The final battle begins, as Midnight, still holding Raindrop in her claw, stamps her front hooves into the ground. The stony floor begins to rumble, with only the pegasi and alicorns able to hover over the earthquake and fight.

“Twilight,” Celestia commands, “Now!” In a split second, the empress’ claws burst open and launch the No-Pony into the air.

“No fair!” Empress Midnight mutters, still standing on the unstable floor. As Raindrop begins to fall back down, she’s rescued by a white aura plucking her from the air.

“I got you!”

“Celestia!” Raindrop cheers as she slowly gravitates towards the two pale alicorns pulling her in. Twilight, still locking her magical grip on the robot arm, slams it into the ground, sending Midnight head-first into the craggy stonework. The pegasi, Rainbow Dash, Borris, and Fluttershy, join in and dive bomb onto the empress’ backside, with the medic hovering away from the fight politely asking,

“Uh, girls, do you mind, taking it a, a little easy on her?”

“Easy?!” Rainbow exclaims in confusion, “What the hay do you mean, it’s Empress Midnight. Even our Fluttershy’s wants a piece of her.”

“Well, it’s difficult to explain, but,” But before the yellow pegasus could finish, the black monster quickly regained her standing and uses her other robotic hand to backhand the ponies above her knocking them into the ceiling. Twilight tries to get a hold of the other arm, but Midnight’s resistance is too powerful for the purple alicorn to control both arms. The wobbling of the castle settles down and the Earth Ponies and unicorns soon regain their footing. The Rarities and Gruncle Boris’ blast tiny purple and dark rays of magic at their target, exploding upon impact. The empress roars in pain before opening her wing shields, deflecting the small rays back at the unicorns. The Applejacks quickly respond by running up to the distracted Midnight and bucking her in the helmet, taking turns. “Please, don’t be so brutal on her!”

“Why’s that?” Raindrop chirps, now being cradled in the arms of her adopted mother.

“I can’t tell you, but the reason is perfectly reasonable.”

“What in Equestria-AH!” Rarity screams as a bolt of deflected magic charges at her head. She ducks just before the loose deflected ray swishes over her head. Rarity then looks to her side to see Boris looking more distressed than normal, despite his swift dodging of his own magic.

“Borris knows.” The young stallion winces upon hearing that, but regains his calm and hastily replies,

“Another time Flutter…” The Pinkie Pies join in the fight, leaping over everypony and onto Midnight’s back. They then proceed to hop up and down repeatedly onto the back armour, although not doing any significant damage; they are greatly putting dents in Midnight’s pride.

“I guess that’s softer…” Now incredibly angered, the empress delivers another screaming roar as she raises her head from the back and tries to look and see where the Pinkies are at, only to be met with a metal fist in her face. This was Twilight’s doing, as she pulls the arm back and sends another punch into the face. Soon followed by another punch, and another, all along to Twilight chanting,

“Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?”

“Twilight, do you know what you’re doing?”

“Yeah I do,” Twilight proceeds to finish the sentence by pounding Midnight on each word, “Giving! Her! A! Piece! Of! The! Other! Possibility!”

“Do you even know who you’re punching?”

“Yes! I! Do! I! Know! Who! Empress! Midnight! Is!”

“Are you going to keep doing that?”

“Yes! I! Am! She! Deserves! This! Her! Betrayal! Will! Not! Go! Unpunished!” At this point, Midnight has enough of it. Time begins to slow down in her perspective with the living snot being beaten out of her. The repeated punching of her own arm, the pegasi tugging at her other claw, the bright lights emit from the unicorns to her far left, the two orange ponies kicking her chestplate, the pitter patter of the pink mares on her backside, the alicorns, Spike, and Raindrop taunting and cheering in the distance behind Twilight, all turned into a slow blur as Midnight’s eyes grow heavy and close.

I can’t go on… The empress thinks to herself, they’re too strong.

No! A deep booming voice emanates in her mind from her chest, they betrayed you! Look at the mercilessness they are giving you, all under the leadership of the pesky princesses…

I caused this to myself thou-

You are not Twilight Sparkle anymore… You are not limited, you are a god!

“That’s right…” Midnight mumbles, just before the final and most powerful punch is delivered right into the cheek, smashing off Midnight’s helmet in the process. Sheets and shards of black metal rain onto the cracks of the ground and tattered rug as ponies gasp upon seeing the purple face of the empress.

“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash stutters just after stopping her dive several inches above Midnight’s head.

“That’s right, it’s me, the other Twilight. Glad to finally meet me?”

“B-b-b-but how? Why?”

“Why don’t you ask, your ‘friends’, surely they know by the sounds of Fluttershy in the back corner.” Slowly, the rainbow-mane pegasus looks down towards Marshal Apple looking up at the frightened pony,

“Did you know?” At first, the mare’s only response was a wince, but soon, it was followed by Apple closing her eyes in shame, and giving a soft nod, followed by the other three alternate versions of the once six friends and Boris. “Why did you keep this hidden from us?”

“The answer, though basic, is a very big one.”

“What is it?” Fluttershy nervously asks before flying off of the claws she was gnawing at.

“What I thought were my friends were really my enemies, living in fear of me. I was a princess, ready to uphold responsibility to Equestria, but did I ever received the attention I deserved? No, the others just had to keep all the power to themselves and leaving me on Friendship Patrol.”

“Twilight,” The Luna of her world protests, “we were wait for the right moment to make sure you were truly ready. Being a princess is a lot of-”

“Don’t give me that time garbage, we all know too well when you wanted a little extra from your title.”

“That was in the past…”

“This whole me thing has happened before, all under the control and manipulation of the real ring leader, Celestia. Did my friends support me during my time? No, all they said was to be patient, sound similar anypony?”

“It’s true!” Twilight shouts, “if you hadn’t went on your little age trek, you could’ve defeated Tirek and actually upheld the responsibility of holding all of the alicorn magic.”

“And then what? Live my life as a supporter to an unjust system? Look at the mercilessness you and these others have brought against me. I know inside each and every single one of you, there is a rage, a rage against the princesses. You know that what I’m saying is true. Celestia has not been benefiting you into this world; she has been holding back your true potential.”

“Don’t give us that Midnight!” The other Rarity hollers, slowly walking around the fallen helmet and staring right into her red eyes before continuing, “Your trap will not work this time.”

“Why would they listen to you? Traitor…”

“You’re right, I did betray my friends, because I was deceived by a pony that was so lost and confused from that one incident, all she wanted was somepony to support her. You had a rough night and decided to practice your magic with the Alicorn Amulet, and made a big mistake. Twilight, I know that you sometimes think we won’t forgive you for the destruction you accidently caused. But I know you Twilight, and I and the others would’ve forgiven you. But you ran away instead, letting your loneliness and fear take over you.”

“You think that berating me will get you support and justification for your actions?”

“Look who’s calling the kettle black!” Marshal Apple jeers, now next to the princesses along with the Earth Ponies.

“Put a horseshoe in it…”

“The thing is,” the white mare continues, “you came back to Equestria as Empress Midnight. You say that it’s liberation from a false leadership. When in reality, it’s just you trying to get rid of the sorrow by destroying whatever evidence would’ve proven you’re mentality wrong. I used to think that as well when I joined you. I wanted to get rid of my sorrow for the loss of my friend and home by blaming it on my friends. I fell for your conceiving trust since I thought my friends you never accept me after my considerations of joining you. I too was so lost in regret and fear, that I turned to the closest friend I had, you.”

“You’re point being?”

“The point is my true friends have accepted me back, despite my horrible actions. If you are still our friend somewhere inside that hulking piece of machinery, we’ll forgive you for everything.”

“Pfff, lies…”

“No my Twilight,” the alternate Princess Celestia protest as she makes her way down the long hallway and around Ex-Marshal Rarity and Twilight, with the other ponies having already run back with the others by the throne. “I know you made a mistake, and the crimes you have committed are outrageous because of this. But I know, this is the work of that dreadful Alicorn Amulet on your chest. I am not angry at you, not anymore. I see now that you are scared, and I’m willing to give your confidence once more.” Soon, only the thundering cracks of the rainstorm outside created any noise as the ponies inside the decrepit castle watch in silence as the caring purple eyes of Celestia stare at the sharp red pupils of her once-student. Twilight relieves the grip of Midnight’s claw, causing it to slowly glide softly to a patch of ragged carpet against a wall of the chamber. She and her unicorn partner then make their way to the others and partake holding in their breathe as the choice was to be made. After a minute of absolute stillness, Twilight looks around to see them all frozen, not blinking, with their jaws slightly open.

“You have a point…” Twilight then whips her head back forward to see Midnight slowly circling the still image of the princess. “I could be forgiven of my actions and everything could go back to normal. But what would the ponies think of me after all is repaired? Will they see Twilight Sparkle, a fair alicorn princess of harmony and friendship? Or would they see a monster that destroyed the lives of many? I have simply gone too far to truly been seen as I was. My wings that I swapped with a bunch of mountain ponies, are permanent. My red eyes after so much time attached to the Alicorn Amulets, are permanent. The lost souls of stallions, mares, and children for my new empire, are permanent. So what’s the point of going back, when everything continues to move forward? Wouldn’t you say Twilight?” A deep gulp could be heard from the small alicorn’s body as she nervously replies,

“Well, friendship is all about forgiveness, and if you make friends, show them you are not a monster…”

“No one will ever want to be friends with me, and neither with you.”

“Why?”

“Think about it, this whole destructiveness of the Equestria these idiots still cling to is all of my doing. You are me, just with a small turn of events. They’ll fear you Twilight and try to get rid of you as you and your malicious friends have attempted upon me.”

“But I am not you, you are merely a possibility,”

“A possibility that can be triggered by one, tiny, event…”

“Such as?”

“Well, just ask the ponies who have caused this.” Twilight looks back and see her great uncle as well as Boris, unaffected by Midnight’s hallucination spell.

“Boris?” Her great uncle winces at the calling of his name, followed by Borris nodding his head down in shame.

“Your precious Gruncle Boris created the Alicorn Amulet, turning me into Empress Midnight.”

“I didn’t mean to do it,” Boris replies, “I only did it for the best of intentions, for you.”

“And Borris Thunder, who was one of my most efficient Morks, wiping out most of the resistance. And yet, even after making ‘friends’ and joining the RAEM, the others still treat him as a threat. Isn’t that right?” The grey pegasus doesn’t respond, knowing that Midnight was telling the truth.

“What we did only set up the dominoes of your downfall, you were the one to knock them over.”

“Quiet you old goat, and take witness to your final sights of the alicorn you once called Twilight.” With Midnight’s left arm still in a hold, she reaches out with her right and grabs a small silver bell lying on the floor. She rings it, and the tingling echo of the small instrument vibrated through the entire palace.

“What was that?” Twilight asks.

“In just a couple of seconds, my new armour will enter this throne room and you shall see your full potential Twilight. Strike down the stallion who was torn your sister and your grandfather away from you, the one who turned what you thought you loved against you by his own desires, do it. And then you shall join me, as we create the perfect multi-world order, by my side.” The clanging of metal soon pierced the silence of the throne room as Jack and his three other friends carry the hunk of armour by the legs. “You have until 20. 1,” Twilight, having not broken her glance at her gruncle, slowly walks towards him.

“Twilight,” the unicorn nervously stampers, “you aren’t going to do this, are you?”

“2,” Twilight’s telekinesis breaks grip, allowing Midnight to move freely.

“I’m your obscure relative; it’s in the blood,”

“3,” The empress then hoists herself up on her two arms and walks over the collection of ponies, heading for her fallen chair.

“I’m sorry I hid the information of your sister, but I did it to protect you and her, I said it in the dungeon!”

“4,” Midnight then lifts the two amulets with her magic and walks back over to her initial position.

“I’m sorry that your grandfather died, I tried my best to revert the damage, but I couldn’t!”

“5,” At this point, Twilight was a mere meter away from the black pony, being able to clearly see the sweat on his face.

“Don’t do this!” The Borris shouts, “you’re better than-” He is cut short by Midnight blasting a beam at him, zipping over his mane and blasting a stone column behind him.

“6,”

“You don’t have to be Midnight!”

“7. Let me fix that trap of yours!” Midnight then proceeds to lift the pegasus’ body in one of her claws. With him squirming between the metal blades, she uses her other fist to press down on the helmet he was still wearing. “8, 9, 10, 11, 12”

“No! Not again!” Borris screams in pain and agony, but Midnight didn’t care. Twilight and Boris both turn to watch in horror as their friend once again undergoes the transformation into a Mork.

“13,” The brightly coloured armoured pony stops screaming as Midnight lets go of her grip, dropping him onto the stone floor with a sharp thud. “14,”

“…” Twilight and Gruncle Boris then meet eyes again, the mare’s filled with anger and sorrow, and the stallion’s filled with fear and regret.

“15,”

“I’m so sorry Twilight,” the unicorn begins to sob, “I do deserve this,”

“16,”

“I’m a liar, a secret keeper, a destructive relative, even a disloyal pony to the royal throne at this point,”

“17,”

“Please, just make it quick,”

“18,” Twilight then takes a couples of steps forward, her stare remaining unbroken on her great uncle’s sealed, tearing eyes. She slowly lowers her head down, with her horn aimed directly onto his head.

“I’m sorry…”

“19,” The tensions build drastically as Twilight’s short horn glows purple, the four prisoners practically chomping at their own and each other’s hooves. Borris was stone cold on the ground and Midnight watched, with the two pendants still floating next to her. The storm outside grew ravenous, causing massive drafts to sweep through the smashed windows. In a hushed whisper, Twilight speaks into Boris’ droopy ear,

“I forgive you…”

“Twenty, time’s u-” A loud bang and bright light fill the room, the ponies not knowing what just happened in that split-second Midnight was cut off. The light dies as soon as it appeared and the stallions see Twilight’s horn, slightly red and smoking, her head facing towards Midnight. Jack, Atlas, Dan, and Aaron look to their right to see Midnight, flipped onto her back with smoke fuming off her entire body.

“I have made my choice, and even if what you say is true, I do what I know is right.”

“You…” Midnight groans, flailing her hooves in the air, “just made me VERY angry.” A red flash flickers from Midnight as she teleports out of her suit. Her body, though retaining its purple fur and original size of Twilight, was covered in red marks and bruises, with several bulbous inflammations scarred across her back and cutie mark, and the replacement wings were still attached to her. The collection of black armour falls with a loud clank as Midnight walks towards her new suit on the floor. Her arms reach over and position the armour on its four legs. Twilight and Boris gawk at the massive hunk of hardware, with long thin spikes protruding from all across the main body. The helmet, with one horn similar to the shape of Midnight’s original horn, plus two, scaled, bent, demon-horns spiking up from the ear areas. A large, spiked tiara with fractal holes grooved across it, positioned right in front of the main horn.  The metal boots, linked to the main armour with chainmail, are built with three arched spikes over the front with several plated layers scaled underneath the arches. Empress Midnight teleports herself into the new combat suit with her arms poking out from under spiked flaps on the main body.

“You like it, miss?” Atlas nervously asks.

“Yes, and after I’m dealt with Twilight, I’m going to get you four as well,”

“WHAT! Why?”

“Because I hate you,”

“Oh…”

“Now, it is time to bring this war to an end!” The curved horned front of her new chestplate opens, revealing two input slots for the amulets.

“Don’t do it!” Boris protests, “do you know what two Alicorn Amulets might do to your body?”

“Give me enough power to do whatever I want…” At that moment, Midnight slammed the two pendants into the slots and closed the chestplate shut. Upon doing so, a ghastly scream rippled across Midnight’s body, and a black expansive glow cloaked her entire body.

“Oh no, this can’t be good…” The sounds of metal, bone, and flesh, snapping and stretching could be heard from the glow as the robotic arms begin to flail aimlessly. “Get out of here you four, now!” The four stallions listen to Gruncle Boris’ demands and quickly run out of the room. Suddenly, a loud clang rattles throughout the entire area surrounding the castle, as the shadows of Midnight show the two arms splitting into six identical arms of the original two. Midnight laughs manically inside the chaos as her body begins to grow into double the size of that of Twilight’s, excluding the tiny size increase the suit gives her.

“SO, MUCH, POWER!” A wave of black energy and light bathe the throne room, blinding the only two remaining ponies still awake. After a minute of pitch black and ear-deafening noises, the chaos slowly dies down. Twilight and Boris’ eyes readjust to see the upgraded Midnight. Double her original size, twice as many spikes she had on her body armour, and six, massive metal arms to serve her, the two relatives enter complete shock at the sight of this transformation.

“Is that…”

“I knew this moment was going to come from one of you Twilights, but I would’ve never expected you to be so stubborn.  Now, I’m going to destroy you, and everypony else that stands in my way with this ultimate power. Prepare to die!”

But before Midnight can make her first move after the nightmarish transformation, a large, silvery metal body slashes into the throne room, taking the floor out with its protruding bladed spines. Twilight, Boris, Borris, and the other ponies are dropped onto the unknown object as it flies out of the collision leaving Midnight inside the crumbling chamber. Rocks run over the platform of the mysterious object and tumble off the sides into the storm around it. Twilight regains her hoofing and realizes this is the robot Spike’s body, before being greeted by Gruncle Boris, still confused on what just happened.

“Where are we?”

“I think we’re on Mecha Spike’s body!” Twilight shouts over the falling structure of the castle still on the flying dragon.

“You’re right!” Another voice hollers, Twilight turns around to the front and sees two small baby dragons, surrounded by a whole collection of mares wearing platinum armour and stallions wearing Mork armour without their helmets.

“Two Spikes?!”