During the moment of this touching moment, Twilight's friends gathered, but stop to notice something surprising. And soon Twilight noticed it as did Spike, Nyx, Phobos, and even Ben.
A few feet away, there was a crater in the ground that was very deep with black smoke escaping it. The power of the elements most have done that to Sunset Shimmer who was the main focus from the rainbow defeating her from the combined power of friendship.
At this moment, Twilight began to wonder, and soon stood up with a curious expression. As we see Twilight's shadow moving across the ground's pavement towards the crater the heroes made, there, at the bottom, completely defeated was Sunset Shimmer. Only now, from the smoke escaping off her body, it was not of her demonic form, but rather the form of her human appearance in this world. She looked like a mess on her knees and arms pushing her front up; it was her utter lost.
"You will never rule Equestria!" Twilight sternly spoke with a noble authority about what this foe tried to do in her own selfish goal to gain. "Any power you held in this world is GONE!" Twilight continued to explain while the hybrid forms of her and the Main Six stood to stare down at Sunset. "Tonight…you showed everyone who you REALLY are." The girl waved her left hand to show from those coming around the crater were Flash Sentry, Pinkamena, Golden Heart, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo & Apple Bloom in staring down at Sunset Shimmer with looks in their eyes…as if seeing the girl as someone else. "You've shown them what is in your heart." Twilight tough, but firm tone in telling this to Sunset as those that continue to gather, only saw what kinda person, what kinda being Sunset Shimmer really is…deep inside her own being.
From below in the crater, sounds of…crying was heard. And soon Sunset Shimmer's face rose, looking like a mess, messy hair, and her eyes…full of sorrow with tears leaking from them. "I…I'm sorry." The first thing spoken that sounded of a sincere response from the girl that was now traumatized & repentant. "I'm so sorry!" Sunset cried out from where all saw her in the crater, hearing her apology while she sounded sad with a mix of remorse. "I didn't know there was another way!" Sunset looked around in saying that for her, she never knew there was another way…another way that was different than the evil that she has done to rule this world.
As those that stared down at Sunset Shimmer's traumatized state, those like Applejack, Rarity & Rainbow Dash, who the latter was flapping her wings, held stern expressions to the fallen foe. But those like Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and even Twilight showed a form of sorrow for Sunset Shimmer. But each expression was meant for different things, but the question was for how they would be for Sunset in her state.
"The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria." Twilight shrug off her shoulders to shake her head about the fact, that friendship that is magic by the ponies knowledge isn't just in Equestria its self. "It's everywhere." Twilight turned around to express a smile to those that she cares about as her friends while Sunset Shimmer is seen trying to hide her crying self of shame.
From the view, we see the other Main Five get together with Pinkie Pie popping out and hugging Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy together while Applejack stood further to the right, but smiled.
"You can seek it out!" Twilight exclaimed from how friendship works from her friends, they each had different expressions, but they all are happy to be together. Even Twilight was smiling in having to uncover friendship and be around her friends here. "Or you can forever be alone." Twilight's expression became sorrow of a serious matter that if Sunset doesn't seek friendship, she'll always be left alone with no one to be there for her. "The choice is yours." She looked with her eyes to the crater; shut them in awaiting the judgment of what Sunset shall choose…follow the path to make & be good friends or be cruel & alone….one decision…is all it takes.
Soon Sunset Shimmer was seen struggling to bring herself up to the edge of the crater. She was still crying while looking completely different from before, no longer evil, the effects from the Rainbow from the Elements have clearly remove the evil darkness. Twilight could notice Sunset Shimmer's position from what has happened; it was just like with Nightmare Moon that return Luna back to her good self. Now a beaten, powerless Sunset was on the ground, looking like she could never be a threat again, but the choice of what she'll do…is up to her, not the heroes.
"But all I've ever done since being here is…" Sunset Shimmer looked up to Twilight with her teary eyes in expressing what she's been doing since being in this world. "Drive everyone apart!" The girl scrunched her eyes in admitting the worst choice she's done to become what she was. "Even enforce Boris to expand my rule without caring for him or the ones in my gang." She gasp her hand to her mouth in seeing the horrors she has done without being kind, nothing but separate friends to keep to their own kind and never mingle and to keep it that way. "I don't know the first thing about friendship!" Sunset Shimmer looked up to Twilight in truthfully admitting that she, from her tears, knows many things from Celestia, but the one true thing she never understood…was how to make friends. She shut her eyes, admitted her shame & guilt, Sunset can't make friends because she never knew how, and that's why the former unicorn has decided to push others way to keep other people from being or having friends. She was just awful, it was even why the Superior of the Apocalypse Ponies offered her a chance to be a part of a group so she never be alone without friends, but now it would make sense that after this…she'll never have those to be 'true' friends.
Suddenly, within the girl's remorsing repentant of traumatized agony, a single hand was extended to her and grip Sunset's left hand. Sunset opened her eyes in surprise, someone was actually 'helping' her, but 'who', and 'why', she has no one now. No one should even help her, they would just wanna leave her, so who was? From her wet watery eyes, Sunset Shimmer looked up to see the hand that wanted to help her up was…the very pony she toyed, taunted, tried to humiliate & do horrible things to her; Twilight Sparkle. As Twilight lifted Sunset up, the latter was up to her feet and out of the crater, but why would her enemy help? Sunset was lost & confused to see this happened and from Twilight's smile, she had something in mind.
"I bet they can teach you." Twilight turned to wave motion her left hand to let Sunset Shimmer know, that her friends, the Mane Five of this world, can teach Sunset about friendship. Sunset looked up in almost about to burst into more tears, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity & Fluttershy stood by with proud faces (well Rarity's was more 'yes, sure, why not' kinda thing, but close). Sunset comb her messy hair back, was Twilight saying, that her friends, can teach her how to understand friendship and even….have friends. The girl was so awe-spark that she was left speechless, Twilight Sparkle, was willing to help Sunset despite everything, to let bygones be bygones, she was…she was…being an honest to good friend to help a hopeless cause like Sunset, make friends.
"Those are my girls! Whoo-hoo," Spike cheered off with a happy expression before standing up to clap his paws.
"Yep, it's the whole Discord going from bad to good, all over again!" Phobos nods to stand up on two paws to proudly declare what is happening here, happened before back home with another former villain.
Course this action did earn some attention from the other students.
"Did that dog & the other dog just talk?" A student with a drum mark on his shirt asked off stump in seeing Spike & Phobos talk now, "Wooh, weird!" The human pony version Dude responded in seeing this was a weird thing to notice.
"Seriously," Spike was stump to wave up a paw at the guy for saying that just now. "A talking dog is a weird thing about all this?" He shook his head in not believing this, after everything that happened here, talking dogs earn a bigger attention grabber?
"Seriously, and if you're wanting to call the media to get us on reality TV, don't." Phobos responded off in making his own claim statement about this moment here.
Rarity and Nyx picks up the dogs, the purple haired girl giggles while petting Spike, "I, for one, think you're adorable."
"Oh, yeah." Spike said with an eager look on his face though Phobos just roll his eyes at this.
Ben soon saw around some dumpsters, that Boris, Dum Dum, and Boxco, had also return to their human forms and were un-demonic looking. Course, now they were tired, beaten, and Dum Dum & Boxco were lying across in a dumpster while Boris lied on the ground. As the jerk struggled to get himself up, he soon saw that he stood up near the still powerful looking Ben Mare. Now it was Boris's turn to be afraid that the guy he proclaimed to be weaker than him and tougher than all others, Ben was now in the full control of the situation here.
"You think you can make me give up my prize, I'll show you what I can do!" Boris growled underneath his breath to search and grab a nearby pipe as his arsenal. "Hruuuagh..." The bully gets up to prepare to attack Ben when his guard was low, "Ker-Chop!" Or so it would have happened if something didn't stun Boris's movements. "Uaguh...ugh..." He made a tiny yelp cry before dropping the pipe, and dropping to his knees and on the rest of his front to the ground.
Ben Mare saw who helped him out, as if it was his good buddy Flash Sentry, performing some karate-chop over the fallen jerk's neck.
"Flash, glad to see you join in," Ben smiled in being happy to see his best bud, even in this world, also was watching out for him.
"Sorry, mind control...well, okay, just trying to get through the zombies anyway; But at least it's better late than never to help a pal!" Flash Sentry shrug off his shoulder in responding about being late until after the magical outcome with Sunset was settle to give a hand now, but it counted in stopping Boris from trying to hurt Ben, so that'll count.
"Urragh..." Boris was seen groaning from that hit, looking a bit dazed, he'll pull through, but what be the point now?"
"Get up." Ben orders as he forces Boris to his feet, much to the bully's frighten state now.
"Benny boy; Ugh…you wouldn't harm a fellow student that's weaken & defenseless from your mighty power, would you?" Boris asked off in trying to ask that seeing Ben as more of a nice guy would never resort to hitting a man when he's down, would he?
"Unlike you Boris, I don't abuse my strength of wielding the Triforce to bully weaklings." Ben Mare spoke with a stern expression that he's not like what Boris was, abusing his full might to frighten the weak to rule, he's no jerk.
"Oh…thanks." Boris signed with much relief, Ben isn't gonna harm him, "PUNCH!" Or maybe we spoke a little too soon about that, "Gaaugh!" Boris was sent to smack against the dumpsters near his two stooge minions, after we see Ben gave a good old left hook hit against Boris's face.
"But using just good old physical strength without any magical boost, that's different," Ben Mare smiled to rub his knuckles that while he promised not to hurt Boris with the Triforce in use, he could still use the strength he's always had. And that was to clearly knock some sense into the jerk into next week.
"Hehe, nice left-hook Ben; You gone and done this old man proud in standing up," Hobo Joe came to approach Ben to pat the guy on the back for seeing him take a stand against these bullies.
"What can I say; he had it coming a long time!" Ben shrug off his shoulders that for him, he's been wanting to duke Boris for a long time.
"Boris!" Trixie exclaims as she came over to cuddle and help the injured Boris. "Let the Great and Lovable Trixie help you!"
"Okay, now that scene I can do without."
As Twilight smiled in seeing Rarity & Nyx cuddle the Dragons turned into dogs, and from what Ben Mare did around Boris now was just too funny, even if she tried to hold in her giggles with a hand over her mouth.
"I believe this belongs to you." Celestia said with a smile as she picks up Twilight's crown that fell off her head, making her gasp but smile a bit. "A true princess in any world leads not by forcing others to bow before her, but by inspiring others to stand with her." Twilight smiles as she kneels down the human form of her belovable teacher who is the mother of her beloved Ben. "We have all seen that you are capable of just that. I hope you see it too, Princess Twilight."
"I do." Twilight said as the crowd cheers wildly for the new Princess of the Fall Formal.
From the cheering from the students when Celestia & Twilight stood up, did the young girl yelp from this but smiled from seeing that they all were so happy and proud that Twilight Sparkle has become the princess and from showing them in what a true princess can be. Everyone was so happy, from the Main Five, to Nyx, to Spike, to Phobos, and even Ben Mare smiled in seeing his love in a way. From afar, others watched in secret, from Pinkamena, Golden Heart, and even hidden in the shadows, Lorcan saw it all. And even the defeated Sunset Shimmer, though she was still sadden from what she was done, somewhere, maybe inside herself, she felt…true relief, that this happened; was it from the rainbow from the elements, or just a loss of dark evil controlling her. It all looked like nothing could spoil or ruin this moment….there was time before the 3rd moon would be the limit for Twilight's group to go home or remain. All was...
"This moment, shall stay as it is…" A deep voice spoke within the air above the skies, almost answering off what has happened will stay where it is.
Then without another second afterwards, something happened out of the blue. First, a magical wave escaped from the horse statue that spread across the entire area…turning it gray. And this colorization was spreading to its quickest of lightning fast speed to cover the ground, the sky, the school, the damages, and even….the student and staff members? Once more, something was a mist when it looked like everything, and we mean….EVERYTHING…was frozen in place, no animal was moving, no smoke was lifting from the crater spot, and even the people stood 'perfectly' still, like living statues. But what was even more unbelievable was that while the school, maybe this entire world, was frozen in some stasis, the only things sticking out were those in color matter. Yes, Twilight, the Main Five, Ben Mare, Nyx, Spike, Phobos, and to another surprise, Sunset Shimmer. Though unknown, was Lorcan's situation where he remains perfectly colorful even while under his hood, noticed something off here.
"This spell, it couldn't be…a Time Freeze Spell, but on an entire world molecular level." Lorcan whispered from sensing what is happening here, and it won't look good from whatever comes from it.
"Hay Twilight, why's everything turning gray, black & white," Pinkie Pie asked off in not understanding the change in scenery, for that matter, the color.
"I…I don't know." Twilight shook her head in not knowing what was going on either. "This almost reminds me of when Discord tried to pull something, but…nothing liked this!" The girl remembered the Spirit of Chaos, Discord turned her friends into opposites of who they were when their colors were turn gray, but this was different in a whole new way.
"Oh my, everyone else looks frozen stiff!" Fluttershy spoke from looking around; all the students & staff members of the school are stuck in frozen states?
"Even my best friends," Nyx spoke from seeing Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo not moving while she was.
"Our sisters," Applejack & Rarity cried out to approach their respected sister, checking for whatever is wrong.
"Scoots," Rainbow Dash flew near the girl that idolized her, trying to find out what was keeping the kid from reacting.
"Hobo Joe; Flash Sentry," Ben approached his two friends, neither Flash nor the hobo moved from their spots. "What's happen to you all?" He asked from not understanding, how did this all happen, and why them?
"How weird; we're the only ones not gray & still colorful to be moving?" Spike asked off puzzled in looking to himself, the only difference about their group with movement is that they aren't gray.
"You may wanna count the ballots again, we miss one over there!" Phobos pointed off with a dry tone that, there was one 'other' person that was in the same state as them.
Soon all eyes counted from Twilight, the Main Five, Ben, Nyx, Spike & Phobos, the only ones not affected by the weirdest, and…Sunset Shimmer. Sunset yelped from noticing that all eyes were on her, like she's the guilty party in what's happened here, but this time, she was unsure about all of this as much as the others.
"You; what did you do this time? We thought you gave up by now!" Rainbow Dash flew over to Sunset to give her the hard time in seeing the girl must be responsible for this, even after being forgiven.
"But-but…this isn't me! I swear!" Sunset Shimmer held up her hands to plead in her defense with worry, whatever was happening; this wasn't her work; she swears it.
"She's right." Applejack spoke from sounding serious that Sunset was telling the truth. "If she did 'dis thing, her pals would've been active. But looky there!" The girl issued off a truthful statement that if Sunset was behind this, she has some help from her old goon supporters…or would she?
As everyone saw, from where those that helped Sunset try to rule the school for her and became demonic servants were still stuck in gray frozen states from where the gang last saw them. Snips & Snails were in the building, sored from being turn back to normal. And even Boris was near his own stooges; Boxco & Dum Dum by the dumpster, beaten from what the girls did from pulling a victory on them. That, and what Ben & Flash did to Boris when he came around & even tried some resistance.
"Snips & Snails; Boxco & Dum Dum, and even Boris," Rarity spoke in counting all of Sunset's hired lackeys and bodyguard, stood in place. "They are all gray and unmoving!" The girl waved a hand in their faces, no reaction at all from the frozen jerk trio.
"Hah! Looks like Boris group are…gray with envy!" Phobos came near Boris to taunt the jerk when he's down.
"I thought that was green with envy." Spike rubbed the back of his neck in thinking that metaphor was meant for a different color use.
"Guys, this is serious!" Nyx sternly reminded the Dragons as dogs about what's going on here. "Mommy, are you sure you don't know what this is? If it's not Sunset, and if it's not time for us to leave, what can it be?" The little child address her mother with concerns, Twilight must know what was happening since the other facts are clearly not the reason at all.
"I think so; it must have something to do with freezing everyone in place." Twilight slowly nods from studying the frozen place Principal Celestia as Ben looks worried for the other person that reminds him of his own mom back home that he cares for.
"Look, the clocks aren't moving!" Fluttershy pointed from noticing, that any of the clocks that told time outside the school, were frozen while those with watches showed that their time was still ticking.
"Oh my goodness, what time is it if time isn't moving, but we are? And how much time do we have? Are we gonna keep, aging and aging, growing beards, sounding old and grumpy, and…humph…" Pinkie Pie was gonna be going on and on yammering about stuff from worrying so much, if Applejack didn't hush her mouth with her hand zipping them moving lips.
"This spell, I think I know it!" Sunset Shimmer slowly spoke from keeping her hands together with worry while everyone else focus her presence, thought she was still worried from the stares if they thought differently.
"Go on, what is this?" Twilight kindly asked the now former evil Sunset Shimmer to tell them what she knows…it may clue them in on what's happening here, and how to undo it.
"It's Time Freeze Spell, a type of Time Spell that allows one to freeze time & everyone in it." Sunset Shimmer explained the details while rubbing her left arm in telling this and still appearing as a traumatized person then from her cocky evil persona. "I…once came across it in my own studies to be the best, but…it was something place in the Book Of Forbidden Spells." She looked away in feeling guilty in telling this, she tried to learn even forbidden spells, all to get what she wanted, or rather…was in the past.
"Of course, now I remember!" Twilight responded all of a sudden in hearing to realize what Sunset said. "I once read through it when learning a few spells, that one does involve the use of time!" The girl was now remembering what Sunset Shimmer spoke, and it was beginning to make sense here. "It was said to be so powerful that only the strongest magic users can perform it and the risk was too great for avenge unicorns with their magic. Sometimes it was used for more than good. That it was labeled forbidden from anyone else from misusing that spell." Twilight knows much of the history about that one spell, that no normal pony could cast it, only one with greater power could, but the use of such magic was enough to have it be under forbidden so no one else may learn or use power unwisely.
"You actually read through the Forbidden Book of Spells?" Sunset gasped in surprise that Twilight has managed to find & knows much about the spells label; Forbidden.
"Well, mostly skim them, but most of the enemies we fought used some portions of them." Twilight sheepishly admitted that she skim through most of those spells in the Forbidden Book. From times when Boris used the Talent Swap to take all Pegasus's Wings & Unicorns' Horns to nearly recreate the Devil's Red Sun event, to the Changelings using the Body Rejuvenation Spell to bring back Tirek's body which the soul could enter to become alive again, plus a way to regain the Rainbow of Darkness of the past. The only spell Twilight has been studying is one called 'The Xros Fusion Spell' and she still hasn't truly understood it, even during the Three Tribes War, the good spirits from each side fused together to create a powerful being, but it was still an incomplete version. Now this Time Freeze Spell is another thing to be recognized from this adventure.
"So…why is it that everyone but us are frozen?" Ben now asked off the most important question of all, how are they not frozen like the others?
Suddenly, the pink girl got her mouth free from Applejack to talk. "And why is it that when we finally won were entering something that is a total change from what an original film we're staring in is heading towards?" Pinkie Pie asked off a very random question that not a lot of the others could figure out, except for Nyx, that this girl broke the Fourth Wall moment.
"Pinkie Pie, despite this whole situation being weird, you're still very random." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in stating how weird her friend is from how she behaves.
"Guys…" Fluttershy shyly spoke from looking at something that required their notice…
"Well if this isn't Sunset Shimmer's doing, then who else?" Rarity shrug off her shoulders that if whoever cast this powerful spell weren't the defeated enemy, then who?
"Um, guys…" Fluttershy spoke again to try to get her friends, but her quiet shy tone was not getting much notice.
"Heck, if we knew, we wouldn't be asking' now would we?" Applejack rolled off her eyes in stating they need bother trying to know the answer if they don't know the question itself.
"Listen, um…" Fluttershy tried to quietly and politely get attention, but still a no go.
"What if it's from the crown & Triforce over doing it and it cause a warp to make us immune?" Phobos asked off a really strange question in why they can move.
"That's silly, Phobos." Nyx shook her head from hearing her pet pal say such a thing.
"We should…" Ben was about to suggestion something until…
"GUYS," Fluttershy shouted out in making everyone pipe-down to hear her.
"Sheesh, no need to shout Fluttershy; what is it?" Spike held to clean out his ears from the yelling, what did the shy girl wanna ask of them?
"Um, sorry for lashing out, but…what's happening over there?" Fluttershy apologized for her rudeness before pointing at something that 'really' needs their full attention now.
Suddenly from those words, the gang focuses on the statue, and saw…something strange. Strangest thing was, it looked like it was nothing, but closer examination shows an unseen invisible force coming out from the portal back to Equestria. The area looked like some liquefy form of a being that was of a strange feature of a body without much seeing through it if not for the outer text lining. And the weirdest of them all was that it looked like it was small, might have walk on four legs, but the fabric of the invisible structure was…morphing into a taller figure to almost look…human. Whatever had come through the portal, whatever stopped time, whatever was about to make an appearance, these signs could only mean disaster was approaching the good guys.
"Oh brother, now who do we got," Phobos groans in seeing that suddenly, their victory moment just got cut from the sudden entrance of some other stranger.
"I can think of one thing & one thing only; Trouble!" Spike gulped from having a really bad feeling about this, and this time, it could be worst.
Now things were gone from in the frying pan and into the fryer. As a 'new' danger approaches the gang, all not knowing just what new challenge, this 'one' individual can bring until….it happens...