At The End

The next morning was rather uneventful for Twilight. Her mind was focused on everything that was happening. Lou was still asleep next to her, mumbling softly with a content smile on his face. She had been worried at first about his returning nightmares, though it appeared that he was okay. She couldn’t even imagine what he was dreaming about, though Thestrals were known for their ability to explore the dream realm.

Lou had apparently spent some time there now, only five days of being in Equestria within bodies they could barely comprehend, yet Lou was apparently visiting the dream realm almost every night. Dream magic was something she had studied, but being the Alicorn of magic didn’t allow her the privilege of visiting such a place. Maybe she could pick Lou’s mind for details?

Mark and Jack were both still working with Chrysalis on research on how to defeat Vengeance magic. There wasn’t much, but if it was a subtype of dark magic, then the only hope they had now was finding the elements of Harmony. Finding the tree of Harmony would be even better, but it too was gone, so finding either was going to be a lot harder than her human friends could imagine.

Jack had asked her about spell casting. He was eager to find out more about how spells worked, how he could comprehend the matrices of magic. She was all too happy to oblige his request for knowledge. It seemed that they both shared that passion. Mark on the other hoof was not was not so willing to learn about how to use his own magic. He seemed frightened and if what Lou had told her was true, she could perfectly understand why.

Everyone here wanted to go back to a sense of normality. Her friends wanted to have their lives go back to normal. Pinkie wanted to throw proper parties once more. Fluttershy wanted to be with her animal friends and have tea dates with Discord. Discord was all too happy to go back to being with Fluttershy. Rarity just wanted to follow her passion once more. Rainbow wanted to continue her career with the Wonderbolts. Apple bucking was all AJ wanted to get back to, though she also wanted to be with her family, everyone did.

Chrysalis was harder to pin down, though it appeared that she too just wanted to get back to her hive. She had been broken down so many times that Twilight could hardly recognise the former Changeling queen. Though there was something about Chrysalis that had changed since her reveal. She almost seemed brighter, especially having spent nights being looked after by Jack.

Lou and his friends had kept talking about going home. Being with their families appeared to be the most important thing that they could accomplish at this moment in time. She didn’t get the feeling that any of them hated Equus. Except for Mark who, when Rainbow Dash had offered to help him how to fly, decided that it was the best time to take a walk... alone. It was heartbreaking to Twilight because of how Mark reacted around his own friends. He seemed to be alienating them from his circle, only being with them if he really needed to.

Lou and Jack had not seemed very concerned about their situation. Actually, that was a lie, they were. It just so happened that they both were very interested in the magic situation that they found themselves in. In fact they both seemed fascinated by their abilities. Mark wasn’t and that worried her. Ponies when they became resentful normally had the makings of a villain. She was most likely being paranoid, but if she could convince Lou to stay, would Mark resent her for taking his friend from him.

She was thinking way too much into this, Mark was a good pony who was very kind when he wasn’t hiding from them. Plus he had also found out about the mirror and some extra clues about how the Shadow was released by her spell.

Twilight sighed, still remembering the day of her failed experiment. It broke her heart remembering the whole experience. She also played a lot of ‘what if’ scenarios in her head. They had all played out the same though. She could only cast her mind on her time on Earth, the wonderful humans she had met. Colonel Sanders and Lieutenant Stone, the medical corps in the MASH… Tomy.

Thinking of him always made her tear up. Out of all of them, he had been the one to ask the most questions about Equestria. He would have loved it here, she was sure of it. Imagining what kind of pony he would be, an Earth pony? Or an imperial alicorn like the others. If only he hadn’t died trying to save her. If only she had not been there, maybe he would still be alive.

It was best not to think about those types of scenarios. One could go mad, rabbit hole diving in endless possibilities had he survived. But in the end, he didn’t survive. He died and she survived. It was like a form of mental torture, imagining what one could have done better or differently. If only she had died there, what a mercy it would have been.

That only applied to her and Tomy, nothing else. Had she died there, then what would have happened to Equus? What would’ve happened to her world, her family never knowing what happened to her. It would have been merciless.

Maybe Tomy’s sacrifice was the real mercy. He had played his part to help her defeat the Shadow, now she had to complete the mission for her friends and family. For Lou, Mark and Jack safe return.

And for Tomy.

It was about an hour past mid day when Lou finally awoke. He had slept peacefully the entire time and was rather shocked to see what time it actually was. What Twilight found even more amazing was just how excited he was. He was up within seconds and walked around with a light spring in his step. He gestured for her to follow him, going down the steps of the old castle, she watched him jump halfway down and glide the rest of the way. She hadn’t seen him learn how to glide though it appeared that he had found a way to learn.

“What is it? Did you find something while in the dream realm?” She asked as she glided down towards him.

“Watch this!” He said, before lighting up his horn and within a flash, she watched him open a portal in front of her. Stepping through, he disappeared, leaving her open mouthed with a complete loss of understanding. She then squeaked when he stepped out from beside her, another portal hovering in mid air before closing in on itself.

Her shocked expression at what he had just accomplished was matched by just how overly happy he was. Smiling broadly at her, exposing his fangs as he just smiled at her, expectantly.

“Sooo? What do you think?”

She could barely say anything as her throat had started to go dry. Licking her lips, she formulated her reply.

“That was… incredible! How did you…?” She just gestured with her hooves at thin air. He chuckled and began his explanation.

“Squire Bottoms taught me last night. We started with simple dream spell casting but then he told be about teleportation and gateway opening. So I decided to learn gateway magic first, in case I have to use it to get me and the other home!” He then sat down next to her all while staring at her expectantly. Obviously he was hoping for a reaction of utter surprise and shock. Well he got it.

“Squire Bottoms? You mean the pony who wrote the journal that Pinkie found?” He nodded eagerly.

“Yep, don’t ask me how it works but Galaxia had his magical soul placed in the dream realm to help other Thestrals, though apparently he was also asked to help me with dream spell casting.” She had not expected this from him. From yesterday to today, there was a completely different pony standing there. She was concerned but decided not express it out right. Though Lou must have picked up on it slightly as his ears lowered slightly and his smile faltered.

“Mark was right.” He finally sighed.

“Damn magic… What about Romain, my family? It’s almost like the dream realm wants me to stay here. Like Galaxia wants me to stay here.” He said, before smiling broadly once more.

“Could I run away?”

“Run away from what?” She asked hesitantly.

“From Earth! From my family! Just burn all bridges and stay here with you! To never leave you and just be happy, never having to think about my responsibilities.” His smile remained, but she could see into his golden eyes, he was scared and his faltering smile. He then sighed and hung his head low. Twilight was worried, the mood change was so instant, yet almost fitting. Lou liked it here, Mark, not so much.

“You shouldn’t abandon your family Lou, they’re your family after all. I’m sure there is a way that we could find a method to allow you to go from one side to the other.” She offered, but he just sighed and looked at her with a worried expression.

“Squire told me that magic was almost an identity. The more me and the others use it, the less human we are and the more pony we become. Even if we can establish a door way, surely there will be a point when I won’t be Lou Albert Conlin any more and all that will remain is Fire Fly.”

“Fire Fly?” She asked, he just laughed. Almost as if regretting having disclosed that information.

“Squire and Galaxia call me that. I guess it’s a sign… Unless we can cheat and you decide to stay on Earth with me?” She had not really expected such a request from him, though it was not one that she could just refuse. She would have replied had he not beatten her to it.

“Ah that wouldn’t work! You’re already a pony, you couldn’t live on Earth without major problems. I too if I stay here too long as well.”

He was right, Twilight was a creature of harmony who had been given chaos magic by the lord of Chaos himself to help her survive the world of humans. If harmony was returned to her, she would most certainly not have her human form returned to her on the other side. Unless they could find a mirror like the one that led to Canterlot High.

“Do you think Fire Fly suits me?” He asked almost out of the blue. She eyed him for a moment, honestly there were many names that she had in her mind but the one that she always saw was Lou. Not Fire Fly nor Frost Fire, not even something like Strong Heart.

“That’s up to you, though I’m happy with Lou. There’s no reason for you to be anything else.” The words had an immediate effect. His head rose high and he looked down at her as they shared each others company. He hadn’t wanted to admit it out right, but just like Mark, he too was scared.

“Thank you.” He said, lowering his head to nuzzle her head and give her an affectionate nibble of the ears. She loved that, and she loved the way he smelt, despite his lack of hygiene, he had a certain smell that she couldn’t place but comforted her either way. The whole show made her moan in delight.

“We should probably leave here tonight.” He said, removing his head from her own and looking back out into the forest.

“There’s not much more that we can look into now and I’m not sure of what to do.”

“Finding the elements of Harmony would be a first, but I’m not sure of where they are.” Twilight began to stand, halted only when Lou placed his wing in her back once more and held her in place.

“I never got the chance to ask but, what is it with these elements? You and the others revere them, Chrysalis and Discord seem more apprehensive.”

“That’s because they are both former villains I guess. The elements were used twice on Discord who later became reformed.” She explained, allowing him to understand why the ponies were allied with such a creature.

“Chrysalis hasn’t, but she is only here because this is her chance at freedom. I’m worried she might go back to being evil again, but I think that might be a little hard, especially when her main source of nourishment is Jack.”

Lou’ brow raised at that, a full notion of understanding that maybe Chrysalis was only in it for the free food that Jack gave her. Though he and Twilight had seen how she acted around the others thanks to Jack, there may be a possibility that she was reformed.

“So the elements purge evil from evil people?” He asked.

“Not exactly, harmony doesn’t work on Discord because he is a creature of Chaos. Chrysalis I’m not so sure, but if the Shadow is truly the Peacock’s son, then there should be no reason why the elements shouldn’t purge the dark magic from him.”

“This all sounds rather like a fairy tale.” Lou rubbed his chin in thought, looking at the sky.

“Are you sure that he doesn’t have the elements hidden away? Maybe they are--”

“No.” She cut him off. The elements had disappeared and even the Shadow wanted to have them. She had a feeling of why, but she couldn’t be sure yet.

“The elements have been missing since my arrival in your world. When I returned, the tree had also disappeared. I’m not sure why, but I almost have a bad feeling about the reasons why they just upped and vanished.”

“Galaxia’s playing a game. And using the elements would be too easy.” He assumed.

“Or the Shadow wants us to use the elements on him. Maybe he can absorb the magic of friendship. Or maybe he can use it to bring the other nations to kneel.” She added.

“Or maybe he wants to be freed from the Vengeance magic that surrounds him.”

In all of her wildest speculations, Twilight could never have conceived that maybe the Shadow wanted to be rid of… well, the Shadow! Maybe the son of the Peacock family had realised that he had made a mistake and was trying his best to return to normal.

Dark magic was a very difficult subject to master, maybe that was why…

“Maybe that’s why he has been using unicorn magic instead, because it is a subtype of Harmonious magic. Maybe he’s been consuming other ponies magic to try and free himself!” She exclaimed, standing up and walking forward triumphantly, not realising that she was dragging Lou across the grass due to his wing still holding onto her back.

She blushed and helped him up as he shook himself off. Smiling sheepishly, she closed her eyes hoping not to make it awkward. Luckily for her, he decided to be the kind coltfriend and give her a loving kiss. They shared it for a moment, enjoying each others company as the late autumn sun shone upon them. Strangely, for a moment, Twilight thought she could hear shouting from deep within the forest. As they broke the kiss and she listened intently for the voices, none came.

The wind picked up once again and so she could guess that it may have been her imagination.