XX:
The end of the Silence

Emerald and Irish opened their eyes first, looking around. They could see what was left of the trails and the train.

And of course, the Sprout of Harmony glowing mysteriously and beautifully. It would be a wonderful show, if it wasn’t for the roots tangled under the tree and the creatures trapped inside.

Five alicorns and five Bearers of Harmony were looking at the Tree with relief on their eyes.

“So it worked…” said Irish sighing.

Emerald didn’t say anything, just held back his tears for his Great Master. Why did it had to be this way?

The ten ponies turned to them.

“So you’re awake. Good for you.”

The two Knights nodded as they approached the Sprout of Harmony.

Spike was the last to open his eyes, as she looked at the Sprout of Harmony. He was exhausted, twice as his companions since he performed the Alicorn Spell on his own. But he was satisfied with the result. The Undead Knights were finally defeated and sealed forever. Just the way it should be.

“Keep them sleeping forever! A good deal if you ask me!”

Irish Coffee giggled and hugged Spike. “Victory is ours, thanks to our teamwork!”

“But with a price!” said Emerald Horn, kicking the roots angrily. “Why East? Why did you do it? SINCE WHEN OUR CAUSE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE?!”

Emerald Horn fell on his knees crying.

Spike and Irish joined him in silence. Remembering their Great Master, who have given up everything for them.

The others looked at the Knights, giving them their space.

But after a while Celestia approached to them slowly.

“I am so sorry for your loss. East Wind was a good pony, and in other circumstances I think we would become friends.”

They looked at the Princesses but didn’t say anything. They stayed there looking at the Sprout of Harmony.

“The bravest pony I’ve met!” said the Princess. “Childish and caused lots of trouble, but her heart was in the right place. East Wind, I hope your students make you proud.”

Emerald turned to her.

“So are you going to keep your promise? You won’t chase us anymore?”

Celestia nodded. “The Crown will honor our word, young Emerald Horn!”

She sighed, letting escape a small tear. “When I said she would have to answer for her crimes this is not what I meant! You didn’t have to pay with your life!”

“She would do anything for us!” said Emerald Horn still staring at the Sprout of Harmony. “She knew it would come to this.”

Celestia couldn’t resist as she began to cry in silence. In the end the Great Master’s sacrifice have touched her deeply.

Irish started sobbing as well as she hugged Emerald. The only one who was not crying was Spike, still staring at the Sprout of Harmony, when Twilight joined him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll be okay. But she was my hero, Twilight! I haven’t seen braver pony… so dedicated to her cause and now…”

Spike kicked a rock. “I know there was not another way! But… I really miss her Twilight! She was my inspiration during this last years!”

Twilight looked away, hurt.

“I thought I was your inspiration Spike.”

“You were… but the Great Master was the Great Master! You should have know her! Her passion to share every single piece of knowledge she had! She was the best!”

Twilight sighed but nodded. “I know, this is the kind I would have followed back when I was your age.”

Spike smiled at Twilight but her mother was not smiling.

“And speaking of sharing knowledge, Spike I need to know. Who else maste the Alicorn Spell?”

Everypony turned to the dragon except for the Knights who were too busy crying for their Great Master.

Spike sighed. “All the official Knights know how to use t the spell. Emerald, Cream, and I along with other three. Why does it matter anyway?”

“Because we are talking about one of the most dangerous spells in the world. The power to gran unlimited power, and eternal life!” scolded Luna. “You are playing with fire, Knights of the Silence.”

“So do you plan to spread this knowledge too?” asked Princess Celestia glaring at Spike.

The dragon shook his head sadly.

“No, we were about to but then the Great Master told us we should not share this. She didn’t even want to use it but the Alicorn Spell was the only thing that could buy us enough time to seal the Undead Knights.”

Emerald kicked a rock. “And I was stupid enough to believe that would give her enough power to survive to the battle with the Undeads.”

Irish just hugged his friends along with Spike.

They stayed there looking at the Sprout.

Spike smiled sadly to his mother. “Twilight, do you mind leave us alone to say goodbye to our leader? Please! We’ll catch up with you later.”

Twilight looked at them and then nodded.

“Okay. Now that the danger has passed I guess it’s okay. We’ll wait for you in the Crystal Empire. Is not far from here.”

“We’ll teleport.” said Irish Coffee.

Twilight and the others nodded at they began to leave. “But Spike we’ll have a long talk when we go back home! Understood?”

“And we may have a private talk as well!” said Princess Celestia looking at him sternly.

The young drake nodded but didn’t say a word.

With that the Knights were left alone with the Sprout and their Great Master buried inside along with the seven creatures from nightmares.

They stared at the Sprout just letting escape a few tears and whines but not words. Just saying goodbye in silence, as their Great Master would do for them.

It was when Spike noticed something with the corner of his eye.

“Hey guys! Look at that!”

The other two turned to him as Spike walked to a small object forgot in the middle of the battlefield. It was a small mirror with the Knights’ emblem on it.

Spike looked at Emerald and Irish with stars on his eyes.

“Guys look at this! I can feel it, the Great Master’s signature!”

“Wait, what?” asked Irish examining the mirror too.

“No way!”

Emerald couldn’t help but smile.

They hugged and exchanged smiles before teleporting to the Crystal Empire. They had a long way ahead of them now that the Great Matser have left them.

…

The Great Master East Wind was buried with all the honors of a true hero. An empty coffin was buried on her behalf on Canterlot Cemetery in the especial section reserved for heroes. Her grave was placed between Clover the Clever and Smart Cookie along with several historical figures.

Even Princess Celestia herself made an eulogy during the ceremony. “East Wind, the Great Master. a young pony who always fought for everypony. She never used her knowledge or power for selfish desires always willing to share everything she knew with those who ask. And even if her actions weren’t always correct she was brave enough to accept the consequences for her and for her Knights. An idiot who sacrificed her life to defend her ideology. And this is why I admire her so much. If somepony deserves to be called a hero that’s the Great Master!”

“Great Master!” shouted a pony in the crowd.

Everypony joined. “GREAT MASTEEEEER!!”

Celestia sighed, happy to admit defeat. East Wind fought the system and won at her own strange way, and her ultimate sacrifice made Celestia respect her even more. In the end all she cared was to save her Knights. In the end she had to admit that if there was a pony worthy of becoming an alicorn that was her.

“Because of this my little ponies… I’ve decided to honor her sacrifice by giving the Knights what they’ve always wanted. The educational system would change from now on. No more exclusivity, no more selection exams. Everypony who wants to enter to any school would be more than welcome. And in exchange the Knights would stop stealing knowledge since it is finally free!”

The ponies cheered at this announcement.

“And it is an honor to announce you that from today the Academy of Silence is officially open, and recognized by the Crown and the authorities as the greatest school to learn magic!”

“EDUCATION IS FOR EVERYPONY!” celebrated the crowd.

Also a statue of her was placed in the middle of the Academic Area of Canterlot right in the middle of all the universities as a tribute from all the ponies who were taught by her.

The Great Master have made it, she changed the world.

After the ceremony and a long day, Spike was tired and just wanted to rest but Twilight wanted answers and he knew it was time to tell the truth.

“Start talking Spike. Why did you become a Knights of Silence?”

Spike sighed. “Remember the pony I told you who came to study myths and legends to Ponyville? Well that was only her cover. Her true intention was to find all the information she could about the undead and how to stop them.”

“So she was… The Great Master?”

Spike nodded, remembering his fate encounter with East.

“When she couldn’t find anything here she went to the Royal Sisters’ castle to get more information from their library. I tried to warn her but she have teleported in shadows before I could say anything so I had no choice but follow her. We ended up facing Night Terror and he said something that changed my life forever.”

“And what was that?”

“Being useless it’s a sin. He became an undead monster because he couldn’t save you our the girls from that fate so he better shared it instead of fight against you. I decided to become strong so I can protect you when the time comes.”

Twilight looked at him. “You are not useless Spike and you’ve never been!”

“Not anymore. I am no longer a child, and now I have great power that I’ll use to teach others and also to protect you and the girls when the right time comes.”

Twilight hugged Spike with her wings. “If only you’ve told me how you felt I would make sure you could enjoy your childhood a little bit more. I am glad that you became this noble warrior for us Spike, but do you realize you put your life in danger?”

“I was never in danger. The Undead Knights would never hurt me.”

“No, they wouldn’t but you were going to the streets of Canterlot at night all by yourself!”

Spike looked away, ashamed. “You’re right…”

“Not to mention you lied to me and everypony!” said Twilight. “Don’t do this again please!”

Spike nodded. “I promise.”

Twilight looked at her son in silence and hugged him. Spike returned the hug and the two of them stayed like that for a while, when Twilight turned to her.

“Spike, I know you were the one who gave them the Alicorn Spell.”

Spike nodded. “And I’m pretty sure Celestia knows it too.”

“Why?”

“I wasn’t thinking at that moment. I just wanted to… you know, I was possessed by the ‘education is for everypony’ spirit. I didn’t think in consequences until it was too late. But in the end, it helped us in battle.”

“Yes, it did. You know? Celestia did not wanted to teach me that spell saying it was too dangerous and that it could change the course of the world, blah-blah-blah.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me what I think you’re asking?”

“Teach me how to do it, please!”

Spike laughed. “You know our motto. Education is for everypony.”

The two of them sat in silence, when Spike suddenly winked his eye to Twilight.

“This was not the only secret spell I shared. Remember the mirror portal you use to travel to the other world?”

Twilight looked at him in awe. “What? You shared that with them?”

“Yes, back when I joined the Order.”

Twilight frowned. “Thank you for your honesty I guess. Why are you telling me this?”

Spike smiled and showed her the mirror he found on the battlefield. “Because… Twilight let me tell you a secret. The Great Master lives!”

Author's Note

And this is it, the end of the official story but we still have two more epilogues to end the story. I hope you liked it, and sorry for the delay for this chapter.

Read ya’ later!!