You Never Walk Aloneby AceFurryTrashChaptersThe Last RainboomSurprise PartyAlways An AppleDiamond LegacyChaotic KindnessTwilight's Final ChoiceThe Last RainboomRainbow Dash fell. She was far too young for this—67—and as she was falling, she saw the storm raging around her, the world going black. This was more fitting than being in a retirement home or a rocking chair. If Spitfire could actually catch her… She was putting in a lot of effort to catch up, but being struck by lightning is probably still deadly in wild weather. Headlines will read Rainbow Dash Struck Down Saving Ponyville. Dash felt her heart start to slow down and closed her eyes as the last of her energy left her body. Yes, to die saving Equestria was far more interesting than sitting around an apple farm watching other ponies do all the work. Watching Applejack and Zap Apple, the last thought that Rainbow Dash had was wondering if Spitfire could see her crying. After what felt to Dash like a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on a cloud, the night clear, but she could still see the storm below her. Spitfire wasn’t there, but the rest of the Wonderbolts and the weather team from Ponyville and other towns were all helping. Dying a hero would have to be delayed—the storm seemed to be being taken care of. Looking around, she saw in the distance a shadowy figure running or flying into buildings and bringing out ponies. Rainbow Dash tried to fly down, but something was wrong. She couldn’t feel the air in her mane, and while she was floating down, it didn’t feel like she was actually flying. She saw the figure look up at her and was blinded by a bright light for just a second. When she refocused, the pony was gone. Seeing that pony gave her a feeling of dread that she couldn’t shake, and she suddenly had one thought: home. She wanted—no, needed—to get home. She flew fast, faster than she ever had before, faster than any pegasus had ever flown for any reason. The farm was in the distance, but not for long—it came closer and closer. The entire town seemed to be destroyed by the storm. As she flew by Fluttershy’s cottage, she paused for a second and looked around. The cottage was not only undamaged, but it was completely sunny with all the animals playing happily. One of her animals ran towards the gate and, when it hit a barrier, it continued to run on the other side of the garden. Discord looked at her and waved. Dash rolled her eyes and flew in, but was blocked by the spell. “Sorry, Dash, but you can’t come in.” Discord looked apologetic whether he meant it or not was up for debate. “Why not?” Dash sounded indignant and folded her arms. “My magic prevents order and you are now under the protection of her.” He pointed a talon behind Dash, and a chill ran down her spine as she actually focused on being watched for the first time. “I am sorry, Rainbow Dash but you are now truly harmonised.” Dash shivered and then ignored the feeling and continued the tirade as best she could. “Why couldn’t you have done this”—she gestured vaguely at the sunny cottage—“over Ponyville?” “Rainbow Dash,” Discord looked shocked at the very idea. “I know you now have time for a four-hour lecture on the ins and outs of chaos magic, but Applejack probably doesn’t, so the short version is: the storm is chaotic, and I’m using the chaos of the storm to create this.” He bowed, removing a hat he wasn’t wearing a second ago. “If it helps, this area is getting less powerful, which means your sacrifice was worth it.” The sky was clearing and the pegasi team led by the weather patrol was getting the worst of the storm cleared. “Wait what sacrifice?” Three copies of Discord appeared wearing cheerleader outfits and started cheering: “Hey, Dashie, you did fine! Because of you, a few survived! Go, Dashie, go, go, go GO!” Discord’s voice thundered louder than the storm and she realised that her family needed her. She flew somehow she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed. She didn’t look back; she had no time. All she needed to do was get home. If she got home everything would be fine. When asked about it later a few Ponyville will describe a feeling of power and a glimpse of a rainbow heading straight for Sweet Apple Acres though few could explain what caused it. No one saw the shadow following her no one ever sees the shadow. Abruptly Dash stopped just before she entered the farm, she glanced back to see what was following her for the first time. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, unwilling to look at it directly. “I know who you are.” The shadow remained silent. “I am going to see my family.” Silence. “Do not enter this farm unless you are invited, agreed?” “This is reasonable,” the voice seemed distant but calm. “However, it will not prevent the inevitable.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “I will do this favour for you, but no other, as their deaths must be guided.” Rainbow Dash turned to face the pony. Her coat was not white; it was more that she was light, almost blinding, yet she was covered in shadows that resembled a hooded cloak. However, the cloak couldn’t hide the truth—she was an alicorn, and Rainbow Dash was arguing with her. “I want to see them, and then we can talk.” The alicorn nodded, and Dash flew away, leaving her guide to wait and watch from the entrance. Dash flew in through the nearly closed door that led to the cellar. Big Mac and Applejack were trying to secure the door from the storm. "Alright, Big Mac, hold it," Applejack said as the stallion braced the door with his back. She tied it closed and took a deep breath. "You alright, Mac?" "Eeeyup," he responded, then laid down next to Sugar Belle who was sleeping wrapped in a blanket. "Hey, Mum, where’s Dashie?" Zapp Apple called from the supply closet. "If she’s smart, she’ll stay with Twilight tonight," AJ called back. "And if she’s not smart?" Zapp Apple asked. "We’ve got an emergency access point for pegasi with no common sense," Applejack said, pointing up to what looked like a chimney big enough to dive into but with the top secured. "That’s clever," Applebloom admired the chimney as she carried a basket of fruit, mainly apples with some pears. "We’ve got enough supplies in there for a year of storms, but I reckon Dash will clear it up tonight." Rainbow Dash landed next to Applejack and watched her work, hiding her concern beneath a layer of busy activity. Could Applejack sense what was wrong, or did she always have that look in her eye when somepony she loved was in danger? "I could watch over them. Zappy’s dating some stallions; maybe they’ll get married, and I can go to their wedding. Just watching them." Applejack looked into Rainbow’s eyes but seemed to gaze right past her. It hit Dash like a piano falling from a delivery van—she couldn’t be seen. Applejack just looked straight through her, and Dash felt her heart break. Spitfire knew, but AJ wouldn’t know for a while, not until the storm passed. "I can’t help them. I can’t talk to them. I… I want to help them in some way, but I can’t do that here." Dash floated away from the wall back to the entrance, where she saw the alicorn watching her. The storm had been properly cleared, and it looked like sunrise was upon them, but no, it wasn’t time—it was something else. It was bright, and then a ring of fire exploded in the air, clearing all the clouds with the extreme force of the blast. A fire trail rushed towards Sweet Apple Acres. Spitfire and Rainbow Dash’s body. She knew clearing the storm was the most immediate priority, but now that it was clear, this was the most important thing. She landed with Dash secured to her and banged on the door. “What in tar-nation is the point of the chimney if you’re just gonna—" Applejack swung the door open and froze. Seeing Spitfire was mildly surprising; seeing Rainbow Dash lifeless and burnt was the worst thing she could imagine. Dash’s funeral was held in Ponyville on the farm. The Wonderbolts performed, and everypony Dash cared about was there. She was the first of the guardians’ bearers to die, and so, as they sat on a cloud watching the funeral quietly, not saying much, Dash decided to break the silence. “What do you think will happen? I don’t want AJ to be sad forever—maybe for like a few months, a year tops.” Dash smiled and looked at the alicorn, who said nothing, just watching the funeral. “You bear the Element of Loyalty, and as such, I can grant you a favour. So long as it is within my power.” "Can you bring me back?" The alicorn faced the pegasus and thought of how to answer it “Not the way you think, but in a way.” She trailed off. "Well, it was worth a shot. I want AJ to be happy. I want to show her something, to let her know—to let all of them know—where I am, so I can be with her, so I can be… They’re my family." All of her friends were in the front row, along with Discord, who looked like he was trying to ignore them, while Applejack was sitting with her family. Dash flew down, she saw her family—the Apple family. "What should I call you?" Dash didn’t look at the alicorn. "You are a bearer of an element, so you may call me Harmony." She bowed, spreading her wings. "Well, Harmony, I would like to let them know where I am. I want to leave behind something for them to follow." "I can help with that. It would be simple for me to take something and keep it, but what would you like to leave behind?" Dash smiled and took off. “Ah, of course.” The unicorn's horn began to glow, and Rainbow Dash felt it—the wind in her mane, the force over her body as she went faster and faster. Twilight was in the middle of the opening speech when—BOOM! Over all of them, for the last time in the history of Equestria, a sonic rainboom was seen, and Rainbow Dash was gone. It is said that since that day, if a soul is lost but good and loyal, they will be guided by a rainbow to where they will be happy. Surprise PartyWhen Harmony arrived at the rock farm early in the morning, she anticipated the usual somber atmosphere of a funeral—sad, quiet, and contemplative. She expected hushed conversations about the departed and comforting hugs. So, it was quite a shock when she was met with streamers, cake, and lively music. The music, a cheerful pop tune, was accompanied by dancing and karaoke. Pinkie Pie herself was doing cartwheels and soaring around the party. As Harmony looked up, she saw a sign that read Farewell to Equestria, with Pinkie Pie’s face painted on the side. Pinkie waved to her. “WELCOME!” she shouted over the music. As she walked over the threshold, two party cannons shot streamers over her, much to Harmony's and some of the guests' surprise. “Umm, Lil Cheese, are the cannons on a timer?” Trixie asked with a touch of admiration at the setup. “Nope, they only go off when there’s a new guest.” Lil Cheese had a tray of cupcakes balanced on their head to greet the new arrivals. They stood right in front of Harmony and took a bow. “Welcome to the funeral.” Harmony was quite surprised for a moment that this pony could see her, as they didn’t look like they were going to die soon. She was about to get the hourglass from her cloak to double-check when she noticed they weren’t actually looking at her, just vaguely in her direction. “Do make yourself at home. This funeral is open to friends past and present. We have hopscotch and pin the mouth on the ghost, and there are spirits to drink. Get it? Spirits?” Lil Cheese laughed at their pun and smiled. “Anyway, enjoy yourself and say hi to Mum for me.” They wandered off, throwing a cupcake in her direction, which landed in front of her. “You know, Pinkie, I expected nothing less.” The party was one of the best Pinkie had ever thrown. Cheese Sandwich and Lil Cheese danced with the guests, while Maud almost smiled. Twilight was chatting with Fluttershy, who was seated with Discord beside her, clapping along to the music. The only section that no living creature occupied was one barricaded for old friends and family. Although it was empty, it was still a fun idea. Pinkie herself was flying around the party, lighting fireworks. “How are you feeling, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy sipped some tea and wrapped her wings around herself. Harmony watched as Discord, staring at her suspiciously, snapped his talons. Fluttershy felt a warmth flow through her. “I’m fine, Twilight, just getting over a flu.” She smiled and gazed at the party. “Pinkie would have loved this party.” “Oh, I’m sure she does,” Twilight said, wrapping a wing around her. “I love you, Fluttershy. Friends don’t tell each other that enough, but I care about you a lot. If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.” Fluttershy held Twilight’s wing, finding comfort in it. Meanwhile, Discord noticed something that terrified him more than anything before. Harmony reached into her robes and pulled out a nearly empty hourglass. At sunset, Maud announced to the crowd, “We are about to begin the closing ceremony. Please make your way to the stage.” Cheese Sandwich and Lil Cheese sang a song with the same message. Before long, all the guests had gathered in front of the stage, where Maud stood before the microphone and began. “OOOOOOHHHH, THIS!” Pinkie shouted excitedly. Harmony and Pinkie were sitting in the section reserved for the not-living guests—at least until Pinkie exclaimed, “I gotta go!” She then dashed behind the curtain with an excited squee. “What an interesting party,” Harmony mused. “Hello, friends and family of my beloved sister Pinkie. We are here to celebrate the life of a pony who filled our lives with joy and laughter. It would be disrespectful to have a sad party for her, so I’m really happy that all of you participated in this unconventional funeral.” Harmony glanced at Fluttershy and Discord once again, but the latter was no longer there, and the former was barely awake. Suddenly, Discord reappeared, and Harmony noticed he seemed less solid than usual. “Is this seat taken?” he asked, pointing to a chair that had appeared next to her. “Help yourself,” she offered, trying to listen as time seemed to slow to a standstill. “How long?” he asked, not looking at her, his voice quieter and more serious than ever before. “Look at you, god of chaos, falling in love with a creation of life. That’s chaotic, I respect that, but with a bearer of harmony? Should I be flattered?” she smiled, glancing at him, though there was a rage simmering beneath his calm demeanour. “You’re serious. Okay, fine—by sunrise, she will be gone. I am sorry.” “Let me save her,” Discord pleaded, his voice filled with desperation and fury. “I will do whatever you want if it means I can save her.” Harmony looked at him, then back at Fluttershy. “Most ponies would be happy with 85 years.” “Fluttershy is not most ponies, and neither am I,” Discord declared. Harmony glanced at Fluttershy again. “No sorry unless….” She shook her head and looked at Pinkie who was in wrapped attention. “Preventing her from getting sick has been effective, but this illness has her beaten, and it’s what’s killing her—that’s why I can’t stop it. Nearly 60 years of perfect health, and she’s dying from this anyway,” he sighed, standing up. He seemed defeated. “I can’t stop you. Trust me, I tried. Just help me.” He left the area of harmonious death and surrounded by the background chaos, time resumed as Maud continued her speech. “So in honour of her final wishes...” The curtain behind Maud opened, revealing Lil Cheese with a fire torch. Pinkie was in the cannon and waved to Harmony as she watched. “We will now shoot her soul into the afterlife,” Lil Cheese announced as they lit the cannon. “I…” Harmony glanced at Pinkie, then at Discord, who was trying his best to ignore her and be interested in this at the same time. She flew over to Pinkie. “I mean, I am curious to see what happens, so...” Her horn glowed, and the flame transformed from a normal fire into a magical rainbow, shifting from one colour to the next. Once the cannon was lit, Pinkie shot into the air, visible only to Harmony, Discord, and Pinkie herself. “There is no way that worked,” Harmony muttered as she flew after Pinkie to see where she ended up. Leaving Equestria, and Equus in general, Harmony found herself on the moon. She observed the barren wasteland, feeling the aura of Luna’s magic. Her influence was immense; this was her domain. However, another now had their influence over the moon. No fewer than a thousand party cannons were placed on the moon, with a pink blur entering various portals and pulling out more and more supplies. The blur stopped in front of her, smiling. “Wow! That was amazing! Hey, so I was shot out of a cannon, right?” “I am aware,” Harmony said in a flat tone, curious about where this was going. “Well,” Pinkie walked with her, explaining as pink blurs surrounded them, decorating the moon with streamers and tables, “I was thinking that a lot of ponies don’t really have parties, or like they won’t, now that I’m gone. I mean, Cheese is older than me and Lil Cheese can only throw one party a day, so a lot of ponies won’t have a chance, especially when they die. What if their funeral is sad?” “They tend to be sad. Yours was an exception.” Pinkie barely paused. “Right, but what if they don’t want to be sad? I could stay here and throw parties.” Pinkie beamed, extremely pleased with her idea. “You want to be the spirit of parties?” Pinkie nodded rapidly. Harmony felt that she was going to regret this and thought to herself, ‘Element of Laughter—of course, she wants ponies to be happy. But why do I have to deal with him? The nature of us, I suppose.’ Pinkie was staring at her. Harmony wasn’t used to ponies noticing her. With an exasperated sigh, she relented. “Very well, but I am going to need help. Please activate all your cannons.” Luna stared at the moon; she stared at it for a while. The two personal guards looked at each other and then at her. The younger batpony took out a coin and mouthed silently, “Heads,” pointing to herself, “Tails,” pointing to the other. It came up tails, so the older guard stepped forward and bowed. “Princess, it really is a beautiful night tonight.” His voice carried authority, but when speaking to Luna, it was full of admiration. “Yes,” she said absent-mindedly, looking through her telescope. She could see nothing, but sensed that something was different. She took a deep breath and then kept watch. “I’ll be fine, back to your post.” With that, he nodded and returned to his post with a shrug. On the moon, behind a veil hidden from the living, a spirit appeared, covered in streamers and icing. “I do hope you don’t think I’ll help you with whatever is going on just because it’s a bit chaotic.” He smiled, admiring the decorations. “HI, DISCORD!” Pinkie hugged Discord. “Ah, Pinkie, my chaotic friend. Have you been annoying her? Causing headaches, being a general nuisance? And please tell me your request was too chaotic for our friend here.” Harmony smiled, “Yes, to all counts.” Discord did a backflip and took Pinkie in a hug, “Well done, Pinkie, well done. I’m so proud of you!” Pinkie spun holding a stack of pizza boxes, going from one side of the moon to the other and back again now with no pizza boxes to speak of. “So, Pinkie,” Discord actively ignored Harmony, facing away from her, “what can Discord, lord of chaos and all things fun, do for you?” “I wanna be a party spirit!” Discord smiled and then frowned. “That would be wonderful, but I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Pinkie frowned. “Aaaawww, why?” “Well, Pinkie,” he snapped his talons and Rarity’s old fainting couch appeared. Discord lay on it as another copy of himself, wearing glasses and holding a clipboard, floated beside him. “It all started a long time ago during a funeral. I asked for a favour and was denied, and while this favour is for my second-favourite pony in the whole…” He looked around suddenly. “My favourite pony to ever be on the moon. I’m afraid that I can’t do anything for Harmony, even as a second-hand thing.” Harmony held out an hourglass with butterflies on it. “I’ll give you 5 years.” “15,” countered Discord. “10.” Discord snatched the hourglass away. “Deal.” Discord started to glow as sand began to fill the nearly empty hourglass. Back in her cottage, Fluttershy felt her fever passing, and the doctor by her side ran some tests for a few hours and wrote a note saying, needs bed rest, will recover. Harmony put the hourglass back under her cloak as Discord started to circle Pinkie. "Party spirit! Party spirit!" Discord chanted, flipping, circling, and examining Pinkie for something no one but himself knew before surrounding her with a curtain. Harmony waited as, behind the curtain, there were sounds of boings, splats, and kabooms, along with custard and cream pies flying everywhere. Feeling a bit sick, Harmony took a few steps back—the level of chaos behind the curtain was too much. But when it finally stopped, Discord emerged, dressed like a painter with a brown afro, paint palette, and brushes. "I present my masterpiece: the spirit of parties. Surprise!" Discord announced. With that, a pony appeared who looked exactly like Pinkie Pie, except with white fur, a golden mane and tail, and a cutie mark that featured entirely pink balloons instead of the usual multicoloured ones. She was also a pegasus—or at least she had wings. Discord bowed. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go. I have a happy tree to paint at home." Without waiting to be thanked, Discord popped out of existence. Harmony and the newly formed spirit, Surprise, looked at each other. "Soooo, party?" Surprise asked. Harmony nodded. "I’ll send any lost souls to you," Harmony replied, bowing before flying away through a portal that appeared and disappeared as she passed through it. Luna sensed a presence on the moon, but all of her magic indicated that nothing was actually happening there. When she finally went to bed after sunrise, she found an invitation on her pillow: Surprise party at your place every night.Luna looked at the photo inside, which showed a picture of the moon with Discord and a pegasus standing on it. Luna checked the moon again and decided that if Discord was going to be chaotic there, she would keep an eye on it—for now, she just needed sleep. Discord lay in Fluttershy’s tree with Fluttershy resting on his tail. “Thank you, Discord,” said a soft voice trying not to wake up the mare. He barely registered Harmony’s presence but put up a barrier just in case. "A deal’s a deal. Go away," he muttered. "Spirits are living beings; I do appreciate you creating one," Harmony remarked. "I didn’t do it for you. I barely did it for Pinkie. Fluttershy is going to be nice and healthy, and I have ten years left to beat you," Discord said, fire burning in his eyes. "Don’t waste your time—use it to be with her." "Get out," Discord snapped. Harmony bowed and vanished, leaving Discord and Fluttershy together, nice and healthy until the end. Always An AppleOn the night Harmony visited Sweet Apple Acres, it was quiet. Applebloom had finished for the day and was inside making what Applejack thought smelled like a delicious Apple Crumble. Sitting on the porch on the couch, looking over the orchard, Applejack had the sense that something was watching her. Many ponies felt this way when Harmony was near—the feeling that the end was inevitable. A lot panicked, most were sad, and some were content. She looked up and saw a rainbow revealing the shadowed pony just outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Feeling her heart race a little, she nodded to the spot beside her. “Don’t just stand there come on in.” Harmony drifted in and sat next to her as Applejack and Applebloom ate the crumble. After they had finished, Applejack smiled, nuzzled Applebloom, stood up, and left her body behind; Applebloom will later say that it seemed her sister was content at the end. Applejack started to walk through the orchard examining every tree placing her hoof on a tree that still had the old sign now fading that said Rainbows Napping Spot laughing to herself Applejack just walked through to the clubhouse which had 3 new foals telling ghost stories. “Ghosts aren’t really scary, you know? My farm is the most haunted place in Equestria,” Toffee Apple declared. The others looked shocked. “My family made a promise—well, they made two. The first is, ‘Once an Apple, always an Apple.’ And the second is that they’ll always look after the farm and family for as long as it’s here.” The others were very impressed. Applejack watched them and sighed. “Is that true?” she asked, with trepidation and hope. “Does all my family watch over this place?” “It can be. Do you want it to be true?” Harmony asked, and Applejack thought about it for a few minutes. “Only if it was true when they said it. Only if they meant it.” Harmony nodded, then began to walk towards an open field. As she did, her horn began to glow with powerful magic, wings spread out, and the rainbow appeared again. Approximately 15 years before Applejack’s death, after hearing Zapp Apple and Toffee Apple claim that Sweet Apple Acres was the most haunted place in Equestria, Twilight asked to take readings there and run some tests. After promising that nothing she would do would harm any of the ghosts, she took the readings but didn’t find anything. She told them to leave the devices around the farm, and if anything strange happened, she would know. For the first time since then, the machines detected something. As the rainbow grew brighter and larger, Applejack had to cover her eyes. It was so bright that you might mistake it for dawn, even though it was 3 am. The cloak of shadows covering Harmony protected Applejack, surrounding her, and once it was removed from her eyes, she saw clearly for the first time in decades. “Ma? Pa?” She ran towards them, seeming to get younger, transforming from an old mare into a teenager. She nuzzled into her mother’s orange mane, feeling her father’s strong yellow forearm around her. Granny Smith, now looking as if she were in her mid-40s, stood beside Harmony and smiled at them. “I knew I liked you,” she said, jabbing Harmony in the shoulder. “Ya’ good pony.” Harmony just bowed. “Thank you, Granny.” But that wasn’t the last of them; soon, the field was filled with ancestors, going back to the start of the farm—149 in total, by Granny Smith’s calculation. They decided to have an impromptu family reunion. Grandpa Pear, Pear Butter, and Bright Mac chatted while Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Mac brought over cider. With the knowledge of a party happening, Surprise flew around with food and drinks for the ghosts, while some unfortunate foals followed her around. They weren’t Apples, but she had her job to do, and a party on the moon or on the farm is a party all the same. Harmony watched all the ponies party but kept her eyes on the rainbow. Surprise sat beside her and hoofed over some cider. “Hello, Surprise.” “What are you thinking about?” “You’re an Apple too, and so I’m glad you decided to come. But something’s been nagging at me. It’s been bugging me all day.” She levitated the glass to her mouth. “Is it the foals? They’re okay now—two have left already; I think the last one will soon. Oh, or is it the crowded farm? Like, how are they going to deal with so many ponies just sort of gathered around a farm? Oh, or is it because ‘once an Apple, always an Apple,’ and Rainbow Dash isn’t here yet, and the rainbow is right there, and there’s about to be an explosion that will hurt all of them because the Sonic Rainboom has magic that affects spirits?” Harmony calmly sipped her drink, hoofed it back to Surprise, and nodded. “Yep, that one.” In a burst of power and energy, Harmony flew down the hill as fast as possible and landed in the middle of the party, her horn glowing. “Sorry to cut the party short, but could everypony please go back to—” A circle of light surrounded them from a point 30 feet behind them. “That line, quickly, quickly—you’re ghosts; you don’t have joints to worry about.” After everypony scrambled behind the circle to whatever location was most convenient, Applejack stood beside Harmony. “What in tar-nation are you doing?” Not directly answering her question, Harmony asked one of her own. “Applejack, you saw the Sonic Rainboom.” She pointed to the rainbow. “If the Sonic Rainboom started from that point and spread out in a circle, where would you think is the safest place to stand?” Applejack thought for a moment. “Just here, I should think.” After saying that, her eyes fixed themselves on the rainbow. “10, 9, 8, 7...” Applejack held her breath. “6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” BOOM! A giant circle of colour, sound, and force washed over them; they all felt it as a cyan pegasus flew up and over them. After a moment of re-configuring herself, Rainbow Dash landed in the middle of the crater and looked around at all the ponies staring at her. She nervously chuckled and waved. “Ummm, hi—ARG!” She was tackled by the cowpony, who kissed and held her, nuzzling her. “Come on, RD—you’ve got to meet my parents.” Rainbow smiled, got up, brushed herself off, and bowed. “After you.” They walked to the others as the rainbow faded away. No longer needed, Harmony left. A guide was no longer required when everypony was already home. Diamond LegacyJust after dawn in Manehattan, Sweetie Belle walked through the halls of the Diamonds Shine Foundation. The halls were buzzing with the activity of early morning, coffee-fuelled engineers. Here was a pegasus with a prosthetic wing; there, a unicorn with a newly repaired broken horn. A foal with a prosthetic top to their horn was testing out a new levitation spell with the help of a volunteer. “I’ll never be able to do it,” the foal said, looking downtrodden. “It’s so hard!” Kneeling beside the foal with a comforting smile, the unicorn projected a video of the foal from three months ago. He was struggling to levitate a piece of paper. “See that? You went from a paper to a book in three months. Do you really think in three more months you won’t be able to do more spells? You’ve been doing great, Sunny. Don’t stop now.” The foal smiled and stood, looking at the book like a mountain he would climb, and tried again. As Sweetie Belle continued down the hall to the pegasi, she met up with Scootaloo. Scootaloo flew beside her on a cloud. “Hey Scoots, is that thing ready for a full launch?” Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo nodded. “More or less. We’ve got it so that any pegasus who can at least stand on clouds can control this one and fly around. I mean, it’s not stunt flying, but it should be self-refilling now that we can get the moisture out of the air to rebuild the cloud. I still want to create a way to fly without clouds.” “At that point, you’re inventing a helicopter,” Sweetie pointed out. “Fair. The freedom of flying comes from total control, but this”—she patted the cloud—“is like 80% there.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Well, I’ll call it good enough then. Is Bloom meeting us for the grand opening?” Scootaloo shook her head. “Parasprite infestation at the farm. She sends her well wishes, though, and Sweet Apple Acres is still a sponsor.” “They’re the main sponsor. Diamond Shine would be half the size it is now if it wasn’t for them.” “They also got the Pears to invest.” “A quarter of the size, then. I want everything to go well for Rarity. She said she’d be at the grand opening, and by Celestia, I’m going to make it worthwhile.” “She’s proud of you. I know it.” Sweetie Belle broke her professionalism and hugged Scootaloo after that. “Thanks. Now let’s go check everything is ready for the opening.” As they ran off, they didn’t notice Rarity watching them. Very few ponies noticed her anymore. She was happy, though; Sweetie Belle had gone above and beyond what she had written in her will. After leaving enough money for Sweetie Belle to pay off her house, Rarity had set the rest of her fortune to be used for charity work. Sweetie Belle exceeded even her own expectations. “She’ll be good, won’t she?” Rarity spoke, not looking into the shadows but knowing who was there. “Happy and successful, and above all, generous. This foundation is going to change the lives of so many ponies. I wish I could see it grow.” Rarity laid a hoof on the wall, gazing over the bright lights and new technology being developed. “Ponies with disabilities will get the help they need to do what they want, and that will make others happy and the world... I don’t know, better, I suppose. Is there a better word?” She looked back but didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m glad she took my influence and made it better.” “Not better,” the voice of Harmony was soft but spoke with absolute authority. “A continuation of your work. With your resources, you saved the lives of thousands of ponies.” “Pish posh! I only gave away clothes—ponies don’t even wear clothes much.” “Except in winter, when they need them,” Harmony pointed out. At this, Rarity looked at her for the first time and nodded. “What’s your name?” Rarity asked. “I don’t suppose most ask you that, since they’ve probably given you one.” “All ponies are given a name, and most don’t change it,” Harmony replied. “Fair, but you were given so many. Which one is your favourite?” “Harmony, because of its meaning.” Rarity nodded. “I suppose that’s less scary than ‘The Grim Reaper’ or ‘The Pony’s Shadow.’” Harmony nodded. “Makes you sound scary, but you’re not scary, are you?” “I hope not.” The two of them began to walk through the facility. The arcane technology was far more advanced than Rarity could have imagined as a foal. All of it was part of her sister’s and her friends' plans. “Do you know how long this will last?” “Sweetie Belle will do this for the rest of her life, followed by the ponies she determines to be worthy of being her successor.” “After that?” “That’s too far for me to see.” Rarity nodded. “I see.” “You seem very calm about this whole thing. Most ponies panic.” “Oh, I am freaking out, but it’s more subtle.” There was an eye twitch. “I’ve been following Sweetie Belle around for months, haunting her, watching her, but she hasn’t noticed me, which is very lonely, even if I am proud of her. What took you so long?” “You wanted to see what she would do. It was your deathbed wish for her to make you proud, so I let you see that happen before I came.” “You’re very generous,” Rarity stated, looking at her. “It’s only right after everything you’ve done.” Leaving the facility, Rarity noticed that night had fallen. It was a beautiful night, with stars brighter than she ever remembered, and the moon was—Rarity blinked, shook her head, then blinked again. “Harmony, I don’t know how to say this, but...” “Is the moon covered in cotton candy?” Harmony suggested. “Yes, that.” Rarity just stared at the moon, which was unmistakably covered in cotton candy. Over in Canterlot, Luna was peering through her telescope at the moon. She didn’t have the heightened senses of ponies who had become one with the universe, but ever since Surprise had taken up residence on the moon, she had always received updates from her about the new parties she was throwing for the foals who had died that day, along with assurances that she would clean up afterwards. This was the most surprising update so far. Rarity reached out with her magic and sense. “Laughter? PINKIE—Pinkie is on the moon?” Harmony nodded. “She’s called Surprise now. Even now, you’re thinking about others. I respect that.” Rarity shrugged. “Well, no matter what happens next, I want to know that things here will be fine without me.” “You have impacted so many, and your life will continue to touch countless others even after you’ve gone.” Rarity bowed to the alicorn. “Thank you. I think I’m ready.” Harmony’s horn glowed, and a rainbow appeared, stretching over a hill. They followed it until Rarity vanished to destinations unknown. Chaotic KindnessFluttershy’s cottage was mostly sunny, with rain pouring over the flowers and a section set to night for the nocturnal animals. Ever since her 95th birthday, Fluttershy hadn’t been able to take care of the animals, so Discord had taken up the responsibility. By her 100th birthday, Fluttershy could only leave the house with Discord’s help. Now, on her 105th birthday, they were celebrating in the garden. Discord reached into the ether and pulled out a pocket watch. “Twilight, could you please put up this spell?” The knowledge of the spell entered Twilight’s mind, making her stumble backwards. “Has anypony ever told you not to put thoughts in their heads?” she asked as she cast the spell. “Probably,” Discord replied, tossing food on the ground for a family of rabbits, who may or may not have been related to Angel Bunny—he’d stopped keeping track of those details. The shield didn’t seem to do anything; it was invisible, several animals walked through it for morning breakfast, walked straight through it. Twilight reached out to check on the spell and got a headache—it was extremely powerful, keeping something out, but Twilight didn’t know what. “Discord, how long did this spell take to invent?” Twilight asked, admiring the magical handiwork. “Long enough. Come on, Twilight, we have a party to attend.” Twilight turned away, unable to see anything that couldn’t get through the barrier. Harmony simply touched the shield and smiled. “Chaos magic through an Element of Harmony? Now that’s clever,” Harmony said, looking at the hourglass with Fluttershy’s cutie mark on it. There was one lone grain of sand left, and so she waited. As far as parties go, this one was interesting. Everypony came to her 100th birthday—even Celestia showed up for that one. But then, Fluttershy just kept living, or rather, kept being kept alive, which is a different thing entirely. This birthday was simple: just Discord, Fluttershy, Twilight, and seven animals, with as much enthusiasm as you’d expect. Sitting by the window, Fluttershy looked across the garden, her eyes focused on a distant spot. “Hello, Fluttershy, happy birthday.” Fluttershy smiled and hugged Twilight. “Thank you for coming, Twilight. Would you like some tea?” Twilight poured them both a cup and took a sip, while Fluttershy just looked at hers. “What’s wrong, Fluttershy? How was the doctor’s appointment?” Fluttershy looked at Twilight, her usual smile slipping away. “Perfectly healthy for my age, at least. I don’t think I’ve ever been ill since moving in with Discord.” Twilight took a moment and decided that positivity was probably the best course of action. “That’s good news.” Fluttershy nodded and took a sip of her tea. “What’s on your mind?” “I’ve been dating Discord for 70 years now—more or less—and…” She paused, reaching into a bag beside her that held her emergency supplies. “In that time, I’ve been healthy, but do you remember that disease that was supposed to kill me? That flu, I think it was.” Twilight nodded. “I think it did kill me. Ever since then, I’ve nearly died 35 times, but something strange always happened to stop it.” She hoofed Twilight a book on chaos theory in magic. “Do you know what Quantum Immortality is?” Twilight shook her head. “It means that if there’s a way for me to survive, I will—in some timeline.” “Fluttershy, that’s just a hypothesis. It doesn’t mean—” “I think Discord is causing me to survive by changing my timeline.” Twilight started to speak rapidly, trying to explain how things like this couldn’t happen. “I feel empty, Twilight, like I just exist. And then I saw…” Fluttershy gestured to a space in the field that Twilight couldn’t quite focus on. “Fluttershy, I…” “I love my life, Twilight. I love Discord, and I love you. But I think you should lower the shield.” Twilight realised the implications and hugged Fluttershy tightly. “I love you, Fluttershy. If you d…” Twilight’s words caught in her throat. “I’ll be alone. What do I do then?” “Be kind, teach, and move on with life. Also, help Discord be sad—I don’t think he knows how to.” Twilight lowered the shield. “NO!” Discord’s scream echoed from Fluttershy’s cottage through Ponyville and beyond. It was a visceral, sorrowful cry that only those with a broken heart can make. As Fluttershy fell from Twilight, she stood next to the pony she had been watching all night. Even though the shield was lowered, Harmony had not moved from her spot, watching the house. Fluttershy drifted from the house to float next to Harmony. “Hello, Fluttershy, I…” They were interrupted by a loud burst of magic that blasted the front of the cottage off. Discord flew to where Fluttershy and Harmony were, followed by Twilight, who was chasing him through the garden. Suddenly, he was knocked back by a force he couldn’t see. “Are you kidding me!?” Discord touched the shield around Fluttershy and began to bang on it. Fluttershy flew to the other side of the shield and sat down. “Fluttershy, I’m sorry.” She didn’t say anything. “I only wanted you to be happy, to be healthy, to live forever like Twilight and Sunbutt. I… were you really so miserable that you wanted to die?” Fluttershy shook her head. “I didn’t want to die. I have had a great life with you, but I simply knew I must.” Discord sniffed, reached out, and grabbed something that looked suspiciously like Celestia’s mane, blew his nose on it, and then dismissed it just as quickly. “Why didn’t you let me say goodbye?” “You couldn’t. You wouldn’t. You’d keep fighting. Besides, you can say goodbye now.” “Goodbye, Fluttershy. I will never see you again, so I’ll miss you, and I’ll carry on missing you for as long as this universe has chaos.” Fluttershy blushed and flew over to hug Discord. They hugged for a long time, neither of them noticing Twilight staring at them with a notepad, idly taking notes. “You could stay, you know? The Apple family does it—they’re all at the farm. You could visit, and…” Fluttershy waited for Discord to finish and kissed his muzzle. “Do you think that would make you happy?” Discord was about to answer straight away, but a glow from Harmony’s magic as the Element of Honesty activated made him pause. He thought about being with Fluttershy, how much he’d already sacrificed to keep her alive, how manipulating chaos to be orderly was hurting him, and finally, if it was worth the sacrifice. “Yes, it is worth it, and it would make me happy.” “What about me? How do you think I’d feel over time?” This took Discord a lot longer—thinking about the illnesses, the pain, her friends dying, and knowing that the only thing keeping her alive was the chaos of the universe. “I suppose not.” Fluttershy nodded. “You do favours, don’t you?” He looked to Harmony again, who was just watching. “Can you think of anything?” “I do favours for the Elements, but as I recall, I gave you 10 years, and you planned to make it longer. That shield was designed to keep me out, and it worked, but you do not understand me.” Harmony gathered the power from the Elements and showed herself to Discord, Fluttershy, and Twilight in her full form—a light brighter than the sun, impossible to look at directly. “I AM THE GUIDE OF THE DEAD. I HEAL THE SOULS AS THE BODIES WITHER. AND ABOVE ALL, I AM NOT DEATH.” Discord and Twilight blinked, looked at each other, and blinked again. “If Fluttershy had died while the shield was up, it would have damaged her soul. Never use it again, Twilight.” Twilight simply nodded. “Thank you,” Twilight said. “For helping my friends, and goodbye, Fluttershy. I’ll miss you.” “I’ll miss you too,” Fluttershy said as she flew, following the rainbow, Harmony close behind until finally, Fluttershy was gone, and Harmony was alone. Twilight's Final ChoiceIt was a lonely night in Canterlot, a lonely week in Equestria, and a lonely world in Equas. As far as Twilight could tell from the lack of responses to the many thousands of messages she had sent through space, using all the power she had gained over the years, it was a lonely universe. Discord was busy creating new galaxies just to fuel his magic, but without the spark of life, nothing would come of it. Still, he tried, and Twilight tried as well. After all this time—after millions of years of being the last two living beings they knew of in the universe—they still tried. Twilight Sparkle Experiment Log L̅MM Based on discussions with Discord, I hypothesise that since life is inherently chaotic, death may represent a form of harmony. Therefore, the Elements of Harmony, which embody balance and order, should theoretically bring about death. It is important to clarify that I have no desire to die; however, the universe is already devoid of life, and Discord's attempts to restore it have proven futile. I believe there is no alternative left but to test this theory by using the Elements of Harmony. Twilight placed the elements of Harmony in a machine crafted from gold taking up the majority of her regrown tree laboratory. The Elements of Harmony require a living power source to channel their magic. Historically, the Bearers and the Tree of Harmony served this purpose, and now, my new laboratory will fulfil that role. Growing my new oak tree lab in this isolated environment took 250 years, a painstakingly slow process, but a necessary one. While it was growing, I dedicated myself to gathering as much gold as possible, crafting several magical conductors. Gold, known for its excellent conductivity of both electricity and magic, has proven ideal for this purpose. Hypothesis: This is why storage units, whether magical or technological, have always been constructed using gold, regardless of their form. Its properties make it the most efficient vessel for energy storage and transmission, whether for ancient spells or modern constructs. With the conductors in place, I am now prepared to attempt drawing power directly from the Tree to fuel the Elements, though I am still wary of the outcome. Twilight levitated the Elements one by one into their respective slots on the wall. Magic went in the top slot on the second row, followed by Honesty and Loyalty, then Generosity and Kindness, and finally, Laughter at the bottom. Twilight’s magic glowed as the machine amplified the spell, making it shine as brightly as the sun. Meanwhile, four galaxies over, under the watchful gaze of Harmony, Discord was playing with hydrogen atoms. “Do you think that will work?” Harmony asked curiously, leaning on a ball of gas that Discord was hoping to turn into a star. “Well, it’s really quite simple,” Discord replied. “You are currently lying on a gargantuan cloud of hydrogen.” He added the last atom for emphasis. Flying around with a net, he collected a lot of dust. “Sprinkle in some dust for flavour,” Discord said, tossing the dust into the gas cloud which also accidentally on purpose hit her in the face. “And give it a good squeeze with gravity until it starts to collapse!” Harmony flew out of the way as Discord placed both paw and talon on each side of the ball of gas and dust, squeezing it until the gravity was so high that it collapsed. “Then, as the core heats up, wait for the gas to ignite in a fabulous fusion frenzy, and voilà! You’ve got yourself a shining, radiant ball of chaotic fusion lighting up the cosmos! You know, in a few million years or so. I wasn’t really paying attention.” Discord picked up the new star, bouncing it on his feet until he heard the distinct sound of teleportation. “Rude!” Discord exclaimed. He faced a group of potential planets, kicked the new sun among them to start orbiting, and, just to make sure Twilight knew he was doing his job properly, found an ice-filled asteroid and flicked it in the general direction of the new solar system. “I still got it,” he said with a grin. After the flash, Twilight broke the spell and was immediately hit with a massive headache. “OOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW OW OW OW OW OH CELESTIA THAT’S OOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!” After taking several deep breaths, she cast a spell to remove the pain and performed several diagnostic spells to check for any permanent damage. It appeared that she was perfectly healthy and alive. Rubbing the base of her horn, she still felt like she had a headache. “I would suggest getting some water,” said a voice. Twilight nodded, then realised that something had spoken to her. Her eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. “A PONY!” Twilight ran over to her. “A living, breathing, actual, proper, living, honest-to-the-universe pony! PERFECT! It worked... kind of.” Then Twilight passed out. “Hmmmm,” Harmony said, picking up Twilight and laying her on a hammock set up in the lab. There was a tapping on the window. Looking over, Discord was angrily inspecting the Elements. Harmony removed them, at which point Discord teleported into the tree. “I hope you understand that you disappeared right before I formed a world that will have life on it… probably.” “I’m sorry, Discord. I got called away.” “Twilight isn’t even dead, though.” He poked the sleeping alicorn with her own horn to check. “See?” He placed the horn back. “I know, but she called me anyway. I wonder why.” “A lonely alicorn who has spent 1000 years alone— that messes with anypony. At least Luna was asleep at the time.” They decided it would be pointless to try to solve the mystery before Twilight woke up. When Twilight woke up, she gazed at the stars for a while, meditating and reconnecting with the magic around her. It was still the same night, which was good—she hadn't been unconscious for too long. Her thoughts turned to her friends. Over the years, she had made thousands of close friends, but it was her first ones that came to mind. It was as if she could still feel them. Breathing deeply, her mind sharpened, and then all the memories hit her at once. Checklist for Memory Organisation: New pony Same night I lower the moon and raise the sun Check how long this night has lasted Panic “OMC 110 HOURS I WAS ASLEEP FOR NEARLY 5 DAYS NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAMN IT” ~~Panic~~ Raise the Sun Discord and Harmony were rearranging the clouds above Manehatton when they saw the sunrise. “I think she’s awake,” Harmony observed. “No kidding.” Discord rolled his eyes out of his head and back in. “Do you think she’s having a panic attack?” he asked, sipping from a chocolate cloud through a straw about ten feet long. “Maybe.” Harmony watched the sunrise settle. “She might want to talk to me, and I do have my offer for her.” “Are you going to kill her?” Discord feigned surprise. “That’s so kind of you.” The sarcasm in his voice was so poorly suppressed that it was entirely pointless. He leaned over to a pink butterfly on a tree. “You know, I always said, Buttershy, if you want a pony to die, she’s the goddess for the job.” “No, I don’t kill anyone. Once they die, they can’t be forced to stay.” Harmony’s tone barely hid her annoyance, but since it was just the two of them, she didn’t bother trying harder. “It’s been half a billion years—you’ll never let it go!” she huffed, then teleported away. “NEVER!” Discord shouted after her. A butterfly then landed on him, and he sighed. “Come on, Buttershy, we’ve got a solar system to make.” He teleported back to his new sun. Back in the lab, Twilight paced up and down, thinking, pausing, listening, shaking her head, and then thinking again. “Okay, Twilight, this is something worth studying and a result. They’re gone, which is not helpful, but there was a pony there. Right?” She paused and looked around, scanning for magic and getting a ping of a magic signature different from hers, but not chaotic like Discord’s. “Discord has been away too long. What has he been doing?” There was a distinct sound of teleportation behind her. “Where have you been? We had a result, but now they’re gone.” Twilight didn’t bother looking; she just flew to the shelves to call for the books in her library. ‘Old’ was a moot point, since it had been 10,000 years since a book had been written. The preservation magic over the books, created and maintained by the librarian, meant they stayed readable, but they still felt, looked, and smelled old. One of the last books ever printed was The Elements of Harmony: A Scholarly Exploration by Twilight Sparkle. The publisher was more than happy to produce it for her, though it never went into mass print. Twilight read aloud: “The Elements of Harmony were not created by Celestia and Luna.” She skipped ahead. “They were created by a magical force known as Harmony.” Skipping further, she continued: “HERE, a recent hypothesis following the death of Princess Cadence is that once the concept dies, the Alicorn who represents that concept also dies.” She took a moment to remember Cadence. “That must mean that this new pony is an Alicorn who represents Harmony. Luna and Celestia were linked to the sun and moon, but they died when the last pony died, and Luna lost her power over dreams. Celestia was so linked to Luna that she, too, perished. That must mean this pony represents death, or Harmony. Life is chaos; death is harmony. That makes sense, right?” “It does make sense, and you’re about 60% of the way there,” said a voice, very different from Discord’s. Facing the new Alicorn, Twilight’s eyes widened. To her credit, Twilight’s internal freakout only manifested as an eye twitch and a racing heartbeat. “W-what am I missing?” she asked. “Your assumption is that they are dead. They’re not. Alicorns can’t die because their concept will always exist somewhere. Cadence, for example, is now a spirit of love named Cupid, and she will return once there is romance in this universe again. Celestia and Luna have become spirits, balancing each other. Luna is the spirit of darkness, passivity, femininity, intuition, cold, and receptiveness, while Celestia is the spirit of light, activity, masculinity, logic, warmth, and assertiveness.” Harmony drew a simple representation of Celestia and Luna as two symbols, white and black, seeming to follow each other in a circle. “You, on the other hoof, represent friendship, and unlike the others, this universe still has friendship, so you are still active. You won’t become a spirit unless you lose your friendship.” Twilight took this all in, taking a deep breath in and out before nodding. “So, spirits aren’t dead?” “No, the body dies, but unlike ghosts, which are linked to a place and memory, spirits still affect the world and will continue to influence the universe for as long as there is life.” “There is no life. Not here, not anymore,” Twilight pointed out. “Not sapient life, not anymore, not here, and not yet. So, these concepts are dormant for now, until new creatures create, need, and above all, crave them. All will be created again in a few billion years, but you are still here. Friendship never died because, through your power, you became friends with Discord. I admire that. So, I have a proposal for you. You can wait for new life and guide them in friendship as a spirit—Discord can turn you into one quite easily—or you can do something more interesting.” Harmony shot a spell into the space just behind Twilight. The gap it created made Twilight feel sick. It was impossible to look at directly—like darkness, but worse—just nothingness, a void. “This universe was created by chaos. By its nature, it does not care about the concepts your mentor represented; only the sapient life in the universe cares. You, on the other hoof, have a chance to create another universe, one in which friendship is its core. Every living creature will know friendship. You can shape it in the image of your will, and you can make it a utopia for all the creatures living in it.” "A universe built on friendship? Is that possible?" Twilight stared into the void, imagining its potential. "Maybe, or it might be a complete failure. It's impossible to know for sure, but I know one thing." Harmony stepped beside her and wrapped a wing around Twilight. For the first time in millennia, Twilight felt like a foal – a new student next to Celestia. "I’ll be with you, now and forever," Twilight took a deep breath and thought for a few moments. I either go to wherever my friends are, which might not even be a real place, or I spend billions of years with just me and Harmony, hoping that I can create creatures who are happy. A leap of faith either way. Twilight took a deep breath and flew into the void. A purple spark started a universe filled with potential, while Discord began to build his own. Whatever form it would take, he raised a glass of chocolate milk to the setting sun. "Good luck, Princess. Let’s see what happens next." Author's Note This is the end of my first fan fic I hope you like it. I had this idea for a while needed to get it out.
The Last RainboomRainbow Dash fell. She was far too young for this—67—and as she was falling, she saw the storm raging around her, the world going black. This was more fitting than being in a retirement home or a rocking chair. If Spitfire could actually catch her… She was putting in a lot of effort to catch up, but being struck by lightning is probably still deadly in wild weather. Headlines will read Rainbow Dash Struck Down Saving Ponyville. Dash felt her heart start to slow down and closed her eyes as the last of her energy left her body. Yes, to die saving Equestria was far more interesting than sitting around an apple farm watching other ponies do all the work. Watching Applejack and Zap Apple, the last thought that Rainbow Dash had was wondering if Spitfire could see her crying. After what felt to Dash like a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on a cloud, the night clear, but she could still see the storm below her. Spitfire wasn’t there, but the rest of the Wonderbolts and the weather team from Ponyville and other towns were all helping. Dying a hero would have to be delayed—the storm seemed to be being taken care of. Looking around, she saw in the distance a shadowy figure running or flying into buildings and bringing out ponies. Rainbow Dash tried to fly down, but something was wrong. She couldn’t feel the air in her mane, and while she was floating down, it didn’t feel like she was actually flying. She saw the figure look up at her and was blinded by a bright light for just a second. When she refocused, the pony was gone. Seeing that pony gave her a feeling of dread that she couldn’t shake, and she suddenly had one thought: home. She wanted—no, needed—to get home. She flew fast, faster than she ever had before, faster than any pegasus had ever flown for any reason. The farm was in the distance, but not for long—it came closer and closer. The entire town seemed to be destroyed by the storm. As she flew by Fluttershy’s cottage, she paused for a second and looked around. The cottage was not only undamaged, but it was completely sunny with all the animals playing happily. One of her animals ran towards the gate and, when it hit a barrier, it continued to run on the other side of the garden. Discord looked at her and waved. Dash rolled her eyes and flew in, but was blocked by the spell. “Sorry, Dash, but you can’t come in.” Discord looked apologetic whether he meant it or not was up for debate. “Why not?” Dash sounded indignant and folded her arms. “My magic prevents order and you are now under the protection of her.” He pointed a talon behind Dash, and a chill ran down her spine as she actually focused on being watched for the first time. “I am sorry, Rainbow Dash but you are now truly harmonised.” Dash shivered and then ignored the feeling and continued the tirade as best she could. “Why couldn’t you have done this”—she gestured vaguely at the sunny cottage—“over Ponyville?” “Rainbow Dash,” Discord looked shocked at the very idea. “I know you now have time for a four-hour lecture on the ins and outs of chaos magic, but Applejack probably doesn’t, so the short version is: the storm is chaotic, and I’m using the chaos of the storm to create this.” He bowed, removing a hat he wasn’t wearing a second ago. “If it helps, this area is getting less powerful, which means your sacrifice was worth it.” The sky was clearing and the pegasi team led by the weather patrol was getting the worst of the storm cleared. “Wait what sacrifice?” Three copies of Discord appeared wearing cheerleader outfits and started cheering: “Hey, Dashie, you did fine! Because of you, a few survived! Go, Dashie, go, go, go GO!” Discord’s voice thundered louder than the storm and she realised that her family needed her. She flew somehow she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed. She didn’t look back; she had no time. All she needed to do was get home. If she got home everything would be fine. When asked about it later a few Ponyville will describe a feeling of power and a glimpse of a rainbow heading straight for Sweet Apple Acres though few could explain what caused it. No one saw the shadow following her no one ever sees the shadow. Abruptly Dash stopped just before she entered the farm, she glanced back to see what was following her for the first time. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, unwilling to look at it directly. “I know who you are.” The shadow remained silent. “I am going to see my family.” Silence. “Do not enter this farm unless you are invited, agreed?” “This is reasonable,” the voice seemed distant but calm. “However, it will not prevent the inevitable.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “I will do this favour for you, but no other, as their deaths must be guided.” Rainbow Dash turned to face the pony. Her coat was not white; it was more that she was light, almost blinding, yet she was covered in shadows that resembled a hooded cloak. However, the cloak couldn’t hide the truth—she was an alicorn, and Rainbow Dash was arguing with her. “I want to see them, and then we can talk.” The alicorn nodded, and Dash flew away, leaving her guide to wait and watch from the entrance. Dash flew in through the nearly closed door that led to the cellar. Big Mac and Applejack were trying to secure the door from the storm. "Alright, Big Mac, hold it," Applejack said as the stallion braced the door with his back. She tied it closed and took a deep breath. "You alright, Mac?" "Eeeyup," he responded, then laid down next to Sugar Belle who was sleeping wrapped in a blanket. "Hey, Mum, where’s Dashie?" Zapp Apple called from the supply closet. "If she’s smart, she’ll stay with Twilight tonight," AJ called back. "And if she’s not smart?" Zapp Apple asked. "We’ve got an emergency access point for pegasi with no common sense," Applejack said, pointing up to what looked like a chimney big enough to dive into but with the top secured. "That’s clever," Applebloom admired the chimney as she carried a basket of fruit, mainly apples with some pears. "We’ve got enough supplies in there for a year of storms, but I reckon Dash will clear it up tonight." Rainbow Dash landed next to Applejack and watched her work, hiding her concern beneath a layer of busy activity. Could Applejack sense what was wrong, or did she always have that look in her eye when somepony she loved was in danger? "I could watch over them. Zappy’s dating some stallions; maybe they’ll get married, and I can go to their wedding. Just watching them." Applejack looked into Rainbow’s eyes but seemed to gaze right past her. It hit Dash like a piano falling from a delivery van—she couldn’t be seen. Applejack just looked straight through her, and Dash felt her heart break. Spitfire knew, but AJ wouldn’t know for a while, not until the storm passed. "I can’t help them. I can’t talk to them. I… I want to help them in some way, but I can’t do that here." Dash floated away from the wall back to the entrance, where she saw the alicorn watching her. The storm had been properly cleared, and it looked like sunrise was upon them, but no, it wasn’t time—it was something else. It was bright, and then a ring of fire exploded in the air, clearing all the clouds with the extreme force of the blast. A fire trail rushed towards Sweet Apple Acres. Spitfire and Rainbow Dash’s body. She knew clearing the storm was the most immediate priority, but now that it was clear, this was the most important thing. She landed with Dash secured to her and banged on the door. “What in tar-nation is the point of the chimney if you’re just gonna—" Applejack swung the door open and froze. Seeing Spitfire was mildly surprising; seeing Rainbow Dash lifeless and burnt was the worst thing she could imagine. Dash’s funeral was held in Ponyville on the farm. The Wonderbolts performed, and everypony Dash cared about was there. She was the first of the guardians’ bearers to die, and so, as they sat on a cloud watching the funeral quietly, not saying much, Dash decided to break the silence. “What do you think will happen? I don’t want AJ to be sad forever—maybe for like a few months, a year tops.” Dash smiled and looked at the alicorn, who said nothing, just watching the funeral. “You bear the Element of Loyalty, and as such, I can grant you a favour. So long as it is within my power.” "Can you bring me back?" The alicorn faced the pegasus and thought of how to answer it “Not the way you think, but in a way.” She trailed off. "Well, it was worth a shot. I want AJ to be happy. I want to show her something, to let her know—to let all of them know—where I am, so I can be with her, so I can be… They’re my family." All of her friends were in the front row, along with Discord, who looked like he was trying to ignore them, while Applejack was sitting with her family. Dash flew down, she saw her family—the Apple family. "What should I call you?" Dash didn’t look at the alicorn. "You are a bearer of an element, so you may call me Harmony." She bowed, spreading her wings. "Well, Harmony, I would like to let them know where I am. I want to leave behind something for them to follow." "I can help with that. It would be simple for me to take something and keep it, but what would you like to leave behind?" Dash smiled and took off. “Ah, of course.” The unicorn's horn began to glow, and Rainbow Dash felt it—the wind in her mane, the force over her body as she went faster and faster. Twilight was in the middle of the opening speech when—BOOM! Over all of them, for the last time in the history of Equestria, a sonic rainboom was seen, and Rainbow Dash was gone. It is said that since that day, if a soul is lost but good and loyal, they will be guided by a rainbow to where they will be happy.
Surprise PartyWhen Harmony arrived at the rock farm early in the morning, she anticipated the usual somber atmosphere of a funeral—sad, quiet, and contemplative. She expected hushed conversations about the departed and comforting hugs. So, it was quite a shock when she was met with streamers, cake, and lively music. The music, a cheerful pop tune, was accompanied by dancing and karaoke. Pinkie Pie herself was doing cartwheels and soaring around the party. As Harmony looked up, she saw a sign that read Farewell to Equestria, with Pinkie Pie’s face painted on the side. Pinkie waved to her. “WELCOME!” she shouted over the music. As she walked over the threshold, two party cannons shot streamers over her, much to Harmony's and some of the guests' surprise. “Umm, Lil Cheese, are the cannons on a timer?” Trixie asked with a touch of admiration at the setup. “Nope, they only go off when there’s a new guest.” Lil Cheese had a tray of cupcakes balanced on their head to greet the new arrivals. They stood right in front of Harmony and took a bow. “Welcome to the funeral.” Harmony was quite surprised for a moment that this pony could see her, as they didn’t look like they were going to die soon. She was about to get the hourglass from her cloak to double-check when she noticed they weren’t actually looking at her, just vaguely in her direction. “Do make yourself at home. This funeral is open to friends past and present. We have hopscotch and pin the mouth on the ghost, and there are spirits to drink. Get it? Spirits?” Lil Cheese laughed at their pun and smiled. “Anyway, enjoy yourself and say hi to Mum for me.” They wandered off, throwing a cupcake in her direction, which landed in front of her. “You know, Pinkie, I expected nothing less.” The party was one of the best Pinkie had ever thrown. Cheese Sandwich and Lil Cheese danced with the guests, while Maud almost smiled. Twilight was chatting with Fluttershy, who was seated with Discord beside her, clapping along to the music. The only section that no living creature occupied was one barricaded for old friends and family. Although it was empty, it was still a fun idea. Pinkie herself was flying around the party, lighting fireworks. “How are you feeling, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy sipped some tea and wrapped her wings around herself. Harmony watched as Discord, staring at her suspiciously, snapped his talons. Fluttershy felt a warmth flow through her. “I’m fine, Twilight, just getting over a flu.” She smiled and gazed at the party. “Pinkie would have loved this party.” “Oh, I’m sure she does,” Twilight said, wrapping a wing around her. “I love you, Fluttershy. Friends don’t tell each other that enough, but I care about you a lot. If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.” Fluttershy held Twilight’s wing, finding comfort in it. Meanwhile, Discord noticed something that terrified him more than anything before. Harmony reached into her robes and pulled out a nearly empty hourglass. At sunset, Maud announced to the crowd, “We are about to begin the closing ceremony. Please make your way to the stage.” Cheese Sandwich and Lil Cheese sang a song with the same message. Before long, all the guests had gathered in front of the stage, where Maud stood before the microphone and began. “OOOOOOHHHH, THIS!” Pinkie shouted excitedly. Harmony and Pinkie were sitting in the section reserved for the not-living guests—at least until Pinkie exclaimed, “I gotta go!” She then dashed behind the curtain with an excited squee. “What an interesting party,” Harmony mused. “Hello, friends and family of my beloved sister Pinkie. We are here to celebrate the life of a pony who filled our lives with joy and laughter. It would be disrespectful to have a sad party for her, so I’m really happy that all of you participated in this unconventional funeral.” Harmony glanced at Fluttershy and Discord once again, but the latter was no longer there, and the former was barely awake. Suddenly, Discord reappeared, and Harmony noticed he seemed less solid than usual. “Is this seat taken?” he asked, pointing to a chair that had appeared next to her. “Help yourself,” she offered, trying to listen as time seemed to slow to a standstill. “How long?” he asked, not looking at her, his voice quieter and more serious than ever before. “Look at you, god of chaos, falling in love with a creation of life. That’s chaotic, I respect that, but with a bearer of harmony? Should I be flattered?” she smiled, glancing at him, though there was a rage simmering beneath his calm demeanour. “You’re serious. Okay, fine—by sunrise, she will be gone. I am sorry.” “Let me save her,” Discord pleaded, his voice filled with desperation and fury. “I will do whatever you want if it means I can save her.” Harmony looked at him, then back at Fluttershy. “Most ponies would be happy with 85 years.” “Fluttershy is not most ponies, and neither am I,” Discord declared. Harmony glanced at Fluttershy again. “No sorry unless….” She shook her head and looked at Pinkie who was in wrapped attention. “Preventing her from getting sick has been effective, but this illness has her beaten, and it’s what’s killing her—that’s why I can’t stop it. Nearly 60 years of perfect health, and she’s dying from this anyway,” he sighed, standing up. He seemed defeated. “I can’t stop you. Trust me, I tried. Just help me.” He left the area of harmonious death and surrounded by the background chaos, time resumed as Maud continued her speech. “So in honour of her final wishes...” The curtain behind Maud opened, revealing Lil Cheese with a fire torch. Pinkie was in the cannon and waved to Harmony as she watched. “We will now shoot her soul into the afterlife,” Lil Cheese announced as they lit the cannon. “I…” Harmony glanced at Pinkie, then at Discord, who was trying his best to ignore her and be interested in this at the same time. She flew over to Pinkie. “I mean, I am curious to see what happens, so...” Her horn glowed, and the flame transformed from a normal fire into a magical rainbow, shifting from one colour to the next. Once the cannon was lit, Pinkie shot into the air, visible only to Harmony, Discord, and Pinkie herself. “There is no way that worked,” Harmony muttered as she flew after Pinkie to see where she ended up. Leaving Equestria, and Equus in general, Harmony found herself on the moon. She observed the barren wasteland, feeling the aura of Luna’s magic. Her influence was immense; this was her domain. However, another now had their influence over the moon. No fewer than a thousand party cannons were placed on the moon, with a pink blur entering various portals and pulling out more and more supplies. The blur stopped in front of her, smiling. “Wow! That was amazing! Hey, so I was shot out of a cannon, right?” “I am aware,” Harmony said in a flat tone, curious about where this was going. “Well,” Pinkie walked with her, explaining as pink blurs surrounded them, decorating the moon with streamers and tables, “I was thinking that a lot of ponies don’t really have parties, or like they won’t, now that I’m gone. I mean, Cheese is older than me and Lil Cheese can only throw one party a day, so a lot of ponies won’t have a chance, especially when they die. What if their funeral is sad?” “They tend to be sad. Yours was an exception.” Pinkie barely paused. “Right, but what if they don’t want to be sad? I could stay here and throw parties.” Pinkie beamed, extremely pleased with her idea. “You want to be the spirit of parties?” Pinkie nodded rapidly. Harmony felt that she was going to regret this and thought to herself, ‘Element of Laughter—of course, she wants ponies to be happy. But why do I have to deal with him? The nature of us, I suppose.’ Pinkie was staring at her. Harmony wasn’t used to ponies noticing her. With an exasperated sigh, she relented. “Very well, but I am going to need help. Please activate all your cannons.” Luna stared at the moon; she stared at it for a while. The two personal guards looked at each other and then at her. The younger batpony took out a coin and mouthed silently, “Heads,” pointing to herself, “Tails,” pointing to the other. It came up tails, so the older guard stepped forward and bowed. “Princess, it really is a beautiful night tonight.” His voice carried authority, but when speaking to Luna, it was full of admiration. “Yes,” she said absent-mindedly, looking through her telescope. She could see nothing, but sensed that something was different. She took a deep breath and then kept watch. “I’ll be fine, back to your post.” With that, he nodded and returned to his post with a shrug. On the moon, behind a veil hidden from the living, a spirit appeared, covered in streamers and icing. “I do hope you don’t think I’ll help you with whatever is going on just because it’s a bit chaotic.” He smiled, admiring the decorations. “HI, DISCORD!” Pinkie hugged Discord. “Ah, Pinkie, my chaotic friend. Have you been annoying her? Causing headaches, being a general nuisance? And please tell me your request was too chaotic for our friend here.” Harmony smiled, “Yes, to all counts.” Discord did a backflip and took Pinkie in a hug, “Well done, Pinkie, well done. I’m so proud of you!” Pinkie spun holding a stack of pizza boxes, going from one side of the moon to the other and back again now with no pizza boxes to speak of. “So, Pinkie,” Discord actively ignored Harmony, facing away from her, “what can Discord, lord of chaos and all things fun, do for you?” “I wanna be a party spirit!” Discord smiled and then frowned. “That would be wonderful, but I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Pinkie frowned. “Aaaawww, why?” “Well, Pinkie,” he snapped his talons and Rarity’s old fainting couch appeared. Discord lay on it as another copy of himself, wearing glasses and holding a clipboard, floated beside him. “It all started a long time ago during a funeral. I asked for a favour and was denied, and while this favour is for my second-favourite pony in the whole…” He looked around suddenly. “My favourite pony to ever be on the moon. I’m afraid that I can’t do anything for Harmony, even as a second-hand thing.” Harmony held out an hourglass with butterflies on it. “I’ll give you 5 years.” “15,” countered Discord. “10.” Discord snatched the hourglass away. “Deal.” Discord started to glow as sand began to fill the nearly empty hourglass. Back in her cottage, Fluttershy felt her fever passing, and the doctor by her side ran some tests for a few hours and wrote a note saying, needs bed rest, will recover. Harmony put the hourglass back under her cloak as Discord started to circle Pinkie. "Party spirit! Party spirit!" Discord chanted, flipping, circling, and examining Pinkie for something no one but himself knew before surrounding her with a curtain. Harmony waited as, behind the curtain, there were sounds of boings, splats, and kabooms, along with custard and cream pies flying everywhere. Feeling a bit sick, Harmony took a few steps back—the level of chaos behind the curtain was too much. But when it finally stopped, Discord emerged, dressed like a painter with a brown afro, paint palette, and brushes. "I present my masterpiece: the spirit of parties. Surprise!" Discord announced. With that, a pony appeared who looked exactly like Pinkie Pie, except with white fur, a golden mane and tail, and a cutie mark that featured entirely pink balloons instead of the usual multicoloured ones. She was also a pegasus—or at least she had wings. Discord bowed. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go. I have a happy tree to paint at home." Without waiting to be thanked, Discord popped out of existence. Harmony and the newly formed spirit, Surprise, looked at each other. "Soooo, party?" Surprise asked. Harmony nodded. "I’ll send any lost souls to you," Harmony replied, bowing before flying away through a portal that appeared and disappeared as she passed through it. Luna sensed a presence on the moon, but all of her magic indicated that nothing was actually happening there. When she finally went to bed after sunrise, she found an invitation on her pillow: Surprise party at your place every night.Luna looked at the photo inside, which showed a picture of the moon with Discord and a pegasus standing on it. Luna checked the moon again and decided that if Discord was going to be chaotic there, she would keep an eye on it—for now, she just needed sleep. Discord lay in Fluttershy’s tree with Fluttershy resting on his tail. “Thank you, Discord,” said a soft voice trying not to wake up the mare. He barely registered Harmony’s presence but put up a barrier just in case. "A deal’s a deal. Go away," he muttered. "Spirits are living beings; I do appreciate you creating one," Harmony remarked. "I didn’t do it for you. I barely did it for Pinkie. Fluttershy is going to be nice and healthy, and I have ten years left to beat you," Discord said, fire burning in his eyes. "Don’t waste your time—use it to be with her." "Get out," Discord snapped. Harmony bowed and vanished, leaving Discord and Fluttershy together, nice and healthy until the end.
Always An AppleOn the night Harmony visited Sweet Apple Acres, it was quiet. Applebloom had finished for the day and was inside making what Applejack thought smelled like a delicious Apple Crumble. Sitting on the porch on the couch, looking over the orchard, Applejack had the sense that something was watching her. Many ponies felt this way when Harmony was near—the feeling that the end was inevitable. A lot panicked, most were sad, and some were content. She looked up and saw a rainbow revealing the shadowed pony just outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Feeling her heart race a little, she nodded to the spot beside her. “Don’t just stand there come on in.” Harmony drifted in and sat next to her as Applejack and Applebloom ate the crumble. After they had finished, Applejack smiled, nuzzled Applebloom, stood up, and left her body behind; Applebloom will later say that it seemed her sister was content at the end. Applejack started to walk through the orchard examining every tree placing her hoof on a tree that still had the old sign now fading that said Rainbows Napping Spot laughing to herself Applejack just walked through to the clubhouse which had 3 new foals telling ghost stories. “Ghosts aren’t really scary, you know? My farm is the most haunted place in Equestria,” Toffee Apple declared. The others looked shocked. “My family made a promise—well, they made two. The first is, ‘Once an Apple, always an Apple.’ And the second is that they’ll always look after the farm and family for as long as it’s here.” The others were very impressed. Applejack watched them and sighed. “Is that true?” she asked, with trepidation and hope. “Does all my family watch over this place?” “It can be. Do you want it to be true?” Harmony asked, and Applejack thought about it for a few minutes. “Only if it was true when they said it. Only if they meant it.” Harmony nodded, then began to walk towards an open field. As she did, her horn began to glow with powerful magic, wings spread out, and the rainbow appeared again. Approximately 15 years before Applejack’s death, after hearing Zapp Apple and Toffee Apple claim that Sweet Apple Acres was the most haunted place in Equestria, Twilight asked to take readings there and run some tests. After promising that nothing she would do would harm any of the ghosts, she took the readings but didn’t find anything. She told them to leave the devices around the farm, and if anything strange happened, she would know. For the first time since then, the machines detected something. As the rainbow grew brighter and larger, Applejack had to cover her eyes. It was so bright that you might mistake it for dawn, even though it was 3 am. The cloak of shadows covering Harmony protected Applejack, surrounding her, and once it was removed from her eyes, she saw clearly for the first time in decades. “Ma? Pa?” She ran towards them, seeming to get younger, transforming from an old mare into a teenager. She nuzzled into her mother’s orange mane, feeling her father’s strong yellow forearm around her. Granny Smith, now looking as if she were in her mid-40s, stood beside Harmony and smiled at them. “I knew I liked you,” she said, jabbing Harmony in the shoulder. “Ya’ good pony.” Harmony just bowed. “Thank you, Granny.” But that wasn’t the last of them; soon, the field was filled with ancestors, going back to the start of the farm—149 in total, by Granny Smith’s calculation. They decided to have an impromptu family reunion. Grandpa Pear, Pear Butter, and Bright Mac chatted while Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Mac brought over cider. With the knowledge of a party happening, Surprise flew around with food and drinks for the ghosts, while some unfortunate foals followed her around. They weren’t Apples, but she had her job to do, and a party on the moon or on the farm is a party all the same. Harmony watched all the ponies party but kept her eyes on the rainbow. Surprise sat beside her and hoofed over some cider. “Hello, Surprise.” “What are you thinking about?” “You’re an Apple too, and so I’m glad you decided to come. But something’s been nagging at me. It’s been bugging me all day.” She levitated the glass to her mouth. “Is it the foals? They’re okay now—two have left already; I think the last one will soon. Oh, or is it the crowded farm? Like, how are they going to deal with so many ponies just sort of gathered around a farm? Oh, or is it because ‘once an Apple, always an Apple,’ and Rainbow Dash isn’t here yet, and the rainbow is right there, and there’s about to be an explosion that will hurt all of them because the Sonic Rainboom has magic that affects spirits?” Harmony calmly sipped her drink, hoofed it back to Surprise, and nodded. “Yep, that one.” In a burst of power and energy, Harmony flew down the hill as fast as possible and landed in the middle of the party, her horn glowing. “Sorry to cut the party short, but could everypony please go back to—” A circle of light surrounded them from a point 30 feet behind them. “That line, quickly, quickly—you’re ghosts; you don’t have joints to worry about.” After everypony scrambled behind the circle to whatever location was most convenient, Applejack stood beside Harmony. “What in tar-nation are you doing?” Not directly answering her question, Harmony asked one of her own. “Applejack, you saw the Sonic Rainboom.” She pointed to the rainbow. “If the Sonic Rainboom started from that point and spread out in a circle, where would you think is the safest place to stand?” Applejack thought for a moment. “Just here, I should think.” After saying that, her eyes fixed themselves on the rainbow. “10, 9, 8, 7...” Applejack held her breath. “6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” BOOM! A giant circle of colour, sound, and force washed over them; they all felt it as a cyan pegasus flew up and over them. After a moment of re-configuring herself, Rainbow Dash landed in the middle of the crater and looked around at all the ponies staring at her. She nervously chuckled and waved. “Ummm, hi—ARG!” She was tackled by the cowpony, who kissed and held her, nuzzling her. “Come on, RD—you’ve got to meet my parents.” Rainbow smiled, got up, brushed herself off, and bowed. “After you.” They walked to the others as the rainbow faded away. No longer needed, Harmony left. A guide was no longer required when everypony was already home.
Diamond LegacyJust after dawn in Manehattan, Sweetie Belle walked through the halls of the Diamonds Shine Foundation. The halls were buzzing with the activity of early morning, coffee-fuelled engineers. Here was a pegasus with a prosthetic wing; there, a unicorn with a newly repaired broken horn. A foal with a prosthetic top to their horn was testing out a new levitation spell with the help of a volunteer. “I’ll never be able to do it,” the foal said, looking downtrodden. “It’s so hard!” Kneeling beside the foal with a comforting smile, the unicorn projected a video of the foal from three months ago. He was struggling to levitate a piece of paper. “See that? You went from a paper to a book in three months. Do you really think in three more months you won’t be able to do more spells? You’ve been doing great, Sunny. Don’t stop now.” The foal smiled and stood, looking at the book like a mountain he would climb, and tried again. As Sweetie Belle continued down the hall to the pegasi, she met up with Scootaloo. Scootaloo flew beside her on a cloud. “Hey Scoots, is that thing ready for a full launch?” Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo nodded. “More or less. We’ve got it so that any pegasus who can at least stand on clouds can control this one and fly around. I mean, it’s not stunt flying, but it should be self-refilling now that we can get the moisture out of the air to rebuild the cloud. I still want to create a way to fly without clouds.” “At that point, you’re inventing a helicopter,” Sweetie pointed out. “Fair. The freedom of flying comes from total control, but this”—she patted the cloud—“is like 80% there.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Well, I’ll call it good enough then. Is Bloom meeting us for the grand opening?” Scootaloo shook her head. “Parasprite infestation at the farm. She sends her well wishes, though, and Sweet Apple Acres is still a sponsor.” “They’re the main sponsor. Diamond Shine would be half the size it is now if it wasn’t for them.” “They also got the Pears to invest.” “A quarter of the size, then. I want everything to go well for Rarity. She said she’d be at the grand opening, and by Celestia, I’m going to make it worthwhile.” “She’s proud of you. I know it.” Sweetie Belle broke her professionalism and hugged Scootaloo after that. “Thanks. Now let’s go check everything is ready for the opening.” As they ran off, they didn’t notice Rarity watching them. Very few ponies noticed her anymore. She was happy, though; Sweetie Belle had gone above and beyond what she had written in her will. After leaving enough money for Sweetie Belle to pay off her house, Rarity had set the rest of her fortune to be used for charity work. Sweetie Belle exceeded even her own expectations. “She’ll be good, won’t she?” Rarity spoke, not looking into the shadows but knowing who was there. “Happy and successful, and above all, generous. This foundation is going to change the lives of so many ponies. I wish I could see it grow.” Rarity laid a hoof on the wall, gazing over the bright lights and new technology being developed. “Ponies with disabilities will get the help they need to do what they want, and that will make others happy and the world... I don’t know, better, I suppose. Is there a better word?” She looked back but didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m glad she took my influence and made it better.” “Not better,” the voice of Harmony was soft but spoke with absolute authority. “A continuation of your work. With your resources, you saved the lives of thousands of ponies.” “Pish posh! I only gave away clothes—ponies don’t even wear clothes much.” “Except in winter, when they need them,” Harmony pointed out. At this, Rarity looked at her for the first time and nodded. “What’s your name?” Rarity asked. “I don’t suppose most ask you that, since they’ve probably given you one.” “All ponies are given a name, and most don’t change it,” Harmony replied. “Fair, but you were given so many. Which one is your favourite?” “Harmony, because of its meaning.” Rarity nodded. “I suppose that’s less scary than ‘The Grim Reaper’ or ‘The Pony’s Shadow.’” Harmony nodded. “Makes you sound scary, but you’re not scary, are you?” “I hope not.” The two of them began to walk through the facility. The arcane technology was far more advanced than Rarity could have imagined as a foal. All of it was part of her sister’s and her friends' plans. “Do you know how long this will last?” “Sweetie Belle will do this for the rest of her life, followed by the ponies she determines to be worthy of being her successor.” “After that?” “That’s too far for me to see.” Rarity nodded. “I see.” “You seem very calm about this whole thing. Most ponies panic.” “Oh, I am freaking out, but it’s more subtle.” There was an eye twitch. “I’ve been following Sweetie Belle around for months, haunting her, watching her, but she hasn’t noticed me, which is very lonely, even if I am proud of her. What took you so long?” “You wanted to see what she would do. It was your deathbed wish for her to make you proud, so I let you see that happen before I came.” “You’re very generous,” Rarity stated, looking at her. “It’s only right after everything you’ve done.” Leaving the facility, Rarity noticed that night had fallen. It was a beautiful night, with stars brighter than she ever remembered, and the moon was—Rarity blinked, shook her head, then blinked again. “Harmony, I don’t know how to say this, but...” “Is the moon covered in cotton candy?” Harmony suggested. “Yes, that.” Rarity just stared at the moon, which was unmistakably covered in cotton candy. Over in Canterlot, Luna was peering through her telescope at the moon. She didn’t have the heightened senses of ponies who had become one with the universe, but ever since Surprise had taken up residence on the moon, she had always received updates from her about the new parties she was throwing for the foals who had died that day, along with assurances that she would clean up afterwards. This was the most surprising update so far. Rarity reached out with her magic and sense. “Laughter? PINKIE—Pinkie is on the moon?” Harmony nodded. “She’s called Surprise now. Even now, you’re thinking about others. I respect that.” Rarity shrugged. “Well, no matter what happens next, I want to know that things here will be fine without me.” “You have impacted so many, and your life will continue to touch countless others even after you’ve gone.” Rarity bowed to the alicorn. “Thank you. I think I’m ready.” Harmony’s horn glowed, and a rainbow appeared, stretching over a hill. They followed it until Rarity vanished to destinations unknown.
Chaotic KindnessFluttershy’s cottage was mostly sunny, with rain pouring over the flowers and a section set to night for the nocturnal animals. Ever since her 95th birthday, Fluttershy hadn’t been able to take care of the animals, so Discord had taken up the responsibility. By her 100th birthday, Fluttershy could only leave the house with Discord’s help. Now, on her 105th birthday, they were celebrating in the garden. Discord reached into the ether and pulled out a pocket watch. “Twilight, could you please put up this spell?” The knowledge of the spell entered Twilight’s mind, making her stumble backwards. “Has anypony ever told you not to put thoughts in their heads?” she asked as she cast the spell. “Probably,” Discord replied, tossing food on the ground for a family of rabbits, who may or may not have been related to Angel Bunny—he’d stopped keeping track of those details. The shield didn’t seem to do anything; it was invisible, several animals walked through it for morning breakfast, walked straight through it. Twilight reached out to check on the spell and got a headache—it was extremely powerful, keeping something out, but Twilight didn’t know what. “Discord, how long did this spell take to invent?” Twilight asked, admiring the magical handiwork. “Long enough. Come on, Twilight, we have a party to attend.” Twilight turned away, unable to see anything that couldn’t get through the barrier. Harmony simply touched the shield and smiled. “Chaos magic through an Element of Harmony? Now that’s clever,” Harmony said, looking at the hourglass with Fluttershy’s cutie mark on it. There was one lone grain of sand left, and so she waited. As far as parties go, this one was interesting. Everypony came to her 100th birthday—even Celestia showed up for that one. But then, Fluttershy just kept living, or rather, kept being kept alive, which is a different thing entirely. This birthday was simple: just Discord, Fluttershy, Twilight, and seven animals, with as much enthusiasm as you’d expect. Sitting by the window, Fluttershy looked across the garden, her eyes focused on a distant spot. “Hello, Fluttershy, happy birthday.” Fluttershy smiled and hugged Twilight. “Thank you for coming, Twilight. Would you like some tea?” Twilight poured them both a cup and took a sip, while Fluttershy just looked at hers. “What’s wrong, Fluttershy? How was the doctor’s appointment?” Fluttershy looked at Twilight, her usual smile slipping away. “Perfectly healthy for my age, at least. I don’t think I’ve ever been ill since moving in with Discord.” Twilight took a moment and decided that positivity was probably the best course of action. “That’s good news.” Fluttershy nodded and took a sip of her tea. “What’s on your mind?” “I’ve been dating Discord for 70 years now—more or less—and…” She paused, reaching into a bag beside her that held her emergency supplies. “In that time, I’ve been healthy, but do you remember that disease that was supposed to kill me? That flu, I think it was.” Twilight nodded. “I think it did kill me. Ever since then, I’ve nearly died 35 times, but something strange always happened to stop it.” She hoofed Twilight a book on chaos theory in magic. “Do you know what Quantum Immortality is?” Twilight shook her head. “It means that if there’s a way for me to survive, I will—in some timeline.” “Fluttershy, that’s just a hypothesis. It doesn’t mean—” “I think Discord is causing me to survive by changing my timeline.” Twilight started to speak rapidly, trying to explain how things like this couldn’t happen. “I feel empty, Twilight, like I just exist. And then I saw…” Fluttershy gestured to a space in the field that Twilight couldn’t quite focus on. “Fluttershy, I…” “I love my life, Twilight. I love Discord, and I love you. But I think you should lower the shield.” Twilight realised the implications and hugged Fluttershy tightly. “I love you, Fluttershy. If you d…” Twilight’s words caught in her throat. “I’ll be alone. What do I do then?” “Be kind, teach, and move on with life. Also, help Discord be sad—I don’t think he knows how to.” Twilight lowered the shield. “NO!” Discord’s scream echoed from Fluttershy’s cottage through Ponyville and beyond. It was a visceral, sorrowful cry that only those with a broken heart can make. As Fluttershy fell from Twilight, she stood next to the pony she had been watching all night. Even though the shield was lowered, Harmony had not moved from her spot, watching the house. Fluttershy drifted from the house to float next to Harmony. “Hello, Fluttershy, I…” They were interrupted by a loud burst of magic that blasted the front of the cottage off. Discord flew to where Fluttershy and Harmony were, followed by Twilight, who was chasing him through the garden. Suddenly, he was knocked back by a force he couldn’t see. “Are you kidding me!?” Discord touched the shield around Fluttershy and began to bang on it. Fluttershy flew to the other side of the shield and sat down. “Fluttershy, I’m sorry.” She didn’t say anything. “I only wanted you to be happy, to be healthy, to live forever like Twilight and Sunbutt. I… were you really so miserable that you wanted to die?” Fluttershy shook her head. “I didn’t want to die. I have had a great life with you, but I simply knew I must.” Discord sniffed, reached out, and grabbed something that looked suspiciously like Celestia’s mane, blew his nose on it, and then dismissed it just as quickly. “Why didn’t you let me say goodbye?” “You couldn’t. You wouldn’t. You’d keep fighting. Besides, you can say goodbye now.” “Goodbye, Fluttershy. I will never see you again, so I’ll miss you, and I’ll carry on missing you for as long as this universe has chaos.” Fluttershy blushed and flew over to hug Discord. They hugged for a long time, neither of them noticing Twilight staring at them with a notepad, idly taking notes. “You could stay, you know? The Apple family does it—they’re all at the farm. You could visit, and…” Fluttershy waited for Discord to finish and kissed his muzzle. “Do you think that would make you happy?” Discord was about to answer straight away, but a glow from Harmony’s magic as the Element of Honesty activated made him pause. He thought about being with Fluttershy, how much he’d already sacrificed to keep her alive, how manipulating chaos to be orderly was hurting him, and finally, if it was worth the sacrifice. “Yes, it is worth it, and it would make me happy.” “What about me? How do you think I’d feel over time?” This took Discord a lot longer—thinking about the illnesses, the pain, her friends dying, and knowing that the only thing keeping her alive was the chaos of the universe. “I suppose not.” Fluttershy nodded. “You do favours, don’t you?” He looked to Harmony again, who was just watching. “Can you think of anything?” “I do favours for the Elements, but as I recall, I gave you 10 years, and you planned to make it longer. That shield was designed to keep me out, and it worked, but you do not understand me.” Harmony gathered the power from the Elements and showed herself to Discord, Fluttershy, and Twilight in her full form—a light brighter than the sun, impossible to look at directly. “I AM THE GUIDE OF THE DEAD. I HEAL THE SOULS AS THE BODIES WITHER. AND ABOVE ALL, I AM NOT DEATH.” Discord and Twilight blinked, looked at each other, and blinked again. “If Fluttershy had died while the shield was up, it would have damaged her soul. Never use it again, Twilight.” Twilight simply nodded. “Thank you,” Twilight said. “For helping my friends, and goodbye, Fluttershy. I’ll miss you.” “I’ll miss you too,” Fluttershy said as she flew, following the rainbow, Harmony close behind until finally, Fluttershy was gone, and Harmony was alone.
Twilight's Final ChoiceIt was a lonely night in Canterlot, a lonely week in Equestria, and a lonely world in Equas. As far as Twilight could tell from the lack of responses to the many thousands of messages she had sent through space, using all the power she had gained over the years, it was a lonely universe. Discord was busy creating new galaxies just to fuel his magic, but without the spark of life, nothing would come of it. Still, he tried, and Twilight tried as well. After all this time—after millions of years of being the last two living beings they knew of in the universe—they still tried. Twilight Sparkle Experiment Log L̅MM Based on discussions with Discord, I hypothesise that since life is inherently chaotic, death may represent a form of harmony. Therefore, the Elements of Harmony, which embody balance and order, should theoretically bring about death. It is important to clarify that I have no desire to die; however, the universe is already devoid of life, and Discord's attempts to restore it have proven futile. I believe there is no alternative left but to test this theory by using the Elements of Harmony. Twilight placed the elements of Harmony in a machine crafted from gold taking up the majority of her regrown tree laboratory. The Elements of Harmony require a living power source to channel their magic. Historically, the Bearers and the Tree of Harmony served this purpose, and now, my new laboratory will fulfil that role. Growing my new oak tree lab in this isolated environment took 250 years, a painstakingly slow process, but a necessary one. While it was growing, I dedicated myself to gathering as much gold as possible, crafting several magical conductors. Gold, known for its excellent conductivity of both electricity and magic, has proven ideal for this purpose. Hypothesis: This is why storage units, whether magical or technological, have always been constructed using gold, regardless of their form. Its properties make it the most efficient vessel for energy storage and transmission, whether for ancient spells or modern constructs. With the conductors in place, I am now prepared to attempt drawing power directly from the Tree to fuel the Elements, though I am still wary of the outcome. Twilight levitated the Elements one by one into their respective slots on the wall. Magic went in the top slot on the second row, followed by Honesty and Loyalty, then Generosity and Kindness, and finally, Laughter at the bottom. Twilight’s magic glowed as the machine amplified the spell, making it shine as brightly as the sun. Meanwhile, four galaxies over, under the watchful gaze of Harmony, Discord was playing with hydrogen atoms. “Do you think that will work?” Harmony asked curiously, leaning on a ball of gas that Discord was hoping to turn into a star. “Well, it’s really quite simple,” Discord replied. “You are currently lying on a gargantuan cloud of hydrogen.” He added the last atom for emphasis. Flying around with a net, he collected a lot of dust. “Sprinkle in some dust for flavour,” Discord said, tossing the dust into the gas cloud which also accidentally on purpose hit her in the face. “And give it a good squeeze with gravity until it starts to collapse!” Harmony flew out of the way as Discord placed both paw and talon on each side of the ball of gas and dust, squeezing it until the gravity was so high that it collapsed. “Then, as the core heats up, wait for the gas to ignite in a fabulous fusion frenzy, and voilà! You’ve got yourself a shining, radiant ball of chaotic fusion lighting up the cosmos! You know, in a few million years or so. I wasn’t really paying attention.” Discord picked up the new star, bouncing it on his feet until he heard the distinct sound of teleportation. “Rude!” Discord exclaimed. He faced a group of potential planets, kicked the new sun among them to start orbiting, and, just to make sure Twilight knew he was doing his job properly, found an ice-filled asteroid and flicked it in the general direction of the new solar system. “I still got it,” he said with a grin. After the flash, Twilight broke the spell and was immediately hit with a massive headache. “OOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW OW OW OW OW OH CELESTIA THAT’S OOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!” After taking several deep breaths, she cast a spell to remove the pain and performed several diagnostic spells to check for any permanent damage. It appeared that she was perfectly healthy and alive. Rubbing the base of her horn, she still felt like she had a headache. “I would suggest getting some water,” said a voice. Twilight nodded, then realised that something had spoken to her. Her eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. “A PONY!” Twilight ran over to her. “A living, breathing, actual, proper, living, honest-to-the-universe pony! PERFECT! It worked... kind of.” Then Twilight passed out. “Hmmmm,” Harmony said, picking up Twilight and laying her on a hammock set up in the lab. There was a tapping on the window. Looking over, Discord was angrily inspecting the Elements. Harmony removed them, at which point Discord teleported into the tree. “I hope you understand that you disappeared right before I formed a world that will have life on it… probably.” “I’m sorry, Discord. I got called away.” “Twilight isn’t even dead, though.” He poked the sleeping alicorn with her own horn to check. “See?” He placed the horn back. “I know, but she called me anyway. I wonder why.” “A lonely alicorn who has spent 1000 years alone— that messes with anypony. At least Luna was asleep at the time.” They decided it would be pointless to try to solve the mystery before Twilight woke up. When Twilight woke up, she gazed at the stars for a while, meditating and reconnecting with the magic around her. It was still the same night, which was good—she hadn't been unconscious for too long. Her thoughts turned to her friends. Over the years, she had made thousands of close friends, but it was her first ones that came to mind. It was as if she could still feel them. Breathing deeply, her mind sharpened, and then all the memories hit her at once. Checklist for Memory Organisation: New pony Same night I lower the moon and raise the sun Check how long this night has lasted Panic “OMC 110 HOURS I WAS ASLEEP FOR NEARLY 5 DAYS NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAMN IT” ~~Panic~~ Raise the Sun Discord and Harmony were rearranging the clouds above Manehatton when they saw the sunrise. “I think she’s awake,” Harmony observed. “No kidding.” Discord rolled his eyes out of his head and back in. “Do you think she’s having a panic attack?” he asked, sipping from a chocolate cloud through a straw about ten feet long. “Maybe.” Harmony watched the sunrise settle. “She might want to talk to me, and I do have my offer for her.” “Are you going to kill her?” Discord feigned surprise. “That’s so kind of you.” The sarcasm in his voice was so poorly suppressed that it was entirely pointless. He leaned over to a pink butterfly on a tree. “You know, I always said, Buttershy, if you want a pony to die, she’s the goddess for the job.” “No, I don’t kill anyone. Once they die, they can’t be forced to stay.” Harmony’s tone barely hid her annoyance, but since it was just the two of them, she didn’t bother trying harder. “It’s been half a billion years—you’ll never let it go!” she huffed, then teleported away. “NEVER!” Discord shouted after her. A butterfly then landed on him, and he sighed. “Come on, Buttershy, we’ve got a solar system to make.” He teleported back to his new sun. Back in the lab, Twilight paced up and down, thinking, pausing, listening, shaking her head, and then thinking again. “Okay, Twilight, this is something worth studying and a result. They’re gone, which is not helpful, but there was a pony there. Right?” She paused and looked around, scanning for magic and getting a ping of a magic signature different from hers, but not chaotic like Discord’s. “Discord has been away too long. What has he been doing?” There was a distinct sound of teleportation behind her. “Where have you been? We had a result, but now they’re gone.” Twilight didn’t bother looking; she just flew to the shelves to call for the books in her library. ‘Old’ was a moot point, since it had been 10,000 years since a book had been written. The preservation magic over the books, created and maintained by the librarian, meant they stayed readable, but they still felt, looked, and smelled old. One of the last books ever printed was The Elements of Harmony: A Scholarly Exploration by Twilight Sparkle. The publisher was more than happy to produce it for her, though it never went into mass print. Twilight read aloud: “The Elements of Harmony were not created by Celestia and Luna.” She skipped ahead. “They were created by a magical force known as Harmony.” Skipping further, she continued: “HERE, a recent hypothesis following the death of Princess Cadence is that once the concept dies, the Alicorn who represents that concept also dies.” She took a moment to remember Cadence. “That must mean that this new pony is an Alicorn who represents Harmony. Luna and Celestia were linked to the sun and moon, but they died when the last pony died, and Luna lost her power over dreams. Celestia was so linked to Luna that she, too, perished. That must mean this pony represents death, or Harmony. Life is chaos; death is harmony. That makes sense, right?” “It does make sense, and you’re about 60% of the way there,” said a voice, very different from Discord’s. Facing the new Alicorn, Twilight’s eyes widened. To her credit, Twilight’s internal freakout only manifested as an eye twitch and a racing heartbeat. “W-what am I missing?” she asked. “Your assumption is that they are dead. They’re not. Alicorns can’t die because their concept will always exist somewhere. Cadence, for example, is now a spirit of love named Cupid, and she will return once there is romance in this universe again. Celestia and Luna have become spirits, balancing each other. Luna is the spirit of darkness, passivity, femininity, intuition, cold, and receptiveness, while Celestia is the spirit of light, activity, masculinity, logic, warmth, and assertiveness.” Harmony drew a simple representation of Celestia and Luna as two symbols, white and black, seeming to follow each other in a circle. “You, on the other hoof, represent friendship, and unlike the others, this universe still has friendship, so you are still active. You won’t become a spirit unless you lose your friendship.” Twilight took this all in, taking a deep breath in and out before nodding. “So, spirits aren’t dead?” “No, the body dies, but unlike ghosts, which are linked to a place and memory, spirits still affect the world and will continue to influence the universe for as long as there is life.” “There is no life. Not here, not anymore,” Twilight pointed out. “Not sapient life, not anymore, not here, and not yet. So, these concepts are dormant for now, until new creatures create, need, and above all, crave them. All will be created again in a few billion years, but you are still here. Friendship never died because, through your power, you became friends with Discord. I admire that. So, I have a proposal for you. You can wait for new life and guide them in friendship as a spirit—Discord can turn you into one quite easily—or you can do something more interesting.” Harmony shot a spell into the space just behind Twilight. The gap it created made Twilight feel sick. It was impossible to look at directly—like darkness, but worse—just nothingness, a void. “This universe was created by chaos. By its nature, it does not care about the concepts your mentor represented; only the sapient life in the universe cares. You, on the other hoof, have a chance to create another universe, one in which friendship is its core. Every living creature will know friendship. You can shape it in the image of your will, and you can make it a utopia for all the creatures living in it.” "A universe built on friendship? Is that possible?" Twilight stared into the void, imagining its potential. "Maybe, or it might be a complete failure. It's impossible to know for sure, but I know one thing." Harmony stepped beside her and wrapped a wing around Twilight. For the first time in millennia, Twilight felt like a foal – a new student next to Celestia. "I’ll be with you, now and forever," Twilight took a deep breath and thought for a few moments. I either go to wherever my friends are, which might not even be a real place, or I spend billions of years with just me and Harmony, hoping that I can create creatures who are happy. A leap of faith either way. Twilight took a deep breath and flew into the void. A purple spark started a universe filled with potential, while Discord began to build his own. Whatever form it would take, he raised a glass of chocolate milk to the setting sun. "Good luck, Princess. Let’s see what happens next." Author's Note This is the end of my first fan fic I hope you like it. I had this idea for a while needed to get it out.
