I must warn that the last fragment of the story contains a SPOILER of the next story I´m thinking on writing after this one, so, if you don’t want me to ruin your existence, you can skip that part of the story since, I will leave a mark on the text so that you can identify it.

Warning: The next chapter contains violent scenes or explicit sexual content, so reader discretion is adviced.

Read and review.

Moonbeam

Chapter 36 – The mare from the tree.

As soon as Celestia arrived at the hospital a part of the weight on her shoulders was released from her being, the hospital room was full of jubilation.

Epsilon was lying down while doctors cast different spells to assess her condition. Dr. Redheart was at the side of the bed taking the notes and analyzing the different results, one of the doctors was at the foot of the bed performing some spells on the mare to check the state of her internal wounds.

Siegfried and Alcor were in the chairs near the window, while Merak remained next to her sister, the latter caressing her mane with her hoof, keeping him calm.

The Sun’s deity noticed the three stallions’ swollen eyes, especially those of Merak. It was not very difficult for Celestia to imagine that Epsilon had been stroking the younger brother to reassure him and although the sobs of the stallion were soft, the tears they shared were of happiness and relief.

None of the ponies noticed the presence of the monarch, with the exception of the mare who lay on the bed. The albino alicorn noticed Epsilon’s gaze following her around the room, the amber-hued iris in her right eye looked quite normal. On the other hoof, the eye adorned with that scar made Celestia considerably uncomfortable, although she did not understand why. Certainly, the monarch understood the reason why epsilon's wounded eye looked opaque and lifeless, however, in the captain’s iris the monarch could notice a strange silver glow, very similar to that of a crystal bathed in moonlight.

-Princess Celestia-, said the mare, drawing the attention of those present to the princess.

-Princess Celestia!- exclaimed the ponies. Siegfried and Alcor stood up greeting the ruler with a wing on their foreheads. While Merak only looked at her with that pair of innocent eyes, however, the youngest of the brothers did not dare to make any move that could cause Epsilon to stop her caresses.

-Please continue, don’t mind me-, said the pearl-colored alicorn, addressing the doctors. -You can rest now-, she added, noting that the two soldiers were maintaining the military salute.

Instantly Alcor and Siegfried lowered their wings and relaxed their bodies.

-I'm glad to find you finally awake, Epsilon -, said the princess, getting close enough to the bed but not too much, so she won’t hinder the doctors' work.

-I'm glad I'm back majesty-, the mare added. Although, the tone and facial expression of the night guard’s captain indicated a total tranquility, the princess could not help but feel some irritation coming from Epsilon’s voice.

They remained silent as the doctors finished their check-ups. Epsilon concentrated mainly on continuing to caress her younger brother, while answering some questions that some of the doctors asked her.

-Can you feel this?- asked one of the stallions as he passed the end point of a feather of his wings, over one of Epsilon’s lower hooves.

-Yes-, Epsilon replied.

-Breathe deep-, asked another doctor as he placed a stethoscope on her chest. The mare obeyed by taking air until her lungs were completely expanded. -Let it out-, the doctor ordered, as the mare slowly released the air.

-Stable pulse and pressure-, said Nurse Sweetcare.

-I also need a blood sample, if you don’t mind-, Redheart asked after finishing her notes. Epsilon simply extended a front leg in response.

Sweetcare took a pair of the bewitched needles that Redheart had brought with them to take the blood’s samples.

-How is our sister?- asked Siegfried , approaching the doctor, while the rest of the doctors proceeded to retreat.

-Her body seems to be healing the wounds properly, the sutures are closing well and the fractures in the bones are welding quickly-, Redheart said as she read the data in her notes, then took a small flashlight with her teeth and passed the light in front of Epsilon's right eye, then repeating the process in the other eye. A slight reaction in the doctor caught the attention of the princess.

-Is something wrong?- the monarch asked.

-It's nothing, it's just that... Epsilon, I want you to close your right eye please-, asked the doctor to which the mare obeyed by closing her healthy eye and keeping her left eye open. -Follow my hoof-, commented while moving her front leg from side to side. The doctor then made a couple of notes, before turning on the flashlight again in front of the injured eye.

The nurse was able to notice a slight glow in the patient's eye. And somehow she could also feel a strange sensation coming from epsilon's visual organ, it was as if the eye was imbued with a barely perceptible spell.

-Tell me Epsilon, can you see me?- said the doctor after removing the lamp from her lips.

-Yes, I can-, answered the mare. It wasn't entirely a lie, after all, her left eye could now notice the bright silhouettes of those present, as ifthey were light ponies in a completely dark space.

-Can you read the first line of my notes please?- said the doctor.

-I'm sorry, I can only see your silhouettes, but I can't make out specific objects-, the patient replied.

After this, the doctor withdrew a little while rubbing her chin with a thoughtful hoof.

-It seems that your eye is also trying to restore itself and recovered part of its vision, your pupil seems to react, but it is curious that the scar remains intact. With a little luck your body could manage to fade the scar and restore your vision, but it will be best to prevent you from forcing your recovery, so I strongly recommend you wear a patch while it finishes healing to prevent your retina from being damaged again-, the doctor said. Epsilon nodded opening both eyes.

-Will she regain her sight?- asked Alcor.

-It certainly looks like your eye has begun to heal, but I couldn't tell you how much she'll be able to regain her sight in your left eye-, Redheart said.

Celestia, on the other hoof, focused her attention on the captain’s wounded eye, in which she could identify a slight amount of magic very similar to the magic trace Luna used to imbue her stars every night, asif somehow the captain's eye was connected to the energy of the indigo fur alicorn.

-So, is she out of danger?- Siegfried asked.

-Yes, apparently...-

-Ammm, Dr. Redheart? - Sweetcare called the doctor, a slightly disgruntled tone in her voice.

Redheart looked at the surprised nurse as she drew the mare's blood.

-What the...?- said the doctor when noticing the blood’s color being extracted from the interior of Epsilon, the color of her blood did not show the characteristic crimson color, bright and resplendent to which she was accustomed, on the contrary, Epsilon’s blood’s color wore a shade of dark red, very similar to the color of the wine, as if the blood were extremely concentrated or... Perhaps, contaminated.

CRACK

The sound immediately alerted the rest of the ponies.

-STAY AWAY SWEET!- Redheart cried when she noticed the crack in the glass tube containing the mare's blood.

CRASH

Within seconds the test tube shattered, spreading its contents.

SPLASH

-AAAAAAAAHHHH!- the nurse's cry was heard instantly.

Epsilon quickly removed the needle from her forehoof using her teeth before bending her limb to prevent more of the fluid from shooting out of the vein. Using her wing, she pushed Merak away from her side to prevent him from suffering any damage.

Redheart threw herself at the mare that was writhing on the ground, while the blood began to damage her fur and skin just like the bed’s sheets.

Wasting no time, the Princess of the Sun executed a spell to quickly remove the blood residue that had stained the young nurse's face, before casting a second healing spell on Sweetcare, while Redheart took the shower from the bathroom behind her to soak the areas damaged by the liquid.

Siegfried pressed the emergency button on the side of Epsilon's bed. Alcor, for her part, took Epsilon as carefully as he could and lifted her out of bed away from the blood stain that had just made a hole in the mattress.

The paramedic team soon showed up taking the badly injured mare with them. Once the paramedic team withdrew from the room to provide emergency care, Celestia executed a third spell to disintegrate the rest of the blood, which had just passed from side to side the hospital bed and had considerably damaged the room’s floor.

For her part, Epsilon couldn't help but watch the scene completely stunned. The toxicity of her blood had increased markedly since the last time, it was clear that the liquid inside her was much more dangerous than ever, which made her an acid walking living balloon that could cause serious damage to whoever was within her reach. That last thought made her aware of the presence of her older brother, who, at that precise moment, kept her carrying in a bridal style.

-GET AWAY FROM ME!- ordered the mare, in desperation, calling the attention of those present.

-But Epsilon, you need... -

SLAP

The blow of the mare's wing forced Alcor to release the captain, who fell awkwardly on her four hooves, which being unable to support her weight, gave way completely, forcing her to fall flat on her face on the surface of the ground.

-Epsilon!- exclaimed the brothers, approaching the convalescent mare.

-I SAID, GET AWAY FROM ME!- she replied, raising her voice, her body vibrating due to the intense pain that the fall had caused in her numerous wounds and broken bones.

Epsilon's eyes shed tears, probably a reaction provoked by the intense pain, while the mare gritted her teeth, in an attempt to avoid releasing any sound that would let them know her suffering.

Her whole body hurt, in her cuts and sutures she could feel as if some pony was delighting in her suffering, repeatedly embedding hundreds of burning swords in her skin. The burns on her body made her relive the unbearable heat of the flames that had consumed her. Her broken bones felt like made of glass, giving her the feeling that her whole body would be reduced to a pile of pieces at any moment.

The Sun deity returned exhausted to the castle; it had taken them a long time to calm down Epsilon, before the captain allowed some other pony to touch her, so they could check if she was hurt.

As soon as they made the transfer of Epsilon to a new room. Redheart decided to talk to the princess alone. Apparently, the toxicity of Epsilon’s blood had reached an extremely dangerous level, making the mare a potential threat. Somehow Epsilon’s own body seemed to continue to heal the wounds and prevent her own blood from destroying her inside, but Redheart couldn't estimate how long the pony had left to live.

-Probably the healing spells we conjure up on her body, as well as the constant blood transfusions and solutions that have been given to her, allow her body to continue to heal, but I can't assure you that once those factors are removed after she will be discharged from the hospital... well, what I try to tell you majesty, is that epsilon's lifespan could be significantly reduced once she is no longer under our care. Unfortunately, we also don't have any way to help her, we don’t have a cure for her… illness-, were Redheart’s words.

Celestia spent a long time looking at her dessert that night, Spice Fruit heated her tea at least five times before the beloved princess could finish her first teacup.

-Your Majesty-, the chef said looking with concern at his ruler, it was midnight, but the cook could not help but stand by the deity of the sun, even though she had asked the rest of the staff to retire to rest. -I may not be able to help you solve your problem, but if you need a pony to talk to, you can count on me-, the chef said.

-Thank you very much Spice Fruit, I really appreciate that. But the fact that you are keeping me company is more than enough-, the princess said. -The truth is... that I don't feel like having a dessert tonight-, the ruler excused herself by getting up from her seat. -I haven't been able to sleep well since we found Epsilon in that forest, maybe a restful night will help. And again, I’m very sorry Spice, I'm sure the dessert is delicious-, she added retiring to her room with a blue expression.

The stallion watched her leave the dining room, before turning his gaze to the piece of cake that remained on the table completely intact.

-I hope you can find an answer, princess-, said the pony, trying to comfort her before taking the plate and the now empty cup of tea.

-Are you sure?- asked the sand-coated sorceress.

-Oh yes, yes, yes. Shayla be sure, but needs to run a final test-, the zebra said enthusiastically.

• I understand... by the way, I know I told you before, but I really don't feel satisfied with this, I understand that that night was very special for you, but I had no idea that you had barely come of age. Don't get me wrong, you're young, but even Zephora looks my age being that she is much older than me. You can't blame me for thinking...-

-Pony not having to worry, Shayla know that pony be peculiar-, replied the zebra giving Clover a few light taps with her hoof on the unicorn’s head.

-So you don't care about our age difference?- asked the unicorn as she continued to stir some mixtures that the zebra had given her.

-Not at all, Shayla love pony, and understands her needs. Shayla only asks for one thing-, said the zebra wagging her extravagant and colorful mane.

-I know that I won’t like it, but go ahead, tell me what it is the only thing you ask from me-, the sorceress replied, before giving the zebra the mixture.

-Shayla wanted to intertwine tail with pony-, said the zebra unceremoniously while pouring some of the mixture on top of one of the pieces of flesh sample they took from the victim with whom they were working with.

-You want me to... do, what?!- Clover's face went from a sand color, to orange and finally to a deep red.

Accepting to be in a relationship with the zebra was quite complicated, the sorceress had not really had previous interactions like that with any other pony before. Worst of all was that, after the crazy first night she had spent with Shayla, they had not had another such deep approach. Although certainly the subsequent nights they had spent together since the zebra and sorceress had been assigned to solve the mystery of the killer, neither of them had gone cold, they usually stayed to sleep in the same laboratory exhausted from work, but she could not deny that the constant flirtations of the zebra were to her liking, in fact, she was pleased to know that someone was paying attention to her for more than just her vast knowledge of magic.

Now, there was something that Clover hadn't really wanted to admit and that was the enormous talent of the zebra. Apparently, the young zebra used combinations of common potions, mixing them with other herbs or minerals to obtain very special and precise results for certain things, as was the case with the potion that Clover had helped her to make. That potion made it possible to identify if the traces of the attacker shared certain similarities with what Shayla had called a “Vampire”, nocturnal and immortal creatures that fed mainly on blood. From what Clover could comprehend, regarding Shayla's explanation; those creatures had the form of an ordinary pony, however, their bodies seemed to be in a state between life and death, which made them practically immortal creatures being immune to most of the wounds or diseases that could kill an ordinary pony.

Certainly removing the problem of age, Clover could feel that this young zebra could easily be a very interesting pony to start a relationship. In the other hoof, there was the fact that Shayla could be of great help to Clover and her investigation of the alicorn nature. Now that the sorceress had won the bet with the princess, she might be able to satisfy her curiosity regarding mysteries of the princesses of Equestria’s race. But before anything else she had to consult her two friends for advice, after all she knew she could trust Cookie and Pantsy with anything.

-Okay, I'll let you intertwine your tail to mine, but only when we're alone, okay? I don't feel very good giving those signs of affection in public-, said the sorceress.

-Shayla understands-, replied the ecstatic zebra by approaching the sorceress and winding her tail around Clover’s tail, an act that undoubtedly took the sorceress by surprise.

-Shayla!- the pony protested.

-Shayla do not break any rules, now Shayla and horned pony be alone-, the zebra clarified with a smile on her face.

-Okay, just do me a favor-, said the sorceress. -Call me by my name, it is preferable that you do it, instead of calling me “Horned Pony”-, the zebra nodded enthusiastically.

The piece of meat that had been covered with the mixture began to burn in flames suddenly attracting the attention of both.

-So that means that...-, said the sorceress waving her forehoof to invite the alchemist to respond.

-Shayla correctly, the culprit of the attack being a vampire pony-, said the zebra making small jumps instead.

-I will alert the princesses. I want you to tell me everything you know about those vampire ponies-, the zebra just nodded and went to her saddlebags, she had to get a lot of books. Suddenly a hoof stopped her by holding her by the shoulder.

The zebra looked at the sorceress somewhat bewildered. Clover looked ashamed and her cheeks were red.

-Believe me, there is no way you can enter the bookstore at this time without sneaking away, I think we can take a little nap and take care of this tomorrow morning-, said the sorceress evading eye contact.

The zebra nodded and quickly began to nuzzle the pony’s neck affectionately, filling her senses with the smell of the sorceress.

The sun’s deity opens her eyes to find herself again in a completely strange place. Celestia’s body rested on the leafy and fresh lawn. The albino alicorn rose up back on its four legs, its tail and mane sported a pastel pink color and had lost that characteristic undulating movement.

In front of her was a small water fountain with a pony carved in stone placed in the center, around her, the alicorn could see several small houses and a couple of bridges to cross the small river that ran through the village.

Most of the houses seemed to be made of wood and stone, their roofs were built with straw and wooden planks inside. Thewindows were quite simple, with recessed glass in red wooden frames. Despite the simplicity of the constructions, the place was extremely pleasing to the eye, almost all the houses were adorned with smallflower gardens of many colors and shapes. The color of the buildings wore a pale-yellow one, and their windows had a slightly pink color. A couple of meters away she could see a tall, cylindrical building in the shape of a kiosk, placed in what appeared to be the town’s center.

The princess looked from one side to the other, observing the modest buildings. The largest houses had a maximum of three floors. All over the village they could see colorful balloons decorating the surroundings.

Celestia looked to her left, among the distant mountains on which the castle of Canterlot stood. she decided to explore the surroundings, so she jogged for several minutes without running into any other ponies. The village seemed to be... abandoned, as if the inhabitants had left it in a hurry.

Spreading her white wings, theprincess took flight to have a better view of the place. To the southwest of the town she could see a huge farm with orchards of apple trees that stretched for several hectares. Further west she could see what appeared to be a kind of glass castle towering in the middle of two small mountains right in front of a lake.

The princess recognized those twin mountains immediately, although she did not understand what a castle was doing towards in that place, however, the shape of this one seemed quite intriguing. Despite being constructed mainly of crystal, the building has the peculiar shape of a tree. Somehow, that building made her think of the tree of harmony that she and her sister Luna found hidden in a cave, located just below the territories of the castle of the two sisters.

The deity set its sights further south, where a huge forest covered much of the area and in the center of which stood majestically a huge crystal tree, its sky-blue trunk and pale pink foliage growing as if it were covering the EverFree forest.

Celestia moved her wings more vigorously after recognizing that tree, was the same tree that she had visited in her previous dreams. She flew under the foliage of the tree to the base of the trunk and started to look for any sign of… well, anything.

After descending in front of the majestic crystal tree, she placed one of her hooves on the surface of the trunk. The tree gave her a warm feeling that enveloped her on contact.

-You are the one who has been calling me here, right?- muttered the alicorn after hearing the hoofsteps of two pairs of hooves behind her.

-Certainly-, replied a sweet voice of a mare behind her back.

-I guess this has to do with all the things that have been going on-, said the ruler without turning to look at her companion.

-Yes and No. To tell you the truth, I expected to see you much earlier, but it does not seem that you are properly rested these days, so it took me some work to immerse myself in your dreams-, Celestia turned her head to look at her interlocutor, however, she could not see any pony behind her. The words of the other female had caught her attention, since, as far as the monarch was aware, the only one capable of using the magic of dreams in this way, was her sister Luna.

The sound of the tree’s branches moving, caught her attention. All she could observe was the mare's flank and her straight pony tail disappear into the foliage. The princess looked strangely at the point at which the pony had disappeared before answering.

-A close friend was hurt recently, Luna and I have been very worried about her... we still are, that is what has prevented us from resting properly-, the albino alicorn excused herself.

-I was hoping that the gift I gave you the other night would help you, but I see that things have begun to get worse-, said the mare from above, making noise as she moved through the foliage of the tree.

-The gem you gave me was important to you, you look sad when you gave it to me, but when I woke up I no longer had it with me, and it does not seem that I have it with me in this dream... I'm sorry, I probably misplacedit-, the president said.

• Oh! You don't have to worry about it. I know it's okay, I can still feel it-, the mare replied.

-That doesn't change the fact that I lost it-, Celestia said.

-I think you have not understood, the gem was something symbolic, an object that was born from this tree. Its content and meaning is something that cannot be lost or destroyed-, the mare commented as she continued to stir the leaves of the tree.-Just like this-, she added, jumping and spreading a huge pair of wings to fall gracefully between the princess and the crystal tree.

Celestia was shocked by the sudden appearance of the other mare taking a slight leap back and falling on her back.

-Hahahaha, I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to surprise you in that way-, the somewhat sorry mare apologized.

-Don’t mind that, It’s okay-, said the princess, putting herself on her hooves.

The sun deity tried to look in greater detail at her interlocutor, but the only thing she could notice was her darkened silhouette, which prevented her from clearly distinguishing the color of the other pony’s fur. The mare’s eyes, on the other hoof, were clearly visible, had a beautiful lavender tone very uncommon and a purple-pink aura covering her horn.

The deity did not have to meditate much, before realizing that this mare was executing a spell that prevented Celestia from identifying her more clearly. And the most surprising thing was that this mare was an alicorn, barely the size of her precious sister.

-You know, come to think of it, I've never surprised you in this way before-, said the mare scratching her chin.

Celestia tilted her head unable to understand what the alicorn in front of her meant. However, she couldn't help but feel that she somehow knew her, even though she couldn't remember her. And, taking into account the comment of her interlocutor, it was clear that the other mare Knew who Celestia was.

-But that's not important now-, said the mare as she showed the sun princess her hoof. Like the lasttime they had met, the mare had a gem on its front leg , this time in the shape of a small orange apple.

-I don't understand-, said the deity looking at the mare. -Why are you giving this to me? What are these things...?- the princess was silent when she noticed that the other alicorn had placed her forehoof on Celestia’s lips.

-Life is full of mysteries Celestia, and although I would like to give you the answer you are looking for, it is something you have to look for inside your heart-, said the mare placing her own hoof over Celestia’s chest. -We all have to sacrifice something to achieve our goals. Change is part of life, nothing can remain unchanged or else it will not survive, she added with melancholy-.

-I guess you're right-, Celestia agreed.

-You know... it feels very strange to be the one giving the lessons here-, the mare added.-But I know that you will know how to choose wisely when the time comes-, added levitating the gemstone on top of Celestia's forehooves.

Celestia took the gem delicately, immediately felt its energy traveling through her whole body. That same feeling of comfort that had filled her when she touched the trunk of the tree, she could feel it coming from the small gem she held between her hooves.

-Who are you?- the sun’s deity asked, looking up.

-Well, I can only say that I am someone who appreciates you very much. My only mission here is to deliver that to you, Celestia-, the mare replied.

The deity turned her gaze again to the apple-shaped gem she held between her hooves.

-But that doesn't mean I can't help you understand, a little bit...-, added the mare after noticing the princess's countenance being filled with doubts. She knew that she should not interact too much with Celestia, Zephora had explained it to her before, but the mysterious mare couldn't help but think that in the end this might be a good opportunity to prevent further disaster.

-Constant wars and conflicts have caused the awakening of a power that has remained dormant since creation. Only seven have been able to contain it and their fates were doomed for it, I'm sure you've already noticed its influence. But your mission is simply to prevent all of them from waking up, and for this, it is necessary that the elements remain pure-, said the mare.

-Do you know who it is?- asked the princess.

-There is not just one of them, but they can dwell inside us when we make the wrong decision-, explained the mare.

-Zephora said Luna was in danger, that the cause was a black creature with wings and a long horn. I think we found the culprit, but I refuse to think that she is a danger to my sister, to tell the truth... I think she loves her, they both do.

Even though she couldn't clearly distinguish the mare in front of her, the princess could notice that the other Alicorn's mood waned for a moment.

The mare gave her a melancholic smile, as if she had remembered something painful but at the same time it gave her great joy.

-I think that might be our curse... Love is the most powerful force in our world. A neutral force that can produce enormous bliss while also causing terrible pain-, after the statement, the pony looked over her shoulders.

Celestia followed the look of the other alicorn, noticing a group of black-dressed ponies climbing the hill in their direction.

-Unfortunately, our time has come to its end Celestia. I hope that the next time we see each other, it will be in a very different situation, and although I am sure that you will be able to connect the clues soon, I recommend that you pay attention to the book that Zephora gave you, and try not to jump into early conclusions, before you got all the pieces. I recommend you watch with your heart-, added the other Alicorn with a sad smile on her face.

-Wait, isn't this just a dream?- the princess asked.

-That depends on what you want to believe, Celestia-, said the pony, bowing to her.

The way she said those words made the sun deity pay total attention to the other mare, that same feeling of melancholy that she had felt the first time she heard her voice hit her with such force that she did her best to remember. She was completely sure she knew her, although she couldn't remember where.

A gust of wind began to blow furiously as the mare in front of her simply smiled kindly at her.

The albino alicorn tried to cling to the dream, however, the force of the wind and the light that began to emanate from the crystal tree ended up subduing her.

“I recommend you observe with your heart”.

“Love is the most powerful force in our world. A neutral force that can produce enormous bliss while also causing terrible pain”.

Those phrases were firmly printed in the depth of the sun deity’s memories. What she had meant by that? Would it be possible that Chrysalis really wasn't a danger to Luna? Or if it were, would it be possible that the danger to which Zephora referred in her prophecy had to do with Luna's heart and not with her physical health?

“There is not just one of them, but they can dwell within us when we make the wrong decision”. Something in Celestia’s heart shuddered as she remembered that sentence. Whoever was to blame, perhaps did not try to hurt her sister physically, but emotionally.

SPOILER ALERT!

The breeze of the wind refreshed her, the sound of the leafy green tree located behind her had always helped her to calm down, after all, this was her new favorite place, or had been for the last few decades. The horn of the alicorn ceased to glow stoppingatthe spell instantly, while the few rays of the Sun revealed its beautiful lavender fur, its mane and tail wore a dark blue color like night and were adorned by two perfectly parallel stripes, one of an intense purple colorand another of a bright pink color.

She wore a stall and black extremely elegant dress, which matched perfectly with her black hoof-shoes. On the lavender alicorn’s flanks could be seen a cutie mark in the shape of a fuchsia star surrounded by five smaller white stars. she wore a black crown on her head in the center of which the same cutie mark could be seen.

The mare opened her huge and beautiful purple eyes, while her mane wasnourished to the rhythm ofthe wind as did the leaves of that tree. In front of her, right in the same place where Princess Celestia was moments ago, there was a small stone tombstone newly placed. That rock was nothing more than a symbol, because the body of the real pony would not be buriedor in that place, however, she could not think of a better place to place the tombstone, after all, that hill was her favorite place.

-Twilight-, said one of the five mares climbing the hill, her voice had a country tone.

-Twilight darling, you can't stay there all day-, added the Fashionista pony as she leaned on the orange fur pony to climb the hill.

-I know-, the princess of friendship replied with resignation.

-I see you finished putting it on, sugar cube-, said the farmer's pony.

-We can accompany you if you wish Twilight-, offered a Pegasus with pale yellow fur.

-It would be very helpful, I thank you girls-, replied the princess resting her flanks against the grass.

The cyan-colored Pegasus was the first to sit next to her and place one of her wings on the princess's back. The metal feathers of the Pegasus prosthesis caused the princess of friendship to divert her attention to her loyal friend. Twilight looked at Rainbow’s violet eyes in which some facial marks were already beginning to be noticed, as did some silver gray hairs were starting to peek into her friend’s rainbow colored hair. Feeling the hoof of the captain of her royal guard rest on her front leg in a comforting way, the princess of friendship finally let herself to show her cyan Pegasus friend a delicate but small smile, one that Rainbow kindly returned to her.

-And Spike?- asked the princess upon noticing the absence of her number one assistant.

-He decided to go ahead, to guide the rest of the town-, commented the last member of the group, it was a unicorn with light violet fur and purple-blue hair combed in a lock that covered half of her face.

-I see-, said the princess, looking back at the tombstone in front of her, on whose surface three small balloons were engraved.

-I think it's the most logical thing, the whole town wanted to attend her farewell party, after all she was friends with all of Ponyville-, Applejack said, taking off the black hat from her head without letting go of Rarity's forehoof.

The five mares nodded and subsequently sat next to the princess of friendship all staring at the stone tombstone in front of the little Ponyville.

-This was her favorite place-, Twilight said, wiping her eyes. Then she began to sing in a soft tone, while some tears started rolling down her cheeks.

🎶🎶🎶

-…-

-Her name was Pinkie Pie-

-And she was is here to say-

-…-

🎶🎶🎶

Quickly the five mares joined Twilight.

🎶🎶🎶

-…-

-she is gonna make you smile, and she will brighten up your day-

-It doesn't matter now, If you are sad or blue-

-Cause she loved to make you smile, smile, smile-

-Cause all she really need’s a smile, smile, smile-

-From these happy friends she has-

-…-

-She likes to see you grin-

-She loves to see you beam-

-The corners of your mouth turn up is always Pinkie’s dream-

-But of you kind of worried and your face has made a frown-

-She’ll work real hard and do her best to turn that frown upside down-

-…-

-Cause she loves to make you grin, grin, grin-

-Busted out from ear to ear let it begin -

-Just give a joyful grin, grin, grin-

-And you fill her with good cheer-

-…-

🎶🎶🎶

They sang as they hugged each other. Numerous tears fell incessantly moistening the earth. The six friends had a pleasant smile on their faces, similar to the grin that the pink pony always dedicated to them until the very end.

The previous conversation with the young princess of the Sun made Twilight meditate on her recent action, with a little luck she could prevent that disaster and she knew that her friends would not oppose her decision, no matter how morbid and careless it might turn out to be.

The real problem would be Starlight, both had agreed that spells that altered the flow of time were dangerous, and while the spell that allowed her to connect her subconscious to the sun princess's one, was a safe way to break the flow of time, as those meetings could easily be mistaken for dreams. The truth was, that by using that spell to convey the connection of the elements of harmony to Princess Celestia of the distant past, Twilight began to think of another possibility.

“Would it be possible to modify the Spell to allow her to send objects?” The question intrigued Twilight. She had done several experiments using her ability to access the dream realm, and based on the nearly death experience she had the day she earned her alicorn wings. The now monarch of the kingdom could not help but think that there must be a way to connect the different dimensions.

It would be a risky move, but she had to try, she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't try it, not just because of what Pinkie had done for everyone in the kingdom to stop those creatures. Not after what her beloved pink pony had done to save Twilight’s soul. The princess of friendship owed it to her, the kingdom owed it to her. And if she could prevent Pinkie from having to experience those feelings, then the princess of friendship would give herself the task of looking for the opportunity.

But first she should make sure she reduced the risks, she needed someone she trusted to ensure that the impact on the timeline was minimal. And there was only one pony whocould take that responsibility, not only because of her knowledge and skill, but because she was the only pony who, like her, understood the risk of failure.

-I'm sorry-, Twilight said in just a whisper.

Rainbow strengthened her hug using her mechanical wing, the words of the Princess of friendship were soft and loaded with deep pain and guilt. The cyan Pegasus seemed to be the only one to have heard them, for a moment she thought that the princess of friendship would broke down, and she feared that this time, Twilight would not be able to keep herself together anymore, but noticing the look of her beloved princess, the leader of the army of Equestria could notice a strange twinkle in the eyes of the lavender-colored alicorn.

Twilight was full of determination. It was the same look the princess of friendship had that fateful day, a look that told her that Twilight would do the unthinkable.

Rainbow couldn't help but remember that scene; the capital on fire, ponies groaning in pain as they cried out for mercy. Her dejected friends, all of them with incredulous stares at the princess of friendship. Twilight's body and face were stained with blood, her eyes shed incessant tears as the alicorn emitted cries of pain that broke the heart of whoever heard them.

Twilight was inconsolable, as she clung to the inert body of the princess of chaos. The same pony that one was their best friend and at the same time worst foe. Twilight’s beloved pink-furred pony now stained by blood emanating from the wound located in her heart, mortal wounds that the princess of friendship had inflicted herself to stop the uncontrollable madness of the once happy hearted party pony.

Author's Note

Hello dear readers I hope this chapter has been to your liking. And yes, I just made a Spoiler of the other story that I'm thinking of writing as soon as I finished this one, but it was something inevitable, hahahaha I couldn't miss the opportunity to place that part here.

From this moment on, I hope I can get more into the story of the Shadows.

This is all for today my dear readers and do not forget to leave your comment if you liked the chapter. I am Halsenbert and with this I say see you later, until the next chapter... ALLONS-Y

In memory of Victor Fidel Amado grandfather and mentor.

March/1938 - October/2018

In memory of Carolina López Beloved aunt and life's example.

May/1947 - February/2020