The Enemy of Harmony

It was this small act that triggered Loremane's soft side. But he quickly brushed it aside, and proceeded to teleport Twilight onto the slaughtertable. He showed himself for his final deed. A dark flowing robe ran over his black coat of fur, and multiple severed horns were embedded in his flesh. He was going to cut off Twilight's horn... personally.

Twilight's sobs became roars of anger and rage. "You're a monster! I've witnessed you destroy my friends' sanity and lives! I will not let you destroy mine."

A familiar voice began to speak. "I'm afraid you have no choice, Twilight. I have destroyed countless lives and collected many a horn and wing. Yours, however," a gleaming row of teeth smiled from beneath the hood, "will replace my broken one." Loremane removed his hood to show... "Shining Armor!?" Twilight cried.

"No, just his form. I can shape shift." He grinned. "Now, shut up so I can cut off your horn!"

Twilight was enveloped in a black aura and she was pinned to the table. A large saw began to cut at her horn and blood spurted out into her eyes. Her entire life flashed before her. Fluttershy's kindness, Rainbow Dash's loyalty to her and her friends, and her friends' caring natures toward protecting her. The journey to find the Elements popped into her slowly fading mind.

Then... she remembered something Applejack said no more than five minutes ago: "I won't be coming back." And Twilight thought to herself, "Yes... She... Will...!" And with that, magic flowed through her like a broken dam.

Loremane felt his soul slip away into non-existence as the glass wall separating the two rooms shattered. "No! NO!" he cried in anger and despair.

Twilight's magic was so strong, her friends' and the other corpses' souls were reunited with their bodies, and all injuries and broken bones were fixed and healed. The knife in Pinkie's chest pulled itself out. Twilight passed out on top of Rainbow Dash, who finished her agonizing scream and shouted, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy!" Then she realized she was back to normal, and blushed. "Oops."

Rarity found herself on her back, and jumped up and ran to keep chowing down on Applejack. "Rarity! Stop!" Applejack shouted.

Rarity paused, and said, "Whatever happened to me? I've never had a cannibalistic nature before! And I vow to never do such again!"

Fluttershy stood, shook her head and wings to get the shards of glass off, and saw Rainbow Dash. She smiled the biggest, happiest grin and flew to hug her friend. "Rainbow! Do you know what happened?"

When she sat up, Pinkie's eyes went wide, and her hair drooped. Applejack saw this and ran to her side. "What's wrong, sugarcube?" Pinkie turned to Applejack.

"I saw it all. Every single one of you... dead."

Rarity stiffened. "Did you say," she gulped, "dead?" Pinkie nodded. Rainbow let go of Fluttershy, and flew to Pinkie's side.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie, but I need you to tell us all what happened." And so, Pinkie took a shaky breath, and began the recollection of the events.

"Rainbow's wings were ripped off and eyes torn out." Rainbow's eyes widened. "Fluttershy screamed when Rainbow died and slammed your head against the wall until your skull cracked."

Fluttershy recalled the event and turned red as Rainbow turned to her and scolded, "I told you to be strong for me!"

Fluttershy responded meekly, saying, "You would have done the same if you watched me die."

Rainbow bowed her head and said, "Fair enough. Continue, Pinkie."

Pinkie started taking small, sad hops and continued, "Applejack, you starved; Rarity, you began to eat Applejack crazily and bled to death internally from a rib bone chip; And I," Pinkie sobbed, "I was stabbed with a knife. The one sitting next to Rarity, over there." She pointed in Rarity's direction as she hopped over Applejack's side, curled up, and cried.

"Honey, that took a lot of courage, and I'm proud of you, but I can see how you were so scared." Applejack petted Pinkie's hair and soothed her. Rarity took it all in, and slumped, looking at the knife that sat beside her in absolute horror.

Rainbow hugged Fluttershy in an attempt to calm herself, to which Fluttershy responded by hugging her back and petting her mane, whispering, "It's okay, it's all okay now."

When Twilight awoke, Rarity ran over to her and hugged her tightly. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" Applejack had calmed Pinkie down enough and fluffed up her hair that they could all go and comfort their friend. Twilight shivered with trauma at the remembrance of the incident. Pinkie grimaced, "I shared everyone's story, but we don't know what happened to you. What DID happen?"

"Well," Twilight started, tears beginning to decorate her tired eyes, "after Pinkie got stabbed, I was teleported onto the table and the stallion who killed you all came out and showed himself. But," Twilight gasped, "he wore my brother's face. He was a shapeshifter. He began to saw my horn off and I remembered everything you guys had done for me, and magic took over. I can't remember what happened..." Twilight wailed in despair at the trauma.

Rarity smiled and pulled Twilight closer. "It's okay now, sweetie. We're all okay, thanks to your magic outburst." Applejack smiled softly and said, "Alright, sugarcube, let's get out of here."

"Wait," Fluttershy called, "come here, I found a sign."

Twilight stood, and walked toward her. The other four followed. "Loremane's Lab," Twilight read aloud.

"So that's what his name was." Applejack growled.

"C'mon, let's get all of these other ponies out of here before we have any trouble." Rainbow said.

"Agreed." Rarity affirmed.

"But," Twilight said, "do any of you want to remember this?" Fluttershy was the first, and only one, to speak. "I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say..." She looked around, feeling everypony's eyes on her, and for once, she was not afraid. "...yes." The other four and everypony else nodded.

"All right, let's get us home." Rarity said. And with a flash of Twilight's horn and a blinding light, they teleported back to Ponyville. Back home. Back... to safety.