Passage of Time A My Little Pony Fan fiction by BigMike Prologue Rarity laughed, “That would have been quite a surprise if I had encountered such a mess!” We were discussing our latest endeavor, trying to help Granny Smith with her “collecting” issue. As always we fixed the problem with ease. “I’ll right everypony, let’s right our letter to Celestia!” Applejack said with eagerness. Right as Spike, my loyal assistant, was going to write the opening phrase he doubled over and belched out a mighty green flame! From the flame came a scroll with the official seal of the Princess. “Well open the scroll silly filly!” said Pinkie Pie with a genuine smile. As I opened the document I read it aloud to my friends _____________________________________________________________________________________ To Twilight Sparkle I, Princess Celestia, decree that Twilight Sparkle return to Canterlot to assist with the advanced studies of In-House Wizards and Warlocks. Please return to the castle as quickly as ponily possible! ______________________________________________________________________________________ “Um…Twilight…do you have to return to Canterlot?” timidly asked Fluttershy. “I am afraid…”I responded depressed. “It’s not fair Twilight! You have important business in Ponyville, I may be loyal to the Princess but your place is here!” said Applejack. “Applejack, if the Princess thinks I should be back in Canterlot, I suppose she understands the consequences of my departure.” I responded with confidence. If only I had known what implications would bring about in the later years. Twenty years later… Chapter 1 the beginning I looked up from my books and looked around my study. It had been years since the appointment of House Wizard was given to me over several hundred other ponies and I thought that I had accomplished what I wanted for my entire life, but something was missing. I’m still unsure what it is, is it my change of assistants or was it my departure from the five best ponies I ever knew. “Only time will tell” I said to myself. Just as I continued my studies into the quantum mechanics of day-bringing a young mare, supposedly a messenger, burst in to the room and said gasping “The Princess needs you in the royal planning room as soon as possible!” I replied back to her “Calm yourself pony, I will be there at once.” AS the mare left the room in an almost victorious stride I told Travis, a red and blue dragon-child who was my assistant of seven years, to gather himself and follow me. As he fell from his roost on the highest shelf in the study he muttered to himself “Something new everyday…” and with that we continued on to the royal planning room. On the way there I wonder why the Princess sent such an urgent message to me, I disregarded such thoughts due to the nature of the mare, she was probably a new messenger and was very nervous. Wouldn’t anypony be nervous, so young and already employed under the princess? As I entered the royal planning room I recognized three ponies, my brother Shining Armor, my close friend Rainbow Dash, who was there when I received the retrieval scroll in Ponyville and finally Zecora, who was now the Zebrica’s emissary to Canterlot for her valiant actions during the Boaren Wars. “Twilight Sparkle good to see you, 20 years have flew” She rhymed. “Good to see you too Zecora long time, no see” I replied. As she walked toward me I noticed her right back-leg was limping. “Zecora what happened to your leg?” I asked. “A Pony jumped me on the up here, I didn’t even break a tear” She replied with a devilish smile. “We found the body about a mile away from Ponyville, luckily she has immunity due to her status as an emissary” Shining Armor said with no opinion. ”Who attacked Zecora on her way here?” I asked. ”It was probably an Earth Pony extremist from the Mild West or elsewhere.” Shining Armor responded. “I thought they were only a harmless group in the Mild West.” I said confused “Okay, Why was I called her and why are emissaries being brutalized!” I demanded. “Go ahead and tell her, my team is ready to leave a soon as we can” Rainbow Dash said half-hearted. Shining Armor nosed a faded scroll across the table toward Travis, my new assistant since Spike went missing after the stampede, Spike never did recover from the resulting report of deceased ponies. Travis unraveled the scroll and looked at it slightly confused. “Twilight you might want to have a look at this” he said and handed me the scroll. I eyed it suspiciously “This can’t be right…” I remarked bewildered Chapter 2 the truth In bolded letters the scroll read “Wanted: Applejack Apple, for treason and conspiracy to secede”. “I don’t understand” I said” Everypony knew she was loyal to the princess.” “Your friend here” Shining Armor said gesturing at Rainbow Dash. ”Accidently stumbled across her planning room and exposed her for the treachery she was about to commit.” Rainbow Dash butted in “At first I didn’t think she was capable of leading a massive strike against the Princess, but then it all made sense, since you left she never was the same, since Rarity and Applebloom were killed in the stampede she really was lacking belief that Celestia could really protect any more than she did when she fought against Chrysalis.” Rainbow Dash finished both sadly and angrily Zecora who hadn’t spoken up in a while said “I’m here to convince you to go, do you will go with…Ok look it would be in your best interest to accompany Rainbow Dash to the Wild West” Breaking doublets wasn’t like Zecora unless there was something of utter importance to be said. “Right now we have tracked Applejack to a pub in the middle of Dodge Junction, Celestia asked that you be assigned along with Rainbow Dash to this task, maybe she will surrender peacefully if she sees a few of her friends” Shining Armor said respectfully regarding both Rainbow Dash and I. “If she doesn’t you’ll have to bring her in, Dead or Alive, you understand don’t you?” he said seriously “If you decline we will return you to your original post as House Wizard and we will not harass you further.” Looking at my options I decided what to do “I will come with you but let me do something I needed to do for a long time…” Chapter 3 an old friend I knocked on a door, this was the place. It was a one room shack on the far end of Dragon Mountain which was identical to any of the other ones. Tracking him down was not an easy feat but with the help of Rainbow dash and her team I had finally arrived. The alley smelled of various animal feces and rotten food, I was regretting not accepting that mask Rainbow offered me for protection. Hopeful I would be out of these conditions soon. I heard the rustling of locks and then the creak of an unoiled door opening and the silhouette of a full grown dragon before me. “What do you want?” As he step out into the light his silhouette turned into a slightly obese green and purple dragon; the dragon was about a head taller than me, and drunk off of applejack, an alcoholic beverage popular among ponies and zebras. “Hello Spike.” I said as plainly as I could. “You’re…your…Twilight Sparkle, my friend come in! Have a mug of my applejack. ”He said in a celebratory fashion. I had heard rumors of him since he had left but nothing like this. Ponies had said that he was a syndicated drug dealer or a hit-man for the Dragoons, but what stood before me was proof that he was a broken dragon. Although it was a good thing he remembered me or I might have had a bit of a situation on my hands with him being a full-blown dragon. As I entered his abode I observed that he had the same “collecting” issue as the late Granny Smith. Bottles of applejack scattered across the floor, broken and intact old issues of Ponyville daily were huddled in one corner of the room…like a makeshift bed. He also seemed to have collected a variety of gems and other glamorous objects and had a shrine of dedication to a faded picture of a white mare that I couldn’t make out. I started talking. ”I want you back Spike, I’m on a team and I only trust onepony…you” I said trying to convince him. Spike shot back “I wouldn’t be any help… just a drunkard dragon slowing y’all down… and if I couldn’t be there for one pony… how will I be there for a group of ponies” Spike said tearing up, such an emotional drunkard. I fired back “Her death is not your or anypony’s fault, especially you.” I said trying to convince him of his innocence. “That’s complete rubbish! You and I both know if we had been there we could have saved ponies” He yelled and threw a bottle toward the wall. I manage to levitate the bottle away before it exploded against the wall, as I set it down I said “If you think you’re at fault come with me and save some lives, let it be your redemption.” Spike sat up from his seat which he had fallen into when I began talking, steadied himself and began pacing around the table, deep in thought. He sighed and finally stopped pacing and responded “I’ll join you, Twilight, on one condition…” I replied “Name your request, Spike”. He said tears in his eyes “In Ponyville, I want Rarity’s old manor renovated, and turned into a school of the arts, as her last act of generosity.” He stuttered out with short breaths “It would be an honor Spike, an absolute honor” I said in admiring his single request, he would have been the next element of generosity had it been my decision. After packing up various items of value such as the shrine and his favorite bottle of liquor He said to me “Alright…let’s go before I change my mind.” With that we head to Ponyville to head to Mild West, In hopes of curbing a rebellion and saving a long lost friend. Chapter 4 Boarding As we arrived at Ponyville station I was in awe of its almost titan-like size. In the distance a train was coming toward the platform I knew that was the train I was told to board to get to Dodge Junction As we boarded onto The Friendship’s caboose from the Ponyville Station I noticed Rainbow Dash and 3 other ponies with her in light-blue, heavily armored, battle attire. “Rainbow what happened to the squad from Dragon Mountains?” I asked curiously. She replied” They got caught up with some Earth Ponies on the way up here; they’re recovering in Cloudsdale Hospital.” At that moment I seriously doubted now whether Rainbow Dash cares what happens to her team seeing how chill she is right now with her main team injured. “So who are these ponies?” I asked. “Oh this is my squad until my main team gets healthy; this is Corporal Scootalo, Private Rivet, and Militiaman Silverspeed. ” As I sat down Scootalo leaned over toward me and said “I’m ready to unleash some punishment on these Earthies, how ‘bout you.”. I replied “I’m ready to do what’s necessary, Hopeful I can keep as many ponies alive as possible.” Scootalo responded “I just want to make sure that you won’t back out if somepony tried to mess with us.” “If you’re wondering how I’ll handle in a fight you might want to remember I can fight a pony from over 500 yards away and can locate anypony from 1500 yards, basically I’ll see them before they could ever see us.” I said coldly. “Good to see this isn’t foal-sitting like most missions” She said goodheartedly. “Same.” I responded teasingly. After a couple hours of riding and small-talking with the squad I heard the train conductor yell “Five Minutes until Dodge Junction!” Rainbow Dash began talking “Alright team ready up, when we hit Dodge Junction we’ll have a 90 second head-start before the crowds from rest of the train are let out, if we do come across some Earthies I want Silverspeed and Rivet to fend them off while we get Twilight and Spike to a safe distance then we’ll take this.” Rainbow Dash pulled an improvised explosive device from under the table “Plant it in the middle of the combat zone, pull out, and boom targets down we proceed to rally point A, the pub” With the plan laid out I had a feeling we might come out of this alive. Chapter 5 new arrivals Right as our train pulled into Dodge Junction we could tell this wouldn’t be an easy task. BOOM! “Rainbow Dash, What in all of Equestria was that?” I yelled flustered. “No idea still trying to make sure nopony got injured!” Rainbow Dash shot back. Rainbow Dash’s squad seemed to be okay but I wasn’t certain since of the smoky debris in the air. ”Scootalo, Rivet, Silverspeed, and I are all accounted for!” Rainbow Dash declared. “Okay now all we need to do is….where’s Spike.” I said realizing I was missing a very important dragon.” I’m here, don’t worry…what we need to worry about is who set off this explosions.” He said perturbed. “I think we’ll know soon.” Scootalo said timidly. Outside of the carriage charged twenty or so Earth ponies charged down from the hill straight toward the platform. “Everyone Plan B! Rivet and Silverspeed up to the front” Rainbow commanded. As we move to behind the Friendship I heard the yells of earth ponies and the thuds of bodies dropping from the sky. “Alright stay here while I set the charge.” Rainbow said running off toward the battle leaving Spike, Scootalo, and myself alone. From our position all we heard was a “Retreat!” and Earth pony rally yell, which is a signal for a charge, and then a very loud explosion. Rainbow and Silverspeed came to retrieve us minutes later. “Where’s Rivet?” I asked concerned. “He’s heading back to Cloudsdale his wing was injured, he isn’t going to be flying anytime soon.” As we proceeded to the battleground I saw ponies draping black blankets of what remained of the insurgents that attacked us. As I began to walk away from the carnage, I heard a flapping of many wings coming from behind me. At that moment the sky was blacked out with the sheer number of hundreds, nay thousands, of pegasi. “Seems like Beast couldn’t wait to converge on Dodge Junction” Rainbow Dash said laughingly. “Rainbow Dash ,Who’s Beast?” I asked and just at that moment one Pegasus broke from the group and proceeded to do barrel rolls and other impressive maneuvers and land eventually landed directly in front of me. This pony had a helmet with a visor covering her entire face; obviously magical in nature it had several functioning gears and elements. She also had very thick metal armor that embodied her entire body and melded to her form whenever she moved “Good to see you Rainbow Dash, who is this pony here…” She said very decisively and loudly but halted when she looked at me. She trotted around me and staring in amazement or disbelief, I couldn’t tell due to her visor. “Twilight…is that you?” She said, but now her voice more timid and gentle. “Yes it is, do I know you from somewhere.” She raised her visor and immediately I knew who she was. “It’s me, Twilight, Its Fluttershy.” Chapter 6 remembrance “This has been quite a week, Hasn’t it Spike?” I said to my former assistant “On another note, Fluttershy what happened to you, you’re so…different” I continued on pacing around the platform with my entourage in tow. “Well when you left, Rainbow Dash left soon after to look into an offer about joining the Cloudsdale militia, a-ah then Pinkie Pie moved to Canterlot to start her baking business, after that it was only Rarity, Applejack ,and I left in Ponyville” She monologue with a few stutters and pauses. “But that still doesn’t explain why you are in charge of a regiment of Pegasus.” I said to her curiously. “It’s a very long story, but I think we have the time to spare…” she said “Sit down ponies, we’ll be here for a while… Fifteen years earlier “Rarity, ah do you think that maybe I could possibly help you with your planning for the ceremony?” I asked, hoping that maybe I could possibly be helpful with the ceremony inducting the late Granny Smith into the Ponyvillian Hall of Fame. “Why certainly my dear, I could always use an extra hoof!” Rarity replied back, more than happy to have another friend helping with the party. “Just be at my house tomorrow at noon and…”A loudening stomping of hooves interrupted her “What in all of Equestria is that noise coming from.” Rarity paced around moving her head to identify the source of the noise. “It’s coming from Applejack’s Ranch but why would…” Rarity was interrupted by the now deafening sound of hooves as hundreds of sheep rounded over the hill. “Fluttershy! Get out of the way!” She shoved me into the Cake Family Bakery. As I got up I noticed her helping Applebloom try to escape the stampede, I got up just in time to see Rarity horned through the abdomen and Applebloom’s neck cracked underfoot. The stampede ended soon afterward and the carnage was exposed. As I went to Rarity, who was on the ground gasping in agony, I noticed Applejack towering over Applebloom, whose dead corpse was battered and bruised. Many other ponies died that day, Lyra, Golden Harvest, Berry Juice, Even little Lightweight; the thing that changed me the most was Rarity, she was kind, generous, and protective of her friends. I would have to be stronger from now one I thought… stronger than Rainbow Dash, stronger than Applejack, stronger than Rarity, stronger than all of them not in physique…but in spirit and courage. The next day I signed up for the Aeronauts, the special division of the Pegasus Military and never looked back! As Fluttershy finished her story I knew Spike was right. We could have saved more ponies than we could have studying in the castle, But what I knew if we were going to save somepony’s life today we would have to stop Applejack. She may have good intentions but as they say, the road to hell is paved in good intentions. “Fluttershy, If we’re going to get this job done we’ll need all the help we can get.” I said. “W-what do you m-mean?” She said, returning to her old timid voice. “I mean we’re going to need “Beast” to help get to Rally Point A.” I said helping her up from the ground. She brushed herself off, Closed her visor and said “Beast checking in, Give me a sitrep Soarin’” with that she took off and hopefully would prepare to meet an old friend. Applejack, dead or alive, was returning to Canterlot. Chapter 7 Sheriff The ensuing chaos after Fluttershy left is hard to remember exactly, but the following is my recollection as accurate as I could remember. As we trotted through the desolate town square I noticed that it was much larger and complex than when I was here years ago. With an estimated population of at least hundred thousand it would be a nightmare if we hadn’t tracked her to a specific pub. Unfortunately that pub was all the way across town. “This is Beast, Twilight are you with me” Fluttershy said over the ‘voicer’, a new device that uses natural energy to power itself and can send waves of sound over massive distances, a marvel in itself it amazingly doesn’t use any magic.” I’m here beast what’s your status” I replied calmly into the voicer. I signaled Spike, Rainbow Dash, and her team to put their voicers on so they could be informed of whatever Fluttershy had to say.” From my position I see at least 3 blockades to the pub, if you listen to me I’ll guide you through with,” Over the voicers we heard loud explosions “What the hay, Soarin’ figure out what’s going on! Luke and Starscapes on me we’ll draw attention of the fire.” After that the voicers cut off and we were with no air supervision. As I was thinking what we should do I see Rainbow Dash signal Silverspeed and Scootalo to a box. Out from the box they pull out cylindrical objects with visors on top of them and a button behind the visor.” Rainbow, what is that on your hand?” I ask inquisitively. “Oh these things, just some experimental weaponry we’re getting to test out, they call them sonic cannons, they’re supposed to create an orb of energy that knocks out ponies and launches them away from the battlefield, we call them ‘boomers’ .” As see is telling me this she is handing out similar equipment to Silverspeed and Scootalo, when she comes to Spike she says “I have just the thing for you…” She runs over to the box and throws a gargantuan version of the ‘boomer’ over to him and he be catches it. It, instead of a hoof gripper, has a handle in the front and back, with the back one having a small trigger for what I assume activation. “I’ll have to see about these things when I get back to my shack…” he says grinning slightly. “Do you need one, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asks. “I’m fine, I’ll have my magic to defend myself” I say responding. “Your lost…” She says diminutively As we proceed to the pub we try to stay in the shadows of the evening, avoiding contact with as many ponies as possible. We avoided two of the three blockades when suddenly we hear Fluttershy on the voicer “Buck it, all units this is an POD call (Ponies in Distress) we are under heavy fire, our squad is grounded and we can’t hold up in here for long, Location Alpha Zeta, Charlie Victor” As I start to call I hear a pony over the voicer “This is Sheriff Braeburn calling in, hold tight I have a brigade heading that way” Braeburn, hadn’t thought of him for a long time, a good ally as long as we’re here if we could get to him. “This is Emissary Twilight Sparkle, Braeburn send all available units there right now, including yourself, I need to talk to you.” I said decisively. Rainbow Dash knocked my voice out of my hand and shoved me against the wall “Are you bucking crazy, Braeburn is Applejack’s cousin, he is probably in on all of this!” I pushed off the wall and said “I know Braeburn he is as loyal as you Applejack to the Princess, we can trust him.” I said knowingly. Rainbow Dash stared at me for a second then said “If you’re not right we’re all dead, you, me, Spike, and Fluttershy.” Chapter 8 Defensive As we raced to the coordinates Fluttershy gave us I began thinking I might be leading these ponies to their deaths, I put the thought out of my mind, if Braeburn was a traitor he would keep Fluttershy and her team alive so we would still come, and with our skills, magic, brute force, and weaponry we could easily rescue them and put Braeburn down. As we arrived I saw armed ponies and medics walking around. I heard “Twilight!” then a hug/tackle/assault from my side. As I looked to see who it was I saw it was Fluttershy, battered slightly but ready as ever. “We took down the Relays but were trapped in the building they were in so we had to radio for assistance on the secure channel, Braeburn arrived almost immediately and captured the ponies…and look over there!” She was quite excited…probably from not being dead. She pointed at a structure at the end of the street. I looked closer at it then realized. “That’s the pub…” I said in awe. “If you don’t mind I would like to introduce you to APPALOOSA!” I instantly knew who it was when I heard the voice, I turned around to see Braeburn decked out in a sheriff duster and a, what looked like, a modified boomer with to barrel on top of the cylinder. “Braeburn, it’s been a long time since we last met, this is Fluttershy if you recall, and I’m Twilight Sparkle.” I introduced Fluttershy and myself to Braeburn. “It’s good to have you back Twilight; the question is why you’re being attacked by ponies?” He asked at a very rapid pace questioningly. “We looking for Applejack, she is sort of needed for investigating for an incident in Ponyville.” I replied carefully tip-toeing around the specifics. “What type of incident…did she do something” He asked slower and more nervously. “Let me shoot it straight Braeburn” I said “Applejack is being charged with treason and conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy.” Braeburn looked at me for a moment and was deep in thought. “I understand… I know applejack isn’t the perpetrator but we must bring her in none the less, you have my men at the ready emissary.” We decided to wait till morning and established a perimeter around the pub to root out any and all attempts to escape. Chapter 9 Capture We all got ready for the events to come when we assaulted the pub, chances were that Applejack was going to die fighting and we were going to have some people go home in body-bags. I donned royal wizard armor and equipped myself with a voicer and a small boomer for assurance. As I walked out Rainbow Dash had on the standard issue pegasi armor with a rainbow stripe going down all four legs and very large boomer attached to her right hoof while spike had on a huge almost tank-like armoring and two huge sonic attached to his arms. The rest of the ponies had on either cow-pony dusters or pegasi armor and various weapons from the double-barreled boomer to the small boomer that I was holding. As I was looking to make sure everyone was there I saw Fluttershy approaching me with her team following close behind. “Beast, good to see we’ll have you as air support.” I said happily. See lifted her visor on her helmet and I saw immediately something was wrong. “Twilight, Starscapes and Soarin didn’t make it.” Starscapes and Soarin were Fluttershy’s protégé and teacher respectively .I started “Fluttershy, you don’t have to come if you don’t want, I can assign Rainbow Dash to air duty and,” Fluttershy interrupted” No, Soarin always said that mission was top priority, I just needed to tell someone, Luke! Grab the B.N.P.s (bucking new ponies) and let’s get airborne. After Fluttershy took off I wondered if it was worth all these deaths just to find Applejack. Just then Rainbow Dash landed in front of me “You ready to find AJ?” Rainbow Dash asked me “Ready as all ever be, hope to Celestia we don’t have to kill her.” I replied and with that we headed to the pub. On our way to the pub I noticed several ponies running down alleys or looking out from the windows of shops and houses, I had a feeling we would be encountering more than just a few ponies when we got to the pub. “Alright we’re here,” I announced “Gather-up and listen!” When Rainbow Dash’s team and Braeburn and his precinct finally were all in earshot I started talking “That pub over there is where our intelligence tells us where Applejack is, the mission is to capture or execute. Applejack is the primary target, put down anypony who stand in our way.” With that and a solemn head nod we took our positions behind the pub as quickly and quietly as possible “Braeburn do you copy this is Emissary, are you in position?” I asked over the voicer “This is Braeburn, introduction in process, you are green for takedown.” Braeburn replied almost automatically. While Braeburn was distracting the main taskforce of extremists we would be going through the rear entrance. “Scootalo you take point” said Rainbow Dash “Got it, moving into position.” Scootalo got in front of Rainbow Dash and me and the rest of the team got behind them. Rainbow Dash set her boomer against the door and started to count off “Three, Two, One, Boom” With that she shot her boomer at the door knocking it completely off the hinges and into an earth pony standing directly in front of it. As we stormed the building we shot 3 armed sentries and I heard Rainbow Dash say “Guardians, Everypony on the ground!” As ponies started to sit on the ground and the team was stripping weaponry from the pub patrons and putting it into one pile in the corner Braeburn bust through the door with squad of deputies right behind him “Twilight, the ponies fled, we’re here” He said excitedly “Good Braeburn nowhere is Applejack and then,” Just then I see a pony walk through the door in, she has on full EDA armor, Equestrian Detectives Association is a undercover association of some of the best ponies in Equestria who go undercover and investigate various separatist organizations like the Earth-Pony Extremist Movement. “Alright, I guess I owe ya’ll an explanation.” She said in a very country accent and began to take her helmet off. Chapter 10 discovery She took her helmet off and I knew who it was, it was Applejack. “But how, I just don’t even!” Rainbow Dash said exasperated. “It’s a long story, but basically after the stampede, after the incident, I was contacted by Luna and her company and I was given a choice, Join the EDA or stay the same pony I was at the time , bitter, angry, and depressed. Needless to say I was started on this case since I was the only available earth pony on the EDA and the only one with connections to the mild west. After Rainbow Dash stumbled upon my investigation/planning I was forced to flee or be exposed and destroy the operation.” As she finished I heard a rumbling noise and an explosion right above our heads and Fluttershy came barreling down through the roof and flew right above the floor. She quickly tackled Applejack and pointed a boomer right at her head. “I’ve over-charged this just enough so that you will still be in pain after I blow your brains out, I hope they serve apples in hell, filly.” She began the pull the trigger when Spike pushed her off Applejack and sent her barreling across the room into the wall of glass bottles and landing behind the bar. “Thanks sugar-cube, but that pony has every right to be angry, from what I heard I indirectly killed her teacher and protégé.” She said slightly sad. “But, something you all don’t know is that under this pub is the people who caused all of this, Caboose, Promontory and Blackstone. Braeburn take your men downstairs and they will be sitting at a table, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and their teams were never here, got it?” She said “Not a word I didn’t catch, cousin”. “Also Braeburn, I died here, along with everypony else.” She said inferring “I also understand, good luck” Braeburn said as he cocked his double-barreled boomer. As we left the pub, Spike carrying an unconscious Fluttershy, I could hear shots of the boomers no doubt executing all witnesses. It was the only way to keep Applejack safe, but still they were killing dozens of ponies, even innocents. I started wondering if this war was worth fighting for. “Twilight, you saved me from what would have been a horrible death, I made a mistake a few weeks ago of calling Macintosh on the voicer the extremists gave me and they were probably deciding what to do to me next.” She said sincerely grateful “I’m just glad you’re not a traitor AJ, I couldn’t have done what would have been necessary” Chapter 11 Finale With ponies dead and others scarred I never really understood why we fought so hard for a land Celestia never been to. On the train ride home Fluttershy was able to understand that Applejack was not the enemy but was more of an ally than Braeburn. Spike wasn’t too talkative probably due to the fact of what awaited him when he returned to his shack, depression, illness, and alcoholism. “Hey Spike, you know that you don’t have to go back to Dragon Mountain.” I said “It’s the only place I know Twilight, anywhere else I would be looked at with disdain.” He replied sorrowfully “You could always come back to Canterlot, I’ll always need an assistant, and Travis is probably going to be reassigned to the Library in a few days.” I said hopefully. Spike looked at the window then at his hands and then at me and said “I lack purpose, you are giving me one, I will not reject, I will return to Canterlot with you as your assistant.” As we returned to Canterlot I saw Shining Armor standing at the platform waiting for our arrival As we got over to the platform he rushed over and asked “How did it go? Are you all okay?” “Two dead, Two injured, I need an audience with the princess I have a very importance lesson to tell her. As went to the royal listening room I saw Celestia in all her glory sitting on her throne. “Hello Twilight, I heard that you request an audience with me?” She said in her nigh-omnipotent manner “Yes, Celestia, I learned today that friends will never let you down, but true friends are willing to die for the well-being of you, your friends, and possible everyone, which brings me to point two, Today I learned that sometimes the establishment that has existed for ages, is the one that needs to come down!” I yelled, I grabbed Spike's boomer and I hoisted it up on my shoulder, aiming for Celestia, I fired but the shot missed. She flew up into the air and began to glow and a magical ring began to form around my neck. The Extremists were fighting the wrong people, as my mother always said “Cut the problem at the root”. Slowly the ring began to start choking me and my vision started to black. I saw yellow and rainbow stripes flash across the room and Celestia broke the spell and focused her attention on the stripes that were, now that I wasn’t choking to death, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. I looked over at Spike and he looked at me devilishly, in his hands were the elements of harmony. I ran over to him “Spike how did you get those?” I asked rapidly “I went into the Royal Library and retrieved them; I thought they might come in handy.” I quickly put the element of magic on my hand and called out to the Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack to get theirs. As we equipped ours and lined up into formation we rose into the air, even though we were only part of the elements. Suddenly I saw a pink flash and Pinkie Pie, who was covered in confetti, appeared where the element of laughter was and somehow teleported into the necklace. “Hey, this isn’t Gummy’s Party, Oh HI TWILIGHT!” she waved ecstatically All of the sudden I hear a familiar voice “I do say this dress looks simply terrible, like it’s been in the ground for years” I turn around to see Rarity in her funeral dress, which is to say the least ragged. “Where am I, Twilight?” She asked “I’ll explain later” I said and prepared for the ritual. A flash of light expelled from us and knocked Celestia on to the floor and after that I blacked out. I came to a few minutes later along with the rest of the elements of harmony. We looked around and saw a small fawn-like pony sitting on the ground we rushed over to the pony. As we stopped above the pony we realized that it was Celestia, only in the mare-like form that Luna took after she was defeated years ago. “I’m free, I’m bucking free.” She said excitedly “You saved me Twilight, I finally am free form that sociopathic form I took so long ago, I can finally be happy, I can finally feel sadness, anger, and happiness and not just a forced emotional response, I have real morals not just the ones i obey for society.” She hugged me, surprisingly she still towered over me even though she was a mare now “My powers are still with me… unlike what happened to Luna during her transformation” she said surprised"Who is the one that set this chain in motion" she asked "Applejack" I said. “Applejack, had it not been for you Twilight may have never freed me, is there anything you want?” She asked her. Applejack paced for a couple of seconds and then stopped “Yes! Is it possible to bring ponies back to life!” she said inquisitively “It is, but they will be appropriately aged, so a natural death is not plausible for resurrection.” She said in an authoritative manner “But Applebloom, which I know is what you probably want, could be brought back” Applejack nodded and Celestia began to glow similar to the way I did during the entrance exam for the Magic School. There was a flash of light then in the center of the room was a fully grown Applebloom. Applebloom looked bewildered when Applejack ran over to hug her. Applejack crying said “Little sis, I love you, don’t ever leave me again” Fluttershy approached the princess and asked her “W-Would it be p-possible if you c-could bring S-Soarin and S-Starscapes back.” “It is possible, give me a second” She did her glowing magic again and a flash of light engulfed the room and in front of us Soarin and Starscapes stood confused but happy. Fluttershy ran over to them and hugged the two and began crying, something she said she hadn’t done in years. After she stop weeping she said in a very stern voice “Good to have my wing-mates back and kicking" The Princess walked over to me, slightly dazed and extremely exhausted from her spells she asked“Twilight, you and your friends show the characteristics of a great team. I want you to go back to Ponyville with them and continue the study on friendship; I could really use it now since I haven’t exactly been myself for ages.” “I would be honored, and my friends would be ecstatic if it was that way.” I told my friends and they were very happy that I would be returning back to Ponyville. I guess in the end…..everything does work out somehow Epilogue We returned to Ponyville and sorted everything out so as to not cause mass panic of zombie ponies. Applebloom rejoined Scootalo and Sweetie Belle and continued on their quest to find cutie marks, only this time it was only Applebloom who was the one in dire need of one. Rarity returned to the dressmaking industry, she didn’t become world famous but she did make dresses for some of Equestria’s finest people. Equestria held it's first ever election and Celestia and her Sister Luna won by a landslide due to their kind nature and generosity. The rest of us continued to discover friendship in the normal manner of adventures, mishaps, and general silliness which was mainly cause by Pinkie Pie’s insanity. I was glad I could finally relax, so was Spike who had recovered from his alcoholism and obesity and was now an officer in the Ponyville Militia. Although we had our fights we would never forget that friendship brought us together and in some way brought some of us back. We may be older, weaker, and scattered through Equestria, but we’ll fight to defend the land we so adore. We were chosen as the elements of harmony for our undying loyalty to good no matter the cost. If I must lay down my life, I rather it be for my friends than anyone, and as Pinkie Pie puts it "Everyone is my friend!"
