Unity at Dusk

Chapters

Prelude to Chaos
The Pain of Chocolate Rain
Path through Everfree
In The Flesh
Witness to Harmony
Memories
Dark Side
Chaos and Doom
Night Fight
Fixing the Broken
Piecing It Together
Final Leg
Dusk Rises
Magic Returns
Back Together
Let Battles Begin!
Positive Reinforcement
Fight On!
Take It Back!
Return of Harmony
Unity Destiny
Celebrations and Isolation
A Prophecy Fulfilled
Brought to Light
Chasing a Rainbow

Prelude to Chaos

There was nothing. No light, no time, no up, no down. Just the cold, dark and harsh stone that encased his body, that had kept him imprisoned for over a thousand years. He didn't think that he would ever escape his stony prison… and he was really quite bored after being stuck for so long. He just wanted to have a little fun.

Then he felt something. A small surge of chaotic energy shoot through his body, so small he almost missed it. It was tiny, but he knew it would be enough. He twitched his body, felt a small section of stone crack. Letting out a chuckle at this small victory, he moved once more, his lion's arm freeing itself this time. Now to see if his powers hadn't worn down after all these years. With a snap of his fingers, he turned the remaining stone into custard, shaking the yellow substance off of his serpentine body and letting out a triumphant bellow of laughter. At last, he was free! After all of these years.

Discord let out another cackle. "Oh, it's good to be back!" He gave his neck a small crack. "Hm, a thousand years encased in stone really isn't good for the muscles. Time to stretch my legs a bit!"

He snapped his fingers once more, summoning a treadmill and running on it upside down. As he did, he created a mirror and looked himself over. Still that handsome pony head, sharp horns, fine wings and fierce claws. Yep, he was all here and ready to wreak some wonderful chaos.

"Now, what have I missed after all of these years." He saw a pony walking by, a royal guard. Before the guard even knew what happened, Discord touched his head and tapped into his mind. With powers only he had access to, he learned all that had happened in the millennia he'd been gone in an instant. "Good lord, I'd forgotten how boring harmony is."

He left the guard where he stood, where he threw off his armour and began to dance the can-can. He had to let the good people he'd come back somehow. He was a little dismayed that one of his few remaining servants, the Paraserpent, had been destroyed by Celestia. Oh well, he could always make more of them later.

One piece of information that he'd learned gave him pause for thought. The Elements of Harmony were no longer connected to dear Celestia and her little sister anymore, but to a group of six mares. They'd even re-discovered the element of Magic. How very interesting, new things to play with! He'd need to learn more about them that would make things even more fun. But they still hadn't found it yet. Even better…

Already a plan was forming in his cunning mind. The first step was to take the Elements of Harmony and hide them away someplace. It had been too long since he'd indulged in one of his favourite games. Then, he would need to separate them and work his magic. This was going to be an absolute joy.

"Right," he said to himself, "time to have some fun, time to play, time to take these Elements and hide them away. Soon I'll be back on my throne and there I shall stay, oh happy and glorious day!" He gave a wide beam to nopony in particular. "I'm in a rhyming mood right now, now for this thespian of chaos to take a bow." He did so and vanished in a flash of light, off to spread chaos once more.

Yes, thought Discord, it was good to be back.

Though she usually rested during the day, something awoke Princess Luna from her sleep, something that made her sit up in her bed and gasp. It was brief, a surge in magical energy, in the world, one that she hadn't felt for a very long time. But it was there, she'd felt it. She knew what had happened, before she even needed to check.

Discord was free, after all of these years.

She rose from her mattress and began to pace worriedly around her room. So, the prophecy was coming to pass, just as Fore Sight predicted, just as she had feared. No doubt her sister had felt it too. Soon, she would call the Wielders to use the Elements once more, but she knew it wasn't going to be that easy this time. There would be hardships to come, terrible deeds and magic, but they would have to make through this. And she knew how.

She ceased pacing, crossing over to a box that she kept by her bed. Opening it, she unrolled the scroll that she had taken from the Archive of Prophecy. Her eyes travelled over the page once more, taking in the words she'd read a dozen times over. There might be a chance Tia would believe her now that this had happened, but it wasn't likely. Besides, after what she had done as Nightmare Moon, she felt this was her chance to pay something back to her home.

She heard hoofsteps approaching and quickly stowed the scroll away, just as her sister entered the room. She faced her, both of them sharing a look of grim knowing.

"You felt it?" she asked.

"I did, and you?"

"Yes." She sighed. "I had a feeling that perhaps the magic we cast would wear off now that the Elements have moved on but… I was always hoping it would hold him."

"Clearly, it hasn't," pointed out Luna. "So, what course of action shall we take?"

"The same as we did last time. You know as well as I do the Elements are the only things that can stop Discord."

"You think that Twilight Sparkle and her friends are ready to stand against him?"

"They will have to be, you know full well we are powerless compared to him," Celestia reminded her.

Luna then asked the question they were both thinking. "What of Dusk?"

"He isn't one of the Elements, the best he can do is stay out of the way and try not to get hurt," she answered immediately.

"There may be a way that he can help."

"Luna," she said warningly, but the Princess of the Night pressed on.

"Don't try to deny it Tia, you know full well what's happening here is as detailed in the prophecy and you know what it means. Why do you still deny-?"

"Luna!" She recoiled from her sister's commanding tone. "We have had this discussion before. The Elements were sufficient last time, they will be this time. I admit you were right on this count, but how can the rest of it possibly be true?"

"He was right all of the other times, why not this time?"

"His mental state, that was why. You know how Discord tormented Fore Sight into madness; he became convinced of its existence. But he never found it, nopony will because it doesn't exist and it never has." She turned to leave. "I must summon Twilight and her friends. You will see that we don't need it, even if it were to exist."

Luna was fuming as Celestia left to write her letter. She may be her big sister, but she could be so infuriating at times. She still refused to believe what she did because she was scared that they might not have enough to stop Discord. But she knew better and she knew it was true. She would have her own part to play in this, as would the stallion unicorn she considered as her friend, though he was her subject.

"Your time has come, Dusk Noir," she murmured. "It is time to unite."

The Pain of Chocolate Rain

Enjoying his day-off from working in the library, Dusk Noir was lying on his couch, reading through one of his favourite Daring Do books. It was Sunday and he always had Sundays off. His mane was in its usual half-scruffy, half-neat style, his hat resting on a hat stand near the door, his good-luck charm around his neck, the different colour stones glinting in the light. His pet owl, Ophelia, was out hunting, so he was alone in the house. He was perfectly content to remain there, though he would be happy to meet up with the girls later, especially Twilight.

He sighed happily as he thought of her. Ever since they'd shared their dance at the Gala, he and Twilight had become even closer as a result. Nothing too big, but it was noticeable. They passed compliments to each other easily, though still with blushes coming to their faces. Neither minded too much when one was in close vicinity to the other, though they never lingered on that too long. Rarity had told him their relationship was now at the tipping point, that it wouldn't be much longer. Dusk hoped that she was right; he didn't want his efforts to be for nothing…

He had just turned the next page when his pet returned, flying above his head and hooting frantically. He watched her flapping above him, knowing full well that something was wrong and she was trying to tell him something.

"Ophelia, calm down," he ordered, gently but firmly. She did so and came to a rest on the arm of his couch. "Now, is there something wrong?" She nodded rapidly. "What exactly?" She shrugged, unable to tell him. "Okay… can you take me to… whatever's going on?" Another nod. "All right, let's go then."

Levitating his hat onto his head, he let her fly ahead of him as she took off and lead him to the disturbance, galloping as fast as he could, soon developing a stitch in his side. He didn't know exactly what he would find, but he knew it couldn't be anything good if Ophelia was panicking like this. He stopped to catch his breath when they reached Sweet Apple Acres, his owl coming to land on a nearby tree. When he looked up, he saw… well… he wasn't quite sure.

He could see the girls, along with Spike, in one of the cornfields but that was the only thing normal about this scene. The fields were littered with piles of popcorn, the stalks devoid of any corn whatsoever. Apples on the trees had swelled to three times their normal size, causing the trees to bend over sideways. Tied to a fence was a pink fluffy mass that was being devoured by animals, the rabbits legs far longer than was natural. What was going on…?

Suddenly, cold wave of fear rose in the pit of his stomach. This whole picture was a scene of chaos and madness, which meant… no, it couldn't be, it just couldn't… but all the signs pointed to… that pink mass, he had to make sure, hoping to high heaven he was wrong.

"Oh there you are Dusk! We were having some trouble, but no worries. We managed to stop it by working togth- Hey, what's the rush?" He barely acknowledged Twilight as he sprinted past her and reached the animal gathering.

Halting before it, he pushed a few out of his way, dipped his hoof in the mass and tasted it. Cotton candy, with an aftertaste of chocolate. These were clouds, they had been in the sky, raining chocolate… that fear was now spreading through his whole body. It was true… he was back…

"Dusk, you okay?" He whipped around to see the girls looking at him with concern. "Ya look as white as a sheet sugarcube."

Dusk stared at them for a few moments. "No, I'm not okay. I'm very much not okay. In fact, to be quite frank… I'm absolutely terrified."

"Oh come on, it's just cotton candy!" said Pinkie. "I mean, I'm a little scared that all the animals will eat before I can, but I'm not that scared. I'll share some with you if you like."

"No, no it's not that." He turned his gaze to each of them in turn, particularly Applejack, Fluttershy. Pinkie and Rainbow. "Don't you realise what all of this means? Remember what I told you back at the Canterlot Magic Contest?"

"That um… you were nervous about performing on stage?" ventured Fluttershy.

"Apart from that."

"Well, what else-?" Rainbow stopped and thought for a moment. "Wait a sec, when you mentioned that guy Discord, you said this was one of the things he did, chocolate rain and stuff. Are you saying that… that…" Even she seemed too afraid to continue.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. If I'm right and for once I sincerely hope I'm not, then the spirit of disharmony is free from his stone entombment. Girls, Discord is free!" Even saying that sent a shiver down his spine.

"But how is that possible?" Twilight asked. "I thought you told me that he could never break out."

"I can't explain it. Maybe the magic that contains him has worn off after all of these years, maybe somepony set him free for some reason, I don't know and I can't explain. What I do know is that only he has the power to do anything like this and that this is only the start of it."

"The start of what?" asked Rarity.

Dusk could still feel the fear grip him, as he said one word: "Chaos."

They all were struck silent by that, except for Pinkie, who was giggling and edging her way to where the animals were feasting. Suddenly, Spike belched up a green flame and a letter materialised before them. Twilight unfolded it and read it quickly.

"Come on girls. Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately!" she ordered.

"Great, that means she wants to take action against him." He started to run off, but Twilight stopped him.

"You need to stay here," she said firmly.

That was something of a blow for Dusk. "What? But… why can't I come with you?"

She grimaced sympathetically. "Dusk, I hate to say this, but you're not an Element of Harmony. From what you've told me, they were the only things powerful enough to stop Discord and we're the only ones who can use them." She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "It's not that I don't want you coming with us but… I just don't want you to get hurt, in case Discord comes after you."

Dusk turned his eyes to the floor. He didn't like this, just leaving them to go and fight while he just stood and watched. It made him feel so useless, that he wouldn't be able to help at all, especially after he had helped to rescue them from the Paraserpent, despite all of his own doubts. But Twilight was right: the Paraserpent was nothing compared to Discord and Discord liked nothing more than tormenting and tricking ponies. They'd have the Elements, but he had no defense against him and would be pretty much useless in a fight. He didn't like it, but he understood.

"Okay… I'll hold the fort with Spike," he promised. "I knew I wouldn't be much use if something like this ever happened anyway…"

"Sorry Dusk," Rainbow consoled. "But don't worry, I'll tell you all about how we kicked Discord's butt when we get back."

"I'll hold you to that," he chuckled. Since he wasn't coming with them, he could at least try and prepare them. "Don't underestimate him; he's far more powerful than anything you've ever encountered before. He's cunning and deceitful, so watch your backs. Just… be careful and come back safe."

"Have no fear Dusk," Rarity assured. "We shall trounce this fiend with the Elements and all be back home in time for tea."

"Right you are." He stood back. "Now go, quickly. The longer we wait, the more powerful he becomes."

"Come on girls!" They all galloped away, Twilight stopping to give him one last smile before running to the head of the group to the train station.

Still feeling completely awful as he watched them go, Dusk sighed and tore his gaze away. It was out of his hooves now and it was all up to them. If they could stop Nightmare Moon, they could stop Discord… he hoped.

"Well, nothing much for us to do here," Spike piped up. "Come on bro, let's get back to the library. We might as well hang around there."

"Right," he said absently, then to himself, "And to think, today was my day off…"

Twilight still felt twinges of regret for not letting Dusk come with them. He had looked so disappointed at not being able to help them that she was almost tempted to let him come anyway. She also felt little fear that he wasn't here, that without his added knowledge and intelligence to her own, they were incomplete to fight Discord. But she quashed it. They'd beaten Nightmare Moon without him, this was no different. But things had changed a lot since then…

She shook her head, telling herself mentally to get a grip, as she galloped to Canterlot Tower, her friends in tow. She had to stay in control for this. They saw the Princess waiting at the top of the stairs, an expression of dismay on her face.

"Princess Celestia, we came as fast as we could," she said, as they halted.

The Princess nodded. "Thank you, Twilight. Thank you all."

"We know why this is happening Princess, the animal's weird behaviour and the rain," Twilight followed up. "Discord's free, isn't he?"

Another nod. "You remembered from Dusk's performance. That means we can get down to business quickly. Follow me."

They did as she commanded, as she led them up the stairs into the marble halls of Canterlot Tower, decorated with flowers and the royal colours of gold and purple. Coloured light streamed in through stained glass windows, that depicted Discord, his rule of Equestria, the Princess's defeat of him… the Order Uprising, Dusk had called it… not for the first time, she wished he was here, but quickly suppressed it.

She couldn't recall another time she'd seen her mentor so agitated. She hid it well beneath a visage of cold calmness, but Twilight could see it. The fear in her eyes, the way that she moved quickly. It made her feel a little scared as well, to see her like this…

"We were told that the magic of the Elements would keep him imprisoned forever," she added, as they neared a large, jewel-encrusted door.

"I thought so too," agreed Celestia, "but since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken."

"No longer connected?" The Princess didn't elaborate further, as she halted before the door.

"This is Canterlot Tower," she explained, more for the benefit of the others than herself, "where the Elements are kept inside since all of you recovered them. I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord before he thrusts all of Equestria into eternal chaos."

Twilight asked the question that had just come to mind. "But why us? Why don't you-"

"Hey, look! We're famous!" She looked at where Pinkie indicated to a window, which depicted the six of them unleashing the Elements upon Nightmare Moon. How long had that been there? She made a mental note to ask Dusk when she got back.

"You six showed the full potential of the elements by harnessing the magic of your friendship to beat a mighty foe. Although Luna and I once wielded the elements, it is you who now control their power, and it is you who must defeat Discord."

Twilight had suspected this already, but she felt a little better to hear the determination in her voice. "Princess Celestia, you can count on–"

Pinkie cut her off again. "Hold on a second! Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys. Chocolate rain!" Nopony said anything in response to this.

"Don't listen to her, Princess," she dismissed. " We'd be honoured to use the Elements of Harmony again."

Celestia bestowed a smile, and then turned to the door. Twilight watched as she inserted her horn into a hole in the centre of the door, a magical blue light spreading out through the grooves of the door to light up the gems that decorated the door and opening to reveal a purple box inside, also covered in jewels.

Rarity's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Ooh. You can keep the Elements. I'll take that case!"

"Have no fear, ponies. I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord with these!" She levitated the box and opened it to reveal…

The Princess gasped and dropped the case with an echoing bang. There was nothing. The box was empty. The Elements of Harmony were gone. Twilight stared at it in utter disbelief, they all did. There was a deathly silence, until…

"Oh, well. If anyone needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant swizzle straw." Twilight was snapped out of her reverie and dragged Pinkie back with magic before she could wander off. "Aw."

The Princess was even more worried now. "That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only I or Luna can break! This doesn't make sense!"

No sooner had she said this, a deep, mocking laughter echoed throughout the hall that made Twilight's skin crawl. The voice that spoke seemed to slither its way into her ear like a snake. "Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?"

"Discord..." whispered Celestia fearfully, then in a louder voice commanded, "Show yourself!"

Twilight's eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of him as his fiendish chuckles echoed once more. Her eyes sought out one of the windows that depicted Discord playing with ponies like puppets. All of a sudden, the Discord started to move.

"Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you." Smiling sinisterly, he hovered over to the window next to it, resting on Fluttershy's head. "It's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone." He rapped Fluttershy with his fist to make this point.

"Enough!" she commanded again. "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?"

"Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while." He snapped his fingers and the Elements in the window vanished in a flash of light. Twilight had never seen magic like this before, but she controlled her fear and stared defiantly at him.

The Princess stomped her hoof. "You'll never get away with this, Discord!"

The spirit of chaos was idly examining his claws, as if they were vastly more interesting than her. "Oh, I'd forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite boring."

"Hey! Nopony insults the Princess!" Rainbow charged at the window that depicted him, but he vanished and she crashed into it. When he reappeared, he was much larger.

"Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent."

"That's right! I'll always be loyal to the Princess!" she declared proudly.

He vanished once more. "We'll see about that," he said in a way that made her stomach clench.

"I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window," Rarity remarked, as Discord appeared in the window behind her.

"The beautiful Rarity, representing the Element of Generosity, if I'm not mistaken?"

"So ya know who we are, big deal," Applejack dismissed defiantly.

He grew larger again, towering over them in the window. "Oh, I know much more than that, honest Applejack."

"You seem to know our strengths, too," stated Twilight.

She felt cold as his uneven eyes beheld her, like there was nothing she could hide from him. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle, and yours is the most powerful and elusive element, Magic. Fluttershy's is Kindness and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favourite of mine - Laughter."

Twilight could here Pinkie sniggering behind her as Discord chuckled and danced on her head in the window. "Pinkie!"

Discord did a spin and stopped, casting his eyes around the room. "Oh, but where's the strong male figure, the non-entity of your little group? What was his name, Trust or… Dust or something like that?"

Twilight spoke up again, feeling riled by this. "Dusk has nothing to do with this!"

"Oh yes Dusk, that's his name! Dusk Noir, with his head full of useless facts and whirling thoughts." He slapped his hand against his head and laughed. "Really, I don't see why you even have him around, apart from being arm candy."

"Dusk may not be an Element of Harmony, but he's still important to m- to us," defended Twilight, quickly covering her mistake and feeling her cheeks go red.

Discord's eyes fixed on her like laser beams. "Oh really Twilight Sparkle? Then why isn't he here?"

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again when she realised she couldn't answer Discord's question, not without revealing herself or provoking Discord to go after her friend. More than anything, she wanted him to be safe in all of this. The spirit of chaos gave her a contemptuous smile as she diverted her gaze.

"Stop stalling, Discord!" ordered Celestia. "What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?

He sighed exasperatedly. "Oh, so boring, Celestia. Really? Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way." As he spoke his riddle, he travelled around the windows in the hall, his eyes never leaving them once, the image freezing in its proper place when he'd done.

To retrieve your missing elements,
Just make sense of this change of events.
Twists and turns are my master plan.
Then find the elements back where you began.
But even if you find the Elements, you see,
It'll take more than them this time to stop me.

Discord's laughter echoed around the hall as his riddle finished, Fluttershy approaching timidly behind her. "Can we go home now?"

"What do ya reckon he meant? Twists an' turns an' endin' back where we started?"

"Twists and turns... twists and turns..." Thinking hard, Twilight moved around the room, crossing to one of the windows, where she could see a high hedge maze outside. Then, it hit her. "Twists and turns! That's it! I bet Discord hid the elements in the palace labyrinth!"

Celestia touched each of her shoulders with her horn, like she was knighting her. "Good luck, my little ponies. The fate of Equestria is in your hooves."

"Thanks, Princess. We won't let you down." As she and the others galloped off to find the Elements, Twilight couldn't help but wonder if Dusk would have come to the same conclusion she did if he was here… she hoped he was okay.

"You okay sugarcube?" Applejack asked as they ran.

"Oh um..." She couldn't answer and diverted her eyes away, even as Applejack smiled.

"Don't ya worry, he'll be fine. Why would Discord go after him if he ain't an Element?"

Twilight conceded to that, there wouldn't be much point if that were the case. "Yeah... yeah, I guess you're right..."

"Ah think it's us who need ta worry," Applejack remarked lightly. "But we can beat him, so long as we stay tagether."

"Sure we can," she nodded, returning her smile. Sincerely wishing that Applejack would be right about this, she redoubled her galloping to get to the maze as quickly as possible.

The sooner they found the Elements, the sooner Dusk would be safe... and she would do anything to keep him safe.

Celestia heard Discord's sinister laughter as she watched them go. She knew that he would target them now and use his corrupting powers, but it was out of her hooves now. If she tried to attack Discord directly, it would only make things worse and it certainly wouldn't stop him. All she could hope for was that they would find the Elements and stop him, for she hadn't expected this… though Discord did like his games.

The last part of his riddle disturbed her, however. The way he had said it and why could only mean one thing: Discord knew and believed that prophecy of Fore Sight that Luna was so intent on believing was true. That only added to her fear that they were ill-equipped to defeat him. Perhaps she had been too quick to dismiss it so easily... she should trust her sister better than this...

"It seems this will not be as straight forward as we first thought," remarked the voice of Luna, who stood beside her.

"Is it ever straight forward where Discord is concerned?" She sighed and looked out to the maze. "Let us pray that they find the Elements before it's too late."

"Do you think they'll be able to stand up to him?"

"I can't be sure of anything now, but it's out of our hooves now. It's up to them to succeed."

"What of Dusk?" she asked.

"You know as well as I do that there's nothing he can do, he is as helpless as we are without the Elements."

"And you know that that isn't true." She stomped her hoof angrily on the ground. "This proves more than ever that, if Discord is to be stopped, we need every asset we can get, however small or slim. Dusk can give that if I only show him the way."

"Luna," she began, but her sister ploughed on.

"I know you think to you know what is best, but I am as much a ruler of Equestria as you are, even if I am younger. I can make my own decisions and I choose to follow this up, whether you want me to or not. I know that he can find it, all I need to do is point him the way."

She held her sister's defiant gaze and couldn't help but smile at her willingness to do this. "I understand Luna and… I think you're right."

"Well you-" She stopped speaking and her eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

"Of course. I don't entirely believe what you do, but perhaps you are right. If there is some way that Dusk can help his friends, then he should."

Luna looked at her suspiciously. "Why the change of heart?"

"It isn't as such," she verified. "I just don't think we should exclude any opportunity or advantage we have any longer, especially in light of recent events. You heard that last part of his riddle?"

"That could only mean that he knows about it and takes it seriously," Luna nodded, knowing what she meant.

"Exactly, which in itself is dangerous. If that's the case, maybe it does merit some investigation." She smiled apologetically. "As you say, you are as much a ruler as me and you have every right to follow up on your judgement without your big sister telling you what to do."

"Indeed," she giggled slightly. "So... you will let me try?"

She nodded slowly. "Do what you must, my sister. We'll see if you and Fore Sight were right."

Luna still appeared surprised that she had agreed with her, but she recovered herself. "I shall then. Thank you, Tia."

"What are sisters for?" she chuckled. "What are you going to do?"

"First," Luna said, turning to leave, "I am going to write a letter and then… we shall see."

Celestia waited for her to elaborate further, but her sister only smiled mysteriously and set off on her mission. She wouldn't interfere with whatever she had planned and she knew her faith in her younger sibling wasn't misplaced. She didn't entirely believe it herself, like she said but there was still a chance, however small.

Hopefully, not too small.

Path through Everfree

Dusk was watching out of the window of the library in Ponyville, a deep dread settling in his heart. Everything looked so normal, with everypony going about their normal business like nothing had changed. They had no idea that the most powerful and malevolent being in all of Equestria's history was out there right now. His chaos hadn't spread too far yet, it seeming to have stopped for now, but he knew it was coming… if the girls couldn't stop him.

Not for the first time, he scolded himself for being so useless at a time like this. All the knowledge that he had whirling around in his head, his manipulation of colour, what good was it here compared to the Elements of Harmony? This was something that he'd always dreaded secretly, for a situation like this to arise where he wouldn't be able to help his friends in a time of need. He was just sitting on the side-lines, as useless as he had once believed he was that he still sort of did believe, despite all that had happened…

"Dusk, you okay buddy?" Spike's voice snapped him out of his brooding and he turned to look at him.

"I'm… I'm just worried Spike," he admitted. "I want them to come home safe… I can't help it."

"I know how you feel, best thing is to try and ignore it." He set his mop against a wall and gestured to Dusk to join him at a table. "They beat Nightmare Moon, they can beat this Discord guy for sure."

"I wish I had your confidence Spike," sighed Dusk. "But Discord is quite a formidable foe, possibly more so than the corrupted Luna."

"He's that bad huh?"

Dusk nodded. "Think of how bad things could possibly get, and then add another suitcase full of bad… in simple terms."

"How do you know so much?" Spike asked.

"I did a project on early history in Equestria from the Unification of the Three Sects." He flushed a little at this. "I did quite a lot of extensive study on the subject."

Spike chuckled a little. "Heh, you and Twilight, you could outsmart Albert Hoofstein from how much studying you both do."

"I suppose so, her definitely," Dusk conceded, chuckling along with him.

"What do you know about him then?" he enquired, leaning back on his chair.

"Only what any historian would know. He came to power not long after the Unification at Hearth's Warming. He saw the potential for spreading misery and disharmony and he took it, reigning over them for a very long time."

"Why does he do it though?"

Dusk shrugged. "It's in his nature, as much as eating gems is for you. He's a spirit of chaos and he lives to spread it. Many ponies were tormented under his rule, my ancestor as one example."

"You mean Fore Sight?"

"The same. Discord plagued him with visions that depicted his family and friends in danger and he unable to save them. Soon, Fore Sight couldn't distinguish between his own true visions and the ones that Discord tormented him with and he was driven mad." He sighed bitterly. "That was how it was for everypony, he was just one…"

"Until Celestia and Luna rose up against him?"

"Yes, but even then Fore Sight had trouble recovering from the torment Discord put him through. Then one day he just… left."

"Left? Left where?"

Dusk shrugged again. "Nopony knows, but he was gone for a very long time. In fact, everypony thought he was dead until he returned many years later, aged greatly and near exhausted. He died not long after. He was still quite deluded towards the end, records saying things how he'd failed to find the pieces that were scattered, how it was still broken…"

Spike raised an eye ridge. "How what was still broken?"

"Again, nopony knows. He never said and he took the secret to his grave." He shook his head. "What I wouldn't give to know what he was searching for, it's one of the most celebrated mysteries of historians today."

"Well, everypony loves a good mystery." He rapped him on the arm encouragingly. "Maybe you'll be the one who finds out."

Dusk laughed at this. "Perhaps, but I don't think so."

"Well you never know, you mi-" He stopped and grabbed his mouth. A second later, he belched up a roll of parchment. "Hey, a letter!"

Dusk noted the black seal on it. "It's from Princess Luna." He took it as Spike passed it to him and unrolled it. As he suspected, it was addressed to him.

Dusk Noir

Doubtless thou already knows of what has been transpiring across our fair land. The spirit Discord has been freed and is one again wreaking chaos throughout Equestria. We know that thou must feel, as they say, like a fifth wheel at the moment, being unable to help thy friends in this dire time.

But there is something you can do, mine little pony. Something that you can find that may give us an added edge to defeat our ancient foe. Doubtless, thou knows of the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, deep in the Everfree Forest, where the Elements were re-discovered. If we are right, what thy seeks lies there.

If thou wishest to help thy friends, go there and find it. If we are right, thou will know when thou finds it. We wish you the best of luck, for the Forest is a treacherous place as thy knows. But know also that your Princess has faith in thee and thou will succeed.

Good luck, Dusk and be safe.

Princess Luna
Princess of the Night

Dusk felt his fear grow as he read over the letter again, taking it all in. The thought of the Everfree Forest still sent shivers down his spine. He'd had enough experiences in that place to last him a lifetime. But if Luna was right and he had no reason to doubt her, then there was something in the Castle that would give him the ability to help the others somehow. If there was a chance that he could do anything, he would be willing to take it.

He told Spike the contents of the letter and the dragon shook his head in disbelief. "You gotta be crazy! You can't just go off into the Everfree Forest by yourself again."

"I know and I'm not exactly enthusiastic about it myself, but I have to try," Dusk said, well aware that his voice was shivering with fear.

"But the Forest is filled with dangerous and weird things, you know that. What if this thing isn't even there? You don't even know what it is you're looking for!"

"That may be true," agreed Dusk, "But Princess Luna thinks that there's something that can help. I trust her, as I would Celestia and if we can't trust the word of our rulers, who can we trust?"

Spike looked as if he were about to argue, but he sighed and gave up. "I can see what Twilight meant: you can be both smart and stupid at the same time."

"As compared to who Spike?" Dusk smiled at his friend. "Remember when you tried to see how many gems you could stuff in your mouth before you choked?"

"Hey, I thought we agreed never to mention that!"

"With good reason, I'm the one who had to resuscitate you." He accepted the claw that the dragon offered to shake. "Keep an eye on things until I get back."

"Will do. Good luck bro, you're gonna need it."

"Don't I know it?" He gave Spike one last smile, then set off out of the library, through Ponyville and beyond the town to the edge of the menacing trees.

"W-We have to go in there?" a nervous Fluttershy asked, as they looked up at the imposing entrance of the maze. Even Twilight had to admit she wasn't exactly looking forward to venturing inside the vast labyrinth herself.

"Nope! Dopey Discord forgot about these babies!" She looked back at her wings then took off. "I'll just do a quick flyover and we'll have the Elements in no time." Suddenly, in a white flash, her wings vanished and Rainbow crashed to the ground. "My wings!"

Another white flash, followed by a scream and Fluttershy's vanished too. The same again, only when Twilight looked to Rarity's and her own head, her magical horn had gone.

"Your horn! My horn!" She couldn't help but panic at the loss of such a vital part of herself, as much as her tail or legs.

Before them, a glowing ball of green light appeared, growing steadily brighter until the mismatched form of Discord appeared before them, accompanied by claps of thunder and flashes of lightning, laughing madly. His face was an expression of utter mirth and amusement.

"You–You should see the looks on your faces. Priceless!" As he fell about laughing again, Twilight stepped forward.

"Give us our wings and horns back!"

"You'll get them back in good time." He vanished and reappeared behind Applejack. "I simply took them to ensure there's no cheating. You see, this is the first rule of our game: no flying, and no magic." He traced his finger down the side of her face and she wished she still had her horn. She would like to have seen him turned into a swarm of butterflies.

Rainbow seemed afraid of this. "The first rule?"

"The second rule is everypony has to play or the game is over, and I win. Good luck, everypony!" He vanished again, his sinister laughter echoing in their ears.

Seeing the others looking so demoralized, Twilight knew it was her job to bolster their confidence. "Never fear, girls. We have each other!"

"Yeah! Like Twilight said, there's nothing we can't overcome if we all stick together!" put in Rainbow.

They all walked towards the entrance to the maze, even Fluttershy was looking fierce and determined. "All right, girls, let's do this!"

"Together!" They cried this in unison and stepped into the maze.

No sooner had they done this, they were all screaming as the walls of the maze suddenly rose up and separated them, trapping each of them in their own section of the labyrinth. Discord's work, she thought to herself, moving to calm the others.

"Stay calm, girls! Everypony head to the middle as fast as you can, and we'll regroup there!"

"Moving out!" affirmed Rainbow.

"See you in the center," promised Rarity.

"Yee-haw!" sounded Applejack.

"See you guys there!" added Pinkie.

With that, Twilight set off at a gallop into the maze. She heard Fluttershy cry out somewhere behind her, but there was nothing she could do. These hedges were too thick to push through and she was without her magic. They were on their own, until they reached the middle of the maze, where the Elements would probably be. Then they would stop Discord.

She once again felt an ache regret, wishing that Dusk were here. How would he be coping with all of this, robbed of his special magic and unable to track them? He might panic at first, but then she would calm him down gently and promise to meet him at the center of the maze as quickly as possible. She had a way of doing that. Then he would probably quote somepony a little nervously and set off bravely. He was like that, even though he had low confidence. She remembered something he'd read to her from a story, when the characters were in a similar maze…

"In the maze, you'll find no dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead, you'll face something far more challenging. You see, ponies change in the maze. Oh find the cup if you can, but be warned: you could just lose yourselves along the way."

Hoping that what he said was far from the truth, Twilight carried on into the maze, praying she'd find the center soon.

Dusk made his way through the path in the trees, the grass brushing against his hooves as he softly walked. He wondered how Twilight and the others were doing. He felt a pang of worry, along with a desire to see her… he hoped she was okay.

Feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, he looked up at their wicked branches. He remembered the last time he stood at the entrance to the forest, on that cold winter's day. The girls were in danger and he looked to be the only one who could help them. In a way, it was the same again, even if he had changed from last time. He gulped as he looked up. Even in summer, the forest didn't look any less foreboding.

"Here I go again," he muttered to himself. Then, he took a deep breath. "Oh well… onwards and upwards, as they say."

With that, he stepped into the Everfree Forest, already feeling his dread increase with every sound that his hooves made. He remembered when he'd asked Twilight the route that she and her friends had taken through the forest when they were going to the castle. He had to follow the path until he reached a steep cliff face, a series of natural platforms providing a way down, as it was too far to fall. Then follow the path deeper until the trees become thicker, that would take him to a river shallow enough to wade through. Once on the other side, he had to find a rope bridge that would take him right across to the ancient castle. In theory, it sounded simple enough, in practice…

Quelling his fear, he followed the path as he remembered her telling him, reaching the steep cliff face she'd mentioned. By the looks of it, part of the rock had fallen away, possibly due to some natural event… or somepony had caused it. He tried not to think about it, as he slid down the grassy hill to the edge, where he dug his hooves in hard to stop himself. Feeling his stomach jump, he spotted the platforms and started to jump down onto them. Well, so far so go-

CRACK!

He felt the platform shift beneath his hooves, leaning forward in a precarious way at the foremost of it. He scrambled backwards as the stone came loose, he had to get back. Hurry, hurry! It was going to fall!

Luckily, he heard the sound of the breaking rock just in time and gripped the stone as hard as he could, a chunk of it tumbling away from his added weight. His heart pounding against his chest, his breathing short and rapid, he waited a few moments to calm himself before jumping down the rest of the way and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up to where he had been standing. If he had fallen there, he might have broken his legs… or worse.

Shuddering and feeling a lot tenser, he carried on away from the cliff, thankful he wouldn't have to try that again anytime soon. Twilight had told him how they encountered a manticore on this part of the route. There were a few tracks around, but his magic told him that they were many days old and there wasn't one close by. At first, he thought he wouldn't have any trouble from the forest's many dangerous inhabitants. Until he reached the thicker trees…

Trying to ignore how much darker it was, he shone a light for good measure as the trunks closed in around him, like the forest itself was trying to trap him. He told himself to stop thinking like that. The trees weren't alive… well, not all of them anyway. He whipped his head around when he heard the sound of something behind him.

Nothing there. He was letting his fear get the better of him. He walked on, until he heard the noise again. His eyes darted from shadow to shadow, his ears raised to pick up any sound, his legs tensed, ready to fight… or to run.

He waited. Had he imagined it? Was he just hearing things, being paranoid? Or was-

BAM!

Something hit him hard on the back of the head, a sharp pain rising from that area and his vision blurring. As it did, he could see two-clawed prints being formed seemingly from nowhere, until they suddenly stopped before one of the trees, claw marks appearing in the trunk. Shaking his head to clear his vision, he could see the odd set of prints appearing all over now. He was surrounded.

Chameleodemons, he thought fearfully, whirling around to try and see them, though he knew it was pointless. These creatures had a superb natural camouflage that rendered them near invisible to their prey. Usually, they never even knew they were there… until it was too late.

SNICK!

Another sharp pain erupted from his leg and he looked to see blood trickling from a three-clawed scratch that had appeared there. He punched the air but it hit nothing, the creature already scurrying away. It was nothing serious… they were just toying with him. It was time he did something to fight back.

His sharp mind went to work, considering strategies. He couldn't outrun them, as they were fast enough through the trees, which they knew better, to catch up to him in seconds. They had the advantage of invisibility, but it didn't seem like there were too many of them. They weren't very strong either, it wouldn't take much to knock one out. They needed concentration to maintain their camouflage… perhaps a distraction.

He quickly weaved a few colour swirls, dancing them around the trees, giving a little more extra light. At first, it didn't seem like this would work… until, very briefly, he saw the outline of one nearby, a brief flash of red.

"I see you," Dusk whispered and charged forward. Before it could run, his hoof made contact with it, sending a slight pain as he saw appear suddenly out of thin air and fly backwards, sprawling on the floor.

He didn't have time to look at it, as he heard another close by, scuttling up to him. His left hoof had been put into a patch of mud, which he now flung out in the general direction of the noise. A patch of brown gave one away, floating eerily in the air, until a kick from Dusk sent it flying backwards into a tree.

No sooner had he done this, he felt a weight leave his head and looked up to see his hat, which was now floating mysteriously in the air, dancing away from him, a rasping cackle sounding from it. Even if it was just a piece of headwear, Dusk was still annoyed at its theft. However, it did let him see his enemy, as it scampered away.

"Big mistake," he growled and swiftly caught up to it, ramming a hoof into the source of the sound, catching his hat and putting it back on his head. "Nopony takes my hat."

As it slumped to the floor, he had the chance to have a good look at it. It was rather small, no taller than his leg, with a pointed face and hooked nose and wicked small eyes. Its legs were thin and gangly, ending in two toes and its arms ended in wicked black claws, which were stained a little red. The one that had scratched him, he thought with grim satisfaction. A vile looking creature, but he still didn't like having to fight it.

A screech snapped him out of his thoughts and he whirled to see one dart from a tree straight at him, claws red and yellow eyes alive with malice. It might have got him, were it not for his quick thinking. Luckily, it had made the mistake of letting him see it, which meant he could catch it with his magic, which was just what he did. He held it there in a dark blue aura, as it struggled furiously in the air trying to escape, hissing and spitting at him.

"Sorry about this," he said to it and threw it at a tree, knocking it out along with its fellows.

He waited a few minutes to see if there was anymore. But none came. It had just been those four. Wincing a little, from his head and leg and leaving his fallen foes behind him, he pressed on, knowing that he would soon reach the river.

When he did, he stopped at the bank, making time to clean his wound with the cool clear water, as well as to take a drink. He would just have to ignore his throbbing head for now. He remembered what Twilight told him about when she came through and the trouble that they had. Almost falling off a cliff, the manticore, being scared out of her wits… he wondered how they'd view his little adventure through the forest today… he wished they were here with him.

He wondered what exactly the Princess thought that only he could find. He knew that the Castle was the last known place of the Elements of Harmony at one point, but they were now stored away in Canterlot under magical lock and key. What else could it be? Some other magical artefact, lost in myth and legend? Some kind of power source? Whatever it might be, he would find out soon enough… if it was there at all.

"Excuse me my good sir, are you quite all right?" A voice from the river brought his attention back to the world.

A huge serpent, the kind that lived in these waters, was gazing at him with concern. His scales were a rich purple that looked like they were well cared for, as did his quaff of orange hair and rich orange moustache that was styled quite impressively. Dusk let out a breath of relief and smiled up at him. River serpents were just as intelligent as ponies, though many were scared off at first glance. He seemed friendly at any rate.

"I'm fine, thank you, just a small scratch and a bad head, nothing to worry about," he assured him, showing his leg.

"Oh, that looks nasty." He leaned in for a closer look and scowled. "Chameleodemons, I never could stand those horrible creatures."

"Tell me about it." Now that he was closer, Dusk could see something else tucked into his hair. A strand of styled tail hair, that looked very familiar. "Pardon my asking, sir, but did a white unicorn mare give you that?"

"Oh this?" He preened proudly at it. "Oh yes, a very generous soul, she was so understanding of my plight. My moustache had been sliced clean in half, can you imagine?"

"No I… can't." Dusk decided not to say anything else, as he carried on.

"Anyway, she was kind enough to slice off her own fabulous tail in order to make my marvellous moustache complete again. After it grew back, it seemed like such a horrible shame to throw it away, so I kept it, to remember her and her wonderful friends." He looked down at Dusk eagerly. "You don't know her by any chance, do you?"

Dusk realised who this was now and knew he could get a chance for some help. "Yes I do, they're very good friends of mine. Her name is Rarity, by the way and you'll never meet a more generous pony anywhere."

At this, he beamed and nodded. "Oh I know, she's marvellous, you're lucky to know her. Are you wishing to cross the river perchance, my little friend?"

"Indeed," affirmed Dusk. "I don't want to impose, good sir, but I don't suppose you'd oblige?"

"But of course! Anypony who's a friend of the generous Rarity is a friend of mine." Reaching out with a massive clawed hand, surprisingly well manicured he noted, the serpent gently lifted Dusk up and across to the other side. "There you go, glad to help."

"Thank you very much Mr…"

"Ah, you may call me Reginald," bowed the serpent. "And yourself?"

"Dusk Noir, my good serpent." Dusk tipped his hat to him. "Thank you, Reginald and I'll give Rarity your regards."

"Would you? That would be fabulous! Safe travels Dusk." He smiled at him and turned to go. "Oh and by the way, I just love that hat!"

Dusk glanced at it and beamed proudly. "Yes, I'm quite fond of it myself. Good day, Reginald." With one last wave, he sprinted off, knowing he was close.

He was soon there. As he reached the rickety bridge, crossing over its rotting planks to the crumbling stone ruin, he felt a sense of triumph as he stood before the gate. He'd actually made it. That was the hard part over, now it was time to see what he came for.

Twilight carried on through the maze, doing her best to stay calm and collected, despite her growing fear. This maze was huge, with twists and turns and dead ends galore, it seemed endless. She wished the others were with her… she wished Dusk was here.

As she rounded another corner, she came across a strange sight. A wooden door stood before her, with the sparkling star of her cutie mark emblazoned onto it. This door definitely looked like it wasn't meant to be here. It could be one of Discord's tricks… but she had nowhere else to go, other than back the way she came. Cautiously, she opened the door and stepped inside.

In the middle of the grassy clearing was what looked like the makings of a library. Two shelves laden with books, some of which were flapping about like birds, surrounded it, with a fireplace in the middle of it, in which burned multi-coloured flames and pink smoke. Two plush arm chairs were placed before it and in one of them was Discord, wearing reading glasses and peering down at a book open on his lap. The chair, she noticed, was floating.

He looked up as she entered, his red eyes fixing on her and beamed at the sight of her. "Twilight Sparkle, so nice of you to visit. Welcome! Pull up a chair, pick a book, and make yourself comfortable. Here, try this one."

He tossed the book to her and she caught it with fumbling hooves. She hated being deprived of her horn. The book was completely illegible: some words were the right way round, others were sideways, long ways, mirrored, upside down. Some weren't even words, just random squiggles and shapes on the page.

"Do you like it? I penned it myself," he said proudly. "I call it A Study of Chaos. It's really quite good, if I say so myself."

Twilight knew he was just trying to mess with her head. She closed the book and tossed it back, remaining defiant. "I've read better."

"Everypony's a critic," he groaned and snatched it back up, letting it fly back onto the shelf.

Something just occurred to Twilight as she watched him. As long as he was here, she might as well try and ask. "You said in your riddle that we'd need more than the Elements to beat you this time, even if we did find them."

"Oh, sudden change of topic to catch me off-guard." He grinned wickedly at her. "Won't work I'm afraid, I invented that trick."

She ignored him and pressed on. "What did you mean by that?"

He just chuckled and wagged a finger at her. "Now, now Twilight Sparkle, it's not a good story if you read ahead to the end. I think your second assistant would agree with me in that respect, wouldn't you say, Miss Sparkle?"

She flushed at the mention of Dusk, a spark of worry beginning to form. "Why are you so interested in him? He's nothing to you."

"Really Twilight Sparkle, that's not a very nice thing to say." He hovered up behind her, still wearing that grin. "I just think it's such a shame that he's not here, missing out on all of this. I thought he was meant to be your friend."

"He is!" she yelled in spite of herself. "He's not your concern, we are, just leave him out of this."

He ignored her, facing her upside down. "You know, it really is a pity he's missing out on all of the fun. I wonder what he's doing right now." He snapped his fingers and a book appeared, flicking to a page. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

Unable to resist, Twilight looked down at the page. In it was a moving picture depicting her best friend. He seemed okay, she thought to herself, but her eyes never left him regardless. He was tentatively walking into the ruined halls of a very familiar location, one of mossy walls and crumbling stone.

"That's the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters," she whispered, her hoof tracing over the image. "But… what's he doing there?"

"You tell me, you're the smart one." She looked back up at Discord, who was glaring at her with malice. "What would he be doing there, I wonder. What do you think?"

"I… I don't know," she replied desperately. She didn't like the way his eyes glowed like that.

"Aw, that's a shame." He went into a mock thinking pose and snapped his fingers. "Hey, why don't I just go and ask him myself. I've been so looking forward to meeting him, so I can do that at the same time. Good thinking Twilight Sparkle!"

"No! No! Leave him alone, he's not-" He raised a hand to silence her.

"Don't fret, I won't be gone long. Just a quick hello, that's all… who knows, I might have some fun with him." He grinned once more, giving a little wave. "TTFN: Ta-ta for now!" With a snap of his fingers, he vanished again, leaving Twilight alone.

Feeling very scared now, she gazed back down at the book, watching as Dusk stepped into the main hall. She wanted to warn him, to scream that Discord was coming for him. But she couldn't do anything. All she could do was watch.

In The Flesh

Dusk cautiously pushed open the wooden doors and ventured into the stone halls of the ancient castle, tensed and ready to act. Though he had made it out of the depths of the forest, any number of creatures could have claimed residence here during the thousand years it had been abandoned. It always paid to be careful, he thought.

The signs of aging certainly showed, but he could still see signs of the castles former glory, could still picture the days it was complete. The pillars that lined either side of the room had mostly crumbled away, only leaving half of them behind, decorated with ivy and moss. The walls had collapsed in places, exposing the castle to the elements outside and the ceiling had completely vanished, so he could see the sky above him, which was now covered with grey clouds. At the centre of the room was a large pedestal, upon which there were five separate platforms surrounding a large stone orb at its core.

He approached this and placed his hoof upon it gently, knowing that this was the place where the Elements of Harmony had once rested. He remembered Twilight had told him how, at first, the Elements were in the form of stone orbs with different shapes carved on them. It was only after Nightmare Moon had shattered these forms and that Twilight discovered the truth that they had taken on their true forms, the ones they had today. Not for the first time, Dusk wished he could have been there…

Even though he was meant to be here for an important mission, Dusk still took the time to take in his surroundings, his fascination for history taking over. He was actually here, in one of the most ancient and least explored historical locations in Equestria's time. If only he could take the time to have a better explore of the structure, who knows what he could find? Perhaps later, he thought, beginning to search for whatever Luna had sent him here for.

"This really is… incredible," he said to himself, as he turned his back on the pedestal.

"You think so? I find it to be rather drab and dull myself. I can see why the Princesses left the place, Canterlot is so much more flashy."

Dusk froze at the sound of that voice. Even before he turned around to see who was speaking, he already knew who it was. Only one being in Equestria could have a voice so enticing and yet so repulsive at the same time. He stood stock still as he beheld Equestria's ancient foe, a figure he'd seen encased in stone so many times. In the flesh however, he was truly chilling, even his eye pupils were uneven, shining with malice.

"Discord," he whispered, gripped with fear.

"The one and only." He gave a bow, vanished and reappeared on front of Dusk, making him jump. "So, you must be Dusk Noir." He grinned and grabbed his hoof, shaking it frantically. "It's such a pleasure to meet you; I've really been quite looking forward to it. I must say you're certainly… smaller than I expected."

Dusk examined his hoof when Discord let go, afraid that he'd done something. "You… you wanted to meet me?"

"Of course, since your 'friends'," he said with sarcastic air quotes, "were too inconsiderate to bring you along with them, so I had to come to you. Rather annoying, but I'd say it was worth it. Ooh, I heard about what you did at the Magic Contest, including moi in the starring role, I'm quite flattered. Such talent, such pizazz! Could I have your autograph?"

He offered a notepad that was made of wood and a pencil made of paper. Dusk stared at it for a bit, and then finally collected himself. Recalling what he knew about Discord and knowing he was trying to manipulate him in some way, he did his best to glare defiantly at him, holding his wicked gaze.

"What do you want Discord?" he demanded firmly, though he could still hear a quiver in his voice.

Discord gave an affected look of offense. "Oh that's just rude! I thought that was self-explanatory my little friend. I expected you to be a little more polite."

Be brave Dusk, he told himself, don't give in to him. "You don't deserve respect, Discord. Besides, you want an autograph from somepony who beat one of your loyal servants?"

"Who? Oh right, the Paraserpent." He shrugged nonchalantly. "They're small fry, easily replaced. In fact, thank you for reminding me to create more of them once I win. Besides," he retorted, "we both know that it wasn't you who struck the final blow, now was it?"

Dusk knew this was true, but didn't deign to respond directly. He wasn't going to give Discord the satisfaction. "Still, I must ask why you've come to find me."

"Why? I have simply come to offer my sympathies to you for your current situation. You must be so disappointed, so devastated."

This confused Dusk. Had something happened? "What are you talking about?"

He grinned even wider, but there was no warmth in his smile. "I'm talking about how you've been left behind. Abandoned by your so-called friends. Deep down, I think you knew this was coming, but it still must be a painful blow."

"What? No, they haven't abandoned me," he said confidently. "I'm just no use at this time because I'm not an Element."

"Which is exactly why they have abandoned you, among other things," he added sinisterly. "They knew you were useless all the time and they've left you at the first opportunity, just waiting for the chance to leave you in the lurch. Again, very cruel after you tried so hard to fit in, all in vain."

"No, no that's not true." He knew Discord was trying to trick him, but… why did his words sound so true and his sound a little hollow.

"Oh really? Here's what they were saying the instant that they left you…" Discord summoned a shimmering cloud of colour, rather like the ones that he made. In it formed the images of the girls galloping away to Canterlot. For a moment, they stopped and let out sighs of relief.

"Whew, finally we got away from that geek," Rainbow spoke up in an annoyed tone. "Honestly, I never thought we'd be able to ditch him."

"Ah hear ya," added Applejack. "You'd have thought he'd have gotten the message earlier that we don' want him around, but that boy is jus' so wrapped up in it. Kinda sad, livin' in a dream like that."

"Ugh, I know right?" Pinkie fumed. "Even I don't like him and I like everypony. The way I have to call him 'psychic' all the time, it just drives me nuts!"

"He is certainly quite irritating to say the least," Rarity added, flicking her mane with disdain. "Worst of all, he's completely useless at this time. I simply do not understand why we've put up with him."

"Twilight," asked Fluttershy, "do you think, when we get to Canterlot, we can ask Princess Celestia to make him go away? I don't like to pretend anymore."

"I think we can," she nodded. "Believe me, I've tried to put up with him, but I've had it up to here. Frankly, I'm surprised I managed this long."

"Then it's settled," Rarity put in. "After today, no more Dusk. Agreed?"

"Agreed," they all chorused. "Now come on, let's go and get this over with." Following Twilight, they all galloped away and faded, but Dusk was still staring in utter disbelief about what he had seen.

Each of the girl's words had felt like hammer blows to his heart. They struck him at his very core, realising all of his worst fears when he first started being friends with them. It seems he was right all along… he was useless, stupid, pointless…. Even worse, they found him to be annoying for even trying to fit in in the first place… how could he have been so stupid as to make himself believe he was actually making a difference…?

No, another side to this was saying, this is Discord trying to trick you. This is what he does, you know that. You have to fight him. These visions aren't real, no matter how painful they may be. Just don't listen to him, don't trust him, he knows what can hurt you and he'll use it against you.

"You're lying, that's not true." His voice sounded weak, powerless, that he was the one lying to himself. "They wouldn't say that about me… I know it… not them, not Twilight…"

Discord actually burst out laughing. "Oh, that's priceless! You actually think that she's any different, do you? Do you think she's special? Believe me Dusk, I haven't shown you the worst part yet…"

He once again conjured up a colour cloud, Twilight's face forming inside it. She looked angry, distressed even. Dusk didn't want to look, didn't want to listen, but something kept him watching, meant he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"I can't feel about somepony... like that. Friendship is one thing, but romance? That's just silly! Absolute nonsense!"

Somehow, this was even more destroying than the last vision. Him. She was talking about him and her romantic feelings. This was even worse, watching her dismiss it so angrily, so fiercely. He could actually feel his heart shatter as she continued on, still resolutely determined to deny it.

"It's just silly. I mean, devoting all of your time trying to dote somepony, woo them, when they may not even feel the same way? That just doesn't make any sense, it's foolish!"

"No!" He actually screamed now, waving it away. "No, no! It's not true, it can't be!"

"It seems that what they say is right," Discord commented casually. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad. It hurts, doesn't it Dusk? To know what they really think, what she really thinks?"

"But I know how you work Discord!" He tried desperately to clutch at what little chances he had. "This is what you do, show ponies their deepest desires and fears and use them against them. This isn't real, it's a trick!"

"But you know yourself what Twilight thinks of romance Dusk," he countered, grinning with amusement. "Some of it may be tricks, some may not be. The question is how can you tell what is real..." He reached up to his face and pulled it away like a mask, "... and what is false?"

"I… I…" Dusk simply couldn't answer.

It was as if watching his worst, deepest fears had struck him dumb. He just hurt so much, felt so much pain, worse than any physical wound. Let it end, he thought desperately, just let it end. That voice telling him to resist had been silenced, Discord's truth reigning over. He was right… he had been all along. Perhaps he had always known, but didn't want to see it…

"Oh, but it's even worse what's to come." Discord's words were bitterly enticing and entrancing, as he watched him hover around, tears in his eyes. "I've shown you the past, the present… let's see what the future has in store, shall we?"

Once again, Dusk watched as the colour cloud formed the scene. It depicted himself, standing before the library, silently begging the girls, who were all going off their separate ways and failing miserably. Soon, he was left alone, staring desperately after where they had all gone. He collapsed his head in his hooves and wept, wept to be so alone, alone after the lie that he had actually had friends and the cruel truth that had now come to light.

"They're gone," wept his future self, "they're all gone… they left me… they promised they wouldn't leave me…"

After a few seconds, Dusk stopped sobbing, the future one and just stared at the ground. His body was now shaking, not from weeping, but with rage. When he next spoke, his voice no longer sounded gentle and timid, but deeper and angrier.

"If my curse is to be alone… then this whole land, this entire realm… will suffer with me!"

He raised his head and opened his eyes. They were no longer emerald green, but jade, the pupils becoming cat-like slits. His fur colour changed too, his dark-blue fur deepening in colour to become darkest black. He flung his trilby angrily to the floor, revealing a bone-white mane and tail, which was now wild and untamed. His expression was one of utter fury, mixed with a deep pain and loss, truly terrifying to behold.

"None have ever accepted me," he said in that anger-filled voice, "now none ever will. They thought Discord was bad? Wait until I get started…"

Then, with an animal-like screech of rage, this hideous malformation of himself shone with dark power, creatures from the darkest crevices emerging to serve him in his rage, to share in his anger. A black hole of rage and pain, doom to all who stood before him-

"NO!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, tearing away his gaze and collapsing to the floor. "No! No, no, no, no… no…" Now he really did begin to cry, to weep for his loss, for what was to come that he had no hope of stopping…

"Aw Dusk, the truth hurts doesn't it?" He felt Discord's claw on his back, patting consolingly. "You see, things were better as they were, weren't they? When the only one to disappoint was yourself… who knows, if you go back now, it may not be too late." He looked into his red eyes, holding him in a hypnotic gaze. "Time to wake up from the dream Dusk. You are alone and always will be. You may not be anything to anypony, but its better that way, don't you think?"

"Yes... no, no!" He desperately wrenched his gaze away, fighting back his tears. "No... no, it... it isn't real, it isn't... no."

"Oh stop fighting little Dusk." He felt something wrench away his hat and place a cold claw touch the top of his head. "Just give in, like you know you want to..."

In that instant, all of his fears, his insecurities, his doubts, flooded into his mind and became truth once more. He could feel it, worming its way through every vein in his body, changing and corrupting him, helpless to stop it and yet... welcoming it. Like he had been living a kind of cruel dream and he was now being brought back to an even crueller, but honest reality...

"Yes… you're right," he responded blankly, only vaguely aware his fur was now becoming grey in colour. "It wasn't me, it never was… I won't be like that, I won't be evil… I'll just be alone, not bother anypony."

"Good, doesn't that feel better now?" Discord grinned and flew up above him. "Now, I have some appointments to keep. Farewell, little Dusk. See you… well, whenever."

Discord left, vanished in a flash of light and left Dusk alone, as he should be, weeping on the cold stone floor.

"Dusk no! No, don't listen to him it's not true, whatever he told you, it isn't!" Twilight cried desperately down at the book, in which she could see Dusk, who had now faded away from the pages, tears glistening in his eyes, just as he had screamed no to something he had seen. Whatever it had been, he had looked absolutely terrified.

She couldn't see what Discord had been showing him to make him like this, but seeing his pained expressions, hearing his helpless cries made her feel tortured enough. This was what she wanted to avoid, she didn't want him to get mixed up in this. He wasn't part of it, he didn't deserve it. Now, he had been reduced to this state, broken, with nothing but his inner pain. She shouldn't have left him behind, he should have been here with them… with her.

"Look at him blubber," she heard Discord say harshly. "Really, I don't know what you saw in him."

Twilight's regret for leaving Dusk, her sadness at seeing him like this, was now replaced with anger at the spirit of chaos. She turned to face him, looking right into his eyes, wishing she could curse him into a million pieces.

"Why did you do that? He did nothing to you!"

"Hey, I'm the one who's been trapped in stone for a thousand years." He gave her his wicked grin. "Can you blame me for having a little fun?"

"Yes I can! That's not fun, that's cruel beyond belief! And you did that to him!" She pointed up at him. "I don't care how long it takes now. I'm gonna find the Elements of Harmony, I'm gonna find my friends and then we're gonna stop you. For good!"

"Big words Twilight Sparkle, but let's see if you'll stand by them afterwards." He didn't elaborate further on these words but simply smiled even wider. "Well, time to be off. The game is still going and there are still other players I have yet to see. I suppose I'll see you when it's time for my 'big end' Twilight Sparkle," he said with sarcastic air quotes. "So long!"

He vanished once again, taking his strange library with him and leaving Twilight in the clearing of the maze. In front of her, a section of the maze fell away, leading back into its twisting labyrinth. Time to get back in the game, she thought, still with seething anger for what Discord had done.

She still had the question as to why Discord had targeted Dusk. She remembered him telling her that he enjoyed tormenting and toying with other ponies during his rule, so she supposed that was the purpose behind it. Simply because he wasn't here and he was close to her and her friends, that was why Discord had targeted him. If he'd done it to try and dishearten her, to make her feel like giving up, then he had failed. She was now even more resolved to end his games.

Remembering the look of pain that Dusk had on his face when Discord was tormenting him, she let this drive her as she galloped through the twists and turns of the maze. Even more than ever, she was determined to stop Discord for all time, to find her friends and the Elements and to make him pay for what he'd done to Dusk. As long as they were together, nothing would stop them.

"I'll show you, Discord," she growled under her breath. "We're gonna stop you and that's a promise."

As she galloped deeper into the maze, the minutes passing by, she suddenly heard a voice nearby, with a familiar Southern accent. Applejack! Pushing herself further, she glanced to the side as a bit of the hedge opened up. She backed up and saw the Stetson-topped pony standing in the clearing.

"Applejack! Thank goodness! I thought I heard voices over here. Who were you talking to?" she asked as she approached her, only now realising that her fur, her whole body, was a duller in colour than before.

"Ah was talking to... uh... nopony! Nopony whatsoever!" she insisted, her eyes shifting from left to right. Her demeanour was more tense, less relaxed than normal. So was she, but this was... different.

"What?" she asked unsurely.

"Nothin'." That shifty look came back as she walked past her. "Come on, uh, we best be going."

Twilight watched as she left, a horrible thought ocurring. "Did Applejack just...? Come on, Twilight! Applejack wouldn't lie."

Confident that her heightened emotions were getting the better of her and deciding that she'd figure out her strange fur colour later, Twilight followed Applejack out, glad that she had found one of her friends. Even so, she couldn't shake the feeling that this had something to do with Discord... and that he'd done something similar to Dusk.

Dusk raised his head, at a loss as to what to do now. Memories of all the times he'd spent with his friends… helping Rainbow with her practice… watching a sunset with Applejack… taking tea with Rarity… picking out a pet with Fluttershy… baking with Pinkie… dancing with Twilight… it was all lies, every single thing he'd ever done with them or for them. And he had been foolish enough to believe them, like being immersed in a story… but this story was over. The book had been closed and reality had crashed in around him.

Now what would he do? He was back at square one, the useless Dusk who was no good to anypony, who didn't deserve friends because he was such a waste of space. It didn't matter whether or not he found whatever Luna had sent him here for, he wouldn't be able to use it, whatever it was. Let somepony else do it, somepony braver and better than him. The girls would cope without him, not that that would be difficult. He would just melt away, from their minds and hearts, back to how he used to be… only now he really had learned his lesson. Letting himself think he would be accepted would just get him hurt… as it had.

Still feeling the aching in his heart, feeling how heavy the necklace around his neck seemed to have become, he turned to drag himself out of the Castle, back into the forest. Who knows, maybe some creature would come along and eat him, then he wouldn't have to be a problem to anypony anymore… at this point, he just didn't care… it had all been for nothing. He turned to leave, to trudge back through the trees.

Then something very strange happened.

He was aware of a flash of bright light behind him. He turned slowly, thinking that Discord had returned to torment him some more. He would welcome the pain, for perhaps chaos would be a better world than harmony could ever offer. But it wasn't the spirit of chaos. A large, swirling white orb had appeared at the centre of the room, beating and pulsating as if alive, patterns of blue moving like an ocean.

He stared at it, trying to make sense of it. It looked like some kind of magic, very powerful magic. He could feel it radiating energy from where he stood. At first, he was tempted to run, in case it was dangerous. Then again, if it was, it would end his pain forever. But something told him it wasn't dangerous and it wouldn't hurt him. He couldn't be entirely sure, but he wanted to know, his curiosity getting the better of him. A closer look couldn't hurt…

He walked closer, slowly, cautiously, halting when he was feet from it. Carefully, he touched it with his hoof. It felt strangely warm, inviting, as if it had been waiting here for him to arrive and was here to welcome him. Though his common sense told him to just leave it be, that other feeling told him to walk even closer, to step inside that some kind of solution would present itself if it did. Well… it couldn't be any worse than staying here. Maybe something better would happen if he did do it.

Adjusting his hat so it was a little straighter, he breathed in, quelling his pain as best he could and stepped into the orb. All he could see was a bright light, so much so that he closed his eyes. His body felt warm, safe inside this place, whatever it was.

All of a sudden, he felt his body jerk, like he'd just been yanked by a length of rope, being pulled somewhere. He screamed, but couldn't hear his own voice. He tried to resist, but there was nothing to hold on to, it was too strong. In that moment, Dusk was lifted off his feet, being dragged away by whatever strange force had taken him. But in that moment, one thought went through his head, one that revelled in the thrill of wherever this was taking him:

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends!" Though he couldn't hear himself speak, he still felt a smile growing in spite of himself, as he was taken out of his place and time, to wherever it was taking him.

On the outside in the ancient ruin, the orb shrunk away and vanished, its light lingering for a few moments, then fading too. Almost as if it and the pony who had walked inside it were never there.

Nothing moved. Everything was quiet and still, undisturbed but for the growls or chirps of unseen creatures. That is until a dark shape by one of the windows leaped and took flight, never being seen but knowing its task had been completed.

Witness to Harmony

The Summer Sun Celebration, many months ago…

Twilight Sparkle crossed over the rope bridge that had been fixed by Rainbow Dash, approaching the crumbling ruin of the ancient castle, the last known resting place of the Elements of Harmony. The fate of Equestria depended on her and the others finding the Elements and using them to defeat Nightmare Moon. Reading hadn't served her wrong before and she hoped it wouldn't now. Feeling anticipation growing in her chest, she stepped through the wooden doors and joined the group.

"Whoa." She heard Applejack's awed voice echo in the chamber. "Come on, Twah'light. Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?"

She felt a sort of special warmth at the kind invitation of the farm pony. Admittedly, she hadn't been too enthusiastic about having these five mares accompany her into the forest to the castle. But now, considering all that had happened to them after they'd entered the Everfree Forest, she couldn't contemplate doing it without them. They'd helped her and each other through the worst of dangers, sharing laughs and scares along the way. She was certainly going to miss them when she had to go back to Canterlot… though she wasn't completely sure why.

She walked through the gap they made for her, approaching the multi-branched alter where five stone orbs, each with a different shape carved into them, sat waiting for them. Just like they had been in the reference guide.

"The Elements of Harmony, we've found them." She watched as Rainbow and Fluttershy began to lift them up and carry them down. "Careful, careful!"

Pinkie counted them as they were laid on the stone floor at their hooves "There's only five!"

"Where's the sixth?" asked Rainbow.

"The book said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed," she recited.

Applejack looked confused. "What in the hay is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don't know what will happen." Closing her eyes and bowing her head, she knelt before the Elements and began to work her magic.

She was vaguely aware of the sound of hooves moving further away, no doubt the others leaving to allow her to concentrate. Silently grateful for their consideration, she returned her focus to attempt to infuse the Elements with her own magical power, hoping the resulting spark would make the sixth Element appear.

As she gritted her teeth and increased power, she felt a strong wind before her, heard a rushing in her ears. Opening her eyes, she yelled in fright at the sight of a blue tornado spinning before her, levitating the Elements high into the air. Nightmare Moon, she realised and she was trying to stop them from beating her.

"The Elements!" Without thinking, knowing this was the only way, she jumped into the magical whirlwind. In an instant, she swept off her hooves and transported, carried wherever the Mare of Darkness took her.

At first, Dusk was rising, unable to see anything but a bright white void that made him shield his eyes to protect them. Then, with a rushing in his stomach, he was dropped like a stone and started falling, screaming the whole way. He had to grab his hat to stop it from flying off his head. All of a sudden, it came to a stop and he was flung on the hard stone, pain shooting from his belly from the impact. Rubbing it and wincing from the pain, he stood up and looked at his surroundings.

He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, especially after all he just went through. From the structure of the stone and the way it was decayed, he was still in the Pony Sister's Castle Ruin. He wasn't in the same room however he realised. This room looked to be grander, larger than the Element Altar Room and there was a throne at the very end, atop a platform with a large window open behind it, allowing the starlight to shine in. So, he was in the throne room now…

But wait, he suddenly thought. How can there be stars out? It was still the afternoon. For a horrible moment, he thought Discord had beaten the girls and he had begun his reign of chaos again, intermittently changing between night and day at random intervals. He was about to gallop down a nearby hallway to get back and find out, even if he couldn't do anything about it, when a bright flash and a cloud of purple smoke made him dive behind a rotting pillar. What he saw next made his jaw drop.

The smoke cleared to reveal Twilight Sparkle, coughing from it and lying in a heap. But before the throne was an alicorn mare, with feathers and fur as black as the night she bought her mane and tail having that strange gaseous quality, decorated with twinkling stars. This was in contrast to a set of fierce battle armour she wore, glinting wickedly in the moonlight, as did her cat-like pale blue eyes. All of this fitted the description of only one pony. It seemed impossible, but here was Nightmare Moon, laughing wickedly with stone orbs floating around her.

But… how could that be? The girls had defeated Nightmare Moon and turned her back into Princess Luna. Had she reverted back to evil? Did this have something to do with that strange magic he'd found… a new theory formed in his head at that moment. Nightmare Moon was still here and, if those were the Elements of Harmony, they were still in stone form… like Twilight had told him in her story about this.

Ignoring the painful pang in his heart at the thought of her, Dusk came to the improbable conclusion that he had gone back in time, to the moment when the Elements of Harmony were about to be used. But… if that was the case then this wasn't right. Twilight was by herself, yet she'd told him she was with all of her friends when they used the Elements. They had to be here or else they wouldn't be able to stop her.

At this point, Twilight bowed her head to charge, snorting from her nostrils. Nightmare Moon actually gave a smirk of amusement. "You're kidding. You're kidding, right?"

He didn't watch what happened next, but instead rushed to the window to see if there was any sign, any at all, of the girls making their way over. He could spot where he'd been in the present day, the structure built into the side of the cliff and the silhouettes of five ponies running around inside. They just had to look over here, then they'd come. But how could he get their attention? He couldn't be spotted here in a time when he hadn't even met them yet. He'd read enough stories about time travel to know the disastrous implications of changing history. But if they didn't come over here then they wouldn't stop Nightmare and that would be changing history too. Come on, he urged them silently, you have to be here.

Then, he remembered something… something that Applejack had told him months ago, when they were watching that sunset…

"Anyway... what are you thinking about?"

"Well..." She thought again for a few minutes. "It's jus'... that colour talent-a yer's... ah jus' thought-a sumthin'..."

"What?"

"Jus' a feelin like... ah've seen it before... or sumthin' like it, perhaps."

"Really?" This had him intrigued. If there was somepony else who had his talent, perhaps he could find them. "Where? Can you remember?"

"Sorta... yeah, a long time ago... when all firs' met, at the Castle in the forest... when Twah'light vanished..." She looked thoughtful for another few minutes, then she sighed. "Ah can't quite explain it, but ah'm sure that it was sumthin' like yer magic."

"That's it? There's got to be more," he urged. "Are you sure that's all you can remember?"

"Yeah... sorry, ah know it don't help much. Coulda been sumthin' else, ya never know," she shrugged.

"It's fine... maybe it was..."

Anypony else would have said that this was just a coincidence, that it had to be something else instead. But Dusk, who could be willing to believe the impossible, knew that there was no way this was a coincidence. If he could do one last thing for them before he would leave, he would let it be this. Even though he could be wrong and this wouldn't make a shred of difference, he tapped into his magic and set to this new task.

This had to work… he hoped.

"Twah'light, where are you?" Applejack called out, the others all running around and searching for her.

They'd heard her scream from outside and arrived to see her jump into the midst of some kind of tornado, which had disappeared an instant later with her and the Elements. Though she hadn't known her all that long, Applejack was still worried about her friend, as they all were and hoped that she wasn't hurt.

"Oh, where could she have gone?" despaired Rarity. "She could be anywhere in this ghastly forest!"

"Come on, we gotta find her," declared Rainbow. "We can't let Nightmare win."

"What she said," agreed Pinkie. "Ooh, what's that?"

"What's what?" Fluttershy gave a squeak of fear a second later, as Applejack turned to see what they were looking at.

She didn't really know what to make of it. It looked like Twilight, had the same fur and mane colour as her, and was the same size. But there were no eyes, no mouth and it was sparkling, twinkling with a magical glow. It turned its head, looking around at them all, as if it recognised them. It was almost like the blue smoke Nightmare Moon became, only… not dangerous. At least, that was what her gut told her.

"What the hay is this? Some other trick from Nightmare?" Rainbow looked about ready to attack, but Applejack held up a hoof.

"Wait a sec, ah don't think it means us harm." She stood and watched it for a few moments, then it galloped away to a passage way. It stopped in the door way and turned back to face them.

"W-w-what is it?" asked Fluttershy fearfully.

"I think… it means for us to follow it," suggested Rarity. "Perhaps it can lead us to Twilight."

"Is that it?" Applejack asked this strange thing. "Can ya lead us ta our friend?"

The apparition didn't reply, but it did gesture with its head. She looked in that direction to see another part of the castle, which was filled with a magical light, pulsating like a beating heart. Applejack looked back at the form.

"Is that where she is?" Again, it didn't reply. Instead, it galloped silently away, no hoof marks being left behind it.

"Hey, come back!" Pinkie was about to run off, only to be held back by Rainbow.

"Now hold on a sec. This could be a trap," said Rainbow suspiciously.

"Trap or not, it's our best chance-a findin' her. Come on!" Applejack took the lead and sprinted down the passage as fast as her legs would carry her, the others following swiftly behind.

She didn't know exactly what that thing was or if it had been caused by something, but she knew, deep down, it was leading them to Twilight. She couldn't explain it, she just knew. Applejack was like that when it came to honesty.

Dusk had opened his eyes to see the five of them sprint off down the passage. He kept his concentration, kept his focus on maintaining the colour form. Luckily, due to all the collapsed walls, he could keep an eye on its progress as he led the girls through castle over to the throne room. Hopefully, it wouldn't take them long to get here and history would remain on track.

He could hear Twilight in the background, something about the sixth Element, could hear Nightmare's cruel laughter of triumph, felt a small shiver in the ground as she stomped her hooves. He didn't dare turn around, no matter how much he wanted to, combined with the urge to run out and help her. He had to keep his concentration, to make sure that the girls were on their way. No distractions, just this one last thing. He had to-

THUNK!

He felt a sharp pain on the back of his skull. Something sharp bounced off the back of his head, clattering to the ground. He looked down, cancelling the spell and hoping it had worked, to see a fragment of stone lying before him. It must have become dislodged from the ceiling or something from the impact of Nightmare's hooves. It was strangely shaped, but that wasn't what held his attention. It was black, except for a small segment of colour on the black stone, a dark blue. The colour of his fur. Just like the six that hung around his neck.

Gently, like it was a precious diamond, he picked it up and held it in his hoof. His eyes travelled over it as he examined it. For the first time, he thought about the significance of these stones. Why did he keep finding them? Why did he feel so compelled to keep them, like they were the most important things in the world? They were nothing, they were just pieces of rock… and yet, why did he feel like there was more to it than that?

He whipped his head up as Nightmare Moon let out another bout of laughter, as he heard the calls of the girls assuring Twilight they were coming. Still feeling that sense of duty, he took this stone and added it to the six already around his neck. He would figure this out later, but he had lingered here too long. It was time for him to slip away before somepony spotted him. Using the pillars as cover, he ran in between them, making his way back to the passage, until…

"You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that?" That made him stop at the passage and look back, as the girls joined Twilight. "Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here!"

"What?" Dusk felt the beginning of a smile at Nightmare's disbelieving tone, the fragments of stone beginning to glow at her hooves. He couldn't resist the chance. This was something he had to see.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty!" Some of the fragments flew to Applejack, hovering around her.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness!" Another group soared towards her.

"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter!" Pinkie tingled with happiness as she was next.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity!" Rarity looked down at the fragments that flocked to her.

"And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!" Rainbow smiled confidently as she received the last of them. "The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us."

Nightmare looked fearful, desperate for a reprieve. "You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!"

"But it did! A different kind of spark." She turned around to face them. Even from here, Dusk could see the tears of happiness shining in her eyes, as they passed over him, lingering for a fraction of a second. "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all are...my friends!"

A bright flash of light, one that made Dusk squint from the brightness, appeared above her, as did another stone orb that came to a stop near her head. She turned back to face Nightmare, who was now terrified.

"You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the..." She paused, searching for the right words, "the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!"

As the fragments glowed brighter than ever before, gathering near the bases of their necks, Dusk closed his eyes and bowed his head. Though he knew what was coming, as Nightmare screamed in defiance of what was happening, he felt that he should do this. He added his wish, his hope, that the Elements would work, that they would free Nightmare Moon of her dark powers and return her to good… as she should be. He remained like this until the Elements ceased to glow, until all movement and noise stopped.

When he opened his eyes, a slight headache and fatigue afflicting him now, he was a little bemused at how peaceful it all looked now. The girls were all on the floor, the Elements of Harmony sparkling around their necks, on the head in the case of Twilight. Unconscious from using the power of the Elements. He noted as well that Rarity's tail had grown back. In front of the throne, Nightmare Moon had vanished, leaving in her place Princess Luna, looking a little different to when he'd seen her. His head told him he should leave but… his heart, which was still feeling broken, told him to stay.

Slowly, softly, he approached Princess Luna. She was even smaller than when he'd met her and her mane didn't have the same sparkling quality that it would later. It was strange, seeing her like this when before she'd been cackling with evil intentions, but was so much more right. He smiled down at her, still remembering when they'd shared those candy apples at the Gala, her warm smile and carefree laughter. That hadn't even happened yet so… that was something for her to look forward to at least.

"Welcome back," he whispered, flicking her fringe out of her face and looking around.

There they all were. The Wielders of the Elements of Harmony, at the beginning of their friendship. Dusk knew that, for them, this was only the start of many adventures, some he had even shared in. Even if those had been false and they'd been lying all this time, he still felt affection, gratitude for them. Enough that he should say something before he left, even though they wouldn't hear him in their current state.

"Hello girls," he began, crossing over to them. "You haven't even met me yet but… you will. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. But, whether or not you were just putting up with me, I'll never forget the time I spent with you."

He moved to the farm pony, straightening her Stetson. "I still don't think my trilby ever truly rivalled to you, Applejack. You spoke to me before you even knew me. In a way, you were my first friend when I first came to Ponyville. I am proud to have known such a dependable, honest pony as you."

He could see the ruby lightning bolt glinting around her neck as she lay there. "I admire you in so many ways. You're brave, daring, confident… everything I'm not and could only really hope to be. I did try, but I don't think I ever compared. The Wonderbolts will improve tenfold once they take you on, Rainbow Dash, as I know they will."

Somehow, she still looked happy, even in her sleep. "I barely knew what true laughter was until I met you, Pinkie Pie. Regardless of how random and unpredictable you are, you could always bring a smile to my face, no matter what my mood. Please know that I tried and… I hope you'll always remember me as Mr Psychic Pony."

Even her breathing was gentle and quiet, lying peacefully on the stone. "You and I were alike in so many ways. I didn't think that there was anypony who could be just as nervous and unsure of themselves as you, Fluttershy. But you have a kindness and compassion that makes you truly special. If I ever had a sister, I would want her to be you."

Still as beautiful and stylish as the day he met her, he still bowed to her as he had done. "Rarity you've done so much for me: taught me to dance, gave me a chance at love and supported me all the way. You must have incredible patience to have put up with me, that's all I can say. I'll never forget your generosity… and I'll be keeping the hat, just so you know."

Lastly, there was her, the diadem shining in the stars, sparkling like her name. "And you... Twilight Sparkle… where do I begin? From the day we met, I always hoped you would be my friend. You gave me that friendship and so much more besides. I don't know I you had ever wanted to take it further, but that's something I'll hold onto anyway. I'll never forget you." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "Remember: together, you are unstoppable."

Pulling back, resisting the urge to kiss her on her cheek, as she had once done, he tore himself away from them, proceeding slowly towards the passage, even though they could awaken at any moment. It was a little ironic that, chronologically speaking, the first time he saw them, at the start of it all, would be the last time. He would find somewhere, a cave perhaps and live out his days alone, just watching the world move on. It was for the best.

He felt a sudden tingle, a magical lightning darting from his leg, tingling throughout his whole body and growing stronger with every passing second. His lift home, he thought with a slight laugh. Well, at least he would be back in his own time and not be a stranger out of time. As the lightning swept over every inch of him, he turned back around, sure that he saw them beginning to stir.

"Goodbye my friends… and good luck." Remembering something else he'd once read, he raised his hoof in farewell. "Live long and pro-"

He was cut off as it consumed him entirely. In a flash of light, Dusk Noir was gone. Like he had never been there.

Never in her life had Twilight felt so tired, so spent of energy. Moaning incoherently, she rubbed her head. She had a splitting headache and would need a good sleep, but she was sure she would be quite all right. Then, she felt elation, a surge of triumph. They had done it! They'd rediscovered the Elements and defeated Nightmare Moon! With her friends…

"Ugh, my head…" she heard Rainbow groan.

"Everypony okay?" asked Applejack.

"Oh, thank goodness," Rarity sighed with relief, looking at her tail, which was back as it was.

Fluttershy was looking in her direction in awe. "Why Rarity, it's so lovely."

"I know! I'll never part with it again."

"No. Your necklace," she corrected. "It looks just like your cutie mark."

"What? Ooh. So does yours."

As they all marvelled over their individual Elements, Twilight turned away from them, looking at the passage where they'd all arrived. Just before they'd used the Elements on Nightmare, she could have sworn that she saw somepony there, watching the proceedings silently in the shadows. He… at least, she thought he was a he, had just stood there, watching the whole thing. She'd only seen him for an instant and hadn't thought much on because of the moment, but now… who was he?

"Twah'light?" Applejack was looking at her with concern. "You okay sugar cube?"

Twilight looked at her, then back at the passage. There was nothing there, nor was there any sign anypony had been there in the first place. Maybe she'd just been seeing things, a trick of the light perhaps. There had been a lot going on.

"Nothing," she finally said. "I just thought I saw something, that's all."

"Really? What?"

Twilight thought for a moment. "Nothing but… I think it was a friend."

Applejack gave her a curious look, and then smiled reassuringly. "Ah'm sure it was, whatever it was ya saw."

"Yeah…" She glanced back at the spot and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Memories

Present day…

Dusk snapped his eyes open as the whirling and tingling stopped and he felt his hooves hit solid ground. He was no longer in the ruins of the castle, past or present, but looked to be at the edge of the Everfree Forest, on the very threshold of the trees. Quickly, he scurried away from the trees and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd had enough of that forest and there was no way he was going back in there again.

He glanced down at his neck to see the stone fragment he'd found hanging around his neck, the seventh along with others. So… that had really happened then. He had seen the use of the Elements of Harmony for the first time in a thousand years, as well as the ponies he had once called his friends… for the last time.

Now he was back and it was time to fulfill his vow. Time to slip away, never to be found again. He couldn't go back to his house in Ponyville, for he wasn't sure if he could. He considered returning to Canterlot, but where could he go? What if he became his darker self while staying with his parents? He couldn't live with himself if he did anything that might hurt the ponies he loved. He remembered a series of rocky passages near Whitetail Wood. Perhaps there would be an empty cave there he could take refuge inside… live out the rest of his days in exile… a horrible thought, but a necessary one. It was for the best.

With a heavy heart, he set off towards the direction of the wood, passing the spot where he had once followed a certain cyan Pegasus pony… the memory flooded back to him, appearing as clearly as the day he had first been there…

"Here we are," she declared, descending again. "The edge of the Everfree Forest. Nopony ever comes near here. Unless you're me, of course."

"Of course..." he murmured, eyeing the forest warily.

"Hey," she said, raising an eyebrow, "you're not scared, are you?"

"Um... well er..." He hated looking so weak on front of her. "A little..."

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be scared of in..." She paused and, in a spooky voice "... the Everfree Forest!"

"Uh... yeah..."

"Relax Dusky, I'm only kidding." She laughed at how ridiculous he no doubt looked. "I like you, Dusk. You're alright."

Despite what had happened that day, he couldn't help but smile fondly at it. Having just run away, thinking he'd made the stupidest mistake in his life, he'd met Rainbow Dash… and just ended up making another one. Even so, they had still forgiven him afterwards, though he went on to make another stupid mistake shortly afterwards.

That had been the first time he'd used his colour puppetry for something useful, something that had helped somepony that needed. Even if it hadn't quite gone as he had planned, he'd still done it rather than back down away from it. He'd always had headaches afterwards from the practice sessions that he did with her in future, especially after the Young Flyers Competition, but it had still been worth it… he was going to miss those days.

Stopping at the hill, he happened to look back at the town, with its thatched straw roofs and wooden houses.. Ponyville, that had felt more like his true home than Canterlot ever had. Everypony was so much more happy, so much more open... and he had lived out the best days of his life here. He wanted nothing more than to run back home, to just stay there forever. But it was better for him to never see it again than to see it in the flames of chaos, especially if he was causing them... remember it as it was

Walking on a little further, he came across a lake, again a place that held significance for him. He paused for a moment, then crossed over to one specific part of the water's edge. Recalling how he had been, he lay down by it and stared down into the water, almost wishing that she would be here again. Jumping up out of the depths, wearing a snorkel and flippers, ready to try and cheer him up with some helpful advice…

"Hey, Dusk?" He looked back up at her. "Let me ask you something: have you ever talked to any other ponies before?"

"Um... no." Why had she asked that?

"Have you ever tried to make friends with anypony before?"

"No... not really..."

"Then how do you know that they'll get bored of you if you've never tried?"

"I... well... you see..." Dusk couldn't think of anything to say. He had nothing to say.

"Mmhmm," she hummed in satisfaction. "Right, I gotta go. Lots to do and little time. See ya later Dusk, remember what I told you!"

"I did remember what you told me," he murmured, reaching out and touching the water with his hoof, making the clear surface ripple. "That was the start of it…"

He left it for a few moments, then drew it back, viewing his reflection in the water, as if he thought it might look different from that day. It was like a cycle, that he should return here once more after discovering that he was no good for friendships, nor would he ever be. He would never fool himself with such beliefs again, as it was far worse now.

Trying to ignore that, just for a moment, he witnessed a brief flash on the water's edge of that dark rage-filled face and burning eyes that may or may not become his own, he gazed out to the opposite end of the lake. There, at that spot, was where he'd first tried his hoof at being useful… and it had worked without any hitches…

"We did it," Fluttershy said proudly. "Thank you for your help, Dusk. You did a wonderful job."

"He, it's alright..." He could feel his cheeks flush. "I just... did what I could... you did most of it..."

"But you helped anyway. Thank you so much for taking the time to. You're a really nice pony."

"Well... um er... thanks, Fluttershy. It... that means a lot to me," he said sincerely.

"You're welcome," she said. Just seeing that grateful smile on her face made him glow inside.

Fluttershy… that had been the first time he'd seen her gentle kindness with animals. He wondered where that little family of ducks was now, if they would remember him at all. He shut his eyes, the surface of the water now being broken by the tears that rolled down his cheeks. The surface rippled again and he saw that horrible face, the dark fur, that painful grimace.

"Dusk." In that chilling voice, it sent a shiver up his spine. "You cannot run from me. I am you and nothing can change that."

"I can," Dusk replied, staring back down at him. "I can make sure you never come to light and that my mind remains mine."

"But I am you Dusk. I am you, fully realised, your pain and fear fully embraced." He gave him a horrible smile, one with no warmth whatsoever. "In a way, we are brothers, you and I. Let me out Dusk."

"No, no I'll never let you out. I'll never be you," he insisted, trying to control his fear.

"Don't run from the inevitable. You cannot stop me, nor can you keep your friends safe by running. I'll get out, Dusk and I'll become you fully. Then, you will be truly forgotten. Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't want this!" His doppleganger's smile grew even more sinister, like he was mocking him. "I'd rather die before I become like you. I am not you, I am my own self, won't let my pain take over."

"But you already have, little Dusk. Pain is all you know now, misery and disappointment. It's all you can hope to be. Why not just accept it? You might even enjoy it..."

"Never!" he cried, as he started to cackle. "Stop it, leave me alone. Get out of my head!"

"You mean our head. I can't leave, not ever, I'm a part of you and always will be."

"No... no, never..."

"Let me out Dusk... give in to hate."

"No!"

"Let me out NOW!"

"NO!" He slapped the water with his hoof, his breathing heavy. "I won't let you, never!" There was no reply. His reflection had returned to normal.

He stared at the spot where his darker self had appeared to him. This was now an even stronger reminder of why he had to leave. He couldn't let that part of him take over, not now and not ever. For the ponies he loved... he had to do this. The pain now seeming even worse now, he stood up and walked away, back towards the wood.

He lifted his head up at the sound of flapping wings and felt a sudden jolt of joy when he saw his pet, as she landed on his outstretched leg. "Hello Ophelia."

She gave him a gentle hoot and an inquisitive tilt of her head. She wanted to know where he was going. "I'm leaving, Ophelia. I know it's sad but… it's for the best." He stroked her feathers with tender care. "You don't have to come with me, you can just go but… it's what I need to do." She stared at him for a few moments, then shook her head and nipped his cheek with her beak. "You… you're coming with me?" She nodded, her amber eyes boring into him. Well, at least someone wanted him around. "Thank you… come on, let's go."

He let her take off and fly above him, watching after her. Though he was leaving to keep the girls safe and so they wouldn't have to put up with him, but there was no sense in leaving his pet behind. He just couldn't stand the thought of it… he might as well keep a few memories of his once happy times.

The two of them reached the trees of Whitetail Wood, its flowers still in bloom for summer, gracing him with a colourful beauty he didn't feel he deserved. He couldn't help but remember the names of ones he saw. Foxglove, snowdrop, lilies… and lilacs. Another memory flooded back to him, when he first contemplated romance…

"I thought so," she said knowingly.

"W-w-what?"

"What you just said," she clarified. "You and Twilight do have a lot in common, spend a lot of time together. I thought that, if anypony would have your affection, it would be her." She smiled even more warmly.

"B-b-but... I'm not sure if I do... feel that way, about her..." he went on pathetically. "I mean... I don't know..."

"Well, let's see then, said Rarity. "Do you often find your thoughts drift to her?"

"Um... quite a bit, I guess..."

"Do you often pass glances at her, one might say, even stare?"

"Um... perhaps..."

"Do you enjoy her company, to the point that it's almost difficult to think of leaving her side?"

"...Yes..."

"Then, there is no doubt about it," she said confidently, still smiling. "Personally, I think that the two of you would make a very cute couple."

"That's um... nice of you to say so. But," he added sadly, "she thinks romance is a waste of time... chasing after somepony who may not even return your feelings... I don't think I have much of a chance..."

"I don't think so dear. From what Twilight told us, she thought much the same of friendship once upon a time. Now look at her. I'm sure that, in time, she would start to look at romance in much the same light. It may take some time, but she will."

"But... how will I know if she even feels the same way?"

"Most times, you can't. But that's the thrill of love, not quite knowing but that elation you feel when you realise they do feel the same..." She sighed again. "There's nothing else like it..."

Dusk nodded at this. "So... you think I might... have a chance with her?"

"I don't think you will, I know you will," she said confidently. "We'll keep this between us, as I promised, but if there is anyway I can help at all, don't hesitate to ask."

"Okay... thank you, Rarity." There was one thing he felt he should ask. "Is there anything do you think I should do, you know... to show Twilight how I feel?"

"Dusk, quite frankly, you've been doing all of the right things so far," she informed him. "You two are already close friends, you share much of the same interests. You seem to go out of your way for her, can make conversation easily... oh, and the flowers, that was a wonderful gesture. I'm sure she was grateful for those."

"She was, yes... so, should I just... keep doing what I'm doing?"

"Yes, do. One thing that scares a girl off is moving too quickly. Take it nice and slowly, pay her the occasional compliment on her appearance or her work. You do that, I'm sure you'll succeed. After all, you have me helping you."

Feeling compelled to, he picked one of the lilacs and revolved it in the air before him. To think, he'd actually thought his foolish endeavours would work, that he could ever hope to win the heart of Twilight Sparkle. That was even worse than the illusion that he'd actually had friends. Just like that, it had all been for nothing.

"It didn't work, did it?" He sighed, letting the flower fall onto the earth and trudging on. Was it some kind of torture, that he was being forced to relive these fallacies of happiness? Times he could never hope to live again, now or ever…

"What need have you of love? What purpose does it serve, but for pain? Pain that you can embrace to become stronger than you ever believed. Give in..." Ignoring his darker self, Dusk shook his head and carried on his path.

It happened again when he reached a clearing, in a meadow filled with flowers with a shaded tree growing nearby. Wondering over, he soon found it. A little shoot, spouting from the ground, certainly bigger than when he'd first planted it…

"Wait a sec..." Applejack picked up one of the cores, extracted the seeds with care and delicately planted them in a spacious patch of the meadow. Dusk helped her dig a hole, covering it up a few seconds later. "There... now there'll soon be a nice new apple tree in this here spot."

"New life in spring, a wonderful thing," Dusk mused to himself, making Applejack smile. "Thanks for today AJ, it was... memorable."

"Ah sure hope so," she chuckled. "No problem Dusk, ah had fun with y'all."

"I suppose… it was rather fun." Allowing himself a smile, he gently nudged the shoot. "Keep growing, little one… you'll certainly accomplish more than I ever could…"

"But you can, if you only let me out, my friend," his darker self put in. He could picture him grinning. "Come on, try it..."

"Be quiet," he ordered harshly.

"Am I getting to you? Good!" He laughed again and fell silent, but he was still there... he could feel him.

Setting back on the path, he reached the sign posted spot that led up into the rocky caverns. Ophelia had landed on top of it and was patiently waiting for him, as he stopped at the fork. This was it. The last threshold to his life in exile.

Just before he ventured up, he stopped and turned his head around. He could still trace his hooves over the path he had taken, when he had been conserving his energy to run part of a race, with the most wonderful pony he'd ever met…

"Oh my, Dusk," she sighed, bringing him out of his thoughts, "isn't Whitetail Wood lovely?"

"Yes, it is," he agreed, gazing around at the bare trees and feeling the leaves crunching beneath his hooves. "The beauty of nature is truly one of the greatest things about the world, there can be no doubt."

"Yeah," she sighed again. "See, I told you this would be a great experience."

"That you did." He smiled his best smile. "Thanks for convincing me to come along, I'm really having a good time."

"Me too," she agreed. "Autumn is such a beautiful time of year, don't you think?"

"It is… but I can't share anymore with you," he whispered, the tears starting afresh. He heard a cackle, in that deep voice and was reminded again of why he was doing this.

"Time to go? But there was so much we could do, you and I Dusk," that chilling voice spoke.

"No there wasn't." He bowed his head and tried to ignore him. "Not now, not ever."

"We'll see..." Another sinister chuckle and there was silence once more. Time to go, as he had said.

"Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle… goodbye everypony." His tears splashing on the dirt below, he hung his head and walked this path, alone. As he was meant to.

He didn't know what was worse: the fact that he would never again feel as happy as he had in all of those memories he'd experienced or that they were never real to begin with, that they weren't enjoying themselves. By all rights, he should feel bitter, angry that they had pretended for so long and hadn't told him the truth to begin with. And yet…

Dusk didn't feel anything like that. Whatever the intentions might have been at the time, he had still enjoyed himself at every moment he had spent with the girls. Regardless of what they felt, they had showed him so much, that he could do good things if he tried by just being himself, that he could be more than he had ever thought he would be. Who knows, maybe they had enjoyed themselves a little bit and he still had the memories of what they had done, along with whatever pride and accomplishments came with them. Those feelings certainly weren't false and that, nopony could take away.

Feeling a little less badly, he came across a small section in the rocky paths, large enough for him to fit in. Well, it was as good a spot as any. He could worry about things like food and water later. Right now, he would just need to get used to this.

"Hm yes, an excellent piece of cave real estate." He jumped when he heard Discord's manipulative voice and whipped around to see him grinning. "Look, it's even up for sale!" He snapped his fingers and a 'for sale' sign appeared in front of it, though the sign was upside down.

"What are you here for?" he asked bitterly.

"I'm just here looking for you. You just seemed to vanish and I was so worried about you," he said in a mock concern tone. "Tell me, where did you go off to?"

Knowing deep down that he shouldn't tell him, Dusk looked away. "What does it matter to you?"

"It does matter." He whipped his face in front of him, his eyes making contact with Dusk's. "Tell me, where did you go?"

Dusk stared into those blood-red depths, as they seemed to shift and change in colour. At first, he was going to tell him, to let him see all that happened but… it was like something was telling him to resist, a little voice deep inside of him to keep this information no matter what. Whenever it seemed Discord gained a hold of him, he was able to squirm out of it. Eventually, he pulled away completely.

"That's none of your business, my lord." He gave a mock bow and turned away from Discord, determined not to let him have further satisfaction.

"Oh really, you think you can just walk away?" He felt a pain in his skull as Discord grabbed his head, all composure and charisma gone. "Tell me, now!"

Dusk could feel him, worming his way into his mind. He was too powerful, there was nothing he could do to stop him now. Once Discord did this, there was no chance at resistance. Yet, every time Discord tried to access his memories, he could fend off his jabbing probe. He was strong, but something else was giving Dusk strength, something that was keeping him out... but how long could he keep it up.

"Get... out ... of... my... HEAD!" he shouted mentally, pressing on a kind of weak offensive, nothing substantial, but enough to keep him out.

Eventually, he felt Discord's presence withdraw and he opened his eyes, feeling drained. The draconequus was staring at him with a curious expression and perhaps a hint of... fear?

"How are you doing that?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"I... don't know and... I don't care." He pulled himself up to his hooves and turned away from him again. "Haven't you tormented me enough?"

A moment of silence, then his mocking tone was back. "Tormented? I have simply shown you the truth, before it was too late and now I'm here to make sure you're settling in nicely enough. Do you need anything? Pillows? A book perhaps? How about a hug?" He made eye contact with him again and, once more, everything he said was truth… at least, he thought it was… wasn't it? So why was that little voice saying otherwise?

Dusk wrenched his gaze away from his hypnotic eyes and returned to the cave. Knowing the spirit of chaos was just trying to toy with his mind even more, Dusk turned away. "What I need is for you to leave, Discord. Leave and don't come back."

There was a moment of silence, like Discord was contemplating what he said. He thought he heard him mumble something, but he then spoke louder.

"Oh, well that's gratitude for you." He patted Dusk on the back and he felt a sudden jolt shoot up his spine. "Don't worry, if all goes well, I'll never have to come looking for you again. Au revoir, little Dusk!"

"What do you… what did you just do?" He got no answer, for Discord had vanished again.

He examined his back, seeing no marks of any kind, but still feeling a bit suspicious. That jolt and Discord touching him hadn't been a coincidence. Why was he so determined to know where he had been? Did he know something that Dusk didn't? What further tricks did the spirit of chaos have in store for him? He stared at his back for a long while, then just sighed and shrugged… what did it matter? He couldn't help to stand against Discord, nopony could…

Suddenly feeling rather tired, he lay down on the cold, hard earth and tried his best to make himself comfortable. He calmed his mind with the feelings of happiness he'd felt with the girls, trying not to remember whatever cruel truths he had been shown. As he drifted off to sleep, Ophelia nestling on a rock nearby, he remembered something he'd read that was rather appropriate for this…

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened…

Discord allowed himself a victorious smile, as he watched from outside, the little stallion slump on the cave floor. How could this pony have been what Fore Sight had once foretold? He was nothing, as tiny and powerless as the rest of his little friends. Yet, in that moment…

Discord had seen it, just briefly, but it was there. Somehow, he was able to defy his powers in that little way. He hadn't been able to before, even though he had knowledge of his powers. His fears and doubts had been so easy to use against him. In that moment, he had been able to stop him from using his powers of manipulation, just for a moment, but it had been there, a glimmer of hope and strength he had used… how could that be? He had broken him, his faith in friendship forever shattered. So why did he still seem to resist?

In the end, he just shrugged. Whatever it was, it wouldn't help him for long. He was awake, alert, but not for long. That was little bit of his own magic was just what this was for. Once his mind was dormant, it would go to work and then he would be truly broken. Who knows, once he became corrupted fully, he might make a good servant. The chaos he could wreak when he'd unlocked his full potential.

"Soon Dusk, you'll see things my way, once you give in to your dark side." He gave a little spin in the air and with a flash, returned to the maze. Just one last thing to do…

Despite how heavy this stone was on her back, Rarity having long since abandoned her to carry it by herself and the strange behaviour of her friends, she was still determined. The thought that they could find the Elements, stop Discord… save Dusk. That was what kept her going, kept her fighting. They could still find Rainbow, loyal Rainbow Dash.

"Must... find... Rainbow Dash." She stopped to rest a moment. "As a team... we're unstoppable. Rainbow Dash won't let us down."

Applejack's voice, which hadn't been as honest as before, made her head snap up. "Well, looky there. Rainbow Dash is flyin' away. She's abandonin' us."

"Now I know that's a lie." She cast the stone aside and looked up… to see a Pegasus streak away up into the sky, feeling her heart sink. "How can it be?"

At that moment, the sky was darkened by grim clouds and thunder boomed in her ears. The walls of the maze fell away around them, sinking into the ground, leaving nothing but a dirt crater. Through the smoke, she could see one serpentine figure, his opposite wings flapping to clear away the smoke. When he spoke, his voice was dripping with gloating triumph.

"Well, well, well. Somepony broke the "no wings, no magic" rule." He snapped his fingers and with a flash, their wings and horns returned. That could mean only one thing... "Game's over, my little ponies. You didn't find your precious elements." He conjured up a pink umbrella, which he unfolded backwards and Twilight felt a sense of loss and despair. "Looks like we might be due for a big old storm of chaos!"

As he laughed in triumph, Twilight could only watch in horror. How could they ever hope to win this time? Now he was in power... what hope did they have to stop Discord from reigning chaos... forever?

Dark Side

Twilight was still staring in horror as Discord laughed with thunder booming all around him, rolling on the floor and clutching his sides. She was still trying to comprehend the fact that they had failed, that Discord was going to reign chaos across Equestria because they couldn't stop him. She was still trying to understand that they had failed their home, their families... Dusk, when an angry Pinkie spoke up.

"And what are you laughing at?!" she demanded from Discord.

He paused to wipe a tear from his eye, still smiling away. "Ho, you ponies are just the most fun I've had in aeons."

"Well, quit it!" she ordered. "You'd better think before you laugh at the Pink...ie Pie!"

"Oh, yeah? Well ha, ha," laughed Fluttershy cruelly, further aggravating Pinkie.

"Quit it!"

"No. Ha, ha."

"Quit it!"

"No. Ha ha-ha ha ha."

This was the worst part, she thought, as her friends began to squabble among themselves, Fluttershy continuing to aggravate Pinkie and Rarity fending off Applejack when she tried to take her 'diamond'. Ever since they'd entered the maze, they'd all started to act strangely when she found them. Applejack had taken to lying, Fluttershy was behaving cruelly, Pinkie had become a cynic and Rarity convinced that a huge boulder was a diamond.

She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Dusk was here. Would he have let the stress of what was going on get to him and start acting distantly as he had once done or would he have stuck by her side to find the Elements and stop their foe? Right now, she couldn't be entirely sure how he would handle this, but she knew he would try to be strong. She wished he was here, as she tried to calm her friends.

"Girls, why are you all acting like this? We need to stick together." They ignored her and continued to fight and she felt that sense of hopelessness once more.

"It's just too entertaining." Discord had conjured up a row of seats and was laid back on them, eating popcorn from a tub.

Approaching where he sat, she glared at him angrily. "Stop it, Discord. You're not playing fair!"

"I'm not playing fair? Perhaps we haven't met." He stood up and held out his lion's paw like they were just getting acquainted. "I'm Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony. Hello?"

"How are we supposed to find the Elements of Harmony when you took away the labyrinth before we could get to the end?" she demanded.

"Oh, wait, did you...?" He paused to laugh once more, as if she had said some kind of joke. "How funny! You thought the Elements were in the labyrinth?"

He snapped his fingers and transported her back to the Royal Canterlot Tower, when he had set them off on this whole wild goose chase. She heard again the riddle he recited and once again she wondered at the last verse. What was it they needed to stop Discord completely, along with the Elements of Harmony? Was it some kind of other artifact they had missed? What were they meant to be looking for?

Before she could ponder this further, Discord transported them back, a self-satisfied smile on his twisted features.

"I never said they were in the labyrinth," he pointed out.

"But...but..." He cut her off and started to walk away.

"Keep trying, Twilight Sparkle. Maybe the magic of friendship can help you," he added mockingly. "Or maybe your number one pony assistant, hm?"

Anger flared inside her at the mention of Dusk. "If you've done anything else to him, I swear you'll regret it."

"Temper, temper Miss Sparkle," he tutted, wagging his finger. "You should be careful or it'll get you into trouble. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak."

He snapped his fingers and vanished from sight, clouds of cotton candy darkening the sky above their heads and raining down chocolate upon them. Twilight could feel it dripping over her mane and fur, as if it was some kind of cruel reminder that they had failed thus far and this was their punishment for it.

"Chocolate milk? I hate chocolate milk!"

She groaned at this and began to think about the riddle again, repeating the last line and rapping her skull with her hoof, as if constant repetition and emphasis would make the answer more clear... back where you began... back where you began, that was the crucial part. But began where? Were they back at Canterlot tower again?

Dusk would be good at this, with his imaginative thinking and sharp mind, like her own. Together, the two of them could have figured this out and thwart Discord, that would show him. She remembered when she'd been trying to figure out a different riddle and he had helped her with it. He'd made it look so much more easy...

"Something wrong Twi?" he asked, as he walked by her desk.

"Nothing big," she replied with a sigh. "It's this riddle Applejack posed for me, I'm having trouble getting my head around it."

He examined it as she levitated it to him. "Hm, interesting... trapped in a tower with no door and no windows, with only an apple and a knife. How do you escape the tower using only what you have?"

"I've tried everything I can think of, but nothing I come up with seems to fit. Any ideas?" she asked him.

He stared at it for a few minutes, she could tell his mind was working furiously as he frowned at it thoughtfully. She couldn't help but blush at the thought that she liked it when he did that. It reminded her of why she admired him and respected his intelligence. He snapped her out of these thoughts when he suddenly smiled and levitated it back to her.

"Got it," he said simply. "I have to say, that's a good one."

"What?" She found herself staring in disbelief. "I've spent about an hour trying to figure that out!"

"You're thinking about it too hard, don't try and look at it literally. You just need to think about the answer that'll make it whole," he advised, winking as he said the last word.

"What does that-" She thought about what he was getting at and smiled herself. "Oh, I see... cut the apple in half, to halves make a whole and you just climb through the hole!"

"Exactly!"

"There's that creative thinking coming through again," she remarked, eliciting a blush from him.

"Well... you know how I think," he mumbled, scraping the ground with his hoof.

"How do you think about it so easily?" she asked admirably.

"I just do," he shrugged. "A riddle can have more than one way than looking at it and most times the simplest answer isn't the right one, a little bit like life. But you can always find the right one, with a little imagination."

"Very profound," she commented with a smile.

"I suppose," he agreed modestly, returning smile and setting back to work...

Once again, she wished he was here. He'd be able to figure this out with some imagination and some creative thinking. Not that she couldn't manage that either, but he just seemed so much more free in his thoughts and ideas... she liked that about him too.

But she shook her head and told herself to focus. This longing for him wasn't helping her come up with a solution, nor was her friend's bickering in the background which was starting to grate on her nerves and patience.

"Ugh. I just want to go home... with you, Dusk..." In that instant, the solution came to her, almost like he himself had inspired it. "Wait a minute...home! "Back where you began!" The Elements must be in Ponyville!" She turned around only to discover her friends were still fighting. "Hey, cut it out!" she ordered, breaking them up with magic and dumping them on the ground.

"Hey, I was having fun," snapped Fluttershy, glaring at her.

"Well stop," she retorted. "I've figured out the Elements are in Ponyville and we need to get back right now."

"Ah knew that, ah uh, was jus' waitin' ta see if you would," Applejack informed falsely.

"Took you long enough," added Fluttershy. "Not as smart as you think, are you?"

"I hate Ponyville!" shrieked Pinkie.

"Finally, now I can get this big hunk of a diamond home," crooned Rarity to her boulder, grabbing it possessively.

"Let's just go," groaned Twilight.

Leading the way out of the dirt crater that had once been the Canterlot Labyrinth, Twilight knew they wouldn't be able to get back on the train, as Discord would have seen to that. Perhaps it would be an inflatable or something like that. So, they took the path down from the mountains and across the meadows to where Ponyville was, their pace slowed somewhat due to the reluctance of the others and Rarity carrying her boulder.

As they trotted on the path, Twilight paused as they neared the Everfree Forest, seeing the menacing trees with their wicked branches reaching out like clawed hands and felt that pang of longing again. She had seen Dusk in there, at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. What exactly he was doing there she didn't know, but she knew that she didn't want him to be alone in that place. She needed to know if he was okay, if she could help him in any way...

"Hold on girls," Twilight said to them, heading towards the trees, "there's somewhere else we gotta go first."

"Great, cause ah really wanted ta go ta the Everfree Forest," she heard Applejack say.

"But we need to go in there," she said urgently.

"No, what I need to do is get my diamond home," countered Rarity, shivering under the weight of her boulder.

"Look, are you coming with me or not?" she asked, beginning to lose her patience.

"No," they all said in unison.

"Ugh, fine! Wait here, I won't be long," he told them and turned away.

A little afraid she would be alone, but secretly grateful she'd be able to get away from their negative attitudes, she set off towards the trees. Thinking about how negatively her friends were acting, she found herself thinking that maybe Dusk was affected too. She prayed to Celestia that wouldn't be the case, because she couldn't think to stand the sight of him acting like that... he wasn't like that anymore...

She headed to the path that Princess Celestia had shown her that was a safer route to the ruin. Taking elation that she would hopefully find her friend safe and well, especially after what Discord had done to him, she quickened her step and entered the trees, only vaguely noting Rarity's laboured grunts far and the others squabbling behind her.

Dusk's sleep wasn't an easy one. Ever since he'd set his down on the harsh, cold earth, he had been plagued by images and sounds that were played over and over again in his mind, from those cruel visions that Discord showed him, hearing the dismissive and annoyed tones of the girls as they talked about him...

"After today, no more Dusk... You'd have thought he'd have gotten the message earlier that we don' want him around... Even I don't like him and I like everypony... Honestly, I never thought we'd be able to ditch him... Do you think, when we get to Canterlot, we can ask Princess Celestia to make him go away... That's just silly! Absolute nonsense!"

He tried clutching his ears and screwing his eyes shut to silence it, but if anything it just made it worse that it was before. It was like some tormenting reel of film that he was being forced to watch, to remind him of how useless he was, how pathetic he had truly been. He felt like screaming at the dark, just wanting it all to end in that moment. Then, just when it seemed like he couldn't take anymore...

It stopped.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes and took his hooves away from his ears. At first, it seemed like he had reawoken in the cave he took refuge in, but he could tell, just instinctively, he was somewhere different, though it looked the same. The main indicator was that his hat and necklace were missing from his head and chest, giving a sense of emptiness without these objects of tender memories. He also noted Opehila was absent from her perch, which made him feel even more alone.

However, it was when he turned around and saw that, instead of the cave wall at the back of the cave, there was a passage that had appeared, leading down into the rocky depths of the earth. That definitely hadn't been there before and that little feeling was telling him he should venture down there to find something. At first, he wanted to ignore it, to remain up here where the sun was streaming in behind him but... he knew he didn't have a choice. He had to go down there.

So, with a large gulp and a few deep breaths, he conjured up a ball of light that would give him some visibility down there, he set off, slowly, his hoofsteps echoing and resounding off of the rocky walls. The jagged rocks seemed to bear down on him like the sharp teeth of an animal and where the light couldn't illuminate, he had the feeling that something was watching him the dark. Trying to ignore that feeling, he pressed on, alert and ready.

As he ventured down, he noticed that the tunnel took many twists, turns and bends throughout, enough that it would be easy to get lost. Bearing this in mind, he scraped arrows into the dirt at his hooves, hoping he'd be able to find his way back... was it his imagination, or had he just heard a cold laughter, distant and echoing from the deeper recesses of the cave? He shook his head, knowing his fear was getting the better of him.

"Darkness is merely the absence of light, shadows are nothing but an effect of the light," he said to himself to keep calm. "There's nothing to fear in the dark, as there is nothing to fear from a shadow, for neither can harm us."

"It is what waits in the shadows and the darkness that can harm us." He felt a shiver up his spine at the sound of the echoing, cold voice, his laughter following minutes later.

Now, he had a good idea of what was waiting for him down here in the depths of the darkness, what he would have to face when he reached the journey's end. He had been trying keep him out, but now he was here, prepared to fight and ready to end him so he might take over. Well despite his usual views on violence, he wasn't going to go down without a fight, as he knew there wasn't going to be any negotiation in this meeting of minds.

He was getting a strong sense of deja vu as he took the path deeper down into the omnipresent darkness. It was like when he had travelled with the girls down into the Paraserpent's lair, to rescue Twilight from its clutches. Except this time, he was alone, the girls no longer here to help him and he got the feeling that it would be him in need of rescuing rather than Twilight. Whatever was down here would be far worse than the Paraserpent.

The shadows appeared to press down more on him the deeper he travelled, his light becoming less effective from the oppressive darkness... or was he just imagining it? Was that along with the dark shape he thought he sometimes saw, moving in the shadows at times? He thought he could see a flash of white, a hint of green in the dark that just as quickly vanished, along with the cold laughter that came with it. His heart beating against his chest, he tried his best to tell himself that it was just his eyes playing tricks, just his mind plagued by the fear that was making his legs shake.

After what seemed to be an age, he emerged from the tunnels into a larger area. He sent his light up and increased the brightness to illuminate his surroundings. It was a huge cavern, with a high ceiling and steep walls of rock, parts of it cloaked in shadows that seemed to follow him everywhere in here. At the centre was a pit, large enough for somepony to fall in and appearing to have no end. He made a mental note not to fall in there and cast his gaze around the rest of the cavern. It looked like there was nothing here, but he could feel it, an unseen presence that had been watching him since he'd came down here.

"I know you're here," he called out to the darkness. "Show yourself."

He sensed movement behind him and rounded slowly as the pony that stepped down of the darkness to meet him, detaching from the shadows. His fur was as black as a starless night, his wild and long mane and flowing tail as white as the bones of the dead. Those horrible jade green eyes were like a reptile's, with slits rather than round pupils and held no warmth like the wicked smile that played on his lips. Despite this, he could still see the pain he had to endure in his eyes, the rage and hate that would never end.

His darker self, in the flesh at last.

"Finally… you're here," his darker self said in that chilling voice.

"I am," Dusk affirmed simply, controlling the fear he felt. "What is this about?"

"You know what this is about, brother," he replied, with an empty smile.

Dusk nodded. Deep down, he knew this was coming. "I suppose that this won't be resolved peacefully between us?"

"Not unless you wish to surrender and let me take over without a fight."

"Never," growled Dusk, trying to be brave. "I won't become like you. You're not really me, you're something completely different. You're a monster."

"I suppose I am… and it is so much better to embrace one's true nature, wouldn't you say, Dusk?"

"Not if that nature is that which would destroy it," countered Dusk. "As useless as I am, I'm still capable of love and compassion, unlike you."

"Such things are burdens that I do well without," he replied coldly, though he noticed with a hint of regret.

"They're not burdens; they help to make life better. You…" He pointed at his other self, glaring at him. "You can only hate and rage. You're nothing but a black hole of despair, sucking in and bringing doom to all those who get too close."

"Black Hole… Doom…" His darker self appeared thoughtful and smiled with a warped self-satisfaction. "Yes, that fits rather well. Thinking about it, I would not want to be labelled with your pathetic excuse of a name."

"My name is one of the few things I'm proud of," Dusk shouted back. "I would be happy to keep my name and all I am ashamed of than succumb to the darkness and pain that you offer."

His darker self, now named Blackhole Doom, only gave him his cruel travesty of a smile. "But my brother, we waste our time with words when we could settle this with action, with the weapons we possess, to see which is truly superior."

"Words are what win wars, not weapons," retorted Dusk, as they began to circle each other, their eyes never leaving, emerald locked with jade.

"Words are the weapons of weaklings, like you." He stretched out his hoof. "I ask you one last time: let me take over, let me become you. I could give you so much power, so much strength, if you would but let me."

"I desire neither power, nor strength. Power corrupts and strength can fail."

"You are half right, for it is your strength that will fail."

"I'd be happy knowing I spent it trying to stop you."

"Then you are nothing but a fool, a weak coward and pathetic child."

"That's not how see it." They were both tensed, ready for the first move, to strike first. "I only desire that you should never set hoof in Equestria."

"You would accept that when you could have so much more?"

"I would rather be a scholar dissatisfied than a pig satisfied."

"As you wish." He smiled once more, and then suddenly he pounced.

Dusk reacted at this, ducking underneath the attack, but felt a sharp pain as Blackhole aimed and landed a kick on the back of his head. Dusk whipped around, knowing that his opponent would strike him in the back if he was given the chance, but he had gone. Melted into the shadows that surrounded him.

Trying his best to cast his light around as wide an area as possible, Dusk's eyes darted from every shadow, watched every movement that could be his dark foe. Blackhole had the shadows as his allies, but Dusk had the light to banish them. He could at least say that he tried his best. Out of the corner of his eye, Dusk spotted movement and whipped around, just as Blackhole bought his hoof down on his head.

Or he would have done if Dusk hadn't blocked it and countered with a punch to the gut. His doppelganger grunted from the strike as he sent another to his head, but Blackhole blocked it impossibly fast and sent another blow to his own gut, making Dusk double over in pain, followed with a kick to the head that made Dusk skid across the jagged floor.

Despite his aching head, twinging from the pain, Dusk ran to catch up with him as he tried to retreat into the shadows again and jumped on him, sending some punches to the back of his head. He thought he'd be able too keep him pinned, but he soon discovered Blackhole was stronger that Dusk was. Blackhole then rolled over so he had Dusk pinned, smacking him hard with his hooves, blurring his vision and filling his mouth with the salty taste of blood. Grabbing Dusk by the neck, Blackhole flung him across the cave and he crashed into the cave wall, the pain filling every inch of him.

Dusk tried to bring himself to his hooves, while at the same doing his best to maintain his light orb, which was starting to flicker from his waning strength. While Dusk had shown he could hold his own in a fight, as much as he didn't like fighting, he wasn't used to this kind of intense combat, certainly not against a foe who was essentially himself, but with nothing holding him back and no moral code. Dusk had barely recovered when another blow was sent to his skull and sent him to the floor.

He could see Blackhole in the blurred vision he had to get used to. Dusk tried to swing his hoof at him, going for a sensetive spot on his neck, but Blackhole blocked it, slapping it away and returning with one in kind. Dusk barely had the chance to try again when he felt Blackhole's fist slam into his back, making his scream and convulse. He saw a magical aura around his neck, tightening his throat and restricting air, Blackhole holding him place. His face was contorted with rage, sending punch after punch at Dusk until he tossed him aside like yesterday's garbage, additional pain coming from the rocky ground.

His usually sharp mind having trouble focusing, Dusk noticed a pattern to his fighting after what seemed like hours of this brutal treatment. Everytime he was knocked to the floor, Blackhole gave him the opportunity to recover himself before engaging him in combat again. Then, he would back off once more and let him recover, then wash, rinse repeat. He knew was Dusk knew and he was stronger than he was, so why was he doing this. Then he realised it.

He was toying with him. He was letting him get up, just so he could smack him down again. Well, Dusk wasn't going to give him satisfaction that easily. He could hear the sound of his hooves approaching again, when Dusk, with what little was left of his strength, sent a punch that landed on his face. He saw Blackhole flinch and cry out, reeling back away from him. At first Dusk, tried to press his advantage, staggering to him and trying to send another one but Blackhole grabbed it and sent a paralysing pain up his leg, making him fall again. Grunting, tears falling, Dusk saw his face, a vision of rage and anger.

"That... hurt," he growled down at him.

"I... know," coughed Dusk, reeling from the burning in his limbs. "I'll try... better next time...

"As will I!" Blackhole screamed and punched him again. "You see now how weak you are?" SMACK! "You flinch at pain, I revel in it." CRASH! "You suppress anger, I let it flow through me." CRASH! "You cower in darkness, I embrace it." WHACK! "You hide from your rage but... I AM RAGE!"

"STOP!" Dusk simply couldn't take anymore. He had reached his limit and now he just wanted it to end. "Please... just stop..."

"You give in?" he asked tauntingly.

"I... I do... Please, no more..."

"Yes, I'm done with this game." He levitated him again and Dusk felt a stab of fear when he saw he was levitating him towards the pit.

"No... no, not there..." He tried to break free, but his strength was completely gone. His light flickered once more and died, plunged him into darkness, except for the glow of Blackhole's magic.

"You've had your fun, brother, now it's my turn." He suspended him above the pit, like the jaws of an animal about to consume.

"Don't... please, no!"

"Hm... I think yes." He saw that evil smile flash again. "Goodbye, Dusk Noir."

The aura stopped, Dusk stopped floating and he felt his stomach rush as he was falling. He could see Blackhole grinning down at him. Falling, unable to stop, screaming at the dark, at his loss... falling further and faster... falling.

Author's Note

Sorry I couldn't post yesterday folks, site was down and there was no internet where I was.

Chaos and Doom

The lord of chaos was still laughing at the thought of those ponies and what would happen when they failed. What Discord had said was true, that this the most fun he'd had in a long time, but this wasn't just for fun. Now that they were no longer in harmony with each other, they wouldn't be able to use the Elements, especially as there was one missing anyway. Once they failed, Twilight Sparkle would succumb too, like her precious Dusk was about to…

He stopped laughing as he felt a sudden twinge in his head. Discord had felt the shift in chaotic, dark energy just when he was about to start experimenting with his powers again, specifically from the little piece of magic that he'd implanted into Dusk just before he'd left him. That could mean only one thing, he thought with immense satisfaction: his magic had worked and Dusk had been replaced with new management, one who would be far more useful to him.

He transported himself to the cave where Dusk had exiled himself and snaked his head over the entrance. He couldn't help but feel a little excited at the prospect of this, not to mention triumphant. Now there was no way he'd be able to discover that oh-so vital fact about himself that might lead to the spirit's downfall. A new disciple of chaos, just waiting for instructions. Peering inside, he could see nothing but complete darkness, with not a soul moving inside. He was about to look in closer when something white flew into his face.

"Agh! What the…?" He turned to see it was just the pony's snowy owl, flying away and hiding behind a nearby rock. "Hm, well that was different." He turned back to the cave. "Hello? Are you there little Dusk? Knock-knock, guess who's come-a calling!"

At first, there was still an eerie silence. Discord was about to call out again, when he heard a low, rumbling growl of suppressed rage. Suddenly, a trilby hat was flung angrily out, landing at his feet and gathering dirt. This was followed by a deep, threatening voice that gave him a small case of the chills.

"Dusk isn't here." Part of the shadow seemed to pull away, as a dark stallion emerged from the cave, jade green eyes locked on Discord.

Discord beamed at the sight of him. "Oh, this is just perfect! This is quite an improvement, I must say."

"I thought so too… master," growled the stallion that had once been Dusk, bowing low before the lord of chaos.

"Excellent. I think this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership, my servant." He hovered up to him and ran his eyes around his form, examining him from head to hoof. "So, if you're no longer Dusk Noir, what is your name?"

The pony raised his head, his face fixed in an angry grimace. "You are right, master, in saying I am no longer that weakling. I am Blackhole Doom and I am your willing servant in chaos and disharmony."

"Charmed," grinned Discord, his smile faltering when he noticed the necklace. "Why are you still wearing that then?"

Blackhole glanced down at it, snarling. "As a reminder of what I used to be and how much I despise it, that I will never revert to such a weak existence again and as a… trophy," he finished with an evil grin.

"Oh, this is even better than I first thought," chuckled Discord. "The chaos that you and I will wreak, Blackhole, it will be beautiful."

"I share your vision, master," he replied. "I have felt your chaos running through my veins and it is glorious. Your wisdom has given me powers I could never dream of."

He demonstrated this by shooting off a blast of magic at a nearby wall. Discord's spell had also altered his unique powers with his chaos magic so that, instead of merely shaping colour, he could shape objects and matter as well. Of course, not as much as his good self as he would need to be kept in line, but enough to let him have a little fun. Discord laughed with glee when he felt that the cave wall had been turned into a state of jelly.

"Ha-ha, brilliant!" He grinned with satisfaction at his new servant. "Give it a few centuries and you could achieve many things, my little pony."

"I thought that might amuse you, my lord." He bowed his head again. "What would you have me do first? I am anxious to begin the anarchy of your will."

"All in good time," assured the draconequus. "First, there's somepony, or several somponies, I think would be very pleased to meet the new you. An old friend in particular…"

"Twilight Sparkle..." At first, his expression looked pained, even tortured, but that changed in an instant. He let out a scream of rage and slammed his hoof down on a rock, crushing it into dust. "She is no friend of mine! None of them are! Take me to them, my master and I shall show them my power now!"

"My thoughts exactly. Come along then, Blackhole Doom, we have much to do." He flew up close and wrapped an arm around him. "You know, that name is so much more macho, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say, my lord." He gave him another evil smile and sinister chuckle as they vanished, Dusk's hat levitated before him, absent of its wearer.

Twilight felt that strong sense of déjà vu as she stepped through the wooden doors of the Castle. Had it really been a full year since that first time she'd been here, since she'd discovered the magic of friendship? She remembered the first time she'd been here, thinking that friendship had been a waste of time but having that mind-set changed by the ponies who had accompanied her through the forest, no matter what danger that stood before them. Now she was back again, in a way, for the same purpose: searching for friendship, even if it was just one pony, but one pony that still meant a lot to her.

Her heart fluttered again as she thought of Dusk. She discovered that she always did that when she thought of him. Months ago, his name was one that instilled pity that he had never known friendship's magic himself. Now though, it meant so much more. The things she'd done with him since she'd met him… the discussions that they had, jumping from a hydra into a long gorge, dancing at the Grand Galloping Gala. All the things that they'd done that made his life better and also made hers that little bit more special as well.

As she walked through the doors of the castle and started her search in the room the Elements had been kept in, another memory came back to her, on the day she'd first used the Elements. When she'd turned around at the time she realised the girls were her friends, she recalled seeing another pony at the entrance of the room, wearing a black hat with a faint glow illuminating his body. When she'd went to investigate closer, he had vanished and nopony else had seen him, so she had dismissed it. Now though, she couldn't help but wonder… could it have really been the pony she was now searching for? Would that even be possible?

Deciding she would ask him after she found him, she stopped in the room and looked around for any sign of him. It didn't look like he was anywhere nearby; perhaps he was somewhere else in the castle, in another section.

"Dusk! Dusk, are you here?" She waited, but there was no reply. "It's me, Twilight! Where are you?"

The only response she received was her voice echoing around the empty stone room. She was starting to get a little worried now. There was, of course, every chance that he was no longer here and he had returned to the library and was there waiting for her right now. But what if something else had happened returning to Ponyville? There were a lot of fierce animals that lived in the forest. Could be possible he had been…? No, she refused to think that.

"I'm sure he's fine," she said to herself, though still fraught with worry. "He's fine, I'm sure he is."

"Sorry to rain on your parade then." She jumped at the sound of Discord's voice and saw him levitating before her.

"What are you talking about Discord?" She glared at him, but in truth his words scared her.

"I mean what I say, Twilight Sparkle." His face became sombre and he bowed his head. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid little Dusk had a run-in with somepony not too friendly and now he is no longer with us."

"W…what?" Twilight's mouth fell open in shock at this news.

"Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss." He raised his head and gave that wicked smile. "Looks like, in failing to find your Elements, you failed to protect him too, even though you said you would. That must be devastating..."

These words hit Twilight like hammer blows and she felt weak at the knees, tears about to fall down her face, her gaze diverting to the ground and shaking her head. She couldn't believe that this true, that Dusk could be… dead. Not him… her number one pony assistant, her best friend… she'd never even got to tell him how she had felt about him, how she had always felt about him but never had the courage to say.

And it was all her fault. She'd been the one who told him to stay in Ponyville, thinking he would be safe if Discord tried to go after him. But she'd forgotten how much he liked to be useful and should have known that, even though it would be dangerous, he would try to do something, anything, to help, even if it meant coming here. He should have come with them, at least then she would have known where he was but now… he was gone… and it was all her fault. But maybe there was a chance, she thought desperately.

"No… no, you're lying," she insisted. "You're trying to trick me, like he said you would… it can't be true."

"How pathetic, denying the truth that is spoken to her," she heard a deeper, crueller voice say. The speaker stepped out of the shadows behind Discord and she couldn't help but gasp.

Nightmare Moon had been scary, but the appearance of this pony was truly terrifying. He was taller than Dusk, as well as bigger, as she could see the muscles on his legs ripple dangerously. His fur was a deep black, like the shadows that surrounded him, but his mane was stark white and pale as death. His eyes were a jade green, burning with pain and anger and the pupils were slits like a reptile, fixed on her and glaring. His cutie mark was a raging fire, but there was certainly no warmth radiating from this stallion.

"Ah yes, you two have yet to be introduced." Discord put his arm around the pony and smiled proudly, like a father with his son. "Twilight Sparkle, this is Blackhole Doom, Dusk's bigger brother, if you will. Blackhole, you already know Twilight."

"I do." He continued to glare at Twilight, with those horrible green eyes. "I felt the pain you caused my brother, the lies you told him as I extracted them from his weak mind, pain caused by you and all of your deceitful friends."

Twilight was horrified at the harshness of his words and what they pointed to. "You mean… you… you…" She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"He isn't dead," he answered coldly, "but from the state that I left him in, he might as well be."

"No… no…" She choked on a sob and glared at him, trying to fight back tears. "But what pain? We never did anything bad to him!"

"Those are the lies that you tell yourself, because you cannot face the truth, like he did." He smiled horribly. "He begged me at the end, pleaded for me to end his suffering. I granted it but… it was truly pathetic."

"This can't be true! It can't!" she screamed. "Not him, not Dusk…"

Blackhole merely snorted and threw something at her hooves. Her stomach plummeted, her hear shattered when she realised what it was. She picked it up, her grip on it vice-like as her eyes travelled over it. It was a black trilby hat, soiled by dirt and slightly crumpled; one that she knew could only belong to one pony. Looking up, she noticed that, hung around Blackhole's neck, was a string of stones, a necklace… the one she had made him. There was only one way he could have ever got that… then it was true.

"He was your brother," she whispered, holding it close, "and you… you did this to him."

"The damage was already done and it wasn't by me, Sparkle," he snarled angrily. "He is no brother of mine.

Twilight's grief at this news had now become anger and she yelled at this terrible imitation of a pony. "How could you? How could you?"

"Quite easily," he replied. "I am here to do what he was always too weak to do. Punish you for the pain that you caused him and repay you… IN KIND!"

He screeched this last part, his horn glowing and his face contorted with rage. He tensed and sprang at her, barely giving her time to react to this sudden attack. Terror gripped her, as she knew this was the end. Just as he reached her though, he was yanked back by Discord, who conjured up a dog leash and collar around his throat and stopped him just in time.

"Down boy!" he chastised. "You can have all the fun you want with them, but only after I'm finished with them."

Blackhole seethed and breathed heavily, still glaring at Twilight. At first, she thought he would struggle and he wouldn't obey his master. Eventually, however, he stopped and sank his head in subservience.

"As you wish, my lord," he growled obediently, but dangerously.

"Good boy," Discord said, vanishing the dog leash and grinning again. "Well, since you two seemed to have hit it off well and seeing as how he needs to let off some steam, why don't we go and see what the rest of your friends are up to?"

"No! No, you can't," Twilight begged, knowing exactly what this would mean.

Discord just smiled again. "Don't you worry about a thing, Twilight Sparkle; it's no trouble at all. I'll get us back the quick way."

Twilight knew she couldn't stop him as he snapped his fingers and teleported them away. Even if she could have done, she felt as if she'd had lost a great deal of strength in the moment that news had been given to her. She gripped the trilby hat tightly in her hooves and screwed up her eyes as a tear splashed onto the fabric. Her best friend, the one she would have given anything to make sure he stayed safe, was now lying somewhere, broken in body and mind. She could picture it clearly and it made her feel devastated, like now there was very little left to fight for. She cared deeply for Dusk but… she never would have thought she would be affected quite like this.

As they returned back to the dirt road she'd left the others at, she cast her gaze once more to Discord's new servant… or slave rather. Blackhole Doom was staring resolutely off into the middle distance with those terrible eyes of his, the necklace that had once been Dusk's cruelly swinging around his neck. This calm state he was in was even more terrifying than when he had suddenly lost his temper. He put her in the mind of a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark, with an inferno of anger and rage. It made him unpredictable at best, like his master and equally dangerous.

Discord had called him Dusk's brother, but she couldn't see any resemblance. Dusk had been helpful, kind, sweet and unsure of himself, qualities that she'd liked about him. Blackhole seemed to know nothing but rage, anger, fury and, she noticed as well, pain. Underneath all of that anger, there seemed to be a great deal of pain and regret that fuelled it. At first, it was enough to make her pity him, until she remembered what he had done and her anger towards him flared up again.

She returned her concentration to the others, all of whom were just lazing about by the road without a care in the world. She barely even acknowledged them as she walked back, still levitating the hat before her and trying to hold back tears.

"Listen to what they say and you'll see I told you the truth," she heard Discord say to his dark servant. She ignored them and carried on, not even standing to look at them.

"Aw, well look who's back," she heard the scornful voice. "What's the matter? Couldn't find your coltfriend?"

"Fluttershy," she said in a whisper, not looking up, "Dusk is… is gone."

"Well that's too bad," she replied, without a hint of regret in her voice. "I was gonna steal his hat and necklace when I saw him again, just to see what he would do."

"What? Why?"

"Because he likes them so much and it would be fun to see him cry after I threw them into a patch of mud."

"Fluttershy! How can you say that?" she asked incredulously.

"With my mouth, stupid." She let out a cruel laugh and flew off, kicking Rarity's boulder as she did.

"Eh, who cares what happened ta him, it's not like we ever needed him," Applejack said nonchalantly.

"Applejack! How could you?" What was making her friends say these horrible things about him? "He was your friend, a friend to all of us and you're acting like he was nothing!"

"Well, he was, wasn't he?" put in Fluttershy. "The useless little nopony wasn't even an Element of Harmony. I'm glad he's gone."

"Me too!" added Pinkie. "He was laughing at me along with all of you too! Who needs him?"

"He's not even here to help carry my beautiful diamond," said Rarity. "Some gentlecolt he turned out to be."

Twilight had no response to any of these comments, because she couldn't believe she was hearing them. Dusk had become as much a part of their friendship as any of them had been, even if he wasn't an Element that had never mattered in the past. Now though, her so-called friends were making all of these cruel statements about him and it was making her feel even worse, that maybe this wasn't worth fighting after all…

"You see? Everything I told you was the truth, they really don't care," she heard Discord say again.

"I see, master," replied Blackhole, his voice once again a mix of regret and seething anger, but mostly the latter.

"Ooh, that just gives me the chills!" He laughed again and performed a sweeping bow. "I can't deny you this any longer. Go ahead Blackhole and have some fun. You've earned it."

"Finally!" He suddenly jumped up into the sky and landed with an earth-shaking thud in the centre of the group, sending them to the floor. "Right, which of you will be the first?!"

"Look at you; you think you're so big and tough." Fluttershy kicked a hoofful of dirt in his face, making him splutter. "Who's tough now, tough guy?"

Blackhole snarled and his horn glowed with dark magic, pointed at a herd of long-legged rabbits nearby. The mammals stopped, turned around again and stampeded towards Fluttershy before she knew what had happened. Growling angrily, she tried to get back up only to be stampeded again and pressed down into the dirt, receiving the same treatment every time she tried to return to her hooves.

"Certainly not you," he replied, laughing cruelly at her state.

"And what are you laughing? You laughing at me, huh?!" demanded Pinkie, standing right up in his face. "Well quit it!"

"I am not laughing at you… yet," he said in a dangerously low voice. "I remember that you like to eat cupcakes, do you not?"

There was a flare of light and five cupcakes were hovering in the air around him. At first, they just floated eerily around his head, until they opened up to reveal rows of sharp teeth inside frosting filled mouth. Growling and snarling, they all swarmed at Pinkie Pie and began to gnaw and bite at her body and fur coat. She tried kicking them away, screaming at them angrily to stop, but they didn't stop their attack and forced her back into the dirt.

"How ironic life can be," chortled Blackhole at the sight of her. "Now I'm laughing at you!"

"Well, don't even think-a tryin' any-a yer fancy magic on me," warned Applejack. "It, uh, won't work anyway."

"Let's test that, shall we?" Two more blasts of magic were sent at a pair of trees, which came to life, sprouting arms and uprooting themselves, marching over to him. "You've spent your whole life applebucking and kicking trees. Now, they want some payback!"

He flicked his hoof as a signal to them. The trees charged at Applejack, their barky limbs creaking in time with their movements, catching up before she could have the chance to run away. They grabbed her with their wooden hands and proceeded to throw and kick her in between them. She flailed and screamed, trying to stop herself being tossed through the air like a ball between two fillies, but there was nothing she could do.

"You brute!" Rarity stood protectively backed up against her boulder. "Keep away from me and my diamond! Keep away, I said!"

"Very well, I shall. But can you keep away from your diamond?" He grinned and blasted it with a spell.

The instant he did, the surface of the stone bubbled like a liquid being boiled and Rarity began to sink into it. She tried to pull away, but the sinking grew all the more quickly until her whole body except her head was encased in the boulder. At this point, it stopped bubbling and became stone once more, leaving its prisoner straining to break free of her entrapment.

Twilight had been standing in shock at all of the deeds he was performing. It caught off-guard at how vindictive and malicious this pony was, willing to do these horrible things to them. But she snapped out of it when Blackhole turned to face her, that horrible malformation of a smile on his angry, rage-filled face.

"Now… what will I do with you?" he asked her, stepping towards her.

"Please, just stop this!" she begged him, hoping to appeal to his better nature, if he had one. "You don't have to do this to us."

For a moment, he hesitated at her plea and seemed to consider following her request. "You're right, I don't have to." She dared to hope that it had worked, but this was soon dashed. It was gone as soon as it arrived and he just glared at her. "But I want to."

"Then, you leave me no choice." She sent a spell at him, one that would paralyse his body.

He ducked under it and snarled at her angrily. Now she had really disturbed the hornet's nest. "You dare to attack me?!"

"Yes, if you keep hurting me or my friends!" She sent another spell at him, which he hit him and sent him reeling on the ground. "That was for Dusk!"

His body twitched for a moment and it looked like her spell had worked. He was moving jerkily around as the effects of the paralysis took hold on him. Suddenly, he sprang back to his hooves and came at her again, a visage of pure rage. How was that possible? He shouldn't be still moving, she thought desperately.

"Your pathetic magic cannot stop me!" He strode up to her, his hooves making small cracks in the ground. "You will pay for that!"

It seemed that through sheer power of will and anger he'd overcome her spell. Perhaps a few more would stop him for good. She sent three more at him, but this time, instead of dodging them, he blocked them with bursts of light, sending them ricocheting away in other directions. The last one he sent back at her and she didn't have time to get out of the way. It hit her and she fell to the ground from the impact.

She could already feel her limbs seizing up from the effects of the spell. She tried to crawl away, to get back up and fight but the spell was too strong. Even her ability to use magic was suspended and she was left frozen in a position of desperate terror. She could feel a cold breathing down the back of her neck as her tormentor approached.

"Again, irony is a strange thing, isn't it?" he growled. "Now that I have you in this state, I know just what to do with you." She saw a magic aura surround her limbs and lift her up. "Now to make you look as foolish as you made Dusk."

Unable to control her limbs, unable to fight back in anyway, Twilight was forced to be humiliated witness as Blackhole made her dance around like his puppet, laughing while he did. She had to endure this sick torment, feeling utterly defeated and hopeless. It was like a strange subversion of Dusk's colour talent, only now it was with an actual pony rather than one shaped by colour and magic. All the while, she wondered how somepony related to one she knew to be meek and mild could be so malicious, so cruel as to take joy in this…

She could glimpse Discord, also laughing and guffawing at the state of her and her friends as his servant acted out his sick game. All of this chaos, all of this suffering, it all stemmed from him. Along with her humiliation, she also felt the fire of anger that drove her to find the Elements, to turn him back into to stone and to make him face justice for what he'd done to her, her friends, her home… and Dusk.

"All right, all right, that's enough for now," Discord ordered, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

"But master, I was just getting started," insisted Blackhole. "I only ask that you let me have a few more minutes with them…"

"You've had long enough and they still haven't found their Elements, we need to give them a chance, don't we?" He conjured up the collar and leash in his hand again. "Come on Blackhole, don't make me use this."

The dark-furred, dark hearted pony stared warily at the bright red collar in Discord's hand, his gaze flicking around the girls. Again, it seemed like he would refuse to obey, that even Discord couldn't control his blind rage. Eventually, he ceased and cancelled the magic he had done, releasing Twilight and the others from their individual torments, all of them falling to the ground in a heap.

"As you wish, my lord," he rumbled, joining Discord at his side.

"Good boy," said Discord satisfactorily, still sniggering at the others. "Good work though, I'm proud of you my lad."

"Thank you, master," he bowed, allowing himself a cruel smirk as he watched them struggle.

Trying to restore feeling to her joints, Twilight still felt a little stiff in her limbs, pulling herself back to her hooves. The rest of her friends were in the same battered and dazed states from what they'd just been through. At first, she thought they might start to work together again and stop fighting each other… until Fluttershy, covered in bruises from the trampling rabbits, promptly kicked Pinkie back to the floor again with a cruel cackle.

Twilight groaned and hung her head, picking up Dusk's hat and holding it close. Once again, she felt a sense of hopelessness, of loss without his comforting, imaginative presence. The world just seemed a much bleaker place without him. Add to that this black-hearted pony tormenting them for whatever it was he thought they had done to him and the way her friends were acting and she was left with the thought that they couldn't stop Discord… she just missed him so much.

But then she had a thought, an idea that gave her renewed hope. Blackhole had said he wasn't dead, but he was still alive. Maybe, if they could find the Elements of Harmony again, they would be able to find him again too and then they would be able to help him. That was if his big brother didn't try and stop them. However, this idea still gave her a new determination and she urged her friends to get moving and get up, as they still needed to find the Elements if they were to save him.

"Come on girls, we need to get moving," she insisted, setting off back down the road. "Once we get to the library, I know a book that'll give us a clue to the Elements." With this statement fuelling her, she pressed on.

Suddenly, the sun went down in seconds and up came the moon, plunging them all into darkness. This sudden change caught Twilight off-guard. She could barely see a few feet in front of her as they were about to start off down the road again.

"Wow, I can see so much better now." She heard Applejack suddenly yell in surprise and felt her smack into her and knock her to the ground. "I meant to do that."

Twilight tried to get up, but the road had become very slippery and she fell back to the ground. When the sun came back up again, she saw why. "Discord's turned our dirt roads into soap!"

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Discord slid by casually, his dark servant not too far behind. "This is the new and improved Ponyville, and these are only my first of changes."

"You have done splendid work, master," Blackhole praised, looking over it with a strange, twisted kind of happiness.

"Thank you BD, glad that you appreciate it," he said to him, smiling with satisfaction. "There's still much more to come, so don't give your scores just yet."

She looked over at the town which was now also in a state of nonsensical madness. The sky surrounding it was bright pink, with clouds of cotton candy raining down chocolate on half of the town. The river water had changed from sparkling blue to a deep purple, glistening strangely in the sun. Several buildings and trees were now upside down or floating on chunks of earth in the sky, also either right side up or on their roofs. There were no longer lush fields of grass and flowers but rolling hills of patchwork and tartan in blue and lilac. Nothing looked natural or right, it was a travesty compared to how beautiful it had been.

"This may look like fun, but it's not," said Pinkie, as she slid by on the soap, still covered in bite marks.

She glared at Blackhole as she slid by, who only grinned and gave a growl and a snap. She shrieked at this and jumped back, shivering with fear while he chuckled. She felt a similar anger towards him herself, just as Discord suddenly appeared beside her and lifted her up. She hated it when he put his hands on her, it made her feel sick.

"Picture it: The chaos capital of the world." He held her before him just as darkness fell on them again, obscuring her vision.

"I can't picture anything. It's too dark," she told him. He then dropped her back into the soap and she heard Blackhole chuckle again.

"Well, wait a few minutes and you'll see it in the beautiful light of day. Or not," he shrugged, turning to his servant. "Come along Blackhole, we've got things to do, chaos to wreak and I'll think you'll like this next spot."

"Yes, my lord." He gave Twilight one last cruel smile before he and Discord vanished in a flash of bright light.

"Ponyville, the chaos capital of the world?" She stood up defiantly and tried to bolster her own spirits. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Don't worry, you won't," Fluttershy put in as she slid by, laughing as she did.

Twilight groaned again and carried on down the road, trying her best not to slip and holding on to Dusk's hat. She could only hope her hunch was right or… she couldn't bear to think of the alternative. She could still hear Blackhole's cruel laughter, his cold angry eyes.

She had no wish to see them again.

Princess Luna could feel the shift in magical power that made her gasp and clutch her head. Her influence, her control over the night, over the moon and stars that she brought out to Equestria, was dwindling rapidly, along with her own powers. There was only one other time she had felt something like that which could only mean Discord had won. Which meant it was now time for her to act once again. Something else had happened.

She looked at the roll of parchment that she sincerely prayed had been guiding her and Dusk along the right path. She had felt something else as well, another surge in chaotic energy she hadn't been expecting. Discord had done something to Dusk, she could feel it and it would require her intervention once again. She didn't know what but she had her suspicions and if they were correct…

She sighed and set it down. She knew what she had to do and she would make sure that it was done, no matter what. She still had her own significant power and she knew that she would need to cast on him once he was found him. It wouldn't have the same effect as the Elements of Harmony and it wasn't quite the same as when she became Nightmare Moon, but should be enough, she thought. At least, that was what she hoped.

Gathering up her strength, she leaped off the balcony and took flight towards Ponyville. She knew what would have to be done... but it wasn't going to be easy.

Author's Note

There we go, two posts. That should make up for my tardiness. Again, apologies and let me know what you think.

Night Fight

Blackhole Doom was shaking with anticipation as his master transported them to the home of his weaker self. Performing those deeds of chaos on those pathetic mares had been immensely satisfying and he was looking forward to bringing his disharmonic powers to Dusk's disgusting hovel of a home.

The dark pony, like his master, revelled in chaos. It was what he lived for, since his master had used his power from the fear that Dusk had developed of him coming to life. He had just been idea, a nightmare that Dusk had hoped would never come to pass. Discord had simply made that stronger, increased his fear of it and made him believe it to be real with his powers of persuasion and chaos. Now, the idea had become reality and Blackhole Doom had been given life, though it filled him with disgust that he had been brought into being by one so pathetic, so weak…

He had not been merely taunting when he had referred to himself as Dusk's brother. In a sense, he had all of Dusk's strength, of what little they were, especially his sharp mind. But his master had been kind and granted him power, both strength in body and in magic so that he was tougher and faster than Dusk. All of his brother's negative emotions were increased tenfold within him. Rage, anger, hatred, deceit, cruelty, they were all of what made up Blackhole, with none of his more useless ones, like compassion, love and empathy. In short, he was everything his useless former hadn't been: strong, with no weaknesses and no holding back. Except perhaps…

Every now and again, Blackhole felt an uncomfortable emotion he didn't like and he tried to ignore. It surfaced whenever he saw those mares or did something to them, a kind of urge that he should stop and he actually ended up feeling a little guilty afterwards, regret for what he had done. Some small part of Dusk that still lingered in his mind, no doubt. Eventually, it would fade away and all that would be left would be his thoughts, his desires. Dusk Noir was gone and now it was his turn, his reign over his mind and body.

"Come along now Blackhole, I just know you're going to enjoy this," Discord prompted, floating in the air before him.

"Yes master, as you wish," he replied, following him to their destination.

The spirit of disharmony was the only being on this world that he would hold allegiance. Everyone else, everything else, was worth nothing other than to be part of a world drenched in chaos. His master had been the one who had given him life, forming him from Dusk's fear and giving him the strength to become real, to challenge his weaker self. Like his master, he too revelled in chaos and anarchy, tormenting all of the ponies he knew would never accept him and would revile him as a monster. That was what he was… and he was proud of it.

As he followed Discord through the town, he stopped when he noticed something. It was a rose growing out of the ground nearby, its delicate petals as white as snow, but the thorns were wicked and sharp. How fitting, he thought bitterly, thinking of those mares again. Once upon a time, he might have found it beautiful, enchanting even. But Blackhole found it ugly, unfitting in his master's and his own vision.

Selecting the appropriate spell, he cast his magic at it so that its petals became black and it writhed for a moment like a living animal, before it stopped and became still again. Now, whenever anypony would try to pick it, it would wrap around their leg and trap them there. There, that was much better he thought to himself. Satisfied with his work, he continued on after his master.

"Ah, here we are," Discord said as he rounded a corner.

Blackhole followed and felt his blood boil in anger. It looked to be any normal home in Ponyville; two floors, white walls held up by wooden struts, thatched roof and surrounded by a garden fence with nothing too spectacular about it. But Blackhole knew from the memories he'd be examining in Dusk's broken thoughts that his house was once his home. This had been where he'd resided, where he had lived out his pathetic little life.

"Why are we here, master?" he asked, trying his best not to explode in a fit of rage.

"We're here so that you can have a little more fun, my partner in crime." He gestured expansively to the house. "I take it you know who used to live here?"

"I do," he growled again. "What of it?"

"Well, since he's not around anymore, he won't need it, so it's yours now." He stood back and patted him on the neck. "You can do whatever you want to it."

Blackhole felt his excitement grow at this. "You mean… you will let me…?"

"Yes, my little pony," he clarified with a grin. "Go nuts."

"With pleasure!" In seconds, he was off to start his work.

It was immensely enjoyable, a task that he took on with utter reverence, using his great strength to commit to it. First, he went for the fence, tearing it out of the ground and tossing the wood into the air, disintegrating or shattering it with blasts of magic. Then, he used magic to zap the flowers so grew around it, so that they withered and died in seconds, their petals rotting and leaves blackening. With almighty swings of his hooves, he cracked and collapsed the walls on the left side so that half of the house fell on itself, crumbling with a wonderful sound of destruction.

Words couldn't describe how much joy, or the closest approximation of it for one so despicable, Blackhole took in this task of destruction, as he made the left side of the house sink into a chocolate syrup quagmire he conjured up. It was like when he had beaten Dusk's mind into submission with his own powerful thoughts and desires, how glorious and wonderful it had been to revel in such destruction and pain and now to do it again! Destroying what he considered to be a symbol of his enemy was truly… spectacular.

"Having fun, are we?" Discord asked when he stopped to gather up his strength again.

"Very much so," he replied, grinning up at him. "Thank you for this opportunity, my lord. You are good to me."

"Call it well done present for your wonderful deeds of chaos, I'm very proud of you so far," he told him. "Keep this up and you've got a bright future indeed, Blackhole."

"I am most gratified by your praise, master," he said, bowing his head. "May I continue?"

"Oh please do, don't stop on my account," he insisted, snapping his fingers. He conjured up a row of seats and sat on it with his popcorn and cola. "I must say, quite enjoy watching this myself."

"I shall make it as entertaining as possible then." He whipped around back to the house, about to cast another spell until…

"HALT! Thy princess commands thee to cease at once!" Blackhole felt no shock, only increased rage at the sound of this new voice.

A midnight blue alicorn stood nearby, glaring at both himself and his master with an authority she certainly didn't deserve. Her starlit mane was flared, her wings poised and ready to fly, her expression determined and her horn aglow with magic. Princess Luna, he thought angrily. She looked ready for a fight and Blackhole was only more than willing to give her one.

Discord appeared a little shocked himself at the appearance of this new arrival. However, he recovered swiftly and beamed wickedly at the sight of her, as if she were an old friend rather than his mortal nemesis.

"Why Luna! How lovely to see you again, my dear," he greeted, as if addressing a filly. "How have you been keeping? Well, I hope?"

"Be silent, they forked-tongued wretch!" she commanded. "We have not travelled here to bandy crooked words with thee!"

"Sounds like somepony hasn't been keeping up with the times," he remarked casually. "But then again, a thousand years trapped in the moon will do that to you. How was that, by the way? Lonely? Isolated? Scary?"

"What has passed has passed and we have no desire to speak of it again, certainly not with the likes of thee, Discord!" she responded harshly.

"Just as grim as her sister," he murmured to Blackhole, then to her. "I must say, I'm sorry I wasn't around for your big change, even more so that I wasn't the cause of it. Well, not in a direct sense anyway."

"We already know of this and of what you did to us after thou were trapped," she said dangerously.

"Oh yes, my little parting gift to this fair land," remarked Discord. "Whatever happened to it, I wonder? Still crawling around inside your mind, is it?"

"The Corruption Entity that thou left behind to infest my soul has been long since purged and we shall never succumb to such tyrannical thoughts again."

"Come, come now Luna, don't you ever miss it?" he asked temptingly. "All the power that you had, the idea of night eternal? All my ideas put into that corrupting cloud of gas to leave behind a slice of chaos in my absence… those thoughts not still in there?"

"Not one bit of them, not now nor ever again," she declared firmly.

"Really? Aw, that's a shame, we could have made a great team." He gestured his hands, so their names lit up in neon lights. "Discord, Blackhole Doom and Nightmare Moon: Agents of Chaos and Disharmony."

"Blackhole Doom?" Her gaze turned to the seething, angry pony before her. "So, this has what has become of our loyal subject Dusk? Twisted by thy powers and corrupting influence?"

"Twisted? Luna, you make it sound like it's a bad thing." He gestured to Blackhole. "This is an improvement, isn't that right Doom?"

"Yes." He met the princess's gaze with a piercing glare. "I am more powerful, stronger and without the weaknesses of that weakling Dusk."

Luna didn't seem intimidated or even scared. Instead, she looked at him with pity and compassion. It made him feel sick. "Oh Dusk, what has happened to thee?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" he screeched at her. "I am not Dusk Noir, for he is gone! I am BLACKHOLE DOOM AND I AM INVINCIBLE!"

"We don't believe that, he can still be saved from thy dark influence," Luna insisted.

"Then you are a fool!" he roared, his anger towards her raging like a fire. "I have defeated him, I have broken his mind and dropped him into the darkest recesses of my own! He is not coming BACK!"

"I think you've touched a nerve, my dear Luna," Discord put in. "Tell you what Blackhole, why don't you have some stress relief. I'm sure the princess would be happy to oblige."

"Thank you, master." He let his anger flow through him, his bitter hatred for the pony in front of him.

Luna appeared surprised. "You would order your minion to attack us? You would have such an audacity Discord?"

"Well, you did trap me in stone and you did enrage him in the first place," shrugged the spirit. "Consider this making us even."

"Thou hast never killed, Discord," she said to him. "This is quite a change of form."

"Oh, he won't kill you…" He paused and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "At least, I don't think he will. He can be quite uncontrollable in these little fits he has, but I'm sure he won't snuff you out entirely."

"I shall make sure there is enough of her left for you to make use of, my lord," promised Blackhole, intending to leave her in a pathetic enough state that she wouldn't be able to defend herself.

"Very good, then have fun!" Discord then proceeded to sit back on his chair and pop another piece of corn into his mouth. "This should be entertaining."

Luna returned her gaze to Blackhole. "You do not want to do this, Blackhole. We are far stronger and more powerful than thee."

"Once again, you are mistaken," growled Blackhole. "I do want to do this and your power has diminished since my master has returned to power."

"That doesn't mean we cannot best thee," she countered, tensing her body for a fight.

"We shall see about that." He let her see his smile. Then, with a loud roar… he pounced!

Twilight was glad to see the sight of her library, as the sun suddenly shot up again in the chaotic Ponyville. Seeing Spike would be comforting after all that happened, unless Discord had gotten to him as well, as would the many shelves of books and the one that would help them here. But it wouldn't be the same without one particular pony, the one who should have been wearing the hat she carried before her.

Preventing the tears from returning and trying to stay strong, she halted at the door and turned to her less-than cooperative friends.

"Okay, we're here. Everyone please, please, please just go inside, please?"

"Ah absolutely refuse," lied Applejack, a magical glow making her fur turn even more colourless.

"With pleasure." Fluttershy received the same treatment, as she trampled on a bush of flowers before heading inside.

"I hate libraries!" Pinkie put in, also becoming grey.

The only one not inside was Rarity, who was struggling against the weight of her boulder, sweat rolling down her face as she pushed against it.

"Pleeeease, we've gotta hurry!" she insisted to the debutante.

Rarity only glared at her. "Forget it, Twilight. I know what you're up to. The second I go in, you'll have your little minion Spike come and take Tom!"

"Tom?" she asked, unbelieving that she'd actually named it.

"Well, it's not going to work," she said as if she hadn't heard her, rubbing her boulder lovingly as her fur turned to grey as well. She didn't know what that meant and right now, she didn't care.

"You're not going in without him, are you" Rarity shook her head, so Twilight heaved 'Tom' onto her back and levitated Dusk's hat to her. "Fine! Hold this then!"

"Hm… you know, this is quite a nice hat," Rarity added, looking over it with interest. "Once you wash off the dirt, sort out a few of the frayed bits, it's still wearable…"

"Don't even think about it!" growled Twilight, moving the boulder in front of the door. She was satisfied when Rarity said nothing in response.

Realising that the size of the boulder would mean it wouldn't fit through the door, she used her magic to slam it into the wall of the tree, creating a hole and allowing it inside. She'd have to fix the hole later, for now she just wanted this over with. Plus, that had allowed her to vent some of her frustration.

Rarity rushed forward, dropping the trilby and Twilight quickly picked it up again. "Careful, Twilight! You'll ruin his beautiful finish."

"Oh, for the love of..." She didn't even finish her sentence, Spike hurrying up to her.

"Twilight, what's going on?" he asked her, a little bit of water dripping from his scales. "Why does everybody look so...grey?"

"Don't ask." She scooped him up onto her back. "I need you to help me find something."

"Wait, hold on." He looked around the group, growing concerned. "Where's Dusk? Didn't he come back with you?"

Twilight was silent for a few moments, tried to speak but it came out as a sob. It felt as if her heart were being torn in two again at the mention of this.

"I'm sorry Spike… he… he…" She couldn't finish, simply levitating his hat to the baby dragon, who took it looking confused.

"Isn't this Dusk's? Why do you have it?" Realisation dawned on his face, as tears rolled down Twilight's face again. "No… you mean he's… gone?"

"…Yes…" She bowed her head, screwing her eyes shut, like she could shut out the whole world and join Dusk wherever he was. How could she hope to go on through this without him? She just missed him so much…

She felt a claw being placed comfortingly on her shoulder and saw Spike, wiping away his own tears and clutching Dusk's hat. "Come on Twilight, he'd… he'd want us to beat him, he'd want you to be strong. Knowing him, he'd probably say he's not worth the tears anyway."

"I… suppose he would," she sniffed, remembering how low on self-esteem he was… had been.

"But he'd still say you should carry on, I know he would." He gripped her shoulder and gave her a grim smile. "Come on, we can still pull back from this."

"You're right Spike," she nodded, wiping her tears away and looking determined. "We can still find the Elements and stop Discord. Come on, let's find this book."

"Aw, somepony sad 'cause her coltfriend's not here?" Fluttershy asked mockingly.

"Be quiet Fluttershy, we need to hurry," she told her angrily, becoming frustrated with the Pegasus's attitude, with all of their attitudes.

"Oh, I'll hurry up." She picked up a bucket of water and smiled cruelly. "Hey, Twilight, what's soaking wet and clueless?"

"Fluttershy, I've had just about enough-" She was cut off as she emptied the entire bucket onto her head, soaking her mane and fur thoroughly.

"Your face!"

Twilight groaned again and shook herself dry. This was going to be a long day, she could tell already…

Princess Luna had known her opponent would be dangerous, due to his corruption from Discord's dark powers and from the similarities he shared with her own dark side, Nightmare Moon. She was still startled, however, by the sheer ferocity with which he threw himself at her, roaring like an angry beast.

Flaring her wings, she took to the sky, avoiding his attack and keeping her eyes locked on him. In truth, her own power had been diminished now that Discord had taken over again and this stallion certainly seemed to be very strong. She could see the ground crack around him as he landed, shaking the very earth he stood upon. There was nothing holding him back, he was pure rage and anger in pony form. Rather disconcerting, considering how meek and gentle he had been before all of this…

But despite this, she was still an alicorn, having the advantages of a Pegasus and a Unicorn. Not only that, but she was the Princess of the Night and co-ruler of Equestria. She had defeated Discord with her sister before and she would manage the same feat with Blackhole Doom. All she had to do was catch him off-guard and hit him with her spell, which had to be in direct contact with his horn. For now, she would have to do her best to weaken him.

Calling upon the powers of the weather, she gathered storm clouds to her and commanded them to rain lightning down onto him. She heard him scream out in pain as the bolts struck his body, lighting him up and making his skeleton visible. She watched him buckle from the impact of volts of electricity running through him, his body smoking from the heat. Perhaps this would be easier than she first thought.

But the stallion recovered from the attacks and snarled up at her. He then began to weave and dodge around the bolts, feinting in one direction and rolling to another and making himself a very difficult target. Soon enough, he started to counter-attack, levitating or even heaving chunks of stone and debris the bolts blew out of the ground and hurling them at her with great strength and incredible speed.

Luna, recognising the danger of remaining stationary on her own cloud, ducked and dodged around the chunks of stone, feeling the stabs of pain from ones that occasionally hit her. She was finding it difficult to dodge the attacks and still keep up her lightning bombardment on him, especially in her weakened state. She was about to try for a counter-strike herself, when she saw Blackhole, hurtling towards her atop a chunk of stone he was levitating with his magic. She tried to move, saw as he raised his fist to strike-

SMACK!

She winced and heard him laugh as he punched her across the face, sending her reeling through the sky. Shaking away her slightly blurred vision, she watched as he floated atop the rock, a travesty of a grin on his face.

"Your powers are weak, Luna," he sneered. "You cannot hope for victory in this fight.

"That remains to be seen!" Luna charged at him, kicking a cloud as she did.

He barely had time to react as the dark grey cloud consumed him. Before he had the chance to break out, Luna kicked it once more to stir up the lightning within. She heard him scream as the electricity coursed through his body once more. Every time she kicked the cloud there was another flash, another exclamation of pain.

Suddenly, he burst out of the cloud, his hooves sparking with power. Now, his punches had added damage, sending small jolts of lightning into her as they made contact with her skin and sending shots of pain through her body. The strength, the ferocity! What was that motivated him that drove him after receiving such punishment? Still having strength in her, she returned a punch of her own and sent him off his rock chunk, crashing into the earth below.

Still wincing from her injuries, she landed gracefully and saw him attempting to climb out of the crater he had made from the fall. She galloped straight towards him, using her wings to glide across the ground, the magic empowering her horn. She had to end this fight quickly, for she didn't like to think that she would be hurting Dusk somehow… it had been incredible he was still standing now. She reached him, lowered her horn…

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" A blast of magic sent her flying backwards, skidding across the ground.

She recovered herself and landed back on her hooves, turning to see Blackhole emerge from the crater, his horn glowing and his features alive with malice and rage.

"Thou are strong in thy body, Blackhole," she said, preparing to catch him off-guard with a spell of her own, "we shall concede to that much."

"I don't care about your concessions princess!" he shouted back. "All I want is to see you on your knees, begging for my mercy… like your little subject did. Quite pathetic and disappointing, I thought he would last a little longer, at any rate."

"Then we shall try our best not to disappoint thee!" This last part she yelled out and sent her spell at him as she did.

The spell managed to hit him, sending him to the ground and leaving a smoking spot on his fur. They were only meant to weaken him, for even he couldn't fight on forever. He stood back up, looked down at the wound and gave a screech of fury, entering into the magical duel.

They were both relatively well matched in terms of their style of fighting. Blackhole chose to simply bombard her with all manner of spells, apparently not having much in the way of a plan and guided by his uncontrollable anger. Luna chose to counter with defensive spells, leaping and dodging when required, Blackhole's violent attacks being enough to keep her on her hooves and occasionally sending a spell back, which either hit him or was blocked. It had been long time since she'd had to fight like this, but she was glad she wasn't entirely out of practice.

She chose one moment to become formless, dancing around as a cloud of purple smoke, like she had done when she was Nightmare Moon. Blackhole, not expecting this, was unable to hit her and didn't have time to react when she sent more bolts of lightning at him, followed up with a quick kick to the head. She then backed away, unwilling to hurt him any further, in case she hurt Dusk as well.

She saw him buckle at the knees and grimace. "Thou are weakening, Blackhole," she told him. "Soon, thou shall have no more strength and will have to concede defeat to us."

"While I breathe, I have strength. I am not WEAK!" he roared, sending more spells at her and returning to the duel.

Luna tried her best to block his spells and dodge them, but she was starting to lose energy too. Becoming formless had taken a bit out of her, as had the rest of her magical attacks and Blackhole's relentless bombardment. If she didn't bring this fight to a close and soon, he might end up winning and her fate wouldn't be a good one.

At one point in the duel, he sent a spell to the ground below her hooves. She barely had time to react as the roots in the grass sprung to life and wrapped themselves tightly around her legs, fixing her in place. Attempting to struggle free, she was unable to dodge the next spell which caused her wings to move of their own accord. As a result, she was painfully stretched, enough to make her cry out in agony, as she was being pulled both from below and from above.

Through the blinding pain, she wondered why Blackhole hadn't attacked her while she was in this vulnerable state. When she looked across at him, he was standing still, laughing at her pain and discomfort. With a flare of rage of her own, she realised that he was toying with her, enjoying the pains she was in. She knew she wasn't meant to hurt Dusk, but right now Blackhole was in control and he was about to learn the consequences of thinking of her as his sick plaything.

With a powerful blast of magic, she disintegrated the roots that held her in place and regained control of her wings, shooting upwards into the sky. Banking around, avoiding more blasts he sent her way, she shot more bolts of lightning towards him, each striking him. Before he could recover, she shot straight at him, her hoof before her and smacked him right across the face. The blow sent him flying backwards and skidding across the dirt himself.

She sprinted straight at him, not holding anything back now. Just as he returned to his hooves, she hit him with another bolt of magic that sent him down again. Levitating him up, she sent him crashing into a rock, which split on impact. A few more bolts of lightning and a punch sent him to the ground again, Luna now fighting just as ferociously as her opponent had been. She was about to strike again as he whipped around to face her, but he no longer looked angry, but scared.

As he should be, she thought. She raised her hoof to strike-

"Luna! Please, stop!" The tone, the inflections in his voice made her stop when she recognised them. "Please, no more!"

"Dusk?" she whispered, still tensed and ready to strike.

"Yes, it's me. Please stop… you're hurting me…" He gazed up at her, tears glimmering in his eyes.

She gritted her teeth, still determined to strike him, to leave him in a weakened enough state to perform her magic. But then she thought to herself… what was she doing? She was causing pain, unnecessary pain, to the stallion who had reached out to her, offered her friendship when only her sister had, had shown her nothing but affection and loyalty. What kind of princess was she, that she would do this to one of the few friends she had? One who was as much her kindred spirit as anypony else she'd met.

Besides, he had received enough punishment. She should be able to perform her spell on him now, without any more fighting.

"Dusk… I'm sorry." She held out her hoof. "Here, let me help you…"

"Thank you, Luna," he replied weakly, reaching out to take it.

"I know how I can help you, I didn't mean to hurt you," she insisted, the formality of the Royal Voice forgotten. Her friend needed her help and they needed his. "I truly am sorry for the pain I caused you…"

"Don't worry…" He grabbed her hoof, gripping it tightly. Then, his head shot up, his eyes dancing with madness and she knew the mistake she'd made. "I'm NOT!"

He yanked her forward, sending a punch straight into her face, followed by another that sent her reeling back. She gazed at him, feeling both foolish and angry.

"You would resort to such… underhanded trickery?" she asked of him, as he grabbed her neck.

"It is simply further proof of how weak your compassion makes you," he snorted, tightening his hold and raising his hoof. "I have no such weakness!"

SMASH!

His hold on her neck released, but his attack certainly didn't. She couldn't counter as he kept up this physical attack, striking her wherever she might be vulnerable. Luna wasn't as adept in hoof-to-hoof combat and certainly didn't have the strength that he had. She'd wanted to avoid getting too close, but now… he would show her no mercy.

Punch after punch after kick after blow after strike followed without end, sending waves of agony throughout her body, her vision blurring from signs of concussion. Whenever she tried to respond in kind, it was like he anticipated the move somehow, blocked it and returned it. A punch intended for him ended up with Luna being struck with her own hoof. Just when it seemed like she would black out from the pain, he stopped.

Her knees buckled, gave way and she collapsed in a heap before him. She tried to fight, tried to get back up but she had nothing left to give. She was beaten.

"Now…" He bent low and locked eyes with her, "beg for mercy."

"Never," she spat, unable to believe the trickery he had steeped to.

"I said… BEG!" He raised his hoof up and she was determined to look him in the eye, to show him she wasn't afraid.

The instant she did, his leg faltered, his hoof paused. Just for a second, she could have sworn jade became emerald, anger turned to pity and the stones around his neck flickered with light at the coloured centre. It was only for a moment, but the thought gave her strength. Dusk was still in there… and it was her duty as his princess to save him.

Heaving herself up, she pushed his hoof aside and pressed her horn against his before he could stop her. She let the jolt of magic shoot into his mind, like a buzz from a defibrillator, felt his hoof smack her away again, but it was too late. She had done it, what she'd come here to do.

"What did you do to me?!" he demanded angrily, looking a little scared.

"Why don't… you tell me?" she asked weakly, summoning up what little was left of her strength.

He waited a few moments, still looking fearful, and then grinned. "Whatever it was, it did not work. Your magic is useless."

"Perhaps…" She let the energy of a teleportation spell flow through her and let him see her smile. "We shall see."

He saw his grin falter, heard him scream with rage and charge at her but by the time he'd reached the spot she had been, she had returned to the safety of her room in Canterlot, feeling utterly spent of energy.

Just as she collapsed on her warm, comfortable bed, her last thought was of Dusk and the hope that what she had done was enough to save him…

Somewhere cold, somewhere dark nothing lived, or breathed or acknowledged the existence of anything but the all-encompassing darkness that surrounded it. That's all this place was, darkness, a void of nothingness. It was desolate and abandoned, this place, with the steep rocky walls, the harsh sharp rocks and the ever-present shadows, against which no light could pierce. Nothing was down here… well, except for one thing.

A pony, a unicorn stallion, quite small and modest, lay sprawled out on the ground, his fur a midnight blue and his mane a chestnut brown. His body was covered with bruises and cuts, from which blood trickled steadily. His chest rose and fell weakly with his breathing, but apart from this he was completely motionless, lifeless. Broken.

It seemed like nothing would wake him from this slumber. Perhaps he had once had life, once had hopes, dreams, disappointments and failures. But they were gone now, for it seemed there was little of him left, no hope for him at all.

Then a light appeared and shone down on him. As it did, he stirred. Very slightly, very slowly, but he did, like this strange light had awoken something within him. Then, he did something incredible, something unbelievable, something that looked like it had taken an incredible amount of strength to do. But he did it.

Dusk Noir opened his eye and gasped.

Fixing the Broken

Dusk opened his eyes to see nothing but an impenetrable darkness surrounding him. He could feel cold, harsh earth against his belly. Every bit of him hurt, aching with pain and agony. He could remember… there had been a fight… a fight with Blackhole Doom, his dark side… a fight that he had lost… falling, falling that seemed like it would never end… then nothing.

Blackhole… he had to be stopped… he tried to move, but it just hurt so much. He gave up and slumped back in a heap, wishing that the darkness would just take him again. What could he do? His dark side had already won, already taken over… what could he do to stop him? He was faster, stronger, and more powerful than he could ever hope to be. He was right, he was pathetic, every bit as weak as he accused him of being. It was better this way…

Then he noticed a light, one that had been shining down on him. The light that had awoken him in the first place. What was that light and why was it here? He fixed his gaze on it, tried to reach for it, to catch it. He gave up, recoiling from the sheer pain of it. I don't deserve light, he thought; just leave me here in darkness… it's what I deserve, for what I failed to stop…

"Oh Dusk, how far you've fallen." That voice… that soft, pitying voice… he knew it recognised it…

When he looked up again, the light had transformed. It had turned into a pony, an alicorn, with fur like the midnight sky and a mane as bright as starlight, gazing down on him with compassion and empathy.

"Luna…" he croaked, his voice little more than a rasp. "How… how did you…?"

"I'm inside your mind, Dusk, this small part of me is," she explained, smiling as wonderfully as her sister. "I've come to offer aid."

"You're… you're not… the Royal 'we'," he couldn't help but note, though every word hurt.

"That is only to be used for formal address, not when addressing a friend or equal to a princess, such as her sister… or one for whom she cares for dearly," she added, that smile shining like the moon she rose and lighting a small fire of pride in him.

"Then… then you…"

"Yes, I do." Her smile faltered and her expression softened. "Oh, what has he done to you?"

"He… he… I'm so sorry…" he rasped, heaving in his chest. "I… I tried… too strong…"

"Hush, my little pony," she whispered, "save your strength, for you shall need it."

"What… what strength?" He paused and coughed, for it even hurt to talk. "I… don't… have any…"

"If that were true, you would not be here." She lowered her head so that it was level with his own. "You must stop him, only you can defeat him."

"Blackhole…?" Just saying his name made him feel afraid.

"His rage is untethered and his cruelty is tenfold. You must stop him, before he can do anymore damage, to your mind and your body."

"What… what can I do?" He sighed, a rasping, horrible sound. "Just leave me..."

"I am not about to do that. You are my subject and my friend and I shall not leave you here." He felt something slip around his neck, felt a weight hang down from his neck. "Now, get up."

"I… can't…" he insisted weakly.

"Yes you can."

"I've… I've tried…"

"Then try again, you must do it."

"It hurts… so much…"

"I know, but nopony said this would be easy." She raised her head and commanded firmly: "Get up, Dusk Noir."

He sighed, feeling the painful twinge in his chest. He supposed he might as well; it wasn't like he was going anywhere… he tried putting pressure on one leg, but winced from the shot of pain and fell back again. He was met with the same result again and again whenever he tried to stand, it just hurt so much. How could he hope to walk again, let alone stand up?

No, a little voice inside him seemed to say… something was telling him not to give up so easily. So he tried again, just with one leg, as slowly as he could. He gritted his teeth and grunted, trying his best to ignore the pain. Right… one leg up, now for another, just as slowly, just as carefully as before. He had to do this at the pace he could manage now… just his front two legs first…

"AGH!" The agony was just too much and he collapsed back in a heap, tears falling down his face. "I can't… I can't do it…"

"Yes you can, I know you can," she urged. "You were doing fine, come on."

"But it hurts… I can't stand it…" he sobbed, feeling utterly pathetic. "Just leave me here… I'll never be able… to walk again…"

"No!" she refused, once again in her firm, commanding voice. "Is this the same pony who told me I should not give up before I've even tried? I would think that such a pony would be able to follow such good advice himself, because I am not going to give up on you, Dusk Noir and neither should you!"

"But I… I…"

"No buts! Now, listen to your princess… listen to your friend," she prompted softly, then loudly again, "and stand UP!"

Dusk stared up at her, realising that she meant it. Then, without any further argument or debate, he started again. For some reason, her firm commands, her unwavering faith in him had given him this new strength inside him, enough to ignore the burning fires of pain shooting through his body. He couldn't quite explain it or understand it, but then again… that was the same for a lot of things. It hadn't stopped him before and it wasn't going to stop him now.

Once again, he started to put pressure on his front legs. This time, he tried to move himself a little more quickly, doing his best to ignore the agonising shots of pain that seemed to pierce every joint, every inch of him. He wanted nothing more than to just succumb to it, to give in and collapse again. But another impulse, another voice deep down inside him told him he should keep fighting until he stood up again. It was this that drove him to stand on his front two legs and push himself up off the ground.

"Come on, you're doing wonderfully," Luna encouraged gently.

He did his best to smile up at her, but it probably came off as a grimace. That gave him heart and strength, though his front legs were shaking and felt the pain spreading like a fire through his whole body. Now the rear legs, he was almost done. Just a little more, that voice seemed to say, just ignore the pain as best you can, it'll all be over soon… almost there…

One leg coming up… firmly on the ground… then the other, placed by the side of its fellow. His legs shook violently, he stumbled… he didn't fall back down, as he had fallen against something soft and warm. He lifted his head and felt his heart glow, for Luna was there, supporting him on her side, preventing him from falling again. She truly wasn't about to give up on him… so neither would he. She stood back and let him stand as best he could on his own…

A few seconds… a little more shaking… but he didn't fall. He'd done it. He could stand again!

"Well done Dusk! I knew you had it in you," she praised happily, watching him closely.

"I… I… did it…" He coughed and swayed a little. It still hurt to talk. "But… what now?"

"The battle is now partly won, but there is still a way to go," she informed him grimly. "You must climb out of here, defeat Blackhole Doom and regain control of your mind."

"But… how can I possibly hope… to stop him?" he spluttered. "He's stronger than me… faster… more ferocious… what chance do I have?"

"Part of it lies around your neck. Look…"

He did so and, to his pleasant surprise, saw that it was part of the necklace that Twilight had made him, that good luck charm that had become as much a part of him as his heart. It was only one part of it, the chunk with Twilight's fur colour in it, that sparkling shade of lilac. So, in a way, he had a small chunk of the magic left in him…

"Where… where's the rest?" he asked her, gripping it gently.

"They are scattered along the path out of this darker place in your mind. You must find and recover them as you make your way out and they shall give you the strength you need to stop your darker self." She placed her hoof over his as he gripped it. "They are symbols of your friendship with the Wielders and can grant you a power far stronger than anger and rage."

"You're… you're sure that… they can?"

"Well, this one just gave you the strength to get back on your hooves, didn't it?" She gave him a knowing smile, before looking regretful. "I must go now, for I have done all that I can."

"No, please! Don't go!" He knew he sounded pathetic, but he didn't want her to leave him. "I don't want to be alone…"

"Do not worry, young Dusk…" She leant in close and bestowed him a tender kiss on his cheek, making his face grow warm and filling him with a determined spirit, as if a little bit of magic had been transferred through it, "…you won't be."

With that, she faded away, though that smile still lingered to the last. He could feel its warmth, as radiant as Celestia's… then it was gone and was replaced with fear. Despite her promise, Dusk fill felt that growing sense of isolation and dread. How long was this journey going to take, in the state that he was in? What if he couldn't find these fragments of his necklace lying around the remains of his mind and Blackhole would just cast him back down into this pit?

The light… it hadn't truly faded, for he wasn't in complete darkness. He could still see a passage that looked like it led out, thanks to that small glimmer of light that remained. Still shining, still glowing, like a shimmer of hope that refused to succumb to the dark…

That spirit, like the light was still there, contained in the little rock that dangled around his neck, in that little speck of colour that was her… her silk fur like lilacs, her shining purple mane, her wonderful voice and shining eyes. The thought of her, of all of them, added to his strength, his determination. No, he decided… he couldn't give up on them, not without a fight first, not until he had given it his all and come out on top… or fall trying.

Giving that stone one last grip and wincing from the pain, he began, slowly but surely, to hobble up the tunnel, to begin his ascent.

The earth shook beneath Blackhole's hooves, as he slammed them into the ground in frustration, roaring his displeasure at this failure. He'd had her! She was low on strength, close to defeat and she was at his mercy. Now, like a coward, she had fled, unwilling to face him to the end and die with some dignity. He would hunt her down now and she would suffer, oh yes, she would suffer greatly for this.

"Good show, my minion, bravo!" clapped Discord. "It's been such a long time since I've seen a proper fight like that."

"But master, I failed you," he growled. "She escaped me before I could finish her…"

"There's that yes," he nodded, "but you still managed to break her quite a bit before she left. I must say, I'm impressed by how much you withstood and still have some fight in you."

"Thank you, master, your words embolden me," he bowed. "Shall I hunt her down?"

"No, she's not important at the moment. I'll deal with her myself soon enough, something involving toffee, a trampoline and a pair of tweezers I think," he assured him with an evil grin.

"That sounds entertaining, my lord. Is there anything else you would have me do?"

"Not that I can think of," Discord shrugged. "Just go off and have yourself some fun, my little servant. You've thoroughly earned it."

"Master, you are too good to me," he thanked, bowing again.

"Think nothing of it." He then clapped his hands together and grinned all the more widely. "Now then, I have some more chaos to wreak. Perhaps I'll turn the lake into lime Jell-O or turn the snow on the mountains into sugar frosting and the mountains into cakes. Oh, the possibilities of chaos are just endless!"

"It is glorious indeed, master," agreed Blackhole. "I shall be sure to spread some chaos of my own in your name."

"You'll do your best, I'm sure." He snapped his fingers and summoned a large clock. "Make sure you're at the library in about fifteen minutes to witness the end of harmony in Equestria forever. It should be quite a show."

"I would not dream to miss it, my lord. I hope that you… have fun," he said, with a smile of his own.

"I'll be sure to and you too, Blackhole. Until next time…" He saluted and vanished in a flash of light, leaving Blackhole in the midst of the destruction his duel with Luna had made. How wonderful…

He was about to run off, to spread some more chaos for his master when he stopped, pausing for a moment. He rubbed his head, as he felt something, a twinge in his skull like a mild itch. He shrugged and decided to ignore it. Perhaps it was just an after-effect after his battle with Luna and it would wear off soon enough. A mild pain wasn't going to stop him.

Grinning at the thought of the chaos he could spread, he sprinted off, that nagging feeling still in the back of his mind, like something scratching away inside his thoughts…

Though the small magical light provided him with some visibility in what seemed like an endless chasm of darkness in these tunnels and the small chunk of stone around his neck gave him some renewed strength, Dusk's journey wasn't made any easier, due to a combination of his own fear of pain and death and the state that Blackhole had left him in. He had passed one reflective piece of stone as he travelled on and he had screamed aloud at how he looked.

Both of his eyes had been blackened, though one more severely than the other. There were two cuts, bordering on scars and still dripping blood, across his face, as well as an innumerable number of large purple bruises and red cuts, sometimes deep, sometimes only surface, all over his body. In addition to the cuts and bruises from the sheer brutality of Blackhole's beating, his leg was at an awkward angle, indicating it had been broken and he was now dragging it along, along with a strong pain in his back, possibly minor fracturing.

Despite this, he tried his best to push on. He couldn't treat his wounds, as he had neither the resources, nor the medical expertise. Though he had read some medical books, they weren't much use to him here and he couldn't recall most of the details. Because of this, his body was burning and aching from the pain that seared through him. He could barely make it along this stretch of flat ground. How was he going to cope when it eventually inclined upward? How could he even hope to stand up to Blackhole like this?

"Can't… give up…" he grunted, dragging his hoof like a zombie. "Counting… on me… stop… Blackhole…"

So he pressed on, even though it was a great pain just to walk.

Up ahead, he could make out a clearing in the tunnel… was it his imagination or could he see something floating, shining suspended in a beam of light? Maybe he was suffering hallucination from so many blows to the head… no, that definitely looked like something… a jagged piece of stone, no larger than a cherry. Another fragment!

"Have to… get to it…"

He coughed and wretched again from the sheer effort of speaking and his front two legs buckled as he almost collapsed. He tried to push himself back up, get back on his hooves and get back to making slow progress towards the fragment… but he just didn't have the strength to do it, not on his own… he needed help…

"Please… help me…" He bowed his head, knowing that nopony could hear him down here. What was the point…?

"Mr Dusk? Are you okay?" That voice… that sweet, innocent voice… it couldn't be…

"He doesn't look too good," remarked another voice, without the farm accent of the first.

"Come on Dusk, you gotta get up! You gotta kick Blackhole's butt!" urged another voice. He craned his neck up and beamed at the sight of them, though it hurt the corners of his mouth.

There, standing before him, were the three little fillies that made up the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Bloom was closest, bending in front of him and examining his face with concern. Sweetie Belle looked equally worried and afraid, whilst Scootaloo was resolutely determined.

"Girls… what are you… doing down here?" he asked, in-between coughs and splutters.

"We heard about what happened and we came here to help," piped up Sweetie, smiling sweetly at him, though her eyes still shone with fear.

"Well… I could certainly… use it…" He tried to stand, but only ended up retching and collapsing again on his front legs.

"Oh no, yer not okay!" exclaimed Apple Bloom. "Come on Crusaders, our friend needs our help!"

"Yeah, don't you worry Dusk, we'll have you up in no time," assured Scootaloo confidently.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders: Quest Helpers!" they chorused and scampered around him, taking up positions.

Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo wormed their way under his legs, using their backs to provide support and lifting him up off the ground. They strained a little under the weight of his body, along with their own diminutive sizes, but managed to hold him up without dropping him. Sweetie Belle walked by his side and began to keep up a stream of encouragement, both for Dusk and her friends.

"Come on guys, you haven't got too far to go," she said brightly.

"Why… why are…" He couldn't get the words out, but they picked up his meaning regardless.

"We're yer friends Dusk, we like ya," Apple Bloom said from under his leg. "Why wouldn't we help? 'Sides, ya helped us with gettin' our cutie marks too."

"Yeah, we're helping return a favour and helping you beat the bad guy," put in Scootaloo. "You make sure you give him a butt-kicking from us, okay?"

"I'll… bear that in… in mind," he replied, giving Rainbow's idoliser a weak smile.

He still couldn't quite believe his luck, as he hobbled along, assisted by the young ponies. Right now, the moment when he'd needed help; here they were to give it. They didn't have any kind of obligation or need to assist him; it had been simply out of the goodness of their hearts. He knew them and he liked them, but he'd always spent more time with the girls than with them, yet they were still willing to give him whatever aid he needed.

There was still quite a way to go however, still at least five other fragments to find on the way out and he was still in this weakened state. They would tire from supporting him eventually, if he didn't regain the rest of his strength and recover soon. They certainly wouldn't be able to help him fight his darker alter ego. And yet…

Maybe… he really wasn't as alone as he first thought.

"Come on, almost there," urged Sweetie Belle, as the beam of light grew brighter.

"Good, 'cause I don't think I can carry him much further," grunted Scootaloo. "No offense Dusk."

"None… taken…" he groaned, trying his best to take some weight off.

"Jus' keep liftin' him, it's only a lil' further," encouraged Apple Bloom.

"Well, of course I'll keep lifting him," replied the Pegasus. "In this position, I couldn't not lift, could I?"

"This would be easier if we had your scooter," said Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, we coulda jus' put him in the trailer and move him that way," realised Apple Bloom.

"Please, don't remind me," snapped Scootaloo.

"What? I'm just saying…"

"I know you're just saying, Sweetie, but it isn't helping."

"Come on girls… no need to… to fight," rasped Dusk, as Sweetie opened her mouth to respond.

"You really don't sound so good," she said with concern. "Did Blackhole hurt you bad?"

"Yes… he really, really did…" He grabbed his side as a twinge of pain shot up from it.

"Why'd he do it?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, aren't you two like, brothers or something?" added Scootaloo.

"Well…" Dusk tried to think of the best way to explain it to them. "You know those, ugh… two fillies at your school… the mean ones?"

"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?" asked Apple Bloom. "Yeah, what about 'em?"

"Blackhole is… rather like them… only ten times worse, if that…" he said bitterly. "He hates everything that we… we hold dear."

"You mean like friendship and harmony?"

He nodded to Scootaloo's question. "There are some ponies… who are like that… they can't be talked to or… or argued with. They need… to be fought… if there's no other way."

"But ya said that ya didn't like fightin'."

"Yes but, that's… mainly because I'm a… well, a wimp," he admitted. "I just delude myself it's… a sense of honour and… decency, when really… I'm just too scared to do it…"

"Come on Dusk, yer not a wimp," said Apple Bloom. "Ya saved ma sister from the snake thingy in the Everfree Forest."

"Yes, but…" He was about to say that was more foolish bravado than actual courage, but Scootaloo cut him off.

"Yeah and I'll bet there's a bunch of other stuff you've done since then that's pretty gutsy too."

Dusk considered this for a moment, all the things he'd done he might see as being brave: battling heavily armoured diamond dogs, standing up on stage in front of hundreds to perform magic he'd kept hidden for so long, going head to head against one of the toughest fighters in the buffalo tribe and winning and venturing once more into the Forest, alone, with no idea what he might find, with the intentions of trying to help his friends…

Not bad, for a weedy little history geek, he thought to himself with amusement.

"Well… perhaps," he said quietly. "Either way… I still need to fight Blackhole… before this is over… I have no choice."

"Aren't you scared though?" asked Sweetie.

"I am, yes but… there's more to it," he croaked, still feeling the pain in his chest. "Courage isn't about… not being frightened… it's being afraid and doing, ugh… what you have to do anyway…"

"What about yer whole thing about not fightin'?" asked Apple Bloom. "Ma sister had a word fer that. She said it was called bein' a paci... paci… pacifier?"

"Pacifist," Dusk corrected, smiling down at her. "Then I'll… I'll have to make an exception… in his case, won't I?"

"Yeah, go Dusk!" cheered Scootaloo.

"Hey look, we made it!" Dusk looked up at Sweetie Belle's words and realised that she was right. "See, we made it!"

"Yes… yes we did…" Gently, he relinquished the girls' support and let them rest from their efforts and limped over to the fragment.

It was almost the same as the one he currently possessed, except that this one had the colour of pink set into it. Fitting, as he knew she would have done her best to make him feel better too and made sure he had plenty of laughs as well. Carefully, he levitated it down and attached it to his necklace with a spell.

The instant he did, he felt a small surge of energy throughout his whole body, concentrating near his legs. When he moved them, he noticed that they didn't hurt as much as before. There was still a good deal of pain, but he would at least be able to walk on them a little better now. At least the hoof he had been dragging was back in a normal state.

Magic, he thought, it was the only explanation.

"You need any more help Dusk?" asked Sweetie Belle from behind him.

"No I… I think I'll be fine, Sweetie," he told her, noting that talking didn't hurt as much either.

"Does that mean we can go now? I'm wrecked after all that," Scootaloo said, in an annoyed voice.

He turned to face them. "Will you be okay on your own?" They nodded brightly. "Then... goodbye Crusaders and thank you for your help."

"Just make sure you give Blackhole a fight he won't forget!"

"We hope you make it out okay…"

"No problem, good luck Mr Dusk!" said Apple Bloom, as they sprinted off into the dark.

He stared after them, minutes after they'd left. He was sad that they left him on his own again, but he couldn't make them stay with him if they didn't want to. Besides, they'd done more than he would have even expected from them. He didn't even know that they were here so… were there others, in his mind waiting to help him? Or was that just a one-off, a stroke of luck and now he was on his own? Either way, he was glad of their help.

He was still marvelling at his increase of strength, however small it was. He was still hurting in places, but he would at least be able to walk by himself, so long as the tunnel remained flat. It had all come from this little chunk of stone, so small yet so significant; the same before with the fragment Luna gave him. He was sure it had given him the strength to stand again. Perhaps, if he kept finding them, he would be able to recover himself entirely.

He tried to remember that as, at a slow and steady pace, he set off again down the tunnel. At first, it remained flat, but then the thing he dreaded came to pass. The passage started to incline upwards,at first gently, enough so he could manage it, but soon it started to become painful. His lungs started to burn again, even more so in their weakened state and the joints in his knees and ball sockets started to ache from the exertion. What kind of pony was he if he couldn't even manage a gentle slope uphill?

He tried his best to push himself up, but soon he was on his knees, practically dragging himself out of the passage at an even slower pace than before. Despite its gradual incline, this slope was starting to feel more like a mountain. He didn't exercise much anyway and, combined with his weakened and beaten state, he felt utterly exhausted from the effort. His legs, while they had recovered a little, were still damaged and this was putting a great strain on them, to say the least.

Eventually, he had to stop, panting and wheezing like an old stallion. Now, he wasn't sure if he even had the strength to get going again, let alone climb back out… but he was on his own now and he doubted anyone would be able to help him…

"Geez and you call me lazy," said a familiar voice behind him and he whipped his head around to see the short form of a purple scaled dragon.

"Spike!" He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled once more. "I've never been more pleased to see anyone!"

"Good to see you too bro." The two exchanged a hoof-claw bump. "Wow, you look like you've been dragged backwards through several hedges by an angry manticore."

"And I feel like I've been pummelled and beaten by Hoofacles with his club whilst also being partially zombified, about 20 hours into the process… to say the least," remarked Dusk.

"See, I got that last reference, but not the first one," noted Spike.

Dusk couldn't help but grin wider. "You've obviously never read any books on ancient Pegasi myths then."

"And you've obviously read the Zombie Survival Guide I gave you, nice work!" he said proudly. "The zombies will be hard pressed to infect us when they rise."

"Well… I had to do something you'd understand, given your limited background reading," he said with a smile.

"Since when did you brag?" asked Spike, though keeping his smile.

"Sometimes, it's nice to brag, you taught me that if anything." His confident smile diminished and became modest again. "Either way, Twilight's still smarter than me."

"There's the Dusk I know." Spike chuckled and held out a claw. "So, you look like you need a hand, number one pony assistant."

"Are you willing to provide it, number one dragon assistant?"

"Anything for my brother in library-assistantship."

"Then, my brother…" Dusk grasped his claw and heaved himself up, as Spike ran to his side to support him. "Let us venture on, side-by-side."

So together, pony and dragon started to climb up through the tunnels, Dusk doing the best he could whilst being aided by Spike. It reminded him of the many times they'd helped each other out in the library, like when Dusk covered for some of his work because Spike had been napping and forgot about it or the time Spike had helped him out of a mountain of books that had collapsed on him. That had not been a pleasant experience, especially the dragon's pun about how he'd always liked being buried in a book.

Now, his help was more vital than ever before and much more was at stake than berating about laziness from Twilight or a few broken covers and torn pages. Once again, Dusk was happy to know that there was someone he could trust and rely on by his side, especially one as light-hearted and friendly as Spike. At the best of times anyway.

"Just you wait bro; we'll be out of here in no time." He grunted and shifted on Dusk's side. "You could stand to lose a little weight though."

"You've got more of a pudgy belly than me, my scaly friend," remarked Dusk.

"Hey, that's just baby fat!" he insisted. "I'll grow out of it."

"I'm sure you will," he replied with a chuckle that was cut off by a coughing fit, retching and wheezing like a pensioner.

"You all right?" asked Spike with concern.

Dusk took a few long, painful breaths before answering. "I'll be fine, but thanks for asking."

"Wow, Blackhole really did a number on you." He grimaced sympathetically, but smiled regardless. "But you're still here, climbing your way back out to fight him in an epic final duel, probably on top of a tall place with a choir singing in the background."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well… that's how all final fights go. There'll probably be some lava and explosions too." His smile brightened a little more. "This is even kind of like that story you showed me once, where that big tough bad guy beats the hero by breaking his spine." He paused for a moment. "He didn't break your spine, did he?"

"If he did, I'm sure I'd know about it," remarked Dusk. "But, I see where you're coming from at any rate."

"Yeah and then he climbs back out and beats him in a hoof fight, even though he was broken, weakened, beaten, bloody-"

"Sorry, how is this making me feel inspired?"

"What? I'm just telling it like it is," shrugged Spike. "You think you can beat him this time?"

"I hope so, Spike… I hope so…" He stared off in silence, as the two of them shuffled up the hill before he realised there was a shimmering beam of light before him. "We're here…"

"We are?" Spike looked around and grinned. "Huh, that was quicker than I expected. What is that thing anyway?" he asked, pointing to the stone that was suspended in the beam of light.

Dusk staggered over to it, levitating it out of its place and holding it before his eyes. The colour of Rainbow Dash's fur was dotted on the black. Loyalty, like the kind Spike showed to him and vice versa. He added it to the others, once again feeling a boost in his strength and an alleviation of his pain and physical injuries.

"Something that can help me a great deal," he replied, turning back to him. "Thank you for your help Spike, I think I'll be fine from here."

"You sure?" He nodded in response. "Good, I'm gonna go take a nap. Good luck with your ultimate battle for your mind buddy."

"Your support is heart-warming," responded Dusk, with a wry smile. "See you soon Spike." With that, he set off back up the tunnel, now able to manage the steeper slope with relative ease.

So, three pieces down and four to go, all somewhere along the way back up out of the darkest depths of his mind. He kept this in mind and it gave him strength, along with what had happened recently that made him feel not as scared as before. So far, he'd received help from others when he'd needed it, friends he never would have thought would even be there for him, he who was so unimportant and unessential. He couldn't help but wonder who else would come to his aid while he was down here…

Bolstered on by this, he continued along the path, knowing each step brought him closer to his ultimate fate.

Blackhole was laughing and cackling at all the chaos he was causing in Ponyville: turning stone bridges into paper so they dissolved in purple water, making fish fly about in the air rather than swimming in the rivers and lakes, bringing trees to life so that they walked around and caused mischief and anarchy in his and his master's name. Words couldn't describe the sheer joy he took from it. It was glorious, beautiful!

All the while, he only vaguely noticed that the slight headache he had from the end of his battle with Luna was getting steadily stronger. It was slight and hardly noticeable, but it was. At first, he was concerned about it but in the end paid it no mind. He just let the pain it brought fuel his anger and let him revel even more in the chaos he spread.

After he had finished making flowers become carnivorous, so they ran around after flocks of long-legged rabbits, he began to wonder what he should indulge himself in next. His anger still burned at the thought of those mares… his master had said that they still needed to find their precious Elements in his game and he would have all the time to toy with them afterwards. But Blackhole thought there was no harm in having a little more fun… especially with Sparkle.

Smiling in satisfaction of what was to come, but rubbing his head with annoyance, he set off in the direction of the library, laughing to himself as he did. This was going to be amusing…

Piecing It Together

Twilight Sparkle liked to think she was pleasant enough and easy to get along with, so long as there was nothing to set her off. She was also willing to admit that, on occasion, she could lose her temper if there was something that really pushed her to her limits. She still recalled that time during the Pinkie sense incident when she'd literally burst into flames with rage. Since then, she tried her best to control her apparently volatile temper.

However, with all that was happening, she was sure it would push her to the limit at any moment. With the way her friends were behaving, the chaos that Discord was spreading, the threat of Dusk's evil brother and the loss of Dusk himself, she was now nearing screaming volumes, especially now that Fluttershy had taken the important book they needed and was now holding it out of her reach.

"Fluttershy, you'd better give me that book!" she demanded angrily.

Fluttershy didn't return it, but smiled devilishly and cried out in a sing-song voice, "Keep away!"

"Hey!" Twilight tried to stop her, but she tossed it to Applejack, who balanced it on her nose. "Applejack, give me that book!"

"I don't have any book," she lied, throwing it in Pinkie's direction.

The cynical pony bounced on her rump, sending it back to Fluttershy. "Pinkie!" She made for the Pegasus, who promptly threw it back to Applejack, then to Pinkie when she ran to her. "You guys! Stop it right now!"

They didn't even desist, apparently delighting in watching her run around desperately, trying to retrieve the one thing that could stop all of this madness. Dusk would help me, she thought sadly, missing him all the more. Ultimately, it was Spike who came to the rescue, knocking aside Fluttershy as the book came to her, so it fell to the floor.

Twilight spotted it and was about to grab it with her magic, when a blue aura surrounded it, lifting it up as Rarity ran past. "Mine!"

"Hey, do you even know what you just stole?" Twilight asked incredulously, as she sprinted after her.

"No, but if you want it, I want it!" Rarity continued to gallop ahead of Twilight, keeping a sizable distance between them.

She jumped over one of the pedestals, kicking down the wooden-carved pony head that rested on top of it to slow her down. Twilight, fuelled by her frustration, jumped over it, unhindered and continued to give chase. She almost reached Rarity, she just needed to get a little bit closer and she would catch her!

"Give me that book!" She made one last jump and landed on top of Rarity, pinning her to the floor. "Give it to me, NOW!"

"Fine! Here, take your precious-" She was cut off when a darker aura surrounded the book, carrying it off somewhere else.

Twilight shot her head up, looking for the source of the magic and she became frozen with fright when she saw who it was that had taken possession of it. He had a horrible smile on his face, his fur as dark as his shadow, that stretched out towards her, like it was an extension of his body. The book was suspended above his head, as he stood in the hole Twilight made with Tom.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" growled Blackhole Doom, his jade eyes passing over them. "Fighting with your friends, Sparkle? Perhaps there is hope for you yet…"

"Twilight," Spike whispered, "who's this guy?"

"Blackhole Doom, Discord's new servant," she whispered back. "He's the reason why Dusk is… is…" She couldn't finish her sentence, bowing her head to hide her tears.

"Him? Why I oughta…" He did an action of rolling up non-existent sleeves and stomped over to him before Twilight could do anything. "Hey, you jerk, what did you do to my buddy?!"

"Your buddy?" Blackhole chuckled. "Don't make me laugh. He was as much your friend as that mop."

Spike was now trembling a little with fear at how much bigger he was compared to him. "Yeah, well um… that's not true! What did you do to him?"

"WHAT DO YOU CARE?!" Blackhole roared back at him, the force blowing Spike off his feet and head first into a bucket, where his legs flailed in the air helplessly. "How pathetic…"

"What do you want?!" Pinkie asked angrily.

"Be quiet, spring-hoof!" He sent a blast of magic at her and she started to bounce up and down, her head smacking off the ceiling hard.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be laughing at the misfortune I cause," growled Fluttershy, as Blackhole laughed cruelly at Pinkie's state.

"Then, by all means, proceed." Another zap of magic and Fluttershy was whisked beneath Pinkie and held in place, so the bouncing pony was constantly hitting her hard on the head every time she shot back down.

"What are you here for Blackhole?" Twilight asked finally, wanting to help her friends but at the same time afraid to act for fear of what he would do.

"Why, I am simply here to do what I enjoy and that, at present, is taking what matters to you, what is most important." That horrible smile widened, his malevolent gaze fixed on her. "Or have I already done that?"

Twilight once again felt that sense of loss and anger at the mention of Dusk and gritted her teeth, a small growl resounding in her throat. He was going to pay for what he had done to Dusk, that much she would make sure of.

"Well then uh, ya can keep the book. We uh, don't need it anyways," Applejack said fearfully, her eyes twitching from the lie.

"You really are a terrible liar." He shot a spell at her and her hat suddenly crushed her head, weighing her down and preventing her from getting back up. "Do you have a lot on your mind then?"

"Applejack!" Twilight did her best to try and support her friend and glared at Blackhole. "How can you be so cruel?"

"Because I can be… and because I want to. Now, what shall I do now?" Chuckling deeply in his throat, he crossed slowly over to Tom. "Ah, of course."

"Keep away! I'm warning you, keep away!" shrieked Rarity.

"There appear to be quite a few cracks in this stone, chinks in the armour if you will." He traced his hoof around one such crack. "I wonder what would happen if I were to apply just a little more pressure…?"

His horn glowed once more, his dark magic glowing from inside the boulder, whilst Rarity watched in horror. Gradually, more cracks started to appear across the surface, the ones that were already present started to widen. If Blackhole kept that up, the entire boulder would shatter completely from within. Not that it mattered to Twilight, after all it was just a rock.

Rarity, however, was beside herself. "No! Stop! Stop it right now!"

"You want me to stop?" He glared right at her, so much she actually recoiled. "Then beg! Get down on your knees and beg me to stop."

Rarity did so almost immideately. "I'll do anything! Please, I beg of you, don't hurt him! You're ruining his whole beautiful, shining body!"

"That's not begging! You can do better than that!" He roared, grinning at the sight of her, weeping and begging on her knees.

Twilight felt fear grip her whole body, but she ignored it as best she could. As intimidating and cruel Blackhole was, they still needed the reference guide to the Elements of Harmony back, for it would lead them one step closer to defeating both him and his dark master once and for all. And to saving Dusk too…

"Stop it, right now!" She stepped forward, standing defiantly. "Give me back that book, Blackhole!"

"You dare to order me?!" he demanded angrily. "You attempted to defy me before, Sparkle and, as I recall, you failed!"

"Then I'll try and fail again! Now, give me that BOOK!"

"You still don't know your place? Then allow me to remind you who's in control here!" The next blast of magic he sent out hit one of the shelves, the books flying out of their place and circling him in a swarm, like a flock of birds. "You want a book, Twilight Sparkle? Allow me to oblige. ATTACK!"

This last command was to the books, which soared towards her and surrounded her in a flock of flapping pages and covers before she could do anything. They snapped at her like angry animals, knocked her on the head with their hard back covers. Every time she tried to get out, they would force her back into the centre and trap her there.

Through them all, she could see Blackhole Doom, laughing maliciously at her, along with the others, still making Rarity beg before him. She could make out the reference guide, suspended above his head, like it too was taunting her. No matter what he did to her or her friends, she had to get that book back off him.

Somehow.

Dusk didn't like being down here, in the darkest depths of his mind in this broken and degenerate state, out of control of his whole body while Blackhole Doom did Celestia knows what with it. He knew what that depraved, rage-filled stallion had been capable of doing to him and he knew he would be doing the same to his friends and the ponies he loved. Dusk was rarely angry and kept his temper in check, but a boiling, seething anger towards Blackhole was developing, as well as towards his dark master, a need to repay them both in kind for what he had done, both to him and his friends. He would do his best to exact payback on the both of them or die trying. Blackhole was going to pay for this.

All the while, he wondered of the dark pony knew what was happening in here. He was in control of both his body and mind, but Dusk was still down here and gradually climbing his way back out to take him on, getting stronger all of the time. Could Blackhole feel him coming back out to challenge him? If so, would he take steps to stop him? If he were to come down here now and face him, Dusk knew that, despite his determination to stop him, he wouldn't be able to match his darker self in this state. He could only pray with all his might that Blackhole wasn't taking notice and that he would be strong enough to take him on.

He turned around the cave and encountered a long, narrow stone bridge across a dark chasm. Across the bridge, he could see the cave that would take him further up and out, as well as the glinting light of another necklace fragment. He set hoof onto the bridge, intending to get across it quickly-

CRACK!

With a yell, he jumped back as a long, jagged gap appeared in the bridge, which then fell away, tumbling into the darkness below. Dusk was breathing heavily, as he stood back and examined the bridge. He placed a hoof lightly on it again and could feel how fragile the stone was. There was no way it would be able to take his weight without collapsing.

He considered his options, but knew that only way across before the bridge collapsed from his weight was to run. His legs were still rather painful, though he had mastered walking and his lungs and chest still hurt from some exertions. It would push both of them to the limit of he tried sprinting and he didn't think it would be enough to get him across before it collapsed. There had to be another way… if he could only get to that fragment, he was sure it would be able to give him the strength to run…

"This seems to be quite a predicament you find yourself in, Dusk Noir," said a soft, yet strong voice from his side.

He looked and saw that it wasn't a pony who stood there, but a buffalo, a calf about his height, with tanned brown fur, bird feathers attached to a headdress on her head and a friendly, yet determined expression on her face.

Remembering the custom, he raised his neck to her. "May the ground stay strong beneath your hooves, Little Strongheart."

"And may it stay strong beneath yours, Dusk," she returned, finishing the greeting with a head butt. "I heard about your quest and decided I should come to lend you aid."

That stirred something in his memory. "Isn't that a tradition that members of a buffalo tribe always lend help to other bison in their tribe or friend to their tribe if they need it, especially in matters of honour or life and death?"

"Once again, your surprise me with your knowledge of my people," she noted. "There is that but… I couldn't in good conscience leave you to manage this task, a friend of my people and to me, without help of some kind. It just wouldn't feel right."

"I'm most grateful for that," he said sincerely, marvelling again at their closeness as friends, despite being part of two different races.

Friendship truly was a powerful, wonderful thing.

She looked him over and nodded admirably. "You certainly look stronger than the last time I saw you."

Dusk chuckled dismissively. "Have you seen the state of me? I still have trouble walking on my own four legs. I'm no stronger or fitter than when we met last..."

"I wouldn't say that." She gestured to some of his more severe bruises and cuts. "Despite all the afflictions that torment your body and weaken you, your spirit has remained unbroken. You still had the strength to get back up and start moving again, making your way out of here to wage your battle with a mighty foe"

"Not without help though…"

"That does not make it any less significant. Many find it difficult to accept help from others, but taking it is not a sign of weakness, far from it. All it shows is that you can take the strength of those around you, that there are those who care about you so much that they offer help and still have enough of your own to make it all of this way, without help. That is truly admirable and shows the strength you have, not here," she said, gesturing to her muscles and placing a hoof on his heart, "but here."

Dusk looked down at her small, black hoof that felt warm against his fur, stared at it for a few minutes and looked up at her, smiling and gripping her hoof in return. This was true praise, coming from one who knew true hardship and challenges from the life that she had led among her people, from surviving the many feats that she had completed by herself as part of the traditions of her tribe, yet at such a young age.

She returned his grip, just as hard enough to make him wince, but she returned his determined smile, echoing his silent expression of thanks. They didn't need words to say that they had understood each other. They let go and returned their attention to the bridge.

"Now, on the subject of that," she said, looking at the bridge, "it looks like you could use my help here."

"If you'd be willing to give it."

"If you'd be willing to accept it."

"I am."

"Then I will help. If you ask nicely."

They shared a laugh at this, but soon returned their focus. He pointed to the other side. "I need to get over there and continue on, while also getting that stone, but the bridge is too fragile to support my weight. Would you be able to run over and get the stone?"

"If I were to run, the bridge would still crumble and you would be trapped over here. Besides, I have another solution."

"What's that?" He saw a glint in her eye and her legs begin to tense. "Wait, what are you-?"

He didn't have time to finish as she suddenly jumped out onto the bridge. He tried to call out, to stop her, but she was too quick. His shock heightened further, landing neatly on a part of it. Instead of crumbling and falling, it remained stable holding her weight and still supporting her. She smiled at Dusk's gobsmacked expression.

"How… how did you…?"

"You could rival a desert viper with how wide your mouth has opened," she remarked, with a giggle.

Dusk blushed and closed his mouth, but he was still wide-eyed from her achievement. "How did you manage that?"

"As you know, we buffalo have to learn well the ground beneath our hooves. Some parts of this bridge are more stable and stronger than other parts. It's merely a matter of finding the right part," she explained, tapping the ground with her hoof. It didn't even shift.

"Incredible," Dusk whispered, then louder. "But how does that help me?"

"Simple. I shall go first and see which part of the bridge is stable, while you follow behind me." She started to walk back towards him, with only small cracks following in her wake, before returning to where she'd jumped to. "Still, we should move quickly as we can. Even with these parts, the bridge isn't entirely safe."

"Right… okay, I'm coming." Slowly, cautiously, Dusk stepped onto the part of the bridge Little Strongheart had indicated.

He could feel a slight rumbling below his hooves, but other than that the bridge remained in place. He let out a small breath of relief, then proceeded to follow Strongheart across the bridge, still moving slowly and carefully. Though she had said to move as quickly as possible, she moved at a reasonable pace to let him keep up, due to his state.

Every now and again, Dusk couldn't help peering down the bottomless gorge below and shivering slightly. Even though he trusted Strongheart, he still couldn't help but feel a little scared at travelling across the bridge. It was the fear that maybe she would get it wrong and he would end up stepping on a more fragile part of the stone. He didn't know how far down the gorge went, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to get back up if he fell. Then he'd never be able to get out of here and stop his darker self…

It was when he felt like this that the cracks seemed to increase and the stone appeared to be a lot less stronger than it should be. Luckily, Little Strongheart was a source of great comfort for him. Whenever he jumped or yelled at a breaking bit of stone, she would calm and remind him that she was here to guide him and that he had nothing to worry about. This instantly made him feel better and braver to be able to cross the bridge.

They were soon close to the end, Strongheart making it safely off the bridge before Dusk did, who was still close behind her. The minute she stepped off, however, Dusk became scared again, began picturing himself falling into the blackness below… and that's when the stone cracked again and he heard a distant rumbling.

"What was…?" Strongheart looked behind him and her eyes widened. "Dusk, look!"

He did so and discovered much to his utter horror, that the last crack was enough shatter the bridge entirely. Now, the whole thing was crumbling and falling into the dark… and it was swiftly catching up to him, so he would fall too.

"Dusk, quickly, run!" she cried out.

Dusk tried too, but the pain was too much and he ended up collapsing. "I can't! I don't have the… the strength…" The bridge was almost up to him, he would soon fall.

Strongheart fretted from the other side, trying to think of something. Then, her face hardened and she held out her hooves. "Then, you must jump."

"What?! I can't-"

"Don't worry, I'll catch you! Trust me." He gazed at him imploringly, her eyes boring into his.

Realistically, Dusk knew that he barely had the strength to jump, let alone run. But in that moment that he gazed into her eyes, Dusk stopped listening to that part of his mind and began to believe what she was telling him. Regardless of what his strength might be, she was still his friend and she wouldn't let him fall. He had to trust her… he had to jump.

His legs coiled like springs, he could feel the ground give way beneath him. With one, painful move that made him cry out, he jumped, just the bridge fell away beneath him. He soared towards her, holding out his hooves, willing himself as he sailed over to her that he would make it. He reached out, so did she…

… And he made it! With an iron grip, Strongheart held him, dangling off the edge as the last of the bridge fell away. Heaving with all her strength, she hauled up to the other side and he collapsed in a heap next to her, drawing long, painful breaths.

"I… I did it…" he panted, raising his head to look at her. "Thank you…"

"Well, I wasn't just going to leave you." She helped him back up to his hooves, swaying a little but still standing. "I told you to trust me."

"You did… and that was what gave me the strength. Now then…" He staggered over to the beam of light, where the next fragment was suspended.

It had a splash of orange against the black, reminding him of the peach-coloured farm pony. It seemed that Strongheart was just as honest and truthful as she was. Maybe that was part of what drove me, he thought, taking the stone and attaching it to the rest. Once again, he felt a boost in strength when it made contact.

One less one to find, he thought, turning back to her. "Thank you for your help, Little Strongheart. I need to continue on now… there are still other fragments to find."

"I understand. I have done all that I can and am proud to have done it." They butted their heads again, raising their necks to each other. "May the spirits of my ancestors watch over you, Dusk Noir."

"Likewise, Little Strongheart, until next time." He watched her as she sprinted off down another passage, then continued up the more upwardly inclined route.

Now, he was far stronger than he had ever been since he was down here. That last fragment had restored to him the ability to run, as he was now galloping down the tunnel, the sounds of his hooves echoing off the walls. Hopefully, he would be out of here in no time now, especially once he regained the ability to use his magic, though he wasn't sure what effect it would have in here.

The next chamber he entered was almost the same as the last one, except this one had stone pedestals set up above the gorge. Each one had varying heights and just enough space for a pony to stand on, all of them leading higher up to the top of the cave. Across the other side, he could see the next fragment, like a beacon in the darkness calling out to him.

So, it looked like he would have to jump up to each one in order to get out, which seemed simple enough. He stepped up to the first pedestal and tried to jump for it. A stab of pain shot through his body and he ended up missing the edge, falling back down and hitting the ground hard. The result was the same whenever he tried it. It just hurt too much, he still had a lot more recovering to do.

How was he going to get out of here, without some kind of help?

"Looks like… I'm stuck here…" he muttered dejectedly.

"You cannot give up, from this little slip-up, not now you have come so far, Dusk Noir," a soft, yet deep voice spoke near him.

When he turned, his sight beheld a zebra, her mane done up in the style of her people, adorned with golden jewellery, a kind smile upon her face.

"Zecora!" The two of them exchanged a hug. "Oh, I've never been happier to see you."

"As I am to see you, that much is true." She pulled back, looking up at the pedestals. "It seems you could use my assistance to overcome this rocky resistance."

"I certainly could," he agreed. "I don't suppose you have something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, as for you, I have prepared this special brew." She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a beaker of green, smoking liquid. "Drink it at this time and it will give the strength to climb."

Dusk took it, staring at it warily. He had no reason to doubt Zecora as she was certainly gifted at her trade, but he still wasn't all that confident about drinking this strange potion. But, it wasn't like he had any other options and he needed all the help he could get.

He uncorked it, tried to ignore the strong smell that emerged from it and drank it.

Twilight was still taking shelter from all of the books that were attacking her, yelling out in pain whenever one of them swooped in and attacked, Blackhole still laughing away at the horrible torments he had put them all in.

At first, fear had dominated her and prevented her from striking back against him, especially after what had happened last time. But now, after enduring all of this and still having the solution kept out of her reach when she was so close, she felt nothing but a determination to bring him down and anger for what he had done.

Now was the time for action!

With a loud cry, she performed a spell that surrounded her in a shield, pushing all of the books outwards and away from her. Before Blackhole could comprehend what she had done, she charged right at him, jumped through the air and smacked into him, forcing him to the floor.

"Give me back that book!" she ordered, raising a hoof to strike him-

"AGGGGGGGGHHHHH! MY HEAD!" His scream made her pause for a moment, long enough for him to strike her hard, sending her flying backwards to the floor. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Her cheek throbbing, she looked over at him to see him writhing and screaming like an animal, clutching his head and roaring in pain. The magic he had inflicted on the others suddenly wore off and ceased to have an effect and the book dropped to the floor. All the while, he continued to scream and screech in pain, a horrible graining sound.

"What… what have you DONE TO ME?!" He locked his gaze on her, growling and snarling. "What have you DONE?!"

With one last roar, he galloped away out of the library, still bellowing about his head and whatever she had done to him.

Twilight stared after him and looked down at her hooves in amazement. That had happened in the instant that she had touched him, that brief moment of contact she'd had with him. What had she done to him and why had she affected him so adversely?

"Twilight?" Spike, now having freed himself, had joined her at her side. "What just happened?"

"I don't know, Spike…" She stared back down at her hooves. "I just don't know…"

The minute that he swallowed the potion, which to his surprise tasted very sweet, Dusk felt a great surge of energy shoot through his body, far greater than what the stones so far had given him. Far from beating Blackhole, he now felt he had the strength to climb a whole mountain whilst also carrying several huge stones and Pinkie's pound cake that actually weighed far more.

Without a moment's hesitation, he crouched and sprang up to the first ledge, pulling himself up triumphantly and turning to face Zecora.

"Coming? I could use the company," he said to her.

"To proceed together would be my pleasure." Making an equally effortless bound, she jumped up to join him, careful that none of her ingredients and potions fell out of her bag.

So the two of them began their game of ascending leapfrog in a sense, with Dusk jumping up first and waiting to help Zecora make the next leap, holding out his hooves to pull her up. Thanks to the effects of her potion, Dusk found what would have been exerting exercise surprisingly easy. However, he knew the power wouldn't last forever and he made sure to keep at a reasonably quick pace.

Zecora seemed to be managing just fine without the need for a potion. Dusk knew that, due to the life she led back in her home and the many dangers that existed, she would have been required to remain in pique physical condition. Apparently, she also took part in a form of meditation that involved balancing on bamboo poles in a state of perfect balance. She had tried to teach it to him, but Dusk only ended up smashing a large quantity of her work. Luckily, she hadn't held it against him.

"By Celestia, this is high," Dusk remarked, as he pulled her up onto another ledge.

Zecora nodded, staring up at the end. "It seems for every obstacle you overcome, another comes along to spoil your fun."

"Hard to argue with that." He paused to make the next jump. "I'm starting to think I'll never make it out of here."

"Indeed, the road you take is long and it seems to go on and on." She placed a hoof on his shoulder firmly. "But you must take heart and continue, or your foe will destroy all you knew, not just all you see here, but those you love and hold most dear."

Dusk sighed and shook his head. "I know what's at stake, Zecora, but… can I really beat him?"

Zecora was silent as she considered this carefully. "For certain, I cannot say, if you can best him on this day. But though this seems your darkest hour, know you possess a greater power, one against which he cannot compete and, using that, he will be beat."

"But…" Dusk stared up at the sheer heights he still had left to climb, feeling more diminished than ever, "he defeated me and threw me down here like I was nothing. I can't even hope to match that, how can I compete with that?"

"Now that, I say is wrong, for what fails to kill simply makes us strong." She gestured at him. "Why, just look here, for despite your doubts and fear, you are climbing up and out, ready for another bout. Just when he beat and threw you to the floor, here you are back again and stronger than before."

"I… I suppose you're right," Dusk nodded, thinking about all he had been through so far.

"Indeed, for as somepony once said: if the fall does not bring our demise, then our greatest moment is when we rise."

Dusk stared at her, dumbstruck by her words and feeling deeply affected by how much he was strengthened by them, perhaps even more so than what her potion provided.

"Very profound," was all he could comment, only one jump away from the end.

"Yes," she agreed, as he hauled her up, "a good quotation is a diamond to a pony of wit, whereas it is a pebble in the hooves of a twit."

"True enough," Dusk chuckled, jumping up at the last stage and helping her up for the final time. "Look at that, we made it!"

"Yes, but I would rate that it is not yet time to celebrate," she said warning. "Now, as part of the journey on which you rise, it is time to claim your prize."

Dusk took the next fragment, which had a hint of purple to it, but deeper than the Magic fragment. Generosity, like how Zecora was when she gave him that poster and stuck by him until they reached the top. The strength it gave him was fading now, but he regained some of it when he reattached it to the rest of his necklace.

"Now I regret that, for the next part of this zone, you must go on alone," Zecora said sadly.

"I know," murmured Dusk, hugging Zecora gently. "Thank you, for all your help."

"For this problem, more large than small, it was no trouble at all." She bowed her head to him. "Farewell and good luck to you, my friend Dusk."

Dusk waited until she left, then sprinted on ahead, knowing that it wasn't far to go now until he faced Blackhole Doom. Hopefully, he'd be ready.

"What… what is happening to me?!" the dark-furred pony demanded to no-one as he rolled around on the ground

Blackhole was still screaming, still feeling the agonising pain in his head, piercing him like a thousand knives were being forced into his skull. It had died down a little now from before, but it was still pounding away at his head painfully.

This headache, it had lingered after his battle with Luna and now, far from dying down, it just seemed to keep getting stronger, to the point where even he was having trouble coping with it. In that moment Twilight touched him, he'd felt an incredible spike of pain when she made contact, so much so that he had to leave in case she caught on.

That magic she'd performed, when Luna had touched his horn… she'd done something to him, something to cause this. He didn't know what it was or why it was doing this or what it would ultimately do, but now he would try and focus, find the source of what was causing it and when he did…

Well, it was going to get a little messy!

Author's Note

Here's another double post folks! Remember to comment and thumbs-up please.

Final Leg

Dusk's excitement and fear was growing even more for every step he took in this dark place, for the success of when he would finally escape and for when he would have to face Blackhole Doom yet again. Only this time, he would be ready for him, or as ready as he would ever be. He would have to, if he had any hope of stopping him and his master. Well, Blackhole at least, he didn't stand a chance against Discord.

As such, he had quickened his pace in order to make it out of here as quickly as possible. As such, he didn't notice that the tunnels were starting to twist and turn a lot more than they were before and it was becoming a lot harder to see, with an increasing darkness pressing down upon him. He just kept on running, hoping that he would find a way out soon and ignoring when he ended up almost tripping and falling, doing his best run on.

Another thought that came to mind would be what would happen when he saw Twilight and the others again. How much of what Discord showed him was actual truth and would they really want him around? Even then, how was he going to explain about Blackhole? Would they blame him for anything he had done, for failing to stop him and for just running away like a coward? He wouldn't blame them if they did, for that was what he had been… what he was…

Once again, Dusk couldn't help but wonder what exactly his darker self had done. In essence, he was everything negative about Dusk given form and increased tenfold, to a level where compassion and pity were just words to him. Add to that his increased strength, speed and magical powers and there would be no limit to the cruelty he could cause. And he would blame them, because of what Discord had shown him… the thought of this made Dusk push himself even further, his own anger increasing for him.

Dusk returned his focus to his surroundings and thought it all seemed rather familiar, like he had been here before. Picking a direction and sprinting, he tried to find the path again, but ended up going down into a dead end. He tried to recall where he had been before, noticing that all of these walls and passages looked the same and there was so many of them…

There had to be a way out of here, there had to be. His panic was increasing now, galloping this way and that, encountering only dead-ends, wrong ways or routes that carried him to right back where he started at what felt like hours ago. Soon, he ran out of breath and collapsed at yet another junction he had already passed.

He didn't want to admit it but… he was lost. Lost, down here in the dark!

Desperately, he tried to think of a solution for this problem. He could attempt to remember where he had already been in these tunnels and eliminate possibilities from there, but there were simply too many tunnels and they all looked too similar from each other to even begin contemplating a way out. Why didn't he leave some arrows marked into the dirt, like he always did in times like this? He had lost his head and now he was paying for it…

He could try using his magic to try and find his way out, but that would only give him additional light. He couldn't use the tracking feature they had, for there was nopony else down here for him to track, at least nopony up ahead. He'd just end up going back the way he came. Besides, he wasn't even sure he had the strength to use it. He had recovered some strength, but he didn't know if was enough yet… he still got little headaches whenever he used so much as a basic levitation spell. How was he going to cope with his colour shapes?

Before, when he had been in situations like this, a friend had come to help him. Luna, the Crusaders, Spike, Little Strongheart, Zecora. They'd all come to help him in his time of despair, when he'd needed them most. Would somepony come now to help him? How were they going to find him down here? He didn't even know where he was!

"What am I supposed to do?!" he cried out, his voice echoing cruelly around the tunnel. "Somepony, anypony, help!"

But there was no reply, nopony was coming to help him now. He was alone.

Twilight had never been so relieved and surprised in her life. She had been expecting to find some kind of clue or another riddle leading to the Elements that would allow them to find them. What she hadn't expected was to find them in the book, hollowed out in a section of it and ready for them to use.

"The Elements! They were here all along!"

Spike ran over and bent to examine them. "This is great! Now you guys can defeat Discord and put everything back to normal!"

And save Dusk, Twilight thought to herself, even more happy as a result of it, as she shut the book and brought it over to show the others.

"See girls? We did it! We found the Elements of Harmony! Together!"

There was virtually no reaction from them. Applejack was leaning back nonchalantly, Pinkie was slumped against Rarity's boulder whilst Fluttershy flicked at her mane and Rarity was polishing Tom lovingly, not even looking up.

Twilight couldn't quite believe this. "You don't even care, do you?"

"No!" they all said as one.

She sighed sadly at the state of them. "I never thought it would happen. My friends... have turned into complete JERKS!" she finished angrily, frustrated at their attitudes, both to saving Equestria and Dusk.

Now thoroughly fed-up with the whole ordeal, just wanting to save Equestria, find Dusk alive and well and never see the rest of them again, she rushed around, slapping each necklace on their respective wielder, before placing the strange crown she'd never learned the proper name of on her head and marching them out to stop Discord.

Spike ran up to her before she could. "But Twilight, aren't you missing somepony?"

"Nope," she replied. "We've got the liar, the grump, the hoarder and the brute. That just about covers it and I already know that Dusk isn't here, so stop reminding me!"

"But I-"

"Look, I just want to use the Elements, stop Discord and find him after that. He'll be perfectly fine and then the two of us can just be best friends forever, since he's not a liar, a jerk, a hoarder, or a brute because he's just so great and I'm not going to lose him. Do you hear me?!"

Spike stared at her after her rant and Twilight flushed when she realised what she had said. Had she really just said all of those things about Dusk, just like that?

"But what about Rainbow Dash?" Spike asked, after he'd recovered himself.

That was a fair point. Hatching on an idea, Twilight placed the Loyalty Element on her assistant. "Congratulations Spike, you're the new Rainbow Dash. Now let's go!"

"Me? B-b-but what if she finds out I've been impersonating her?" He moaned in fear. "That won't end well."

"Too bad, you're Rainbow Dash. Now let's go defeat Discord so we don't ever have to talk to each other again!"

The others all stampeded past, whooping with joy at the prospect of it, Rarity lagging behind as she was pushing Tom. Frustrated, Twilight turned back so she could use her magic to move Tom through the wall. She didn't care about the damage it would do, she just wanted to get it over with. She stopped when she saw something by Dusk's hat, which was resting on the table.

It was Dusk's snowy owl, Ophelia, who had flown in through an open window. Twilight only realised now that she hadn't seen her for a while either and only now she'd returned. She was bent over Dusk's hat, watching it closely, like she was guarding it. Even from her demeanour, Twilight could tell that she was upset, gazing forlornly at her master's trilby, as if by force of will he would return.

Slowly, she walked up to her, those yellow eyes boring into her, like she was asking her where he was. "I know, I miss him too. Don't worry, I'll bring him back, you'll see. We'll use the Elements and he'll be fine."

Ophelia just stared at her, like she was doubting and disbelieving of what she just said and Twilight couldn't blame her. Even then, her words sounded hollow and untrue in that moment, only compounded when she heard her friends fighting among themselves again. Who was she trying to convince? The owl or herself? But they had to try… it was their only chance.

"You can keep that safe," she said gesturing to the hat, "until he comes back. Owlowiscious can look after you, so you won't be on your own." She sighed and straightened her crown. "Well, time to go, wish us luck."

Even as she tried to draw on her determination to defeat the lord of chaos, all Twilight could see was those forlorn yellow eyes gazing at her. She had to do this or else… what more could she do?

Dusk was still down in the darkness of the labyrinth, unable to trace or find his way out. Nopony was coming to help him and he was alone against the ever-growing shadows, like they were wild beasts and reaching out to consume him, prevent him from ever seeing the light of day again.

It was hopeless, pointless… what was he supposed to do?

A flash of light suddenly appeared before his eyes, providing brief respite from the darkness before it faded, but was still present. It was a rolled-up scroll, with the golden Seal of the Sun set upon it in a red velvet ribbon. Hope suddenly shot through, as he levitated it to him. Only one pony would use that seal, for he had seen these letters being received and sent off by Twilight and Spike so many times before. That could only mean one thing…

He quickly unfolded the scroll and traced his eyes over the majestic horn that had written it:

Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.

Dusk read and re-read the letter several times before he was sure he understood it. It was short, simple, but it could only mean one thing. Only one pony could have sent him this letter and understood what these words meant when she had written them. This would hurt, but he had to try… it was his only chance.

Concentrating his thoughts on her, he reached into the unique magic he possessed, ignoring the growing, burning pain that seared into his brain. He remembered all he felt for her, the kindness she had shown when she barely knew him, appraisal of something he'd kept hidden for so long and his everlasting gratitude at giving him what he had always wanted: friends. Come on, just a little more… you can do it…

He snapped open his eyes when he saw a light shining through and his eyes were graced with the shining white colour form of Princess Celestia. Apart from the lack of eyes and detail, it looked just like her. He'd even done his best to recreate her flowing, multi-coloured mane and shining golden crown. Would this work? Please, let this work…

He positively beamed as, of its own accord, the Celestia puppet cantered away up the tunnel, stopping at the junction to wait for him. His smile growing wider and his headache becoming more painful, he galloped after the puppet, a renewed determination flooding through his whole body. Finally, some progress!

He continued following the passage the puppet led him on, with it now and again pausing to wait for him. There would be times when the headache it gave him became too much and he had to cut off his magic for a while, pausing for a few minutes to rest and let the pain die down, before gritting his teeth, feeling the pain seer through his head again and letting it guide him on once more. Hopefully, the pain would be worth it if it resulted in victory.

At one of these points, as he was lying panting on the floor, recovering his strength, he unwillingly performed the magic again. The Celestia puppet gracefully glided over to him and bowed her head near his, like she was actually here, checking up on him to see if he was all right.

"Still… looking out… for me then," he whispered hoarsely to her, pushing himself up to his hooves. "Let's… get going…"

Just as gracefully as before, the puppet led him on, while he staggered along behind, clutching his head and quelling the pain as best he could. It couldn't be too far now, just a little bit further and he'd be out… then… he dreaded to think.

The passage was certainly long and twisting, to say the least. It rose and fell, turned and encircled to such a great degree of confusion and repetition, that Dusk would have surely been lost down here, were it not for the puppet that was guiding him. Even if the puppet wasn't guiding him, the darkness would surely have been enough to terrify him into submission. It reminded him too much of when he first came down here, the shadows pressing down on him and the echoing laughter that grew only louder and louder with every step he took. Thankfully, it was silent and quiet as the night… for now at least.

After what seemed like hours of pausing and stopping and groaning and staggering, signs of his progress were beginning to show. Gradually, the twists and turns started to lessen, with only one path standing out from the rest. Equally, the shadows began to lose their presence, with another light shining through the dark. Regardless, however, Dusk kept the puppet going until he was sure he had reached the end. That didn't take long.

Eventually, he could see only one path, with no twists, turns or other possible detours. That light that had been steadily growing brighter was now strong enough to rival the rays of the sun, so that very few shadows existed at all. The puppet too had been growing steadily brighter and it had now reached its peak, which meant he was close to the end.

He sprinted, round the last corner and emerged into a clearing in the cave, utterly relieved to finally be out of the maze. This only increased when he saw who was waiting for him, the source of the light that was filling the cavern.

"Princess Celestia…" he whispered and collapsed, utterly spent of all his energy.
He felt a hoof gently cup his chin and lift it up to her smiling face. "Dusk Noir… look at you, how far you've come now."

"It… it wasn't… wasn't easy, Your Highness," he replied, as she helped him slowly back up to his hooves.

"All the more reason that it's so remarkable you've made it thus far." Her benevolent smile grew even warmer. "I am very proud of you, for this and all you have achieved."

"Not exactly… a long list then…" he panted.

"Really?" She knelt low, so her eyes were gazing straight into his own. "When I first met you, almost a year ago in the Canterlot gardens, you thought you were under the impression that you were the least important pony who had aver set hoof in Equestria, that perhaps it would be better if you never even existed at all."

"But… isn't that the case?" he sighed. "I'm not an Element of Harmony, I've never stopped Nightmare Moon, I couldn't even stop my darker self. I'm nothing, that's what I am…"

"That is entirely false," she said, resolutely but still gently. "Even if that were true, it's not just who you are underneath that matters, but what you do that ultimately defines you. And you have done a great deal since that day."

"I um… I… nothing that great, surely…"

"Oh really? You rescued your friends from the Everfree Forest without even a plan, you've stood up to afully-grown dragon, fought against a hydra, done what you had to whenever somepony needed it however big or small and those are just what you've done for Twilight Sparkle and her friends."

"But I… I…" He tried to speak, but Celestia carried on.

"You gave help to markless young fillies, became as close as a brother to your fellow assistant, assisted in finding a valuable ingredient for somepony you barely knew, became part of a new friendship between two peoples once enemies and, most importantly of all, are held very closely in the heart of somepony who thought she would never truly fit to the world she had left again. The best friend that she has had in a very long time."

Dusk was silent as the princesses' words, letting them sink in gradually. She was right. Even if the girls hadn't really been his friends, he had still made a difference through his own actions and just being himself. He'd made differences in places, made new friends all on his own, even with royalty, things that he would never have even dreamed of doing, extending far beyond just pining after Twilight in the library wishing he was her friend back in Canterlot… so long ago.

"However big or small," she continued, "you have made a difference, my little pony, contrary to what you may think and I don't think Equestria is ready to make it without you just yet. If you did all that in a year, imagine what you could do throughout the rest of your life."

"Wow… I… I never thought about that before," whispered Dusk. "I mean… I never thought I was special… enough to do anything…"

"Everypony is special Dusk, it's just if you choose to let what is special about you shine through." He returned her smile, levitated something down to him. "Now, I believe this belongs to you…"

She passed down the sixth fragment to him, attaching it to his necklace with the rest of them. It was a creamy yellow, like the kind-hearted pony it reflected, like how kind the princess had been to him, setting him on the path to do all the things that she had mentioned… and so much more. He felt the burst of strength, his headache fade away and knew he had full access to his magic again. Only one piece left to find…

"Not far left now," Celestia encouraged. "I shall let you continue on."

"Right…" He hesitated for a moment and gazed up at her. "Thank you, princess, for everything…"

He was about to hug her, but remembered who he was with and stopped himself. The princess, however, seemed to anticipate what he was about to do and pulled him close, embracing him gently. Dusk was surprised, but returned it, nestling into her pure white fur. Even her fur was as warm as the sun, he noted.

"It was my pleasure." They broke apart, much to Dusk's disappointment and she nudged him. "Now go, finish your ascent."

"I'll make you proud, Highness!" he called out to her, as he sprinted on up the tunnel. Just as he turned the corner, he could have sworn that he heard her whisper:

"You already have…"

Blackhole was still reeling and groaning from the pain in his head that only seemed to be getting stronger with every passing minute. He was in a state of deep concentration now, trying to narrow down the exact source of what might be causing it, any anomalous strands of magic or remnants of a weaker spell.

Now he thought about it a bit more, he realised that Luna hadn't fought him with the intent of killing or destroying him, as he had done. It seemed that she had merely come to perform that spell, fighting him so that he was in a weakened enough state for her to use it. A jolt of power, like the spell had entered his very thoughts…

His rage only heightened at the thought of her. He had been careless last time, overestimated himself so that he left enough of an opening for her to carry out her task and cast her spell. He would not make that mistake again and she would learn that, once she took her last breath and lay screaming at his hooves… then her sister…

Celestia would be far more of a challenge. She was longer lived than her sister and, as such, would be much more powerful that Luna. Regardless, he would soon meet her in battle and was confident that he would leave her in the same weak, pathetic state as her sibling, for his master to do whatever he would have in mind for them.

Then there was Discord himself… Blackhole had already pledged an eternal allegiance to his lord and master, the one who had given him life, but recently, he had been thinking that his master's vision was too limited, too restricted, a vision that he shared but that he would have infinite more control over. He had strength and he had power, so what was to stop him? Imagine, if he could overthrow Discord, Luna and Celestia, he would be the one left to rule Equestria, to do as he saw fit. A reign of chaos, pain and suffering.

How glorious it would be and he kept those thoughts fuelling him, as he tunnelled into his mind to find what was causing his own pain.

It didn't take him long to find it and soon it all became so clear. Why else would Luna seek him out, to fight him and not to kill him? He could feel him, his presence in his mind and his anger increased even further at the very thought of him trying to fight back, as if he could dare oppose him.

"Dusk," he growled. "It seems you're more resilient than I thought… well, I will not be making that mistake again!"

With a roar, he dived into his head to finish what he had started. Defeating him once hadn't really been enough. How gratifying it would be to do it once again, this time not just breaking him, obliterating and destroying him so nothing was left.

This was going to be enjoyable indeed!

Dusk had come to a halt, as he had seen what he had to overcome for his last obstacle. The passage had been gradually ascending higher and higher, the shadows receding all the more and beams of light beginning to spill through cracks in the cave wall. He knew he was nearing the end and had hoped that the last leg of the journey would be a little easier than what he had been through. How futile those hopes were.

Towering above him was a rock face, jagged and rough enough to be climbed and stretching all the way to the top, where he could see the light of the outside world shining through like a beacon. But to get there, he would have to climb up this rock face. There was no alternative passage, no convenient staircase or secret route, for he had scoured the whole area since he'd encountered this supposed dead end. This was the only way out and the only way to use would be to physically scale it, all the way to the top.

Dusk gulped at the thought of it, his legs shaking. Though the end was now in sight, he was still apprehensive about doing this. In fact, he didn't want to do this. Hadn't he been through enough pain already? Despite the added strength the stones gave him, this would still be an incredible strain on his stamina to say the least. His lungs would burn, his legs and joints would ache beyond belief and it would take all the strength he possessed to keep himself from falling and to keep climbing all the way to the top.

How could he possibly manage this…?

No, he thought to himself firmly. He had come too far in this venture and suffered too many hardships to give up now. He had already accomplished what he at first thought would be impossible and had come all this way. What would be the point if he couldn't even attempt to at least try to climb it. If he fell, well… he could always try again. He already had so far.

"Why do we fall?" he murmured to himself. "So that we can learn to rise…"

Taking a deep breath, he set his hooves on the first holds he could see and hauled himself up onto the cliff face. He let his rear legs search for holding points, fixed himself into them and pushed himself up the cliff, slowly, steadily, but in a way that he would be able to manage. He just had to keep doing this, finding hoofholds and making his way up the rock face to the best of his ability.

As he exerted himself in the climb for his life, Dusk started to consider what would happen when he ultimately reached the top. The final fragment of the necklace would surely be up there and, using that, he should be able to use to recover the strength that he would lose in his climb. Hopefully then, he would be able to use that strength to defeat Blackhole Doom, regain control of his body and mind and return to the waking world of Equestria. In theory, it was simple, but in practice it would be far more daunting.

Even with all of the fragments in his possession, Blackhole was still stronger and faster than he ever was. He'd already learned that the hard way, not to mention received many injuries from his mistake. The unicorn he knew also had a deep, burning hatred for him. Dusk had felt it when he was just a figment of his fears. He would stop at nothing until Dusk was completely obliterated and he had utter control of him. How could he possibly hope to stand up to that?

He paused for a moment, allowing himself a moment's rest. Panting, with sweat pouring down his face, he looked up. Still quite a way to go. Grunting, he resumed his climb and his train of thought.

Even if he defeated Blackhole, what would he do from there? He knew nothing about the state his home was in, what had been going on since his absence. Had the girls defeated Discord or was he now in total power and dominion of Equestria? If that was the case, what hope did he possibly have of stopping him? Discord was far more powerful than any being he'd ever encountered, capable of strong manipulation and deceit, as well as deadly in combat. Were the Elements enough to stop him this time? And the girls…

He had to pause in his thoughts again, as he examined the cliff side for the next part he had to climb onto. Carefully, he moved both of his right legs so that they latched onto the hoofholds that were closest to him. He had a little slip, but managed to recover himself and keep on climbing. The things he was going through, just for them…

He felt a great pang of longing for them, even if the feeling wouldn't be returned. The memory of what they had said about him still made him despair at the loss of their supposed friendship... But he knew that he had most likely been tricked, deceived by Discord, something he'd intended to avoid. He had tried to resist, but Discord's influence had simply been too strong, despite his knowledge. The apparent truth of this made him angry at the draconequus, for playing this cruel game. Whether he was an Element of Harmony or not, he would do his bit to defeat him, however small or supposedly insignificant.

Fuelled by these thoughts, he jumped up to the next hoofhold, heaving himself up the cliff, checking to see that he had made it at least half way now. Allowing a weak smile, he prepared himself for the next leap. Just a little further… if he could make it…

This exertion certainly one of the easiest things he had done, as he already knew he wasn't much of a physical pony. It was getting him out of breath and panting just to make it this far. However, he noticed that, when he had confidence in himself, the climb was a little easier, whereas when doubt arose, the holds were a little more difficult to reach. Or was that just him, making connections where none existed?

He shrugged mentally, and pressed himself on past the halfway point. He had to do this, believe in himself that he would make it up here, find the remaining fragment and defeat Blackhole Doom once and for all. He'd made it past halfway now, he could make it out of here if he just kept this up, kept going up the rock, no matter what. He let the confidence flood through him, give him more strength as he jumped the next hold, panting from the effort.

No sooner had he, however, then the doubt surfaced in his mind once more. But… what if he couldn't make it out of here? What if he ended up becoming so tired he couldn't climb anymore? Or worse, what if he fell from here? The fall would be enough to injure him, if not kill him, then he'd be in the same state he'd been at the start of all of this. How could he do this without some kind of help? Was anypony going to help him.

He needed-

CRACK!

He felt the stone beneath his hoof. He panicked, his grip slackened and he suddenly slipped back down the rock face, his screams echoing off the walls. He recovered enough of his wits to stop himself mid-slide, but by the time he did, he checked to see that this particular slip-up had resulted in him being closer to the bottom again, much to his great despair.

All that effort he had put in just to make it to the half-way point, all the sweat that was now pouring down his face, it had all been for nothing because of that one lapse in concentration and strength. Now, he was essentially back at square one, all the way back down, with much less strength than before. How was he going to have the energy to climb all the way back up there again and to what end?

"I can't… I can't do it…" he whispered, tears beginning to fall. "How will I… ever make it… out like this? I can't…"

"AT LAST! SOMETHING WE AGREE UPON!" a horribly familiar voice roared.

Before Dusk could do anything, he felt something slam into his back, forcing him into, through the rock that he was attached to, tumbling and skidding across the stone floor before smacking into the cave wall.

His vision blurred and his joints aching, he lifted his head up and saw him, climbing through the hole, and an expression of utter fury set on his features. His eyes were locked on him like laser beams, with nothing but pure hatred and rage burning in them.

"Blackhole," he said, pushing himself back up to his hooves. "You've come for me."

"I have." He let a smile of amusement warp his features. "I must admit, I'm somewhat impressed that you've made it thus far. Clearly, I underestimated you… or you just like being shown how pathetic and useless you truly are."

Dusk felt himself shiver in fear at his words. He wasn't ready yet, he didn't have all the pieces, he couldn't fight Blackhole yet. He was right then, about him feeling Dusk within his mind, but he still hadn't expected him to come and face him yet. This was going to play out exactly like last time, where he would leave him just as broken and beaten as before. Only this time, he was sure that Blackhole would leave nothing left of him.

But something else awakened inside Dusk, something else apart from his fear of Blackhole and the pain he would cause. Whether he had all the fragments or not, he felt stronger than he was when he had first faced him, more determined to bring him down, to make him pay for the pain that he had caused, both to him and his friends. This was his chance, his only chance to bring him down and he wasn't going to let that pass.

If they were to fight now, he would be sure to give him a battle he would never forget.

"You've been giving me quite a headache, you know," he continued. "For one so small and useless, you can be quite an annoyance, I'll concede that much. All the more reason you should just give up and let me defeat you again, as we both know you will."

Dusk stood his ground, in a combat stance… or what he thought was one. "I'm not interested in your concessions, brother. Last time, I was weak and I was helpless to stop you and I would have given up. This time though, I'm going to fight you and beat you and I'm going to make you regret what you've done."

"No time wasted with words then?" Blackhole also stood ready, flexing his muscles. "Very well, let's get this over with. I'm missing out on some suffering I could be causing."

"Not now, not ever again!"

With that, they both charged each other, clashing once more in battle. This time, only one would walk away. One shall stand, one shall fall.

Dusk Rises

Twilight had only just thrown Tom out of the library window, creating yet another hole in her home (Not that she cared at this point) when Discord reappeared to them, striding over to them across the tartan covered streets.

"Well, well, well, I see you've found the Elements of Harmony. How terrifying!" he said sarcastically.

"Discord!" Twilight said, enraged, "I've figured out your lame riddle. You're in for it now!"

"I certainly am. You've clearly out-duelled me, and now it's time to meet my fate. I'm prepared to be defeated now, ladies. Fire when ready." As he said all of this, he conjured up a pair of sunglasses, placed them on and also a bullseye on his chest, leaning casually against a tree.

Twilight would have normally been suspicious of his actions, but she knew he was only trying to confuse them further and ignored him. It was time to take him down and get back her number one pony assistant, if it was the last thing she did.

She looked around for his dark minion, but could see no sign of him anywhere.

"Where's your servant? I'd have thought he'd have wanted to see this," she remarked.

"Oh, Doomy?" Discord shrugged. "He'll be around somewhere, spreading chaos in my name like a good boy. I could always bring him along, if you'd prefer."

"He'll get his later," she snapped. "You're both going to pay for what you've done."

"If you insist," he said casually. "Very well, get on with it then. No point in prolonging my inevitable defeat."

"Formation, now!" she ordered, the others all reluctantly getting into place. "Rainbow Dash, get over here. All right, let's get this over with."

She could hear the power build up as the Elements began to work their magic. She reached into her own Element, letting its power flow through her as it did when she had defeated Nightmare Moon, becoming an instrument of them.

This had to work. It was their only chance…

Dusk met his foe mid-charge, their hooves locked together, shaking from the effort they were both putting in to their attacks. Wrestling to gain a position of power with each other, Dusk found it quite terrifying, being this close to his livid face, staring straight into his eyes, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted.

Grunting, straining with the effort, he put all of his energy into holding off Blackhole as best he could manage, urging himself not to give in to him. He even managed to move him a little bit, listening to his hooves scrape across the floor.

"Where did you find… this strength?" Blackhole growled.

"I'm not… about to tell you!" He let one burst of strength against Blackhole, enough to make him stagger.

Taking this advantage, Dusk pushed forward, sending two punches to the face, hearing his exclamations of pain and locking him in a wrestle again. Perhaps he could force him to the floor and pin him down while he punched him further. Normally, he would consider a fair fight and not strike a stallion when he was down, but he knew his opponent wouldn't extend the same courtesy.

Blackhole had different ideas. Enraged by Dusk pressing a kind of advantage, he doubled his strength, whereas before he had been reserving it, which had allowed Dusk to get the upper hoof. He didn't look like he was going to be making that mistake again, pushing against Dusk's weaker side so that he couldn't gain a footing against him.

Despite his best efforts, Blackhole pressed the advantage of greater strength and pushed Dusk away, sending him skidding across the floor, followed by a strong punch to the face that sent him flying back into the wall. But he wasn't going to be defeated that easily, not this time. Dusk shook his head to clear his vision and stood back up, glaring at him.

Blackhole raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Still you insist upon this futile resistance?" he mocked. "We both know how this will end, brother."

"Then by all means, come and end it," countered Dusk, standing in a ready stance.

Blackhole took the bait and charged him again, Dusk holding his ground. He watched as he raised his hoof to strike him and ducked under it, swerving to avoid the following blow and any other blow he sent. He kept his eyes on his enemy's hooves, anticipating blows before he threw them and dodging them as they came, blocking only if he had to.

Taking advantage of the fact that it was dark, Dusk tapped into his magic and let a ball of light shine in front of Blackhole's face. Blinded by the sudden attack, Dusk proceeded to land every blow he could manage to throw at him, attempting to weaken him.

His airway suddenly constricted as Blackhole reached out with his own magic and tightened the levitation aura around his throat, choking him. Dusk scrabbled desperately at it, trying to push him away as he found it more and more difficult to breath, sending out a kick. That was enough to loose his hold and let him drop to the ground in a heap.

"Your spells are weak, useless in battle," said his foe angrily.

"Yet… yours aren't," remarked Dusk, gulping down air. "Why don't you… use it?"

"I… don't need magic to kill you," growled Doom, shaking his head to clear his vision. "When I kill you, I shall do it with my own bare hooves!"

"Then, I shall do no less." He returned to a ready stance, breathing easily again.

He may have wanted him defeated, but Dusk didn't want to be completely cowardly doing it. Dusk decided to at least be better than resorting to magic in this fight and match his opponent equally. Call it a sense of pride or honour to be fair in battle… or the fact he didn't want to provoke Blackhole into using his far more powerful magic against him.

This time, Dusk threw the first punch before Blackhole could react, landing it on his face, which was quite akin to hitting a brick wall in much the same way. As such, the split second's hesitation of pain it provided Blackhole with an opening to strike him in the gut, making him double over and cry out with a follow-up strike to the face. To avoid more blows, he rolled to the side, picked himself up and returned to blocking and dodging his blows.

Neither of them, of course, had any kind of formal training in any martial art or method of self-defence, Dusk due to his views on violence and Blackhole because he knew everything that Dusk did, as he was literally a part of him. As such, the two of them were down to basic brawling and punching, though Blackhole had far more strength to call upon that Dusk did, as well as being more physically capable than he was.

Dusk's size and stature, however, gave him the slight advantage, of being faster than somepony of a bigger build. Combined also with his sharp mind and decent reflexes, he was able to anticipate and avoid most of Blackhole's attacks, at least as long as his concentration and stamina held, the latter being more fragile than the former. For the most part, he was able to keep a good distance from his attacks.

He also had a slight knowledge of the most vulnerable parts of a pony, such as the joints of the legs or points near the neck and back. As such, he focused what counter-attacks he could manage on these areas of Blackhole, in order to inflict the maximum damage possible. Even then, his darker self was still able to absorb the damage, due to his own physical strength and Dusk's lack of muscle.

"You can't keep this up forever Dusk," taunted Blackhole, as another punch flew over his head. "You will tire soon enough."

Dusk didn't respond verbally, but instead took advantage of the second's opening he'd left due to his taunt. He aimed a jab under his leg, making it bend backward from the reflex muscle action, enough time for him to repeat the move on the other leg. With Blackhole now bent forward on his knees, he smacked him in the face twice with all his strength and proceeded to perform a downward strike on his spine.

Blackhole however, reacted quickly, swinging his rear legs forward so they struck his hoof away, the momentum of the force causing him to flip and propelling him in such a way that he was able to land two strikes with his front hooves and one final kick with his rear hooves, sending Dusk sprawling away from him and smacking back to the ground.

As Dusk started to push himself back up, wiping away the trickle of blood from his mouth, Blackhole started to sing mockingly, in a deep, sombre tone, like singing a funeral hymn.

Now this time
You will fall
Down in darkness
Lost in this great sprawl

And I have come
To start a fire
Little Ponyville
Will become your pyre

Dusk had barely recovered himself when Blackhole attacked again, forcing him to go on the defense once more, desperately blocking and dodging his punches and kicks, while he continued to sing during the deadly flurry of fists.

Fall to the shadows
Just give in to the pain
Fall to your grief
And let it grow into your bane

Rot in the caverns
Forming down in your soul
When the night has arisen
Then the chaos will be whole

"I thought this was a fight-" Dusk ducked under a blow, punching it away, "- not a dance!"

"Then stand still and fight, like a stallion!" he roared back.

Blackhole seemed to be gaining confidence, in addition to the amount already gained from his previous victory, something that Dusk could use to his advantage. Once again, thanks to his distraction from the singing, Dusk found an opening and struck him on the neck twice with both his front hooves, followed by an upward punch to the chin, making him reel back and cry out in rage and pain.

The dark stallion cricked his neck and growled deep in his throat. It only seemed that for every blow he landed or injury he caused him, that just made him even angrier and even more determined to bring him down. Dusk, however, needed not to be intimidated by that. He needed to remain in control of his emotions, relatively calm and calculated in order to match his brute force and pure rage.

Blackhole charged, with the intention of colliding with him head on, his horn lowered to possibly impale him. Dusk, however, reacted quickly, side-stepping out of his way and slamming his hoof down on his spine, making his back buckle and slam to the floor. Before Blackhole could recover, he slammed both rear hooves in a kick to his face, sending Blackhole away from Dusk again.

His darker foe hitting the floor, Dusk decided to take a chance. He waited until he was half way to getting back to his hooves, and then sprinted right at him. He reached him, slammed into his hip, twisted with his leg with all the energy he could muster and sent him crashing to the floor again, grabbing his head and punching him repeatedly in the face. He had him now!

"I think not!" his foe screamed.

Blackhole caught one of his fists mid-punch and squeezed, sending that paralysing pain up his arm again, roaring with rage like a beast and making Dusk sink low. This was what had brought Dusk to his mercy last time and he wasn't going to let it be the end of him this time. Screaming through his gritted teeth through the pain, fighting back tears and determined not to give in, he raised his free, limp hoof… he just had to bring it up… enough strength to…

"I… think… so!" shouted Dusk back, through the blinding pain.

Blackhole's eyes widened and he tried putting more pressure onto it, but he reacted too late. He could do this… ignore the pain. He swung it up, brought it round and hit him on the side of his face. Yes, he'd done it! It was just enough to make him let go, lax his grip enough for Dusk to smack him hard across his face, his fists crashing into the bone and sending pain shooting up his arm.

Hurriedly, he pulled back to a safe distance, while his opponent reeled in surprise and pain from this sudden counter-attack. Dusk didn't want to think prematurely, but he could tell he was weakening. If he could keep this up, just a little longer, he might actually win this battle and defeat him. But Blackhole came back, just as strong as before, forcing Dusk on the defensive again.

He had to hold him off… he could do this…

But Dusk was finding it harder and harder to keep up with the attacks, more and more strikes being landed on every inch of his body, adding to the injuries he'd already received. He tried to push himself, to keep himself fighting, but he was already well past his limit. Gradually, Dusk was running low on energy, whilst his foe seemed to have an inexhaustible supply he couldn't hope to match.

After the next blow that landed on his legs, he couldn't keep it up any longer. He collapsed on the floor, his energy and drive gone and his injuries getting the better of him. He tried to get back up, to get back into the fight, but he had nothing left to give. He was completely spent of strength, unable to do anything else. He was finished.

He had just enough will to raise his head and see Blackhole, with a few bruises and a cut lip from Dusk's efforts. He spat blood and glared contemptuously at him, panting from his own efforts, but smiling in victory.

"You certainly put up a better fight this time. Too bad it is your last."

Dusk watched as he raised his hoof to bring it down on his head, closed his eyes and waited for the end to come…

Twilight too was just getting back up after being dropped to the ground. The Elements had been working, with the exception of Spike's, they had all been lifted up into the air and consumed by their magic. Discord had even looked a little concerned at first. Suddenly, like somepony hitting a switch, they'd stopped and crashed to the floor.

"What's going on?" she asked in general.

"Mine's workin'," Applejack replied, tapping her own. "There mus' be somethin' wrong with yers."

"I HATE the Elements of Harmony!" declared Pinkie, throwing hers onto the ground.

"Hmph! Garbage," agreed Fluttershy, adding her own.

"This gem is a mere dwarf compared to Tommy-Wommy," Rarity said, discarding Generosity and returning to her boulder.

"Sorry, Twilight. I guess I'd better get back upstairs and clean up the library," decided Spike, removing his borrowed one and placing it on the pile, sprinting back inside. "Good luck with all this- whoa!"

"Oops, sorry, Rainbow Crash," laughed Fluttershy, who had tripped him with her tail.

Discord was approaching them, sarcastically applauding accompanied by random sounds. "Bravo, ponies, bravo! Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules, Celestia drools."

Twilight growled angrily at him as he traced his claw along her chin, let out a hearty chortle and slipped and skidded away along a path of soap. Never before had she hated anypony as much as she had Discord, with the exception of possibly Blackhole Doom, for what he had done to her, to her friends, her home… Dusk.

"It's your fault it didn't work," Pinkie blamed.

"Who are you talking to?" demanded Twilight.

"Any of you! To ALL OF YOU! I'm outta here!" With that, she bounced away, still frowning.

Applejack threw aside her Element and set off too. "Ah better go, too. Ah've got new better friends waiting fer me at the farm."

"Yeah! I'm sick of you losers." Fluttershy soared away, lastly followed by Rarity, pushing Tom along the ground.

"FINE!" yelled Twilight. "Leave! See if I care! I don't need you guys either! With friends like you, who needs...enemies...?"

She bowed her head dejectedly, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek and splash onto the ground, only vaguely aware her fur had now become as toneless and colourless as theirs. Despite the way they were acting, that had been a lie. They were her friends, the best friends she'd ever had. They'd been through so much together, learned so much… and now that was over. They were all gone and she wasn't sure if she would ever see them again.

But it was worse than that. They'd failed to stop Discord. The Elements hadn't worked and now he was going to plunge all of Equestria into eternal chaos, overthrow Celestia and Luna and take their place on the throne. Worse still, she'd failed to save him, like she'd vowed she would… possibly the one thing that had been motivating her all this time, that one desperate hope and she didn't even have that now.

"Dusk… I'm so sorry… I tried…" Feeling more tears streaming down her face, she trudged away, not really caring where she was going. She just had to get away from here…

Dusk had many fears. Fear of rejection, of loneliness, of disappointing those closest to him, of pain and death. Even more so now, he feared what Blackhole would do. He could feel his dark intentions burning like a forest fire, the destruction and suffering he intended to cause. Dusk was supposed to be the only one that could stop him…

And he had failed. Now, he had a fear for if all he would be remembered for was that he had failed to stop him when he could. The last embarrassment and shame he would feel and it would be eternal throughout history. He waited for that fist to slam down and end it, just let oblivion take hold forever… just end it…

"Oh no ya don't!" a voice cried out in the darkness, as he heard the sound of rushing hooves.

But instead of feeling something hard smack down on his head, he heard the sound of hoof striking hoof, followed by a cry of surprise from Blackhole. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he had been pushed away to a further distance… and the two of them were no longer alone.

"Now, ah'm only gonna say this once, big feller," Applejack warned, placing herself between Dusk and his darker self, "y'all better back away from ma friend, 'fore this gets real ugly, ya hear?"

Both he and Blackhole must have mirrored each other in their expressions of shock at this sudden, unexpected arrival. But she wasn't the only one who appeared to assist, as a certain cyan Pegasus joined her from close by.

"Alright, punk," Rainbow Dash added, slamming one hoof into another, "we can do this the hard way or the even harder way. What's it gonna be?"

Blackhole was still staring, until he recovered himself and snarled. "You think the two of you stand any chance against me?"

"Make that three, you big growly snarly punchy meanie pants!" added a furious Pinkie, bouncing out from behind Dusk and snarling like a wolf.

"Yeah, um… what she said…" murmured Fluttershy, tentatively joining them and trying to look as ferocious as possible, but only looked more terrified.

"There are many things I can tolerate," Rarity said, in a low dangerous voice, "but one thing I absolutely cannot stand is cruel, callous, uncouth brutes like you!"

"You dare to lay another hoof on my number one pony assistant and we are gonna have a huge problem!" In a flash of magic, Twilight teleported in at the head of the group, looking utterly beside herself.

Dusk was wide-eyed and staring, still unable to believe what he was seeing. Here they all were, now, right when he needed them the most, more than any other time in his life. Standing between him and his enemy, like an impenetrable wall surrounding him, ready to stop Blackhole at the slightest show of hostility. His friends… they hadn't abandoned him at all…

"Are you okay, Dusk?" Twilight asked, still keeping her eyes fixed on Blackhole, but concern laced in her voice.

"I've… I've definitely… been better…" he replied, pushing himself back to his hooves, his legs shaking from the effort. "How… how are…?"

"You didn't think we'd just leave you hanging, did you?" Rainbow said in her cocky voice. "Not when we need to teach this jerk a few manners."

"I… I just…" He felt himself stagger a little, but ended up leaning against something warm.

When he looked up, he saw that Fluttershy had hurried to his side, to prevent him from falling.

"You're welcome," she said in her gentle voice, when he had trouble getting the words out.

Dusk shared her smile, when he suddenly realised something. "The… the last fragment… I still need it…"

"That's why we're here, darling," Rarity assured him, flicking her styled mane out of her face.

"You think they can stop me?!" demanded Blackhole. "You think you can hide behind them?! I am stronger, more powerful than all of them put together! This is merely a delay to your inevitable destruction!"

"Fluttershy, why don't y'all take Dusk on up the way we came?" suggested Applejack. "We'll stay here an' have a nice chat with Mr Doom here."

"Right." Fluttershy tried to pull him along, but Dusk ended up resisting, fraught with worry for them.

"No… I need… to beat him… too strong…"

"Sorry Dusky, this is one party you'll have to miss out on," Pinkie said, pulling out her party cannon and placing herself behind the barrel.

"Dusk, just go!" ordered Twilight. "We'll hold him off, long enough for you to get the final fragment. We'll be fine, don't worry. Now go!"

"But I-"

"GO!"

Dusk remained for a few moments, staring into Twilight's shining violet eyes as she turned to face him. In that moment, the respect, admiration and love he already had for her increased tenfold. She didn't look scared or fearful, but certainly angry and more than willing to fight. She wasn't going to be swayed, none of them were. He was still worried about them, but he had no choice. This was his last chance and he had to take it. He had to beat him.

He sighed and nodded, letting Fluttershy support him and Twilight return her focus to the coming battle.

"As you wish… Miss Sparkle…" He glanced at her one more time, passing over all of them. "Be careful…"

Limping on his legs, but assisted by Fluttershy, Dusk allowed him to lead him to a cave passage that he hadn't seen, hobbling away as fast as he could, for he had no desire now to try and fight Blackhole in the state he was in.

His attempted escape didn't go unnoticed by his darker self, who locked eyes on him and charged with the force of a bull.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME!" he screamed. "I WILL- OOF!"

His advance was halted by Applejack, who kicked him with her strong legs and sent him skidding backwards.

"Y'all weren't plannin' on leavin' without sayin goodbye, were ya?" she remarked.

"YOU PATHETIC WRETCH!" he roared, going for her now. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!"

"All outta change hon, but how 'bout this!" She dodged his attack and gave him another hard kick into the wall.

"My turn!" Dusk watched as a cyan streak sped towards him

Before he could recover, Rainbow charged in with a battle cry, grabbing him and throwing him towards Pinkie, who blasted him with her party cannon. The impact sent him reeling into the hoof of Rarity, as she smacked him across the face, followed up with a blast of magic from Twilight, making him crash to the ground with a loud thud.

Dusk was once again held transfixed, staring as his foe recovered from the attacks, screeched with fury and launched into the battle, only to be struck again by multiple, coordinated attacks from the girls. He'd never seen them fight like this before, all of them working together with their unique abilities to keep him held back. Then again, he had never seen them fight before and he was certainly glad he wasn't their enemy.

He only hoped they would be able to keep him at bay long enough for Dusk to retrieve the final fragment. If he had learned one thing from fighting Blackhole it was that the more you attacked him, the angrier he became and the more determined he was to defeat you for inflicting pain upon him. He'd been only using his fists on Dusk, but he would resort to his own magic soon enough then… he tried not to think about what he might do…

"Come Dusk, we need to go," urged Fluttershy, nudging his side.

He snapped out of his reverie and nodded, limping his way to the passage, listening to yells of the girls and Blackhole as they fought each other, the occasional flash of light from Twilight lighting the cavern. As they hurried out, Blackhole's voice was heard clearly above the fighting, singing tauntingly again.

Your so-called friends
We are agreed
Cannot protect you
Now that I am freed

Your body broken
Your spirit numb
Weak and waiting
For the end to come

Fall to the shadows
Just give in to the pain
Fall to your grief
And let it grow into your bane

Rot in the caverns
Forming down in your soul
When the night has arisen
Then the chaos will be whole

Dusk ignored the voice and pushed on, letting Fluttershy guide and help him along. Blackhole was just trying to get into his head, to undermine what little confidence he had to put him in a weak enough mental state to defeat him. Classic psychological warfare, but Dusk wasn't going to let it get the better of him, not while his friends were in danger…

The passage they followed, while still inclining upwards, was a lot easier to negotiate than the steep cliff face had been, with this being much more smooth, less rocky than the other parts of the cave had been, with a gentle upward slope that he could manage relatively well considering his state. The light here also began to get gradually brighter, drowning out the shadows that had previously surrounded him.

The fact he was here with Fluttershy also gave him great comfort. She was a gentle force against his side, just enough so he could remain standing. Not only that, but her presence gave him added strength, assurance that she and the girls were here for him, that they were still fighting and willing to make sure that he kept going as well. He wasn't sure if she was real nor not, but she felt real to him and that was enough… his honorary little sister…

"Come on Dusk, we'll make it," she encouraged gently. "You and me, we'll get there…"

"I…I hope so…" Dusk lifted his head to look at her. "Thank you… for being here for me…"

"Anything more my friends," she replied. Her smile became a vision of shock when they heard somepony scream. "Oh my! Who was that?"

"I think… it was… I'm not sure…" To Dusk, it had sounded like Rarity, but the truth was he didn't want to think about it.

"Ooh… that meanie," she growled. "I'm so mad, I could just hit him!"

"I don't… think that would help…" Dusk said, remembering the last time she'd said that.

"Yeah, you're right…" She returned her head facing forward and pushed him on. "Just one more fragment and you can show him who's boss."

"I… I don't know Fluttershy…" he said unsurely.

"You can beat him Dusk, I know you can."

"But it's just…" He sighed at how pathetic he must sound. "Every time I hit him… he just keeps coming back… I'm not… strong enough to fight him… I never will be…"

Fluttershy seemed to consider this. "Well… maybe it's not about who's stronger than the other and it's not just about fighting on and on. It's when the fighting stops that's important and who's willing to end it."

Dusk gazed up at her in amazement. "Wow… that's… very profound Fluttershy."

"It is?" She seemed quite flustered at the compliment. "Thanks…"

They stopped walking at the sound of cracking stone and magic being cast.

Behind him, he heard Blackhole's voice echo throughout the tunnel again, plaguing his ears like the buzzing of an angry nest of hornets, followed by the cry of somepony being hit, but he couldn't tell who.

I
Will start a fire
Watch it rise
Through your city

This was then followed by a loud crash and the sound of hooves stomping, echoing through the tunnel. That could only mean one thing.

"Oh my," Fluttershy gasped. "Oh dear, he's coming…"

"I know… let's keep going…" He kept staggering on, knowing it was just a little bit further and they had mere minutes before Blackhole caught up with them.

They finally reached the end of the cave. Dusk could actually see the sun streaming in through the mouth of the cave, blinding at its intensity. Before this light, floating eerily in the beam, was the remaining fragment, just waiting to be taken.

"We made it." He turned to his companion. "Fluttershy… I need to…"

Fluttershy nodded in understanding and let Dusk go, as he staggered over to the fragment, knowing he needed to retrieve it himself, for this one had his fur colour on it, the same duke blue as he had. This was his piece, the remaining lost part of himself in a way. Blackhole was getting closer, he could hear his hoof steps and Fluttershy's terrified squeaks. He had to do this… almost there…

Finally, when he was close enough, he lifted it down with his magic, held it before him and attached it to his necklace. Feeling the strength surge through him, through his muscles, his limbs, his very mind, Dusk started up his own song, making sure that everypony would hear him. His own personal victory.

Rise from the agony
That pierces your mind
Rise from the stigmas
Of enigmas you've designed

Rise from the chaos
Of a world turned to dust
The faces of harmony
Are waiting for the Dusk!

Rise from the shadows
Make a fist of the pain
Rise from your grief
Before it grows into your bane

Climb from the caverns
Forming down in your soul
When the sun has arisen
Then your friendship will be whole!

Bolstered, he turned to face his enemy, ready now for the final confrontation. And yet… something held him back. With that strength came some knowledge, a hint of wisdom that made him stop and think about what was happening. No matter what he had done to Blackhole, he hadn't stopped coming and hadn't stopped fighting, neither had he. Maybe there was something to that, something to what Fluttershy had said…

"Well… maybe it's not about who's stronger than the other and it's not just about fighting on and on. It's when the fighting stops that's important and who's willing to end it."

He only just stopped thinking about this when the thundering hooves stopped and he looked up to see Blackhole, along with the girls galloping after him, had finally caught up. The latter group looked worse for wear, but nowhere near as badly as Blackhole, who looked like he could barely stand.

"You found it?!" He stared at him; something akin to fear flickering across his face… no it was fear. "No matter, I can still destroy you!"

He whipped around to the others and shot magic at their hooves, making the rocks spring to life and hold them in place, fixing around them like manacles and trapping them no matter how much they struggled.

"Come Dusk, finish him!" Rainbow called out. "We got him all warmed up for ya!"

"Show that brute what for!" added Rarity.

"Come then, brother, let us finish this! Your friends cannot help you now, nopony can!"

Blackhole stood, ready for another bout, his nostrils flaring and his eyes alive with anger, rage… and that fear, again. It was only now he took a better look at him that he started to notice it. He looked past him, to Twilight and she had the same look as he did. He knew now what he had to do to truly defeat him.

He shook his head, looking unflinchingly at him. "No, I won't."

"What?!" Blackhole chuckled. "What jest is this?"

"No jest, no jokes, because violence isn't funny and neither are you. You can never be truly happy, sad, relieved, satisfied or comforted." Dusk allowed his expression to soften. "I don't fear you, not anymore."

"And why is that?" Blackhole asked in derision, but still with that flicker of fear.

"Because I understand you now." Dusk let that sink in before continuing. "You are what I would become if I let my bad experiences and beliefs get the better of me. You are nothing but anger, hatred, cynicism, cruelty, fury, rage... and fear, most of all fear."

"Fear? I am not afraid of you, or anypony!" he roared back.

"Yes, you are. Fear is what drives you most: the fear of pity because it makes you look weak, the fear of happiness for when it will end, fear of me for ending your existence." Dusk frowned at him. "That's all you are, Blackhole and I don't fear you... I pity you, because that fear holds you back and prevents you from being something so much better, so much more."

Blackhole was dumbstruck, but only for a moment and he laughed again. "But what good will this knowledge do you?"

"Because what's the point of coming down to the same level as fear and anger? You can never beat it, overcome it if you keep succumbing to it, because then it just keeps coming back, worse every time. It's worse when you're alone and have to do with it by yourself, but when you have friends..." He gazed around at the girls at this, before returning to Blackhole "...anger can calm, hatred can become love and fear... can just fade away."

"No, no!" Blackhole stepped forward desperately. "Fight me, fight me now!"

"I don't need to. You're already beaten." He bowed his head to him and turned around. "Goodbye, Blackhole, I hope our paths never cross again."

"FIGHT ME! YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! FIGHT ME, FIGHT MEEEEE!"

For the first time since coming down here, he truly felt content and victorious. He had done it, he'd actually done it! He'd made it out and he was going to go back and stop Discord's reign of chaos... somehow. Over Blackhole's insistences to return and fight him, Dusk could hear his friends calling out to him as he left, walking out of the cave, out of darkness

"Way to go Dusk!"

"That's being the better pony!"

"Y'all get on outta here, go on!"

"Whoop-whoop-de-doop for yoop!"

"Yay!"

"Good luck out there, we'll be here for you!"

Now, it was time to end this once and for all, to do whatever he could for his friends and his home. As he strode out, over Blackhole's screams and his friend's cheers, Dusk could hear Princess Luna, whispering closely, like she was walking out with him.

Why do we fall?
Learn to...
Why do we fall?
Learn to...

"Rise," Dusk finished, stepping out into the light.

Blackhole's headache had now reached the point it felt like his skull was going to burst open. Dusk was getting out, he was almost out, but he couldn't let him out! He'd already beaten him and he wasn't going to lose to that pathetic weakling. He had to win, he had to beat him, he didn't want him to get out!

He was too scared if he would… he didn't want to go. He wouldn't go! He would be supreme, he would have control, he could never be stopped. His reign would be eternal, he would be lord of chaos, of all of Equestria. He would… he would…

But that would be the last thing he ever thought.

It reached the final point. The sheer trauma truly felt like it had split his head open, as Blackhole Doom screamed at the injustice of it all, the presence in his mind fading away. Rapidly, he started to change and alter. His body reduced in size, black fur became duke blue, his bone white mane becoming brown as chestnuts, jade eyes became emerald and the cutie mark of the raging fire returned to a rolled out scroll.

The transformation complete, the stallion collapsed to the floor. At first, he didn't move a muscle, apart from the slow rise and fall of his breathing. Then, slowly, his eyes lifted heavily and opened to reveal their emerald depths. Strength returned to his limbs, as he lifted himself back onto his hooves, his right leg moving to touch his head, like he was recovering from some injury or traumatic event.

It seemed impossible, incredible… but he'd actually done it.

"I'm… back," was all Dusk Noir said, returning to the waking world at last, until his mouth fell open. "By Celestia! What has he done… what have I done?"

Author's Note

The song used is Rise by Miracle of Sound

Magic Returns

"How many more times Tia, I feel better now," Luna said irritably, unable to move due to the healing aura that surrounded her.

"Just a few more minutes, Luna," Celestia insisted, maintaining the field around her body. "I want to make absolutely sure that you're in a fit condition."

Luna sighed impatiently, but allowed her to continue without further resistance, verbal or physical. She had been this way for about thirty minutes, ever since Celestia had come into her room to discover her in the state that Blackhole Doom had left her in. Distraught and frightened, she had started to perform her magic on her little sister until she was fully healed from her injuries and in a fit enough state to walk in. She had attempted to do it herself, but she just didn't have the energy in her.

Despite her many painful limbs, bruises and cuts she had sustained in her battle with Discord's new minion, she was convinced that it had been worth it. Dusk had all of the pieces now, for that was what had kept his mind intact when Blackhole had taken over. All she had to do was use that mind magic to jump start that part of his mind so that he would gain strength and eventually overcome Blackhole and regain control of his body. At least, that was what the plan was, whether or not it would work was another issue.

No, she thought, it would work. The pieces were what gave him the power, as well as the strength that his mind already possessed. She had only been there to give him enough energy so that he would be able to triumph over his darker self, defeat Discord's magic and return as the good-hearted, intelligent stallion she knew. Then, it would just be a matter of whether or not he would be able to figure out the rest…

The aura finally faded and Luna regained full use of her limbs, her injuries completely healed and her strength restored.

"There, that should do it." Celestia frowned at her. "What were you thinking Luna? You could have been killed!"

"I've been through worse, you know that," she reminded her. "Besides,I can take care of myself."

"Well, somepony looks like they almost took care of you, that's for certain." She frowned at her further. "I'm truly having concerns if this is part of your plan."

"To fulfil what is written, it is necessary," retorted Luna, stretching out her limbs.

"Necessary that you almost died?"

"Necessary to stop Discord." She gazed directly back at her elder. "You know what is at stake here."

"I know," she insisted quickly, "but is it worth almost losing you, when we don't even know if it truly does exist?"

"I do know it does, even if you don't," reminded Luna. "Besides, you know that all is lost if he wins. I'm making sure he doesn't."

Celestia's gaze lingered for a few more moments, then she looked at her with a kind of admiration. "You truly do believe, don't you?"

"I do," she said firmly. "Don't you?"

"I really don't know what to believe, I just don't want you to think I'm doubting you. "Her expression became one of concern. "I'm only trying to look out for you, my sister…"

"I know… and I appreciate that." The two of them shared a gentle embrace. "Thank you Tia."

"Anything for you, even if you can be reckless sometimes." They shared a laugh and broke apart. "So, Discord had a new ally then?"

"Indeed, a stallion who calls himself Blackhole Doom." She shuddered at the thought of him. "Imagine King Sombra if he had the strength of a Cyclops, the ferociousness of an angered dragon and the cruelty of Discord and he is the end result."

"My goodness," she gasped. "And you went to fight him?"

"I did, for it was all I could do. He was… quite formidable," she admitted, remembering the way he had cruelly beaten and tormented her throughout their duel. "He revels in chaos as much as his master, perhaps even more so."

"Then things are worse than we first thought," she declared. "Do you know where he came from?"

"He is…" Luna paused. Even though she knew this, it was still difficult to say. "He is Dusk…"

"What?! How is that possible?" she asked urgently, her eyes wide.

"In the same way he used the Corruption Entity to transform me into Nightmare Moon after his defeat, I believe that Discord created him from the fear that Dusk would become him in his mind, using his chaotic powers to bring him to life," Luna explained. "He is stronger, faster and more powerful than Dusk, as well as crueller and more angry."

"His treachery and deception truly know no bounds," growled Celestia. "We must act quickly, if we are to stop them both."

Luna was about to respond, when she felt a sudden jolt in her mind, like somepony switching on a light, a reminder of sorts from the magic that she had implanted into Blackhole's mind. She knew it could only mean one thing and the very thought of it made her smile in triumph, for now the battle seemed won. He was back.

"I don't think that Blackhole will be a problem anymore," she said.

Celestia was taken aback. "What? How do you know? And why are you smiling?"

"I know and because my efforts haven't been in vain," replied Luna.

"I see." Celestia nodded in understanding. "Then, assuming the Fore Sight was correct, do you think he can figure it out?"

"If anypony can, he will. For now, we can only do what we can."

"Very well." She turned to leave. "I need to send Twilight's report back. If Discord has corrupted her, she needs to be reminded of the magic of friendship."

"You're sure that will work?" asked Luna doubtfully.

"I am, trust me," Celestia smiled in a reassuring way.

Luna nodded, knowing her big sister knew what she was doing and watched her sister go, allowing herself another smile after she left.

"Hopefully, she won't be the only one," she murmured quietly, praying silently that this would work and she that was right.

Dusk had never been so happy to awaken from what felt like the worst nightmare he had ever had. Despite what was happening around him, he still found himself grinning and feeling the ground beneath his hooves with utter relief washing over him. He'd done it, he'd actually done it, he'd won! Never before had he felt so much pride in an accomplishment, he'd actually done it! Then, everything else began to sink in, what was happening and what had happened.

Several other things happened when Dusk regained consciousness after his mental battle and ultimate triumph over his darker self. First, there was the fact that he no longer felt his oppressive presence in his thoughts, his own desires and wishes growing stronger with every passing minute and threatening to consume his own. Needless to say, he was thankful to be master of his own thoughts again, especially as his mind now felt… stronger, more fortified than before, somehow. He was going to have a hard time taking him over again.

The other most significant thing he noted and that he reviled in horror at were new memories that weren't his own, but he viewed through another's eyes. Horrible, terrible things… the sounds of his friend's cries as he tormented them whilst he laughed… reducing living things so they withered and died and spreading chaos at his very touch… his hooves striking flesh and breaking bone, as Princess Luna cried out from each blow…

Dusk physically grabbed his head and collapsed on the floor, tears welling up in his eyes. The mix of emotions from all of this… he was enjoying them, yet at the same time, he wasn't and was horrified to be even performing such acts. No, it wasn't Dusk that felt the joy… it was Blackhole who was doing it, he was the one hurting his friends… or was it really him? Did he take some joy in it too? How could he tell? No, no it was Blackhole's memories, his acts, not Dusk's… but that didn't make it any easier…

"How could he?" Dusk wept, holding his head in his hooves. "How could he be so cruel…?"

The worst part of all of this was that it was his fault. He had left Ponyville, his home, his friends, to protect them from Blackhole Doom, to prevent him from ever hurting them and he'd failed. Blackhole had beaten him, taken over his mind and now, thanks to his failure, he had been allowed to wreak havoc and misery without restraint. What would happen when they found out? What would they do to him? Probably just cast him out like a criminal and leave him in the wilderness… it was no less than he deserved…

Discord was right… he was useless… Discord…

But in the midst of his sorrow and grieving, Dusk realised something in that instant. Until that moment that he had fallen asleep in that cave, Blackhole had been a lingering presence in his mind, like a mild itch that couldn't be scratched, but could be ignored and handled. Only when he had started falling asleep had Blackhole's presence become stronger, after Discord had touched him and he'd felt that little jolt the instant that he did… like he'd done something… and Dusk could take an extremely educated guess as to what.

Looking around now, at the state his once beautiful home was now in, he could see that there was only one being that was truly responsible for all of this. He might have been a destructive puppet through his darker self, but he was nothing compared to the one who was holding the strings. He had been the one who had planted the idea in his mind, he had been the one who brought him to life, who had tricked him with his lies and deceit despite his knowledge of it, admittedly no less than he'd expected, but he had still fallen for it. All of his grief now, his anger and regret, was focused on him.

"Discord," he growled in a low voice, wiping away his tears. "This is your doing. Even if I'm not an Element of Harmony, even if I am truly useless, I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring you down. For good."

With this vow in mind, he set down to sift through the new weapons that he had been given: knowledge. As painful and horrible as they were to watch, he could analyse the memories of Blackhole Doom to see exactly what Discord had done, both to him and his friends, figure out some kind of plan and dedicate his best efforts to bring him down. He might not be strong physically, but he was sure he could think of something with the memories he'd been given, even if he wanted nothing more than to purge them from his mind.

He witnessed him bowing to his master, pledging himself to chaos… Blackhole, not Dusk, he reminded himself… wasn't it? No, it wasn't him, he'd never bow to Discord… there had to be something here. One particular thing he saw was one involving the girls. He saw how colourless their fur was, how differently they were acting than how he knew them and it didn't take him long to figure out what he had done. He recognised it from historical accounts he'd read from Discord's previous rule:

So it was that they who were victims of the chaotic one had their hearts turned as dull as their fur. My mother, usually a kind soul, became vindictive and cruel, whilst my hard-working father became lazy and selfish. I would surely have submitted, were it not for our benevolent rulers, who did banish him and returned my parents to their natural state, bringing much-sought harmony to our fair land. Celestia forbid what may have happened if he had continued in his reign… I might not be here today…

It was definite. Discord had corrupted them with his powers and turned them into the very opposites of who they were supposed to be. Fluttershy had become cruel, Pinkie had become a cynic, Applejack a liar and Rarity became greedy. Rainbow Dash looked as if she'd abandoned them completely and Twilight was swiftly losing faith in friendship's magic as a result of it. It made his heart ache to see her in such a state and he wanted nothing more than to be there and comfort her… if she could even stand to be around him again after what he'd done, if any of them could…

No, he had to stay focused. Worry about that later.

The fundamental question was why had Discord done this? He had targeted them specifically and corrupted them deliberately. Then, they'd started to fight each other, which was what Discord enjoyed, but there had to be more to it than that… of course, the Elements! They couldn't use them if they weren't in harmony with each other first, so Discord would be eliminating his one threat to his rule by breaking apart their friendship! He checked his own body and saw himself fully in colour, so he was safe, but they weren't.

In an instant he established where he was, where the library was from here and sprinted off. They had been there, from what he could see from his memories and Twilight had been trying to get the reference guide to the Elements. That book had to be important in finding them again and then they needed to be in harmony to use them. He had to find them, figure out some way to break them from their discorded state and, hopefully, save Equestria from Discord's chaotic rule… how was he meant to do that?

That relief returned when he saw that great tree. Oh, how he had missed it! But, before he could even start looking for the girls, he saw something glinting on the ground nearby and hurried over to them. There was no mistaking that these were the Elements of Harmony, left discarded and thrown away on this pile by the look of it, all of them except for Magic. But if they were here and had been left in this state then that could only mean that the girls had already tried to use them against Discord… and had failed as a result.

Gently, he reached out and ran his hoof gently over them, feeling all the facets of the jewels in the centre, the power of friendship radiating from them, though not as much as before. It was like they had been diminished in their purpose, now that their wielders had abandoned them. They'd all gone their separate ways by the look of it, their friendship broken… he would never see them again, not that they'd want to… there was no hope now…

Except for one thing, something that had just occurred to him in that moment. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a flash of magic and the appearance of the one responsible, laughing away at some unbelievably funny joke. But Dusk didn't find anything funny about this, glaring at him as his eyes closed with mirth.

"Ha ha! Oh, it was brilliant Blackhole! You should have seen them when they tried to use their precious Elements against me! We've almost won!" he declared triumphantly.

Dusk realised that he hadn't seen yet that he had returned, as he was too caught up in his own crapulence and pride. Deciding to play along for now and suppressing the urge to hit him hard, for what good it would do, he affected his darker self's deeper voice.

"Almost, master? If they have failed, surely we have already succeeded."

"That may be true, yes, but we need to make sure they've given up completely," he told him, still not having noticed Dusk was back. "Once Twilight is truly broken and unwilling to fight, she'll leave and never bother us again. You can have some fun with her, if you like."

Not wishing to keep up the pretence a moment longer at the mention of his best friend and mare of his dreams, Dusk glared right at Discord and spoke normally, feeling no fear.

"The only thing I want to do with her is to help her bring you down from the pedestal you've chosen to place yourself on and watch you fall from it, hard and fast!"

"What?!" Discord whirled around and beheld Dusk for the first time. "You?!"

"Yes, me," Dusk confirmed.

"B-b-but how?" He was staring at him, uneven eyes wide. "My magic, it forced out Blackhole, he beat you and took over! How are you back, how are you still here?!"

"Let's just say I had some help."

"No, you should have been beaten, unable to return! My magic is stronger than yours, I am stronger than you!" Dusk noted that, while Discord sounded annoyed, there was still a hint of curiosity in his voice. "So, how did you do it? Let's find out, shall we?

He shot his claw forward and Dusk felt him invade his mind again, trying to retrieve the answer he sought. But Dusk was now even stronger than when he'd last tried this, for he had felt the ability resist when Discord first tried to corrupt him, though he had overcome it and beaten him. This time though, he was much stronger and was not only able to force him out of his head in seconds, but also shine a ball of bright light, forcing him back and blinding him.

"NO!" Discord spun around after he'd recovered and glared at him, anger definitely boiling over now. "How did you manage that? That's impossible!"

"You all of being should know Discord, nothing is impossible," Dusk countered, standing ready for another attack.

He saw anger flicker across Discord's face again and also a little… fear? "How are you managing that? You're nothing!"

"True enough, but you're never getting in my head again." He held Discord's gaze, unflinching and steadfast. "Now, I'm not a violent pony as you know, but I want you to understand that I am trying very, very hard not to jump up and punch you so hard, you'll be looking out of the back of your head!"

Discord was silent for a few moments, but recovered himself and returned to his confident, charismatic persona, floating in the air once more.

"Well, that does sound like an interesting experience, but we both know you could never manage it."

"Try me, you'd be surprised what you can manage when you try," retorted Dusk. "You lied to me, Discord!"

"Honestly, first Twilight now you? Why is it so hard for you both to understand that deception and misleading is kind of my thing?" he pointed out.

"You tricked me and forced me to become a monster!"

"Did I really force you, or were you just itching for a little playtime and I just gave you the go ahead?" he asked slyly.

"Don't try to dupe me again, Discord!" Dusk warned. "I've learned, I know better and you know I can beat your influence. I don't know how myself, but I'll resist you now with every last ounce of strength!"

"You can't hold me back forever. All you've done is returned yourself to normal just so I can corrupt you all over again," he said, grinning maliciously.

"You can try and I'll keep placing more walls to block you, no matter what," he responded defiantly. "You'll find I'm not so easily deceived the second time around."

"I wouldn't say that, for you have still deceived yourself." He shook his head exasperatedly. "Why don't you just face the facts, little Dusk? Even if you are back, you're still useless. You can't possibly hope to stop me and my chaotic rule. You know it and I know it, you're not even an Element. Why don't you just give up and enjoy the chaos? I seem to recall you were doing so easily enough before."

He wasn't wrong about that, not entirely anyway. Dusk could still feel those words having some impact on him, enough to make him look away and consider, but not for long. This time, he was armed with a new knowledge, a new question that had to be asked now that he considered it further. And who better to ask than the lord of chaos himself.

"You're right Discord," he admitted. "I'm not an Element, I can't stand up to you forever and I certainly can't stop you. But let me ask you just one thing."

"And what's that?" he asked in an impatient voice.

Dusk looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"Um… what?" Discord, ironically, looked confused.

"Why target me, I mean?" Dusk started to pace around Discord, keeping his eyes on him. "I know why you targeted the girls. Disrupt the wielders of the Elements so they can't use them because they're not in harmony with each other, therefore destroying the only chance they have to stop you and securing your victory and eternal reign of chaos once more."

"Figured all that out? Well done," he said sarcastically.

"Yes, I did," he replied nonchalantly, determined not to let him get to him. "But then, why go out of your way to go after me, discord me and put me in an even worse state. I'm not an Element and, according to you and me, I'm nothing important, so why waste your time going after a non-entity as me?"

"Well… isn't it obvious?" He tried to sound casual, but Dusk could tell the question had caught him off-guard. "I saw the opportunity for a new servant and I took it, plus it would be one more blow to your oh-so-special Twilight when she failed to rescue you."

"I don't doubt that," he said, his heart panging at the mention of Twilight, "but I think there's more to it than forced servitude and emotional warfare. You went after the girls because they were a threat, in the same way you went after me and to stop them from being a threat. Therefore, we can conclude that the reason you went for me is because I'm a threat to you too."

Discord stared at him in disbelief again, then burst out laughing, rolling around on the floor. "You? A threat to me? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Like saying an ant is a threat to a boot."

"Even enough ants can be a formidable force," retorted Dusk. "If the girls weren't there normal selves, they couldn't use what was special about them, the Elements, against you. That means there's something unique to me that could stop you, so you had to stop me using it so I wouldn't be able to us either! Something I can use to stop you!"

"Oh really? And what, pray tell, would that be?" he asked mockingly, wiping away his tears.

"I um… I don't know yet," Dusk admitted, suddenly feeling a bit diminished. "But I do know that I'm going to figure out what it is and I'm going to use it to end you and your chaos once and for all!"

Discord picked himself up off the floor, still chortling from his speech. "Well, let me know when you figure that out, I'd hate to be left out of the loop. Now, if you don't mind, I need to be somewhere."

"I figure out what it is!" repeated Dusk, feeling a little foolish now he'd said it. "I'll… I'll find it and use it!"

"I'm sure you will," he said sarcastically, summoning a cuckoo clock as he said it. "Anyway, toodles for now."

As he vanished in another flash of light, Dusk now felt a little more foolish than before for suggesting such a thing. How could even think of being the end-all piece to defeat the lord of chaos himself? Perhaps Discord was right and he was little more than another tool to make Twilight give up in her fight, not being anypony of actual significance. Everypony would be affected by his rule, what made him so special?

Wait, why was he still listening to that snake-tonged deceiver? Regardless of what Dusk actually thought, he knew that Discord was just trying to trick him and he'd seen just there that he'd slipped up a little when Dusk had first made his point. He knew something Dusk didn't and that was what he needed to defeat him, he had just been trying to distract him from that. Well, he wasn't going to let him. He'd figure out what it was and use it against the draconequus… somehow.

Deciding he'd have a clearer head in a place of knowledge, he headed towards the library, picking up the Elements as he went. He might as well keep them safe. Noting the two large holes made in the great tree with some despair and shock, he stepped inside, found the hollowed out book and placed the Elements inside. At least now they were reasonably secure. Now, where to start exactly…

A loud hooting made him turn around and his face lit up at the sight of his faithful pet.

"Ophelia!" She flew onto his outstretched leg and nipped him affectionately. "I missed you, my little one…"

The hoot she gave in response told him that the feeling was mutual. There was almost a guilty demeanour to her, he noticed, like she felt bad about leaving him before. He stroked her gently, to let her know there were no hard feelings and he was just glad to be back. Hooting gratefully, she flew off and returned with something, a black piece of fabric… no, something else…

"My hat…" He held it in his hooves, staring at it for a moment.

He had been a little surprised when he saw that Blackhole had kept the necklace on he wore, but now that he had his faithful pet and the piece of clothing that had become signature to him, he felt a kind of completion… well, not wholly. He still needed his friends back, his home… Twilight. Well, now that he had these, he was confident he was one step closer to completing that.

Placing on his 'thinking cap', he set down on one of the tables, placed his hoof on his chin and delved into his mind, to consider his next move.

Utterly depressed, without friends, hope or spirit left in her, Twilight trudged randomly around Ponyville… or rather the 'new and improved Ponyville', with a cloud of chocolate rain hovering over her head, completing the image of sadness and despair. The Element of Magic was still on her head, but she could no longer feel its power. It was as useless as she was.

She didn't care or even look up when long-legged bunnies stampeded by, buffalo performing ballet pranced past or an earth pony floating and babbling whizzed by. She had failed, her home was in chaos, her friends had gone and even the stallion she felt the most for, the one who had been motivating her all this time, was lost forever in some dark place, waiting for help that would never come. She'd never even said goodbye…

Discord appeared next to her laughing and chortling away, but she wasn't even surprised. She just didn't care anymore about what he did. What did it matter anyway?

"Oh, my stomach!" he made her lift her head up. "Twilight, you've got to see what I just did!"

She looked and saw a pink earth pony having pepper being sprinkled on her by a giant shaker. When she sneezed, the houses around her proved to be nothing more than cardboard cut-outs and fell over with loud creaks. A fitting metaphor for her own life, in a way and one that made her feel even worse than before.

"It's priceless!" He seemed to notice Twilight's mood and scooped the cloud raining on her in a cone, taking a bite out of it. "Come now, Twilight Sparkle. You've got to get into the spirit of things! After all, this is your new home."

She looked to where he gestured, seeing the town hall floating upside down, the patchwork ground and grass, half a bridge missing and her mind was made up. This place had too much pain, too many bad memories and it was no longer the place she had called her home for the past year. It was time for her to leave, there was nothing left for her here…

"Not anymore..." With that, she trudged off back to the library to collect Spike and her things, to go to… well, she didn't know.

The sun shot down and was replaced by the moon, plunging her into a metaphorically appropriate darkness, she noted with mild interest. The Elements were gone, no doubt stolen and so was Ophelia. She probably saw Twilight's failure to uphold her promise and save her master, now leaving her. The last thing she had to remember him by, the last vestige of his presence gone.

The tears began anew as she climbed the stairs and opened the door to her room, where Spike and one other pony she couldn't make out lay stood; or rather lay in the former's case.

"Pack your things, Spike, we're leaving," she ordered him. "Don't ask where we're going, 'cause I don't know yet. Just not here."

As she said this, she pulled out her suitcase and levitated a few random books to pack. She also removed Magic and put it in the near-by trash can. She wouldn't need that anymore. She glanced up at the other pony, barely looking at him as she packed. Was he or she walking closer to her and why should she even care?

"Look, I don't know who you are, but if you want to get-out a book, I'm afraid the library will be closed for the foreseeable future," she told the pony bitterly. "Now, can you please get out?"

"Twilight Sparkle."

She felt her eyes widen when she recognised that quiet, polite voice. It couldn't be him… then she saw him, clad in his hat, the necklace she'd made him dangling around his neck. In his eyes, she saw in there a strong regret, a guilt, but overwhelmed by something she didn't recognise, but it made her heart glow to see it. Glow, like she could tell his horn was beneath his hat, which was levitated off to reveal it as he neared her, that sweet smile playing on his lips.

"Dusk…?" she whispered, unable to gaze at anything other than him. "Is that… really you?"

He didn't respond to this directly, he only smiled more warmly than she'd ever seen him do before and spoke one word:

"Remember."

At that, he lowered his horn so it came into contact with hers and she felt something reawaken inside her, that had just started to the instant she'd laid eyes on him. Even if he wasn't doing this, she was sure the feeling would grow stronger anyway… he was just that special to her.

Discord was making a few more houses float up into the air, making confetti shoot out of their chimneys, which promptly either slithered away like snakes or flew away like birds, in celebration of his ultimate victory over harmony. Now, nothing would stop him in his final takeover of Equestria, not the Elements and certainly not the princesses. He had won!

And yet… Dusk returning presented a problem. He had been able to resist his influence, something which very few could do and then there were the writings of Fore Sight about him. He didn't know about them, of course, but what if he found out or managed to figure it out? He doubted it but it was better to be safe than sorry.

But how best to deal with this? He had more chaos to catch up on and Dusk had proven resilient to his direct influence. It would be best to eliminate him completely, just to be sure, but how would he go about it? Then, he had the perfect idea of how to solve this problem.

Tapping into his chaotic magic, he formed them like clay in his hands, moulding and shaping their bodies until he had a sizable force of them, their black scales glistening in the light, their wicked eyes glinting with malice. Oh, how he'd missed the little dears!

"What issssss your will, Lord Disssssscord?" requested one of the Paraserpents, as they bowed before him.

He made a chocolate sculpture of Dusk and showed it to them. "Find this pony and devour him, however way you see fit." He crushed it in his hands, so it shattered like glass.

"Asssss you wish," they hissed, bowing once more and slithering off to find their quarry.

"Oh and if his little friends try to stop you, feel free to eat them too!" he called out to them, chuckling at the thought of it.

Now in an even better mood than before, he set off to cause even more chaos, pleased that his reign would be secure, prophecy or not. He wasn't losing, not this time…

Back Together

Dusk had been sitting and thinking in the library for a good few minutes, trying to centre around something that would support his view that there was something about him that would help to bring down Discord. But no matter how much he hoped for inspiration to strike him somehow, he couldn't think of anything that sounded credible or believable enough that he was willing to invest in it fully or go looking for it.

He'd ruled out that he was an Element of Harmony, for there had only ever been six and while there had been some theories hinting to a possible seventh, they were little more than wild speculation. As much as he would like it, that didn't seem a likely possibility. He hadn't done much training with his own unique magic, maybe there was something about it that would help him to defeat the spirit of chaos. But he couldn't think exactly what that would be and even then unlocking it would take time, which he didn't have.

At one point, he found himself examining the stones that hung around his neck. He'd never really thought much of them, but now… he had found them and always decided to keep them, like some strange impulse he couldn't ignore, like they were special somehow. They'd served as a way to help him defeat his darker self and the latest he'd found had been right back at the beginning of the use of the Elements.

Being imaginative, Dusk was a strong believer in faith, belief in the impossible when common sense said otherwise. He had kept these stones and that time travel magic had appeared and sent him to a time when he could find yet another stone just like the others. That couldn't just be a coincidence, he thought. These had to be important somehow, perhaps holding some kind of ancient magic that could only be used when brought together…

Luna would know, he thought to himself, still feeling that guilt from when Blackhole had beaten her…

Wait, that was it! He could send a letter to Luna, provided she wasn't too badly hurt and ask her what these stones meant! She had been the one who had sent him to the Castle, who had fought Blackhole to save him and had set him on the way to overcoming his dark side. Like Discord, she knew something about him and he was going to find out what, for he was sure it would hold the key to defeating Discord.

"Come on, my pet!" he prompted Ophelia, who had been sleeping nearby. "We need to send a letter. Spike! Spike, where are you little brother?"

"Dusk? Dusk, is that you?!" he heard a disbelieving voice reply, but he couldn't tell where from.

"It is! Where are you?"

"I'm up-" He was cut off by a loud belch and a groan, forcing Dusk to search manually.

Ophelia flying behind him, he hurried around the library, calling for Spike, eventually running upstairs and finding him on the floor, looking exhausted, but with a huge grin at the sight of him, one which Dusk couldn't help but return.

"Spike!" Unable to contain himself, he jumped forward and hugged the baby dragon. "It's good to see you, my brother!"

"Dusk! Oh, I've never been so happy to-" He stopped when he belched and a scroll appeared in the air, landing on an ever-growing pile Dusk had only just noticed.

"What's all of this?" he asked, setting him down on his bed. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No, I feel awful!" He belched up another letter. "The princess has been sending these… since I came back upstairs!"

"And… how long ago was that?"

"I don't know, it's all a blur, just… never-ending letters!" He actually cried as he belched up another. "Please, make it stop!"

"I uh… don't know if I can, sorry Spike." He put his blankets around him and moved to look at the pile. "What is all of this anyway?"

Levitating a random scroll, he unrolled it and read the words inscribed upon it. He recognised the writing as Spike's, not Celestia's, and realised he'd heard this letter before. It was the one Twilight had sent at the end of Winter Wrap Up. It detailed how everypony had hidden talents that could be found with patience and diligence and that teamwork and friendship could overcome any obstacle.

He remembered that day with warm feelings in his heart, despite the lingering cold… being Twilight, both of them trying to find their place in wrapping-up winter, waking up the animals with Fluttershy, even being part of the process of bringing in spring on time. That feeling stayed with him, as he closed the letter and placed it back with the others.

He pulled out another one, one that detailed how powerful and wonderful friendship could be and that even the bitterest of enemies could become friends, as long as there was understanding and compromise. That warm feeling he had from reading the first letter increased at the fond memory of Little Strongheart and how strong their friendship had become, despite the fact their people were enemies and when peace had been restored.

That same feeling increased again when he read the next one, adhering to when they'd all had a special connection through the sonic rainboom before they'd even met, as it had resulted in them getting their cutie marks and how everypony might have some special connection with their friends before they'd met them too. Even he was a part of it, remembering those wonderful feelings of acceptance and the awesome sight of the sonic rainboom.

Suddenly, it didn't matter why Celestia had sent back all of these reports, whether they were for him or more likely for Twilight, all that mattered was reading through each one and that magical feeling deep down inside him strengthening with every word he read. Along with this, he could feel something growing in his magic abilities too, a surge from his emotions and memories for the times he had spent with the girls, the urge to cast this new spell on something now that he had learned it. But what…?

"Pack your things, Spike, we're leaving. Don't ask where we're going, 'cause I don't know yet. Just not here."

He could hardly believe what he was hearing, that she had only now just returned back to the place they'd spent so much time together for the past year, as the best friend that he had ever had and so much more. He didn't care how grey her fur looked, how forlorn she appeared to be. All that mattered was that he knew what he had to do, allowing the magic he felt to flow into his horn as he approached her.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but if you want to get-out a book, I'm afraid the library will be closed for the foreseeable future," she told Dusk bitterly. "Now, can you please get out?"

She didn't know it was him. At any other time, considering all that happened, he would have preferred that and whatever punishment she would have in mind for him for releasing his darker self upon them and his home. Right now, he just wanted to be with her, to stand by her side, to speak her wonderful name on his lips…

"Twilight Sparkle."

Now she looked up, gasping and unable to comprehend what she was seeing standing in front of her. It was like she had seen a ghost from how wide her eyes grew, staring at him as he removed his hat to expose his horn and walk ever closer to her.

"Dusk…?" she whispered. "Is that… really you?"

He finally stopped, directly in front of her, close enough to here her heart beating against her chest, gazing back into her violet eyes. Knowing exactly what this spell would do, he smiled back at her, tried to ignore the guilt of the pain he caused her and let all the good memories and feelings he had for her flood through him.

"Remember."

Pressing his glowing horn against her own, he let the spell be cast and allowed all of these memories and emotions flow into her like a river. How much he had learned about friendship by being with her, about what his true worth was, about how strongly he felt for her that extended far beyond friendship, he let her feel it all.

Opening his eyes, he looked up to see they had taken the form of a colour puppet of her, one far brighter and more beautiful than any other he had created. Dissolving into a stream, it flooded into her, restoring her grey fur to its brilliant lilac shade. He could hear her gasp as it flowed into her, saw tears well up in her eyes until she restored to the Twilight Sparkle that he knew and loved so much.

She stood there, breathing heavily, silent for all but that. Raising her head and gazing right into his eyes, she let the tears flow and embraced him once more, which he happily returned. He could feel the warm tears drop onto his shoulder as they hugged, aware of nothing else except each other.

"Oh Dusk… I never thought I'd see you again," she murmured, sniffing and still hugging him.

"Neither did I... I've never been happier to see you."

"I missed you, so much." Suddenly, her voice became regretful, apologetic. "Dusk, I'm so sorry we left you behind. You should have stayed with us from the start, then you might have been safe. Instead, you almost… died and it was all my fault."

"Twilight," he said, cupping her chin gently. "I don't blame you, nopony could have predicted what happened. You did what you thought was right."

"I know but… I still shouldn't have left you." She gazed imploringly at him. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I can." He broke eye contact and looked at the floor. "It's whether or not you can forgive me…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I…" He was about to explain what he was referring to, how much it hurt him when he remembered the pain he caused her.

But then he saw her smile, just her complete and utter relief that they were back together after all the danger they'd been through. He knew it was selfish, but he didn't want to spoil the moment now and there would be time for regrets later. If he was right, she'd never look at him that way again anyway and he wanted to preserve this as long as he could.

Instead, he did his best to quash the memories and smiled at her. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. We can talk about it later."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," he insisted, only noting now how hard this was. He pulled back and looked back at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, more than that, brilliant, now that you're back." Then her expression became one of concern. "But what about you?"

"Me? Well, I'm feeling… okay, I suppose. Some painful memories among other things, but nothing too serious… I think."

"Blackhole said how he'd left you for dead somewhere." He felt a twinge of anger at the very mention of his name. "Where were you? How did you get back?"

"It's a long story, but suffice it to say that it wasn't easy and I hope never to go through anything like that again," he said.

"I should think so." She looked over his body. "You want me to check over for any injuries that need treatment? I've read a few medical journals on the subject."

"So have I, when I was bored once and I'm mostly fine, physically anyway…" He felt those painful memories return, but shook them away and gestured to her. "Nice to see you have your colour back."

"It certainly feels better." She marvelled at her restored colour and beamed. "How did you do that? What was that?"

"I um… don't really know myself," he admitted. He explained as best he could what exactly had happened, while she listened and examined the princess's sent back reports. "Did it help?"

She closed the scroll she was reading and beamed at him. "Yes, it did. It was… wonderful," she whispered. "And you… you've made it all so clear."

"I have?"

"Of course, isn't it obvious?" She laughed at his bemused expression. "Discord's trying to distract us from what's important. He knows how powerful our friendships are, and he's been trying to keep us from seeing it."

"Ah yes, of course!" Dusk declared, seeing how obvious it was now, for he himself already knew it. "He knows it's powerful enough to use the Elements and that was why he broke you apart, so you couldn't use them and so he'd have no more opposition."

"Exactly! That's why the princess sent back my reports, so we'd be reminded of exactly that. Or rather, so you'd remind me," she rectified.

Dusk blushed and looked away. "I'm sure you would have… managed without me."

"Still the modest one." She only smiled all the more at his comment. "You don't know how much I've missed you since we separated, how much I've realised that, regardless of what you might think, I can't manage without you."

"What… what do you mean?" he asked unsurely.

"I mean that, if we need to save Equestria, I want you with me this time. Element or not, I'm never leaving you behind again. Besides, I think I'll need your help to restore our friends to normal." She held out her hoof. "What do you say Dusk? Shall we fight for our friendship, together?"

Dusk stared down at her outstretched hoof, knowing what this meant. A year ago, he would have said no that she could no doubt find somepony more useful than him, but now… now he knew his true worth, for she had shown it to him… they all had. He didn't know what he had done with his magic, but he knew that, working together with Twilight, he wanted to help save his friends and his home, no matter how small his contribution.

With that thought firmly in his mind, he gripped her hoof in return and nodded. "I'm with you Miss Sparkle, to the end. For them."

"For us," she followed up and chorusing together. "For Equestria!"

"Hey… nopony mind me," Spike's weak voice groaned, as he belched up another report.

"Oh, sorry Spike. Will you be okay?" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, just so long as I don't… burp out my guts…"

"I think I can help here." Levitating a blank roll of parchment, Dusk quickly wrote a message asking the princess to stop sending reports, as well as a thank you to Princess Luna, then whistled for Ophelia. "Take that to Princess Celestia."

She hooted obediently and let him tie it to her leg, giving him a gentle nip, before taking off into the sky, until she was a little white speck on the horizon, which he only noticed now was a random line rising and falling.

"Thanks man," Spike groaned, crawling under his covers. "I'll just… stay here then…"

"I'd say you need it," Twilight remarked. "Come on Dusk, let's go find our friends."

"As you wish, Miss Sparkle," he said, bowing his head and galloping after her with a new sense of purpose driving him.

For the first time since this whole thing had started, Dusk had a new sense of hope and determination that motivated him. He'd overcome the most gruelling mental challenge he'd ever faced, ventured into the Everfree Forest and made it out alive and even stood against the spirit of chaos himself. Now, he and Twilight were going to bring him to justice and make him pay for he had done, to themselves and their home.

Twilight too seemed to be more driven, whether it was due to his return or the new hope she'd been given, he wasn't sure, but he was just glad to be back with her. But what would happen when the truth was revealed and he had to tell her the truth about Blackhole Doom? Would she ever be able to forgive him for the torment and destruction he'd caused? If he was forced to leave, he would do so but… he didn't want to think of the possibility of never seeing her again.

He quashed those thoughts and returned to the matter at hoof. Worry about that later.

It turned out it was a good thing Dusk had come along with Twilight. Thanks to Discord's redecorating, Ponyville had become a lot more difficult to negotiate, with new paths leading up, down, underground, in the air or just completely vanished. Luckily, Dusk's unique tracking magic ensured that a safe, sensible path was always to be found and they made swift progress throughout their chaotic home.

They arrived at Sweet Apple Acres first, complete with flying pigs, a madly tap-dancing Granny Smith and Applejack, who appeared to be eating in reverse, returning bites to bare apple cores. The sooner this world returned to harmony, the better thought Dusk, this was far too confusing.

"Applejack, we're here to fight for our friendship!" Twilight declared, suddenly surprised by Big Macintosh, who was behaving like a dog.

"How intriguing," muttered Dusk, as he watched him dig a hole back down again.

"Oh, now you want to fight an' look who's shown up at last, haven't missed you at all," she said to Dusk. "Where were ya when ah was battlin' Discord?"

They nodded to each other and pounced her before she could react, pinning the farm pony to the floor.

"Snap out of it. This isn't you! You're not a liar. Dusk, now!" At her command, he performed his spell in time with hers.

He poured in all of the memories he had with her, when she'd first welcomed him, her offer to be his very first friend, planting that apple seed on their walk, watching the sunset on the arm. The colour form floated above them as Twilight performed her own memory spell and dissolved into her, restoring her fur to that fair shade of peach.

"Wh-what happened? Twilight! Dusk!" She shook her head and stood up. "Ah saw a vision of us feudin' and fightin'. Ah couldn't face the truth, so ah started tellin' lies. Can ya ever forgive me?"

"I already have. Come on!" ordered Twilight, wasting no time in getting going.

"Nice ta have ya back, sugarcube," she said to Dusk, as they galloped off once more.

"It's good to be back and… it's great to see you again, Applejack," he added sincerely.

"Well, thank ya kindly," she said, looking up at the puppet he was using. "Anypony else gettin' a feelin'-a déjà vu here?"

"Separated in a dangerous environment with Dusk coming to find us all with his colour puppets and bringing us all back together to fight the bad guy?" Twilight laughed a little at that. "Now you mention it, this is all rather familiar."

"This does seem to be becoming a habit of mine, isn't it?" remarked Dusk.

"Just further proof you should have been with us from the beginning," added Twilight, smiling at him.

"Believe me, I was," muttered Dusk, so only he could hear. "Yes, well, I'm here now."

"An' we're jus' that little bit better fer it." She cocked her head at him. "Ah remember bein' told 'bout what that feller Blackhole did to ya. You okay?"

"I… I'll manage," he said, not dishonestly, but not entirely truthful either.

"If ya say so," she said unsurely, possibly picking up on this. "What happened ta him anyway?"

"He's… he's been beaten and I'm going to make sure he's never coming back," he said firmly.

"Amen ta that," agreed Applejack. "Let's see if we can't do the same with Discord, huh?"

"Indubitably," said Dusk, moving to the head. "Now, let's go and get Fluttershy."

As they ran, he thought back a little on what he had said to Applejack. Certainly, he had defeated his darker self and regained control of his body, but what if he wasn't gone for good? What if, somehow, he managed to find a way to return or some other influence forced his return and he would once again be free to bring about torment and suffering to all those who stood in his way? Dusk did his best to remain convinced that he wouldn't let that happen again, but he still shuddered to think if he would ever return…

They arrived at her cottage just as quickly as they had with the farm, albeit with a lot more dips and drops than they were used to. The door was locked, but that was swiftly solved when Applejack promptly kicked it open, to reveal the Pegasus hanging a few critters upside down from a high height.

"Hey! Why are you interrupting my fun?" she demanded.

"Fluttershy, let them go and get down here."

"Very poor choice of words." With a sinister cackle that made Dusk feel unnerved, she dropped them and they plummeted to the ground.

Sprinting forward, Dusk caught them with a spell and lowered them softly to the ground before they could sustain any injury. They squeaked their thanks and hurried off in case their former carer tried anything else on them.

"Yoink!" He felt his hat leave his head and looked up to see Fluttershy had taken his hat. "I've been meaning to do that and it was worth it."

"Fluttershy, would be please be so kind as to return my trilby?" Dusk asked, keeping his voice controlled and measured.

"Um… how about no?" she snapped, cackling again.

Dusk shook his head, gazing up at her. "Look what he's done to you. I know you think you're enjoying this, Fluttershy, but deep down, you know this isn't who you truly. Where's that kind, gentle Pegasus I first met escorting a family of ducks? Where's she gone?"

"She was too nice and didn't let herself have any fun. This is much better," she insisted.

He glanced at Applejack, who was now preparing a lasso to bring her down to earth so they could hold her down while he and Twilight worked their magic. Deciding to keep her distracted, he returned his attention to her, holding his hat even further out of his reach.

"Do you really believe that? I don't think so, because I preferred the way you were."

"Well tough, that me is gone!"

"No she isn't, she's just being kept quiet." He stepped closer, so he'd be ready to act straight away. "I know how it feels, to have lost yourself and have somepony else take control of you in a way you don't want."

"But I do want this," she retorted, though not as firmly as before. "You're just being a sad little crybaby who wants his best friend back. How sad is that?"

"If that's the case, then I would willingly be that," he said calmly. "But I know how to stop it, how to bring the real you back. And for the record, I'm very sorry."

"Oh yeah? For what?" she challenged, Applejack whirling her length of rope.

"For this." She squeaked in surprise as the rope wrapped around her body and tightened.

Thanks to Applejack's strength, they were able to haul her down to the ground and hogtie her in place, preventing her from struggling free. He and Twilight then did what they had to, Dusk allowing his brotherly feelings for her and his admiration at how kind and compassionate she could be flood into her through the puppet that restored her colour.

Immediately, her struggles ceased, her cruel sneer vanished and the visage of timid kindness that he knew so well to be Fluttershy's returned at once and filling Dusk with relief to see her back to normal again.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed when she returned to normal. "Twilight, Applejack, Dusk, I just had the worst dream!"

"Haven't we all, sugarcube?" Applejack remarked, untying her legs. "You okay?"

"Oh my, it was horrible! I was so mean and nasty! I just did all of these mean things and I poured water onto you Twilight, I tripped up poor little Spike and Dusk I…" She looked down, realised she was holding it and handed it back to him in a panic. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry I took it, I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay, Fluttershy," he assured soothingly, putting his hat back on. "The dream is over now, you're back to being you."

"But I was still so cruel to you and you didn't deserve that, not any of you." She stared at him, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry big brother, please don't be mad!"

Dusk's eyes widened and he gasped, so did Fluttershy when she realised what she'd said. He'd always thought of her like the sister he never had, but this… this still caught him off-guard. This surprised Dusk more than anything else so far and everypony else too, for they had all fallen silent at her exclamation, Fluttershy looking mortified.

"I mean um… I don't mean like… you know as… well…" She trailed off and hid behind her mane, mumbling incoherently.

Dusk's response was to smile kindly at her and embrace her, which she gladly returned.

"It's okay, I forgive you, little sister," he whispered in her ear, resulting her hugging him all the more tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered back, breaking apart and beaming. "So… what's going on?"

"We're bringing ourselves back together and then we're bringing down Discord," summed up Twilight. "Come on, Rarity next."

"Right you are," confirmed Dusk, making her form appear and leading behind Twilight as they galloped off again.

Dusk was glad to have Fluttershy back and even more so now they had made clear the closeness they felt for each other and for another reason too. With that forgiveness he had just given to Fluttershy, who was flying closest to him now he noticed, Dusk had renewed hope that there was a slim chance that the girls might forgive him too, a small one, but it was still there… though Blackhole had been far worse than the discorded Fluttershy in his opinion.

In addition to this, something else gave him some renewed hope. In lieu of what he and Fluttershy had done, perhaps he might even finally let Twilight know how he felt about her. After all, he and Fluttershy had been okay with each other revealing the sibling-like feelings they had for one another. How great would it be, to at last let her know, to hold her gently in his hooves and share in a love far stronger than friendship, to do anything for her…

But… what if she didn't feel the same?

Deciding not to linger on this more likely possibility, he returned his attention to the waking world when he saw they had arrived at the Carousel Boutique, which was also in a different location to where it was originally situated. How fitting they were now here for the pony who had been helping him with his romantic dealings, especially now he had just been considering them again.

When they entered, they found Rarity in the centre of the store, lovingly polishing and crooning over the large boulder that Dusk knew, thanks to Discord's powers, she thought was an equivalently sized diamond of infinite beauty. What a state she had been put in thanks to him, that they had all been put in. Well, that was about to change.

"Sorry, we're closed," she said absently.

"That's okay, we're just here for one thing." Twilight motioned silently to them for positions to take up, which they swiftly complied to do.

"What do you think you're doing?" She only looked up when they had her surrounded and were closing in around her, cutting off any escape. Her eyes darted around them, standing before her boulder protectively. "Get away from my gem! Get away-!"

She was cut off when Twilight performed her memory spell and Dusk thought of the positive emotions he had for her, the way she had helped him in his attempted romance, teaching him to dance and the two of them having tea together, reminding him of all the best aspects of Canterlot with none of the bad ones.

The colour puppet restored her fur to her shining white coat and uniquely styled purple mane, gasping as the feelings were poured into her mind. After it was done, she smiled her pleasant, sophisticated smile.

"Hello girls, and to our gentlecolt friend too," she added to Dusk. "What's going on…?" She paused, frowning and then widening her eyes and whipping around to face the rock. "By Celestia, how humiliating…"

She hurried behind the stone and started to push against it. Seeing what she was doing, Dusk moved forward to help her, heaving the rock out of the door and leaving it outside where it belonged. She nodded in thanks to Dusk and turned to the others.

"Let us never speak of this again," she announced firmly. The others only smiled, just glad to have her back.

"Hold on…" Dusk walked up to the boulder, examined the surface, tapped against it and found a substantial crack in its surface. "Applejack, could you come here please?"

"Sure thing." She walked over to where he indicated.

"Kick it right here, as hard as you can, if you please," he requested politely.

"And how!" With a loud crack, she kicked the stone with her hooves, with enough force to shatter it completely.

Dusk looked at Rarity and nodded. "There, now we never speak of it again."

"Quite so," she said, nodding her approval and glancing at his neck. "I say, what's happening to your necklace?"

Dusk looked down, confused but soon saw what she meant. The little spots of colour that decorated the surface of the dark stones had grown in size and had started to glow more brightly as well. Specifically, it was four of them, the ones that matched the fur colour of all of the ponies they had now restored. Three of them were in their normal state, glowing dimly, like they were asleep and waiting to be woken up.

Twilight had stepped forward and was now examining them too, squinting to have a better look at them.

"They weren't like that before," she murmured. "Maybe it's some kind of magic that's contained in them that's enhancing yours."

"That seems feasible," nodded Dusk, not able to think of a better explanation himself. "It would explain why I thought they were so important."

"It still doesn't explain what exactly they are or why they're only doing this now." She pointed at the newest one. "I haven't seen this one before, where did you get it?"

Dusk explained to her how Luna had sent him to the Castle, with her remarking in realisation at it. He didn't go into detail about the strange magic that had taken him back in time or that he had met Discord while he was there for he didn't have time to go into detail or explain why, but concluded by saying that he had found it there due to a strange series of events.

"Interesting… I wonder…" She was in a state of deep thinking for a few minutes, before she returned to a normal state. "Well, whether we know what they are or not, they can still help us and right now we need them."

"That's what I was thinking," agreed Dusk. "I think Luna knows something, perhaps we should ask her later."

"Good idea, but for now let's get back to work and find Pinkie next."

Dusk silently affirmed his order by creating a new puppet for the pink pony, but he was still thinking again about the significance of these stones. What exactly were they and how were they affecting his magic in such a way? If they were made, how did they know exactly for what purpose they were needed? If each one was lighting up for each of the girls he rescued, what about the one that represented his colour? How would that one activate and if it did, what would they ultimately do?

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed something slither into a bush. It was only there for a second and it was gone, so fast he wasn't even sure if he saw it. He stared at the spot where it had been, at the bush it had supposedly gone into. He didn't know exactly what it had been or if it had even been there, but something made him feel… uneasy about it. Would it be worth trying to investigate and put this fears to rest… or confirm them?

"Dusk? Are you all right darling?" Rarity had stayed back to check up on him, looking where he was.

"It's um… nothing, just my imagination," he finally said. "Come on, let's get going."

Rarity lingered for a moment, smiling warmly at him. "I'm relieved to see you recovered, Dusk." Her eyes moved to Twilight, who was looking back with concern. "I don't think I'm the only one."

"Well… I would think all of my friends are glad to see me…" he mumbled, his cheeks growing hot.

"You know what I am talking about." She only winked and gestured for him to take the lead.

Dusk nodded and ran on ahead again, lowering his head to hide how red his cheeks had become. Had he not, he would have seen a long, scaly neck rising from the bush, watching them leave through red, fiery eyes. It hissed, gave an approximation of a smile and slithered after them, a good few more following in its wake.

Let Battles Begin!

Discord had just finished watching a ballet performance from some of his dancing buffalo when he noticed a large gathering of his Paraserpent minions on the other side of town. His curiosity and anticipation piqued, he had sped off to investigate and was very pleased at what he saw when he arrived. The Wielders of the Elements and Dusk were being completely surrounded by his army, standing ready to fight, while they stood ready to eat.

As such, Discord was overjoyed at the sight of it. Not only would it allow him to see if the Paraserpents he'd now bred were an improvement, but it would also completely eliminate the Elements of Harmony for good this time. He was a little concerned that they no longer appeared under the influence of his magic, but that didn't matter. He had just proven that chaos could beat friendship and that certainly wasn't going to change after they were done with them.

His eyes sought out Dusk, who seemed to be trying to look brave, but just came off as scared out of his wits. It truly was a shame about Blackhole, but he would manage nicely enough without him. He noticed that the stones around his neck appeared to be glowing more brightly, all with the exception of one. So, it looked like Fore Sight wasn't entirely wrong then and once again Discord considered the possibility if he found out what he really was…

But what were the chances of that? He'd already won and established his new chaos capital in Ponyville, this just being a last vestige of resistance that, once crushed, would show all others that fighting against him was nothing more than a foolish and dangerous waste of time. At least it would be entertaining to watch.

Getting a good spot in the sky, Discord conjured up a couch, some popcorn, a soda and a large foam finger with number banana inscribed on it, settling down to see how this would unfold.

Dusk's eyes travelled over the Paraserpents, as they slithered and coiled around them to cut off any routes of escape. If he had been scared before, now he was absolutely terrified. He could feel the eyes of every single one of them boring into him, cutting right through him to expose his fear and bring it right to the surface and paralyse him so that he would be a prime target for their sharp fangs and ravenous hunger.

What were they supposed to do now? These monsters were between them and the library, which they had to reach to retrieve the Elements. He knew about the Paraserpents, both from his studies and his previous encounter, but he'd never before seen so many of them and he'd never had to fight them in such close quarters. In addition, these ones were fresher, sharper and unhindered by a thousand years of exile. What were they-?

"Scatter!" he heard Twilight shout.

His legs hurried to comply, scrabbling away as fast as he could away from the jaws that snapped at the spot where he had been standing seconds before. He could hear it, slithering and hissing behind him, but he didn't stop to look back, running for dear life down a nearby alleyway that would take him away from the main bulk of the horde if he followed it. They passage was too small for the beat to follow through, which snapped at him again as he ran, the jaws whizzing past his head.

He turned and saw the beast raise its head to strike again when a blast of purple magic struck it at the nape of the skull. Its eyes glazed over and it toppled forward, crashing to the floor. Dusk looked past it to a house and saw Twilight standing atop it, her horn glowing and her eyes urging him to run as fast as he could. He nodded in thanks to her, giving her an encouraging smile from courage he felt he certainly didn't have and set off again, pumping his legs like pistons.

He had to stay safe, for her. And he would do anything for her.

As he scrambled out of the alley and stopped to collect himself, his mind started to wonder frantically about what he was supposed to do next and his heart pounding against his chest. He had virtually no idea where he was in relation to everypony else, for Discord had completely rearranged the town and not everything was where he remembered it to be. He knew he had to get to the library, but how was he meant to do that with these ravenous monsters encircling him and when he didn't even know where it was.

Despair accompanied the fear he now felt at this point. They'd had trouble facing down just one Paraserpent, how were they expected to handle a whole horde of them? And he, alone, what could he do? He was no fighter or powerful with his magic and there just seemed too many of them for his mind to even comprehend an attack. He wasn't cut out for this, he was little more than a coward when push came to shove, his legs shaking, sweat rolling down his brow and his fear consuming him. What could he possibly hope to do against them when he wasn't even an Element… he was no hero, why even try?

"Get back! Back you fiend!" he heard a well-spoken voice order.

When he looked, he saw Rarity nearby, backing away from a leering Paraserpent, placing herself between it and a terrified Fluttershy, her eyes wide and her body crouched low in utter terror. The serpent lunged, but Rarity jumped, raised her rear hooves and kicked it square in the face, causing it to reel back with a screech of pain. As this one fell back, three more came to take its place, surrounding them and Rarity raising her hooves in preparation for an attack, trying to keep her eyes on all of her foes.

Watching them made Dusk feel completely ashamed of what he was thinking. Why was he so concerned about saving himself and keeping himself safe when his friends were in danger and needed his help to save Equestria. After all he'd been through, all he'd suffered and endured, he was planning to just turn tail and run? No, not this time. That was the old Dusk, the one who'd resurfaced briefly thanks to Discord. This Dusk knew his worth, knew what he could do and knew that, no matter how weak he might be, he was going to do help his friends, no matter what the cost.

Swallowing his fear, adjusting his hat and trying to be brave as he could possibly manage, he sounded a battle cry and charged at the Paraserpents to try and bolster his own courage. They turned their heads to see him coming, bared their fangs and slithered to meet him. Rarity, taking advantage of their turned backs, jumped up again and smacked a Paraserpent hard around the back of its head, knocking it to the floor in a daze.

Two more came at him and his mind slowed the world to analyze their attacks. Hard scales surrounding the body, giving tough armour to protect them. Mouths were open to expose their fangs and allow them to attack, leaving a possible weakness for the softer insides, but that might be too risky. Snakes could dislocate their jaws to allow them to swallow their food, so maybe the joints were weakest in that area if he were to strike them with enough force.

He spotted a nearby rock, levitated it and sent it whirling at the jaw of one of them, hoping their anatomy would be roughly the same as a snake. It hit the jaw joints with a loud crack, making it rear back and hiss in anger. The second he struck with his hooves, feeling the slight pain shoot up them from the contact and the resulting opposite force acting on it. Fortunately, it was enough to make this one halt and it was sent reeling back into its fellow, making them both sprawl to the ground in a heap.

Rarity, seeing her chance, gestured to Fluttershy and galloped over to join him, giving the two of them a couple of hard kicks to the head as she jumped over them.

"Excellent timing," she remarked. "You handled those two rather well, may I say, certainly proving once more size counts for little."

"Likewise to you," he replied, nodding to their dazed foes. "I didn't know you could fight like that."

"A lady shouldn't have to fight, but that doesn't mean she is incapable of defending herself, a lesson these beasts could have learned from these vile diamond dogs," she said with disdain.

"Quite so." Dusk looked to Fluttershy, who seemed a lot more relieved now. "Are you okay?"

"N-n-no," she stammered. "But… I'm better now I'm with you two."

"Don't worry, we won't let them lay a single fang on you." He gave her a reassuring smile and looked to Rarity again. "Those three will recover soon and it won't take long for more to arrive once they know where we are. We need to get moving."

"An apt suggestion," she nodded in agreement. "Any ideas as to where?"

Dusk took a quick look around their general area and spotted a hill not too far away from where they were standing, high enough to give them a good defensible point.

"Come on, up to higher ground," he said, pointing to it. "We'll gain at least some kind of advantage."

The two mares stayed close to him and they started to gallop in the direction of the hill, traversing through the streets of Ponyville, the sounds of more slithering reaching their ears as they picked up some more followers. It wouldn't be good to turn and engage them, for that would just delay them and allow more time for further Paraserpents to arrive. They just had to hope they were fast enough to stay ahead of them before they reached the hill.

Dusk started to consider their combat capabilities from the three of them. He knew most about the Paraserpents and he knew that he could put his mind to quick work on the field, finding exploitable weaknesses and things that would give them an advantage, though if things went badly, he might panic from the odds turned against him. Rarity, despite her ladylike stature, certainly had proven that she possessed strength and resolve enough to hold her own against them. Perhaps there would be some way to combine their individual strengths to give them an added edge. Fluttershy in contrast looked like she wasn't going to be doing much fighting, as she was too timid to even raise a fist. He and Rarity would just have to make sure she didn't get hurt.

They'd just reached the foot of the hill when two more of the monsters slithered out and cut them off. The individuals who had been following them had now caught up, totalling their numbers to five, enough to surround them and prevent them from running away. Now they had no choice, they would have to stand their ground and fight. He may not be physically able, but he would at least have some back up with Rarity by his side.

He glanced back at Rarity and noticed her smirk. He heard the sound of her magic being used and turned to have a quick look at what she was doing. Using her skills as a fashion debutante, she levitated the canopies of some nearby apple carts up to the three of the monster's heads, whirled them around and, in a flash of light, had caught their heads in large, red and white sacks, effectively blinding them and preventing a clear attack. She charged in to finish them off, Dusk returning his attention to his own foes.

Lucky he did, or he wouldn't have seen one lunge directly at him. He quickly ducked under the attack, noticing he was underneath his jaw and snapped a hoof upwards. He didn't put enough strength into the punch, however, and it just ended up making it angry, pulling back and hissing with displeasure. The other glanced at him, smiled maliciously at Dusk and started to encircle him, fangs glinting and eyes shining.

"Issssss that the bessssst you can do, pony?" it asked mockingly.

Dusk gulped, trying to keep his eyes on both of them at once in case one should decide to strike, the world slowing as his mind started to analyse the situation. How was he going to take both of them on at once? At this time, he just didn't feel like he had the strength to punch or kick them into submission. He was too weak for that and they had armoured scales protecting them. There had to be something else he could use, he thought desperately, straitening his hat again…

Hold on, his hat combined with something else… he remembered seeing Twilight use a softness-hardness spell in one of her study sessions to make a pillow as hard as a rock. It was a relavitevly simple spell and he remembered the theory of how to perform it, if he could just pull it off… it was worth a try.

Dusk levitated his hat off, casting the spell at the same time so that the hat was briefly consumed by a flash of light, the Paraserpents coiling closer towards him.

"Here, hold this!" At the same time as he shouted, he threw his hat with a levitation spell, hearing whizz towards his first target.

He actually laughed as he heard a loud smack as the hat, spinning like a discuss, struck the Paraserpent in the head. The trilby then ricocheted off it to the second one, striking it on the back of the head and making it fall forward, eyes unfocused and a lump forming slowly on its head. The first had barely recovered before it hit him again and sent him to the ground on top of his fellow, both of them dazed and knocked out.

Satisfied with his work, Dusk levitated his headwear back and placed it back on, removing the spell and returning it to its normal state, nodding in approval and tipping it to the serpents, along with a small apology at having to hurt them. When he turned to Rarity, her own foes were down on the ground and she stood triumphant, an eyebrow raised in at his actions, Fluttershy seeming a little more relived.

"I suppose that's one way of doing it," she remarked, kicking a serpent as it twitched a little.

"You could say this is a hard hat area… right?" Fluttershy commented, with an unsure giggle.

Dusk just answered with a smile. "I suppose so. Come on, let's get up to higher ground."

"I notice," Rarity said as they ran, "that though you seem to abhor violence, you can still be intuitive in a fight regardless."

Dusk shrugged at this. "Sometimes, it's necessary to fight for what's right, I recognise that much. The arms are fair, when the intent of bearing them is just."

"There you go with Shakesmare again," she noted with a smile.

"You know me," was his only reply, pushing himself up the hill. "Come Rarity, once more unto the breach!"

"Follow your spirit; and upon this charge, cry 'Harmony for us! Equestria! and Princess Celestia!'" finished Rarity boldly.

As they started to climb up the hill, the sky began to darken up ahead with a distance rumbling of thunder. Minutes later, chocolate rain began to pour from the heavens, soaking them within seconds. Dusk looked down at his chocolate soaked fur and shrugged. It would take more than some liquid sweets to stop them in their fight.

They left the five snake bodies behind them and galloped up the hill, well aware that even more were crawling in to take the places of those who had fallen.

Applejack had reacted immediately to Twilight's order, sprinting away as fast as she could and jumping over the body of a Paraserpent, aided by her years of competing in rodeos, landing gracefully on all fours and galloping away as fast as she could, trying to put as much distance between her and it as possible.

Despite this, however, Applejack was surrounded once more by at least four of the creatures, hissing and spitting at her. They must have thought that she was intimidated, perhaps a little scared at the sight of these terrifying monsters about to devour her, even trying to feed off this fear, as they had with suffering and pain, as she remembered they did. Well, she was going to show them that members of the Apple family don't scare easy, especially not to a bunch of over-glorified belly crawling creeps.

One of them lunged at her, but she jumped right above its head and landed on the main body of the beast. It turned to face her just as she kicked it hard in the head, knocking the daylights out of him and sending him to the ground with a thud.

Another attempted to sink its fangs into her, but she dodged aside so he bit into the scales of his buddy, making him howl like a dog at the moon and shattering his fangs faster than a frozen candy apple. She answered this insult to injury with a punch followed by another kick from her rear hooves, so that he too was knocked out cold.

"Come on fellers!" she taunted to the remaining two. "Ah got over twenty years- a applebuckin' and over ten firs' place ribbons in every rodeo under ma belt. What you got?"

"Die pony!" one screeched, lunging and missing as she dodged it.

"Sorry sugarcube, but ah got no intention-a meetin' the big pony in the sky taday."

She charged at another of them, which was coiled right up to the sky and kicked him three times like she would if she were kicking apples out of a tree. She heard it screech from the strikes and finally topple to the ground, like chopping down a tree but without the cry of timber. She nodded to herself at her efforts so far. These guys weren't so tough-

BAM!

Applejack was sent sprawling to the ground as the one she had dodged before came around again while she was distracted, swiping his tail at her and knocking her down in a flash. Scorning herself for losing focus, she tried to get back up but felt it tighten around her legs and lift her up, dangling her upside down and up to its face.

Her Stetson falling to the ground, Applejack tried to wriggle out of its grasp, but it was too tight and it was getting tighter all the time, pain crawling up her legs and through the rest of her body as it squeezed tighter than one of Big Macintoshes' bear hugs. She glared at it defiantly, staring right back into those blood-red pits, making sure she wouldn't give it the satisfaction.

"You might have no intention of death," it hissed, "but it doesssssss not wait for your permisssssssion, pony."

"Oh, quit yer hissin' an' spittin' an' get it over with."

"Assssss you wish." The mouth opened, the fangs were bared. This was it!

"You hungry? Eat this punk!" a bold voice cried.

A cyan streak whizzed by and Applejack heard a smack of a hoof striking its face. Before it could retaliate, that same streak shot by again and again, hitting it multiple times and loosing the coils that held Applejack. Just as it and she fell, she was caught and carried off into the air by a familiar face, grinning cockily at her.

Rainbow Dash set her down in the open market square, handing back her Stetson which she had placed on her own head for safekeeping. She must have picked it up before she saved her. Applejack put it back on her own head and shared a hoof-bump with the daredevil Pegasus, returning her grin, just as it started to rain chocolate overhead.

"Thanks fer the save Rainbow."

"Eh, don't sweat it, that guy had it coming if he tries anything with my friends," she shrugged.

"No really, ah thought ah was a goner for a moment there," she said.

"Yeah, I suppose I was pretty awesome," she admitted, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Ah mean, that thing was gonna take a bite outta me like ya'd much down on an apple fritter…"

"Then suddenly, I came in to save the day!" she proclaimed, waving her hoof arrogantly. "No need to thank me, all in the line of duty."

Typical Rainbow, Applejack thought to herself, mentally rolling her eyes at her cocksure attitude and her own forgetting to remember not to feed her ego and let it swell any larger than it was. Time to bring her down a notch.

"Cut it kinda close, didn't ya?" she asked with a frown.

Rainbow was taken aback at this comment. "Hey, next time I might not bother and you can just get out yourself then."

"Ah was jus' fine, ah was lettin' him think he had me, then ah was gonna hit him good."

"Sure you were," she said with rolled eyes. "You know, it's no shame getting help from Ponyville's most awesome citizen."

"Well shucks Rainbow, if ya wanted ma help, ya shoulda said somthin' then."

"Hey, you know who I was talking about!"

"Rainbow, stop, yer makin' me blush."

"Okay, when I'm in a fix and need help, you just make sure you only come in at the last minute too."

"Ah might jus' do that."

"You do it then!"

"Ah will!"

They glared at each other for a few moments, then broke out into smiles. Though the situation appeared grim, they had to try and stay positive. The two of them laughed off their competitive banter, as two good friends and athletes would before returning to and focusing on the situation at hoof.

"Right, now we gotta figure out what we're gonna do," decided Applejack, watching the shadows carefully.

"No kidding," nodded Rainbow. "Did you see where any of the others went? I only found you out of luck."

"Nope, we all got lost in the scuffle," reported Applejack sadly. "We'll find 'em, but right now you an' me have got bigger problems."

"What do you mean? What's more important than finding the others?" she asked incredulously.

"How 'bout stayin' alive ta find 'em," Applejack suggested, pointing with her hoof.

"Oh yeah… right."

Out of the alleyways, side passages and even over the roof tops, Paraserpents were converging on their position. There had to be dozens of the nasty critters, all of them coiling and writhing around them like a dark, monstrous ocean in the fiercest of storms, their hissing like death rattles and their fangs dripping with saliva and venom.

Ready for a fight, Applejack stood back to back with Rainbow Dash, raising her hooves and loosening her limbs. She could feel Rainbow's wings against her fur, twitching with readiness to take off and could hear the Pegasus growling in her throat, which helped to bolster her own spirits somewhat. Both of them were strong, fit and more than capable of defending themselves in a fight. Even if they were outnumbered, they could at least take down a few of them trying to stay alive.

"This is quite a pickle we're in," remarked Applejack.

"What, are you scared?" Rainbow asked.

She made a dismissive noise. "Shoot, y'all think these legless dribblin' baby rattles shake ma cage? You are sorely mistaken if that's the case."

"Prove it then, I bet you I can take down more of these guys than you can," challenged the daredevil.

"You missy have got yerself a wager!"

"Let's go then!" A rush of wind and a loud screech told her Rainbow had entered battle.

Applejack wasted no time in charging to the first of her foes, jumping up and smacking him hard enough to knock him to the ground. He tried to get up, but she followed up this attack with a kick, proplleded herself backwards in a flip, hit him with her hoof again and landed, smacking him with both rear hooves and sending him flying back into his buddies, knocking them down as well. A few more were brought down by Rainbow Dash speed strutting by, striking them down before they knew what hit them.

Applejack ducked under a beam of red magic one sent at her, running around to dodge a few more and kicking down another one, hitting it hard in the head to make sure that it stayed down. As more closed in around her, she realised that now was the time to get a little creative. Running to the end of its body, she clamped her teeth around its tail and hefted it up with her strength. This wasn't exactly a length of rope like she was used to and it tasted foul in her mouth, but it would serve for what she wanted.

Noting that these guys weren't as heavy as they looked, she started to whirl the serpent around in an ark like she would a lasso, starting off slow but gradually getting faster and faster. She could feel the impacts shooting up the Paraserpent's body as she started to walk among the horde as she spun it, knocking its head into its fellows and sending them flying, using her fallen foe as a both a lasso and a club. It was rather satisfying to see this great number of cocky looking monsters easily brought down by one of their own and by a single pony.

By the time it seemed like there weren't any more to knock down, she flung her temporary club aside, sending him smacking into a wall and landing on the floor in a heap. Looking around, her fur and hat soaked in Discord's chocolate rain, she saw that the group she had been battling had all been taken down. She made a rough count of all the ones that were lying unconscious and turned as she felt a rushing wind nearby.

Rainbow was performing one of her signature moves, the rainblow dry, catching all of her Paraserpents in a small tornado of her creation and spinning them around violently in its vortex. Soon enough, the snakes shot out of it and zoomed off into the distance, screeching all the way. Any ones that remained were too dizzy to fight, snapping and firing magic in random directions. These were finished off by rapid punches and kicks from Rainbow, one she took into the sky and blew him up with a buccaneer blaze.

When she returned to ground level, she had on her cocky smile though, like Applejack, she was panting and nearly exhausted from her efforts.

"My score so far… nineteen," she said proudly.

"Shoot, then we're level!"

Rainbow frowned. "We'll see about that. I'll take down double that number in ten seconds flat."

"You sure? Yer lookin' kinda worse fer wear."

"You're right, make it five seconds."

"If ya say so darlin'."

"Just wait until more of these guys show up and I'll -AGH!"

The Pegasus was cut off as a bolt of red magic hit her and knocked her to the ground. Applejack barely had time to yell before one struck her too, leaving a stinging pain in her side somepony had spilled hot water onto her fur. Pushing herself back up to her hooves, she saw yet more of them closing on their position.

Several went straight for her and she tried to fight, despite her wound and the aching in her limbs begging her to stop. A punch to one and a kick, knocking him down but she was hit again by another bolt of magic. The stinging now in her rear, she threw a punch at the offending beast, but it was barely enough to take him down, she could actually hear it laugh mockingly at her. She tried to kick at it, but she felt cold scales wrap around her legs and drag her off.

She tried to struggle free, punching one in the face as it slithered closer, but there were just too many of them and she didn't have the strength she had previously. She could hear Rainbow taunting her attackers weakly and her own cries as she too was struck by their attacks. She needed her help but at the same time, Applejack needed hers. But she just couldn't get out, tumbling ever further into the dark, scaly abyss.

She did her best to wriggle free, but their grips were too tight, the rain soaking through to her skin. She couldn't give up… she had to break free… had to… had to…

Twilight acted quickly to her own orders, teleporting away in the blink of an eye and landing on top of one of the roofs of the houses, or rather the foundations because this particular building was upside down. She looked back down at where her friends had been to see Applejack jumping over one of the serpents and sprinting away, Rainbow Dash rocket towards the sky amid blasts of magic shooting all around her, Rarity grab Fluttershy's hoof and pull her away and Dusk run for dear life down a nearby alley, a serpent in hot pursuit.

She felt a great deal of worry and fear for him as she watched him run, only just ducking under the jaw of the serpent, gasping as he did. Though she knew he could handle himself in a fight and he knew more about the Paraserpents than they did, she still needed to help him. Reacting quickly, she sent a knock-out spell shooting at it, striking it right on the back of the head and rendering it unconscious.

His emerald green eyes locked on her in a brief instant after she performed this feat. The gratidude and relief that shone in them was enough to bring a small yet still warm smile to her face and she wanted nothing but to teleport straight to his side and do all she could to keep him safe. Despite this, she knew that would be too costly on her energy and instead she tried her best to convey without words for him to run. He swiftly complied and galloped away, though the smile he gave her was enough to give her added strength.

Right, so the rest of them were all relatively safe and those that couldn't fight, particularly Fluttershy, were at least with somepony who could. She noted that she hadn't seen Pinkie at all running off with anypony. Where could she be? Was she-?

"Ooh, you can get such a good view from up here!" The perky voice was enough to make Twilight jump and whirl around to see the party loving pony, still with her signature smile.

"Pinkie! How long have you been standing there?" she asked incredulously.

"About a few minutes," she shrugged. "I saw you teleport up here and decided to lend you a hoof."

"Oh well… thank you Pinkie, I've got a feeling I'll need it." A loud rustling beneath made her see that yet more of the monsters were closing in towards them. "Come on, we have to move!"

"Okie-dokie-loki!" Pinkie affirmed, following as she jumped of the roof and onto the streets, just as a blast of red magic whizzed by.

They hit the street, encountering two blocking their path. Pinkie, looking rather ferocious, bounced up and struck one on the head with her head, a loud clang resounding from the impact. This was followed up by four strikes from each of her hooves, twisting and turning in the air like a gyroscope and sending her opponent crashing to the floor. Twilight raised an eyebrow in admiration, blasting the second right in the face with a spell and running alongside her as he broke out in painful hives on his face. Having her certainly proved beneficial.

Her thoughts turned to the others as they sprinted through the streets. Her quick plan was in the hope that, if they split up and ran in different directions throughout the town, they would divide the Paraserpent's forces and would be able to manage them easier in the smaller groups rather than the massive horde they'd arrived as. But now their own strength as a group was greatly reduced because they were no longer together and Twilight feared that, even with Pinkie, she wouldn't be able to handle it, nor would the others.

Scowling, she told herself to stop thinking so negatively or it would just make things worse. Use a calm, reasoned approach and she would get through this. As Dusk would say, just have faith and she would make it through. They all would, they had to.

Knowing they needed to get to a more defensible location and stand their ground as best they could, Twilight galloped as fast as her legs would allow, searching for anywhere that might give them a hoofhold against their enemies. They soon found it in the form of a street, with plenty of places to hide in shops and grooves and which for some reason was full of chest-high walls, high enough for them to take cover or to pop out to perform ranged attacks.

"Pinkie, take cover over there!" she ordered, reaching the mid-point of the street.

Pinkie looked at her in confusion. "Take cover? But there are no beds here, where am I supposed to get covers from?"

"I mean hide somewhere they can't hit you," Twilight groaned in exasperation.

"Oh, that makes a lot more sense." She quickly complied, diving into an alcove. Twilight took up a similar position on the other side, so that they were parallel to each other.

"Do you have your party cannon?"

"Sure do!" She whipped out the large metal barrel on wheels and set it on the ground. "So, what's the plan?"

"Right, we hold position here in a standard defence formation. You and I will establish a suppressing fire with cannon and magic respectively, making sure they don't pass the fixed border point, which will be fifteen metres ahead of us and hold that position until further notice. If they cross that, we'll retreat down the street and take up a new defensive line elsewhere in the area, keeping them at a fixed distance of ten metres at all times, resorting to melee based attacks if they breach that limit. Clear?"

"Yes! I mean no, I mean yes, I mean uh…" Pinkie touched her chin with her hoof, her brow furrowing. "I think so… wait, who are we suppressing again?"

Twilight sighed and slapped her head. "Stay and shoot them with your cannon from here. Punch them if they get too close and run away when there's too many to handle."

"Ohhhhh," she nodded. "Well why didn't you just say so?"

"I did." She looked up the other end of the street. "Look out, here they come!"

Sure enough, great parades of serpentine bodies were writhing up the street. Their eyes were glowing as they prepared their magic, sending a barrage of fire down at their position and forcing them to take cover.

"Return fire!" shouted Twilight, sticking her head out and shooting spells down the street.

The Paraserpents either didn't comprehend much of tactical thinking or just didn't care, as very few of them made efforts to take cover when she started her bombardment. Thanks to her training from Celestia, Twilight was able to keep them suppressed with a wide variety of spells. Some more offensive spells, like paralysis or knock-back, were more costly than say levitation or hair growth, the latter she used to confuse them before hitting them with something better and bringing them down for good.

Now and again, she knew she would have to take cover, either to protect herself from their own magic attacks or to recover her strength from the efforts she was exerting for her own spells. One of them grazed against her leg and she felt as if somepony had lit a fire there. She made a mental note to be more careful, nursing her injury and striking down the offensive creature with a knock-back spell, sending him crashing into a wall, head first and unconscious.

Pinkie too prepared her party cannon, keeping her head low and aiming the barrel, her face screwed up in concentration. Once she was done, she lit the fuse and popped out her own head, a cocky grin on her face.

"Eat confetti, you hissy sissies!" With this proclamation her cannon fired and there was a loud squelch as one serpent was hit in the face with a cake. "Oops… or you can just eat that."

"I'll cover you while you reload!" Twilight yelled, putting down additional spells on Pinkie's side of the street.

"Okay, I'll be quick!" She had barely fired off one spell when she yelled: "Done!"

"Wow, that was quick," she remarked, returning to her own side.

"When you forget about a party and have to do something last minute, it's good to be quick." She did a rather scolding expression. "Which is annoying, 'cause I don't like forgetting about parties. How can I, I'm the party pony."

She shrugged and fired off her cannon again, wrapping up three of them in confetti bonds and sending them wriggling to the ground. She quickly reloaded and fired again, the next shot sending out balloons that popped with blinding flashes and rendered a few unable to see, firing blindly and actually hitting some of their own. Random, but help full, Twilight thought, finishing off the remainder with her magic.

They continued their defensive offensive, breaking cover whenever there was a lax in their firing of magic, trying to keep them down and away from them, though more seemed to keep slithering out of the shadows with no end in sight. After she cut off one of their access points by summoning and slamming a door in their faces, Twilight thought it was time to get a little bold. Reaching into her magic, she teleported into their midst before they knew what had happened.

Catching them by surprise, she mowed them down with magic, paralysing, knocking out or knocking back any within range. Teleportation spells however, though she'd gotten used to performing them recently, were still enough to give her something of a headache and, compounded with her constant use of spells, she knew she couldn't stay here for long or else she would be vulnerable.

Just one more and then she would teleport back and-

ZAP!

Twilight was knocked off her hooves and felt the burning pain from the blast that hit her. Before she could get back on her hooves, she felt something constrict around her body and squeeze, looking up into the malicious face of a Paraserpent, as it licked its mouth and glared hungrily at her. There was no warmth in its gaze, no pity or compassion, just hunger and the beastly rage of an animal. Oblivion.

But she wasn't going down that easily. She only felt a stab of fear for a brief moment, got control of herself and glared back at it.

"I don't think so." Right in the face, she hit it with her own blast, making it drop her and topple over to the ground.

She hurried back to Pinkie, who ridded her of pursuers by shooting more confetti at them and wrapping them up. She dived behind the nearest wall, recovering her strength and making a mental note to never ever try that again.

Now, they were starting to become more numerous despite her efforts to thin out their ranks. Twilight was having to punch and kick them, as well as use her magic whilst Pinkie did likewise, even resorting to use her cannon as a club. No matter how many they knocked down, more just arrived to take their places and now others they had beaten were recovering and re-joining the battle.

"Pinkie! Retreat!" Twilight dived out of cover, shooting off spells as she went, Pinkie wheeling her cannon along.

They kept up fire, steadily backing down the street and holding them back long enough to try and make their escape. The party pony stopped in the middle of their retreat, whipping out a small metal can with balloons painted on it.

"This oughta hold them back," she whispered, pulling out a metal pin. "Twilight, you might wanna cover your ears… and the rest of you too."

"Pinkie, what is that?" she asked as she tossed it at them.

"You'll see, quick magic bubble!" she yelled, leaping next to her and looking scared.

Twilight conjured up a magical shield that would protect them from harm, but she was still confused as to why.

"Wait, so why do I need to-?"

BOOM!

With a fiery explosion combined with the honk of a party kazoo, the can exploded next to a nearby shop. The force of the combustion, which sent confetti streaming everywhere, was enough not only to send over half of the group flying, but also caused the foundations of the store to collapse and crushed a few more of them, the rest of them slithering away in fright and shock. Twilight could actually feel it shake her forcefield from the power.

The smoke cleared from the explosion and Twilight cut off the shield and stared incredulously at Pinkie Pie, who looked disappointed.

"Pinkie, what in the wide world of Equestria was that?!"

"Party grenade," she said simply. "I brought a bunch of them before we left my place, figured we might need them." She frowned at the store she had destroyed in the process. "Too bad, that was the Dream Art store."

"What… never mind, how did you get those?" she demanded. "Why didn't you mention them before?!"

"I made them myself and I didn't think it was important before." Her gaze returned to the rubble of the art store. "I liked that store, the mare there is a really good artist and her paintings are really, really good. I hope she won't be too mad."

Twilight stared at her in amazement and disbelief. "All that's happening and you're worried about one little art store?!"

"What? It's a good one and she's a nice mare." Pinkie smiled her bright little smile, which became a scream. "Uh oh, more nasties!"

"Right come on." She was about to run off when she spotted a nearby stone arch and hatched on an idea. "Pinkie, how many of those grenades do you have?"

"Oh plenty, why?"

"I've got an idea. Quick, give me a few." Pinkie handed over three of the explosives. "Right, can you hold them back for a while? I need to set these up."

Pinkie patted her cannon. "I'll do my best, just don't take too long. Good luck Twilight."

"I won't and you too." She galloped towards the arch, hearing Pinkie's cannon fire off again.

Once she reached it, she set quickly to work. Using her magic, she dug them into the ground at the foundations of the arch in the place where they were most likely to do damage. The Mayor wasn't going to be happy about the extent of damage to public property they were causing, but this would hopefully be worth it.

Once they were set up, she signalled Pinkie to lure the Paraserpents down the alley and under the arch, which wasn't exactly difficult as they weren't too bright and they didn't seem to suspect anything. As soon as they were close enough, Twilight used her magic to pull the pins out of them and waited. That last one had exploded after five seconds, it wouldn't be long now, then they would be crushed by the collapsing stones.

But they didn't go off. Over six seconds passed and they failed to detonate, the giant black snakes still worming their way along, hissing angrily, their red eyes glowing like fire. Twilight was starting to panic now. They couldn't take on this many of them in such an open area.

"Pinkie, why aren't they working?!"

"Sometimes I make them wrong… I guess those were duds," she said sadly.

"Oh boy…" Twilight groaned, as the Paraserpents closed in on them. She hoped the others were faring slightly better.

Atop their hill, Dusk and Rarity were doing their best to hold their ground against the never-ending swarm of Paraserpents, soaked by the chocolate rain that cascaded from the skies above. They had a good spot to hold now and they just had to make sure that they kept it.

Dusk moved his eyes from one to another of the two that had targeted him, backing up until he stood back-to-back with Rarity, Fluttershy cowering nearby. Dusk began to devise new strategies against them, anything that would give them an advantage against them. He would need to move in sync with his partner, making sure the two of them watched each other's backs, almost like their dancing sessions, only much more dangerous…

Wait, that was something! It sounded far-fetched, but it was worth a try.

"Rarity," Dusk said, offering his hoof to her, "may I have this dance?"

The mare stared at him like he had gone mad.

"Dusk, while I am flattered that you would ask, I hardly think now is the best time for that sort of thing!"

He held out his hoof again. "Trust me."

She appeared to consider, nodded and took it. The instant she did, with all his strength, Dusk whirled her around, sending her hooves smacking into two of the snakes that had been getting a little too close for comfort. Rarity, looking quite surprised, got his message and adjusted herself to this new fighting strategy.

The two of them then proceeded into their faster, more violent waltz, spinning and whirling each other at their foes in a circle for as far as their individual strengths would let them. This strange imitation of dancing continued on and it was quite effective in a sense. Whenever one of them spotted a Paraserpent getting too close, they would then swing or spin the other in such a way that they struck them and essentially watched each other's backs through this.

Dancing and spinning, remembering all the lessons they'd had together, Dusk and Rarity kept this up as long as they could. They soon reached the limits of their stamina, let go of each other's hooves, panting from the effort but many more of their enemies knocked down as a result of their dancing.

"Well… that was quite exhilarating." Rarity's eyes widened a second later. "By Celestia, I think I'm sweating!"

"It's either that or the rain…" panted Dusk. "You did well… Rarity."

"You too… darling," she replied, wiping her forehead. "I think you've definitely… taken our lessons to heart…"

"In a sense, I suppose," he nodded. "Right, there'll be more coming soon, we have to-"

"AGGH! Dusk! Rarity! Help me!"

Dusk whipped around, his stomach clenching with fear at the sound of Fluttershy's screaming. She was being dragged away by her rear hooves by another Paraserpent, trying desperately to get free, her fore hooves scraping on the patchwork ground.

"FLUTTERSHY! I'm coming!" Dusk hurried towards her, reaching out to grab her hooves when he felt something wrap around his legs.

He was suddenly yanked to the floor before he could do anything, watching helplessly as his friend and considered sister was dragged away, her screams echoing in his ears. This was far more terrifying to him than the hideous monster that now had him trapped in its coils, unwilling to release him no matter how much he struggled.

"Dusk! Hold on darling, I'll –AGH!" Rarity too was now being wrapped up in their wicked coils, striking out in a panicked fashion. "Unhand me at once! Get away, get away!"

Dusk too was starting to panic. His friends were in danger, he had to help them. He tried again to break free, hitting its body as hard as he could, but his strikes were pathetic and did virtually nothing to hinder it. The coils were wrapping tighter and tighter around his body, constricting his airways and crushing his bones.

Dusk cried out from the unbearable pain, losing what little strength he had left and despair clouding his mind once more. He couldn't do this, he thought with despair. He'd failed to protect them, failed to help them and now he was about to pay the ultimate price for his failure. How could have even hoped to stand against the power of chaos, how could he have even begun to consider such a thing. He was no hero… no fighter… he was worthless…

That to him was even worse than the horrible red eyes that were now locked on him, the fangs that glinted against the darkened sky, drawing ever closer to sink into his flesh. This was it… the final end…

"All that lives must die," he whispered, gazing into the jaws of infinity. "Passing through nature to eternity…"

Positive Reinforcement

Dusk knew that this was the end as the Paraserpent inched him closer and closer to its jaws, the grip of its coils becoming ever tighter until he knew that, from the way his vision was blurring, he would be knocked out from oxygen deprivation, all the while the monster feeding off his terror and pain, gorging itself like a great overfed pig. That was why it was drawing this out so long, to get as much of a meal off is emotions as it could before sending him into infinity and from how weak he was now feeling, he knew that wouldn't take much longer.

While death did scare him its entirety, for he feared death as much as anypony, it wasn't so much the face that his life would be ended, but what he had failed to do. His death would only serve as an example to those who resisted Discord's reign and to provide food for his killer. They had failed to stop him, failed to save their home, his sins as Blackhole Doom would be forever unforgiven and Twilight… he'd never had the chance to tell her how much she meant to him. Now, she would never know…

His vision began to darken… or might be the fact the Paraserpent was drawing him closer to its glistening black scales, eyes still glowing red against the black, gleaming hungrily, joyously at the pain he was in. This was it…

BOOM!

Suddenly the sky, which had been obscured by clouds of candy floss, burst open, ripped apart by a flash of light and the fiery rays of the sun and jagged bolts of lightning came shooting through it, blinding him and sending shivers down his spine, a sheer sense of awe and fear coursing through his body. Fierce winds blew up, whipping through his mane, thunder boomed and rumbled across the sky and the stickiness of the chocolate rain was gone, replaced only with the warming beams of the sun, gracing his skin.

Like a storm and heat wave were happening all at once, which could only mean one thing…

"What?! NO! Impossssssssible!"

The Paraserpent too stared up in terror at this sudden event, hissing with distress and eyes widening dramatically, watching as several of its fellows were struck down with bolts of electricity or disintegrated with beams of fire, their bodies crumbling into ash, which was blown away by the gusts of wind that accompanied the heavens being ripped asunder.

Seeing a chance to fight back, bolstered by the meaning of this strange force of nature, Dusk reached into his magic and blinded the beast with an orb of light, causing it to loosen its coils. The instant it did this, Dusk struck it across the face with all his might, making it recoil into a bolt of lightning. Electricity streamed through its body, skeleton shining and eyes popping, until it fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

More bolts of lightning accompanied the first, striking down most nearby Paraserpents, all of them writhing and convulsing as they lost control of their nervous systems, their shrieks like the wailing of tortured souls. Despite their evil nature and intent, Dusk still felt a twinge of pity for them at their state and he grimaced to hear their death throes, tearing his eyes away at the sight of them twitching and smoking.

Why did this all have to be done with violence?

This however, was replaced with relief and amazement when he saw who descended from the sky towards him, bolts blazing from her horn and her expression utterly livid with rage and righteous anger at the monsters.

"Vile wretches!" bellowed Princess Luna, striking down a nearby snake with her glittering hoof. "Thou shall never threaten our subjects again, if it is the last thing we do!"

"Luna!" Dusk sprinted up to her, at first overjoyed to see her, but he skidded to a halt and turned his gaze to the ground.

He had forgotten at first, those memories of her, beneath his vision and crying out as his hooves struck her face, feeling every impact they made as they bruised her skin and shattered her bones, all the pain he had caused her. Now, they came flooding back to him, along with the guilt of having been the cause of it. What would she think of him now? How could she even begin to forgive him after what he had done? How could anypony?

He had stopped before her as she landed, bowing his head in shame and fear. He waited until she would behold him, expecting her anger to be rivalling, if not equal to, her fury at Discord's minions. After all, only an hour ago, he was no different from the rest of them, equally eager and willing to share in the suffering of others, but for his own pleasure in addition to duty to his master. How could she not hate him?

But he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Oh thank the stars!" He felt the warmth of her fur as she embraced him gently. "You do not know how much it gladdens me to see thee alive and well, my little pony."

Dusk was in such a state of disbelief at this sentence that he barely even returned her hug, didn't even respond to what she said because he knew he must have misheard her somehow. She pulled back, a look of concern etched on her face.

"Are thou feeling well, Dusk? I would have thought thou would be a little more relieved at this."

"Oh no, I am!" he assured quickly. "It's just that… I'm rather surprised that you're even… saving me… considering everything…"

"What does thou mean?" A second later, she made a sound of recognition and her features softened further. "I know what thou refers to and thou need not concern thyself with it."

"But I –"

"It has already been forgiven. Do not forget thou are not the only one who has succumbed to the call of darkness." Dusk was now silent again as her face clouded for a brief moment before returning to a look of hardened resolve. "We shall discuss this later, but right now there is a battle to be fought."

"Of course," he said with a nod. "You came in just in the nick of time. Is Celestia here too?"

"Yes, my sister is present and is currently tending to Twilight Sparkle. But neither of us can join you in the battle against the Paraserpents, for our fight lies with our ancient foe."

She turned her gaze skyward and Dusk followed it to see the disbelieving face of Discord, sat on a couch that was floating in the sky. Luna glared up at him and returned her attention to Dusk, who was feeling somewhat distressed again.

"But he's too powerful! Last time it took the Elements to defeat him and you're not connected to those anymore."

"That is true, but my sister and I are still formidable even without the Elements," she said confidently. "Our aim is to keep his attention away from thee and focused on us, long enough to fight through his minions and retrieve the Elements from the library, else he will simply create more and thou will be overwhelmed."

"But last time they almost defeated us!" he said desperately. "We can't do this, I can't do this, not without you!"

"Thou can and thou will. I know you can."

"No I can't!" He bowed his head in shame. "I'm no hero, I'd practically given up by the time you arrived. I can't possibly hope to win, none of us can… I'm useless…"

He didn't dare look up at her, for he did not deserve to even behold her face now that the truth was exposed. However, he felt a hoof gently cup his cheek and Luna lifted his face so he was looking right into her compassionate, caring eyes.

"I refuse to believe that the pony who told me not to give up until I had tried is thinking of giving in while chaos runs amok in his home." She gripped his shoulders and spoke firmly. "You are far more remarkable that thou gives thyself credit for, you always have been. You just haven't known it, but it's been there. It was there when thou rescued thy friends from the Forest, when thou began to rescue them from Discord's power and it is here now. All thou has to do is use it, as thou already has done many times. Unite them, Dusk, for that is how you can overcome thy foes."

Dusk looked up at her, taking in all that she said, then glanced at the stones that were dangling around his neck. His stone, his fragment, he noticed now was flickering, like the power it most likely held was just begging to be released, to be used for what it was meant for. He gripped this stone and nodded. She was right, he couldn't give up, not now, not while his friends were in danger, Discord was still in power and his home was under threat. He might not be a hero, a warrior, a genius or a fighter, but he was Dusk Noir and he wasn't going to let this happen without using all of what he had to prevent it.

For his friends, for Ponyville, for Equestria, he would do this, for if Luna believed in him, why shouldn't he? After all, he did like to invest in the seemingly impossible, for was there really such a thing? So many things believed to be impossible for him to achieve had now proven to be within his reach the whole time. All he'd had to do was to reach out and take it. He had always had faith when others had none before and not allowed anything to shake it, why stop and despair now? So, that was what he was going to do now.

"Right… I'll try." Now he did return her hug. "Thank you, Luna."

"I did what I had to." She pulled back and spread her wings. "Now, I must rejoin my sister and fight my own battle. Good luck, Dusk."

"You too." Something suddenly occurred to him. "Wait, just one thing! These stones… what exactly are they?"

Luna only smiled and glanced back at him. "The answer is in the number." Without another word, she took off into the sky, leaving Dusk surrounded by the fallen serpents.

He frowned and glanced down at the stones again. Why did these knowing ponies feel a need to code everything in a riddle? He sighed and started to think about their next move. There were still serpents left and they would be coming soon. But now, he knew exactly what to do, if the others were still okay.

"Dusk!" He spun around to see Rarity, bedraggled and shaken, but alive. "Oh thank goodness! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine yes… sort of…" he muttered, taking in painful breaths. "I'll live… you?"

"Well, my mane is a complete mess and my fur could do with a wash after all this, but nothing serious," she said in typical Rarity fashion.

"That was certainly a close one," he remarked, looking around at the slain serpents

"Yes, yes it was…" She trailed off, still looking shaken despite her attempts at being casual. "I really thought that was the end for a while. In that moment, I thought that I was… that we were…"

Dusk nodded in understanding. "So did I."

"Hm…" She was silent for a few more minutes before she blinked and did her best to smile. "Still, we're alright now and that's what matters. You and me and…"

"FLUTTERSHY!" they both shouted simultaneously, Dusk following up with, "Quick, we need to find her! Did you see where that Paraserpent went?"

"No, I lost her in the struggle!" She was now as frantic as he was, her eyes darting everywhere. "We need to find her, quickly! The poor dear will barely last a minute alone."

"Um, excuse me?" Even the quiet voice was enough to silence them when they turned and saw the animal lover standing close by. "I didn't worry you too much, did I? I'm sorry if I did…"

Utter relief at seeing her safe overwhelmed Dusk and, feeling like the brother she viewed him as, walked up to her, unable to keep himself from smiling at just being herself, even in the midst of all the fighting.

"Fluttershy," Dusk said gently, hugging her, "there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me too… thank you," she whispered, pulling back and giving him a gentle smile. "But I didn't come back by myself."

She gestured with her hoof to show that she had indeed returned with company, in the form of a certain striped equine, laden with two saddle bags from which he could hear the clinking of potions bottles and a long staff on her back, made from bamboo.

"Now you are not alone, for by one your force has now grown," said Zecora, speaking in her usual rhyming dialect.

Smiling, Dusk approached her and greeted her in her native language. "Hujambo, Zecora."

"Hujambo Dusk," she returned. "Ni vizuri kuona tena."

"Vivyo hivyo," he replied, knowing she said something along the lines of it being good to see him again and returned to English, for he wasn't entirely fluent in the language. "Glad you could join us."

"Yes, I too am relieved to recieve some additional support from you Zecora dear," Rarity added. "Was it you that helped Fluttershy?"

"It was not so much myself, but by her own efforts her own efforts she keeps her health, for that poor Paraserpent could not bare the held in her Stare," she said with a knowing smile.

"You used the Stare on it?" Dusk asked, knowing of Fluttershy's instinctual power to command animals with her gaze.

She blushed at the mention of it. "Well, I don't really have any control over it and... it just kind of happened. Guess I was just lucky."

"It seems these beasts were more like animals than we first thought," Rarity remarked, glaring at one with disdain. "Well, it certainly was lucky that it just happened then."

"Yeah..." She blushed again, staring at the floor. "Well, after I got free, Zecora showed up and helped fight off the last few ones and then we both came back here."

"We thought we'd lost you for a moment." He looked to the zebra. "Thank you for helping to bring her back to us."

"You're very welcome," she replied, bowing her head humbly.

Dusk felt his heart glow. Ever since he had fought his way out of his mind, he'd been reminded that he had made many other friends since he'd arrived in Ponyville. Seeing Zecora now, actually arriving to help in their hour of need, reminded him once more of just how powerful and special a bond of friendship was, no matter who it was with. Never again would he forget that power and forget who his friends were, even if it seemed like they'd abandoned him.

"Zecora, not meaning to sound rude, but I am rather curious about something," Rarity put in. "Where have you been all of this time?"

"I was in my home, where Discord's magic does not yet roam, thanks to my potions and various incanting motions," she reported. "You could say I was the rock against chaos' raging ocean."

"You managed to hold them back all by yourself?" Dusk nodded in admiration. "That's very impressive, Discord's magic is very strong."

"These facts I'll not distill, for the spells took great effort and skill. I was almost beaten by chaos' tide when our horned sages arrived."

"Celestia and Luna?" Zecora nodded in answer to Rarity. "They were there looking for you?"

"Yes, it was me they sought, for they said a great battle was to be fought." She gazed around the chaotic town, sadness in her eyes. "I knew this could only be true, so I gathered my weapon and brew and ran out here to help you."

"Well good, we need all the help we can get." He gestured to her form. "How are you in combat?"

"My brews have varying effects, from providing strength to afflicting defects." At this, she pulled out her staff and twirled it in her hoof. "In addition to my staff of bamboo, I can do much in the fight with you."

"Good, I've got a feeling we'll need it," Dusk said grimly.

"Why, do you have a plan?" Rarity asked.

"I do, but there's a downside to it," he told them, as they gathered around. "You see, for the most part I won't be able to take part in the battle, as my concentration will be needed elsewhere. Therefore, I need to make sure I can count on the three of you to hold off the Paraserpents until I'm done. Can you do that?"

"You know you can always rely on me darling," affirmed Rarity.

"On this, you have my word," vowed Zecora. "That they think they can match me is quite absurd."

Fluttershy, however, shifted nervously. "Oh um... I don't know. I mean I... you know that I... I don't like fighting... I can't fight."

"I know, Fluttershy, I don't like it either, in fact I hate the idea of it," replied Dusk, who had been expecting this from her. "But right now, we all need to fight for our home, because it's the only way we can. Do you remember when you and I sung your animals to sleep, when you helped me find Ophelia?"

She nodded mutely, her eyes shifting between him and the floor.

"Unless we fight now, no matter how much we may not want to, we won't be able to do those things ever again, because Discord will take over everything. I understand you're scared, I know, I am too, completely terrified and I understand that you don't like fighting. But right here, right now, Equestria needs us to fight, we need you to fight. I need you to fight because there's no other way." He took her hoof gently and gazed right into her eyes. "Please Fluttershy, for me?"

His emerald eyes were locked on her teal blue irises, seeing the fear and trepidation that burned in them. He hated asking her to do this as much as he hated violence, but right now he neded her help, all of their help or they wouldn't succeed without it. He just hoped that it would be worth it and that he wouldn't regret it.

Finally, she gave small, brave smile and gripped his hoof in return, though even this was as soft as a bird's feather.

"Okay, I'll do my best. For you big brother," she promised. "I won't be very good but I'll try."

"Thank you." The two of them hugged each other once more. "I know you can do it, I believe in you. Just be careful, okay?"

"Oh I will," she nodded frantically. "Right um, what is the plan exactly?"

Dusk looked around at them all, out at Ponyville and started to allow his magic to take over just as he heard the slithering of more Paraserpents.

"To unite."

Applejack was still doing her best to struggle out of the ever-growing tighter coils of the Paraserpents, finding it harder to see and breath with every passing second, her stamina reaching its breaking point. She wasn't going to let these overgrown belly crawlers get the better of her, not when she'd already beaten worse things, including a crazed Big Macintosh who'd had one too many salt licks. She wasn't going to lose, she wasn't!

It was her own stubbornness that kept her fighting, but now even she was beginning to consider the possibility that she might not make it out of this alive. What would happen then? What would become of her friends, her home, her family? The farm wouldn't be able to cope without her, not in this world of chaos. Little Apple Bloom too… she'd never get to see her find her special talent, finally earn her own cutie mark. She wanted nothing more than to see her, any of them, just one last time before the end…

"Hey, get yer snaky scales away from ma big sister!" she heard a familiar voice cry out.

She could hardly believe it as her ears picked up the grunts of three fillies striking something hard, fighting at the bonds that held her. Just when she thought this wasn't doing much, there was a blinding flash of light and the black scales suddenly turned to ash, releasing her from their entrapment and letting her take a deep breath of air.

Her vision was at first blurred and unfocused as the light seemed to linger, but gradually lessen. The dark pink shade of the cotton candy clouds had gone, as had the chocolate rain they brought and a good deal of Paraserpents, these beams of fire and lightning shooting through a hole in the sky. She could make out some kind of brown blob fighting off some other Paraserpents, but couldn't make out what exactly it was. Fighting off the remaining snakes and helping Rainbow Dash to her hooves were three fillies, one of them now helping her up.

"Don't worry sis, ah got ya, the monsters are all gone now," Apple Bloom's sweet voice comforted. "We beat 'em back, it's okay."

Quite unable to stem the tide of emotions that came from hearing the voice of her little sister, seeing her standing by her, right here, right now, Applejack gulped down as much air as she could, regained all the strength she had, enough to open her mouth and say her name, just to express her gratitude and relief.

"Apple Bloom." No sooner had Applejack spoken her name, she wrapped her legs around her in a hug. "Y'all have no idea how glad ah am ta see you, sugarcube."

"Me too." Her voice was muffled, due to her being in her fur. "Ah thought… well ah thought that ah…"

"Ah know, me too." In that moment, the relief at being alive and seeing a member of her family changed to worry and disbelief. "Wait, hold on a sec-!"

"We got Rainbow Dash, she's okay!" cut off Scootaloo. "I mean, you know, not that I ever doubted she wasn't cause of how awesome she is."

"Hold on-!"

"Did you find Rarity anywhere?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking around worriedly. "I can't see her anywhere."

"Don't worry, she's probably somewhere else in the town," said Scootaloo nonchalantly. "The point is, Rainbow Dash is okay, so we're gonna be just fine."

"What are you even-?!"

"But what about Rarity?" cried Sweetie, her voice breaking a little. "We need to find my sister!"

"Don't worry Sweetie, ah'm sure she's okay too, we'll find her," comforted Apple Bloom.

"But what if we-?"

"Girls!" Applejack's shout finally focused attention on her. "Not that ah ain't pleased ta see y'all, but what the hay are ya even doin' here?!"

Apple Bloom was taken aback. "What does it look like? We're here ta help ya."

"Ah can see that, but why? Don't ya know how dangerous it is!"

"Yeah, not meaning to sound ungrateful shorties," Rainbow put in, "but a war-torn village isn't really the place for three little fillies who don't even have their marks."

"Exactly!" Applejack pressed on. "What made ya even think it was safe ta come in here? Ya coulda been hurt, or worse!"

"Well, gee, you're welcome," Scootaloo said sarcastically. "Next time we just might not bother saving you."

"Yeah, why are you so mad?" asked Apple Bloom. "We only wanted ta help ya out."

"Ah ain't sayin' we're not glad ya saved us, ah'm sayin' that ah think it was foolish ta come here, by yerselves, jus' runnin' on here like a herd-a crazed cows! What were ya thinkin'?!"

Her demanding and chastising certainly had the desired effect. The three fillies looked rather shamefaced now, staring down at their hooves and shifting around on them. If any of them were planning on answering her, however, they were prevented from doing so by another familiar voice, one that she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Actually, it's somewhat my fault that they came to be here," admitted the voice of the buffalo calf Little Strongheart.

Applejack was struck dumb at the sight of the wide-framed calf, her curled brown hair as natural as the earth she ran on, the feathers on her headdress blowing in the breeze. She gasped as a Paraserpent slithered up behind her, but she kicked it once and set it sprawling without even looking around. At least now they knew what had been fighting off some of the remainder of their number.

"Strongheart!" Rainbow Dash flew up to her and gave her a noogie. "Long time, no see kid, good to see you!"

"The feeling is mutual, Rainbow Dash," she replied, laughing along good naturedly. "I must admit, it is a relief to see you both alive and well."

"Yeah, we're fine, we're both tough like that, right AJ?" prompted Rainbow, punching her leg.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Applejack turned to look at the calf. "It's good ta see ya again, Lil' Strongheart, but what did ya mean it's yer fault that ma sister an' her friends are in this mess with us?"

"Ah yes." She looked a little sheepish. "They found us when the Sky Monarchs came looking for me. You see, I-"

"Wait, hold on," Rainbow interrupted. "Sky Monarchs? You mean Celestia and Luna?"

"Yes, your rulers." Her expression became clouded with simmering anger. "As you may have noticed, several of my kin have succumbed to chaos spirit's foul magic. Somehow, do not ask me how, I remain without affliction. I could not let such a crime go unpunished, so I started to gallop all the way from Appleloosa to here in Ponyville, intending to find some kind of solution to this madness. I had hoped to find you all, that you might be able to use friendship's magic to stop him."

"Well, that was kind of the plan," Rainbow said, "but Discord sure as hay isn't making it easy."

"Yes, I noticed," she remarked. "Anyway, your Princesses found me just as I reached the town and told me they were gathering the few who had remained untouched by Discord to meet him and his forces in battle. Naturally, I send I would lend a hoof. You ponies are not the only ones who remember the cruelty of his rule."

"Ah'd think so," Applejack said, remembering the ballet-dancing buffalo. "But how do these three come inta it?"

"Well, they found us as we travelled. They wanted nothing more than to do something, anything to help their friends and their home. They were so insistent in the end I decided that, as long as they remained in my care, I would keep them safe from harm."

"An' you jus' let 'em come along, knowin' how dangerous it would be?" asked Applejack incredulously.

"Well, I thought they would be safe with me," reasoned Strongheart. "Please, Applejack, I meant no offense to you."

"No offense? No offense?!" she shouted, losing her temper. "Ya willingly put not only ma sister, but also her friends, in danger from a swarm-a hungry monsters and ya say ya meant no offense?!"

"Applejack please, there's no need to be angry," she said calmly.

"Ah'd say there is!" Applejack stepped angrily towards her. "Ah thought you were supposed ta be our friend an' yet y'all go an' do somethin' as empty-headed as this?!"

This seemed to strike a nerve with the buffalo, as she furrowed her brow in an angry frown and held Applejack's hard gaze.

"Do not call me empty headed," she growled, "or I will show you just how hard an empty buffalo head is."

"Jus' try it, ah'd probably want ta go a few rounds for lettin' ya put ma sister in danger!"

"Applejack, stop it!" squealed Apple Bloom. "It's not her fault!"

"Stay outta this Apple Bloom, this don't concern you," she ordered her sister.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" demanded Strongheart.

"Sure am, feather head!" she retorted angrily. "Jus' gimme one good reason not ta smack ya inta the dirt right now!"

"Try that and I will make you regret it."

"That a threat?"

"No, that is a promise."

"Why, ah oughta-!"

"Okay, cool it! Both of you, time out!" Rainbow Dash shot in-between them and shoved them apart. "Look, I'm not saying I agree with what Strongheart did, you got every right to be angry AJ. But right now, we got enough problems without you two locking heads with each other."

"But she-"

"I know what she did, but she meant well, you can see that. We need to stick together, that's what Twilight would say and, even though she's an egghead, I'd agree with her." She looked from one to the other. "I'll tell you something else another egghead would say: fighting, whether an enemy or a friend, won't fix this either. That's what Dusk would say and you know what? He'd be right too, even though I still think a problem's better solved by swinging a few hooves, but not here and not now. Not when there's something worse we could be swinging them at instead."

As much as her anger said otherwise, Applejack knew that her daredevil friend and fellow athlete was right. As the two smartest in their group, that would be exactly what Twilight and Dusk would say and, of course, they'd be absolutely right. All the madness that was happening and the two of them were squabbling like chickens over the last few grains of corn. Fighting each other wouldn't help to stop Discord and it certainly wouldn't help to stop his minions either.

Applejack looked at Strongheart, Rainbow's speech having a profound effect in her too. Her own angry expression softened somewhat and she looked rather ashamed of herself. Perhaps it was from the mention of Dusk that did it for her, as Applejack knew that the two of them were good friends and she was probably worried about him, just as she was about him and the rest of their friends. She met Applejack's gaze again.

"Rainbow Dash is right. Discord is the true enemy here and I lost of sight of that." She raised her neck to Applejack. "I'm sorry for my actions, my harsh words and placing you sister in danger. It was not my intention to do so."

"We don't blame you Little Strongheart," Sweetie put in. Everypony looked at her. "What? We don't, I'm just saying."

"That's good of you to say so, Sweetie, but the apology is still necessary regardless," she said. "Can you forgive me Applejack?"

"Don't sweat it sugar and… ah owe ya an apology too," she admitted. "Ah shouldn't have got all worked up at ya, 'specially when it was thanks to ya that ah can still get worked up anyways. Ah'm sorry."

"You are forgiven," she said gently. "Please understand, among my people I too am still considered a child and yet I am still able to fight for what I wish to be done. I thought it could do no wrong to give these little fillies a similar chance to fight for their home as I was, but I forgot that we have grown up in different circumstances to each other. Once again, I'm sorry for overlooking that."

"Hey, it's already fergiven sugar," assured Applejack. "Ah get that, but ah still shouldn't have gotten so worked up either."

"You had every right to be, as Rainbow Dash said, the fault is mine entirely," she insisted.

"Ah know, but ah think ah overdid it a lil' with the violent threats an' what not."

"I probably would have done the same, I understand really."

"Yeah, but-"

"Okay, you can stop apologizing now," Rainbow said exasperatedly. "Geez, I think I preferred it when you were fighting."

"Make up yer mind." They laughed off the incident and Applejack returned her attention to her sister. "Now, what am ah gonna do with you three?"

"Please don't send us away Applejack," Scootaloo begged. "We only wanted to help Rainbow Dash… and the others too I guess."

"Yeah, we jus' wanna help ya an' fight fer our home too," put in Apple Bloom.

"Please let us stay, I need to find my sister and make sure she's okay," sobbed Sweetie Belle. "You understand right?"

Applejack looked over the three young ponies. Under normal circumstances she would have preferred to send them straight home or put them somewhere safe. But, in the end, she had to admit to herself that wasn't going to happen. In this place, nowhere would be safe thanks to Discord and his pets and if the Paraserpents came after them, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves.

In the end, she conceded to reality and sighed.

"Right, ah guess it's obvious y'all ain't goin' nowhere an' ah don't have the time ta take ya back to the farm."

She perked up at her words. "Does that mean that we…?"

"Yes, ya can stay with us. Now hold on!" she called, as they leaped and jumped for joy. "Just a few rules if ya gonna stay with us. Firs', no runnin' off alone. Stay close to us an' you'll be fine."

"Right!" affirmed Apple Bloom. "We'll stick to ya like candy ta an apple!"

"Make sure ya do." Applejack smiled as she quoted her. "Second, no takin' stupid risks. This ain't a game, this is dangerous stuff an' ya can't afford ta mess around."

"Got it!" saluted Scootaloo, slapping on her crash helmet. "Don't worry, safe is our middle name."

"An' third, don't get yerselves involved in the fightin', this stuff is too much for fillies ta handle," she warned them. "Jus' let us handle it an' stay outta the way, okay?"

"Okay," nodded Sweetie. "I wasn't exactly planning on going hoof-to-hoof with those things anyway. They don't even have hooves."

"Good, jus' follow them rules an' you'll be jus' f-"

"Look! Here come more of them!" Applejack whipped up to look at where Strongheart was pointing to see even more of the monsters slithering and hissing out of the shadows.

"AGH! More of them, run!" Sweetie Belle shot off before they could do anything.

"Don't worry sis, we'll help ya beat these varmints back," Apple Bloom promised, raising her hooves.

"Hey, watch me scooter right off the head of that one," proclaimed Scootaloo, hopping on her scooter as she said it. "It'll be awesome!"

Applejack stared in disbelief, looked to Rainbow and Strongheart who looked just as flabbergasted as her and slapped her hoof to her head.

"Fillies," she groaned, "why do ah bother?"

Twilight was still panicking at the realisation that Pinkie's explosives had failed to go off at a vital time. As a result, her mind was frantically trying to think of some kind of new strategy, all the while the Paraserpents creeping steadily closer, squeezing through the arch way and glaring hungrily at her and Pinkie, who also was starting to panic a little.

Her eyes darted from one pointed face to another. They could try holding their ground, but she still needed some time for a little rest after performing all of those spells and Pinkie needed time to load her cannon again. If they tried fighting in their current state, they would become tired and overwhelmed quickly by the sheer mass of them. To run was out of the question, as the Paraserpents would cover the ground in seconds and overwhelm them still. What could they do? What else could they do?

There had to be a way out, there was always a way out! She couldn't be beaten now, not here. Discord was still in power, they still needed to stop him. It was just these stupid snakes stopping them from reaching the Elements. They were so close and yet this looked like the end. What about the rest of her life, all the things yet to be done that she would never do? Her training with the Princess, she'd never finish it. There was still so much she needed to learn, so many things to do, books she hadn't read and Dusk…

She'd never even told him her feelings for him, for she knew she had them. Though she'd tried so many times to deny it, they were there. Would it have worked out, if they had tried? Would she have been happy…?

"Huhuhuhuhubububu!" Twilight looked to see that Pinkie's body was vibrating violently. "Oooh, boy that was a big one!"

"Pinkie sense acting up?" Twilight asked, her gaze darting between her and the Paraserpents.

"Sure is and man is it a doozy!" She shook again and shuddered.

"Well… what is it?" Twilight asked, dreading the worse.

"I don't know for sure, but something big is coming, like a major plot twist or something," she reported. "Something along the lines of deus ex machina I think…"

"What?" As always with Pinkie, Twilight was now confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Pinkie could answer, another voice cut her off in that instant, sounding very close by and directly behind her.

"Twilight, get down!" Without thinking, Twilight obeyed the voice and ducked.

The instant she did, a green ball of fire shot over her head, so close she could actually feel the heat radiating from it, past the swarming Paraserpents and into the arch way, hitting one of the red cans she knew to be a party grenade. That was all it took.

KABOOM!

In a cloud of purple fire and pink smoke, the three grenades detonated, consuming all the Paraserpents nearby in a brilliant plume of fire and streaming confetti. Twilight conjured a shield to counteract it, watching as large chunks of stone shot into the air and came crashing down around her, some of them smacking the heads of more of the monsters and knocking them out cold. Even in the safety of her shield, Twilight could still feel the rumble in the earth from the explosion.

As if that wasn't spectacular enough, the clouds suddenly opened and a beams of light and streaks of lightning shot out of it, electrocuting or spontaneously combusting a few of the remaining stragglers nearby who were now hissing and shrieking frantically, slithering as fast as they could to try and get away from the torrents of elements raining down upon them.

Shaking her head, Twilight cut off the shield and turned to see their rescuer, who was looking taller than he usually did, reaching up to her head, as well as more muscular in his upper body, eliminating the chubby belly he had before. His mouth was smoking from the potent ball of fire he had launched, far more powerful than any others he'd done.

"Spike? Is that you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sure is!" His voice was deeper too now, flexing his muscles impressively. "Whaddya think? Pretty good huh?"

"Wow! Spike's had a growth spurt!" cried Pinkie Pie. "So what, are you a teenaged dragon now? That's not good, now he's gonna be all moody and stuff."

"Actually Pinkie," Spike began, but the pony cut him off.

"Now, at this time you'll probably start growing scales where you didn't have any before and you may find girls slightly less icky, but don't worry it's all perfectly natural," she said in a teacher-like tone. "Now, the biggest change you can experience is down in your-"

"Pinkie, enough!" Twilight said, though she couldn't help but giggle at Spike's blushing. "I'm sure it's nothing like that? It isn't, is it?"

"No! I mean, uh," he stammered when his negative came out in a higher voice than before, "no! But really though, this is all thanks to a potion Zecora gave me. Makes me stronger and my inner fire more powerful. Cool huh?"

"Wow, I didn't even know she could do potions like that," awed Twilight.

"Neither did I." He looked down at his muscular body, smiling to himself. "Oh yeah, Rarity's gonna love this."

"I wouldn't get too used to it Spike, I'm pretty sure that the effects are temporary," noted Twilight.

"Yeah I know, but I can at least enjoy it while I can." He looked around at the Paraserpents bodies and piles of dust. "Looks like we got here just in time."

"You can say that again," agreed Twilight.

"Yep, your fire set off my grenades just when we needed it," added Pinkie, looking at the remains of the arch. "I guess they weren't duds after all, they just needed a good kick to get 'em going."

"So that's what that was?" Spike whistled in admiration. "I just thought that was my fire being more powerful than normal. Those things really pack a punch."

"That's what I made them for," winked Pinkie.

"You said 'we' got here just in time, who else is with you?" asked Twilight.

"Oh, plenty of people. In fact," he said, pointing behind her, "here's one of them right now."

Twilight looked and her vision beheld somepony that completely eliminated any fear she had previously, for she knew now that they would be safe. Sailing as majestically as a cloud, her horn shining with her powerful magic and her mane flowing like a rainbow river, Princess Celestia descended from the sky and landed before her, a radiant smile on her face.

"My student, I'm glad to see your safe," she said warmly.

"And I'm glad to be safe," she beamed at her teacher. "Thank goodness you're here, I thought we were done for."

"Evidently not, I knew your magical abilities would keep you safe." Twilight glowed at this praise. "And hello to you too, Miss Pinkie Pie. Unharmed I take it?"

"Yep! Fit as a fiddle, raring as a rooster and safe as a snuggy!" reported Pinkie happily.

"Good to know," giggled Celestia. "Still keeping a positive attitude then?"

"Yes indeedy," she nodded. "I'm gonna be ace in this place head of the race and keeping pace with a smile on my face!"

"I have no doubt of that. It's good of you to think in such a way in this dark time." She passed her gaze around. "Where is everypony else?"

"We got separated in the struggle, Princess," said Twilight. "I don't know where they could be."

"Then you must find them, Twilight, it is imperative that you remain together," Celestia told her. "Only then can you defeat Discord."

Twilight already knew this, but she nodded in affirmation regardless. She'd thought that splitting up would divide the Paraserpent's forces and make them easier to manage, but it was clear that they should have stayed together from the beginning, even now when she'd spent the last half an hour reminding herself of that. That would be the last time she made that mistake.

Especially if it meant leaving Dusk alone again, she thought to herself sadly.

"I understand Princess," she said. "Now that you're here, I'm sure we can find them again."

The princess sighed. "Unfortunately Twilight, I cannot remain to help you. The focus of my fight and Luna's lies elsewhere, on a different path to you and it is with your enemy and mine."

Dread started to form in the pit of her stomach, for she knew that could only mean one thing. Twilight followed Celestia's gaze upwards and, sure enough, there he was, sitting on a couch floating in sky and surveying all that was happening below him with a contemptuous smile and just a flicker of fear on his face.

"You're going to fight Discord?" she asked in disbelef.

"We are," she said, "but just to hold his attention on us and prevent him from creating more Paraserpents to prevent your progress to the library, long enough for you to retrieve the Elements and stop him for good."

Twilight lost all composure at this. "Are you crazy? You can't fight Discord by yourselves!"

"On the contrary, my student," Celestia dismissed, "we can and we will, as we did at his first dominion over Equestria. Luna and I are more than capable of holding our own, you know that better than most."

"But that was when you had the Elements!" she cried. "He's too powerful for you to stop without them, he'll beat you and turn you probably turn you to stone too! Or worse!"

"What's worse than being turned to stone?" Spike asked.

"I dunno, being turned to concrete? Granite? Limestone? Jelly?" listed off Pinkie. "Ooh, I would love to be turned to jelly, I bet I'd taste delicious! Oh wait, then I'd be eating myself, so maybe that wouldn't be so good. Ooh, ooh I know! How about-!"

"Both of you, quiet!" snapped Twilight. "This is serious!" The two of them quickly being silenced, Twilight looked back at Celestia. "Princess, you can't seriously be considering fighting Discord."

"I am and I will," she said firmly. "Regardless of what you may think Twilight, I know what I'm doing."

"But there has to be another way!" she insisted. "Princess, please, you can't do this! He's too strong!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but no, this is the only way." The smile returned to her face. "Have faith, Twilight Sparkle. Don't you trust me?"

Twilight was about to argue back, to say that of course she trusted her judgement, but right now she just didn't think that this was the best thing to do. Her rational thought, her common sense that she relied on so well was screaming to urge the Princess to stay with them, to fight the Paraserpents because they needed her help and she would have a much better chance against them than against their master. It only made sense and she was more than willing to tell her that.

But one thing that Celestia said silenced her: have faith. Faith, that little voice telling you to believe when common sense was telling you otherwise because, deep down, you knew that little voice was right and that you should listen to it. That's what Dusk would say, that was what he believed and, as silly as it may sound to her, she found herself believing it too. Because how could he be wrong about it? That just didn't seem possible. She would never doubt him, not for a second, so why would she doubt her teacher?

In the end, she bowed her head and sighed, finally giving in.

"Okay. I trust you, Princess," she admitted. "I'm sorry that I stepped out of line and lost my temper… I just… I don't want you to…"

Staring down at the patchwork path, she became aware of warm presence close to her face. When she looked up, Celestia was craning her head down to her level, her smile as warm as the sun she raised.

"I understand your concern, Twilight. Don't worry, I'll be fine, you'll see," she assured as gently as a mother would her child.

Unable to contain herself, Twilight jumped forward and hugged her mentor, wrapping her forelegs around her soft white fur, letting all she felt and feared be expressed through it, feeling secure as she returned it. She could hear Spike sniffing and Pinkie bawling like a child, crying rivers of tears, but she didn't mind.

Somehow, that sense of security didn't completely fade when Celestia released her and turned to take off into the sky once more, her face resolved and her eyes glowing with fierce determination. It was time.

"Good luck, Princess," whispered Twilight, wiping away a tear that had trickled onto her cheek.

"Good luck to you too, Twilight." She started to walk off, then hesitated. "Remember one thing: keep Dusk close, for he is far more special than we first thought."

Twilight couldn't help but smile warmly at the thought of him. "I don't doubt that, Princess. He really is remarkable."

"I should hope so, especially considering he was there at the beginning, more than you know," she said with a mysterious ghost of a smile.

"Yeah…" Something triggered in her head when she heard that. "Wait, Dusk said something like that too. What do you mean by that?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." Before Twilight could say anything else, Celestia spread her wings and took off, soaring towards her sister who hovered higher up.

Twilight stared after her, still feeling the lingering warmth of the sun in her wake and the awakened feeling of her own faith. She just hoped it wasn't misplaced.

Luna was waiting at the meeting point she and her sister had decided upon before going to find their respective subjects. She was anxiously flapping her wings, glancing towards her fate when her elder rejoined her.

"Is all well?" Celestia asked when she hovered next to her.

"It is, as well as they… he can be," she murmured, glancing back down to where Dusk was. "And Twilight?"

"Shaken, but fine yes," she nodded. "We've done all we can for them now, only one thing remains."

"Indeed." Luna felt a shiver of fear down her spine at the thought of it, but quelled it, putting on a brave face.

"Ready, my sister?" asked Celestia, turning to face him.

"As I will be."

"Then let us fly, together!"

Soaring upwards into the cotton candy filled sky, Luna soon was flying side by side with her big sister, shooting off to meet Discord in battle and giving the younger princess great feelings of what she believed was commonly termed 'déjà vu'. Here they were again, like a thousand years ago, flying together to battle the evil tyrant, bonded by their friendship and sisterly love. Hopefully, that would be enough.

Luna recalled, before she'd come here, the look in Dusk's eye when she'd spoken to him, that special understanding of some deep knowledge that had been conveyed in that moment, those stones glinting around his neck. He had the skill, he had the drive and he had the purpose the fight on for his home. What was more, he had his friends and he had his heart, which she knew would not fail him now. Like herself, he was as ready as she could hope him to be and she had no doubt he would press on to the end.

Only one question remained now: if Fore Sight was right and her assumption correct, would he be able to figure it out now, what those little stones actually were? What their true purpose was? She had done her best to give him the hint and from what she could tell, he had mostly figured out that there had to be something about him, something that only he possessed which would help to defeat Discord. Of course, he was right, but would he be able to figure out exactly what? As much as she wanted to tell him, he had to figure it out for himself.

That was how it had to be.

She returned to the matter at hoof. She had done all she could, so had her sister. Now, it was time for them to face their destiny, as he casually hovered over to meet them, halting in the sky and leaving a sizable space between them. She had forgotten how much his malicious smile made her skin crawl as she beheld the spirit of chaos once again.

"Why Celestia, so glad you could come! I was missing you!" He gestured towards Ponyville. "Do you like what I've done with the place? I think it's quite an improvement if I must say so."

"It was better as it was," retorted Celestia angrily.

"Honestly, so narrow-minded," he pouted. "If you like this, just wait till I get started on Canterlot. Floating spires, stone made of sugar and a nice big cushy throne room for yours truly. Oh yes, it will look a treat, quite literally."

"I'd rather relinquish my wings and horn than see you set one hoof in Canterlot or any other part of Equestria!" spat Celestia.

"You would? Well, that can swiftly be arranged if you like." He smiled and turned his attention to Luna. "And you, little Luna, don't think I've forgotten about you. You're looking well, considering how last time you were falling to pieces, in every sense."

"Thou will have to do much better than sending one of thy lackeys to destroy me, Discord!" she said defiantly, determined to remain courageous.

"Hm, I suppose I will, hired help is so unreliable," he nodded. "Note to self: never send a pony to do a draconequus's job, especially when it means he misses out on the fun."

"Yes, thy servants do seem rather fleeting, don't they?" Luna remarked. "Blackhole is gone, thy Paraserpents are otherwise engaged and it is just thee and us."

"Oh, that's not entirely true," he said slyly. "There is still one left who serves me, one noble soul who would serve in my name if I asked him to. He's a little… preoccupied in Tartaurus at the minute, but I can soon change that. Thank you for reminding me, by the way."

"Enough," Celestia said in a low voice that made Luna shiver.

"Oh but you know who I mean, don't you Tia?" he noted. "Once your loyal captain of the guard all those years ago, willing to lay down his life for you before turning to the best side after what you did to him. Really, how could you? I thought you were supposed to be kind."

"Stop it."

"And he had such good plans too, powerful magic and the right mind to use it. I wonder if he managed to get any of them completed before you locked him up and threw away the key. There was one I was partculary invested in, one that would certainly be a lot of fun to use once it was finished. Perhaps I'll let him resume his work once he's out. You know how I hate leaving something unfinished…"

"SILENCE!" Luna almost jumped out of her skin at her declaration. "how dare you even mention him? How dare you?!"

"Ooh, touched a nerve have I?" Discord grinned even wider. "So much for royal composure then."

"Enough stalling Discord!" snapped Luna, distracting him from the point. "Thou knows why we're here."

He waved his hand in a bored sort of way. "Oh yes I know, I know. Here to do epic battle with the big boss, thunder crashing and skies flashing as we lock blades in battle upon which the fate of the whole of Equestria rests in the balance. Only one may walk away, one shall stand one shall fall, no turning back yadda yadda yadda. But really, what's the point when we all know how this'll turn out."

"Nothing is set in stone, Discord," Luna retorted. "Thou knowest that better than any."

He frowned at her intended pun. "Not bad Luna, not bad. Are you sure you wouldn't mind joining me instead?"

"She will not!" bellowed her sister. "Today, Discord, we stop you once and for all and restore harmony to Equestria!"

"Yes, thank you Miss Grimsalot," dismissed Discord. "But really, haven't the two of you come to your senses by now and seen the truth?"

"What truth?" Luna asked in spite of herself.

"That harmony and your rule is not only boring, but so, so pointless." Neither of them said anything in response to this and he continued. "You talk about restoring harmony, bringing peace and love to the land and all who live in it, but let me ask you something: how is your rule and mine any different?"

"What?!" Luna laughed decisively. "Our rules could not be more dissimilar."

"Oh really?" He paused a moment. "Think about it Celestia: we both have great power and the will to use it, the purpose of ruling in our own ways. Yet, there's one thing I wonder; who was it that overthrew me and declared themselves monarchs without anypony else saying so? Who was it that saw fit to dethrone another rightful monarch and imprison him in ice? And who is it that, when her sister put one hoof out of line, locked her away in the moon for a thousand years?"

Luna was struck dumb by his words, as was Celestia. Seeing his advantage, Discord pressed on, still grinning away.

"Yes, you see now don't you? Who's the real evil tyrant here? She, who restricts the freedom and fun of chaos and imposes her own rightful order thinking she knows what's best for everypony. You see, in my rule, ponies are free to do as they please, because nothing restricts them and they can be themselves. They don't have to be scared of the big bad princess who may banish them if they do something she doesn't like. And, unlike you I certainly don't turn ponies into stone!"

This actually made Luna stop and think for a moment, looking right into his eyes. She could see that Celestia too was considering this. Perhaps Discord had a point where this was concerned. Her sister certainly had done all of these things, particularly imprisoning her in the moon. Who knew what else she had done in the thousand years she was gone? Perhaps a world of chaos would be better for them all and Discord would be a fairer ruler than they were...

"No!" It was Celestia who at last spoke up. "You can try to trick us with your wicked words, Discord, but the fact remains that you most certainly are the true villain here. We don't set monsters on our subjects, try to deceive them or treat them as our own playthings. That's all you, Discord and you must be stopped!"

Luna shook her head furiously. How could she have even begun to think such thoughts about her sister, from Discord of all beings? He was just trying to get into her head and deceive her once again. Well, not this time, she vowed.

"Vile trickster!" Luna bellowed. "Thou shall pay for what thou has done! To us, to our subjects and to Equestria, we shall see thee locked in stone for eternity!"

He stared at them a moment, frowning again. "Is that all you have to say then?"

"That's all that needs to be said." Nodding to her sister, they both flared their horns and prepared for battle.

Discord only raised an eyebrow and gave a small chuckle.

"Still so boring. Alright then. First, let me make sure your friends are occupied." He snapped his fingers, summoning more Paraserpents below. "Next some fitting music." He conjured a radio, playing strange madcap tunes. "And lastly…" He held out his palms, various explosives floating in them. "Let's brawl!"

With this, in a bright flash of light and sound, they crashed together again and all of Equestria shook to hear their battle cries.

Fight On!

"Right so… just tell me the plan, one more time, please?" asked Fluttershy to Dusk timidly. "I-I-I'm sorry I need t-t-to keep asking but… but…"

Though she was a little braver knowing that Dusk was fighting, the pony she considered to be like her brother, Fluttershy was still utterly terrified at the very idea of it. Rarity and Zecora were fine, the two of them now on the lookout for more or finishing off remaining ones from Celestia and Luna's bombardment that had actually made her scream. In her fear, however, Fluttershy needed further reassurance that she was going to be fine… or at least she hoped to be.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Dusk said patiently, though she could tell she was starting to get on his nerves. He didn't say anything, but she knew it, even if he was too nice to say so. "It's simple: I'll be using my colour manipulation to gather the others here. I'll need complete concentration to pull it off, so I'll need you three to protect me while I perform my spell, just long enough for me to guide the others here. Once they're here, we'll fight back the Paraserpents and get to the library, retrieve the Elements and return Discord to his rightful status as a garden ornament."

"Okay then… I'm really sorry about annoying you," she repeated. "It's just that… I'm just so… so scared…"

"I know, I understand, I am too," he admitted. "But you can be brave, Fluttershy, you have been before. Be brave for me now, for us."

She took deep breaths to calm herself, his words grounding her and quelling her fear for the moment and trying to remember the feeling she had when she faced that dragon, when her friends were in trouble and they needed her to be brave for them, to save them. If she could do it once, she could do it again.

"Right… be brave... be brave," she said like a mantra. "Thank you Dusk."

"No problem, my little sister." It still made her heart glow when he called her that and she hugged gently.

She could remember how cruel she'd been to all of her friends, all the horrible things she'd done to them because of Discord and it made her want to hit something. It was all like a horrible dream, but she knew it was real and she'd never forget it. She could have been like that forever, tormenting the animals she loved so much and acting like a jerk to her best friends…

But then they came for her… he came for her and they returned her to normal. Together with Twilight, he'd used his wonderful magic she was always so in awe of and returned her to the way she was, the way she should be. And for that, she knew that she would love him forever, for being there right when she needed him the most. She didn't care about how much sadder he looked now, silently brooding over something she didn't know. All she knew was that she was going to be there for him too, no matter what and help him through anything.

Starting right here, right now.

"Once we're all together again, everything will be okay?" she asked.

"Yes, once we're back together… all of us…" He trailed off, his smile faltering and Fluttershy knew who he must be thinking about.

She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

"I know she will be," he said, that enduring faith shining through again. "They all will be. They have to be otherwise…" He left it at that and cleared his throat. "Right, I'd better get started."

"Okay then…" He turned away from her and stood at the top of the hill. "Dusk wait! Just um… good luck."

The smile he gave her in return meant she couldn't help but beam back. "You too, Fluttershy."

He closed his eyes, the glow of his horn shining beneath his hat. When he opened them again, they were glowing all kinds of different colours, like his very eyes were rainbows. A shining orb, again reflecting eyes, appeared above his head, bathing her in all the colours of the world. Two puppets, both in his image, emerged from the orb and galloped off into different parts of the town, their hooves moving them silently over the ground, like they were gliding.

They'd be coming now, they'd see it and they'd come. Her legs shaking and her heart pounding against her chest, eyes darting this way and that for any sign of a threat, Fluttershy was as ready as she would ever be for the fight that was about to start up again.

She suddenly felt the fear come back and she whimpered at the very thought of fighting. She gazed desperately at Dusk, wanting him, needing him to stop and to come back and protect her, to stand beside her. But he wouldn't be able to hear her, he was too deep in concentration.

"Don't be afraid, Fluttershy," Rarity said gently. "I know it seems daunting, but we'll make it through. You'll see."

"You… you really think we will?" she asked.

"Of course, Fluttershy my dear," reassured Zecora. "Have no fear, Rarity and I are here."

"Okay… I'll do my best… thank you," she whishpered.

"Our pleasure dear." She turned her head to face the town. "We'd best get ready. We'll be close Fluttershy, don't be scared and good luck."

"You too!" she called back. Her legs still shaking, she trudged to her proper place on the hill they'd seleceted for her, one they said would have the least amount of Paraserpents coming from it or so she hoped.

Oh why, oh why did it have to be fighting and fighting such scary monsters too, even scarier than dragons perhaps? No, dragons were still scarier, but the Paraserpents were definitely a close second. Those horrible eyes, their wicked faces and sharp teeth made her skin crawl and her hooves shake. She wanted nothing more than to run off home, lock her front door and hide under her bed until it was all over. But she did her best not to be scared, not to run away like a scardey pony, like she always was.

"This is for Dusk, for my friends," she whispered to herself. "Come on Fluttershy, you can do this… you can do this…"

She whipped her head up to see more of them swarming up the hill, their red eyes fixed on her and spit dribbling from their maws. She let out a small squeak, but stood her ground. She wasn't all that scared of them anymore, she wouldn't let them scare her. She'd do her best, she'd help her friends and she'd fight, no matter what.

"I can do this!" she declared.

Rainbow felt the satisfying crash of hoof against scales as she slammed into another Paraserpent, the force of the strike sending the monster shooting and screeching backwards into a wall, causing to collapse on him and cutting off his screech. She nodded at her actions, blowing on her hoof casually and rubbing it on her chest. Purely and simply awesome.

She turned to see that there were plenty more arriving to receive similar treatments. Unfazed by their snarling, hungry faces, and the fact they were preparing magic she cricked her neck, slammed one hoof into another and charged at them, sending all of her strength into her charge. Her two hooves crashed into the snakes, causing their heads to reel back and strike their friends. Their spells also went shooting off course and hit two more, making them slam to the floor in a heap.

She allowed herself a loud battle cry to make herself even more terrifying, banked around in the air and charged again, knocking them out for good. She looked back at her seven dazed foes and let out a derisive laugh. As if they thought they could stand a chance against her. Not only had she taken out all of those guys by herself, but she did it in such a way only she could: with style.

"Oh yeah, I'm just too good, right?" she asked her fallen enemy. It let out a weak hiss. "Ha, thought you'd agree with me."

While she was pretty easy to get along with and easy going most of the time, Rainbow didn't like anypony bugging her when she didn't want it. Likewise being the Element of Loyalty, she certainly didn't like it when anypony thought they could get on the wrong side of her and her friends. These were things that could tick her off pretty easily and made her very difficult to get along with, to the point when she would start throwing hooves around.

Right now, these Paraserpents were ticking her off in both ways, along with dopey Discord. He'd already separated her from her friends, hidden her Element, messed up her home, made her act like a jerk and abandon her friends and now had the nerve to send these guys after her, thinking they could beat her and try to stop her getting her Element back and stopping him. To say that she was mad at him would be a real understatement. When she got her Element back, he was going to pay big time.

She looked up at the sky where she knew Discord was. "I hope the birds make your statue look real pretty when I'm through with you, punk!"

Looking around, she checked out the state of the rest of them. Applejack, with Apple Bloom cowering nearby, using her crazily strong back legs to take them down like she would kick an apple tree on the farm, she could actually hear them creaking like timber when they fell to the ground after being smacked like that. Pretty cool, but Rainbow could fly, so she had more opportunities for style and variation in her attacks. Still, not everypony could be as awesome as her.

Little Strongheart, fiercely defending Sweetie Belle, was also reminding Rainbow of the reasons why she thought the buffalo calf was so cool. Looking at how bulky she appeared to be, even Rainbow had to raise an eyebrow in surprise at how often and easily she could leap up into the air and perform a somersault kick multiple times on the same Paraserpent, landing on all four hooves and knocking it with her head. Now that was pretty cool, she thought to herself, watching it topple and fall.

She suddenly realised that she couldn't see any sign of Scootaloo anywhere with them. Where had that little filly got-

"I have you!"

She turned around, too late, to see a Paraserpent shoot at her from nowhere. She had barely raised her hooves when it hit her with a painful spell and, in her moment of distraction, wrapped its coils around her body. Flapping her wings frantically, she tried to struggle free from its bonds, but they'd already wrapped tightly around her and were dragging her in further all the time.

"Lemme go!" she shouted. "Lemme go, jerk!"

"The more you ssssstruggle, the more tired you'll become," it taunted. "Why not jussssssst give up?"

"Dude, do you even know who you're talking to?" she snapped, glaring at it and resuming her struggles.

"Very well then, die fighting, it makesssssss no difference," it hissed, raising her closer towards its mouth.

Rainbow coughed and gagged at the smell. "Ew, have you ever heard of breath mints?"

"Your lasssssssst momentsssssss of life and you choossssssse to ssssssssspend it making poor humour?" it questioned disbelievingly.

"Who said I was joking, your breath reeks!"

"Perhapssssssss your brain issssssss not functioning properly, clouded by fear," it said.

"Yeah, just too bad my nose works just fine," she said defiantly, determined not to show it fear.

Not that she was actually scared of course, probably just still hurting from the spell.

"Inssssssolent pessssssst!" it snapped. "Thisssssss dissssssresssssspect, thisssss arrogance and what doessssss it gain you?"

Rainbow was about to reply when she heard the revving of a scooter's engine that the Paraserpent seemed not to hear. Smirking at what she knew must be coming, she looked right back up at it and shrugged.

"I dunno, a chance to mess around with you, to annoy you or for a distraction," she said casually.

"A disssssssstraction? From your inevitable death?" it asked.

She only smirked at him, hearing the engine growing louder. It finally realized that something was wrong, but like her became aware too late. He lifted his head just as a certain orange Pegasus filly on a scooter shot through the air and smacked him the face, landing on the ground and skidding to a halt without any screw up.

The coils loosened now, Rainbow Dash took her chance. Forcing her hooves out, she shoved the scales away from her, soared up and punched the snake right in its pointed face, left hook, right hook and head butt all in quick succession dazing it and knocking it to the ground before it even knew what hit it.

"From that!" She squirmed out of the coils and kicked him in the head. "Geez, you guys like to talk as much as your boss does."

"Rainbow Dash!" She turned as Scootaloo zoomed up to her. "You okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, it's me," she said cockily. "What about you?"

"Me?" She made a dismissive noise and an attempt to reflect her attitude. "Oh yeah, I'm fine, of course I am."

"Good to know," she nodded, gesturing to the Paraserpent. "Nice work with the scooter you did there."

"Really?" She became excited at this. "Cause I saw that you were in trouble and thought I could help. Then, I saw this overturned applecart like a ramp and figured 'hey, I can use that' and then I just rode up that and him right in his face!"

"Yeah, I saw." Rainbow sniffed casually. "But yeah, I would have been fine, I was just letting him think he had me, then I was gonna surprise him."

"Y-you were?" She quickly covered up her disappointment. "I mean uh, I knew that, of course I did. I mean, Rainbow Dash needing help, whoever heard of that. It was just for… you know… just in case you were…" She trailed off and blushed red, diverting her eyes to the floor.

Deciding that she was finished keeping her tough image and messing with the little filly, Rainbow put a hoof gently on her shoulder. "But thanks for helping out anyway. It was pretty radical what you did there."

"Really?!" Scootaloo immediately perked up at these words. "You really, really think so?"

"Course, you're pretty good on that scooter." Rainbow smiled at the sight of her trying to keep her cool and the desire to whoop and leap for joy. "Just uh, leave the flank-kicking to me in future, okay?"

"You got it!" she saluted.

Rainbow smirked again and tensed as more Paraserpents swarmed over. "Stay close to me Scoot, this is gonna get messy."

"Right," she affirmed, scurrying behind Rainbow to safety.

As she launched herself back into the fight, Rainbow's spirits were bolstered somewhat by the idolizing adoration of Scootaloo nearby, watching in awe as she carried out a series of awesome moves in her fighting against them. Of course, it was only natural that the little Pegasus would think of her as the best, as that was true. But there was something she'd always liked about the filly that just made it seem even more special than just some kind of fan. She actually did want to grow up and be like Rainbow Dash, which was pretty cool.

Now that she thought about it, the little Pegasus reminded her very much of herself: they were both sporty, daring, tough, had attitude and matched themselves up to somepony greater than themselves to match against. Rainbow had the Wonderbolts and Scootaloo had Rainbow Dash and they both wished to be like those they idolized someday and, as such, pushed themselves to the limit in order to prove that they could be the very best. If there was anypony she'd even consider a sister, it'd be the young crusader staring up at her.

Plus, this kind of thing was always better when there was somepony watching, she thought to herself, slam dunking a Paraserpent into one of his friends and forcing them both into snake-shaped craters in the ground.

"Wow, that was awesome Rainbow Dash!" exclaimed Scootaloo, staring down into the craters in awe.

"I know, I know," she nodded, descending gently. "But still, nice of you to say so."

"I see that your ego is still as great and endless as the stampeding grounds of our ancestors," remarked Strongheart, who somersaulted over a Paraserpent and landed beside her.

"Hey, there you are," she answered, knocking out the offending snake. "What's the matter, needed some help so you came to me?"

"On the contrary, I came to see if you needed my help." She slammed her hooves into the body of another. "You seemed to look like you were struggling to manage on your own."

"Hey, I'm doing just fine." She socked the beast across the face and finished him. "I can take care of myself without any backup."

"Indeed?" She raised an eyebrow and a hoof, which came down on the head of a Paraserpent about to bite into her leg. "You missed one."

Rainbow was at first a little shocked at how close that was, but she suppressed it and shrugged.

"I saw him, I was just about to finish him actually," she lied. "Nice of you to do it for me though, saves my strength for the rest of them."

"Of course you were," she said in a sarcastic tone. "In all seriousness, however, I believe we should be doing more to combine our efforts. There are quite a few of these hoofless demons."

As if to prove her point, three more Paraserpents sent bolts of magic at them. They both dived aside to dodge them, Rainbow feeling one whizz over her head and past her mane. She looked to Strongheart, whose eyes suddenly widened and she smiled brightly.

"What's got you so happy?" she asked.

"I have an idea to gain an upper hoof on our enemies," she said proudly.

"Well, I guess it was bound to happen sometime," remarked Rainbow good naturally. "So, what is it then?"

"You'll see, hold on. Applejack!" she called out. "Can you give me a boost?"

"Uh, sure ah guess," she agreed unsurely, smacking aside another snake and holding out her front hooves. "What for?"

"You'll see!" she repeated. "Rainbow, fly over me just as I'm launched into the air."

At first, Rainbow looked at her in confusion but she soon figured out exactly what it was she wanted to do.

"You got it!" Nodding and smiling in the daring way she did, she prepared to fly off as Strongheart tensed herself to run.

She watched as Strongheart galloped to Applejack, who stood ready to give her a boost upwards. She reached her, ran onto her hooves and jumped at the same time as Applejack launched her into the air, flinging her hooves toward the sky. In almost the same instant, Rainbow flew forward and reached out with her own hooves, grabbing Strongheart's as she reached her and, with all her strength, held her there.

Now they quickly set to work while the Paraserpent's surrounded them. Remaining in the centre, Rainbow began to spin in a circle, letting the buffalo calf dangle out as much as possible, her legs rapidly moving as her own hooves struck and collided with any unfortunate Paraserpents that happened to get in the way. Once she couldn't carry her any more, Rainbow flung her up again, watching as she soared as high as any Pegasus.

Somersaulting, she landed on another Paraserpent, the beast writhing and flailing as she did. To stop him, Rainbow shot at him and smacked him across the face, his head reeling back. Strongheart kicked him from his back, sliding along his body as he toppled to the ground and gracefully landing on the ground.

"Well, that worked," she remarked, smiling at Rainbow.

"Yeah, not bad," she said. "But just remember, it couldn't have succeeded without me."

"Don't I know it," she agreed. "Thank you for your help."

"Eh, no sweat, I was –AGH!" Rainbow was cut off from a magic blast from a Paraserpent she didn't see, hitting her in the leg.

Rainbow received a glancing blow, but it was enough to make her cry out in pain from it and be thrown off balance. She was sure the next attack would have got her if Strongheart hadn't been there to kick the offending snake in the face as it lunged at her with fangs bared and halting the attack.

Clutching her bad leg, which was now hanging rather limp where the Paraserpent had hit it, she teamed up with Strongheart, the two of them charging the same snake and knocking it down with the combined strength of their hooves. At the same time, they reversed and kicked the remaining offender down. Teach them to mess with us, Rainbow thought savagely.

Rainbow winced slightly from the pain that was still in her leg and the angry red patch that appeared there, but gritted her teeth and tried her best to ignore it. She'd had worse injuries, even though the wound now felt like somepony poured scolding water onto her leg, but she'd have to do her best to cope with it. She couldn't afford to show weakness at any time and certainly not now, for there would be much more than her cool image at stake if she did.

Her injury, however, wasn't missed by Strongheart, who became worried at the sight of her.

"Are you baldy injured?" she asked.

"Relax, I'm fine," Rainbow tried to say casually. "I'm not gonna be kept down by this."

"I'm not so sure," she said doubtfully, looking at the wound. "That looks very nasty to me. I think it needs treating."

"Trust me, it's nothing…"

She shook her head resolutely. "I beg to differ, that could seriously hinder you in battle. I would think that perhaps-"

"Hey! You heard Rainbow Dash, if she says she's fine, she's fine!" yelled Scootaloo defiantly.

Even Rainbow was rather surprised at how quickly she had come to her defence, even if she did know the filly idolized her, though it was a little embarrassing to be having a kid stand up for her. Strongheart looked surprised too, but responded calmly.

"I admire your faith in your friend, Scootaloo, but I fear your confidence in her might be slightly misplaced in this case."

"Hey, I can speak for myself! No offense kid," she added to Scootaloo, who looked taken aback.

"Regardless, I have a solution." She beckoned over Sweetie Belle. "Do you still have the little pot I gave you?"

"Sure, here you go!" She reached into her fur and took out a small brown pot. "I kept it safe, like you asked me to."

"And I am most grateful you did and I'm sure Rainbow will be too." She pulled off the lid of the pot, revealing a thick brown paste.

She dipped her hoof into it, swirling it around until some was on the end of it. She then spat into the substance, at which Sweetie made a noise of disgust, muttered some words in a weird language and spread the paste onto the wound. It was surprisingly warm and soothing and Rainbow could feel the pain gradually melt away. The calf then washed off the paste, revealing the wound to be completely healed, like it was never there.

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Rainbow marvelled at how quickly it had healed her skin. "What was in that stuff?"

"It's made from a ground-up flower that grows only in the desert, mixed with a bit of spittle, as you saw," she explained. "We use it for healing and treating a variety of wounds, including snake bites. I was hoping it wouldn't be entirely dissimilar from one."

"Guess we're lucky it wasn't," said Rainbow, as she handed the pot back to Sweetie Belle. "Thanks Strongheart."

"Think nothing of it," she dismissed. "You are my friend and I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

In that moment, Rainbow found herself oddly touched and felt something catch in her throat at the mention of that, nothing strong enough to make her start crying or something sappy like that, but enough to make her stop and think for a bit. It was times like this she was reminded of why she was the Element of Loyalty and what a truly great quality it was to have in a friendship, for she truly would have done the same for her too.

"You know it," was her response, bumping hooves with the calf and nodding in respect. "Although, maybe I'd do it without the spitting."

"Perhaps," she said with a smile. "Now, this is a time for action, not words."

"Aw yeah!"

At this acclamation, the two of them resumed their battle, slamming hooves into the nearest monsters that dared to come slithering up to them. Despite her now healed leg, however, Rainbow was starting to feel the strain somewhat. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, her wings and muscles were starting to ache from the effort and every punch and kick seemed that much harder to carry out as a result.

Strongheart too seemed to be getting tired as well, though she was either fitter or perhaps just better at hiding it. What didn't help was the fact that every time they knocked down one Paraserpent, either more arrived fresh or new or ones they'd taken down previously rose again to rejoin the fight. As such, there were few breaks in the fighting for them to rest and that certainly wasn't helping.

"Is there no end," Strongheart said, pausing to floor another one and panting, "to these accursed monsters? It feels like we have been fighting for an age."

"Sure is!" came the voice of Applejack, who kicked another serpent and joined them. "Y'all still hangin' in there?"

"Sure thing!" replied Rainbow confidently, wiping some sweat away. "This really gives you a work out though."

"Ah hear ya," she said, breathing heavily. "What about you Strongheart?"

"I too am starting to, as you say, feel the burn," she affirmed. "If this keeps up they'll overwhelm us."

"Aw, come on, we can take these guys!" Rainbow declared, trying to ignore the burning in her limbs.

"Hate ta sound like a cynic, but she's right," replied Applejack. "We need ta either move somewhere else, or stay here an' wind up snake chow."

"I would go for the first option." She squinted in confusion. "Wait, what's that?"

They all whipped around to see something glowing gallop towards them and Rainbow felt something close to relief as it neared them. It was the sparkling form of one of Dusk's puppets, in the image of its master, complete with the hat. Even the Paraserpents halted to stare at it when it halted, motioning with its head for them to follow.

"Wait, isn't that Dusk's magic?" asked Strongheart, her smile now as bright as the puppet.

"Sure is an' that means we found our way out!" She smacked a distracted Paraserpent and kicked another to reach it. "Come on everypony, let's go!"

Keeping their respective fillies close as possible, they fought their way through the horde and galloped after it, hoping that it would lead them to some kind of salvation. Unless it was a trap or trick from Discord, but Rainbow didn't really mind either way. If it really was Dusk, then great, but if it was a trap…

Bring it on.

Pinkie bounced in the air as she let out another blast from her trusty party cannon, whooping at the sight of a Paraserpent's mouth snapped shut by a stream of confetti. She gave the beast a bright smile and promptly bounced her head off him multiple times and knocked him back into his buddies, waving goodbye to him as he shot off.

"Great shot Pinkie!" praised Spike, shooting a fireball at another and setting it ablaze.

"You too Spike! You're on fire." She giggled as she reloaded her cannon. "Heh, on fire, I just got that."

"Yeah, I'm smoking these guys," added Spike, chuckling in his throat. "They just got burned!"

"They're really feeling the heat," she giggled. "So many fire puns, so little time." She glanced around again at the large horde. "Oh wait, I guess we got plenty of time."

"Yeah, just so long as we're not burning up too much time." The two of them laughed again, one of Pinkie's favourite sounds. Other than the honking of a party kazoo or the sound the oven made when her cupcakes were ready.

"This is no time for joking you two, we gotta stay focused!" urged Twilight, sticking her head out and hitting two more serpents, knocking them out.

Pinkie gasped dramatically. "How can you say that Twilight? Any time is a good time for joking, especially this time cause you need laughing to keep your spirit up and if you don't keep your spirits up then you get sad and if you get sad then you won't want to fight anymore and if you don't want to fight then-"

"Alright, you've made your point!" interrupted Twilight, ducking under two shots whizzing over her head. "You can make jokes if you like, just make sure you keep beating these things off."

Seeing an opportunity, Pinkie raised her eyebrows. "So, what you're saying is I can keep shooting my mouth off?"

"Ugh, Pinkie-!"

"Are you, huh, are you?"

Twilight just stared at her like she did sometimes and sighed. "Fine, yes, I am saying that."

"Sorry, what are you saying?" she pressed on, determined to worm this one out of her.

"Pinkie, is this really the time to-?"

"Just say it Twilight," prompted Spike, "come on, lighten up."

"Ooh, good one!" she remarked. "Now, what is it your saying Twilight?"

"I'm saying you can keep shooting your mouth off!" she yelled, flinching from a shot that hit near her. "Now, get on with IT!"

"Sure thing!" she affirmed with a giggle. "Good one Twilight!" She heard her sigh in exasperation again as she shot wrapping paper at another snake, wrapping him up like a birthday present.

After Celestia left and Spike had joined them, Twilight had suggested that they move somewhere less exposed and more secure that was close by while more of the Paraserpents were slithering closer, probably mad now because of the grenade incident. They needed somewhere near to their position that was reasonably secure, where they could dig themselves in and could be defended easily with ranged attacks.

Basically somewhere safe for them to shoot from as Pinkie understood it. Pinkie had then suggested, after Twilight had denied both her other ideas of Sugarcube Corner and her own house which were places she felt safe, she remembered seeing a dried up fountain that was close to where they were. They'd be able to fit into the middle bit, use the walls to hide behind and could easily watch every direction because it was in a circle. Pinkie figured that was what she would be looking for.

So that was where they were now: holed up in the fountain and holding back the Paraserpents that were trying to get at them like parasprites would at crops and candy. For the first time, she wondered if, because of their names, the two animals were related in anyway. The sprites were more like bugs though and these things were just big old snakes that were a lot meaner and a lot more dangerous than sprites. She was disappointed she would be able to use a load of instruments to lure them away, but at least she knew how to get rid of them.

It reminded her of similar pests she had back on the rock farm with her family, vicious little guys called Rock Worms, whose teeth were sharp enough to dig and eat right through the stones they collected. Much like the Paraserpents, they were okay to deal with on their own, but as a group they could be dangerous and were willing to use their teeth on anypony who tried to stop them eating. And they were never on their own. So, like the Rock Worms, she aimed most of her shots for the head, as that was the nastiest part of their body, what with the fangs and all, so the rest of them wouldn't be as dangerous.

Then, do what you needed to finish them off for good and they wouldn't bother you anymore. They might be scary with their teeth and mean tempers, but you just had to old your ground and not be scared, for that was beating them halfway. These things needed their food scared and helpless so they could eat them, so as long as they weren't scared, they'd remain uneaten and happy.

"Just like Granny Pie taught me!" she noted, singing the face of one that was silly enough to get a little too close.

"She does seem to be full of wisdom," Twilight agreed, conjuring up a giant suitcase that stuffed five Paraserpents into it, slamming shut and vanishing.

"Wow. Nice spellwork!" she complimented.

"Yes well, I thought it would be good to uh… send them packing." She nudged Pinkie with a laugh. "You get it because I, you know, packed them in a suitcase and that the, uh, term used to make your enemies, in battle to um… run away…?"

She trailed off from the pitying expression Pinkie gave her. "Eh, keep working on it."

"Right, got it. Ahem…" She cleared her throat, blushed a little and resumed firing magic.

Pinkie shrugged and fire off a scatter shot of cupcakes at three of the nasty beasties creeping up behind her. Not every joke is perfect I guess, she thought to herself.

"Look out! More coming from the rear!" Spike pointed out, seeing a stream of the snakes emerging from behind.

"Spike, block them off!" ordered Twilight.

"On it!" His thicker scales absorbing most of the blasts shot at him, Spike jumped out of the fountain and charged towards the breach.

He plunged his large claws into the ground beneath his feet, heaved up a large chunk of the ground, hefted it above his head and, with a loud roar, flung it at the street the Paraserpents were swarming out of. The stone landed with a loud crash, crushing some of the monsters and blocking off the street with the debris. They'd still be able to slither over it, but now it would be a lot harder for them to get through. He started to finish off the remainder with his fists, tail and fire attacks.

While she did prefer the chubby little baby Spike they all knew so well, Pinkie had to admit that the potion that Zecora gave him as a big help to them in the fight. Even from here, she could feel the heat of his flames and feel the shaking in the earth from his strikes. She could tell that he was enjoying it too, as it gave him a chance to be a hero and help to save them all. Of course, she'd be happy when the potion wore off and he'd return back to normal. She preferred him like that and it was a little weird looking at him now and remembering how he should be.

Then again, she could be a little strange herself.

Spike however, even with his added strength, looked to be in a little bit of trouble. He was starting to recoil from the stream of blasts they were firing at him, enough for one of them to grab onto his leg. This one yanked him to one knee and two others started to coil around him and tighten their hold. They kept pressure on his arms and legs and away from his mouth, so he was having trouble getting them off.

Pinkie was about to run out and help him when-

"Hold on Spike, I'm coming!" Twilight leaped out of the fountain. "Pinkie, cover me!"

"Okey-dokey-lokey!" Pinkie affirmed, knowing that basically meant to keep the Paraserpents off her back, which certainly wasn't a good place to have them. That would just give her a bad back.

Twilight nodded and galloped towards Spike, her horn flashing from the magic that she fired at the Paraserpents that got in her way, determined to get to her assistant. Pinkie did her best to fire her cannon at any Paraserpents that tried to cut off Twilight, any she ran past or had her back to that she couldn't handle by herself. There were some close calls, but she was able to keep them off of her. Nopony, nosnake, was going to hurt her friends.

Acting fast, Twilight blasted off the Paraserpents that were wrapped around Spike, enough for him to regain use of his arms again. His right one shooting up, he grabbed the tale of one of the snakes and swung it around like a club, flinging it away and blasting part of the group with a burst of bright green fire. Pinkie liked that green fire, for it reminded her of growing plants in spring. Twilight took down any ones he missed with magic, the two of them retreating back to the fountain and attacking at the same time.

Good to see that those two worked just as well together in a fight as well as the library, thought Pinkie. Wondering what it would be like if Dusk were here fighting with them as well, she ushered them back into the fountain, clubbing one with her cannon as she did.

"You okay Spikey?" asked Pinkie, smiling brightly at him.

"Well, every bit of me is stinging, but I'm fine." He looked at Twilight. "Thanks for the help Twilight."

"Well, I couldn't just let my number one dragon assistant get hurt, could I?" she noted.

"Yeah, what would you do without me huh?" He chuckled along with her. "You know, makes me wish Dusk was here. I wonder what Zecora's potion would do to him if he drank it."

"Dusk… yes, me too…" Twilight looked rather sad at the mention of him, Pinkie noticed, even though Spike didn't.

"It could be a like a brains and brawn team-up with me and him or we could both be strong and these guys wouldn't stand a chance! I mean granted, I'd probably be the cooler one, but he'd be pretty good too I'm sure," he said. "The brothers in library-assistantship, fighting side by side for the fate of Equestria."

"Yes um… I suppose…" Twilight diverted her gaze and Pinkie could see tears starting to form.

"Oh man, I wish he was here. What do you think he'd think of my new strength? I mean, I know he doesn't like fighting and stuff, but even he'd have to admit that this is pretty cool, I mean who wouldn't? Plus there's you Twilight, all of us working in the library together. We'd be like a team or something together. The three librarians vs. the forces of Discord, with muscle, magic and mind, nothing standing in our w-"

"Spike, look, more snakes to beat up!" yelled Pinkie, cutting him off and halting his fantasies.

"What? Oh yeah, the battle!" With a burst of fire, he charged off to engage them.

With him gone, Pinkie approached Twilight. "You okay?"

"Yes, yes of course… I'm fine," she assured her unconvincingly and wiping tears away. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Seeing that look made Pinkie feel waves of sympathy for her and a few tears start to come into her own eyes. She understood that Twilight was worried about Dusk, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, all of them, just as she was too. But Pinkie knew also she was especially worried about Dusk because to her, to all of them, it was pretty clear that the two of them wanted to be way more than friends. None of them said anything, but it was there and they knew, even if they didn't or if they just denied it.

Personally, Pinkie thought that the two of them would make a sweet couple and she figured it was really obvious that she was worried that something had happened to Dusk while all this was happening. That was what was getting her down and Pinkie understood that. She'd be devastated if she lost any of her friends, especially a special somepony. Luckily, cheering up ponies who were down was Pinkie's speciality.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's all right," she said gently.

"But he… he's all alone, somewhere out there," she sniffed. "If anything's happened to him I… I think I…"

"Twilight, trust me, he'll be fine," Pinkie assured. "Dusky might not like fighting, but he knows how to handle himself when push comes to shove. You know it, I know it, and he knows it. You'll see, he'll be just fine and dandy like sugar candy."

"You… you really think so?"

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," she Pinkie promised solemnly. "Once we're back together, you'll see."

"Yeah, I suppose… thanks…" She frowned for a moment, her face suddenly lit up. "Together, yes! Pinkie, you're a genius!"

"I am?" she asked, confused at this sudden proclamation. "I mean uh, yeah of course I am! How am I?"

"Quick, prop your cannon here." Doing as she commanded, Pinkie placed the cannon on the wall. "Right, let's try this…"

Twilight's horn glowed and consumed the cannon in a flash of purple light, which Pinkie watched closely, transfixed by its beauty. When the light faded, her cannon had transformed, though the glow from Twilight's horn lingered. The big barrel had now become six smaller ones arranged in a circle. A handle was attached to the side, as was a line of what looked like rock cakes, all leading down into a box next to it. A big cushy chair had appeared at the back and on the barrel, in pink letters with a smiley face on the end, it said:

PARTY TIME!

"Ooh, what did you do?" Pinkie asked, fascinated.

"I improved it a little, but I can't hold the spell for too long," she informed, her horn still glowing and beads of sweat rolling down her face. "Just point it and turn the handle."

"Okey-dokey!" Trusting Twilight as she would any of her friends, Pinkie hopped behind the seat of her new cannon, aimed down the sight and cranked the handle.

RATATATATATATATATATATA!

The gun fired a lot faster now, so much that Pinkie was shaking a bit from the vibrating of the cannon. She watched with glee as rock cakes whizzed through the air, smacking and smashing against Paraserpents. Even with their scales protecting them, they were having trouble standing against all of the cakes that were slamming into them at super-duper speeds, just as fast as Rainbow Dash zooming through the sky. A few seconds of constant shooting and they soon went down, their bodies pockmarked with bruises.

As a pony who liked to laugh and have fun whenever it was possible, Pinkie kept her spirits up by imagining that this was like a game at a fair ground: shoot the targets to win a prize, which would be the Elements of Harmony, so she made sure to aim extra good to win such special and important prizes. Even so, fighting was a pretty hard thing to make a joke about, even for her, so she would be glad when this was all over and done with. As fun as chocolate rain and cotton candy clouds were, it wasn't worth it if there were these things around to hurt her friends.

That meanie pants Discord was gonna be sorry for what he'd done.

Of the dozens that were swarming towards them before, only a few stragglers were left on this side of the fountain after only twenty seconds of firing. After that, Twilight couldn't maintain her transformation spell any longer and the cannon returned to normal. Pinkie blasted aside the remaining Paraserpents and turned to Twilight.

"Bet that left you plum tuckered huh?" she asked brightly.

"You can say… that again…" agreed Twilight, rubbing her head and accepting a hoof to help her up.

"Well, okay. Bet that left you plum tuckered huh? Why did you want me to say it again when I already said it once? Did you go deaf from all the banging and booming?"

"I suppose so," she said with a giggle, brightening Pinkie's smile. "Good shooting Pinkie."

"Good spelling Twilight!" she returned. "Wait, what's a word for casting magic like that? Magicking? Zapping? Poofing?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Thanks Twi!" She picked up one of the rock cakes that hadn't been fired. "You know, I once tried making rock cakes from actual rocks. Didn't work out though, although they did taste kind of alright when you added a little more sugar, so it was more for me I guess."

"Pinkie, what are you talking ab- AGH!"

Pinkie heard herself scream as Twilight was hit in the head with a magical blast from a Paraserpent from the rear, knocking her to the floor, groaning in pain and leaving an angry red glow on her face, which she now held in her hooves.

"Twilight! Oh my gosh, are you okay?" She grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Speak to me! SPEAK TO ME! DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!"

"Ow… it hurts…" she murmured. "My head… it hurts so much…"

"Don't worry, it's okay, it's okay, Pinkie's here," she soothed. "I won't let those meanies hit you again, I promise."

"Pinkie, what happened?" Spike came rushing over. "Oh no, Twilight! Is she okay? Is she dead? Oh that's it she's dead, isn't she?"

"No, no, she's okay," Pinkie said quickly. "One of them hit her right in the face… one of the Paraserpents…"

As Spike started to fret and worry over Twilight, Pinkie started to feel something rise in her tummy, something that made her seethe through gritted teeth and see red in her eyes. She slowly turned around to look at the oncoming horde that was slithering towards them, bolts of red magic shooting past her head and hissing sounding in her ears. Before, she could have tolerated these guys, they were just a big bunch of bullies they needed to get through but now… now they'd gone too far.

"Spike, get Twilight outta here," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off them. "I saw a big floating island thingy above us before. Get her up there and out of the way."

"Okay, right." She heard him pick up Twilight and pause in his running. "What are you going to do Pinkie?"

She glanced back at him and she saw his eyes widen at the look on her face. "One of my friends has been hurt by these nasties. And I don't like seeing my friends hurt by a bunch of big brawly beefy bullies. This calls for extreme measures… Pinkie Pie style!"

"Right um… good luck with that!" Spike gave her thumbs up and scurried out of the way.

Satisfied that her friends were now out of the way and safe, Pinkie turned back to the serpents, placed a hoof on her party cannon, reached out and took out a few remaining part grenades and rolled the barrel towards them, slowly, deliberately. Never once did her eyes leave them, never once did she feel scared by the fact there were way more of them than there was of her and never once did she forget the scream Twilight made when they'd hit her, see the look on Spike's face when they'd surrounded him and tried to eat him.

That was what drove her now, stopping before them.

One slithered up and hissed derisively. "Thissssss? Thissssss issssss all that sssssstands in our way? One sssssingle pony, all on her own?"

"I might be on my own, Missssssster," she hissed back, mockingly. "I might just be me, my cannon, my hooves and my party favours and there might be way more of you guys than me, that even I, who's had loads and loads of ponies at all my parties I've handled easily, might just be beaten by all of you. Heck, this might be the stupidest, silliest and craziest thing that I've ever done, even that time I tried to turn the lake into purple Jell-o and eat it all.

"But there's just one thing that's different. The one pony here, in your way, is called Pinkimena Dianne Pie and nopony, I repeat nopony, never, ever, ever hurts me, my home or especially my friends! Can you guess which one of those I'm most mad about? Trick question, cause I'm mad about all of them and I'm mad about every single one of you! And doing that, Mr Snake, was a very, very silly mistake!"

She hopped onto her cannon, whipped out her grenades and snarled at them like an angry dog. "So come on guys! Let's PARTY!"

They charged at her, screeching in a bid to scare her, but Pinkie wasn't so easily scared. With one blast from her party cannon, she blew away four of them in one go. They didn't even have time to recover as she yanked out the pins of the party grenades, with her teeth and flung them at them, flipping backwards behind the barrel of her cannon again as she did and reloading just as they exploded around her. She fired off the jelly shells that she loaded into the cannon and fired, sticking them fast. Then, she loaded herself into the cannon, her hooves facing forward.

She felt the singe on her rump as she shot out of the barrel like a cork on a bottle of pop and smacked one of them across the face, bouncing off his chin and smacking into another one of them, slamming into the ground and screaming with rage. Taking advantage of the rules of a world of chaos and her own rules, which as to say were non-existent, she ran up and down the sides of walls, bounced high up into the air, tracked and galloped across the sky and use every trick and trade she had up her sleeves to knock them down and knock them down hard.

Her attacks had no pattern or through and were completely random. A gut punch was followed with a right jab, roundhouse kick, head but, rump bump and double hoof kick all on enemy, followed by bouncing off him and performing the same set of random strikes on the next. Keep 'em guessing, a surprise party was the best kind of party, why should fighting be any different?

Soon, only a few of them were left, most of them still struggling to get out of her homemade jelly. Only three weren't stuck and they didn't look so tough anymore. She cart wheeled through the air, sticking one four times with her hooves, bounced off the ground and head butted another one rapidly on his head, rounding on the last one and grabbing her cannon, blasting him right in the face, the scales turning even blacker with the added soot. He waved and whirled on the spot, until Pinkie gently blew against him and he toppled to the floor in a heap.

She glanced back at those that were remaining stuck in the jelly, staring at her with disbelief and, most of all, fear. Bullies were only tough when you were just as scared as they wanted you to be. When you started to stand up to them and prove you weren't a pushover, suddenly they weren't so scary anymore.

"Imposssssssible…ssssso fassssssst…What are you…?" one of them whispered.

Pinkie smirked at him, pulled out a big colourful box, wound up the crank on the side to start the music, Pop Goes the Weasel and left it to turn itself, prancing off the jelly surface showing her back to them as it reached the end of the countdown. Just before the last second, she answered his question.

"I'm Pinkie Pie."

BOING!

The box opened and three boxing gloves on springs shot out, hitting each serpent across the face and knocking them out. Nodding with satisfaction at her victory, Pinkie bounced away and calmed herself down, leaving piles of dazed, beaten and sleepy Paraserpents behind her. Just like any one of her parties.

She reached the floating island and jumped up to join Spike and Twilight, the dragon staring at her. "Pinkie… that was amazing!"

"Yeah, I guess," she shrugged. "I normally don't go so cocoa loco like that unless somepony really deserves it and they really deserved it, big time!" She fumed a little, but brightened up again in seconds. "Any way, all done now. How is she?"

"She'll be fine, but this wound needs somepony to have a look at it," said Spike. "I don't know much about that kind of stuff though."

"I don't either," she reported sadly. "We need to get her to one of the others, get her some help."

"But how are we gonna…?" Spike trailed off, looking at something behind Pinkie. "Look at that!"

Pinkie turned and her eyes widened. "Ooh, it's one of Dusk's puppets!" It stared at them for a moment and galloped away. "Come on Spikey, if we follow it, we may be able to get help."

"Right." He heaved and slung Twilight over his shoulder. "Where do we go from here?"

"Come on, we'll take the islands over, it shouldn't be too hard," decided Pinkie, seeing a path of them.

"What? How are we gonna reach those?"

"You got two legs dontcha? Jump!" With a single bound, she soared over to the next island. As mean and strange as it was, a world of chaos could be kind of fun.

Standing at the centre of the hill, Dusk was deep in his magical trance, almost like he truly was the puppets that he had sent out to find his friends. His emotions, his memories and warmth for them all were what flowed through him like a raging river, filling his whole being and leaving little else. His body was a tool of his mind, which stretched out across the town like the clouds in the sky.

He was only vaguely aware of the sounds of his friends battling around him, fighting to keep him from harm. That they would even do such a thing created a storm of love and gratitude for them, which was added to the emotions that already coursed through his whole being. How could he have ever thought that, at one point, they seemed to have considered abandoning him forever...?

So, he didn't take notice of the battle or anything else around him. Not the hissing of the Paraserpents, the cries and shouts of battle, the single stone around his neck growing brighter, not even the fact that his cutie mark of a scroll seemed to be flickering as well. Almost fading from existence completely.

Not even that, he carried on guiding them, as he had done before...

Take It Back!

Backhoofing a hissing serpent across his vile pointed face, Rarity continued to stand her ground against the seemingly never-ending onslaught of monsters that threatened to overwhelm them. She examined her hoof with disdain, grimacing at having even lay it upon such a horrible being and returned swiftly to the battle.

It had seemed like an age after Dusk had first begun using his unique magic to summon their friends to their location and she was starting to feel fatigue affecting her again. She wasn't used to such an amount of physical exertion and was rather tentative to push herself further in case she started to, Celestia forbid, sweat On the smell… the very idea sickened her. Already her wonderfully styled mane was starting to unravel, her fur was messy and unkempt and her hooves were simply awful and in desperate need of a trip to the spa.

But she didn't have time to worry about such things, as of infinite importance they were to her, kicking aside another Paraserpent that threatened to sink his fangs into her leg. She couldn't afford to be distracted by aesthetic appeal or else a chipped hoof would be the least of her worries. She was needed to defend Dusk and to defeat the tyrant Discord and his minions and she was duty bound to do as was needed of her. It was only proper and a lady always honoured her agreements and devotion to duty.

"As soon as this is over though," she murmured to herself, "I'm taking a long, hot bath. For a few days perhaps, or weeks maybe…"

A strange sound made her look around and she looked to see Zecora had flung a bottle of potion at one of the attacking Paraserpents, the liquid landing on its head. The instant it made contact, the head swelled to the same size as a large cart, causing it to topple over and unable to move due to the sheer weight of its head. Panicked and confused, it started to whip its tail around in the air and ended up only causing grief to any of its fellows who were unfortunate enough to be nearby.

Interesting effect, Rarity wondered, watching as Zecora turned her attention to another group, blinding them with another potion which exploded in a bright flash and striking while they were unable to see. She made mental note to ask her about the possibility of mane care or beauty potions she might make. It could do wonders for her…

Shaking those thoughts aside for now, she glanced around to see how the others were handling themselves. Zecora was holding her ground nicely, her bamboo staff whirling above her head, Dusk was still performing his spell, looking both eerie and beautiful at the same time and Fluttershy was backing away from a Paraserpent that was creeping towards her, slowly wrapping its tail around her legs and grinning maliciously at her.

Panic gripped Rarity and she was about to bolt over, to knock the beast aside and relinquish its grip from her friend before it could do her any harm. But suddenly two more Paraserpents blocked her way, reflecting their fellows grin.

"Where you going, pony?" one hissed at her.

"Out of my way you brutes!" she ordered. "Stand aside, I say!"

They both exchanged a look and their smiles widened. Quick as a flash, one coiled its tail around her hooves, rendering her unable to attack and lifted her up into the air.

"You thissssss? It thinksssssss it can command usssssss."

"How very ssssstupid," agreed the other. "Let usssssss remind it of who issssss in control here."

Rarity cried out as they tightened their coils around her hooves, laughing at her pain and no doubt feeding off her suffering. She kicked out at them, but they either missed or the ones that hit failed to let go and just made them grip all the more tighter to make her suffer more.

The teal eyes of the Pagasus moved from the beast looming over her to the ones that held Rarity in place, burning with fear and terror. At first, it seemed as if she would start crying. But in that moment, Fluttershy's expression faltered and changed from fear to one of anger.

"STOP!" she commanded and the serpent actually did pause, even the ones that held Rarity. "Alright mister, I'm only going to say this once! Let go of my legs, right now!"

It stared at her, then laughed, a horrible, rasping sound. "Why should I do asssssss you sssssssay?"

There was a slight falter again, but she maintained it. "I'm sorry, did I say something funny? No, I don't think I did."

"What? How sssssstupid are you po-?"

"Don't take that tone with me! Don't you dare take that tone with me!" This time it actually recoiled and shivered. "You are nothing but a big, dumb bully and you do not talk to me that way or grab my legs or anything like that!"

"But I-?"

"No! No talking, just listen, because I'm not going to say this again!" She glared right into his eyes, her head leaning forward as his backed away. "Let. Me Go. Right NOW!"

Unable to wrench its gaze away, the Paraserpent almost seemed to shrink beneath Fluttershy's glaring. It was just like when she stood up to that dragon and, despite the pain, Rarity felt so proud of her. Finally, it whimpered and released Fluttershy, bowing its head to her, completely submitted to the power of her rarely seen assertion and the power of her Stare.

"I am sssssssso sssssssorry, little one!" it wept. "Pleassssssse, do not be angry with me, I have no wish to disssssspleasssse you further!"

Her motherly love of animals returning, Fluttershy smiled and rubbed his head. "It's okay, just as long as you don't do it again. You have to learn it's not nice to do that to ponies."

"Oh I have learned and I won't do it again, I ssssssswear it," the Paraserpent promised. "Isssssss there anything I can do to redeem mysssssssself?"

"Yes, could you get your friends off of my friend please?" she asked politely.

"Of coursssssse, of coursssssse, anything for you." It rounded on its comrades, eyes glowing with magic. "Releasssssse the pony thisssssss insssssstant!"

"What magic issssss thissss?" demanded one of them. "Ceassssse this foolishnessss, right no-!"

The serpent was cut off by a blast of red magic to the face, knocking out instantly. The other received the same treatment and Rarity was dropped to the floor, rubbing her legs and running towards Fluttershy, beaming proudly at her.

The Pegasus smiled up at the Paraserpent. "Thank you, that was a wonderful thing you did."

"Oh, you are welcome, you are mossssst… welcome…?" It blinked and shook its head, like it had woken up from a dream. "Wait, what am I doing? What have I just do-?!"

He joined his fellows in unconsciousness as Rarity jumped up and kicked him hard across the face, sending him sprawling to the floor. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned back to Fluttershy, still smiling at her.

"Well done Fluttershy, that was very, as Rainbow would say, gutsy of you," she said happily.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "You were in danger and… I did what I could to help."

"And that was more than enough," she assured her. "Thank you for your efforts."

"You're welcome, but I'm sure you'd do the same for me." She glanced over at the unconscious snake. "did you have to knock him out? He seemed like he would help us."

"You saw as well as I did your influence on him had worn off, it had to be done," she said firmly. "No, we had best return to the battle at hoof. Will you need any further help?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine." She gave a brave little smile. "These guys just need a firm hoof."

"They do indeed." Rarity jumped to avoid another attack and headed back to her position. "Good luck dear!"

"You too!" Fluttershy, more confidently than before, rounded on another three of them and Rarity heard her firm tones raise again.

She looked to see that three of her own had arrived to fight her. Neck straight and head high, she waited for one to charge, smacking him hard across his face. She sailed through the air with a jump to avoid a magical blast and responded with one of her own, tossing fabric at him and creating a blindfold and swiftly kicked the legs of another one. The blinded one bit into the side of another, he screeched and fell, Rarity trounced him between his covered eyes and soon the whole trio was at her hooves.

Smiling and allowing herself the satisfaction of a well-earned victory, Rarity dusted off her hooves and rounded to engage more of them.

Though Rarity didn't like to exercise, battling the beasts was easy enough. Their long bodies meant that any strike would do some damage and, because of some uncouth ruffians she had handled before, Rarity certainly knew how to apply enough force to her blows to indicate she was not to be trifled with. Furthermore, she was able to use her ladylike grace and elegance to dodge the attacks that her foes committed to. They had brute force, but they simply lacked her style, which would be enough to see her through.

She had just furiously kicked another into submission when one she thought she had taken care of previously smacked her with its tail, launching her off her hooves and careering her into a whole group of the beasts. Hurriedly, she returned to her hooves, but knew right away there were simply more of them here than she could handle on her own. She was too tired from her previous efforts and would be worn out before she could.

"Well, this is distinctly bad," she muttered, her eyes darting from one pointed face to another.

Before she could react, one shot at her, mouth open, fangs bared and-

CLONK!

A wooden rod struck the beast on the head, knocking him out and Rarity knew who had come to her aid this time. There was a loud bang and a cloud of purple smoke obscured her vision, but she felt a hoof grab hers and she let it drag her out of the Paraserpent scrum, feeling a blast whizz past her head and missing by inches. There were confused shouts and screeches from those who had been blinded by the smokescreen.

Once she had full use of her eyes again, she looked at Zecora and nodded. "You couldn't have timed that better. Thank you for your help."

"When put to the test, I always try my best," replied the zebra. "But it seems to me that we have further company."

She indicated five Paraserpents, purple smoke trailing off them, had surrounded them and looked livid with fury.

"Shall I let you handle these?" she offered to her. She felt like she needed a rest from the fighting.

"If you like," nodded Zecora, then to the Paraserpents, "My promise that I will best you is no bluff, so come and have a go, if you think you are hard enough."

She whirled her staff above her head and stood, perfectly balanced, in a martial arts stance. For a moment, there was nothing except for her regular breathing and the incessant hissing. One of them pounced at her, hissing loudly.

Zecora intercepted him, slamming her staff down and lifting herself up on it like a javelin, kicking two more that came from behind with her rear hooves. Flipping onto the knocked out serpent, she twirled her staff, hitting the other two multiple times across the face and followed up smoothly by swinging the staff and striking them once more across their heads, knocking them out. The one she stood on raised its head to attack again, but she silenced it by hitting him with the staff too.

She let out a strange whooping sound within her throat, snorted once and jumped off, moving towards Rarity. The debutante, however, was looking past her at another larger group moving from the left, over a dozen of them. Even Zecora would have trouble trying to face down so many of them on her own. She had to help her, overcoming her wanting to just rest and moving as fast as she could to join her.

She'd barely made it halfway, however, when Zecora turned to look at the group and didn't even look worried. Instead, she took out another potion, one that had wavy lines and crossed eyes marked on the label.

"Let's see if you remain focused on duty, once you inhale this little beauty." She flung the bottle at the ground below them.

As soon as the leading four inhaled the smoky red fumes, they halted in their advance, their eyes glazing over. A few seconds later, they all screeched, rounded on their allies and started to attack them, sinking fangs into scales, striking with tails or shooting their magic. Soon enough, the whole group had inhaled the potion's fumes and they were all fighting among themselves. Within a minute, all of them were on the ground, motionless and twitching.

"What in the world was that?" asked Rarity.

"In answer to your expression bemused, that potion makes those who become with it infused are driven mad and become confused." She looked over the group. "As you can see for this band, a house divided cannot stand.

"I can certainly see that. That was quite impressive," Rarity admitted. "You truly are a wonder with your work, Zecora."

"You words gladden me, dear Rarity," she said kindly, smacking one across the face with the back of her hoof that she had missed. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine, just a little tired that's all, I don't usually do this kind of thing." She panted a little and relaxed. "Just give me a few moments, I'll be fine."

Zecora reached into her bag and pulled out another potion. "Here, drink this brew and you will find your strength renewed."

Rarity took it and uncorked the top, recoiling slightly from the smell. She did her best not to show it, for a lady had to be polite and it would be polite to drink it, if nothing else. Holding her nose, she gulped it down, the bitter taste befouling her mouth. The payoff was that she certainly did feel like she had woken up after a session in the spa, rejuvenated and ready for action.

"Marvellous! Thank you very much again, Zecora."

The zebra bowed her head. "To protect those I treasure, it was my pleasure. Now, to return to the fight and extinguish chaos' blight!"

Fuelled by Zecroa's potion, Rarity found herself further bolstered when, quite surprisingly, Dusk started to sing from his spot on the hill. With his lips moving and his eyes still glowing, it looked quite eerie, yet it was still inspiring.

When you're stumbling through the darkness walking blind
Don't forget that there is always hope to find
Choose your path
Walk it well
Save us from this living hell
In this broken cage
We will not be confined

And when the world it starts to burn
At the point of no return
Keep a hold of
Your conviction
Tear out the affliction
And before the world turns black
Stand up and take it back!

Psychologically boosted by this, Rarity fought all the harder and she was sure her companions were too. This was only added to when one of the puppets returned, bringing with it a large host of very recognizable figures.

"Hey y'all, we miss much?" asked Applejack, knocking aside a serpent with her strong legs.

"Not at all," Rarity assured. "We saved plenty of foes for you to trounce."

"Howgood of you," remarked Little Strongheart, holding out her hoof. "It's good to see you again Rarity."

The fashion recoiled a little when she saw how dusty and dirty the calf's hooves were. Not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to get the dirt all over her own well-cared for hooves, she shook it delicately and only for a moment.

"Yes um… good to see you too, Little Strongheart. She quickly retracted her hoof and cleared her throat. "Now there is um, I believe more battle to be waged."

"Sounds good!" Rainbow smacked one hoof into the other. "Ready to go Strongheart?"

"I was born ready, Rainbow Dash!" called the calf, who greeted Rarity with a nod before sprinting off to battle more of them.

"Rarity! You're okay!" The unicorn was surprised further by the sight of Sweetie Belle and her friends, but not in a good way.

"Sweetie Belle?! But what are you… how are you… what is…?" She rounded on Applejack. "What in the world are they doing here?!"

The farm pony sighed. "Long story and ah ain't too happy about maself, but we had ta bring 'em, we didn't have any other choice."

"We only wanted to help Rarity," put in Sweetie. "I just wanted to see if you were okay…"

Rarity felt her anger abate. After all with that pouty mouth, those big sad eyes and her whimpering voice, who wouldn't feel something, like that? She still would have preferred it that they weren't here, but they were now and she'd have to adapt. Besides, she was quite relieved to see that her sibling was safe and somewhere she could see her.

"Very well." She pointed to Dusk. "Stay close to him, you'll be safe there." Her little sister nodded and hurried off. "And Sweetie… it's good to see you safe too."

Her sister looked surprised, but her smile was still enough to melt her heart. "Thanks big sis."

"Well, there are worse places to be," remarked Scootaloo, approaching Dusk. "He's pretty cool, I guess, I mean he did try and help us with our cutie marks."

"Hey Mr Dusk, Dusk hey! It's us, the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" called out Apple Bloom to him. He didn't even react to her. "What's wrong with him? Why's he not sayin' anythin'?"

Rarity couldn't help but smirk at their innocence. "He's just a little busy right now and he needs to concentrate so that we can stop the monsters."

"Is he using his special magic to bring the others together?"

The moment she asked that, Rarity realised that there was more than one meaning to this question. Yes, he had used his magic to find them when they were lost in the past, yet he had done so much more with himself than just shine a few magical lights. What wit reaching out to the desolate and forlorn, being part of a peace between two warring peoples and restoring the memories and emotions of friendship to every single one of them, she saw the true magic wasn't just the kind he emitted from his horn.

Quite ironic how a pony who at first knew nothing of friendship and didn't think he even deserved it could be the best and most special friend they ever had.

"Yes, yes he is," she finally said.

"Right, we won't disturb him," promised Sweetie.

"We'll stay here an' guard him, won't we?" suggested Apple Bloom. "They won't get past the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

"Yeah, we'll do that!" agreed Scootaloo. "Don't you worry Dusk, we kick the flank of any snake that even thinks about eating you."

Although Rarity knew that he was deep in his magical trance and that he was concentrating on performing his spell, she could have sworn that as the girls were speaking, just as Scootaloo finished her promise, there was a faint ghost of a smile. Like he had actually heard them. But it was gone as quickly as it arrived and she wasn't even sure if she actually saw it.

Now with a renewed determination to protect her little sister, Rarity looked at Applejack and the two of them ran together into the battle, Dusk's singing once again in their ears.

As the homes of brick and hay crumble to dust
The foundations of our hope begin to rust
Choking fear
Screaming sound
As a Serpent comes to ground
You turn to face it down
Because you must

And when the world it starts to burn
At the point of no return
Keep a hold of
Your conviction
Tear out the affliction
And before the world turns black

Stand up and take it back!

Now they were even more formidable with the added help of not only their friends, but also by those who weren't even wielders and who didn't need to be here. Wondering who else might have come along too, Rarity saw another puppet fall from the sky and land silently on the ground. A nearby Paraserpent stared at it, confused, until…

"Coming through!" A pink form bounced on the head of the Paraserpent, followed by a larger purple one, making it crash to the floor as a party cannon sounded off. "I'm baaaaaaaack!"

"Quick, somepony, Twilight needs help!" called the large scaled purple being. "She's been hit!"

A few seconds later, Rarity heard thundering hooves. "I'm here," Strongheart said from behind Rarity, hurrying up with a small pot and bending over Twilight, who was groaning weakly.

"What, where?" she asked, concerned for her friend. When Rarity got closer, she realised who it was, as it could only be him. "Spike…?"

"Oh uh, hey Rarity." He flexed his enlarged muscles and grinned at her. "What do you think, pretty cool huh?"

"Um yes I suppose…" Truth be told, Rarity was a little unnerved at this 'new' Spike. She much preferred the old one. "How did you get like that?"

"Oh you know, working out, hitting the gym, running…" He laughed nervously at her raised eyebrow. "Actually it was a potion Zecora gave me. But still, it is pretty good right?"

"Right… Spike, I-"

"Take it easy Twilight, slowly stand up," Strongheart's voice was saying. "You took quite a hit, but you'll be fine… nice and easy."

"Twilight!" Both she and Spike cried. "Are you feeling well?"

She touched her head and stood up, shaking it. "Ugh… my head feels like somepony just dropped the entire works of the Magical Compendium on it, but I'm fine."

Rarity exhaled and smiled. "Well, that's quite a-"

"Are you sure? You got hit right in the face!" Spike fretted. "Do you need a lie down? How about some food? Or a drink? I could-!"

"Spike, trust me, I'm fine," she cut off gently. "But thank you for your concern and for getting me here in the first place."

"Yeah, it was nothing," he said in a would-be modest tone.

"And once again, that's why you're my number one dragon assistant," she added.

"Twilight, you're making me blush." He paused for a moment. "Hey, I didn't say stop. I mean, I guess I was pretty heroic now you mention it, quite gallant and brave you might say…"

"Don't push it," she warned, but she was still smiling. "I think it's enough being number one dragon…" She trailed off and the smile was wiped off her face in an instant. "Oh my gosh, Dusk! Is he okay?"

"Don't you worry, he's right there," Rarity pointed with a knowing smile.

The debutante knew too well what her fellow unicorn felt for their mutual male friend, no matter how much she might deny it or how much she kept it hidden. Except, since all this began, it had shown itself a lot more than previously, like she had finally decided to start being honest, both to herself and to him. Perhaps, when all this was over, she'd finally let it be shown fully. Perhaps.

Positively beaming at the sight of him, Twilight hurried up to him, followed closely by Spike also expressing his relief.

"Dusk, oh I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Hey buddy! Check this out, have you seen me?" Spike flexed his muscles again, stopping when Dusk didn't respond. "Dusk? Can you hear me bro?"

"Dusk? Dusk it's me, it's Twilight," she said softly. "What's happening? I've never seen him like this before."

"He needed his concentration to perform the spell to bring us all back together," Rarity informed them. "But we're all here now, so he should stop now."

They flinched at the sound of an explosion and a screech, reminding them of the battle raging around them.

"Well why hasn't he?" asked Spike.

"Perhaps he's simply not aware of our presence because he's so immersed in the spell." Rarity decided to try her hoof at it. "Dusk, can you hear me darling? It's Rarity, you can stop now, we're all here."

"Yes we're all here," echoed Twilight. "You don't have to keep doing your spell, you can stop performing your magic now."

"Yeah, snap out of it. Come on!" added Spike, waving his claw in front of him.

Still Dusk didn't respond, if anything his spell seemed to increase in intensity, his face remaining strangely blank and impassive. His eyes and horn glowed even more brightly than before with the magic that fuelled them, the colours that whirled inside both them and his orbs now like a raging ocean in a fierce storm, both beautiful and terrible. The stone around his neck was also shining, flickering between dull and bright.

Though Rarity knew his colour magic to be little more than harmless movements of light, even she started to feel a little bit of worry at this sudden change. From the way they were acting, she could certainly say that something was about to happen as a result of this and it certainly wouldn't be anything good. She couldn't be entirely certain of course for they didn't know the full extent of it, but that seemed about the way of it.

"Ooh boy, that doesn't look good," remarked Spike.

"I would see fit to agree," concurred Rarity.

Twilight addressed him now in an even more worried tone. "Dusk, I don't know what you're doing or what you think you might be doing, but you can stop now. Please, just stop! You're scaring me…"

Spike looked as if he was about to say something, but a Paraserpent chose that moment to leap at him and wrap itself around his body. With his increased strength, he ripped the beast off him and flung it skyward, whipping around and returning to the battle. Rarity would have joined him, but Twilight still hadn't moved and she was anxious to see how this might unfold.

Rarity was about to something a little more drastic herself, step in perhaps and, though she might feel guilty for it later, hit Dusk hard across the face to snap him out of it. But only now did he respond though not in his usual gentle, quiet tones but in an echoing voice that lingered in her ears long after he had stopped speaking.

"Don't be afraid, Twilight, I know what I'm doing. I'm not done yet, there is still one last thing I must do."

Twilight stared at him. "But… what is that exactly? What are you trying to do?"

That ghost of a smile returned to his face and his eyes looked directly at her. "I have brought you all together again, now I'm going to make sure the Paraserpents cannot separate us ever again."

"But… but Dusk… how can you…?"

"Please, don't be scared Miss Sparkle." Rarity looked down to see that his hoof was now over Twilight's. "Trust me, have faith."

They remained like that for a few moments, Dusk's eyes shining all the colours off Twilight's concerned face, though this now dissolved away the instant he said those words and she nodded bravely. He returned it and removed his hoof and gaze from her, giving his full attention to the important matter. Twilight however still hadn't moved from her spot in front of him, her watery eyes still fixed on his face.

Rarity laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight, come on. The others need our help to hold them back."

At first, it looked like she wouldn't move but she sighed and nodded "I know, I'm coming… wait hold on." She turned back to Dusk, hesitated for a moment, then allowed her lips to make contact with his, holding the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away again. "Good luck…"

As they turned around to engage the enemy once more, Rarity could have sworn that he heard him whisper in response to this.

"You too."

Now they fought against their enemy once more, as they slithered and spat at them furiously, trying to gain some kind of hoofhold. But now they were all here, combing the use of hooves, magic, cannon, tooth and claw against the forces of Discord, not giving them one single inch. With them came even more Paraserpents, but they would hold their ground against whatever forces came at them no matter what.

It was almost like watching it slow motion. She saw Applejack and Strongheart floor a Paraserpent, Rainbow taking on three of them by herself, Twilight blasting one back with a burst of magic combined with a fireball from Spike, Pinkie slamming her party cannon onto the head of one before blasting another in the head, Zecora flinging her potions at the horde while Fluttershy commanded attacks from the head of one close by and the Crusaders even lending a hoof, smacking any ones that slipped by them and threatened Dusk. Up above, lighting and sun shone through the clouds as the princesses fought their ancient foe.

Here they all were great and small, young and old, pony, buffalo, dragon and zebra, all of them battling to save their home from Discord and return harmony to all. If one needed further proof of friendship's power, here it was.

Now they all heard Dusk as he sang once more, repeating it like a mantra and further spurring them to fight on.

For Earth, Unicorn and Pegasus
It's time to end the chaos
For Earth, Unicorn and Pegasus
It's time to end the chaos

And we won't fight this war alone my friends
Stand side by side until the end.
They won't break you
Break you
They won't bring you to your knees
They won't break you...

When Rarity turned back around to view his progress, she saw that orb he had created was now expanding to an even larger size, the colours inside it spinning and whizzing in its white shining depths, its creator still singing, though he also looked to be sweating whilst looking directly at it.

And when the world it starts to burn
At the point of no return
Keep a hold of
Your conviction
Tear out the affliction
And before the world turns black
Stand up and take it back!

Now it grew brighter still, even the others all pausing in their fight to stare at it, the Paraserpents recoiling and hissing in fear. Now it was making a strange humming sound that grew louder and louder every second, beating and pulsating like a heart.

Stand up and take it back!

"Everypony, cover your eyes!" Twilight cried over the din, the brightness becoming unbearable.

Rarity did so, feeling the claws of Spike wrap protectively around her as she hid her head in her hooves and screwed her eyes shut. Amidst all the shouting and screaming, the screeching and hissing she heard Dusk cry out one more time.

Stand up and take it BACK!

There was an explosion, a burst of light she could see even through her closed eyes, more screeches from the Paraserpents while something whizzed and shot all around them that grew less and less every moment that passed.

Then silence.

Luna felt a sharp pain as she was thrown into the ground, every bit of her aching and stinging from the battle she had partaken in. Her wings felt as if they were going to drop off, her horn flickering feebly and a feeling like a vice being closed on her head. She tried to get up, tried to return to the fight but she just didn't have the strength anymore.

Another slam told her Celestia had received the same treatment, smacking to the ground beside her, her body covered with bruises and cuts, from which blood oozed in little red trickles. Luna felt fear grip her, seeing her powerful and immovable sister in such a state. She too tried to return to her hooves, to push herself to the limit she had already reached when a goat's hoof stepped on her neck and pushed her back down again.

"I would stay down if I were you," warned Discord. "You'll find it's a lot easier than getting up just so I can knock you down again."

"Not until… until you're beaten…" Celestia groaned, coughing as the draconequus increased pressure on her neck.

"Oh yes, not until I'm beaten," he repeated mockingly. "If your goal is to achieve that, we could be here for a while."

"What is there… to stop us…?" asked Luna. "We shall… we can defeat thee…"

"Oh, when are you two just going to face facts," he asked exasperatedly. "I've won, you've lost. You ran the race and came up second best, you leaped for the moon and hit the floor, you ran up the side of the wall and fell because you ran out of wall. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because… we beat you last time… we can… do it again…" replied Celestia.

"Yes, but last time you had the Elements and now you don't even have those. It's been a thousand years since we fought and I'm still to you as a spoon is to a bowl of ice cream: unbeatable so why even try. Doesn't that tell you anything?" They remained silent, glaring up at him. "And they say I'm unrealistic. Fine, I guess I'll-"

THOOM!

Luna's head shot up painfully at the sound that met her ears. From another part of the town, tear-drop-shaped swirls of colour were shooting everywhere like fireworks and small black shapes were being tossed into the sky, blasting off and crashing all over the place. Several landed smack beside them here and Luna saw the dazed and beaten form of a Paraserpent. It tried to lift its head, but slumped down in defeat.

Discord made a noise of disbelief and had to dodge out of the way as he was almost hit by some of his own minions. As painful as it was, Luna glanced over at her sister and the two of them exchanged a smile. At least they had done what they needed to.

"What-where-when-who -why? he asked in quick succession. "What's going on here? Why is it raining minions?"

"It seems that… your victory isn't as… complete as you thought…" noted Celestia. "Harmony still… lives on…"

Discord's quick look of worry was replaced with self-assured arrogance in a flash. "You think it's enough because they've won one little battle? If you intend to cut out a weed, you go for the root, not the leaves and stalk. Unless you're me, in which case that weed will keep on growing no matter where you cut it."

"But they've already beaten your monsters… how long before… they defeat you too!" Celestia shouted this as she charged at Discord again, sunlight blazing in her wake.

With a casual flick of his hand, Discord struck her with a bolt of chaos energy that tickled her with a load of feathers, throwing off her concentration before dropping an anvil on her head and dropping her to the floor once more, dazed and beaten once more. Luna would have tried one last attack herself, but she simply didn't have the energy.

"So boring, Celestia," taunted Discord. "Let's try and make you a little more interesting, shall we?"

He touched her with his claw, a flash of magic shooting from it. To Luna's horror, from her flank to her head and spreading fast, the spirit of chaos was turning her sister to stone, immobilizing her in the same way they had done to him. Celestia tried to stop the flow of stone up her body with her own power, but she was too weakened and Discord was too strong.

Just as the stone reached her neck, she glared at him. "I thought you said you didn't turn ponies into stone."

Discord only grinned. "I lied."

Frozen in a look of perpetual defiance, the last vestige of stone covered Celestia's head, preventing any further movement and imprisoning her completely. Fate it seems wasn't without irony. Despite this, Luna wasn't scared, for she had seen those clouds of colour shooting across the sky and knew that only one pony could have done such a thing. That meant he had almost learned the truth and there was just one little thing left.

"Hm, it's certainly an improvement," remarked Discord conversationally. "What do you think Luna? Too serious? Perhaps brighten it up a bit?"

"If thou means to offer us the same fate, thou may as well get on with it," she retorted.

"If you insist," he shrugged. Luna soon felt the cold stone creeping up her own body, but she was determined not to be scared, not to panic. "So Luna, still think your master was right? You still think that your little pony is who you think he is?"

"We don't think so, we know so." She locked her eyes on his, just as the stone was reaching her face. "And so dost thee."

Return of Harmony

Darkness consumed had consumed Dusk, an ironic end when he thought about the great shining light he had seen before his fatigue got the better of him and he strayed out of conscious thought and into the gentle embrace of unconsciousness. It was just like going to sleep after a long tiring day, a rest he felt that he truly deserved after working so hard.

Those last few minutes had been the strangest and most wonderful sensations he had ever felt. As soon as he had begun his spell, as soon as he reached out through the chaos and disharmony to find the lights of friendship that shone within the girls, it had been like he had stopped being part of the earth he walked upon and became something else entirely. Something more than a unicorn, something more than even a pony, something more than little Dusk Noir. The emotions that flowed through his body like a river had become his very being, his very thought and essence and drive beyond his control and completely subject to their will.

So much had happened, only flashes, barely comprehensible… cries and yells, hisses and screeches, the sweet voice of Twilight Sparkle… he had heard her above everything else, even his emotions that were dulling everything. Something else had happened too, something that had made his heart spike and his emotions rage like a river… a spark…

That was ultimately the end result of his efforts. Gradually, with the others drawing close and his emotions growing stronger, so had his magic become stronger too, rising and growing to a point where he felt as if he could reshape the world. When it had reached its peak and he had to do something to let it out or else he might explode, only one thought had echoed through his mind, one desire above all others.

Protect his friends.

And that was what he had done. With a force like he had never experienced, as beautiful as a shooting star and as powerful as a bolt of lightning, he had struck out against the Paraserpents that had surrounded them. It didn't matter how many of them there were, how powerful they might be or how weak he might have been. Suddenly, that didn't matter. What did matter was the protection and safety of his friends, something that he wanted more than anything else. They'd all worked so hard to protect him, it was only right he should do something in return.

He already knew that, against all odds and doubts he had in himself, it had worked and they were safe for now. They would still need to get to the library and retrieve the Elements, but he had done what he could and helped as best as he could manage. That was why he was like this now: just lying here, at peace with himself in a way… or as much as one possessed by the influence of chaos could hope to be. He could choose to leave this place anytime he wanted, or that was what he felt he could do. The illusion of free choice, he mused silently for nopony else could hear.

Dusk wasn't actually sure where he was. At first, it looked like some empty white void with only him in it. It felt as a warm as the sun in summer and as tranquil as a sparkling lake. It was silent yes, but not the kind of oppressive, heavy silence but something more peaceful and whole. Gradually, he started to recognise the surroundings and realised he was in his living room in his home, though he knew from the memories he had gained that Blackhole had destroyed it. He saw his fireplace, his couch, blue carpet, wooden floor, shelf of books. It was his modest little home with just enough decoration to know it was his own. He didn't need all the trappings and personal touches to know it was his home, to identify his place. He didn't need it.

Modest yet still personal, that was how Rarity had described it once. That was one way of looking at it. Twilight had just said it was a lovely home, that time when she came for Hearth's Warming. Somehow, he preferred that as he sat down on his couch and curled up. This was his place so it could be whatever he wanted to be. Right now, it was his safety and his refuge and he just wanted to rest here. Didn't he deserve that much?

"Just a few moments," he murmured to himself. "I don't need to go back yet, I need to rest…"

In truth however, the more he thought about it, the more he realised one thing that was the reason for his state: he was scared. Why wouldn't he be? Despite the power of his spell, he hadn't actually killed the Paraserpents, rather knocked them out and put them out of the way for the time being. They would be back up on their feet, metaphorically speaking, soon enough and they'd be a danger once more. Add to that Discord still being in power, ready and waiting to create more and Dusk had every reason to simply remain like this until it was all over.

So why return? Why return to the waking world and put himself in danger again when he'd already done as much as he could? He wasn't an Element of Harmony, so he wouldn't play any other part in bringing down Discord. He certainly wouldn't be able to muster up the strength to perform the spell again, he wasn't even really sure how he had done it the first time. He didn't even know he was capable of performing such a feat. So why go back now, when he would only get in the way and he might even lose his own life in the process? That wasn't him…

But then he remembered something else, a promise he'd made to somepony he would do anything to help.

"I'm with you Miss Sparkle, to the end. For them. For us. For Equestria!"

Dusk allowed himself a moment of guilt along with his fear, and then wallowed in it entirely like a pig would wallow in filth, for that was how he viewed himself for thinking such a thing. How could he truly call himself her second assistant and her friend if he would be so cowardly as to back out now when she might still need him? As scared as he might be, he had made a promise and his work wasn't done yet as long as the spirit of chaos was still on his throne and his minions were still snaking their way around the streets of the town he now called home. She needed him and they needed him and he was thinking of leaving them now?

He looked up at his fireplace and things were there that weren't there before. Photos he didn't recall having taken yet they were there, moments from his life ever since he had met the girls. Sitting at a table taking tea, at a trip to the spa, the night at the Gala, happy wonderful times. Some were more recent and less happy, like the learning of the terrible news, succumbing to Discord, fighting back against him, standing against him by his friends. The more recent one was of himself, lying unconscious on a hill, worried faces and tense looks from those around him.

"The here and now," he whispered, brushing against it gently.

No, he decided. He may not be a warrior or a fighter, but he certainly wasn't going to break a promise to his friends. Not when they still needed him. So, he rose up and left the peace and tranquillity of his home, heading towards the door to leave this place and return to the pain and fear of the world. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he also knew that it was better than just staying here and doing nothing while his friends were all out there fighting for him and their home.

Before he left however, other unclear images and photos appeared on the wall and mantelpiece. These photos were more blurry and a little harder to make out the others and kept shifting and changing like watercolours on a canvas. That got Dusk thinking, one of the few things he was actually good at If some of those photos were of his past, then these might be of the future. Surely a little look wouldn't hurt, they weren't even that clear…

He scanned over them, making them out as best he could. He saw a duke blue outline standing with over a dozen others, facing down a serpentine shape… Discord perhaps? The one after was of the same outline, this time leaning close to a purple one… no, lilac like a certain avid studier he knew. Another showed again the same blue pony and he was being shown something by a taller figure with almost the same fur colour… could that perhaps be Luna? He received rather warm feelings from looking at these, ones of happiness and fulfilment. Clearly, these were events that he would enjoy and look forward too.

The same couldn't really be said for any of the others. There was a black shape, magic whirling from his horn and four-legged forms around him… if that was who he thought it was… more black shapes, whole swarms of them that looked to be attacking what seemed to be Canterlot, palaces of crystal surrounded by shadow and darkness, a pair of purple and blue shapes clashing with black and ice blue ones… what kind of futures were these?

There were two that particularly disturbed him towards the very end until he was scared to look any further beyond that one. The image of the first was of tall pony, another unicorn, his fur a dark grey and his hair a blood red that seemed to be trapped in some kind of cavern, the outlines of three eyes watching him from the darkness and chains around his legs and neck. These chains however were worn and old and looked like they were about to break. Again was the same figure, with six violently coloured lights surrounding him and shining into him as his horn glowed. The orange flickering of flames silhouetted them, Dusk could almost feel the heat…

Dusk decided he had seen enough. He wrenched his eyes away from these snapshots of the future if that's what they truly were and turned back towards the door. Whatever the future might have in store for him, he would do what others did and find out for himself, not giving himself any possible previews, especially if it looked to be such a dark and dangerous future. Spoilers always ruined the end of the story and made the rest of it unenjoyable. Why ruin it for the few bad moments when there might be so many good ones.

"Have faith," he said to himself. "Future doesn't make the pony, a pony makes his future."

Dusk strode towards the door to his home that would lead him back into the waking world. As he opened it, he paused at the door and turned to look back at the photos at all of his memories and previews of his life laid out before him. He didn't have any doubts and knew this was the right thing to do. Though this might be further proof that he was perhaps more like his uncanny ancestor that he first thought, he had no wish to see the future. Let the future reveal itself.

"I hope I never remember what I saw here," he whispered to himself, shutting the door and blinded by the light that met him.

Fortunately, he didn't have any memory of that place.

The whiteness of the light was all he could see when he reawakened, somehow feeling as well rested as if he had been asleep for days and yet also as exhausted as if he had run a marathon. His ears were like they had been stuffed with cotton, for he could hear little beyond incomprehensible muffles. His extremities were numb and tingling and his head felt like it was in a vice.

Gradually things became a little clearer and he could at least hear better, though his vision was little more than a blur and his head was still aching. He had never felt anything like this before, that spell must have taken more out of him than he first thought. He could just make out three blobs near him, bending over him, one white, one orange and one yellow. Other blurs also hurried by, shouting and yelling to each other.

He noticed too that there was a strong smell of some kind of incense in his nostrils, enough to make them burn a little bit from the stench and a deep voice chanting something in a different language. Zecora, he thought to himself, performing some kind of process to wake him up. It seemed that it was a good thing she came along in the end.

Soon, he was able to make out the voices more clearly, like he was fine tuning a radio.

"… you see that?" came the excited voice of Pinkie Pie. "I mean, it was just growing bigger and bigger until it went BOOM!" The part she yelled was accompanied by the sound of a kazoo. "Then they all just went wheeeee way up into the sky! It was just like fireworks! Except not like fireworks cause they weren't rockets, but sort of like fireworks because-"

"Yes, Pinkie we all saw it," said Twilight exasperatedly. "We can talk about it later, now get back to watching the Paraserpents. We don't know when they might start moving again."

"Okey-dokey-lokey!"

"W-w-w-what do you mean c-c-c-come back?" asked a nervous Fluttershy. "I thought he'd beaten them all…"

"He did, but look, they're still breathing," Twilight pointed out. "This is only a temporary victory, so I want us all on alert in case they wake up."

"Oh… right…" The Pegasus certainly didn't seem happy at the prospect of that.

"What in the hay was that anyway?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I've never seen his magic do anything so… well, awesome before."

"While I wouldn't exactly call that 'awesome,'" Rarity remarked, "I do agree with Rainbow there. It seems that his magic can be used for more than just light shows."

"And how," added Applejack. "So, question is what exactly caused him ta do that an' how come it ain't never happened before all this? Reckon he knew?"

"I don't think so, at least he never mentioned anything to me," Twilight said, more to herself than anypony else. "But we don't exactly know the full extent of his powers and I don't think he does either. He could only just be discovering them now."

"Like a born calf still learning how to walk," mused Strongheart. "Acts of magic truly are a strange business and I am sometimes thankful my people have no such abilities."

"Well, you might have a point there," agreed Twilight. "Even we unicorns don't fully understand our magical abilities sometimes. But there's no doubt of the good it can do or the acts it can accomplish."

"Indeed. Or the bad it can do," she said quietly.

"Only in some cases-"

"Hey, ah think he's movin'!" came the excited voice of Apple Bloom.

"No he's not, your just seeing things," dismissed Scootaloo.

"No, he is look!" pointed Sweetie Belle. "Look, his eyes are opening."

"What?" Scootaloo was silent for a moment. "Hey, yeah you're right! Heh, my bad."

"Don't worry 'bout it," assured Apple Bloom. "Hey Zecora, ya can stop now! Ah think yer potion worked!"

"Let me see." He could hear the sound of approaching hooves and saw a grey blur pass into his field of vision. "Back from the land of dreams, Dusk Noir awakes it seems."

To speak felt like a great effort, but he tried regardless. "That's debatable really…"

"Then it would be great to end that debate," countered Zecora calmly. "Can you stand?"

"I'm… I'm not sure…" he responded weakly.

He tried to push himself up, but he was suddenly aware of how heavy his body felt and how weak his legs had suddenly become. Every bit of him ached and burned like it was on fire, which was only made worse when he tried to put pressure on his legs. He would have fallen back to the floor, had Zecora not been there to offer support.

"I feel… awful," he said simply.

"How long this will last, I do not know. For now, just take it slow," she advised wisely.

"Duly noted." He did his best to focus on her. "Thank you…"

"It is no trouble at all to help you up from your fall." If only she knew how much significance those words actually held, Dusk thought to himself.

"Hey everypony! Dusk's awake!" called Apple Bloom.

"And I thought I was lazy," remarked a deep voice that sounded rather like Spike from his tones. Before he could ask however, he was interrupted.

"Dusk! Oh thank goodness you're okay!" His vision was suddenly filled with purple and her sweet smell filling his nostrils, throwing her legs around him.

He did his best to weakly return it, but the force of her colliding with him caused him to wobble slightly. "Um… Twilight?"

"Huh? Oh right, sorry." Though his vision was blurred, he could still make out the blush in her cheeks. "I'm just… relieved that you're not hurt."

"Yeah, Twah'light was more'n a lil' concerned about ya ta say the least," put in Applejack slyly. "You feelin' okay?"

"Not really," he admitted. "My legs ache… my head… hurts and I can barely see a thing."

"Oh you poor dear." He soon felt the gentle hoof of Fluttershy stroking his mane. "Don't worry, you're gonna be just fine."

Just that made Dusk feel a little better, though he swore he could hear a low growl from Twilight. "Thank you, little sister, but I don't know…"

"Eh, you're tougher than you give yourself credit for Dusk," bolstered Rainbow, punching his legs lightly and making him stagger. "Oops, sorry. But, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I certainly don't feel fine…" he said bleakly.

"If I might, Rainbow is quite right," said Zecora. "From examination I have learned that these effects are not long term. With my potion and a little time, you should soon return to your prime."

"Until then, let us hope the ground truly does stay strong beneath your hooves," chuckled Strongheart.

"Indeed." Dusk did his best to face her. "Good to see you again Strongheart… in a sense at least."

"Likewise, my friend," she returned. They raised their necks to each other and butted heads in traditional greeting. "I've missed you."

"And I you. A little bit out of your way from Appleloosa though."

"That's an understatement. I heard your friends might be able to stop the chaos and came to try and find you. Seeing you again was a nice bonus."

"Never heard that said about me, thank you." He did his best to smile in her direction and returned to the matter at hoof. "Right… what's the plan?"

"Well, those serpentine ruffians were blocking the way to the library, but I believe that problem has been rectified, thanks to your erstwhile good self," Rarity nodded.

Dusk felt his face burn, but they weren't quite finished yet.

"Yes, that magic was incredible!" added Twilight. "I've never seen you pull off anything like that before."

"Your psychic powers were at full peak and you must have done some kinda mind blast!" Nopony responded to Pinkie's comment.

"I think it's safe to say that was your sonic rainboom: powerful, spectacular and awesome." Rainbow gave him an approving nod. "How'd you manage to do it?"

"I'm… I'm not really sure myself," he said, embarrassed from the praise. "I just… did it, I guess…"

Twilight had her thoughtful expression, looked down to his neck and her eyes widened. "I think that might be something to do with it."

Dusk looked and he mirrored Twilight's expression when he saw that the last stone around his neck, the one that matched his fur colour, was now glowing along with the others. This last one shone the brightest out of all of them and he almost had to look away for fear that it would make his reduced eyesight even worse.

"That solves it then," decided Twilight. "Those stones are definitely conduits of some strong magical energy and have obviously allowed you to tap into the power so that you can perform superior magical feats."

Dusk couldn't help but smile. "You know… I always kind of liked it when you talk technical."

Now it was Twilight's turn to blush. "Oh um… thank you." She cleared her throat and returned to the subject matter. "Anyway, that might be the case but I still don't know what exactly they are."

"Neither do I." He looked down at them again. "Furthermore, why are they in pieces like this anyway?"

"That's another good point." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "It could be that this is their natural state, but then why be scattered?"

"Possibly it isn't and they're part of something when brought together."

"That's an idea, but they don't seem to be reacting in anyway apart from glowing obviously."

"Maybe something else needs to happen before they do come together, if they are pieces of something."

"You mean like some kind of catalyst?"

"Exactly, but then what would they be pieces of? What kind of object could it be?"

"I don't know for sure, but perhaps-"

"Uh, not meanin' ta seem rude here, but can we save the discussin' till after Equestria's not doomed to eternal chaos?" Applejack asked.

The both of them blushed now, Dusk especially so from the knowing look that he received from Rarity. He and Twilight had just become caught up in one of their hypothetical discussions, like the kind they used to have before all of this. The kind they could still have once Discord was frozen in stone again.

And if she could ever forgive him…

"Um, yes, good idea," mumbled Twilight. "Anyway, like she said we should get back to the library while the going is good."

"Then we can get the Elements of Harmony back," added Rarity. "This time we'll be able to use them properly and…"

"… turn Discord into stone so hard that his grandfilles will be statues!" finished Rainbow. "Come on, let's go!"

"Right." Dusk tried to walk, but his legs still felt painfully numb and he stopped with a yell.

"Oh dear!" Fluttershy hovered next to his legs. "You can't walk, you poor thing. Don't you worry, we'll get some help for you big brother."

"I can carry him! I'm strong enough." A large purple blur appeared next to him. "Hey bro, check this out! Pretty good, huh?"

"I thought… that was you Spike…" He nodded approvingly. "Very impressive…"

"I know right? I feel so strong now, it's unbelievable! Those Paraserpent jerks didn't stand a chance against me!"

"Um, Spike?"

"I mean, they'd come at me and be all 'sssssssss' and I'd be all 'oh no you didn't!' Then I'd show 'em who's boss and pow!"

"Little brother?"

"I know this is only temporary, but I hope this lasts for a little longer. Maybe I should try this on Discord himself, that draconequus won't know what hit him until I say that it was-"

"Spike!" Dusk didn't have a loud shouting voice, but he still got the baby dragon's attention this time. "Not meaning to rain on your parade, but you might want to reconsider your current position."

"What? What do you…? Oh, man!"

Spike looked down and let out a loud groan when he saw that he had returned to his normal, chubby state. The effects of whatever had turned him into a muscular warrior had begun to wear off while he was talking, gradually returning him to regular size while he basked in his own glory without him noticing.

While he was glad to have the baby dragon he called his brother back, Dusk felt disappointed for him too. He had been more capable of great feats in that state previously than he had ever been as a normal baby dragon, had his chance at last to be the hero. While Dusk never had aspirations to be any kind of hero, he could at least understand his mood now that he was back, especially since they hadn't even beaten Discord.

"No, no not now!" Spike glanced around in a panic. "I can't be like this now!" He looked to Zecora. "I don't suppose you got any more of that stuff?"

The zebra shook her head. "No and it must be said you're quite close to having an overdose."

"What?! But you can't… I mean why can't… I just want to…" He trailed off, sighed and sunk dejectedly. "But now how am I going to be a hero?"

Dusk felt an overwhelming pity for his fellow assistant and was about to offer some comfort, but Rarity beat him to it. She stepped close to Spike and wrapped a leg around him.

"Spike, you don't need some silly potion to be a hero. You're quite gallant just as you are."

"But before I was strong and big and it was so cool!" He moaned again. "I need to have strength like that if I'm gonna help beat these things."

"Spike," she began gently, "when you and I were collecting gems and those foul diamond dogs attacked us, who was it that did his best to bravely fight them off? Who was it that put his all into an attempted rescue? Who was it that was the first to gallantly ride in?"

Spike stared up at her and when he spoke, his voice was breaking and disbelieving. "…Me…"

"Exactly and you certainly didn't need some potion in order to do it. Like I said, you are quite brave and strong just the way you are."

Spike was silent for a few moments considering this, then he nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks Rarity…"

"My pleasure, little Spikey Wikey. Besides, I quite prefer the way you are."

"Yeah!" He puffed out his chest. "Yeah, those Paraserpents better think before they try and deal with Spike the Fierce!"

"Spike, get a grip," Twilight said bluntly.

"Right, sorry," he replied sheepishly. "So um… what about Dusk? He still needs help getting to the library."

Before anypony could suggest anything else, Dusk felt himself being lifted up off the ground into the air, hovering just a few feet above and looked to see his body being supported by the forelegs by Rainbow and Fluttershy.

"You're fine carrying me?" he asked.

"We were last time, weren't we?" responded Rainbow. "Right, let's go everypony!"

"Don't worry, we won't lift you too high," added Fluttershy, taking into account his fear of heights.

Smiling gratefully at her in response, Dusk allowed himself to be carried to the library with everypony else galloping below, hoping that the Paraserpents wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. He had no desires to be fighting them again.

Fighting… partly because he thought himself something of a coward and because he didn't like to participate in violence anyway, it seemed like so long ago that he would have never even imagined himself in any kind of fight. He also had preferred to stay safely on the side-lines, not put himself into any kind of risks that might make him look foolish or stupid if he failed. He'd just stay out of the way and unnoticed. Now though…

He had done all of these things and more since he had discovered friendship. Like they had been listed off to him many times before, they were things he would never have imagined doing normally but now had just become one of the things he'd do. Sometimes, he wondered if stepping outside of his comfort zone and embracing things he'd steered clear of was one of the bad things that came with having friends, that it might be better if he'd just stayed as he was and not taken these risks. Sometimes he thought that, but in the end he always came to the same conclusion.

He wouldn't have changed it for the world and he certainly didn't have any regrets.

Though his vision was blurred and unclear, even he could make out the shape of the library when he saw it and let the relief and security he always had in that place flood through him. They went through one of the holes that had been made as a result of Twilight using Rarity's diamond. Once they were inside and Dusk was back on solid ground, it was suggested that they take a little time to rest and get their strength back. Nopony argued with this idea.

A few minutes later, Dusk felt a little better than before. He had at least regained enough energy to walk again and had taken to resting near to a desk by the window. His eyesight however was still unfocused and everything looked to be a blur. He supposed that, for now at least, he would have to put up with it, for there were more pressing issues. Everypony seemed to get the impression that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, which was certainly true.

Right now, he was thinking about the princess who had had saved him from his darker self and again from the Paraserpents and flew off in an act of self-sacrifice, not just for him but for all she held dear and cared for.

"Luna," he murmured, picturing her warm smile and compassionate eyes. "I hope you're okay…"

Though he perfectly knew what she was capable of as Princess of the Night, he also knew enough about Discord to know that, even with their forces combined, the two of them didn't stand a chance against the spirit of chaos. While he did believe in the impossible, there were limits to this and this was certainly pushing it. The Elements of Harmony were the only things powerful enough to defeat Discord. How could they even hope to stand a chance against him without them?

He wished she was here, he still had so many questions and she was just as much his friend as any of the girls. What would Discord do to her if and when he beat them? Was there anything that they could have done?

"Rough time, huh?" He looked to see that Spike had joined him at the desk. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, but I still can't see very well," Dusk reported. "It's all just a blur really."

"Oh yeah? How many claws am I holding up?" he asked.

"Spike, please, I really can't see a thing…"

"Come on, don't quit out on me bro."

"Spike, I-"

"Come on! I know you can see okay, just try!"

Dusk sighed at his insistence, but still felt a smile tugging at his lips. "Alright… four?"

"Got it!" Dusk saw him distinctly put down one claw as he waved them in his face. "See, it's not so bad."

"I suppose so." He chuckled appreciatively with his fellow assistant. "Thanks for that Spike."

"Hey, what are friends for? Somepony's gotta keep your spirits up when Pinkie's not around. Even if that somepony is a somedragon," he rectified.

"True enough," Dusk agreed. "How are you about the loss of strength?"

"Eh, I'm okay about it. I guess I'll just do my best to be gallant without it, which I apparently do just fine." He sighed and looked off at most likely Rarity for a few moments. "So, what did you end up finding in the Everfree Forest anyway?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," replied Dusk.

"I didn't believe I could eat a whole tub of ice cream without getting brain freeze, still tried it though." He felt Spike nudge his leg. "Come on, try me."

Dusk was going to deflect the question again, for he certainly knew that Spike would never believe him if he actually told him the truth, but he remembered that he had worried him by going into the Forest by himself. He deserved at least some kind of truth in that respect, perhaps not the whole recounting of events, but something at least.

"Let's just say that I found the solution for the end at the beginning, by means of this," he said cryptically, pointing to the stones around his neck.

"O…kay. Geez, going all mystic on me then," he muttered. "So, you really think those little rocks are gonna help beat Discord?"

"Size is not a guarantee of power, you ought to know that better than most," Dusk pointed out. "Even the most insignificant of aspects can be important when all brought together, for that's what's gives them their power."

"That makes sense I suppose." His head seemed to glance around Dusk and when he spoke again, there was a knowing tone in his voice. "You know, she hasn't stopped looking at you since we got back."

Dusk glanced and saw a lilac blob turn her head away when he looked around and he felt the blush return to his cheeks. "She… hasn't?"

"Nope." From that tone in his voice, it was like he knew something Dusk didn't. He felt the dragon nudge him again. "Go on, go talk to her."

"You… really think I should?"

"Yeah, go on. What have you got to lose?" He pushed him all the harder. "Go on, go! Mush Dusk!"

"Okay, okay… I'll go." Dusk took in a deep breath to calm his nerves and did his best to navigate his way towards Twilight, who stood on her own by one of the bookshelves.

He heard Spike whisper him luck before he was out of earshot and reached her much quickly than he had intended. Though he could no longer make out the details of her beautiful features, he could still hear her sweet voice and be close to her. It wasn't all he wanted, but it was enough.

She was looking at him and he at her (To the best of his current ability), but the two of them just didn't know what to say first. Dusk felt like saying something clever, something witty or inspiring but his mind was a complete blank. When he thought of something to say, he opened his mouth but closed it again when he thought that it sounded too common or mediocre. Twilight seemed the same, unsure what exactly to say to him first.

Finally, Dusk said something. "Hey Twi." He slapped himself mentally for such a stupid thing to do.

"Hey Dusk." If she had any thoughts on what he said, she kept it to herself. "How are you feeling?"

"Not brilliant, but I'm recovering."

"That's good," she said, sounding genuinely relieved.

"I still can't see very well though," he admitted. "It's a shame, because now I can't see your beautiful…" He stopped speaking when he suddenly realised what he almost said.

"My beautiful… what?"

"Your um… your beautiful um… victory!" he supplied quickly. "Yes, your victory over Discord, you know when you uh… beat him."

"Oh… right." She made no attempt to cover up her disappointment and Dusk once again chastised himself for letting his heart almost run away with his mouth. "You really think we can beat him then?"

"Of course you will," he said brightly. "You're all back together now, you have the Elements back and we fought back the Paraserpents. He doesn't stand a chance."

"Still a firm believer in the impossible," she remarked. "This time though, I think you're right. We can stop now that he's no longer blinded us to friendship's power."

"You took the words right out of my mouth. I'll be glad I'll be around to watch this time, even though I sort of was last time too."

He was sure she frowned. "You've done it again."

"Done what?"

"You keep saying things like that, how you were there from the start or you saw it at the beginning. What do you actually mean?" she asked.

"I um…" He thought his best on how exactly to say it, but he couldn't. "I'm sorry, I can't really tell you."

"Why not?" she insisted. "Don't you trust me?"

"It's not a question of trust; it's a question of faith."

As he expected, she couldn't find a response to that, other than, "Oh… right." An uncomfortable silence fell between them again. "Dusk?"

"Yes, Miss Sparkle?"

"When you were doing your spell to fight the Paraserpents…" She paused for a few seconds. "You were sort of in a… catatonic trance."

"I suppose I was. I needed all my concentration to perform my magic." He was starting to suspect where this was going.

"It's just that… well… when I tried talking to you… you responded…" she finished quietly.

"Well… that was because I could hear you." He tried to make it sound as heartfelt as he could manage. "Above all the noise, the chaos and destruction, I could still hear the song of the darkling thrush."

"Darkling thrush?"

"From a poem I read once," he said in a quiet voice. "About how even at the end, at the darkest and most desolate of times, the beautiful sound and song of nature can still be heard and always carries on."

Twilight was silent again, though Dusk could swear he could see her eyes shining. "Dusk… that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard."

"Well… I try…" His voice was barely above a mutter now, his cheeks burning red.

There was a good few moments of silence before Twilight spoke again, this time sounding a little disappointed. "And?"

"And what?" Dusk asked, confused.

"Is that it? You don't remember anything else?"

"Not a whole lot no, apart from the odd scream or screech, but that's hardly pleasant." He cocked his head at her. "Why?"

"You really don't remember anything else? Nothing at all?" It sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Not even when I… I…"

"When you what?" Dusk felt awful now for not obviously knowing something so important. "Twilight what is it? What did you do?"

"It's just… when I… I… I ki-"

"All right!" They both jumped as Rainbow Dash cut them off. "I am psyched, rested and ready to kick some chaos flank!"

"Whooee! Same here!" added Applejack. "Ah'd say that Discord has sat on his rump long enough."

"Indeed, it's time to dethrone that vile deceiver once and for all!" declared Rarity. "Where are the Elements?"

Dusk looked to Twilight and he managed to make out her nod, which he returned disappointedly, but with understanding. They would have time to talk about this later, but right now they needed to focus on something far more important and that lay in the book on the shelf just above their heads.

"I'll get them, hold on." Dusk stood back as she levitated it down and opened it to reveal the precious contents.

"Wow," came the simultaneous reaction from all three Crusaders with an added, "Cool," from Scootaloo.

"The Elements…" He could hear Strongheart's awed whisper. "I've never seen them before. They're so… beautiful."

"In this whole wide world we know, nothing can truly compare to friendship's glow." Nopony made any attempt to dismiss Zecora's statement.

Twilight was about to levitate them out, but stopped and turned her head to Dusk. "Why don't you do the honours Dusk?"

Even though he considered himself their friend, Dusk was still shocked by her offer. "M… me?"

"I can't think of anypony else better."

Dusk still had a hard time believing it. Him. Out of all the ponies in the entire world, even among her friends, she was choosing him. He looked around and they were all looking right back at him, saying and doing nothing to countermand this suggestion. Just a silent, loving acceptance from all of them. Dusk allowed himself a rare moment of pride to flow through him before bowing his head in compliance and lifting them out.

"It's my honour… thank you." The first he took out was an orange zircon in the shape of an apple. "Honesty."

"Thank ya kindly," Applejack said when he placed it around her neck.

The next was a balloon shaped sapphire. "Laughter."

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Pinkie tingled when he slipped it on. "You read my mind."

He smiled at her, levitating a butterfly spinel. "Kindness."

"Oh my, thank you so much big brother," whispered Fluttershy, like she didn't deserve the privilege.

"My pleasure, little sister." Amethyst in diamond form was next. "Generosity, milady."

"Much appreciated, good sir," Rarity said in approval of his manners.

"Loyalty," he said to the lightning shaped ruby.

"Best Element for the best flyer," boasted Rainbow.

The final one, he did himself with much care and delicacy. "And last, but by no means least… Magic."

"Dusk…" She placed her hoof on his as it lingered on her diadem. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He gently squeezed her's in return, trying to convey all he felt in that single action. "Right then ladies, I don't normally say things like this but…" He raised his head, looked around at them all and let a hard look set into his features, his voice becoming a low growl. "Let's go and take down Discord!"

Unity Destiny

They left the library seconds later right after leaving some indignant Cutie Mark Crusaders in relative safety there. The three little fillies weren't exactly happy about it, but they weren't willing to put them in further danger than they already had been. Applejack and Rarity at least were a lot more relaxed afterwards, convinced in the knowledge that their younger siblings would be safe and, while she hid it well, Rainbow also looked relived that Scootaloo would also be safe.

Of all the times since this whole incident began, Twilight had never felt more confident as she did now. Her friends were back to normal, they had the Elements of Harmony with them again, they had additional support from more of their friends that she hadn't even expected to see and, best of all, she had Dusk back with her, his very presence enough to calm all of her fears. This time they were going to defeat Discord and he would be here to witness it.

Even if he was with them though, Twilight couldn't help but feel disappointed or perhaps that was an understatement. She wasn't even completely sure as to how or why she did it, whether it had been to give him luck or a way of additional support, but she had actually gathered up the courage to kiss him in that moment in the last battle. He wasn't even aware of her doing it at the time. Did this make her wrong then? Was it truly foolish to even think of pursuing something along the lines of romance with him?

It seemed that way, just a silly waste of time. But thinking that didn't make her feel any better. She did her best to hide her tears and keep her head low as they galloped through Ponyville.

Discord certainly wasn't difficult to find. They had only been searching for a few minutes, trailing silently behind a pair of Paraserpents that took them towards the centre of town. There, they bowed to pay homage to their lord and master and report on the chaos they were helping to spread and keep in check. He sat upon a red and black throne, in the shape of an elongated skull, two deer antlers sprouting out of the top and supported by plush cushions. Four more Paraserpents stood guard, two on either side of their master.

"Alright, he doesn't even know we're here!" whispered Rainbow from the hay bale they were hiding behind.

"Think them fellers are gonna be a problem?" Applejack asked, referring to his guards.

"We'll take care of them, have no fear," assured Strongheart. "You all focus on Discord."

"A good plan," said Rarity. "Well, shall we… Dusk, are you all right darling?"

Twilight looked to their stallion friend, who appeared to be staring at something in disbelief. She followed his gaze and soon she was sure that her expression mirrored his perfectly. At the foot of Discord's throne, suffering signs of debasement and indignity were two statues of alicorns, one smaller than the other but both with defiant expressions fixed on their faces. They were both covered in graffiti, streamers, cotton candy, chocolate and had white pointed caps on their heads, one reading 'bore' and the other 'pushover.'

Twilight felt her blood boil and she growled low in her throat. She had expected as much from when they went to distract him but seeing their two fair rulers reduced to such mockery as this actually here, right in front of her… if she felt that Discord deserved everything he was about to get, she was now utterly convinced that he did deserve that and so much more for such a crime against Equestria. She looked at Dusk again and knew he must feel the same, glaring at him and shaking.

Though it was against her better judgement. "We'll make him regret everything he's done."

Dusk looked back at her and gently squeezed her hoof in return. "Make sure you do." She knew that he meant for far more than turning their rulers to stone.

"Okay, here's the plan," she said turning to the others. "I'll lead the Wielders, Dusk the non-Wielders. We get as close as we can to Discord and the rest of you spread out. If the Paraserpents start to attack, you come in and take care of them."

The people she was addressing, Dusk, Spike, Zecora and Strongheart all nodded in affirmation, as did all the others. If Dusk looked nervous at her suggestion, he hid it and kept a blank but determined look. It wasn't the most elaborate plan, but it didn't need to be. They had the Elements back now, all they needed was the time to use them on Discord and revert him back to being a statue. Even he wouldn't be able to counter the full power of the magic of friendship against him. He wasn't able to last time.

She was about to wish them all luck and start to lead them off, when she realised something else and it made her stop and smile.

"What is it?" asked Fluttershy.

"I was just thinking," she replied. "When all this started and Discord gave us that riddle, he said we'd need more than the Elements of Harmony to stop him this time."

"So what? We found the Elements, we beat his stupid little game," Rainbow said impatiently. "Now come on, let's go already!"

"I know, I know, I just realised that, well, he was right." She passed her gaze over the attack group. "None of you are Elements and you could have just stayed out of the way, yet you still came to fight the battle to restore harmony. I suppose that was what he meant, because if it wasn't for you, the Paraserpents would have overwhelmed us."

"Oh yeah… I never thought about that." Spike gave a small chuckle. "Heh, cool, you couldn't have managed without me. I knew it."

"I could think of nothing else I would rather be doing in this dark time." Strongheart bowed her head. "It was my honour to lend a hoof to you all."

"I too am most glad indeed to have helped in your hour of need," added Zecora. "Now it's time for Discord to be disposed and bring this chaos to close."

Twilight nodded in agreement and looked to Dusk to see if he had anything to add. In contrast to the others however, he didn't seem so convinced. He had that look of concentration on his face that she knew he only ever got when he was thinking hard about a particular issue, focusing particularly on the now glowing stones around his neck and his hoof pressed to his chin. He always looked kind of… cute in her opinion when he did that.

Brushing aside this random thought, she had to say his name three times to snap him out of it and even then she could tell his mind still was focused on whatever it was that he had been thinking about.

"Oh um, nothing. Just that the uh Crusaders. Because… they helped too and… I don't want them to feel like they were left out."

Twilight knew that wasn't what he was actually thinking about, as he usually stammered or paused when he was either unsure or not telling the truth, but she also knew there was no time to press the issue. They'd just have to talk about it later.

"I'll make sure they won't be," she promised. "Now, spread out and get into position. It's time to finish this."

"Yes Miss Sparkle." Within seconds, they'd all galloped off into established hiding places and were nowhere to be seen.

Twilight let that warm enriching feeling she got when she was with Dusk flow through her from his words. She always liked it when he called her 'Miss Sparkle.' Anypony else would think it would sound too formal and Twilight herself knew that the only ponies who called her that had been her examiners. Coming from Dusk though, it just sounded… sweet, just right in a way.

Letting her thoughts and feelings for him give her strength, she led the others towards the spirit of chaos, who had just thrown a flying apple pie at Princess Celestia and sprayed party streamers all over Princess Luna, guffawing and laughing all the while. He paused in his mischief and conjured a glass under a torrent of chocolate rain, allowing it fill up from the brim to the bottom.

He rose the glass in the manner of performing a toast. "Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing."

"Not as wonderful as friendship!" she declared, his head whipping up to look at them.

"Ugh, this again?" he asked mockingly.

Following this, he promptly drank the glass rather than the contents, then threw the remaining chocolate behind him. This was followed by an explosion and a screech from a Paraserpent in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everypony, remarkably, managed to ignore this.

"That's right. You couldn't break apart our friendship fer long!" followed up Applejack.

"Oh, Applejack, don't lie to me. I'm the one who made you a liar." Discord raised a glowing finger as he said this, grabbing Applejack by her necklace and levitating her up to him. Clenching his fist, he did the same with the others, all struggling to remove their Elements. "Will you ever learn? Oh boys, who's hungry?"

This last part was addressed to his guards, who slithered forward eagerly. "Food from Lord Disssssscord."

Quickly deciding what to do, Twilight tapped into her magic and ordered, "Dusk, now!"

She heard three battle cries as she teleported up to her friends and surrounded them in a protective spell, lowering them gently back to the ground. As she descended, she watched Zecora catch two with a split kick to the head, Strongheart ram right into one and Dusk slam two rocks into the jaw of one, followed by his hooves down on its head. Spike who rode on his back finished it off by torching it with his fire.

Touching the ground, she suddenly felt grass around her hooves when she landed, like their presence had destroyed that little patch of chaos. Zecora and Strongheart galloped over to join them, Dusk sliding off the back of a Paraserpent as it fell, stumbling a bit when he jumped off. But he rounded on Discord with the others and Spike jumped off his back and raised his little claws like a champion boxer.

Bolstered by the presence of her friends, Twilight faced the lord of chaos defiantly. "I'll tell you what we've learned Discord. We've learned that friendship isn't always easy. But there's no doubt it's worth fighting for!"

"Oh come on now Twilight Sparkle." Discord slapped his face, apparently unfazed by the loss of his guards. "We both know how this is going to end, friendship or none."

"We know how this will end and it will be with your demise," spoke up Dusk. "Separate we're easy targets, but together we're more than a match for you!"

"Ugh, gag." He teleported in front of them and frowned impatiently. "Fine, go ahead, try and use your little Elements, "frenemies". Just make it quick." In the blink of an eye, he was back on his throne. "I'm missing some excellent chaos here." Some flying pigs flapped by as he said this.

Dusk bowed to them and stood back. "Ladies first, Miss Sparkle."

"Thank you, Dusk," she nodded to him. "All right, ladies, let's show him what friendship can do!"

"Wait-wait-wait!" Pinkie had become distracted by some chocolate rain and was gulping it down in bucket loads. After a few seconds she rejoined them, snarling like a wolverine.

It was time. Reaching deep into her magic, she surrounded them in a magical aura, awakening the power of each Element and blocking out everything else that might distract her. Together with her friends, she felt the power build stronger and stronger with every passing moment, finally letting it reach its peak and letting it all out in on magical burst, in the form of a rainbow. She could see it consume Discord, smiling to herself as she knew that it would now be doing what she had commanded it to do: turn him back to stone. This wouldn't take very long…

Wait, something was wrong.

She frowned when she saw the rainbow was losing its colour, turning grey as they had once done. She tried to increase the power, but it was already at maximum and soon the whole rainbow had faded away, revealing a self-satisfied draconequus, holding up his eagle and lion hands, both of which were glowing and absorbing the energy. He then snapped his fingers, the light faded and Twilight and the others smacked back to the floor in a heap.

"Badda bing, badda zip." Discord grinned and descended into fits of laughter again. "You know something, I think it's even funnier the second time around!"

"What the-? What happened?" Pinkie asked, shooting back up and staring down at her Element. "Why is there still chocolate rain? Not that I'm complaining, but why is everything still topsy turvey?"

"Oh my, was I kind enough?" asked Fluttershy. "That's it isn't it? I wasn't kind enough to use my Element properly!"

"Calm down sugar," soothed Applejack. "Somethin' fishy's goin' on here an' it ain't nothin' ta do with you."

"The Elements didn't work!" shrieked Rarity. "Twilight, what's going on?"

She cringed as she felt a dozen eyes stare at her. "I… I don't know. They should be working. We're all here and we all have them, so they should work. Why aren't they working?!"

"Has this happened before?" asked Strongheart unsurely.

"Of course it hasn't!" Twilight yelled back. "The Elements of Harmony always work if their Wielders are together, in harmony! It's a powerful piece of group cast magic originating from several different vessels in order to cast the most powerful spells possible. Nothing should be able to counter their magic. But they're not, so why aren't they? Why aren't they?!"

"Perhaps they don't work when their Wielders are delusional." She whipped her head back to face Discord. "I think you might have bats in your belfry Twilight Sparkle, I know I certainly do." A few of the winged rodents promptly flew out of his ears.

"You have something to do with this, don't you Discord?" demanded Twilight. "You've been trying to stop us every step of the way."

"Except for the part where I told you how to find them," he corrected. "It's not my fault if you can't follow instructions properly."

"Shut up!" she shouted back. "Don't play games with us!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow smacked one hoof into the other and glared at him. "What did you do to the Elements of Harmony, punk?!"

He pointed to himself dramatically. "Moi? Et tut, Rainbow? How can you be so quick to judge? What happened to not judging a book by its cover?" He conjured up his own penned work, gestured to it and it vanished again. "Apart from prove once and for all that chaos is superior to harmony, I am guiltless in this."

While they were all panicking and losing their heads over the apparent failure of the Elements, Twilight's gaze shifted inextricably to Dusk. While he seemed as anxious as the rest of them, he also looked to be more thoughtful and puzzled rather than frightened and confused. Once again, his eyes moved from Discord to the stones around his neck, absently tapping them with his hoof. If she was standing right next to him, she would bet anything she would be able to hear the gears turning in his head.

Almost reflecting him, that got her thinking as well. What exactly was he so focused on that it could supposedly calm him in a sense? Why was he so intent on the necklace? Did he know something that he was keeping from them or, more likely, had he figured out something else that would help them right now?

Rainbow however, was being anything but calm. "Ooh, I've had it with you!"

"Rainbow, no!"

Before anypony could stop her, she shot straight at Discord. The spirit of chaos raised an eyebrow at her, suppressed a snigger and snapped his fingers and she vanished in a flash of light. When it lifted, she was struggling as she was trapped in a mass of sticky, sickly cotton candy and Discord was pointing and laughing at her state like a playground bully.

"Lemme go! Come on, lemme go!"

"Ha-ha-ha! Oh that's just brilliant!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "You actually thought you could beat me in a fight! Now, I don't suppose anypony else wants to try their luck?"

He soon stopped laughed and his horrible eyes turned to the others, still keeping that smile on his face and his hands glowing with chaotic magic. Twilight's thoughts were in a whirl as she tried desperately to formulate some kind of strategy against him, a countermeasure, a secondary attack, anything that might work.

"Enough." His voice was quiet, but it was enough that everything seemed to stop. Dusk stepped forward, calmly and slowly. "You've done enough damage Discord, enough pain and hurt. No more. It ends now."

"Oh really?" Discord leaned over to look at him. "Just like you to believe in an impossible goal. As I recall, I wasn't the only one who caused that pain."

"I know…" He seemed to flinch a little from this, but he still didn't move. "But was has happened has past and I intend to see that you never repeat what has happened here."

"History does have a habit of repeating itself, as you know," he countered. "Don't you see that your cause is lost and that I will now rule eternal?"

"No cause is lost, if there's but one fool left to fight for it." If he was scared, he hid it. If he was doubtful, he didn't let it show. He just stood there, immovable and strong, despite his size.

Discord frowned and shrugged. "Then let there be one less fool."

"Indeed." He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Panic gripped Twilight, knowing what was coming. "DUSK NO!"

BANG!

Twilight heard herself scream as he snapped his fingers and Dusk cried out when a bolt of chaos magic hit him and sent him sprawling to the floor. She reached out with her hoof, knowing it was already too late. She glared back up at Discord and her rage spilled over. Rational thought was gone in that moment, logic was lost and all she wanted to do was do something, anything to hurt the cruel, sadistic monster that floated before her.

"GET HIM!" Though they knew it was foolish, suicidal even, at her command they all charged at the draconequus.

Discord just yawned and waited for each of them. Spike launched a fireball at him, which he turned into a volleyball and threw at him, knocking him into a wall with a loud pinging sound. Zecora jumped, spinning her staff, but he made it so it spun of its own accord, lifting her up into the sky and dropping her like a sack of bricks onto the ground, accompanied with a horn honking and the staff with a mind of its own beating her on the head. Applejack tried kicking him, but she dropped into a giant apple basket and Discord trapped her inside by turning it downward.

"We have beaten your minions, we shall defeat you!" Strongheart declared, charging at him.

"A nice dream, but even you have to wake up." Snapping his fingers, he made the ground swallow her up. "Looks like the ground wasn't strong beneath your hooves then."

Rarity galloped up but she was soon screaming and hiding behind a rock when Discord put her in a jester's outfit, wailing about crimes against fashion and clashing colour schemes. The streamers that shout out of Pinkie's cannon coiled around Discord's fingers, whirled back around and wrapped around the pink pony, leaving her helpless as he bobbed her up and down like a yo-yo. Fluttershy had lost what little bravery she had and had been reduced to a quivering wreck, whimpering and hiding behind her mane. She peeked out as Discord leaned in close to her.

"Boo." With a loud squeak, she joined Rarity in hiding.

The cloud of rage in Twilight's mind lifted in that instant as she beheld the sight around her. All of her friends had been taken down and the total time elapsed hadn't even been ten seconds. Now it was just her and Discord, who now faced her.

"Oh dear."

"Well, well, Twilight Sparkle, this seems to be quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into." His smile grew, his eyes burning with malice. "All on your own, nopony to help you."

"She's not alone." She looked to see Spike getting back up. "She's still got me!" He took in a deep breath and only ended up letting out a stream of black smoke. He tried again, but got the same result.

"A dragon without his fire? Oh my, how shocking!" Discord snapped his fingers again and trapped her assistant in a giant gemstone. "Now then, where were we?"

Twilight looked desperately around, knowing that she was now well and truly on her own. She knew she didn't stand much of a chance and that Discord was sure to beat her, but she wasn't going to just lie down and let him beat her. Fuelled by the diadem on her head, she tapped into its power and prepared to send a spell at him.

"If you insist then." He snapped his fingers and he was dressed in a baseball cap, uniform and had a leather glove in his hand. "Let's play ball!"

Twilight's response was to cast her magic right at his smug face, which he caught with the glove and threw back. "Strike one!" She only just dodged out of the way and picked herself up.

Another spell was met with the same result, feeling it whizz past her mane. "Strike two!"

And the third time, but at least she had tried. "Strike three! You're outta there!" She dodged the first spell, but didn't see that this time he sent two at her. No time to move-

CLANG!

She skidded across the floor from the impact, her face burning from the spell and her belly scraped from the ground. She heard the sound of the Element of Magic clattering across the ground and landing next to her. Weakened by the strike, she raised her head and saw Discord crossing towards her, smiling victoriously.

"Well, not that this hasn't been fun Twilight, but I'm afraid our little game must end here." His hand started to glow again. "I'm sure you'll look lovely next to your beloved Celestia."

Twilight just didn't have the energy to move or to cast a spell to defend herself. She still couldn't quite comprehend that, despite all they had been through, all they had suffered, they still failed. Discord was going to win and there would be nopony else to stop him. The Elements hadn't worked, all of their efforts had been for nothing and Dusk…

She wanted her last thought to be of him and her friends, of all the wonderful times that they had spent together, all of them flashing before her as Discord prepared his spell. The first day she'd arrived in Ponyville, learning about the magic of friendship, meeting Dusk for the first time… those were the moments that she focused on in her mind and everything since then. At least she'd had a good life…

The light of the spell was getting brighter, travelling towards her seemingly in slow motion. She could hear the cries of her friends, Discord's foul laughter, even Dusk calling out her name, this was it…

Until the light was blocked by a wall of duke blue and a brilliant flare that followed almost blinded her.

When it cleared and she could see again, she saw that she wasn't turned to stone, that Discord was staring in complete disbelief and that Dusk was stood between her and him. He looked completely unharmed, glaring at Discord and the stones around his neck shining more brightly than ever. He glanced behind her, his eyes baring some signs of damage but still shining with warmth that made her want to cry.

"I think this is yours," he said softly, levitating Magic back to her.

"Thank you," she whispered, putting on her head and accepting his hoof as he pulled her back up. "But… how?"

"Yes, yes, how?!" Discord's eye muscle was twitching. "Blocking me from your mind, fine. Resisting my influence, fair enough. But standing in the way of one of my spells, my spells, without even so much as a boo-boo that… that's just… impossible!"

Dusk smiled at her and turned back to Discord, speaking in a firm but almost casual tone of voice. "Impossible is a word thrown around far too much, I find."

"No, no, NO! This just isn't possible! It's unfathomable, inconceivable, and utterly preposterous!" She had never seen Discord lose control like this before. He almost looked scared. "How are you still even standing?! TELL ME!"

"Oh but I think you know, Discord," Dusk said calmly. "I know now too, though it took me a while to figure it out, to say the least."

"What?" If Discord didn't look scared before, he certainly did now. "What… what are you talking about?"

"Well, you gave me the answer Twilight." He gazed back at her again. "While our friends certainly did help, I think that part of the riddle was a little more specific."

"Specific? What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"We do need more than the Elements of Harmony. Specifically, one more."

Everything stopped at this statement and Twilight felt her jaw drop. Even the torments that Discord was causing to her friends seemed non-existent as everypony stared at him. Discord too looked like Dusk had walked up to him and slapped him in the face. When he laughed in his mocking way, it sounded insincere and forced.

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound? A seventh Element? Give me a break, really!"

"Dusk," Twilight began, "I hate to say, but he's right. There's no such thing as a seventh Element of Harmony, there never has been."

That didn't seem dishearten him. "But Twilight, don't you remember? You said yourself that, since I met you, I seem to have picked up a habit."

Twilight was about to say something against that, but she suddenly realised what he meant by that. When they'd first met, that Paraserpent had separated them in the forest and he'd helped bring them back together. When their master returned and broke them apart, he'd helped bring them back together there too, both when he had corrupted them and when the Paraserpents had separated them, as well as being something of a driving force for some additional support against them from their other friends.

Then there were other times too: when Rarity had been kidnapped by diamond dogs, he'd been there to help find her. When the town was arguing about Winter Wrap Up, he'd figured out what they needed to do, along with her and stopped a fight breaking out. When the buffalo and townsfolk were fighting, he'd rescued Pinkie and become part of a new friendship between the two peoples. When they were all panicking and stressed from the Gala, he'd helped her bring them back together there too. So many other times when their friendship was in danger of falling apart, he had been there to keep them together.

Now she knew what he meant when he said he'd been there from the beginning. She remembered seeing that mysterious pony with them in the castle before he'd suddenly vanished and that she'd heard how her friends had found her because of a magical light that was shaped like her, that none of them had been able to explain the presence of. It was because he really had been there, right at the start of it all, doing what he did best.

And those stones… they'd never really figured out what they were. Could it be…?

"Do you see now?" he asked her. "Do you believe?"

That question in particular made her smile back at him. "Yes, I do."

"What?! How can you possibly believe this crazy fantasy?" Discord demanded.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy was peeking out behind her hiding place. "Is it really true?"

"I don't know." She gazed into his emerald green eyes and saw only truth staring back. "Maybe I'm desperate, or crazy, or just hoping for something. But I do believe him."

"Oh ho! Now the truth comes out!" Discord shouted. "Anypony else says it you'd say they're crazy, but if he says it ooh, it's the greatest truth that was ever spoken."

"But it is true, isn't it?" She looked straight at Discord. "You know it is, you've always known. That was why you targeted Dusk. It wasn't just to get at me, it was to distract him too, like you did with all of us, prevent him from discovering what he truly is… who he truly is."

"Then… those stones…" Rarity whispered.

"These stones, if I'm right," said Dusk, "aren't just any pieces of random rock. They're something very important, the same how your Elements began. I didn't even fully know at first, but I still kept them when I found them. They're pieces of an Element of Harmony. My Element of Harmony!"

"No! No, you can't do this! It's not fair!" Discord insisted desperately.

"Yes we can!" Twilight stepped forward and knew exactly what to say. "Dusk Noir, who keeps our friendship together when it seems like it will fall apart, represents the spirit… of Unity!"

The instant she said that, the stones shone with the intensity of the rising sun, consuming Dusk in their brilliant glow. She saw tendrils of Dusk's colour magic shine both from them and his horn, connecting to the necklaces and crown they all wore. The other Elements also started to glow, including hers and the chaos holding down her friends was destroyed, freeing them all. Small colour outlines soared out of them and sped towards him, adding to the magic and lifting him into the air, along with the matching fragments they went to. They all gathered at the base of his neck and she could see his smile as he was swallowed up in the light.

Her eyes never left him the whole time, never caring how bright it was. When it eventually faded, Dusk stood tall and proud, ready for action. The small stones that had once been around his neck held in place with string had vanished and were replaced by a necklace of shimmering silver, with seven jewels at the centre. Six of them encircled a round jewel in the centre, which was the same colour as Dusk's fur. Though it was at the centre, it was the same size as the other jewels and shone just as brightly as they did.

"No, no,no, no you don't!" Discord pointed a shaky finger at him. "I'm still more powerful than you, I'm still top dog!"

Dusk looked up at Discord and shook his head. "You claim to be as constant as the northern star, but your heart is cramm'd with arrogancy, spleen, and pride. Now, your pride has fallen with your fortunes and so will you."

"Come on girls! Let's try this one more time!" Releived from their disbelieving stupor, they swiftly stood in formation again. "Dusk, you're in the middle!"

"As you wish, Miss Sparkle. Now, I just one thing left to say." Dusk kept his eyes on Discord, the Elements starting to glow once again. "Have at thee!"

She could hear Discord screaming in defiance and trying and failing to stop them using the Elements, the hisses of Paraserpents converging on them and fearing to approach the light, Zecora, Strongheart, Spike, surprisingly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders cheering for them. She felt her hooves leave the fall, the great burst of power that came from the power of friendship and Discord's final scream as he was consumed by the rainbow of magic that they emitted. Somehow, it seemed more focused than last time, like a beam more than a burst of energy.

The sound of birds, the trickling of the stream and the warm sun graced their skin when the magic was complete. The headache she had this time was nowhere near as bad as when she used them the first time. She had no idea how happy she was to feel the soft green grass under her hooves, see the clear blue sky above. Everything was back to normal, right down to the statue of the once living, moving spirit of chaos.

There was a moment of silence, stillness that seemed to last for hours. After all that had happened, it was strange to think that they had actually won, that what had happened was actually true and not some strange dream. They had won, they'd beaten Discord. Just like Nightmare Moon, they had won.

"So doth fall Discord," remarked Dusk. Like his words broke some kind of spell, now everypony cheered and celebrated their victory.

Twilight immediately rounded on Dusk and caught him in a loving embrace. She was soon followed by the others, to her disappointment. Soon, the non-Wielders were there as well, sharing in their triumph, even the Crusaders who came galloping out of hiding behind a rock.

"Ah thought we told y'all ta stay in the library." Applejack frowned at Apple Bloom.

"We made sure we stayed hidden sis, we really did!" insisted her younger sibling. "We only wanted ta see…"

"Well… ah suppose…" Applejack shook her head and beamed. "Oh, come here you!" She swooped up her sibling, Rarity doing the same with Sweetie, leaving Scootaloo glancing hopefully at Rainbow Dash, who didn't appear to have noticed.

"Now we have put this battle to bed, I think I need some ointment for my head," noted Zecora, rubbing where she had been sruck by her own staff.

"I could see about helping with that," Strongheart offered. "The medicine of my people is quite beneficial."

"Yes, so I have seen, you must tell me the remedy," suggested the zebra.

"Well, it's quite simple really, you see…" Twilight stopped listening and focused on showing Dusk everything she felt for him in her embrace.

"Yeah, we did it!" She looked to see Spike hugging her leg. "Although… I think that's kind of put me off gems for a while."

He'll be back to eating them by next week she thought, not responding to him and allowing Dusk to have all of her attention.

"Dusk, we did it! We won!" She pulled back and shook her head. "It's… it's kind of hard to believe really…"

"The feeling is mutual." Eventually, a grin was plastered over his face. "But it's true, we've really defeated him."

"Hay yeah we did!" Rainbow punched his arm and grinned. "And you… Look at you, I mean… just look at you! How awesome is that?!"

"I know…" He looked down at the Element called Unity, tracing his hoof over the facets. "It's… remarkable, me an Element of Harmony…"

"A seventh Element-a Harmony… who'da thought it huh?" Applejack noted in a similar tone.

"This is so great! Now we got two things to celebrate!" cried Pinkie happily. "Does that mean we're gonna need to have two parties? I hope so, cause I think this needs two parties, cause there's just so much celebrating to do! This is wonderfulous and spectaceriffic! See what I did there?"

"Oh that looks absolutely gorgeous darling!" Rarity's eyes were as big as the jewels in Dusk's Element. "The silver definitely works for you, I must say. Not quite as flashy as gold, but it works so well on you."

"It's lovely," agreed Fluttershy. "But… I don't understand. Why doesn't yours look like your cutie mark? All of ours do."

"I… I don't know. Why…?" He looked to his flank and his mouth fell open in shock.

When Twilight looked, she saw why. The necklace wasn't the only thing that had changed. The scroll that had once been his cutie mark had gone and was replaced with the image on Unity: seven coloured orbs, small white sparkles in their depths, arranged in a circle with the dark blue orb in the middle of it. Just like how Dusk's colour puppets looked.

"How… how is that even possible?" he asked.

"It seems that you've discovered more than just a hidden destiny." Celestia had arrived with Luna, her smile as warm as the sun and giving her sister a knowing look. "I think that your true special talent has surfaced at last."

"About time too, we should think." Luna returned her sister's look, then shook her head and frowned. "We can understand Discord's feelings. Being turned to stone is not a pleasant experience, it has to be said."

Though she was happy to see them both safe, those looks made Twilight start thinking again and she could tell Dusk was too. He'd been in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters when all of this had started for some unknown reason and Luna had seemed rather interested in him for a while right now. She and Celestia had to know something about this. After all, she'd known about the Elements during the Summer Sun Celebration, why not this?

But there would be time for answering questions later and neither of them said anything on the matter. For now at least.

"I wouldn't think so." Twilight saw Dusk run towards Luna, as she did to Celestia and hug her. "I'm glad you're okay…"

"As I am, to see you alive and well, Dusk," she replied.

"I'm proud of you, my student." Celestia beamed down at Twilight. "You and your friends have shown how truly powerful the magic of friendship is. I knew you wouldn't let us down."

"Never." She looked up at her with concern. "Are you alright, Princess?"

"Quite fine, Twilight, I assure you. Discord has been vanquished once more and harmony is restored to Equestria. I couldn't be better." She looked up around at them all. "You have all played your parts in saving our home land and I'll see to it that is acknowledged. For now though, on behalf of us all, thank you, all of you."

Everypony returned her gratitude with low bows and adoring smiles. Twilight in particular saw Strongheart staring with awe at Princess Luna, who stepped up to speak with her Royal Canterlot voice.

"Yes, we thank thee all! Now, our sister and we must return to Canterlot, for a celebration must be organized and we must also inform the keeper of the gardens." She looked over at Discord. "He will find the gardens are missing a sculpture."

Celebrations and Isolation

"Whooee, some party, huh Strongheart?" remarked Applejack to the buffalo calf.

"Indeed it is," agreed Strongheart. "Pinkie Pie certainly knows how to host a celebration, to say the least."

"That ain't the half-a it!" She ducked as a stream of confetti shot over her head. "Ah think she put her all inta this one."

"Well, it is quite an event we are celebrating," she noted. Though she wasn't quite used to the atmosphere of it all, she was having a good time at least.

Applejack took a swig from the cup of punch she had and looked across the room. "Ya know, ah knew there was more ta that stallion than met the eye, but even ah wasn't expectin' that."

She followed her gaze to Dusk, who was standing close to Twilight Sparkle, who appeared to be glaring at some hopeful looking mares looking in his direction while he was getting a drink with Spike. The trio of rivals swiftly bolted away, just as he turned back around and Twilight returned to her bright smile, the two of them staying rather close together, almost brushing each other's sides. Their cheeks went red, but neither of them seemed to mind.

She'd noticed that his eye sight didn't seem to have improved by much. When he tried to get a drink, his hoof had lingered for a few moments over the drinks before selecting one, like he had to carefully consider where his hoof would be going before in case it knocked over something. When he turned around to face Twilight, she had to stop him from tripping over another pony's hoof he didn't see. He had returned her gesture with a blush and diverted eyes, no doubt stuttering our some kind of thanks.

"I had a feeling about him too." She watched as the two entered an avid discussion. "But I must admit, the seventh Element… did such a thing even exist before today?"

"Far as Twilight knows, there didn't seem much ta go on, but ah wouldn't really know, that's more her area than mine." She shook her head. "Ah'm still tryin' ta wrap ma head around the whole thing maself."

"I don't think that you're the only one," said Strongheart, still watching Dusk.

She could tell that he was still just as surprised about his hidden destiny as much as they all were. It was in how much more restless he seemed, how much his eyes still held surprise and attempts at comprehension, like someone had just explained something complex to him far too quickly. Still, he seemed perfectly at peace with his fellow unicorn and the two were getting along fine. Until Spike popped up in between them, slapped them both on the backs and chuckled, both of them smiling along but looking rather disappointed.

Strongheart almost shook her head when neither of them said anything more on what was so obvious, so she returned her attention to Applejack, once again feeling comfort from the presence of a good friend.

Strongheart was fitting in well enough. At first, she'd found a little strange and unnerving being here, for the level of activity wasn't really what she was used to. While her tribe did hold celebrations for certain events and they were invited to square dances by the townsfolk, this was on quite another level entirely. All of the noise, yelling and shouting and whooping was getting to her early on and she was tempted to try and leave, possibly find somewhere quieter. Still, her friends from Ponyville had helped her relax into it and members of her tribe and Appleloosa were here too, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

After the spell of chaos had lifted from their town, it didn't take long for the citizens to figure out who their saviours were and the Wielders were soon swamped by admirers and well-wishers. Strongheart and a few of the others were also included, receiving praise and thanks from both ponies and members of her tribe for her bravery, once they were pointed out. That too had been overwhelming, but she accepted it silently and humbly, thanking the spirits of her ancestors for guiding her to this point and aiding in their victory.

Like everypony else, Strongheart was very thankful that the chaos spirit Discord had been stopped once again by friendship's magic. Though she did know and uphold the belief that her people were a proud and noble race, even she couldn't help but giggle a little at the bemused expressions of some of her tribe's bulls when they were released from the influence that controlled them, only to discover that they were dressed in pink tutus and white vests. To say that they were embarrassed would have been an understatement.

The Sky Monarchs had returned to Canterlot to return the Elements of Harmony and the statue of Discord to their rightful places and to organize an official ceremony to commend their efforts. The Night Bringer made particular mention of how brave she had been during what she had been through, praise she accepted with silent awe and surprise. In her eyes, she had only done what was necessary, but it was quite bolstering regardless.

Sometimes a little pride was good to take. Unlike Dusk, she noticed, who seemed to be extremely embarrassed at all of the attention he was getting as the unknown Seventh Element. Seeing him stutter and stumble out his responses had made her giggle a little more too.

In lieu of the defeat of Discord, Pinkie had immediately suggested, despite the celebratory dinner that would be held after the ceremony tomorrow, that they have a party to celebrate. Within minutes, she'd set everything up and now the whole town, including her own tribe and the Appleloosans, were joining in on the party.

Applejack had just come over to engage in conversation, while she had been glancing around unsure as to where to go or what to do. Though her gaze had been looking for one pale yellow stallion in particular, who she'd been awaiting the arrival of since the Appleloosans.

Applejack gave her a sympathetic look. "Ya lookin' mighty lonely there. Fittin' in okay here?"

"Better than I was," she admitted. "Thank you for making me and my people feel welcome in your town."

"Hey, if yer not feelin' welcome in Ponyville, we ain't doin' our job right." They shared a laugh at this. "'Sides, the buffalo have put up with us ponies buttin' in on their land, only figures we should do our best ta return the favour."

"Those pies you make already settle that nicely enough." She still felt her mouth begin water whenever she thought of the food that had ended their conflict.

"How've things been there since we left then?"

"Oh, they've been great!" she assured. "The compromise we made is holding out nicely and, even then, me and Braeburn act as ambassadors for both sides."

"You an' Braeburn huh?" Applejack smiled in a knowing sort of way, but Strongheart didn't really notice. "That mus' be nice for ya."

"It is yes," she nodded, not catching the sly tone in her voice. "He and I get along very well and I think the peace we have is all that much better because of it."

"Ah would think so." She had a casual sip of her punch. "Ya say ya get on well with ma cousin then…"

"Oh yes, we do." She was so happy to talk about him, she was still ignorant of Applejack's look. "He's athletic, fair, pleasant, friendly. I am fortunate to consider him a friend."

"Sounds like y'all have come a long way compared to when we first rolled inta town," said Applejack.

"And how!" Braeburn's voice behind her made Strongheart jump. "Howdy, cuz! Hey, Strongheart!"

"Braeburn! How often must I tell you to stop making me jump like that?" asked Strongheart.

"Sorry, Strong. Just excited ta see two-a my good friends, is all."

She couldn't keep the smile off her face. "There is very little you are not excited for."

"You know it! Yee-haw!"

Strongheart laughed, along with Applejack. Even if the buffalo and the settlers had their treaty, there were some small tensions between them, mostly coming from cultural or sometimes physical differences. But the friendship between her and Braeburn was one she wouldn't exchange for anything. Their example, she hoped, would remind their fellows of that.

Applejack smiled and nodded fondly.

"Well, ah think it's jus' grand, ah'm happy both-a ya and Appleloosa," she said honestly. "'Specially with what we just lived through, nice ta hear y'all gettin' along."

Braeburn practically beamed. "Well shucks cuz, thanks fer that. I'll be sure ta pass that on."

"Yes, this means a lot to us that you would say that, Applejack." She raised her neck respectfully to her. "I'm pleased to know somepony of such honesty and integrity."

"Right back atcha. 'Cept it's somebuffalo in yer case," she corrected.

"Indeed," she chuckled.

"Now if somepony else I know could jus' be honest with themselves, that'd be dandy." She saw her eyes flick in Dusk's direction and frown a little, until she smiled again. "Right, ah'm gonna get maself some more punch. Good evenin', you two."

"See ya, cuz!" He offered a puzzled look to Strongheart. "What'd you reckon she meant by that?"

"I'm not certain," she admitted. "Though I think that might have something to do with it."

"What'd you...?" He trailed off as he followed her gaze. "Well now, there's a couple-a twitterpated ponies if I ever saw 'em."

Strongheart nodded approvingly when she saw that Twilight and Dusk were by themselves again, Spike not too far off at one of the part games. They had just finished speaking and were inches apart from each other, both of them red in the face and smiling shyly, but warmly to each other. They were clearly nervous about something, shifting on their hooves and it seemed only inevitable what would happen. They just had to close the distance… it was so simple yet so difficult as well… would they do it?

In the end however, they both broke eye contact and stared off elsewhere in a mortified way, clearing their throats and stammering. Strongheart couldn't help but sigh as Twilight was called away by Spike and, reluctantly, left her fellow unicorn, regret immediately clouding her face when her back was on him. It was so obvious how they felt for each other, she'd even seen it herself when they were at Appleloosa. Why couldn't they?

"Guess ah spoke too soon." Braeburn seemed to echo her disappointment. "Applejack's said herself that it's so obvious what those two feel for each other, it might as well be blowin' an entire brass section right in front-a their faces."

"Sometimes the things we miss are the most obvious," she mused.

"Ah guess," shrugged Braeburn. "Shame really. That Dusk is a nice feller and that Twilight's a sweet lil' mare. Ah bet they'd look great tagether."

"On this, you and I are agreed." She looked back at him. "Oh well. I'm sure the truth will out, soon enough."

"Hope so." He looked back over at Dusk and his face fell. "Oh, he don't look too happy, does he?"

When Strongheart checked, she could see what he meant. Dusk's head was bowed in disappointment, his stature weighed down with sadness. It would be easy to pass it off as just berating himself for not saying anything to Twilight, but Strongheart could see there was more to it than that. She had seen it before when she'd looked into his eyes. A lingering guilt from some unknown crime, a heavy conscience weighing on his mind as great as a mountain. And there was something else too, a darkness that she couldn't quite make out, the remnants of a shadow in the depths of his mind.

She didn't know what it was exactly, but when she'd seen it, just for a second, it had made her spine tingle and feel uneasy. And very rarely did Little Strongheart feel uneasy.

"Reckon we should go talk to him?"

Strongheart didn't answer Braeburn at once, but merely watched as Dusk, unnoticed by anypony else, placed his empty glass hard on the table, turned about and left the party, only lingering in the doorway a moment to gaze one last time at Twilight. A second later, he was gone as easily as a shadow vanished in the light.

"I think this is something he needs to deal with himself. Besides," she added sombrely, "I don't think we're the ones he needs to talk to."

"You reckon so?" He looked at the door when Strongheart nodded. "Too bad, ah feel kinda bad fer him. Can't be easy ta deal with, a thing like that."

"No, I imagine not." Only to Strongheart did she know that she was referring to more than his failed attempts at romance.

"Oh well, let's not get ourselves all upset." His face brightened up in the boyish way it did. "Hey, let's go play Pin the Tail on the Pony! Ah'll show ya how ta play!"

"That sounds like a good idea. Hold on, I'll join you in a moment." He nodded and set off for the closest game.

Strongheart smiled as he left and looked towards the door again. The thought of Dusk in her mind, she stomped her hoof on the ground, grinded it for a few seconds, lifted it up to her mouth and blew the dust she had gathered in the direction of the door. An act performed by her people to ward off evil influences. Somehow though, she knew she wouldn't have had to explain that to Dusk.

"Be strong, Dusk. Let the light prevail." With that, she turned to rejoin Braeburn and let him show her how to play this new game.

As soon as he left the bustle and noise of the party, Dusk felt something akin to relaxation. Being out here, in the cool night air with the stars shining down on him and the moon hung in the sky, he felt at peace with himself. The silence was tranquil, not oppressive, soothing his mind and relieving all of the pressures that he had been feeling. He felt like he could just stand here and he would be forever at peace, free from pain. Perhaps Twilight could join him and the two of them would have their perfect moment in time, even more so than when they'd danced at the Gala…

Then the memories returned again, the screams and the cries, the destruction, the chaos and the laughter… his laughter. No, he would never be at peace and he didn't want Twilight, nor anypony else to see him like this, not after all they'd been through. Part of him wanted to go back inside, find her and his friends and hold them close, never letting go and letting them tell him it would be all right. Of course that would be the right thing to do. But he couldn't, not anymore… not after what he'd done and not after what he'd now discovered he was. He'd need to be stronger now, to take care of his own problems.

"I'm an Element now," he whispered to himself, "I need to be more resilient than I was, I need to show I deserve this responsibility…" He sighed and kept walking. Even to him, that just sounded like a lie. He'd just have to get used to it.

So, that was why he'd now left the celebrations and had started to make his way back home. He didn't want to see anypony else anymore, not tonight. He didn't want to read, or to think or to speak or do anything. He was just tired… so tired… more than he'd ever felt in his life. He needed to rest… he'd earned that much anyway. So, with a heavy heart, he made his way back through the darkened streets of Ponyville, as best he could with his now terrible eyes.

Though Dusk knew just as well the power the Elements of Harmony had, it was still a little unnerving to actually see the effect that it had on their once chaotically driven home. Before, the level of change was unbelievable, with floating homes and candy floss clouds as far as the eye could see, not to mention the streets that were swarming with Paraserpents, thriving and feeding off the suffering their master had caused. With everypony discorded and unable or unwilling to rise up and stop Discord, it seemed like Ponyville would stay this way forever, along with all of Equestria once the chaos spread further.

Now though, thanks to the wondrous magic of the Elements, everything was back to as it was, like Discord had never returned. The candy clouds had gone, houses were fixed firmly back on the ground and everything that even related to chaos had gone. With the obvious exception of Pinkie, but her being gone would hardly be a good thing. Even his home, which had been destroyed by Blackhole, was back to normal. He had been there previously to find that everything was repaired, the interior, exterior, fence, plants, the whole thing was back like it had been built brand new once again.

The Elements, what a concept, he thought to himself, hiding in the shadows from a few ponies that passed down the streets. He didn't want to be seen by anypony else tonight… He stood up to set off again and tripped over a rock he didn't see.

Once again the mixed feelings he had for discovering that he was in fact the unknown and long lost seventh Element of Harmony swamped his mind while he picked himself up and dusted off the dirt as best he could. Primarily, he was utterly shocked that such a thing even existed once he'd figured it out, even more so to the fact that it was him. Him, little Dusk Noir. On the one hoof he was rather grateful that now, as far as being an Element went, he was no longer the odd one out in the group, apart from still being the only stallion. Now in future, if they ever needed the Elements again, he could be there with them and actually be useful, rather than just the fifth wheel.

On the other hoof though… it just seemed like some kind of cruel joke. He'd heard all the ponies at the party say how brave he was, how wonderful it was that he was Unity and he just felt rather uncomfortable with all of this praise and attention until he just wanted to close his eyes and wish they were all gone. He also heard them talking, with more than an undertone of fear, about a stallion with fur as dark as night that had been helping Discord and torturing them, tormenting and terrorizing them with his horrible magic, laughing while he did it and screeching like a predator in rage and that just made him feel worse. He'd break eye contact, lose track of what he was saying and try his best to block out what he could hear in his own memories…

It must have shown in his face because then they'd say, including his friends, that they understood what he'd been through and he had to restrain himself to stop a decisive laugh come out. True, everypony had their bad memories and experiences of what they'd suffered under Discord's tyranny, things that they'd done that they regretted or things done to them they'd rather forget as soon as possible. But how could any of them even begin to comprehend what he was going through, what he had been through and what he now had to live with. He just said a quiet thanks and kept back a scowl when they turned away from him.

What did they know? What did any of them know? But at least they were trying, so that was something, especially Twilight. Despite his guilt from the pain he'd caused her and the others, he still felt a flutter in his chest when she drew close to him now, those warm feelings whenever she gazed at him that just made him feel like all was well in the world… with her.

Then, there was his cutie mark. He was still getting used to the fact that the little scroll of knowledge was now gone and replaced with the circle of colour. That mark had been as much a part of him as his legs and fur, so of course it felt very strange. Yet, in another way, it also felt rather enriching, for it showed what his true special talent was and the previous one had just been a kind of mask to disguise what his true talent. Though he missed the scroll, he rather preferred this new one. How would his parents react when they saw that, considering…

Still, he thought to himself, unlocking the door to his home and stepping inside, it was his problem, not anypony else's and he'd deal with it in his own way. He'd dealt with the nightmares from his first encounter with the Paraserpent and he'd always managed with similar things on his own before, he would do so again this time. Trying to feel at peace with himself, he let a light guide him to his bed, not even bothering to turn on the lights in his home. What was the point, he could barely see a thing anyway.

He knew Ophelia would be out hunting and he left a window open for her to return later. He removed his hat and placed it on his bedpost and reached to remove Twilight's necklace only to remember that it was no longer there. Only realising now how he missed its once comforting weight around his neck, the love he always felt when he remembered what it meant to him and to the pony that gave it to him, he crawled into his bed and pulled up the covers around his body. At least she, his little owl, was still with him, so that was something.

His eyelids sliding shut and clouding his already blurry eyes, Dusk's last thought before he drifted into the land of dreams was if his eyes really would get better or if, like his mind, they would be forever scarred, never to heal…

Everything was perfect when he fell to sleep and awoke to the dawn of a new day in his home. The sun was shining high up the sky, the rays beaming down on the rivers and making the surface sparkle like diamonds. Ponyville was picture perfect, beams of light brightening the already wonderful and homely houses, making it look more like something out of a storybook. The animals were playing in the fields, the birds were chirping the trees, their sweet melodies gracing and playing on his ears, a beautiful and enriching sound. Brightly coloured flowers were sprouting from their stalks, bees buzzing in and out of them, adding their own beauty to this already utopian image.

Dusk emerged from his home and took in a deep breath of the early morning air, just glad that everything was back the way it was meant to be. It was just another perfect day in Ponyville and one that made him glad to be residing here. As always, he'd be on time to perform his normal duties in the library. Another day would be spent trading quips with Spike and shy smiles with Twilight, sorting out books, taking notes for her and relaxing with a book at lunch time with his fellow librarians, perhaps sharing another awkward, yet pleasing moment when he and Twilight's hooves accidently touched each other or their sides brushed against one another for a moment. Then he'd always wonder if it really was an accident.

When he looked down, he saw that Twilight's necklace was still around his neck and his cutie mark was still a scroll. So, that whole Discord incident had just been some horrible nightmare. He wasn't really the seventh Element of Harmony after all, how could he be? He was nothing special, just Dusk Noir and he was just fine with things like that. Sure, he wouldn't much use if the Elements were needed, but he didn't want a responsibility like that, the attention and pressure that would come with such a duty. He would just be there in background, still helping but never really seen. It was better that way. He didn't really have some terrible darker side in his mind, Luna had told him so. It was just some little fear that he had and nothing more. Why on earth would he think of something like that anyway?

"Oh well, back to business," he said to himself brightly, perhaps a little too brightly. "Keep calm and carry on, as they say." Again, it sounded a little strange how happy he was while he continued on.

When he got into town, it was just as welcoming and warm as he knew it to be. Just the way I prefer it, he thought happily, walking off into town and whistling on the way to work. Just when he wondered if Applejack had baked another apple pie down at the farm or if Pinkie would want him to sample some new cupcake recipe with the others, his eyes caught sight of some other ponies also leaving their homes to go about their daily routines. They also looked just as happy and thankful for this wonderful day as he was. A few caught sight of him, smiled in a friendly way and raised their hooves to wave and wish him a good morning. He beamed back and was about to return the greeting, when he stopped and faltered.

Something was wrong here and it took a little bit of thinking with his usually sharp mind before he noticed it. Their smiles looked too wide, too happy, to a point where they looked false. Their faces were stretched and warped from how big their smiles were growing, like a distorted image in one of those funhouse mirrors. Except while those could be funny, this was a little eerie and disturbing and it made Dusk feel uncomfortable looking at them.

They seemed to notice, but their smiles didn't falter. "Something wrong there?" Even their voices sounded more like actors rehearsing lines for a show rather than actual ponies talking.

He was about to say what was bothering him, but maybe he was just thinking about too hard, seeing strange things were there none.

"No, everything's fine," he answered back. "Have a great day."

"You too! After all, it is a beautiful day, wouldn't want to waste it!" There was that uncomfortable feeling again and he couldn't help but quicken his pace to the library.

Perhaps he'd stop noticing after a while and he still felt a little drowsy and needed to wake himself up a bit. But the feeling didn't go away and nopony else in the town looked anymore normal than the two he'd met before. They all had those too wide smiles, those strangely distorted faces as he quick-walked through town to the library. What made it worse was that they all stopped to look at him while he walked by and their smiles were even more disturbing when they grew wider at the sight of him. He stopped returning them after a while and ended up sprinting for the library.

He hurried inside, slamming the door behind him and breathing heavily. He gripped the necklace around his neck and tried his best to calm down. What was going on today? Was there some kind of creature or magic affecting Ponyville, making everypony act like this? Or maybe it was something affecting him, altering his perceptions. Was it Discord, manipulating his thoughts and warping his view of his home to confuse him? Some new form of torture the lord of chaos had devised against him…

Wait, how did that make any sense? He only knew about Discord from the many history books that he'd read and he knew for a fact that he was frozen in stone in the Royal Canterlot Gardens right this minute. He'd never actually met the spirit of disharmony, so where in Equestria had he got an idea like that from? Something strange was going on here and he had to figure out what. Perhaps Twilight would know what was going on…

"Oh, there you are Dusk." He whipped his head up to see the mare he held so dear, smiling that same smile as the rest of the town. "Are you okay? You look a little shaken."

"No, I'm not okay Twi," he replied. "Something really weird is going on and I don't what might be causing it."

"What do you mean? There's nothing going on, it's just another perfect day." She cocked her head to one side, still smiling. "Are you feeling well?"

"I… I don't know…" His mind was clouded and he wasn't sure what to think. "You… you're the same as the others too…"

"Dusk, what are you talking about? It's me, Twilight Sparkle, your best friend. What do you mean 'them'?"

"I… I… I don't know, it's just…" He glanced around the library, for he could have sworn it had flickered like a reel on a film projector. "It's just… something doesn't feel right."

"You're probably just tired, do you need a lie down?" She took a few steps closer and he was surprised to find himself backing away. "Dusk, you don't need to be scared of me."

"I'm… not so sure. This just doesn't feel real…" He glared at her. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend?"

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" That smile became even creepier, making his skin crawl. "I really think you need a lie down."

"No, no I don't!" he was yelling now, scrabbling to get away. He hit the wall and heard something crack. "Keep away from me!"

"But Dusk…" Now her voice became deeper than it should be and it made him freeze when he recognised it. "I insist!"

In that instant, the cracking grew louder and he looked up to see the walls of the library splintering all around him, a white light shining through them that was as blinding as the sun's glare. With a sound like shattering glass, the pieces of the illusion fell around him, revealing what truly lay underneath. The sky was a deep red now, crimson clouds trailing across it like splashes of blood. Everything was dead, the flowers withered and decayed, homes were now smoking ruins and skeletons of ponies littered the ground.

Within the stump of the once proud tree, where Twilight had been there stood a stallion with fur as dark as his heart, a wild mane as white as bones, the raging fire of his cutie mark emblazoned on his flank. The way his muscles rippled, it actually looked like an inferno. That hideous abomination of a smile was on his face, with rage and anger being the only things that burned in his jade green, slit-like eyes, which were locked on him like a beast.

"You," he breathed, fear paralysing him. "No…

"Hello brother," growled Blackhole. "Did you miss me?"

"No… no this can't be," he said desperately. "I defeated you, you're gone!"

"Gone?" He made that choked, strangled sound that Dusk knew to be his laughter. "I am a part of you, that piece of your mind you try to ignore. But though you try, I'm still here and I will never leave."

"Get back!" Blackhole had taken a few more steps forward, a faint glow in his horn. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"But Dusk, don't you see?" He gestured round at the destroyed husk that was once Ponyville. "This is what I wanted. To destroy the world that you knew would never accept you and you could never be a part of." He paused, letting his words and the silence sink in. "See, isn't this so much better?"

"No…" Dusk gazed around at all of the destruction, the dead, quite unable to take it all in. "You… you monster!"

"Talking to yourself in the first sign of madness," he retorted. "Besides, whose failure is the greater here? Mine… or yours?"

"What? How can this possibly be my failure?!" he demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? Look," he said, pointing to his neck.

Dusk looked to see that the string of stones had been replaced the silver, jewel encrusted form of his Element, Unity. Glancing back, he could see that his scroll mark was gone and the mark for his colour talent was there instead. At first, he wondered why things had changed now and he looked so different. Now, he remembered and it made him recoil in fear and shame.

"Now you know," Blackhole growled. "It was your task to stop me, to hold me at bay and prevent my work from being complete. After all, you are the seventh Element."

"No… no…"

"But as you can see, you failed, as you surely knew that you would." The ground seemed to shake as he stepped closer. "Perhaps somepony made a mistake picking you for such a responsibility, since you obviously couldn't handle it."

"No! No, I never asked for this!"

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is what's happened as a result." A skull crumbled to dust as he stamped on it. "You failed and now they're all dead, because of you."

Dusk felt the wall, cold and harsh, against his back and scrabbled desperately against it. "Stay away from me! No, get back!"

"All of these dead, all of them are on your hooves." He stopped and scooped up a skull. "Why, I do believe this was your friend Fluttershy. She isn't looking so well, is she?"

"Little sister… no!"

"And look, here's Applejack. Honesty didn't help her did it? Nor did loyalty save Rainbow Dash. Not so tough now, is she?"

"Stop it! Just, STOP!"

He crushed another skull and cackled. "Oops, I think that was Pinkie. Or perhaps Rarity, I have no idea."

"No! NO!"

"And look…" He picked up the skull of a unicorn and shoved it into his face. "Here's your dear sweet Twilight Sparkle. Oh, you must feel the worst about her, musn't you?"

"No… no, not her too!" He shut his eyes and looked away. "Stop, please, stop!"

"Look at her! Tell her how useless you were, how pathetic your 'faith' was." He felt the cold bone against his face. "She had faith in you, even though she thought otherwise and now look at her!"

"No! Please, no more!"

"I said LOOK AT HER! LOOK AT HER!" He heard the sound of breaking bone again. "You failed Dusk, you failed them all! I want you to see that! See it!"

"NO!"

"They're all dead, all rotting and decaying and it's all because of you! You let them down! YOU!"

"NOOOOOO!"

"Dusk."

"No, please, just stop! I know, I know, but please just don't… don't show me anymore."

"Dusk, open your eyes. Thou art safe now." Wait… that voice didn't belong to his darker side. It was softer, kinder and definitely wasn't a stallion's…

He dared to peak through his eyes, still remembering the sight of all of those skulls and bones littering ground and was equally shocked to see that the environment had changed. He was no longer in Ponyville, but the Star Tower in Canterlot, overlooking a starlit sky and a tranquil Equestria. There at the balcony was the princess who brought that night, smiling kindly and filling him with so much relief, he felt like he would cry.

"Luna…" His words caught in his throat. "I thought I was… that he… how could he?"

"I know, I know." Compassion shone from her like the moon she raised. "I saw it too. It was… beyond description. But it's gone now, just a nightmare."

"A… a nightmare? Then this is…?" He reached out and touched the floor with his hoof and it shimmered slightly, like a surface of water disturbed by a leaf. "This is… a dream?"

"Yes, just a dream, no matter how real it might seem," she agreed. "As thou may know, as Princess of the Night, it is my duty to…"

Dusk nodded and picked up from where she spoke. "To watch over the dreams of your subjects. I remember reading that… thank you."

"Well, I couldn't just leave thee to thy fears, not after when thou hast already been through so much." She shook her head softly. "Thou doesn't deserve that."

"Even so, thank you…"

There was silence between the two of them, enough for Dusk to recall some other details that he thought he had forgotten. Who was it that had first taken that interest in him? Who was it that had sent him to the Everfree Forest on some mysterious mission? Who was it that seemed to be hiding something from him?

He met her gaze steadily and she must have known what he would say, for she diverted it for a moment. "You knew, didn't you? What I am?"

She was still silent for a moment, perhaps considering whether or not to tell him. Finally, she breathed, "Yes, I did."

"But… how? How could you have known?"

Her ocean-blue eyes met his emerald green, still shining with the same compassion and care that Celestia's did, but that most seemed to always forget about. That was something else that they shared, that they always seemed to be overlooked and forgotten about. But while Dusk never thought of himself as important, it was even crueler for Luna. When she worked so hard to bring the night and her sister always received the love and admiration… that just wasn't fair. No wonder she became so bitter.

In the end, she sighed and stood up. "Normally, I would say thou would not believe me if I said. But after all that's happened, thou deserves to know the truth."

"What truth?"

"Come with me, young Dusk." She gestured for him to stand by her side. "It's time I showed you something important."

He hesitated for a moment, but joined her regardless. "Showed me what?"

The air shimmered around them again and Dusk let himself be guided away by the Princess. "Thy inheritance… and the truth."

A Prophecy Fulfilled

Dusk wasn't sure whether to feel reassured or apprehensive after he had been told that all he could see around him, all he had seen, was just a dream, the images of his subconscious mind and memories playing out as he slept. On one hoof, it meant that, essentially, nothing that he saw here was real, at least in the widely accepted sense of the term. All that happened before, with Blackhole, the destroyed Ponyville… the bones, it was all just a horrible nightmare. It was just a dream and dreams couldn't hurt you.

And yet… seeing all of that disturbed him greatly. Blackhole might be gone, but in a way, his presence still lingered on, forever in his mind, within his memories and emotions. He would never stop tormenting Dusk, never go away and Dusk knew he would never forget him. How could he, after all he had done? He had never had to deal with anything like this before in his whole life. How was he supposed to go on like this, always scared, always in guilt for everything that his darker side had done in his brief period in Equestria?

It wasn't like he hadn't done this before. Due to his own views of himself and also because of the attitudes of his parents, Dusk was used to dealing with his own problems. They were his, not anypony else's. He was already a waste of space by merely existing, why should his trivial issues be heaped on ponies who wouldn't even want to talk to him in the first place? Even though he had friends now, he would still do his best to keep his problems to himself so they wouldn't have to deal with them. It was what he was used to after all, why fix what isn't broken?

Still… could he even begin to hope to endure the memories from all Blackhole had done? Would he be able to cope? Could he go on…? It was easy to believe that it was a hopeless cause and to let those images and sounds torture him into eventual insanity. Such a thing might be easier to endure than think of the alternative.

But then he would look to the princess who had saved him from his torment, who had been through a similar experience and she gave him strength. She could have given into the despair, the guilt of what she had done as Nightmare Moon and yet she was still here. She'd carried on with her life, had managed to move on from what she'd done. She hadn't forgotten, but she hadn't let it get the best of her either. If she could do it, so could he.

Besides, Dusk had already learned that he was stronger than he gave himself credit for, something that he wouldn't normally admit. He'd kept Discord from his mind, used his magic to defeat the Paraserpents and, of course, he was the seventh Element of Harmony. If he had done all of those things, surely he could handle this by himself. He rarely ever had confidence in his own abilities, but he'd learned he should give himself the benefit of the doubt more and decided to do so with this case at least. He would be fine.

He cringed a little when Blackhole's laughter echoed in his ears again and conceded that perhaps fine was a bit of an understatement.

He tried to act normal, but it hadn't escaped Luna's notice. "Dusk? Are thou well?"

"Um… yes, I'm fine," he responded in a would-be casual voice. "Why do you ask?"

She gave him a sceptical look. "Deception is not thy forte, Dusk and thou should not think it wise to lie to thy ruler." Though her voice was firm, he could hear the concern that she had for him. "Tell me what troubles thee."

Dusk opened his mouth, considering either lying or trying to avoid the question. But he knew how obvious it was when he lied or felt unsure about something. He'd stammer and pause, like he did in the past and they could always tell. What would be the point?

He sighed and tried his best to look up at her. "Just… coping with some… difficult memories."

"Yes, I had noticed," she said sympathetically. "It cannot be easy for thee, living with what thou has been through."

"No… it isn't," he admitted quietly.

She paused a moment, considering. "Dusk… I'm still adapting to this new world, as thou knows and friendship with a subject is still relatively new to me. But…" He heard her step closer. "If thou wishes to talk about it, I can do my best to comfort thee."

Dusk realised that he had never really thought about it. Though they had still cared dearly for their subjects, back in the old days the princesses were still higher up than other ponies and would treat them as such. Not unkindly, but still with authority. As such, friendships with those who weren't of the same status would have been a strange concept for the both of them, mingling either with each other or those of equal standing. Celestia had, of course, been more relaxed over the years about the status she held and how she treated her subjects, as she showed with Twilight, but Luna…

She'd been stuck in the moon for a thousand years and, even though she was probably better at it thanks to aid of her sister, she still seemed to be having a little trouble adjusting and adapting to modern days. She still made references to forms of punishment that had been discontinued years ago and still used ancient pony speech dialect. Having to make friends with one of her subjects must have seemed like a strange notion to her and perhaps still was. She would get better at it still and he already liked to think of her as his friend, but he didn't want to pressure her further.

"I'll be fine," he said, not dishonestly. "Really, I will."

"Thou art sure?" He nodded in response, not sure if she would believe him. In the end, she relaxed and looked away. "If thou dost insist. Remember, the offer still stands should thou need it."

"I'll bear that in mind, thank you." He let her guide him through the dream world once more.

It had been a little easier to say that the second time around. Mainly because, technically, he wasn't really lying. Luna had, after all, saved him from his nightmare just before and she did have some degree of control over this world. Though he could still hear remnants of that horrible laughter and the vivid images in the darker parts of his mind, he knew the Princess of the Night would keep them at bay.

Yes, he would be safe while he was with Luna.

"Ah, here we are," she remarked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Dusk looked, but all he could see was the shimmering surface of the dream world. "Um… where are we?"

"Give it a moment," she assured gently. "I am more attuned to this world than thee."

Slowly, the area came into focus and Dusk recognised it from when he had briefly glimpsed it through a locked door in the Canterlot Palace. From the giant hourglass that dominated the middle of the room, the endless aisles of priceless scrolls and tomes of magic that stretched on for miles, this could only be the Starswirl the Bearded Wing of the palace.

Even though it was just a dream, Dusk still felt overwhelmed and privileged to be here, in the most secure wing of the castle, surrounded by the works of one of the most famous figures in unicorn history. He allowed himself a smile when he pictured Twilight's reaction if he told her he'd been here and remained close to Luna, painfully aware of every patch of darkness and shadow. Dark, like his fur had been… was.

"Impressive, is it not?" remarked Luna casually. "Only my sister and I have access to this place, along with Twilight Sparkle and whomever we deem trustworthy. Thou should be privileged, Dusk."

"Oh believe me, I am." He resisted the urge to grab the nearest book and bury his head in it, staying close to her. "But what are we doing here?"

"We are here for this." She approached another aisle that was locked by another gate, crystal balls decorating plinths on either side of the door. "Can thou tell me what this might be?"

If Dusk felt honoured, he was now completely in awe. "The archives of Fore Sight," he breathed, actually reaching out to touch the gate and jumping back when it shimmered. "Oops… sorry."

"Perfectly fine," she assured, with a small smile. "It can be easy to forget the difference between dreams and reality, even for me sometimes."

"I know how that feels…" Dusk shuddered when he recalled something similar Discord had said and did his best to return attention to her. "But still, I don't fully understand why we're here."

"We are here because this is where the story begins, with thy ancestor." Her horn glowed and the gate shimmered away into nothingness. Luna beckoned for him to follow. "So Dusk, what dost thou know of thy ancestor?"

"Only what I could find," he said honestly. "Prophet of the unicorns, apprenticed to Starswirl, friend to Clover and husband to Private Pansy of the Pegasi. Tormented by Discord, driven insane and went missing on some unknown quest he took until he returned home years later. He died not long after, leaving a mystery that has been debated long after as to why he left and what for."

"Yes, unfortunate that there is little about him, but covering most of the main points," she replied. "Quite significant that thou should mention that Discord plagued him, as he suffered more than anypony. For thou see, he had seen the seventh Element in his visions, after he had already seen the original six. An Element that had been broken into many pieces, which had scattered far and wide, the name being of it being Unity. Discord knew his reign was already threatened, so he tried to ensure that Fore Sight's discovery would never be widely known and secure himself in his seat of power."

"Showing him visions of his loved being hurt and leaving him questioning which were real and which weren't," recalled Dusk grimly, knowing he'd had a similar experience with the lord of chaos. "Not a pleasant fate…"

"Indeed." Luna had a dark look for a few seconds and returned to her explanation. "Well, as thou knows, the Elements worked on Discord and sealed him away. But Fore Sight was not convinced. Though he was mocked and ridiculed for taking his stance, he truly believed the seventh did exist and was determined to find it, for he feared that Discord would break free of his prison and wreak chaos once again. So, without telling anypony else, he packed up some supplies and set off in search of the fragments of this Element."

"But… he didn't find them, did he?"

"Actually, he succeeded, though it took him many long years of travelling and seeking in the darkest places and the highest peaks to locate them all, a total of seven. Once he had them all and he was returning home to Canterlot, he tried to assemble the Element himself with his own magic." Her expression saddened. "Unfortunately, he failed and the pieces scattered once again, though not as far as they had been previously. He would have gone looking again, but he knew that his time was short and so returned to his home where, as thou knows, he passed on shortly after."

She bowed her head and her eyes seemed to glisten with tears, looking away so that Dusk couldn't see her face. Pity for her welled up again in that instant. A thousand years locked away and awakened to find that all she had known, ponies, places, values, had all changed so much… Dusk couldn't begin to imagine what that was like. Immortality is a curse, not a blessing, he mused grimly.

"You miss him, don't you?" he whispered.

"Yes… I do…"

Dusk allowed her a short moment to lament before asking, "How did he fail to put it together?"

She recovered herself and wiped her eyes. "It is the nature of the Elements. Thou knows from Twilight Sparkle's account, she and her friends had to learn about their true nature as the Elements before they revealed themselves for what they truly were. Unity was… is no different. Simply finding the pieces and putting them together isn't enough. The Element must be formed from true unity, in cause, feeling and knowledge of the one who wields it and from those around them. That was what thou managed to achieve when thou faced Discord. Fore Sight could not, as he was not its wielder and so they scattered again when he tried to put them together."

"I see," Dusk nodded. "But you knew that it was real, even if the others didn't."

"I was one of the few who believed him, yes. My sister wasn't so sure, as she didn't want to accept the idea that the Elements were incomplete and that Equestria might be threatened again from the fiends we had stopped with them. I, however, was more concerned and as such believed our prophet when he wrote down his final prophecy."

She stopped at the very end of the aisle and reached down to the bottom-most shelf with her magic. She levitated out an ancient, crumbling scroll and passed it over to Dusk, as carefully as it were a precious stone or priceless gem. In Dusk's eyes, it was far more valuable than either of those latter two put together, taking it carefully.

"Read it," she prompted. "He intended to pass on his quest to another after he had failed, in the hopes that they would succeed, no matter how small the chance."

"I suppose blind faith is another thing he and I share," he noted lightly.

Noting how his eyesight had returned to its former status here, he unrolled the scroll and traced his eyes over the faded ink that had been worked into the parchment with an elaborate horn:

Son of night, be born soon
With a sliver's power of the moon,
Whose greatest weapon is his mind
Though through discord, darkness may reside
Against this evil most unhallowed
He is light opposed to shadow
Though to keep this darkness stayed
The stars must come to his aid.

Great deeds he did,
Though modesty forbids
Unlocks power once hid
Through the mists of time
When chaos is at prime
And when six do cease their fight
By his light, they unite
Enacting justice to chaos' crime.

Though Six appeared to see
Cannot be without Unity
For only seven, that most magic number
Can return lord chaos to his slumber
Unknown to the great horned sages
Scattered, broken, lost to ages
And he will use it, this humble son
When seven truly become… one.

Dusk read and re-read the words several times and even then he wasn't sure he understood entirely. Fore Sight's writings were rather eccentric, to say the least and he liked to work in the mystery into his words.

He raised his head up to look at Luna. "I think I see. So… 'son of night'?"

"Ah, I believe that may refer to thy fur hue and its similarity to mine own, as well as our sharing this power, as the 'sliver's power' verse pertains," she explained. "I am not actually thy mother."

"Glad we cleared that up." They laughed a little from the humour of that. "It also seems to describe aspects of my personality too…"

"Dost thou remember our first meeting?" He nodded happily. "That was one of the reasons we summoned thee, to see if thy personality truly matched what was written here. I had already begun to suspect after I had seen thee perform in the Magic Contest and this confirmed my suspicions once we met thee."

"That makes sense." He looked down again and suddenly remembered something from the forest, in the ancient castle. "Hold on… you cast that time travel spell, didn't you?"

"Sharp as a flint, as always," she commented, smiling at his blush. "That verse was a little difficult to decipher, I shall admit but that seemed to be the only possible answer: a literal one. When I returned as Nightmare Moon, I actually intended to find the pieces of Unity myself, for it would give me an additional advantage to have the long lost Seventh. I had already found one of the fragments, tracking it with my own magic until Twilight's search for the six made me refocus my efforts. When I was returned to normal, the fragment I had found had gone…"

Dusk remembered that piece hitting him back in the past. "It must have become dislodged when you tried to destroy the Elements," he deduced.

"Yes, I thought as much too," she agreed. "I had intended to find them again, but Celestia insisted I forget the notion and return to my duties as Princess of the Night."

"So you remembered that when you lost it, figured it out and sent me back in time so that I'd be there to recover it," he figured out.

"Exactly!"

"Quite a bit of luck how it bounced over to me," he said.

"Yes or maybe… it knew that its wielder had come for it and sought him out, as he had its fellows," she mused.

Dusk blinked in surprise. "You make it sound as if the Elements have minds of their own."

"Thou hast felt how strong their power is Dusk, is that such a far-fetched concept?"

"I suppose not," he shrugged, accepting the idea a little and returning to the subject. "So, how important is Unity? Because the Elements seemed to work just fine before."

"I don't quite understand it myself, but I would say that perhaps, speaking in scientific terms, that Unity acts as a focusing component for the other six."

"I don't really… do science, Luna," he admitted sheepishly.

"Ah… that's surprising." She didn't say anymore on it, which Dusk was thankful for. His cheeks had gone red again.

"I think I see partially what you mean," he elaborated quickly. "But perhaps you could try to explain it differently?"

Luna thought for a moment. "Well then… let us speak of the Elements as though they were a river. Wide, raging and powerful enough by itself. On its own, it fulfils its natural purpose, which is to flow together as one force. Is this clear?"

"I see," Dusk said in understanding. "Please, go on."

"Very well then. The river is already a force in its own right, but what if thou wanted the waters to serve a more specific purpose, to fill up another receptacle. The entire raging body would be too much and would overwhelm it, so it must become more focused and precise. As such, a separate, smaller channel must be created so that the river still flows, but it is better suited to the purpose of filling the receptacle, perhaps a pond or a bucket."

"I understand," he said slowly. "So Unity focuses the power of the Elements and makes them more effective than they would be without it?"

"Precisely," she said proudly. "Without Unity, the power would still be great, but it would not be permanent and would wear off eventually. That is why I was able to escape from the moon and why Discord was able to break free from his stone prison the first time around."

"So now that we've used them on him this time, he shouldn't be able to break free again… right?" Dusk asked fearfully.

"Fear not, mine little pony," Luna said. "I do not think that the lord of chaos will be escaping his confinement for a second time. Unless we were to break him out of our own free will, which is highly unlikely."

"I hope so." Another thing occurred to him from what she said. "What about when I was in the past? Unity wasn't fully formed back then."

"That doesn't mean the spark was not present." He felt a spike of pride from the smile she bestowed. "I think it is fair to say that thy influence was not entirely absent in that process."

Dusk remembered the fatigue and headache that he received from when he had first witnessed the use of the Elements and decided that she definitely wasn't far off from that. That little spike of pride that he rarely felt from his own actions increased ever so slightly from what he had done, even back then. Quite fitting how, in their own ways, they had both saved each other from their respective darker sides.

Which brought him to his final thing he wanted to know, what he had been avoiding because of how he had felt when he'd first read those words and holding a weak stance that there was no way she could have known that and not done anything.

"Luna… the verse where it says about… darkness residing in my mind…"

Her demeanour immediately became fearful and she diverted her eyes elsewhere. "Ah yes… that."

"Does that mean… what I think it means?" He didn't like the way she was acting, but he still had to ask.

Luna shifted in her hooves, opening and closing her mouth, apparently having trouble finding the right words. The dread that had started to form in the pit of Dusk's stomach had now festered into fear along with something else. Something that he very rarely felt and that had been prevalent when Blackhole had taken over, but he still knew what it was.

It was anger, very small, but still a spark. Because if what he thought about this was true, then anger was the only thing that he could even hope to feel. He could practically hear his darker side egging him on and telling him to embrace it. And for once, he didn't feel like disagreeing with him.

"Well… thou see… it is… difficult to explain…" she stammered.

"Why is that?" Dusk asked, controlling the tone in his voice. "It's just a question which needs an answer."

"Yes but… it is merely the manner the answer must take that I find… difficult to say," she mumbled.

"Then just answer yes or no." He made sure that his voice sounded firm. "Does this refer to Blackhole in my mind?"

"Dusk, I'm just-"

"Please, just answer me… does it?"

Silence fell between the two, heavy and oppressive like a thick blanket that had been soaked in tar. Dusk's eyes never left Luna, until she eventually looked right back at him. The words she spoke next were spoken quietly and softly, yet they were as harsh and damning as a death sentence.

"Yes, it does."

It did… it did… those words echoed over and over in his head, further giving fuel to the anger that had started as a spark and now boiled over into rage.

With this revelation in mind, he spoke again and he could definitely hear the emotions lacing his words. "So, if it was in the prophecy… that means that you knew."

"Dusk, please understand, I made a mistake," she said quickly, but Dusk was having none of it.

"Oh yes, you made a mistake. You knew, this whole time what was going to happen as a result of this and yet you did nothing to stop it, nothing to prevent him from emerging into the world."

"It isn't like that-"

"Really, because that's what it seems like to me." He found himself taking a step closer to her. "You mean to tell me that all of what he's done, all of the things I see playing over and over again in my mind, which could have all been prevented and you're telling me that it isn't like that?!"

"Dusk, listen to me-"

"NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME!" Dusk was shocked at his own actions and so was Luna, but he pressed on. "I can see everything and I mean everything he did when I was him! I can hear their screams, their cries of torment as he tortures them! Worse still, I can feel him revel in it, enjoy every minute of it and it mingles with me, like a poison! You knew about that and you could have stopped it, but you did NOTHING!"

"Dusk, cease this-!"

"I won't, because that's not all!" He was now right in her face, glaring at her. "Not only do I have to put up with all of that, but I have also been beaten, constricted, pushed to the brink of death, deceived and twisted, all at the hands of him! Of Discord! And what did you do to stop him when you knew what would happen? NOTHING! What kind of princess are you that would willingly allow one of her subjects to suffer?! Do you know what I have been through, what I'm still going through after all this?! You can't even begin to imagine what I've-!"

"SILENCE!" Luna's booming Canterlot voice cut him off and suddenly reminded him who he was talking to. "We may be friends young Dusk, but there is a limit to what that means and thou hast just crossed it!"

Dusk's rage dissipated in that second and shame flooded through him, along with fear, but this time of the princess herself. He had just done all of that, said all of those things to the Princess of the Night, insulted and shouted at her. Though he had felt he had every right to do so, he also knew that he had gone too far.

"Princess… I… I didn't-"

When she spoke, her voice was low and dangerous. "Now, listen and listen well, Dusk. None feels more regret for what thou hast been through than I, but understand me when I say that I did not know. When I read that passage, I took it to mean darkness taking the form of doubt or despair, not a literal darker side. I was just as ignorant to what Discord would do as thee."

"So… so… you didn't…?"

"No." Her firm voice didn't soften and she stood taller than him, glaring down at him. "And just remember Dusk that thou is not the only one who has suffered from Discord's influences and don't thy dare to tell me otherwise. Do I make myself clear?"

That shame increased exponentially in that instant. In his anger at her, he'd forgotten he wasn't the only who had to suffer with a dark side. All things considered, he'd gotten off lightly with what had happened to him. At least he was still here and not in the moon like what had happened to her and nopony knew the connection between Blackhole and him, apart from Pinkie of course. But her… everypony knew about her and she was a princess. That just made it all the more worse and made him feel even more guilty.

Lowering his head out of shame, he genuflected down on his knees, his head so low it was almost touching the floor.

"Luna… Princess," he corrected, not feeling deserving to call her by her name, "I… I forgot myself, along with many other things, but doesn't excuse what I did and what I said to you. I don't expect you to forgive me but believe me when I say… I'm so sorry and… it won't happen again."

The silence hung in the air once again before he felt her silver shoes gently lift his head back up to look up at her, her anger faded and her compassionate expression had returned which he felt he certainly didn't deserve.

"Dusk, please, stand. That isn't necessary." Very gently, she raised him back onto his hooves. "Thou… you are forgiven."

"R… really?"

"Yes. While thou… your anger was out of line, it was not entirely unfounded. You have been through more in one day than most ponies go through in their whole lives. As I have said, I wish you didn't have to suffer all of that and believe me when I say that I wish I could have done something, that I'd figured it out sooner. So for that I say that I too am… sorry, for that failure on my part."

Dusk was shocked and just didn't know what to say in response to that. His mind was a blur, as were his eyes from the tears that were welling up in them. He had spent his whole life hearing how wonderful Celestia was, yet everypony seemed to forget that she wasn't the only princess, something he was always disappointed about. No wonder she had become Nightmare Moon, all of those years ago, for none had given her the respect and admiration that she deserved just as much as her sister did.

Now it was time for that to be made up for. Beating back his reservations about the fact she was royalty and the blush that she was a mare, he embraced her in a way that he conveyed all of his gratitude for her. She felt tense with surprise, but she soon relaxed into it and returned it, her soft mane flowing over his shoulder.

"Celestia isn't the only one that brings light to our lives," he whispered to her. "Just remember that she only has one star to rise, but you bring us the beauty of thousands, as well as the light of the moon." He stepped back and gave her another respectful bow. "And for that I thank you, Princess of the Night."

When he looked back up, he saw that Luna was just as dumbstruck as he had been. Clearly she hadn't been expecting this kind of adoration after receiving so much fear since her return. Slowly though, a smile grew on her face and her eyes twinkled with joy like the stars she painted across the night sky.

"Thank you, Dusk Noir." She tipped her head to him again. "Are you still sure you would not wish to speak of what has happened to you?"

Dusk shook his head. "I'm not sure that… I'm ready to. But, I'll be fine, I'm sure," he added as an afterthought.

"If that is your wish," she said. "Never forget that you have friends, Dusk. Don't shun them, but speak to them too when you feel ready."

The fear came back again at that. "But… all the things I… he did to them…"

"You cannot hide from it forever Dusk, you will soon have to face up to that sometime." Her voice lightened a little. "Besides, you might be surprised at the result."

Though he had those feelings of guilt from what had happened to them, he still felt that wonderful feeling of acceptance and love from them whenever he saw them. Those feelings that blossomed whenever his eyes were graced with Twilight's presence, his heart beating and his mind going fuzzy. No, he wasn't going to abandon them, not again.

"I'll… I'll try, when I can."

"Good, but take your time." She let him feel the warmth of that smile for a few more minutes, before she made a sound of realisation. "Ah, I had almost forgotten. Another change has come over thee, has it not?"

Dusk noted her return to form of ancient dialect and nodded. "Yes, my cutie mark." He glanced back at the seven swirls now on his flank. "I'm still trying to get used to that."

"Tis a rare thing, that a pony's special talent should change like that, but I think it is more fitting for thee," she noted. "Would thou agree?"

"I'll miss my former one, but… I think I agree with you about the new one," he said. "It seems more… honest than before. Like this is my true special talent and, for once, I'm proud of that."

"Glad to hear it." She glanced over it too. "Now it has been brought to the front, then this should be much simpler."

"Make what much simpler?" he asked.

"Thou already know that you and I share a similarity where our magic is concerned," she reminded him. "However, I believe that thine own is still in the early stages of its potential and I would like to help thee find that potential, to develop it and show its true worth. With my guidance, I am sure it will be great."

"Wait… what exactly are you saying?" Was she really asking him what he thought she was?

Luna's smile grew in that moment. "Dusk, I would like to take thee under my wing, as Celestia did with Twilight, as my student in magic."

Brought to Light

Dusk felt much better when he awoke the following morning. The combination of his talk from Luna and a pleasant night's sleep ensured that most of the bleak, unsure thoughts that had been shifting restlessly in his mind as he was in his bed were gone by the time he felt the warmth of Celestia's sun streaming in through his window, waking him from his slumber. While yesterday he just wanted to be alone with his misery, now he wanted nothing more than to see his friends again.

Of course, it wasn't completely perfect. He still had those twinges of guilt from what he had done to them, as well as the vivid memories of Blackhole's actions in his mind. But they weren't at the forefront of his thoughts, more like somewhere at the back, easy to overlook and ignore. He wasn't going to let them get the better of him today, especially not with the celebration in Canterlot coming up. He was just going to get out there and enjoy the day.

Still… he would have to deal with the issues at some point. But today, he decided, placing on his hat, downing his breakfast and heading outside for a morning stroll, he was just going to enjoy himself. The danger had past and it was time to celebrate. He just wandered around outside, sitting by the lake, walking through the trees or sitting on the grass, listening to the sounds of the birds and appreciating the beauty of nature all around him. It was good to have harmony back in Equestria and he wouldn't have it any other way.

A lot of truths had come to light in the wake of his dream. The fact that Luna had been pulling the strings from behind the scenes so that he would discover he was the seventh Element of Harmony he at first found to be quite hurt from how dishonest it had been. When he asked her why exactly she didn't just tell him what his true fate was in the first place, she replied in saying that neither Twilight nor her friends knew they were the Elements and they had to figure it out. Why should he be any different?

"Besides," she followed up with, "would thou have believed me if I had told thee?" Dusk had to concede that, despite his personal views, he most likely wouldn't have and accepted that her actions were necessary.

In a way though, it also made him appreciate all that she went through to help him discover his destiny and he was thankful for that, if nothing else.

Then, of course, there was Luna's offer. Dusk was still recovering from the giddy feeling that he had when Luna first announced that she was going to be his teacher. He had accepted after only a moment's thought and was in no way regretting his decision. One thing that had come out of this was that he now felt true pride for his unique magic and along with that, the desire to expand on it and to learn more about what he might be able to do with it. If it was to be his special talent from now on, then he would train and practise with it as much as he could.

Additionally, there was the bonus that he and Twilight were now both apprenticed to a princess. He didn't know why, but that gave him a newfound boost of confidence that might finally allow him to tell her how he felt… perhaps…

He arrived at the train station on time as always, with everypony else not too far behind. As well as the girls, Spike, the Crusaders, Strongheart and Zecora were also accompanying them to the ceremony before the actual party. They too had played their part in bringing down Discord and they were going to be acknowledged for it along with everypony else who had fought against the lord of chaos. Zecora was quite looking forward to seeing the royal city, as was Strongheart and everypony promised to give them a small tour of the place once the celebrations had concluded.

They were relieved to see that Dusk was in a better mood from yesterday, especially Twilight, as they'd all been a little worried about him when he'd left the party before everypony else. Dusk assured them all that he was fine now, which wasn't entirely dishonest and proceeded to tell them all that he had learned in the dream world from Luna whilst the train carried them to Canterlot, as well as mention her offer to him.

"Ha-ha, see?" Spike said, once he had finished. "I told you you'd solve that whole Fore Sight mystery!"

"I'm quite surprised about it myself," Dusk admitted. "Then again, the past few days have been full of surprises, so one would think I'd be getting used to them by now."

"Surprise!" Pinkie suddenly jumped up behind him, making him jump. "Yeah, I think you're right. Still, it's always nice to be surprised, dontcha think?"

"Depends on the surprise," Dusk said once he'd stopped blushing and everypony stopped laughing. "You could at least warn me when you're about to do that."

"Silly Psychic Pony. If I did, it wouldn't be a surprise."

"I… oh, never mind," he said, laughing good naturedly. "I don't think you girls will ever stop being able to surprise me."

"We do our best, sugar," remarked Applejack and glancing at Pinkie. "Some-a us more'n others."

"We could say the same for you darling," Rarity noted. "Every day it seems you're discovering something new about yourself. Overcoming your stage fright one moment and becoming the seventh Element the next."

"Yeah, must feel pretty good to know you're as awesome as we are now," Rainbow said, with a nudge.

"Yes, well," he mumbled, "I'm just one tile in the mosaic that is Harmony."

"Quite profound," remarked Strongheart lightly. "I suppose that's one thing about you that hasn't changed."

"And… that's not a bad thing, is it?" he asked her unsurely.

"Not at all."

He exchanged a warm smile with the calf. "Thank you…"

Rainbow made a small groan of frustration. "Man, you really haven't changed where your ego is concerned, have you?"

"Sometimes a lil' humilty is refreshin' Rainbow, 'specially after hangin' round you all day," remarked Applejack.

"Yeah, but I'm great anyway." She gave her cocky smile. "Oh well, I guess that it's just good Dusky here knows his place, which is just close second to awesomeness to me. Maybe third."

Though Dusk admired Rainbow's confident personality as opposed to his contrasting one, her boasting sometimes was a little too much for him. He would have said something, but didn't want to end up provoking her aggression. Luckily, somepony else said what they were all thinking.

"Hm, a student to Princess Luna, Seventh Element of Harmony and solver of one of the greatest historical mysteries next to a pony who, despite showing her skills twice to the Wonderbolts still isn't a member of them?" Strongheart raised her eyebrows. "Yes, I can certainly see from that how he's not as good as you."

"Hey, who asked you?!" demanded Rainbow, her cheeks flushed.

"No-one," replied Strongheart calmly. "Sometimes, asking isn't a necessity, especially when it comes to speaking latent truths, Rainbow Crash."

"Ooh, that's a burn!" Pinkie grinned at the red-in-the-face Pegasus, who offered no response to that. "You just got burned Dashie, burned!"

Fortunately, Rainbow didn't press further on her argument, though it looked like she wanted to. She'd probably challenge the buffalo to a race later or something to make up for this small loss.

"Anyway, the point is that mosaic thingy you're a part of now… is awesome!" Rainbow frowned after this. "What is a mosaic anyway? Some kind of weird food?"

"It's a form of art," Rarity said exasperatedly. "I know you're not exactly a cultured pony, but really Rainbow?"

"You can't eat a mosaic Dashie and trust me, I've tried," Pinkie put in.

"Yeah… wait, what?"

"All strange eating habits aside, it really is incredible!" Twilight seemed most excited about one particular piece of news. "I can't believe that Princess Luna has actually offered to teach you! Do you know how unique an opportunity this is?"

"I wasn't expecting it either, but that was what she said she wanted to do," he said with a rarely seen pride. "We're going to be starting lessons once everything's fully settled down. She said she'll contact me when she wants to begin."

Twilight let out a barely concealed noise of excitement. "Ooh, that's so great! I mean, now not only are you and I both students to royalty, but just imagine what she'll be able to teach you! Your magic's the same as hers and considering the things she can do with that magic alone, that should be quite informative. She can alter her appearance, squeeze into tight spaces in her smoke form, and even fly! That might be due to her natural alicorn abilities though, but I'm sure you could still learn it. Imagine if you could learn how to fly! Even if we do have levitation spells, self-sustained flight is difficult even for a unicorn."

"Oh… really? He knew Twilight was going into quick-fire fact mode, which he didn't mind and didn't have the heart to stop her. If anything, he actually liked it.

"Oh yes and beyond that, there's no limit to what she could possibly teach you. I don't know what your magic is compared to mine, but you could end up picking up the same skills that I did. You have the disadvantage of not being taught at a young age, but you still attended the school and you've had it your whole life, so it might not be too difficult. If you ever need help, I'd be more than happy to give it. Then, of course, there would be powers of the night that she might teach you too. Things like dark magic, shadow spells, lunar blasts, mostly offensive and defensive spells, but still very useful. Maybe we could compare notes and trade techniques! I want to know everything she'll-"

"Okay, okay, Twah'light, take it down a notch," cut in Applejack. "Ah think the boy's got himself enough ta think about without ya recitin' every possible piece-a mumbo jumbo ya can."

"Oh, right." She lapsed into a bashful silence. "Sorry Dusk, guess I just lost my head there."

"It's fine, Miss Sparkle," he assured. "If anything, you've made me even more anticipated for my upcoming education."

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help there," she said, sounding relieved, perhaps a little anxious that she'd been boring him. "You know how I am when it comes to studying."

"I know and, just for the record, I'd be more than happy to exchange notes with you," he added with a smile. "I think it would be… beneficial for us both."

"Really?" She blushed a little, but returned his smile. "I… think it would be too. I'm… looking forward to it."

Dusk suddenly blinked when he realised something that made his own cheeks turn beet red. Did he just… flirt with Twilight? And did she just… return it? He had no idea, he'd never flirted before in his life and didn't know if Twilight had received it negatively or not. She was still smiling, so it looked like she didn't mind, but she might just be pretending so not to embarrass him.

Still, he did like that smile she was giving him. That and the look in her eyes made his heart flutter all the more.

"Geez, what a couple of eggheads you two are," Rainbow remarked, shattering the moment.

"Rainbow!" chastised Rarity and Applejack in unison.

"What? What did I do? I'm just saying…"

"Perhaps you should have remained silent instead, for some things are better left unsaid," remarked Zecora, speaking for the first time since the journey began.

"What? What did I say? You were all thinking it," she protested.

"I think it's great too," added Fluttershy, wanting to add something to the discussion. "I mean you, being taught by Luna. It seems like it'll be… fun, I guess."

"I think the boat's sailed on that discussion," mumbled Dusk blandly, feeling some annoyance towards the insensitive Pegasus.

"Oh, um… okay." Fluttershy lapsed back into an embarrassed silence.

Dusk's brotherly feelings resurfaced for her at the sight of her retreating behind her mane and he smiled in her direction. "But thank you for saying so anyway. It was very kind of you, as always."

"You're welcome." She peeked out behind it and gave him a shy smirk. He would have hugged her were it not for the look that Twilight was giving him he could see out of the corner of his eye.

"Yer lucky," Apple Bloom said sadly. "Not only do ya get yer cutie mark, but then ya get a completely new one. We haven't even got our firs' ones…"

"You think we can change ours if we want?" asked Sweetie. "Like, maybe you could have a talent in painting one week and then dancing the next one."

"Yeah, but you can't paint or dance, so you wouldn't be doing either," remarked Scootaloo.

"I know, but still, it would be nice." She cast her eyes to her bare flank. "I'd be happy with any cutie mark though."

"Be patient Sweetie, your time will come," assured her elder sister. "You just have to keep at it."

"I know, I know, but there's times it seems like we'll never get them," she despaired.

"Yeah, it feels like it's gonna be forever before we ever discover our special talents," put in Scootaloo.

"That's if we ever find them," sighed Apple Bloom.

Of course, everypony understood what they must be feeling. Though they were a special little group, they still must feel like outcasts because of what they had… or in this case, what they didn't. Dusk knew, because that was how he'd felt about himself too, what felt like a long time. And he knew what he needed to do.

Before anypony could say anything to the disheartened fillies, Dusk was the one who spoke up.

"Take heart girls," he said to them. "The other fillies and foals may have their cutie marks before you all have, but let me ask you: how many of them have bravely faced up to a whole army of monsters?"

Scootaloo's face lit up at that. "None of them."

"How many of them are on their way to Canterlot right as a reward for what they've done?"

"Nopony I know," agreed Apple Bloom.

"And now many of them are going to receive commendation from the Princesses themselves for their bravery and valour?"

"I don't know what commendation means, but you're right!" Sweetie perked up. "We might not have our cutie marks yet, but we did pretty well without them."

"Yeah, Diamond Tiara sure can't say that she did what we did," added Scootaloo. "We got to save all of Equestria! We're awesome!"

"Even without our cutie marks too!" Sweetie gave Dusk a bright smile. "Thanks for that Dusk."

"No problem, little one." He moved to pat her on the head, but his blurry eyes misjudged the distance and he had to try three times before he got it right.

"Eyes still giving you trouble?" Spike asked him.

"Unfortunately, yes." He squinted at his hoof, trying to make it clear up. "I would have thought it would have gotten better by now."

"Let me see." Zecora approached him, holding open one of his eye lids and waving her own hoof across it, gazing intently with her pale blue orbs. "I would wait a little longer until it passes, but in case it doesn't, I would suggest glasses."

"Glasses? But… I've never needed glasses."

"But you may now," Twilight pointed out. "Gazing directly at a bright light source, in the case your self generated colour sphere from before, may have damaged your retinas and created moderate vision impairment."

Dusk understood most of what she said there, though Pinkie and Rainbow were looking quizzical, along with a few others. He was a little apprehensive at the idea. He already knew that he basically answered to most of the signs of being a typical geek and having glasses would only complete the image. He didn't like the idea of being laughed at if he did end up having to wear glasses. But he also didn't like being partially blind.

In the end, he conceded with a small smile. "I suppose… it wouldn't be so bad."

"I think he'd look kinda geeky with them," he heard Rainbow snigger.

"He's short-sighted, not deaf Rainbow," Rarity answered sharply.

"What?! Why is everypony getting on my case today?"

As they all burst out laughing from Rainbow's skulking, Dusk was reminded of how much better his life had become since discovering friendship's magic. Sure, there were some downsides to it, but nothing in life was perfect. It was strange to think that, a year ago, he was just Dusk Noir, useless, boring and not worth the time of anypony. Now though, he had ponies and even non-ponies he could call his friends, memories that lit up his life and of course… being an Element of Harmony.

Though that did mean a lot of new responsibilities and expectations, plus the possibility of a little more attention than he was used to, that last one made Dusk smile all the more. Twilight caught his smile and it was like she knew what he was thinking and returned it with one of her own. Her reward was that he managed to make him blush again and divert his eyes to the floor.

They arrived in Canterlot with about fifteen minutes before the official ceremony. The streets were mostly deserted, as everypony was no doubt up at the castle in the tower where the Elements were kept, but there was the occasional group of ponies that cheered for them while they made their way through the streets with guards escorting them. Sometimes, one would attempt to get closer but end up getting pushed away by the guards.

Most of them waved back, or else only acknowledged them with a smile or shy glance, Zecora performing the former and Strongheart the latter. Dusk flushed from the attention, as did Fluttershy, who promptly hid behind her mane. Dusk, however, decided that he might as well try and look appreciative of the attention and so did his best to smile back. That seems to be enough as some mare blushed and started talking excitedly to their friends.

This didn't seem to have escaped Twilight's notice, as she would glare at these little groups or give them a hostile look. She also seemed to move closer to Dusk, her side practically brushing against his own. It took Dusk a while to figure out as to why she was acting like this towards a little friendly attention and it was enough to make him grin like a fool. He couldn't be completely sure, but it had to be a good sign. Rarity seemed to notice too, as she would occasionally glance back and wink at him.

He was actually surprised at how much he was enjoying this. He would have preferred just a thank you and some acknowledgement for his actions, but he usually modestly brushed away any compliments given to him. He didn't feel comfortable accepting them when he knew that other factors apart from himself had played a part in his success. This situation was no different, but he was still getting most of the attention from what he'd done and they actually liked him. It made him feel like…

Well, a hero. He'd never aspired to be anything like a hero, as what he could do that was brave or heroic in any sense. Leave that to the real heroes, or heroines in the case of the girls, or else fictional ones like Daring Do. Now that he actually had the chance to experience what it felt like, he rather liked it and this added to his happiness. For once, he was going to let himself take pride in what he had done and he liked it.

Of course, modesty was still his most endearing trait and he was sure to remind himself of that, only bowing his head to the groups and little else. He still knew that other things played a part in his success and that he couldn't take all of the credit, being sure that he wanted to convey that across. That was just the way he was and not even this was going to change that.

Dusk was still red in the face by the time they arrived at the grand hall that would lead to Canterlot tower. The guards assumed positions close to the door as it shut, while they climbed the stairs to the doors that would lead them into the tower itself. The butterflies returned as they stood before the tall purple doors. Behind them, he could hear the crowds of ponies talking excitedly with one another for their arrival, which was due to be any minute now.

Yes, he still wasn't comfortable facing a crowd. That much he could be sure of.

"Well… this is it," he remarked quietly.

"It certainly is." Twilight seemed to sense his apprehension and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we're all going in together."

"R-really?" he asked, a bit of his old self returning.

"Really. We'll all be right here with you."

That settled his stomach a bit. "Thank you…"

He almost jumped when the fanfare from behind the door started to play, signalling their cue to enter the tower. Fluttershy too was shocked at the sound but, surprisingly, she managed to collect herself and stand as bravely as she could. Dusk had to admire her for that and they exchanged nervous smiles as the doors creaked open.

Dusk felt his breath catch in his throat a bit when he saw the sheer multitude of ponies who had turned out for the ceremony. It certainly did look like everypony in Canterlot, if not Equestria, had come to see the presentation of their victory. All eyes turned on them when the doors opened and Dusk felt like cringing beneath the combined stares of thousands of ponies. He fought back the urge and kept his composure, staying close to Twilight and letting her walk ahead of him.

They walked up the aisle along the soft red carpet, Dusk's eyes only occasionally straying to the audience that observed their procession and most of the time keeping them fixed on his destination. The two princesses were waiting for them at the very end of the room, their gazes the warmest of all. Celestia beamed radiantly at them, the beauty of the sun shining in her eyes. Luna stood by her side, shorter yet still having presence, looking equally as proud. The smile she gave him made Dusk feel a little braver and he walked with his neck straight when they reached them.

They stood in a moment of silence, allowing the princesses to appraise them, along with the crowd. Dusk smirked when Applejack winked at Celestia and this only grew when Strongheart raised her neck to its highest out of respect for Luna, who returned the gesture to her very pleasant surprise. The Crusaders were trying their best to contain their excitement and nerves, Spike stood proudly and Zecora remained silent and humble the whole time.

Finally, Celestia spoke, her voice echoing around the room. "We are gathered here today to once again honour the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos."

She allowed the crowd to cheer in celebration at her words. Applejack's grinned in appreciation, Rainbow raised both her hooves in triumph, Fluttershy hid behind her mane again, Pinkie beamed her brightest smile, Rarity waved daintily and Twilight smiled sheepishly, her gaze diverting to Dusk for a moment.

"Peace!" Luna's Royal Voice brought silence once more, allowing her to step to the forefront. "But let not thy appreciation go unchecked for their allies and friends who, even though they were not Elements, also took up arms against the twisted spirit of chaos and his dark forces! Let their contributions not be forgotten!"

Now the Crusaders cheered when the applause began again, jumping and down with joy. Zecora made note of the praise with closed eyes and a peaceful expression, Spike waved and blew kisses, whilst Strongheart bowed humbly. Celestia raised her hoof once again for silence and Dusk knew what was coming when her gaze turned to him.

"For many years, we have believed that there were only six Elements of Harmony. But now, here today, it is revealed that there is and always have been, seven, in the form of this young stallion." Dusk felt all eyes on him and he couldn't help but turn his eyes to the floor. "We can now feel reassured that Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Magic are all that much stronger with Unity to guide them."

Luna took up the speech. "It was thanks to his best efforts that these friends were able to stand against the storm of chaos that threatened to overwhelm us all, as well as restore us to our former selves! His presence is a reminder to us all that whether stallion or mare, with or without cutie marks, pony, dragon, buffalo or zebra, we are all united under the light of friendship!"

Now it was Dusk's turn to acknowledge the crowd when it all started up again for him. For a brief instant, he wondered if his parents were anywhere in the crowd, but he gave up searching for them after only a moment. It wouldn't be like them to turn up for something like this. There were far too many for him to even count, let alone check, so he settled for tipping his hat to them and bowing his head, almost like a knight in the old days.

He turned back to the princesses when the applause at stopped, though his stomach certainly hadn't settled and his face was still bright red. The warm looks of all his friends put him to rest when the princesses' horns glowed. Celestia pulled down one curtain that was hung up on the wall, whilst Luna did the other, revealing new stained glass windows that displayed historical moments in Equestrian history.

On Celestia's, though his vision was blurred, he could partially make it out, it depicted Discord being consumed by a purple light beaming out of seven ponies. Pride welled up when he made out his dark blue blur at the centre of the group. The other depicted the Crusaders, Spike, Strongheart and Zecora battling against dark shapes he could only assume were Paraserpents. Now we're all part of the pages of history, he thought as the crowd cheered and stomped their hooves once more.

"Now, assuming my sister's information is correct," Celestia added, "then I think a slight change is in order."

Her horn glowed once more and there was a flash of light on the window Dusk knew depicted the girls defeating Nightmare Moon. Only now, he could make out a dark blue shape among them, his light shining as bright as the rest of them.

Overwhelmed by the praise and thanks he was receiving, Dusk just beamed out at the crowd with his friends by his side, content by the good that he had done… even though the bad remained.

The party for after the ceremony took place in the same ball room that the Gala had. It was decorated more in the style of a party than a formal ball, with streamers and balloons added to the grand statues of alicorns and marble pillars that supported the high ceiling. He guessed Pinkie probably had a hoof in that. The band that played was the same from the Gala, though now it featured the presence of a famous white-furred DJ unicorn mare on the sound desk and a tall blue Pegasus playing what looked like a fiddle hooked up to an amplifier. Dusk couldn't quite place him, but he was definitely familiar… perhaps a famous musician?

There was now a mix of ponies not just from the elite of Canterlot, but also members of Ponyville and Appleloosa, the buffalo tribe once again included among their number. Their presence seemed to intimidate some of the elite, who looked uncomfortable with their sheer size and lack of formal etiquette. Dusk felt it was something of a wake-up call for them, a reminder that there was more outside their own meanderings and money. The buffalo too seemed quite in awe of the size and splendour of Canterlot, as well as being in the presence of the Princesses, particularly Luna whom they revered most. A good experience for both parties.

Dusk happily moved about the crowds, no longer the unknown drifter he had been a year ago. Now others took notice of him and what he had to say, though he had to wonder if it was for whom he was or what he was. Either way, he decided not to let it bother him. He met Mirror and Prim from when he was at the Gala, along with Jock and Muscles, who were more receptive of him this time around and less judgemental about his intelligence and interests. He also saw them cast nervous glances to Princess Luna at times, with the exception of Mirror, who was just happy to see him again.

To his great surprise, Dusk was also approached by historians whose names he'd only ever seen on books he'd read. Some worthy names included Professor Archaeological Dig and Dr Fossil Finder, unknown to those who weren't interested in their work, but Dusk knew enough that he was honoured to even meet them. They mostly asked questions about what it was like to discover that he was the Seventh Element and how he was now central to the debates held concerning the subject of Fore Sight. He answered as best he could, though he was stammering for the most part.

Some other random things stuck out in his mind too. He saw Pinkie apologizing to a green-furred unicorn, something about destroying her store, while she seemed completely bewildered. The cross-eyed Pegasus who had almost injured him with falling objects came up and apologized for that, offering a muffin as recompense. Twilight was talking to a grey unicorn stallion about constellations and the stars, Dusk holding back a twinge of jealousy. He was comforted by the fact they kept a respectable distance.

The oddest thing was when he accidentally bumped into a tanned-brown earth pony, with a darker coloured mane and an hourglass as his cutie mark. Before Dusk could even say he was sorry, the stallion asked, with a completely straight face, if he had seen any statues of pegasi moving around unchecked. Dusk blinked and responded unsurely that he'd hadn't, rather confused about the question.

"That's a shame, I suppose they're not at full power yet, so they might not be a threat yet…" He trailed off and suddenly grinned at Dusk like a mad pony. "Anyway, sorry for wasting your time, better get back to it."

"Right… no trouble at all." Dusk cleared his throat. "I'll keep an eye out anyway. What are they, lost ornaments?"

"Something a little worse than that, more like malevolent time eating beings from the dawn of time that want to establish dominance over the entire universe. But it's nothing you need to worry about," he added.

"Okay… are you feeling well, sir?" he asked unsurely.

"Perfectly fine, right gotta dash, things to do. Have fun." With a quick pace, he set off again.

"Wait! Aren't you staying for the party?" Dusk asked, a little intrigued by his behaviour.

"Kind of you to ask, but no, far too busy." He flashed his grin again. "Besides, I've already been three times. Allons-y!"

He sprinted off before Dusk could say anything else. What in the world was that pony talking about? All he really knew that the strange conversation he had with him convinced him that he probably needed some fresh air. Once again calling on his previous talent of moving about unnoticed, he sidled out of the clamour and noise of the hall and out into the gardens, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, just below the horizon.

Though he had been partially blinded, he recalled the path that he wanted to take, for he knew exactly where to go first. Soon enough, he was surrounded by the statues of the sculpture garden, no moving pegasi statues thankfully and no sign of that stallion either. What he definitely found was back in its rightful place and state. This time though, Discord wasn't in a singing pose, but he was holding his hands up in fright, an expression of utter horror on his face, which Dusk could make out if he squinted.

When he'd first seen this statue and learned of what it truly was, he at first felt pity for the lord of chaos. Even if he had been evil, he had just been doing what was in his nature and had become imprisoned for it. He felt that he didn't really deserve such a fate. Now though, having experienced and suffered at his expense, Dusk was left under now doubt that he deserved to be stuck in stone and remain that way until he crumbled into dust.

He blinked in surprise again. That thought was a little unlike him, but he still felt that way and he wasn't going to change his opinion. He stayed for a few minutes, savouring this part of his victory before rounding away from the former ruler of Equestria and heading back out, thinking of a place he would go that would put him in a better mood and give him more pleasant thoughts to reflect upon. Soon enough, he knew just the place.

He retraced his steps from when he first took them. First, out of the hall, on the path to the gardens, off the path when he reached a certain clearing in the trees and stopping in that specific spot in the clearing. It was just out of the way to be concealed, but standing out enough that he knew how to find it, as he had done a year ago, though not with a clear head.

Dusk stopped in the middle, closing his eyes and feeling the breeze on his face, listening to the rustling of the leaves. His hooves felt the soft grass beneath them, as he slowly took a seat on it, gazing up at the sky which was just beginning to darken, the first lights of the stars twinkling up in the sky and the light of the moon shining down. It had been dark on night too, when he had run to this spot a year ago, on the day his life had changed forever…

He couldn't help but laugh a little, idly tracing a few colour patterns across the sky as he had done on that night. How different he had been back then. A time when his opinion was about as much worth as a single grain of sand on a beach, when his presence counted for little more than just another space to be filled. When the only pony he thought he would ever have a friend in was another social recluse like himself and even then, the hope was slim. He'd even kept his magic hidden for fear of retribution from his peers, not that any existed. Only good for studying and remembering past events, not much else.

Now though… he had helped to save all of Equestria, had become a part of the very pages of history that he strived to study, his special talent had now become his true attribute and not something he kept hidden, he had a whole circle of wonderful friends that he wouldn't give up for anything in the world. And that one social recluse that he had the only hope of being friends with… the hope had for her had gone beyond friendship. Though he still had his doubts, he still believed in the impossible. After all, look where he was now.

Subtly, he became aware that he was no longer alone in the clearing. Somepony was watching him and he had a good idea as to whom.

"Hello Miss Sparkle," he said without turning around. "You don't have to stay in the shadows you know. That's my job."

He heard the sound of hooves, followed by her sweet voice. "I know, but I didn't want to disturb you."

"Thank you, but you could never disturb me." He turned around to behold her, her beauty still stunning despite his lack of vision.

"Thanks…" She gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

Dusk shrugged. "Just reminiscing a bit… old memories of a bleaker time. How did you know where to find me?"

"Princess Celestia told me you might be here and told me how to find it," she informed. "Looks like she was right."

"Apparently so…" Dusk felt the surprise register. So, she still remembered too… "What's going on back in there?"

"Well, the party's still going, everypony's really enjoying themselves," she reported in her studious way. "Given all that's happened, I think this is just what we need."

"I agree. How is everypony?"

"Well, let's see… the Crusaders are trying to get marks in serving tables, I don't really need to tell you how that's going." They both chuckled at the idea. "Pinkie's the life and soul, as always, Rainbow Dash is talking with some Wonderbolts, Applejack's seeing some of her relatives, Fluttershy's gone off to a different part of the gardens, Rarity's mixing in with some upper class ponies, Zecora is recommending her medical remedies to some doctors, Spike's got his head buried in some ice cream and I think Strongheart's still surprised to even be here."

"I don't blame her, this is a little more than she's probably used to," he said lightly. "What about you?"

"I've been going around, catching up with some students from the school, talking to some high ranking academics, you know. I had a really fascinating conversation with this astrology student just before, he apparently has an observatory outside town. He was telling me about how Jupiter's apparently rotated to an alignment that ascertains maximum visibility for viewing purposes through reflective lenses."

"Um…" Dusk thought about what she'd said. "This is the best time that you can see it through a telescope?"

"Exactly, doesn't that sound great?" He smiled at how enthusiastic she sounded about it. "I'm going to see if I can find it before I can go to bed. I wanted to talk to you about it, but I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Then the princess told you where I would be?"

"And here we are," she remarked. I heard you went off on your own and I came to find you, see if you needed any company." She took another step closer. "I didn't want you to be on your own."

"Well… that's very thoughtful of you. You always… seem to think of me, don't you?"

"Of course. You're my best friend," she said, with all warmth and sincerity.

Dusk looked at Twilight and, despite his blurred vision, she looked more beautiful, sounded as wonderful more than she ever had done when they first met. His nerves rose to a new point in that moment and he knew that now, after months of advice, preparation and waiting, now was the time to tell her. He didn't know if she truly felt the same way he did, but he had to try, or else how would he know unless he didn't?

Twilight, perceptive as she was, seemed to pick up that something was on his mind. "Is there something you want to talk about Dusk?"

"Actually… there is…" he murmured. "Something very important…"

"What is it?" she asked with concern.

"It's um… kind of hard to… put into words."

"Well, take your time then, I'm not in a hurry." She still watched him with concern, obviously thinking something was wrong.

Summing up all of his courage, Dusk began. "Twilight… you and I… we're good friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are!" She appeared confused by the question. "More than that, I'd say we're the best of friends."

"Right… well, I agree with you." He paused and started again. "You and me, we share a lot of interests, a lot of things in common and… I like to think we're close, you know? I mean, ever since I first saw you, I've wanted to be your friend. Now that I am, I've realised that my feelings for you are… stronger than I first thought. That you mean a lot more to me than… just my friend. Wow, this is hard…"

He trailed off and looked at the ground, his mind as blurry as his eyesight, at a complete blank as to what to say. Had he come on too strong? Was he being too vague, too forward? He had no idea, he didn't know how to talk to a mare like this. Especially not Twilight Sparkle, who held this kind of thing in a critical eye anyway.

She, however, wasn't discouraged. "Dusk… what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Okay…" He sucked in more air and took up his words again. "What I'm saying is… and I know what your views on this are and how you feel about it but… well…" This was it. He looked right at her, straight into her violet eyes. "How would you feel… about us being… more than… than… friends…?"

His last word tailed off in a whisper and he couldn't hold her gaze anymore, staring right back at the ground again. Complete silence fell between them. All he could hear from Twilight was her breathing, he didn't dare look up at her. He'd said it, his feelings were now completely open to her and her judgement. Would she reject him, say she didn't feel that way for him? Of course she would, what had he been thinking?

One of her hooves entered his field of vision. "Dusk." Her soft voice was enough to make him raise his head. She was smiling, that was a good sign. "I understand how you feel and you're right, about what I think of… well, romance. It is great but, for me at least, I just see it as a waste of time and energy, something else that would distract me from my studies."

"Oh… right…" His heart sunk like a stone at her words and already he could feel the tears well up in his eyes. All of it… it had been for nothing. She didn't feel the same way, that was what was going through his head.

"But…" Until her hoof gently touched his chin and she realised how close she was. "I also used to think the same way about friendship and… look what happened. For a long time, I've been trying to figure out just… what I should do, concerning it. And now… well…"

"Yes…?" Dusk could hear the desperate hope in his voice.

"Well… for you, Dusk, I… I'm willing to… to give it a try." Her hoof found his and he felt her warm touch and his skin against hers. "In answer to your question… I want… us to be more too."

"You… you're serious?" Dusk just couldn't contain the grin when she nodded. "Wow… I mean well… really?"

"Yes!" Now she was smiling too. "I mean, I'll try… I don't really know anything about relationships."

"Neither do I."

"I've barely considered what might happen if I might have a coltfriend."

"I've never even dreamed of having a marefriend."

"So… neither of us know what we're doing?"

"It seems that way. But… we're going to give it a try?"

"Of course." She drew even closer, both her hooves on his. "I'm willing to, if you are."

"Oh I am, believe me." Dusk's tears now flowed down his cheeks at his success. He'd done it! He and Twilight Sparkle… they were a couple!

They both knew what was coming next. Neither of them knew anything about relationships, were ignorant of most of the procedures and hadn't even considered the possibility of even being in a romantic attachment with a pony, but even they knew what they had to do next. He could see it in her eyes… the sparkle.

"Twilight?" he breathed.

"Yes, Dusk?" Her voice was equally quiet, her face inches away from his.

"Would... would it be okay if I... I...?" Dusk couldn't even finish, for the very idea seemed extraordinary.

Twilight seemed to read his mind. "I... I'm fine with that... it's just... I've never actually... you know..."

"Neither have I." He leaned in closer. He could count every lash around her sparkling eyes. "This all... well it's just..."

"I feel the same. I mean, I don't... I've never read on anything... like this."

"Same here." She gave a nervous giggle. "I mean I haven't... ever... well..."

"I know. Let's call it a new learning experience... for both of us."

"That sounds... good."

Slowly, they closed the distance between them, time slowing down all around them. Just when Dusk thought she was having second thoughts and was about to pull away, their lips finally met in their first, beautiful kiss.

Dusk closed his eyes in ecstasy, enjoying the moment to his fullest. It was more wonderful than he could have ever imagined... Twilight too was just as surprised as he was, but she didn't stop, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. Nervously, but also relaxing into it, Dusk wrapped his own around her, holding her as tenderly and gently as he could. Both were unsure still, but it soon just came to them and they just expressed all they felt for each other in that simple, yet powerful gesture.

Like she had said, they were both novices when it came to romance. Dusk had only read from romantic elements in stories and seen a few films and Twilight had stayed away from them almost entirely. But in that instant, they knew this wasn't something that couldn't be read about in any book. This was something that only they could experience together... and what an experience it was.

Like when they had danced at the Gala, time became a blur, everything else around them faded away. It all didn't matter in that moment, for it was just him and Twilight Sparkle, together on this night. Who knew how long they were like that. A minute, a day, a month, a year, what did it matter? She was all that mattered to him in that moment. Just her.

They finally stopped after what seemed an age, breathing like they'd just run a marathon. Dusk was still grinning, as was Twilight.

"Wow… that was… wow," she breathed.

"I know… I've... never kissed anypony before…" he admitted.

"Neither have I?" A hopeful glint came to her eyes. "Did you… like it?"

"I did," he replied. "What about me? Was I… okay?"

"Dusk, you were great." Her lips brushed against his again and she nuzzled her head into his neck. "I think… I'm going to enjoy learning about this."

"Me too." He was vaguely aware of the lights from the palace. "Do you… want to go back inside?"

"You know what? I think I'm just fine here." She glanced up at him. "Besides, you and me still need to do a bit of stargazing together, remember?"

"I do and… I'm okay with that." Dusk smiled down at her and placed his leg around her, holding her close and feeling the heat from her body against his.

Sure he had some things he needed to sort out and issues he had to face, new challenges looming overhead in the future, but right now, Dusk knew they could wait. Because being here now, under the stars, with Twilight's head rested on his shoulder as she pointed out constellations and planets, this was all that mattered, this was where he wanted to be.

Let the future worry about itself, he thought happily. Right now, the present was what counted. And, with that at least, he was just fine.

Author's Note

And there we have it! I will start posting Book 4 very soon. Hope you all liked this one. Until then, adieu to you!

Chasing a Rainbow

Despite a little bit of reassurance that now all would be well, for the most part anyway, and that Discord would be close to his defeat, Luna was still worried, for both the fate of Equestria and the pony that she considered to be her friend. She stood on her balcony, her legs and hooves rested on the railing, staring out at the chaotic Ponyville in the distance and pondering what Dusk was doing now, if he had recovered from what Discord had done to him… and what Blackhole Doom had forced him to do.

Where she had felt fear for the heartless, crueller version of her friend, she now also felt an overwhelming pity and compassion for him. Now they had both had to endure when their darker desires had gotten the better of them and something else had taken over. Luna could still remember from her own time as Nightmare Moon, her attempts to bring about eternal night, trying to seriously hurt Twilight Sparkle and her friends, all the bitterness and anger that had fuelled her to do all of those things. At first, she thought nopony would understand what she had been through, but now…

She sighed as she thought of him. He didn't deserve what had happened to him, she didn't even know. It had been detailed in the ancient writings, but she had interpreted it differently and took it to mean something else. Now, she felt extremely guilty about it all, for she should have known what its meaning was and acted to stop it. Then, Dusk would have had to have gone through all of what he had done and all that Blackhole had done and she had made his life a little more difficult as a result of it. He didn't deserve that…

But she took heart in something else. By now he would have gotten the reports back from her sister, along with Twilight Sparkle and the two of them would be using their magic to return their friends to normal, hopefully without Discord interfering. In his eyes, he had won, so there would be no need to bother with them. She only hoped that Fore Sight was indeed right in his writings. She pulled out the ancient scroll, unfolded it and read throught it again…

Son of night, be born soon

With a sliver's power of the moon,

Whose greatest weapon is his mind

Though through discord, darkness may reside

Against this evil most unhallowed

He is light opposed to shadow

Though to keep this darkness stayed

The stars must come to his aid

Great deeds he did,

Though modesty forbids

Unlocks power once hid

Through the mists of time

When chaos is at prime

And when six do cease their fight

By his light, they unite

Enacting justice to chaos' crime.

She stopped at this point, for it was the next part of the prophecy that concerned her, the part that even she was a little unsure of. Would Dusk be able to figure it out? What did Discord know about it and would he be concerned enough to try and stop it? If that were the case, would he do it himself or use his dark minions, the ones she and her sister had destroyed during the Uprising. He could just as easily create more Paraserpents and there would be a lot more of them this time around. But what could they do?

They had to be more active, they had to do something more to help…

"Hoot!"

Luna was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of an animal. It was a snowy owl, rested on the railing near her, with a letter attached to its leg. It had a somewhat nervous disposition about it, as it had now hidden its head behind its wing and refused to look at Luna. It was also shaking a little in its feathery body, absolutely terrified.

Suspecting this owl could only belong to one pony in particular; Luna reached out gently and untied the letter. Smiling her thanks to the bird, she unfolded it and read what was written, calling out her sister who was busy sending back Twilight's reports on friendship.

"What's this Luna?" Celestia asked. "I still need to send the rest of Twilight's reports."

"I do not think that will be necessary, listen." Luna proceeded to read aloud.

Dear Princesses Luna and Celestia

To the eldest of you, Twilight and I have received your reports and their intended purpose has been fulfilled. You can stop sending them now, I don't think Spike can take much more of the effort required and deserves a rest. Thank you for reminding us of the true worth of friendship and reminding us of who we are.

And to Luna, my friend… you've helped me more than I could have ever thought possible. You probably know the origin of Blackhole by now. All I can say is thank you, from the deepest recesses of my heart, thank you so much for helping me get back to the light and I am so sorry for what I… he did to you. I only hope you can forgive me, for the pain I caused you is nothing compared to the guilt I feel for failing in my duty to prevent it.

Any other help you can give would be appreciated, because I have a feeling the worse is about to begin. You've both done so much for your subjects and have already fought this battle once before. Still, it never hurts to have a little more help.

Your loyal subject

Dusk Noir

"I already have," whispered Luna, rolling up the scroll and turning to her sister. "We've done it then."

"We have, but our task isn't yet completed," Celestia said, staring out at Ponyville.

"What do you mean?" asked Luna, confused.

"It means that I think you and I have been playing too passive a role in this battle." She looked down at her and shared a knowing smile. "I think it's time we take a more active stance, don't you?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth, dear sister," replied the younger, getting ready to fly. "But I think it would be prudent to get some additional force."

"So would I." Celestia joined her at the edge of the balcony, raising her wings. "Come then Luna, it's time to take the fight to Discord!"

With that, the Royal Pony Sisters leaped from their castle, spread their majestic wings and took to the skies, ready to finish this once and for all.

Twilight performed the memory spell she had learned once again on a restrained Pinkie Pie, letting her remember all of the times she had made her laugh, both with their friends and every other pony in town, reminding her of the irrepressible ball of happiness that she was and not the cynical, grumpy mare Discord had forced her to become.

Dusk was performing his own similar spell, his eyes closed as he created a colour puppet in her image that, when complete, dissolved into her and restored her fur colour to normal, at the same time that her own magic took effect. In a way, they were taking two halves of the spell. She focused more on the memory, while he channelled the emotions, somehow, through his own unique magic. She knew this because she had felt it when it had reawakened the magic within her after Discord had extinguished it.

She had never felt anything more wonderful, more beautiful in her whole life as in that moment when he had performed that spell on her. All of those positive emotions pouring into her, the happiness, the joy, the wonder he had shared whenever he'd been with her and everything that she had made him feel by just being his friend. There had been something else, a feeling that she shared and that had been growing stronger since he had returned. That had shone as brightly as the sun and was enough to make her cry just thinking about it.

But despite the joy he no doubt felt from his return to them, she couldn't help but notice something else about him too. In little moments, there were times he would look guilty, distraught almost from some unknown, secret fault of his. It was even more obvious when she looked into his eyes and saw it, burning in there like a fire. He would always look away from her when she did this, but it was there, even though he tried to hide it. What was he hiding then? What was making him feel like this?

She would ask him later, for right now, they had work to do. Pinkie was already back on her hooves, bouncing away and hugging everypony tightly.

"I'm back! I'm back! I'm back!" she chanted, embracing Twilight. "I mean, I was all grumpy and misery and sad, but now I'm all happy and bouncy and jumpy and I just love it so much I just wanna throw a party for it! No, wait, several parties, all at the same time, with different hats and cakes! That would be absolutely positutly funeriffic and it would all be just 'cause I'm so happy to be back to my old Pinkie-dinkie-twinkee self!"

"I'm glad to have you back too Pinkie," Twilight said sincerely. "It wasn't the same without you."

"Aw, thanks Twilight, that's sweet." She gave her a perky smile and whipped around to hug Dusk. "And you! I knew it, I knew you were psychic, I just knew it!" she insisted. "I could feel you, inside my head and putting all that lovely bubbly stuff in there with Twilight, like you were putting cupcakes and everything sweet right into my brain. Hey, maybe you're both psychic! That would be amazing! Then you'd be the cutest couple ever for sure!"

Twilight felt her cheeks flush at the mention of that and suddenly became very interested in her hooves, not making eye contact with anypony. Why did she have to bring that up, was it really that obvious? Not that it was meant to be, she still thought it was a silly idea anyway, of course it was. Yet, somehow… she rather liked the sound of that more than before. She didn't know why, but it just sounded… good.

Dusk sounded rather embarrassed as well, mumbling in his quiet voice.

"Um er… we're not a couple Pinkie, but I'm… happy you're back," he added, trying to pull the subject away from that territory.

"I'm happy you're back too! I mean, I remember you being gone and I was so sad now looking back on it, especially since I said such a mean thing about you. But now you're back and I'm just over the moon, stars and universe about it. In fact, I'm so happy you're back, you get a second hug and this complimentary cupcake!" She hugged him again and placed the sugary sweet in his hoof, beaming at him.

Dusk stared at her for a few moments, then just laughed it off. "Thank you, Pinkie, it's much appreciated."

"Come on, we'd better get going," prompted Twilight, after she finished giggling.

"Just a sec Twilight, I wanna have a talk with Dusky, won't take a moment," she assured. "That is, if Dusky don't mind?"

"Um… not at all," he said unsurely. "Twilight?"

"Well… if you have to, but don't take long," she said firmly. "We still need to find Rainbow Dash and stop Discord."

"Great! We'll talk in here, won't be long." She pushed him into a side room, beamed at them again and shut the door behind her.

Twilight stared at the door, then around at her friends, who of whom looked just as confused as she was. What did Pinkie need to talk to Dusk about that was so important? And why did she feel the need to talk to him about it away from the rest of them? Was it something to do with what she had said about her and Dusk? At first, she was willing to respect her wishes, but it became harder and harder to keep herself from listening.

In the end, Twilight's curiosity got the better and she sneaked over to the door and pressed her ear against it. She had to know what they were talking about. She caught the end of a sentence that Dusk was saying, in a scared voice.

"… could you know about that?" he was asking Pinkie.

"I saw bits of it when you were doing your spell. A bridge formed can be crossed in either direction." A moment of silence following this unexpected pearl of wisdom. "I saw that in there too. Your noggin's full of clever stuff like that."

"That's a matter of opinion," muttered Dusk. "What… else did you see?"

"Eh, nothing I'll say to anypony else, but this thing got me worried about you." Her voice was now sympathetic, concerned. "You wanna talk about it? I know it's hard for you."

"That doesn't even say the half of it…"

"I know, but I just want you to know Dusk, I don't blame you," she said gently.

"How can you say that?" he responded bitterly. "How can you in all honesty even say that?"

"'Cause it wasn't your fault, that's why. It was just an accident, like the ones you did before and you got all sad about. Remember that, by the lake?"

"But it was!" he shouted back. "Blackhole got out and he hurt you, caused untold damage and suffering and it was all my fault! I was supposed to keep him locked away, keep you all safe, but I didn't! I failed Pinkie, don't you see that? I failed…" He was silent again, Twilight straining her ears to listen. "But do you know what the worst part is?"

"What?"

"It was my body he used, my abilities, my emotions and I can remember every bit of it. I see it, every time I see you or Twilight or any of them. All I can see, all I can think about is the pain that I caused them, hear their screams, their cries and their begging for mercy and that's just you girls. There's so much more he's done, all because of me and I have to witness that every single time and I can do nothing about it. Nothing!"

His voice trailed off and Twilight, feeling her heart wrench, could hear him sobbing, muttering over and over again how it was all his fault and how he could do nothing. It was enough to bring tears to her own eyes, which she wiped away as they trickled down her cheek. It was all so clear now, where it was he had gone, why he now looked so much more guilty and forlorn than before and why she hadn't seen his so-called brother since he'd returned.

The others were all watching her with inquisitive looks as she listened at the door.

"What's goin' on in there?" whispered Applejack. "Twah, you okay?"

"I'm… I'm not sure," she mumbled, gesturing her to be quiet. "Hold on, I'm getting more…"

She heard hooves approaching Dusk and Pinkie's sympathetic voice again.

"Shh it's okay, it's okay," she whispered. "I know it's hard, but believe me, it's not your fault. Even if he brings raining chocolate which is yummy and tasty, it's all that meanie Discord's fault, not yours."

"But I-" She shushed him, cutting him off.

"Listen to your aunt Pinkie Dusky," she said. "I did some mean things too, I can remember all the grumpy stuff that I did and said when he did that to me. But I know that he's the one to blame, not me and I know that, because of what he's done to you, to me, our home and our friends, he's soon gonna see the bad side of Pinkamena Dianne Pie and believe me, you gotta do something pretty bad to see the bad side of me!"

Dusk was quite for a moment, no doubt considering this. "I'm not sure I believe you entirely, I don't know if I can yet, but I agree with you on one thing: Discord does need to be stopped and we all need to do it together."

"That's the spirit!" She heard her hug Dusk again. "We can talk more about this later, okay?"

"Yes… thanks Pinkie. Just… don't tell the others yet," he asked her. "I don't… want them to know yet."

"No problem, I won't. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," she Pinkie promised sincerely. "Come on, we better get going."

"Right you are," he agreed, Twilight backing hurriedly away from the door as it opened.

Pinkie bounced out happily, followed by Dusk. "Oh and one more thing. Eat up that cupcake, I promise that once you're done, you'll feel loads better."

"I'll bear that in mind," he said taking a bite out of it. "So, shall we get going?"

"Oh yes, of course!" Twilight agreed. "Come on, let's go everypony, only one more to go."

"Great! Hey, now I think about it, there's so many things you can laugh about from all this. I mean, I was bouncing up and down and up and down in the library before, which was weird, but funny, just bouncing going boing boing boing! I love making that noise, it's so much fun, I mean what's not fun about a noise like that? And then there was when I…"

Pinkie bounced out of her house laughing and talking all the way followed by the others as Dusk created a puppet of the Pegasus pony they were looking for.

As they set off at a slower pace than before, for Pinkie had started laughing and rolling around so much about all that was happening, even about her fur being grey, Applejack had to move her around in a nearby cart, Twilight turned her attention to Dusk, munching away on his cupcake and perking up a little bit at the end of every bite, though still with something of a guilty demeanour.

So, while Discord had changed the others with his magic, he had done something truly cruel and horrible to Dusk. He had actually created a darker side for him, what that had taken over his mind and body completely. That was why he had said Dusk was as good as dead, because he had been left in that part of his mind. Remembering all the things Blackhole had done to them, she could understand completely why Dusk looked and felt so guilty around them now. He blamed himself for all he had done… and that just wasn't fair.

She wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms, to tell him that it was fine and everything was going to be all right and how she thought he was the most special pony she'd ever met and she could never, ever blame him for what he did… wait what? Where did that come from, she thought with a blush. Still, they had a task to focus on now, which both she and he knew and had to remain focused on.

Later though, she vowed, I'll talk to him. He certainly needs it.

They reached Rainbow's house on the outskirts of town, Fluttershy flying up and peeking through the windows to try and find her. Pinkie had, at this point, calmed down and was capable of walking again, while Dusk, in accordance to Pinkie's promise, looked a little better after eating that cake, watching his Rainbow puppet which he hadn't yet cut off. She gave him a reassuring smile while they waited, which he gladly returned.

"She's not here," Fluttershy reported, flying back down.

This got Twilight worried. "Without Rainbow Dash, we can't use the Elements."

"She could be anywhere by now!" despaired Applejack. "We're never gonna find her."

"Excuse me, ladies," Dusk said. "Apologies for sounding rude, but I wasn't done tracking her yet and if you would look to that cloud, you'll find our cyan Pegasus… or grey, rather."

Twilight looked where the puppet had stopped and was now fading now its work was completed to see the daredevil, laid back and relaxing on a cloud without a care in the world, just as grey as they had been previously.

"Hey! I spotted her there too!" Pinkie tapped her head and pointed at Dusk. "See, we're the real thinkers of the group."

Twilight decided not to respond to this and called up to her. "Rainbow Dash!"

"Hey guys!" she responded, not even looking up.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" informed Twilight.

"That's nice," she said nonchalantly.

"Discord's still on the loose!" pressed Twilight, trying to get a better response. "We need you to help us defeat him with your Element, Loyalty!"

Now she looked up, making a dismissive noise. "Loyalty, schmoyalty! Have you guys seen Ponyville? It's a disaster! I'm staying here in Cloudsdale where everything's awesome."

"How in Equestria can she think that tiny patch of cloud is Cloudsdale?" asked Rarity.

"Don't," said Dusk to Applejack as she leaned over, no doubt to mention Rarity's incident. "It's an extent of Discord's powers and manipulation. He can use his magic to create hallucinations in the recipient to bend them to his will if need be."

"Ah, I see," nodded Rarity, with a look that said she hoped nothing would be mentioned. "So he's done that to Rainbow then?"

"It would seem so and believe me, I know…" He diverted his gaze to the ground, making Twilight well up with pity for him again.

"Time for Plan B," said Twilight, deciding to move the subject away from that before anypony broached further. "Pinkie, do you still have your balloon?"

"Yes indeedy super seedy," affirmed Pinkie.

"Applejack, you have your lasso?"

"Sure thing," she nodded.

"Right, here's what we do…"

Dusk was feeling weak at the knees again as the hot air balloon floated gently upwards into the sky as his fear of flying began to take hold once more. He knew he had to be strong for the girls and control his fear until Rainbow Dash was restored to normal and back on the ground, but that still didn't help the shaking he had throughout his body. What was worse was that he had to leave the relative safety of the balloon in order to perform the spell once she was restrained which made him feel even worse. Oh well…

He looked down at the sleeping Pegasus as she rested on her cloud. She was the only one he hadn't done anything to when he had been his darker self for that brief period. No doubt however she would be just as angry with him as the others would be once he told them all about what he had done. While he had talked to Pinkie about it, thanks to her uncanny way of finding out about these things, he still had to talk to the others about it afterwards as they no doubt would want to. Then what would happen? What would they do? He didn't want to leave them again, it had been too hard the first time…

Focus on the now Dusk, he told himself mentally, Discord had to be stopped. Worry about what comes after when it comes.

They were in position above her, while she was completely unaware of their presence. They just had to keep the element of surprise until the right moment.

"Okay, Fluttershy, you grab Rainbow Dash and hold her down. Applejack will lower me and Dusk down from these ropes so we can cast our memory spells on her," Twilight recapped of her plan.

"Got it!" saluted Fluttershy.

With a ferocity he rarely saw from her, Fluttershy sped towards Rainbow Dash while she slept. But just as she reached her, she stopped and tapped her lightly on her flank, enough to wake her up. She wasn't going to do what Dusk thought she was, was she?

"Um...I'm just wondering if it's okay if I hold you down against your will for a little bit?" She was. Despite his affection for her, Dusk couldn't help but groan in annoyance.

"Nice try! Ponyville's your problem, not mine." Hopping back onto her cloud, Rainbow Dash sped off in the blink of an eye.

Improvising quickly, Dusk handed Twilight a length of rope, which she lowered down in front of Fluttershy.

"Come on, Fluttershy, we've got to catch her!" Getting the message, she grabbed the rope in her mouth and began to pull the balloon along like a dog pulling a sleigh.

Dusk could feel his heart race as the wind whipped through his mane, grabbing his hat to stop it from flying off as they sped after Rainbow. However, Dusk knew they didn't stand much of a chance of catching up to her. She was far lighter, faster and more manoeuvrable in the air than they were in their cumbersome balloon. But they had to try, for if they couldn't, Equestria would be under Discord's rule forever.

Fortunately, it was Rainbow's cocky attitude that gave them an edge. No doubt in a bid to confuse them or to show off, she whirled around, sped back towards them and whizzed past their balloon, flying this way and that to throw them off. Even though she was no longer as loyal as she was, Dusk had to admit she was still a good flyer. While it made her difficult to keep track of, it also brought her close enough to use their fall-back plan.

"Applejack!" Dusk called, grabbing a length of rope.

Because Twilight was busy at the reigns, Dusk grabbed another rope and tossed it up to her. She caught it and spun it around her head while Rainbow Dash flew right next to her, a foolish mistake. Applejack's aim was dead on, wrapping around her waist and fixing tightly around her. Smiling at their small victory, Dusk turned to see if the rope was secure only to discover, too late, that it was around the legs of Pinkie and Rarity.

"Look out!" Dusk made to grab Rarity's hoof, but both she and Pinkie were pulled out of the basket, screaming all the while.

"PINKIE! You were supposed to secure the ROPE!" screamed Rarity.

"Oops," was all she could say.

Dusk at first was going to levitate them back, but he noticed that their combined weight had pulled Rainbow off her cloud and they were even reducing her speed due to the added body mass. As long as the rope held, they'd be fine. They'd just have to catch Rainbow all the more quickly now.

"Rarity, Pinkie, hold on! Y'all are slowing her down!" observed Applejack from atop the balloon.

"Oh, Fluttershy, would you be a dear and FLY FASTER, please?!" called Rarity.

Fluttershy, however, was at her limit. Dusk could make out the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't!"

"Come on little sister, I know you can do it!" he called out to her.

"If you can't catch her, Discord wins!" added Twilight.

"That big...dumb...MEANIE!" That last word was accompanied with a sudden burst of speed Dusk would never have expected from her.

"This is the last one Applejack!" Dusk shouted, tossing her the last rope. "Don't let us down!" He then remembered Rarity and Pinkie. "Oops… poor choice of words."

As Applejack prepared her last lasso, Dusk looked out at Rainbow, still speeding away from them as fast as she could. They still needed something else that would slow her down and make her an easier target, but what? What could they use? Remembering what he accidently did to her on their first meeting, he realised there was one last thing he could do.

"Sorry to do this to you, Dashie," muttered Dusk, tapping into his magic and forming a large orb directly in front of her.

"What the- AGH!" The bright light was enough to blind her and make her stop flying.

At the same time, Applejack threw her last rope and made the target. She'd done it! With this rope now fully secured and with Rainbow still struggling blindly and rubbing her eyes, Fluttershy slowed down and lowered them gently back to the ground. Dusk jumped out as soon as it reached the floor, eager to be back on solid earth and also to check up on Fluttershy, who looked exhausted, but proud as well.

"Fluttershy, that was brilliant!" She accepted his hug weakly. "I knew you could do it, I just knew it!"

"Thanks…" she panted. "You were great too, that orb really helped to slow her down and you tossed the ropes to Applejack to stop her. You did wonderfully."

"Yeah well… you were the one pulling," he mumbled.

"Now don't go bein' modest, sugar cube," Applejack called, still firmly holding on to the ropes. "Y'all were a big help an' we know it. Jus' gimme a word-a warnin' next time ya do one-a them orbs, ya nearly threw ma aim off."

"Right… sorry…" he replied quietly.

"No sweat, we got her now." She struggled a little when Rainbow tried furiously to take off again. "Now, how 'bout givin' me a hoof here? This one's almost too wily, even fer me."

Organising themselves quickly, they were positioned so each of the girls were holding on to a rope to reduce Rainbow's struggling as much as possible, having her in a state where she couldn't fly, as her wings were tied down, or run, because her rear legs were in the sky or fight back because of the distance between her and her 'wranglers' as Applejack had called them. That left only Dusk and Twilight to do their magic.

"Lemme go!" ordered Rainbow, still resisting them. "I don't need you guys! Leave me alone!"

She was snorting angrily when Twilight lowered her head and Dusk was weaving her shape, remembering how much admiration he had for her for committing to be the best that she could be, her dedication to fulfil her dream but also her ability to just be laid back and cool, knowing exactly the best way to carry herself and look and sound like one of the best, as he knew she was and one day would be the best member the Wonderbolts ever had.

Dusk beamed, Rainbow's cyan coat returning along with her signature mane, though he had a slight headache from the effort. Her stone also lit up around his neck, glowing like the others. Only one left now…

"Wh-what happened?" she asked groggily. Then she gasped at sudden remembrance. "How's Ponyville? Where are the Elements?! Did we stop Discord?"

The last question she actually tackled Applejack to the ground. Overwhelmed with affection and relief, Dusk joined the others for a group hug around her, though she looked confused as to the purpose of it. It was almost a perfect moment, until three buffalo wearing tutus and ballet vests pirouetted past, reminding them of their duty.

"Maybe it's a little early for a group hug," remarked Twilight.

"But not entirely unfounded," added Dusk, renewed with spirit. "Now, we just need the Elements and I know exactly where those are."

"To the Bat-Ca- uh, library!" declared Pinkie, galloping away as they sped off back towards town.

Despite being a firm believer in faith and the impossible, Dusk still couldn't believe they were actually about to pull this off. Against all the odds, all of the trials, tribulation and turmoil that had been placed before them, they had almost come out on top. His darker side was defeated, his friends were restored to normal and all they needed to do now was get the Elements, return Discord to stone and save Equestria.

What was best of all was that Dusk, despite everything that his dark side had done, had played a part in bringing all of this about. Once again, thanks to the wonderful friendships he had formed with these magnificent mares, he actually felt like he was worth something and had actually done his vital part to bring Discord to justice for all of his crimes. Truly, nothing could stop them now and nothing could crush his happy mood and blazing hope.

But something did, when they were arriving back in town.

Dusk was just galloping with them through the market place, when he thought he saw something stir down one of the alleyways. Just like what he had thought he had seen before after they'd rescued Rarity. Maybe it was still nothing, or that was what he thought until he saw something else move close by as well, accompanied with a sinister hiss. That sent a chill down his spine and made him freeze in place. It couldn't be… could it?

"Dusk?" Twilight was looking back at him with concern. "Is something wrong? You look like you've seen a…"

The rest of her sentence remained unfinished when she saw what he saw. It was slow at first, deliberate and calculating, just moving in the darkness. Then they came, slithering out of the shadows like a little foal's nightmare. At first there was one, but then there were five, ten, dozens if not hundreds emerging out of every crevice, nook and cranny, their many red eyes fixed on them and their wicked fangs glinting in the light.

They weren't as big as the one they'd faced, their eyes weren't as small, but there were many, many more of them this time. They were completely surrounded by Paraserpents… and they looked very hungry.

"Yes, I'd say it's definitely too late for a group hug," deadpanned Dusk.