Reiner’s eyes fluttered open to see the night sky above him. Sitting up, he found himself in a wooden cart with Bertolt sitting awake next to him. Reiner looked over the edge of the cart. To the left, soldiers walked their horses over the fields with vigor and excitement. Along the outer edge of the army, a line of titans herded the soldiers to their destination. Reiner gasped, looking to his right. As with the other side, soldiers sat on their horses and walked them as titans walked alongside them.

“Bertolt?” Reiner wondered. “What’s happening?”

“So you’re both up?” asked a familiar voice from beside them.

Reiner and Bertolt turned to see Annie riding up to their cart, surprising them.

“Annie,” gasped Bertolt with a nervous shudder. “Is it true?”

“Is what true?” she responded.

“Armin had told me that the Scouting Legion had to torture you to get onto their side.”

“He lied, of course. Much like he used that peculiar talent to lure me into a trap at Stohess, he also allowed you to drop your guard so we could free Eren from you.”

“What’s happening?” Reiner asked. “Why are there titans surrounding us?”

“Relax. They are on our side.”

“Is the Beast Titan controlling them?”

“Yes. He’s leading us to Shiganshina right now.”

“Shiganshina? Why would he do that?”

“Because we’re going to end this war today.”

“Today? What time even is it?

“Around three hours before sunrise. We’ll arrive in Shiganshina in two.”

“How are they going to let us in?” asked Bertolt. “There’s no way that they’ll allow the Military to just waltz into the titan stronghold.”

“While you guys were sleeping, we devised a plan.”

“Plan?”

Just then, Eren, Armin, and Mikasa rode beside them, giving both Reiner and Bertolt expectant glances. Reiner, knowing his true allegiance, gave and equally expectant glare back.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren, Mikasa, and Ymir acted miserable as their hands were held behind their backs by Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt, respectively. Both of the former three had their Maneuver Gears removed from their bodies while the latter three had their jackets off, removing any hint of betrayal from their bodies.

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Luna, Historia, and Armin also walked beside them, also without their Maneuver Gears. The Beast Titan led them all while several titans surrounded them. Twilight's horn glowed brightly as she shone the way for them.

As they walked up the hill, Eren looked back one last time as the rest of the army as they awaited at the bottom with the reluctant Hanji, Kirill, Conny, Sasha, Petra, and Auruo. Erwin, Levi, Hannes, Shining Armor, and Nile looked up upon them with great respect and admiration. As the humans and ponies passed over the crest of the hill, Fluttershy gave a tearful glance back to the unconscious Jean as he was being tended to by other soldiers.

“I sure hope he’ll be alright,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“If this plan doesn’t work,” Twilight spoke, “none of us will.”

“Quiet,” the Beast Titan warned. “We can’t let the others know of the plan. If we can’t get you into the basement before this battle starts, there will be no way to win.”

“Sorry. Girls, just play it cool.”

The ponies gave a nod to Twilight before they looked up ahead, seeing Wall Maria Before them. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were in amazement at the sight. Their old home was just before them and they would return to it in a matter of minutes.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The small group of humans, ponies, and titans eventually made it to the broken gate of Wall Maria that led into the ruins of the town of Shiganshina. Eren looked up, surprised to see no one guarding the gates on top. As the group entered inside the gate, Eren and Mikasa looked around, hit with strong nostalgia of their past life.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren and Mikasa carried bundles of sticks and small logs upon their backs as they saw Hannes drinking and gambling with several other Garrison soldiers. Eren looked at Hannes angrily at his idleness.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren looked upon the exact spot where Hannes stood, remembering it fondly. While he didn’t agree with Hannes at the time, it certainly reminded him of better days; days that he was all but eager to have back.

The group finally entered into the town of Shiganshina. Twilight was astounded by the decline in quality compared to the town of Trost or Karanese. Despite the decay and destruction laid out throughout the city brought on by age and the invasion five years previous, but the city looked very rural for the most part.

The buildings were very modest in appearance, looking almost exactly like the buildings in Ponyville, minus the brown clay roofs that comprised most of the buildings. The streets, unlike the stone or marble surfaces of the districts inside Walls Rose and Sina, the ground was overgrown with grass as if there had been no sign of a road at all.

This looks much more like Ponyville than Trost, Twilight thought to herself.

Mikasa and Eren’s eyes were anywhere but in front of them, taking in their now destroyed home and remembering happier days when the town was still intact.

Twilight shone her light down an alley where a seven meter titan slept in the middle of the street. Fluttershy looked at it and squeaked in fright. While the titan didn’t stir from its slumber, Luna charged her horn as an aura slithered out of it and wrapped itself over Fluttershy’s mouth, tying it shut.

“Quiet yourself,” Luna hissed. “These titans might not move at night, but we cannot take any chances, not here, and certainly not now.”

Fluttershy whimpered through her nose as she gave a nod to Luna. The Beast Titan and its front line of titans turned into one of the vacant streets, leaving the humans and ponies to follow them while the remaining titans followed them down the street.

“Eren?” asked Rainbow Dash. “This, uh… this place ringin’ any bells for ya’?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “We got into a lot of fights with bullies on these streets. Good times, right, Mikasa?”

“I wonder if any of those kids even made it out of here when Wall Maria fell or if they survived the aftermath,” Armin wondered.

“Armin, you’re seriously not feeling bad for those assholes, are you?”

“Yeah. They might have all ganged up on me and beat me senseless whenever they had the chance, no one should have had such a fate as being killed by one of them.”

“And how,” Applejack agreed. “I’ve got a little sister back at home who gets picked on by these two spoiled brats who tease her for not having a cutie mark.”

“My sister is the very same boat,” Rarity responded. “I wonder how she’s doing with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh back at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“I’m sure Scoots is giving them all the support they can back at home,” Rainbow Dash answered.

“Oh, and Angel’s probably worried sick about me being gone for so long,” Fluttershy mumbled. “I sure hope we make it.”

“Of course we’re going to make it!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed a bit too loudly, earning a slap on her rear from Luna’s magic aura. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I was just going to say that I have two foals and two awesome parents to go home to, so there’s no way we can lose now!”

“Yeah,” Twilight replied. “And Princess Celestia…”

Spike looked down upon the ground, reminding himself over how long it had been since he last saw her. Twilight then felt a hoof lay itself across Twilight’s neck, and she turned to see that it was Luna.

“Tia and I have been watching over you ever since your arrival here,” Luna explained. “We are both very proud of you and your friends, pony and human alike. It heartens me to no end to know that brave creatures such as these exist, even in the face of such danger as this. Such is a trait I wish to see in more ponies.”

Eren, Armin, and Historia smiled warmly at Luna’s compliment. Just then, Ymir sighed and put her gaze forwards towards Luna.

“Luna,” Ymir spoke, “I’m unsure if you’ve heard Twilight talk to you about the fates of Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie after this war is over.”

“We’ve mentioned it,” she responded. “Your point?”

“Listen, I have been a terrible person for most of my life, and only now, I’m realizing how badly I need my friends. While for Historia’s best interest, I have committed treason and other crimes against humanity yesterday and I will more than likely be jailed or executed for it, no matter the protestations of the others. All I as for is that if you do grant Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt exile on your world, I wish for you to extend me the same privilege.”

“And I’m going too,” Historia piped up.

“What?” Luna gasped.

“Yes. My own family rejected me and I wanted to die after I knew what they had done. I have no life after this war, whether humanity wins or not. Ymir is the only person I have left, and I don’t want her to go away for my sake.”

“Historia,” grunted Ymir as she fought her tears, “what did I tell you about–”

“I know. But I also know that there is no me without you. You gave me strength when I felt weak, and you being in my life gives me that strength. Luna, please grant me exile to Equestria with her too.”

Reiner blushed at Historia’s seemingly endless grace and kindness.

“I…” stammered Reiner. “I agree with her.”

Luna smiled at the support each other gave.

“I suppose it hasn’t been official,” Luna stated, “but I’m certain that once I talk to my sister, there will be nothing we can’t do to allow you to live in our world.”

Reiner, Bertolt, Ymir, Historia, and even Annie couldn’t hold back a gasp as they heard the news. While Reiner and Bertolt smiled gratefully, both Ymir and Historia wept. Just then, they heard Eren gasp, allowing the others to break from their conversation and look ahead.

Up before them was another building like all the others. However, it was completely demolished with a massive rock that laid on top of it, except for the westernmost part of the building, which remained mostly intact. Eren looked at the bottom of the rubble, failing to move his legs as his eyes began to well with tears.

“Eren?” Rainbow Dash wondered, worried for her friend.

“This is where…” Mikasa explained, “our mother died.”

“Oh my stars…” Applejack sighed as she took her hat off and put it over her heart.

Eren hung by Reiner’s grip as his tears fell to the ground, a few each second. Rainbow Dash herself began to tear up a little as she envisioned Eren’s memory herself.

“Reiner,” the Beast Titan ordered, “let my son go.”

Reiner gently slid Eren out of his grasp and let him fall to his knees. Annie let go of Mikasa, allowing her and Rainbow Dash to both kneel beside him and console him. As Eren felt the hand and hoof of his friends on his back, he tore the grass from the ground and shot himself back up, forcing Rainbow Dash and Mikasa to back away.

“Eren,” the Beast Titan responded, eyeing a door on the part of Eren’s home that still stood, “are you ready to learn everything about the titans?”

Eren pulled the key from around his neck and yanked it, snapping the rope off.

“Yeah,” he responded as he walked to the door with the key pinched tightly in his hand.

The humans and ponies slowly approached Eren as he stopped in front of the door. Eren placed the key into the lock, closing his eyes and letting out one final exhale. Eren turned the key, hearing the lock turn and feeling the door come slowly towards him.

The Beast Titan gently laid itself upon the rubble of Eren’s house on its stomach before Grisha burst from the titan’s neck. Grisha slid off the titan’s neck and landed on his feet, finally joining the others that gathered around the door.

“Twilight,” Grisha responded, “if you wouldn’t mind.”

“No, sir,” Twilight responded as her horn went alight in a bright flash.

Twilight peered her horn down to a downwards stairwell that went about fifteen feet down. She nervously stepped down as each of the ponies and humans followed in after her, slow in pace in their apprehension over what they’d find. Twilight eventually reached the bottom, looking upon what was in this mysterious basement.

To Twilight, it looked like a somewhat organized study. There were two shelves along two of the walls, and a desk with various equipment like microscopes and Bunsen burners off to the other side. The others eventually came down to see it for the normal room that is was as well.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash hissed, “what gives? Where’s this secret of yours?”

Grisha merely stepped forwards towards the bookshelf at the back of the room. His hand grabbed a book with a blood-red spine and pulled it out. The others were surprised to hear a heavy clinking sound as Grisha pushed the shelf to the side, revealing a second passage way. While the others gasped at this sight, Twilight stepped forwards and shone her light inside. Twilight’s eyes went wide as she looked upon a large wooden lift which she and the rest of them would be able to fit.

“Come,”Grisha beckoned as he stepped into the passageway and onto the lift, “you shall finally see everything once we descend. Eren, Mikasa, you’re going to need to be held again. Reiner? Annie?”

Reiner and Annie walked behind Eren and Mikasa, putting their arms behind their back like they had been before. Once they were settled, the humans and ponies stepped forwards into the passageway and gathered inside the lift. Grisha walked to a lever along the edge and put his hand onto it.

“Now,” reminded Grisha, “neither of you, including Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie, have been down here, and even you, Ymir, don’t know the secret that this lift leads to. Do not be intimidated, but feel free to ask questions as long as it doesn’t incriminate you in any way. Now, are you ready?”

Everyone gave a nod to Grisha, signaling their affirmation.

“Good,” he responded. “Twilight. Please turn off your light. Best if we didn’t let them think you won’t use any magic.”

“Understood,” Twilight responded as her horn stopped shining, shrouding the room in pitch black.

“And here… we go.”

Grisha pushed the lever, and with a jerk, the lift began to descend. The only sounds being made were the mechanical whirring of the gears carrying the lift down and Fluttershy’s terrified whimpers.

Not before long, the stone walls around the lift gave way to reveal an extremely large and wide chamber, supported by tall pillars each around twenty-meters apart from each other that each housed a torch on all sides of it, providing the room with ample light. Eren looked over the side to see a several handfuls of people dressed in Wallist clothes looking up as the lift was lowered down.

Finally, the lift finally reached the ground, allowing Grisha and the others to step off the elevator. The Wallists’ eyes and mouths were open wide as they saw Eren and Ymir in the grasp of Reiner and Bertolt.

“Is Hunter awake?” asked Grisha.

“Y– Yes, sir!” one of the men stammered in shock as he ran deep into the chamber.

The others were a bit confused by the name of “Hunter,” but they awaited for him to return, certain he was the leader of this group and the cause of everything. The ponies could hear a conversation faintly floating through the chamber on an echo, but soon, the words stopped replaced by the sounds of approaching footsteps.

What offset the humans and ponies, minus Grisha, was that one set of steps sounded large and quadripedal, so whatever was approaching them could not have been human, nor titan. The Wallist that had went off for Hunter returned from within the darkness, and the thing following them made the humans and ponies seize in fear and incredulous shock, Fluttershy especially cowering herself to the ground.

Behind the Wallist was a large, black dragon, about twenty meters in length, with a muscular, gray underbelly and long horns extending out the back of its head. As it walked towards them, Luna was particularly saddened by the appearance of this dragon. As the dragon approached even closer, it surveyed the others before them, only for Luna to step out before him with a stern face. The dragon stopped in its tracks upon seeing her, also stunned by her appearance.

“Luna?” the dragon questioned in a deep, but uplifted tone. “Is that really you?”

“Hunter,” Luna merely acknowledged. “So… you’re really the cause for all of this?”

“Wait!” Eren shouted. “You know each other? How can that be?”

“Eren Jaeger,” addressed Hunter. “So we finally meet in the flesh.”

Eren couldn’t even respond due to the dragon’s mere presence.

“And I see you’ve brought your little friends from Equestria with you,” Hunter continued. “You ponies have been quite troublesome, but I suppose any pain you’ve caused me then is behind me now. You’ve not only brought me Eren and Ymir back, but Historia and these ponies as well. Well done, my warriors.”

Annie, Bertolt, and Reiner gave Hunter a nod to Hunter, resisting every urge not to appear angry in front of him.

“Although,” Hunter mentioned, “I can’t say that I’m privy as to why you brought the other two with you.”

“I captured Mikasa because I knew she’d be a burden if she was free,” Annie explained. “She was the top-ranking soldier of our cadet class and is a phenomenal soldier in her own right. Cutting her loose would have been too risky. As for Armin here… he said that he didn’t want to go without his friends. On top of that, he’s extremely bright and would be too valuable of an asset in the hands of the Scouting Legion, so we agreed to bring him with. Otherwise, he’s not very strong, so he shouldn’t be much trouble.”

Armin gave a spiteful look to Annie, letting Hunter know that Annie’s words were fair and well-reasoned.

“Very well,” Hunter sighed contently. “Forgive me, but I don’t believe we’ve properly been introduced. As you know, I am Hunter. And you are?”

“Annie Leonhardt,” she spoke. “The Female Titan.”

“I see. Is there something that I can give you Annie… for your troubles?”

“My father.”

Hunter was taken slightly aback by Annie’s request.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I wish to see my father,” she said. “Where is he?”

Hunter nodded, understanding her request.

“As you wish,” he responded. “Follow me, all of you.”

Hunter walked back into the chamber, prompting Grisha to lead the others deeper within. As they passed other Wallists that looked upon the captured Eren and Ymir with shock and surprise, more began to gather from the halls to see the spectacular sight. Hunter looked upon them all of them, seeing one in particular with short, blonde hair and a squarer jaw, causing him to stop.

“Annie?” Hunter asked. “Is this yours?”

Annie turned to see the man Hunter referred to. Her eyes widened and her grip on Mikasa loosened. Reiner quickly let go of Eren with one hand and clamped his hands around Mikasa’s wrists, holding them both each with both hands. Annie and the man stared at each other with disbelief.

“Father?” she squeaked, her tears forming in her eyes.

“Annie,” gasped the man.

Both Annie and her father ran to each other and wrapped themselves in a tight, loving embrace. Twilight and Armin both were shocked to see and hear Annie weeping so loudly over her father’s shoulder.

“Such a sad story,” Hunter said. “She was trained by her father in complete secrecy from our organization until she came of age and she learned the truth of her father. But being devoted to him, she gladly accepted her role as a warrior and went off with Reiner and Bertolt to spy on the Military, even if she knew that she more than likely would not return.”

“I didn’t think it was possible that I’d see you again either,” Luna responded to Hunter, “but here you are.”

“Yes and here I am.”

“So what does that all mean?” Armin asked. “That the titans were caused by something that came from Equestria?”

“Yes. It seems that our worlds were connected to one another’s even before those other ponies and that dragon with you came here.”

“But how?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Does this mean? Why have you been doing all of this?”

“Hunter,” Grisha bargained, “these soldiers have fought valiantly to reach this point. The very least you could do is provide them with some answers.”

Hunter looked deeply into Grisha’s eyes, and then back at the humans and ponies gathered before him.

“I suppose it is only fair,” Hunter resolved. “Come. I’ll explain everything in the center of my chamber.”

Hunter turned right and headed straight through the path in between the pillars set on both sides. As Annie continued to hug her father, the others went on ahead.

“Go with them, Annie,” her father told her. “You have as much of a right to know as they do.”

Annie’s father gently pushed her away from him, leading her to turn away and jog off to catch up with the others. Eventually, she got to behind Historia and Armin just as Hunter approached a circular court. Luna and Twilight were surprised however to see that much of the room, the six pillars surrounding the court’s center in particular, were embedded with light-orange crystals, several large ones already jutting out from the floor along the edge of the circle in front of the pillars.

“Are those…” Luna questioned.

“Crystals?” Hunter finished. “Yes. Equestrian crystal as well. You may see for yourself if you do not trust me. Go on. I still trust you.”

Luna shot an angry glare at Hunter before she set off ahead towards one of the larger crystals jutting from the floor, Twilight going up to follow her. Luna and Twilight slowly placed their horns upon the surface of the gems, the humans and other ponies seeing sparks connecting their horns to the crystal like Tesla coils.

“What is this?” Spike asked, confused by this.

With a loud zapping sound, both Luna and Twilight yanked themselves from the crystals, falling onto their backs with a thud. Hunter stood over them with an expectant face.

“Alright,” Twilight relented, “we believe you, but how is this possible? How can magic like this exist in this world?”

“It took a lot of magic to send me here,” explained Hunter, “and when I landed the crystals formed as a result.”

“What? How? Why? Whe–”

“Twilight,” Luna cooed as she put her hoof on Twilight’s back, “do not strain yourself. Hunter will explain himself.”

“Then let me start with why,” Hunter spoke, his voice turning cold. “It was because you banished me here.”

The ponies’ eyes went wide, stunned by this news.

“You killed ponies in cold blood,” Luna seethed.

This news caused gasping from the ponies and Spike. Even Armin and Historia gasped at this news. Fluttershy, on the other hand, fainted on the ground.

“No,” protested Hunter. “Not in cold blood, but before you try and antagonize me even further, let them see the story for themselves, shall we?”

Luna stayed silent, awaiting for Hunter’s instructions. Fluttershy began to wake up, being helped up by Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

“Please step into the center of the court,” Hunter requested, waving his arm to invite the humans and ponies inside.

The others looked to each other nervously before they slowly made their way to the inside. Hunter encircled the court, allowing the others to gather until they were packed together in a tight nit clump. Hunter stood beside one of the crystals, leaving the humans and ponies to look at the crystal Hunter gazed at.

“If you want to know the origin of the titans,” Hunter stared, “we must begin… somewhere else.”

Hunter breathed in deeply, leaving the humans unsure of what she was doing. The ponies however, knew better, shifting their bodies back away from the crystal. Hunter threw a blaze of white and yellow flames from his mouth that engulfed the crystal. While the humans backed away from the heat, they were shocked to see the crystal glowing bright. A large sphere of light spread out from the crystal, covering the humans, ponies, and both dragons within its bright, hot shimmer.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The light finally began to fade, allowing the humans and ponies to uncover their eyes and observe their surroundings. They couldn’t believe where they found themselves. The humans and ponies were standing in the middle of a regal, marble hallway with red silk carpets and ornate paintings that led to a large balcony further out. In front of them was another hall crossing perpendicularly with theirs. While Twilight the other ponies looked about the place with familiarity, the humans couldn’t make heads or tails of where they were.

“Where are we?” asked Armin.

“Come, Hunter!” called a small voice. “Mother is calling!”

As the humans and ponies turned to the source of the noise, the next sight shocked them all to the core. It was Luna, but she was a small filly with a tiny horn and nubs for wings. She galloped down the crossing hallway and turned towards the others.

Following her was a small, black bipedal dragon that shared Hunter’s design, including its small horns behind its head. As the others moved out of her way, Luna stood completely still, fully immersed in the nostalgia of this place. The filly Luna ran at her without acknowledging her older other before her.

“Luna,” warned Twilight, “watch out!”

Luna didn’t move a muscle, even as the filly Luna and the child Hunter phased through her like phantoms. The two continued down the hall until they turned the next corner. Out of sight.

“Are we in Equestria?” asked Eren.

“Not quite,” Hunter’s adult voice rung out.

Hunter’s massive adult self emerged from the hallway where his younger self and Luna did, making his own presence known to the others.

“These are merely my memories,” Hunter explained. “Nothing you see here is real; just an illusion. Allow what you see to help me tell you my story.”

“What are you saying?” Twilight questioned. “That this titan invasion extends even when Celestia and Luna were children?”

Hunter looked at Twilight with a sense of fatherly pity, as if she couldn’t have known any better.

“Young Twilight, this story extends even before they were born.”

The ponies gasped, unable to believe what they were hearing.

“What is this?” Eren said. “How is this even possible?”

“Let me begin then,” Hunter said.

Giggling could be heard coming from the right end of the crossing hallway, allowing everyone to see two ponies and a small dragon coming out and walking across. The first pony was a large, but slender alicorn stallion. His coat was a deep orange and his mane and tail were a bright yellow that waved and wisped around as if it were made of fire. His cutie mark was a large, yellow sun. He wore a small, but highly decorated gold crown above his head as well as golden shoes over its hooves.

Standing to his side was a white filly with an ever waving mane of magenta, purple, green, and blue. Twilight couldn’t believe it as she was looking at Celestia as a child. Following the filly Celestia was a small dragon with dull-red scales, but what the others couldn’t help but notice that the dragon’s eyes were a deep yellow. As the stallion, filly, and dragon began to pass onto the other carpet, their movements began to slow, as if time were slowing down.

“Just…” Rarity questioned, “where are we?”

“This is Everfree Palace,” answered Hunter, “about three millennia ago.”

"Everfree?" wondered Rarity. "As in the castle inside the Everfree Forest."

"It must be," Twilight responded.

“Who is that?” Fluttershy asked, pointing to the stallion.

“That is Celestia and Luna’s father, King Solar. He was the one who raised Celestia into becoming his heir. He was a great king and was a just and fair pony to his people. Judging from how he brought her up, I’m certain that Celestia is just as beloved back home as he was.”

The sound of hoofsteps came back from behind the humans and ponies. They turned to see the young Luna and Hunter coming around with a stoic alicorn mare following them. The mare had a similar size and build to King Solar, but her coat was a blueberry-purple, and her pitch-black mane and tail draped over the side of her neck and off her tail. There were shimmering specks of light within the mane, that when combined, looked like a window to the night sky. Her cutie mark resembled a wave of aurora borealis. The mare’s head was adorned with a silver tiara and silver shoes.

“Mother…” Luna choked as she and her younger self walked through them.

“Queen Aurora, and tutor to Luna in Equestrian diplomacy, politics, and raising the night’s moon. She was a formal and sometimes cold mare, but she was one of the most intelligent ponies who ever lived, using her dry wit and biting command to prevent wars and make peace with other nations and races.”

As Aurora walked past the humans and ponies, her sparkling regal appearance captured the awe of them all.

“Aurora had expected a single child that she and Solar thought would become their heir. However, an… omen came about when Aurora discovered that she would be conceiving two children instead. Celestia was the first child.

“The reactions from the ponies were less that welcome,” Hunter continued. “For a pony to be born under such unusual and sudden circumstances was something that they feared, and they wished to see the daughter cast away from the family.”

In the scene laid before the humans and ponies, Celestia, her dragon, and Solar stopped to see Luna, Hunter, and Aurora approaching them. Luna happily ran too Solar, who greeted his daughter with a loving rubbing of her back with his chin. Aurora looked down upon Luna gladly while Celestia gave Aurora a hug at her leg.

“Of course,” Hunter continued, “Solar and Aurora wouldn’t dare shun their daughter for the mere fact that she was born, so they continued to raise her like they would Celestia.”

Eren and Mikasa looked longingly and sadly as Solar caressed Luna’s small wings with his chin, making her giggle contently. Spike looked at Celestia’s dragon and Hunter, who both walked to each other and shook each other’s hand formally.

“So you were Luna’s assistant?” asked Spike.

“Yes,” chuckled Hunter, also looking at his former self. “Those were good days with Beryl and I.”

“Beryl?”

“Celestia’s assistant. I have not seen him since coming here, Luna. How is Beryl?”

Luna scowled, angered over Hunter’s inability to let Luna forget.

“He’s…” she huffed, “been doing well, actually.”

“Certainly far better off at home, I take it?”

“HEY!” shouted Eren. “Quit dawdling! Just tell us what’s going on here!”

“Yeah,” Applejack agreed. “I’m having trouble trying to keep up with both your story and your drama!”

“Hm…” Hunter croaked. “Very well. To sate the public, Solar and Aurora resorted to lying to the ponies that Luna had been sent to a desolate part of Equestria where she would not be of harm to anyone, if she wasn’t dead already, so that Luna could continue being raised and practice magic and diplomacy with her sister in the safety of the castle.”

Twilight looked into Luna’s enraged eyes, and saw that they began dripping with tears, but still continued giving Hunter her attention.

“Eventually, however,” resumed Hunter, “Solar and Lunar had begun to age, and they had already planned to allow both Celestia and Luna to take the throne, unable to honor one daughter and not the other. They planned to make their announcement even a decade before their intended demise as to allow the ponies to fully accommodate the new queens when they eventually took the throne.”

The ponies and humans watched as Solar, Aurora, Celestia, and Luna walked towards the balcony, their bodies encased in the sunlight as they stepped out near the banister.

“What are they doing?” asked Armin.

“What do you think?” Hunter returned. “They are delivering the news of Celestia and Luna’s dual rule.”

As the ponies stopped in front of the balcony, the sound of a shouting crowd could be heard in the hallway, getting louder and clearer each second. The sound continued to become louder as the entirety of the hallway began to glow a bright white. The humans and ponies shut their eyes and covered their ears as the light and noise were too bright and too loud to tolerate.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The sound abruptly stopped, leaving the ponies and humans to open their eyes to see what had happened. With the dim lighting and the stone interior, the others found that they were back inside Hunter’s lair in Grisha’s basement. Hunter stood on the other side of the court, panting as he tried to support his body up with his arms.

“What happened back there?” Pinkie Pie complained. “I wasn’t finished watching that!”

“There was nothing more to see,” spoke Hunter.

“That still doesn’t explain anything!” Eren yelled. “What happened to Luna?”

Hunter turned away, pausing to delay the answer.

“…they despised her,” heaved Hunter.

The ponies and humans gasped slightly.

“What else did you expect to happen?” Hunter asked. “She was despised as a child, and not only was she not sent away like her parents had promised, but she was even set to rule their country. It was something that could not be allowed to occur.”

Hunter walked clockwise around the court to the very next crystal right of the one he breathed fire upon.

“What happened then?” Twilight asked.

Hunter did not answer, but with another deep inhale, he blew another stream of fire from his throat as it struck the crystal, once again shrouding the humans, ponies, and Hunter in a bright, white light.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The humans and ponies uncovered their eyes and looked about them. The scenery was vastly different, as opposed to the bright, welcoming inside of the castle, the sky was a deep orange with the sun’s unrelenting glare shining down over an expansive, but torn-up plain.

The others looked down to find that they were standing about fifty feet above the ground, making each of them flail their arms and legs to keep their balance. Finding that they were suspended safely in the air, the humans marveled at their peculiar vantage point. Twilight looked about her towards a mountainous region not far from their spot, seeing a castle nestled in between the two of the mountain ranges.

“This really looks like the castle inside the Everfree Forest now,” Twilight sighed.

Before she could observe further, a bright light appeared beside her and her friends, settling down to reveal Hunter.

“While there were many ponies that hated Luna’s existence,” Hunter explained, “there were also many that accepted her rule with her sister. The two sides debated for weeks over the matter. But then, with either side failing to yield in their opinion, a war soon broke out.”

“A war?” Eren questioned.

“But there’s no one here,” observed Rarity.

“You might want to check again,” Rainbow Dash spoke, pointing towards the foot of the mountains.

Emerging from them was an army of silver-armored stallion ponies of various races. Attached to their left hooves were ovular shields that stayed on their wrists as they marched, and tucked under their right arms were spears. Leading the group was a larger stallion in similar armor, but his helmet was larger and more decorated, signaling him as the captain. The humans were in shock over what was about to transpire.

“Look!” called Fluttershy, pointing to the opposite side. “More are coming!”

From the forest and marching towards the approaching army, dressed in gold armor and spears with more circular shields. In front of them, their commander was dressed in a long, flowing cape that demanded respect. As the golden army marched onwards, the silver army stood still in a phalanx formation, their spears adding a sharp point to their defense.

“No,” Rainbow Dash muttered, tears forming in her eyes. “This can’t be real. There’s no way that ponies could do this! They wouldn’t!”

“They can, Rainbow Dash,” Luna spoke, her voice also wavering, “and worst of all, they did…”

With a shout, the golden army rushed at the silver army, their spears at the ready. Pegasi from the golden army flew ahead, ascending straight towards the castle. Before they could advance above the silver army, a slew of arrows shot out from the mountains, arcing straight at the ponies coming their way.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and the other ponies watched as the arrows pierced into the ponies’ necks, faces and any exposed places on the limbs, causing them to fall from the sky. Whether dead or injured, the battlefield and the front line of the silver army were drizzled in their blood.

For the arrows that missed their targets, the arrows shot into the heads of several soldiers along the front line, making them violently flip about the ground as their lifeless bodies fell. Pegasi from the silver army flew from the mountains and engaged the golden soldiers from above. Not only the ponies, but the humans were in horror and amazement at the macabre scene.

“No way…” Eren gasped.

“This is horrible!” Twilight wept. “How could anypony resort to this?”

Fluttershy kept her hooves over her wet eyes, which continued to flow with tears as she tried to sob the sounds of agony-ridden cries coming from the fallen. Below, the golden army soon approached the silver army on the ground. With spears at the ready, the silver army jabbed forwards, killing a vast majority of the front line. With their spears occupied, more golden soldiers leapt up into the fray and stabbed many of the silver soldiers with their own spears. The two armies meshed together, slowly mixing into intangible specks of gold, silver, and blood-red as the golden army pressed through.

Up above, pegasi brawled, stabbed, and impaled each other, the blood now raining from the sky. The humans and ponies were assaulted with the horrific war from both above and below, unable to do anything.

“Stop it!” begged Rainbow Dash. “I’m tellin’ ya’, stop it, please!”

Hunter merely continued looking down at the chaos, tears rolling down his own eyes.

“Hunter!” shouted Twilight. “Hunter!”

Twilight looked to Luna, who continued to weep at the battle before her. Bertolt and Reiner looked with complete incredulity as magic spells were launched from below and into the air, creating a strobe that mixed with the blood mist produced by the mounting casualties. Pinkie Pie and Rarity huddled together, hugging one another as the battle became too much for them to bear.

Historia knelt beside Fluttershy as they both cried into each other’s embrace. Ymir looked devastated upon the destruction and death caused in what was a seemingly peaceful world. Armin and Mikasa were speechless, their arms and legs as still as their voices.

Eren looked around as his friends, both human and pony alike, were too stunned at the battle to move or had shut down completely. As Eren looked about, he glanced at the castle to see two ponies walking out of the balcony facing the battle. It was Solar and Aurora.

“Hey!” Eren shouted. “What are they doing?”

The other humans and ponies looked up to see Solar and Aurora as well, unsure of what they were doing. Both of them gave a nod to each other before they caressed each other’s necks with the bottom of their jaws passionately, a tear each coming from their eyes. Hopping up, both Solar and Aurora flew high into the sky. Rising higher and higher, Celestia and Luna, now older, but about the same size as Twilight, ran out to the balcony with Beryl and Hunter running out behind them.

Luna bit her quivering lip, knowing what was coming now as both she and her former self kept their gaze to the sky. Solar and Aurora ceased their ascent, and slowly touched their horns together. A bright, white aura flew about their horns as it swirled around their bodies getting larger and larger, faster and faster, creating a whirlwind that drew the leaves up from the trees quickly in a twister.

Solar and Luna’s bodies became encased in a bright orb that only continued getting brighter. As if bursting beyond the breaking point, rays shone out of the orb that traveled around with the orb. The orb then exploded, forming a star in the sky while ripples of sparkling, white energy radiated from the center, spreading over the battlefield and the soldiers upon it. Armin looked down upon the battlefield, surprised by what he saw.

“Everyone!” he called. “They stopped fighting!”

Sure enough, the soldiers, both silver and gold, mystified by the light that came from the star as well as the pulses rushing through their bodies, began to bleed tears from their eyes. One by one, the soldiers dropped their weapons and shields with loud clanging.

Soon, the light began to fade, but instead of Solar and Aurora remaining inside, the only thing left were two, flame-like auras that danced in the air like a circle, one orange and one blue. The humans and ponies gasped, knowing what had happened.

“So…” Mikasa shuddered, “Solar… and Aurora…”

“Sacrificed themselves for the sake of their daughters,” finished Hunter, “yes.”

The soldiers on the ground below watched as the auras rose high into the sky, continuing to circle about in dance, feeling even more saddened by their departure.

“Mother!” called Luna’s younger self upon the balcony as Celestia and Beryl held her down. “Father! Don’t go, please!”

Luna, who stood next to Twilight, collapsed to the ground, burying her head in her arms as she sobbed from the traumatic revisiting. Twilight also sobbed saddened by Luna’s parent’s fate. Armin sniffled as he flicked a tear forming in his eye with his finger. Down below, the soldiers looked about the battlefield and the destruction they caused.

In particular, a silver soldier and a gold soldier looked at each other, and as they stared into each other’s eyes, they fell upon themselves, hugging each other tightly and crying their hearts out. Eren and the others gasped as they saw the other soldiers below as silver and gold soldiers embraced in forgiveness and understanding.

“I don’t understand,” spoke Eren. “What did they do to them?”

“The bloodshed had become too much to settle with words,” Hunter explained, drying his own eyes, “Aurora and Solar had both cast a powerful lulling spell that pacified the army. That, mounted by their leaders’ sacrifice to protect the ones that they loved from their childish, trivial reasons, the ponies made peace and continued to live in harmony in their honor, with Celestia and Luna beginning their rule right there.”

Twilight turned back to Luna’s younger self as she was consoled by both Hunter and Celestia, Beryl standing off to the side and wringing his wrists nervously.

“You can see from both the sadness that both that Luna and the Luna beside you,” Hunter said, “that everything about this story is real. Every choice that I’ve made to this point to do what I’ve done was not without reason.”

The humans and ponies continued to look down at Luna’s mourning on the balcony as Hunter’s younger self wept beside her.

“I did not create the titans for the purpose of senseless killing. I created the titans to ensure that such a tragedy, such senseless killings, such ugly things… would never devastate the world again.”

With his free hand, Hunter’s younger self’s hand clenched tightly as he bared his teeth full of anger and unquenchable vengeance.