Return of the Core

by TheClownPrinceofCrime

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Other, Crossover, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 13778

The Core finds itself in a magical land of ponies where friendship is the only thing that matters. The Core seeks to change that.

After experiencing a humiliating defeat at the hands of Anne Boonchuy, a fragment of the Core enters through a portal that leads to Equestria. After discovering that the land is filled with the Magic of Friendship and has a new ruler, the Core plots to undermine it with a plan that neither Twilight nor her friends will be aware of.

Note: This happens after the events of Amphibia’s series finale “The Hardest Thing” and during the events of MLP: FIM’s “The Last Problem”.

Published 2022-08-30 21:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-11-29 22:20:42 UTC

Evil Arises

Author's Note

Hey, folks! Mr. J here! I hope you guys enjoy this new crossover story I’ve been working on. Have fun reading!

Evil Arises

Never in the history of the universe had the inhabitants of Amphibia witnessed the triumphant victory of a seemingly fragile human teenager imbued with immense power over a tyrannical being of evil. For them, it was a moment of joy, solemnity, and celebration. All the inhabitants of the land greatly rejoiced over the destruction of the one who threatened to destroy everything that stood in its way.

They all thought that the ultimate evil was finally vanquished from the land; with it gone, all the frogs, toads, and newts will once again live a life of peace and happiness. The biggest threat of Amphibia was destroyed forever—or so they thought.

In the empty void of space—what used to be Amphibia’s moon—there were multiple lifeless scraps of former King Andrias’s master: The Core. All that remained of the moon hovered aimlessly in space…going nowhere…except for one fragment. The said fragment was a piece of the helmet that once possessed Marcy Wu to become the villainous Darcy. It was the last remaining particle of the helmet which contained a large cracked eye.

After a few seconds of silence, the eye flickered on and off. Then it suddenly stopped flickering and remained open. The eye was dark orange with a yellow iris and white pupil. The eye looked left and right before staring at the darkness around it.

“What…? I…still live…?” The Core wondered out loud. Once it looked around, it’s pupil shrunk in shock as it realized it’s worst fear. “No…my brethren are gone! There’s no one left in my inner sanctum! This…this cannot be…!”

After it took a moment to bemoan its loss, it angrily growled. “Our triumph has been stripped from us, and our glory has been robbed from us. We were this close—very close to achieving what was rightfully ours…but…they took it…from us…”

The Core then recalled the recent betrayal of Andrias as he crushed his crown, permanently cutting all ties with it before helping the Calamity Trio to defeat it. Then it remembered Anne Boonchuy, Sasha Waybright, and its former host, Marcy Wu. The more it dwelt on its failure, the more enraged it got.

“That human girl will pay for what she’s done to my brethren! I will have my revenge on her and all her pathetic friends—including the turncoat Andrias,” it sneered.

Suddenly, the fragment was slowly dragged away from the debris. The Core looked back and saw a small portal open in the middle of space. Confused about what’s happening, it could do nothing but allow the portal to suck it in before it closed itself up.

Falling from the sky, the fragment landed on the snow before the portal closed itself up. Then it sprouted its own tiny legs and stood back up. The Core looked around and saw its new surroundings.

“Where…am I? This…looks like Earth…?” it whispered.

Suddenly, a bright light caught its attention; it turned and beheld an army of strange creatures standing on top of a hill. Three groups were high in the air towering over three figures standing below the hill. Then it saw a purple alicorn pony speaking to the said trio, giving a triumphant speech.

“Together we worked to bring harmony in Equestria! But there will always be more to do! Which is why we teach others about the Magic of Friendship! Others who will continue our mission after we are gone!” the alicorn passionately preached.

That caught the Core’s attention, causing it to angrily growl. “Friendship? Magic? Even here?!”

“And the more who understand how powerful friendship is, the stronger we will all be! Together!” she finished.

As on cue, she and her friends channeled the rainbow magic of friendship and launched it to the sky, extinguishing the ghostly beasts flying in a circle. Then it instantly descended upon the helpless trio, stripping them of their power for good. Then the trio found themselves at the mercy of their enemies.

“Hmm, those three creatures seem to be their enemies. Interesting…”

After the Changeling finished her rant, a giant cupcake fell from the sky and crushed them. The trio tried to escape from their predicament until two other alicorns and a strange, amalgamated animal approached them.

Moments later, the Core witnessed the three powerful bearers of magic turn the three villains into stone, silencing them forever. Then it heard a loud cheering from the civilians as they have defeated their foes.

Having seen enough of the event, the Core hid behind a bush. “Hmm, it appears this is a grand opportunity for me to start fresh. A world who believes in this ‘magic of friendship’ nonsense? That…can be fixed.”

It looked behind and overheard word that the same purple alicorn will become the new ruler of Equestria. Intrigued, it hid behind the bush again. “A new ruler? Why…yes…someone far younger and more…powerful…unlike the fool Andrias. And from the looks of it, I could find some new brilliant minds to take the place of my deceased brethren.”

“It seems that Providence has seen fit to give me a second chance,” the Core plotted. “I will acquire a new body—a new host to conquer this new world. If friendship is truly their power, then I will show them something more…beneficial. The Core…will reign supreme once again.”

Some time later, Twilight and her friends arrived at Canterlot for the coronation ceremony. The Core secretly followed them from every rooftop it came across. Once they entered through the gates, it snuck its way under the gates after they closed. But before it could procede, it noticed that a large crowd was gathered for the coronation.

Not wanting to be seen, the Core activated its little drillers and plowed through the soil underneath the ponies and non-ponies.

A few minutes later, Princesses Celestia and Luna approached the balcony with the former standing upfront. “Citizens of Equestria and beyond!” she addressed the crowd. The creatures cheered in acknowledgment of the princess while the yaks stomped and the dragons breathed fire.

“My sister and I have ruled this land for quite some time, but even we know that change eventually comes to us all,” she continued. “And though we know it can be unsettling, it’s as natural as the rising and setting of the sun and moon. Both of which my sister and I feel confident leaving in the hooves of the pony who will come after us.”

The Core once again watched as Twilight clumsily rejoined with her predecessors. The Royal Sisters combined their crowns into one and crowned her as the new ruler.

“She reminds me of Marcy. Hmm, this is perfect,” the Core chuckled.

As the day passed by, it witnessed the ponies hugging together while crying happily as a new era begins for Equestria. Then the monster saw its opportunity to take action. It crawled on the table and extended its arms to Twilight’s new crown. Then it transferred a small portion of it’s own data into the crown.

Having made a new extension of itself, it quickly crawled away as soon as the group hug broke up.

It was then night time as Twilight just finished preparing herself for sleep. She yawned as she approached her royal bedroom. “I still can’t believe I’m Equestria’s new ruler. Huh, I just hope I’ll meet everypony’s expectations.”

“And that, you will, my dear. You will,” a strange voice echoed.

Startled, Twilight looked around in her room and saw no one inside. “Huh? Who said that?”

Suddenly, her crown opened a large orange eye, uttering a mechanical beep in the process.

In a blink of an eye, Twilight saw herself in the midst of darkness. Confused and frightened, she ignited her horn to see where she was.

“Forgive my intrusion, my dear. I couldn’t help but let myself in.”

“Who are you? Where am I?”

“Consider me…a new friend.” Then the eye opened up, scaring Twilight even more.

“W-what are you?”

“I am…the Core.”

“The Core? Core of what exactly? And where did you come from?” Twilight curiously asked.

“None of that matters, dear. What does is how you should conduct your new rulership. You see, I can help you. I can be your guide. You won’t ever have to feel worried or scared in this new responsibility.”

Twilight rubbed her chin as she contemplated its words. “Well…I do have the confidence I need to rule Equestria, and I’m sure things won’t get out of hoof during my rule.”

“Unless some things DO go wrong. There will always be challenges for rulers to tackle, but of course, from my experience, not ALL of them have succeeded.”

That caught Twilight’s attention. “Really?”

“I’m afraid so. What if you make a mistake that will ultimately result in a civil war or even worse…someone plots to overthrow you?”

Sweat drops fell from her head as she listened.

“Your predecessors would be disappointed in you. But don’t worry, I can prevent that from ever happening. Trust in my guidance, and your reign will be glorious forever,” the Core whispered.

After Twilight thought about it, she breathed in and out before facing the Core. “Okay…I’ll really appreciate your help…whatever you are.”

“Excellent. I know you won’t be a disappointment.”

“Say, do you mind telling me who you are exactly? I’m still trying to grasp how exactly you’re speaking to me,” Twilight said.

Seeking Brilliant Minds

Early in the morning, Princess Twilight arose from bed and prepared herself some breakfast. Spike was in the kitchen making some haycakes of his own. He smiled warmly as Twilight sat down on the table.

“Good morning, new ruler of Equestria!”

“*Giggles* Good morning to you too, Spike.”

“Had a pleasant night?”

“Well, it was certainly a…unique one.”

“Ha, I tell ya, the bedroom they provided me with was amazing! It’s definitely better than having to share a room with someone,” said Spike right before he widened his eyes nervously. “Umm, no offense.”

“None taken,” she chuckled, rolling her eyes playfully.

As they sat and ate together, The Core looked around from inside Twilight’s crown. Once it was done analyzing the room, it closed its eye.

Suddenly, a Royal Guard entered the kitchen before reverently kneeling before Twilight. “Forgive my interruption, Your Highness, but Chancellor Neighsay requests your presence.”

“Neighsay? Huh, I haven’t heard from him in a while,” uttered Spike, licking the syrup from the plate.

“It would be nice to meet with him again. Alright, tell him I’ll be there right away,” Twilight ordered.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard acknowledged before departing.

“Come on, my royal advisor, time to fulfill our first royal business!”

“Right behind you, Twilight!”

“Dear goodness, did our big climatic battle leave that much of a mess? Looks like I got some cleaning up to do!” Discord shouted, magically wearing garbage clothes. He grabbed his carrot binoculars and noticed dozens of little portals everywhere in the atmosphere.

He then brandished his razor-sharp waffle and shot it through the first half of the portals, extinguishing them in the process. Then he spotted another portal just right below him; smirking, he flew down and grabbed something from the portal.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Hasbro merchandise? How blatantly shameless,” he sarcastically remarked. He dropped a transformer toy and picked up a different one.

“Okay, now that can really hurt,” he muttered, holding a package that contained a fish’s leg. Then he dropped it as well. “But still not interested.”

“MY LEG!” the fish cried out.

After closing the portal, he turned into a vacuum cleaner and absorbed all the rest of them, finally cleaning the atmosphere. As he turned back to normal, he rubbed his belly.

“Ohh, yes, I haven’t eaten like that since the good old days,” he sighed, burping.

“Hmm, the combined magic must have caused an inter-dimensional imbalance of some sort. Should I tell Twilight about this or not? Hmmm…” Discord stroked his beard as he was thinking about it.

“Nah, it’s probably not a big deal. We had to take care of Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow one way or another. Ha, it’s not like something terrible came out of a portal or something,” he laughed off. Snapping his fingers, he vanished from sight.

Chancellor Neighsay bowed before Twilight as he entered the throne room. “Princess Twilight…”

“Chancellor Neighsay. It’s a great pleasure to you again,” Twilight welcomed.

“Likewise, Your Highness. It has come to the attention of the EEA that six of your brave students have assisted in defeating three of Equestria’s greatest enemies. Therefore, as the head representative of the EEA, I humbly request that these students be given some form of recognition for their outstanding contribution in saving our land.”

“Hmm, their help was definitely a surprise for sure, but it was nonetheless a welcome one,” noted Twilight.

“Not to mention those guys are the best students of the School of Friendship,” Spike added.

“Agreed, which is why we would like to give them letters of recommendation ahead of time so that once they’re old enough to consider job applications, they’ll be ready to be sent,” continued Neighsay, sadly sighing. “Besides, I owe them for saving me from Cozy Glow before. It’s time that I return the favor. It’s the least I can do.”

Twilight and Spike looked at each other and smiled in support. “Don’t worry, Neighsay. Inform the EEA that I approve your request, and that these students will be recognized for their heroism, bravery, and success in re-uniting Equestria!” Twilight happily commanded.

Neighsay smiled back before bowing. “Thank you, Princess. Much thanks.”

After he departed, the crown opened its eye while incomprehensibly whispering. Twilight looked up and shook her head which caught Spike’s attention. “Uh, are you alright, Twilight?”

The eye closed up again without being noticed. Twilight looked back at him with a nervous smile. “Me? Oh, I’m fine. *Clears throat* Uh, actually, excuse me for a moment. I have to, um, use the restroom.” Then she teleported off.

“Whoa…she didn’t seem to be in a rush a few minutes ago,” said Spike, puzzled.

In the restroom, she looked at the mirror while The Core opened its eye again. “You know I have duties to attend to, right? You can’t just keep talking in my head all the time.”

“Well, pardon my intense curiosity, Twilight Sparkle. I couldn’t help but notice that stallion you talked with earlier.”

“Neighsay? What about him?”

“He seems to be an intelligent creature with a respectable personality. Care to tell me more about him?” The Core asked.

“We’ll worry about that later. Right now, I have to be at the throne as Equestria’s ruler. So try not to talk in my head while I’m busy, okay? It’s really distracting.”

The Core groaned in annoyance until it closed its eye. “Thank you, Core. Seems like we have a long way to go before we become great friends,” said Twilight, teleporting back to the throne room.

The fragment climbed on top of the castle and zoomed its vision on Neighsay as he was departing from the palace. “If I am to acquire new minds for The Core, I must seek out intelligent beings who will serve its purpose well. That creature…shall be the first.”

“Princess Twilight has approved our request to give forms of recognition upon the six distinguished students of the School of Friendship. We will procede as planned!” Neighsay announced. The EEA board nodded approvingly and began the paperwork to be sent later.

“Much work is to be done. We will continue to work with the Princess before we can commence a celebration for these brave souls,” he concluded, smiling. “Dismissed.”

“You are not going anywhere.”

The EEA members looked around in confusion. “Huh? Did somepony say something?”

“Down here!”

They looked down and saw The Core stare intensely at them from the floor. This took Neighsay and the others by surprise. “What in the name of Celestia is that thing?!” one of them cried out.

“I am the one who will unite you brilliant minds with my own—a place where we can all be ‘friends’ and where your biggest dreams will come true. I am your new benefactor. I am your new master. I am…THE CORE!”

“I have no idea who you are or what you are, but you have no place here!” Neighsay rebuked, igniting his horn.

But before he could blast it, The Core stretched its tentacles and snatched all the members of the EEA, including the chancellor himself. Then it electrocuted them all through its tentacles, transferring all their minds into it.

The Core’s eye brightened as it relished the blood-curling screams of agony from its victims. As their minds were transferred, what used to be a fragment suddenly grew back into a new and improved helmet but only small enough to fit a pony’s head. A hole was formed right above the middle eye, and two sharp horns were erected on both sides of the helmet.

Once it finished, the bodies of the EEA board fell limply on the ground. The Core stood up and opened multiple eyes like it had before.

“Yessssss! Welcome, my new brethren. Victory is nigh at hand, and Equestria will soon be ours.”

Friendship is Hatred

Twilight walked to the balcony and looked at the beautiful landscape in front of her. She could see the city and the rest of Equestria while the sun was high in the sky. She sighed deeply with a look of sadness.

“My dear Twilight, what seems to trouble you?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really,” she muttered, wiping off a tear from her eye.

“Please do tell. I’m listening.”

She sighed again. “Well, it’s just that I’m beginning to miss Celestia and Luna already. They were the most powerful and the most wonderful rulers I’ve ever known. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be sitting on the throne.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! They were an inspiration to me in every way, and I still feel like a large part of me is missing,” explained Twilight, shedding another tear.

“Ahhh, so they were your role models, hmm? How touching to hear. Then it seems my arrival has been timely, if not convenient,” The Core spoke.

“I’m hoping that your experience can help shape my rulership here. You and Spike would make fantastic royal advisors together. I should introduce you to—“

“NO!”

Confused, Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, I would prefer not to trouble him with my…perplexing presence. I am not a sociable entity. I trust you understand.”

“Oh, that’s perfectly fine. I understand. If there’s anybody you can talk to, you have me. I know we’ll become great friends!” Twilight smiled.

“Yes……of course,” The Core slightly growled.

Later in the afternoon, the newly improved hive mind crawled on a rooftop where it feasted its eyes on the Canterlot Castle and all the other lands far below it.

“Hmm…it seems that this Equestria has many kingdoms. If we are to undermine the whimsical source of its power, we must see, learn, and watch how they truly flourish. If necessary, we could exploit their weaknesses,” The Core plotted.

The rest of the eyes frantically whispered to the frontal eye. “Fret not, my new brethren. We will all live in tranquility…true tranquility,” it sneered.

It activated its thrusters and blasted off to the sky.

It scanned any signs of life as it flew beyond the boundaries of Equestria. Then it noticed the Changeling Hive within a few miles ahead; catching its interest, it flew below the hive before deactivating its thrusters. Stretching its tentacles, it quietly climbed up on its thick hide.

King Thorax was having a feast with his royal subjects who all celebrated with great joy.

“Today marks the third anniversary of Chrysalis’s defeat! The time in which we changelings saw a new way for us to thrive and live—the Magic of Friendship!” Thorax proclaimed.

The changelings cheered in response. “Now that we are together for this special occasion, let us remember that as long as friendship exists, we won’t have to hunger or starve for love; for it is more beneficial to give than to take,” he finished, smiling.

The Core heard enough and climbed down from the palace. “This is getting more and more ludicrous! How can any of these dull creatures see…friendship...as something that can benefit them?! Is there not a single life form with a brain who can see through this foolishness?!”

Then the hive mind got an idea. “Wait…of course. There must be someone in this abysmal dimension who can see through their lies. Hmm, it would take some time, but eventually…we will succeed.”

Two security ponies opened the inside door that led to the main room of the EEA board. Seeing that it was dark therein, the unicorns ignited their horns.

"Hmm, this room isn't this usually dark."

"You're telling me. Someone must have accidentally--WHAT THE?!" one of them yelled.

"What? What's wro--*gasp*" she looked where her partner was staring at. All the bodies of Neighsay and his colleges lied on the floor lifelessly. The guards ran up to them.

"What happened here?!"

"His...his heart is not beating! Something fatal must have happened to him!"

They checked on the rest of the board members and discovered the same terrifying result. Sweating profusely, the first guard pulled her comrade with her magic. "We have to take them to the hospital now! We'll get some answers for sure!"

"Right, right!" he replied, nervously nodding. "You do that while I get the Royal Guard involved so that they'll inform Princess Twilight of this incident. I have a bad feeling about this."

Then the male guard noticed something on the wall. "Hey...do you see that?" She looked where he was pointing; dozens of slash marks were on the lower half of the wall. They even discovered some claw marks on some parts of the floor.

"Either a wild beast attacked them or somepony drained their life force."

"But how is that possible? Nothing was destroyed, and Tirek is currently in stone. Who could have done this?"

"Only one way to find out," said the female guard.

As the sun was setting, a female unicorn finished washing the dishes and later prepared dinner on the table. “Ah, there we go. Feisty, dinner’s ready!”

The said filly with an upset look on her face stomped her way into the kitchen and angrily sat on the chair.

“Nah, ah, ah, young filly. You’re not gonna eat supper with that attitude,” the mother scolded.

“I don’t care! I didn’t do anything wrong!” Feisty complained.

“Your teacher and principal said otherwise,”the mom replied, arching an eyebrow.

“That stupid yak wouldn’t shut up! I hate those non-ponies!”

“That’s why you’re grounded for a week. You need to learn to respect other creatures, not just ponies. Until you learn that lesson, you won’t be hanging out with your own friends.”

“That’s not fair! Why is befriending these creatures so important?!”

“Once you get older, you’ll understand,” she said, eating her meal.

Feisty crossed her hooves and glared at the floor. “Whatever,” she muttered.

After they finished their supper, Feisty closed the door and looked out the window. She looked at a picture of her mother smiling with her daughter. She stared at the rest of her family pictures that showed her mother holding her as a baby. For a moment, some tears were formed in her eyes. But then her watery eyes shifted to a large photo that showcased the Mane Six, Starlight, Spike, the Young Six, and the other students.

Angered, she ripped the photo in half and tossed the pieces out the window.

A Promising Start

The next day, Princess Twilight rushed to the Ponyville Hospital where there were dozens of ponies and Royal Guards outside the front doors. Once they saw the new ruler arrive, they bowed before her and paved the way for her to enter inside. She instantly ran inside and looked from left to right, wondering where the victims were recovering.

“Your Majesty,” addressed Nurse Redheart, slightly bowing her head.

“Where are they held?”

“In the Emergency Room, three rooms ahead.”

“Are they alright? Are they breathing?”

“*sadly sighing* Barely. Better take a look for yourself,” replied Redheart, motioning her to follow her.

As they both entered the ER, Twilight gasped in shock to see Neighsay and his colleagues strapped with oxygen tanks. Seeing this made Twilight’s heart pump faster and her pupils shrink.

“No….t-this can’t be…” Twilight muttered.

“We did everything we could to keep them alive. Whether they want to make it or not…is up to them now.”

Hearing this, Twilight paced back and forth with sweat drops falling from her forehead. “This can’t be happening!! This can’t! This can’t! I never thought this day would come! How can I save them now?! I-I-I don’t know what happened to them…” Twilight mentally vented. She walked out the ER and covered her face with her hooves.

“I…I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been in a situation like this,” she whispered. “If Celestia were here, she would know what to do.”

As Twilight continued to panic, The Core opened its eye and looked down on her. “Allow me to assist. Tell the nurse to take their bodies and store them for preservation.”

This took Twilight by surprise. She replied back in her mind, “Huh? But the nurse said it’s up to them. We should wait until they come through!”

“On the contrary, it is up to us to decide what must be done for the safety of our kingdom,” advised The Core. “It is quite obvious they were savagely attacked by some villainous creature. He could strike us at any moment! The only way we could keep them…alive…is to magically preserve them from rotting away. If we leave them to chance, they’ll soon perish and the whole kingdom will revolt against you.”

“Really? They will?” Twilight panicked.

“Yes. No one wants to be ruled by a princess who couldn’t save those poor ponies from harm. But fear not, for I will make sure you make the right choices.”

As Twilight thought hard on this, she sadly sighed and nodded her head. As she re-entered the ER, Redheart was just finished writing the information on her notes.

“I need you to remove the oxygen tanks. I’m gonna have to cast a spell that will preserve them. We can’t leave their fates to chance.”

Redheart widened her eyes in surprise before she accidentally dropped her notes. “I beg your pardon, Princess Twilight, but…are you sure? I admittedly don’t know much about magic, but I think a spell like this could slow their physical healing.”

“Yes, but it will at least keep them in their current state. Until we actually get answers for what happened and who is responsible for this cruel act, they must be preserved for their own good.”

“But as a nurse, I would advise against—.”

“This is not up for discussion!” Twilight sternly interrupted.

Redheart was taken aback by her tone, but she nodded her head regardless. “As you wish, Princess.”

She then removed the oxygen tanks which allowed Twilight to cast her preservation spell around the unconscious Neighsay and his comrades. The spell covered them all in flower-like cases colored in bright pink and carefully placed them all in a rectangular box to seal them in. After she locked it, she teleported the box to an underground base below Canterlot Castle.

After Redheart left, Twilight sighed in relief. “Well, that’s done. Hmm, was I a little harsh back there?”

“*chuckles* Of course not, my dear. You made the right choice—thanks to our wisdom. This is how you establish your rulership; your predecessors would be very proud of you, Twilight,” The Core flattered.

“Huh, thanks. Still, we gotta figure out who attacked Neighsay and why they did it. No matter how long it takes, we will find whoever is responsible!” Twilight said, determined.

“Of course…” The Core replied. If it had a mouth, it would have been evilly smiling at that moment.

Inside The Core’s inner sanctum, a large amphibious bipedal creature with royal attire and a crown on his head walked across a dark hallway, orange lanterns slightly lighting the whole room. Once he stopped, several panels appeared before him.

The panels then opened up and revealed Neighsay and his colleagues all chained up therein. They relentlessly attempted to break free, but their efforts proved to be fruitless.

“What kind of sick, twisted prison is this?!” one of them cried.

“You fiend! Let us go this instant! We’ve had enough of your….whatever it is your doing!” Neighsay demanded.

“The more you squirm, the harder it will be for you to assimilate into The Core,” said the creature. He then opened his eyes—the same multi-layered eyes of the hive mind.

“WHO…ARE YOU?!” they shouted, terrified of his face.

“Of course, where are my manners? I am Aldrich, former king of Amphibia and the inner voice of The Core,” he introduced himself.

“The Core? What are you talking about?” Neighsay asked, arching an eyebrow.

“The Core is an amalgamation of Amphibia’s greatest minds—our ancestors, kings, and rulers—forming into a unified consciousness. Unfortunately, my enemies managed to overthrow us and destroy us. Well…most of us anyway,” Aldrich explained, his eyes furiously burning bright.

“But fortunately, I still thrive and live,” he continued. “With you all here, you will serve as excellent replacements for them. I know you will serve The Core well with your vast knowledge and experience.”

At that moment, little nerve tentacles wrapped around their heads. Terrified, Neighsay tired to move his hooves only for them to be immobilized by the energy from the panels. He made one last pleading look at Aldrich who stood by in his usual cold and callous composure.

The nerves silenced their muffled screams of horror and engulfed them within the panels. Once they closed down, Aldrich turned around and walked back to the throne room, evilly chuckling.

Later that day, Princess Twilight walked on the balcony and saw the ponies and creatures who were all assembled in the palace down below. They had looks of worry and concern whereas almost all the parents held their little ones close to them. Seeing their fear, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then reopened them again.

“Citizens of Equestria and beyond, as you all know, Chancellor Neighsay and the other EEA board members have been attacked by some ravenous creature. Who is the creature responsible for this deadly attack, I don’t know; how the victims have been attacked, I don’t know. But I do know that this act shall not be forgotten!” Twilight assured.

The ponies exchanged looks towards each other as they listened. “We will continue this investigation no matter how long it may take, for this evil creature will be sought for and brought to justice!” Then all the ponies and creatures grew hopeful looks.

“But in order for the Magic of Friendship to stay strong and powerful, we must work together to bring peace, love, and unity like never before!” Twilight smiled. “With that said, I decree that any creature who wishes to live among us shall freely do so. Whether here, in Ponyville, or in the Crystal Empire, is up to you. We welcome any creature among you who would love to live in this kingdom.”

Hearing this, all the creatures—dragons, yaks, changelings, and so forth—cheered in response. The Canterlot ponies followed suit and cheered with them. Feisty however rolled her eyes and shook her head while her mother was busy cheering with the crowd.

“Stupid…” the filly muttered.

“The closer we are, the zero chances the culprit will hurt us! That is all,” Twilight concluded. Then she went back inside the throne room where Spike was waiting for her.

“I presume the speech went well?”

“From the looks of it, it went great. I think this position of ruler seems quite easy!” Twilight replied, sitting back on the throne.

“I dunno, Twi. There will be a lot of big challenges ahead of us, so we should be a lot more careful,” advised Spike.

Twilight giggled. “Now you’re starting to sound just like me.”

“Well, I learned from the best,” Spike shrugged. Then they both hugged for a brief moment before they continued with their duties for the day.

The Core opened its eye in Twilight’s crown and hissed with mechanical whispers until it closed up again.

The Alliance of Disharmony

20 years later

All the inhabitants of Equestria—both pony and creature—did successfully live together in peace and prosperity thanks to the wise rulership of Princess Twilight. As the sun shined high in the skies, everyone gathered together once again for a special celebration at Canterlot City; as all the creatures and ponies, both young and old, were assembled before the castle, two royal guards opened the front doors of the palace before the alicorn herself stepped out.

Now Twilight, wearing new royal attire, was fully grown in the same height as Celestia with her long mane magically flowing in the air.

As she stood before the gathered crowd, a massive object—covered by a large tarp—was placed between her and the assembly. After that, six different creatures appeared in a flash with Starlight, Sunburst, and Trixie with them.

“Citizens of Equestria, I have gathered you all here together on this special day—a day in which the Magic of Friendship both rose up and prevailed!” Twilight began. “It was truly a fearful time for us all when friendship nearly perished before our very eyes; Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow thought they had won, but friendship ultimately emerged triumphant…thanks to these courageous creatures.”

Right on cue, the Young Six approached Twilight before she ignited her horn; the tarp fell off, revealing a brand new statue for all of the crowd to see. It was a statue of the Young Six posing in their unique ways when they were much younger.

This surprised the six as they gazed at their statue before looking back at Twilight. “You six have demonstrated to the world what friendship means and how powerful it is. If it weren’t for you, I don’t think any of us would be standing together today.”

Having said that, all the ponies and creatures cheered for the Young Six. Pinkie Pie launched fireworks from her party cannon, and Discord snapped his fingers—where bouchées grew mouths and arms and sang with trumpets in a circle.

Ocellus grew tears in her eyes as she smiled with quivering lips. Grinning, Smolder wiped off the changeling’s tears, comfortably patting her on the shoulder.

Sandbar and Yona both smiled as they were hailed as heroes; they briefly looked at each other and nuzzled their faces together, blushing.

Gallus was blushing in embarrassment however and tried to maintain his normal composure; giggling, Silverstream playfully punched his arm which made him flinch. Rolling his eyes, he accepted the flowers thrown at him from the crowd.

Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst proudly looked upon their former students, happy that they have succeeded their goals and have now become icons of the Magic of Friendship alongside the Princess.

Nevertheless, there was one pony who still wasn’t happy with everything going on. She was there in the midst of the crowd, glaring at the Young Six with scorn in her eyes. Growling, she sullenly turned away and departed from the assembly.

Now a fully grown unicorn, Feisty trotted to Ponyville by herself. She irritably groaned at the sight of a pony and a changeling holding hooves together at a picnic table. Then she noticed a griffon happily flying with a pegasus high above the clouds, joyfully shouting.

She also noticed some fillies playing ball with a little hippogriff not far from Cheerilee’s school. Shaking her head, she went on her way to a cafe.

After she had lunch, she exited the cafe and prepared to leave Ponyville until she bumped into a pink unicorn.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Feisty snapped.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t see you!” the unicorn apologized.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“Hey, no need to be rude! She said she was sorry!” a young griffon spoke up, standing by his friend.

“I don’t think I was talking to you, griffon. Mind your own business,” Feisty sneered.

“Is something wrong, ma’am? I hope everything is okay,” the unicorn said, worried.

“Oh sure, everything is perfectly fine! Nothing like being surrounded by du—*ahem* I mean, cool creatures every single day of my life. I’m definitely okay,” Feisty sarcastically replied with an insincere smile.

“Uhhhh, okay… well, I hope you have a good day, ma’am. My name is Luster Dawn. What’s yours?”

“Feisty.”

“Nice name! Pleasure to meet you, Feisty! Do you wanna meet my new friends?”

“Oh no thanks, I have a rather…busy schedule today. But I…appreciate it.”

“Alright, see you next time then!” Luster smiled, waving her hoof.

The moment she and the griffon left was when Feisty’s smile dropped. “Ughhh…that was embarrassing.” Then she finally left Ponyville.

She returned back home in Canterlot. She opened the door to her house where her middle-aged mother was at the kitchen cooking food. Groaning, Feisty closed the door and rejoined her.

“Back so soon, dear?”

“Eh, it was a boring ceremony anyway.”

“Let me guess: the anniversary of the Young Six’s victory over the villains annoyed you?”

“It’s not that, Mom.”

Then her mother gave her a doubtful look. “Okay, fine, you got me! Why should we even care about that at this point?! I just don’t get why they are so much more important than every pony else!”

As she ranted on, the mom stopped cooking for a moment and went over to her daughter, laying her hoof on her shoulder. “Are you still thinking about what happened to your father?”

That caught Feisty off-guard. “I thought we were past this. I told you, Feisty, you shouldn’t let that incident get to you. Your father would’ve wanted you to move on and be happy.”

“BE HAPPY?!?” Feisty snapped, slamming her hooves on the table. “Happy with the fact that the ones responsible for what happened to him are now living amongst us?! Happy that they are supposedly our friends now?!”

Her mother was startled by her outburst; nonetheless, she had a sympathetic look on her face as her daughter finally broke down in tears. She hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s very hard to let go of the pain. I know it hurts so much to lose someone you love dearly. But hatred and anger will not make it better for you.”

“Don’t lecture me, Mom. I’ll be fine,” Feisty coldly responded.

She left the house and slammed the door shut. Her mom then silently sat back down on the table and briefly sobbed, shaking her head in disappointment.

It was night time. Feisty sat quietly on top of a hill where she watched the moon rise and the Princess watching the city from the balcony. Once the latter went back inside, the unicorn laid her head on a tree.

“*sigh* I’ll never understand why ponies are just blindly complacent about befriending these guys,” she muttered. “If this is what friendship is all about, then I want no part in it.”

Suddenly, she heard a strange mechanical noise. Curious, she looked behind her…only to find nothing or no one at all. Shrugging it off, she laid back on the tree and took a deep breath.

Then she heard the same noise again but only slightly louder. Frightened by the sound, she ignited her horn as she looked left and right. “Who goes there?” She heard no reply.

“What was that?”

The noise was again heard near her but this time, it was coming from above. Looking up, she was met by multiple orange eyes staring menacingly at her from the tree branches.

“AHHH!” she screamed, dropping to the ground.

“Forgive us, dear. We mean you no harm.”

“What are you?!” she demanded, sweating fearfully.

“We are The Core, a hive mind of the most brilliant souls in the universe. We couldn’t help but overhear your…grievances.”

The Core climbed down from the tree with its tentacles, approaching the unicorn slowly. “What is your name, madam?”

“I’m…Feisty. My name is Feisty. W-Where did you come from? What…are you even supposed to be?”

“Let’s just say we are from a very, very far place, and we have been dwelling here for only Frog knows how long. Hmm, we believe 20 years to be exact. Yes, twenty years of searching and waiting…”

Feisty looked at it puzzled, arching an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You see…we aren’t so different from each other. You despise these creatures, and we despise them too. Do you know what it’s like to put up with the ridiculous notions of….ugh…friendship? Or to deal with a gullible patriot like Twilight Sparkle?”

This caught Feisty’s interest as The Core spoke. “I’m listening…”

“These ponies think that friendship with every single creature will solve all their problems, but they fail to realize that it is nothing more than a liability that keeps one’s potential from growing.”

“Believe us, for we have seen this ourselves before. But of course, he was always weak-minded. But you…” the hive mind walked around her while its tentacles played with Feisty’s mane, making her a bit nervous.

“You seem to be the only sentient lifeform with a brain. Tell us, why do you hate these…’non-ponies’? Pray, do tell us…”

Feisty once again took a deep breath before she answered, “Well, those monsters have always been Equestria’s thorn on its side for far too long. I mean, the yaks are just stupid, smelly, and destructive; the dragons are ruthless; the griffons are just simply horrible; the hippogriffs are spineless cowards; and the changelings?! *growls* I hate them the most…”

“Oh?”

“They were our worst enemies…for decades, and the fact that my own kind has been friends with them after their so-called ‘transformation’ is INFURIATING! After everything they’ve done, I will never let it go!” Feisty vented, grinding her teeth.

“Clearly, you were young when they were your adversaries. Is that really your reason for your hatred, or…is there more to the story?” The Core asked.

Feisty then looked down and angrily closed her eyes.

“Ahhh, I see. No matter, that is all we needed to know. You want to have your revenge on them, don’t you?”

The unicorn looked up at the hive mind with a demonic expression of unholy wrath. “Yes….ALL of them.”

The Core’s eyes brightened with excitement. “Perfect. We come to offer you a proposal: a life-changing opportunity to right the wrongs of this fallen nation and to demonstrate what true power is all about.”

Feisty’s ears lit up as she eagerly awaited to hear what the offer was. “Yes?”

“Join us. Together, we can bring this world to our knees and show Princess Twilight how big of a mistake she has made in welcoming these…savages. We…can rule this Equestria together…as its rightful rulers. We can be…inevitable.”

Then the unicorn grew an evil smile on her face. “It’s a deal.”

The Core and Feisty then shook one another’s hoof/claw. “You are making history, my dear Feisty. Now, remember, our meticulous plan must be executed fully to the letter. So, here is how you lay the foundation…”

The Beginning of the Fall

“Thank you for your bountiful wisdom, Princess.”

After the stallion bowed and departed from the throne room, there were three other ponies awaiting permission to enter. Seeing them, Twilight motioned to Gallus to let them in.

The trio slowly walked in and kneeled before her. “Your Highness…”

“What seems to be the problem, my little ponies?”

Two of them looked at each other sadly before one of them replied, “Well…it’s something about our old friend. She—well, we, rather, um…haven’t spoken to her in years. And…”

“Well, she didn’t wantto talk to us,” the second mare interjected. “After everything we’ve done for her, she cuts ties with us! The nerve!”

“Not helping!” the third mare quietly scolded, bumping her on the shoulder. “*ahem* What she means to say is that we are concerned for her, and we can’t seem to find her anywhere.”

“Is that so? When was the last time you saw her?” Twilight asked.

“Well, we spotted her in her own home recently but after that, she was never seen again.”

“We even talked to her mom just this morning. She told us…she never came back home…” the first mare added, sadly looking down on the floor.

Widening her eyes in surprise, Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. As she nodded, she summoned two Royal Guards in the throne room. “This is very concerning; for all we know, your friend could be lost. My guards will help you find her.”

Then she faced her guards. “Report back to me once you find her.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” they complied.

“Thank you kindly, Princess. Once we reunite, we’ll have a lot to catch up on,” Red Berry smiled.

“Yeah, for sure…” Blue Berry sarcastically muttered.

Suddenly, a royal guard burst into the throne with sweat covering his face. “Your Highness, there is a disturbance downtown in Canterlot! It is highly urgent!”

Startled by the news, Twilight nodded to the other guards before they ran out to the designated area he mentioned. “You all can go and search for this pony while I conduct some urgent business,” she commanded.

As she flew away, the guards left with the three mares in front of them. “The nerve of that unicorn! She leaves us without saying a word?! Such rudeness!”

“Oh, come on, Blue, I’m sure she had no malicious intent in leaving us all those years ago,” Red said, nervously smiling.

“And besides, we haven’t been talking to her either. I can’t even recall a time we even reached out to her,” added Purple Berry.

“Let’s just say we both need to work on our communication.”

“Hmmm, fair enough,” Blue hesitantly conceded.

Three yaks were violently stomping on the wagons filled with fruits, just right in front of the terrified salespony and his wife. “YAK SMASH PONY FOOD!”

“YAK HATE FRUIT!” the other yelled.

“YAK NOT LIKE BEING BULLIED!” the third screamed.

“Stop this! Stop this madness this instant!” the mare shouted.

“What is the meaning of this?!” the salespony demanded.

At that moment, Princess Twilight and the guards arrived on the scene and witnessed the yaks angrily smashing the merchandise with all the fruit remains all over the ground.

“Enough!” Twilight ordered, using telekinesis to separate the yaks from the scared ponies. “Can somepony explain to me what exactly is going on?”

“Those yaks destroyed our goods! We don’t know why they did it, but they ruined our business!” the salespony angrily explained, pointing his hoof at them.

“Who do you think you are to ruin our merchandise?!” his wife added, glaring at the yaks.

“YAKS GOT HIT BY FRUITS! PONY THREW AT US!!” the first yak accused.

“YAKS NOT LIKE PONIES THROWING FOOD AT US!!” the third growled.

“What?! We did no such thing! How dare you accuse us!” the salespony denied.

“That’s enough, all of you,” Twilight sternly interrupted. “I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for this situation, so why don’t we listen to the yaks and hear them out from their perspective?”

Snorting, the two ponies nodded. Turning to the yaks, the latter grabbed the last unscathed fruit and laid it on the ground. “Yaks minding our own business, doing our own things until somepony threw something at us. THIS FRUIT!” he yelled, stomping it into pieces. “Pony ran away before we face ‘em!”

“A pony threw a fruit at you and then ran off?” Twilight repeated, arching an eyebrow.

“YEAH!!”

“I highly doubt that a random pony would suddenly decide to throw one of our precious goods at your hide for no apparent reason. Clearly, you’re making all this up just to justify your destructive behavior,” the salespony scoffed.

The yaks angrily growled as they were about to charge at him in full power. However, Twilight swiftly opened her wings which allowed strong bursts of wind to silence them.

“Listen, I’m sorry to see all your hard work being reduced to nothing, but throwing accusations and screaming aren’t going to solve the issue. My guards will conduct an investigation to see who is actually responsible for this,” Twilight said, motioning the guards to move.

Compliant, they helped the ponies to clean up the mess while the others flew off to begin their investigation.

Meanwhile, Feisty—disguising herself with a dark cloak—chuckled in amusement before she quietly ran off elsewhere.

Later in the morning, she spotted six changelings chatting with each other near a mountain side.

Snickering, she picked up pumpkin pies from her bag and threw them at the changelings from behind. Then she quickly hid behind a bush as they looked around.

“What in Celestia’s name was that?!”

“Did somepony throw these at us?”

“What’s the big idea?!”

“Yeah, who would be so mean enough to throw…pumpkin pie? Seriously?! Some pony would waste sweet, delicious pies?” one of them complained, licking up the remains thereof.

“I don’t see anyone near us. They must’ve ran off or something,” said the other.

“Hey, you guys see them? I see some ponies down there with…the same exact pies!”

“You think they did it?”

“Obviously! They just assaulted us with food! I’m gonna give them a piece of my mind!” another one growled, shapeshifting into a buffalo.

Meanwhile, three teenage ponies were juggling pumpkin pies and cream pies in the air while laughing together.

“Look at us! We’re already pros at this!” shouted one of them, a pie falling on his face.

“Yeah! This is so much fun!”

At that moment, the “buffalo” charged at them in full speed. The kids screamed in terror before jumping out of the way, seconds away from being hit. The beast crashed against a supermarket in the process.

“You little brats did this to us, didn’t you?!” three other changelings accused, glaring.

“What? I-I-I don’t know what you’re—?”

“You threw pies at us for no reason! You actually think this is funny? Throwing food at random strangers?”

“We didn’t do anything wrong! We were just having some fun!” the young pegasus explained, sweating.

“Liars. You know what happens when ponies lie to me?” she sneered, shapeshifting into a bug bear.

Shaking in fear, the teenage trio ran off. “Yeah, you better run! Hope you learned your lesson!”

“Dumb ponies. They really get on my nerves sometimes,” said the female changeling, changing back to normal.

As Feisty observed from above, she sinisterly grinned. She jumped back down to the ground and walked away into a dark tunnel.

The Unfriendly Plague

Twilight’s friends were waiting in the hallway as all the royal guards were scrambled out of the palace. Puzzled, Rainbow Dash peeked through the window and saw multiple creatures arguing with the ponies. The guards tried to push each group back, but both sides continued to fight amongst themselves regardless.

Confusion and fear overcame them as they watched. “What in Celestia’s name is going on outside?!” Rarity shouted.

“These folks have gotten bent over nothin’ fer a while now,” Applejack said. “We gotta do somethin’ ‘bout this!”

“This reminds me of the time we had our last Summer Sun celebration when everypony was acting crazy,” Rainbow recalled. “This can’t be happening again!”

“After everything we taught them about friendship, they still act like uncivilized ruffians!” Rarity exclaimed.

“This could really stress out Twilight,” worried Fluttershy. “We have to help her.”

“And that, you shall,” replied Twilight, arriving through the front door. As the Mane Five looked back, they sighed in relief.

“Yippee! Twilight is back to save the day!” Pinkie cheered.

“I’m glad you all can make it here on time. As you can see, the citizens of Canterlot are in bit of a turmoil due to unexpected circumstances. And…*sigh*…I really need your help to calm them down as much as possible.”

“You can count on us, Princess!” Rainbow saluted.

“You got it!” Pinkie added.

However, Twilight sadly bowed her head and laid her own hoof on her forehead.

“Twilight, is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked, concerned. They all came closer to her with signs of worry.

“I’m sorry…it’s just—it’s just that I’m scared everyone will end up repeating history, y’know? We did so much for Equestria, and… I don’t want everything we built up to go to waste,” replied Twilight, wiping a tear off her eye.

“Listen, Twilight, there is nothing so big and challenging that we can’t handle. We’ve been through this before, and we can solve this together,” Fluttershy encouraged.

“Yeah, Twilight! This is something that can easily be handled! Just give them some nice, yummy pumpkin pies and they’ll be happy again! Hehe!” Pinkie said, swallowing the whole pie.

“Besides, this is only happening in Canterlot, so it’s not like it’s gonna be a nationwide problem,” Rarity added.

“It won’t get worse from here, sugar cube. We promise,” Applejack smiled, holding Twilight’s hoof.

Twilight calmly sighed in relief before embracing them in her wings. “Thank you all. I couldn’t have asked for better friends.”

“We’re right behind you, yer Highness,” Applejack bowed.

Having said that, they all followed Twilight outside the castle.

In Griffonstone, all the griffons were gathered together in the middle of the town; their new leaders, Gabby and Gilda, stood side-by-side on a cliff.

“Is there a reason why you called us at an inconvenient time?” one griffon asked, scratching his neck.

“Yeah, I gotta get some sleep today!” another shouted.

“QUIET! Gabby has some important things to share with you today, so listen up!” Gilda commanded.

“Hehe, thanks Gilda,” Gabby nervously smiled. “*ahem* Citizens of Griffonstone, we assembled you all to inform you that the hippogriffs have agreed to become our partners in every social affairs we carry out. From this day forth, we will no longer be solo! We are…co-friendship-ers!”

The crowd murmured for a moment before they eventually accepted the new mandate.

Gilda arched an eyebrow.

“It’s the best I can come up with,” Gabby shrugged.

“Eh, it’s passable. Still, I’m glad we’re taking this new approach. I’m sure Grandpa Gruff would be proud,” said Gilda, sadly smiling.

“Yeah, if only he were here to see us now.”

Suddenly, another griffon flew over the co-leaders while sweating profusely. “Guys! Guys! I discovered something…well, unusual!”

“What’s wrong?” Gabby asked, worried.

“I spotted a bunch of dragon eggs in my home! They were never there before!”

All the griffons were taken aback as they heard this. “WHAT?! You stole them?!” an elderly griffon accused.

“What? No! No! I didn’t, I was at home all day! They just came out of nowhere!” the griffon denied.

“Hey, that’s weird. Because I thought I smelled something strange in my home,” another griffon spoke up. “There were three dragon eggs on my couch, but since my mom hates eggs for some reason, she threw them out.”

“And…you didn’t bother to tell us about that?” Gilda wondered, glaring.

“Well, I’m telling you now,” he casually replied.

“Hey, guys, look! Look what I found!” said a teenage griffon. He emptied his bag full of dragon eggs on the ground before the crowd. “They were in my basement this morning! Are dragons preparing to live with us?”

Then the crowd looked puzzled and murmured with one another once again. “The dragons didn’t tell us they were gonna live with us. Something about this doesn’t make any sense at all,” Gabby thought.

“Unless…someone stole them…or worse,” Gilda reasoned.

Looking up, she widened her eyes in shock. “And it seems like I’m about to be dreadfully correct on this one.”

“What do you….*looks up*….mean?” Gabby muttered, her pupils shrinking.

All the dragons flew down and fiercely landed on the ground, surrounding the griffins with angry glare daggers. Ember remained in the air while glaring at Gabby and Gilda, blazes sizzling from her snouts.

“Is this supposed to be a prank, huh?! STEALING OUR EGGS FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT?!?” Ember raged.

“What the heck are you talking about? None of us were even in the Dragon Lands!” Gilda replied.

“Yeah, we were actually surprised we even found them in our town!” Gabby added.

“Do you really think I’m dumb? How do you then explain this note of yours?” Ember mentioned, throwing said note at Gilda.

Gilda opened the letter.

“Hey there, losers. Sorry we had to steal your precious eggs, but we’re kinda hungry at the moment. I bet they’ll be yummy for breakfast hahaha!

Yours truly, the superior griffons!”

“What?! We never wrote that! Someone’s gotta be setting us up!” Gabby denied.

“Oh, you think lying is gonna get you somewhere? Huh, you have another thing coming for ya, sister,” Ember growled, cracking her knuckles.

“Listen, if you’re not gonna hear us out, then we will have to take this on a whole other direction,” Gilda nonchalantly replied, cracking her neck.

“Is that a threat?”

“Think of it as a warning, buddy.”

“Uh, Gilda, we should deescalate the situation, not escalate.”

“Don’t worry, Gab. This won’t take long.”

With Ember still growling, Gilda instantly jumped on her and pinned her to the ground.

“Ha, finally! Something exciting today!” a griffon shouted, jumping on a dragon. The others followed suit and began battling the dragons as well.

Ember started swiping at Gilda while the latter dodged all the attacks. “Give. Us. Our. Eggs. Back!”

“I’m telling you we didn’t do it! Get that through your thick skull, you moron!!” Gilda yelled, grabbing her by the tail and throwing her off.

“I’ll show my fits to your thick skull! How about that?!” Ember retorted.

While the battle ensued, Gabby began panicking and tried to think of a solution. Thinking quickly, she took a letter from behind. “Oh, I hope this works! The hippogriffs will stop this!” she said, writing quickly. Once she finished, she twirled her finger around the letter twice before it magically disappeared.

“Please, please, please, please get the message…”

“Citizens of Mount Aris, it is with great pride that I announce the amazing future that lies ahead of us!” Sky Beak declared. “As for me, I am old and have served my time here. Therefore, I will officially retire and have my son—Terramar—to take my place as the new ruler.”

All the citizens looked on in surprise as Terramar stepped between the assembly and his father, nervously smiling in the process. “Henceforth, you shall address him as King Terramar! All our ways of life—yes, even the Magic of Friendship—shall be preserved through your new king.”

As the crowd cheered for him, Terramar blushed in embarrassment. “Come on, Dad, don’t you think it’s a little too early to announce your retirement? It…just feels—.”

“Too soon? Don’t worry, son, I’ll still be around to help you out here and there. But remember, once my time comes, every hippogriff and seapony will look up to you. You will have your sister to rule beside you, and you will have Princess Twilight to assist you too.”

“Huh, I guess you’re right. I’m just nervous about all this,” Terramar admitted, blushing.

“That’s perfectly alright. All you need is—huh?” Sky Beak noticed the letter appear next to him.

“A message from Twilight?” Terramar wondered.

“No, it’s from…it’s from Gabby?” Sky Beak replied. As he read the letter, his pupils shrunk.

“Oh, no, this is terrible! The dragons are attacking the griffons!”

“What?! Why?!”

“She didn’t say, but they need our help right now!” Sky Beak said, jumping off from the platform.

“Dad, wait!” Terramar called out, following him.

“Everyone, the griffons have called for our assistance! Terramar and I will lead you to—AHHH!!”

A huge chunk of land sunk beneath their feet, trapping all the hippogriffs down below. Once the dust settled, a massive stone was held via telekinesis and dropped right on top of the opening, burying them alive.

The hippogriffs cried out in terror. “What’s going on?!”

“Who’s behind this?!”

“Everyone, clam down! We’ll…we’ll find a way out of here!” Terramar spoke. His father embraced him before he cautiously looked up.

Feisty walked away with an evil grin on her face. “Checkmate.”

The Unity Crystals

The Berry Sisters and the Royal Guards continued their search for Feisty in the Everfree Forest. After looking left and right, they advanced forward to the area not far from the Treehouse of Harmony.

“Ugh, we’re never gonna find her! That blasted unicorn better be found sooner or else I’ll—!”

“Calm down, Blue! She’s fine! You know how she’s an expert at hide-n-seek, right?” Purple assured.

“Yeah, don’t be such a pessimist, sis. Once we find her, we’ll apologize for anything we might’ve done wrong to her, okay?”

Blue narrowed her eyes in hesitation.

“OKAY?” Red sternly repeated.

“Grrr, fine! Fine! Let’s just hurry it up. My hooves are getting tired.”

At that moment, they all heard distinct crying in a distance. Recognizing those cries, the mares led the guards to the source of the noise. Rushing past a few trees, they saw their friend lying on the ground with bruises on her body.

“FIESTY!” they all shouted in unison. The Berry Sisters gently held her up and wiped off the dirt from her face.

“You…you guys came for me…” Feisty weakly muttered.

“Feisty, what happened to you?!” Red shouted, concerned.

“We were worried sick!” Purple added.

“Were you trampled by a buffalo or something?” Blue asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Even worse…*cough*…th-the changelings attacked me…”

Both the mares and the guards gasped in shock. “What?! The changelings?!”

“It’s true. I tried to make friends with them, but…but they spat hateful things to me and then…then…*sniff*… they wounded me!” Feisty replied, crying out loud.

“Whoa…this is honestly worse than I thought…” Blue admitted.

“No kidding! Oh, we’re so sorry, Feisty! We’re sorry for everything!” Red cried, hugging the injured unicorn.

“We’ll take you to the hospital, okay? Don’t worry, you’re gonna be alright,” said Purple.

“I thought the changelings were supposed to be our friends?” one of the guards wondered.

“I think they’re returning to their primal ways; we must inform the Princess at once!” the captain noted. Thus, they led the mares out of the forest.

However, none of them noticed Feisty’s wicked grin.

“This is getting too easy,” she thought.

Back at Canterlot, all the ponies became a lot more uproarious than before. The royals guards were pushed back by the angry crowd, and the latter ran to the front doors of the castle.

Twilight and her friends stopped them. “Everypony, please! Clam down, and tell us what’s going on?”

“Get these disgusting creatures out of our land!” shouted one of them.

“They ruin everything we touch!”

“They scare our little ones!” a mare added, holding her children close.

“They put our lives in danger!”

“No, they don’t!” said a pegasus. “My boyfriend would never hurt anyone!”

“Ugh, of course you would say that! He’s a dragon! They’re all the same!” a unicorn shouted.

“Pegasi always have low standards. I’m not surprised,” an earth pony sneered.

“What did you say?! Why do you earth ponies always have to be condescending?!” a male pegasus angrily yelled.

Then all the ponies began to fight amongst each other. As they were throwing food and belongings at each other, Twilight and her friends regrouped back inside the throne room.

“This is getting out of hoof!” Rarity said.

“We really need to do something about this now! They’ll end up destroying each other before we know it!” Rainbow suggested.

As the Mane Five discussed some ideas, Twilight began to sweat and panic. She teleported to the washroom and looked at herself through a mirror.

“Why? Why is this happening again? I thought the Magic of Friendship permanently solved this. I…I…don’t understand what went wrong!”

She bowed her head and wept. “I failed. I-I failed you, Celestia.”

Then the Core opened its eye on Twilight’s crown. “Oh, sweet, little Twilight, what troubles you on this glorious day?”

Twilight opened her eyes and saw the hive mind stare back at her in the darkness. Sniffing, she came close to it. “Everything was going so well today. I don’t know why everypony has now turned against each other…again! First, they were complaining about the creatures, and now they’re suddenly turning on each other! What is wrong with everypony?!”

She dropped on the floor and cried in her hooves. Then the Core started to mutter some unintelligible whispers; Twilight looked confused at its strange reaction. “Do…*sniff*…you have any ideas how to fix this? I really need your help. You’re the only one who can help me right now.”

“Perhaps there is something we can do to help. In fact, there is only one way to end this once and for all.”

Twilight’s ears perked up with hope. “Really?”

“Of course. You must create three trinkets that will contain all the magic of Equestria. With them combined, it will keep the entire land strong and powerful as it is now,” the Core advised. “But if they are separated, then all of Equestria will be deprived of its magic.”

Twilight widened her eyes in amazement. “Why would I want to create that?” Then her pupils shrunk in fear. “Wait…are you suggesting—?”

“Exactly. You must force them to accept friendship; if they refuse and persist in their dissenting ways, then the crystals will be automatically separated……weakening Equestria in the process.”

Then Twilight got up on her hooves. “No! I can’t do that! It’s against everything I’ve ever stood for! If I—,”

“If you neglect to do what it takes to preserve your way of life, then everything you’ve stood for will be worth nothing!” The Core angrily retorted. “After all, Celestia would have done the same, wouldn’t she?”

Seeing she had little options, she sadly nodded in agreement. “I understand. It’s just that I can’t bear the thought of coercing any creature into doing what I say. That’s not friendship; that’s dictatorship.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. What you call dictatorship, we call it…tough love. Desperate times require desperate measures, Sparkle. It will guarantee the safety of our kingdom. You trust our judgement, don’t you?”

“Y-yes, I do.”

“Then do it. Do it for us—for Celestia. For Equestria,” The Core whispered.

Twilight dropped tears from her eyes as she fully realized the weight of her new responsibility. Getting back to reality, she breathed in and out before she teleported back to the throne room.

Spike and the others gasped as they saw their friend sorrowful on the throne.

“Are you okay, Twilight?” worried Spike.

“I have a solution for our problem…but it’s something you may not like,” Twilight replied.

“What do ya mean by that, sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

“You’ll see.”

As everypony continued to argue and fight against the other, Princess Twilight walked toward the balcony with a look of fierce determination. Opening her wings wide, she shouted to the heavens.

“ENOUGH!!!”

The sound waves echoed across the land of Equestria. All the ponies and creatures instantly stopped fighting and looked at their ruler with surprise.

Discord also heard her voice in his chaos dimension. “My, my, did somepony step on a Lego?“

Twilight glared at everyone as they quickly stopped what they were doing and focused all their attention on her. “I am immensely disappointed in all of you! For twenty years, my friends and I worked hard in keeping Equestria safe from harm and disharmony. We saved you and your families countless times, and this is how you repay us?! After everything we have done for you, you still persist in your unfriendly ways?”

All the ponies and non-ponies looked down in shame.

“I have come to a point where I can no longer tolerate your uncivilized behavior. You forced my hoof…to take some unethical methods.”

Everyone raised their eyebrows.

Twilight ignited her horn and held three rocks in the air via telekinesis. She then transformed the rocks into three distinct crystals and shot them high in the sky. Thunderclouds were formed where lightning bolts were shot multiple times.

All the dragons and griffons saw the magical beam in the sky.

“What the hay?!” Gilda muttered.

“What is that?!” Ember shouted.

The Berry Sisters also saw the beam and felt frightened by the lightning. “Ahhh!! Thunderstorm! I knew we should have brought an umbrella!” Purple cried out.

Feisty however evilly grinned at the sight.

Once the beam vanished, the crystals slowly descended on top of the castle. They were firmly united together as the magical aurora radiated around them.

“These are the Unity Crystals. They now contain all the magic of Equestria; as long as all of you are true friends, the land will remain powerful. But if ever you again resort to division and strife, then the crystals will be separated…erasing all magic forever.”

Everyone, including Spike and the Mane Five, gasped in absolute shock.

“I didn’t want to come to this, but it had to be done. You are all free to go,” Twilight dismissed, walking back.

The ponies looked fearfully at each other. Even the creatures were likewise shaken by the new mandate.

“Twilight, are you crazy?! You can’t do this!” Rainbow objected.

“You can’t force everypony to accept friendship!” Fluttershy added.

“Yes….I can and I will,” Twilight coldly replied, her back turned.

“But shouldn’t it be out of the sweetness of their hearts and not out of fear?” Pinkie pointed out.

“Listen, none of you understand this. As the ruler of Equestria, it is my responsibility to make sure everyone is safe. The crystals will serve as a reminder to never forget about friendship,” Twilight argued.

“This isn’t like you, Twilight. You’re better than this!” Spike spoke up.

“Desperate times require desperate measures, Spike. If you were in my hooves, you would understand.”

“You think Celestia would be happy if she heard of what you did?” Spike asked, arching an eyebrow.

Twilight was silent for a moment before she replied, “Y-yes! She would! She made some hard choices, and so can I!”

“Look, darling, maybe we can find some other way to—,” said Rarity before Twilight opened her wings threateningly.

“ENOUGH! You all can get out if you don’t like it!!”

Her friends froze in fear from her outburst. Realizing what she said, she closed her wings and formed tears in her eyes. “I’m…I’m so sorry. I didn’t…mean it.”

“Sugar cube…it’s alright. Just calm down, okay?” Applejack comforted.

“No, just…just…leave me. I need *sniff* some time for myself,” sobbed Twilight, teleporting away.

All her friends looked at each other sadly.

Meanwhile, the Unity Crystals hovered above the castle while the storm remained in motion. The Core’s helmet crawled on the roof, mechanically chuckling.

Breaking the Peace

“Come on, everyone, push!” Terramar commanded.

“You heard my son! Keep pushing!” Sky Beak encouraged.

All the hippogriffs pushed toward the massive stone with all their might. All at once, they slowly lifted the stone off the opening and threw it off to the other side. Thus, they freely flew out of the pit.

“Good job, everyone. We’re finally free!” Terramar sighed.

“Indeed. Now we just need to—what in Celestia’s name?” Sky Beak muttered, shocked.

All the hippogriffs saw a bright magical aurora hover above the Canterlot castle from afar while the thunderstorm remained active.

“What is that?” Terramar wondered.

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. You go ahead and help out the griffons in the meantime.”

“You got it, Dad! Come on, everyone, follow me to Griffonstone!”

The hippogriffs obeyed and followed their soon-to-be king while Sky Beak took off to Canterlot.

Once the hippogriffs arrived in the town, they saw all the houses destroyed, ground burned, and the smoke arising thereof. Gulping, Terramar led his citizens to where the battle took place; there, he saw all the griffons and dragons lying on the ground exhausted.

“Gilda? Gabby? Are you guys alright?”

“Ugh…*cough*…we don’t…give up that easily,” Gilda replied, getting back up.

“Don’t worry, Terramar, we’re A-okay! Ow…” Gabby added, soothing her left wing.

“What happened here?”

“Took you guys long enough! We could have really used your help!!” a griffon angrily shouted.

“Were you that scared of facing those scaly beasts?” another sneered.

“What?! No, no, no, it’s not like that! We were all trapped in a hole! Somepony trapped us!” Terramar frantically explained.

“Definitely something a coward would say,” a third griffon accused.

“Oh, you hippogriffs are siding with these egg thieves? Huh, that makes you all accomplices!” Ember growled, getting up as well.

However, something caught her eye; she noticed the same magical aurora on top of Canterlot which attracted a huge crowd of ponies and creatures. Both Gilda and Gabby looked toward her direction and saw it also.

“Stay here, Gab. I’ll take a look,” she ordered before taking off.

“All of you, take the eggs and head back to the Dragon Lands! I’ll see what this is all about,” Ember commanded. She also flew away to the city of Canterlot.

“Mind if we help you clean up?” Terramar offered.

“Nope! We can use all the help we can get!” Gabby smiled.

Once Gilda and Ember arrived, they noticed three other rulers who were likewise staring at the Unity Crystals: King Thorax, Prince Rutherford, and Sky Beak.

“You guys are seeing this too?”

“Of course! Who hasn’t seen this?” Thorax replied.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Sky Beak. “Those crystals appear to be quite different from all the other gems I’ve seen.”

“DON’T CARE! WE YAKS HATE THE BRIGHTNESS!” Rutherford shouted, stomping.

“What purpose do they serve anyway?” Gilda asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m curious enough to find out. They can’t be just floating up there for no reason,” Thorax replied.

At that moment, two ponies came near and awkwardly waved their hooves at them. “Greetings…uh, best friends! We hope that…uh…your day is going fantastic!” they said in unison, sweating nervously. After that, they instantly ran off.

“Oookaaay? What was that all about?” Ember asked, looking confused.

“Ponies spooked by storm?” Rutherford guessed.

“Possibly. Although, it did seem like they were afraid of us,” Sky Beak reasoned. “Almost as if someone forced them to welcome us.”

“Pffff, that’s nonsense! Everypony embraces friendship! Don’t we all?” Thorax scoffed.

“We finally made it!” Red cheered. The non-pony rulers looked and saw a seemingly injured unicorn gently held by her two other friends.

“Oh no! What in Equestria happened to her?!” Sky Beak exclaimed.

“Why don’t you ask Thorax?” Blue sneered, pointing at him.

The others looked at him suspiciously. “What is everyone looking at me for?”

“The changelings attacked her—our best friend!! She tried to make friends with them until they harmed her for no reason! How could you let that happen?!” Purple screamed, sobbing.

The rulers gasped in complete shock. “What?! No, no, that can’t be! My changelings would never do such a thing!”

“Wow, Thorax…and here I thought you were a competent king,” Gilda remarked, shaking her head.

“No! Come on, guys, you know me better than that! I would never allow it!” Thorax argued, sweating profusely.

“Yet, it happened…because of you!” Red growled.

“Hold on, now, I think we should hear him out. I’m pretty sure this is a huge misunderstanding, so let’s all calm down and maintain our civilized demeanor,” Ember advised.

“Thank you, Ember,” Thorax smiled, sighing in relief.

“Oh, now you wanna talk reasonably?! You didn’t believe our innocence, but he is an exception? Double standards much?” Gilda accused.

“Well, he just…umm…he…UGH! Why you little—?!” Ember snarled.

Then the crystals began to vibrate.

Just before they could fight, everyone except Feisty got shocked and fell to the ground. The unicorn quietly giggled before she returned to her facade.

“Ow….what the heck was that?!” Ember shouted.

“I dunno. Wait…those crystals—I heard them vibrate!” Sky Beak mentioned.

“Those things? You mean they—?”

“Reacted to our behavior,” Gilda finished. “If that’s the case, then…then that means….*gasp*….we can’t fight each other.”

“What?”

“We can’t fight each other! The more we argue, the more we get punished for it. At least…that’s the impression I’m getting.”

“YAKS HATE SHOCKY THINGS! Yaks prefer regular stuff!” Rutherford said.

“I think you’re unto something, Gilda. Somepony had to create them in order to enforce friendship between everyone. But it had to be somepony who is exceedingly powerful and skillful in magic,” Sky Beak added, rubbing his chin.

“Not to mention its hovering right above the castle…which leads to the only answer.”

Everyone looked at each other with widened eyes. “PRINCESS TWILIGHT!”

Twilight was crying in her bedroom, lying on her pillow. She grabbed tissues and wiped off her tears.

“How can I be a beneficial ruler if I can’t say nice things to my friends? I wish I never said that.”

She was silent for a few minutes. She looked back at the old pictures in her book that Starlight and Spike gave her twenty years ago. She slowly smiled in tears looking back at the wholesome memories she made with her friends over the years.

She even giggled at the memory of getting her new wings and being declared as the princess of friendship.

“The Unity Crystals may be our new safeguard, but friendship still remains as the most powerful magic of all. I’m gonna go down there and tell my friends how much I love them,” Twilight determined.

“I’m afraid we can’t let you do that,” The Core spoke.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a metal tentacle with claws broke through the window and locked the door from outside. The Core’s helmet crawled inside and mechanically hissed at the surprised Twilight.

“The Core? Is…is that you?”

“It is a mere extension of our being, dear. Additionally, it will serve as a means to ensure you won’t do anything unwise.”

“What? Wh-what’s going on, Core? What is the meaning of this?” Twilight demanded.

“The time has come to reshape Equestria into our image. Now that everyone sees the true nature of friendship, they no longer require a princess. They need…an Emperor!”

Then Twilight’s pupils shrunk again. “You…used me? But—but I thought we were friends?! You helped me rule Equestria for years! Why are you doing this?!”

“Amphibia’s way of life must be preserved, even if it means taking over one world to do so. Marcy was amazing, but you…are perfection incarnate!”

“Amphibia? And who’s Marcy?” Twilight asked.

Then the Core took her legs and strapped her to the floor. The alicorn struggled to free herself, but her effort was ultimately fruitless. She ignited her horn, but the helmet immediately landed on her head—her horn perfectly fitting right through the hole. Her crown fell off during the process.

She screamed in agony from the hive mind entering her mind. After a few seconds, she became motionless, and the tentacles retrieved back inside the helmet.

Her entire body went through a rapid transformation: black metal grew throughout her wings, legs, tail, body, and horn. Three orange stripes were on each side of her belly, and the Core’s insignia appeared on her chest. She opened her wings where four large extra eyes were shown underneath.

Then she got up on her metallic hooves, and the Core reopened its eyes. She wickedly grinned in excitement.

“I hope she’s doing okay. Do ya mind checking on her, Spike?” Applejack asked.

“Not at all,” Spike replied. As soon as he opened his wings, an explosion knocked him down to the ground.

“Spike!” Rarity yelled.

Once she checked on him, a new and improved alicorn flew down from the smoke and landed before the Mane Five.

“Hello there.”

“General Kenobi! Oh wait, sorry, wrong universe!” Pinkie randomly shouted.

“Twilight….what happened to you?” Rainbow wondered, gazing at her new looks.

“Darling, no offense, but that outfit certainly doesn’t suit you. You could’ve at least used more—,”

“SILENCE!”

Rarity fearfully closed her mouth.

“Twilight isn’t the ruler anymore. We are in charge now, and every single creature of this pathetic world will kneel to us!” she said, her deep voice echoing.

Spike and the others then walked backwards away from the Core. “Who are you? What have you done with Twilight?!” Fluttershy demanded.

“Oh, don’t worry. She won’t be heard from again anytime soon. To answer your first question…” The Core seized everyone through telekinesis.

“You can call us…Gloam Fall!”

She threw them against a wall. After that, she created a spell where dozens of frobots appeared out of thin air. More and more magically came to existence, surrounding the Mane Five and Spike.

“What are those things?”

“I have no idea! They look like…metallic frogs?”

“Take them to the dungeon immediately. We have some royal business to attend to.”

“As you wish, Master,” the frobots robotically complied. They took the prisoners to the dungeon, ignoring their screams.

Gloam Fall approached the balcony and saw the non-pony rulers and the ponies discussing their doubts. “Citizens of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle is no more! Gloam Fall is your ruler now! We are your Emperor!!”

“What the—? Is that supposed to be Twilight?” Sky Beak noticed.

“What is up with those eyes?! Those scary looking eyes!” Red yelled.

Then the bruises disappeared from Feisty’s body as she smugly walked around with zero problem.

“Huh? Wait, I thought you were injured?” Blue mentioned.

“It’s time these heathens get what’s coming to them,” sneered Feisty. She teleported to the balcony where Gloam Fall was standing, leaving her now former friends dumbfounded.

“You’ve done well, my friend. Equestria needs a strong role model to look up to; someone who will deliver justice and exemplify true power by any means necessary,” Gloam praised.

“I’m at your service…my lord,” Feisty acknowledged, kneeling.

“Good. The Core is well pleased. You shall serve us well….General Feisty.”

A frobot clothed the unicorn with a dark cape, armor hooves, and a golden necklace with the Core’s insignia imprinted.

Smiling in satisfaction, Feisty stood beside her new master as they both viewed the stormy sky. They evilly grinned at the sight of their new future—a new Equestria—a new Empire.

THE END….FOR NOW.

Author's Note

Don’t worry, guys, a sequel will arise to settle things once and for all. But for now, this is where it ends. I hope you guys enjoyed this story.

Until next time, have a great evening! And start crying for Twilight, haha. :moustache: