Dirge of Twilight
It all began when Tirek once again broke out of Tartarus. For months following his escape, members of the royal guard hunted across the width and breadth of Equestria, trying to find the monstrous Centaur.
One day he appeared, stepping from the Everfree Forest, an ancient and almost rotten spell book clenched tightly in his fist. Coming upon a secluded cottage on the edge of the forest, he quickly found his first target, a butter yellow Pegasus with flowing pink hair. Opening the cursed tome he held, Tirek cast a forbidden Vampiric spell created by Grogar himself, quickly draining the mare of not only her magic but her life force as well.
Vanishing without a trace, Tirek bided his time, waiting for the next opportunity to strike at the so-called Heroes of Equestria. Nearly a week passed as the Centaur hid in the caves surrounding Ghastly Gorge. Soon enough, a familiar looking ivory Unicorn trudged along the valley floor pulling a small wagon behind her, tear stains still visible on her face as her horn glowed revealing underground deposits of gemstones. Firing the now memorized spell, the mare was quickly drained of everything she had, her body quickly collapsing to dust. Disappearing into the network of caves again, Tirek failed to notice a Unicorn filly climb out of the wagon, tears flowing freely from her wide eyes.
Soon, all of the remaining Elements of Harmony had their own personal detail of guards posted on them. Taking the initiative, Tirek foalnapped a young Earth pony filly with a red bow in her hair, knowing the girl to be related to one of the Elements. Writing a quick ransom note, he left it pinned to her tree house door with a bone hilted dagger.
As the tearful orange mare met him at the requested time, she tried to negotiate the release of her sister. Tossing the filly to the side, Tirek blasted the orange mare into nothingness, leaving the sobbing filly to her own devices.
Tirek was proud of himself by this point, almost strutting down the middle of the main road before he found the first hint of resistance. Standing right in front of the fountain in the middle of the town square was his next target, the ridiculous pink Earth pony flanked on either side by two unicorn guards. Waiving off the two guards, the pink pony's mane and tail lost their typical poofy quality as she seemed to disappear and reappear at random, lashing out with her powerful hooves. Stepping inside her guard as she overextended a kick, Tirek wrapped a large hand around her throat before pinning her against a nearby wall. Staring deep into her sky blue eyes, Tirek laughed maniacally before casting the Wasting spell through his claws, reducing her to ash in seconds.
Emboldened by his nearly finished mission, Tirek rushed to the tree house that served as the home for the Leader of the Elements. Crashing through the front door, he smiled triumphantly as he found the last two names on his list huddled together. Shouting to the lavender Alicorn, the blue Pegasus motioned for her to run before flying at Tirek as fast as she could, triggering an explosion of rainbow-colored energy as she collided with his midsection, sending him rocketing into the fountain behind him. He couldn't deny the annoying bluebird had some skill in a fight, but eventually she too fell to his might.
Using a spell of his own creation, Tirek dragged the newly christened Princess to the town square so he could gloat. As he strutted and postured, monologuing before all of the gathered ponies, he ignored the lavender mare before him. This would become his downfall. As she sat before the Centaur, a deep and intense hatred welled up within the young Princess. Focusing all of her own impressive magical strength, she summoned five crystals, each shaped like the Cutie Marks of her fallen friends.
With a bestial yell, the Princess impaled the monster before her with a spear made of the purest, white light. As Tirek struggled to pull the spear from his body, he felt more weapons of light pierce his body, leaching away his stolen strength. Before long, he sat before the enraged Princess, his form shrunken and emaciated. Feeling no pity for her friend's killer, the Princess formed a blade of white-hot energy which she used to cut of the beast's head.
Releasing her hold on the Elements of Harmony, the Princess tried to calm herself. But the magic of Harmony would not be denied. The Princess had become the avenging angel of Equestria, the avatar of justice itself.
Thus began a new era in Equestrian history. Gone were the days of Villains being offered a chance at redemption. Should the crime be deemed heinous enough, the perpetrator would be put to death. The first villain to be put to the sword following the Princess's appointment was Chrysalis, Queen of the Changlings for her attempted take over of Equestria. Next was a resurrected King Sombra, who the Princess sealed into a crystal of Sombra's own making before if was sent to the sun.
With the three most dangerous villains in Equestrian history brought to justice, crime and violence became non-existent. And that is where we find our story truly beginning….
Princess Twilight Sparkle sat in her lonely room atop the highest tower in Canterlot castle. As she quietly read from a tome of ancient knowledge, she could not focus on anything but her own solitude. Following her friend's murders at the hands of Tirek, Twilight did what needs must, but found herself slowly slipping into extended bouts of depression. She tried to carry on, to preserve the memories of those closest to her, but she knew she could not carry on much longer. Blowing out the candle sitting atop her small desk, Twilight left her room and ventured down to her former mentor's private quarters.
Entering Celestia's suite, Twilight cleared her throat getting the larger mare's attention.
"Dearest Twilight, how are you doing this evening?" Celestia asked.
"I…I can't go on like this much longer, Princess," Twilight choked out, "My friends, the greatest ponies I have ever known were taken from me. I know that ponies die, but they did not deserve to be taken like that."
"I wish I could tell you that I knew what you were going through, Twilight, I truly do," Celestia said, nuzzling the mare she saw as her daughter in all but blood, "But I can truly say I have never experienced the type of crushing pain you are going through."
"But it's not just me, Princess," Twilight said, a tear rolling down her muzzle, "The Apples are barely keeping things together, the Cakes have closed up shop and moved away, the animal sanctuary has become a veritable jungle, Rarity's parents have even left town in their grief. Not to mention the Crusaders and Spike. All they do everyday is tend to the Hall of Remembrance."
"There is also the matter of your own growing depression," Celestia said, picking up a scroll from her desk in her magic, "I…I may have found a way to help you. All of you. But it will take a great sacrifice on your part to accomplish it."
"Whatever it is, whatever the cost, I will pay it." Twilight shouted.
"This scroll is from the deepest, most forbidden depths of the archives," Celestia explained, "It details a resurrection ritual. One that can only be cast by an Alicorn with close, personal ties to the ones being resurrected."
Reading the scroll through tear filled eyes, Twilight memorized the spell before looking her former teach in the eyes.
"Walk with me, Celestia," Twilight asked, a smile once more gracing her face after so long.
"Where do you want to go?" Celestia asked, already knowing the answer.
"To the hall," Twilight said, holding the scroll to her chest, "I am prepared to do what must be done."
Twilight and Celestia walked along the Path of Windows, each stained-glass masterpiece depicting a different piece of Equestrian history. Stopping in front of the window depicting the six friends returning Princess Luna to normal, tears once again began falling from Twilight's eyes.
"Are you sure you are prepared for this," Celestia asked, laying a wing over the young mare.
"Yes, I am," Twilight said, turning around and throwing her forelegs around the older mare, "I know I've never said it before, but you have been the greatest mother and teacher a filly could ever ask for."
"And you have been the most amazing daughter and student I could have ever wanted." Celestia replied, tears in her own eyes.
Brushing away their tears, the two Princesses finished walking through the long hallway, eventually arriving at the door to the Hall of Remembrance. The massive marble doors were carved with the five symbols for the five mares the hall was dedicated to surrounding the massive lack in the shape of Twilight's own cutie mark. Giving the young mare a nod, Celestia took her leave and walked quietly back to her private suite.
Igniting the magic in her horn, Twilight unlocked the large door and stepped inside. Photographs which had been collected from all of her friend's families lined the walls and shelves in the large room. In a small alcove off to her left, Twilight saw the three members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders as well as her draconic son as they sat in silent meditation and prayer. Before long, Twilight came to the end of the large room, a semi-circular rotunda with her own cutie mark painted on the floor. Evenly space around the rotunda were five large daises, each topped with a life size marble statue of her friends. Set into the cold marble of the pedestals were the now inactive Elements of Harmony, their magic long since absorbed into Twilight's own magical core. Large stained-glass windows of her friend's portraits stood proudly behind each statue.
Walking up to the center pedestal, Twilight ran a hoof over the crimson crystal of the pony she was closest to in the entire world, Rainbow Dash. The two mares had kept things quiet, but they had been secretly seeing each other for a couple of years before her death. They had even been discussing adopting the young fill Scootaloo that Dash had taken under her wing.
Lighting the magic within herself and spreading it to her horn, Twilight began to sing. There were no words to the song, just a simple heartfelt melody filling the room and echoing around her. Walking a small circle around the cutie mark emblazoned on the floor, Twilight continued to sing, pouring her heart and soul into every note. Magical symbols began filling the circle she walked, glowing brightly with her magic. Before long three quieter female voices and one male joined the song, each one echoing the love, hurt and pain within the older mares heart.
She continued singing as the magic swelled around her, lifting her high into the air as it connected with the Elements of Harmony, cracking the marble surrounding the trapped stones. And so she sang, her eyes glowing white as cracks started to form in the statues of her friends. As the song finally reached its crescendo, an explosion of white light poured over the five beings in the room. As her voice stopped echoing around her, she felt a familiar weight disappear from her sides. Looking up, Twilight saw a sight that filled her with happiness.
Each of the statues had transformed into the living, breathing forms of her lost friends. Soon, she found herself tackled to the floor by the comforting weight of her special somepony before they were both tackled by the filly Scootaloo and the young drake Spike.
"Twi, your wings…." Rainbow said.
"I gave them up," Twilight said, tears of happiness falling from her eyes, "An unimportant cost for reuniting with the rest of my family."