Good Heart

With a lot of caution and using the shadows of the afternoon sun, Twilight got the map and flee the city without being recaptured. The talented unicorn headed northeast towards the dry and vast desert known as the Forbidden Wilds.

The waning light of the evening started to hinder Twilight, giving her have trouble with her sight and orientation. After trotting over a dirt path for a couple of hours, the talented unicorn saw a distant light coming out from the base of a couple of dead trees.

“Argh, I hate when that thing gets lost!”

“It’s like it knows I need it and it hides from me, NOT FAIR!!” shouted a blue unicorn with anger while she seemed to be searching for something lost between some barrels and wooden crates nearby a merchant wagon.

Twilight approached to the worried and very angered pony with caution.

“Excuse me miss, but I… TRIXIE?!” shouted Twilight with excitement as she recognized her former rival.

“Umm, do I know you from somewhere?” asked Trixie with curiosity as she stopped her previous quest. The blue unicorn approached to Twilight.

“Actually yes, but now is not the time to explain. I need to know what path I should take to the desert. So, do you know which one Trixie?”

“…sure I do, but why do you want to go there? It’s all hot during the day and it has nothing other than sand and rocks for miles around… Unless you’re trying to get some desert flowers, isn’t that right?!” replied Trixie with happiness and a smile.

“I’ve tried so many times to get one of those, but they’re so hard to find and I always run out of water before I can even reach The Salt Caves…”

“Which, by the way, were used in ancient times as shelters by the banished alicorns during their exiles. Cool, hah?”

“Salt Caves?! Tell me, where can I find these?” said Twilight as she fully opened the scroll map she had in front of Trixie with the help of her magic.

“WOW, where did you get this?! This map, wow, it’s of the desert!!!”

“I’ll give you 2000 tails for it!” said the blue pony with a grin on her face.

“Sorry, but I need it to rescue my friend from the desert so please, show me where are those caves…”

“Fine, they should be here over this dry river… right here, see?”

“Excuse me, but is this related to the armored alicorn convoy of last night?” asked Trixie as she gazed at Twilight while she rolled back the map.

“An alicorn armored convoy?! YES, which direction did they go?!”

“Not so fast missy. I’ve helped you more than enough so you can get desert flowers, but what about me? I also need items to trade you know?” said the blue unicorn, this time, with an even bigger grin than last time.

“I’m not getting any desert flowers, BELIEVE ME. Celestia was sentenced to exile and she’s the only pony who can prevent the war in Ponya,” replied Twilight with a very serious expression.

“CELESTIA?! You mean the white kind alicorn that lives in Alicornia?”

“Yes… do you know her?”

“Of course, she helped me once when my wagon broke in the middle of the Market Place. She was so kind to me, I’ve not forgotten that…”

“Then you must help me Trixie! There’s no need of a war if we find her!”

“But didn’t you hear? The deer, griffin and unicorn armies started heading towards Alicornia a week ago. They’ll arrive soon and their plan is to siege and attack the city until it surrenders… That’s what I heard in Uninopolis three days ago.”

“I made a small stop in here because I was about to flee East before the armies arrived to this lands. I tried to warn Celestia, but I failed since we are not welcomed inside Alicornia anymore,” replied Trixie, worried while she continued looking at Twilight.

“So the armies are already heading here. My, no pony inside Alicornia has been warned…”

“Trixie, listen to me. I know is hard to understand but Celestia is the only pony who can prevent this war and the consequences from it.”

“Please, help me…” said Twilight, trying to convince the merchant pony.

“Celestia helped me in my hour of need and now is my turn to help her…”

“The armored convoy went that way and returned at sunrise,” replied Trixie while she pointed at Twilight the direction.

“Take this lantern. It’s the best one I own because it works with magic, not oil.”

“To increase its power, just focus your mind and the lantern will do the rest depending on how much light you need,” said the merchant pony as she took the lantern from one of her crates.

“Take this saddle too.”

Twilight grabbed the items with her magic and attached the saddle with the lantern and the map to her back.

“When you find Celestia, please tell her that I’m sorry for not being able to do more than these small actions…”

“There are never small actions Trixie, thank you!” said Twilight with a smile.

“Hurry purple pony, the armies shall arrive at sunrise so you have until then to find her and bring her back to the city. I’m not sure if your plan is going to work, but if the war can be prevented, then it’s worth trying it.”

“I’ll stay here until sunrise in case you need me, but with that map, I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine. Until next time…?”

“Twilight, my name’s Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight, I’ll never forget that name. So long…” said Trixie for the last time as she waved at the gifted unicorn while she trotted away from her.

The sun was now completely gone from the sky, giving space to the Moon and its night to cover the entire land with its darkness. The final countdown had started for Twilight before the different armies invaded the city limits by dawn.

*********

Forest trees couldn’t be seen anymore as Twilight approached to the dry desert. The talented unicorn could still feel the heat of the day in her hooves as she stepped over some of the rocks and sand on the ground.

Finally after trotting for a couple of hours, Twilight found the solitary and vast desert. The gifted unicorn took out the scroll map and took a small moment to study it before entering.

She kept it and took out the magic lantern Trixie gave her to start her search in the middle of such loneliness. Twilight called out to Celestia in case she was near her position as she trotted inside the region.

Just as was expected, there was nothing more than sand, rocks and some small knee-high bushes around the inhospitable landscape. The Moon was the only witness who watched Twilight as she trotted with her lantern.

Making some stops to catch her breath or check the map again, the gifted unicorn continued and didn’t stop because she had a quest to fulfill. Over time, the minutes became hours and Celestia was still missing.

“According to this map, there should be a stone bridge over here…” said Twilight as she approached to a dry riverbank that crossed the desert in front of her.

“The map must be wrong, there’s no bridge in this section…”

“Oh no, I’m running out of time! How am I supposed to cross?” said again the talented unicorn as she looked up to the Moon.

“I can’t use my teleportation spell because I’ve never been on the other side and it doesn’t work like that. Celestia once warned me about that…”

“…perhaps if I use the stones from the bottom… NO, they’re too small!” sobbed Twilight as a she cast away the lantern with her magic.

When the lantern fell in the sand, a loud crack sounded as if there was something buried there. The gifted unicorn immediately stood up and approached the semi buried lantern.

With her magic again, Twilight lifted the lantern and attached it to her saddle. In the hole left behind, Twilight noticed what it appeared to be a wooden sign of some sort. With her front hooves and magic, the talented unicorn took out the sign.

“This is alicorn language, I can’t read it.”

“But I do understand this symbol from the bottom. I remember seeing it in one of the books Celestia brought me from the library. It’s a symbol for magic…”

“Maybe if I…” said Twilight right before shooting a powerful magic beam towards the gap in front of her. Immediately, a secret stone bridge was revealed.

“Yes! The book was right, alicorns like to fool non alicorn ponies. LET’S GO,” shout the gifted unicorn with excitement as she crossed the bridge and headed towards the caves Trixie marked on the map.

*********

“According to Trixie’s mark, the caves should be over here in front of that rock formation…” said Twilight as she kept the map in her saddle once more.

The Moon was ahead in the middle of the night sky. Time was running out.

From this moment forth, Twilight started to trot a lot faster towards the rock formation because behind it, the Salt Caves lay.

Before Twilight reached the place, something printed in the sand caught her attention. The gifted unicorn’s trotting abruptly stopped.

“Hoovesteps…”

“They look like they were recently done. I better follow them,” said Twilight as she changed her direction and followed the mysterious prints.

As the gifted unicorn pursued them, the rock formation started getting closer and closer. When Twilight finally reached the place and turned her head trying to continue following the path, her eyes found what she was looking for.

“PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!” shouted the talented pony as she trotted towards the white alicorn. Celestia was lying in the sand beneath a rock ledge.

The eternal being was almost unconscious, but she could still hear Twilight’s voice calling her. Celestia looked tired and exhausted from wandering alone the entire day before in the hot desert.

“Twilight… Twilight is that you?” asked Celestia with a weak voice. Her once colored apron now was dirty and torn. Her black mane looked messy and tangled too.

“Yes princess, I’m here, I’m here to rescue you...” said Twilight with tears in her eyes as she gazed down at her.

“Twilight, please, forgive me for putting you in risk before…”

“I should’ve never asked you to help me in the bakery… but I… I…”

“Hush now princess, you need to save your energy,” said Twilight trying to interrupt Celestia’s weak responses.

“…I wanted to teach you my knowledge because you’re my family now…”

Twilight in that moment stood quiet and let Celestia continue with her low and weak responses. The eternal being could be seen fighting for consciousness.

“I lived in a complete and eternal loneliness until you arrived at my door that cold night…”

“…you’re like a daughter to me…”

“Twilight, I love you…” said Celestia for the last time right before finally fainting in Twilight’s arms.

Twilight in that moment finally understood Celestia’s attitude towards her. All the details, all her advices and all her efforts trying to help her return home, were part of her motherly love towards her.

Perhaps the Celestia from Equestria felt the same way, Twilight thought, but only in this world her feelings towards the gifted unicorn were clearer.

“I used to think when I was little that you didn’t like to spent time with me, but now I finally understand you Princess. It wasn’t me, it was the motherly feelings you felt for me every time I was around you that made you decide to send me away with Cadence.”

“Cadence once told me something similar you did with her too…”

“Now that I think about it, we both reminded you, somehow, of your so long missed sister, Princess Luna… ”

“In Ponya or in Equestria, you continue being the same pony no matter the color of your mane or the shape of your cutie mark. You’ve always been a good heart Celestia…”

As Twilight hugged the unconscious Celestia, the first sunbeams of the dawn started to enlighten the dark interior of the rock ledge. Time finally expired for the gifted unicorn.

“Let’s go princess…” said Twilight right before disappearing with Celestia in the middle of a magic spark.

*********

“Oh no, dawn is already here and Twilight has not returned from the desert,” said Trixie, worried for the fate of her friends as she gazed at the first sunbeams of the day entering through the middle of the trees.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll wait for them a little longer before I flee from here…”

The moment after Trixie said that, Twilight and Celestia appeared in front of her. Both ponies looked dirty and full of sand.

“HOW… HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!” asked the amazed blue unicorn.

“Trixie come here and help me, Celestia is unconscious…”

“Well, of course!” said Trixie as she trotted towards Twilight. Both ponies carried Celestia and put her over a couple of wooden crates.

“What happened to her? She doesn’t looks so good,” said the merchant pony with grief.

“They let her go in the middle of the desert to wander alone.”

“Trixie, do you have any medicine or something like that for her?”

“Sure, I’ve exactly what she needs…” said the merchant pony as she cantered towards the interior of her wagon.

*********

“Thank you Trixie for everything. I could have never rescued Celestia from the desert without you.”

“Oh, well, I… I’m glad I was useful.”

“Now it's your turn, please stop the war. So long…” said Trixie for the last time as she trotted away with her wagon towards the forest. Celestia and Twilight waved at her until she couldn’t be seen anymore.

After saying goodbye to her friend, the eternal being and Twilight started to trot towards Alicornia. In the middle of their trotting, both ponies started to talk.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do what you told me Twilight…”

“You don’t know how my fellow villagers feel about the city and their surroundings. We have lived in Alicornia for over 2000 years, I think.”

“Giving the city away just like that is not going to be easy…”

“I know princess, but during my travels when I was looking for my friends and you, I visited many cities. All of them can’t compare with Alicornia and that was probably their reason to kidnap your emperor.”

“Probably, but that doesn’t explain their attempt to siege us with their armies…”

“Asking for a ransom would’ve been a lot easier rather than arming their soldiers and make them canter from their hometowns to our distant city.”

“That’s what I think…”

“You’re right about that, but I feel there’s something else in this, something I can’t explain…”

“Well, don’t worry little one. The important thing now is warning everypony inside the city to leave before it’s too late. So, let’s hurry, shall we?”

“Of course princess!” shout Twilight as she followed Celestia.

*********

“Look Twilight, there are no guards at the door nor on the upper walls. This is strange, I’ve never seen something like that…” said Celestia as she pointed the lonely gate from a bush.

“Let’s enter then,” replied Twilight.

By using a special spell, Twilight disabled the door’s lock and opened it. Both ponies entered the Eternal City with caution.

After getting past the gate, Celestia and Twilight started to hear what it appeared to be cheers coming from the Great Square. At the same time, the Clock Tower’s bell started chiming in the distance between the happy cheers of the alicorns.

“That’s weird Twilight, it’s already 8 o’clock and no pony is outside cleaning their windows or sweeping the street…” said the white alicorn as she gazed at the empty streets of the city.

“Look Princess, flags…”

“Are you celebrating something special today?” asked the gifted unicorn with wonder as she pointed the purple flags over the streets and alleyways.

“No, nothing but those purple flags….”

“What about them, Princess?”

“I think the Emperor has returned…” replied the eternal being with a smile on her face as she looked down at Twilight.

“It seems that there’ll be no need of making a war after all…”

“But I thought he was kidnapped by the looming armies.”

“So did I…”

*********

Gathered in the Great Square in the north of town, all the alicorn citizens of the city cheered and rejoice as they gazed at their ruler cantering out from the royal palace’s gates towards them.

“Your majesty, we missed you so much!” shouted an alicorn villager with excitement from the middle of the crowd.

“Long live the Emperor!” shouted another villager from among the crowd.

While the citizens continued with their acclaims, Celestia and Twilight approached to the square from an alley. One happy alicorn was standing nearby them.

“Excuse me sir, but what’s going on?” asked Celestia to her fellow villager as she approached to him.

“Isn’t that amazing?! Our beloved Emperor returned from his kidnapping!” said the citizen with excitement as he looked at Celestia with a smile.

“We were all asleep when the city’s barker shouted the good news. Then we were called to gather here to welcome our kind ruler from his long and cruel capture…”

As Celestia continued talking with her fellow villager, Twilight couldn’t help noticing a large flag frapping in the wind from one of the rooftops of a house. The light of the morning sun enlightened it in a special way.

“That flag…” said Twilight to herself as she gazed the moving streamer.

After watching it for a while, Twilight’s face drastically changed. Her ears dropped down and her eyes now reflected a deep horror as she started to back away from her spot.

As the gifted unicorn backed away from Celestia, the eternal being was finishing talking with her fellow villager. She ignored her little friend’s attitude.

“Well Twilight, it seems that the Emperor was… ARE YOU OK?!” asked Celestia with deep concern as she finally noticed her friend’s feelings.

“Is there something wrong little one?!” asked the white alicorn again, but no answer could be heard coming from Twilight. The gifted unicorn stood still in the middle of the alleyway while tears started to came out from her eyes.

Worried, Celestia approached to the petrified pony. She put herself in front of Twilight’s lost sight, hoping to make her react.

“Twilight, please, what’s wrong?”

After seeing Celestia’s face, Twilight seemed to react from her trance.

“The flag… the flag…” babbled Twilight as she pointed the distant streamer with her left hoof.

Celestia turned her head towards the direction the talented pony was pointing. After seeing the flag, the white alicorn’s head returned to watch down at Twilight.

“Yes, that’s our flag…”

“…what’s wrong with it?” replied Celestia, doubtfully, because she didn’t understand what her friend tried to tell her.

“Princess, we must get out here IMMEDIATELY!!!”

“We are all in great danger…”

“What do you mean? I don’t understand you Twilight!”

“…It seems that I was not the only one who came from Equestria…” said Twilight as she cleaned her tears with her arm.

Twilight’s face now seemed angry and her eyes reflected fury as she gazed up at the royal deity among the crowd. The Emperor was standing atop a wooden stage in the center of the square while he also seemed to be looking at her.

“WELL LITTLE PONY, YOU GOT ME. CONGRATULATIONS!” bellowed the royal deity as he looked down at Twilight.

After hearing such cold and mysterious sentence, everypony stood still and the cheers from before stopped. Small sighs and whispers started to be heard among the villagers. They didn’t understand what was happening.

“I’M GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN…”

“IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE AND OLD FRIEND, DON’T YOU THINK?” bellowed the Emperor with a grim smile as he descended from the stage towards Twilight.

Thundering gray extended wings, sharp horn and imposing long legs covered with a golden armor, the alicorn’s emperor cantered among his subjects. As the deity trotted among them, everypony made a reverence.

“Princess, make sure everypony leaves town safely to the north. In the desert you all will be safe…” said Twilight as she continued looking up at the approaching menacing royal deity.

“What do you mean?! You're scaring me…”

“I’ll give you some time, but I’ll be not able to stop it forever…” said the gifted unicorn right before the Emperor finally stopped in front of her.

Twilight turned her head.

“I’m not sure how it happened, but I’ll not let you harm these ponies KING SOMBRA,” shouted Twilight as the true identity of the Emperor was finally revealed.

Celestia in that moment understood everything.

“DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME THIS TIME WITHOUT YOUR PRECIOUS NECKLACE?”

“WELL, WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT…” bellowed Sombra right before changing his alicorn form. After the transformation, the Dark King now resembled a dark abysmal cloud, just like the one that attacked Ponyville in the past.

After roaring like a beast, Sombra lunged towards Twilight.

Right before she was covered with the thick cloud, the talented pony turned her head towards the frightened Celestia. The white alicorn was looking down at her with tears in her eyes as Twilight turned her head.

“Goodbye Princess…” said Twilight for the last time as she started to get lost inside the abysmal cloud of Sombra.

*********

“See those stars? Well, they’re called constellations Twilight and if you use your imagination, you can form figures with them,” said Celestia to Twilight as both ponies looked up to the night sky from one of the palace’s gardens.

“Princess, what about the Moon’s drawing?” asked the little filly.

The Solar Princess stood quiet for a moment.

“…that’s… that’s the Mare in the Moon…”

“Princess, are you ok?” asked again the little Twilight because Celestia turned her head after answering.

“Yes Twilight, it’s just that I… it doesn’t matter,” replied the Solar Princess with a smile towards the small pony.

Twilight in that moment yawned, her eyes seemed tired.

“I think we better go now little one,” said Celestia as she carried the little filly back to her bedroom inside the royal castle.

After a small canter through the castle’s courtyard and some corridors, Celestia entered Twilight’s room and put the small sleepy filly gently in her bed. The Solar Princess later covered her with a blanket.

“Night-night little one…” said Celestia with a smile on her face.

“Good… night… princess…” replied Twilight before falling asleep.

“I’ve not forgotten you….” said the talented unicorn as she opened her eyes right before Sombra’s cloud covered her entirely.

*********

“FLEE NOW, FLEE WHILE YOU CAN!” shouted a frightened alicorn as he attempted to escape the city while pulling a wagon full of his belongings.

Right before the Dark King and Twilight disappeared from the square, everypony panicked and started to flee the city with their respective relatives and goods in all kinds of directions fear advised them to.

The royal guards were unable to control the situation, they were too scared. While chaos and fear boiled inside the Eternal City, the Clock Tower’s bells accompanied the scene now with a gloomy echo.

Just when a couple of frightened alicorns tried to open the southern main gates, their eyes finally gazed the surrounding menace that lay outside their city, the invading armies.

Many different campaign war flags flapped with the wind alongside its holders, the enemy soldiers, hundreds of them. Unicorns, deers and griffins, all of them waiting to siege the city at any moment.

“WE’RE SEIGED, WE’RE SEIGED!!!” shouted one of the alicorns to his fellow villagers trying to warn them from the imminent menace of outside.

In that moment after hearing the alicorn’s frightened cries, everypony started to panic even more than before. This time, villagers started to leave their belongings behind so they could escape in time.

The sky by that moment was completely gray as storm clouds covered the entire region. In the visage of the Clock Tower and the clouds, the reflection of Twilight’s spells battling the Dark King could be seen.

While looking at her frightened friends and the enlightened sky, Celestia started to feel something she has never felt in her entire life. For her, somehow, the scene seemed familiar and despite what she knew was happening or was about to happen, she felt mild.

Fear also invaded her, but in the middle of such chaos and panic, the need of helping her scared neighbors was stronger than all her worries and need of escaping.

Celestia, without hesitating, flew towards the middle of the Great Square and landed on the wooden stage where Sombra stood moments before. With a strong voice, the white alicorn started to talk to the frightened crowd.

“LISTEN TO ME NOW EVERYPONY…” shouted Celestia.

“Today we find ourselves in the toughest times of all. Our Emperor betrayed us, just like our mayor. Both have left us in here at the mercy of the invading armies from outside the city walls…”

As Celestia continued with her speech, alicorns started to stop fighting and fleeing to nowhere. Instead, they approached to the square to hear the white alicorn’s words. Soon, the square was full again.

“I’m also scared, terrified, but that’s ok because there’s nothing wrong with that. We love this city more than all the gold we possess because we have lived in here since ancient times.”

“We've felt that this is the only place where we belong, but that isn’t true. We belong to ourselves and to our family and friends no matter where they are.”

“Yes, we can try fighting to defend our city. But I say, let’s leave and live…” said Celestia to the gathered crowd in front of her.

“But where can we go? The exits are surrounded or locked…” shouted one alicorn from among the crowd.

“North…”

*********

“What in the name of Ponya can be happening over there?!”

“I don’t know sir, but I think I can see what it looks like a unicorn pony fighting some kind of shadow monster right in the middle of the field…” said a deer soldier to his general as he peered through a spyglass.

“A unicorn you say?!”

“Is he part of Clarence’s knights?”

“I don’t think so. He isn’t wearing any armor sir….”

“I see… Pines, go with the other generals and inform them of our discovery.”

“Yes sir, right away!”

*********

As the powerful lights continued to illuminate the whole stormy sky over the city, all the alicorns started to flee Alicornia in one single major line guided by Celestia and the royal guards at the front.

“Celestia, there’re still a few alicorns inside the city that aren’t willing to leave their belongings behinds…” said Mach as he landed nearby her. He was the old guard that helped Twilight escape from the dungeon.

“Alright, I’ll return for them, but make sure nopony breaks the line!” shouted the white alicorn to his friend as she took off towards the city.

While flying, Celestia couldn’t help watching with fear the frightening flashes in the sky that Twilight’s and Sombra’s spells caused. The sound of their spells striking between them and into the ground could also be perfectly heard no matter the distance.

“Twilight, please, hang on…”

After landing back in the almost empty city, Celestia gazed at the last stubborn villagers that still tried to take their belonging with them.

“YOU FOALS! We have to get out of here, there’s no time to lose!” shouted the white alicorn to the last mulish villagers.

“I can’t leave this, it belonged to my mother…” replied one citizen as he tried to carry his heavy mahogany grandfather clock with his arms.

“Me neither Celestia, I need my maps and telescopes for my studies,” said another stubborn alicorn as he tried to pull his broken wagon.

Suddenly, one alicorn guard landed nearby Celestia.

“YOU HEARD HER, THERE’S NO TIME TO LOSE YOU FOALS!” shout Arador, the alicorn guard that arrested Celestia and Twilight before.

“Alright…” cried the remaining villagers as they finally left their belongings on the street and took off towards the line with the rest.

“Hello Celestia, I felt that you would need some help with them…”

“About what happened, I… I wanted to tell you I’m sorry…” said the young guard while his ears dropped down, just like his face.

“Don’t worry, I know that you were only doing your job…” replied the eternal being with a smile to the regretful guard.

“…WELL, I think there’s no one left inside the city and it was thanks to you…”

“Incredible, I never thought I'd see our precious city likes this, empty, as if no pony ever lived in here before…” said Arador with nostalgia.

As both ponies gazed at their empty streets and alleyways with sadness, the illuminated sky above them stopped. Celestia abruptly looked up towards the now calmed stormy sky.

“Twilight…!” shout the eternal being with horror.

“Arador, make sure everypony gets to the desert…” said Celestia for the last time as she took off in a rush towards the main entrance of the city. The white alicorn could sense that her friend now was in great danger.

*********

“Twilight…?”
“I’m in the living room princess…”
“What’s that little one?”
“It’s a card, I made it for you because today is you birthday… right?”
“Sure it is, but you didn’t need to bother for me Twilight…”
“It’s nothing, really…”
“Wow, did you really make this up by yourself?”
“Of course! Cadence taught me how to make them many years ago.”
“So, do you like it…?”
“This is the most precious gift I’ve ever received from somepony, thank you.”

“Princess, are my cookies done yet?”
“Let me see…”
“Oh yes! Pretty good for a beginner I must say. Congratulations Twilight.”

“Where am I?”
“You were left in the middle of the desert and I just brought you back from it…”
“How do you feel now, princess?”
“Pretty good… thanks…”

“…It seems that I was not the only one who came from Equestria…”
“Goodbye princess…”

“Hang on Twilight, I’m coming to rescue you…” cried Celestia as she remembered some of her memories with Twilight while she rushed over the city.

After finally getting to the main entrance’s massive doors, the eternal being gazed down at the field in front of her. At the distance, the abysmal cloud of Sombra could be seen battling the invading armies that surrounded the city.

Right in the middle of the field very near to the brown paved road, Celestia found Twilight lying in the grass. The wind blew her mane, but she wasn’t moving.

The eternal being landed near her almost defeated friend, who still had her eyes open as she gazed at the moving grass and flowers nearby her. All her energy had been expelled in her fight with Sombra.

“TWILIGHT!” cried Celestia with tears in her eyes as she approached her friend.

“Princess…”

“I’m here now, I’m here…”

“Do your friends escape safely?”

“Yes, all of them fled safely to the north and it was all thanks to you...”

Twilight smiled after hearing that.

“…sorry for not being able to stop him, but he's too strong, even for me…”

Celestia stood quiet as she looked down at Twilight with tears on her eyes.

“It’s all over now, the Dark King triumphs again…”

Sombra’s laugh could be heard at the distance as he continued battling the invading armies. Twilight turned her head towards Celestia’s sad face.

“Please princess, promise me you’ll escape with your friends…”

“I… I will, I promise…” sobbed the eternal being with tears on her eyes.

“Curious, I arrived here in the middle of a prairie and now, I’ll leave the same way…” said Twilight as a tear fell from her left eye.

Celestia in that moment closed her eyes and dropped to the floor. The eternal being started to cry in a deep and harsh bitterness as she gazed down at her defeated friend.

The sorrow of the white alicorn was so strong that the earth beneath her started to move like an earthquake. A powerful lightning storm started over the stormy sky of the region. The wind increased its speed as the thunders impacted the ground.

Celestia stand up from the grass.

“You gave everything for us Twilight, no matter if we were your family or friends…”

“Now… now is my turn. Let me wield some of your power my little friend…” said Celestia as she tilted her head until her long horn touched Twilight.

Twilight’s body started to glow with some kind of light. Suddenly, the gifted unicorn opened her eyes again. After opening them, Twilight stood again in the middle of the moving grass.

Celestia now was trotting away from her as her body radiated light in a powerful aura. Twilight couldn’t believe what she was looking at right in front of her.

“Go to the city now. You’ll be safe there…” said Celestia with her eyes glowing as she turned her head towards Twilight.

Twilight nodded and trotted away towards the city.

The Dark King ignored what happened as he continued battling the invading armies. In that moment, Sombra was holding one helpless soldier in the air and right before he attacked him, a powerful light beam cut his foggy appendage.

King Sombra screamed in pain as he turned his vicious eyes towards the direction of the beam.

“YOU!” bellowed his voice with anger.

“Yes, me…” said Celestia as she stood in front of him while light continued radiating from her body and eyes.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONE FOR GOOD DEEP IN THAT DESERT!”

“BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER, NOW I’LL FINISH WHAT I STARTED…” said the Dark King with a grim smile as his serpent tongue toured his snout.

“You’ll try…” replied the white alicorn with a smile too.

After hearing such an intrepid answer, Sombra roared again and tried to lunge towards the eternal being. Right before he could even reach her, Celestia disappeared in the middle of a powerful spark, blinding him temporarily.

The Dark King tried to recover his sight, but he was unable to at first.

Finally after a small moment, he recovered it and tried to look around for Celestia, but he couldn’t find her anywhere in the field.

“UP HERE YOU MONSTER!” shouted Celestia as she flew above the field while she looked down at him with anger.

Sombra looked up and roar as he watched the white alicorn flying.

“LET’S SEE HOW YOU DODGE THIS!” shouted the Dark King as he shot a powerful dark spell towards Celestia.

As the spell approached to the white alicorn, she stood unmoving and received the attack without getting hurt.

“IMPOSSIBLE!” bellowed Sombra.

More powerful dark spells started to come out from his red horn, but all of them ended the same way as the first one. They all were stopped by Celestia without even moving.

After seeing how futile his attacks were, the Dark King decided to lunge again towards the eternal being by using his alicorn form.

From a wall in the city, Twilight gazed with amazement the duel between the two powerful ponies. She could feel on her hooves the energy of the duel and the attacks of Sombra.

“Oh no!” cried the gifted unicorn as she saw how King Sombra in his alicorn form lunged towards her.

“This is for Twilight, for all my alicorns friends, for the innocent armies gathered here today and for all the ponies you harmed in Equestria before getting here…” said Celestia as she shot from her horn one final powerful beam of light towards the Dark King.

As the light descended to him, Sombra started to feel the power of the upcoming light as he started to dissipate in it. Right before he completely disappeared in the light, one last powerful growl was heard. The Dark King was finally defeated.

Celestia landed in the middle of the field as the light from her body and eyes started to dissipate, just like the stormy sky above her. For the first time in months, the sky now covered the region with its peaceful and radiant blue.

Cheers of rejoice could be heard coming from the nearby soldiers, all of them saved by the white alicorn. Their gratitude could be heard among their cries of joy.

Twilight trotted towards Celestia, who was looking up at the blue sky with a smile.

“Princess!” said the gifted unicorn as she hugged one of the eternal being’s legs.

Surprised, Celestia looked down at Twilight and also hugged her.

“I’m glad to see you are ok Twilight…”

As both friends hugged with tears in their eyes right in the middle of the field, up from the sky three balls of light descended towards the white alicorn.

“Twilight, look!” said Celestia as she pointed them.

When Twilight looked at them descending, her eyes and face filled with joy.

“The Elements, they’re back!”

As the light balls continued descending, the Clock Tower’s bells could be heard once again in the middle of the cheers of the soldiers. But this time, its tone sounded merry as it has never been heard before.

*********

“Are you ready little one?”

“Yes… I think so…” said Twilight as she followed Celestia in the middle of the street.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” said again the gifted unicorn as she returned to lock the door of Baked Dreams before continuing with their canter.

“Wow, the city looks happier than ever with all the new travelers and citizens…”

“You’re right, we’ve never been so happy since we decided to open the gates to everypony around Ponya.”

“Our stores are open again, so is the marketplace!”

“Everything seems to be going perfect, but most importantly, we can now share our knowledge with the others."

“Remember when I told you that you were a princess in Equestria? Well, now look at you. You’re a princess again!”

“Yes, it was such a nice surprise to be elected the new ruler of the city.”

“I don’t know anything about ruling a land, but I think I’m doing it ok.”

“Sure you do!”

“…I’ll miss working in the bakery, but now I’m a princess and I must look for my subjects!” said Celestia with a smile as she trotted outside the city with Twilight.

“And finally, here we are…”

“What’s that princess?”

“That little one, is a statue we’ve build in order to commemorate all the things you made not only for us, but for all the inhabitants of this land,” said the eternal being as she revealed the statue by using her magic.

“DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF TWILIGHT SPARKLE

THE PONY WHO CAME FROM EQUESTRIA THAT TAUGHT US THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP AMONG US,
THE INHABITANTS OF PONYA. MAY THE SPIRIT OF HER LESSONS ENDURE IN OUR HEARTS
THROUGH THE COURSE OF TIME.”

“WOW PRINCESS! I don’t know what to say!!!” said Twilight as she read the plaque of the statue while she blushed.

“It’s the least we all could do for you…”

“Princess… umm, I don’t understand something. Why is it dedicated to my memory when I’m still around here…?”

“The surprise that I talked about you wasn’t this statue…”

“IT ISN’T?! Then what was it?”

“Please, come with me…”

*********

After exiting the city towards the brown paved road, Celestia stood still in the middle of the field as the sun started to hide behind the horizon. While Twilight reached her friend, the Clock Tower’s bells started to be heard once again.

“I don’t understand Princess, what’s your gift?”

“This…” said Celestia as she summoned with her magic the elements that descended from the sky. They appeared surrounding her in a second.

“The Elements of Order, what about them princess…?”

“Would you like to return home?”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me. I think I’m able to send you back to your land with the power of the Elements because they’re, after all, the ones responsible for the order and harmony of this land.”

Twilight stood quiet as she gazed up at Celestia while the elements spun around her tall silhouette.

“You belong with your family and friends in Equestria, not here…”

“You don’t want me here anymore?”

“NO TWILIGHT, things aren’t like that…”

“I’d like you to stay in here forever with us…. But I can’t stop thinking about an idea that has haunted me since I thought it some weeks ago.”

“Before you arrived at my door that distant night, I lived in a complete loneliness. So, I thought, if I’m the reflection of another Celestia that lives from where you come from, then that also means she lives with the same loneliness as I was…”

“And there are also your friends. They need you just like your parents and brother does because you’re part of them…”

“It wouldn’t be fair for me to ask you to stay here when they need you back to be part of their lives…”

“No matter how much I wish you to stay, you must return where you belong…” said Celestia as some tears started to drop from her eyes.

“I was terrified when I thought that I was not going to be able to see you ever again, but then, I remember that I’m not alone anymore because now I’ve friends and many subjects that seem to love me.”

“After realizing that, all my worries and insecurities disappeared just like the florets of a dandelion flying in the wind…”

“That’s why I’m here in front of you today Twilight.”

“I understand now and you're right. I’ve not seen my brother or my friends in such a long time…” sobbed Twilight.

“Ok princess, please, send me home…”

“You know, I’ll miss the sound of that Clock Tower and this beautiful land so much…”

“But I’ll miss you more than anything princess,” said Twilight as she looked up at her tall friend with tears in her eyes.

“I’ll miss you too…” sobbed Celestia.

“…but don’t be sad little one because once you get back, you’ll forget all of this like it never happened…”

“No princess, I’ll never forget the time I spent in this magnificent land in the company of such amazing and wonderful ponies like you.”

“Twilight, before you go, I’d like to ask you one last favor….”

“Yes, what is it?” asked the talented pony with wonder.

Celestia in that moment took out a small box she was hiding. The box contained a small letter attached to it.

Twilight grabbed the box with her magic and gave a quick glance to it.

“I see… very well.”

“Thank you, thank you for everything Twilight.”

“I just did what I thought was necessary...”

“No, you did more than you can ever imagine because without you, we would all still continue living in our distant and lonely lives locked inside our city.”

“You taught us to stop being frightened of others so the real friendship could emerge from our hearts.”

“That’s also why I would like to give you today, the chance of returning home to your friends and family again.”

“I’ll never forget you little one, my friend, the only one I ever had in my lonely life…”

“So long Twilight…” said Celestia with a smile for the last time as the Elements of Order started to spin a lot faster than before around her.

“Goodbye Princess…”

*********

“Oh shoot, it’s too hard to think in new recipes…”

“Wow Twilight, are you ok?” asked Pinkie Pie with wonder from her window atop the Sugarcube Corner.

“Hey Pinkie! It’s been so long since I saw you…” shouted Twilight with happiness as she looked up at her friend with a smile.

“…but we saw each other yesterday you silly!”

“Hey, by the way, do you happen to know a new recipe for a cake?”

“Me? No… WAIT, I do!”

“What about a cake of roses?”

“Is that even possible?!”

“Yes it is and I can teach you as soon as I return from Canterlot…” said Twilight as she trotted towards the train station of Ponyville.

“Sure, thanks!” giggled Pinkie as she waved at her friend right before entering her room.

*********

“It’s almost sunset, she must be up on the balcony…” said the gifted unicorn to herself as she cantered through the royal palace in Canterlot.

Suddenly, Twilight stopped in the middle of the stained glass corridor of the palace.

“HAHA, so Spike saved us, amazing!” said Twilight while she smiled from seeing the stained glass of Spike defeating King Sombra.

“Hey Twilight, what art thou doing here with such haste?” asked Princess Luna as she cantered through the stain glass hall towards Twilight.

“Princess Luna! I’m so happy to see you again!”

“…but we saw you yesterday at tea time…”

“For me, it was an eternity…”

The lunar princess blushed.

“Excuse me Luna, but where can I find Celestia?”

“She is over there, on the balcony…”

“Thank you,” said Twilight as she trotted away from Luna.

Princess Luna stood in the hallway thinking about Twilight’s words. Her serious face changed to a happy one as she trotted away from the hall.

“Princess Celestia…”

“Twilight, what are you doing here? Is everything ok?” asked the Solar Princess as she turned her head towards the gifted unicorn. She was looking at the sunset alone.

Twilight couldn’t help dropping a tear as she looked up at her friend.

“I missed you so much…” said the gifted unicorn as she hugged Celestia in one of her long legs.

“Really? But we saw each other yesterday while we drank some tea just like every Tuesday…”

“Twilight, are you sure everything is ok?”

“Now it is…”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot… here.”

“My, a letter and one small strawberry cake!”

“How did you know? It’s my favorite cake from all!”

“A very good friend told me…” replied Twilight with a smile as she looked up at her friend.

Problems and conflicts are part of the daily life, but alongside them, there have always been good and caring people that have tried to balance the situation by doing what they knew needed to be done.

Celestia wasn’t the only good heart of the story, because if it weren’t for Rarity’s, Trixie’s and even Twilight’s actions among other characters of the story, Ponya would have never been saved from its fate.

And just as the Clock Tower of Alicornia stated on its plaque: “no matter how grim things could be, there’ll be always hope of a better future as long as we have faith in ourselves…”

So remember, there will always be kindness in this world because there will always be someone with a GOOD HEART.

THE END