Returning with Purpose

Chapters

Prologue: A Familiar Face
A Little Bit Off
Corrupted
I Know You
Epilogue

Prologue: A Familiar Face

Twilight regained consciousness to the sound of her friends' voices. What happened...?

It came back to her after a moment. They had used the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon, forming the Element of Magic in the process. She looked over at the collapsed form of the Princess of the Night as she lay next to the throne. There stood a tall unicorn with pale yellow fur and a faded red mane. Twilight's brow furrowed. Have I seen that pony before? She turned to her friends to call their attention to the unexpected visitor, but she was rendered momentarily speechless at the sight of her new found friends wearing the Elements in the form of jewellery. She was wearing one herself, which distracted her until the sun rose and Celestia arrived.

After the heartfelt reunion of the two sisters, Pinkie declared that she would throw a party and began herding everyone out of the castle. Twilight stopped and looked back at the end of the room where Luna had lain. There was something important she had forgotten to say. She stood there a moment trying to remember...

But the Party Pony butted Twilight with her head, pushing her out the door. "C'mon Twilight! It's PARTY TIME!"

A rainbow formed and split in two, creating a dome of powerful magic. It flashed and expanded out across Equestria. The chaotic changes that Discord had unleashed were reversed in a matter of seconds, and the chaos spirit himself fell to the ground as a statue once again.

Twilight looked around, amazed at how everything had returned so quickly to normal. A handful of ponies who hadn't escaped the immediate vicinity peered out of their homes, looking around warily. Upon seeing the incapacitated Discord, they rushed out to thank the six ponies who had saved them.

All but one yellow and red pegasus, who was flying away from everyone. Haven't I seen her before? No, that was a unicorn I think... But she seems so familiar...

Twilight couldn't think on it further, as the grateful ponies of Ponyville hoisted her up on their backs to parade her through town. By the time she had a moment to herself again, she completely forgot about the pony who had flown away.

A power more vast than that of any princess surround the six rainbow ponies. Beams of light shot out, driving into Tirek. Twilight felt the magic of every pony in Equestria coursing into her and her friends. With that power, it was easy to open a portal to Tartarus. As they sapped the last of his power, she drove the centaur into the underworld, back into his cage.

As the portal shut, Twilight saw a familiar yellow and red figure step through the portal, following Tirek. This time, Twilight recognized her for what she was. An alicorn, possessing both horn and wings. It's her! It was her both times before!

The alicorn nodded at Twilight, a look of pride on her face. Before Twilight could say anything, the portal closed. She wanted to reopen it, but she could feel that the power her friends were holding was too much. It was urgent that they return the magic to ponies across Equestria before it did them harm trying to contain it. She would find her afterwards.

Much later, after all the celebrating, Twilight tried to get settled in her new home. But there was something that was bothering her, something that she needed to do. It's probably something I meant to do in the library. Whatever it was, it's much too late now. She heaved a sigh for her lost home, but tried to make the best of it.

A Little Bit Off

Twilight Sparkle was in high spirits. She'd spent the last three days in the Starswirl wing of the Canterlot Library. Literally the last three days. She'd slept there and had Spike bring her meals there. But she'd gotten a good lead on several spells she'd been researching.

Becoming an alicorn wouldn't be the only spell she would be the first to cast successfully. Recently she'd been tracking down Starswirl's incomplete research, as well as anything else that looked promising. She'd figure out if any of the spells were viable, and how to finish them.

She was almost back at Ponyville, which was fortunate because she'd flown the entire way. She wasn't used to this much exercise, but if she'd sat in the chariot Celestia had lent her, she wouldn't have been able to stuff as many books and reams of notes into it. Spike sat on top, snatching at the occasional bit of paper that tried to escape all the straps he'd put them under.

The two royal guardsmen in charge of pulling the chariot landed in front of her castle, visibly grateful to be on the ground again. It hadn't been easy for them carrying all that weight. Twilight directed Spike to unload the chariot, a task that would likely take hours. Not that the guardsmen were in any hurry to leave now that they had a chance to rest.

She turned to the doors intending to enter, but that small part of her mind not totally occupied with what she'd read stopped her. She looked at her castle, decidedly more colourful than when she'd left it. Banners and flags festooned the exterior of the building. They were all manner of colours and designs, bordering on the ridiculous in their variety. Standing in front of her home, mouth agape, she tried to think who would go to all this trouble. Rarity. It has to be. She's gone on a sewing spree again.

Trotting inside, Twilight was greeted with every variety of interior decor which could be made with cloth. More banners here. Tapestries over there. Table cloths and doilies abound. "Wuh?" the princess wondered.

The mare responsible for all this came prancing through as if in response to the question. Rarity was carrying one more tablecloth, intricately hemmed with her special gold cloth. "Now I know I saw an end table somewhere that this would look lovely on..."

"Rarity! What... why?"

"Oh Twilight, darling! You're back! So glad to see you. I took the liberty of sprucing the place up a bit while you were gone. It was much too dull in here."

"A bit..." Twilight paused to regain her composure. "I do appreciate it Rarity, but isn't this more than you can spare? You must have used most of the materials you have to make all this!"

"Oh but you know me, I enjoy making things for my friends. Now, I must be off." She used her magic to deftly fold the cloth and place it on a table. "If you see the bare table this is meant for, be sure to make use of it." As Rarity trotted out of the main hall and outside, she called back "be sure to have a look at the dresses I put in your room!"

Twilight could only exclaim to herself "dresses too??"

Well, they are really nice dresses thought Twilight as she examined her new wardrobe later that evening.

A knocking at her door announced a visitor. "Twilight? Mind if ah come in?" came the sound of Applejack's familiar drawl.

"Of course!" Twilight smiled brightly as her friend entered. "Anything I can do for you?"

"You sure can. Ah'm here to fetch you. Pinkie's gone an' thrown you a surprise party for your comin' home."

A moment of awkward silence stretched out before Twilight spoke. "So... you probably shouldn't have told me that."

Applejack put her hoof to her face in annoyance at herself. "Nope, ah reckon ah should've kept that to myself." She put her hoof down and turned to the door. "Well just try to act a li'l surprised when we get there. She worked real hard at it."

"Pinkie always works really hard when she throws a party. She's Pinkie."

"Yeah, but ah mean extra hard, even fer Pinkie. Without slackin' off on anythin' else she has to do either. Ah'm not sure how she found the time."

Twilight didn't have to act surprised. She had been expecting Sugarcube Corner, but the party was at the Carousel Boutique. How Pinkie could have convinced Rarity to hold a party in here was beyond her. Even more shocking was the inside of the building, a collection of streamers, "welcome home" banners, balloons and other party supplies. She literally couldn't see the ceiling. Tables piled high with sweets and other food cluttered the room. It was all so overwhelming that Twilight continued to stand and stare even after Pinkie erupted from behind a table, overturning it in the process.

"SURPRISE!! You're back! Well it's not a surprise that you're back it's a surprise for you because your back 'cause you'd been away for so long and so you deserve a SURPRISE!" rambled the party pony as she waded through the food she'd spilled off the table.

Twilight could only think to say "Pinkie, you have cake all over your hooves..."

She giggled and snorted at this statement. "Cake doesn't go on hooves, silly. It goes in your mouth! I made lots and lots too. I did a whole bunch of baking today. And last night. And the day before." She wobbled slightly as she was talking, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Twilight could see how she found time to get all this done.

Twilight's voice took on a motherly tone. "Pinkie, I appreciate this but I was only gone for three days. This is too much. When was the last time you slept?"

"You were only gone for three days? Hahaha heh hmm, I guess it's hard to keep track. I didn't sleep while you were gone. I got the great idea to bake cakes and bring them to ponies and sing them songs and then they would smile! I like making ponies smile! And then I had to throw you a party because you'd been gone forever and I missed you and so here's a party so we can all smile and be happy!"

"You've been awake for three days?? Pinkie, please go to bed, that isn't healthy."

Her smile slowly faded to be replaced with a look of disappointment. "But... I threw you a party. Don't you want to party...?"

Twilight quickly tried to think up a solution that wouldn't hurt her friend. "I can't party and smile if I'm worried about you. What if I promise to stay and enjoy your party and you promise to go to bed?" She forced a smile, unsure if this would work.

"Hmmmmmmmm... Pinkie Promise?"

"Cross My Heart, Hope to Fly, Stick a Cupcake in my Eye."

"Okie dokie lokie! But I wanna hear how much fun you had later!"

Twilight stifled a sigh of relief. "I will, now go to bed."

Pinkie bounded out the door and on her way home, knocking into the occasional wall or barrel.

"Applejack, could you please make sure Pinkie gets home? I guess I have to stay here. Can't break a Pinkie Promise."

"Ah'll get 'er home safe. Ah'm just as worried as you are. Pinkie's an odd one to start, but with no sleep she's as loopy as Big Mac is over yer Smarty Pants doll."

"Wh- No, never mind, just go help Pinkie."

Applejack, cheeks scarlet at having blurted out her brother's secret, gratefully turned from Twilight to gallop after Pinkie.

Twilight sat on a part of the floor not covered in food. "What is wrong with my friends today..."

Corrupted

Twilight had been hoping that her other friends would show up to this party of Pinkie's, but instead she'd spent half the night alone in Rarity's boutique. She'd cleaned everything up to pass the time, worrying the entire time. She was concerned for the three friends she'd seen today, but she was starting to worry something had happened, something that may have affected all her friends. It was just a feeling, but it was a strong one.

Discord maybe? There was the time that he turned all of her friends against the Elements which they embodied. Maybe he was trying something else this time.

As she wrapped up her cleaning, she discovered something else amiss. Once all of the party supplies and food were gone, the boutique was empty. Not one outfit, not a scrap of cloth or ribbon. Her chest of gemstones was gone, as was most of her furniture. It looked as though Rarity was moving out, but there were no boxes. There is definitely something going on here.

Outside, the moon was high in the sky. She was tired, but a life of study had involved more that one all-nighter. Sleep could wait until after she found out what was the matter with her friends. She'd start by finding Rarity.

Twilight spent over an hour flying around town trying to find her friend before she realized how futile it was. If she was indoors, she'd never see her. And it was the middle of the night, so there was nopony to ask if they had seen her.

Sighing, she turned and glided toward Sugarcube Corner, which wasn't too far away. She could at least make sure that Pinkie had arrived home safely and was sleeping. After that, she would see if Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were home so she could make sure they were alright.

Before even arriving at the sweets shop over which Pinkie lived, Twilight had cause for worry. Several lights were on. She had hoped everypony would be asleep by now. Landing at the front door, she could hear faintly the sound of the twins crying. Maybe the babies had woken up their parents and that was all. Maybe Pinkie was sleeping right through the noise. Twilight knocked on the door, paused, knocked again. Deciding that she would be forgiven for coming inside uninvited, she entered the shop. Nopony was in the shop proper of course, they would all be upstairs. Closing the door behind her, she found her way to the stairs. Ascending, she called ahead so as not to startle the Cakes. "Hello? It's just me, Twilight. I came to check on Pinkie."

Mrs. Cake appeared from the twins' room. Her distress was written across her face, quashing any hope Twilight had that things were alright with Pinkie. Mrs. Cake started rambling as soon as she saw her. "Oh Twilight, I'm so glad you're here. We just didn't know what to do with Pinkie! Applejack brought her here but Pinkie just sat on her bed and laughed. At first we were just annoyed because she woke the twins, but then we got frightened because she wouldn't stop, not even to talk to us. She just kept laughing, looking at us like we should be laughing too. My husband and Applejack took her to the hospital. Please Twilight go help her!"

Twilight stared at Mrs. Cake for a long moment as she tried to process all this. "O-of course! I'll go right now! Thank you, Mrs. Cake." Twilight hurried outside and flew off in the direction of Ponyville Hospital.

Twilight approached the hospital so quickly she nearly crash-landed in front of it's doors. Bursting inside, she ran up to the front desk. "My friend is..."

The nurse on duty nodded. "Of course Princess. I assume you're here about your three friends. The doctor wanted to see you about them as soon as possible." Before Twilight could voice any questions, the nurse ushered her through a door to the waiting doctor.

"Ah, Princess. It's fortunate I didn't have to send someone out to find you."

"What happened to my friends??"

The doctor began walking down the hall, Twilight following. "As for Applejack and Pinkie, they're both safe. Although given their behaviour I decided to place the both of them in our psychiatric ward."

"I heard from Mrs. Cake what happened with Pinkie, but what did Applejack do? She seemed okay...ish when I saw her earlier."

"Based on Mr. Cake's story, her behaviour changed as they carried Pinkie here. By the time they were at our doors, she had become unresponsive. Now she alternates between listening to something that isn't there and making statements about various residents of Ponyville. I can't verify the truth of most of these statements, since they generally involve facts that the pony in question would keep secret."

"She did say a couple of things she shouldn't have when I talked to her today... But what's causing this?"

"That's why I wanted to get in touch with you, Ms. Sparkle. I am in the process of running tests, but I suspect it's something magical in nature. A curse or somesuch. You being the resident expert on magic, I was hoping you could help. Especially considering the... self-destructive nature of what Rarity has done."

"Rarity! So she's here... Is she in the psychiatric ward too?"

"No... I'm afraid she's in our recovery ward. Earlier today she came in to donate blood, which we're always grateful for. Ponyville has an excellent safety record but accidents do happen. Well, after we were finished she asked how long she would have to wait before donating again. We told her that she should wait at least two months, which she seemed very disappointed to hear, but I didn't think anything of it. Now here is where I made a mistake that I must apologize for, Ms. Sparkle. After we had set the equipment aside, the nurse and I were called away for an emergency. We left Rarity alone in that room. She had been paying attention to how the equipment worked, because after we left she set everything up again and began drawing more of her own blood. She... nearly killed herself."

Twilight was beginning to shake. "But she'll be okay, right?"

"Physically, yes. There will be some significant recovery time, but she'll recover. Mentally... Well, your friends' new behaviours seem quite sudden, so I'm going to assume for the time being that it's magic. We'll ensure their safety, I promise. I'm going to ask you to try to discover a cause for this. I have great faith in your capabilities, Princess."

Twilight calmed somewhat, having the problem reduced to something she was familiar with: research. "Y-yes! I've saved my friends before, I can do it again. Let's go have a look at them first, then I'll go to my library."

The doctor had been leading them toward Rarity's room as they spoke, and he showed her in. Rarity was lying unconscious, an IV line in her foreleg. Twilight approached her, wondering what she could find out here. She leaned in close, wracking her brain for any spells she knew which might identify a curse. As she leaned in, Rarity's eyes snapped open, startling Twilight into backing away.

The eyes in Rarity's face were not her own. They were swirling pools of sickly greens and purples, less eyes than holes into someplace else. It was almost painful to look into them, but even without looking Twilight was sure they were looking directly at her. Rarity's mouth opened and issued forth a noise. The noise struck her in waves, nauseating her. It wasn't speech, but some part of her understood it as speech.

[Ah, Nova. You're late. Can you not be troubled to protect the Elements anymore?]

"Nova...? I'm not-"

[Don't.] This dismissive statement came with a particularly strong pulse of the noise. Twilight heard the doctor behind her flee. [You may have changed your appearance, but I can feel the Elements of Harmony connected through you. Weak as I sense you've become, you cannot hide your nature from me. You are the Element that completes the other five, you are Aurora Nova.]

The noise made Twilight want to cower or run, but she stood strong. "Yes, I am the bearer of the sixth Element, the Element of-"

[I don't care. You're telling me things I already know. What I did care to discover is that you have little control over the Elements anymore. See how easily I have caused them to spin out of control? See how this one was so generous as to give her very life's blood? The one who can do nothing but laugh at the world around her? The one who can only speak the truths that I whisper to her?]

Twilight allowed the presence, whatever it was, to gloat. The more it talked the more she would learn and the better her chances of stopping it...

[And Kindness! You used magic to warp her form once before, then you had the shear arrogance of setting a chaos spirit to protect her! His magic comes from my realm. The results of my magic mingling with yours in that Element were... surprising. And pleasing. Go on, find your other two Elements. Bring them together. I'll allow you that small comfort as I breach this world of yours. You can't stop me this time, Nova. You're to weak now.]

Rarity's eyes returned to normal as they closed. The last echo of the noise ceased, leaving the room silent but for Twilight's ragged breathing. Resisting the effects of that sound had strained her immensely. She stumbled away from the bed and vomited in the corner of the room. Then she shook her head and steeled herself. "Get it together, Twilight. Your friends are counting on you." She galloped out of the room, down the hall past the cowering doctor. She was sure that once he recovered he would look after his friends as he'd promised. For now she had to find her two pegasus friends.

I Know You

Outside of Ponyville Hospital, Twilight took to the sky. She had barely started though before she nearly collided with another, much larger flier in the darkness.

"Twilight!" shouted Discord as he flapped his mismatched wings furiously to stay aloft, "I finally found you. Please, you have to help Fluttershy."

Twilight had never seen Discord like this. Flying by wing power rather than magic, wringing his hands as he looked hopefully at her. The normally arrogant draconequus looked small and helpless like this. "I have some idea what's going on. Is she at her cottage? Let's go."

Nodding, Discord flew toward the outskirts of Ponyville. "Something terrible has happened to dear, sweet Fluttershy. At first she was only acting oddly, concerned for the safety of animals that were already in the safety of her cottage. But then she began to change. I'd heard of your little experiment with the spell on the fruit bats, so I knew that those fangs and wings were your spell reasserting itself. I didn't know why that was, but I wasn't going to have such a thing happen to Fluttershy. I tried to drive out your magic with my own. It should have worked, it should have... Instead..."

"But it didn't. Something interfered."

"Yes, exactly! This is why I came to you, you're the smart one. I didn't feel it at first, but I can feel it everywhere now. Something is coming, something that can do as it likes with my magic. That's why I flew to find you. I dare not use my magic."

"You did the right thing Discord. Now save your breath. I want to get to Fluttershy as quickly as we can."

The sky was beginning to lighten as they arrived on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Dawn would be here very soon.

The pair landed in front of the cottage, the door of which was open. Twilight rushed inside, fearing Fluttershy would be gone. Objects were strewn all over the room, and neither Fluttershy nor any of her animals were here. They quickly searched the house to be sure, but not a living thing was left. So they expanded their search to the area around the cottage.

"Here, Twilight! Something... a lot of things were dragged into the forest. Could it have been Fluttershy?"

From behind the both of them, a voice softly answered. "She said she needed more room for all the animals."

Twilight and Discord spun around, coming face-to-face with a yellowish alicorn with faded red hair. "You!" blurted out Twilight, "I know you! From... from the other times I've used the Elements. Yes, I remember you now!"

The alicorn smiled a tired smile. "Well, I'm around more than that. I did come near on those occasions, though. I was concerned my help might be needed. But you've proved more than capable."

"You always left though." Uncertainty snuck into Twilight's voice. "Are you... are you talking to me now because I'm not capable of defeating whatever this is?"

"Not alone, no. I only defeated it the first time when we were all at our full strength. We need to work together to help your friends if we are going to have any chance."

"What is it? And for that matter, who are you?"

The mysterious pony looked at the rising sun, as if she could see the creature they spoke of. "The creature we prevented from entering our world never gave a name. I don't think it has one. We just called it the Corrupter, because of what it did to some ponies as it pierced the wall between here and wherever it comes from." She turned to Twilight. "As for myself, I am Aurora Nova, the New Dawn, one of the Elements of Harmony."

Twilight couldn't believe this. "But there are only six Elements! Are you trying to tell me there are seven? That doesn't make sense! That would mean we've been missing one all along, so why would they even work right?"

"It's... a little complicated. I'm from another age, when things worked differently. I've been in hiding in case I would be needed for a moment like this. I'll explain later though. Right now we need to help your friends."

Twilight still wanted to know more, but Nova was right. "Alright, let's find Fluttershy."

"Fluttershy will have to wait. We don't have the strength yet to undo that damage. Let's go get your other friends. Discord, you remain in the cottage and keep an eye on the forest. You'll only slow us down without your magic."

Discord hung his head in resignation. "Please hurry. It kills me to know that Fluttershy is in danger."

"Of course." With that, the two alicorns flew back to the hospital.

They flew over Ponyville as ponies began to exit their houses for the day. Twilight was vaguely aware that they looked distressed, but it was hard to tell from this height. Probably they were shocked by the appearance of another alicorn. Turning to Nova, she was surprised by her appearance. Maybe it was the sun rising in the sky, but Nova's fur and mane were brightening, becoming less washed-out in appearance. Twilight didn't have much time to think on it before they arrived. They were barely on the ground before they were in the door, marching down the hall past the nurse.

They arrived in Rarity's room first. "Touch your horn to mine, follow my lead" commanded the now much revived-looking Nova.

Twilight did as told, wanting to see her friend safe. Their horns together, Twilight could feel the twining threads of power that was a spell in the making. She didn't recognize it, but she was able to help it along as it formed, strengthening it. Then it coursed out and into her friend's unconscious body.

Rarity stirred, blinking her eyes open. "Twilight? I... I'm so tired, darling..." She sat up. "No, I feel better now. Whatever you did, thank you. I... I don't think I've been in my right mind recently..." Then she noticed Nova. "I know you! From... from somewhere."

"You do know me, but I don't think you've seen me before. I'll explain later. We have to hurry."

Rarity turned to Twilight, looking for reassurance. Twilight nodded. "She's here to help."

Together, they went to the psychiatric ward to perform a similar spell on Pinkie and Applejack. This one was a little easier, as neither was in as bad shape physically as Rarity had been. They just had to reverse the Corrupter's influence. After more confusion and explanations, they hurried outside to find Rainbow Dash. "This way," stated Nova, "my power is returning and I can sense her now."

As they galloped through town, they saw the townsfolk milling about in confusion. It took a minute to register what was wrong before Applejack gasped, "their cutie marks! Ah don' see one on anypony but us!"

Nova didn't slow as she quickly answered, "that is my doing. I'm taking back their cutie marks because I need to be at full strength. They'll be fine later."

"Taking back..." began Twilight before a stern look from Nova reminded her that they were in a rush. The alicorn was looking less and less like the faded-out ghost of a creature she'd seen before. Her fur was practically golden now, and her mane was a fiery red. They pressed on.

They found Rainbow Dash on a hill near town. She looked like she had crash-landed hard, and her fur and feathers were rimed with frost. Two of her legs were at a an angle that could only mean broken bones. As they approached, she was rambling to herself, barely conscious. "I can't... I can't see the stars. I... I had... Scoota... she wanted a star..."

Nova looked down on Rainbow Dash with motherly concern. "Loyalty. Someone she cares for wanted a star from the sky and she literally tried to bring it to them. A lesser pony would have died after passing out from lack of oxygen up there."

Together, they performed the spell for Rainbow Dash. It took longer than the others, to mend her broken bones, but it was accomplished all the same. They were almost all together now. They just had to go back for Fluttershy.

Back at the cottage, Nova did not seem surprised that Discord was missing. "She must have drawn him into the forest. Come, we'll retrieve them."

They entered the forest, the dense canopy of which quickly blotted out the sun. It was always dark in the Everfree Forest. They waded through the undergrowth, following the trail of whatever Fluttershy had been dragging. It didn't take them long to find out what it was, either. They began passing trees with strange ovoid shapes stuck to their trunks. The objects were brownish-green and irregular in shape and size. "The animals" was all Nova said, striking everyone with the realization that Fluttershy had somehow encased all of her animal friends in these... pods.

As they pressed on, they began to hear singing in the distance. It was Fluttershy's voice, but different. More beautiful than ever, really. As they approached the source, they saw a deer in the distance, also approaching the sound.

The singing stopped. With a flash of bared fangs, something yellow and sinuous struck down from the canopy and snatched up the deer. Four spindly, many-jointed objects they now recognized as legs moved slightly. The legs stretched down from the canopy above. Two of them reached up into the canopy, doing something unseen, then pulled down ones of the pods. The pod, large enough to contain the deer, was stuck to the nearest tree. Fluttershy's voice cooed "there, safe inside now. Nothing can hurt you in there." Then the singing began again.

"I believe this is close enough" whispered Nova. The others nodded in agreement.

The spell to reverse the damage the Corrupter had done took hours it seemed. Maybe it had, it was hard to tell in the forest. They had to stay a distance away from their friend as they cast, but it was finally done.

Collecting a confused and frightened Fluttershy, they stopped only to find the pod containing Discord. They instructed him to free and care for the animals before they themselves returned to the cottage.

Back at the cottage, they sat and rested in the main room. Nova motioned for Twilight to follow her outside.

"It will take a little time to gather the rest of my power from across Equestria. In the meantime, I owe you an explanation." Nova closed her eyes and began drawing in her power as she spoke. "Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, Generosity. These are things which bring a community together, yes? If one were to be completely missing, that would be a very unhappy community indeed. People would not get along."

"Of course, those are the Elements of Harmony. Those and Magic."

"Magic binds the other five Elements together. But let me ask you this: what would happen if a community had no magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"What of those towns with no unicorns? Do they suffer, become disharmonious, squabble and accomplish nothing?"

"No... I suppose not... What are you saying...?" Twilight looked very distraught at what Nova was implying.

"Twilight Sparkle, the Sixth Element of Harmony is Purpose. I am that Element. I spread my power across all of Equestria to give ponies purpose in their lives, through their cutie marks. In my absence, I used magic to bind the remaining five Elements. It was a temporary measure, something that I did because the true sixth Element was missing."

Twilight was shocked, but she knew deep down that Nova wasn't lying. "But I'm... what am I, then?"

Nova opened her eyes, her mane bursting into flame as her full power returned. "I'm sorry Twilight, but in order to defeat the Corrupter, I have to take back my rightful place."

In that moment, Twilight felt something deep inside her break, fall apart. That connection that she had all her life. That magical connection to her five friends she'd had all her life. It was gone. Taken away. "No..." she whimpered. She slumped to the ground. She was only vaguely aware of Nova returning to the cottage.

"Come, Twilight will be right behind us, we will defeat the Corrupter and protect Equestria!!"

"No..."

Epilogue

The Corrupter was driven out, prevented from entering this world. Aurora Nova, Element of Purpose, had seen to that along with the other five Elements.

Everyone's cutie marks had been returned as Nova released her power again.

Twilight had eagerly awaited the return of what had been taken from her, but to no avail.

A connection broken couldn't be returned so easily. The Elements were connected to the pony they truly belonged to now.

Nova had explained that whoever control of the Elements passed on to next, as they had passed to them from Celesta, would have an Element of Magic again. But for Twilight, no more.

Sitting on a balcony of her palace in the pre-dawn light, Princess Twilight considered what this meant for her. She had her cutie mark back, just the same as it was. Which meant that her purpose in life supposedly hadn't changed. If she wasn't the Element of Magic then, what was she?

Her friends had done their best to comfort her once they realized what had happened. They were resentful to Nova, but Twilight had asked them not to blame her. She'd done what needed to be done for Equestria.

It had been weeks now, and she was starting to get use to the empty place where the connection the Elements used to be. The connection to her friends. But that was something magic, wasn't it? Not something emotional. Her friends were as much her friends now as they'd been before. She smiled a little thinking of the lengths they'd gone to trying to prove that to her after what happened.

She looked at her cutie mark again. Magic. Not an Element, but still a symbol of magic. Magic was still her destiny. She stood and approached the edge of the balcony. The sun was rising. It hadn't been her place to control the Elements, that was someone else's destiny. But so what? So what if someone could do something she couldn't? She couldn't be the best at everything.

Her cutie mark. Yes, she was destined for greatness. But not because of a strange power granted to her. She would be great because she knew magic better than anyone. She would be... no, she is more skilled than any unicorn or alicorn she'd met. She had worked hard for that. She had studied and practiced and experimented and solved enigmas too complex for even Starswirl or Celestia. She hadn't used the Elements to accomplish those things, she'd done them by skill alone.

She looked at the rising sun. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, not an Element of Harmony, but great in my own way. I will *earn my destiny. I have earned my place as a great magic user, and if I live long enough I will earn my place as the greatest magic user of this age.*