The sun was high in the afternoon sky over the Castle of the Two Sisters. Down below in the gorge, Flash Sentry saluted the entourage of royals escorted in with their security details.

"Good afternoon. The area remains secure, though the creatures of the area are reported to be more active than usual. The bucks from King Aspen’s forces have continued to prove to be invaluable to our control of the area. No casualties to report."

Celestia bowed as she crossed the threshold of the cave.

"That's good to hear. Keep up the good work."

The royals kept their guard up as they ventured further. Bat ponies and deer worked closely together gathering the remains of crushed Echoes and the shattered remains of the vines that littered the grounds.

This was another point for King Aspen to pride himself on.

"I must admit that I was a bit taken back by your request to have us take the remains. But we have plenty of ways to keep them secured."

"Good," Celestia coldly answered, debating whether to kick some of the fragments out of spite. "I have too many relics as it stands, and do not wish for this to end up in the wrong hooves. Not with my Solar Guard stretched as thin as it is. It won't be a problem for you, given your own recovery efforts, will it?"

King Aspen’s smile wilted some, still uneasy of the damage that could have befallen his kin.

"No. The damage was minimal. The bit of Darkness that entered the Thicket was manageable. Every deer got out safely, but the clean-up will take a while. And inactive or not, its remains are still dangerous."

Just as concerned, Rutherford sounded much the same.

"Yakyakistan also not safe. No yaks lost, cold make Darkness move slow. Take time to bury and burn."

Still uneasy about the events, Twilight could do little more than continue her moral support.

"We should just be thankful the end of the world didn't happen. Now that we're united, we can build back even stronger together. And Yona is more than welcome to stay with me, even after she’s done healing."

With all the damage done across the kingdoms, Twilight knew the others could use the same support.

"Queen Novo, Ember, the same goes for Silverstream and Smolder."

Novo held her trident ready, as they passed the quarantined area where Discord struck down Harmony.

"It is appreciated, my cute little pony. You just keep her looking like a pony until our waters are cleared. I can't risk any hippogriff being poisoned or cursed by that ooze. It's dangerous to the touch, so even if she could swim, I know she'd be getting into trouble with it."

Knowing there was still more thanks to give, Novo turned to King Aspen

"And still many thanks to you. Agreeing to shelter my subjects for the time being."

As King Aspen put on a good show of his modesty, Ember was a bit colder in her response, though the appreciation was there.

"Smolder’s tough, but this whole experience has softened her up a bit… Not in a bad way, but I'd rather have her out here representing the hoard than any other dragon. Especially her brother."

Her eyes glanced at the blood smears on the wall where she fell. More anger rose just thinking about who she had taken the fall for and how it all played out. More specifically, the two mares who did Cerb wrong.

"We dragons need to make a lot of changes. Smolder can't fly home with her wing torn up like it is. And with her arm broken… Let's just say I'd rather not have to become the evil Dragon Lord. Best to leave her here and not be bullied or beat on while I correct some of our less appealing habits."

That seemed to imply a lot that the others didn't like to hear. Though eyeing up the alley that came to know and appreciate, Celestia still hadn't understood Ember’s miraculous recovery.

"Speaking of injuries, your wounds healed so fast. There are others who could-"

"Thank Justin that he was able to do it even once," Ember quickly answered. "As far as I'm concerned, whatever he did to save Ocellus must have gotten into me too. And if it could change the way a changeling looks and bring her back from the brink of death, why not heal my scales?"

That was too easy of an explanation that none of them bought, yet dared not to question. Not when she was so fervently guarded against it.

"You can all drop it already. Justin suffered for it, even if it did remove the shards from his back. There isn't a human left I think any of you would want to risk putting in danger. Not when every creature else can live to tell their tales thanks to Becky."

When spoken more logically, on top of Ember never attempting to heal Smolder with the same method, the question essentially died.

Bringing up the rear with Benny from a distance, Kelly privately picked up the topic.

"Are they ever gonna know?"

Benny carried his shotgun a little higher as he passed the threshold to the cave, not giving it much thought.

"Twilight knows, and that’s enough for now. We'd be putting everyone at risk with anyone else knowing. At the very least, we owe it to Justin. No need to put a bigger target on your back for where you're going."

Sitting in front of the new Crystal Ring of Harmony, Trixie Rose sat patiently waiting.

"Come to see me off?"

Pushing ahead of the small group, Twilight took the initiative to answer for them.

"Yes, but we also wanted to make sure you had everything you needed… and we're a little worried something else would pop up."

"Nope," Rose flatly answered. "Alcohol and gold to pawn off is all I need."

Still curious, Celestia had to ask a question that only Rose could answer.

"Is there any way for us to visit you in the human world?"

Having seen the events of Sunset meeting Celestia the last time, Rose knew exactly what she was really after.

"All the mirrored worlds have moved, some were lost when Trixie extended the empty space around this realm, so I'm not even sure if it's still there, but that's my best shot at finding a place to survive at this point. Most of the magic there is dormant, so the Darkness never had a reason to search it out. What little there is I can draw off from in a form that won't allow me to use any magic without a lot of effort."

She turned around to face the group, now feeling sad she had to leave so soon.

"This human world isn't like the ones your humans came from. Not just because they look different, they don't have any Order. They're mostly like the ponies of this world. Kind, simple, ignorant of blood and lust… Reflections of all of you when you had been blinded by Harmony’s influence. Same goes for much of their durability, which you'll all slowly start to get back once Ring completes her connection. Everything else should start to go back to normal after a while… minus the whispers."

This time Novo stepped up, still concerned about the unknown.

"What about the war? Will that still come to pass?"

Rose lowered her head, not happy they even knew this much, but something else was on her mind.

"I don't know, but frankly, unless things really take a turn for the worst I know you all standing together will come out on top. At the same time, don't think that will be your only problem. There are other threats out there, and when Harmony's barrier went down, I have no idea of what else got out."

Her words came with an uneasy silence, yet she dared not say more than needed.

"Look, your new freedom is a double-edged sword. You are all free to pursue the lives you want. No mental restrictions or strings pulling you into the next conflict… However, that goes the same for every enemy you've made and others that held back because Harmony made them. You have to accept the good with the bad."

The revelation hindered back to what Rutherford had heard from Cerb, bringing back that same cold chill.

"Devil Dog was right. Fight not over. We must be ready for next fight."

A chime hummed from the base where the roots finally met their new Harmony, and Rose removed the magic suppressing ring from her horn.

"That's my cue. Ring's safety is all on you now. Give her a year or two before she can communicate. She'll be busy trying to manage everything from coming apart for this world. In time, maybe you can even work out the finer details of how to change the manner in which Harmony forced this world to work entirely. "

Concerned more than ever for her subjects, Novo pushed her way forward from the group.

"If we need you again, how do we contact you?"

Rose levitated up her small bag of supplies and lowered the bring of her hat.

"You don't. You have your world, I have mine. There's nothing there you want, and you'll only cause problems, believe me. I'm only going there to fade away in peace. My job is done."

Determined not to be followed, she looked to Twilight.

"Only you and Spike were ever destined to go there. Celestia forbid you ever find a way there, remember that your humans can't follow. Anything that could follow you back might even end up putting them in more danger. Believe me, there were more reasons other than just The Words keeping this world and there's apart."

After saying her parting words, a small portal opened up under Rose. As soon as she slipped through, it closed behind her. Then it was only the heroes left behind to start their next phase of recovery.

King Abyssinian started things off first by turning his attention to Kelly.

"Well, then. Miss Bardwell, we shall depart for Abyssinia once you are ready."

Respectfully, he turned to Luna and bowed.

"Princess Luna, it was an honor to fight alongside you once again. I know you have much to take care of, reestablishing your former castle here. I wish you the best of luck, just send Kelly to Twilight’s Castle when she's ready. She and her guardians will be well taken care of while in our stay."

Not expecting the company, Luna quickly grew flustered.

"I? Well, yes. Of course."

She bowed gracefully, suddenly having to mentally clear her schedule.

"I trust she will be in good paws. I will, of course, be available if anything is needed."

Luna and Kelly had walked quietly with each other, neither wanting to break the ice until they were alone. Once back inside the throne room where Kelly had ambushed Harmony, she decided to speak first with something not about them.

"I was so sure Becky ended it there… Can't believe how wrong I was."

If this was the topic to be had, Luna lacked the nerve to change it.

"That was very brave of you. You have no idea how frightened I was when you were brought down to us… The gunshots, the fact that you were wounded."

Kelly tried to smile, but it wasn't passing for humble or uplifting. The small talk just wasn't cutting it for her.

"Luna… I'm not mad at you. What you did was… Kind of funny in hindsight."

Bewildered, Luna tilted her head, which only served to bring a chuckle out of Kelly.

"When you pulled that fast one over me, I never thought that it was because you wanted me so badly. But… I was vulnerable and… weak."

Moving in closer, Kelly shocked Luna with an unexpected hug.

"I have no regrets about you or Mac, Lulu, but I'm not where I need to be. Mac doesn't know what he wants, and neither do you."

Luna tried to pull away, but Kelly only held her tighter.

"Kelly, I know what-"

"Please don’t," Kelly blurted out, softening her arms around Luna, yet leaning even harder into her.

Such a devious physical trick to play. Forcing Luna to decide whether to allow Kelly to fall while she pulled away, or continue to support her even as her lover was letting go.

The choice, of course, was to allow Kelly to stay as close as possible. To carefully step closer and wrap her wings around her.

"What would you have me do so as not to lose you? My nights are darker, my days colder. The constant nightmares I have to fight off and protect so many from, drain me more than ever."

Overwhelmed by the rush of emotions being able to put her guard down, Luna's rear legs slowly gave out. Having to deal with so many failures and losses, she didn't want to let go. Not even as she found herself laying her chest to the cold stone floor, sobbing into the crest of Kelly's neck.

Kelly, softly holding up Luna, stroked her neck and pulled the ethereal hair away from her mare's eyes.

"Luna, sweetie… Justin was right about me selling myself short. That's partially why I clung to Big Mac at first and then let you take over taking care of me."

It was an odd admission to give, but Kelly spoke confidently in her confession.

"Do you remember me telling you about the business I used to run?"

Luna nodded, her moist cheeks gently riding up against Kelly, letting her say her piece.

"Well… It grew too fast, I was making too much money that I couldn’t invest, and didn't know how to handle it… So I sold it. I was pretty much set for life, but I didn't appreciate what I had or have the confidence to hold onto it."

Carefully, she raised Luna's face to hers and kissed her lovingly on the lips. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t tempted to have yet another romp, however, this wasn’t the place, nor an appropriate time.

“Mac is having the same problem I did. He may appreciate me and not want to lose me, but he’s never had another mare I didn’t help him with. Not that I blame him… I could feel the attraction between us.”

It took a moment for Luna to catch the odd grammar choice.

“Us?” She asked quietly.

Kelly rolled her eyes, curling up the right corner of her lip in an embarrassed grin.

“Yeah, that’s what kinda set off my request to leave for a while. Mac told me earlier there was a mare he was interested in, but I showed up and… got stabbed. So, you know the rest, but apparently, her name is Sugar Belle, makes an awesome apple turnover, and I don’t know if she didn’t know if Mac and I were together when she gave me that look.”

She paused for a moment, trying again to recall the look in that mare’s eyes.

“She might have been trying to intimidate me, but I took it as a flirt.” She made an odd face and fluttered her eyes rapidly as she looked away. “I don’t know what I was thinking, but I flirted back and… maybe I did it to get a rise out of Mac, but I could see where it was going and I didn’t like what I thought of myself because of it.”

Knowing what a flirt from Kelly could lead to, Luna tried to bring reason to the situation.

“Kelly, I know my schedule doesn’t always work for you, so if you think-”

“Luna,” Kelly interjected, quickly stopping this from escalating. “This is what I’m talking about. If I say I want something, I get it. If I say I don’t want it, you both still do.”

The truth was undeniable, and Luna couldn’t find a position to take against it, which Kelly appeared to have expected.

“We don’t know what we really want. Me? I’ve conditioned myself to be like this, and I haven’t done a good job of fixing myself. You and Mac? I gave you both too much too fast. You both need some time to discover yourselves, but I need to learn self-control.”

Kelly’s offer wasn’t unreasonable, and Luna had no grounds to protest, per se. Certainly given everything they’d learned these last few weeks gave cause to approach such matters with caution. Even still, the uncertainty was crushing.

“Are we… over for good?”

A gentle kiss to Luna’s lips sent all sorts of mixed messages, but the smile she pulled away with left all the possibilities open.

“I don’t ever want to give you up, LuLu. Not you or Mac. We’ll see where Mac’s new chick leads to, but you? You have plenty of options, but you might want to consider taking a trip to see Cerb.”

Luna made a quick snap of her neck to turn and address Kelly eye to eye.

“Justin?! But he-”

“Is single,” Kelly taunted. “I mean, Lumberman is hardcore solo for Apples. Chris and Benny have their family values, and… Sniff is going to be paralyzed from the neck down for probably a few weeks. Plus the healing he needs? While in Canterlot?”

This was too good to be true. That, or two twisted to believe.

“Are you… telling me to have sex with Justin?”

Kelly shrugged as if asked if the castle could use a drinking fountain in the garden.

“Why not? I did.”

“Kelly!” Luna shouted, though her blush spoke even louder than her protest.

Unphased, Kelly stared at Luna like a parent would their child complaining about something they knew the kid would enjoy.

“Look… You and Mac aren’t exactly available for each other. That, and Granny is being a bit of a bitch to just about everyone. Mac also should be allowed to do what he wants while I’m making myself unavailable. But mostly, Justin is going to need someone there for him who actually cares about him. That and you should know what it’s like to actually have real sex with a guy who’s about as big as Mac… Or maybe the other way around.”

The fur rose up on end on Luna, starting from her cheeks and running down her back, fraying out into her mane and tail with glints of shimmering lights in its already majestic ethereal flow.

“You… Are you absolutely sure you would be okay with this?”

It was, in all honesty, the kind of proposal that was too good to be true. If Kelly ever had an evil streak, if not one that came at those who didn’t deserve it, this could have been viewed as a trap.

Thankfully, Kelly wasn’t blind or stupid enough not to see what kind of position she was putting Luna in.

“I told you about me and Justin. While I didn’t mean to, I did him wrong. Things were different, but I still hurt him, and I never really made up for it. You two already have a good connection, but I also know neither of your hearts would be into it. You both need some comfort that I can’t give either of you, and I know if you’re honest with him, you won’t hurt him like everyone else has. He’ll be good to you.”

Laying it all out for Luna to leave or take, Kelly helped her mare of the night up and hugged her one more time.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, I know this isn't the best way for us to handle things. But..." she said as she gave a deep sigh. "Right or wrong, we're essentially taking a break, and maybe a few more skeletons in our closets is what we all need to learn so we stop fucking things up so much."

Renewed in her faith, though still conflicted with her options, Luna gave Kelly a squeeze and hummed happily about their future.

"I will make no promises. Rainbow Dash is there with Justin and has a stronger desire for him than even I might have at first. At the very least, I will make sure to check up on him. His nightmares have stopped, but he could always use a good friend."

Celestia had some time to spare and used it to visit her old bedroom. A moment of nostalgia and a chance to face her past once again.

“How many years has it been?”

She glanced around the room. Not much of it had changed. Centuries of rot and decay had done surprisingly little to remove what she had abandoned. It seemed unnatural, but with Harmony involved, she imagined there had been some reason to keep her miserable past intact.

An empty bed fit for one stood unbalanced on only two legs, reminding her of her larger posh bed waiting for her, just as empty. A few toys lay on the floor below a shelf that had rotted away, the wooden dolls and trinkets scattered like her still mending relationship with Luna. Dust and cobwebs covered her history better than her years of trying to forget them had.

Only the mirror looked to be intact, as dirty as it was, seemed fitting for how well it showed enough to let her know who she was looking at, while masking who that pony truly was underneath.

“Harmony really did a number on us, didn’t she?”

Celestia spun low and hunkered down at the phantom voice.

“Who’s there,” she snarled, flaring the magic in her horn. “I am not so worn down as the others, and I have one human nearby who is just as fearsome who will come at the first hint of combat.”

“Benny would not dare turn his weapon on you. That was Lumberman, and you have already forgiven him. I propose we keep their goodwill intact. Losing it did not bear well for us in the past. Let us focus on our future instead.”

Celestia did not lower her guard, not even when she noticed the dancing flames in the reflection that was not her own.

“Now, I know what you're thinking. More strings to cloud your mind? An illusion? Another Nightmare Moon? … no… but also not too far off.”

Entranced, Celestia studied the fiery alicorn mare in the mirror moving on its own.

“What are you?”

The hellish form Celestia once took to battle Harmony made a slow turn for Celestia to see there were no secrets hidden from plain sight.

“Consider me your passion. Your… burning desires. A voice of your own from all you’ve left unsaid… Day Breaker.”

She completed her twirl and tapped a hoof on the far side of the mirror.

“I’ll spare you the mystery of my origins. I was born when you refused to save your sister and banished her to the moon. Raised on your resentment for Star Swirl. Sunset Shimmer? She gave us quite the growing pains. Then starting only a few weeks ago, I really came into my own when-”

Flaring her horn again, Celestia began to radiate with heat, sparking up in flames over her main and tail.

“I was wrong about the humans. If you have any ill will against them, I swear I will-”

“You,” the voice carelessly answered. “Not any of them. You. You might have told yourself it was Twilight, or Luna, or Shining, or even Cadance you were angry at, but it was you. I'm the reason you refused to surrender, why you took joy in unleashing your wrath, beating your revenge into Harmony. Which by the way, thank you for that. After so many centuries being pent up, it was so refreshing to cut loose for a change.”

Taking a seat behind the mirror, Day Breaker relaxed as she leaned with her forelegs folded over her chest to stare through the mirror.

“Harmony had you so wound tight and untrusting that even without her poking and prodding you to push them away, you did so all on your own. All you wanted was for things to go back to normal so you could put Twilight on the throne and retire. Go back and save Sunset, rekindle your love with Sombra, and live a life in peace.”

Celestia’s rage subsided. This Day Breaker spoke the truth, and didn’t come off as evil as her sister’s alter ego had been. Granted, the fact she was currently talking to a double of herself bathed in flames, with jet black eyes and fangs was certainly concerning, but Celestia pushed that aside for the moment.

“Sunset Shimmer and Sombra are both lost to me, and the dream of Twilight’s ascension was of Harmony’s doing. I have nothing left but to continue on.”

Day Breaker raised a hoof to her chin, thinking of how true that was.

“Yes, that would seem to be the case. At least for now. However, we are not without options for a better future. I know of another passion that is still within our reach.”

Curious, Celestia raised an eye to the mirror.

“Don’t deny it. Dancing with Peter, you were free. Dealing with your unruly guard's aftermath, he calmed a grieving mother. He didn't put you down like Cerberus. He empowered you... Now, what does he want?"

Drawn in even closer, Celestia knew what Sniff wanted.

"Peter wishes to stay away from the Everfree Forest. He wishes to stay in Canterlot until he is well and the danger has been dealt with. He knows he will not be safe in Twilight's care."

Day Breaker smiled honestly as she laid the foundation for a new beginning.

“Lyra has told us that he fancies us mares as the others have shown as well. Even Chris, with all his fumbling and awkward behaviors, has given Starlight peace of mind and soothed her heart. What of yours? What does the most powerful and devoted ruler of Equestria have to show for her centuries of defending the lands? What has been our reward for surrendering everything that made this life worth living? What have we fought for and kept other than the shackles of servitude? What do these other mares have that we cannot provide for Peter? You know we can do more. Be more. We deserve more. "

Celestia thought about it for a moment. The rhythm in which Sniff danced with her still lingered in the back of her mind.

"Twilight wishes to keep our humans safe and happy. Peter wishes to be safe and help others… but I do not wish to be a temporary fixation for a stallion to discard ever again."

She locked eyes with her reflection, the fiery mare no longer needed to be seen to converse with.

"Peter needs a pony like me. One not for practice, but forever… And with his love to make me even stronger, no creature will ever cross us again."

An arc of fire rolled up over Celestia's mane as she stood with a new sense of confidence.

"This is my kingdom. If Twilight will not accept it from me, then I shall have it as I see fit."

"Damnit," Rose cursed to herself. "How fucking far can one dimension drift?"

A sudden thought came to mind, which Rose thought was ridiculous.

"Pah! Like I would end up going the wrong way."

Another thought crossed her mind, which seemed to make more sense.

"Then again, with so much negative space, it would have altered its projected path… Damn it! Why do the further out these realms go the more they tend to drift?!"

Once again, a thought entered Rose's mind. This time, however, she knew it was not her own, and she began to charge a spell.

"Alright! Who's the Echo trying to lead me-"

Wham!

Without warning, Rose was struck from the side. Not just struck, she was rammed, forcing her through the vast reaches of inner-dimensional space at an unpresidented speed that seemed beyond an Echoes capability.

Then, bright lights surrounded her, and she hit the ground.

She tumbled once and rebound to all fours, though the position felt unnatural. For some reason her back legs felt like they were stretched out, forcing her ass high in the air and arching her back uncomfortably. What’s more, her hooves felt soft, squishy… bendy.

Then, as her senses kicked in to realize her surroundings, she was in a bar and the center of attention for some eleven odd-looking humans.

“Trixie?” One of the humans asked.

Rose took a step back, but slipped on the floor, landing in such a way to see her foreleg was now an arm, complete with hands and fingers, and now covered in clothes.

Somehow, she had been thrust into the mirrored human world and been given the proper appearance.

“What the fuck?!”

In front of her, swirling rainbow colored-lights lowered to the ground. The shape was faint. A pony of some kind began to take form. Four legs, tall, wings, a horn, and deep magenta eyes began to solidify as it stood up on its hindlegs.

Ten of the humans stepped away from the bar, but one, a female with a mellow-tanned complexion and rich red hair filled with yellow stripes sat calmly and sipped her drink.

“It’s about time you came back. Do you have any idea how hard it was to convince these dip-shits I wasn’t crazy without you here?”

The alicorn form began to shift in appearance. The pony legs morphed into arms and human legs. The muzzle retreated into the skull along with the ears as blue fur came into view along with an ethereal rainbow-striped mane.

While what Rose saw had to be impossible, as it had never been seen before, she knew right away who, or at least what she was looking at.

“Rainbow Dash?”

The blue fur softened and melded into blue skin, but even after clothing began to cover the human female figure, the horn, wing, and tail remained, along with her temper.

“About time I got back? I was supposed to be gone for years!”

She leaned over Rose, glaring through her vibrant eyes.

“Though I would have been here faster if this ditz hadn’t gotten lost.”

There should have been a witty comeback or some jaded insult, yet, somehow Rose sat up, looking rather composed.

“You’re an Echo, like Sword, aren’t you? Figures that a Rainbow Dash would go astray."

This alicorn Rainbow folded her arms and leaned back to lord over Rose.

"Typical Trixie. Shooting from the hip and getting everything wrong."

She turned away and walked towards the bar.

"I'm not an Echo. My world wasn't lost. I saved it."

"What!?" Rose shouted.

This alicorn Rainbow took a seat and patted the stool next to hers.

"I saved us… Sort of. I'm also the one who sent the message that the humans are the key."

On wobbly legs, Rose stumbled and flopped her way to the stool and took a seat, opening her mouth to speak, but said nothing as Rainbow pulled out a necklace made of crystal threads, encrusted with six jewels. One each of the other main six's cutie marks, and one that dangled in the center of a swirling blue orb.

Rainbow lifted it enough to show them off.

"Our humans gave us the strength we needed to transfer our whole world into this bottom gem. The rest of my friends were turned to gems to keep the world safe and contained. Our Harmony became the strands to my five, as long as I stay with them. Then, I escaped.”

Suddenly beside herself, Rose was lost between relieved, astonished, and livid.

“You… could have saved… all of us.”

If that were the case, the alicorn Rainbow would have apologized. Instead, she reached into Rose’s bag and pulled out a bottle of vodka.

“I wish that were the case, Rose. Unfortunately, much like you Echoes, I can’t enter another world occupied by another Harmony. Not completely at least. My Harmony and I, we’re sorta… bound together while I wear this, which at least allows me to see the Dark spots Order blocks out for those like you. I had a hard enough time trying to keep the kids safe by pointing them in the right direction when Harmony couldn’t. Even in the pocket dimensions, there was only so much I could do for Gruff and Trixie."

Having displayed it for long enough, she tucked it away back into her shirt.

"The shit thing is, if I were to try and remove the necklace, then my friends are released and my world goes back to where it was. Back to The Darkness, and I would lose the powers that allowed me to warn you and the other realms.”

She unscrewed the top of the bottle and took a long drink before setting it on the bar to slide it over for Rose.

“Thankfully, I noticed all you Echoes, just like The Darkness, you always overlook these human worlds. You’re always too focused on the chosen ten, kidnapping or tricking them from the abandoned realms to enter yours… Not a problem since there’s no Harmony there to stop you. I also caught you not watching the other mirror worlds. Too caught up trying to figure out why you couldn’t find the seven new humans I reached out and brought in for you.”

Rose took the bottle but was hesitant to take a drink as the ten humans of this realm retook their seats. There was no celebration or cheers, leading her to believe that perhaps she had missed something.

“Okay? So you’re the one that made the changes to bring in the humans with Order. But… The real Trixie defeated The Darkness. We won… Can’t you go home now?”

The alicorn Rainbow reached down and pulled out another bottle, and this time poured it into a glass Sunset provided.

“Trixie sealed us away from The Darkness. She even wiped out an entire reality it was attached to, but she didn’t get all of it. It’s still only a matter of time… something I’m running out of. We all are now.”

The front door to the bar opened, and a human King Sombra walked in with a pair of boxes, much to the lack of a surprise to Rainbow.

“Fucking cliched, perfect timing. I’m so sick of this shit.”

King Sombra, not expecting more patrons, set the boxes down behind the counter, noticing the new face.

“Oh? You must be the other Rainbow Dash that Sunset told me about. I’d offer you a drink, but it appears you brought your own.”

Rainbow lifted her glass, in a pho-cheers.

“It’s alcohol. The real stuff. You’re welcome to join.”

Rose took a good look at Sombra, realizing his placement never would have led him here to a place like this.

“Holy shit… You’re the Good King Sombra?”

The aforementioned Good King Sombra picked up a bar towel and bowed.

“At your service.” He rose up and started to wipe down the bar surface. “Assuming you’re a friend of Sunset. My pon… people, as they are now, owe her their lives.”

Rainbow slid over the second bottle to Rose, a flurry of blurring thoughts running through her mind.

“I have no doubt I picked the right humans… but I doubt they can pull off what I did. Each Harmony is different, just like every world is. Just like Sword had incredible offensive capabilities or the others with their healing or wisdom, my Harmony had a thing for transformations and transference. Maybe Ring can help the humans out with her armoring abilities. Because as it stands, they need to figure out what to do on their own. So, you were right about that.”

It seemed as though the plans hadn’t changed much, after all, so Rose might as well enjoy a drink.

“Wait,” Rose spoke up before taking a drink. “What was that last Tree of Harmony’s special ability?”

The alicorn Rainbow swirled her glass of straight booze around lazily and sighed.

“Just like you. She only needs a thorn or two to regenerate.”

And there we have it. Nations are rebuilding, bonds are being strengthened, and even Kelly is taking a break to finally fix herself. At the moment a lot of eyes are falling on Cerb, since more are learning that they've had a split.

Also, another drop of info, much like Kelly had issues with walking and numbness, it would seem that Sniff has suffered an even worse fate that he will have to recover from. That is while he's recovering in Canterlot with a Celestia that has finally come around to face her own inner demon. One that's tired of getting left behind and giving up more than she has been given.

But of course, for those of you that had been wondering about the unknown interloper, the swirling rainbow-colored lights, don't think I was just gonna let that go unsolved.

What does it all mean?

It means that I'll be taking some time to start the next arc of this story. While much of it looks the same, it really is a whole new world to experience with an unpredictable future.

What comes next will either be a jump back to show Sunset Shimmer's side of the story, and/or my next big focus, "Life in the Crystal Empire."

I don't have an ETA for when any of the future works will start to be released, so feel free to follow me here and or join my Discord: MLP WERA Connections.

I haven't done much on the Discord since building it, but it could be a great place to hang out and share ideas, motivate each other, and chat.

Otherwise, I thank you all for tagging along and finishing this wild ride with me.