Twilight, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow looked at the devasting sight before them: Tirek continued to blast and destroy trees.

"I'll reason with him", Cozy Glow said.

"What!? No! He'll destroy you!", Twilight insisted

"He's my friend. Friends don't destroy each other", Cozy Glow said as she started to fly towards Tirek.

Twilight and Chrysalis just stood there with concern, the former holding Grogar's bell.

"Hey, Tirek!", Cozy Glow greeted as the GIANT centaur turned his attention to her.

"What is it, Cozy Glow?", Tirek asked with slight annoyance.

"Since friends aren't supposed to keep secrets from each other", Cozy Glow began as she giggled. "Oh golly, I just wanted to know why you and your worthless brother Scorpan decided to take over Equestria in the first place."

"Do you really want to know?", Tirek asked.

"Yes."

"Well, over a thousand years ago, Scorpan and I befriended a group of ponies from Equestria, and we introduced them to our family. Unfortunately, those "friends" turned out to actually be serial killers who murdered my entire family, including my dear Gram-Gram, so naturally, Scorpan and I decided to conquer Equestria and steal all of its inhabitants' magic. But SOMEHOW, Scorpan was guillable enough to STILL befriend ponies from Equestria and chose THEM over me, HIS OWN BROTHER, so of course I'd feel betrayed. The incident of my family's murder also convinced me that friendship was weakness, and I followed those killers' example when it came to manipulating Discord", Tirek explained

Cozy Glow couldn't believe what she just heard. She never expected any of that from Tirek, and nor did Chrysalis. Even Twilight, who had every reason to hate Tirek for destroying her Golden Oak Tree, couldn't help it but feel sympathy for Tirek when she heard his explanation of why he became evil.

Cozy Glow took a deep breath...

"Tirek... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry", Cozy Glow began. "However, I would like to ask you something. What makes you think you're any better than the killer ponies who murdered your family?"

Tirek pondered the question. "Well uh... I'm actually not sure. At all."

"And the reason Scorpan betrayed you was because he found value in the ponies of Equestria. The killer ponies who murdered your family were only a tiny fraction of the entire population of ponies, and the ponies he befriended weren't like them. Just like me, I may have been, well, evil, but other ponies aren't like me. Not to mention, that was over a thousand years ago, and ponies have been... better educated since then", Cozy stated. "I'm sorry it seemed to you like Scorpan betrayed you, but he found what the ponies of Equestria were REALLY like, and you could've done the same. After all, you befriended me, and I'm sure you don't see me as being similar as the ponies who killed your family, right?"

Tirek realized that Cozy Glow was nothing but right. Like her and Chrysalis before him, he started having an existential crisis. "Well... but... NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!", Tirek explained, as he then proceeded to willingly return all the magic and essence he stole: the Royal Sisters, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Starswirl, Discord, the Mane Six, Spike, Starlight, and the ponies of Equestria all felt their magic returning to them. This caused Tirek to shrink back to his thin, shriveled form from when he was imprisoned in Tartarus, for he also gave up the magic Grogar used to power him up (though the magic isn't returned to Grogar).

As the sky turned blue once again, Tirek fell towards the ground, he and Cozy Glow, who was conforting him, saw Twilight and Chrysalis walking towards them.

"I'm so sorry", Tirek explained. "I'm so sorry for everything I did to you, Princess Twilight. How I destroyed your home, how I turned Discord against you, how I nearly killed you", Tirek apologized, on the verge of tears.

"Y'know Tirek, if I were to have given the likes of Discord, Starlight Glimmer, and Chancellor Neighsay another chance, I'd say it's only fair as I give you another chance as well", Twilight said.

"Thank you Princess Twilight. But what will happen to me now? Will I be sent back to Tartarus?", Tirek asked nervously.

"Cozy Glow, what do you think?", Twilight asked.

"I think he should go to the School of Friendship with me so he can learn more about the value of friendship and how it isn't a form of imprisonment", Cozy Glow replies

"Is that fine with you, Tirek?", Twilight asked

"Yes, it is", Tirek said

"And what about me?", Chrysalis asked.

"Well, perhaps you can become the ruler of the Changeling kingdom once more, but then you can co-rule alongside Thorax. How's that sound?", Twilight said

"Perfect", Chrysalis said. "And Twilight, I just wanted to give you this", she continued as she gave Twilight an amulet.

"What's this?"

"An amulet that will help you raise the sun and moon. Chrysalis and I decided that after the way you convinced us to turn over a new leaf today, you're more than deserving of becoming the new ruler of Equestria. And you can keep the Bewitching Bell, so you can use it against any potential future enemies", Cozy Glow responded.

"Thank you guys", Twilight said as she started crying tears of joy. "Thank you. Wanna be at my coronation?"

"Of course", Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow all said in union.

Later that day, Twilight and Chrysalis went to the Changeling kingdom, where they saw Thorax.

"Hello, Thorax", Twilight greeted. "You may be wondering who's this transformed changeling next to me, and she's actually Chrysalis. I helped her reform."

"No, really!? Chrysalis reformed!?", Thorax said with excitement.

Chrysalis turned to her subjects. "Changelings, I am so sorry I deliberately starved you for my own selfish ends. But I have changed. Will you accept me as your ruler once again alongside Thorax?"

The changelings all nodded and cheered. Chrysalis cried tears of joy.

"I'd love to co-rule alongside you, Chrysalis", Thorax said.

"Thank you, Thorax", Chrysalis said as Twilight smiled.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed the final chapter of "Conquering Equestria"!