"Mwahahahaha!"
Nightmare Moon continued to laugh maniacally. Twilight was still horrified that Princess Luna transformed back to her former alter ego. Nightmare Moon ceased laughing, looking towards Twilight with a spiteful look. She then cast a beam of magic towards the ceiling of the throne room. Twilight had to leap out of the way of falling debris, nearly avoiding getting squashed.
She heard the sound of hoofsteps coming towards her. She looked up, and saw Princess Celestia. The Princess of the Sun looked at the damage done to the throne room before looking towards her sister. Nightmare Moon confidently walked towards Celestia with her chin held up high. Celestia flew up into the air, and Nightmare Moon tried to shoot her down with a beam of magic. Celestia dodged the attack, causing the beam of magic to create a hole in the ceiling, revealing the moon. Celestia landed on the ground, and Twilight stood between both sisters.
"Luna! Think of how long you were banished to the moon! You'll give us no choice but to send you back there if you don't stop!" Said Twilight.
"Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!" Said Celestia.
Nightmare Moon looked at Celestia out of confusion.
"Luna? I am… Nightmare Moon! I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you!"
Nightmare Moon cast another beam of magic towards Celestia, who dodged out of the way by flying. She flew through the hole in the ceiling, retreating outside.
"And where do you think you're going?"
Nightmare Moon flew after Celestia, prompting Twilight to follow them. Upon entering the outside world, Twilight realized that the throne room was indeed part of a castle. Nightmare Moon cast a beam of magic at Celestia, which was swiftly dodged. She cast another beam of magic, only succeeding hitting a castle tower. Nightmare Moon chased Celestia across the castle, firing three bolts of magic. Celestia dodged them all, the attacks destroying a couple gargoyles and a curtain wall. All three princesses flew inches above the ground. They flew upwards again, and Nightmare Moon concentrated her magic towards Celestia. The attack was too quick to dodge, hitting Celestia square in the chest.
"Ahhh!"
With a pained scream, Celestia fell through the hole in the ceiling, and landed on the throne room floor.
"Celestia!" Cried Twilight.
"Mwahahaha!"
While Nightmare Moon cackled from above, Twilight flew down to the throne room. Celestia laid on her side, bathed in the light of the moon. Her mane had stopped flowing, and her body was covered in wounds. Twilight reached out to Celestia, and lightly shook her. There was no response from the Princess. Fearing the worst, Twilight teared up.
"No… Why would Luna do this? Why now?"
Twilight cried over her former mentor, the tears trailing down her face. Suddenly, she could hear shuffling noises. She looked up, and, to her surprise, saw Princess Celestia standing up. She immediately smiled in relief.
"You're alright. You're alright!" Cried Twilight joyfully.
Celestia didn't respond to her, leaving her confused.
"Princess Celestia?"
"Oh, dear sister. I am sorry, but you have given me no choice but to use these."
Celestia's horn glowed in a golden aura, and a section of the floor lifted up slightly. It then opened up, revealed to be a secret panel. A large stone structure rose from the ground, and revealed five gemstones. Twilight instantly recognized them.
"Are those the Elements of Harmony? But that's how they looked in… the past. This is the night you banished her."
Twilight had put the pieces together. She realized what she was seeing was the tragic battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, resulting in the banishment of the latter. Celestia flew up to the stone structure, and grabbed the Elements of Harmony. She also grabbed the sixth Element, which Twilight recognized was hers by its shape of her cutie mark, by phasing it out of a singular stone from the center. The Elements circled around her, and rainbow colored light began to emit from her. The Elements also created a constant circular rainbow.
Celestia flew up into the sky, facing her sister from several meters away. Nightmare Moon charged up her power, and, with tears streaming from her eyes, Celestia called upon the power of the Elements. The Elements of Twilight's friends floated in place behind her Element. They cast beams of magic of their respective colors of red, orange, blue, purple, and pink onto Twilight's Element, and a rainbow-colored beam burst from the sixth Element shortly after. Nightmare Moon cast her own beam of magic, both attacks colliding into each other. The power of the Elements proved more powerful than Nightmare Moon's magic, and easily overpowered her.
"Nooooooooooo!"
Nightmare Moon was blasted to the moon, a circular rainbow forming around it. Nightmare Moon's face appeared on the moon's cratered surface shortly after. Before she knew it, Twilight's vision went white. Twilight rubbed her eyes, and found that she was back in present day Ponyville. She looked at her surroundings, and found all of her friends staring at her.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Asked Twilight.
"It's just… you were mumblin' to yourself," Answered Applejack.
"Ooh! And don't forget the uncontrollable sobbing!" Added Pinkie Pie.
"Yeah, you were crying more than Elliott when E.T. went home." Deadpool brought Twilight in for a hug. "Don't worry, the hallucinogenic potion can't harm you anymore."
"Thanks, Wade, but I'm alright," Said Twilight.
"Oh, are you sure? You were crying a lot, and we were really worried about you," Said Fluttershy.
"I for one found it delightful." Discord appeared on a giant vine, lying on his stomach. "Sort of a one-pony theater piece, if you will. You should really consider taking it on the road."
Discord opened up a scroll to show Twilight. It revealed a live recording of Twilight bawling her eyes out while she was under the effects of the potion's magic.
"Did you find out whose rump we need to kick and where we can find them?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"I saw something from a long time ago, but it didn't explain what's happening now," Answered Twilight.
"Perhaps further back still are the answers you seek. Another sip of the potion will give you a peek."
Zecora presented the potion to Twilight. Once she presented it, Deadpool ran up to it eagerly.
"Let's give Twilight a break, and let me experience hallucinations like I'm on LSD!" Said Deadpool excitedly.
Before he could steal it, Zecora shoved Deadpool away.
"Do I have to have to keep an eye on you?" Asked Zecora.
"Deadpool's like a foal. Ya can't keep an eye off of him for a second, or else he gets into trouble," Said Applejack.
"Hey! I am not a foal! Do foals know how to use guns?!" Asked Deadpool rhetorically.
(Maybe in the United States of America, they do.)
Twilight grabbed the potion from Zecora before Deadpool could try to take it again.
"You sure about this?" Asked Spike.
Twilight looked at her friends, who shrugged their shoulders. She then hesitantly took another sip of the potion. Just then, Discord appeared with a video camera and tripod.
"Oh, I do hope she breaks into a song this time!" Said Discord excitedly.
"If she does, do you mind sending me a copy?" Asked Deadpool.
"Wade! You better n-"
Before Twilight could scold Deadpool further, light filled her eyes again. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a school of tropical fish swimming in the air around her. Looking at her surroundings, she noticed the sky was purplish pink, houses on small floating islands, and the ground had a checkerboard pattern. She then saw Princesses Celestia and Luna walking towards a throne, sitting on top of a hill with the same checkerboard pattern as the ground. The throne turned around, revealing a giddy Discord sitting in it.
"Oh, this is so much fun! How about a game of 'Pin the Tail on the Pony?'"
Discord raised his right paw, revealing Princess Celestia's tail. Celestia looked behind herself, and saw to her surprise that it was in fact her actual tail.
"Playtime is over for you, Discord!" Said Celestia sternly.
"Oh, I doubt that." Discord summoned a pouch of what appeared to be seeds. He grabbed a handful of seeds, scattering them all around as he ate. "Hungry?"
Celestia and Luna gave him no response, only looking at him with stern expressions.
"Suit yourselves."
As Discord continued to eat, Celestia and Luna opened some saddlebags they were carrying. Inside the saddlebags were the Elements of Harmony. This got the attention of Discord, who tossed the pouch of seeds aside.
"Oh! What have you got there?" Asked Discord curiously.
"The Elements of Harmony," Answered Celestia.
"With them, we shall defeat you," Added Luna.
The Elements of Harmony spun around the two Princesses, forming a light purple dome around them. Twilight, who was watching, knew what was about to happen.
"This must be when they turned Discord into stone," Said Twilight.
In spite of what was about to come, Discord had very little care, as evidenced by his laughter.
"You should see yourselves right now! The expressions on your face. So intense. So sure of yourselves."
As Discord continued to laugh hysterically, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna pressed the tips of their horns together. A rainbow formed in between their horns. It rose into the sky, then arched towards Discord. As it narrowed in on him, he could only say one thing.
"Hilarious!"
He was consumed by the rainbow, and turned into stone in a matter of seconds. He would remain this way for the next one thousand years. Suddenly, Twilight's vision went white, and returned to normal just as quickly.
As soon as she opened her eyes, Twilight saw she was no longer in a chaotic world, but she wasn't back in Ponyville either. She was in some sort of cave. Light barely reached inside the cavern, but any that did was reflected by a giant crystalline tree. The tree had Celestia and Luna's cutie marks engraved on the trunk, and the Elements of Harmony were embedded in its branches, except for Twilight's which was in the center. Both Princesses walked up to the tree.
"The Tree of Harmony!" Said Luna in astonishment.
"The 'Tree' of Harmony?" Twilight inspected the Tree of Harmony, and saw a six-pointed star in the center. "My cutie mark."
Celestia flew up to the symbol in the shape of Twilight's cutie mark, and cast a spell on it. The center of the tree glowed as a result.
"Are you sure?" Asked Luna.
"We have managed to discover the only means by which we can defeat Discord and free the citizens of Equestria. Even without these elements, the Tree of Harmony will possess a powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here."
Celestia grabbed all six Elements with her magic, and they circled around her and Luna. As Twilight looked at them and the Tree of Harmony, her vision faded to white. After blinking her eyes rapidly, Twilight saw to her delight that she was back in Ponyville. Spike ran up to her side.
"So, what did you find out?" Asked Spike.
"I still don't know what's happened to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way. Something's happened to the Tree of Harmony," Said Twilight.
All of Twilight's friends exchanged confused glances with each other.
"The tree of what now? Is it like Yggdrasil in Norse cosmology or the Tree of Souls in 'Avatar'?" Asked Deadpool.
"The Tree of Harmony is where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the Elements. I think it's in danger," Said Twilight.
"Well, alright then! Let's go save a… tree. Uh, where is it exactly?" Asked Applejack.
"I think it's in there."
Twilight pointed to the path that led from Ponyville to the Everfree Forest, where a bunch of giant vines were coiling around the trees. As the group looked nervously at the forest, Discord was watching from a floating red recliner, eating popcorn and drinking a soda. He also wore a pair of 3D glasses.
"Ooh-hoo! I'm going to need more popcorn!" Said Discord.
"Well, no sense in standin' around. Let's go into the Everfree Forest and find the Tree of Harmony… Have any of ya seen Deadpool?" Asked Applejack.
The group of friends looked for the Merc with a Mouth. They quickly found him, but holding the potion.
"Ha ha! I finally got it! Bottoms up!" Said Deadpool.
"Wait! Don't!" Cried everyone except for Discord.
It was too late. Deadpool brought the bottle to his lips, and drank all but one sip's worth of the potion.
"Aw yeah! Fasten your seatbelts, 'cause I'm going to have the best hallucinations ev-"
THUD!
Just like that, Deadpool fell face first onto the ground. When Twilight lifted him up and took off his mask, he had a blank look in his eyes, and he was unresponsive.
"That potion is only meant to be consumed by someone with alicorn magic. If he were to meet his end by his own foolishness, it would indeed be tragic," Said Zecora.
"(Sigh) Thankfully, he won't meet his end. But because of his healing factor, I fear that he will not learn his lesson," Said Twilight irritatedly.
A few minutes later, the group of friends arrived at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Aside from the giant thorny vines that were sprouting everywhere, the forest still looked pretty much the same. Deadpool had recovered from the effects of the potion, but he had a powerful headache.
"My head feels like shit. Why didn't you guys tell me to stop?" Asked Deadpool painfully.
"WE DID!" Shouted all of his friends.
"Okay, okay! Fair enough. On the bright side, I now know the secrets of the universe at the low, low price of a headache and a bit of what was left of my sanity."
"Seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony," Said Rarity.
"Seems like only yesterday I was foolish enough to think I should go after them on my own. I don't know what we're going to face in there, but whatever it is, I know we need to face it together," Said Twilight.
All of her friends agreed with that statement. On that note, they stepped into the Everfree Forest. After only a few minutes of walking, they came across a creek with bubbling green water. Looking for a way to cross, Twilight found a row of stones that crossed the creek.
"We can use these to cross."
Twilight was the first to jump onto one of the stones. As soon as she set hoof on it, all of the stones began to shake violently, causing her to struggle to keep her footing. All of the rocks lifted up into the air, revealing they were part of a large tail. Something huge burst from the water in front of her, revealing the owner of the tail. Twilight was standing on the tail of a giant cragadile. With a yelp, she was tossed off of its tail.
"Not one of these guys again!" Said Deadpool.
"Run for your lives!" Cried Rarity.
The group scattered in several directions. The cragadile ran out of the water, and chased Twilight and Spike. They didn't have much ground to cover before they were backed up into a large tree. As the cragadile got closer and closer, Twilight tried to fly away with Spike, but her wings were struggling to get them off the ground. The cragadile was about to snap its jaws on them when something tripped it. Twilight looked, and saw a vine wrapped around its tail. A few feet back, Twilight's friends, including Deadpool, were holding back the cragadile. Applejack made a makeshift lasso out of another vine, and used it to shut the cragadile's jaws. With its jaws closed, everyone grabbed a vine, and tied up the cragadile. With the cragadile subdued, everyone took a breather.
"'That' was close!" Said Twilight.
"(Sigh) A little too close, if you ask me. You sure you're alright?" Asked Applejack.
"I'm fine. I just can't seem to get these new wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it."
"Aw, you'll figure it out eventually," Assured Rainbow.
"'Eventually' isn't soon enough."
"Hey, what matters is you are alive. At least this went much better than when you and I had to fight against a cragadile back in chapter four," Said Deadpool.
"Oh, yeah. I'm still mad at you for tricking me into getting eaten," Said Twilight irritatedly.
An anime-styled sweat drop appeared above Deadpool's right eye, and he chuckled out of nervousness.
"You have been having an awful lot of trouble with those things. And, well, who knows what else is gonna come after us? You know, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Twilight to go back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony without her," Said Applejack.
"What? Why?" Asked Twilight.
"For starters, you just about got eaten by a cragadily."
"We all did. He wasn't after just me."
"Sure, but… well, the rest of us aren't princesses."
"What's that got to do with anything?" Asked Twilight irritatedly.
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone. If something happened to you, I-I just don't think Equestria can risk losing another princess," Answered Applejack.
"Applejack does make a valid point. Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won't necessarily mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence," Added Rarity.
"But the Tree of Harmony! I'm the only one who has seen it and knows what it looks like," Countered Twilight.
"She has a valid point, guys. We need her in order to find this 'Tree of Harmony'," Said Deadpool.
"Huge tree, cutie marks on the trunk, probably being attacked by something hideously awful? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll know it when we see it," Said Rainbow arrogantly.
Twilight looked at the ground, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"All of you feel this way? Feel like I shouldn't be here?" Asked Twilight tearfully.
All of her friends shared glances at each other, hesitant about which one of them should speak up. Deadpool approached Twilight, but before he could say anything, Fluttershy spoke.
"It is probably for the best," Said Fluttershy.
With her head hung low, Twilight walked past her friends, making her way back to Ponyville. Spike looked back at the rest of the Mane Six and Deadpool, then followed after her. The group started to walk off when Deadpool looked in the direction Twilight and Spike were walking. He stood there for a few seconds before an angered look appeared on his face. He then began to follow after them.
"Where are you going?" Asked Applejack.
"I'm going after Twilight and ask her to come stay with us," Answered Deadpool.
"But, Deadpool, we need you," Said Fluttershy.
"No, no you don't. I am a trigger-happy mercenary turned hero-for-hire, with a lot of issues and so happens to have a healing factor that prevents him from being killed by just about anything. Who you NEED is Twilight. But you all SENT HER AWAY!" Said Deadpool furiously.
"It's for her own good, Wade! If she got hurt or worse, Equestria would lose three princesses! And how could we all live with ourselves if anything bad happened to her?! Whether you like it or not, this is for her own good!" Said Applejack angrily.
"Twilight is a strong, independent mare! She is more than capable of taking care of herself! Do you think heroes like us do what we do because it is safe?! No, it is far from that. I couldn't tell you how many times I would've died if it wasn't for my healing factor, but I do what I do because it is the right thing to do! Heroes like us face dangerous threats because we want to ensure the safety of everyone we care about! We all know the risks, but we would gladly lay down our lives without a second thought if it meant everyone else was safe! I know Twilight would."
"But sh-"
"No buts! If any of you really don't want me to go, then who's going to stop me?!"
Deadpool's friends looked at each other, but no one made a move.
"That's what I thought. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a marefriend to cheer up. Later bitches!"
On that note, Deadpool followed after Twilight, while the rest of the group walked off in search of the Tree of Harmony. Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike were sitting in front of a large tree. The former was crying while the latter was trying to cheer her up.
"Come on, Twilight. They don't mean anything by it. They just want to keep you safe because they care about you," Assured Spike.
"Maybe so, but they acted like I couldn't take care of myself. As if they have forgotten about all of our previous adventures," Said Twilight tearfully.
A rustling sound could be heard from a nearby bush. Spike and Twilight stood in a defensive stance. Then from the bush, Deadpool walked out. They both relaxed, sitting back down.
"Oh, it's just you," Said Twilight dismally.
"Wow. Not even a 'How do you do'? You either are already sick of me as your partner, or you're just very upset," Said Deadpool.
No response came out of Twilight, who just looked glumly at the ground.
(I'm not an expert at reading the room, but I don't think this is the time to be making jokes.)
"Yeah, you're probably right. Hey, Spike, do you mind giving us a moment?" Asked Deadpool.
"Sure thing."
Spike got up and walked off somewhere else. Now that they were alone, Deadpool sat down next to Twilight.
"What they said to you really hurt badly, didn't it?" Asked Deadpool.
Twilight nodded her head in response.
"I hope you know that while you may not agree with their decision, you understand why they wanted you to do it," Said Deadpool.
"I do, but it doesn't change that it hurt hearing my friends say that they don't want me to come along. We fought against Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis and the changelings, and King Sombra together, and we came out on top. But now that I'm a princess they think I shouldn't be putting myself in danger for the greater good," Said Twilight.
"They care about you, Twilight. That's why they wanted you to head back home."
"If they cared about me, they wouldn't have let me being a princess be the reason why I can't be with them!"
Tears were running down Twilight's face as she was fuming with anger.
"Ever since I became the Princess of Friendship, I have been stressed, received unwanted attention, and just yesterday, I had to prioritize my royal duties over you and my friends! I wished I never had become a princess! I should've had Celestia strip me of my title from the start!"
Out of anger, Twilight grabbed her Elemental crown, and threw it at a tree. It bounced off the trunk, and landed on the ground unscathed. She then tucked her hind legs to her chest, and cried. Deadpool looked at his marefriend with a saddened look.
"Do you really mean that?" Asked Deadpool.
"Yes…"
Deadpool reflected on their conversation, trying to come up with a way to cheer Twilight up.
"I may not be royalty, well, the human version of me is King of the Monsters, but I digress. What I'm trying to say is, I know that being a princess hasn't been easy for you. You've been overwhelmed by your new responsibilities, and you probably feel like you're letting all of Equestria down, right?" Asked Deadpool.
Twilight once again only nodded her head in response.
"You may not want to be a princess at this current moment, but if you keep moving forward, your thoughts will change. Someday, you will be looking back at all you have done for Equestria, and you will be proud of yourself. I know that I am."
Twilight looked up at Deadpool with red, slightly puffy eyes.
"Y-You mean it?" Asked Twilight.
"Of course I mean it. How many guys have had the chance to say that their marefriend is a freakin' princess?! You've done great so far as princess, Twilight, and you will continue to do so as time goes on. No matter how busy you are, your friends and I will always be there to support you. I just hope that you will believe in yourself as much as we believe in you."
After what felt like forever, a smile finally found its way onto Twilight's face. A small one, but it was a smile no less. She grabbed her crown with her magic, and placed it atop her head. She then wiped away her tears.
"Thank you. I suppose I won't give up on being Princess just yet. I'll let you go and catch up with the others."
As Twilight got up to leave, she felt Deadpool place a hoof on her shoulder.
"Hold on a second. I came after you not just to boost your confidence as Princess of Friendship, I also came to bring you back in the search for the Tree of Harmony," Said Deadpool.
"But what about staying safe, so Equestria won't lose another princess?" Asked Twilight.
"Twilight, you're a powerful pony. You're more than capable of holding your own in a scrape. Our friends may not see it right now, but we need you with us in order to find the Tree of Harmony and save Equestria. They may be hesitant at first, but they'll come around and realize they need you. After all, they are your friends. You always come back for each other and make amends."
Twilight looked at Deadpool hesitantly, but then smiled at him.
"Thank you, again. But I have to ask, why did you come after me when you could've probably found the Tree of Harmony with the others by now and saved it?" Asked Twilight.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I couldn't give a shit about the Tree of Harmony or Equestria right now. You're my number one priority, Twilight. Nothing's going to change that, not even a magical forest running rampant across the country," Said Deadpool.
Suddenly, tears began to run down Twilight's face again, but this time she was smiling. She then hugged Deadpool tightly.
"You're the best coltfriend ever!" Said Twilight joyfully.
"(Chuckles) Well, thank you. I am great coltfriend material aren't I- Whoa!"
Before he knew it, Deadpool was pinned down to the ground. Twilight tore off his mask, and then began to plant kisses all over his face. After recovering from the initial shock, he did the same. They both then locked into an intense makeout session.
"Hey guys. Are you feeling any better Twi- Sweet Celestia!"
Spike had inadvertently walked in on Twilight and Deadpool's makeout session. They both stopped when they realized they had an audience. Blushing out of embarrassment, they both got up off the ground.
"So… uh… I assume you're feeling better now, Twilight?" Asked Spike awkwardly.
"Yes… I-I am feeling much better," Answered Twilight just as awkwardly.
"Uh, how about we go find the Tree of Harmony?" Suggested Deadpool.
"Yeah, let's go find the Tree of Harmony and our friends!"
With renewed vigor, Twilight, Spike, and Deadpool went off in search of their friends and the Tree of Harmony. Meanwhile, the rest of the Mane Six were still searching for the Tree of Harmony.
"Anypony else starting to think this is a lost cause?" Asked Rainbow. "We're almost at Celestia and Luna's old castle. Maybe whatever Twilight saw when she took that crazy potion wasn't real. Maybe there is no Tree of Harmony. Maybe-"
"Maybe it's right down there."
Applejack pointed towards the bottom of a deep ravine. An entrance to a large cave could be seen, with light and a tangle of vines emanated from.
"It can't be!" Said Rainbow in disbelief.
"How are we supposed to get to it?" Pondered Rarity.
"Whoa! Oof! Ugh!"
Everyone looked to their right, and found Pinkie falling down a long flight of stairs built into the ravine. After falling down the last step, she got up and looked like she hadn't just fallen down several flights of stairs.
"Take the stairs, silly!" Cried Pinkie from the bottom of the ravine.
Meanwhile, Twilight, Deadpool, and Spike were walking through the Everfree Forest in search of their friends and the Tree of Harmony.
"Are we there yet?" Asked Spike.
"I don't know where we are. We're lost. I never should have left my friends and you two follow after me," Said Twilight glumly.
Deadpool looked at his surroundings, trying to find a way out of their current predicament. He noticed a large tree ahead of him, and got an idea.
"Hmm, Maybe if I climb up this tree, I'll be able to spot them."
Deadpool wrapped himself around the trunk of the tree, and began to climb up. He only climbed up a few feet before he started to lose his footing. He grabbed a branch, and managed to get a good hold of the tree.
"That was close. Wish I had a symbiote to help me scale this tree like Tom Hardy did."
After much struggle, Deadpool managed to climb up to a large branch that could support his weight. He pushed aside some leaves to reveal the ruins of a large castle. In front of the ruins was a path that led to the ravine where he saw his friends.
"Well, what do you know? Hey guys, I found… Oh, shit!"
Deadpool looked towards the ground, and found Twilight and Spike surrounded by four large plants. They had "heads" that somewhat resembled a mouth. One of them spewed spores at both of them, causing them to cough. They then passed out.
"You overgrown salad greens are gonna get it! Maximum effort!"
Deadpool leapt from the tree, and landed on one of the plants. He grabbed one of his katanas, and cut the head off of the plant. The stem thrashed violently before going limp. A different plant tried to spew spores at him, but he successfully dodged out of the way. He then leapt up, and sliced its head into itty-bitty-pieces.
"I call that 'The Weed Wacker!'"
Another plant leapt out to try and grab him. He slid underneath it with the blade of his sword up, cutting into the stem. Sap poured from the steam, and then was severed from the head with one stroke. Suddenly, the last remaining plant leapt out from behind, chomping down onto his right hind leg. In order to escape its maw, Deadpool cut off his own hind leg. He then leapt up and decapitated the plant. With the battle over, he grabbed his hind leg, and his healing factor reattached it to his body. He walked over to Spike and Twilight, who were just slipping back into consciousness.
"Need a hoof, you two?"
Deadpool helped both of them up. They noticed the severed heads and stems lying on the ground, impressed at his handiwork.
"Thanks for helping us, Wade. This is the second time in a row you alone had to save me in the Everfree Forest," Said Twilight.
"Yeah, well, at least this time it was from venus flytrap wannabes. Not a sadistic serial killer attached to an alien symbiote. Before you guys were attacked, I found our friends heading into a ravine."
"Well, what are we standing around here for? Let's go after them!" Said Spike.
On that note, the three friends made their way to the ravine. Meanwhile, the rest of the Mane Six entered the cave. Once inside, they noticed a disturbing sight. The Tree of Harmony was completely wrapped in thorny vines. Its once radiating crystalline structure turned grey.
"(Gasp) I think it's dying!" Said Fluttershy in horror.
"So let's save it already!"
Applejack leapt towards the tree, and grabbed one of the smaller vines in her teeth. No matter how hard she pulled, the vine wouldn't let go. Eventually, the vine decided it had enough, and tossed her back towards the group.
"Nice try!"
Rainbow Dash flew towards the vines, ready to deliver a kick. However, one of the larger vines effortlessly smacked her out of the air, and back on the ground.
"Valiant efforts on both your parts, but the tree remains in jeopardy," Said Rarity.
"And I suppose you've got a better idea?" Asked Applejack.
Rarity tried to come up with an idea, but ultimately came up with none.
"That's what I thought," Said Applejack.
"I know who would know what to do. But we sent her home," Said Fluttershy sadly.
"We should've listened to Deadpool… Oh, that doesn't sound right," Said Rarity.
"What doesn't?" Asked Applejack.
"We should've listened to Deadpool," Answered Rarity.
"Hmm… Yeah, that don't sound right on the tongue,"
"Sending her away was your idea, Applejack!" Accused Rainbow.
"We all agreed it was the best thing, Rainbow Dash! We were tryin' to protect her."
"FUCK!"
The group of friends heard a familiar voice. Looking towards the mouth of the cave, they saw Deadpool falling down the stairs.
"Ow! Oh! Oh, fuck! Fuck! Fucking cock! Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
THUD!
CRACK!
After falling down the stairs for what felt like minutes, Deadpool landed at the bottom of the ravine. His body was bent in various poses that a body should not be able to do. Twilight and Spike followed after him, managing to keep themselves from falling.
"Wade! Are you alright?!" Asked Twilight worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm TOTALLY fine… Of course I'm not alright! I just fell down several flights of stairs, and my body is all fucked up!"
Deadpool got up, and almost instantly, the majority of his limbs and other body parts realigned themselves. His right hind leg, however, was still bent to the side at a forty-five degree angle.
"Ah, shit! Hey, hun, can you help me out here?" Asked Deadpool.
"Oh, sure."
Twilight's magic enveloped Deadpool's hind leg, and then snapped it back into alignment with a very audible -
CRACK!
Everyone who witnessed this cringed in disgust except for Fluttershy. Her face turned a dark shade of green, and she stumbled over to a large pile of rocks. For a few seconds, the sounds of her letting lose the contents of her stomach echoed across the ravine. Deadpool moved his hind leg around, his healing factor having just healed his broken bone.
"Oh, that's so much better," Said Deadpool.
"Well, I won't be able to unhear that for a while. Anyway, I sure am glad that you came back, Twilight. And thanks for getting her, Deadpool," Said Applejack.
Deadpool made a gesture similar to tipping a hat. Fluttershy also joined back with the group, feeling much better.
"I'm glad that we were able to find you," Said Twilight.
"The truth of it is, Twilight, we're simply lost without you," Said Rarity.
"Yeah," Said Rainbow. "Equestria may need its princess…"
"... But we need our friend," Said Fluttershy.
All of the friends joined together in a group hug. They then entered the cave. Twilight looked at the Tree of Harmony, noticing the vines wrapped around it. She flew up towards the center of the tree, and tried to reach out towards it. A small vine wrapped itself around her foreleg. She freed herself by cutting the vine with her magic. More vines wrapped around the center of the tree.
"Even without these elements, the Tree of Harmony will possess a powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here."
The words of Princess Celestia echoed in her mind. Twilight realized what had to be done in order to save the tree.
"I know how we can save the tree. We have to give it the Elements of Harmony," Said Twilight.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, heh! How are we supposed to protect Equestria?!" Asked Rainbow.
"How are we meant to rein Discord in if we can't use the Elements to turn him back to stone?" Asked Rarity.
"Twilight… The Elements of Harmony… They're what keep us connected no matter what," Said Applejack.
"You're right about one thing, Applejack. The Elements of Harmony did bring us together. But it isn't the Elements that will keep us connected. It's our friendship. And it's more important and more powerful than any magic. My new role in Equestria may mean I have to take on more responsibilities, and our friendships may be tested, but it will never, ever be broken."
Twilight's friends gave a heartfelt agreement to her speech. She flew elegantly into the air, facing the Tree of Harmony.
"There's no time to lose. Everypony ready?" Asked Twilight.
"Ready!" Cried the rest of the Mane Six.
Using her magic, Twilight removed each Element from inside her friends' necklaces. She made the five Elements spin around her before removing her Element from her crown. The six Elements spun around even faster, creating a swirl of colors around her. The vines shot out towards her, and wrapped around her.
BRUM-BRUM-BRUM-BRUM-BRRRRR!
The sound of a chainsaw cut through the air of the cave. Deadpool leapt at the vines with an actual chainsaw, and cut through the vines. Falling off of her after being severed, Twilight was freed. More vines tried to approach her, but Deadpool kept slashing through them.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'll hold them off while you give the Tree the Elements!" Said Deadpool.
Now free, Twilight placed each of the Elements inside hollow slots on the branches of the Tree of Harmony. She then placed her Element in the center of the tree. Secured in place, the Elements began to glow. A surge of magic created an explosion of light, disintegrating the vines on the tree. The light left the cave, and spread across the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. The light destroyed all the vines, freeing the Everfree Forest and most importantly Ponyville. The Tree of Harmony itself lit up, looking exactly as it did in Twilight's vision. Mysteriously, a few vines in the shape of cocoons remained, but were quickly destroyed as well. Everyone lit up when the vines revealed two ponies upon their destruction - Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
"Aw yeah! Equestria and the Princesses have been saved yet again!"
Deadpool recklessly tossed the chainsaw behind him, almost striking his friends. He then pulled out a can of beer from nowhere, and began chugging it down. Twilight ran up to the two Princesses, and embraced them in a hug.
"We know how difficult it must have been for you to give up the Elements. It took great courage to relinquish them," Praised Celestia.
Suddenly, the Elements of Harmony glowed again, casting a stream of magic towards the Element of Magic. The stream of magic now in a full rainbow, flowed down the trunk of the tree, passing through and lighting up Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's cutie marks. Once it reached the frontmost root, a pink flower as tall as Twilight sprouted from it. Said alicorn walked up to the flower and touched it gently. As if responding to her touch, the flower bloomed, casting blinding rainbow light across the cave. When the light faded away, it revealed a big, elegant, crystalline, hexagonal box. Each side of the box had six locks, requiring six keys to open it. All three princesses looked at the box inquisitively.
"What's inside it? How am I supposed to open it?" Asked Twilight.
"Six locks, six keys," Noted Luna.
"I do not know where they are, but I do know that it is a mystery you will not be solving alone," Said Celestia.
"May I see that?" Asked Deadpool.
Twilight stepped aside to let him see the chest. Deadpool inspected every side, every detail of the chest.
"Hmm, I've had to open many a chest in my day. So, I think I know how to open this one."
Deadpool looked at the chest determinedly, then… motorboated the chest.
(Ha! Motorboating the "chest"! Props to you, author!)
"WADE!" Cried everyone sternly.
"Could you be anymore inappropriate in front of the Princesses?!" Asked Rarity rhetorically.
"Hold my beer."
Deadpool gave his drink to Rarity, then proceeded to pull down his pants.
"Ahhhhh!"
A few minutes later, and after a major scolding from Twilight, Deadpool and all of his friends emerged from the Everfree Forest. As soon as they stepped foot out of the forest, banners and confetti popped out of nowhere. Then Discord teleported in front of them, blowing a party horn and wearing a foam finger on his lion paw with the number one engraved on the front.
"Bravo, everyone , bravo! How ever did you save the day this time? Blast the beastie with your magic necklaces, I presume?"
Discord noticed something about the Mane Six. They were all missing their necklaces. He teleported, and shapeshifted into a miniature cowboy on Applejack's back. He lifted up her mane in an attempt to find her Element.
"Where are those little trinkets of yours? You know, the ones you use to send me back to my extremely uncomfortable stone prison?" Questioned Discord.
"(Sigh) Gone," Said Applejack.
Discord reverted back to normal size, and with a happy grin on his face.
"Gone? Gone?"
Discord quickly pondered the newfound possibilities that were available to him, now that the Elements of Harmony were no longer as easily accessible to the ponies.
"But our friendship remains. And if you want to remain friends, you'll stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking and help us clean up," Said Fluttershy sternly.
As Fluttershy sternly warned Discord to control himself, he shrunk in size before returning to his proper size, and wearing a French maid outfit.
"Fine. But I don't clean windows," Said Discord reluctantly.
"One thing that I don't get: why did all of this happen now?" Asked Applejack.
"I have no idea. Those seeds I planted should have sprouted up years ago," Said Discord.
"What did you say?!" Asked Twilight sternly.
"Oh, why should I try to explain it when you can see for yourself?"
The potion that Zecora gave to Twilight earlier magically appeared in Discord's hand. Twilight took it from him, and drank the last sip. Her vision turned white, and she returned back to when Discord was first imprisoned in stone.
"Playtime is over for you, Discord!" Said Celestia sternly.
"Oh, I doubt that." As she saw the first time, Discord was sloppy eating seeds. "Hungry?"
Looking at the ground, the seeds that were dropped had silently buried themselves into the ground without catching the Princesses' attention. The seeds quickly germinated, their roots sprouting out towards the Tree of Harmony. Twilight then heard Discord speaking to her.
"Well, obviously things didn't go according to my original plan. My plunderseeds should have stolen the magic from the Tree of Harmony and captured Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thousands of moons ago."
Once the roots arrived at their destination, they turned away from the Tree of Harmony. The soil below it was protected by a magical barrier created by the tree.
"Alas, it seems the tree had enough magic to keep the seeds from growing up big and strong. Until now, that is."
Twilight's vision quickly faded to white for what she hoped was the last time. Once she returned to the present day, she was angered by Discord.
"You realize this is information we could have used hours ago?!" Asked Twilight angrily.
"And rob you of a valuable lesson about being princess? What kind of friend do you think I am?"
Discord grabbed Twilight's cheek, and let it snap. Twilight could only be annoyed at him.
Very early the next morning, at Canterlot Castle, a crowd had gathered outside the castle. They had all gathered here under the starry night for the long awaited Summer Sun Celebration. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight (the latter with a new crown) walked out onto a stage. Ready to start off the celebration, Celestia addressed the citizens of Equestria.
"Citizens of Equestria, it is no longer with a heavy heart but with great joy that I raise the summer sun. For this celebration now represents not the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of my sister, Princess Luna."
The crowd cheered for Princess Luna as she flew up into the night sky. In an incredible feat of magic, she began to lower the moon. Princess Celestia flew up after her, and just as incredible raised the sun. Taking that as her cue, Princess Twilight Sparkle flew up from behind. Once the sun and moon were on the same level of the sky, Twilight produced an effect similar to the legendary sonic rainboom with her magic, but in the shape of her cutie mark.
The crowd was in awe, and all three Princesses landed back on stage. Twilight looked at the Princesses then her friends. They were all in the crowd, cheering her name. Seeing them all cheering and smiling at her made her smile back. It was this moment when she felt like she was the luckiest pony in all of Equestria.
Fin.
Hope you all enjoyed the second part of the newest chapter of "Deadpool: Mercenary of Harmony"! The season premiere episode "Princess Twilight Sparkle" was a fun episode to insert Deadpool in. I particularly enjoyed writing the dialogue between Deadpool and Twilight when the former went after the latter to bring her back in the search for the Tree of Harmony. Be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter, because there will be multiple guest appearances. Until next time, this has been ThePhantomArchives, and I hope you all have a great day!