The Ending of the End - Love and Tolerance Edition

Chapters

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Epilogue
Prologue
Chapter III
Chapter XIII

Chapter I

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Chapter II

Tirek slammed his fist against the castle gates. The reinforced wood buckled, but held. He reached a hand out, seizing each tiny piece in his telekinesis, and ripped them apart. Beside him, Chrysalis hurled a beam of sickly green lightning. The door imploded inward in a whirlwind of splinters.

Eight Royal Guards—two unicorns, four pegasi, and two earth ponies—peered through the sawdust. “Charge!” the cream-colored earth pony stallion shouted. He whirled his spear down and barreled towards Chrysalis.

Chrysalis dropped to the ground, kicked his spear out of his hooves, and swept his legs out from under him. Tirek opened his mouth in a yawning grin, and felt a delicious current of magic flow into his body.

The two unicorn Royal Guards nodded to each other, and began to cast a pair of spells. Cozy flew in front of Tirek, and called out, “Wait! You don’t understand! Hold your fire!”

The unicorns hesitated, their magic slackening, and Chrysalis fired a laser of her own at them. They slammed against the pillar and fell to the floor with a shared groan.

As the four pegasi and other earth pony drew their own spears, Cozy whispered something in Chrysalis’s ear. Chrysalis darted to the wall, grabbed one of the elegant curtains, and whirled it around the guards. Cozy darted in, batting her eyes, and Tirek licked his lips.

In a few moments, he had devoured all the remaining magic. Chrysalis grumbled, “I wish we had enough time to drain some love, but we are on a bit of a schedule now.”

“Golly, this is really fun!” Cozy giggled. “Let’s go!”

Dappled softly with colors from the stained glass of throne room, the six Bearers and Spike conversed with Celestia and Luna.

“While Twilight went to contact you, I tried to calm my little ponies,” Celestia explained with a hint of sadness. “But it seems many of them are completely convinced that myself and Luna have said horrible things we never did.”

“Hmmm,” Rarity murmured. “Perhaps somepony is framing you?”

“Not everything is a Shadow Spade book,” Rainbow Dash chuckled lightheartedly. “Sometimes dumb rumors are just that.”

“Even so, the rumors would need an origin,” Twilight pointed out. “I might have seen a flash of green light earlier. Could Queen Chrysalis be behind this?”

“It’s a possibility,” Luna said. She stroked her chin with a hoof. “It doesn’t really seem like her style, though.”

“Maybe some other changelings turned evil again?” Spike asked. “Or Windigos influencing us?”

“Well, it hasn’t gotten any colder,” Applejack pointed out. “Personally, I reckon it’s some new threat we’ve never seen before.”

Cozy reclined into Tirek’s lower back. From this comfortable vantage point, she didn’t have to worry about the hassles of direct combat. She could just keep an eye out for any sneak attacks from behind him. It sure is nice to have a big, powerful protector. Tirek’s a lot harder to manipulate than I’d like, but he’s still a pretty good minion.

As Chrysalis buzzed into skirmish after skirmish, Tirek simply devoured more and more magic. Cozy sighed in contentment. A big guardian, a castle of easy prey, and a throne ripe for the taking. This sure is the life!

A sharp hiss and a subsequent flurry of the sounds of hard impact jerked her back into reality. Chrysalis regarded Cozy with severe irritation. “One of the guards got away. If the Princesses didn’t already know we’re here, they will now.”

“Ehhh, that’s okay,” Cozy shrugged. “Fear might make them reckless. Even if it doesn’t, we can act all smug. Now snuggle in, we want the element of surprise.”

“I think we should all go out as a group, address all the issues, and clear up things directly,” Twilight offered. “Word should spread quickly that we’re holding a question-and-answer event, and hopefully ponies will stop assuming the worst.”

“Oh, now that’s a lovely idea, darling!” Rarity said. “Simple but effective.”

“This sounds like a good plan,” Luna agreed. “Are we all in agreement, then?”

“No objections here,” Rainbow said as she rolled her eyes teasingly.

“But how would we prevent it from coming across as insincere?” Celestia asked. She pursed her lips. “What do you suggest, Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie scrunched up her face. “Hmmmmm, weeeeeeeell…”

Chrysalis rounded another marble corner, and her breath caught. The massive doors of the throne room loomed just ahead. Two guards stood at relaxed attention.

“Tirek, can you take them alone?” she asked her centaur companion from the shadows.

He nodded. Cozy urgently stage-whispered, “C’mon, Chrysalis, you should hide on his body as a bug! I’ll wait back here. We can make them think it’s just Tirek!

She’s smart, I’ll give her that, Chrysalis grumbled inwardly. She climbed onto Tirek’s back and surrounded herself in a whirlwind of magic. Her body deformed and shrunk, another set of legs sprouting, and in only a few seconds she was a flea. Time to see how she fares in combat.

Tirek’s massive body thundered under her, and she settled in comfortably. It was time to watch the fireworks through her new compound eyes.

As Cozy flapped to hide in the curtains, Tirek lumbered into view of the guards. “Tirek! Warn the Princesses!” one of the unicorns told the other. Chrysalis plastered a smile on her mandibles. Looks like Cozy’s plan is working.

“Alright, I think that covers everything,” Twilight said approvingly. “Celestia?”

“I agree,” her mentor replied. “Let’s go see—”

Celestia was cut off by a panting guard staggering into the throne room. front of the corridor. “Tirek… returned… he’s coming…” she gasped, before fainting.

Dash narrowed her eyes. “Guess we have to lay down another friendship laser on another villain again, huh girls?”

“If I’d known we would be fighting, I would have delayed that hooficure until tomorrow,” Rarity complained. “But since we’re here—let’s! Get! Dangerous!”

“I’ll just… be over here,” Spike said, running to a corner beside the throne. “But I’m cheering for you guys!”

Celestia and Luna stood up and stepped down from their thrones. “Just like old times, eh sister?” the Princess of the Night asked with a smile.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Celestia replied.

A rhythmic thumping on the massive doors of the throne room put an end to their discussion. The Mane 6 formed up into battle positions, with Celestia and Luna charging their horns a few feet behind.

Then the time for waiting was done. Tirek kicked the doors down. “Well, isn’t this fitting? All my enemies in one place.”

“Ya really think ya can take us all by yerself?” Applejack asked with a smug smile.

“To be honest, no, I don’t,” Tirek admitted. “But I’m not by myself!”

A tiny speck on Tirek’s side grew outward, expanding into the now deposed Queen Chrysalis. “You ponies aren’t the only ones who can work together,” she taunted.

“Are you two behind the mischief that’s ruined our vacation?” Rarity demanded.

“We can’t claim all the credit,” Tirek replied in a gravelly voice.

“I helped too!” a young female voice interjected, and Cozy fluttered up from behind Tirek. “And just so you know, it seems like ponies are demanding elected rulers now. I wonder how that could have happened…” she said innocently.

“Together, we can take you!” Chrysalis declared.

Alright, that’s enough, Rarity knew. She felt the surge of harmony magic flowing from her companions. A rainbow glow moved to engulf her, shining with the brilliance of the noonday sun.

And a ray of orange and green lightning crashed into their shield.

It held, but Rarity felt a pounding headache smash into her fragile thoughts. These villains had learned how to work together.

But all was not lost. Celestia and Luna’s beams joined in with the Elements’, and they began to push back towards the assembled villains.

“You big meanies!” Fluttershy cried. “Look at all these poor geese you’re upsetting!”

“You ruined our beach day!” Rarity added.

Chrysalis and Tirek were sweating hard. It was clear they were struggling to keep their beam up. Cozy whispered something to them, and they grinned.

They broke their laser off, dived out of the way of the friendship blast, and Chrysalis quickly fired off another beam of magic at Spike.

Twilight jumped to interpose, raising a shield to blunt the blow. The magic crackled around her shield, and it absorbed the worst of the spell, but she was still knocked to the ground. Tirek gripped her with his telekinesis and hurled her back towards her friends. Rainbow only just caught her.

“It seems we’re about evenly matched,” Cozy said with an innocent smile. “You’re more powerful than us, but we know who you care about, and as long as you’re protecting them, you can’t beat us. This seems like a stalemate to me.”

Before Rarity could fire off a scathing reply, the air split. A bird claw tore through the fabric of spacetime, and a very angry entity stepped through. Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, had arrived. And he did not look to be in a good mood.

Cozy felt terror creep into her. What if Grogar isn’t able to stop Discord? What if he just lets the draconequus deal with us to avoid potential rivals? Has Grogar already foreseen our betrayal of him?

Beside her, Tirek opened his mouth wide. A ruddy orange glow ignited around Tirek as he tried to drain Discord’s power. Discord regarded the trio disdainfully and snapped his talons. With a flare of energy, the three of them were pinned under huge chocolate cakes. Tirek and Chrysalis had magic-suppressing rings poof onto them as well.

Discord stared at Tirek as if he were something he’d stepped in. “Really? You think that trick would work on me? You were only successful with it last time when you already had nearly half the magic of Equestria.” He turned to the other two. “Now, how shall I deal with you? Back to Tartarus? Trapped in Ogres and Oubliettes?” He grinned. “Wait, I know. There’s a lovely dimension I can put you in. Waiters always ready, white sand beaches, you’ll love it! Sure, it’s a little arid, but no place is perfect!”

He reached out to claw open reality under them, Cozy cowered under his terrible, grinning gaze.

Fluttershy reached out a hoof to stop him. “Ummm… Discord… that does seem a little harsh. Maybe just put them back in Tartarus?”

“I agree,” Celestia stated. “Discord, please restrain yourself. Return them to Tartarus.”

Cozy couldn’t believe this. Discord has us completely helpless, Grogar is nowhere to be found, and the very enemies we came here to destroy in the first place are now intervening on our behalf to save us! This is so horribly humiliating!

“Ugh, fine, be predictably merciful,” Discord muttered. “Just for the record, when they escape, I get to say ‘I told you so.’“

“That isn’t an eventuality you’ll need to worry about, Discord,” a low, growling voice uttered.

Discord whirled to face him. “You!?”

Grogar nodded once. “Me.”

His blue coat was the stuff of nightmares. A ring of small bells hung around his neck. His face was wizened and weathered by countless ages. He gazed across the assorted creatures with contempt. As his eyes settled on Discord, his lip was curled in undisguised disgust. Six blackened jewels floated around him slowly. Twilight didn’t recognize them at all, but they gave her a horrible feeling.

Gasps rang out from among the ponies. “Grogar’s real?” Spike asked in disbelief.

“Ah thought he was just a story!” Applejack added.

“Real just means he’s real enough for us to take him down!” Rainbow said confidently.

“We can do this,” Twilight declared. “Now, as one—together!”

The gathered Elements of Harmony fired off a massive ray of pure prismatic light at the ram lord. But as it crashed into him, no adverse effect seemed to take place—in fact, he looked as if he’d just been through a refreshing spring rain.

Discord snapped his claws, turning the floor around Grogar to whipped cream. Grogar snorted, and created a barrier of yellow light under him to support himself. “Is that the best you can do, spirit of pranks and minor annoyances?” He shot a laser towards Discord, which was transmuted to confetti with but another snap.

“Are you worthy of my best?” Discord shot back, and snapped his fingers once more. Reality itself twisted into a knot where Grogar stood, and a portal to the Realm of Chaos yawned wide. A moment later, it sucked Grogar in.

Fluttershy cheered. “Way to go Discord! I knew you could do it!”

“Well, that’s that,” Discord summarized. “Now, I’ll put these three in Tartarus, and then we can all head to the bea—”

A yellow portal opened not three feet from Fluttershy, and Grogar stepped back in. He growled, “I grow tired of your games, Discord. And of you.” His scarred jewels blazed with dark light as he fired a beam of jaundiced energy right towards Discord. Discord snapped his claws yet again…

And this time, nothing happened.

The beam collided right into him, and he gasped in shock. He struggled and strained against the energy beam, but to no avail. He snapped his claws once, twice, three times, but if they had any effect Twilight couldn’t see it. As the energy rippled through his composite body, he faded away into nothingness. Discord was gone in less than five seconds.

Fluttershy screamed. “DISCORD!” Tears flowed freely down her eyes as she looked at the spot he’d just stood. “Come back! This isn’t funny! Please be faking… please be faking…”

Pinkie looked horrified, her jaw hanging nearly to the floor. “You just… you just…”

Twilight looked at Grogar in fear. “What… what are you?”

“This world’s new master,” Grogar said, his face split in a dark smile.

Cozy cackled. “Did you really think you could take us even with Discord? We wouldn’t have come here if we didn’t have a plan to deal with him. And Grogar here is that plan!”

Celestia and Luna shared a solemn glance, and then fired down at Grogar with all the power of the Sun and Moon united. But once again, the magic had no effect. The bells hung around his neck trembled, and the spells seemed to vanish into them.

“I believe you would like to attend to these gnats in my throne room?” Grogar asked his three followers. With a flash of his yellow magic, the orbs around his neck detached and flew towards Chrysalis and Tirek. The two monsters grabbed the orbs as if they were candy. Chrysalis and Tirek surged with power. Tirek shrugged, and the cake trapping him was reduced to dust. With another gesture, Chrysalis’s and Cozy’s cakes were likewise vaporized.

Chrysalis smiled at her foes, and combined her spell with Tirek’s energy beam. They unleashed a torrent of raw magic together that slammed into the ponies’ shields. Cozy hovered between them, grinning. Heeheehee, this is so fun! They thought they’d beaten me, and now I get to see them all be disintegrated just after they thought they’d enjoyed the soaring heights of victory! She playfully batted her eyes at Spike, who was crouching behind the magical shield.

Below her, Grogar was chanting an immensely complex spell. It didn’t seem to be doing anything, but she knew that sometimes magic was subtle in its effects. She could always ask Chrysalis and Tirek what he was doing later.

Those two allies of hers focused harder, their magic tying together to amplify its own resonance. The orange-green beam slammed into their foes’ shields, increasing in power every second. Cozy let out a shout of delight. “YES!”

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Just like peanut butter chocolate ice cream!

Behind the shield, Twilight felt beads of sweat running down her face. She’d only just gotten back into position in time to repel the initial blast. She wasn’t an expert on defensive magic the way her brother was, but she knew enough to be certain of one fact:

This shield is going to break soon. 60 seconds at the most, and maybe less.

In light of this knowledge, she had a difficult choice to make. Should I teleport myself and my friends away to safety, and return when we’re stronger—perhaps with reinforcements such as Starlight and the Pillars? Or should I make a risky, even crazy move here and now, but possibly lose any chance for victory later?

She saw the fear on her friends’ faces, the utter terror in little Spike’s eyes, and the searing determination of Celestia and Luna in front of them.

She thought though the possible outcomes. At best, if I use my most powerful offensive magicks and the most horrible applications, I can disable Chrysalis, Cozy, and Tirek. But that still leaves Grogar free… and given what he’s done to Discord, is it even possible for me to hurt him at all?

Celestia seemed to read her mind. “Teleport away,” she said to Twilight. “We’ll hold them off as long as we can.”

“You have to come with us!” Twilight insisted. “I need you!”

Celestia replied, sadness and pride tingeing her voice in equal measure, “You have your friends. They’re all you need to prevail. Including us in the teleportation spell might throw the whole thing off—or worse, drag their beam with us to crush us anyway. No more fighting—go! Now!”

Tears welling in her eyes, Twilight turned to her friends, and cast her spell.

The world spun around her, but she had just enough time to see Celestia and Luna’s shield shatter and the beam fly on through.

Tirek let all the magic flow through him, flying towards his targets. Chrysalis beside him matched his every casting, their spells uniting in a bolt far more powerful than either could achieve alone. He felt giddy. This was the power he’d missed for so long!

The princesses’ shield was breaking. Both of them were clearly running out of power. He smiled. Oh, I’ve waited too long for something like this!

Cozy rested atop his shoulder. She looked horrified and pointed just past the princesses. “Discord’s back!”

Luna turned to greet her ally… but there was no one there. Cozy really is a master of manipulation, Tirek thought approvingly.

This was the moment he’d been waiting for. With the distraction and subsequent disappointment, Luna’s magic wavered. Tirek let out everything he had, and felt Chrysalis do the same beside him.

The blast tore through the palace’s spire, and when the dust was clear, no sign of the princesses was to be found.

“We did it. We did it!” Chrysalis cheered.

“We did,” Grogar agreed, “but Twilight Sparkle and her friends managed to escape. You will hunt them down and destroy them.”

“What about you?” Tirek asked.

Grogar gave a smile that chilled even Tirek to the bone. “I will do some remodeling.”

Twilight hit her castle floor hard, and didn’t get up. Pinkie hurried to beside her. “Are you okay, Twilight?”

Twilight looked up at her friend. “No. I’m not,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “We ran away. Celestia and Luna… I don’t know what happened to them. I don’t know if they’re okay. I don’t know if Discord is okay. I don’t know if Canterlot is okay!” She buried her face in her wings. “I just want to hide in my room forever and never come out. I want to wake up and find out this was all a nightmare, and everything is fine.” She looked up at Pinkie, the tears now streaming down her face. “But… it’s not.”

Spike stroked Twilight’s back. “We always find a way to win, Twilight. Always.”

“But our enemies have never worked together before,” Twilight protested. “They… they all cooperated. Perfectly.” She let out a pained little laugh. “Cozy applied our own lessons in that fight!”

“Ya know what you need, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. When Twilight shook her head, Applejack gave her a comforting smile. “A big group hug.” She embraced Twilight. Spike followed suit, then Pinkie, then Fluttershy and Dash and Rarity.

“Twilight, we’ve beaten every bad guy we’ve ever fought,” Rainbow encouraged. “And we’ve already taken down three of these four.” She gave a cocky but kind smile. “They’re gonna wished they’d stayed home!”

“I’m going to make sure of that,” Fluttershy added, a cold rage in her voice. “Nopony does that to Discord and gets away with it. Nopony.”

“I’ve had quite enough of losing,” Rarity agreed. She brushed herself clean of dirt. “Now, let’s gather our allies, and take back Canterlot Castle!”

“That… might be hard,” Pinkie said, her voice suddenly as sad as Twilight’s had been.

“Well of course it’ll be hard, dear, but that’s why we’ll get as many allies as we can!”

“Impossible kind of hard,” Pinkie clarified. She pointed out the window.

Canterlot Castle was destroyed.

As Twilight looked out the window in shock, the sound of hooves clip-clopping on the crystal floor brushed against her unhearing ears. Starlight Glimmer ran into the room with the Cutie Map, Sunburst at her heels. “I saw what happened to Canterlot Castle,” Glimmer said, the words rushing over each other. “Are you all alright?”

“Yeah,” Spike said. “But Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy are back, with Grogar as their leader. And… Discord isn’t.” He gestured to a weeping Fluttershy. “We aren’t sure about Celestia and Luna, but… well, the bad guys are nasty.” He averted his eyes.

“What can I do?” Sunburst asked. “I’m no warrior.”

“No,” Twilight said, her tear-stroked face now hardened with determination, “but you know just about every spell ever written. You might be able to advise us on something we’ve missed. And Starlight here is my equal in magic. Her aid will be invaluable.”

Starlight nodded. “Okay. Take down four of the most powerful villains Equestria has ever faced all working together, okay… no pressure, haha! It’ll be fiiiiiine!”

“It won’t be easy,” Rainbow agreed, “but we’ll win. We’ll win because losing is something we can’t accept.”

Twilight nodded. “Spike, take a letter,” she told him.

Shining Armor relaxed in the royal hot tub with Cadance. The warm water was so soothing and sweet. But his tranquility was ruptured as one of his guards ran inside. “Pardon the interruption, your highness, but I have received a, ah, disturbing report from Princess Twilight. Should I read it aloud?”

“Go ahead,” Cadance said.

Dearest Shining and Cadance,

Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow have returned, and they’re being led by Grogar. Canterlot Castle has been destroyed. Celestia and Luna are missing. Discord was… dispelled, or something. We fear the worst.

Please come to Ponyville as soon as possible. And be on guard—the villains are working together now. They’re a much more effective force than we’ve had to fight before.

Your LSBFF,

Twilight

Cadance and Shining looked to each other, and jumped out of the hot tubs. “Take Flurry and hide her somewhere safe,” Shining ordered the guard. He levitated a towel onto himself. “Ready to fight, honey?”

“I still owe Chrysalis some payback for impersonating me,” she answered with a smile. “Let’s show her what we can do.”

“So let me get this straight,” Cozy began. “We just defeated three of the most powerful beings in Equestria and took over Canterlot, and now instead of consolidating our rule and establishing a new empire, all of us but you are going to track down some of our remaining enemies?”

“Yes,” Grogar confirmed.

“It’d be too easy for them to rise up and try to overthrow us,” Cozy argued. She knew from personal experience how ponies were pudding in the hands of a skilled manipulator. “We should be making our rule stable.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Grogar said coldly, “because I have no intent to rule Equestria in its current form.”

“You don’t?” Chrysalis asked skeptically. “Why did we invade here, then?”

“Because here was the best place to gather our foes and remove them all with one stroke. More importantly, it’s the perfect place to begin setting up the kind of empire I do want to rule: an empire of monsters, where my sons and daughters take what they please and destroy the rest!”

“What about us, then?” Chrysalis asked. “I intend to have the entire changeling hive bowing to me, and a healthy surplus of cocooned ponies to feed upon.”

“You may each take a section of the world after you deal with Twilight Sparkle and her friends!” Grogar glared at Chrysalis, irritation on his face more frightening than rage on the changeling’s. “It is of the utmost importance that they are immediately destroyed, or they will find a way to stop us!”

“Now, leave me,” Grogar ordered. “I must begin a very delicate procedure. Even with my talents at magic, this will require absolute concentration.”

Cozy nodded to her two compatriots, and together the three of them exited what was left of the throne room. She snuck a glance over her shoulder, and spied Grogar carving sigils on the floor.

What’s he up to now? she wondered.

As soon as they were out of earshot of Grogar, Cozy motioned for the two beside her to stop and talk. With Canterlot almost completely deserted, no one would overhear them even in the streets.

“Is it time yet?” Chrysalis demanded. “I don’t want to have to take one more order from that self-important goat.”

“What use would defeating Grogar be if the ponies came back and imprisoned us again right away?” Tirek asked. “I say we deal with them first, and then Grogar.”

“I agree with Tirek,” Cozy said with a nod. “Twilight and her friends already expect us to fight them. Grogar might not. We should take care of our blinded enemies last.”

Chrysalis put a chitinous hoof to her face. “Urgh, fine. I’ll take orders from him… for a little longer.”

Twilight paced back and forth, her brow furrowed. “Elements of Harmony… destroyed by Sombra. Failsafe spell… I don’t have enough raw power to use it against Grogar. Rainbow Power… that relies on the Tree of Harmony, which was very nearly destroyed and is most likely too weak. Time travel spell… we’d need Starswirl’s notes for that… argh.” She turned to her loyal assistant. “Spike, take another letter. Send it to Celestia.” She dictated,

Celestia,

Are you there? Please tell me you’re okay.

Twilight

Rainbow gave Twilight a reassuring pat on the back. “She’s probably okay. The princess has been through a lot. She’s tough.” The pegasus narrowed her eyes to slits. “And if she isn’t… I won’t let them get away with it.”

Twilight gave Rainbow a sincere smile. Rainbow always knows how to help. She’s such a great friend to have fighting by my side.

“Back to the earlier topic…” Starlight began. Her voice betrayed a determined effort to keep the conversation on-topic. “We would still need Starswirl’s chassis of the spell to make progress on a time travel.”

Sunburst’s eyes flashed. “But Starswirl reappeared with the other pillars. Do you think we could ask him for help on the spell directly?”

Starlight answered, “Definitely. But we need to find him first, and we’d also need the Cutie Map for that spell… and the villains will be expecting us to be here.” She looked around the room. “Actually, it might be best for us to leave as soon as possible.”

Pinkie grinned her lovably maniacal grin. “Looks like you’re getting your vacation after all, Rarity! Who’s ready for a save-the-world road trip?”

“Well, I suppose the day is still young,” Rarity replied with a gentle smile. “Let’s go on an adventure!”

“They’re probably searching for us already,” Fluttershy said. “Oh, just think of all the poor critters their search must be disturbing! It’s just awful.”

“Where to?” Applejack asked, doing her best to keep everypony focused. “We’ve got a lot of friends all across Equestria.”

“If I were a noble rogue seeking out the beautiful Rarity and her friends, where would I go?” Rarity wondered aloud.

“Well, first off, Ponyville,” Dash mused. “But the bad guys are going to come right here too, so…”

“The Castle of the Two Sisters!” Spike exclaimed. “Where you all found the Elements of Harmony!”

Everypony turned to look at the dragon. “That makes a lot of sense,” Twilight agreed. “It is the site of our first real adventure.”

“The Pillars we might find at Ponehenge,” Starlight added. “And we have allies in the Crystal Empire, Yakyakistan, the Badlands, the Dragonlands, Mount Aris… really, we have a lot of other nations to call our friends.”

“Assuming they haven’t already fallen,” Sunburst murmured fearfully.

“Maybe we should split up,” Pinkie offered. “That’s a lot of places to visit, and if we don’t split up we can only visit one at a time.”

“The six of you need to stay together,” Starlight insisted. “You’re the best hope Equestria has. Sunburst and I can visit our allies.”

“Spike, you’re with us,” Twilight declared. When Spike looked at her, a little confused, she added, “I’m counting on you, little brother.”

“What should we pack?” Rarity asked quickly. “I haven’t had my mane coiffed!”

“Whatever you think you’ll need,” Dash answered. “I’m not taking anything—I don’t want to be slowed down at all. Speed will win this.”

“Strength won’t save us here,” Twilight agreed. “We’ll need to be swift and stealthy.” She turned towards Starlight. “Just in case… you know… can I have a hug?”

“Of course,” Starlight said, and embraced Twilight. In a moment, the other five Elements had joined the hug, and Spike, and Sunburst.

“I’m so proud of you, S-Starlight,” Twilight whispered, her voice cracking. “You’re the best student a teacher could ask for.”

Starlight wiped her eyes. “And you’re the best teacher a student could ask for.” She forced a smile. “Hey… make sure you’re okay, alright? It’d be really cliché for me to lose you after that kind of speech.”

Twilight giggled. “I promise I’ll do my best. Be safe.”

But the time for words was over. In a flash of pink light, Starlight and Sunburst vanished. With the torrent of emotions swirling around, no one noticed that Spike hadn’t burped up a letter in reply.

Chapter IV

Starswirl had felt the magical surge the instant it happened. It had shaken his aetherial senses to their core.

Brief scrying magic confirmed his worst fears: not only had numerous villains joined forces, they were being led by Grogar. He had long known the ram to be real. After all, he had seen his bell himself, and even helped reinforce some of its protective wards. But Grogar’s return this early was disturbing. Starswirl had hoped Grogar would have been too weak to conquer for several thousand more years.

He’d used his magic to contact the rest of the Pillars, and asked them to meet him in Las Pegasus. Now, with Flash Magnus’s arrival, they were all here.

“Canterlot fell at approximately eleven hundred hours,” Flash reported. “Evacuation was successful with minimum casualties.”

“The Crystal Empire is preparing for war,” Mistmane added. “The prince and princess are heading to Ponyville.”

“This is awful!” Stygian bemoaned. “So many villains working in unison…”

“Aye, ‘tis a dark day.” Rockhoof leaned on his shovel. “I hope our friends are safe.” Meadowbrook gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

Somnambula looked up at the dark, cloudy sky. “I feel something. A… looming presence. I fear this day’s nightmares are not yet over.”

“Friends, I fear we may be facing an enemy beyond our power to defeat. If necessary, I am willing to enter Limbo once more. I do not expect you to join me, but my duty demands I must: who is prepared to sacrifice to stop the darkness?” Starswirl looked to his companions’ eyes one by one. Each of them nodded in turn—as did Stygian.

“Then let us spread out, and stay ready,” Starswirl finished. “We do not know the limits of our enemies.”

Tirek smiled as Ponyville came into view. Oh, I’ve waited so long for this day. The day of his return to glorious victory. And here he was, striding alongside Queen Chrysalis, with Cozy Glow perched over his shoulder.

“So, it’s settled then?” he asked. “We hit as hard as we can, each covering for each others’ weaknesses?”

“Agreed,” Chrysalis nodded. “I’ll do my best to make them waver. Cozy, you—”

“Keep them distracted and off-balance,” the filly finished. “Carefully play with their vulnerabilities.”

“And Chrysalis and I will provide the magical artillery,” Tirek said.

Cozy smiled one of her cruel smiles. “We crush them quickly and efficiency. No gloating, no leaving them around to witness our victory, just winning without hesitation.” As she spotted Chrysalis’s displeased look, she added, “Don’t worry! I’m sure you’ll get plenty of time to exact your revenge on Starlight Glimmer after we’ve dealt with all her friends and Grogar.”

The changeling queen thought it over. “Very well. I suppose I can… suppress my love of savoring victory until this evening.”

Tirek thrust one fist into his other palm. “Let’s go.”

The three charged into Ponyville, ready to fight…

But it was completely deserted. Not a single pony or other creature entered the streets.

“Golly, I expected as much, but I’m still disappointed,” Cozy said with a pout.

“Patience,” Tirek gently reminded. “We already know several other spots those six are likely to be.”

“Yes, the Tree of Harmony should be our first stop.” Chrysalis licked her lips. “And I happen to know exactly where it is.”

Three pairs of eyes watched the villainous trio enter Ponyville. A set of especially acute ears even heard some of the words exchanged, and its owner whispered what was said to the adjacent watchers.

The three ghosts were wrapped in carefully tailored garments designed to blend in with the tree they were observing from, and a set of binoculars was employed by one of the three to get a better look. Yes, that was Cozy Glow alright, and looking as deceptively adorable as ever. A snout curled into a contemptuous glare.

As the villains moved out of hearing range, a few rapid hoof motions were exchanged. The hidden trio snuck after them, being careful to stay out of sight.

And their efforts appeared to pay off. Though Chrysalis checked over her shoulder suspiciously more than once, and even briefly shapeshifted into a creature with a thousand eyes, she never caught her shadowy pursuers.

If Chrysalis had thought to shapeshift into something with extremely sensitive hearing, though, perhaps she would have heard three voices whisper an exclamation aloud together:

“Cutie Mark Crusader super spies, yay!”

Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst stepped out of the void between worlds, and into the Dragonlands. The scent of sulfur was overpowering, and the heat made drops of sweat coalesce on her brow.

She looked around. Dragons of all types were milling about, Claw wrestling, swimming in lava, and even reciting poetry.

“We need to find Dragon Lord Ember,” Starlight said. “And then we need to convince her to help us.”

“What does she look like?” Trixie asked in a nervous whisper. “All these dragons are hard to tell apart.”

“She’s light blue, about yeigh high, with a red scepter. Probably about 19 in dragon years.” Starlight put a hoof to her chin. “How do dragons age, anyway?”

“Well, the matter has been hotly debated among many biologists, though it seems that they age logarithmically.” Sunburst blinked. “Oh. That was a rhetorical question, wasn’t it?”

Starlight giggled. “Only partly.” She looked over her two companions. “You might want to plug your ears.”

Starlight set her horn alight, and cast a spell to amplify her voice. It wasn’t the Royal Canterlot Voice, but it was as close as a unicorn could get.

“Dragons of the Dragonlands!” she called out. “The ancient tyrant Grogar has returned, and Canterlot has fallen. We need your help to free Equestria!”

“What’s in it for us?” a dragon shouted back.

“Yeah! Why should we help ponies, especially if it’s risking our own scales?”

“Because… we’d help you if you needed our help?” she asked, a bead of sweat running down her face, as much from the stress as the heat. “Some of you are friends with ponies?”

“My sister is in Equestria!” Garble added. “Nobody messes with her and gets away with it!”

“Yeah, see, you have reasons to care about ponies!” Starlight looked back to Trixie and Sunburst, and added without her magical enhancement, “Help me out here!”

“There’s another reason you’ll do it: Because I told you to!” a commanding female voice demanded. Moments later, Princess Ember flew into view. “Is Spike okay?” she demanded of Starlight as soon as she saw her. “He might be your assistant, but he’s MY friend!”

“Um, I’m Starlight Glimmer,” Starlight said awkwardly. “Twilight Sparkle has Spike as her assistant. And I think he’s okay.”

“You know I can’t tell you apart,” Ember said factually. “But anyway, nothing is going to happen to my little buddy. Everyone got that?”

Dragons reluctantly nodded. The Dragon Lord shouted, “Then we march on Canterlot!” Roars of exultation rang out among the craggy mountains.

“Now, Twilight—”

“Starlight,” the unicorn corrected.

“Starlight. You’ll tell us which city is Canterlot, right?”

“A-actually,” Sunburst interjected, clearly frightened by Ember’s imposing stance, “we have to contact our other allies too.”

“Other allies?” Ember blinked. “You need more than US?” She waved a claw at the fire-breathing dragons equipping armor, beating their wings, gathering spears, and otherwise preparing for war. The former-Dragon Lord Torch, who could probably destroy Canterlot himself, roared with enough ferocity Starlight was knocked to the ground. “Seriously?”

“Grogar erased Discord,” Trixie answered. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would rather not take any chances about the safety of her friends. Would you risk Spike on the chance that your army can win without other help?”

“When you put it like that… no,” she admitted. “But it’s just… aaaargh! I hate talking about my feelings!” She punched a boulder, shattering it to rubble. “You made your point. We’ll wait until you contact the others.”

Starlight gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I know Spike will be okay.”

In another flash of pink light, Starlight appeared in the Changeling Kingdom. It was a green, lush place now, but a keen eye could spot many ambush spots among the greenery. Just because the changelings were peaceful didn’t mean they wouldn’t have to defend themselves, after all.

Trixie quickly put a hoof to her mouth. “Give me some warning next time, Starlight! The Great and Powerful Trixie would rather keep her lunch inside her.”

“Alright, get ready for another,” Starlight replied, and with another magical flash, the three of them teleported ahead to the base of the great hive.

“I’ve never seen a changeling hive up close,” Sunburst said, excitement dancing across his face. “I wonder how this one will differ from the diagrams? All the illustrations were published before changelings learned to share love, after all.”

“You’ll get to examine it now,” Starlight answered him, and proceeded inside.

The hive looked much the same as the last time Trixie and Starlight had been here. But Trixie’s keen eye spotted a few changes. Longspears were neatly stacked where there had been none before. Slits were carved (or grown?) into the stone walls, giving any archers plentiful cover. It seemed Pharynx had been hard at work making the hive more protected.

Thorax himself greeted them with a smile. “Starlight! Trixie! Sunburst! It’s so good to see you all.” He suddenly frowned. “You’re all oozing with fear. What’s wrong?”

Sunburst stepped forward. “Well… Canterlot Castle destroyed, Celestia and Luna missing, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow teamed up and they’re being led by Grogar… where should I start?”

“Chrysalis is… back?” Thorax echoed, his voice trembling.

“Bug up, little bro,” Pharynx ordered as he walked in. “You could beat her when you were just a weak little traitor. Now you’re king of the Hive. She’d have to be an idiot to attack you.” He grinned. “Plus, we’ve fortified our defenses just in case we got attacked.”

“Pharynx! Just the changeling I was looking for!” Starlight said. “I have a huge favor to ask of you.”

“Right, from how I owe you one after you tried to get Thorax to banish me?” he shot back with a glare. But a moment later, he cracked a smile. “You’re my brother’s friend, and that’s good enough for me. What do you need?”

“I need the entire changeling army mobilized,” Starlight replied. “Everyling you can muster. And you need to be ready to march on Canterlot with my signal.”

“Well, something like that… you’d have to ask the King for approval.” Pharynx gestured to his brother.

“Will you do it, Thorax?” Starlight asked. “Please?”

“I… I…” Thorax’s voice cracked. “I don’t know. I’m sorry Starlight, but I can’t put the welfare of ponies above my own people. Invading another country… that could be dangerous. I’m sorry.”

Starlight felt crushing despair overtake her. What could they do? Could Equestria win without the changelings?

Trixie spoke up. “Oh, sure. Just don’t go rescue the ponies from the tyrant who they helped you overthrow. I’m sure that’ll go fine. Who knows, maybe Grogar will be kind enough to appoint Chrysalis ruler again! I seem to recall her saying something about what happens to those who betray the hive?”

Thorax put his face in his hooves. “If Chrysalis is victorious, then… I will face her judgment. But at least the other changelings won’t be hurt.”

“Won’t they?” Trixie countered. “Being ruled by her would be very bad for them. The entire hive would have to go back to starving all the time, and back to taking love by force. Not to mention that she might decide to make examples of various changelings for following you…”

Thorax moaned. “Auoguhhh, this is why I wish Ember were here! She’d help me decide what to do. Or Spike—he’s smart and good at making decisions. Oughh, I hate being king!”

Starlight suddenly knew what to say. “Spike is still in Equestria, probably with monsters on his tail. And Ember is getting ready to invade. But we can’t launch a successful attack without all our allies. Ember and Spike need you there.”

“I… I think you’re right,” he conceded finally. “Plus, there’s Ocellus—she wouldn’t want to lose any of her friends.” He froze. “Where’s Ocellus?”

“We told her to board the train heading home,” Sunburst answered. “I thought she arrived here safely?”

“Aughhh, we haven’t heard from her at all! She could be lost, or kidnapped, or—”

“Or,” Starlight offered, “She could be off working with her friends to save Equestria like she did with Cozy Glow?”

“Yeah… that’s probably it…” Thorax said, not sounding like he believed his own words. “Alright, I’ll do it. Pharynx, can you go ask around for volunteers?”

“On it,” the navy blue changeling answered. He buzzed away.

“Thank you so much, Thorax,” Starlight said. “We’re really glad to have your help.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” the changeling king replied. “I still feel like this is a bad idea. But… you’re right. Not doing it is a worse idea.”

Starlight nodded a simple acknowledgement, and drew Trixie and Sunburst close to her. With another flare of her horn, the two stepped through the world once more.

With a gasp, Starlight appeared out of the ether and about 5 feet of the ground. She unceremoniously fell to the snow, and Trixie and Sunburst landed on top of her.

“Urgh, Starliiiiight,” Trixie complained. “How much more of this will we have to do?”

“Four more stops, including this one,” the archmage replied. “Speaking of, I’d really rather not offend Prince Rutherford. Getting war declared on us is not how I’d like to spend today.” She sighed. “I wish Pinkie were here. She gets along with him so well.”‘

“I’ve studied yak culture,” Sunburst said. “I might be able to help.” He shrugged, his wizard robe rippling down his back.

“Well, let’s go.” Starlight trotted into Yakyakistan. Yaks looked at her in a mix of confusion and suspicion, but she hurried by. She was here to see the Prince.

A voice she had never heard before said loudly, “The Royal Spa employs the best stylists and pamperers in the land, but I suppose I could lend their expertise to you… for certain considerations, of course.”

“What pony want for deep shampoo treatment?” a rough voice she vaguely remembered replied.

“Well, first up, we’d need to…”

Starlight poked her head into the source of the voices, to see a perfectly groomed unicorn stallion sitting at a well-made table. Across from him sat Prince Rutherford.

“Ah, we can put that thought on hold,” the stallion said. “You must be Twilight’s protégé. Ms. Glimmer, if I’m not mistaken?”

“That’s… right. I’m sorry, who are you?” Starlight always felt embarrassed when a stranger recognized her. Was he judging her for her past?

“I am Prince Blueblood, Equestria’s ambassador to Yakyakistan.” He smiled a dazzlingly handsome smile. “Did Auntie send you to check on my progress?”

Starlight winced. “Not… exactly. Is Celestia your aunt?”

“Most certainly, as is Auntie Luna.” He stretched back.

“Well… they’re both… missing.”

“Again?” He rolled his eyes. “Which evildoer is responsible this time?”

“Evildoers,” Trixie corrected. “Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Grogar.”

Blueblood’s snow-white face got even paler. “And… Auntie?”

“We don’t know.” Starlight looked at her hooves. “I’m sorry. I came here hoping to convince Prince Rutherford to help us take back Canterlot, and hopefully rescue Celestia and Luna.”

Blueblood stood up. “Then that’s what we’ll do.” He took Rutherford aside, had a quick, whispered conversation, and then the two turned back.

“Ponies and yaks friends. Bad pony and other bad creatures hurt ponies. Yaks help save ponies. Yaks best at saving!”

Starlight allowed herself a slight smile. “I’d better be going now. There are still more of our allies to visit, after all.”

Blueblood gave a slight bow. “Of course, Ms. Glimmer. I owe you a favor for coming here and standing against darkness. I hope you, your best friend, and your lover have safe travels.”

“Lover?” both Trixie and Sunburst cried in surprise. Starlight felt her face turning red, and quickly threw a teleportation field around herself and her two friends.

The trio stumbled out onto a sandy beach. “W-well, here we are, heh heh,” Starlight said, avoiding the gaze of both her companions. She’d really rather not have them see her blush. “Mount Aris. Let’s see if the hippogriffs will help us.”

Trixie said, pointing with a hoof, “Hey, over there. Isn’t that the kid who told us his sister was missing?”

“Yeah, that’s Terremar!” Starlight blinked over to him. He gasped, jumped backwards, tripped over his own legs, and landed in the sand.

“Phhhfghghgh,” he sputtered. “Starlight? What’s going on? Where’s Silverstream?”

“She’s probably near Ponyville with her friends,” Starlight responded, her voice still tinged with worry. “But we have another matter to attend to. Can we speak with your queen?”

“Sure! I’ll take you to Queen Novo right now.” He held out his necklace to them. “Follow me!”

“Starlight, who’s Queen Novo?” Trixie whispered suspiciously. “Why haven’t I ever heard of her?”

“She’s the queen of the hippogriffs,” Sunburst explained. “And she stays underwater most of the time.”

“Come on, let’s go!” Terremar said, and Starlight nodded. His necklace crackled with power, and suddenly Trixie, Starlight, and Sunburst were seaponies!

“Starliiiiight, I have gills now!” Trixie cried out in shock, joy, displeasure, or some combination.

“Heh heh, yeah. This feels quite peculiar…” Sunburst agreed.

“Right this way,” Terremar said. Starlight followed, and as she did, she allowed her mind to process.

Best friend, and lover… was Blueblood just teasing? Or had he seen something she’d missed? And who was who, anyway? Was Blueblood calling Trixie her lover, or Sunburst?

One thing at a time, she reminded herself. We still have to deal with politics. How do ponies like Blueblood put up with it?

Through quick turns in dark tunnels, Terremar led them to the grand throne room. Queen Novo rested there, talking with a seapony Starlight recalled as Princess Skystar.

“Ponies? Back again? What’s goin’ on this time?” Novo asked.

“Grogar has returned,” Starlight said bluntly. “Queen Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Lord Tirek are serving him. We’ve come to ask for your aid.”

Novo sighed. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry honey, but we just ain’t ready to start a war. Especially after hiding for so long. To lose our freedom again… that can’t happen.” She gave Starlight a sad look. “I hope you win, but I’ve gotta put the interests of my people first.”

“But if Grogar isn’t stopped, he’ll conquer Seaquestria too!” Trixie argued.

“We outlasted the Storm King,” Novo replied. “We’ll outlast this Grogar. I’m sorry. I am. But I have an obligation to my people.”

Starlight nodded, sadly. “I understand.” Inwardly she was cursing this short-sighted queen’s name, but she’d mastered her emotions enough to keep such outbursts down.

“Come on,” Terremar said. “Let’s get you back to the surface.”

Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst swap back up. But as they walked onto dry land, Terremar put a hoof on Sunburst’s shoulder.

“Wait here for a few minutes,” the hippogriff said.

Starlight just nodded mechanically, her mind already returning to the conundrum Blueblood had posed.

After a few minutes lost in thought, Starlight saw Terremar returning, with his father Sky Beak just behind.

“As you know, the hippogriffs can’t do anything to help you,” Sky Beak said.

“We’d learned as much,” Sunburst replied unhappily.

“However, if some ships of the navy were to independently decide to go against orders and help you…” Sky suggested, his eyes twinkling.

“Well, hypothetically speaking,” Starlight said, “the assistance of the legendary hippogriff navy could well turn the tide of the battle.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The humor dropped from his beak as stoic determination took its place. “I’m doing this for Silverstream. I can’t lose my daughter. Please, keep her safe.”

“I would… if I knew where she were.” Starlight gave him a sympathetic look. “She seems to have run off on another adventure with her five friends. Probably trying to save Equestria.”

“In that case,” Sky said, “good fortune to her. And to us.” He turned away, clearly sending her a simple message: Do what you have to do.

Starlight focused, and in a flash of light, she and her two friends were gone. When they reappeared, she felt a chill breeze on her coat. This high, there were few trees to block the wind.

Griffonstone was still a dump, but not quite as much of one as it had been. The griffons had started to rebuild.

“Leave this one to the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie assured. “I’ll have them all ready to fight in five minutes.”

Starlight nodded her assent. She could use a little time to think, anyway.

Best friend and lover. But who’s my friend, and who’s my lover? She enjoyed every minute around Sunburst, that was for sure, but the same could be said about Trixie. Trixie had an amazingly heartwarming smile, but Sunburst’s beard was just adorable.

Well then, time for the alicorn-magic option.

Starlight imagined herself dating Trixie, and cast a complex illusion spell to make it seem completely real to her. Naturally, it would be completely invisible to everyone else.

Illusion-Trixie blushed, and gave her a little kiss. It was very pleasant, and Starlight felt her cheeks heat up. She couldn’t deny Trixie was very cute.

Okay. Now for Sunburst.

Sunburst’s illusory kiss ignited a roaring flame in her heart. Sunburst—her oldest friend, her closest friend, the pony she’d started an equality cult over—was kissing her!

Starlight instantly knew the answer, then. Trixie was her best friend, and Sunburst was her crush. But lover? No, they had never so much as flirted.

But could we?

On the one hoof, she was scared of alienating him and breaking their friendship. On the other…

That kiss was really good. She wanted more like that.

Starlight shook her head. She’d figure out what to do later, ideally after they’d saved Equestria. For now, probably best to check up on Trixie and make sure she wasn’t doing something reckless. Romantic daydreams were a luxury she really shouldn’t spend.

“Come on,” she said to Sunburst. “Let’s catch up with Trixie.”

Trixie stood atop a straw podium, her voice booming down at the assembled griffons. “Now, let me just say this one more time:”

“If Grogar wins, he will come and take ALL your bits! Every last one! And he won’t stop there.” She used a flash of magic to create an image of him sending Griffonstone plummeting off its mountain.

“So what can we do?” Grampa Gruff squawked. “It’s not like we have a magical superweapon hidden in our ruined houses.”

Starlight joined in. “The griffons are a proud and noble race. When you had the Idol of Boreas, you were the envy of Equestria. But you don’t need the idol to be mighty! The thing you lost was friendship!”

“What’s the exchange rate between friendship and bits?” some griffon Starlight didn’t recognize asked.

Starlight slapped her face with a hoof.

“She’s right,” Gilda said, striding forward. “Things have been getting better since Dash showed up and helped me out. They’ll keep getting better if we continue to embrace friendship.” As the clearing stayed relatively quiet, she rolled her eyes. “That means more bits for everyone.”

“I agree!” Gabby added. “I want Spike to be okay too.”

“I suppose it’d be good to check on Gallus and make sure he hasn’t done something stupid… again,” Grampa Gruff agreed grumpily.

“And Dash is my friend. Anyone who messes with her, messes with me.” Gilda locked eyes with Starlight. “You point us in the right direction. We’ll hit them hard and fast.”

Starlight felt relief filling her veins. Okay. Okay.

“Wait for my signal,” Starlight said. “I’ll tell you when to attack.” With that, she turned away, and headed for the outskirts of town.

“One more stop, right Starlight?” Sunburst asked.

“Yep,” she said with a simple nod. “Off to Saddle Arabia.”

Tirek flexed his muscles with a cocky smile. Power coursed through his veins. It felt so good to have a respectable level of magic again.

His musings were interrupted by blast of magic that knocked him to his knees. He saw Chrysalis beside him outright flattened. Cozy gasped. “What—?”

Tirek looked back, groaning. Princess Cadance looked down on them imperiously, her wings beating steadily. Shining Armor stood beside her, his horn aglow.

“I’ve waited a long time for that, Chrysalis,” Cadance said. “Now are you going to come quietly, or am I going to get to enjoy pounding your tail into the ground a bit more?”

Chrysalis hissed. Tirek raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think you can take us?”

“Yeah,” Shining shot back. “But just in case, I brought a friend.” As Shining said that, Flash Magnus darted down, cutting off the trio’s escape route.

“Awww golly, I guess you got us good, mister,” Cozy said with false sweetness.

Tirek focused, and fired a beam of immense power at Shining. But to his astonishment, the unicorn raised a shield—and the shield held! How can he create protective spells like that?

Chrysalis was faring no better. Cadance was striking with a calculated fury. Every time the changeling tried to move to an advantageous position, Cadance deftly tripped or grabbed her, and Cadance was keeping her too off-balance to cast spells.

Cozy wasn’t even the slightest difficulty for Flash. He was in the prime of his life and incredibly well-built, while she was a weak foal. With a simple bear hug, he’d completely immobilized her, and no amount of saccharine cajoling or sly manipulation could get him to release her. “Kid, you need help,” he muttered with a shake of his head.

Suddenly, the solution came to Tirek. He stopped firing at Shining, and launched a quick bolt of orange light at Flash. Flash fell backwards, reeling from the impact, and Cozy tumbled free. She flew forwards towards Chrysalis and Cadance, a diabolical smile on her face.

“Why are you so angry at Chrysalis, Your Majesty? Are you worried Shining thought she was a better kisser than you?” Cozy asked innocently, batting her eyes.

Cadance’s expression darkened with rage. “Don’t talk about Shining like—”

But she didn’t finish her sentence, as Chrysalis took the opportunity to hit Cadance with an emerald beam of magic right in the back of the head. Cadance collapsed.

Shining pawed at the ground once, his horn glowing with blue light. “If you’ve hurt her, so help me…”

Now that Shining was fully distracted, Tirek opened his mouth, and began to feed. Even as Shining charged towards Chrysalis, a battle cry escaping his lips, his body slowed and slowed, until finally he slumped to the ground.

Finally, only Flash Magnus remained. He looked at the two prone royals, and the three evildoers, and made a decision.

He wasn’t a coward. But if he threw himself into battle here, he’d certainly lose. A tactical retreat, regrouping with his six fellow pillars, and then returning would have a much better chance of success. He grimaced, and took to the skies.

He hadn’t flown more than 30 feet when he heard an old friend. “Somepony!” Rainbow Dash cried. “My wing’s stuck, and… oh no. Stay back! Help! Somepony! Help!”

It pulled at his heartstrings. To Tartarus with tactics—Rainbow was his friend. He shot backwards, scanned for her, and suddenly felt something collide with him.

Rainbow had pinned him to the ground!

“W-what!?” Flash cried out. “Why are you doing this, Dash?”

Green flames licked across her body, revealing her to be Chrysalis. “Can’t have any witnesses,” she said with a peal of dark laughter. “Now, then…”

In just a few moments, Chrysalis had effectively cocooned all three of the interloping ponies. “Oh, don’t feel lonely,” she taunted the half-conscious Shining. “You might have some friends to keep you company soon. And even if not, I’ll be back to drain your love later this evening!”

As Chrysalis gloated, Tirek sucked out Cadance’s and Flash’s magic. Cozy stuck out her tongue. “Golly, you sure are trusting, Flash Magnus! It’s a shame that I taught my allies here alllll about how to control trusting ponies. I guess those classes at Twilight’s School of Friendship did pay off after all!”

“Grogar was right about one thing,” Chrysalis begrudgingly agreed. “We’re a far better team together than apart.” She smiled down at one of the cocoons. “And don’t worry, Cadance. I might let Shining out early if I’m feeling nice. I could make great use of the Captain of the Royal Guard as a minion…”

Cackling, the trio set off for the Tree of Harmony, and Cadance, Shining, and Flash could only watch helplessly through their green prisons.

Chrysalis felt the touch of long leaves on her hard chitin, the mud sticking in the holes between her legs. It was a bit unpleasant, but such minor annoyances were a small price to pay for victory.

“Once we find Princess Twilight, you may hear me acting very weird,” Cozy said. “I may say things that sound ridiculous or even treacherous. I promise, I am not going crazy or betraying you. I spent a whole semester around them, and I know how they think. I need you two to trust me.”

Chrysalis had to suppress an ironic smile. Cozy saying “trust me” was like a pukwudgie saying “pet me”. But the little filly did have a point: out of all three of them, she had spent the most time around their enemies.

“Why not just go over what you might say so we’re prepared?” Tirek asked.

“First, I’ve come up with so many options going over them all would take too long,” the sickeningly adorable filly answered. “And second, your reactions would be less realistic. I don’t want you thinking I’ve actually betrayed you, but the shock from hearing what I say will help sell the deception.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis purred. “And don’t worry: I won’t waste time gloating or savoring my victory. I’ve learned just how catastrophic that can be the hard way.” Memories of her first invasion of Canterlot being completely ruined by the fact that she ignored Cadance and Shining still burned.

“I’ll be good to finally get rid of these troublesome interlopers,” Tirek said. “And after that…”

He didn’t have to finish. After that, they’d retrieve Grogar’s bell, remove Grogar as a threat, and carve up the world into their personal kingdoms.

Chrysalis allowed a dark chuckle to escape her throat. She lived for this.

Once the trio of villains were out of earshot and eyesight, the shadows observing them got to work.

A flurry of pegasus wings brought some specialized equipment. Normally, such tools would be kept away from little hooves, but with Ponyville abandoned, there was nopony to stop them.

Sweetie Belle focused her magic, as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom held the device. Together, the three of them tried to use the automated saw to slice open a cocoon. The resiny substance made the blade slid off, though.

“Maybe a jackhammer will be better?” Apple Bloom offered. “I dunno, what do you girls think?”

“Let’s try the jackhammer next,” Apple Bloom agreed. “Ah think Rivet has one?”

The trio hurried off to Rivet’s house. With a little bit of searching, they found what they were looking for. It took all three of them to lug the jackhammer back to the cocoons.

After a few attempts, they got everything set up. Sweetie gave the cocooned Cadance a reassuring smile, and powered up the jackhammer with her magic. They applied it to the top of the cocoon, pressing down with determined purpose.

The hardened green surface cracked, and shattered! Cadance fell out of the gooey case. She weakly got to her knees. “Is Shining…?”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were already breaking open Shining’s cocoon. Sweetie Belle caught him as he fell, setting him down gently.

With a few more moments, Flash Magnus was free.

“My magic… drained,” Shining said. “Tirek… be careful…”

“I bet Rainbow Dash and her friends will take care of them!” Scootaloo said reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine in no time!”

“We aren’t goin’ to go fight them directly,” Apple Bloom agreed. “We can do more as super spies followin’ behind!”

Pinkie Pie watched the horizon with bated breath. Bated, not baited, though she supposed her breath was a sort of bait. And what she was trying to catch with this bait was those dastardly villains!

She stuck out her tongue, and made her nastiest war face. Grrrr! She was situated in a high tower near the bridge to the castle. Right beneath her, in the central courtyard, Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike conferred. Pinkie listened in.

“Queen Chrysalis can look like any of us. So I’ve made these coats out of the drapes. I do apologize for the shoddy work; I could put together much finer pieces were we still in Ponyville,” Rarity said.

Rainbow was next. “Tirek takes a few seconds to drain magic. That’s why he was so dangerous when working with Discord. But with Discord not on his side,” Rainbow paused, and gave Fluttershy a comforting hug, “we’ve got a shot. If you see him starting to drain somepony’s magic, distract him.”

“Like with a pie to the face?” Pinkie interjected.

“Yeah, a pie would work, if we had one.”

“You’re in luck, then! I keep pies stashed all over Ponyville, in case of pie emergency.”

“O…kay,” Rainbow said. “Anyway, keep Tirek too off-balance to drain anypony’s magic.”

Applejack stepped forward. “Cozy Glow’s got a real talent at messin’ with our heads. When we face her, remember that anythin’ she says is meant to mess with ya. Either she’s lyin’ to mislead us, or tellin’ the truth to make us doubt it, or just talkin’ nonsense to distract us. Best thing to do is ignore it all.”

Spike stood up. “Then there’s Grogar. Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about his actual powers—just the legends about him. From those legends, it seems likely he’s really talented at creating monsters, so I think it’s unlikely we’ll see him chasing us. He probably sent the other three after us, and he’s probably doing something nasty in Canterlot. Maybe creating a malwurf or roc.”

Fluttershy offered, “And don’t forget—Chrysalis might have transformed herself into somepony we care about and had the others ‘capture’ her! We should be very cautious of hostages, because they might be fake.”

Pinkie continued to scan the horizon with her binoculars and spy goggles. These evildoers wouldn’t escape her sight!

Twilight nodded as each said their piece. “Remember, we still don’t know what happened to Celestia, Luna, and Discord. For all we know, Cadance could have been defeated too. It’s possible I am the last alicorn still free, or even…” her voice trailed off.

“If you are, we’ll be here for you,” Fluttershy promised. Her voice held more conviction than Pinkie had heard her carry in months.

“Yeah!” Rainbow cracked her wings. “And we’re gonna show those losers just how powerful friendship is!”

“Remember, we’re trying to save Equestria, not take revenge,” Rarity cautioned. “But I agree. They’re going down!”

Twilight pulled her friends into a hug, even using her telekinesis to add Pinkie to the hug. “You girls really are the best friends a pony could ask for. I wish you were alicorns too…”

“Ah don’t need wings or a horn to put some varmints in their place,” Applejack said, coiling her lasso. She cracked a wry smile. “But they’d sure make harvestin’ apples easier!”

Pinkie returned Twilight’s hug. “Aww, thanks Twilight! But who’s keeping a lookout for Tirek and the others?”

“Oh, don’t worry Pinkie, you are.” She gasped. “Quick! Hug over, into battle positions!”

Pinkie resumed her lookout post, a stockpile of pies, cupcakes, and other baked goods beside her. Applejack ran forward to near the front gate, her rope ready. Rainbow dove down under the rickety bridge across the chasm. Spike hid in a nearby tree, his internal fire ready to blaze outward. Rarity charged her horn, and slipped into some of the curtains. Fluttershy slid to just over the archway.

Twilight stood openly in a battle stance under the archway, a ruined table making a makeshift barrier. She was deliberately leaving herself clearly visible. They all hate me. They won't be able to resist targeting me.

High above, Pinkie watched the forest with her binoculars. Now came the hard part: waiting.

Chapter V

The ground started to rumble as Tirek came into view. His muscles bulged with raw magic, and his horns nearly broke the treeline. Twilight felt a bead of sweat run down her neck. How many other ponies has he drained?

He spotted her, and Twilight was ready for the gloating, the taunting, the threats. She wasn’t ready for him to instantly fire off a blast of energy strong enough to level a block. At the last possible second, she teleported to right behind him, her horn ablaze with magenta light.

She launched a lance of energy into the back of Tirek’s head. He cried out in pain.

“Where are your friends, you big meanie?” Pinkie shouted.

A fly behind Pinkie engulfed itself in sickly green fire, and Chrysalis pounced on her. She held her horn to the earth pony’s throat. “Surrender,” she hissed, staring right into Twilight’s eyes.

But with her eyes thus occupied, she didn’t see Applejack throw a rope around up towards her and roughly pull her down. Chrysalis yelped, and Applejack quickly trussed her. For a moment, it looked like the battle was nearly won.

Tirek’s horns crackled, and he fired a bolt of energy so powerful Applejack had to duck for cover. He followed up with a hair-thin ray to slice through Chrysalis’s bonds. The changeling queen snarled at Applejack, and darted towards her.

Twilight was so preoccupied watching all this she didn’t hear Cozy sneak up on her. But she felt the rush of air currents signifying a sneak attack, and rolled aside reflexively—the place where she’d just been now occupied with a spear.

Cozy carried a spear, obviously liberated from a guard, twice as tall as she was. Her wings beat furiously to just stay aloft with her weapon. It was clear she was unfamiliar with the weapon, and having difficulty using it.

“You know, you made a lot of mistakes, Princess Twilight, but the biggest one was not surrendering to us all right away.” Cozy’s voice carried a cocky tone that grated on Twilight’s ears. “If you had, well, Shining might be okay!”

“What did you to do Shining!?” Twilight demanded, her vision turning hazy with rage.

“Oh, nothing bad,” Cozy replied innocently. “Tirek just drained his magic, and Chrysalis cocooned him. But I’m sure he’ll be fine! Chryssy even said something about releasing him and keeping him as a minion…~”

A dark part of Twilight wanted to shut Cozy’s mouth for her, but she suppressed that impulse. Instead, she fired a lance of raw magic at Chrysalis, sending the changeling skidding backwards and nearly over the cliff. She went into a power dive, flying around Tirek faster and faster. As he tried to track her, she abruptly shot back upwards, leaving a cloud of dirt and dust in his face.

She conjured a paneled cage of pure magical force around Cozy. After a moment of consideration, she made it soundproof as well.

Twilight breathed deep, and swooped down towards Chrysalis, her horn surging with pure power. But just before she reached her, Chrysalis shapeshifted into a malwurf, and body-slammed Twilight!

Twilight’s head spun, and her magical cage around Cozy vanished.

Okay, this won’t be a short fight.

Cozy felt the magical cage around her dissipate. She let a confident smile play out across her face. If the bearers of the Elements think I have something up my sleeve, they’ll pay attention to me and not my allies. If I do it enough, my allies should hopefully get plenty of openings!

It was to be expected that their enemies had figured out counters to their assorted tactics. She had to admit, creating clothing to distinguish each other from Chrysalis was a very clever move.

But she hadn’t nearly ruled Equestria by having only one plan. With a grin, she flew downwards, trying to use her spear to rip the cloaks off.

She missed completely. Despite her incredible intellect, she was still a filly fighting fully-grown mares, who were both stronger and more agile than her. She muttered, “This is starting to make me peeved.” Although unlikely, it was possible her enemies would be startled by her vulgarity.

Rainbow Dash zoomed around Cozy too fast for her eyes to follow, quickly entangling her in her cape. “If you’re the best Grogar can send, then Equestria’s completely safe!”

Cozy started laughing. “Oh, you—oh, golly, this is too good!” As Rainbow looked at her suspiciously, she continued. “You think we’re here to capture you? No, we have a very different mission.”

“Yeah?” Rainbow demanded.

“We’re a distraction, heeheehee! While you’re fighting us, Grogar is conquering one city after another!” Cozy lied effortlessly. “Even if you beat us, Grogar will rule Equestria!”

Cozy saw the uncertainty and doubt on Rainbow’s face, and easily imagined what was going through Rainbow’s head. Is the brilliant, terrifyingly persuasive Cozy lying again? Telling the truth and hoping I’ll read it as a lie?

Cozy’s words disturbed Rainbow’s concentration just enough the blue pegasus was gripped in Tirek’s telekinesis. He opened his mouth wide, ready to drain her magic, but a pie to the face sent him stumbling backwards. His telekinetic grip loosened, and Rainbow managed to get free—but so did Cozy.

Ordinarily, Cozy liked to figure out who the leader was, and strike at their greatest vulnerability. She’d started by looking at Twilight Sparkle. But the reflexive way each of the bearers fought, their perfect synchronization, forced her to one conclusion:

They didn’t have a leader. Each of them except Spike was an equal. Spike was clearly subservient to Twilight, but other than that, they were simply friends.

On the one hoof, this meant she couldn’t achieve instant victory by removal of the leader. On the other, it meant the capture of any of the septet would make a critical hostage.

All of these thoughts flashed through Cozy’s mind in the space of a few heartbeats. She untangled herself from Rainbow’s cape, and scanned the battlefield. Chrysalis was locked in battle with Applejack and Twilight. Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy fought Tirek. Pinkie stood atop a pillar, firing cupcakes at both Cozy’s allies. And Spike?

As she looked for him, he jumped upon her and knocked her to the ground. She struggled in his clawed grip, but he effectively pinned her. “These muscles? They’re from years of holding huge stacks of papers,” he said confidently, as if he’d read her mind.

“Golly, I guess you caught me,” she admitted. “I wonder how the others will react? Will they cheer you? Will Rarity finally give you a kiss? Or will they give you a quick thanks and then ignore you?”

“I—w-well,” Spike stuttered. Cozy smelled weakness.

“Face it, Spike, they see you as a sidekick. They only keep you around as their slave.” She gave him her most charming smile. “If you joined us, though, we’d treat you as an equal. All the gems you could ever want! Chrysalis could assign one of her changelings to act like Rarity and be your girlfriend!”

Spike put a claw to his chin in thought “Hmmm,” he murmured. With only one claw grabbing her, Cozy twisted around to get free.

Spike narrowed his eyes, and exhaled a torrent of green fire towards her. She screamed, covering her face with her hooves.

Chrysalis saw Spike menacing Cozy Glow. She hissed, her tongue waving menacingly, and darted forward. Just as Spike breathed fire towards the filly, Chrysalis scooped him up in malwurf form. Only the first flames reached Cozy, and she quickly stopped, dropped and rolled. “Help!” Spike screamed.

“Don’t you dare hurt Spikey-Wikey, you shapeshifting fiend!” Rarity cried, and hurled a blast of sparkling dust into Chrysalis’s eyes. Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy likewise formed into a combat position. Pinkie still lurked in her sniper tower.

Chrysalis felt the aetherial imbalance signifying a huge magical discharge, and dove aside with her hostage as Tirek launched a blast powerful enough to crack a mountain right at the five friends. Twilight and Rarity poured all their skill into a barrier, but ultimately it just wasn’t enough. The blast surged out the other side of the Castle of the Two Sisters, leaving nothing visible of the ponies.

Chrysalis was about to congratulate Tirek on victory when she felt a horn against her malwurf throat. “You’re lucky that I am a lady and do not stoop to your tactics,” Rarity said in a cold voice. “Nonetheless, if you don’t release Spikey-Wikey this instant, I may be forced to act in an unladylike way.”

Chrysalis saw Twilight and Rainbow threatening Tirek similarly. With a sigh, she moved as if to let Spike out, but suddenly whirled and slammed her claw towards Rarity. The pony barely dodged out of the way. She fired a retaliatory beam of light, but it did nothing against Chrysalis’s now rock-hard hide.

She noticed her claw felt warm… now hot… now burning! Spike was breathing fire onto her claw! With a yelp, she dropped him, and shapeshifted back to a changeling to put the fire out.

Chrysalis bared her fangs. “Now, let’s try this again.”

Tirek surveyed the battlefield. This fight is going more poorly than it should be. Those ponies have learned how to predict each others’ moves, and even my allies’. Most irritating.

He raised a shield to deflect Rainbow Dash’s ferocious kick, and answered with a beam of magic that only grazed her and still sent her into a tailspin. This isn’t working. And the longer this fight drags on, the worse off we’ll be when we have to face Grogar.

But all that magic had made him quite a tall centaur, and he could see over the treeline. Something very, very interesting was happening just out of earshot. He gestured for Chrysalis to fly over to beside him. Under the cover of uniting their magical lasers into one, he rapidly explained his idea to her. At the last second, he leaned forward, firing his magical blast at the ground. The strike kicked up a cloud of dust as high as Canterlot’s towers. Though he couldn’t see Chrysalis, he knew what she would be doing.

He could hear the ponies’ cries of confusion. “Where are they?”

“Is everypony okay?”

“Where’s Fluttershy?”

“I-I’m here.”

“What are they doing?”

Stupid, Tirek thought to himself with a smile. They’re all giving away their positions. Cozy, he noticed, stayed completely silent. She’s a bright one, that kid.

Tirek unleashed a blast of power at Rarity, It was carefully calculated to injure, not destroy, so the others would rush to her aid—and reveal themselves for his more powerful blast.

He was rewarded with a scream, but not for the reason he expected. “Eeaugh, I’m covered in mud! You monster!” Rarity had jumped aside at the last second.

Tirek suppressed his urge to chuckle. If Chrysalis succeeds at her little mission, Rarity will have a lot more to worry about than mud on her coat.

Chrysalis fluttered her membranous wings, her lip curled into a predatory smile. She could already taste the sweet flavor of victory.

Tirek’s words echoed in her mind. “This battle’s odds are against us. We can’t pin them down enough to destroy them, and they’re so slippery we can’t take any effective hostages. We’ve nearly lost twice now.” He had smirked. “But I saw those six students that thwarted Cozy just a few hundred feet from here. If you can lure them here, we’ll have six civilians they care deeply about.”

Chrysalis fixed the image of Fluttershy in her mind, and felt her horn recede into her head. Fur sprouted along her coat as her chitin receded into skin. She quickly rolled about in the dirt to make herself look appropriately roughed up, and then staggered out towards the crystalline treehouse with the students.

Their names flashed through her mind from one of Cozy’s rants. “Gallus… Yona… Smolder… Ocellus… Sandbar… Silverstream! We need your help!” she gasped.

Gallus bolted to his paws and looked down at her. “What happened?”

“Cozy’s… returned. Chrysalis… Tirek… Grogar… Sombra… all working together…” Chrysalis cough-cried in Fluttershy’s voice. “A-and I think Discord is… is…” she sniffled, sobs breaking through. “But there’s still hope. Twilight thinks she’s… she’s found a way to restore the Elements of Harmony. But… but it needs you! The Tree of Harmony has a special connection with you!”

Any doubts in the students’ faces vanished upon her mention of a special connection with the Tree. It seemed Cozy’s educated guess about their connection had been correct.

Chrysalis wanted to grin, to exult, to cheer for her genius ally, but she knew if she did it’d blow her cover. So she just cowered as the students discussed what to do next.

“We hit them fast and hard,” Smolder said, her smile matching Chrysalis’s inner grin. “Link up with the Tree, and fire a harmony beam.”

“Yona hate Cozy Glow. Yona want to smash Cozy back into cell in Tartarus.”

Ocellus said, her eyes fearful but full of conviction, “After Chrysalis’s defeated, I’m sure King Thorax will know what to do with her.” Every word Ocellus spoke was a condemnation not only of herself but of the entire Hive. Chrysalis wanted to tear into the grub’s chitin, but she kept her anger in check. There’d be time enough to exact justice later. For now, her only goal was victory.

“At this point, the only bully they’re missing is the Storm King!” Silverstream said. “H-he hasn’t come back, right?” she added fearfully.

“I-I don’t know,” Chrysalis blubbered. “I just don’t know! The magical creatures I talked to all think Grogar created their kind, so he might be creating entire new groups now!”

“Then let’s go stop Cozy and her friends, and then go after Sombra!” Gallus declared. “C’mon Fluttershy. We’re here to protect you.”

“W-Wait!” Fluttershy added. “W-we should go through Everfree Forest! They saw the way I fled and will be watching us.”

“Sure,” Gallus shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

“T-thank you. I-I’ll lead the way,” Chrysalis offered.

“Of course,” Sandbar reassured her. But Chrysalis’s mind was already elsewhere. One word Gallus had said stuck out in her mind, blazing as bright as the noonday sun over the Badlands.

Friends.

Are Tirek and Cozy my friends?

Certainly not, she answered herself. They’re useful allies, and they do have magnificent talents and power. When I regain my rightful rule over the Hive, it will be very useful to have allies like them beside me. But that doesn’t make them friends, just business partners.

She was not going to turn into a hideous chromatic abomination like that high traitor Thorax. She vowed that with every fiber of her currently-endoskeletal being.

Chrysalis did her best to shut out the nagging voice at the back of her head slyly cooing, Cooperation, respect, and the desire to keep working together? Sounds like friendship to me…~

Spike rolled, narrowly dodging a stomp of Tirek’s huge hooves. Far above, Fluttershy berated the centaur as Twilight countered his magic.

“It doesn’t matter how big you are, you cannot, I repeat, you CANNOT be a bully! Now, are you going to apologize and give back all the magic you’ve taken, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?”

Spike rolled his eyes. There was no way Tirek was going to become any nicer, but Fluttershy still had to try. As for Spike, he was hunting Chrysalis. Nopony had seen her in a few minutes. Capturing Cozy would be trivial for somepony as agile as Rainbow Dash, and if Spike could apprehend Chrysalis, the battle would be over quickly.

Of course, “find” and “apprehend” were quite different, especially for a shapeshifter. But Spike had a plan.

He was going to make himself look like a vulnerable, easy-to-capture hostage that Chrysalis wouldn’t be able to resist. Then he’d spring his trap and catch her.

He mulled over how it was unfortunate the villains weren’t friends. If they were, capturing Cozy would be enough to get the other two to surrender. As it was, they just quickly freed her, no doubt seeing the tactical value of doing so.

Spike shook his head back to reality. Is that Gallus’s voice?

It was! The griffon was saying something about how griffon law would treat Tirek.

Spike poked his head out of a bush. The six students were heading right for the castle—and Fluttershy was behind them!

That Fluttershy was a changeling, Spike was certain. He froze right where he was, letting the student 6 walk past, and then jumped on Fluttershy-Chrysalis. He knocked her down, and opened his mouth, ready to breathe fire.

“Give it up, Chrysalis.” He bared his mouth, ready to exhale a wave of fire.

“Kids! This isn’t Spike, it’s Chrysalis! Help!” Fluttershy cried.

Chrysalis kept her bubbling rage under control. This little dragon was on the verge of ruining this brilliant plan! And if she didn’t comply, he was ready to roast her with his dragonfire! It was so utterly humiliating.

Ocellus looked from Spike to Chrysalis. “How can we tell who’s real? Quick, say something only the real you would say!”

“I use tail extensions!” Chrysalis called out.

“I have a crush on Dragon Lord Ember!” Spike confessed.

“Those are both realistic…” Ocellus said, putting a hoof to her mouth, as Smolder stared at Spike. “I know! Let’s take you to the others!”

“Wait!” Chrysalis cried, her soft voice so unbecoming of a queen. “If Chrysalis already replaced Spike here, then the others must have defeated the rest of the Bearers! We’d be walking right into a trap!”

“When I left, the battle was going in our favor!” Spike claimed. “You just don’t want them to see that there’s another Fluttershy!”

“You two walk at the front,” Smolder demanded. “No tricks. We’ll go there ourselves and learn the truth.”

Chrysalis could already predict how this would end. The students would see a second Fluttershy, arrest her, and she and her allies would be shipped off to Tartarus.

The changeling queen pleaded, doing her best to sound genuine, “But I don’t want you all to get captured! We might be Twilight’s only hope, and we can only win the war if we flee this battle!”

“Don’t worry, Professor Fluttershy,” Silverstream reassured her. “You said it yourself: we have a special connection to the Tree of Harmony. It might be scary, but we will find a way. That’s what heroes do.”

“I…” Chrysalis made her body take a deep, firm breath. “I can’t let you all march into a trap. It’s just too dangerous.”

“You’re just scared of what they’ll do when they find out you’re a changeling,” Spike crowed. “But you’re also scared of what I’ll do if you try to hurt any of us.”

There was truth in Spike’s words, though it pained Chrysalis to admit it. One thought coursed through her brain:

What do I do now?

Cozy analyzed the battlefield. Rainbow was still chasing her, but Tirek’s energy blasts provided plenty of cover fire. She searched back and forth. Where was Chrysalis?

There! Down below, she saw another Fluttershy leading her old adversaries. Cozy licked her lips in anticipation. Revenge was sweetest when it was cold.

Gallus heard an all-too-familiar voice calling down. “Chrysalis! Shapeshift into an Ursa!”

Both Spike and Fluttershy looked up. “Come on!” Cozy urged. “Drop the Fluttershy disguise and fight your way out!”

“There! Cozy confirms what I’ve been saying!” Spike exclaimed, his voice rising with triumph. “Fluttershy is a changeling!”

“Wait a minute…” Yona said. “Evil Cozy pony very smart. Very nasty. Always has tricks.”

“Yona’s right,” Sandbar added. “I bet she’s trying to make us think Fluttershy’s Chrysalis so we all attack her, leaving us open to Spike-Chrysalis’s real attack!”

Gallus nodded. That seemed like the kind of thing Cozy would do. “Alright, Chrysalis, you’re our prisoner now. Leave Fluttershy alone, or things might get messy.”

“N-no! It’s— uugh!” Spike groaned as Yona roughly pinned him down. “She’s the changeling, not me!”

Gallus flew quickly after Cozy. Despite her twists and turns, he grabbed her with a slipped his claws around under her forelegs. “Golly, you sure are strong, Gallus,” she cooed. “Better be careful! You don’t want to hurt me, do you? Maybe you should loosen your grip juuuust a bit.”

“Not likely,” he retorted flatly. “And besides, look around. We caught Chrysalis too. By now, Rainbow and the others have probably caught Tirek. Looks like you lost, Cozy.”

“Gee, that sure is a shame.” Cozy’s smile dropped. “Well, I tried being nice. Now!”

Gallus heard a ferocious roar from below. Fluttershy was gone—in her place was a Tazltwurm! With lightning speed, its three tongues entangled Gallus, Sandbar, and Silverstream. The shock of the incredibly gross tongue made him lose his grip. Cozy slipped away, grinning diabolically. “Should’ve listened when I asked nicely~” she taunted.

Gallus frantically fought against the tongue-tentacles, but it was a losing battle. They easily slipped into his weak spots, like the middle of his back, and then looped around to his chest and back again. “Urrgh, leggo!”

“You’re a smart chicken, Gallus. It’s a shame I’m so much smarter!” Cozy winked cheekily, and shouted, “Everycreature surrender, or these three get it!”

“Don’t call me a chicken!” Gallus clucked angrily. He processed the rest of what she’d said, and looked down at the giant mouth.

Ocellus, Spike, Smolder, and Yona slowly lowered their claws or other offensive appendages. “That’s right, let’s be nice and pleasant about this,” Cozy encouraged. “Just don’t make any trouble, and your friends will be A-okay!” Chrysalis roared her agreement. Perhaps tazltwurm mouths weren’t suitable for speech.

Cozy hovered just out of reach of Gallus, and grinned. “I knew if I were to openly ask Chrysalis to help me, you’d assume I was trying to convince you all that the pony I was talking to was actually Chrysalis, and thus that she wasn’t. I had to get you all to get your eyes off her for long enough for her to shapeshift without incident. And look how it went! Your own brains betrayed you. Golly, you must just feel horrible about all this.”

Gallus winced as the tongue-tentacles squeezed his chest a little harder. He tried to stay calm, and think. Cozy has to have a plan in mind when taunting me. Usually she doesn’t gloat for gloating’s sake. Is she just trying to break my spirit, so even if I manage to escape, I’d feel too hopeless to oppose her? Or is she up to something else?

Applejack smiled, her face draped in satisfaction. Between herself and her friends, they’d managed to shut down Tirek’s attacks completely. He was now hiding behind a force field as she, Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity bombarded it with spells, storms, and good old-fashioned kicks. From the tower above, Pinkie continued to keep a lookout for Spike, Cozy, and Chrysalis, as Fluttershy flitted back and forth on a more active search.

“Something big’s coming this way from Everfree Forest!” Pinkie called down. “Really big!”

Applejack hoisted her lasso. If it was Chrysalis, she was ready to capture the bug. And if it was just some wandering critter, Fluttershy could talk it down.

Applejack ran forwards towards the huge disturbance, and charged right into—Ocellus?

The cyan changeling gasped in shock. “Applejack?”

Before Applejack could reply, a saccharine voice drifted down. “Aww, looks like you’ve stumbled onto our little group!” Cozy taunted. But the earth pony was too quick. With a toss of her lasso, Cozy was pulled to the ground and quickly tied up.

“Golly, you’re a good athlete,” Cozy praised. “But of course you’re going to release me right now and beg for my mercy.”

“Not happenin’, sugarcube,” Applejack retorted flatly. “Yer gonna get locked up back in Tartarus.”

“Oh Chrysaliiiiiis~” the deranged filly called out. “Come and show Professor Applejack our friends!”

Ocellus, throughout all of this, had just stood there, trembling. “Come on, Ocellus!” Applejack instructed. “Get to the others, and tell them to head over here!”

“I-I can’t!” she moaned. “Ch-Chrysalis—”

A roar shook Applejack to the ground. She rolled over rapidly, and saw a huge worm monster! Sandbar, Gallus, and Silverstream were bound tightly in its tongue-tentacles, and the rest of their friend group—plus Spike!—trotted in front of it dejectedly.

“Has three of her friends,” Cozy finished, grinning. “Now, Chrysalis is a shapeshifter, but she does get some of the instincts of her assumed form. I imagine it’s taking quite a lot of effort to keep all three of those creatures out of her mouth. It’d sure be unfortunate if she couldn’t keep control… why don’t you release me, just to be safe?”

Applejack couldn’t let anything bad happen to any of her students. Her eyes lowered in shame, she untied Cozy. “Now, start walking along with the others,” Cozy ordered.

Applejack obliged, already thinking about what to do next. How can I get the kids free?

Chrysalis undulated towards the Castle of the Two Sisters. Her huge worm body was clumsy and ungainly, but it was uniquely well suited for taking prisoners.

She had no intention of harming these irrelevant creatures unless necessary, of course. What did she care about a hippogriff, griffon, and pony? As for Twilight and her friends, Chrysalis had every intention of eliminating them. She didn’t really care if they suffered; she just wanted them out of her hair and unable to interfere with her plans.

Now Starlight Glimmer… Chrysalis would ensure that she suffered immensely. Many days, the only thing that had gotten her through the day was imagining Starlight defeated, lying helpless at her hooves as Chrysalis revealed the utter destruction of everyone Starlight had cared about. Even now, the thought filled her with a surge of energy. She let out a roar through the tazltwurm’s mouth.

Beneath her, Applejack stumbled along. It was pathetic, really. One of the Elements of Harmony, reduced to helplessness not through combat, but simply through threats against innocents. Heroes are so predictable. Chrysalis would have smiled, if her current mouth had been capable of it.

Pinkie perched atop her lookout position. Tirek was cowering underneath his magic shield. Applejack and Spike had both disappeared. Probably captured, but maybe just lost.

She peered into her binoculars. There—trees being knocked over! Since Tirek was here, that was probably Chrysalis in a huge battle form.

Spike, Fluttershy, and a few of their students walked out of the woods. They all looked scared. Pinkie reached for a cupcake, ready to throw at the slightest sign of Chrysalis.

She didn’t have long to wait. A huge worm monster with giant tentacles for tongues was holding the rest of the students hostage! “Twilight! Save them!” Pinkie shouted. “Quickly!”

The alicorn nodded. With a flash of light, she blinked in front of the worm monster. With unbridled ferocity, she fired a beam of light right into Chrysalis’s mouth. The worm howled, and squeezed tighter on the students it was holding—but Applejack kicked it right in the side. It let out a wheezing gasp, and dropped the students. Twilight shot downwards, scooped each of the students, and then with a blink of purple magic, she vanished. The rest of the students, and Spike, did as well.

A moment later, she was back. Her gaze burned with fury. “It’s one thing to go after us, Chrysalis. We all knew what we were getting into. But keeping innocent creatures as hostages? That’s low, even for you.”

The worm writhed in fire, and out stepped Chrysalis. She surveyed the field, and transformed once more. This time, she became a huge, dangerous roc, and flew to beside Tirek. He adjusted his magic shield, letting her in, and she settled on his shoulder in her natural form.

That’s two of the meanies, Pinkie knew. But where’s Cozy? What schemes are she up to?

Cozy watched the battle play out from her hidden spot among the trees. As powerful as Chrysalis and Tirek were, they were unlikely to prevail at this point. Every effort to take prisoners had failed, the students were gone, and even Spike was too. All there were left were these six hardened experts.

She tapped her chin. Unfortunate, but not hopeless. She had backup plans even for slowly losing matches like this. The most important factor, she knew, was to shatter their cooperation. As long as the six bearers continued to work together, they were nearly undefeatable. Break their teamwork, and breaking their bodies would be easy.

She focused inwards, reaching for the perfect ruthlessness deep within her. Drawing her breath in, she imagined every enemy, every ally, everyone she had any opinion at all on. Exhaling, she imagined each one of them dead. Not painfully; torture had never been to her interest. It was a much simpler thing, really: creatures only had a purpose in her world insofar as they could serve her. Everyone she had an interest in was by definition a potential threat someday, and therefore needed to be eliminated. Not kindness, not revenge, not loyalty, not obligation would make her so much as pause in doing what she always did:

Win.

But this time, her perfect ruthlessness found a block. Imagining Chrysalis and Tirek dead left her feeling… weird. It was a feeling she had never felt before, and she didn’t like it. To test this emotion, she instead imagined them bowing down to her. It was there, but weaker. Next she imagined them ruling beside her. The feeling vanished altogether.

Strange, she thought to herself. Well, let’s try that again, leaving those two out of it. This time, she didn’t experience that weird feeling at all.

Her mind now locked into that perfected ruthlessness, she flapped her wings quickly, and flapped forward. It was time to move one step closer to victory.

Spike stared out the window of the treehouse dejectedly. He wanted to be back with Twilight, fighting to save Equestria. But his big sister had insisted that he stay here. “If something happens to us,” she had said, “it’s up to you to protect our students, and get word of what happened to Starlight.”

He understood the importance of what she was asking. But he couldn’t help but feel that maybe she just wanted him out of the way so he’d be safe.

He turned back from his brooding to listen to what Gallus was saying. “The Tree said that our friendship would be safe within here. What do you think that means?”

“Maybe it means that the powers of bad guys can’t touch us in here!” Silverstream exclaimed.

“Maybe it means any of our conflicts with each other will be easily resolved,” Ocellus suggested.

“Or maybe it’s just a fun place to hang out.” Sandbar shrugged. When Gallus gave him a skeptical look, he insisted, “Hey, it could be!”

“It’s much more than that,” Spike said. He thought back to all the complex history of the Tree of Harmony. “From when the Pillars planted it to now, it’s been an embodiment of the good things in the world. The things Grogar and his minions want to destroy. The Elements were powerful enough to stop Discord. Even with them gone, there’s still a lot of ambient magic here. We don’t know what the limits on its power are, if it even has any.”

“It has to have some, or Sombra couldn’t have destroyed it.” Smolder crossed her arms.

“But he couldn’t. Even after that, it still came back.” Spike smiled in what he hoped was a comforting way. “And that’s why I know we’ll win: the ideas we’re fighting for always win.”

Twilight and her friends fought for the fate of all Equestria.

Tirek and Chrysalis were both powerful, but they were constantly on the defensive. Whenever either was about to strike, one of the Bearers skillfully negated the attack. Tirek couldn’t focus long enough to drain magic, and Chrysalis kept having to shapeshift just to avoid getting knocked unconscious. All in all, the battle was going well.

“To your left, Fluttershy!” Applejack called out. Fluttershy swerved, just barely avoiding Chrysalis’s lime laser. The beam sheared a tree in half behind her. Rarity fired a cloud of glitter to blind the changeling, who only just staggered behind Tirek’s shield again before Twilight would have encased her in solid crystal with the spell she’d trapped Starlight in years ago.

Cozy was still missing, which meant she was almost certainly up to something. But with her two accomplices occupied here, Twilight was quite confident of victory. The evil pegasus focused on coordination and manipulation, after all, and neither was very effective without allies or gullible marks.

“Just—hold—still!” Tirek grunted. “Stop moving so fast!”

Twilight channeled a current of magic down her horn, intensified it at the very tip, and let loose a discharge of magic so potent it could crystallize a whole town block. Tirek and Chrysalis combined their magic to block the bolt, and Twilight was rewarded by seeing beads of sweat running down their faces.

“Golly, so you’re finally ready to win?” Cozy asked lightly as she fluttered down to them. “I would have thought you’d made up your mind already, but I guess you disappointed me. And that’s not all you disappointed, is it, Chrysalis?”

Twilight seized the filly in her telekinesis, gently but firmly immobilizing her. “What?”

“Chrysalis here is a love-eater,” Cozy reminded Twilight. “That means she can feel emotions as well. And do you know what she felt radiating off of Luna and your teacher Celestia?”

“Shut up,” Twilight ordered coldly.

“Disappointment. Shame. Even contempt. They were both expecting such great things from you, and in the end, what did you do? You ran away, leaving them to… well, you know.”

The words hurt more than Twilight could admit. “Don’t talk about them that way.”

“Who’s going to stop me from saying it? You?” Cozy smirked. “You’re bounded by your own ‘heroism’. An ethics code that says there are certain lines you won’t cross. And because of that, I can say whatever I want.”

Twilight still had her magical cage of silence spell ready, but she was a little too angry for rational thought right now. “Don’t—you—!”

“Me what?”

“You little fiend!” Twilight unleashed her power, pinning Cozy to the wall with bolts of force. She looked through the two obvious monsters they were fighting. Time to deal with this more directly.

Cozy strained against Twilight’s viselike grip. The princess’s magic was completely immobilizing her. Twilight glared at Cozy’s allies with pure hate, charging her horn for a more powerful attack.

It was unfortunate Cozy had to resort to this plan, as it was one of her more dangerous ones. But the battle was in that tenuous zone between evenly matched and firmly lost, and Cozy wasn’t going to let it be lost on her watch.

“You know what the funniest part is?” Cozy taunted as Twilight’s eye twitched. “You could have won this fight at any time. You’re an alicorn, and unlike with Cadance, we don’t have the element of surprise.”

“Unlike Cada—what?” Twilight stared daggers at Cozy. “What did you do to Cadance!?”

“Oh, you know. She and her husband were in Ponyville, because of you—you did call them there, didn’t you?” Only a guess, but from the look on Twilight’s face, an accurate one. “And we beat them easily. Tirek drained their magic, and Chrysalis cocooned them up nice and safe. I bet she’ll drain their love over the coming weeks… you know, after we finish crushing you and your friends.”

That was too much for the princess. She half-screamed, half-sobbed, and purple-green-black magic flowed down her horn. “You won’t get the chance!” She trapped Cozy in crystal, and hurled bolt after bolt at Tirek and Chrysalis.

Through the crystal, Cozy could make out Twilight’s ferocious attack on her allies. Cracks formed along their shield, and it shattered like glass.

Twilight seized them in her telekinetic grip, and slammed them both into the ground. She followed up with bindings of magic to hold them in place.

“I’ll never see Celestia again!” she screamed, tears flowing down her face. “Because! Of! You!”

Her horn blazed with magic, no doubt preparing a spell to petrify, banish, or otherwise remove her allies. Cozy wanted to gulp. If I judged wrong, this might be the last I see of them. And they’re, well, fun to talk to.

Fluttershy swooped between Twilight and the villains. “Twilight, stop! This isn’t you!”

“Revenge ill becomes you, dear,” Rarity agreed from down below. “I know what they’ve done is absolutely despicable, but this isn’t the way to right that wrong.”

Slowly, reason returned to Twilight’s eyes. “You’re right. I just felt so… I just got…” She looked downward in shame.

Unicorns, as a rule, had to focus to actively maintain combat spells. If that focus were broken, the spell would weaken or even end. Cozy was banking on the hope that alicorns obeyed the same rule.

As it turned out, they did—or at least, Twilight did. As she covered her eyes, Cozy’s crystal cage dissipated, and to her delight, so did Tirek and Chrysalis’s bonds. With a quick wing signal, she gave them an instruction.

The sky cracked as Tirek and Chrysalis poured every drop of pure power they could into a combined beam to destroy Twilight. Rainbow clamped her wings to her side, power diving to knock Twilight and Fluttershy out of the way, but even a glancing blow sent them all spinning into the trees.

Cozy grinned. This is more like it!

Pinkie watched the villains nearly knock three of her friends unconscious. What kind of meanies would do that to Fluttershy? She reached for her cupcakes, and let a barrage of baked goods splatter all across Chrysalis’s face.

Rarity slammed a thick curtain into Chrysalis, sending her careening through the air. Applejack lassoed Cozy again, and the awful filly couldn’t do anything to escape. But Tirek was charging up a laser, aiming right for Twilight’s prone body!

This calls for extreme measures. Pinkie Pie style!

Pinkie reached for her largest cake, and hurled it right between the centaur’s horns. Before he could finish his spell, the cake swooped through the magic. He was thrown backwards from the feedback, leaving Twilight unvaporized.

Pinkie afforded herself a smile. They never expect the cake attack.

But her happiness was cut short by what she saw in the distance. The skies over Canterlot weren’t just cloudy anymore. The clouds were beginning to spiral, as if nature itself had gathered to watch whatever was happening there. Worse, they were starting to glow with a faint unearthly light.

What’s Grogar doing?

Chrysalis roared as she was entangled in the curtain. Those ponies dared to trap her in cloth?!

She reached deep into her pool of energy, and felt thick fur replace hard chitin. Hole-filled hooves grew and grew, splitting apart into razor claws. A skeleton popped up just inside her back, and a ribcage formed to protect her vitals.

Her Ursa Minor form tore free of the curtains.

“T-that was an antique!” Rarity whined. “How could you?”

Chrysalis replied with a deep roar. Flecks of spit clung to Rarity’s mane. “My hair!” she cried. “That. Is. It!”

Rarity fired a laser right into Chrysalis’s hide, but she was no Twilight and the beam was nothing more than a distraction. Chrysalis growled, and batted the annoying unicorn away.

Chrysalis looked across the area, soaking in the situation. Tirek had almost been able to finish off Twilight, but Pinkie had interfered right at the moment of triumph. So Pinkie would be her next target.

She charged forward, ignoring all feeble attempts to stop her. She was an Ursa, of course, and very few indeed were the ponies who could hope to stop her.

She body-slammed Pinkie’s tower at the end of a full charge. High above her, she heard the satisfying sound of the pink one’s shouting rapidly approaching. “Aaaaaaaa!”

But before Pinkie fell to her fate at Chrysalis’s claws, a rainbow blur intercepted her and snatched her to safety. Chrysalis stared in disbelief. Even after Tirek had hit Rainbow that hard, she was still coordinated enough to save a falling Pinkie?

Twilight struggled to her feet. Tirek had just tried to destroy her, and only Rainbow and subsequently Pinkie’s timely interventions had saved her. Now she had to find a way to win this fight.

Chrysalis was going after Pinkie. Cozy was skulking, probably trying to figure out another way to get into their heads. Tirek was charging another magical laser in her direction. She closed her eyes, reaching into the font of magic deep in her soul. Thought became action, and she teleported to behind his twin horns just as he fired a sizzling laser. She watched in astonishment as he gouged a path through the forest.

Twilight fired a volley of energy at his hindquarters. “Urgh!” Before he could finish turning towards her, she teleported to Chrysalis. She launched a crystallization spell, which actually worked—until Ursa-Chrysalis broke free.

Twilight racked her brain. Her knowledge of how to fight Ursa Minors was centered around pacifying them. But this wasn’t an actual Ursa—it was the body of an Ursa with the brains of a changeling queen.

A queen… one desperate for subjects, Twilight reasoned. So Twilight needed to restore the queen to her throne—or at least make her think she had been.

She had never been especially skilled at illusion magic. In her eyes, magic should affect the real world, not the senses. But she had still learned a few illusions. And the alicorn power coursing through her veins did give her a universal talent at magic.

Her horn blazed with pure power as she struggled to create an effect similar to what Sombra had done to her, but in reverse. Rather than trapping Chrysalis in her worst nightmare, she was going to show Chrysalis her happiest ending possible.

Just as she was about to release the spell, a shockwave threw her thirty feet backwards, flipping her over and over again. She looked up weakly, and her heart nearly stopped:

Canterlot was destroyed.

Twilight couldn’t tear her eyes away from what remained of Canterlot. Every building within had been reduced to rubble. A yellow-black lance of light pierced the swirling clouds. The clouds formed eerie concentric circles around the beam, like a pinwheel about its center.

Her mind was filled with visions of her mom and dad trapped under masonry, hurt, maybe even gone. No…

How could this happen?

I should have been there. Maybe I could have helped them. Maybe they’d be…

Twilight shook her head. There they were. Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis. Three villains—no, monsters—who had just destroyed an entire city. Maybe even one still full of ponies for all she knew!

“You—” she choked out. “How could you?”

Fluttershy watched Canterlot fall. She softly wept. All those poor ponies… those helpless creatures, buried under a pile of rubble…

She closed her eyes, trying to blot out the images. But she could still see the great towers crumbling like sandcastles.

Why? Why would Grogar do this?

She looked down at the three villains not far from her. A righteous rage seared in her heart as she fluttered towards them. They’d gone too far. Now they’d have to answer to her.

Pinkie shut her eyes. She didn’t even feel her hair losing every bit of poofiness and turning straight. But she did feel something: absolute, crushing fury. Nopony, no, NOPONY hurt that many harmless ponies and got away with it.

When Pinkie opened her eyes again, she felt like the world had changed color. It was greyer, and more yellow. She looked from the beam erupting from Canterlot, over to Ponyville. Would Grogar repeat this elsewhere? How many of their other friends would…

She shook her head. No. He won’t. Not while Pinkie Pie is still around.

It was time to get some more cupcakes.

Rarity stopped worrying about her mane, or the curtains being destroyed, or any of the other horrible things happening to the aesthetics.

For Canterlot was no more.

No more Gala.

No more Canterlot Boutique.

Maybe even no more Sassy Saddles.

Even if they won—how could Twilight rule now? Equestria’s capital was completely gone.

Rainbow felt a cold dread seeping into her bones. She knew the ponies of Canterlot had probably been safely evacuated, but the ones doing the evacuation would be the Royal Guard—and the Wonderbolts. And she knew Spitfire. The safety of the citizens came before their own safety.

She felt sick. What if Spitfire didn’t make it out? Or Soarin’? Or Fleetfoot?

They were her friends. She’d flown beside them. Spent years idolizing them. And they might have just had something horrible happen to them in the line of duty.

She forced down tears. Now’s not the time to cry. Now’s the time to make sure that sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

Applejack worried for her loved ones.

If the shockwave had been that powerful even here, sending her skidding ten yards, what had it done to Granny Smith? Was she okay? What about little Apple Bloom? Her bones hadn’t finished hardening, and little fillies were fragile…

It made her sick to her stomach. Why would anypony do something like that? Even regular villainy had a goal to it: conquering subjects, or discovering magic, or revenge. But Grogar was doing this to who knew how many ponies he’d never even met!

Spike watched Canterlot crumble, dragonfire raging in his heart. The place he and Twilight had grown up was now nothing but rubble.

He wasn’t just a kid. He was a dragon. And now his home had been taken from him.

“Stay here,” he told the students. “I’ll be back soon.” Before they could answer, he dove off the treehouse. A quick flare of his wings turned his fall into a rapid glide as he shot back towards the battle.

It was time to end this.

Across Equestria, the fall of Canterlot seemed to freeze time itself

The six students gaped in horror, Ocellus breaking into tears…

“Stars preserve us,” Starswirl whispered…

“That’s not possible,” Meadowbrook murmured…

Stygian watched in rigid horror. “I thought I’d left this all behind me…”

Flash Magnus removed his helmet and closed his eyes…

“Canterlot… no…” Shining choked out. He buried his face in Cadance’s shoulder, as their tears mingled on their chests…

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom hugged tight, hoping against hope things would be okay…

And in a Las Pegasus resort, a shaky voice managed, “I-I do say, brother of mine, this may require a major revision of our business strategy…”

Chapter VI

“Pegasi are thugs!”

Coco Pommel dodged back and forth in the streets of Manehattan. She had to get back to Rarity For You before things got any crazier.

“Earth ponies are morons!”

Why’s everypony fighting? Canterlot Castle had been destroyed a few hours ago, and instead of banding together, it seemed all that was going on was arguing about the different types of ponies.

“Unicorns are elitists!”

And she’d just heard somepony shouting that all of Canterlot had been destroyed. Why aren’t ponies getting organized to help out? Why are they fighting each other?

She cast her eyes downward, and hurried towards Rarity For You.

Stygian labored over a map at the ruins of Ponehenge, Starswirl by his side. It fell to the former Pony of Shadows to organize the Pillars once more, and Starswirl to protect him and offer advice.

Royal Guards across the nation brought report after report, thanks to Flash Magnus’s instructions. Stygian listened to their tales with a mixture of horror and despair. With each new story, he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Manehattan and Vanhoover consumed by infighting unseen since the founding of Equestria. The Crystal Empire leaderless. Canterlot destroyed. Sinister black fog in Cloudsdale. Las Pegasus awash with fear and loathing.

“We’re counting on you, Stygian,” Starswirl reminded him gently. “You’re our strategist. If there is yet a chance for victory, your planning will let us find it.”

“We should have heard from Flash Magnus,” Stygian replied, his lip trembling. “I worry for him.”

“As do I. But he would want us to focus on the mission.”

Stygian nodded silently. If only I had the power I had as the Pony of Shadows, maybe I could protect Equestria myself. But that power came with a darkness on the soul. It wouldn’t be worth it to save Equestria from Grogar only to doom it myself.

Tirek watched Canterlot fall with a strange mixture of feelings. It wasn’t that he was sad. It was more that he was disappointed, frustrated, and angry. The Canterlot Archives had the most complete collection of knowledge anywhere in Equestria, and no doubt were filled with valuable secrets that he could profit immensely from. But now Grogar had buried them under mountains of rubble, if the explosion hadn’t outright incinerated them.

What a waste.

A growled whisper put an end to his pondering. “Have you destroyed Twilight Sparkle and her friends yet?” Grogar demanded through his communication spell.

“We’re still working on it,” Tirek replied with a hint of irritation. “They are proving annoyingly resilient. But we’ll prevail.”

“See that you do. I grow tired of solving all your problems.” The ram lord cut off contact without waiting for a reply.

Tirek snarled. Ordering him about, the nerve! Grogar’s conceit was outrageous. Did he really think he could command Lord Tirek? Or for that matter, Queen Chrysalis or Empress Cozy Glow?

He surveyed the battlefield. The ponies were staring at Canterlot in shock, or preparing for yet another attack. He braced himself for a revenge-fueled superlaser, and raised a shield to protect his allies.

Idle thought could wait. Now, a battle had to be won.

Chrysalis mulled over what had just happened. With Canterlot gone, Equestria’s conquest was all but assured. What she wasn’t sure was if she’d be able to enjoy it.

Grogar was the one who brought us all together, yes, but he has also ordered us about like common servants. He sees us as minions, not collaborators, co-conspirators, or equals.

And I suspect he’ll seek to betray us as soon as it’s tactically advantageous. After all, I and my allies are all experienced rulers, and we’ll be a threat to his rule.

She licked her lips. That was what made their impending betrayal of him all the sweeter. As soon as these ponies are destroyed, we’ll go get his bell and use it to backstab him.

She searched the battlefield. Despite the horrified looks on the ponies’ faces, they were managing to avoid all attacks.

“Grogar just told me to hurry up with the annihilation of Twilight’s friends,” Tirek said sourly. “He could come and help, but that’s beneath someone like him.”

Chrysalis hissed. His impudence truly knew no bounds.

“Keep this shield up if you can, Tirek,” Chrysalis asked. “Let’s figure out a way to win this here and now.”

Cozy put a hoof to her chin, smiling so incredibly innocently. “Golly, you two sure are working hard to win. I’m lucky to have teammates like you!”

Cozy fumed. That IDIOT Grogar is ruining everything! He destroyed Canterlot, my future capital, and had all but guaranteed invasion by foreign nations against Equestria! If I’d just been chosen as Empress of Friendship by a popular revolution, Equestria’s allies would have had no choice but to accept my legitimacy. But now we’ll have to contend with the militaries of multiple allies of Equestria, rebellions within, and who knows what else! All because of him!

“Golly, you two sure are working hard to win. I’m lucky to have teammates like you!” Cozy said sincerely. They really were splendid teammates, and conquering Equestria with them was so fun.

She scanned the skies on an impulse. It was hard through the vortex of Tirek’s orange magic, but she could just make out three spiraling blue-white spirits: Windigos! “Ummm… Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, look over there…”

They followed her hoof, and both gasped.

“They’re back?” Tirek wondered. “I thought the Fire of Friendship drove them away forever?”

“Oh no. No, no, no, this is a very bad sign,” Chrysalis muttered. “Did Grogar summon them?”

“He was creating a massive summoning circle,” Cozy offered. “So… what does this mean? Them being back, I mean.”

“It means there will barely be any love for me or my changelings to feed on,” Chrysalis hissed.

“Ponies can’t bow to my will if they’re always battling each other,” Tirek agreed.

“And an army that’s always fighting itself isn’t an effective army,” Cozy finished. “So… what do we do now?”

“I have a plan,” Tirek offered. “You two will need to trust me on it, and I might need your advice, Cozy.”

As quickly as possible, he explained his idea. Chrysalis snarled in fury, as Cozy returned to her customary smugness. “Ready?” he asked. As they nodded, he put his plan into effect.

Tirek dropped his shield, and amplified his voice. “I have a deal to offer you, ponies,” he boomed. “One you won’t refuse.”

“The only ‘deal’ we’re making is that if you surrender, we’ll put you back in Tartarus instead of turning you to stone!” Rainbow retorted.

“Wait. What deal are you proposing?” Rarity asked, suspicious but interested. “What do you want?”

“Your help in defeating Grogar!” he announced. Their stunned faces told him Cozy had called their reactions right.

“Waaaait just a minute. Why do you want to fight Grogar?” Pinkie asked, her lip curling with doubt. “Don’t you work for him?”

“Queen Chrysalis serves no one! Least of all some self-important, jumped-up senile old ram with delusions of grandeur!”

“What Her Majesty is trying to say is that we all want to rule Equestria,” Cozy explained. “Grogar seems to want to destroy it. If we help him, what’s going to be left for us to rule?”

“Ya didn’t seem to have a problem destroyin’ Canterlot Castle,” Applejack said. She raised a single eyebrow. “Why’s Equestria different?”

“Targeted destruction of one building complex and the end of civilization as we know it are very different,” Tirek answered.

The ponies still looked confused. Cozy gave a slight wing signal, and Chrysalis jumped in to finish it.

“Look around!” the queen cried. “The Windigos are back. Canterlot is gone. Grogar’s summoning who knows what. If he wins, my swarm will never eat well again!”

Slowly, the light of reason reached each pony’s eyes. “You know that I’ve upheld past bargains,” Tirek concluded. “Here’s one: neither me nor my allies will do anything against you until we’ve overthrown Grogar.” He offered a huge hand, each finger bigger than a pony, to shake.

Twilight looked up at the huge centaur. He was a nasty villain… but he and his friends were right. If Grogar won, there wouldn’t be an Equestria left to save.

She waved her friends over to talk, and saw a welcome sight—Spike flying towards her. He looked angrier than he’d ever been. With a nod, he circled towards her.

“Why aren’t we attacking them?” he demanded bluntly. “They destroyed Canterlot!”

“No they didn’t,” Fluttershy said. “Grogar did. They want to rule Equestria. And they want our help fighting Grogar.”

“Can we trust them?” Rainbow asked. “They’re all really bad guys.”

“No, we can’t trust ‘em,” Applejack replied. She took off her hat, resolve burning in her eyes. “But we need ‘em. Grogar beat Discord without much trouble!”

“Yeah. He’s a super-duper-mega-meanie!” Pinkie pawed the ground. She added, her voice wavering, “I hope Celestia and Luna are okay…”

Spike made a shut-up sign, but it was too late. The words were already out, and Twilight’s face fell into frozen horror.

“I want to fight them. I want to have justice for what happened to Celestia. But… I guess sometimes a ruler has to put the good of the world over her own feelings of justice.” Twilight closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.

“Let’s save Equestria. After that… we can set things right for the princesses.” She turned back to Tirek. “I’ll accept your deal… on one condition.”

“What?” He looked down at her imperiously.

“You return the magic you stole from my brother and whomever he was traveling with.” She stared right in his eyes. “As a show of good faith.”

He glanced to Cozy, and then to Chrysalis, before back to her. “Deal.” He opened his mouth and three orbs of magic flew out. They zoomed up into the sky, and back towards Ponyville. He shrunk down, down, to a far smaller, but still quite large, size.

One by one, the six ponies and the dragon shook Tirek’s hand. Chrysalis spat. Cozy grinned. Tirek simply nodded.

Twilight watched the three villains very carefully. Their reactions to her agreement to the truce would tell her about their future plans.

Tirek’s tail flicked back and forth, and he drummed his fingers on the ground. He kept looking over his shoulder back at Canterlot, frowning every time he did so.

Chrysalis’s eyes blazed as she paced back and forth. She kept igniting her horn before fizzling it out, and every now and again she’d close her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, they were even more ferocious.

Cozy Glow wore a hauntingly kind, innocent smile as she fluttered between the two other villains’. She gently beat her wings to stay aloft, before spiraling down onto Tirek’s shoulder.

Twilight wasn’t a master of interaction like Cozy, but she hadn’t gotten to be Princess of Friendship without learning a thing or two about how ponies acted. Tirek was frustrated and worried about something related to Canterlot. Chrysalis was infuriated, probably burning to exact revenge on Starlight and bitter that she couldn’t just do so right now. And Cozy… Cozy was confusing. Even now, her emotions were easy to read, implying she was faking them—or pretending to fake them, and showing her genuine emotion? It hurt Twilight’s head to think about. How many layers of deception was Cozy using?

Distracted with diplomacy, nopony noticed the very subtle tremor in the earth below.

Gallus perched on the edge of the Treehouse of Harmony’s window, looking out at the site of the battle. The professors were talking with the villains now, attacks abandoned in favor of words.

It made him sick to his stomach to admit, but the decision to call a truce—for what else could be going on?—made sense. Cozy wanted to rule, after all, and a world of ruins wasn’t much to rule over. From what he knew of Tirek and Chrysalis, similar motives drove them both as well.

Gallus clenched his claw into a fist. Useful allies they might be, but these three are still horrible and deserve to have justice meted out once this is over. They’ve done so many awful things, and belong back in Tartarus.

He felt a gentle but hard hoof on his shoulder. Ocellus. “Are you okay, Gallus? You’re starting to scratch the floor.”

He looked down. Sure enough, his paws were fully extended and reflexively curling, leaving lines in the crystalline ground. “I’m just… mad. I understand why our teachers are working with Cozy and her friends, but I don’t like it.”

“We could always do something ourselves,” Sandbar offered. “We stopped Cozy before. And I’m sure the professors would like a backup plan.”

“What it called in pony language?” Yona asked. “Hidden… sneak attackers?”

“Secret agents!” Gallus flashed a smile. “We could tail the professors, and intervene if it looks like they’re about to get betrayed.”

“We stopped Cozy before,” Smolder said, cracking her claws. “And this time, she doesn’t have an army of brainwashed ponies on her side.”

Silverstream put her claws to her mouth, grinning in ecstasy. “Ooooh, I’ve never been a secret agent before! What do we do?”

Ocellus engulfed her body with baby blue lightning, and she became Cozy Glow. “Golly, Chrysalis, it sure is such a scary thing that Tirek can eat our magic! Golly, maybe you should get him before he gets you! Golly, not that I mean betray him, golly—just protect yourself!”

Gallus’s face met the crystal floor as he collapsed into uncontrollable laughter. He felt Sandbar and Silverstream land next to him, both laughing as hard as he was.

Ocellus transformed again, this time into Tirek. “I love eating magic and lifting weights, and I HATE cute things! You’re so annoyingly cute, Cozy! I can’t stand it!”

“B-gawwwkhahahahah!” Gallus cluck-wheezed.

Ocellus giggled along, and returned to her native form. “I’ve been working on that. I think something like that, but less silly, could really help us.”

“It… it could,” Gallus agreed, finally catching his breath. He unsteadily got to his feet. “Everycreature ready?”

One by one, they nodded. He allowed himself a cocky smile. “Then let’s go!”

“We have an errand to run,” Tirek said. Twilight predictably raised an eyebrow. “We’ll be back in two hours or so, most likely.” He shrugged. “It’s up to you what you do in the meantime. But it’d be a bad idea for you to attack Grogar before we return. You’ll need us to win.”

Twilight sighed. “I… agree. I don’t think either of our groups can prevail alone.” She gave him a glare. “But that doesn’t give you license to do whatever you want.”

Tirek didn’t bother to answer beyond a noncommittal shrug. Twilight’s bluster just wasn’t very interesting to him, and she refused to accept the value of powering himself up by draining magic from other ponies.

Tirek’s thoughts were interrupted by Fluttershy’s piercing gaze. He felt something weird as she stared deep into him. Something weird and more than a little scary. “And you won’t hurt anypony else, will you?” she asked, steel in her normally-helpless voice. “Will you?”

He could feel beads of sweat running down his face as her eyes drilled holes in his soul.”I… alright, I won’t! Just stop making that face!”

Fluttershy broke off the horrible stare. “Good.” She trotted to beside Rainbow, no longer concerned with the centaur.

“Let’s get going, you two,” Cozy suggested. “We want to be as quick as possible so Grogar doesn’t suspect anything.”

“Right,” Chrysalis hummed as she turned into a roc. Tirek and Cozy climbed on board, and Chrysalis-Roc took to the skies. He looked over his shoulder at the six ponies and their pet dragon. They were discussing in hushed tones—too quiet for him to hear the meaning of, but loud enough to tell him they were stressed.

He settled down on Chrysalis’s plumage, and gave Cozy Glow a little smile. It wouldn’t be long now.

Chrysalis beat her wings rhythmically, letting her mind wander. Now that the battle was adjourned, she had time to think about what she’d do once she prevailed.

Starlight Glimmer must pay for what she’s done to me. Oh, she must pay in full. But first, this victory has to last. It wouldn’t do me any good to take vengeance on Starlight only to be banished to the moon.

Between Tirek’s might as magical artillery, and Cozy’s frankly uncanny ability to manipulate, I’m fairly certain I can retake the hive. And then…

Well, Thorax has to go, obviously. I’ll make an example of him, and perhaps a couple other notable traitors like Ocellus, and then let the rest back into the swarm after a suitable level of groveling. I believe Pharynx is still trying to cling to the old ways. He’ll be restored to captain of the guard, of course. And I will rule once more!

As for the horrid coloration of the changelings, I’ll simply require them all to shapeshift back to a comfortable black. Recreating my beloved antimagic throne will take decades, but it won’t be impossible. And with Cozy and Tirek ruling over Equestria, I’ll have all the time I’ll need.

After reconquering the Hive, I’ll request my fri—allies to send her Starlight Glimmer. Neither Tirek nor Cozy has any particular grudge against Starlight Glimmer, so they will most likely agree. And then… then, the fate I will visit upon Starlight Glimmer will be whispered around dimming campfires for centuries to come.

The thought brought a cheerful smile to her avian body.

Cozy snuggled into Chrysalis’s huge feathers. With the wind rushing past, it was nice to have something to hold on to. She distanced herself from her emotions as possible, and reasoned logically.

Grogar had the power to scry on them. It might only apply to locations, not individuals, and he might be too busy summoning things, but it was foolhardy to assume any of those. She had to come up with an alibi if he scryed them—and she had to tell the others. Her brain whirred with the calculating power of ten Twilights, and in a few moments she had it.

“Remember, we’re going to the hideout because Princess Twilight and her friends teleported there. You detected their destination by trying to eat her magic during the teleport, Tirek. We’re delayed but not beaten.”

Tirek nodded his so-much-smaller head. “Understood. Chrysalis, did you catch that?”

Chrysalis replied, her deep bass voice smooth “But of course. We are his loyal servants.” Cozy grinned. One thing continued to trouble the filly, however:

The self-proclaimed “heroes” know all about my love of treachery. What if they decide to take a lesson from me and preemptively betray us?

Back at the gates of the Castle of the Two Sisters, the six ponies and Spike conferred.

“So what should we do while those three are off on their, uh, errand?” Spike asked.

“Prepare for battle,” Dash suggested. “We don’t know what Grogar’s summoned, but if the windigos are part of his army, it’s probably really bad.”

“Um… I just have an idea, but I think…” Fluttershy took a deep breath, and steeled her resolve. “I think we need to help ponies.” The others turned towards her, listening attentively. “The Royal Guard can help keep peace and protect ponies, but we’re Equestria’s best friendship problem solvers.”

“The map!” Twilight said, her eyes twinkling. “It’ll lead us right to where we’re most needed.”

“Shucks, I reckon yer right!” Applejack said excitedly. “But how are we gonna get from Ponyville to all across Equestria?”

“I believe I can assist with that,” an old, crinkly voice offered.

Twilight pirouetted on her hooves. “Starswirl!” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with joy.

“Twilight, it’s good to see you again!” He trotted forward, Stygian just behind him. “I’ve continued to study friendship across Equestria. But I still have much to learn, and that’s why I believe only you six can aid Equestria in this time of need.”

“Yes, it’s a pleasant surprise to run into you, Starswirl,” Rarity interjected as politely as she could. “But we really should be off.”

“That’s what I was talking about! With Twilight’s assistance, I believe myself and her can teleport each of you to your destination, and back again once you’re finished.” He gestured. “In fact, let’s try now. Twilight?”

She nodded, and charged her horn. He matched her beam of magic with one of his own, and a moment later, all nine of them reappeared in Twilight’s crystal princess castle.

Stygian laid out his maps on the crystal table. “I had an idea based upon the search you did for me when I was, well, evil, and by the stories you’ve told of how it works. The map detects friendship problems on its own, right?” Ponies around the room nodded.

“Why isn’t it going crazy right now?” he asked rhetorically. “I don’t know for sure, but my guess is it can’t handle all these friendship problems. Everypony’s fighting in Manehattan and Vanhoover. Las Pegasus, the Crystal Empire, Appleloosa, Cloudsdale, I suspect there’s just too much going on for the map to handle it.”

“To fix this, I suggest Twilight and Starswirl calculate problems for just one city at a time, and record them to overlay at the end. After that, we can teleport you all to where you’ll be able to fix things.” He gave a nervous smile. “I’d offer to go, but I’m… not the best at solving friendship problems. I’m much more suited to organizing, like this. So, what’ll be your groups?”

“The map decides that,” Pinkie explained. “It’ll tell us where we need to go!”

“So,” Cozy asked loudly, her voice carrying over the wind, “Once we get the bell, what are we gonna do with it?”

“I read through that book we stole. I have a few ideas,” Chrysalis replied in a far louder voice. Her roc throat gave her incredible volume.

“So do I,” Tirek added. “You probably won’t get much out of it, Cozy, but you’re a different sort of fighter anyway.”

“Perhaps we could enchant you with an amplified voice so covering ears won’t do anything,” Chrysalis suggested. “Or create magic shields to protect you?”

“Golly, anything’s great, really,” Cozy said. “I’m used to being just a harmless kid, so if I could maintain that image while not being one…” She grinned evilly—which, on her, still looked pretty adorable. “Well, let’s just say it’d be a lot of fun. What about you guys? What do you want?”

“Well, I’d like to enhance my shapeshifting powers,” Chrysalis answered. “This is about as big as I can go right now, and I can’t copy some special combat abilities. When we retake Canterlot, I want to be able to shift into the most powerful forms.”

“There’s something bigger than a roc?” Cozy asked in wonder.

“Many creatures,” Tirek said. “Including me, once I’ve had enough magic to eat. That’s my main goal—more magic, and more sources. Imagine if I could drain magic from the ground or the air!”

Cozy giggled innocently. “That sure would be super! Anything else?”

“I have one other idea, but I don’t want to get your hopes up until I know it’s possible,” Chrysalis said. “We’ll see if it is once we land. And assuming it is possible, I think you’ll both be very, very excited.”

Chrysalis brought the trio in for a smooth corkscrew down to the swamp hideout. “Well, here we are.” Tirek and Cozy jumped off her back. “We should probably… ugh… contact Grogar, so he doesn’t contact us when we’re busy.” She bathed in green light, and reverted to her hole-filled natural form.

“If we had some artifacts, I could get us a nice magic circle going,” Cozy pouted. “But I don’t. Can you guys cast it?”

“Yes, of course,” Tirek replied. “But let’s head inside. It looks like it’s about to rain.”

The trio trotted or flew inside, as befit their limbs, and arrived at one of the tables Grogar had created. Chrysalis and Tirek got to work as Cozy settled into one of the seats, fluffing her curls to increase her adorability.

“Urgh, I hate this spell. Only servants should cast it, not a Queen!” Chrysalis said. “It’s unbefitting of someling of my status.”

“Remember, we’re his loyal servants, working together, chasing down the self-righteous heroes!” Cozy put on a “grrr” face, somehow becoming even cuter. “We’re checking in to report our progress.”

“Right,” Tirek said, stroking his chin. “Chrysalis, just think of yourself as Queen once more. Breathe deeply, inhale for six seconds, hold for four, exhale for eight.”

The changeling took deep breaths. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. She opened her eyes. “Very well. I am Grogar’s loyal servant.”

She and Tirek fired two beams together, meeting in the air just above the table. The ground cracked from the energy, and the dust floated upwards to form a shadowy, orange-green outline.

Cozy was maintaining her “war face”. Now to pull the wool over Grogar’s eyes.

The ram stared out across them imperiously. “Well? What is so important that you contact me? What have you been doing for the past half hour?”

“We fought Twilight and her friends at the ruined castle,” Cozy answered, “and we almost beat them, but they teleported away! Tirek did some super cool magic stuff and found out they’d teleported here, so we flew over.”

“And have you captured them yet?” Grogar demanded.

“That’s just it: they’re not here,” Tirek said. He flicked a finger, annoyed. “So either I tracked them incorrectly, which is unlikely, or they teleported again.”

“Arrgh, fools! If you were able to track Twilight Sparkle, it’s probably because she wanted you to! Search the surrounding area for an ambush, and then return here.” Grogar glanced away from the communication spell. “I have other business to attend to. Do not fail me.” The spell fizzled out before any of them could reply.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. Tirek snorted. And Cozy? Cozy just imagined Grogar dead. It was such a nice, happy image!

Chapter VII

Chrysalis stalked over to where they’d hidden the bell. She heard Tirek’s hooves clip-clopping, and the faint whirr of Cozy’s little wings. The changeling said, “I’ll be right back. I have something to attend to.”

Chrysalis buzzed into her room. The Mean Twilight log was still where she’d left it. She landed next to it, and stared at it.

“Well, it’s all come to this. Soon we’ll overthrow our ‘master.’“ Chrysalis spat the last word like it was acid. “Soon I will be Queen again.”

The log sat there. It didn’t reply. But Chrysalis could imagine what it would say if it could. “Aren’t you being too trusting? Tirek could steal all your magic, and Cozy could stir up a mob against you. Or the Bearers might decide to attack first.”

“You’re right, of course,” Chrysalis answered the voice that wasn’t there. “But somehow… I know Tirek and Cozy won’t betray me. I just know.”

“You’ve forged a bond with them like the one you had with us,” Pharynx’s phantom voice replied.

“Yes, yes that’s it,” Chrysalis agreed. “And I will rule my hive again.”

“We miss you, Your Majesty,” Pharynx said.

“Come back to us!” Sclerite begged.

“We need you! Thorax is an incompetent weakling who is leading us to ruin!” Cornicle pleaded.

“My brother lacks the strength to rule well,” Pharynx finished.

Chrysalis opened her eyes she only just realized she’d closed. They were all cheering for her. Almost everyone at the Hive hated living under Thorax’s rule. He was only king because of the meddling of the ponies. And with Empress Cozy Glow keeping ponies out of changeling internal affairs, she’d be free to rule once more!

Cozy greeted Chrysalis with a gentle, and in fact sincere, smile. “Feeling better?”

“How much of that did you hear?” Chrysalis demanded, whirling to face her.

“All of it,” Cozy answered. “Well, all of your part at least.” She didn’t ask the question “who were you talking to”, because she had a pretty good guess. Chrysalis had some emotional hangups related to her hive. Cozy idly wondered if she could put her unique manipulation talent to work helping someone work through their life problems.

Tirek’s arrival snapped her out of her wandering thoughts. There’d be enough time to work that out later.

“So, we’re all here.” Tirek smiled coldly. “We have Grogar’s bell.” He lifted it aloft. “We have the guide on how to use it.” He laid the book they’d stolen out on the table. “And we have the determination to overthrow Grogar.”

“Mmm, indeed,” Chrysalis agreed. “I’ve had enough of taking orders from that goat.”

“Oooh, I love backstabbing!” Cozy grinned in the most diabolical way. “Especially against a would-be supreme leader like Grogar!”

“Then let’s begin,” Tirek said. He bent over the book. It was filled with complex symbols and runes. “Chrysalis, would you help me with this spell?” he asked. “It looks difficult.” He didn’t like to admit it, but it was true.

Chrysalis scanned the page. “Yes, I think so. Together?”

“Together,” he agreed. Chrysalis fluttered over to opposite him, the bell equidistant between them.

“Go team!” Cozy cheered. “You can do it!”

Tirek inhaled deeply, and focused. His horns blazed with fiery power. A beam of the energy slammed into Grogar’s bell. It splintered into a thousand tiny lines, crisscrossing the bell over and over. Chrysalis unleashed her own laser, meeting his with equal force. It fractured and wove between his lines, forming a cage of pure magic. The bell vanished between strings of orange and green.

Chrysalis gasped between heaving breaths, “It’s not matching up! The bell isn’t responding!”

Beside him, Cozy was flipping through page after page of the book. “Petrification… Secret transformations… Synchronizing! Okay, here! ‘Increase and decrease the radius in time to a pony’s heartbeat.’“ She blinked. “How do we do that?”

Chrysalis and Tirek locked eyes, and nodded. They both lunged for Cozy with a hand or hoof. The little filly screamed in shock as they grabbed for her, and tried to dodge, but to no avail…

And the centaur and changeling each carefully felt her pulse. “G-golly, I thought you guys were gonna… heh, nevermind.” She wiped some sweat from her brow.

Chrysalis and Tirek stared into each others’ eyes again, and adjusted the constrictions of their magical cage to Cozy Glow’s pulse. The cage expanded, contracted, and seemed to hum with latent power. From within the web of Chrysalis’s green and Tirek’s red-orange, a grim yellow-black radiated through. Tirek could see the bell again as it illuminated the cage. Moments later, it was blazing so bright he had to close his eyes. But with his eyes closed, he could still see it through his eyelids.

Suddenly, Tirek felt his magic changing. The bell was shaping the flow of light from a sphere to a torus, and then to a whirling, rotating helix. The bell hovered at the middle, somehow both pitch-black and blindingly yellow. It burned like a hole in space, an event horizon of magic.

The magic kept building up as Tirek struggled to maintain control. At last, it twisted out of his grasp, and he was hurled back against the wall.

His head spun, but he held on to consciousness. Five paces from him, the bell hovered in the air, slowly rotating.

He called out with a wince, “Everyone okay?”

“Grgghugh,” Cozy groaned. “I think so.”

“My exoskeleton,” Chrysalis complained. “I feel like I just got backhoofed by an Ursa.”

Tirek shakily got to his hooves. He trotted slowly to Cozy and then to Chrysalis, helping each of them up. “After all that, I sure hope we got the bell working.” He guided them to the table, now cracked and nearly split in two. The book they’d stolen, however, had only suffered superficial damage.

“Chrysalis, would you like to receive the first spell from the bell?” Tirek asked the changeling.

Chrysalis grinned. “Yes. Can you amplify my shapeshifting power?”

Cozy handed Tirek their guidebook. He flipped through the pages, before settling on a spell that seemed to fit. He channeled magic into the bell, and the bell responded.

A cloud of yellow-black fog poured out of it and washed over Queen Chrysalis. She hacked and coughed as it stuck to her. Her body absorbed it all, changing into a taller, lither form with longer, stronger wings. Her eyes glowed with a ferocious lime light, and even her horn mutated to have a perpetually-green tip.

She grinned. “Yesssss, this is perfect. But this new body will require a new set of armor.” She channeled her now-lime magic over her body. Her little spiky crown grew into a helmet wrapping around her head down to her chin, a set of armor styled to look like chitin appeared around her chest, and sharpened boots encased her hooves up to her knees.

“I’ll be right back,” Chrysalis said as she headed for the door. Tirek shrugged, and continued reading the book.

Cozy fluttered to a position where she could keep an eye on both of them, probably to make sure nothing bad happened. Tirek shook his head with a wry smile. What powers could I even give somepony like that? She wins by talking, not fighting.

A minute or so later, Chrysalis came back in, now wet with rainwater but smiling wickedly. “I am impressed, Tirek. That exceeded my wildest expectations. It seems this bell is indeed all it was whispered to be.”

“Golly, you’re such a powerful fighter, Chrysalis. If I were Grogar, I’d be really scared right about you.” Cozy gave Chrysalis a sincere, encouraging look.

“Speaking of…” Chrysalis put an armored hoof to her lip. “What enchantments would you like to benefit from, Tirek?”

“Hmmm,” he wondered aloud. “Perhaps…”

Near the foothills of Canterlot, four unicorns stuck close together. With things as crazy as they were, there was safety in numbers.

“Do you think the princesses are okay?” Lemon Hearts asked.

“Of course. I mean, Twilight’s a princess, and she and her friends have never failed to protect Equestria. R-right?” Minuette asked, smiling nervously. She glanced back and forth. You can never be sure when some crazy pegasus or earth pony decides to start bullying you.

“If anypony can do it, she can,” Moondancer offered. “I’m just worried nopony can.”

Minuette said, her voice flatter than usual, “I believe in her. She can do it.” She didn’t sound confident at all.

“Why aren’t our allies helping?” Twinkleshine asked. “Where are they? Why haven’t the dragons or yaks or changelings come to help us?”

“I’m sure they’re on their way,” Minuette tried to reassure her. Am I really trying to reassure myself?

“Black fog!” Moondancer interrupted. “Let’s get out of here!”

Indeed, a dark fog was swirling right towards them. The four friends sprinted away. Moondancer tried not to think about how the fog seemed to have a mind of its own.

Cloudsdale was in many ways the greatest pegasus city in Equestria’s history. But today, it was in bad shape. It wasn’t suffering the riots so many other towns were, but it had its own problems.

“Everypony calm down!” Rainbow Dash demanded. “We’ll get things under control if you all would just stop freaking out!”

“But the weather’s going crazy!” a weatherpony retorted. “There’s snow all across Equestria. An entire district of our city had to be evacuated!”

“I know you’re all scared and upset,” Fluttershy offered kindly. “I am too. But panicking won’t solve anything.”

“The factory is shutting down,” a pony Dash recognized as Clear Skies reported. “That horrible black fog caused a panic and everypony fled.”

“Black fog?” Fluttershy asked.

“Thick, billowing black fog. It moved so fast and seemed to have a mind of its own!” Open Skies added. “Maybe there’s some awful fog monster going through here?”

Rainbow Dash locked eyes with Fluttershy. Did Grogar summon something like that? “We’ll be right back,” Rainbow promised the ponies. “We just have to talk with some of OUR friends.”

Dash and Fluttershy tapped their cutie marks. A moment later, they flickered out of sight.

Pinkie gaped in horror. She’d just been teleported to what Stygian assured her would be loud and quarrelsome. It was one of the locations ponies evacuated from Canterlot had been taken. And yet, not a single pony was to be found.

She zoomed back and forth, checking behind trees, in rocky caves, and even under rocks, but absolutely nopony was here. The only sign of their presence were tracks heading back towards Canterlot.

What happened? They were far enough from Canterlot Grogar probably wouldn’t have done anything to them, and there’s no sign of a fight. It’s like everypony just decided to go for a walk right back to the place they’d fled from.

Decided… or made to decide. Pinkie made a war face. Grrrr! So that’s what’s going on. These ponies were mind controlled!

I wish I had my sleuthing helmet, but sometimes you have to solve a problem in bad conditions. This is one of those times. Somepony had mind controlled everypony here!

Hmmm, but heading after them is dangerous. I’ll check back in with the others, and then we can go save the day.

Pinkie cracked her tail. And when she met whoever had stolen the minds of all these poor innocent ponies, they’d be sorry. Her party cannon had some meanie’s name on it.

Sweetie Belle lifted a vine with her telekinesis. She carefully tied it into a knot, and threaded it through another vine.

“This is hard,” she complained. “How do you do it so fast, Apple Bloom?”

“Earth pony magic!” Apple Bloom said with a big smile on her face. She was quickly weaving vines into nets. “Workin’ with vines is kinda like workin’ with apples. Just more stringy.”

“It’s a good thing the Washouts left their equipment behind,” Scootaloo added, packing a net into a cannon. “This stuff is dangerous. Dangerous is exactly what we need to fight off monsters!”

“Y’all ever wish Babs were here? I bet she’d do great.” Apple Bloom asked between bites to tie knots.

“Yeah,” Sweetie replied. “But I bet she’s doing the same thing we are in Manehattan. Maybe she’s fighting a secret war from the tunnels and skyscrapers!”

“Speaking of fighting, when do you think we’ll see some action?” Scootaloo asked, cantering in place. “I wanna defeat bad guys!”

“Prince Shining and Princess Cadance asked us to stay near Ponyville and protect it,” Apple Bloom reminded her. “Since they got their magic back, Tirek was probably defeated. If he wasn’t, he’s gonna want revenge. If he was, his friends will. Either way, we’re the ones keepin’ Ponyville safe.”

“I know,” Scootaloo sighed. “I’m just boooored!”

“Don’t worry, Scootaloo. I’m sure you’ll get some excitement soon. After what happened to Canterlot, I bet monsters will try to do the same to Ponyville.” Sweetie Bell gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

“Let’s get a move on. We need to set up our traps ahead of time t’make ‘em work as best as we can!”

“You’re probably right,” Scootaloo said. “Let’s go get ready to save Ponyville!”

Twilight paced back and forth. Pinkie’s report was dire, Fluttershy and Rainbow’s scarcely less so. Together, they’d been making progress, but the fact remained: Equestria was on the verge of total collapse.

Her musings were interrupted by Starswirl. “Twilight! Two ponies are here to see you.”

She looked up at him, and spotted who had just arrived. “Shining!” she shouted as she ran over to him, giving him a firm hug. “I was really worried. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Twily,” he reassured her. “Where’s Chrysalis? What happened?”

“Off on an ‘errand.’“ She rolled her eyes. “As for what happened, well, we reached a truce.”

“A truce?” Cadance asked skeptically. “You don’t actually trust them, do you?”

“I trust them to act selfishly but intelligently,” Twilight said with a shrug. “They want to rule Equestria. And they all realized that Grogar will leave nothing but ruins, so they want him stopped as much as we do.”

Shining Armor considered her words, and nodded. “Of course. They’re evil, but they’re smart. And since they want to rule, not destroy, they can probably be trusted for now. If we win, they’ll most likely betray us right afterwards, so be ready for that. But until then, they should make good allies.”

“I see what you mean,” Cadance agreed. “But after we defeat Grogar, it might be wise to immediately capture them.”

“We won’t do that,” Rainbow said firmly. “We’re not betraying our allies.” Something in her voice told Twilight there wouldn’t be any use arguing, so she decided to change the subject.

“What about you two?” Twilight asked. “What will you do now?”

“I think we should head back to the Crystal Empire. It needs protecting too, after all.” Shining gave Twilight a hug of his own. “And you’ve got things under control here.”

Twilight hugged Shining even tighter. “Please be careful. Grogar is really dangerous.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be okay,” Cadance said. She gave Twilight a reassuring smile.

Twilight nodded, and let go of Shining. He and Cadance trotted away together. Twilight watched them until they were out of sight.

Rarity and Applejack walked through the opulent Las Pegasus resort. It was strangely deserted.

“Ah hate this place,” Applejack muttered. “Flim and Flam are makin’ money by scammin’ other ponies!”

“You must admit though, the decor is simply splendid,” Rarity said. “Such style! Such fabulosity!”

Applejack was about to give her thoughts when an all-too-familiar voice interrupted. “Well, it certainly is a surprise to see you here, Applejack,” Flim said. He’d slid up to right beside her.

“But a pleasant one, isn’t that right Flim?” Flam added.

“Absolutely! We’re always happy to entertain guests with your status!” He grinned. “And we’re truly flattered that the legendarily discerning Rarity considers our decor splendid. So, what can we do for you ladies?’

“The friendship map told us there was a problem we could solve here. We’d like your help in locating it, if you would be so kind as to humor us.”

“Rarity!” Applejack hissed. When Rarity gave her an inquisitive look, Applejack waved her to the side.

“What is it, Applejack?”

“Ah think Flim and Flam are the friendship problem! Even in a time this dire, they’re still takin’ advantage of gullible ponies!”

Rarity put a hoof to her lip. “I understand your concern, Applejack, but we have to start somewhere. And these two do know Las Pegasus quite well.” Applejack sighed, but choose not to raise any further arguments. Rarity turned back to the brothers.

“We would be honored to help however we can!” Flim replied. “What exactly are we looking for?”

“Well, friendship problems can take many forms. Arguments, feuds, societal issues…”

“For that, Miss Rarity, you only need look out the window.” Flam pointed behind them.

Las Pegasus was in chaos. Ponies were screaming at each other, stealing things from stores, and in a few cases even getting in fights.

“Ah…” Applejack said, taking her hat off in astonishment. “Ah don’t know what to say.”

Flim nodded. “We barricaded our resort the moment it started.”

“But it’s not a sustainable business model to turn this place into a fortress,” Flam said. “And so, we would very much like your help in calming things down.”

“So you want to help… because not helpin’ would cut into yer profits!?” Applejack asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Flam answered bluntly. Flim made a quick hoof signal, and Flam abruptly closed his mouth.

“What my brother means to say is that while that is certainly one of our motivations, we do have others as well.” Flim gave Rarity another smile. “We have friends of our own, and we certainly don’t want anything bad to happen to them. So economic interest is a part of it, but it is by no means all—and even if we wouldn’t make a single bit off helping you, we’d do it anyway.” Flam nodded his agreement.

Applejack raised an eyebrow in unmitigated skepticism. Rarity chuckled nervously, and suggested, “How about you shake on it?”

Flim and Flam offered their hooves to Applejack. With a sigh, she spat into her hooves, and shook them both. “Alright. For Equestria’s sake.”

Rarity dashed in to break the awkward situation with, “Then it’s settled. Come along, boys. We have work to do!”

The little villages of Sire’s Hollow had been converted to a fortress. Hay bales blocked the road, and unicorns stood ready to fire lasers at any threat.

But when the attack came, it came in a different form. The ground rumbled, and their barricades collapsed into newly-formed holes. A house followed suit, its walls folding inwards in a resounding CRASH.

“Help!” a colt called out from within. “I’m trapped!”

Firelight and Stellar Flare rushed to the scene. They frantically tried to dig him out, but there were just so many ruins.

A shadow fell over the two of them. They looked up in unison, and gasped.

Rockhoof landed beside them, shovel at the ready. “Don’t worry, little one. I’ll get you outta there.” He thrust his shovel in between the planks of wood, and with a mighty heave, threw half the house to the side.

The colt scampered out, and gave him a hug. “You saved me!”

“Just doing my job,” Rockhoof replied. “Now, let’s figure out who’s destroyin’ your homes, and put a stop to it!”

Just outside Professor Twilight’s castle, the six students at the School of Friendship skulked in the shadows. The cold, grey sky cast a pale pall over the land.

“I just thought of something,” Ocellus said quietly. “Chrysalis, disguised as Fluttershy, mentioned Grogar. So did Spike. It took me a while to recognize the name, but I figured it out.” Ocellus looked up at them. “Guys… he’s the Father of Monsters. Our oldest myths call him the creator of the changeling species.”

“Hey, I heard something similar. He created dragonkind, or at least that’s what a book I read said.” Gallus shrugged as Yona stared at him. “What? I can enjoy reading too.”

“What do you think it means?” Silverstream asked, a hoof against her chin. “In general, I mean.”

“It’s possible he’ll reach out to either the changelings or the dragons,” Ocellus said hesitantly. “If that happens, some might join him.”

“There are a bunch of dragons who want to go back to how things use to be,” Smolder explained. “If he wants allies, he can find ‘em there.”

Sandbar nervously looked over his shoulder. “So… what should we do?”

“Let’s go see the professors.” Silverstream gave her friends encouraging smiles. “They’ll know what to do. Follow me!”

Spike stood atop one of the many balconies of his castle. Well, technically it was Twilight’s castle, but he was her little brother, so he had a share in it. From his high perch, he looked out over the Everfree forest.

Their battle with the villains had devastated the area. Trees had been reduced to splinters, craters pocketed the ground, and a fissure ran out of Everfree to right beside the castle. Among the blasted area, six creatures cantered (or did their species’ equivalent) towards the castle.

Spike flew back to the map room. “The students are coming here!”

Twilight turned around. “How far are they? Did they look hurt?”

“No, they look fine.” Spike glanced around the table. Everypony but Rarity and Applejack was here.

“Can you go greet them and lead them here? It’s a little easy to get lost in this place,” Twilight said with a little smile.

“Can do!” He saluted, and flew downstairs. He flew out the window and down towards there. It was easy to intercept the six creatures.

“Hey guys!” Spike called out. “Looking for Twilight?”

“And the other professors, yeah,” Sandbar agreed. “We think we’ve figured out something important.”

“We need to explain immediately,” Ocellus said, her eyes darting back and forth. “Can you take us to her?”

“Follow me,” Spike said. “They’re right through here.”

Since not all of them could fly, he led them through the big doors, between the pillars, up the stairs, and into the map room. Ocellus, Sandbar, Yona, Smolder, Gallus, and Silverstream followed right behind.

“Okay,” Spike said between pants. “H… how about y… you guys tell them what you learned?”

“Sure,” Smolder said. She wasn’t winded at all. “We think that Grogar might take control of dragonkind and changelingkind.”

“C-control me?” Spike asked fearfully. “How?”

“Well, not control exactly. Uhh, Gallus, can you explain?”

“Yeah,” Gallus said. “Alright, so Grogar supposedly created changelings and dragons. He’s legendary to both of them. So if he offered to give them free rein to do whatever they wanted to Equestria, some of them would probably agree.”

“We already have Starlight working to gain all of Equestria’s allies on our side,” Twilight said. “But I can warn her about that. Spike, take a letter.” Spike dutifully raised a scroll and quill, and Twilight dictated, “Dear Starlight, I have received word that Grogar might attempt to convince dragons and changelings to join him. Be sure and highlight his untrustworthiness as an ally and his love of destruction for its own sake—which would leave them with nothing. Your teacher, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twi… light… Spar… kle! Done!” Spike said. He grinned at her.

“Go ahead and send it, Spike,” Twilight said. “There’s no time to waste.”

Spike exhaled onto the letter, and its smoke drifted into the air and out of the room.

“Now, we have to figure out to do with you,” Rainbow said, looking at the students.

“Do with us? What Professor Dash mean?” Yona asked.

Fluttershy gave them a sympathetic frown. “All of you but Sandbar are foreign students, and in several cases, with direct connections to the leaders of your country. We don’t want you getting hurt.”

“With all due respect,” Gallus said, looking Rainbow Dash right in the eyes, “we can take care of ourselves. We stopped Cozy Glow. We’ve been following you since you reached an agreement with her and her friends. We know what we’re doing, and the Tree of Harmony has a special connection with us. We want to help. So are you going to waste time trying to get us not to, or are you going to let us fight and maybe gain the edge you need to win?”

“He has a point,” Pinkie said in her half-humorous way. “The Tree of Harmony saved them when all magic was about to be lost forever. I say we let them come with us and help stop Grogar!”

Twilight looked from one face to another as Starswirl charged his horn. Rarity and Applejack appeared in a flash of light. “Can you leave us for a minute or so?” Twilight asked the students. One by one, they nodded, and filed out.

“What’s goin’ on?” Applejack asked.

“The students want to come with us and fight Grogar,” Rainbow summarized. “I feel like we should let them come.”

“Absolutely not,” Applejack said firmly. “We promised their families to keep ‘em safe as best we can. Ah am not breakin’ a promise.”

“Grogar is really powerful,” Fluttershy added. “Much more than Cozy was.”

“But if Grogar wins, nowhere will be safe!” Rainbow argued. “We’d be putting them all in danger by not having them come along and help!”

Before Applejack could respond, Stygian interrupted. “Um, it’s not my decision, but I do have some thoughts.” He looked at them uncertainly, expecting to be ignored, but they were listening attentively. “There is a middle ground. You could have them come along, but stay back a ways and stay behind trees, rocks, and other barriers. They can provide cover and utilize their connection to the Tree of Harmony, and they’ll be less in danger than you will be at the front lines.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Rarity said with a nod. “Protects them while still letting them help.”

“Yeah. Good thinking, Stygian!” Spike said.

“I agree,” Twilight added. “All in favor?”

One by one, the ponies nodded—except for Applejack. “Ah promised to keep ‘em safe… but I guess as long as Grogar’s free, nopony’s safe. So… Ah agree too.”

“It’s settled, then,” Twilight said. “You can come back in now!” she called to the students. She quickly relayed their decision, and concluded with, “Get ready. We might be heading out soon.”

For the first time since Flurry Heart destroyed the Crystal Heart, snow fell on the Crystal Empire. There was yet enough magic to prevent it from accumulating, but snowflakes still drifted onto heads and hooves in the streets.

The cold of the weather, however, was warm compared to the mood of the city. “We should secede from Equestria,” one stallion said through a scarf. “Their problems aren’t ours.”

“If we raise the Crystal Heart’s shields, we’ll be safe. We need to take care of our own families.”

“The prince and princess ran off,” a third added with a roll of her eyes. “Why aren’t they here to protect us?”

“Yeah. I thought they were our royals, not Equestria’s?”

So engrossed were they in their bitterness, none of them noticed that the snowflakes were starting to fall faster.

Zecora’s hooves pounded the ground as she hurried through Everfree Forest. With the madness that had struck Equestria starting to seep into the air, she needed to gather a few more herbs. Although her collection was extensive, it just wasn’t practical to keep a supply of every plant she could ever use in her house. For those she needed rarely, it was easier to gather them when she required them.

All this led to her running through a forest alive with even more danger than usual. The roars of cragadiles, manticores, and worse resounded through the trees. It seemed the Windigos’ power to inflame rage had even reached the creatures of Everfree.

There’s the stargum root! She came to a quick halt, and pulled it up by her teeth. Even that little bit left her head feeling clearer and her emotions calmer.

As she turned to head back to her hut, she bumped into a muscular, spiky manticore! It roared, and took a step closer to her.

Zecora took a deep breath, and stared calmly at the creature. “That you are upset, I can clearly see,” she said. “Why not have a treat from me?”

It cocked its head to one side, and grunted. Giving her a suspicious look, it sat down.

“Though this looks so very crude, I think it will aid your mood.” She got out her mortar and pestle, and broke a bit of the stargum root into the bowl. A bit of pounding later, and it was a fine powder. “Eat this before the weather’s wetter. In a moment, you’ll feel better.”

The manticore extended a paw. She carefully put her bowl in the creature’s paw. It roughly threw the powder back into its mouth, paused a moment, and started licking Zecora affectionately.

“It was a pleasure, my furry friend. But my quest is not yet at an end.” When the manticore looked at her confused, she continued, “I must go home to make more cure. Your help would speed it up for sure!”

The manticore nodded, and lowered to its belly. Zecora climbed on, and the great beast leaped into the air.

Tirek flexed his muscles. They bulged with pure magic. Grogar’s bell had enhanced his power to a massive degree. Of course, this was only the obvious improvement he had received. It had taken an enormous amount of work, but he and Chrysalis had been able to craft a bewitchment that would all but assure victory. As Tirek’s body had the highest innate tolerance for extreme magical stress, he was the natural carrier of this spell.

Cozy alighted daintily on his shoulder. “Golly, Tirek, you sure are looking powerful!” She grinned. “As for me, I think I look as harmless as ever!”

“Agreed,” Tirek replied with a smile. “Now, how about you get to work while Chrysalis and I finish up?”

Cozy fluttered down to the ground. She reached up to her ribbons on her mane, and they flashed with a pale blue light.

Cozy was a pegasus, and transforming her into an alicorn was beyond even the Bell’s power. It seemed the rarefied status of alicorn was restricted to a level unlike nearly any other magic. Cozy hadn’t been too bothered. “After all,” she had said, “I want to look like a harmless little filly. And being an alicorn might get in the way of that!”

So instead, Tirek and Chrysalis had given her a variety of magicks in her ribbons to call upon—essentially turning her ribbons and bows into artifacts. Cozy had insisted on a very specific set of magicks, and the two adults had done their best to meet her expectations. Now, it was time to see if it would work.

The blue light spread out across her body, and an identical copy of Cozy appeared next to her! “First, let’s talk to the Crystal Empire.” Her clone nodded, and vanished. Cozy closed her eyes. Though Tirek couldn’t see what she was seeing, if he’d executed the spell correctly she would be able to send her copy anywhere in the world, and see and talk through it as if she were there. It wouldn’t have any physical substance, but Cozy’s preferred weapon was her honeyed words anyway.

Cozy felt the magic flowing through her. It was such a lovely experience. This was what it must be like to be a Starlight Glimmer or Starswirl the Bearded!

She dispatched her image to the Crystal Empire. As she closed her eyes, she could still see—but now, she saw through the illusion’s eyes. The ghostly copy of herself moved effortlessly across vast tracks of land, through solid rock, unimpeded by any barriers. Perhaps fifteen seconds passed before it arrived at the Crystal Empire.

She could have gone straight to the Guard and mobilized them. But her experience had taught her ponies were more inclined to do things if they thought it was their own idea. So, naturally, she went about her work.

“Help!” she called out. “Somepony, I need help!”

A crystal pony looked at her with sympathy and worry. “What’s wrong?”

“My parents were in Canterlot this morning. I don’t know what happened to them!” She sniffled. “I’m so worried for them. Please, get your guards to come help!”

“I’ll be right back,” the mare stammered, and ran off. Cozy wanted to smirk, but she had a role to play—that of the terrified, loving child afraid of being abandoned.

A couple minutes later, the mare came back, a guard just behind her. “You’re worried about your parents?” he asked sympathetically.

“Y-yeah,” she choked. “I don’t know if they’re okay, or if they—” She sobbed, tears dripping down her cheek. “Please, help save them!”

Another pony had trotted up to the commotion. “We have to help her!” he pleaded. “She must be worried sick!”

“Yeah,” a third crystal pony added. “It’s the right thing to do.”

The guard sighed, looked back towards the castle, and then to Cozy. “Look, I can’t just go running off alone, but I’ll ask and see if we can march on Canterlot.”

“Thank you,” she said, giving him her best grateful look. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I just hope you succeed.”

“Y-yeah.” He took off his helmet, and averted his eyes. “We’ll probably have to wait a bit, you know—organize with the other cities so we have a chance. A-and we can’t do anything until Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor get back. But…” He looked her in the eyes, his own eyes pained. “I promise I’ll do everything I can.”

“You’re a hero,” Cozy gushed. Flattery, properly applied, was a potent tool. “I’ll never forget this.”

“Well… be safe.” He cantered back to the crystal castle.

One he was out of sight, she got to work increasing the popular support. A few tragic details, a few pained whimpers, and the now-crowd was putty in her hooves. She knew the rumor mill would take care of the rest, and soon the entire Crystal Empire would be clamoring for a liberation of Canterlot.

“I… I think I’m going to get a meal,” she finished. “Daddy always says I need to eat more.” A few other excuses got her safely away from the crowd, and from there it was trivial to recall her ghostlike image back to the hideout.

All in all, her little mission took perhaps ten minutes. A very good thing, really:

She had more cities to convince.

As Cozy lay on the ground, her eyes darting about under her eyelids, Queen Chrysalis reentered the room. She had returned to her lithe, natural form, and was carrying her beloved Mean Twilight log.

“Tirek, I need your help on something,” she said to him. She had almost rejected this idea entirely, but in the end, one fact remained true: she wanted this to happen.

“What is it?” the centaur asked.

“As you may have noticed, I have kept this around.” She hefted it aloft.

He raised an eyebrow. “Of course I did. I’ve come to think that log might be your best friend.”

No reason to answer an obviously true question, Chrysalis thought. “What I wish to do is something Grogar may have imagined would have happened someday, but I think he would never suspect me of doing now.” She bared her teeth. “Another secret weapon—similar to your special shielding.”

“And what is it you want to do, Chrysalis? Stop avoiding the issue.” Tirek crossed his arms in a skeptical but not unfriendly way.

Chrysalis stroked all that remained of Mean Twilight Sparkle. “Months ago, I created copies of Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack out of wood, pictures of each of them, and a piece of each’s mane. This team proved to be that awful mix of incompetent and treacherous, and they were devolved back into wood by the Tree of Harmony. The copy of Twilight was by far the most competent and driven, and I have kept what remains of her with me as a memento.”

Tirek raised an eyebrow. “And? Do you intend to create something similar to her?”

“Not… exactly,” Chrysalis purred. “With the power of the Bewitching Bell, and your mighty talents, I think I’d be able to undo what the Tree did.”

“So you mean to—?” Tirek asked, his eyebrows sliding upward.

Chrysalis slipped her tongue between her lips in a predatory smirk. “Yes, I would like to resurrect the dark clone of Twilight Sparkle and have her join us in our quest.”

“Tell me more about her,” Tirek requested. “This is a very fragile situation, after all, and a new member could ruin everything if she were to betray us.”

“She is dangerous,” Chrysalis replied. “A natural betrayer like Cozy. As talented at magic as Princess Twilight herself. Brilliant, self-centered, ruthless, independent. And…” Chrysalis mumbled something.

“What was that?” Tirek asked. “You know I can’t understand you when you talk quietly.”

“She is smarter than me,” Chrysalis grudgingly admitted. “She would have destroyed me if not for the intervention of the Tree of Harmony.”

Tirek stared at her. “So why do you want to bring her back if she already tried to destroy you once?”

“Because she would be a powerful ally! And because I believe she and I have enough interest in common she will work together with us up until Grogar is defeated.” Chrysalis pursed her lips. She muttered, “AndImissher.”

“You miss her?” Tirek echoed. “After she tried to destroy you?”

“After I was exiled from my hive, before I met you two, she was the only person who reminded me of what it was like to have a hive again. Even if she betrayed me, I still harbor those feelings. Why do you think I’ve kept this log all this time?”

Tirek shrugged. “Alright, I’m open to resurrecting her. But we should ask Cozy before going ahead with it.” Chrysalis nodded, so Tirek walked to where Cozy lay. He gently shook her. “Hey kid, wake up.”

Cozy opened her eyes. “Golly, it sure is a good thing you caught me when I was in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise, it’d be pretty awkward to have my image just freeze in place.” She looked to Chrysalis. “So what’s going on? Are we leaving?”

“Not quite yet,” the changeling replied. “Cozy, there’s someone I’d like to add to our little conspiracy.”

“Oh? Who?”

Chrysalis quickly filled her in on the history of Mean Twilight.

“Ohhhh,” Cozy said, soaking up the story. “I thought you just had that log because you liked how it looked.”

Chrysalis chuckled lightly. “So… what do you think?”

“Well, she already tried betraying you once,” Cozy pointed out. “Why wouldn’t she betray you again?” Framing it in the hypothetical prevented her from slipping into the trap of talking past the deal. Chrysalis probably wasn’t trying to do that, but it never hurt to be cautious.

“Because last time, I treated her as a servant. This time, I will treat her as a f—a co-conspirator,” Chrysalis quickly changed.

“And you believe that’ll be enough to keep her loyal?” Cozy asked.

“That… and the fact that her goals are similar to ours. I have a feeling she’ll be just as upset about Grogar’s destruction of Canterlot as we were.” Chrysalis smiled slyly. “And there’s one other thing: her ‘siblings’, her fellow clones, aren’t being resurrected yet. We will bring them back upon our successful conquest of Equestria, not before.”

“That means we would have to keep the existence of the Bewitching Bell from her,” Cozy said.

“We’re thinking about this the wrong way,” Tirek argued. “If she’s joining us, she has to be joining us all the way. And that means no secrets. Any attempt to obfuscate the truth will leave her suspicious and therefore make her more likely to betray us.”

Chrysalis thought it over. “You make a good point, Tirek. Alright, we’ll tell her about the bell. Assuming you approve, Cozy?”

“There’s a risk, of course,” Cozy answered. “This Twilight clone hasn’t had the chance to see the benefits of cooperation as we have. But I have a feeling she’ll be smart enough to see the only way we prevail. The most important thing would be to make sure she sees betraying us to Grogar as a bad option.” She nodded towards Tirek. “And I believe we could do that. So… yep, I'm in!”

“Excellent.” Chrysalis lifted the bell aloft. “Let’s begin.”

“So, just to get this straight…” Cozy asked. “Grogar’s bell is so powerful it lets you resurrect ponies?”

“No,” Tirek answered. “Or rather, probably, but doing so would leave it unusable for months at least. But in this case, we aren’t doing a resurrection. We’re just undoing a spell, or redoing it perhaps.”

Chrysalis and Tirek stood on opposite sides of the table. The Mean Twilight Log was positioned between them, and Cozy fluttered off to one side. Cozy had decided to stay here in both mind and body while the Twilight clone was meeting them. She was pretty good at smoothing over issues, after all.

Tirek lifted Grogar’s bell high, and began to cast the complex enchantment. Chrysalis joined in, adding her green bolts to his orange fire. The beams met above the branch, weaving together. The black-yellow of Grogar’s bell swirled down, seeping into the wood.

Chrysalis felt something shivering inside the log. It crackled with her energy, and began to shimmer like a soap bubble. Pressure was building behind her eyes as the strain of controlling the Bewitching Bell became greater and greater. She gazed into Tirek’s eyes. He nodded, and increased his own magic output.

Their beams of light washed over Grogar’s bell and flowed down onto the table like the fog of an early morning. The stick had stopped shimmering and had started glowing! The all-too-familiar color of Twilight Sparkle’s telekinesis emanated from it as tendrils of magic started to reach out from the log towards the bell.

Chrysalis pushed even more power into the wood. Just as she feared she’d reached her limit, Cozy cheered, “Go Queen Chrysalis! Go Lord Tirek! You can do it!”

In an instant, it was over. The log flashed with black-white energy, and reshaped itself into an equine form. The copy of Twilight landed on the table with a thud.

Chrysalis sat down, exhausted. Undoing the work of the Tree of Harmony had been far, far harder than she’d expected, but it had paid off. Mean Twilight was back.

Chapter VIII

Sometimes something truly unexpected happened, and even a mastermind was caught off-guard and unsure how to respond. Such a situation hit Twilight Sparkle now. What she did was something she had never expected to do again:

Wake up.

After her fellow clones had taken actions that resulted in the Tree of Harmony attacking them with its energy tentacles, Twilight had thought that was the end. She was caught in inhibiting tendrils that made it impossible for her to teleport, and her magic was being drained so quickly she couldn’t try to fight back. As her body had been reduced to its base components, she had tried to find a way to escape and survive, but to no avail. Twilight had had to face the horrifying reality that less than a day after her birth, she was facing the finality of nonexistence. Then the world had gone rainbow-colored.

But now, she was in a dark, wet cave with a pegasus filly staring at her. “Golly, are you alright?” the filly asked.

“I’m better than I was,” Twilight answered flatly. “Where am I? What’s going on?”

“I decided to bring you back,” spoke a voice Twilight remembered so well. Twilight reflexively dropped to the floor and whirled around. She charged up a spell powerful enough to vaporize her target, but the filly dove in the way. Twilight was smart enough to recognize that a civilian with useful information was valuable. She decided not to fire, but she didn’t deactivate her horn either.

“Hey, wait!” the filly implored. “At least let us talk about this!”

“That does seem fair,” a male centaur added. “Considering we just brought you back from oblivion.”

Twilight considered their statements. They certainly seemed believable, and fighting a creature with unknown capabilities seemed ill-advised. “Very well,” she said. “Make your case.”

“We brought you back because Chrysalis told us how powerful you were. She wanted your help in fighting someone.” The pegasus filly gave a warm smile. “From what she said, you must be really dangerous and smart!”

“I see,” Twilight said. She turned towards the centaur. “And you?”

“If Chrysalis thought you were smart enough to warrant reanimation, that was enough of a reason for me,” he answered.

Twilight nodded. “Understood. What are your names?”

“Oh, silly me! I’m Cozy Glow,” Cozy said. “I’m the team’s, hmm. Oh! Moral support!”

“She’s also as our expert on manipulation and subversion,” Chrysalis added. “And as of a few minutes ago, scouting and communication.”

“I am Lord Tirek,” Tirek said. “I’m our artillery. When I eat magic, I become more powerful.”

“I suggest you don’t eat mine,” Twilight softly warned, her voice sharpened like a blade wrapped in tall grass.

Tirek rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t do that! We’re teammates.”

Twilight processed his words. Believable but unconfirmed. “What was the incident that prompted recreating me?” she asked.

“A mythological archmage and creator of monsters known as Grogar has returned, and is laying waste to Equestria.” Tirek looked over the bell. “This is his, though he doesn’t know we have it. Speaking of—Chrysalis, it appears that that spell drained it. I estimate it’ll be several hours before it’s functional again.”

“And?” Twilight prodded. “Why is it of interest to me what someone else is doing to Equestria?”

“Don’t you want to rule Equestria too?” Cozy asked innocently.

“Not particularly. I want the power of the Elements of Harmony, but rulership has never been to my liking.” Twilight flicked her tail.

“So you want access to the great libraries of Canterlot and the Crystal Empire?” Tirek asked. “To be able to read all their grimoires?”

“I didn’t know those existed,” Twilight admitted, “but yes, I want access to all books on magic I can.”

“Then I have some bad news for you,” Tirek said with a grim but empathetic frown. “The Elements of Harmony were destroyed weeks ago. And Grogar destroyed Canterlot, most likely completely obliterating their library. And we’re pretty sure he wants to do the same elsewhere.”

Twilight’s eyes flashed with fury. “So. You mean to say. He destroyed books?”

“Yes. Hundreds of thousands,” he confirmed. “Probably at least ten thousand books on magic.”

“Alright, I’ll join your little conspiracy, on two conditions.” Twilight scanned the three faces. “One: I am your equal, not your servant. Two: Once the bell is recharged, we resurrect the other five clones.”

“Of course!” Cozy agreed with a big smile.

“Fine by me,” Tirek added.

“Alright,” Chrysalis finished. “In return, I want you to stop trying to destroy me.”

“Deal,” Twilight said coolly. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” Tirek said. “We three have already decided to make an alliance of convenience with the original Elements of Harmony. You’ll be fighting alongside your source material. Is that acceptable?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Twilight asked, using the tone she’d use if he’d just asked her if it was okay to eat grass. “I don’t care.”

Tirek nodded, cracking his knuckles. “Good.”

“Wait,” Cozy asked, her voice in that grey area between suspicion and confusion. “You said you can’t create true alicorns. Then… what’s she?”

“A simulacrum of one,” Chrysalis answered. “She’s not a true alicorn. She can fly and use magic, but she lacks the incredible tolerance for magical surges, or the fundamental connection to cosmic principles.”

Cozy shrugged. “Alright. That isn’t enough to make it worth giving up my innocent pegasus appearance. I don’t want to be obviously supernatural.”

“Anything else?” the better Twilight Sparkle asked. Her voice carried a distinct note of annoyance and boredom. And why shouldn’t it? They’re talking about irrelevant hypotheticals that won’t become relevant until after Equestria is retaken or destroyed.

“Actually, there is one more thing,” Tirek said. “It’s going to get annoying to have to call you ‘the clone’ or ‘the dark Twilight.’ What should your name be?”

“My name?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. What would you like to call yourself?” He cracked his knuckles.

“Why not just Twilight?” she asked. “It seems to serve me well enough.”

“You’re going to be working with the baseline Twilight,” Cozy reminded her gently. “When we say ‘Twilight’, it’d be a real hassle to always have to specify which one, or to have both of you answer. So, why not pick a different one? Pick one that means something to you.”

“Something that describes you,” Chrysalis added.

“Hmm. I am Twilight Sparkle, but superior. Twilight without the bonds of attachment that make her such an easy target. Twilight without so many distractions from her research.” Twilight chuckled. “Twilight improved in every way.”

“Not to mention even more modest than she is,” Chrysalis muttered. Twilight glared disintegration spells at her.

“Pick a name that tells the world who you are—or what you want to tell them,” Tirek said encouragingly.

He’s trying to turn the discussion to less sensitive topics. Sensible and wise.

The idea came to her in a flash. For the first time since her resurrection, Twilight allowed herself a sincere smile.

“Golly, you sure do look happy,” Cozy commented cheerfully. “Did you think of a good idea for a name?”

“Midnight.”

“Hmm?” Cozy wondered aloud. “What’s that?”

“Midnight Sparkle. As Twilight heralds the transition from day to night, so does Midnight signify the absolute victory of night.” Midnight ignited her horn in readiness. “And I intend to achieve absolute victory over those who stand against me.”

“But not us, right? We’re on your team?” Cozy Glow asked uncertainly.

“Yes,” Midnight confirmed. “After that, I expect to never see any of you again. Should I be proven wrong, I’ll treat you with respect and sincerity, assuming you do the same.”

“Let’s get ready to go, then,” Tirek interrupted. “The sun’s going to set soon.”

And midnight approaches, Midnight finished silently.

Tirek stretched his powerful muscles. “Chrysalis, is your roc form still strong enough to carry me?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis answered smoothly. “Though I won’t be able to carry you if you get much bigger.”

“Hopefully you won’t have to carry me after this,” he joked with a half-smile.

“What are we going to do with Grogar’s bell?” Cozy asked.

“Leave it here,” Tirek answered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Grogar can make use of it even when it’s out of power.”

Midnight Sparkle’s horn flickered with pale purple light, and she lifted the bell over to her hoof. “What are you doing?” Chrysalis asked, suspicion heavy in her voice.

“Be silent,” Midnight replied. Her voice was so frigid Chrysalis obeyed numbly. “I must focus.” She flicked the bell back and forth in her telekinetic grip. Chrysalis and Tirek watched skeptically and curiously, respectively, while Cozy just smiled sweetly.

“Mmm. I expect I could get this working again with the help of Twilight and Starlight Glimmer. But you’re right; it has an intrinsic bond to this Grogar. Bringing it near him would likely be catastrophic.” Midnight put the bell back on the table. “I would suggest teleporting it to some remote location to hide it from him, but given this place is already associated with his magic, if he senses a connection from here he’s likely to dismiss it as his prior association.”

“A good point, Midnight,” Tirek agreed. “Does anyone have something they want to do before we leave?”

“You could scout what Grogar is up to,” Chrysalis suggested to Cozy. “With an hour to plan and our combined brilliance, victory would be assured.”

“On the other hoof,” Cozy said with a contemplative twist of her lip, “if he spots me, he’ll know something is amiss and start investigating right away. We’d lose the surprise so necessary for a good backstab.”

“I have to agree with Cozy,” Tirek said. “As useful as it’d be to have advance knowledge of his plans, the potential risk is too high.”

Chrysalis nodded slowly. “When you put it like that, I agree.”

“If we’re all done, follow me outside,” Tirek said. One by one, Cozy, Chrysalis, and Midnight followed in his hoofsteps.

The rain was pitter-pattering gently down. Midnight examined it with curiosity. “What is going on here?” she asked.

Cozy stared at her. “It’s… ummm, raining, Midnight.”

Midnight looked at Cozy with a sort of passive interest. “Rain. Many objects falling at once, as in ‘a rain of magical bolts’. But why is it raining water?”

“G-golly. You, uh, don’t know what rain is?” Cozy asked, astonished.

Midnight shrugged, her damp feathers spraying a little water. “Apparently not as you use the term.”

Tirek turned to Chrysalis. “What kind of education did you give her!?”

“Don’t look at me,” Chrysalis shot back. “She only existed for around 12 hours. It’s just not possible to fill a pony in on all of nature in that time.”

“Urgh.” Tirek put a hand to his face. “Midnight, rain is something that comes from clouds. It’s a lot of water droplets falling at once.”

“I see,” Midnight said. “Thank you, Tirek. Let us begin, then.”

Chrysalis stepped forward, and bathed herself in green light. In her place was a massive, powerfully built roc. Tirek climbed on board, his massive hooves pressing down on her. Chrysalis squawked from the weight, but she steadied herself.

Cozy fluttered to a comfortable spot right behind the roc’s neck. Midnight settled down beside her. Cozy offered her a big, cute smile. “It’s great to have you along, Midnight! You’re like Princess Twilight, but not intolerably self-righteous and moralizing!”

“Morality is a weakness,” Midnight replied. “If a method works, why should it be of concern to me if others find it ‘wrong’ or ‘evil’?”

“That’s exactly how I see it!” Cozy agreed. “I do have a question, though. How do you know so much advanced magic and philosophy, but not what rain is?”

“I received some knowledge from Twilight, but not all of it. Most of what I received was magic theory and application, with a sprinkling of general theoretical topics. I was only the beneficiary of bits and pieces of her general knowledge.” Midnight leaned into Chrysalis’s feathers. “I picked up some more from Chrysalis, but not nearly a comprehensive amount.”

“I see…,” Cozy said thoughtfully. “Well, here’s hoping I have the chance to teach you stuff. I bet it’d be fun!”

“It most likely would,” Midnight said with the faintest hint of a smile.

“I have to take care of something,” Cozy said to Midnight. “Why not talk with Tirek? He’s as much of a magic enthusiast as you are!”

“Wait a moment. Where are you going? How will you find your way back? We’re moving quite quickly.” Midnight indicated the wind in her mane.

Cozy giggled. “My body isn’t going anywhere. But I’m sending my mind all across Equestria, to fix up some problems and help us in the battle. We used the bell to give my bows this magical power.”

“I see,” Midnight answered, soaking up the new information. “Carry on. Tirek, would you like to discuss magic theory?”

“Nothing would please me more,” he replied. “Where shall we begin?”

“Let’s start with Grogar’s spellcraft,” Midnight said, her voice a crisp tone. “From my analysis of his bell, he favors the creation and warping of life, as well as magic that preys upon specific weaknesses of organic targets. He seems likely to eschew powerful beams in favor of subtler, more effective spells, such as banishment, binding spells, and such wonderful ideas as ‘bone to protoplasm’.”

“You learned all that from a minute or so looking at his bell?” Tirek asked. “I’m impressed, Midnight. I can say from experience that when he was threatening us, his preferred technique was to pin us to the wall with chains of force. He also managed to resummon a pony we thought had been dispelled into the aether.”

Midnight gave him a surprised eyebrow raise. “How can a pony be dispelled into the aether?”

Tirek shrugged. “Sombra, at least as I understand it, is a different sort of being than a regular pony. He doesn’t have a cutie mark, for example.”

“I see,” Midnight said with a slight nod. “So Grogar can perform resurrections?”

“I’d say probably,” Tirek answered. “That’s what seems the most likely, at least.”

Midnight tapped her head with her hoof. “Interesting…”

Manehattan lay in ruins. Earth pony stampedes, pegasus flybys, and unicorn artillery had devastated the town. The clouds high above had been shaped into a barricade, while unicorns perched in the towers and earth ponies hunkered down in low buildings.

It was into this chaos that Cozy stepped. She frowned slightly. Huh. Seems like the subversion we were up to has really blossomed. Normally that would be really nice. But right now, with Grogar our target, anything that helps him is a problem. And with the Windigos going right ahead with the destruction of Equestrian society, I might not even have anything to rule over!

It is pretty amazing how easily we shattered the bonds that tie ponykind together. But I have to stay focused. Now’s not the time to get distracted with play. And who knows? Maybe rebuilding the social ties of civilization will be as much fun as ripping them apart had been!

Cozy strode boldly forward, unconcerned with the horns and rotten tomatoes readied against her. Why should she be? This body was just a phantom, after all, and any harm to it wouldn’t hurt her any more than attacking her shadow would. She put on her most adorably scared but determined face. Now it was time to test the limits of her skill with manipulation.

“What do you want, winger?” an earth pony fifteen feet from her snarled. “Come down to gloat about how superior your proud warrior race is?”

“Not… exactly,” Cozy said, putting just enough hesitation in her voice to hopefully trigger the protective instinct grownups had for kids. “I want to talk to you about, well, all of this.”

“Oh.” The grownup rolled his eyes. “You want to talk about peace then?”

“Not peace. Something related to it.” She raised her voice. “Everypony, I have an announcement!”

“Say what you want to say and then get out,” a unicorn grumbled down from her sniper perch.

Cozy took a deep breath. She’d become a master of getting ponies to like her. Now it was time to see how she did at making them like each other.

“Do you remember your friends?” Cozy asked. “The nice unicorn serving you coffee? The kind earth pony who always brightened up your day? The wall-eyed pegasus bringing the day’s mail?”

She spoke up, her voice emotional. “Do you remember playing on the playground with ponies of all kinds? Did your history teachers tell you about the founding of Equestria, and how the tribes came together?”

Cozy could see ponies starting to nod along. High above, a few pegasi even poked their heads out of the cloud bunkers. She expertly suppressed a grin of pride and continued. “I bet most of you went through things like this. I know I did.” Lies are stronger when they’re partly true. “But I have one more big question for you: did your parents tell you about the Windigos?”

She let that hang there ominously. “Because they’re real. And if we can’t all band together and stop fighting, they’ll turn this land into a frozen ruin too.”

“How do you know they’re real?” a unicorn demanded. “Have you seen them?”

“Yes,” Cozy said, her nervous voice suddenly backed by steel. “I have seen them with my own eyes, and I’ve seen the horrific weather they’re cursing us with. Look up. Did Cloudsdale schedule a flurry?”

The crowd shifted their gaze upward in unison. Cozy knew she was getting close. “I know you’re angry with each other. I know you have real problems. But if we don’t all work together and help out, Equestria is going to fall!”

“How can you be so sure? You’re just a kid.”

Cozy took a deep breath. It was time to add another layer to her deception. Squaring her tiny shoulders, she weaved her tale.

“I’m not just a kid. I’m one of Princess Twilight’s students and a leading expert on friendship theory.” True so far, though misleading. “I’m a member of a strike team dedicated to overthrowing Grogar’s tyranny. But our efforts will be for nought if you keep fighting.”

“Now, everypony, are you going to keep fighting each other, and let Grogar destroy your home? Or are you going to band together, like I have with Princess Twilight, and save Equestria?”

When she saw the two ponies she’d talked to first starting to frown uncertainly instead of snarl, she knew she’d won. “I have to get back to my friends. Princess Twilight will be counting on you to march on Canterlot.” She let a little of the childish fear seep into her voice. “I’m counting on you.”

With that, she fluttered her wings, and set course for her corporeal body.

Chrysalis listened to Tirek and Midnight discuss the abstract structure of Grogar’s magic. Most of it flew over her head. She’d never been a master of magic theory; her interests were far more applied. She knew all about shapeshifting, mind-sapping, and eating love, but when it came to the underlying principles of spellcasting, she was both less talented and less interested. A warrior doesn’t need to understand metallurgy to wield a spear. Why should I waste my time studying how magic worked, instead of just learning how to use it better?

In any case, as she was absorbing what she could of their discussion, she was using her incredibly acute roc vision to scan the lands below. The ground was pockmarked and sometimes even fractured into deep crevasses, but she could see no sign of the creature or entity responsible. It troubled her more than she wanted to admit.

The air she flapped through was frigid, much colder than it should have been. That was no doubt the windigos’ work, and she felt frost forming on her wings. She angled downwards for warmer air.

A booming KRAK-KA-THOOOM sounded out as the ground crumbled into a canyon. Even with her ferociously precise eyesight, Chrysalis couldn’t make out who was responsible. Between the rock dust and all the motion of a new ravine, not even so much as a silhouette was apparent.

Chrysalis bared her beak. She didn’t like being kept in the dark, especially about something this important. As soon as Cozy returned, she’d ask the pegasus to do some scouting beneath the earth.

Chapter IX

Rainbow Dash stood on one of the castle’s many balconies, watching the rain gently falling from the ashen skies. Combined with the heavy grey clouds and the brutal cold front the windigos had brought, it was quite a mess outside.

But she’d worked with weather for years. She could feel the air pressure continuing to drop. The air temperature hovered a half-dozen degrees above freezing. As raindrops dripped onto the rail, they splattered into a bone-chilling mist that left even her supremely athletic body shivering.

She could try and break the clouds apart. But why bother? The windigos would create more, and it’d leave her frozen and weak for the looming battle.

She glanced over her shoulder, half-expecting to see Twilight hovering there expectantly. But she was alone.

Rainbow let her mind wander. Those bad guys are so hard to read. I can’t trust any of them, of course. Cozy’s probably the best at trickery and betrayal of anypony alive. Both Tirek and Chrysalis are pretty experienced at it too.

I’m not going to stoop to that level and try to betray them first. And I’ll make sure my friends don’t either. Being ready for a fight just makes sense, and there’s no way I’m turning my back on those three. But I’m not just gonna start betraying ponies for convenience either.

Actually, where is Starlight? She has to have finished recruiting everycreature. Isn’t she ready to march by now?

The eggheads should know, Rainbow decided. She’d talk to Twilight and Starswirl and maybe they could get in touch with Starlight.

Twilight stared at the cutie map. Between Starswirl, Starlight, and I, I think we can recreate the time travel spell she used. The idea was so tempting. We could go back to this morning, save Discord, banish the villains to Tartarus, and save Equestria in a flash.

Yet something held her back. Her prior experience with time travel had shown her just how drastically history could be changed. And there is always the horrifying possibility that Grogar has found a way to attune himself into time travel spells, so he would be sent back along with the caster…

But surely that’s impossible. A spell like that, contingent on something which hasn’t even happened yet, and by the time it had happened, would be over… a spell like that would be impossible to design.

She countered her own point, Who really knows the limit of Grogar’s powers? He managed to defeat Discord, the master of chaos and disharmony, with such disturbing ease. Supposedly he’s invented entire species of creatures, including dragonkind. What if he has crafted a spell that would detect if someone aware of and hostile to him was about to cast a time travel spell?

The idea gave Twilight shivers. But it brought a very important point to light: she needed to do research. She needed to learn absolutely everything she could about Grogar. And she needed to do it now.

But who will know more about him? One of the Pillars? Stygian? Sunburst?

All of the above, she hoped. “Spike, take a letter, and be ready to make five copies with only the name changed.

Spike nodded with a smile. “Sure thing, Twilight.”

Twilight dictated,

Dear Sunburst,

I’m sorry to bother you, but I need a full report on absolutely everything you knew about Grogar prior to today. Write on the back of this letter, and burn it in a fire. It’ll return to me with your information.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

“There, got it,” Spike said. “Who else should I make copies for?”

“Somnambula, Mage Meadowbrook, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, and Mistmane.” Twilight returned his smile. “As they’re among the oldest living heroes, I require their input.”

“You’re not asking me, Twilight?” Starswirl asked half-jokingly.

Twilight blushed. “Of course I’m asking you! We’re just in the same building, so a letter seems a little excessive. In any case, what do you know about Grogar?”

“Not much, unfortunately,” Starswirl said, frowning. “He specialized in creating and modifying creatures, turning them into monsters. He was a mythical figure even in my time—Gusty the Great lived millennia before I did.”

“Gusty the Great…” Twilight echoed. An idea was starting to swirl in her mind. She had a feeling Celestia wouldn’t approve, but part of being a leader was doing difficult things when they had to be done. And, she remembered, Celestia isn’t here right now, because I was restraining myself.

“Yes. One of the earliest ponies whose names we still have,” Stygian added. “She stole Grogar’s bell, weakening him immensely. It’s a very good thing he never managed to regain it, or we’d be in far more dire straits than we already are.”

The idea blossoming in Twilight’s head was looking more and more attractive. “Spike, have you sent the letters?”

“No,” he answered. “I was finishing transcribing before sending any.”

“Can you give me Sunburst’s? I have a postscript to write for Starlight.” She tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

“Of course.” He gave her a searching gaze that told her he knew exactly what she was doing, and chose to go along as if he hadn’t anyway. He really did trust her. “Here you go, Twilight.”

She added a few more words after her signature, and passed it back. “Thanks Spike. Send them once they’re done.”

Pinkie bounced through the castle for what might be the last time. She soaked in all the beautiful crystalline arches, the paintings of her and her friends, and the way the storm clouds blanketing the skies contrasted with the prismatic beauty of the castle. The looming battle was scary, but she wore a smile anyway.

She knew how dire the situation was. She knew that soon she, her friends, and those meanies would be going after the biggest meanie. And she knew that this time, maybe some of them wouldn’t make it back. Grogar might be able to banish them to the moon, or to Limbo, or who knew what else?

But that was just how it was. They’d been risking their lives since entering Everfree that fateful Summer Sun Celebration all those years ago. Maybe that’s what being a hero cost.

Either way, she was determined to win. Her goof-off with Cheese would look like a lone, sprinkleless cupcake when she was done. As long as she had her party cannon, she had all she needed.

A thought bubbled up from the stew of ideas slowly boiling in her mind. Party cannon Canterlot parachute. But she’d need to talk to Rainbow Dash to see if it was possible.

Pinkie took a deep breath, and went zooming through the hallways towards where she’d last seen Rainbow.

Applejack stared at the Cutie Map, whose glittering landmarks were ablaze with flickers of light. Starswirl and Stygian had designed a complex spell to represent all battles currently being fought in Equestria.

As she watched the repeat of the past hour, something strange played out on the table. Throughout Equestria, pony-pony battles were decreasing, despite increased influence of the Windigos. Something was changing ponies to not fight each other. But what? And why?

Stygian gestured to a stream of data. “The influence of you six has been a majority of the change,” he read, “but it can’t account for a lot of what’s going on.”

“So, what d’ya think is happenin’?” Applejack asked. She gestured to Trottingham. “Lookie there. Five minutes, goes from heavy fightin’ to barely any.”

“I have no idea,” Stygian admitted. “Whatever happened, it was subtle enough this spell didn’t detect it—or happened quickly enough this spell didn’t show anything, because it happened between scans. Either way, it’s a mystery.”

“Do you think we have time to visit Trottingham? Check out what’s goin’ on?” Applejack kept a suspicious eye on the town.

“Probably not. Your new allies should be back any minute. It seems like quite a bad idea to keep them waiting,” Stygian said cautiously.

Applejack knew exactly what he was implying. If we leave ‘em too long, they might get bored and betray us.

“Good point. Guess it’ll just be a mystery, then. Unless, ‘course, one of them knows a spell to learn exactly what’s going on so far away,” she chuckled.

“Well, that might be possible,” Stygian said. “I know Starswirl is proficient at scrying magic. Perhaps you could go talk to him?”

“Shucks, that’s a great idea! Thanks, Stygian!” She gave him a big, happy smile from under her hat.

“It’s my honor, Applejack.” He offered her a tentative hoofshake, which she responded to with a vigorous one. “Good luck.”

Chrysalis’s thick roc feathers made a perfect nest for Midnight, Tirek, and Cozy. Tirek kept the comatose filly by his side. “With her off working her magic, she might roll off,” he pointed out.

“And… she can’t fly?” Midnight asked with a raised eyebrow. “What are her wings for, then?”

“Obviously, she can’t fly while unconscious,” Tirek said. “Can you?”

“How would I know?” Midnight asked flatly. “I’ve never even slept at all.”

“Right. Sorry Midnight,” Tirek said with an apologetic smile. “Sometimes I forget how little experience you have. You’re just so intelligent and well-spoken, it’s strange to think about how much you don’t know.”

“Indeed, the mysteries of epistemology are truly astounding.” Her dry sarcasm left a crack of a smile on Tirek. “Speaking of things I don’t know,” she continued, “I want to wake up Cozy Glow now to better understand her enchantments.”

“Disturbing her when she’s on missions is a bad idea,” Tirek said. He stared down at her, his expression hard to read. “When she returns, which shouldn’t be too much longer now, you can ask her.”

A few moments passed in contemplative silence. Cozy stirred.

“Guuuh, guh,” Cozy groaned. She stared up into Tirek’s feline eyes. “What’s the matter, Tirek? Are you worried?”

“No, of course not,” Tirek answered, avoiding her gaze. “Just—professionally concerned, that’s all. Concerned for the mission.”

“I see,” Midnight said, staring at her own feathers. “Cozy Glow, I’d like you to explain all of your powers. For me to properly advice you on how you could utilize your magic, I need to know how it works, your peak powers, your limitations, and anything else that may be related.”

“Golly, that’d probably take longer than our flight,” Cozy mused, giggling nervously. “But I guess I could summarize!”

“You’re a wonderful ally and co-conspirator, Cozy,” Midnight said with a nerdy, uncertain smile. “I’m honored to be plotting the backstabbing of a self-appointed master.”

“My main power is creating a shadowy copy of myself. It isn’t physically real, but I can see out of it and talk through it. It lets me communicate across vast distances very quickly, as well as spy on others from as far away.” Cozy gave a cute, evil little smile. “And though I can’t cause any physical harm, I can usually use my special talent to get other ponies to do it for me.”

“I see,” Midnight said. “You said main. So there are others?”

“Yep! I can create a bunch of copies of myself at once. I haven’t used that one much yet, so I’m not sure of its limitations.” Cozy shrugged. “We’ll figure it out!”

“We will,” Tirek said. He reached one of his huge hands down to her, and softly stroked her back. Cozy was only knocked to her knees.

“Gee, thanks Tirek. You’re a pretty great guy, you know that?” She rolled over to smile up at him.

“He has been a most engaging partner on abstract magic theory,” Midnight added. Tirek gave her a proud grin, and extended a huge fist. She examined it curiously. “What are you holding?”

He blinked. “Midnight, it’s something called a hoofbump. You gently tap your hoof to my fist. It’s a sign of respect and teamwork.” Midnight nodded, and hoofbumped his fist.

“Cozy, I have a request to make of you,” Chrysalis boomed from her powerful roc lungs.

Midnight’s eyebrow rose as her ear twitched. “You can talk while disguised like that?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis answered. Her voice was powerful enough to send Midnight bumping up and down. “I just preferred to listen to your interesting conversation. In any case, Cozy, do you see those ravines below us?”

Cozy peered over the side. “Yep! What about ‘em?”

“I’d like you to use your new powers to scout down below and see what’s going on. Who’s causing them and why.” Chrysalis squawked in frustration. “I couldn’t see any traces of them even with my supreme eyesight.”

“Sure thing! Just shake me awake if you need me.” Cozy closed her eyes again.

With her previous conversation partner gone, Midnight decided to continue her intellectual stimulation. She asked, “So, Chrysalis, what do you think of the magic theory we’ve been discussing?”

“It’s never really been interesting to me,” Chrysalis replied. “I know how to cast the spells I want to, and I’m quite good at it. I don’t have to study the abstract principles of how magic works to use it. Being able to cast spells is all that’s required.”

“Perhaps not, but it can deepen your understanding of the subject,” Tirek said with a slight smile. “It makes inventing new spells and countering enemy spells much, much easier.”

“I am not sure how it affects spellcraft,” Midnight admitted, “as I’ve never had one without the other. The cloning procedure gave me all of Twilight’s knowledge of magic, so I’ve always been very well-educated on the theory.”

Chrysalis shrugged her massive shoulders. “Your discussion was enlightening. I didn’t have much else to do, so I listened in. Some of it went over my head, but I understood about half of it. Who knows, it might even be useful.”

“That’s the spirit, Chrysalis!” Tirek said with a grin. He leaned in towards Midnight conspiratorially. “Give it a week and she’ll be reading magic theory textbooks!” he whispered with a cheeky grin.

“As if, Tirek,” Chrysalis purred playfully. “You just want someone less knowledgeable there so you can lecture and feel superior towards!”

Midnight and Tirek both chuckled. “When we’re not trying to kill each other, you’re pretty fun to have around, Chrysalis,” Midnight said with a wry smile.

Further banter was interrupted by two things. First, Princess Twilight’s castle finally loomed into view. In the white sleet, it looked rather like the Crystal Empire’s castle. Second, Cozy’s eyes flashed open. “Diamond dogs!”

“Hmm?” Tirek asked. “What do you mean?”

“Grogar’s recruited the diamond dogs to his side with promises of unlimited gems. He’s employing them to undermine cities across Equestria!” Cozy’s words tumbled out in rapid succession. “I did what I could to convince them, but all I got was a ‘maybe’.”

“Tell us what you saw and did,” Chrysalis requested, her voice soothing but firm. “We need to know more details on what’s going on.”

Fluttershy carefully breathed in, out. She had to be brave. She had to be tough. All her pony and animal friends were counting on her.

The rain had given way to the dreaded wintry mix, leaving Ponyville blanketed in a thick grey haze. My critter friends are probably freezing out there! Ohhhh, I hope they find the blankets, and the cold-blooded ones snuggle up with the warm-blooded.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, focusing her will. She’d grown much more assertive over the past half-decade. And now it was time to put her skills to the test and save Equestria.

The telltale click-clack of claws told her she wasn’t alone. “Fluttershy?” Spike asked. “Are you doing okay? I was a little worried when you just kind of vanished.”

Fluttershy opened her eyes and gave him a big, gentle smile. “Ohhh, don’t worry Spike. I’m fine. I’m just getting ready for our battle.”

Spike nodded. “Funny you mention that. There’s someone who wants to talk to you about it.” As Spike spoke, Angel Bunny hopped in.

“Angel! What are you doing here?” Fluttershy scolded. “Why aren’t you hiding in the sanctuary, safe and secure, warm with all the other animals?”

He waved his paws in an angry answer.

“The sanctuary is getting really cold? Too cold even for blankets? And all the other animals say it’s like or even worse all across Equestria?” Fluttershy asked with a gasp.

Angel bounced up and down.

“Oh, no. That’s just awful!” Fluttershy commiserated. She narrowed her eyes to slits. “I know Grogar is evil and all, but hurting defenseless animals—that’s just too far!” She stretched her wings and growled, “Spike, let’s get ready to go fight. I’ve had enough of this meanness!”

Behind her, Angel cheered. She could tell what he was saying. Roughly translated, and with the profanity removed, he was gloating, “My friend Fluttershy is going to kick Grogar’s tail!”

“And—done!” Rarity said with a proud smile. She’d spent the past two hours gathering (or in Tirek’s case, stitching) better outfits for her friends and her new allies. Grogar might have changelings on his side, after all, and this way they’d know who was real and who was an imposter.

With frantic work, she’d managed to get everything finished in time. And while it was a rather sloppy job, she was pleased with the results. She picked each one up with her telekinesis, and hurried towards the Cutie Map room.

Rarity was knocked off her feet by a flash of yellow. She groaned, “Fluttershy? What’s the hurry?”

“What’s the hurry!? What isn’t the hurry?” Fluttershy snapped. “Look around, Rarity! Canterlot’s been destroyed. Equestria’s consumed by infighting. The Windigos are destroying the ecosystems. Creatures all across the world are suffering. Why aren’t you in a hurry? Do you just not care?”

Rarity winced. “Of course I care, darling. What’s going on is downright awful and we need to stop it. But thinking with anger instead of your head will just lead to rash decisions. Take a few deep breaths to clear your mind.”

Fluttershy was about to fire off a scathing retort, but Rarity’s pleading stare kept her quiet. She breathed in, out, in, out, in, out. “Okay. You’re right, Rarity. If we rush in with no plan Grogar will beat us easily. But come on—we don’t want to waste time either.”

The two mares cantered down the shiny hallways towards the sound of voices.

Twilight anxiously paced back and forth. What if none of our allies have useful information? What if Grogar figures out what we’re planning? What if…?

Spike burped, and a scroll flew out of his mouth. Twilight ran over to grab it, but was knocked to the ground by a blur of cyan.

“Urgh, Rainbow, can you watch where you’re going?” Twilight complained as she stood back up. “One of these days you’re going to hurt somepony.”

“Sorry Twilight,” Rainbow said with a sympathetic wince-smile. “But I really need to ask you: where’s Starlight and what’s she doing? Is she ready to attack?”

“Let’s see,” Twilight said, indicating Spike’s new scroll. She opened it and skimmed the writing, and gave Rainbow a shrug. “It’s Mistmane’s, not Sunburst’s.”

“Read it anyway,” Starswirl requested. “I’d very much like to hear her thoughts.”

Twilight coughed, and began to read,

Twilight,
What little I know of Grogar suggests he was the greatest enemy of all things good, beautiful, and kind. My homeland never had direct contact with him, but we did struggle with his creations. They incredibly powerful.

I hope my knowledge will help somehow.
Your friend,
Mistmane

“Interesting,” Starswirl said, “but probably not that important.”

Another gout of fire erupted from Spike’s throat. Twilight opened it as well, and read aloud,

Dear Twilight,
I am very glad you asked me for my knowledge. I’ve had a long-standing interest in the myths surrounding Grogar, and spent years tracking down his lore.

The most important thing to understand is just how ancient he is. He ruled alone thousands of years even before myself and the other Pillars joined forces. Before he ascended to power, ponies lived in small farming villages with no large cities or greater civilization. He created and corrupted a huge variety of creatures into strange, awful monsters, and unleashed them to do what they pleased. Ponies lived in terror of attracting the notice of the children of the Father of Monsters.

Gusty the Great organized the scattered villages into a united force, and stole his Bewitching Bell. Without his Bell, he was forced into hiding. But without an enemy to unite the nation, ponies reorganized themselves into three tribes based on type.

I am not entirely sure on this point, but I have reason to suspect while in exile, he created the Windigos to exact his vengeance on ponykind. They seem uniquely designed to destroy pony civilization, and their powers remind me of other things he’s worked on. After potentially creating the Windigos, I know nothing of his history.

Yours,
Somnambula

“Yes,” Stygian said slowly. “I hadn’t remembered until now, but everything she said lines up with the scattered legends I’ve read of Grogar.”

“If we can figure out where Gusty put Grogar’s bell, maybe we could destroy it to weaken Grogar?” Spike suggested.

“I expect its magic would just return to him,” Starswirl said with a sigh. “But why haven’t the others replied to us yet? What’s taking them so long?”

“Maybe something happened to them?” Rainbow asked, an uncharacteristically worried look on her face. “It’s not like Flash Magnus to be late.”

“I will contact them directly with magic,” Starswirl said.

“If you could do that all this time, why not do it before!?” Spike asked, his voice thick with irritation. “Do you just like watching me write?”

“My long-distance communication spell is draining,” Starswirl explained. “I don’t use it unless necessary.” Without further discussion, he closed his eyes, and set his horn ablaze. Rainbow and Twilight watched him nervously, and Spike sulked.

The sudden arrival of Pinkie broke the silence. “Rainbow, there you are! Quick, first: would we be able to be airdropped right onto what’s left of Canterlot? And second, do you have any parachutes?”

“Umm… maybe?” Rainbow answered with a raised eyebrow. “I’d need to check the current weather. And I think the weather office has a few parachutes.”

“Great! Thanks Dashie!” Pinkie said with a big smile. “Grogar will never see it coming!”

Spike burped up another letter, and passed it to Twilight. She began to read it silently as Pinkie and Dash continued their discussion.

“Riiiight… Pinkie, isn’t it safer to just walk there?” Rainbow asked. “You know, if your parachute malfunctions, you’ll be in big trouble.”

“Awww,” Pinkie said. “But if you’d be worried, I won’t.” She patted Rainbow gently on her back. “Your Auntie Pinkie’s here to help!”

Starswirl jerked awake. “Good news: they’re all still unharmed and free. Bad news: they’ve been dealing with situations that have prevented them from responding so far. Diamond dogs for Rockhoof, rogue dragons for Flash, and bugbears for Meadowbrook.”

“And Sunburst and Starlight have gotten back to me!” Twilight said with a big smile towards Rainbow. “Here’s what they say:”

Princess Twilight,

My knowledge of Grogar’s history is minimal, but I can tell you about his spellcraft. He is, without a doubt, the greatest shaper of life in history. He developed more techniques to create new creatures and monsters than every mage since combined, and made great strides in every other field of magic as well. Gusty the Great may have learned some of her spells from his own grimoires.

Without his Bewitching Bell, he will be much less powerful, but still probably the most dangerous being alive. Before today, I would have said he was about as powerful as Discord. After the events you described, I have to conclude he is quite a bit mightier.

Forever your friend in research and magic,
Sunburst

P.S.: Starlight says her army is ready to march on your command.

“Hey, what’s that?” Spike asked, pointing to something on the paper. “You didn’t read that part.”

“Hahah, Spike, that’s just Sunburst confessing his crush on Starlight!” Twilight said with a nervous smile. “I didn’t want to read it since it was private.”

“Sugarcube, don’t lie to us,” Applejack reprimanded gently. “What’s it really say?”

Twilight winced. “Alright. It really says, ‘Starlight says contacting Gusty’s spirit would require advanced necromantic magic. I might know a spell for that, but I’d have to be there in person to guide you two on how to do it.’“

“Whoa-whoa-whoa,” Rainbow said, shocked. “Necromancy? Isn’t that, like, SUPER dark magic?”

“Indeed,” Starswirl agreed. “Twilight, don’t you know better? That kind of magic is what turned Stygian into the Pony of Shadows.”

A familiar voice with a horribly unfamiliar tone silenced the discussion. “Do it, Twilight Sparkle. If it is your best option, and you refuse to take it, you are as complicit in the suffering to come as Grogar himself is.”

The assembled ponies turned towards the voice, and fell silent as they saw its owner. She was, at first glance, a copy of Twilight. But when one looked at her longer, they saw anomalies. A crinkled mane, a paler coat, and a slightly different cutie mark all suggested that this wasn’t a changeling—it was something quite different. Beside her stood Queen Chrysalis, now clad in insectile armor and charged with green light, and a Cozy Glow who looked completely normal.

This new Twilight assessed the ponies present. “You want to stop Grogar. If you expect to succeed, you must be willing to use the most efficient methods available. In fact, why stop at Gusty’s spirit? I am certain with your, my, Chrysalis’s, and Tirek’s power, we could reanimate Gusty completely.”

“You—you’re me. But… I’m me. Who are you? What are you?” the original Twilight asked, her voice wavering.

“I am Midnight Sparkle, an artificial clone of you, complete with your knowledge of and skill with magic. And, more importantly, without your conscience to burden you.” Midnight nodded to herself. “I know all about the spells to raise the dead and make them puppets. That means you read those books, correct, Twilight? I imagine you at least considered casting them. Why shackle your own power? If an army of the dead would aid you, why not utilize it?”

“Now hold on a second, missy,” Applejack said. “You might be a copy of Twilight, but clearly you don’t know the first thing about her: she really cares about doing the right thing.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, while Midnight simply nodded. “And the right thing is to save Equestria from Grogar’s reign, correct?” Midnight argued. “So in this case, that is creating undead minions to fight him. Put aside your ethics and embrace the big picture.”

“I… can’t,” Twilight said shakily. “Ordinary ponies shouldn’t be turned into tools for someone else, no matter how good the reason. It’s just… wrong.” Fluttershy and Rarity entered as she spoke, settling in beside Pinkie to listen.

Midnight sighed. “This is what I feared. You are too enslaved by your morality to do what must be done. But so be it. Cozy Glow, can you educate our allies on the situation?”

“Sure thing, Midnight!” Cozy said, chipper as ever. “Okay, so a while ago, Chrysalis, Tirek, and I stole Grogar’s bell and didn’t tell him.” She savored the looks of astonishment from the Bearers of the Elements. “We used it to empower ourselves with new abilities and resurrect Midnight here. I’ve spent the past hour or so getting ponies to be friends again. I’ve resolved feuds, patched up disagreements, and generally spread your friendship propaganda. Chrysalis here has massively increased her shapeshifting power, and Tirek ate a banquet of magic. We’re all ready to fight!”

Rainbow shook her head as she soaked all the information in. “Where is Tirek, anyway?”

“Oh, he’s outside,” Chrysalis answered with a chuckle. “He wouldn’t fit in the castle. In fact, he might not even if we hollowed it out entirely.”

“So… what’s the plan?” Rarity asked uncertainly. “Oh, and I don’t mean to sound insulting, but I went to all the trouble of making you and Tirek outfits, and you’re already wearing one and he’s way too big for mine?”

Chrysalis shrugged. “Maybe you can tie it around one of his horns. As for the plan, I say we hit Grogar now and we hit him hard.”

“We have been waiting for Starlight’s backup for a full-scale invasion,” Twilight said uncertainly, “but who knows what Grogar might do first? Maybe we should attack now after all.”

One by one, the ponies nodded grimly.

“Anypony have an issue?” Pinkie asked. Stygian seemed about to raise a hoof, but decided against it. “Then we march! I’ll bring the cupcakes.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Spike asked Cozy dubiously. “You’re telling me you SOLVED friendship problems?”

“Mhmmm!” Cozy answered, putting on her cute uniform. “I brought ponies together all over Equestria.”

“That’s… actually, really wonderful, Cozy,” Twilight admitted. “How did you do that?”

“I know all about manipulation,” she said with a smile. “That includes manipulating ponies into being friends. And the education I received at the School of Friendship definitely helped too!” A bit of flattery, but true: she had learned quite a lot about cultivating friendship at the school. “Speaking of, where are those… ahem, nice other students who foiled my plans?”

“Rainbow’s getting them right now,” Rarity answered as she tied a suit to one of Tirek’s huge horns. “I hope you don’t mind?”

“Of course not. I’m always happy to have more allies!” Cozy lied skillfully. “Speaking of, are you feeling okay about having Midnight with us, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes,” Twilight answered. “I wasn’t expecting it, but she seems intelligent, powerful, and dedicated. You can’t always choose your allies or make sure they fit your qualifications. Sometimes you just need any help you can get.”

Fluttershy asked Cozy pointedly, “Why did you decide to bring ponies together? You don’t do that often.”

“Because I want to rule Equestria someday. And to rule, I need a population who like me and are willing to follow my instructions. If the Windigos prevailed, that would be gone.” Cozy gave a cheeky grin. “Plus, I just wanted to do my part for Equestria. This is my home, and I won’t have some no-good ram taking it away from me!”

“Indeed,” Chrysalis purred. “Similarly, although I am disgusted with my hive and want vengeance on Thorax, I still care for my changelings. I will not see our greatest breadbasket shattered!”

Starswirl nodded, and put a hoof to his chin. “On a related topic, I requested the other Pillars to gather at Ponehenge. If we fall, they may be Equestria’s last hope of survival.”

Princess Cadance and Shining Armor trudged through the waves of blowing snow. “H… how are you holding up, dear?” Cadance asked her husband.

“Just great,” Shining answered, wiping snow from his face. “Never better! But, just to be sure, how much further do you think the Crystal Empire is?”

“It can’t be more than a mile or so,” Cadance shouted over the howling wind. “Can you detect the Crystal Heart’s magical shield and find out which direction it is?”

Shining nodded, realized Cadance wasn’t looking at him, and said, “I can try, at least.” He ignited his horn with pink light, and the lines of magic running through the world revealed themselves to him. The thick tangle resulting from the Crystal Empire’s magic stood out even in the blizzard.

“This way!” Shining shouted. He galloped through the thick snow, Cadance just a few paces behind, before arriving at the great bubble of magic.

“The prince and princess are back!” a guard shouted. “Over here, Captain! Princess! Follow me—we’ll get you warmed up.” He led them to a small cottage stuffed with blankets and a nice, burning fire.

Shining and Cadance collapsed into the warm blankets. “Urgh, that was awful,” Cadance sighed. “And we’ll have to go through it again to get back to Equestria.”

“Can I get you anything else?” the guard asked as Shining snuggled himself into the covers.

“Some hot cocoa would be lovely,” Cadance said with a slight smile. “Two cups, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Right away, your majesty,” the guard replied. As he trotted away, Cadance snuggled close against Shining.

“What do we do now?” Shining asked, shivering. “There’s no way we can make it back through that storm. If we stay here, we’re letting ourselves get cut off from Equestria. If we try to push through the storm, the Windigos will freeze us solid.”

“I’m not sure,” Cadance admitted. “But we’ll figure something out.”

The guard returned with their cocoa, and Cadance sipped it. It filled her body with reassuring, soothing fire. A few peaceful, serene minutes passed as they snuggled.

“Well, now that we’ve warmed up, we should go get the Royal Guard ready for an attack,” Shining said. “We’ll be able to snuggle more after Grogar is defeated.”

“Agreed.” Cadance stretched, and stood up. “Come on, Shining.” She cantered towards the castle, with him just a few paces behind her.

“Attention!” Shining declared to the guards. “Equestria is on the verge of total collapse. The storm is getting worse and worse, and if we stay here it’s only a matter of time before the Windigos bury us all in snow. But if we take the fight to them, we might prevail!”

“It’s funny you bring that up, Captain,” one of the guards said. “The people have been clamoring for us to come to Equestria’s aid.”

“They have?” Cadance asked, raising an eye in surprise.

“Yes,” he continued. “A pegasus filly showed up and stirred them into a fervor. Even I felt moved to action, though I didn’t do anything until now—I have to follow orders.”

Shining started at the mention of a pegasus filly. “Can you describe the filly?”

“Pale pink coat, light blue mane, lots of curls. Cutie mark of a chess piece.”

Shining glanced to Cadance, who nodded slightly. She said, “Thank you. Get your weapons, scarves, and prepare to march.” To Shining, she added, “And get your visor. With a snowstorm like this, you’ll need it.”

“So,” Fluttershy asked gently, “you’re all doing good… so you can do evil in the future?”

“I wouldn’t call it evil,” Chrysalis replied. “Merely revenge.”

“I’m just a kid, Fluttershy,” Cozy said with a little smile. “But you can think of it like this: we make sure there’s an Equestria left, and then we figure out who’s going to rule it.”

“That’s not exactly what I mean,” Fluttershy said. “What I mean is, you’re already willing to do the right thing for selfish reasons. Do you think you’d be willing to for selfless reasons?”

“Well… when you put it like that, yeah,” Cozy admitted. “I guess I could.” What she said wasn’t technically a lie—a ruler needed to be selfless in her protection of her subjects.

“My reasons are already mostly selfless,” Chrysalis said. “But perhaps I could be… wider in my net of who to consider.”

“No,” Midnight said with cold dispassion. “I don’t care about any of you outside of the benefits you bring me. I have no intentions of conquering or otherwise harming you, but I also don’t really care what happens to you. You are useful as sources of information and beyond that are of no interest.”

Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth, but said nothing. Cozy wondered what was going on behind her eyes. Fluttershy had managed to get Discord to adopt their friendship propaganda. Is she trying to do the same here?

Rainbow landed in front of the students. “Alright, follow me. We’re getting ready to attack.”

“Finally, some action,” Smolder said with a relieved grin. “Do you know how many times I’ve sharpened my claws these past three hours?”

“I think it was only one,” Ocellus said gently. “Professor Dash, what’s our plan of attack?”

“Stygian will cover everything,” she answered. “But in brief: you stay back and try to use the energies of Harmony where you can.”

“Professor make yak and friends stay out of fight?” Yona asked unhappily. “Why Professor no trust friends?”

“Yeah, do you think we’d just get in the way or something? Don’t you know better by now?” Sandbar followed up.

“It’s not about trust,” Dash said with a sigh. “It’s about the promises we made to your parents or guardians. We said we’d keep you safe, and we’re going our best to do that.”

Gallus shrugged. “Alright. Let’s just get going.” He gave a very subtle claw signal Dash missed. But Smolder recognized its meaning.

“Sure, whatever,” Smolder said with an eyeroll. Gallus’s claw signal meant ‘agree’, and she could guess the rest:

Gallus was suggesting to go along with the professors’ plan up until there was a suitable time to slip away. Then they’d team up with the professors and save their homelands together! Because of the professors’ promises, they couldn’t say what they really wanted, but Gallus had a knack for figuring this stuff out.

“Ooooh, this is so exciting! It’s like when we stopped Cozy!” Silverstream said with a big smile. “Except this time we’re working with Cozy to stop somecreature even worse than Cozy!” She giggled. “Funny, huh?”

“Yeah,” Gallus said with a significant glance towards Smolder. She was pretty sure she knew what he meant: Cozy couldn’t be trusted and it’d be a good idea to capture her as soon as Grogar was defeated.

Yona sighed. “If all friends okay, Yona okay too.”

“This way,” Dash instructed. She jumped into the air and turned towards the castle, flying far slower than normal.

One by one, the students hurried after her. Gallus signaled for Smolder to wait a moment; he delayed to second-to-last, offering, “Me and Smolder will take up the rear.” As she followed him, he leaned back to whisper, “I’m pretty sure the professors are being duped by Cozy and her friends. I think it’s up to us to make sure Grogar’s rule isn’t immediately followed by the Terrible Triumvirate.”

“Trium…what?” Smolder asked.

“Three rulers.” Gallus faceclawed. “I’ve been spending too much time around Ocellus.”

Smolder gave him a wry little smile. “Anyway, I think the professors are getting duped too. Funny how saving Equestria from its own ‘heroes’ is up to non-ponies.”

Gallus punched her softly on the shoulder. She didn’t even notice. “Hey,” he said. “I think we’re both honorary ponies at this point, at least compared with our countries.”

“So true,” she muttered with a sigh. “But hey. After all this, I’m sure we’ll all graduate with honors and be able to take friendship back home.”

“Don’t tell Ocellus,” he joked. “She might have a panic attack at the thought of no more tests.”

Snow fell softly on the broken ruins of Canterlot Castle. The thick, dark clouds spiraled above, as if heralding a worse storm yet to come. The wind itself seemed to be screaming in rage or pain.

In the remains of the throne room itself, Grogar sat, carefully drawing diagrams with a stick. His concentration was interrupted by the sound of several claws on stone.

A teenage dragon stuck his head around one of the shattered pillars. He asked nervously, “Ummm… Dragon Emperor Grogar, when will we be getting pillows? We looked all through Canterlot, but there were just piles of feathers and scraps of cloth…”

“Can we make burps the official greeting now?” a female dragon added. “Please, Your Supremacy?”

Grogar groaned in annoyance. “After the remaining pockets of resistance are crushed you’ll be able to salvage as many pillows as you want, Barry. Try Manehattan if you can’t wait. And no, Maar, I will not subject myself to that debasement.” He glared at them, open frustration on his face. “Now, I must focus. Turn away absolutely all visitors. Do not fail me.”

The teenagers saluted and flew back to their guard posts around the throne room. “Grogar is the COOLEST!” Charcoal gushed. “Did you see what he did to Trottingham?”

“I heard he was challenged to a duel by Ex-Dragon Lord Torch—and WON!” Maar said ecstatically. “It’s so amazing to be able to work alongside him!”

A squad of six black, hole-filled changelings flew up to the dragons. “Important intelligence report. We need to see the Hivelord.”

“Can’t,” Cinders said apologetically. “He’s very busy—and in a bad mood.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to give it to you,” the changeling said with a groan. “We’ve spotted the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony—and it looks like Queen Chrysalis and the others of Hivelord Grogar’s strike team have joined forces with them!”

“Chrysalis betrayed us?” Barry asked, dumbstruck. “Are you sure?”

“Reasonably. It’s possible that it’s a group of the traitor’s changelings trying to sow discontent, but that seems unlikely. One, he’s not smart enough for that, two, they were trying to stay out of sight instead of be obvious, and three, we couldn’t find any other trace of the team.” The changeling sergeant shook his head sadly. “It seems like the likeliest possibility is that they did betray us.”

“Thank you,” Maar said, smiling a little. “We’ll let him know once he’s able to be distracted.” The changeling nodded slightly, and his squad flew away.

Barely a minute later, a pack of dogs padded up. Their leader barked, “Where is ram Grogar Gemking? We must speak with him at once!”

“He’s busy,” Caldera said, rolling his eyes.

“Not good enough! Ponies… very tough. Need help!” the dog argued. She crossed her forelegs. “Maybe dragons want Gemking all to themselves so only dragons get gems?”

“Look,” Clump growled, tapping the dog on the forehead, “Grogar said he needed to concentrate. It might take an hour or a day, but once it’s done, I bet we’ll gain such an advantage we will win right away. So if you’re getting thrashed by ponies, why not just stay here and help guard?”

“Hmphph, dragons want dogs to stay here? Dogs don’t need to stay in capital city in fancy dens. Dogs can fight! Dogs will conquer Equestria all alone!” The dogs cheered at her words, and the pack charged back the way they’d came.

“Nice going, Clump,” Barry said with admiration. “Now hopefully we’ll get some peace and quiet.”

Pinkie nervously smiled as saw the students file in after Rainbow. She couldn’t help but notice Yona staring daggers at Cozy, and Ocellus shivering at the sight of Chrysalis. “Great, you’re all here!” she said, as much to break the silence as to bring the focus back on topic. “And I think you all know each other…?”

“Is she one of your changelings?” Sandbar asked Chrysalis, indicating Midnight. So no, they don’t. Chrysalis snorted at his question.

“No,” Midnight replied evenly. “I am a clone of Twilight Sparkle that Chrysalis created.” She looked completely oblivious to the disbelieving stares of the students, or maybe she just didn’t care. Either way, Pinkie knew, getting everypony to get along was critical. She nodded slightly to their Twilight.

“Well, now that you’ve met, eheh, I think it’s time for us to launch the attack,” Twilight declared with a nervous little laugh. “Starswirl, Stygian, and I have been working on a plan we think is pretty clever. We’ll scry on Canterlot Castle to make sure Grogar’s there, then teleport in. With the sundering of the city the ancient wards should have fallen, so it’ll hopefully be easy to teleport right on top of him.”

“Then what?” Gallus asked, flicking his tail against the shiny floor.

“Then myself and the other bearers engage him head-on. You six try and channel energy from the Tree of Harmony. And our new allies—”

“Can take care of themselves,” Chrysalis finished harshly. “We’re helping you, not serving you.”

“We probably should listen to what they have to say,” Cozy said gently. “It’ll help us make sure we don’t accidentally mess up each others’ attacks.”

“She’s right,” Tirek agreed from outside. “Twilight, what’s your plan for us?”

Twilight gave Cozy a gentle, tiny smile, and shared it with Tirek. “Tirek, you have the highest degree of raw power of anycreature here. I suggest you try to batter down his magical shields. Chrysalis, your shapeshifting powers enable you to turn into all kinds of things. I trust you know your best combat forms. Cozy, I’m counting on you to turn his minions against him. Spike will be alongside you, providing cover fire and helping convince any draconic minions. And Midnight, you share my knowledge of arcane finesse. Will you cast beside me?”

One by one, Cozy, Tirek, and Midnight nodded, some more reluctantly than others. Only Chrysalis stood alone. She glanced from Twilight to Cozy, and then to Tirek. Pinkie couldn’t read what their faces were saying, but it was clearly a heated silent discussion.

Finally, Chrysalis turned back to Twilight. “Fine. I’ll do as you wish.”

Pinkie grinned. “Okay, everycreature follow me to the cutie mark map room! Except Tirek, I guess, but… well, you can stick your arm in, right?”

“I think so, yes.” He extended a huge arm towards them.

“This way!” Pinkie said, bouncing along. The clip-clop of hooves and other appendages behind her told her they were all coming. It was only one short turn to the map room. Inside, Stygian and Starswirl were pouring over the map.

“I’ll be staying behind, to coordinate you all,” Stygian said with a nice little smile. “Starswirl’s going to cast a spell to let me talk to each of you.”

“And I’ll be here to maintain that spell, and teleport you out of danger if it’s required,” Starswirl added. He set his horn alight, and the Cutie Map shifted and shimmered grey. The ruins of Canterlot appeared there, like a moving painting or a movie, and in the middle sat Grogar. He was apparently deep in meditation, surrounded by complex magic sigils, and chanting softly. Yellow and black magic covered the ground around him, forming strange, alien shapes in the snow.

“Nice trick,” Smolder said with a smirk.

“Alright, we know where he is,” Rainbow said. “Starswirl, can you get us there?”

“Yes—though your help would certainly make it easier, Twilight,” he replied. He drew out a beautifully swirling orb of grey magic. “Now, everypony, touch this.”

Pinkie thought about her friends. They were about to face down the worst threat Equestria had ever known. Emotion flooded her soul, and she darted over to her friends. She grabbed them all and pulled them into a big hug.

“I’m scared,” Fluttershy admitted. “I’m worried about what he can do to you.”

“We all are,” Applejack reassured her. “Grogar’s got more power than… well, just about anypony.”

“Hah, well…” Dash said with a cocky smile. “I am too,” she admitted, the smile wavering away. “Not for myself—I know I’m tough enough to stand up to him. But for you guys? And our students? Yeah. I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”

“I share your concerns,” Rarity said. “It’s one thing to go into battle against a deadly threat… it’s another to have creatures you promised to take care of alongside you.”

“I’m sure we can do it,” Twilight said with a smile. “As long as we’re together, we’re unstoppable.”

“Very emotionally touching,” Midnight said dryly, “but we are on something of a schedule. Shall we skip over the rest of the mutual encouragement so we can begin the attack?”

Pinkie frowned, but she flipped that frown upside down and bounced over to hug Midnight too! “Aww, don’t be a sour grumpy guss! We can include you too!”

Midnight pried the pink pony away with her telekinesis. “Attack me again and I’ll invert your personal gravity,” she said coldly.

“That wasn’t an attack, Midnight, that was a hug,” Cozy explained with a giggle. “Golly, you really don’t have much non-magic information, do you?” Midnight shrugged noncommittally.

“Just hurry up and cast your spell, Starswirl,” Chrysalis hissed, her voice low with annoyance. “Let’s get this over with.”

“As you wish,” he replied, and the grey orb floated into the air. Tentacles of light extended from it down to each of the assembled creatures, Stygian and Starswirl excluded. Twilight ignited her horn and added to the spell, churning the grey light into a pale lavender. A blinding flash of light engulfed the room.

Chapter X

Sweetie Belle held the binoculars close to her eyes with her telekinesis. Through them, she could clearly see her sister, her sister’s friends, and their enemies walking into the castle. Tirek stuck his gargantuan arm in after them, but appeared to be making no aggressive moves.

Beside her, Apple Bloom was working on traps and Scootaloo was keeping a wider watch. “Well, what do we do now?” she asked, putting her binoculars down to look at her two friends.

“We make those monsters too scared to come mess with Ponyville,” Scootaloo suggested, smiling confidently.

“Or we could go after our family and friends in the Everfree,” Apple Bloom suggested. “Keep them safe while our sisters go save the world?”

A brilliant white light shot out of Princess Twilight’s castle, and Tirek vanished. “Well, who knows?” Sweetie asked. Her voice bubbled with barely suppressed laughter. “Maybe they’ll save Equestria before we can even make up our minds what to do?”

“Now wouldn’t that be somethin’,” Apple Bloom chuckled. “Well, if you think we should booby-trap Ponyville, Scootaloo, I’m all for it.”

“Actually, you might be right,” Scootaloo admitted. “We can rebuild the town much faster than we can heal up injured friends.”

Sweetie facehoofed. Were they seriously swapping opinions? “Okay-I-agree-with-Scootaloo-now-and-Apple-Bloom-from-before-so-lets-go-help-our-loved-ones-okay? Okay.”

Apple Bloom stared at her for a moment, and promptly started giggling. Scootaloo tried to restrain herself, but quickly joined Apple Bloom’s mirth. Even Sweetie’s annoyed face cracked a smile, and from there started chuckling as well.

Once their laughter slowed to a crawl, Apple Bloom spoke up. “You know, you girls are the best friends a pony could ask for.”

“Hear hear,” Scootaloo added.

“Definitely,” Sweetie finished. “Well, let’s get going! Our families aren’t going to protect themselves.” She grabbed her assorted equipment as her friends did the same, and the three fillies set out for deeper in the forest.

The grim blanket of ashen clouds slowly circled around what remained of Canterlot Castle. Snow fell quickly on the stone floor, but it seemed to consciously avoid the ruined throne room’s only inhabitant. Grogar carefully traced sigils of incredible complexity, each line burning with a dreadful blue light.

In the frosty, hazy air a brilliant flash of lavender and grey magic engulfed the entire throne room. A flurry of scintillating sparkles swept across the floor. And calm was replaced by a blizzard of activity in a few short heartbeats.

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle appeared in a large hexagon ten feet on a side close to Grogar. Ninety feet away, their pupils Silverstream, Gallus, Ocellus, Yona, Sandbar, and Smolder shifted into view as a wedge. And the four villains were split up: Midnight was placed beside Twilight, Tirek on the other side of Grogar, Chrysalis lurking between him and the students, and Cozy and Spike way over on the other side of where the door had been.

As Twilight’s vision cleared and she saw the world clearly once more, her years of battle reflexes kicked in. She channeled her magic through her horn, and unleashed a beam at Grogar’s back designed to slow the dread lord’s movements to a crawl. But to her shock, just as the magic reached him, it cascaded over and across a yellow-black sphere of light.

Beside her, she felt Midnight charging her own spell. The dark alicorn fired no beam, no flashy display, but Twilight felt a cold chill run down her spin. Midnight’s spell was designed to kill Grogar instantly—to transmute his brain to dust. But that same sphere of yellow and black resonated again, and he was unharmed.

A blur of rainbow shot past her and slammed straight into Grogar’s shield at full force. Rainbow unloaded punch after punch into it. Twilight’s eyes could barely keep track of her friends’ hooves.

Opposite her, Tirek’s twin horns glowed a fiery orange-red. He extended a huge hand and scrunched his face in concentration. Twilight recognized this technique with practiced ease, for the centaur had used it on her in their duel years ago. Tirek clenched a fist, and a reddish glow surrounded Grogar’s shields. He’s trying to crush the shields with telekinesis. But even with all Tirek’s power, the shield held.

Applejack leapt over Twilight to deliver a full applebucking kick right into the sphere of magic. Both her powerful legs slammed into his shield, and a crack appeared on it. Twilight felt a leap of hope in her chest. Of course! We have to attack in harmony!

Chrysalis let her ebon body crackle with dreadful green fire. The fire grew and grew into a huge conflagration, and out of it stepped an Ursa Major. She swatted downwards, her massive paw battering against Grogar. A few more cracks spread out across its surface, but his shield still held.

As Grogar turned to look at Twilight, he said nothing. He stared at them with a heartless lack of passion, as if they were insects to be squashed. Somehow, his silence and cold cruelty was worse than any gloating could be. As the orbs around his neck flickered with magic, Twilight found herself, her five friends, and Midnight trapped in a circular cage of yellow magical energy. On the cage’s roof, a vortex of black energy sizzled into existence.

Twilight instinctively cast a spell to teleport herself and her companions out, but it simply failed—she found herself right where she was, just like within Sombra’s traps. She looked over to Midnight, who seemed to be having the same troubles, and to Pinkie, who was muttering to herself.

“Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “What do you think is going on?”

“Weeeeell, I’m not a magical mage like you are, but I think Grogar’s about to destroy us,” she said with a slight smile. “That looks preeeetty nasty.”

Twilight’s heart sunk. No way out, and unlike Sombra, Grogar seemed completely uninterested in playing with them. He just wanted to win.

“Quickly!” Stygian urged Tirek. The complex spell Starswirl had cast allowed Stygian to advise even across the distance from Ponyville to Canterlot. “You have to do something! You need them!”

Tirek didn’t bother to respond. He locked eyes with Chrysalis, who nodded just a hair. Tirek reached out with his telekinesis, but not on Grogar—Grogar’s wards were still too strong. Instead, he reached for the ground under Grogar. With a crunch of his fist, he cracked the stone and sent Grogar stumbling. His magic faltered for just a moment, but that was all Chrysalis needed.

As Cozy’s apparition flew over to mock Grogar, Chrysalis shapeshifted into a cheetah. She dashed over to Tirek and let her skin flow back to her normal form. She touched his huge hoof, and performed a simple teleportation spell: bringing Tirek inside the magic cage as well. Grogar had warded it against leaving, but not against entering.

Grogar shook his head, and narrowed his eyes at Chrysalis and Tirek. Above Tirek, the deadly vortex of dark light was crackling. Tirek raised both his hands and cast a protective barrier spell, to shield Chrysalis, Midnight, and the annoyingly lucky ponies.

“What are you doing!?” Stygian demanded. “Even with all your power, you can’t stand up to an attack like that!”

Tirek knew Stygian was right. Even with all the power he’d amassed, he knew this ward would never hold against Grogar’s attack. If he and his friends had used the Bewitching Bell right, it wouldn’t need to. If they hadn’t, then they would die here, in a blizzard at the very throne room of Canterlot Castle.

At last, it seemed, the spell had built up enough energy for Grogar’s tastes. With a cold, almost dismissive wave of his hoof, the energy surged downwards towards the assembled heroes and villains. Tirek defiantly locked eyes with Grogar and snarled. Grogar simply frowned, as if disappointed. “You should have known better”, his face seemed to say.

The energy of Grogar’s brutal attack cascaded through Tirek’s shield, shattering it like glass. It washed down and over him, seeking to reduce him to ashes.

And the careful enchantments Chrysalis and he had placed upon him activated. As the energy approached his skin, it warped and twisted. His flesh simply absorbed the destructive magic as if he’d eaten it from Grogar himself.

Tirek grew in size, his muscles bulging out. He split his face with a grin as all of the magic became his to command. He reared back on his hind legs, before lurching forward and sending a beam of crimson light spearing towards Grogar.

The stolen energy strained and then snapped through the cage of force. It hit Grogar’s defensive wards with no apparent effect. The cage must have soaked up so much of the magic the blast was too weak to hurt him, Tirek mused.

Below Tirek, Chrysalis shapeshifted into a falcon and went into a screaming power dive towards Grogar. Right before she would have impacted, she shifted into a malwurf and slashed at Grogar. As both of her claws connected, her fur became chitin, a pair of extra limbs shot from her torso, and she became a giant insect. With each strike she adapted her attacks, trying to find a weak spot in Grogar’s defenses. Her attacks couldn’t get through, but it was enough to force him a few steps backwards.

Pinkie Pie appeared behind Grogar. “Bleeeh! Mleeenm! How old are you? You sure are ugly! Oh, and—you’re going down!” She pulled a cake from behind her ear and splattered it all over his shield.

Rarity flicked her horn, and a crystalline shield of magic appeared before Rainbow Dash. The pegasus nodded with a smirk, and shot forward to hammer the shield into Grogar’s own. He took another step back, frowning.

“Why did you decide to betray me?” Grogar asked. “Had you remained loyal, you would have become rulers of pieces of the world.”

“You wouldn’t leave us anything to rule,” Cozy’s shadow self answered with a cute smile. “We want subjects!”

“And I didn’t want to have to bow to anyone,” Chrysalis added.

Grogar curled his face into a grim stare. His horns and bells crackled with yellow-black magic, and the air split asunder. Jagged bolts of lightning darted towards everyone nearby except Tirek, including the false Cozy. Applejack was barely able to duck behind a piece of masonry, and even so the bolt sent her flying backwards. Everything hurt. Her body felt like the time Rainbow had accidentally shocked her with lightning.

She looked around. Speaking of Rainbow, the blue pegasus was almost unconscious. Pinkie lay unmoving. Chrysalis’s now-many-tentacled body was blackened and smoking. Twilight and Midnight were cowering behind a shared shield crisscrossed with cracks. Rarity’s dainty form was halfway across the room. Applejack couldn’t see Fluttershy. The phantom Cozy, naturally, was completely unharmed. And Tirek didn’t look hurt, but he was opening his mouth and clawing at the air, with no sound coming out.

Before Applejack could even get to her feet, circles of yellow magic chained her limbs down. A quick look around told her most of her allies had suffered the same fate. Grogar narrowed his eyes. “So, you thought to betray me and thus rule over Equestria in its current state? And to that end, you joined forces with your quarry to remove me? Hmmmph, a clever plan.” He tightened his magical grip. “Now, tell me the location of the real Cozy Glow, and from where you gained these new powers.”

“Should we teleport you home?” Stygian asked Applejack through his mental link. His voice quivered with terror. “Or do you want to fight a little longer?”

Before Applejack could reply, she saw a flash of yellow—but not Grogar’s yellow. It was Fluttershy!

“How dare you?” Fluttershy demanded. She flew to right in front of Grogar. “How dare you!? Listen here, you big meanie! You may have powers beyond imagination and have created every kind of monster we’ve ever fought and be able to any of us effortlessly, but you do not, I repeat, YOU. DO. NOT. HURT. MY. FRIENDS! Got that?”

Grogar just snorted derisively, and lit his horn again. But before he could complete his spell, Fluttershy whirled in the air, sending snow right into his face. He snarled, and as he wiped his shield clear, Fluttershy locked eyes with him. She looked straight through him, applying the full power of her legendary Stare.

And it did absolutely nothing.

Grogar completed his spell and black lightning lancing into Fluttershy. She was tossed across the room like a foal’s doll, slamming into a shattered pillar with a horrible crack. She landed hard and lay still.

Okay, that’s enough. Applejack focused inward to talk with Stygian, but the sound of a waterfall rushing over a cliff made it hard to think. She looked up again, and saw a glorious rainbow light. It shone from behind Grogar, and slammed into him like a sparkling train. He was knocked to his knees with a groan. Applejack’s bonds vanished, and she bolted upright. Their students were glowing with Harmony’s energy, floating above the ground.

“You should really look behind you once in a while, Grogar,” Gallus said with a snarky grin. “Not that it’d help. You don’t stand a chance against all of us working together!”

Grogar scanned the room, presumably assessing the odds. After a moment, he raised his voice. “Guards!” he ordered. “There are intruders here. Distract them while I destroy them.” As he uttered the word ‘intruders’, a scintillating portal of yellow and black appeared just to the right of him, and six blackened, pitted jewels flew out. They began to orbit him slowly. And as he said ‘destroy’, he let a volley of six dark bolts towards the students. Each bolt struck true, and the energy scattered the creatures like leaves in a thunderstorm.

Chrysalis licked her lips in fury. He had hurt her badly, deeper than anyone had ever before. And he had nearly killed Tirek with that little trick of sucking all the air from his lungs. But no more. Now he will pay in full.

She willed her many tentacles back into her body. Her torso and neck lengthened as her tail shifted from another tentacle into hard carapace. She returned to a comfortable, natural chitinous body, but not her default form—no, this was a battle form. Her mandibles chittering, she became a humongous centipede!

She skittered across the snow and bit down, hard, towards Grogar. Her mouthparts burned as the magic sizzled against them, but at long last, his shield shattered. Even as her smoking jaws continued in their inward path, she was reshaping her body once more. Vertebrae appeared along her back and her mouth shifted from right-left to top-down. It grew true teeth, and in an instant, she was a quarry eel. Her jaws closed around Grogar, but as soon as she touched his skin, his body automatically reacted with a surge of magic.

She felt her shapeshifting slipping away from her, and her body returned to her normal changeling form. “W-what?!” she asked aloud, shock filling her voice. “How?”

“You cannot defeat me with my own creations,” Grogar replied icily. His horns glowed with power, and rock spikes stabbed up towards her. Only her instinctive shifting to a flea saved her from being skewered by his deadly spell.

Midnight analyzed Grogar’s magic. He favored efficient, lethal magic, just like her, though it seemed he preferred to attack as many enemies as possible simultaneously, preventing him from applying the most lethal ones. The deadliest spells only worked against a single foe.

The gems orbiting Grogar reminded her vividly of the ones she and her sister clones had tried to seize back at the Tree of Harmony. But something was different about these. They had a far darker gleam, and Midnight felt a deep connection to one in particular. It felt… right, somehow.

Something to loot from his corpse, she decided. She beat her wings, and leapt into the air. Her forhead, just below her horn, ached as she concentrated, and a deadly spell darted down towards Grogar. If the spell worked, it would transmute all his blood to acid.

His eyes darted upward. With a grunt, he opened a portal below himself, and vanished. The portal closed behind him. Her spell hit the stone ground with no effect—it only worked on living things, after all.

She looked around. Many of her allies were severely damaged. That would not do. Though it hurt her pride to admit, she had had much less luck against Grogar than them. Logic dictated expending some of her own power to aid them.

She flew down to them, and concentrated deeply. With a gasp of pain, she transfused a bit of her own life force into Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. Her knees buckled, and the world spun. But each of them started to stir.

“Get up,” she urged with a pained whimper. “You need to help!”

Rainbow unsteadily got to her hooves. “Midnight? What did you do?”

“I gave you each some of my life energy. I don’t know how effective a fighter I’ll be without it. I’m counting on you!” She felt an emotion she had never experienced before, sort of like fear mixed with anticipation.

Pinkie jerked awake. “Midnight, go find cover. We’ll deal with that mean old party pooper!”

Fluttershy nodded, her face unusually similar to Mean Fluttershy. “Do you hear that, Grogar? Nopony hurts my friends and gets away with it!”

Twilight flicked her horn, and sent a spell rippling down its length. It surged towards Grogar just as Midnight cast her own spell. Twilight’s spell was far less dangerous than Midnight’s but also far harder to block, and sure enough, it hit Grogar on the shin. His body rippled briefly.

As he vanished into his portal, Twilight adopted a defensive stance. Her spell was calculated to enervate and weaken him, making him sleepy and confused. It would hopefully leave him vulnerable enough for her friends to defeat him.

She saw Midnight flying over to Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow, and help them up. Midnight stumbled, suddenly looking very ill. She limped over to behind a collapsed wall and out of Twilight’s sight.

With a horrid cracking sound, the ground underneath Twilight split in two. Only her wings saved her from the chasm. It tore through the huge room. Just as Rarity was about to fall in, Pinkie slammed into her to knock her to safety. Not a moment too late, either, as the floor crunched back together.

Twilight looked around frantically. Where’s Grogar? There’s so much rubble he has countless places to hide.

She took a deep, deep breath, and closed her eyes. As an alicorn, she had a fundamental connection to the force of magic itself. She reached inside herself to feel for fluctuations nearby.

There were the villains, of course—they were clouds of dark smoke, glinting a pale blue light. There were each of her friends, with their corresponding element color. Their students likewise had such auras. But Grogar? He was hard to see, but he wasn’t invisible so much as too vast. The whole room seemed to be glowing with his magic.

She opened her eyes. Maybe ordinary vision would succeed where magic aura-reading had failed. She beat her wings to get aloft and gain a bird’s eye view of the area. She quickly gained altitude. Guess flying lessons with Rainbow paid off.

But even here, fifty feet above the ground, Grogar was impossible to see. What was he up to?

Pinkie couldn’t see Grogar, but that wasn’t a big problem. She still had her Pinkie Sense, after all. And it was pinging a bigger doozy than she’d found at Froggy Bottom Bogg. Twilight giving up on trying to understand her. Twitcha-twitch, twitcha-twitch! She reflexively dove forward just before the ground split apart, pushing Rarity to safety. With the world going crazy, Pinkie did the only thing that made sense:

She loaded her party canon and snarled. Grrr! If that big party pooper thinks he can get away with hurting her friends, he has another thing coming. Something that will take the cake. But it won’t take a happy cake that tasted good, no—more like the awful cake Sombra made the Cakes bake. A Sombra-Cake-baked cake will take the cake!

Pinkie felt her Pinkie Sense filling up her bones with the information she so desperately needed. She pirouetted on her rear hooves and fired the cake-taking cake high into the air. It splattered down just behind the shattered thrones, and a disgusted groan rang out. Gotcha!

With a shimmer of pink, Pinkie reappeared right in front of Grogar. Before he could so much as cast a spell, she’d loaded in another cake and blasted his face with goopy batter.

“Hahaha! Taste the cake! The bad-tasting cake! Doesn’t it taste of black licorice and revenge? Ahh, revenge tastes sweet. But not this revenge cake!” Grogar tried to wipe his eyes clear, but Pinkie was reloading and firing cakes faster than he could clean.

Pinkie saw a cyan blur out of the corner of her eye and grinned. Now the fun really begins!

Rainbow split the air asunder with a screaming BOOM, leaving a trail of rainbow in her wake. She slammed into Grogar like a freight train, knocking him to the floor and sending him skidding fifteen feet back. She followed up with a barrage of rapid attacks, each punch and kick hard enough to crack stone. Even with Grogar’s magically hardened flesh, it looked like it hurt. “This! Is! For! The! Princesses!”

Grogar groaned, before shoving a hoof up blindly and touching her chest. Suddenly, Rainbow was trapped in a sphere of magical force. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Rainbow clutched at her throat, and Pinkie had a feeling Rainbow was suffocating!

“Help!” Pinkie shouted. “Rainbow’s in trouble!”

Applejack jumped over the thrones and went into a roundhouse power kick. The orb of magic shuddered, but held. Grogar wiped the cake off his face, and glanced across each of them in order.

Rarity flicked her long scarf around Grogar’s forehoof, and yanked hard. “Unhand Rainbow this instant, you fiend!” He stumbled, and she followed up with a surge of electricity down her clothing.

Rainbow struggled in her bubble. She was firmly stuck—and all that activity had to be using up even more of her remaining oxygen. Rarity and Applejack had helped, but it still wasn’t enough.

Pinkie drew her trumpet, took a deep breath, and blew as hard as she could right into Grogar’s ear. Rainbow dropped to the ground, but Grogar looked much less discombobulated than he should have. Pinkie didn’t like it. But at least Rainbow seemed okay. She was breathing rapidly and lay prone, but her eyes were open.

Pinkie frowned. Even with all her tricks, this was a losing battle. Where was Twilight? Where were their evil allies? Why weren’t they helping against Grogar?

As Twilight carefully trotted towards where Pinkie and Rainbow had gone, she felt a cold chill run down her back. She whirled around to look behind her. Tirek, Chrysalis, and Midnight were staring at her. Tirek’s face was contorted with rage, and Chrysalis wore a cruel smirk. Midnight was giving her a coldly analytical look, like she was a frog for dissection. She didn’t seem to be limping anymore. Did she heal? Or did she fake her injury?

Twilight felt a sudden surge of rage flaring in her own heart. Chrysalis had done horrible things to her and her brother. Tirek had nearly absorbed all Equestria’s magic. And she was going into battle alongside them? What would Celestia think?

She wouldn’t, because she can’t, Twilight remembered. These monsters had taken Celestia away from her. With a pained snarl, she flicked her horn towards Chrysalis. A purple surge of magic shot down its length and arced towards the changeling.

Chrysalis transformed into a flea, but the spell turned in mid-flight and struck directly on her. She was encased in lavender amber, unharmed but helpless.

Beside her, Fluttershy looked into Tirek’s eyes, rage and misery mixing in equal parts. “Because of Grogar, Discord is gone! How could you let him do that?!”

“He was a threat to me,” Tirek retorted. “As Twilight has become.” He thrust a hand forward and grabbed Twilight in his impossibly strong telekinesis. With a nasty smile, he began to squeeze.

Midnight took aim at Fluttershy with her own horn. Unlike Tirek or Chrysalis, she displayed no satisfaction, merely a cold indifference.

And high above, the Windigos swirled in the storm, cooing triumphantly. Even the Princess of Friendship and Element of Kindness had fallen to their influence.

Just as Midnight was about to cast a spell to reduce Fluttershy to dust, Cozy dove in front of her. “Wait!”

Midnight raised an eyebrow, but stopped. “What is it, Cozy Glow? Why do you want me to not attack her?”

“Look at you! Only a minute ago you were all getting along just fine. What happened?” she demanded, glancing towards Tirek.

“It occurred to me that Twilight would throw us all in Tartarus as soon as we defeated Grogar,” Tirek answered. “And I decided to make sure that wouldn’t happen.”

“Riiiiight,” Cozy said skeptically. “And she decided to attack you for some brand-new reason too. Really, Tirek, I’d expect this kind of naïveté from Midnight—no offense, you’re just only a day old—but from you?”

Tirek looked down at the floor and slackened his magical grasp just enough for Twilight to breathe.

“I remembered that they had let Discord be… whatever Grogar did to him! You did too!” Fluttershy interjected. “And that’s wrong!”

Cozy sighed. “Yes, it is. But we’re fighting Grogar, right?” Each of them nodded except for Chrysalis, who was still encased in translucent magic crystal. “And we know he’s summoned Windigos. Now, what are Windigos really, really good at?”

“Stirrin up… hatred…” Tirek said slowly. He blushed a little. “Heh. I guess you’re right.” He dropped Twilight, and a moment later, she unfroze Chrysalis.

Chrysalis reverted to her natural form and looked at Cozy. “What you’re saying makes sense. Any rage we feel is probably the result of the Windigos. Can we count on you to keep us from fighting each other?” Cozy gave Chrysalis a big smile and a nod.

“Very well, Cozy,” Midnight said, letting the magic on her horn fade. “I have only one other question for you.”

“Sure!” Cozy replied. “What is it?”

“What’s a Windigo?”

Midnight got her answer with a horrid roar from above. They were like nothing so much as swirling, ghostly clouds of snow in the shape of horses. Their blue, crystalline eyes froze even her detached soul.

“Let’s hurry,” Twilight whispered.

Starlight sat in the war room, deep in contemplation. Negotiation with Saddle Arabia had gone well. Now they were just waiting for the signal to attack. Twilight had communicated briefly about her status and the magic necessary to contact Gusty the Great’s spirit.

She rose to look out across the legions. Between Griffonstone’s and the Dragon Lands’ air forces, Saddle Arabia’s and Yakyakistan’s armies, the renegade Hippogriff navy, and the Changeling scouts and spies, she was very proud of her work. With Equestria’s ponies and buffalo, this host might well be the largest ever assembled.

A shift in the air told her another pony was approaching. She turned, and Sunburst was there. He asked, “Is everything alright, Starlight? You look… frazzled.”

“I’m just worn out, that’s all,” she reassured him. “Well, I guess I am a little anxious too.”

“A little?” Sunburst echoed with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, a lot. I’ve never led an army larger than a village. What if I mess up? Or get mind controlled?” She nibbled anxiously on her hoof. “Ohhh, or what if enemies are acting as sleeper agents inside our host and are reporting on everything we do to Grogar? We already know some changelings and dragons serve Grogar. What if he’s managed to convince others to join him too, and now all our plans are available to him?”

Sunburst looked right into her eyes. “Take a deep breath, Starlight.” She did so. “Now let it out slowly.” Again, she complied. “You are one of the most powerful sorcerers alive. A single fully grown dragon like Torch can probably destroy a city singlehandedly, and we have a dozen of them. It’s going to be okay.”

“Of course it will,” Trixie interjected. “The Heroic and Daring Trixie would never let her dear friend Starlight Glimmer come to any trouble, and that extends to her friend’s friends as well.”

“Thanks, guys,” Starlight said with a genuine smile. “I’m just really nervous. What if I screw up?”

“You won’t,” Sunburst assured her. “We’re here to help you.”

“And even if you do, the Great and Powerful Trixie will be there to fix it,” Trixie added.

Starlight reached out with her telekinesis, and pulled her two friends into a big hug. “Thank you,” she said softly as she embraced them both.

Cozy called her shadow self back into her body, and allowed herself a few moments of contemplation on the events of the past few minutes. When the teleportation spell had set her and Spike down just outside the throne room, the guards had immediately accosted them.

“Halt!” a teenage dragon demanded. “Who are you?”

“Oh, nothing too special,” Spike said. “Just the Dragon Lord’s best friend and his assistant.”

“Oh, you’re friends with Dragon Lord Ember, huh?” another dragon asked. “Well, that makes you enemies of Dragon Emperor Grogar. Now surrender!”

Spike gulped. Cozy interjected, “We’re not here as invaders, but as diplomats. Ember’s thinking about becoming a vassal of Grogar. I take it you already are?”

“Yes,” the first said proudly. “He’ll lead us to greatness!”

“Golly, that sounds exciting!” Cozy said with a nice smile. “It’s nice to see that dragons are finally accepting that they don’t belong on top!”

“Huh?” the second guard asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re bowing to a non-dragon ruler, and you’re gonna be equals of the diamond dogs. It’s really forward-thinking of you to finally realize you aren’t any better than they are.” Cozy gave them an approving nod.

“W… wait…” the second dragon said. “You’re saying that by obeying Grogar, we’re saying we’re only as good as Diamond Dogs?”

“Oh, I’m not saying that,” Cozy reassured them. “You are! It’s so nice to see you getting along as equals, and knowing you’re no better than them. It really makes me happy.”

The two dragons looked at each other and started whispering. Cozy couldn’t make out any words over the howling wind, but their faces told her plenty. “We’ll be right back,” the first told her. “Don’t go anywhere.”

As they flew off, Spike turned to Cozy. “That was incredible! How did you do that?”

“It’s simple, really. I just figured out that if ponies could be made to turn against each other, other species in Grogar’s alliance could too.”

“Speaking of…” he pointed behind her. “Our friends seem to be in a lot of trouble. Shouldn’t we help them?”

“Neither of us has enough power to make a difference against Grogar directly,” Cozy reminded him. “The best way to help them is to create a headache for him out here so he gets distracted. But I will use my shadow copy to bother him as I can.”

“Thanks, Cozy,” Spike said, orienting his thumb up. “I’ll guard you while you do that.”

Cozy had proceeded to try to help against Grogar, just as she’d said. But when he unleashed his lightning, it became obvious that he knew she wasn’t real.

That was her sign to return back to her body. She snapped awake. “Grogar figured out I wasn’t the real Cozy, and that my real body has to be somewhere else. Do you think he’ll find us out here?”

Spike scratched his forehead. “Probably. Let’s go find a somewhat intact building nearby to lurk in.”

The two of them hurried down the rubble-choked street, flying low to the ground to avoid being spotted. Both Spike and Cozy flew quickly and skillfully. Cozy expertly hid her fear. We have to find a shelter, and fast. There are too many of Grogar’s minions here.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of blue-black. It was an unreformed changeling like Chrysalis, but smaller, built like Ocellus. And there were several others beside it. Their expressions reminded her of Chrysalis on particularly bad days. It wasn’t anger, but something far more disturbing: Hunger.

Cozy dove down. Did they see me? Before she could get up to check, Spike jumped at her and knocked to the ground!

Betrayal! she instantly thought. She struggled to get free, but she was just an ordinary filly, and even a kid dragon was significantly stronger than her. She raised a wing to defend against his next attack, but it never came.

She looked at him dubiously, and opened her mouth to ask what he was doing. But before she could get a word out, he clamped his claw over her mouth and pointed up. Cozy instantly understood his meaning. She nodded and stayed quiet.

Spike waited a few moments, before whispering, “I think they’re gone.”

Cozy nodded, her mind elsewhere. Spike’s actions were perfectly sensible. I would have done the same myself if I’d thought of it. But I had instantly assumed it was betrayal. Why?

A thought wormed its way into her brain. There are Windigos up in the clouds. They’re masters of stirring up hatred, just like me, although they cheat. They use magic instead of charisma and manipulation. Could they be skilled enough to affect even my trained mind?

There was only one way to find out. She meditated deep within, visualizing an empty chair in an old house. She felt emotions swirling by. She examined each before discarding it.

Suspicion was there, of course. So was joy—she loved a scheme done right. Anger was there, in its usual ice-cold form. There was even fear. She was afraid of what Grogar could do to her and what he could do to the world she wanted to conquer.

But something was awry. She tugged at the cold anger, and burning hot anger spilled out! Waves and waves of it. So much fury of the kind that rendered the mind useless.

She gasped, and looked at Spike. “How were the Windigos defeated?”

“Huh?” he asked.

“In the stories. How do ponies beat them?”

“Well, the Fire of Friendship can repel them,” Spike explained. “That’s a magical fire formed by friendship among the three tribes. Twilight conjures some every Hearth’s Warming.”

“Mhmm,” Cozy said. “Well, then get that friendship fire going. Because if they’re affecting me, I bet all your friends are too.”

“We need magic,” Spike answered with a frown. “Even dragonfire alone isn’t enough. Plus, it takes inter-tribe friendship. You’re a pegasus, and it requires an earth pony and a unicorn.”

“Then I guess we’ll wait here in the bunker,” Cozy said dryly. “I’ll check in on the others with magic.”

She tapped one of her bows, and saw through other eyes.

Cozy gasped awake. “Golly, it sure is good I checked in on them. They were throwing spells at each other!”

“Really?” Spike asked worriedly. “Should we go back?”

Stygian’s voice sounded in both their minds. “Don’t go back. You can do more out here. See if you can get those changelings to stop siding with Grogar too, Cozy. Spike, guard her. She’ll need you to keep her safe while her body is helpless.”

Spike saluted towards Ponyville. Cozy rolled her eyes, and began to concentrate again.

Her shadowy copy flew up and out of the room. The pack of changelings were circling the general area like vultures. She raised her hooves in an innocent manner to show them she meant no harm. They dashed to surround her with their strange spears.

“You’re under arrest for an act of war against Grogar’s lands!” the captain hissed. “State your name and business.”

“My name’s Cozy Glow,” she said with a dainty smile. “And my business is talking. I’m a diplomatic envoy, sent to meet with you!”

“Me?” the captain asked skeptically.

“Well, all of you really. You all look terrifying and amazing! But the real matter isn’t a statement, it’s a question.”

“Go on,” the captain said, nodding impassively.

“Why do you look… well, like that? I thought all the changelings had become colorful beetles?”

The captain bared his fangs, snarling dangerously. “No. Some of us still embrace the old ways, unlike those traitors.”

“Well gol-ly, isn’t that something!” Cozy cheered. “Only… are the old ways about bowing to a non-changeling?”

“What do you mean?” one of the guards asked. A glare from her captain suggested she wasn’t supposed to ask.

“Well, it’s just that you’re serving Grogar,” Cozy explained gently. “Isn’t it kind of weird that the Father of Monsters is ordering you about like this? It seems kind of like he sees you less as children… and more as slaves.”

“Hardly,” the captain answered dismissively. “Hivelord Grogar is proving to be a very reliable and talented leader. We need his guidance to crush the princesses.” The assorted changelings nodded their assent. “Now hold still.” He opened his mouth wide.

Cozy continued to watch him sweetly. He looked down and seemed displeased. “Why can’t I drain any of your emotions?” he demanded. “I can’t feel a single drop of love in you!”

“Oh, I always keep my emotions under control,” she answered with a giggle. “And the second is simple. I don’t love anycreature!” Of course, the real reason they couldn’t detect emotions was that this copy of her wasn’t real, but a bit of lying never hurt.

All the guards stared at her. “But I thought ponies were always bubbling with happiness and love and all that stuff?” one asked, his voice wavering.

“Eh, not me,” Cozy said with a shrug. “Anyway, the point is, you’d better hurry over. My minions are fighting Grogar, and while the Elements probably won’t use any of the more, ehhem, effective methods, I’m sure Chrysalis won’t be so forbearing. So if you wanna keep your ram dad around, better get over there quick!”

One of the changelings stared at her in horror. “You’re just a pony grub. How can you be so carefree about orchestrating something like that?”

“I dunno,” she replied with her adorable smile. “Guess it’s my special talent or something!”

“We have to head out!” a changeling insisted. Her face was warped with fear. “We need to protect the Hivelord!”

“Wait,” the captain said slowly. “If this is the pony who’s organizing them… that’s Cozy Glow!” He snarled. “You’re their crafter of lies!”

“Golly, you don’t say?” Cozy asked sardonically.

“She’s tricking us,” the captain said coolly. “No doubt she just wants us all beside Grogar for some nasty attack or something. Getting us all together to destroy us all at once. Well, it won’t work. And now you’ll pay for your crimes against our lord!” He dove down, spear first to impale her.

Cozy effortlessly had her ethereal copy dodge the attack, and as the other changelings charged towards her, she evaded each of their strikes as well. A moment later, she promptly took off down the mountain. She looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out. “Can’t catch me!” They beat their wings as hard and fast as they could, but they were still slightly slower than her incorporeal travel.

She kept the chase going for a few minutes, until they were too exhausted to chase any longer. After that, she dove into the caves beneath Canterlot and flew up through the floor back to her body’s position.

She opened her eyes and saw Spike standing guard with a salvaged spear. “Hey Spike!”

“Gaaah!” he said as he whirled around. “Oh, it’s just you, Cozy.”

“Yup, just me,” she agreed. “You’ll be glad to know I got those changelings out of Canterlot.”

“Nice job! So… what should we do now?”

“Check back in on the others, try to keep Grogar off-balance, you know the drill.” She gave Spike a sweet smile. “And on your front, stay on guard. You’re doing an awesome job protecting me!”

Spike puffed his chest out proudly and raised an eyebrow with a half-smirk. “Well, well, well. Do you have a crush on me?”

Cozy glared daggers at him, before bursting out laughing. “Pffffh, you wish,” she teased. She closed her eyes again, and separated her soul from her body once more

Gallus surveyed the battlefield with a cocky half-smile. The professors and Midnight were really laying into Grogar with hoof, wing, and horn. Behind them, Tirek and Chrysalis unleashed their own brutal powers.

Those six strange, blackened jewels still swirled around Grogar. What are they? They look like the Elements of Harmony, but warped and scarred. Maybe Ocellus will know? As he stared at them, he felt a prick of sharp pain stabbing from behind his eyes.

Beside him, Silverstream was starting to stir. “Ungh, what happened?” she asked with a whimper of pain.

“Grogar hit us with black lasers,” Smolder said, cracking her knuckles.

“His magic just ignored ours,” Ocellus added worriedly. “How did he do that?”

“Yona hate Grogar,” Yona growled. “Yona want to smash Grogar like smashing log!”

“Yeah!” Sandbar agreed. “He hurt you guys. Nocreature gets away with that!”

Gallus flapped his wings. Their teachers and the other villains were keeping him off-balance. “Ocellus, do you recognize those gems he has around him?”

“I guess they look like evil versions of the Elements of Harmony,” Ocellus replied uncertainly. “But there are differences too. The symbols are different. I’ve never heard of something like this. Sorry Gallus.”

“Ah well, thanks anyway Ocellus,” Gallus said. “Let’s show him what the team who stopped Cozy can do!” He leapt into the air and flew towards Grogar.

Ahead, Grogar was parrying or blocking the attacks and spells of nine different people. As Fluttershy tried to guilt him and Pinkie kept him distracted, Rainbow and Applejack unleashed an unrelenting hail of kicks and punches that only powerful magic could deflect. Rarity was wielding her cape in rapid sweeping strikes, and Twilight and Midnight fired spell after spell.

Grogar’s jewels glowed a strange black color, as if they were sucking up the light in the room. He was putting them to good use, blocking or reflecting Tirek’s gargantuan beams of energy. Chrysalis had taken the form of a tall, gangly creature with dozens of of limbs. Rather than strike Grogar personally, she hurled rock after rock at him. Even with all his power, it was clear he was struggling.

Beads of sweat ran down Grogar’s face as blocked or deflected every attack. It was working so far, but Gallus could already see his reflexes slowing. He felt a surge of hope. Maybe they’d actually be able to succeed!

Gallus beckoned to his friends. Without even checking if they were following him—he knew they were—he shot up into the sky. He went into a power dive towards Grogar, but not at his body. Gallus was aiming for one of the orbiting gemstones.

His wings flush against his body, he got closer, and closer, and closer, but just as he was mere yards away Grogar glanced upward. He immediately set his bells aglow, and a shield pulsed into existence. It was all Gallus could do to thrust his wings out and turn what could have been a splat into a hard slam. He hit the shield and the world went black.

“Gallus!” Fluttershy gasped. She dashed forward to grab him, and cradled him in her forelegs.

Applejack leapt forward to deliver another crushing kick against Grogar’s shield. This time it cracked open like a sphere of brittle ice. He growled, but his voice jerked as he stumbled. As Rainbow slammed her hoof into his chest, both Twilight and Midnight charged spells of their own. Tirek thrust his fist forward to create a laser of ferocious kinetic energy.

Before Grogar could retaliate against any of his attackers, Chrysalis returned to her default shape, teleported to mere inches away, and then took the form of the Smooze. She shot a green pseudopod down into his throat, and then vanished from sight.

Midnight’s and Twilight’s horns flared in unison, and together they weaved a complex spell of debilitation and binding. A web of pink light appeared around Grogar and began to slowly contract. It sparkled like the night sky, and as Tirek looked at it, it hurt his eyes. It was like staring into a solar eclipse.

Grogar crouched low in a defensive stance. “You are—hukhkhgrghk,” he hacked. “Uughkh.” His knees trembled as he coughed uncontrollably.

Tirek watched in awe. Chrysalis must have turned herself into a disease, he thought in astonishment.

Spike marched back and forth beside Cozy in the bunker. A crush on her, hah! As if. No, my crushes are reserved for good people. Cozy might be on our side for now, but it’s pretty obvious she’s only helping us for her own reasons.

Besides, she just isn’t attractive as a partner. I love beautiful, determined, inventive creatures. Not saccharine, scheming, treacherous manipulators. Even if she were to put her talents to good use, she would still just be a distasteful person to be around.

Crush or not, though, she is my ally. And I’m going to protect her from all of the threats in this ruined city.

The shudder of the ground beneath him sent gears clicking in his head. Tunnelers, in Grogar’s realm, probably subservient to him… diamond dogs!

Spike froze where he stood. No more marching—they most likely detected vibrations in the ground. He’d just stay still until they left. Or, if they didn’t leave, fight them off. Between his fire and the spear he’d salvaged from the half-collapsed building, he was ready.

As the rumbling came to a stop right under his claws, he didn’t dare to even breathe. He was pretty sure he could take the diamond dogs in a fight, but with Cozy unconscious, he didn’t want to risk her safety.

Second after agonizing second ticked by. Finally, the ground rumbled again. It receded, getting fainter and fainter, until it was out of earshot.

Spike exhaled hard. That was too close. He still had no idea how his friends were doing, because Cozy had decided to stay asleep.

“Come on, Twilight,” he whispered under his breath. “You can do it!”

In the dark caves beneath Canterlot, Cozy continued her work.

“Now, all I’m saying is, if you’d decide to… not show up for Grogar’s summons, Princesses Celestia and Luna will probably be very thankful. I bet they’d reward you with a lot of gems!”

“How we trust pony?” one of the dogs demanded. “Ponies always trick dogs!”

“Not a trick,” Cozy reassured them. “I care about you diamond dogs just as much as I care about ponies!” That wasn’t even a lie. She didn’t care about ponies any more than about these dogs. “Even if Grogar wins, you can just say you were held up.”

“Hmmm. Pony have point… okay,” the small dog answered. “Dogs will wait for five minutes. Then help Gemking.”

Cozy flashed them a big smile. “Thank you! I won’t let the princesses forget this!”

She trotted away, and once she was sure she was out of their sight, floated up through the rocks towards the surface.

To her surprise, she spotted a group of ponies on a higher level of the tunnels! They all wore thick, black cloaks that obscured their features, but she instinctively sensed danger.

She took a breath, although in this form that was utterly useless, and floated down into the ground until only the top of her head was sticking out of it. She snuck forward in absolute silence towards them.

“Should we help Grogar now?” a hoarse voice asked in a hushed tone. “He looked like he was having a lot of trouble.”

“No,” another answered silkily. “If he wins, it’s moot. If he escapes it’ll be up to us to help him hide, recuperate, and exact revenge. And if he doesn’t, we’ll be able to aid more indirectly. Because if they beat him in a fair fight, there’s nothing we can do in one.”

“I agree,” a calm voice added. “We wait, and maintain these sigils.”

Cozy inched closer. The cloaks made features hard to determine, but she could deduce there were two earth ponies, a unicorn, and two batponies. They were sitting around a circle surrounded with complex glowing symbols.

She racked her brain for context. A bunch of weird cultist ponies hidden under Canterlot who were serving Grogar too? What was going on?

Cozy prided herself on her ability to manipulate, even against ponies she’d only just met. But she was not at all confident in her ability to manipulate ponies she couldn’t even make educated guesses about.

She slipped down into the rock, and stayed inside it as she flew a couple hundred feet away. From there, she rose through the ceiling and out into Canterlot proper.

Up here, the snow was starting to form thick drifts. The Windigos continued to swirl far above. She narrowed her eyes and took flight for the throne room.

Midnight flicked her horn, completing the spell Twilight had begun. Lines of magical light flowed into a sphere around Grogar, creating a glowing web. Tiny threads darted from line to line, making the web shimmer like dew. Any spells he fired at any of them would simply bounce around inside his cage. This spell was quite difficult, but combined with Grogar’s sundered defenses and now infected body, victory seemed likely.

Sweat flowed down his brow, and he gasped in pain. Whatever Chrysalis had turned into, it seemed horribly virulent. Midnight allowed herself a faint smile.

Cozy appeared inside the slowly shrinking energy cage. “Hey, Grogar! Do ya remember how you were saying your power was greater than all of ours combined? Golly, I bet you feel pretty silly now, huh?”

“You found a way to boost your power beyond mine,” Grogar admitted with a grunt. “I am… impressed.”

“Now, tell us what happened to Celestia and Luna!” Twilight demanded. “Where are they? What—what did you do to them?”

Grogar’s eyes weren’t on Twilight, or even Cozy anymore. He was staring past them, his blue face turning paler and paler as Chrysalis ravaged his body. “Where… are they?” he echoed, groaning.

“You’d better tell us right now,” Rainbow threatened. “Or just you wait! We’re gonna… what are we gonna do, Twilight?”

“Where are they,” Grogar repeated, almost too quietly to hear. And he smiled.

His twin horns glowed with his yellow-black magic, and a correspondingly colored pool appeared underneath him. Midnight prepared another spell, but before she could fire it, the glittering cage filled with obscuring black fog. By the time she was able to cast yet another spell to see through the fog, the web of magic was empty, and Grogar was gone.

She could only think of one thing to say, something dredged up from deep within Twilight’s mind:

“Oh, ponyfeathers.”

Chapter XI

Chrysalis, from her concealed position within Grogar’s body, was quite pleased with herself. This parasite fed on magical energy, and Grogar was probably the most powerful sorcerer alive. The disease was also very, very fast-acting, and almost immune to magical healing. A perfect form for this sort of attack.

Her gloating was interrupted by a mental connection. “Chrysalis? Can you hear me?” Stygian asked frantically. “Grogar’s teleported away. You need to return to your normal form and tell us what’s going on!”

Chrysalis knew fully demorphing would probably just crush her. But with her Bewitching Bell-enhanced shapeshifting, she could return just enough to perform the simplest magic.

With a flash of green light, she appeared a couple feet away. Her chitinous armor was still there, of course. It would mold into her body when she shapeshifted, and return in her natural form.

She quickly looked around. They were back in Grogar’s hideout. Grogar himself was starting to recuperate from her infection, but his face was still pale.

Chrysalis dropped to a battle stance, and fired a beam of sickly lime light at him. He raised a shield at the last moment, and her magic rippled across it like rain on a pond. A moment later, she had become a massive Ursa Major.

“How unfortunate that you betrayed me,” Grogar said grimly. As she broke through the ceiling and grabbed a huge slab of rock to use as a flyswatter, he ducked for cover. She slammed her rock down with a resounding CRASH, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Grogar’s at his hideout,” Chrysalis reported mentally. “I am fighting him now.” She collapsed her body inward to a bugbear, and dashed between the shattered walls. Where is he?

Chrysalis listened very carefully. There, the telltale sound of cloven hooves on stone. She reverted to her natural, insectoid body and set her horn ablaze. She stepped out of the green flames a few dozen paces ahead.

There, searching through the rubble. Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. This has gone on long enough.

She pounced forward. Grogar flicked his twin horns and a pulse of magic slammed into her. It left her winded but not unconscious. That’s it? That was nothing. Five minutes ago he was hurling bolts ten times stronger with impunity. He’s slipping. All that fighting, and then my draining of his magic, is wearing him down. This should be over soon.

“Did you really think you could defeat all of us?” Chrysalis taunted. “I expected you to be more realistic.”

Grogar responded by throwing a glimmering energy field around Chrysalis. She analyzed it for a moment. It was much more primitive than his previous shields, and lacking the usual deadliness, but it was still strong enough to be troublesome. With a self-assured smirk, she became a diamond dog, and dug right under the shield.

Grogar, for his part, wasn’t paying attention. He was searching the room quickly and purposefully. She could feel his agitated hoofsteps through her own sensitive paws. What’s he looking for?

Chrysalis burst out of the ground a few feet from him and reverted to her changeling body once again. She stabbed down towards him with her armored hoof. He rolled backwards clumsily and came up against a wall. She stalked towards him smoothly, and opened her mouth wide.

His eyes darted from her to a pile of rubble beside him. He actually smiled, and dove for it just as Chrysalis leapt towards him once again.

She pounced where Grogar had just stood as he barely dodged. he pulled something out of the rubble with a crow of triumph. “At last!” It was his Bewitching Bell!

Chrysalis felt a leap of fear in her heart, but pushed it down. “Well, I see you found it. A shame you won’t get the opportunity to put it to use!”

She flicked her horn downwards and a spear of magic sizzled towards him. Grogar’s many other bells glowed with power as he raised one last shield.

Chrysalis’s laser impacted Grogar’s shield head-on. Spiderweb cracks appeared across it, but it held.

“My Bell is almost drained,” he murmured to himself. “So that’s how you three got all your new powers and created that synthetic Twilight.”

Chrysalis hurled another line of jade magic. His shield shuddered, but it held. She refrained from saying anything. Anything she said might give him an idea.

“You are squandering my gifts,” Grogar said with the cold voice of judgment. “I did not craft this bell so that four would-be rulers could use it to aid ponykind.”

Chrysalis unleashed yet another laser. Grogar clearly had something up his sleeve. She had no desire to let him get to it. He said, voice harsh, “This magic belongs to those who would bring down pony hegemony. You merely wish to replace the princesses and take their thrones!”

His shield shattered like crystal, the pieces evaporating as they hit the floor. But before she could launch another bolt to annihilate him, his incantation came to a finish, and the bell opened wide.

The world seemed to dim as the bell glowed with a sinister black and blue radiance. It flared brighter than the sun, but it had none of the sun’s warmth.

Chrysalis felt her body losing its incredible fortitude and feeling of latent power. In a steady stream of green, magic oozed from her into Grogar’s bell. She thought she could perceive an orange shade and a pinkish aura as well, but it was hard to tell.

One thing was certain: she was rapidly losing the powers the Bell had granted. She lunged forward with a hiss, but a beam of blue and black slammed into her and hurled her away. It hit like a train and sent her flying through the air.

She reached out mentally to Stygian. “Take me back! Grogar’s regained his bell and drained my power! Help!”

Grogar’s horns glittered with the blue and black of a frigid night sky. Tentacles of a matching color slithered out of the marshy ground and reached greedily for her. One grabbed her tight, and began to squeeze.

And the world vanished. She was back at Twilight’s castle, with Starswirl and Stygian staring at her. The old wizard frowned, and the younger scholar whimpered. “Are you alright, Chrysalis?” Stygian asked, looking her over.

“I’m only a little worse than I was this morning,” she answered. “But you need to evacuate everypony else. The first place Grogar will check is his new throne, and with that much power, there’s no way we can fight him.”

Starswirl nodded, and began to cast a spell. Stygian just kept staring. He inquired, “So he drained your powers?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “Specifically, the enhancements bestowed on me by his bell. He just reabsorbed all the energy they took back into the bell.”

“That makes sense,” he mused. “He is the designer of it. He probably knows all kinds of secrets that no sage has ever determined, even in their studies of the artifact.”

Chrysalis gave him a quick nod. “Once Starswirl teleports everypony back, we’ll have to move somewhere else. This will probably be Grogar’s second target.”

Before Stygian could reply, the rest of the team reappeared around the Cutie Map. Tirek was back to his normal size. Cozy and Midnight looked unchanged.

“We need to get out of here. Now!” Rainbow urged.

Chrysalis searched each of her teammates’ faces, and opened her mouth to sample their emotions. Fear’s bitterness, anger’s fiery spice, and uncertainty’s mush were all prevalent, but the cold, brain-freeze-inducing taste of dread predominated.

She fixed the image of Grogar in her mind, concentrating all her hatred on him. One way or another, he will pay in full for his presumption against my royal self.

Grogar vanished from the cage of magic. Twilight stared at where he had been in stunned silence. That was powerful enough to block all teleportation of every kind. Why didn’t it? Did his portal instead of a regular teleportation spell find a loophole? She looked to Midnight with a pained expression.

“How!? How did he get away!?” Cozy shrieked from her illusory body. “We were supposed to destroy him! What went wrong!?”

Twilight reached into the magical bond forged back at her castle. “Stygian, did you find Grogar? Can Starswirl teleport us there?”

“Hold on, I’ll ask Chrysalis,” came Stygian’s reply.

“What do we do now?” Silverstream asked as she helped Gallus back to his feet. She gave Twilight a pleading stare.

“We need to find out where Grogar is before we can do anything,” Rainbow answered. “I already reached out to Stygian. Maybe somepony else did too, dunno.” Twilight nodded, and Rainbow acknowledged it with a nod of her own. “Okay, Twi did. Anyway, let’s take a quick rest and prepare.”

One by one, the assorted ponies and other creatures sat down, aside from Cozy, who flew back the way she’d came. After a few moments of deep breaths, Twilight heard Stygian’s voice in reply!

“Chrysalis says she’s at Grogar’s hideout,” Stygian explained. “I don’t know where that is. Maybe you do?”

“Tirek!” Twilight called. “Where’s Grogar’s hideout? He’s gone back there, it seems, and Stygian needs to know where it is.”

“Hmm, peculiar.” Tirek put a huge finger to his temple. He was probably talking to Stygian, Twilight assumed.

“Starswirl says that he probably couldn’t teleport you there,” Stygian said apologetically. “It’s too far. Chrysalis is battling Grogar herself.”

“Can y’all take us there?” Applejack asked hurriedly. “Ah think Chrysalis needs our help!”

“It’s possible,” Tirek said slowly, “but it would take a huge amount of magic. And Grogar might have created some kind of teleportation trap to block the spell or redirect us to Tartarus.”

As Twilight, other Twilight, and Tirek were discussing magic, Rainbow’s reflexes kicked in. Danger! She leapt into the air just as a tremor ripped through the ground. The shockwave knocked her friends to their knees.

“What was that?” Rarity asked, her voice fearful. “And where did it come from?”

She got an answer in an even stronger tremor. This one knocked almost everypony to the ground. Only humongous Tirek remained standing, and even he looked shaken.

“Maybe something underground?” Ocellus suggested. “Or below us on the mountain?”

“I’ll go check it out,” Dash said. She flew up and dropped her wings close to her, entering a power dive off the edge of the throne room. From there, she had a clear shot to under it, or even down the mountainside.

The source was as obvious as it was frightening. A team of monsters—a bugbear, a quarry eel, a slingtail, a cragadile, an ursa minor, and a chimaera were all laying into the foundations of Canterlot of Castle.

“Hey!” Rainbow called out. “Get outta here!”

The slingtail pulled off a chunk of rock and hurled it towards her. She swerved aside, and pounded her forehooves together. “Okay, that does it.” She paused as an idea hit her, and only her reflexes saved her from another boulder.

Her friends needed to know what was going on. That was more important than settling this fight.

With a sigh, she beat her wings and ascended back up the mountainside. As she crested the throne room, she yelled down, “A bunch of monsters are destroying the ground under the castle. They’re trying to collapse it!”

Fluttershy looked up. “Creatures? Maybe I can talk to them!”

“Yeah, sure, go ahead,” Rainbow said quickly. “C’mon everypony, let’s head for safety!”

But further discussion was rendered impossible by a horrible CRAAACK. The rock ahead fractured and split, and the ground leaned away from the city. Every single pony present was thrown into the air as it tilted sharply.

And Canterlot Castle slowly began to fall.

Tirek felt the ground under his massive hooves bucking and roiling. He stumbled, each hooffall creating its own aftershock. Below, he could make out Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and curiously enough Pinkie Pie all working to help their friends. The other fliers were sliding along the inclined stone floor.

Tirek steadied himself, a very difficult task on a tilting slab, and narrowed his eyes. He was much less skilled at magical finesse compared to a Twilight or a Starswirl, but raw power still had its uses. And he was a talented telekinetic.

Distancing himself from the screams of ponies sliding away, he extended a huge hand and called up the power in his muscles. He felt the collapsing castle ruins as if they were a part of his own body. And he began to pull.

Tirek’s muscles screamed as the magical strain pushed them to their limits. I stopped the building from falling, but I can’t hold for long. I have to do something—fast!

He pushed through the pain and kept pulling. If I can just get it to level out, perhaps my allies can get to safety!

Pinkie watched Tirek lifting the castle with his telekinesis. He was doing great (that was a lot of magical power!), but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be enough. They had to fix the castle once it was back in place!

Twilight was still occupied with helping her friends out safely. That left the other Twilight. Pinkie bounced over to Midnight. “Hey, Midnight! You seem to be a super powerful wizard. Can you fuse together this castle and larger Canterlot?”

“I imagine so,” Midnight replied. “The aggressors will be able to damage it normally, however.”

“Oh, don’t you worry your sweet little head about that,” Pinkie said with a nice smile. “They’re trying to get us. Once we get out of here, they’ll do something else!”

“Understood.” Midnight flew over to the chasm yawning between the castle and the mountain, and shouted to Tirek, “Bring it closer so that I am able to repair it!”

Tirek grunted his agreement, and shoved his arms forward. The ground thundered as he pressed the two earthbergs together.

Midnight ignited her own horn and tilted it down, probing for the protrusions and gaps in both mounds of rock. With gentle pushes and pulls, she lined them up just right, and then began to weave their substances together. Lines of rock fused into one at her horn’s precise lining as magical sparks danced nearby. She couldn’t know it, but the overall appearance was similar to arc welding.

Just as she finished, she felt a tug, and was pulled through the walls of the world to arrive back in the baseline Twilight’s castle.

Deep in the forest, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom had finally reached the townsponies. Big Mac stared at Apple Bloom angrily. Granny Smith trotted over. “Now where the hay have ya been, Apple Bloom? Ya got us all worried sick!”

“Don’t be mad at Apple Bloom, Granny Smith,” Scootaloo pleaded. “We’ve been helping our big sisters save Equestria!”

“And how have y’all been doin’ that?” the old mare demanded.

“After Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and a pegasus named Flash Magnus were attacked by Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, we rescued them!” Sweetie Belle said with a proud smile. She caught her parents not that far away. “We were very careful to be safe.”

“Well, I guess you know how to do this kind of thing by now,” a pony Scootaloo recognized as Sweetie’s mom said. Her voice was heavy and a little sad. “Just don’t forget, you’re dealing with bad ponies. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“You can rest easy, then, Ms., uh, Cookie Crumbles?” Scootaloo asked. A nod told her she was right. “With years of training to get our cutie marks, and experience against villains like Cozy Glow, we’re totally on top of things.”

“Well, I suppose,” Granny said begrudgingly. “But ya’d better not get hurt!”

“Don’t worry, Granny,” Apple Bloom said soothingly. “We came out here to help y’all!”

“To help… us?” Cheerilee echoed.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo added. “Our sisters and their friends seem to have things under control now, and we wanted to make sure you were safe.” She gave them a nice, big smile. “We also built a lot of traps to stop any monsters Grogar sends out here.”

Their astonished, impressed stares were all the praise Scootaloo needed. “Just stick together,” Big Mac added. “Y’all will be okay ‘slong as you’ve got each other.”

“Chrysalis reports that Grogar has regained his bell,” Stygian said to Rarity through their magical link. “Starswirl will be teleporting you all back right now.” Rarity took the liberty of shutting her eyes. Dimensional travel tended to cause headaches if she kept them open.

When Rarity opened her eyes, she was back in Twilight’s beautiful crystal castle. And Chrysalis was there. She was panting hard, her entire skin heaving—does she breathe through her skin? Rarity wondered. She lacked her emerald glowing eyes, and perhaps other subtler traits, but she looked mostly unharmed.

Rarity scanned the rest of the group. Tirek was a lot smaller than he had been before. Cozy’s face was contorted in fury as she batted at one of her ribbons. Midnight looked paler than usual, almost as if she were a wilting flower. Gallus was resting prone on the floor. But by and large, everypony seemed mostly unscathed.

“We need to get out of here. Now!” Rainbow said urgently.

“I agree,” Chrysalis hissed. “Grogar will likely target this castle immediately.”

“Where to?” Tirek asked. “He has a scrying orb, those six gems he scattered Cozy’s nemeses with, and now apparently his Bewitching Bell. How can we fight him? Where can we go he won’t find us?”

“The Tree of Harmony,” Ocellus interjected quietly. Rarity couldn’t miss the annoyance on Chrysalis’s face at the reformed changeling’s shyness—or maybe even Ocellus’s existence in general. “It’s still around, if weak. It’s our best chance!”

“No,” Midnight said simply. There was nothing threatening in her voice. There didn’t need to be. “I will not be going to the Tree of Harmony.” Tirek and Cozy nodded slightly, and Chrysalis gave an unreadable look at Midnight.

“The Tree stripped away my magic years ago,” Tirek added, his voice grudging.

“And because of it, my plans failed!” Cozy agreed angrily. “That tree ruined everything!” She took a deep, long breath. “Not that I hold it against it or anything. Because friends forgive, right Twilight?”

Rarity winced. That filly is something else. Is she even really a filly, or is she something else in filly shape? Whatever the case, Twilight wisely chose not to rise to the barb.

“I agree with the grub,” Chrysalis said. Every pair of eyes darted to her, some surprised, some pleased, some disbelieving. “The Tree and its Elements are the only force that have consistently defeated every one of Equestria’s foes. If some echo of its existence yet lingers as you claim, it may be exactly what we need.”

“You’re welcome to stay here or scatter as you please,” Twilight said to Midnight, Cozy, and Tirek. “But please be careful. We will still need your help.”

“We should go to the caves beneath Ponyville,” Cozy said suddenly. As her companions turned to look at her, she explained, “It’s a place I frequented, and thus too obvious a location to hide in. However, it’s not a place I am particularly known for, so nopony will think to check there. It’s winding and full of places to hide. Stygian, Starswirl, keep up the communication link. When you finish at the Tree, contact us.”

“I will do what I can,” Starswirl promised. “Without the map, it will be much harder, but I can probably weave the spell.”

From the floor nearby, Gallus stirred. “Uuuurgh, my head. What’s this about the Tree of Harmony?”

“We’re going there,” Fluttershy answered. “You and your friends are welcome to come along if you’d like to.”

Gallus glanced behind him to each other student in turn. One by one, they nodded. “We’re in.”

Starswirl stepped forward. “I also think it’d be wise to bring the rest of the Pillars. We created the Tree, after all, and might have special insight to provide.”

“I agree,” Twilight said. “Can you teleport them directly to it too?”

“I think so,” Starswirl answered. “The Cutie Map makes that sort of magic much easier. Now, let’s get everypony where you’re going.” His horn flared grey-white, and everycreature in the room shimmered with magic. In another moment, they were gone.

The world went grey-white as Starswirl’s magic engulfed Twilight. A moment later, she was standing on the steps of the Castle of the Two Sisters. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Her friends were there, of course, and Spike was by her side. The six students they’d been training were clustered together not far from her. And a little ways away, the Pillars were gathered in a circle.

Sure enough, they were all there. Flash Magnus, Rockhoof, Somnambula, Mistmane, Mage Meadowbrook, and of course Starswirl and Stygian themselves. “Starswirl?” Meadowbrook asked, her voice wavering. “Why’d ya bring us here all of a sudden?”

“We’ll be working with the Tree of Harmony,” Starswirl explained. “I thought it made sense to have its creators present as well.”

“Yay, a Pillars-Bearers-Students reunion!” Pinkie said cheerfully. “C’mon, let’s go talk to the tree!”

The twenty of them walked, flew, or, in one case, bounced up the stairs and to the Treehouse of Harmony. A couple inches of snow blanketed the green courtyard, creating a weird, otherworldly vista.

“Hello? Tree of Harmony Twilight?” Ocellus called out, her voice softened with uncertainty. “Are you there?”

For a few agonizingly long moments, only the falling snowflakes moved. Then the ethereal Twilight, the Tree’s avatar, appeared in a haze of static. She was shivering.

“You have arrived,” she said. “Good. Your judgment is required.”

“Judgment?” Applejack asked. “What d’ya mean by judgment?”

“A disharmonious one has entered my roots,” the tree-Twilight answered crisply. “By the laws of balance, I would be right to return him to the darkness he was called out of. However, he begged me to stay my branches, and told me that you would offer him mercy. So I ask: do you want me to spare him?”

“Well, that does seem kiiinda harsh,” Rainbow said, staring at the tree. “But I guess we have to meet him to know for sure.”

Treelight smiled creepily. “Yes. You will meet him. Follow me.”

“Who?” Spike demanded. “Spit it out!”

“King Sombra,” Treelight said.

Chapter XII

King Sombra.

Treelight’s words stuck in the original Twilight’s mind like green slime. How was Sombra resurrected? Why is he appealing to us for mercy? How had the Tree even managed to capture him? When he’d last met the Tree, he’d nearly destroyed it.

Twilight shook her head. Questions to ask the king himself, she decided. The ghostly copy of her floated over the snow like a paper cutout on a play. Twilight herself was trotting through the snow. The long battle with Grogar had left her exhausted, and she didn’t want to push herself.

As the Treehouse of Harmony came into view, Twilight had to bite back a gasp. The pastel, crystalline petals were covered in white snow, and the few that still poked out were crisscrossed with cracks. The beautiful treehouse itself was streaked with lines of black.

The Tree’s avatar didn’t gasp. She didn’t even pause. She kept her steady speed and hovered inside the building. Twilight looked across her assembled friends, students, and elders, searching each face for emotions. “Should we go after her?” Twilight asked softly.

“Well, I don’t think we’re gonna meet Sombra out here,” Rainbow answered wryly. “We came here to see him. C’mon!” The pegasus flew right inside. Everypony else, besides Spike, followed him quickly. Spike stood proudly by her side, giving her a relaxing stroke along her back.

Twilight couldn’t find any faults in that logic, so she turned inward. Am I afraid of what he’ll do? No, that can’t be it. He’s helpless and he needs us. Then… what am I afraid of? No answer welled up from her mind. She took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and stepped into the treehouse.

Inside, Treelight hovered an inch above the center of the room. The entire treehouse glowed with the rainbow colors of Harmony. Treelight spasmed for a long moment, and the floor shimmered. The ground rumbled, and Sombra appeared opposite Twilight.

He was engulfed almost from hoof to head in roots of transparent crystal. Each of his four limbs was securely attached to the wall, and his horn was wrapped tight in the tree’s roots. He weakly looked up, his face wracked with fear. As he saw his visitors, a hint of hope crept across his features.

Twilight’s first feeling as she saw him was a potent mixture of disgust and pity. So this is who King Sombra really is? A scared, cowering stallion whose only chance of survival hinges on our mercy? He’s pathetic. But it would be wrong to execute him, or to let the Tree do it. He’s a prisoner, and should be treated as one. We should probably put him in Tartarus.

“S-so,” he said, his normally smug voice cracking. “You’re all here. It is quite a pleasure to meet you once more.”

Twilight didn’t know what to say in reply. ”Yes?” “Tell us everything you know about Grogar, or else?” “Don’t worry, we won’t let the Tree hurt you?”

Before she could choose, the rough snarl of Smolder’s voice dove in. “I say we let the Tree do whatever it wants to him. That’s what he deserves for what he did to it!”

Treelight smiled pleasantly at Smolder’s suggestion. “That’s a wonderful idea, Smolder.” Somehow, the complete calm of its face was more terrifying than any glare. Sombra gulped, straining helplessly against the thick roots.

“Uhhhh, no,” Pinkie said with a disapproving frown. “That’s… uh, not what we want to do.”

Fluttershy responded firmly, “Absolutely not. Tree, please be more gentle.” She turned towards Sombra, her face stern but sympathetic.

Stygian waved a hoof across the Bearers of the Elements and offered, “I trust in you six to do what is right. You helped me escape the darkness.”

“Fluttershy, go ahead,” Twilight asked. “You’re our expert on this sort of thing.”

Fluttershy leaned down to Sombra’s face. “Sombra, what happened? How did you return, why are you here specifically, and what do you want to do now?” She extended a wing and lowered it slowly towards him. He flinched. She gently patted his side, and the Tree reluctantly loosened its grip. He was still immobilized, but he wasn’t being squished.

“Well, after realizing how I could be valuable to his cause, Grogar summoned me back,” he answered. “And for the rest? I ought to start at the beginning, and relate all my glorious deeds…”

Chalk, stick, spell, and cloven hoof combined to weave a web of monstrously complex sigils across the Canterlot Castle throne room floor. Grogar’s every stroke added a line of electric blue fire, weaving and writhing together into a huge mass of arcane power.

Previously, this sort of spell had only required a simple sigil. But a piece of Sombra had still existed back then; his horn had survived his destruction. Now, with even his horn reduced to ash, resurrecting him was much harder.

But not impossible.

As the spell came to completion, black smoke welled up from the sigils, and a pair of green and red eyes appeared in the smoke. Grogar ignited his own horns and slammed the smoke with yellow magic. He compressed and solidified the smoke down to the shape of a pony, and King Sombra was reborn.

Sombra looked at a hoof. “What took you so long to realize that you needed my aid?” he asked disdainfully.

Grogar glared at him. “You managed to get yourself so completely destroyed I lacked sufficient power to restore you until now. As we agreed before your siege of the Crystal Empire, you will now serve me, or I will return you to the ether.”

Sombra’s heart burned with rage. The nerve, to order a king like me about as if I were a common slave! And worst of all, Grogar actually has the magical power to back up his arrogance. I can’t possibly defeat Grogar in battle. But what can I do?

I guess I have to go along with all Grogar’s demands, at least for now. Perhaps I’ll find a way to resist him later. He made a face. “Ugh, fine. What do you want me to do?”

“You are to travel across Equestria, enslaving as many ponies as you can as quickly as you can, with the requirement that you are to stay entirely out of sight of the Elements of Harmony and any forces they are likely to be in contact with,” Grogar ordered. “See if you can identify and enslave family members of the Elements. They will make splendid hostages. They are your primary focus.”

Sombra nodded. That was something he could do. “And where are these family members I am to find?”

“I haven’t taken the time to locate them, as I have other things to attend to,” Grogar answered. “I leave that to your investigation. Surely a task this simple is not beyond your limited intellect.”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa,” Dash interrupted. “Enslaving our families?” She shot forward and slammed a hoof beside his head. “Where did you take them!? Are they hurt? If you did anything to them, you’ll be sorry!”

Sombra’s eyes went wide, and he forced out, “If you are so inclined, I can tell you right now, but I’m worried it would be misleading without context. And it would be a shame for you to draw the wrong conclusion.” He moved his head to indicate her hoof.

Rainbow settled back with a scowl. “Fine. Tell us if they’re okay, at least.”

“Yes, they are fine,” Sombra reassured, the words tumbling out like an avalanche. “In fact, I took specific precautions to make sure Grogar wouldn’t hurt them. King Sombra ensures any hostages are appropriately secured!”

“You did?” Twilight asked skeptically. “Were you expecting to be captured?”

“Of course not,” Sombra replied, his cockiness returning, “but I was worried I might be, in which case I would probably have to rely on your goodwill to survive. And given our prior meetings, well, let’s just say I didn’t want to push my luck. Besides, captives are more useful if they’re unharmed.”

“I guess we may have been a little too extreme against you,” Rainbow admitted. “Disintegrating you three times miiight have been over the top.”

Fluttershy nodded. “That’s why we’re trying to find another resolution now. Sombra, why don’t you continue your story? We can interrupt again if we need to.” She gave him a soothing stroke with her wing.

Sombra looked at Fluttershy, to Rainbow, and then to Smolder, and continued.

As a cloud of black smoke, Sombra could move with unparalleled speed. His first target was a place none of the Bearers themselves were likely to visit, but a place where their family might well be found: Silver Stable Retirement Community.

Here, where ponies used canes to go from one easy activity to another, was a wonderful place to begin. Sombra crested a snow-dappled hill and swept through the town. One by one, he flared his eyes at them, and they fell under his mental sway. An army of the elderly, yes, but still an army.

And best of all, the Bearers might be reluctant to fight old, weak ponies like this! he thought with a sly smile.

“As your new leader, I order you to find everypony else in this town! You are to subdue them with the minimum force required and then bring them to me,” Sombra ordered. His minions fanned out across the retirement homes. A few minutes later, they had gathered up all the remaining ponies, and he was able to enslave the stragglers as well.

“Now, are any of you related to Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, or Applejack?” Sombra asked his enslaved ponies. Not a single one raised a hoof. He curled his lip down, and his voice gained a tinge of annoyance. “Ah. That is unfortunate, but not unexpected.”

He took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs like a passionate kiss. “My newest slaves, you are to seize the local train station. When the train stops here, overpower the conductors and take the train to Canterlot! There, you will await further orders!”

His legion obediently turned about face and marched towards the station. Sombra grinned wickedly and let his body disperse back into a cloud of fog. He considered the various possibilities at his disposal.

Twilight Sparkle’s brother Shining Armor will be in the Crystal Empire, but that’s where the Crystal Heart is too. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are pegasi; their family might live in the clouds. Cloudsdale? Stratusburg?

Applejack and Rarity have family in Ponyville, he recalled. But Grogar ordered me to stay out of sight of the Bearers, and they’ll probably be there themselves. What to do?

Sombra weighed his options. I could risk the Crystal Heart to try to seize Shining, but I can’t count on Grogar to resurrect me again. He needs me to quickly create a large army. Once he has one of his own, I’m redundant. So I’ll need to be much more cautious than last time. Ponyville has probably been evacuated by now. That leaves Cloudsdale and Stratusburg.

As he considered Cloudsdale, an idea struck him like a lightning bolt. Especially fitting, he mused with a smirk. Cloudsdale produces the majority of Equestria’s weather. With Grogar’s return, ponies will already be expecting abnormalities.

I could pretend to be just another bit of weather, blowing around the city, and scout the area without causing a full-blown panic. If I don’t find any family members at Cloudsdale, I can check Stratusburg next.

His mind made up, Sombra spread his body as thinly as he could manage, until he looked like nothing so much as a small storm cloud. Now for Cloudsdale.

He rose high into the air and immersed himself with other clouds. By surrounding himself with the flat stratus, even observers on the ground wouldn’t be able to see him.

Sombra swiflty and quietly darted through the sky until he spotted a group of pegasi bucking the clouds ahead. He fell out of the clouds and onto the city below. As dispersed as he was, he could conduct a search with impossible speed.

“Hey, can somepony do something about this fog?” a mare whined from somewhere inside him. “It’s really making it hard to see!”

Sombra resisted the impulse to gloat or even enslave her. He was here for a few specific targets, and the less impact he had, the less noticeable it would be.

“You know, if my amazing daughter Rainbow Dash were here, she’d have the sky cleared in 10 seconds flat!” a stallion replied cheerfully.

Sombra smiled interanlly as he moved his head towards the stallion’s voice. The stallion in question was a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, a ruffled green shirt on his chest. Beside him was a mare with a lighter blue coat. “Yeah,” she added, “you should see her go!” They were talking to another mare.

Sombra lit his horn, and engulfed the three.

“Sleep,” he whispered sinisterly to Rainbow’s parents and the other pegasus, weaving a spell across them. They slumped to the ground. He picked them up with a bit of telekinesis, and carried them to the center of his smoky form.

Useful, but only one set of family members. He hadn’t been able to identify any trace of Fluttershy family’s. Do they live somewhere else?

Well, its possible one group of hostages will be enough. He rolled out of Cloudsdale and down towards the earth far below. His ensorcelled captives dreamed a sleep of nightmares. They struggled fitfully in his telekinetic grasp.

He spotted a cave yawning from one of the hills below, and drifted towards it. It was dark, damp, and cool, big enough to have plenty of hiding spots but small enough he could find his own way through easily.

Sombra deposited the three ponies behind a rocky outcropping. With a blast of magic, he caged them in a prison of black crystal. Thinking back to the Ponyville fiasco, he replaced the flat, grey rock they were standing on with a shiny layer of crystal as well. Now that they were here, he dropped the nightmare spell. It had served its purpose, and the were safely imprisoned.

His business done, he headed for the exit. His next target would be wherever Canterlot’s citizens had evacuated. If he were lucky, Twilight’s parents might be there.

Sombra looked across Canterlot. The city was completely destroyed. Every building he saw was reduced to rubble, like a foal had stomped on a sand castle.

He thought about this turn of events. Unfortunate to see Equestria’s beautiful capital gone. It had a certain aesthetic that was uniquely pleasing and could have attained true perfection with a bit of blackened crystals. But it’s more worrying to think about Grogar’s motivation for this kind of attack. What would he stand to gain from wiping out the city he was already in? It didn’t make any sense.

Nothing moved, but he couldn’t even see any ponies trapped or hurt. Everypony must have fled, he reflected. But to where?

Down the mountain seemed likeliest. He looked over the edge of the city. Far below, he could make out a river and a few trees beside it. A splotch of lavender flashed, and he smiled. There they are.

He cloaked himself in shadow, stepped off the edge and let gravity do the rest. Just as he was about to hit the water, he dispersed back into a cloud of fog. To anypony watching, it would hopefully look like a blot of darkness had splashed and scattered.

He floated just over the river, watching the trees. That flash of lavender had looked just like Twilight. But no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find its owner. There were a few other ponies up ahead, but not the one he was looking for.

“You captured my parents and stuck them in a cave!?” Rainbow demanded. “And filled their heads with nightmares!?”

“It’s safer than Cloudsdale!” he insisted. “I know exactly where they are, and Grogar won’t target it because there’s nothing there! And the nightmare sleep was just the sleep spell I knew the best!”

“Hold on,” Starswirl asked. “Canterlot was still intact when you left it?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I don’t know when it was destroyed. I suspect it happened when I was gathering that army.”

“Strange,” Starswirl murmured. His eyes unfocused as he went deep in thought.

“So you went around Equestria gathering up our family members and plopping them in a cave,” Pinkie summarized. “Right?”

“I’m getting to that,” he answered, and continued his tale.

Sombra slipped off the river’s surface and onto land, moving slowly and silently until he was under a tall tree. He remained a cloud of smoke, and waited.

After a couple minutes, a unicorn stallion trotted out towards him. “H-hello?” he asked. “Can you, uhh, speak?”

Sombra floated in place. He didn’t reply in words, but he did oscillate his vapors inward and outward.

“Well, uhh, did Grogar create you?” a mare asked, peaking out from behind a tree.

Sombra vibrated his vapors again.

“Is that a yes, or a no? Either way, you seem harmless,” the first stallion said. He called out, “You can come out, everypony!”

Pony after pony trotted towards him, until perhaps thirty were all around him. In a blur of movement, he coalesced back into his unicorn form. He smiled elegantly at them, and his eyes curled with smoke. Each of them gasped, but he was too quick. Their eyes shifted to a blank green, and in a moment he had a new strike force.

“Move out in trios. Find, subdue with minimal force, and bring to me Princess Twilight’s parents,” he ordered. “I will gather more minions myself.”

“Yes, King Sombra,” they replied in unison. The enslaved ponies spread out in small groups of three.

Sombra returned himself to a cloud of murky darkness and swept forward. As each of his teams of minions encountered more ponies, he swept in to mind control them as well. With each addition, his net grew larger.

At last, one of his two hundred minions reported, “These are Twilight Sparkle’s parents Night Light and Twilight Velvet.” She indicated two pinned unicorns.

Sombra smiled his approval. “Release them,” he instructed. They fell to the ground with quiet groans. Gloatingly, he added, “Kneel before Sombra!”

Night Light and Twilight Velvet glanced to each other and then to him, and the two knelt. He grined smugly, and gripped them in his telekinesis. He dispersed his body back to liquid shadow, immersed them in his substance, and headed for the cave.

Rainbow Dash’s parents were awake. They looked up as he entered, fear and confusion on their faces. “Where are we?” Rainbow’s father asked. “Who are you?”

“I am the King Sombra, of course. The conqueror of the Crystal Empire, and dreaded foe of Celestia and Luna!” he crowed. “As for this place? This is a secure cave away from any major targets. And you are… bargaining chips, I suppose I’d say,” he answered, placing Twilight’s parents in the cylindrical spiked cage as well. “You will remain here, safe and unharmed. If all goes well for me and I take the Crystal Empire back, you’ll be cared for and kept protected as insurance. If not, well, you’ll probably be out by this evening.”

“What’s the point of all this?” Twilight Velvet demanded. “Why go to all this trouble to ponynap a couple unicorns and pegasi? Aren’t there lots of others?”

“Indeed,” Sombra replied smoothly, “but very few who are related to the Elements of Harmony.”

Velvet started in surprise. “You know about that?”

“Yes,” Sombra replied with a smug smirk. “Last I heard, your daughters are currently fighting desperately against Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow.”

“So you imprisoned us to, I guess, gain leverage over Dashie?” Rainbow’s mom asked, her face creased with astonishment. “Is that it?”

“Precisely,” Sombra agreed. “They have already shattered my substance twice. I doubt anyone would see fit to resurrect me again. Should they best me once more, having you in my gentle hospitality will hopefully earn me some mercy. So don’t be afraid. You’ll be unharmed and even sheltered from Grogar’s minions. No point in wasting a resource, after all.”

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Night Light offered gently. “You could defect and help our kids save Equestria.”

Sombra looked at Night Light, searching his eyes. Sombra seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he shook his head. “No. He’s too powerful, and I too weak. All I can do is try to show him that it’s worth preserving some part of Equestria instead of collapsing it all. I want to rule subjects, not a land of ash.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Night Light said. “Just don’t forget our offer. Twilight has a lot of mercy and forgiveness in her heart. Shining does too, though he’s a little more gruff about it.”

Sombra answered with a slight nod. His horn blazed, and plenty of bottles of water and peanut butter sandwiches appeared inside the prison. “I will return by tomorrow evening. Until then, don’t bother trying to escape. Not even Starswirl the Bearded himself could escape this magical cage!”

He looked into his prisoners’ eyes. There was concern, fear, a bit of anger, but something else too. Pity. They pity me.

Sombra shook his head, clearing his thugohts of doubt and uncertainty. He still had a recruitment mission to complete. He slipped back into a cloud of dark fog, and set out for Fillydelphia.

But before he’d managed to conquer even a tenth of the city, Grogar sent him a telepathic message. “That should be enough of a temporary army. Direct them all to lay siege to Manehattan. In the meantime, I have something else I require of you. You are to visit the Tree of Harmony’s ruins, scout the area, and report back to me. Do not engage any enemies you find there. This is strictly a scouting mission.”

Sombra replied through the telepathic link, “Fine.” He quickly ordered his troops to move to Canterlot, and set out for where he had destroyed the Tree of Harmony.

Equestria’s territory flew quickly under him. The bountiful, rich land was scarred with yawning chasms, craters, and fires. He would have frowned if he could, but smoke monsters didn’t have mouths to frown with. It was a shame to see the rather saccharine beauty of Equestria replaced with a ruined, devastated look. His brutalist aesthetic was far better than either, of course, but it was also much easier to turn saccharine beauty into brutalism than ruins.

The Castle of the Two Sisters came into view. He shot down the canyon into the Tree’s room, and he froze in shock.

The Tree was reborn. It was growing through the ceiling, shimmering with magic. He abruptly reversed direction, but the Tree had detected him. A surge of light washed over him, forcing him back into his equine body. The Tree reached out with tentacles of white light, each one grasping hungrily at the air.

Sombra took a few quick steps back, but the tendrils were too quick. They shot forward and wrapped around him. He tried to draw on his magic, but the Tree’s touch enervated his body. Their touch burned like acid, and Sombra screamed.

Twilight Sparkle, now glittering like crystal, and glowing the same white as the roots, appeared before him. “You ruled the Crystal Empire as a tyrant, inflicted incalculable suffering on the crystal ponies, and tried your hardest to destroy me,” she said with a cold calm and a serene smile. “By the law of balance, I visit the same fate upon you.”

Sombra felt his body going weak as the tendrils burned into him. The Tree of Harmony survived and wants revenge? How? He reached out with his mind to Grogar, but felt only a static silence. It must be blocking Grogar’s spell! he realized with horror.

“Wait!” Sombra pleaded. “I have information you might find useful!”

“I see,” Treelight replied. It continued to smile gently. “You are welcome to share it before I destroy you.”

“No, I want to share it so you don’t destroy me!” Sombra tried to explain. “To earn some mercy from you!”

“No,” Treelight said simply. “I will not compromise my principles for advantages. You deserve to be annihilated for all that you have done, and I will administer justice.”

Sombra felt despair seeping into his soul. What can I do? How can I convince the Tree to let me live?

Suddenly, the idea hit him. “The Elements of Harmony wouldn’t want you to destroy me,” he argued. “Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy would want you to show me mercy, not justice.”

“Unfortunately, they are occupied right now,” Treelight said. her voice calmly pleasant. “In their absence, I will adjudicate.”

“Can’t you just capture me?” Sombra pleaded. “You keep me as a prisoner, and when they get back, you can ask them?”

Treelight stroked her chin with a hoof. “Very well.” Her tentacles shifted to pull him right to the Tree’s roots. “You will remain here until they return. Then, they will decide your fate.”

“…decide your fate,” Sombra finished.

As Sombra finished his tale, Twilight spoke up. “Well, I think we are all in favor of telling the Tree not to hurt you,” she said, looking around. The other Bearers and Spike nodded, though Smolder scowled. “But we haven’t decided what we should do with you right now. Keep you imprisoned here? Move you to Tartarus? Free you? What do you girls think?”

“Keep him here,” Rarity offered. “As much for his own sake as for ours. He said it himself; nopody other than Grogar has the magical skill to recreate him, and I have a feeling he will be left pretty weak from the Tree’s energies.”

“We’re already working with Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy,” Rainbow pointed out. “Having Sombra with us would be helpful.”

“You’ve allied with those three?” Sombra asked with a sharp inhale. “How did you persuade them to join your side?”

“We had a shared interest,” Fluttershy explained. “And that’s why I think we should free you too. You also share a goal with us, and I believe we can trust you to help us against Grogar. At the very least, you should have the chance.”

“Grogar won’t attack ponies under your control, right?” Spike asked.

“I imagine he would not, as doing so would be even more stupid than he has been,” Sombra answered. “But I can’t be certain. He’s already made plenty of terrible decisions. I could do much better!”

“Well, in that case, being able to help them find safety seems wise,” Twilight said, ignoring his grandstanding. “So it does seem preferable to let you come with us.”

“I think you’ll make a good ally,” Fluttershy said with a kind smile. “You already showed kindness to our family members, after all. Everypony, I say we ask the Tree to let Sombra go.”

“I agree with Fluttershy,” Stygian said softly. Twilight turned to look at him, and he continued, “Sombra provides a variety of tactical advantages. He has reasons to work with you, and unlike the other allies you’ve made, Grogar probably thinks Sombra is still loyal to him. This makes him a uniquely useful spy.”

“You do have a point,” Gallus admitted, his voice taking on the irritated tone he so often wielded when someone made a point he didn’t like but had to admit was sound. “Headmare, what do you think?”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Overall, I think Fluttershy and Stygian are right. I know Sombra has a, well, checkered history with us, but so do Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy. However, if any of you have concerns, bring them up now.”

“What about all those slaves ya have?” Applejack asked Sombra suspiciously. “What’s gonna happen to ‘em?”

“Naturally, I will keep them under my control so Grogar won’t hurt them,” Sombra answered. “They’ll be kept safely.”

“What about after that?” Applejack continued. “Once we beat Grogar, Ah mean.”

Sombra kept silent for a long moment. “After Grogar is defeated, I’ll release them all.”

“Okay,” Applejack said. She nodded towards Twilight.

Twilight looked around the gathered ponies and other creatures. Smolder still looked as angry as ever, but she wasn’t speaking up. Twilight steeled her will, and spoke to the Tree of Harmony, “We would like Sombra to be released. We’ll handle what punishment he deserves after we stop Grogar.”

“So you have chosen to embrace limited disharmony to prevent larger disharmony.” Treelight smiled blankly. “You have also chosen mercy over justice. Very well.”

The roots binding Sombra to the wall snaked away from him, and he crumbled to the floor with a sharp gasp. Treelight watched him pant on the ground with its same haunting smile.

Fluttershy rushed forward to care for him. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Exhausted,” he answered. “The Tree was draining my energy almost dry.”

Twilight knew her friends needed to rest and recuperate, but every minute they spent was a minute Grogar grew stronger. She buried her face in her hooves. What can I do? Grogar is so impossibly powerful, and we blew all our energy against him one against twenty. He still got away, three of our allies lost all their enhancements, and now he has his Bell. How can we possibly prevail?

Rainbow looked outside. The sun had just set, leaving the cloudy sky a dark, grim grey. Snow fell hard and fast, piling up in drifts against the window. It wasn’t the soft, fun kind they would schedule for winter—it was a frigid, biting, dry snow. Even inside, she was shivering. She had only ever encountered this snow once before, when the Crystal Heart was destroyed.

On the other side of the room, her friends were discussing what to do. “I’m so exhausted,” Rarity complained. “My whole body aches.”

Gallus rubbed his forehead. “I’m still sore from where Grogar zapped me, and my head’s pounding. Here’s a tip: don’t dive onto a magical shield.”

“Should we find a way to give you some rest, then?” Mistmane offered. “You’ll be more skillful fighters if you’ve had time to nurse your wounds and let your muscles recharge.”

“But we don’t have time for that,” Spike argued. “Starlight’s got a huge army together right now. Grogar’s probably gathering his own army, so we need to attack before he has one.”

“Good point, Spike,” Flash Magnus said admiringly. Spike puffed his chest out proudly. “Tactically speaking, synchronizing an invasion with her seems like the best maneuver.”

“But we also have to keep in mind the strategic powers of the creatures present,” Starswirl cautioned.

“Strategic powers?” Sandbar repeated with a confused look.

“The might of Harmony,” Starswirl said. “From the Pillars of Equestria, to the Tree of Harmony, to the Elements of Harmony.”

At Starswirl’s last phrase, Pinkie made a quick slashing movement at her throat, but it was too late. Twilight had heard, and her eyes visibly drooped.

“But we don’t have the Elements of Harmony anymore,” Twilight said, her voice thick with despair. “We’re on our own.”

The words hung heavy over the room. Sombra avoided everyone’s eyes, even Fluttershy’s. How bitterly ironic that my masterstroke towards conquering Equestria has become a major obstacle to my reconquest of it.

A long silence held vigil, until at last Silverstream broke it. “So… now what?” she asked, putting a claw to her mouth.

Sombra wished he knew the answer. Every option anypony had suggested thus far had at least one glaring problem.

He closed his eyes, and forced himself to think of happier days. The time spent with a brilliant pony years ago, before his rise to power. His rule over his kingdom, when life had been pleasing and simple.

Now, when he looked forward, the best he could realistically see was a pardon from the Princesses and being forced to be an ordinary pony under clearly the implied threat of dispelling him back into the ether. What kind of life was that? Not one for a king.

Perhaps, he mused, it’ll be worth it to meet with Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and that creepy filly Cozy Glow. Maybe they have better ideas on what to do, how to prevail against Grogar, or even will just be amusing. Maybe I’ll be more in the mood to conquer after seeing them.

Even more ironic, he reflected, that Grogar’s idea of an alliance makes more and more sense. He just won’t be part of it.

The thought brought a small smile to his muzzle.

“After much consideration with my immense intellect, I have come to the conclusion that it would be worth it for me to talk with the other former followers of Grogar,” Sombra stated. “I’d like to leave immediately.”

“I’m fine with that, Sombra,” Twilight said approvingly. “Any thoughts?”

“Each of them has special talents nopony else does,” Ocellus said, “and so does Sombra. Maybe they’ll have ideas on how to apply his powers best.”

“I’ve met them all,” Sombra explained, “but only briefly. Yes, I’d like to reintroduce myself to them.”

Fluttershy extended a hoof, and he let her help him up. “They’re under the School of Friendship,” she said. “I would give you full directions, but you can just turn into smoke, right? I imagine finding your way down won’t be hard at all.”

Sombra nodded once, and set out for the school.

Sombra floated down into the caves below the School of Friendship. He felt the watching presence of the Tree of Harmony’s roots even here. It might’ve spared me, but it definitely doesn’t trust me.

He headed cautiously towards the sound of voices. There was a deep, booming male voice, a silky, rich female one, and a light, saccharine lilt. Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, he assigned mentally.

He couldn’t hear all they were saying, but he heard some eyebrow-raising snippets. “…what they’ll do to us after we defeat Grogar,” Cozy muttered.

“We can always just…” Tirek answered, his voice going too quiet for Sombra to hear. “…doubt anyone will begrudge us it.”

A voice similar to Twilight Sparkle’s, though with a vastly different inflection and tone, sliced into the conversation. He froze, listening carefully. It was Twilight’s voice beyond a shadow of a doubt, but the intelligence directing it was so dispassionate. “Full annihilation of all… …acceptable result,” she said clinically.

At last, he spotted the four of them. Cozy, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Twilight herself. He returned to his body, and sauntered forward. “Hello, my fellow conquerors,” Sombra said with a theatrical smile.

“Sombra?” Tirek asked in disbelief. “You’re alive?”

“Again,” Sombra affirmed with a sardonic smile. “Grogar realized the necessity of having me as an ally and brought me back to help him gather an army!”

“Huh,” Cozy said with a shrug. “Well, on the one hoof, bravo for mostly destroying the Tree of Harmony. That was impressive. On the other, you really screwed up by not finishing off the Bearers afterwards.”

“How did you return?” Chrysalis asked, her mandibles twitching. “It looked like you were completely annihilated last time.”

“I’m not exactly alive,” he answered. “Because of that, bringing me back is much easier than it would be for a fully living pony.”

The Twilight doppelgänger—one of Chrysalis’s changelings?—grinned wide at his statement. “Good. Please inform me on the full details of your magical capabilities and inclinations, and on the method by which you were resurrected.”

“That would probably take Sombra hours, Midnight,” Tirek said gently. “He’s already proven himself incredibly talented, and we can look into resurrections after Grogar is destroyed.”

“Ah, your name is Midnight?” Sombra asked, tasting its flavor and cadence. “I am King Sombra, rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire.”

“Yes,” Midnight confirmed. “Twilight was aware of you and you skill with fear magic. I am Midnight Sparkle, a clone of Twilight created by Queen Chrysalis. ‘Clone’ is misleading, however, as I have Twilight’s skill and intelligence without her moral compass weakening her.”

“Impressive,” Sombra said approvingly. “I’m certain we’ll have much magic to discuss after we oust Grogar.”

“Can you give us a quick summary of your powers, at least?” Cozy asked, batting her eyes. “That would help me figure out how best to apply your unique talents.”

“Well, I can quickly mind-control a lot of ponies at once,” Sombra answered. “I can conjure dark crystals that block spells and teleportation. And I certainly don’t mean to brag too much, but I am the world expert on fear magic.”

“Oooh, you can quickly get a huge army of ponies!” Cozy exulted. “I love it!”

“Where have you been?” Tirek asked. “Grogar must have summoned you between our visits to the castle.”

“Wait. Are you still loyal to Grogar!?” Chrysalis demanded. Her horn blazed to life. Beside her, Midnight dropped to the floor, and Tirek charged his horns as well.

“Absolutely not!” Sombra protested quickly. “I have no desire to serve that pompous old goat another second. He treated me like a serf instead of a king!”

“Do you believe him, Cozy?” Midnight asked, her voice calm and dangerous.

“Hmmm. Given what I know of King Sombra’s psychological profile, it does make sense,” she began. “As for if we can trust him, well, I’d say slightly less than the amount we can each other. We all have a shared interest in overthrowing Grogar, we all have shared enemies we can’t trust, and we even all have mutually compatible goals.” She shrugged. “We haven’t known him as long so we haven’t bonded as much, but the same necessities are driving each of us.”

“Well put, Cozy,” Tirek said with an approving smile. He let his spell fizzle out. A moment later, Chrysalis and Midnight did the same. “So, Sombra, where have you been?”

“Gathering an army, capturing the families of the Bearers, and then imprisoned by the Tree of Harmony.” Sombra winced. “If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the Bearers themselves, the Tree would have destroyed me again.”

“For a tree that is one-sixth kindness, it doesn’t seem to have much mercy,” Midnight muttered. “I’d love to see you debate philosophy with it, Cozy.”

“That would be fun!” Cozy said with a big, cheerful smile. “Oooh, maybe I could get it so guilty over its own contradictions, it just wilted away into nothing!”

“Funny you mention that,” Sombra said. “The Tree has learned how to talk.”

Chrysalis bolted upright. She asked, her face warped in disbelief, “What? How!?”

“It creates a sparkly apparition that looks like Princess Twilight,” Sombra explained. “It talks through that illusion.”

”Golly, so they were telling the truth,” Cozy said. She looked down at a tiny husk of a nut under her pink hoof. She pretended the faces of those six students were carved on it, and stomped downward as hard as she could, crushing it into dust.

“Well, this is all nice, but what do we do now?” Sombra asked. “I don’t want to just sit here doing nothing.”

“You could report back to Grogar,” Tirek suggested. “He probably thinks you’re still loyal to him.”

“Yesss,” Chrysalis agreed. “Find out what he’s doing.”

“First, we should get to know each other better,” Cozy suggested. “We’ll need to work together, which means we need to trust one another!”

“Hmm, alright,” Chrysalis said. “That is acceptable.”

“It is quite amusing, really,” Sombra commented, chuckling lightly. “Grogar was the one who demanded we work together in the first place. And now we’re using that strategy against him.”

“He was probably right about its effectiveness,” Tirek agreed. “I’m confident that if we all really were loyal to him, we’d have already crushed all resistance.”

“And now we get to betray and destroy him with his own plan!” Cozy laughed gleefully. “Oh, this is so much fun!” She took a deep breath, forcing her mirth down, and began, “So, let’s start by telling each other what we love. I love manipulation, betrayal, lying, and getting ponies to do what I ask them to!”

“Good taste,” Chrysalis chuckled. “How about you tell us what you hate too?”

“Sure!” Cozy said, giggling. “I hate ponies cuter or more lovable than me, Grogar, ponies not doing what I ask them to do, and those six students who ruined all my plans.” She took a deep breath, before forcing on a dainty smile. “Oh! I forgot my favorite thing of aaaall. Hearing my enemies beg for mercy!”

That got a hearty laugh from the group. “I’ll go next,” Chrysalis said. “I love the delicious taste of love, my hive (when they don’t betray me, that is), and the thought of Starlight Glimmer suffering my revenge!” She cackled. “I hate Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Grogar, Starlight Glimmer, and Starlight Glimmer!” Her eye twitched as she used her magic to scorch Starlight’s face into the rock she was standing on, and then slammed her hoof down hard enough to fracture the stone to pieces.

“O…kay, heh heh,” Cozy said with an awkward half-laugh. “How about you go next, Midnight?”

“Certainly,” Midnight said, her voice devoid of passion. “I love magical research, magic theory, immortality, isolation, calm, spellcraft, and access to all books ever written. I hate the Tree of Harmony and the loss of knowledge.”

“Your turn, Sombra,” Cozy said, looking at him expectantly. “What do you love and hate?”

“Well,” he began dramatically, “As King of the Crystal Empire, I naturally have quite a few sources of enjoyment. I love the sweetly dark crystals, the Crystal Empire, dark magic, and… ah, nevermind. It’s pathetic.”

“You can tell us,” Cozy said gently. “We won’t laugh.” A thought crossed her face. “Well, unless it’s funny, I guess.” Chrysalis, Midnight, and Tirek nodded.

Sombra sighed. “Very well. I love the most amazing pony I’ve ever met, Radiant Hope.”

A moment of stunned silence passed, and the other four broke into uncontrolled laughter. “Bfffhahahaha,” Tirek guffawed. “S-so you have a sp—special somepony?”

“I was not expecting love to be brought up,” Midnight chuckled mildly. “You did not strike me as the type to be interested in games of romance.”

“I most certainly am not! And she’s not my special somepony!” Sombra protested, a red blush on his cheeks.

Chrysalis, giggling, brought up, “Y-you do know I’m a changeling, right? I can feel the affection for her oozing off you. You want her to give you a big, sweet, loving kiss~!”

“Oooh, Sombra’s got a fillyfrieeeeend,” Cozy joined in. “Sombra and Radiant, sittin’ in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N—”

“We weren’t lovers!” Sombra protested, his blush brilliant on his dark grey face. “At most we were, er, interested in each other. We never went on so much as a date!”

Chrysalis let green fire engulf her, and in a moment, she was a pale purple mare with a light blue mane and a healing staff cutie mark. “Would you like to fix that sometime?” she teased. Sombra shot her a furious glare.

“Okay,” Cozy said, at last catching her breath. “I think that’s enough, guys.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes, and returned to her true form. “Sorry, Sombra,” Cozy apologized as she wiped tears from her eyes. “I just really, truly never expected you to say that.”

“I didn’t want to bring it up for a reason,” Sombra grumbled. “I knew you would all react like that.”

“Well, can you blame us?” Tirek asked, his chuckles dying off. “I mean, King Sombra talking about a foalhood crush?”

“Actually, that gives me an idea,” Cozy said, her eyes bright. “Sombra told us something embarrassing about himself. It just seems fair for each of us to say something like that too!”

“Now that is a most excellent idea,” Sombra said instantly. “I am very curious to hear all of yours.”

“Ugh, fine,” Chrysalis said. “But just so we’re clear, none of it ever leaves this room. If it does, I will personally destroy you.”

“Deal,” Sombra agreed, “as long as that applies retroactively to mine too.”

“Sure,” Chrysalis said, shrugging her shoulders.

“That’s fine by me,” Tirek said. “Midnight?”

“I don’t think I have any embarrassing secrets,” Midnight said flatly. “I’m only two days old. Even were I to be longer-lived, why would I be embarrassed of things I have done or felt? I am perfection incarnate, therefore I need never feel guilt, shame, or embarrassment. I might err, but I only err when having access to insufficient information, and thus never through any fault of mine.”

“Okaaay,” Cozy said with an eyeroll. “I guess we’ll skip you for this, Midnight. Since Chrysalis actually turned into Radiant, how about she goes first?”

“I already went first,” Sombra complained, “but she should go second.”

“Uuurgh, alright,” Chrysalis grumbled. “I have a pn… ltr… go.”

“What was that?” Tirek asked, cupping an ear. “Couldn’t hear you.”

“I have a pony alter ago,” she admitted sourly.

The cave fell into shocked silence, and then the others broke into laughter. “S-seriously?” Tirek gasped between deep laughs. “Sometimes you imagine yourself as a pony?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis spat under her voice.

“You’ve gotta show us now,” Cozy giggled. “Turn into her!”

Chrysalis facehoofed. Green fire flickered over her her body, and she turned into a pale green unicorn with an orange-red mane. Her cutie mark was a ladybug.

“G-golly, and here I thought you hated us cute ponies,” Cozy wheezed.

Sombra laughed even harder. “You were mocking me for having a crush, and all this time you like to play pony? Do you host frilly tea parties? Draw artwork of her?”

Chrysalis narrowed her no-longer-slitlike eyes. “For your information,” she hissed, “Crackle Cosette is not a cute pony and she does not like tea parties. She is a photographer of the Canterlot Historical Society with a dark secret: she in fact supports the changeling regime, fully recognizes how rule by Queen Chrysalis would be an massive improvement for pony life, and deeply despises the illegitimate usurper Thorax as well as Starlight Glimmer. She uses her position as a photographer to gather intelligence on Equestria and then forwards it to me.”

Midnight snorted. “You invented a fictional pony friend and turn into her?” Beside her, Tirek was trying and failing to hold in his laughter.

Crackle Cosette crossed her forelegs in a pout. “Oh come on, each of you has your own pony alter ego. Admit it.”

“Uhhh, no,” Tirek said. “I’m perfectly happy being a centaur.”

“Fine, maybe it’s a changeling thing,” Crackle said. “Once I’m queen again, I’ll ask them. I’m sure they’ll all admit they have pony alter egos too.”

“You do that,” Sombra said, chuckling. “Who’ll be next?”

“Cozy!” Chrysalis snarled, returning to her natural form. “She’s the reason you all laughed at me!”

“That works,” Cozy said with a shrug. “I’ll go next.”

“And my secret is,” Cozy admitted, chuckling nervously, “I really love Alien Alicorns versus Space Pirates.”

“I never took you for the type to read science fiction garbage,” Chrysalis snorted. “What, do you like to read about how the heroic main character defeats all her enemies effortlessly with lasers?”

“No!” Cozy protested, blushing. “Listen, Alien Alicorns is high liter—”

“Isn’t that the book about a green Celestia?” Tirek asked.

“Pffffhahahahaha,” Sombra chortled. “You actually read those silly action books?”

“It’s not just science fiction garbage!” Cozy protested. “Princess Aetherial Singularity Entropy Void XVIII is the last legitimate heir of the Quasar Ascendancy!”

Tirek, Chrysalis, Sombra, and Midnight stared at her. “’Princess Aetherial Singularity Entropy Void’?” Tirek wheezed. “That’s her actual name?”

“Yes!” Cozy answered, a blush on her pink cheeks. “It’s serious stuff! After being forced into wrongful exile, she travels with her oath-brother Pulse Shockwave the Elliridrinian, her hoofmaiden Laser Light, and her love interest Dr. Quark Matter to venture the stars, battle enemies of the Ascendancy, and eventually regain her rightful throne!”

“So… it’s just like every other science fiction space opera,” Tirek snickered. “Except with really long names.”

“No!” Cozy insisted. “The titular enemies she fights are the Nebulae Falconry, a pirate kingdom, but the real villain is her younger half-sister Nova Rage XIV who forced her into exile and usurped the throne. Aetherial uses her wits and ruthlessness to defeat her enemies, and unlike so many other stories, she shows absolutely no mercy to any of them!”

“Really now?” Chrysalis asked dubiously. “I distinctly remember a foal being read one as a bedtime story.”

“They seem lighthearted, but they’re actually really dark!” Cozy whined. “They pretend to be cute, heroic, and innocent to lull you into complacency. Look, how about I tell you my favorite scene? It’s a pretty big spoiler, but I bet none of you will read it ever otherwise.”

“I’d prefer not right now,” Midnight said, keeping her voice from veering into irritation. “This is not meant as a slight against you, but just a desire to continue the rotation. It’s Tirek’s turn, correct?”

“Indeed,” Tirek said with a crack of his knuckles. “As I never had a chance to share the things I love and hate, I’ll do that as well.”

Chrysalis nodded, and scooted closer to listen.

“Naturally, with a life as long as mine, there are many things I feel very strongly about,” Tirek began. “I love my mother Queen Haydon, my gram-gram, absorbing magic, learning long-forgotten secrets, and the thought of being named king of my homeland.” Nopony laughed as he mentioned his grandmother. “In contrast, I hate those annoyingly lucky ponies, my brother Scorpan, my father Vorak, and Grogar!”

“I think it’s sweet you care so much about your mother and grandma,” Cozy said, her voice genuine. Her tone took a sadder turn. “I kind of wish I had ponies to care about too.”

The room fell into awkward silence. “Us?” Tirek asked hesitantly.

“Speak for yourself!” Chrysalis hissed. “I for one do not love any of you!”

“Nor I,” Midnight said quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. “Love is an emotion I have neither time for nor interest in.”

“Likewise,” Sombra agreed, his words cascading over each other. “You are useful, valuable allies who I believe I can trust. But that most certainly does not make us friends!”

“Heheh, guess not,” Cozy said, batting at her ribbons. “So, uh, I think that just leaves what you’re going to share with us, Tirek.”

“I… am not really the smartest member of our group,” Tirek admitted.

“Hah!” Chrysalis crowed. “I knew it! Sclerite, Frenulum, I told you! He isn’t the smartest one!”

Cozy couldn’t see either Sclerite or Frenulum reply to Chrysalis, but that wasn’t particularly unusual. Sometimes Chrysalis would talk to changelings only she could see. It was just one of her quirks.

“Then who is?” Sombra asked, raising an eyebrow. “The smartest, I mean.”

“Midnight,” Tirek admitted grudgingly. Midnight nodded as if he had said something very prosaic.

Chrysalis whirled towards Tirek. “It’s not me!?”

“Though it hurts my pride to admit it, Midnight seems like the smartest to me,” Sombra agreed.

“Conspiracy!” Chrysalis hissed. “So you all got together to make me look like a fool! Tymbal, throw Tirek in the dungeon!”

Cozy couldn’t see Tymbal, and Tirek wasn’t moving, so she had to assume Chrysalis had declared an auxiliary dungeon around Tirek.

“Chrysalis, would we do that to you?” Cozy asked, fluttering her eyelashes. Chrysalis shot a flat look at her. “Okay, yes, that is exactly the kind of thing I love to do. But you’re on my team! You’re one of us!”

“Don’t feel bad, Chrysalis,” Tirek said, giving her a slap on the back. She recoiled at his touch. “I’m not the smartest member either. We each have our own strengths.”

“Correct,” Midnight reassured Chrysalis. “My superlative intelligence should not be misread as a critique of your own skill. You have proven immensely useful.”

“It really is like Grogar said,” Sombra murmured thoughtfully. “Where one of us is weak, another is strong, and thus together, we are a formidable force.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Urgh, fine. Tymbal, let Tirek out of the dungeon.”

Cozy still couldn’t see Tymbal.

“Thank you for releasing me from the dungeon,” Tirek said, his voice dripping with bemusement. Cozy couldn’t resist a giggle of her own.

“I may have underestimated the value of companions,” Midnight said. “My previous ones were moronic and incompetent. But you four have shown or been told to me as being both intelligent and competent. Perhaps I will keep contact with you while and after acquiring the magical secrets I desire.”

“I guess being part of an ‘us’ isn’t that bad after all,” Sombra admitted. “I’ve had allies before, of course, but none as ruthless or powerful as I. I haven’t had people to really cooperate with, or scheme with, or just talk about these things with since…” he trailed off into a frown. Cozy chose not to press him over it. “Sharing your company is… nice.”

“Mhmmm,” Chrysalis said, her voice now far more relaxed. “I was initially averse to the thought of sharing the world, but now? It reminds me of my hive.”

“Yep!” Cozy chirped. “I can’t wait to split Equestria up and crush all opposition!”

“Here’s to victory, then,” Tirek said proudly.

“To conquest!” Sombra agreed.

“To revenge!” Chrysalis hissed.

“To knowledge!” Midnight added.

“To teamwork!” Cozy finished. The five drew closer into a circle, and placed their hooves or hands together.

“To victory!” they cheered together.

Cozy smiled as an idea hit her like a lightning bolt. “Oh my gosh, I just realized. We need a club name!”

“Do we really?” Tirek asked, groaning. “Can’t we just call ourselves ‘allies’ or ‘co-conspirators’ something?”

“We absolutely need one,” Cozy insisted. “Something really awesome and intimidating.”

“The Changeling Government-in-Exile?” Chrysalis suggested.

“The King Sombra Fan Club?” Sombra half-joked. “Hmm, nah, that’s a bit too on-the-nose.”

“How about the Legion?” Midnight offered. “We are five of both Grogar’s and the Celestial Diarchy’s most dangerous opponents, and we’re working together. ‘Legion’ seems descriptive and apt to me.”

“Mmm, that’s good,” Cozy said approvingly, “but it could use something. What are we the Legion of?”

“Desolation,” Sombra answered.

“Revenge!” Chrysalis declared.

“Doom,” Tirek said simply.

“The Legion of Doom…” Cozy said, caressing the phrase as if it were her first crush. “I love it.”

Around the circle, Midnight, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Sombra all grinned wickedly. “Perfect,” Chrysalis hissed with a dark laugh. “Long live the Legion of Doom!”

Chapter XIV

From his snowbank atop a small hill, Sombra watched Grogar at work. The ram lord was now working inside what remained of Canterlot Castle, each stroke of his stick adding another line of blue light to hauntingly illuminate the stained glass panes.

When in his pony form, Sombra could feel cold, and right now he was freezing. If only Hope were here to keep away the cold, he lamented silently. Her hugs had always warmed both his body and his soul.

Sombra considered Grogar’s words. ”Contacting old allies.” But what kinds of allies? He already has the Windigos. Is he getting more of them, or is he up to something else?

As he continued to spy, Grogar set down his stick and maneuvered his jewels to six points of the castle’s throne room. Each began to glow a sickly, desaturated color as he focused the power of the Bewitching Bell downward. The floor and walls of the castle flickered with ominous light, and Grogar flicked his horns back and forth. Each wave of his horns were accompanied with a brighter flash of light.

Sombra tried to analyze the magic Grogar was using. The magical techniques were very foreign, simultaneously primitive and advanced, perhaps an entirely different evolution of magic from the Equestrian lineage. He had a general feeling that Grogar was trying to break through wards of binding and open a gate to Limbo. But a ritual of this complexity and magnitude suggested whatever he was trying to free was very tightly bound.

Sombra tried to remember things banished to Limbo. There weren’t many. The Pony of Shadows, perhaps, or possibly some of the mightier embodiments of darkness? I’m pretty sure I heard that Princess Luna was corrupted by her own jealousy. Could one of those corruptors be lurking in Limbo?

As Grogar pushed his spell to completion, Sombra braced himself. One way or another, I’m probably about to find out.

All of the glowing lines scribed across Canterlot glowed brilliantly, and then went out. The air, or something else, bent and twist around Grogar, warping the light. A tiny pinprick of blackest shadow appeared in the center of the distortion, and then shot outward. A shockwave tore through Sombra’s body, forcing him back into his insubstiantial, cloudy form and sending him tumbling over the edge of Canterlot.

He righted himself and surveyed what had happened. Another city had materialized on top of Canterlot. Its sharp towers, which pierced the cloudy night sky like long spears, seemed to grow organically out of the ruins. It was made of a dark, twisted stone that draped a supernatural darkness across the city. Arching bridges connected one tower to another. The highest tower had grown from where Grogar himself had stood. No doubt he’s there, Sombra thought to himself.

But what truly grabbed his attention was the inhabitants of this benighted city. Swirling clouds of malevolent black tentacles, huge draconic beasts with fangs as wide as a pony’s torso, angry monstrosities with a hundred claws, and worse had appeared together.

Tambelon is back, Sombra realized in horror. So this was the army Grogar was gathering.

A pony-shaped mass of liquid shadow stepped out from behind one of the towers. The Pony of Shadows too? Did Grogar summon every single being trapped in Limbo?

Sombra noticed something very worrying. Canterlot was mostly buried, but here and there its streets were still visible. And where they were, the drawn lines were glowing again.

What’s Grogar doing with those? he wondered. He followed the line out of the city—and even in his smoke body, he nearly fainted.

It, together with thousands of companions, crisscrossed the landscape below. They spread out across Equestria to farther than he could see.

But what’s the purpose of these paths now? He’s already summoned Tambelon. Are they to let him teleport it? Or do they have a darker purpose?

There’s only one way to find out. He floated along quickly. I have to decipher what he’s doing before he finishes doing it.

Sombra lifted the binoculars to his eyes. He scanned the ground below, looking for some hint of what was going on. The night’s inky blackness hindered his eyesight not at all, but there were just so many things to check. He didn’t even know what he was looking for beyond “something amiss.”

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long. Far below and a little to the south, the earth cracked and buckled, and something enormous crawled out. It was shaped roughly like a huge salamander, wide and flat, but it had at least four pairs of legs, each ending in a seven-clawed foot. Spikes ran down its back, each one sizzling with lightning. Its head was shaped like a shovel, and its mouth spanned as wide as the Ponyville schoolhouse lined with thousands of thin, needle-like teeth. Three huge eyes ran sequentially down its shovel-head, each one bigger than an Ursa Minor. The thing roared.

Sombra wracked his brain. In all his years, he had never seen anything like this creature before. It was a monster not even found in legend, something even the vilest and most forbidden texts had never once mentioned. He watched in shock as its spines arced and hurled a bolt of lightning three buckball fields away.

He heard a sibilant hiss from behind him, and whirled around. A massive worm slithered up from one of the chasms. Its reinforced hide was piled together like a conglomerate of boulders, and its yawning mouth resembled nothing so much as a diseased flower in bloom.

He gasped, and turned away, hurrying through the sky as quickly as he could. In his form as a cloud of smoke, it was unlikely these creatures could hurt him. But as an ancient king who prided himself on his knowledge, he could be forgiven for fleeing these mysterious horrors of which he knew nothing.

After a little less than a minute of flight, a sickly greenish glow made Sombra slow down. A hill just ahead was shining a very specific green: a shade produced almost exclusively by dark magic.

On the one hoof, he really didn’t want to be attacked by something like one of those things he’d just escaped from. On the other, he had to find out what was going on. The more information he could bring back to his frie—fellow schemers, the more they’d be able to figure out what to do.

With a mental sigh, as his body of smoke was not suited to a physical one, he set down on the glowing hill. He heard a very faint chanting.

Lhkr’unp aph’ghul n’ghwuhwa k’khrl Gro’ghar fhto v’kawaghr.

Something about the words tickled the back of Sombra’s brain, but he couldn’t place it. They were Sumareian, he felt, but he was very rusty on his Sumareian. But even taking that into account, this sounded different than what he’d learned—perhaps it was Archaic Sumareian?—and was almost incomprehensible to him.

His thoughts were jerked roughly back into the present by a bony hoof shooting out of the ground a few paces ahead of him. He floated back, fear clutching at his vapors. Another one reached out as well. Then a third, and a fifth, and a twentieth. One by one, skeletons of ponies climbed out of the ground. Pinpricks of light glittered in their eyes. They marched down the hill in utter silence, not paying him any attention at all.

He allowed himself to disperse a little in relief. But a few moments later, a disturbing idea darted across his mind:

If Grogar’s ritual had spread lines of energy across Equestria, and those lines were doing this, did that mean that monsters were awakening and undead rising all across Equestria?

He condensed in dread. The other members of the Legion of Doom had to be told right now.

Sombra rose up into the air, and hurried as quickly as he could towards where he’d spoken and bonded and revealed his inner self to them. They had to know before it was too late.

As he flew, he continued to keep an eye on the terrain below. Grogar’s other forces were still active, of course. Diamond dogs, dragons, and even a few changelings zipped around.

High above, the Windigos continued to swirl around. It would be very hard for any ordinary pony to make them out in this storm, but his eyes effortlessly pierced the darkness and were well-accustomed to snowstorms. It was hard to tell, but he felt their actions were more than just determined. They seemed almost gleeful.

And why wouldn’t they be? he asked himself darkly. They’re winning, after all.

He ran down the list of what his teammates could do. Midnight probably knows enough necromantic magic to seize control of the undead. Chrysalis can sow chaos, disguising as those creatures and pitting them against each other like she did with ponykind. Tirek hopefully can drain their magic. And if Cozy is lucky, she’ll be able to persuade parts of Grogar’s sapient army to fight against him.

As for the Elements, it’s very unlikely they’ll be willing to use any of the more effective techniques. Certainly they won’t start taking hostages or anything like that. It’s disappointing, really. If they would just accept that war requires different procedures than peace, they’d be a much more dangerous team.

On the other hoof, he mused, the Elements’ softness means that if we do defeat Grogar, my allies and I will have a much easier time betraying them and taking Equestria for our own. All it will take is a few dozen hostages and they’ll surrender. Tirek displayed that wonderfully in his deal with Twilight all those years ago.

The thought of ruling once more would have brought a cruel smile to his lips, but he didn’t currently have any. Sometimes being a cloud of smoke is really inconvenient.

Sombra slipped down in the cracks in the ground near Twilight’s castle. In his form of fog, he could fit through spaces not even a pebble could. He found Tirek, Cozy, Chrysalis, and Midnight easily.

“What did you learn?” Tirek asked, turning to face him. “Tell us.”

Sombra clumped his body back together into a stallion’s shape. “Grogar summoned Tambelon,” he said, panting. Even as an insubstantial creature, he’d still worn himself out.

Tirek and Chrysalis both gasped. Cozy and Midnight stared blankly. “Who’s Tambelon?” Cozy asked.

“Tambelon is a place, not a person,” Chrysalis answered. “It’s said to be the city where Grogar crafted all of his monsters, including us changelings.”

“I also witnessed his magic animating skeletons across Equestria and waking up ancient monsters,” Sombra said, his voice uncommonly hasty. “I had never even heard of some of his pet horrors. And he seems to have called back the Pony of Shadows as well.”

“Describe everything you saw in detail,” Midnight instructed. “Do not exclude any matters. The tiniest clue may be our victory.”

With a flicker of dark magic, Sombra created a comfortable throne, and sat down. Cozy gave him an encouraging smile. With a harsh exhale and a flash of illusion magic for visual aid, he shared what he had seen.

Twilight had been sleeping peacefully. She floated in a void of soft, pastel colors. Her entire body felt warm and comforted.

A jolt of energy passed through her body. It was both hot and cold at once, but it wasn’t painful. A translucent, twinkling copy of herself appeared before her. “I did not speak up earlier because I had to delve into my own roots for answers,” Treelight said. “Now I have come to visit upon you the information you need.”

“Well, that sounds great,” Twilight said, “but shouldn’t you wake me up so my friends and I can ask you questions together?”

Treelight tilted her head, smiling her haunting smile all the while. “Yes.” She held a hoof out to Twilight’s chest. A spark of lightning passed between them, and Twilight jerked awake.

She was still in the Treehouse’s basement. Her five best friends were all just waking up too. “Everypony, wake up!” she called out across the room.

Starswirl groaned. “Uurgh, I barely got any rest. What is it, Twilight?”

“The Tree has something to tell us!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down inside her sleeping bag. “Get up get up get up!”

Somnambula sighed in resignation. “Well, now that we are all awake, we might as well talk with it.”

“Yeah, no point in missing all that sleep for nothing,” Gallus added dryly.

Treelight manifested in the middle of the room. “You mentioned the Elements of Disharmony,” she said. “It took me a great deal of thought, but I was able to remember them.”

She conjured up spectral images of the Elements. “Honesty. Kindness. Laughter. Generosity. Loyalty. And finally, Magic. The six Elements of Harmony. But they each have a dark reflection.” The images turned blackened and scarred. “The Elements are six gems, so their mirrors are likewise. Deceit. Cruelty. Despair. Greed. Betrayal. Desolation. These six are the forces that split friendships asunder.” Spike wrote rapidly, taking down every word.

“They are as powerful as the Elements of Harmony but serve the opposite purpose,” Treelight continued. “When used against each other, they simply cancel out. I imagine Grogar sought them to nullify your usage of Harmony.”

“But we don’t have the Elements anymore,” Twilight reminded her. “So they’ll just do to us what we did to Discord years ago.”

“Or the opposite of what they did to me,” Stygian added.

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked apprehensively.

“The Elements of Harmony separated me from the Pony of Shadows, redeeming me,” Stygian replied. “Those of Disharmony might corrupt you and your friends.”

“That’s not gonna happen on my watch,” Rainbow said firmly. “None of you guys are turning evil while I’m around!”

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said with a smile, slipping a wing around her. “It’s so nice to have somepony brave like you looking out for us.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Smolder grumbled. “So how are we going to deal with Grogar’s Disharmony stuff?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. “But we still have each other. And together, we’ve overcome every threat Equestria has ever faced. We have to figure out something, or Equestria is doomed!”

Chapter XV

Starlight peered over the map of Equestria. Thorax had assigned his changelings to be their spy and sabotage network, and they had already spread covertly across Equestria. With their magical communication systems, they could easily keep in contact with her. The Saddle Arabians were massing for a land invasion on Equestria’s western border. The Hippogriff Navy was currently transporting the griffons across the Celestial Sea. Together, they’d conduct a combined naval-aerial invasion on Equestria’s east coast. The dragons, always the individually mightiest of the sapient races, would be flying to the Badlands and then up into Equestria proper to function as shock troops. And from the north, the yaks would be pressing down from the northern peaks to join up with the Crystal Empire.

Starlight herself was in the Changeling Hive. As the receiving point for the magical communication, it was ideal for directing all invasions at once. She’d personally teleported a few changelings to each army to make communication easy.

“It’d be nice if the other leaders would all stay here for easy tactical oversight,” Trixie complained, her voice colored with annoyance. “But it seems they’d rather be fighting alongside their people.”

“They’re all very well-experienced with their own forces,” Sunburst reminded her gently. “They’ll be able to direct very effectively from the ground.”

“Trixie supposes you’re right,” Trixie said with a sigh. “What about you, Starlight? What will you do?”

“I’ll be using my magic in battle,” Starlight answered.

“Then… how are you going to run the invasion?” Sunburst asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I was thinking of…” Starlight smiled nervously. “Asking you two to?”

Trixie and Sunburst stared. “You want us to do it!?” they asked in unison.

“There’s no way I can command an entire military expedition!” Sunburst protested. “I’ve never ordered around anypony!”

“Yeah, you two can’t,” a male voice interjected, his voice sardonic. “But with my help, you probably can.”

Starlight looked towards its source. “Pharynx?” she asked in surprise. “I thought you were going to be commanding on the front?”

“Thorax is doing that,” he explained. “I was head of patrols and recon. I know exactly what I’m doing when it comes to managing a spy network, and unlike these two, I’m used to the chain of command.” Pharynx smirked. “Add to that your creativity, Trixie, and your encyclopedic knowledge, Sunburst, I’m confident we can run things from here. And we can always contact Starlight for advice too.”

Starlight nodded. “Yeah… I, uh, had something else to say, Pharynx. Just in case.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I’m really sorry for saying you were a lost cause, and you should be banished, and that stuff, Pharynx. That was wrong of me.” She cast her eyes downward.

Pharynx shrugged, a half-sarcastic smile on his muzzle. “Hey, I stuck you in a bag and wanted to feast on your love. I’m over it. And I do have you to thank for getting my brother to finally stop being such a wimp.”

“So… no hard feelings?” Starlight asked tentatively.

“No hard feelings.” He chuckled. “Besides, you’re one-fourth of the reason we aren’t starving anymore. You’re okay in my book.”

Starlight looked from him, to Trixie, to Sunburst. “Okay,” she said. “Good luck.”

“You too,” Sunburst replied with a little smile.

Starlight concentrated, drawing the lines of magic flowing through the ground tighter and tighter around herself. The energy contracted, and in a flash of mauve light, she was gone.

Starlight reappeared on the bridge of a large hippogriff warship. In addition to the hippogriffs that would normally be found commanding one of their warships, a quartet of changelings sat at a table with four black scarab devices. She smiled proudly at the sight.

It had been her idea to distribute a few changelings capable of operating the magic scarabs to each part of the invasion. Thorax had said these scarabs were apparently a relic from Chrysalis’s reign, but Pharynx had insisted on retaining them. And boy, was she glad he had. Fighting this war without efficient communication would be even more of a nightmare.

She looked out the window of the bridge, surveying the deck below. A large number, perhaps twelve dozen, of griffons stood ready. The griffons wore full steel armor and wielded practical crossbows and ancient halberds. In the sky above the ship, a few griffons were playing at exercises.

She turned to the commander of this ship, and, in fact, of the entire fleet. “General Seaspray?” she called out to him. “I’ve come to provide some magical assistance.”

He turned to her, and gave her a smile. “Anything you could do for us would be welcome, Starlight.”

Starlight concentrated, channeling magic through her body and into her horn. She pushed it down into the hull, weaving her spell through the wood.

“It’s fireproof now,” she said, rubbing her horn. “And it’s more resilient in general.”

Seaspray nodded. “Is there anything else?”

She waved her horn again, and the weapons of the griffons glowed purple. “Not anymore,” she said.

“What did that do?” Seaspray asked, indicating the glowing crossbows and halberds.

“A brilliant energy spell. I made the weapons into solid light,” she answered. “They’ll ignore ordinary defenses against them now, like armor or thick scales. Should last until morning.”

“That is quite impressive,” Seaspray said with an approving smile. “Thank you again for all your aid!”

She saluted. “I’ll see you again soon!” she replied, and teleported away once more.

Starlight reappeared on the back of a gigantic, well-armored dragon. A furious gust of wind nearly knocked her off, and only rapid telekinesis let her hold on. Behind, above, and in front of her, smaller dragons were beating their own wings.

She cast a spell to get as close to the Royal Canterlot Voice as a unicorn could, and shouted, “Okay! I’m going to enchant your vision so you can tell friend from foe! That way, you won’t accidentally attack somepony on our side.”

The dragon she was standing on grunted, nearly sending her flying off him. She closed her eyes, concentrating as hard as she could. A gentle glow spread out from her horn across the dragons. As the magic blazed brighter, she found that she could see them through her closed eyelids! The spell had worked.

“Cool trick,” an adult dragon she didn’t recognize told her. “It’ll work on the ponies too?”

“Yep!” she answered with a smile. “It can be fooled by changelings or similar shapeshifters, but for combatants who wear their allegiance openly, it’ll avoid any friendly fire.”

Starlight took a look around. There were so many dragons. Even one was a terrifying enemy. This many could make good on their threat from a year ago to raze Equestria to the ground, if they were so inclined. From their thick scales to their sharp talons to their cheerful attitude towards violence, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear.

But, she knew, the alternative was to risk the failure of the campaign. Equestria needed support, and sometimes you didn’t have the luxury of making sure your allies were pure enough. Sometimes you just needed anyone willing to fight with you.

She sighed, and teleported once more.

Pharynx looked at the array of scrying scarabs set out across the table. “Report, Sclerite.”

“The Saddle Arabians are approaching Equestria’s eastern boarder,” Sclerite said through the shimmering, electric green portal. “But, uh, between the furious snowstorm, the weird lights, and the shrieking, they’re pretty spooked.”

“Shrieking?” Pharynx asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah. It’s coming from above us, like screaming through a pan flute.” Sclerite shivered. “It’s even scaring me, to be honest.”

“Have you made contact with any teams of pegasi yet?” Pharynx asked.

“Just a few,” Sclerite answered. “We asked all of them who seemed put together to try to bust the clouds, but they couldn’t do it. Something much more powerful must be creating this storm.”

Pharynx frowned. He wished he were on the front lines, battling enemies of the Hive and helping out his brother. Administrative work just lacked that spark.

Sunburst suggested, “That sounds like the influence of the Windigos to me. I think Starlight mentioned that they returned too.”

Pharynx hissed. “So how do we get rid of them? How do we stop their snowstorm?”

“Historically, the Fire of Friendship was used to repel Windigos, and it was created by friendship between pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. I believe both Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia have made it themselves.”

Sunburst received a withering glare from Pharynx. “Oh sure, I’ll just use the scarab I gave Twilight Sparkle. The one I made sure she has just in case. I’ll call her up and ask her to make some magic fire.”

Sunburst recoiled as if bitten, and Pharynx winced. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, Sunburst,” Pharynx apologized. “I’m just mad. I want to be able to help my friends, not sit here doing nothing.”

“Trixie understands completely,” Trixie reassured him. “She wishes she could help Starlight. But we’re really needed here.”

“You’re right,” Pharynx sighed.

Shining Armor trudged through the snow. Ordinary snow would be one thing, but this snow clumped together onto him like heavy, sticky glue. Even worse, its chill pierced him to his core.

Neither Sombra’s return nor the destruction of the Crystal Heart had brought this kind of snow. Those had just been the snows of the Frozen North. This one seemed almost malevolent. Almost hungry.

That was it. This snowstorm wanted to suck out every bit of warmth and leave him a statue of ice.

He turned to Cadance, who was using her magic to try to keep them all warm. It was a losing battle, but the gesture still warmed his heart. “Dear, do you think Twily is alright?”

“I’m pretty sure so,” Cadance replied. “She’s smart, and she has her friends with her. Besides, Grogar is just facing too many enemies at once to focus on any. I’m sure she was able to slip away.”

Shining smiled as relief filled his body. But before he could reply, a ferocious tremor shook the ground below. He was thrown facefirst into a cold snowbank. “Ungh,” he groaned. He rolled over to look at what had caused the damage, but in the midnight snow it was very hard to tell.

A hint of shape in the blackened whiteout jerked his head sharply. It was vaguely pony-shaped, but he couldn’t perceive any deeper details.

“Hello?” Cadance asked. “Who’s there?”

A dry hiss and a soft, metallic clinking were her only answer. Shining squinted, casting a quick spell to part the snow, and gasped.

A multitude of long-frozen skeletons were silently marching. They showed absolutely no interest in Shining or his troops, but it was obvious where they were heading: back to the Crystal Empire.

A flash of bright light made him recoil, and then a heavy form slammed down on him. Starlight had rematerialized right over him!

Starlight groaned as she flopped down on top of Shining Armor. “Sorry, sorry!” she apologized quickly. “I tried to teleport to you, but I didn’t mean to appear on top of you. I guess the storm must be scrambling my teleportation.”

Shining shook his head with a gentle chuckle. “It’s alright, Starlight. But maybe you can help us with a problem.”

“What’s the problem?” she asked, inclining her head to one side.

Cadance pointed a hoof towards the undead marching in silence. “Those skeletons. We don’t know what they’re doing, but we think Grogar might be controlling them. Could you see about returning them to their rest, or controlling them, or something?”

“Well, necromancy’s not my forte,” Starlight replied. “But I can certainly give it a try. If not, I’ll go visit my friends and our now-allied enemies.”

“Thank you, Starlight,” Shining said with a warm smile. “Good luck!”

Starlight nodded, and hurried towards the undead. Cadance turned to Shining. “Should we have sent an escort with her?”

He shook his head. “Either she won’t need help, in which case we’ll need all the troops we can muster for liberating Equestria, or she will need help, in which case even the best Royal Guards wouldn’t be enough. She’s one of the most powerful mages in the whole world; if she runs into trouble she can’t handle, what can we do?”

Cadance hesitated a moment, then nodded. “You’re right, of course. I just feel bad, letting her charge into a horde of skeletons without backup.”

“She’s Starlight Glimmer,” he chuckled. “She’s her own backup.”

Starlight trudged through the snow. It stuck to her legs and weighed her down. Just ahead, the skeletons marched in ominous silence. Their eyes glinted with bluish light.

“Hello?” she asked with an uncertain smile. “Can you, uhh, hear me?”

None of the skeletons gave any sign of reacting. She looked closer. They were ancient, covered with a glaze of ice, and their expressions were utterly focused.

She lowered her horn, and charged up a spell. A flash of pink light blasted across the five closest undead, but as it swirled in towards their heads, the magic abruptly broke off and sparked back to her. She was thrown backwards into the snow.

“Urrghgh,” Starlight groaned. She struggled back to her feet and roughly gripped a skeleton in her telekinesis. She picked it up and levitated it a couple inches above the ground in front of her.

“What are you trying to do?” she asked urgently. “Where are you going?”

The skeleton continued to pace fruitlessly. It stared not at her, but back towards the Crystal Empire.

She frowned. “Are you going there? Why?”

The skeleton didn’t answer. Nor did any of its allies. In fact, it seemed none of those allies had even noticed its plight.

Starlight closed her eyes, and forced every last drop of her immense arcane power to well up and purify this creature’s mind. The soothing light washed over it in purple brilliance. But when she opened her eyes, the skeleton was apparently unaffected.

She released her grip and it fell to the snow. Without so much as a glance to her, it trotted towards the Crystal Empire.

Starlight sighed. Why wasn’t her magic working on these skeletons? Were they unusually resistant because of their unliving state?

She threw her mind back to everyone she knew of with skill in the dark arts. Sunburst certainly knew such spells, but her magic hadn’t done much and she wasn’t sure how much his advice would help.

Maybe one of the evildoers Twilight had allied with? She pondered the idea. That might just work.

Starlight closed her eyes and focused hard. It was one thing to teleport yourself and a couple friends, but to bring along unwilling ponies was quite another.

She felt the magic building, bubbling, bursting out her horn, and in a flash of pink light, she was gone. And with her, two skeletons.

Starlight reappeared in Twilight’s castle, and stifled a gasp. A mix of diamond dogs, skeletal ponies, and even a couple dragons stood guard. She shuddered. Where were the villains they’d allied with?

The two skeletons beside her just looked around dumbly. Unlike before, they seemed to have no desire to move now. She rolled her eyes, cloaked herself and these two in invisibility, and thought. If she were an evil conspirator, where would she want to hide?

Well, Cozy Glow had found the caverns under the school quite useful, she reflected. She could start there. She screwed up her horn, dropped the invisibility, and with another flash of light, transported herself and her two unwitting guests to the tunnels below the School of Friendship.

But before her eyesight had even begun to clear, a ferocious roar slammed into her eardrums, and a powerful body crashed into her, knocking her to the ground.

“Star—light—Glim—mer,” Queen Chrysalis hissed. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

Chrysalis sent licks of emerald flame along her horn. “Here we are,” she purred dangerously. “No Twilight, no Thorax, no witnesses. No one to find out what happened to you.”

“Chrysalis, listen to me!” Starlight said, her voice wavering between indignation and anger as she struggled against the stronger changeling. “I came here to talk to you!”

“To talk to me!?” she roared. “You turned my hive against me, transformed all my loyal subjects into freaks, destroyed our entire culture, and you want to talk?” She crushed Starlight down into the ground with her telekinesis, eliciting a pained groan.

“If you’re going to be doing this kind of thing, do you mind going elsewhere?” Tirek asked grumpily. “I’d rather not listen to the full procedure.”

“Tirek!” Starlight appealed, more annoyed than afraid. She struggled to stand up, but Chrysalis’s hold was too strong. “I just wanted to talk—can you please ask Chrysalis to let me go?”

“We can hear her out,” Tirek answered. “She came to us for a reason. But if it’ll make you feel better, Chrysalis, I’ll drain her magic.”

“No, I don’t need that!” Chrysalis snarled. “I’m not letting her get away! Not this time!”

Cozy strolled up to Chrysalis’s side. “Think about it. She’s probably been up to something reeeeally important. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come to a place where she knew you were. I’m sure she knew you wanted revenge, but she came here anyway. That means it’s important!”

“But I’ve waited so long for revenge! I finally have a chance at it!” Chrysalis complained.

“Therefore, you can wait another few minutes,” Sombra pointed out as he stepped into sight.

“Why do her motives matter!?” Chrysalis demanded. “What matters is having my revenge!”

“I don’t care what you do to this pony,” Twilight’s voice replied coolly. A slightly more ruffled and desaturated Twilight came into view. “But first I want to hear her reason for coming.”

Chrysalis scanned the room, staring at each of her four companions one by one. “Fine,” Chrysalis said as she gnashed her teeth. “She can explain everything she wants to from the cave floor.” She released Starlight just enough to let her wriggle in place, but not enough to stand up.

“O…kay, heh heh,” Starlight said awkwardly. “So, I, uh, found these skeletons way up near the Crystal Empire. They resisted every spell I cast to free them. And I hoped, well… one of you could do something to help?”

“Although I am more inclined towards fear and enchantment magic,” Sombra said in his self-satisfied way, “I am something of a savant at necromancy as well. I shall take a look for you!”

Not-Twilight picked up one of the skeletons with her telekinesis. “A multilayered spell matrix,” she muttered. “Animation, control, acuity of senses and action, blocking of control negation, direction finding, and probably more. Quite tricky to fix.”

“I have never been talented at necromancy,” Tirek admitted. “But perhaps I can offer aid just the same.”

“I’m just a kid, so…” Cozy said with a winning smile.

Chrysalis stuck her lower mandible out in a beautifully displeased mixture of a frown and a pout. “You all play with your bones,” she grumbled. “I’ll ensure our prisoner doesn’t escape.”

Starlight stared up at Chrysalis in disbelief. “You do know I can just teleport out of here whenever I want, right?”

“No you can’t,” Chrysalis replied triumphantly, “because Pharynx just cast a spell to negate your teleportation!”

“Uhhh, no he hasn’t,” Starlight said. Her face was now burdened with incredible unease. “I talked with Pharynx half an hour ago or so, right before I teleported all across the world. I haven’t seen him since, and he definitely isn’t here.”

Chrysalis’s eye twitched. “Your mind games won’t work on me, Starlight Glimmer! You won’t turn them against me this time!”

Starlight slowly shifted her eyes over to the other three spellcasters, who were hovering around the two skeletons, and then to Cozy. “Okaaaaay.”

“Well, now that we know why she came here, I will have my revenge!” Chrysalis declared as she charged up her horn. Neither Tirek nor Sombra nor the creepy Twilight so much as looked up. Cozy frowned but didn’t intervene.

“And how, exactly, is this going to help you become Queen again?” Starlight asked skeptically. “Ponies know I came here; I told them myself. If I disappear, they’ll have a very good suspect as to who was behind it.”

Cozy flew over. “You told ponies about coming here!?” she asked quickly, then whirled on Chrysalis. “Please, Chrysalis, leave this for later! We can’t afford any risks.”

“But it’s been three years since I was exiled from my people!” Chrysalis protested. “I want revenge now! I might never get another chance again!”

Cozy facewinged hard, and Tirek jumped in. “Yes, that is a possible outcome,” he admitted. “But if you take revenge now, suppose Twilight finds out. She’d throw us all in Tartarus, and you would never become Queen again.”

Chrysalis’s lip trembled, and Starlight felt a wave of confusion overtaking her. Was the changeling queen about to cry? Between her wanting revenge so badly she couldn’t see any other goals, talking to changelings who aren’t there, and now having a breakdown, I’m actually worried about her. She really needs help.

“I—but—” Chrysalis forced out, and then let out a deep, pained sigh. “I won’t take my revenge right now.” She leaned forward, her teeth inches from Starlight’s. “But I am not forgiving you. This is a tactical ceasefire and nothing more.”

“I’ll take it,” Starlight replied. She gestured at the hole-filled hoof still holding her down. “So, are you going to release me, or what?”

“Absolutely not,” Chrysalis hissed. “Cornicle, Frenulum, help me hold her down.” Starlight rolled her eyes, and let herself go limp.

“Well done, Cornicle,” Chrysalis said approvingly. “I’ll have to promote you once we retake the hive.”

“Sooooooo…” Starlight called over. “Who are you? You look like Twilight, but you sure don’t act like her.”

The Twilight lookalike didn’t look up. “I am a synthetic duplicate of Twilight made primarily of plant matter. I share her talent for and knowledge of magic, but I don’t have to deal with her annoying tendency towards things like kindness and mercy. I have named myself Midnight.”

“Midnight, huh? I like that name,” Starlight offered. Midnight still didn’t look up. “So, how’s the skeleton enchantment progress going?”

“It’ll go better if you stop engaging me,” Midnight answered dryly.

Starlight rolled her eyes. Stop me if you’ve heard this one, Starlight: so a crazy changeling queen bent on revenge, a magic-eating centaur, a shadow king resurrected for the fourth time, an evil Twilight, and a sociopathic filly walk into a cave…

Before she could finish that thought, Cozy laid a hoof on Chrysalis’s upper chest. “It might be worth it to release her, Chrysalis. At least for now. Maybe she can help us on the magic stuff.” Sensing Chrysalis’s uncertainty, she quickly added, “Besides, I’m sure we’ll have another chance. We make a pretty good team. We can catch her later!”

Cozy’s gaze met Chrysalis’s, and Chrysalis sighed. “You’re probably right, Cozy,” Chrysalis admitted. However, a moment later she lunged down towards Starlight. “This does not mean I hate you any less. It just means I—that I—”

Starlight stared blankly as Chrysalis gagged on her own words. “Are you okay?” she asked dubiously.

“Yes!” Chrysalis roared. “It just means I have decided that revenge on you is the second-most important thing to me. Even a personal desire that strong can’t be allowed to eclipse my duties to my hive.”

Starlight nudged her head to the side. “So, does this mean you’ll let me stand up now?”

A cruel snarl swept across Chrysalis’s expression as she locked eyes with Starlight. After a few tense moments, Chrysalis relented. “Yes,” she spat under her breath, her voice loaded with venom.

Starlight rolled over, and stood up to her full height. Chrysalis stared at her contemptuously, her face etched in pure hate, but she didn’t intervene.

As she approached the other three mages, Sombra looked up at her. “It’s very complex,” he said admiringly. “Grogar certainly knows how to animate a skeleton.”

“Can you break it free of his control?” Starlight asked.

“I’d be surprised if we couldn’t,” Tirek answered. He tapped the blank-eyed skull with a thick finger. “It may take a while, however, and I suspect you’re in a hurry.”

Starlight nodded. “These skeletons were marching on the Crystal Empire. There are more like them up in Twilight’s castle. I need a way to quickly disable or free large numbers of them at once.”

“You could take me along,” Midnight offered.

Starlight raised an eyebrow. Is she being sarcastic or serious?

“What’s your idea, Midnight?” Tirek inquired.

Midnight waved a hoof across the skeletons immobilized just over the table. “The spells animating them are powerful enough breaching them would be quite difficult. The spells keeping them under Grogar’s control, however, are not.”

“So you’re saying we could, what, take control?” Starlight asked. She felt her heartbeat accelerating. This might work!

Midnight smiled slightly, her expression predatory. “Yes. We would gain control of his army. Of course, it would require an immense amount of magic. But I suspect it can be done.”

“An immense amount of magic, hmmm?” Sombra asked. “It just so happens there’s an extraordinarily powerful magical relic right near there, in the Crystal Empire.” He flicked his horn with a dramatic smile.

Cozy giggled. “Oooh, that’s a great idea, Sombra! Midnight, Starlight, you should totally go together and use the Crystal Heart!”

Starlight considered it. She hasn’t done anything overtly evil, but she’s really creepy. Why is she so enthusiastic about dark magic? Across from her, Midnight channeled a wobbling beam of black and purple light into the two skeletons. And she admitted she doesn’t even feel kindness or mercy. Do we really want someone like that weaponizing the Crystal Heart?

Behind her, she heard Chrysalis impatiently pacing from wall to wall. I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be able to contain her rage, Starlight worried. Well, as weird as Midnight is, she doesn’t want revenge on me. Guess that settles it.

“Yes,” Starlight said aloud. “Come on, Midnight, let’s go. I’ll teleport us.”

Midnight strode to beside her and touched her side. “Begin,” she ordered. Starlight closed her eyes, and felt the whirlwind of magic overtake her.

Starlight stumbled out with a gasp. Beside her, Midnight surveyed the area. “What is this feeling?” Midnight asked. “My muscles are reflexively twitching. Why?”

“You’re shivering,” Starlight answered dryly, shivering herself, “and it’s because you’re cold. You should put something on.”

Midnight blinked one eyelid after the other, and conjured a bubble of pale pink light around herself. A reddish glow sizzled out from her horn, and before Starlight’s eyes Midnight bathed herself in a thick soup of heating elemental magic.

“I meant conjure yourself some clothes,” Starlight said with a little giggle.

“This is preferable,” Midnight replied. “I would still be cold in clothing.”

Starlight shrugged, a wry smile splattered across her face. “Your choice. Anyway, ready to break Grogar’s control over those skeletons?”

“Yes,” Midnight agreed. “Lead me to them.”

Starlight gave a quick nod. The brilliant glow of the Crystal Empire pierced the snowstorm like a lighthouse. Even though she couldn’t make out its form, the illumination was more than enough to guide Midnight by.

The skeletons had moved forward and weren’t far from the Crystal Empire’s outer buildings. “We won’t reach the city before they’re overrun,” Midnight said calmly.

“I know, I know, I’m working on it!” Starlight muttered. She reached out, touched the orb of pink magic, and in another flash of light, they teleported hundreds of feet forward.

The skeletons walked in utter silence just ahead of them. Even though Starlight’s hooves crunched in the thick snow, none of the skeletons bothered to look back.

“Wonderful, aren’t they?” Midnight asked, her voice almost lilting.

“Wonderful?” Starlight echoed disbelievingly.

“Yes,” Midnight replied with a faint smile. “They are unfailingly loyal, tireless, do not fear cold, and can be easily created in huge quantities. Perfect servitors. Wonderful indeed.”

Doesn’t she care that she’s using people as mindless minions? Doesn’t that bother her? Midnight’s perfectly untroubled expression response was all the answer Starlight needed.

Starlight shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from the cold. She reached out to Midnight again, and they blinked across the snowfield once more.

As Starlight entered the crystal city, she was struck by how quiet it was. With the army marching south, the streets were utterly deserted. Only the smoke coming from drawn-curtained houses reminded her the city was even inhabited.

Midnight glanced over Starlight’s body, and then dismissed her bubble of warmth. “Where to now?” she asked.

Starlight pointed to the castle at the center of the city. “The Crystal Heart is just up ahead. Follow me!” She broke into a clipped canter, her hooves clicking rhythmically against the perfectly polished floor. Just behind her, she heard Midnight’s hooffalls as well.

Together, the two of them quickly arrived at the Crystal Heart. It glowed beautifully against the dark grey sky, its hints of bluish and pinkish magic sparkling gently.

“I will require your help with this spell,” Midnight said, her horn already glowing the signature black-purple-green of the darker arts. “You’ll need to synchronize your magic to mine.”

Starlight hesitated. Really? I’m helping to corrupt an artifact to dark magic? Have I even changed at all? Taking control of thousands of undead across the world is a horrible use of magic, and I’m going to use the Crystal Heart itself to do it!

She considered what Twilight would say. ”Starlight, what have you done!? I told you that controlling others to do your bidding was wrong, and now you mind controlled thousands of people!?”

But another, stronger voice answered in reply, No. We freed thousands of people from Grogar’s control. We’ll let them go after he’s defeated.

Starlight let herself imagine the world where she didn’t do all she could to stop Grogar. Where Grogar retained control of his legion of the risen, and crushed her friends. Where Equestria itself was destroyed.

No. I reject that future. Even if you will see me as a villain again, Twilight, I do what I do for you, all my other friends, and all of Equestria.

Her imaginary Twilight’s expression shifted to a smile. ”You’ll do the right thing, Starlight. I know you will. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

“Are you going to help me?” Midnight asked with a concoction of annoyance and bemusement. “Or are you going to stand there looking conflicted?”

Starlight jolted out of her reverie. “Mmph, sorry, I drifted off. Let’s do this.” She lowered her horn and weaved the spell around Midnight. Bands of coruscating turquoise light danced below her hooves and above her horn.

Midnight flicked her horn down, a stream of blackened greenish energy hurling into the ground under the Crystal Heart. Starlight heard the gasps of townsponies around them. Right. We should have warned them. Well, too late now.

Starlight sent a pulse of pale magic out to cover Midnight and the Heart, surrounding the three of them in a protective bubble. “Sorry everypony,” she said apologetically through the bubble. “We promise we have a good reason for this!”

“Speak less, cast more,” Midnight grumbled, the black magic hissing angrily as it reached towards the Crystal Heart. “Despite my immense talents, I do need your help!”

Starlight nodded, and a lance shot from her horn into the Crystal Heart. With her telekinesis, she forced it downward. It strained against her with every breath, its very essence repulsing the dark magic. “Nnnngh… hurry!” Starlight gasped. “If you don’t finish soon, it might activate!”

“Activate!? I wasn’t informed of any activation!” Midnight groaned. The dark magic bubbling under the Heart began to reach upwards with writhing tentacles of energy that almost, but not quite, reached the Heart. “I—urrggh—can’t make the magic connect!”

Starlight wracked her brain. I’m pushing down as hard as I can! Am I just not strong enough? Her head was pounding from the combined strain of keeping a shield up and pushing an ancient artifact towards its existential opposite.

A little voice at the back of her head replied, When you weren’t strong enough, you had to be smart enough. Connect those tentacles with the Heart! Even with all the strain of her magic, Starlight couldn’t help but smile.

She dropped the shield and focused on a different form of magic: teleportation. Twin holes in space yawned under the Heart—one less than an inch above the magic, the other right under the Heart. Opposite her, Midnight nodded, and one of the tendrils lunged towards the Crystal Heart. The tentacle connected, and a flash of sickening green washed across the Heart. A second, then a third, then a fifth followed, and they inexorably dragged it down. Starlight dismissed her portals as the tentacles tied the Heart in place.

Midnight smirked. “Now we can actually cast the intended spell.”

“What are you doing with the Crystal Heart?” a pony demanded. “Princess Twilight, have you gone crazy?”

“No,” Midnight replied. “I am about to save all of you from the army of skeletons that is currently marching towards you. Please be silent, as I must concentrate.”

“Yeah, we promise we’re saving the world!” Starlight added. Midnight shot her a glare, and Starlight winced. She threw up the same bubble as before, with only a slight modification: this time, it was soundproof.

“I memorized the spell signatures,” Midnight informed Starlight. “You set up the matrix, and we’ll cast in unison.”

Starlight gave her a quick nod, and surrounded the Crystal Heart and the dark magic with the outlines of stacked boxes of energy. Each one was nested inside the next, for a total of six boxes.

Midnight smiled approvingly, and hurled her beam of magic into the box. Starlight followed along, matching each oscillation up and down of Midnight’s magic with her own. The Crystal Heart glowed a pale gray light, shining brighter each second. The ground trembled under Starlight’s hooves as each box rotated at a slightly different speed.

“Transfer all control to me!” Midnight instructed bluntly. A momentary flash of doubt in Starlight’s heart was quickly washed away by Midnight’s determined gaze. Starlight relinquished her command over the magic, reducing her own part to a simple amplifier.

Midnight’s entire body shuddered as the bolts of magic shuddered along her body. “You will yield to me!” she cried. The boxes of energy constricted, pressing tighter and tighter on the Crystal Heart. Starlight’s whole body burned from the energy’s strain.

The Crystal Heart blazed as bright as the noonday sun, and a tremor knocked Starlight to her hooves. Then, in an instant, everything went silent and still. Only the falling snow moved, flake by flake piling atop her prone form.

Author's Note

Art is created by bootsdotexe and native to a different universe than mine. Higher quality than the in-line version can be found here.

My guide in writing this has always been "what the show could air". Initially that was TV-Y, but I've since found out some episodes reach TV-Y7. I've tried to stay as Y as possible, but some scenes push Y7.

Chapter XVI

“Waaaait a minute,” Pinkie drawled suspiciously. “We DON’T have the Elements anymore?”

“…That’s right, we don’t,” Twilight affirmed. “Sombra destroyed them months ago. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, I remember alright,” Pinkie muttered. “And you should too!”

Rainbow stared at her. “Uhhh, what are you talking about?”

“Really?” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Ugh, never mind. I’ll just show you.” She stood up and trotted off with a quick murmur of, “I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

Fluttershy watched her go with a frown. “Oh, my. Was it something we said? I didn’t mean to offend her.”

“It’s just Pinkie,” Applejack said with a little smile. “Who can tell what’s goin’ through her brain?”

“I’m sure she’ll explain upon her return,” Rarity added. “Whatever it is, it must be quite important for her to go running off right as we’re preparing to face Grogar.”

“Pinkie definitely has a reason for this!” Spike interjected. “I bet it’s like the parasprites, where she knew something the rest of us didn’t.”

“Good point, Spike,” Applejack said approvingly. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t take too long. We gotta attack right with Starlight’s armies!”

Twilight allowed herself a ghost of a smile. Things might be bad, but together, she was confident they could prevail. Or, at least, she found the alternative too unpleasant and unavoidable to linger on.

Across from the Elements, the six students conversed in low voices.

“What do you think Professor Pinkie is planning?” Ocellus asked softly.

“Oooh, maybe some kind of top secret Professor Pinkie Party Superweapon!” Silverstream offered with a grin. “Maybe a giant confetti bomb!”

Smolder chuckled. “Yeah, she’s just got a huge party superweapon lying around. Maybe she keeps it in her bedroom!”

“Her secret party cave,” Silverstream corrected automatically.

One by one, the students’ eyes shifted to appraise Silverstream. “Secret party cave?” Yona echoed, her face warped in confusion. “What friend Silverstream mean?”

“Yeah. What are you talking about, Silverstream?” Gallus asked with a dubious raise of his eyebrow.

“You know!” Silverstream answered playfully. “Her party cave where she has files on everypony in town and what kinds of parties they like! It’s under the bakery. C’mon guys, you know this!”

Her five friends stared in disbelief. “Wait, you’re serious?” Ocellus asked.

Silverstream nodded, and then blushed. “Oops. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Uhhh, quick, forget it all!”

Smolder snorted. “No way, Silverstream. I’m asking Pinkie for a tour as soon as this crisis is over.”

“Files on what kinds of parties everypony likes?” Gallus smirked lightly. “Well, that could be useful. A bit of mild flattery on the professors never hurts.”

“I can’t believe it,” Sandbar said in astonishment. “That’s so cool!”

“What other interesting things about Pinkie’s do you know?” Ocellus demanded, her bug eyes bugging out as she leaned in towards Silverstream.

“Oh, not much,” Silverstream answered. “Just that sometimes she talks to creatures who aren’t there, and she can move faster than Rainbow Dash, and her Pinkie Sense has never been explained by any of Twilight’s or Starlight’s magic… am I forgetting anything?”

Gallus side-eyed Smolder and Ocellus. “Well, that’s good to know,” he muttered with a hint of a chuckle. “Maybe those talents will help us win.”

“No kidding,” Smolder agreed. “That sounds awesome!”

To a mortal pony, or even an eternal one like an alicorn, the flow of magic across the world was simply too vast to see. It would be like trying to see the shape of an ocean you were swimming in. But for a being like the Tree of Harmony, who saw through the eyes of Harmony itself, the shape was clear.

Grogar’s spells spread like a venom through the veins of the world. They tore the ground to shreds, called up beasts long forgotten, and woke the departed from their slumber. And she did not know if they might have other effects, effects too subtle for even her to detect.

In Tambelon, his city of nightmares, other mighty creatures walked. She sensed ancient forces long gone, and hints of disturbingly familiar magic. But so much ancient, toxic power clouded that city even she struggled to see clearly. Certainly there was the Pony of Shadows, that cruel entity who had spawned her planting, but many others crowded in among him. Some she feared she knew too well.

The Elements of Harmony themselves, though, blazed like tiny suns. There was Fluttershy, her calm demeanor and infinite kindness impressive even to the Tree. Rainbow Dash, who bore courage, determination, and loyalty comparable to the mightiest heroes the Tree had ever known. Applejack, whose strength of character, integrity, and common sense anchored the team. Rarity’s soul shone with creativity, inspiration, and boundless generosity. Pinkie Pie, whose wellspring of humor had been put on hiatus as she trekked down into the Tree’s own roots for some unknown mission. Twilight Sparkle, the faithful student who had become the teacher and sage, and now matured into a master of problem solving and reconciliation. And Spike, her ever-ready scribe and confidant, who was always at her side.

She smiled, a unique pleasure she had learned of upon creating her spectral form. It was true her parents the Pillars were a force to be reckoned with. But together, these six ponies and their dragon friend had grown even stronger than the Pillars. She was still unsure if Grogar could be defeated, but if he could, she had no doubts they would be the ones to do so.

Pinkie bounded back into the room with a sly smile. “Look what IIIII~ got!” she said, extending a hoof to the group.

Twilight looked into Pinkie’s outstretched hoof. She couldn’t see anything there. “Uhhh, what is it?”

Spike asked, “Um, is it tiny?”

Pinkie giggled. “No, no! It’s nothing. But it’s also not nothing!” She grinned. “Because the thing nothing is a thing but nothing isn’t a thing. That’s the thing, isn’t it?”

Twilight looked at her, dumbfounded. A glance across her friends told her they were just as confused as she was. “Uhhh… maybe?”

“Pinkie, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rainbow said flatly.

Pinkie rolled her eyes dramatically. “Exactly. It’s nothing. What I had to go get and show you was nothing. Because you already know this one! C’mon Twilight, you said it yourself all those years ago!”

Twilight inclined her head slightly. “Go on, Pinkie. I’m still not sure what you’re talking about.”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “You really should know this one, Twi. It was your idea in the first place. But fine, I’ll hold out. Trust me; we’ve got the trick we need to win!”

“Ah… Ah hope so,” Applejack said uncertainly, “but Ah just don’t know. Can’t ya be more specific, Pinkie?”

“Oh, I could! But I don’t want to ruin the surprise. So I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this one!” Pinkie smirked. “You do trust me, don’t you?”

Before Twilight could bring up any of her own issues, Treelight materialized before her with a calm smile. “Pinkie Pie is correct,” Treelight stated. “You ought to have more faith in your friends, Twilight.”

Twilight could feel her breath catching in her throat. If this crazy miracle trick Pinkie has can actually work…

“That is good news,” Starswirl said cautiously, “but that only puts us on even footing. Grogar still has his own Elements of Disharmony.”

“Does he?” Pinkie asked with that same sly smirk. “I dunno about that! Either way, I think we should attack right when Starlight’s armies do.”

“Agreed,” Rainbow nodded. “That’s our best chance to save the world!”

“We’ll be ready,” Flash Magnus said with a cocky grin. “I owe Grogar some pain.”

“Same,” Yona agreed. “Time to smash nasty goat!”

“It’s settled then,” Applejack affirmed. “Yeehaw!”

As Twilight and her friends deliberated over their tactics, another group not too far from them was in its own discussions. Four voices rang out: a guttural command, a saccharine lilt, a sarcastic and seductive murmur, and a flamboyant preen.

“Midnight and Starlight must have failed,” Tirek said grimly. “Otherwise, we would have heard from them by now.”

“So, what do we do now?” Cozy asked worriedly. A moment later, she realized the other three were all staring at her.

“I thought you always had a plan?” Chrysalis asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Normally I do, but no matter how I look at it this looks crazy. Even the worldwide army… well, Sombra, you saw firsthoof what Grogar’s forces look like.” She gestured towards him. “Do you think we can win against him?”

Sombra frowned. “Well, with his army of skeletons under our control, likely. Without that, well, I don’t think it’s impossible, but I don’t like our odds.”

“Then we need a new plan,” Tirek stated.

“We could go into hiding,” Chrysalis suggested. “Strike from the shadows.”

“Even if we could escape him,” Sombra commented, “and I don’t know if we could, we’d surely lose most of our allies. I think we have to strike tonight.”

“Then we’d better go talk to Princess Twilight, huh?” Cozy said, a hint of a smile creeping back onto her face. “See if she’s got any brilliant ideas we missed.”

“I agree,” Tirek nodded. “Let’s pay Her Highness a visit.”

Sombra winced. With how powerful the tree is, eugh. This'll be dicey. But what choice do I have? Hide and hope Grogar never finds me? That's no life for a king. He nodded slightly and sighed. “Yes, let’s.”

Chrysalis chuckled darkly. “It’s amusing, isn’t it? How much things have changed in the past twenty-four hours.”

“Golly, if you told me that I’d be helping those students and the Elements, I’d think you were crazy.” Cozy giggled softly. “But here we are. Now let’s go, we’re burning moonlight!”

As her friends reassured each other and discussed tactics, Fluttershy retreated to the far wall. It wasn’t that she wanted to avoid them; far from it, actually. She simply needed to commune with the natural world too. She closed her eyes, and listened.

The dull howling of the bitter wind made it hard to distinguish anything else, and the piles of snow muffled everything else. But she still had a feeling something was amiss. She let her mind filter out the sound of the storm, and tried to pry into whatever was hidden behind it.

There! A sharp clink-clink-clink traveled through the crystal and down to her ear. She spoke up, her voice soft yet not fearful, “Tree of Harmony, I think somepony is up there.”

Treelight blinked one eye at a time. “I will go see if they are friend or foe,” she answered smoothly, and floated up through the ceiling.

Fluttershy felt a hint of worry creeping across her chest. What will the Tree do if they're foes?

Sombra trotted back and forth on the crystal floor with a grumble. When you don’t want to run into the Tree, she ambushes you out of nowhere and tries to annihilate you, he reflected, and the one time you do she’s nowhere to be found.

His hooffalls felt too loud. Even amidst this blizzard, the high noise his metallic boots made was distinctive and obviously not natural. It gave him away, and he didn't like it.

Beside him, Chrysalis hovered an inch above the ground, her buzzing inaudible over the wind. “Where are they?” she grumbled. “You said they were here!”

“They were!” Sombra replied, his voice sharing just a hint of annoyance. “They should be right here!”

“Maybe they decided to attack without us,” Cozy suggested. “I doubt it, but I really can’t figure out what else could’ve happened.”

“I can tell you,” a calm voice, one that was both Twilight’s and not Twilight’s, replied.

The Tree of Harmony herself gazed at the four of them, her radiant body equipped with a thin frown.

“Tirek. Chrysalis. Cozy Glow. Sombra,” the Tree said evenly. “You each have destroyed much of Equestria at least twice. You are longtime foes of harmony and have proven highly resilient.”

Treelight narrowed her eyes. “By right, I could turn you all into stone and leave you. Such an act would be just.” She paused, her expression softening just a hair. “But the Elements of Harmony advocated for cooperation and compassion, so I shall defer to their judgment.”

Her body glowed with a brilliant white light, and the villains took a shared step back. The floor’s edges melted away into a spiral staircase down to the chamber beneath. One by one, the twenty heroes of Equestria looked upward at the new arrivals.

“Well, hi there!” Cozy said, her signature cheer returning. “Sounds like it’s gonna be time to go soon, huh?”

“Yeah,” Flash Magnus answered with a nod. “The armies Starlight gathered should begin their attack in about five minutes.”

“Tambelon is warded with incredibly powerful enchantments,” Starswirl added. “Teleporting in won’t be possible. We’ll have to lay siege from outside.”

Tirek grinned confidently. “That won’t be a problem.”

“Don’t be overconfident,” Somnambula chided. “Grogar is the Father of Monsters. We have little doubt he’s called up horrible creatures.”

“Perhaps I can dispel the remaining doubt,” Sombra offered with a flamboyant bow. “I saw Tambelon firsthoof. The Pony of Shadows has returned, as have several other creatures.” He waved his horn, and miniature versions of what he had seen appeared across the floor.

“Is that… Nightmare Moon?” Smolder asked hesitantly, pointing to a cloud of inky black, pale blue, and burning red-orange with sinister blue eyes.

“No,” Twilight answered. “But it looks like… like the field of magic that swirled around Luna just as she became Nightmare.”

“It must be the Nightmare Forces,” Stygian answered, his voice heavy with awe.

“I have heard rumors of them,” Stygian continued. “Ancient disembodied beings of malevolence. I suspect Luna called out to them with her bitterness and they answered her.”

“So… what does that mean for us?” Rainbow asked, keeping a hoof to her mouth.

“Too much anger, bitterness, envy, or other negative emotions might let them join with you,” Stygian explained. “And then you’ll become like Nightmare Moon. Filled with dark magic, and a threat to your friends.”

“So be nice, happy, and satisfied” Gallus said with a smirk, “and they’ll be harmless. Got it.”

“I believe so,” Stygian agreed, “but I can’t be sure. I have only read secondhoof accounts of them.”

“Speaking of Luna,” Sombra added, “have you had any more luck contacting her or her sister?”

Twilight’s eyes watered, and she shut them quickly. “No,” she answered, her voice thick. “We’ve heard nothing at all from them.”

“I’m sure they’re just captured or something,” Spike said, patting Twilight on the back. Cozy didn’t need to be a master of manipulation to know he was lying. “We’ll beat Grogar and they’ll be safe again!”

“Yeah!” Rainbow agreed, slamming one hoof into the other. “Grogar’s gonna regret messing with us!”

Twilight took a deep, wavering breath, and then nodded. “Yeah. Okay, let’s do this.”

She and Starswirl lowered their horns, magic spitting outward in bright sparks. The Pillars, the Elements, the Students, and the Legion all gathered into a large circle, and in a brilliant flash of light, they were gone.

Twilight returned to her physical form amidst the raging snowstorm. High above, the ominous towers of Tambelon pierced the clouds. In an instant, she surveyed the field of battle.

Titanic dragons bore down upon the ancient city. Surrounding them were flocks of griffons, hippogriffs, and pegasi with beautifully shimmering talons and weapons.

Below them, the land legions of the yaks, the Crystal Empire, Saddle Arabia, and even the ponies and buffalo they’d liberated upon the way charged. Twilight felt a sense of awe creep across her. Never before had she seen such a massive force.

Their enemies were far fewer in number; even the city of Tambelon itself was not densely packed. But each and every inhabitant practically radiated power. Tambelon’s frightful spires jetted higher than Canterlot Castle ever had, and flashes of electric blue and fiery orange-yellow light flared from the tallest. Something about those colors was all too familiar, but Twilight couldn’t quite place it. She scanned the lower city to see their foes.

At a glance, Twilight spied a tall, pale stag, a huge dragon with slick black scales and glowing purple eyes, a foggy cloud of darkness, a goat cyclops reminiscent of Arimapsi, a changeling built like Chrysalis with purple accents, a gigantic cockatrice that glanced towards her—

Twilight looked away. She’d had quite enough of being turned to stone for one lifetime.

Against this army of nightmares, Twilight looked upon… her friends. Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. Starswirl, Somnambula, Mistmane, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, Meadowbrook, and Stygian. Gallus, Sandbar, Yona, Ocellus, Silverstream, and Smolder. And, finally, her new allies in Cozy, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Sombra. Evil they might be, but as she surveyed them, she felt something stirring in her heart. It was a sort of kinship, a bond she had formed from risking her life beside them. Loyalty.

Bring it on, Grogar, she thought with a grin.

Starswirl felt a current of strange magic flowing through his flesh. The dark towers of Tambelon, viewed through the eye of magic itself, were an inverted sun. Their blackened rays bathed everything in grim shades of dark magic, and each flare of electric blue or burning orange was a shard of obsidian stabbing the clouds. And yet Grogar himself was nowhere to be seen. Had he fled? Or was he preparing a final strike?

“We must hurry!” he shouted hoarsely. “I sense the worst is yet to come!”

“Watch this,” Rainbow said with a cocky smile. Her legs tensed like a rubber band, and she shot upward towards the battlements. The pale stag waved its antlers, and a ghostly white tree branch shot out to engulf her. Only a desperate last-second whirl let her slam into the wall instead of the cruel grasp of the tree. She groaned, and tried again, this time blocked by the black dragon. It opened its mouth and spat not fire, but a sickly green acid. Dash grunted.

“Let’s try and punch a hole in the wall!” Flash instructed. “Flying may be too dangerous!”

Rockhoof nodded, and whirled his shovel off his back. Tirek took a deep breath and braced himself. Applejack stretched her legs. Yona pawed the ground.

The four of them unleashed their hooves and magic into one point. The night-black stone cracked, and buckled, and finally caved inward.

A being of fire in the shape of a pony waited for them inside. It roared, and charged forward. Twilight lowered her horn and fired a beam of freezing cold, but the creature simply let a hole form in its body, and the ray soared through.

Pinkie swept her hooves across the ground, spraying a wide wave of snow at the creature. A thick cloud of steam engulfed it. “C’mon!” Pinkie yelled over the roaring wind. “We don’t have to fight ‘em all, we just have to get to Grogar!”

Mistmane swept up the snow into a haze behind them as they bolted inside. A glance over her shoulder told her the fire-pony had only been disoriented, not harmed, by the snow. It whipped upright and swiveled towards her, locking onto her position even through the thick fog. It must be feeling my heat, she concluded.

As the team entered one of Tambelon’s courtyards, dread swept across Starswirl’s soul. Above them, on towers and walls, battlements and ramparts, stood at least a hundred monsters seemingly born of the worst nightmares. Each and every one was angling their horns, claws, floating orbs, eyes, or other dangerous organs towards him and his comrades.

And then Dragon Lord Torch slammed into the castle wall with the force of ten earthquakes.

Starswirl slammed facefirst into the snow. A volley of rainbow bolts sliced through the air above him, followed right behind by a swarm of ponies. They faced the gates of Tambelon head-on, and charged straight into them!

The monsters now had to face an attack from every side. The dragons, griffons, pegasi, and hippogriffs assailed the upper reaches again and again, even as unicorns, earth ponies, yaks, and horses charged the fortifications from the ground.

“Woohoo!” Rainbow cheered. “Now we’re talking!”

An amorphous cloud of black fog swept forward. Sombra set his horn ablaze, and a stream of dark crystals hurled towards it. As it moved to dodge, Twilight nailed it with a flash of dazzling light.

“Forward!” Starswirl shouted. “We mustn’t lose the advantage!”

Queen Chrysalis darted forward, easily shifting forms to take cover behind statues, altars, and even snowbanks. The highest tower glowed still brighter, as shades of red, orange, and yellow clashed with black and electric blue.

Twilight waved her horn, weaving a shield of purple light around them. “Amplify my voice!” Cozy murmured urgently. “I wanna talk to them!”

Twilight nodded, and a spark flew into Cozy’s mouth. “Well, golly!” Cozy proclaimed loudly as she flew along, her voice slicing through the howl of the storm. “You sure are a bunch of powerful creatures. But it just seems kinda funny that you’re serving Grogar. Why should you listen to his orders? Aren’t you all proud, powerful beings yourselves?”

“We are,” a silken, deadly calm voice replied from high above. “He does not rule us; he leads us. He is very wise, and we trust his guidance, but he is not our master.”

Shivers ran down Chrysalis’s thorax. Something about the voice was oddly familiar, yet seemed wrong somehow.

“Mhmmm, that’s right,” another hauntingly sinister voice added. Twilight came to an abrupt stop, sending Chrysalis facefirst into the shield. “Grogar helped us see what to do, and made us powerful! We know he has our interests and desires at heart. He is the Father of Monsters!”

The assembled things cheered. Chrysalis glanced to Cozy, who looked very worried. Twilight was standing stock-still, her face stunned.

“Who are you?” Chrysalis demanded. “What new monsters have Grogar created?”

An alicorn flew forth from the highest tower. It was tall, beautiful, and moved with the perfection of a born ruler. A second followed her sister, and Chrysalis’s eyes widened.

One of the two alicorns had the mane of a field of stars in the inky blackness of midnight; the other, a burning conflagration. One looked down upon them imperiously, while the other grinned wickedly.

“Who?” the fiery alicorn asked with a laugh. “Why, the Queens of Day and Night!”

Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker had returned. The sky exploded with magic.

Chapter XVII

Cozy’s mind went numb. Nightmare Moon was back. Celestia had turned into Daybreaker. Her worst fears had come true.

She searched their eyes for any sign of discontent, anything she could use to turn them against each other—or against Grogar. But Nightmare Moon’s gaze was that of a natural-born ruler, and Daybreaker’s was of a cackling tyrant.

Nightmare Moon hurled a lance of blue-black lightning down at their shield, and it shattered into pieces. Daybreaker followed with a wide-beam of scorching heat that set Cozy’s mane on fire. “Aaaaugh!” she screamed, and dove for a snowbank.

With their shield gone, she spotted a gigantic pony made of black tentacles rear up. He roared something to the Pillars, and smiled wickedly towards Stygian.

“The Pony of Shadows!” Starswirl shouted. “Stay together! And Stygian, we’ll need your guidance!”

Twilight tore her eyes away from the Pony of Shadows and back to Daybreaker and Nighmare Moon. She pleaded, “Please, Celestia, Luna, don’t do this! Luna, think of how long you were banished to the moon! Celestia, think of the ponies you care about!”

“My little ponies will learn to adore me just as I am,” Daybreaker replied with a smug grin. “And if they don’t? I’ll destroy them!” She punctuated her sentence with a massive fireball that slammed into the snow below her. The air turned thick with steam.

“I shall never be banished again!” Nightmare Moon added. “No, it is you, Twilight Sparkle, who will pay for your insolence against the Night!”

“Luna, think about who ya really are inside!” Applejack cried. “Yer not a bad pony!”

“Luna? I am Nightmare Moon!” she roared, and a slick ray of midnight sliced towards the Bearers.

Cozy scanned the battlefield. Across the courtyard, the six Pillars were fighting desperately against the Pony of Shadows, who was trying to engulf Stygian once more. The Elements were parrying or blocking the ferocious spells of Daybreaker and Luna. And her fellow frien—conspirators were up against creatures she’d never even imagined. Suddenly, Cozy knew what she needed to do.

Her gaze turned towards the six students. Alright, Cozy, she thought with a half-smile. It’s just convincing the creatures who stopped you last time to follow your orders. No big deal.

Cozy beat her wings forcefully, and flapped forward. Gallus isn’t much further! She struggled against the swirling winds and freezing air.

Daybreaker aimed her horn down at the filly, “Where do you think you’re going?’ she taunted, and let loose a searing wave of fire.

Cozy screamed, and tried to duck for cover. She couldn’t make it, however—she was just a filly, and the solar magic was too swift. But before she was consumed, a thick layer of black crystal stabbed up from the ground, diverting the flames to around her. The crystals glowed red-hot, but they held back the fire.

Cozy shot Sombra a grin of thanks. He answered with a slightly smug smile and a nod.

“Gallus!” Cozy called out.

His head swiveled towards her. “Cozy?” he replied cautiously.

“Gallus, I need your help,” she replied. “Yours and your friends’.”

Gallus snorted. “You need my help? Aren’t you supposed to be a supergenius or something?”

Cozy pouted. “I am! But I’m only one pony.” A stray bolt of black lightning slammed down beside her, sending her jumping in shock. “And you and your friends have, uh, uhrhm...”

She trailed off. Gallus raised an eyebrow. “What do we have?” he echoed dubiously.

“A talent for prevailing when you really, really shouldn’t,” Cozy muttered with a hint of resentment. “Just like the Professors do. So, I’m asking you to help me out, and by extension the whole world.”

“Eh, sounds fine to me,” Smolder interjected, parrying a downward halberd attack. “Just tell us what we need to do!”

“I agree,” Ocellus added. Her eyes appeared on the snowbank Cozy was standing on. “You already have a tactical plan, right Cozy?’”

In her mind’s eye, Cozy could see the the strengths and weaknesses of every member of the six. Even more importantly, she could see how to fit them together like the mechanisms of a clock.

“Alright,” she began with a hint of a giggle. “Here’s what you’ve gotta do...”

With every shield spell, Twilight felt like a piece of her soul cleaved from her. Celestia, her mentor, her friend, her close confidante for over a decade, had embraced the same inner darkness that Luna had a millennium ago. How could even Grogar make that happen?

No answer appeared in her mind. Whatever kind of magic he wielded, it was an order of magnitude stronger than anything she’d ever encountered. Mind control was one thing, but to engineer a creature’s very spirit?

She glanced to the Pillars, still fighting—and losing—against the Pony of Shadows. She wanted to help them, but it was already pushing her to her limit to just deflect the awful magic Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon unleashed upon them.

Further deliberation was shoved from her mind as a blur of brown slammed into the Pony of Shadows’ hoof. Both he and Twilight glanced towards it, but her eyes jerked back upwards as an orange smear sent a burst of fire into his face.

“Ocellus, now!” Gallus shouted. At her command, a flash of green fire transformed into a huge, armored baby blue insect. The insect gripped six of the Pony of Shadows’ tentacles with her legs, and tied them into a quick knot.

Unfortunately, the students just didn’t have enough talent at combat. Unlike Twilight, the Legion, or the Pillars, many of them had never been in a battle before yesterday. She winced. But can they actually do it?

Beige, blue, and pink swept across the Pillars. Twilight thought she could hear a hint of conversation, but the storm made it hard to tell. Before she could come to their aid, Fluttershy cried out, “Help!” Twilight whirled back towards her best friends, and dove forward to knock Fluttershy out of the telekinetic control.

Spike hugged the shadows near the edge of the battle. The air shimmered and crackled with magic. He could taste the ozone from the spellcraft at work. This far away, it was easy to avoid any attacks and still join in when needed. He’d wanted to be more involved, but Twilight had been quite insistent that he had to keep himself safe.

Down the mountain, the air seemed to warp and twist, like a droplet of water bending light. And in a flash of light, Starlight, Midnight, Shining, and Cadance appeared.

Starlight looked exhausted, while Midnight’ expression was dulled and deadened. Scratches and dents crisscrossed Shining’s armor, and Cadance’s eyes wore pained weariness. But what caught Spike’s eye most of all was the shuddering, blackened Crystal Heart hovering alongside Starlight and Midnight.

“What’s going on?” Spike demanded of the four ponies. “What did you do to the Crystal Heart?”

“I see you repurposed it after all,” Sombra commented with a sly smile. “I am most pleased, Midnight.”

“Riiiight,” Shining agreed with a frown. “Starlight, other Twilight, proceed when ready.”

Midnight flicked her head in a simple nod, and lifted the Crystal Heart high. Starlight stepped close to her, pointing her own horn at it.

Midnight focused her mind, narrowed her eyes, and hurled a spear of magic into the altered Crystal Heart. It felt much like a great clockwork machine, complex and opaque, but with an internal logic she intuitively understood. With a simple twist of her spell, the Crystal Heart released a shockwave of pale grey light. It spilled over the great walls of Tambelon, shining like a tiny sun trapped beneath the storm clouds.

In an instant, her mind exploded with information. Data poured in from the countless minds she was now linked to. Pieces of their old lives, facts they knew, Grogar’s spellcraft. But more than that, she felt a desire to return to the comforting earth.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” she murmured mentally, “but I have need of you for a little longer.” She extended her mental presence, and ordered the legions to attack all targets they had previously been ordered not to, and conversely to attack no other targets.

Another nugget of information flowed past her mind: the two unidentified alicorns high above, both charging spells to fire down on her. With her mind so immersed amidst the necromantic power, she could only watch in mute horror as their spells descended upon her.

Shining Armor leapt in front of her and raised a massive shield of magic. The anomalous alicorns’ spells crashed down upon it like twin tidal waves, sending its ethereal field shuddering and gasping. But Shining’s shield held.

Beside him, Princess Cadance spread her wings, and rose into the sky. She examined the windigos with open detest. Even her presence, and the raw love magic she radiated, was enough to send the horrors cringing back.

She scowled, and hurled a beam of gentle blue light at the nearest one. The magic descended upon it, and it screeched in terror as its body caught fire. The fire burned a beautiful sky blue, growing larger each second.

Starlight smirked, and teleported up to near the Windigos. She ignited her horn, and conjured a mighty wind. Cadance’s flames were whipped into a wall of fire that swept across the ancient horrors. They beat their hooves to call down more snow, but they could not stop the inferno descending upon them.

Below her, Cadance was shining brilliantly. More tongues of flame reached upwards, and in a moment the entire sky was devoured by beautiful cerulean fire.

As Cadance unleashed the full power of her love magic on the hateful windigos, Rarity slammed a hoof down into the crusted snow.

“Now see here, Celestia! You as well, Luna!” she snarled. “That fiend Grogar may have corrupted your bodies with dark magic and overloaded your minds with power. He may be powerful beyond imagination and the greatest creator of monsters. But he cannot take one thing from you. He cannot take your goodness. He cannot make you into monsters!”

Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow, and chuckled darkly. Daybreaker beside her cackled. “Oh, Rarity, Rarity, Rarity” Daybreaker purred. “Has all that time making dresses turned your brain to cloth? We aren’t monsters. We’re just the princesses we were always meant to be. Your heartfelt speeches won’t work on us, my little pony. ”

“Then maybe this will,” Rainbow shot back. She puffed her chest out, and a gentle blue glow engulfed her.

“What?” Nightmare Moon asked. “But the elements are gone!”

“It’s like we said aaaaall those years ago,” Pinkie chuckled. “The spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!”

Daybreaker gasped. She flicked her horn down, a bolt of searing laser light darting angrily towards Applejack. A flash of magic from Twilight diverted it into harmless sparkles.

“Now, we’ve got the elements,” Rainbow commented snarkily. “Time to give us back our princesses!”

Twilight dropped to the icy ground. A sphere of pure, brilliant light engulfed her and her five best friends. She gave them a quick, joyous look, and turned to face her corrupted mentor.

“Honesty!” Applejack called out.

“Kindness!” Fluttershy agreed.

“Laughter!” Pinkie giggled.

“Generosity!” Rarity continued.

“Loyalty!” Rainbow proclaimed.

“And Magic!” Twilight finished.

A wide wave of beautiful rainbow light flowed upward towards Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon. Fear crossed their faces, and Nightmare Moon even took a few paces back, but there was no way they could outrun it. Twilight’s heart soared with hope.

The serene light flooded around the corrupted alicorns. “Nooooooo!” Daybreaker cried out, futilely trying to teleport away.

In a moment, it was over. Celestia and Luna were freed from their own worst emotions, and they plummeted towards the ground. Rainbow shot forward and slammed into them both. The three ponies landed in a snowbank, turning what would have been a grievous fall into merely a painful landing.

Fluttershy hurried over to Rainbow and the princesses. They were okay, but only weakly moving. It was obvious they were not in any shape to fight. “How are we going to protect them?” she asked fearfully. “There are still so many dangers here!”

“Leave that to me,” Shining answered. He picked up Celestia and Luna with his telekinesis and carefully placed them inside his bubble of force.

The cries of ponies and other creatures from around the world, and the clang of skeletons, were even louder than the storm. High above, the Windigos howled in pain and fury as Cadance’s magic burned through their ranks. Twilight allowed herself a smile. Maybe we can win this after all.

A terrible blade of black and blue light slammed downward towards her. Only Applejack’s lightning reflexes hurled her out of the way. Where the beam landed, the snow and stone had become somehow even more twisted, darkly corrupted and pitted in the most hideous way.

From the top of Tambelon’s highest tower, Grogar stared down at them in cold fury. His old, scruffed blue coat was thrown into haunting relief among the pitch-black blizzard. And around his neck orbited the six gems the Tree had described.

The Elements of Disharmony.

They are real, Twilight realized in mute horror. She slipped into a defensive position. Beside her, she felt her five best friends do the same.

One way or another, this war was coming to a close.

A tenebrous claw slashed downward towards Chrysalis. She rolled forward and planted a hard kick into the monster’s torso with her hind legs. Its insubstantial body wobbled against her, and new claws formed where she struck.

But before it could counterattack, Tirek hurled a devastating blast of raw magic. The horror shattered into scraps of liquid blackness. As it began to reform, goop flowing back together, Sombra trapped the globs in little crystal cubes. Chrysalis whirled around. There were more pressing threats to deal with, after all.

The rainbow her teammates had taught her to fear hurled up into the sky and down upon the evil alicorns. She glanced over to the other members of the Legion. Midnight was still deeply engaged in control over the skeletons, Cozy was organizing the students, and Tirek and Sombra stood near her.

Sombra, for his part, winced at the lightshow. “We’re lucky that’s not angled at us,” he half-joked to Chrysalis. “I have a feeling the all-good and all-merciful harmony beam wouldn’t be particularly interested in mercy when it comes to us.”

“The ponies would not betray us,” Tirek answered smoothly. “In particular, Rainbow Dash wouldn’t let them. But, if by some chance they do...” he trailed off, and glanced to Midnight. “I am confident we can take them.”

“Indeed,” Chrysalis purred. “Alone, each of us nearly succeeded. Together, I expect we’ll win.”

“If it comes to that, that is,” Tirek added. “I think it’s more likely they’ll desire some kind of ‘diplomatic resolution’.” He chuckled. “That has, after all, been a desire of theirs for quite some time.”

Cozy flapped between them. “Guys!” she interjected urgently. “Grogar’s back!”

Sure enough, Grogar stared down at them ominously, his body radiating pure power. Chrysalis dropped to the ground, and prepared to strike.

“Forward! Hug the wall!” Cozy ordered. “We need to stay out of his line of sight!”

Chrysalis struggled to hear Cozy’s words over over the agonized howling of the windigos caught in Princess Cadance’s fiery aura of love magic. The blizzard that had raged throughout the battle was intensifying as the ice monsters tried desperately to quell her amorous flames, and Cozy was nearly hurled from the sky as a particularly nasty downdraft slammed into her.

A firm but gentle shove of pale mauve telekinesis stabilized her. She shot Midnight a grin, which Midnight answered with a hint of a smile.

Under her, Yona, Sandbar, and Ocellus ran through the snow, their legs pounding against the ancient, withered black rock. Gallus and Silverstream flew on either side of her, with Smolder just behind. Even with the stronger, bigger creatures all around her, Cozy kept pace, driven by her own determination. We have to succeed! All my co-conspirators are counting on me!

From somewhere high atop a pillar, a wave of blue-black magic flowed down towards her like an inky waterfall. She shrieked and swerved desperately to try to dodge, but she could already see she’d be too late.

Twin slanted planes of hateful orange magic speared out of the ground and over her and the other students, forming a sort of energy tent. The black magic slammed against it furiously, but it held. When she looked up, she met Tirek’s eyes. He flashed her a smile, and her heart soared.

Just as she felt her self-assured confidence returning, a gangly green insect charged towards her and her former nemeses, jointed talons outstretched.

Gallus grabbed her roughly. Before she could even protest, he clamped his wings in and dropped to the ground. The monster, unable to stop in time, rushed right over them.

“Sorry,” he apologized with a chuckle. “Figured you’d rather not get minced, so I decided to handle it myself.”

Cozy giggled. “Thanks, Gallus.”

She looked over at the Elements of Harmony. Grogar stared down at them with contempt. The six disharmonious jewels around him glittered with black light.

He said nothing as he channeled fresh magic. A cascade of dark, putrid colors washed downward in a deluge of power, but this magic was not directed not towards Luna or Celestia. No, the beam angled for the Bearers of Harmony themselves.

Pinkie reached deep inside her. Not to her heart, no—to her kidneys. That infinite font of laughter was still there, just waiting to be scratched. And with a huff Pinkie yanked a rank over it!

“You’re not gonna win, you big meanie!” Pinkie proclaimed. “Heehee! Oops, I mean GRRR!” Her own beam of harmony joined with those of her five best friends, together soaring up to counter Grogar’s.

Harmony and Disharmony clashed with a brilliant flash of light and a screaming crescendo like a chemical rocket. Sparks reminiscent of Twilight’s early magic, only a thousand times stronger, hurled away where the beams slightly differed. One such spark burned a hole straight through a tower without stopping. Pinkie’s eyes burned as the impact of the twin beams glowed like a miniature sun. With so much pure magic crashing against its opposite, will anything in Canterlot survive?

Stowing that thought for the moment, Pinkie glanced past the beam to the cloudy sky above, and narrowed her eyes. The Windigos were regrouping, concentrating their magic on Cadance. She was barely staying standing under a torrent of hailstones.

Pinkie growled. Okay Grogar, this has gone on long enough. It’s time to finish this!

Chapter XVIII

Twilight’s body screamed as she tried to push herself a little bit further. We have to defeat Grogar! Everycreature is counting on us!

But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t find an advantage. The Elements were evenly negated by their dark counterparts. And all around, Grogar’s forces were regrouping. It was all Chrysalis, Tirek, Sombra, Midnight’s skeletons, and Cozy could do to keep the Grogarite creatures away.

Her horn burned. The beam flickered and destabilized, and a moment later it exploded in a wave of energy. She was hurled head over heels away. Grogar was blown backwards and out of sight as well.

Twilight groaned, clutching her stomach. She looked up at the tower. How could we win? Grogar is older and wiser than any other creature in the world. His power is beyond compare. What hope is left?

In desperation, she cast her eyes around the battlefield. Tirek moved from one monster to another, gobbling up their magic and growing exponentially stronger. Chrysalis shifted from form to form, sowing chaos and mistrust among their ranks. Sombra slammed lances of crackling dark magic into the creatures, blocking any counterattacks with walls of purple crystals. Midnight ordered the skeletons in one strike after another. And Cozy directed her allies efficiently, safely positioned between her classmates.

Gears whirled in Twilight’s mind. All these villains, cooperating, working together to aid each other and the world, using their malicious talents for good instead of evil… what does it mean? What am I missing?

In that instant, a tiny spark flashed in Twilight’s eyes.

“I know how we can save Equestria,” Twilight whispered to her friends. “They are the Elements of Disharmony. Not Grogar.”

“Are ya sure?” Applejack cautioned.

“No,” Twilight admitted. “But I’m pretty sure. And if this doesn’t work, we’ll be no worse off than we are now.”

“Okay?” Rainbow agreed with a nod. “What do you need us to do?”

“I’ll go make sure Grogar doesn’t teleport away again,” Twilight replied. “I’ll be right back!”

Shining grunted as hailstones pounded against his barrier. The windigos high above weren’t letting up. “They really want to get you, dear,” he chuckled to Cadance. “Guess that little fire spell of yours struck home.”

“So it seems,” Cadance grinned. “Let’s give them something else to think about!” She waved her horn across the sky, more cyan flames igniting on the windigos’ ghostly auras.

Twilight appeared before him in a flash. “Midnight, Shining, help me set up this spell. Quickly!”

Midnight picked her up and righted her with her telekinesis. “What do you require?”

Twilight took a deep breath. “An anti-teleportation bubble. If I’m right, then we’re about to win this, and we need to make sure Grogar doesn’t escape again.”

“Sorry, Twily,” Shining replied with a grimace, “but I don’t think I can keep two shields up.”

“I will attend to it, Twilight Sparkle,” Midnight stated. She turned to Starlight, who was still engaged in the control of the skeletons, and murmured, “Do what you can; this shouldn’t take long.”

Midnight raised her head, and her entire body shuddered with latent power. Tongues of off-white energy licked off her and onto the ground. A slick ray of pale mauve speared up from her horn and into the thick clouds above. A second later it oozed downward across the entire outcropping Tambelon stood upon.

With another flash of white-purple light, Twilight reappeared beside her friends with Midnight in tow. Tirek, Cozy, Sombra, and Chrysalis had assembled nearby. “What’s your plan, Princess Twilight?” Tirek asked brusquely.

“Indeed, I am quite curious as well,” Grogar called down from above. “What is your newest trick, Twilight Sparkle?”

“It’s no trick, just something you didn’t take into account,” she shot back. “You don’t have the Elements of Disharmony?”

“Don’t I?” he asked smoothly. “They’re right here.”

“But you don’t,” Twilight countered with a grin. “There are six of us, each with one of our own. And you’re the owner of all six of these elements? Please.”

Grogar raised an eyebrow. “And who are the owners, then?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Twilight answered, smirking.

“Cozy Glow, who used her words to trick others into doing what she wanted, represents the spirit of… Deceit!” One of the gemstones fluttered over to the filly, who batted her eyes daintily.

“Sombra, who enslaved an entire empire by trapping them in their worst fears, represents the spirit of… Cruelty!” He took an apprehensive step back as his Element floated around him.

“Tirek, who devoured all magic in Equestria to sate his appetite, represents the spirit of… Greed!” Tirek reached out to the gemstone and clutched it hungrily.

“Chrysalis, who pretended to be my old friend Cadance only to strike me at my weakest, represents the spirit of… Betrayal!” Chrysalis slithered forward to take her Element.

“And Midnight, who rejected all companionship and connection in favor of perfecting her own powers, represents the spirit of… Desolation!” Concern flashed across Midnight’s face, but a moment later it was replaced by clinical superiority.

“That’s only five,” Grogar contended. “I take it you concede I am the spirit of Despair, then?”

“I do,” Twilight agreed. “But you need all six! And now you only have one.”

Grogar gave a hint of a smile, and the bell hanging around his neck flashed with undiluted power. His blue and black magic floated out to the rest of the Elements of Disharmony. “Think again, Twilight Sparkle.” Together, the six twisted gemstones resonated and pulsed together.

Twilight bit her lip. How is this possible? What else can we do?

“Now hold on just a second,” Applejack interjected. “Cozy Glow might’ve used to be the Element of Deceit, but that just ain’t true no more. She’s been pretty honest with us all things considered. Maybe not Element of Honesty level, but certainly not Element of Deceit neither.”

“Applejack, what are you doing?” Twilight asked urgently. Applejack just gave Twilight a little wink.

“Why, Applejack has a point,” Rarity added. “Tirek’s been quite generous towards his fellow villains. Certainly not the greedy, magic-sucking beast he once was! Eh, no offense.”

As Cozy and Tirek glanced to each other, hairline fissures pierced through their Elements. But before either could speak up, Rainbow dashed in. “I mean, come on. Chrysalis could have betrayed us all to you, Grogar, at any time. She’d have won a seat as ruler of the Changelings and probably most of Equestria. But she didn’t!”

“Now hold on,” Chrysalis hissed over the sound of her gem cracking. “I haven’t gone soft-skinned, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

“Oh, you’re right,” Fluttershy agreed. “Think about Sombra. He was working to avoid any unnecessary harm. That doesn’t seem cruel!”

“And Midnight isn’t desolate at all! She has her friends!” Pinkie added with a giggle. “Oops, sorry Twilight. That was yours.”

Twilight rolled her eyes cheerfully. “Don’t worry, Pinkie.” She looked up at the blue ram. “So you see Grogar, not only do we have five of the Spirits of Disharmony, but they’ve all rejected their element! They’ve broken the power of those elements! They’ve each made friends!”

At Twilight’s final word, all five of the elements orbiting the Legion of Doom shattered before their eyes. Grogar took a step back, and then another. He flashed the energy of the Bell again, trying to teleport away, but Midnight’s spell swiftly blocked it.

One by one, Twilight looked at her closest friends in all the world. “And it’s like we’ve said so many times before. Friendship is magic!”

A beautiful, rainbow glow engulfed the six friends, and a sphere of pure power surrounded them. A lance of light slammed from Twilight into Pinkie, and there into Rarity and around back to her, forming a thick hexagon. A moment later, smaller rods impacted it it from the Pillars, and then the Students, all binding together ever stronger and brighter.

Grogar dug his hooves into the stone of his balcony, and touched his Bewitching Bell. He looked down to his monsters far below, and with a twist of his horns, drew black and blue energy from each of them.

At once, all the magic flowing up into the Elements of Harmony crashed outward like a tidal wave. It barrelled towards Grogar, but at the last second he struck it with the Bewitching Bell’s energy, nudging it off-course. The harmony tore open a hole to Limbo, just behind him, as he steadied himself against their next strike.

“You… are not the only ones who can work together, ponies,” he grunted. “I am not called the Father of Monsters for nothing.”

Cozy blinked. That’s it. That’s how we beat him. A smile softly snuck across her face.

“Golly,” she called up, “it’s really impressive to see how good you are at working together, Grogar. You’ve really taught us a lot.” She put on her best evil face. “Buuuuut… unfortunately for you, we’ve figured everything out! We don’t need you anymore!”

“And what, in particular, have you figured out, Cozy Glow?” he replied, steadying himself against the heroes of Equestria.

“That Twilight was right! That we… well, Tirek?” She gestured a hoof to Tirek, who tapped his chin.

“Well, Twilight said we have rejected our respective Elements of Disharmony. And if we have, then …” he paused.

“Then we’ve begun to have bits of… eugh… friendship in us,” Sombra finished, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Now see here!” Chrysalis snarled. “There isn’t a drop of that detestable infection in me!”

“It remains a possibility,” Midnight reflected. “We do stand to gain more through cooperation than competition in some circumstances, and that seems akin to so-called ‘friendship.’”

“Absolutely not!” Chrysalis roared. “I will never become some polychromatic, oversaturated, beetle-horned, holeless, love-sharing, f—”

With a flash of turquoise magic, Chrysalis’s tirade was cut off. She glared daggers at Starlight, but could say nothing.

“Sooooo~” Cozy teased. “If the five of us can find friendship, then what about everycreature here?” She swept a pink hoof across the vista of the assembled peoples of all the world. “How much friendship is bottled up in all of them?”

In an instance, a long, narrow whip of scintillating rainbow light curled up from Spike to his friends, gripping onto the bubble surrounding their hexagon. Another from Starlight followed just behind, sliding into the whirling sphere, followed by Celestia and Luna. A heartbeat later Shining and Cadance joined in, and then Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, Big Mac and Pony Joe all poured their friendship with the Elements, and with each other, forth.

Tempest Shadow, Moondancer, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Autumn Blaze, Little Strongheart, Flim and Flam, and so many more let the friendship they’d found flow forth. Hovering high, Terramar and Sky Beak, Gilda and Gabby, Ember and even Torch, sent out ropes of magic. In a few seconds, the entire sky was dazzling with the rainbow beauty of friendship.

Sombra scanned the sky, noticed a string disturbingly close to him, and then looked down to his chest. “Augh! Help!” he pleaded, jerking back. “I only just got my body back!”

Beside him, Midnight stared at her own wire of harmony with a terrified expression. “My sisters…” she whispered.

Cozy squeezed between the two of them, a hair-thin thread of her own darting up to the Elements, and slipped wings over each of their withers. “Shhh, it’s okay. I won’t let them hurt you.”

Chrysalis tore the silence spell to pieces with her own magic, and just as she was about to unleash a scathing insult against Starlight, she spotted some of that coruscating light oozing out of her own chitin. “No! No! I don’t have any friends! I don’t have any friends!”

For his part, Tirek shrugged as he saw the telltale sign of his friendship appear. It wasn’t all that surprising, really.

Twilight looked around, her mouth agape and her eyes sparkling. Slowly, she turned back to face Grogar, her five best friends floating beside her.

“Your plan worked too well, Grogar,” Pinkie admonished. “You brought them together, you made them cooperate, you made them trust each other, you made them teammates. But like one of Discord’s talking apples, you didn’t realize the consequences of what you’d done!”

“Talking—apples—?” Grogar demanded, obviously befuddled.

“Nevermind that,” Twilight insisted. “What’s important is that it’s exactly what I told Starlight all those years ago. Everypony’s friendships are important to Equestria. When hers ended, it nearly destroyed the world. But when these five found friendship…

“It saved it.”

The rainbow network now covering the entire sky contracted, and a tidal wave of pure friendship slammed towards the top of Tambelon’s spire.

Grogar’s eyes went wide. He pulled every last bit of his magic up to call forth a shield, but it was blasted down with the same effort required to step on an ant. “Nooooooo!” he screamed as the friendship hurled him back into the inky blackness of Limbo.

The assorted monsters raised their tentacles and claws, their pincers and prehensile tails, against the glowing six friends. But like a kraken called from the depths of the abyss, thin tendrils of harmony’s energy reached down, gripped the monsters, and their power seemed to vanish like a nightmare before the morning sun. Gently, without excess harm or violence, the harmony beam tossed them into Limbo after Grogar. “Not agaaain!” the Pony of Shadows whined as he vanished into the darkness.

But Harmony was not done yet.

Cadance’s cyan magic flowed freely from her horn towards the orb surrounding the Elements. From there, it took on the consistency of fire: very angry fire. It exploded outward in a tornado of flame, engulfing the Windigos and leaving the other peoples untouched. The snow piled upon the ground melted instantly, evaporating into thick, warm fog as cool water pooled on the ground.

As for the Windigos, they thrashed against the flames, but there stood no chance against them. After a flurry of howls, they vanished before the incinerating might, as did their vicious stormclouds. The newly clear sky revealed the not-quite-darkness of shortly before dawn, a few stars still visible.

All around everypony, Tambelon shuddered and buckled. The entire city flickered, like a movie theatre with a faulty projector. One of the towers cracked, and hurled down towards the students, only flickering out of existence long enough to avoid hitting them. It shattered against the black stone foundations below.

“We have to get out of here!” Starlight shouted. “Hurry!”

The ponies and other creatures rushed out. “Twilight, come on!” Spike begged, flying up to her. Her eyes were pure white, and she was neither moving nor speaking. “Wake up!” The same was true of the other five Elements, each of them silent and seemingly comatose. He reached in and jerked her torso, but she was limp.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Celestia pleaded. “We need to go, now!”

“No.” Spike ordered down at the Princesses. “You have to go. Equestria still needs its rulers.”

“What about you?” Luna asked, tears forming on the edge of her eyes. “Spike?”

“I’m staying with my sister. Whatever happens to her, happens to me too.”

Starlight whirled to Midnight. “Drop the anti-teleportation bubble, now!” she ordered. “We have to get them out of here!”

“No point,” Midnight replied coldly. “Examine their auras if you want; their magic is overwhelming anything else in the area. No one, not even Tirek at full power, could teleport them out.”

“What’s wrong with you?!” Starlight gasped, putting her head right against Midnight’s. “Those are my friends! We have to save them!”

“I’m being realistic,” Midnight answered, her voice as cold as the Windigos’ magic. “There is no point to trying if failure is assured. Wasteful expenditure of reasons may leave us vulnerable to any lingering attacks. But if you refuse to listen to reason…” She flicked her horn, ending the spell. “You can fail yourself.”

Starlight grimaced, and teleported to beside Spike and Pinkie. She repeated the spell, trying to drag them out, but when she reappeared on the ground outside Tambelon, she only had brought Spike.

Starlight dropped to her knees. “No,” she whimpered. “Twilight…” She looked at the green dragon beside her. “At least… at least you’re safe, Spike.”

Tambelon shimmered, like a mirage up close, and collapsed into a thick cloud of dark dust.

Starlight howled, and summoned a hurricane-strength wind to blast the dust away. Only a few pieces of dark masonry remained, and even these seemed to be partially nonexistent.

But of the Elements of Harmony themselves, there was no sign.

Chapter XIX

Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow floated in an ethereal, blue-and-white realm. Stars twinkled all around them, surrounded by watercolor nebulae. The milky horizon glowed on its own, and everything seemed oddly blurry and luminous.

“Where… where are we?” Applejack murmured softly. “What happened?”

“Did I hit my head too hard after that battle?” Rainbow grumbled. “Because this sure doesn’t look like Equestria… or anywhere, for that matter.”

“Ooooh, is this space? Does this mean we actually can breathe in space?” Pinkie took a deep, exaggerated breath. “I call dibs on the first space pony party!”

“Well, wherever we are, it’s absolutely stunning,” Rarity agreed. “I’m getting so many fabulous ideas!”

“It’s really beautiful,” Fluttershy agreed softly.

Rainbow scanned the situation. Alright, we’re floating in a sea of stars and space clouds. It seems pretty safe, after all we’re all— “Wait, where’s Twilight?” she demanded.

“Twilight? Are you okay?” Fluttershy called out.

“I… I don’t believe it!” Twilight gasped, floating into view. “I’m back here… and you’re all with me!”

“Now hold on a minute, Twi. ‘Back here’?” Applejack echoed. “What in the hay does that mean?”

Twilight smiled, a small little smile that hinted at a deep joy. “This is where I became an alicorn! But when I did, it was with Princess Celestia guiding me. Now… it’s the six of us. I’m not sure what it means, but…”

Pinkie stuck her head down. “Well, maybe we follow this road of stars?”

“Oh, Pinkie, it’s beautiful!” Rarity beamed. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Rainbow flapped her wings a little, and took a step forward. The other five walked beside her.

Floating picture frames, with animated moments of their lives, appeared out of the horizon. Each one depicted one of the Six at a moment in their life: Rainbow speaking to “A.K. Yearling” about who she really was, Pinkie struggling to keep Flurry Heart a secret, Fluttershy standing up to Discord and making him reform, Rarity being treated improperly by Prince Blueblood at the Gala, and Applejack welcoming Grand Pear back into her family.

“It’s… it’s our lives,” Applejack whispered. “All the things we’ve faced!”

The images changed to other moments. Pictures of other scenes of their lives.

The Tree of Harmony, in Twilight’s guise, appeared before them. “You have done what no others could. You united more creatures in Harmony than even I was able to. Now, see the world as I have.”

A massive frame appeared before them, and in rapid succession, they saw all the foes they had to fight. The six of them stopping Nightmare Moon and Tirek, Starlight and the Pony of Shadows, Cozy Glow and Sombra. And finally, all of Equestria working together to defeat Grogar.

But there were other visions too. There was a branch of the Tree being pruned, and with a gasp Twilight realized it was the Staff of Sacanas. There were the Plunderseeds slowly approaching the tree as it tried to stall them for over a thousand years. There were their students, trapped in their own worst fears under the school.

“What did ya do to Gallus?!” Applejack asked, her mouth agape. “Ya almost crushed him!”

“He chose what he saw in my roots, not I,” Treelight replied evenly. She met Applejack’s glare without blinking.

And there was six duplicates of the friends, all off-color and with oddly frayed manes, fighting Queen Chrysalis and trying to extract the Elements. As they struggled, tentacles of white energy from the Tree grabbed them and squeezed them tight.

“Wait a second… that’s Midnight!” Twilight said, shocked. “You never told us?”

“Midnight?” the tree repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Who is Midnight?”

And as Fluttershy watched in horror, the six copies melted and collapsed into sticks.

“That’s awful!” she cried. “You just destroyed them!”

“I detected the six of you having embraced disharmony,” Treelight replied. “I attempted to dispel the magic upon each of you, and revert you to your normal state. The same thing happened when you broke Nightmare Moon’s hold over Luna. Had you been the real ponies, it would have simply restored you to normal, as it did to Luna.”

“But it didn’t on these poor ponies!” Fluttershy protested, an angry, disgusted scowl splattered across her face. “And you just… annihilated them!”

“I undid the anomalous magic upon them,” Treelight answered evenly. “They were wood before, and to wood they were reverted.”

“That’s not right,” Fluttershy argued. “They deserve the same chance our enemies got.”

“Fluttershy’s got a point,” Rainbow said with a nod. “We should give them a chance too.”

Treelight shrugged. “As you wish. In fact, that is why I came here.”

“To show us what you’d seen?” Rarity asked.

“And to admit that I am… a less-than-perfect exemplar of Harmony. I have… not been appropriately merciful or kind, and for that, I acknowledge my failings. And so…” Treelight knelt before them. “You are the truest embodiment of Harmony now.”

Twilight gasped. “We are?”

Treelight nodded. “Now, it is time for you to fulfill your destinies.”

A tiny blob of blue magic darted out of Rarity’s chest. Another, this one a vibrant red, from Rainbow. Pinkie’s bright blue shot out alongside them, as did Fluttershy’s pale yellow and Applejack’s orange. Each of these blobs grew in size, and then stretched out, surrounding Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack each in a little whirlwind of light. Twilight looked on, her eyes wide, barely able to believe what she was seeing.

Finally, a brilliant white glow burst from each of their chests. They rose higher and higher, until each of them was engulfed in a star’s radiance. Twilight felt tears trickling from her eyes as the world went white once more.

Chapter XX

The last stars were just barely visible in the pre-morning sky, as Starlight desperately scanned the castle’s ruins for any sign of movement. Where were they? Were her friends, her teacher…

“Look!” Spike shouted, pointing upward.

A brilliant light pierced the heavens, and Starlight had to avert her eyes. Its pure core was ringed by a coruscating rainbow shimmer. “What… what is that?” she murmured, transfixed.

The newborn star floated down, glowing all the while. Finally, it alighted on the ground, flashing even brighter, so bright she had to close her eyes. Then, the silhouettes of six ponies became visible.

“Girls?” Starlight asked, her heart beating furiously.

They hunched close to the ground, before standing--and spreading their new wings, or raising their new horns!

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Rarity and of course Twilight--now, all six of them were alicorns!

Spike flew forward and hugged Twilight tight. “I knew you’d be okay!” Twilight returned the hug, gripping Spike tight in her wing.

“You’re all alicorns!” Starlight sputtered. “So where are my wings?” she asked, a cheeky smile on her face.

“Maybe hold on just a smidgen before rushin’ into that,” Applejack admonished with a smile. “But… what does it mean, Twilight? Like, we’ve got wings now, but…?”

“I believe that I can answer that,” Celestia replied softly. “Over the years, I’ve watched you all grow. Twilight, my faithful student, you’ve learned so much. I’m so proud of you.” She swept forward, spreading her own wing across Twilight’s back. “Your friends becoming alicorns means my sister and I misjudged something. The six of you are true friends, and it’s only fitting for you to share the challenge of leadership together as well.”

“Oh, me? A PRINCESS?” Rarity gasped, her eyes going wide. “Oh, I’ve dreamed of this day for ages!”

“Princess Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow asked with a snort. “Nahhh… that’ll totally ruin my image. Can I call myself Commander or Dream Master or something? That’s WAY cooler.”

“I’m sure you can call yourself whatever you want,” Fluttershy answered, giggling gently.

“Awww yeah! Pincess Par-tay!” Pinkie cheered. Indeed, the only alicorn who seemed unhappy was Twilight.

“What’s wrong?” Luna asked, slipping a wing under her chin. “Are you not happy you can share the burden of rulership with your closest friends?”

“I am,” Twilight replied, meeting her gaze, “but I don’t want to give up having you there with me too.” She pleadingly looked up at Celestia, tiny tears pooling in her eyes. “You’ve always been there for me--and I’m not ready to give that up!”

Celestia glanced to Luna, who gave a hint of a nod. “Well… I have been thinking,” Celestia began. “I was not expecting five more alicorns to appear on Equestria, and so perhaps we may have misjudged some other things as well. If you’d like, I’m sure we could cancel our retirement.”

“The exhaustion of running half a kingdom would be fear easier to manage with six more ponies by our side,” Luna agreed. “Besides,” she added with a sly grin, “I’ve only been on the throne for about six years since my return,un like sister dear who’s had to run it for a millennium!”

Twilight rushed forward, embracing them both. Spike gasped for air as he was squished between three alicorns. “Oh, thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou! Because I was REALLY not ready to lose you.”

After a long hug, Applejack lightly poked Twilight’s back. “Don’t mean to ruin the moment, but we do have a certain other problem to address.” Twilight followed her hoof straight to the Legion of Doom. Their five members stood warily in a small circle, watching the new alicorns like vultures.

“Ah, yes,” Twilight sighed. “What SHOULD we do with them, Celestia?”

“Do with us?” Chrysalis replied, her voice haughty. “Even with your new wings and horns, are you so sure you can beat us?”

“We’ve learned as well,” Sombra added gloatingly. “Working together DOES make us a far stronger team--and one the likes of which you may have never seen before!”

Tirek stepped in front of Cozy, shielding her with a quick bubble. “We’ve held up our end of the deal--dealing with Grogar and his forces. But if you want to oppose us now… so be it.”

“Indeed. And your victory, while certainly possible, seems too costly and risky a measure to be well-advised.” Midnight gazed coolly into Twilight’s eyes. “Is it worth it after such an exhausting battle?”

“There is one other thing to consider,” Cozy commented with a saccharine lilt. “It sure would be unbecoming for the Element of Loyalty to betray her allies. Or the Element of Kindness to cruelly attack some creatures who did so much to help her…”

An uneasy silence hung over the masonry and rubble. Twilight glanced to Starlight, and then to Celestia. Behind the villains, Cadance and Shining gave her apprehensive looks. The assorted creatures of Equestria looked on in subdued optimism; was a celebration about to begin, or yet another conflict?

“Actually…” Starlight began. “Girls, a moment?” She waved over the six Elements, and leaned in.

Tirek shifted his weight from front to back, uneasily watching the Elements confer. Although he was dubious they could defeat him and his allies, he’d rather not risk it--especially with someone as fragile and vulnerable as Cozy around.

After several long, agonizing moments, the Elements and Starlight turned back towards them. “Cozy, Sombra, Chrysalis, and Tirek,” Twilight began, “you’ve each placed our world in dire danger. Less than a day ago you were trying to overthrow us and seize Equestria. Normally, we’d put you back in Tartarus at the very least.” She glanced to her duplicate, who was pensively scanning her. “But because you just helped save Equestria…”

“We ain’t doing that,” Applejack finished.

“Every one of you showed bravery and even heroism today,” Rainbow agreed. She met Tirek’s eyes unflinchingly. “And it wouldn’t be right to betray you now. But we do want to take care of one thing, while you’re here. C’mon.”

Sombra narrowed his eyes. “Don’t worry,” Fluttershy said, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’ll like this.”

Tirek shot Chrysalis a quizzical look. She gave a slight tilt of her head, an ambivalent confirmation. “So be it,” she hissed, and stalked after the ponies. Tirek trotted just behind her, as Cozy reclined on his withers and lower back.

“So, you know what this calls for?” Pinkie asked, a sly tone in her voice.

“A relaxing period of inactivity to recuperate?” Midnight groaned as she rubbed her eyes.

“Nope!” Pinkie giggled. “A party!”

Celestia watched with a faint smile as the six young alicorns spoke wtih the quintet of evildoers. Twilight had really grown into her own, and now her friends were doing the same. It’d be a pleasure to work with them, leading Equestria together.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by Luna’s approach. Luna looked at her with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Sister, aren’t you forgetting something?” she lightly teased. “A friend of ours, a former villain himself, may need our help.”

Celestia nodded ever so slightly, her smile taking on a wry caste. “Ah, of course, We’d better see to that, then?” She raised her voice a bit, and called out, “Cadance, could you assist us on something?”

The Princess of Love rose from attending to her husband, and slipped towards Celestia and Luna. “What is it?” Cadance asked, tilting her head to the right.

“Our old friend Discord is still missing,” Luna explained. “Grogar, well, disintegrated him. But I have a hunch we can reconstitute him, with a bit of alicorn magic.”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “I bet he’s doing just fine, probably having a good laugh with the Smooze right now. But let’s do it anyway; at the very least, it’ll let us check in with him.”

“The first place to check, of course, is his native dimension. Sister, niece, join your magic with mine.” Luna raised her horn, and fiercely swung it in a rough oval. It left behind a jagged hole in reality, where the swirling colors of unborn dreams shone brilliantly. Celestia and Cadance sent their own yellow and cyan telekinesis into the portal, stabilizing and reinforcing it. With a satisfied nod, Luna stepped through, and vanished from sight.

Starlight sipped some punch on the crystalline ballroom floor. With Canterlot gone, she, Twilight, Starswirl, and Midnight had set up a giant portal back to Twilight’s castle. Now, everycreature was eating, reuniting, and sharing stories. Vinyl played uplifting music from her mixboard.

She scanned the crowd, and her heart leapt. Sunburst was back! She rushed forward and pulled him into a tight hug. “Sunburst! It feels like it’s been ages!”

He laughed awkwardly, and returned the hug. “I-I missed you too, Starlight. I’m glad you’re okay. Since you would be facing Grogar directly, I was worried…”

“Shhhh.” She gave him a pat on the back. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie greatly appreciates your concern for her,” another voice muttered sarcastically.

Starlight blushed. “Sorry, Trixie. I was just…”

“No, no, it’s fine.” She gave Starlight a hug too. “I get it. Don’t worry.” Starlight met her eyes, and a silent conversation was exchanged in an instant. “So, what’s the plan with those five?” Trixie pointed to the Legion of Doom.

“Well, they’ve all started to understand the meaning and the value of friendship. But there’s so much lingering ill will, I don’t think we’re the ponies to help them. We have some ideas on who could, at least. We’re going to see if we can find them all. Pharynx is probably the easiest; is he here?”

Sunburst pointed over her shoulder. “Yep, he’s right there!”

Starlight let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding in. “Okay. Let’s see how this works.”

Rhythmic, loud beats dropped from the mixtable, as two mares played music for the whole crowd. Ponies were dancing, friends were chatting, and hugs and smiles were traded all around. Creatures from all over the world were here, as if leaping from one of Princess Twilight’s lectures on the virtues of friendship.

Chrysalis surveyed the party, not even bothering to hide the disgust on her face. It was better than Tartarus, obviously, but it was sickening how joyful it was. And she couldn’t even have a snack of love!

Tirek met her eyes. He looked mildly annoyed, but not infuriated. His resigned calm was both annoying, when he didn’t react as strongly as he should, but also something of an anchor. She’d come to rely on him to be her reality check, even if she’d never admit so to anyone.

A disgusting, new-formed changeling walked past. It still made her sick to think that that usurper had gotten away with everything. Why couldn’t she just overthrow him and set things back to the way they were supposed to be!?

Cozy flapped her little feathery wings and flew forward to hover over her shoulder. She seemed delighted, though how much of that was manipulation, and how much sincere, was anycreature’s guess. “Get rid of that scowl, Chrysalis. We’re heroes! We saved the world and Princess Twilight didn’t even make us go to friendship school!”

“Heroes?” Sombra echoed dubiously. “While it’s a wonderfully ironic title for the Legion of Doom, let’s be realistic. We’re simply being let off the hook this once. I have little doubt that next time they’ll plop us all back in Tartarus--or worse.” His insinuation was obvious.

“Heroes, villains, I don’t care,” Midnight grumbled. “I am exhausted and my vision is going foggy. What is this phenomenon?”

Tirek stared at her a moment. “It’s called being tired, Midnight. You just need some sleep.”

“Ugh. I had hoped I wouldn’t,” Midnight said with a sigh. “Sleep means less time to research.”

“But it does mean you can take part in something great: sleepovers!” Cozy hovered behind Midnight’s head and gave her a playful tug on the ear. Midnight rolled her eyes, but her eyes twinkled with the light of suppressed smile.

“I am not engaging in sleepovers,” Chrysalis droned under her breath. “There are some depths I won’t sink to.”

“You used to say that about working with non-changelings, and look at you now,” a gruff male voice interjected. His voice was familiar, but it couldn’t be--could it?

Chrysalis whirled on her hooves and came face-to-face with another changeling. This one, like all the rest, was colorful instead of black, but his colors were a subdued teal instead of the garish pastels so typical of his kind. He had small antlers next to his horn, quite similar to so-called King Thorax’s. A cocky smile sliced his face into two parts.

“You dare address your Queen that way!?” Chrysalis demanded.

“Yeah, I tend to dare a lot of things,” he retorted. “It’s something I learned from you, when you trained me as head of patrols.”

Chrysalis stared at him for a few long, long seconds. She licked her lips, swallowed, and opened her mouth before closing it again. Finally, she asked, “Ph… Pharynx?”

“Yep, that’s me.” He grinned.

“You--you fiend!” she roared. “Thorax, how DARE you shapeshift into my head of patrols? Do you have no shame at all in your cotton-candy heart?”

“No, it’s really me,” the bug who surely couldn’t be Pharynx insisted. “But you’re not gonna believe me, huh?”

She just glared at him. If it weren’t for the presence of all these annoyingly powerful ponies, she’d slam him into the wall for his disrespect!

“Alright, how about this.” He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Before the invasion of Canterlot, you gave me a special order--and instructed me to tell no one of it. In the event the invasion was completely crushed and you were unable to lead, I was to assume emergency power and ensure the Hive’s survival.”

Chrysalis felt chills run along her exoskeleton. It couldn’t be… but how could he know?

“Why did you betray me?” she asked, finally.

Pharynx sighed. “I didn’t want to. But my duty is to the Hive, and to whoever leads it. You ran away without a designated heir, and Thorax was chosen as the new king. I spent more time with my brother, and, well… eventually, I decided to share love too. But I haven’t gone soft, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He raised his spear for emphasis. “It’s just really nice, not being starving all the time. I still prefer my old looks, but I don’t want to be hungry again. And… if you’d want to come back, I’m sure he’d welcome you.” He snorted. “Thorax is kind of a wimp, honestly.”

Chrysalis’s soul roiled. Here was one of her most trusted lieutenants, who had been forced into Thorax’s treason, and yet was inviting her back to her throne. What do I do? It could be a trap, but it doesn’t feel like one. Are they just being naive idiots, or have I missed something?

Finally, Chrysalis grumbled, “…I’ll think about it.”

To her surprise, Pharynx looked satisfied. “Well, if you make up your mind, you know where to find me. And don’t worry about running into trouble; most of the Hive would rather talk than fight these days.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. They really had gone soft-shelled! But like it or not, they were still her Hive, and thus her responsibility. Perhaps she would head back after all. “Until next time, Captain.”

Pharynx saluted her, and walked off towards his brother. Chrysalis could feel her friend--allies so eager to talk, they were practically breathing down her neck.

As he left, Cozy landed on her back. Chrysalis resisted the urge to shake her off. “Soooo, Chrysalis, what do you think?” she inquired.

“He’s a disappointment,” she answered bitterly, but in truth she couldn’t bring herself to see him that way. “All that strength and loyalty, and he’s embraced Thorax’s stupidity!”

“Wouldn’t you want to never be hungry again?” Sombra asked. “I thought changelings were driven by constant, never-ending starvation?”

“Our hunger gives us strength!” Chrysalis retorted. “It drives us to fight and take, to deceive and infiltrate, to be changelings!”

“Ocellus seems to be doing just fine as a changeling,” Cozy commented. Sure enough, the errant bug was socializing with her friends, amusing them by shapeshifting into one form after another.

Chrysalis tried to come up with a scathing reply, but her arguments were failing her. Pharynx was just as strong as he’d ever been, despite his awful color scheme. Maybe… maybe Thorax really was onto something?

“NO!” she howled, slamming her hoof into the ground. “Never!”

Eyes all over the room turned towards her as the music blared on, but Chrysalis stared them down. If they were going to taunt her into becoming like Thorax, she could very well look angry!

“Heh-heh, don’t mind Chrysalis,” Cozy lilted awkwardly. “She’s just having a hard day. Come on, Chrysalis, let’s go sit down…”

Chrysalis wanted to bare her fangs, to provoke a fight, to do something! But while it could restore her own honor, the risk was too high. The odds were now squarely against her and her four fellows. And even if they were annoying, stupid, and generally a terrible hassle, they were the closest thing to her hive she had. With a sigh, she let herself be led over to a table.

Sombra flashed his horn, conjuring a seat of black crystal. Tirek examined the seat for a moment, and eventually just folded his legs and sat on the floor. Midnight slid into a seat of her own, and with an eyeroll Chrysalis did the same. Cozy gave her an encouraging smile, and buzzed off.

Cozy examined the ice cream selection. Although there were plenty of flavors, she zeroed in on the peanut butter chocolate. She scooped up three big scoops in a waffle cone, and flew back to the table.

“Aren’t you guys going to eat too?” she asked her four teammates. “Gotta keep up your strength!”

“Unless you’re volunteering yourself, Cozy, I doubt anyone here would let me have a snack.” Chrysalis crossed her forelegs. “I can’t wait to leave.”

“Cheer up, Chrysalis,” Sombra chided with a grin. “It’s a celebration in honor of us! Everyone here knows that without us the world would be Grogar’s.”

“That’s a first,” Tirek snorted. “The King of Shadows telling someone to look on the bright side.”

Cozy shrugged, and took a bite out of the ice cream. The peanut butter swirled around in her mouth, mixing with the chocolate in perfect harmony.

“Is it good?” Midnight asked, leaning in. “I’ve never had ice cream. Or food, for that matter.”

“It’s really good!” she said between bites. “You’ve got to try it!”

“Then I will.” Midnight opened her wings and soared towards the snack bar.

As Cozy crunched down the cone, the clip-clop of small hooves jolted her ears upright. “Heya, Cozy Glow. Nice ta see yer okay.” She checked over her shoulder, and sure enough, there stood Apple Bloom, flanked by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “Mind if I take a seat?” a filly’s voice requested.

“Go ahead, but this one’s taken,” Cozy said, pointing to Midnight’s.

Another pink filly, this one wearing a crown, sat down beside Cozy. “My name is Diamond Tiara. I’ve heard a lot about you, Cozy. Do you have a bit to talk?”

Cozy hid a smile. She knew all about Diamond Tiara from Princess Twilight’s journal. The selfish, mean filly who liked to use her wealth and charisma to push others around. Of course, she had no dreams beyond being the most popular kid in school. She had none of the grand vision that Cozy possessed.

“Of course I have a bit, Diamond Tiara. What did you want to talk about?”

Diamond tapped her hoof on the crystal floor. “Well, it’s really a pretty simple topic. Are you happy, Cozy?”

Cozy raised an eyebrow. “Well, yeah. We just saved the world!”

“No, no. I mean, in general. Does manipulating others feel good?” Diamond Tiara pointed to herself. “I used to be a lot like you. I used my popularity and influence to bully and control others, and I only cared about more power. But eventually I learned that friends--real friends--are more valuable than that.” She turned her hoof towards Cozy. “Can you say you have them?”

Ah. She’s trying that tactic. Well then! “Golly, of course I do,” Cozy lied effortlessly. “These four--they’re my best friends in the whole world. We’ve saved each others’ backs, and we trust each other enough to turn them. And it’s not just a business relationship either--I invited Midnight to a sleepover only a few minutes ago!”

Cozy could feel Chrysalis tense up beside her, but the Queen held her calm. Sombra sent Cozy a sardonic smile.

Diamond curled her hoof under her chin. “Oh, you are? That’s actually… really good to hear. I wasn’t expecting that.” She looked over the table to the other four. “Hang on to each other, okay? Real friends are a rarity.” She stood up, and walked away.

Well, that went nicely. No long, preaching rant. Lies really can solve just about everything, can’t they?

It definitely was a lie, of course. She was only engaging in a professional relationship for mutual benefit. It wasn’t like friendship at all.

Nope.

Midnight scanned the food desk. Words she barely knew, from cupcakes to hayburgers to cookies to pretzels, flashed through her mind. Twilight sure loved her snack food, she reflected dryly. Let’s see… that smells tasty. She swooped forward to get a parchment-colored elongated disk with spots of dark brown irregularly set into it. She bit down, and the flavor exploded in her mouth. “Mmmmm-mmmmmmm!” she reacted almost instinctively. With a surreptitious glance around, she grabbed eight more in her telekinesis, and headed for one of the side rooms.

This room was small, a bit dusty, and quiet. It was dominated by a couch against the far wall, and a knee-height table in front of the couch. She sat down, stuffing another oblate spheroid into her mouth, and sent a current of magic up her horn. Even tired and drained, she still had more magic than most unicorns.

The eccentric old mage named Starswirl propped up his head via a leg on the table.. He was draped in his omnipresent grey-and-white robe, and a genial smile stretched over his features. “Ah, Midnight! I was hoping you’d show up. Twilight thought you’d be interested in what I had to say.”

“Ghoh ohn,” she answered through a mouthful of brown-parchment-oblate-spheroid.

“Well, you’re very interested in magic, just like me. In fact, if you’re anything like me, it’s sort of your whole world.” He chuckled. “Or rather, if you’re anything like I was. Magic is still as important as ever to me, but it’s no longer the only thing I care about.”

“Lhet meh ghuessh--fhriendship ish nhow ahlso ihmporhtant?”

“Hah, you got me! But, really, magic and friendship aren’t enemies. They’re more like… soul-bonded companions, or spells in harmony. If you have friends, you have ponies to help you with your magic, and if you have magic, you can use it to help your friends. That’s what it meant by the truism ‘friendship is magic’: friendship and magic continually enrich each other, always drawing out more beauty in each other.”

Midnight puzzled this over. It was true that Chrysalis, Tirek, and Sombra all had superb masteries of magic, and their work in their fields of expertise was frankly awe-inspiring. But Cozy didn’t have any magic, and yet they had formed a strange bond. Something like a Perpetual Closeness spell. Hrrrrrmmmm.

She took a long drink of water, and swallowed. “You seem to be correct. However, I am under the impression that friendship is a two-way bond. And my companions here aren’t interested in friendship.”

Starswirl’s eyes twinkled like he’d just a created a fireball. “Are you sure?”

“Yep, pretty sure!” Chrysalis answered instantly.

“Heh, the Changeling Queen is right,” Sombra agreed. “After all, friendship vaporized me no less than three times. It’s only fair that I take a turn vaporizing it!” And yet his normally-confident flamboyant tone had shifted away, in favor of a more uneasy, unsettled one.

“I mean, I’m happy to make friends. I love making friends!” Cozy batted her eyes in the most adorable way. Midnight felt a strange, irrational compulsion to pull her into a hug.

“I don’t really think it’s worth my time, but I’m not opposed to it,” Tirek replied.

“It sounds like you’ve got at least one potential friendship, Midnight,” Starswirl gently prodded. “If you want, you could pursue it.”

Midnight inclined her head towards the filly opposite her. “Would you like to be my friend, Cozy?”

“Sure thing, Midnight!” Cozy zipped ahead and pulled Midnight into a hug. It felt surprisingly nice. Midnight’s lower back tingled comfortably, and her mind’s fog shifted in nature. The whole experience was something like being tired, but in a good way instead of a bad.

“Thank you for your insight, Starswirl. Is there anything else?” Midnight picked up another spheroid and bit into it.

“No, that’s all. Good luck in your studies, Midnight.” He extended a hoof towards her. She stared at it a moment, before he chuckled and placed it in hers to shake them both. “Until we meet again.” She nodded, and he trotted away.

Cozy landed on Midnight’s back and whispered in her ear, “Great job, Midnight! You really fooled him!”

“Fooled him? On what?”

“You made him think you were interested in friendship!” she sputtered, grinning. “You almost had me fooled!”

Midnight frowned. “The way he explained it, friendship seemed a net benefit for all involved parties. Why wouldn’t I want to take part in such a relationship?”

“Okay, it’s pretty obvious what they’re doing here,” Chrysalis hissed. “Remember, friendship is like a disease. The Elements of Harmony are trying to infect us! They’re sending the types of ponies they think will be able to persuade us to all become nice friends! They’re trying to defeat us without firing a shot! And worst of all, it’s working!”

Sombra shifted uncomfortably, and opened his mouth, but then closed it. He glanced to Tirek, who shrugged his shoulders.

Cozy gave Chrysalis a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry. It’s not working, and it won’t. We’re just, uhhh, co-conspirators! Yeah!”

Chrysalis crossed her forelegs and pouted. “Hmph. If you’re sure.”

As Cozy and Midnight made small talk, Sombra let his mind wander. As if drawn by a magnet, it rushed back to his foalhood, and to his best friend, Radiant Hope. She was so amazing, in so many ways.

His friendship with her hadn’t been mind-control, had it? No, that was crazy; he really valued her, and she him. Even leaving aside the romantic undertones later in their relationship, they had been best friends as far back as he could remember. And wasn’t it better like that? Her presence brightened his life, and he still missed her.

Could this be something not just inherent to her, but in friendship in general? Certainly, the Elements seemed to have a similar bond, and it seemed to bring them no small amount of joy.

He bit his lip. Chrysalis was right. The ponies are infecting us with friendship. Oh well. It’s not as if it’ll come to anything--I’ll never find anyone to replace Hope.

Sombra was dragged back to reality by a shifting in the air a few paces off, as if the world were being torn in half. A jagged hole was sliced Through stepped Luna, Celestia, Cadance, and Discord!

“Well, that was a relaxing break,” Discord commented. “Back to boring old baseline reality.”

“Discord!” Fluttershy called, as she rushed forward and embraced him. “You’re alright!”

He returned the hug, his mismatched limbs holding her tight. “Well, of course. My dad just gave me a time-out. I’ve been through worse.”

“Your dad!?” the Elements asked in unison.

“Well, obviously. What, did you think the title ‘Father of Monsters’ was figurative?” He snorted. “Honestly, Twilight, you should know better by now. Nothing’s ever figurative in pony myths.” Discord looked over them, and then towards Sombra and his friend--associates. “Well, who would have seen this coming? Looks like the redemption machine strikes again!”

“Not yet,” Starlight amended, “but we’re hopeful.”

Discord plucked his eyes out, rolled them, and then slunk his face down to absorb them back. “Ugh, yes, fine, very well, let me know when you succeed. I’ve got lots of important chaos business to attend to!”

“Oh, before you go,” Rarity requested. “I have a favor to ask of you, Discord.”

Discord glanced to Fluttershy, who nodded slightly, and then back to Rarity. “And that is?”

Rarity leaned up to whisper into his ear. Discord snorted, but nodded, and snapped his paw. He passed something to Rarity, though Sombra couldn’t see what.

“Arrivederci!” he exclaimed, and vanished in a swirl of light.

Twilight paced back and forth. Her friends’ plan seemed to be working well, but they still didn’t have the full set--they still lacked both Sombra’s hopeful friend, and Tirek’s. And without a full set, they might be unable to redeem them after all.

She looked over to where the four villains, and one part-timer, were seated. Chrysalis still looked as bitter as ever, but was that a hint of softness in Cozy’s eyes? An uncertain, hesitant frown on Midnight?

Twilight blinked. A faint, slight smile crept across her. She spread her wings, and dashed over to her sister-in-law. “Cadance, do you have a minute? There’s something I want to try.”

“Of course, Twilight,” she replied. “What did you have in mind?”

“You have a deep connection to the Crystal Heart, right?” Twilight asked. As Cadance nodded, she continued, “And it has a connection to the Crystal Ponies. I need you to use it to locate one in particular.”

Cadance frowned. “I don’t know if that’s possible. I’m willing to try, of course, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“We can at least give it a shot.” Twilight flicked her head towards Sombra. “And if we succeed, it’ll be a great accomplishment.”

“Well, we’ll never know if we don’t,” Cadance agreed, a smile flashing across her face. “Let’s do it.”

Sombra felt dozens of uneasy eyes on him. It was only natural, he reflected, that those weaker than him should fear him. It felt good, to know that others feared you. But it also felt good to know that others admired you, and trusted you. Real allies were a rarity in the villain business.

Cadance and Twilight began to glow pale blue, the color of the Crystal Heart’s magic. Sombra recoiled reflexively. He knew that glow too well. Of course they’d try to destroy me in the end, he reflected. What a fool I was to think otherwise.

Sombra charged his horn up, ready to unleash a blast of fear magic. But something stayed his spell. Maybe it was a lingering doubt that there could be another meaning to this, or maybe it was fear of getting his comrades in harm’s way. Whatever the case, he kept his spell ready to fire but did not unleash it.

Suddenly, Twilight disappeared in a blink of rose-colored light. “What’s going on over there?” he asked Midnight under his breath.

“It appears my better half and the other alicorn are attempting to locate somepony,” she replied. “With a very powerful magical artifact as their focus.”

Sombra frowned. What are they doing over there?

A long, agonizingly uncertain moment went by, as he waited for some kind of sign. Finally, Twilight returned--and with her, a pony he never thought he’d see again.

Radiant Hope, with a lean, shimmering mauve body and a sweeping, sky-blue mane, stood before him.

“S-Sombra?” she choked out, the words barely able to escape her mouth.

“Radiant?” he whispered, feeling tears starting to pool at his eye’s edges.

Sombra let the magic flow back down. “It’s--why--I thought--what? How can this be?”

“That mare Twilight found me,” she explained, a huge smile spread across her beautiful face. “And she told me that you were alright… so I had to come see you! She brought me here… and here we are.”

Sombra leapt up from his chair and embraced her. Hope. She was alive. She was okay. She was here, with him. And he didn’t know of a pony he’d rather spend time with. He didn’t even see Twilight slip back to Cadance’s side and grin giddily--he was far too giddy himself to pay attention to something like that.

“What does this mean?” he asked, his voice uneasy. “I… I never thought I’d see you again.”

“It’s a second chance,” Radiant answered, hugging him tighter. “Whatever happens, this time, we’ll be together.”

Sombra let his joy break. He wept openly, hugging his first and best friend like he would never let go.

Twilight wiped away a tear from her own eye. Even with all that Sombra had done, it still touched her heart to see him so happy. Not at someone else’s expense, but just himself.

“That gives me an idea,” Rarity murmured. “What do we know about Tirek’s past?”

“Well, he was betrayed by his brother Scorpan,” Twilight said. “He called him worthless, but… maybe he’d be open to reconciling?”

“Let’s go find him,” Rainbow agreed. “Here’s hoping it doesn’t make things worse…”

The six alicorns vanished in a sparkle of light.

Tirek tapped his fingers on the table. This party was so saccharine. How did ponies survive on a lifestyle of nothing but sugar and joy?

He was jolted out of his reflection by the beating of approaching wings. “Hey, Tirek,” a familiar voice called out quietly. “It’s been a while.”

Tirek whirled to face its owner, his treacherous brother. He was much older than when Tirek had seen him last, with a white beard and a walking-stick. “So, you finally deigned to come visit. Are you here at the demand of Twilight?”

“Not quite. She said that you were doing well, and that if I wanted to come see you, I could.” Scorpan gestured to the other members of the Legion. “Are these your friends?”

“No,” Tirek said a little too quickly. “They’re my fellow cabal-members.”

“Still seeking power after all these years? I had hoped otherwise.” Scorpan sighed. “Look, I didn’t come here to talk about that. Mom misses you. Dad doesn’t want to admit it, but he does too. I guess after a thousand years, even the oldest feuds start to fade.”

“What are you saying?” Tirek scowled, but something was shifting in his chest. My father misses me?

“If you want to visit home again… you can.”

Home.

Scorpan looked down to the ground. “I didn’t… I wasn’t trying to get you locked up in Tartarus, Tirek. I hoped they’d talk you down, or just exile you back home. I’m sorry.”

“Hrmph. Good, you should be.” But Tirek found his words had less venom than he’d hoped. What’s wrong with me? Am I going soft?

“Well, I just wanted to say that. You’re welcome home anytime. Goodbye, Tirek.” Scorpan turned to leave.

Tirek felt the eyes of his partners-in-crime on him. As his brother flew away, he forced out, “I might do that sometime, Scorpan.”

Chrysalis sat in her chair with her forehooves crossed. Everyone was going soft-shelled! They were losing their edge! The disease of friendship was infecting them all! And her friends--allies were falling for the pony tricks!

“Want a cupcake?” Cozy asks, breaking her out of her bleak thoughts.

“…Yes,” Chrysalis admitted, dripping the word like venom.

“So, what do you think we should do next?” Sombra asked opposite her. “After this party, I mean.”

“Wherever you go, I’ll be there by your side,” Radiant reassured Sombra, slipping a hoof around his shoulders. “I’m never leaving you again.”

“I’d rather like to try out that ‘sleep-over’ concept Cozy proposed,” Midnight admitted. “It sounds exciting and enjoyable!”

“I suppose,” Tirek huffed, “it wouldn’t be the worst.”

“A camping trip of doom!” Cozy giggled with a diabolical-yet-silly grin.

“Very well,” Chrysalis groaned. “But I get my own tent! I am still a Queen, after all!”

"So," Twilight interjected, approaching the six of them, "are you ready to try to be reformed?"

A long, uneasy moment passed, and then Chrysalis cackled. "HAH! As if, princess! We might be friends now, but that hardly means we're giving up all our glorious schemes! We'll just work together to see them through instead of struggling against each other! Midnight, get us out of here!"

With a blast of dark magic, the villains and Radiant disappeared.

Rainbow sighed. "Well, we tried."

"We made real progress," Fluttershy admonished. "They've grown to care about each other selflessly. We just need to give them time. Chrysalis is still touchy about what happened to her hive, and the others are all skeptical of us."

"Fluttershy's right," Starlight agreed. "I know it took me a while to become a better pony. But I think they will, eventually. It might take a while, but we'll see improvement."

Twilight reached out her wings, and pulled the others into a big, group hug. Little could she know that her dark duplicate was doing the exact same far from there.

Epilogue

When I started out, I was unsure

Twilight sat watching the rising sun, with her five best friends in the world by her side. She felt a warmness deep in her heart. She leaned against Rainbow’s shoulder, and hugged them tight.

I thought I knew all that I needed, didn’t know what to expect

Starlight took a bite out of an ice cream cone, watching Sunburst with a slight smile on her face. Trixie whispered something to her, and she teleported over to give Sunburst a quick kiss.

But when my walls came down, I saw the truth

Spike ate gems out of a bowl, a self-satisfied grin on his face. Across from him, Thorax slipped a gossamer wing around Pharynx, who rolled his eyes but didn’t push him away.

All along something was missing

Yona pulled Sandbar into a kiss, grinning all the while. Sandbar returned the kiss, and they danced across the floor.

And I think you’ll see it too

Ocellus tapped a hoof in time to the music. Smolder offered a claw with a smirk. Ocellus blushed green, but nodded, and they began to dance.

This is where the magic happens

Gallus looked out the window, staring up at the ruins of Canterlot. Silverstream sat down next to him, and slipped a wing around him, hugging him tight.

This is where the magic lives

The Tree of Harmony looked out over Ponyville. Perhaps it had been too merciless and unforgiving. Perhaps... redemption was better than revenge after all.

Our friendships weave together, stronger

Starswirl approached Mistmane, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, Meadowbrook, Somnambula, and Stygian. He offered them an approving nod. Somnambula rolled her eyes and pulled him into a group hug.

The bonds grow deeper, lasting longer

Cadance and Shining shared a long, sweet kiss, and danced together on the crystalline floor. He spun her around, then she spun him around, before embracing in front of the mixing table.

And the greatest spell you’ll know

Chancellor Neighsay looked up at the crystal palace ponderously. It felt... strange, to know that villains had helped save Equestria.

Is how the magic of friendship grows!

Celestia slipped a wing across Twilight’s back, and pulled her into a close hug. Her student had grown so much.

And no matter how much time goes by

Twilight picked up Flurry Heart, and nuzzled her cheek. The baby cooed something.

The party will still be here with some fun new games to try

Pinkie eyed up Cheese with a smirk. She bounced over to give him a big hug, and planted a kiss on his cheek. He giggled, and hugged her back.

Big adventure’s waiting, obviously

Luna whispered something to Rainbow, who smirked. Rainbow snapped a salute to her, and lit her horn up. She braced against the ground, and launched into the sky.

Long as we’re still here together, we’ll be flying happily

Lightning Dust swerved between obstacles with a huge smile on her face. Behind her, the other Washouts followed, darting between the dangers with care. She looked up to see a sonic rainboom shattering through the sky.

This is where the magic happens

Sunset Shimmer poked her head out of the portal, rolled her eyes, and teleported over to Starlight and Sunburst. She gave Starlight a quick grin, and Sunburst a noogie.

This is where the magic lives

Trixie rolled her eyes, but gave Starlight a friendly shove. Starlight shoved her back, and then hugged her.

Our friendships weave together, stronger

Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider watched the grim winter clouds disperse. The return of the Windigos was over as quickly as it had began.

The bonds grow deeper, lasting longer

The Cutie Mark Crusaders poured over a bunch of paper with crayons. On the paper was sketched Cozy Glow in a Cutie Mark Crusaders uniform.

And the greatest spell there is

Discord laughed with the Princesses, both new and old. It would be fun causing a little chaos for them as they assumed their status as rulers.

Is what the magic of friendship gives

Blueblood comfortably reclined in the Yak diplomatic embassy. He read over a letter, and smiled. Things were looking bright, even if he’d have to instruct all the new princesses on the finer points of diplomacy.

And it’s somethin’ true to pass on down to generations yet to come

Granny Smith spat on the ground. Applejack, an alicorn! Who’d’ve ever heard of such a thing? It was absurd! Ridiculous! Insane! But she and Big Mac hugged her tight anyway.

And we’ll never stop believing in the generosity of the friendship we’ve won

Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles wrapped their hooves around Rarity. She’d always wanted to be a princess, and she finally was one!

And because the love, that I feel

Fluttershy landed beside the Tree of Harmony, looking uneasy. Treelight stared at her calmly. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and raised her head.

For every single living creature

Her horn began to glow pale pink, and the five sticks on the ground became bathed the same color.

Is something that is real

The sticks reconstituted back into ponies. They stared at Fluttershy with a mix of sneers and scowls. With a flash of light, Fluttershy teleported them to Midnight, who regarded them coolly before pulling them into a hug.

Friendship happens so naturally

With a blast of magic, she teleported them to Grogar’s hideout - the closest thing she knew to a home. The Tree of Harmony nodded its assent.

Oh and how I used to wonder

Midnight waved goodbye to her sisters, and teleported back to the other members of the Legion of Doom.

What friendship could be!

Sombra hugged Radiant tight, tears flowing openly down his face. He felt the warmth of the sun on his cheek, and a grin cracked through his grim demeanor.

This is where the magic happens

Radiant Hope felt a surge of warmth in her chest as her beloved hugged her close. Midnight, Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, Tirek, and... Sombra. Her Sombra. Her handsome, beloved, perfect Sombra. She closed her eyes for a moment, to burn the moment into her brain forever.

This is where the magic lives

Cozy flitted back and forth around her friends. Friends, not “friends”. It seemed her final exam in friendship would be working with these ones.

Our friendships weave together stronger

Tirek sighed. What Scorpan had said... it felt odd. To be able to go home again... what would that mean? He’d spent so long fueled by bitterness and anger, and now that was evaporating like morning dew. Could he really see his family again?

The bonds grow deeper, lasting longer

Chrysalis looked across at her... ugh. Her friends. They were smiling. And the worst, most sickening part, was that that made her smile too. Maybe Pharynx was right. It did feel kind of like having her hive back...

And the greatest spell you’ll know

Midnight sized up her friends. Each of them was powerful, and in their own way, nearly unstoppable. But it had been becoming a team that had turned them invincible. Together, they could face anything. It brought a little smile to her.

Is how the magic of friendship grows

The perhaps-not-quite-villains walked slowly towards the rising sun.

How the magic of friendship grows...

Author's Note

Writing this story was a long, but extremely cathartic experience. It has helped me channel all my anger and sadness at the ending into a productive pursuit.

I know not everyone will like every decision I made in this fic. I hope you like most of them, though.

Thank you for reading.

Prologue

Author's Note

I decided to rewrite episodes S9E24 and S9E25 as if Grogar were real and the finale were a four-parter. This story takes everything up to and including S9E23 as canon, and took inspiration from a huge variety of sources, including the finale trailer (though it does not strictly hold canon to the trailer).

Prologue

Chrysalis buzzed through the cold, humid air. Dew covered the few dry patches of ground below her. Grogar had ordered her to be back by nightfall. Naturally, she had ignored him. That insolent ram has no idea how to properly treat a Queen! Soon, he’ll be sorry he ever dared to talk to me as if I were a common servant.

She ducked her head and entered his hideout. Cozy looked up from a chessboard at her as she entered. “Golly, you’re back late. What kept you?” the demon filly asked, her voice dripping with honey.

“Dinner was a bit harder to catch than I had expected,” Chrysalis answered. Cozy put a hoof to her mouth as her face warped with nausea. She has such a weak stomach, Chrysalis thought idly. Will she be able to handle tomorrow’s war?

Tirek pushed a pawn forward. “Have you fed well, Chrysalis?”

“I have,” she replied with a smile. “Ah, young love is so delicious.”

Cozy gagged as she moved her rook. “Uhgrp, so gross.”

As Chrysalis composed a reply, a shout rang out through the room. “Chrysalis!” bellowed Grogar. “Why did you disobey my orders?”

“I was hungry,” she answered with a defiant cross of her forelegs. “I need to be well-fed for tomorrow’s invasion. And someram doesn’t keep around a healthy supply of cocooned ponies!”

Grogar walked to right in front of her. “If you disobey orders tomorrow,” he said slowly and clearly, as if explaining to a foal, “the invasion will likely be ruined. We will all be put in Tartarus because of your failure. Understood?”

“…Understood,” she growled resentfully.

“Good. Now, all of you, get some sleep,” he instructed. “You will need your wits about you tomorrow.”

Chrysalis slinked away without another word. Grogar has some nerve talking to me like that. With a hiss, she slipped into her cocoon, and closed her eyes.

Chrysalis opened her eyes. It was another warm, sticky day in the swamp. She closed her eyes, and almost drifted back off to sleep, when an idle thought welled its way up from her subconscious.

Today’s the day.

She jolted upright, barely suppressing a maniacal laugh. Today’s the day! Today, Grogar will lead Tirek, Cozy, and I to conquer Equestria. Oh, I’ve been waiting a long time for this.

A cold smile slipped across her lips. But Grogar has no idea that the rest of our little cabal have acquired his Bewitching Bell, or that we’re going to betray him. Equestria divided three ways instead of four means more territory for each of us, after all. Besides, Grogar has never shown me the proper respect, never included me in his full plans. Banishing him won’t just be smart, it’ll even be fun.

Chrysalis’s horn flared with emerald lightning, and her cocoon cracked open. She dropped downward out of it, landing with a precise roll. She strolled into the planning room, to see Cozy already up and examining maps of Canterlot with Tirek.

“Good, you’re up,” Tirek said in his booming voice. “Are you ready?”

“I was hatched ready,” Chrysalis replied with a smirk. But further small talk was cut off by the arrival of their leader himself.

Grogar sat down at the table. “Alright, listen closely. The plan is as follows: Cozy Glow, you will stir up hatred between earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. Chrysalis, you will shapeshift into different leaders, such as Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and whoever else you deem to be prudent, giving orders to the guards that will cause more chaos. Tirek, you will feed opportunistically on the magic of all that you can. Once Twilight Sparkle and her friends have arrived to deal with the situation, I will reveal myself, and together we shall obliterate Twilight, her friends, the other princesses, and all others who stand in our way. By evening, we shall rule Equestria!”

“Golly, that sounds like a pretty great plan!” Cozy said with a big smile. “You’re such a great leader, Mister Grogar!”

“Save your flattery for your marks,” Grogar retorted. “I am here to organize the lot of you into an effective force! Remember, each of you is powerful alone, but only when we work together can we defeat Twilight Sparkle and her friends!”

“What about Discord?” Tirek asked suspiciously. “Won’t he just snap his talons and teleport us back to Tartarus?”

“You leave Discord to me,” Grogar answered. “I have acquired an artifact of great magical power that will allow me to defeat him.”

Chrysalis felt a potent mixture of fear and excitement. If only there were a word to describe this peculiar feeling. Excitinervous?

“Well, I’m just a kid, but I know that it’s important to have contingency plans,” Cozy said with a lilting giggle. “What if Twilight and her friends don’t come to Canterlot?”

“Then we’ll make them come,” Grogar said with a voice like cold stone. “When they are aware that their beloved princesses are in our hooves, they’ll run right to their own destruction.” He gave a smile that chilled Chrysalis to her gooey innards. “They are heroes, and they will behave heroically. We can exploit this to gain victory!”

Tirek hunched down atop of a Canterlot plaza, watching the action with a pair of binoculars Chrysalis had stolen. It really is amazing just how much hatred Cozy could inspire in ponies’ hearts. And I shouldn’t forget how expertly Chrysalis wore the appearances of other royalty. He licked his lips in anticipation of his turn in the mission. For far too long, I’ve been weak, powerless, and small. Soon, I will have a body as powerful as my mind!

He received a whisper from thousands of feet away. “It’s time. Begin your feeding upon pegasi and unicorns, but keep hidden! We don’t want the guard to know of our involvement yet.”

Grogar had bewitched his minions—oh, how Tirek loathed that word—so he could communicate with them and synchronize their activities. Even he had to admit it was an impressive piece of magic.

“With pleasure,” Tirek whispered back. He opened his mouth wide, and devoured the magic of a nearby upper-class unicorn. The stallion stumbled, and then collapsed weakly to the ground. Tirek repeated this well-practiced procedure several times more on other pegasi and unicorns, but never earth ponies. With each vat of magic devoured, his musculature built and grew.

A few moments later, Cozy fluttered over to a drained unicorn mare. “Oh no, no, no, no! Something bad must’ve been in the food. If the earth ponies did a better job making sure their food was safe, this never would’ve happened!”

The other unicorns and pegasi nearby nodded. One shouted, “We should go give ‘em a piece of our mind!”

“Yeah! This is all their fault!”

“Earth ponies have been selling low-quality food for years! My uncle got sick when I was a filly!”

Luna flew down to the discontented pegasi and unicorns. “Citizens, please. What are you fighting about?”

“The earth ponies are selling low-quality food, and it’s getting us sick!” The outraged mare pointed to the semiconscious ponies strewn about.

Luna rolled her eyes. “They look fine to me. Maybe you need to toughen up, like earth ponies do.”

Cozy gasped. “Princess Luna must be an Earth sympathizer!”

The ponies surrounding Cozy Glow nodded angrily, and moved closer to Luna.

“You should care for all your subjects!”

“Pegasi will not be mistreated!”

“Unicorns are a proud and ancient race. We will not be treated like this!”

Luna—or Chrysalis, as she surely had to be—snorted. “Unicorns, a proud race? You couldn’t even hold your own against the incursions of the Pegasus Imperium. You’re a bunch of weak-willed fops. I guess it makes sense you have such weak stomachs too.”

The unicorns gasped in horror, while the pegasi nodded. The martial tradition of the pegasi is legendary, Tirek recalled from his own history lessons.

“You know, I think Princess Luna’s right about that,” Cozy said. “The pegasi are really the only tribe that has ever managed to stand up for itself. Doesn’t it seem fair that we should rule?”

The unicorns whirled on the pegasi they had just been standing beside. “Never trust a pegasus! Backstabbing birdbrains!”

Cozy snuck off, and Chrysalis likewise vacated the area. The argument seemed to be heading towards a riot now.

Tirek allowed himself a grin. We only need rinse and repeat, and Canterlot will be ours.

My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahhhhh…

My Little Pony
I used to wonder what friendship could be
My Little Pony
Until you all shared its magic with me!

Big adventure, tons of fun
A beautiful heart, faithful and strong
Sharing kindness, it’s an easy feat
And magic makes it all complete!

My Little Ponies
Do you know you’re all my very best friends?

Chapter III

Tirek thought as he walked. The last time I fought Princess Twilight, I had all the magic of the non-alicorn ponies of Equestria, plus Discord. Now I have only a tiny fraction of that power. However, I do have something I haven’t had in so, so long:

True allies.

Oh, there was Discord, of course, but Discord was merely a stepping stone to my greater power. As he looked at the pony and changeling beside him, he realized he had no desire to ever betray them. When he thought of the world after Grogar was ousted and they ruled, the vision was one of him, Chrysalis, and Cozy ruling together.

Forever.

The revelation made him pause.

Once, long ago, he had had the same bond with another. But that one had betrayed him to his enemies, and he had spent a millennium in Tartarus. Even though over a thousand years had passed since that betrayal, the memory still made him see red.

Somehow, I know that won’t happen with these allies. I don’t know how I’m so sure, but I know in my very bones:

Their fates will be the same as mine.

Cozy Glow reclined on Tirek’s back. She could fly, of course, but she was just a kid and she didn’t have much endurance yet. Better to save her energy for the looming confrontation.

“Hey,” she began, breaking the silence that had fallen over their group, “once we find those annoying do-gooders, how are we gonna get rid of them?”

“Overwhelming force,” Tirek suggested. “We hit them hard before they expect us.”

“Prey upon their care for each other,” Chrysalis purred. “Lure them away with the sounds of each other, and pick them off one by one.” She transformed into the spitting image of Pinkie Pie. “Oh no, not the cake! Please, spare the caaaaaaake, aughaughaugh,” she fake-sobbed.

Tirek doubled over with laughter, and Cozy was thrown from his withers into the air. She couldn’t restrain her giggles either.

Chrysalis shifted to Rainbow Dash. “Are those my Wonderbolts posters?! You—no, don’t tear them—oh please, have mercy!”

Cozy collapsed to the ground herself, paralyzed by laughter. “Golly, Chrysalis,” Cozy choked out between gasps of mirth, “you’re a riot.” She smirked briefly, before succumbing to laughter again. “Literally!”

Chrysalis smiled, then chuckled, then fell over laughing herself, right next to Cozy and Tirek.

Cozy didn’t think about how easily either of them could vaporize her if they wanted to. She didn’t think about the ways they could bend her mind like a twig or even replace her outright.

She just laughed along with her companions, savoring the joy of the company of creatures who understood her.

Chrysalis lay on the dirt. The grass stroked against her exposed chitin, and the cold, nearly freezing wind blew through the holes in her hooves, but she didn’t notice any of that.

What she did notice was the laughter playing across Tirek’s and Cozy’s faces. They were both clearly having the times of their lives, and Chrysalis had to admit that she was as well. This was a fun little adventure. Perhaps by tonight, I’ll have my revenge on that sow Starlight Glimmer and that traitor Thorax, rightful rulership of my hive, and a large swath of Equestrian territory.

As she finally caught her breath, she asked, “How would you two feel about retrieving Grogar’s bell right now, and using it against Starlight Glimmer and her friends?”

Tirek mulled it over. “It’d certainly make our battle with them far easier, but it’d also mean Grogar would know of our betrayal and would be ready. I feel that overall it’s wiser to keep it hidden until the very end. The most effective double-crosses are those only revealed at the very last moment.”

Cozy added, “Yeah, I think so too. Speaking of, what were those sigils Grogar was carving into the floor?”

Chrysalis licked her fangs in contemplation. She hadn’t recognized them immediately, but now…

“They’re summoning and creation sigils of some kind,” she replied. “They aren’t there to destroy—he’s trying to create or call.”

“Who would he be calling?” Cozy asked simply.

A moment of silence passed, as each of them thought it out.

“Sombra?” Tirek suggested.

Chrysalis curled her mandibles in disgust. “That fool nearly gave away all our plans, screwed up his own victory, and then got himself completely annihilated. Bringing him back from what was done to him is completely impossible.” She rolled her eyes. “So that’s probably exactly what he’s doing.”

“Or… it could be the Windigos…” Tirek said, his voice suddenly concerned.

“Don’t be stupid,” Chrysalis replied. “Nopony’s crazy enough to call the Windigos. We changelings would have nothing to feed on at that point! I'm not sure if Equestria would even have enough cohesion to remain a state.”

Tirek thought it over, and nodded. “You’re right, of course. I’m just worried. Grogar’s already something of a loose cannon, and he did say he wanted to ‘redecorate’ Canterlot. I have no idea what he’ll do next.”

“That’s why we need to be quick,” Chrysalis affirmed with a quick nod. “We take out the Elements and Starlight Glimmer, and return to Grogar with word of our success—and the bell. And then…”

Cozy gave a wickedly diabolical grin. “Ooh, it’s so lovely! I can’t wait! C’mon guys, let’s take down the Elements!”

The three schemers resumed their walk towards Twilight’s Castle. Although it was unlikely she was there, it was still the first place to look. After all, the Princess had a rather amusing habit of returning to Ponyville after facing an enemy.

“We could just raze Ponyville to the ground,” Tirek suggested. “Even if she’s not there, that should bring her running back.”

“But didn’t she just take the fight elsewhere when you destroyed her tree-library?” Cozy asked. “And if Ponyville’s destroyed, not only will she have no motive to return there at all, she’ll be a lot less merciful to us if she somehow beats us. I dunno about you guys, but I’d much rather go back to Tartarus than get banished to the Moon.”

Chrysalis found herself nodding to Cozy’s argument. As usual, the filly had seen deep into the minds of their enemies. “Could we hold Ponyville hostage, then?” Chrysalis offered. “As I recall, Twilight Sparkle has a great weakness for hostages.”

“Knowing Princess Twilight, if she’s fled, they’ve already evacuated all of Ponyville.” Cozy sighed. “If only we’d caught her parents in Canterlot, she’d give herself right up.”

“We can’t dwell on what we should have done,” Tirek said. “Only on what we should do.”

Cozy nodded assent, as did Chrysalis, and the three of them continued their pace towards Ponyville. As they walked, they continued to develop contingencies. “So if she’s not there, what will we do?” Tirek asked.

Chrysalis answered, “Check her other likely hiding spots. Canterlot’s ruled out. That leaves the Crystal Empire, Equestria’s allies, the sites of great battles she’s fought, probably every library in Equestria…”

Cozy’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Let’s put ourselves in Princess Twilight’s horseshoes for a moment. Your mentor is gone. Canterlot has fallen to the most powerful alliance of conquerors you’ve ever faced. Even Discord, the greatest reality-warper in history, is no match for their attack. What do you do, after make a list three hundred pages long?”

The other two snickered at her little joke. Chrysalis said, “I’d start rallying my allies. I have a lot of them.”

“But they’re all over the world,” Tirek interjected, “and many of them can’t receive dragon mail.”

“So I split up my group,” Cozy continued, “sending some to one region and some to another.”

“But I don’t want to leave my beloved friends, so I send Starlight Glimmer elsewhere.” Chrysalis spat the name as if it were venom. “Myself and my five best friends go… somewhere.”

“Somewhere everypony on our side will expect us to be, but our enemies wouldn’t think or want to go,” Cozy added.

Tirek put a hand to his chin. “Somewhere secluded, but easily reached, ideally with defensive magicks that counter our enemies' powers…”

The idea came to the three conspirators at once, as if they’d all been struck by lightning.

“The Tree of Harmony,” he said.

“Of course! That has to be it!” Chrysalis smiled viciously.

Cozy gave them a big smile. “Golly, we’re a pretty great team when we all pool our brainpower!”

Tirek gave the filly on his back a little smile. “We are. Of course, we should still check the Castle of the Two Sisters first, just in case. But after that, the Tree of Harmony’s remains are next.”

Points of light danced in Starlight’s vision as she stepped across the world, right back into the School of Friendship. Sunburst stumbled out after her. “Back here?” he asked quizzically.

“I just need to get a few things in order,” she replied. “Remember, there are a lot of creatures here, and we want them to be safe. I think it’s best to send them all home.”

“I agree. It’s best to have them far away as soon as possible. We should tell them the news,” Sunburst said. “But what do we do if they panic?”

“We remind them to brush up on History of Friendship,” Starlight answered with a cheeky smile. “After all, since when have the Elements of Harmony ever failed?”

He chuckled a little. “You’re right, Starlight. I’ll go get Trixie, and you get all the students?”

“Sounds good. I’ll be in the cafeteria.” It was currently lunch break, so she only had to visit one spot.

Starlight bounded into the cafeteria at a swift pace, though not that swift. Spending so much of her time focusing on arcane magic had left her muscles somewhat atrophied. She was breathing hard by the time she reached it, and smelled the aromas of the foods of half a dozen species.

She lifted herself into the air with magic, and proclaimed, “Attention everyone. Attention! I have something important to say.”

The room quieted down, with only Gallus muttering something about unneeded interruptions of a good meal.

“So, you know how King Sombra destroyed the Tree of Harmony when you were all on break?” Starlight asked. Creatures around the room nodded and murmured agreement. “Well, something similar might be going on now… so myself and your vice headstallion have decided to send you all home early. Pack your things.”

“Will ponies be okay?” Yona asked fearfully.

“I think so,” Starlight said. “But just in case, we’ll contact every one of Equestria’s allies for help. Now go pack your things; we don’t want to be here when our enemies arrive.”

“Enemies? Who?” Silverstream looked around. “Is the Storm King back?”

“No,” Starlight answered. The hippogriff sighed, relief spreading across her face. “But Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Grogar are.” In an instant, panic spread across the room, as terrified creatures dove under the tables.

“Chrysalis?!” Ocellus actually screamed. “She’s back!? Oh no, oh no, no no no no… we have to warn Thorax! Pharynx! The hive needs to be ready for her!”

“Tirek?! He drained all our magic!” Sandbar shouted. “We have to get out of here!”

“Everyone, calm down!” Starlight shouted. Silence swept across the cafeteria. Starlight took a deep breath. “Your former teachers are working on it right now. It’s my job to get you all home safely and rally your countries to help save the world.”

Slowly, calm returned to the room. Silverstream poked her head out from under a table.

“Now, everyone, go grab only your most essential things, and then head for the train station,” Starlight instructed.

The students filed out of the room and towards their dormitories as she'd ordered.

Sunburst knocked on the guidance counselor’s office. “Trixie? Are you in there?”

“The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie is always ready to help!” the mare’s voice replied, and with a flourish, she opened her door. “What do you need help with, Sunburst? Confessing your feelings to Starlight~?”

“W-what, no!” Sunburst stuttered. “No, I-I mean, we need your help. Follow me, I’ll explain on the way.”

Starlight smiled as Trixie and Sunburst returned. “All ready to go?” she asked.

“Yep! Got all my stage magic set.” Trixie pulled out a few smoke bombs with a cocky grin.

Sunburst nodded. “Take us there, Starlight.”

If any of them had thought to look outside, they would have seen six students sneaking off. But as it was, no one realized that Gallus, Smolder, Sandbar, Yona, Ocellus, and Silverstream were leaving on a mission of their own. Starlight stepped close to her two friends, and in a torrent of light, they were gone.

Once the six students were out of sight of the School of Friendship, Gallus looked to his five friends. “So, how are we gonna do this?”

“I say we show those bad guys exactly what we think of them!” Smolder answered, pounding one fist into the other with a cocky snarl.

“You haven’t seen what Chrysalis can do!” Ocellus replied fearfully. “She’s so powerful and scary. She ruled the hive for most of my life!”

“And Tirek’s really bad news too,” Sandbar agreed. “He drained all my magic before!”

“Yona think we… what pony word? Hide… attack?”

“An ambush!” Gallus finished automatically.

Yona smiled. “Yona think we ambush bad creatures when they fight professors.”

“That could work,” Silverstream said carefully. “But we’d need to catch them when they’re off-guard.”

“We should think this over at the Treehouse of Harmony,” Ocellus suggested. “It told us we’d always be safe there.”

“I agree,” Gallus said. “The Treehouse seems like a good place to me.”

“Sure,” Smolder said with a roll of her eyes. “Since I guess I’m the only one who wants a direct attack, we might as well wait at the Treehouse for when we can ambush them.”

The six friends walked or flew towards the Castle of the Two Sisters, moving quickly but cautiously. Who knew what monsters might be coming out of the Everfree now that Grogar was back?

Pinkie marched through Ponyville, singing a song that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

My name is Pinkie Pie (you know!)
And I am here to say (once more!)
It’s time to leave Ponyville ‘cause bad guys are back today

It doesn’t matter now (no sir!)
If you are brave or tough (go flee!)
‘Cause saving all my friends is what Pinkie’s here to do
‘Cause I love to see you safe, safe, safe (yes I do!)

She sang a few more verses, cheerful despite her rather dire message. She smiled wide as she saw ponies taking her advice and leaving Ponyville. With everyone from Derpy “Muffins” Doo to Lily fleeing, Ponyville quickly shifted to a ghost town.

And Pinkie was here to giggle at the ghosties!

Satisfied with the state of the town, she bounded out to her gathered friends. In just a few short hops, she'd rejoined them.

She bounced along, her voice rambling on one of her funny stories while her mind wandered. The dirt of Everfree Forest repelled her with each jump. Sproing!

Sure, riots in Canterlot had been bad. And the fact that nopony knew if Celestia, Luna, and Discord were okay was sad. But something still burned in her chest: the practiced optimism of a pony who had seen her home nearly destroyed a dozen times. Besides, if worse came to worst, she always had her failsafes.

“…And then I was like, ‘Oatmeal!? Are you crazy?’“ she finished.

“Oh Pinkie, I haven’t heard that story in ages,” Rarity said with a twinkling smile. “It’s such a great one.”

“Less stories, more taking down bad guys!” Rainbow grumbled. “We need to protect Equestria!”

“We can’t protect Equestria if we can’t protect ourselves,” Pinkie answered, “and we can’t protect ourselves if we’re all sad and gloomy. Stories and jokes are how we keep the fear away!”

Dash blinked, a hoof on her chin in contemplation. “You know, you actually might be right, Pinkie. I guess jokes do help save Equestria after all.”

Deeper in Everfree Forest, Rainbow checked over her shoulder again. Her hooves were aching to be buried in some centaur face. No matter what Pinkie tried, Rainbow’s mind always wandered back to the blast of light pressing on the princesses, Twilight’s tear-stricken face as she prepared to teleport, and the startled expression on Discord as Grogar’s beam erased him. The memory made her wings burn with fury.

“Ooh, when we catch those four, they’re gonna be sorry!” she grumbled aloud.

“Darn tootin’,” Applejack agreed. “Nopony gets away with destroyin’ Canterlot!”

“Now girls,” Fluttershy admonished, “please don't be too harsh. Remember, we don’t know why they’re doing all this in the first place.”

“We can ask them when they’re in Tartarus,” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes. “They’re bad guys. Even if someday they’ll be good like Starlight or Discord, it’s up to us to stop them now.”

“Well, I was able to talk Starlight out of being evil,” Twilight said, “and she and I convinced Stygian as well…”

“But even then, we still kept Starlight under a close watch, and we banished the Pony of Shadows after saving Stygian,” Rainbow argued. “And Grogar erased DISCORD! The others might’ve, you know, gotten rid of the princesses!”

“I completely understand your anger,” Rarity said, “but remember, we’re trying to save Equestria, not mete out justice.” She winced as she stepped into a puddle of mud. “Really, we should get this path paved.”

“Do you think Ponyville will be okay?” Fluttershy asked. Visions of the town leveled by orange-green beams flooded her mind’s eye. She beat her wings in a steady, slow rhythm. Everfree Forest wasn’t nearly as scary as it had been the first time she’d ventured in all those years ago, but it still gave her the chills.

“If it ain’t, we’ll rebuild it,” Applejack said confidently. “Our little town’s been through a lot, and I think I’m pretty good at repairin’ things, if I do so say myself.”

“We can throw a fixing-up-Ponyville-for-the-sixth-time party!” Pinkie suggested.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at that. The laughter spread like fire among the others.

After it had quieted once more, Twilight said, “I’m sure that no matter what we face, as long as we’re together we’ll prevail.”

“You aren’t freaking out? Who are you and what did you do with Twilight?” Rainbow joked. “And what did you do with her giant list?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I know I’ve freaked out a lot in the past, but I’ve come to really believe in you five. Not a single villain we’ve ever faced has managed to stand up to us working in tandem.”

At last, the Mane 6 and Spike arrived at the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was as majestic as ever, though its cold elegance was somewhat tarnished by the crystalline treehouse poking out over the top.

“Hello? Anypony here?” Applejack shouted. Her voice echoed back from the canyon just behind them. “Anypony at all?”

“They must still be coming,” Twilight said, not sounding like she believed her own words. “Let’s wait inside.”

“That way, we’ll be more likely to get the first strike,” Rainbow added.

The seven entered the ruined castle, their hooves settling on ancient, cracked stone. “It’s been forever since we last came here,” Rarity said, a wistful smile on her face. “There’s something poetic about us making our return under such dire circumstances.”

Pinkie’s entire body shook violently. “W-w-w-whoa!” She gasped. “Guys! My Pinkie sense is going haywire!”

“What does it mean, Pinkie?” Spike asked, nervously scanning the sky for falling objects.

“I have no idea. I’ve never had this combination before. But I have a feeling it’s really important.” She bounced into the reading room/bedroom, a cautiously optimistic smile on her face.

The others spread out across the reading room. As Rarity dusted the shelves, Twilight took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and felt the limitless cosmic energy flowing through her.

I won’t fail.

I can’t fail.

All of Equestria, the whole entire world, everypony is counting on me. I won’t let them down.

No matter what.

Chapter XIII

Fluttershy watched Sombra dissipating into black smoke with relieved satisfaction. He was on their side, and their family members would be safe. After Grogar was dealt with, hopefully Fluttershy and her friends wouldn’t have to destroy him. She really didn’t like lethal force, even in those kinds of situations or against ponies who found “lethal” more of a hassle than a crisis.

Once he was gone, she felt a wave of exhaustion sweeping over her. Her wings weighed her down like they were made of lead. She just wanted to snuggle up and sleep.

But before Fluttershy could bring up her concerns, Rarity spoke up. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m very drained from our previous battles today, and my horn is killing me! Do you think we could take a rest and recover?”

“Normally I’d just tell you to toughen up and ready for our rematch,” Rainbow commented, “but truth be told, I’m feeling pretty worn out too. I could use a break.”

“I’m certainly open to the idea,” Twilight offered.

“You must keep yourselves healthy!” Mage Meadowbrook insisted. “How can you help Equestria if you can’t even help yourselves?”

“Yona all ready,” Yona said with a playful grin. “Yona always ready to smash Grogar face!”

“But you’ll have a better time face-smashing if your fellow face-smashers are all working together,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“What makes this site a safe place to rest?” Twilight echoed.

“When Gallus, Ocellus, Silverstream, Sandbar, Smolder, and Yona saved me, I briefly explained,” Treelight said. “If it is rest you desire, come, bury into my roots. You will be able to sleep well.”

“Why not just take all of us to your basement?” Gallus asked with a chuckle. “Sounds like the same thing but less, uh, weird.”

“That is functional,” Treelight answered. The floor slid apart, revealing a short spiral staircase.

The twenty creatures walked down carefully. Below, pillows and blankets were scattered across the floor. Some were elevated off the ground on crystal pillars, while others were nestled between roots of the Tree of Harmony.

“Here, you will recuperate quickly,” Treelight said. “My energies will let you regain your strength in less time.”

“How long?” Twilight asked her.

“Perhaps three hours,” the Tree explained.

“Then we should ask Starlight to begin the invasion now,” Flash Magnus said. “It’ll take her a little while to bring her armies to Equestria, and giving Grogar something else to worry about while we rest will keep him from successfully performing anything really nasty.”

“Good point,” Twilight said approvingly. “Spike, take a letter.”

As Twilight dictated to Spike, Fluttershy let her mind wander again. Where is Discord? Is he alright? He did fake his injury against Sombra months ago. But Sombra is a lot less powerful than Grogar, and Grogar had used a spell that simply made Discord vanish. Will he be able to constitute himself? What if he is gone forever?

Fluttershy felt a creeping dread seep into her heart, but she pushed it down and replaced it with a determined fury. Grogar made a big mistake by hurting my friend.

She walked over to one of the piles of soft, thick blankets. She slid inside, and placed her head on a wide, fluffy pillow. She closed her eyes, blacking out the serene twilight of the Tree’s basement.

Grogar is going to see just how dangerous a kind pony who lost her friend can be.

“Read it again, Starlight,” Trixie requested. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wants to be sure she heard right.”

“Sure thing,” Starlight said. “Here goes:”

Starlight,
We really drained our energy in the battle against Grogar. We’ve decided to rest up for a little while. Grogar hasn’t done anything since we fled Canterlot, so he’s probably up to something really horrible.
We need you to begin the invasion. Hopefully, by the time you’ve reached him, we’ll be more ready to fight. See if you can draw him and any forces he has to you—away from whatever awful scheme he’s planning.
Sombra has allied himself to us. He’ll be sending us reports. Don’t worry if you see somepony under his influence; they’re actually safer than a regular pony.
I know this will sound different than my usual beliefs, but you are free to use whatever magic you deem convenient. I trust you to know when dark magic is the best option.
You can do it, Starlight. You’re the best student a teacher could ask for.
Your friend,
Twilight

“So Trixie is not crazy,” Trixie said. “It is time after all.”

“So Twilight Glimmer wants us to go ahead and attack?” Ember asked with a predatory grin.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Starlight corrected automatically. “And yes.”

“Finally, some action!” Ember said. “I was getting bored out of my mind just waiting here.”

“The hippogriff navy is ready as well,” Skybeak affirmed.

“All loyalist changelings await your signal,” Pharynx said with a frown.

He probably still doesn’t like the idea, Starlight reflected. At least he’s here with us.

“Let’s show those dweebs why nogriff messes with Griffonstone,” Gilda said, cracking her talons.

“It is our pleasure to battle alongside you,” Amira the Saddle Arabian agreed.

“Tell your armies,” Starlight said. It’s really scary. Of course it’s really scary. I’ve never led a whole host before! But a determined fire blazed in her chest, warming her limbs and melting her uncertainty. A desire to save Equestria. “We march!”

Rarity examined the makeshift bed with admiration. The Tree had even seen fit to provide her with a sleep mask. She slipped under the thick blankets into the silky sheets. The blanketsy were soft and fluffy, warm but not hot. The sheets glittered in the dim light like the Tree’s own leaves, and settled easily. With a flash of her telekinesis, the sheets drew taut over her.

Rarity lay her head back on the pillow. It was like twinkling starlight against her neck. She wondered if that was the Tree’s influence. Could it be conjuring bedding to call up my deepest feelings of contentment?

An interesting question, she thought, but I really ought to sleep. She pulled the sleep mask over her eyes, and in just a few moments, entered the realm of dreams.

As Twilight looked around the dreamscape, a cold sweat settled on her back. She was standing on exposed rock in a black, foggy void. On the edges of her vision, something moved. She whirled towards it, but there was only the fog.

“Hello?” she called out, her voice shaking. “Who’s there?”

“…I… i…,” a muffled, panicked voice answered from behind her. She turned slowly, agonizingly, but again, there was nothing but the dark rock and the fog.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, concern edging out fear for the moment. “Who are you?”

“Twilight!” the voice gasped. “Are you here?”

The voice was familiar, but still muffled by the fog. “Yes, I’m here,” she reassured, trotting towards the voice.

Princess Luna stumbled into view. “Twilight, listen to me. Grogar has something so dangerous and powerful any attack on him without countermeasures is likely to fail!”

“I know,” Twilight said, trying to be reassuring. “His Bewitching Bell.”

“No, something else,” Luna insisted. “He has—”

But Luna was cut off as a tendril of blackness pinned her mouth shut. More tentacles surrounded her, wrapping hungrily around her body. Luna slashed downward with her horn, and cried out, “Twilight, the Elements—Disharmony—!”

“The elements are gone!” Twilight answered as she dove forward to help Luna. One of the powerful tentacles batted her away like a gnat. She grit her teeth. Nopony hurts the Princess of the Moon like that!

One of the tentacles was trying to force its way down Luna’s throat. What’s it doing? How? Why? Her questions didn’t receive answers, but she knew whatever was happening couldn’t be good. She unleashed a searing beam of lavender energy towards the tentacle, and it recoiled as if bitten. Luna took the opportunity to twist around and slam a hoof down. She gasped out, “He has the—”

At that moment, a protoplasm as wide as a tree trunk crashed into her. “Guurghgk,” Luna gurgled. “Go!”

Twilight ignored Luna’s command without hesitation. She jumped forward to grab Luna, but the tentacles pulled Luna away into the black fog.

Twilight fell to her knees. “Luna!” she screamed. “Luna!” She felt warm, salty tears dripping down her face. Luna was gone. She wasn’t able to save her.

“No,” Twilight whispered. She let herself weep freely. Even in the realm of dreams, Twilight wasn’t powerful enough to protect the ponies she loved.

A hissing echo made Twilight look up. The shadow tendrils were drawing closer. She stared them down defiantly. What more can they do to me?

A cold, cruel chuckle she distantly recognized offered her an answer. Twilight backed up quickly, but a rock wall materialized suddenly behind her. She looked up, somehow knowing exactly who was there, but hoping against hope she was wrong.

She wasn’t. A midnight-black alicorn in battle regalia strode towards her. Nightmare Moon regarded her with undisguised hatred.

“You failed me, Twilight Sparkle,” Nightmare Moon said. Her voice froze Twilight’s blood, and she ignited her horn in blue fire. “You failed us all.”

“This isn’t you, Luna,” Twilight pleaded. “Please…”

“Be still, Twilight Sparkle,” Nightmare Moon ordered. “I have not come to harm you. No, there is still one nightmare you have yet to bear witness to.” Nightmare Moon fired her magic at the black fog, cleaving it in two, revealing what lay behind.

Twilight watched in mute horror. There, bathed in the dark purple radiance of dark magic, was Twilight herself.

But this Twilight had slits for pupils. She had a flowing, ethereal mane. She wore black armor with silver inlay. Her horn blazed purple-black, and she gave Twilight an imperious stare.

And at her hooves lay Celestia and Luna’s broken crowns.

“Behold your fate,” Nightmare Moon said. “Behold what you will become!”

Twilight struggled to find a reply. No, no, she thought, silent in horror. That’s not right.

“There is no hope to prevail against Grogar,” the dark Twilight said. “You cannot win.”

“We still have the power of the Tree of Harmony!” Twilight claimed, her voice shaking. Was she trying to convince the dark Twilight, or herself? “It has always won!”

“You do,” Nightmare Moon agreed. “And yet, wasn’t I trying to tell you of Grogar’s secret weapon before you failed to save me?”

No. No. Dread seeped into Twilight’s very bones. Somehow, she knew what was coming.

“Through the Tree, you seek the power of the Elements of Harmony,” Nightmare Moon. Her voice was cold but, strangely, not quite cruel. Perhaps she simply didn’t care enough about Twilight to go out of her way to hurt her any more. “But what you do not know is that your pet viper has been defanged. Grogar has found the Elements of Disharmony.”

Those three words were enough to send Twilight spinning into the rock wall. Elements of Disharmony. What? How can they be real? Why hasn’t any book described them? Why didn’t anypony tell me?

The dark Twilight lifted her crown and pulled out the blackened star atop it. “Embrace your destiny, Twilight Sparkle. I am your future.”

“No!” Twilight screamed, her voice cracking. Nightmare Twilight set her horn ablaze, and Twilight herself was paralyzed in a cloud of purplish-black magic. She could only watch motionlessly as the dark Twilight held up her corrupted Element of Magic, and pointed it outwards. A surge of congealed green, black, and purple magic swept over Twilight, and the world went black.

“No!” Twilight screamed, jerking upright. Her face was soaking wet with sweat and tears. “No!”

Slowly, she caught her breath. She was back in the Treehouse of Harmony’s basement, safe and sound. Her friends were looking at her with worry. “Are you alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, her voice colored with . “Ya were yellin’, and cryin’, and, uhhh…”

“Convulsing,” Pinkie offered. “Like you had too much sugar, except the bad kind of too much sugar, not the fun kind.”

“We tried to shake you awake,” Rainbow said, “but it was like you were trapped in your dream!”

“I was,” Twilight said, pain stabbing through her voice. “Luna was there, and she tried to w-warn me, but then the darkness attacked her, and I… I…”

Fluttershy wrapped Twilight in a hug with her wing, and held her for a long, peaceful moment. “When you’re ready, Twilight. Not before.”

“I c-couldn’t save her,” Twilight admitted weakly. “She was dragged away, and then… then Nightmare Moon returned. She showed me my future, and it was an evil version of myself, like Nightmare Moon or Daybreaker! She told me of the El-Elements of Disharmony, and then… then I woke up.”

“Elements of Disharmony?” Starswirl echoed. “Do such things even exist?”

“My n-nightmare form thought so,” Twilight replied. “And my evil self had one. It looked just like one of the jewels floating around Grogar, so… maybe?”

“Could this have been a trick?” Spike suggested. “An attempt to scare you into thinking Grogar had this kind of power?”

“Or the return of the Tantabus?” Rainbow asked.

“I guess it could be either,” Twilight agreed after a long moment of hesitation. “I just don’t know.”

“You should try to sleep again,” Fluttershy said, her voice kind. “You’ll need your energy.”

Twilight was about to answer, when Spike spoke up. “I’ll snuggle with you, Twilight,” he said firmly. “You need a nice, long, comforting hug from your Number One Assistant.”

“I really do,” Twilight acknowledged. “But you know what I need even more?”

“What?” Spike asked.

“A nice, long, comforting hug from my little brother.”

Sombra quickly flew up the sheer walls of Canterlot mountain. As a cloud of smoke he could move at speeds unrivaled by all by the fastest pegasi, and unlike pegasi, a snowstorm even of this magnitude didn’t impede his movement. As he rose, he considered his course of action.

Naturally, the first and most important concern is my own survival. The rest of the Legion lacks the power to resurrect me, and the Elements or Princesses would never want to. This is most likely my last life in several centuries at least, and quite possibly ever.

Hopefully, he thought, I’ll be able to learn Grogar’s plans and subtly interfere with them in such a way I’m not at risk myself. Survival isn’t my sole concern, of course. If I only wanted to survive, I could stay a cloud of fog and hide in an ocean trench.

No, I have plans. Plans for conquest, plans for slicing up Equestria with my new allies, and plans for eliminating the Elements as soon as Grogar is dealt with. The thought filled him with satisfaction. It really is a shame faceless smoke monsters can’t smile.

He crested the rim of Canterlot, and looked out across the city’s ruins. Drifts of snow swept from one collapsed building to another, but his eyes were drawn to the blue lines in every street. What are they?

Sombra floated down to examine the glowing lines. They crackled an eerie, brilliant blue. They were painted or carved onto the streets in astounding complexity, spread all across Canterlot. What was Grogar doing?

A gust of wind scattered a drift of snow onto the lines. As soon as the snow came into contact with the lines it vanished, leaving no trace, not even steam, behind.

He felt a creeping sense of unease sneak through him. He didn’t recognize the symbols or inscriptions, and none of the ritual polygons were even remotely familiar. Whatever was at play here, it was something he had never encountered before.

Sombra steeled his will, and set out to find Grogar. The snow pelted down through him as the Windigos raged high above. In this form, even extreme cold did not harm him, but the thick snow and the dimming light of dusk still made it almost impossible to see. In the distance, he could just make out his swarm of brainwashed ponies marching in ordered rows.

There, a bit of blue motion! Sombra dashed towards it. Grogar was holding a stick, and with it drawing more fiery blue lines on the street. Six jewels orbited him, and his Bell hung from his neck.

“Grogar!” Sombra said, forcing himself into a bow. “I have returned.”

“Well?” Grogar growled, not looking up from his work. “What took you so long? What did you learn at the Tree of Harmony’s ruins?”

“The Tree survived, or was resurrected,” Sombra answered, trying to keep his tone deferential. “It very nearly captured me, and I was weakened enough I was unable to return until now.”

“Survived?” Grogar snorted. “You even managed to mess up that part of your plan?”

Sombra scowled. I am a King! I shouldn’t have to take this kind of backtalk. “It is hardly my fault. It’s a very resilient tree.”

“We will discuss your failure later,” Grogar muttered. He finally turned to Sombra. “Setting that aside for the moment, were the Elements of Harmony recreated as well?” His face was etched with undisguised contempt.

“No,” Sombra said. “And the Tree is not likely to be an obstacle to us. It is powerful, but its power seems to be very localized. I doubt it can reach anywhere further than Ponyville.”

“I agree,” Grogar said, “but just to be sure, destroy it again.”

“Did you miss the part where it nearly destroyed me?” Sombra demanded. Grogar is treating me as if I’m disposable!

“No,” Grogar replied, turning back to his work. “And you happen to have a legion of ordinary ponies. Direct them to destroy it for you. It will have little or no affect upon them.”

Sombra thought it over. This would let him relocate the ponies out of Canterlot, pleasing the Bearers, and Sombra wouldn’t have to face the Tree himself. “So be it.”

“Do so now,” Grogar ordered. “And above all, do not damage these sigils.”

With a nod and a halfhearted attempt at a bow, Sombra took off into the air, and flew back to his minions. They had looted weapons and armor from the city, and now looked like nothing so much as a dark mirror of the Royal Guards. He coalesced at the front of the formation. They saluted, and he smirked. It’s good to have minions again. But having a face and voice to smile smugly and gloat with is such an underrated boon.

“All troops, march into the Everfree Forest,” he ordered. “Form phalanxes and defend yourselves from attacks, but do not engage targets. Search and locate the Tree of Harmony.” He added, more quietly, “Defend it and do not harm it, but be ready to destroy it if I order you to.”

“Yes, King Sombra,” they answered in unison. Sombra watched with satisfaction as they marched down the mountain.

He examined the blue cracks blazing under his hooves. It would probably be easy to inject some magic-neutralizing crystals here and ruin the entire ritual. But Grogar would definitely notice, and he’d investigate. He’d find my tampering, and that would be the end of King Sombra.

Sombra shook his head. It’s so disgustingly base to obey some senile old goat. But if I can’t sabotage his spell, the only other idea we came up with was for me to stay near Grogar, observe him, and learn what he’s been doing. Then I’ll report back.

Sombra floated down beside Grogar and returned to a solid form. “It is done,” he said. “But my curiosity demands I must ask: what have you been doing with all those blue lines of energy?”

“As the other three have proven traitors and you have proven incompetent,” Grogar grumbled, “I am contacting some old allies. Do not interfere.”

“Understood,” Sombra said.

“You should know, however, that despite your manifest failure, your loyalty has earned you the Crystal Empire,” Grogar continued. “Once we complete our conquest, it will be yours.”

Sombra mulled that over. It would certainly be nice to have the Crystal Empire back. But Grogar would be my overlord, not my partner. And I’ve already had enough of his superiority for a lifetime.

After a moment, Sombra forced a smiled. “Thank you. It is an honor.”

“Now, leave me,” Grogar instructed. “I must focus.”

Sombra obligingly trotted away, deep in his thoughts. What “old allies” is Grogar contacting? Since Grogar wanted peace and quiet, Sombra would just have to spy on him from afar. With a flash of dark magic, he created a few crystals, polished them to a perfect shine, and fused them together into a set of binoculars. He settled down in a snowbank to watch the ram at work.