#she is doing this in front of both chrysalis and tirek

[the---robbie72]

draw cozy glow (evil child pony) grinning and thinking evil thoughts 😈😈😈

it's not exactly what was requested

#mlp #art #cozy glow #she is doing this in front of both chrysalis and tirek #in order to piss them off

[ask-iamnotanalicorn]

Previous: The Flim Flam Timeline

The Wasteland Timeline:

This is the story of when Equestria fell.

And this it the story of when Equestria rose again.

The trials began as they always do: with the return of Nightmare Moon. The celestial sisters clashed, and Celestia fell. Heedless of the struggle it would be to keep the Sun set with its alicorn princess banished inside it, Nightmare Moon did just that, determined that her traitorous sister experience Nightmare’s punishment.

Nightmare’s reign of Equestria was strained, but Equestria could have borne it. But within a year, the capital was attacked by the Changelings, desperate to replenish their stores of pony love that had been stymied by the nation’s state of fear and uncertainty. Nightmare Moon was barely managing to repel the threat when the Crystal Empire returned, and King Sombra began to march on her northern borders. With attacks from within and attacks from without, a distrusted leader on the throne, and economic failure rippling across the country as readily as the shifting front lines, the ponies of Equestria were more torn than ever.

So of course that’s when Discord escaped.

The upside of Discord’s release was that it temporarily stopped the fighting. Even King Sombra was smart enough to withdraw in the face of the mad draconequus on a quest of vengeance against all ponies. Queen Chrysalis and Queen Nightmare Moon (who had absconded herself at first sign of Discord’s escape, using every possible trick to keep him from finding her) formed a temporary peace treaty in order to seek a solution - for a world ruled by Discord was useless to all of them. (Granted, the Changelings could withdraw to their protected realm, but Chrysalis had tasted power and wasn’t about to let Discord have it all. She was quite looking forward to stabbing Nightmare Moon in the back afterwards.)

Their solution: a magical contract with the long-imprisoned centaur, Tirek. Tirek was more than happy to oblige. He single-handedly decimated Sombra’s troops, gorging himself on the magic of Crystal Empire and Equestrian ponies alike. It is possible that, if Discord hadn’t come to see what all the fuss was about himself, Tirek would have kept right on gorging to the very limit of the contract that bound him.

When the two titans clashed, the battle that ensued sundered hundreds of miles of landscape. Canterlot bore the greatest brunt; the castle collapsed completely from its cliffside home, the city little more than ruins. Discord’s attacks spread wildly unpredictable waves of chaos magic across much of Equestria. And when at long last Tirek had defeated him and sucked him dry, the lingering effects of that chaos magic stayed rooted in the ground like weeds.

It seemed, for the briefest moment, as if the worst problem was over. But of course, a power-maddened Tirek is a worse threat - because at least Discord doesn’t go out of his way to destroy everything in sight. Drunk on chaos magic, Tirek easily broke the tenuous contract with the queens and set across the landscape, draining ponies by the thousands and carving swaths through the countryside for the sheer wicked joy of destruction. His power was even mighty enough to destroy the changeling hive, overpowering its magical protections.

There was no choice - the two remaining rulers of any species in the land had to either defeat their own creation or face the loss of all they held dear. Nightmare Moon called upon the power of the Moon itself, drawing it nearer to Equestria in a desperate gambit. Tidal waves rocked Equestria’s coastlines, submerging Manehattan and other coastal cities entirely, and the alicorn of the night shone with deadly moonlit radiance as she bombarded Tirek with the full brunt of her power. But even Nightmare Moon at the height of her power was not strong enough to stop Tirek at the height of his, and he struck her down against the surface of the Moon itself. Some of the dislodged chunks rained down on the world, damaging more of not only Equestria, but many other countries on that side of the planet.

Tirek seemed to have won; all he had left to deal with was one small, angry changeling queen. An assured victory, no doubt.

He could not have known how wrong he was. For a changeling might give its magic willingly to a spell like Tirek’s with no ill effects, but an unwilling changeling queen will not be robbed of her power easily. As Tirek’s powers drain magic, so changeling powers drain love - and no one in all the world had such self-love as Tirek. The cycle of Tirek draining her magic and Chrysalis draining his became a self-consuming spell spiral that ultimately imploded upon itself, taking both creatures with it.

The resulting explosion could be heard across the celestial sea. For a few moments, there was something like an artificial sun on the horizon - a sun that had set directly on Equestria.

Then came the silence. After three years of war, devastation, and disasters unlike any the world had ever seen, there was silence.

And as the silence stretched, the survivors stirred.

Earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, crystal ponies, and zebras; yaks, cows, goats, donkeys, and buffalo; gryphons, dragons, hippogryphs, minotaurs, and changelings: in spite of everything, many had survived. They rose from their hiding places to find an Equestria and Crystal Empire in ruins. No major cities still stood; borders and coastlines were unrecognizable. Large swaths of land once green and lush were barren and blasted, and spots of chaos magic lay in wait for creatures unwise enough to enter them unprotected. The moon hung wrecked in a dark sky, shining in shattered glory down on the devastation that had been the once-rich land of Equestria.

But the great destroyers were gone. None of the titans and tyrants who had brought this destruction down on the country remained. The usual monsters hardly seemed a threat anymore; those who had survived thus far had learned to cope with far worse. They could build new settlements, make new ways of life, come together or fall apart on their own merits.

And the most hopeful sign of all came the next day. The first actual day since Nightmare Moon returned and the Thousand Days of Woe began:

The Sun - weak and red in the dust-filled sky - slowly rose over the horizon.

The Princess of the Sun had not returned yet; perhaps she is still trapped by her sister’s spell. Perhaps another way of escape is being laid. But the light fills the ponies’ hearts with hope.

The Equestria they knew is gone. But the New Equestria has a future.

____

Sunday, Aug.10, 4 A.C.

Dear Journal,

It’s really strange dating things this way; but with everything that’s happened, most folks agree it’ll be easier to date our calendars starting with the fall of Princess Celestia. ‘After Celestia’ sounds so grim, though; kinda hope we change it. Maybe when the Princess returns... we’re praying she does.

Anyway, I still can’t believe we found a whole stock of blank paper in the storerooms! We’re saving most of it for bartering, but Mom thinks it’s smart for one of us to make notes for posterity, so it looks like I get to keep you. I’ll try to be short to save space, but it just feels so good to write again!

The move into the Canterlot ruins ruins is going pretty well. A few other families joined us after our last trip to Apple Fort, and we’ve shored up our defenses in case the air pirates make another flyby. Pop and I negotiated a deal with the Apples - food in exchange for books. A few of the unicorns know replication spells and are using some of the paper to make copies of really important texts so we don’t lose valuable knowledge to an accident. It still blows my mind how much we’ve lost in... was life really normal only a few years ago? It feels like another lifetime that I was in this very city, talking to the Princess, sitting at a normal cafe... eating lunch with Cam and Press...

I don’t want to forget them. Camera Shy and Pressing Matters, my best friends. Maybe they’re still out there somewhere. We run into old friends every now and then - my old traveling salespony gig has come in handy, actually! I’ve found a bunch of people who used to be clients, it really helps with forming trade and peace treaties with other groups. So it could happen. Please, Prince, keep them safe wherever they are.

I’m really blessed, though. I have to remember that. I have Mom and Pop and Black and Per and Chewie - although I’m still not used to Chewie flying and talking now. She’s such a character. Lots of ponies are missing family - so are we, we haven’t been able to find most of the extended family, but Pop got word from Aunt Pitter that she and my cousin Light Drizzle are out west somewhere, and Pitch Apple is down at Apple Fort, thank the King.

And we could be worse! We made friends with a tinkerer named Steam Punk, he made me a new wing that works as good as my old one! (Not a HUGE bar to cross, but it’s still really impressive!) I’m talking him into working with me to start a production house that can make and sell them affordably to other handicapped pegasi. And Mom got her flight back thanks to a gem Black and some other mages crafted. I think she still misses her diving mark, but she’s so brave and optimistic, it really inspires everyone. I wish we could do something for Pop’s horn, but he’s finding other ways to help out. Per is... well, I guess if you’re going to get turned into a pony-dragon, you’d want to be as cheerful about it as Per. Who knows, maybe she’ll still get a cutie mark someday! And Black is fully aware that he looks pretty boss with an eyepatch, the dork. 

There’s rumors that Princess Cadance might be alive and organizing the crystal ponies up North; lots of ponies are heading that way, but I think our group will stay here. There’s a lot of resources in the Canterlot ruins and in the castle, although Black leads the expeditions into the castle because of safety issues. I never knew he was so good at exploration and such; guess there were a few skills he was holding out on us over the years, but turns out he was working for the Princess before! What in Equus, I gave him such an earful for being all secretive about being my bodyguard or whatever. 

I’m running out of page, so I’ll wrap up today. We’re holding a worship service later, Pop and Parson Brown are setting it up. We want to keep focusing on what we have to be thankful for. We are GOING to get through this. The King, the Prince, and the Advocate have not abandoned us, and we have each other. 

~Salespitch

----

Fun Facts About The Wasteland Timeline:

- This was my favorite timeline to draw =D I HAD to get some steampunk stuff in there, although there are definitely Mad Max vibes. The convenient thing about this timeline is that it was a literal blank slate, so I could really get creative with it! I feel like this would make a neat bookmark, what do ya’ll think?

- I tried to reference all the major villains in the picture. Extra shoutout to ReversalMushroom, the patron who sponsored this Alternate Timeline Special, for giving me the ideas for the changeling goo and Tirek’s hoofprints, which were added in during the coloring phase. I think they round it out quite nicely!

- The random bit of Candy Forest over the crevice there is one of the pockets left behind by Discord’s chaos magic going wild. Most ponies avoid it because here’s WEIRD stuff in there, and ponies who go in there usually come out a little weirder themselves. 

- Black lost his eye and half his sunglasses in a fight with some Changelings. He gets on quite well with only one eye, though, and he insists his sunglass-lens eyepatch is going to be the height of eyepatch fashion. (He DOES have a sense of humor in case anyone doubted it. ;) ) Black taught everyone basic survival techniques and does most of the more dangerous tasks.

- Sales lost his wing during Tirek’s rampage; he tried to distract Tirek, but they didn’t have time to make the plan from the Tirek timeline, so he got swatted pretty quickly. On the upside, Tirek lost sight of him and didn’t get his magic. Sales can fly about as well now with his new steampunk wing, which combines technology and magic to mimic low-level pegasus flight (which was where he was at anyway, so he made a great first test subject!) Sales’ main job is  negotiating peaceful trades with other groups.

- Sales Patter (Dad) lost his horn while pushing his wife out of the way of some falling rubble. He insists he was only mediocre at magic anyway, and he doesn’t need a horn to do business! He does miss it, though. He helps their new community with allocating resources.

- Pitch Forward (Mom) lost her magic and cutie mark to Tirek’s onslaught. The gem in her coat simulates flight for her, although not quite at the level she was before. She and Sales joke about how he can almost beat her in a race now. She helps with the kids in their small community and teaches flying techniques to pegasi.

- Pitch Perfect got hit with a random blast of Discord magic that turned her half dragon. It took a little getting used to, but she honestly thinks it is super neat. She’s pretty good at sniffing out gems now, which (when she isn’t eating them) helps with family finances. Her friends Codebreak and Castle Crasher are part of their little community, and the three are constantly getting into trouble (which most everyone silently thinks of as a nice bit of familiarity.)

- Chewie ALSO got Discord’d; she has fairy wings now and she can talk. Chewie still likes Sales the best and hovers around him chattering like Navi half the time. The other half of the time she forgets she has wings and just hops around exploring. At this point she’s become less like a pet and more like another tiny sister, to Per’s delight and everyone else’s raised anxiety levels. She is VERY aware of her surroundings and alerts the group to intruders and strangers. She really misses computer games.

- Princess Celestia will eventually return, although by that time I feel that the various groups gathering together will have formed something like a decent society again. It remains to be seen if they’ll go back to a monarchy, create a government of connected micronations, or turn into something like the United States.

- And yes, Camera Shy, Pressing Matters, and Press’s husband Curler are all alive. They’ll meet up someday!

---

A/N: Thank you all for joining me on this journey through time and space to explore the seven MLP timelines and where Sales & Co might have ended up in them! I hope you enjoyed it; I had a good bit of fun coming up with the different scenarios, it was a great brain exercise. =D Thank you again to all my Patrons, and to ReversalMushroom for sponsoring this particular special! There will be a final post next week of all the pictures together, with links back to their storyline posts.

I also want to thank you for bearing with me as the regular updates continue to be on hiatus. This has been a rough and strange year for all of us, and I hope you all are safe and healthy and know that you are loved. Jesus has really been with me through this year, and even tonight as I write this; there are things I struggle with, but I know that they do not define my value, HE does. =) And I, like Sales, want to count my blessings, the biggest one (aside from my faith in God) being that I have family around me who love me and care for me. I’m very much looking forward to Christmas! =D  

Merry Christmas! May your Christmas and New Year contain joy and peace, and may Christ Jesus rest His hands on you and draw your heart to His. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

~River Babble

#mlp ask blog #pony ask blog #tirek #sombra #nightmare moon #Queen Chrysalis #mlp discord #IANAA #Salespitch

[i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle]

Chapter 29: Starlight’s Mother, Part 5 - Closure At Last

Now that things settle down after the heartwarming moment between Starlight and her mother after telling her everything about when she traveled in time in a dangerous maneuver to a mother who spent most of her life protecting Equestria. Twilight continues on recapping the villains she’s faced.

Twilight: Ok… so now we’re back to Starlight saving Equestria from Chrysalis. This resulted in pretty much the rest of Chrysalis’ army to our side. So Starlight didn’t just help save us, she’s the very reason we have more allies then ever. She technically helped jumpstart our expansion to ally with as many nations outside of Equestria as possible before the school of friendship even started!

Sunset: Yes, having the Changelings on Equestria’s side certainly provide some unique allies. Helps that they get fed by simply walking around and feeling the different kinds of love that we ponies have.

Starlight: One of the Friendship School’s brightest students is a changeling!

Twilight: Indeed! Ocellus is a real book bug!

Sunset: So what else came after Queen Chrysalis’ return?

Twilight: After Queen Chrysalis was defeated again… I guess was when the Pillars of Equestria returned from Limbo along with the Pony of Shadows who just happened to be a friend they neglected named Stygian. We helped them mend their friendship, and now we have all of them walking around Equestria. It’s been kind of nice to have some ponies who know about the past to talk to

Sunset: The Pillars being back on Equestria is definitely very interesting. I imagine they all must of had some culture shock at first, but it is a great point to have ponies who lived so long ago to talk to.

Twilight: Though now we have spirit summoning, we’ll have even more to pull from! As long as they have a living relative, or if they were friends with the pillars, Celestia, or Luna.

Sunset nods

Twilight: After that though… other then the aforementioned return of Sombra. as well as Chrysalis and Tirek also returning one more time there was only one more... Though you’ll probably kind of laugh at first, given she was just a little filly… a crazy evil one… but a little filly nonetheless.

Sunset: Heh heh heh, ok… What was her name?

Twilight: Cozy Glow

*THUNDER BOOM*

The moment Twilight said Cozy Glow, time essentially froze for Sunset and the loudest thunder boom from outside is heard. Startling the group as once again Sunset Shimmer gets a huge jog to her memory. The group watches in horror as Sunset writhes around as if having a seizure. She lets out a huge scream, and lays on the floor.

Firelight: Shimmy?!

Starlight: Mother?! What’s wrong?!

Sunset heaves as if to breathe hard once again, and slowly gets back up. Once she has recovered, she faces the group with a determined face.

Sunset: …I remember everything now.

Starlight: Remember everything…? You mean… your death…? and who was responsible?

Sunset nods

Sunset: Cozy… Cozy Glow was there... The three anarchists were her and her parents!

The whole room gasps

Starlight: But wait… you died more then two decades ago… Cozy was just a filly when we met her… how does that possibly work?!

Sunset: Allow me… to explain…

I’ll begin with saying who Cozy’s parents were. Her father was a unicorn named Cheque Mace, who was a burly stallion, his Cutie Mark was the king piece of a Chessboard. Like said piece of the chessboard, he’s slow, but he was calculating and strong. Cozy’s mother was Glitterani an average sized pegasus mare. her cutie mark being the queen piece of a Chessboard. Like the Queen piece, she could be quite fast and dangerous.

What they had in common they were both narcissistic psychopaths. They could not feel love, and their only definition of friends were if they did something for them and/or gave them power, their only reason for marrying and giving birth to Cozy was to have more ponies in their ranks. As even back then, even the more antagonistic ponies wanted nothing to do with their sociopathic tendencies or thought their goal was insane.

Their goal was to take all of the magic in Equestria, either to take it for themselves so they can rule the world. Or if failing that… make sure everypony is magicless in the twisted statement of “if they couldn’t have it, no one else will”. They seeked 6 powerful artifacts capable of being conduits to gather all the magic of Equestria in one spot...

The entire rest of the group gasp recalling that’s exactly what Cozy Glow did under the School of Friendship

Sunset: To be perfectly clear of what would of even happened if they managed to succeed for long. Was that it wasn’t going to really be possible for either of them to gain power from collecting all the magic of Equestria. It most likely was going to result in Equestria becoming magicless, but even if these 3 knew that’d be the most likely result. They didn’t care, they wanted to inflict pain and suffering on the entire world.

I have no idea why they got so evil, but it may be safer to just say they were just born pretty messed up. Because there was not going to be anything redeemable about them, the elements that make up Friendship never occur to them.

They’d rather lie and mislead then be honest.

They have a twisted sense of loyalty that they say only applies to them

They are not generous at the least, and would refuse to give even the most basic needs.

They have no kindness in their hearts.

The only thing that makes them laugh is the suffering of others.

And the magic of friendship is only power to them...

I had to try to take them out somehow someway before I fully retired, as I was afraid they’d fulfill their plan within the next few years before Celestia found Twilight. I could nip them in the bud before things really got bad, and while Cheque Mace had some skill as a unicorn. I would wipe the floor with him on a 1-on-1 duel, Glitterani was fast but nothing my magic couldn’t handle, and Cozy Glow was the most unknown but she was a just a little filly who was also a Pegasus. Perhaps if there’s one thing I underestimated the most about them, was Cozy’s manipulation tactics…

*Flashback*

Sunset had just arrived in the location that would later become New Haven. The train tracks leading here hadn’t even been made yet, and there was only one building at this time that had a front and back entrance, the back leading to Nightmare Cliffs. Sunset had received a tip that’s where Cheque Mace, Glitterani, and their young daughter Cozy Glow fled once they caught wind Sunset was after them. As Sunset approaches the building, she can hear the faint sounds… of a crying child. Sunset gets a closer look, and finds a little pink pegasus filly straight in the middle of the building with curly light blue hair and bows, she had no Cutie Mark yet.  

Sunset identifies her as Cozy Glow. She approaches cautiously. Cozy Glow looks toward the front entrance and sees Sunset. Continuing to cry to try and get the sympathy of Sunset.

Cozy Glow: A…ar…are y-you… S-Sunset Shimmer? You’re the Princesses’ protege, aren’t you?

Sunset: Not anymore, really. But even so, I am here to put you and your parents into justice. You will never take the magic of Equestria away.

Cozy: Whaaaaaat? Me facing justice? But I’m only a filly! I’m not responsible for my parents’ actions!

Sunset: Even so, I don’t know what they taught you. We may try to at least see if you can be changed... if you can prove that you’re different enough from your parents.

Cozy: Oh, Golly! But I am! I-i-i-i have no choice to go with them because they’re my p-p-parents… they take p-p-pleasure in a-a-abusing me physically and emotionally. And when it comes to crimes, if I refused, they would k-k-kill m-me… and they tell me that if I was captured, I’d just end up r-r-rotting in the Canterlot dungeons… But you said they’d try to help?

Sunset isn’t completely sure she can take Cozy’s words at face value. But she wouldn’t put it past the other two to end up having a daughter that wants to be good but they abuse her to the point where they force her to go along with their plan.

Sunset: Yes, if we deem that you can be a good pony in the way your parents can’t… Equestria would welcome you...

Cozy: Wow! That sounds so swell, Sunset Shimmer! Wanna be friends?

Cozy looks at Sunset with a big grin and puppy-dog eyes.

Sunset: I… guess?

Suddenly a voice from just outside is heard

Cheque Mace: COZY!

Glitterani: How dare you betray us! We ought to destroy you along with Scumset…

Cozy: Ahhhh! Help me, Sunset! My parents are here!

Sunset puts up a determined face, and steps in front of Cozy to protect her

Sunset: Cheque Mace and Glitterani! Your life as criminals are coming to an end today! And with any luck, Cozy will be a better pony then you two ever will be.

Cheque Mace: I think you are mistaken, for it is your life that is ending today.

Sunset: Not when I have a reason to get back, once I’m finished with you.

Cheque Mace: Oh... are you talking about your “darling” Fi-Fi

Sunset goes wide-eyed

Sunset: How do you know about me and Firelight? I never even told the Princess about him…

Cheque Mace: I have more eyes then you think, Sunset. Maybe when I’m done with you, I’ll give him a visit. And show them your decapitated head!

As Cheque laughs evilly, Sunset rages and blasts both Cheque Mace and and Glitterani out of the building and gives chase leaving Cozy behind in the building. Sunset confronts Cheque and Glitterani near the edges of Nightmare Cliffs. They stand at first at a standstill, a decent length from each other in a triangle formation. Sunset on one point, Cheque Mace to the right of Sunset’s view, and Glitterani on the left.

Glitterani takes the first move, speeding towards Sunset and spins around fast enough to create a tornado. Forcing Sunset to use magic to bend some earth around her hooves so she remains stationary, so she isn’t blown away by the tornado. This however also leaves Sunset vulnerable to Cheque’s lasers without protection. Sure enough as Sunset entrenches herself, Cheque fires lasers but Sunset knows defensive shield spells that easily protect her. Glitterani just trying to fly around to distract Sunset and force her into putting down her shield just enough for Cheque Mace to get a direct hit on Sunset. But suddenly…

*THUNDER BOOM*

A lightning strike startles Glitterani as she wasn’t too far from the bolt as it struck. She stops in the air, covering her ears after the large boom, and shock of almost being seriously hurt or worse. This leaves a clean shot for Sunset to make a small hole in her shield, so she can target Glitterani. Sunset fires her shot, and she gets a direct hit on her right wing. Rendering it useless for certainly well past this fight. Glitterani falls dangerously close to just off the cliffs but just manages to land at close to the edge.

This also gets rid of the tornado that Sunset had to keep herself stationary for, now free to move however she feels. Leaving Sunset only having to deal with Cheque Mace on a 1-on-1. An advantageous position for her. Off in the distance a faint laugh of a child is heard, but Sunset ignores it as she locks eyes with Cheque Mace. The stare down as either waits for the first move.

Finally, Cheque is the first one to flinch as he fires a large blast at Sunset’s direction. She smugly smiles and says

Sunset: Check. Mate.

Just as she gracefully dodges via a backflip that transitions into a teleport closer to Cheque and fires a counter laser that curves straight at him

Cheque Mace: Noooooooooo!

The laser hits him off to the side, and off the cliff. Sunset assumes he’ll teleport before he hits the ground. Though a thud is heard, followed by the faint sounds of a splash a moment later.

All that was left now was the injured Glitterani. Sunset had basically already won swiftly, though as Sunset approached Glitterani. The sounds of a laughing child get progressively louder every so often.

Sunset: It’s over Glitterani, once I get you and your husband’s injured selves to Canterlot you are facing justice to the full extent of the law.

Glitterani just grumbles as Sunset gets closer, but as she looks up. She sees a small silhouette that is either moving forward or sideways in straight line like the Rook piece of the chessboard, and she grins smugly.

Glitterani: Not yet!

Sunset raises an eyebrow as Glitterani starts laughing, thinking she’s trying to comfort herself with sociopathic fits of laughter. Sunset thinks nothing of it as the silhouette up in the sky gets to just above where Sunset stands… and something is dropped from it. The unwary Sunset still facing Glitterani.

Sunset: Just what are you laughing a-

*SMASH*

*CRACK*

A large rock hits Sunset right at the base of her horn. It’s weight puts pressure, cracking the horn before ultimately it bends too far, and falls off, The rock also hits hard on Sunset’s forehead. She screams out in pain, and falls off on her side. Her vision keeps fading in and out of blurriness as she lays there. A full-on concussion. She also has a black eye as part of the falling rock scraped her still open right eye as it fell off. It takes a few minutes before finally Sunset can look around, she looks up wondering where the rock could of possibly come from and she now has a clear view of who dropped it.

It was Cozy Glow, who just looks at the scene with glee and sadistically jokes

Cozy: Ooooooops, golly… did I do that? Ehehehehehe

Sunset rages, she sits back up and yells at Cozy

Sunset: What… I thought you said weren’t on your parents side! You… you… you liar!

Cozy: Hey, I didn’t totally lie. They do abuse me… But I never said I didn’t like it! Ahahahahaha! Oh and by the way… Mom! I have my cutie mark!

Cozy glow shows her flank and both Sunset and Glitterani see a rook shaped cutie mark. Glitterani laughing.triumphantly

Glitterani: Hahahaha! Cozy, you are indeed one of us!

The rook cutie mark now etched into Cozy’s flank confirms this was a manipulative plan she came up with her parents the entire time.

Cozy Glow: Too bad, poor dad isn’t going to get the chance to see it. I think he had a pretty big tumble and water’s probably filling his lungs right now! But meh, we don’t need him. Right, mom?

Not even an ounce of empathy, Sunset realized then and there that the apple didn’t far from the tree. A rotten apple from a poisonous tree at that, as Cozy was just like her parents. Falling for Cozy’s lie has already cost Sunset her horn. But her magic is the only thing that’s going to reach Cozy from up there if she’s going to get any payback, so despite intense pain still throbbing from the loss of her horn. She decides to fire something, without a full horn to truly focus her magic... whatever is fired at Cozy could be almost anything. Firing something makes the pain in her head worse but something does get fired straight up at Cozy Glow.

Cozy sees the approaching blast, and freaks out before dodging just before it hits. She then proceeds to mock Sunset.

Cozy: Haha! Missed me, Shamset!

But then a slight boom is heard from up above her. Cozy at first thinks nothing of it, thinking it was just thunder. But as she looks up, the blast that Sunset blasted starts expanding into a transparent white dome with star symbols on it, Cozy is too close to it as it starts to suck her up like a vacuum cleaner. She tries to fly out of the dome’s suction but she loses strength quick, and she screams as she’s flung straight up into the dome. The dome then disappears with no sign of Cozy.

Glitterani: C-c-cozy? Cozy?! Cozy, where are you?!

Sunset takes this chance to laugh herself, albeit still through some pain. She approaches Glitterani at the edge of the cliff.

Glitterani: Stop laughing! What did you do to Cozy?!

Sunset: I didn’t think you’d have concern for anypony, even your daughter. But I’m pretty sure what got Cozy was a time travel spell. That dome is pretty classic Starswirl. But... because she broke my horn. I have no control of how far she went. She could of been sent some years to the past, maybe years into the future, or maybe she’s been sent back to the age of the dinosaurs! She may be nothing but dino-chow right now!

Sunset just looking down with a smug face. But then Glitterani gets angry, suddenly leaps up and grabs Sunset pinning her down on the ground.

Glitterani: If we’re going down… I’m taking you with me!

Glittering starts rolling them both close to the edge. This was a fall neither was likely to survive without Sunset being able to teleport to safety.

Sunset: What are you doing?! We’re both going to die if you roll us off!

Glitterani: That’s kind of the idea, you fool…

Sunset: No, wait! Please! I have a family!

Glitterani: And I had one too… before you ripped that away just now. This was exactly why we had you follow us here to these cliffs. We put on a brave face but we knew deep down you were too good... but then Cozy plotted with us a way in which even if we fail... at least we weren’t going down alone... plus whatever happens... no one will know what happened here... You’ve doomed your family to despair! And the best part is… they’ll never know what happened to you!

Sunset: Noooooooooooooooo!

Holding on tight to Sunset to make sure she fatally plunges with her. Glitterani rolls them off the edge and they start plunging down to certain death. Sunset has to act quick, and try something with her horn as it’s the only move she’s got. Sunset charges up what remains of her horn. Though Glitterani sees this and puts a hoof over the hole that was Sunset’s horn. Inside Sunset’s head a burning sensation gets hotter, hotter, and hotter as the pressure of her magic being blocked by Glitterani's hoof makes it build higher and higher until…

*BOOM*

Just a few feet before hitting the water. A big explosion from Sunset’s head envelops the two falling ponies. And if there was anything left of either of them… They were cleaned up by hungry sharks and other meat-eating water predators to eat their fill with. Sunset Shimmer and Glitterani had met their end. Cheque Mace as implied by Cozy had also fallen, he hit his head amidst falling, going unconscious as he fell into the raging waters, body sinking, and thus ultimately drowned. While Cozy was sent into a then unknown time.

*Flashback ends*

((Story continues after the break))

The entire room gasps again having been told the whole story of how Sunset died. Glitterani was ultimately the one who forced Sunset to essentially blow herself up, but without an assist from Cozy Glow breaking Sunset’s horn… Sunset would of most likely survived. So indeed, Cozy Glow had a role in the death of Sunset Shimmer. The room stays silent just processing the story.

Twilight: So… if I heard what happened correctly… Cozy Glow was sent through time… and it just happened to be somewhere over two decades into the future… where at some point she caught wind of the School of Friendship… and she manipulated us in order to infiltrate as a student in order to eventually do what she and her parents wanted to do… with assistance from Tirek.

Sunset: Wait, Cozy actually ended up collecting all of Equestria’s magic?!

Twilight: Yes… and she nearly trapped me and my friends in Tartaurus in the meantime, plus she also had your daughter trapped in the sphere of magic collected. It was thanks to a particular team of 6 students plus the Tree of Harmony intervening under the school that she was defeated. And magic was returned.

Sunset: I see… good that she was defeated quickly enough… otherwise I’m sure by now nearly all life would be dying right now…

Twilight: Huh? What do you mean?

Sunset: Remember what you learned from Jinn? Our souls are magic too, although Cozy and her Parents plan can’t collect soul magic… and neither can Tirek for that matter…  Since soul magic is a lot less tangible, as what it becomes is determined how they lived their life

But without the magic that can be taken such as the casting magic Unicorns have, Pegasi’s flight plus weather-changing abilities, as well as Earth ponies ability to tend the land… Equestria would become a depressing place that can’t do anything about the dark magic that would slowly envelop the world. And with so many unhappy or worse inhabitants, the death of life everywhere would only increase the dark magic, hastening the extinction of life. The world would return to the state of when the Sun and Moon did not move. But there’s too many clouds made of dark magic to see either sunlight or moonlight on top of it.

Twilight can only be reminded of a certain timeline she, Spike, and Starlight saw during their time travel confrontation.

Twilight: That wasteland me and Starlight saw in that timeline… That might have been if Cozy Glow and/or her parents succeeded…

Starlight’s has had her head lowered down for the whole time since hearing the full story of how her mother died, though she briefly raises her head up and goes wide-eyed having heard that the final timeline they saw could have likely been the result of Cozy succeeding. She lowers her head back down, but she seems to have a rage building up inside.

Sunset: Twilight… where is Cozy Glow right now, by chance?

Twilight: She’s trapped in stone alongside Tirek and Queen Chrysalis.

Sunset: *phew* That is such a relief. Of those three, Cozy deserves to stay in stone forever… she may just be a filly. But trust me in saying there’s no redeeming her.

I understand Chrysalis has been stubborn, but perhaps the right circumstance could do it if we can reconnect her with her army... since most of them were her own children.

I doubt Tirek could be changed easily, but he has family issues in regards to his father and his brother Scorpan that could be perhaps worked out to perhaps make him less antagonistic…

But Cozy is a lost cause that must be kept in stone, forever. It’d take outright brainwashing to erase the evil in her heart and there’s no guarantee that even works. I don’t want to know what kind of Dark magic would be released if she died.

Twilight: I admit from appearances alone… it’d seem like Cozy was the most capable of changing… but given what you’ve told me she’s done… and recalling that timeline… not even Tirek and Chrysalis wanted to wreck Equestria that badly… them ruling Equestria would still be bad… but they mostly intended on ruling over us… with an iron hoof or fist probably…  but still not exactly ending all life on the planet…

Rainbow: So wait… if Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow’s team up succeeded in defeating us… that could of resulted in a civil war where of all situations… Tirek and Chrysalis would be the good guys?!

Sunset: By comparison… yes.

Applejack: Gosh, that’s bleak…

Apple Bloom: Ah can’t believe we helped such a monster!

Sweetie Belle: We were such suckers…

Scootaloo: If we had known Cozy was like that, we would of left her crying!

Sunset: It’s ok you three, one of Cozy’s skills was manipulation. She fooled me too when I fell for her act of not actually being in cahoots with her parents.

Rainbow Dash: And from what I heard from Sandbar and his friends at school… she had almost all of our students against them!

Twilight: She also manipulated me when joining the school in the first place, when she came into my office to enroll. She started with a sob story about how she was an orphan… and while it wasn’t exactly a lie that she was orphaned… I couldn’t tell her parents were two of the worst ponies to ever exist… let alone that Cozy Glow was from more then 2 decades ago in the past…

Though actually speaking of Cozy’s parents… if they died… what did the dark magic that came out of them become?

Sunset: The dark magic from the deaths of Cheque Mace and Glitterani unleashed a twin pair of strong Hurricanes in the ocean they died in, likely devastating any coastal cities in their path. Large enough for me to see on the planet from the soul shield. These hurricanes return every few years, but each time thanks to the cities putting up more defenses, as well as the strength of friendship magic increasing, thus weakening dark magic everywhere. Just like how the Windigoes are hardly a threat any more, those hurricanes eventually will amount to nothing.

Starlight finally speaks up

Starlight: So… if I’m hearing from you right, mother… dark magic being unleashed from the death of someone evil can be beaten back with time…?

Sunset: Well yes… but it’d still be safer to make sure they don’t di-

Starlight’s voice and anger rises with each sentence

Starlight: And not get any ounce of satisfying retribution for her role in your murder?

For manipulating me and my friends, trapping me in a sphere of Equestria’s magic… and nearly dragging me wherever it was going to go?!

For being part of the reason I never got to know you are until now?!

For being the reason my early life was so terrible?!

For trying to remove all magic from Equestria?!

AND FOR TRYING TO KILL ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET?!

I HAD THAT LITTLE MONSTER IN MY BUCKING OFFICE AT THE SCHOOL! IT IS FAR PAST TIME THIS BRAT FACED DISCIPLINE! AND SAID DISCIPLINE SHOULD BE ETERNAL DETENTION AS A PILE OF RUBBLE!

The group doesn’t know what Starlight’s about to do, but there’s plenty of concerned faces. Meanwhile, Starlight pulls out a piece of portal gum, and starts chewing.

Twilight: Starlight, what are you doing?!

Starlight blows the bubble, Starlight manages to spawn a portal to the exact spot where Cozy is trapped in stone. And she starts charging a powerful laser.

Sunset sees what she’s doing and beckons Twilight to stop her

Sunset: Twilight! You have to stop Starlight before she kills Cozy!

Twilight: On it!

Starlight blasts her laser that will both fit into the portal, and if it hits Cozy’s statue will most certainly shatter it, and thus kill Cozy. But before it even crosses the portal, Twilight gets in front and forms a shield, blocking Starlight’s blast. Starlight stops firing to speak.

Starlight: Twilight! Why are you protecting Cozy?! You heard my mother… she’s an irredeemable psychopath, and if the tables were turned… she wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing! And even if her death does release devastating dark magic… we’ll have the power to shrink it in time!

Twilight: I agree that Cozy is never going to change, but unleashing some unknown, devastating form of dark magic on what will most certainly be all of Ponyville isn’t worth the immediate satisfaction of a sudden execution! Cozy is already facing justice as a statue! You’ll just put everypony in Ponyville in danger just for the brief moment of satisfaction of killing in revenge, even if it sounds justified!

Starlight thinks for a moment before trying to blast through anyway, despite Twilight’s insistence. So Sunset puts up a determined face to talk to her daughter.

Sunset: If you won’t listen to Twilight, maybe you’ll listen to me as your mother… Yes, Cozy was partly responsible for my death. I hate her about as much as you do for it, but this isn’t the answer!

Starlight stops firing, and her rage shifts into sadness and overflowing tears

Starlight: Why isn’t it?! She didn’t directly kill you… but she may as well have! The circumstances of your death was the true reason I turned to darkness. I couldn't control what happened then, but I know what I can do to rectify that!

You would have been fine if Cozy didn’t break your horn! 

I would of had a loving mother such as you around so I wouldn’t have had such disdain for something that should have been one of the happiest moments in my life… receiving my cutie mark and knowing the pony I was destined to be… 

AND on top of that she planned on ending life as we know it!

So what if Ponyville has to deal with something like a storm of dark magic every so often… 

Won’t it feel like justice to you?!

Sunset: No! Because whatever damage the dark magic from Cozy’s death does could endanger more lives then it’s worth in exchange for the brief satisfaction of ending Cozy’s life. Letting anger fuel you as you end a life will also only end up bubbling up potential dark magic from your own soul’s magic.

Starlight: Didn’t you technically kill Cheque Mace when you blasted him off the cliff?

Sunset: In a way, I suppose I did.... But I didn’t do it intentionally, I was thinking he was going to teleport before he fell… I didn’t know he had become unconscious until Cozy implied he was dead. This is a world where emotion and morality influence our magic power and determine what our soul does after we pass, whether we add additional strength to the soul shield or become vengeful dark magic that wrecks the planet.

Putting our harshest and/or most stubborn villains in stone is our way of punishing them harshly without them unleashing dark magic that can hurt others. Killing them, even beyond the ensuing dark magic devastation… may end up only making Cozy a martyr for potential villains of the future...

Starlight: Wouldn’t leaving a statue just make something potential villains idolize or even try to free them if they’re magically adept?

Sunset: That is a possibility, but not if we outright properly educate who Cozy was and why she needs to stay as a statue… Just look at her face… even I know that Cozy’s scared look as she’s petrified is another of her manipulation moves. Before turning to stone, she acted quickly to look like she was scared and innocent, so she could perhaps one day fool an onlooker to think we petrified an innocent pony…

Or… if we destroyed her as a statue… make it seems like we executed an innocent little filly… and whatever comes down on top of Ponyville would seem like retribution from nature to some who would want to follow down Cozy’s path of psychopathic evil. In that sense, you could end up only creating more Cozy Glow’s...

Starlight’s finally stands down and takes a moment to calm down, though still at least gives a suggestion. Meanwhile, Twilight take the opportunity to closes the portal as Starlight speaks.

Starlight: Alright… I think I understand… but I think at the very least if we’re going to consider the future like this, we should then think about putting Cozy in a place where a potential future villain like her could not use the statue to idolize it or even get freed by someone adept in magic enough to reverse petrification. Do we have a super secure facility? Or you want to try putting Cozy in Tartaurus again only this time she’s a statue ON TOP of being trapped there?

Twilight ponders something

Twilight: I think I may have an idea… what if I put Cozy’s Statue in it’s own pocket dimension. And much like our gum portals. Only those with the magical authorization can access it. What good is Cozy’s manipulating petrified pose, if almost no one’s going to be able to see her?

Starlight gives a smug look that harkens back a little to her old ways before Twilight and the others befriended her.

Starlight: Hahahaha! Almost makes me want to be able to at least free Cozy’s head temporarily just so I can see her face as she hears where we’re leaving her!

Rainbow: Geez Starlight, seems you still have a little bit of that evil dictator side of you

Starlight: Maybe, but can you blame me? Cozy’s part of why I was led on the path to become one in the first place. I’m not actually serious about freeing Cozy’s head, I’m just saying... it’d be satisfying.

Sunset decides to play along with a bit of an exaggerated disappointed mother.

Sunset: Starlight Glimmer... enough of that talk and I may have to ground you for the first time! *giggles*

Starlight: Maybe, I should let you ground me just to have a taste of the mother you would have been *giggles* I even know a spell where I can play out if you had been around for my childhood

Sunburst: You mean that spell you used to try to get me to play Dragon Pit with you again?

Sunset: Oh I loved the Dragon Pit board game! I played it alot with my brother when we were kids. I would of played with you and/or Sunburst almost all the time. Too bad I won’t be able to roll dice and move the pieces. Iiiii can’t exactly touch objects aside from the floors, I have to sort of float since I can kind of fly in order to sort of go on stuff like beds, and I can’t float stuff with my horn anymore.

Starlight: Always the option to have somepony roll and move your player for you!

Sunset: That is true!

Starlight: But in all seriousness... knowing Cozy will cause no more harm nor be able to potentially manipulate somepony who doesn’t know better about her will be great to know.

Sunset turns toward Twilight

Sunset: Putting Cozy’s statue in a pocket dimension is a great idea. And in fact if you know somepony else who might have devastating effects somewhere should they die, you should probably do the same thing.

Twilight: The only other villain I can think of on that level is Zathir, I’ll definitely have to petrify him as well, and put him in the same pocket dimension as Cozy.

But until then, I think now that we’ve solved everything. We’re going to start to head back, we ought to go see how Applejack’s parents are doing with Big Mac, Sugar Belle, and Granny Smith.

Starlight: If it’s ok, Twilight… I’m going to stay the night here, to spend some more time with my mother. Since pony Spirits can be down here indefinitely, right?

Twilight: This is the first time we’re having spirits down but I suppose I can let you stay the night here with your mother. Though I’m not sure what will happen if Sunset tries to sleep, though given I’m part spirit… I might at least have a hypothesis... if a spirit goes to sleep… They may go back to the soul shield, similar to how when I go to sleep, I go back into my bottle.

Sunset: That feels like it makes sense. After all, our comet-like forms are kind of also us sleeping

Firelight is a little distraught.

Firelight: Shimmy… you’ll go back up there in the soul shield if you sleep?! I… was almost kind of looking forward to being able to have you sleep with me again… I’ve felt so lonely hoping one day you’d come back… cause I didn’t know you were dead this whole time…

Sunset smiles, touched that her husband thought about that.

Sunset: Well, I still could. I just have to not go to sleep myself. How about this… We’ll sleep in our bed tonight, and I’ll only go back to the soul shield sometime after you’ve fallen asleep. And if you want to see me again tomorrow or any other point. Just get Starlight or yourself to go see Spike to summon me down again.

Starlight: We also have a wedding between 2 of Twilight’s friends in Saddle Arabia to attend in two days. We could… perhaps summon you down so you can attend if you’d like.

Sunset: That sounds lovely, I won’t exactly know much about the 2 being wedded. But if perhaps you and Fi-Fi are going, I could definitely go.

Starlight: I think I was going to go regardless, but It’d definitely be great to see you there.

Firelight: I wasn’t going to go initially… but if you’re going to be summoned down for the wedding. Then I absolutely have to be there.

Sunset: Then of course, summon me back down on the day after tomorrow’s wedding and I’ll be there the whole way.

The room cheers and claps to have a spirit attendee.

Applejack: Heh, ya’ll could even become spirit friends with mah parents if we invite them too!

Twilight: That does sound like a pretty good idea.

Rainbow: Hey everypony! Don’t look now, but I think the storm’s over!

The whole group walks back outside, and perhaps appropriately with the skies clear… the sun itself is setting in a fitting fashion with the return of Sunset Shimmer. Starlight walks on over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders as Sunset continues talking with either the Elements of Harmony and/or Firelight

Starlight: I want to thank you three for starting me on the road to find out who I am. You deduced that I inherited my magic power from my mother. And now I know that I’m the daughter of a former Celestia protege. Whatever I do with the magic I inherited from my mother is up to me and me alone to decide. For now, I intend to use it to lead and protect the School of Friendship. But who knows what the future holds.

Apple Bloom: No problem, Starlight! Ah’m happy ya’ll got t’ see ya mother fo’ the first time just like ah did today!

Sweetie: Yeah! Your mother is amazing

Scootaloo: Definitely, one of the coolest ponies I’ve ever seen!

Starlight now turns to Sunburst and Trixie.

Starlight: So Trixie, what do you think of my mother?

Trixie: Your mother’s great, Starlight. Now I know why you’ve always been so talented. And… I’ll admit the full story of what happened made me cry a few times… ok that’s an understatement… I cried most pretty much the whole time hearing how much your mother’s death impacted your life…

Sunburst: I might just stay the night in Sire’s Hollow with you as well Starlight. Not just for my own mother and my father being back for good, but getting to know my long-lost Aunt.

Starlight: Plus, we’re cousins now… that means your plan-filled mother is my own Aunt heh heh

Stellar: That’s riiiiight, my newfound niece!

Stellar smiles and boops Starlight on her nose

Sunspot: We welcome you to the family, Starlight. We already thought of you fondly when we didn’t know you were related, but thanks to all the reveals we got today from summoning my sister… you are always welcome in me and Stellar’s household.

Firelight and Sunset walk on over. Firelight in particular turning to Stellar Flare.

Firelight: Hey Stellar, I have a suggestion…

Stellar: Yes, Firelight?

Firelight: You know the museum that we agreed to build over there?

Firelight points to the construction currently being built

Stellar: Yes, what about it?

Firelight: I want to give it an official name

Stellar: Huh? Isn’t it just going to be called the Sire’s Hollow Museum?

Firelight: That was the plan originally… but I think I have a better name and purpose for it. I’d like to call it… the Sunset Shimmer Museum. It’ll still have a section dedicated to our town, but mainly because Sunset was going to make this place her home. I think it’d have a greater purpose to sharing the world who she was. As not everypony’s going to be around for when we summon her spirit down again.

Sunset gasps, but is ultimately touched that Firelight would dedicate an entire museum to her.

Sunset: Oh Fi-Fi, you’re so sweet… You don’t need to dedicate the whole museum to me…

Firelight: Maybe I don’t need to, but I really, really want to. You deserve some recognition for keeping Equestria safe before Princess Twilight would just about finish the job by providing the peace we have now.

Suddenly, Celestia walks up from behind.

Celestia: A museum dedicated to Sunset sounds like a great idea, I still have plenty of cherished items back in the Canterlot castle related to Sunset’s time as my student that I can donate.

Sunspot: I guess that’s where I can put your horn, sis… if that isn’t too much of a reminder of what happened…

Sunset: It is a little grim… but hey, plenty of museums have real skeletons. It’d make sense that the only trace left of my body would be at my own museum.

Starlight: An interesting thing about this is because we can summon you down here, you’ll technically be able to be a tour guide for your own posthumous museum!

Sunset: Ha, that might be fun. It’d certainly make it more interactive. Maybe I can even play a bit of a prank on some guests thinking I’m just a highly advanced magic hologram. And then at some point do something that surprises guests when I suddenly say or answer something that would be impossible if I was a pre-recorded hologram!

Starlight: Now that would be funny!

Sunset: Can’t be there every day of course, but for special days I’d love to do it.

Stellar: The museum’s far from finished anyway, but we’ll love to have you back down for opening day when it is.

Sunset: Absolutely!

Sunset turns to Princess Celestia

Sunset: On another subject… Princess Celestia… I think I heard in passing somewhere that you’ll be retiring with Twilight taking your position. I don’t know what you plan to do in your retirement, but know I’ve always been proud of serving you. I know you kick yourself hard for things you see as mistakes fair or not, like Princess Luna becoming Nightmare Moon or not coming with me for my last fateful mission...

But know for every failure, you’ve maintained Equestria in balance for long enough for ponies like me, Twilight, and my daughter to make Equestria an even better place. Everypony in Equestria owes a gratitude for you whether they realize it or not. And if you get Spike to summon more of your many generations of loyal staffers and guards, they’ll say many of the same things I’m saying now. Without you… Equestria would of fallen apart long ago.

Celestia’s eyes well up with tears of joy

Celestia: Thank you, Sunset. I… really appreciate hearing that…

And um, Sunset. I can wait a little while before you do. But on an occasion you’re summoned back down, I’d really like you to meet my sister Luna.

Sunset: Oh yes, I’d love to get to meet her as well.

Celestia: In your younger days, you actually reminded me quite a bit of Luna when she herself was younger. I think you’d two would make great friends.

Sunset: I knew how much you missed her even back then, so I know she must be amazing. So I will definitely cherish seeing her for the first time. Maybe I’ll see her if you’re both at the wedding

Celestia: Yes, me and Luna will be attending the wedding. That’ll be the perfect opportunity for you to meet my sister for the first time.

Sunset approaches Celestia for another good long hug.

The group now splits between the family of both Starlight and Sunspot. The Elements of Harmony, Spike, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Trixie, and Princess Celestia are next to a portal to Ponyville. As they all wave to each other.as they start heading out the portal. Twilight the last one to go back, and gives her goodbye before walking in.

Twilight: We’ll see you all at the wedding in two days! Goodbye Starlight, Sunset, and family!

And thus a family fully reunited after years of mystery and hardships. The family all hugging each other one more time before talking the night away. Sunset will return to the soul shield during the nighttime once everypony was asleep. But there was now a sense of closure for the entire family

UP NEXT: Chapter 30: A Pear-fect Reunion

#Secrets Of The Dragon's Tear #Twilight Sparkle #Sunset Shimmer #Starlight Glimmer #Firelight #Cozy Glow #Cheque Mace #Glitterani #Rainbow Dash #Applejack #Apple Bloom #Scootaloo #Sunburst #Trixie Lulamoon #The Great and Powerful Trixie #Stellar Flare #Princess Celestia #Sweetie Belle

[thedenofravenpuff]

The Beginning of the End p2 - Episode Reaction

Alright! Got all hyped up from part 1! Ya’ll know I’m a freaking Sombra fangirl, so that was a sweet arse warm up!

Now let’s DO THIIIIIIS!

S  P  O  I  L  E  R  S

Recap *CinemaSins sin noise ding effect*

*Sigh* Even his evil laughter is such a shame with that voice choice... whyyyy?

Shame they gonna run the final season with that intro song that still doesn’t match the imagery with the song in matching pace... so off.

Okay, with this extra energy he’s putting into his evil laughter(tm) at this point is actually kinda good.

Oh gosh, that attempt to tap the pieces together in that way had me laughing out loud.

Just a thought, I wonder how all the Crystal Ponies are faring with their PTSD after last episode.

Okay, that’s a pretty neat creepy imagery with them shadow hands.

Not even one mention of the Tree’s big “inner Rainbow Super Magic Was Inside You All Along” thing from back when with the box and all. But I guess they happily erased that from their memory at this point. And probably needed the Tree for that. Hmm, does the Tree have anything of itself stored in the Map? Is that growing sentience it has shown saved there someway?

And hafta ask by now... how about the Pillars? They still out there and beat villain arses before too. They gotta be useful backup at least to help out, right?

How about the Tree’s roots under the School and its effects on the Student Six? And those artifacts?

Okay, back to watching the episode. Where was I.. ah yes, mandatory Twilight going “And it’s all my fault!”

Actually a pretty good scene of them battling despair after all that confidence. And it’s no longer JUST Twilight having issues.

Dirt at the dirt pone.

Return of Pinkie Drill!!

Oh Rarity. We need a remix of her “show me the MONEY!” misused in every way.

And... he really didn’t let the crystals reach each other UNDER the ground... I guess those crystal surfaces everywhere in the Empire usually makes digging out a less of an easy tactic.

Even the cake decor has been turned evil!!

Oh, I actually forgot the Tree’s job of holding back the Everfree’s growth!

... they seriously gonna try and tame the Everfree... with one gardening tool each? Okay, they truly are scrambling right now.

ONE earth pony is all it took to take down the front gate. The royal guards apparently unable to do anything with their signal horns destroyed.. Equestrian military never gonna be given a chance to look competent, is it?

Really, were ARE they? The princesses are usually gone due to Dumbass in Distress tropes, not from fleeing.

They already lost their gardening tools.

“Come on everypony!” she says... to the animals..

Short actually pretty intense scene of the vines capturing her as she protects the animals. Nice.

Oh, there they are. Actually came in to try and help. Neat.

Gasp! Starswirl DID show up?? Does this mean...? *Looking around* No..? No other Pillars? Aww..

Actually pretty sweet powermove there, Starswirl.

Ahahahah! Evil controlled Wonderbolts!

So many background pony cameos.

Yaaas, those control helmets~ I’m mostly all up about them because headcanons and Glimmershine’s background story. Let me have my fun.

Kinda love how only Fluttershy is seen smiling at Discord’s sudden appearance (and possibly his joke too). Aww. Besties. 

Poodles.

Redecorating with Sombra: Black Crystal Everything.

As much as Discord’s petty speeches can get annoying, I’m highly amused by Sombra’s repeat attacks with no change in tactic just get twarted by turned into something different by Discord each time.

Callback to how Discord loves to try pass attention to Fluttershy to- AAAGH!! LOWERED GUARD, SELF SACRIFICE TO TWART OP DRACONEQUUS BACKUP!!

... hoow... does dark magic hurt a creature which barely holds proper physical anatomy?

Sombra back there in the background being all “Oookay, rude interrupting my monologueing, but I... guess I’ll let you have your moment? Is okay, guess I’ll just get back to gloating once you’re done.”

Okay, loving the visual of being able to see Sombra in the back making his way towards them despite not centered and kept blurred.

That Deflecting Magic Headspin looked hella badass right there.

“We shall never stop trying to defeat you! At some point you’ll just have to quit just out of annoyance!!”

Oh gosh, Sombra’s faces he’s pulling, he looks like he’s fighting to not get into a cryface and yell “it’s not fair, yer cheating!!”

Aah.. AAAH! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!! Twilight wavy Alicorn mane! She gonna evolve!!??

Woah... That visual of Sombra was surprisingly unsettling. Full on Thanos dusting yet with some distortion too. Neat.

Pretty sure that was the last thing the Sisters expected to walk in on.

Also, aww, no new evolution for Twilight. YET. I’m having a pretty good guess what might go down at least in the finale finale. They ain’t gonna tease us like that without finally giving Twilight the full alicornification at the end!

Well, that’s the smartest thing you have said YET, Princess Sunbutt. Also DUUUH!

Ah, that’s how Discord somehow got that badly hurt. At least that’s a pretty good excused compared to other cases of needing to put OP’s aside to let the Mane Six save the day. Heh, oh Discord. He try. His own way. Kinda counts.

Oh Discord. For some reason, that’s greatest exit I have ever seen him do XD

“I heard that!”

I have an odd fascination with following how Twilight’s bangs bounce whenever she spins her head from side to side.

Huh... I’ll admit I actually thought Sombra’s arc would purely be the first parter and then the Foul Five would get together for part two. Actually excited to see I’m wrong. We’ll get a full season worth of villain plotting ahead of us this way instead, and Sombra got a lot more screen time this way to make up for his past appearances didn’t even give him any proper lines. Heck, the ponies don’t even know yet Grogar is around or that Tirek and Cozy Glow are free from Tartarus, or that Sombra can be resurrected by Grogar at any time. Actually a neat setup, while we are usually used to seeing villains destroyed around same episodes they were revealed.

Ahahahahagah!! She actually got them herded into a (-n attempted) bonding exercise!!

Ahahaha, that suddenly letting go to hide they were holding hands/hooves!

Foul Four works better too anyway. But aww..? no more Sombra......??

Okay, wow, this season start was... something. Wow.

Didn’t meet ALL expectations, but also managed to throw the viewers in for a loop. Which is nice as that worked GREAT for last season finale. I like things ain’t 100% predictable. A lot felt rushed, missing a few steps in logic and a bit of a feeling of a mess, but not sure how much of that is my current migraine interfering. Still, I liked it! Really adored the appearance of Sombra, but saddened by it shown as his last return with Grogar’s comment.

Will admit, I’m a sucker for an over-villain who can keep the rest of the power houses in check. Grogar isn’t how I would imagined him, due to the popular fan depictions over the years. His loss in volume loses a bit of his intimidation factor. He used to be played up as the actual goat devil, but I understand down playing that a bit in modern kids entertainment, I guess.

Chrysalis was a great letdown in last season, I really hope she gets a chance to shine again. She’s a good villain in her own right when allowed the proper resources and to actually show her skills for intimidation. Which, again, makes her loss of that creepy voice a great loss indeed.

I look forward to see what plans Grogar has for all three of them.

For now, I applaud this start of the finale season. Looking forward to see where they’ll take it. My guesses are this season will feature Twilight’s lessons to prepare for her eventual rise to the throne. Which probably will happen at the last season finale, along with full alicornfication with floaty mane and everything.

We’ll see. For now, I’m pleased. My fangirl side for King Sombra has been quite happy with this double feature of him, both with the good and bad of it.

#PuffBlog #MLP #MLP Spoilers #FiM #FiM Spoilers #Spoilers #The Beginning of the End #The Beginning of the End Spoilers #Season 9 Spoilers #Episode Reaction #Puffy Reacts #Part 2

[taiblogcomics]

Casino Nightmares Zone

Hey there, lungfish. Since we're all caught up with the regular pony comics and finally finished that one miniseries, why not start on the next miniseries? I promise you this one is really cool. (Not that Ponyville Mysteries was bad or anything. This one's just really cool~)

I mean, just look at this cover:

Small confession, I got a later printing of this series, so I have cover B instead of this one. But I have to show you cover A, because it sets up the rest of the miniseries so well. First impressions are important, and if the first thing I showed you was Casino Nights Princess Luna, you wouldn't take my word for the coolness stated in the opening bit. And, I mean, look at this cover. It's very cinematic. Who could those silhouettes be, I wonder? It's very mysterious, isn't it~? But yeah: Luna is the focus character of this miniseries, and that's awesome. Anyways, good cover, great poster.

For spoilers sake, I'd say you need to have seen the movie, the season 7 finale, and the two-issue series on Tempest Shadow's backstory. If you haven't seen the latter, I reviewed it previously~

So we open in an unexpected location: Twilight's dreams. Luna is doing her usual rounds, and admits she sometimes comes to Twilight's dreams as a comfort. Twilight dreams about menial alphabetising her library, and the simplicity is relaxing. However, she can't stay here all night. She briefly helps Applebloom solve a nightmare about dividing her time between friends and family, then moves on to one she admits is much tougher: Stygian and his fears of being the Pony of Shadows. Even the memory of Luna's past self is passed out on the ground here. Is that how it happened? This is a good question because suddenly the Pony of Shadows starts addressing Luna directly. Not memory-Luna, the actual real Luna who is visiting the dream.

This shouldn't be possible, of course, because this is Stygian's dream. It seems this is not our Pony of Shadows, but one from another world. In their world, he was defeated, but he shows them what happened in his world. He takes Celestia and traps her in a slave collar, announcing he plans to corrupt her and create a world-breaker. He taunts them, saying they can stop him just by looking in a mirror, and disappears into the aether with a sobbing Celestia. Upon waking, Stygian takes Luna to see the place beneath the castle where Starswirl kept all his mirror portals. They stop in front of a particular one with a huge spider-web crack in it. Stygian reveals he's been saving the missing shard. They replace it, and decide to go looking for this alternate Pony of Shadows. He's now strong enough to reach into Stygian's dreams, so he's a threat.

They emerge, and we get a full-page splash of this alternate world. Picture a big tree with a towering castle-themed casino sitting atop it. There's spotlights and marquee "chasing" lights, and a long line with guards at the front. And you must be this evil to enter! No, really, there's both a bouncer and a scanner that measures your morality. Say, do you know Lucky Clover? He's a background pony of no real renown. He's immediately rejected as he tries to bluff his way through the gate. Next is a dragon, who is allowed in because he ate the three ponies ahead of him in line. And that's not a bluff, if you look between him and Lucky between panels, there's clearly three ponies that go missing between their approach. That might be the darkest joke in any pony comic I've read to date~

Stygian flatly tells them his backstory in a morose voice, and is immediately let through by the scanner. Luna, however, has to resort to her Royal Canterlot Voice to convince them of her identity as Nightmare Moon. And if you though the outside establishing shot was cool, here's the interior shot. Literally every damn villain is here. Tirek? Chrysalis? Babs Seed and her sister? Lightning Dust? Nightmare Rarity? Sunset Shimmer and season 5 premiere Starlight Glimmer? The Power Ponies' villains? Even Suri Polomare is villain enough to be here. It's a big casino, like I said, and the Diamond Dogs are working as staff. This is also clearly not the Pony of Shadows' style, so who's actually in charge here?

Well, they're about to find out, as the Diamond Dogs lead them to an elevator. They enter into the big penthouse, and Luna spots Celestia and immediately rushes to her. Unfortunately, she hasn't noticed the spell circle etched on the floor, and is quickly trapped. As she calls for Celestia to help her, the mysterious figure nearby tells her it's very rude to address the pet and not the owner of the house. She blasts Stygian out of the room and reveals both herself and her "pet". Celestia, of course, is now corrupted into Daybreaker. But the mystery figure? She's one of those anthro birds introduced in the movie. Her name is Princess Eris. Perhaps you know her cousin, Discord~?

Unlike Discord, she's not interested in chaos as an amusement. Eris instead wants to cause destruction. And that's where all this is going: Eris was actually disguising herself as the Pony of Shadows, specifically to lure Luna here. Since the Luna of this universe died in the conflict, she only has the one princess to control. Now, she doesn't have a thousand years to break Luna's will like poor Daybreaker here. Instead, she uses her staff to drain Luna's magic, which she plans to auction off to any of those villains out in her casino right now. And even if she escapes, she's powerless and the morality detector will prevent any of Luna's friends like the Mane 6 or original flavour Celestia from coming to the rescue.

It's a pretty good plan. Eris, however, has forgotten one thing: Stygian. He's small, but talented. He breaks the bindings on Luna and hurls them at Daybreaker, and then incorporates something he learned from Flash Magnus: "Do something brave and dumb, and hope it works out". That's actually a really good line. In this case, that amounts to "get back on the elevator and cut the cables", using a sphere of magic to protect themselves. Their retreat from the Chaos Casino is complete, but Luna's still powerless. They have to make a plan. Fortunately, that's another thing Stygian is good at. As he puts it, do you know what he's known for besides the whole Pony of Shadows thing? Luna guesses it's defeating the Sirens. Stygian corrects her: he didn't defeat them. He assembled the team that did. And that's where all this is going. It's a caper plot~

This is a fantastic start to what will probably be a great miniseries. Everything from a high-stakes encroaching villain to a mysterious alternate universe to goddamn heist. It’s all here, with the interesting focus being that all the characters are former villains. Oh yes, we’ll be getting to those in the next issue. Because what is a good caper without a good team~? Additionally, Stygian and Luna have a good dynamic because of their very similar personalities. I even daresay I would ship it, were I the kind of person who ships characters. I am not, but the seed is there for some fanfic potential~

So, speaking of the next issue, we’ll be assembling our team. Presumably out of those mysterious silhouettes on the cover. Boy, they’re mysterious, aren’t they? There’s no way you’ll guess who they are. But anyway, why wait? I’m liking this enough that I really feel like we can catch up and do two issues again this week. God, I’m just spoiling you guys lately, aren’t I~?

#comics #reviews #My Little Pony Nightmare Knights #Taiblog #Princess Luna

[i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle]

It has been a week or so since the defeat of the combined team-up of Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, Twilight Sparkle’s transition to power was originally going to proceed a little faster but Celestia decided they’d at least let all of Equestria have a full year of peace before finally handing the reins to Twilight. Which actually comes to a relief for Twilight, her friends, and all of Equestria as they prepare for the first ever transition in Canterlot. With no more truly threatening forces against the peaceful lands of Equestria, and in fact the peace becoming stronger then ever as Equestria having successfully reached out to other species like the Dragons, the Griffons, the Changelings, etc. over recent years. A year of nothing but simple diplomacy, bond-making between nations of the world, and peace in general gives everyone a nice breather.

Though even in periods of peace, there tends to still be mysteries and secrets that have not come out that help explain at least some of the reason things happened as they did. Perhaps some of these lead to revelations that result in the inhabitants discover new things about the world as well as new things about the friends they’ve met that have shaped the events as they happened

It is time to tell the story of the…

_____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1: The Invitation

The sun rises from just outside the window of Twilight’s castle. Spike stretches in his bed, yawns, and looks over to a small table near the bed. Which is where Twilight’s bottle is always kept when they’re both asleep. He smiles, jumps out of bed, grabs Twilight’s bottle. He doesn’t open it however, as he takes the bottle to the kitchen. He prepares some buttered toast for the both of them, he knows that any moment now Twilight will be popping herself out as over the years he’s learned the timing for when Twilight gets what the bottle considers a full night of sleep. In fact, at the same moment the toast pops out of their toaster, Twilight’s eyes project from the bottle, she looks side to side, before closing her eyes to surge her smoke form up. The stopper is quickly pushed out and drops next to the bottle on the kitchen counter. Purple smoke pours out, forms a large spiral above the bottle, and starts smoothing out into the familiar shape of Twilight in her tailed form. She hugs herself in full relaxation and spins herself in the air a few times

Twilight: Ahhhhhhh…

Spike: Good morning, mom! I’ve made toast for breakfast today

Twilight looks over to Spike down on the kitchen floor and smiles

Twilight: Morning, son. Toast sounds… and smells great!

Twilight floats herself down to the kitchen counter to pick up her plate and levitates the plate into her hooves and then levitates the toast into her mouth. Spike munches on his own as well. Once both have finished eating, they place the dishes near the sink to wash later. Twilight lowers herself and transforms her genie tail into her hindlegs and tail, and then levitates the stopper to close her bottle.

Spike: So, what’s the plan for today?

Twilight: I’m not sure yet. It wasn’t that long ago we defeated the villain trio. But we’re still about a full year away from me moving to Canterlot to take over for Celestia and Luna. Until we’re in the final months prior to that, we could do whatever we want until then. Though whatever we want can also mean: no clear idea of what to do until then. Wouldn’t mind having something to happen to look forward to and prepare for, prior to the transition of power.

Spike: Well then, I’ll just go check what we have in the mail.

Spike walks out of the front door of the castle towards a large mail box. Being a famous Princess of Equestria she gets a lot of mail pretty much every day. By now Spike has become a master sorter of which types of mail Twilight’s gotten.

Spike: Let’s see here… junk, junk, junk, fan mail, junk, junk, junk, more fan mail… judging by the heart stickers might also be a creepy love letter of some sort, junk, junk, bills, junk, bills, even more fan mail, junk, junk, junk…

Twilight: Anything good in the mail?

Spike: I’m still looking through, but for the most part it’s the usual mail. But there’s some more fan mail you might appreciate.

Twilight: Haha, fan mail is always appreciated. Though admittedly getting hundreds of it ever since I became a Princess has sort of left me numb to them even if they at least are positive mail…

Spike: Would you like to get the rest of the mail, all this mail is getting a little too much for me to carry.

Twilight: Of course!

Twilight levitates the rest of the mail out of the box. To give a good look at sorting she floats them next to each other sort of like a grid. Most of it is still mainly what Spike was finding, but one particular letter catches Twilight’s attention as it was on tan paper with golden borders. She pulls that one closer to her face

Twilight: Huh? What’s this letter? *reads address* Say, this is from Saddle Arabia!

Spike: Well, you do have lots of fans there as well for obvious reasons

Twilight: The gold border however leaves me thinking it’s more then just another fan. Let’s go inside and pile up the rest of the mail before we sit down and read this.

Twilight and Spike brings all the mail inside and sorts them in a large room with other mail they’ve received in the past. They soon get a chance to see what the golden bordered letter is about. Twilight opens up the envelope and takes a look for a sign of who it’s from.

Twilight: *gasps* There’s actually two letters in this envelope. One is from… Malakhar & Kubuya!

Spike: Oh really? Wonder what they messaged us about. Who’s the other letter from?

Twilight: Looks like it’s from the royal family

Spike: That probably explains the golden border.

Twilight: I’ll read the one from Malakhar & Kubuya first…

Dear Twilight and Spike,

Hope you two are in good spirits, we heard about the most recent time you’ve saved the world once again and also wish you a congratulations of succeeding the royal sisters within the next year. We speak for everyone that I think our entire world is excited for the future, though in the meantime we hope you aren’t too busy already as we have exciting personal news:

We are engaged! We don’t have a specific date set, but our window is at least sometime before the halfway point of the year and the Royal Family was gracious enough to let our wedding happen on the palace grounds once plans have fully been settled. Perhaps as a favor after our ordeal against Zathir last time.

As such, we are of course formally inviting you two, your friends, and anyone else you’d like to take from family to other friends you’ve met. If they’re a friend of yours, they’re a friend to us and the rest of Saddle Arabia. The accompanying letter from the royal family has some more details about this. But most of all it’ll be nice to see you again, personally. As we’ve mentioned before, we would of probably never gotten to know each other if you never went to Saddle Arabia, so once more we have so much gratitude to you two, which grew even more when you defeated Zathir the last time you were here. The royal family is making sure nothing like what happened last time can happen, Zathir was really the only real huge threat left, and the devices used to capture and control you were the only one of it’s kind left. But they made it a priority mission of the Saddle Arabian army to also round-up the Desert Dogs that were loyal to Zathir to either denounce Zathir’s ways or face prison.

So whenever you’ve invited everyone you want to bring, come into contact with the Sultan and/or Sultana and the wedding as well as one event described in the royal family’s letter that begins just before the wedding shall get going. Feel free to take your time, there’s no rush. We’ll have a wonderful and fully safe experience this time.

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day.

Sincerely, Malakhar Manat & Kubuya Atka

Twilight: Awwww, they’re getting married soon! *squees* And of course, we’re all invited.

Spike: Sweet! Already sounds like a blast, though I wonder what the royal family sent.

Twilight: Let’s see…

Greetings to honorable genie and Princess Twilight of Equestria, and her esteemed dragon son & hero of Saddle Arabia, Spike

We, the royal family of Saddle Arabia first want to congratulate you on your coming succession of the royal sisters after the announcement of their retirement, and later in the year we will do all we can to recognize and assist with the transition when the time comes. We saw firsthand how capable a leader you were last time after you were freed from Zathir’s control and gave your gracious speech at the victory ceremony. We are sure Equestria is in very capable hooves still with you at the helm.

As the companion letter in this envelope said, your native Saddle Arabian friends Malakhar and Kubuya are to be wed at our palace. The palace grounds are usually saved specifically for royal weddings within the family. But we’ve made an exception in this case since Malakhar and Kubuya were essential in making sure our nation was not taken over by Zathir. As far as we’re concerned, they’ve been honorary family members since then.

Before the wedding however, we are planning a royal ball that wishes to invite much of Equestria. Those who attend the ball also may attend the wedding just days after. We are granting permission of you and your friends to find as many willing friends to come along. And if you can find entertainers to come around as well, it’d be much appreciated. Saddle Arabia would love to see as much Equestrian talent you can get on stage as much as possible. When you’ve got a full list of who’s coming, come into contact with us and we’ll prepare all the seats needed. Any citizens of Saddle Arabia who want to come will also be there, so we expect a pretty packed palace when all is said and done. But our palace is certainly large enough to accommodate everyone. Aside from the entertainment we hope you bring, we have a huge dance floor for a part of the night where anyone who’d like to dance the night away can do so.

It should be an exciting night for all involved, and of course love will be in the air as this is all build-up to a wedding. Perhaps the joyful feelings of a coming wedding might help other potential relationships bloom. We absolutely can’t wait to host both this ball and the wedding of two of our most esteemed natives. And most of all can’t wait to see not just a great leader of Equestria once again, but the world’s lone genie that’s already honored as well as some of our most benevolent genies of the past.

Sincerely, the Royal Family of Sultan Theandri

Twilight: A Saddle Arabian ball prior to the wedding with room for lots of Equestrian guests and entertainment huh? This and the wedding is exactly what could spice up the first half of the year before the transition. Let’s get Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy right away. We’re going to need all of us to gather as many guests as we can. But this will ultimately be fun visiting and inviting everyone, we’ll have an awesome time in Saddle Arabia.

Spike: Alright!

((Story continues after the break))

In quick succession, Twilight and Spike fly together to the homes of their friends to tell them to come over to the castle and the round table of friendship to discuss the Saddle Arabian Ball as well as Malakhar & Kubuya’s wedding. Within moments, the elements of harmony are in the seats on the table with the map of Equestria activated.

Rarity: Oh. My. Celestia! I am SOOOOO looking forward to this, a royal ball followed by a wedding at the Saddle Arabian palace?! I could even go see the Sultana again for more of her brilliant fabrics…

Pinkie: I’m excited too! Always up for a party!

Fluttershy: I’ll be sure to come too.

Rainbow: It sounds like it could be a fun time, but I do have a few concerns.

Applejack: Ah do too. BOTH times you went t’ Saddle Arabia something crazy happened. First, becoming ah Genie in t’ first place. The next that Zathir guy nearly kills us all. Are y’all absolutely sure it’s ah good idea t’ go back there again?

Rainbow: Like, I was kind of joking when I mentioned evil ifrits rising out of the ground the next time we came back. But given we might actually be coming back now… what if that actually DOES happen?!

Twilight: Don’t worry yourselves so much, this time both I and the royal family are taking every precaution to make sure something like what Zathir did can’t happen again.

Applejack: Mind sharing what y’all are doing t’ reassure all o’ us?

Twilight: Well first of all, the Saddle Arabian Royal Guard have Zathir and even any loyal desert dogs locked up tight with no chance of escape, the one device they had that had control over me was the only one of it’s kind, Zathir was really the only one with the means of doing what he did. And from my end of the deal, I plan leaving my bottle here this time Because we’re actually going to fast travel to Saddle Arabia this time through some magic portals. 

Rainbow Dash: Portals?

Twilight: Yes, portals where we can simply move through and we’ll be instantly at Saddle Arabia.

Rainbow Dash: Wait, if we could of just traveled to Saddle Arabia through your awesome genie magic. Why didn’t we just pop in last time?

Twilight: I thought maybe you’d all like the sights along the long trip. Also, it was a much smaller group last time that could actually fit in our hot air balloon. If we were to try a similar flight path with all the ponies we plan to bring. We’d need a Zeppelin. Maybe even more then one or a really big one. But I decided to just streamline it where we just instantly go there. I will also enchant the portals that only those who are magically authorized, AKA anyone we invited that agreed to go can go through. So even in the unlikely scenario where somehow another Zathir-like event tries to happen. They’d still need to get to my bottle back here, and if they even manage to find an open portal that we’re careless to leave. They won’t be able to go through because they weren’t authorized.

Applejack: Well alright then, that sounds like enough t’ make sure nothing like that happens again. In that case, ah’d love t’ go.

Rainbow: Yeah, count me in!

Twilight: We will actually also be using the portals to go to anywhere in Equestria instantly to bring all the friends we may want to bring along even if they’re a long way from Ponyville. In fact, I’ll provide a demonstration. Hm, who should I try first…

Twilight ponders for a moment who to go to.

Twilight: You know what, I’m going to give Trixie’s wagon a try. Here goes nothing!

Twilight throws what looks like a gum ball into the air, catches it in her mouth, chews a little bit. Then proceeds to blow a huge bubble in front. Once the bubble became larger then Twilight’s body, it pops.

Meanwhile in Trixie’s wagon, she is still sleeping. Oversleeping in fact, tossing and turning a bit. Suddenly a noise startles Trixie and makes her bounce off the mattress onto the floor.

Trixie: Whaaaaa- Who dares disturb Trixie’s slumber?!

Trixie look up to see an innocently grinning Twilight looking in from a magic portal.

Twilight: Hi Trixie!

Trixie: Twilight?! What is the meaning of this?

Twilight: Sorry for waking you up Trixie, you can go back to sleep soon. But I just wanted to inform you that Saddle Arabia will be having a Royal Ball as well as a wedding between two of my friends who are native there. I also thought that this time you’d like to finally get a big magic show there since you couldn’t get there last time we went.

Trixie: Wait, you went straight to me of all ponies for an invitation to a grand event coming soon? How many other ponies have you already invited besides your usual group of friends?

Twilight: Aside from Spike and the other Elements of Harmony? None, you’re the first invitee.

Trixie: WAIT REALLY?! *cough* *cough* Ahem, I mean, well of course Trixie would be among the first you invite, the Great and Powerful Trixie’s presence will make this Royal Ball perfect in every way!

Twilight: Hehehe, glad you’re excited. I’ll be sure to tell you when it’s time to go, oh, and before you go. Do you think you can do some invitation duties of your own? I’d like it if you can reach out to Starlight and Sunburst about coming. You and Starlight in particular tried to get to Saddle Arabia not too long ago, we’re going to make sure you actually do get to experience it this time.

Trixie: Sure thing, Princess! Trixie thanks you so much for the invitation!

Twilight: You’re welcome! Seeya later!

Twilight closes the portal

Trixie: Wow, that was so nice of Twilight to invite me so early. I’ll be sure to help out and get Starlight on board soon… *flumps back down onto her bed* but not before at least another hour or two of sleep…

Back at Twilight’s castle…

Twilight: You all getting how we’ll do this? Here’s a pack of the portal gum I demonstrated to you for each of you. Should be enough for all of you to go to all the places you want to. You all have ideas where you want to go next?

Applejack: Well ah’ll definitely bring much of t’ immediate family along first. If Big Mac goes, ah’m sure Sugar Belle will follow too. Maybe ah’ll drop by t’ Kirin village and see if Autumn’s interested. Ya’ll said they want Equestrian talent on stage too, right? Ah’ll definitely see if ah can get Rara to attend.

Rarity: Oooo, having Coloratura there would be a great idea. I will also try to bring a few musicians I know of. I’ll also bring Sweetie Belle and my parents, and the friends I’ve made in my businesses like Coco and Sassy Saddles.

Rainbow: I’ll bring Scoots along, and at least some of the Wonderbolts. Maybe they’ll even stay a little longer to do a quick performance in the air for Malakhar and Kubuya’s wedding whenever that happens after the ball. Maybe a drop by Griffonstone to pick up Gilda and Gallus. I’ll also be going to Mount Aris for two reasons: to get some friends there invited to the ball, and Spitfire also wants to start expanding the Wonderbolts to allow flying non-pony species so there will be a few hippogriff trainees to pick up for the Wonderbolt Academy

Twilight: What about your Parents?

Rainbow: Oh! Well… I guess I could… It’s just not a habit for me to mention them cause… you know… they can be a bit much sometimes… heh heh…

Fluttershy: I’ll bring my family along too, as well as Tree Hugger. Oh, and I don’t know if Discord will pop in or not, but if he does he’s most certainly going to ask to attend or else things might turn out like the gala he went to if I don’t invite him. Would that be ok?

Twilight: *rolls her eyes* Yeah, I guess. Just hope he behaves if he goes.

Fluttershy: I’m sure he will, he did apologize at the end back then… even if that was after sending Tree Hugger to a strange dimension…

Pinkie: I’ll bring my family from the Rock farm as well as the Cake family. Oh! And I’ll definitely try to get Cheese Sandwich to be an entertainer.

Spike: I think I’ll go to the dragon lands, I’ll ask Ember and Smoulder if they want to go. I may also go to Thorax’s hive and see if I can get some changelings that might be interested. At least Thorax himself and Ocellus. Oh, and I’ll probably also see Gabby at the Post Office about going.

Twilight: Awesome choices, all of you! I’ll try to see if I can get all the Princesses to be there. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and of course Flurry Heart if Cadence says yes to going. My brother should be able to be there too. And while I’m at it, my parents too. Probably my old Canterlot friends as well.

Spike: Sounds like everypony has a plan!

Twilight: Indeed, make sure you all write down who you’ve successfully invited and we’ll all meet back here. The Sultan and Sultana will want to see that list first before proceeding with everything.

All 7 there put hooves and claw into a circle on the table

Twilight: Everypony ready?

The Rest: Yes!

And with that, they headed out to start the invitations.

NEXT UP: Chapter 2: Daughters of Apples & Pears

#Secrets Of The Dragon's Tear #My Little Pony #My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #Twilight Sparkle #Spike #Genie #Rarity #Pinkie Pie #Fluttershy #Rainbow Dash #Applejack #Trixie #Trixie Lulamoon #The Great and Powerful Trixie

[i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle]

Chapter 11 - Celestia’s Secrets, Part 1

Twilight has been finishing up any remaining royal paperwork before she set out to get her invitees. She did make a brief teleport visit to see Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst to hand them a portal gum pack as well as (to her chagrin) give another to Pinkie after the pink pony wasted the majority of a pack looking for her sister in so many spots in Ponyville. But by now she was all done, and it was now time for her to get going. Her first stop? The Crystal Empire, to find her brother Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, and her little niece, Flurry Heart.

She blows another bubble and as it pops, the image of just outside the Crystal Empire castle entrance shows. Twilight walks through the portal and is now just steps away from the crystal castle. In a moment or two, she’s in the throne room. Cadence or Flurry Heart wasn’t there yet, but she can see her brother just looking out the windows. Shining turns around and sees her little sister who’s about to be the sole ruler of Equestria in about a year. But even if she’s a year away from outranking him in an even bigger way, he can’t help but still call her…

Shining Armor: Twily!

Twilight: Hello B.B.B.F.F!

Twilight flies up and hugs her older brother, and he returns the favor.

Shining: Good to see you, sis! You have no idea how much liquid pride I’ve shed since I learned you were becoming sole ruler of Equestria soon!

Twilight: Haha, I bet.

They let go of the hug and just stand in front of each other.

Twilight: Now, not that it isn’t great to see you on your own. But do you know where Cadence and Flurry Heart are, I’d actually like to tell what I came here for while the whole Crystal Empire royal family is here.

Shining: She should be here shortly, she was just feeding Flurry in the kitchen. So she’ll be here any second now. Though before she does, how has my little dragon nephew been?

Twilight: He’s been good, I imagine he’s either visiting the changeling hive or the dragon lands right now inviting friends to the very thing I’m telling you and Cadence about.

Shining: Is his scarred eye still ok? Any nightmares or any other kind of PTSD from what happened in that battle with Zathir?

Twilight: He’s… had nightmares from time to time for sure… but for the most time the fact things turned out fine in the end, has mostly made that fade away in time. And his eye’s fine, I’m starting to finally get used to one eye being permanently purple.

Shining: Well that’s good, as a former guard commander I just get concerned about such things especially for how young he is. From what you told me, he was the reason things turned around back in Saddle Arabia. But even the biggest heroes can have PTSD.

Twilight: And that’s very touching of you, Shining. I’m sure if he were having troubles facing what happened back there, I would be the first pony to be aware and comfort him.

Hoof steps are heard from just outside the room. Cadence and Flurry Heart are back in the room, they see Shining Armor isn’t alone.

Cadence: Twilight!

Flurry: Auntwi!

Cadence runs up in front of Twi, and even with Flurry on her back. They do a little dance that Twilight and Cadence has done since she was Twilight’s babysitter.

Twilight & Cadence: Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!

The whole family giggles. Twilight then approaches to give her former babysitter a hug.

Cadence: Always a pleasure to see you in the Crystal Empire, Twilight!

Twilight: Alright, now I can tell you what I came here for. There will be a royal ball in Saddle Arabia as well as a wedding between Malakhar and Kubuya who live in Saddle Arabia days after, Spike as well as my other friends are using gum portals like these *floats her pack of gum* to go all over the world getting all the friends and family we want to bring. I thought I’d drop by here first.

Cadence: Well that sounds lovel-

Shining: Wait, Twilight. Did you say Saddle Arabia? Are you absolutely sure you should go, given what happened last time?

Twilight: I know, I know. I also got told concerns about it from Applejack and Rainbow Dash when I was inviting the other elements. But this time both me and the royal family are taking every precaution so something like Zathir can’t happen again. I promise it will be alright, but I understand your need to be protective. Heck, if you absolutely want to be sure you’re free to make another of those bubbles you made around Canterlot during you and Cadence’s wedding around the palace. But trust me in saying we’ll be fine this time. 

If an emergency happens, we’ll basically have much of the army we had against Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis too. And I will not be bottled up for even a second in Saddle Arabia. Even if there is another Zathir out there somehow, they’re going to have to find some way to get to Ponyville and Saddle Arabia and back. And the gum portals I’m using have magic authorization. No one without our permission will be able to use them.

Shining: Alright, if you’re sure it’s safe. then it should be a nice time. Heck, I’ll go just to make absolutely sure it’s safe. *winks*

Cadence: Yeah, should be a lovely time. Also congrats to your friends Malakhar and Kubuya on getting hitched soon! As the Princess of Love, this is certain to be an event where love is in the air!

Flurry: Aaraaybeeaa!

Cadence: Looks like Flurry’s interested too!

Twilight: Thanks for agreeing to go! It’ll be great to see you there, I need to head off to get off more I want to bring. I intend on getting my family and old friends in Canterlot as well as Celestia & Luna.

Shining: Alright, Twily. Tell our parents, I said hi!

Twilight: I will, Shining!

Cadence: We’ll see you at the ball, Twilight!

Flurry: Bye bye, Auntwi!

Twilight waves at the Crystal Empire royal family before making another portal off to the streets of Canterlot. While she’s walking around, she gets happy stares and cheers from the crowd. Given she’s the incoming Princess, that will be here much more often come a year’s time. They give Twilight her space, but she gets the occasional praise and bows from the populace as she walks through. While walking around, she suddenly finds two familiar ponies near each other. Starswirl the Bearded, and Tempest Shadow. 

The former being the leader of the pillars that were brought out of limbo, and the latter was a former commander of the Storm King’s army. When she started her invasion, she actually had learned beforehand Twilight was a genie, so she made sure she put her in stone first. However, despite also having gotten Cadence, and Celestia. The focus on making sure she got Twilight led into a successful escape for Luna. Luna and the rest of the elements then worked together to find allies from outside Equestria from Pirates, the Hippogriffs/seaponies, and more to defeat the Storm King and managed to bring Tempest to their side.

Twilight: Hi Starswirl! Hi Tempest!

Starswirl: Ah! Princess Twilight, pleasure to see you. And congratulations on your coming transition to the sole ruler here in Canterlot.

Twilight: Thank you, Starswirl.

Twilight turns towards Tempest

Twilight: How are you doing Tempest? Don’t worry, I don’t have any hard feelings about you turning me to stone.

Tempest: I’m alright, Princess. And yeah, a recon on Equestria before the Storm King’s invasion designated you as the biggest threat. Equestria is lucky the focus on you led to Luna’s escape. Though by now, I’m pretty thankful for that too.

Twilight: So what are you with Starswirl for?

Tempest: He was curious about my broken horn and how I’m able to have some decent control despite it.

Starswirl: Indeed, a broken horn should always result in some sort of random effect happening without any sort of control if the Unicorn is even powerful enough to still use it. But somehow, Tempest seems to have found a way thus far unique to her where she can.

Tempest: Well, my horn’s been broken since I was a filly, a part of it is I’ve gotten experience with it. It’s still hard to say, levitate things with it without sparking some magic electricity or something, but otherwise over the years having a hole instead of a full horn has actually somewhat been a boon for my firework-based magic.

Starswirl: Though you once said one reason you joined the Storm King is he promised to restore your horn if you did his bidding. Why haven’t you say, asked for Twilight to grant your horn back or at least tried something like crystal amputee horns?

Tempest: Being back in Equestria has made me found that my broken horn kinda helps a bit with my uniqueness. Like you said, I actually have an odd bit of control for some pony with a broken horn. Maybe I’ve just changed my mind, and decided it’d be my schtick.

Twilight: Well, if you ever change your mind again. I wouldn’t mind granting a wish to restore your horn. Though maybe at the very least I should make it so you can levitate easier.

Tempest: Hmm… yea. I suppose that’s fair enough. Twilight, I wish I could levitate better despite my broken horn.

Twilight closes her eyes and focuses her magic onto Tempest’s remaining part of her horn and her brain. In a few short seconds, she’s finished granting. Tempest’s head becomes a little light afterward but otherwise recovers quickly.

Twilight: There you go, test your levitation on that teacup nearby.

Tempest focuses on the teacup on the table. Her broken horn still brings out sparks but before this, her magic would be going off and on if she was levitating normally. Now it works just about as well as if she had her horn back

Tempest: Ah, thank you Princess. This will make things less of a hassle, and I can still keep something unique about me.

Twilight: You’re welcome Tempest. Now to both of you, would you possibly be interested in going to Saddle Arabia? A Royal Ball’s being hosted so just asking if you wanted to go. And Starswirl, if you go. Would you mind doing me a favor and bringing the rest of the pillars?

Tempest: Sure, why not.

Starswirl: Ah, Saddle Arabia. I don’t think I’ve been back there since before I was in Limbo. I might as well to see how that nation is doing, and meeting the current royal family. And sure, Princess Twilight, I will bring the rest of the pillars.

Twilight: Great! I’ll come by later when it’s time, but until then I have others here I want to invite. You two have a good day!

Starswirl: And you as well, Princess Twilight!

Twilight waves goodbye to Starswirl and Tempest as she walks in the direction towards where she knows her parents live. In just a few moments, she’s reached the house of which she and Shining Armor spent just about all of their childhood. Twilight herself feeling a sense of nostalgia as she stops to briefly look at her first home. She then approaches the front door, and knocks. Opening the door is her mother, Twilight Velvet

Twilight Velvet: TWILIGHT! How nice of you to come visit us!

Twilight Sparkle: Hi Mom and Dad!

Night Light: Come on in, Twily!

Twilight walks into the house and all three get seated in the living room

Night Light: To think, only a year from now you’ll be the sole ruler in Canterlot! Me and your mother are kinda excited that you’ll be back in Canterlot more often

Velvet: Though we are also aware that means you’ll be farther away from the friends you got to know in Ponyville. I hope you’re feeling ok considering that

Twilight: Oh that’ll be alright, I know Canterlot’s still the capital of Equestria and much of the business and politics requires for me to be there. Though I think I’ll have my ways of dropping by my Ponyville castle too. Perhaps it’d be a bit harder if I weren’t a genie also, but I’ll have ways to quickly get to Ponyville and back to Canterlot quickly I’m sure.

Night Light: Guess that’s true that you’re a genie that you get a few more advantages. Heck, you probably have a way of going to a meeting, saying you gotta use the bathroom, and check on your friends during a Pinkie Pie party in Ponyville real quick, before going back to the meeting like nothing happened, haha.

Twilight: Well, I’ll try not to abuse it to quite that level. But you’re right that I could technically do that. *giggles*

Velvet: Since the news that you were going to be taking over for Celestia and Luna, me and your father, have become sort of city-wide celebrities. We’re the parents of not just the Prince of the Crystal Empire, but also the incoming ruler of all of Equestria. I’ve gotten many news reporters asking how I got so lucky with both my children!

Twilight: Well you should tell them you’re not an average Unicorn yourself either, remember when you lifted yourself, Shining, and Flurry all at the same time on our Zeppelin ride? That seriously takes magic strength!

Velvet: Well yes, it’s true that I’m not bad at magic myself. I probably could of at least became a mage or something if I worked harder when I was younger. But I preferred wanting to take a normal life, you and Shining both get to do the important stuff now.

Twilight: Haha, I guess it’s thanks to your bloodline we even made it to where we are now. So I suppose a big thanks is owed to you.

Velvet: Oh no thanks are necessary, thanks for both being the best children I could ask for! Though speaking of children, how’s my grandson Spike doing?

Twilight: He’s good! He’s probably currently visiting Thorax in the changeling hive, or he’s in the dragon lands. Me and my friends are actually traveling all over because we’ve been inviting friends and family to something we’re going to soon. In fact, that’s actually what I came over here for. Cause I’m asking you two, if you’d be interested in going.

Velvet: Well, certainly if you, Spike, and many of your friends are going! Though just for clarification’s sake, what exactly is this?

Twilight: Saddle Arabia’s hosting a royal ball with Equestrian entertainment throughout as well as a wedding between my friends Malakhar and Kubuya there. How does that sound?

Velvet: That sounds wonderful! Of course I’ll go, how about you, honey? *She turns toward Night Light*

Night Light: Absolutely! Though Twilight, did you already get Shining, Cadence, and Flurry invited?

Twilight: Yep! They were my first stop actually.

Night Light: Great! I’ve been wanting to see my little alicorn granddaughter again for some time now! And of course me and your mother’s first born too!

Twilight: Alright, this means I got the whole family on board. I hope I’m not being too rude on cutting our reunion short but I must go and get everybody else here in Canterlot I want to invite. I still have some of my old Canterlot friends including Moondancer, and I also hope to get Celestia and Luna there as well.

Velvet: Oh it’s no problem at all, any time at all is good. Plus there will be both more time to see you at the ball itself, and when you’ll be in Canterlot a year from now! But perhaps, at least don’t leave until you’ve given me and your father a hug.

Twilight: Of course!

The three Sparkle family members move closer to each give each other a big, long hug. Once they let go. Twilight starts to walk out the door and waves to her loving parents.

Twilight: I’ll see you both there!

((Story continues after the break))

She then takes off to the air and flies around carefully watching the streets until she catches any glimpse of any of her ol’ Unicorn friends Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and especially Moondancer. She would also keep a look for Lyra if she still lived here, but she knows she lives in Ponyville and perhaps one of her friends picked her up at some point. 

In fact, she rolls her eyes thinking likely Pinkie may have gotten her amidst using her entire pack on Ponyville. Eventually, Twilight sees at least three of the four together eating lunch together. It’s Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine. And she proceeds to fly down towards their table. The first to catch site of Twilight of the three is Minuette.

Minuette: Twilight! What a surprise to see you in Canterlot so soon!

Twinkleshine: Yeah, I thought we weren’t going to see you here yet until you were officially inaugurated

Lemon Hearts: But nice to see you here, anyway!

Twilight: Well, I’m not going to be here for too long until then, so from that end you may still be right, Twinkleshine. But I’m going somewhere soon with my son Spike, the rest of my family, and my Ponyville friends. And I thought it’d be a good gesture to invite you all and Moondancer along for the ride as well.

Minuette: Ooooo, where are you going?

Twilight: Saddle Arabia for a Royal Ball and wedding for two friends who live there.

Twinkleshine: Well, I don’t think any of us have any big plans soon enough before whenever this starts. So sure, why not?

Lemon Hearts: I’ll go too

Minuette: Me three!

Twilight: Thanks, now do you three know where Moondancer is? I hope she hasn’t gone back into a shell in her home…

Twinkleshine: Oh no, Moondancer’s definitely been with us more often since that time you first came back to see us, some years back. Though she did sort of announce something to us just recently that you may want to know as well

Twilight: Oh? What’s that?

Lemon Hearts: I think it was only about a week ago, but she said she wants to move away from Canterlot.

Twilight: Wait, really?! That’s a surprise. I thought she’d never give up being here, always steps away from the Canterlot library she’s spent so much time in.

Twinkleshine: We were as surprised as you, but she said she wanted to get a chance to find a more exotic place to study or at the very least a different place in Equestria for a fresh, new experience.

Twilight: I see, that’s a little bit of a bummer for me since I was almost kind of looking forward to seeing Moondancer more often then I was, once I’m ruling in Canterlot within a year. But I’ll respect her decision, though I’d still like to talk to her first. She’s in her house, right?

Minuette: Yep! She should be home.

Twilight: Alright, thanks all of you. I’ll see you all at the ball, and hope you have a good time.

Twilight waves to her old friends as she goes back in the air to fly towards Moondancer’s house. She gets there in just a few minutes. She arrives at Moondancer’s front door and knocks. Moondancer’s voice is heard from inside

Moondancer: Who’s that at my door?

Twilight: It’s just me, Twilight!

Moondancer: Oh! Twilight! Feel free to come in, the door’s actually open.

Twilight opens the door herself and walks toward the room Moondancer is in. She’s simply been sitting in a recliner thinking by the fireplace on her lonesome.

Twilight: Hi Moondancer, it’s good to see you again.

Moondancer: You too, Twilight. Sole ruler of Equestria within a year from now, huh? You’ve gone a long way from the humble roots of the streets of Canterlot.

Twilight: Yeah, haha… I guess I have. But aside from that, I just got done talking with Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine.

Moondancer: Did they tell you that…

Twilight: You’re moving from Canterlot soon? Yeah, they did. It surprised me for sure, and I admit a little bit of a bummer. I could of been able to drop by more often, even if course I’ll be busy with much of the politics that goes on here.

Moondancer: I hope you know I’m not moving, because you’re coming back. That wasn’t a factor at all, I was a little worried about the timing of this that maybe you’d think maybe I still held a little bit of a grudge, and decided to leave Canterlot just as you were about to be here a lot more often.

Twilight: I’ll admit a small part of me was concerned about that. But just know that I respect your decision regardless, it’s the least I can do for our friendship. Though if it’s ok, maybe I can personally ask you why you’re moving? I got the gist from our other friends here, but thought I’d hear it straight from you to be sure

Moondancer: Well, I’ll always appreciate Canterlot. I’ve lived here all my life after all. But I thought I’d go try living somewhere else to sort of expand my horizons. I’ve even thought of possibly going as far as moving to somewhere outside of Equestria in general, for a real new experience. 

The only problem with considering the entire world for places to move. Is I have so many choices, And I don’t exactly have the means to just try traveling the world and see which place feels right to me. 

I have to hope I find my next home within at least the first few tries… and like the look of the place, have a nice experience, and… maybe… juuuuuust maybe… findaspecialsomeponytoloveperhaps  *She whispers and speaks that last line fast in a way Twilight can barely hear*

Twilight: What was that last part?

Moondancer: *blushes and looks side to side* Nothing, ahahaha…

Twilight: Well, I don’t know if you’ll end up picking it. But I do have somewhere I can invite you for free for you to at least give a good try.

Moondancer: What’s this place?

Twilight: How does Saddle Arabia sound to you?

Moondancer: Hmm… I admit Saddle Arabia I had high up as possibilities of my outside of Equestria spots. It couldn’t hurt to see how I feel about it. Though what is this event exactly?

Twilight: There will be a Royal Ball hosted by the royal family there, as well as a wedding between two of my friends who live there. My son Spike, and all my friends are also traveling across Equestria to gather friends and family to bring there. Equestrian Entertainment will be on stage, and lots of good food.

Moondancer: Wow, that sounds like the absolutely most grand way to experience Saddle Arabia. We’d all get to participate in what’s essentially a party,in what I hear is one of the most luxurious palaces in the world there? And maybe even meet the royal family?

Twilight: Mmhmm

Moondancer: Well then, of course I’ll go! Even if I’m not quite feeling it in the end, I will have given Saddle Arabia its best shot I could.

Twilight: Sweet, I’ll be happy to see you there. I have to start going now, as my last stop will be seeing if I can get Celestia and Luna there as well.

Moondancer: No problem, Twilight. Maybe I’ll re-read any books I have here about Saddle Arabia to refresh my mind about the place until then.

Twilight: Good idea! Seeya at the ball, Moondancer!

Twilight waves off to her old friend and closes Moondancer’s door. Once Twilight has left, Moondancer goes off her couch and looks at a newspaper she’s had back when the aftermath of the battle against Zathir was the headline of the Canterlot newspaper. Flipping to a page where a photo of all the designated heroes at the victory ceremony of most of the elements, Spike, the Sultana, and  Prince Theandri II. Moondancer in particular looks at the Prince in the photo. She blushes and thinks to herself

Moondancer: (Maybe... I’ll get to meet him...)

Twilight has taken off into the air once more and heads straight for the crown jewel of Canterlot: The royal castle, where at least for now Celestia and Luna still sit as dual leaders of Equestria. But come a year’s time will now be all her’s in a year. 

Coming to the front gates, she comes across Royal Guards, who all recognize her as Princess Twilight and bow before letting her in. Any other guards and staffers who see her as she walks through the halls all take a bow for the incoming Princess. Twilight finally reaches the throne room where both Celestia and Luna are seated. Both look at their successor, and for Celestia herself, the former student she has the most pride in.

Celestia: Welcome, Princess Twilight!

Twilight: Always a pleasure to see you, Princess Celestia. Though I’ll admit, it’ll probably be a while before I break the habit of calling you Princess once I’m sole ruler. Same with you, Princess Luna

Celestia: It’ll probably be weird to us, too. So you won’t be alone, I’m sure. But regardless, I hope you, your son Spike, and all your friends are doing well. 

I also want to say sorry that for now, that we can’t arrange easy plans to simply move the capital to Ponyville where your castle lies. But for now, we wanted a standard procedure that while the leaders are changing... The place is the same. 

But if you so wish, at some point in your reign you’re free to order a move of the capital on your own in the near future to Ponyville, if you find Canterlot is just too far away from your dear friends.

Twilight: That shouldn’t be necessary, a plus about being a genie should give me the ability to have ways of getting to Ponyville and Canterlot quickly. Heck, I created magic gum to get here to Canterlot fast earlier. I obviously won’t abuse it to duck any important matters, but I’ll have my ways of checking on my friends if need be.

Suddenly, a group of butlers, guards, and other kinds of Royal staff enter the throne room slowly. They’re here peacefully, as they just have some concerns about the coming transition

Butler: Princess Twilight, we all come in peace, don’t worry. But we just want to ask that when the transition comes to pass, what do you plan to do with many of us once you’ve been seated? 

Some of us are concerned about being removed from jobs that we don’t want to leave and would proudly continue on to serving you, others are concerned you’ll try to force them to stay despite them wishing to step down as soon as Celestia and Luna have stepped down as well. Those in the latter don’t mean any personal insult to you, Princess. But if they may be honest, they went to work for Celestia and/or Luna. And with a new leader coming in, they want to use their royal resume to find other jobs elsewhere.

Twilight just turns to the concerned staffers and guards, and gives them a gentle smile.

Twilight: Do not fear, regardless of your concerns. If you wish to stay and continue serving when I’m sole ruler, you will keep your position as if Celestia and/or Luna trusted you, then I trust you as well. 

And as for those who wish to step down once Celestia and Luna have, I understand you’re probably afraid I’ll think that you’ll be making the transition harder by making me have to find someone new to take the position... 

But I promise I will be understanding, in fact the sooner you tell me you want to step down, the easier it will be because as we get closer to the transition, I’ll start a process for vetting candidates for the job.

The group of staffers and guards all express relief, and all give genuine thankful bows to the new princess wisely taking a direction that benefits all the staffers individually, even at the potential cost of making the transition somewhat less smooth.

Butler: Thank you, Princess Twilight. Just this one answer, is proof you’ll be just as wise as Celestia has been for more then a thousand years, and that she chose the right successor. I was on the fence personally, on whether I’d stay or go. But what you said has personally gotten me on board of staying on for the foreseeable future. It’ll be an honor. *bows*

Twilight: You’re all very welcome!

The group of staffers and guards leave the throne room satisfied that their jobs are either secure, or they’ll have the freedom to leave for elsewhere. Celestia claps that Twilight handled the group quickly and tactfully.

Celestia: Well done, Princess Twilight. I’ve already known for a long time that you were the one to succeed me, but tiny moments like these help cement that I and Luna made the right decision leaving Equestria in your capable hooves.

Twilight: Thank you, Princess Celestia. Though uh… is it ok if we perhaps move to a comfier spot like the private chambers to talk?

Celestia: Of course, let’s go!

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight all walk to the private chamber where Celestia and Luna always went for alone time by the fireplace, when they could find time to relax. Each sitting or laying on cushions on the floor.

Celestia: By the way, Twilight. I have some things to tell you that I’m sure you’ll be interested in hearing, but first I have a strange feeling you didn’t come here to just visit us in the castle for a short while and talk.

Twilight: Your feeling is right, Princess. I actually came to invite you both to a Royal Ball and perhaps a wedding between Malakhar and Kubuya as well taking place in Saddle Arabia soon. I along with my son and my friends are currently going around the world to find family and friends they’ve met over the years. And you two are my last stop before I go on and submit the invitation list to the Royal Family there. 

I know you two are currently still technically ruling Equestria, so I imagine you two might be busy. But if there’s room, I’d like to see both of you there.

Celestia: I think we can make time, we may still be ruling. But knowing that we’re out soon has lessened our schedule, as many of our usual dignitaries we meet with have agreed to wait till’ you’re fully in office to get things busy again. I’d love to go.

Luna: I can attend as well, Twilight.

Twilight: Thank you, both of you. That means I’m all finished invite-wise. Though you said you have some things to tell me, Princess Celestia?

Celestia: Yes, there are two stories I want to tell you that I feel like was the right time to tell you at last. The first of which I’m sure you’ll definitely want to hear, would you like to know where I first found Spike’s egg?

Twilight goes wide eyed.

Twilight: Yes, yes, yes! Of course I want to hear that! Where was his egg originally?!

Celestia: Well, in a strange sense of things coming full circle. I came across Spike’s egg near Saddle Arabia after a small, teenage colt who was also there presented it to me

Twilight: Wait, what?! Spike is a dragon native to Saddle Arabia?!

Celestia: I wouldn’t exactly say native, you see his egg was in a cave by what seemed to have been a mother dragon that let go of her eggs there

Twilight: Oh no... Spike... wasn’t abandoned by his birth mother was he?

Celestia: No, not abandoned. However, it seems… laying Spike’s egg… might have been his birth mother’s last action while alive

Twilight: *gasp* Spike’s dragon mother is deceased?!

Celestia: Sadly, yes. It’s why I brought the egg to Equestria, even if say we could find who was the father. Father dragons do not take care of young, and Dragon mothers are almost never fond of adoption. So I had to take the egg with me to decide what exactly to do with it. It was thanks to a dream of all things, that I learned what exactly to do

*Flashback*

Celestia is resting in her royal chambers, in the room is the purple egg she brought back from Saddle Arabia. She gets a few hours of sleep before a very vivid dream appears.

Celestia finds herself in a dream space, and she found she had a little more control and was able to be aware that she was dreaming while not waking up. The last time she was able to dream like this… her sister was not in the moon.

Celestia: Luna…? Is this your doing? I don’t know how you’re doing this from the moon if you are but…

Celestia then hears an unfamiliar voice

???: I’m afraid, I’m not who you hope I am

Celestia: Who are you? You’re not evil, are you?

???: Do not worry, I mean no harm. I don’t need to tell you who I am, however.

Celestia: That seems questionable, but what exactly am I in this lucid dream for?

???: I have a purpose for you, but first. I must read your mind

Celestia: Wait, I’m not sure I trust you yet…

???: You don’t necessarily have to, but I must trust you can help with my deepest desire. Perhaps my desire could connect to your own.

A small wave of white energy speeds toward Celestia, it freaks her out at first, but all it does is simply spin around her head, causing no harm.

???: I see, I can hear your desires… you wish to have your beloved sister back… you wish to have a new protege that could perhaps be your successor one day…

Celestia: What’s the point of you learning this about me?

???: Cause I need you to help fulfill a desire of mine as well… by finding the one who can hatch the egg you found in the cave… It’s under strong magic protection, the embryo will stay alive as long as it needs to… waiting for the right one to hatch it… If you find the one who can hatch it… you will also know your next protege… she will free your sister when the time comes… and perhaps she’ll be your successor in time…

Celestia: Find the one who can hatch the egg…? But… if a pony hatches it… Can they really be able to take care of a dragon?

???: Do not worry, one way or another… The one who hatches the egg, will develop a strong bond with the child… for my desire was for the child in the egg to have the perfect mother…

Celestia: Wait a moment… you’re the dragon who died in the cave aren’t you! How are you speaking to me? Do more spirits like you exist?!

???: I cannot maintain this dreamspace and answer your questions for much longer… just please do all you can to grant my desire… and in time, you’ll find your own granted as well…

The dreamscape world suddenly starts fading, and Celestia’s dream self starts falling until it jolts her awake, as if it was the end of a nightmare.

Celestia: (…What exactly was that, was that actually real?)

Celestia looks on over to the Dragon egg

Celestia: (If that wasn’t just a strange dream I just had… if I can find who can hatch this egg… I’ll know who my next protege will be… and quite possibly finally get Luna freed… and a potential successor… this sounds too good to be true… but I have to try to make sure it comes true… I’ll have to make hatching the egg an entrance exam at my magic school. If there’s anypony who’s going to be able to break that magical protection, it’ll be a unicorn with strong magic potential…)

*Flashback ends*

Twilight: *gasp* So that’s how you knew immediately I was the one… I remember you telling me you saw the moment Spike’s head popped out of the tower of the school. That’s when you knew the dragon had been hatched, and my immense magical power showed up for the first time… 

I always felt that you had a strange sense of omniscience at that moment. Though given you only had one dragon egg to use as an entrance exam. What happened to ponies who failed to hatch the egg?

Celestia: They were given a chance to still attend the school of course, it just simply showed they weren’t my next protege. So when you came in, hatched the egg, and had a huge magic outburst. I knew that you were the one who was going to grant both me and the voice in my dream’s wishes

Twilight: Dang, almost makes me feel like I was a genie long before I actually did become one, haha.

Celestia: Perhaps you becoming a genie was an unexpected twist that put this into full circle, as after all, if you were wished to be the perfect mother for the little dragon in the egg that would end up being Spike… You would agree to having an immortal life, to make sure you’re there for him when he’s older… Though I guess becoming my successor, would have fulfilled that as well… but I guess you can blame me for never really telling you that was my plan, until I truly felt you were ready to become a princess.

Twilight: Wow… I guess in hindsight now it all makes sense. I absolutely must tell Spike everything about this, especially the rather sad news that his birth mother has long been dead. 

Though there’s one detail, if I heard it correctly, about your story during your “dream” that has me wondering about something. The voice in your dream AKA Spike’s birth mother, said NEW protege. Doesn’t that imply you had one before me? Or was that just strange wording?

Celestia: That happens to be the main subject of the 2nd story I wanted to tell you about. Yes, I indeed had a protege before you… 

and her name… was Sunset Shimmer…

Twilight lets out a huge gasp hearing that name.

NEXT UP: Chapter 12: Celestia’s Secrets, Part 2

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