I gave no further explanations to Pinkie, nor did I need to.

I knew what I had to do, and she assured me she more or less got the gist of it, so with no further words spoken between us I closed my eyes and reached far, far into the recesses of my mind—far back into a time before I fell. I reached out to the part of me that had once been considered a heroine alongside my friends, to the part of me that had once been the Princess of Friendship, and I felt that warmth within me grow stronger still.

As I delved into more of my distant past, my sense of inner peace began to grow, as did a pain that couldn't properly be described. I was successfully managing to draw upon the power of Harmony, but being the creature that I'd become, I was suffering for it. Still, I was fairly certain the feat would've been impossible if it hadn't been for my literal 'better half', the Twilight that had been part of this timeline. In trapping me within the mind of my younger, more innocent self, the Ancient King had weakened me, but he'd also given me access to a potentially powerful weapon against him.

But that was something to be considered in the case of the Ancient King reclaiming the Throne, and for me to even utilize the Elements of Harmony effectively, I'd need the help of my friends, though I had no way of calling upon my friends of old.

They were all dead, most likely by my hoof.

The pain of that thought, combined with the pain of harnessing the power of Harmony, was enough to make me falter, and my connection to the Tree wavered as a result. The warmth began to fade, overtaken by cold despair that suddenly seemed to smother me like a heavy blanket. In my sorrow and panic, I almost didn't notice the warm hoof that gently rested itself on my leg. I opened my eyes and turned to see Pinkie standing next to me, her smile radiant and encouraging. She didn't say anything; she didn't need to. Just that alone brought the memories back in a much more positive light, and I was able to continue.

I gathered every ounce of positivity I could muster, pulled every memory of my friends and I to the fore, and grit my teeth through the pain. I didn't falter again, and after what felt like ages, I finally reached deep enough to find the 'spark'. For a moment I simply stood there in equal parts awe and disbelief. It had been buried under countless millennia of ambition, violence, and cruelty, but it was still there. The Magic was there, and the feeling it was almost enough to bring me to tears, but then realization set in and tempered my emotions.

The 'spark' was there, I could feel the Element of Magic, but it didn't feel quite right. Something about it felt off, and though it took me a moment to figure it out, I eventually understood why. I had been mistaken this whole time, assuming the two minds had become one when in reality, the stronger, older mind had actually taken over the younger. I didn't notice it because I still had the memories of the Twilight from this timeline, but the only thing that had really changed aside from my physical form and lesser strength was my disposition. My twisted cruelty had been washed away by the memories of two timelines, but I was still the same mare from that ruined timeline in mind if not completely in body.

In any other circumstance, this wouldn't have mattered. Nopony would've known the difference; I hadn't even known the difference. Even in this circumstance, I'd still be able to do what needed to be done. For all intents and purposes, I was the Twilight from this timeline, but it seemed Harmony knew and acknowledged that I wasn't. This wasn't my 'spark', this wasn't my 'Magic', it was hers. It was her Element, it was her destiny, and though it allowed me to wield it, it was clear Harmony wouldn't allow me to forget that I'd taken that destiny away from the mare who was meant to bear it. The Twilight Sparkle from this timeline didn't exist anymore, and it was only through Harmony that I or anypony else could've possibly known.

Yet again I played the role of the Usurper, and I hadn't even realized it.

Yet again there was more to add to the unfathomably large pile of guilt for the things I'd done. It was almost enough to make me wish I hadn't regained my equinity, but at the same time, there was meaning in this development. The fact that I was able to regain my equinity at all spoke volumes of how much my own memories meant to me, and I couldn't help but wonder how I'd managed to toss them aside and commit the atrocities I had in the first place. Not only that but to be able to harness the power of the Element of Magic even when it wasn't mine to wield...

Why?

Why had Harmony allowed me something I clearly was no longer worthy of? Was it that desperate to protect itself and the creatures of Equestria and beyond? What if I relapsed back into an abominable tyrant? What if I went back to lusting after power and crushing those who got in my way? I didn't think I would now that I'd remembered myself, but there was always a chance, however small. If I'd fallen once, surely I was capable of going down that same path again?

It's because Harmony has faith that you won't, and so do I...

My eyes snapped open and I stared at the Tree in open-mouthed shock. There was a slight glow to it that hadn't been there a moment ago, but it was faint. I could've sworn I heard a voice, but as I listened, there was no sound other than the distant drip of water falling from the cavern ceiling.

Did I... imagine it?

A surprised gasp next to me caught my attention and I turned to see Pinkie staring at me, her eyes wide with wonder.

No... she's not looking at me...

"Twilight, I think the Tree gave you some kinda gift!" she cried, gesturing to her mane, "there was this small flash of light and something just plopped itself down on your noggin!"

"My..." I reached a hoof up to my head and sure enough, I found something sitting amidst my writhing mane, "wait... this is..."

I brought it down to my field of vision and was greeted to the sight of a very familiar tiara. In my hoof was none other than the physical manifestation of the Element of Magic. The star-shaped gem embedded in the tiara emitted a soft magenta glow, and the whole thing was warm to the touch and brimming with life and magic. Most importantly—and most surprisingly—it didn't hurt to touch it. Up until now, bringing forth the power of the Element of Magic had been an almost agonizing endeavor, but now, with the Element literally within my grasp, there was no pain.

Before I could puzzle over the matter for too long, the gem flashed blindingly bright for an instant before pulling itself out of the tiara before the tiara itself vanished again in another flash of light. Pinkie and I watched in silence as the Element rose in air by its own power and floated towards the Tree. It moved until it was level with the Tree's center, aligned itself with the star-shaped opening, and embedded itself snugly into the slot meant to hold it. The moment the Element of Magic was in place, the entire Tree seemed to erupt with newfound life, much like the gem itself had. The luminescence with which it glowed seemed to increase tenfold and despite the crumbling thaumic field and lack of the other Elements of Harmony, the Tree of Harmony practically embodied the very picture of health.

Again, even this close to such brilliance, the negative effects were negligible—at least in comparison to what I should've been feeling as a partial denizen of the Black Dimension. The most I felt was a vague sort of unease and an easily dismissable desire to distance myself from the Tree. I noticed that Pinkie was having even less trouble than I was. The mare 'ooh'd' and 'ahh'd' in wonder at the beauty on display, and after so long mired in Darkness and violence I couldn't help but share her sentiments, though I refrained from showing it in the same way. All my focus was on what would happen next; I had an idea, but I found it unlikely to be the case, but then...

Well... this is definitely a new experience...

My eyes again widened in surprise as the sound of a voice that was clearly once my own rang out, not just from the Tree of Harmony, but from seemingly everywhere at once. It filled the cave, bounced off the rock walls and into my mind. Bemusement and intrigue were both heavy in its tone and were both sentiments that I shared—sentiments that only increased in intensity as a corporeal image of a lavender alicorn flashed into existence in front of the Tree.

"Sweet Goddess of the Netherrealm!" Pinkie cried in surprise, "Twilight?!" she flipped her bewildered gaze between the ethereal alicorn looking itself over with an oddly academic type of interest, and myself as I stood there doing more or less the same thing in regards to the sight before me, "but... you... I—wha?! Huh?!"

I could understand Pinkie's reaction, and though I had a small idea of what may have occurred, it was still a shock to see the mirror image of the alicorn I used to be, appear as a separate entity that somehow had attached itself to the Tree of Harmony. At Pinkie's confused exclamation, the image of my original form looked up and smiled at the pink mare.

Hey Pinkie, it's good to see you again... though I never expected it would be like this. This is... strange...

"You're telling me!" Pinkie replied with a raised eyebrow. She looked the alicorn up and down before giving a dismissive shrug and a wide grin, "eh, I'm over it. I have no clue what's going on, but hey, the more Twilight the merrier, right?"

At that, the alicorn frowned and gave a significant glance in my direction.

I'm... not so sure about that to be honest, Pinkie... but still...

She took a deep breath as if preparing herself for some unpleasant or particularly strenuous task, then fully turned to face me, her expression unreadable.

I have a ton of questions, and I'm pretty sure you do too, but we don't have a lot of time right now so I'll have to make this explanation quick. There'll be more time for an in-depth conversation after everything... 'settles down' for lack of a better phrase.

Being of the exact same opinion, I simply nodded and motioned for my apparent counterpart to continue, all the while internally reeling from the fact that this was most likely the Twilight I thought I'd erased from existence.

As you probably already guessed, I'm the Twilight from this Equestria. When you tried and succeeded in taking over my mind and body, I didn't disappear. I'm... not exactly sure what happened, but somehow I, or rather my consciousness survived somewhere deep inside you, and from there I saw who you were, who you'd been, what you'd become... the horrible things you'd done. The horrible things I could've done if things were... just a bit different...

For a brief moment, the ethereal mare wore an agonized look but swallowed her pain before either Pinkie or I could say anything and moved on.

And before you ask, no, I can't tell you what parts of your memory are missing. There are clear gaps that I couldn't see beyond, but the important thing is that you returned to who you used to be. I meant it when I said I had faith that you would hold true to who you are now that you've found yourself again.

She gave me a warm smile then, a smile full of forgiveness that I obviously didn't deserve, but nevertheless appreciated more than I would've liked to admit.

You know what you've done and I know you regret it. The guilt alone nearly did crush me out of existence when I was still just a consciousness. As for me... I heard your plan and know what you want to do. I wanted to help, but I had no idea how... until you came to the Tree of Harmony.

"Question!" Pinkie cried, raising a hoof. When she had both our attention, she continued, her head tilted in confusion, "so if you're the Twilight from this Equestria and the Twilight from this Equestria was a unicorn, then why did you come back with wings?"

The other Twilight spread her wings in response and briefly eyed them with a bemused frown, before turning back to Pinkie.

I don't exactly understand all the mechanics behind what allowed me to come back and join with Harmony as the literal Element of Magic, and I don't really know why my corporeal manifestation is that of an alicorn, though I suppose it might have something to do with the memory of my other self's ascension...

Her frown deepened for a second, but she shook her head and continued on, though the bemusement remained.

In any case, I guess the Tree of Harmony heard my desire to help and... did something about it. As I am now, I can feel the power of Harmony—I can hear its voice. All things considered, I basically am the power of Harmony now, or at least part of it. I'm not sure of all the details just yet, but I know we need Pinkie, Rarity and the others to take up the Elements of Harmony before we can do any real world-saving.

"And if you're here, then where exactly do I fit in?" I asked with my own frown of bemusement, "I did have a plan that involved the Tree of Harmony and the Elements, but it didn't exactly count on your sudden reappearance as the Element of Magic. Now I'm stuck without any plan at all."

Given what you are and what you've done, you can't wield the Element of Magic—not on your own anyway, and that's where I come in. Like I said, I can hear the voice of Harmony. Believe it or not, it actually has its own plan, and it's not even that different from yours. I think I was drawn out because I have my own role, and yours is to gather the rest of the Elements—that is, the ponies that embody them.

That... seemed fair.

I was actually planning to do just that, whether I could get my plan to work or not. She paused and closed her eyes, her mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown.

You and the other Elements of Harmony are probably gonna have to do some gruesome things to survive, but... as long as the ponies who are meant to wield the Elements don't lose sight of who they are like you did, I'm sure Harmony will accept them. But you have to hurry. With the power of Harmony, I think... no, I know I can hold off the more severe effects of the Black Dimension's influence, but the Black Dimension can and will eventually corrupt Applejack and Fluttershy beyond saving if you take too long to find them.

Her expression turned somber, but her gaze never wavered from my own.

When you do... you might have to do what you did to Rarity and Pinkie... and the same goes for Rainbow Dash. I hope it doesn't come to that, but... well... things aren't gonna be easy for anypony anymore. I'm not happy with what's happened here—with what's happened to me. I don't want to be one with Harmony, not like this. I don't want this burden—before all this, I didn't even know anything like it was mine to bear, but I understand the necessity and I do want to help in any way I can. Even if I can never go back to the way I was before... even if I can't get my old body back and have to live my life as part of a mystical tree.

"Maybe you don't," I replied, looking back at the translucent mare thoughtfully, "if we can manage to stop the threat of the Ancient King and find some sort of stability between the opposing energies of the White and Black Dimensions, I might have a way to restore you to how you were."

If there were a way to do that, I'm sure you'd be able to pull it off. You might not hold the Element of Magic within you anymore, but with my body and your power, you've already managed to stabilize those opposing forces within yourself. We just have to apply that stability on a larger scale, and I think the Elements might be the answer.

Then she smiled at me and Pinkie. It was a strange smile full of equal parts hope, sorrow, regret, reassurance, and poorly hidden fear.

And who knows? Once this is over and if all goes well, you might just be able to wield the Element of Magic again.

"Perhaps," I replied diplomatically. I didn't believe for a second that it was a possibility, and I knew she didn't either, but it was a nice thought, "but I think it's about time we wrap this up. The influence of the Black Dimension is nearing its peak and ponies are still dying or going through some very horrible changes even as we speak."

Right, once Equestria and the rest of the world are fully engulfed in the Black Dimension, I'll still be here. After you've found the Elements, bring them back here and I'll take care of the rest. It might look like the Tree of Harmony is fully revived, but it's actually still very weak without the other Elements. There's only so much Harmony and I can do on our own, but while we can't protect every single pony or other creature from our own world, we can still—

A sonorous hum suddenly cut through the ethereal mare's explanation. It was a deep and feminine sound that, like the other Twilight's voice, seemed to come from everywhere at once. The melody was as beautiful as it was haunting, like a dirge sung by an opera singer. I would've been captivated had I not known both the tune and the voice that sang it. I'd heard the song countless times in the past; I'd heard it upon my initial arrival in the Black Dimension, I'd heard it sung in the past by the creatures that inhabited that dark and twisted place.

The very last time I heard this melody was when I'd still been dormant within the other Twilight's mind. The melody had cut through even the heavy fog of amnesia to affect me. It was a melody favored by the Ancient King, a song that once brought peace of mind to the creatures who struggled to live their lives in the Black Dimension. It was a hymn sung on the fields of battle to turn the tides of war against me, and in the end, it ultimately became a weapon whose exposure could potentially drive any creature unfortunate enough to hear it insane.

To hear the Solar Princess of Equestria humming that unsettling tune was more than a little troubling.

Is that... Princess Celestia's voice?

The magical image scanned the cave, her expression one of intense dread, and rightfully so I thought, but I didn't answer.

I didn't need to.

She'd seen the memories I hadn't lost yet, she knew what that song meant, and she knew Celestia's voice just as well as I did—probably better even. Not only was the question unnecessary, but it became completely irrelevant in the face of the massive tremor that suddenly rocked the cavern. The ground rumbled, rocky debris shook itself from the walls and ceiling, and in the distance outside the cave, I could hear the triumphant cry of bloodthirsty beasts and the futile wails of the innocent victims that had fallen or were falling prey to those beasts. It was a sound all too familiar to me, and while I'd grown used to it, my ethereal counterpart was far from comfortable with the scenario.

She might've seen a lot of what I had, but she'd never lived that life and it showed in her sick and terrified expression. Unfortunately, we were out of time and there was no room for shock; the barrier was practically gone and if Harmony had a plan to stave off the worst of what the 'Other Side' had to offer, then that plan had to be implemented now. Aside from a few stalactites dislodging themselves from the cavern ceiling, the Cave of Harmony held itself together, and the Black Dimension's influence hadn't, or perhaps couldn't, affect the immediate area around the Tree, but I could tell that the world outside was a different story.

"Focus!" I called out to my other self, snapping her out of her horror induced shock, "whatever you and the Tree have planned, get it done, now. Your world is falling apart, and right now we're the only ones that can prevent complete collapse. Pinkie and I will take care of Nel-Baloth."

The translucent mare blinked and swallowed nervously before giving a slow nod. She closed her eyes, breathed deep, and opened them again, an uneasy but determined look replacing the terror.

R-Right... you're right. I'll do what I can from here. Just make sure to find the girls, and hurry!

With that, she vanished in a blinding white flash and the Tree began to glow even brighter. The light and life emanating from the Tree of Harmony was practically overwhelming in its sudden intensity—so much so that I began to feel ill again on top of the pressure from the clashing energy of both 'Sides'. The pressure was beginning to ebb as the Black Dimension took over, but my strength was still minimal for the moment. Not needing to see or feel any more of the Tree's power, Pinkie and I removed ourselves from the cave entirely and reappeared amidst the chaos of the rapidly twisting reality around us.

"Oh, wow," Pinkie muttered, eyes full of a sorrow and resignation I hadn't yet seen from the mare, "so this is it, huh? The end of the world..." she turned to me, "how are we gonna fix all of this?"

For a moment I didn't answer, nor did I meet her gaze.

Our destination had been the old castle in the Everfree, and that's where we'd arrived, but the throne room and the rest of the castle in general, had become almost unrecognizable. It was as if the entire castle had literally torn itself apart and most of the interior and exterior had been captured in a miniature orbit around what remained of the pieces still attached to the ground. Looking to the sky above, beyond the swirling mass of floating debris I could see the stars, but they were no longer the beautiful, glittering stars of Luna's night sky. The sky was far too dark, the stars far too cold and distant.

And the moon...

As I gazed up at a moon so far removed from the one Luna had once risen every night, I felt another pang of guilt and regret at what I'd done—what I'd brought about in my own madness. The Ancient King had every right to enact his vengeance upon me, but even if that was the case, I couldn't let him get away with dragging this world and its inhabitants into our eternal war against each other. I couldn't allow myself to fall to him, especially not now that I'd regained some semblance of my equinity. Still...

"We can't fix this, Pinkie—not entirely," I finally replied, my eyes still fixed on the sky, "the most we can do for right now is trust in Harmony and try to make things a little easier for those who haven't already died or lost themselves to a world that Equestria should've known nothing about."

Further beyond the forest, I could see the dark silhouettes of tall blackened spires erupting from the rumbling earth. The trees of the Everfree themselves were twisted or twisting into strange and horrifyingly fantastical shapes, and just from the sounds alone I couldn't even begin to imagine what was happening to the local fauna. Despite the drastically changing terrain all around us and the state of the castle itself, the area around the castle seemed relatively calm—terribly different, but relatively stable in a reality being warped by forces too powerful to completely control.

The fact that I hadn't seen Nel-Baloth or Luna was extremely worrying, but as I reached my senses out to find the Ancient King, I could feel his presence everywhere. His stench was permeating the air and mixing with the familiar taste of the ambient madness that eroded free will and pulled any sane creatures into a vicious cycle of violence and rage—a drive to kill and maim so powerful that it could keep some killing long after their body had rotted away. It was as I was pondering Nel-Baloth's whereabouts that I realized that, through the cacophony of shifting earth, eerie wails, and furious howls, I could no longer hear the song.

"Hey... Twilight?"

There was something in Pinkie's voice that made me look around. She stood, staring out at the mayhem unfolding around us, her face both pensive and nervous, and her tone slightly shaky with dread. She didn't look at me as she spoke.

"You... still don't remember what the deal is with the Throne, right?" she asked, finally turning to look me in the eye. Her face was pale, and there was a grim sort of realization in her expression, as if she'd just solved a mystery and deeply regretted what she'd found out, "you don't remember where or what it is?"

"No, I don't," I replied warily, "I remember I hid it here in Equestria a long time ago, and I'm fairly sure Onyx Pie was... involved... somehow..."

Wait a minute...

"That's what I thought," Pinkie replied with a slow nod, "I've been thinking about it, y'know—the Throne I mean. I know something really bad is gonna happen if that old king gets his slimy ropy mitts on it, so I've been trying to figure out where or what the Throne might've been, and then I had another thought..."

Wait a minute... that can't be it... can it? It can't be that simple...

"My family's been telling me all my life that I was born 'Gifted' by the grace of the Dead Goddess," Pinkie continued, "that my birth would signal Her return, and that I would help Her change this world or something like that," she visibly swallowed and spoke again, her next words carrying an ominous weight, "with that in mind, I thought what if... what if this 'Gift' was more than just the ability to do some neat tricks that nopony else could do? Like... a lot more?"

No...

Catching onto Pinkie's implication, I cast my mind back into the past—back to when I first made contact with Equestria and that stallion. I still couldn't fully remember the encounter, but I remembered his request and I remembered that I agreed in order to further my own agenda, my own plan... but what was that plan?

I ran Pinkie's question over again in my head and, though no actual memories returned to me, it didn't take much to put a few pieces together. As Skal-Gazaath, I would've never agreed to help a creature so far beneath me, at least, not unless I stood to gain something significant out of the deal. I'd put some of my own essence into a past Vessel, this 'Shining Dawn', so that Onyx Pie could continue his bloodline, but where did the Throne enter the equation? When I'd help the stallion complete the ritual, had I also somehow given him the Throne in the process?

Was that the 'Gift'?

If that was the case, then how?

No, the real question was had that Throne somehow been passed down from generation to generation? If I'd remembered what the Throne actually was, I could've figured out how I managed to hide it, but as it stood, the only thing I could assume was that I'd found a way to hide it within Onyx Pie's bloodline...

"...Until it was passed down to Pinkie as a 'Gift' from the Dead Goddess," I muttered, staring at Pinkie with wide, disbelieving eyes, "the Throne was right next to me the whole time and I didn't even realize—"

"And thus it's revealed at last."

I didn't need to turn to see who'd spoken, it was clear by the pleasant voice, who it was. Pinkie and I turned nevertheless and sure enough, the graceful form of the Solar Princess of Equestria was making her way towards us, her gait calm and easy and her smile soft and radiant, just like I remembered. Her eyes on the other hoof were nothing like I remembered, not from the warm, kind, and wise mare who'd been my mentor, friend, and mother-figure. Behind that smiling face and those brilliant magenta eyes was the cold, pitiless, calculating mind of an elder being who knew exactly what they wanted and how to get it.

"Though I must say, my faithful student," 'Celestia' continued, "I'm not quite sure I like what you've done to my precious Throne. This will make it somewhat... troublesome to use effectively, but it shouldn't pose too much of a problem in the end... not for me."

"T-Twilight?" Pinkie muttered nervously, "I... think he knows more than we do."

She took a step back, and I moved to stand in front of her, never taking my eyes off the creature that had taken the Princess as a Vessel.

"You're not taking the Throne, Nel-Baloth," I stated coldly as I pulled countless odic and thaumic spells to the forefront of my mind, "this world is already suffering enough as it is. If you bring it under your Domain now—"

"If I brought it under my Domain, I'd be doing you a favor, child," 'Celestia' spat contemptuously, before collecting herself once more, "they who control the Throne control the realm and every creature in it, or that's how it's supposed to be... but you broke the rules, didn't you, 'Dead Goddess'?"

The obvious thought that came to mind was to have Pinkie flee while I held off the Ancient King, and though I tried to communicate as much through the bond we shared, neither Pinkie or I got the chance to act before the former was pulled into a large tear that opened up in the sky right above her by a mass of brightly colored, cyan tentacles. Pinkie barely had any time to scream before she disappeared completely through the rip in time and space.

"No!" I cried, turning back to Nel-Baloth with undisguised panic and fury, "Nel-Baloth, you—"

He was gone, vanished just as Pinkie did, and this time I could feel his presence fading. He meant to escape with Pinkie—with the Throne in tow. He'd never had any intention of fighting against me in the first place, and as if to further mock me, he spoke again, the disembodied voice of Celestia seeming to whisper in my ear.

Even if I left the Throne with you, as you are now, you wouldn't be able to use it...

No matter its current state, it's best the Throne be returned to its rightful owner...

...and in exchange, I'll give you something I've taken in return. It's long since served its purpose... and is no longer needed.

I felt another shift in reality just as another tear opened up over the ground, though what dropped from the hole wasn't more tentacles or otherworldly beasts, but the familiar form of a cyan coated rainbow maned pegasus. Her body hit the debris cluttered floor of the old castle like a sack of bricks only about a yard away from where I was, and she didn't move. There were no appendages that weren't supposed to be there, and I couldn't feel the presence of the Ancient King anywhere on or near her. The moment she'd fallen through the rip in space-time I already knew she was gone. She'd fallen facing me, and sure enough, her once bright rosy eyes were open, but empty, blank... dead. There was no hint of life whatsoever.

These creatures are weak-minded... they make for poor vessels and even worse thralls... perhaps you can make more use of this than I... after all, that is where you excel... is it not, 'Giver of Life'?

Those were the last words I heard from Nel-Baloth before his presence disappeared from the area entirely, leaving me with the dead mare at my hooves. Seeing Rainbow's body, something welled up inside me that I hadn't experienced in eons—an emotion that had become as foreign as my memories of when I was just an innocent young filly looking for approval from her mentor and idol. The feeling passed as quickly as it had come, and though the transience of that emotion bothered me, I didn't let it distract me from what needed to be done. Pinkie was gone, taken by Nel-Baloth to who-knows-where, and I had to get her back, but I also needed Rainbow Dash.

Partially spurred on by that transient emotion from a moment ago, I decided to bring Rainbow Dash back first. It should've been a simple matter to bring her back, just as it had been with Rarity and Pinkie, but the moment I infused her with my will, the world fell away and the chaos around me was replaced with a bright blue sky. I felt rough winds violently whipping my mane back and the slightly chilly moisture found in the clouds as I shot through them at high-speeds. My heart was beating a mile a minute, my wings were screaming in pain as I pushed them beyond their limits, and my vision had narrowed to a focused pinpoint as my speed continued to increase.

I could feel the air resistance threatening to not only halt my rapid advance but send me flying in the opposite direction. I knew that if I let up for even a tenth of a second, I'd probably lose a lot more than just the race. As the pressure grew and grew, I pushed harder and harder and harder still. I wanted to scream, I wanted to stop, I wanted to cry, but I didn't—I couldn't, not now. There was no going back, all I could do now was grit my teeth and press forward, and so I did. I pressed and pushed and fought against the impossible pressure for what felt like ages, until—

My world exploded in a tumult of light, fear, agony, and finally—mercifully, came the darkness.

For a second I wasn't sure what was happening to me, then I felt my consciousness pull back from where it had escaped to and return to my own body. As I regained my senses it was immediately apparent that something had changed, and turning towards the distant pillar of prismatic light rising infinitely into the black sky, it was clear to me what it was. The pillar was massive, spanning almost an entire mile across by my calculations. The roar of thaumic magic being released drowned out every other sound, and the brightness was enough to cause me to turn away. Coincidentally, I turned just in time to see another, albeit somewhat smaller, pillar of light rise from the ground much further away, then another elsewhere, and another, and many more besides.

Whatever was happening, I was certain it had to do with the Tree of Harmony. The sheer amount of thaumic energy unleashing itself into the air was enough to make the skin beneath my coat tingle unpleasantly. As if that hadn't been enough, the changing, quaking earth below my hooves had grown drastically worse than before. It gave me the sense that Equis was either going to explode or shake itself to pieces under both its own weight and the weight of the opposing energies vying for control. The Tree of Harmony and my other self were both putting up a good fight, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before the odic field took over the thaumic, and with the Ancient King in possession of Pinkie, and by extension the Throne, things would only get worse.

Pinkie was right, it really does feel like the end of the world... but that isn't true, not completely.

With that thought in mind, I lowered my gaze to Rainbow Dash. The mare was 'alive' in the same sense as Rarity and Pinkie—that much I could sense—but she remained unconscious. Worrying as that was, I didn't have time to ponder the meaning, nor the several questions regarding what I'd seen and what Nel-Baloth had done to her.

It might be the end of life as these ponies and the other creatures of the White Dimension as they know it, but I'll find a balance somehow. We can't go back to the way things were, but that doesn't mean a new peace can't be achieved.

I'll find it... I have to.

That's the least I can do after everything I've done, but first, the Elements need to be found, I need to save Pinkie, and the Ancient King...

The thought of what I'd do once I ran into Nel-Baloth again gave me pause as I realized a fight might not be necessary, but I shook my head, choosing to put the issue out of my mind for the moment. There were other things that needed to be considered, like whether or not Celestia and Luna could still be saved, but again, I had a more important task to accomplish first, and so with one last look towards the far off crumbling mountain that once held Canterlot atop its lofty peaks, I vanished from the castle, taking Rainbow's unconscious body with me to a safer place beyond the reach of Equestria's collapse.

Meanwhile, the world continued to recreate itself to accommodate a new reality, and elsewhere in that changing world, a titanic structure of unknown stones and metals rose to the heavens, its monstrous construction an eldritch affront to everything life, light, and the magic of friendship once stood for.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the long wait, guys, the last third of this chapter kind of kicked my ass and I had to rewrite it a few times before I was satisfied. I actually ended up finishing the epilogue first.