A Dirge For The Number One
“Well, how ‘bout that,” Applejack remarked, pushing her hat back on her head. “It's just like you said the day we opened that school.”
Spike gestured to all the various creatures surrounding them within the confines of the magical barrier keeping the windigos at bay.
“The more creatures who know about friendship, the safer we’ll be!” Spike proclaimed.
Pinkie Pie pumped a hoof in the air. “We told you, you had it all figured out!”
Twilight smiled and was about to say something only for the barrier to fall with a sudden crack. Buffeted by the ice-cold wind, the group huddled together, except for Twilight. The alicorn took wing and flew out over the muddy field where her foes awaited her.
Cold, confused, and angry, the three empowered villains quickly noticed the approaching shape of Twilight. Their rage, shared across the three of them, grew hot and they raced forward, eager to end the fight once and for all.
“Enough!” Twilight shouted, the lavender mare blasting a line in the muddy earth with her magic. “Because of you, I almost lost my way! But everycreature here has reminded me 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! The Pillars knew this! That's why they created the elements of harmony.”
In the distance, a strange white flash of light signaled the sudden arrival of the pillars, as well as Celestia, Luna, and Discord. Starlight looked around, attempting to find out who or what was capable of using such a long-range teleportation. The magical energy necessary was astronomical, though her curiosity was cut off by Twilight's continued speech.
“The Elements showed me and my 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!” Twilight pressed.
Her friends glowed with that same ethereal white light that had heralded the appearance of the villain’s distant captives. The five ponies floated away from the group, leaving Spike behind and joining Twilight high above the field.
“Others who will continue our mission after we are gone! Now I 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!” Twilight exclaimed, her voice rising and gaining a strange almost otherworldly quality to it.
Behind her, still, on the ground, both the pillars of eternity and the students who had inspired Equestria began to glow with the same light. Only this white illumination built quickly, ascending upward, where it became a vibrant rainbow of light more powerful than any that had come before. These arcs flew across the sky and crashed into the six friends who had so shaped Equestria with their friendship. Lost amidst the veil of the rainbow, none could see their saviors, though her, no their, voice could still be heard by all.
“Together!” they proclaimed.
A great beam of white unlike anything the world had seen before burst forth, shooting up into the air. In its wake, the rainbow twisted around it tighter and tighter until it blasted through the storm-filled sky to the empty horizon beyond. In an instant the windigos were gone, banished by the most powerful magic wielded by any creature in history.
“This is bad, isn't it?” Cozy Glow muttered grimly.
The great rainbow of light turned sharply, arcing groundward and descending upon the three villains. In its wake music could be heard, the ethereal, haunting melody coming from everywhere and nowhere. When it slammed home, the world shook, though to those present the impact sounded like a sharp note had been struck upon some strange crystal.
Within the rainbow wave, the three villains felt the vast oceans of power they had commanded dry up in mere moments. The changes wielding such strength had left on them bled away, and within a few short seconds, they were their old selves again. In the distance unseen by most, Grogar’s bell dulled and fell to the mud, its power dissipated now that it no longer had a wielder.
And then just as suddenly as it had appeared, the rainbow vanished, and the three villains tumbled to the ground. Unpowered, and returned to the forms they had from before the bell, they groped at themselves, horrified at what they beheld. Tirek stared in horror at his weakened form, Cozy Glow grasped at the spot where her horn had been and Chrysalis hesitantly touched her chest.
Before them descended a single, unfamiliar pony.
Taller than even Celestia, and rising to the point that she rivaled Discord in stature, the mare towered over the three fallen villains. Her white fur was the color of freshly fallen snow, though, at the tips of her hooves, it slowly transitioned to a vibrant lavender. Her tail had a similar mix of white, and several distinct shades of light purple. Her mane was much the same, though it had a jagged almost crystalline appearance while still moving like normal hair. Only her eyes, bright and blue, differed from this pallet, with even her cutie mark being purple and white. A large white star was emblazoned upon her flanks, one surrounded by a lilac-hued crystal that grew outward like the grasping limbs of a tree.
“You think friendship, would…” Chrysalis began, only for her words to fall away as she grasped the true majesty of the mare before her.
For she was not just tall, but she also sported the largest wings and the strangest horn seen by anyone present. Longer than any other appendage like it, the horn appeared smooth and had an extra branching protrusion near its tip. It was not just her appearance that struck the changeling, for the very air around the stranger was heavy. The pressure this new alicorn exerted was immense, so much so that the former queen could not rise from the earth. A glance at her companions confirmed that the others couldn't move either, though Cozy glow was most struck of them all.
Gazing up with wide, awestruck eyes, the filly trembled like she was in the midst of a fit though this shaking reached only her neck. The young pony felt tears fall from her face though she hadn't remembered crying. Something about the way the newly arrived pony stood before her in a veil of shimmering light transfixed Cozy Glow as surely as if she had been bolted to the ground.
“There isn't a punishment worthy of all you’ve done,” declared the alicorn, her voice quieting all others and reverberating with the power unlike this world had seen before. “The pain and disharmony you have sowed is greater than what even Discord was capable of.”
“Huh?” murmured the god of chaos in confusion.
“I have given you so many lessons on friendship, and harmony but you have shirked each one in turn,” continued the mare, her voice bubbling and roiling with an undercurrent of rage and disappointment. “You came so close to realizing the magic of friendship yet here you lie, failures.”
The strange alicorn sighed tiredly, the anger billowing out of her and being replaced by a deep sadness.
“And so you will serve as a lesson to others, so that they may learn what you refused to,” she continued, her strange branching horn alighting with power. “Goodbye, Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, and Tirek. May you take solace in the fact that at least in the end, you will be together.”
The three villains came together suddenly, clasping tightly to one another with hooves and arms outstretched. Tirek and Chrysalis cradled Cozy Glow between them, with the filly burying her face into the neck of the changeling. Tears fell and whispered, unheard goodbyes, or perhaps apologies were spoken, before with a flash, they were turned to stone.
A moment later the three rose into the air, a pedestal emerging from the ground under them until they were nearly ten feet up. There they would stand, the lone permanent occupant of this forgotten, desolate field, forever more.
“And so it is over, and the end has ended,” murmured the alicorn in a quiet, somber tone.
Reaching down, she plucked the discarded bell from the mud, and with little effort, crushed it to dust. With the artifact destroyed, the magic within shot out into the world, returning back to its rightful owners. Celestia and Luna’s manes became vibrant once more, and gravity lost its tentative grasp on Discord, allowing him to rise into the air.
“You know,” Celestia began, stepping toward the strange new pony. “I had a small speech planned for this moment. I was going to mention how I had high hopes for you, and that Equestria is in good hooves but I’m not sure who you even are.”
“We are Twilight, as well as her friends. You may call us, Harmony,” exclaimed the alicorn.
“So Twilight and her companions, are they…” Luna began.
Harmony smiled. “This form is temporary. You will see them again soon.”
“Harmony eh? So does that mean we are mortal enemies?” Discord added. “Cus I’d totally be down for a round or two, but my magic is all twisted up at the moment.”
“Chaos is not the opposite of harmony you know,” Harmony replied with a wink. “Besides, we have no enemies.”
“I guess the coronation is off then,” Discord replied. “You know if Twilight didn't wanna be queen she didn't have to Megazord with the rest of her friends, she coulda just said.”
“She would never shirk such a responsibility. And the coronation will simply be… delayed while the effects of the magic wear off,” Harmony offered.
“Then we shall see to the injured. And Harmony? It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” Celestia offered.
Luna nodded, and Discord gave a dramatic bow before departing alongside the two alicorn sisters.
Harmony turned to depart as well but was stopped by a glaring unicorn blocking her path.
“Where did you think you are getting off to?” Starlight demanded.
“Nowhere. We were simply going for a walk to clear our mind. Would you like to join us?” Harmony offered.
“Of course. I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Starlight replied.
Harmony simply nodded and set off toward a small forested area that lay nearby. As she walked, Starlight inspected this strange, and serene creature next to her. She was, if nothing else, polite for she kept her pace slow despite just how much longer her gait was than Starlight’s. The strange alicorn was also powerful, that much was obvious without the unicorn mare even needing to light her horn. The thaumatic pressure Harmony exuded was immense, and the air around her was so charged with magic that Starlight felt exhilarated.
“This is a nice spot, don't you think?” Harmony offered.
Starlight glanced over to find that they were standing in the midst of a small grove with a creek running through it. Several boulders littered the closest bank, half sticking out of the muddy earth. Harmony saw them too, and with seemingly no effort at all, pulled one of them free of its earthen tomb using her magic. A second, slightly smaller one followed and was placed a few feet away from its larger cousin.
“There we are,” Harmony murmured. “Would you like a seat? We assume you have questions.”
“How did you teleport everyone from Canterlot to here before you had even formed?” Starlight demanded.
Harmony blinked in surprise, though the shock was momentary, and a smile quickly spread across her face. “We suppose we should have seen that one coming. You always were more observant than we cared to admit,” Harmony remarked.
“Don't dodge the question,” Starlight retorted.
“We are merely giving credit where it is due before we answer you,” Harmony calmly replied. “We assume you noticed the color of our magic then, yes?”
Starlight nodded. “Nopony in history has such a pure white magic and up until now I had assumed it was impossible.”
“It's quite possible. It merely requires that you cast your spell perfectly, without thaumatic bleed or mana burn,” Harmony answered.
“But that… that's impossible,” Starlight murmured. “No creature can so perfectly manipulate their internal magic. Even the greatest mages in history have never been able to ensure one hundred percent efficiency.”
“They sought to bend magic to their whim, we are both the conduit and the spell itself,” Harmony answered.
Starlight sat there, an odd look on her face, lips pursed and brow furrowed. As the gears turned within her mind, Harmony simply waited, smiling faintly.
“That is… a lot to take in,” Starlight muttered, mostly to herself. “We’ll come back to that in a second but more importantly how were you able to even use magic before coming into existence in the first place?”
“We have always existed in some capacity, we merely transitioned from one state of being to another,” Harmony explained.
Using her magic, Harmony pulled a small cube of water from the creek and floated it before her. She then froze it into a solid block of ice which she placed upon the ground between them.
“Like from water to ice, we were force now we are flesh, in a way,” Harmony declared.
“You are saying that before this you were harmony itself? Like the abstract concept?” Starlight pressed.
“We still are,” Harmony continued, gesturing back to the creek. “Just as the water, now ice is still a part of the creek we are still harmony, and Harmony is still us.”
Starlight massaged her temples with both hooves. “Okay, so you were the concept-”
“Force,” Harmony corrected. “We have more in common with gravity, than something like the concept of family or abstract quantitive value.”
“Okay, but wait-” Starlight bit her tongue. “I’m going to ignore the ramifications of harmony being a fundamental force for a second here and press the question of how you were able to act. I have never heard of harmony moving things in quite so literal a sense.”
“We had already begun to manifest the moment Twilight tapped into us,” Harmony answered. “We only fully corporealized shortly after.”
“Uh huh,” Starlight murmured. “On to another question then, why did Celestia seem… unsurprised, and sad when she spoke to you?”
Harmony sighed and glanced back in the direction she had last seen the other alicorn. “She understood the true nature of our manifestation and pitied those brave ponies for what she saw as a sacrifice,” Harmony explained.
“Sacrifice? So they are gone then?” Starlight accused.
“When one and one become two, do we think of the one as being gone?” Harmony asked with a smirk. “Or in this case, one and one and one and one and one, and one.”
“This isn't a joke. My friends are dead,” Starlight accused.
Harmony’s smile fell away.
“They are gone, yes but not truly. All that they were and are, are still here, within us,” Harmony continued, pressing a hoof over her heart.
“But if they aren't here-” Starlight tried to continue.
“You don't understand,” Harmony interrupted, her tone growing sharp. “You reduce ponies down to just their physical essence when they are so much more than something so small and so simple as the meat they occupy.”
Harmony rose from her seat, and suddenly Starlight felt very, very small.
“They are still here. Applejack’s honesty, Rarity’s generosity, Rainbow Dash’s loyalty, Pinkie Pie’s laughter, Fluttershy’s kindness, and Twilight's magic. But more than just that, their hopes, their dreams, their desires, and feelings remain pure and unchanged,” Harmony continued. “Just as Twilight’s love for her one-time sister and confidant still weighs heavy upon our mind, urging us to be patient despite the harshness of her words.”
Harmony sighed once more and sat back down.
“And so we shall, for it is her will,” Harmony continued.
Starlight picked herself up off the ground, the mare slightly surprised as she hadn't remembered falling from her seat.
“So,” Starlight began. “I suppose the next most obvious question is why? Why did you manifest at all?”
“Pity,” Harmony answered, only to pause and cock her head, her gaze briefly distant. “Though perhaps it was more of a kindness than something so cruel as pity.”
“Explain,” Starlight demanded.
“No one, not even the six most powerful ponies to ever exist were meant to wield my power,” Harmony began anew, her expression softening as she spoke. “To do so would be a death sentence, but such an ignominious end for such great heroes was not something I could stand to see.”
“Wait a second. Twilight and her friends were the most powerful ponies to ever exist? I mean, Twilight I can understand but you’re telling me Fluttershy is stronger than I don't know, Starswirl?” Starlight asked.
Harmony chuckled, and the world seemed to grow brighter if only for a moment. “You should know better than most by now Starlight. Friendship is magic and who has a more powerful friendship than them?”
“Also why do you keep flipping back and forth from singular I, to we, to whatever?” Starlight asked.
“I was once singular, now I am many, but there is also the me that is apart from us,” Harmony continued, only to frown. “I know it may not make a lot of sense at the moment but I’m sure in time you will figure it all out.”
Starlight sighed. “Okay so now what? How do we tell them that Twilight and her friends are… not gone but changed?”
“We will do so, in time,” Harmony answered. “For now we will return to our lives, and when the time is right, reveal what has happened here today.”
“Lives? You're just going to pretend like you are Twilight and her friends?” Starlight asked.
Harmony’s expression hardened once more. “What have you not understood? We have all of Twilight's love for Spike, Applejack’s love for her family, and all their collected memories. We are the ponies you know, only singular of form but multitudal of mind.”
“Evidently with Twilight's lexicon,” Starlight muttered.
Harmony smiled. “And you have apparently inherited a part of Pinkie Pie’s sense of humor.”
“She rubs off on you,” Starlight remarked.
“She sure does,” Harmony murmured.
“You will tell them though, won't you?” Starlight pressed.
Harmony nodded slowly. “Each must be told at the right time, at the right place when it is most right to do so. So I hope you will help me keep this small white lie until the time comes.”
“A white lie is still cruel,” Starlight retorted.
“And to deliver such news at the wrong time would be crueler still,” Harmony countered.
Starlight sighed in defeat. “I suppose so.”
“Thank you, Starlight,” Harmony replied.
“I guess that leaves the obvious question then. Are you still going to rule Equestria?” Starlight asked.
“It is what they wanted, so yes. We shall,” Harmony answered.
“That's going to be… interesting,” Starlight murmured. “They always said that under Celestia, harmony reigns. I never thought that old saying would become quite so literal.”
“Under Harmony, harmony reigns doesn't exactly roll off the tongue now does it?” Harmony asked.
Starlight chuckled mirthlessly. “No, no it does not.”
“I sense that you still have questions,” Harmony half asked, half stated.
“Just a few more,” Starlight admitted. “To start with does that mean you are truly immortal now, like Celestia and Luna, or Discord?”
“They are not true immortals, but yes, in a sense we are,” Harmony exclaimed. “Rather than incredibly long lived we are… untouched by time and harm though that does not mean we shall live forever.”
“Why?” Starlight asked.
“For they do not want to,” Harmony answered simply. “Even Twilight did not yearn for such longevity, so when the time comes and the last of their attachments are gone, we shall allow death to take us.”
“You don't fear the end?” Starlight inquired.
Harmony chuckled. “We were here before Equestria was even a gathering mote of dust borne upon the cosmic winds and we shall remain once this world has been consumed at the end of all things. Even the passage between this reality and the next is not impassable for one such as us.”
“I..” Starlight groaned and began rubbing her temples. “I’m going to ignore all that for the moment.”
“Best not concern yourself with such esoteric considerations until you have a few decades to kill and more then a few ibuprofen,” Harmony warned.
“Noted,” Starlight murmured.
The pair sat quietly in the small grove, the silence only broken by the distant sound of bird song and the soft burbling of the creek.
“So,” Starlight began again. “They really are not gone, but not here anymore?”
Harmony rose suddenly, only to kneel before Starlight and place a hoof on her shoulder.
“They are always with you,” Harmony whispered in a low tone.
“I-I know that,” Starlight murmured.
The unicorn gulped down the lump that had been growing in her throat.
“Just think of it this way,” Harmony offered. “With each spell, you are with Twilight. Each time you laugh Pinkie Pie is there alongside you. Each time you extend the hoof of kindness it is Fluttershy who is there. Every honest word summons Applejack, and every generous offering brings you closer to Rarity.”
Starlight opened her mouth to speak, but the lump had become a block and no sound came out. Harmony leaned forward, and wrapped her wings around the smaller mare, pulling her into a soft, gentle hug.
“Weep not my friend, for they are my elements,” Harmony continued. “And they are eternal.”
Author's Note
This is a part of the Jest Days of Christmas, where I update something every single day of December. Go check out the link for the full list and check back everyday for a new update!
