4 hours, 20 minutes, and 10 seconds until Serpentari fires

Rainbow Dash flew back towards the castle grounds, her eyes focused on the white stallion who stood before a small army. Taking the time to give her wings a few flaps before landing, she made touchdown in front of Shining Armor, "Ok, I checked, the changelings are incoming from the east, and there is something else following them. I can't recognize it. They're also flanks from some of the space ponies from the colonies and I think some of the left overs from the prisons."

"Why would they be helping Grand Ruler," asked Flash Sentry.

"Grand Victim is probably promising them that they will have brand new lives on the new world if they work with him," Rainbow Dash growled, "But we know he's just planning on killing them all."

"Alright, thanks for the recon," Shining Armor said, before nudging his head over his shoulder, "I want you to talk with the others and then come to the front."

"You got it!" Rainbow Dash said, saluting before flying away.

As she flew, Shining Armor looked back at his army of a thousand crystal ponies. Though his face showed pride in the small band before him, there was a part of him that was filled with doubt about being able to push back a large force and protecting the city. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he brushed away his doubts and walked in front of his men, "Soldiers! For five long years now, both Equestria and our empire has been mocked and derided by Starfleet! Five years we had to put up with their looks of disdain and rage, why? Because we dared to believe in things like hope and love. That we think that they are superior because they allowed themselves to be filled with hate and malice!"

"And what has that got them?!" Shining asked, looking back at the encroaching army, "Betrayal by their leader and genocide. They believed that compassion was the weakness while hate was the true strength, and look at them now. Now they sleep while a serpent awaits to devour them all. We will now show them that compassion, love,and kindness is not a weakness, but a strength. We will show them the might of Equestria and the empire as we protect them for the rest of this long night!

"We all have things to protect, love, and depend on. Tonight, we defend all of that while the shadows will save us! This is the time for light and dark to work as one. This is the time for us to stand tall and show what it means to fight!" Shining Armor then allowed his horn to glow, summoning a shining blade of light. Holding it above his head, he shouted, "Today is the day we will make Starfleet fall and bring forth the rise of harmony!"

The cheer from the soldiers was deafening. Shining Armor had a smile on his lips as he turned around, ready to march his men to battle. The only thing that stopped him was the sound of metallic footsteps, "Cadence wait!" Fratello shouted to his sister. Turning to look at Shining, he said, "Shining, talk some sense into her."

"Sense?" Shining paused as he saw his wife march up to him, now dressed in shining pink armor with wings. In the center of her breastplate was a little blue heart. "Cadence, what is with the armor, why are you-"

"This is my empire, my home, I need to defend it," Cadence said, watching as Shining put his hand to her cheek.

"Princess Cadence, My love song," Shining said, looking into her blue eyes and shaking his head, "Your responsibility is to our daughter, to the empire and to the ponies of the city."

Cadence grabbed his hand and pulled it away, "The last time the war came on our border, I had to stay back. This time, I will fight with you and I am not going to hear any objections. We fight together, remember? To love and hold...until death?"

At first, Shining wanted to argue with her, but the look in her eyes made him rethink his decision. Sighing, he said, "Sorry Frat, but...I can't beat her."

Fratello sighed and rolled his eyes, "Fine, but I am keeping an eye on you three!" as he followed the group towards the edge of town, he mumbled, "Swear to Celestia, it was easier when I was evil!"

---

Rainbow Dash flew into the castle, through the labyrinthine corridors and then down to the basement. As she flew, her ears twitched and perked at the sound of the crystal ponies who had chosen to not fight hide within the room. Once finding the room, she looked down at the yellow mare who was helping lead the last of the ponies into the safe room, "Is this everypony?" Dash asked landing next to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded calmly, "Yes. I made sure that everypony made it here safely."

"Good." Dash said, and then she looked to Fluttershy. With a little frown, she said, "You know, you don't have to fight up there. You can always stay here and comfort these guys while we do the ass kicking."

"I know, I know," Fluttershy nodded, taking Dash's hand in hers, "But I have to be there Dashie. I have to know I contributed something to this fight, even if it's just a little medical help."

"Hey, that medical help is something that we need out there," Rainbow Dash said, before adding, "Besides, you are really good at it."

Fluttershy nodded, "Thank you, Rainbow." Taking a quick look at the small crowd, she frowned and whispered, "They're scared. They don't think we'll be able to stop them or save the empire."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, I can see why. Though, they really should have a little more faith in us. I mean, we beat back a chaos god, Titan, and a few other monsters. I think we can handle the end of the world."

"I guess so, but this feels a little bigger," Fluttershy said, and then sigh, "Or maybe they are worried that the Umbra Circle won't be able to-"

"Hey, I have faith in those gals," Rainbow Dash said, "They have been at this just as hard as we are and are prepared to take on anything that Jerkface can dish out."

"I needed that," Fluttershy said, smiling warmly. "Your confidence I mean."

Dash smirked, "Hey, what kind of marefriend am I if I don't boost you up a little?" then she took Fluttershy's hands and pulled her closer, "Hey, no matter what happens next, I'm glad that we wound up together."

"Me too," Fluttershy whispered, before leaning in and kissing Rainbow Dash on the lips. Dash then returned the kiss and slipped her hands behind Fluttershy's back.

"Ewwwwww, kissing," shouted a little filly.

"Excuse me girls," said a mare, "While we are entranced by your sweeping romance, would you mind taking it outside for a moment! There are kids present!"

Rainbow Dash turned to the kids and chuckled, ignoring Fluttershy's embarrassed blush. "Pay attention kids, this is what happens when you get older."

"R-R-Rainbow," Fluttershy said, trying to hide behind her mane.

"Just messing with them, Flutters," Dash said, pushing aside her mane before kissing her cheek, "See you outside."

"Right," Fluttershy nodded, running her hand through her mane. As she watched Rainbow Dash fly away, she turned to the crowd, "Well, you heard her. You don't need to worry, we will make sure that you all will see tomorrow."

---

Rarity stood on the rooftop, looking out beyond the city border as the army flew in slowly while a big black rolling cloud followed them. She sighed as she looked down at her bow, seeing her reflection in the metal surface and admiring her cutie mark embedded in the side. Looking back up at the clouds, she said a silent prayer to herself for the sake of her child and boyfried as she looked on. Not even turning to the sound of the footsteps behind her, she smiled warmly as she heard the all too familiar southern drawl, "Enjoying the view?"

"Getting a good vantage point," Rarity said, running her hand through her mane to fix it in the cool breeze, "When we last did this, Glarity stayed on the ground and I couldn't see much of the city." she let out a sigh, "Not much places for an archer such myself to shoot."

"You'll managed," Applejack said, stepping to stand with Rarity. "Rares, how is Crystal."

"She's doing fine," Rarity said, "I asked Cadence to teleport me to Ponyville to see her and Spike. Spike said he and Glarity will keep her safe while we handle this and if...well, if the worst happens, they'll get on the teleporters to the elks as soon as they can."

"Good," Applejack said softly. "Applebloom and Big Mac didn't want to even think about it, but Ah told them to do it."

"Little Crystal," Rarity said, sighing, "I think she knew I was about to leave, she began crying the moment I was prepared to teleport with Cadence. Required me singing a lullaby to her to get her to sleep." with a sniffle, she added, "What a first few months for a newborn. A civil war, the downfall of a god, and now the changing of an entire planet. Makes one pine for the olden days of yore."

"Hey, it's what we're fighting for," Applejack said, patting Rarity's shoulder, "to bring back those old days, so Clarity can grow up in a world where war is just a bad thing to think about and she just has to worry about some ancient evil being being reawaken."

"Yes," Rarity laughed, "and then she has to worry about if mother will become a little flower or just got changed into a clone. But, will be reassured that it all be all right in the end, because her mother is safe, among friends."

"The best friends," Applejack said, smiling warmly at her. Turning to look back at the swarm, she asked, "Ever think it would turn out like this? A farmer and a seamstress ready to fight against the world and stop an army from killing innocent lives?"

Rarity was about to respond, but a landing from Rainbow Dash interrupted her, "What is this, rooftop gossip?" she teased.

"Nah, just thinking about what's ahead," Applejack said. "After this, Grand Ruler and then Dark Conquest."

"Yeah, ain't it great?" Rainbow Dash said, "Two big annoyances go down and then we win."

"We still have a war to win Rainbow," Rarity said, "This is still just one last theater, one final curtain before the big show."

"Yeah, and then we get to go home and celebrate," Rainbow Dash said. "All we have to do is win."

"Well, technically," Pinkie Pie said, climbing up to the roof, looking at her friends, "All we have to do is survive, kick bad guy booty and then win."

Applejack smiled, "Both of y'all seem to be really confident about our chances."

"Yep!" Pinkie said, walking along the outer rim of the rooftop, her arms extended out as an airplane. "I have been thinking, and I realized that, no matter what happens, and no matter what big monster comes our way, we can beat it. Why? Because, we work so well together!"

Giggling, she backflipped onto the landing, "It doesn't matter if we face Tirek or some big scary monster, we are gonna win it all, because we have each other and a great gal leading the team."

"Yeah," Dash said, patting Applejack on her shoulder, "For what's it worth, you did a great job getting us here."

"Um, excuse me," Fluttershy said, landing next to Pinkie Pie and noticing the white frosting on her face, "Why are you covered in frosting."

"Oh," Pinkie said, licking it off her face, "Just finished making the surprise."

---

A changeling held up his hand as he said, "Wait, brothers. Look."

Carapace fluttered and then stepped back when he saw a thirty foot high cake with a bit of blue icing on it written in big letters, "Is that a cake?"

"What does it say?" asked Membrane.

"Hmm," Carapace flew closer and began to read, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, now it's time to go boom."

"Boom?!" asked the army.

---

"Boom," Pinkie Pie said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest as a large earth shattering kaboom was heard just a few feet away. Behind her, chunks of cake frosting and bits of cake was sent flying across the battlefield while fireworks screamed into the air. Without missing a beat, she grabbed a piece of flying cake, and then brought it to her mouth to eat it. There was a contented grin on her face as she did.

Rainbow Dash took to the air, "Heh, guess that's our cue to be awesome!" she said, giving all four of her friends a fist bump before flying off into the city. Lightning crackled along her body as she built up a charge and went flying into the group of recovering changelings. Before they could do anything to strike at her, Dash slammed her hands together to launch a blast of lighting outwards that electrocuted three changelings. Flying back into the sky, she drove a side kick into the back of another before slamming a forearm into the face of another.

Using his opportunity, a changeling bit into Rainbow Dash's arm, causing her to scream in pain. As the insect fed on her love, Dash closed her eyes and focused, vibrating out of the grip and then delivered a gut punch and a quick jab into her opponent. Turning her head to look back at four changelings behind her, she spun herself into a tornado and flew into the group. In a blur, she struck out with four roundhouses at the insects.

Behind her, Applejack landed onto the ground with her fist striking the ground. With her hat lowered over her eyes, she began to walk slowly to the large group of changelings, unflinching. They growled and hissed as they glared at her, and in response, Applejack growled as she stared right back at them, making the small group flinch. Still walking slowly towards them, she began to breathe in and out slowly.

With a growl, the first of the team charged at the farmer. No flinching or moving, Applejack thrusted out her fist and punched the first changeling in the face. As the second one flew out at her, she delivered a powerful side-kick into the creature's stomach before spinning around and doing a roundhouse into another's neck. Pulling out her lasso, she threw it at a bassing changeling, used his caught body as a hammer and slammed him into three of his comrades before pulling him to her. With him dizzy, she slammed her elbow into his skull and knocked him down to the ground where she easily stomped onto his spine.

Two changelings leapt at her sides and without a look, she grabbed both by the neck and slammed their heads together. Flicking her thumb over her nose, she looked at the group and smirked at them, daring them to make a step towards her.

As Fluttershy nodded and flew off to help with the other soldiers, Pinkie Pie let out a loud and excited shout as she leaped towards the ground with a giant bouncy balloon beneath her. With a loud bounce, she hit the ground and then smiled at her group of changelings. Pulling out two bombs, she threw the grenades at the group. Smirking, she watched as all of them ignored the bombs and flew at her. The grenades then exploded in a blast of colorful streamers and bows, "The world's least interesting bombs. I have been modifying them, cool huh?"

Spinning around, she slammed one changeling with her hammer, jumped up to strike another in the face, and then spun in a circle to slam her guitar against the head of the thirst while shouting, "El Kabong!" and then landed on her feet perfectly. Taking out her bat, she spun it around in a circle before holding it up over her shoulder and smiling widely as she said, "Next!"

On the rooftop, Rarity began to fire round after round at the bugs, while her eyes were forever on the clouds that were waiting. As the heard of insects were thinning thanks to the efforts of her friends and the soldiers, she noticed the clouds were becoming bigger and more enraged. Curiously, she watched as several of the clouds split off from the main cloud and flew all across the city. One of them landed in front of her and reached back and slashed her across the stomach, cutting through her mithril shirt.

As she screamed in pain, she was left open for the strange shadowy creature to uppercut her. Holding out his hand, he formed a shadowy rapier and thrusted his blade into her body three times, stabbing her arms and leg. Then it roundhouse kicked her into the side of the roof and making her drop her bow.

Resting her arm on the side of the roof to help lift her up into a sitting position, she got her look at the beast that attacked her. A large lumbering shadow horse towered over her, pale pupiless eyes glared down at her as he pulled back his lips to show his bony fangs. Rarity let out a small shudder of disgust as she looked at the shadowy monstrosity.

In its right arm, he summoned a large shadowy rapier and swished it in front of him. Rearing back the blade, she stabbed it into the side of Rarity's stomach. Letting out a scream of pain as it shot through her, she quickly rolled out of the way to grab at her discarded bow. The creature laughed in such a way that it made her shiver and feel a chill run down her spine.

Not having a time to knock back an arrow, she was forced to block the rapier with her bow's edge. Looking up at the shadowy beast, she watched him laugh and in return, she put on a smirk of her own. Pressing a button on her bow's handle, the two limbs pulled themselves into the riser. With a flick of her hand, she fused the riser into a handle, allowing the limbs to spring out into a long blade. The shadow looked shocked at the sight as she stabbed him in the stomach and then his arms. Standing to her full height, Rarity smiled as she said, "Allow me to introduce you to my family's blade, Vorpal. A sword passed down through my family's line for years and a personal favorite of mine."

The creature let out a hiss before he was slashed and taken out, "And do not hiss at a lady, good sir. What ever you are."

"Rarity," Fluttershy said, landing next to her friend and putting a gauze onto stomach. "What was-"

"That creature, I do not know," Rarity said, getting up.

"But, that sword..."

Rarity smiled at her old friend and then to her blade, "Well, I always had a love for the arts. Archery is one of my favorites, but I had grown to fall for fencing ever since my uncle trained me."

"Oh," Fluttershy said, before looking off down below at the city, "What are those shadowy things?"

Down below, Rainbow Dash ducked under a shadowy claw before she did a spiral uppercut into his chin, "Gahh, what are these things?"

"Ah have no idea," Applejack said, doing a roundhouse into one of the monster's stomachs. "But they take a lot to keep them down!"

Just as Applejack said this, a dark blue alicorn landed just in front of the two ponies, slamming her fist into the ground and forming ice spikes that stabbed the hearts of the shadowy creatures. Rising back to her feet, Luna said while rubbing the cold off of her wrists, "I had heard legends of Umbrum, but I had never expected them to be unleashed from the shadow planes that they were sealed away in."

"And let me guess, Grand Ruler was just waiting for an excuse to release them from prison," Rainbow Dash asked.

"It's Sombra!" Pinkie Pie gasped, "He looked like he was made of this shadowy stuff!"

"How did you know?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Pinkie shrugged, "It's a gift."

"If you had the chance to use a powerful entity like that as a scapegoat in case your plan goes wrong," Luna said, firing a beam of white lighting at an umbrum, "Wouldn't you? He knows he needs a monster for his story to work, of how United Equestria was destroyed. Even better, he can then just say that this was the fault of the compassion of the Equestrians and make them all look bad."

"You know, if he wasn't such a moron, he would be dangerous," Rainbow Dash said, ducking under an umbra blade and kicking him in the stomach..

"Indeed, I would also say that as a storyteller he is-AHHHH!" Luna screamed as she pulled back, holding her stomach.

"Princess!" Applejack said, racing to her side, but pulled away when she saw the lack of blood on her stomach, "What the hey?"

Luna slowly got up, and sighed, "Do not worry, Applejack, it was just my shadow clone getting attacked from behind back in Horn Kong."

"Shadow clone!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "So...you are talking to us here, but fighting over there?"

"While trying to get Celestia to awaken, yes," Luna said, panting a little as she froze for a bit and the resume talking, "It is a little hard to keep my focus on three battles at once. It can weigh in on even my magical abilities."

"Shouldn't ya rest?" Applejack asked.

Luna looked on at a charging battalion of umbrum and changelings, and glared down at them. Her body crackling with electricity, she flew into the sky and unleashed a lightning storm onto the small group. When they lept out of the way to avoid her attack, she descended upon one of them and cut him half with her blade. After that, she held up her hand to summon three ice spears that she sent into the bodies of the changelings. Seeing the group down, she flew off to the other side of the city.

"Guess not," Applejack said.

---

Sombra walked away from the large portal, the black magic leaving his hands. Turning his head slowly towards Grand Ruler, a frown creased across his face, "There, it's done. All of the Umbrum have been unleashed from their prison and are connected to me. As long as I'm alive, they will always revive." with a powerful step, he snarled, " Now return her to me!"

"Of course," Grand Ruler said, a sly smirk on his face. He chuckled as he watched Sombra walk away, "After all, what a brilliant way to end the narrative. Conquest resurrects Serpantari and unleashes her power with the help of Sombra. The two then die in each others as the fire rains down to kill you both.'

Sombra walked away ignoring the comment, "Spin whatever yarn you want, I got what I want."

"Oh, of course," Grand Ruler said, nodding calmly. "I am just thinking how nice it will be when Celestia's spirit will be broken when she sees how weak her beliefs are."

"If think that ideals can be determined by punches or kicks, then you are even more childish than I thought," Sombra said, walking away.

Grand Ruler shrugged at his Allyson dismissal and walked to a nearby airship. In his mind he could hear Celestia s sobs. Chuckling to himself, he asked, "I wonder if she is dreaming of me.

---

Celestia sat against a tree, in her equine form once more. Beside her was a small little bassinet where her son laid fast asleep. Sighing, she looked up at the beautiful sky of her Equestria, letting the beautiful music of spring play in her ears. With beautiful music in her ears, she looked over the small field before her where ponies and other raves all talked and played with each other in a wonderful melody of peace.

This peace was soon disrupted by the sound of, "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Oh, my little girls," Celestia said, smiling warmly as she saw the approaching duo of Twilight and Sunset Shimmer. Both had wide smiles on their lips as they ran towards her. In Sunset's magic, she held a little photo, "And what did you bring me?"

Twilight looked to her big sister, "Sunny drew you a photo. I would, but I'm not as good as an artist as her."

Taking the picture in her magic, she saw the photo. It was of a lovely bit of pastels that showed two unicorns standing with a midnight blue alicorn and a little white pony, "It's us! It's you, Auntie Luna, me, Twilight, and little Illusion," smiled Sunset as she looked at her photo, "Happy Mother's day."

"It's beautiful Sunset," Celestia said, smiling and then she looked to her younger daughter, "Did you get me anything Twilight?"

"Well, no," Twilight said, looking down as she rubbed her hoof into the ground. "Just a big hug!" and then she hugged her mother.

Celestia smiled and laughed a little, "That's ok, I'll take hugs from my children." and with that, she pulled Sunset into a big hug. For a long while, she held her little girls in her arms and sighed. Long gone were the errors of old, gone were her mistakes, and her life was perfect.

"TIA, HELP ME!" Screamed Luna at the top of her lungs.

Celestia's eyes shot up in fear as she began to look around, "Luna!" eyes darting back and forth, she saw that her wayward sister was not there. A she looked around for her, Celestia let out a sigh before frowning, "A dream...of course. I should've figured it was one that would allow me to get away from my sins."

Slowly, she rose to her feet and look to the heavens, her eyes becoming blazing small suns. With a roar that was a mix of lion's roar and an explosion of hellfire, she screamed to the heaven as a fiery pillar engulfed her body.

The quiet night of New Canterlot was quickly broken by the deafening roar of the princess of the sun. Then the night was abolished, turning into day by the bright flaming pillar of blue fire that touched the sky. The flames then sucked back into the tower where Celestia had slept, returning to her body.

Slowly, she rose back to her feet and looked to Luna, "Thank you, dear shadow clone of my sister."

Luna looked a little disappointed, frowning a little," Tia! How did know?"

As she answered her little sister, Celestia held out arms to the side and in a blaze of magic, made her nightgown vanish, "I know your magical aura by heart, sister. You can never trick me," closing her eyes, she summoned a pair of golden plated gauntlets and pauldrons onto her arms, "Now report!"

As Luna watched the greaves and boots latch onto her sister, the was a part of her that was excited to see her sister in general mode. Not even bothering with a salute, she began to debrief her sister, "Operation Board Wipe has begun and we are losing. "

"Losing?" Celestia asked, as her breastplate placed itself onto her chest

"Right now, no thanks to Grand Ruler's use of the two of the items, most of the planet is asleep. The only ones awake are Horn Kong, the empire, and those of us with strong magic and wills." Luna said watching as her sister willed a flaming blade into existence before searching out.

"I see, " Celestia said narrowing her eyes, "What are the enemy forces?"

Luna looked down as she began to recap, "At least a thousand strong or more. Grand Ruler has also brought in some of his forces from the outlying colonies to strike hard, as well ass changelings, and the Umbrum."

"Those shadow creatures you studied once?" Celestia asked, her glorious golden plated armor now fully equipped and shining in the dull light of her room. "Let me guess, Sombra?"

"Yes, and one can assume that he is in the castle either waiting for you or is beginning to move on," Luna said, watching as Celestia began to exit the room.

"Just one more mistake to add to the pile," whispered Celestia as she turned her head to look at Luna, "Call back your shadows and focus your efforts on Horn Kong. You know that you can't keep yourself split like this."

"But Tia!" Luna objected.

"No buts," Celestia said, "Besides, the Knights and Cadence can handle the rest. You need to conserve as much mana as you can. I will handle the rest."

"Yes sister," Luna grumbled. Then she said, "By the way, your gold plated armor looks stupid! We all know it's adamantine!" but Celestia was already out the door before her insult was heard. Smiling warmly, she added before fading, "It has been a while, since I have seen that fire in your eyes."

---

The figure in the cloak watched a portal in front of him. Unlike Kudos and his bees, he chose to rely on magics to watch over the planet that they were at war with. He could not help but smile at the civil war that had begun on the small world, relishing at the sounds of the dead and dying that came from the two battlefields. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, sucking in the screaming souls as each spirit left their respective corpses. Reaching with a cloven hoof, he pulled back his hood and opened his red eyes, "Ah, death, the greatest constant in all of the multiverse. Ponies change, time alters, but death is something that will never fade. It only grows stronger over time."

While his face was still obscured in shadows, he reached out his cloven hoof and took a small soul from one of the fallen in Horn Kong. The soul screamed and begged as it writhed in his hoof, as if it could find a means to escape to it's final reward. Smiling, he pulled the little soul towards his mouth and opened his maw. Placing the soul into his mouth, he began to absorb it into his body. The soul fading into the darkness of his maw in a bunch of wisps, all the while screaming a sound of eternal despair.

"And to think, when this war started, I only had the power to bring back five souls. Now I can bring back thousands. Even my power has increased exponentally," the figure in the black cloak said, holding out his hoof and crushing another soul, letting it scream echo throughout the base, "With each soul that has fallen in this war, my strength and influence grows. Thus is the way of life, death grows stronger and more constant, while life fades and becomes weaker. I must thank Conquest for bringing me to this world, annoying his traits may be."

"Did you call, big guy? Conquest ask, skipping into the cloaked figures room.

The figure shook his head, "I was merely admiring the events unfolding as we speak. namely the Equestrians little war amongst themselves."

Conquest smiled wildly, showing off his bloody fangs," Oooh, let me see. I so do love a good war."

Seeing the sight of the war on two fronts made him smile even wider before laughing like a madman, "Oh, this is just brilliant, freaking brilliant. The big dummy doesn't even know that he's signing his death warrant! Hey, bud, let's get the zombie fairies and give them something else to fight."

The necromancer chuckled as he waved his hand, summoning the army of fairies, "Why not. We need to remind them of who is still waiting for them in the wings."

"Now you see, that I'd the kind of enthusiasm I love to hear," Conquest said, giving the necromancer a high five.

Necromancer nodded calmly, before raising his cloven hoof and adding, "I suggest you head to Canterlot soon to take Grand Ruler's head."

"Yeah, yeah I hear ya," Conquest said waving his hand, " I got it, I got it."

"Personally, I find your desire to delay this world's destruction insane," The Necromancer said, "One year is far too long."

"For me it's been two wonderful years," Conquest said, much to his friend's irritation. Conquest sighed and patted his friend's shoulder, "Hey, I hear what you are saying, but you gotta have some fun... Right?"

The necromancer narrowed his ruby colored eyed at his friend," Be as it may, do not forget who led you here and who taught you your spells."

"Hey, I get it. I wouldn't be half the conqueror I am if it weren't for you. But you gotta admit, by savoring this world I have given you a thrill like nothing you've ever had before."

"I will not deny, the death toll you bring out is... exquisite," The Necromancer smiled. " Now go and show them why you are a personal favorite of mine."

"Will do," winked Conquest as he teleported away.

The figure smiled as he watched the war continue, his mind thinking back to the other worlds he had touched, other places he visited.

A young man with a spikey hair style raced at the figure in the cloak, his punch striking his chest. The figure laughed as he watched the man scream in pain and agony, death quickly taking him. The figure in the cloak sighed as he watched the man fall to the ground as a skeleton, and looked around, "The strongest fighter in this dimension. I am not impressed."

"Bravo, bravo," Conquest said, stepping down from a rock. "I had never expected the embodiment of the death of ideas to rest in this world."

"This dimension interested me," the figure said, kicking the skeleton at his feet, shaking his head, "Beings who used items to defy death, trying to delay the inevitable, it... intrigues me. The more death, the stronger I become."

"Ah, so we're the same," Conquest said, jumping off the rock and laughing, "We both love to travel to worlds that are the most interesting. I love a world with hate while you like worlds that are about to end."

"Who are you?" the figure asked.

Conquest bowed, "Dark Conquest, harbinger of devastation, killer of dreams, lover of hate, and the one who brings out hate in others. I hunt down stories that have been born of hate, created from places of rage, and then destroy them. I have come looking for the one that comes when a story becomes dead: You."

"Why me?" asked the figure.

"Because you have a list of spell and powers that I need. I want to become stronger, better than I already am. And I have need of a powerful god like yourself," Conquest said, offering his hand.

"And for your training, what do I get?" asked the figure, his red eyes looking curious.

"Come on, you are a god of death. You feed on it as much as I feed on hate, and I know you can realize what will happen if we combine our might. You get all the food you want and I get to see the multiverse. What do you say?"

"Of course I said yes," the figure said, before leaning back and watching with a cruel smile. Turning his eyes to the visions of the war, he said, "So fruitless, your little war. You are only delaying the death that is to come. See, death is the constant of the multiverse. Kings, gods,mortals, immortals, they all die in one way or another. Even my only friend will die soon and I will miss him. But, I will remain constant and find another to lead me to new worlds."

"Oh light, you try to fight the darkness, but you will always suffer at the hands of death," The Necromancer said, leaning back into his chair and smiling softly.

---

3 hours 59 minutes 16 secs until Serpentari fires

Applejack blocked a fist from one of the umbrum with her forearm, before pushing it away and then punching it hard in the gut. Spinning herself hard to the right, she roundhouse kicked the second umbrum in the face before snapping her kick back to strike at the changeling behind her. She let out a yelp of pain when an arrow from a elf struck her thigh, but before she could go after her, Rainbow Dash did a diving kick into the archer's stomach, taking it down.

Panting, Rainbow dash landed with Applejack, cuts and wounds all along her body, "Damn! This is getting too much," Dash commented, "For every one of these bozos we take down, two more replace him while the other gets back up."

"Yeah," Applejack panted, wiping the sweat from her brow, "Hate to admit it, but Ah'm getting tired and Ah think the other soldiers are too."

With a soft flutter, Fluttershy landed with her two friends, "Oh, there you girls are. Thank goodness." she then looked back behind her, "With so many injured or dead I was worried that you might have been-"

Dash interrupted her with a shrug, "Eh, we're fine. Just trying to get our second wind."

"Good," Rarity said, panting as she walked to her friends, "Because I don't think I have that many arrows left in my quiver for the rest."

Pinkie slumped herself against the wall, a tired look in her eyes, "I hate to say it, but I'm pooped!" as her ear twitched, she began to turn her head towards a faint buzzing sound. Turning her head to the sound, she commented, "But that buzzing is kind of nice though."

"Buzzing?" Applejack asked herself. Looking up, she asked, "Rainbow, think ya can fly up there and check it out?"

"Sure thing," Dash said, flying up. After taking a few seconds to scan the horizon, she let out a gasp of horror before landing back down on the ground, "Ok, bad news girls. It seems that Conquest sent out his zombie fairies to join in on the fun."

Applejack let out a loud groan as she kicked a piece of rubble, "Oh, buck! As if we didn't have enough problems, Conquest just had to put his foot into the battlefield!"

"You know what we need?" Rainbow Dash said, letting out a tired breath as she looked around and seeing some of the soldiers getting back up. "Reinforcements, probably backed by an awesome song as they all fly out of the sky like guardians of light."

"Rainbow, Ah don't think that's gonna-"

At that moment, the sky just above the Crystal Empire opened up to a large blue portal. When the portal opened up all of the way, it revealed a large group of ponies who each came equipped with weapons and a look of battle on their faces as they watched the burning city and the war that spread out beneath them. From behind them, Starla stood out into the front. Now covered in makeshift armor, she turned to look back at her friends and said, "Soldiers, we are coming back home to a war zone. I am sorry for this, as I hoped we would come home safely and not in times of war. Right now, our friends, allies, and fellow ponies need our help. I say we give it to them!"

Lightning stepped forward next, "All those who wish to fight, follow me and Starla, those who do not, follow Inquirious."

"Wait a second," Inquirious whispered as she looked down at the cloud of zombie fairies, "What are those?"

"Zombie fairies," Lightning said, and then turned to look at Krysta as she strode forward, walking to the head of the group. At her side was a quadrupedal flutterpony with large brightly colored wings.

Kyrsta looked at her old friend, and smiled warmly. After giving him a wink and a nod, she turned to her fellow Flutter Ponies, "Ok, Flutter Ponies, attack!"

Behind Krysta and her larger Flutterpony friend was a small battalion of Flutter Ponies. In unison, each one took off after Krysta, flying straight down towards the zombie faeries. As they swooped in, they began to chant rhythmically.

We are the Flutter Ponies,

Now you have met your match

Faster than a lightning bolt

We are impossible to catch.

With a deft swiftness rarely seen by Equestrian eyes, they began to circle the swarm of zombies. As they circled the undead horde, it was apparent that they had corralled them into a small area and prevented the creatures from escaping.

Too bad for you - we've found you!
For soon as we surround you
Your powers will melt away like butter
Doesn't help to fume and sputter

Nothing can withstand, out utter flutter!

As they chanted this next part of their song, the group flew up into the sky and began to flap their wings hard. This began to unleash a pollen upon the city and onto the ponies below. As their pollen hit the ground, it had an unusual effect on the fallen soldiers. The wounds that they had accrued began to close up and heal. The Knights of Harmony began to feel their strength return and their battle scars vanish. Applejack couldn't help but smirk, "Rainbow, are you sure you ain't psychic?"

"Nope, but I am glad to be right," she said with a wink.

Challenge the Flutter Ponies and you'll meet defeat
Onward, onward, Flutter Ponies - victory is sweet!
Onward, onward, Flutter Ponies - victory is sweet!

As their pollen healed the soldiers, it had the opposite effect on the zombies. The golden dust hit their bodies with a light poof, causing their skin to burn and melt away. Soon each one of them began to scream in agony until their bodies had dissolved, allowing the blue lights of their souls to fly up into the sky. Twink's little soul looked towards Krysta and waved goodbye, saying a silent thank you.

Krysta saw the little soul of the child, and nodded in response. Turning her head to the crowd of the opposing forces, she narrowed her eyes and flew in with a powerful kick. Nodding her fellow Flutter Ponies followed suit, striking down the umbrum and changelings with a hoof or a punch.

"All right boys! Follow me!" Starla said, jumping down and spreading her wings as she glided to the ground. Once down below, she spun out her bow and began to fire arrow after arrow at the soldiers.

"Well boys," Sarge said with a smirk as he leap out of the portal, "Looks like today is a good day to die!"

Griff frowned as he leap after Sarge, "Why did he say that? Why couldn't we just come back to a nice quiet day instead of a freaking warzone."

Yang stepped forward before looking back at her sister, "Ruby, this fight is gonna be big, you stay close to me. Got it little sis?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby said happily as she picked up her scythe and leap down, joining the fray.

Applejack smiled as she saw the reinforcements come jumping in from the portal. Turning to look back at the enemy, she gave her shoulders a shrug before running up to the largest one of them and knocking him out with one powerful left hook into the jaw. When a changeling tried to attack from behind, she slammed her fist into his face without even looking back. When one changeling tried to slash at her stomach, she grabbed the arm, pulled it out, and broke it with her elbow.

Grabbing his neck, she slammed him hard into the ground before getting back up with a knee into an umbrum's stomach. As he leaned over in pain, she uppercutted his jaw and then backfisted his face and hitting another soldier right behind her. Quickly, she rose her leg up to do a powerful side kick, following it up with a back kick to another foe. Then, without looking, she elbowed the throat of one last solder, dropping them all to the ground.

With a powerful yell, Rainbow Dash took off into the sky and driving a kick into an airborne changeling's stomach. As it fell from the sky, Rainbow Dash somersaulted in the air to another changeling and drove her heel into it's skull. Then she used that momentum to launch herself into another somersault and dive kicked into the chest of another changeling.

Looking down, she saw some of the new allies getting surrounded by a bunch of umbrum. Without missing a beat, she spun like a top to collect the latent electricity in her body, before throwing it like a javelin into the Umbra and zapping them with a powerful bolt. Then she looked to the rest of her airborn opponents, watching as some of changelings were joined by winged space ponies from the other colonies, "Yeah, did you see that? I can do that, now think what I can do to you."

---

Down below, the battle was also continuing its turn as elves from Elfron and other surviving Space alicorns joined the fray. Rarity groaned as she picke up her last remaining arrowed and fired. Before she could turn her bow back into a rapier, she heard a soldier scream behind her. Turning around, she saw, "Starla?"

"Figured that you were in the middle of the fray," Starla said with a giggle as she threw Rarity a new quiver and began firing her own shots at the other soldiers. Turning to look at Rarity she added, "Rarity, about what we've been through. Everything I said about you I'm-"

"Dear," Rarity said, firing her shot, "we can apologize later. As I said to Mysterious, I do not hold grudges. Anything you might want to talk about, we can do it later at home. Maybe I can even show you pictures of my little girl."

"You have a daughter?" Starla asked shocked, "Wow, I have been missing out a lot."

Rarity nodded, "Yes, and she is just the cutest little kirin that you have ever seen. I don't mean to brag, but I think I have one of the cutest daughters ever."

Dementia blasted a few soldiers away with an ice blast as she ran by, "Matter of opinion. Starla was cuter when she was a baby."

As she ran off, Rarity looked on with wide eyes, "That was your-"

"Mother. And Rep and Mysterious used to be Unicorpians but they all had to change to help stop Grand Ruler," Starla said.

Rarity rolled her eyes, "That man, he seems to make everyone around him mad. Still, we must fill each other in on the details after the battle."

"I would love that, friend," Starla said, fist bumping Rarity before turning to face a small gathering of soldiers. The two archers smiled at each other before pointing their bows at them. Rarity knelt low to the ground, turning her bow horizontally to fire while Starla stood and kept hers vertical. Looking at each other and then back to the horde, the two smirked before saying as one.

"Jackpot!"

The two shots launched out in a bright flash of white and blue magic, striking the horde with a powerful explosion.

---

Pinkie Pie ducked under one bull's fist, striking him in the kneecaps with her bat. Bouncing back up from her crouching position, she grabbed a streetlamp, spun around it, and flew ahead at the small group. While she was in the air, she switched out her bat for twin hammers and spun like a top. Her spin ended up hitting several soldiers at once.

While she was in the air, she looked at Rep as he stood back to back with another mare she didn't recognize. As the two began to attack in synch with their scythes, Pinkie reached into her pocket and pulled out a notepad to write down and take notes. Landing on the ground from her spin, she looked up at a charging bull. Reaching into her left pocket, she threw a combination of jacks mixed with oil at the charging biped.

In pain and slipping on the wet material, he fell right into the improvised sling shot that Pinkie Pie made. Once it was stretched to it's limit, Pinkie walked over to him and drew on his face a big smile, "Here, say hello to your friends with a smile." Before he could attack her, Pinkie kicked the stand and launched the bovine at his small group of friends, knocking them all down.

Ducking quickly under an Umbrum claw swipe, Pinkie brought out a small little minivac and sucked him into it. With a manic giggle, Pinkie pulled out of her back her piezooka and began to fire round after round, striking as many foes as she could with her hot pies until she ran out. Panting, she looked at Mysterious who was using his shadow powers to strike out against the changelings and quickly began to take down a few notes.

One changeling hit the wall with a splut behind Pinkie Pie looked to the approaching woman, "Hi, I'm Casca, I'm new," she said, shaking Pinkie's hand, "Um...what are you doing?"

"Oh," Pinkie said with a smile, "Since there is a whole new group of ponies that are coming in from that big portal thing, I need to write down names."

"Names?" Casca asked confused.

Pinkie Pie nodded, "Yep! So that way I can figure out who I need to give a welcome party to." looking back at the army and the list that she had written down, she smiled, "Oh, I am going to need a city block for this one! HAHAHA!" she laughed excitedly, her smiled and energy seemly increasing by the minute.

Rainbow Dash shook her head as she hovered behind Casca, "That Pinkie, she can be so random."

"She's almost like Conquest," whispered Casca.

"What, she's nothing like that monster!" Rainbow Dash said.

Casca shook her head, "No, I mean, she's like him in one way. Conquest grew stronger the more we hated him, the more he pushed away others, and the more pain he inflicted on us. But your friend, she's different. When we got here, she looked weak, but now...she's almost untouchable."

"Well, that's because-" Rainbow Dash paused, watching as Pinkie was slowly becoming a pink blur, striking out at her various opponents with her improvised weapons. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she said, "She's Pinkie Pie... Laughter Incarnate."

Casca chuckled and smiled, a warm feeling going through her that she had not felt in awhile, "I guess so. If Conquest was hate personified, then there was an opposite waiting for him."

---

Lighting rolled over the back of Applejack and did a side kick into one soldier, "Thanks for the reinforcements," Applejack said, uppercutting on soldier.

"You'rer welcome," Lightning said looking up into the sky, "I wonder where it is?"

"Where's what?" Applejack asked.

"Grand Ruler's airship. If he really wants to see this plan to the end, then he would be there," Lighting said, unaware that behind a large cloud, the battle was being watched.

From above in the middle of his large airship, Grand Ruler watched the way with a cruel smile, "Continue this fight, but as long as Sombra lives, you will fall..."

---

2hrs 01 min 10 sec until Serpentari fires

It had taken her a while, and many steps through the crystal caverns, but Celestia had found the location of Sombra. Sullen, the princess began to make her way down into the crystal chambers, her mind wandering through the past, "Seems like I am constantly reminded of my failures..."

Celestia looked at her little sister, sighing, "Luna, I have a responsibility to father and I can't play right now."

"Tia?" whimpered the little three year old.

Hearing this little voice melted the sun princess' heart and happily, she used her magic to lift her sister up and hug her, "Oh Luna, you should know I will always have time for you. No matter what happens."

A Century later...

"Tia, come quick! I have something cool to show you! Tia," Luna said, wandering the halls, "Tia? Tia!"

Celestia began to walk along the hallway of her castle, reading a sheet of paper to herself, "And if I rearrange the tax code..."

"Tia," Luna said, running to her sister, "Tia!"

"Not now Luna, I am busy. And you best get ready for tomorrow," Celestia said, ignoring her sister as she walked into the throne room.

Luna stood shocked for a moment, before looking down and crying to herself as she whispered, "But, Tia..." up in the sky, Luna had arranged the stars to read 'I love you sister.'

A deeper voice echoed in Celestia's mind, her draconic eyes narrowing at her amidst the hell of fire that was her mane, "You ignored her anyway. You put the needs of the country over her own. All because the country needed you."

"My country, my kingdom comes first," Celestia argued with her nightmare, looking down as she took each step. "And when Luna left, I was broken. I tried to fill my heart with a forbidden romance, with things that would fill the hole left behind, and try to move on."

"A family, love? Is that what you call your weapons? Oh, I'm sorry, your students!" mocked Daybreaker.

"That's not true! I loved each of my personal students as if they were my own-" Celestia paused as she thought she caught the sight of red and yellow hair on a face with emerald eyes.

"You never respected me! You never see me as what I am! I am powerful enough to earn my title! Let me go and I can show you how worthy I am," shouted Sunset, narrowing her eyes at Celestia.

Celestia stepped forward, looking down at her young student, "Sunset, you are far too selfish, to self-absorbed to earn anything. You keep on thinking that you are the only one who can accomplish anything and you ignore those who can help you."

"Are you talking about friends? I do not need friends, you, or anypony. I can do everything by myself and I could do more if you just gave me the power!"

"You do not need more power or a title just to prove your-"

"Shut up!" Sunset said, running away and towards a mirror.

Daybreaker laughed, "You let your daughter run away, letting her set off on a path of darkness. It almost destroyed her."

"I failed her," Celestia sighed, "I should've cared for her more, showed her that she was precious to me. I tried to be different with Twilight, I tried to be less connected but I-"

"Failed, and ended up caring for that little mare like she was the daughter you never had," Daybreaker said, shrugging, "Shame that you failed her like you did the rest of your family. Equestria comes first, family second, that's why she was nothing more than your weapon to use. A tool to bring Luna back, to stop Discord, and to prevent Sombra. Just a-"

"Shut up!" Celestia growled, punching the crystal as she continued down her way.

"Is that why you ignored her, let her to the hooves of Chrysalis?" asked Daybreaker.

Celestia looked down, "I... had a tough choice to make that day, which daughter should I support. The one in pain, or the one who came along and mad accusations without proof. Either way I hurt somepony I cared about."

"And now, you have to stop the fallout of your greatest failure," laughed Daybreaker. "Letting the monster in your country and taking it over. Destroying a millennia of peace just because you didn't want to risk a civil war."

"I said shut up!" Celestia cried, using her fire to melt a crystal into sludge.

"Talking to yourself, is usually a sign of madness," Sombra said as Celestia made her way into the central room.

Celestia narrowed her eyes at the dark king, "Why are you here, Sombra?"

"Making some final preparations," chuckled Sombra, looking away from the reflection in the crystals. "Why are you here? Not planning on fighting me I assume, you wouldn't win."

"You presume much," Celestia said, holding out her hand to summon her sword to her hand and then grabbed the sheath. Slowly, she pulled the blade out, the flames jumping out and dancing from the sword as she pulled out the blade.

"I am only speaking from memory," laughed Sombra as he allowed the shadows to roll over his body. "You stayed behind in your tent a thousand years ago while your sister did most of the fighting. The only time you got off your flank to do battle was during the last day of war."

Celestia looked down and whispered, "I had my reasons, I wanted to take a leader position rather than fight directly."

"And that's why I know I'll win," Sombra laughed. "You can only win through vassals, through weapons that you make."

"Do not call those I care about 'weapons,'" growled Celestia as fire erupted from her eyes, the room becoming slowly hotter than ever.

"Then what do you call them, not family I hope? Especially not daughters," Sombra laughed. "Think I did not hear about your loss against Chrysalis? Or your inability to battle Nightmare moon or Discord? Or how about when you sent the little one to best me?"

"I could never fight my sister again, not as she was. Discord, I knew that it was up to Twilight, who was a better wielder of the elements than I ever was. As for Chrysalis? I tend to wait for my move, allowing my moment to come. While she had the power from the love magic to match me, I could've gone further were it not for the fear of killing innocents. Even then, I knew if I bided my time, I would be able to best her," Celestia said, and then narrowed her eyes, "But Twilight's victory against her helped me decide about you and her fate."

"What about me?" Sombra asked.

Celestia smiled, "Twilight, to me, was never my weapon. No, she was something far more important, she was my daughter though I had never given birth to her. I had never once considered her my weapon, just something more. If she had ever said to me that she wanted to run away from her responsibilities, I would've accepted it. But everything I did for her, I let her be the one to decide. I only opened the door for her to step through, I never told her to walk through it. That's why I sent her to fight you."

"Why?" Sombra asked.

"To see if she was worthy of being the princess I could never be, a princess for the ponies," Celestia said, looking down, "I had always saw myself as a protector, a defender, not the ponies leader. However, over time they had put me on such a high pedestal that it was impossible to get off of. So I had Twilight be what I could never be, their champion, their guardian, and their savior. She was to be the princess of the ponies. Better than I would ever be. While she was always the hero and first line of defense, I knew if the chips were down I would come for her."

"Really," scoffed Sombra. "And yet she is dead now. Do you really think you can win, that you can bea-"

With only a split second to act, Sombra brought out a shadow scimitar to block Celestia's flaming blade. The solar princess narrowed her eyes at Sombra as she said, "Yes, I can beat you."

Sombra gritted his teeth as he struggled against Celestia's blade lock, lowering the sword down to look into Celestia's eyes. For a brief moment, he felt his heart chill as he looked into the eyes of the mare. Steeling his resolve, he broke the blade lock and slashed at Celestia five times from five different angles.

Not even flinching an inch, Celestia effortlessly blocked each strike from Sombra's blade. When a strike came from overhead, she raised her blade to block it and knock Sombra off his footing. With his chest open, Celestia slashed at his shoulder and chest, before finishing it off with a thrust into Sombra's stomach. This elicited a roar of pain as he felt the blade sear deep into him, cauterizing the wound as she pulled it out.

Sombra looked down at the wound that she had made, before looking back up at her and snarling. Celestia could only remark, "First time somepony struck you like that, God? Are you starting to see your own mortality for the first time? Stand down now."

The echoing tone in her voice made Sombra shiver, but with a deep breath he roared out and charged at Celestia. Once more, he struck out at the side, and the top, watching as Celestia blocked each strike. After doing three more slashes at the side, he pulled back and began to thrust several times at her. Moving with the speed of light, Celestia blocked the thrusts, parrying them away. In one instance, she tried to thrust out at the incoming blade, her flaming sword sliding along the thrusting sword and creating sparks.

Sombra smiled as he saw his opening, ducked, and slashed at Celestia's leg, making her take a knee. Then he drove his knee into her chin, leaving her open to a diagonal slash across her chest. Sombra then held out his hand, aiming a powerful shadow blast that slammed her into a wall and left behind a crater.

Looking up, she gasped as Sombra flew at her with a barrage of crystals aimed at her. With a snarl he threw the twenty shards at her just as she teleported away from the attack. Appearing right behind him, she slashed his back and left a deep gash. Turning around, Sombra went into an attack with a diagonal slash, which Celestia blocked easily with her blade.

As the sparks erupted between the two locked blades, Sombra couldn't help but chuckle, "Luna, Sunset, Equestria, and Twilight. Your life is filled with so many failures, how can you call yourself a god?"

"Because I allow my ponies to stand with me in the light," Celestia said, pushing back as she glared down Sombra. " God was a title they gave me, and one that I would gladly rescind if it need be." Breaking the blade lock, the two god-like beings slashed their blades at each other, parrying each blow in a clash of light and dark. When they collided again, Celestia pushed a little closer. "I believe that these ponies never needed the hand of a god to watch over them, to guide their little hooves when trouble arose. They just needed a chance to prove themselves, to be shown the way. They are a strong people, the just need the light to show them the way!"

Then she held up her palm at the chest of Sombra, a powerful blast of magic charging up and becoming brighter than the sun.

---

The outside of Canterlot mountain was quiet and calm, no marking marred its side. That is, until it began to heat up from a super powerful blast of heat and then explode in a large bang. From the side of this explosion, Sombra found himself flying through the air and into the side of a building.

Panting, he dared himself to look up at the incoming streak of light that was Celestia and rolled out of the way from the stab. Looking up from the crater in the building that she had made, she charged at Sombra, slashing at him with a side slash. Moving quickly to catch up, Sombra blocked the blow.

Glaring down at her, Sombra then teleported away with Celestia in hot pursuit. The next time the two reappeared, they were in the air with their blades locked on the side. Another teleport and the two were on top of a building. On a third teleport and they were on the ground, with each collide of blade erupting forth with an explosion of sound and magic.

Once on the ground, the two began to collide their blades together so quickly that their swords became blurs. The sound of their blades clashing was rain on metal, striking faster and faster until the sound could become indistinguishable. After a few quick seconds of blade clashing, Celestia took to the sky and fired a bolt of sunlight into Sombra, sending him crashing through the Canterlot streets and into the caves below.

A few soft wing flaps was heard as Celestia landed on the ground before the fallen Sombra. Looking to her left, she saw a dark purple unicorn with long silver mane, "Who-"

Before she could ponder the question further, Sombra launched forward with his sword and stuck out with his scimitar. With split second timing, Celestia blocked the blade and locked with him. Looking into her eyes, he whispered, "Celestia...kill me."

"What?!" Celestia asked, shocked.

"Do it! You will never stop the Umbra if you don't. They are using me as a doorway to come back from the ether. If you strike me down, then the doorway closes and they can no longer heal. They will fade away," Sombra said, looking down into Celestia's eyes.

Celestia looked to her left at the unicorn, "That mare...she is your lover, isn't she? I can't kill you now."

"Still putting that naivete to use, eh? Celestia, kill me! You have to put this country's needs above me and her. You've never hesitated with a sacrifice before, now do i-UGGGH!" Sombra's last words fell upon his lips as Celestia broke the blade lock, and then spun so her back was to him and he was stabbed in the heart by Celestia.

"NO!" cried Radiant Hope as she took a step forward, tears flowing from her eyes while Celestia sheathed her blade.

---

"Wha-What is happening?!" shouted Grand Ruler shouted, watching from his airship as the umbrum screamed in pain and agony, before fading away into nothingness. "No, no, NO!"

---

Radiant ran to Sombra's corpse, tears flowing down her cheeks, "How, how could you? How you just kill him like this princess? What, was Luna ok to be redeemed but this pony was not? Why? Why did you-"

Celestia's warrior face faded, replaced by a kind smile as she knelt beside the dead body of Sombra, "Shhh, his body is still warm. That means his soul has yet to leave his body, and there is still a chance."

"A chance..." Radiant said, looking on in amazement as the body of the tyrant began to glow a bright white. Looking up from the body, she noted that Celestia's horn glowed with the same white glow. Looking back she watched as Sombra began to change, his hardened and darker features began to fade back, until he looked like a normal grey unicorn with a black mane.

Opening his eyes, Sombra looked at his body, and at his hands, "What on earth? But...how did this-" he was interrupted by a hug from Radiant.

Panting, Celestia wiped the sweat from her brow, her mane flowing a little less, "His soul wasn't completely gone, so I was able to get to him in time and use my white magic to heal him. I even disconnected him from the Umbrum so he can't be used as a weapon again."

"Princess... thank you," Sombra said, getting up slowly. "But, what do I do now?"

Celestia smiled warmly, walking away with a bit of stumble as she regenerated her magic, "Live..."

---

"They think they'll win this? They think they have the upper hand?!" shouted Grand Ruler as his eyes glared daggers on the battlefield below. "Well, they didn't count on my airships!" with a snap of his fingers, a small fleet of airships flew down from the clouds above the empire.

As he smiled, he began to hear the crackling of a comm system and the buzzing of the insta-mail, "Sir, there is...som...board...Oh god, she's already here and she's-AHHHH!"

"She just took out the guards and the stabilizers! We can't hit her! Oh, help she's looking into my eyes and-AHHHHH!"

"She's in the engine room, she's in the engine room!"

BOOM!

"Men, it's been an honor serving with you," and with that, the feed began to cut out as some soft violins began to play.

Grand Ruler's face became awash in horror and shock as he looked out his window and saw one of his airships slowly crash to the ground below as the flames licked the sky and the balloon began to burn slowly. From the distance, he could see a mulberry dot holding what looked like one of his own. The mulberry dot then leapt off the airship and jumped down to the next airship, holding the dead space pony at her foot as she flew down through the window of the next airship.

Looking down on his console, he turned on the video-screen to show the inside of the airship where the mulberry dot had crashed through. When he turned it on, he saw that she used his soldier's body as a shield to block the glass as she surfed into the bridge. Then, she summoned a wave of blue fire that incinerated the other soldiers. Looking up, the mohawk wearing unicorn smiled at the camera, "Intruder identify yourself."

The unicorn smirked, showing off the vertical scar across her right eye, "Tempest Shadow, lead general of Storm King's," she paused at this, her broken horn sparking in rage, "I am sorry, Super God Storm King's fleet and head of the Free Peoples of Equestria."

"And what are you doing here?"

"I am here, to destroy your army and protect this little empire," Tempest said, her black obsidian armor reflecting the light from the flames.

"You think you can do that? You need an army!" Grand Ruler shouted.

Tempest smirked, "I am an army."

Holding out her hand, she held out a large ball of lighting. With her hand still open, she threw the ball high into the air and kicked it down the hallway. There was a smirk on her face as she heard the ricochet strike soldier after soldier until it hit the engine room. Turning to the window, she leaped out through the hole and then dive kicked through the window of the next airship.

Crossing her forearms across her face to shield from the glass, her kick broke through the window with a loud smash. Landing in a shower of glass, she rose back up to her feet and roundhoused the elf on her right, used the momentum to jump onto another's neck and snapped it with her legs. Standing up, she punched one soldier in the gut, electrocuting him.

Sneering, she pulled back her fist and then snap kicked him into his friend. Spinning around, she threw a lightning ball into the airship, making slow explode.

Turning around, she leapt out if the airship and inbetween two more. Extending her arms out, she charged a powerful bolt of electricity and threw it at the two ships, making them explode at the same time.

Falling down rapidly, Tempest landed on top of the next airship and placed her hand onto the soft exterior. Encasing her hand in fire, she ran along the top of the ship, making it burn up in flames.

Leaping off of the tail end of the ship, she aimed herself down in an arrow shaped, spearing straight into the ground. Seconds before hitting it, she spun and slammed her fist into the ground.

The Knights, having watched this spectacle, could only stare in awe, "She's on our side, right?" Applejack was the first to ask.

Tempest stood up from her position and looked at an incoming changeling with a snarl, eyes narrowed in rage. As the bug flew closer, she slammed her fist into it's skull, knocking it out. Leaping up, she did a double kick into a space pony and broke his ribs. With a yell, she delivered a hook into the stomach of a bull, taking him down before pointing her hand back and firing a lightning bolt into a soldier behind her.

"Yeah, she's with us!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a smile as she flew to the unicorn and kicked a changeling out of the sky.

Tempest frowned as she fought, delivering punch after punch into the fodder, "What do you think you're doing?! I don't need your-"

"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow Dash waved her hand dismissively, "You work alone, you can handle it all by yourself and you are the lone badass here. You don't come here much do you? We help each other and have each other's backs!"

"But you hardly know me," Tempest said, performing a mid-air round house.

"Eh, details. We can work on the greetings later, let's just start kicking ass!" Dash cheered as she punched and kicked several more soldiers.

Tempest smirked and let out a battle cry as she began to fight with massive bolts of electricity. It was not long after this before the battle began to turn into an all out brawl, the archers firing arrows and taking down those who could fly. Fliers hit the sky with lighting while the ponies armed with swords began to clash with shield and chitlin. Magic began to flow out from the ponies who would cast, wielding spells that could change the battleground at whim or summon the elements to strike down their foes.

What had once been an uneven fight was slowly but surely turning towards the heroes and ponies of Equestria. Belief and rage met the forces of friendship and compassion that day and rage was found wanting. Each pony gave it their all as the fought for everything: ideals, love, family, and most importantly friends. If a pony had fallen, then another took his place and helped him back to his feet to fight stronger than ever.

Lightning saw all of this and smiled, her could feel something brighter in him. The feeling of what it meant to fight with friends, to stand with others, and to allow others to stand with him. He let out a chuckle as he felt for the first time in his life, like a real hero. Looking back up at the airship in the sky, he said, "Grand Ruler is up there. I need to fight him and take him out."

"What? You gonna do another charge," Rainbow Dash asked. "Haven't you figured out that we help each other out?"

"No, Ah get it," Applejack said, walking to Lighting, "You got to do this, to finally get rid of your demons. Right?"

Lightning nodded, "If I ever want to move on...I need to stop him. Please, I know this sounds selfish, but please let me do this one thing on my own."

"No problem, sugarcube," Applejack said, before looking around at the small group. She let out a warm sigh as she saw all of them, tired, exhausted, but still looking ready to fight. Smirking, she looked from the trio, to Starla and Krysta, to Tempest, and finally her friends who had been through so much with her through the past year. Then she said, "All right gals! This is it, our big chance to take down Grand Ruler. We need to get a clear a path for Lightning to get up there and go kick his ass. We play this like always, we have each other's backs until he reaches the goal. Now let's do this together!"

"YEAH!" shouted the group as the all turned around in synch and looked at the remaining group of space ponies, prisoners, changelings, and other monsters from other planets. The soldiers snarled and roared, their bloodlust still in their eyes in spite of their losses. All this did was heightened the spirits of the group as they let out a battle cry before charging headlong into battle.

Lightning raced, trying to catch up on foot with Applejack and then had to duck under a changeling's claw swipe. Applejack grabbed the wrist of the bug and threw him straight into the wall. Spinning around, she roundhoused a space pony before doing an uppercut to an elf. Looking at Lighting, she nudged over her shoulder to tell him to continue his run.

The white pegasus nodded, choosing to take flight and head off towards the airship. As he flew he watched as flyer after flyer was taken down quickly thanks to all of Rarity's rapid fire shots. He smiled at the fashionista before continuing to fly straight ahead, swerving to the side to allow Pinkie Pie to bounce on top of a changeling and then threw several confetti bombs to tie down the incoming soldiers.

Picking up his speed, he banked out of the way from a large rhino. Just before the beast could strike, it was bashed in the head by a spin kick from Rainbow Dash, who gave him a thumbs up to get him to keep moving. Fluttershy flew close behind everypony, using her shields to hold them down without hurting the opponents.

Lightning sighed, admiring everyone's efforts, but was almost attacked by a changeling possessing a giant crystal monster. This beast was struck down in one blow by a large lightning bolt from Tempest. The mulberry unicorn showed no emotion as she looked at Lightning and nudged her head to the right. Lightning nodded and flew ahead faster.

He was then surprised by three familiar faces as they beat back the small army that blocked his way up. Mysterious, Rep-Stallion, and Dementia all began to attack the forces, using their ice, shadow, and scythe skills to open a path for him. Lightning nodded his silent thanks, unbelieving that they, once his enemies were now his friends. Looking up, he saw Grand Ruler's airship and flew straight up towards it. As he flew, he could watch as each airborne soldier began to fall from the sky thanks to the well placed arrows of Starla. Smiling softly, Starla nodded at Lightning, giving him the chance to move higher.

Near the end of his journey, he saw a swarm of changelings aim right at him. Before they could strike, Krysta flew in and blasted them with a gust of dust that knocked them out. Reaching out to lighting, she took his hand and flew him to the airship. As they reached the loading bay, she pulled him into a hug and held him tight, "Good luck. Come back alive."

"Don't worry, Krysta. I will," he said, smiling at his oldest friend before hugging her one more time and then flying into the loading bay, ready to face Grand Ruler.

---

There are certain emotions that a ruler can feel when he is ready to fall. Fear, loss, and anger, these usually will show themselves prominently and will force the ruler to act rashly. For Grand Ruler, he was feeling all three emotions at once causing him to run away in utter horror down the halls of his airship in an attempt to get away from his losing forces. The look of fear in his eyes was that of a man who had finally saw that he had lost everything and that his sins were finally coming back to haunt him.

Sweat poured down his face as he tried to escape, wanting to get away as fast as he could. When he opened the room that led to the weapons hall, he was stopped by a blade, "D-D-Dusk Shine!"

"Hello, old comrade," Dusk said in a mocking tone, his midnight blue mane flowing down behind him, clashing against the dark red armor that clung tightly to his skin. "Miss me?"

"Of course I did. I missed my old friend and ally. Maybe you could help clear my name with the ponies below and show them that I am not as bad as I seem," said Grand Ruler, trying to not looking into Dusk's grey menacing eyes.

Dusk Shine let out a growl, looking at him with disdain, "Still trying to make up stories. Trying to paint yourself the victim and make yourself look like the hero. I was bullied, ponies didn't like me, I was mocked for no reason, I didn't do anything wrong, and so much more. Tell me, what was I in your story? Oh yeah, the bully who lied his way into the fame of being Princess Celestia's captain."

"Well, that was just because I had to-"

"Become Celestia's bedmate!" Growled Dusk, the red lights of the weapon room shining against his dark purple coat. "Everything I did was to help you, and yet you pushed me away because I didn't follow your narrative. And then, when I gave you my life's work as a way to help you and share in the glory..."

"I had to," Grand Ruler said, shaking his head, "I had no choice. It was a necessity in order for me to get her, you have to understand."

"Love, that was worth it? It was worth losing my family and friends because you wanted to get the girl!?" shouted Dusk, "My wife, my son, they are lost to time and dead because you trapped me in that cave! I never even got to see him grow up, or to see my wife's smile before she died. I ought to kill you for this!"

"So, is that what happens now? A final duel between us?" asked Grand Ruler, smirking, ready to win.

Dusk looked behind him, and smirked at the slowly approaching Lightning, "No, I will not be the one who takes you down. It will be far more poetic for your apprentice to lay the killing blow." and with that, Dusk teleported away in the shadows.

When Grand Ruler saw Lighting, he smiled and held out his arms in a loving gesture, "My son. You have come to me," there was a small smile on his lips as he looked at the pegasus, "For who am I, if not your true father. I was the one who led you here, guided you to your destiny, and was the one who gave you life. Everything you have become, will become, has been thanks to me."

"You killed my real parents," Lightning said, balling his fists tightly. "You made me believe I was better than everypony and pushed those who could be my friends away. You made me believe I was a superior being and that I was the only one important to this story. Every time I ran headlong into battle, took the glory, and abandoned my friends. It was all because of you and your whole stupid ideals."

"And you think that friendship worked any better?" asked Grand Ruler, narrowing his eyes at his former apprentice.

"Yes, if I had friends, if I had trusted my team more, bonded with them more, they would still be alive! Dyno would have his twin, Daphne would have her father, Artie would still have his hands, and Starla..." he paused, looking down at his hands as he growled, "I would've trusted them more to help me save her. But I know what you wanted me to do, just leave her behind in order to hold to your rules."

Grand Ruler shook his head, "And is that a problem, Lightning?"

"Yeah, because all this did was make me realize that there was one thing you never gave me, one thing you never could do for me," Lightning said, looking away, "Love me as an equal. Those girls, the ones you looked down upon? You put them through hell, cost them so much, and yet, thanks to their friendship and desire to look on the side of light, they beat every challenge that came their way. Even the loss of Twilight wasn't enough to keep them down, because they relied on something stronger than believing in themselves."

"And what is that?" asked Grand Ruler, before laughing, "Friendship? What good did it do them?"

"It saved Pinkie, protected Fluttershy, stopped Applejack from falling into a self destructive hole, and helped Rainbow Dash become stronger. It even allowed Rarity to look forward to the future," Lightning said, "Unlike you, who wanted me to always be afraid of what's next, to never grow and become better. Just stay the same. I'm going to take back my life, starting today."

Grand Ruler got into a fighting stance, "Well then, child. Try, but remember, I trained you in fighting."

"Shame," Lightning said, getting into a fighting stance, "Because I forgot everything you taught me."

With a flap of his wings, Lighting Dawn leapt up and did a flying double kick into grand Ruler's chest. Once landing on his feet, he launched out with three hooks at Grand Ruler, each of which was blocked by Grand Ruler. Jumping up into the air, Lighting drove his elbow into Grand Ruler's head, disorienting his opponent. Seeing his opening, Lighting did a spinning back-kick into Grand Ruler's stomach, making him back up.

When Lighting did a roundhouse, Grand Ruler grabbed his ankle and held his leg. Holding the limb tightly, Grand Ruler punched Lighting hard in the stomach twice and then back fisted him. Letting go of the leg, Grand Ruler sent a magic bolt into Lighting's stomach that sent him flying into the weapons rack.

Dazed and disoriented, Lighting looked to his side and saw a pair of gauntlets with rockets on them. There was a smirk on his face as he got back up, put them both on with a slam of his fists, "Dyno, Myte." he whispered to himself as he ran at Grand Ruler.

Grand Ruler took a step back as he saw Lightning ran at him and then took off into the air, seeing for a second the image of the twins behind Lightning Dawn with their attack at the ready. Before he could move, Lighting launched the two rockets at Grand Ruler, blowing him back. Using the smoke and fire as a cover, Lighting ditched the used gauntlets to the ground and ran at his former master, punching him several times with a few well placed jabs and hooks into Grand Ruler's chest. Using his wings for an additional lift, he leapt up into the air and roundhouse kicked Grand Ruler in the head.

Grand Ruler spat out his tooth and wiped the blood from his lips, before growling and driving his fist into Lightning's stomach and then delivered an uppercut to the chin. Snarling, he grabbed Lightning by the neck and slammed him into the wall, making a crater as he did. Looking to his left, he pulled a whip from the rack and then began to lash his whip along Lightning's body, leaving deep red gashes into his chest.

Getting his second wind, Lightning grabbed the whip on the next lash and pulled it out of Grand Ruler's hand. Holding the handle, he whipped the air for a second as an image of Buddy Rose stood next to him, "Buddy Rose," he whispered. Using his whip to block the fireballs sent his way, he raced to Grand Ruler and lashed the whipped into Grand Ruler's face followed by a strike into his leg.

Ducking under Grand Ruler's fist, Lighting used his whipped to pull out a staff from the wall and towards him. Spinning his staff around him in a circle above his head and to the side, he finished by pointing the staff at Grand Ruler. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Artie Bristles," as a faint image of Artie stood by his side, smirking while holding the staff. Pulling the staff back, he sweeped at Grand Ruler's legs and made him back up a little.

Seeing his opportunity, Lighting swiped the staff into Grand Ruler's sides, hitting with a loud crack each time. Then he thrusted the staff into Grand Ruler's stomach, which gave the king a chance to grab the staff with both hands. Lightning then jumped up onto the top of the staff, and ran along it. Once getting to the end, he kicked Grand Ruler's face with a loud crack.

Once on the ground after the staff fell to the floor, Lightning did a flying uppercut into Grand Ruler's jaw and left him open for a series of spinning roundhouse kicks. After Lighting landed, Grand Ruler punched Lightning hard in the chest twice and then grabbed him by the hair. With a snarl, Grand Ruler punched Lightning in the face several times, breaking the nose and knocking out some teeth. Then he kicked Lightning in the stomach, forcing him onto his back.

Leaping up with a roar, Grand Ruler punched Lightning hard in the stomach, sending them both crashing into the floor below along with some of the weapons. Slowly getting up, he watched as Lightning crawled along the floor while holding his chest, "What is up with the names?"

"So you can remember them, to know the names," Lightning wheezed as he struggled to get back up, breathing through the pain in his ribs. Looking at one of the fallen weapons, he picked it up and aimed the arrow at Grand Rulers thigh, "To know...my FRIENDS!" With a roar, and the ghostly image of Starla behind him, he shouted, "Starla Shine!"

With little time to move, Grand Ruler scream in pain as two arrows shot through his knees. As he knelt to the ground, he watched as Lightning pulled out a scepter from the rack and growled, "Including my dearest friend. The one who never left me, the one who you kept ignoring and treating like shit!" Running at Grand Ruler, Lightning began to slam the scepter hard into Grand Ruler's chest, face, and stomach. Behind him, was his dearest friend holding his hands, "KRYSTA!"

Grand Ruler struggled, backing away as he neared the exit, "No, Lightning, d-d-don't!"

"This is for my friends, my planet, and for my parents!" Lighting yelled, spinning around and slamming his scepter hard into Grand Ruler's chest, sending them both flying out of the airship and crashing down to the cold ground below.

Everyone watched as the two figures plummeted and crashed into the ground with a loud explosion. Seeing the crater form, the first to run and look at the two opponents was Krysta, "Lightning!" she screamed, getting into the crater to see Lighting standing over Grand Ruler's prone body with the scepter imprinted in his chest.

Looking up from his kneeling position, Lighting smiled and got up to give a thumbs up, "I win." he said, before stumbling on his feet, making Krysta rush over and hold him.

"Lightning, are you ok?" Krysta asked, looking up at him worriedly.

Lightning looked down and smiled warmly at her, "I'm fine, just some broken ribs and I think my leg's broken."

"You...have more than that to worry about," groaned Grand Ruler as he tried to crawl away from the crater on his back, looking at the small group of thirteen, "You still have Serpentari in the sky to worry about. In ten more minutes, it will fire and lay waste to this stupid planet! Face you stupid little ponies, you all failed! Friendship is failure and you can't do anything about it!"

---

10 mins 00secs to Spertantari fires and Equestria's destruction

Trixie fell face first to the floor, her body racked in pain and covered with bruises with lacerations all along her frame. Her blue coat was slowly turning red from the blood that she had been losing and running down from the open wounds. Her body trembling, she struggled to get to get to her feet as she glared at Shaina.

The white unicornicopian smirked as she walked over and kicked Trixie in the face, putting her onto her back, "Did you six really think that you would win? That this would turn out to be a happy fairy tale where you all got to save the day and go home happy? HA!"

Shaina walked to the eye of Serptantari and smirked, "Face it, you six were the weaker of the two teams. You lacked everything that made the bearers special and anything that made them the important ponies in this story. You are just the fodder, the background ponies who no one cares about. You, just like everypony else, are weak and pathetic. Compared to us, the true heroes, you had no chance of winning or changing your fate."

Trixie spat out some blood," Fate...?"

"You just put your faith in Trixie and she will get you all home!"

"I was told by my sister that I could never make it anywhere like I am."

"I was just so hurt by her winning, what if they were right?"

"We'll watch your show," Ditzy said with a smile.

Trixie spat out blood as she struggled to get to her feet, her torn clothes showing the wounds that had marred her body, "What do you unicornicopians know about changing fate? You just sit back and allow your god to step in and save you. If not them, then the super powerful ponies of Starfleet while you all hid behind shields and pray to the heavens that someone comes in and saves you. You're all just willing to stick with what fate tells you about your lives, seeing that you can never change for the better and never wanting to be more than what you are."

"Why not?" asked Shaina, "You can't change what you are, no matter what you do. Light or dark, good or evil, you have one trait and you need to pick it then stay with it for the rest of your lives. When you are naturally strong like us, you need to hold it over the weaker races to protect them. You can't move beyond that."

"Heh, then you are a fool and weaker than Trixie," Trixie said, getting up and panting, coughing out some dried blood, "See, we Equestrians are different. While we have cutie marks that say what our special talents are, we have the ability to choose to say what they mean! This gives us the ability to do something you Unicornicopians never can, or chose not to."

"And that is?" asked Shaina.

"To choose our fates! If we are not strong, then we focus on our good traits, and that allows us to change our destiny. And we do that with the bonds that we have made in our lives, our friends and family, and the power in each of us! We know that we are not always the strongest, or the fastest, but are always willing to do what we can to be the heroes of our own story and change our fates!"

"Oh really?" Shaina laughed.

Trixie smirked as she pulled back her cape, "Of course! Just look at Trixie's friends, each one has a spirit that give you the ability to change your fate!"

Trixie did not know it at the time, but the chamber where the elements were stored began to glow faintly. The dark sheen that they had taken on was slowly dissipating and they began to shine bright with their own individual colors once more.

---

Raindrops, who reminded us to not fear the future and stand tall in the face of uncertain doom, has the spirit of Courage!

Raindrops looked up at Rocky Road and then grabbed his spear, pulling it out of her shoulder, "Scared? Yeah, maybe once. I saw how small and how weak of a flyer I was. Thought I could never make it out there as a pegasus and that I should just leave it all behind. Then I saw little stage show, where this mare was putting on a brilliant play about this little samurai who did all he could to protect those he cared about, in spite of his past. I decided, to help those weaker than me that day. So scared? Never!" Raindrops stood up, and smiled at her cutie mark, "Rain, can be both soft and hard, and that is what I chose to be. A force of nature that can both protect and defeat bullies like you!

---

Lyra, who does all she could to protect her lover's life at the cost of her own dreams, has the spirit of Protection!

"Why don't you fall?" asked Hot Rod, "No, why not just give up? You could've stopped this a long time ago, why do you fight on?"

Lyra looked at her cutie mark and smiled, "There was this little filly who was sad about her looks. She said others made fun of her, treated her differently, and made fun of her lisp. I tried to tell her it didn't matter and that she was special. But she didn't believe me, which made me feel bad because I wanted to help her."

A smile graced her lips as she said, "I saw this little filly's show that she put on for her grandpa, and I began to get an idea. She was doing this to make her dying grandfather feel better so why not do the same. So, I picked up this little lyre from my dad's store and began to make a song. When I saw the filly again, I made her a special little song that told her that no matter what, she would put her trust in me...because I would protect her always."

Lyra looked down at her locket with had Bon Bon's cutie mark on it, "It was because of my love for Bon Bon, that I got my cutie mark. So you see, I can't quit, not while ponies need me!"

---

Ditzy, who was born with a slew of bad luck, never gives up even when others tell her to quit. She represents the spirit of Hope!

"It's hopeless, the planet is going to be destroyed and I am going to be complicit in it's genocide," Bella said.

Ditzy tucked her chin, "Hey, I said none of that. We are going to make it through, and no pony is gonna die. Just watch."

"How can you be so hopeful?" she asked.

Ditzy smiled, "Because, you see, I have been through so much. I was the last to get my cutie mark in my class, I was afflicted with wall-eyes, and my husband died. But I always hold in hope, because of this little story that I saw this filly put on during her magic show. She told of a story of a world that was destroyed by a clown who represented chaos. Even though it all seemed hopeless, a group of brave ponies rose up from the destroyed world and stood up against him. Using the power of their magic, they stood up and defeated the monster."

"It made me realize that in spite of everything, there is always going to be hope. Guess that's what my cutie mark means," Ditzy said, looking down at the little bubbles on her flank, "Hope and dreams are fragile little things. You need to be careful and protect it or else they will pop. But if you keep them safe, then they can be beautiful.

---

Carrot Top, who kept to the background, is always willing to give her all to help out, she is the spirit of Tenacity!

"You just won't quit will you?" asked Lock

Load smirked, "That just won't do."

"Let me tell you a story," panted Carrot as she backed up to the edge of the microwave tunnel, "Once, a long time ago, I was afraid of getting my Cutie mark. My mother, father, and grandparents were all carrot farmers. I didn't want to be one, because I was afraid it would stop me from getting a mark. Then, I saw this little filly's magic show."

"Her show told the story of stallion who used his disability to become a hero of the people, nd that taught me that I should embrace Carrot farming. After all, why shouldn't I use my knowledge of how to farm carrots and apply it to botany. Then I could make potions and other good to help others. See, though the world taught me that I should only look on one thing, I was able to change my life around."

---

Cheerilee, who was always there with a pearl of wisdom or a smart way of thinking is the spirit of Wisdom!"

"While you are busy trying to solve this unique sudoku puzzle," Loki said. "Let's review your past. Hmmm, let's see, you have a twin sister who is a wrestler and an older sister who owns the local bar in Ponyville. You have one niece who lives with her mother and for a while after getting your cutie mark you had been traveling around the world. One must ask why? Was it rebellion."

Cheerilee sighed, smiling fondly, "No, see... It was after this filly's magic show that I saw once. She told of a story about a wolf god who came to Equestria and fell in love with an Earth pony stallion. They traveled the country, giving out fruit and learning how to farm, this was the story of how Earth ponies discovered apples. It inspired me, telling me I need to leave and see the world so I can learn so many new things. Each thing I could learn would help me teach the next generation of ponies about the world and help them blossom into learners. I wanted to spread my new found wisdom like seeds from a flower."

---

"And what about you?" asked Shaina, "What's your spirit?"

Trixie smiled, "Trixie represents a very grand spirit, one that unites Hope, Tenacity, Courage, Protection, and Wisdom in a lovely mix. She represents something that she discovered the day she saw a rainbow in the sky followed by a large explosion. She knew it was the rainboom and thus, she used it for a special magic show. Her greatest one ever."

"Her grandfather, the only stallion to put his faith in her until Luna, was sick. He was the greatest earth pony magician to ever lived and he was near death. Trixie wanted to make sure that his last days were filled with light," Trixie smiled, tipping her hat. She was unaware that while she said all of this, the elements had finally shunned their black corruption and shined brighter than ever, slowly cracking their shells.

"So, Trixie put on a magic show just for him. She played out stories with her illusions, used sleight of hoof to play her magic tricks and began to demonstrate magic that was fantastic for him. Ok," Trixie chuckled, "It was faulty in a lot of places and Trixie messed up a lot, but for me...it was a noble effort and a wonderful show for my grandfather. He even told Trixie that she had performed well that day and it would make him happy to know that his secrets would be safe with her."

Trixie smiled, "See, Trixie represents the spirit of something that courage aids in, that emboldens protection and hope, pushes tenacity, and guides wisdom. It's something that offers Friendship a chance to help share with others when they need it the most."

"The spirit of FAITH!"

6 seconds unti-"

The generator holding the six gems exploded as the elements broke free of their confinement, flying out through the space station. Streaks of jasmine, mulberry, grey, orange, mint green, and light blue flew out on the hunt for their bearer. With a sparkling glow, they lit up the station and began to make sparks fly from where they passed, destroying the circuitry from within. The first gem to land in the hand of their wielder was Raindrops. Gasping, she looked in her hand as the gem flashed a bright light before turning into her element of fate. Smirking, she held up the gem just as Rocky Road's spear rammed right at her, shattering the weapon into pieces.

Chuckling, Raindrop cracked her knuckles and asked, "Now, what was that you asked? Oh yeah, scared yet?" she said, before pulling back her fist and then delivering a powerful uppercut into Rocky Road's face, knocking him out.

The next gem was Lyra's as it flew through the station and imbedded itself into her lyre, making it glow brightly. Much like Raindrops, her wounds were healed and magic was restored. Lyra brought out a smile as she looked at the gem, watching it changed into her cutie mark. Looking back up as Hot Rod launched a giant ball of flame at her, she played a long and powerful of music.

The song she played had a loud and large beat, thrumming in a heartbeat while increasing in power as the music reached it's apex. This generated a large beam of yellow magic that collided with the ball of fire. The two blasts struggled against one another, pushing against each other in a bright blast of power. However, it was the power of song that won over as the beam of yellow magic pushed the fireball right at Hot Rod.

Hot Rod let out a scream of pain as the fire pushed him against the roof of the station, breaking a large hole in it. This caused him to scream as he was taken to the void of space, only to be stopped by a large golden magical hand. As he felt himself being pulled in, he looked up at Lyra, "You, saved me, why?"

"As I said, I am protecting everypony in my line of sight," smiled Lyra,

"Oh, thanks," Hot Rod said as he fainted. Lyra watched over head as a grey streak flew through the glass wall and shatter it as it landed in the hand of Ditzy.

Ditzy gasped as she looked at her gem, transforming into her cutie mark. Putting it into her mane, she looked at Bella, "Do you know how to detach this part from the rest of the station?" when Bella nodded, Ditzy ran to Lyra, "Good, detach it and fly it back home. We got a friend to join!"

Bella nodded, using her light magic to drag in her former teammate. She turned her head as she watched one more fall next to her, "Take care of him, he has had a busy day," winked Raindrops as she landed next to her two teammates, "Miss me?"

"Raindrops!" shouted Lyra as she hugged her friend.

Ditzy smiled, and hugged her too, "Are you ok?"

"Never better, especially since I got this baby," Raindrops said, holding out the Element of Courage.

"So you got an element too?" asked Ditzy, shocked and smiling as she played with hers, "I wonder what their names are?"

"Protection," Lyra said looking down at hers, "At least that's what it told me."

Ditzy nodded, "I think I heard a voice that said Hope."

"Yeah yeah," Raindrops nodded, "I want to discuss these really cool gifts later. But right now we have some-"

Carrot Top walked into the prisoner's room smiling, "Hello girls. Did I miss something."

"Carrot!" Ditzy exclaimed hugging her, "You're ok, but," one of her eyes noticed two little flies buzzing around her head. "What are those?"

"Lock and Load, members of Neo Starfleet," smiled Carrot as she thought back to a few moments ago...

Carrot Top backed up into a corner, panting even as her element landed in her hand. She smiled as she looked at her gem and then to the two soldiers, "Um, question." she asked.

"What?" asked Lock and Load.

"None of you had said something ironic in the past few weeks have you?" Carrot asked with a small smirk on her lips.

Lock shook his head, "Well, we both said that we wished we were bugs so we could annoy the hell out of Rocky-" there was a satisfying pop as the two were transformed into little bugs.

Carrot chuckled as she looked down at her exploded bombs of Killing Joke, "They should really pay attention to their surroundings. These jokes can be a killer." she giggled at this little gag.

"Now, these two can just fly into the pod and we can regroup," Carrot said.

Raindrops nodded, "Yeah, just hope Trixie is ok."

---

"Excuse me, but what was that light?" asked Loki.

Cheerilee smiled as she felt a warmth flow through her, letting out a soft sigh. Smiling she said, "Interesting, they were right about having an element. It feels, warm and comforting, like I can feel my friends by my side. It's like, my strength is with them and they are sharing mine. I'll have to talk to them about this."

"If you can get out of this," said Loki. "Now come on, we still have many many more games to play."

"This was a curious game you play," Cheerilee said, standing up and smoothing out her dress, "The only winning move was not to play." and then she turned to walk to the computer panel.

"Wait, you have to play. Come back," said Loki, growling.

Cheerilee smiled, "You don't think I figured your game out? It was clever, saying that you were locked until I played a game with you, but your game is the trap. You activated a series of games, telling me that the only way to win is to get through it. However, you intended for me to lose over time until I was shocked to death or die of dehydration. A brilliant plan, but as long as I don't play, you can't kill me... first rule of robotics after all."

"What, no! I can kill you. Activate machine gun protocol!" screamed Loki, but growled as he felt the systems fail, "How...how did you figure it out!?"

"Well, it wasn't easy," Cheerilee said, smiling as she walked to the computer, "But you did just give it away right now. The rest was a fun guess."

"You risked it all on a guess?!" shouted Loki as Cheerilee began typing on the computer.

"Why, yes, an educated one, but that is the difference between intelligence and wisdom I guess," smiled Cheerilee as she began to type. "Now, lets see. Don't tell me, but your deactivation code is-Harmony is dead." with ease, she typed in the password and began to deactivate the system. "There we are. Now if you excuse me... I have a friend to see."

---

Trixie watched as the light blue light flew straight into her hand. Once she had grabbed the gem, it made her body glow in a bright ethereal light. As he body glowed, her wounds began to heal and fade away from her body. Her suit began to fix itself alongside her hat and cape until she stood up once more, her body restored. Smiling, she looked at her gem as it began to slowly morph into her cutie mark, "So, this is what being an element is like. It feels...appropriate! Now," Trixie smiled as she removed the gem on her cape and replaced it with the Element of Faith, then she held out her hand and pulled a long metal pole with her magic. With a chuckle, she spun the staff around her before pointing it forward, "Let's try this again."

"Oh please," Shaina said, rolling her eyes, "You couldn't beat me in round one, what makes you think round two will be any different?"

"Simple," Trixie said, smirking, "Trixie didn't have a plan yet. Now she does and now, she won't be touched by you."

"Oh really?" laughed Shaina, "Do you think you can really beat me?"

"Don't you know who I am," Trixie said, hearing a drum beat provided by the computer in the background thanks to Cheerilee. "Let me tell you."

I'm so powerful you can't hope to beat

And those who challenge me, I'm sure to defeat.

Pay attention cause I'm here to show

I'm the best, beat the rest

And You're sure to be impressed.

Smirking as she finished her lyrics, her horn began to glow brighter. The brighter her horn glowed, the more a dense fog began to roll in and covered the playing field. Shaina shrugged as she slammed her fist at Trixie, only to hit a wall instead. While wailing in pain, she felt the staff hit the back of her knee. When she looked up, she saw Trixie with an open palm and a dazzling burst of colors hitting her face to knock her off her feet.

Shaina screamed in pain, pushing her down onto the ground, only to get shocked by an electric spark. Looking down at her hand, she saw that was she thought was a plate was an exposed wire. Growling she looked up and saw that Trixie was gone, "Show yourself!"

See how easily it comes to me

"Shut up!" shouted Shaina as she punched where she heard Trixie, only to hit her chair instead, breaking it as she heard the sound. Her eyes opened wide in horror as she realized she had been hit with false sound.

You need me in your corner when facing down an enemy

Because there's no pony who can stand up to the-

Shaina laughed, "Ah ha!" as she fired a magic bolt at the body of Trixie. She gasped when she saw the absence of her opponent, only to be hit in the head and stomach by Trixie's staff.

Throwing her hands into the air, Trixie proudly proclaimed, "The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Using her magic to create false voices for a few back up singers, she smiled as they sang, "Mighty! Trixie."

Mighty magical and super stupendous

Trixie Trixie Lulamoon!

Mighty Magical and Super Amazing!

"That didn't rhyme!" shouted Shaina as she jumped and kicked at Trixie. Nimbly, Trixie tipped her hat and backed up. When Shaina backfisted Trixie ducked again, and then when she did a high snap kick, she found herself missing. After waiting for a moment, she saw that she was instead, fighting a piece of paper.

Letting out a gasp, she turned around, only to be attacked by a giant Ursa Minor along with Titan. She screamed in pain as she knelt to the ground, the illusion dissipating, "What on earth was-"

"Phantasmal Killer mixed with Phantom Steed, a combo that can only be made by-"

Trixie Lulamoon!

Oooh, Oooh, oh oh!

As Trixie danced and moonwalked, Shaina fired several shots, missing her each time. Growling, she realized that she was facing another illusions, "Will you stop it with these tricks!"

Just wait and see, all that I can do

All sorts of magic that you never knew.

Think you got what it takes to mess with me?

By the time I'm done, I'll make you see.

Shaina growled and ran around the bridge, hunting Trixie. After her third lap, she was hit in the face by her staff,

Time's up!

Five Trixies appeared, each with a different mane color and style in the shape of one of the Knights of Harmony. In the middle of the group stood the real Trixie as they began to dance along to the beat of the music.

I'm the mare that's going to make a grand show

Stand in awe of all of the things I know

And my talent can only grow!

Shaina roared and leapt at the real Trixie, beating the stuffing out of ehr. Shaina couldn't help but laugh manically as she pounded the stuffing out of Trixie. After several minutes of pounding, beating, and tearing the stuffing out of her opponent, Trixie laid lifeless on the ground. Shania pulled back, only to see the carcass of her stuffed cat that she took with her on each mission, "Misses Snugglebottom!"

While the captain mourned the loss of her stuffed cat, The five Trixies held out their hands and each fired a prismatic spray right at her body as each began to sing.

I'm the best

Beat the rest

And you're sure to be impressed.

Shaina screamed in pain as the energy flowed through her, striking her hard with prismatic power. When she opened her eyes, all of the illusions came back to a mocking and dancing Trixie as she spun her staff like a baton.

I can control the wild and tame the maddest beast

I control the weather north, south, west and east!

"You are no earth pony or Pegasus, you can't control the weath-"

At that point, the corpse of Missus Snugglebottom leapt up to slash at her, only to turn back into the dead doll. Just as Shaina backed up, she hit the emergency fire suppression system that spouted out a ton of water that hit her and soaked her body.

Trixie winked at this, "Made it rain...didn't Trixie?" she laughed as she spun her staff in a circle, emitting a giant rainbow wave of colors that blinded Shaina and left her hypnotized. With a smirk, Trixie ran up to Shaina and struck her in the leg, chest, and arm with her staff.

Is there any doubt?

It's all in my ability!

The Great and Powerful Trixie!

Leaping away from Shaina for a moment, she began to dance while fireworks started to go off around her. Try though she might, Shaina could not aim or hit Trixie thanks to the mirror illusions and shadow spells that she began to use as her backup singers and dancers

Mighty magical and super stupendous

Trixie Trixie Lulamoon!

Mighty Magical and Super Amazing!

Trixie Lulamoon!

Oooh, Oooh, oh oh!

Trixie leapt back to the bridge console, just as the sun came into view. Raising her fist in the air, she lowered her head to her staff like a mic to sing into it.

I love the limelight, It's such a highlight

And all of you ponies wish you can be like!

Shaina screamed at the annoyance of Trixie and fired a large bolt of energy, ending up destroying the eye shields. This forced the snake eyes to begin to close in order to stop the the air from being sucked out into space. Shaina gasped as she saw that the 'Trixie' she just hit was a shadow. Looking back behind her, she saw three Trixies armed with her staff. With each lyric, they hit Shaina in perfect beat.

Like it, like it, like it.

You know you love it

Love it, love it, love it.

Pulling her hand back behind her cape, Trixie smirked as the firework sparks as well as she wisps of flames pounced on Shaina, burning her mane and tail.

You know my show is on fire!

And you can't help but be pulled in by it's wonder

At that point, illusions of all of Trixie's friends showed up to sing back up for her

Awestruck by your astounding marvel.

Spinning her staff as Shaina tried to get back up, Trixie sang, "The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Once again, she began to dance and sway, dodging bolt after bolt of magic.

Mighty magical and super stupendous

Trixie Trixie Lulamoon!

Mighty Magical and Super Amazing!

Trixie Lulamoon!

Oooh, Oooh, oh oh!

"Magical!" shouted ghost Twilight.

"Powerful!" shouted ghost Spark,

"Yeah, you know it," Trixie said, putting a hand to her heart, "I'm the best..

Don't have to look far for a great show!

When you see my act, your mind is going to blow!

Ooowhoa, oowhoa.

Mighty and magical, Great and powerful Trixie

Mighty and Magical, Great and powerful Trixie.

As Shaina struggled to get back up, she watched as Trixie began to sashay away from her, shaking her booty sexily as she continued to sing while holding her staff over her shoulder.

Now my travels have led me to you

You're going to know my name, by the time I'm through.

Shaina tackled at Trixie, only to miss and give the unicorn a chance to bash her in the back with her staff.

No other pony can compare to my act

I am going to defeat you, and that's a fact

Ha!

"You win," moaned the defeated Shaina as she began to crawl to a wall. Panting, she glared at Trixie with anger in her eyes.

Trixie smirked, "Was there any doubt. Now...tell Trixie, why did you do all of this? Fame, to be powerful, to prove your ideals, to challenge the best, or did you get conned into this. Or are you a metaphor for story-telling or even an analogy for something bigger?"

Shaina looked calmly at Trixie, before shrugging, "Student Loans."

"What," Trixie deadpanned.

"I have a one hundred thousand dollar student loan debt and I needed a way to pay off in an easy job. So I took this one, Grand Ruler pays kind of well for a mad dictator. Heck, I don't even believe in most of the shit he spews out. If he didn't pay so well, I would've joined you a long time ago. I figure if I worked for him long enough, I would get to pay it all off and achieve my dream in life, a psychologist."

"What?!" Trixie deadpanned again, her voice rising.

Shaina shrugged, "Well yeah. What? Not all of us have a deep meaning behind our actions or a powerful motivation. We don't all have to be a metaphor for hatred, or to be a bad person because of circumstance, sometimes we just have to be a girl down on her luck."

"Well, that is understandable," Raindrops said, stepping into the bridge, "But, you could've joined us. Luna pays pretty well thanks to Fancy Pants."

"And besides," Ditzy said, flying in, "You could've saved that money in a bank and found a loan forgiveness program."

"Really?" asked Shaina.

Cheerilee nodded, "Yes, I could help out. I have had student loan problems myself."

"I also know some student loan programs too," Carrot Top said, smiling.

Lyra laughed a little to herself, "So, we end this with a help message?"

"No, better," Trixie said, rushing to her friends and giving them a giant hug, "You girls are all right! I...I'm so glad."

"Yep," Ditzy said with a smiled, "And launched the prisoners back home."

"And we got some pretty sweet jewelry too," Raindrops said, holding up her element, "Cool huh? Element of Courage."

Cheerilee smiled as she looked at her gem, "Though, I kind of wish that we got necklaces like Applejack and the others. But, I think we can manage."

"Well, Sparkler has work with gems like this before, maybe she could make us a necklace," said Ditzy, before looking down at her gem. "It's so nice."

Self destruction sequence engaged

All of the girls looked up to the booming voice over the speaker and then back to Shaina. Sighing she shrugged and said, "Look, if I hope to get a good recommendation later, I need to finish protocol. And protocol says I have to blow up Serpentari in case the plan fails. I'm sorry. But on the bright side, I quit now!"

"It's ok," the six deadpanned as they narrowed their eyes at her.

Ditzy gulped, "Ok, what do we now!?"

"I can't make a spell big enough to shield us and get us down," Lyra said, looking around.

Cheerilee shook her head, "It's worst than that. This thing explodes and the debris is going to crash into the planet. It'll kill millions, or worse, a chunk big enough might send up debris to block out the sun!"

"Oh, that is just great!" Raindrops shouted, "So what do we do?!"

"Faith," Trixie said, holding out her gem, "Trixie asked you once, not too long ago, to put your faith in her that she can get you all home. She is asking you to do the same, to put all of your faith in her now! We will get through this! We will come home again, and we will save everypony!"

Raindrops nodded, holding out her gem, "I didn't get this by backing down now!"

"I am not going to lose all of you, not now or ever! I want to protect all of you!" Lyra said, holding her gem out.

Ditzy looked around, watching in shock and horror as the station began to rip itself apart. Slowly shaking, rocking, and exploding, she nodded as she looked at her friends, "For our friends down below, for our families!" she said holding out the gem of Hope.

"For our futures!" Cheerilee said, holding out her gem, trying to regain her footing as the station shook tremendously, the sound of metal screeching as it began to break and tear.

Carrot Top nodded, "For Equestria!"

Just as she said this, the six gems exploded in a bright flash of multicolored light. Out of each gem, shot a rainbow of light that soon enveloped the six, keeping them safe while the streams all flew out from the ball of rainbow light. Each mare held onto their gem, holding onto their dreams and wishes as they guided the power of their harmony to destroy the rubble and the station until nothing was left but the head. Soon, there was an additional explosion of light as the Rainbow Energy flowed over and devoured the snake.

---

All of this rainbow magic went unnoticed by the ponies down below. Their eyes were too focused on the large explosion that happened out in space. Feeling her heart grow cold for a brief moment, Luna shouted in fear, "TRIXIE!"

"Think they are ok? I mean, they gotta be, right?" Rainbow Dash said.

Grand Ruler laughed, "No, they aren't. They are dead and there is nothing you can do about-OOOF!"

Lightning growled as he kicked Grand Ruler's face, "Shut up."

"Was... Momma up there?" squeaked a voice.

Turning around, Rainbow Dash saw a little filly unicorn standing with her big sister, "Dinky, Sparkler. What are you two doing here? You should be back in the shelter."

"We came out to see if there was anything we could do," Big Mac said, walking out and looking up to the stars, "Cheerilee?"

Applejack shook her head, "Ah don't know, Big Mac. Your answer is as good as mine."

"They'll be fine," Pinkie said, standing in front of the group. "Just watch, they'll be landing." she then looked at her twitching tail and smiled, "right about now. Over there!"

"Pinkie, not that I doubt your precognitive abilities but," a loud thump interrupted Luna, making them all turn around to see the disembodied head of the snake that was known as Serpentari. "How did she know..." The sight of the large station attracted not only the refugees from Ponyville but the Crystal ponies as well.

"Don't doubt her," Applejack said with a smirk as the door opened wide.

A figure stepped out of the light from the doorway, revealing herself to be Trixie. Though her outfit was torn and her wounds still healing, she looked at the group of ponies before her and smirked, "Mission," she said, holding up a thumbs up, "Accomplished!"

"MOMMY!" shouted Sparkler and Ditzy as they ran to the door as Ditzy stepped out.

Smiling bigger than she had in months, the grey pegasus happily broke into tears as she said, "My muffins! My little girls, I am so glad to see you again. Mommy missed you so much."

"And you aren't gonna leave again?" asked Dinky.

Ditzy shook her head, "Mommy won't leave you baby. Don't worry."

As Cheerilee stepped out next, she heard a voice through the crowd, "Cheerilee?"

"Big Mac?" Cheerilee asked.

"Cheerilee?!" Big Mac shouted, pushing and shoving his way through the crowd, looking for his marefriend.

"BIG MAC!" Shouted Cheerilee, jumping into her boyfriend's arms and holding him tightly. As the two held each other, they leaned in and kissed each other passionately much to the cheers of the crowd.

"Whoa, nice one, Sis," smirked Berry Punch, standing with her daughter and Cherry Blossom.

Lyra, stepping out next, smiled as she saw a white earth pony in the crowd. Smiling, she ran her way to the mare, being sure not to hurt anypony as she kept on running. As she reached the end, she picked up Bon Bon in her arms, "Hail to the queen, baby!"

"Oh, Lyra!" smiled Bon Bon as she leaned down and kissed her wife deeply running her hand along the side of her face.

Carrot Top stood to the side of the door and sighed, "Of course, nopony is wait-"

"Well, come on silly," Ditzy said with a smile, "All family is invited to the group hug."

"Oh girls," smiled Carrot Top as she was hugged by the mares.

"Wow," Snails said, "Can't believe the greatest pony I ever knew just saved the world."

Raindrops sighed, "Yeah, guess Trixie is pretty cool."

"Well, Trixie is cool, but she is the second greatest pony I ever knew," said Snails.

"The who is number one?" asked Raindrops, looking curious.

"You!" Snails said, hugging his big sister tightly and snuggling up. Raindrops said nothing as she patted his head.

"Trixie," Checker Monarch said, standing to the side and looking at her sister. "This past year has shown you to still be brash, egotistical, and arrogant. You rush in and proceed to drive ponies crazy with your little tricks. As such... I am proud to call you my sister."

"Well, Trixie supposes," Trixie sighed and smiled at Checker, "she is glad to be your sister too." and with that, Trixie hugged her sister closely.

"Congratulations!" Pinkie said, running into the crowd, followed closely by the other knights and Luna. "I mean, we weren't worried, but did you see that cool explosion and all of that cool stars and-"

"Great job you gals," Applejack said, giving a thumbs up to the team.

Luna smiled as she walked to Trixie and then watched as the rest of the group gathered together, "Umbra Circle, you have faced your greatest challenge and won. Through your efforts and friendship, you have save the planet. I have to say... I couldn't be more proud of the mares I have picked to be my champions."

"Let's hear it for them!" Rainbow Dash said, thrusting her fist into the air, causing the crowd to cheer.

Behind them all, Grand Ruler climbed out of the crater that he made and trembling tried to sneak away. His attempt was stopped by a pair of very angry ponies, "Going somewhere?" Lightning Dawn asked.

"Well you see," Grand Ruler trembled.

"You still have much to answer for," Dementia growled, "And crimes to attone."

"I do believe that this is all over," Rep-Stallion taunted.

"W-w-wait, I can explain. I just-" before Grand Ruler could say more, he was grabbed by a pair of black arms.

Behind him, Chrysalis hissed in his ear as she held him close to her mouth, "I'll be taking this one."

"Wait, he needs to-" before Lightning could finish, he saw green blood oozing out of his wounds, "A golem!"

"Golems aren't the only ones who bleed green." asked Chrysalis as she ignited her horn and made the pony in her grip change form back into a changeling that looked like her.

"Wait, that's-" Lighting said with a gasp.

Fratello narrowed his eyes, "The Chrysalis who worked with me a few years ago."

"Yes, this one,Cocoon, stole one of Sombra's books a few years ago. She learned an ancient shadow spell that made her into a being as powerful as I was," Chrysalis growled, "Then she kidnapped a batallion of my best soldiers and forced them to fight you. You even taught them that possession spell."

"I...I had to!" Cocoon said, struggling in her queen's grip, "You were going to lead us all to ruin with your plans! I was going to bring us to a new era, while you languished in your old ways."

"Well, now you lay defeated and at the mercy of your queen," chuckled Chrysalis. "I hope that your defiance was worth it, because it will be your last."

"W-Wait!" shouted Thorax, stepping up to the two, "Remember our deal! You said I was allowed to have a small group of changelings for myself and lead them to a sanctuary. And I want her. Please!"

Chrysalis looked to Thorax, and then to her prisoner. With a shrug, she said, "Fine, have your pound of flesh. I am done."she said, walking away, "Now that the false queen has been found, this alliance of ours is done. I retreat back home, for now. After all, I want to see my goddaughter soon." she laughed as she led her team and army away.

"Damn it!" Dash said, "This means that Grand Ruler is back in Canterlot."

Luna nodded, "He probably used the fake Chrysalis as an alibi, in case the plan failed. Now he can write a whole narrative about how it was all their fault and he wasn't the cause for any of this."

"Great, which means he can still just up and cause more trouble!" Applejack growled.

Luna smirked, "Not necessarily. That is where Tia comes in."

---

Grand Ruler ran down the hall of the castle, panting. The sweat beading down on his face matched the look of utter fear that was in his eyes. He could feel his world crumble around him as he knew that all of his plans, all of his lies, were finally laid to bear. His heart beat rapidly, knowing that he had to find a way to salvage the last shred of his dignity. As he saw the doorway to the throne room, he smiled as he opened, ready to come up with a cover story. As he did, he backed up in utter terror as he saw the figure on the throne, "Oh god!"

"Hmmmm, yes? You called Grand poobah?" Dark Conquest asked, laying across the chair arms with one arm behind his head. In his hand was a wine glass with an eyeball in it, "Oh, you meant the other god. Sorry, he ain't here right now. By the way, did you like what I did to your throne? I refurbished it with some leather and some very nice bones."

"No, no," Grand Ruler backed up, feeling the fear in his heart increase.

"Well, I admit that the presentation leaves a lot to be desired," Conquest shrugged as he took a drink from his glass, "But hey, I tried the bone thing before and let me tell you that thrones made out of bones ride up on the crotch like a bitch!" He said, finishing his wine glass before throwing it into a wall, "Now, I know what you are thinking, why wasn't I drinking from a skull? Well, what they never tell you is that drinking from a skull is a lot harder than it sounds. You have to cork the sockets, gum up the teeth, and then make sure that all of the brains are out before you drink. Otherwise it ruins the wine!"

As Grand Ruler backed into a corner, his mind began to think, "It was you!"

"Yes it was... was what?" asked Conquest.

"You were the cause of it all!" Grand Ruler said, smiling. "You brainwashed me after I had found out about Celestia's infidelity. When that happened I went mad and you tricked me into becoming a mad stallion with the desire to wipe out my little ponies. But now, I can take it all back by defeating you!"

Conquest rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder, "Oh brother, are you guys really buying this? This is what we in the biz call, the Villainous Breakdown. Let's watch it in action shall we?"

"Of course this wasn't my fault, it never was," Grand Ruler said, laughing a little madly, "It was all you. Now, you will suffer for all of your sins!"

"300," said Conquest, smiling. When he saw Grand Ruler's confused look, he said, "Oh, don't mind me."

"You will fall before the light of justice and believing!"

"299"

"And then the light will return to the world of darkness-

"175," Conquest said.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Grand Ruler, frowning.

Conquest shrugged, "I have heard these hero lines so much through the many worlds that I like keeping count of them all."

"Well, I am going break your face in!" Grand Ruler said.

"20," Conquest said chuckling, before getting up and walking along the throne room, "Now, let's discuss your little plan shall we? You are going to make me into the bad guy, hiding all your little bitty sins behind me and hope that you will be forgiven."

"Yes!" Grand Ruler said, smiling. "Once I take you down, then they will all see. They will see me as the true hero!"

Conquest smiled, showing his sharp teeth, before leaning back and laughing out loud in a booming voice, "Oh, that is rich. That is just too much. You really think that they will trust you again? That they will still believe you after you tried to commit genocide upon them all and wipe out their planet?"

"Yes!" Grand Ruler said.

Conquest only sneered as he leapt off the throne and skipped towards Grand Ruler, hands behind his back, "Tell me, how many Equestrians are alive on this world?"

"I...I don't know, a hundred thousand?" said Grand Ruler.

"Not counting the ones my men and I butchered and murdered, there are over eight hundred thousand still left. Want to know the population of the planet? Because I know it, I can hear them," with a chuckle, Conquest extended his arms out to the side and began to walk around Grand Ruler, "I am connected to the entire planet and I can feel all of their hate, all of their rage, and all of their anger pointed towards one pony. You! You ticked off all of those Equestrians, griffons, minotaurs, and one Draconequus in one fell swoop."

Putting his hands behind his back, he looked over his shoulder at Grand Ruler and let out another chuckle, "And now, even the hundreds of Unicorpians under your thrall are now beginning to hate you. They despise you because of everything you did to them, because what you almost made them do."

"Shut up!" shouted Grand Ruler. "You know nothing. You are just a big ball of lies and once I make them see the truth, then they will love me again."

"You? Win them over? Heh, and they say my jokes are bad," Conquest said, shaking his head. "See here is the funny bit about the two of us. We are foils, you are sexist and cruel and you deny everything wrong about you. Me, I have never lied, just not tell the truth. Instead, I let the real monsters take out enough rope to hang themselves, like you. See, it's so much more fun when you just not tell the truth, Dementia knows that, after all I didn't tell her the truth about the fun I had with her daughter, but if she asked, I would've said something."

"Wait... Galaxia,"gasped Grand Ruler.

"Oh, you didn't know? That's right, all of your old sins came home to roost and then work together just to help expose you for the cad you are," pinching Grand Ruler's cheeks, he added with a mocking tone. "Isn't that just so sweet?"

"Get away from me you mocker!" Grand Ruler shouted.

Conquest laughed, "Only until I am finished with you. Then I have other toys to mess with, especially a certain grey unicorn who has been messing with my plans for a while. I bet once I find her and get to her... she will be almost as fun as Starla was."

"Celesto, my love!" shouted Celestia as she ran in, tears flowing down her cheeks and her dress torn. "That horrible monster came in and raped me while you were gone."

Conquest raised an eyebrow at this, before smirking a little, "Ooooh, clever bitch."

"He also mind raped me months ago and forced me into bed with Goldwin! Oh, the horrible things he did to me for the past year!" Celestia cried, laying on Grand Ruler's shoulder and crying hard onto it. She put her arm over her shoulder and around his waist. She continued to cry while her hands rubbed along his back and shoulders, "He was the one who made me so angry at you! Who turned me against you."

Celesto turned Celestia to face him, hands on her cheeks, "My darling Celestia, I know. I know everything and I forgive you! I will always love you and care about you. You are my sun and once I am done with this monster we can begin again."

"I know, Celesto," Celestia said as both Celesto and Conquest teleported away suddenly, "I know."

"Bravo, bravo!" Discord said, clapping his hands together, "Marvelous performance my lady. I don't think that I could've done it better!"

"Mommy, I'm sorry I tore your dress," Castor said, frowning a little, "I was just playing catch the fire ball."

Celestia smiled and looked at her torn dress, quickly using her magic to fix it up, "It is no problem my little prince. Now, Discord, sweetie," with a smile, she held up the Orb of Reality, "What do you think you can do with this?"

---

Conquest looked around at the battle ground that he and Grand Ruler were teleported to. All around him was a barren wasteland with only dust and sand among a rocky terrain. In the distance he could see a dark mountain with snowy top and to his left was nothing more than more barren waste. His ears perked when he heard Celesto whispered, "Of course, brilliant, Celestia."

Conquest smiled, "And how, pray tell, is she brilliant?"

"She teleported us here so we can fight without worry about hurting civilians! We can fight at our fullest without fear!" Celesto laughed, "Brilliant."

"More like she teleported you here to fight me and die by my hand," Conquest said, floating. When he saw Grand Ruler about to object, he held up a hand and said, "Wait a minute, big boy, before you deny it, look in your pocket."

Grand Ruler looked confused and reached into his pocket and gasped, "The...the Orb, where is it!?"

"Oh, you mean the Orb of Reality? Celestia has it, stole it while she was hugging you and telling you how sweet you were," Conquest said, walking around Grand Ruler. "I think she really wants to see your ass get kicked."

"N-n-no, it's because she loves me," Grand Ruler said, shaking as his world began to crumble. Standing up, he took in a deep breath, trying to tighten his resolve as he glared at the monster in front of him. "You ruined everything! You ruined everything! My world was perfect until you came in! You mocker, troll!"

"Buddy, even if I didn't come, this world was finished," Conquest said, holding an illusionary globe in his hand, "See, I wouldn't need to have come here if you had just left Equestria alone, but nope! You brought Starfleet into it and with them, the concept of war. So, you brought in hate, and that brought me. I don't touch worlds that don't have hatred in them."

"See, this is why we are such good foils," Conquest said, grabbing Celesto's shoulders from behind and then licking his cheek slowly. "You create hate, and I feed on it. Most people, when they create worlds, it's because they love the heroes that inspire them. They want to see them triumph over impossible odds and win in the darkest of times. People like you, create out of hatred and the desire to hurt others."

"There are none like me," Celesto said, trembling.

Conquest laughed, "Oh but there are. Scouts, Ninjas, Shinigami, so many people hate these heroes and come up with the silliest of reasons to make worlds to torture them. You just happen to make the most tastiest one." he remarked while rubbing Grand Ruler's chest and then down to his pants.

"Leave me alone! I am the Grand Ruler, chosen of the gods! I will-"

"End me, yadda yadda," Conquest waved his hand dismissively as he jumped back and held out his hand in a come hither stance. "Well then, lovely...come and get me. Play my game!"

Grand Ruler yelled and charged forward, delivering a hard cross at Conquest. Smirking, the dark ruler grabbed Celesto's fist and crushed it slowly, "Let's make this more fun." with a snap of his fingers, he summoned hundred of video screens, all of them showing various parts of United Equestria, "Now the whole planet is watching our battle, whether they want it or not."

With a yell Grand Ruler pulled his hand away and tried to throw a cross, wich Conquest ducked. Moving on from the missed attack, he did a forearm strike which was pushed to the side by Conquest. So engulfed in his rage was he, Celesto did not see the smile on Conquest's face as his speed increased. Using his own speed, Celesto began to deliver punch after punch at Conquest, each fist just went through Conquest's body as he stood there.

In truth, while he looked like he was standing still, Conquest was dodging so fast that the eye could not even perceive his movements. Pulling back his claws, Conquest slashed Grand Ruler across the chest, leaving large bloody gashes in his body. After licking the blood from his claws, Conquest held out his other hand and fired a bolt of dark magic at Grand Ruler, sending him flying across the battlefield. In a flash of light, Conquest teleported behind Grand Ruler and raised his fist, "I always wondered, does your head make a crack or a thud when hit?"

Celesto's head hit Conquest's fist with a loud crack, and he landed on the ground with a loud thump. Panting he struggled to get up, his vision blurred and swirling, "Wha..."

"Dizzy? Feeling nauseous? You might be suffering a concussion," Conquest said, walking in front of Grand Ruler as he tried to get to his feet. With a smirk, he said, "Here, let me fix that!" raising his foot up, he kicked Grand Ruler in the face and sent him flying into the air.

With a smirk, Conquest flew up into the sky and grabbed Grand Ruler by the wings, "Now, I already ripped Lightning's wings off before. But, seeing as that was a golem, I don't think that was satisfying enough. I have a feeling this won't be either."

"W-w-wait," Grand Ruler whispered as he heard the word golem. Before he could take this realization in, he felt Conquest kick his back hard, and knocking him out of the monster's grip. Without a sound, the golden wings were removed and he was sent flying towards the ground.

"As I thought, fake and mechanical," Conquest said, crushing the wings with his bare hands, "No wonder there was no legend behind the golden wings part."

"Lightning is alive?" whispered Grand Ruler as he soared to the ground.

Conquest appeared on the ground suddenly, and then drove his elbow into the back of Grand Ruler's neck, "Oh," he spun around and chopped the front of the neck, "and now you care about him?"

"N-no, not true," Celesto gasped out, attempting to catch his breath, "I...care."

"Oh really? Is that why you took every victory away from him," Conquest said, dodging Grand Ruler's fist with a side step. "Why with every big bad, you stepped in and had to save the day while he was left in the dust. Or did I imagine how you basically let him join in the final battle with Titan like you threw a dog a bone."

"No! You lie! Lightning won that fight on his own, and all of the others. He joined in with his power and-" Grand Ruler would have said more, but a hard punch from Conquest took the wind out of him, forcing him to lurch over.

Conquest smirked, "Twilight won her fights with her friends. Lightning, well, he needed you to stand there and fire the blast, to get the elements, to handle the big threat, and to help with every fight. When the final battle came in, you jumped in because you couldn't see a world where anyone but you saved the day. Why, because we all need a god's hand to help us through our day. That is why Celestia is the better ruler, because she lets Twilight save the day, while you barge in and make Lightning feel useless."

Before Grand Ruler could say more, Conquest fired a bolt of solar magic into his stomach and lifted him in the air. As Celesto floated in the air, Dark Conquest roundhouse kicked him in the face and sent him flying across the battlefield. Conquest flew beneath him and asked, "You know, I never hadn't one but please tell me if a compound fracture hurts."

"A compound fracture?" whimpered Celesto as he felt Conquest kick him in his leg, sending him crashing into the ground and leaving behind a huge gouge in the ground. When he tried to stand, he screamed in pain. Looking down, he saw his bone sticking out of the shin. The white material covered in blood as it poked out from his shin and tearing through muscle.

Dark Conquest gasped as he teleported to Grand Ruler, "OH my me! Your leg is broken. Hold on, I'll fix it."

"Oh, thank you so muc-AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Grand Ruler screamed in pain as Conquest grabbed the bone and slowly tore it out from the shin. Then he gasped as he watched Conquest heal his leg with white magic, "I'm healed!"

Conquest laughed, "Oh, don't worry, I just did that so I can enjoy this more!" and with that, he spun around and began to slam the bone into Grand Ruler's face, chest and stomach. Occasionally from each one of his hits, he received a satisfying crack as he broke a rib, an arm, or even cutting deeply into his face. When a bit of blood splattered onto Conquest's face, he licked a little of it off and shuddered in ecstasy, "Oh, so good."

Grand Ruler knelt before Conquest, whimpering in pain as he looked up, his right arm hanging limp at his side. The lacerations that lined his body bled profusely and matched up with the swelling bruises that lined his body. Watching as Conquest threw the bone away, he whispered with a breath, "K-kill me, please, no more."

"Not... until I tell everypony a story," Conquest said, walking around Grand Ruler.

Grand Ruler's eyes opened in utter terror, "No, please god no!"

"I don't do requests, lover," Conquest said. "Time to lay all truths before the eyes of me."

"You mean the eyes of god... oh," said a stallion from one of the screens.

"You think he would learn after the third time," Conquest said, looking to the side. Shaking his head, he began to walk slowly around the unmoving Grand Ruler, "Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there was a young colt by the name of Celesto. He was an unicorn who had a big dream. Enter the royal guard, become its captain, and win the heart of the princess by saving her from all the evil bad guys. Awwwww."

"There was one little problem, though. The princess he wanted to win the heart of, to prove himself to? That was Princess Celestia," Conquest shrugged, "Kind of hard to save her when she only really loses when she lets it happen or if you can get the drop on her. Even then, it's usually a temporary win and she is usually planning on something bigger to kick your can." Conquest looked to the screen where Celestia was, "Yeah, princess, I know you get worfed, but you usually let it happen or are snuck up on. In a fair fight, wow! Do not want to fight you."

Conquest walked up to Grand Ruler and rubbed each one of the three horns slowly, erotically, "So, what was he to do? That was when his best friend introduced him to his life's work. Seems that Dusky was into researching magical items and power, leading him to the discovery of Meadowbrook's lost chamber. Where the eight powerful items lie. Eight powerful items that would give even the second in command of the Royal Guard the power to match an alicorn and maybe... win the heart of the princess. Shame that his best friend and the current captain had to be in the way. Oh well, easy fix right?"

"Please stop this, they can't be told the truth," cried Grand Ruler.

Conquest laughed, "What, that you buried Dusk Shine under all that rubble, taking the Tri-Horn Crown and the Orb of Reality for yourself while you left him to die? Or the other truth? That when Luna had her little 'fit' you charged into battle. But, what should happen but you got hit with one of her powerful spells and you were sent flying through space onto a lonely little planet on the outer rim. What was it called again? Oh yes, Unicornicopia."

Lookin back at the screens, Conquest showed an image of the planet of Unicornicopia and then showed the populace of that world, many many winged unicorns, "A planet full of winged unicorns, like Celestia. Some had small horns, some had big wings, and others had small versions of both. Seeing this, gave GR a wonderfully evil idea. He would take over this planet, subjugate it and hunt down Equestria. Then, he would come back with this world as his prize and showed the princess how powerful he was."

"No, stop this, not this! Please, god no," begged Grand Ruler as Conquest walked up to him and grabbed the left horn.

"So, he grabbed one hundred of those ponies and used the Tri-Horn Crown to manipulate them all into his thrall. With the help of the Ward family, his power increased and he gained more followers. More followers, meant more ponies believing in him and his power grew until he had the planet in his thrall. So, here is Truth One," Conquest said, ripping the horn off of the crown with a loud snap. Then he spun the horn around and rammed it into Grand Ruler's hand.

"GAHHHHH!" Celesto screamed, looking at the wound.

"You world wasn't created by this man, it was invaded and conquered by him with little, if any, remorse for your own lives," Conquest said. "He even made fake wings to make him look better than everypony else. Truth Two is also fun," with a cruel smile, he grabbed the right horn. "Ready for this?"

Grand Ruler shook his head no, trembling as he clasped his hands together, "No, please. You can't tell them the truth, this will break them!"

"Good," Conquest said, chuckling, "See, it wasn't enough for Grand Ruler to hold dominion over the ponies. Oh no, he wanted to subjugate more worlds and make his name known across the galaxy. But how to do that? Why, by using the Orb of Reality and make certain changes to their bodies. The orb was powerful enough that it could make changes that not even a Draconequus could fix. So, after testing it on a small colony of Flutter Ponies, he changed the entire race of Unicornicopians into their anthro selves, warping them to having hands and feet. Why? Because he liked the dragons and figured that was the best way to show off power. Then, he made everypony think that just because they had fancy suits and 'better tech' they were somehow superior."

"No, stop-AHHHHHH!" Screamed Grand Ruler as Conquest broke the second horn and rammed it into the other hand.

"So, there is the other lie. All of that superiority, all of that strength and speed? Fake. It was all made up by the Tri-Horn Crown and Orb of Reality," Laughed Conquest.

A lone unicornicopian shook her head, "No, I am super fast I know it!" and with that, she tried to run at super speed, but was tripped. Raising her head, she began to cry, "No! T-t-this can't be!"

"Yep, toots, it's all true," Conquest said mockingly. "But, that leads us to the best lie of them all. See, after a millenia of lies, trapping a god in a pocket dimension, and taking planet after planet, he found Equestria and his lady love."

Grand Ruler struggled to his feet, the blood making him sway back and forth, speaking with a weak voice, "No, please, don't tell them."

"Oh, but this is the best part," Conquest said, smiling at his fallen foe. "See, he knew that the best way to make sure she was his forever, was to mess with her head, give her a false story and manipulate things so the ponies would bow to him. So, he wiped out his own world and moved everything to Equestria. Idling away, of course, when Celestia and Luna fought Titan alone." Conquest then looked shocked, "Oh, are you all surprised by this? Yeah, that whole Grand Celestial whatever? Doesn't, never did, or will it ever exist. It was all the princesses."

Conquest then looked at the screens before him, "By the way, you'll note," he said, kicking Grand Ruler on the stomach and laying him flat on the ground, "I said, blew up his own world. Guess what Truth Three is?"

Grand Ruler looked up from his prone form and shook his head, "No, no,nononononononono-AHHHHHHHHH!" Grand Ruler screamed as the middle horn, and his real horn were torn off bloodily from his forehead.

Laughing, Conquest rammed the last horn into Grand Ruler's feet, crucifying him to the ground.

---

Back on United Equestria, all of the ponies looked on in shock and wonder as the world began to be covered in a bright light. As the light began to enveloped the planet, Applejack looked around and let out a soft gasp, "Ah don't believe it. It's, it's impossible."

"My word," Rarity said, watching as the world began to change in front of her eyes. After blinking for a few moments to be sure of what she was seeing, she said, "No wonder we saw nothing of Unicornicopia on this planet. Why everything was all named after Equestrian cities and places."

"Because..." Pinkie said, looking around with a gasp.

Dash finished the thought, "Equestria never blew up! We were on Equestria the entire time!"

---

Conquest laughed with a voice that came from dimensions long since destroyed, wailing out in horror, "And so, we come to the end of our little tale. Grand Ruler lied to an entire population of ponies, ruined their lives just to fix his big ego, and destroyed an entire world just to get to the girl he wants. How... pitiful!"

"But," he then turned to look back at the screens and smiled, "Who do you hate more? The asshole who lied and did this to you? Or the Asshole who lifted the veil on the lies and ruined the pretty dream? I don't care, either way I get more and more powerful and become unstoppable."

"P-p-please, my space ponies," whimpered Grand Ruler, feeling himself bleed out slowly.

"I am sorry, is this a last request? A plea for forgiveness? A desperate chance to make sure that you will go to the Elysian Fields?" asked Conquest as he sat on Grand Ruler's stomach, eliciting one pitiful scream from the ruler."

"K-kill me if you must, kill the Equestrians. But, spare my space ponies," whimpered Celesto.

Conquest shrugged, "If only it were so easy. I am not going stop until this whole planet is another jewel in my crown and every pony on that little planet is moaning and screaming my name. You, were just the icing on the bloody cake."

"No, please, god I beg you!" screamed Grand Ruler.

"Sorry," Conquest said, using his magic to create a giant stone goal post, "I don't do requests. PUNT!" he shouted, pulling his leg back and kicking Grand ruler's head so hard that it ripped off his body and flew through the posts before landing on a spike.

Pulling back, he could hear the screams of terror and yells of anger coming from the crowd. With a smile, he began to wave his hands towards him, beckoning and welcoming the jeers as one would welcome applause. Spinning around he slammed his fist into the ground before thrusting his fist back up into the air while fireworks went off behind him. Then, he turned to look at a video screen with Celestia, her look staring back at him, "This was your fault you know. All of this."

Celestia said nothing, narrowing her eyes at the black alicorn and frowning. Slowly, she crossed her arms over her chest and put on the scowl that she had trained herself to bare over a thousand years of battle, loss, and war. It was the glare she had held when she bested Discord with her sister and it was one known to make lesser ponies bow or tremble.

Conquest was not a lesser pony as he simply walked around and chuckled, "Oh yes, all your fault. Like your sister, like Sunset, and like that annoying little purple one. I wish we could've met, she would've been fun. Oh well, guess I'll settle for the grey one you keep safe in Ponyville. You know, the one who messed me up? I think she will be delicious."

Pinkie's eyes went wide and she took a step forward, only to be stopped by Applejack. Looking up into her friend's eyes, she could feel the scowl that crawled along the face of her sister not by blood. Nodding softly, she pulled back before looking back up at Conquest.

Conquest winced a little, unsure why, "Oh yes, all your fault, Celly. You wanted to be diplomatic about all of this. You wanted to prevent a civil war and stop the two sides from killing each other. But, in your attempt to stop the killing and prevent your side from massacring the pathetic unicornicopians, you instead fostered the hatred between the two races that summoned me."

Still saying nothing, Celestia just glowed with a fiery heat as she continued to stare at Conquest.

"This in turn, brought me. So, in your pitiful attempt to prevent bloodshed, you instead caused more bloodshed than you would've if you had just fought him," Conquest said, laughing. When he stopped laughing, he looked at her with a glare, "What? No denials of your failures? Of your faults and mistakes? Come on, hit me with a hero speech, tell me how I am so wrong and that you will prove the justice of our world."

Celestia said nothing.

"Say something!" Conquest roared.

Slowly, Celestia raised one finger and said, "One hour, talk to me in one hour." and with that, she turned off the spell.

Conquest frowned, "Oh, but what am I going for an hour!" turning to look back at Grand Ruler's corpse and smiled. Pulling out some vaseline and some oil, he said, "Well... as long as it's warm. Come here cutie!"

---

Lightning stumbled back, being held up by Krysta. Looking up at his longtime friend, he smiled warmly, "Thanks."

Starla shook her head, "I don't believe this. He... lied to us this whole time, made us do so many bad things. He..."

"I know, sweetie, I know," Dementia said, hugging her daughter close.

For the longest time, the group of unicornicopians stood there in cold silence, feeling the weight of everything on their shoulders. Then, a pair of pink arms held Starla and Lightning close in a big hug, "Hey, it's going to be all right." Pinkie said, smiling at the group before bouncing to look at the group, "At least we are now all in the same boat."

"Yeah, we've been lied to and changed too you know," Dash said, frowning. "Now you just know how it feels."

"But, all of the times we called you inferior. All of the times that we hurt others just because he sicked us on them. We did so much wrong and have so many sins," Lightning looked down and sighed.

Fluttershy stepped forward and nodded, "The first step, is to own up to your mistakes and fix them."

"Can we?" Starla asked.

"A gem will always have it's flaws," Rarity said, looking down, "The first step is to go and admit to them."

Pinkie Pie nodded and stepped forward, smiling to herself, "Grand Ruler was wrong when he tried to say that you are just one thing and always will be that way forever! Look at you two! Lightning used to be a meany pants all the time and Starla used to be a meanie lady. But now, you two are both are better ponies, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Starla said, looking back at Dementa.

"I know so," Krysta said, gliding up and looking around, "But I think it's going to take a lot more than just the words of a few ponies to convince everyone else."

"Well, I know what Twilight would say if she was here," Pinkie said, holding out her hand, the same one that she had stabbed not too long ago, "And that's because she learned it from me." smiling warmly, she said, "You can say a lot more with an open hoof, than a fist. And I know, that all we need to do to help us all move forward and become better, is by becoming friends."

"You really think that will work?" Lightning asked, to which Pinkie nodded and looked to her friends behind her.

"Well, duh! Of course, look at us! We all had our problems, but thanks to the power of friendship, we pulled through," Pinkie said. "We are always going to have problems, but the dark doesn't have to last forever you know. You just need to find the light and then hold onto it. It's a lot of work to find it, but... It's worth it in the end."

"And besides, Ah can tell you all right now that the ponies Ah see before me now, ain't the ponies Ah thought Ah knew a year ago. You all seem a little, different," Applejack said, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess we are," Rep-Stallion said.

Luna landed behind the Elements of Harmony, with the Umbra Circle in tow. With a deep breath, she spoke in a commanding voice, "If you are all done with this council, we need to reconvene at Canterlot. We must end the rest of this rule and bring ourselves before my sister."

Applejack looked to the group of Starfleet ponies behind her, "Want to come? There's room for a few more."

"No, this is an Equestrian victory, let the Equestrians see this off," Lightning Dawn said.

Starla looked up to Dementia and smiled, "Kind of want to spend the rest of the day with Mom."

"All right! See you later!" Pinkie Pie said happily as she and the others teleported away.

"Balance and Harmony," Mysterious said, much to the confusion of the others. "There was a saying I saw back on El, that said all of life is Balance and Harmony. That for everything bad, there is the opposite which exists in the world. And, if Conquest is the being of pure hatred, then I think we may have found his achilles heel."

"I spent a whole year under that monster's thumb," growled Starla, before s siming. If anypony can stop him, it's those girls." she she said she said as she said as the eleven girls teleported away with Luna

---

In the throne room of the castle, Celestia sat upon the golden throne where Grand Ruler sat. Her finger was on her chin as she looked at the floor deep in thought, and only pulled back when she saw the blue light of teleportation from her sister. She smiled warmly as she said, "Luna."

"Sister," Luna said with a frown, "It is time for a change. You have proven yourself to be fallible and an insult to the crown. As thus, we order you to step down from the throne to allow a new leader."

Applejack's eyes went wide for a second, "Wait, what, but that wasn't-"

"All right, I agree," Celestia said, standing up and walking don from the throne, "I will place myself into exile and allow you to ascend the throne. It's yours, Luna."

Luna nodded as she walked by the parting Celestia, "Thank you sister." Regally, the night princess sat on the golden throne and placed her hands on the arm rests. After looking at the group of twelve ponies for a few brief moments with eyes of rage, she sighed and rolled her eyes, "Bored now! Sister?"

"Yes Lulu?" asked Celestia.

Luna sighed, "I am bored now. It is boring ruling in the day, would you mind returning from exile and take your throne back?"

"Well, I could, sure," Celestia said, walking back and taking the throne as Luna walked away, "But, it is lonely here. Sister?"

"Yes?" asked Luna, turning her head back to look over her shoulder.

Celestia sighed, "It is no fun ruling alone. I need a companion at my side to help with the burden. Would you rule by my side, as my equal?"

"Hmmmm, let me think..." Luna looked down, and then smiled as she ran to Celestia and hugged her tightly, "YES! I would love to rule by your side, big sister."

"Oh, it's good to have you back, Lulu!" Celestia said, nuzzling her sister as she held her sister close, "You are a much better partner than Grand Ruler any day."

"It's good to be back, Tia," Luna said, nuzzling her sister.

"I missed you, sister," Celestia whispered.

Dash looked a little confused, "Uh, what just happened?"

"Oh," Celestia said, turning to look at the ponies while Luna pulled up her dark blue throne and sat with Celestia. "This was just an old game I used to play with Luna when we were fillies. She would try to overthrow me and I would let her, and then we decide to just rule together as sisters."

An ominous clapping sounded throughout the throne room while an old familiar voice echoed, "Awww, this is so sweet. The whole band is back together!"

"Wait, that voice," Rarity whispered, not seeing the rolling of the eyes of the Umbra circle.

With a flash of light, Discord appeared in an extravagant robe with a flower wreath around his neck. Behind him a band with duplicates of him began to play a loud dance number while a banner that read 'Congratulations!' appeared overhead, "Congratulations to our brave heroes for kicking flank and helping to stop Grand Zeitgeist!"

"Discord!?" shouted the element bearers with looks of shock and amazement.

"You're alive?!" Pinkie said, smiling a little.

"Correction," Discord said, smirking while taking away his party band, "I was never dead to begin with. You don't really think a little thing like an exploding planet would take me out? I one time surfed on a supernova!"

Rainbow Dash shook her head, "Wait, how? When? What?!"

"That, my dear wonderbolt, is a long story..." Discord said, bringing out a projector and a large screen. Putting on a fancy business attire, he began with a bored tone, "And here we begin with our trip to the Bahamas. And here is Celestia on the beach and here is-"

Discord paused when he saw a picture of Celestia in a bikini with a come hither stare, "OH heavens! How did that get there?" he chuckled, pulling the slide out, which was then replaced with a baby picture of Luna holding a kitten.

"Aw!" Fluttershy said.

"Discord!" Luna shouted.

"Oh, ok..." Discord grumbled, pulling out the reel of film that was labeled 'Exposition Dump' and put it in.

---

Six years ago, about a little while after I started dating Celestia, I felt a powerful dark magic entering the universe. It was so powerful that it even gave me a chance to pause, and felt a little bit of heartburn at it. It was familiar, yet disgusting.

Celestia walked out onto the balcony where Discord sat, looking up at the moon, "You sense it too?"

Nodding, Discord said, "That smelly stench of despair and distaste, oh yeah. I can smell it, and it ain't pleasant."

"What do you think it is?" asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow.

Discord shrugged as he walked off her balcony, now with a deerstalker cap, "Have no idea my dear. It feels familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. I just know I hate it and quite frankly don't like it."

"You hate something?" Celestia said, putting her elbows on the railing, "It must be serious. Do you think you can find out about it?"

"Why send me?" Discord asked, pulling out a little puppet of Twilight, "Why not the hero?"

Celestia sighed as she looked out to the moon, its pale face shining on her, "Twilight...isn't at her peak yet. She is still training to fully tap into her alicorn powers, thus I don't want to send her, not yet."

"Thinking about your little Sunny?" Discord said, giving Celestia a plush of Sunset Shimmer.

Celestia nodded, "That whole adventure with Sunset a month ago... it made me realize that sometimes, I do need to become closer to my students. And I want Twilight to know that she is special, and worthy. I want to help foster her training a little more closely now she is a princess."

"That, and you are being a mother," Discord said, snapping his fingers and putting on a white wig onto Celestia's head, "Getting soft in your old age, Tia."

"More like I know the risks, send out Twilight and her friends and risk losing her to this unknown threat? Or have my boyfriend who could take on a supernova investigate. I chose the option with the least casualties."

"Ohhh, smart move!" Discord laughed and then kissed Celestia on the lips, "Though, I don't think he is going to be easy to find."

"Then we lure him out..."

"So began the plan. I pretended to be evil again, you hit me with the harmony beam, and then the bad guys comes to me," Discord said.

Fluttershy gasped, "Wait, so you were never really evil again?"

Sighing, Discord turned to Fluttershy and smiled, "No, Flutterby...I am still your friend. I always will be."

"You hear that Rainbow!" Fluttershy squeed and hugged her mare before kissing her, "I didn't fail him. I didn't mess up!"

"Heh, I could've told you that," Rainbow Dash smirked while Fluttershy flew to hug Discord.

"Well, back to the story. After a while..."

In the middle of space, Discord's statue shattered and he appeared in the flesh. Panting, he said, "Never...again!"

"Hello, old friend," a deep voice spoke, surrounding Discord in an echo.

Looking up and around, Discord whispered, "I know you! How have you been you old seadog?"

"I have been fine," the voice whispered back, "I have a job for you."

"Don't tell me you are the darkness that scared Tia," Discord said.

"No, but this is connected to it. Celestia is right now on a planet called Unicornicopia. Grand Ruler used a soul stone combined with his knowledge of Nightmare Moon to send the spirit over to Equestria and try and take it over. He then had that spirit send Celestia to that planet," the voice said, "I need you to go there and... sow some chaos."

"With pleasure!" Discord said, laughing up a storm as he flew to Unicorpia.

And when I got there, I had so much fun! Warping the landscape, making buildings into balloon animals, and turning the whole planet on it's head. Of course, Grand Weiner was a little miffed at my game, so he decided to try and nuke me with that little Serpentari station of his while he got his planet out.

"But, it didn't affect you," Trixie said, putting a finger to her chin. "Because it was corrupted harmony and you are chaos." she then her hat replaced with a graduation hat and had a diploma.

"That's right! You get a gold star!" Discord said, smirking, "Basically, it just tickled me, more than kill me. Sadly, Celestia never got to see my death scene, it was beautiful. I wowed them at the Cannes film festival, not a dry tin in the house."

There was silence at Discord's joke, prompting him to growl and say, "Get some culture people!"

"I got it," Pinkie's voice said, sounding far away.

Turning back to the projector, Discord said, "So, I was now free to explore the universe on my own for the darkness. Sadly, something was missing."

Discord sighed as he sat on a meteorite couch, drinking some fruit punch. A long frown etched across his face as he sighed and looked up to the many stars. Next to him, flew up a shooting star with a beard and spoke with a very deep voice, "What is the problem Discord."

"Well, Morgan Freeman Star, I am feeling lonely for some reason. I mean, I have what I want, I can do what I want, but it still feels like it's not enough," Discord sighed.

A little star with a big mustache floated over to him and sighed, "Perhaps, you are missing a valuable piece of your heart. Something you never really knew you missed until now."

"I don't know what you mean," Discord said, looking up at a nearby sun, "I mean, I just felt lethargic, sad, and wanting to hold..."

A little alarm clock began to ring right beside him as he shot up, "Wait a moment, something in my heart?" he then reached into his chest and opened up the door. There, was his heart, slowly beating while a paper origami Celestia and Fluttershy rested next to it. When they looked up, the two effigies waved hi and smiled at him.

"I love her," Discord gasped as a plate of meatloaf started to play on the piano. "I... love her. I love Celestia!"

The planets all turned to look at him and asked, "What?"

"I LOVE CELESTIA!" Discord shouted and leapt off the asteroid, "I love that alcorn, and I need to be with her right now! You hear that world?!" he shouted, grabbing a planet and holding it's face as he stared at it, "I love Celestia!"

The planet nodded and said, "Then run to her, hold her and never let her go. Look at her in the eyes and tell her that you need to be with her always!"

"Oh, I will, world, don't you worry!" Discord said.

A small moon shouted, "Run Discord! Go!"

"Your Celestia is waiting for you!" shouted a smaller planet.

Discord nodded, putting on a leather jacket and dark shades. Getting on a Harley Davidson with the license plate 'Q,' he nodded and said, "Don't worry, Tia babe. Discord is coming for you!"

"Go man!" shouted some of the other planets as they clapped at Discord, some extended their hands to high five him as he rode off. His eyes narrowed as he rode off through the stars, leaving behind a trail of fiery skid marks behind him

An asteroid with a long beard and a military hat said, "There goes the finest lover that I had ever known."

The ponies, with the exception of Celestia, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, stood there in shock at that scene. Discord, on the other hand, continued his story as if the proceeding events were normal. Clicking on the next video, he said, "Of course, when I got to Equestria, I found the populace changed and the world a little different. So... I decided to play a terrific prank on everypony."

"I found a random statue that Artie was going to give to Grand Dipstick and made myself into that. Then I pretended that I could turn alive because a mask and waited until that night," Discord said.

"I have seen this part," Luna said, "You surprised Celestia in her chambers after her argument with Celesto, charmed her into your arms, and then made love to her."

"Which begat-"

---

"DADDY!" shouted Castor as he ran into the throne room, followed by his twin sister.

Applejack looked shocked as she held up her hand, "Castor, Illanie, wait this isn't..." the words died on her lips as she watched the transformation take place before her eyes.

While the whiteness of their coats didn't change, it was their bodies that began to change. Castor became an upper torso, with a pair of mismatched arms of lion's paw and a pony hand like the Space ponies. Adoring his neck was a collar of black fur that went around his neck, ran up his head, and came off to the top in a little curl. His face became softer, acquainting the red eyes and on the top of his head was a pair of horns, a dragon's and a crooked one.

Illanie turned into a pair of legs, mismatched into a normal leg and a dragon's leg. Behind her dragged a long red tail with a tuff of black hair that matched the head. As they neared Discord, the body fused into one full pony who eagerly leapt into his father's arms with a giggle, "Did you see, Daddy? I fooled them all! They never saw me coming and I tricked them good, didn't I?"

"Yes you did my little Illusion," Discord said, nuzzling his son happily. Kissing his forehead, he said, "Oh, Illusion is going to be a great agent of chaos when he grows up."

Celestia frowned at this and levitated Illusion into her arms, letting him sit on her lap, "No, Discord. No son of mine will become a perpetrator of chaos, he is going to become a proud prince like Mommy. When we have another child, then you can make her into your tool of chaos."

"Spoilsport," frowned Discord as he lightly tickled his son.

"Excuse me a second," Pinkie was the first to speak up from the shocked looks of the ponies gathers. Looking to the side, she pulled out the glass of water provided to her by Discord, took a long drink, before spitting it out, "WHAT?!"

"Ah HA! I knew it! I knew the little one was up to something!" Luna bragged.

Applejack put her hands together in a time out fasion, "Wait a sec, hold on here a moment. How... what?"

"Well, it's simple," Discord said, smiling, "After I found out that my son was on the way, I knew Grand Flunkout would get suspicious if he saw that his 'child' was a draconequus. So, on the day he was born, I used my chaos magic to make it look like it was twins."

"But doesn't Starfleet have scanners and all of that to see past illusions," asked Raindrops.

Celestia smiled, "Nothing is perfect and everything has a flaw."

"Indeed," Rarity said, "I speak from experience. You can work on perfection, but you will never fully get it."

"And said flaw occurs once every thousand times," Discord chuckled, "I just increased the probability to the mistake."

"But what about their whole mental training" Dash asked.

"Oh, psshaw. Rainbow Dash, no one is perfectly immune to mind control. Everyone has their limits and Starfleet just had a very easy one to break," Discord laughed, "Besides, with the number that the Tri-Horn Crown pulled on their minds, it was like plucking an apple from the tree."

Celestia nodded and continued for Discord, "After a while, Illusion was able to keep up the twin spell on his own. Sadly, since the only woman he knew was me and Luna, he didn't quite have a grasp on what a girl liked to play. Over time, Illani just became like a doll for him."

Pinkie Pie gasped, "Wait a second... Distraught, that was you!"

Discord bowed, "Guilty! I couldn't have my son be born and NOT be there in someway. I even threw him a party to celebrate his birth."

"I was even there, although as a little unicorn," Celestia smiled, "What you saw there was just one of my sun clones."

"And that whole planet adventure?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Discord smiled, "That was just a little puppet show I put you through. You were busy fighting my old toys the entire time!"

"But, this doesn't explain one thing," Applejack said, stepping forward with a curious look, "If you did all of that, then what about Titan?"

A deep voice sounded from behind them all as he stepped through the throne room, "Well, I couldn't miss out on my grandson's birth. Even if I was supposed to be dead at the time."

Turning to look behind them, they all stood in awe as a black alicorn stallion stepped into the throne room. While the ponies were curious as to the new pony that entered the room, it was Luna and Celestia that recognized the stallion right off the bat. He was the face that they had both seen when they were born. It was the face that smiled down at them in their cribs, and the one who was there for them in the night. Celestia shouted as she ran to her father, wrapping her arms around his neck, "DADDY!"

Luna let out a tearful laugh as she ran to Titan and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Father!"

"My little girls, I am so glad to see you both alright," Titan said, hugging his daughters closely, not letting go for a moment.

"Dad?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking confused and at the reunited family.

Luna nodded, "I am starting to remember now, Titan is our father. We did not recognize him when he fought us because of his strange looks and his different fighting style."

"I was playing a teaching game," Titan said, looking at his children. Then when he looked up at Discord, he nodded to him, "Discord."

"Then why did you leave?" asked Rainbow Dash

"Grand Ruler's mastery of the orb and crown gave him just enough power to banish me to the pocket dimension that he imprisoned me the first time we did battle," Titan said, frowning. "I never expected Meadowbrook's items to be that powerful."

"He's right," Discord said, shaking his head, "I don't know what Meadowbrook did with the orb, but even I can't reverse the effects. Unless a miracle happens, you guys are stuck like this."

Luna looked at Titan curiously, "Father, where's Mother? Is she with you?"

Titan shook his head, "She is right now on a paradise planet, far away. When I began to hunt for the darkness, I chose to leave her behind so she did not have to fight."

"The darkness," Applejack asked, "It's Dark Conquest, isn't it?"

Titan shook his head as he walked around the group, "No, it's something else. A person who is always at the back of Conquest, waiting for his chance to strike when the time is right and then retreat to the shadows. I felt his presence descend upon our universe when you two ascended the throne and have been hunting ever since."

"Wait, Trixie remembers that Dementia mentioned this figure in a cloak that Conquest would always talk to. He was the one responsible for bringing back the trio, Fratello, and Sombra," Trixie said, looking down, "He's the darkness. But, what is he?"

"If Conquest represents the hatred one feels when viewing a world born from hate and anger, then he represents something darker. The death of an idea, when a world loses itself and what it set out to do. He goes from world to world, universe to universe, hunting out those worlds where their life just stopped and kills them, feeding on the death of that world. It's why he follows Conquest, after all... what follows Conquest but Death."

"So, not only do we stop an interdimensional sicko with a god complex, but death itself?" Dash asked, before smirking, "easy."

Celestia took a deep breath before walking in front of the gathered group of ponies, "Knights of Harmony, Umbra Circle, you have done a lot to make it so far. Through your many trials, your battles, and loses, you have all proven yourselves to be brave heroes. You have each given your all for this planet and I thank you." nodding her head, she continued with a smile, "I can say Twilight would be proud of all of you. Now.. .it is time I took to the battlefield. Come sister!"

Luna nodded,"Yes."

"We must have words with Conquest..."

Thanks to Wyvern and Zolt, they were both awesome! Oh, this chapter... This is one of those 'simple premise became the biggest thing I ever done.' things. See, the plan had always been for Grand Ruler to fight Conquest, die, and then it's revealed that Equestria was never blown up. After all, this would help address an annoying plot hole that is in Starfleet. I.e while we had a whole bunch of things from Equestria, there was nothng from Unicorpia. No mention whatsoever. However, as more story elements got added to before the chapter, the bigger this battle got. First of all, was the introductions of the eight items. The first time this chapter was written, there were only two made, the tri-horn crown and the orb of reality. the other 6 :The staff of null, the sword of instant, the armor, the ring of fear, the wings of lighting, and the amulet, all came afterwords. So, who found them? Why Dusk Shine of course, who was added only a few chapters ago. Ok, but what about the fight with Titan, have to reference that, and the battle with Serpantari. So, I had to fuse all of that into one go and place all of that together. I also remembered, hey, isn't there a certain mystery you failed to address...ie. the whole question about the fake Chrysalis? So, I decided to break up the big finale into two parts. The end battle with Conquest, and the fight with the Empire. Even better, I can wrap up Lighting's character arc by having him beat down Chrysalis. Surely, this meant that the chapter was done! Then...came the Umbra and the Star stones. I realized two little problems here. One, the Umbra circle had no real finale. After the fight in Neighpon, they just vanished from the plot, so what to give them for their final hurrah. Second, the Star/Rainbow Stones. Eariler we found out that the Elements are indestructable, so what happend to the stones (Wich are either 4 or five, depending on the chapter. The fic seemed confused on the complete set) Were they just cheap plastic? And if titan never really had his final battle with the mane six and didn't destroy them, then what happened to them. This, is why I introduced the stars a few chapters back and the legend of the elements. So that way, I can say that the Star Stones were, in fact, the Elements of Fate. Sisters to the Elements of Harmony and found by another set of heroes. This, combined with the super weapon Serpantari, gave me a chance to give the Umbra Circle the ending they so richly deserve. And...I can also address the stones ect. The big reveal of Discord and Illusion was something that I had also always planned from the start. Like the tyke said, "Fooled you all, didn't I?" While the reveal stayed much the same, Discord's little story kept having one big change. The conversation with Titan. Originally, he was still able to mess with him, but as time rolled on, the convo had to change because I had to start that whole silly character development and make Titan into a good guy (Zolt commented that right now, Kudos is the only original villian to become more evil) and then I realized I had to address why, if we all know by now that Titan isn't evil, why are they keeping him there? So, why not have him show up, talk, and get that out of the way. Especially since I have need of him in the next chapter. And now, notes! -Ok, I'd admit, the whole country roads song is because I love that moment on Whisper of the Heart. -The opening scene was changed a little thanks to season 7. Now, the seeds of Yragdrsil had to be infused with the virtues of those who were worthy. -I still regret killing Harry now. All of these flashbacks make me like him too much. -The whole nightmare sequence and the dreams were based off of two seperate things: Equestria's Mirage and a fic called Diamond of Desire. -It was tough coming up with six cutie mark stories for the Circle. And in case it wasn't obivious, the show that Ditzy, Raindrops, Carrot, Lyra, and Cheerilee saw? That was trixie's show, and Trixie was inspired by? The Sonic Rainboom. Yep, Rainbow Dash helped to unite so many mares with her one feat. -Team RWBY has arrived in all of their glory. Yeah, the four fillies I kept referencing were them. No, Cinder and Salem don't exist here. Yes, the rest of team JNPR is on Equestria. -The whole entire Flutterpony thing wass my way of removing the zombfairies and to remind you all that, while the seaponies have a cool song. The Flutterponies took out two big bads (Smooze and Erabus) -The heads are: Twilite from Von Doom's stuff, Ebony, and Kamen Rider chaos. -Yes, Conquest knows of little Belle and he wants her. -When Conquest looked over his shoulder, he was looking at...you the reader. -Cadence has Leon from FFVIII, Celestia has Cloud, and Luna has Terra. Yes, I am a fan of FFVI and FFVII. -Tempest Shadow...I knew I was going to get her into this story somehow. Even if it is for two chapters! And yes, I imagine her relationship with storm King to be Abridged nail and Guru. See ya next chapter...