Editor's Note: I would like to ask you to not kill Nanoman for what transpires in this chapter. It's a little too crazy, even for me, so just be warned if it conflicts with your headcannons. They don't really matter to Nanoman here anyway. ~Discord
~Courage~

February 11th
9:54 am
Ponyville (Afterlife)
Ventus

"Ponyville, huh?" Sombra asked. "I had learned that the dragon hatchling that helped to kill me lives here. I expected something less…" a trio of butterflies surrounded his head, then flew off. "…colorful."

"It's like this most of the time," I said back, shrugging. "Even more so with Pinkie Pie around." I silently missed the party pony. Fluttershy was my only love, of course, but nopony could put a smile on my face like Pinkie could. I walked around aimlessly for a bit, as my little group and I enjoyed the serenity of the place. We eventually found our way to Sugarcube Corner.

"This place looks like you could eat it…" Butterscotch muttered.

"I wouldn't recommend it. Pinkie says it's not that tasty." We shared a laugh, then headed in. The familiar aroma of sweets filled my nostrils, as my mother spotted me from behind the counter. "Hi, mom. I'm back from my little trip."

"Hey there Ga- I mean, Ventus. Sorry, old habits die hard, I guess." She looked surprised. "Who are your friends? No, don't tell me. I'll be right over with some cupcakes and you can tell me all about it while we eat." Soon, we all had a cupcake in front of our hungry mouths (strawberry for me - still my favorite) as we talked about what had happened. My mom was surprised at first to be in Sombra's presence, but she warmed up after she saw him smile with bits of frosting on his muzzle.

"…and that's pretty much what's happened. I'm not sure where to go next, actually." I dipped my head into the pockets of my cloak (yeah, I go everywhere with this thing now - it's really quite comfortable) and pulled out the six stone keys that have appeared to me while I was in the afterlife. The last two, ones with a starburst and butterflies on the handle, had appeared after I met Midnight and Butterscotch, respectively. "But I'm sure these have something to do with it."

Sombra spat out what little of his cupcake that was actually in his mouth. "Where… where did you get those?" he stammered out.

"They've just simply appeared to me. Whenever I've helped any of Spectrum Blitz's friends…" My eyes widened. "I know where we need to go. Mother, thank you for the food, but we need to be going."

"Of course. Come back and visit sometime, alright?" I nodded in thanks as we ran out of the store, the breezy in my mane hanging on for dear life.

~Two hours later, the Tree of Harmony (Afterlife)~

"Huff… Huff…" we all panted form exhaustion at my hurried pace. "Well… we're here…" I groaned.

"Ventus!" A voice shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Looking up, the voice belonged to none other than Spectrum Blitz. Perfect Stitch, Cherry Cake, and Appleseed were gathered there as well. "I thought you wanted to get as far away from me as possible."

"I take it back, Blitz. I take it all back!" I cried out, running up and hugging him. In an entirely non-colt-cuddling way. "I see what's become of your friends. MY new friends, it seems. And I wanted to apologize for how I acted. It was way out of line to blame you for my own death."

"I should be sorry too. I should have told you the truth when I realized you didn't know." He smiled. "I take it you've figured out what those keys are for, then?" He asked.

"Yeah," came my reply. "Twilight said something about a box. These keys open it, of that I'm fairly sure." Sure enough, I saw a small, hexagonal box at the base of the tree. I went over to it, keys at the ready. I took the one with butterflies on the handle, and tried it in each lock. It didn't fit. "I was sure…"

"Ventus?" a timid voice asked from the entrance to the cave. One I knew well. Looking behind me, I spotted Fluttershy. Twilight. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. "I-Is that you?"

"Fluttershy…" I was shocked, to say the least. "Fluttershy!" I ran up to her, expecting to embrace my love again… only to fall flat on my face as I passed through her. "What...?"

"Ventus, it's so good to see you again!" Twilight said, smiling. "Our assumption that you're dead seems to be spot on, though…"

"How can you see… why can't I touch you?" I said, waving a hoof through her body.

"The Tree of Harmony exists in some sort of magical field. We can see the afterlife and vice versa." The princess quickly explained. "After certain… events up in my castle were resolved, I had told my friends all about this mysterious key I got from a dream, and then appeared in real life." She pulled a small, purple key with a starburst for the handle from her mane. "Little did I realize that my friends all got one of their own, Fluttershy just getting hers two days ago."

"I've got a set myself, actually." I placed the keys on the ground in front of me, and Blitz walked up.

"We know what to do from here. Thank you, Ventus." He grabbed the stone lightning bolt key, and walked over to the chest. He motioned for Rainbow to follow him. "The last time I saw you, well, I told you about how I was the one to invent the Sonic Rainboom, right?" She nodded. "Well, I'd like to see you try to do one yourself sometime." With that, he walked into Rainbow, the keys combining into one and sliding into the chest.

One by one, each of the Element Creators walked to the chest with their counterparts, and placed the combined keys into it. Once each one was in, the twelve ponies turned their keys simultaneously, and a resounding *click* could be heard. The top of the box swiveled open, to reveal…

"Nothing?" Twilight exclaimed. "There's nothing in here?" I went over to look myself. The twelve ponies who stood there moments ago backed away to let me look. As Twilight said, nothing but an inky blackness was inside the box. But then, seemingly only for me, a rainbow flashed on the inside of the box.

"No, it's not empty, Twilight." I said, plunging my right forehoof into the box. "You just have to have the courage to believe you've made the right choice." I managed to grab something at the bottom of the chest, and pulled it out. It was a small leaf, slightly withered. "See?" I said, followed by passing out.

~End of Segment~
~Lady Faust~

? ? ?

? ? ?
Ventus

My hearing was the first sense to come back to me. A gentle wind was blowing, and I could hear it clear as day. Next, I felt it. Then I smelled a faint scent of flowers on the breeze. Finally, I opened my eyes. All around me was a sea of stars, and nothing else.

"Welcome, child." A calm, gentle voice said. It seemed to be all around me, but then a few of the stars combined. A white alicorn formed in front of me, with a straight burgundy mane. Her cutie mark was a quill and inkwell, and I knew who stood before me. Faust. I immediately got in a bow, feeling a little more than unworthy at the moment. "No need for that, Ventus."

I stood up slowly, and made eye contact with her. "Where am I..?" I asked.

"The celestial plane. My home." She replied. "I've become so proud of you, Ventus. You've given up so much of yourself to help my children, even if you were never meant to be at all. For that, I am truly grateful."

"Okay, then…" I muttered. "Why am I here?"

"You are the paragon of courage, and as such, deserve much more than I can give you." Her face turned into one of sadness. "My ponies… are suffering, Ventus. Caught under the tyranny of a being not of this world. They are locked in a cycle of Despair, unable to end it."

"What can I do?"

She smiled. "You can help me by helping my ponies. I give to you a gift I have not given to many, Ventus. But it is also a curse." She stood silent for a moment. "Tell me, from your time in the second life, did you see any princesses?"

"No… but why?" I asked. "The alicorn king Sombra killed… shouldn't he have been there?" then it hit me. "Unless…"

"Alicorns are already dead." Faust responded. "An alicorn in the real world is a spirit given a second chance at life. Their form is changed so that they may live forever, if they are not wounded enough. If they were to die in the real world, their spirit, their soul, their heart would shatter. They would cease to exist altogether."

"And your plan is… to make me an alicorn?" I asked.

"I know of your divided soul, Ventus. I can only hope that those inside of you can be at peace. But, to answer your question… yes. For it is the only way to send you back to the real world, so you may defeat Despair and set the world on a better path." She dipped her head. "It is time for you to fulfill your destiny." I was lifted into the air by an unseen force, and a bright light engulfed my vision.

"Please, lend your courage, Prince Ventus, to save My Little Ponies…"

~End of Segment~
~Hail to the Prince~

February 11th
6:32 pm
Twilit Castle Throne Room
P. Twilight Sparkle

"Twilight, what happened to him?" Fluttershy cried out. When we saw Ventus pull out the leaf, he simply vanished. Blitz and his friends said nothing, but my own friends and I returned to my castle to make sure nopony would panic.

"I don't know." I said. Fluttershy was close to tears. Just then, though, a gust of wind blew through my throne room. It condensed in the center, becoming opaque. My guard readied their weapons, only for the wind to blow outward. It was a gentle breeze, not unlike what one would feel on a spring day. When it stopped, so did my heart at the shock. Ventus stood in the center of my castle's throne room… with a horn.

He took a deep breath. Then exhaled. He then turned until he faced Fluttershy. Smiling, he ran up and hugged her, and the two embraced. "Fluttershy, it's been too long!" his eyes leaked tears of happiness, as did my friend's.

"Ventus, I've missed you so much…" She responded. After a few moments, he broke off of the hug.

Smiling still, he turned to me. "Twilight, how are things going here?"

"Uh… things could be better…" I said, trying to regain composure. "The dark creatures we've been fleeing from have taken over most of the world. Despair, as far as we know, is holed up in Canterlot Castle."

"Good. That's all I needed to hear." He said, then looked at Fluttershy once more. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave again. But I promise it won't be for long."

"What? But, Ventus, you just got back, and I've missed you so much and-" he placed a hoof on her chest, followed by his lips on hers.

"It's time for this to end. Faust told me herself to rally you all and fulfill my destiny by helping you all see the light." He said. "But, I see for myself that I can't do that, lest I repeat the cycle that has happened for eons. No, to end this once and for all, I need to find the courage to seek my own destiny. This is where my story begins."

"Princess, who is that?" Flash asked me, from beside my throne. I smiled.

"That's Ventus Stormwing, Prince of Courage."

~End of Chapter~