The Last Alicornby Robert Emerald FountainChaptersWaking upLearning The TruthThe Students' WhereaboutsFinding YonaFinding OcellusFinding SilverstreamFinding SmolderThe CrowningPrologueFinding GallusThe End of the WarWaking upI am still not sure If I'm dead or merely unconscious. As I remain wondering, I suddenly hear what sounds like someone saying something. However, I cannot make it out. "..." I concentrate on trying to understand it. This time I hear it a little better. "Open your eyes." My senses start coming back. I feel myself surrounded by some sort of fluid. I am unable to taste anything, because something is in my mouth, and it feels peculiar. The fluid also blocks my hearing and keeps me from smelling anything. Then I hear the mysterious voice again. "Open your eyes. Wake up, Flurry Heart." Then I feel the fluid moving as if it's being drained from this apparent cavity I am lying in. I sit up and look around after finally opening my eyes. The room is dark and I am all alone. I hear a beeping sound and look to my right. I am hooked up to a heart monitor, and I have a breathing tube down my throat. My magic is weakened from having not used it for a long time, but I am still able to use it. As I pull the tube out, one of my reflexes is triggered. I gag as the tip of the tube passes my uvula, and then I grab a sickness bag from a nearby table before throwing up. Once I feel better, I climb out of the trough and look around the room a bit. I feel a cold draft and grab a coat that is hung on the wall. After putting boots on my hooves, I spot a bottle of fluid and drink it. I immediately feel my magic getting stronger and my wings stop aching. When I finally exit the room I am in, I find a scroll with my name on it. I recognize the scroll in a flash. It was the plan that I had brought to Aunt Twilight. Putting the scroll in a satchel, I exit the cave I'm in and get a glimpse of the world around me. I have no idea where I am, because I don't remember Equestria looking war torn. Also, it was not snowing when Mom sent me to Canterlot. There is damage everywhere, and wreckage and dead bodies litter the snowy landscape. I seem to be all alone here, but then I see a figure to my right. I begin to follow it towards an overhang where a campfire is lit. Learning The TruthWhen I meet up with the figure I saw, he says that life in Equestria has been traumatic ever since the war started and that there is almost no-one that is not fighting in the war. There are a few places in the wilderness where individuals have gone to try to ride out the war, but they have had very little luck. I look around and notice the silhouette of Canterlot in the distance to the south, but I doubt that I can avoid being seen and possibly killed if I try going there right away. The stallion tells me that there is an old outpost a few paces away and that some have said there are two spiritual presences there, and then asks me what my name is. "My name is Flurry Heart." The stallion pulls his hood down and then tells me that his name is Neighsay. He was once the long-retired leader of what was once the EEA, or Equestrian Education Association before he died. He says he has waited in spirit form for me to finally wake up. "Your mom and your aunt are the spiritual presences that linger at the outpost. You should go see them." I thank Neighsay and then rush towards the outpost. It is among ruins in the snowy forest in this mountain range that I am apparently in. When I get inside, I see both Mom and Aunt Twilight for the first time in a long time. Small sparkles appear and disappear around them which tells me that they are now ghosts. Their backs are turned and they did not hear me come in. "Mom, Aunt Twilight?" They turn around upon hearing my voice. Tears of joy pour from their eyes as they throw their hooves around me in a hug. Even though they are ghosts, I am able to hug them back. "Twilight was able to tell me everything that happened. I thought I would never see you again.", Mom says through her tears. "I was not sure if you would ever wake up, my dear niece. It has been so long since you passed out after saving me from that changeling assassin.", Aunt Twilight says. "How long have I been in that cavern? Equestria did not look war-torn when I came to see you.", I ask my aunt. "Good question, she had Neighsay take you to that cave and put you in stasis so you could recover from your injuries. Here you now stand, revitalized, 1,000 years later.", Mom says. My mouth drops. "Did you say ONE-THOUSAND years? As in a millennium?", I yelp. "I'm afraid so. A search party told me the day after you were taken to be put in stasis that the students had put themselves in stasis to avoid dying before you could find them. I died from sickness two years later. I want you to be careful on your journey. There are likely to be individuals out there who are the descendants of the killers sent to find you all those years ago. If you must buy anything, from food to weapons, don't let anyone see your face. You wouldn't want spies to discover you're still alive and then tell the hunters where you are. Take this orb; it projects a holographic map of Equestria and shows where you are. You will need it in order to know where to find Gallus, Ocellus, Silverstream, Smolder, and Yona.", Aunt Twilight replies. "I was captured by the changelings and left to die in their dungeon. Thorax was betrayed and killed by Pharynx. Before I was captured, I placed a shield around the Crystal Empire to protect it from the war. That orb needs to be charged with energy from the crystal heart. I have hidden an assortment of gear in your room. You would have a higher chance of protecting yourself and getting around if you had it.", Mom explains. I accept what Mom and Aunt Twilight have told me and then they vanish. Looking at my map, I realize I am in the Crystal Mountains. I leave the outpost and then set off on my mission to save the world. The Students' WhereaboutsI start by going home to the Crystal Empire. Due to the fact that Mom told me to charge the map orb with energy from the crystal heart, I need it working in order to find the students. The shield is still holding strong and the empire has not been conquered. Since night is falling, nobody sees me go to the heart. I hold the orb close to the heart and it begins to glow as the energy charges it. After it is fully charged, I spot a store to my left that has not closed its doors yet. I walk over and buy a few things I will need for my quest. These include a fire starter, a sleeping bag, ingredients for a few small meals, and a special crystal that acts as a flashlight. The clerk knows who I am in a flash because she recognizes my eyes. I make her swear that she will not say she saw me and she promises to keep it a secret that I am still alive. She also gives me a gas mask free of charge in case I must go through an area where toxins would be present. I leave the shop, and then go to the palace where I find a backpack in my bedroom. A note on this backpack tells me it contains the gear that Mom has left for me. I put the backpack on and then slip out into the wilderness. After making camp in another cave in the Crystal Mountains, I look at the map and see a blue arrow that shows my location and which direction I am facing. I also notice five gold dots that have appeared around Equestria. When I touch each one with a hoof, the name of one of Twilight's students appears next to it. This is a HUGE advantage to me because now I know where the students are and which one is at which location. The locations are as follows: Yona has dug a cave in the Galloping Gorge and hidden herself there. Gallus is in the caverns under Aunt Twilight's Friendship School. Ocellus is in an overgrown cave thirty miles east of the Badlands. Silverstream is in an underwater cave on the floor of the Celestial Sea. Smolder has hidden herself in a cavern that she dug in a dormant volcano twelve miles south of the Dragon Lands. Among the gear that Mom left for me is a suit of armor that is designed to allow the wearer to breathe underwater as if they had gills. This is a big help since I will not need to worry about running out of air. My bow is also with the weapons, along with the arrows I made. There is also a crystal-powered rifle that includes a laser-sighted scope, along with a second set of armor. This second suit of armor is made to withstand extreme temperatures. I quickly put this suit of armor on and begin feeling warmer than I was with the coat and boots. This suit is designed to keep me warm in cold climates and keep me cool in hot environments. The last two things I have are a belt of energy reservoir crystals for storing reserves of my magic and a small set of cooking equipment for prepping my meals. I am now ready to begin my quest to find everyone and end the war. Finding YonaJust before dawn, I get up and make myself breakfast. After eating, I start making my way southeast to the Galloping Gorge. I have a feeling that I will be encountering soldiers everywhere, so I have my bow and arrows and my rifle ready at all times. As I am making my way through a forest, I see a flash of light and hear rapid running. Someone has photographed me. I quickly climb a tree and prepare to defend myself. Two yak scouts come searching for me as a rainstorm starts passing overhead. I see a flash of lightning and prepare to fire my gun. As soon as I hear the thunder crash, I pull the trigger and shoot a plasma bolt that instantly kills one of the scouts, leaving a nasty burn at the point of impact. I pull a mask over my mouth and nose, put on my helmet to cover my mane, and put on dark goggles to hide my eyes. The goggles have a built in targeting laser that allows me to aim long distances. A green crosshairs appears inside the goggles, but can only be seen by the wearer. I use this to take out the other yak with my bow. I climb down and pull out a hunting knife. I hang the yaks from strong branches to skin them. Once I have skinned the yaks, I start separating the different sections to save for meals. It's a good thing my armor is resistant to staining, because otherwise it would smell of blood and cause spotters to figure out my location. After a few minutes, the rain passes and I can continue moving. I fly for a while to avoid making tracks and then land in the gorge. From a distance, I see searchlights in the woods. I get the feeling that a patrol may have heard my rifle go off. Not wanting to take chances waiting, I put on my climbing harness and start ascending the steep rockface. Once I get 3,000 feet up, I look around and spot a cave in the rock. I carefully make my way to the cave and ease my way inside. I pass through some kind of barrier because I feel a tingling sensation as I enter the cave. I am led to believe this is a sound shield because I don't see the searchlights turn towards the cliffs when I take off my heavy backpack and drop it on the floor. Lighting my horn to see in the cave, I start looking for Yona. I find her after three minutes, frozen in a crystal. As I look closer, I notice a necklace that contains some kind of gem. I assume this is what allowed her to seal herself in the crystal. Finding a spiked tool on the ground, I break the crystal and then pull out a container of smelling salts from my gear. After opening the valve, I wave the salts near her face to wake her up. She starts stirring after a bit and then her eyes slowly flutter open. Her eyes slide back and forth for a minute and then she recognizes me. "Flurry Heart, is that you?", she asks me weakly. I nod and then help her to her feet. I tell her how long it has been and she is surprised. I light a fire and cook supper for us. She doesn't care that we are eating yak meat, because we are in survival situation where you have to make do with what you can find. After the sun has gone down, Yona prepares to set off for a stronghold near Canterlot. "This stronghold is a safe place where I can wait for everyone else that you need to find. They all know about it as well as me. I can't wait for this war to end and for our friendship bonds to be reformed." We part ways and I start heading for the Friendship School to find Gallus and wake him up. Finding OcellusAs I am leaving the caverns, I am spotted by a group of dragons who try to kill me at least once. I flee into the Everfree Forest and shoot several trees with my rifle. This starts a fire that forces the dragons to slow down their chase. I manage to slip out unseen later and then I make for the Badlands. There are pegasus platoons in the sky, scouting out for anyone they can take as prisoners, so I have to watch for their spotlights and even zap some of them with my magic in order to create diversions. After six hours of alternating between flying and running through the ravaged remains of Equestria, I finally make it to the Badlands. I have to put on my gas mask as I progress through here because I catch a whiff of toxic fumes. My map is calibrated to track toxic fumes, and I trace them to an area about twelve miles to the west where a battle had just been fought. Whoever was in the area must have used some strong chemical weapons because the fumes made my eyes water and my nose sting before I put my mask on. I start heading east and reach a dense region of the woods after a week and a half. The foliage in this area is so thick that I have to cut through it with a machete that I salvaged from one of the yaks I took out. I slash my way through until I reach a spot where I can hear a draft behind a bunch of vines. Shining my light through the vines, I see a cave dug into the hill. With determination in my eyes, I slash through the vines and slip into the cave. Setting light to my crystal lamp, I start searching the cave for where Ocellus might be. After three minutes, I perk my ears up when I hear something. Listening closer, I hear what sounds like bubbles in some kind of liquid. I follow the sound to a dark and shadowy room at the back of the cave. Through the window in the door, I can see Ocellus floating in a water-filled capsule and breathing on an oxygen mask. I try to open the door, but it is rusted shut. I examine my gear for anything that I could use to force the door open, and discover that my rifle has a laser cutting function. I put on my goggles and fire the laser. I hear a fizzling sound as the laser melts its way through the door, then I begin cutting around the perimeter. After shutting down the laser, I push on the door until it falls over. I rush to the controls for the tank and begin draining the water and reviving Ocellus. When the tank opens up, Ocellus drops limp to the floor, popping free from the mask with a *squelch*. She tries to get up, but is unable to move very well due to her still being drowsy from stasis. She coughs hard and then throws up violently. "Note to self, don't eat a hearty meal before going into stasis.", she murmurs to herself before getting up slowly. Ocellus seems to be dizzy because she cannot walk straight. I spot a syringe on a table that is filled with a stronger revival serum. I give her the injection and she is soon able to see clearly again. "You alright, Ocellus?", I ask her. "Flurry Heart! You finally came!", she exclaims. "SHHH! Not too loud.", I whisper. "Sorry, I just got over excited." "Yona and Gallus have gone to a stronghold near Canterlot. You'd better get there yourself. I will meet up with you once I wake up Silverstream and Smolder." Ocellus nods and hurries out of the cave. I begin to head east toward the Celestial Sea. I am determined to stop this war ASAP. The weather starts getting chilly as winter gets closer. The weather I have been going through so far has indicated I woke up near the end of Autumn. I make camp in a clearing and cook myself a hearty meal before going to sleep for the night. The next morning, I continue progressing towards the ocean until I finally arrive on a cliff overlooking the water. Finding SilverstreamI get up early in the morning and start putting on my diving armor. Once I have pulled the flippers over my hooves, I leap off the cliff and plunge into the water. I swim for many miles until I get to a dark area. Lighting my crystal lantern, I continue swimming through the darkness until I reach an opening in the floor of a cavern. I climb out of the water and begin searching this chamber for Silverstream. I notice a faint line of what looks like paint on the floor and follow it to what seems to be a large room. Inside is a gantry platform that overlooks the center. I climb a nearby ladder and look down from the gantry. Down below is Silverstream's stasis setup. Upon seeing how Silverstream is sealed, I choke in disgust and stumble backwards. She is suspended in a huge glob of changeling slime that is held in midair by a force field. I climb down and make my way to the controls for the force field. There seems to be a password that is required to unlock the control panel, but I do not know what it is. Then a light starts flashing nearby. I notice a chart on the wall and grab it. After studying the way the light blinks, I figure out that the password is being given to me in something called "Morse Code". After taking note of the sequence of short and long flashes, I examine the chart and decipher what the password is. The password is as follows. . - - - - (1) . - (A) - - - - . (9) . - - . (P) . . . (S) . . - . (F) - - . . . (7) . . . . . (5) - - . - (Q) . . . - - (3) "1A9PSF75Q3" I type this code into the controls and they become unlocked. I select the command to drop the force field and the glob of slime splashes to the floor. I am splattered with the slime and some gets in my mouth. I spit it out and then run over to Silverstream. She is coughing heavily due to having the wind knocked out of her, but she recovers in a flash. "At last, you've come. I was not sure if it was too late when you were taken to that cave in the Crystal Mountains.", she says in a relieved tone. "Smolder is the last one I need to wake up. The others are in the stronghold near Canterlot." Silverstream thanks me for letting her know where to go and we swim to an uninhabited area where we can surface without being seen. We part ways and I start flying towards the Dragon Lands to find Smolder and wake her up. Finding SmolderHalfway to the Dragon Lands, I make camp and examine something I found in the cave where Silverstream was hidden. It is a crystal that allows my rifle to work like a machine gun. This means it can shoot rapid-fire. I pull out my rifle and notice that the crystal cartridge has a slot for a second crystal for interchangeability between two different firing functions. I open the cartridge and insert the rapid-fire crystal in the empty slot. After closing the door, I make myself some supper and lie down for the night. Before dawn the next morning, I take off and continue my trek. Two hours later, I have to rely on my compass to navigate because a heavy smoke plume from a recent battle makes it hard for me to see where I am going. When I emerge, I realize that I've flown straight into the dragons' airspace. Air-Raid sirens begin to wail and an armored defense squadron comes to shoot me down. I know that the end will come for me someday, but it is not today. Since I am prepared to defend myself, I pull my bow and my rifle out and begin shooting at the dragons. Many are killed in a bloody mess when I use my exploding arrows on them and others are forced to retreat when I injure them severely with both arrows and plasma blasts from my rifle. A cloud of toxic gases forces me to land prematurely and put my mask on. Due to the extreme heat, I put on my temperature resistant armor and continue progressing towards the cave where Smolder is. I take out a few patrols and then enter the cave when I reach the entrance. A violent earthquake tells me that the volcano is going to erupt soon, so I have no time to waste. I race through the dark tunnel with determination in my eyes. I reach the center and find that Smolder is frozen in a block of some sort of metallic substance. I look over the procedure for releasing someone from this substance and then disengage the locking mechanism on the side of the block. The outline of Smolder on the front of the block begins glowing orange after a few seconds. The substance begins melting and she is able to move her joints freely, but the way she moves tells me that she is already unconscious. When the entire front of her is completely exposed, she goes limp and falls to the floor. Without hesitating, I pull out the smelling salts I used to wake up Yona and wave them in front of Smolder's nose. She starts waking up slowly but then another earthquake causes the tunnel ceiling to collapse. The crash of the rocks ends up startling her awake. "We don't have much time. Brace yourself.", she says quickly as she puts on a heat-resistant suit. "What do you mean?" "This cavern is between the top of the hardened lava and the magma cauldron in the center of the volcano. In other words, we're about to be blasted SKY HIGH!" I grit my teeth in nervousness and then grab Smolder in a tight hug. We curl into a ball and squeeze our eyes shut. The ground begins shaking harder than ever and then the hot magma pushes us through the ceiling and out of the caldera. When we open our eyes, we see that we have been shot above the clouds. We spread our wings and begin flying in the direction of Canterlot. "What was that substance you froze yourself in?", I ask Smolder out of curiosity. "I don't know what it's called, but I do know it can be used to put oneself in stasis for extended periods.", she replies. We fly with all of our might for six hours and then finally arrive at the outskirts of Canterlot. I put on a radio headset that Ocellus gave me and I call out to the others. Gallus tells me that he is flashing a light to tell me and Smolder where the stronghold's entrance is. We see the light and begin sneaking through the empty streets of the city. Thankfully we are not seen, but we are sad that this has happened to the world. Smolder knocks on the door and Gallus lets us inside. We follow him through a long tunnel until we are in a chamber directly underneath the palace. The stronghold consists of six bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and shower stall, a kitchen, a small room with a broadcast antenna, spotlights and a camera, and a large main room that works as a dining room and a meeting area. After eating supper, I instruct everyone to wash up and then get ready for a meeting. We all take showers and then start getting dressed for the meeting. Author's Note The point when Flurry releases Smolder from her stasis sleep is similar to when Leia unfreezes Han Solo from carbonite in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The CrowningOn the day that I am to be crowned the new ruler, Smolder puts the finishing touches on the crown that she and Gallus have been making for me. Yona starts helping my escorts get ready for the ceremony, Silverstream helps me put my coronation dress on, and Ocellus goes at my mane to make sure I look beautiful. When the time comes, I get ready behind the doors to the main hall and my escorts stand on ether side of me with the fabric held over my head. When the doors open and the trumpets blare, I walk proudly forward with a smile on my face. My mane is thoroughly combed and braided, smooth as silk, and filled with sparkly rhinestones. My dress is a bright purple with gold colored streaks in intricate patterns around the edges. My eyes glow as I step up to the throne and turn to face everyone. The spirits of Mom, Aunt Twilight, Luna, Celestia, and all of Aunt Twilight's friends materialize behind me and Aunt Twilight speaks to the audience. "I never thought that my dreams would be shattered by betrayal and conflict between the races all these years ago. However, my precious niece did what I had prayed for when she was taken to be put in stasis. She has brought peace and order back to Equestria and ended the war." The audience cheers and claps as I take a bow. Then, Mom and Aunt Twilight have me turn to face them. "I know you will do spectacular as you take on the role of being the new ruler of the land.", Aunt Twilight says. "Do your best, my little snowflake.", Mom says as she kisses me on the nose. Smolder walks up and kneels down as she holds up my crown. It is made of solid 24k gold, shaped similar to a helmet and has a small sculpture of an alicorn on top, along with velvet fabric on the interior. It is encrusted with the Sun Gems that I wore on hair clips when I was a baby, along with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and a large diamond on the front. I kneel down to have my crown put on. Aunt Twilight uses her magic to pick the crown up and then places it gently on my head. I feel it settle in my mane and then I open my eyes and stand up. I follow Celestia and Luna to the balcony overlooking the courtyard where more guests are gathered below. "BEHOLD, QUEEN FLURRY HEART!", they shout at the top of their lungs. The courtyard erupts with applause. Streamers are being shot, cameras are flashing as my picture is taken, fireworks explode in flashes of color overhead, and Rainbow Dash performs her famous Sonic Rainboom. "I hereby declare that the Crystal Empire be united with the rest of Equestria to form one larger nation, the Equestrian Empire", I yell out as my first decree. The crowds begin cheering louder with excitement and I watch as the spirits fly upward into the heavens. Tears roll down my cheeks as I think about when I will join them again. The next twelve years pass swiftly as new innovations are made to the nation and new rulers are elected. Later on, I meet a handsome alicorn stallion by the name of Zephyr Cosmos. His mane is a deep navy blue and sparkles like the stars in the night sky. He tells me that he was born 17 years before the start of the war, his mother died giving birth to him, and his father was killed in the war. Prior to joining the war, his father had placed him in a special stasis crystal in the Galloping Gorge that nurtured him and allowed him to grow up in secret. Six months after meeting Zephyr, he proposes to me at the beach during a vacation and I accept. In the following month, we marry and hope to have children to inherit the throne. Life in the nation continues to be happy and peaceful, just as it was before the war started. PrologueMy name is Flurry Heart. Princess Twilight Sparkle is my aunt. When I was 15, her most recent student, Luster Dawn came to visit me and my parents in the Crystal Empire. I was able to give her some advice on how to make friends, but was not aware that the world was going to change in a few years. Seven years later, the bonds between the ponies and the other races died out. Declarations of War were issued as all six races turned against each other. We were devastated, and many of us were crying. Mom sent me to Canterlot to discuss a covert-op with Aunt Twilight. The five non-pony individuals that attended Aunt Twilight's School of Friendship (Yona, Ocellus, Smolder, Silverstream, and Gallus) had refused to fight in the war and gone into hiding. We were going to bring them out to hopefully stop the war. Suddenly, a changeling assassin barged into the throne room, intent on killing Twilight. I bravely stepped in and defended my beloved aunt, refusing to let her die. I put up a shield, but only managed to block 90% of the attack. I was thrown backwards and hit my head against the wall, bruising my wings at the same time and also getting a headache from the impact. A shard of crystal fell from the ceiling and gave me a nasty cut next to my horn. Blood ran down my face and into my mouth. Regardless of my injuries, I killed the assassin before choking on my blood and going limp. I think Aunt Twilight must have caught me because I did not feel the cold ground under my back. I could not feel anything anymore after a few seconds, but I later felt wind moving through my mane and over my fur. I have no idea in the world where I am, what day it is, or if I am still alive. Finding GallusAs I make my way towards Ponyville, I encounter two squadrons. One is dragons and the other is changelings. I am able to take them out easily, but I sustain minor injuries myself. I end up with a bruised ankle on my front right leg and an agonizing headache from a blow to my temple. My arrows end up covered in blood and my rifle is overheated when I am done fighting off the soldiers. I clean my arrows in a river and carry my rifle in my magic to avoid burning myself while waiting for it to cool down. When I reach Ponyville, I find it in ruins. The entire town is burned and Aunt Twilight's castle has numerous broken windows. The school is mostly destroyed, but the library is still standing enough that it will not collapse on me. I go in Aunt Twilight's castle to reflect on some of my memories from when I was still a baby. I find the recipe for Chancellor Puddinghead's pudding in one of the cookbooks and remember when I tampered with that one winter around Hearth's Warming Eve. I write down the recipe in case I want to make the pudding myself later on. I take the time to make a few portions of soup in the kitchen along with a few single-serving cakes that I can eat later. In the school's library, I search for a while until I find the grate in the floor that leads into the caverns. Since 1,000 years have passed, the grate is rusted shut. I bang on the grate for a few minutes until I break off the rust. I end up getting a workout when I have to force the grate cover open. After entering the cavern and walking in pretty deep, I am met by the spirit of the Tree of Harmony. "Are you looking for Gallus?", the spirit asks me. "Yes." "Come with me." The spirit leads me to a chamber where I see markings on the floor. I recognize these markings as the symbols that Cozy Glow had drawn when she tried to create a vortex that would siphon all of Equestria's magic. As I look around, I notice the spirit motioning me to a tunnel. I follow this passage until I reach a room where Gallus is sealed in a crystal and wearing a necklace similar to the one Yona was wearing. Since I saw one of these amulets again, I make a hypothesis that all five are wearing these. I am not sure whether or not they are what allowed them to seal themselves. After the spirit leaves me, I start breaking the crystal apart. Gallus wakes up as I start breaking the crystal away from his face and starts struggling to break himself out. He manages to break free once I have gotten the crystal off of his talons, and then thanks me for waking him up at last. I tell him where Yona has gone and he sets off for the stronghold after we both leave the caverns. The End of the WarOnce everyone is situated around the table in the main room, I call our meeting to order. We discuss our plan for how we will bring an end to the war that has destroyed the peace in Equestria. We decide to rally members of the five other races to arrest the ones in charge and bring them to stand trial for their actions. We will then formulate the plans for how we will rebuild and reunite the world into what will later be called the "Equestrian Empire". Once the meeting is adjourned, we go to bed for the night. The next morning after breakfast, I send everyone to find the ones they see as most suitable for the job and they return after three days. After looking over their selections and agreeing that they made wise choices, We begin gearing up for a broadcast that will take place after the leaders are arrested. The arrests take place the following week with a few complications, but the leaders are soon cuffed and brought to holding cells. The trials are held separately and every leader is sentenced to death. They tearfully resign themselves to their fate and go back to their cells to await execution. Only after the trials and the executions are over, do we start broadcasting. Once the correct frequency is reached, Gallus powers up the camera and Ocellus helps me get ready to speak. Smolder and Yona make sure the lighting in the room is good, and Silverstream waits for the cue to signal me to start. "Flurry, you're live.", she says when everything is ready. The following speech is shown live all over Equestria. "Attention all citizens of Equestria. This is Princess Flurry Heart, daughter of Princess Cadence and niece of Princess Twilight Sparkle. I was injured and rendered unconscious 1,000 years ago and taken to be put in stasis for recovery. I have now returned to bring order back to the nation. I hereby declare that the war is finally over. There is a difficult road ahead of us all. One-thousand years of fighting has left Equestria scarred and divided. If we all work together, we can restore this land to its former glory." Within a week, everyone has started coming back together and rebuilding the structures that were either ruined or destroyed during the war. Peace treaties are rewritten and signed by the new leaders. I retrieve my mom's remains from the changeling kingdom and give her a proper burial in the cemetery at the Crystal Empire. Many months later, everyone's hard labor has paid off. Equestria has been rebuilt to its original beauty, and it is almost time for me to be crowned as the new ruler of the land. Hundreds from each of the six races, ranging from guests to reporters and photographers begin coming to get ready for my coronation.
Waking upI am still not sure If I'm dead or merely unconscious. As I remain wondering, I suddenly hear what sounds like someone saying something. However, I cannot make it out. "..." I concentrate on trying to understand it. This time I hear it a little better. "Open your eyes." My senses start coming back. I feel myself surrounded by some sort of fluid. I am unable to taste anything, because something is in my mouth, and it feels peculiar. The fluid also blocks my hearing and keeps me from smelling anything. Then I hear the mysterious voice again. "Open your eyes. Wake up, Flurry Heart." Then I feel the fluid moving as if it's being drained from this apparent cavity I am lying in. I sit up and look around after finally opening my eyes. The room is dark and I am all alone. I hear a beeping sound and look to my right. I am hooked up to a heart monitor, and I have a breathing tube down my throat. My magic is weakened from having not used it for a long time, but I am still able to use it. As I pull the tube out, one of my reflexes is triggered. I gag as the tip of the tube passes my uvula, and then I grab a sickness bag from a nearby table before throwing up. Once I feel better, I climb out of the trough and look around the room a bit. I feel a cold draft and grab a coat that is hung on the wall. After putting boots on my hooves, I spot a bottle of fluid and drink it. I immediately feel my magic getting stronger and my wings stop aching. When I finally exit the room I am in, I find a scroll with my name on it. I recognize the scroll in a flash. It was the plan that I had brought to Aunt Twilight. Putting the scroll in a satchel, I exit the cave I'm in and get a glimpse of the world around me. I have no idea where I am, because I don't remember Equestria looking war torn. Also, it was not snowing when Mom sent me to Canterlot. There is damage everywhere, and wreckage and dead bodies litter the snowy landscape. I seem to be all alone here, but then I see a figure to my right. I begin to follow it towards an overhang where a campfire is lit.
Learning The TruthWhen I meet up with the figure I saw, he says that life in Equestria has been traumatic ever since the war started and that there is almost no-one that is not fighting in the war. There are a few places in the wilderness where individuals have gone to try to ride out the war, but they have had very little luck. I look around and notice the silhouette of Canterlot in the distance to the south, but I doubt that I can avoid being seen and possibly killed if I try going there right away. The stallion tells me that there is an old outpost a few paces away and that some have said there are two spiritual presences there, and then asks me what my name is. "My name is Flurry Heart." The stallion pulls his hood down and then tells me that his name is Neighsay. He was once the long-retired leader of what was once the EEA, or Equestrian Education Association before he died. He says he has waited in spirit form for me to finally wake up. "Your mom and your aunt are the spiritual presences that linger at the outpost. You should go see them." I thank Neighsay and then rush towards the outpost. It is among ruins in the snowy forest in this mountain range that I am apparently in. When I get inside, I see both Mom and Aunt Twilight for the first time in a long time. Small sparkles appear and disappear around them which tells me that they are now ghosts. Their backs are turned and they did not hear me come in. "Mom, Aunt Twilight?" They turn around upon hearing my voice. Tears of joy pour from their eyes as they throw their hooves around me in a hug. Even though they are ghosts, I am able to hug them back. "Twilight was able to tell me everything that happened. I thought I would never see you again.", Mom says through her tears. "I was not sure if you would ever wake up, my dear niece. It has been so long since you passed out after saving me from that changeling assassin.", Aunt Twilight says. "How long have I been in that cavern? Equestria did not look war-torn when I came to see you.", I ask my aunt. "Good question, she had Neighsay take you to that cave and put you in stasis so you could recover from your injuries. Here you now stand, revitalized, 1,000 years later.", Mom says. My mouth drops. "Did you say ONE-THOUSAND years? As in a millennium?", I yelp. "I'm afraid so. A search party told me the day after you were taken to be put in stasis that the students had put themselves in stasis to avoid dying before you could find them. I died from sickness two years later. I want you to be careful on your journey. There are likely to be individuals out there who are the descendants of the killers sent to find you all those years ago. If you must buy anything, from food to weapons, don't let anyone see your face. You wouldn't want spies to discover you're still alive and then tell the hunters where you are. Take this orb; it projects a holographic map of Equestria and shows where you are. You will need it in order to know where to find Gallus, Ocellus, Silverstream, Smolder, and Yona.", Aunt Twilight replies. "I was captured by the changelings and left to die in their dungeon. Thorax was betrayed and killed by Pharynx. Before I was captured, I placed a shield around the Crystal Empire to protect it from the war. That orb needs to be charged with energy from the crystal heart. I have hidden an assortment of gear in your room. You would have a higher chance of protecting yourself and getting around if you had it.", Mom explains. I accept what Mom and Aunt Twilight have told me and then they vanish. Looking at my map, I realize I am in the Crystal Mountains. I leave the outpost and then set off on my mission to save the world.
The Students' WhereaboutsI start by going home to the Crystal Empire. Due to the fact that Mom told me to charge the map orb with energy from the crystal heart, I need it working in order to find the students. The shield is still holding strong and the empire has not been conquered. Since night is falling, nobody sees me go to the heart. I hold the orb close to the heart and it begins to glow as the energy charges it. After it is fully charged, I spot a store to my left that has not closed its doors yet. I walk over and buy a few things I will need for my quest. These include a fire starter, a sleeping bag, ingredients for a few small meals, and a special crystal that acts as a flashlight. The clerk knows who I am in a flash because she recognizes my eyes. I make her swear that she will not say she saw me and she promises to keep it a secret that I am still alive. She also gives me a gas mask free of charge in case I must go through an area where toxins would be present. I leave the shop, and then go to the palace where I find a backpack in my bedroom. A note on this backpack tells me it contains the gear that Mom has left for me. I put the backpack on and then slip out into the wilderness. After making camp in another cave in the Crystal Mountains, I look at the map and see a blue arrow that shows my location and which direction I am facing. I also notice five gold dots that have appeared around Equestria. When I touch each one with a hoof, the name of one of Twilight's students appears next to it. This is a HUGE advantage to me because now I know where the students are and which one is at which location. The locations are as follows: Yona has dug a cave in the Galloping Gorge and hidden herself there. Gallus is in the caverns under Aunt Twilight's Friendship School. Ocellus is in an overgrown cave thirty miles east of the Badlands. Silverstream is in an underwater cave on the floor of the Celestial Sea. Smolder has hidden herself in a cavern that she dug in a dormant volcano twelve miles south of the Dragon Lands. Among the gear that Mom left for me is a suit of armor that is designed to allow the wearer to breathe underwater as if they had gills. This is a big help since I will not need to worry about running out of air. My bow is also with the weapons, along with the arrows I made. There is also a crystal-powered rifle that includes a laser-sighted scope, along with a second set of armor. This second suit of armor is made to withstand extreme temperatures. I quickly put this suit of armor on and begin feeling warmer than I was with the coat and boots. This suit is designed to keep me warm in cold climates and keep me cool in hot environments. The last two things I have are a belt of energy reservoir crystals for storing reserves of my magic and a small set of cooking equipment for prepping my meals. I am now ready to begin my quest to find everyone and end the war.
Finding YonaJust before dawn, I get up and make myself breakfast. After eating, I start making my way southeast to the Galloping Gorge. I have a feeling that I will be encountering soldiers everywhere, so I have my bow and arrows and my rifle ready at all times. As I am making my way through a forest, I see a flash of light and hear rapid running. Someone has photographed me. I quickly climb a tree and prepare to defend myself. Two yak scouts come searching for me as a rainstorm starts passing overhead. I see a flash of lightning and prepare to fire my gun. As soon as I hear the thunder crash, I pull the trigger and shoot a plasma bolt that instantly kills one of the scouts, leaving a nasty burn at the point of impact. I pull a mask over my mouth and nose, put on my helmet to cover my mane, and put on dark goggles to hide my eyes. The goggles have a built in targeting laser that allows me to aim long distances. A green crosshairs appears inside the goggles, but can only be seen by the wearer. I use this to take out the other yak with my bow. I climb down and pull out a hunting knife. I hang the yaks from strong branches to skin them. Once I have skinned the yaks, I start separating the different sections to save for meals. It's a good thing my armor is resistant to staining, because otherwise it would smell of blood and cause spotters to figure out my location. After a few minutes, the rain passes and I can continue moving. I fly for a while to avoid making tracks and then land in the gorge. From a distance, I see searchlights in the woods. I get the feeling that a patrol may have heard my rifle go off. Not wanting to take chances waiting, I put on my climbing harness and start ascending the steep rockface. Once I get 3,000 feet up, I look around and spot a cave in the rock. I carefully make my way to the cave and ease my way inside. I pass through some kind of barrier because I feel a tingling sensation as I enter the cave. I am led to believe this is a sound shield because I don't see the searchlights turn towards the cliffs when I take off my heavy backpack and drop it on the floor. Lighting my horn to see in the cave, I start looking for Yona. I find her after three minutes, frozen in a crystal. As I look closer, I notice a necklace that contains some kind of gem. I assume this is what allowed her to seal herself in the crystal. Finding a spiked tool on the ground, I break the crystal and then pull out a container of smelling salts from my gear. After opening the valve, I wave the salts near her face to wake her up. She starts stirring after a bit and then her eyes slowly flutter open. Her eyes slide back and forth for a minute and then she recognizes me. "Flurry Heart, is that you?", she asks me weakly. I nod and then help her to her feet. I tell her how long it has been and she is surprised. I light a fire and cook supper for us. She doesn't care that we are eating yak meat, because we are in survival situation where you have to make do with what you can find. After the sun has gone down, Yona prepares to set off for a stronghold near Canterlot. "This stronghold is a safe place where I can wait for everyone else that you need to find. They all know about it as well as me. I can't wait for this war to end and for our friendship bonds to be reformed." We part ways and I start heading for the Friendship School to find Gallus and wake him up.
Finding OcellusAs I am leaving the caverns, I am spotted by a group of dragons who try to kill me at least once. I flee into the Everfree Forest and shoot several trees with my rifle. This starts a fire that forces the dragons to slow down their chase. I manage to slip out unseen later and then I make for the Badlands. There are pegasus platoons in the sky, scouting out for anyone they can take as prisoners, so I have to watch for their spotlights and even zap some of them with my magic in order to create diversions. After six hours of alternating between flying and running through the ravaged remains of Equestria, I finally make it to the Badlands. I have to put on my gas mask as I progress through here because I catch a whiff of toxic fumes. My map is calibrated to track toxic fumes, and I trace them to an area about twelve miles to the west where a battle had just been fought. Whoever was in the area must have used some strong chemical weapons because the fumes made my eyes water and my nose sting before I put my mask on. I start heading east and reach a dense region of the woods after a week and a half. The foliage in this area is so thick that I have to cut through it with a machete that I salvaged from one of the yaks I took out. I slash my way through until I reach a spot where I can hear a draft behind a bunch of vines. Shining my light through the vines, I see a cave dug into the hill. With determination in my eyes, I slash through the vines and slip into the cave. Setting light to my crystal lamp, I start searching the cave for where Ocellus might be. After three minutes, I perk my ears up when I hear something. Listening closer, I hear what sounds like bubbles in some kind of liquid. I follow the sound to a dark and shadowy room at the back of the cave. Through the window in the door, I can see Ocellus floating in a water-filled capsule and breathing on an oxygen mask. I try to open the door, but it is rusted shut. I examine my gear for anything that I could use to force the door open, and discover that my rifle has a laser cutting function. I put on my goggles and fire the laser. I hear a fizzling sound as the laser melts its way through the door, then I begin cutting around the perimeter. After shutting down the laser, I push on the door until it falls over. I rush to the controls for the tank and begin draining the water and reviving Ocellus. When the tank opens up, Ocellus drops limp to the floor, popping free from the mask with a *squelch*. She tries to get up, but is unable to move very well due to her still being drowsy from stasis. She coughs hard and then throws up violently. "Note to self, don't eat a hearty meal before going into stasis.", she murmurs to herself before getting up slowly. Ocellus seems to be dizzy because she cannot walk straight. I spot a syringe on a table that is filled with a stronger revival serum. I give her the injection and she is soon able to see clearly again. "You alright, Ocellus?", I ask her. "Flurry Heart! You finally came!", she exclaims. "SHHH! Not too loud.", I whisper. "Sorry, I just got over excited." "Yona and Gallus have gone to a stronghold near Canterlot. You'd better get there yourself. I will meet up with you once I wake up Silverstream and Smolder." Ocellus nods and hurries out of the cave. I begin to head east toward the Celestial Sea. I am determined to stop this war ASAP. The weather starts getting chilly as winter gets closer. The weather I have been going through so far has indicated I woke up near the end of Autumn. I make camp in a clearing and cook myself a hearty meal before going to sleep for the night. The next morning, I continue progressing towards the ocean until I finally arrive on a cliff overlooking the water.
Finding SilverstreamI get up early in the morning and start putting on my diving armor. Once I have pulled the flippers over my hooves, I leap off the cliff and plunge into the water. I swim for many miles until I get to a dark area. Lighting my crystal lantern, I continue swimming through the darkness until I reach an opening in the floor of a cavern. I climb out of the water and begin searching this chamber for Silverstream. I notice a faint line of what looks like paint on the floor and follow it to what seems to be a large room. Inside is a gantry platform that overlooks the center. I climb a nearby ladder and look down from the gantry. Down below is Silverstream's stasis setup. Upon seeing how Silverstream is sealed, I choke in disgust and stumble backwards. She is suspended in a huge glob of changeling slime that is held in midair by a force field. I climb down and make my way to the controls for the force field. There seems to be a password that is required to unlock the control panel, but I do not know what it is. Then a light starts flashing nearby. I notice a chart on the wall and grab it. After studying the way the light blinks, I figure out that the password is being given to me in something called "Morse Code". After taking note of the sequence of short and long flashes, I examine the chart and decipher what the password is. The password is as follows. . - - - - (1) . - (A) - - - - . (9) . - - . (P) . . . (S) . . - . (F) - - . . . (7) . . . . . (5) - - . - (Q) . . . - - (3) "1A9PSF75Q3" I type this code into the controls and they become unlocked. I select the command to drop the force field and the glob of slime splashes to the floor. I am splattered with the slime and some gets in my mouth. I spit it out and then run over to Silverstream. She is coughing heavily due to having the wind knocked out of her, but she recovers in a flash. "At last, you've come. I was not sure if it was too late when you were taken to that cave in the Crystal Mountains.", she says in a relieved tone. "Smolder is the last one I need to wake up. The others are in the stronghold near Canterlot." Silverstream thanks me for letting her know where to go and we swim to an uninhabited area where we can surface without being seen. We part ways and I start flying towards the Dragon Lands to find Smolder and wake her up.
Finding SmolderHalfway to the Dragon Lands, I make camp and examine something I found in the cave where Silverstream was hidden. It is a crystal that allows my rifle to work like a machine gun. This means it can shoot rapid-fire. I pull out my rifle and notice that the crystal cartridge has a slot for a second crystal for interchangeability between two different firing functions. I open the cartridge and insert the rapid-fire crystal in the empty slot. After closing the door, I make myself some supper and lie down for the night. Before dawn the next morning, I take off and continue my trek. Two hours later, I have to rely on my compass to navigate because a heavy smoke plume from a recent battle makes it hard for me to see where I am going. When I emerge, I realize that I've flown straight into the dragons' airspace. Air-Raid sirens begin to wail and an armored defense squadron comes to shoot me down. I know that the end will come for me someday, but it is not today. Since I am prepared to defend myself, I pull my bow and my rifle out and begin shooting at the dragons. Many are killed in a bloody mess when I use my exploding arrows on them and others are forced to retreat when I injure them severely with both arrows and plasma blasts from my rifle. A cloud of toxic gases forces me to land prematurely and put my mask on. Due to the extreme heat, I put on my temperature resistant armor and continue progressing towards the cave where Smolder is. I take out a few patrols and then enter the cave when I reach the entrance. A violent earthquake tells me that the volcano is going to erupt soon, so I have no time to waste. I race through the dark tunnel with determination in my eyes. I reach the center and find that Smolder is frozen in a block of some sort of metallic substance. I look over the procedure for releasing someone from this substance and then disengage the locking mechanism on the side of the block. The outline of Smolder on the front of the block begins glowing orange after a few seconds. The substance begins melting and she is able to move her joints freely, but the way she moves tells me that she is already unconscious. When the entire front of her is completely exposed, she goes limp and falls to the floor. Without hesitating, I pull out the smelling salts I used to wake up Yona and wave them in front of Smolder's nose. She starts waking up slowly but then another earthquake causes the tunnel ceiling to collapse. The crash of the rocks ends up startling her awake. "We don't have much time. Brace yourself.", she says quickly as she puts on a heat-resistant suit. "What do you mean?" "This cavern is between the top of the hardened lava and the magma cauldron in the center of the volcano. In other words, we're about to be blasted SKY HIGH!" I grit my teeth in nervousness and then grab Smolder in a tight hug. We curl into a ball and squeeze our eyes shut. The ground begins shaking harder than ever and then the hot magma pushes us through the ceiling and out of the caldera. When we open our eyes, we see that we have been shot above the clouds. We spread our wings and begin flying in the direction of Canterlot. "What was that substance you froze yourself in?", I ask Smolder out of curiosity. "I don't know what it's called, but I do know it can be used to put oneself in stasis for extended periods.", she replies. We fly with all of our might for six hours and then finally arrive at the outskirts of Canterlot. I put on a radio headset that Ocellus gave me and I call out to the others. Gallus tells me that he is flashing a light to tell me and Smolder where the stronghold's entrance is. We see the light and begin sneaking through the empty streets of the city. Thankfully we are not seen, but we are sad that this has happened to the world. Smolder knocks on the door and Gallus lets us inside. We follow him through a long tunnel until we are in a chamber directly underneath the palace. The stronghold consists of six bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and shower stall, a kitchen, a small room with a broadcast antenna, spotlights and a camera, and a large main room that works as a dining room and a meeting area. After eating supper, I instruct everyone to wash up and then get ready for a meeting. We all take showers and then start getting dressed for the meeting. Author's Note The point when Flurry releases Smolder from her stasis sleep is similar to when Leia unfreezes Han Solo from carbonite in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
The CrowningOn the day that I am to be crowned the new ruler, Smolder puts the finishing touches on the crown that she and Gallus have been making for me. Yona starts helping my escorts get ready for the ceremony, Silverstream helps me put my coronation dress on, and Ocellus goes at my mane to make sure I look beautiful. When the time comes, I get ready behind the doors to the main hall and my escorts stand on ether side of me with the fabric held over my head. When the doors open and the trumpets blare, I walk proudly forward with a smile on my face. My mane is thoroughly combed and braided, smooth as silk, and filled with sparkly rhinestones. My dress is a bright purple with gold colored streaks in intricate patterns around the edges. My eyes glow as I step up to the throne and turn to face everyone. The spirits of Mom, Aunt Twilight, Luna, Celestia, and all of Aunt Twilight's friends materialize behind me and Aunt Twilight speaks to the audience. "I never thought that my dreams would be shattered by betrayal and conflict between the races all these years ago. However, my precious niece did what I had prayed for when she was taken to be put in stasis. She has brought peace and order back to Equestria and ended the war." The audience cheers and claps as I take a bow. Then, Mom and Aunt Twilight have me turn to face them. "I know you will do spectacular as you take on the role of being the new ruler of the land.", Aunt Twilight says. "Do your best, my little snowflake.", Mom says as she kisses me on the nose. Smolder walks up and kneels down as she holds up my crown. It is made of solid 24k gold, shaped similar to a helmet and has a small sculpture of an alicorn on top, along with velvet fabric on the interior. It is encrusted with the Sun Gems that I wore on hair clips when I was a baby, along with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and a large diamond on the front. I kneel down to have my crown put on. Aunt Twilight uses her magic to pick the crown up and then places it gently on my head. I feel it settle in my mane and then I open my eyes and stand up. I follow Celestia and Luna to the balcony overlooking the courtyard where more guests are gathered below. "BEHOLD, QUEEN FLURRY HEART!", they shout at the top of their lungs. The courtyard erupts with applause. Streamers are being shot, cameras are flashing as my picture is taken, fireworks explode in flashes of color overhead, and Rainbow Dash performs her famous Sonic Rainboom. "I hereby declare that the Crystal Empire be united with the rest of Equestria to form one larger nation, the Equestrian Empire", I yell out as my first decree. The crowds begin cheering louder with excitement and I watch as the spirits fly upward into the heavens. Tears roll down my cheeks as I think about when I will join them again. The next twelve years pass swiftly as new innovations are made to the nation and new rulers are elected. Later on, I meet a handsome alicorn stallion by the name of Zephyr Cosmos. His mane is a deep navy blue and sparkles like the stars in the night sky. He tells me that he was born 17 years before the start of the war, his mother died giving birth to him, and his father was killed in the war. Prior to joining the war, his father had placed him in a special stasis crystal in the Galloping Gorge that nurtured him and allowed him to grow up in secret. Six months after meeting Zephyr, he proposes to me at the beach during a vacation and I accept. In the following month, we marry and hope to have children to inherit the throne. Life in the nation continues to be happy and peaceful, just as it was before the war started.
PrologueMy name is Flurry Heart. Princess Twilight Sparkle is my aunt. When I was 15, her most recent student, Luster Dawn came to visit me and my parents in the Crystal Empire. I was able to give her some advice on how to make friends, but was not aware that the world was going to change in a few years. Seven years later, the bonds between the ponies and the other races died out. Declarations of War were issued as all six races turned against each other. We were devastated, and many of us were crying. Mom sent me to Canterlot to discuss a covert-op with Aunt Twilight. The five non-pony individuals that attended Aunt Twilight's School of Friendship (Yona, Ocellus, Smolder, Silverstream, and Gallus) had refused to fight in the war and gone into hiding. We were going to bring them out to hopefully stop the war. Suddenly, a changeling assassin barged into the throne room, intent on killing Twilight. I bravely stepped in and defended my beloved aunt, refusing to let her die. I put up a shield, but only managed to block 90% of the attack. I was thrown backwards and hit my head against the wall, bruising my wings at the same time and also getting a headache from the impact. A shard of crystal fell from the ceiling and gave me a nasty cut next to my horn. Blood ran down my face and into my mouth. Regardless of my injuries, I killed the assassin before choking on my blood and going limp. I think Aunt Twilight must have caught me because I did not feel the cold ground under my back. I could not feel anything anymore after a few seconds, but I later felt wind moving through my mane and over my fur. I have no idea in the world where I am, what day it is, or if I am still alive.
Finding GallusAs I make my way towards Ponyville, I encounter two squadrons. One is dragons and the other is changelings. I am able to take them out easily, but I sustain minor injuries myself. I end up with a bruised ankle on my front right leg and an agonizing headache from a blow to my temple. My arrows end up covered in blood and my rifle is overheated when I am done fighting off the soldiers. I clean my arrows in a river and carry my rifle in my magic to avoid burning myself while waiting for it to cool down. When I reach Ponyville, I find it in ruins. The entire town is burned and Aunt Twilight's castle has numerous broken windows. The school is mostly destroyed, but the library is still standing enough that it will not collapse on me. I go in Aunt Twilight's castle to reflect on some of my memories from when I was still a baby. I find the recipe for Chancellor Puddinghead's pudding in one of the cookbooks and remember when I tampered with that one winter around Hearth's Warming Eve. I write down the recipe in case I want to make the pudding myself later on. I take the time to make a few portions of soup in the kitchen along with a few single-serving cakes that I can eat later. In the school's library, I search for a while until I find the grate in the floor that leads into the caverns. Since 1,000 years have passed, the grate is rusted shut. I bang on the grate for a few minutes until I break off the rust. I end up getting a workout when I have to force the grate cover open. After entering the cavern and walking in pretty deep, I am met by the spirit of the Tree of Harmony. "Are you looking for Gallus?", the spirit asks me. "Yes." "Come with me." The spirit leads me to a chamber where I see markings on the floor. I recognize these markings as the symbols that Cozy Glow had drawn when she tried to create a vortex that would siphon all of Equestria's magic. As I look around, I notice the spirit motioning me to a tunnel. I follow this passage until I reach a room where Gallus is sealed in a crystal and wearing a necklace similar to the one Yona was wearing. Since I saw one of these amulets again, I make a hypothesis that all five are wearing these. I am not sure whether or not they are what allowed them to seal themselves. After the spirit leaves me, I start breaking the crystal apart. Gallus wakes up as I start breaking the crystal away from his face and starts struggling to break himself out. He manages to break free once I have gotten the crystal off of his talons, and then thanks me for waking him up at last. I tell him where Yona has gone and he sets off for the stronghold after we both leave the caverns.
The End of the WarOnce everyone is situated around the table in the main room, I call our meeting to order. We discuss our plan for how we will bring an end to the war that has destroyed the peace in Equestria. We decide to rally members of the five other races to arrest the ones in charge and bring them to stand trial for their actions. We will then formulate the plans for how we will rebuild and reunite the world into what will later be called the "Equestrian Empire". Once the meeting is adjourned, we go to bed for the night. The next morning after breakfast, I send everyone to find the ones they see as most suitable for the job and they return after three days. After looking over their selections and agreeing that they made wise choices, We begin gearing up for a broadcast that will take place after the leaders are arrested. The arrests take place the following week with a few complications, but the leaders are soon cuffed and brought to holding cells. The trials are held separately and every leader is sentenced to death. They tearfully resign themselves to their fate and go back to their cells to await execution. Only after the trials and the executions are over, do we start broadcasting. Once the correct frequency is reached, Gallus powers up the camera and Ocellus helps me get ready to speak. Smolder and Yona make sure the lighting in the room is good, and Silverstream waits for the cue to signal me to start. "Flurry, you're live.", she says when everything is ready. The following speech is shown live all over Equestria. "Attention all citizens of Equestria. This is Princess Flurry Heart, daughter of Princess Cadence and niece of Princess Twilight Sparkle. I was injured and rendered unconscious 1,000 years ago and taken to be put in stasis for recovery. I have now returned to bring order back to the nation. I hereby declare that the war is finally over. There is a difficult road ahead of us all. One-thousand years of fighting has left Equestria scarred and divided. If we all work together, we can restore this land to its former glory." Within a week, everyone has started coming back together and rebuilding the structures that were either ruined or destroyed during the war. Peace treaties are rewritten and signed by the new leaders. I retrieve my mom's remains from the changeling kingdom and give her a proper burial in the cemetery at the Crystal Empire. Many months later, everyone's hard labor has paid off. Equestria has been rebuilt to its original beauty, and it is almost time for me to be crowned as the new ruler of the land. Hundreds from each of the six races, ranging from guests to reporters and photographers begin coming to get ready for my coronation.
