Their Names Across The Multiverse

Dash and Dashie sat near Spark, processing what they had just learned from Twilight. They couldn't believe it, but this was Twilight, so it could be true.

Dash turned to Twilight, waiting behind them with Celestia and Luna. "I'm going with you! If Braver or her child is within Spark, I want to be there and ensure nothing bad happens!"

Twilight shook her head with a sad expression. "I'm sorry, Dash, but you can't. Only those who can use Alicorn magic can go. Luna is about to do a high-level magic that many unicorns can't do."

Luna steps forward. 'Friend Dash, to enter dreams or nightmares is based on a spell I created when I was very young. To recreate that spell, you need the utmost amount of mana a normal unicorn can't give off. You can't help, as you are just Pegasus." She turned to her sister and Twilight. "Even then, I can't bring others with me unless they also cast the spell." She turned back to her and Dashie. "Also, where we are going is through the dream world. We are going somewhere I hope we can reach, but I have faith in friend Twilight for that."

Dashie's eyes grew wide.

"You mean that dreamscape place, the one Twilah told me about when she saw Twilight's memories when they fused!? That place exists!?"

"Indeed, it does," stated Celestia, gaining their attention. "Luna is the guardian of dreams, keeping nightmares away from ponies. Nightmares are living embodiments of one's fears and pain. They can be creatures or places. That's why we need her. Luna is our guide."

Dash and Dashie could tell Luna and Celestia weren't lying. They wanted to come along but were powerless, so they had no choice. Dash looked at Dashie, and they nodded. Dash turned back to Twilight.

"Fine. But what happens if Sparks wakes up when you are still within her? Because of what you told us, I don't think she's going to be in a very happy mood." questioned Dash, still not happy with how Twilight handled that.

Twilight and Luna exchanged glances.

"We have to hope that doesn't happen. That's why I'm going with them with the Element of Magic. We need to work fast, and once we are out of the dreamscape, I'll use the Element of Magic to guide us to where Spark's Element is, but as I said, we need to act fast." They all turned to Spark, who was still sleeping peacefully. "Spark's talent is overcoming anything that can harm her body or helping others. Even with our combined powers and the Elements, we can already sense her talent is trying to remove the sleep spell from her. We don't have time. We have to go now."

Twilight walked up to Luna, standing next to her.

"Are you ready, Luna?"

Luna nodded.

"Yes, friend Twilight."

Twilight nodded and closed her eyes with the other two Alicorns, but someone stopped them. It was her father.

"Sweetie, take me with you."

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at him. "Dad?"

"I've been thinking, if nightmares can be creatures or places, they can also be the weather-like fog. My talent is making tiny toys with magic lights for little kids to help them sleep. I named after myself, night-" He stopped as he saw Twilight giving him a cold stare, but he had enough. "Sweetie, enough of this! Why are you so mad at me!? Answer me...please." he begged.

Twilight marched over and pushed him, shocking him.

"Stop playing dumb! I noticed what you have been saying about Spark. I had a hitch about you also treating Braver like that, and Dash confirmed it." She pushed him again. "How can you treat my daughters like that!?"

"What are you talking about?"

Twilight eyes glowed as she unleashed her fury at him. "YOU HURT MY DAUGHTER, BRAVER! SOMETHING I WISH TOOK NOTICE, BUT I'M...I'M..." Twilight closed her eyes, her magical pressure disappearing. "I have a bad habit of being unobvious of my daughters' feelings, never noticing the pain she keeps inside. When Dash told me, I realized I had done it again. I let my daughter down..." She opened her eyes, tears falling. "I'm a horrible mother, but I won't be to Spark. I won't let you treat her like that."

Night Light was so confused. He had no idea what his daughter was telling him. "What? But I love Braver." He turned to Spark. "The same will be said with Spark."

"Liar."

He turned back to her. "Excuse me!?"

Twilight stared him down, not backing down. "Don't lie. It bothers me that you didn't call Spark granddaughter. Not once. I noticed that, and it's been hurting her. And Spark doesn't need a grandfather...another one who treats her wrongly."

Before Night Light could say anything else, his wife and family stood up for him as they had been hiding behind the entrance doorway and eavesdropping on the whole thing. Velvet and the others hurried in and got between them, protecting Night Light from Twilight.

"Listen here, young lady! Your father loves Braver! He wouldn't hurt his granddaughter like that!" shouted Velvet.

Shining step forward. "Yeah, you have to believe us, Twily. If he didn't, believe me—I'll be the first one to tell you!" Cadance and Flurry nodded at him.

"Twilight, we are all family and have been for a long time. Your dad wouldn't do that to Braver and not to Spark," said Cadance.

Twilight glared them all down. "Remember what I told you all. I won't call you family if you dare protect him." She spread her wings, and her eyes glowing. She unleashed her mighty Cantorlot voice. "YOU ARE DEAD TO ME!" She closed her wings and turned away from the stunned family. She looked at Luna. "Let's go. We can't be wasting more time."

Luna and Celestia looked worried but knew this problem would be addressed later. Luna nodded and started her spell to enter Spark's dreams. Soon, a magical circle appeared under them, making them glow. Before the spell was finished, Night Light shook his head and didn't want the conversation to end like this. He rushed over, allowing himself to be inserted into the spell.

"What!?" That was all Twilight had to say before she and her father disappeared, along with Celestia and Luna.

"...well, that's not good, huh?" Stated Dashie, turning to the others.

Before anyone could say anything, sounds of screaming could be heard outside. They all rush to the window, seeing all the different creatures running away from the same place.

"Something is going on!?" Shining Armor quickly said as he teleported away and was outside.

Shining tried to ask what was happening to the fleeing creatures, but no one stopped because they were too scared of what was happening further within the large town. He looked where everyone was coming from and saw two figures fighting across the rooftops. He knew this wasn't good as he could see something changing the town...

Sunset and the others were heading to the Great Library, but with the chaos-filled streets, they needed to take the back alleys. They stopped to catch their breaths. Sunset turned to the girls.

"If we stick to the alleyways, we should make it without issues."

The girls nodded, and they hurried forward. However, they stopped when they noticed something black and small hovering in their way. It was Fayth's black book.

Sunny summoned her magical guitar while Wallflower stood before Lucy, protecting her. Sunset ready herself for a fight as the book suddenly created a closed eye on its covers, which opened up and glared at them. It gave them the chills.

"I think Fayth found us..." whispered Lucy, shaking with her.

The book quickly opened and started turning its pages. Soon, it created a dark, dead-tree version of its master. The girls could hear a dark chuckle and felt their hearts beating faster.

"I can't let you spoil my plans."

Soon, the ground below them turned into a swamp. Soon, wooden arms shot out and grabbed them all, Pulling them down under the water. But Wallflower acted and used her powers. She created vines, and they burst out from under the swamp, pulling herself and the others up to the roof of the nearby building.

Sunny smacks Wallflower's back, smiling hard.

"Nice going! You save us!"

"I don't think we are saved yet," muttered Wallflower, pointing at the book's tree, glaring at them, and floating higher and higher, getting closer and closer. The area around it started to become more of a swamp. The roof they were on became a dead tree. They landed on the dead branches and faced down the floating book tree.

Sunset turned to the others. "Get to the library and warn Spark and the others! I'll hold this creature off!"

Sunny and Wallflower looked at each other and then at Lucy, who was shaking with fear as she held a branch for dear life. They nodded and turned back to Sunset.

"Yeah, no," Sunny said, jumping over her pony counterpart and landing further ahead of the branches. Wallflower joined her.

Sunset was shocked by this, but she needed to stop them. "I'm the adult here! Get back here!"

The book's tree laughed, seeing who would dare fight it.

Wallflower turned to Sunset. "That might be true, but with my powers and Sunny already being a good fighter, we are the best people to fight that book. You are the one that needs to reach the others." She then faced Lucy, smiling at her. "Plus, someone needs to protect Lucy. Keep her safe, Sunset."

"What!?" shouted Lucy, not being scared anymore but worried. "Don't you two dare! I'm not leaving you both!"

The book laughed, gaining their attention.

"Foolish girls. Do you really think a fake hybrid and a human girl using a small part of 'her' power can stand against me? I use my book to project myself to you, but I'm just as deadly."

Sunny took a stance and spoke to Lucy without turning back. "Blitz won't ever forgive us if something bad happened to you, Lucy...plus..." Sunny lowered her head slightly. "We already lost Blitz, we won't lose you."

Wallflower faced the book and spoke to Lucy as well. "We can't. You need to live."

Lucy wanted to go to them, but Sunset stopped her with her magic. Sunset grunted loudly as she turned to the two girls.

"Good luck..." Sunset started to pull Lucy away while carrying Suguri's body. Sunset jumped off the branch and into the nearby rooftop, slowly turning into a tree.

"LET ME GO!" cried Lucy as she felt the orange aura around her body. "SUNNY! WILAM!" she started to cry as further away she got from them. "DON'T DIE! IF YOU TWO DO, I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU TWO! YOU HEAR ME!" her vision became watery as she was pulled further and further away. "I LOVE YOU BOTH! ...don't die, don't leave me too..."

Lucy lost sight of her friends as Sunset jumped off the roof into another alley, both landing.

"I'm sorry, but we need to go." Sunset looked up and saw that the book's magic was changing the area around them and following them.

Lucy wiped her eyes. She nodded and was about to run, but she felt Sunset's magic grab her and place her on Sunset's back next to Suguri.

"I don't want to be rude, but you humans sure can't run that far without resting. Now, hold on."

Sunset dashed away as fast as she could, the dead trees following them. Lucy turned back, seeing the buildings becoming dead trees.

Back with Sunny and Wallflower, the two stared down the book. Wallflower smiled as she heard what Lucy said to them.

"Looks like we better not die. Blitz will chew us out in the afterlife if we die, but I don't want to picture Lucy crying for us."

Wallflower ready herself, but she stopped; she could see Sunny sniffing and crying softly.

"...are you crying?"

Sunny quickly wiped her eyes. "What, no. I'm not crying." She ready her weapon. "Okay, I was, but only because Lucy loves us." She turned back to Wallflower, giving her a smirk. "I love her too! Don't you!?"

Wallflower could feel her cheeks turning red, but she nodded, smiling. "Of course I do. She's so sweet and kind."

Sunny smirked and winked at her. "Then let's not die! We can't let someone who deeply loves us down."

The book tree chuckled. "Are you two done?" The tree then split its arms apart, bursting out a black, oozing tongue while its arms became flapping mouths with sharp wooden teeth. "Because this is where your story ends. IN A BAD ENDING!"

"Oh fuck off!"

"We won't be beaten here!"

Both girls ready their powers as the book tree darted at them...

Sunset was fast, but she wasn't fast enough, thanks to her age. The swamp was able to not only reach them but also past them. They were in the swamp again, but instead of the water attacking them like before, it was the dead black trees as they surrounded them. The trees came alive and were attacking them. Sunset could dodge most of them, but some hit her, cutting her skin. She gritted her teeth, but she kept moving forward.

"Come on! Come on!" she shouted as they ran through the forest of dead trees.

Lucy just hugged Sunset's neck while holding Suguri under her. Lucy was scared out of her mind. She, too, could feel her body getting cut from the branches.

Sunset kept running, trying her hardest to get out of the range of the swamp and back in the real form of the town. But no matter how hard she pushed herself, she couldn't reach the edge...until something flew down and carried her, Suguri, and Lucy off back to the town, crashing into the street. Sunset shook her head and believed Rainbow Dash saved her.

"Thanks Dash! I can't beli...huh!?" Sunset could see who saved them wasn't Dash but a mail pony. Not Depry, but... "Zephyr!? YOU SAVED US!?"

Zephyr noticed the two, whose head was caught in the mailbag, and pulled it off. "Saved?" He didn't save them on purpose, as he was enjoying his time looking through other creatures' mail when he somehow bumped into a black tree and got his mailbag over his head, becoming dizzy and flew off, and somehow managed to knock into Sunset and Lucy, carrying away. He quickly pretended he was helping them. "Oh yeah! I saved you." He looked behind her and saw the black tree swamp. He started to freak out, "WHAT THE HAY IS THAT!?"

"No time! Listen, can you fly us to the Great Library!?" Sunset asked.

Zephyr laughed at that request. "No! I'm getting out of here!" He was about to fly off, but Sunset pulled on his tail and begged him to help them, saying she would even reward him. That made his ears twitch. "Reward? What kind of reward?"

"Anything you want!" Sunset didn't have time to argue.

Zephyr rubbed his chin as a thought crossed his mind about what he wanted.

"I want a place named after me! Like a city or someplace!" He raises his arms out. "Zephyr Heights!"

"DONE!"

"Okay!" Zephyr quickly grabbed Sunset, while Sunset herself used her magic to hold Lucy and Suguri. Zephyr flew off, escaping the swamp tree range. He looked down at Sunset. "Like I said, Zephyr Heights! It has a nice ring! Maybe we should change New Ponyville to that?".

Sunset looked annoyed as Zephyr kept talking; she groaned at what she had done.

"We aren't changing New Ponyville's name! But I do know where we can use that name." She sighed. "At least that mountain city will have a name, but..." She looked back, seeing the town slowly becoming a swamp filled with dead black trees. "If there's an Equestria after all this even to build that place," she said.

There was only darkness until a faint voice could be heard. Twilight slowly opened her eyes and saw Luna and Celestia looking at her.

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Celestia asked, helping her former student up.

Twilight got up and could see her father was behind the former princesses. She ignored him and looked around.

"Are we in Spark's dreamscape? This is..."

Twilight could see what looked like Ponyville, but there were many differences between this place and the actual one.
First, this place looked more like a mishmash of different Ponyvilles, as if someone had taken different Ponyvilles and slapped them together. Second, reality looked wired; one part of town looked like a kid had drawn it, while the other part looked like it was made of paper.

"Ponyville? But why does it look like this?" Celestia turned to Twilight and the others. "Wait, has Sparl ever been to Ponyville?"

Twilight walked past her, answering her questions.

"No, she hasn't, in our universe, but she must have been to many other Ponyvilles in the multiverse when chasing after Fayth. Her dreamscape would look like this, a mix of a million Ponyvilles she saw." Twilight turned to the others, noticing they were in a park. "But that's doesn't matter, we need to find her core by escaping this place." Twilight held out the Element of Magic, which started to glow and floated out of her hoof. The Element, in the shape of Twilight's cutie mark star, transformed back into its orb shape. It started to pulse and floated in a random direction.

"Follow it," Twilight said, pointing to the glowing Element.

They did, following the orb until it stopped at a door that appeared out of nowhere.

"Is it in there?" Celestia asked, and the orb flew into the door, opened it, and went inside.

Twilight walked up to the door and was about to enter, but her father's voice stopped her.

"Wait, Twilight! Let's talk before we go in there."

"You have nothing to say that I want to hear," Twilight snapped.

Her father sighed as he watched her and the two princesses enter the door. He followed as well, and when he entered, he found himself alone in a house with a garden and a large single tree in the middle of that garden.

"Twilight?" he called out, but there was no answer. Same with calling out the former princesses.

He was about to check the rooms in the house, but he saw someone walk into the kitchen he was in.

"Velvet?" he whispered, seeing what looked like his wife, but instead of a unicorn, she was an Alicorn.

Velvet smiled as she hugged him. "Dear, you are home early. How was work at city hall?" she asked as she started to make dinner for them.

Night Light was confused. "City hall? I don't work at city hall. I sell night lights. Also, why are you an Alicorn?" he asked, hoping for answers, but his wife ignored him as she acted like he told her work was good.

"That's great, dear." She turned to him and kissed him. "Can you get Nightfall out of the library? I swear that mare is too much like me, loving books."

"Who is Nightfall?"

Velvet smiled. "Oh, silly. Nightfall is our daughter." She went over to the doorway and pointed to the library part of the house.

Night Light joined her side, seeing a filly that looked like Twilight when she was a filly but as an Alicorn.

"Twilight?" he whispered, but he remembered now. He was in Spark's dream. Was she dreaming about her grandparents and real mother?

He suddenly felt Velvet pushing him forward. "Go ahead. She only listens to you, you know."

"Uh, okay." He slowly walked into the library and saw his daughter reading two books simultaneously.

"Twilight?" he called out.

She turned to him. Looking a bit confused. "Daddy? Who's Twilight?" she asked, tilting her head.

Night Light was shocked by that, but he remembered this wasn't the Twilight he knew, so he tried to think about a response.

"Ah, right. My apologies. You look like someone I know."

"I do? Who is she?"

"She's a grown-up version of you, and she's a great Alicorn." he smiled, sitting beside her.

Nightfall smiled as she hugged her father.

"I'll be just like her daddy! I'll grow up to be strong like Mommy! I'll make you so proud of me! I promise!"

Night Light smiled and hugged her back. "I already am, my little light."

Night Light and Nightfall hugged each other briefly before breaking it.

"Can we play some chess?"

Before Night Light could say anything, everything around him changed, like a tape fast-forwarding. He looked around and could see he was in the living room. He was on the couch with Velvet. They were having a nice talk with an older Nightfall and...

"Rainbow Dash?" he asked, confused.

Rainbow Dash was wearing a worn-out pinkish-grey military hooded jacket. She was drinking tea but stopped as she gave him a puzzled look.

"Who's Rainbow Dash?" She looked confused as Night Light.

Night light remembered and played along. "Haha, sorry, I'm bad at names...what was your name again?"

"Daddy!" Nightfall said, feeling so embarrassed by her dad.

While Dash lookalike laughed and answered his question. "Rainbow Sky, sir. Not an easy name to remember, so don't worry too much." She slipped her tea and looked over to a blushing Nightfall. She lowered her tea, used her wing to cover Nightfall, and pulled her in for a kiss. This caused Nightfall to blush and break the kiss.

"S-Sky, not in front of my parents."

"Sorry." Sky giggled. "Couldn't resist."

Night Light smiled; the scene he saw before him was almost identical to when Twilight brought Dash over and revealed they were dating. He wanted to relive that day, so he would ask Sky a question, but like before, everything was fast-forward.

"Where am I now?" he asked, seeing he was outside in the garden. He was surprised to see a tiny blue blur jump off his back; soon, a black blur rolled toward his legs, making him trip over and land on his back.

He rubbed his back, but when he sat up, he saw Braver as a filly, not looking like she did back then but looking one-to-one with her daughter when she was a filly. Poor Braver was upside down and looking like she was going to cry. Soon, he could see a filly looking like Rainbow Dash but with a black stripe color in her rainbow mane, landing alongside Braver. Night Light believes this must be Rainbow Blitz, Braver's twin sister.

"Kluz!" teased Blitz, poking her sister in the nose.

Braver finally cried. "I'M NOT A KLUZ!" she turned to Night Light. "RIGHT GRANDPA!"

"Of course, you're not a Kluz," Night Light said, helping the filly up.

Blitz chuckled. "Then why were you upside down?"

Braver couldn't respond as she started to cry, making Night Light comfort her. Soon, he started to play with the two until Braver's bad habit of being a kluz happened again, but this time, she rolled into her sister, and both crashed into the large tree.

"Are you okay?" he asked, all worried.

But the two just burst out crying. He tried to calm them down, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't make them stop crying. He started to panic until he heard a familiar voice as a violet blur passed and scooped up the twins. He looked up and could see Spark as a filly. She was hugging her sisters and comforting them.

"It's okay, Braver, Blitz. Your sister is here!" she nuzzled them but soon squeezed them too hard as she started to tell them things. "SISTER WILL ALWAYS PROTECT HER CUTE, SWEET LITTLE BABY SISTERS FROM ALL EVIL IN THIS UNIVERSE, I PROMISE."

Blitz looked annoyed as she huffed at her big sister for loving them too much.

"You're crushing us, you know."

Braver cheered as she loved how Spark was treating her.

Night Light chuckled and walked over to them, rubbing their heads. They looked up at him, smiling and hugging him. He was about to hug them, but everything changed once more. He blinked and still found himself in the garden, but seeing all three sisters sleeping under the tree and much older now made him smile. He would walk away when he heard Twilight but in a heartbroken tone.

"This is her dream..."

Night Light looked around and saw Twilight, Luna, and Celestia. He was confused about what Twilight meant, but the former princesses could see the three sisters and knew what she meant.

"A happy dream, the one thing we all want," whispered Celestia, looking over to Luna and hugging her.

Twilight walked up and past her father. She sat down in front of the three sleeping sisters, lying down and placing her head near them, smiling. Her father walked over to her and asked if she was okay.

"This is what she always dreamed of, where her life wasn't the life she had. Her grandfather not being a crazed colt or her grandmother not being a mindless magical bio-weapon." She nuzzled Spark's cheek. "A dream where she had a normal life with her sisters and mothers." She looked at her own daughter, Braver, who was sleeping peacefully. She nuzzled her, too. "I wonder if Braver dreamt this too?" She shook her head, knowing the answer. "No, she must have had. After how I was an awful mother to her when she grew up...my sweet little brave mare...mommy is sorry..." Tears fell out of her eyes. She nuzzled Blitz's cheeks and used her wing to cover them as they slept.

Night Light looked sad at his daughter and lay beside her, telling her not to be so sad.

"I wasn't a good father, you know. When we had your brother, I kept messing up, and your mother was there to stop me. Soon, I got better at being a father, but it wasn't perfect still. When you came along...I kept trying. You tried, and that's what matters, sweetie. You're not a bad mom. We all have shortcomings and regrets."

"Dad...please. Stop," begged Twilight, not wanting to look at her father in the eyes.

Night Light sighed and finally asked her again.

"Sweetie. Please talk to me. Why are you so mad at me? What did I do?"

Twilight's sad expression became a scowl as she turned to her father.

"You want to know why I'm so angry with you?! It's because of what you did to her!" she snapped, pointing to her sleeping daughter. "How you reminded her that she wasn't family! Always reminding everyone that she wasn't blood-related! THAT'S WHY I'M SO MAD AT YOU AND..." Twilight broke down again. "And at myself, because like I said before, I never noticed she was hurting. I never noticed she was being treated poorly, and I couldn't even be the one to stop it!" She looked away, hiding her tears.

Night Light was so shocked that he was so speechless.

"Sweetie, w-what are you talking about? I never-"

"LIAR!"

Twilight quickly blasted him with magic, her eyes with a burning magical glow. He crashed into the wall, sliding down it. Celestia and Luna quickly got between them.

"Twilight! Stop this!" commanded Celestia, not backing down.

"You have no right to tell me what to do," growled Twilight.

"Please, calm down, friend Twilight." pleaded Luna, trying to talk her down.

Twilight ignored her and glared at her father.

"I won't let you do that to Spark or my granddaughter if my daughter is truly dead! I won't hurt them. I WON'T FAIL THEM!" her horn started to glow brightly, but she stopped charging it as Celestia and Luna took a battle stance. "YOU TWO REALLY GOING TO PROTECT HIM!? AFTER WHAT I JUST REVEALED, WHAT HE HAS DONE TO BRAVER!?" she turned to Luna, feeling so betrayed by her. "BRAVER WAS YOUR FRIEND! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO SIDE WITH THE ONE THAT HURT HER!? BRAVER WOULD HATE YOU FOR DOING THIS!"

"We won't let you harm your father, friend Twilight. But if you force our hoof, we will fight you," stated Luna. "And Braver hated fighting, as she knew the pain and suffering it brought, so she would understand."

Twilight rage grew. "MY DAUGHTER HELPED YOU! HELPED YOU DEFEAT NIGHTMARE MOON FOR GOOD, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HER!?" she narrowed her eyes. "MAYBE MY DAUGHTER SHOULDN'T HAVE EVER HELPED YOU! YOU ARE STILL NIGHTMARE MOON DEEP DOWN!" she could see how hurt Luna became. "GOOD! I'M GLAD IT HURT YOU!"

Celestia narrowed her eyes. "That's enough, Twilight. I don't know why you're saying these things to my sister, but you must calm down." Celestia got closer. "You lost a child and are still hurting. But don't let your grief and anger take control. I'm sorry about what happened to Braver, but please stop before you go too far."

"I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING YOU SAY!" Twilight blasted the ground. "YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT I LOST! OR WHAT I WILL LOSE IN THE FUTURE! YOU'LL NEVER KNOW MY PAIN! YOU'RE JUST AN ARROGANT FORMER PRINCESS WHO THINKS SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING! WELL, YOU DON'T! I WON'T LET YOU PRETEND YOU KNOW ANYTHING!"

Celestia felt hurt when she saw how Twilight treated her and her sister. "Twilight, please, don't let the loss of your child turn you into a monster." They could see something dark growing inside her, fearing it could be a Nightmare.

Twilight was nearly firing off another blast, but the Element of Magic suddenly floated above them. It pulsed as it hovered over the tree, where a door appeared. Twilight's rage faded, and the darkness was gone.

"The Element!"

She hurried over and opened the door. She could see darkness, but there was a flicker of a rainbow spark. She turned to her father and friends, glaring at them with hate.

"I don't need you! I'll do this on my own. I'LL BRING THEM BACK!" she turned to the door but looked down. Seeing her three daughters, still sleeping...and fading away into dust. She quickly lowered herself to Braver and tried to hold on to her, but it was useless. Braver's body was gone, leaving behind nothing. "...sweetie..." She fought back her tears and rushed into the door, following the Element.

"Twilight!"

"Friend Twilight!"

Night Light tried to stand, but the blast and knocking into the wall did a good number on him, and he only fell to the grass. He watched as the former princess tried reaching for the door but wouldn't reach it in time.

"T-Twilight..." he mumbled, trying to reach out to her.

He tried to understand what she meant by her saying that he treated her daughter like she wasn't part of the family.

"...I saw Braver as my grandkid...I don't understand...what did I do that made her feel I didn't love her? I thought...she would always know that we're her family. She had no reason to believe anything else..."

He thought back to the past...

"Hey, Mr. Light! I heard you have another grandkid! Is that her?" asked a faceless unicorn as they sat next to Night Light on a park bench while Braver played with a faceless filly.

Night Light smiled. "She's not my granddaughter! No!"

Night Light's eyes widen when he remembers saying that.

Another memory appeared, where somepony asked him about Braver as Dash came to pick Braver up.

"No, no! She isn't my grandaughter!" he corrected, unaware that Dash looked so angry and would say something, but Braver stopped her and asked her to take her home. Braver always stopped her mother from starting a fight with him.

Night Light shook his head slowly, realizing he repeatedly said that in front of Braver. He started to tear up as he knew why his daughter hated him so much.

"Twilight! Oh, my heavens...Braver, I-I-I..." he closed his eyes, remembering everything and what he said after that.

"She's not my granddaughter! No!" He crossed his arms, smiling. "Not by blood, no. She isn't my grandkid, but I don't care." he leaned closer to the faceless ponies and creatures that always asked him. "But I love her so much, and I see her as my grandkid. Just because she isn't a Sparkle doesn't mean I won't love her like I do. Because family isn't always about blood, but what you make of it." He stood up and turned to Braver, noticing she was always missing and, for some reason, always crying when he found her.

Night Light slowly looked up as the door closed, and he spoke to her before his daughter was gone.

"...Twilight, I guess you take after me in more ways than I thought..." he lowered his head as the door closed.

"I'm sorry."

End of Chapter 23