***

Huddled together in Twilight's castle, was the entire whole of Ponyville. Each pony was put into well-sized groups and given one of the many rooms of the castle, promised protection no matter what.

Each day seemed like a million years to Twilight; but she managed to calm the ponies down, even when she herself was scared. Twilight had a routine, a duty to uphold now that the other princesses were focusing all their efforts keeping shield up to par. Twilight was now the temporary ruler of Equestria.

At first, Twilight refused to rule Equestria alone. She tried to convince Celestia to go through the magic mirror and ask Sunset Shimmer to rule with her, considering Sunset had been a former student and must have had a some experience with the mechanics of ruling. But Celestia told Twilight that Sunset couldn't come back with the shield up, they had to put up that shield immediately with no time to travel time or dimensions. The sooner the shield was put up, the safer the ponies would be.

Discord was the only person keeping most ponies from breaking into insanity, and as sad as it was, Twilight had given up hope on Discord and assumed he was no more. She wanted so badly to tell the ponies of Equestria the truth, but Twilight knew that if she did, the ponies would loose all hope and chaos would rain down from the sky. Not in the form of chocolate milk, but in the form of asteroids and fire. The world would be destroyed soon and Twilight knew it. But she did her best to keep everything in order, even if the end came.

On this final day, Twilight was sitting on her throne looking over the cutie map to track her friends' whereabouts. Pinkie was at Sugar Cube Corner, giving out the daily rations, or whatever was left of them. Rainbow Dash was in Cloudsdale, training with the Wonderbolts in case there was an emergency. Applejack did what she could with farming, considering there wasn't any rain or very many seeds to spare. Rarity on the other hoof was traveling Equestria with Spike, helping anypony she met find shelter someway or another. Leaving Twilight all alone to deal with running Equestria.

"Everything seems in order...still..." Twilight sighed and rubbed her tired baggy eyes, "I mustn't rest...not before Tirek is stopped..." she teleported up a piece of paper and a quill with some ink, "I hope this time she writes back..."

"Dear Princess Celestia:

Time for the weekly report. On the eighth day of our imprisonment, despite our efforts, the shield seems to be weakening within every second...Discord...is gone...forever...even if he was alive...he would never be able to...the shield, though weak, could still block him out...all hope is lost...

-Princess Twilight Sparkle"

Just as the letter was sent, a scroll with the Crystal Empire symbol on the tie appeared in front of Twilight.

"Hm? Cadence?" Twilight then opened the scroll and read it.

"Twilight:

You are needed at the Crystal Empire immediately, I have alerted your friends and they are all coming...hurry as quick as you can...

-Cadence"

Twilight merely gazed at the letter for a few moments before setting it down and alerting Flash Sentry.

"What is it, Princess?" Flash asked eagerly with a smile upon his face.

Twilight resisted the urge to blush at that smile as she kept her calm demeanor, "I need to head to the Crystal Empire quickly, please look after Ponyville for a couple of hours."

Flash gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

"It's only a few hours, relax..."

"I can't believe you're trusting me with this!"

"Well, there's no other pony qualified to be my successor at such a time as this...I trust you..." Twilight packed a backpack and headed to the door, "I know you'll do a good job..." she added with a smile.

Flash smiled lightly, "Thank you, Princess..."

Twilight turned from the large throne room doors and walked over to Flash, "There's no need to be formal, Flash..." she leaned in slowly and kissed him.

The shock of the sudden kiss caused Flash's wings to unfold, but Flash soon melted into the kiss softly.

"Just call me Twilight..." Twilight murmured in a voice of silk.

Flash merely nodded.

With that, Twilight turned to the door and left.

***

Since the trains were shut down, Twilight sent a letter to Shining Armor telling him that she was to be expected at the Crystal Empire. She then headed to the border of Ponyville and left the protected city with a spell to walk through force fields. It was alicorn magic, meaning only the princesses were able to go in between cities. It was the only spell capable of such a feat, so rare it was thought to have been lost in the Starswirl the Bearded Wing of the Canterlot Archives. Twilight managed to find it during the whole time travel incident. She taught it to the other princesses and now they were able to go from city to city when they had to.

Twilight watched as the sun began to set as she walked through the desolate fields leading to the Crystal Empire, she then teleported herself to the Empire. On the outskirts of it, Twilight then used the walk-through spell to go through the shield. The Empire that was once filled of light and laughter of the Crystal Ponies, was now desolate, gray, and dead as a doornail.

When approaching the entrance of the castle, Twilight was stopped and checked by the Crystal Guards. Soon she was led into the throne room by two guards; where Cadence, Celestia, and Luna waited.

At the princesses' feet, laid crystal statues of ponies who had gone missing over the course of a few months lined up in unbroken rows. Twilight had helped in the search to find half of the ponies, but she was saddened to discover none of them were Fluttershy.

"Woah, what happened? Are these what I think they are?" Twilight inspected the ponies carefully.

Luna nodded, "Indeed...and that's not all...sister?"

"Yes yes...I know...we have reason to believe.-"

Celestia nodded and brought forth the Crystal Heart.

Twilight gasped, "That's great! Put it back into place!"

"We can't..." Cadence pointed to a spreading crack in the blue crystal of love, "It's damaged, until I can patch it up, it won't be able to protect the Empire!"

Twilight groaned, "Ugh...how long will that take?"

"It should take a few hours..." Celestia said.

Without much warning to be had, an ultra sonic boom was heard blasting through the kingdom, pulling up trees from its roots and making awful loud your shattering sound. At that moment did twilight realize that someone was trying to break the barrier.

And they were succeeding whoever they were.

Twilight knew it was, she knew it was none other then Tirek. Her heart pounded out of her chest as her fears were confirmed.

Luna looked up at the barrier outside to see it shattering, "So it begins..."

***

CRACK! SMASH!

Discord was on the border of the shield when he saw Tirek using his massive fists to shatter the barrier. He gritted his teeth.

"Tirek..."

Tirek whirled around and roared, "DISCORD!"

"L-Look...Tirek... I thought about what you have said, what you were planning to do, and everything we will do...."

Tirek's eyes lit up with rage, "And?"

"I refuse to let you do this, I am against this entirely…you have taken away almost everything I have, you were threatening my friends with extinction, and you took away the one thing no one can replace..." Discord hissed with an icy voice, "You do not do that to me, I am the Lord of Chaos… you seem to have forgotten that!"

"Oh I have not forgotten anything, you mixed up Heathen!"

Discord's fists began to tremble as they clenched together, "I used to be evil, are you still think I had to be mean in order to have a good time! But there was one pony who showed me that I could have a much better time if I invited friendship and the love of my life...and she's not here anymore thanks to you...but in a way..." he brought one paw up to his chest, "She lives in me...my love for her still lingers in my heart, or what is left of it anyway... It may seem stupid to you, but love is a very powerful thing...I suppose Sombra never told you that either...you never loved anypony, it's clear now..."

"Oh my Luna! are you seriously going to give me some stupid friendship monologue, Princess Twilight has really been a bad influence on you Discord!" Tirek roared in anger, "I never needed love, it slows you down, makes you weak!"

Discord sighed, "To you, it makes you feel that way. But if you really understood, if you really took the time to let it enter your heart...you could see the power of true love..."

Tirek smiled, "Really?" his fist gathered together a bright orange energy into one sphere of magic, "Can your precious love stop this?" he fired it at Discord.

Discord fired a purple sphere of magic right back at him, "With the love I have...I'm invincible!"

Myself more spears of orange energy were fired each one bigger than the last, who scored kept dodging, countering, and levitating them away from him and the shield.

With each shot fired, Tirek became more and more exhausted. With all the energy he had absorbed through the Crystal Heart coursing through his veins, it was literally burning his body more and more within each second. His fur began to singe and smoke with each fireball shot. Discord could literally smell the power coming off of him. But where Tirek began to burn up due to the power, Discord only got stronger.

Every memory of his reformed life coursed through Discord's mind, with every image of his friends flashes in his head, with every conversation he and his friends ever had ringing in his ears, and with every fiber of love for Fluttershy in his heart. He became stronger in spirit, however...his body was becoming battered and burned by the spheres being thrown at him.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST..." Tirek unleashed all the power he could muster into one gigantic spear but most impossible to dodge, Discord knew he had to face that powers head on. There was no holding back this time.

"FAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!"

Discord released a sphere of his own magic on instinct, he was not about to lose.

Discord had to win...for his friends...for Fluttershy's memory...

What would Fluttershy think if her friends were hurt? If her animals lost their home? It would tarnish her memory.

And Discord could not live with that.

The orange sphere however was a major adversary, so much power have been put into that sphere that it burned even on Discord's end. Discord winced as the burning sensation crawled up his paws and arms, boiling his very blood. Yet he refused to give up, how could he give up on the one he couldn't protect?

The pain didn't seem to faze Discord, I guess being hit by a giant rainbow that turned him to stone seemed to into increased his pain tolerance.

Discord's eyes began to glow a strange pink color, and he had pushed onto the orange spare had turned the same shade of pink. His veins began to glow through his translucent skin the same color, all leading up to his heart which was also glowing. It was then that this gorgeous body begins to feel a little bit fuzzy, a little bit giddy, like he was young again and able to cause chaos once more to his heart's content. He began to feel that he was not alone. Warm and safe. This is what love truly was. Discord welcomed it.

With the love in his heart fueling his failing body, Discord moved his hand downward away from the sphere. He then used the last bit of strength he had to snap his fingers as a final act. He teleported up into the air and tossed a new sphere above Tirek and tossed hit downward at his head. What was expelled from Discord's power was far greater then what he had expected, even from him.

The sphere was a rosy pink and formed much quicker than any normal form of magic. The more Discord's body relaxed, the quicker it formed, and before Tirek could react, Discord released it upon him.

There was a bright flash of light, and that was all Discord could remember.

***

When Discord was conscious, he could feel himself laying in a soft cotton couch covered by the softest blanket he had ever felt. So soft and fluffy, surrounded by many stuffed animals. Discord could smell vegetable soup in the air, filled with ears of baby corn and green beans. But the one thing that made Discord happy beyond everything else...was Fluttershy singing.

The flowers to the east

Sunset full of peace

Fills my heart I must confess

With love at its best...

When Discord opened his eyes, he could see Fluttershy, sitting on a chair beside him soaking a cold washcloth, alive and well.

Sorry I'm too shy

I will not lie

If we break this tie

I might cry...

Discord frowned at the lyrics, Fluttershy should never cry.

But if I don't speak now

I don't know how

I can face you now

I'll hide my face and scowl

Oh sweet friend if I may

If I even am allowed to say

You color my world from grey

Can I tell you I love you today?

Discord hummed a soft laugh, "I love you too...Fluttershy..."

Fluttershy gasped and glanced at Discord, "Discord!" she hid her face in the washcloth.

Discord chuckled, "Relax Fluttershy dear...I think we have a lot to talk about...perhaps over that soup you're making...?"

Fluttershy didn't look up, smiling, "O-Okay..."

***

Author's Note

I'm not dead guys, chill out! I just needed a long long long break...Writers block is mean

Anyways guys, I am so so so so so sorry about all this! I'm back now! I swear!

So this is the end of an era. Thank you for the support, and see you next story