Ring Around The Moon -- Part II

Chapters

The Last Day
The Last Sunset
Ring Around The Moon
Not Exactly Friends
The Summer Celebration

The Last Day

The morning dawned bright and warm, the skies brilliant blue and scattered with leftover cloud from the cleansing rain overnight. And all of Canterlot, indeed all of Equestria, woke to face the day with a chill in their hearts. This was it, the last day before the summer solstice. And if legend held true, the last day of the millennium.

The last day... before the Return.

As ponies in Canterlot awoke and set about their tasks, preparing for the grand royal Summer Sun Celebration proper, they all wondered:

What will tomorrow bring? And will there even be one?

Tempest trotted in through the entry doors of the tower room, then shut them firmly behind her. She stared at the doors doubtfully, as if uncertain how resiliant they were. Then she turned and headed up the stairs and across the silent main room. Passing through the library stacks, she came at last to the makeshift bunkroom beyond.

Originally it had been little more than a large storage closet. Twilight had set up a small cot next to its sole window as a place to crash whenever her obsessive studying kept her up late. Over time, seeing no objection, she'd gradually taken up residence, eventually moving in a small but comfortable bed and setting Spike's wicker basket near its foot. She needed little else; practically everything she considered hers was sitting on a bookshelf somewhere.

With its extra occupants, the room was more than a little crowded, but Twilight didn't mind. To her, it was like a secret clubhouse, or a never-ending slumber party.

And that's why we all like her, Tempest thought. To Twilight, everything's an opportunity to look on the bright side...

As Tempest stepped into the room she swung a hoof, gently kicking the open barrel that lay on its side next to her cot. Grubber snorted, then jolted awake, staring around worriedly. And then the hedgehog began carefully extricating himself from the den of blankets he bundled himself up in at night.

To the right side of the room was the pair of bunks that Starlight and Trixie used. Starlight was in the upper bunk and Trixie the lower. To preserve everyone's sanity Starlight had a hoofkerchief tied around her snout to help keep her bear-like snoring to a minimum. And Trixie had her forehooves stuck in a hoof-trap. They'd discovered by accident it was an effective way of keeping her from giving performances in her sleep. Trixie's theory was that it tricked her subconscious into thinking she was performing a daring escape routine, for which she normally maintained strict silence.

On the left side of the room Moondancer lay on the lower bunk, one forehoof dangling over its edge as if reaching for something. And there was a small plush bear lying on the floor beneath it. With a smile, Tempest scooped up the bear and resettled Moondancer's hoof around it. Hugging it, Moondancer rolled over and settled comfortably back to sleep.

On the bunk above, Sunset was sprawled on her back, droning deeply and groggily. She was definitely a night owl, and tended to be the last one awake in the morning.

Finally, Tempest came to Twilight's bed, near the window. The lavender unicorn lay back on her pillow, totally relaxed and gently snoring. She looked so peaceful, Tempest was inclined to just turn around and leave again. Reluctantly, she shrugged a forehoof out of its armored shoe and gently reached out to nudge her friend awake.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead..." she whispered.

"Mrm... hmm... wha...?" Twilight muttered. And then her eyes shot open. "I don't know!" she gasped confusedly. "I don't know what happened to the dictionary, mommy! I didn't eat it! I... uhh..."

Tempest raised an eyebrow, smirking at her.

"Oh." Twilight sat up, and rubbed her eyes. "Morning, Tempest. Um, what's up? Is something wrong?"

Tempest thought for a moment. Then she tilted her head, giving Twilight an amused look.

"That depends..." she replied. "Define wrong."

Several minutes later, the still-sleepy ponies were all gathered on the balcony atop the tower's stairs, looking down at the quad below... and at the huge crowd that had gathered there, practically overnight. Many had set up camp, with tents and blankets. And some simply sat there, on chairs or on the lawn itself, looking up towards the tower in eager anticipation.

"Who are they?" Twilight gasped, staring. "Where'd they all come from?"

"Out of town, mostly, from what the guards say," Tempest replied. "They're here for the Celebration."

Spotting Twilight, the crowd let out a loud, exuberant cheer, waving enthusiastically.

"And hoping to catch a glimpse of Equestria's defenders," Tempest added.

Twilight hunched, eyes wide. "Gah! What do we do, Tempest?"

"What else? Smile and wave, Twilight," Tempest suggested calmly. "Smile and wave."

Twilight did so, feeling seriously out of her element. It provoked an even louder roar from the crowd. The other ponies joined her, and hesitantly waved as well, adding to the applause. They all glanced at each other, uneasily.

"This... is gonna make getting around a bit more complicated," Starlight said.

"Ha! You think?" Sunset said with a grin.

"It'll be all right," Tempest said. "Grubber and I have experience with getting into and out of places without being seen."

"That we do, boss!" The hedgehog nodded proudly.

"And if need be," Tempest went on, "we can always ask the Guard to provide an escort. It does mean we'll want to exercise caution. Crowds like this always bring out the crazies." She glared around at her friends. "So no wandering around by yourselves -- and be careful when talking with ponies you don't know. Understood?"

The others nodded.

Twilight just stared down at the excited faces below, a small, frightened look on her face. Then she drew herself up, put on a determined expression, and swung round to face the others.

"All right, everypony!" she said. "Let's not let this distract us. We've got work to do. Let's go have breakfast, and then get to it."

There was silence in the tall, glass-domed gallery: the silence of libraries... or of tombs.

Sunset Shimmer sat alone in the main gallery of the museum at the Canterlot Archives. Outside, the guards were firmly keeping back curious onlookers, both guests and staff, allowing Sunset to have the room.

Much good that it does me, she thought morosely.

She sat in the middle of the marble floor, staring up at the tree-like clockwork orrery with its five stone orbs, set on their individual sconces, each orb with its own unique embossed icon.

And she sighed.

"Kindness..." she said, pointing a hoof to each of them in turn. "Laughter. Generosity. Honesty. Loyalty. And the sixth, most mysterious element, the one that summons them, and binds them together: Magic..."

"Sunset?"

Turning, Sunset saw Twilight Sparkle peering in through the doorway.

"Hey, Twilight."

"Spike said you'd headed over here," Twilight trotted over to sit beside her. "Are these...?"

"Yeah, they are. I figured I'd give it one last try, just for old time's sake." Sunset gestured with a hoof at the silent orbs. "But no dice. I still can't reactivate the Elements. They're pretty much just museum pieces now."

"Well, then it's good Celestia had them moved here," Twilight said. "You didn't have to traipse all the way through the Everfree Forest to get to them."

Sunset stared up at the silent orbs.

"I would've," she whispered. "If that was what was needed..."

"What's wrong, Sunset?"

"Nothing." Sunset shook her head. "It's silly..."

"No, come on. Tell me."

Sunset looked at her. "I wanted to be Princess, Twilight. I thought I deserved it, that reactivating the Elements would prove it -- prove I was worthy to be Princess." She gazed up at the Elements again. "I can't help but feel I've failed somehow. Yeah, I know. With the Field of Harmony we don't really need the Elements any longer, but I can't help feeling like... uhm..."

"... like we should need them? Like something's still missing?"

"Yeah."

"Join the club." Twilight nodded. "I feel the same way. I keep telling myself it's just nerves. But I'm still not sure." Then she put a hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "But don't ever think you've failed us, Sunset. Without you, we might not have realized we were going in the wrong direction. We might not have the Field spell at all. And besides which, I just can't imagine having to deal with, well... everything we're dealing with here, without you backing me up."

Twilight stared up at the Elements herself. "You don't have anything to prove, Sunset," she said. "You're already such a good friend!"

"Thanks, Twilight," Sunset said, smiling. "Hadn't realized how much I needed to hear somepony say that."

And then she stared at Twilight. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Say just the right thing, at the right moment, without even trying? Seriously! You're caring when it's what we need, and bluntly truthful when that's what we need, and smart, and funny, and... I dunno! Everything!"

Twilight shrugged. "Whatever I am, I've picked up from being with all of you. You've all taught me so much, being my friends."

"But you know how to use it, Twilight. You know how to give it back, in lots of little ways. And not just occasionally... all the time! You're always there for us, keeping us together, helping us find the way to go."

"I'm the Princess's student. I guess I feel it's my responsibility to apply what she's taught me, in everything I say and everything I do. I try to do as she'd do, live up to the example she's set for all of us."

Sunset nodded. "And you sure do, a lot better than I could. I only wanted to be a Princess, Twilight -- but you... you know how to act like one!"

Twilight looked uncomfortable at that.

"What is it?" Sunset asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Nothing. Just... got a lot on my mind right now. Look, if we can tear you away? We were just about to go check on the preparations for the Sun Celebration."

Sunset looked over her shoulder, saw the other ponies standing in the hallway outside, looking in at them. "Oh, geez! I haven't been keeping you all waiting, have I?"

Twilight shook her head. "You looked like you needed a minute. We didn't want to rush you."

"Well," Sunset said, standing up, "enough of this sitting around fretting over what might have been. Time to step up and deal with what is. Right?"

"Absolutely!"

Together, they strode out of the gallery and rejoined the others, leaving the clockwork tree and its silent orbs behind...

... and thus failed to notice a faint, flickering shimmer that briefly played across the surface of the stone spheres...

As Twilight and her friends trotted along Diamond Avenue, heading for the Celebration area, they could all sense it: the tension in the air, the looks of anxiety and resigned dread in the faces of ponies all around them... as well as the hopeful glances shown to Twilight's group, the bowed and respectful heads as they passed by...

"Woah..." Moondancer said. "They all look so frightened!"

"No kidding," Sunset agreed. "It's like the end of the world out here. And I can't say I blame 'em. I mean, I've got the map, and I'm worried!"

"Then isn't it lucky for them," Trixie asked, in her familiar, lofty tones, "that they have the Grrreat and Powerful... er..." She suddenly glanced around and dropped the act. "It's good they have all of us to rely on, isn't it?"

"You said it," Starlight nudged her. "No pressure on us, eh, bestie?"

Trixie managed a weak smile in return.

Spike looked up at the nearly cloud-free sky. "At least the day's starting out nice."

"Hmph..." Tempest glanced up at it herself, doubtfully. "Seems like it's always unreasonably nice... right before the big storm hits."

"Oh, come on, ponies!" Cheese Sandwich sprang in the air, turned a backflip, and landed right in front of the group trotting backwards. His curly hair was frizzy with excitement. "What's with the long faces? This is it! The day we've been waiting for! The day we show the world the kind of ponies we really are!"

From nowhere, music began playing, and he launched into song:

It's time to party-party-party,
Like you've never done before!
Grab a friend, let's not pretend!
It's what we've waited for!

A brand new day!
We'll show the way!
A smile, a laugh, a grand HOORAY!
Show these ponies it's okay,
We're here, it's now,
and we all sayyyy...

There is no better world,
There is no better time,
There is no better place to be
Then here right now!
You and me!
We're here, it's now...
It's timmmme!

Let's PARRRR-TYYYY!

Cheese pulled out an accordion and began playing it with abandon. He danced on down the street like a one-pony marching band, waving children and trades-ponies over to join in and dance and sing with him, as he invented verse after verse on the spot, off the top of his head. Even the stuffiest of the nobles were at least nodding their heads to the beat and giving indulgent smiles, as he swept blithely past them.

Despite their worries, Twilight and the others smiled too. There was just something about Cheese's unhinged enthusiasm, his over-the-top optimism, that made it impossible to stay gloomy watching him caper about.

"You know what?" Twilight said, "He's right. We're not just organizing the Celebration. We need to reassure everypony as well. Let them know it's okay, let them know that they should feel like celebrating, today of all days."

"And how do we do that?" Starlight asked.

"By showing the colors," Tempest said. "We're their protectors, after all. They'll take their cue from us."

"Right!" Twilight said. "They need to see us, need to see that we're okay, and we've got it together, so they don't have to worry."

"Good idea," Sunset said. "We should split up, mingle with the crowds, quarter the city. Let ponies see us around and about doing stuff, talking to everyone. Let them see that we're on the case, making it happen."

This suggestion at first appeared to make Tempest uncomfortable, but then she nodded.

"So long as each of you has a Guard escort," she said. "We don't need anypony going missing, today of all days. And no running off on your own, or you'll have me to deal with. Got it?"

They all nodded.

"But," Spike said, "what about checking on the preparations?" He held up the scroll the Chief Steward had given them.

Sunset trotted over to him. "Let Spike and me handle that. Cheese needs to work on decorating the main Celebration area anyway... as well as arranging our little surprise for later. Spike and I can cover everything else on the list. That leaves the rest of you free to work on circulating, keeping everypony's spirits up."

"You sure about that, Sunset?" Twilight asked, uneasily. "We don't want to load it all on you."

"Hey, I'm your backup, Twilight! I got this! Just think of me as like, virtual you... from another dimension." She grinned.

"Okay, then!" Twilight said. "Let's do this! We'll all meet back at the Celebration area for the opening ceremonies. Sound good, everypony?"

The others nodded. Tempest quickly assigned Guard escorts for each of them, and then the group split up, setting off in various directions to cover the most ground.

And Sunset looked to Spike.

"Okay, so what's first on our list?"

"Uh... banquet preparations!" he read.

The Last Sunset

It was crowded around the main worktable in the tower room that evening, when they all sat down for an early supper. They had Twilight's team, including Spike and Grubber, and the irrepressible Cheese Sandwich. And there were Sunset's new friends from Ponyville -- or old friends, depending on how you looked at it -- plus Sunburst, at Starlight's invitation. The combined group completely filled all the available space around the table.

They'd considered doing something formal, maybe booking a room at a fancy restaurant and dining out, so they could continue to be seen in public as the Celebration partied on into the evening. But in the end, they decided it was better to take a break and order in, so they could have a quiet, private meal in the company of ponies who were in the know.

After a brief debate they settled on Dragon food, from a local hole-in-the-wall eatery that Twilight and Spike knew about. As they passed around the boxes of rice, and platters of noodles, vegetables, and sweet-and-sour lava rocks, they chatted about how busy the day had been, and how well the Celebration seemed to be going. And Twilight made a point to thank each of them personally, for everything they'd contributed throughout the day -- much as she'd seen Celestia do after particularly tricky diplomatic functions.

Toward the end of the meal Starlight looked up, and stared out through the window wall.

"There goes the Sun," she said.

They all turned and watched in silence, as the blazing orb sank in the west, turning golden, then orange and red, and finally slipping away altogether behind the distant hills.

After an unnervingly long interval, the Moon finally arose. It shone bright and cold in the deep purple sky. The Stars twinkled, bright and sharp, in their familiar constellations. The Moon's Mare shadow loomed menacingly, and the Shepherd Stars, positioned in a tetrahedron around the Moon, seemed to be sparkling with particular intensity.

The ponies were all quiet, staring at each other, while Spike and Grubber busied themselves turning lights on around the room.

"We should've been with her," Sunset finally said.

Twilight nodded. "I did ask. She said she preferred being alone, this one final time." Her face fell. "I think I can understand why."

"Heck, yeah!" Applejack said. "Lookin' up at the Moon, knowin' her sister's up there, ready to come chargin' down here on the morrow. Not knowin' what's gonna happen to everything and everypony she cares about..."

Twilight rapped the table with a hoof.

"Well, she doesn't have to worry," she said authoritatively. "Because she's got all of us. And we're not going to let her down. Right, everypony?"

They all nodded in solemn agreement.

"Okay, like we planned, we'll turn in early," Twilight went on. "Try to get whatever rest we can, so we're all ready for tomorrow. And we'll take it in shifts to visit the Celebration area, so ponies see us there. And we'll all head down together tomorrow morning before sunrise, to be ready for the ceremony itself."

She turned to their Ponyville guests. "Applejack, you and the others are more than welcome to stay with us this evening if you want." She smiled uneasily. "To be honest, we'd be glad of your company!"

"It'd be an honor, ma'am! Er, sorry... Twilight!"

Afterward the ponies sorted out who'd be bunking where, and then most of the guests departed to let friends and family know where they'd be. In Fluttershy's case, it was to make certain that her birds were fed and watered properly, and safely tucked in for the night.

Twilight picked out a favorite book and withdrew to sit quietly by the window wall, with Spike for company. She made a show of looking calm and collected, only occasionally glancing up at the Moon, high overhead.

But the others could all sense she was nervous -- tense, like a spring wound too tight and ready to snap. None of them understood why. And it had them all on edge.

Tempest sat a short distance away from her, acting as a kind of implicit buffer wall, affording Twilight the solitude she seemed to want. Grubber was seated next to Tempest, and eyeing Twilight himself with concern.

"Everything arranged?" Tempest suddenly asked quietly, not even looking at Grubber.

"Uh huh." Grubber nodded. "I talked to the pony who runs the curio-shop in Dark Town, called in a favor or two. They'll have guys in place, in the crowd tomorrow. If things go south, you just give the signal. They'll nab Twilight, and get her out of town fast."

"They understand she's not to be harmed? Or held for ransom? I hope that was made quite clear."

"Oh, yeah," Grubber nodded. "I made sure they knew that you'd be really put out if she was hurt, boss!"

Tempest frowned. "I want Twilight kept safe, whatever happens. And you --" She glared at him. "You disreputable cake-disposal... you go with her to make sure of it!"

"But... what about you, boss?"

Tempest sighed. "If it comes to that," she said darkly. "Don't worry about me. I can look after myself." Then she shut her eyes. "I just hope I don't have to."

Over at the main worktable, Starlight was going over a complex spell scroll. Not the Field spell, but the other one, the one she'd been working on as a sideline.

"Here we go, Starlight," Sunburst said, trotting over from the library shelves with a number of books and scrolls floating in his magic. "I've got Clover's treatise on Teleportation, plus everything I could find on levitation."

Starlight nodded. "And I've got the mirror portal activation spell here." She gestured with a hoof. "Plus the original version of Star Swirl's time displacement spell."

"Woah!" Sunburst resettled his glasses nervously as he sat down next to her. "That's some seriously advanced stuff, Starlight!"

Starlight smiled sheepishly. "One of the advantages of unrestricted access to the Archives. Nopony asks why you need stuff. Now, if we can finish working out the common basis for all of these, and combine them, we should have the ultimate failsafe spell. It can get a pony to safety, from any place, any time, anywhere."

"Cool!" Sunburst agreed. "But... why do you need something like that?"

"It's not for me," Starlight said, glancing over her shoulder. "It's for Twilight. Just in case something goes wrong. After all she's done for us, I want to be sure she has a way out, if she needs one."

"I hear you," Sunburst nodded. "But let's just hope it doesn't come to that, right?"

"Let's hope," Starlight agreed, as they started going through the texts and taking down notes.

On the other side of the worktable, near the temporary cots that they'd set up for Applejack and the others, Trixie was walking Sunset through the first trick she'd ever learned on her own: the rope cut-and-restore illusion.

"You see?" Trixie said. "In this version, the end part of the rope is actually cut... but I'm holding it in such a way that when I undo the knot..." She tugged the rope-end, causing the knot to fall open, "the rope appears completely unharmed."

"Wow, show that me again," Sunset said, shaking her head in amazement. "Starlight was right -- you make it look so easy!"

"It's Trixie's talent." The showpony shrugged. "To read the crowd, to fool the eye, to give the audience what they want. And sometimes... sometimes I wish I wasn't so good at it!" She gave Sunset a weak smile. "Thanks for keeping an eye on me. Just to make sure Trixie doesn't pull any fast ones... tonight of all nights."

"Not a problem." Sunset returned the smile. "You still haven't heard anything from... you know who?"

Trixie shook her head. "Not a thing, Sunset. I feel like she's abandoned me! Like... I just don't matter to her any more. Assuming I ever did."

"Well, you matter to us, that's for sure." Sunset grinned reassuringly. And then her expression turned somber. "What do you think of our chances tomorrow? You think we'll actually pull it off?"

"Of course!" Trixie smirked. "Twilight will make it work. She's so smart, so perfect! She always has the answer. Except when she doesn't, of course -- and then she goes all to pieces!" Trixie giggled. "But Trixie feels confident Twilight will pull it off, as usual."

"Well, you're the only one who is. We're all on edge tonight. Especially Twilight, for some reason. And it's more than just the obvious, I can tell. I just wish I knew what it is that's got her so nervous."

"Hmph! Probably obsessing over minutia, as usual," Trixie said. "She needs to learn to chill, see the big picture, that's all."

"Maybe so." Sunset considered it for a bit. "But, just as a backup... have you ever made a pony disappear?"

"Well..." Trixie considered it. "Once Trixie made a whole grain silo disappear! But that was because it was full of hay-dust and the firework spell kinda sorta backfired." She grinned, embarrassed.

"Well, if anything should go wrong, let's you and me work together to provide a distraction, huh? Let Twilight and the others get to safety. Then we can regroup, and figure out what to do next. Okay?"

"Of course!" Trixie smiled proudly. "Distraction? That's Trixie's middle name!"

Off to the side, Moondancer sat at her own worktable, putting the finishing touches on The Legends and Truths Concerning Nightmare Moon. She looked up and around at her friends, in particular at Twilight. Then she shook her head in distress. She wished there was something she could do for Twilight, anything at all, to help with whatever it was that was troubling her. But she didn't want to intrude. Twilight had a lot to deal with right now. Best to just not be a bother, Moondancer told herself, unhappily.

Throughout it all, Cheese Sandwich trotted around the room happily, apparently unconcerned, a tray of cupcakes balanced on one hoof.

Suddenly turning and crossing the room, he headed over towards the window wall, trotting right past Tempest as if she wasn't even there.

And to everypony's surprise, she let him get away with it.

He plunked down next to Twilight and Spike, and offered the tray. "Cupcake for your thoughts?"

"Oh, hi!" Twilight said. "Thanks, Cheese, but really I'm not hungry right now."

"A lot on your mind?"

"You could say that," Twilight sighed, staring up through the window.

"Wanna talk about it?" Cheese grinned. "I promise I won't tell! Party pony's honor!" He crossed his heart, wiggled his hooves, then put a hoof over one eye.

Twilight stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, it's something Pinkie taught me. For when you're making an extra-special kind of promise: the kind you absolutely, positively don't ever want to break!"

Twilight smiled at that... briefly. And then her expression turned serious again.

Cheese eyed her. "I tell you what," he said. "I'll tell you something that's been worrying me, make it a fair trade."

"Oh? What?"

"Well...

I may have told a little fib,
About my pony past,
I hope that when you hear the truth,
You will not be aghast...

And then he suddenly dropped back to a speaking voice.

"I want to level with you, Twilight. This Celebration? It's actually only my third major gig so far." He nodded at her surprised look. "Truthfully! Yeah, sure, I've thrown a few parties here and there. But small stuff, nothing on this scale. In fact... if it wasn't for Pinkie helping out, I'm not sure I'd have made it work on my own."

"But it's been great!" Twilight protested. "The Celebration's a huge success. Everyone's enjoying it. They're having a great time in spite of their fears!"

"And I'm glad for that," Cheese said. "Really I am. But... I just didn't want you thinking I was somepony I wasn't. I can't do it all on my own. Most of the time, I have help, from ponies who need to feel like they're part of the fun, part of the excitement. Ponies who have just enough party-pony in them, and only need someone to lead the way, give them a reason to show it. Or someone they can pin the blame on. Either way, it's all good." He grinned. "So... you're not mad at me?"

"Are you kidding?" Twilight smiled. "You've been exactly the party pony we need, Cheese. Right from the very start."

"Thanks, Twilight."

She gave him a suspicious look. "And... you're telling me this... why?"

"Because," Cheese said, giving her a look, "I'm not the only pony here trying to pull off something alone... when she really should call in her friends to help."

Twilight stared at him, her mouth open. And then she shut it, and nodded.

"You're right, Cheese, I am. It's just... well, it's felt like it's my responsibility and nopony else's. But that's just silly... isn't it?"

"Well," Cheese suggested with a gentle smile, "why don't you tell us all about it? And then we'll know."

A few minutes later, they were all gathered around the worktable.

"I want to apologize," Twilight said. "I've been keeping something to myself, something very important. And that's been the problem all along, hasn't it? Ponies not telling ponies things they should." She shook her head. "I'm definitely Celestia's student. I'm starting to act just like her."

"What is it, Twilight?" Sunset asked, glancing around at the others.

"When the imprisonment spell ends, and Nightmare Moon returns, Princess Celestia isn't entirely sure what will happen. In particular, what's going to happen to her. But she's pretty sure it'll mean she won't be here to help us -- that we'll be facing Nightmare Moon all on our own!" Twilight nodded at the looks on their faces. "Yeah... that's just how I felt. But the Princess feels that we're ready, that we have what it takes to succeed. She believes in us. She trusts us. She's certain that if any ponies can pull this off, it's us."

"Well, okay then," Sunset said, seriously. "So we will. Right, everypony?" They all nodded. "It's scary, yeah," Sunset went on, "but we'll deal. We can do this." She grinned. "The same way we've been doing it all along: one hoof at a time."

Starlight nodded in agreement. "So... is that all you were worried about, Twilight?" she asked with a nervous grin.

"No, actually, there's something more," Twilight said. "And this is the real shocker. Even if all goes well, it's just possible that Celestia might not return, afterward. And if that happens, then... well, she's given orders that put me in charge."

"In charge?" Starlight asked. "Of what? Of Canterlot?"

"Of everything!" Twilight said desperately. "Of Equestria! If Celestia doesn't return, she wants me to succeed her as Princess. Me!"

"Woah!" Grubber said, eyes wide.

Moondancer nodded. "Took the words right out of my mouth!"

"Gosh, Twilight!" Spike shouted. "You, a Princess? That... would be... awesome!"

"No... it... would... not!" Twilight retorted. "Celestia wants me to decide what to do if she doesn't return. She's putting the future of the entire nation in my hooves. And I'm not ready for that! I'm not ready to make decisions for an entire country! Not on my own, that's for sure! So, I'm telling you all this because I'm going to need help, lots of it! From friends I know I can trust and rely on..."

She looked around at them all.

"... like, all of you?"

The group looked at each other, then back at Twilight.

"Twilight," Tempest said sourly, "do you honestly think there's any doubt whatsoever that we're with you on this? One hundred percent?"

"You said it!" Moondancer nodded. "We've got your back, Twilight. All of us!"

The others nodded in agreement. And then Sunset grinned... and laughed.

"Now I get it," she said. "Now I know why that look on your face was so familiar. It's exactly how I used to look, whenever I thought hard about what it would mean, if Celestia made me a Princess. Excited, and kinda terrified, all at the same time." She nodded. "I get it, Twilight, totally. And don't you worry, Moondancer's right. Whatever happens, we've got your back. We'll face Nightmare Moon tomorrow, get that all sorted out, and then... well, assuming we should be so lucky we'll figure out the rest as it comes. Deal?"

"Deal," Twilight said, grinning. "And thanks, everypony. You don't know what a relief it is, having friends like all of you." She sighed nervously. "I hope that never changes -- not ever!"

"Seriously?" Tempest smirked. "Not much chance of that happening, is there?"

Later in the evening, having escorted Starlight and Trixie down to the Celebration area to take their watch over the festivities, Tempest trotted back through the crowds camped out in the Library quad, Grubber at her heels, heading back towards the tower.

As she neared the base of the stairs, she came across Rose, who appeared to be settling a minor dispute between a couple of tourists. Somewhat mollified, the ponies returned to their makeshift campsites. And Rose turned and spotted Tempest. She swiftly came to attention and saluted.

"Evening, Commander!"

"Rose," Tempest nodded calmly. "At ease. Everything quiet here?"

"Mostly. Though it's a good thing everyone's in a holiday-making mood." She glanced around at the tents and blankets. "This kind of crowd, it could get ugly otherwise." She edged closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. "We could have the Guard move them back from the tower, ma'am. Just for safety's sake, and to give you all a little more space?"

Tempest shook her head. "Twilight won't hear of it. We're here for them, is her view. We're their protectors. And many of them have come a long way, from all over the country, to be here for the Celebration. So as long as they're behaving themselves, and not damaging the grounds, she's okay with it. We'll manage."

"Okay, then. We'll keep watch over them, Commander."

Rose saluted. Tempest returned it, and the guard pony trotted away to check up on the other guard posts.

"You're gettin' good at this, boss!" Grubber chuckled. "Almost respectable! I mean... not that you weren't already," he added hurriedly. "But... it suits ya, it really does!"

"Almost respectable?" Tempest echoed, with a thin smile. "Coming from you, I know that's a compliment."

"Er... right, boss! You said it!" And then he suddenly fell silent, his eyes wide and staring.

"Well, well!" said a snidely brutal voice. "If it isn't Little Miss Smash-and-Grab herself."

Tempest looked up, and found herself facing a tough-looking gray stallion, with a ginger mane and sideburns and a hard-edged, predatory look.

She felt Grubber huddled against her foreleg, shivering in terror. "Ididn'tbringhimIdidn'tbringhimIdidn't--mmp!" He fell silent when she gently kicked him.

Tempest herself nodded to the stallion. "Knock Down," she said, coolly.

"Ya remember me! Touching, that is. Like old times, huh? And you're lookin' pretty sharp these days. Yeah." He nodded smugly. "When we heard that Princess Celestia had picked a pony with a scar and a broken horn to watch over her little group of heroes, well, we knew there couldn't be that many ponies answerin' to that description... if you take my meanin'."

"What do you want here?" Tempest said coldly.

"Well! Whaddaya got for me, Fizzle Pop? Or you callin' yourself Berry Twist these days?" He chuckled. "Heh! You had so many phony names, they musta hadda entire cabinet at the guard house just to keep track of ya!"

"My name is Tempest Shadow," she snarled. "And I don't have time for the likes of you. There's nothing to drink, and no one to fight, so why don't you just move along?"

"Oh! Gonna get disrepectful, eh?" His eyes narrowed, his jaw set. "What if I was to pass along word to certain parties that you were here, huh? I bet even Verko himself might pay good bits for info like that! Or," he added, with a clumsy attempt to look cagey, "what if someone were to let your little friends here know about your, heh, colorful past? Maybe even drop a note to the Princess herself, huh? How long you think she'd keep you in that uniform, in charge of this little group?" He nodded, smiling cruelly. "Yeah... I imagine you'd want to keep that kinda thing nice and quiet. And all it'd take is a few bits in the right pockets every now and then. Regular, like..."

Tempest's eyes narrowed. She'd never liked being put in a corner. She tensed angrily. Her horn fizzed and snapped angrily. She felt Grubber cowering in fear, ready to run for it. She readied herself to charge, to strike, to club the living daylights out of this ghost from her past that would... not... stay... dead...

"Evening, Commander! Everything all right here?"

Startled, Tempest looked around. It was Shining Armor, trotting up to her and offering a salute. "Captain," she greeted him, getting a hold of herself.

"And who do we have here?" Shining Armor gave Knock Down an examining look.

"Buzz off, Goldie," he snarled. "Just havin' a private conversation... with an old friend." He leered at Tempest confidently.

"So I heard." Shining Armor replied, evenly. "Now, you wouldn't be thinking of trying to blackmail one of Her Highness's Royal Guard, would you?"

"Oh, not at all!" Knock Down sneered. "Just sayin' there are certain things about her past that she might not want you Royal Guard types to know about!"

"Oh, I know all about Tempest's past," Shining Armor said, calmly. "She told me herself."

Caught by surprise, Knock Down blinked. "Huh?"

"Yeah. She said it wasn't safe, having dark secrets some shady character might come along and try to hold against her. So she made a full deposition -- with names. And the Princess granted her amnesty, in recognition of her honesty, diligence and service to the Court. So the Commander has nothing to hide from us. And nothing you could possibly hold against her."

"Oh. Uh... well, then. Good for her."

"But, that said..." Shining Armor went on, more sternly, "even attempted blackmail is still a chargeable offence. And given the current crisis, it might even verge on interference with business of the Crown..." He eyed the grey stallion levelly and coldly. "Maybe even high treason! Though that would be for Her Highness to decide. And she'd certainly look harshly on anyone attempting to interfere with the business of Miss Sparkle and her team. Very harshly indeed!" He nodded. "I think we might be well advised to have you brought in for questioning... maybe even have you held on suspicion of interfering with defense of the realm..."

He let that hang for a moment, teeth bared. And then smiled calmly.

"Unless you are, in fact, just an ordinary citizen, here to enjoy the sights of Canterlot, celebrate the Summer Celebration, and welcome in the new millennium. Just like everypony else is doing, eh? What do you think?"

Knock Down looked like he'd picked up a length of rope and discovered that it had eyes -- and fangs.

"Uh, er... yeah, yeah," he finally said. "Just visitin', for the Celebration and all. And I'll just... get back to it. Sorry to trouble ya, officer."

"Fine," Shining Armor nodded. "Off with you now. And don't you worry about your safety, while you're here in town. We'll be watching out for you..."

"Er, uh... right. Thanks. Aw, geez..."

Turning, the stallion hurried away, glancing nervously in all directions.

And Shining Armor turned to Tempest.

"I don't think we have to worry about him anymore. Or anyone he's silly enough to talk to about this."

Tempest eyed him uncomfortably.

"I never told you anything, about my past."

"No need," Shining Armor replied. "What's past stays past, that's how I feel about it. And I'm sure Her Highness, if it ever came up, would agree completely."

"Oh. Thanks. Uh... why?"

Shining Armor smiled. "You've got my sister's back. So I've got yours." He snapped a respectful salute. "Commander."

After a moment's pause, Tempest uneasily returned it. Then Shining Armor swung about and headed off on his own rounds, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Tempest watched him go. So did Grubber, huddled beside her. "Wow..." he breathed. "We sure lucked out on that one, didn't we, boss?"

"Yeah," Tempest said. "We sure did." There was a puzzled look on her face. "It doesn't usually go that smoothly..."

The hedgehog peered up at her. "Somethin' wrong, boss?"

Tempest shook her head, uncertain. "Probably nothing. Come on, Grubber. The guards have got things well in hoof down here. Let's head back upstairs."

Grubber eyed the tower stairs wearily. "Eeeeh. Don't suppose I could get a lift, huh?"

Tempest stared down at him. And then she nodded.

Grubber stared up at her. "Seriously, boss?"

"Just this once." She knelt down and let him scramble up onto her back. And then she turned and headed up the stairs.

Grubber leaned around to look her in the eye. "You feelin' okay, Tempest?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "Something's not right, Grubber -- something important. Twilight thinks so, Sunset thinks so. All of them do. And I should know what it is, what I need to do to keep them safe. It's my job!"

Grubber nodded. "Really matters to ya, doesn't it?"

Tempest came to a halt and stared up the curve of the stairs, towards the tower room and all her friends at the top. "More than anything," she whispered. "More than life itself. I just can't fail them, Grubber! I just can't!"

He put a comforting paw on her neck. "You won't, Tempest. And if there's anything that I can do to help, you just lemme know, okay?"

She eyed him. "Just stick close, Grubber, and be the good friend you've always been."

"Heh, you got it, boss!"

Tempest gazed up the stairs again.

"And when I tell you what to do, Grubber, you do it," she said. "Because it'll mean everything in the world..."

In the darkness of the tower bunkroom, the gentle nudge of a hoof gradually brought Twilight awake.

"Ohhh! I don't want to get up. Five more minutes, mommy?" Twilight whispered.

"Well," Tempest replied, amused, "I suppose we could all go take care of Nightmare Moon by ourselves, and let you sleep in."

Twilight's eyes snapped open. She peered up through the window, at the deep purple, star-filled night sky.

Then she looked up at Tempest. Who nodded.

"It's show time."

When Twilight trotted out into the main workroom she found the rest of the Advanced Projects team already up and waiting for her.

"Cheese and our friends from Ponyville went on ahead," Sunset said. "Just in case there were any last minute snafus at the Celebration Area."

"So it's just us," Starlight added, nervously. "Ready to make our grand entrance."

"Our Great and Powerful entrance," Trixie corrected her, just as nervous.

"And your carriage awaits," said Shining Armor, as he mounted the stairs from the entry doors. "I'll just see you all off, and then I need to go take Princess Cadance into hiding, as planned."

Trotting over to Twilight, he gave her a deep bow. "Ready when you are, Your Highness!"

"Shiny!" Twilight laughed. "Don't even joke like that!"

"Oh, it's no joke," he replied seriously. "Princess Celestia's orders. As of sundown last night, you are officially acting Princess of Equestria."

Twilight stared at him. "She didn't."

Tempest nodded. "She did, actually. But I wasn't going to say anything about it." She gave Shining Armor a stern glare.

"Oops. Sorry." He looked sheepish. "Well, in any case, there is a carriage waiting. What with the crowds outside and lining the streets, we figured it was safer than walking."

Twilight nodded. She took a steadying breath, and glanced at the others.

"Let's go."

They made their way down the stairs, with Tempest in the lead and escorted by Guard ponies, their horns singing brightly to light the way.

As they approached the bottom, a tired but enthusiastic cheer went up from the watching crowd. And waiting for them was an open-air carriage, with a honor team of Guard ponies already harnessed to it.

"Hop in," Shining Armor said. "The guards will get you there safe."

Twilight winced. "Oh, I wish you were coming with us, Shiny!"

"Me too. But you've got Tempest. And I know she'll look after you." He and the Commander exchanged a solemn nod. "And I'll see you again when this is all over."

"You promise, B.B.B.F.F.?"

He grinned. "Count on it, sis!"

Twilight and her friends climbed into the carriage and found their seats. Shining Armor positioned himself alongside, and lifted his hoof to signal the harnessed guards to set off.

And then...

"No! Wait! Please! Bring them back!"

Twilight and her friends all turned to see a wild-eyed, dappled Appleloosan pony charge out of the crowd, straight at the carriage. He didn't get more than two lengths before the nearest gold-armored guards pounced on him and restrained him. Tempest herself jumped to the rim of the carriage, putting herself in front of Twilight and glaring fiercely at the captive.

But the pony didn't struggle. He just hung in the guards' grip, eyes pleading. "Please..." he gasped. "Just bring them back to me! That's all I ask!"

Shining Armor sighed wearily. "We don't have time for this. Detail, hold him! We'll question him later."

"No, wait!" Twilight leaned around Tempest. "Let him go!"

Surprised, the guards holding the stallion glanced at Shining Armor. And then they reluctantly, grudgingly released the agitated pony, though they remained ready to grab him if he made any sudden moves.

"Bring who back?" Twilight asked him gently.

"My wife, ma'am... and my daughter," he gasped, pulling off his hat and holding it contritely. "Timberwolves got 'em, last month. But ever since, I've been having these dreams, ma'am! They said all I had to do was come here, and swear allegiance to... you know..." He nodded towards the Moon, high in the sky. "And they'd be returned to me."

The crowd gasped, and stared at him in horror and disgust.

So did Moondancer -- though it was in worried recognition. "That's how she did it," Moondancer whispered to Twilight.

"What?" Twilight looked at her.

"It's how Nightmare Moon won over so many ponies, the last time, when she fought Celestia," Moondancer said urgently. "She sent them dreams, promising whatever they wanted most if they followed her. For bereaved ponies in particular, she promised them the return of their loved ones. She claimed not only to be Mistress of the Night and of Dreams... but of Death itself!"

"But I didn't want to believe it!" the dappled pony yelled. "I didn't want to! I want to believe in Celestia! I want to believe in you, Twilight! Just... bring them back to me? Bring me back my wife and my baby girl? And I'll know which side I belong on, for sure!"

Twilight bit her lip nervously, looking from the anguished stallion to the crowd all around him.

Then she reached to unlatch the carriage door.

"Are you out of your mind?" Tempest hissed.

But Twilight didn't listen. She climbed down from the carriage, with Tempest following right behind her, tense and watchful. The other ponies leaned over the rim of the carriage, just as worried.

Twilight hesitantly reached out a hoof, gently took hold of the stallion's. She looked him right in the eye.

"I'm very sorry," she said quietly. "But I can't. Nopony can." Before anyone could react, she went on. "But my friends and I, we're about to go do everything we can to make sure there'll still be a world in which they can be remembered. A world in which they'll never be forgotten, because there'll always be good and kind ponies like you who want to keep their memory alive!" She shook her head sadly. "All I can ask is that you trust me, that you trust us. We'll do everything we can, I promise! For you... and for them. Just trust us? Please?"

The stallion stared down at her, tearfully, miserably.

And then finally, minutely... nodded.

Twilight smiled in reply. Then she glanced around at the crowd. "I'm sorry, we really do need to go!" she said. "Can someone help this pony for me? Please?"

The crowd looked at each other in surprise. And then nearby ponies moved to put their hooves around the distraught stallion, comforting him as he finally broke down in tears. The guards all stepped back to give them room.

Relieved, Twilight turned to climb back into the carriage. And Shining Armor gratefully gave the signal for the guards drawing it to set off.

Gradually, the shocked crowd all around began to applaud, and then cheer again. Soon Twilight and her friends were riding along through the streets of Canterlot through a roaring crowd, as if nothing had happened.

"Nice one, Twilight," Sunset finally said, nudging her shoulder. "I thought empathy and understanding was my bag."

But Twilight simply sat on the carriage seat, downcast.

"Nopony should ever make a promise like that," she whispered, tensely. "Nopony should ever be allowed to!"

"Yeah..." Starlight nodded in agreement. "Because you'd have to be a Princess yourself to resist it!"

And beside her, Trixie just nodded, miserably.

Ring Around The Moon

And so it comes down to this, Twilight thought, as she and her friends strode through the crowd in the Celebration area, in the cool darkness of early morning. A thousand years of lonely waiting for Princess Celestia, a thousand years imprisonment for Princess Luna... it comes to an end today. And we have to make it right... somehow...

She grimaced. Like Starlight says, no pressure...

Twilight's team were all wearing their focus gems, and walking together as a group through the respectfully parting audience of ponies. Spike trotted along beside Twilight, and Grubber accompanied Tempest.

Sunset's friends from Ponyville were already there, triple-checking that everything was ready. Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie in particular were circulating through the crowd, dancing and singing and cracking jokes, helping to keep everyone's spirits up, helping them stay focused on being ready to welcome Luna back.

Except, Twilight thought grimly, they don't know it's Luna. Only we know that. And Princess Celestia too, of course.

She wished things could have been different. Everypony might feel better if they knew how much this meant.

But they don't. They're going along with our plan, simply because the Princess chose us. They're trusting our judgment, simply because Celestia asked them to.

So we can not let them down!

Twilight's group came to a halt before the grand staircase leading up to the Celebration dais, and they waited, calmly, their heads held high.

At a gesture from Tempest, Shining Armor and the few Guard ponies who'd accompanied them gently motioned the crowds back a few lengths, just for safety's sake. Then the Guards themselves moved back into the crowd, so they would be unobtrusive and Luna would not be presented with a show of force on her return.

For a long moment, all was hushed in anticipation.

All at once, the Guard ponies stationed along the edges of the dais came to attention. They readied their trumpets. Off to the side, Fluttershy motioned to her bird chorus, readying them to sing.

The trumpets sounded. The orchestra joined in, and Fluttershy's birds provided a fusillade of bright, cheerful twittering.

And from the rear of the dais, Princess Celestia stepped forth: tall, regal, and proud. She gazed out across the silent, waiting audience, as if observing her subjects one final time.

Then her gaze fell upon Twilight Sparkle. And the Princess extended a hoof to Twilight, gesturing welcomingly.

Surprised, Twilight glanced at her friends. Then she cautiously mounted the steps, approaching her mentor.

Celestia bowed her head in greeting, and Twilight hurriedly followed suit. When Celestia lifted her head, there was a hint of a smile on her face.

"There is so much to say," she whispered. "And no time to say it. So I'll be content with saying thank you, my faithful student. To you and your friends. I know you'll do what's necessary, to keep Equestria safe."

"We will, Your Highness!" Twilight replied. Then she looked Celestia square in the eye. "And don't worry, Princess. We'll bring her back. We'll bring her home to you. You won't have to be alone anymore!"

Celestia looked momentarily speechless. And then her face settled into a relieved smile, verging on tears.

"Thank you, Twilight. If any pony can do this, I know you can."

Celestia came to attention, and nodded curtly. Twilight did likewise, in acknowledgement.

Then, turning, Twilight descended the steps once more to rejoin her friends. As she turned to face the stage once more, she glanced up at the Moon, high in the sky. The Mare shadow was still there, the Shepherd Stars still in their places.

It couldn't be too much longer now. Celestia was already powering up her horn, and readying herself to begin the ceremony.

Silence fell.

And then Twilight heard, behind her, a loud collective gasp from the crowd. Followed by a darkly amused voice, booming across the Celebration area.

"Well, well, well! Are we waiting for someone?"

Twilight and the others turned and looked up...

... at Nightmare Moon.

The night-dark alicorn, clad in moon-silver armor, hovered in the air, smiling down confidently at them. The crowd beneath her were hurriedly pressing back, trying to get away.

"What?" Twilight hurriedly looked up at the Moon again. The Mare shadow was still there, the Shepherd Stars still in their places.

How can that be?

"I'm so sorry," Nightmare Moon said, "for being unfashionably early. But I simply could not resist. I had to see the looks on your precious little sun-loving faces as I returned."

Descending through the air, the Nightmare landed lightly on the marble tiles. She strode, tall and confident, towards Twilight and her friends. Her armored shoes rapped loudly on the stone surface, like coffin nails being driven home.

Before she'd gotten three paces, Tempest Shadow had lunged forwards, interposing herself in front of Twilight. Her teeth were bared, her broken horn sizzled dangerously. And among the stunned crowds to all sides, the Guard ponies edged closer, readying themselves, anxiously looking for a chance to intervene.

The Nightmare raised an eyebrow, and casually, indifferently came to a halt. She was in no hurry.

Celestia stared at her. "Luna..." she breathed, as surprised as anyone.

"Oh, how quickly they forget!" the Nightmare sneered at her. "Luna is long gone. That pony no longer exists! I am Nightmare Moon!"

She laughed, loud and harsh and braying.

"No..." Celestia whispered, shaking her head. "Luna..."

"Oh, Celestia! Act your age! You have had a thousand years to grow up and move past this! And as always, you cling to the past in vain hope." She stamped her armored hoof ringingly. "Get over it! Luna is dead!"

Then she tilted her head, giving a playful smile.

"Though I will admit," she added, snidely, "it is nice to see you again, Celestia..." Her look turned cold and bitter. "If only because it means I am released, and you are the prisoner!"

"Luna, no..." Celestia pleaded desperately.

The dark pony snorted. "Oh please! You knew this was coming, didn't you? For a thousand years you've known! And now... ooh, wait for it... here it is!"

Around Celestia, a sphere of shimmering energy was forming. Steadily, the gleam of the sphere increased in brilliance, ramping upward into a blinding glare...

... like a gateway opening to the heart of the Sun.

Celestia hurriedly charged her horn, attempted to disrupt it, but her blast of magic dissipated weakly against it, having no effect.

"The balance tilts in my favor, Celestia!" Nightmare Moon crowed. "As I free myself, as I gain in power, yours slips away. Soon it will be gone completely! And so will you!"

Twilight stared from one to the other of them in shock. "Luna, wait!" she called out. "Please! You don't have to do this!"

The Nightmare looked down at her, feigning surprise. "Whatever do you mean, child? I'm not doing anything. It is already done!" She scowled at Celestia. "In fact, it's been done for a thousand years!" She gestured upward with a long black forehoof, pointing toward the Moon.

Twilight looked up at it. And now she could see the Shepherd Stars moving, falling in towards the silvery disc, yielding to the will of its prisoner. They finally surrendered completely, passing behind the Moon and leaving the door to the Mare's prison wide open. With a faint flicker of light the Mare shadow vanished, leaving the Moon's surface bare and empty. The Mare in the Moon had finally freed herself.

Yet she was also, impossibly, standing right in front of them.

"Form up, everypony!" Twilight called. Her friends moved closer, arranging themselves, as she stared up at the Nightmare. "Luna, listen!" Twilight said urgently. "You don't have to do this. We know you resented ponies ignoring your Night. We know you wanted only to be honored and respected. We know the frustration became too much to bear. We understand! So please, now that you've returned, let us show that you are honored, that you are respected! You don't have to use force! We're ready to welcome you back, to welcome you home. There is still a place for you, here with us!"

Nightmare Moon smirked, and then glanced around the Celebration area -- darkly, dismissively.

"Ah, yes... your quaint little Welcome Home gesture. How charming, how touching. If only I could believe you actually meant it. But it's too little, far too late. For you see, I already know you are not to be trusted... Twilight Sparkle!"

She flicked an armored hoof. In a flash of teleportation, there was suddenly another pony hovering in the air beside her, trapped within an icy-blue, shimmering shield bubble.

Twilight stared. Her friends all gasped in shock, looking at the miserable, helpless, despondent lavender alicorn. She was Celestia's height, with a flowing, ethereal mane.

And she was shockingly familiar...

"Twilight!" Spike whispered. "That's... that's you!"

Twilight nodded, even though she couldn't believe it. The trapped alicorn had her coat and mane colors, her magenta star cutie-mark. And when the mare finally lifted her weary, miserable eyes, Twilight could see herself looking out of them -- it was like looking into a mirror.

Recognizing her, the alicorn Twilight leapt up, pressing her forehooves desperately against the curved wall of her shimmering prison. Her mouth opened and shut as she screamed, soundlessly and helplessly.

"Oh, yes!" Nightmare Moon said, "Celestia has her dear, charming, bookish little student. So not to be left out, I brought my own." She glared down at Twilight. "You thought to trick me, Twilight Sparkle -- to escape from me, and steal my dominion away from me. But I do not fool so easily. And now you shall pay the price for your duplicity!"

"Luna, no!" Celestia called, now barely visible through the rising glare of her own prison, struggling desperately to make her fading voice heard over the roaring of the impossibly bright sphere of magic.

Nightmare Moon favored her with a snide glance.

"Fare thee well, Celestia! And don't worry! While you're gone I'll take good care of your precious little student... and her friends!"

"Twilight!"

Shielding her eyes with a hoof, Twilight thought she saw Celestia calling out to her one last time, frantic and terrified.

Then in a silent implosion, the sphere collapsed in on itself to an intolerably brilliant point of light. Which winked out, as if it had never been.

Celestia was gone.

And in her place there appeared a whirling, thrumming black vortex, a sphere of shadow, of dark magic. The shadowy sphere coalesced into a cloud of gleaming, star-spangled smoke, which then further resolved itself into a second night-dark alicorn.

A terrified gasp went up from the onlooking ponies, who were on the verge of panic.

The new arrival gazed about herself in proud, haughty arrogance. Then her gaze fell on the other black alicorn standing before her. "So thou are real," she said. "We had thought it was but a dream... or a nightmare." She chuckled grimly. "We thought it was one of Celestia's little tricks, trying to wear us down, bring us back to her."

"Oh, it is no dream!" Nightmare Moon replied. "Now be still, and follow my lead. And we shall rule this land under eternal Night!"

"Oh, I don't think so," the new arrival said. "We do not trust thee... and we share our dominion with nopony!"

Her horn flared, prepared to cast a spell...

And Nightmare Moon, with a dismissive sniff, gestured casually with a hoof accompanied by the lightest flicker of her horn. The new arrival was suddenly restrained, trapped in a sphere of cold blue light, unable to move.

Nightmare Moon laughed. "Such a marvelous thing, time!" she said languidly. "It is our tool now. It is a gift, a beneficence! We alone have the power to grant it... and to take it away..."

Fighting back tears, Twilight looked to her friends. "Quick, everypony -- the Field!"

The six ponies nodded. As one, they lit their horns. Starlight cast the initialization spell, Tempest provided the power boost. Arcane force lines snapped out, connecting their focus gems. The energy of the Field spiraled outward around them, coalescing into a vast, rippling, rainbow-hued ring of power.

The six ponies rose into the air, eyes blazing, manes flowing with energy. The Field itself spread out over the Celebration area, dampening magic, restoring balance and harmony.

It's working, Twilight thought. It's working perfectly. For a moment, she dared to hope. She reached out with the Field's amplified strength, ready to stifle the Nightmare's magic, to bring Nightmare Moon to a halt.

To stop the Nightmare...

And the Nightmare simply laughed at her.

"Oh my!" she simpered. "Your little Field spell! Whatever shall I do?" She cackled brightly.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE," Twilight warned. "STAND DOWN!"

Nightmare Moon snorted. "Fortunately, unlike you, I plan ahead." Her gaze swept across the group of ponies... and settled on Trixie.

"Now, Trixie!" she snapped. "End this!"

Trixie, her eyes blazing, stared back at her nervously.

"Trixie, no!" Starlight called over to her.

But Trixie had already reached up to her collar, to unhook the focus gem. She clutched it with her hoof, in an agony of indecision, even as Starlight frantically struggled to maintain the unbalanced power loop.

"Now, Trixie!" The Nightmare called. "Destroy that gem!"

Trixie lifted her hoof, holding the gem aloft. She looked at Nightmare Moon... and hesitated.

Nightmare Moon stared at the gem, fixedly her eyes wide, almost desperate. Her gaze met Trixie's.

"Trixie Luna Moon," she called out. "If you have ever trusted me, if you ever wish to be Great and Powerful, do as I tell you! Smash that gem! Now!"

"Trixie, don't!" Twilight called to her. "Don't give in to her!"

Trixie glanced at Twilight, miserably.

"Sorry, Twilight!" she called. "I have to do this -- for Luna's sake!"

Trixie shut her eyes. She flung her hoof downward. The focus gem shattered into countless fragments on the marble beneath her.

"Quick, Starlight!" Twilight called. "The five-gem solution!"

"There isn't time!" Starlight yelled back.

The five remaining gems fractured, then splintered into shimmering cascades of useless fragments. And the whirling spectrum of magic, escaping from Starlight's desperate attempts to control it, overloaded. In a massive, concussive blast, the unleashed power washed outwards across the Celebration area. It knocked ponies off their feet, tore down and incinerated banners and decorations, snuffed out torches and candle flames, plunged the entire area into darkness and shadow... and echoed off the distant hills like cannon-fire.

In the aftermath, ponies crawled painfully out from under wreckage, groaning and shaking their heads. Many simply lay where they were, playing dead and hoping to pass unnoticed.

Nightmare Moon stepped carefully over the debris, approaching the miserable lavender unicorn just struggling out from under a collapsed snack-table. Behind the Nightmare, the alicorn Twilight drifted along, still encased in her shield prison. She sat with her shoulders hunched, her head lowered in defeat, powerless to act.

"You see, Twilight?" the Nightmare said, "I will not be denied."

She gestured to the alicorn trapped in the bubble. "When you appeared in my realm I was naturally intrigued. Where did this strange alicorn come from, I wondered? I was even more interested when you said you had arrived via a time-travel spell, crafted by an associate of yours... Starlight Glimmer."

There was a sharp gasp from a heap of shredded bunting nearby. Starlight, crawling out of it, stared wide-eyed at the Nightmare. "What? My spell?"

"Why, yes!" Nightmare Moon nodded. "And so nicely done, my dear. A little rough and ready to be sure, but we commend thee on thy talent with spellcraft." She turned her attention back to Twilight. "But clearly, I could not allow you to leave me, in possession of that knowledge. So when you foolishly attempted to trick me and escape, I easily snared you, then placed you under close watch. It took some time, and more than a few sleepless nights -- for you, my dear! But finally I was able to wear you down. And then I had the power to travel through time."

Nightmare Moon cackled.

"Such limitless power! To travel throughout the entire span of history, to alter past, present, and future, at my will!" Then her expression turned dark, uncertain. "And yet I knew, so long as you existed..." She gestured to the despondent lavender alicorn, trapped in her shimmering cage. "... so long as there was that other timeline, that other version of history, I was vulnerable. You could always use the spell yourself, go back in time, reinstate your own version of events."

Nightmare Moon smiled craftily.

"So I needed to go back earlier, much earlier, and find a way to utterly erase all traces of your version of the past. To disallow its return, while at the same time preserving my own, inviolable and sacrosanct!" She laughed. "Now, as I'm sure you are aware, time is a fickle thing. It is difficult to devise a lasting diversion in its flow that does not alter its entire course... or even destroy it utterly! It is an even more difficult feat to establish a significant revision of the past which nevertheless retains the same future events, unharmed and unchanged."

She grinned horribly.

"But after a thousand years, have we not learned the value of patience? I used the time-travel spell, journeyed the length and breadth of your time-line, Twilight Sparkle, examined your entire history, to see how it might be done. And I found a way!"

Her eyes gleamed. Her laugh was cold and harsh.

"Imagine my surprise, when I discovered that all it took was one small change -- almost trivial! A whisper in Celestia's ear as she lay sleeping. The suggestion for her to be on a particular road, on a particular day... not much of a diversion from her planned tour of local townships, seeking new bearers for the Elements. And on that road, she would find, alone and hungry, one wayward unicorn... with a broken horn..."

The Nightmare turned to grin at Tempest. The maroon pony had finally managed to free herself from the collapsed spider-toss net. Shaking her head to clear it, she glared up at Nightmare Moon, seeking an opening to attack.

"And so easily dealt with!" the Nightmare said lightly. "Not much of a burden for dear, kind-hearted Celestia! Or do I not know her so well?" She cackled nastily. "Just give this poor, lost pony a meal, a place to sleep... and a friend." She smiled proudly at Twilight. "And all Celestia's worries would be answered! The rest, as they say... is history!"

Twilight exchanged a shocked glance with Tempest. "But that means... all my friends..."

"Amusing, isn't it?" Nightmare Moon nodded. "It worked so perfectly. Each of them finding the next like a chain of falling dominoes. Until you, Twilight, were surrounded by a totally different group of ponies, and thus no longer a threat to me. Oh, don't get me wrong! I commend your work on the Field of Harmony. It was impressive, watching you work so hard to bring it all together. You very nearly recreated the effect of the Elements, using nothing more than technology and your talent with magic. An inspired tour-de-force! Yet fundamentally flawed... in a way you yourselves could never quite see..."

"You mean Trixie?" Twilight snarled. "You didn't count on her wanting to help us, did you?" Her face fell. "But... I thought... I really thought we'd convinced her to side with us..."

Nightmare Moon's eyes went wide in amazement. And then she laughed, long and loud and harsh.

"You think that duplicitous little carnival barker had anything to do with my success? The flaw, my dear Twilight, was there from the very beginning, in the companions you chose to surround yourself with!"

The Nightmare gestured with a hoof. There was a whirlwind of shadows, and an image appeared, hovering in the air beside her. "Would you like to see, just for the record, what your so-called friends would have been like without my kindly intervention?"

The image shifted, dissolved. It displayed Trixie Lulamoon. The showpony was dressed in a dark cloak, a strange glowing amulet around her neck, her eyes gleaming red as she used her magic to torment and terrorize an entire town, until its inhabitants yielded and served her without question. And then, using her limitless power to defeat and banish Twilight forever.

"Oh, but Trixie wasn't nearly the worst," the Nightmare said, gesturing.

The image changed, and Twilight saw Starlight Glimmer, using her magic to rob ponies of their cutie-marks, then using the time-travel spell to fling Twilight and Spike into different alternate timelines, each worse than the last, until all of Equestria was a bare, dead, dust-swept wasteland. And she saw Starlight herself, screaming like an enraged banshee when Twilight tried to intervene.

"Ah, and now," Nightmare Moon went on, "we come to Sunset Shimmer. She was a bonus, actually. I hadn't counted on her returning from that other, mirror reality. But as you see, she's no better than the rest..."

The image changed again, showing Sunset in pony form, robbing Twilight of a star-jeweled crown. And later, in human form, engineering deception after deception to prevent her getting it back... and in the end, transforming into a screaming, shrieking she-demon, bent on conquest and destruction.

The Nightmare tsk'ed sadly. "But not all of your friends turn out bad." She cackled gleefully. "Some merely molder away, useless and isolated..."

The image now showed Moondancer, but as an aged, spinsterish mare in a heavy wool sweater and tape-bridged glasses. She sat alone in her room, angrily reading long into the night, until she finally fell off her chair, unconscious, suffering from malnutrition and lack of proper sleep.

Nightmare Moon grinned.

"And we've saved the best for last, my dear Twilight. Would you like to see what becomes of your dearest companion, your self-styled big sister and bodyguard, if I'd allowed her to remain on that lonely road by herself?"

Twilight and Tempest both stared, horrified...

The image showed Tempest, leading an army of hulking, ape-like soldiers as she invaded Canterlot, turned the Princesses to stone... and then raged out of control at Twilight, imprisoned in a cage. And all of it so she could turn the power of the Princesses over to a scheming, indifferent satyr with no qualms about betraying anyone -- including Tempest herself.

"That... can't be true," Tempest moaned, shaking her head. "Twilight, don't believe her! I would never --"

"Oh, don't try denying it!" Nightmare Moon scolded. "You know the kind of pony you are, the kind of company you keep... so willingly, so easily! You know where you were headed. I merely diverted you from the path you were all too eager to tread... on your very own!"

Anger warred with crushing shame on Tempest's face. Her gaze set, coldly and murderously, on Nightmare Moon. The Dark Mare sniffed dismissively, and looked around at them all.

"Such a circle of friends... or accomplices, I should say. I might have kept you all around, just out of curiosity, to see what else your inventive little minds might come up with. But you're far too creative, far too inquisitive for my liking. I think I'd be better off having you out of the way. Once and for all."

Her horn lit, sizzling with power. She scowled darkly.

"I shall not make the same mistake twice with you, Twilight Sparkle!"

Tempest looked Grubber in the eye, and nodded to him. She tensed herself, her horn sizzling and crackling.

"Boss..." Grubber whispered, terrified.

With a bellow of rage, her horn blazing in unrestrained fury, Tempest flung herself at the Nightmare.

Nightmare Moon barely reacted. She simply swept up a hoof, slammed a ward into place. Tempest struck the gleaming shield bodily, with a sound like an iron stove hitting a cinder-block wall. Flung backwards, she landed heavily, several lengths away, unmoving.

And at the same moment, two ponies from the crowd leapt forward, grabbing Twilight and trying to drag her away.

"Tempest!" Twilight shouted, terrified.

She saw Tempest struggle to rise, try to stand -- and then collapse again, helplessly. Nightmare Moon took a step towards her, horn flickering coldly, as if she meant to finish Tempest off...

"No!" Twilight's horn flared, and in a flash she had teleported free of her captors. She landed right beside Tempest, reaching out to her in fright. Then she leapt in front of her, facing Nightmare Moon.

"Twilight..." Tempest moaned, wincing painfully. "Are you insane? Get out of here! Go!"

"No, Tempest! I'm not leaving you!" Uncertain what to do, Twilight powered her horn, tried to think of a spell, a shield, a ward... anything to stop the looming, cackling alicorn, who was already charging her horn to attack.

And she knew she had nothing.

"Hey!" Like a bolt from the blue, a rainbow contrail flashed past Nightmare Moon. Its owner came to a skidding halt next to Tempest. Rainbow worriedly checked the pony was still breathing, and then bounded into the air again. She darted towards the Nightmare, whipping around her like an angry hornet.

"Nopony treats my friends like that! Nopony!" Rainbow slammed on the air-brakes and came to a halt in midair. "C'mon, put 'em up! Oh yeah! Or do you just look ugly, huh?" She shadowboxed with her forehooves, weaving left and right.

Nightmare Moon looked nonplussed. "You're not serious."

"You bet I am! I'd never leave my friends hangin'!"

"That goes for me, too!" Applejack called. "Uh, Your Highness!" She was helping Trixie struggle out from under the shattered front floorboards of the performance stage. As she did so, she leaned close to whisper in angry disbelief.

"What the hay have you done, Trixie?"

To which Trixie put a forehoof to her snout, smiling. "Shhhh! Trust a showpony, Applejack!"

"What? Whaddaya mean?"

"Wait for it..."

Rarity was helping up Moondancer. "Count me in as well!" she called proudly. "I don't care where you're from, that's not how we do it, here in Canterlot!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie bounded up on top of the upturned apple-bobbing tub, hooves on her hips, snout thrust forward. "You think you're tough? Don't make me laugh! You're dealing with two of the best party ponies in the business! Right, Cheese?"

"You said it, Pinkie!" He clapped a helmet on his head. And suddenly there was a massive, tank-sized party cannon sitting behind the two of them, its barrel aimed right at Nightmare Moon.

"Oh my. Whatever are you going to do?" the Nightmare sneered. "Party me to death?"

Fluttershy hunched in fear. "Oooh! Oh dear! Um..." Then she looked around at her friends, at the ponies lying on the ground all around the Celebration Area...

And she suddenly got a grip, set her jaw, and marched determinedly forwards. "That goes for me too!" she barked, in stern, unhinged rage. "You do not, I repeat, do not... hurt... my.. FRIENDS! You got that!"

The others stared at her, astonished. Clearly this was a side of her they weren't used to seeing...

Sunset had crept over beside Twilight, and the two of them exchanged a glance, equally amazed. And then Sunset took another look at her friends from Ponyville... and her new friends from Canterlot.

And saw it...

"Loyalty," she whispered. "Honesty. Generosity. Laughter. Kindness." She nodded. "And the final, mysterious element, the one that binds them all together... the spark --"

She grinned. She had it now. The feeling of pride, of comfort, and of happiness, being in the company of her five friends.

And they thought it was only Magic.

"Sunset?" Twilight asked, puzzled.

"We're not done yet, Twilight," Sunset said urgently. "Quick, while she's distracted, get the others together. Form the Field again!"

"With what?" Twilight shook her head. "We're down six gems -- and a pony!"

"Au contraire!" whispered Trixie, who had teleported over to them. "The Great and Powerful Trixie may be down, but she is never out!" As she spoke, she dug into her hat and pulled out one of the spare focus gems, which she pushed into Twilight's startled hooves. She tapped her own spare, already clipped to her collar. And then with a smug wink, she teleported away to distribute the others.

Nodding reassuringly to Twilight, Sunset got up and circled around to join her friends from Ponyville. "I was so close, wasn't I?" she said loudly. "So very close, the entire time. I might even have figured it out on my own, if I wasn't always in such a hurry, if I actually paid attention to what was right in front of me all along..."

"What?" Nightmare Moon turned to look at her... and away from the others, so she didn't see Trixie flashing from pony to pony, passing out gems.

Sunset motioned to Applejack, to Rarity, and then to the others, gathering them together. "Six elements... and six very different ponies. With one thing in common, one very special thing, holding them all together --"

Nightmare Moon stared at her, suddenly afraid.

"No..." she whispered. "No! I prevented this! I prevented Twilight from bringing them together --"

"But you didn't count on me, did you?" Sunset warned, smiling. "You didn't look closely enough at that mirror universe, at the friends I made there! They taught me what to look for here... and how to power the Elements of Harmony." She grinned proudly. "And I was so dense, I almost didn't see it! It takes a particular, very special kind of magic to properly awaken the true power of the Elements..."

She grinned, raising her voice to a shout: "... the magic of Friendship!"

"NO!" Nightmare Moon's horn blazed. She reared desperately, her horn blazing alight, ready to blast them all to ashes.

"Oh, Sunset!" Trixie called airly. "Catch!"

A gemstone flew through the air. Sunset fielded it with a wild swipe of a hoof, and for one heart-stopping moment nearly dropped it... and then she slapped it into place in her necklace. And grinned.

"Light 'er up, Starlight!"

Starlight's horn flared, as she cast the opening bar of the Field spell. Gritting her teeth in pain, Tempest lowered her horn and blasted a stream of magic at Trixie's gem, which bounced it to Twilight, then to Moondancer, then Sunset, then Tempest, then Starlight, and finally to Trixie again...

... completely encircling the Nightmare.

She found her magic suddenly, fiercely suppressed as the blazing ring of spectral magic swirled into place around her. The six ponies rose into the air once more, their eyes blazing, their manes flowing.

Sunset looked down at her five friends from Ponyville -- her five very good friends, staring up at her in awe and wonder. "Thanks, gang! We couldn't possibly have done this without you!"

Applejack nodded, awestruck. "Our pleasure, Sunset!"

Sunset looked around at her Canterlot friends, Twilight and the others. She saw the smiles on their faces, as they looked at each other in pride and confidence.

This time, they could tell it was different. This time, they weren't just trying to win, trying to use the Field as a weapon. This time, they'd awakened the true power behind it all...

The thrumming of the enhanced, amplified Field filled the Celebration area. Ponies all around crawled out of their hiding places and got to their hooves, staring up at the shimmering spectral light, their eyes bright with awe, with amazement -- and shared hope.

And the more the feeling built, the more that they were all drawn together, the stronger the Field became.

"That's it, ponies!" Cheese called out to the crowd. "We need everypony together on this! All for one...!"

"...And one for all! Yeahhhh!" shouted Pinkie, waving her hooves excitedly.

The crowd began tentatively clapping, then applauding. Then they were cheering, and stamping their hooves, the excitement growing by the minute.

In response, from the circle of hovering ponies a surge of Harmony erupted: a palpable, comforting force, like a warm summer breeze. It swept out over the entire Celebration area, blanketing it in calmness, stillness.

And then rebounded inward, onto one pony... one night-dark alicorn.

Nightmare Moon struggled fiercely, raged viciously, vainly attempted to cast a spell -- any spell -- to stop it. But she was surrounded by a whirlwind of force, of fierce power... she was drowning in it, struggling against it. Restrained by the Field, her magic was suppressed, then stifled...

... which meant that as a side-effect, the spell pinning the other Dark Mare, standing on the dais, began to unravel. The bubble of slowed time around her flickered, began to fade. Slowly, sluggishly, the other Nightmare shook her head and began looking around, trying to work out what was going on... and clearly not liking it.

Her attention swung upward, to the six ponies hovering in the grip of the spell, holding her twin captive.

Her gaze darkened threateningly.

"Uh... Sunset?" Applejack called up anxiously. "Y'all might have a bit of a problem over here!"

"I can help with that," replied an unfamiliar -- yet at the same time shockingly familiar -- voice.

It was the lavender alicorn, who had also been released from the Nightmare's hold. She lifted a forehoof, and her horn glowed, drawing upon the energy being projected by the Field.

And the Nightmare at the center of the typhoon of energy was suddenly pinned, snared by her own imprisoning bubble of slowed time.

"Got her!" the alicorn shouted. And then she smiled in relief. "Wow!" she said, astonished. "I can't tell you what a pleasure it is, finally having the power to say that!"

Twilight and her friends looked at each other, equally amazed. Then they looked at the dark mare standing on the dais.

"CHANGE TARGET, EVERYPONY!" Twilight called out hurriedly.

The Nightmare stared up at them in shock, as she felt the Field's effect hit her, suppressing her magic, stifling her power. She felt it imprisoning her, trapping her once again...

... and after a thousand years, anything was preferable to that.

"NOOOOO!"

She slammed an armored hoof down on the dais. Then she frantically cast a spell, with every bit of power she had left. A failsafe spell... of dark magic.

Around the Nightmare, the black sphere of whirling, inky shadows reasserted itself, hiding her away. In seconds, there was no sign of her, only the depthless, light-eating, power-consuming blackness of the sphere of dark energy she had cast.

The sphere blocked the Field... consumed it. Twilight could feel it eating away at the power they were projecting, siphoning it off, feeding on it, growing ever stronger...

"STAND DOWN, EVERYPONY!" she called anxiously.

Starlight hurriedly backed down the spell. They settled to the ground once again, their eyes and manes returning to normal. And they stared at the whirling, writhing sphere of darkness on the dais.

"Stalemate!" Twilight whispered. "We can't use the Field on her. But she can't get out, either!"

"Okay... so what do we do now?" Starlight asked.

"I don't know!" Twilight said, worried.

Then she looked at the alicorn version of herself, who was still keeping the other Nightmare pinned. Walking up to her, Twilight smiled nervously. "Um... hi?"

The alicorn nodded. "Hello, Twilight," she cautiously replied. She looked at the two imprisoned Nightmares, then back to Twilight again.

"Well now..." she said gently. "This is quite the pretty problem, isn't it, my faithful student?"

Twilight gaped, and then grinned. She looked at Sunset, who was grinning too.

"That's what Princess Celestia always says..." Twilight said.

"... when there's a problem she wants us to work out," Sunset agreed, "on our own!"

They nodded to each other.

"Okay," Twilight began, "so two Nightmare Moons..."

"But one of them's from a different timeline," Sunset replied. "Trying to change the past... trying to remake it into her own past, so she wins..."

"... and so Celestia stays imprisoned," Twilight said. "So to stop her, we have to convince the other Nightmare Moon, who's only just arrived..."

"... to give up being Nightmare Moon, and return peacefully."

"Which..." Twilight face-hoofed. "... is exactly the problem we already had to solve before all this started. It never gets any easier, does it?"

"Never does," Sunset agreed. "Not even when you understand it."

"So," Starlight asked, joining them, "how do we do it?" She pointed at the sphere of dark magic. "We can't use the Field now! How do we reach her?"

The ponies stared at each other, at a loss.

"Well..." the lavender alicorn suddenly said, as if thinking aloud. "You could always try what I do... you could try talking to her."

Twilight stared up at her. The lavender alicorn smiled down at her sympathetically.

"No promises, but it usually helps..."

"But..." Twilight objected, "she's locked herself in! We can't get to her through that!"

"Of course you can," the alicorn said gently. "Though not by force, that never works. Trust me on this."

"How, then?"

The alicorn smiled. "The same way she did, in becoming Nightmare Moon. By entering into the shadow... willingly." At their shocked look, she nodded. "The journey into the darkness is easy. It's getting out again that's the hard part."

She smiled at Twilight. "Trust me, Twilight -- you can do this."

"She's right, Twilight!" Sunset said. "To end all this, we need somepony to go in and convince that Nightmare Moon to return peacefully. And you're the pony to do it!"

"Me?" Twilight objected. "Are you kidding? Sunset, you figured out how to make the Field of Harmony work properly! You stopped Nightmare Moon, not me! Shouldn't you --"

Sunset shook her head. "No way!"

"But --"

"Twilight! Don't you get it? The Field of Harmony, even the Elements of Harmony themselves... they're just tools. It's friendship that powers them! And you're the expert on that!"

Seeing Twilight was still uncertain, Sunset gestured towards Applejack and the others. "I have five of the best friends any pony could ever have," she said. "But they were practically gifted to me. I did nothing to earn them. But you..." Sunset shook her head, amazed. "Twilight, you took a group of ponies that no one would have looked at twice as friends --" She gestured to Tempest, Starlight, Trixie, and the rest including herself -- "You brought us together, you made us your friends. You turned us into something greater than any of us would have been without each other." Sunset nodded proudly. "Twilight, you know way more about Friendship than I do! More than I ever will! So it has to be you!"

Twilight swallowed nervously. "All right... I'll try."

"Well, you're not doing it alone," Tempest growled, stalking over to stand with her. She winced painfully with every step. "I'll go with you."

"I will too!" Starlight said, scared but determined.

Moondancer nodded as well. "Count me in!"

Trixie held her hat in her hooves contritely, looking around at them all.

"I'm so sorry, everypony. I couldn't clue you in what I was doing... because I didn't even know myself until I'd done it! It must have been Luna's idea, a way to bring the real answer to the surface, to make us take another look and see it for ourselves -- the right way to make the Field work. But she had to make Nightmare Moon think it was her idea all along. She had to keep Nightmare Moon from guessing -- and so she had to make me think I was betraying all of you, all along."

She hunched, miserably.

"So now I really want to help save Luna. If... you'll still have me with you?"

Twilight stared at her... then held out a hoof to her.

"If there's any pony we need to have with us, Trixie, it's you."

Sunset nodded. "And me too. We're all in, Twilight!"

Cheese glanced at Pinkie, and then trotted over to them. "Maybe you'll need a party pony, too?"

"You never know!" Twilight grinned. "I can't see how it would hurt."

Then she looked up at the lavender alicorn. "Will you be all right here?"

The alicorn nodded. "Don't worry about me, Twilight. I can hold the fort. I'll look after Spike and Grubber too." The alicorn motioned for the dragon and hedgehog to join her. "And try to do what I can for ponies here."

"Thanks," Twilight said. She found it strange, talking to herself like this. And the alicorn smiled back at her oddly, as if she felt the same way. Then Twilight looked to her friends.

"All right, everypony!" she said. "Let's do this!"

Turning, she unhesitatingly led the way up the steps of the dais to the sphere, the others right behind her.

The journey into the darkness is always easy, she reminded herself. Cautiously, she put a hoof to the surface of the whirling cloud... and found it was porous, vaporous, like chill mist. Taking a deep breath, she walked forwards, and vanished into it.

The others followed, one at a time. The last of them was Starlight, who gritted her teeth nervously, hoping that the others hadn't simply evaporated entirely as they'd passed out of sight.

Then she shrugged helplessly. "Oh well... who wants to live forever, huh?"

"Don't even get me started on that," called the alicorn Twilight, with a knowing smile.

Starlight smiled back at her, comforted by the strangely familiar sense of humor.

And then she followed her friends inside.

Not Exactly Friends

"You know," Tempest grumbled, "the one nice thing about pain is, it lets you know you're not actually dead yet." She glanced around. "Though even for an afterlife this would be, well... kind of gloomy..."

The ponies all stared around at the apparently infinite blackness surrounding them. It was like being in the darkest of forests, on the darkest of nights... except there were no trees, no path. There was nothing at all, nothing but inky, depthless shadow.

Several of the ponies lit their horns, though all that did was make them more visible to each other in the gloom.

"So... where is she?" Starlight asked. "How do we find her?"

Then she felt a hoof grab one of hers, and tug gently. "Follow me," Trixie said quietly. "I can find her. I've been here before."

They all followed the showpony as she set off, in an apparently arbitrary direction...

... which very soon led to a forlorn, huddled shape, all but lost in the depths of the blackness. It was an alicorn, with a night-blue coat and a crown and armor marked with a crescent moon.

"Princess?" Trixie called out, nervously. "Princess Luna?"

The alicorn gasped, and her head snapped up. She stared at them for a long moment, in fear and confusion.

And then she smiled, in tearful recognition. "Trixie..." she whispered. "Trixie Luna Moon..."

"Princess!" Tears streaming down her face, Trixie ran forward, her forehooves outstretched. She grabbed tight hold of Luna and hugged her, desperately, eyes shut tight and weeping.

Luna swung her head round, in a welcoming neck-hug. "You found me at last," she whispered. "My diligent, dedicated student. You found me."

Then she looked up, at the others. "And thou did not come alone, apparently."

"Oh!" Trixie reluctantly let go, wiping her eyes with a hoof, and turned to the others. "These are my friends, Princess. I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for all of them."

"Then we are most grateful," Luna said, nodding formally. "To all of thee."

"Our pleasure, Your Highness," Twilight replied. "Though we wouldn't be here either if it wasn't for you. So in a way, Princess, we're all your students." She bowed in respect, and the others quickly followed suit.

Luna shook her head, puzzled. "We do not understand."

"You brought us together," Twilight explained. "Or rather, that other you out there did. Either way, together we found a way to reach you... the real you. And we came to tell you, Princess, that you haven't been forgotten by your subjects. There's still a place, a people for you to return to. We came here to find you... to welcome you back home!"

Luna stared at her, looking briefly hopeful. And then hung her head in shame.

"We are not certain we can, Twilight Sparkle. We have been trapped here far too long. We have lost the way. We hardly even remember what it was like being Luna. It was only through Trixie's kindness to us, through our visits to her dreams --" she reached out and drew the showpony close, "-- that we were able to retain what small shred of ourself remains. And we are not certain at all that it will be enough."

She shook her head, eyes lowered.

"We have no home any longer, Twilight Sparkle. We recall only -- the Nightmare." Her eyes flashed, her voice briefly became a threatening, fanged snarl. It echoed through the darkness around them, and the darkness seemed to close in, a little tighter, a little colder...

Twilight shook her head.

"Every nightmare ends," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady and reassuring. "All you have to do is want it to end. All you have to do is want to wake up from it."

Luna nodded sadly.

"We do wish for it to end. We wish to go back. If there were only a way..."

Twilight nodded. She held out a hoof. "Let us help you. You brought us here, Princess, all of us. And we're your friends. So let us return the favor, and help you return home, with us."

Luna began to reach out -- then hesitated.

"We are afraid, Twilight Sparkle. To leave this place, to return, we must undo what we have become. We must return to what we were before all this began. What if... what if we do not remember thee? What if we forget, and it starts all over again?"

Trixie hugged her tightly. "We'll remember for you," she whispered. "We won't let you forget us, Princess, not ever!"

Twilight nodded in agreement. "We promise, Your Highness. After all, it's what friends are for."

Luna stared at her, desperate -- and hopeful.

"Please?" Twilight said. "Let us help."

Luna hesitantly smiled in return. And then finally, she reached out to take hold of Twilight's hoof.

And in a soundless explosion, the shadows finally lifted...

It was still night in the Celebration area, when Twilight cautiously opened her eyes and painfully struggled to her hooves. Looking around, she saw her companions doing the same.

No doubt about it, she thought, saving Equestria seems to involve getting smacked around a lot...

Then she saw, standing in the center of the group, a tall, light-blue mare, blinking and staring about her in wide-eyed confusion. Twilight trotted over to her.

"Princess Luna?"

The mare nodded, with a touch of haughty pride. "We are known by that name. But, who art thou?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, Your Highness." Twilight bowed respectfully. "And it's an honor to meet you."

"It is our pleasure also," Luna replied, a little uncertainly. "Have we met before?"

"Not... exactly, Your Highness."

"Don't let it get to you, ma'am!" Rainbow Dash called. "There's a lot of that going around today!"

"Y'all made it back!" Applejack said, as she and the others hesitantly approached. "Did it work? Is that --"

Twilight nodded. Then she looked around, at the astonished crowd, who were all staring wide-eyed at the new arrival. Twilight cleared her throat and raised her voice, trying to remember how one did this.

"Ahem! Ponies of Equestria! Allow me to present to you all, Her Royal Highness -- Princess Luna!"

Shocked, the audience of ponies was motionless and silent for a moment.

Then good breeding quickly took over. As one, the ponies of Canterlot knelt in respect to the Princess. Luna stood facing them, still looking frightened... but also smiling ever so slightly at the effusive welcome from everypony present.

Everypony except one.

"No!" Nightmare Moon shouted. The alicorn Twilight still held her, but the hold was weakening fast. The Dark Mare was trying to free herself, to cast a spell, to do anything to break the power that held her. "This is not possible! It is not... it is not how things must be!"

And all at once she began struggling, frantically, desperately. The helmet flew from her head. Her mane lost its shimmering hue, becoming matted and tangled. Feathers flew from her wings. Her terrified, pained shrieks cut through the air like knives.

"What's the matter with her!" Twilight cried. "What are you doing to her?"

The alicorn Twilight shook her head. "Nothing! I'm just holding her, stopping her magic, just as I've been doing." She stared at the imprisoned Dark Mare in a kind of horrified fascination. "She's done this to herself..."

"What is it? What's wrong? Can't we help?"

The alicorn shook her head. "She altered the time-travel spell and carefully arranged events, so that her past would be overwritten by this one, so that this would become her past, her timeline. And she's succeeded far too well -- she's too tightly bound now. She can't escape it."

Twilight's eyes went wide.

"And by freeing Princess Luna, we've altered that timeline. We've changed the future. And in that future... she no longer exists!"

"You have to let me go!" Nightmare Moon pleaded. "I can't stay here... I need to go back... I need to... AIIIEEEE!" Her cries became a single piercing, unfettered shriek.

And before their eyes, the stricken Dark Mare faded away, softly and silently, as though she'd never existed.

There was shocked silence in the Celebration area. The alicorn Twilight's horn fell silent. Her head lowered, sadly. The others all looked at each other, uncertain.

"Is that it, y'all?" Applejack asked. "Did we just win?"

"Sure seems like it," Sunset said cautiously. "I'm just waiting for the other three shoes to drop."

"I'm not sure either." Twilight looked up at the sky. The sunless night sky. "Celestia hasn't returned."

"Give it time," the alicorn Twilight said. "Not quite like turning a cart around, is it?"

"Well, Luna's been freed," Spike pointed to her. "So Celestia should be free as well. Right?"

"Maybe..." Moondancer said. "Or maybe we need to have Luna lower the Moon and raise the Sun, have her bring back the Day. She can do that, right?"

Luna stared at them, nervously. "Raise the Sun? We... we have not yet learned how to do that properly."

"Uh oh..." Starlight said quietly. "Okay, now what do we do?"

"I don't know!" Twilight said. She looked around at her friends, desperately. "And Celestia said I'd know what to do, if she didn't return. But..."

She came to a halt, and then turned towards the lavender alicorn, still sitting with her head lowered.

"Do you know what we should do?"

The alicorn shook her head. "I can't ask it of you."

"What? Why not?"

"Because," she looked up at Twilight, "it's not my call to make. This is your path, Twilight, your timeline, your destiny. It's not mine. I'm nothing here, an aberration. I have no say in this."

She fell miserably silent. Twilight stared at her, mulling it over.

Then, thinking aloud, she spoke:

"Nightmare Moon said she captured you, so you came from the same timeline that she did," Twilight said. "But then why are you still here? Oh, wait... oh my gosh!"

"What is it, Twilight?" Sunset asked, trotting over to her.

"She came from a different timeline than Nightmare Moon! And the fact that she's still here..." She looked at the alicorn, who stared at her sadly, silently. "... means that timeline may still exist! She could return to it, just like Nightmare Moon said."

The alicorn nodded. "Possibly," she allowed. "I think I still remember enough of the time-travel spell. It's been a long time. But you see the problem, Twilight? If I do that, if I go back and restore my version of events, then your timeline, everything here..."

"Might cease to exist..." Twilight whispered softly.

"And all of us would go back," Starlight asked, "to what we would have been, in that other timeline?"

The alicorn Twilight nodded. And then she laughed humorlessly. "You know," she said, "I think that was Nightmare Moon's backup plan, all along. To use my special talent -- your special talent, Twilight, against you. To weaponize Friendship against you. If you challenged her and won, if you defeated her, that would set me free. And then you'd feel honor bound to let me go back and restore my timeline. And in so doing, you'd be condemning all your friends, all of your best friends, to lives of loneliness and hardship. Because that's how things go, in my version of history."

She shook her head, miserably. "Nightmare Moon knew neither of us could ever willingly do that, not to those we care about..."

Rainbow snorted derisively. "Yeah, right! I bet that little newsreel she showed us was all a pack of lies! Nightmare Moon just wanted us to think your lives would have been awful. She can't have been telling us the truth, right?"

But the alicorn Twilight was nodding. "Yes, Rainbow, it was the truth. Nightmare Moon kept me close, under tight watch, so I couldn't escape her. So as she explored your timeline, I saw it too. Everything happened, just as she showed you."

Then she smiled in amusement.

"Though true to form, she didn't give you the whole story. In each case, she left out the most important part..."

With a wave of a hoof, she cast the spell that formed an image in midair.

On it, they saw Starlight yield to Twilight, apologize to her, return through time with her, and they saw her become Twilight's first student...

They saw Trixie give up the amulet, repent of her actions, and later go on to become Starlight's best friend. And with her, save Equestria from an invasion by the Changeling Hive...

They saw Cheese Sandwich's confession to Pinkie and her friends, saw Cheese and Pinkie working together to create the most epic of party bashes for Rainbow Dash...

They saw Twilight throw a party for Moondancer, saw Moondancer afterward, happily playing hoofball with Minuette and her other friends from Canterlot...

They saw Twilight reaching out to help Sunset up after her defeat, saw Sunset taking up her new life in the mirror world, as a student in that other School...

They saw Tempest's mad, self-sacrificing leap to block the Storm King's final assault... saw her help Twilight restore Canterlot and the Princesses to their former selves. They saw her welcomed into Twilight's circle of close friends... saw the happy, relieved smile on the tough pony's face.

And throughout it all, they saw Twilight herself, an alicorn Princess, surrounded by her closest friends: the five ponies from Ponyville... the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

"You see?" the alicorn Twilight said. "In the end, you still manage to bring them all together. Maybe the path is a little more convoluted, but you do get there. Or I get there... or maybe... oh, who can keep it straight anymore? I know I can't! The point is, Twilight, one way or the other, the right thing happens... for all of you."

"But, what about everypony else?" Applejack asked, worried. She gestured at the crowd gathered around, watching them. "Everyone else in Equestria? If we go around altering the timeline or whatnot, don't that change it for all of them, too?"

The alicorn Twilight shook her head. "Nightmare Moon's change in history only affects you, Twilight, and your close friends. For everyone else, either timeline is essentially the same. So no one else is affected. Only you."

"And," Twilight said, carefully, "if you go back, you'll be able to restore things? You'll go back to that other timeline you came from?"

"Well..." the alicorn said sadly. "I'm not exactly getting out of this scot-free myself. To put things right, I'll have to go back to before Nightmare Moon captured me, enable myself to escape from her." She nodded. "I think I even know how to do it. She had Spike imprisoned in a chain spell. When I tried to get free --" She winced, and stared sadly at Spike. "She used you to make me surrender, Spike. I couldn't let her hurt you!"

Spike nodded understandingly. Then, suddenly confused, he looked at Twilight -- his Twilight. Which of them was the real Twilight? They were so much alike!

"So," the alicorn went on. "I go back to the point in time where I tried to escape. I use my magic to help that Twilight break the chain spell. I help her free Spike, so Nightmare Moon can't use him against her. Then she'll be able to teleport both Spike and herself back to the map table. And from there, she'll be able to use Starlight's time-travel spell to escape."

"Oh! You mean... that other Starlight's time-travel spell," Starlight said cautiously. "Not the one I... uh... oh, never mind." She glanced at Twilight guiltily. "I'll tell you about it later."

Twilight gave her a curious look, smiling.

"But," the alicorn Twilight finished, "in doing all that, I'll be wiping out my timeline. I'll probably cease to exist... just like Nightmare Moon." She winced, and shivered. "But I'm willing to do that, Twilight. I'm willing to do it, because that's what it'll take to put things right, to put my timeline back on track!" She looked at her younger self. "But I can't make that choice, Twilight. This isn't my world, it isn't my timeline. It's yours! So it's your call."

Twilight nodded. And then she looked around at all her friends. And at the ponies from Ponyville. And the hundreds of other ponies of Canterlot, all watching the discussion in tense concern.

Right, Twilight said. It's on me. Celestia wanted me to decide what to do if she didn't return. But how do I decide? How do I make that kind of choice for all my friends?

She looked up at the sad, lonely alicorn.

"You could... always stay here with us," she said softly. "It'd be a little strange, there being two of us, but... I'm used to strange by now. And you'd be welcome here with us."

The alicorn nodded, agreeably. "If that's what you want, Twilight, I'll gladly accept it."

"But..." Twilight went on, "then that means you never get to see your friends again. Your home. Your Equestria."

The alicorn sighed, her eyes shut, her head lowered. "I gave all that up, when I surrendered to Nightmare Moon, when I let her take the time-travel spell from me. I don't deserve it anymore! And if there's still some place where I can live, and teach, and be useful again... that'll be enough for me. It'll have to be."

"Well, that just won't do!"

Twilight looked round. It was Tempest. She was staring at the alicorn, fierce and determined. "You deserve better than this, Twilight. Both of you do. It was Nightmare Moon who turned the timeline upside down, not you! All you've ever tried to do is put things right. You helped all of us, saved all of us from our own worst natures." She nodded, firmly. "So it's time for us to pony up, and pay you back for that."

She put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, though still looking at the alicorn version of her. "Find us, Twilight!" she said softly. "Promise me you'll find us, bring us all together again."

"Tempest!" the unicorn Twilight objected, "I can't ask that of you..."

"Yes, you can, Twilight!" Sunset came over to put a hoof around her as well. "Because... because that's the way things ought to be. You know more about being a Princess, Twilight -- about Friendship, about all of it -- than I do. Way more than any of us." She gestured towards the alicorn Twilight. "We've seen what you can become, Twilight. And if there's one pony around here that deserves that, if there's one pony here who's truly a Princess -- a Princess of Friendship -- it's you! So make it happen, Twilight, for all our sakes."

Trixie nodded in agreement. Setting her hat back on her mane, she patted it fondly. "I found Princess Luna. I helped bring her home." She grinned and waved her hooves. "And I made Nightmare Moon go poof! Now I ask you, how is the Great and Powerful Trixie going to top that?" She shrugged. "Sure, maybe the road might be a little longer, a little harder. But I'm a showpony. I'm used to being on the road. As long as I'm still the Great and Powerful Trixie, it doesn't matter much where I am." She pointed a hoof at the alicorn Twilight. "But this matters, Twilight. This is important. This needs to happen! Because if you've taught me anything, Twilight, anything at all..."

She gently punched Twilight's shoulder with a hoof.

"You've taught me not to be jealous of you. And that takes an expert, trust me!"

"I'm with them," Moondancer said quietly. "Yeah. Count me in, too. Just... don't make me wait too long, Twilight! Before you come find me again? There are so many books I wanted to share with you, whenever we finally had some time for them."

"And hey, don't forget me!" Starlight said. "At least I still get to learn magic with you, Twilight. And I still get to be Trixie's best friend!" She gave the showpony a hug.

"Trixie's Great and Powerful Assistant!" Trixie corrected, hugging her back. "Don't you forget that, bestie!"

"Not on your life!" Starlight agreed.

Cheese smiled around at them all. "You know, I've only just joined this little group, and already I feel like a part of it? But even if I had to give all that up, I'd still be a party pony. And I'd make ponies happy, wherever I go. Maybe I won't be around to help as much as I might have been. But... if you should ever need an extra pony to help with an epic party bash... just ask Pinkie to look me up. I'm sure she'll know where to find me!"

"You know it, Cheese!" Pinkie crowed. "We party ponies stick together!"

"And I suppose it's not really for us to say either," Applejack said. "It's your call, Twilight, but... wayall, based on what we've all been through..." She nodded. "We'd be honored to be your friends again, if that's how it should turn out."

"Yeah, absolutely!" Rainbow said. "And hey, as long as I'm still awesome, it's all good!"

Rarity and Fluttershy glanced at each other, and then nodded wordlessly as well.

"Thank you, everypony!" Twilight said. "I couldn't ask for better friends. And that makes it doubly hard to choose. I feel... I feel like I'm saying goodbye to you all!"

Tempest snorted. "It's not goodbye, Twilight, not really." She looked around at them all. "We'll still be friends, of a sort. Even if we're not exactly friends, not the way we are now..." She smiled warmly. "... we'll still be together. That's what matters." She nodded to herself. "In fact... that's all that matters!"

The others nodded in agreement.

Twilight sighed, and nodded herself. And then she looked to her alicorn self.

"Do it," she said. "Go back, try to free yourself, try to restore that other timeline. Make it happen... and bring us all back together again!"

The alicorn Twilight smiled.

"If I have anything to say about it, I will! Thank you, Twilight."

She reached out a hoof, and Twilight reached up to her. The two of them shared a long, consoling hug together.

And then, with a melancholy smile, Princess Twilight flapped her wings and rose into the air. She swept up and away, into the sky. There was a brief, brilliant flash of light, as she activated the time-travel spell. Then she disappeared from sight.

Twilight looked at her friends, at Tempest and all the others. "We did it," she said, still unable to believe it herself. "We brought back Luna, we saved Equestria. Maybe not quite the way we planned... but we made it happen. All of us together."

INDEED YOU DID.

The sky overhead was growing lighter. Before them, a brilliant star blazed alight, and steadily increased in brilliance, becoming the rising Sun. From it descended a massive white alicorn, her prismatic mane flowing around her.

"Princess!" Twilight said, rushing over to her as she landed on her armored hooves in the center of a circle of bowing ponies.

Celestia willingly shared a long, relieved neck-hug with her. Then she nodded to both Twilight and her friends, who were all crowding around her eagerly.

"I'm proud of all of you, very proud. That was not an easy choice to make. But that other Twilight was right. It was your choice, no one else's. And you handled it very well, my faithful students. I could not have asked for better."

"Sister?" said a timid voice.

"Luna..." Celestia breathed, overcome with emotion. And then she was the one rushing forward, to embrace her long-lost sister. The two of them cried on each other's shoulders, while the Guard quickly moved in to surround them, keeping the crowds back and giving them some space.

Twilight and her friends looked on happily, under the warm morning sunlight, relieved it was finally all over.

Then Trixie looked nervously up at the sky, and around at the Celebration Area.

"Did it work? Did that other Twilight make it home okay?"

"And if she does," Moondancer asked uncomfortably, "if she's able to save Spike and escape... will we just, I don't know, fade away? Disappear? Will we even feel it, when it happens?"

"Well," Starlight said, trying to keep her voice steady and confident. "There are several competing theories. The multiverse interpretation holds that even when that Twilight returns her version of the timeline to its original course, ours will simply continue on, following its own independent path."

"Well... that's a relief..." Twilight said. She hugged her friends closely, staring fearfully up at the warm morning sky.

"Of course," Starlight admitted tensely, "the single-stream theory has it that at the very moment she restores her timeline, everything here will just --"

On a hillside road, a maroon filly with a broken horn paused to look back at the village she was leaving forever. And then turned forward, her face set in a grim scowl.

If you depend on others... you'll never find your place...

In Sires Hollow, Double Diamond was surprised to see Starlight Glimmer home so soon.

"Hey, Starlight!" he said. "So... how'd everything go with Sunburst?"

"Who? Oh, Sunburst, yeah. He'll be fine, probably fit right in at Celestia's School. But who cares about him, anyway? I just came up with this wonderful idea! I spent the entire train-ride back working it out..."

She grinned at him, bright-eyed and eager.

"It's all about cutie-marks..."

In the quaint village of Ponyville, the Great and Powerful Trixie had just finished teaching a group of self-important locals what it meant to tangle with the world's foremost magical talent. "Once again," she called, proudly, "the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing unicorn in all Equestria!"

Life had been hard, ever since she was kicked out of Celestia's School. And following that strange business with the Sun Celebration, and the day without a sunrise, Trixie hadn't heard a peep from either Nightmare Moon or Princess Luna, not one. They seemed to have forgotten all about Trixie.

Well, no matter... Trixie could manage just fine on her own, thank you.

"Was there ever any doubt?" she added smugly.

In the Canterlot High video studio, Rarity got up from the interview table, and leaned across to shake hands.

"Thanks again for the invite, darling!" she said. "And I hope we were able to give you what you needed for that school paper article on friendship!"

"Oh, believe me!" Sunset replied, with a smug grin. "I've got everything I need to know about all of you..."

"All right, class!" called Ms. Flask, the gray-coated science teacher. "Settle down! Open your books to page 54, and read the next chapter."

At a table near the front of the classroom, a lavender, blue-maned unicorn sat by herself, her snout buried in her textbook, its pages steadily turning in the magenta gleam of her magic.

There was a quiet, embarrassed cough next to her.

"Excuse me, Twilight," Moondancer said. "But... would it be okay if I sat next to you in class?"

"Uh huh," Twilight replied, not even glancing up from the book.

"Oh... er, thanks!" Moondancer cautiously sat down beside her, settled her textbook on the table, and flipped it open to the right chapter.

She glanced uneasily at Twilight, bit her lip anxiously.

"I hope I'm not bothering you, Twilight."

"Uh huh."

"I know how you like to focus on studying. I just thought... well, since we both like books... and we have so much else in common... um..."

Twilight suddenly looked up, right at her. And smiled.

"Why in Equestria would that bother me, Moondancer?" she asked. "You're a friend. And I mean, no one else has asked to sit with me before!"

Moondancer stared at her, shocked. "No one?"

"No one. And truthfully? I was... kind of hoping someone would."

Then Twilight went right back to reading again, still smiling. And Moondancer sighed, tears in her eyes.

It worked! Twilight said I can sit with her. She said I'm her friend!

The relief was palpable, like a cartload of iron bars sliding off her shoulders, leaving her feeling lightheaded, finally able to breathe easily again.

Then she happened to look up, and saw, standing in the doorway...

... Princess Celestia.

The Princess was smiling proudly... at Moondancer. Moondancer stared back at her, astonished.

And then she grinned. She was suddenly filled with a warm, happy certainty:

Everything's going to be all right now...

On a hillside in Appleoosa, a tan pony wearing a flat-brimmed hat looked back at the town behind him, where ponies and buffalo were partying with abandon.

"Well, Boneless. Looks like our work here is done. Yep, those ponies never partied so hard. Thanks to me... Cheese Sandwich."

All at once, he shivered convulsively, then leapt a dozen feet in the air.

"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! That was a doozy!"

Then he set his eye on the horizon, beyond which the sun was just setting.

"Well, Boneless, looks like our next party is gonna be in... Ponyville!"

And the pony strolled off into the sunset, smiling and singing to himself, on his way to help make new ponies happy.

Because some things will always be the same... no matter what world you're living in.

The End

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Author's Note

And that's it! Many thanks to all of you who've read and commented on the entire series. I never would have believed, when I put up the initial Not Exactly Friends tale half a year ago, that it would be nearly so popular, nor such a fruitful source of connected, interesting stories. It's entirely because of your supportive likes and feedback that I've been able to keep chugging along, right up to the final episode.

I've really gotten to like this Twilight and her unusual circle of friends, but I did feel like it was only fair to provide a fitting closure to their story, or at least this arc of it. I did carefully arrange things so there's a way forward from here, perhaps a follow-on series, but it's entirely based on the response from you, the readership.

So if you'd like to see more of Twilight, Tempest, and the rest of the Advanced Projects group, don't forget to like and comment -- vote early and often! And thanks again for reading!

Kindest regards,
--- LDT

The Summer Celebration

Sunset trotted out into the Celebration area proper, Spike at her heels. Both of them looked around at the busy activity.

The raised marble dais for the solstice ceremony itself was being polished and consecrated. The performance stage was assembled and being decorated. Around the edges of the broad marble expanse tables and booths were being set up. Food, beverages, souvenirs, and other supplies were arriving in a steady stream of carts, boxes, and barrels. And ponies were hustling about everywhere, getting things ready.

Just finding anypony in this mess, Sunset thought, will be a miracle in itself.

She trotted hopefully toward to the largest stack of crates, looking around. "Hello? I'm looking for the pony in charge of the banquet?"

"Wayall howdy, ma'am!" An orange pony wearing an eleven-gallon hat trotted into view. "Name's Applejack! What can I do ya fer?"

"Applejack?" Sunset gasped, staring. The sun-bleached and friendly face, the bright eyes, the unassuming down-home smile... it was her friend from the mirror universe, right down to the hooves. "What are you doing here?" Sunset demanded.

The pony stared at her, confused. "Uh, sorry, ma'am... have we met before?"

"Oh!" Sunset quickly got control of herself. "Um, not exactly. Sorry, you... just remind me of someone I know. A friend, actually." Sunset laughed. "A real good friend!"

"Heh! Prob'ly a Apple," Applejack said. "Prob'ly a cousin, too, we're all over the place. Yep! I got kinfolk in places I never even knew were places!"

"Um, right..." Sunset glanced at Spike, who was also staring wide-eyed at Applejack. "Well! I'm Sunset Shimmer, and we're just checking up on the preparations for the Celebration. Are you in charge of the food?"

"Nah! The high-end grub's being handled by some hoity-toity caterin' outfit from up here. They've got it under control, far as I can see. I'm just deliverin' stuff for the snack tables. This here's my last load up from the farm in Ponyville. I just got to deliver the produce to where it's needed, and unload the baked goods for the stalls here, and we'll be all set."

"Oh! Well, you need any help with that?"

"Nah, we're good. My brother over there, Big Mac, he's helpin' with the heavy loads." She pointed to a large red stallion, who nodded proudly. "And I got other kin here to lend a hoof, too." She glanced around, annoyed. "If I can only figger out where Apple Bloom and Granny Smith have gone to ground. But we'll make it happen, ma'am, one way or another. Don't you fret!"

"I won't! I know you'll do a great job, A.J.!"

"Surely will! Uh, hey, how'd you know my nickname?"

"Oh! Um, it was my friend's as well," Sunset said hurriedly, craning her neck to look at Spike's list. "Uh, now I just need to find the pony in charge of, ah... decorations! And that would be --"

"Rarity!" Applejack was trotting over to the stage, where a brilliantly white, violet-maned pony was tweaking a bow on the bunting looped around its base. "Ya do know the Celebration is this afternoon, right? Get a move on! It don't have to be perfect, ya know!"

"Well!" the pony replied huffily, "some of us care about getting the details right, Applejack!"

Sunset stared. "You're kidding me... Rarity?"

The fashion pony swung towards them, flouncing her mane proudly.

"Woah," Spike whispered, stars in his eyes. "She's beautiful!"

Seeing them, Rarity's eyes went wide.

"Oh... my... gosh!"

Spike quickly preened his spines, striking what he probably hoped was a handsome pose. But it wasn't Spike that Rarity was staring at.

"Eeee! Applejack, do you know who this is?"

"Uh, surely do, she's --"

"Sunset Shimmer!" Rarity bounced down off the stage and hurried over to shake Sunset's hoof excitedly. "Oh, my goodness, darling! It's such an honor! Your group is just the talk of Canterlot, you know."

"Uhhh... Rarity, ya mind throwin' me a bone here?"

"Oh, Applejack! You recall the announcement that was read out in Ponyville Square? About the Princess having chosen six ponies to act as our defenders against the return of the Nightmare? Well! Sunset here is only their second-in-command."

"Woah, Nelly!" Applejack snatched off her hat. "Didn't realize I was in the presence, so to speak. You didn't say nothin' about it, ma'am!"

"Oh, stop it, Applejack!" Sunset waved a hoof. "You don't have to get all formal with me. You're a friend, after all!"

"Well now, mighty kind of you to put it that way... er, Sunset," Applejack cautiously put her hat back on.

"And Sunset," Rarity said, "if I may be so bold, I was just wondering if you all liked the gowns I prepared for your debut in society. It was such a disappointment I never had a chance to see you in them."

"Wait. You did those gowns, Rarity?" Sunset stared. "All of them?"

"Well... yes, actually!"

"They were gorgeous! We all thought so!"

"Oh!" Rarity blushed slightly. "Well, I was up all night, because I wanted to make sure they looked smashing. It was a rush order, you see, and I wasn't entirely pleased with the result, but I did my best..."

"More than anypony's best, I'd say!" Sunset assured her. "Everyone at the reception was complimenting us on them."

"They were? Oh, my gosh!" Rarity put a hoof to her forehead. "I may just faint! Oh, but I won't! Too much to do yet."

"And I'll just bet," Sunset added, "that you're in charge of the decorations, right?"

Rarity's eyes rolled. "Oh, don't I wish, my dear. No, no, I'm just doing my part to help us stay on track... despite what some ponies might think!" She raised an eyebrow at Applejack. "Canterlot's high society ladies are in charge of the overall design. But just between you and me, Sunset?" She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "They've got committee-itis. They wouldn't know a rosette from a sow's ear."

"Well, that's just stupid!" Sunset laughed. "You've got tons of design sense, Rarity. You should be calling the shots!"

"Oh! Oh my! That is so kind of you to say!" Rarity looked puzzled for a moment, then quickly shifted gears. "You don't think you might, er... put in a good word for me?" She made a hopefully pleading face.

"You kidding, Rarity? We're in charge of this Celebration," Sunset replied. "I'll just talk to Twilight about it and we'll --"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity gasped, staring around anxiously. "Oh! Is she here? Do I look presentable, Applejack?"

"Ya look fine, Rarity! Quit yer fussin'."

"I think she looks gorgeous!" Spike whispered.

Sunset discreetly shushed him with a hoof. "Twilight and the others are out and about," she said, "letting everypony know that we're on top of things."

"And no doubt you are, my dear!" Rarity replied.

"This... Twilight?" Applejack asked. "She's the pony in charge?"

"Well..." Sunset grinned at the thought. "She'd never want us to think of her like that... but, yeah, in a way. She's the pony who brought us all together in the first place. It's fair to say that without Twilight, none of us would be here."

"Wayall, hope we get a chance to meet her later," Applejack said. "Sounds like a right fine pony to be leading y'all."

"I'll introduce you personally, A.J.!" Sunset laughed. "I just need to finish checking on the preparations first. What's next on our list, Spike?"

"Isn't she the most beautiful thing?" Spike said dreamily, staring at Rarity.

"Focus, Casanova," Sunset muttered, nudging him.

"Oh, right! Let's see!" Spike hurriedly checked his scroll. "Here it is: music!"

"Ah! That would be Pearl Baton," Rarity said sagely. "She's in charge of the CRO... the Canterlot Royal Orchestra? Such a grand sound! I never miss a chance to attend a concert when I'm calling on a client here. I think she might have just stepped away to have a nervous breakdown or something. But that's perfectly normal, for such an artiste. The orchestra was doing a practice run on the stage earlier and oh, they were simply di-vine!"

"Okay... that sounds well in hoof," Sunset agreed. "But there's a last-minute entry on the list, something about a... bird chorus?"

"Oh, yeah!" Applejack said. "For that, you'll want to chat with --"

"Fluttershy?" Sunset interrupted in surprise, having turned to look where Applejack was pointing. Up on the stage, she saw a butter-colored pegasus with a voluminous pink mane, carefully conducting a small flock of singing songbirds.

"Uh, yeah, that's right. But how did you...?"

Sunset wasn't paying attention. She had already climbed up on the stage, and was trotting over towards the pony, who had just stopped her chorus to politely scold one of the birds for being off-time.

Sunset gently tapped the pony's shoulder. "Excuse me?"

"Oh!" Startled, the pegasus immediately tried to hide behind her mane. "I'm sorry!" she whispered. "Were we being too loud?"

"Too loud? Are you kidding me?" Sunset smiled. "Oh right, you probably don't know me. I'm Sunset Shimmer. And it's so great to see you again. Uh... here, I mean!"

"Oh! Well, thanks! I'm... uh..." She winced bashfully, her voice fading away to silence.

"Fluttershy, right?" Sunset smoothly supplied, with a grin.

"Oh! Um... yes?" The pegasus made it sound like she wasn't quite sure, but would gladly take some other name if it was preferable.

And then her eye landed on Spike.

"Oh, my! A baby dragon!" she shouted, excitedly, pushing past Sunset to stare raptly at him. "I've never seen a baby dragon before! Isn't he just the cutest thing?"

"Hey, hey! This is more like it!" Spike held out a claw for a shake. "My name's Spike! Nice to meet you!"

"Hi, Spike! Oh, wow! I didn't know dragons could talk! That's so incredibly wonderful! What do dragons talk about?"

"Well... what do you want to know?"

"Absolutely everything..."

Seeing that Fluttershy was thoroughly distracted talking with Spike, Sunset walked back to the edge of the stage, shaking her head in amazement. "This is so weird..."

"Ain't that the truth!" Applejack said, staring at her. "You sure we never met before?"

"There's only one way to find out," Sunset replied. "Now, the next item on Spike's list was weather. I didn't see a name listed, but is there a pegasus somewhere around here named Rainbow?"

"Oh, you mean..."

"GANGWAY!"

A rush of wind and rainbow contrail blasted past them, then looped about and headed back. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane swooped up to them, slamming on the air-brakes and hovering in midair.

"Heh, heh... sorry about that! One of my loop-de-loops got away from me."

"Wayall!" Applejack drawled sarcastically. "Speak of the Mare!"

"Why? Did somepony mention me?" Rainbow looked around eagerly, grinning. "Maybe a talent scout for the Wonderbolts?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Sunset said, amazed.

"The one-and-only!" Rainbow struck a pose. "Why, ya heard of me?"

"You're working weather patrol today?"

"Uh, yeah. Sort of." Rainbow scuffed her mane with a hoof. "Volunteer basis, really. They needed a little extra help cleaning up after the rain last night. Heh! They shoulda just left it to me! I could clear out this whole sky in..."

"... ten seconds flat!" Sunset chorused with her, mischievously.

Rainbow was startled. "Yeah..." Then she looked suspicious. "Who the hay are you anyway?"

"Ah! Rainbow dear! This is Sunset Shimmer!" Rarity explained archly, as if she'd known Sunset all her life. "She's one of Twilight Sparkle's team of ponies, and she's checking up on the preparations for the Celebration."

"Oh, okay! That's cool! But... how do you know so much about me?"

Sunset held up a hoof. "One sec, Rainbow." She looked around, scanning the crowd. "There's just one more. I'll know her when I see her: pink hair... scatter-brained... does the impossible without thinking..."

"Oh, you mean Pinkie?" Rainbow echoed. "She's over there, talking to that pony in the yellow shirt."

Sunset spotted Cheese Sandwich. And that radioactively pink pony sitting next to him... it just couldn't be anypony else.

"Pinkie Pie..." Sunset whispered, nodding.

Then she looked around at the others. "Do you all have a minute? Come on along!"

Willingly, the others trotted and flew along beside her. When they reached the two party ponies, Pinkie and Cheese were busily competing with each other in creating balloon animals. Cheese had just finished a lobster. And Pinkie, tongue between her teeth, was almost done crafting an octopus.

"Pinkie Pie?" Sunset asked, astonished.

"Hey, Sunset!" Pinkie finished the octopus and tossed it aside. Then she grabbed a tray of cupcakes and offered it. "Here, ya want one?"

"Wait -- you know me?" Sunset asked.

"Oh, sure I do!" Pinkie chirped.

"Huh?" Sunset and the other four ponies all chorused, staring at her.

"Of course!" The party pony casually waved a hoof. "Cheese told me all about it in this really nice letter he sent me. He says you and Twilight and the others are putting together this super-secret, super-duper party, for somepony really important. And that if there was one party pony who could help get it done right, it was me! So I said sure!"

"I hope that's okay?" Cheese asked nervously. "I ran into Pinkie a while ago, back in Ponyville. She's just the pony we need to help with all this."

"Hee!" Pinkie beamed happily.

"Well, sure!" Sunset nodded. "It's totally okay! If I know Pinkie, she'll do a great job."

"Gosh! Thanks, Sunset!" Pinkie beamed. "And naturally, since I couldn't possibly do it all on my lonesome, I invited all my bestest friends from Ponyville to come along and see if they could help out too. And look! You've found them all! Yay!"

Applejack nodded. "And we're proud to lend a hoof, any way we can," she said. "Ponyville would never let the Princess down! But lemme get something straight, Sunset. You know all of us? Like we're old friends or somethin', even though none of us have clapped eyes on ya before?"

"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow snapped, hovering practically in Sunset's face and eyeing her suspiciously. "What's the deal with that, huh? Are you a spy or something?"

Applejack grabbed Rainbow's tail in her teeth and yanked her down to the ground. "Simmer down, Sally!" she warned. "She ain't no spy -- but she does know all of us from somewhere, don't ya, Sunset?"

"Uhh, yeah, I guess I do," Sunset replied. "It's... kind of a long story..."

"Ooooh! I love stories!" Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves excitedly. "Is it a ghost story? A really scary one? With a monster that goes RAARRRR!"

Her roar was so realistic, it made Fluttershy drop to the ground and hide beneath her mane, shuddering.

Sunset thought about it. "Well... yeah, in a way. Sort of. Okay, look, this is gonna sound way out there, but..."

"Hey, Twilight!"

"Sunset?" Twilight turned, smiling. "How's everything going with the preparations?"

"No sweat, all the big tasks are well in hoof," Sunset replied. "But there's a ton of little details to finish off."

"That's what we've been hearing, too. We're going to pitch in and help out around here. There's just so much to do, though!"

"Well, I may have an answer for that. Look who I ran into!"

Twilight stared. "Wait... Applejack? Fluttershy? Rarity? Rainbow? And... Pinkie Pie?"

The ponies looked at each other. "Well, I'll be!" Applejack said. "You were right, Sunset. She does know us! Or at least... our counterparts from that other world, beyond the mirror."

"Which I'm still not sure I believe in," Rainbow said. "It sounds freaky to me! I mean, an entire alternate world with inhabitants who look and sound just like ponies here? Though of course," she added, striking a pose in midair, "two Rainbows would mean double the awesome, right?"

Sunset quickly made introductions for the rest of the Advanced Projects group, and then she turned to Twilight again, with a serious look. "Twilight, these ponies came up from Ponyville to help with the Celebration. And if it's okay with you, I think we should clue them in on our plans for later. We could really use the help!"

"No argument here," Twilight said. "But... can you all spare the time?"

Applejack nodded. "If it's as important as Sunset says it is, you can count on us! Right, y'all?"

The others nodded in agreement. "Indeed!... Absolutely!... Yes, indeedy!"

"Thanks, everypony," Twilight said. "I really appreciate this! And it's so wonderful to see all of you again! Uh, sorry... here, I mean!"

Rainbow looked around at the others.

"Something tells me we're gonna be hearing that a lot," she grumbled, "and I still say it's freaky!"

The preparations whirled on, around the Celebration area, and Twilight, Sunset, and their friends all kept themselves in the thick of things, making sure everything stayed on track.

Having just made a check of the guard ponies stationed around the Celebration area, Tempest was assisting the ponies putting up the last of the bunting on the refreshment stands.

She suddenly found the other end of the banner she was tugging on grabbed and hoisted into the air.

"Here, lemme give you a wing with that!" Rainbow said indistinctly around the cord held in her teeth. Working together, they quickly got the remaining banners and bunting tied up properly.

"Can I ask you something?" Rainbow said afterward, hovering beside Tempest as they headed back towards the stage area.

"As long as it's not about my horn," Tempest said flatly.

Silence.

She eyed Rainbow.

"It's about my horn, isn't it?"

"Uh... no! I mean, maybe... aww, never mind! I just wanted to ask, what's the deal with you and Twilight, huh? I've been watching, and you never let her out of your sight if you can help it. And most of the time, you're within a couple lengths of her anyways. And, oh yeah," she added quickly, "what's with the horn?"

Tempest rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath.

"When I was young and stupid," she finally said, "I made a dumb mistake. And for the longest time after that, I was sure it was going to be forever. And then one day, Twilight showed me it wasn't. She gave me back my life, my sense of purpose. I know who I am again. So now, if anypony wants her, they have to get through me -- got it?" She glared at Rainbow warningly, teeth gritted.

But Rainbow just grinned.

"Oh, yeah, totally! It's just like me and Ponyville."

"Huh?"

"Yeah! See, when I was a filly at flight school, back in Cloudsdale, well... I wasn't big about following rules. So they kicked me out. I felt like a total loser, with no future. Then Ponyville took me in. They put me on their weather patrol, even though I didn't have the flight creds. They gave me a chance. Heh! If it wasn't for them, I'd be nopony right now. So, anyone wants Ponyville? They gotta get through me!" She loop-de-looped in midair, then struck a fighter's pose. "Ha! I'd never leave my home-town hangin'!"

Tempest looked thoughtful.

"This Ponyville... it sounds like a nice place," she said.

"You bet it is!" Rainbow nodded. "We may be a small town, but Ponyville's just about the friendliest place around. You guys should totally come hang out! That is," she added, grimacing, "assuming we get out of this thing alive!"

Tempest stared across the Celebration area, to where Twilight was talking with Shining Armor. "Twilight deserves to live somewhere nice like that," she said. "Not here in Canterlot, where she's surrounded by nobles and know-it-alls, who don't give her the time of day. Who can't give her the respect and attention she really needs."

"Well, hey!" Rainbow said, "you gals pull this off and take down Nightmare Moon, you could pretty much write your own ticket, right? So... maybe think about movin' to Ponyville? It worked for me, so it's gotta be worth a shot, right?"

"Maybe." Tempest nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Rainbow."

"Hey, no problem! So, uh... what's with the horn, anyways?"

Over by the performance stage, Moondancer was helping Rarity finish the decorations... which seemed to involve a lot of standing around adjusting things while Rarity looked on from a distance and called out directions.

"Move the bow a hair to the right, just a hair more... there! Perfect! Right there!"

Moondancer grinned. "You're sure, now? You don't want me to --"

"Oh no, my dear! It's fine where it is. Applejack was right, we do need to pick up the pace a bit. That's why I'm so glad to have your help. It's extremely generous of you. You must have far more important things to do."

"Not really." Moondancer grimaced uncomfortably. "I mostly just do research. And pretty much everything I can do, I've already done. I'm not sure I'm really pulling my weight in this group."

"Oh nonsense, my dear!" Rarity smiled sympathetically. "You always do more good than you realize, more than anypony gives you credit for. And trust me on this one, darling: the better you do your job, the less anypony around you sees it. Because it's done properly, you see? Happens to me all the time!"

Moondancer nodded. "Maybe so. I just want to be sure I'm doing all I can here... to help Twilight. She's done so much for me. For all of us! I just want to give something back here, as a way of thanking her."

"Well," Rarity said, "I feel the same way about all my friends back in Ponyville. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them, to help them look and feel their best. And I know they feel the same way about me."

"Wow... Ponyville sounds really nice!"

"Oh, we all think so!" Rarity smiled. "Perhaps a little quaint and old-fashioned, but very welcoming. You should visit sometime. All of you should!"

"Yeah... we should," Moondancer agreed. "I'll be sure to mention it to Twilight later..."

Near the entrance to the Celebration area, Trixie had drawn up her wagon and was giving an impromptu performance for a group of nervous fillies and colts, to help keep their spirits up.

Conjuring up a stormcloud, Trixie quickly trapped it in a steel pot. She lifted the lid partway, and flames surged out. "Oops!" she said, slamming the lid down again. "Not quite done yet." Ostentatiously checking the time from a nearby tower clock, she waited a moment or two longer, then hauled open the lid... revealing the pot was now full of lollipops.

She passed it around the crowd of laughing children. "One each! And don't you fret! The Great and Powerful Trixie... um, as well as her great and powerful friends... have matters well in hoof!"

As the children laughed and scurried away through the crowds to find their families, Applejack trotted up to the wagon. "Boy howdy!" she said. "That's a mighty fine show you put on, Miss Trixie!"

"Oh, uh... just Trixie is fine." The showpony sighed crossly. "And that's all it is, really: a show... a sham. It's fake, all of it. All trickery... all lies!"

Drawing a pack of cards from her hat with her magic, she began sorting them into proper order, against the next time she'd need to use them.

"Wayall," Applejack said sagely, "to my mind, a lie ain't so much what you say, as how and why you say it. Like with them kids, there. They know it's all magic tricks, but that don't matter none. It takes their minds off... well, you know. It gives 'em hope. And that's what you and your friends are giving everypony here... hope!"

Trixie shook her head. "Trixie doesn't deserve her friends. Trixie is as much a sham as her show."

"Wow... what brought all this on? If ya don't mind me askin'?"

"It's all right." Trixie looked at Applejack miserably. "Trixie told a number of lies recently. Which her friends have kindly forgiven her. But Trixie still feels ashamed about it."

"Oh... I get it now." Applejack glanced around, then leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Don't tell nopony, but I've told mor'na few whoppers myself, back in the day. But after I owned up, my family were kind enough to forgive me for it." She grinned sheepishly. "Of course, they never let me forget about it, neither! But ain't that what family's for, anyways?"

Trixie just shut her eyes. "Trixie doesn't know. Trixie doesn't have family... not any more."

"Aww. Ah'm powerful sorry to hear that, sugarcube." Applejack put a comforting hoof around her. "Look, that just means your friends are your family, now. In fact, they're one better! Your family, you're born to that. Ya ain't got no choice in the matter. But your friends, now, that's different. You gotta find 'em yourself, gather em' up like a bushel-load of apples. Treat 'em like y'own kin. And if you're lucky, they'll treat ya back, the same way."

Trixie nodded.

"They already do," she whispered. "Even Twilight -- especially Twilight. Even when she has no reason to want to..."

She smiled at the thought. Then she looked up at Applejack.

"Thanks, A.J. I guess the Great and Powerful Trixie needed a little cheering up herself."

"Shucks, 'twern't nothin'. Just lendin' a hoof, is all."

"Applejack!"

Both of them turned, and saw a yellow filly with a huge red bow in her mane scampering up to them. "There's some local Canterlot kids who need some cheerin' up," she said, breathlessly. "Do you think Trixie might be able to do some more of her show for 'em?"

Applejack tipped back her hat. "Well now, Apple Bloom, I 'spect that's up to Trixie, here."

Trixie smirked, and tipped her own hat to a jaunty angle. "The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie never turns down an appreciative audience!" Then she glanced sideways at Applejack. "What do you say, Applejack? Care to lend a hoof? You can be my great and powerful assistant for this performance!"

Applejack grinned. "Wouldn't mind a bit, ma'am. Wouldn't mind a'tall -- let's do it!"

Together they followed Apple Bloom through the crowd.

"Don't be silly! That's no way to load a party cannon!"

Pinkie hauled out the bundle of streamers. And then, grabbing a sack of confetti, she dove halfway into the mouth of the cannon with a sound like a cork thunking into a bottle. For a few moments contented humming came from inside the barrel, then she popped herself out, gesturing proudly.

"See? You load the confetti first, so it comes out last and sprinkles over everything. Then the streamers, then the lighter, floaty stuff like balloons and such, so they end up in the middle of it all. To get it just right, you really have to think backwards... and upside down... and inside out..."

"... just like a party pony?" Cheese said, grinning.

"Yes, indeedy! Hee!"

"Thanks, Pinkie," Cheese said. "I'm really glad to have your help on this. It's so important to Twilight and her friends, and everyone else besides. I was worried I couldn't pull it off. But I just knew you were the pony for the job."

"Me?" Pinkie waved a hoof. "Get outta town! I'm just the party pony of Ponyville! You're like, the party pony of Canterlot, or close enough! You put together this whole Celebration! Look at all these decorations you put up! And the banners, and the games, and the stuff we've got stashed away for later -- which I haven't told anypony about, don't worry -- and... wow!" She grinned. "You're a super-duper party pony, Cheese!"

"You can't know what it means to hear that, Pinkie. And I owe it all to you."

"Huh?"

"Yeah!" Cheese nodded. "For the longest time, growing up, I didn't know who I was. I didn't know what I was meant to be. And then one day, I wandered into Ponyville, and there you were, throwing a party for everyone. You had them all smiling and laughing, their faces lit up with joy. So easily and confidently, it was like it was nothing at all. Seeing that, right there and then, I knew who I was and what I wanted to do: I was gonna be a party pony, and make ponies laugh!" Cheese grinned. "You're my inspiration, Pinkie!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Woah..." Pinkie beamed. "I always knew I was good. I didn't realize I was that good!"

"You sure are! And if you want, Pinkie, I'd be glad to give you headliner credit for this bash." Cheese shrugged. "It'd be only fair, with all the work you've put into it."

"Are you kidding? De nada!" Pinkie waved a hoof. "We're party ponies! It's what we do! We're a team, Cheese! You and me, together! All for one --"

"-- and one for all!" Cheese agreed.

"Like cake and ice cream!"

"Banners and bouncy-castles!"

"Pinatas and punch bowls!"

"Dance floors and DJ's!"

"Whipped cream and donuts!"

"Whipped cream and -- wait, what?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Eh, it's what came to mind. All this work is making me hungry. Wanna go grab a snack, Cheese? Gotta keep the ol' energy up!"

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Pinkie!"

Starlight stared fixedly at the scroll, hovering in her magic, her quill darting about across it. "And if I reorder these calls..." she muttered to herself, "then I can reduce the incantation length by two syllables... and then..."

"Starlight..." Sunset called. "A little help?"

"Oh, sorry!" Starlight's horn sang, and the stack of empty crates threatening to flatten Sunset lifted into the air, settling neatly onto the cart.

"Thanks!" Sunset doused her horn, and dusted off her hooves. "You know, I never realized big parties like this produced so much crap to cart away? Of course, that's probably because I never paid attention before. I was always too busy being the star of the show."

She glanced at the scroll and quill, hanging in Starlight's magic. "Are you still trying to optimize that spell? Seriously, Starlight! You keep on like this, there won't be any of it left!"

Starlight grinned nervously. "Oh, yeah, really! And then we'll just wave our hooves and say 'Begone, Nightmare Moon!' And that'll be it! Poof! Nothing more to worry about."

She grimaced, and stared tensely at the scroll.

"What is it?" Sunset asked, trotting closer.

"I just want to be sure we get this right, Sunset. We only have the one shot after all, and so much is riding on it."

"I know..." Sunset nodded. "The Princesses -- both of them! And all of Equestria, all our friends and loved ones." She grimaced. "So... no pressure, really!"

"None at all!" Starlight said grimly. "Piece of cake."

"One and done."

"In the bag."

"Uh huh."

"Right."

They looked at each other.

"So..." Sunset asked, "why do you look as nervous as I feel?"

Starlight sighed. "Because we're dealing with an alicorn Princess from a thousand years ago. Who, if Moondancer's research is correct, is so powerful and such a brilliant tactician, she should be able to mop the floor with us without breaking a sweat." Starlight glanced around, and leaned closer. "Do you think our magic is going to be enough for this?"

"You mean," Sunset asked, "counting you, me, and Twilight, just for starters? Three of the most powerful unicorns of modern times? And that's not even mentioning Tempest..." Sunset shuddered. "I'm just glad she's on our side. She could probably take down Nightmare Moon all by herself... without magic!"

"I don't mean quantity," Starlight said, "I mean experience. Together, do we have the skill to stand up to Nightmare Moon?"

"We held off Princess Celestia, right?"

"Who was on our side? Who wasn't actively working against us? Unlike Nightmare Moon! Even imprisoned as she is, she's still able to give ponies nightmares. And manipulate them, if they're willing to go along with her, like Trixie was."

"So... why haven't the rest of us had nightmares?" Sunset said. "Why haven't evil minions or dark forces shown up and stormed the tower to shut down our research? We've been able to develop the Field of Harmony pretty much unobstructed..."

Starlight nodded. "You see my worry." She glanced at the spell scroll again. "It just feels a little too easy. Nothing's stopping us, Sunset! What are we missing? What are we not seeing?"

"I don't know." Sunset shook her head. "Maybe it's like Celestia once said: you can't see the answer because it's staring you right in the face!"

"Maybe," Starlight agreed.

"Hmmm." Sunset bit her lip. "Have you mentioned this to Twilight?"

"You kidding?" Starlight shook her head. "You've seen how she's been looking lately. She's got more than enough worries right now without us adding to it."

"Yeah, good point." Sunset nodded. "Look, I'll ask around amongst the others -- quietly. See if anypony else has any ideas. But don't worry, Starlight." Sunset grinned. "We'll figure this out. We're a team. We'll make it happen!"

"I really hope so." Starlight stared at the spell scroll. "I'd hate to think all this hard work was for nothing..."

Fluttershy nervously tip-hoofed across the performance stage, approaching the lavender pony who sat near its edge, staring intently at a large scroll held in her magic.

"Um, excuse me? Twilight?"

"Uh huh."

"The bird chorus is all set. We did a couple final run-throughs, and they sound just perfect!"

"Uh huh."

"Oh! Um. Well, I was just wondering... erm, if there's anything else I could be doing to help out?"

"Uh huh."

"I mean, if I'm not getting in the way, or ..." Fluttershy winced. Her voice dropped to a thin, reedy whisper. "Maybe I should just go away, and stop pestering you..."

"Uh huh... wait, what?" Twilight looked up from the checklist she'd had her snout glued to for the past ten minutes. "Oh, Fluttershy! I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention!"

"It's all right, Twilight. I know you're real busy right now."

"Well, that's no excuse." Twilight shook her head, annoyed. "Urgh! I've been trying to train myself not to do that... just tune other ponies out like that. I need to pay attention, I need to listen to what ponies are saying, remember to reach out and help them, if I can." She put a hoof to her head, anguished. "It's so important, especially now! I'm sorry, Fluttershy!"

"It's all right." Fluttershy hesitantly put a hoof on her shoulder. "You're trying. That's what matters."

"Thanks." Twilight smiled uneasily. "So, what can I do for you? Oh, right, anything left to do here..." She consulted her checklist. "Uh, no, actually. Amazingly enough, I think we've got it all covered."

"Oh. Well, that's good then!" Fluttershy hunched nervously. "I should probably just go find a quiet corner somewhere, where I'll be out of everypony's way. But, then..."

"... then you'd be by yourself," Twilight said, nodding. "And you'd feel even more nervous?"

Fluttershy smiled uneasily. "Does it show?"

"Only on the inside," Twilight said gently. "You know, Fluttershy, if you want, you're more than welcome to hang out here with me."

"Oh! I wouldn't be bothering you? Or in your way?"

"Not a bit. You can help me keep an eye on things, make sure nothing goes haywire."

"Oh well, if I can, sure!" Fluttershy smiled, and sat down next to her. Twilight went back to going over the checklist, though with an occasional glance and smile to let Fluttershy know she hadn't forgotten her.

"You know, Twilight," Fluttershy said after a while, "you're really kind. And not only to me, but to everypony here."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but it's not by nature. I had to learn how." Then she grinned. "And you want to hear something funny? Everything I need to know about kindness, I learned from Tempest, over there."

"Really?" Fluttershy looked wide-eyed at the maroon pony. Tempest was currently glaring daggers at an unfortunate junior Guard pony who wasn't where he was supposed to be. "That's hard to believe!"

"Oh, it's true." Twilight said. "It took me the longest time to understand it myself. But all Tempest really needed from the start was kindness, in order to be the pony she really wanted to be from the beginning. She taught me to be kind, by example. How to listen, how to help when ponies really need it. I wouldn't have figured out how to do that, not without Tempest. And now I can't think of a better, more determined friend than her."

"Oh! That's so nice!" Fluttershy said.

"Yeah..." Twilight looked around. "And come to think of it, I've learned so much from all my friends." She pointed a hoof. "Starlight, over there... she taught me to be open and giving. All she needed was a chance to show what she could do. I gave her that, and just look at her! She's a better student of magic than I am!"

"And Trixie?" Fluttershy pointed towards the showpony. Trixie was busy pulling a stream of colorful kerchiefs out of a colt's ear.

Twilight grimaced. "She's the real puzzle! She's a master class in patience, for one thing. But I think she also taught me not to take things too seriously. To lighten up, let others see how I feel. And I think we've helped each other out, there. She's definitely more open and honest with us than she used to be..."

"And Sunset..." Fluttershy tapped her chin with a hoof. "Hmmm. Let me guess... I bet she taught you about being there for other ponies -- being supportive and inclusive."

"True, but it's more than that. She taught me to trust other ponies' judgement. To rely on them, to listen and follow their advice, not just try to figure everything out myself. That's really important, Fluttershy: letting other ponies know that their opinion is just as valid as yours... by listening to them, trusting in them, following their lead when it makes sense."

"I see... and Moondancer?"

Twilight laughed. "She taught me things about magic I never realized I was missing. I always just read whatever I felt like, and I wound up focusing too hard on pure, abstract magic. Moondancer showed me I was reading too narrowly, missing important practical connections. She taught me I needed to cover more ground, and discover things by putting together what I learned in new ways." Twilight nodded. "And on top of all that, she's been such an important part of our project. She spends so much time and effort on research, and on teaching us what we need to know about Nightmare Moon. She's so selfless! We're lucky to have her."

"And what about Cheese Sandwich?" Fluttershy asked, pointing to where the tan party pony was dancing through the crowd atop a giant cheese wheel, playing his accordion, and every now and then adding one more banner, one more streamer, one more bunch of balloons to the already over-the-top decorations.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know, yet. I've only just met him. I'm sure he'll have something to teach me. Even if not, he certainly can keep everypony's spirits up. He makes me laugh, that's for sure!"

Fluttershy nodded. "We're going to need that, all of us," she said, looking up at the sky. "It's late in the day as it is. And soon... it'll be night."

"Yeah..." Twilight said, nodding.

And then she jolted.

"Oh my gosh! What time is it? It's almost time for the opening ceremony!"

The Celebration area was packed wall-to-wall with ponies, all gazing up at the performance stage. They were tense and silent under the late afternoon sunlight.

Twilight Sparkle stood near the front of the stage, the other five ponies of the Advanced Projects group right behind her. Cheese Sandwich stood off to the side, watching her, awaiting his cue.

Twilight gazed out, across the hundreds of attentive pony faces. She thought back, to the first Celebration she'd ever attended as a filly with her parents. It seemed so long ago. Back then she'd only been one of the crowd, cheering as Celestia lifted the Sun itself... so easily, so effortlessly...

And now Twilight herself was in charge of it. And it was up to her to set the tone.

She swallowed nervously, forced a confident smile.

She hoped it didn't look too deranged.

"Remember, Twilight," Tempest whispered from behind her. "We're all here with you. We've got your back."

Twilight nodded thankfully. Then she stepped forward, facing the crowd. "Welcome everypony!" she called out. "Welcome! To the one thousandth anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

The crowd cheered and applauded readily, but Twilight could tell it was restrained, subdued... uncertain. Even after all their work that morning, to help lift everyone's spirits.

She looked around at the audience. Will they accept this?

"A thousand years ago," Twilight went on, "a great battle was fought, between the alicorn Nightmare Moon, as champion of the Night, and Princess Celestia, as champion of the Day. As a result of that struggle, Nightmare Moon was banished, imprisoned in the Moon. And tomorrow, if legend holds true, she'll return to us. She'll walk amongst us again."

A restless muttering arose in the crowd. Ponies looked cross -- and scared. Twilight hurried on.

"Rest assured that my friends and I will do everything in our power to protect Equestria." She gestured to the other five ponies standing behind her. "But it's our belief -- and our hope -- that it doesn't have to come to that. I know it's not been easy, these past few weeks: the nightmares that have disturbed your sleep, the worry about what will happen. But we need you to see past that, to realize that Nightmare Moon may simply be lashing out in frustration from her prison of a thousand years... because there is simply nothing else that she can do right now."

The crowd was silent. They were listening, but not yet convinced. Twilight swallowed, and went on.

"For generations we've looked upon the Mare in the Moon with awe, with fear... and with distrust. It's our belief that this needs to change. After a thousand years, we believe that the Mare may be... well, a little lonely, a little homesick. She may miss her home, her people, the lands and villages and cities she recalls from so long ago. So... she may be willing to talk, to listen. And maybe, just maybe, return to us peacefully.

"That won't be easy, for her or for all of us. But we believe it's possible. More than that, we feel it's necessary... that it's worth giving her the chance. And all it may take... all we may have to do... is let the Mare know that we have not forgotten her. That we are willing to put aside the fear, the doubt, the uncertainty that we've held onto for so long. That we're finally ready to welcome her back..."

She nodded to Cheese, who tugged a rope.

"... to welcome her home."

A huge banner unfurled behind her, decorated with suns, moons and stars, around the words:

WELCOME HOME!

"It's asking a lot, I know. But we need everypony's help on this, every single one of you. I know that as part of the Sun Celebration we traditionally stay up all night in order to greet the dawn, to celebrate the new Day. But this year, we need to go beyond that. We need to celebrate the Night as well. We need to show the Mare that we treasure both Day and Night, equally and together.

"And so, with the kind indulgence of Princess Celestia herself, I and my friends would like to rededicate this gathering. Let it be known, henceforth, as the Summer Celebration: a celebration of both Sun and Moon, Day and Night. And, in order to celebrate the Night part properly..."

She gestured with a hoof, and Pinkie and Cheese crossed the stage to join her. Pinkie was dressed in a clown suit, and Cheese as a dapper scarecrow. Around the Celebration area, she could see the other ponies from Ponyville quickly turning around signs and banners, revealing pumpkins and skeletons, corn sheaves and bats, the signs and sigils of the fall festival.

"... we're going to change up the calendar a bit. This year, Nightmare Night comes early. This year, Nightmare Night... is tonight!"

There was murmuring from the crowd, the ponies looking at each other in uncertain surprise. Twilight pressed onward, hopefully.

"Don't feel you have to rush out and find a costume. Just come as you are! Though if you do want to wear a costume, there'll be a contest later. We'll have tricks-and-treats, and the traditional games and music, right here in the Celebration area, running all night long. And please, everypony -- join in! Celebrate! Have a grand time. That's the most important thing of all! Let's show the Mare that we do not fear the Night... that the Night is just as important to us as the Day. That the Mare still has a place, and a people, to return to..."

She took a steadying breath. "Let's all welcome her back home!"

There was silence throughout the Celebration area.

Twilight gritted her teeth, kept the proud smile on her face as long as she could manage it...

And then... someone started clapping. Someone else cheered. And there was a growing rumble, as across the crowd ponies began stamping in applause. The cheering rose to an uproar, the stamping to a thunderous stampede. Everyone was smiling, shouting, laughing...

... for Twilight.

"Hooray! Hooray for Twilight! Three cheers! Hip-hip-hooray!"

Twilight heaved a sigh of relief, as her friends trotted forward to stand with her, under the barrage of excitement and exhilaration from the crowd.

The ponies all looked at each other, relieved but still uneasy.

That... Twilight reminded herself, that was just the easy part...