Luminous awoke and rose at the sound of somepony approaching down the corridor and stood over the still-sleeping Applebloom, her horn glowing as she prepared her barrier spell. She relaxed somewhat when Applejack called through the door, “Applebloom?” Applebloom startled awake, knocking Luminous over onto the bed, the earth pony's unnaturally violet mane standing out with magical buildup. Twilight had been gone for weeks, and while the changes hadn't spread, Applebloom was now out of focus crystals to use and had been getting steadily worse and worse headaches from the unreleased magic.

She fixed her red and purple eyes on the door blearily, blinking as the last shreds of sleep fell away, though she didn't respond. “Applebloom,” Applejack tried again through the door, “It's Hearth's Warming Eve, do... Do ya wanna come down an' have dinner with th'rest of us? Scootaloo an' Sweetie Bell are here, they wanted to stop by and say hello but ah figured ah'd ask if you wanted company first.” Applebloom flinched a little as the pain came back from the volume of her sister's voice, then started focusing like Luminous had showed her.

The little unicorn filly had been a tremendous boon to Applebloom, for she never flinched from the earth pony's flares of temper, never complained when she tried to kick her out, never left her side for as long as equinely possible, only making the barest allowances for her own needs. She had made sure Applebloom ate, slept, and was guarded at all times, especially after the incident with the wolf-creature. She even taught the little earth pony how to focus herself and keep the magic contained and controlled, even if they were long out of crystals to store it into.

Still, Luminous never doubted, not for one instant that Twilight would return with the cure for Applebloom. She stood vigil every third night, and prayed to Luna's stars and Celestia's sky that Twilight would return quickly, but she never, ever doubted that she would. Still, Luminous was thinner now, and more muscled from helping around the farm and working with Applebloom, who still tried to fight her sometimes.

Luminous nudged Applebloom lightly once the earth pony had finished her meditation and said softly, “Go, you haven't left this room in days, meeting other ponies would do you good.” Applebloom just curled up again, and Luminous sighed. She grabbed hold of Applebloom's tail firmly and yanked her hard off the bed, causing the filly to yelp as she hit the floor.

“Ow! Luminous stop! I'm not going!” Applebloom protested, struggling to her hooves. Her voice was sharp, crisp, almost like Twilight's, “I don't want to see any of them, I don't want them to see me! Just leave me alone!”

“No,” Luminous said calmly but firmly, as she always did, stepping between Applebloom and the bed, and fixing the older filly with her blue and green stare. “Go down there and see your friends, talk to your family, and enjoy a little pie. When was the last time you had pie, Applebloom?”

“Stop it,” Applebloom grumbled, not quite managing to mask the growl of her stomach.

“Real pie, probably made by your Granny,” Luminous said relentlessly, “Fresh baked, with oatmeal cookies and fresh hay and-”

“Stop it stop it stop it!”

“Applebloom?” A new voice asked, one that made both fillies go silent with sudden shocked recognition, “Open the door please.” Applebloom walked over, past Luminous and rather mechanically opened the door to reveal a battered, exhausted purple unicorn, clad in dark armor and smiling softly at the fillies in the room.

Applebloom leapt for Twilight and hugged her tightly, then backed up a step. She looked eagerly at Twilight's saddlebags, “So... Did you get... Can you cure me now?”

Twilight nodded and turned to her squire, “Luminous,” Luminous snapped to attention, making Twilight smile a little more, “At ease, Luminous, it's Hearth's Warming Eve, not an official inspection.” Luminous flushed and nodded, smiling a little, “Could you get the helmet for me please though? I think Applebloom's been like this long enough.” Luminous nodded eagerly and grabbed the helmet, levitating all the filled crystals over as well. Twilight frowned when she saw them, then shook her head and smiled at Applebloom, who was eagerly strapping on the helmet already.

Twilight slotted the three crystals into the helmet and started adjusting the contraption, which had fallen into a little disrepair in her absence. She tweaked a few settings, bypassed a few circuits, all while Applebloom fidgeted beneath, “Twilight,” she asked uncertainly, “Is... Is it going to hurt?”

Twilight paused, then finished the last circuit and set the device to charging before hunkering down to Applebloom's eye-level and nodding solemnly, “Probably, but it means you'll be you again, and all the power you borrowed from me should pass as well, you'll most likely glow a little, but that should be it.” She tapped the helmet lightly, making it ring, “Now then Applebloom, are you ready to get your soul back in one piece?” Applebloom looked over Twilight's shoulder to where her sister was watching anxiously and stared for a moment.

Applejack was a wreck. She had barely slept it looked like, and deep circles marred the eyes of the orange pony. Her mane was unwashed, and her coat unbrushed, even her hat looked shabby somehow. She had stubbornly insisted on doing her usual work on the farm and keeping her share of the watches, despite the numerous changeling volunteers, while doing the work that Applebloom was unable to. She had thus had found herself without much time for such things as bathing, sleeping or eating, and the end result was that she looked like a sad, greasy haystack.

Applebloom nodded to Twilight, gulping back sudden tears and closed her eyes. Twilight flicked the switches on the helmet, then touched her horn to the surface to avoid arcing, should there be any overflow, which would arc across as a few sparks at most. Twilight hadn't expected anything more than maybe a little static shock, and was unprepared for the vast wave of power that washed over her body and swept through her mind like a hurricane in a small room.

Violet flames covered Twilight's body, ripping apart her illusion of normalcy and showing her true self to the entire room. As Applebloom's coloration flooded back into her, Twilight began to glow brighter and brighter, and a smell of burning paper filled the room. The filled crystals shattered, sending more bolts of purple flame over the unicorn, who twitched spasmodically in the grip of her sudden magical deluge. Applebloom collapsed as the last crystal in the helmet went dark and crumbled, and Twilight stumbled back, her body still alight with magic.

Luminous stared at her mentor's true form, which was both beautiful and terrifying. Twilight's mane and tail were like flame given form, from which smoke shaped like nonsense words trailed off into nothingness. Letters and words flickered through Twilight's mane and tail like fireflies, too quickly to make out, while the shadows around her hooves writhed and crawled like something alive, whispering secrets. She took a step back unconsciously as Twilight looked at her, then slowly forced herself to relax. She tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace from the instinctive fear that was bolting through her.

Twilight closed her eyes and focused. She gradually regained her normalcy, as the fires flashing about her body damped and the awesome power she had felt was safely leashed. Her mane became visible only as hair again, and the shadows no longer seemed to dance so much about her hooves. It was another illusion, albeit an unconscious one, but Twilight was glad of it. Luminous became more relaxed, and Applejack brushed past her to check on Applebloom. “Applebloom,” the blonde farmer said softly, her voice rough with emotion, “Come on Applebloom, wake up.”

“Five more minutes,” Applebloom said sleepily, pushing at her sister with a hoof, only to yelp as Applejack pulled her into a hug, sobbing quietly. She looked like she was about to protest when her memory kicked in, and she hugged her sister back, squealing “Applejack! Is is it over? Am ah cured?!” Applejack didn't answer, she just hugged her sister tight, so the yellow filly looked over at Twilight, who nodded, smiling gently. Applebloom whooped and hugged her sister tighter, causing both of them to fall over into a laughing, crying heap.

Twilight nodded to Luminous and jerked her head discreetly to suggest they both leave, and stepped out herself. The white filly nodded and followed after, trotting up beside Twilight close enough that they were almost touching. Twilight noticed, but said nothing until they were at the guest room, which was still prepared for her. She shucked the armor with her squire's help, and set it aside for cleaning in the morning, still saying nothing. Then turned to the white unicorn filly and smiled, “I asked you to protect Applebloom, to keep watch over her while I was gone and you have done so very very well, I am truly proud to have you as my squire.”

Luminous sniffled a little and sat down. She smiled and tried her best to hide her emotions, “T-Thank you, Dame Sparkle,” she mumbled damply, wiping her mis-matched eyes with the back of her hoof. “I... I know I'm not... Not as strong as you-”

“Nope,” Twilight agreed, smiling to soften the remark, “You're stronger.” Luminous blinked in honest surprise, but Twilight laughed, “Go on, go downstairs and enjoy the festivities, I'm going to wash up before I join everypony, I smell terrible.” She smiled as the little filly scampered downstairs, as eager to join the Hearth's Warming Eve celebration as any filly she'd ever seen. Still, that little filly had had more courage than Twilight had seen in some Royal Guard regiments, to face down a wolf of the Beast with nothing but a shield spell. She was truly a testament to the strength of the pony spirit, Twilight reflected as she built and lit a fire in the fireplace.

Twilight pulled the tin bath out of the closet where it was stored and placed it by the fireplace, which crackled merrily now with refreshingly normal flames. She magically filled the tub, heated it and slipped into the water, sighing in relief as the water washed away her aches, exhaustion and the filth of combat with equal efficaciousness. She paused as she sensed a presence in the room, a magical signature that was as elusive as it was familiar, and gone in an instant. She looked around piercingly, her eyes glowing softly as her magic inspected the room, but she could find nothing. Still, she magically checked the lock on the window before sinking back into her bath and resuming her soak.

“She was bathing!” Luna snarled softly at her giggling sister, “Bathing! Thou art a cruel, perverted nag of a sister, dost thou know that?” Luna was blushing furiously and attempting to keep her voice down in the corner of the Apple dining room to which both sisters had retired. They had arrived without any pomp as soon as Twilight had returned, and had requested that their presence remain a surprise to the purple unicorn. “I cannot believe thou wouldst do that, to thine own student and sister no less,” Luna continued, still flushed with embarrassment, looking around to make sure they weren't overheard, but the party was in full swing and nopony was paying them attention beyond the usual curious looks they attracted.

“Oh please,” Celestia said, smiling and nodding politely to a colt that made eye contact, causing him to bow somewhat awkwardly and hurry away, “You enjoyed it, and besides, you're going to be helping her with the revival of the castle, yes?”

“I hardly see what that has to-”

“Sister, the castle had communal baths, remember? As a way of promoting community spirit?” Celestia reminded her sister, who scowled.

“Then we needs must demolish them, privacy is the norm these days, and thou art forever telling me to adapt to the times,” Luna insisted, blushing and glaring at her older sister, “There is no need to-”

“Demolish an ancient structure from over a thousand years before?” Celestia asked in mock shock, smiling and nodding to another pony who she caught staring, “Twilight would faint with disappointment, as would most of the archaeological community, which you were insistent to form in the first place, if I recall correctly.” Luna was about to respond sharply when Applejack and Applebloom walked down the stairs, laughing and joking with each other. The whole room turned and started applauding, and the Princesses joined their hooves with the tumult.

Applejack and her little sister joined the raucous party, which had been formed in record time by Pinkie Pie. The pink pony had started preparations as soon as the wounded changelings had been carted off to the impromptu changeling infirmary that had been set up in the barn by the volunteering guards. Aqua had followed after Trotter, refusing Pinkie's invitation point-blank, and many of the changelings were still leery of normal ponies, but a few had joined the festivities. The Apples made the new arrivals feel as welcome as any member of the family, and soon changeling and mortal pony alike were dancing and drinking together like old friends.

Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarity arrived about halfway through the night, and the Elements joined the festivities only after being assured by Luminous (between mouthfuls of food) that Twilight was okay, and was only bathing. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy joined in wholeheartedly, while Rarity only socialized enough to be polite and slipped off as soon as she was able.

Twilight walked along through the knee-deep snow between the apple trees, nodding to the changelings she passed and being thoroughly embarrassed when most of them bowed. The few that didn't were generally too stunned to do anything but freeze in place. Twilight hurried along, and started sticking to the shadows to get to her destination quicker and avoid any more embarrassing encounters. It almost worked, too, until she came across a changeling scout camp by the Cutie Mark Crusaders' tree-house, which had served as a watch-tower for those patrolling the orchard. She approached silently paused by the edge of the firelight, listening to the three changelings gossip.

“I almost wish I hadn't left Manehattan for this,” A pegasus said softly, staring up at the stars. He was made of ice it looked like, with a mane and tail of frost and a coat that glittered. His cutie-mark of a hammer seemed somewhat incongruous, but judging by the repair done to the tree-house, it was undeniably appropriate. “I mean, I know Dame Sparkle freed us all but... Are we going to be paying her back forever? Shit like this...”

A tall, slender unicorn mare with a mane of tumbling ashes and a voice like crackling flame snorted, sending up a cloud of sympathetic embers from the fire, “Would you rather have stayed in the care of the Winterhaunt, Icebell?”

The icy pegasus, Icebell, shivered and shot the unicorn an annoyed look, “No, Coaldust, I wouldn't, but I don't see why-”

“Because it was a filly,” the third, a bulky dark earth pony said softly, his voice like a rumble from underground, his eyes glowing like points of green flame, “Imagine the Winterhaunt with his claws on a filly. Making her burn like a torch,” He stared at Coaldust, who broke eye contact, “Or stand for days as an ice sculpture,” Icebell looked away, grimacing. The dark earth pony sighed and looked up, as if consulting the stars.

Minutes passed, then he said softly, “The spirits are restless, they know great change is coming, and Dame Sparkle is at the center of it. If we leave her alone, and work only towards ourselves, the Beast is going to run this country in a few years,” Twilight shivered in her hiding place nearby, “I've heard she's going to be raising a castle, and turning the Everfree back into a civilized place... But I don't think even she can do that, she lost a pony on this mission, and almost lost another,” Twilight winced as the earth pony's somber voice rolled over the little clearing, “She couldn't possibly do it on her own, she has no experience, she needs help.”

“Yes,” Twilight said, thoroughly startling the whole group as she stepped out of hiding, “Yes I do. Oh don't worry about it,” she said quickly to forestall any apologies, waving a hoof as everypony started to bow, “You're right, I need help with this and I haven't been letting others pull their own weight. Marmalade lost his life because I didn't know how to apply his skills correctly.”

“So,” Icebell said, an edge to his voice, “We're just sets of skills to apply then? For your ends? To help you and yours?”

“She didn't say-” the other changelings protested, only to break off as Twilight shook her head, her mane flaring as she began to focus magic.

“Icebell,” Twilight said softly, causing the pegasus' eyes to widen a little, “You are my people. Earth pony, pegasus or unicorn, it doesn't matter, you're family.” She walked forward as she talked, towards the pegasus, who was sitting in front of the tree-house, the others parting for her, “We've all suffered, we've all been changed, and we're all trying our hardest. We need to help each other if we're going to survive, because the Princesses know that darker powers are out there now, and we're the only ones that can fight them.”

Icebell nodded, frowning in thought, “But... Changelings could die, doing this, Dame Sparkle, why should we take more responsibility for ponies that... Well you've seen how some normal ponies react.”

Twilight nodded, “Yes, Icebell, some changelings will die, and yes, we make normal ponies nervous. But that's why we have to protect them.” She gestured to the shadows around the camp, “Ponies are afraid of the unknown, with good reason, but we are the only ones who know what they're up against, and the only ones that can face those things on their home turf. If normal ponies huddle around the fire of the known,” Twilight gestured to the firelight, which cast golden light over the snow, “Then we are the sparks that go out into the darkness and chase it away.”

Icebell and the others nodded, and Twilight smiled, “You know, there's a party going on back at the Apple house, I bet you all would enjoy it.” The changelings looked unsure, but Twilight laughed, “Go on, go socialize, there are other changelings there, it's Hearth's Warming Eve, everypony should be having a good time right now.” She nodded back towards the house, “Besides, I have some business to do out here, and I'd kinda like to be alone,” The changelings smiled a little and bowed once more before walking and flying off, chatting in low voices to each other.

Apparently alone now, Twilight magically dug a deep narrow hole in the frozen earth by the tree-house. She focused, and the map Marmalade had drawn appeared before her, held in her telekinetic grip. She sniffled a little at the sight of it, remembering the hyperactive pegasus' arrow-filled body, Trotter with the bolt in his eye, Trixie's gouged flank and thinking of Sharp Claw, bleeding and broken beneath the blows of the Shadow Reveler's minions.

She gently and carefully encased the map in crystal, then placed it at the bottom of the deep hole before filling it back in. She picked up a rock and was about to put it over the disturbed earth when she heard a hoof crunch through the snow. She set down the stone and turned towards the source of the sound, readying herself in case it turned out to be something dangerous. A shape began to creep forward in the dim light of the moon, crunching through the snow, accompanied now by a chattering noise. “Hello?” Twilight called, her whole body tense as she readied herself for combat, only to relax as the voice of Rarity responded.

“T-T-Twili-ight? Wh-What-t a-are you d-d-doing out h-h-here?” Rarity said between shivers, though she was well wrapped-up in her winter coat. She had apparently been wandering the orchard, looking for Twilight, and was soaking wet, covered in snow and shivering like mad.

Soon, however, Rarity was warming by the fire in a magically conjured cloak, thoroughly dry, and no longer shivering, though her mane was a wet mess. “Oh that's better,” Rarity said gratefully, “Your spellwork is magnificent as always, Twilight. I was sure I would freeze out here before I found you.”

“Thank you Rarity,” Twilight said, smiling a little stiffly, “But... No offense, but what are you doing out here? You could've gotten hurt,”

“I-I know,” Rarity said, breaking eye contact to look into the fire, “But you weren't at the party,”

Twilight blinked, “Well no, I had something to do first,” she nodded to the stone she'd set down, “I would've come by.”

“Would you?” Rarity asked, looking up at Twilight, “You haven't spoken to any of us, or sent any post-”

“That was Trixie's fault,” Twilight put in, to Rarity's surprise, “She'd been stopping my letters. It's a long story,” which it wasn't, but Twilight didn't really want to talk about it just then.

Rarity sighed, “Well that just complicates things then...” She snorted delicately, the white mare blowing a small puff of steam in the chill night air, “As if things weren't complicated enough between us.”

Twilight nodded, and a long silence fell over the little camp by the tree-house. It was tremendously awkward at first, while both ponies recalled the whirlwind relationship and inevitable breakup. Twilight started to say something and stopped, then the campfire filled the silence with its soft mocking hissing. The silence stretched out until the awkwardness became almost unbearable, and Twilight was about to finish her task when she froze at a scent from the air. A great howling went up from the woods around the two ponies, causing Rarity to squeal in fright, “What was that?!”

“Rarity,” Twilight said with surprising calm given the situation, “Stand behind me and face outwards, I think we're surrounded.”

“That you are, my little ponies,” came a hulking voice from the shadows, its tones rough with malice and filled with a feral hunger, “My pack hungers for your flesh, will you deny them?” Twilight coldly blasted a wolf-creature that leapt towards her face from behind one of the snow-covered apple trees. The unfortunate abomination hit the ground with an audible crack, skipped across the snow and came to rest a few yards away, where it thrashed once, then fell still.

“Always.” Twilight said in a low, dangerous tone, “I will always deny them, and their master, the Beast. He is a cowardly, vicious thing, who hides behind the lives of his pack to protect him, and preys upon the innocent. I will not allow that.”

“Not allow?” The voice laughed, and another howl went up through the orchard, “You are just one, little pony, how can you stand against us?”

“With her friends,” Rarity said, looking over her shoulder at Twilight long enough to smile, “Twilight never stands alone, she has me, the other Elements, the Princesses themselves, and all her changeling friends to help her.” She deflected a leaping wolf with a shield spell, sending it into a tree, where it got its head stuck in a knothole, then adjusted her mane absently, “No matter what happens, no matter what Twilight goes up against, her friends will help her, and you cannot stand against that.”

Twilight sniffed once and stepped back to nudge Rarity in mute thanks, but the voice from the shadows merely laughed once, “Cute.” At that moment a wolf-thing that had been sneaking between the trees unnoticed leapt towards Rarity almost point-blank, too close to deflect and too quickly to deal with. Rarity braced herself as the creature seemed to slow down in her sudden adrenaline rush. Then a rainbow flash flickered in front of her, and the creature was suddenly flying backwards through the trees, until it hit a dead one that had missed Applejack's yearly culling. Both the tree and the creature made a horrendous cracking noise, and the tree fell over.

Rainbow Dash glared at the shadows, practically vibrating with rage as she stood next to Rarity and Twilight, “Don't you ever touch my friends, loser!”

“Rainbow!” Twilight and Rarity said in unified surprise, though they maintained their concentration on their surroundings. Twilight looked over at her blue-coated friend, whose magenta eyes were like flickering orbs of pure righteous fury, “How did you find us here?”

“Blackboard,” Came a new voice from above. The three ponies looked up as Fluttershy floated down, looking frightened, but determined, “He, um, said that you would be needing help, and so we asked around and found those changelings you sent back to the party.”

“Yeah!” Came the excited voice of Pinkie Pie as she entered the circle of firelight from the direction of the house, “And we were all, 'Wha?' and he was all, 'Uh huh,' and so we went all 'Zoom!' and came out here!”

“And,” Applejack's voice added from the shadows, her distinctive drawl immensely reassuring to Twilight, “Ah said ah'd be darned if ah'd let all of y'all go alone,” She stepped up to Twilight and nuzzled her in a friendly manner, “Ah ain't about to let the pony who's done so much for the Apples fight a one-sided battle like this,”

Twilight blinked at her friend, “What... What do you mean? What did you do?”

Applejack winked at her friend as the howling rose again, and broke off with a tremendous explosion of darkness off in the distance, “Evened the odds. Turned out the Princesses were at our little shindig, waiting for you, and when we said you had slipped off and were in danger...”

A brilliant light burst overhead, that made the dozen or so wolves attempting to sneak up and flank the group yelp in sudden painful revelation, “We came as swiftly as we were able,” Princess Celestia descended from the winter sky, looking radiant and terrible as she hovered over the clearing. She glared out at the wolves in the forest, which were attempting unsuccessfully to cover their eyes, “My sister Luna leads the counter-offensive, Beast, which consists of over three hundred changelings and the entire Apple family clan. You would do well to flee back to your hole before all your pack members are lost.”

The Beast's voice snarled from the shadows, “I bested Luna once, I can best her again, Lady of the False Dawn,”

Celestia's eyes narrowed, while the Elements gasped below, “You... You sent the Nightmare into my sister. You twisted her and made her a mockery of ponykind, and for what?”

“Chaos, disorder, fear, all those things that make you ponies ripe for the hunt.” The Beast's voice returned, while the sounds of battle filled the orchard. “You will all die, and my pack will feast, feast upon your flesh and bones.”

“Nah,” Applejack said, remarkably calmly, “On account of we defeated the Nightmare, and then we defeated Discord, the spirit of chaos itself, an' ah reckon yer nothin' but a vulture. Mah cousin deals with those every day.”

“That's right!” Pinkie added, scowling at the darkness, “And none of those meanies could keep us from stopping them, 'cause we're the Elements of Harmony!”

“Yeah!” Dash added, lifting her chin defiantly, “So just buzz off to wherever you came from, Beast, and if you ever come to Equestria again, I'll buck you myself!”

“And if you ever harm one of our friends,” Fluttershy said, her gaze flicking to Applejack, then to Twilight, then to the darkness beyond with an iron glint in her eye, “We'll make sure you're stopped, forever.”

“FOREVER!” Pinkie added, causing the others to jump.

The voice of the Beast faltered for a moment, as the howl of the pack rose with a more desperate tone, “You... This is not over, food, you will pay for defying the will of the Beast!” With that, the wolves ran off, and a great cheer rang through the forest. The Beast was banished from the Apple family orchard, and, best of all, nopony had been seriously hurt.

Twilight started casting on the stone she'd selected, surrounded by her friends and squire, and flanked by the princesses on either side. Celestia had asked that Luna not be told about the Beast being the source of her madness, as it would no doubt only distress her further. Luna however was still flushed with victory, and had reported that the wolves had been driven back with no pony casualties beyond a single broken rib from a pegasus hitting a tree. It was impressive, even if it wasn't terribly surprising for those familiar with the formidable combat spells common in Luna's age. The alicorn had been a royal terror to the pack, and several of the changelings personally owed their lives to her.

Twilight felt the ponies, mortal and changeling alike, watching from between the trees, and even saw one or two torches being levitated. She was honestly too tired to care, she just finished casting the spell on the stone and set it gently over where she'd buried the map before stepping back to admire her work. Upon the stone glowed a golden lightning bolt cutie mark, and below it an inscription now read:

A little simple perhaps, Twilight thought, but it got the job done. She turned to face her friends, slumping a little against her squire as her strength failed her for a moment. Luminous supported her mentor loyally, allowing her to speak freely, her voice soft but resonant, echoing out between the trees as surely as an Ursa Major's roar, “My friends, it has been a hard few months, for all of us. Disappearances, murders, impersonations, all the terrible things we've seen... It's enough to make me weep.” Twilight snorted softly, “I have wept, in fact, but the time for tears has passed. I need to go, I have lands to manage, and a castle to rebuild but you are all welcome, to visit, to help, to do whatever it is you want to, but the truth is...”

Twilight sighed, “The truth is... I haven't been very good to you, and I know,” she said, cutting off Applejack's protest, “I know I've not been well in the head, and certain circumstances kept me from staying in touch with you, but it doesn't excuse me. All I can do is ask for your forgiveness.”

“Twilight,” Applejack said, stepping forward, “Of course yer forgiven, that's what friends do. You'd be forgiven even if you hadn't saved Applebloom twice like y'did.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie added, “It's okay if you'd been through a lot and didn't know how to talk to us, and even then somepony stopped your letters. That's not your fault!”

“Not coming to us in person is though,” Dash said, frowning a little, and making the others shoot her a shocked look, “But it's cool, so long as you don't do it again. I don't want to lose you, Twi', so stop with the whole staying away from everypony thing and all these solo missions.”

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy put in, flinching automatically as Twilight turned her attention to her, “I mean, um... You should always feel like you can talk to us about anything, and if we can help, we will, if... If that's alright.” Fluttershy faltered for a minute, then smiled, “But I forgive you, I know it takes a long time to get over what you went through, and besides, it wasn't all you,”

The group turned to Rarity, who sighed, “I... I have no place to judge, Twilight, and as you know I've already forgiven you for your silence. I... I suppose I should be asking for your forgiveness actually, given what's happened between us,” she looked around at the others, who looked surprised, “You haven't told them?”

Twilight shook her head and smiled, “It was between us, Rarity. And I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me for not talking to you about it sooner.” Rarity nodded, relaxing and smiling herself. Twilight raised her voice and addressed the orchard, unconsciously pouring power into her tone to spread it like wildfire between the trees, “We all have a lot to discuss, and come spring, I'll be starting work on the castle. Everypony is invited, especially the changelings, but until I start...” She lowered her tone and turned to address Princess Celestia, “Princess, would it be alright if I stayed in my old room for the days until the start of spring?” At Celestia's smile and nod, she turned to Princess Luna, “Princess, would it be alright if I stayed the nights until the start of spring?” Princess Luna blinked in surprise, but nodded.

Twilight turned back to face the fire and raised her voice once more, her body limned in fire as she stretched the sound of her voice to the fringes of the Apple family orchard, “Then if anyone, changeling or otherwise, wants to speak with me, you can find me in Canterlot. Just ask at the gate or send me a letter. I'd be more than happy to listen and talk with you, and help in any way I can, as is a Knight Protector's right and duty. Come spring, you'll find me in the Everfree Forest, building a home for those of us who have come back and found ourselves without one!” A raucous cheer filled the large orchard, which sounded a little fuzzy to Twilight as she unconsciously released the amplification spell. She caught a glimpse of a smiling fox up in one of the trees just before she passed out from emotional and physical exhaustion.

It was some time before she came around again, long enough for the trip back to Canterlot. When she did finally awaken, Twilight and her friends had themselves their own little Hearth's Warming Eve, right there in her room in Canterlot. It was one of the most welcome diversions Twilight had had in a long time, and lasted well into the new day.