Author's Note

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I HAD A BIT OF A REVELATION. I FORGOT TO MENTION JUST HOW TALL JACKSON AND THE OTHER CHARACTERS ARE. JACKSON STANDS 5’10”, THE AVERAGE ADULT PONY IS APPROXIMATELY 3’6” TALL AS MEASURED FROM THEIR BACK TO THE GROUND. PRINCESS LUNA IS APPROXIMATELY 4’6” AND PRINCESS CELESTIA MEASURES IN AT 5’6”. THESE ARE NOT THE CANON MEASUREMENTS, JUST THE MEASUREMENTS FOR MY STORY. ANYWAYS, ON WITH THE MAGIC!

Chapter 12

“Twilight, where are ya”, Applejack shouted.

“Look”, Rarity called out, her hooves on a nearby windowsill.

I followed her line of sight a saw flashes of light coming from another part of the castle. As they others took off on hoof I dropped out of my hiding spot and zipped over to the ruined tower the light came from. I landed in an upper window frame. As I looked into the room I saw Twilight on the floor coughing and Nightmare Moon standing on a raised dais with the Elements circling around her.

“You’re kidding, right”, Nightmare Moon scoffed as Twilight pawed the ground as if preparing to charge.

Twilight’s horn began to glow as she charged the evil alicorn. Nightmare Moon lowered her own head and charged, her horn glinting in the dim light. At the last second Twilight vanished in a bright flash, causing Nightmare Moon to slide to a stop. Twilight reappeared in the middle of the Elements, shaking her head woozily.

“Just one spark”, she whispered as she dropped her head down, her horn glowing brightly. “Come on, come on!”

The Elements began to glow and lift from the ground. Nightmare Moon snarled as smoke began swirling around her, lifting her into the air. She landed on the other side of the Elements from Twilight and slammed her front hooves into the circle. Magical backlash zapped Twilight with a bolt of electricity, launching her halfway across the room.

“No, no”, Nightmare Moon gasped in fear as electricity crackled between the elements but died out.

“What the fuck”, I whispered.

“What”, Twilight gasped. “Where’s the sixth element?!”

Nightmare Moon cackled in victory and slammed her hooves on the floor again, shattering the five gathered Elements. A bolt of dread flashed through me as I drew my sword. With no Elements of Harmony to contain her I just knew there was no hope for my aunt.

“You little foal”, Nightmare Moon taunted Twilight. “Did you think you could defeat ME?! Now you’ll never see your princess or your sun. Night will last FOREVER!”

“I’m sorry, mother”, I whispered sadly as I eyed my blade, now turned backwards. “I’m sorry… Aunt Luna. Forgive me.”

I launched myself from the window frame with a battle cry and swooped down on Nightmare Moon, aiming a slash at her neck. The cry of fear from Twilight ripped through my heart as my blade flew. Nightmare Moon had instinctively flinched back, resulting in the loss of some of her mane instead of her head.

She reared up and struck me in the face, her eyes glowing with hatred. I jumped between her and Twilight. Her horn lit up and I jumped just as a blast of magic struck the ground where I had been standing. My blade raked across her helmet with an awful screeching noise and I landed on the other side of her.

“YOU FOOL”, she boomed, turning her full attention on me.

She charged me, her head lowered to impale me on her glowing horn. Right before she got to me I swept my blade around with my left hand, knocking her horn to the side as I followed with a powerful punch to her jaw. She turned and kicked me in the chest with both back legs sending me crashing through a pillar.

“Fuck she’s strong”, I groaned as I got to my feet.

Before I had fully straightened up I found myself engulfed in black flames. Pain as I had never felt ripped through me as my wings burst into dark fire and my skin began to blister. Screams of torment ripped from me as I fell to my knees. Finally the inferno relented, leaving my charred body lying on the cold stone floor.

I heard the girls’ voices coming from somewhere nearby, and Twilight gasped as they came into view.

“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that”, Twilight shouted as she turned on Nightmare Moon. “Well, you’re wrong. Because the spirits of the Elements are right here!”

At that moment the other five grouped around Twilight, determination showing on every face including Fluttershy. A strange look crossed Nightmare Moon’s face as she gazed at the group of ponies gathered to oppose her. As she stared at the mares seven shards of crystal floated into the air. Before I could react one of them made a beeline for my forehead, making a slight thud as it connected and melted into my skin.

“Dafuq”, I groaned as my wounds began healing on their own.

“What”, Nightmare Moon gasped in disbelief.

“Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the Spirit of Honesty”, Twilight said as the remaining shards swirled around the farmer.

“Fluttershy”, she said louder, “who tamed the manticore with compassion, represents the Spirit of Kindness.”

More shards began circling the timid flyer.

“Pinkie pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the Spirit of Laughter.”

Shards circled her, as well.

“Rarity”, she smiled, “who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, Represents the Spirit of Generosity!”

Rarity was now encircled by crystal shards.

“And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart’s desire, represents the Spirit of Loyalty.”

Crystal shards flew up and circled the prismatic pony as she hovered.

“The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us”, Twilight smirked.

“You still don’t have the sixth Element”, Nightmare Moon yelled. “The spark didn’t work!”

“But it did”, Twilight replied slightly smugly. “A different kind of spark.”

“I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you”, she smiled as she turned to her friends. “To see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all…”

At this moment she turned back to face Nightmare moon.

“Are my friends”, Twilight finished with a shout.

Suddenly a sixth orb flared into existence in midair and hovered over Twilight’s head. A blinding flash caused both Nightmare Moon and me to cover our eyes.

“You see, Nightmare Moon”, Twilight explained, “when those elements are ignited by the- the spark that resides in the heart of us all it creates the sixth element- the Element of Magic.”

Bright light swirled around the girls and lifted them in the air, the crystal shards coalescing into pendants around the necks of Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy while a tiara that matched Twilight’s Cutie Mark shimmered into existence on the purple unicorn’s head.

“Holy hell”, I muttered in pain, seeing as not all of my wounds had healed themselves.

“NO”, Nightmare moon shouted as she spread her wings to flee.

“No you don’t”, I groaned, blasting her with lightning.

As my vision started to cloud over I saw a blast of rainbow colored magic engulf my wicked aunt. The colors swirled together until a blast of white light blinded me. I hung my head blindly and began to weep gently for my aunt being banished again.

Will I ever have a complete family, I wondered silently.

“My head”, Rainbow Dash groaned from nearby.

“Everypony okay”, Applejack asked shakily.

“Every pony is”, I grunted, my destroyed wings bobbing limply behind my back as I stood.

“Oh my goodness”, Fluttershy gasped as she rushed to my side. “Jackson, are you okay?”

“Dude, your wings”, Rainbow Dash said in horror.

“I got this”, I said woozily.

I focused my thoughts despite the blinding pain and tried to dispel my wings, but nothing happened. I tried again and again, but nothing happened.

“I must be outta magic”, I groaned.

“That’s not possible”, Twilight argued. “If you were out of magic you would pass out from exhaustion.”

“So using up magic makes someone pass out”, I asked quietly.

“That’s right.”

“Then something’s wrong”, I mumbled. “I can’t get rid of my wings.”

“Do what now”, Applejack asked as she scratched her head.

“He used magic to give himself wings”, Twilight answered for me. “I’m familiar with this spell.”

Twilight moved closer and studied what remained of my wings, asking me to kneel down so she could see from every angle. Her horn lit up and she asked if I could feel what she was doing, to which I replied in the affirmative. She hummed as she poked and prodded for a minute, then she came around in front of me.

“Jackson, I’m sorry to say this”, she grimaced, “but these wings aren’t magical. There isn’t a way to get rid of them, and I don’t know why.”

“Oh thank goodness”, I heard Rarity call as she eyed her regrown tail.

“It’s so lovely”, Fluttershy complimented quietly.

“I know”, the fashionista replied. “I’ll never part with it again!”

“No, I meant your necklace”, Fluttershy smiled. “It matches your Cutie Mark.”

“Why, so does yours”, she replied.

“Who gives a damn about jewelry”, I growled. “What happened to Nightmare Moon?”

Apparently none of them except Fluttershy was paying attention to me, a fact I discovered when Fluttershy wrapped me in a hug as everyone else kept talking.

“I reckon we really do represent the Elements of Harmony”, I heard Applejack say.

“Indeed you do”, my mother’s voice came from a sudden flare of light, drawing a sigh of relief.

Everyone except Twilight and me dropped to their faces as my mother’s wings spread wide. I struggled back to my feet and stumbled to the great white alicorn. Her eyes grew wide when she saw me and she wrapped her wings around me, pulling me into a hug as she kissed my cheek. Slowly she released me and turned to the ponies as I took my place behind her and slightly to the side.

“Princess Celestia”, Twilight shouted in happiness and trotted up to my mother.

“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student”, mom smiled as she nuzzled Twilight’s head. “I knew you could do it.”

“But you told me it was all an old pony tale”, she said in confusion.

“I told you that you needed to make some friends”, the princess said, “nothing more.”

“But-“

“I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon’s return”, she explained, “and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her.”

At this point I began to wonder about a few things.

“But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart”, she smiled. “Now if only another will as well.”

She turned to the dais where Nightmare Moon had stood moments before. As I turned to look I saw a beautiful dark blue alicorn lying on the ground, her mane and tail made of stars just like Nightmare Moon’s had been. This had to be my aunt Luna, considering she opened her teal eyes when mom called her name.

“It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this”, she said calmly, despite her wings splaying out at she stepped closer to her sister.

As my mother drew closer Luna tried to curl in on herself, shaking as mom got on her knees in front of her.

“It’s time to put our differences behind us”, mom said soothingly. “We were meant to rule together, little sister.”

“Sister”, everyone but me shouted, Twilight giving me a strange look.

“Will you accept my friendship”, mom asked Luna, ignoring everyone’s outburst as she stood.

For several seconds there was silence, but it was interrupted by Pinkie somehow falling on her face. I kept a watchful eye on the two sisters as the silence stretched on.

“I’m so sorry”, Luna cried, bolting to her feet and nuzzling against mom’s chest. “I missed you so much, big sister!”

A smile spread across mom’s face as she held Luna close. There were tears in everyone’s eyes but mine as they held each other. Before long the two broke the hug and I found a pair of teal eyes staring directly at me. I grinned nervously as my aunt slowly approached me.

“Whomever art thou”, she asked warily.

“Hi, Aunt Luna”, I waved.

“Aunt”, she gasped, jerking her head back and turning to Celestia. “This is your son?!”

“Indeed”, she replied with a grin, hugging me as I heard Rarity and Pinkie gasp.

“But he isn’t a pony”, Luna said in confusion.

“We have much to discuss”, Celestia replied. “Jackson, I want you to go directly to the castle infirmary.”

I began to grumble before I remembered a certain adorable nurse that works in the castle and smiled. I was focusing on the castle grounds when my mother’s voice interrupted me.

“No flirting with Nurse Redheart”, she admonished seriously.

“Well, fuck.”