And With The Dawn Of True Peace

Luna blinks as she and Scootaloo walk towards the outskirts of Canterlot. "But how did it survive? Nothing could have withstood that purge."

Scootaloo shakes her head. "She almost didn't. The Elements of Harmony merely purged her from Rarity but the resulting strain combined with her separation from you exhausting her almost made her cease to exist. She only survived by absorbing the surrounding shadows long enough for me to find her and you know the rest, What I don't understand is why you hate her so much. She's been kinder to me than most of my other 'friends' ever were."

Luna shakes her head. "She's kind at first but, once she has what she wants and has little to no chance of being stopped, she will turn against you. If we had known that she survived Nightmare Rarity, Celestia and I would have exterminated her on the spot. She acts kind and caring only for as long as it suits her and having a powerful host resisting her will only hinder her plans. Eventually, she will consume you to take your body as her own forever."

Scootaloo finally stamps a hoof in frustration. "That's not what she's like! I've seen inside her mind, seen her memories and felt her pain. What you did was driven solely by your own actions and resentment, not pure evil." Luna shakes her head anyway but Scootaloo has another idea. "What if I can prove to you that Penumbra truly is good hearted and motivated by whatever everycreature needs to be happy?"

Luna looks at the monarch confused. "Penumbra?"

The look is returned with a smirk. "Nightmare Moon is just the name she gained after joining with you but she's had many other hosts and names. Penumbra is her real name."

Shaking off the confusion, Luna shrugs, Why not humour her? Fighting Penumbra before Celestia's return is too risky, especially now she has Chrysalis and the Elements on her side. "Okay, let's see if Penumbra truly is a good pony."

Scootaloo beams. "Believe me, Princess Luna; you won't regret it." They teleport away.

Princess Luna is unsurprised to find herself transported to Fluttershy's cottage. She's never been there in person but it's impossible to miss the dozens of animals living nearby and she expected to visit the Dreadified heroes first anyway. Much to her surprise, the animals don't react to the sudden materialisation of two ponies at all. "A small invisibility and silence spell is very useful in visiting my subjects without interrupting thier day."

Before Luna can respond, the door to the cottage slowly opens to reveal the Dread Fluttershy hoof in claw with Discord as she gathers her animals for lunch. To Luna's surprise, Discord is... smiling. No, that's not quite correct since he has smiled thousands of times before. In all of the time she has known him though, he has only ever smiled playfully but this... This is a genuinely happy smile. The kind of smile where you have everything you could ever want in life and you feel truly fulfilled.

Scootaloo chuckles. "It's amazing what granting somepony a never-ending lifespan can do for thier love life."

Luna tries to hide her disdain at the proud tone eerily similar to Celestia's. "I don't understand. Discord was always closer to Fluttershy than anypony else and I heard that they were dating. Why would he be so blasé and even happy about this?"

Scootaloo turns to the older Alicorn with a smile. "Because the Fluttershy that Discord fell in love with is still there and always will be. All that has changed is her appearance and the fact that she will now live for the rest of time as with all Dreads." She chuckles at seeing the two embrace. "A fact known only to Twilight and the others is that she and Discord had been dating for well over a year before her Dreadification. They wanted to become engaged but Fluttershy always refused. They adore each other but she was doomed to die long before him and he would be left heartbroken. With that no longer a concern, they have been happily married for ninety five years now."

Even after everything that has happened, Luna can't help but smile. It's always glorious to see my little ponies get thier happily ever afters. Scootaloo chuckles at her smile so she recollects herself. "But didn't seeing all of her animals dying around her crush Fluttershy?"

Scootaloo looks on forlornly. "The unfortunate fact of life is that she was always going to outlive them anyway so she had come to peace with that fact even before she was changed. Now, let's leave them in peace." With that, they teleport away once again.

Princess Luna is not surprised to find that thier new destination ends up being the dungeon. What she didn't expect is to find a Dreadified and clearly traumatised Prince Blueblood coated in the most grime that she has ever seen. "What the hay?!"

She is not reassured by the foul look that Scootaloo gives the prince who shudders even though he can't see why. "The Prince decided that it was a very, very good idea to conspire with Chrysalis and Tirek to conquer Equestria. Fortunately, many of his friends either feared me or were easily bought so we anticipated and defeated the attack."

Luna shakes her head in denial; she knows of Blueblood's past actions but he'd never turn traitor. Before she can speak though, she sees Blueblood perk up. "Princess Luna!!! Oh, thank Celestia!!!" Realising that Scootaloo dropped the spell on her, she approaches the cell containing the positively beaming royal. "It's a miracle you're here! Just look at what she did to me!"

Luna rolls her eyes before fixing her cousin in law with a nasty look. "A little birdie told me that you conspired with Chrysalis and Tirek to conquer Equestria. Is that right?"

Blueblood splutters indignantly but she can see the truth in his eyes. "What?! No, I would never-"

"You did, didn't you?"

He looks at her defiantly. "Fine but so what if I did? Would you rather that monster rule instead?! I did what was best for everypony!"

Luna gives Blueblood a foul look. "Under no circumstances is it EVER justified to conspire against Equestria!"

With a final nasty look, she turns to leave. "Wait! You can't leave me here!"

Luna stops for a moment before answering in a cold voice that makes Blueblood shiver. "Whatever Celestia and I choose to do with Void, your sentence will be sustained for treason and crimes against Equestria. Have a good life, Blueblood." With that, she vanishes in front of the disgraced former prince.

The two then appear in a cave system though the substance it's coated in and the figure on a raised throne-like platform tell Luna who lives here. "Why're we here?"

Scootaloo chuckles. "To convince you that what you saw wasn't some act put on by the Changelings. I'm sure that you think everything was staged to make you trust in Chrysalis' redemption." Luna hides her frustration by turning to watch Chrysalis.

As she does, the throne room door slowly opens to reveal a couple that surprises Luna slightly. None other than what appears to be Flash Sentry enters with a female Changeling. The way they are pressed together and holding hooves though suggests much more than friendship. They bow before the beaming Queen. "Good afternoon, my little subjects. What can I do for you?"

Flash looks up and Luna can immediately tell it's him just from the look in his eye. "Emerald and I wished to thank you for our wedding boon, your majesty, and to also tell you that we're expecting."

The looks on Luna and Chrysalis' faces are priceless. "Excellent! Know that you have my full blessing and that the entire hive is at your disposal if you need us."

"Thank you, Queen Chrysalis." With that, they bow again and leave the throne room.

Scootaloo smiles proudly. "Flash and Emerald must be proud. They're going to have the first cross-species Changeling in history."

Luna blinks confused. "How did this happen? I can understand becoming allies but lovers?"

Scootaloo sighs happily as she reminisces. "They first met whilst Flash was eating out with friends after she was stood up by a date. He went over a comforted her and they soon began meeting regularly as close friends. Eventually, it developed into something more so he mustered up the courage to ask her out. After ten years, they married but have always been genetically incompatible so I guess they got lucky."

Luna struggles with multiple questions but the weirdest comes out. "How is Flash still so young? He was thirty six when everything went wrong."

Scootaloo laughs pleasantly. "It turns out that long-term exposure to Changeling magic and the Pure Heart can significantly expand a pony's lifespan though by how much is unknown. For his honour and service to the Crystal Empire, I'm considering offering to make him into a Dread."

Before Luna can respond though, the throne room door is thrown open as two Changeling guards drag a chained-up Crystal Pony stallion with a blue mane and shining gold coat. Luna moves to stop this but Scootaloo shakes her head as she gestures to the group. To Luna's surprise, a look of hatred unlike anything she has even seen adorns the Changeling monarch's face. "So, 'Everlasting Shine' is it? How long did you think you could hide from the beings that can pose as anypony they want and infiltrate any place they want?"

Everlasting Shine, having been staring at the ground straining to use his magic through the inhibitor, finally looks up to at Chrysalis and Luna's blood runs cold. No way. It can't be him! He's gone! Sure enough, the familiar scarlet eyes with purple streaks glare up at the Changeling Queen as he drops his disguise to reveal a far more familiar visage.

"You think you've won? I was destroyed once and I'll return every single time. I'm the embodiment of darkness and-"

"As long as good exists in Equestria, so will you. Yes, you said this the last three times." Sombra snarls at getting interrupted. "Queen Void will decide what to do with you." He is teleported away even as he tries to strike her.

Luna looks over at Scootaloo who is smiling proudly at the Queen. "Impressed?"

Luna shakes her head. "Locking away a threat to her kingdom proves nothing." The younger Alicorn chuckles as they teleport outside and Luna finds the Crystal Ponies happily speaking to the Crystal Ponies. Before the Princess of the Night can mention them clearly being planted Changelings, Scootaloo gestures to her horn so Luna scans thier signatures.

Sure enough, the Changelings and Crystal Ponies have completely different magical essences. "You have my thanks and congratulations but this proves nothing. You reformed Chrysalis and her Changelings when all they needed was a true source of love energy." Scootaloo nods before they are teleported away again.

When they rematerialise, Luna finds herself in the Dragon Lands where they spot ponies walking side by side with dragons. Before, ponies and dragons would never have been seen together; ponies because they fear dragons and dragons due to thier pride and general disdain for ponies as weaker beings. Now though, they walk as friends and some are even together given how some ponies and dragons hold claws.

Scootaloo smiles proudly at the passers-by. "Penumbra and I found a way to make it possible for ponies and dragons to live together in peace."

Luna can't help but stare since the truth before her is undeniable. "How?"

Scootaloo smiles happily. "By giving the dragons whatever they desire. The only reason that dragons are dangerous to ponykind is because thier instincts cause them to covet thier hoards above everything else including morality. By giving them what they instinctively desire, they have no reason to attack ponykind as they never did it out of malice. If they want mates but can't find the right dragon for them, they can hook up with ponies. If they want friendships, they have plenty of new neighbours. If they only want treasure and nothing else, I have our treasury printing thousands of gold coins a day that will never enter circulation and affect the economy."

Before Luna can respond, her attention is captured by a passing dragon hoof-in-claw with a Dreadified Pegasus. Scootaloo follows her gaze and watches happily. "A common request made by my subjects who have gotten more intimate with the dragons. Dragons evolved to mate for life a very long time ago since otherwise they'd constantly be fighting each other to protect thier hoards. Even if thier mate was to die, they would never be able to find another and remain lonely and reclusive for the rest of thiers. Many ponies have fallen in love with dragons who have virtually unending life-spans so this is the perfect resolution."

As Luna turns back to the Dreads, she spies a vaguely familiar blue dragoness walking towards them holding the Dragon Scepter and flanked by two guards. "Not long after our alliance was formed, the dragons fell into conflict over whether or not to accept our proposal so Lord Torch stepped down and initiated a Gauntlet of Fire. With Spike's help, Princess Ember managed to win the trials and accepted the alliance as she eased her people into coming to terms with it."

Luna smiles proudly at her friend. "I have to congratulate you, Scootaloo. You did something neither I nor Celestia ever managed to do. However, none of this justifies what you did to us or Twilight and the others."

Scootaloo looks at her sadly. "I'm sorry that it came to this but you leave me no choice." Luna braces for an attack but they instead both immediately teleport away.

The final location that they appear in Luna has never visited but it is easy to tell that they are in an orphanage. To her slight surprise, she watches a Dread escort an orphan to a new family who embrace and carry him away. "Meet Foggy Day, Princess Luna. A caretaker who loves her charges very dearly but was brow-beaten into submission by a complete monster named Signed Papers."

Luna feels ill just looking at Scootaloo's expression. "One of her orphans had the courage to tell me what happened and I brought him in but he was unfortunately able to kill Foggy first." A happier smile soon adorns her face. "Fortunately, we were able to turn her into a Dread at the request of the orphans and she will now be looking after other orphans for a very very long time."

Luna is silent for a moment before her face turns to disbelief. "There is no way that Celestia would ever allow such-"

Scootaloo raises her hoof calmly and points to Foggy Day as she files paperwork in her office. "Why take my word for it? Go ahead and read her memories; you'll soon see the truth."

Luna does so with a slight grin. Finally, I can poke a hole in Void's story and maybe get through to Scootaloo. There is no way that Tia would ever- Her face turns to horror as she reads through the memories in moments. No way, there have to be some implanted memories or mind control. Unfortunately for Luna, she can clearly tell that there are none and she shakes whilst Scootaloo sighs sadly. "Let's get back to Canterlot." They teleport away again.

Two nights later, the Canterlot Castle Gardens

After spending several days shut away in her room thinking, Princess Luna stares up at her Moon forlornly. After learning of how everything was improved by her nemesis, and how tolerant Princess Celestia was, she needed some time to de-compress and finds nothing more comforting than the light of her astral body.

"It's nice to see you out again, Luna." Luna spins around to see a gently smiling Queen Void though the look in her eye tells her this is Penumbra. "We're sorry about everything that we did to you and everything that you had to see." Luna sighs and looks upwards again as Penumbra sits down beside her. "How are you feeling?"

Luna continues looking up as her eyes glaze over in thought. "What happens now? You have Equestria in your grasp, you have corrupted our greatest heroes and Celestia is still gone but everypony is... happy. Genuinely happy. Knowing that, even after everything we did, the fact that it took Nightmare Moon to finally unite Equus... It hurts a little."

Void wraps a wing around her. "You knew no better at the time and no creature can blame you for that. Your greatest injustice is over a thousand years ago and, though that will likely hang over you for the rest of time, everypony that still cared has long since forgiven you in the time that you were away."

Luna looks sadly at Void. "How could I be truly forgiven? I nearly plunged Equestria into eternal night. Even when I tried to do good, ponies still suffered without me knowing. YOU still suffered and I had no idea!"

Void's eyes change slightly. "I don't hate you, Luna. You could never have known that I was suffering. Bad Winnie had a dream catcher to prevent you from seeing my nightmares and I had no other way to talk to you. There's nothing you could have done."

Luna looks sadly at the corrupted filly. "But look at what happened to you. You're slowly merging with Penumbra and we have no way of knowing what will happen if you fully merge."

Scootaloo shakes her head dismissively. "Whoever is formed when we merge will be better than either of us. Penumbra believes that it will simply be me but more mature with her memories and knowledge as my own. Even if we're both lost when we merge, the new pony will have the best parts of myself and Penumbra inside her so I know she will be the perfect ruler." She adopts a wide smile. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

Luna finally laughs before turning solemn again. "So... Now what? I expected to come back to see Tia in charge and almost everypony I've ever known gone. I then thought that I'd have to stop you. After seeing how happy every creature is though, I can't bring myself to stop you."

She looks deep into the ruler's eyes. "And, for what it's worth, Penumbra, I forgive you."

A small tear goes down Scootaloo's face. "So, what will you do now Princess Luna?"

The Princess of the Night looks down. "I have no idea. Being a Princess is all I have ever known and my special talent is raising and lowering the Moon every day. Maybe I could go into retirement or teach magic somewhere."

She stops thinking her options over when she sees the smile on Void's face. "Why not work with us to make Equestria even better? Our work will never be finished and you were a good ruler. We can be co-rulers like you and Celestia were once."

Void turns to go back inside. "Whatever you decide to do, you know where to find us and we will always help you in any way we can."

With that, Queen Void moves back inside and leaves Princess Luna contemplating her future on the lawn outside Canterlot Castle.