That Which Darkness Sends

The eight Megans along the rim of the center clearing in the beam suddenly screamed with pain. The Dark magic felt like it was doing terrible things to them. Slowly, each one started to disintegrate from the head downward. It hurt like nothing she had experienced before. Each atom was separated from one another and vaporized instantly.

Tirek appeared in the center of the moonbeam. "YES! Finally I have defeated you, you filthy human! I have won!"

Tirek observed the ponies' reactions. He knew something was very wrong. Everypony had their eyes closed and were smiling. Not grinning, but smiling, as if in some pure bliss. Then they opened their eyes, revealing light; pure, bright light. The anti-light faltered momentarily, showing what was on Tirek's mind. He realized that they might be able to win somehow in a way that he could not figure. With that thought, light flooded the clearing as the column of Darkness dissipated. There, in front of Tirek, was a singular, whole Megan.

"I hate you," Tirek commented. "But seriously, how are you still alive?"

The ponies, still in their trance, slowly made their way around Tirek to behind Megan. It was time.

"Tirek, I believe that your Rainbow of Darkness receives its power from the suffering of others, correct?" Megan asked.

"Yes..."

"That's why I am still standing. The joy from these ponies utterly destroy yours. I have never seen or even heard of anything so harmonic as these equines."

"I get that, but why?"

"Even if they had still been here but had not met me, I don't think I would be here, standing before you. These ponies have shown me the power that supplies the Rainbow of Light. It's the opposite of what fuels your Rainbow. Friendship and harmony with others."

"Oh, please tell me you're kidding."

"Tirek, I have gotten to know a bit about these ponies during the four months you had us cooped up together with the Moochick. In their world, their entire principle is based on friendship. I became friends with each one, albeit some more than others. Afterward, you tried to find ways to hurt me though your turning their hearts. That was a mistake to make.

"The first pony I ever met of their kind was Rainbow Dash." Though no one could notice, Rainbow Dash's glowing eyes started to become rose-hued. "That meant something to me. I tried to do my best to become friends with her first. Every loop that got reset, she would come for me on Earth and take me here. We got to know one another quickly. When she wanted to abandon her friends for you, I couldn't take it. I cared about her, and I would make sure she would never give up on her friends.

"Rarity always supplied for us in our little times of need when we were with the Moochick, whether it was putting in extra hours in the underground farmland or mending clothing." Rarity's eyes also became a deep purple." One of the first things I noticed was that she did not like dirty jobs, but she did them anyway. That must take some serious willpower. Then when you had an effect on her, she became greedy, always after whatever was the most valuable, which in this case was the Rainbow of Light. But then when she caused me harm and saw me in need, she did not hesitate to help and supply.

"Fluttershy, in my eyes, was always the most loving." Fluttershy's eyes turned pink. "More than one time, though, I did see that she would be the first to run away from a fight. But what she lacked in spine, she made up for in heart. Every time she found an animal of some kind, anything from an insect to a mouse, she helped it with whatever issues it had, some things the Darkness had caused. She always had an aura of calmness around her. Then you turned her into a monster. A raging, uncaring, pain-causing monster of night. Had it not been for Angel, I would have been torn to shreds. Fluttershy had enough of herself left to recognize the bunny she had raised herself. She was that caring.

"Applejack, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln all have something in common: they can not tell a lie." Applejack's eyes glowed orange. "I mean, of course they all had leadership capabilities, but they didn't lie. Whenever Applejack did something wrong, which was rarely, I might add, she always confessed, no matter what the price to pay for what she had done. I must admit, however, that this made Truth or Dare much more fun, but that's beside the point. When you made her a bully, she was so good at lying that I started to believe her. But when she almost turned me suicidal, I thought about what she said about if it was really worth it, living with almost false hopes of getting back to Earth, and I thought back to the times at the Mushromp. I immediately recognized this false Applejack. She would not say anything if it were not true.

"Pinkie Pie is in her own category of odd." Pinkie's eyes became blue. "I must admit that when I first met her, she scared me. Not in the 'Oh, hey, you startled me,' kind of way, but the 'I think she might be a serial killer, everyone run,' kind of way. She always bounced around using random references that some of which even I got, which is normally rare, considering I spend most of my time in the stables. When her heart was shrouded by Darkness... I honestly saw little change. It was pretty much exactly what I imagined it to be. But in the end, when she burst out laughing, I knew that if you didn't have your... popcorn... induced... drowsiness, you would be startled by someone having such pure fun at such a dark time. I realised that no matter how insane someone might be, Pinkie always has time for fun and/or just being completely random.

"I'm sure that Typer and Tesla must be bounded by some unknown power, but is isn't exactly magic." Typer's and Tesla's eyes became lighter and darker hues of green, respectively. "When I tried to get to know them, they were hidden and stayed away from everyone else. They were a mystery to me. When we got them to try and be included, they appeared much smarter than anyone could guess, had they not known them. Typer is a math whiz, and can visualize machines that we may never know about. Tesla knows chemicals and elements better than anyone else, brewing potions in a snap. But they didn't have any connection to the other ponies. They weren't Elements of Harmony, the most abundant source of magic around. When you could not fully corrupt their hearts, and we used their skills to fight you, I realized something. We can have all of this wonderful magic, but a lone unicorn can't win. To prove that, not only did we become one team, but we did not rely on magic to help.

"Twilight, however, is known far and wide in her world for her magical capabilities." Twilight's eyes became lavender. "She outsmarts everyone here in pure knowledge. She told me the tale of Nightmare Moon. Like the old formula, Twilight had a very high IQ, but a low EQ. But when she banded with the other ponies and used the Elements of Harmony, she realized what it was like to have true friends. I was lost in the bottomless pit of dark souls, wishing that if there was a way out, any way out, I would take it. Twilight is the source for most light magic, coming from her friends. She helped me out of the Darkness with a sign that only two friends could share. A mark of time spent together. Her light magic broke the Dark magic spell, freeing me from the terror of you. It was the first time I have been affected by the Dark magic directly, hopefully the last, but it was also the first time I have seen someone not controlled by the Darkness break the spell, which was really hard to do, but she broke faster than any of her friends ever could. She is the Princess of Friendship in her world, but she also has more power than you ever will."

Every pony's eyes were glowing, making them look like a Hearth's Warming display. Tirek finally noticed them and took a step back in caution. As a reaction, they shined brighter.

"Your Rainbow of Darkness is based on the suffering and unhappiness of others. Our Rainbow of Light is for joy and friendship. There is only one person unhappy here." Spectra of light shot from the ponies into the sky and combined to create the brightest Rainbow the world would see until four ages later. "That person, Tirek, is you."

The bright beam came down right in front of Tirek. A white portal to the deepest void appeared and began to vacuum in all that was near it. The ponies and Megan were magically anchored to the ground. Trees bent. Leaves detached from their branches. Sticks were sucked in. Tirek was skidding, trying to keep his balance, but had no success. He was thrown on his back, and his lower half was pulled into the void. But he grasped the ground with one hand, keeping him from being whisked away. Once again, however, the last being they expected to see landed, holding both Spikes. He set them down, knowing that the void was not meant for them.

"Scorpan!" Tirek screamed, the authority from his voice rapidly disappearing. "I command you to help me!"

"You know, I believe there was something I told you when you captured me from my homeland and infected me with Darkness." Scorpan leaned down. "You should have made friends when you had the chance." He stomped on Tirek's hand, sending him into the portal, screaming.

Then, the light from the portal brightened greatly. It expanded, covering all that was in it.

Including the ponies.