Solaris just stood there, frozen in shock, jaw dropped, staring at his mother. He knew what she looked like, always keeping a picture of him with her as a newborn in his room back in the cave he grew up in. After only just receiving news a couple days ago that she was already dead was bad enough, but now there she was, standing before her, smiling at him like she was proud of an accomplishment he made on his own. He was speechless, dumbfounded, confused, happy, angry, baffled, and so on, his brain hurting from the unbelievable circumstance of seeing his dead mother was alive.

The alicorn slapped himself in the face, wincing as he made the bruises on his face worsen. She was still there, so he wasn't dreaming, or maybe he was having a dream, but it was so lucid that pain did exist and his subconscious is messing with him. Twilight knew her son was really confused, understanding his reasons. While he was still trying to "wake up", she walked up to him, hoping he could give him the answers he needs.

"Solaris, are you ok?" she asked.

"Ok? OK!? AM I OK!?" Solaris shouted, his emotions cluttering with his head, forcing him to go into another panic attack. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

"Solaris, calm down." Twilight gently pulled her son into a hug, gently easing him to keep him from hyperventilating. Solaris's head rested against her chest, hearing her heartbeat, really alive despite having the halo over her head. "It's ok. It's really me."

He began to calm down, his ears twitching in time with her beating heart. He read that foals were always calm when they hear the sound of their mother's heartbeat, but he remembered how it felt and sounded after fifteen years. It was like he was a foal again, being held in her hooves, sleeping soundly as his little head was resting against her soft chest, her heartbeat a calming metronome. Tears welled up in his eyes, finally believing that this was real, his mother was actually holding him, comforting him. He wrapped his hooves around her, burying his face in her chest as his tears fell, never wanting to let her go.

They stayed like this for a while, neither wanting to let this moment end. Twilight, unfortunately, had to, gently pulling him away.

"You've grown so much, sweetheart," she said, gently drying Solaris's tears away. "And you're really strong."

"I-I can't believe it's really you, mom," Solaris said. "I never thought I would ever see you." He looked up at his mother, his eyes resting on the halo floating above her. His heart sank when he realized that it was a once in a lifetime chance with the golden ring reminding him she was dead. "...And after this, I'll never see you again."

"I'm really sorry, Solaris." Twilight gently draped a wing around the teen, gently leading him back to the Tree of Harmony. "I know you have a lot of questions, but I can't answer every single one. I don't have much time left before I have to go back to Paradise."

"Oh..." Solaris said, already knowing this meeting wouldn't last for long.

"Spike had told me a few hours ago what had happened to him." Solaris tensed up, feeling guilty for the horrible event that had taken place. Knowing his uncle was up there and spoke to his mother made him feel like a terrible nephew. "Don't worry. He's not mad at you. After watching you from above for so many years, I blame myself for not being there for you. If you had found out what happened to me when you were little, you might have suffered a very dangerous magical surge from your overwhelmed emotions, possibly killing yourself with the power you have inside you.

"I really wanted to help you, but I only had one chance to come back, and it was to prove your strength in your first test. It's a rare privilege to have this opportunity for those who have died or passed on: a physical body, to become as young as they wish to be, even holding the same magical or physical strength they had when they were alive, all on a very strict time limit." They both sat in front of the tree, Twilight looking up at the halo above her. "Kind of makes it obvious for anyone who sees me and catch this to know that I'm some kind of angel sent from the heavens."

"Do you always have that?" Solaris asked.

"Yeah." Twilight moved her head around, the halo still hovering a couple inches over her and moving along with her. "You get used to it after a while. I still can't believe how strongly you fought. And using fire inherited by Spike? It's exactly how dragons raised by ponies can inherit magical properties in time, but in reverse."

"But, he didn't inherit anything to me," Solaris said. "After he transported me to the Everfree Forest, I just...somehow breathed fire."

"Being an alicorn, you could learn magic a lot more quickly than a regular unicorn," Twilight explained. "Like when you manipulated your new fire into your hooves, you learn how to use it quickly, even without much knowledge of your new skills. After being transported, the magic within Spike's fire must have been absorbed into your body, which I had to scold him on because he had never transported anything alive."

"...That explains why." Solaris rubbed his stomach, still finding it weird he could always feel it in his gut when he needed to use it. "Not sure I want to eat anything spicy for a long while."

Twilight laughed, rustling Solaris's mane. Solaris would eventually get used to his new fire abilities in time, along with this strange light power he randomly used twice in one day.

"Now, I think it's time I give you something for succeeding against my trial." Twilight pressed her hoof against the Tree of Harmony, her horn glowing as she fired a beam of magic into the Element of Harmony, causing it and the rest of the Elements to glow. They each shot out a beam of magic at Solaris, the teen shutting his eyes as the light grew too intense to see. As soon as the lights dimmed down, he felt something odd around his hooves. When he opened them, his eyes widened as he was now wearing a pair of gold gauntlets on his forehooves. "These special gauntlets will help increase your fighting strength, completely indestructible and able to block any weapon or spell that comes your way."

Solaris examined his new armor, feeling really comfortable to wear and not as heavy as he expected. Circling around the gauntlets, they each had three gems colored exactly like the Elements of Harmony: red, blue, and purple on the left, pink, orange, and lavender on the right. He could even feel his strength increasing as he wore them. Deciding to test it out, he aimed away from the tree and Twilight, thrusting his fist out to shoot a burst of fire. This one was a lot more powerful and spread out wider, nearly knocking him back a bit at the force it unleashed.

"Whoa..." Solaris stretched out his leg, almost feeling it pop off his shoulder after testing it out. "I better train with these for a while."

Twilight's ears perked up, looking up at her halo, which began to blink. She knew what it meant, knowing Solaris wouldn't like it.

"Solaris, my time is almost up," she said.

"What?" Solaris turned to face his mother, unaware of the blinking halo. "Now? But I don't want you to leave yet! There's so many things I want to ask!"

"I know, hon. I did tell you that I wouldn't have enough time." Solaris immediately rammed into Twilight, wrapping his hooves around her tightly. She wrapped hers around him, nuzzling his head, feeling his tears staining her coat again. "I know you don't want me to leave you again, but I don't have a choice."

"I don't know what to do, mom." His grip tightened, afraid to lose her. "I can't do this by myself."

"You're not alone." Twilight gently kissed Solaris's forehead, pulling him closer. Tears began to fall from her eyes, but they were of sadness, not happiness. "My friends will help you on your journey. But remember what I said earlier, Solaris; after each trial you complete, you will suffer." She held him tighter, knowing his life would be more tragic than it has today. "You will have to live through the pain you will experience, but always remember that you mustn't give up hope. You must keep fighting, no matter what the cost. Do you understand?"

Solaris nodded into his mother's chest, feeling her body slowly begin to disappear. "I understand, mom. I'll do everything I can to stop Lucifer and avenge you, the princesses, and Uncle Spike."

"Thank you." Twilight could see her hooves begin to disappear, begging for a few more seconds to say goodbye to her child. "I love you so much, Solaris."

"I love you too, mom." Solaris felt his hooves slip as Twilight grew intangible to feel her body, looking at her in sadness as she began to float up into the air.

"Remember, I'll always be watching over you, my little foal." Twilight was barely able to be seen, her body being engulfed by light. "Goodbye."

The light had finally consumed her, the orb flying up until it phased through the cavern's ceiling, the lavender alicorn returning back to the heavens above, where she belongs. Solaris stared at where the orb disappeared to, leaving him along with the Tree of Harmony. He felt he had finally gotten some closure with his mother, even if it was for a short amount of time.

"Goodbye..." He wiped away his tears, feeling confident enough to fulfill his destiny, brave enough to complete his remaining tests and save Equestria. "I'll make you proud, mom. I won't let you, my family, and all of Equestria down."

Solaris headed back to the campsite, feeling very exhausted and still very tired. The sun hadn't come up yet, still very early in the morning, and he couldn't wait to get back to sleep. As he approached the tent, he could hear Trill still snoring away inside, quietly entering and laying down in his spot. He took off his gauntlets, laying them beside his saddlebags. As soon as he laid his head down, he immediately fell to sleep, really fatigued after fighting five apparitions of his aunts and his mother.

Canterlot Castle was a lot more dreary and terrifying when one walks through the halls inside. One might think it's a sort of theme, always Nightmare Night every single day, but the castle is littered with the corpses of those who attempted to assassinate Lucifer, the disturbing stench of blood permeating the air, and a chilling air that would make anypony without a weak heart want to flee from possible poltergeists of the king's victims. Only the Shadow Knights were brave enough to walk through the corridors, already used to the horrid smell and not caring about a soul, especially the youngest of the bunch.

One such mercenary walked through these halls, looking at the bodies littered everywhere, wishing that the place could be tidied a little bit. At least his helmet was able to filter clean air if he was ever in a room filled with smoke or poisonous fumes. Zero made his way to the throne room, finding his ruler sitting upon his royal seat, swirling a goblet of red wine in his aura, staring out at nothing. The mercenary approached the king, bowing before him.

"Your Highness, more unfortunate news from Cloudsdale." The soldier stood up, getting a better look at Lucifer, more specifically, his face. It was swollen, the bruise hidden underneath his dark fur. "...Uhh, pardon my asking, but what happened to you, sire?"

"I fell down a flight of stairs," Lucifer said in a sarcastic tone. He growled, taking a swig of his beverage. "I can't believe I was right."

"Sir?" Zero asked.

"The alicorn...I found him." The tyrant touched his cheek, seething in rage as he was actually struck for the first time since his reawakening. "That dragon of Sparkle's actually was hiding him, but in an ironic twist, this so called hero of Equestria is actually a foal!" He took another large gulp of his wine, some of it spilling out from his chin, not caring of the mess he made. "A child! I was expecting a mighty warrior, but no! It was a teenage colt! And somehow, where others have failed to lay a hoof on me, he managed to punch through my barrier and INJURE ME!"

He threw the goblet at Zero, quickly moving his head aside as the golden and regal cup flew past, clattering to the floor behind him. He stared at the enraged king through his visor, waiting until he calmed down in order to speak.

"So, your enemy is...a child..." Zero said, bewildered. "...I'm sorry, but are you sure you aren't intoxicated this morning, Your Highness?"

"My dark magic keeps me from suffering any ailments, excluding sleep. But I can't knowing that I was actually hit by a child!" Lucifer rubbed his head, growing more aggravated knowing his enemy was still out there. "Whatever that dragon did to him, he transported the alicorn somewhere, with MAGIC FIRE! Since when could dragons use teleportation magic through their fire breath!? They only incinerate their prey, becoming their roasted morsels for an afternoon snack!"

"Maybe dragons can adapt to the environment around them," Zero said. "I'm no expert, but some dragons who could breath ice instead of fire survived out in the coldest regions of the land. It makes it easier for them to live in the habitat they survive in, learning from their instincts and honing it as a special and unique ability unlike other dragons."

With this bit of information given to him, Lucifer just stared dumbly at his right hoof soldier for a moment, slapping himself in the face upon realization. "And because the dragon was raised by ponies...That explains everything." He sneered, wishing he knew this information beforehand. "If ponies weren't such sniveling cowards and got some research accomplished on dragons aside from 'big, scary, and dangerous', then I would have killed them both before he saved that little whelp! And what's worse, I can't track magical dragon fire, because it's a magic I have not even known about!"

"Dragons are indeed a hard subject to study," Zero said. "Those brave enough to try don't make it out alive."

Lucifer sighed, greatly annoyed at how cowardly their kind was. "Can today get any worse?"

The doors to the throne room opened, both stallions hearing somepony panting heavily, poking his head out as he was in an all out panic.

"Y-Your Highness! W-We have a problem!" he said, freaked out about something.

"I do not wish to be disturbed!" Lucifer shouted. "If it's a rebellion in the city, deal with it yourself!"

"N-No! There's a mare invading the castle! She's gone on a rampage! We can't-" The soldier gasped, struggling to keep his hold on the door. "No! NO! No please!"

Zero and Lucifer looked at each other in confusion, hearing the guard's cries for help as the doors closed. The screaming suddenly stopped, nothing but silence outside the halls. The doors slowly opened, a pony's silhouette standing in the dark corridor. The pony's horn glowed a blue aura, throwing something into the throne room, which happened to be the head of the soldier who tried to warn them of the intruder, rolling along until it stopped at Zero's hooves.

"You..." The pony walked into the throne room, the dim lighting revealing herself. It was Rarity, and she was far from sane. Her mane and tail were a frazzled mess, blood staining her hair and body, not even fazed at how much blood was on her. Her eyes were red with rage and puffy from crying, tears still rolling down her face, her black mascara ruining her face, but she didn't care. She was really mad, carrying a butcher knife in her mouth, coated with blood from the soldiers she slayed to reach the throne room. Grabbing the sharp cutting tool with her magic, she growled, pointing the knife at Lucifer. "You killed my Spikey-wikey..."

"...I guess not." Lucifer stood up from his throne, stepping down until he stood next to Zero. The mercenary was ready to attack, only to be stopped by the dark unicorn. "Stand down, Zero. I need to vent off some steam."

The hired soldier stood down, though stayed wary in case Rarity would try anything.

"You have gone too far. You killed the princesses, you killed one of my friends, and you killed the dragon who had feelings for me, one of the most gentlest of creatures you could never be! I'LL DESTROY YOU!" Rarity threw the knife at Lucifer, only to catch the flung utensil in his magic.

"'Feelings'?" Lucifer questioned, eyeing the knife as Rarity seethed in rage. "A dragon in love with a pony? And vice versa? How pathetic." The crazed mare's ear twitched, growling louder at the insult. "Your little dragon friend was hiding a pony who was supposed to be my mortal foe. He even helped him escape, giving me no choice but to kill him."

Rarity screamed, blinded by her anger as she charged at him. As she was about to run through him and stab him with her horn, he stopped the mare with his hoof, smacking her face down to the marble floor. Completely dazed and immobile, Lucifer lifted the mare up with his magic, keeping her still in his aura.

"Y-You-" Rarity said, quickly silencing herself as she felt the edge of her knife press against her neck.

"Just how low has our society gotten after a thousand years?" Lucifer circled the immobilized mare, ignoring the spiteful glare she gave him despite her predicament. "From all the news I've brushed up on for the last decade, I'm really surprised that things have changed this much. I mean, interspecies relationships, all these wars that Celestia had been involved in because of her benevolent leadership, and learning how simpleminded the nobles in this day and age act like they have power. Everything seems to go topsy-turvy, even without Discord trying to create this kind of chaos.

"Even when some of you finally decide to grow a pair, it's only to stop me. Where was that drive when it came to Sombra? Nightmare Moon? Nowhere." He dragged the knife down her shoulder, leaving a light cut, Rarity not even flinching at the pain. "And the princesses you all so dearly worship? What exactly have they truly done to save this kingdom from disaster, WITHOUT using the Elements of Harmony? Absolutely nothing!

"Alicorns are known to be the most powerful pony of us all, but they aren't gods. They show they have incredible magic power, strength the likes of no earth pony would ever have, and the biggest of wingspans that make any pegasus jealous out of awe. Celestia and Luna only delayed the inevitable: Trapping Sombra in shadows, only to return a millenium later, turning Discord to stone with the Elements of Harmony, yet again unleashing his power after a thousand years, and Nightmare Moon, Celestia's own sister, banished to the moon for the same amount of time.

"And who was it that finally managed to stop them once and for all?" Lucifer asked, still receiving the death stare from Rarity. "Of course you know the answer. You, Sparkle, and the rest of your little group of friends did the deed for Celestia, while all she did was sit on her plot, using the six of you as her pawns to protect this kingdom, claiming she was the savior of all ponykind."

"Y-You're lieing." Lucifer looked up at Rarity, smirking as his words irritated her further. "She did not use us. We were destined to be the Elements of Harmony. And she did fight back before, against the changeling invasion during the royal wedding!"

"And she failed that too!" Lucifer stabbed the knife through one of Rarity's legs, making her yell out in pain as he dug the knife deep inside her. "She 'tried' to stop them, but was immediately beaten by the queen in charge of the invasion! I've read the articles released back then on the invasion, and Celestia's own personal entries on the matter, and she was easily thwarted by a giant insect!" He quickly pulled the knife out, watching her writhe as blood spilled out from her wound. "All powerful ruler, my tail. Beaten by a bug. How pathetic is that!?

"Like I said before, alicorns are not as powerful as you might think. They couldn't even stand up to me when they were known to be powerful enough to move the sun and moon, a giant star and a large mass of a meteor, heavier than the mountains standing on this planet! My dark magic was enough to kill them, far more powerful than their own 'enhanced' magic, not even laying a scratch on me! Sparkle just stood there and watched as I killed our mentor and her little sister, too scared of me to fight back." Lucifer pulled Rarity's face closer to his, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Alicorns. Are not. Powerful. They are just figureheads."

"...Then what about what happened to you?" The king's eyes widened as Rarity grinned. "You were struck by an alicorn, were you not? So much for just being a figurehead, especially if he is only a teenager."

"...What?" He backed away, seeing Rarity was slightly calm, mocking him with the smirk on her face. "...You knew about that brat?"

"Indeed. My friends and I had known, since he was the foal who is destined to save us all from you." The mare began to laugh, watching Lucifer grow more furious with each word she spoke. "Twilight told us about her vision. You're going to die horribly, and by the 'brat' you claim he is. Once he's truly ready, you won't stand a chance. If he was able to injure you, then he can kill you."

"Silence!" Lucifer shouted, waving the knife at the smug unicorn.

"We won't let anything happen to him. You'll have to get through us before you can get to Solaris!" Rarity said.

"...That can be arranged." Lucifer quickly slashed the butcher knife across Rarity's neck, blood spurting out as she began struggling to breathe. She let out gargled noises, her sliced open esophagus pouring blood into her lungs. She began to grow limp, suffocating from the fatal wound, slowly dying in one of the quickest ways possible. Lucifer dropped the unicorn, along with the knife, staring at her corpse. "...Solaris is his name, hmm? Well, he won't succeed. Zero."

"Yes, Your Highness?" Zero bowed, having watched the entire ordeal from a distance.

"Send this 'garbage' back to Ponyville. Tell them this is a message from me. If they so much as assist the alicorn, know that death will come to them faster than they can blink." Lucifer headed out of the throne room, back to his quarters after letting out a little of his anger out on something. "I'll be retiring to my quarters."

"Yes, Your Highness." Zero approached Rarity's body, staring at the mare's lifeless eyes. Her gently moved his hoof over her eyes, closing them in respect for her unfortunate death. He levitated her body on his back and headed off to Ponyville on hoof. "The other Elements won't be happy when they see this."