Feet thundered across the barren, windswept plains of Ponyville, a mighty dust-storm kicked up in their way. Generally, Survivors tended to move silently, as stealthily as possible, in order to avoid those that dwelled in the clouds above. That was not so on this day. For two thousand Survivors, that day would be the end. Of either their lives, or of their time in this world. There was no time for subtlety, or quietness. Action had to be taken at that moment. These Survivors' futures depended on it.
At the head of the charge, a pale young woman with flowing, dark blue hair was charging with the best of them, her teal eyes hardened like aquamarine's. She, as were many of the Survivor's, was armed and armored with whatever they had been able to scavenge up in the past two years: swords from the dead Guards, spears fashioned from whatever wood or metal could be found, blacksmith's tools, carpentry hammers... Everyone had a weapon of some kind, crude or masterwork. No one truly cared, as long as it could buy them enough time to escape. The young woman was dressed in her Royal Armor, a set of midnight blue plate-and-chain, crafted to mold perfectly to her body. After so much use and stress, it was dull and dusty, dented and pierced in several places. In her hands were her trusty longswords, notched and, as everything else, dusty. Once upon a time, the young woman hated to use them. Now... now she knew they were her only hope.
"There they are, Princess Luna!" One of the nearby men, a Pegas man with great, broad wings, shouted, pointing to the north of the crowd.
Indeed. Two great towers rose up into the red, lonely skies; made of dark crystal, they were an ominous sight... and the most hopeful things Luna had seen in a very long time. For the past two years, Luna had done everything in her power to keep her people alive, and it had cost the young royal much. Her Shadowbolts, her most faithful soldiers, friends, and confidants, were down to a merely eight members. Eight glorious, brave Equestrians who, as Luna led her people in a desperate charge for freedom, were doing all in their power to create a distraction back in Canterlot. Even from her place on the Ponyville Wastes, it was easy to see the billowing smoke from said distraction. Tears ran freely down Luna's cheeks. It had been a suicide mission, and they all had known it. Even with the teleportation talismans she had given each of them, Luna could not call them back till the Towers were taken. And against an entire city of armed Griffonians and Spiderlings...
The invaders had brought everything they had to bear against Canterlot, leaving only a paltry force of Spiderlings behind to guard the crystals. Spiderlings... a race of dark humanoids with eight eyes and the horrific abdomens of giant spiders... When the Griffonians, the massive, amalgamated predators from the northern mountains, had invaded from the northwest, cutting horrific swathes through the Pegas cities with their mighty airships and brute strength, the Spiderlings had risen up from the very depths of the earth. Canterlot had fallen first, overwhelmed by a flood of the gunpowder-wielding, magic-slinging monsters; Luna had only "escaped" when Celestia... Luna choked back a faint sob at the memory. When Celestia forcibly teleported her and the survivors of the Guard away, her own body already nearly dead from the amount of poison and bullets she had suffered. Celestia's death had frozen the sun over the lands of the Griffonians and, without anyone even knowing it at first, gave the surviving Equestrians a slim shard of hope. Their land scorched and dying, the Griffonians were desperate to move the sun again... hence the towers. Hence this charge.
The remaining guards had seen the Equestrians coming, and had dug themselves in around the towers, muskets aimed in a bristling fence of death. Luna grit her teeth, waving her swords forward.
"SHIELDS!"
Magic rippled forth from the fingers of the Surviving Unicornians, forming a brilliant azure shield around the attackers just as the first volley of musket fire crackled against the crystalline surface. Beside Luna, a young periwinkle-haired Unicornian cried out at the backlash, stepping back slightly. The Princess never faltered, an arm encircling her shoulders and urging her forward.
"Onward Sweetie Belle. Onward!"
"C'mon Sweetie, we gotta do this!" A red-headed Terrainian yelled beside her, holding an axe in one hand, the other outstretched for her young friend.
Pained tears filling her eyes, Sweetie Belle nodded weakly, gripping Applebloom's hand tightly and charging forward again, free hand outstretched to continue helping with the shield. Luna glared up at the Spiderling defenders, just as another volley stippled along the shield.
"Archers, Magi, FIRE!"
Armed with everything from crossbows, to shortbows, to enchanted staves, hundreds of her Equestrians lifted their weapons forward, cheering loudly as the wave of death lanced out from their lines. Screams and curses rose up from the Spiderlings', and the Equestrians redoubled their cheers. Taping into her own magic, Luna outstretched her hands, circles of light forming around herself. Taking her cue, dozens of Unicornian Guards and militia charged their own teleport spells; with a mighty, rushing pop, they all seemed to leap forward, appearing just feet above the Spiderlings, blades pointed downwards and ready to strike. Pegas guards and soldiers, lead by a screaming, banshee-like rainbow-maned woman, took to the skies after them.
"FOR EQUESTRIA!"
******************************************************
Celestia sat by herself that morning, allowing the rays of her Sun to wash over her as she slowly raised it to its proper place. It was... rather late, truly. That had been the case more often than not, the past few weeks. It was the beginning of Spring, but... Winter had always been Luna's favorite season, and Celestia had been letting the nights linger, just a few hours. She... she would have liked that. Tears filled Celestia's age-old eyes, and here in her room, she allowed her face to scrunch and wrinkle in pain, a single sob leaking out.
"I m-miss you so much, Lulu," she whispered to the sky, drawing in a shaking breath, "We all do."
It was true. Despite the fears and hesitation that her past had brought, Luna's return to Equestria had marked a revival; the arts had surged once more as its greatest patron returned. Astronomy, guided by Luna's wisdom and experience, had become the favorite practice of many ponies, and even those who had not much interest in the night sky did enjoy the meteor showers and the beautiful nebulae she had set up for her ponies. In the military, the Royal Guard had been stunned by the reemergence of the Night Guard and the Shadowbolts, which had given them much needed support in intelligence gathering and policing. Crime had dropped sharply, and few nations had been willing to risk war with Equestria. The Night Court had become famous among the commoners as a place where they could bring any grievance, even those levied against the nobility, and it would be answered swiftly and fairly. Luna had not been a star among the nobility, but the common pony had slowly grown to love her. When she died...
Celestia shuddered, more sobs breaking out as the memories came flooding back. The Griffons had come to them in peace, attempting to warn them of a coming attack, when an explosion shook Canterlot and Ponyville. Spiders... Celestia's hoof ground slowly against her marble floors, the stone heating up quickly. Spiders had poured into her cities, indiscriminately killing and feasting on those they caught. Celestia and Luna had lead the charge against them, with Celestia attacking the Canterlot attackers with her Solar Guard, while Luna took her Night Guard and Shadowbolts and lead a desperate charge to save Ponyville. The damage there had been horrendous, with dozens of ponies slain, including, to everypony's horror, the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash. Her friends utterly catatonic, Luna had taken several of her Shadowbolts... and flown into the depths of the Spider hole. The magical explosion from beneath the very earth had incinerated the attacking forces... but killed Luna and her ponies in the process.
Equestria had been on a slow decline ever since. From Celestia vantage point on high, she could watch as the spark that had lit Equestria was utterly extinguished. The arts declined, and the rate of suicides, a phenomenon Celestia had not seen in ages, had risen sharply. Sweet Apple Acres, once the largest producer of apple products in the kingdom, shrank to a fraction of its former glory, its family consumed in their grief for the loss of their youngest and for the loss of their fellow Element. Carousel Boutique, an up-and-coming star in the fashion world, had closed its doors in Canterlot, and from Twilight's letters, Rarity rarely made her fabulous garments any more. The loss of her younger sister had seemingly destroyed her will to go on. And Twilight Sparkle... Celestia's young and faithful student, and fellow Princess, was utterly shattered. She could feel it in every letter, see it in her eyes every time they met. She had thrown herself into her studies, and completely militarized Ponyville. Her Guard, the Aurora Guard, had built a mighty wall around Ponyville proper, and they trained night and day. It tore at Celestia's very soul every time she saw the battle plans and warspells attached to Twilight's walls.
A mighty pounding raced up the marble floors outside her door, and Celestia looked back at it in surprise, trying to decide if she had truly heard it. It had been ages since anypony had actually ran in her castle. The noise paused at her doors, but only for a moment, and the Guard- for no one else would dare bother Celestia in her chambers anymore- knocked quickly. A simple cantrip flicked from Celestia's horn, and the door quickly opened, revealing a heavily sweating and panting Solar Guard. He gazed at her in awe, trembling and struggling mightily to get his voice back.
Celestia frowned slightly, "Captain, what's-"
"P-princess, you have t-to come down to the City Square, r-right now! You won't... y-you won't believe this, Your Highness."
*********************************
Indeed, Celestia scarcely could believe what she was seeing. A portal, its depths a swirling, inky red, had appeared in the center of the City Square, one edge of it slicing off the head of the memorial statue Celestia had had erected for Luna. Hundreds of figures were pouring through the portal; tall, humanoid like Minotaurs, but far more colorful... and very much armed. The Solar Guard had surrounded the Square on Celestia's command, dozens of crossbows and spears aimed down at the slowly swelling crowd. Celestia frowned deeply. She would not allow another massacre of her citizens. If this was another invasion, she-
"L-lower your weapons, my subjects! NOW!"
No...
Instantly obedient, the strange crowd lowered their weapons and set them on the cobblestones, allowing the unicorn Guards to slide them back to their own lines. Seemingly exhausted, and many of them wounded, Celestia realized, the humanoids fell to their haunches or laid out on the cobblestones. Only two remained standing, and their appearance had Celestia activating her teleport spell and launching herself down to them in an instant. One boasted a short-cut, rainbow-colored mane, her tanned face crisscrossed by scars and grief lines. She gazed up at Celestia with ruby eyes, and Celestia's muzzle went completely dry. The female's eyes peered up at Celestia's mane, her eyes widening slowly in awe. Tears spilling silently from her eyes, the rainbow-maned girl sank down to a knee, sobbing softly and shaking heavily. Trembling heavily, Celestia turned her gaze to the other...
"L-luna?"
The humanoid was... alike, and yet... different. Her skin was a pale, milky white, if covered in grey dust and flecks of blood and green ichor. Her eyes, filled with awe and pain all her own, were a crystal blue. And in their depths, just like Celestia, they held the wisdom and pain of millenia of life. Her body was taller than the other girl had been, outfitted in dark blue plate armor, a crescent moon on a black background painted in the center of her chest, and on each hip. Her hands nervelessly let her bloodied longswords fall to the ground, ringing out in the sudden silence of the square. Trembling, they slowly rose up; magic surrounded her gauntlets, peeling them off her hands, revealing pale, shapely fingers, smudged with oil and blood. Celestia paid the mess it made of her cheek fur no mind, trembling as she leaned into the touch. This close, she could feel the magical field of the young woman. Her very soul... the kindness, the zest for life she had always had, the determination and need to be loved. Thick tears fell from the eyes of both Princesses, and a shaky smile lifted Luna's chapped lips.
"S-sister..."
Both sisters sobbed as they fiercely hugged each other, trembling heavily in the arms of each other. No one who was quite sure who cheered first: it was ragged and heart-felt, stirring all those watching the Equestrian and the Alicorn sisters reuniting across the dimensions. Everyone and everypony, from Royal Guard to tiny child, yelled out their relief and happiness. They had come home.
*******************************
Rainbow Dash trembled heavily as she waited on the bed, staring up blearily at the marble ceiling of her royal room. This wasn't where she wanted to be, damnit. She wanted to be flying. She wanted to get out in the air, to see Equestria as she remembered it, a vibrant land of life and happiness. She could only get glimpses of it out of her window, though the view from her bed was pretty pathetic. If Princess Luna hadn't ordered her to rest, man... Of course, she knew she needed it. She, liked everyone else, had been running on empty for months now. Her body was eating itself in its starvation, and even her muscles were starting to go. She peeked sheepishly over at the plate of fish they had brought her fifteen minutes before- the only thing left now was bones. Heh.
...she wanted to see her friends again. Princess Celestia had said they were all still alive in this world. Yeah, they were ponies, but... Tears leaked down her cheeks, and Rainbow made no move to brush them away. Ponies or not, if she could just... hear Twilight's voice again, one of her nerdy little lectures, or see Applejack's knowing grin and happy nod to her friend when she did a move right... if she could see Pinkie's smile and eat a cupcake or even, and Rainbow can't believe she missed this, wear one of Rarity's dresses again...
"I'm s-so sorry guys," she whispered, face scrunching up in a pained, horrified sob, "I-I failed a-all of you."
Twilight and Rarity's bodies, stretched out on the cobblestones and staring up at the sky blankly, almost accusingly. Where were you, Rainbow? Why weren't you here?
"I-I..."
Pinkie's body, torn apart and draped over the counter of Sugarcube Corner, the smell of death from the backrooms...
Rainbow's hand went to her head, trying to hold back the flood of memories and stop herself from screaming.
Applebloom standing over the bodies of her family, while Sweetie Belle was trying her absolute hardest to wake Scootaloo, both screaming themselves hoarse and punching Rainbow over and over as she had dragged her back to Luna's survivors.
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry..."
The door to her room opened with a soft click, the noise piercing Rainbow's reverie and dragging her head up. Everything, from time to her memories to her very breath, stopped as she stared at the five ponies in her doorway. She knew them within a heartbeat. Twilight was leading them, dressed in some kind of blue dress that covered all but her face and trembling wings. Her violet eyes locked with Rainbow's own, and Rainbow gave the tiniest of sobs as stunned shock transformed to stunned joy in the pony's eyes in the fraction of a second. Rainbow's arms raised... and her friends charged her without a single word, hooves scrabbling to pull themselves onto the sheet-covered bed. A nurse behind them began to object, but fields of both purple and blue slammed the door in her face, locking it tight. Wailing and smiling at the same time, Rainbow Dash tried to gather all of them into her arms, nuzzling and apologizing and shaking as her pony-form friends pressed against her. It was fairly difficult, and in the end Rainbow found her face buried in Twilight's hair, tears staining it, while the rest of them hugging her back, practically curling Rainbow into a ball beneath them.
"M'so sorry, Rainbow," Twilight whispered shakily, her own grief evident in every syllable.
Blinking, Rainbow tilted her head to stare up at her, shaking, "B-but... no, I-I should be s-sorry, I didn't..."
"What? No way, s-sugarcube, it's mah fault. Ah saw the Spiders f-first, I shoulda-"
"Darlings no, it's neither of your fault, I... we should..."
"Guys, shut up. It's nobodies fault."
Everyone froze, looking up in surprise. Pinkie Pie was as somber as any of them had ever seen, and Rainbow gave a small smile as she saw the wisdom that few would attribute to Pinkie Pie in her eyes. The party pony leaned down to nuzzle each of them tenderly.
"This Rainbow had a different experience than us, and vice-y-versa. We shouldn't be apologizing. We... we got Rainbow Dash back."
She dragged a shaking hoof across her eyes, and Rainbow suddenly noticed how thin she was, even as a pony. The Pinkie Pie from her world had always been just a little bit chubby, no doubt to all the sweets she constantly ate.
"We got our Dashie back. And w-when we got home?"
Rainbow eeped softly as Pinkie's hoof, which was surprisingly soft, like a marshmallow, pressed against her nose.
"W-when we get home... I'm throwing the biggest party in the history of Equestria."
***********************
Applejack couldn't keep her hooves from shaking as she stared up at the door, ears flat atop her head. Rarity was a right mess beside her, mascara running down her cheeks. Slowly, Applejack reached out to hug Rarity close to her side. There was no thoughts of Rarity being a prissy pony, or a drama queen. She fully expected them both to cry like utter foals in the next few minutes. But she... she was nervous. Applebloom... but not as a pony. Rainbow Dash was tough enough to see as one of those Pegas things, but to see her little sis all big and on two-legs. Would she be able to act like a proper big sister again? Would Applebloom be able to see her as her sister? Peeking over at Rarity, she could see the exact same thing running through her own mind. Applejack wished Big Mac was here, and not rebuilding the farm. He'd know how to handle this.
"W-we need to do t-this, Applejack," Rarity whispered softly, closing her eyes, "E-even... even if she d-doesn't want me... I need t-to tell Sweetie..."
She gave a soft sob, a tinkling sound like a shattering crystal bell, and it tore at Applejack's soul. She leaned over to gently nuzzle Rarity's cheek, whispering whatever she could to ease her friend's pain. She knew that pain, all the same. To find their sisters, t... t-torn... With a lurch, Applejack darted forward, opening the door with a near frantic nudge of her head. She had to see her now. She just had to; to hug her, to tell her it would be okay, or... or at least to tell her goodbye. Her emerald eyes cast upwards; Applebloom was already moving. Despite her tall, lanky body, she still had the crimson hair of her younger sister, her ochre eyes wide and filled with tears as she raced over. Applejack gave a faint oof as the two powerful arms wrapped around her neck, tugging her against the far-too thin body of her younger sister. A filly-like whimper rose out of Applejack's throat, and she buried her head against Applebloom's shoulder, sobbing softly.
"Little s-sis," she whispered, and Applebloom's hug only tightened, her body shuddered as it was wracked with sobs of her own.
"I-it is y-you," Applebloom whispered, and Applejack tried not to wail at the hoarse, whispering, yet oh-so-remembered voice.
Neither was entirely certain how long they stood there, lost in each other's presence, till Applejack finally glanced over at the bed. Sweetie Belle hadn't risen from the bed, but had sat up, letting her spindly legs drape over the side. Rarity had slowly pulled herself up to look into Sweetie Belle's eyes, before shaking as they struggled to figure out what to say.
Finally, Sweetie Belle gave a tiny sniff, "...mama?"
Rarity's eyes widened slowly, and she gave a small gulp, ignoring the stunned looks from the other two in the room.
"I-I told you?" Rarity whispered, voice small and more vulnerable than Applejack had ever heard before.
Sweetie Belle nodded once, and gave a faint smile, a hand reaching up to trace Rarity's cheek, "And... I-I forgive you... m-mama..."
Applejack could watch years of stress and sorrow pour off her friend as the two hugged it out on the bed, a soft sob rising up from them both every few seconds.
"I-I wanna go h-home," Applebloom whispered, voice soft and shaken with all that had happened, and Applejack could not blame her in the slightest.
"And we're goin' too, AB. Y-you gotta big brother who n-needs to hug you n-next."
