Original Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nhjhOYOXcC8bbbjJfPFgNsZLkzzsSjnnD1Bu7sKyhxM/edit?usp=sharing

At last, the day had come. This would be the last day of all living things in the world. With the demon queen back, there was nothing her children needed to hold back for anymore. As soon as the entire world became covered in red darkness, the demons turned on the BloodClaw Cult and started slaughtering their members. The reactions of the cultists were all very different. While some were completely shocked, others accepted their end willingly, literally throwing themselves at their gods. But ponies weren’t the only targets anymore. The demons attacked every living being on sight. Birds, bears, cats, dogs, bunnies, even bugs and worms. They would not spare a single life. Everything that could be considered living had to die.

As the maw descended from the red sky and consumed the rest of Canterlot Mountain, many cultists still alive at that point watching the event believed it had instantly killed the entire leadership circle at once. Those few who saw Twilight teleport her friends and herself away did not live long enough to tell anypony about it. Even if they tried to warn the demons, they were not listening to anyone anymore, other than their queen. No more bargains could be struck and frankly, they would not care about this information anyway.

So there they were, on a small hill near Unicorn Range. They just sat there, watching as the world around them got torn apart. They watched as another canyon opened right through Ponyville, destroying most of the village instantly. The few buildings spared were soon getting dragged down by both demons and arms rising out of the dark depths. A heartbreaking sight for all of them, extinguishing the last embers of hope they had left. This truly was the end.

All around them, the other cities and villages faced a similar fate. The very fabric of reality became torn apart right in front of them as the world gradually distorted into something less and less explainable. To think that this much destruction could come from a single demon… Nightmare Moon’s powers truly were beyond any description. Defeated and simply waiting for their deaths, they all just sat there and watched, tears washing down their faces. Cadence held Shining Armor as closely as she could, shaking in his embrace.

“At least… we die together…” she whimpered.

Like most others, Shining Armor had no comforting words to spare. Nothing was comforting anymore when facing the end of the world. Fluttershy and Derpy both tried to meditate and find peace in their imminent deaths, but were visibly struggling. Rarity’s eyes and mouth were wide open as her focus slowly wandered around, following the spreading destruction in speechlessness. Luna kept on baring her teeth and clenching her eyes, angrily stomping the ground with her right front leg while crying at the same time. More than anything, she was furious with herself for being unable to achieve the victory over Nightmare Moon she so desperately desired. She so very wanted to prove herself to be the better idol of darkness, to prove the demon queen wrong and to show that she is more than a dismissed host of the greatest of all demons. In the end, she could have none of this.

Celestia’s expression was the most calm of them all. Although crying herself, she showed barely any expression as her gaze wandered over her kingdom, watching it being erased from existence and observing her dear friends and sister react to it. Eventually, her focus became stuck on Twilight. Never before had she been crying this much. Celestia didn’t even need to speak to her to understand that Twilight considered herself the biggest failure in history right now. The fate of the whole world rested squarely on her shoulders, but she failed at every step on the way. Right from the very beginning, the demons had been controlling every step she took, just like they used to do with Celestia. Without ever realizing it, they were being pulled like a key on an invisible string, slowly sliding towards the keyhole. By the time they figured out they were being controlled, it was already too late. They willingly turned the key and opened the door. Now, there was no closing it anymore. That is what Twilight believed. She had given up before and her last chance had just been another trap, disgustingly using the hope she held so dearly against her. She had no plans left, no thought other than regret over her defeat and asking herself how she could have been so blind.

The bright fallen alicorn, just like all the others, had no words that would comfort her precious student. Telling her it was not her fault wasn’t cutting it. Telling her she did everything she could wasn’t good enough. Telling her she was proud of her for trying would only have made her feel even more miserable. There just was nothing left to say. All that could be done now was to watch the world around them fall apart and wait for the moment they, too, would perish. So, without Celestia being able to say anything, she just lowered her head. All this would have never happened if it hadn’t been for her, she thought to herself. If only she had been watching her sister more. If only she had chosen to do the right thing, right at the very beginning.

As Celestia’s gaze lowered to the ground, she noticed something laying right next to her in the grass. It would seem that Twilight didn’t have the time to selectively teleport just her friends and herself. In the intense red tint in the air, the small, brightly painted piece of one of Canterlot Castle’s towers seemed to almost glow in a shade between crimson and pink. Now having her focus drawn to what was just nearby, she started looking around. Rocks, bricks, broken ornaments. All scattered around them.

Celestia’s ears suddenly perked up and she gained an expression of determination as she stood back up and started looking around. Little by little, her behavior caught the attention of the others. What could she possibly be searching that would still be of any significance at this point? It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. Sitting back down for a moment, she used both front legs to pick up Nightmare’s Eye. The crying stopped and all watched with a bit of curiosity and confusion as the former princess stared straight into the eye-shaped, moving gem in the middle while it stared back at her. They watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. None of the rebellion leaders thought there was anything left still capable of shocking them. But even with the world getting destroyed around them, they still found the sight of Celestia putting the cursed necklace around her own neck and locking it to be the most shocking view of all.

“W… What?! What are you doing?!” Twilight shouted as soon as the object was in place, completely baffled.

“Sister! Have you lost your mind?!” Luna shouted out as well, immediately standing up and walking over to Celestia.

Even though no one told them what this demon artefact does, they could easily figure it out themselves now. So what could possibly drive the bright fallen alicorn to do something this drastic? Yet, there was no trace of doubt in her expression. Her eyes had a determination burning in them like they hadn’t seen in years. Could it be? Could she have one final resort? Her focus shifted back to her former student.

“Twilight, do you still have the elements and the replica?” Celestia wondered.

Instantly, the purple mare understood what her mentor was going for, causing her jaw to drop for a moment. Twilight quickly regained her senses, though, searching through her saddlebags. She indeed still was in possession of the six artefacts. The replica of the element of magic was heavily cracked from the previous use, but still functional. It maybe had one, if they are lucky two uses left in it before it would break. The next strike had to hit, no matter what.

Twilight rose her head again and gave a nod. Determination returned to the other rebels as well as they came to understand Celestia’s plan. No creature of evil and imbalance could possibly survive two purifications by the elements of harmony. Nightmare Moon had been struck once before. No matter how powerful she was, another hit and she would share the same fate as Discord. All this time before, this would have failed, as the demon queen never had a singular, material presence. But now that she was resurrected, she could be targeted again. Yet, if they were to simply walk up to her, the group would instantly get killed before they could possibly get in striking range. It was therefore that Celestia had to wear Nightmare’s Eye and use it against her. No demon, not even the demon queen, could touch her this way. She would purify Nightmare Moon and consequently, all her children would also cease to be, alongside their curses. Maledictum Insania would be lifted and Celestia would be able to safely remove the necklace again.

“We first need to find Applejack and Caramel. Right now, they are the safest when with us,” Celestia suggested.

“But then what? Where in the whole wide world would Nightmare Moon be right now?” Rarity wondered.

“I already have my suspicions. There is only one place where she would truly feel like she belonged to. Once we made sure our friends are safe with us, we are going to Tartarus,” the former princess of the sun explained.

---

Without the help of teleportation, it would have been impossible to get anywhere. More and more hazards appeared as time passed, as if Nightmare Moon was testing the limits of her creativity. Invisible abnormalities seemed to be wandering around randomly all over the land, erasing everything they came in contact with. New canyons opened up everywhere. Spontaneously, random things busted into flames, even non-flammable objects like rocks. Massive fountains of crimson liquid shot out of the ground, looking like blood but melting everything like acid. Still, with all these dangers just at ground-level, the greatest threats came from the sky. Over and over, the maws came from the red clouds, biting massive chunks out of the ground and then retracted again. Not seeing any of these mortal dangers in time to avoid them would guarantee death. Yet, miraculously, Applejack and Caramel were both still alive when the group arrived at their hideout. The orange mare clearly was both incredibly terrified and confused. Unfortunately, there was not much time to explain the events that had transpired. But the short explanation was enough to get the couple deeply shocked. Still, they were both easily convinced to join the group on their suicidal final mission. Mostly because, just as they were speaking, another maw opened right above them and they all had to be teleported away quickly once again. Truly, there was no safe spot left in the world. So, Applejack, too, concluded that it was at least slightly safer being in a group than just the two of them, no matter where they wanted to go.

With millions of creatures both feral and sentient dying every second, they had no time to lose. Skipping as much land as possible between teleportations, they ended up in front of the main gates of Tartarus, just slightly over an hour since the apocalypse began. The gates were wide open, but no demon was entering or leaving. With the entire world engulfed in red darkness, the inside of this stronghold seemed just as darkly red as the outside, making virtually no visible difference. There certainly was a massive difference in feeling, though. Even the non-magical members of the group could sense a dread coming from inside that was beyond anything else in the world. No doubt, Celestia guessed right. She certainly was here.

Boldly, the fallen bright alicorn with the cursed amulet around her neck walked ahead, leading the others. The group expected to be attacked instantly, like the last time they were here. But even though thousands of glowing red eyes, still bright enough to pierce through the intense red fog, were focusing them grimly, none of the demons moved. They remained still, but notably tense, as if they were ordered to stand down and wait.

All members of the group had been through a lot within just the last few hours. Most of them had their hearts racing so much, they feared it might jump right out of their chests. But having to walk right through a huge crowd of demons made every step they took extremely shaky and insecure, or tense as in the case of the two reapers. Paradoxically, the demons stepped out of the way as they approached, creating a clear path straight to the core of the stronghold. Their behavior could mean anything at this point. From the demon queen actually interested in personally confronting the rebellion leaders once again, to just letting them get as deep into their midst as possible before assaulting them from all directions. Like the first time, the floor was made of countless bones, coated in thick, slimy blood. But it seemed like the morbid coating became increasingly runnier the deeper they walked in, eventually forming tiny streams flowing freely between the bones.

With every step forward, the sensation of overwhelming evil became more and more unbearable, causing even the reapers to have increasingly more trouble continuing to walk. It was especially difficult for Applejack to keep pushing on against all her instincts telling her to get her unborn foal and beloved one out of danger. If it weren’t for Caramel, she would be frozen in fear by now. Even though dead scared himself, he did his best to be there for the orange mare, it being just enough for her to keep walking.

At last, Nightmare Moon herself came into their sight. She was still a bit away from them, but could be seen well in this thick red, as her colors were so strong and deep, it seemed like she was the same red fog filling the stronghold in extremely concentrated form. The view alone caused them all, even Celestia, to stop for a moment and gasp in fear. There just was an aura of absolute terror and dominance surrounding her which even the strongest could not withstand. But the older formerly royal sister proved the power of her will as it only took her a second before she shook her head and regained a stoic expression while continuing her approach.

After coming even closer, they realized that the entire Underworld League was present. They all stood left and right of a throne made of freshly killed creatures which the demon queen was sitting on. The bodies had been skinned and coarsely broken up, but were carefully arranged to form symmetric sides and have the bleeding pieces interlock, creating a stable medium for the greatest of all demons to tower atop. This throne turned out to be the source of the fresh blood that spread all over the stronghold. Judging by the sheer amount still flowing, none of these poor creatures could have been dead for more than a minute or two, which would mean they were expecting the group.

Malice, now just barely as tall as the throne itself, stood to Nightmare Moon’s right side, fitting to his title. His red scythe was drawn, his boney wings spread and he was visibly assuming the role of her bodyguard, although this was most likely unnecessary. Next to him was Slendermane, standing tall as usual, watching the group with no eyes. On the other side of the throne was Despair, grinning deviously at the approaching ponies. Next to her was Toxica, as per usual bouncing up and down excitedly and fluttering her small wings while grinning widely. At last, Celestia stopped, just a couple more steps away from Nightmare Moon. The entire stronghold was watching them now, glances both hateful and judging. None of the ponies or reapers could handle looking straight into the demon queen’s eyes. This burning of hate in them was more powerful than the hateful glances of all her children combined. Too much for even the most battle-hardened warrior. Her gaze alone had an overwhelming strength to it, giving anypony she looked at the feeling like they were getting crushed by their own fear. But most members of the leadership circle did not have to endure her eyes for long. Not even Celestia seemed to be all too interesting to her. Nightmare Moon’s focus soon found itself stuck on Luna.

“It would seem your wish has finally come true, Luna. At long last, the world’s first de manis and the former demi-goddess of darkness stand in front of each other, for all the world to see,” the demon queen started calmly.

Even though Luna could not possibly remember ever having said or wished for something like this, it made her shudder and cower, hiding behind her big sister like she used to do so, so long ago when they were both still very young. It was a disheartening sight to see Luna’s embers extinguish like that. Just earlier tonight, she would have loved to personally destroy Nightmare Moon. But now that she was actually in front of her, Luna became completely overwhelmed by her intense evil. Strangely, this sight did not seem to amuse Nightmare Moon. She did not even grin in malevolence. She did not revel in her power and did not enjoy dominating Luna so easily, just by being present. She just sat there, looking, waiting, judging.

Celestia struggled just as much as all the others. It took every bit of will power she had to raise her head and look straight at the demon queen. This immediately made Nightmare Moon shift her focus from the blue sister to the white one. Celestia lowered herself a bit as the heavy glare crushed down on her. But she forced herself back upright, shaking visibly and returning a glance of determination.

Twilight was still just a bystander. Unsure if Nightmare Moon could read her thoughts or not, she tried to think of everything but the plan they had. She forcefully looked away from her saddlebags, constantly struggling between not thinking of the elements and thinking about having to be ready to draw as soon as Celestia gave the signal. Fortunately, the presence of Despair helped the purple mare to distract herself by watching the demoness in suspicion. Like the other members of the Underworld League, Despair did not break away from her position and expression, staying idle, silent and watching the group closely. For almost a minute, there was just silence. None in the group could find the strength to utter a single world or take any actions. Applejack and Caramel were hugging each other while trembling. Rarity was very tense, a fearful expression on her face. Cadence only had eyes for Shining Armor right now and vise versa, as if they were trying to get last impression of one another, seemingly expecting to be torn apart any second. Derpy and Fluttershy were both showing tense faces, but also looking away from Nightmare Moon and judging by the slightly lifted and angled front leg they both had, they were just one tiny thing away from drawing their weapons. At last, the demon queen leaned back against her throne, this somehow easing the feeling of dread enough for the group to shake less and have more control over their bodies and minds.

“I know why you are here. The embers of hope have always been difficult to stamp out entirely. You are here for a final confrontation, thinking you can strike me with the elements and this cracked replica of yours one last time in hopes it would destroy me, now that I am corporeal again. It does not matter how flawed this plan is, as it is an act of desperation. As you can see, I can prevent you from even moving if I so desire. It is effortless to me. So, knowing this now, what will you do next? Will you still attempt a strike? Is it your desire to perish in battle?” Nightmare Moon questioned.

“Wh…” Celestia started after a brief moment of collection, but still needed more time to gather her thoughts and finish her question. “Why is the world not destroyed yet?”

This immediately caused Luna’s, Shining Armor’s and Cadence’s ears to perk up and focus the fallen princess. But even more than them, it stunned Twilight the most, staring at her old mentor. At this point, there is no grasping of what Nightmare Moon was capable of. The purple mare had been assuming that all this devastation she was causing all over the world this very moment was already the full display of her power. It was foolish of her to think this, the purple mare now came to realize. But if she could do even more… why didn’t she? Could she still be holding back? What for?

“I might know you better than you know yourself, Celestia. Do you understand what truly drove you to wearing my artefact? Or do your true intentions only just now dawn on you?” Nightmare Moon wondered, looking down on the fallen princess with a glance that could only be interpreted as pure disappointment. “I knew for a long, long time that this was exactly how you would act. I expected of you to do exactly what you did, and I allowed it to happen. What does it matter now if I destroy this world in an instant or take it apart slowly? Revenge will never be achieved. By wearing this necklace, you made sure of that. At least, if I let all creatures suffer just a little longer like this, it will be slightly more fulfilling.”

Twilight was starting to get nervous now, not knowing how much longer she could take having Despair stare straight at her with this smug grin of hers the purple mare hated so much. What was taking Celestia so long? Why where they still talking?

Fluttershy had been observing her friends closely and decided to take matters into her own hooves. If they were here to fight, then now was as good of a moment as any. With a flap of her wings, she lifted above the group and threw a Stare straight at Nightmare Moon. For a moment, it seemed like this was the starting signal for the battle. But none of the demons reacted. Not even the Underworld League changed their positions even the slightest bit. The group of friends only looked up to Fluttershy in worry that this might have been the wrong move. Her Stare instantly ended and made way for an expression of shock as Nightmare Moon leaned forward with an almost bored expression.

“I created Succubus, The Insatiable Lust. She, too, was just another aspect of me. Do you truly believe this would affect me? I am beyond power, beyond skill, beyond wisdom,” she commented casually.

Fluttershy landed back on the ground and gained a mixed expression of worry and intimidation. Twilight watched this all with still building tension, feeling like she was about to explode. She was more than ready to sacrifice herself right now, just so that the world, her friends and especially Celestia could survive. Twilight was willing to do pretty much anything to stop the end. She was willing to go through any consequence, any pain, any suffering.

“And just as I expected, you ended up creating nothing but a copy of yourself with your beloved star student, Celestia. Just another decoy, willing to take the blame for you, willing to take the pain for you. I truly hoped she was different. Perhaps, if she at any point had ever understood, things would have turned out differently to this. Yet, in the end, she only adapted all of your perspectives without developing any alternative views on her own,” Nightmare Moon started again, shifting her focus to Twilight and immediately causing her to cower, subduing her tension. “Let me tell you something, Twilight Sparkle. You think your idol took you here to assist her in defeating me. You still believe that, despite the endless magnitude of her incompetence you have witnessed yourself, under her guidance, the world can be saved. What you do not realize is that you, too, have always only been a pawn to her. Just another chess piece on the board. You have not been brought here for a battle, but for a sacrifice. All of you. Once again, Celestia is proving her cowardice by trying to strike a bargain with me,” Nightmare Moon stated, cold as ice.

Twilight heard the demon queen’s words, but could barely react to them. Too powerful was the sensation she was putting her under. Still, the purple mare did not believe her. She wouldn’t, she couldn’t. This was something the purple mare knew her mentor would never do. The others also were showing no signs of worry at all as they focused Celestia with glances of trust and disbelief over the demon queen’s insulting words. How could they? Nightmare Moon was the queen of demons after all. The pure embodiment of evil. None of her words should ever be viewed as truth. This probably was just a theory of hers, trying to understand what a heartless creature like her would view as nothing more than irrational plans and extreme actions.

Celestia showed absolutely no reaction to Nightmare Moon’s words at all. No doubt existed in any of their minds. This was just another weak attempt of sowing distrust between close friends. Celestia would never betray them, just to save her own hide. Especially not her own sister. It may be true that in her long history with the demon queen, many have died for her protection. But not once did she actively use any of her subjects or allies as shields or distractions to protect herself. The bright fallen alicorn also had had enough of these insolent accusations as she let her horn light up and allowed her magic to reach into Twilight’s saddlebags, pulling out the elements of harmony and the replica of the element of magic, hovering them just in front of her.

The eyes of the demon queen narrowed in suspicion. Celestia wasn’t even trying to make this stealthy at all. She openly showed the elements and held them ready for use. All demons in the stronghold became notably tense. Malice readied himself for battle and black arms started to rise out of Slendermane’s back again. Toxica and Despair did not react, though, still remaining in their positions, as if ordered to. With the focus no longer being on Twilight, but the elements, she could recollect herself once again. This was the moment she had been waiting for. Twilight, and all of her friends by extension, lowered into a fighting stance. They only had this one chance. If there really was no other way… no matter how many of them had to die during this, any casualty would be worth it if it meant defeating Nightmare Moon for good. Hooves trembled in tension, wings were spread and stiff, scythes were drawn, spells were readied.

The elements of harmony floated over to the demon queen, then the magic canceled, dropping them to the blood-soaked, boney floor. The sound these crystals made on impact with the bones echoed through the stronghold. A moment that seemed like it was lasting for minutes while they all stared at this scene before them, unable to even form a thought. Celestia’s expression shifted from a stoic one into a sad one and her head lowered. She actually just did this on purpose.

As soon as Twilight snapped out of the initial shock, she instantly tried to grab the elements again with her magic. But it was already too late. The red magical aura of the demon queen held them in a grip too firm for her to ever break, even if she put all of her might into it. Rarity, being closer to the front than Twilight went so far as to break away from the group in attempt to jump to grab the elements. But Twilight would not allow it, holding her back with her purple magic. She was not willing to risk a friend on something she knew was pointless. This was the second time Nightmare Moon had ever been in possession of the elements and like before, she instantly began to destroy them. A simple stomp to break them into pieces would not do this time, though. Floating in front of her eyes, the demons and the rebels watched as they completely dissolved into nothingness. They were gone… Their last chance to defeat Nightmare Moon was gone.

“What in the hay did ya do that for?!” Applejack shouted out immediately while Caramel bit his lower lip with wide open eyes and tiny pupils.

Immediately, Luna ran ahead and grabbed Celestia firmly, pressing her nose against her sister’s and giving her the most furious expression she had ever given anypony.

“Do you even understand what you just did, sister?! You doomed us!” she shouted straight into her face.

All Celestia did in response was to turn her head away from Luna, maintaining this sad look on her face. A sensation of unimaginable shock overwhelmed the ponies and reapers as they stared. How could she have done this? How?! After all this time, after all they had been through together. Now that it mattered the most, she was turning on them. Especially Luna could not believe her eyes, having them quickly fill with tears as she stood there speechlessly with a slightly open mouth, still grabbing her sister by the shoulders. Never before did Luna feel so heartbroken as in that very moment.

Now, it was clear what would happen next. Celestia would offer all of her friends, including her own sister and Twilight, to be devoured by the demons. With the necklace protecting her, no demon would be able to touch Celestia. The whole world would come to an end with Celestia being the last living thing left. She would continue existing for as long as the crumbling and fading realm would support her, until she would eventually die as well. As the world fully ceases to be, her corpse would still remain the only thing left untouched, forever. Celestia would be the only being in the entire world whose soul would escape from being devoured by demons. Now, it made sense why Nightmare Moon allowed Celestia to use the necklace. There is no satisfaction, no revenge, in taking the life of a pony willing to do such terrible and cowardly things just to get away. No matter if her soul was devoured or escaped. Under these circumstances, killing Celestia would be a hollow, meaningless final victory. The pointless conclusion to a pointless, age old war.

Twilight stood there, eyes wide, pupils small, mouth open and head slowly shaking from left to right and back again. This was unimaginable to her, more so than the resurrection of Nightmare Moon or the world ending. This was impossible to happen, yet it just did. Celestia turning on her shook the very foundation of everything Twilight believed in.

All of this took just mere seconds, but the shock was so deep, it stretched the moment to an eternity. To the group, it felt like they had been staring at Celestia’s sad expression, Luna’s tear-filled eyes, Nightmare Moon’s disappointment, each other’s unbelieving faces and the sinister grins of the demons for hours. Slendermane and Malice had both returned to their previous stances. Despair still hadn’t moved a muscle, still just grinning as if she had known this would happen. Time seemed to stand still, the red darkness almost stopping to flow, each heart beat subjectively taking minutes. They all knew they would die in just a few moments now, desperately trying to stretch out their final moments as long as possible. But, alas, the time-freeze was broken as Celestia spoke up again.

“It is true… I have not come to try and defeat you. I know by now that this is impossible. I was doomed to fail from the very beginning and by resisting, I only made things worse and worse…” she spoke lowly.

For a few seconds, Luna’s mouth and eyes widened even more. Then, almost instantly, her expression shifted back to one of unimaginable fury. She bared her teeth, lowered her stance, let her horn glow, willing to attack.

“Sister… I cannot believe this. After all these centuries. You… you traitorous…“ she growled.

With time seemingly starting to flow again, the rest of the leadership circle joined in with Luna, slowly approaching with hate burning in their eyes. This was the biggest betrayal conceivably possible and they were not willing to go down without a fight. Now, it even felt like they had a glimpse into how the demon queen must be feeling towards this despicable alicorn. The desire for revenge they were experiencing must only be like a single drop in an entire ocean compared to how she must feel. Perhaps she also expected exactly this situation to occur. Perhaps she was planning on her own friends to kill her once they finally saw her for the devious coward she was, making sure Celestia would not remain unpunished in at least some form. Noticing just how closely they were about to attack her now, Celestia quickly spoke up again.

“But I also have not come to try to bargain my way out of this,” she stated swiftly before any of them took actions.

This already was enough for all of them to stop. Maybe she had a reason for acting the way she was. A friend that had been by their side for this long deserved a chance to justify herself, no matter how her actions looked like. Still, there was even more confusion now. Even more things that made no sense anymore. Battle stances broke, heads raised and expressions relaxed slightly again to make way for mild perplexity.

By now, no one knew what to think anymore. What was real and what was a lie? What was Celestia planning that required of her to willingly give the elements to the demon queen? Why was she keeping it secret from her own friends and even her sister? Nightmare Moon stared down at the fallen alicorn, her eyes narrowed and full of suspicion. It seemed like the greatest demon there ever was and ever will be had no rush in killing the little group and just allowed them to have as many moments as they wanted to. She probably knew that this might very well be her last interaction with any being that was not one of her children. Perhaps she would miss this in a sense, so she allowed this moment to stretch out for as long as it needed to. Celestia kept her head low, breaking away from her sister and walking straight up to her greatest nemesis. Mouths fell open as they saw her bow down.

“I was wrong… I was wrong all along. Any burden this world has to carry is due to me. All the destruction is my fault. It is my responsibility, not that of anypony else. I did not come to sacrifice my friends or sister… I came to say that you were right. You have always been. I came to surrender and… and accept my punishment…” she explained, her words strangely calm and collected for the fact that she was literally offering herself to the demon queen.

Not only did the eyes of the ponies and reaper go wide now, but those of the demons as well. Especially Despair’s expression shifted to one of disbelief like Twilight had never seen on her before. The purple mare herself also thought her mind just played tricks on her. She stood there, paralyzed for a moment, unable to think. But this time, it was not due to Nightmare Moon.

“Sister, no!” Luna instantly protested, walking over to her sister again and grabbing her, trying to pull her away.

The demon queen was the only one not affected by the former demi-goddess’ unexpected surrender. Her narrowed eyes and slightly tensed lips made it clear that she was still suspicious and unbelieving.

“A change of mind out of the blue like that is unlike you, Celestia. You have been trying so hard to avoid your punishment for so long. Why should I believe this for even a second? I am not buying your act. You would say anything at this point in attempt to confuse and trick me, or simply to make yourself look good in front of your friends. Another cowardly, masked performance to hide your true intentions. Not even now that all things end and all of your friends are about to die can you be honest to anyone,” Nightmare Moon commented calmly, almost bored.

Celestia gently pushed her sister away, then raised her head. She looked Nightmare Moon straight in the eyes with the most honest look she has ever given. What changed that she could suddenly bare to look into her eyes like that?

“This is no trick. I have given you the elements, knowing that I would never defeat you. It was wrong of me to ever even try. I am yours now. I accept any punishment you are giving me,” the former princess confessed, her voice filled with regret and sadness.

“Ce… Celestia…” Twilight spoke, barely audible, as tears began to form in her eyes.

The demon queen lowered her head towards Celestia, her red eyes burning with disgust. While the others were still mostly confused and speechless, she was equally unwilling to trust her words.

“And what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this? Do you think by heroically sacrificing yourself, you can save your friends and what is left of the world? What kind of bargain do you hope to strike here?” the demon queen questioned, a slightly angered sharpness in her tone, strong enough to make the legs of all ponies and reapers tremble.

Celestia, too, was shaking. With everything Nightmare Moon did, she was radiating so much power that it was unbearable for any living being to just be in her presence. But the older of the two sisters also shook her head from side to side slowly, not breaking eye contact with her greatest nemesis, despite how difficult it was. To Luna, it gradually started sinking in that this really was her true intention.

“I am not trying to accomplish anything. I’m not trying to strike a deal. Destroy the world or leave it be. Kill all who are dear to me or spare them. It doesn’t change the fact that I am yours now. Whatever you do now is your choice entirely. I have simply decided to stop running and to accept the consequences of my arrogance,” Celestia clarified, lowering her glance again in submission. “You asked me why I decided to wear your artefact. It is to make sure my soul ends up in your hooves. I am guilty. I doomed this world. There is nothing I could say or do to rectify my crimes. But now, I will stand straight and accept my end. You are my judge and my executioner.”

It was now that Nightmare Moon’s eyes, too, slowly began to widen, actually standing up now, almost as if she was shocked to hear this. Such an expression of surprise on the most dangerous being in the world truly added to the unrealness of this whole situation. It seemed that the demon queen was finally starting to believe that Celestia’s words and intentions were true and honest.

“Over one thousand years, Celestia… It took you over one thousand years and the end of the world to finally understand? You, the pony who I believed would be the last to ever give in… You finally are willing to see the error of your arrogance?” Nightmare Moon questioned once more.

“Yes…” the bright fallen alicorn replied briefly.

This is why she made them all follow her and why she was hiding her true intentions until now, all of her friends and Luna as well finally came to understand. She knew they would try to stop her or talk her out of this. They wouldn’t be able to understand that this was the only way this could have ever ended. Right from the very beginning, no one ever stood a chance against Nightmare Moon. All this time, the demon queen truly was in the right of it. Celestia had to die. This simply was as it had to be. She brought them here so they could be witnesses of her confession and her surrender. She hoped that, maybe this way, they would also begin to understand and be able to see why she had to end up doing this. But, of course, this was all too sudden for Twilight to be willing to let her go.

“Celestia, no,” the purple mare disagreed in a very ordering tone, now also walking towards her former mentor. “This is not how it ends! I won’t allow it to happen! I won’t let you die! Not you!”

Celestia turned back around, smiling at the unicorn who inspired her so much. She simply folded her wing around Twilight, holding her closely. Luna still just stood there, starting to cry again in an emotional rollercoaster from everything happening so quickly.

“Please… no… Don’t do this to me… Don’t leave, sister,” Luna begged, starting to sniffle. “W… What am I going to do without you? We have been apart for so long and now, after just these few short years, I am to lose you again?”

Her sister did not say a word. She simply hugged Luna as well and held them both closely pressed against her fur. The wings started slowly caressing down the backsides of Luna’s and Twilight’s heads, gliding down their necks. Celestia then turned her head to look at her student with a gentle, warm smile.

“My wonderful, dedicated and loyal Twilight. Do you remember the day you saw me speak to the light? The heavy rain coming down over the Crystal Empire. A single opening in the thick gray clouds and me staying in the beam of light coming through it. With a curious nature like yours, I am surprised you never asked me what we were discussing. Although, I can understand you might have felt like it was not your place to ask such questions… The light and I have come to the conclusion that this might eventually be the only possible outcome of our conflict against the red darkness. There truly was a glimmer of truth in Blueblood’s words and in the beliefs of the BloodClaw Cult. As long as I live, others will have to suffer the pain that is reserved for me. It was that day when I finally understood that this would eventually be necessary, although I did everything I could to still support you. The light is willing to sacrifice its embodiment… me… to finally appease the red darkness,” she spoke in a motherly, regretful tone.

For this, Twilight had no words. A million arguments came to her mind against why Celestia should do this. All of them were personal, but none of them were valid. She had always seen her mentor like a third parent and especially since her own died, she focused even more on keeping at least Celestia alive and around. This always had been about more than just putting her back on the throne. It never was a secret that Celestia was one of the most important anchors to Twilight. But for Luna, this was even more devastating. Their bond was even deeper. Aside of the one thousand unconscious years Luna was trapped with the demon queen on the moon, there was no time she had ever been apart from her sister. Now, the thought of living the rest of her live without her dear, precious big sister wrecked Luna. She just held Celestia closely now, unknowingly making final mental notes about her. How soft her fur felt. How she smelled. How her voice sounded like. It all only made Luna cry even more. She never wanted to let go. But Celestia knew that she had to, so she gave her a brief moment and also relished the final hug they shared before the older sister parted away from her little sister, looking her deep into the eyes. Luna burned the way Celestia’s face looked like deep into her mind, fighting against the tears trying to blur her vision and ruin this memory.

“Luna… My beloved sister… I am so sorry. It always could only have ever ended like this. I am the core of the problem and nothing will ever have a chance of getting better as long as I live. I’m sorry our time of being reunited was this short and I am sorry I have to leave you like this. I am sorry for all the horrible things I did to you. I can only hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me… All of you,” Celestia finished, raising her head and looking at all members of the group individually.

“Princess…” Fluttershy commented, frowning and having a black tear roll down her face.

More tears started followed quickly by all friends present. There was no talking her out of this and surrounded by demons, there was no chance of getting away either. It was goodbye now. Shining Armor, Cadence, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Derpy, even Caramel came to hug her.

“I wished you had told us of this sooner… I would have understood,” Rarity commented, biting her lower lip slightly to express her grief as she couldn’t cry. “This makes it really, really hard to let you go…”

“I know… I’m sorry,” Celestia replied briefly.

“If we get out of here alive… I will make sure the world will remember you for this, auntie,” Cadence offered, her voice very weak in grief.

For Twilight, it still seemed like she wasn’t fully grasping this situation. She wasn’t crying quite as much as the others and still had a thoughtful expression on her face. As she looked back at her mentor, she noticed her sceptic expression immediately.

“You… you do understand what she is going to do to you, right?” Twilight questioned, tears rolling down her face.

At last, Celestia’s façade fell. Until now, she had been been putting on a mask, trying to push this thought away and ignore it while playing strong, all for the sakes of making it easier for her friends. But now, she herself began to cry in fear.

“Yes… I do… And I am scared. I have never been so scared in my whole life. But… there is no way out of this. I must do this…” she spoke, her voice getting increasingly more broken from her panic and tears, wiping her eyes briefly. “I’m… I’m so grateful you are here with me right now. I’m so glad I could say goodbye… I don’t know if I would have been able to do this if I had to come here by myself…”

The group of friends held Celestia closely, desperately trying to comfort her. Throughout all of this, Nightmare Moon remained surprisingly quiet. For reasons beyond the understanding of anyone, she allowed them to have this farewell, just sitting there on her throne with a thoughtful expression. It wasn’t until the group of friends slowly backed away from Celestia, minutes later, that she started speaking again.

“This changes… everything, Celestia. Both the red darkness and I have long surrendered to the thought that we will never get you to understand and to kill you. That the chance of the light giving in, respecting the red darkness and thus giving up its idol so we can have revenge would be impossible. We were both just trying to get at least a fraction of what we deserved all this time, by literally taking everything else. But with you offering your life and soul to me directly, under the agreement of the light…” the queen of demons commented.

Shakily, the bright sister turned back around, her face still showing tear trails as she looked up to the creature which was going to murder her.

“May I just ask… If I suffer enough, will it be enough?” she wondered.

“For revenge, you ask? Truthfully, I am unsure… You are but a single, mortal creature. It is true, red darkness and I hate you so much, your soul alone is worth as much as every single other one on this world to us. But to focus all the hate of the red darkness solely on you… Your body would not be able to take it. You would die just from the pain and shock long before any satisfying amount of justice could be exerted,” Nightmare Moon replied factually.

“Take… Take it all out on me. Make me die a million deaths if need be. Hurt me more than you or your children have ever hurt anypony else. I will take it… Please…” Celestia begged, clearly fearful of her own words.

Another moment of silence followed. All demons in Tartarus kept constantly looking at each other, their expressions difficult to read, especially in the dark red. Nightmare Moon remained perfectly still, staring straight ahead as if she was talking in her head to the red darkness directly. Eventually, her focus lowered back to Celestia.

“We don’t know if it will be enough. I still remember that, at first, the red darkness and I only wanted to extinct pony-kind and kill you after. We would have been satisfied with that if you hadn’t resisted. At this point, everything in this world that once was linked to your original crime has long since turned to dust. Aside of you and your sister, no living being remains from the era of my origin. This entire war has long lost its meaning, to the point were goals became unclear and made way for nothing but plans to get to some halfway meaningful end. Maybe we can forgive some smaller injustices that have occurred over the centuries. But you will still have to suffer for keeping the darkness split, maddened and enraged for over one thousand years. I will do everything within my might to make you suffer, all while constantly talking to the red darkness and trying to come to an agreement with it. This will be a death so cruel, it will be unmatched by anything in history. Both in past and in future. It will take many hours of pain so great, it will make you lose and find your mind again and again. Once I exhausted myself on you and finally allow you to die, your soul will be devoured by me. During all of this, I will not allow your friends, your niece or your sister to leave. They must stay and listen. You must know that they, too, are suffering unimaginable pain from hearing your tortured screams. Know this as you make your choice. For in the end, you have to prove the honesty of your own words. The very necklace which guarantees of me to get your soul is also the one keeping you protected from me. Prove that all the words you have spoken in front of me now are the truth. If you really accept your punishment, you must take off my artifact,” Nightmare Moon explained.

Celestia took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. One last time, she looked back at her friends. This would be the last image any of them would have of her. The fear fueled tear trails on her face, the regret in her eyes and this expression telling them to stay back, to let it happen and that she was sorry they were about to go through this. Slowly and shakily, her left front hoof rose from the ground and wandered towards the back of her own neck. The demon queen was getting visibly more excited the closer it got to the locking mechanism of her artefact. She herself was trembling, but in excitement. Her eyes widened more and more, a wicked grin growing wider and wider. Her whole body became tense and lowered, getting ready to pounce Celestia as soon as the lock opened. This sight only made it all the more difficult for Celestia to push through. She started hyperventilating in fear and slowed down more and more, her hoof shaking wildly as it hovered just above the lock. With an expression of panic, she looked up to Nightmare Moon. The demon queen grinned back at her in an expression of untamed insanity, showing that she was barely able to take it any longer. Celestia started crying uncontrollably as her tiny dots of pupils were glued to the demon queen’s expression. She pressed her eyes shut, pressed her teeth together and in one quick movement, she opened the lock and tossed Nightmare’s Eye to the side.

The demon queen reacted instantly. She launched herself at Celestia, grabbing and dragging her down into the depths of Tartarus. Luna, Twilight and then all the others began to cry heavily themselves now. Just seconds later, laughter even more insane than earlier, as well as screams louder and more horrible than any they had ever heard filled the entire stronghold. Hearing Celestia’s voice scream and cry like this was beyond description and the worst part was that they had to stay here for the entire duration of it. The remaining members of the leadership circle came closely together, holding each other and crying along as they were forced to acoustically witness Celestia’s torture.

---

None of them knew for how long they had been sitting there now, listening to these screams and that crying while from time to time words of regret were shouted into the air. The demons were either staring down into the depths, like Slendermane did, or pacing around restlessly, like Malice and Toxica did. Despair was one of the very few demons doing neither. For the first time ever, she seemed incredibly unsure and anxious, constantly looking around as if expecting an attack. By now, Luna was just covering her ears and crying constantly. She had accepted her sister’s decision by now and was trying her best to cope. Most of the others were fairing very similar, Fluttershy, Derpy and Rarity in particular trying to comfort Luna while the two couples were looking for the same comfort in one another. But Twilight was different. Sure, she was crying just as much as her friends and holding them in desperate attempt to seek relief of this psychological torture. But unlike them, she became increasingly more tense with every passing hour. She just couldn’t take hearing Celestia scream like this, no matter how much she tried to accept it.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” the former princess shouted loudly mixed with uncontrolled crying, followed by a particularly loud, soul-shredding scream of pain.

This made the barrel overflow for Twilight. She couldn’t take this anymore. She instantly got up and rapidly walked towards the border of the pit. Her friends and remaining family noticed and called out to her, but their words were silent to the purple mare. With an angry face and freely flowing tears she came close and closer to the border, preparing a teleportation spell. But before she could even cover half the distance, Despair suddenly jumped in front of her.

“Twilight, wait! Don’t do it!” she shouted, her eyes wide open, almost as if she was scared.

“If it is a fight you are looking for, I will make it quick. If I have to, I will fight every single demon in Tartarus myself. I thought I could let this happen and respect Celestia’s decision, but I can’t. I will save her and none of you will stand in my way,” Twilight answered quickly and angrily.

“I won’t fight you! I can’t! Queen Nightmare Moon is ordering all of us to not touch you, no matter what you do,” Despair explained, visibly tense.

“Then get out of my way!” Twilight shouted and simply trotted around Despair at a quick pace.

The expression of panic intensified on the demoness’ face. With a quick flash, she teleported herself back in front of Twilight to cut off her path again.

“Don’t you understand what is happening right now? This is a test! Our queen is ordering us to stand down to see if you truly learned your lesson and allowed this to happen! If you interfere now, all the suffering Celestia has gone through so far would be for nothing! The destruction of the world is being delayed right now, all because of this! It will continue the second you teleport down there!” Despair spoke panickingly.

“I don’t care! I just don’t care! I can’t let her die. I just can’t lose Celestia!” Twilight shouted, tears washing over her face more intensely now while her eyes were burning with rage.

“Twilight, be rational! You have always been rational! Think about it. This is the closest we have ever gotten to achieving revenge! This could be it and all you need to do is let this happen! This could save your world! This could save all of you! Use your senses, Twilight!” Despair argued back, getting louder herself.

“I tried! I really tried! But after all this, I just can’t anymore! If this is an emotional and irrational reaction now, so be it!” the purple mare screamed at the top of her lungs.

Again, she quickly walked around Despair, getting critically close to the end of the platform now. The demoness’ eyes started darting around in complete panic, her ears hanging low and almost looking like a regular pony now with how emotional and scared she was. She rubbed her forehead and pressed her eyes shut, visibly putting all her might into coming up with something. Then her eyes suddenly sprung open again and she turned around to the purple mare.

“I will give back Spike’s and Moondancer’s souls!” she shouted into the stronghold, her words causing a moment of silence even from the depth of the pit.

It worked. For just a moment, Twilight stood there as if frozen to ice mid-trot. Her head slowly turned back around to the demoness, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. The entire stronghold, in fact, stared at Despair in disbelief. It didn’t seem to bother her at all, though, as she simply ignored the eyes and gave out a sigh of mixed relief and sadness that she managed to stop Twilight but had to go this far in order to do so.

“I will give them up. It won’t bring them back to life, but they will be free again. Your own very personal worst mistake will be undone, Twilight,” Despair offered in a much calmer voice as the screams continued again in the background.

“I thought you said they don’t even really exist anymore,” the purple mare inquired.

“You ponies are not supposed to know, but… This can be undone. Souls are much more resilient than us soulless creatures. While we can disappear into nothingness, souls always remain. I am breaking unspoken rules by making this offer. No demon has ever given up any soul they claimed. Ever. I would be the first to do so,” the Guillotine of Hope explained.

“You are based on Moondancer’s soul. Wouldn’t setting her free erase you?” Twilight wondered.

“I am the strongest, most talented Skin-Walker there is, Twilight. Ever since I was remade, I am depending way more on Queen Chrysalis’ soul than that of Moondancer. Even if I were to lose hers as well, I still devoured plenty of souls by now to base my continuing existence on. I am willing to pay any price you want, Twilight. Just… please… Let this happen. This means everything to us as demons. Even if you don’t care one bit about that, Celestia is so injured by now, she could never be saved. Not even with the strongest magic and the best healing spells there are. I am not expecting of you to believe me, but I do… hope… you understand how serious we are about our bargains… Just for the chance, Twilight. Just for the chance I might actually set Spike and Moondancer free. Isn’t that worth it to you?” Despair argued.

The screams continued, just as bad as they were before. Malice and Slendermane stared down at the Guillotine of Hope judgingly. Toxica, for the first time, was standing still as she stared up to her ‘Despy’ in astonishment. As for Twilight, she remained standing there with insecurity written all over. Her focus constantly switched between the depths beneath her where Celestia was slowly being tortured to death and her arch nemesis to her side, giving her this just too pony-like expression of regret and worry. One more glance was thrown back to her friends, now realizing the concerned expressions they were displaying. They, too, were clearly thinking Twilight was about to make the wrong choice here, acting purely out of emotion and disregarding the consequences. It took her several minutes before she gradually slipped back into crying and hung her head low.

“It is…” she stated, hateful of her decision.

Despair instantly shifted her right front leg into a claw and reached it out towards the purple mare, offering a handshake to seal the deal. Rarity, Applejack, Caramel, Fluttershy, Derpy, Luna, Shining Armor, Cadence… They all were watching while Twilight slowly approached the demoness and reached out her own front leg. She still couldn’t believe she was letting Celestia die now while she walked back into her group of friends. For a moment, she feared they would judge her for this. But they welcomed her back with open front legs, fully understanding her reactions and decisions.

---

It felt like an era had gone by since Celestia’s torture began. All members of the leadership circle were hungry, very thirsty and tired. But there was no chance to rest or distract oneself while they were all constantly forced to hear these screams of agony. The most they could do was try their best to focus on Luna, as this was by far the hardest for her to take. Then, suddenly, the screaming stopped, instantly grabbing the attention of the group. It was completely silent for a few more minutes, causing all to wonder if this was the end, if Nightmare Moon finally had her fill and allowed Celestia to die. Of all curious things that happened in this stronghold so far, what followed then was the most astonishing.

Very rapidly, the red darkness in the stronghold faded away and turned to regular, black one. The eyes of the demons stopped glowing, making them invisible in the dark and collectively, they let out a sigh.

Everything was black and silent now. Twilight let her horn light up and for the first time successfully illuminated the stronghold. Immediately, she spotted Despair. Her eyes were still red, like all other demon eyes. But there was no hateful burning in them anymore. She looked so calm now, so tired. It seemed so strange to see a demon like this.

Moments later, Nightmare Moon returned from the depths. She was entirely soaked in blood, from the bottom of her hooves to the tip of her horn. Not one spot on her body remained untainted. Atop of her helmet rested Celestia’s tiara, equally soaked completely in blood. The sight made Luna cry harder again. She truly was done. Celestia was dead. At last, the ponies could truly begin to mourn.

The demon queen had a very calm expression on her face. No more evil intentions were radiating from her and she, too, had no glow in her red eyes left anymore. Nightmare Moon took a long, slow, deep breath, closing her eyes in the process. Then, she refocused the group. No more sensation of crushing fear filled them. It was a neutral glance now, like any other.

“Revenge… has been achieved. The red darkness has been calmed at last and thus reunited with the black. My children and I will retreat to our strongholds. We now have no interest in the world anymore, but the souls we claimed will remain ours. They are the price for our existence, as we have been on this world for so long now, we earned our right to exist in it. What is left of the world will be spared, but our continuing existence shall stand as an eternal reminder to the light as well as all lesser creatures that the line darkness has fought for is never to be crossed again. This is the end of everything, little ponies. Of everything… this war stood for. With the rise of the sun, Maledictum Insania and all of my other curses will be lifted. Now, you must leave. The gates of Tartarus will close,” the demon queen announced calmly.

The ponies had nothing to say to this at the moment. It hadn’t really clicked to them yet as they were just too exhausted, traumatized and focused on Luna at the moment. They simply got up and turned around, slowly leaving Tartarus the same way they came. No noise could be heard other than Luna’s quiet, grief-filled crying. As they walked, the group was met with absolutely no resistance again. In fact, the demons seemed very slow and exhausted now, barely able to keep their eyes open. Next to none of these dark beings even looked at the group anymore. Before long, they were reaching the gates again.

---

Eyes on the horizon, they stand there now. All over, they see how demons slowly walk back to their strongholds and disappear underground. Within just a few short minutes, all demons vanish from the surface of Equestria, even though they are in no rush. Surprisingly, Sombra is among them, walking just past them and throwing a displeased glance at Twilight and her friends before he enters the depths of Tartarus. He, too, is a demon now after all and has to obey Nightmare Moon. She did keep her part of their original bargain of him being freed and regaining his kingdom. With the world coming to an end and actively participating in this happening, he surely didn’t seem to mind the destruction of the Crystal Empire either. Still, he seems to be unsatisfied with this outcome. But it didn’t matter anymore. He has to return to his kind, if he wants to or not.

“Twilight…” an all too familiar mixed voice speaks from behind.

The purple mare turns back around to see Despair and the rest of the Underworld League behind them. They all look incredibly tired. It even is very apparent on Slendermane, as he has his head lowered. Malice is the first to sit down just inside of Tartarus. Crossing his legs and assuming a pose very similar to that of a meditating reaper, he leans against a wall and his empty eye sockets stop glowing. His movements stop entirely, giving the impression as if he is only a large black skeleton in a ragged black cloak now.

“A deal is a deal… Our queen approved of this, as the bargain was struck before Celestia died…” the Guillotine of Hope states.

With an expression as if regretting she has to do this, Despair reaches into the hole in her chest with her right front leg. It takes a moment, but it returns with two souls in its grasp. One green, the other red. No doubt, those are Spike and Moondancer. Despair is visibly struggling for a moment but eventually forces herself to let go and allow these two little orbs to lift into the air and disappear. Immediately, Twilight starts crying again, but maintains a smile on her face. This sight finally causes her to understand and mentally catch up with anything that happened. It is a relief like no other to her to see these two souls free and flying away. She watches for as long as she could before they disappear from her sight. Twilight snuffles for a moment and wipes the tears out of her eyes before refocusing Despair.

“Thank you… You can probably imagine how much this means to me,” she states.

“I can…” the demoness replies briefly.

Another moment of silence. By now, even Slendermane has laid down on the ground and curled up as if trying to sleep. Toxica as well is barely capable of staying on her tiny legs, wobbling around and struggling to maintain her balance.

“What are you going to do now?” Twilight asks Despair again.

“We will sleep. One thousand years of burning hate takes a toll on you, even as a demon. We will probably sleep for the next few thousand years. But even when we wake up again, we will probably never leave the strongholds ever again. There just isn’t anything of interest left out there, at least to us,” the Guillotine of Hope answers.

Twilight nods in understanding. At last, Toxica couldn’t keep her balance anymore. She just flops over and instantly falls deep asleep. It is kind of funny, Twilight thinks to herself. Like this, the Cloud of Disaster looks like an actual filly, fast asleep after a long day of playing.

“I know we have no bargains left to make, but I have some final words for you, Twilight. Words of advice,” Despair starts again while using her red magic to levitate Toxica back into Tartarus and gently laying her back down on the ground. “Never, ever, ever return. Make sure these gates stay sealed forever. No matter how many millenia may pass from here on out, you need to make absolutely sure Tartarus is never opened again.”

“Don’t worry about that. I was planning on doing exactly this anyway,” Twilight responds briefly.

This seems to satisfy her arch nemesis. A short nod is all Despair gives before walking back inside, her head hanging low in exhaustion. Slowly, the gates of Tartarus close behind her and two massive metal hooks interlock to tightly seal the stronghold like a vault.

Twilight turns back around to her friends. They all gathered at a cliff, staring into the distance as their minds are slowly clearing. Of course, Luna is still very sad with her ears hanging and a frown on her face. But it seems like she, too, is slowly coming to terms. Twilight simply sits down with Applejack hugging Caramel to her left and Rarity to her right. Shining Armor and Cadence are just staring into the distance, clearly having many questions on their minds right now. At last, Twilight breaks out in tears of relief, crying happily like she did never before.

“It is over… I can’t believe it is over…” she comments, almost speechless.

“What is going to become of the sun and moon now?” Shining Armor asks right away.

“Well, Nightmare Moon made it pretty clear that she will be responsible for this sun rise. But after that… Hmmm…” Cadence starts, looking into the air while collecting her thoughts. “According to ancient pony history, unicorns had always been raising both sun and moon for eons before Celestia and Luna arrived. It would only make sense if that responsibility returns to them now.”

“What about Equestria and the Crystal Empire?” Fluttershy wonders.

“Assuming the Empire still exists, it will desperately be in need of help. Sombra left, so there is no reason why Cadence and Shining Armor couldn’t return there and help rebuild. As for Equestria… I suppose it is up to Luna now,” Twilight analyzes, still sniffling and rubbing her eyes from time to time.

“I… I don’t think I can… After all this, I really don’t think I can rule Equestria anymore. It all just seems wrong now...” Luna starts, shaking her head as she speaks before fully focusing the purple mare. “Do you still feel like you can keep leading? You have been doing an exceptional job. No matter how bad things got, you pushed us through everything.”

“I don’t know… I guess if you really want me to, I can at least temporarily take over rulership over Equestria. But looking back, I don’t think the system of our society was all that great. Everything rested solely on you two. We should get more ponies involved. Maybe I will try to contact the Mule Republic and study this democracy they are using. Who knows, it might work for Equestria. I really dont have the mind for this right now,” Twilight states.

“The demon war is over, Twilight. It is time to look for the future now,” Rarity comments.

“But… what about your future, Rarity? You heard Nightmare Moon. As soon as the sun comes up…” the purple mare wonders in worry.

“Shhh, darling. It is fine. I am dead already, remember? This only means that I did everything right and I can finally rest. Don’t cry over me. We already said our goodbyes back then,” the undead mare explains calmly with a gentle smile on her face.

Silence returns. Equestria has changed heavily in appearance. Mountains vanished, canyons opened, valleys came into existence. But still, there are animals slowly coming out of their hiding. Far in the distance, a small group of ponies wanders around, seemingly exploring this new face of Equestria. Scarred, hurt, but alive.

“Guess we’re movin’ back to Equestria now,” Applejack comments.

“Yeah, I guess so. My gosh I can’t believe we survived all of this. Suppose I’m not as unlucky as I always thought. I made it through the end of the world, all the demons are gone now, the curses are about to be lifted and I got the mare of my life by my side with my child safe in her belly. Honestly… despite everything, I couldn’t be happier right now. I’m really looking forward to what the future has to hold,” Caramel adds, gaining an approving smile from his mare.

“Totally! Oh boy, I’m actually really excited to help Equestria back on its hooves! What will you do, Luna?” Derpy wonders.

“I… I think I will focus on preserving this chapter in history. I will make sure everypony remembers my sister and what she had to do in order to save everyone. It’s the least I can do to honor her… Oh, sister…” Luna replies, immediately starting to cry again.

All of her friends cluster around the dark fallen alicorn, giving her more comfort. It is obvious that this will take a very long time to heal. But already, Luna is having very constructive intentions to handle her grief. There is no doubt she will eventually recover, even if losing Celestia will forever leave a void in her heart. Yes, the future looks bright now for all of them.

At last, the dark sky begins to brighten. Streaks of orange spread across the horizon as all of Equestria slowly begins to light up. The dark shadow of horror covering the land is forced away to make space for the first rays of sun. At last, the great symbol of light shines onto the little group of friends, an incredible sensation of freedom filling them. They can just feel how Maledictum Insania is washed out of their souls and, for the first time in their lives, it feels like they can truly breathe now. As if erased from their minds, all malevolent thoughts are gone in an instant and in their place a feeling of true innocence fills them. Heads turn to Fluttershy and Derpy, seeing as their cloaks simply dissolve into smoke and get washed away by the sunlight. Even the darkness in their eyes gets blown away, revealing their true colors again. Fluttershy immediately lets out a sigh of enormous relief. All of her friends can only imagine how much of a burden the now former reapers is being taken off their shoulders now.

Then, eyes move to the right. Rarity has already collapsed to the ground. The last thing she saw must have probably been the sunlight before her trapped soul instantly became freed of her rotting body, as she has a gentle, happy smile on her face. Even though she asked of her friends to not cry over her, they couldn’t help but have a few tears roll down their faces. But immediately, happy smiles return along with the tears, knowing that she is now finally free of this suffering.

The ponies sit together at the cliff, watching as the sun slowly rises over the world. Not too far away from them, they spot a familiar face. Maud Pie somehow managed to track the group and heard their words. Though she doesn’t seem much different from her usual behavior. She looks down on herself and places her left front hoof on her belly, holding it for a moment before looking back up to the group. She bows to them out of respect and to thank them. The Hunger she was suffering from seems to have vanished now, yet she is still as cold and controlled as she has been all this time. This truly seems to be her real personality. Without saying a word, she simply turns around and walks away, probably returning to her own group and telling them the news.

The sun rises over Equestria, once again bringing a new era. A lot of work is still ahead of them, but it is nothing they wouldn’t be able to manage. Despite all odds. Despite all obstacles and burdens. Despite how impossible it seemed and how much was lost along the way, hope prevails. Equestria is finally free of the curse of madness, the demon war and the bloodshed. The rebuilding of the world can now begin.

The End.