The solar princess was busy with her sister, finishing up the decorations for the celebration, when Luna broke the silence to speak to her older sister.

"Tia, do you really believe Discord is different now?" Luna asked.

"My sister, Discord is unpredictable, playful and mischievious. And at the same time, he's evil, disturbed, and a suspicious creature. On top of that, he's a mangle of a bunch of random creatures." the solar princess began.

"Tia, Discord may be a bit of a grumpy, crazed weirdo, but he's the only thing that brought chaos, and some say that chaos is a necessary role in the world. Without chaos, harmony has nothing to fight against, like Ying and Yang." the lunar princess said, and as her lecture hit Celestia, her eyes flashed open quickly, full of realization.

"You know that Discord and I had various rough patches, some escalating into violence multiple times in our youths." Celestia said.

(March 24, 1014)

"You know you'll never defeat me, Tia!" Discord said as his goat horn and reindeer antler clashed violently against Celestia's horn.

"You are nothing compared to me! You are nothing more than a peon to me!" Celestia shouted as Discord brought a balled-up talon to Celestia's right cheek in a fit of rage.

"Do not ever compare me to you! I am everything you are not! My chaos is stronger than your harmony!" Discord shouted, when Celestia then got up on her back hooves, bringing her front hooves to strike, only for Discord to grab her hooves in response.

"You will not destroy this world! You'll have to kill me in order to!" Celestia screamed, as Discord leaned closer.

"I am the incarnation of Chaos itself." Discord said softly, bringing his lips to Celestia's. Celestia's only reaction was her eyes instantly widened in shock. Discord then took his lips from Celestia's shocked face, an manical smile forming on his face.

"Do you feel your heartbeat growing faster, Tia? You have feelings for me, don't you?" Discord taunted, still holding her front hooves.

"I WILL NEVER LOVE YOU!" Celestia sneered, shooting Discord in the face with a small harmonic blast. Discord winced in pain, slowly opening his eyes in fury, tightening his grip on Celestia's hooves, as his eagon talon and lion paw soon combusted into flame, burning the solar princess' hooves.

"I hate you...and I love you too." Discord said mockingly, throwing Celestia to the floor, crushing her crown with his deer hoof, before flashing away with a click of his fingers.

Celestia's hoof shook painfully as her memory came to her.

"Discord was insane, manical, and is indeed the incarnate of Chaos." Celestia said with a tear.

"Celestia, you know he has changed, for better or worse, and by what you told me, he is better now. Believe me, his chaos had motives." Luna said in sympathy.

(Hearts and Hooves Day, February 14, 1012)

Celestia was shocked by the sudden appearance of Discord, who, in a stunning black tuxedo, presented her with a bouquet of roses.

"Discord, what is this?" the princess asked.

"Today is Hearts and Hooves Day, and despite our differences, I do have a heart." the Spirit said, handing her the bouquet.

"Discord, I will never love you. Your heart is black, and you'll always be a monster." Celestia coldly rebuffed, dropping the bouquet on the ground, before flying away. Discord could only look in horror and dispair.

"...Tia. W-Why? I-I..." Discord could barely speak, looking down at the bouquet, before a smile of pure insanity spread on his face. Something in Discord snapped.

"If she wants a monster...I'll give her a bloody monster!" Discord chuckled.

Celestia said nothing, her icy stare at herself soon became a stare of regret, humiliation, and sadness. Elsewhere, the Mane 6, as well as Discord, were finally at the Train Station.

"Whoa, we got here fast." Rainbow Dash said, dazed.

"When you've been alive since the dawn of time, you get used to it." Discord said.

"I'll take your word for it." Rainbow replied.

"Is everypony ready?" the attendant asked, "Might I ask how many is boarding?"

"It's a party of 7, 6 ponies, one Draconequus." Twilight said, as if it was normal.

"Oh my Celestia, well i-it's nice to m-meet you!" the attendant said, gazing at Discord, who cast a glare back.

"Yeah, so, we're the Mane 6, the group of ponies in the news alot." Twilight said.

"O-Oh. Of course! Oh yes, you're the ones who saved Equestria, twice." the attendant said, smirking at Discord.

"Yeah, that's us. Have you heard of Rainbow over there?" Applejack said.

"Oh yes!! Miss Dash, I heard you and your friends saved Equestria for a third time!" the attendant said.

"Y-yeah, me, Dr. Whooves, Derpy, and Discord. Thanks, miss." Rainbow said, blushing lightly.

"Please, call me Starlight." the attendant said, handing the 7 tickets to them.

"Ok, Starlight. Where do we get seated?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh don't give it a second though, Miss Dash! Come, come, you and your friends are riding FIRST CLASS!" Starlight said.

"There's a first class on a train? Why wasn't I informed earlier?" Rarity asked.

"You're all getting a luxurious train cabin fit for all of you." Starlight said.

"First class on a train though? Doesn't make a lick of sense." Applejack asked.

"Well, with chariots, and pegasi being able to fly and whatnot, airplane usage is pretty obsolete. And with trains being used much more in Equestria, we've bumped up classes on trains for the celebrities and higher-class folks, like from Canterlot for example." Starlight said, guiding the 7 to the cabin.

"Yeah, they got some good eggs up there." Applejack stated.

"You know Lindsay Lohay's career started out in Canterlot?" Rainbow asked randomly.

"Where'd you hear that?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Ponynet." Rainbow said.

"Isn't she in rehab?" Twilight asked.

"And here we are, everypony!" Starlight said, finally at the first class cabin.

"It looks bigger on the inside." Fluttershy said.

"Yes. We made this cabin officially for the Mane 6." Starlight said.

"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash shouted, instantly jumping onto the bed near the window. "I call this bed!"

"Oh no you don't!" Applejack yelled.

"Finder's keepers, loser's weepers!" Rainbow teased.

"That tears it!" Applejack said, and the two mares bursted into a hoof-wrestle, with Rainbow Dash being the winner.

"Ha! That's what happens when you mess with Thunder and Lightning!" Rainbow Dash said, kissing her left and right biceps.

"I can tell you all must be lots of fun." Starlight said.

"You have no idea." Twilight said.

"Well, if you all have any questions, I'll be across the hall to the left." Starlight said, before leaving.

"I'M GOING ON TOP!" Pinkie yelled happily, going to the nearest bunk bed.

"Can I take the bottom one? If that's ok?" Fluttershy asked.

"Okey dokey loki!" Pinkie chirped. Rarity then went to the next bunk bed, resting on the bottom. Applejack then climbed onto the bed next to Rarity. Twilight settled into her own bed, preferably the purple one.

"Wait, where's Discord going to go?" Twilight asked.

"Oh don't worry. I'll make myself comfortable." Discord said, clicking his fingers, and disappearing. Everypony looked around when the window was being tapped.

"Hey, there he is!" Rainbow said, pointing a hoof at the window, revealing Discord, facing upside down, then going back topside.

"I prefer solitude myself." Discord said to himself, summoning a bed somehow able to stick to the surface.

"I can get used to first class!" Rainbow said, rolling over on her stomach.

"First class or no class, deary." Rarity said.

"Hey RD, what was the afterlife like?" Applejack asked.

"It was all white, but it was pretty cool." Rainbow said.

"What happened to Darkness?" Fluttershy asked.

"I dunno, he probably got screwed up and died from that wormhole thingy." Rainbow replied, rolling onto her side.

"Hey Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah?" Rainbow answered.

"Are you scared of dying now?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know, Twilight. Dying's pretty scary, though." Rainbow said with a yawn.

"You're probably the first one to live and say that." Twilight joked.

"Probably." Rainbow Dash said, drifting off to sleep.

Bang, the train shook a bit.

"Rainbow." somepony said.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"Rainbow..." the voice said.

"Quit shaking the bed, Mom. Gimme 5 more minutes." Rainbow whined, before being woken up by a party horn.

"Surprise!! Wakey wakey, sleepyhooves!!" Pinkie screamed.

"Huh?! Wha-?! Whoa!" Rainbow yelled, falling out of her bed.

"Are you prepared to exit, Miss Dash, Miss Pie?" Starlight asked.

"Argh, what happened while I was asleep?" Rainbow asked.

"You overslept, but we didn't wanna wake you. We kept ourselves busy." Pinkie said, stifling a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Rainbow Dash asked, unaware a mustache was obviously visible on her upper lip.

"Never mind. Let's go, Dashie!" Pinkie said, as she bounced out. Rainbow then walked out, rolling her Party Cannon out of the cabin.

"Thanks, Starlight." Rainbow said.

"No problem, Miss Dash. Enjoy the celebration." Starlight said, with her own stifled laugh. Rainbow Dash was the last one off the train, seeing the wide smiles on her friends' faces.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Rainbow asked.

"Take a look." Discord said, handing Rainbow a mirror. Rainbow's face contorted in shock as she saw the mustache drawn on her lip.

"Oh, you guys can bite my blue flank." Rainbow fumed, rubbing off the ink from the nearest fountain.

"Why couldn't we put rabid parasprites in her saddlebag?" Discord asked, bored.

"Are you insane?" Applejack asked.

"Quite possibly." Discord retorted. Dr. Whooves walked out of the corridor to greet the ponies.

"Hello girls, and Discord." Whooves said.

"Still modest, I see." Discord replied.

"Doc, what's up, you old man?" Rainbow asked.

"Old man? If anypony's old, it's, well it's Discord actually." Whooves deadpanned.

"He's not wrong. And I've known a few of the relics in the royal garden. Hello Eris." Discord said, waving to an grass hedge scupture of an alicorn.

"Pinkie, what are you fidgeting with?" Applejack asked.

"I found this stone tablet with a skeleton on it. It's supposed to lead to something." Pinkie said.

"Well, shall we move on here?" Whooves asked to break the silence. Discord and Rainbow soon followed Whooves into the castle corridor.

"Was there ever an Element of Time necklace?" Twilight mused.

"NECKLACE! That's it!" Pinkie shrieked, searching through her saddlebag. She soon pulled out her slightly burned necklace from Herby.

"You still kept that? Don't you think you're a little--" Applejack said interrupted by Rarity's hoof.

"If I hold the necklace in the exact place as the necklace is on the tablet, it'll show me something!! Oooh, maybe it's candy!" Pinkie babbled, rearing on her hind legs as she shone her necklace on the tablet. The tablet was of an Earth Pony bestowing a necklace in front of an dinosaur skeleton.

"Pinkie, that's so illogical." Twilight said.

"Shhh! It's working!" Pinkie shouted. The tablet began to shine, and a light beam rocketed from the tablet, sending the mares back a foot or so. An angelic choir sung out as a path was revealed to the mares. Pinkie followed the path into a clearing in the grass maze. When the light stopped, Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks, tears of joy streamed down her face.

"Dear Celestia, I found you again!!" Pinkie screamed as she hugged the giant block of ice preserving the body of her familar Iguanodon lover, Herby. Pinkie then dragged the block out of the grass maze.

"How was your journey?" Fluttershy asked.

"It was long, treacherous, and boring," Pinkie said, ripping off a fake beard, "But I finally found my BDF!"

"Pinkie, you were only in the grass maze for like 4 minutes." Twilight deadpanned.

"I'm gonna take him back to Sugarcube Corner and thaw him out by the ovens. The first thing Herby's gonna see is me!" Pinkie said happily.

"So...what celebration are we talking?" Rainbow asked.

"Simple. The four of us, we get medals, Discord gets his powers stripped, Rainbow throws a party." Whooves explained.

"Say that again." Discord said.

"We get medals?" Whooves asked.

"No, after that." Discord answered.

"Rainbow throws a party." Whooves said.

"Oh for Chaos' sake, I get my powers stripped?!" Discord shouted.

"Maybe...but I talked to Celestia. She might go easy on you." Whooves teased.

"Old man indeed." Discord whined.

"Is Calamity Mane going to be here?" Derpy asked.

"I dunno, Derps. I don't keep a joke going that far." Rainbow replied. The four then entered the corridor, with Celestia and Luna at the end. Walking in single file, the foursome each bowed to the Princess.

"We now gather today to honor of the heroic actions, loyal sacrifice, and harmony of Miss Rainbow Dash." Princess Celestia said, giving her a Medallion with her Cutie Mark on it, as the crowds soon erupted into applause.

"So...awesome." Rainbow Dash said, speechless.

"I would also like to thank the actions of Doctor Whooves and Derpy Hooves. May you too be honored forever." Celestia said, giving Whooves and Derpy their own Medallions.

"How grand. Much appreciated, my Princess." Whooves thanked.

"Calamity Mane should see me now!" Derpy said happily.

"Oh, that reminds me, Derpy. He's actually outside waiting for you." Luna said.

"Derpy? Hello?" a stallion's voice said.

"Calamity!!" Derpy shouted, flying out the door, much to the shock to the crowds.

"And now...we move onto our last recipient." Celestia started.

"Gag..." Discord mumbled.

"Discord, for thousands of years we've been...inhabitants of the same world, much different from each other. But now that I think about it, I'm leanent. And I forgive you." Celestia said, bringing her horn to Discord's bowed head. Light shone throughout the corridor, as energy surged from Discord to Celestia, and vice-versa. The light faded, with electricity crackling off of Celestia's horn.

"Snap your fingers." Celestia said. The Spirit then snapped his fingers, and a glass of chocolate milk appeared in his paw.

"My powers...are still here?" Discord asked.

"That's not all, friend." Celestia said, as her horn glistened yellow. Out of nowhere, a red rose appeared, identical to the last one Discord offered to her. The rose was levitated into Discord's talons.

"Remember this?" Celestia asked, bringing her lips to Discord's, and the two were then enjoying it, applause bursted from the crowds once again. Off to the sidelines, Rainbow Dash was sobbing silently.

"What's wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asked the cyan mare.

"I wish I could have a somepony." Rainbow said depressed.

"I'm sure that somepony is closer than you think." Applejack mused, pointing a hoof.

"Rainbow Dash?" a familar voice asked.

"Who is it?" Rainbow returned. Walking towards her was a stallion in a Wonderbolt costume.

"Soarin'!" Rainbow shouted. Soarin' greeted Rainbow in a hug.

"That was the bravest thing I've ever seen anypony do. I always heard about the stuff you did before, but this just takes the cake." Soarin' said.

"How'd you find out?" Rainbow asked.

"We heard about it from the Princess. We were all shocked, especially me." Soarin' continued. "We thought you were long gone, but I knew you'd be back."

"Soarin', you actually cared about me?" Rainbow asked.

"Hay yeah! I've been crazy into you since I met ya!" Soarin' admitted.

"Well you sure know how to be blunt with it." Rainbow teased.

"Will you two just kiss already, you're making me antsy!" Pinkie shouted to the pegasi. Coming closer, Rainbow and Soarin' slowly brought there lips together, fully embracing each other.

"I love you." the two said in unison.

"Come with me. I have something I wanna do." Rainbow said, trotting away with a smile, motioning the Mane 6 to come. Soarin' followed, along with the 6 mares into a giant empty room, completely locked off by the crowds of ponies.

"Where do you suppose they're going?" Celestia asked Discord.

"I don't know, but I do know I wanna spend some of my new freedom with a beautiful Princess." Discord said. The two then proceeded to walk together into the empty room. The room was dark, and the only sound was the hoofsteps from the ponies, and the faint snickering of two mares.

"Ready?" a voice whispered.

"Okey dokey loki." the other voice whispered.

"1...2...3!" Rainbow and Pinkie yelled as they fired their own party cannons, unleashing an instant party into the room, as the lights flickered on. Rainbow Dash quickly sprinted to her new colt as they joined hooves. She looked over to her friends, giving a confident smile.

"Let's party!" Rainbow yelled as music instantly played. Among her, dancing with Soarin', were the other mares happily dancing to the tune. Pinkie herself was grooving alongside her half frozen dinosaur. Looking on, Dr.Whooves stood.

"I think our work here is done, Derpy," Whooves said, "Derpy? Where are you?" A light shone again as another phone booth appeared, Derpy soon stepping out of it.

"Derpy, you made it!" Rainbow shouted. A figure also walked out, and over to Rainbow, taking her hooves along with her, and she began to kiss Rainbow.

"Oooh yeah, I've always wanted to do that." the mare said. She then revealed herself to be another Rainbow Dash.

"Whoa! Where the hay did you come from?!" Rainbow yelled, pushing the other mare off her.

"Derpy brought me here from my dimension." the other Rainbow said, giving her the bedroom eyes.

"Derpy!" Rainbow yelled, fuming.

"I just don't know what went wrong!" Derpy said innocently. Rainbow Dash let out an annoyed sigh as the mare was soon put back in the phone booth.

The ponies helped themselves to the punch, played "Pin the Tail on the Pony", among other games, and danced to several songs. Eventually, the clock rang 10 P.M., and everything dimmed down.

"I think I'm gonna head out, it's already way past my curfew." Applejack said, trotting to the exit.

"I also need my beauty sleep. A lady needs her 8 hours." Rarity said.

"Angel needs to be fed. I haven't seen him all day, the poor thing." Fluttershy stated with a yawn.

"Yeah, it is getting kinda late. I think I'm gonna head home too." Rainbow said, eyeing Soarin'.

"Night Dashie! I'll see you- urgh - tomorrow!" Pinkie said, grunting as she tried to get Herby's frozen body into the train.

"Seeya tomorrow, Rainbow." Twilight said tiredly, walking into the train after teleporting Herby inside. Princess Celestia walked over to Rainbow.

"You've done well, Miss Rainbow Dash. I'd say you deserve a long rest." Celestia said.

"Yeah, I think I do." Rainbow agreed.

"Wait a minute! I've got something I want to say!" Discord shouted, kneeling to Rainbow's height. "Goodbye Rainbow Dash...and...thanks, for helping me discover my true self."

"It was in you the whole time, you just needed help." Rainbow said.

"Well, we shouldn't keep you here any longer, should we?" Dr.Whooves asked.

"Will I see you again, Doc?" Dash asked.

"Oh, I'll be around. Wherever the wind takes me, maybe as a pegasus, maybe a unicorn, I don't know." Whooves said. Rainbow then flew away with Soarin', back to Ponyville. They were soon at Rainbow's house in the sky, sharing one last embrace of the day.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight." Rainbow said.

"Maybe we can go on a date or something, if that's alright?" Soarin' asked.

"It's perfect." Rainbow said, slowly bringing her lips to Soarin's, as they kissed for the final time.

"Bye Dashie. See you tomorrow." Soarin' said, flying off.

"Oh great, even he's calling me "Dashie" now." Rainbow said, embarrassed. Rainbow then flew back to her bedroom, snuggling into her bed as she pulled out her rainbow-styled diary from her pillow. She took out her lucky quill, and wrote in a new entry.

"Dear Diary, through the epic adventure of time travel, I lived, died, came back, and I even learned a new type of friendship. And that friendship, is love." Rainbow wrote, taping a picture of herself and Soarin'. Finally fully content, she drifted off to sleep.