Celestia and Luna stepped off of the train after it a arrived at the Crystal Empire. Celestia took a deep breath, and then turned to her sister.
"I'm going to need your help on this, Luna," Celestia said solemnly.
"Do not worry, sister," Luna replied, "We shall talk Cadence and Flurry out of their hasty decision."
"Hopefully," Celestia said.
"Not hopefully. Definitely," Luna said with a slight edge to her voice, "They are acting out of emotion and with no logic whatsoever. I am certain that after hearing our perspective, they will surely see the error they have made for what it is."
Celestia shook her head and said, "I am afraid I do not share your confidence, sister. After all, the details and context of their situation are not exactly the same as ours."
Luna scoffed, and she looked up at the Crystal Palace as they approached and said, "Well, we shall soon see."
The retired royal sisters walked across the throne room and approached Princess Flurry Heart, who sat upon her throne, with her mother standing on her left and her father standing on her right.
"Greetings Celestia and Luna," Flurry Heart said with a thin, strained smile, "What do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Before Celestia could speak, Luna cut in and said, "No stalling, Flurry Heart. You know why we are here. Why have you cut all ties between the Crystal Empire and Equestria?"
Flurry smiled like a crocodile and said, "Why haven't you thrown that traitorous griffon and his friends in chains for what they did to Auntie Twilight?"
Luna scowled and said, "We have been retired for several years now. We couldn't do that even if we wanted to." Luna then looked back and forth between Cadence and Shining Armor, "Have neither of you educated your daughter properly? Does she not know my story? Do the Crystal Ponies not celebrate Nightmare Night?"
Shining Armor's composure broke, and he shouted in rage, "Don't you DARE compare Twily to Nightmare Moon!"
"And why not? The differences between us are only minor," Luna said with a shrug of her wings.
"Twily was trying to stop Opaline. You were just jealous!" Shining accused.
Celestia extended a wing in front of Luna and said, "Luna. Stop. We didn't come here to scream at each other. We came here to talk." Celestia then looked to Cadence, "And to relate."
Cadence rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, sure. Relate."
Celestia frowned, and she said, "I lost my sister for a long time. You have lost your sister-in-law for a long time. It hurts, but sadly the pain is necessary."
"Enough of that nonsense," Cadence said, more annoyed than angry, "Have you really just forgotten everything Twilight has done for you? For Equestria? For the world? How about the time when she was the only one who saw through Chrysalis' disguise, and you ended up upside-downin a cocoon."
Celestia shook her head and said, "I have not firgotten. And I am well aware that I have made many terrible mistakes and foolish decidion. But if anypony had forgotten about all the good Twilight has done, it was Twilight herself. Opaline had driven ponies against each other so easily and violently that it sent poor Twilight into a crisis of faith. Her paranoia and obsessive compulsive qualities combined with that internal crisis drove her to the point of giving up on the Magic of Friendship. She sought to take complete control over all magic in a move that mirrored Equestria's greatest foes. Even worse was that insane Invisibubble idea. Had it not been for Captain Gallus-."
"DO NOT mention that creature's name here!" Shining Armor thundered.
Celestia sighed and said in resignation, "Of course. I expected that things might go this way. After all, you weren't the ones who banished her. But know this: Twilight's legacy is still being honored. Princess Luster Dawn's reign will be based on the six Elements of Harmony, and Starlight Glimmer will ensure that the School of Friendship will continue to educate all creatures for many generations to come. When Twilight's banishment is finished, she will surely see how mistaken she truly was."
Princess Flurry Heart let out a loud groan and said, "Alright, I heard enough. We told Princess Luster Dawn that we aren't gonna negotiate with Equestria until Gallus and his friends are arrested, and that's not gonna change. And if you two aren't with us on that, then you're banned from the Crystal Empire!"
"Insolent whelp!" Luna shouted, "Twilight is paying for her misdeeds just as I have. No one is above justice!"
"Luna, it's over," Celestia said, "They will not be persuaded. We should best take our leave and hope they come to change their minds in time."
Luna huffed, "Fine."
The two sisters walked out of the throne room, and Flurry Heart used her magic to slam the door behind them.
Shining was fuming as he said, "Unbelievable. Those two owe everything to Twily."
"We can fix this," Cadence said warmly, "I'm certain we can."
"You bet we can!" Flurry Heart said with a peppy smile. She then fired a stream of magic that opened up a secret passage way in the floor. "Come on! Let's get see if they're ready!"
The royal family climbed up the secret stairwell up to the very top of the palace. What was once Sombra's secret hiding place for the Crystal Heart was now the location of a very special ritual. Fizzlepop Berrytwist was watching as Stygian put the finishing touches on a runic circle on the ground.
"You're just in time," the purple unicorn said, "We should be able to activate the conduit right now."
Stygian drew the last rune and nodded, "Correct. But I must say, when Commander Berrytwist collected me and insisted I help save Twilight Sparkle, this wasn't what I had in mind."
"Don't call me Commander," the unicorn said sternly, "I cannot be a Commander until Twilight is back on the throne."
Stygian nodded, "Of course, of course. But I must say, history has a habit of repeating itself. Just as I was wrongly cast out, so has Twilight. Luckily, she still has friends to help her. Ooh, Starswirl would go mad if he knew what I was up to."
Flurry Heart looked out the balcony and admired the golden light of twilight. "It's time. This is it."
Cadence and Flurry took their positions on either side of the circle. The two flared open their wings to channel their pegasus magic, planted their hooves firmly to tap into their earth pony magic, and then charged up their horns full of unicorn magic. Then, all the magic was unleashed into the circle.
The circle glowed, and slowly began to pull energy into it. Even some of the glowing twilight flew in from the sky and into the circle. And then, with a flash, Twilight Sparkle appeared before them. Her form was translucent and shimmering but it was her. Her long slender legs, her imposing yet regal face, and her flowing ethereal mane just as they had been before her banishment.
"Twily!" Shining Armor said, a tear leaking from his eye.
"We did it!" Flurry Heart cheered.
Twilight gazed around at the group, nodding when she saw Fizzlepop bowing to her, and grinning when she saw the look of pride on Stygian's face. When she saw Cadence, Twilight smile widely with a knowing look in her eye.
Cadence nodded and smiled back.
"Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"
The pair shared a good laugh, and Twilight sighed and said, "It's good that some ponies still like me down here. But anyway, this spell won't last long. I can feel. Let me tell you my plan."
Shining looked surprised and said, "You've got a plan? Woah. You just keep impressing me LSBFF."
Twilight grinned, "I know. So, this banishment will last for 1,000 years-."
"WHAT?!" Flurry Heart exclaimed.
Twilight gave a curt nod, "1,000 is a very magically potent number. It's only natural that the effects of the Elements of Harmony would last that long."
Shining Armor stepped forward, closer to the circle containing Twilight's form, and said in earnest, "How can get you back sooner? What do we need to do?"
Twilight shook her head sadly and said, "The Tree of Harmony's magic cannot be overriden. . ." She then smiled cleverly and said, "But there is something you can do for me."
Flurry Heart frowned and said, "But if the banishment is gonna last for 1,000 years-."
"Do you know of the Age Spell?" Twilight asked.
Cadence blinked in surprise and said, "That's a highly advanced spell. And not exactly. . . legal."
"Desperate times for desperate measures, and I will need five loyal ponies to help me regain my rightful place as rule of Equestria. The traitors who banished me will undoubtedly take steps to make sure I am remembered as a monster. I can't do this without you."
Fizzlepop's eyes widened in wonder, and she said, "You want us to live on until you're free. . ."
Twilight nodded and said, "Two alicorns together should be enough to restore one year for you all once a year. You could make it into an annual celebration in the Crystal Empire if you'd like."
"Me too?" Stygian said in shock.
Twilight turned to him and smiled warmly, "Of course, Stygian. You are a magical genius, expert planner, and have been underestimated for far too long. It’s about time you surpassed Starswirl the Bearded. I am not ashamed to say that my hero worship for the old stallion has faded."
Suddenly, Twilight's form began to flicker, and she said urgently, "I'm almost out of time. Promise me that you will all be he here when I return!"
"You bet we will, Auntie Twilight!" Flurry Heart said.
Shining Armor stomped his hooves and said, "The entire traitorous royal guard couldn't keep me from being there, Twily!"
Fizzlepop bowed and said, "I have already sworn my life to you a long time ago, my Princess."
Cadence bit her lip, and she said, "I don't know. . . casting Age Spells. . ."
Twilight frowned, her eyes betraying hurt, "You. . . don't think that they're right, do you? That I deserve this? That I'm evil?"
Cadence gasped and shook her head, "No, Twilight! We. . . We wont abandon you!"
"Age Spells are very complex," Stygian interjected, "But I can help keep it safe. With me around, you'll have nothing to worry about, Cadence."
Twilight smiled again, "Exactly. Trust in Stygian. He won't let you down. . ." Twilight's form glitched further, as right before she faded away, she said, ". . . and I know you all won't let me down."
And with a burst of purple sparkles, she was gone.
The Treehouse of Harmony was currently empty at the moment, as there currently wasn't a meeting scheduled for any of the new Element bearers, nor were any of them in a vulnerable position and in need of sanctuary. Thus, it was the perfect time for Discord to kick the doors open and shout "HONEY, I'M HOME!" as he stepped in wearing a gray suit and hat with a lunchbox in his eagle claw.
With a flash of light, the image of Twilight Sparkle appeared. However, this was not the tall alicorn with the ethereal mane that had ruled Equestria alone for some time. This Twilight was younger, humbler, and more like a normal pony. However, she still glowed as she stood before Discord, like she was made of solid light.
"Discord. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The Spirit of Harmony asked calmly.
Discord scoffed and threw off his outfit, which vanished behind him. "Oh, cut the benevolence act, you overgrown weed!" he said, "You know why I'm here, and why I'd have a bone to pick with you!"
Harmony frowned and said, "Ask me plainly, and I will answer you with complete Honesty."
The room became black, and Discord held a flashlight in Harmony's face. Discord himself was dressed in a trench coat and matching hat, and he sported a mustache as well.
Harmony's frown deepened, "None of that." She stomped her hoof and everything returned to normal, "Sorry. You are in my domain now. You have no power here, Discord."
Discord matched Harmony's frown and said, "Fine. You don't want this to be fun, then it won't be. Now how about you tell me why you messed with Fluttershy's mind?"
"If you are referring to the pacification effect I envoked on the 5 remaining original Element Beaeres, then the answer is to prevent them from causing chaos and anarchy over Twilight Sparkle's punishment."
Discord growled as his long body quivered like gelatin, "It was the most uncomfortable tea party I ever had. I kept asking Fluttershy how she felt about Twilight's banishment. She kept sighing, remarking that she didn't like it, but would accept it for the sake of all of Equestria. She blamed herself and her friends a little, lamenting that they didn't try harder to talk Twilight out of her Unity Crystal plan. I kept pushing, and she ended up defaulting to how Luna turned out okay, so Twilight will be fine as well. Imagine that! Twilight is gone for a thousand years, her friends will never see her alive again, and they're all okay with it!" Discord bend over and moved his face in front of Harmony's, and he concluded, "Because of you."
"Yes."
Discord gaped at Harmony in utter disbelief, shocked by how calmly she had replied. Finally he gathered his thoughts enough to give an incredulous reply of, "And?!"
"The power I have amassed through the many connections I have forged throughout this world has granted me certain abilities," Harmony replied, "One of which is accurate precognition. Had Twilight succeeded in her plan of locking away all pony magic and dragon magic, and isolating all of Equestria within an Invisibubble, this planet would have suffered greatly. The three pony races would grow more resentful of each other after losing their magic, and would split for a thousand years. All spell-craft would be lost. Unicorns would become incompetent, Pegasi would become vain and vapid, and Earth Ponies would be consumed by paranoia. As for dragon culture, it would stagnate and become essentially less than it already is. While these problems would be fixable, what is not fixable is the extinction of the buffalos, the griffons, and the changelings. Had I not intervened, their blood would be on my branches. It is as simple as that."
Discord pouted at Harmony, and he stood up to his full height and said with his arms folded, "Well then, what if changing things makes something worse happen, did you happen to think of that?"
"Yes, I did in fact," Harmony said, a look of impatience and displeasure at being questioned apparent on her face, "That is why it was necessary that Twilight be banished. Her return will the conduit by which any bad things shall happen in the future. Then, when the sun scouts the stars, Twilight's misguided attempts to reclaim Equestria shall fail, and friendship and harmony will continue to reign unopposed."
"Bleck! Prophesies! I hate those nasty things. So limiting. So controlling. Often times self-fulfilling," Discord complained.
"Yet there is nothing you can do about it. Or I for that matter. Do not think that I do not care. I am unaware what form Twilight's plan will take. I do not know exactly what she will do upon her return. I do not know who she will ally herself with. I know the heroes of the future will stop her, but I do not know how long it will take, what sacrifices will be made, or exactly how much collateral damage Twilight will cause. But I do know that the best outcomes often require struggles and suffering. I preyed upon the new Element Bearer's worst fears in order to make sure that they would be ready to stop Cozy Glow, and later on the villainous trio that you created. I even put Gallus in true peril. But I knew that he and the rest of his friends would succeed. I do these things not because I enjoy it, but because I have to. For the sake of all life on this planet."
Harmony suddenly stood tall and planted her hooves on the ground firmly, and a magical breeze whipped around the inside of the Treehouse of Harmony as she declared, "I REFUSE TO ALLOW THIS SOCIETY TO CRUMBLE AND FOR THE DIVERSE RACES OF THIS PLANET TO DISAPPEAR. I REFUSE! REFUUUUUSE!"
As soon as the wind started, it died down.
Discord, for his part was unimpressed. He sighed and said, "Fine, fine, you win. It's not like I can stop you. You'd just send your new Elements to turn me to stone again if I tried." Discord stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, "Although, I probably could think of a way to take you down with me. . ." Discord frowned and said, "No, Fluttershy wouldn't like that. So, I guess I'll just have to let you off the hook and see if maybe I can guide thing in a more subtle way."
Discord then folded his arms behind his back and slid backwards towards the door, saying with a grin, "Just remember: you might be watching me, but I'm also watching you."
Discord slid out of the Treehouse of Harmony, and the doors closed right after he left.
Harmony sighed and shook her head in a pitying manner. "Oh Discord. If only you knew I was trying to help you as well. You were fated to be so miserable in that future. . . but now, perhaps you might have a better ending. . ."
