The cool air of the land swept across the New castle of Canterlot leaving behind an unforeseen warmth that caused many ponies to give a sigh of relief from the normally cold winter day. It was early March and soon, Winter wrap up would be right around the corner. Two newbie guards were standing at the front gate, idly chatting as ponies continued to saunter by without a care. That was of course until Twilight Sparkle appeared in a flash of light and the crack of a whip in front of them. The two guards looked at her in stunned silence for a moment before their postures lowered into a defensive stance.

"Who goes there?" One of them shouted toward the surprised unicorn.

"Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's protege and student." She spoke as she nodded to them. "I have urgent news for Princess Celestia. I must speak with here immediately regarding the King." She stated quickly causing the two guards to stare at her for a moment before opening the gate and letting another set of guards inside take her into the castle.

After a short walk into the castle. The three arrived in the throne room where Celestia was sitting in her throne to the side of a larger empty throne next to hers. Several scrolls floating in her magical grasp as a quill was writing onto them. Once the Sun princess heard hooves along her throne room's marble floor, she looked up, giving a loud gasp as to what she saw before her. Dropping everything in her grasp she opened her wings and glided swiftly to the floor below and pulled her student into her loving embrace.

"Twilight, it has been so long since I have seen you." Celestia spoke out through a choking cry. The two smiling and hugging each other as the guards stepped back out of the room to give them some privacy.

"It's good to be home Tia." Twilight giggled as she nuzzled her mentor and best friend.

Celestia pulled away from Twilight as she looked her over once. "My dear, you look as if you have gone through Tartarus itself before coming back through once more to get here. What has happened to you to put you in such disarray?" She asked as they began to walk out of the throne room and toward her quarters.

"Tia, I think............. I think I found what I was looking for, but I need to see Midnight to be sure." She stated with unease causing Celestia to pause in her steps for a moment before continuing toward the palace garden.

"Twilight? Do........ Do you really think that you have found what we will need to turn our stallion back to normal?" She asked as a hopeful expression spread across her face.

"Well, I was given this item just recently by a griffon who seems to have known you in the past. Grizzle asked for me to tell you hello." Twilight smiled up to the princess seeing her beam.

"That old birdbrain is still alive? I haven't seen him in almost four hundred years." Celestia laughed loudly which was completely out of the norm for her.

"Birdbrain? It's not like you to say such things Tia." Twilight giggled seeing her mentor blush.

"Grizzle is a very old friend of mine. He was one of the first griffon's that I had met when I arrived on this planet. We became close, but never got serious. He was nothing more than a dear friend to me. For the past several hundred years however, I had lost touch with him when he began to dabble in magical artifacts. One day he just disappeared, and I never heard from him again." Celestia sighed before giving her student a smile as they strode into the palace garden.

"Don't you think we should get Applejack and Rarity to be present during this moment?" Twilight asked as she looked to Celestia.

"As much as I would like to say yes my dear, I must decline. The reason being that if this item doesn't work, then it will only cause more heartache for them. This way we can avoid depressing them further in such a case that it doesn't work." She stated causing Twilight to nod sadly.

"Very well then." Twilight said as they finally arrived to the statue of Midnight Kindle. The elemental pony that was covered in armor that was Midnight Flame. Twilight pulling the necklace from behind her trench coat and floating it from her as she faced it toward the statue before them. She gave a nervous glance back to the princess before turning her vision back to the necklace and began to pump her magic into it causing a beam of energy to shoot out from its center before it hit the statue causing it to glow.

A few tense seconds passed by as they listened to the stone crackle slightly before it began to move. They watched in awe as the legs moved into a more relaxed posture before the stone covering the body began to fall away slowly. First cracking and sending small segments before larger chunks fell away. It took almost five minutes before the stone had all but fallen from the two ponies. Kindle shook her head slightly as she swayed.

"Ugh, what happened? The last thing I remember was..............." She trailed off as Midnight's voice spoke up.

"Screwball! WHERE IS SHE?!" He shouted causing Kindle to move into a defensive stance and look around herself, only to stop as they noticed Celestia and Twilight standing just a few feet from her, both in tears as they spoke.

"M-Midnight?" Twilight began as she moved closer to him only to stop due to the heat that Kindle was putting off.

"Girls? What's going on? I thought Canterlot was destroyed?!" He spoke out as Kindle continued looking around.

"Midnight, can you please return to your regal form? We have much to discuss." Celestia spoke out rather bluntly, surprising Midnight.

"Tia? It's not like you to be so blunt............." He trailed off as the armor glowed slightly from Kindle before separating and turning into the Dark Alicorn once again. After a few seconds he was bowled over by Celestia and Twilight who began crying loudly as they held onto him.

"Girls? Whats wrong? You're acting like you haven't seen me in months." He stated giving a slight chuckle as he hugged them tightly. "Just how long were we in that stone prison?" He asked as the two pulled away from him slightly.

"Midnight............. you've been imprisoned within that stone for five years." Celestia stated causing his eyes to go wide.

"F-five........... years? Tia, please tell me you're joking." He choked out as he looked from her to Twilight.

"It's been just over five years actually. It's early march right now." Twilight said as she looked up and into his eyes, smiling now that she had her stallion back.

"But, why so long? How did you turn us back?" He asked as he pulled them closer, holding them to himself as he spoke.

"I've been traveling the globe to find something to free you from that curse that Screwball had placed on you. Today was the first day I've been back in Equestria in almost three years." Twilight stated as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you've been searching for a counter spell to turn Kindle and me back to normal for five years, and haven't even went home during that time? What about the others? What about your friends and family?" Midnight asked in shock.

"I........... couldn't leave you like that. I love you, and to have you taken away like that. It broke me............ for the longest time I couldn't do anything, so I vowed to return you to normal or die trying." Twilight said as she looked up into his eyes as tears streamed down her face. Midnight pulling her close and wrapping his wings around two of his ladies.

"Thank you............. I don't know how I could repay you for what you did for me love." He said softly as he hugged them.

"Ahem." Kindle cleared her throat to gain their attention since they had obviously forgotten she was in the same room with them. "Five years huh, I hate to break up such a tender moment, but in that time did you happen to find a counter spell to remove my elemental abilities as well? Because I don't want to go insane. Plus I would like to live a normal life as well, without burning everything within twenty feet of me to the ground just by passing it by." She groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I am sorry Kindle. We did not mean to keep you. You will however be pleased to know that I have had the chance to learn the counter spell to return you to normal." Celestia stated with a smile. "It will only take a minute to cast if you are up for it."

"Please do, I can't wait to get back to normal. Then I can finally take a normal bath." She giggled slightly.

Midnight watched as Celestia's horn lit up, a beam of magic shooting out and hitting Kindle. The fire pony stood there with her eyes closed tightly for a moment as the fire around her body slowly changed back into her normal mane and tail. After a few moments longer her normal coat color returned before she let out a gasp as the transformation was complete. She fell to the floor giving a shiver as she curled up.

"S-s-s-s-s-sssssoooooo c-c-c-c-c-cold." Kindle whispered out as she shivered before Celestia lifted her within her magical grasp and placed a warming aura around her.

"That would be a side effect from returning to normal. It should pass shortly. Until then however I will place a small warming shield around you and have you placed into your own quarters within the castle." She said giving the now normal pony a smile. Kindle giving a nod as she continued to shake slightly as she followed one of the butlers out of the room and into a guest bedroom down the hall.

"Now then." Celestia began as she turned back to Midnight giving him a smirk. Only causing him to raise a brow at the sudden change. The Alicorn pressed forward to the Dark Alicorn giving him a rough kiss before pulling away. "You have two more ladies to visit before you can take your rightful title, 'King Midnight'. As well as see a few other ponies who have missed you quite a bit."

Midnight stood there in shock for a moment as he smiled, shaking his head for a moment to clear the fog, he looked to the regal Alicorn in front of him.

"First things first, I would like to see my son and daughter before anything else." He stated causing the two ponies to smile warmly at him.