Chapter 18:
The Queen Has Returned
At an early light of morning, Rarity along with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were sleeping in their treehouse on a large hammock. Rarity was sleeping with her sleep mask on, Applejack sleeping with her hat over her eyes while laying on her back, Fluttershy sleeping all curled up while resting her head on Rainbow Dash's back, Rainbow Dash moving her leg a little and resting on Pinkie's poofy mane, and Pinkie Pie was snoring while she occasionally mumbles "Fruity, Fruity, Fruits!".
As the Mane 5 continued to sleep peacefully, Flash and Cadance suddenly appeared and came into their treehouse as they silently approached the Mane 5. "Hey, hey, guys wake up," Flash whispers as he carefully nudges Rarity with his hoof.
Rarity started to stir as she sleepily lifted her eye cover over one of her eyes to look at who woke her up. But all she saw were two pairs of bright blue and purple eyes smack in front of her.
Rarity, seeing the giant peepers, immediately started screaming with her mane and tail standing on end. Of course, that woke up everypony else. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were woken up by her and screamed with their manes and tails standing on end as well, alarmed by everything happening at once, and got a bit tangled up. It was embarrassing.
As they screamed, Cadance immediately stepped forward and waved for them to calm down, "Whoa, whoa! It's okay girls! Girls! It's us," She assured, as the Mane 5 calmed down and sighed in relief, seeing it was only their new 'friends'.
Once they had calmed completely, Rainbow Dash, who was the first to free herself from the pony spaghetti they were in, walked over to the two alicorns, "Don't EVER do that again. Alicorns, Oy!" She groaned in dismay as she rubbed her temple.
Flash stepped closer and next to Cadance, "Anyway, have any of you five seen Twilight?" Flash asked.
"I'm afraid we haven't, darlings," Rarity replied, looking back at Flash as she and the others finally got untangled.
"Yeah. We thought she was with you, Flash," Fluttershy added while Pinkie nodded.
"Well, she was. But now Cadance and I can't find her. Where could she be?" Flash asked, becoming concerned for his childhood friend.
Laughter was suddenly heard as the Mane 5 and the two Alicorns looked behind themselves and saw Zecora standing by the entrance. "You young ones won't find her here because she has disappeared. For those who do not need to be concerned, the Queen Has Returned," She informed wisely with a bow.
"Wait, Cadance. Do you think it means what I think it means?!" Flash asked, beginning to realize something as he turned to Cadance with a smile working onto his face.
"I believe so…" Cadance replied, having the same feeling with her own smile forming.
After realization dawned on their faces and made their eyes widen, Flash and Cadance said in amazed unison, "She's gone back!".
"Wait, hold on. Gone back? What do you mean?! And who's the-" Rainbow Dash asked as she jumped off the hammock and turned to where Zecora was, but when she and the others looked to the entrance, Zecora was already gone.
"Hey! What's going on here?! And who's the Unicorn?!" Rarity exclaimed, waving to where Zecora was.
"Twilight's gone back to challenge Chrysalis!" Flash explained.
"Wait, who?" Applejack asked, raising a brow.
"Chrysalis," Cadance replied leaning closer to her.
"Oh, who's in a Chrysalis?" Pinkie asked, scratching her head and raising a brow questioningly.
"No, no, no. It's her aunt," Flash corrected, shaking his head.
"Wait, the Unicorn is her aunt?" Fluttershy asked in confusion, pointing her hooves to where Zecora was.
Cadance facepalmed herself before fully explaining, "No! Twilight's gone back to challenge her aunt…" Cadance explained.
"...To take her place as Queen," Flash finished for her as they both looked at the five seriously.
"OOOooooooooohhhhh," The Mane 5 uttered in unified realization, taking in the sudden explanation. With this new information, they knew there was only one thing to do…
Out in the Everfree Forest, Twilight flies and runs all the way back to the City of Harmony.
In the following days, Twilight managed to pick up the trail that would lead her back to her kingdom as she started running along a new trail and jumped over a gap before she continued to run through a dandelion field, whinnying in determination.
In another part of the Everfree Forest, Twilight was then flying down a rocky hill before the Alicorn Princess reached the bottom and continued running off through a forest faster than any Alicorn had ever gone.
Maybe, perhaps, for the first time in Alicorn History.
Twilight kept on running and flying across the land at high speed to reach Equestria and the City Of Harmony. And to set things right once and for all.
Once Twilight had reached Equestria, she slowly padded her homeland. But when she arrived, it didn't look at all as to how she remembered it. Where there were once beautiful green fields of flowers, animals, ponies, and other creatures talking, laughing, and having fun, there were only barren patches of gray and dirt with holes where gems were dug up and absolutely nothing living to see for miles. Her home has become a desolate ruin. It was a wonder if anything still lived there.
Twilight was shocked by the sight of Equestria under her aunt's reign. She couldn't find a single sign of life or joy anywhere. Twilight felt completely broken inside.
How could Chrysalis do this to their home? And most of all, how could Chrysalis have allowed the Diamond Dogs to do this?
Walking up onto a cliff and reaching the edge of it, Twilight silently gasped in horror. As she looked around the land in frozen awe, Twilight could see that her once beautiful home had been reduced to a lifeless, dark, and gray husk of its former glory before she turned to the castle, her castle, which was the only thing that seemed to be unchanged.
After seeing the devastation and suffering Chrysalis had put into her kingdom and people, Twilight felt a wave of rage swirl in her chest and a look of determination appeared on her face, knowing she had to do something to end this.
"Twilight! Wait for us!" a familiar voice called to her.
Twilight looked behind herself and saw Flash and Cadance running up to her and standing next to her. "It's awful, isn't it, Twilight?" Cadance said softly, though she had grown up in this wasteland, it still broke her heart to see it like this.
"I didn't want to believe you two," Twilight admitted as she looked back at the broken land.
"But, Twilight, what made you come back?" Flash asked as he stepped next to her.
"I kinda got some sense knocked into me, and I've got the bump to prove it," Twilight joked, gesturing to the spot where Zecora whacked her, before continuing, "Besides, this is my kingdom and my home. My parents once taught me to protect everything the light touches. And if I don't fight for it…who will?" She asked as she stared at the City Of Harmony with the wind blowing around her.
"I will, Twilight," Flash replied as he walked close to his childhood friend.
"And so will I," Cadance added, stepping close to her other side.
"It's going to be dangerous," Twilight warned them with a grin.
"Danger, Hah, I walk on the Brave and Bold side. So I laugh in the face of danger," Flash said, laughing in mockery.
"Forgive me, but I hardly see what's so funny about this," Rarity said as she walked up behind them.
"Rarity?" Twilight looked back at her in surprise.
"It's not just me," Rarity smirked, pointing behind herself as Twilight saw the rest of her friends approaching them from behind Rarity.
"Thought you might need some backup for this mission," Rainbow Dash said, as she and Fluttershy flew down and landed in front of Pinkie and Applejack as they stopped next to them. And it appears that Rainbow Dash has earned her Cutie Mark, which is a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt, just like the others.
"What are you girls doing here?" Twilight asked, surprised to see her friends come here to help her save her former home.
"Come on, silly. You think we're gonna let you have all the action and glory?" Pinkie Pie joked, grinning widely.
Applejack cleared her throat, "What Pinkie is trying to say is that we have been thinking, and we thought we could help you because…you're our friend," She explained while kicking a rock while Fluttershy nodded and smiled sweetly.
"So, we're gonna fight your aunt for this?" Rarity asked, looking across the kingdom of ruins and at the Castle Of Harmony with a disgusted grimace.
"Yes, Rarity. This is my home," Twilight answers, looking out with a smile, knowing this land would be a paradise once again.
"Well, I'll take my hat off in respect, Twilight," Applejack said, as she literally took off her hat.
"Well, Twilight, if this kingdom is important to you…," Rainbow Dash said, facing Twilight with a smile.
"...Then we're with you until the end," Fluttershy said with a bow.
"We're at your service, my liege," Pinkie Pie said, also bowing to her friend.
Twilight smiled appreciatively and fondly at her friends for their help. Soon the Mane 8 looked across the horizon with courage and determination, viewing the work ahead of them as more dark clouds rolled over the City Of Harmony as a grumble of thunder was heard.
Author's Note: Something tells me that we're getting close to the finest hour of Twilight's Story in this chapter.
After Twilight has decided to head home, Zecora informed her friends that the queen has returned. The Mane 5 were quite confused at first, but Flash and Cadance explained to them that Twilight has gone back home to challenge Chrysalis to take her rightful place as the one true queen, this the Mane 5 finally understand and know what needs to be done...
Meanwhile, Twilight was running and flying her way back home to fix things and make things right before it's too late. But when Twilight arrived at her homeland, she was horrified and shocked to see that it wasn't exactly like it was when she was a filly, instead it was just likw how Flash and Cadance described it. Feeling the rage inside of her, Twilight knows she must put an end to Chrysalis's reign before any more damage can be done. And she won't be doing it alone...
Flash and Cadance have arrived to help Twilight and so have The Mane 5, which surprised Twilight to see her friends come all this way to help her.
With her friends, old and new, by her side, Twilight will be able to return her kingdom to its' former glory...