Just How Many More Times?

The magical chest, as they found out later, had incredible abilities. Not only could it fight and conquer the strongest enemies, but also, it could restore everything they had ruined. Just as a few days before burnt books from Twilight’s library had risen from the ashes, now the entire Equestria was rising, and, wherever the magic radiance reached, houses once reduced to ashes stood undamaged once again and the trees that had been black became green, while the once sad colts and fillies beamed with smiles. Now Crysalis could have found a lot of food here, but she was far away, in the land of changelings where she lay on her royal bed in melancholy and just muttered through her teeth, ‘you’ll hear about me again, ponies of Equestria’.

Celestia, her magic successfully restored, hurriedly groomed herself with spells: she had no time for a royal bath. She needed to deliver an address to the rejoicing ponies and to insert more stained glass in the windows of her palace. Silent Luna stood nearby looking at her big sister with an enigmatic expression that made Celestia wince.

Daring Do, for the first time attending a Gracious Speech in Canterlot, felt a bit awkward. She was homesick, and Ahuizotl was definitely making more evil plans, so she was needed at home. But she couldn’t wriggle out of the feast, and Rainbow Dash just had to introduce Daring to her another idol, Spitfire. And, somewhat at a distance, Twilight stood looking modest and a little sad again, having taken her crown off, as usual, immediately after the ceremony.

The little heroine who had defeated evil once again was wondering what the morning of the coming day had in store for her.