The Element of Empathy

~Eleanor's POV.~

Nightmare Moon continued to laugh, as her mane and tail floated upward.

"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!" Mayor Mare told the royal guards. The guards took flight and dashed toward the evil, black mare. I gasped.

"Stand back, you fools!" Nightmare Moon shouted, as her eyes glowed white, and lightning struck in between the guards and herself.

The guards halted their charge, and Nightmare Moon laughed. She morphed into mist of the night sky, and, of course, flew toward me and circled around me. I closed my eyes and braced myself.

I felt a pulse of pain course through me as I heard Nightmare Moon's voice whisper in my ear, "Equestria will be ours yet, My Loyal Warrior."

The pain subsided, I opened my eyes and Nightmare Moon was gone. Rainbow Dash dashed after her, since Applejack's grip loosened. Twilight picked up Spike over her back and left the town hall in a hurry. I followed behind her.

I was looking through the library, while Twilight put Spike to bed.

As Twilight arrived, she started looking through the pile of books I made, "Elements. Elements. Elements... Ugh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon, without the Elements of Harmony?"

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash flew into the library and into the lavender unicorn's face, "And just what are the Elements of Harmony?" Rainbow Dash asked, "And how do you two know about Nightmare Moon? Are you spies?"

Applejack stopped Dash from asking anymore questions, by pulling her tail back, "Simmer down, Sally." She let go and looked at me and Twilight Sparkle, "They ain't no spy. But, they do seem to know what's going on. Don't ya, Ellie?"

Twilight looked at the Ponies before her, waiting for an answer. I looked at Twilight and moved my head and waved my hand to gesture 'Go on'.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and explained, "I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don't know what they are, where to find them, I don't even know what they do!"

"'The Elements of Harmony; A Reference Guide.'" Pinkie Pie read, looking at a bookshelf, close to the door.

Twilight dashed toward the shelf and stared at the book, accidentally throwing Pinkie away, "How did you find that?"

"It was under 'E'..." Pinkie Pie answered in a sing-song voice, jumping around.

"Oh." Twilight uttered under her breath. She used her magic to open the book and began reading, "'There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said, the last known location of the Elements was in the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It is located in what is now-'"

*At the Entrance of the Everfree Forest...*

"The Everfree Forest." Everypony grimaced in fear.

I tilted my head in confusion. I never understood why the Everfree Forest is so scary. Just because it looks after itself without any pony magic to help...

"Wheee! Let's go." Pinkie Pie encouraged, walking into the forest.

"Not so fast!" Twilight Sparkle spoke up, Pinkie froze in mid-step, "Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather do this on my own."

"No can do, SugarCube. We're not letting any friend of ours go into a dangerous place alone." Applejack told me. Twilight froze, at the word 'friend'. Again with that word, "We're stickin' on ya like caramel on a candy apple." Applejack finished, as she and the others trotted into the forest. Everypony agreed.

Pinkie Pie un-froze and hopped, "Especially if there's candy apple in there." Twilight Sparkle stared at her in confusion, "What? Those things are good." Pinkie Pie followed the other Ponies.

"I understand why you're taking so much responsibility, Twilight." I spoke up from behind her, "But, you must understand that you can't do everything on your own. Sometimes, you just need a little faith."

Then I followed the Ponies into the Everfree Forest. The moment I entered the forest, I began hearing voices whisper in my ear. I looked up and the leaves were moving in the trees in wonder.

"So, none of you have been in here before?" Twilight Sparkle asked, as we walked down the forest.

"Ugh. Heavens no. Just look at it, it's dreadful." Rarity answered, with slight fear in her voice.

"And it ain't natural. Folk say it don't work the same as Equestria." Applejack included.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked in curiosity.

"Nopony knows. Ya know why?" Rainbow Dash said and asked, in a creepy voice, creeping toward Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity.

"Rainbow, quit it." Applejack told Rainbow Dash, but she didn't listen.

"'Cause every pony who's ever come in, has never come OUT!" Rainbow spooked, jumping and shouting the last word.

Suddenly, the cliff we were standing on gave out and everypony fell, except Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew to save Pinkie Pie and Rarity. I pushed my hands forward and the cliff created a foothold strong enough to hold Applejack and my weight. However, Twilight continued to fall and found herself hanging over the edge of the cliff, with nothing the grab onto. Applejack and I looked at each other, uncertain who would go first.

Applejack was the first to jump off the foothold and slide towards Twilight, "Hold on. I'm a-comin'."

She grabbed her by the hands, but she wasn't strong enough to pull Twilight up.

"Applejack, what do I do?" Twilight Sparkle asked her in a panic.

Applejack looked up, then looked at Twilight, "Let go."

"Are you crazy?" Twilight asked her.

"No, I ain't. I promise ya'll be safe." She told the lavender Unicorn with a calm tone in her voice.

"That's not true!" Twilight Sparkle told her, trying to help herself up a bit.

"Now, listen here. What I'm tellin' ya is the honest truth. Let go, 'n' you'll be safe." Applejack assured her.

Twilight looked at Applejack. Twilight let go and screamed for dear life. Acting on instinct, I leaped off the foothold and used my magic to levitate myself and dove toward Twilight. Once Twilight was close enough, I reached my hand toward her and my magic was able to catch Twilight before she hit the ground.

Twilight looked up at me and sighed in relief, as I lowered her and myself gently to the ground.

Applejack made her way down the cliff, by jumping down the stones that lead the way down. Once everything calmed down, we continued down the path through the Everfree Forest.

I felt a pulse of pain surge through my head, but I ignored it and caught up with the others.

Of course Rainbow Dash was telling the story of how I was able to save Twilight, "And once Pinkie and Rarity were saved, WHOOSH! Ellie leaped off the cliff, loop-de-loop around and WHAM! Caught you right in the nick of time."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Yes, Rainbow, I was there." She smiled at me, "And I'm very grateful, but we gotta-" Then she gasped in shocked.

A large Manticore roared loudly to catch our attention.

A Manticore is a large lion with dragon wings, large teeth, and a scorpion's tail. They're very dangerous when disturbed or under attack.

"A Manticore!" Twilight identified, as it roared in anger and rage.

"We gotta get past him." Twilight Sparkle told everypony.

The Manticore aimed to attack Rarity, but Rarity dodged and punched him in the chin, knocking him back a bit, "Take that, you ruffian!"

The Manticore roared at Rarity. Rarity's mane got fluffed up and poofy, like Pinkie's but more wild. Rarity looked at her mane in dismay, "My hair!" Then she remembered the Manticore and ran.

"Wait." Fluttershy tried to say, but she was too quiet for everypony to hear her.

The Manticore chased Rarity, until Applejack jumped on to its back. "YEE-HAW! Get along, little doggy!" She shouted, as the Manticore thrashed around, trying to get her off.

"Wait." Fluttershy said again, but a bit louder. Sadly, she still couldn't be heard.

The Manticore was able to throw Applejack off his head.

"All yours, partner." Applejack told Rainbow Dash, as she flew past her.

"I'm on it!" Rainbow Dash saluted, flying at full speed toward the Manticore.

"Wait!" Fluttershy tried to shout again, but nopony listened.

Rainbow Dashed used her Rain-Blow Dry to distract the Manticore. However, the Manticore used its scorpion tail to attack Rainbow Dash, causing her attack to stop and crash toward us.

"Rainbow!" Twilight called in worry. She landed in front of us and tried to get back up.

Twilight glared at the Manticore. He scuffed his right paw, as she and Applejack leaned forward, ready to charge.

They charged toward the Manticore, until I jumped in front of them and shouted, "STOOOOP!"

The four mares stopped a few feet from me. I turned to Fluttershy and nodded with a smile, "Go ahead, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy nodded back, turned to the Manticore and smiled. She walked up to him. The Manticore roared and raised his right paw.

"Ellie, what are you thinking?" Rainbow asked me.

"Watch." I simply answered.

"Shh... It's okay." Fluttershy told the Manticore in a kind tone.

As she put her hand over his left paw, she assured him with a smile. The Manticore looked a little uncertain, but showed Fluttershy a large thorn in his left paw.

"Oh, you poor, poor little baby." Fluttershy said, showing sympathy for the Manticore.

"Little?" Rainbow Dash repeated in confusion.

"Now, this might hurt for just a second." Fluttershy assured the Manticore, as she grabbed the thorn and pulled it out. The Manticore picked her up and roared.

"Fluttershy!" The others called out of worry for the shy Pegasus.

The Manticore purred in happiness, as he licked Fluttershy's face and mane in gratitude.

She giggled, "Aw, you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are."

We walked past the Manticore, but I stopped for Fluttershy. The Manticore put her down and she joined the rest of us.

"How did you know about the thorn?" Twilight asked her.

"I didn't. Sometimes, we just need to be shown a little kindness." She answered with a smile.

Suddenly, I felt the pulse of pain again from before. The pain surged through me, as I could hear Nightmare Moon's voice in my head, "My Little Warrior... I'm waiting for you..."

"Ellie! You coming?" I heard Twilight call out to me.

I shook my head and quickly followed close behind, "Y-yeah. I'm right behind you."

"Ugh... My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck." Rarity whined, as we entered a dark forest. The forest covered the moon, making it hard to see in front of our noses, "Well, I didn't mean it literally."

"That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even know it." Twilight told everyone.

Everyone started shouting at each other, due to the darkness.

"Oh wait. I think I stepped in somethin'." Applejack spoke up, as she lifted her hooves.

Fluttershy must've saw something, because she screamed in fright.

"It's just mud." Applejack told Fluttershy, until she saw what Fluttershy screamed at.

She yelped and joined us. The trees glowed with scary faces. We screamed in fright, except for me and Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie was laughing at the trees, making funny faces and giggled, I made scary faces and giggling with Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, Eleanor, what are you two doing? Run!" Twilight asked us, and told us with pure worry and fear.

I just shrugged, "Silly fillies. This isn't scary."

"Oh, girls. Don't you see?" Pinkie asked, until she started dancing.

Pinkie, the Girls and I laughed the scary faces away, and continued to laugh out of joy and enjoyment.

We laughed our way to the river, but we stopped to notice the waves were rapid and wavy. Impossible to swim across.

"How are we gonna cross this?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Suddenly, we heard a distant cry from down the river. We followed the river and saw a purple sea serpent, with an orange, combed mane, and half-a-mustache, crying in sorrow. Thrashing his tail, creating the wild waves.

"What a world! What a world!" The crying serpent cried, as he threw his fists into the water.

"Excuse me, sir. Why are you crying?" Twilight Sparkle asked the sea serpent in a polite tone.

"Well, I don't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this 'tacky' little cloud of purple smoke just wisped past me and tore half of my beloved mustache clean off." The serpent explained, before sobbing again, "And now I look simply horrid!"

He dove into the river, with his head laying on the bank, and the water splashed all over us.

"Oh, you poor thing." I sighed in sympathy.

"Oh. Gimme a break." Rainbow Dash sighed in annoyance.

"That's what all this fuss is about?" Applejack asked, not understanding fashion.

"Why, of course, it is! How can you be so insensitive?" Rarity snapped, as she walked to the sorrowful sea serpent, and stroked his chin, "Oh, just look at him. Such lovely, luminescent scales."

"I know." The serpent answered, sniffing a bit.

"And your expertly coiffed mane." Rarity added with a smile.

"Oh, I know. I know." The serpent smiled, stroking his mane.

"Your fabulous manicure." Rarity continued.

"Oh, it's so true." The serpent continued to smile, until Rarity's smile vanished.

"All ruined without your beautiful mustache." Rarity finished.

"It's true! I'm hideous!" He cried, covering his face.

"I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulous-ity go uncorrected." Rarity said with determination. She ran toward the sea serpent, and ripped a scale off from his side.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" He asked.

"Rarity, What are you-" Twilight Sparkle was cut-off by Rarity used the scale to chop off her tail.

All of the ponies gasped in shock, as the serpent fainted.

Rarity used her magic to fuse her tail to what remained of the sea serpent's mustache.

The serpent laughed in joy and relief, "My mustache. How wonderful."

"You look smashing." Rarity smiled.

"Oh, Rarity. Your beautiful tail." Twilight frowned sadly, at the sight of Rarity's new short tail.

"Oh, it's fine, my dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it'll grow back." Rarity assured her with a small smile.

Twilight Sparkle smiled back, then Rainbow Dash whispered to her, "So would the mustache."

"We can cross now. Let's go." Twilight Sparkle told everypony, starting to cross the calm river. The Girls and I followed behind her.

As she reached half-way across, something purple lifted us from the water. It was the serpent

"Allow me." He insisted. So, we jumped across his back and made it to the other side.

As we traveled through the forest we came to a bridge with the ruin just on the other side.

"There it is, the ruin that holds The Elements of Harmony. We made it!" Twilight Sparkle smiled with relief and happiness. She charged toward the bridge.

"Twilight, wait for us." Applejack called, as we followed after us.

"We're almost there!" Twilight told us, until she came across the bridge and slipped.

She struggled to prevent herself, so I grabbed her by the tail and pulled her to safety.

"What's with you and fallin' off cliffs today?" I asked her with a joking smile.

We all looked over the misty chasm. The bridge was broken on the other side. The rope was snapped.

"Now what?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Duh..." Rainbow replied, as she flapped her wings.

"Oh yeah." Pinkie Pie said with a smile.

With that, Rainbow Dash dived into the chasm to fix the bridge. There was a few minutes of silence, until Twilight called out, "Rainbow! What's taking so long?"

I looked across the chasm and narrowed my eyes. Rainbow Dash was talking to a trio of dark-toned pegasi.

But something was off about them. I gasped in clarity and shouted to Rainbow Dash, "Don't listen to them, Rainbow!"

But the mist moved over the bridge and muffled my voice. I growled in frustration. Then saw Rainbow Dash flying toward us as the mist cleared.

The girls and I cheered in joy and relief as Rainbow Dash returned from fixing the bridge. The mist cleared and the three pegasi were gone.

"See? I'd never let my friends hangin'." Rainbow told me with a smile, as we crossed the bridge.

I smiled in relief, as voices began chanting again. Then another pulse of pain surged through me.

Nightmare Moon's voice echoed in my ear, "The time is close, My Little Warrior..."

I shook my head and followed close behind the others.

The Girls and I entered the ruin and saw the Elements of Harmony upon the center altar. The Elements were fossilized gems, like they haven't been used for centuries.

"Whoa." Applejack gasped in awe, as we saw the altar, "Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what ya been waitin' for?" Applejack asked Twilight Sparkle, as the lavender unicorn looked at the altar.

Twilight Sparkle smiled, "The Elements of Harmony. We've found them."

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew and picked up the Elements, one-by-one, and placed them in front of me.

"Careful. Careful." Twilight told them, not wanting to break the Elements.

"One, two, three, four..." Pinkie Pie counted, then she drew a blank a little, "There's only five."

"Where are the sixth?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight, as Fluttershy put down the last one.

"The book says: 'When the five are present, a spark will cause that sixth Element to be revealed'." Twilight answered, as she examined the fossilized Elements.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked, not understanding riddles much.

I glared at the amber-golden mare, "Applejack, language."

"I'm not sure. But, I have an idea." Twilight told us, "Stand back. I don't know what will happen." Then she looked at me, "Ellie, I need you to stay with me." She closed her eyes, as her horn glowed in her magical aura.

"Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate." Applejack told everypony, as she and the Girls left the ruin.

Suddenly a cold chill ran down my spine and I didn't move. I couldn't feel my legs. It was like my whole body shut down. My head was lowered, my bangs shadowing my eyes. I tried to move, but nothing seemed to be responding.

Suddenly, a smile grew on my face as I darkly chuckled. I walked past Twilight and walked over to the Elements of Harmony. I pushed Twilight over, cancelling her spell.

Twilight recovered and looked at me in shock, "Eleanor, what are you-"

I looked her and smirked. My entire body was moving on its own. I felt a dark presence and a tornado of night sky appeared, picking up the Elements and was about to take them away.

"The Elements!" Twilight gasped. I chuckled and entered the tornado, teleporting myself to the other side of the castle.

I tried to fight whatever was controlling me, but it's stronger than I thought it would be. As I reappeared from the teleportation, I bowed before the pony in front of me, Nightmare Moon.

I heard Twilight's voice gasp behind me, "Eleanor? How could you?"

I turned and looked at my best friend with a dark smirk. Twilight saw Nightmare Moon and gasped, "Rainbow Dash was right! You were a spy for Nightmare Moon!"

Twilight! You don't understand! I'm not in control of myself. Help me!

Silence, you fool! You are a Child of the Night. Serve your queen!

Nightmare Moon, you don't have to do this. This isn't the way. Please, Princess Luna. I know what's it's like to feel underappreciated.

You do?

No! You don't know what's like! You'll see! The night will last forever!

Please, you have to listen to me! Even with all that power, you'll always be alone. Even with followers. Is that truly what you want? To be alone?

You have no right to tell me what I want! I...

I...

My body turned and saw Twilight Sparkle leaning forward slightly, ready to charge. Her horn glowing in her magical aura.

"You're kidding. You're kidding, right?" Nightmare Moon and I asked in unison.

Twilight charged toward toward Nightmare Moon. Acting on it's own, my body turned and charged toward the lavender Unicorn.

I charged into Twilight with a powerful shoulder-tackle, knocking her a few feet from Nightmare Moon to her left.

Twilight looked at me, "Eleanor, what are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago." I answered with Nightmare Moon's voice under my own.

Twilight picked herself up and charged to attack me. I kicked her back and Twilight tried to hit me with a magical blast. I punched my fist into the ground to create a shield of earth. The magical blast faded and I lowered my shield. With a small smirk, my hands glowed in a fiery orange glow and I attacked Twilight with a blast of fire, throwing the lavender Unicorn into the wall behind her.

She looked at me and noticed a moon symbol glowing under my bangs, on my forehead. Like Nightmare Moon's breastplate. Twilight gasped and turned to Nightmare Moon, "What have you done to my best friend?"

My body froze and I looked at Twilight.

Did she just call me her best friend?

Twilight took advantage and knocked me a few feet from her with a magical blast from her horn. Memories of Sunset Shimmer flashed before my eyes for a second, then I shook my head and growled at my study partner.

Twilight, stop! Let me talk to her.

Nightmare Moon chuckled with a dark smile, "I just awoken her inner warrior. She's a Child of the Night."

I smirked, my hands glowing leaf green and charged toward Twilight Sparkle. Twilight braced herself and her horn glowed. Just as I got close enough, she vanished. Twilight Sparkle reappeared behind Nightmare Moon, but she was a little dizzy.

She recovered and then lit her horn up again, "Just one little spark. Come on, come on!"

The Elements glowed in Twilight's magical aura, and sparks flew around them. The magic hit Twilight and threw her away from the Elements of Harmony, leaving Nightmare Moon with the fossilized gems.

"No. No!" Nightmare Moon grimaced, as the Elements glowed. Twilight Sparkle smiled, but the Elements stopped glowing around Nightmare Moon. Nothing happened.

"But... Where is the sixth Element?" Twilight Sparkle wondered, as Nightmare Moon and I laughed.

Nightmare Moon destroyed the Elements into shards with one powerful stomp.

"You little fool! Thinking you can defeat me!" Nightmare Moon shouted, "Now, you will never see your princess, or your sun. The night will last forever!" Nightmare Moon laughed, as her mane and tail rose to the sky once again.

Twilight looked at us in hopeless defeat. Suddenly, I heard the voices of the Girls calling out Twilight's name.

Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Twilight Sparkle.

I felt something warm building up in my heart. It felt powerful.

I understand now!

Twilight gasped in shock, then looked at me and Nightmare Moon, "You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony, just like that? Well, you're wrong. Because the Spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" She told us, as the six mares arrived by her side.

The shards glowed and began to circle around five of the mares.

"What?" Nightmare Moon asked in confusion and shock.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the Spirit of Honesty." Twilight Sparkle started, as the orange shards circled Applejack.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the Manticore with her compassion, represents the Spirit of Kindness." The pink shards surrounded Fluttershy.

"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the Spirit of Laughter." Blue shards circled Pinkie Pie.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the Spirit of Generosity." Indigo shards floated around Rarity.

"And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the Spirit of Loyalty." Twilight finished, as the light red shards circled Rainbow Dash.

"The spirits of these five Ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us." She told Nightmare Moon and I.

"You still don't have the sixth Element. The spark didn't work." Nightmare pointed out, looking around for something.

"But, it did. A different kind of spark." Twilight replied. She turned to her five friends, "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared for you. The spark ignited inside me, when I realized you all..." She turned back to Nightmare Moon and I, "Are my friends!"

Suddenly, a light shone above Twilight's head. A fossilized gem, with a six-point star marking, appeared, floating above her head. A glowing, pastel green wisp of light appeared from above the stone and flew toward my heart, making my eyes glow in colors of the rainbow.

"You see, Nightmare Moon. When those Elements are ignited by the... The Spark, that resides in the hearts of us all, along with the one with a pure heart revealed, it creates the sixth Element and the Hidden Element. The Elements of... Empathy and Magic." Twilight explained, as a bright light consumed her and the others.

The glowing shards created necklaces around the Girls' necks, as the sixth Element created a tiara on top of Twilight's head. My Element fused into me, merging with the magic of the Elements, turning me into a rainbow beam and create a tornado around Nightmare Moon.

Twilight opened her eyes and there was a flash of light. Once the light faded, everypony dropped to the ground in slight exhaustion, then recovered.

"Ow. My head." Rainbow Dash said in slight pain.

"Is everypony ok?" Applejack asked, looking around.

"Oh thank goodness." Rarity shouted, getting everypony's attention. She was smiling, looking at her fully re-grown tail.

"Why Rarity, it's so lovely." Fluttershy complimented with a smile.

"I know. I'll never part with it again." Rarity said, rubbing her head against her crest.

"No. Your necklace. It looks just like your Cutie Mark." Fluttershy simplified.

"What? Oh?" Rarity asked, as she looked her necklace.

It was gold with the indigo gem, in the shape of a diamond, just like her Cutie Mark.

"So does yours." Rarity noticed Fluttershy's.

Fluttershy looked and gasped with a smile. Everypony's necklace looked like their Cutie Mark. Mine looked like a green wisp or a leaf.

"Look at mine. Look at mine!" Pinkie cheered, jumping around, looking at her necklace.

"Aw yeah." Rainbow Dash smiled in pride of her necklace.

Twilight looked at her tiara and noticed, like the necklaces, a gem that looked like her Cutie Mark too. My smile turned to a frown and I lowered my head in shame.

Twilight walked over to me and put her hand over my shoulder. I looked at her and she smiled. She knew I wasn't in control of myself when I fought her.

"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash smiled and me, "You turned into a rainbow." Then she dashed toward me, "What was it like? Was it cool?"

"It was exhilarating! But terrifying." I answered, "I'm also a bit thirsty."

Rainbow Dash frowned, while I gave her a sheepish smile, "And just like that, the magic is gone..."

"Gee, Twilight." Applejack spoke up to Twilight Sparkle, "I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hoo-ey. But, I reckon we really do represent the Elements of Friendship."

"Indeed, you do." A voice spoke, as the sun rose from the mountains.

From the light of the sun, a tall and regal, pale pink, almost white Alicorn appeared. She had a golden crown with an amethyst in the center. Around her neck was a matching necklace. She wore a white Greek dress, a sun broach and golden shoes. Her mane was pastel-toned and was flowing, like there was an invisible wind. Her tail matched as well. Her eyes were a pale magenta. Everypony bowed, except Twilight.

I gasped in recognition of the Alicorn before us and bowed.

"Princess Celestia." Twilight smiled, as she ran toward the Princess of the Day.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student." Celestia greeted Twilight with a hug, "I knew you could do it."

"But, you told me it was all an old pony tale." Twilight reminded her.

"I told you that you needed to make some friends. Nothing more." Princess Celestia reminded Twilight, "I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart." She explained, as Twilight looked at the Girls and I, who smiled at her too.

"Now, if only another will as well." Celestia added in a sad tone.

We stopped smiling and followed her gaze. In Nightmare Moon's place, was a smaller, navy blue Alicorn, with the same Cutie Mark as Nightmare Moon, only the patch of night was black. Her mane and tail were turquoise, just like her eyes. And she wore a small, black tiara.

"Princess Luna." Celestia greeted. The alicorn, Princess Luna, gasped awake from the sound of Celestia's voice.

"It has been a thousand years, since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister." Celestia told her.

"Sister?" Twilight and her friends repeated in unison and confusion.

"Will you accept my friendship?" Celestia asked. We all leaned forward and held our breath. Of course, Pinkie leaned too far forward and fell.

With tears in her eyes, Luna dashed into a hug with Celestia, "I'm so sorry. I've missed you so much, big sister."

"I've missed you, too." Celestia said with tears in her eyes, and hugged Luna back.

Princess Luna turned to me. I bowed my head. Princess Luna rested her hand over my shoulder, "I'm so sorry that I controlled you, Child of the Night. You were right."

I gently wrapped my arms around the young Alicorn, "It's okay. All is forgiven."

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's sobs disturbed the reunion. Then she stopped, "Hey. Do you know what this calls for?"

*Later, at Ponyville...*

"A party!" Pinkie Pie finished, as we began a large celebration upon our return.

Eveypony welcomed us back from the Everfree Forest, including Spike, who gave Twilight Sparkle a large hug. As Celestia and Luna arrived, Luna looked a little upset, until two pegasi foals gave her a necklace of flowers around her neck. Indicating that they don't see her as a threat anymore. Luna smiled at Celestia. Twilight looked sad.

"Why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete, and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?" Celestia asked Twilight.

"That's just it. Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them." Twilight told her with a sad look.

Celestia smiled, "Spike, take a note, please." Spike got a paper and quill, and began writing Celestia's words, "'I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville.'"

The Girls and I gathered around Twilight Sparkle and cheered in happiness that she didn't have to leave us.

"Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia. I'll study harder than ever before." Twilight Sparkle promised her with a smile.