Twilight took a slow, deep breath as she stared at the spirit of chaos before her. They no longer had the elements, the one thing they knew could defeat him. She could hardly believe they were gone. She had tried reaching within herself, tried to find some trace of them. But there was nothing. It was as if they had never existed.

No. Not as if they had never existed. A part of her still felt... hollow. As if they had been torn out. Destroyed. She could still feel a connection with her friends, but there was no longer any magic to support it. Nothing they could wield and use against this enemy. They only had themselves now, against an impossible enemy who defied all explanation. But they couldn't give up, no matter how powerful he was. They had to fight, for all those ponies who depended on them.

Twilight and Rainbow charged forward, flying as fast as they could, their wings beating furiously. The wind parted ahead of them and they struck Discord's face from either side, smashing it flat. It squished down like rubber, quickly bouncing back and sending the two flying away.

“Really? I told you already, there's nothing you can do to hurt me,” he said with a chuckle. “You're just too weak.”

Twilight ignored him and formed an orb of fire over the tip of her horn as she circled back around. She quickly compressed it before sending it spiraling at the spirit. He merely plucked it from the air and tossed it into his mouth, before blowing a small smokey bubble. “Mmm, spicy. Do stop embarrassing yourself. You're nothing more than a minor annoyance.”

The alicorn ignored him again, instead charging forward, her body wrapped in flame as she drove herself into his stomach. She went right through it, shrieking as the flames were extinguished because he had turned to water. He chuckled and crossed his arms. A moment before a confetti cannon went off in the side of his face. He glanced down at Pinkie, who stood there with her cannon on his shoulder. “Et tu, Pinkie?” He dug his finger into his ear, pulling out a long rope of tied colored hoofkerchiefs.

“We're going to beat you!” the pink mare said.

He rolled his eyes and flicked her off with one finger, turning her little cannon into a giant lollipop. He then glanced down at Spike, who was clawing and biting on his tail, while Fluttershy kind of gently stomped on the fur. “Ummm... t-take that! And... and that!”

The spirit sighed, shaking his head. “Now this is just sad.” He gave them both a little flick with his finger, sending them flying back. “There is nothing--”

“Eat this!” Twilight screamed as two massive boulders came from either side, squashing him paper thin. He dribbled out of them like water before reforming. He glared at Applejack and the alicorn.

“You're really starting to get on my nerves. Don't think I won't--”

His words were cut off as water washed over him, freezing him in a large block. Rarity stood in front of a deep hole made by Applejack. “I've got him frozen! Now!”

Twilight flew up into the air, holding out her hooves and forming multiple balls of fire all around her. Sweat formed across her body as she struggled to keep them steady and slowly compress them. Applejack gathered up the dirt, wrapping it around the frozen spirit and compressing it as best she could, holding it steady and trying to keep him trapped. Rainbow flew up as high as she could, chewing on her lower lip before turning back around.

The alicorn sent the balls of fire down as the others scattered. They erupted, shattering the ice and enveloping the spirit. From above, Rainbow turned down and started flying as fast as she could, parting the air ahead of herself.

The smoke turned pink before disappearing. A moment later Rainbow let out a yelp as she was plucked out from the air, Discord starring down at them with annoyance. “A sonic rainboom? In your state? So disappointing. Are you girls quite finished? You're really starting to annoy me.”

Twilight trembled as she stared at the spirit. They couldn't do anything. He was just too powerful. He didn't even look fazed by these attacks, they just bounced off him. Nothing they did mattered. They couldn't win. But they couldn't give up, either. She took off and flew right at him, bending the fire around her body.

His hand turned into a fly swatter and he smacked her down, sending her crashing into the ground so hard she left a crater.

“Twilight!” her friends called out as they ran to the alicorn. She tried to get up, but her body screamed in objection. She didn't think anything was broken, but it still hurt.

“Very well,” Discord said with annoyance as his hand turned back to normal. He reached up to grab Rainbow by the ears, pulling the struggling pegasus back. “If you insist on being such a bother, I'll give you what you so desire. Complete defeat.”

Rainbow let out a scream as his hands began to send out a dark mist and coil around the pegasus' head. She struggled in his grasp, but he held her with ease.

“Don't fight it, Rainbow. In a few moments you'll be a good little min-- oof!” The spirit let out a startled grunt as two pegasi slammed into his stomach, hooves first. He let the blind pegasus go and flew back a few inches, starring at the two Wonderbolts. “What... are you...”

“We're fighting you, too!” Spitfire said, narrowing her eyes. “This is payback for everything you put us through!” She sent out a burst of wind, though the spirit merely lifted his hands and stopped the winds with ease.

Soarin nodded. “This is for almost having me burned alive!” He drove himself forward, hooves out to slam into the spirit. Discord disappeared in a wisp of smoke, before reappearing on the stage.

“Enough! I'm not-- huh?” He looked down at the stage, which was beginning to wrap around him. From the crowds, great boulders shot out and rained down on the spirit, making him raise his hands to shield himself. After a few seconds he disappeared again, appearing in the air. “Enough! I will not--” His words were silenced as lightning struck him from below.

The crowd parted, ponies moving away as the benders hurtled their attacks at the great spirit. Fire, lightning, water, ice, wind, earth, all rained down on the spirit as he flew through the air, waving his hands about and turning the attacks to streamers, confetti, pies, whatever he want. But they kept coming, no end in sight.

Twilight let out a groan as she tried to sit up, her friends around her. “I'm... I'm okay. I just... ow...”

“The buck you are,” a unicorn said as he galloped over. “Hold still. I'm a healer.”

“N-no, I need to... I...” she groaned and closed her eyes. Everything hurt.

“You need to relax,” the stallion said before looking to her friends. “Hold her still, I'll be done in a second.”

Her friends looked around nervously, but relented after a moment. The unicorn gently tapped his horn to her as a gentle, soothing feeling washed over her body. The pain began to leak away. The alicorn jumped to her hooves a moment later. “I'm good! I need to... I...” She stared up at the sky, her eyes widening. Above, the spirit was desperately fending off the attacks. They didn't seem to be doing any harm, but there were just so many of them. She could even make out the Shadowbolts, flying through the air, assaulting him with everything they had. Not that he had any real pressure points they could tell. He was being driven back. “What are they doing? They're going to get hurt!”

“Less hurt than if they do nothing, miss Amethyst,” the unicorn said before he moved away. “Do be careful. A few bruises and soreness are easy to heal. Anything truly broken is far more difficult.” he melted in with the rest of the crowd jumping on the stage.

“R-right, I... wait, Amethyst?” She looked down, but the unicorn was already gone. She shook her head and looked up again. “Girls, come on!”

“Right!” they said.

“Hey!” Spike objected.

“And Spike!” Together, they joined in the assault.

The spirit of chaos struggled against the attacks, driven lower and further back as they kept coming from all sides. Finally he was close enough to the ground and it reached up to swallow him. A second later the ground turned to ice cream and he pulled himself free from it, only to be greeted by shards of ice, fire, lightning and more boulders. Then for a moment it ceased.

Only for Twilight, Rainbow and the other air benders to slam into him from the air, tearing through the spirit. He dissipated into a fine smoke, reappearing on the stage a moment later. “Enough!” He roared. “You are but toys! How dare you--” But he was cut off by more assaults, more attacks. Everypony launched everything they had at him, hitting him with a destructive force never before seen in the world. The combined might of over a million ponies, all working together to protect their homes, their lives and in many cases, their minds.

The spirit disappeared again, reappearing high above in the sky. “THAT'S IT!” He flung out his hands and the ponies disappeared, hundreds of them at a time. After a few moments, only the avatar and her friends remained. He slowly began to lower himself from the sky, his eyes narrowed on Twilight.

She stared back defiant. She was so scared she could barely move, though. Everypony had launched everything they had. More power than she and her friends had ever come close to wielding, hitting him with everything they had. No, a thousand times more power than they could have ever dreamed to wield. And yet, the spirit looked merely angry and flustered, but without a scratch on him. At most he looked a little short of breath. There was nothing they could do but keep fighting. But even she could tell it was hopeless.

But they would. They'd fight until there was nothing left to give. They had too much to lose to not fight. She wrapped herself in flames and threw herself at him.

A large oven mitt formed in the air and wrapped around her. She struggled to get free, but it held her too tightly. Discord appeared in front of her a moment later. “I really didn't mind you. Normally,” he said in an almost pitying tone. “I was more than happy to let you enjoy this new world. You're hardly a threat. Harmony is gone, so you have no more hope.” He poked her forehead with his claw and her eyes began to turn purple. “But you just couldn't stop fighting, could you? Well, fine. If you're going to be so bothersome, I'll make you enjoy--” He flicked out his other hand when her friends tried to rush him, they found themselves suddenly imprisoned in a large cage. “-- my little world.”

Twilight whimpered, shaking her head and trying to pull free as she felt his presence spread over her mind. “We'll... we'll always fight you Discord. All of us. Every pony, everywhere. This is our world and we won't let you take it. Even if you destroy me, more will come.” She tried fighting it off, reaching down within herself to pull out what little strength she had left. She found it. Just a small spark, a hint of what once remained. She grasped it with all her might.

Fire felt like it flowed through her veins, but it repelled the darkness. The spirit pulled back quickly and she spread her wings, shattering the mitt. Her eyes glowed white as she hovered in the air. “NO!” she yelled. “We will not fall! We--” Her eyes flickered to normal for a second. The power threatened to leak away, flowing off like a spilled glass of water. She struggled with all her might to hold onto it, to keep it to her body. “We will not fall!” The glow returned to her eyes and she shot forward, fire enveloping her body.

“You've already lost, just accept it,” Discord said with a chuckle as he dodged around her. “This is my world now.”

“Never!” Twilight screamed. She tried reaching out with everything she had, latching onto whatever fragments remained. It flowed through her body, agonizing. But she had to keep doing it. She had to. Everypony was depending on her.

He smacked her out of the sky, making her slam into the ground. She whimpered, laying there for a few moments as more of the power flowed away. “NO!” She screamed. White light blossomed from her horn, thrusting out at the spirit. He held up his hand to block it, but it pushed through and sent the spirit stumbling back.

“Gah! Give it up!” he snapped.

She slowly got to her hooves. “Never.” She surged forward, the light enveloping her. Discord moved aside, but she flung her horn in his direction, blasting him again. She crashed to the ground, whimpering as the power coursed through her body. It was so weak compared to what they needed. The cooling embers of what had once been a great wild fire. But it was hurting the spirit, that was enough. It would have to be enough. She surged forward again, racing at the spirit. She leaped into the air, the power enveloping her.

Then it was gone. The last drops leaked from her and she was caught in mid air, Discord's tail coiling around her throat and yanking her up like a rag doll. She gripped it with her hooves, her eyes widening.

“I told you. I've won. Your elements are no more.” He put a finger to her forehead. She felt the presence enter her mind again. The small fragments tried to rise up again, but they were too weak and damaged. The avatar state was no more. “I wi...” The words trailed off in his mouth as he looked around. His finger was pulled back and the presence left her mind.

Twilight looked confused, until she saw it. All across the field, small little pieces of dust. Glimmering and shining like tiny little dim stars. Millions of them. They started out as small and dim, but were slowly glowing brighter with every passing second, floating into the air.

Discord took a step back. “No. No no. I've already won. Harmony is dead! There are no more elements!” He turned to Twilight. “You! Enough! This ends now!” He thrust his claw at her face.

The dust turned brilliant white, beams of light shooting between each of them to connect them within an instant. Then the beams shot out to connect with Twilight. She disappeared from his tail, Discord's claw hitting empty air.

The alicorn reappeared on the cage holding her friends. The beams of light spread out from her, enveloping her friends. For a moment she thought it was the elements, but she soon realized that it wasn't. It was something different. Something new. Like a million small hearts beating at once, the power throbbed within her. She could feel it. Every small hope. Every kindness. The desire to fight, to stand against this evil. Every single pony giving her the strength to fight on. The smoldering connection that had allowed the avatar state was still there, still broken.

The elements were just the connection between the six. This was the connection between her and every pony they'd met. Every pony they'd helped on their journey. Every single pony that they had touched, directly or indirectly, with their actions. Over a million strong, each giving a small fragment of their power to help her. Each one rooting for her, giving all they could to help her. This wasn't the elements. It was so much more. The beams of light changed the six, enveloping them and shifting their colors as they began to sparkle. Their cutie marks glimmered as rainbows of color ran over their bodies, the power flowing through them.

Twilight looked up at Discord and, for the first time, she saw fear in his eyes. “You're wrong, Discord,” the alicorn said as she took a step forward. The cage melted under her hooves. “We aren't just toys. We're ponies. Every single one of us have hopes and dreams. Goals. Each of us may be weak alone, but together there is no limit to what we can accomplish.”

“N-no,” he said softly, backing away. “T-the elements are destroyed! I broke them myself! You can't do this! Harmony is gone!”

“The elements may be gone, but our bond is not,” Twilight said before taking to the air, her friends flying besides her in the magic. “You aren't fighting one pony, or six. You're fighting every single one of us across all the nations. We will no longer be yours to play with. You're not strong enough!” She spread out her hooves, the beam of lights raising up from the ground, piercing the sky.

Discord stared for a moment before he turned, running away. But Twilight didn't let him. She thrust out a hoof and the light shot out. It pursued the spirit. “No no no! I won! I'm invincible! I can't--” The beam caught him and enveloped his body. He let out a scream, shaking his head as his body turned to a dark purple cloud. Then, after a few seconds the light purged even that from the world and he was gone.

Twilight stared at the empty space where he had once been, before slowly sinking down to the ground. She and her friends landed on the ground as the light faded. The power was slowly slipping away, but she didn't feel it was needed anymore. Discord was gone, defeated. There wasn't a trace of him anywhere near them.

They'd succeeded. They'd defeated Discord. They'd saved the world. The beams of light from the dust began to fall down and she took a step forward. The power suddenly drained from her all at once and her eyes widened, before she collapsed. The world turned black.