Author's Notes:

I'm releasing the penultimate chapter in two parts due to how long it's been taking me to write it. Part 2 of Episode 25 will be up hopefully within the next couple of weeks, before BronyCon, but as always, no promises. I hope you all enjoy the first half of the chapter.

"Tasmaneia is an island state of the commonwealth of Austallionia to the south-west of the Arimaspi territory in the South Luna Sea. It is home to many unique species of both fauna and flora ranging from the vicious Tasmaneian Devils to the more gentle wombats and even the ever mysterious Pataya goat clan. It is host to the deciduous beech tree! The pandani! And just so much more! But that's not even the half of it. Tasmaneia is also said to have been originally inhabited by indigenous tribes of Earth ponies much unlike those we know today. Then, around 3000 years ago, the unicorns of the northern lands invaded, colonizing the island and forcing the native creatures to bend to their wills by utilizing violent magical spells the likes of which are outlawed today. They caught the aboriginals off guard with promises of good fortune and mutual interests. The natives trusted the unicorn invaders, and paid dearly for it. The descendants of those original tribesponies still live in Austallionia to this day. The governing bodies of the past had fortunately made up for their past transgressions against the natives, and now one of the descendants is even leading the entire continent! Peace and harmony has united a land formerly plagued by horrible action!"

"Come on already, egghead. Get to the point," Rainbow Dash interrupts, yawning overdramatically as she drapes herself lazily over the steps of Canterlot Castles main foyer staircase.

Princess Twilight lets out an exasperated sigh as she glances around to her other friends, all of whom are seated around her, to see if any of them are as uninterested in her little lesson. Luckily, everypony else seems to be much more invested in the information being presented than the cyan pegasus. All of their eyes are focused on their friend, understanding smiles spread across. All except Applejack, that is, who is glaring angrily at Rainbow for her disrespect. Then there's Pinkie Pie. She's always been the odd one out among their group. She sits there, giggling to herself as she seems to be writing down notes regarding Twilight's lesson, her eyes darting around the room from pony to pony. They never settle on one place for too long before moving onto their next target. Pleased that at least some of her friends care about the importance of this all, the princess gives Rainbow a disgruntled look before breathing in heavily and resuming.

"Princesses Celestia and Luna have both gone to Tasmaneia in past years in order to meet with the governing body there. You see, unlike with Equestria, Austallionia does not run under a monarchy governing system. Rather, they use what they refer to as a democratic electoral body. Their leader is decided by a populace-wide election that takes place every four years. During their last visit, the princesses met with the state's leader, what they call a President, to invite him to attend the upcoming royal summit that begins in only two days. It'll be the first time in history that a President of Tasmaneia will be attending another countries summit like this. So we have to make sure we take extra special care to give off a good impression of Equestria."

"Well duh!" Pinkie suddenly calls out, her expression twisting into this wide, yet somehow unintentionally condescending, grin as if to say to the rest of her friends that it seems more than obvious to her, "It's just like when Prince Rutherford from Yakyakistan came!"

"Precisely. So here's what I want you to do, everypony…no, I NEED all of you to help me make President Hayton feel welcome here in Equestria. The other princesses have tasked me with this important duty, and I cannot let them down. Now Rarity, did you finish those dresses I asked you to make for the arrival dinner? I apologize for only giving you a weeks notice, but I myself was notified at the last minute."

Smirking with an unwavering confidence, Rarity summons up her magical powers to roll out a large clothing rack on which six different dresses are set. With enthusiasm and a little bit of pride, she tells her good friend, "Why of course, darling. And I made them exactly as you had requested; in the style of Canterlot royalty of the past generations with some trimmings that give it a slight artistic flair of Tasmaneian's fashion. The gold florets did give me more trouble than I had expected, but I do believe that I pulled them off fabulously."

"They're perfect, Rarity!" Twilight exclaims with glee as she fawns over the gorgeous purple and gold dress tagged with her name. One by one, Rarity levitates the remaining dresses to their owners, all of whom marvel at the phenomenal work that the seamstress as, per usual, put into them. Even on such short notice. And most surprising, even Rainbow and Applejack, neither of whom are huge into fashion and fanciful outfits, seem to adore their beauteous gowns; given to them out of generosity and for the sake of the kingdoms image. Even after all of these years together, it's still impossible for any of the other five to believe that anypony else could make outfits that would even begin to rival the elegance and bold style of Rarity's masterpieces. At the very least they've yet to see anything come close, even during their occasional visits to the fashion capital of Equestria, Manehattan.

"Fantastic! But now that that's taken care of, would you at all mind doing one more little thing for me, Rarity? The grand dining hall could use some decorating for the big welcome dinner tomorrow night. It's going to kick off the summit weekend, and it could definitely use some of your magnificent touches. On that note, Appejack, Pinkie Pie, could you two plan the dinner's menu? We're going to need both some savory delicacies and delectable sweet desserts that show the President of Tasmaneia exactly what Equestria's made of when it comes to the best top notch food."

Rarity, AJ, and Pinkie all nod in understanding, accepting their specific missions. Standing up, the three then head right out of the foyer to begin the necessary work. The only ones remaining now, save for the princess, are Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. The latter of the three sits off the side of the foyer reading one of his many comic books. As the others leave the room, Twilight turns her attention to her remaining friends and instantly notices that Rainbow Dash has once again stopped paying attention. Instead, she's begun to turn her eyes to watch a random fly buzzing around her head. Even Fluttershy, who had been paying the most attention out of any of them, had become distracted as a small badger rushes into the room right up to her.

"Listen you two," Twi calmly says through gnashing teeth as she rubs her temple in irritation, "I'm going to need your help as well. You see, despite its long history, Tasmaneia is still quite small in comparison to Equestria. Tensions have begun to rise between them and mainland Austallionia. They've even started to consider aligning with us for political advantage and military strength. Rainbow, can you work alongside the Wonderbolts and the Canterlot Royal Guard to make sure that our military presence is felt by our visitors? They need to understand how powerful we are so that they agree to the deal the other princesses and myself will be offering to them during the course of this summit."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem Twi," the pegasus replies with a roll of her eyes, "Since Spitfire brought me up to the main forces, it'll be easy peezy to get them to help. I've got it all in the bag."

"Good, then for you, Fluttershy. Tasmaneia is a vastly different place than Equestria in terms of land and inhabitants, but especially because of its flora and fauna. They are rich in rare and unique plant and animal life that we could definitely utilize to our benefit, especially the plants. I would like to offer them a trade of our own unique flora and was wondering if you could collect some of Equestria's most beautiful and unique flora to offer to the President and his staff."

"Oh, yes…uh…do you need any animals too? Or just the…flowers?"

Smiling over at the kind, overly helpful little mare, Twilight shakes her head and tells her, "The flowers will be enough for the time being. If all goes well with them, we might be able to work a deal concerning fauna in the future. Now, if the two of you can get on those tasks right away, we should be able to have everything taken care of within plenty of time. We have to be ready for the President's arrival tomorrow night."

Shaking her head with a slight smirk, Rainbow Dash flies out of the nearest window to head towards the Wonderbolt's Canterlot stadium, where she knows she's bound to find Spitfire and a couple of the others, probably training for the big performance at the summit. Meanwhile, Fluttershy slowly begins to walk off towards the front door, heading out to meet with the local florists to find out what she can about getting a hoof of Equestria's most unique flora.

With her friends having left, Twilight suddenly drops down to the floor in exhaustion. Staring up at the imposing ceiling right above her, the princess thinks about everything she's been working on lately. She hasn't slept in well over forty eight hours by now with all the work on this summit as well as training her students, and the President is set to arrive tomorrow night. If she can just make sure that everything goes off without a hitch, then it'll all work out. Though there is one question that does rise up again and again in her mind; why did the princesses tell her of this on such late notice in the first place?

"It's got to be another test," Twilight laughs to herself. Thinking about it, Princess Celestia did always like testing her to make sure that she lives up to her prestigious title of Equestrian royalty, much less the specific title of Princess of Friendship. While she trains her own pupils now, such as her former star student and friend Starlight Glimmer, she still gets the occasional test from her mentor. This one must be to see how she'll deal with such an unexpected, important, stressful situation that was thrust upon her at the last minute.

Glancing up from his comic for the first time in quite a while, Spike realizes that all the others have gone by now and begins to head out as well. However, as he reaches the front door it suddenly bursts open and allows entrance for a few more of the princess's good friends; Moondancer, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Lyra Heartstrings. The five mares gallop into the room, halting to a screeching stop only inches away from the princess. It's been about an hour since she had called these friends, yet she isn't at all angry that it had taken so long for them to arrive. Actually, she had fully expected and planned for it. She couldn't just expect them to leave their jobs at the drop of a hat like that. They had to at least find somepony to take their shifts for them. Luckily for her though, it seems all five of them succeeded and arrived just in time.

"Good afternoon everyone, thanks for coming. I'm sure that by now you've heard that we're having a very special guest at the royal summit this weekend. Well, it's the President of Tasmaneia, and we need to make sure that everything goes perfect. Moondancer, you have quite the vast array of knowledge in various fields due to your years of studies, correct?"

"I do," the cream-colored mare replies with a gentle smile, "what do you need me to help with?"

"Well, I wanted to present the President with an authentically designed Carved Medallion of the Harvest. But of course it's an ancient artifact that is near impossible to find in good condition nowadays. President Hayton is a descendent of the aboriginals of Tasmaneia, so the harvest season holds a special place to him. The medallions were integral to the tribe and its culture 3000 years ago. Honestly, he probably already has one, but…"

"…but the gift of a delicately hoofmade medallion from the ponies of Equestria would be seen as a sign of great respect and cultural knowledge. Don't worry Twilight, I've got it handled. I've read many books on Tasmaneia's history, and a few of them have plenty of pictures of the medallions. I'll make sure we can get one expertly carved for the President in time."

Heading out, Moondancer bids farewell to her friends, leaving the princess standing there alongside the other four. Nodding, she then instructs Lemon Hearts to act as an advisor to those already working, and lets her in on the tasks she had already given the others. Knowing her history with planning big events, she should have no problem with this. She then tells Twinkleshine to speak with the guards to form a greeting party to meet the President at the train station. Both of them quickly head out, leaving only Minuette and Lyra behind with Twilight. Beckoning for them to follow her, the princess begins to climb the large staircase leading to the second level of the castle. It takes them only a short time to reach the top, and the three begin to head down the left hallway. As they trot along, Twilight begins to address Minuette, keeping up her stride as she does.

"You work two different jobs, don't you? Both a dentist and a watchmaker if I remember correctly."

"Yeah," Minuette replies with a cute little blush, turning away for a second, "but honestly, the dentist thing is only for my parents sake. They are both dentists and wanted me to follow in their hoofsteps. I hate it to be honest, but I want to make them proud, you know? The watchmaking is my actual passion. I mean, it's what my cutie mark is for."

"That's exactly what I was hoping to hear," Twilight laughs, "well…not all of that exactly, but...anyways, are you able to work with full-sized clocks at all? Specifically large, ornately designed grandpony clocks?"

"Sure, I can do that. It's not my specialty, but I've handled a few since I discovered my talent. What do you have in mind?"

"The dining hall where we'll be holding the welcoming dinner with the President has an old grandpony clock that was given to Princess Celestia prior to the Lunar Rebellion over 2000 years ago. Despite its many magical enchantments, the clock has definitely worn with age. Would you be able to help restore it before tomorrow night? I know it's only just over 24 hours now, but we want to make the best impression we can. Princess Celestia and I feel that it might not go over as well if part of the dining hall, even something as trivial as a clock, is in poor condition."

"It'll be tough, no doubt. But consider it done!" Minuette happily exclaims, raising a hoof to her forehead in salute with a wide grin. The three of them continue to walk along as Twilight relays the details of the clock to her friend, as well as begins to give Lyra her own tasks. Time goes on as the three of them pass from hallway to hallway, go up stairs and into other wings of the castle. It almost seems like they're going in a never ending loop, as if the princess is trying to stall for time. Knowing her, however, that isn't out of the realm of possibility. Nervousness has always been one of her biggest flaws. Especially when something big like this hanged in the balance.

As they continue down the current hallway, Twilight stops talking suddenly and the entire stalling becomes more and more awkward. Turning to face Minuette after a bit of time, Lyra quietly whispers, "Uh, do you think she'll be alright? And can you really fix an old clock like that in such a short time?"

"Yes and yes," Minuette replies assuredly, "I mean, I might have to skip out on sleep tonight, but it can definitely be done. I wouldn't even think of failing Twilight here, so I don't really have a choice here anyways."

"Oh, I'm sure Twi wouldn't hate you or anything if you were unable to, right Twi?" Lyra asks, turning to face the princess. Minuette laughs and nods, not even noticing right away that Lyra had stopped dead in her tracks. As she realizes it, however, she too looks to where her friends eyes are locked. The sight before her shocks the young mare. Her face twists into that of confusion and sheer terror. Where Twilight was just a short time ago now rests a black spot on the carpeting. Smoke emanates from the spot, but no sign of the princess anywhere. Their friend is gone.

It's impossible. There's no way she could've gotten that far ahead of them in such a short time without galloping. And they would've definitely heard if she had. Nopony opened any of the connecting doors either, and a branching hallway hasn't appeared in a while. Even teleporting would've caused a bright flash of radiant light as well as a loud pop, both of which would've easily been noticed by the two ponies. But no...shes just...gone.

As they stand there in confusion, their focus is suddenly broken by an echoing of scared and confused outcries from all around them. Guards begin to appear, running throughout the halls in a hurried panic. Something is clearly going on, and both ponies are more than afraid to even bring it up. However, knowing that they need to know what's going on, Minuette stops one of the guards and asks him, "What's going on!? Did something happen, and have you seen Princess Twilight at all?"

"Wait, is Princess Twilight gone too!?" The guard shouts out in shock and terror. Seeing the look of confusion on the two mares' faces, he explains, "We don't know what happened. One moment Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance were being escorted to the throne room. They were surrounded by a group of our best guards. But then...they just disappeared into thin air. It wasn't magic and they didn't run off. They were just...gone."

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Voices ring out through all of Canterlot as the citizens turn their eyes toward the giant castle in the center of the city. It's no secret what's been happening as of late. By this point, much of the surrounding area has seen the droves of ponies rushing to meet at the kingdom's capital. And those who had not been close enough at the time to see it have heard about the event through the grapevine. Though what they are gathering for is still up for debate with the general populace. Whispers and rumors slither around the city streets. Some believe that there's a secret royal summit being held by Princess Aurora and Prince Blueblood. Others, however, have various ideas as to what's going on.

"I heard that they're planning to invade the Dragon Lands," one stallion quietly says.

"Really?" a mare replies as she pushes a stroller with her newborn foal inside, "I thought that they were meeting to talk about all of the recent deaths and terrorist attacks that have been happening."

"Close," a fancy stallion says, trotting up with his wife, "the truth is that they're meeting for war."

"With all that's been going on lately," the mare replies with a worried expression carved upon her face, "I wouldn't be surprised."

It's been impossible to hide everything from the ponies of Equestria. They saw when the dark stars covered the kingdoms skies. Some of them were in Detrot when The Harad wreaked havoc on the poor, unsuspecting citizens. Ponies all around have begun disappearing. Others have been murdered in the most horrible of ways. The fact is, Equestria's on the verge of absolute destruction, and there seems to be almost nothing that anypony can do to stop it. But that seems to be a reason for why so many are meeting at the castle. To try to do something, anything, to stop this from happening.

Some of the whispers echoing through the streets ring with pebbles of truth. And because of this, many have come to realize that war is indeed on the horizon. And within the confines of the Canterlot Castles main foyer, the prophesied heroes of Equestria and their friends have all gathered, prepared for what is to surely be the final strike against Oblivion and his Agents. An entire array of ponies, all willing to put their very lives on the line, stand around the sides of the hall. And at their head stands the leaders of the free world and only remaining royalty in the kingdom; Prince Blueblood and Princess Aurora. The couple definitely seem worried about the future, yet also trusting in those who have gathered to try and protect it. Swallowing hard, the prince grabs his wife's hoof and looks deep into her eyes as if to assure her that everything will be alright.

The strongest soldiers of the royal guard, as well as many members of the Crystal Empire's guard, are stationed around the hall. They watch the others around the closely, just in case a traitor or spy could be in their midst. With as much noise as they're making with this meeting, there's sure to be someone working for Oblivion not too far away. Joining the guards are the elite members of the Wonderbolts, as well as almost the entirety of the Brotherhood of Silent Pathfinders. The Ponyville Militant Task Force are all there as well. So many soldiers from all trots of life have gathered together with one common goal in mind. All of them together will either stop Oblivion for good, or die trying.

As the chatter amongst the ponies in the room begins to fade down, Princess Aurora clears her throat and steps forward. As she speaks, she does so with volume and clarity, using the Royal Canterlot Voice she had been taught by the long missing Princess Luna, so that everypony can hear her perfectly. "THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE THANKFUL FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP US STOP THIS THREAT THAT HAS BEEN PLAGUING OUR LAND FOR TOO LONG NOW. TOO MANY OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE VANISHED FROM THEIR HOMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. TOO MANY HAVE DIED WELL BEFORE THEIR TIME. NOW WE HAVE THE POWER TO STOP OBLIVION AND HIS FORCES. NOW, I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF WHAT'S HAPPENED. ALL I CAN ASK IS THAT YOU TRUST ME, BUT ALSO TRUST THOSE AMONG US WHO HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN DEALING WITH THE FORCES OF OBLIVION UP TO THIS POINT. I KNOW I'VE NEVER BEEN THE BEST PRINCESS. I KNOW I'VE ALWAYS BEEN WEAKER AND MORE TIMID THAN MY PREDECESSORS. BUT I IMPLORE THAT YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN ME THIS ONE TIME. SO NOW I TURN TO OUR FRIENDS AND HUMBLY ASK THEM WHAT OUR NEXT MOVE SHOULD BE."

The entire hall buzzes with shock and respect at the humility and candidness of the royal princess. Aside from the volume, she speaks like anypony would. It's refreshing to hear that in their leader. Their eyes then turn to the ponies standing directly in the center of the room; nine friends who have been fighting against the enemy since day one. It's at that point that one of them steps forward. A stallion instantly recognized by most there are former Captain of the royal guard, Terra Lionmane. Bowing in respect to the princess and prince, he asks her, "Excuse my saying so, your highness. But is it not YOUR job to delegate our responsibilities in this attack? I mean no disrespect of course, but apart from myself, we know very little of war and battle strategy. All we have on our side is the Elements of Harmony, and we don't even fully know how to use them."

"I thank you for your honesty, Terra," the princess replies with a smile, "but to be honest, I myself do not know what to do. There's an entire portion of my life that I am unable to remember. I've never felt this afraid before. I cry myself to sleep at night and wake up screaming in a cold sweat. I want to help, and serve Equestria as the princesses before me had. But I'm just too afraid. I don't have the magical prowess of my predecessors. I don't have the intellect or strength of will. To this day I still do not fully understand why Princess Celestia chose to ascend me of all ponies. I'm afraid that I am quite useless in this task. All I can do is trust you."

"BULLSHIT!" Prince Blueblood suddenly exclaims, his regal voice cutting through the tension in the room like a hot knife cutting through butter. The princess turns to her husband, who with tears flowing from his eyes, intensely stares into her eyes and says, "I didn't wed somepony useless! I may have not been the most vocal and active member of this resistance, but I've been doing my part too. Do you have any idea why I fell in love with you in the first place, Aurora? Believe it or not, I wasn't always like this. I used to be snobby, conceited, arrogant. I was a vile excuse for a pony who put myself before the welfare of others. But one brave pony had the gall to speak out against my rude actions. She changed everything."

"After the heroic Rarity of the past stood up to me, I did some serious thinking. I wanted to become a better prince. I wanted to be more like my mother, Princess Luna. Kind, respectful, filled with love and willing to fight for my kingdom if the need rose. Now my mother is gone. Her sister is gone. The Crystal Princess, Celestia's former student, both gone. You and I are the only members of Canterlot's royalty left. When I first met you, just after you had been ascended and the disappearances happened, you were scared. I remember comforting you, holding you in my hoofs as you cried. Those tears were not of weakness, they were of love. Love you felt towards the princesses manifesting as sorrow for their disappearances. Love is the most powerful magic there is. Fuck the Elements of Harmony. Fuck the Magic of Friendship. Your love back then made you take charge, despite your fear. You fought to help Equestria in it's time of need and became the princess that our kingdom needed. THAT was the Aurora I fell in love with. Somepony who acts when her kingdom needs action. Somepony who fights back."

"He's right!" Star suddenly pipes up, stepping up to the royal couple and bowing, "don't you remember the night we first met? You fought to save my friends and I from Sevulva Star's attack. You told Bri and I about the prophecy and introduced us to those who we now call our closest friends. You took away the fear we had and replaced it with love and caring."

"We know that a lot's gone down since fifteen years ago. But we need you now Princess Aurora. We believe in you, for you are our princess. You're just as much royalty as Celestia, Luna, Cadance, or Twilight. We love you," Bri says, smiling widely as she too steps up, bowing alongside Star.

Princess Aurora looks at them, her face growing a bright red as the showering praise only grows. All around the room, ponies begin to bow and cheer for their princess. They show their loyalty and support, their love, for Aurora. Looking down at the floor below, tears cascade from her eyes as she replies, "I…I'm…I'm so sorry everypony. I just didn't know what to do. This is far more grave of a threat than anything Equestria's faced before. Oblivion at full power would be able to destroy the entirety of the world, one continent at a time. Nothing but a barren wasteland would be left, void of anything or everypony. You're right. All of you. I may not know what to do, but I will act. I may be scared shitless, but I will join in the fight. Unfortunately, I don't have a plan. I'll leave that to you. I shall lend my hooves in any other way I can, even if I have to sacrifice my life for this kingdom."

Walking up slowly from the opposite direction that Star and Bri had, a determined looking Babe Chenko slowly approaches the princess. Bowing curtly to her and Prince Blueblood, he quietly asks Star and Bri to return to their positions, which they do. A plan has been dancing around in his mind this entire time. He's sure it will work, but needed to hear Princess Aurora's resolve first. They will need her help. A steady expression on his face, the stallion nods and asks the princess if he may share his idea.

"Go ahead," Princess Aurora replies, wiping away her tears.

"Thank you, you highness," the leader of the Brotherhood replies with another curt bow. "I believe that there is only one surefire method that we have of attacking Oblivion's forces right now; the Elements of Harmony. Your husband brought up that love is the most powerful magic there is, and while that is true, I believe that we can harness that magic through the Elements themselves. They are the most powerful magical artifacts known to ponykind after all. They cleansed Princess Luna of the darkness in her heart. They turned the villainous Discord back to stone prior to his reformation. They even cleared away the plunder vines from the Everfree Forest. These artifacts have done much more than this throughout history as well, but there is one lost tale that stands above all of them. Most would not even know of it, as the details were purposely hidden from all but Equestrias royalty. To this day, only those same royals are privy to this knowledge."

"You…you don't mean…" both Prince Blueblood and Princess Aurora quietly say in unison.

Nodding, Babe continues, "I do. Unfortunately I have to reveal to everyone here the truth of the Elements of Harmony's creation, and their original purpose."

"But wait…if royalty are the only ones who know this, how do you?" Agelian, who had been rather quiet up until this point, speaks up as he flies over to the stalwart stallion. A murmur breaks out amongst the guest, all of them wonder this same thing. Respectfully, Babe waits for the chatter to die down. He knows that this is a valid question, and the answer definitely won't please everyone. But he knows that it must be revealed if they are to ever stop Oblivion. Sighing as everypony returns to a dull quiet, he resumes his revelation.

"Sixteen years back, when I was but a young colt, Princess Twilight Sparkle visited me in my hometown of Germaney. She had been sent by her former mentor, Princess Celestia, to meet with me specifically on a special mission. You see, I may not be royalty, but I am of royal blood. I am a descendent of the first alicorn; Queen Nebula of the 1st Empire. And before you say anything, yes, I am an Earth pony. However, while Queen Nebula was the first alicorn, she has descendants of all races due through years of cross-raced breeding. I hadn't known this growing up. It was Princess Twilight who told me of my heritage. It was at that point that she gave me an important task; to protect the knowledge of the Elements of Harmony. Thanks to her mentor and the other princesses, she knew that I would one day fulfill my destiny and help save Equestria with this knowledge."

"You see, Queen Nebula, like most alicorns throughout history, was originally a unicorn. Back in those ancient days, it was actually the unicorns that were seen as the superior race due to their innate magical abilities and pension for intelligence. When her mother passed away of a mysterious illness that had come upon her without warning, Nebula was crowned in her place. She began to rule the 1st Empire with the kindness in her heart, generosity towards her subjects, honesty in her policies and all else she did, loyalty to her friends and subjects, a joyful personality that captured the love of those underneath her, and of course the powerful magic that she wielded. Sound familiar?"

"One day, her trusted court mage, Aspen Incantation, turned on her. According to the mage's personal writings, she had become sickened by the relaxed attitude of the Queen. She held a belief that a ruler should be more firm, that she should show her power and make her subjects bow down in respect. Nebula was against these actions, as through her humility she never found herself to be of higher importance than others. However, she was forced to take action against her court mage. She banished Aspen away from the empire, but not before the mage could cast a curse, the darkest of all magic, on the entirety of the empire and those within it."

"Queen Nebula's subjects were stricken with famine. Crops wouldn't grow, poverty swept through the streets. Ponies began to die one by one thanks to disease and starvation, and the good Queen was forced to watch. She was unable to do anything to help the citizens she so loved. She tried her hardest, but nothing she did worked. Her actions only made things worse. Soon, those who remained began to resent their leader. They blamed her for everything that had happened and chased her out of the empire on the threat of torture and death if she were to ever show her face again. You can only imagine how horribly this hurt her."

"Alone and depressed, Nebula traversed the expanse of the land. She hoped that she could find somewhere she could start anew. She eventually discovered a growing settlement of ponies far to the east. Shedding her royal image, she joined them and became a farmer, working with her hooves in order to help her new found friends. After a couple years in the settlement, she even wed a handsome young stallion she would often work with. Yet fate brought Aspen back into Nebula's life, and just like before, the mage took everything from the former Queen. She murdered Nebula's husband in cold blood. She took their newborn foal from her crib and ripped her hooves clean off her body before twisting her head all the way around. She turned the ponies of the settlement against Nebula, just as she had with the empire. However, this time, Nebula had had enough. She confronted Aspen and challenged her to a duel of magic. Aspen agreed, knowing that her own skills in the arts was amongst the best in the world."

"The two fought to the death, and unfortunately, Aspen won. She shot a violent beam of pure magic through Nebula's heart. And as the former Queen lay there, bleeding out and dying on the ground, something suddenly began to shake within her. She refused to give in, and despite the immense pain coursing through her every atom, she stood to her hooves. She had to keep trying. She wouldn't let anypony else suffer from Aspen's evil. Without even thinking about it, the former Queen unleashed a desperate explosion of magic. The power of it was stronger than anything Aspen could ever cast by the most unbelievable of margins. It was so extreme that it obliterated Aspen's entire being, and at that point, it seemed to gain sentience as it turned on its caster. The magic absorbed into Nebula's body and began to forcefully change her very biology. The process was so painful that it's said Nebula blacked out many times, screaming and crying in between each faint. The flesh of her torso began to sprout wings, her horn extended, her very body grew. When the process was complete, she awakened from her latest faint in confusion. She was exhausted, pain still echoing through her entire body. It was complete and utter Hell."

"She was found and saved by one of the few ponies that had lived in the settlement who hadn't turned against her. He was a unicorn stallion who would often use his magical powers to protect the settlement from outside forces. Nebula had met him only once before, when she first arrived at the settlement so long ago. Her nursed her back to health, and let her stay with him. Others in the settlement would antagonize them often, but he stood by her side and protected her from the hateful ponies. Eventually she fell in love with him, and were wed before long. They were even expecting a child. This scared Nebula to her core. She didn't want to lose him and their new foal, just as had happened before. She knew Aspen was gone, but the pain of the past remained inside of her. That's when a notice arrived."

"A neighboring tribe that begun to form within the past year had sent a letter to the settlement's leader. The unicorn ruling it had heard of the amazing magic that Nebula and her new husband wielded. Her invited the two of them to join his court, and for the sake of their child's protection, they agreed. Naturally the other settlers were quick to agree to them going. They never forgave Nebula for the actions they were tricked into believing she committed, or her husband for siding with her."

"So the two of them ended up moving out to the unicorn tribe. They spent years there, raising their son and serving the unicorn leader. Eventually, they were given high ranking titles as the tribe grew larger and larger. New ponies from all over the world began joining them almost daily. And eventually, the small tribe ended up becoming a larger kingdom. One day, somepony special arrived from the old settlement; the brother of Nebula's husband. They were surprised, but welcomed him in with open hooves. The brother wasn't there for that reason, however. He told them that the settlement had been wiped out, and that he was the only survivor. He warned the kingdom's leader Morgana, who had taken charge a few years back, of the horrible actions that could come to their growing kingdom. She heeded his warning and began to increase security for her citizens. But in return, she herself grew very ill, and after only a year following, she passed. She had not had any children or relatives left to rule, so the leadership was up for grabs. Only two ponies were nominated for the honor by the kingdom's citizens; Nebula's husband, and his brother."

"Wait…oh my Celestia…" Star quietly says in complete shock, her hooves raised to cover her mouth as her eyes widen. Up until this last part, the story was completely new to her. However, things now sounded way too familiar. She glances around at her friends and instantly realizes that they figured it out as well. And Fluttershy…the poor mare has tears cascading from her eyes as she remembers the story that her best friend Discord had told them what seems like ages ago. The color begins to drain from Star's face as she puts all of the pieces together. She now knows exactly why the Elements were created. And even though Babe hadn't said anything, she also now knows the name of Nebula's husband and his brother.

Seeing the intense reactions of those around him, Babe begins to tear up as he hangs his head in shame, sorrowful that he had to keep something this important a secret up to this point. A heavy sigh escapes him as he softly continues, "The high council of the unicorn kingdom could not agree on which of the two brothers should take charge; Nebula's husband Maaebjan, or his brother Starswirl. The latter of the two ended up relinquishing his rights to his brother out of the kindness in his heart, and so the couple took lead of the entire kingdom. But it wasn't to last very long. One night, before heading to sleep, Nebula happened upon a note her husband had written. She knew that she shouldn't snoop, but her curiosity got the better of her in the end. What she read shook her to her soul and brought back the terror she had felt so long ago. It was a note from her husband to his old apprentice in magic…Aspen Incantation. It detailed the horrible acts that the two had committed in the past, and even noted a future plan of attack against that same little settlement. It was her husband himself who destroyed it…"

"Yet she dared not confront Maaebjan. If Aspen was indeed but an apprentice to her husband, then she knew that she'd never be able to defeat him on her own, not even with her newfound immense magical abilities. Instead, she went to Starswirl, asking him if he would help her. He quickly agreed after he saw the note and the two began to craft seven artifacts in secret. They then enchanted them so that if they were ever defeated, they would appear in the next generation to aid future heroes of pure heart. But it wasn't enough. They still needed to fill the artifacts with enough immense, pure magic to be able to stop Maaebjan's plans. So little by little, both of them would transfer parts of their magic into the Elements, giving enough time in between each session to raise it back up to a healthy level. But soon, Nebula learned that her husband was preparing to move on with his newest plans; to take over the entirety of the world and rule it with an iron hoof. She had to speed up the process, and there was only one way to do it at this point."

"She went to Starswirl during one of his sessions implanting his magic into the Elements. Apologizing to him, she pushed the stallion out of the way and begun to do the unthinkable. She cried as she poured every last ounce of her magic into the seven Elements. She wasn't crying because of the pain of forcing that much magic out of her, but for those who died thanks to her husband and Aspen. She cried out of sorrow for everyone hurt by their actions. For her first husband and child who were brutally murdered. She screamed as she relinquished the magic that had saved her life from fatal injuries sustained in her magic duel with Aspen, and returned back to the state she had been before becoming an alicorn. A bloody heap on the floor, she smiled up at the crying Starswirl and told him to use the Elements and stop Maaebjan before it was too late. With that, she closed her eyes one final time."

"The plan worked and the Elements of Harmony were born; filled with the pure magic of not only two very powerful mages, but the full life essence of the first and most powerful alicorn in history. Starswirl knew that if by any chance this didn't work, he would need to have a backup plan. So he began training a young mare named Clover the Clever. She was a servant to Maaebjan and the late Nebula's daughter, Princess Platinum. However, Maaebjan quickly discovered this and ordered the arrest of the two of them for conspiring against him."

"Desperate at this point, Starswirl acted and attempted to use the Elements against Maaebjan. However, his brother had unfortunately learned of them prior to this and was able to worm his way out of being defeated by their power. He then used his magic in just the right way to destroy the physical Elements, not knowing of the enchantment placed upon them. Their power disappeared, waiting to be found once again by the next generation. Eventually the two brothers agreed to a duel, and Maaebjan won. Starswirl was transformed into the chaotic beast Discord and…well, you know the rest."

"So…the Elements of Harmony were created for the sole purpose of stopping Oblivion," Star slowly words out, not even sure she can believe the story she just heard. She trusts in Babe Chenko enough to believe him, but who COULD believe such a tale? Everypony turns to face Prince Blueblood and Princess Aurora, not saying anything but asking in their hearts why the two of them hadn't brought this up. Aurora notices their stares and easily realizes what they must be thinking. She explains that they didn't know that Maaebjan was Oblivion before this.

"But wait, then why did only six Elements come to Celestia and Luna at the Tree of Harmony?" Pinkie Pie asks, confused by the content of the story, "and why did my friends and I only get six as well? If there was a seventh all along, shouldn't we have had that one too?"

"The seventh Element is the most powerful of them all," Babe explains, "as it is the one that holds the majority of Starswirl and Nebula's combined magic. Because of the other six's power, the seventh has not been needed before this. That is why it hasn't appeared to any past wielders. But the moment it does, and I truly believe that moment will be soon, we will be able to stop Oblivion."

"But he knows that we've been gathering the Elements!" Scatter suddenly shouts out, frustrated that everypony seemed to be ignoring this crucial fact, "so can't he just stop them like he did against Starswirl? If he destroys them again, won't they be gone until the next generation? We can't risk that!"

"Starswirl used the Elements by himself. While they were enhanced by his inborn magical prowess, it was still only one wielder at the time. The Elements were more powerful when wielded by the royal pony sisters, and then even more so when with you, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, along with your friends. If and when we get the seventh Element, they will combine with the magic of their wielders and absorb the stolen magic harbored and grown within Pinkie all this time. They will become more powerful than any of us could ever imagine, and there will be nothing that even Oblivion can do to stop them at that point."

"So, what do we do now then? We don't have the seventh Element, right?" Star asks.

"Well, I suggest that we bring out the Elements and summon up their power. They aren't only for offensive purposes, but can also be used to show us the path that we need to take," Babe tells them all. Everyone nods in silence, agreeing to the plan but weary now that they know the story behind them. The first alicorn to ever exist, Queen Nebula, created them with the greatest wizard in recorded history, Starswirl the Bearded, to defeat her own husband, who was stronger than her and Starswirl combined. If it's true that they can make them more powerful than ever, then they can actually end this war once and for all, and avenge the deaths caused thus far. It's their only chance.

"Guards, please go get the Elements of Harmony from the vault," Princess Aurora orders with confidence.

"So why did we have to lock the Elements up anyways?" Bri asks, cocking her head to the side in slight confusion.

Smiling over at the mare he had come to love, Scatter explains, "They had to be kept safe as we planned things out. Remember everything we've all been through before now. You and Star were there before any of the rest of us. You faced off against Maaebjan as he possessed Sevulva Star. Since then you two have made so many more friends. We came to you guys because we were destined to help you save Equestria and the entire world. I don't think its coincidence that it was you two who started the fight against Oblivion all that time ago. You're the ones who have led us, whether you knew it or not. And since those dark stars showed up, we've lost a lot. Friends, loved ones, even hope itself. Yet look at us now. We've got an army. We're here to fight back. You six, the first six, found your Elements. You did the unthinkable. And because of that, we can finally stop Oblivion for good."

"He's right," a stallion says stepping forth. Light blue coat, brown mane and tail, and a red sweater, most ponies there recognize him as Ponyville historian, information broker, writer, and Brotherhood member, Script Scroll. Walking up to Bri and Star, he smiles and reaffirms, "We can and will do this. You two aren't doing this alone any longer. We're all here to help. Rely on us and let us fight for the land we love."

Adagio Dazzle, Script's fiancée, steps up next and adds, "For the longest time now, the biggest threats we've seen have all been secluded within Equestria. Nightmare Moon, Discord, King Sombra, and so forth. Now the entire world is at stake. This isn't about the fame and popularity to gain. Will that come? Of course. But what's important here is that we have a chance to save billions of ponies. We have to protect them."

Laughing, Bri replies, "Thank you, all of you. But I was only asking why the Elements had to be locked away." Everyone joins her in laughter for a minute before Captain Meteor Spark enters the room alongside a couple other guards. He levitates the chest containing the Elements of Harmony to Princess Aurora, then heads to the center of the room. Using his magic, he proceeds to project a giant map right in the center of the floor for everyone to see. He seems downtrodden as he begins to explain the situation with locations all around the world.

"Saddle Arabia, the Jewel Desert, Dream Valley, the twin cities of Maretonia and Maretania, and even the Griffon Kingdom are all under attack according to our sources. Ponies in these places and more have died horribly to the Agents of Oblivion. This is even more reason for us to do everything we can. We can't just fight back everyone, we have to give our everything to stopping Oblivion, or all will be lost. We have to be willing to risk our very lives and the lives of those we love. It's for the good of everypony. Now, Princess Aurora, if you would."

Nodding in understanding, Princess Aurora asks the six bearers to come before her. She opens the chest which suddenly explodes in a bright light. Emerging from the chest are six sets of golden armor. Everyone watches in shock and awe as the armor shoots at the bearers and morphs their way onto them. Star, Bri, Chupa, Devlin, Terra, and Agelian all allow the Elemental Armor to form around them, to imbue them with their power. Finally the light disappears, leaving the bearers standing there in impressive form, ready to do their part.

"Now, if you can, think back to how you earned your Elements," Babe tells them. The six of them nod and close their eyes. Bri remembers how she brought joy to the mountain village. Devlin remembers taking down Strangehooves with Zebasiz. Agelian remembers …., Chupa remembers helping stop the fighting between her friends, Terra remembers …., and Star remembers how she learned to understand and use her dreams. The jewels that sit in their chests begin to glow and suddenly shoot out at each other. Forming together, they form a faded blue orb in the center of them, and suddenly, within the orb, they see the vision they needed.

The four missing Princesses of Equestria are unconscious, trapped in cages in a citadel across the sea in the depths of the Black Mountain range. At a throne of pure magic, Sevulva Star stands with the Agents of Oblivion, watching as they send their minions out to attack the world. Suddenly, Sevulva turns to face the six heroes watching and the vision fades away. Right as it disappears completely, every light in the room and all across Canterlot as a whole goes out. Even candles are snuffed in an instant. The six rush to the windows to see that other cities in the distance are going dark as well, even Ponyville. Somewhere amongst the darkness, Babe speaks out.

"The prophecy of old mentions that the land will be covered in darkness as the final battle approaches. The time has come, bearers. It's time for us to finally move out and save the world. Today is our day. We can't let everypony down. We can't let the memory of Queen Nebula down. This horror has gone on too long. So not as the leader of the Brotherhood, but as the descendent of the first alicorn and our enemy himself, I ask you all, are you ready to die for your world!? Are you ready to fight against the forces of pure evil that has plagued ponies for thousands of years!? Are you ready to stare Oblivion in the face unflinchingly and give your all!?"

All at once, every single pony in the darkened castle foyer shouts out with confidence and true courage, ready to right back, "YES SIR!"