Arcane

Celestia greeted Twilight in the throne room of Canterlot castle.

"I see you've brought your friends."

"Tell me, what happened to the ponies who sacrificed their souls to defeat Praedo?"

"Those who did not die were overcome by various ailments. Some went mute. Others went mad."

"And given my temperament, madness is a very real possibility, isn't it?"

"Perhaps."

Pinkie's expression was downhearted. Celestia noticed. She approached the earth pony and placed a hoof under her chin.

"I'm sorry for everything, my dear little pony. I myself aged hoping this beast was nothing more than a fairytale. To your misfortune, I was mistaken."

"I'm scared," Pinkie admitted, "I'll be like I was as a filly."

"You've done enough for Equestria to warrant a last request. Speak it and it shall be so."

Pinkie dried her tears.

"Help the ponies on the rock farms. Their lives should be easier than mine was."

"Of course. And the rest of you?"

"Take care of Scoots for me." Rainbow said.

"Same for my family on the farm." Applejack added.

"Do look after my animals for me." Fluttershy pleaded.

"Sell the boutique and and give the profits to charity." Rarity solicited.

"What about you, Twilight," Celestia inquired, "What is your wish?"

Twilight considered this for a moment. She was effectively planning for an end-of-life scenario. Her own mortality wasn't something she liked reflecting on. At last, she came to a decision.

"Pass on my title to a worthy successor."

"Intriguing. I wasn't expecting that from you."

"You need the elements to protect Equestria from less severe threats. It only makes sense a new princess of friendship would have to be chosen."

"Your foresight has greatly improved since you first left Canterlot. Even I failed to consider the importance of the elements in this situation."

"What will our training entail, exactly?"

"The first step is both the most crucial and the most painful. You must sever your bonds with each other."

"I suspected as much. It was my job to know how relationships worked. That included knowing how easily they were broken. All we have to do is dwell on the things we hate most about each other."

"Now I understand why you brought them along."

"This is the worst day of my life..."

The others stood silent in somber agreement.

One by one, Celestia led Twilight and her friends to the royal armory. They each selected a weapon that suited their personalities. Twilight chose a cruciform sword with a gold handle. Applejack retrieved a pair of gauntlets and a set of greaves to match. Rainbow found a set of attachable blades for the tips of her wings. Pinkie picked out a box of powdered explosives capable of encompassing a large radius. Unlike Twilight's sword, Rarity preferred something more elegant for a lady of her stature. A rapier did the trick. Fluttershy's weapon was the most unique. She set her sights on a heavy shield. While slow, it provided protection and tremendous blunt force for parry attacks.

"Now that you're equipped, the next step is to discover your natural affinities," Celestia told them, "Each of you has an elemental type you're naturally skilled in. Unfortunately, I do not know which belongs to who. That is for you to find out on your own."

"When you say elemental type, you mean we each have magical abilities related to nature in some way, don't you?" Twilight questioned.

"Precisely. Furthermore, you must each optimize your bodies for performance on the battlefield. Your strength, speed, and endurance will determine your odds of survival."

"I wish we could at least train together..."

"As do I."

"Here's to the beginning of the end, I suppose."