off the Metusonians, Fluttershy asked, “Do you think we should go over there and help?”

“Nah,” Twilight and Jazz replied back.

Rainbow Dash was completely dominating as the Metusonians were left off guard by the ambush. As Rainbow Dash was fighting them, one of the guards pleaded as he was getting beat up, “We just wanted to play with our action figures!”

In a matter of seconds, the fight was over and Rainbow Dash was victorious. Jazz leaned over and looked at the ensuing scene. “Well, that escalated quickly.”

“Your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash has done it again!” Rainbow Dash boasted, flying up to the sky and making dance moves to celebrate her awesomeness. “Easy as pie!”

“Did somepony say pie!” Pinkie Pie blurted out. “I want some pie!”

Shining Armor looked at the unconscious Metusonians laying on the floor. “Impressive Rainbow Dash. I should recruit you to the Royal Guard.” The ponies all laughed.

“We should steal the robes that these Metusonians are wearing. This might come in handy in case if we need a disguise. There could be thousands of Metusonians patrolling Ponyville and Canterlot,” Jazz insisted.

“Sounds like a good idea,” Princess Cadance agreed.

The ponies stole the robes and wore them. “These robes are really comfortable! Not exactly my kind of style, but comfy!” Rarity rejoiced.

“We still got a long ways to go,” Shining Armor wearied.

“No we don’t ya’ll! We can just take this chariot that the Metusonians rode on!” Applejack responded as she pointed to the chariot. “Don’t know about the rest of ya’ll, but my hooves are just mighty worn out!”

The ponies headed to the chariot, but Jazz noticed that they weren’t all going to be able to fit in the chariot. “We’re not gonna be able to fit all at once. We’re gonna need a bigger chariot.”

“Or we could just ride in separate chariots since that’s what the Metusonians did?” Rarity replied back.

“Right,” Jazz chuckled.

The ponies divided into two groups and rode two chariots to get to the Everfree Forest. As they rode above and carefully through Ponyville, they saw countless numbers of Metusonians patrolling the town. Twilight looked at the number of guards rounding up the Ponyville civilians.

“Oh my gosh. There’s just so many of them,” Twilight mumbled in horror.

Applejack patted Twilight on the back, comforting her. “It’ll be alright, supercube. We’ll get Ponyville and all of Equestria back.”

“I certainly hope so, AJ.”

The ponies eventually landed safely at the Everfree Forest without getting caught.

“Remember to wear your hooded robes at all times. It’ll cover our faces so none of the Metusonians will recognize us at plain sight,” Shining Armor reminded the ponies.

“Let’s just go find Zecora, get Twilight’s crown, and get on out of here. This place is starting to creep me out,” Jazz insisted.

As the ponies made their way toward Zecora’s hut, there was just utter silence. The birds chirped every now and then, the atmosphere was dense and thick, the sunlight filtered through the trees, the leaves fell onto the ground, and the branches cracked as the ponies stepped on them. Some time later, the ponies saw Zecora’s hut.

“Look, I see Zecora’s hut!” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

The ponies hurried to Zecora’s hut and stormed in.

“Zecora!” the ponies screamed simultaneously.

Zecora was easily startled and began to panic when she saw a bunch of ponies wearing hooded robes in her hut. She thought that the Metusonians had found her. “Away, away you go! There’s nothing that you seek that I do know!”

Twilight put down her hood to reveal her face to Zecora. “Zecora, calm down! It’s just us!”

Zecora sighed and took a deep breath. “Oh, you ponies gave me such a fright. You looked like those beasts at plain sight!”

“Sorry, it’s just part of the plan to blend in. That’s all,” Princess Cadance remarked.

“Oh, you have brought in the royalty,” Zecora said as she bowed down to pay her respects. “But who is this other pony that I see?” Zecora looked at Jazz in confusion.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Jazz. I was the musician –“ Jazz replied before being cut off.

“Ah, at that concert, I saw you play. Your music blew me away,” Zecora answered.

Zecora and Jazz shook hooves. “Thank you. It’s a pleasure meeting you!”

“Look Zecora. We don’t have much time. I accidently left my crown in your hut. Have you seen it!?” Twilight asked impatiently.

“I didn’t know that you had left your crown, but feel free to look around,” Zecora responded back, scanning her hut for Twilight’s crown.

“Oh, here it is, Twilight. I found it!” Rainbow Dash said, holding up the crown.

“Thank heavens, your crown is alright!” Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight placed the crown on her head. “Right where it belongs. We should get moving.”

The ponies were about to head on out until lightning and thunder storms erupted from above. The rain started to pour in hard.

“It just HAD to rain this instant!” Twilight frustratingly barked.

“Perhaps I can let you ponies stay here for the night. Then off you go in the morning when it’s bright,” Zecora suggested.

“No Zecora, we couldn’t.. We can find our own shelter,” Twilight replied back, feeling gracious of her friend’s offer.

“Not at all, stay here and get some rest. Then comes tomorrow when you beat the Empress,” Zecora insisted.

“Well, if it’s alright with all my friends,” Twilight said, as she looked at her friends.

“It’s fine with me,” Applejack replied back.

“Yup, I can sure use some sleep right about now!” Rainbow Dash said, yawning.

“I’m okay with it,” Fluttershy acknowledged.

“I’m fine with it, darling. As long as we stay together!” Rarity proclaimed.

“THIS MEANS SLUMBER PARTY!!” Pinkie Pie giggled, hopping up and down in excitement.

Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Jazz all nodded in agreement that it was okay with them.

“My friends are okay with it and I guess I am too. Thank you for your hospitality Zecora. It means a lot,” Twilight remarked, giving a hug to her zebra friend.

“Only for a friend. And then those beasts shall be put into an end.”

That night, the ponies were fast asleep in Zecora’s hut, except for one pony who stood outside. The storms violently thundered the night. The wind howled as rain battered the window in the dead of the night. The cracking sound of the thunder was everywhere and from the dark clouds lightning struck here and there, lighting up the sky for a second before vanishing. Jazz was outside the hut, unfazed by the violent thunder and lightning storms. He looked at the stars and the storms and closed his eyes. Lightning roared across the sky, waking up Twilight, who noticed Jazz was outside alone. She proceeded to walk outside to see what was going on.

“Jazz,” Twilight said.

Jazz was caught off guard by the alicorn, opened his eyes and looked to see it was Twilight. “Oh, it’s just you. What are you doing up this late? You should get some sleep.”

“I should be telling you the same thing. Why are you outside in a middle of a storm? Are you okay?” Twilight asked.

“Some pony has to keep watch in case those Metusonians appear. Don’t worry about me. I’m.. I’m fine,” Jazz said, knowing that he wasn’t. There was obviously something troubling him, but he didn’t want his friends to worry about him as there was something else bigger to worry about.

Twilight knew he was lying. “Right.. Look, if there’s something bothering you, you can tell me.”

“It’s just.. why.. did the Princess choose.. to send me? The thought of wondering why is messing with my mind. I’m just a music pony. That’s all I can do and that’s all I’ve ever done. The fact that the Princess trusts me to help you defeat the Empress.. it’s a lot of pressure,” Jazz revealed, hanging his head down, sighing.

Twilight felt sympathetic for her friend. She remembered back when she first became an alicorn and a princess. Now a princess, she knew having these important responsibilities was not easy and she knew what Jazz was talking about of the fear of failing. She even remembered the time of the Ponyville celebration not too long ago that went into ruins. She also remembered her time at the Crystal Empire, where she thought she had failed the test Princess Celestia assigned to her.

“I may not have the answers that you seek, but can I tell you something?” Twilight asked.

“Uh, sure,” Jazz replied back.

Twilight sighed. “Not too long ago, before the Metusonians arrived.. I was responsible in organizing this extremely important party.. It was an anniversary that celebrated the day Ponyville was founded. I knew every pony was so eager for this party and that’s why I wanted it to be perfect.. but it didn’t. It was a complete disaster. Every pony blamed me and that’s why I ran off..that’s why my crown was at the Everfree Forest. All this time, I thought it was me who ruined that party, but it wasn’t. It was those Metusonians.. However, sometimes, the thing I fear most about being princess is the fear that I might fail and that every pony would look down upon me because I failed..”

Jazz felt heartbroken. He knew how to relate to Twilight because throughout his life, ponies have rejected him to sign a music record label. It was why he decided to become a travelling musician, in hopes that some pony could recognize the musical talent that he possessed. All he ever dreamed of was to become a professional musician, but constant rejection was the only thing he’s went through in his journey.

“That’s rough.. I’ve been through the same thing, kinda. My ultimate goal in life is to become a professional musician, but so far, it hasn’t worked out all that well. I’m still trying to find a way though,” Jazz proclaimed. “That’s why I go outside every night. Sometimes, looking at the stars and closing your eyes is the best thing you can do. It’s a constant reminder that even though times can be rough, tomorrow is a new day.”

Jazz’s words of wisdom touched Twilight because it was true. Tomorrow would be a new day for her and what happened in the past was gone now. Tomorrow would be a new beginning for her and tomorrow would give her a second chance to make things right.

“Thanks Jazz. Though, I really think we both should get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day,” Twilight suggested.

“I think you’re right,” Jazz responded back.

The two headed back inside Zecora’s hut. The storms had slowly calmed down and a small ray of sunshine shined through the trees in the forest.

Part IV

Part IV

The following morning, the ponies headed out to Ponyville to find the Empress.

“Where do you think the Empress is at?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“My best bet is that she is in Canterlot, where Princess Celestia and Luna are most likely help captive,” Cadance replied.

“Canterlot, here we come, then,” Rarity said.

Applejack gulped. “We’re gonna have to ride the train then, but the train station is across town!”

“Yup, that means wear your hooded robes at all times. Just stay low, act natural, and don’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Shining Armor proposed.

The ponies were about to enter Ponyville, where there were hundreds of Metusonians patrolling the town. The ponies gulped, but tried to remain composed, except for Fluttershy, who fainted, but immediately got up afterwards.

“We can do this,” Twilight assured.

The friends swiftly blended in with the Metusonians as they walked through Ponyville to get to the train station. The patrolling Metusonians did not notice the ponies sneaking to the train station. Most of the guards were busy celebrating their takeover of Ponyville and yelling “All Hail Empress Adrestia” and “For the Metusonian Empire”. Their dreams of the Metusonian Empire ruling the entire land of Equestria was about to be achieved, but neither did they know that Twilight and her friends were sneaking past them in disguises to stop their dream from becoming a reality.

The ponies eventually made it to the train station without getting caught.

“Phew, I think we’re in the clear, ya’ll,” Applejack uttered, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “I had a feeling we were gonna get caught for a moment.”

“Sneaking past them seemed a bit too easy if you ask me,” Rainbow replied back.

“Come on, let’s get in the train,” Twilight said, heading to the train.

All of a sudden, some pony hollered from not so far away, “WAIT!”

The friends looked back to see who was calling them, but to their horror, it was a Metusonian guard racing to them at full speed. The guard blocked the entrance to the train, disallowing Twilight and her friends to climb aboard the train.

“Uhm, is there a..” Twilight cleared her voice to speak in a more masculine tone. “Sorry, is there a problem here?”

“Yes there is…” the guard revealed. “I’m on to your ponies..”

“Whoa Nelly, that doesn’t sound too good,” Applejack whispered.

“Ssshh, remain quiet, AJ,” Rainbow Dash murmered.

“Uhh, what seems to be the problem?” Shining Armor inquired.

“You ponies think you can get on this train without showing any identification!? All Metusonians need to have their identifications with them at all times. It’s a rule. Don’t you know that?” the guard informed the ponies.

“Oh.. right.. Well, we must’ve left our IDs back.. at home. Must be in our other.. hooded robes. You know, laundry day?” Shining Armor replied back.

“Likely story.. Who are you? Take off your hoodie. Reveal yourself,” the guard ordered.

“He’s on to us..!!” Rarity whispered in panic.

“Quick, every pony! Gang up on him!” Rainbow Dash declared.

The guard was completely caught off guard and was quickly vanquished and knocked unconscious by the ponies’ ambush. The ponies then entered the train and hid the guard’s body in the closet.

“Okay! That was just way way way too close!” Rarity declared.

“You got that right,” Fluttershy agreed.

“Really Shining Armor!? We left our identification because it was laundry day? That must be the worst lie of all time,” Twilight joked with her brother.

“Twilight does have a point,” Cadance giggled.

“Haha, okay, I have to admit, I was never a good liar,” Shining Armor remarked.

“Yup same here!” Applejack responded back.

The ponies laughed, believing that they were in the clear; however, Jazz noticed something as they headed closer and closer to Canterlot.

“There are so many guards out there at the station,” Jazz recalled.

Every pony came to look for themselves.

“It’s probably just a precautionary measure,” Rarity hinted.

“Either way, time to put our hooded robes back on,” Shining Armor declared.

The train came to complete stop at the station. The ponies left the train and proceeded to head to the Canterlot Castle, but the Metusonian guards surrounded them. The guards whispered to each other, but the ponies could not hear what they were saying. One of the guards approached Twilight and suddenly took her hood off, revealing her face. The other guards did the same with her friends. They were compromised.

“Yup, that’s them. Take them to the Empress,” the guard ordered.

Part V

Part V

Back at the Canterlot Castle, Empress Adrestia was furious. Her plan for world domination was almost complete, but Twilight was the only pony that was holding her back.

“My plan is almost complete..” Empress Adrestia murmered. She stared off at the glass window and pointed at the picture of Princess Twilight. “But I can’t go on with the plan because of this pony!”

The doors suddenly opened and the guards entered the room with Twilight and her friends.

The guards kneeled down to the Empress. “My Empress. We have captured the pony that you seek.”

“Good! Now we can finally activate the Metus Diamond!”

“Twilight! Whatever you do, don’t give her your element! She’ll use it to release eternal chaos to our home!” Princess Celestia pleaded.

“Princess Celestia! Luna! Are you alright!? Twilight asked. “But what’s this Metus Diamond?”

“You’ll soon find out..” the Empress divulged. “All you have to do is give me your element. We can either do this the hard way or the easy way. Your choice..”

Shining Armor felt a rush of panic and broke away from the guards to help her sister from danger. “Don’t you dare hurt my sister, your monster!”

“Back away you fool!” Empress Adrestia roared, using her magic to aggressively push Shining Armor away. She threw him into Jazz and Princess Cadance, knocking all of them unconscious. The ponies gasped in terror.

“My friends!” Twilight helplessly called out.

“Guards! Lock her other friends up. Don’t give them any chance to stop me! Go!” the Empress commanded.

The guards used their magic to hold Twilight’s friends in captivity. All her friends could do now was to stand there and watch.

The Empress then turned to Twilight. “All you have to do is give me your element..”

Twilight hesitated for a slight moment, almost giving her crown to the Empress. However, at the very last second, she backed away, clutched her crown and placed it on her head. “No.. I can’t and will not! If I give you my element, Equestria won’t stand a chance against you and your empire! Equestria needs my Elements of Harmony to fight against evildoers like you!”

“Very well,” the Empress said. All of a sudden, she blasted a beam of magic at Twilight, using her fear spell. Twilight’s friends hopelessly watched to see what the Empress was doing to their friend.

Twilight was back in the dark room.

“You left me no choice, Twilight!” Empress Adrestia echoed.

“I will not give you my crown!” Twilight argued.

The Empress used her magic to replay the Ponyville anniversary incident in front of Twilight. “Why not!? You were never meant to be a princess! Don’t you remember the failures that you’ve done. Every pony thinks you weren’t cut out for royalty! Perhaps, even your own friends think so as well..” Adrestia mocked.

This time, Twilight knew the Empress was lying. She knew everything now and what really happened at the Ponyville anniversary. She remembered back in the cave, when her friends told her the truth and how they would always stand by her. All her memories with her friends played back in her mind. She even remembered Jazz’s words of wisdom back at Zecora’s hut. She remembered those exact words “Sometimes, looking at the stars and closing your eyes is the best thing you can do. It’s a constant reminder that even though times can be rough, tomorrow is a new day.” Today was a new day for Twilight and it was a day to make things right once and for all. Twilight stood tall against the Empress and closed her eyes.

Back in the real world, the guards were about to snatch the crown from Twilight, as she was busy being distracted by the Empress in their alternative universe. However, as they were about to steal the crown, they were immediately shocked back. The guards wondered what was going on, but then they noticed something was happening to Twilight’s crown. It was glowing. The crown then blasted a force field around Twilight, preventing the guards from getting near her and the crown. The guards tried, in every bit of their power, to get the crown, but the force field prevented them from doing so. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Twilight’s friends all looked in awe as to what was happening. The magic of friendship was protecting her.

In the alternative aniverse, Twilight’s eyes remained closed. The Empress seemed confused as to what she was doing.

Twilight then opened her eyes and spoke. “You’re wrong, Empress Adrestia. It wasn’t me who ruined this party. It was you. I now know that I was always meant to be a princess and I know why I will always beat you. I have a power that you will never know because the lust for power has corrupted you. The magic of friendship is the most powerful magic of all and the magic of friendship is what not only protects Equestria, but me as well!”

On the spur of the moment, Twilight unleashed a powerful beam of magic that not only freed her from Empress Adrestia’s fear spell, but freed her friends from their captivity. Twilight’s beam of magic also snatched the other elements of harmony from the Metusonians and returned them back to their rightful owners.

“Twilight! You did it! We all knew you could!” Applejack said.

“That was… AWESOME!” Rainbow Dash blurted out.

“That was simply marvelous, Twilight!” Rarity complimented.

The Empress couldn’t believe what she was seeing. No pony had ever broken free from her powerful fear spell. “NO!! How!? How can this be!?”

“It’s over, Empress Adrestia! It’s time to end this!” Princess Twilight exclaimed.

Empress Adrestia felt something boil inside of her. “NO! I’ve come this far, waited this long for this dream to plan out, and I’m not going to let you meddling ponies take it all away from me!”

Empress Adrestia turned to the ponies and began to power up her magic from her horn. Twilight and her friends activated their elements and proceeded to attack the Empress and defend their homeland. All of a sudden, Empress Adrestia fired a strong beam of magic at the ponies, in which the ponies fired the power of the elements right back at the Empress. The two beams of magic aligned in the center. The two beams of magic battled back and forth, but the power of the Elements of Harmony slowly began to overpower Empress Adrestia’s magic. Empress Adrestia began to panic, realizing that she was about to lose everything that she had dreamed of, but suddenly, her magic rapidly began to overpower the Elements of Harmony.

Twilight realized the Elements of Harmony was weakening. “Why are the Elements weakening!?”

“HA! The Elements are still corrupted by my dark magic!” Empress Adrestia hollered out.

At the corner of the room, Jazz regained consciousness and saw his friends battle with the Empress. He noticed that Adrestia’s magic was overpowering his friends so in an act of quick wits, Jazz fired his own beam of magic towards the Empress, combining his magic with the Elements of Harmony. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor also regained consciousness and noticed Jazz helping out their friends by firing magic at the Empress.

“Help us!” Jazz implored.

Realizing their friends need their help, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance fired their own magic at the Empress.

With the help of their friends, the power of the Elements of Harmony raced towards the Empress in full speed.

At the last second before defeat, Empress Adrestia hollered out a desperate “NOOOOOOOO”. As the Elements of Harmony defeated the Empress, the powers of its magic spread throughout Equestria, physically expelling the Metusonians out of Equestria, banishing them for good.

The heroic ponies opened their eyes to see if they had won.

“Is it over?” Princess Twilight asked.

“Yes, Twilight. It’s finally over,” Princess Celestia responded, freed from her captivity. Princess Celestia looked at the Mane Six. “You have saved us all.”

‘Yee haw! We’ve done it every pony!” Applejack cheered, kicking her front hooves up in the air.

The rest of the ponies cheered and congratulated one another. However, they heard a mysterious noise that was coming out of the castle.

“What is that noise?” Rarity asked.

Princess Celestia showed them to the windows. “That, my little ponies, is a sound of an applause.”

As Twilight and her friends looked over the windows, they saw hundreds, if not thousands, of ponies stomping their hooves at the ground. Some ponies whistled while others hollered out the names of the heroic ponies.

Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight!

Applejack! Applejack!

Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!

Rarity! Rarity!

Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie!

Fluttershy! Fluttershy!

The round of applause and the repeated roars of their names sounded louder and louder. Rainbow Dash embraced her heroic moment, showing off dance moves in the middle of the air to please the crowd. Fluttershy, on the other hand, cowered behind her friends, not liking the center of attention.

Twilight, however, realized that they wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Metusonians, without the help of Jazz, Shining Armor, and Cadance, who were all left off in the applause.

“Wait, what about Jazz, Cadance, and my brother?” Twilight asked. “They deserve the applause too.”

“It’s fine, Twilight. Embrace this moment. If this isn’t a sign that you were always meant to be a Princess, then I don’t know what is,” Jazz replied back.

“No, Twilight’s right. We would’ve never been able to stop the Empress without your help!” Rainbow Dash added.

“Yeah, we still would’ve been stuck in that yucky disgusting cave!” Rarity continued.

“Really, ponies. It’s no bother,” Jazz exclaimed.

“No. Your friends are right, Jazz. You deserve the recognition as much as your friends. Your quick actions when you knew your friends needed the extra help in defeating the Empress.. It’s examples like that that made me know I chose the right pony for the job,” Princess Celestia explained.

“I- I don’t understand, Princess. Out of any other pony, why did you choose me?” Jazz inquired.

“Because Jazz.. I see something in you. You don’t give up. I know you’ve been chasing your dream of becoming a professional musician. No matter how many times other ponies bring you down, you keep going. You’ve shown me that it doesn’t matter how you go down, no matter how grim anything may seem, the only thing that matters is how you climb right back up. I also understand you’re trying to find your own place in Equestria,” Princess Celestia answered, pointing Jazz toward Twilight and her friends. “Well, maybe if you look right in front of you, I think you’ve already found a home.”

“In Ponyville.. with my friends..” Jazz emphasized.

“You have a lot of potential, Jazz. Just like how Twilight has learned so much about friendship through her time in Ponyville, I think you can learn as much too,” Princess Celestia added.

“You should, Jazz! You’ll have a grand time in Ponyville!” Rarity said.

“Ya’ll can have all the apple pies in the world!” Applejack chuckled.

“I want some pie right now..” Pinkie Pie acknowledged.

“Don’t ya worry Pinkie. There’ll be plenty of pies to go around!” Applejack said.

Pinkie Pie leaped up in the air. “Yippee!”

“Anyways.. Jazz.. Ponyville is a place where every pony cares about each other because we are all friends. Ponyville would be a great home for you!” Twilight reminded.

Twilight and her friends all awaited for their friend to make a decision.

“All this time, through my time as a travelling musician, I’ve only cared about one thing only and that thing was my dream. I didn’t have any friends and I didn’t have any pony. For most of my life, I’ve always had to do things on my own, but now I do realize something. That, there is something else I do care about other than music. It’s my friends. The new friends that I’ve made in Ponyville. I want to stay in Ponyville. I want to stay with my friends even if it means I have to ,” Jazz responded back.

“Well, if there’s one thing you should know about Ponyville, it’s that we all give our new guests a big, welcoming hug!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

The ponies gave their friend a gigantic hug, almost suffocating Jazz in the process.

“That reminds me, Twilight. How is your Ponyville anniversary coming along?” Princess Celestia asked.

“We were done planning out the party, but then the Metusonians ruined it all. I’m afraid Ponyville won’t get that special anniversary after all..” Twilight revealed.

“Well, who says it’s too late? The day is still new. I think we have time to throw an even better party!” Jazz suggested.

Twilight smiled. “Today is a new day.”

“Come on, every pony! Let’s go throw that party!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

Back in Ponyville, a second party was thrown. Every pony danced, cheered, and hung out with each pony. Rainbow Dash rushed to her friends, who were hanging out at Twilight’s house.

“Hey, what are you ponies doing inside? You’re gonna miss the fireworks!” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh, I don’t wanna miss this with my new friend!” Spike said. “Let’s go Jazz!”

The ponies and Spike headed outside to watch the fireworks light the night sky.

“Wow, that sure looks amazing, ya’ll,” Applejack said.

“Right! This pie really is amazing!” Pinkie Pie replied back, too busy eating pies to pay attention to the fireworks.

“Oh Pinkie..” Twilight giggled.

“I think I am really going to like it here in Ponyville,” Jazz acknowledged.

“You’re going to love it here in Ponyville, Jazz!” Rarity replied back.

The ponies laughed and talked as the fireworks filled the night sky. They were having a great time hanging out with each other, thankful that the Metusonian nightmare had come to an end. Today was a good day; after all, today was a new day.

Introduction

Introduction

Twilight's Worst Fear

Underneath the dark caves of Ponyville lies a mysterious force thought to have been extinct long ago. Once a huge threat to all of Equestria, they were finally defeated when Princess Celestia banished them from Equestria. However, after years and years of hiding in the shadows, they were finally prepared to invade Equestria once again.

A guard entered the chambers of the dark descends. “My Empress. We have found the missing piece that will finally put our plan to rule Equestria into action.”

“Tell me at once what this missing piece you speak of!” demanded the empress.

“It is known as the Elements of Harmony. We need to use our magic to manipulate this artifact to work in our favor. Once we are able to use this great power, we’ll indubitably be able to break open of the Metus Diamond. With the power of the Diamond, Equestria will be ours and no pony will stand a chance against us!” the guard revealed.

The Empress gave the guard this glaring look in her eyes. “Where do we find these so called elements?”

“We believe it’s in Ponyville. The elements of Harmony belong to six mares. We don’t exactly have names of the ponies however…” the guard slowly murmured.

“No matter! Prepare my minions! We will force those ponies in Ponyville to give us answers. Now go!” demanded the Empress, maniacally laughing as her plan goes into full effect.