Eric Sparkle and the Bewitching Bell

by Skywalker215

Rating: teen
Tags: Death, Human, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance, Original Character, Mystery, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Violence, Crossover
Length: 38833

Eric and his friends must rely on each other more than ever before as Glacio seeks the ancient Bewitching Bell to help him and his forces conquer Equestria

Princesses Celestia and Luna are planning to retire and pass the throne to Twilight and Storm, with their friends and families helping them to prepare for becoming the new prince and princess. Meanwhile, Glacio hopes to capitalize on this by summoning all the remaining villains to help him in his plan to conquer Equestria, as he also seeks an ancient relic called the Bewitching Bell. Eric and his friends must rely on each other now more than ever before so that they can protect Equestria once again.

This story is set during Season 9.

All credit for every MLP episode goes to Hasbro and Lauren Faust

Published 2023-07-07 01:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-02-12 16:45:11 UTC

Chapter 2: The Beginning of the End - Part 2

Soon enough, Eric looked out the window and saw King Sombra’s looming shadow form over the town. He held Midnight in his arms as Jasper, Smokey, Starlight, and Spike also looked on in horror. Just then, Forest Thunder, Soarin, and Spiracle entered the castle with Eric’s friends in tow.

“Eric, King Sombra is attacking Ponyville. Soarin, Spiracle, and I got your friends here as fast as we could,” Forest said.

“I noticed. Thanks, Forest. You too, Soarin and Spiracle,” Eric replied.

“Don’t mention it,” Soarin said.

“Oh no! We’re in trouble,” Spike spoke up, looking out the window.

Midnight grew fussy and began to cry in fear.

“Shh. Shh. I’m here, little bro. I won’t let that evil king near you,” Eric said, trying to calm down his brother, “Starlight, let’s go somewhere safe.”

“Good thinking,” Starlight replied.

She, Jasper, and Smokey teleported themselves along with Eric, his friends, and the others to the outskirts of Canterlot and took shelter in the caves.

Meanwhile, the Mane 7 managed to dig their way out of the crystal spikes and enter Ponyville. They gasped in shock as they saw everypony in town was already enslaved by King Sombra, including the Cake family, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Pipsqueak, and Rumble. Pinkie cried at the sight of the Cake family in their mind controlled state as they were pulling a cart carrying a black cake with green frosting.

“He made them bake a black licorice fruitcake that says ‘Congratulations to Our Favorite Supreme Emperor King Sombra’ in green frosting! It’s the ugliest cake I’ve ever seen!” Pinkie said, crying.

“Twilight, Storm, this is bad! Like, really bad!” Rainbow remarked as the married couple paced back and forth.

“I’ve never been so sad in my whole life!” Fluttershy said.

“We don’t know what to do! Storm and I don’t know how to free them, but we don’t know how to stop Sombra!” Twilight replied, lowering her head shamefully, “Everypony was so sure we’d do such a great job! Well, this is exactly what we were afraid of! Could anything else possibly go wrong?!”

“Well...with the Tree of Harmony gone, the Everfree Forest could grow out of control and threaten the town!” Pinkie pointed out.

“Darling, that’s oddly specific.” Rarity said.

Pinkie grabbed Rarity and turned her in the direction of the forest, with the others doing the same. They noticed all the trees beginning to grow out of control, as the plants quickly ensnared the closest house. This made them gasp in fear.

The vines were growing fast, appearing like snakes ready to constrict anything in their path. As this happened, Twilight stepped up with a frown on her face.

“Even if we figure out how to defeat Sombra and bring everypony back to Ponyville, if we don’t stop the forest, there won’t be a Ponyville to come back to!” she said.

“Wait, I can’t see Starlight, Jasper, Smokey, Forest, or Eric and his friends anywhere,” Storm replied.

“My best guess is that they’re somewhere safe,” Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash flew off, returning with a various gardening tools she got from the flower shop. “Ahem.” She dropped the tools as they each grabbed one.

“For our friends!” Fluttershy said.

“For our families!” Rarity and Applejack added.

“For our home!” Pinkie and Rainbow cheered as they all stood in line.

Storm and Twilight did the same, “For Equestria!” they finished.

With that, they all charged forward and screamed in unison, “EQUESTRIA!”

Meanwhile, waves of enslaved ponies were advancing onto Canterlot as Sombra appeared at the front, ready to attack. The guards tried to sound the horns, but Sombra blasted them away.

“You! Break it down!” King Sombra told a mind controlled Big Mac.

Without hesitating, Big Mac ran into the door three times before breaking through. It wasn’t long before Sombra entered the castle and into the throne room, noticing it was empty.

“They’ve fled! Celestia, Luna, and Emerald are too cowardly to even stand against me! Equestria is mine!” Sombra said, laughing evilly.

In the caves of Canterlot, Eric couldn’t help but think about Nightshade, his grandparents, and the others in the city.

“We need to go find Nightshade and my grandparents before Sombra does,” Eric said.

“Good thinking, Eric,” Apple Bloom replied.

“I advise caution, Eric. If Sombra finds you, he’ll either take you captive or put you under his mind control,” Starlight said.

“We’ll try to stay out of his sight,” Eric replied, then turned to the others, “Follow me.”

Eric and his friends crept into the city, hiding behind buildings and looking in every direction. They snuck around until they reached Fancy Pants’ mansion.

“Forest, Soarin, Spiracle, Jasper, and Smokey, can you please go find the rest of my family?” Eric asked.

“We’re on it,” Spiracle replied.

“We’ll get them to the caves before Sombra can mind control them,” Forest added as they went to find the rest of Eric’s family.

“Alohomora,” Eric said, taking out his wand.

It was then that they entered the mansion and began looking for Nightshade.

“Hello? Nightshade, ya home?” Apple Bloom asked.

Eric and his friends wandered the mansion until they found Nightshade playing with his little brother and sister, Inferno and Marigold.

“Nightshade, over here,” Eric said.

“Hello, Eric,” Nightshade greeted, “What brings you and the others here?”

“King Sombra is back and we came to find you before he could,” Apple Bloom replied.

“But he was destroyed by the Crystal Heart,” Nightshade said.

“Glacio must’ve brought him back to life somehow, now let’s go. You should take Inferno and Marigold with you as well,” Eric replied.

Nightshade placed his siblings onto his back, then left with Eric and the others. They went over to find his grandparents’ houses. Upon reaching one of them, he frantically knocked on the door. It wasn’t long before Night Light and Velvet answered and opened it.

“Hi, Eric,” Velvet said.

“Good to see you,” Night Light added.

“Good to see you as well, Grandma Velvet and Grandpa Night Light. We came to warn you of King Sombra’s return,” Eric replied.

“No time to explain, we need to get you to the caves before he can put you under his spell,” Zuni added.

Velvet and Night Light followed Eric and his friends as they went to find his other two grandparents’ house. Once there, he knocked on their door and waited for them. It wasn’t long before Lancer and Kimono answered the door and opened it.

“Hi, Eric,” Lancer said.

“Good to see you,” Kimono added.

“Hi, Grandpa Lancer. Hi, Grandma Kimono. King Sombra is back and we came to get you to safety,” Eric replied.

“Follow us to the caves,” Marina added.

They soon noticed King Sombra and several brainwashed ponies coming their way as he began to enslave more ponies and quickly escaped the city. Luckily, they managed to sneak out unseen and get back into the caves. Forest, Soarin, Spiracle, Jasper, and Smokey also came back to the caves with Eric’s other family members in tow.

Later on, King Sombra was remodeling the throne room with crystal spikes. Just then, the Mane 7 and Discord entered the room as he looked behind him.

“Okay, ‘King’ Sombra! Time to give up the crown!” Rainbow said.

“Here to fight the good fight with nothing but your wits? Admirable, but foolish!” Sombra retorted, with an evil laugh.

He then tried blasting them, only for Discord to snap his fingers turn the magic blast into what looked like pudding, which then dissipated. Sombra fired again, only for Discord to snap his fingers and transform it into pink smoke.

“Well, I guess it’s on me to be the MVP today. I was betting on you, and I do hate being wrong,”Discord said as he snapped his fingers, which turned the magic blasts into balloons, butterflies, confetti, and glitter, “Although if you think about it, I am your friend, so maybe you win because friendship wins? Although Fluttershy should get most of the credit for that. She’s my favorite.”

Just then, Sombra grinned evilly before shifting his target. Instantly, his magic beam shot for Fluttershy, only for Discord to leap in front and shield her at the last moment. Time seemed to slow down as the seven ponies watched the blast hit Discord in chest. He was sent flying past them, slamming into the doorway as the others turned to him in shock.

“DISCORD!” Fluttershy screamed as they ran over to him. The seven ponies gasped as they saw his unconscious body.

“Not even the Lord of Chaos can stand against me! I am truly the most powerful creature in Equestria!” Sombra said as he encased the thrones inside a large crystal.

The others were barely listening to them as they gathered around Discord and Rainbow lifted his head. “Discord!” she cried out.

“We need you!” Twilight said.

“Oh. Please wake up, please wake up...” Fluttershy added, tearing up and holding his neck. Discord’s face started moving at this, “Discord!” she cried as he opened his eyes, hugging him while the others smiled.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight said, “We can’t beat him without you!”

“You couldn’t beat me with him, either!” Sombra boasted, with an evil laugh.

They all stared at Discord, only to see him cough before speaking in a weak voice, “It would appear that you’re on your own,” He took a ragged breath before snapping his fingers, but a spark escaped barely them, “I have nothing left to give.”

“That’s it, then? We’re doomed?” Applejack asked.

“Of course you are. I can’t believe it’s taken you this long to realize it,” Sombra replied, “Now, how shall I eliminate all this clutter in my throne room?” The Mane 7 just growled at the evil king.

“I’ll keep him busy,” Storm said.

“You’re all unwise to lower your defenses!” Sombra shouted, as he tried to blast the Mane 7.

Storm managed to shield himself and the others from the blast and blasted the evil king, only for him to block it. The two unicorns tried to blast each other only to block each other’s attacks. Storm quickly noticed a crystal spike right above Sombra and blasted it, then they kept exchanging attacks as it fell on top of the evil king and knocked him down. It wasn’t too long before Sombra got back up and noticed the crystal that fell on him.

“Impressive…Most impressive,” Sombra remarked.

“Listen to me. You don’t need me. You don’t need the princesses, and you certainly don’t need the Elements,” Discord said with a cough, “Fluttershy, you will always be kind. Applejack, you will always be honest. Rarity, you’ll always be generous. *ragged breath* And Rainbow Dash will be loyal as can be. Pinkie will always bring laughter wherever she goes. And Twilight... *coughs* you are and always will be the embodiment of magic. You lost sight of what’s in front of you. You’re here, together, willing to give everything you’ve got for Equestria. Nothing and nopony can ever take that away from you, because that’s who you are.”

“It’s going to take more than a sentimental speech to save you,” Sombra retorted, laughing evilly as he and Storm kept dueling.

“Discord’s right. We’ve proven time and time again that the real magic is the six of us working together!” Twilight said as they turned to face Sombra, “With these girls and my husband by my side, I’m not afraid of you! I’m not afraid of what you can do or how much power you have!”

It was then that Storm and Sombra stopped dueling as the former rejoined his wife and their friends.

“You should be,” Sombra replied as he blasted Twilight and Storm.

Twilight and Storm managed to block the attack, then staggered back at the blow against the barrier, but they pushed themselves back up a second later.

“You may knock us down,” Twilight said as they began walking forward, “But we’re gonna get back up again!” King Sombra fired another blast, Twilight and Storm blocking it with a slightly less stagger, “And again!” Sombra fired and this time, Twilight and Storm’s horns glowed to form a blade of magic that cut the attack in half. “And again! As long as we’re together, we will never stop trying to defeat you!”

“We’re full of surprises!” Storm added.

King Sombra fired his magic at full force, but Twilight and Storm fired their own magic blasts. The three beams struck, pushing against each other as it quickly knocked Twilight and Storm back.

“For our friends!” Fluttershy said as she grabbed Twilight’s hoof.

“For our families!” Rarity and Applejack added, grabbing their hooves.

“For our home!” Pinkie and Rainbow continued, placing their hooves on their backs.

Twilight smiled as Storm placed his hoof on her back and nodded at her.

“For Equestria!” They exclaimed together as the magic emitting from Twilight began to spread around them all. Sombra’s magic was completely cancelled out and he staggered back against his throne.

“No! This can’t be possible! Your magic can’t defeat mine! I destroyed the source of your power!” Sombra shouted.

“You’re wrong! While the Elements helped channel our power, they were never the source of it!” Storm replied.

“You can’t destroy our friendship, Sombra!” Twilight said.

“And we keep telling bad guys,” Rainbow added.

“But y’all just don’t seem to remember,” Applejack continued.

“Friendship is magic!” they finished in unison as the energy exploded off of them. Sombra fired another attack, but his magic simply bounced off the magical barrier. This caused him to step back away until he backed into the crystal block.

“Noooooooooo!” Sombra yelled as he was destroyed by the Mane 7’s power.

The magic then spread out, destroying the crystals in the throne room before extending out into the rest of the castle. As it hit everypony, they were freed from mind control. It then spread throughout the rest of Canterlot, freeing the ponies, then to Ponyville where the crystals infesting it completely vanished.

Soon enough, Eric and his friends, along with Starlight, Spike, Forest, Jasper, and Smokey entered the throne room with Celestia, Luna, and Emerald behind them. Eric and Nightshade were holding their younger siblings. They were glad to see the Mane 7 tending to Discord. He was currently laying on a bed of pillows, the girls doing their best to keep him comfortable.

“Aw...Do you want more juice?” Fluttershy asked.

“Only if it’s not too much trouble,” Discord told her weakly. “And it’s red. And it has one of those little umbrellas. And two cherries. No, no, actually, make it three. And maybe, uh...some donuts?”

“I see you’ve made yourselves at home,” Celestia said.

“Celestia! Luna! Emerald! We know what you’re going to say. Storm and I should have called on you as soon as we knew how dangerous it was,” Twilight replied, “A good leader knows when to ask for help, and we didn’t. And because of us, the Tree of Harmony was destroyed. Equestria deserves somepony much better than the two of us as its leaders.”

“You’re right,” Celestia said as Twilight and Storm sighed, lowering their heads, “About one thing. A good leader knows when to ask for help, but a great leader has the courage to admit when they’ve made a mistake and the strength to make it right. Today, you’ve both proven to me beyond any doubt that you two will be great leaders.”

“Will be?” Twilight asked.

“Luna, Emerald, and I have decided it may have been a bit unfair to thrust this upon you both without giving you the time you need to prepare,” Celestia replied.

“Thank goodness! I really wasn’t ready!” Twilight said with sigh of relief.

“Not ready?!” They all spun around to see Discord jump to his feet, the draconequus marching up to them. “So, Twilight’s not taking over?! This was all for nothing?! I pretended to be very hurt and gave one of the most convincing speeches of my-”

“PRETENDED?!” Storm, Twilight, and Fluttershy screeched.

“Of course! You don’t think some ‘would-be king’ could actually hurt the Lord of Chaos, do you? Anyway, as I was saying, I pretended to be very hurt to convince you that you didn’t need anything but yourselves to be the incredible leaders I know you both can be.” He turned to Celestia, “And now it’s not happening?!”

“It will. But when she’s ready,” Celestia replied.

Discord slithered back, “How can she not be ready?!” he asked, walking up to one of the windows. “What a waste of a perfectly wonderful speech!” He slid the stain glass window up...somehow, and stepped through it. “Ugh! Honestly, I don’t know why I even bother.” He slid the window back down as the others looked one another over.

“Ugh! So, he could have ended the whole Sombra thing whenever he wanted?” Rarity asked.

Fluttershy giggled at this and replied, “But he didn’t, because he cares.”

“That’s Discord for ya,” Rainbow added.

“He sure has a weird way of bein’ supportive,” Applejack remarked.

“Super odd dude,” Pinkie said giggled before Discord appeared in one of the window images.

“I heard that!” he yelled before disappearing, everypony turning to one another before laughing.

“Also, Truth be told, Celestia and I had fun today fighting side-by-side with Starswirl for our home,” Luna said, “It’s been years since we’ve gotten to do what you girls do. You all make it look so easy.”

“Well, we are kind of an awesome team,” Rainbow replied.

“Every adventure is heart-pounding, but so rewarding,” Fluttershy added.

“I’m up for anything, as long as it’s with all of you!” Pinkie continued.

Rarity giggled at this and said, “Life certainly hasn’t been dull since we met.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” Applejack chuckled.

Twilight also nodded and remarked, “We are pretty incredible together, and we would do anything for Equestria. I guess I know that when the time comes, as long as we’re together, we probably-” Their friends all cleared their throats, “We definitely got this.” The others pulled Twilight and Storm into a hug, as everypony else smiled at the heroes who once again saved Equestria.

Eric tapped his mom on her shoulder, “Mom, since you and Dad are gonna be the new rulers soon, does this mean that I’m your heir to the throne?” he asked.

“I’m not sure about that, sweetheart. We might set your little brother, Midnight on that path,” Twilight replied.

“You may never have to carry the burden of the throne, but you and your friends’ destinies as the future protectors of Equestria are also important,” Storm added.

Meanwhile, at the ice fortress, Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis were in a circle holding hooves and hands.

“Now I'll say something nice about centaurs. Tirek, you say something nice about changelings. And Chrysalis, you say something nice about ponies!” Cozy Glow said. The other two were annoyed at this.

“Never!” Chrysalis shouted, pulling her hoof out of Tirek's hand.

She would have pulled herself away from Cozy Glow, but the filly had quite the grip despite her size. It was then that Glacio and his seven officers entered the room.

“Let us hope the three of you will be enough for our plans,” Glacio said.

“And what of King Sombra?” Chrysalis replied, freeing herself from Cozy Glow.

“Did he succeed?” Tirek asked, only for Glacio to growl.

He went up to his crystal ball, which activated and showed the scene where Sombra was obliterated by the Mane 7.

“I'd say he gambled and lost! But at least he can serve as a warning to those who doubt continuing with my plans. Unless any of you have doubts,” Glacio said.

“Uh, not I,” Tirek replied.

“Nope!” Chrysalis added.

“I’m good!” Cozy Glow finished.

“Then we shall join forces and work together to bring Equestria to its knees!” Glacio said, laughing evilly. Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow laughed with him nervously.

Chapter 3: Magic Research

Two weeks after the return and permanent defeat of King Sombra, Eric was in the library trying to figure out how the evil king came back. He tried looking through every book on the shelves, but couldn’t find anything on dark magic.

“Mom? Dad? Starlight? Spike?” Eric called out, but got no reply.

He searched the castle, hoping to find either of his parents or his foalsitter. It wasn’t long before he noticed Twilight putting Midnight down for his nap.

“Mom, is it okay if I lull Midnight to sleep?” Eric asked with a whisper.

“Sure,” Twilight replied quietly, as she gave Midnight to him.

Eric gently rocked Midnight and sang softly.

(Credit for this song goes to Disney/Pixar)

Eric then set Midnight onto his bed and put the blanket over him.

“Thanks for helping me put your brother to sleep, Eric,” Twilight said.

“No problem,” Eric replied, then asked, “Can I please go to the Canterlot Library and do some research?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Twilight said.

“Later, mom,” Eric replied, hugging her.

He then exited the castle and went to find his friends. It wasn’t long before he reached the Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. Just then, Rarity answered the door and opened it.

“Hello, Eric,” Rarity said.

“Afternoon, Rarity. Is Sweetie Belle here?” Eric asked.

“Yes. She’s upstairs,” Rarity replied, then called out, “Sweetie Belle, your boyfriend is here!”

It was then that Sweetie Belle came down to the door and opened it.

“Hi, Eric,” Sweetie Belle greeted, as she hugged and kissed him.

“Hi, Sweetie Belle,” Eric replied.

“You here to take me out for a date?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Maybe later, but there’s something I need your help with and from the others as well,” Eric replied.

“What’s that?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“We need to go to the Canterlot Library and see if we can find any books on dark magic. It’s so we can find out how King Sombra came back,” Eric explained.

“Ok. Later, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said.

Soon enough, they picked up Apple Bloom from Sweet Apple Acres and Scootaloo from Rainbow Dash’s cloud condo. They also met up with Zuni, Marina, Slapstick, Holly, and Pincer. Eric got on his broomstick while Pincer transformed into a roc and the others climbed on his back.

It wasn’t long before they reached Canterlot. Sweetie Belle and the others got off of Pincer as he returned to his own form.

“Can you please wait here while I go find Nightshade?” Eric asked his friends.

Sweetie Belle and the others nodded in reply, while Apple Bloom went with Eric. Once they reached Fancy Pants’ mansion, Eric knocked on the door. It was then that Clockwork answered the door.

“Hello, Eric,” Clockwork said.

“Hi, Clockwork. We’re here to see Nightshade,” Eric replied.

It wasn’t long before Nightshade came down and exited the door.

“Howdy, Nightshade,” Apple Bloom greeted in a sweet tone.

“Hello, Apple Bloom,” Nightshade said as they shared a kiss.

Eric and Apple Bloom explained to him about the need to do some research at the library and the three of them went to rejoin the others. Soon enough, Eric and his friends reached the library. They went inside to try and find some books about dark magic. They looked in every book about magic they could find in the magic section.

“Uggh, we looked all over the magic section and there’s nothing about dark magic,” Scootaloo groaned.

“You’re telling me, Scoots. I don’t see anything,” Slapstick said.

“I can’t seem to find anything either,” Marina added.

“I think we should try looking in the restricted section,” Eric suggested.

“Are you kidding, Eric? I don’t know if we’re allowed in there,” Nightshade replied.

“The library has a restricted section?” Zuni asked.

“Yes, Zuni. It’s important that we find out how and why King Sombra returned so we can improve our chances of stopping Glacio,” Eric said.

“Good point,” Nightshade replied.

“How are we supposed to find the restricted section?” Holly asked.

“I believe there’s a secret passageway somewhere on the right side of the library,” Eric replied.

Eric and his friends searched for the restricted section until they came across a bookshelf at the wall. On the shelf were two books with a sun and moon symbol on them. Eric tried pulling them out, only for the secret passageway to open up.

“You found the secret passageway, Eric!” Sweetie Belle said.

“How’d you know that the books would open it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I’ve seen secret passages with mechanisms like this in a few movies,” Eric replied, “Come on.”

Eric entered the passageway with his friends following him. Once they reached the door, Eric and his friends entered the restricted section and began looking for books about dark magic. They looked through every single book until Pincer found a book on dark magic spells.

“I found something!” Pincer said, “You might want to take a look at this, Eric.”

“Good job, Pincer,” Eric replied.

Pincer then brought the book to Eric, who took out his journal to take some notes. Eric looked through the book until he found some information regarding a necromancy spell. He wrote down important details about that particular spell before closing the book.

“Now we know how Glacio would’ve brought back King Sombra. This spell explains it,” Eric said, showing the others what he wrote in his notes.

Once Pincer returned the book to its shelf, he, Eric, and the others exited the restricted section. Upon exiting the library, Eric got on his broom while Pincer transformed into a roc and the others got on his back. It wasn’t long before they returned to Ponyville and reached the Castle of Friendship. It was then that Eric came up to his parents who were on the couch with Midnight.

“Mom, Dad, my friends and I found out how King Sombra came back,” Eric said.

“What did you find?” Twilight asked, while holding Midnight.

“Glacio must’ve used this spell to bring him back,” Eric replied, showing his notes to his parents.

“Your mom and I have only seen books about dark magic such as necromancy located in the library’s restricted section,” Storm replied.

“Eric, we told you a while back you’re not supposed to go in there. It’s restricted for a reason,” Twilight added.

“My friends and I wouldn’t normally go in there without a good reason, but we just had to investigate King Sombra’s return and we found the answer for you,” Eric explained.

“Since you found the answers we wanted, we’re gonna let this slide. From now on, we want you to ask us before going into the restricted section,” Twilight said.

“Alright, mom. I’m going on a date with Sweetie Belle now, I’ll be back by family reading time,” Eric replied as he walked out with his friends.

Meanwhile, at the Crystal Mountains ice fortress, Glacio gathered Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow, and his officers for a meeting. It was then that his best assassin, Shadow Swift took a seat.

“Anything to report, Shadow Swift?” Glacio asked.

“The traitor, Tempest managed to elude me, but I found this book at the Vanhoover Library,” Shadow Swift replied, showing him a book on magic relics.

“Let’s see what’s in it,” Glacio said as he took the book with his magic. He noticed the title ‘Magical Relics of the Known World’ and opened it.

Glacio looked through the book until he saw a picture and information about a powerful magic bell.

“You did well to bring me this book, Shadow Swift,” Glacio said, “Although your failure to deal with Tempest Shadow is most unfortunate.”

“Thank you, my lord. I assure you that I will kill her or bring her to you soon enough,” Shadow Swift replied.

“My Alicorn Amulet may be gone, but I believe Grogar’s bell will be most useful for our cause,” Glacio said, laughing evilly.

Chapter 4: The Best Gift Ever

Three months later, it was the day before Hearth’s Warming Eve. Twilight flew through Ponyville with Spike, Storm, Midnight, and Eric (who had his winter clothes on) in tow. Spike was holding a super long to-do list and kept running with it until he felt a tug and fell back. He looked up in shock and noticed Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were wrapped in the list, with Soarin and Spiracle, along with five of Eric’s friends catching up to them. They quickly took them out of the list.

“Do we wanna know why you're wrapping up everypony in town?” Rainbow asked.

“Not wrapping paper, a to-do list,” Spike replied.

“A really long to-do list,” Eric added.

Twilight teleported from one stand to another as she quickly picked up some decorations, lights and scrolls, and said, “Two of these! Three of those! I'm gonna need ten of those! Just in case!”

She then teleported to another stand as the others looked concerned.

“Twilight, darling, are you all right?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, you’re acting crazier than usual,” Jasper added.

“Sure! Just-grabbing-a-few-things-do-I-need-this-no-that's-silly-I-need-eight!” Twilight replied.

She teleported once more, with Storm doing the same. Just then, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, along with Smokey, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo came along.

“Hey, y'all! What's everypony—? Ohhh. Traditional holiday meltdown?” Applejack asked.

“Uh-huh,” Pinkie said as the others agreed.

“Meltdown?” Spiracle asked.

“Every Hearth’s Warming, Twilight goes into panic mode and tries to figure out what to give our friends and families on the holidays. She often goes crazy with shopping and tries to ensure that we would have the best Hearth’s Warming ever,” Storm explained.

“She does this every time?” Nightshade asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Storm replied.

“We told mom that she didn’t need to do that, but you know how she gets. Once she sets her mind onto something, it’s hard to stop her,” Eric added.

Applejack calmly walked over to Twilight with a smile on her face, while her friend began to hyperventilate with many items hovering over her, with Storm and Eric behind her. As Twilight kept hyperventilating, Storm stood to her right side, with Applejack standing in front of her hyperventilating friend.

“Hey, Twilight. How's your day?” Applejack asked calmly.

“I got way behind grading midterms, and Cadance and Shining Armor are coming here with Flurry Heart for Hearth's Warming Eve, and I haven't started decorating, and I don't know what to get any of you, and—!” Twilight replied, panicking.

“Stop! Take a breath,” Applejack said as Twilight took a deep breath and held it in, with the farm mare finally saying, “Now let it out, sloooooooooooow…”

Twilight exhaled slowly, allowing her to calm down.

“Now, I think I have an idea that might help. What if we change up how we give gifts this year and do a Hearthswarmin' Helper?” Applejack said.

“What's a Hearthswarming Helper?” Fluttershy asked.

“Whenever the whole Apple family got together, there were just so many of us, it didn't make sense to buy everypony gifts,” Applejack replied, “So we'd put our names in a hat...”

“Ooh, a game of chance! Tell me more,” Pinkie interrupted as she leaned in, rubbing her hooves together with a sneaky look.

“...then we'd pull a name, but keep it a secret,” Applejack resumed.

“A dash of mystery. Good. Good,” Pinkie said as she she tapped her forehooves together. Applejack gave her a half smirk.

“Instead of buyin' everypony a present, you just get one for the pony you picked from the hat,” Applejack finished.

“Wait. So instead of lots of presents, I only buy one of you a present? What kind of game is this?!” Pinkie asked.

“Well, it would save time,” Rarity said.

“And you could get the pony you pick something really nice,” Spike added with a lovestruck sigh as he hovered, flapping his wings. Rarity just smiled at him with half lidded eyes.

“The less shopping, the better. In!” Rainbow said, clearing her throat.

“Will that help, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“I was stressed about shopping,” Twilight replied.

“Like always,” Storm pointed out.

“Applejack, can me and my friends do it to?” Eric asked.

“Of course, Eric,” Applejack replied. Everyone looked at Pinkie awaiting her answer.

She reluctantly agreed with a sigh, “Fine. I will only buy one present for my secret Hearthswarming Helper buddy,” she pouted, crossing her forelegs.

Applejack took her hat off and presented it to the others, “We just need to put everypony's name in this here hat,” she said.

Twilight tore up her to-do-list and wrote down her friends’ cutie marks on the back, along with Eric and his friends’ names. She cut each of them until they were a picture of their cutie marks and placed them inside Applejack’s hat. The farm mare shook her hat and shuffled up the papers.

“Y'all ready? No peekin',” Applejack said.

The Mane 7, Spike, and the kids closed their eyes and went over to AJ’s hat, allowing them to pick the cutie marks and names from the hat. Once they received them, they all opened their eyes to see who they’ve picked.

“So excited! Aah! Too excited! I don't wanna give anything away!” Pinkie said. She zipped along and took her paper with her as she exclaimed, “Wheee!!”

“When will the gift exchange occur?” Rarity asked.

“How about Twilight's castle tomorrow night, Hearth's Warming Eve?” Rainbow suggested.

“That's perfect! Pinkie and I can spend the evenin' with y'all and the next mornin' with our families!” Applejack replied.

“And thanks to all of you, we should be ready to celebrate by then!” Twilight said, on behalf of herself, Storm, Eric, and Midnight.

“Now you and dad won’t be so stressed out now, mom,” Eric replied.

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Fluttershy said.

Once everyone else went their separate ways, Spike rushed into the direction Applejack was heading.

“Uh... Um, Applejack, is it against the rules to trade names? Like if I had a better idea for somepony special? I mean specific?” Spike asked.

“If you can figure out who has the pony you want and they're okay with tradin', I guess it's fine,” Applejack replied.

“Great! So, uh, who do you—?” Spike tried to ask.

“I don't have Rarity,” Applejack replied with a deadpan expression, then with a smile on her face.

“What?! That's not who I—!” Spike denied.

“Uh-huh,” Applejack said.

Meanwhile, the CMCs, Zuni, Marina, and Holly were looking around all the stores to find out what to get for their secret recipients.

“I know for sure that Eric likes reading books, so I think we should check out the book shop,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Good thinkin’, Sweetie Belle. Nightshade likes reading too, we can find a book he might want as well,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Maybe we can try finding a joke book for Slapstick,” Scootaloo added.

“Pincer is always wanting to broaden his horizons and finding one single book for him might be tricky, since he might want more than one,” Holly pointed out.

It was then that the book shop manager came up to them and asked, “Need help finding any books, girls?”

“We were wondering if you have any joke books in stock,” Zuni said.

“Along with any comic books,” Holly added.

“Let’s see what we have,” the shopkeeper replied as the girls followed him.

Elsewhere in town, Spike was walking down the street when he suddenly saw Pinkie running by.

“Pinkie!” The dragon shouted.

“I don't have Rarity!” Pinkie said as she sped by.

This made Spike spin and fall onto his back, along with his hat falling off. He put his hat back on until Rarity and Jasper stood near him.

“Oh! How's your shopping going, Spike?” Rarity asked with a chuckle.

“Uh, fine!” Spike replied, standing up straight and blushing in embarrassment.

“Which pony did you get?” Rarity whispered.

“I can't... remember?” Spike replied sheepishly.

“I've got Applejack, darling. She's going to adore her present,” Rarity said, “There's a brilliant designer in Manehattan, Fedora Felt, who makes the most marvelous hats. I asked for a new take on western chic that would be the envy of every farm pony in Equestria.”

“That's a great gift, Rarity. I hope I can find something for my pony as special as you are,” Spike replied, “Uh, she is! U-Uh, bye!”

“Good luck shopping, Spike!” Jasper called out as the dragon went on his way.

It wasn’t long before he found Fluttershy looking through a window at a necklace.

“Hey, Fluttershy! Thinking of getting that for your Hearthswarming Helper?” Spike asked.

“Mm-hmm. She loves shiny things,” Fluttershy replied.

“I wish I knew what my secret pony wanted. She's so hard to shop for,” Spike said, overreacting.

“Oh, no. Maybe I could help. Unless you don't want to—” Fluttershy offered.

“Rainbow Dash,” Spike said, showing her his secret pony.

“Oh! I was just talking to Rainbow Dash about these—” Fluttershy tried to say before being cut off.

“Great idea! We should trade ponies!” Spike said.

He instantly traded it with her and got Rarity’s cutie mark.

“Wait. Trade?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, Applejack said it's not against the rules. And you know what Rainbow Dash likes, so it's perfect,” Spike replied, then looked at Rarity’s cutie mark and let out a fake gasp, “Rarity?! What a surprise! Thanks!”

It was then that Applejack, Eric, Nightshade, Slapstick, and Pincer came up to Fluttershy.

“There you are! We need your help,” Applejack said.

“Do you want to trade names, too?” Fluttershy asked as she showed Rainbow’s cutie mark.

“What? No. I just need help figurin' out what to get Spike,” Applejack replied as she gently pushed Fluttershy’s hoof away.

“Phew!” Fluttershy said, sighing in relief.

“Hey, Applejack? Fluttershy? Can we help you out?” Eric asked.

“Of course,” Applejack replied.

“Can you also please help us with our shopping?” Nightshade asked.

“Happy to help,” Fluttershy said.

Soon enough, Fluttershy, Applejack, along with Eric and four of his friends decided to go to Rainbow Falls for the Hearth’s Warming Craft Fair. Once there, they went down the pathway seeing various stands that sell just about everything somepony or someone could ever want.

“This is amazing. I’ve never been to Rainbow Falls before,” Eric remarked.

“I come to the Rainbow Falls Hearth's Warming Craft Fair every year. They have perfect presents for anypony,” Fluttershy said.

“Hopefully, anydragon, too,” Applejack replied, then asked, “Wanna split up? Meet back here in an hour?”

“Sure,” Fluttershy said.

Applejack, Nightshade, and Pincer went off to shop for Spike. Fluttershy, Eric, and Slapstick went to the nearest stand, which sold Daring Do books. She, Eric, and Slapstick thought that this is what Rainbow Dash would want. She was about to buy it until a voice spoke up.

“Oh, no! There's only a few left!” somepony said.

“Why don’t you go buy that Daring Do book for Rainbow Dash while Slapstick and I go check out what’s going on,” Eric suggested.

“Ok,” Fluttershy replied as she bought the book.

Soon enough, more ponies began to arrive, which gained their interest when they saw the one pony go on. In one of the stands, was none other than Svengallop in disguise. Alongside Coloratura’s former manager was a light bluish gray minotaur with a winter jacket and a ridiculous-looking upper class wig, whose name was Well-to-Do, a former construction company owner.

Eric squinted his eyes as he took out his wand and said, “Revelio.”

Once the disguise was removed, Eric immediately recognized Svengallop from Countess Coloratura’s visit to Ponyville three and a half years ago.

“Svengallop? What are you doing here?” Eric asked suspiciously.

“If it isn’t Princess Twilight’s little brat. After Coloratura fired me no thanks to Applejack, I was looking for work until I became a director at a theater in Manehattan working on plays,” Svengallop explained, “Unfortunately, the theater manager fired me and tried to have me arrested for mistreating the cast and crew of all the plays I did, stealing funds from the theater, and here I am now with my new business partner, Well-to-Do.”

“So what’s your story, Well-to-Do? What are you doing here?” Slapstick asked.

“No thanks to Princess Twilight and her friends, including Applejack, my construction company got shut down for violating municipal and environmental development permits, fraud, coercion, blackmail, and bribery,” Well-to-Do explained, “They tried to have me arrested for those things, and here I am helping Svengallop sell cheap-looking dolls at high prices in ‘short supply’ when we actually have a lot.”

“I knew we recognized you both from the wanted posters and now you’re false advertising!” Eric called them out, then turned to his friend, “Let’s finish our shopping, then go get Applejack and Fluttershy.”

“We’ll deal with you later,” Slapstick said.

It wasn’t long before Eric and Slapstick met up with Nightshade and Pincer at a jewelry stand. Eric picked out a ruby and emerald necklace with a rose shaped pendant. Nightshade picked out a necklace with an apple shaped ruby pendant. Slapstick picked out a lightning bolt bling necklace and Pincer picked out a diamond daisy necklace. The four bought the necklaces and went to find Applejack and Fluttershy.

An hour later, Applejack stood near Fluttershy and wanted her opinion on what to give Spike.

“I've narrowed down my choices for Spike to fire-dancing sticks, or a Power Ponies comic. Unenchanted, I think,” Applejack said.

“Maybe the Power Ponies comic would be best, just so Spike doesn’t accidentally set anything on fire with those sticks,” Fluttershy replied.

“Applejack, Svengallop is here with Well-to-Do selling cheap ugly Hearth’s Warming dolls,” Eric said.

“We recognized them from the wanted posters,” Slapstick added, “They say Holly the Hearth’s Warming Doll is the must-have gift of the season and it’s in short supply.”

They noticed various ponies with more of those ugly dolls everywhere they went.

“‘Short supply’, huh? Somethin' about this seems fishy,” Applejack replied.

“I agree, and we need to inform the sheriff about those two,” Nightshade said.

Eric led Applejack and Fluttershy to the tent where the ponies were trying to buy more of those ugly dolls. The two mares went up to the stand, then Applejack cleared her throat to get their attention.

“Oh. You,” Svengallop said.

“What are y'all doin' with these dolls and that ridiculous getup?” Applejack asked.

“Trying to make decent profits,” Svengallop replied.

“We got money to make and that’s what Hearth’s Warming is all about,” Well-to-Do added smugly.

“That’s not what Hearth’s Warming is about! It’s about unity and about giving!” Eric shouted, pointing his wand, “Revelio!”

Both Well-to-Do and Svengallop lost their disguises as everypony quickly recognized the two fugitives.

“Just wait until we get the sheriff over here, ‘cause you’re busted!” Eric said.

“Boo! You stink!” various ponies yelled as they pelted Well-to-Do and Svengallop with the ugly dolls they bought.

It was then that Nightshade, Slapstick, and Pincer brought the sheriff and deputy over to the stand.

“Svengallop and Well-to-Do, I am Sheriff Tracker and you’re both under arrest for coercion, blackmail, fraud, bribery, embezzlement, violating municipal and environmental development permits, and now false advertising,” the sheriff said.

“I’m Deputy Kup Finder and you have the right to remain silent as anything you say can and will be used against you in court of law,” the deputy added, “You and your friends led us right to these crooks, Prince Eric. Thank you.”

The two lawponies took Well-to-Do and Svengallop away to jail. They also gave back everypony’s bits as Eric and his friends, along with Applejack and Fluttershy boarded the train back to Ponyville.

“It seems our shoppin’ went off without much difficulty and we helped bust two old rivals of ours,” Applejack said.

“It’s already Hearth’s Warming Eve and we’re finally finished shopping,” Fluttershy added.

Later on at the Castle of Friendship, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie, along with Eric and all of his friends walked up the stairs. Rarity and Pinkie were the only ones to have a somewhat disappointed look on their faces as they reached the top step.

“How did everypony's shopping go?” Fluttershy asked the others.

“Well...” Rarity tried to say before trailing off.

“Uh...” Pinkie tried to say, not knowing how to respond.

“Good enough,” Applejack said.

“Got what we were looking for,” Eric added on behalf of Nightshade, Slapstick, and Pincer.

“Same here,” Zuni replied.

Fluttershy went up and knocked on the door.

“Coming!” Spike shouted.

Once Spike opened the door, he was completely covered in glitter. When he saw them, he yelped in surprise and waved at them while chuckling nervously. Everyone else was a little surprised to see all that glitter on him.

“Did you get attacked by a party?” Pinkie asked.

“I fell asleep. On somepony's present,” Spike replied as he looked at himself and crossed his arms.

Spike took a speck of glitter off his nose and sent it away. As he looked away feeling nervous and awkward, everyone else gave him odd looks.

“Run!” Twilight yelled from inside the castle as everyone gasped in surprise.

Everyone else quickly entered the room and stared ahead of what was going on as they were confused by what all the commotion was about.

“The pudding is coming!” Twilight shouted.

Twilight, Storm, Shining Armor, and Cadance, each holding Flurry Heart and Midnight, ran around the corner as a massive wave of pudding came down the hall. This made the others look surprised. Just as everyone regrouped at the castle entrance…

“Run! The winterzilla is coming!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she, Soarin, and Discord flew quickly towards the castle.

As they came in, the winterzilla burst through the door, tearing the entrance apart as it roared, with everyone staring in shock. As part of the rubble fell, Twilight immediately cast a spell to shield themselves. As the rubble stopped falling, the winterzilla roared at them, making Twilight’s shield disappear. They looked at both sides, as they were being cornered by a large fuzzy beast and a whole sea of pudding, with some of them gasping.

Everyone expected Hearth’s Warming to go smoothly, but now it’s nearly a disaster. Since both the Winterzilla and the pudding were slowly closing in on them, they were all in a predicament.

“What is that?!” Rainbow shouted as everyone turned to look at the approaching pudding.

“Magic pudding! What is that?!” Twilight asked as she turned to the furry monster.

“A winterchilla!” Rainbow replied as everyone turned to look at the roaring furry monster.

“They turn into winterzillas after dark!” Twilight said with a slap of her forehead.

“You brought that thing here?!” Eric yelled as he and everyone else have Rainbow the stink eye.

“Does everypony know this except me?!” Rainbow asked.

They all quickly ducked when the Winterzilla swung its claw at them. However, the beast somehow has its eyes on Spike for some reason and let out a grin. It leaned closer to Spike as it was focused on him. Spike yelped and quickly hid behind Twilight, while she looked at Spike and noticed that he was glittering and realized the Winterzilla liked glittering objects, causing her to gasp as she had an idea.

“You like the sparkly?” Twilight asked the beast as she lifted Spike up in her magic. This got the winterzilla’s attention and she said, “Just follow it this way!”

Twilight levitated Spike around, causing the Winterzilla to follow the scared dragon. The Winterzilla followed Spike as Twilight levitated him over, trying to lead it outside.

“Is this honestly the best plan we can come up with?!“ Spike asked as Twilight led the Winterzilla outside.

“It is for now, Spike!” Storm shouted from below.

Rainbow just looked at Discord, who was sitting on a chair eating popcorn.

“Can't you do something?!” Rainbow asked.

“I did,” Discord replied as she glared at him. He instantly turned himself into a bow and attached itself to the Winterzilla’s ear and said, “This is Fluttershy's gift.”

“What?!” Rainbow shouted.

The pudding tendril came from out of nowhere and grabbed Rarity’s hind leg, catching her by surprise. She grunted while trying to pull away, but it was quite stubborn.

“A little help, please!” Rarity shouted.

“I've got this!” Shining Armor said, preparing his horn for a magic attack.

Cadance interrupted them as she gave Flurry to him, “Which one of us can fly, darling?” she asked rhetorically.

Cadance instantly flew up and fired her magic from her horn straight towards the tendrils, freeing Rarity. She flew her to safety while dodging the tendrils and landed safely on the balcony.

“Your mom sure is something,” Shining said to his daughter.

He ran with Flurry Heart with his magic and jumped in the air, then held onto Flurry as he grabbed the tapestry and swung himself. Shining jumped forward and used his magic to destroy one of the pudding’s tendrils, allowing him to arrive safely next to his wife.

“You're not so bad yourself,” Cadance said with a giggle, blushing and fanning herself.

Shining smiled with pride but it was short lived as they looked at the castle entrance, as Twilight was still having trouble trying to lure the Winterzilla away using Spike. However, the beast slipped and ended up falling off of the stairs. The creature groaned for a bit, only for it to be attracted to the decorations.

The beast went over to the decorations and started eating one of them, with Twilight flying close by with Spike as she said, “No-no-no! Not that sparkly! This one!”

However, the monster was no longer interested, causing it to flick Spike away, making him crash against the wall, with Twilight still holding Spike.

“I'm okay if he doesn't want to chase me anymore!” Spike replied.

“How are we gonna get rid of this thing?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, for Scorpan’s sake,” Discord exclaimed in frustration.

“Hello?!” Discord asked rhetorically as he teleported in front of them and turned into multiple pointing signs, “If only one of you had a way with animals?!”

They saw that he was pointing at Fluttershy, much to her fright.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, covering her mouth.

Soon enough, Fluttershy managed to calm down the winterzilla. The others smiled as well, for the beast had been calmed down. Just then, the pudding tendril poked on Pinkie’s back, gaining her attention as she yelped, with the pudding slapping her away. Just before the tendril could swat Twilight, she fired her magic at the tendril.

Twilight kept blasting the pudding, with Storm and Eric helping her out. Rainbow, Soarin, Spiracle, and Spike carried Applejack, Jasper, and Smokey to the balcony to rejoin Cadance and the others. Discord teleported himself, Midnight, and Eric’s friends to them.

“Uh, maybe leave the baking to me next time,” Pinkie said as she giggled. She sat in a floaty that resembled Princess Celestia, then tasted the pudding with a spoon and said, “Actually, it's pretty good.”

Twilight came from behind and shot her magic at the tendril that tried to get Pinkie.

“Chancellor Puddinghead's recipe,” Twilight replied, as she flew over with Eric on her back.

“Now, that's an impressive dessert!” Pinkie remarked.

“It's your Hearth's Warming present!” Twilight said.

“Really? That's so thoughtful,” Pinkie replied.

“It took a lot of research, but I…” Twilight said as a pudding tendril slowly approached her and Eric.

Luckily, Shining Armor blasted it before it could touch them, “Maybe focus on the task at hoof, Twily?” he suggested.

The Winterzilla whimpered, slowly backing away from the pudding that crept towards it. Fluttershy quickly flew on top of its head.

“Right. The recipe needed to be exact. I think Flurry Heart and Midnight added something while Storm and I weren’t looking, but I have no idea what to add to adjust it,” Twilight said, “A teaspoon of nutmeg, three sugarplums, extra—”

“Gingerbread? Four more candy canes?” Pinkie guessed.

“How do you know the recipe?” Twilight asked.

Suddenly, Pinkie had a flashback of her time at Gift Giver’s Grove.

“I don't get it,” Pinkie said.

“You will,” the reindeer called Alice replied.

She snapped back to the present and looked at the gift the three reindeer gave her.

“Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight and Storm! I'm your Hearth’s Warming Helper!” Pinkie said.

Pinkie jumped right into the pudding, causing everyone in the room to gasp at the sight. When all of a sudden, the said ingredients that they mentioned popped out of the pudding, making them shimmer and glow and affecting the ocean of pudding.

Once the glow died down, the pudding had been restored the way it should be. Twilight looked around, searching for any signs of Pinkie. She instantly popped out with smiles on her face. Twilight and Storm instantly lifted them up using their magic and hugged them with smiles on their faces.

The Winterzilla peeked and saw that everything was back to normal and grunted happily, with Fluttershy giggling. Everyone on the balcony cheered for them, as they were happy that the incident was over.

“Uh, a bit reindeer ex machina, but...” Discord said, half disappointed and holding a checklist. Just then, two of his thumbs appeared like rockets, “…two thumbs way up! Whoo!“

The thumbs flew in the air and exploded like fireworks, lighting up the entire room. Twilight carried Storm and Midnight up to the balcony where the others were.

“Flurry and Midnight did add some things, Twily. I saw it,” Storm said.

“So it’s their fault that this pudding became a magical mess!” Eric replied angrily.

Eric turned to his little brother and cousin with anger in his eyes.

“Flurry Heart! Midnight! What were you two thinking messing with that pudding?! You turned it into a magical mess! It’s all…your…fault!” Eric yelled.

Flurry and Midnight burst into tears and began to cry.

“Eric, please calm down and be nice to your brother and cousin,” Twilight told him, “They didn’t know any better.”

“I believe you need to apologize to them,” Cadance added.

Hearing his brother and cousin cry, Eric thought back to the times Mr. Horvath yelled at him and made him whimper and cry. This made him calm down as he didn’t want to be like his old tormentor and then approached the two foals. He tried to hug them out of comfort, but they whimpered in fear and cast force fields.

“Sorry I yelled at you, Midnight and Flurry. I was just so mad that you two messed with the pudding Mom and Dad made and turned it into a mess,” Eric said, “Do you forgive me?”

Flurry and Midnight disabled the force fields and just hugged Eric in response.

It wasn’t long before everyone had settled in the living room. Twilight came in, carrying more pudding in their bowls. Everyone was sitting near the fireplace, talking as their issues were behind them and enjoyed their Hearth’s Warming pudding.

“Sorry for failing as a Hearthswarming Helper, Pinkie,” Twilight said, giving her some pudding.

“What?! With no pudding disaster, my gift with the exact ingredients wouldn't have made any sense. This way, it was perfect!” Pinkie replied, then began eating her pudding.

“Twily, here’s my gift to you. A stress relief potion and the formula for it, from me and Zecora,” Storm said, presenting the gift for his wife, “Happy Hearth’s Warming.”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Storm,” Twilight replied to her husband.

As Twilight and Storm shared a kiss under the mistletoe, Eric and his friends had their own gift exchange. Holly gave Pincer a comic book, and he presented her the diamond daisy necklace he bought at Rainbow Falls.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Holly,” Pincer said, putting the necklace on her.

“Thanks, Pincer. I love it,” Holly replied as she kissed him.

Zuni and Marina gave each other history books about Jamareca and Mt. Aris. Scootaloo gave Slapstick a joke book she bought, while he presented her with the lightning bolt bling he bought.

“I wanted to get you a necklace that best fit your style, Scootaloo,” Slapstick said as he put the bling on her, “Happy Hearth’s Warming.”

“Thanks, Slapstick,” Scootaloo replied.

“Thanks for the joke book, Scoots,” Slapstick said, as they shared a kiss.

Apple Bloom gave Nightshade the latest Shadow Spade book, while the kirin colt presented her the ruby apple necklace he bought.

“Here’s my gift for you, Apple Bloom,” Nightshade said as he put the necklace on her.

“Thank ya, Nightshade. Happy Hearth’s Warmin’,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Thank you as well for the Shadow Spade book, Apple Bloom,” Nightshade said as they shared a kiss.

“Here’s your gift, Eric. Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Sweetie Belle said as she gave him a book she bought.

Eric took a look at it and replied, “‘Magical Relics of the Known World’, now we’re able to know what powerful relic Glacio could be after next. Thanks, Sweetie Belle.”

“I also have your gift. I wanted it to be pretty like you are,” Eric said, presenting the ruby and emerald rose necklace he bought.

“Thanks, Eric. I love it,” Sweetie Belle replied as she put it on.

The two of them looked up at the mistletoe and shared a kiss.

“At least Twilight and the others have something to show for their efforts. I ordered you a fabulous farm hat, Applejack. Alas, it decided it belonged to somepony else,” Rarity said with a sigh.

“Pops said sometimes the hat chooses the pony when he gave me this,” Applejack replied, removing her hat and looking at it with a smile, “Hopefully my gift inspired whoever's wearin' it to be the best farmer ever.”

“Uhhh, ooh... Something like that,” Rarity remarked.

“By the way, Spike. Here’s your Power Ponies comic,” Applejack said as she gave Spike his gift.

“Thanks, Applejack. Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Spike replied.

Fluttershy then gave Rainbow Dash the Daring Do book she bought.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said.

“Thanks, Fluttershy. Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Rainbow replied, “Sorry about the winterzilla.”

“Oh, he's a big sweetheart. And he ended up being really helpful,” Fluttershy said with a giggle.

It was then that the Winterzilla came in with his own bowl of pudding and began to purr like a cat as he ate it.

“It was actually kind of nice to be the pony who saved the day for once,” Fluttershy continued.

“Oh, really? You mean a giant beast that only Fluttershy could tame, making her the hero of Hearth's Warming Eve, was a great gift?” Discord asked as Rainbow just sat and ate her pudding.

The lord of chaos suddenly placed Fluttershy on a stone pedestal that rose until Fluttershy was at his height, with a gold medal and red feather boa around her neck, along with a #1 trophy in her hoof.

“Imagine that,” Discord finished as confetti fell down.

“You mean you tricked me into putting my friend in danger on purpose so you—?!” Rainbow tried to ask.

Discord cut her off as he put his clawed finger on her lips and turned her to Fluttershy as he pointed at her. She saw Fluttershy giggling and cuddling the Winterzilla as he purred.

“Let's just say it was from both of us,” Rainbow said as Discord shook her hoof.

“I guess the Hearth’s Warming Helper was a success,” Applejack remarked.

“True. It’s a shame my grandparents didn’t come over today,” Eric said.

“We’ll see them in the morning, sweetheart,” Twilight replied.

“There's one gift left, but I messed up, too,” Spike said, looking down sadly.

As the dragon stood up, the Winterzilla handed him his own hand crafted guitar and Spike accepted it.

“Your present's only kind of finished, Rarity, but I guess it's better than nothing,” Spike continued, then played his guitar as he sang his song.

Rarity was touched by the song Spike was playing. The dragon then finished his song as he stood near Rarity.

“Oh, Spike. A song is a lovely present,” Rarity said.

“I wanted to get you the best gift ever. I just couldn't figure out what it was,” Spike replied.

Within a split second, Rarity kissed Spike by the cheek, he couldn’t help but blush at the kiss he received. Jasper just chuckled at this.

“Ooh, ooh! The Gift Givers told me that! Oh, what was it? The best gift is more precious than gold, but it cannot be sold. When it breaks, it's not ended, for quickly it's mended. It can never be bought yet is easily sought,” Pinkie recalled.

Twilight giggled, then Pinkie asked, “What's so funny?”

“It's a riddle, and the answer is "friendship"!” Twilight replied.

It was then that she and Storm stood up and took a few steps forward with Eric and Midnight in tow as she sang.

Twilight, Storm, and Eric, holding Midnight walked towards the fireplace, as the Winterzilla nuzzled against Fluttershy. Rainbow looked at it surprised, then shared a hug with Soarin. Rarity and Applejack hugged one another, with Jasper and Smokey hugging them too.

As Twilight, Storm, Eric, and Midnight stood in front of the fireplace, with the dolls of the Mane 7 above it, she held her husband and sons close by, until they looked at their friends.

Twilight flew up above the others, as she levitated Storm between them as she hugged him. She flew above Flurry as the filly clapped her hooves, enjoying the song as she flew over and gave Pinkie another bowl of pudding, which she accepted.

As they enjoyed the song, Fluttershy handed Discord a present, much to his surprise. He accepted the gift with a smile and opened it, revealing to be his own teapot with its own cozy. Sure enough, Fluttershy hugged Discord with a smile, with Spiracle following suit, which Discord truly enjoyed and returned their hug in return. Soon enough, everyone began to sing together.

As they sang, everyone elsewhere was enjoying their holiday traditions. Over in Sire’s Hollow, Starlight, Sunburst, Trixie, and Forest Thunder were enjoying cups of cocoa, while Firelight, Aurora Gloom, Stellar Flare, and Stygian were mingling. The Pie and Apple Families were having a great time. Limestone, Marble, Mudbriar, and Maud, were carving on their respective rocks. Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle were enjoying the snowfall as Igneous Pie and Cloudy Quartz were having a conversation with Bright Mac, Pear Butter, Grand Pear, and Granny Smith.

In Canterlot, Princess Luna stood alone on the balcony in the cold, until she felt a warm blanket being wrapped around in a blanket by her sister Celestia. Accompanying alongside them was Celestia’s husband, Lord Emerald to which she smiled gratefully.

At Sweet Acorn Orchard, Pistachio opened a gift from his parents. He was surprised and pulled out a hat similar to his with acorns on it, which he laughed with his parents laughing as well.

The yaks were enjoying their festival by smashing things, while from the jail in Rainbow Falls, Well-to-Do and Svengallop were sulking as their business was ruined. Back at Ponyville town hall, the townsponies returned home for the holidays with their families, while the changelings were also celebrating their own unique version of Hearth’s Warming.

The Mane 7, Jasper, Smokey, Soarin, Spiracle, along with Eric and his friends then gathered together, finishing their song as the Winterzilla hugged them all.

From outside, Alice looked on as she said, “And so it worked out, and a lesson was learned, there's no need to obsess.”

She floated right next to Aurora and Bori as they too had smiles on their faces as Alice continued, “Gift giving is simple, as long as you recall.”

As they flew away back home up north, Alice finished, “Friendship and Family is the best gift of all.”

Author's Note

Happy early holidays, everyone!

Chapter 5: Spring Break in Neighgasaki

Three months later, it was early springtime in Ponyville. For Eric and his friends, school was out for the week as spring break had begun. Eric was in the castle library reading his copy of Magical Relics of the Known World, he then went to the part about a certain magic bell.

“Everyone, I think I know what relic Glacio is after next,” Eric said.

“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“This. The Bewitching Bell,” Eric replied, showing them a picture of the bell.

“Little is known about the bell except that it was forged by the evil goat, Grogar,” Nightshade added, “It was his main source of power as he also used it to give life to some of the foulest creatures in the world.”

“Wait, Grogar was real?” Slapstick asked.

“We thought he was just a legend,” Apple Bloom added.

“Apparently yes, that means Gusty the Great was a true story that happened centuries ago,” Zuni replied.

“It all makes sense now. Because with the Bewitching Bell, Glacio would likely be able to control the sun and moon, the weather, and even the land itself,” Eric said.

“According to the story, Gusty the Great tried to destroy the bell multiple times, but couldn’t, so she hid it on Mt. Everhoof in a magically protected cave,” Holly replied.

“That’s the highest point of the Crystal Mountains,” Scootaloo added.

“I’ve heard that Mt. Everhoof has strong gale force winds and avalanches are common there. Those would be hard to get past,” Marina said.

“Glacio has a lot of resources and he’s smart, so he might figure something out in order to claim the bell,” Eric replied.

“Eric! Your grandparents are here!” Twilight’s voice called out.

“I’ll be right there, mom!” Eric said.

“We better get back to our homes. See you soon, Eric,” Pincer replied as he and the others left.

“See you soon, everyone,” Eric said as he exited the library.

It wasn’t long before Eric was at the entrance where his paternal grandparents were.

“Hi, Grandma Kimono and Grandpa Lancer,” Eric greeted.

“Good to see you, Eric,” Kimono said.

“How’ve you been?” Lancer asked.

“Good enough. I’ve been maintaining A’s and B’s in school,” Eric replied.

“Nice,” Lancer said.

“So what brings you here?” Eric asked.

“We were wondering if you and your parents would like to come with us to Neighgasaki,” Kimono replied.

“It’s been years since you took me, Flash, and Misty to Neighgasaki, mom,” Storm said, then asked, “How ‘bout it, Twilight and Eric?”

“That might be nice. I haven’t been to Neighgasaki, it’ll be good for Eric and Midnight to meet more of your relatives,” Twilight replied.

“I’ve always wanted to visit Neighgasaki ever since Grandma Kimono told me about it,” Eric added.

“You might want to get packing,” Storm said.

Eric went up to his room and began packing. He pointed his wand at his backpack and said “Capacious Extremis.”

He then packed some of his clothes, books, his orca plushie, Smarty Pants, and Ron’s pet supplies.

“Ron, c’mere boy,” Eric said, signaling his pet otter.

It was then that Ron came up to Eric and went into his arms. Eric grabbed his back and put it on. He then rejoined his parents and grandparents, along with his brother, Midnight. Eric and his family walked through town until they reached the train station.

They bought seven tickets and boarded the train once it arrived.

“All aboard! Last stop, Neighgasaki!” the conductor called out.

It was then that the train began moving and headed east. Eric sat in between his parents as he took out some of his books to read.

Hours later, the train finally stopped at the Neighgasaki station. It was then that Eric and his family disembarked the train and entered the city. They walked around, hoping to find a taxi carriage. It wasn’t long before one was coming their way.

“Taxi!” Storm called out.

“Where to?” the driver asked as he came to a halt. He was a teal imperial unicorn stallion.

“Sweet Blossom Rice Paddies, please,” Kimono replied.

Once Eric and his family entered the carriage, the driver took them to their destination.

“Grandma, what exactly is Sweet Blossom Rice Paddies?” Eric asked.

“It’s my family’s rice farm where I was born and raised,” Kimono replied.

Soon enough, the carriage driver stopped at the entrance of the rice farm. Eric and his family exited the carriage and were greeted by Kimono’s relatives.

“Good to see you again, mother and father,” Kimono said with a bow.

“Good to see you too, Kimono,” her parents replied with a bow.

Kimono’s father was a dark blue elderly earth pony stallion with a pale blue robe, light gray mane, tail, and beard, dark green eyes, and a bowl of rice for a cutie mark. Her mother was a reddish purple elderly imperial unicorn mare with dark blue eyes, an almost white mane and tail tied in a bun, a dark blue robe, and a peach with a pink five-petal flower for a cutie mark.

“Good to see you, grandma and grandpa,” Storm said with a bow.

“Good to see you again, Storm,” the elderly stallion replied, bowing.

“Same here,” the elderly mare added with a bow, then pointed to Twilight, “Who’s this nice mare?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, Storm’s wife. Good to meet you both,” Twilight replied with a bow.

“Good to meet you as well, Twilight Sparkle. I’m Rice Stack, and this is my wife, Peach Blossom,” the elderly stallion greeted.

“I’m Eric Sparkle, and this is my little brother, Midnight Star,” Eric said with a bow, introducing himself and his brother, “I guess you’re our great-grandparents.”

“Yes. We’ve heard so much about you from the letters Kimono sent to us,” Peach Blossom replied, “Come everypony, to the house we go.”

It was then that Eric and his family followed Rice Stack and Peach Blossom to the house. There, they met up with Kimono’s older brother, Bok Choy and his wife, Ginseng Tea. The former was a bright red imperial unicorn stallion with a black mane and tail, dark brown eyes, bok choy leaves for a cutie mark, and wore a dark brown robe. The latter was a golden earth pony mare with a graying black mane and tail, dark brown eyes, a ginseng root and leaves for a cutie mark, and a cyan robe with golden patterns.

“Good to see you, Bok Choy and Ginseng,” Kimono said with a bow.

“Good to see you as well, Kimono,” Bok Choy replied as he and Ginseng bowed.

“Good to see you again, Storm,” Sakura said with a bow.

“Hi, Uncle Bok Choy. Hi, Aunt Ginseng,” Storm replied with a bow, “This is my wife, Twilight Sparkle, and these are our sons, Eric Sparkle and Midnight Star.”

“Good to meet you both,” Twilight greeted with a bow.

“Good to meet you. I guess you’re mine and Midnight’s great-aunt and great-uncle,” Eric said with a bow.

“We know who you are, Eric. Even in Neighgasaki, you’re well known,” Ginseng replied.

“Good to meet you as well,” Bok Choy added.

It wasn’t long before the rest of Kimono’s relatives showed up. Among them was Bok Choy and Ginseng’s daughter Sakura Blossom and her husband, Daikon Radish. The former was a grayish blue imperial unicorn mare with a dark red mane and tail, golden eyes, a cherry tree with blooming flowers for a cutie mark, and wore a white and blue robe. The latter was a yellow green earth pony stallion with reddish brown eyes, a bluish black mane and tail, a white radish for a cutie mark, and a black robe. Sakura’s brother, Riceberry and his wife, Ginger Mint were also present. The former was a greenish blue earth pony stallion with yellow eyes, a dark brown mane and tail, a bowl of reddish purple rice for a cutie mark, and a light brown robe. The latter was a tan imperial unicorn mare with a reddish brown mane and tail, blue-green eyes, a ginger root with mint leaves for a cutie mark, and a golden robe. All four of them were around Twilight and Storm’s ages.

Lastly, there were four foals named Mochi, Cherry Bloom, Fortune Cookie, and Jasmine Tea. The former two were the son and daughter of Sakura Blossom and Daikon Radish, while the latter two were the son and daughter of Riceberry and Ginger Mint. Mochi and Jasmine were around Eric’s age, while Cherry Bloom and Fortune Cookie were slightly younger.

Mochi was a light grayish blue earth pony colt with golden eyes, a bluish black mane and tail, three balls of mochi for a cutie mark, and a dark green robe. Cherry Bloom was a yellow green imperial unicorn filly with a pale red mane and tail, reddish brown eyes, and a red robe. Jasmine Tea was a greenish blue imperial unicorn filly with yellow eyes, a reddish brown mane and tail, jasmine leaves for a cutie mark, and a pink robe. Fortune Cookie was a darker tan pegasus colt with blue-green eyes, a brown mane and tail, and a purple robe.

“Sakura! Riceberry! Good to see you, cousins,” Storm greeted with a bow, “Good to see you as well, Daikon and Ginger.”

As Storm introduced Twilight to his cousins, the four foals greeted Eric with a bow and introduced themselves.

“Good to meet you, Eric Sparkle. I’m Mochi, and this is my sister, Cherry Bloom,” the earth pony colt said.

“I’m Jasmine Tea and this is my brother, Fortune Cookie,” the unicorn filly added with a bow.

“Hi, Mochi and Cherry Bloom. Good to meet you as well, Jasmine and Fortune Cookie,” Eric replied with a bow, then pointed to his brother and pet, “This is my little brother, Midnight Star and my pet otter, Ron.”

Soon enough, everyone was gathered for dinner as they were catching up. Twilight and Storm told his relatives Eric’s story about how he came to Equestria.

“He was abused back where he came from? That’s awful,” Ginseng Tea said.

“It’s a shame you had to go through that for a year, Eric-san,” Bok Choy added.

“At least Jasper and Smokey were there for me. Coming to Equestria was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Eric said, “From four years ago onward, I have the best family and friends a boy could ever have.”

As everyone was eating, Eric and Twilight really liked the local veggie and rice dishes, along with the egg rolls. After dinner and some reading, Twilight, Storm, Eric, and Midnight settled into the two guest rooms and went to sleep.

The next morning at sunrise, a gang of ninja ponies came to the farm. Their leader was a dark gray imperial unicorn stallion with a black mane and tail, dark brown eyes, a bitter melon with two crossed katanas for a cutie mark, and a dark yellow robe.

“Ninja! Steal all the rice you can find!” the leader said.

“Hai Bitter Melon!” the other ninja chanted in unison.

On the porch of the farm house, Eric saw the ninjas headed towards the barn as he was finished eating his rice porridge.

“Dad! Granduncle Bok Choy! We have intruders on the farm!” Eric called out.

“Let’s go deal with them!” Storm said.

“It’s obvious that Bitter Melon wants to put us out of business again,” Bok Choy replied.

Eric gasped and said, “This is similar to what happened in Appleoosa with the Wild Bunch Gang.”

“What do you mean, Eric?” Storm asked.

“The gang was hired by Glacio to steal apples and cherries for his army. I believe Bitter Melon and his ninja gang are also stealing crops for Glacio to feed his army,” Eric replied.

“Uncle Bok Choy, you go get the sheriff and deputy while Eric and I defend the farm,” Storm said.

“Good thinking,” Bok Choy replied as he went to alert the lawponies.

Eric and Storm rushed to the barn to stop the ninjas.

“Reach for the sky!” Eric shouted.

“Get them!” Bitter Melon told his ninjas.

It was then that a brawl broke out between Eric, Storm, and the ninja gang. The ninjas dodged almost every attempt at Eric and Storm trying to stun them. The father-son duo was able to avoid being hit by the ninjas’ attack moves.

“Stupefy!” Eric said, pointing his wand at Bitter Melon. With that, the ninja leader was stunned, Storm also managed to cast a binding spell on the others.

It wasn’t long before Bok Choy came back with the sheriff and deputy, along with two other lawponies.

“Sheriff, Bitter Melon and his ninjas were hired by Glacio to steal crops for his army,” Eric said.

“Is that true?” the sheriff asked.

“Yes, our assumptions were correct since we overheard them mention him,” Storm replied.

“Bitter Melon, you and your ninja gang are under arrest for theft of crops, intimidation, assault, and trespassing on private property,” the sheriff said.

“You have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you,” the deputy added as they took apprehended the ninja ponies.

Once Bitter Melon and the ninjas were taken away, Mochi, Cherry Bloom, and their two cousins came up to Eric in amazement.

“You were amazing, Eric-san,” Cherry Bloom said.

“Just happy to be of service,” Eric replied humbly.

“And we appreciate it,” Fortune Cookie said.

Over the next few days of Eric’s visit, he and Storm spent some father-son time in the city, seeing the old imperial palace, and getting some mochi. Eric also enjoyed hanging out with his second cousins and listening to Rice Stack and Peach Blossom’s old stories. He, Storm, and Twilight also helped out with the rice harvest in any way they could. It was on the following Friday that Eric and his family returned home.

Chapter 6: The Last Crusade

A week after Eric spent spring break in Neighgasaki, it was another fine day in Ponyville. A unicorn colt named Skeedaddle ran down the main road with an excited look on his face.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders! Cutie Mark Crusaders! Cutie Mark Crusaders! Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Skeedaddle called out while panting.

“We're at my house!” Scootaloo’s voice called out.

Skeedaddle skidded to a stop as Scootaloo waved to him from one of the windows. He opened the front door and shouted, jumping up with a smile on his face, “I got my cutie mark!”

“You did?” Sweetie Belle asked as she and her three friends came near the door.

“That's great, Skeedaddle!” Eric and the fillies said in unison.

“Yeah! What's it for?” Scootaloo asked.

“Knot-tying!” Skeedaddle replied, showing his knotted rope cutie mark, “And I never would've gotten it without all of you!”

“Did we suggest knot-tying?” Apple Bloom asked the others.

Sweetie Belle was about to answer when Skeedaddle said to her, “First, I tried sailing, like you and Eric said,” he then turned to Scootaloo, “Next, I tried fishing, like you said,” he finally turned to Apple Bloom, “Then, I tried rowing, like you said. But my oar broke. So I used my fishing line to tie it back together, and I got my cutie mark! *squeals* I can't wait to tell everypony!”

Skeedaddle rushed out the door, then Eric and the fillies came over to the door with Scootaloo closing it. The four of them shared a high hoof/five and cheered.

They turned their heads as a mare’s voice said to them in an Australian type accent, “Oh, how exciting. You three truly have a gift for helping ponies.”

The mare in question was a plus-size pale light amber earth pony with scarlet eyes, a scarlet and light tangelo mane and tail, and a sailboat on water with a sun for a cutie mark. She also wore flower-shaped earrings and a light blue scarf. Across from her was a more slender pale yellow pegasus mare with opal eyes, light cyan and arctic blue mane and tail, a spool of blue string and a needle for a cutie mark, and a light purple sweater. In between them was a golden male changeling with medium gray wings, a black neck fin and wing cases, and yellow eyes.

“Aw, thanks, Aunt Holiday. But I'm not sure we can take credit for this one,” Scootaloo replied.

“Of course you can. You encouraged that colt to try new things. And because you all believed in him, he succeeded,” Holiday said.

“I could use that kind of help. Huh,” the pegasus mare added.

“Come on, Auntie Lofty. You already have your cutie mark,” Scootaloo replied, laughing.

“Lot of good it does me. I can't decide what theme to give this quilt. Ah, I've run out of inspiration,” Lofty said.

“I’m sure you figure something out, babe,” the changeling replied.

“How about apples? Puppies? Kites!” Apple Bloom suggested.

“Or cotton candy! Or ballet!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Maybe the seasons or the night sky,” Eric suggested.

“What about a Wonderbolt quilt?” Scootaloo asked.

“See? Leave it to you four to come up with more ideas than I've had in a year! Now, that's talent,” Lofty replied with a laugh.

Just then, the cuckoo clock went off.

“Goodness. We'd better get going, or we'll miss our train home,” Holiday said, looking up at the clock and got up from the chair, “Stinger and I left you plenty of healthy food for the weekend.”

“And I left you cookies,” Lofty added with a laugh as she packed her quilt.

Eric and the fillies gasped happily as Holiday, Lofty, and Stinger went out the door. It was then that Holiday opened the door.

“The Cakes will stay with you tonight. Then Rarity, and Rainbow Dash after that. Remember, we're just a few stops from Ponyville if you need us,” Holiday said, rubbing Scootaloo’s mane.

“She knows, Holiday,” Lofty replied, then turned to Scootaloo, “See you next week, slugger.”

“Later, Scoots,” Stinger added, hugging her.

“Bye, Aunt Holiday! Bye, Auntie Lofty! Bye, Uncle Stinger!” Scootaloo said as the three of them left for the train station.

It was then that Scootaloo closed the door behind them.

“Your aunts and uncle are so nice,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah. It's really cool they watch you while your parents are gone,” Apple Bloom remarked.

“You’re lucky to have them. Especially with Stinger as your uncle,” Eric added.

“I know. I just wish they lived closer. Nopony bakes like Auntie Lofty,” Scootaloo replied, putting her hooves on her cheeks.

“How did Stinger end up in a relationship with your aunts anyway?” Eric asked.

“He met them on their romantic getaway in Las Pegasus just three years ago. After some time getting to know my aunts, they formed a three-way romance and now here they are, due to be married in a few months,” Scootaloo explained.

Just then, the four of them heard a knock on the door. Scootaloo opened it and noticed that Ditzy delivered what looked to be a postcard, then flew off. She took a look at it and gasped.

“They're coming home today!” Scootaloo said.

“Who?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“My parents!” Scootaloo replied excitedly.

At the Ponyville Schoolhouse, most of the students were listening to Cheerilee as she was about to start the lesson.

“Today, we're gonna learn about the Pegasus Weather Factory,” Cheerilee said.

She turned her head to hear Scootaloo open and close the door.

“Once everypony is in their seats,” Cheerilee finished as Scootaloo took a seat with a smile on her face.

“The factory specializes in snow, rain, sunshine, and...” Cheerilee spoke up before she saw Scootaloo near the window, “Scootaloo? May I help you?” she asked, clearing her throat.

“I... just noticed your erasers needed dusting,” Scootaloo replied with a nervous laugh.

A cloud of chalk dust appeared as she dusted the erasers, making everyone cough, including Cheerilee.

Why don't we hold off on the lesson until after lunch? How about show and tell? Does anypony have any—?“ Cheerilee asked.

“My parents are coming home to Ponyville today!” Scootaloo said, leaping in excitement. Cheerilee just stood there with wide eyes.

“Wait. They don't live here?” Snips asked.

“Nope. Their jobs are way too important for that,” Scootaloo replied, then explained while acting it out, “They travel to the farthest, most dangerous places in Equestria to study unknown plants and fierce creatures. And what they learn helps pony science and medicine. I'd go with them, but it's too dangerous. Once, my mom had to wing-wrestle a wyvern, and my dad got trapped in a chimera's cave for three moons! He still has the scars to prove it.”

“You're making that up. Nopony has that kind of job,” Snips scoffed.

Just then, the class heard a loud bang coming from the door. It shot open as a cragadile entered the building, letting out a roar. Apple Bloom, Eric, and the other students rushed to the shelf by the window screaming as the beast destroyed a desk in one bite. Scootaloo and Cheerilee’s eyes widened in fear as the teacher pulled the filly close to her, standing on her desk.

“It's a cragadile!” Cheerilee shouted fearfully.

The cragadile growled and came towards the teacher’s desk until a stallion jumped through the doorway and pounced on the beast. The stallion in question was a grayish gamboge earth pony with a dark reddish purple mane and tail, light raspberry colored eyes, a camera with a map for a cutie mark, a white collared shirt, and a dark grayish fedora with crocodile teeth on the brim.

“Easy there, Marshmallow! Time you were in your crate for your nap!” he said in an Aussie-like accent, grunting.

He then wrapped a rope around the cragadile’s jaws, closing them shut. It was then that a pegasus mare flew in and landed in front of the cragadile.

“And that means now, mister!” she added sternly.

The mare in question was light tangelo orange with a mane and tail in two shades of light gold, grayish purple eyes, a compass with a wavy cloud for a cutie mark, and a yellow green shirt. The cragadile whimpered as it went into a cage as the door was closed. The two ponies shared a hoof bump.

Scootaloo gasped upon seeing her parents, “Mom! Dad!” she said as she hugged them, squealing.

“Still think she's makin' it all up?” Apple Bloom asked Snips with a smirk.

“Nuh-uh...” Snips replied as Eric and the other students got off the shelf, then he did too.

“Everypony, meet my parents, Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood!” Scootaloo said, introducing her parents as everyone else was at their desks. Cheerilee just sat on her desk looking surprised.

“Heh. Sorry to make such an entrance. Just brought back a few mates from our last adventure,” Snap Shutter said.

“We couldn't wait another moment to see Scootaloo! I hope we didn't interrupt anything,” Mane Allgood added.

Cheerilee’s hooves rattled as she replied nervously, “No, I, uh... think... class is dismissed.”

Once school unexpectedly ended early, Eric and his friends, along with the other students exited the door as they talked to each other about what happened.

“Crikey! You're nearly as tall as me now, Scoot!” Snap Shutter said, measuring his daughter.

“Aw, come on, Dad,” Scootaloo replied.

“Oh, Scootaloo. We missed you,” Mane Allgood said.

“Me, too, Mom,” Scootaloo replied as she hugged her, then asked, “Did you get all my letters?”

“And read them twenty times! But they're never as good as the real thing. It's so good to see you,” Mane Allgood said.

“I’m Slapstick, Scootaloo’s boyfriend. This is Zuni, Marina, Holly, and I presume you know about Eric,” Slapstick spoke up.

“Good to meet you, mates,” Snap Shutter replied, “I say we celebrate with ice cream sundaes. They don't have those in the jungle, that's for sure.”

“Why don't you all come? Our treat,” Mane Allgood offered.

Eric, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and the others smiled at their offer, implying they wanted to join in.

It wasn’t long before they were at the ice cream parlor. Scootaloo was catching up with her parents about everything she, Eric, and the others did.

“And Princess Twilight said we're such good friendship tutors, she might even let us teach a class!” Scootaloo said.

“Good on ya, Scoot!” Snap Shutter replied, while eating his sundae.

“What an honor!” Mane Allgood added.

“I can give you a tour of the school if you want. I mean, if you're staying for a while this time,” Scootaloo offered as Sweetie Belle and Eric took bites of their sundaes.

“Oh, you'll be seeing plenty of us,” Snap Shutter replied.

“Really?!” Scootaloo asked.

“Mm-hmm. Because we've taken a new job assignment that will let all of us live together!” Mane Allgood replied.

“I can't believe it! That's awesome!” Scootaloo said.

“All right, Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom replied as she and Scootaloo shared a hoof bump.

“Woo-hoo!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“Cool!” Eric added.

“We never planned to be away for so long in the first place. We just kept discovering things that could help Equestria. And nopony else had the experience to finish our job,” Snap Shutter said.

“But with all that's happened lately, Sombra's return, the destruction of the Tree of Harmony, we decided our family should be together,” Mane Allgood added.

Scootaloo joined hooves with her parents as they pulled her close to them.

“This is the best day of my life,” Scootaloo replied.

“We'll stay in town for the weekend so you can pack your things,” Snap Shutter said.

“Wait, what?!” Scootaloo asked.

“We're all moving to Shire Lanka! That's where our new job is,” Mane Allgood replied.

“But... most of my friends are in Ponyville,” Scootaloo said.

“You can come back and visit 'em. Or they can take the train to us. There's one every month,” Snap Shutter replied.

“But Scootaloo can't leave!” Apple Bloom said.

“We've been together our whole lives!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Writing each other love letters isn’t as good as going on a date every weekend,” Slapstick finished.

“It'll be a big change for everypony. But it'll be a good change. Give it time. You'll see,” Mane Allgood replied.

“The only thing I see... is the end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Scootaloo said, sniffling as she and the others also had tears in their eyes.

“The CMCs come as a set and it would be unfair to break up a set of good friends!” Eric shouted, “We don't want to say goodbye to Scootaloo! You're changing her whole life without even asking how she feels!”

It was then that Eric and the fillies ran out of the ice cream parlor with their sundaes, crying.

“Where ya going, Scoots?!” Snap Shutter called out, but got no answer.

It wasn’t long before the CMCs went to Eric’s home at the Castle of Friendship. They were in the library, crying for a few minutes until Twilight came in and heard them.

“Eric, girls, what’s the matter?” Twilight asked.

“Mom, we just met Scootaloo’s parents and they’re planning on having her move to Shire Lanka with them,” Eric replied.

“That’s super far away from Ponyville,” Apple Bloom added.

“They didn’t even ask me how I would feel about it,” Scootaloo continued.

“And now we'll probably never see her again! It's hopeless!” Sweetie Belle finished.

“On one hoof, your parents are doing what they think is best for you. But on the other hoof, you make a good point, Scootaloo. They should’ve asked how you would feel,” Twilight replied, “Besides, you're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Solving tough problems is what you do.”

“For me, moving to Canterlot is also a big change, but at least my friends and I will be able to visit each other whenever we want, not just monthly,” Eric said, “Good thing you and dad took my feelings into account, Mom.”

Over the next two days, Scootaloo didn’t feel like talking to her parents. They tried to console her but she was not in the mood to listen. This made them feel concerned and they had feelings of guilt.

Soon enough, Scootaloo was sitting at the train station. It was then that Eric, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom came up to her.

“Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom shouted as she was panting.

“Where are you going?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“To stay with my aunts and Uncle Stinger,” Scootaloo replied as she was tearing up, “I’m not in the mood to talk to my parents or listen to them right now and if I'm not on the train to Shire Lanka, they'll have to go without me.”

Eric, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom looked at each other before turning back to Scootaloo.

“Then we're comin' with ya!” Apple Bloom said.

“Are you sure? I don't want to get you in trouble,” Scootaloo replied.

“Rarity won't be mad,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Applejack neither. I bet she'd do the same thing for her friends,” Apple Bloom added.

“My mom won’t mind either. I told her that I was gonna have a sleepover with all of you,” Eric finished.

“You're the best, you know that?” Scootaloo replied, hugging them.

“We're the best,” Apple Bloom said.

“Together,” Sweetie Belle and Eric added in unison as they all shared a hoof/fist bump.

Just then, the train came and the CMCs got onboard. Soon enough, they were at the community that Scootaloo’s aunts lived in and went up to their house. Scootaloo knocked on the door and Holiday opened it.

“Scootaloo! What a nice surprise,” Holiday said with a gasp.

“Good to see you, Scoot,” Stinger added.

“You too, Uncle Stinger,” Scootaloo replied.

“And I've got a surprise for you!” Lofty spoke up as the CMCs shared looks of shrugging, “You three inspired me to finish my quilt. See? It's Cutie Mark Crusader-themed!” She presented a quilt with symbols representing everyone they helped. Scootaloo just sighed sadly.

“It's... still a work-in-progress,” Lofty said.

“It's not your quilt we're sad about, Auntie Lofty. Mom and Dad are back. And they're making me move to Shire Lanka with them!” Scootaloo replied.

“Snap and Mane are back? They didn't tell me that,” Holiday said.

“Oh. I think the mailpony delivered your letter to my house,” Scootaloo replied as she gave them the letter, “I love my family, but I love being with my friends, too. I don't want to have to choose.”

“Well, then why don't your parents just stay in Ponyville?” Lofty asked.

“Their job is too important,” Scootaloo replied.

“That's it!” Apple Bloom said.

“What do you mean?” Eric asked.

“Scootaloo's parents are the only ones in Equestria that can do what they do, right?” Apple Bloom said.

“Right...” Scootaloo replied.

“Well, so are we! Our cutie marks prove it!” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah... Our job is to help other ponies find their purpose!” Sweetie Belle added.

“And nopony else can do that! So if my parents split us up, it'd be just as bad as them quitting their jobs!” Scootaloo replied.

“Woo-hoo!” the four of them cheered and laughed.

“Now, how do we explain that to 'em?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Oh, you don't have to explain it,” Holiday replied.

“They will,” Lofty added, presenting the quilt.

“Leave it to the ponies and other creatures you helped,” Stinger said.

The next day, Scootaloo was in the doorway of her house as her parents were finishing packing their things.

“Feeling better, Scootaloo?” Mane Allgood asked.

“A little. I just want to show you something before we go,” Scootaloo replied.

“All right, but let's make it swift. That train won't wait,” Snap Shutter said.

It wasn’t long before the three of them were near town hall.

“Sweet Celestia's slippers!” Snap Shutter said.

“What is all this?” Mane Allgood asked as they noticed a large crowd near town hall which was decorated for a special occasion.

Eric, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Mane 7, Spike, Starlight, and their other six friends, along with the other ponies and creatures they helped were gathered in front of town hall. It was then that Rainbow Dash flew over to Scootaloo and her parents.

“It's Cutie Mark Crusader Appreciation Day! But we couldn't start without all of them here,” she answered.

Snap and Mane were a little surprised about this. It was then that Scootaloo got onto Rainbow’s back and she flew her to the entrance of town hall.

“CMCs! CMCs! CMCs! CMCs! CMCs! CMCs!” everyone chanted.

“These three ponies and boy share a rare ability to help others find their true purpose. It's a job only they can do, and only together,” the mayor said.

“That sounds familiar,” Mane Allgood remarked.

“In honor of all they have done and continue to do for the ponies of this town, I would like to present the Cutie Mark Crusaders with a three-handled Key to the City and four honor medals!” the mayor announced. She gave them the key in question, which had three loops, along with four golden medals.

Everyone cheered as the Wonderbolts flew overhead. They created a smoke stream in the three colors of the CMCs’ shield and formed the shape of it as well. Scootaloo’s parents were surprised to see this.

“A full Wonderbolt salute!” Snap Shutter said.

“Oh, I'm not sure you know just how important Scootaloo and her friends are, little brother,” Holiday replied as she, Lofty, and Stinger appeared.

“But you're about to find out,” Lofty added, pointing towards Skeedaddle. It was then that the colt in question went up to the pedestal.

“The CMCs used their free time to set up a camp to help us blank flanks find our cutie marks. The Cutie Mark Crusaders see the best in everypony, even when that pony can't see it in themselves,” Skeedaddle explained, as three more foals presented their cutie marks.

“It’s just like I wrote in the Journal of Friendship: ‘you can shine no matter what you’re made of’,” Eric added.

“Well, I'll be a three-tailed bandicoot. I had no idea how important Scoot's club was,” Snap Shutter said.

“Oh, it's way more than just a club. The CMCs have made a difference for everypony here,” Rainbow replied.

“And not just ponies. They help every creature,” Terramar added as he and Gabby landed and shared a claw bump.

“Whether it's encouraging others to discover their special talent...” Holiday began as Tender Taps demonstrated his tap dancing.

“...or inspiring them to do what's in their heart...” Lofty continued as Diamond Tiara waved to the CMCs. Apple Bloom waved back.

“...these three offer the town something no other pony can,” Stinger finished.

Just then, they heard the train whistle. Scootaloo’s parents looked at each other while the CMCs looked sad. Snap and Mane smiled as the latter signaled for Scootaloo to come to them. The filly let go of the key, looking down sadly.

“No way! After all that, you're still gonna make her leave?!” Rainbow asked, hovering over to Scootaloo’s parents.

“We just want what's best for Scootaloo. And until now, we thought we knew what that was,” Mane Allgood replied as she and Snap Shutter went up to the entrance of town hall.

“Turns out you're just like us, Scoot. You have an important job that only you can do. You love it, and it helps all of Equestria,” Snap Shutter said with a sigh as everyone smiled at Eric and the fillies.

“Sometimes that means missing out on other things you love, like watching our daughter grow into a pony we're very proud of,” Mane Allgood added.

“Which is a long way to say... Scoot, if you want to stay, we understand,” Snap Shutter finished.

Scootaloo shared looks with Eric and the others, then smiled with a gasp.

“Really?!” she asked, tearing up and hugging them, “Thanks, Dad! Thanks, Mom!”

Holiday, Lofty, and Stinger also teared up upon seeing this. They wiped each other’s tears.

“Oh, sweetie, I'm just sorry we didn't realize it sooner,” Mane Allgood said.

“Our work is our life's purpose. We could never quit. So there's no way we can ask you to do the same,” Snap Shutter added. Scootaloo smiled at this.

“Maybe you should've thought of that before you sold the house,” Lofty remarked.

“Lofty, don't tease my brother. We already have a solution worked out,” Holiday replied.

“Since the CMCs make Ponyville such a nice place, we've decided to move here,” Lofty said.

“You can live with us, Scootaloo. If you'd like,” Holiday said to her niece.

“That would be amazing!” Scootaloo replied, then asked her parents, “Will you... still come and visit?”

“Of course!” Mane Allgood said.

“Rabid bugbears couldn't keep us away,” Snap Shutter added as he gave his hat to Scootaloo.

“You get to stay here! You get to stay here! You get to stay here!” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Eric chanted and laughed.

“Uh... you are stayin' here, right?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Are you kidding? CMCs forever!” Scootaloo replied excitedly as everyone cheered.

“Good on you, Scoots,” Slapstick said as they hugged and kissed each other.

“Hi, Nightshade!” Apple Bloom called out to her kirin boyfriend.

“Hello, Apple Bloom. I wouldn’t miss CMC appreciation day for anything,” Nightshade replied as he came up and hugged her. They also shared a kiss.

Eric and Sweetie Belle smiled at each other lovingly. It was then that Twilight and Storm approached him.

“We’re proud of you for helping Scootaloo, Eric,” Twilight said, hugging him.

“Thanks, Mom,” Eric replied, “I just hope I can adjust to life in Canterlot when we have to move.”

“I’m sure you will, Eric. You can always talk to us about it,” Storm said.

“Alright, Dad,” Eric replied.

Author's Note

Stinger is a G4 revamp of Sting, a bee guard from G1. Reimagined as a changeling.

Chapter 7: The Summer Sun Setback

Two months went by as the summer solstice had come. At the ice fortress, Glacio and his high ranking officers, along with Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow were gathered in the main room.

“You wanted to see us, my lord?” Cozy Glow asked.

“Yes. Since you three were able to retrieve the Bewitching Bell, I have another task for you,” Glacio said.

“We’re listening,” Chrysalis replied.

“I want you three to figure out how we should use the bell,” Glacio said.

“That’s the trouble, ‘cause we hardly know anything about it apart from your copy of ‘Magical Relics of the Known World’ ,”Tirek replied.

“But that book lacks information about how to activate the bell and use it,” Chrysalis added.

“Twilight Sparkle may be the worst, but she does know stuff. She once said the Archives in Canterlot has a restricted area,” Cozy Glow said.

“Celestia and Luna love to hoard information for themselves. If there’s an answer, it’s there,” Tirek replied.

“You are both correct, Tirek and Cozy Glow. Blueblood informed me about it,” Glacio said.

“My triumphant return to Canterlot? I like the sound of that,” Chrysalis replied.

“You three must go to the Canterlot Archives and find some information on how to activate the bell,” Glacio ordered.

“Yes, my lord,” Cozy Glow replied.

It was then that Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow left for Canterlot.

“General Frostbite, how are things proceeding with the centaurs and gargoyles?” Glacio asked.

“It’s been difficult trying to help them rebuild their combined military forces, since they’ve been devastated by decades of civil war,” Frostbite replied, “But we managed to get them up to speed with seventy percent of their historic strength by this past spring.”

“Because of our help, they’ve agreed to join the cause,” Wind Rider added, “It was easier to persuade the minotaurs, the harpies, the gorgons, and even the avifelids to join our alliance two summers earlier.”

“Good. Now we just need the diamond dogs, the sphinxes, the reindeer, the banshees, the oni, and the trolls in our alliance,” Glacio said.

“My lord, where do we find the diamond dogs, sphinxes, and reindeer?” Hot Shot asked.

“The diamond dogs are from a land called Caninia, the sphinxes are from the Bone Dry Desert, and the reindeer live in the kingdom of Winterforte, which is north of Yakyakistan,” Glacio replied, “You, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, Short Fuse, Hydia, Reeka, and Draggle must go to those places and persuade their leaders to join our cause.”

“Yes, my lord,” Hot Shot said. It was then that he and his partners left the ice fortress for their mission.

Several hours later

It was now sunset in Canterlot as Twilight and Storm were making preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Spike and Eric were sitting on the bed, reading some comic books. Just then, Princesses Celestia and Luna entered the room.

“Sorry to interrupt. We know you’re busy planning the Summer Sun Celebration as we requested. But...” Celestia said.

“Oh! Things seem, uh, calmer than we would’ve expected,” Luna remarked.

“No complaints here,” Spike replied.

“It was difficult for me to sleep a full ten hours earlier today,” Eric added.

“With the exception of the odd trivia night, I’ve made a lot of progress since the Royal Swanifying Ceremony. You may not know this about me, but I occasionally freak out,” Twilight said, then the royal sisters looked at each other and raised an eyebrow, “That was a joke. Storm and I wanted to show you with the Summer Sun Celebration how much I’ve improved. So we focused on delegating and trusting others. It’s been great!”

“That’s... actually what we came to talk to you two about. This may be the last Summer Sun Celebration you’ll need to plan,” Luna replied.

“Did we do something wrong?” Twilight and Storm asked in unison.

“Of course not. It’s just that the Celebration has always been about us. My defeat of Luna...” Celestia began.

“...and, thanks to you and your friends, my reunion with my sister,” Luna continued.

“Now that we’re leaving, we don’t see a need for the holiday any longer,” Celestia finished.

“Now that you’re...” Twilight tried to speak up.

“My sister and I have decided. The time for us to retire is upon us,” Celestia said, cutting Twilight off, “You and your friends have proven you are ready to lead Equestria. So let this be the last Summer Sun Celebration as Equestria leaves behind the old to embrace the new!”

Twilight gulped nervously as she was given an amulet containing a small amount of the royal sisters’ power.

“It’ll be alright, Twily,” Storm said, placing a forehoof on his wife’s shoulder.

“On the plus side, this could be the last time some of us have a mostly nocturnal schedule,” Eric added.

“You might be right, Eric. I know it’s been hard for you to sleep for ten hours of daylight,” Twilight replied.

“Celestia, can you please send a summons to my friends in Ponyville?” Eric asked, “The celebration might attract the wrong attention and we’ll need to do a stakeout and check for anything suspicious.”

“Of course, Eric,” Celestia replied.

Half an hour or so later, Eric met up with his friends in the castle gardens.

“We came as soon as we could. What’s the situation?” Zuni asked.

“I had you all summoned here because we need to do a stakeout, check for anything suspicious, and report back to my parents. The Summer Sun Celebration is bound to attract unwanted attention,” Eric explained.

“The Canterlot Archives are full of information that cannot be found in any library,” Nightshade said, “I have a hunch that if Glacio were to send his minions here, it would be to recover some sort of information from the archives.”

“Since Glacio is seeking the Bewitching Bell, he’s probably gonna want some information about it,” Pincer added.

“On another note, I reckon your sisters will be surprised to see you three here, girls,” Slapstick said to the three fillies.

“They probably won’t mind us being here,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and I slept for ten hours straight earlier today,” Apple Bloom said, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodding in agreement.

“I did too. It was a little difficult, but I managed,” Marina replied.

“Same here,” Holly added.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Detectives are on the case!” Scootaloo said.

“As Shamrock Cones would say, the game is ahoof! Let’s do this thing!” Eric replied.

Over in an alley, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow kept hidden behind some barrels.

“Why are so many ponies up in the middle of the night?” Tirek asked.

“It’s that silly sun holiday,” Cozy Glow replied.

“How many holidays do you ponies have? No matter. Getting into the castle won’t be a problem,” Chrysalis said.

“Are you sure about that?” Tirek asked, pointing to the castle roof.

They noticed a lot of fast blowing fans, which none of them were familiar with. A small green bird flew too close and got blown away. Tirek caught the bird in his hands, then it got up and flew away.

“Oh. Those are new. But even so...” Chrysalis said, then transformed into a purple pegasus guard.

She and Cozy Glow had devious smiles on their faces. Chrysalis strutted over to the entrance and tried pushing the door open, but it didn’t work.

“Transfer. Have to head inside. Open up,” Chrysalis said in a disguised voice.

It was then that a pale grayish blue unicorn guard came up to the door and opened it with her medallion. Chrysalis tried entering the door, only for it to shut in her face. The two pegasus guards looked at her weirdly.

“Right. Of course,” Chrysalis said, laughing nervously.

She tried to use the medallion on her chest plate, but it didn’t work.

“Uh, do yours get glitchy too? More medallions, more problems, am I right?” Chrysalis asked as she walked away.

She came back to the alley where Tirek and Cozy Glow were playing chess. They turned to her as she returned behind the left barrel with a frown on her face.

“They’ve increased security into the castle. This is going to be more challenging than I thought,” Chrysalis informed them, resuming her normal voice. She then transformed back into her normal form.

Just then, Discord teleported himself, Spike, and the Mane 5 near their position. Upon seeing the seven of them, they took cover behind the barrels.

“Could you not go popping us all over the place, please?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Time is of the essence,” Discord replied, then appeared in a conjured up cheerleader outfit, “Let’s go, team!”

“We need to know what we’re doing before we go and do it,” Fluttershy said.

“Pinkie, you and I are givin’ Braeburn and the Appleloosan ponies some adjustments to the menu,” Applejack spoke up.

“Fluttershy and I are meeting the Pegasi from Cloudsdale to give them changes to the weather,” Rainbow added with Fluttershy nodding in agreement.

“Spike, we’re going to update the Flaming Sky Firework Unicorn Troupe with Twilight and Storm’s new vision,” Rarity continued as Spike turned to her with a smile on his face.

“And I’m supposed to...” Discord finished, then read his notecard, “…’make sure Discord doesn’t do anything ‘Discord-y’? Well, that’s annoyingly specific!”

It was then that Discord, Spike, and the Mane 5 split up into their respective groups of two. Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow popped up from behind the barrels.

“Increased security on a crowded holiday with Twilight and her friends bumbling around? This is impossible,” Tirek said.

“Oh, no. This is perfect. We need a distraction, and those ridiculous ponies just gave it to us. Now, do exactly as I tell you,” Chrysalis replied with a devious grin, then whispered in their ears. Tirek and Cozy Glow had devious smiles of their own upon hearing the plan.

Just as the three of them split up, Eric and his friends came out of hiding behind a tree.

“Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow are here,” Eric told his friends.

“How could Tirek and Cozy Glow have gotten out of Tartarus?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Something tells me that Glacio must’ve broken them out, and now I believe all three of them are working with him,” Eric replied.

“They’re headed for the Canterlot Archives and they’re planning to disrupt the celebration as a diversion to keep your parents and their friends busy,” Nightshade added.

“We need to keep an eye on them and alert my parents,” Eric said, then gave his friends their directions, “Nightshade, Apple Bloom, and Marina, you follow Cozy Glow. Slapstick, Scootaloo, and Zuni, you follow Tirek. Holly, Pincer, and Sweetie Belle, you’re with me. We’re following Chrysalis.”

At the castle courtyard, Scootaloo, Slapstick, and Zuni witnessed Tirek draining some magic from a few earth ponies, including Braeburn. This made them gasp worriedly. They kept out of Tirek’s sight as they kept following him.

“Tirek just sucked some magic out of those three ponies and took that pie,” Scootaloo said.

“This is most likely his part of the diversion. Let’s go,” Zuni replied.

In the gardens, Apple Bloom, Nightshade, and Marina saw Cozy Glow trying to manipulate the weather ponies from behind some bushes.

“That little psychopath is gonna mess up the weather,” Marina said.

“We have to keep an eye on her. Come on, girls,” Nightshade replied.

“Right behind ya, Shady,” Apple Bloom said.

Over at the stage, Chrysalis assumed her Crackle Cosette disguise and came onto the stage. Eric, Sweetie Belle, Holly, and Pincer saw the her trying to manipulate the troupe ponies not to perform.

“We need to follow Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow to the archives,” Eric said.

“Right behind you, Eric,” Sweetie Belle replied.

Soon enough, various ponies were running in a panic, screaming as the storm kept up. Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow looked on from behind some boxes. They waited for the Mane 5 to focus on fixing the problems the three of them caused.

“Best... road trip... ever!” Cozy Glow said with a devious smile on her face.

As the Mane 5 went to fix the celebration, Eric and his friends followed Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow as they went toward the castle entrance. A lone unicorn guard was pacing as he turned to see Cozy Glow who had a little smile on her face. He then looked up in fear as Tirek drained some of his magic, making him fall to the ground. Chrysalis took his medallion, then used it to open the doors and the three of them entered the castle.

Eric was under the cover of his invisibility cloak and his friends were hidden under their own ones, which he had Discord make for them. The doors closed on them, but Eric pointed his wand and whispered, “Alohomora.”

The doors unlocked, then Eric and his friends entered the castle and followed Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow. They followed the evil trio around the castle until Cozy Glow opened a familiar door.

“Not here. The Archives are in a different part of the castle,” she said to the other two.

She left the door open, which woke up one of the guard geese. The lone goose exited the throne room trying to find out who opened the throne room door. Eric and his friends kept following the evil trio until Pincer happened to notice the goose behind them. He quickly transformed into a guard goose and honked, reassuring it that he and the others were friends not foes.

The goose tagged along with Eric and his friends as they kept walking down the hallway behind the evil trio. Under cover of their invisibility cloaks, they followed the three villains until they reached the archives. The goose landed and noticed Chrysalis in the form of another guard goose, it honked at her as if it were asking a question. Chrysalis honked back, telling it to go away. The goose squinted its eyes and flew away. Chrysalis assumed her normal form and rejoined Tirek and Cozy Glow as the filly used a paper clip to pick the lock. She managed to unlock the door to the archives and the three of them entered, unaware of Eric and his friends following them.

Outside the castle, Twilight and Storm were strolling with Celestia, Luna, and Emerald.

“You three just enjoy the festivities. We have a few surprises in store for…” Twilight said, then noticed Discord hovering by them, “Yes, Discord?”

“Oh, well, don’t mind me,” Discord said, then appeared in a red flower print shirt and sunglasses, “I’m just here for the chaos.”

“And here we go!” Discord laughed as a burst of thunder and lightning appeared.

Twilight, Storm, Emerald, and the royal sisters were surprised to see this happening as Rainbow flew past them.

“What is Rainbow Dash doing?” Twilight asked.

“Let’s find out,” Storm replied.

Twilight flew after her with Storm walking alongside her. They stopped as they noticed Pinkie pushing a large pot of soup towards the food stalls.

“Pinkie, is this soup?” Twilight asked.

“Yes! I... was really hungry?” Pinkie replied with a nervous smile, trying to hide it behind her.

Pinkie, Twilight, and Storm turned their heads as Rarity and Spike were trying to calm down an angry crowd of unicorns.

“Nopony understands wanting to take pride in your work more than I do!” Rarity said.

“You could do more with your magic than make frilly dresses!” one of the firework troupe unicorns replied.

“Oh, pffft. Nopony makes frills anymore. This season’s actually all about simplicity—” Rarity said.

“Not the point, Rarity!” Spike shouted.

Twilight and Storm were about to ask Rarity and Spike what was going on, but they were approached by Feather Flatterfly.

“Princess! Prince! I beg your forgiveness! It’s entirely my fault!” Flatterfly said, getting down on his knees.

“What is?” Twilight asked.

A burst of thunder and lightning appeared as it began raining.

“That!” Flatterfly shouted.

“Oh, um, just a slight hiccup in the weather,” Fluttershy replied, laughing nervously as she pushed Flatterfly away.

Rainbow pushed the storm clouds away in the background with Twilight turning her head, but just missed her. Just then, they quickly noticed Applejack pulling a cart full of food.

“Applejack, what is going on?” Twilight asked as she and Storm came up to her.

“I told y’all this was a bad idea! But nopony ever listens to me!” Applejack shouted at the others as she threw down her hat.

“That’s it!” Twilight and Storm said in unison as she flew up and levitated the others, then dropped them. The others yelped and groaned at this.

“I thought everything was fine! What is going on?!” Twilight asked as the others looked nervous.

“Everythin’ was goin’ fine,” Applejack replied.

“Until it totally wasn’t,” Pinkie added.

“We tried to fix it ourselves,” Fluttershy said.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Twilight asked.

“We didn’t want you to freak out,” Rainbow replied.

“And you thought not telling me everything was a total disaster would avoid a freak-out?!” Twilight asked.

“When you say it like that, it sounds like a really bad plan,” Spike remarked as Twilight inhaled deeply.

“Here it comes!” Discord said, looking through his binoculars.

“I know how I used to react, but I really have changed. Panicking won’t solve anything. But we can handle whatever problems come our way as long as we handle them together!” Twilight explained.

“Agreed,” Storm added, then turned to his wife, “Eric will be glad to know that you aren’t freaking out anymore.”

“Spoken like a true leader,” Celestia spoke up as she, Luna, and Emerald appeared, “How can we help?”

“I love a good to-do list. So tell me exactly what happened so we can figure out exactly what ‘to do’ to fix it,” Twilight replied.

Celestia and Emerald were helping Applejack and Fluttershy tend to the sick earth ponies. Rainbow and the other pegasi cleared most of the storm clouds with help from Luna and Discord. Twilight, Storm, and Rarity were able to convince the unicorn firework troupe to resume their performance while Spike carried Pinkie by her tail while flying as two earth ponies were pushing her party cannon.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow were searching for a book or some scrolls about the Bewitching Bell. Eric and his friends followed closely behind them, safely under their invisibility cloaks. Cozy Glow squeezed through an empty shelf and happened to notice what looked to be a book about the bell. The filly tried to take it off the shelf, but it didn’t work as it was bound by chains. She took a book with a key on the cover and used it to smash the chains, then grabbed it off the shelf. Cozy Glow presented the book to Chrysalis and Tirek as they had smiles on their faces. Eric and his friends gasped in horror as the evil trio got what they came for.

“We need to alert my parents right away,” Eric said.

“Right behind you, Eric,” Nightshade replied as they exited the archives.

Back outside, the last of the storm clouds were cleared and everything was set up so the celebration would start. It wasn’t long before Eric and his friends came out and took front row seats as they took their cloaks off. Everypony else began to take their seats and watch as the unicorn troupe set off the fireworks with help from Pinkie, Forest Thunder, Soarin, Spiracle, Jasper, Smokey, Starlight, and Trixie. The fireworks made an image of what looked to be either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna facing the moon.

The royal sisters and Emerald smiled at this and each shed a tear of joy. The former two flew over to the stage as Emerald teleported onstage as Twilight and Storm activated the talisman. With that, the moon set and the sun rose in the sky as everyone cheered. Twilight and Storm came up to the microphone and began a speech.

“This Celebration has always been a reminder not to fear the night, for there is always a new day to look forward to. But as we look towards Equestria's future, we are sad to say today will be the last Summer Sun Celebration,” Twilight said, then everyone gasped in shock.

“Because there is something even more important to celebrate,” Storm continued, as the royal sisters and Emerald were surprised, “There are two ponies who have watched over us night and day for as long as we can remember. We will no longer commemorate their battle or their reunion. Instead, we will take this day to celebrate how much they mean to all of us.”

“From this day forward, today will be known as the Festival of the Two Sisters!” Twilight and Storm finished in unison as everyone cheered. Celestia, Luna, and Emerald’s eyes widened at this, their looks shifted as they felt touched.

“We don't know what to say,” Celestia said as she hugged her two former pupils.

“A brand new holiday? You're my kind of princess!” Pinkie remarked, giggling.

“I’m just glad we pulled it off,” Twilight said.

“Same here,” Storm added.

“About that... We just wanted to say we're real sorry,” Applejack replied.

“You did tell us you'd changed,” Rarity added.

“As your friends, we should've trusted you,” Fluttershy continued.

“Next time you say you're not gonna freak out, we'll believe you,” Rainbow finished as she flew up to the couple.

“Good. Because I'm sure there's gonna be plenty of things we’ll need our best friends' help with,” Twilight said as she and Storm got offstage.

“Agreed,” Storm added.

The six of them entered a group hug as Pinkie jumped offstage, “Whee-hee!” she exclaimed.

“Aah!” the others exclaimed as Pinkie tackled them.

They shared a laugh as Discord looked on while laying on a cloud, eating a crescent moon cookie, “You know, it really does seem like you just might be ready for whatever comes next, your Majesties,” he said.

Just then, Eric and his friends approached the Mane 7.

“Mom! Dad! Everyone! The archives were broken into!” Eric said, “Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow were here and they stole a book about the Bewitching Bell!”

“What?! Impossible! Tirek and Cozy Glow are in Tartarus!” Storm replied.

“Glacio must have broken them out and now, the two of them and Chrysalis are working with him!” Eric said, “We overheard them talking as they mentioned that Glacio has the bell and that he sent them here.”

“It’s true, all the trouble with the celebration was no accident. Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow caused it as a diversion to keep all of you busy while they broke into the archives,” Nightshade added.

“Eric, are you and your friends absolutely sure?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, mom,” Eric replied, “I bet Glacio must’ve acquired a copy of ‘Magical Relics of the Known World’, which is how he knows about the bell.”

“But we know that his copy of the book wasn’t enough information for him. That’s why he sent Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow here to get some more information with the book they stole,” Zuni added.

“Assuming everything you said is true, we need to be ready for Glacio’s next move,” Storm said.

“On another note, it’s good to see you here, Apple Bloom,” Applejack greeted her sister.

“Good to have you here, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said to her sister.

At the ice fortress, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow entered the throne room.

“Oh, stop pouting,” Chrysalis told Tirek.

“You knew you couldn't stay that buff. You had to return all the life force to those Earth ponies so Twilight and the others wouldn’t be alerted to us,” Cozy Glow added.

“I don't have to like it,” Tirek replied.

“My lord, we got the additional information about the bell you were looking for,” Cozy Glow said.

“Good. Once we master the Bewitching Bell, Equestria will be ours for the taking and we shall plunge it into everlasting winter,” Glacio replied as he laughed evilly. The evil trio along with Frostbite, Blueblood, Shadow Swift, Wind Rider, and Descent cackled with him.

Chapter 8: The Ending of the End - Part 1

Two and a half months after the Summer Sun Celebration

At the ice fortress, Glacio and five of his high ranking officers, along with Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow were gathered in the throne room, discussing their plan.

“While we invade Canterlot with the rest our allies helping us, the Thracian army shall attack the Crystal Empire and destroy the Crystal Heart,” Glacio said.

“This should be easy, since we have the advantage of numbers and the Bewitching Bell in our possession,” Frostbite replied, “According to a report from Blueblood, Twilight Sparkle and Storm Blade’s coronation is today.”

“Because of that, I’ve managed to spread distrust of Princess Twilight, Prince Storm, and their friends among many ponies,” Chrysalis added.

“Good thinking, Chrysalis,” Wind Rider said.

“I presume it was difficult to spread slander about them since the Journal of Friendship is a best seller with its lessons and all,” Blueblood added.

“You are correct. We could take down Twilight and her friends a hundred times, but as long as they have the ‘love’ of Equestria behind them, they’d crawl back to defeat us. Not anymore,” Chrysalis replied.

“No friendship, no magic! It's so obvious when you think about it,” Cozy Glow added.

Just then, Hot Shot, Thundercracker, and Skywarp entered the room, along with Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, Short Fuse, and their gorgon partners.

“Welcome back, Hot Shot. How are things proceeding?” Glacio asked.

“My lord, the reindeer have agreed to join our cause. We promised them they could have Yakyakistan,” Hot Shot replied.

“The sphinxes and trolls have also agreed to join us,” Lightning Dust added.

“The diamond dogs and the banshees have agreed to join us as well,” Hydia finished.

“Very good. Now our alliance is complete,” Glacio replied, “Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow managed to find some additional information on the Bewitching Bell while you were away.”

“Do tell, Lord Tirek,” Hot Shot said.

“According to the book we stole, the bell can steal any creature's magic. It holds that magic until it is released by this spell. Which means all the power inside is ours for the taking!“ Tirek replied, reading the book.

“Cool,” Hydia remarked, with a cackle.

“Let’s try the spell immediately,” Chrysalis replied.

“Take my hands,” Tirek said, as Chrysalis and Cozy Glow have him looks, “So we can all be part of the spell.”

“Tirek is right. We must join hooves and his hands together so we can activate the bell,” Glacio told them.

Cozy Glow joined her right hoof with Tirek’s left hand, while Chrysalis joined her left hoof with his right hand. Glacio hovered over the floor as he joined hooves with Cozy Glow and Chrysalis.

“Our pact stands. What we do, we do together,” Chrysalis said, “I shall rule at Glacio’s side, Tirek shall rule his homeland as promised, and Cozy Glow shall gain a place in Glacio’s ranks.”

“Precisely. We shall destroy all who stand in our way!” Glacio replied.

Tirek and Glacio used their magic on the bell, making it glow and float up. It released a swirling black and yellow vortex from the bottom. The four of them were staring into it as a burst of light shot out and struck them. This caused them to change and grow more powerful. They all laughed evilly upon receiving a huge upgrade of their power.

It wasn’t long before Glacio’s army was amassed outside the fortress.

“A new power is rising. Our power, and its victory is at hoof! This day, the land will be stained with the blood of my sisters, Princess Twilight, Prince Storm, along with their friends and families! We march to Canterlot! We attack now!” Glacio announced.

“Hail Prince Glacio! Hail Prince Glacio! Hail Prince Glacio!” his troops and officers chanted.

Frostbite blew the wooden horn, then Glacio led his army southward with Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Frostbite close behind him. Soon enough, they ran or flew at the highest speed they could as they made their advance.

A few hours later in Canterlot, the castle entrance was decorated neatly for Twilight and Storm’s coronation. In the throne room, the thrones of Celestia and Luna were replaced by a single large throne with enough room for both Twilight and Storm.

“Don’t they look so adorably regal up there?” Celestia asked as Luna and Emerald each took out a tissue.

“Our little Twilight and Storm, all grown up,” Luna added as she and Emerald wiped their tears of joy.

“Should we tell them that we've cleared out our royal suites so they and Spike can move in?” she asked her sister.

“Oh, maybe wait until after the coronation. Twilight and Storm don't need anything else to worry about today,” Celestia replied.

“Except for Glacio, since Storm told us that this would be the perfect time for him and his forces to attack,” Emerald said.

“Duly noted. Twilight and Storm also suggested that we all prepare for Glacio’s invasion,” Luna replied.

It was then that Spike measured Twilight and Storm’s heads to make sure their crowns would fit. Eric just stood by them as he was on edge ever since the final Summer Sun Celebration, along with his tenth birthday.

“So, you freakin' out yet?” he asked them.

“About what?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, I don't know. It's not every day the princesses that have ruled Equestria for hundreds of moons retire and pass all their responsibilities on to the both of you and your friends,” Spike said.

“Oh, that. Actually, we’re feeling pretty good. We've all faced so much and come out okay,” Twilight replied.

“Even though Glacio is likely to attack with his whole army and the Bewitching Bell in his possession?” Eric asked.

“I told the guards to secure every entrance to the city and sent a letter to Starswirl and the other Pillars, asking them to secure Canter Fields,” Storm explained, “If that’s not enough, we’ll have Discord send word to our allies and they’ll come to our aid. We’ll be ready for them.”

“We know we're up to the challenge of keeping Equestria safe and happy. There's nothing we can't handle together. Which reminds us...” Twilight added, as she presented Spike with a box.

“Royal advisor? What's that?” Spike asked, as he read the medal within the box.

“A new position Storm and I created for you,” Twilight replied as she put the medal on him, “You've been with us for every step of this journey. Knowing we had you to count on gave me the strength we needed to grow and succeed. We wouldn't be here without you.”

“Thanks, Twilight and Storm. You know I'll always be your right-hoof dragon,” Spike said.

“We were hoping you'd say that. Because now that our crowns have been fitted, we have some royal errands to run!” Twilight replied.

“Mom, Dad, I’ll be back. I need to get my friends,” Eric said.

“Good thinking. We’ll need all the help we can get,” Storm replied.

It was then that Eric got on his broomstick and flew out of the castle. He flew around the castle courtyard until he found Nightshade.

“Hi, Nightshade,” Eric greeted.

“Hello, Eric,” Nightshade said, “Something odd is going on here.”

“What is it?” Eric asked.

“I overheard various ponies gossiping about your parents and their friends, but I don’t believe any of it. I know they always manage their character flaws,” Nightshade replied.

“This smells like Chrysalis, just like when she persuaded the unicorn firework troupe to stop performing at the last Summer Sun Celebration two and a half months ago,” Eric said.

“You might be right,” Nightshade replied.

“We need to get the others, hop on,” Eric said as he got on his broomstick.

Nightshade got on behind Eric as he took off for Ponyville. Once there, they went to Sweet Apple Acres to find Apple Bloom. They noticed her helping Big Mac and Sugar Belle with some apple deliveries bound for Canterlot.

“Hello, Apple Bloom,” Nightshade greeted his girlfriend.

“Hi, Nightshade,” Apple Bloom greeted back, hugging her boyfriend.

“Hi, Apple Bloom,” Eric said, “We’re gathering the whole gang together since we’re needed in Canterlot for the coronation.”

“Big Mac, could you and Sugar Belle please tell Granny Smith that I’ll be in Canterlot for a while?” Apple Bloom called out.

“Yup!” Big Mac replied.

Eric flew on his broomstick to Sweetie Belle’s house with Nightshade and Apple Bloom running behind him. Once there, he knocked on the door and Sweetie Belle answered it.

“We’re needed in Canterlot,” Eric said.

“I’m right with you, Eric,” Sweetie Belle replied.

It wasn’t long before the four of them found Pincer hanging out with Lyra and Bonbon. They told him that he was needed in Canterlot for the coronation and be transformed into a roc. Nightshade and Apple Bloom got onto his back, while Sweetie Belle got behind Eric on his broomstick.

They flew over to pick up Scootaloo, then Zuni, Marina, Slapstick, and finally Holly. Marina flew alongside Eric and Sweetie Belle on his broomstick as Pincer carried Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Nightshade, Slapstick, and Holly. En route to Canterlot, Eric and his friends quickly noticed Glacio’s army in the distance.

“We need to get back to the castle,” Eric told his friends.

“Right behind you, Eric,” Marina replied.

Upon landing in Canterlot, Eric and Sweetie Belle got off the broomstick while Nightshade and the others got off Pincer as he resumed his normal form. Soon enough, they rushed into the throne room where the Mane 7, Spike, the royal sisters, Lord Emerald, Discord, Soarin, Spiracle, Jasper, Smokey, and a few guards were gathered.

“We got here as soon as we could,” Eric said.

“Perfect timing, Eric,” Storm replied.

“How’s Midnight?” Eric asked nervously.

“He’s safe with your Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance,” Storm replied.

“Phew, good to know,” Eric sighed in relief.

“We've faced enemies of Equestria before. And we've always succeeded, no matter the odds. That wouldn't be possible without all of you,” Twilight said.

“You're welcome!” Discord spoke up.

“Dude, read the room,” Spike told him.

“So Storm and I ask for your help again today in what is our biggest battle yet. All of Equestria is at stake, and the both of us can't do this alone. But we’re not afraid. Because with friendship as our armor and teamwork as our power, nopony can ever bring us down!” Twilight finished.

Just then, Cozy Glow entered the throne room as she carried several unconscious guards with her magic. Everyone was shocked to see her as an alicorn.

“Oh, come on! Where'd you get that?” Cozy Glow remarked, “A daily affirmations calendar? Yeesh.”

“Cozy Glow?! You're—!” Twilight tried to say.

“About to wipe the floor with you!” Cozy Glow replied, cutting Twilight off and blasting her.

“Aah!” Twilight exclaimed as she was knocked down to the ground, then groaned.

Everyone else gasped in horror at this.

“Mom!” Eric shouted.

“Are you alright, Twily?” Storm asked.

“I’ll live,” Twilight replied.

Storm tried to blast Cozy Glow, but she cast a shield and blasted him into the wall. He groaned as he was stunned.

“Are you alright, dad?!” Eric asked rushing over to his parents.

“I’ll live. Go get her,” Storm replied.

“Wow! It's true! Alicorns really do have more fun!” Cozy Glow said as she tried to blast the others.

Eric got in front of them and shouted, “Protego Maxima!”

“Hello, Eric! You want a piece of me?!” Cozy Glow taunted.

“Stupefy!” Eric shouted as he tried to blast her with his wand.

Cozy Glow blocked his blast as a duel began between them.

At the foot of Mount Canter, Starswirl and the other Pillars stood ready to face Glacio’s army.

“Stay ready, friends! Canterlot depends on us!” Starswirl said.

“I don’t have time for this. Tirek, drain their magic!” Glacio told him.

“With pleasure,” Tirek replied.

Glacio and his army continued their advance as they ran and flew up the mountainside. The centaur then hopped three times until he was right in front of the Pillars. Starswirl tried blasting Tirek, but he blocked it with his arm. Rockhoof charged at the centaur only for Tirek to stomp on the ground and knock him out with a dike of rock. Mistmane and Starswirl tried blasting Tirek only for him to block it as he cackled. Flash Magnus flew straight at Tirek only for the centaur to grab him and throw him into Starswirl, Mistmane, and Meadowbrook, knocking them down. Somnambula flew straight at Tirek, only for him to knock her out of the sky in one punch. Tirek drained their magic as Rockhoof got back up.

“No!” Rockhoof said as he charged at Tirek again. He hit the centaur’s leg with his shovel only for it to break.

It was then that Tirek drained Rockhoof and Somnambula’s magic, turning the former into his past scrawny form.

“Ahhhh. The perfect dessert to a legendary meal,” Tirek said as he continued on towards Canterlot.

“I’ll deal with Starlight Glimmer!” Chrysalis shouted as she flew to the outskirts of Ponyville.

At the School of Friendship, the Student Seven were in the underground caves helping their fellow students inside. Starlight, Trixie, and Forest were at the grate guiding the students into the caves.

“Stay with your buddy! No running! Just follow Counselor Trixie!” Starlight said.

“Starlight, star bright. Where's the pony I want to fight?!” Chrysalis spoke up from outside.

This made Starlight look out the window, she then turned to Trixie and Forest, then said, “I have to go. You got this?”

“Nopony does a great and powerful escape like Trixie,” the magician replied as she and Starlight shared a hug.

Trixie went into the caves as Starlight closed the grate, then teleported outside to face Chrysalis.

“Ah. Just the headmare I want to see,” Chrysalis said, turning to face Starlight.

“You didn't make an appointment!” Starlight replied.

She then tackled Chrysalis and teleported both of them to the Crystal Mountains.

“What is this place?” Chrysalis asked as she and Starlight got up.

“Somewhere you can't hurt anypony!” Starlight replied.

“Wrong. I can hurt you!” Chrysalis said.

She tried to blast Starlight only for her to teleport behind her. Chrysalis kept trying to blast Starlight repeatedly, but she teleported out of the way every time.

“Stay still so I can blast you!” Chrysalis growled.

“Oh, yeah, real motivating!” Starlight remarked as she appeared behind her.

Chrysalis once again tried to blast Starlight, but this time she barely jumped out of the way, onto her side. She then teleported underneath an overhang as Chrysalis flew up to her, snarling as she tried to attack. It was then that Starlight managed to blast Chrysalis.

“Ugh! You'll pay for that!” Chrysalis said.

“Put it on my tab!” Starlight replied as she teleported off the peak.

As she was falling, Starlight blasted the snow and triggered an avalanche.

“No!” Chrysalis shouted as she was buried by the avalanche.

It was then that Starlight teleported closer to the ground, then stood back up. Just as she thought Chrysalis was beaten, the former changeling queen freed herself from the snow. This sent a shockwave which knocked Starlight down, “Aah! Ugh!” she exclaimed.

Chrysalis wrapped Starlight in a green silken cocoon, then said, “Now I'll have all eternity to take my revenge on you!” She then carried her off elsewhere.

Back at the Canterlot Castle, several unicorn guards tried to blast Cozy Glow, but it was futile as she cast a force field around herself. They charged at the filly only for her to open a portal outside the castle and sent them falling into the moat. Cozy Glow laughed evilly as she was enjoying her alicorn powers.

“Stand down, Cozy Glow!” Celestia said.

“Gee, I guess I could. But... I'm having too much fun!” Cozy Glow replied as she tried to blast the three princesses and Storm.

“Aah!” the princesses exclaimed as Twilight and Storm cast a force field.

“Ready, sister?” Celestia asked as Luna nodded.

“Wait! What are you...?” Twilight tried to ask as the two sisters went to face Cozy Glow.

They lit up their horns and tried to blast the filly, only for her to use the bell to drain their magic. This made them scream and fall down on the floor.

“NO!” Twilight and Storm shouted as they ran down to the royal sisters.

“That's the problem with you magic-types. You're so reliant on all your special power, you forget to use your brains!” Cozy Glow said.

“Keep telling yourself that!” Twilight replied, then told her friends, “Now!”

It was then that the other mares and Spike rushed out from behind the throne. Rainbow zoomed past Cozy Glow, his made her dizzy as she was spinning across the room.

“Whoaaaa!” she cried out.

Upon regaining flight control, Cozy Glow came face to face with Pinkie, who was being levitated by Rarity.

“Surprise attack!” Pinkie shouted as she fired her party bazooka. This knocked Cozy Glow back as she coughed up confetti.

“Fly, my pretties!” Fluttershy said as she flew up with some guard geese.

It was then that the geese swarmed Cozy Glow. Spike flew up, trying to blast her with his fire breath. Jasper and Smokey tried blasting her with their magic, but she blocked their attacks. Soarin and Spiracle flew rapidly around Cozy Glow, making her dizzy. She was once again blasted by Pinkie’s party bazooka. After being swarmed by the geese once more and almost burned by Spike, Cozy Glow was lassoed to the ground by Applejack. She almost dropped the bell, but managed to hold onto it as the Mane Seven and Spike surrounded her. Twilight activated her magic as she prepared to take the bell and return the royal sisters’ stolen magic.

Just then, a bright light appeared behind her and Storm. Cozy Glow flew up as it got brighter, then the air horn alarm could be heard in the background. The Mane Seven and Spike, along with Jasper, Smokey, Soarin, Spiracle, the royal sisters, and Lord Emerald looked back as the window exploded and sent a huge shockwave that sent them flying back. Glacio and Chrysalis flew through the window as Tirek pulled himself through it. Eric and his friends saw this and ran over to the Mane 7, Spike, Lord Emerald, Soarin, Jasper, Smokey, Spiracle, and the royal sisters.

Tirek knocked over the throne, revealing Discord behind it. He tried to stop the centaur only for Cozy Glow to drain his magic with bell. She then grabbed him in her magic and threw him next to the others. Twilight saw them as she got up and cast a force field around them all.

“You think your pathetic shield can stop us?” Chrysalis asked as she laughed evilly, “The Pillars have been defeated. Your school is abandoned. Face it, Twilight and Storm. You've lost!”

“You can attack us and we may fall. But Equestria will still stand, united in friendship,” Twilight replied as the others got up, “And we won't stop until we defeat you, no matter how many ponies you take down!” The four villains laughed at this.

“Didn't you all notice something was wrong in Equestria? We've been busy,” Tirek said.

“A whisper here, a rumor there...” Chrysalis added.

“Destroy some crops, cause some damage...” Tirek continued.

“Turning ponies against you…” Cozy Glow continued.

“Until your whole kingdom is on edge, waiting for just one tiny thing to push them over the brink!” Chrysalis finished.

“There's no backup friends or rainbow magic to save you now!” Tirek remarked.

“After today, Equestria will feel our freeze!” Glacio yelled, then laughed evilly.

“Golly, I think it's time for some redecorating!” Cozy Glow said as she smiled deviously.

It was then that the four villains combined their power and destroyed a large portion of the castle. She looked around them as some leftover rubble was falling, then Chrysalis flew up to the shield.

“You know what's stronger than friendship, Twilight? Fear!” the former changeling queen said as she slammed her hooves onto the shield.

“Aah!” Twilight exclaimed fearfully as this caused a powerful magic surge caused the shield to shatter.

“'Cause when you have to protect yourself, you don't have time for anypony else,” Tirek added as he magically pulled Twilight and Storm into his arms.

The centaur grabbed Twilight by her wings and Storm by his neck. Everyone else looked on with fear and anxiety in their eyes.

“Too bad you never taught that in school,” Cozy Glow remarked.

“Prepare to die!” Glacio said as the four of them smiled deviously and prepared to kill Twilight and Storm.

Eric gasped in horror upon seeing his parents about to be killed. Twilight and Storm covered their eyes, until the four villains were knocked over by a flying chunk of rock. This caused Twilight and Storm to fall onto the floor.

“Huh?” they wondered as Rarity smiled at them looking exhausted.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Storm said as he and Twilight smiled back.

Just then, the four villains recovered and tried to attack Twilight, Storm and the others. But the royal couple blocked their combined powers with a slab of rock.

“Go, Twilight and Storm! Take the children and get help!” Rarity said as she ran up to the rock.

“We'll hold 'em 'til you get back!” Applejack added as she, Smokey, and Rarity held it up.

“No! We can't leave you here!” Twilight replied.

“They’ll kill you!” Storm added.

“It's our only chance!” Fluttershy replied as she ran up to the rock.

“You'll both come up with something to save the day!” Rainbow added as she, Soarin, Spiracle, and Fluttershy helped support the rock.

“You always do!” Pinkie continued.

“We believe in you two!” Spike finished as he, Jasper, the royal sisters, and Emerald rushed over to the rock.

“Fly, you foals!” Discord said as he faced them.

Twilight and Storm activated their magic and teleported themselves, along with Eric and his friends somewhere safe. It was then that the rock exploded as everyone else was enveloped by the bright light.

Author's Note

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Chapter 9: The Ending of the End - Part 2

Equestria was now in a desperate situation as Glacio’s army had completely blockaded Canterlot and a large portion of the castle was destroyed. Once the light faded, Glacio and his three accomplices captured the Mane 5, Spike, Starlight, Soarin, Spiracle, Jasper, Smokey, the royal sisters, Lord Emerald, Discord, and the Pillars. They were held in the crystal caverns, locked up in makeshift prison cells and hanging cages sealed by Chrysalis’ silk.

“And now for your complete destruction! Won’t that be fun?” Cozy Glow said.

“Patience, Cozy. Destruction is so... permanent. We need to show the rest of Equestria that we’ve broken their heroes first. Besides, we should have fun with our guests,” Chrysalis told her.

“No! We should hunt down Twilight Sparkle and Storm Blade. As long as both of them are out there, they’re dangerous,” Tirek replied.

“Is that big, strong minotaur that scared of one little pony? Relax. It’s not like her friends are going anywhere,” Chrysalis said.

“Patience, we do not need to hunt down Princess Twilight and Prince Storm. Before this is over, they will come to us!” Glacio replied.

Starswirl tried to escape, but it was useless as his and the others’ cells were magic-proofed. Chrysalis then flew on top of the cage that Starlight was held in.

“The fools brought the remains of my throne to Canterlot to protect themselves. Hah! Those shards block their magic,” she said, then turned to Cozy Glow, “Careful. Too close and the shards cancel even our powers. But on this side of the cavern, we’re the most powerful beings in Equestria, thanks to the Bewitching Bell.”

It was then that Chrysalis pulled out a chained up Discord. While she and Tirek walked up to him, Cozy Glow tried to snatch the bell.

“What are you doing?!” Tirek asked.

“There’s alicorn magic in here and I want it,” Cozy Glow replied. It was then that she, Tirek, and Chrysalis began arguing.

“This is really bad,” Fluttershy remarked as she and Rarity shared worried looks.

“We gotta find Twilight and Storm. They’ve probably already figured out some way to defeat those monsters,” Applejack said.

“Any idea how we get out of here to do that?” Rainbow asked.

It was then that Spike flew up and tried to claw his way out, but it didn’t work.

“Too sticky. There’s no way anypony could get through this,” Spike replied.

“Stay away from the Bell, you pest!” Tirek said as he tried blasting her.

“Enough! This bickering is pointless, Celestia and Luna’s magic belongs to me,” Glacio told them.

“None of us can use the Alicorns’ magic until we figure out how to handle that fool’s ridiculous chaos magic!” Tirek replied.

Meanwhile, in the Crystal Palace, Eric and his friends looked out a window and saw the Thracian army headed for the city.

“The Crystal Empire is under attack! We need to warn my family,” Eric said.

“We’re right behind you, Eric,” Nightshade replied as they went to find his parents.

They walked through the hallway until they found the room Twilight and Storm were in.

“Mom, Dad, the city is under attack by the Thracian army,” Eric said.

“That’s some more bad news today,” Twilight replied.

“Glacio must’ve asked them to attack the Crystal Empire and destroy the Crystal Heart, while he and the Frigus Order attack Canterlot,” Storm added.

“My friends and I are headed to her throne room to warn Aunt Cadance and Uncle Shining,” Eric said as he left the room.

Eric and his friends resumed walking through the halls until they entered the throne room.

“Aunt Cadance, Uncle Shining, the Crystal Empire is under attack by the Thracians and King Diomedes and Princess Terri Belle are leading them!” Eric said.

“What are they doing here?” Cadance asked, “How many of them are there?”

“One thousand strong at least, and I presume they’re here to destroy the Crystal Heart!” Eric replied.

“I need to alert the guards immediately,” Shining said.

“We’re coming with you,” Eric replied.

“Alright, but stay close,” Shining said.

“Sure. We’ve held our own against Glacio’s minions before, so we’ll be fine,” Zuni replied.

Once Shining, Eric, and his friends, gathered all the available guards, they rushed out to defend the palace. Luckily, both armies were evenly matched in terms of numbers.

Back in Canterlot, the Mane 5, Spike, Soarin, Spiracle, Jasper, and Smokey managed to escape from the four villains with help from Discord angering Tirek. They looked around and noticed the streets looked empty as everypony was indoors, hiding from Glacio’s army. They made their way out of the city as they managed to avoid the enemy patrols. The ten of them made their way off of Mount Canter, sneaking through the forest past the blockade.

They split up to search all over Ponyville for Twilight, Storm, Eric, and his friends, but they were nowhere to be found. They even checked the Castle of Friendship, only to find it empty. Soon enough, the six of them took a train to the Crystal Empire. Once there, they noticed the Crystal Guard led by Prince Shining Armor, along with Eric and his friends defending the palace from the Thracian army.

“Shining Armor, what’s going on here?” Spike asked.

“The Thracians are trying to get to the Crystal Heart and destroy it,” Shining replied.

“That’s not good,” Spike said, “Inform me if you need Spike the Brave and Glorious.”

“Will do,” Shining replied.

“Follow us. My parents are in the palace,” Eric said as he and his friends led them inside.

Once inside the palace, the Mane 5 and Spike entered the throne room where Cadance was watching Flurry and Midnight.

“Oh, thank Celestia you’re all alright. She’s upstairs. It’s... not good,” Cadance said.

They headed upstairs until they entered the room that Twilight and Storm were in.

“It’s a good thing you’re all here. My parents have been researching for a few hours with little to no luck,” Eric said.

“You’re here?! We were so worried! Where are the princesses?” Twilight asked as they gave the two of them a group hug.

“They put up a crazy fight so we could escape and find you! Mission accomplished! Now let’s save Equestria! Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah!” Pinkie replied as a banner somehow unfurled and confetti fell.

“They made a terrible mistake. You all did,” Twilight said as she held some scrolls and books, then threw one aside, “From the second Storm and I got away with Eric and his friends, we’ve been searching every book, scroll, and spell for a way to rescue you and stop Glacio, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy, but I haven’t found anything. We failed.”

“You’ll come up with something. We can’t save Equestria without you,” Spike replied.

“You all escaped without our help. You didn’t need us then. So why would anypony need us now?” Twilight asked.

“We know things look bad, but we’ve been in tough spots before, and we always—” Rainbow tried to reply.

“Look around! Nothing we’ve ever done has mattered! Sombra? Returned and destroyed the Tree of Harmony! Glacio, Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow? Returned and more powerful than ever!” Twilight said as she crumbled up pictures of the five villains, “The School of Friendship? Shut down! Everypony in Equestria is so blinded by fear and divided about us, they can’t remember what friendship is! Nothing we do makes any difference!”

“But we’re still free and together,” Pinkie replied.

“And it’s not like things can get any worse,” Rainbow added.

Just then, everyone heard a ghostly equine scream as three ghostly horselike creatures appeared in the sky with the howling wind.

“Haven’t we learned never to say that by now?” Spike asked.

“Windigos? I thought they were long gone!” Eric said.

“Apparently not. They must have sensed everypony’s negativity enough for them to return,” Storm replied.

The windigos kept flying overhead as the dark cloud spread across the sky and threatened to freeze the land.

“We have to do something!” Rainbow said as they looked out the window.

“I’ve already done enough,” Twilight replied as she looked away.

“You want the truth, Twilight? Bad things happen. No matter what you do, there’s never gonna be a time when everything’s perfect. But that don’t mean you quit tryin’!” Applejack said.

“What if I make things worse?! Ever since Celestia told me Storm and I were taking over, we’ve been gaining confidence. Then I find out it’s all a lie. Equestria’s been falling apart around us, and we didn’t even notice! What kind of princess and prince does that make us? I’m scared,” Twilight replied.

“I probably know more about being scared than anypony. But thanks to all of you, I’ve learned I’m always less scared when I’m with my friends,” Fluttershy said, putting her hoof under Twilight’s chin and lifting it up.

“If we’re facing impossible odds, we’re facing them together!” Rainbow added.

“It’s what we always do, darling,” Rarity finished.

“But we’re on our own, and we have no idea what to do!” Twilight replied.

“That’s true pretty much every time something terrible is about to happen,” Pinkie remarked.

“We don’t have the Elements of Harmony anymore. How can you all be so calm about this?“ Twilight asked.

“Because, even if you don’t believe you can do this, we do. We believe in you. In us,” Spike replied.

“Think positive, Twily. We will find a way to stop Glacio, his partners, and his army,” Storm added. reassuringly.

“Yes, mom. Grandma Kimono told me that a single grain of rice can tip the scale,” Eric continued, “Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow did manage to turn everypony outside our friends and families against us and blind them through fear, but our loved ones are still holding out for us.”

“What does that phrase even mean?” Twilight asked.

“It means at least one of us can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Especially when faced with overwhelming odds and the stakes are high,” Eric replied.

“The truth is, all our lives wouldn’t be the same if we hadn’t met. We’re better off because of our friendship with you. So when you say you haven’t made a difference, that’s just not true. You’ve made a big difference to us,” Applejack explained.

“Thank you. Sometimes even the Princess of Friendship needs a reminder that there’s more to the Magic of Friendship than rainbow lasers,” Twilight replied.

“Although that part is pretty cool,” Spike remarked as everyone else gave her a group hug.

“We still need a plan,” Twilight said.

“That sounds like the pony I used to foal-sit for. Count us in,” Cadance spoke up as she and Shining entered the room with Flurry Heart and Midnight on their backs.

“No. You need to stay here and protect Flurry Heart and Midnight,” Twilight replied, then turned to the others, “Okay. Three of our worst villains have taken over, powered up by ancient magic. Everypony in Equestria is so scared and divided that the windigos are circling. And it’s up to us to fix it all.”

“What are we gonna do, Twilight and Storm?!” Pinkie asked.

“The same thing we do every time, Pinkie. Try to save the world!” Twilight replied.

“So let’s get going!” Storm added, then turned to Eric and his friends, “Come on, Eric. We need you and your friends watching our backs.”

“You can count on us, dad,” Eric replied, “There’s something I need to do first.”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

“I’m gonna write some letters to our Maretonian, Prench, Saddle Arabian, Abyssinian, Ornithian, and zebra allies. We need their help,” Eric replied.

It was then that Eric began writing some important letters to some of Equestria’s allies. Once he was finished, Eric gave the letters to Cadance.

“Aunt Cadance, can you please teleport these letters to our allies?” Eric asked.

“Of course,” Cadance replied as she teleported them.

It was then that Twilight and Storm teleported themselves and their friends, along with Eric and his friends out of the Crystal Empire.

Back at the heavily damaged Canterlot Castle, Tirek entered the throne room.

“Every prisoner is safely in their cells. Now we can hunt down the rest of the— Windigos?” Tirek said, as he noticed the ghostly creatures.

“I’m not hunting anypony d-d-d-down in this weather! Can’t we magically get rid of them and w-w-w-warm things up?” Cozy Glow asked.

“I don’t think we should. This could work out quite well for me,” Chrysalis replied, rubbing her hooves together.

“You mean us,” Tirek said.

“I already told you three that we don’t need to hunt down Twilight and her friends, we’ll let them come to us!” Glacio replied.

“The harsh weather is the final blow to break the ponies’ spirits. Once Equestria is a frozen wasteland, we’ll use our magic to destroy those windy beasts. Ponies will be so grateful, they’ll do whatever I want!” Chrysalis said.

“The windigos are ancient magic. It would be unwise to leave them unchecked. Best we deal with them now,” Tirek replied.

“We probably should deal with Twilight and her friends before anything else. They’re right there,” Cozy Glow said, pointing in the direction of Canter Fields.

“Good eyes, Cozy Glow,” Glacio replied, then turned to his second in command, “General Frostbite, deploy the army to Canter Fields.”

“Yes, my lord,” Frostbite said.

“If I may ask, why are you sending the whole army down there? We can defeat them with just the four of us and the bell,” Chrysalis asked.

“Twilight, Storm, and their friends must have gone to get help from their allies, that’s why. Besides, our own allies will be here shortly,” Glacio replied.

Down in Canter Fields, Eric and his friends, along with his parents and their friends were headed for Canterlot.

“You think they know we’re here?” Spike asked.

It was then that a black and yellow vortex formed in front of them. It expanded until Glacio, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow came out of it with the bell.

“I’d say they have an idea,” Applejack replied.

“That bell has Discord, Celestia, and Luna’s magic inside. If they use it against us—” Twilight tried to say.

“Discord’s magic is so chaotic, he’s the only one who can use it,” Fluttershy replied, cutting Twilight off.

“You just can’t accept that you were beaten before you even realized there was a fight, can you?” Chrysalis asked.

“You can’t beat us if we never give up! As long as Storm and I have our friends by our side, we’ll put our faith in friendship…” Twilight replied.

“Ugh, can we get on with this please?” Cozy Glow asked as she activated her magic. She then tried to blast Twilight, Storm, Eric, and their friends only for them to teleport safely behind some shrubbery.

“We need to get that bell and get Discord and the princesses their magic back. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, you’re with me and Storm,” Twilight said.

“Sweet! I’ll grab that bell in ten second—!” Rainbow tried to reply.

“No. We’re the distraction. They’re gonna get the bell,” Twilight said, pointing to the others. Eric and the others’ eyes widened at this.

“We’ll keep Cozy Glow busy,” Eric replied.

Meanwhile, the four villains were searching the area around them with glares on their faces. It wasn’t long before Glacio’s army showed up.

“Hold your positions!” Frostbite ordered.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Chrysalis said after blasting a tree.

“There!” Cozy Glow replied as Twilight, Storm, Pinkie, and Rainbow charged at them.

The two of them cried out as Eric and his friends went to face Cozy Glow. The filly tried blasting them, but she missed as the heroes dodged the blast. Cozy Glow tried blasting Rainbow, only for the latter to zoom past her. While this was happening, Jasper, Smokey, Soarin, and Spiracle faced Glacio, trying to keep him busy.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed as she was spinning and got dizzy.

Cozy Glow kept flying after Rainbow as Twilight and Storm teleported in front of Tirek. He cracked his neck and levitated some rocks, then threw them at Twilight and Storm. The two of them jumped onto the rocks and blasted Tirek.

“Aah!” Tirek exclaimed as he was knocked down.

It was then Pinkie’s turn to distract Chrysalis. While this happened, Eric and his friends saw Rainbow was in trouble as Cozy Glow kept trying to knock her out of the sky.

“Everte Statum!” Eric shouted, pointing his wand at Cozy Glow and blasted her.

This made her fall out of the sky, but she got back up on her hooves and tried blasting Eric and his friends.

“Protego!” Eric shouted, blocking the blast.

As Eric and Nightshade dueled with Cozy Glow, Frostbite quickly noticed Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike sneaking around.

“My lord, this fight is a diversion! The bell is unguarded!” Frostbite said.

“Understood,” Glacio replied, then turned to his partners, “You three, stop them!”

Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow moved to intercept Spike and the three mares.

“They’re onto us!” Applejack said.

Eric and his friends quickly noticed Spike, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy were in trouble.

“Spiracle! Jasper! Smokey! The others need your help!” Eric said.

“We’re on it!” Spiracle replied, as he, Jasper, and Smokey went to help the three mares.

Chrysalis flew after Rarity and Spike, as she blasted the dragon onto the ground. Rarity cast a diamond shield to protect him and herself against Chrysalis, only for the changeling to shatter it in one blast. Chrysalis tried to blast Rarity a second time, only for Spike to intercept her beam with his fire breath. She was about to overpower Spike until Rarity helped him as their beams nearly overpowered her.

She then pulled back and fired a powerful blast which knocked Rarity and Spike aside. It was then that Jasper blasted Chrysalis from behind, knocking her down.

“Hello there,” Jasper said.

“Jasper, you are a bold one,” Chrysalis replied as they dueled.

Jasper was about to be overpowered until Rarity and Spike came to help him in the duel.

Tirek was chasing Applejack as she was carrying a lasso, he tried to blast her only for her to dodge them. She managed to lasso the bell and tried to pull it, only for Tirek to snap the rope and throw her aside. He then noticed Fluttershy flying towards the bell. It was then that Smokey blasted Tirek, only for the centaur to block it with his arm.

“Now, now, professor. We all know you’re not the fast one,” Cozy Glow said as she flew up to Fluttershy.

Just as she activated her magic, Spiracle tackled her to the ground. Cozy Glow then kicked him in the abdomen and blasted Fluttershy out of the sky. Luckily, Rainbow and Soarin caught her. Glacio blasted Twilight and Storm, only for the two of them to dodge his attack.

“Enough! Or the dragon’s wings get plucked!” Chrysalis said, holding Spike by his wings. Glacio, Tirek, and Cozy Glow stood beside her with the bell.

“Please! Don’t hurt him!” Twilight begged.

“Don’t worry about me! Just save—” Spike tried to tell his friends, groaning in pain.

Not wanting to see Spike’s wings get plucked, Twilight and Storm lowered their heads and while Eric and the others stood down. Chrysalis then threw Spike back at his friends as Twilight and Storm caught him.

“Turns out that the Magic of Friendship is your biggest weakness. A fitting end to your pathetic story,” Tirek said as the four villains activated their magic.

“No matter what, we face it together!” Rainbow told the others as the windigos were howling.

“Die now!” Glacio shouted as the four of them fired an extremely powerful blast at them. The heroes closed their eyes as their end seemed near, until a large white force field was somehow cast over them.

“What happened? Can I open my eyes?” Spike asked.

“Ya sure can!” Applejack said, “Way to go, Twilight and Storm!”

“It’s not the both of us!” Twilight replied.

“It’s them. Up there!” Storm added, pointing up the hill.

They noticed that the force field was cast by a large number of unicorns on the hill, including Tempest Shadow, Neighsay, Sunburst, Trixie, and even Sunset Shimmer. Alongside all the unicorns were what appeared to be more than a thousand earth ponies, hundreds to thousands of kirins, deer, yaks, Abyssinians, Ornithians, bison, and zebras. Above them were masses of pegasi, changelings, griffons, hippogriffs, and dragons.

“Yibambe! Yibambe! Yibambe!” Prince Abraxas and the zebra army chanted.

“Our allies are here! And just in time!” Eric said.

Just as the unicorns deactivated the force field, all the Equestrian Alliance soldiers blew their wooden horns and charged down the hill. Glacio, his partners, and his army looked on as they held their positions.

“It looks like we’re not outnumbered any longer, Glacio!” Storm shouted.

“I’ve been expecting this, so I had my allies meet us here,” Glacio replied as all his allies marched met up with his army.

Alongside Glacio and his army were the Thracians (who retreated from the Crystal Empire), the Imperial Hayburg army, each of them numbering in the tens of thousands. There were also tens of thousands of reindeer, diamond dogs, centaurs, gargoyles, gorgons, harpies, trolls, banshees, oni, sphinxes, and avifelids (various colored tigers and leopards with wings).

“We’ll show them the full might of the Frigus Order and our allies! Destroy them now!” Glacio ordered, as his army and their allies charged rapidly. They also blew their wooden horns. It was then that the Battle of Canter Fields began.

“Welcome back, big sis,” Sunburst greeted Sunset.

“Good to see you, little bro. My, how you’ve grown,” Sunset replied.

“Sunset! Welcome back!” Twilight said, hugging her.

“Good to be back. I got Eric’s message in my journal,” Sunset replied.

“You never told me Sunburst was your brother,” Twilight said.

“Neither of us brought it up,” Sunset replied.

“There’s one thing we don’t understand. How are you all here?” Twilight asked.

“That’s kinda our fault,” Gallus replied.

“You know those long lectures about friendship you gave at school?” Smolder asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight replied.

“You see, I persuaded the earth ponies to help by reminding them of the lessons featured in the Journal of Friendship. Especially the ones by Eric, such as, ‘Whether you have a horn, wings, or neither of them and despite your differences, all ponies as a whole are born equal’ and ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand’. Raspberry Dazzle and Hyper Sonic did the same thing with the unicorns and the pegasi,” Sandbar explained, “With that, they stopped arguing with your friends and families over what they gossiped about you.”

*Flashback*
Yakyakistan before the battle

“Yaks strong. Ponies strong. But yaks and ponies stronger together! Yaks must be loyalto pony friends!” Yona said, persuading her fellow yaks.

The Dragon Lands

“I know helping other creatures by being kind and generous sounds lame. But I’ve seen how powerful it can be!” Smolder persuaded her fellow dragons as Ember stood behind her.

Griffonstone

“Playing together! Singing together! Even laughing together! That’s what real heroes look like!” Gallus said, persuading the griffons.

Seaquestria

“Were we really happy by ourselves at the bottom of the ocean? Be honest! It’s the ponies that showed us a better way!” Silverstream said to her fellow hippogriffs/seaponies.

The Changeling Kingdom

“They’ve taught us how powerful love and the Magic of Friendship truly is! We can’t let them stand alone! We’re their friends! They need us!” Ocellus said, persuading her fellow changelings.

The Deer Herds

“We’ve been hiding in the forests, away from ponies and other creatures for too long,” Prince Bramble said, persuading his fellow deer, “But thanks to Princess Twilight, Prince Storm, and their friends, we’ve stepped out into the wider world and shared our culture with the ponies and they shared theirs with us. Because that’s when we deer and ponies are strongest, as one.”

*Flashback ends*

“How ‘bout that? It’s just like you said the day we opened that school,” Applejack said.

“The more creatures who know about friendship, the safer we’ll be,” Spike added.

“We told you ya had it all figured out!” Pinkie remarked.

“Now that our questions have been answered, we have a battle to win,” Storm replied.

It was then that Eric and his friends, along with the Mane 7, Spike, and the Student Six joined their allies in battle.

“Pincer, you and I need to go free the Pillars, Starlight, Discord, Lord Emerald, and the royal sisters,” Eric said, “The rest of you, stay here and help the alliance. See if you can get the bell away from Glacio’s forces.”

“We’re on it, Eric,” Nightshade replied.

It was then that Eric took off for Canterlot on his broomstick, with Pincer flying beside him. Once there, he went to the heavily damaged castle and went beneath it. He then entered the Crystal Caverns where Celestia, Luna, Starlight, Discord, and Lord Emerald were locked up.

He pointed his wand at the cell where Starlight, Emerald, and the royal sisters were held, “Reducto!” he said as the changeling silk was dissolved.

Eric stood a good distance away from the cells and cages where Discord and the Pillars were held. He then pointed his wand at the side of Mistmane’s cage and blasted the changeling silk. He also did the same with the shards on the other Pillars’ cells. It was then that he pointed his wand at Discord’s chains and said, “Diffindo!”

Once Discord’s chains were cut, he pointed his wand and blasted the changeling silk on the Pillars’ cells. It wasn’t long before he and Pincer led them out of the caverns. Pincer transformed into a giant dragon and carried Starlight, Discord, the Pillars, Lord Emerald, and the royal sisters on his back as he flew alongside Eric on his broom. Once the two of them flew back to the battlefield, they noticed Tempest Shadow dueling with Shadow Swift.

The two unicorns kept dueling until Tempest gained the upper hoof and zapped Shadow Swift to his death. Elsewhere on the battlefield, things were seeming desperate for the Equestrian Alliance as both the EUP Guard and the Wonderbolts were taking heavy casualties, along with the Maretonian, Prench, and Saddle Arabian armies. Eric and Pincer flew down to help their friends fight against the Frigus Order’s onslaught.

“We need to get the bell away from Glacio and return Celestia, Luna, and Discord’s magic,” Eric said as his friends followed him.

“It’s over there!” Nightshade replied, pointing to the bell right next to Glacio.

Eric pointed his wand and said, “Accio bell!”

With the bell in his hand, Eric then ran towards the Discord and the Pillars, who were being protected by the Mane 7 and Starlight. The royal sisters may have been powerless, but they still had flight on their side as they held their own against Glacio’s forces.

“Stop them!” Glacio ordered several of his allies.

“Heads up, Nightshade!” Eric said as he threw the bell to him in a game of keep away.

Nightshade caught the bell in his magic as he was being chased by some gorgons and trolls.

“Slapstick, catch!” Nightshade said as he threw the bell.

Slapstick caught the bell as he was being chased by some minotaurs and diamond dogs.

Eric and Nightshade blasted several minotaurs, diamond dogs, gorgons, and trolls that were pursuing their friends.

“Here it comes, Marina!” Slapstick said as he threw the bell to her.

Once she caught the bell, Marina flew up, hoping to reach Discord. Suddenly, she had some gargoyles coming right at her. Just then, they were blasted out of the sky by Pincer as he flew over to Marina.

“Pincer, catch!” Marina said as she threw the bell to him.

Pincer dove for the bell with a few harpies and banshees on his tail. It wasn’t long before he caught the bell in his forehooves. Just then, Eric flew up to him on his broom and pointed his wand at the harpies.

“Stupefy!” he said, blasting the harpies out of the sky.

“Heads up, Eric!” Pincer said as he threw the bell to him.

Eric caught the bell as Pincer and Marina fought off the banshees. He then flew down to his parents and gave them the bell. Twilight activated it and gave Discord and the royal sisters their magic back. Glacio was outraged that Eric, his friends, and family returned Discord, Celestia, and Luna’s magic to them.

“Chrysalis! Tirek! Cozy Glow! Get me back the bell!” Glacio said, “I’ll deal with my sisters and Lord Emerald!”

“We’re on it!” Cozy Glow replied.

The three of them were headed towards Eric, his friends, his parents, and their friends. Twilight, Storm, and the other Mane 5 quickly saw them coming their way.

“They’re coming right at us! Without the Elements of Harmony, we’re doomed!” Fluttershy said.

“The Elements of Harmony may be physically gone, but their power lies with in us,” Storm replied.

“Yes, Storm. That same power also lies within the Pillars, Eric and his friends, and our students,” Twilight added.

Meanwhile, Glacio flew around looking for his sisters and Lord Emerald, hoping to challenge and defeat them.

“Celestia! Luna! Emerald! Come out and fight me now!” he called out, “Where are you?!”

“Right here, Glacio!” Emerald replied as the three of them appeared on his left side.

“Good! I want you three to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!” Glacio said.

It was then that the royal sisters and Lord Emerald dueled with Glacio. Celestia and Luna struck his sides, but he easily recovered. They tried blasting him repeatedly, but he blocked them. He stunned them out of the sky and blasted their wings, damaging them.

He proceeded to finish them off only for Emerald to teleport in front of him as the two began dueling. Emerald tried to direct Glacio’s magic beam back at him, but it was futile as the ice prince was too powerful from that magic upgrade from the bell. Glacio managed to overpower Emerald, knocking him down.

“You’ll never win, Glacio!” Emerald said weakly.

“I beg to differ,” Glacio retorted.

He then reared up while lowering his head and fatally stabbed Emerald in the chest with his horn.

“No!” Celestia and Luna cried out.

Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow kept charging until Twilight and Storm cut through the ground with their magic. This made the three of them stop as Twilight flew up.

“ENOUGH! Because of you, Storm and I almost lost our way! But everycreature here has reminded us of the true power of friendship! There will always be darkness in the world, but there will also always be those who find the light!” Twilight said as she and Storm lit up, as he was lifted up beside his wife.

“The Elements showed us and our friends how strong our friendship could be! Together we worked to bring harmony to 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!“ Storm continued as the Pillars, the Mane 5 and Spike, Eric and his friends, and the Student 7 all lit up and were lifted up beside them.

“Now we truly understand! The Elements were just symbols! The real magic has always been right here! And the more who understand how powerful friendship is, the stronger we will all be! Together!” Twilight and Storm finished in unison.

It was then that the four groups each blasted a rainbow beam and combined them with Twilight and Storm before they released the combined blast of rainbow beams into the sky. It created a shockwave that destroyed the storm clouds and caused the windigos to fade away, clearing the sky. This left Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow, and even Glacio terrified of what was coming to them. The armies of both the Equestrian Alliance and the Collective Powers were dazed by this powerful light.

“This is bad, isn’t it?” Cozy Glow asked.

Just then, the powerful rainbow beam engulfed Glacio, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow. It stripped them of their power boosts and deactivated the bell, causing it to drop on the ground. The rainbow beam also sent a powerful shockwave that disoriented the rest of the Collective armies. Once the rainbow disappeared, Cozy Glow was turned back to her normal pegasus form and Tirek was now back in his weak form as they both backed away. Glacio and Chrysalis were also back to normal as they lost their power ups.

“You think friendship will save you?! We will always return! Nothing will ever stop—!” Chrysalis said as a giant cupcake fell on them and chocolate rain poured down.

“Chocolate rain?” Spike asked as he slurped up the drops.

“Surprise!” Discord said.

Just then, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow managed to crawl halfway out of the cupcake. Glacio completely got out of the cupcake and went over to his army. Celestia and Luna came up to them with anger in their eyes.

“There isn’t a punishment worthy of all you’ve done!” Celestia said as Discord and a duplicate whispered something in their ears.

“Oh. That does seem fitting,” Luna replied to Discord.

“May I help? Please?” Discord asked.

“Celestia! Luna! Discord! Wait! Cozy Glow may be a sicko, but she’s also just a kid,” Eric said, then turned to Sunset, “Maybe you should take her back to the human world with you, Sunset. I reckon that ought to straighten her out, since you were just like her back in the day.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Sunset replied as she took Cozy Glow in her magic.

“Hey! Let me go!” Cozy Glow said as Sunset took her away.

“Now where were we?” Discord asked as he made his duplicate disappear.

The three of them activated and combined their magic. They cast a spell that disintegrated the giant cupcake and turned Chrysalis and Tirek into a stone statue as she snarled and tried to attack them. Once the spell was complete, the two villains dropped to the ground as they were sealed in stone with Chrysalis looking ready to attack and Tirek cowering.

“Together forever. I can’t think of anything that they would want less!“ Discord said.

“My lord, the battle is lost. I suggest we fall back and live to fight another day,” Frostbite said as he and the rest of Glacio’s army got back on their hooves.

“Retreat!” the other Collective leaders ordered their armies.

“This is not over yet! You haven’t seen the last of me and the Frigus Order!” Glacio called out as he, his army, and their allies retreated north.

Everyone in the Equestrian Alliance cheered at their victory as Celestia came up to Twilight and Storm.

“When I sent the two of you to Ponyville, I had high hopes. When you became Princess and Prince of Friendship, I knew I made the right choice. But nothing could prepare me for how proud I am right now. Equestria is definitely in the right hooves. You are ready,” Celestia said as she, Luna, and Discord bowed in respect to her former pupils.

“You know what? I think I am,” Twilight replied.

“So am I,” Storm added.

“Thank goodness,” Applejack replied, “First question, your Highnesses. What do we do with all these creatures?”

“We’re gonna need a lot more chairs for the coronation!” Pinkie added.

“Actually, as rulers of Equestria, we’d like to postpone the coronation for a while. At least until the castle’s rebuilt. Besides, there’s something we need to do first,” Twilight said.

“Wait, where’s Emerald?” Storm asked.

“Follow us,” Luna said somberly.

Twilight and Storm followed Celestia, Luna, and Discord until they saw Emerald as he lay dying.

“Emerald!” Storm said as he ran over to him, “Please, speak to me.”

“Storm, I tried to hold off Glacio, but he was too powerful for me. It’s a pity I won’t see you and Twilight being crowned,” Emerald replied.

“Please don’t say that, old friend. It’s too soon for you to pass,” Storm said.

“Nothing can stop that now,” Emerald replied, then turned to the Lord of Chaos, “Discord, please take care of Celestia for me.”

“I will, Emerald,” Discord promised.

“Twilight and Storm, may your reign be a great one. I wish you the very best,” Emerald said his last words.

“Goodbye, Emerald. My old friend,” Storm replied as Emerald was now dead.

Just then, Eric and his friends, along with the other Mane 5 and Spike came up to them.

“What happened?” Eric asked.

“Emerald fell by Glacio’s horn,” Storm replied.

Eric and his friends began to cry as they suddenly remembered a few others who also fell in battle.

“Eric, what’s the matter?” Twilight asked.

“It’s not just Lord Emerald we lost today. Uncle Iron Cross, Great-Uncle Stargazer, and Great-Aunt Scarlet to name a few,” Eric replied.

For the Equestrian Alliance, the Battle of Canter Fields was a great victory. But it came at a heavy price as thousands were killed and wounded. The plains were filled with the dead from both sides as the Alliance forces took the wounded to the Canterlot General Hospital and the dead for burial.

It wasn’t long before a mass funeral was held for the ones who died in the battle. The Equestrian flag was at half-mast due to the passing of Lord Emerald. Twilight and Storm came up onto the podium and made their speech.

“Ladies and gentle-stallions, and other creatures of the Equestrian Alliance, today we gather in somber unity to collectively honor and remember the brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice in the face of an unprecedented threat to our land,” Storm began, “As we stand shoulder to shoulder, our hearts heavy with grief, we find strength in the shared memory of those who fought valiantly against the sinister forces that seek to cast a shadow and a cold front over Equestria.”

“In this mass funeral, we mourn the loss of not just individuals, but a collective spirit that stood resolute against the darkness. Each pony and other creature contributed to a greater cause, and their memory lives on in the hearts of those they protected,” Twilight continued.

“Together, they faced the greatest peril with unwavering courage. Against the malevolence orchestrated by Prince Glacio and the Frigus Order, and the rest of their Dark Collective allies, their unity was a beacon of hope. As we remember them, let their sacrifice inspire us to stand united in the face of adversity, for Equestria and for each other,” Storm continued.

“Among those we lost today was Lord Emerald Spirit. He was a good and wise pony, if not the greatest kirin who ever lived. He was also a well respected noble, a devoted husband to our mentor, Celestia, a great and wise teacher, and a good friend,” Twilight continued.

“My Aunt Scarlet Dusk, Uncle Stargazer, and brother-in-law Iron Cross gave their lives to protect our country so that plenty of us would live,” Storm continued, “Scarlet and Stargazer were the best aunt and uncle I ever had and they were also good parents to my cousin, Forest Thunder. Iron Cross was a good husband to my sister Misty Sky and although my niece Springer barely knew him, he was becoming a devoted father. But he left us too soon and now Springer might grow up without a father, same with plenty of other fillies and colts.”

“As we share this moment of reflection, let us find solace in the collective strength that binds us together, drawing inspiration from the bravery of those we honor today,” Twilight finished.

Everyone took a moment and placed their hooves or fists on their chests and lowered their heads in respect to those who died in the battle.

“I’m sorry about your Uncle Iron Cross, Eric,” Sweetie Belle said, hugging him.

“We’re also sorry about your great-aunt and great-uncle,” Apple Bloom added.

“I appreciate your concern, girls,” Eric replied.

“Sure, what are friends for?” Scootaloo said.

“I’m sure gonna miss the lot of you when I fully move here,” Eric replied.

“We’ll miss you too, Eric,” Holly said.

“You’ve made a real difference in our lives,” Zuni added.

Soon after the funeral, Eric and his friends, along with the Mane 7 and Spike were at Donut Joe’s enjoying some donuts. They were still feeling a little sad from the battle and the funeral.

“Post-apocalyptic donuts. Interesting choice,” Rarity said, lightening the mood.

“I know. But there's gonna be plenty of time for all the challenges and struggles and adventures to come. For now, Storm and I just want to spend a quiet moment with the six best friends we’ve ever had,” Twilight replied.

“Agreed,” Storm added.

“Well, mostly quiet,” Applejack remarked as Pinkie was eating several donuts loudly.

“It's like the end of an era,” Fluttershy said.

“Or the beginning of an even more awesome era!” Rainbow added.

“All I know is whatever comes next is going to be perfect,” Twilight replied.

“How do you know that?” Spike asked.

“With you guys by our side, how could it not?” Twilight said as she and the others shared a laugh.

“Not entirely perfect. While we did score a lucky victory at Canter Fields, Glacio won’t stop until he freezes Equestria in a new ice age,” Storm pointed out.

“As for the Bewitching Bell, where is it now?” Eric asked.

“It’s locked in a secure vault under the castle,” Twilight replied.

“We can’t keep the bell there for long, as Glacio will try to reclaim it. We need to find a way to destroy it,” Eric said.

“It’ll be difficult since the Elements of Harmony couldn’t destroy it. But you make a good point, Eric,” Storm replied, “We need to figure something out.”

Author's Note

Just one more chapter left.

Special thanks to my partner, GoebelTron for helping me come up with Twilight and Storm’s speech at the mass funeral.

Chapter 10: Twilight and Storm’s Coronation

Two weeks after the Canterlot Castle was repaired, Twilight, Storm, Eric, and Spike were finished packing their stuff for the move to the capital city. Spike was sitting in a stack of two boxes, holding a checklist and ticking it off as Twilight and Storm ran around all the rooms. Eric was holding Midnight and had his pet otter Ron on his shoulder as he had his backpack on.

“You’re getting heavy, little bro,” Eric remarked.

“Twilight? Storm? Uh, I'm pretty sure that's everything,” Spike said.

“We’re just doing a final check, Spike,” Twilight replied as she and Storm ran by.

“But we did a final check. Of every room. Twice,” Spike pointed out.

“Ah-ha! See? An issue of Power Ponies,” Twilight said, planting the comic in his face, “Now, aren't you glad we triple-checked?”

“Thanks, but I already read this one. I don't need to take it to Canterlot,” Spike replied.

“No-no-no! You love Power Ponies. We're taking it,” Twilight said.

“Really, Twilight, we don't have to bring the comic. I'm not even sure how much longer I'll collect them. A lot is changing, and I am getting older,” Spike replied.

“Just because things change doesn't mean you leave everything you love behind!“ Twilight said with a sigh as she collapsed on a box.

“If you do leave it behind, who’s gonna read it?” Storm asked.

“Good point, Storm,” Spike replied, then asked, “You’re not both still worried about ruling Equestria, are you?”

“No. I know it took some time, but we’ve never been more ready for anything in my life. Just because we’re ready to sit on the throne in Canterlot, doesn't mean I'm ready to leave Ponyville,” Twilight said as she read a newspaper, “When we were all fighting to save Equestria from Glacio, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, we were too busy to think about it. But now it's all happening at once.”

“What is?” Spike asked.

“The coronation. Moving. Leaving our friends,” Twilight replied.

“I still don’t feel ready to move either. Especially since it’s gonna be hard to say goodbye to most of my own friends,” Eric added.

“I thought we'd all be ruling Equestria together,” Spike said.

“Of course we will, but it won't be the same,” Twilight replied, “They all have lives here. We're moving away and they're not, and I can't help but feel like we're leaving them behind. What if we all just drift apart?”

“I guess I hadn't thought about it like that. Maybe you should talk to them. I bet they're feeling the same way,” Spike said.

“You're right, Spike. Thanks. Sometimes talking to a good friend is all it takes,” Twilight replied.

“About that, I asked our friends to meet us here so we can all share our feelings. I also asked Jasper, Smokey, Soarin, Forest, Spiracle, and even Cheese Sandwich to handle the preparations,” Storm explained.

“Might I suggest we teleport all of our personal belongings to the Canterlot Castle before we do anything else?” Eric asked.

“Good thinking, Eric,” Twilight replied.

Twilight and Storm went through all the rooms and managed to teleport all their stuff to theirs, Eric’s, and Midnight’s new rooms in the Canterlot Castle. It wasn’t long before Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rainbow entered the now empty library. Eric was trying his best to calm down his brother Midnight, who was being fussy.

“I no wanna move!” Midnight said.

“I’m uneasy about moving too, Midnight. Please try to relax,” Eric replied calmly.

“All right, Twilight and Storm. Are you ready?” Applejack asked.

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Storm replied.

“Storm and I have been meaning to ask, do you even care that we’re moving?” Twilight asked.

“Of course we care that you're movin', Twilight and Storm,” Applejack replied.

“What could possibly make you ask that?” Pinkie asked.

“It’s because Twilight and I can’t help but wonder if we might drift apart and if you feel the same way,” Storm replied.

“Before Storm and I moved to Ponyville, I didn't really know what friendship was since all I had was him. You've all taught me so much. We both can't believe it all might be ending. But when he and I imagine the future, all I can think about is that we won't be together! We’re literally moving away from you, and it's terrifying!” Twilight added as she teared up.

“I'm scared, too,” Fluttershy said.

“Me, too,” Pinkie added.

“Rattled to the core,” Rarity continued.

“Eeyup,” Applejack continued.

“I wouldn't say scared,” Rainbow finished, “Buuuut just because I won't say it doesn't mean I don't feel it.”

“I'm going to miss you two so much!” Pinkie said as she collapsed on the floor, tearing up.

“I just can't stop thinking about how much things are going to change!” Rarity added as she took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

“W... What if we don't see each other?” Rainbow asked.

“What if we don't talk as much?” Fluttershy cried.

“What if we don't stay friends?!” Applejack finished asking as she and the others began to cry.

“I know it's weird, but knowing you're all are as upset as Storm and I are actually makes us less worried,” Twilight said as the others gave them a group hug.

“That's nice, but you should be more worried about missing the train to Canterlot!” Spike replied, holding a pocket watch.

“Right! The train leaves at exactly five o’clock, and we’ve got ten minutes!” Storm said.

Eric, his parents, the other mares, and Spike rushed out of the Castle of Friendship and closed the door. It was then that Starlight approached them, carrying something for Twilight and Storm.

“Sorry, I'm so late. I actually thought I'd missed you—” she tried to say.

“No time!” Spike replied as they ran past Starlight. This made her spin and fall onto her back.

It was long before Eric, his parents, Midnight, Ron, Spike, and their friends reached the train station.

“Eric! Over here!” Sweetie Belle called out.

“Good to see you and the others, Sweetie Belle,” Eric said, giving his girlfriend a hug and kiss.

“We wanted to meet you at the station,” Pincer replied.

“There’s no way we’re missing the coronation,” Slapstick added.

“We gotta get goin’. I reckon Nightshade’s waiting for us,” Apple Bloom said.

Once they got their tickets, Eric, his family, and all their friends boarded the train. It was then that the train left for Canterlot.

“I hope Rumble is there,” Marina said.

“Same with Pip,” Zuni added.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the Wonderbolts perform,” Scootaloo replied.

All of a sudden, the train came to a complete stop.

“What’s happening? Why did the train stop?” Holly asked.

“Let’s find out,” Eric replied, then turned to his changeling friend, “Pincer, can you please go see what the holdup is?”

“I’m on it,” Pincer said.

He flew up to the engine and asked the engineer, “What’s the holdup?”

“We got sheep on the track,” the engineer replied.

“Allow me to handle it,” Pincer said as he transformed into a sheep.

He bleated to the other sheep, asking them nicely to move off the track and they did. Pincer got back on the train and assumed his normal form.

“You’re clear,” Pincer told the engineer as he went returned to Eric and the others.

It was then that the train began moving again, continuing onto Canterlot.

Once it was sunset, guests from all over Equestria and beyond were gathered for the coronation. Among them were King Thorax, Dragon Lord Ember, Queen Novo, King Aspen, Prince Rutherford, Lord Gander of Griffonstone, King Greenleaf of Prance, Prince Haakim and Princess Amira of Saddle Arabia, Prince Abraxas of Farasi, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, Queen Catterine of Abyssinia, and Princess Ocypete of Ornithia. Celestia and Luna were looking on from one of the castle windows as Twilight came in wearing her coronation dress with Storm alongside her in his coronation uniform. His uniform was dark gray and dark capri blue with the outer collar being light brown with gold patterns, a dark capri blue inner collar, and gold patterned purple epaulettes. Storm also had a rounded-shape pin with a purple gem embedded on it and a glowing star spider silk sash, same as his wife’s dress.

Just then, the trumpets were playing as Celestia and Luna approached Twilight and Storm.

“It is time,” Celestia said.

“Are you two ready?” Luna asked.

“We are,” Twilight and Storm replied in unison.

“Citizens of Equestria and beyond! My sister and I have ruled this land for quite some time, but even we know that change eventually comes to us all. And though we know it can be unsettling, it's as natural as the rising and setting of the sun and the moon. Both of which my sister and I feel confident leaving in the hooves of the ponies who will come after us,” Celestia announced as Eric and his friends, along with the other guests cheered and looked on.

“And so without further ado, I give you the new rulers of Equestria: Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Storm Blade!” Celestia finished as Twilight and Storm came onto the balcony.

Twilight nearly tripped on her dress, but Storm caught her as they stood between Celestia and Luna. The two sisters took off their crowns and magically transformed them into new ones. Twilight’s crown was golden with her cutie mark on it and Storm’s crown was silver with his cutie mark on it. Just then, Fluttershy and Spiracle fed the birds upon their arrival. The couple sent them and the butterflies to the balcony and they began their performance. The swans grabbed the crowns and placed them on their heads.

On a hill just outside the city, Forest, Spitfire, and the other Wonderbolts were waiting for Rainbow Dash. She quickly flew over to them so their performance could begin.

“Right on time, Dash,” Spitfire said, then turned to the others, “Wonderbolts, roll out!”

As Rainbow, Soarin, Forest, and the Wonderbolts began performing their stunts, Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich lit the fireworks with help from Gummy. The fireworks went off as the Wonderbolts finished their performance. Everyone looked on and cheered as Twilight and Storm were crowned. The servers came with the sparkling apple cider and poured everyone a glass.

“To Twilight and Storm!” Applejack said as she and the others, along with Eric and his friends did a toast. It was then that Twilight and Storm began a speech.

“Our fellow citizens, today is a day that will be etched in the annals of Equestrian history. As we stand here now, this marks a day of majestic ascension and responsibility. In the face of great challenges, we find the strength to unite and forge a brighter future. Today, we embark on a journey guided by the principles of friendship, loyalty, and harmony. May our coronation serve as a testament to our unwavering commitment to a future filled with the magic of friendship and the pursuit of a better tomorrow!” Twilight announced, using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“As the new rulers, we shall do what we can to ensure that future comes to pass as there is another matter that must be addressed. Two weeks ago on September 11th, a date which will live in infamy, Equestria was suddenly and deliberately attacked by army forces of Glacio and his allies. The Battle of Canter Fields proved again that our kingdom is vulnerable to attack by invasion from outside enemies or by enemies from within. Although we won the battle with help from our allies, our military forces were underprepared for this as it has been almost a century to over eighty years since Equestria fought in a full scale war,” Storm continued as he spoke in the RCV, “As of these two weeks, the Great Equestrian War has begun. During the time that the Canterlot Castle was being repaired, my wife and I had have directed that all measures be taken for our nation’s defense. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this crisis, Equestria and its allies in all their might will win through to absolute victory.”

“Let us be inspired to join forces and create a realm where the magic of friendship prevails over the forces of evil. May the magic of friendship continue to illuminate our path as we embark on this new chapter, and may the spirit of unity shine eternally in the heart of Equestria!” Twilight finished.

Eric and his friends, along with the Mane 5, Spike, all their families and the others in attendance applauded. Once the coronation was over, the Mane 7, Eric, and his friends were seated at two tables.

“Very good speech, Mom and Dad,” Eric said.

“Thanks, sport,” Storm replied.

“Whew, that was something,” Twilight added.

“I was just about to say the same thing,” Starlight spoke up as she and Spike approached them.

“We wanted to give this to you before you left Ponyville, but things got a little hectic,” Spike said, presenting their gift.

“Since you're moving away, we thought if you missed any of us or Ponyville, this might help,” Starlight added.

Twilight and Storm got off the chair and opened their gift, revealing a book. She opened it as they knew it was a magical photo album.

“Awww,” Twilight smiled as the others leaned in and took a look.

“It's a book of memories,” Pinkie said.

“And we all chipped in some,” Applejack added.

“No matter how much things change, you'll always have this to look back on,” Fluttershy finished.

“We love it. Thank you so much. But we don't want to only look back, we have to maintain our relationships,” Twilight replied.

“But now that we'll be living in different places, I'm not exactly sure how,” Rarity said.

“We are. Storm and I suggest we meet once a moon. In fact, our first royal decree as rulers of Equestria is to establish this Council of Friendship!” Twilight replied.

“Not to mention meeting every birthday and Hearth’s Warming,” Storm added as everyone else cheered.

“And what a wonderful decree it is!” Celestia remarked as she and Luna walked up to them.

“We always knew that whatever adversity you faced, you and your friends would find your way through it together,” Luna said.

“We know Equestria is in the perfect hooves with the both of you and your friends looking out for it. And while we'll always be here if you need us, it's time for us to be on our way,” Celestia added.

“You're leaving?” Twilight asked.

“We hope you'll come and visit us in Silver Shoals,” Luna replied.

“But now it's time for you to rule on your own. You're all more than capable,” Celestia added.

“Thank you. For everything. Mmmm!” Twilight said as she, Storm, Spike, and the Mane 5 gave the former princesses a group hug. Eric and his friends joined in as well.

“I’m gonna miss you, Smokey,” Jasper said.

“I’ll miss you as well, Jasper,” Smokey replied.

“Now that I’m moving to Silver Shoals with Luna, it’ll be hard not seeing you much, bro,” Jasper said.

“I’ll be in good hooves with the Apple family,” Smokey replied, “Now it’s time for you to be with the mare you love.”

“This is only goodbye until next time. See you soon, bro,” Jasper said.

“Love you too, bro,” Smokey replied as the brothers shared a final hug.

Once they separated, Jasper went to join Luna and Celestia.

“Mom, where am I supposed to go to school now that we’re living here?” Eric asked.

“Sweetheart, your dad and I thought about it and believed it would be best for you to attend the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Twilight replied.

“That means you’ll get to go to school with Nightshade,” Storm added.

“I’m gonna miss seeing you guys every day,” Eric said with tears in his eyes. The others also had tears in their eyes.

“We’re gonna miss you too, Eric. Me most of all,” Sweetie Belle replied as they shared a quick kiss.

“You made a real difference in our lives,” Holly added.

“We’ll see each other again. I’m sure of it,” Scootaloo finished.

“I promise to visit you guys every weekend,” Eric said.

“So do I. Especially you, Apple Bloom,” Nightshade added.

“We also promise to visit you and Nightshade every other weekend,” Apple Bloom replied as she and Nightshade shared a quick kiss.

“We’ll be around when you need us, Eric,” Zuni added.

“Agreed,” Marina, Slapstick, and Pincer finished in unison.

“Bye everyone! See you next weekend!” Eric said as he and his friends shared a group hug.

It was then that Zuni, Marina, Slapstick, Holly, Pincer, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo went back to the train station along with the Mane 5 and Starlight.

“See you soon, Twilight!” The Mane 5 said in unison as Starlight waved.

“Bye, everypony!” Twilight and Storm replied, waving their hooves.

Once they said their farewells, Eric and his family went inside the castle.

Author's Note

Eric Sparkle will return.

Special thanks to GoebelTron for helping me with Twilight and Storm’s coronation speech.

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End - Part 1

It was a nice summer day as Twilight and Storm ran to Canterlot with Eric on his mom’s back as Spike flew behind them. Even though he was nine years old, Eric still enjoyed riding on his parents’ backs whenever he felt the need to. Once the four of them were close enough, Twilight flew quickly toward the city gate.

“Wait up, Twilight!” Storm said, running behind her.

They saw the rest of the Mane 7 standing at the entrance. They rapidly rushed past them, with the girls rushing after them.

“Oh good! We’re all here,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight looked back at the others, noticing they all looked as worried as she and Storm were.

“So everypony got an urgent summons to the castle with no explanation?!” Twilight asked.

“Yup! I just love a good mysterious summons,” Pinkie replied, “What’s it about? Do you think it’s a surprise party? Hey! Why are we running?”

“Because something could be terribly wrong!” Twilight said, “Somepony turned bad?! Another evil creature back for revenge?!”

“I bet it has something to do with Glacio!” Storm added.

“Don’t you two think you’re bein’ a little paranoid?” Applejack replied.

“Why else would the Princesses and Lord Emerald send scrolls in such a hurry?” Twilight asked.

“Good point. They know better than to make us worry,” Rarity replied.

“They might have good news for us, mom. Maybe they need our help with some big event or something,” Eric said.

“Whatever news they have for us, Eric, it’s urgent,” Twilight replied.

“Plus, I like it when you run so fast, the walls get all blurry!” Pinkie said as she turned to look at the zooming walls, then looked back as her eyes were swirling, “Wheeee!”

“Race ya!” Rainbow exclaimed. She flew so fast that Pinkie was sent rolling, but she still managed to keep moving forward.

They all reached the castle quickly, then rushed in and came to a stop, most of them trying to catch their breath. Just then, Pinkie rolled into Spike and almost knocked him over. They quickly noticed Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Lord Emerald smiling at them.

“Everypony, thank you so much for coming,” Celestia said.

“What’s wrong?! What can we do?!” Twilight asked in panicked haste.

They braced themselves for whatever news they might hear, only to see Luna with a big smile on her face.

“That’s just it. Nothing’s wrong! Everything’s perfect!” Luna replied.

They all shared a look as Applejack asked on behalf of herself and the others, “Did y’all call us down here just to tell us that?”

“With all due respect, majesties, you might want to save your urgent summons for matters that are a bit more...well, urgent!” Rarity said. The royal sisters just giggled at this.

“Well, there is more to it. Equestria is currently enjoying its longest period of harmony in recent years,” Luna replied.

“And it’s all thanks to you, Twilight and Storm. And your friends, of course,” Celestia added.

“It’s also thanks to you, Eric, and your friends as well,” Emerald said.

“Who, us?” Spike asked smugly.

“Oh, pshaw.” Rarity giggled.

“It’s about time you noticed!” Rainbow said, crossing her forehooves.

“Thank you!” Twilight said, with a bow.

“Because of all your efforts, there’s been less and less for us to do,” Luna continued.

“So, after much consideration, my sister, our husband, and I have decided it is time for us...to retire!” Celestia finished.

Everyone gasped at this, they were stunned silent as a bright light entered the room.

“Breaking news!” Discord exclaimed, wearing a reporter outfit, “The royal princesses and Lord Emerald retiring! I have so many questions!” He flew over to the three of them, “Who’ll take over? Who will run Equestria? Will it be someone tall, dark, and handsome? Or will it be the Lord of Chaos?” Several duplicates of his dragon claw appeared around him, all pointing at him, only for Celestia to smirk at him before pointing at their intended successors, Twilight and Storm. “Oh, fine. Go with the obvious choice.”

Twilight and Storm made a horrified noise as the others sensed they were about to freak out.

“You’re retiring?!” Twilight asked.

“Princesses can retire?” Spike added as Luna chuckled.

“Of course we can. I, for one, am looking forward to a little R&R. Maybe a trip to Silver Shoals,” Luna replied.

“And you want me and Storm to take your place?!” Twilight asked.

Celestia and Luna nodded, “Mm-hmm!”

“With the help of your friends, of course!” Luna added.

“We can’t think of anypony more worthy.” Celestia continued as she and Luna flew to their level, “Over the years, we’ve watched you grow. You’ve faced task after task...”

“...challenge after challenge...” Luna continued, approaching them while Discord floated past them.

“Countless adversities, yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it...” Discord interrupted.

“And you’ve always prevailed,” Celestia finished.

“Thank you,” Twilight replied while still looking terrified, “But that doesn’t mean that I’m...that we’re ready to do what you do!”

“Besides, Glacio and his army are still out there and he could capitalize on your retirement as this could be the perfect opportunity for them to attack!” Storm added.

“We’re sure you’ll figure out some kind of solution to stop him this time,” Luna replied.

“Oh, of course you are.” Celestia said, stepping back, “I realize this is a lot to take in, but-”

“Nope! Makes perfect sense. We’re awesome!” Rainbow interrupted.

The others gathered around as Rainbow suddenly gasped, “Wait...does this mean we get all your powers?! Ooh, ooh! I call dibs on showing up in everypony’s dreams!”

Celestia was about to say something, but Twilight grabbed Rainbow and pulled her back.

“You can’t be ready to step into their horseshoes just like that!” Twilight stated.

“Besides, I don’t think just anypony can be given alicorn powers, Rainbow,” Storm added.

“Well, if the princesses and Lord Emerald think it’s time to retire, we’re not a bad choice,” Applejack shrugged, “We always have Equestria’s best interests at heart.”

“That’s a fair point...” Twilight remarked, taking out a pad and quill, “Which should be taken into consideration when we have a round table discussion-”

“Well, I’m in!” Rarity said, then took out a measuring tape, “Darlings, we’ll all need a complete wardrobe update!” She then smiled at the princesses, “And I would love to pick your brain about mane maintenance when you have a moment.”

“As long as we all have each other, I’m sure we can do it!” Fluttershy said.

“Yay!” Pinkie cheered before holding out her hoof. “Protectors of Equestria! On three! One... two...” The others put their hooves in, leaving only Twilight, Storm, and Eric, as the others stared at the three of them, making them sigh.

“If you’re all on board...” She gulped, “I guess we are too.” She and Storm placed their hooves with the others, while Eric placed his hand in and the nine of them shouted in unison, “PROTECTORS OF EQUESTRIA!” They threw their hooves and hands into the air and Twilight sighed again, “It’ll be a bit of an adjustment. But I imagine the transfer of power will be a lengthy process, which will-”

“Actually, we just need a few days to put together a little ceremony,” Celestia replied. Twilight’s calmness was gone as she chuckled nervously.

“A few DAYS?!” Twilight asked. The others moaned, as their big speech had seemed completely useless.

“But that’s so soon! Shouldn’t there be some sort of training program that lasts weeks? No, months, if not YEARS?!” Twilight asked. The princess sisters chuckled.

“Everything you’ve gone through over the years has been a training program,” Celestia said.

“Wait. Have you been grooming Twilight and I for this since the day you met us?” Storm asked.

“Of course not,” Celestia replied, shaking her head, “I had smaller expectations when I first met you both, but you just kept upping the game. When she became a princess, I was hoping she would become somepony capable of taking my place. But even I did not expect her to come into that role so quickly.”

“Okay, but there’s gotta be a guide or a rulebook!” Twilight said.

“Yes, I have it right here.” Discord replied as he appeared next to them with a book of some kind, which he started flipping through, “How to Rule Equestria, by Nopony McPretendsmith.” If Twilight and Storm weren’t so frazzled by this whole situation, they probably would have realized Discord was joking with them. Before she could read even a sentence, he snapped it shut and teleported it away. Luckily, Luna was there to comfort her.

“The friendship journal you wrote yourselves is a better guide than any we could provide,” Luna said as she held up the book, which she gave to Twilight and Storm. She held it to her chest, then began hyperventilating.

“We have the utmost confidence in you,” Celestia added.

“And we hope you have the same in yourselves,” Luna finished, with a nod.

Twilight kept panting while using her magic to pull a paper bag out of Pinkie’s mane as a means to control her breathing.

“Oh, I’m absolutely certain they do,” Discord chuckled.

“Relax, Twily. Breathe calmly,” Storm said, gently patting his wife’s back. It wasn’t too long before she calmed down a bit.

“Mom, since the princesses and Lord Emerald are planning to retire, do we have to move here to Canterlot?” Eric asked.

“Yes, sweetheart. We have to,” Twilight replied.

“I’m sure gonna miss most of my friends,” Eric said.

“I’m sure we can arrange for you to see them often, sport,” Storm replied.

In a dark forest, Queen Chrysalis was standing in a circle of trees. The trees had slime around them, turning it into a nest comfortable enough for her to live in.

“One day! One day you’ll see! I will defeat Twilight Sparkle and her friends!” Chrysalis said as she cackled, “And they will pay for stealing my kingdom!” She was making this grand declaration to a log which currently had the image of an unreformed changeling carved into it.

She turned to another log and picked it up, using her magic to carve another changeling face into it. But before she could talk to it, a black shadow engulfed her and she disappeared while the logs fell to the ground.

Deep in Tartarus, two of its most notorious prisoners were still trapped. Inside the bigger cage, Tirek scratched another line into a tally chart, another of hundreds of days that he had been stuck in the accursed prison. “Psst, Tirek!” Tirek then turned to the filly in the smaller cage.

“It is Lord Tirek,” the centaur growled, “And what is it now?”

Cozy Glow smiled at him. “I just wanna make sure you can see my best friends rock sculpture from over there!” Cozy Glow said. She pointed to a spot between their cages, where a bunch of rocks were stacked together to show Tirek carrying Cozy on his shoulder.

The centaur stared at it, then at the tallies before letting out a groan of frustration. If he didn’t get out of there soon, he would go even more insane. As if he wished for a miracle, a puff of black smoke suddenly engulfed him and he disappeared. Cozy’s eyes went wide, only for another puff to take her as well, causing the statue to completely fall apart. Cerberus wouldn’t notice for hours that its two most notorious prisoners were gone.

In another underground area, an unseen figure stared down and placed a familiar broken-off horn on the ground before using a stick to draw a circle, then an M shape through a straight line in the ground. The magic circle glowed blue as runic symbols appeared inside it. In a matter of seconds, the evil unicorn it belonged to appeared as his eyes were glowing green with eyebrows burning purple.

It was then that Tirek and Cozy Glow appeared in the main room of the ice fortress. They were standing on one of the staircases and before either of them could say anything, another wisp of smoke dropped Chrysalis off on top of a ramp. She turned around at this and gasped, “Lord Tirek?!”

“A changeling?” Tirek asked, raising an eyebrow before turning to Cozy Glow, “See? She gets it.”

Cozy rolled her eyes, as Chrysalis marched down the ramp. “Chrysalis, queen of the changelings! Or at least I will be when I’m restored to my rightful place!” She said, jumping off the ramp and landing at the foot of the stairs they were on.

“Why did you summon me?” She asked, charging up her horn, “What do you want?!”

This made Cozy Glow yelp and jump behind Tirek.

“Oh, golly! We didn’t bring you! I thought you freed us from Tartarus!” Cozy Glow replied as she gave her the cutest look she could as Chrysalis flinched.

“Tartarus? Whoever pulled you from there must have been somepony very powerful indeed,” Chrysalis said.

Just then, they heard cackling as King Sombra was teleported into the room.

“King Sombra! You have returned? Why did you bring us here?” Chrysalis asked.

“He didn’t. It was I, Prince Glacio, the rightful ruler of Equestria,” the evil alicorn replied as he and his top officers entered the room.

“Tirek and I have heard of you,” Cozy Glow said.

“We meet again at last,” Sombra added.

“It’s been a long time, Sombra and now I have brought you back to life,” Glacio replied.

“You two know each other?” Tirek asked.

“Correct. Over a thousand years ago, Sombra lived in the Crystal Empire as an apprentice to my past lover, Princess Amore alongside Radiant Hope, who is currently a doctor in Canterlot. When he found out that the Crystal Princess chose Radiant Hope as her successor, Sombra was jealous and he came to me for guidance. I could feel his anger brewing and I convinced him to give in to his hate and let the darkness consume him until his heart became black as night,” Glacio explained, “I’m the reason he enslaved the Crystal Empire all those years ago. As for you, Tirek, remember that it was I who lured Cerberus away from Tartarus so you could escape in the first place.”

“By the way, Tirek and Cozy Glow. I’m General Frostbite, Prince Glacio’s second-in-command,” Frostbite said.

“My pleasure,” Tirek replied in a neutral tone.

“Anyways, I have summoned you here as part of my plan to rid Equestria of Twilight Sparkle, Storm Blade, and their friends and take over Equestria once and for all,” Glacio said, then cackled evilly.

“In case either of you had not noticed, I am very weak,” Tirek replied.

“Perhaps I can help with that,” Glacio said as he presented a vial of water of some kind, “This is a vial of water collected from a magical spring called Pool of Power deep within these mountains. I suggest you drink it, Tirek.”

Glacio offered the vial to Tirek, who then drank it as the water made him glow before growing bigger, with the light vanishing to reveal his more muscular form. He wasn’t too powerful, but he looked about as muscular as a standard minotaur, though his horns weren’t as long. He looked his new body over and even kissed his muscles.

“I thank you for the power boost, Prince Glacio,” Tirek said.

“It’s not much, but it’s better than your former weakened state. Blueblood tells me that my sisters are planning to retire and pass the throne to Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Storm Blade. This’ll be the perfect opportunity to strike,” Glacio replied, “I’ve heard about each of your humiliating defeats at the hooves of those seven puny ponies. And do you know why they’ve always bested you?”

“Because they cheat!” Chrysalis guessed.

“Because they are annoyingly lucky,” Tirek added.

“I’m just a kid, so...” Cozy Glow tried to say.

“It is because they work together. Where one is weak, another is strong, and thus unified, they are a formidable force! But we shall use their own strategy to defeat them,” Glacio said, cutting the filly off.

“What are you suggesting?” Chrysalis asked.

“I suggest nothing. I demand that you join my forces, and together, Equestria will be ours!” Glacio replied.

“I don’t do “ours”. I only do mine,” King Sombra retorted, then got into Glacio’s face, “I will take back the Crystal Empire on my own, and I will destroy any pony who gets in my way!”

“Such confidence. Go! Try to take back your kingdom. I shall send you there myself. If you prevail, you may keep it. But when you fail, you will submit to me!” Glacio said, getting into Sombra’s face.

“And if I refuse this deal?” King Sombra asked.

“Then I shall return you to the darkness from which you were summoned, and while you’re at it, destroy the Tree of Harmony. I will not be imprisoned in the ice again, you’ll know it when you see it,” Glacio replied.

“Fine! But this is a waste of time, as I will crush those who defy me. I will defeat all who get in my way! I’m—” Sombra ranted as Glacio teleported him out of the fortress.

“I advise the rest of you to prepare to work together with my army!” Glacio told the others.

“Well, working together sounds an awful lot like making friends, so... you two are in luck, because I know all about that!” Cozy Glow said, sitting on Tirek’s shoulder. The centaur rolled his eyes and flicked her off. She cried as she was sent flying across the room, crashing into the wall.

In the Crystal Empire, dark clouds appeared in the sky and dark crystals came up from the ground as King Sombra entered the city. Crystal ponies were fleeing the evil unicorn as he advanced. The evil king appeared out of the smoke in front of a terrified crystal filly as he looked down at her with an evil grin as her parents tried keeping her safe.

“There is no escape,” Sombra said darkly, then placed the crystal pony family under his mind control.

Just then, a spear was thrown at him but missed as four guards rushed at him. Sombra conjured up a crystal pillar which knocked the guards away as he gave them an evil look and conjured up a mind control helmet. He then put the helmet on the guard’s head and did the same with multiple other guards and various other crystal ponies as they advanced to the castle. The evil king conjured up some crystal stairs for himself and his newly brainwashed minions to enter.

Several remaining guards led by Captain Brawn noticed Sombra enter with looks of fear.

“Fire crossbows!” Captain Brawn ordered as the archers fired their arrows.

King Sombra easily deflected the arrows being fired at him, then caught one guard in his magic and fatally broke his back on the ceiling. He then deflected more arrows and sent them back at the guards, killing them. Sombra conjured up a crystal shard and cut down any guards in his path, he then relieved the guards of their crossbows. He caught another archer in his magic and quickly broke his neck. It was then that he conjured up a crystal spike and fatally stabbed another guard. Captain Brawn escaped with a few survivors and managed to reach Shining Armor.

“All too easy,” King Sombra said smugly as he and his brainwashed army kept advancing.

It wasn’t long before Shining Armor, Captain Brawn, and two remaining guards rushed into the throne room.

“The guard says Sombra’s breached the castle!” Shining Armor told his wife, who was writing a letter to Twilight.

“Hurry, Twilight! We need you!” Cadance said as she sent her letter and asked, “Do you have Flurry Heart?”

“I thought you had her,” Shining Armor replied.

They gasped in fear and then rushed to their daughter’s room only to find Flurry in Sombra’s clutches.

“Mama!” Flurry cried out, turning to her parents.

Flurry’s cry made her mother want to blast him, but Shining put his hoof in front of her.

“You won’t get away with this!” Cadance said defiantly.

“Oh, but I already have,” Sombra replied.

Flurry made angry noises as she tried to bite Sombra’s hoof, but he pulled it away, laughing evilly. It wasn’t long before Sombra captured the Crystal Heart, with dark crystal spikes impaling it.

“With the Crystal Heart now in my possession, there is nothing to stop me from ruling the Crystal Empire!” King Sombra said as he sat on the throne.

He looked down at the three royals as the masked guards pulled them toward the throne.

“Kneel before Sombra!” the evil king said.

The family glared at him, but the chains were pulled, and they were forced down to the floor. Seeing this made him sigh as he leaned back and said, “Long live the king.”

Back at the Castle of Friendship, Twilight, Storm, and Eric were pacing in the throne room. Just then, the others, including Starlight, Jasper, and Smokey entered.

“Thanks for coming so quickly—“ Twilight tried to say before Discord appeared.

“Sure thing. But if you’re gonna be the ruler of Equestria, you may want to work on your penmanship. This looks like it says, ‘Cadance sent an emergency message. Sombra’s back, and he’s taking over the Crystal Empire.’” Discord said as he read the letter.

“That’s exactly what it says!” Twilight replied, flying up to Discord.

“But... But how is that possible?! I thought the Crystal Heart had dispelled him into the ether!” Rarity said.

“I have no idea! But he’s back, and it’s up to us to save the Empire, my brother, sister-in-law, and our niece!” Twilight replied.

“This must be Glacio’s doing,” Storm suggested.

“Shouldn’t somepony tell Celestia, Luna, and Emerald?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ooh, good point! One of us should probably loop in the real rulers of Equestria,” Discord said, pulling Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike against him.

“No. If we’re going to run Equestria, we’ll need to handle things like this on our own,” Twilight replied as she flew back to the cutie map.

“Oh, Twilight! Could this mean that you finally have the confidence to ascend to the throne like the princesses believe you can?” Discord asked.

“Maybe? Unless you’d consider taking care of Sombra for us?” Twilight replied, with a pleading look.

“Oh, no-no-no-no! You’re absolutely right! You need to learn how to handle these things on your own,” Discord said, shaking her hoof and conjuring up a grad cap, trophy, and check, “Ta-ta!”

It was then that Discord teleported out of the castle, leaving the Mane 7, Spike, Jasper, Smokey, and Eric to themselves.

“Handlin’ things on our own is all well and good, but last time we defeated Sombra with the Crystal Heart,” Applejack pointed out.

“What if he has it already? How are we gonna stop him?” Spike asked.

“With the Elements of Harmony!” Twilight gasped, then flew back to the floor, “With those, we can defeat anypony! Even Sombra!”

“Ah, no-no-no. You didn’t need the Elements the last time you defeated Sombra,” Discord said as he reappeared while in the middle of a shower, “And I’m not sure that using them still counts as ‘handling things on your own’.”

“Our family is in danger. I’m not taking any chances,” Twilight said.

“Good thinking, mom,” Eric replied.

“She’s got a point,” Rainbow added as she flew up to Discord.

“Ugh, fine,” Discord grumpled as he disappeared.

“What’s his problem?” Pinkie asked.

“Starlight, can you stay here and-” Twilight tried to say.

“-take care of the school and watch Eric? I’ve got you covered,” Starlight replied, cutting Twilight off.

“So do we,” Jasper and Smokey added in unison.

It was then that the Mane 7 teleported out of the castle.

“Starlight, d-do you think King Sombra might come to Ponyville?” Eric asked with fear, “‘Cause I don’t want to be around if he does and I want my friends to be safe too.”

“I’m not sure, Eric. If that does happen, we can teleport to Canterlot,” Starlight replied, hugging him.

It wasn’t long before Eric was reading a Shadow Spade book. After half an hour of reading, Eric noticed his locket was glowing dark red. He gasped at this and said, “Show me my parents!”

The locket showed him a magical projection of his parents and their friends looking on as crystals came out of the ground and ceiling. They were thrusted into the Tree of Harmony, ripping pieces off of it and knocking the Elements loose from where they rested. Before any of the ponies could react, the largest crystal rushed out of the ground and impaled the center of the tree. The Tree of Harmony was destroyed as the Elements were sent flying, all hitting the ground in front of the Mane 7 and shattering to pieces.

Eric gasped in horror as he saw the whole thing through his locket, “Oh no!” He then rushed over to Starlight and tapped her shoulder.

“Starlight! The Tree of Harmony has been destroyed! My locket detected it and showed me,” Eric said.

“That’s not good. That means the Everfree Forest will overrun Ponyville!” Starlight replied.

“Show me King Sombra,” Eric said to his locket.

Eric’s locket showed him an image of a dark cloud swirling down to the ground before taking form. It was revealed to be King Sombra, standing on the shattered remains of the Elements with an evil cackle. Eric watched and heard everything that was going on in the cave as the Mane 7 were trapped in a crystal spike cage.

Author's Note

I had King Sombra voiced by James Earl Jones in this story, as a nod to his voice work as Lavan the Lava Demon in MLP G1, while also sounding similar to Darth Vader.