Twilight smirked as she took a sip of her milkshake. To the surprise of the new girls, the restaurant didn't charge them anything for their meal. Good thing too since they didn't have any bits at the moment.

"So. You want to know more about where I came from?" Twilight asked as she put her drink down.

Everypony nodded. "It's just. After knowing you for so long in our universe, we're kinda curious to see what changed," Emerald replied.

Twilight nodded. She was used to this by now. Ever since their master had started using her form, for whatever reason, Twilight had been asked about it more times than she cared to count.

She smiled. "So, where do you want to start?"

The girls shared a look. "What about your family?" Diamond asked.

Twilight smiled. "Night Light and Twilight Velvet were my parents, and of course there was my BBBFF Shining Armor. We lived in Canterlot for as long as I could remember."

"Princess Cadance?" Celestial asked.

Twilight grinned goofily. "Only the greatest foalsitter in the history of foalsitters! And of course, mom to the greatest niece ever in Flurry Heart after she married Shinny."

That got a giggle out of everypony as they remembered the same. "Princess Celestia?" Ivy asked.

Twilight got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment. "I was her student after I saw her raise the summer sun during the Summer Sun Celebration as a filly. And when I tried to take the entrance exam at the School for Gifted Unicorns, I hatched Spike."

That got nods from everyone at the table. Somethings never changed it seemed, but now came the harder part. "Nightmare Moon?" Orchid asked.

Twilight's ears drooped. "Was Celestia's younger sister Luna, returned after her thousand-year banishment on the moon. If it wasn't for Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, I never would've made it through the Everfree Forest, let alone be able to restore Luna to her former self."

While that eased the girls' concerns, there was still one small thing. "The Element of Magic?" Ocean Breeze asked.

Twilight nodded. "The Prime Magic. Hers alone to bear. I gave it up willingly to its rightful master. In all the time I bore it though, I never once had a bad experience from it. But it was never mine to hold onto."

That put most of their fears to rest. "Discord?" Lilly asked.

Twilight growled at the memory. "I never did get to pummel him within an inch of his life like I wanted to after he tore me and my friends apart during his Day of Chaos. Pumpkin said he was never worth it."

The girls shared a confused look. "Who?" Moon Petal asked.

Twilight blinked before smiling sheepishly. "Oh right. Getting ahead of my story. Pumpkin Spice was an earth pony from Canterlot, and she came from a mostly unicorn family. She was the one who we pledged ourselves to."

For a moment, the girls racked their brains, but they couldn't remember ever knowing a pony with that name back home. Of course, they didn't know literally everypony in Equestria, but they knew quite a few.

Twilight smiled at the long-ago memory. It was still as fresh now as it had been the day it happened. "But some good did come from Discord's release. It was what brought us all together in Ponyville."

"Who are they? Your sisters I mean?" Emerald asked.

Twilight smile grew larger if possible. "Pearl Rose, River Breeze, Lavender Rain, and Rose Quartz. Pearl isn't much older than Crystal actually. My family, and the sisters I love as much as I do her."

Twilight's mind began to return to those long-ago days, and the day their Ascension had finally come.

***

Queen Chrysalis laughed as she threw off her disguise and glared around the Canterlot Ball Room. "Right you are Princess. And as queen of the changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered."

She took a step down. "My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of."

Cadance glared at her defiantly. "They'll never get the chance! Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!"

Chrysalis chuckled. "Oh, I doubt that. Isn't that right, dear?"

Shing nodded mindlessly. "Mm-hmm."

Cadance tried to run over to him, but Chrysalis blocked her path. "Ah, ah, ah. Don't want to go back to the caves now do you? Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker and so does his spell. Ebe now my minions are chipping away at it."

Chrysalis laughed at the horrified looks she was getting. "He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And, I'm sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as captain of the Royal Guard."

Cadance bit back her tears as best she could, but Twilight could see it nonetheless. "Not my Shing Armor!"

Twilight herself was in no better mood. Seeing her brother like this bit deep. But it was the fact that she had been right that hurt most of all. She hadn't wanted this. She had wanted to be wrong.

And her Ponyville friends? After all that they had done together, everything they had shared, they had abandoned her, and for what? A wedding for ponies they didn't even know?

Twilight still loved them, but the confidence she had in them was beginning to break down. But what about?

She felt others join her and Cadance. Looking around, she found Pumpkin, Pearl, River, Lavender, and Rose giving her comforting smiles, one she couldn't help but give back.

"We're sorry Twilight. This isn't your fault," Pumpkin said.

Twilight shook her head. "I know. But I should have done more. None of this should have happened. I'm sorry I dragged you girls into this."

Pearl giggled. "I'm not sorry. This is more fun than I've had in a while."

River looked over at the girls. "Can't you guys get to the Elements of Harmony? They'll be able to end this."

Twilight looked forlorn as she looked at the floor. "We'd never make it there and back in time. Shining's shield won't hold much longer."

The girls huddled together for a moment. At that same moment, Cadance felt something begin to grow. A new power was coming, and Twilight and these ponies were at the center of it. All it needed now was the final push to bring it into the world.

But no matter what, Cadance didn't feel afraid or scared. In fact, she felt comforted, loved, protected. Whatever this was, it was a force for good. Or at least that's what the overwhelming feeling was.

Chrysalis laughed as she began to charge her horn. "How sweet. I think I'll get rid of you first. For almost ruining everything."

Twilight didn't have time to react as Chrysalis fired, but the magic wasn't aimed at her at all. Without thinking, she threw herself into the beam's path. They all did.

Pumpkin couldn't move as she watched the beam of magic streak toward her. She saw Princess Cadance begin to charge her horn, but it wasn't fast enough. She closed her eyes and waited for death.

But it never came as she felt ponies pile in front of her. Opening her eyes, she found Twilight, Pearl, River, Lavender, and Rose, smiling at her through tears streaked eyes as the hugged her, one Pumpkin was happy to return as the huddled closer.

"Twilight!" Was all Cadance, Princess Celestia, the Mane 5, and Spike could shout as the beam struck home and a bright light filled the room. Chrysalis laughed as the light continued for a moment.

Her laughter died when the light faded. "What?!" She yelled at was revealed. A feeling that all in the room felt as well.

Pumpkin, Twilight, Pearl, River, Lavender, and Rose were alright. In fact, they weren't even scratched. A nimbus of magic surrounded them, protecting all six of them in a bubble. But nopony had cast anything on them. Not even Cadance had been able to get a shield up in time.

A light suddenly appeared above the group. When it faded, the Element of Magic floated down and floated before Twilight for a moment. Nothing was said between them it seemed.

Without knowing how or why she knew, Twilight closed her eyes, bowed her head, and passed the Element of Magic to Pumpkin. Pumpkin herself felt something pass between her and Magic at that moment.

As soon as she touched a hoof to Magic, a shaft of light surrounded her and the girls. It blinded everyone in the room. When it faded, everyone was left in shock.

Pumpkin, Twilight, Pearl, River, Lavender, and Rose were gone.

***

When the girls opened their eyes, they were no longer in Canterlot. They were no longer even in Equestria at all. All around them was a black void. In the distance, faint points of light flickered.

Right in front of them though was a huge wooden door. It seemed to be locked by one silver band.

"Well that's new," Lavender commented. No could argue that.

"But what are we supposed to do?" Rose asked.

"I think we're supposed to open it," Twilight added.

"How?" Pearl asked.

Pumpkin smiled. "Together," and placed a hoof on the silver band. One by one the others did the same and put their hooves over Pumpkin's.

As Pearl put her own over top the others, the band dissolved and the door swung open. Inside, the girls were shocked at what they saw disappear into the distance. Rows upon rows of books. Twilight almost squeed at the sight of so many. But it was what was in the center that held their attention.

A magnificent suit of armor adorned a mannequin in the center of the room. It was a few shades of purple darker than Twilight's own coat. The armor itself was worked to a degree that would make most armorers on Equus green with envy. In the center of the breastplate was a star-shaped indentation, one that looked very familiar.

On the brow of the mannequin, a small crown sat, inlaid with a single ruby jewel, one that would've made Rarity weep just to look at.

As the girls took all that in, the Element of Magic appeared before them and began to back into the armor. Soon it began to merge into the armor. When it was finished, the tiara floated off the brow and floated over to Pumpkin's own brow. As it settled comfortably there, two voices spoke as one.

"Now Punpkin remember. Remember who you are."

And Pumpkin remembered. She remembered it all. She smiled as the armor floated over to her piece by piece and began to attach itself around her form, which even now began to grow.

Even as the rest of the girls watched in awe, and knowing that this was always meant to be, a nimbus of magic surrounded them and lifted them up. And then a voice spoke to them once more. It was a comforting one whoever it was.

"You five have shown that you are willing to risk death itself for Pumpkin. A mare that you still do not know all that well. You put your lives on the line for hers."

"It was the right thing to do," Rose replied. The girls nodded.

The voice smiled, they could all feel it. "Indeed, and that is what makes you worthy. Would you do so again? Would you put aside all other loyalty for her? You are not bound to say yes. No one will hold it against you."

The girls shared a look. It took them all of five seconds to make up their minds. "We would," they replied together.

The voice smiled as the nimbus of magic around them intensified. "Then take the oath, and take your place amongst all those that have come before you and all those that will come after you."

Then the girls spoke as one. "Through darkness and light, through good and bad. We pledge ourselves to her. Mind, body, and soul. To walk with her, be there for her. Until time itself is unmade."

As the final word was spoken, all their eyes lit up with a surge of magic as the room filled with a bright light.

***

The Ball Room stood there in shock for what felt like an eternity before someone said. "What trickery is this?" Chrysalis snarled as she looked at Celestia. "What did you do?"

Celestia glared back at her. "I had nothing to do with that. But now that you have so foolishly revealed yourself, I can protect my ponies from you.," she said as the two crossed horns, pushing against each other.

Chrysalis laughed. "That's a laugh coming from you. You were too blind, too stupid to see what was in front of you this whole time. Your precious student saw right through me. I admit I'm impressed she did. But you refused to even think it was possible she was right."

She chuckled. "Maybe I am doing Equestria a service by removing you."

Celestia bit back a retort. No matter how much she wanted to argue the point, she knew the queen was right. She had failed. Not just as a princess. But as a teacher and friend. She should have at least considered the possibility Twilight had been right.

They had even known a threat had been made against Canterlot. And yet she did nothing.

"Twilight. I am so sorry," she thought. "I don't know where you are, but please be safe."

A sudden light filled the room, causing everyone to shield their eyes as five beams of light descended from the ceiling and landed at the foot of the dais. Celestia and Chrysalis broke off as they took in this new thing. When the light faded, everyone's eyes widened in shock at what was revealed.

Twilight, Pearl, River, Lavender, and Rose stood there, all in a circle, their faces hard as stone. Their bodies glowed with energy and power. As one they spoke.

"This era is over. The sins of Equestria's past will be made right." As one they looked at Princess Celestia. "Your failure to see the truth right in front of you has almost cost Equestria everything. No more. She will make right what you have done."

They bowed their heads. "By the right we hold as her Exarchs, let it be done."

With that, they stepped forward. Turning, they bowed as another beam of light descended from the ceiling. When it faded, everyone's jaws dropped in shock at who was revealed.

Pumpkin Spice now stood as tall as Celestia. From her forehead poked a long horn, and at her sides, six wings lay folded against her sides. Her light golden mane and tail now danced on an invisible wind only they felt.

Across her form, armor of deep purple protected her vital areas, the purple standing out against her pumpkin orange coat. On her brow, a small crown sat. Her eyes were on Chrysalis alone.

The queen laughed. "So you got bigger and an upgrade. It matters not. You will die all the same."

Pumpkin only smiled. "Bring it on Cheeselegs. I'm in the mood for pest control."

The remark infuriated Chrysalis to no end as she charged her horn will all the magic and love she could muster. "Then die!" And unleashed it on Pumpkin, who didn't even flinch as the beam struck her head-on.

Everyone gasped as the beam continued for several seconds, Chrysalis adding more and more magic all the time. When at last she cut it off, she had a smug smile on her face.

One that was quickly wiped away as Pumpkin took a step forward, unharmed and unmarked. "You know what? That kind of tickled," she giggled.

Celestia's heart skipped a beat. There had been enough power in that beam that even she couldn't have taken. Yet this mare took it on like it was nothing. How? And why did she have the Element of Magic?

Looking over at Twilight, Celestia found her student looking back at her with a rather smug look on her face. She didn't seem bothered by the fact that Magic was now with somepony else.

"Can someone please explain what they hay is going on?" Applejack asked as she and the rest of Twilight's friends looked on, just as confused as Celestia was.

Princess Celestia shook her head. "I do not know Applejack. I just do not know."

***

Twilight paused as the girls gave her confused looks. "What?"

"You mean nopony knew about it? About her before the wedding?" Ivy asked. "Celestia and Luna knew about us long before it ever happened in our Equestria."

Twilight nodded. "It's true. No one knew what was coming. I probably took more pleasure in Celestia's look of shock than I should have at the time. But I wasn't in the best mood at the time."

"So what happened to Chrysalis?" Ocean asked. "Cosmos put the whole hive to the sword herself, saving Cheeselegs for last. And that was after we used ourselves as bait."

Twilight was surprised by this. "Really? I mean you guys used yourselves as bait?"

Celestial nodded. "It was our choice too. We weren't told to. Took her a few days to find us too."

Twilight rubbed her chin. "Huh. That's now how it happened for use. But it was fun watching what she did to Chrysalis in the end."

"So what did she do?" Emerald asked.

Twilight smiled. "Well..."
***

Chrysalis quickly recovered from her shock. "How did you survive that? That would have put Celestia on the ground! How can you, a no one, survive it?"

Pumpkin smiled as she took another step forward. "I could explain it to you, but you are so unworthy of the time and effort I won't. Just know you could have avoided all of this."

"How is that?" Rarity asked.

Pumpkin looked at her. "She brought her hive to Canterlot to feed on our love because they're starving. Equestria has enough love to keep them alive indefinably. It might have worked too."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

Pumpkin looked to Twilight, who bowed her head a little. "If Twilight had been as incompetent or as stupid as you have all been these last few days, then the Invasion would have worked."

Chrysalis, for all her fury, nodded. "Your idiocy has proven more helpful than anything else. All I had to do was play the sad bride, and you lot come running."

"Twilight had nothing to back it up," Spike tried to argue, but even he knew it sounded empty.

Chrysalis laughed. "And all I ever did was belittle you and insult you all since you arrived. And you couldn't have cared less and came running to me. Or to Cadance, a pony none of you even knew existed a week ago." She rolled her eyes. "Some friends you are."

That, above anything else, shut the girls and Spike up. None of them could argue the facts no matter what they wanted to say otherwise.
***

"Ouch," Lilly said as she and the others all winced.

Twilight nodded. "In another time and place, I might have been the one to ask forgiveness or to say this was all my fault. I never did say any of that. We made up of course. But I could fully trust the girls again."

That made all their ears wilt. They remembered well how it had gone down in their Equestria, and the row Cosmos eventually had with the other Elements of Harmony over the same thing.

"So what happened to Chrysalis in the end?" Diamond asked.

Twilight smile grew as she looked back.
***

Pumpkin turned her gaze back to Chrysalis after a moment. "That aside, you have two choices before you Queen Chrysalis."
Chrysalis glared at her. "And those are?"

Pumpkin spread her wings. "Leave Canterlot now with all of your hive and I will help you find a permanent solution to your love problem. A way that will keep your race fed for all time."

While the thought intrigued her, Chrysalis was still defiant. "And if I don't?"

Pumpkin lowered her head and spoke in a low voice, one that the whole room heard nonetheless. "Then you will not live to see the sunset and your hive will scatter to the four winds. Your choice."

Princess Celestia stepped forward, a frown on her face. "Now hold on. I do not know who or what you are. But you do not have the authority or the power to make that decision."

Cadance finally strode up, a frown on her face as well. "Actually Aunt Celestia, as of now she does. I don't know all of what's happened recently, but I do not have confidence in your ability to lead at the moment."

Celestia shot her neice a shocked look. "Cadance, what are you saying?"

Cadance didn't back down. "You know the law Celestia. If a princess if found unable to properly lead or is shown to not be thinking clearly, power goes to the next in line. Aunty Luna isn't here at the moment and it would take too long to wake her and bring up to her speed."

"So what does that mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Cadance smiled as she walked over to Pumpkin and bowed her. "As of now, I transfer all of my powers as a Princess of Equestria to Pumpkin Spice." She gave Pumpkin a quick look. "That is your name isn't it?"

Pumpkin chuckled as she too bowed her head. "It is. And I will hold onto this power for as long as you deem fit."
***

Twilight giggled. "And has it turned out, that was for the rest of eternity. It took a while for it to get around Equestria, but her reign was marked to have begun on that day."

"So Chrysalis left?" Orchid asked.

Twilight nodded. "Something must have convinced her that Pumpkin meant what she said. By nightfall, Canterlot was empty of changelings. We saw them again, but that's a whole different story."

The girls all shared a look. It was different for sure from what they remembered, but it seemed everything had worked out in the end. "So the wedding still happened I guess since Flurry Heart was born?" Moon Petal asked.

Twilight nodded. "Enough members of the House of Lords had been at the first wedding and had seen everything that they endorsed Cadance's decision. Once Luna woke up and had learned all that had happened, she endorsed it as well."

Her earls wilted at the memory. "At that point, Princess Celestia could not go against it. Not without causing a constitutional crisis for Equestria as a whole. Both the House of Lords and the House of Commons would eventually fully endorse Pumpkin's role once news got out."

The girls decided not to bring up how much they still held a grudge against their own Equestria's nobles. The memories of the failed Traditionalists takeover were still fresh for them.

Twilight could see something about a part of her story stuck home for the girls. But didn't comment on it, seeing as it was still too early she felt to be prying too deep.

And if the girls thought her story was crazy, Midnight's was probably even more so. Twilight herself still had trouble believing all she had done, but she knew they were real.

No Exarch would be found doing less. Believing them, even after meeting the group Midnight was a part of, was still hard for her sometimes. She never told Midnight this though.

Twilight did wonder though where she, Crystal, and Amber had gone off to. There were a lot of places the three of them could have gone. Just for their age too.

Author's Note

Just to be clear about the universe Twilight is from. Celestia and Luna had no idea of what or who Pumpkin really was. No one did in fact. It's more fun that way I feel.

This universe was made so that no one would know this would one day happen. Not even Discord. Cadance felt it the most because she was right next to the girls.

Fun fact. What Twilight, Pearl, River, Lavender, and Rose, heard was what every Exarch hears when the choice is given to them in the Lost Chamber.