Path up to The Ruler

Sun was shining bright up high, it was a new day. Life of the ponies had returned to normal after the defeat of Tirek. Everypony could breathe with ease.

As our hero Princess Twilight Sparkle has exhausted herself from exploring the castle, she took a break in her most favorite place in the castle – the library. The library had lots of new books Twilight had never read, perfect for her to relax.

It felt like nothing could ever go wrong.

-

Days passed.

“The Spells of Conjuration” Twilight took the book and surfed through its pages. “The content of this book is about various powerful spells. Knowledge within this book must never reach anypony.”

After reading it Twilight threw the book into a fire with the other books burning, with similar titles and content. These books were forbidden in Equestria, hidden and guarded or lost. Twilight found them in her own castle library. Twilight knew they were forbidden, but she was a bookworm and couldn’t just not read them. This caused her to become crazy. “Knowledge is all mine,” she hysterically giggled.

-

Rainbow Dash had crashed through the library window ans broke it. She hurt herself. “Ow, my wing!”

Rainbow Dash took a moment to scout the surroundings and spotted Twilight. “Twilight it’s you! Where have you been? Everypony started to worry about you.”

“I was here.” Twilight still continued reading the book despite Rainbow Dash talking.

“What have you been doing here all this time?”

“Reading.”

“Again you’re onto books, aren’t you an egghead enough?” Rainbow Dash noticed a fire of books, “What’s that fire doing here? You’re going to burn your tree castle!”

“Crystals can’t burn, fire is a light source and keeps me warm. It’s books burning, I’m getting rid of unwanted stuff.” It wasn’t cold nor was it dark, there was no need for fire.

“But how did you transferred so many books in here by yourself?”

“I didn’t, they were here with the castle. Now please leave, tell everypony I’m here and there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Ok, I’m glad you’re alright. Hey, do you want to see my ne—”

“No! Leave,” Twilight rudely interrupted Rainbow Dash’s offer.

“Ok, ok.” Rainbow Dash left through the window she crashed into. Before she left, with her good eyesight, she managed to determine what kind of books were burning. Her wing still hurt, but she didn’t care as she filled her mind with thoughts about Twilight’s behavior and books she had been reading.

Twilight smiled as she threw another book into the fire. “Knowledge is all mine.”

-

After Rainbow Dash was done drowning in her own thoughts, she took her time to tell her and Twilight’s best friends: Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy, what happened in the library.

After some discussions and mostly pointless arguing with each other, they finally agreed that it would be best if they consulted with Princess Celestia, Twilight’s ex-personal teacher, on how to approach the issue.

-

“I hoped this would never happen. Twilight has fallen victim to the evil might,” Celestia continued, “just as all of my previous students had, she failed me as well. We need to banish her so that Equestria could be safe.”

“But this isn’t right. Twilight is nothing like other students you had. We saved Equestria many times together. She’s Princess of Friendship, not some victim of evil or a failure you claim she has become,” Pinkie Pie disagreed with Celestia.

“I’m aware and understand of your feelings, but I know from experience it will be the same like with the others. I’m not going to repeat past mistakes, and you shouldn’t live by the past experience. We acknowledge the past so that we could learn from it and avoid mistakes that had happened so that we could form a better future for everypony and Equestria.”

“But this isn’t right,” Pinkie Pie became sad. Nopony else in the room was any happy either.

“There is no other way,” Celestia added more dark clouds onto the mood. After that, silence took over the mood.

“How do we defeat her?” Rainbow Dash unwillingly broke the momentary silence.

“With The Elements of Harmony.”

“But we are The Elements and Twilight herself is an Element of Magic. We ca—”

“I can deal with that as I had used The Elements before. I can’t take away Twilight's Element, but I could still redirect the power of other five against her if the holders agreed.”

“But she’s our friend,” Pinkie opposed.

“Would you rather sacrifice one friend or all of your friends, family and everypony else in Equestria?”

“One.” Pinkie would have chosen none, but there was no such option.

“Then it’s settled, we leave right away. Luna, take care of the things in my absence.”

“Yes, sister.”

Ponies left.

-

“Necromancy” Twilight tossed another book into the fire.

Suddenly huge loud force kicked the door into library.

“What was that?!” Twilight got surprised.

“It’s all over for you and your plans, my failed student Twilight,” Celestia insulted Twilight as soon as she and other Twilight’s friends entered.

“What are you saying? And you girls? What’s going on?”

“Everythin’ will be alright, Twi’,” Applejack tried to calm Twilight.

As Celestia was absorbing magic from The Elements, excluding Twilight’s, Rainbow Power appeared onto mane five. Lifting them slightly in air, emitting white, blinding, orb shaped magical aura around them.

Seeing what was happening, Twilight got paralyzed from a shock. “What are you doing?”

Celestia unleashed the power into Twilight. Twilight in a split second managed to create a force shield, but it was of no use and disintegrated upon impact.

Twilight was banished. Her body and soul got imprisoned into the star on top of the castle, it lit bright purple.

Shortly Rainbow Power wore off.

“It’s done,” Celestia smiled softly.

“I can’t believe this happened, she’s gone.” Pinkie’s mane became straight. She started pouring tears.

“It’s for the best, my little ponies, it’s for the best.”

Nopony had anything else to say.

-

Years passed.

Equestrians had been living as they always did, occupied by whatever they were always doing. Everypony but Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity whose life had changed because of Twilight’s banishment – a loss of a friend.

Fluttershy decided to stop taking care for animals. This behavior of hers had led animals becoming diseased and infecting ponies. Fluttershy knew about it, but willingly did nothing to fix it. Discord stuck around to accompany and defend her against occasional animal attacks. Element of Kindness?

Rainbow Dash gave up on her dream becoming a Wonderbolt. Furthermore, she abandoned her responsibilities and stopped caring about anything but herself letting down everypony who were depended on her. Element of Loyalty?

Applejack became known liar in Ponyville after numerous instances where she lied for her own benefits and gains, later it got even worse. Element of Honesty?

Rarity was happier than ever, she took ownership of Twilight’s castle. After all, it was big and specious, perfect for her and her inspiration to reside. As business strived, Rarity became greedy – no more requests, only commissions, then profit and fame. Element of Generosity?

Pinkie Pie had it the worst, she became sad, never again would she laugh to bring joy, sorrow seemed closer to heart, sadness friendlier, loneliness accepting.

Princess Celestia ruled Equestria as she always did. Banishing Twilight was just another event. She felt no pity or guilt. It was something that must had happened.

News never reached Twilight’s brother Shining Armor or her sister in law Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (Cadence) in the Crystal Empire.

-

Suddenly the light of the star on top of Twilight’s castle faded away, creating neon smoke which morphed into Twilight. “Oh they are going to regret what happened. My friends, I’m going to bring pain you have brought upon me.”

-

“No clouds in the sky, no worries in sight.”

“Hey, lazy,” random pegasus called Rainbow Dash, “mind help moving some clouds? Rain is required for crops right about now.”

“I’d like to, but I prefer bright sunshine right now.”

“Why even bother?” Random Pegasus left.

“Lovely, exactly what I would have expected from you, my friend.” With an elbow attack Twilight struck Rainbow Dash off the tree she was resting on.

“Ugh, what was that?” Rainbow Dash quickly checked her surrounding to spot the attacker. “Twi’?”

“Hello, friend.” Twilight grabbed Rainbow Dash with levitation spell covering her whole body and preventing her from moving much.

“How did you?” Rainbow Dash was surprised seeing Twilight. “Celestia was correct, you’re evil, you attacked me.”

“Evil? No, my best friends are evil, I merely returning the favor, you took my life.”

“You will be stopped.”

“No.” Twilight gave Rainbow Dash a little shake with her spell.

“Why are you doing this? You’re not the Twilight we used to know.”

Twilight lifted Rainbow Dash slightly closer to her. “Well, you are not the Rainbow Dash I remember either. My best friend Rainbow Dash would never betray her best friend with no reason. Rainbow Dash I knew would never leave anypony in danger. My Dash would be loyal and would help everypony in need. You are none of that, you’re useless to me and everypony else.”

Twilight lifted Rainbow Dash higher.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting rid of useless trash, just like what you and your friends did to me.”

“But I don’t want to die.”

Twilight levitated Rainbow Dash really close to her head. “If there was an option for you to go back in time and prevent what happened to me so that you could be what you were before, would you take it?”

“But, but it’s so great and relaxing, not having anything to worry about.”

“So pitiful of you, truly. The pegasus who were the center of attention, loved and respected by everypony, an inspiration and idol for every filly and colt, to just become nothing – to be useless. Really, that’s what you want to be?”

“No,” Rainbow Dash responded almost in tears.

“So would you take an option to change the past?”

“Yes, I would.”

Twilight closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Suddenly flow of magic started leaving Rainbow Dash into Twilight’s opened mouth. She was draining her life essence and killing her.

Once Twilight finished draining Rainbow Dash, she released her allowing her to fall like a ragdoll. Twilight’s cutie mark changed, red crystal appeared, she acquired another Element of Harmony – Element of Loyalty.

“You served your final use.” Twilight left Rainbow Dash.

-

“Applejack, it’s yer shift to buck ’dem apples.”

“Big Mac, Ah can’t I’m sick, could you buck some fo’ me?”

“Ya could ‘ave said ya ain’t.” Big Mack left the room where he had conversation with Applejack in.

“There’s no time fo’ that, I’m gonna win mah prize. Mah project, Ah need time to finish.”

“So many awards—“

“Who’s there? Show yer self!

“So many… Where do you keep the ones you got awarded for being the best liar?”

“Twilight?” Applejack got surprised. “Stay back!” Applejack picked the closest chair she could find as a weapon. “What’re you doing here?”

Twilight moved a little closer to Applejack.

“Stay away, Ah don’t mean no harm!” Applejack started waving chair at Twilight’s general direction—out of range—as means of offense.

Twilight mildly laughed, took the chair from Applejack and covered her body with levitation spell preventing her from causing any more trouble.

“What do you want? Stay away!” Applejack tried to struggle free, but failed.

“I want to talk.”

“Talk? Yer want me dead.”

“If I wanted that so badly, I would have killed you right after Big Mac left.”

“Listen, Twi’ It’s not the best time to do so.”

“No? But you’re sick, that’s the best time to talk. All you can do is rest in bed and bore yourself, not dance swinging random chairs at me.”

“Well, Ah… Listen, Twi’, I’m sorry fo’ what happened to you, but Ah ain’t got time fo’ you. Ah must finish mah project.”

“Oh, what is it? Let me help.”

“Ah dunno, Twi’, if I should.”

“Everything will be alright, Applejack.”

Applejack hesitantly pointed at her project behind her bed. It was a bucket with holes drilled and wires passing through these holes connecting electricity flow, some unfamiliar buttons and an unfinished mechanism inside reassembling engine of some sort.

“It ain’t much yet, but with yer help I'll finish it by the deadline.”

Twilight released Applejack. Accurately picked the mechanism, levitated it closer to herself to inspect, then suddenly threw it across the room into first hard surface it hit scattering most of the pieces upon impact.

“Mah work!” Applejack was just about to run to her invention, but got intercepted by Twilight’s levitation spell preventing her from doing so. “You said everything will be alright, you lied.”

“Yes, so did you when you and your friends got rid of me. If by your definition alright is being banished and imprisoned for years, I see it nothing more than a lie of yours.”

“That’s yer excuse for what you did?”

“No, I don’t seek revenge. This was something that would have eventually happened to you, that’s what you deserve for what you did during the years of my absence.”

“What you want?”

“I want you to feel what I and other ponies, you lied to, had felt. Some had lost their business, the respect for others, trust and understanding, even the purpose of life because of your lies.”

“Yer lyin’.”

“No, not this time, I’m not.”

“You do, you must’ve. This ain’t true. Ah didn’t do that. Ah don’t wanna.” Applejack began pouring tears and would have curled into a ball, if not for Twilight's spell keeping her on all four hooves and preventing her from moving. “Go away. You ruined it. Let me go and leave.”

“This is what it feels being lied to, Applejack.”

“Ah didn’t… Ah didn’t want that to happen to anypony.”

“What if there was an option for you to go back in time and become what you were before, would you take it?”

“Yea, Ah would.”

Twilight levitated crying Applejack closer, drained her life energy and absorbed her Element, orange crystal appeared on Twilights cutie mark.

She left Applejack.

-

“Fluttershy, animals invading us withdrew.”

“Good, thank you, Discord.”

“It wasn’t me this time, it was very powerful magic, nothing I ever felt before, but yet it’s so familiar.”

“Is it Tired?”

“No.”

“It was me!” Twilight opened tight and heavily barricaded door of Fluttershy’s house where Discord and Fluttershy were in.”

Discord snapped his fingers removing Twilight’s wings and horn, as well as fixing the barricaded door.

“This is welcoming,” Twilight smiled.

“Do something stupid and I’m going to send you to the abyss without your precious alicorn magic,” Dicord threatened Twilight.

“I’m here only to talk. If that makes you feel any safer, I’m not requesting you returning my wings or horn to me, not that you would.”

“What is it you want?”

“You both are aware that animals are sick, hostile and spreading diseases in Ponyville?”

“Yes we are aware. What’s your game here acting like good-two-shoes all of sudden?

“Wha’? What’s that? Never mind, no I’m not acting. Fluttershy, what happened to you? You cared about all the animals so much, they were your friends and you treated them as such. What made you abandon them?”

“None of your concerns.”

“Discord, please, she asked me and should know,” Fluttershy requested Discord to cut off the tone. “Twilight, I still care about them, I really do, but their misbehavior drove me insane. I… I couldn’t control them as well as I used to, so I abandoned them all entirely, including my pet Angel.”

“But these animals need your help, ponies need your help. How is it alright for you and Discord to lock yourselves here and do nothing about it?”

“I already said I can’t, sorry, Twilight, it’s not my fault they are this way.”

“Actually it is, Fluttershy, you stopped showing kindness to these animals, shouting at them for misbehavior, not fulfilling their needs,” Discord continued. “We never had any tee-parties for years either. This is chaos.”

“Chaos? So this is all your doing, Discord. How can I be friends with you?”

“My doing? You’re acting as if you don’t know me. Chaos I create doesn’t harm anypony, I like making fun – disharmony, not disaster.”

“I cared about you, I was your friend. Your master-plan was amazing – creating chaos around Ponyville, but staying here with me so that I couldn’t assume you were behind all of this. No wonder you did nothing to fix it, no wonder you avoided any discussion about it with me.”

“And this is your problem, Fluttershy – you can’t understand your own errors you made, and now you blame me. Why I can’t fix the chaos? Well, I can’t permanently fix chaos I haven’t caused.”

“Fluttershy, Discord is right, you lost your charm of being a kind mare, and you can’t acknowledge your mistakes you made,” Twilight added.

“I understand and I know my mistakes I made, it’s just that I don’t know any better anymore.”

“What if you could return to the past and change everything to how it was before, would you do it?”

“Yes I would.”

“Discord, please, return my horn and wings back to me.”

“I know what you are going to do, Twilight. I know what you did to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. I just don’t want to lose my only friend,” Discord hesitated.

“Discord, I’m your friend as well. I may look like I don’t want your presents around me, I may react negatively to your jokes, but that’s normal and you like that more than quiet tee-parties, and even then you like to create a mess there, that’s why these are your favorite.”

“You are right, Twilight.” Discord snapped his fingers and returned Twilight’s wings and horn back to her.

Twilight approached Fluttershy who heard the conversation between Discord and Twilight and was hesitated of what Twilight would do. “What happened to Rainbow and Applejack?”

“I drained and absorbed their life energy.” Twilight pointed her hoof at her cutie mark.

“But I don’t want that.”

“Don’t worry. After it’s done you will be living your perfect and happy life within your imagination.”

“Oh, ok.”

Twilight drained Fluttershy and acquired her Element.

“Discord, I’m sorry.”

“No, Twilight, I must be thankful to you, your words allowed me to see a brighter light in this dark reality,” Discord thanked Twilight.

“Can I request you something?”

“Yes.”

“Please go to Canterlot castle and inform Princess Celestia of me and what I did.”

“Why would you want that?”

“I want her to see the errors of her rulership. Tell her I might be after Rarity in my castle by the time you’re done talking with her and arriving to Ponyville.”

“Ok.”

-

“Darkness illuminating the room – night has arrived. I can’t sleep, nor I ever will. Void fills the room, just like my heart. Some moonlight passing through window curtains, and, and a small purple light approaching, slowly with every hoofstep, it’s a pony, a unicorn, no, I can see wings – an alicorn, purple alicorn. Her mane… it’s Twilight… she’s probably the last pony to make me happy. Even if she’s not real and I’m hallucinating, I want to feel happy, even if just for a moment.” Pinkie Pie jumped at Twilight and hugged her who was close enough for Pinkie to reach. “You are real.”

“Hi, Pinkie.” Twilight gave Pinkie a hug back as well.

Pinkie burst in tears of happiness. She didn’t let Twilight go for a good minute or two.

Pinkie let go of Twilight and sat on the floor. Twilight sat next to her.

“Let me turn on the lights in the room,” Twilight suggested.

“No please, I like the light from your horn, it’s enough. Lone light in darkness fits the mood.”

“Pinkie, what’s wrong? You always loved color, smiles and sunshine.”

“I couldn’t recover after losing you. Of course there were ponies leaving forever and such, but with you it was different. I couldn’t bring happiness and smiles to lives of the ponies anymore. It’s been weeks since I made any parties, but it doesn’t seem like anypony care, they abandoned me, my best friends abandoned me too. Only Mr. and Mrs. Cake acknowledges my existence, and now you too.”

“At least you’re not alone, they care about you.”

“It would be nice if they did. I only receive some leftovers or expired sweets from them to fill my tummy. They don’t let me near their foals.”

“That’s better, than starving.” That reminded Twilight of her other friends: Fluttershy and Discord being locked in, Discord had to scavenge (steal) food and supplies for them to survive. Rainbow Dash and Applejack weren’t saints in that matter either. Applejack had lied her way to get free or discounted food and supplies, Rainbow Dash stole. Rarity? Well, she was rich anyways.

“Twilight, how did you returned?” Pinkie Pie interrupted Twilights thoughts.

“My imprisonment wasn’t as strong with five of The Elements as Luna’s was, and I’m far stronger than Luna, so I broke free faster than she did.”

“And what are your goals now?”

“I want to help my best friends understand mistakes they made during the years of my absence, help them escape present and gift them eternal happiness in their eternal slumber.”

“That sounds tempting, but it will be fake. I still want few minutes with you, friend.”

“Sure.”

“It would be amazing if all of my best friends were here as well: Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and you, then I probably would made a party for us all.”

“I would like that, why don’t you try it? Imagine all of your friends are here.”

“I can’t, it would just be an illusion.”

“Why don’t you make one for me then?”

Pinkie Pie went silent for a minute. She was battling between her thoughts and feelings. How was it normal to make a party for a pony whose imprisonment was her fault, and at the same time it was something she asked her as a friend – the only friend she had at that time.

“Pinkie!” Twilight tried to snap Pinkie out of her thoughts.

“No, I can’t, it wouldn’t be the same even if I tried to. I want things to get back how they were before.”

“If you could return to the past and change it so that it could prevent the present – this dark reality, would you do it?”

“Yes, I don’t like this, I want to be in my perfect world.”

Twilight drained Pinkie Pie’s life-energy and absorbed her Element. Only Rarity remained.

Twilight wasn’t too keen to leave Pinkie yet. She levitated her to her bed and covered her with a blanket. “Because of you and your unwillingness to seal me, seal wasn’t as strong as it could have been, and I managed to break free faster. Thank you.” Twilight kissed Pinkie’s forehead and teleported away.

-

“AH!” Princess Celestia woke up in her bed in a cold sweat.

Luna came to check on Celestia. “Sister!”

“Luna, I had a terrible nightmare of her returning and doing horrible thing to ponies.”

“It wasn’t a nightmare, sister, it was a vision.”

“Then it’s true, we must prepare and stop her before she’s able to do a thing.”

“Your quite too late, dear Celestia,” Discord’s voice echoed throughout the room.

“Discord show yourself, where are you?”

Discord appeared in front of Celestia. “I’m here.”

“What do you want?”

“I’m here to inform you of some purple pony you envisioned.”

“Twilight Sparkle, what do you know about her?”

“I know that she is after her friends – The Element carriers. She already dealt with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy… Fluttershy, I seen how myself.”

“Why didn’t you stop her?” Celestia gave cold, unpleasant stare to Discord.

“But, Celestia, I’m a trickster – not a fighter, and how could I fight somepony so powerful like her?”

“I suppose that’s reasonable,” Celestia sighted in disappointment.

“We must hurry, she’s probably after Rarity by now,” Discord encouraged Celestia to act.

“Right. Discord, Luna, we’re leaving now.”

“But, sister, I cannot, as Princess of The Night, I cannot abandon my duties. Ponies require my guidance while they sleep. Even now this chatting is disturbing my work.” Luna left.

“Celestia, I wouldn’t want to face Twilight again, I barely escaped her. I won’t be much of help anyways,” Discord refused and disappeared.

“Fine, I’ll deal with her alone. After all, it’s mostly my fault she’s so strong.”

Celestia left to Ponyville.

-

“Spike darling, could you go and buy me some cyan, crimson, coral and jade color cloth, oh, oh, and some lilac and navy or dark blue ones as well.”

“Anything for you, my Rarity.” Spike left for cloth.

“Sweetie Belle.”

“Yes, sister, I’m here,” Sweetie responded.

“I’m getting low on buttons, the ones with four holes in them, will you buy some for me?”

“Yes, sister. Um, what shape or color do you need?”

“Oh don’t worry about that, Sweetie, go have fun deciding the ones you would like the most.”

“Sure thing, sister.”

“I’ll need dozens of these!”

As Sweetie Belle left, Rarity returned her full focus towards one of the set of her new designs she was working on for mass production.

“I like your dresses,” Twilight said.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle, you returned early—”

“I’m not Sweetie Belle.”

“I’m sorry, you can’t be here, it’s off limits. I would have to ask you to leave. Please, if you’re here for business come back next week when I’ll have more free space and time to accept your commission.” Rarity didn’t bother to look who she was talking to, nor did she recognized Twilight’s voice.

Twilight mildly laughed, “You’re acting as you own the place.”

“Oh for the –” Rarity turned to look at Twilight. Upon instant realization to what she saw and who she was talking to, she began gasping, her heartbeat gone out of control. “– Twi’, Twi’… Twilight?!”

“I don’t like what you did to this place, it looks like a mess.”

“Wha’, how, Twi’, no, please don’t, I did not, no—”

“I’m not doing anything. I want to talk.”

“Castle is yours, just don’t hurt me.”

“How generous of you, Rarity, but I’m not here for that. If I was, I would had taken it yesterday when I broke the seal you performed with your friends and Princess Celestia. I’m here for you, Rarity.”

“Please, I’ll do anything for you.”

“Anything? Ok, don’t react to what’s going to happen.” Twilight used magic from her horn to levitate all of the designs Rarity was working on, including the ones she already finished, and set them all on purple fire disintegrating it all into mere ash.”

“All my... No… This is the worst possible thing!”

“Yes, and just like that, you ruined the lives of other ponies.”

“I did not burn anypony’s clothing”

“Me burning your work was a metaphor. I wanted to create something to really hurt you as much as you hurt them.”

“What are you saying, you vile monster, I didn’t hurt anypony.”

“Directly – no, indirectly – yes. Do you remember a pony, who was in need for clothing in winter. He asked, begged you to donate anything for him. He was far from his home and had a bad luck in Ponyville, totally ruining his clothing into thorn bushes he didn’t saw, because of snow covering it. You refused because he had no money (not enough), he spent most of it already. You had some not of your best designs you could had given him. He got sick, then worse, he never reached his home. Oh, and these designs you could have given him, you threw away.”

“I…I-I—”

“I could talk about all of your corrupted marketing and advertisement skits you pulled off to ruin you competition up to bankrupt, but I won’t, you know very well what evil you had done.”

“I didn’t wanted to do all of that to anypony,” Rarity regained her breath and replaced it with tears ruining her makeup instead, “but that was something I had to do to stay competitive. Nopony wanted to assist me, only later Sweetie Belle and Spike volunteered to help, that’s only after the business began to flourish. I believe they did that for the money, but I don’t blame them, everypony is for the money.”

“Words Rarity I knew would never say. In the past you weren’t driven by money, you did what you did, because you loved it, not because of money, therefore you were more generous to everypony.”

“It would be great if I could live like I used to, but now the damage is done, it’s too late.”

“If you could return to the past, would you?”

“No, I already have so much success here.”

“What’s good success for if you don’t have friends. You care about success and money. Sweetie Belle and Spike do too, because of money, not friendship. How’s now better than before?”

“It’s not.” Rarity collapsed onto herself.

Twilight absorbed Rarity. Twilight changed into how she was in Rainbow Power mode. Now she had all of The Elements of Harmony power within her. Her cutie mark is perfect layout of The Elements.

-

As Twilight walked outside her castle, she suddenly got struck by Celestia’s ramming attack. But the attack did nothing more than knock and momentarily stun her. Anypony else would had been paralyzed or worse.

Not giving time for Twilight to recover, Celestia launched a chain of rapid strikes with her horn at Twilight, but the strikes did nothing as Twilight managed to create a shield to defend against it.

After failing with the strikes, Celestia attempted to ram Twilight again. But all her attempts were dodged by Twilight’s teleportation spells.

Celestia wasted a lot of breath on these attacks and required a timeout. Twilight noticed that and took the opportunity to have a conversation with Celestia, “You finaly cooled off. Let’s have a chat.”

Celestia had no intention to contribute anything to a conversation with somepony she wanted to permanently eliminate. But it was necessity as her opponent gave her time to recover and plan her next move. “And what is it you want to speak about?

“I want to explain where you failed in your rulership.”

“I only failed by providing you with so much power and influence as now everypony are in danger of such threat – you, and I’m fixing my mistakes.”

As Twilight got frustrated with Celestia’s response, she closed her eyes. Because of that Celestia got an opportunity to charge powerful blast at Twilight—now or never—while she was distracted by her own frustration. “Couldn’t you get over your thick skull an—“

The blast hit Twilight perfectly. She didn’t used any shield or teleportation spell. The blast pushed Twilight into hard, thick crystal castle wall with a crushing impact.

A minute of silence got interrupted by Twilight’s laughter, then again a minute of silence and Twilight got up. Her hooves were shaking and she couldn’t kept her perfect balance, nor speak normally (Impact damaged her bones and nerve connections along back and neck areas), but she still had Rainbow Power.

It would have been perfect for Celestia to finish off Twilight right then, but she was occupied by the sheer astonishment of Twilight’s stamina, although she wouldn’t be able to perform such attack again.

“I never thought I would have to do this.” Celestia spread her wings and lifted herself in air. She hovered in between Twilight and the Sun, blocking almost all of the Sun based on Twilight’s viewpoint. Her eyes lit white and shortly afterwards she formed a weapon – a bright golden spear with artificial decorated wings separating spear’s handle from the blade.

“With this mighty artifact your terror ends now.” Celestia threw the spear at Twilight with a huge force and speed.

Twilight hadn’t had time for teleportation spell. She managed to create a shield. But it was of no good use as the spear passed through the shield into her.

Celestia felt no sympathy to Twilight, nor sorrow or happiness of what she did, only a cold stare and emptiness.

Twilight moved and got up again. Spear only damaged her right ankle. Celestia missed? No, Twilight managed to jump just before the impact with the spear, avoiding it piercing through most vital organs. She took the spear with a levitation spell and with force struggled to eventually bend it into unusable state. She was able to do so despite her injures, she still had Rainbow Powers within her mostly unused.

Celestia watched everything with a cold stare hovering in air and clenching her teeth in anger.

“This is unacceptable!” Celestia burst into flames creating massive heat around her.

In response Twilight put a shield around Celestia containing her and the heat with fire. But the shield started to melt and gave an opening for flames to leak. Twilight quickly created another bigger and tougher one on top of it, then four more, stronger than the previous, up until it could contain Celestia’s outburst.

Celestia wasn’t pleased with that so she decided to give everything she could. She began increasing the temperature and density of the flames up to nearly the temperature of the Sun itself, potentially endangering herself to melt.

Before Celestia could do that, Twilight formed sharp, strong, circular and durable saw from the first shield inside and launched the saw spinning into her horn, cutting it and all the magic it emitted off. Quickly afterwards with the rest of the shields, she sucked air created vacuum and putting off fire.

After heat finally chilled off and it was safe, Twilight released Celestia. Her skin was reddish and her mane burned on the edges, but with all colors mostly unaffected, but not sparkling. She was unable to move, but surprisingly conscious and able to speak. “So this is it… I failed to protect everypony.”

“Protect them? With the stunt you did you could have burned alive half of Ponyville and its citizens, if not for my shields containing you,” Twilight got frustrated with Celestia, despite it was hard for her to speak.

“It was necessary.”

“Everything would have been avoided if we just talked.”

“It would have changed nothing.”

“I beg to differ. Sigh. My best friends and you acted not as themselves, as if they abandoned who they were before.”

“It’s called development.”

“Development? A downgrade what it is. That very day you imprisoned me, they, you and everypony else lost link with The Elements of Harmony. Unnecessary stress, hatred, betrayal, and disharmony developed over the time.

“And you just came killing your friends, because of that?”

“No, I just reminded them of how they were before, convincing them it was better, then taking their Element of Harmony thus ending their lives.”

“How’s that any different from murder?”

“I offered them a better reality, and I was going to offer that to you too if only you listened to what I had to say.”

“What makes you think I would have agreed? I would never.”

Yes, after witnessing what you did, I believe you wouldn’t. After all this was a test for you and my friends, I gave you and them a harsh lesson to learn. They passed, you failed. I’m disappointed in you.

“What are you sa—” Suddenly the ground started shaking and collapsing on itself into a white void.

-

Celestia and other mane five woke up in the castle where they used The Elements against Twilight.

“Good you're all awake,” Twilight continued. “What you saw and experienced wasn’t real. That’s also why you remember everyone’s of you six viewpoints, feelings and emotions. I asked you if you wanted to return to the past, the ones that agreed to, have passed the test, Celestia failed. Well, you never really were in future, what felt like years there were a few hours here. You were under my powerful spell, similar to what Sombra used, but better and stronger.”

“Woah, woah, woah, is this for real?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“This is reality, what you had experienced was fake, I actually never hurt any of you at all.”

“But how is this possible, we banished you with The Elements,” Celestia was confused.

“The Elements didn’t work as I’m the carrier. I performed the spell right when it looked like I was creating a shield in your eyes.”

“That’s indeed amazing, Twilight, bravo!” Discord appeared out of Twilight’s ear.

“Oh, how I love this trick.” Discord snapped his fingers, Twilight’s horn and wings disappeared. “Ta-da—”

“Discord,” Celestia confronted Discord, “how do you know about it, and why did you help Twilight?”

“Oh, Celestia, I can sense magic disturbance, and since this used a lot of that, I got cough up in it. I had no influence in it, but I did saw and felt everything. Applejack you should cut off apple pie.”

“Hey, what does that supposed to mean?” Applejack felt insulted.

“Oh nothing,” Discord giggled.

“Sister!” Luna flew in through the broken window.

“Luna!” Celestia spotted Luna.

“Sister, I saw everything, but I had no influence over it, I’m sorry, I hope you’re ok.”

“I am. Thank you.”

“Everypony, including Luna and Discord were pawns controlled by me,” Twilight answered unasked question.

“Oh, Twilight, you could have added some fun, like—”

“Discord!” Twilight interrupted Discord. “I’m trying to say important stuff, I don’t need your jokes ruining it right now. And return my horn and wings!

“Fine.” Discord snapped his fingers returned Twilight’s horn and wings and creating a random door as well. Discord opened that random door acting as if he was insulted, then left closing it after himself. Door disappeared.

Princesses left as well, flew out back to Canterlot through broken window without saying their goodbyes.

“I need that window fixed,” Twilight thought out loud.

“I can’t believe this is real,” Pinkie Pie finally gathered enough courage to speak, “all you wanted is to help us understand.”

“Yes, Pinkie.”

“I… I…” Pinkie’s mane got messy from sudden happiness rush. “OH MY GOSH, Twilight, thankyousomuchitwasImeantotalycrazyand…”

-

“You know what she’s capable of, Luna?” On a way back to Canterlot, Celestia asked.

“Yes, sister.”

“We need a plan to make a stop of her before she becomes any stronger, I’ll need your help.”

“Yes, sister.”