The team headed down into the depths. It was humid, musky. Just plain uncomfortable. Modern stairs gave way to a natural, or natural-looking, cave formation. They headed down. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping water in a steady, ominous drip drip drip.

They didn't know what they were going to do when they confronted this evil. It wasn't something you planned everyday, fighting an ultimate evil. Twilight had tied her hair back with a bandanna. Her hair got in the way of her eyes, and for this fight, she'd need to be able to see everything.

They stepped into a long corridor, with a bulky, heavy looking door at the end. They stopped at the door.

Twilight looked back to the rest of the team. " Ready guys? This is it. "

" Let's show this guy who's boss! " Said Rainbow Dash.

" I won't give him cake, I'll attack him with cake! " Yelled Pinkie Pie

" I've gotten down and dirty for this cause. I'll make him pay. " Declared Rarity.

Fluttershy whimpered, and bolted behind Vinyl. She nodded.

Vinyl patted Fluttershy on the head. " Let's rock! "

" Let's teach 'em that we won't tolerate his evil ways! " Said Applejack

" MUFFINS! " Shouted Derpy.

That was it then. The stalling was done. Twilight pushed the heavy doors open with a creak. Inside was an octagonal chamber. They stepped inside.

The door slammed shut behind them. Torches lined the walls. There was a sense of an ominous presence nearby. They saw a black sphere, about ten hoofs wide, and ten hoofs tall, floating in the center of the room. Was this the Master?

A thundering voice, one that could not be distinguished as male or female, that made everypony cringe, bellowed out, making the bubble quiver like jell-o.

Ah. Would this be the team of ponies that has been giving my minions such trouble? What brings you to my humble abode?

" We're here to defeat you, and stop your reign of terror! " Shouted Twilight.

Ahahahah. You make me laugh. We'll see. The blob said.

The blob reached out to them mentally. Telepathically. It would be easy to corrupt them, just like the army that now fought for his desires.  It reached out a mental tendril of darkness. As it reached toward them, it was burned by a ring of white light that floated around the group. So, it would have to get physical. It could do that.

I see. How's this then?!

The torches flared, and everything in the chamber turned blood-red. A black claw extended from the blob.  It scythed towards the fillies. They all leapt out of range. Twilight and Rarity fired purple and sapphire bolts of magic. The bolts hit the blob and dissipated. Damn!

Pinkie fired her cannon, only to have her shot rebounded toward her. The shot hit her in the side, and she was thrown back against the wall, unconscious or dead, no one could tell.

There was no time to worry about Pinkie. Fluttershy whimpered, her fear too great even for her alternate persona to take over. She cowed behind Vinyl. Vinyl turned her speakers to the max, and a screeching howl emitted from them. The blob was unphased. A streak of golden lightning zapped the speakers, and they started smoking. Seconds later, they simply fell apart.

The clawed appendage swiped again, scathing against Twilight's eye. She grunted in pain. Blood dripped down the side of her face. A deathly howl pierced the air, coming from the blob. In reached out a single claw and scooped up a droplet of blood. It then retracted the claw into itself. As the blood entered the blob, it shuddered, and expanded a bit.

Blood begets blood, and hate begets hate. Violence begets violence, and terror begets terror.

Derpy threw muffins at the evil being. It opened up and swallowed the muffins. Everypony took a moment to sigh and shake their head. It was a noble attempt.

Applejack thought, and thought hard. We can't get close enough for physical attacks, and magic won't work dog gone it! What will!? She hung her head in defeat. This was the end, wasn't it? Not just for them, for everything. Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and everything beyond.

But just as she was about to give up, she saw the feather. The feather Rainbow Dash had given her out of love. It's radiating colors were still visible, even if everything else in the chamber was red. She felt the love coming off of it.

Rainbow Dash had given it to her, to prove her love... Her love... Her love! That was it! That's how they would win! Fighting was violence, and that wasn't working! They would beat it with love!

She shouted to her comrades, " I know how to win guys! I can beat it! Distract him! "

The team, not having time to question her, leapt into action, more magic, muffins and sound flying through the air.

Claws and the golden lightning streaked out. Applejack dodged them all, barely. She shouted, " Twilight, I need a lift! "

Twilight's magic propelled her through the air, and she yanked the feather off of it's lanyard and held it in her mouth. She dove toward the blob, and it swallowed her.

" Applejack! NO! " Cried Rainbow Dash. She started to cry, and thrash about. Done. That's what she was. She fell to the floor, defeated. She started to cry. Damn it. She had just figured out their love. Things were looking good. And now she was gone... What was there to live for now?

The rest of the team stood there, stunned. What happened?

Suddenly, the blob of evil had begun to quiver, shake, and hemorrhage.

Applejack was inside the thing.

What...What is this?

" Heh, it's love. Pure good. I figured out that since you're evil, violence and hatred only make you stronger. So, I figured love would defeat you.

Hah! This puny feather? Watch.

A golden bolt of lightning struck the feather. Applejack suddenly doubted her plan. Too late to go back now.

The feather was still there! It floated, unharmed. Suddenly, it began to pulsate. The colors of the rainbow began flashing inside the evil.

No! I cannot be defeated! I have the strength of millions! I can corrupt things with a simple thought! NOOO!

The blob exploded, showering everyone in an inky substance, which changed into water, and flowed into a puddle on the floor. The torches stopped flaring, and color returned to the chamber. Applejack landed in the puddle, making a little splash. She smiled.

Rainbow Dash tackled her to the ground and began covering her in kisses. She didn't care if anyone was watching.

Twilight said, " I figured something was going on between you two. "

Vinyl chuckled. She had known all along. Rainbow just seemed like that kind of filly. Speak of, she turned around and hugged Fluttershy, and gave her a big victory kiss.

Twilight was stunned at that one. Rarity had fainted. When, nopony knew, but she'd sure be causing a commotion if she was awake.

The team's cheerfulness turned to sorrow as their gaze turned to Pinkie. She hadn't gotten up. And she wasn't breathing. Tears streamed down their faces. Pinkie, of all ponies? Why her? She was sweet, and so caring! Damn it. Just when they thought they won, they were wrong. Sure, they saved everyone else. But at that moment, they didn't care.

Twilight carried Pinkie on her back, while Vinyl carried an unconscious Rarity. They climbed, slowly, the steps that led to the surface. When they reached the surface, they were met by a barren plain. The slaves, the enemy ponies, the entire camp was gone. So were their friends. They must have went home when they knew the evil was defeated.

They came upon piles and piles of ash. The enemies must have simply dried up as they defeated the evil that was underground. Twilight sighed, even if the unicorns alternated teleports, it would take a day or two to get home.

" Might as well get started on the way back. " Twilight said. The team trotted forward.

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Back in the royal palace, Discord was having a chat with Pinkie Pie.

" I told you, my dear, that I would take care of you. If your friends live up to their reputation, you'll see what I have in store for you. " He said.

The spirit of Pinkie floated next to him. " If you say so! Hey, can you whip me up some spirit clouds? " She asked.

With a snap of his fingers, a spiritual cloud formed over Pinkie. It rained ghostly chocolate milk. She giggled. He loved that giggle.

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When the battle ended, the immortals had magicked everyone home. The bunker disappeared, everypony's possessions appearing back in their homes. Crops had changed fields. As promised, a temple had been erected, with the statue of Big Mac in the center, and to either side of him, a pedestal with a crown on it. One daylight golden, the other midnight black. Few ponies had been lost, but those that had returned to Ponyville with their families and friends for one or two last conversations before moving on to the afterlife.

It had been two days since anyone had seen the special team that had defeated their enemy. They started to worry. Then, in the late morning of the second day, seven figures walked through the main gates of Ponyville. It was them! The team that had faced off against pure evil and had won!

The group of ponies stopped for no one, not even their friends or families. That had one last pony to care for.

They walked all the way to Canterlot, and up the palace steps, and into the throne room. Luna, Celestia, and Discord stood there, as if they knew that these ponies would come here.

" Princess. As you can see, we won...but with a heavy cost... " Said Twilight as she laid the body of Pinkie Pie before the immortals.

" I can see that Twilight Sparkle. And I would like to thank you for your service to all of Equestria. You deserve a reward. " Replied Celestia.

" Yes, we hath decreed that an award be appropriated to our champions. " Luna said.

" Princess, we thank you for your generosity, but... There's no reward that can replace our friend. " Explained Applejack.

Discord stepped forward. " That, my friends, is where you are quite wrong. "

He waved a paw to his side, and a translucent Pinkie Pie appeared, munching on a cloud of cotton candy.

" Hey guys! Good job defeating evil in an epic battle of huge proportions and stuff like that. " She said between bites.

" PINKIE PIE! " Shouted the group as one.

Twilight coughed, " It's good to know her spirit is okay, but... she has to move on... "

Discord chuckled, " Wrong again Twilight. As much as Celestia talks about you being her best student, you think you would figure it out. "

Before Twilight, or anyone else, could ask, he created a small tornado, that picked up both Pinkie Pie's body and spirit, and whirled them around.

" Wheeeeee! " Exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

The blur of pink grew faster and faster, and then abruptly stopped with a flash of light. When everyone regained their vision, the saw their friend standing in front of them, alive and well!

" It's so good to have you back! " Said Fluttershy.

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Even though they had their friend back, they had still lost somepony else just as important. Big Mac.

The group visited the newly-built temple. Applejack was allowed to properly grieve, with Rainbow there to help her. She was kneeling in front of his statue, when his spirit appeared.

" Hello, sister. Good job. I'm proud of you. " His phantom said.

Applejack sat there for a minute, stunned. Then she started to bawl even harder. " Oh Big Mac! I miss you so much! What am ah gonna do with the orchard? What about Granny and lil Applebloom!? "

" Do not fret Applejack. There is an afterlife, but I do not feel like heading there yet. I'll wait. For you, Applebloom, Granny Smith. Whoever comes last. But for now, I wanted to let you know I'll always be with you. I have a gift for you. I'll always be there, listening. " He said. His phantom flew to Sweet Apple Acres.

He faded, but everything at the farm sparkled. Apples grew at an intense rate, and buckets flew to catch them as they fell. Pies and other treats began to make themselves. Applejack chuckled, delighted that her brother was still with them, in a sense. She touched the feather that hung from her neck, and felt the love that still radiated from it. Everything would be okay.

Eventually, things went back to normal. Pinkie Pie threw parties, Derpy ate muffins, and so on and so forth. The Mane Six continue to go on adventures to this day. Although, in the back of their minds, they knew.

They knew that victory was temporary. You just can't kill an immortal force. But, it was subdued, for who knows how long. If it came back, they knew how to defeat it.

Now, the only problems they have to worry about are which adventures to go on next.

The end.