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The Third Generation

by Candle Light

Chapter 23: The Third Generation Chapter Twenty Three

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The Third Generation

Chapter Twenty Three

By Candle Light

“Where do you suppose he took the darlings?”

“Discord won’t hurt them,” Princess Celestia assured Rainbow Dash. “He likes to keep his subjects brainwashed, ready to do his bidding at his beck and call.”

“What I wanna know is, what happened to Pinkie Pie?” Minty said. “I don’t think she was with the crowd. Do you suppose he took her too?”

“With a bit of luck, she’ll have gone back to the castle,” pegasus Rainbow Dash said hopefully. “And with a bit of more, Discord will have forgotten about them.”

As Twilight walked, the barrier moved with her, allowing the entourage to traverse the now-empty streets of Ponyville. The barrier, thankfully, was plenty big enough for all of them, easily more than twenty pony lengths in diameter, and within its boundaries, her magic seemed to be functioning normally once again; now that the spell was in place, it took barely any effort at all to keep it going. Everything inside the barrier – which passed through inanimate objects as though they were made of air – temporarily reverted back to its original Equestrian form, and for the first time, Twilight had a clear picture of just how strange the transformed landscape looked to her eyes. Like a picture book come to life.

More importantly, she could no longer feel the pull of Discord’s influence messing with their emotions. The sense of relief was unbelievable, as though she had pulled out a big splinter from her hoof.

“Well, Twilight,” Trixie spoke up. “I’m more than eager to hear this plan of yours.”

“I’m still working on it,” Twilight told her. With each passing second, she was starting to second-guess her so-called plan. Was it really possible to escape Discord’s trap that way, without dire consequences? Once they got to Crystal Rainbow Castle, she would know.

But the plan could wait; finding Pinkie Pie – and any other pony that might have been left behind – was more important.

“So, just to be clear,” Apple Bloom said, “if we step out of this thing, Discord’ll snatch us up?”

“You can count on it,” said Applejack. “So don’t do anythin’ stupid.”

“Trust me, Ah wasn’t planning to, sis.”

“Look, the castle!” Minty pointed with a hoof. The group walked up to the drawbridge and peered inside. “Hello?” called Rainbow Dash. No one replied, but Twilight thought she heard scrambling. The group moved inside, and Rainbow Dash called again. Finally, they heard hoof steps from one of the staircases... and a moment later, a pony peeked cautiously around the corner of the stairwell.

“Sweet Berry!” Star Catcher said. The red-hued, Discord-mutated pony gasped, and for a moment, looked at them with horror – but then, after a quick shake of her head to clear it, her expression softened to one of slowly-dawning comprehension as she realized what must have happened. “Star Catcher, Rainbow Dash... everyone, you’re back in your...?”

“Discord got us,” earth-pony Rainbow Dash told her. “Twilight barely managed to put up this protective barrier – don’t worry, this one is safe – but as far as we know, we’re the only ponies still in Ponyville. Is there anypony else upstairs?” The question answered itself, as three more ponies emerged. Twilight wracked her brain for the names... Thistle Whistle, Coconut Cream... and that pony whose name was Applejack, but looked nothing like Twilight’s apple-farming friend.

Sweet Berry’s eyes looked weary. “So that’s it, huh. We’re left with nothing.”

“Hey, don’t throw in the towel just yet,” the pegasus Rainbow Dash said. “We’re still around, aren’t we? Discord didn’t stand a chance against Twilight’s barrier spell. Besides, she says she got a plan!”

Twilight made a sudden gasp, remembering something important. “Everypony into the barrier! Discord can’t hear or see us in here, but he could come back for you at any moment!”

Thistle Whistle, Coconut Cream and Applejack hesitated for a moment, then ran over. Twilight concentrated to find a way to open the barrier for them, hoping that it wouldn’t alert Discord – but as it turned out, the ponies passed right through it just as easily as any other object, and once inside the bubble, Discord’s hold over them vanished, and their bodies reverted back to their Equestrian forms before their eyes.

Sweet Berry alone hesitated. Her eyes shifted, her face screwing up, as if battling with inner demons. Then... “No.”

The mouths of everypony in the barrier fell open. “What do you mean, ‘no’?” Minty asked.

“What’s the use?” she sighed hopelessly. “So we can avoid Discord for a few more hours? Then what? Eventually he’s going to find us, and he’s—”

“For pony’s sake, can we talk about your problems in here?!” Trixie called out.

“I’ve made my decision!” Sweet Berry screamed. “If Discord wants me, he can have me! I’ll go where Wysteria and Razzaroo went...”

There was a sadness in her eyes that cut through Twilight’s heart. What in Equestria had happened to make her give up hope like this? She contemplated ignoring Sweet Berry’s wishes and just forcing her into the barrier, but... there was a sincerity in Sweet Berry’s voice that gave her pause. If she wanted to be with her friends, then... Twilight dismissed the thought. Under Discord’s paw, she would cease to be herself, and would never be allowed to truly be with her friends again. If what he had done to the Bearers last time was any indication...

As if on cue, there was a sudden flash of light, and Discord appeared out of nowhere, grinning maliciously as he put a claw on Sweet Berry’s head. “Don’t mind if I do!” Sweet Berry’s eyes glazed over, her expression fading into an emotionless, blank gaze. “Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll make sure you won’t be bothered with any of those pesky emotions ever again.” To Twilight’s dismay, a smile spread across Sweet Berry’s face. A smile utterly devoid of soul.

“You take your paw off her, you brute!” shouted earth-pony Rainbow Dash in a fit of anger that Twilight had never seen from her before.

“He cannot hear you,” Luna said. “As long as we are protected by this barrier of harmony, we are invisible to him.”

Discord made a sweeping look around the chamber. “I know you’re here, Twilight. Are you sure you’d rather starve to death than become part of my kingdom?” He waited for a moment, while the ponies in the barrier held their breath. “I take it that’s a ‘no’. Ah well. Suit yourself.” With a click of his claw, he vanished, taking Sweet Berry with him.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were huddled together, terrified. “Ah-Ah’ve never seen him up close before...” Applebloom stammered as Applejack came over to reassure the frightened fillies.

“Yeah, he’s a nasty one, all right,” Applejack agreed. “But y’all are safe in here, don’t you worry.”

“What about you, darlings?” Earth-pony Rainbow Dash addressed the newcomers. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I-I don’t know,”the red mare whose name was also Applejack replied. She looked as though she was trying to hold back tears. “Maybe I should have gone with her... I just—”

“Listen to me, and listen well,” Princess Celestia spoke up, looking the newcomers in the eyes. “Discord will rob Sweet Berry of her soul, her sense of self, so that she can become his play-thing. She will not be reunited with her friends; she will live a life as little more than a doll that exists only to do Discord’s bidding, for his own amusement.” Seeing the frightened look on their faces, Celestia afforded them a smile. “But we will save them. As long as we are here, there is still hope. Don’t you agree, Twilight?”

“Yes, Twilight, what is our next course of action?” Luna asked.

“I...” She wasn’t sure how to answer. They had to get to Crystal Rainbow Castle, to work out the kinks of her plan... but there was a more urgent matter at hoof. “First, we need to find Pinkie Pie.”

“I think so too,” said little Rarity. “I’m doubly worried about her now.”

“Ohh, if only I’d run after her when I meant to!” Minty lamented. “Stupid, stupid Minty!”

“Doesn’t anypony have an idea where she might have gone?” Twilight asked. No one replied, all looking thoughtful. “Right. We could go around and look for her, but the longer we take, the higher the risk that Discord will find her first.”

“Couldn’t I just look for her from the air?” pegasus Rainbow Dash suggested. “If I’m quick enough, maybe Discord won’t be able to grab me.”

Twilight shook her head. “If any of us Bearers leaves this barrier, it will disintegrate. And we can’t underestimate Discord’s abilities. Princess Celestia, don’t you have a far-seeing spell?”

“I do, but it likely won’t work under Discord’s influence.” Twilight nodded, feeling silly. She had hoped that maybe someone as powerful as Celestia would be able to pierce through the influence, just for a moment. To mention nothing of the fact that Twilight was probably more powerful still. Would she ever get used to that thought?

What if she were to enchant somepony with chaos, try to make them invisible to Discord’s eyes? No, that might accidentally break the protection. Twilight sighed to herself. There really didn’t seem to be any other options than to...

“Rainbow Dash!” a voice called from above. “Minty! Everyone!”

The small flock of tiny, winged ponies that were the Breezies fluttered down from the ceiling. Fluttershy gasped and cracked a smile for the first time in a while. “Breezies! You’re okay!”

“Of course we’re okay. We were hiding in the chandelier to get away from all the arguing. What’s happening to everyone?”

“Discord kidnapped the poor darlings. We’re the only ones left.”

For some reason, even in Discord’s magic, the Breezies were not transformed from their original Equestrian form. Twilight’s heart raced faster, and was about to invite them in, when Celestia spoke up. “Breezies, listen carefully, and do not respond; only nod if you understand. Pinkie Pie is hiding somewhere in the village; I want you to find her, and when you do, come back and lead us to her. And above all else, don’t let her see you.”

The Breezies seemed a little confused at first. But then they nodded, and shot off out of the castle.

“What’re you doing?” asked Twilight. “What if Discord—”

“The Breezies are immune to chaos, and as such, invisible to Discord,” the Princess told her. “It’s a side effect of their imprisonment. The Breezies react differently to chaos and harmony than we ponies do.” A memory flickered into life in Twilight’s mind, from the first time they had visited the Breezie Blossom.‘The Elements of Harmony kept you safe all these years, and I suspect they will continue to do so,’ Celestia had said.

This was good news, and it gave them a chance. If they knew were Pinkie was, they could rush up on her, get her into the barrier before Discord would be any the wiser.

As they waited, Twilight paid no attention to the conversations around her, lost in thought. In the end, she only had that one tiny seed of a plan to go on, and if it didn’t work... well, she’d just have to make it work, no matter the cost. Even if it required the ultimate sacrifice. In the worst-case scenario, even if they were to succeed... no, she told herself sternly, no backing out! You gotta do this! For Equestria!

***

Nothing made sense to Pinkie Pie anymore.

No one would find her here. She could stay here forever, living off the fruits of the trees, never having to face anyone ever again. But she didn’t want that. Being alone scared her... but she didn’t want anyone to see her like this either. The world had been such a happy place, filled with nothing but smiles, parties, friends... what was so wrong with that? Couldn’t they see the beauty in it? Pinkie Pie had to admit that maybe she had been a little too harsh back there, but... this was her home!

Yes, my home... she let the magic of this place wash over her, easing her mind. The others would come around, eventually. If it really was as hopeless as Twilight had said, then soon enough, things really would be back to the way they were. And Pinkie would have a bunch of new friends. They’d soon come to love this place, too.

A rustle among the bushes made Pinkie Pie jump. “Who’s there?!” she called, startling herself as her voice cracked. It frightened her, shattering her peace of mind. She backed away; were they coming for her? Should she make a run for it? She waited... but there was no more rustling. She breathed out.

Only to inhale abruptly as what looked like a wall of magic came speeding into the meadow. There was no time to react, nothing she could do to stop herself from being swallowed up by it. She closed her eyes on instinct... but then felt the weight of a pony on her.

“Pinkie!” She opened her eyes, and saw that Minty was hugging her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t look for you sooner!”

“Are you feeling better, darling?” Rainbow Dash asked. Pinkie looked around, letting her brain play catch-up; the rest of her friends were all there, and so were Twilight and the Bearers, Trixie, and... hold on. They were all back in their Equestrian form!

Pinkie Pie looked down on her own hoof, and gasped. “No...!”

“Discord has taken everypony away,” Star Catcher broke the news to her. “We are the only ponies left, but we’re safe as long as we do not leave this barrier.”

“So...” Pinkie Pie’s head spun, her heart sinking. “...it’s all...” Her eyes teared up. This couldn’t be happening! Wysteria, Razzaroo, Cotton Candy, Puzzlemint... all of them, taken by Discord. Meaning, there was nothing left for her in the world but this small, final piece of Equestria.

Pinkie’s expression darkened. She shoved Minty aside, striding over to Twilight. “It was you, wasn’t it...!” she hissed. “You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you!” Something had lifted from her chest, and the dam that prevented her from speaking her mind had burst. “Did you ever stop to think how your pointless struggles might make things worse?! We could’ve had our paradise back!”

“Yeah, fat chance!” pegasus Rainbow Dash shot back. “You just don’t get it, do you? Discord’s not gonna let you be happy, he’ll just keep messing with your head until—”

“How do you know?!” Somewhere in her mind, Pinkie noticed how most of her friends were backing away from her, regarding her with looks of fear and hurt... but it was nothing compared to the hurt she felt. “You seem to think that if there isn’t any bad in the world, it isn’t a world worth saving! Because chaotic, monster-infested Equestria is so much better than a world where we can actually be happy! What do you have against good, Twilight?”

“Nothing!” Twilight replied frantically. “You got it all wrong, I didn’t mean—”

“I’m sure you didn’t. Because you ponies don’t understand.” Pinkie sniffled, looking away. “It’s all your fault, you know. If you hadn’t dragged us along on that stupid race across the world, I’d still be—”

The rest of her sentence disappeared as a sudden pain erupted in the side of her head. There was a gasp from the crowd, and Pinkie looked back up, wide-eyed.

Trixie had just slapped her across the face.

***

“Trixie, no!”

Quiet, Princess!” In any other circumstances, even she would never have dreamed of talking back to a Princess, but looking at this pitiful pink pony in front of her, she lost all sense of reason. She moved closer, glaring Pinkie Pie down. “You listen to me, Pinkie Pie; if you want to blame everypony else for everything wrong in your life, go right ahead. We won’t stop you. But remember this: if that is what you choose, no one will look twice at you ever again. You’ll be a loser, who got exactly what she deserved.”

Minty whimpered. “Trixie, I could never—”

“You think this is Twilight’s fault?” Trixie went on, ignoring Minty. “She and her friends took you in, helped you find your home, did everything in their power to save Equestria – and you think she’s the reason why you can’t keep your head together?” To her immense satisfaction, Pinkie Pie seemed to hang on to her every word with a frightened expression. “Look, I get it. You were happier in that dream world of yours. Trust me, I get it; who wouldn’t want to live in a world where nothing ever goes wrong. But guess what! That’s not how the real world works!” Her volume rose to shouting level as she leaned over her. “It was a lie! You’re never going back there, and there is no such thing as a life where problems never happen!”

Pinkie Pie looked as though she was about to cry. Trixie sighed, and then – taking everyone by surprise – slumped down to her hind knees and embraced Pinkie Pie in a hug.

“But that’s okay,” she said in a softer tone. “You think that just because bad things do happen, good things can’t. But you’re wrong. They can, and they will.” At this point, Trixie felt strangely detached from her own words. Her old, pre-Rarity self would have scowled at what was coming out of her mouth, called her a naïve moron, feeding Pinkie with lies... but she wasn’t talking to just Pinkie anymore. She was lecturing that very part of Trixie. Facing herself. “But you gotta let them happen. The world can still be that wonderful place you imagined, but you won’t see it if you let every bad little thing get to you. You gotta put in the effort.” She let go of her, and waved a hoof at the others, her voice hardening. “And if you aren’t willing to do that, then you really don’t deserve these wonderful friends.”

Silence.

Pinkie Pie was no longer sobbing; her mouth just hung open, staring first at Trixie, then at her friends. Trixie stepped aside. She’d said all she could.

Before the pause could become awkward, the tears welled anew down Pinkie’s cheeks. She flung herself at Minty. “I-I’m sorry!” she cried. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, darling,” Rainbow Dash assured her, joining the hug. Little Rarity and Kimono did as well, and Star Catcher spread out her wings and pulled them all into an embrace. “It’s okay now.”

Since all eyes were on Pinkie Pie, Trixie sat down on the ground near the edge of the barrier, mentally exhausted. Now that her brain had caught up with her, she felt like biggest hypocrite in the world. She was the last person who had the right to say those things.

But then, she had never had friends. Little Rarity had changed that.

Trixie felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned around to see Twilight standing there, smiling at her. “For what it’s worth, Trixie, I was wrong about you. You do understand the magic of friendship.”

***

“My wand,” Little Rarity said, pointing a hoof towards the object lying on the floor as the group wandered into the Crystal Rainbow Castle. “I’m not sure I even want that thing anymore.”

“Maybe it still works,” suggested Minty. “Maybe if you swing it around, it’ll—”

“It’ll probably mess up everything again,” Rarity finished. “I don’t wanna risk it.”

Twilight was fairly certain that the wand had outlived its usefulness. Rarity had been able to use it to awaken one of the pieces of Discord that had been lodged around the village – using her own piece as a catalyst – and the wand had most likely served as a magic amplifier. Just to be certain, though, Twilight walked up to it and initiated a deep-scanning spell. Just as she thought, it had Rarity’s magical imprint all over it, and would only respond to her magic, if at all.

Cheerilee walked up beside Twilight. She lit up her horn, assuming a look of concentration, and with some effort, lifted the wand up in her magic glow. Turning to little Rarity, she said, “I think you should keep it.”

Rarity gave the floating wand a wary look. “But—”

“I don’t care if it was all a dream; in my eyes, you are still the Rainbow Princess of Unicornia.” Cheerilee gave her a sweet smile. “And the Princess needs her wand. I know it hurts now, but think of all the happy memories you had with this wand; how you summoned the Crystal Carriage with it, or how you made the rainbows shine.” She put a hoof to Rarity’s shoulder. “And besides, nothing can change the fact that, the moment you summoned that barrier, you saved all of our lives from that monster. I know this wand is precious to you, Rarity. I want you to keep it.”

Rarity hesitated. But then, with a hint of tears in her eyes, she smiled and nodded. “Okay...” Cheerilee smiled back, and worked the wand back into the filly’s mane.

“Alright then,” Twilight said. “Rarity, could you show us to the crystal chamber of this castle?”

The filly’s expression lit up. “Sure can do! Follow me!”

They walked through the corridors of the castle, and entered a room filled with big bouncing balls in a riot of bright colors. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever been inside this room,” said straight-maned Pinkie Pie. Her posture was still sunken, but her expression was considerably brighter than before.

“You haven’t?” said Little Rarity. “It’s a blast! It’ll cheer anyone up, right Rainbow Dash?”

“It certainly will, darling,” the cerulean earth pony agreed. “Do they still work? In the rea—in Equestria, I mean?”

“As long as you use your magic. Don’t worry, I’ll take you back here once this is all over, and I’ll help you stay on top of it.”

“Yeah...” agreed Pinkie Pie, a sigh in her voice. Twilight could tell that, despite Trixie’s ‘encouragement’, doubt still lingered in her mind. And who could blame her?

Rarity led them to a door that looked different from the others. Twilight recognized the design as one used by the Equinus race. When they entered, there was very little light on the other side, and Celestia cast an illumination spell as they walked down the spiral stair case. They descended down to the final landing, where they pushed open the door to the crystal chamber.

Twilight couldn’t hold back her gasp. For a moment, she could picture herself being back inside the Element’s vision. The six pillars, the indentation... this was the chamber where Dritl had been consumed by chaos. The birthplace of Discord.

Her friends seemed to have noticed as well. “Hold on, isn’t this where Discord...!” Rarity began.

“It is,” said Twilight. “Rainbow Crystal Castle was the center of the Equinus civilization, nearly five thousand years ago...!”

“By the stars...” said Celestia, casting an awestruck look over the chamber. “So this was once the center of Equestria. Who could have known?”

“There was a sprawling city here, bigger than Manehattan,” Twilight told her. “But the sands of time have removed all traces of it. And the ocean level must have been higher back then...”

“And to think,” said earth-pony Rainbow Dash, “that we just happened to choose this place by accident when our village settled down here. Fate really does have a sense of humor.” Twilight could only agree; there was something poetic about this twist of fate. Had the village been anywhere else, there might not have been anypony there to save Discord after his battle with the Princesses. And even if they had, there would have been no connection to the outside world, and Andromeda would never have heard Kimono’s plea. The Time Capsule would have remained unbroken, leaving Discord to return thousands of years later without anypony knowing.

Twilight was not one to believe in higher, unproven forces, but in times like these, even she had to wonder if nature was truly capable of such coincidences.

“I am starting to see what you had in mind,” said Kenbroth to Twilight. “But if you’re planning on using the castles’ connection to escape to another castle beyond Discord’s influence, I’m afraid you will be disappointed. We checked earlier, and it appears Discord has already blocked those connections with Chaos magic.”

“I was afraid of that,” said Twilight with a small sigh. “But there is still one possibility I think we may have overlooked. I just need a minute to make sure.”

***

“I know this sounds crazy, but... this kinda feels like the old days. I mean, before all this.”

“I know what you mean, Pinkie,” Minty agreed. “It’s weird; I almost remember how it was like, but it’s all a blur.”

A minute had turned into half an hour, as Twilight checked and rechecked the pillars. Every time somepony asked what she was up to, she just told them that she needed more time. It suited Kimono just fine. It gave her a chance to sit down and talk to her friends, both old and new. This crystal chamber was considerably smaller than one in Canterlot, and twenty-two ponies and two dragons made for a sizable crowd, forcing them to huddle together.

“It was a lot like this,” said Kimono. “Discord used to sit right here, next to me, Star Catcher on my left. He used to tell us so many stories.”

“Remember the time he told us about the three-headed bunny?” Star Catcher asked Kimono.

“I do,” Kimono chuckled. “I wonder how much of that was actually true. He sounded very enthusiastic when he told us.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s the one who created it,” pegasus Rainbow Dash commented.

The other ponies, the ones who had joined them at the other castle, were listening with great interest to the six friends. “Wasn’t he mean at all?” asked Applejack – the other-village Applejack, the mare of red hue. “I mean, from the way he treated us before, it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t be...”

“He was crass sometimes,” Kimono told her, “and he certainly had a sarcastic sense of humor, but no, he was never mean to any of us.”

“That’s still weird to me,” the orange Applejack remarked. “Discord, a nice guy? Ah’d sooner expect to see sheep sprouting wings.”

“Well, in retrospect, I remember moments I should have seen as signs of his madness. That’s why it hurts to think back on it now. I guess... I didn’t want to believe he could do those things...”

Red Applejack fidgeted. “Oh... I’m sorry, I...”

“Don’t be. I need to be strong enough to face this. I won’t let him, or his memory, haunt me any longer.”

The silence became heavy. Eventually, Pinkie Pie broke it. “How do you suppose the others are doing right now?”

“Still brainwashed, probably, ” said Minty. “Trapped in Discord’s spell and stuff... sounds scary.”

There was a sadness across Pinkie’s face. “Haven’t we all suffered enough?” she said. “Even if we somehow manage to defeat Discord... well, everything’s changed. How’re things ever gonna go back to the way they were?”

“Maybe it won’t,” said Kimono. “But maybe, it doesn’t have to. Change is inevitable in this realm, and things might get more dangerous, and more complex. But we’ll make it work, Pinkie. One day, we will look back on all of this and laugh.”

Pinkie Pie sighed. “I guess you’re right. The way I feel right now, I’d be glad if there’s any place for us to return to.”

“Speaking of which,” Twilight spoke up. All heads turned to where she stood, by one of the pillars. Kimono’s spirit rose when she saw she was smiling. “I have the plan figured out. I know how to save Equestria.”

“Truly?” said Luna. “Let us hear it, then.”

“It’s just like Kenbroth guessed, we’ll use the castle’s connection to escape Discord’s influence. It’s definitely possible, but...” She hesitated, as though looking for the right words. “There is a risk involved. A huge risk. With my powers combined with the Elements of Harmony, I should be able to augment the connection to make it powerful enough to withstand transporting all of us through it... but if I fail, then the seal with be torn to pieces, and Equestria will be flooded with cosmic energy.”

There was a short silence, as everypony exchanged worried looks. “Risk indeed,” said Celestia.

“But I think it’ll work,” Twilight said, confidence in her voice. “I don’t know how to explain this, but with every passing moment, I feel like I’m starting to know the power of chaos a little bit better. I’m ninety-five percent sure that the spell I have in mind will work. And besides, what other options do we have?”

“We believe in you, Twilight,” said Princess Celestia. “But won’t Discord see what we’re up to, and try to stop us?”

“Oh, he’ll know, but he won’t be able to stop us,” Twilight said. “Not if we use the one connection he hasn’t blocked, because he couldn’t. The one that leads to the sixth castle, where we haven’t fixed the seal yet.”

“The one at Dream Valley Island,” said Luna. “In the middle of the Inland Ocean.”

“Precisely! Only, since we never fixed it, it’s also the weakest part of the seal.”

“Then maybe some of us should stay behind?” Spike suggested. “I mean, most of us can’t do anything against Discord anyway; wouldn’t we just put unnecessary strain on the seal, or something?”

“No one gets left behind,” Twilight said, her voice firm. “One pony or twenty won’t make a difference to the spell. But if Discord finds you here, he’ll take you away too.”

“I agree,” Celestia said. “We are strongest together. But will you be able to work your magic as long as this protective barrier is in place?” She motioned around the room; the barrier surrounding them was barely even visible.

“Well, no,” Twilight admitted. “That’s another risk we need to take. Either the energies from this room are strong enough to cloak us, or Discord will find us as soon as I drop the barrier... and that will be that.”

Celestia tensed, but did not hesitate. “Do it.”

Kimono could see the fear on her face as Twilight nodded. She closed her eyes, breathed out... and a subtle flickering in the corner of Kimono’s eyes told her the barrier was gone.

They waited. Ten seconds... half a minute...

Two minutes later, everypony breathed out. “Thank goodness,” said Fluttershy. “I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“Nice call, Twi.” Pegasus Rainbow Dash gave her a pat on the back. “So what’re we waiting for! Let’s go get that creep!”

“Twilight.” Celestia eyed her with a serious look. “You mean to face him on your own again, don’t you.”

“I know I can do it this time, Princess. Last time, I was caught unprepared, fighting a hopeless battle while I was already under his power. I won’t be that careless again.”

“I’m sure you won’t. But Twilight, Discord isn’t your enemy alone. Luna and I will stand with you in this battle.”

Twilight hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, what if you’re caught up in—”

“I know you’ve become powerful, but is that really any way to talk to the one who taught you everything you know about magic?” Twilight flinched, but Celestia just smiled playfully. “The two of us can hold our own, we promise. Discord doesn’t understand teamwork any more than he understands friendship or harmony; the three of us working together will increase our chances.”

When Twilight still did not look convinced, grown-up Rarity spoke up. “Don’t take this the wrong way, dear, but I can’t help but feel that these powers of yours have given you – how do I put this delicately – a swelled head. Just because you’re the one with the cosmic powers and big ancestors, doesn’t mean it’s all on your shoulders.”

Twilight’s expression made it clear that Rarity’s words had impact. There was a pause, where she looked at Rarity, then at the Princesses. “I... I guess you’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off that way. It’s just that, right now, I truly believe I’m Equestria’s best bet. I’m not trying to be a hero, I just want to make sure we all make it out of this alive.”

“We know you are,” said Celestia. “And the rest of us will do all we can to help you.”

Twilight managed a smile. “Of course. Together it is.” Twilight turned to one of the pillars. “Alright, for starters you can all help by praying this will work...”

***

The morning when the grand cathedral of Dream Valley Island had turned to crystal, the entire city had been in an uproar. Their most holy artifact from times gone by, ruined. But as the days passed, and the priests of the cathedral started to find rooms that had not been there before, with books containing knowledge new to Equestria, the tragedy had come to be seen as a blessing. And when the priests later received word from Princess Celestia herself that similar castles had appeared all across the land, the Order of Dreams was convinced that this was a gift from beyond.

The mysteries surrounding the castles were many, and Priest Hollow Trunk was determined to uncover them all. This one chamber in particular, containing nothing but pillars around the walls of monotonous pink crystal, he was sure held a secret. Some portions of the walls held strange murals, and the swirling patterns of crystal on the floor were enough to make any art lover swoon. But most peculiar of all was the fact that the reflections of the pillars seemed to depict rooms that did not match with reality. Priest Hollow Trunk had spent hours on end documenting these differences, sure that it was an important piece of this splendid puzzle the gods had given them.

Today, however, was different. The pillars had all turned transparent, reflecting nothing but the walls behind them. This was not the only dark omen he had observed this day. The air had felt strangely chilled, and the birds were silent. The waves that usually battered against the shores of this island were stilled... and far, far off in the distance, he had thought he could make out a dark cloud.

A sudden flash from one of the pillars made Hollow Trunk’s heart almost jump out of his chest. Without any rhyme or reason, a whole group of ponies had suddenly appeared in the crystal chamber.

“By Granny’s old gala dress, it actually worked! Twilight, you’re a genius!”

“I almost can’t believe it myself. But we can’t celebrate just yet; Discord must have sensed that. It will only be a matter of time before he gets here... if he isn’t waiting for us outside already.”

Priest Hollow Trunk snapped out of his confusion when he realized that one of the ponies was... “Princess Celestia!” he exclaimed. “And Princess Luna! How in Equestria are you here? What has happened?”

“It is a long story,” Princess Luna told the Priest. “In short, the god of chaos, Discord, has returned. I want you to issue an island-wide warning to stay indoors.”

“Discord?” repeated Hollow Trunk. “But how...?”

“Post haste, Priest,” Luna said firmly. “Time is short. But take heart. We have come to put an end to his tyranny once and for all.”

***

The view from the highest tower was extraordinary. Twilight had been on the island a few times before, but she had never gotten the chance to visit this open viewing spot over the ocean, the tallest tower of the cathedral. The sun was at high noon, not a cloud in the sky, and if she squinted, Twilight could almost see the aurora that still stretched across the land.

Far, far off in the distance, a transparent blur of purple and black could be seen. Discord’s influence was spreading, and left alone, it would be here in half an hour. That was, until Discord came for them. Twilight was ready. Her powers flaring, hair flowing, her own influence would push Discord’s back. She would protect her friends, and Equestria.

“Now that’s something, darlings,” earth-pony Rainbow Dash said, admiring the view. “Good thing I’m not afraid of heights.”

“But where is Discord?” Applejack asked. “We’re practically waving an invitation at him.”

“Maybe he can’t sense this far,” Kimono suggested. “Or he’s busy doing something else.”

“Or maybe,” Discord said, “I’m still recovering from the surprise that you’re suddenly all the way over here, instead of back over there where I left you. Credit where credit is due, I suppose; I never expected you to try that.” The ponies stepped back; the mad demigod was hovering a distance away from the tower, giving them bemused looks. “Hm. The living embodiment of chaos, being surprised by an unexpected development,” he added, tapping his chin thoughtfully with a clawtip. “There’s an irony in there somewhere. But what happened to that shield of yours, hm?”

“We don’t need it!” Twilight snapped at him. “We’re not running away from you anymore!” Her magic erupted, and to either side of her, she could feel the Princesses’ magic doing the same. “We’re no longer under your spell, Discord. We’re here to settle this!”

“Oh, goodness me,” Discord said in a sarcastic deadpan. “Yes, clearly I am doomed. Resistance is futile, time to give up and let you turn me back into stone. Oh wait, you can’t, ‘cause your precious Elements don’t work on me anymore, a fact you seem to have forgotten.”

Twilight fired a whirlwind of darkness that knocked the Draconequus back from the tower. Twilight and the Princesses took off after him, all three firing beams of energy. “You’re not immune to the Elements!” Twilight roared, pressing her magic. “They can still help me put you away! I’ll make you regret underestimating the power of Harmony!”

“This coming from the pony who throws chaos around like rocks?” Discord sneered. In a flash, he disappeared and reappeared behind the three of them. He reached for Celestia’s mane, but the Princess was faster, spinning around and kicking Discord in the face. He rubbed his chin. “I swear, so violent.”

The three of them shared a meaningful look. Stalling was useless. The Princesses circled around Discord as Twilight fired another volley of chaos at him, infused with every bit of magic she could muster. Discord tried to fly out of the way, but the Princesses stayed on him, knocking him into the spell’s trajectory with their own magic. A direct hit. Twilight smiled to herself. Discord was right; lobbing the magic of chaos around like rocks would get them nowhere. Twilight was starting to get the hang of its inner workings, and this spell was designed to mess with Discord’s head, throw off his sense of orientation. The effect was immediate; the Draconequus’ eyes spun, his body frozen in place.

Quick as an arrow, Twilight lodged herself onto Discord’s back. The Princesses used their combined strength to hold her there with magic, and Twilight made sure to guard her whole body against any chaotic outbursts that could knock her off. Her heart thumped. She had him! She activated her crown, and she felt the magic of harmony flow from the Bearer’s necklaces back on the tower. The Time Capsule spell weaved from Twilight’s horn. It didn’t matter that Discord could no longer be harmed by the Elements. This was his prison, where he would stay for as long as it took, until the chaos completely ebbed away.

The spell was complete. She could feel her magic gripping Discord’s very soul. She didn’t dare drop her guard; if she did, Discord would jump her, push her back, she just knew it. But even as his soul was being sucked into the magic, nothing happened.

She had won! She had—

“My, this is a nice place.” There was a chuckle in Discord’s voice. “But not as nice as mine. No artistic sense whatsoever. This is where you mean to trap me?”

Something was very wrong. Discord’s soul was almost completely absorbed, but there wasn’t a hint of worry in his voice.

“I mean, come on, this place is basically just Equestria with a shinier coat of paint on it. At least I put an interesting spin on things. Is it too much to ask for a little artistic touch in the prison where I’m supposed to spend all of eternity?”

Twilight flared her magic even harder, to push him into the Capsule...

Her head exploded in pain, and for a moment, she knew only chaos.

When she came to, she was falling – spinning violently – toward the water below. Thankfully, it didn’t take much effort to straighten herself and stop the fall. Twilight cursed herself; she had let Discord provoke her into altering the spell’s flow of magic! Andromeda had warned her that he had an excellent understanding of the spell; he must have found a loophole that Twilight didn’t even know existed. But it wouldn’t happen again. She knew what to watch out for now.

She shot herself upwards. I’m coming for you, Discord!

Soon, she was at level with the Princesses, and saw that they were already engaging Discord in battle. They chased him back and forth, Celestia covered in a solar plasma aura and Luna in a star-coated armor that made her almost resemble Nightmare Moon. But for all their strength, they didn’t seem to be able to touch him. In fact, upon closer inspection, the Princesses were battered, as though they had been hit numerous times with something blunt.

And in this frantic fury, Discord’s voice boomed to life, his voice coming from everywhere at once. “You know, a thousand years is a very long time. You have to find your own ways to entertain yourself. Some centuries, I spent watching over everything that happened in Equestria. Others, I slept, dreaming my sweet little dreams. And yet other centuries, I spent plotting, dreaming about revenge.” There was an explosion of chaos, and the Princesses were knocked backwards. They were back on their wings before Discord could get to them, but their movements seemed slower now. “I kept replaying that last battle over and over in my head, going through every single scenario, analyzing each tactic, thinking and thinking about what I could have done differently to have beaten you that time.”

Twilight snapped herself back to reality, and rushed to the Princesses’ aid. Her instincts on top, she had no trouble syncing herself to the Princesses movements, joining in their barrage of attacks. They just had to overpower him one more time! But it wasn’t made any easier by Discord’s calm, mocking voice. “It’s about the only thing you can do when you’re trapped in stone, free to do anything but, well, do anything.”

It was three against one. The Princesses were following Twilight’s movements perfectly, lending their aid in whatever way they could. And still, it didn’t feel like they were getting any closer to victory. Twilight pushed down her frustration. Nothing good would come from losing her head.

“So you see, my little ponies... while you have been busy ruling your nation, or being trapped on the moon, I’ve been practicing my moves. And trust me, Celestia, I can tell that you haven’t exactly done the same.”

“Don’t count me out!” Twilight had no choice, she would have to step it up a notch. She slipped into teleportation, and reappeared just behind his back. Discord was fast enough veer to the side in time to dodge her attack, but Twilight found that she could teleport with barely a thought.

In the midst of it all, she was astonished; even in the heat of battle, her understanding of the chaos grew stronger. Or was it because she was in the heat of battle? Whatever the case, she knew that this time, she was faster than the Draconequus. She disappeared and reappeared, again and again, and each time unleashing a stream of chaos onto Discord. Small parts of a bigger spell. Even this concept, Twilight had never attempted before, but there was no doubt in her mind that this large-scaled stunning spell was key to beating Discord.

The Princesses took the hint, and withdrew. Twilight inserted the final piece of the spell into Discord, and within the blink of an eye, lodged herself onto his back again.

And then she was torn to threads. Or so it felt.

Again, she fell. Piecing together what had just happened was a futile effort; her brain wouldn’t obey. She hit something hard, and realized that Discord had dropped her back on the tower.

She looked up through the pain and discomfort to see Discord hovering over the tower with a smile. “What did I say about being violent? You’re good at throwing magic around, I’ll grant you that, but all that power seems to have gone to your head. You’re forgetting the most important thing about chaos.” Suddenly, Discord’s face was barely a a hoof’s length away from her face. “Chaos doesn’t make sense.”

He pulled back, and laughed out loud. Dread filled Twilight, as she understood why she had lost. She had been treating chaos magic like arcane magic, or harmonic magic; magic with clearly defined rules and laws of nature. Chaos’ only law of nature was that it was flexible, bendable... and Discord had used her blindness to his advantage, reversing the target of the stunning spell without her even noticing.

But she would not let it end this way. The effect of her self-inflicted spell was fading fast, and the Princesses still had some energy in them. Time seemed to crawl to a stop as her brain frantically fought to come up with a plan. What could they do? Trying to overpower him obviously didn’t work; wasn’t there some way to trick him? Winning at his own game? They needed the magic of Harmony to make the Time Capsule work, but obviously, Discord wouldn’t give them the time to invoke it.

A thought hit Twilight. Twilight looked up in the sky, and smiled. Harmony magic... Of course!

“Rainbow Dash!” she called to the pegasus. “A Sonic Rainboom! Now!

Rainbow Dash didn’t even hesitate. She shot herself from the tower, and just like she had at Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding, Rainbow Dash broke the speed barrier as she rose up in the air.

The sky lit up as the rainbow ripple traveled across the heavens. It sparked a strangely joyful feeling in Twilight... but she didn’t have the time to relish in it. With perfect timing, just as the ripple washed past Discord, Twilight threw herself at him – ignoring the pain – and hit him right in his snake stomach. She’d been right; the sudden burst of harmony had thrown him off guard just for just a moment! She quickly grabbed the harmony magic from the air, and started weaving the Time Capsule anew. She only had seconds. Hurry, hurry...!

“Oh no you don’t!” Discord hissed, and just as Twilight was about to hit Discord with the spell, it was met with resistance. Strong resistance; Twilight pushed with all her might, but it refused to budge. She lifted her head slightly to see a face on Discord she had never seen before. Anger... no, fear. A mix of both? Whatever it was, his entire being was focused on Twilight. On eradicating her spell...

***

A flash of rainbow across Wysteria’s vision jolted her out of her dreamless sleep.

She looked around drowsily, her head pounding. Her village was gathered around her in a big, dark chamber. They were back to their Equestrian forms, and everypony looked about as confused as she felt.

“What happened?”

“What’s this place?”

“I remember! Discord captured us!”

The chamber had black walls, and the decoration was some of the most disturbing Wysteria had ever seen. Statues of clowns, happy faces... with fangs, wrinkles, and something red dripping from their mouths. Even so, Wysteria thought she vaguely recognized this place... she gasped. Those glass paintings, that throne... surely this wasn’t Canterlot! The window paintings all resembled Discord now, some where he was trampling ponies, some where he was hugging ponies, and yet others where he was juggling the sun, the moon and another globe that Wysteria assumed was meant to represent Equestria.

Only one thing was certain. For whatever reason, they were no longer under Discord’s spell. Or at least, their minds were not; she could still feel the magic of chaos gripping her soul. But it just lay there, doing nothing. Come to think of it, Discord was nowhere to be seen, either.

This fact, at least, made their goal clear. Wysteria, close as she was to the throne, jumped onto it in order to get a better overview of the villagers. “Listen to me, everypony! We have to escape, before Discord comes back!”

It didn’t take long before they were nodding and agreeing. “No arguments here,” Sunny Daze called back. “This place is freaky.”

Wysteria got to work, rounding each and every pony up, and noticed to her dismay that some were missing. Thistle Whistle, Applejack, Coconut Cream... but then she recalled how some of the villagers never came to see the speech. What happened to Pinkie Pie? And Sweet Berry? Maybe Discord forgot about them. Wysteria wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t let it slow her down. She had to get these ponies in front of her to safety.

Then she saw that Sweet Berry was indeed among the crowd. Wysteria’s heart skipped a beat. She approached cautiously, and Sweet Berry turned around. There was an expression of pure shock on her face, and she was breathing fast and heavily. She looked at Wysteria with staring eyes, but didn’t say a word.

Wysteria, doing the only thing she could think of, pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay now,” she whispered. “We’re getting out of here. We’re together again.”

“Wysteria...” Sweet Berry whispered back. “I’m-I’m sorry... this isn’t what I wanted.” She started sobbing. “I was so alone, so scared...”

“We all were,” Wysteria replied comfortingly. She remembered the time spent under Discord’s control like a nightmare, where she was floating in a sea of nothingness, unable to wake up. “Let’s not think about that anymore. Let’s run for it.”

There were a few more sobs, but soon enough, Sweet Berry looked Wysteria in the eyes and nodded.

Led by Wysteria once more, the villagers of Ponyville ran through the corridors of Discord’s Canterlot. They met no pony, nor Discord. Where was he? Surely he would come at them at any moment? They had no defense against him; their only hope was to get out of this place as soon as they possibly could.

They passed an open door to another large chamber, where Wysteria halted... and again, gasp. Rows upon rows of ponies, sitting down in straight, organized lines. Hundreds of them... wait, these were ponies she’d seen back at the village! The ponies of the other Ponyville! Wysteria approached, hesitated for a moment, then tried shaking one of the ponies closest to the door. His blank stare held. A few of her friends tried the same, but with no results. They were breathing, but other than that, these ponies might as well have been dead. Had Wysteria been like this? It sent a shiver down her spine. Why had her village woken up, and not the other? She wanted to help them, wake them up... but they didn’t have the time or the know-how. And so, with a heavy heart, she led the villagers past the chamber and onward.

The question still remained: where would they go? Sooner of later, they would be found, and no amount of pleading or hoping would change that. Could the unicorns conjure up some sort of protective barrier to hide them? She dismissed the thought; if Discord had beaten Twilight with ease, what sort of protection could a few normal unicorns with next to no magic experience bring? Hopelessness was starting to creep its way into her skin once more. Was she going to have to go through all of that again? The chaos magic, still lodged in her heart – which Wysteria had a feeling could pull her back into that dead sleep at any moment – served as a cruel reminder that time was running out.

She asked herself again. Was there no safe place left for them? Was it their part in life to keep running from a fate they could never escape?

Unless...

‘There’s a chamber in the Crystal Rainbow Castle where air felt fresher, somehow. I think it might help protect us from the dark magic.’

A crystal chamber... yes! The unicorns had told her about a special chamber in Crystal Rainbow Castle, one that could protect them but was too small to fit them all. Hadn’t Minty and the others mentioned that a chamber like that existed in Canterlot as well? Wysteria’s heart beat faster; there was still hope! If only she could find that chamber...!

She told this to her friends, and with renewed effort, they ran through the castle. Bit by bit, they ruled out all the wrong routes. Wysteria didn’t know Canterlot that well, nor was it easy to recognize anything with the castle in this transformed state, but she wasn’t as afraid as she thought she’d be. For reasons she could not explain, she was confident that she was on the right track. But they had to hurry. Discord could find them at any moment.

“Here!” exclaimed Wysteria, her heart fluttering. She could practically sense the magic of harmony emanating from down the stairs. “We’ll be safe down here!” She hoped. She didn’t know the first thing about magic, but it was the best bet they had. Please, let this one be bigger than the other...!

She reached the bottom of the stairs, and started to feel the panic again when she saw the narrow passageway to the door. But when she opened it, and saw the vast chamber beyond, she breathed out a sigh of relief. There was plenty of room for all hundred of them in this chamber. She called out for the others to file into the passageway. One by one, the ponies ran through the door.

When Wysteria slammed it shut, she could feel the chaotic magic that had gripped her heart disappear. Her legs gave out from under her as she staggered and collapsed to the floor in relief.

This time, for real, she had managed to protect the village.

***

In the end, it wasn’t meant to be. Not even Twilight’s full strength, fueled by chaos, was enough against Discord’s expertise.

Twilight had tried this time, really tried. Realizing that simply pushing it with brute strength – as formidable as it was – wasn’t enough, she had engaged in a battle of wits, attempting to bend Discord’s magic away, create a path for her spell. But just like Discord had pointed out earlier, he had spent a thousand years exploring his powers. For all of Twilight’s power, all her years of studies, she couldn’t compete with that.

She hit the tower on her hooves this time, sliding a few paces before coming to a stop. But she was drained. That had been her final plan. Discord only laughed. “You’re getting better at this, Twilight. That one almost did it. So what’s your next move? No, really, I’ll give you a freebie; this is fun. It’s like a game: how far can you bring yourself to struggle?”

How far indeed. Her head was banging like a drum, and her limbs all ached furiously; not exactly the best odds trying to come up with a strategy against chaos incarnate. She could barely even hold back Discord’s influence from taking them over again.

She couldn’t let it... so she did the only sensible thing. A tactical retreat.

She concentrated with all her being on a teleportation spell; not to bend space, like last time, just a simple transport. But to her despair, she was met with resistance from castle’s magic. The chaos within her flared, pushing her body and mind to what she thought must be far beyond her limit... and to her immense relief, she felt herself and her friends push through the magic, and the harmonic magic of the castle closing up behind them, as they reappeared inside the crystal chamber.

For a while, no pony said anything. Twilight allowed herself to breathe, to put her mind back together. Trying to ignore just how bad of a situation they were in. Discord had outsmarted her good, and who was to say that... no, focus! Take a deep breath, and try again.

“Are... are we safe in here, darlings?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I... I think so,” Twilight said, still breathing heavily. “If nothing else, Discord’s magic shouldn’t work as well in here. We’ve got some time...”

“A-are you alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. There was concern in her eyes, but also genuine fear.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” But the more Twilight searched her feelings, the more she came to the conclusion that she was putting on a brave face. That last battle had drained her, and it would take far longer than they could afford for her to fully recover. She looked over at the Princesses who, if anything, looked even worse for wear.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity. So much for that plan. Was there another? Not really. The way Twilight saw it, they had only two options. Fight in their current state, or run away through the connection again. Set up a new barrier. Number two was the only real option right now, but in truth, both seemed equally pointless. If they fled, bought them enough time to recover, wouldn’t the same thing just happen again? Wouldn’t it be better if they attacked him again right away, in hopes that he might underestimate them now that he thought he had the upper claw?

She slumped her head, listening wearily to the hundreds of voices of reason in her head, all contradicting each other.

“...ilight?”

“...at’s Kimono! And look...”

“...inkie Pie too...”

“Hey! Over here!”

Hold on... those weren’t voices in her head. They were coming from the walls. No, not the walls... Twilight walked over to one of the pillars, the others in tow.

Her eyes became wide as saucers.

***

Pinkie Pie’s words were lost in her throat. Her village was all on there, on other side of the pillar! In one of the crystal chambers!

“Darlings!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Is that really you, darlings?”

“I don’t believe it...!” Kimono said beside her. “You’re okay! Where are you?”

“In Canterlot, we think,” said Sparkle Works. Pinkie’s smile widened; she hadn’t talked to Sparkle Works in ages! Next to her was Whistle Wishes! And Wysteria! And Daffy Daisy! “We were under some dark magic, I think, but then there was this flash of rainbow, and we all woke up. Wysteria led us to this chamber made of crystal. It seems safe, at least for now.”

“Flash of rainbow...” Twilight wondered out loud. “The Sonic Rainboom!”

“It would seem our battle wasn’t a complete loss after all.” The Princess was actually smiling. Pinkie found herself smiling too; she had never felt so glad to see her friends in her life. “Did you see anypony else?”

“We found the ponies of the other Ponyville,” Wysteria said, “but they were still...” Her expression told them more than enough.

Before Celestia could reply, there was a shuffle among the village ponies on the other side of the pillar, and one of them made her way to the front of the crowd. Rainbow Dash drew in a breath. “S-Sweet Berry, darling!”

“Pinkie,” she said simply. “Is Pinkie Pie there?”

“I’m here!” said Pinkie, stepping closer to the pillar. Her heart grew cold when she saw her friend’s ragged expression.

“Pinkie...” she spoke in a low voice. “Pinkie, thank goodness! I was so worried... after you said those things, I found myself feeling the same way, but... but then, when I was taken away, I... I thought I had lost everything!”

Pinkie felt a pang of guilt. Had the others heard her outburst? Of course they had; she had screamed it at the top of her lungs. “I-I’m sorry, Sweet; I didn’t know what I was saying, and—”

“Don’t apologize, Pinkie. We’re all okay now, and that’s all that matters.” There was a short silence, where Sweet Berry and Pinkie Pie just looked at each other. And then, catching her by surprise, Sweet Berry cracked a smile. “I... I think I get it now. We were so close to losing it all. The Mother Ursa, Discord... but no matter what happened, we always end up together again.” The smile grew, and life was returning to her eyes. “Because none of us would have it any other way. Even after I said those things, you guys...” She looked to the others behind her. “...you never left me.”

Razzaroo, who was closest, just hugged her. Sweet Berry hugged back, and soon, a few other ponies were joining in. “I’m sorry, everypony,” Sweet Berry said, as more and more latched themselves into the ever-growing group hug. “I’m sorry... and thank you!” Soon, the entire room was joined in one, big embrace. Pinkie wanted so badly to join them. What she was witnessing struck her in the core of her heart, and it made her eyes tear. Friendship. Pure, unmuddled friendship, not diminished in the least in spite of all their trials. On the contrary, it shone brighter because of them.

In that moment, all the doubt, all the fear, disappeared from Pinkie’s mind. This was Equestria. A world where such beautiful friendship exists. A world Pinkie Pie wanted to be a part of.

“Sister, look,” Luna spoke. “The room...!”

Pinkie noticed with a start that the room on the other side of the pillar looked brighter than before. Come to think of it, the ponies were glowing too. As a matter of fact, Pinkie was glowing. So were Kimono, Star Catcher, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Minty. And the entire crystal chamber! It didn’t stop there; the other pillars, one by one, were lighting up like lighthouse beacons of their respective colors. Something similar had happened to Pinkie before, in the dream world, when she and her entire village had gone to rescue Minty at the North Pole. And just like that time, the glow filled Pinkie joy the likes of which she could not describe.

None were more taken aback by it than Twilight and the Princesses. “It’s the magic of friendship,” Celestia said in a near-whisper. “It’s reacting to the Castles of Legend...!”

“Yes, but... how?” Luna breathed.

“Because we’re all connected to the Elements,” Kenbroth spoke up, walking closer to the pillar. “In Discord’s attempt to punish us, he brought us closer to the Elements than he could ever imagine. And finally, after so many hardships, our little pony friends have discovered the true meaning of friendship.”

“It’s... wonderful, darling,” earth-pony Rainbow Dash said. “Like a rainbow in my heart.”

“I’m not really sure what it means,” Sweet Berry said from the other side. “But you’re right... I do feel pretty wonderful right now.”

“It means...” said Twilight. She, too, was smiling, and she didn’t look quite so tired anymore. “...that we’ll set things right, no matter what it takes.” Pinkie Pie nodded. In reality, what had really changed? They were still out-powered by Discord, and despite the magic of of friendship and harmony that now radiated throughout the chamber, Twilight couldn’t possibly have recovered just like that. Still, somehow, she shared Twilight’s optimism. Things would be okay, as long as they were together.

There was a loud crack noise from the walls around them. Another came right after... and then, the ceiling was replaced by the blue sky of the outside world.

It took a moment for Pinkie to realize that half of the castle that had just been above their heads was being hurled away from them. A second later, it hit the water with an enormous splash, the sound delayed by the distance.

Aha!” said Discord, snickering. “There you are!”




Special thanks to EquesTRON for helping out with the editing.

Next Chapter: The Third Generation Chapter Twenty Four Estimated time remaining: 58 Minutes
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