The forest had been tough to slog through, but with their friendship, the six ponies made it through. Twilight had a brief encounter with Nightmare Moon in the outer courtyard before she and the Dread Queen were taken deeper into the scary castle. We rejoin our band of brave heroes as they seek their newest friend out.

Rainbow Dash was first up the stairs. The cackling laughter she heard coming from above was eye-roll worthy. "Hey, pipe down. I hear somethin'." Amazingly, her friends listened and silence filled the stairway.

"The night… will last… forever!" Nightmare Moon's gleeful, maniacal laugh echoed from the castle's highest room.

"We gotta move it!" Applejack pointed forward, and together the five friends ran fearlessly to meet up with the newest member of their clique—the one they had left alone to "concentrate." Eight pounding hooves, four dainty ones, and two sets of wings; ascended as fast as their owners could work them. When the ponies got to the top, a terrible sight was theirs to behold.

Nightmare Moon, shrouded in swirling cobalt magic, stood at the end of the room, laughing away. The Queen of the Night was not untouched, however. There were marks where magic had struck her, and others where something large and heavy had collided with her body. Around her hooves, five of the Elements of Harmony lay shattered.

But the worst sight was a crumpled Twilight Sparkle. Armor dented in places, Twilight was pulling in panicked breaths of air while she stared up at Nightmare Moon. More than just her body was weakened, however.

"Twilight!" Pinkie had no time for bravery or fear. She charged halfway across the room to reach Twilight Sparkle's side. "Twilight, are you okay?"

The sound of her friends snapped Twilight's head around. She saw Pinkie Pie first, but her fillyfriend was not the only pony that caught her eye. All of her new friends were there, and they were all smiling and ready to support her. Twilight's eyes ran from pony to pony, and recent events sparked a group of revelations:

I tried to beat up the manticore, but all it took was Fluttershy's kindness towards animals.

I tried to brave the monstrous forest, but Pinkie's laughter was a better shield than my armor.

I tried to brave the waves, but Rarity's generosity saw us past.

I was falling like a rock, but Applejack's honesty made me take a leap of faith.

I was stuck, but Rainbow Dash's loyalty never wavered.

Twilight's pupils dilated, her pulse quickened, and she felt her frown turn into a smile. "You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?" Her words were directed to the dark alicorn behind her. Energizing her horn, Twilight fed power to her armor. Each of the dented plates popped out, and in a moment the damaged Royal Guard armor was restored. "Well… You're wrong. Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!"

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the Spirit of Honesty!" Twilight gestured to Applejack, and shards of the broken Element stirred, flying through the air to circle the orange pony.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the Spirit of Kindness!" Another gesture, this time at Fluttershy, sent more shards speeding to circle the hovering pegasus.

"Pinkie Pie," Twilight's heart was soaring, "who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the Spirit of Laughter!" More shards flew, and Pinkie's happy self was circled by crystal. "It was a really catchy song, too."

"Giggle at the—" Pinkie was stopped before she could get back into the tune by Rainbow Dash's hoof. Instead of singing, she laughed around the muffling limb.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the Spirit of Generosity!" Shards flew to Rarity, who struck a pose as the moon's light played off the sparkling gems and onto her fur.

"And Rainbow Dash, who would not abandon her friends for her heart's desire, represents the Spirit of Loyalty!" Twilight felt the magic around her growing thick enough to touch, and it was heady.

"Wait a minute!" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. "Can't I be the Spirit of Speed? Or the Spirit of Flying!" Despite some worry, the circling shards kept free of her wings. "Oh. Oh! I know! I can be the Spirit of Awesome!"

"Exactly!" Bouncing within her circle of shards, Pinkie gestured to her chest. "I should be the Spirit of Baking. Laughter I have in spades, but have you tasted my muffins?"

"Pinkie!" Applejack brought a hoof up and connected it to her own forehead. "Literally everypony in town has tried your muffins! Now pipe down everypony, Twilight has more to say!" It was more than a sense. Applejack could see Twilight vibrating with energy—destiny.

All eyes focused on Twilight Sparkle, and with the power of five swirling Elements of harmony, she could have taken on the world. "Give up, Nightmare Moon."

"You still don't have the sixth Element!" Nightmare Moon was a little flustered now, and was charging her horn to deal with the six ponies before they actually did, somehow, find the sixth. "Your spark didn't work, Twilight Sparkle, but mine will!"

Twilight stared at the alicorn's horn that was leveled at her. "I hope this works…" Stepping between Nightmare Moon and her friends, Twilight poured her magic into her armor.

Gasps rang out around Rainbow Dash, and hers was not missing. As Nightmare Moon's horn charged a deadly beam, Rainbow felt her loyalty to her friend being tested. Fly away, Rainbow's thoughts told her, Get away from this madness and wait for it to be dealt with by other alicorns. The thoughts were sour. Rainbow Dash had never backed down when a friend was in danger. "Leave him alone!" Her jeer caught Nightmare Moon off guard.

"Yeah, you meanie!" Pinkie pulled a silly face. "Leave my coltfriend alone!"

Nightmare Moon looked around at the ponies, as each one jeered her. Memories flashed from nearly a thousand years earlier; ponies jeering and calling out in anger at the night. Her heart skipped a beat, just before her mind caught up. "Coltfriend?"

Twilight's eyes met Nightmare Moon's, and she saw a mix of pain and confusion. "You don't realize it, Nightmare Moon, but I do have the last Element. The spark… I felt it when I heard you," she turned and looked at her friends, "when I saw you. When I saw Nightmare Moon about to blast us, I moved forward to protect you, and the spark ignited inside me."

"But you're a mare…" Nightmare Moon's words fell flat. She looked at the faces of the ponies facing her. Pinkie Pie looked like a little of the helium was out of her balloon, but the rest of the ponies were staring at their friend. Twilight looked exultant.

"You have gotta be kiddin' me, kiddo." Applejack's smile turned into a half-frown. "Callin' Twilight names ain't gonna solve your problems."

"Fabulous Twilight might be, but he is definitely the most stalliony stallion I have ever met!" Rarity tossed her mane in dismissal at Nightmare Moon.

"He's literally the most awesome pony I know!" Rainbow Dash felt the words stood well on their own, but needed an exception. "Except for me, of course."

"Yeah." It wasn't often Fluttershy was drawn towards rage, but when a pony relied on not-nice words it boiled her blood enough to almost talk above a whisper!

Pinkie just giggled.

Brilliant white light flashed, and a crystal shard lowered from above Twilight. I can't believe this, but they are saying it to defend me, Twilight's thoughts were focused on the magic she felt from her friends. She had to just roll with it now. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the… the spark that resides in us all, it creates a sixth Element."

"Yeah!" Pinkie closed her eyes as white light overwhelmed them, the glowing sixth Element burning brighter than the sun. "The Element of Safety!"

Twilight was wrapped up in the intense power that focused on her, but each of her friends was radiating it too now, not least of which being Pinkie. "No, Pinkie." Twilight giggled at her fillyfriend's guess.

"What about the Element of Shield?" Pinkie chuckled. "Oh! Oh! Element of Ninjas!"

Even Nightmare Moon had to choke back a giggle at Pinkie's enthusiasm. "No, Pinkie," Twilight looked to her friends, ignoring the burning light, "it is the element of Magic."

Power flashed, but none of the six friends heard Nightmare Moon's scared whimper. The Elements of Harmony were reforming for each of the heroes, each had a flash of colored light before a gold necklace appeared around their neck. Each piece of jewelry bore a gem that pulsed with the power associated with that Element.

Except for Twilight. A crown of gold formed on her head. Emblazoned with jewels, the focus of the Element of Magic was clearly the star at the top. Twilight felt the burning power spiraling up around them, rainbow-hued and mighty, before it arced and crashed down on Nightmare Moon.

Twilight heard her friends cheering, and slowly forced her hooves under her body. The weight of her armor felt too excessive to lift, but years of work on a body that was heavy with muscle paid off. Magic seemed to pulse in her veins.

"Gee, Twilight, Ah thought you were just spoutin' a load o' hooey." Applejack could feel peace running through her body, but there was more. The Element of Honesty—a virtue she had already held herself to—burned strong. "I guess we really do represent the Elements of Harmony." Her eyes tracked each of her friends, accounting for the five elements. Then she looked at Twilight.

Standing tall, strong, and with her armor shining, Twilight Sparkle was just about the perfect image of what a stallion should be. But above all that, she had her friends.

Pinkie was drawn to Twilight's side. Chuckling softly, she almost couldn't hold back the need to laugh and bring laughter to others. "We have something to announce." But it was time to be a serious Pinkie Pie. "Twilight is—"

"We know, darling." Rarity couldn't stop herself. She had seen a little disharmony in Pinkie's features, and the Element of Generosity would not allow her to let her friend suffer when she could help. "At the party, in the town hall," Rarity waved a hoof in the air, "even here; you two are perfect for each other, and I think I speak for all of us when I say it is wonderful that Twilight is your coltfriend."

"I give up." Pinkie looked to Twilight.

"Yeah, me too. They know me too well, it seems." Twilight looked back at Pinkie, and managed to hold a straight face for all of two seconds before she collapsed with the giggles.

"This sound is music I feared I would never hear again." Bright light poured in through the windows as Princess Celestia floated from the dark prison Nightmare Moon had kept her in. As regal as the sun itself, Celestia was almost heartbroken to see her ponies, the five Element Bearers, bowing to her.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight was under no such need to prostrate herself. She rushed forward, pressing her head and neck against Celestia's chest.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student." Celestia dipped her head down, but was particularly careful of the interlocking armor plates on Twilight's back and neck—from practice—as she hugged her student. "I knew you could do it."

"The book?" Twilight needed to know. "The bookmark in it. How did you know to send it right then?"

"All I did was tell you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs, you had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart." Warmth surrounded Celestia. "Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!"

Luna's eyes snapped open and while her breath came in panicked gasps, a tiny smile came to her lips when she saw Twilight Sparkle.

"It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. We were meant to rule together, sister." Celestia crouched to the same level as Luna.

"Sister?!" Gasps of shock and amazement came from the six Element Bearers.

"Will you accept my friendship?" Celestia's heart would surely have shattered if Luna hadn't bounded forward.

"I'm so sorry!" Luna's heart soared as she leapt to her larger sister. The burning nightmare was gone, banished by the power of friendship. "I've missed you, big sister."

"I've missed you too." Celestia was bursting with joy. It took most of her focus to keep from exploding in white light at having Luna back.

"But the book?!" Twilight's mind couldn't leave the thread hanging. "What sent me—" Twilight stopped when her teacher turned her gaze upon her. "So you did send me the book?" Twilight's eyes widened in surprise.

"I may have found some reading material for my personal student." Princess Celestia focused her attention back on Luna. "It was the last thing I managed before..." She seemed to search for the right word, not a common thing for the ruler of Equestria. "... before Nightmare Moon captured me."

Luna broke her embrace with her sister and stepped towards Twilight. She spared a glance at the other Element Bearers before she leaned forward and pressed her cheek to Twilight's own, and lowered her voice significantly. "Why don't you tell them you are a mare?"

"It's a long story." Twilight actually grinned at the great, convoluted joke that her gender confusion had become. Leaning back from the close embrace with Luna, she tilted her head to the side. "You know what?"

Pinkie, using all her stealth, sidled up beside Twilight. "Party?" Twilight nodded. Repeating the maneuver with Princess Celestia, she asked again. "Party?"

"Of course." Celestia's reply garnered the biggest gasp ever from Pinkie Pie.

Author's Note

The Royal Guard: Aren't you supposed to be with the Princess, or in close proximity, at all times? How, regardless of which Universe, do you keep losing her during the Summer Sun Celebration?

A pair of white unicorns simply glare before one opens his mouth. "You have got to be kidding, right? A dark alicorn, that we have never seen before, swoops in and subdues Princess Celestia, and you expect US to be able to stop that?"

"We tried." The other stallion shrugged. "Have you ever tried thrusting a spear through blue smoke?"

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and ~~I~~ they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, ~~I~~ they will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! ~~I~~ They will pick one question per chapter.

Support me on Patreon or fuel my writing on Ko-Fi!

Join me on Discord. Warning, said chat may contain NSFW material and should be considered adult in nature.

Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
A.P.O.N.I.
Airy Words
Boulder
Canary in the Coal Mine
Daremo
Dio-Drogynous
Ian
Javarod
Mary Rowland
Mephia
Nils
Sirion123

And special thanks to the following, for careful eyes and friendly words:
Airy Words
Cross Lament
Vutava