It had been a long, dreadful night for Twilight Sparkle and her friends fighting the forces of darkness. To suggest these heroes were completely exhausted was an understatement. True, they've faced many tough opponents throughout their journey. But none of them set the bar higher than Chernabog himself… Tirek coming second. All they could imagine now was how tough any other villains would be the further they travelled into the book itself.
The battle took so much energy that the remainder of this evening was deathly still. To prevent further exhaustion, Twilight's teleportation spell took them halfway down the mountain. Fortunately, Mickey still had the Sorcerer's hat and, with its power, was able to float everypony down the remainder of the mountain. They had since traversed far from the town and reached a grassy hill with trees, a peaceful place to land. Upon landing, everypony released a great big sigh of relief now that this horrifying ordeal was finally over.
"Gosh, am I glad that's over," Mickey stated.
"Tell me about it," Applejack agreed.
Fluttershy had been covering her eyes with her hooves the entire time. The poor dear was shivering, her face felt dry from crying so much. Never in her life had she witnessed such a nightmare come true. All Rarity and Pinkie Pie could do was calm her the best they could. This left Twilight Sparkle herself to check upon the remainder of her friends.
"Is everypony here?" Twilight asked.
"Octavia!" Vinyl gasped worriedly. "She's still in the village! We have to go back!"
"I'll look for her," Twilight announced, flapping her wings. "Everypony else stay here."
Twilight Sparkle still had to recover before using her magic again; however, that didn't mean she couldn't just 'fly' to the village to find Octavia. The princess knew she still had to be in the church; the bell kept ringing even after the fight was over.
Twilight Sparkle passed several buildings on her way to the church. The unicorn/alicorn was scared out of her wits having seen so many ghosts fly by, occasionally turning her head side-to-side in case any restless spirits were still about. Her body and tail shivered passing the empty streets, that the town itself was still 'dead' despite having all the ghosts and ghouls crawling back to the depths of Tartarus. However, even when a few apparitions phased through her, for some strange reason they didn't attempt to attack. Even while a few still hovered over the cloudy sky, it seemed as though they paid her no heed. They were just flying about wanting to enjoy that last breath of freedom before the hour of dawn truly arrived.
While Twilight Sparkle's intents rested on finding that church, her curiosity compelled her to see all the ghosts returning to their resting places. Warriors and their horses returned to the murky waters of the castle moat. The criminals returned to the gallows where they died, and many others tucked themselves beneath their own graves. It didn't take long for dawn to approach, assuring the princess's own safety. The ringing of the bell was all Twilight needed to find the church, which eventually entered her line of vision.
"There it is," Twilight sighed with relief.
Eventually, the unicorn/alicorn flew to the very top of the bell tower and peered through one of its openings. Twilight Sparkle looked around, left and right, until eventually she found Octavia herself. The mare had been clinging onto that bell rope for dear life, her eyes sealed shut, and her ears folded back due to the loud ringing. Grasping onto her tail was Jiminy Cricket, clutching the sheet music tightly in his grasp.
For one moment, not a single word was uttered, not even Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. Even with the requiem bell ringing violently in her ears, the princess merely smiled proudly. She slowly approached Octavia, who was unaware of her approach due to her need to keep tugging the rope. Once close enough, Twilight carefully laid a wing upon Octavia's shoulder and the latter gasped as she stopped tugging. Her eyes wide, drawing a few deep breaths, the mare slowly turned toward her princess. Even Jiminy Cricket himself looked toward Twilight, smiling to see a familiar face as silence slowly recovered while the ringing ceased. It took seconds for a momentary peace until one of them finally found their voice.
"Did you defeat Chernabog?" Octavia asked, recovering her voice.
"… You did," Twilight Sparkle answered simply. "You… beat him."
The cellist couldn't believe her own ears. Her plan actually worked; the battle was finally over. Then a thought came to mind suddenly…
"The others? Vinyl?" Octavia asked again.
"They're all safe," Twilight assured her.
Octavia sighed with relief as she kept holding onto the rope, so as not to fall. Twilight soon placed her hoof upon the mare's shoulder, her smile never leaving her face.
"Let's go."
Meanwhile, everypony was still taking this moment to rest while they each tended to their injuries. Despite their best effort, they knew a visit to the hospital when they returned would be just what they needed. Spike strolled toward Rarity, the unicorn laying upon her belly to rest as she gazed upon her own wounds. Just the mere sight of her state made her pout her lips.
"Does it still hurt, Rarity?" The dragon asked. "It sure looks pretty bad."
"Aw Spikey darling, just look at what those monsters did to me," Rarity replied. "I'll be fine really, but it's going to sting every time I move."
"Well, for what it's still worth, I think you still look radiant even after all this," Spike spoke kindly. "What you did to drive those monsters back, that's one of the bravest feats I've seen you pull off."
"You say the sweetest things, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity smiled warmly.
Spike turned away with a goofy smile, his cheeks blushing heavily as he kept a finger upon his lips.
In that moment, Applejack turned her head towards the sky searching for Twilight Sparkle and Octavia. She too sustained a ton of damage as a result of all the fighting throughout the night. Despite Mickey's healing spell tending to a majority of the wounds, the country pony still required a check-up from the doctors if and when they ever return to Equestria.
"Do you see them?" Mickey asked, rotating his aching shoulder.
"No, not yet…" Applejack answered, keeping watch. "Wait! Here they come now!"
The eyes of everypony turned toward the sky, spotting Twilight Sparkle flying toward them carrying Octavia with her hooves. Landing gracefully toward the group, Twilight laid Octavia upon the ground and stepped back. The others crowded around the cellist, giving her hugs and cheers.
"You… are… AWESOME!" Rainbow nudged Octavia.
"Well done, partner!" Applejack complimented respectfully.
"Three cheers for Octavia!" Pinkie shouted gleefully. "Hip hip…"
"Hooray!" Everypony shouted.
"Hip hip…"
"Hooray!"
"Hip hip…"
"HOORAY!"
Normally, Octavia would be used to receiving such praise, especially for her musical performances. But to be praised as a hero, this proved to be completely new for her. Octavia could hardly imagine how to respond to this.
"Enjoy it while you can, Octavia," Jiminy spoke, atop her head. "You've earned it. Who knows? Won't be long before you get a moment like this again."
Octavia was just relieved that everypony, especially herself, were okay after a frightful fight. Yet she knew there was that chance they could've failed just as easily. These ponies could've died fighting, and everything would be for naught. Still, in the end, Octavia was just thankful her plan worked. Listening to the cricket's wise words, as all the ponies cheered endlessly, she could smile with pride knowing everything turned out fine.
It was then she spotted Vinyl, the DJ slowly limping toward her. The cellist was so overjoyed she pounced and hugged her friend with all her might. The DJ struggled through the pain, trying to breath, until Octavia looked her straight in the eyes, her own streaming with tears.
"DON'T EVER MAKE ME DO THAT AGAIN!" Octavia yelled tearfully.
As the cellist hugged her, Vinyl Scratch gently stroked her friend's back in comfort. Deep down, she knew Octavia had every right to act that way after everything they'd experienced.
"Shh… it's okay," Vinyl wheezed. "I'm proud of you."
"And guess what we got!" Jiminy announced, revealing the paper.
"The sheet music!" Rarity spoke happily.
"Sweet!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "FINALLY!"
"Does this mean we can go home now?" Fluttershy asked eagerly.
"Oh no, Fluttershy," Jiminy shook her head. "We still have one more sheet to find."
"Oh, I hope we find it soon," The yellow Pegasus sighed. "I really don't like being here much longer, not after everything that's happened."
"Neither of us want that, Fluttershy," Applejack stated. "Them ghosts were so ghastly they'd give Apple Bloom and Big Mac nightmares."
"Good thing I arrived to help," Mickey said, sighing with disappointment. "Even if it wasn't enough…"
"It was more than enough," Applejack reassured, laying her hoof on Mickey. "We're mighty glad you came in time."
"We were totally winning anyway," Rainbow remarked. "We had an army of brooms and Pegasi at our side! Even Octavia managed to ring that bell and turn that Cherna-jerk chicken! Yeah, it was terrifying, but I'd give anything to hit that jerk with my Rainboom again! I'm definitely getting a trophy for that."
All eyes turned toward Rainbow Dash, half of them were annoyed but mostly too tired to respond to their friend's bragging. But Applejack, on the other hoof, was not keen on her friend's behavior.
"We were still on the losing edge," Applejack spat in Rainbow's face. "Even with all the help we got, we were lucky to be alive!"
"You've seen all those fiends and how tough their master is," Spike added. "You seriously want to press your luck again?!"
"Who knows what else we'll encounter just to find the last sheet music?" Vinyl said.
"How about… we calm down and think more positively?" Pinkie suggested innocently. "We're alive, aren't we? We beat those meanie demons and thanks to Octavia we now have second-to-last sheet music. After everything Deemsy and Leo said, I say the worst is behind us. Right, Twilight?"
The party pony turned toward her friend with a smile, before the expression shifted into concern.
"Twilight?"
But it was right around when their discussion reached it's end that every pony and everyone realized Twilight Sparkle was barely amidst any of it. Only now did they acknowledge their princess alicorn friend sitting all by herself, her back entirely turned against them. Apart from some light breaths escaping her lips, not a single sound emerged… not even the slightest murmur.
"Is she okay?" Mickey asked. "She's awfully quiet."
"I don't know," Octavia replied. "She was fine a minute ago."
"We better check up on her," Applejack suggested.
"I'm with ya," Jiminy agreed.
Together they approached Twilight, at a slow yet steady pace. They didn't wish to frighten her, but as they drew close, they noticed she barely had an expression on her face. Her entire body was slouched as her head hung low to the ground and they could feel the depression from her body language alone. Applejack was the first to approach her friend's side.
"Twilight?" Applejack whispered. "Twilight?"
But the unicorn/alicorn answered not, for her mind was lost within her own thoughts. Deciding to help, Jiminy Cricket hopped off Applejack and landed upon Twilight's shoulder. The contact alone finally caught the pony's attention.
"Twilight," The cricket spoke up. "Are you all right?"
"You haven't said a word since you came back with Octavia," Applejack said. "What's eatin' you, Sugarcube?"
"I can't talk about it," Twilight answered sadly, her ears drooped.
"Why not?" Pinkie smiled. "Shiskabog and his disfigured petting zoo are history! Once we get that last sheet music, we can finally go home to Equestria and leave all this behind us!"
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but chuckle over the silly names Pinkie gave for their devilish fiend and his minions. Twilight Sparkle, on the other hoof…
"What I've seen can't be put behind," Twilight responded, staring at the ground.
"Oh, come on! Sure it was a frightening ordeal; I nearly wet myself a few times. But at least we're all here, we're safe and sound…"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, PINKIE PIE!"
The lavender book lover's shout, like an erupting volcano, sent shockwaves across everypony within a few feet of her. To say that everypony was stunned was an understatement. Rarely had they seen Twilight snap like that, not since that one time on the beach after an attempt to steal Queen Nova's magic pearl. But something within that remark, there was more pain than they could possibly imagine.
"What did everything we do have to show for it?!" Twilight asked, tearfully. "Everything we worked so hard for, and it was all for nothing!"
"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Rarity asked, confused.
"Is this because of what Chernabog said?" Applejack tiled her head.
"It must be more because of what he did to Twilight," Jiminy suggested.
"You mean the part where his eyes glowed and he tried to frighten her with scaaaaary imagery?" Pinkie asked, her eyes swirling. "Whoo… like something out of a horror movie!"
"I was wondering what that was all about," Rainbow spoke up. "Come on, Twi! Let us in on those illusions."
"It wasn't an illusion," Twilight barked. "It was more like… a vision."
"What kind?" Applejack asked.
But Twilight wasn't entirely sure whether she should tell Applejack or not. The country pony, on the other hand, would not take silence for an answer.
"Twilight…" Applejack spoke slowly. "What… did… you… see?"
A sigh escaped Twilight's lips, but she knew there was no point in keeping everypony in the dark. Especially not an entire group gathered around to hear her, regardless of the horror she alone saw.
"It was gone," Twilight explained.
"What's gone?" Spike asked.
"Equestria… all of it," Twilight emphasized. "I saw it all in my head: Every house burned down, every creature either imprisoned or dead. Our friends… the princesses… even us."
The more Twilight explained, replaying the images within her head, soon everypony gasped with shock.
"And then there was me…" Twilight recollected. "Surrounded by these… shadow figures."
"What were they?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"I don't know. But I've sworn they looked like the many enemies we've faced in Equestria, but I don't know who the others are. There was one who stood out, sitting on one of the princesses' thrones. I can't explain it, but I felt something very sinister about this once. This darkness… I never felt anything like it before. And what's worse? It had the Book of Disney in its grasp."
"Can you describe what this figure looks like?" Octavia asked. "Any specific details we should know about?"
"I remember… horns," Twilight strained to remember. "It was holding this staff with a glowing green orb… and those yellow eyes… I can never forget such eyes."
A questionable description for everypony they felt, and yet they could silently agree that it could mean one thing. Twilight Sparkle was granted a vision of the possible arrival of a new enemy, one so powerful that it could put all of Equestria, their beloved home, in danger. All eyes faced each other, the details of this figure sinking in.
"What does this mean, Twilight?" Rarity asked.
"Could this be...what Master Yen Sid warned us about?" Spike added.
'Is this the danger the sorcerer predicted?', that was a question the lavender unicorn/alicorn had been thinking for some time. And yet of all her friends, it would be her sole dragon companion who'd bring up such an interesting question.
"That doesn't sound very scary."
Everypony's attention turned toward Rainbow Dash, the cyan Pegasus breaking the silence.
"It sounds like Chernabog's trying to scare us over nothing," Rainbow Dash continued. "I don't know guys. Whatever his intentions were, I doubt it's real."
"It felt real to me, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled at her.
"Whoa, whoa, easy!" The blue Pegasus attempted to calm her down. "You're taking this way too far! What about our conversation about looking on the bright side? Whatever this so-called vision says will happen, we'll stop this figure the same as everypony else."
"What if we can't? We know nothing about these individuals; our home can be attacked the moment we turn our backs. Remember the Storm King? If we hadn't taken Luna's mission to see the Hippogriffs, we'd all be enslaved with nopony to save us! You can't expect everything to just work out because we know something from which we don't know how or when it'll happen. Next time, we might not win!"
"You don't mean that, Twilight," Spike reasoned.
"Spike's right," Pinkie agreed. "As long as we believe, the Magic of Friendship can get us through everything."
"Not… everything," Twilight spoke back.
"And I thought the princess said you were an optimist," Rainbow remarked.
Offended, Twilight Sparkle raised herself from the ground and stomped toward her.
"You're half wrong!" Twilight glared. "I'm a realist."
"That's just a fancy name for cowards and quitters!" The blue Pegasus barked.
"Call it what you want," Twilight argued back. "Don't you get it?! Every time we save Equestria, a new threat pops up. It never ends! What's the use if all we do is prolong the inevitable?! I believed the Magic of Friendship meant something, that we could make a difference in the world. You wanna know what I think now?! It's all a BIG lie!"
To suggest that everypony was shocked hearing her say all that would be a gross understatement. This was totally unlike the Twilight Sparkle they knew and cared about. But none were more disappointed than a certain mouse in a sorcerer's suit eyeing sternly with disbelief with his arms crossed. The mouse walked toward Twilight, as everypony else looked on.
"A lie?" Mickey spoke, poking Twilight's chest. "There are plenty of people who would call it a lie, a mistake, a load of hooey, a complete waste of time! Don't you ever say it yourself!"
One last poke sent Twilight Sparkle falling on her back, as Mickey stared straight into her eyes.
"I know more than anyone that life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, but I also know you must never let negative thoughts cloud your better judgment," Mickey continued. "You truly believe it's hopeless and impossible? That's only if you stop believing and do nothing! If you truly believe and care about something so much, you FIGHT for it. You fall down, you pick yourself up. You hit a wall, you push right through it no matter how hard."
"If you just sit and mope because you can't find a way, it's not just you who suffers. It's everyone, especially the ones you care about most! Cowards do that; and that is not you! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
Everypony, especially Twilight, stood completely stunned and silent. There was so much to take after hearing the mouse voice his thoughts. As Twilight sat silently, the mouse walked past her staring out into the distance.
"There is something to know about life and bad things in general, Twilight," Mickey sighed. "Never let it defeat you. You and your friends helped me fix my mistakes. Let me help you prevent yours."
The mouse turned back to her, offering his right hand. The lavender pony eyed the gloved hand, thinking over his motivational speech before placing her hoof onto it. As Mickey reeled her back up, her other friends approached.
"We understand how you feel, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Look, bad things happen. No matter what you do, there's never gonna be a time when everything's perfect. But that don't mean you quit tryin'."
"They're both right," Jiminy added, atop Applejack's head. "You must never give up no matter how bad things get."
"But what if I fail?" Twilight asked worriedly. "What if I only make things worse? How can you stay so calm about this?!"
"Because even if you don't believe in yourself, we do," Spike reassured, with a claw on her shoulder. "We believe in you. In us."
"Keeping faith is a powerful thing," Fluttershy said. "Even when we feel lost."
"You have to stay positive and smile," Pinkie added. "Even if things are terrible now."
The lavender unicorn/alicorn gave a look of cringed uncertainty over Pinkie's remark.
"I'm… not sure about the 'smiling during terrible things' part, Pinkie."
"What she meant to say is that whenever impossible odds are against us, we face them together!" Rainbow corrected.
"Like we always do, darling," Rarity added.
In that moment, Octavia approached Twilight with advice of her own.
"I wasn't entirely certain my plan to stop Chernabog would work," Octavia admitted. "But you kept faith in me even when I thought it was a lost cause. Let us do the same for you, Princess. Listen to your friends; they'll always help you when you're down."
The cellist turned toward Vinyl with a smile, as everypony else did the same. The DJ, slightly confused, turned behind her and gazed back toward the group expecting her to say something.
"Oh, are we all supposed to say something?" Vinyl asked. "I haven't spoken this much in a long time; you're lucky I like you guys, because I rarely talk in public."
"It's true," Octavia agreed. "Even back home, she rarely says anything."
"But seriously, the only advice I can give is… don't die. Sorry, it's the best I can come up with right now."
Nevertheless, Twilight Sparkle nodded in understanding. Suddenly, her eyes looked up and eventually the others faced the same direction. All eyes widened with concern and fright over the very sight before them.
Before their eyes, Chernabog stretched out his arms into the air for the final time before wrapping himself in his wings to protect himself from the approaching sunlight. In a matter of seconds, Chernabog assumed the peak of the mountain once more… and the danger was finally over. The ponies, and all their friends, were merely lucky to be alive.
"Twilight," Rainbow spoke softly. "If we can beat him, we can face whatever comes next."
"When we're together, ain't nothing we can't handle," Applejack added.
Twilight Sparkle slowly turned toward each of her friends behind her. All of them shared the same smile of confidence, a gesture of reassurance that will never part. A small smile crept across Twilight's face, knowing she can trust them and keep the faith. Clearly, Twilight Sparkle would be lost without them, the same way that they'd be lost without her.
All of a sudden, the moment is interrupted when Twilight's one ear twitched as though picking up a sound. She turned around hoping to find the very source it came from.
"What is it, Twilight?" Mickey asked.
"Shh…" The princess hushed. "Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Rainbow asked, confused.
"Wait! I do hear something," Octavia listened carefully.
Quietly, the ponies and their friends pricked up their ears into the air. Listening carefully and silently, it appeared as though they were detecting… chanting? Curious, Twilight Sparkle walked toward the direction where the chants began to bellow like the ringing of a choir. Approaching an area just within the range of the mysterious sound, Twilight Sparkle squinted her eyes to pierce through the fog before her… and as it passed, Twilight's eyes widened as a silent gasp emerged into the dusky air.
As everypony stopped walking, they saw many bright lights wandering through the mist from their vantage point.
"That's a lot of fireflies," Spike commented.
"I don't think those are fireflies," Fluttershy replied.
Once the mist cleared, these so-called fireflies turned out to be lit torches carried by cloaked figures climbing a shallow-sloping hill, their reflections rippling on the surface of a river. The Equestrians stared as the endless line of mysterious beings moved at a slow yet steady pace.
"Are those… people?" Octavia asked.
"I thought all the villagers left," Spike responded.
"Deems said some of them stayed," Twilight pointed out. "But I don't think they are from the village, aren't they Jiminy?"
"Judging by their appearance and their singing, they must be church people," Jiminy replied.
"Church… people?" Rainbow asked skeptically.
"Humans who believe in God," The cricket explained further. "Nuns, priests, monks, all sorts of pilgrims trying to spread good will even upon an unholy land. And if I'm not mistaking, that's not chanting… it's praying."
"Do you think they're… friendly?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"I admit there are some who use religion to influence a community to fulfill their own selfish needs. However, there are others who simply find comfort and hope in their lifestyle. With these guys… I don't think they're hostile."
"Whadaya think, Twilight?" Applejack asked. "Should we just… ask 'em about the sheet music?"
"Hmm… I've learned to be careful around strangers," Twilight pondered. "But we need to find that last sheet and we have no other options. Come on!"
Without further questions, the group descended down the hill toward the travelling pilgrims. At a close range, they hid behind a bush watching the mysterious cloaked beings.
"Here goes," Twilight said, carefully approaching. "Excuse me!"
Among the many pilgrims that answered her call, one stepped away from the line to approach the little unicorn/alicorn. The being's face proved difficult to see, given how well its hood covered the face. The light from the torch could scarcely reveal a mouth and a beard.
"Hello," Twilight greeted nervously. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship."
But not a single sound emerged from the pilgrim, who merely looked down at her. The being's gaze made her slightly uncomfortable, but still she continued.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything…" Twilight continued.
But answer came none still from the man, not even a blink.
"Did this guy lose his tongue or something?" Rainbow asked quietly. "What's with the silent treatment?"
"Maybe he's at a loss for words seeing ponies talk," Pinkie replied.
"Or maybe he's a mute like Vinyl usually is," Octavia added.
To which the D.J. merely responded with a look and a raised eyebrow.
"Anyways, my friends and I came here for a magical sheet music," The little princess explained, presenting her friends. "We've barely escaped a horrifying ordeal with our lives. We're tired, we have nowhere to go, and we need help. If you know something, anything at all, please… say something."
The hooded figure said nothing still, eyeing these strange visitors leaving the rest questioning whether he heard their pleas or understood them at all. Without a single sound, he turned away and marched back toward his fellow man. The Equestrians stared in disbelief and despair, thinking that any efforts were in vain. Or would be when the pilgrim turned back and motioned them with a single hand gesture.
"He wants us to follow them," Twilight said.
"Sure… follow the scary cloaked guys toward an unknown destination in the dark," Spike replied nervously. "Nothing scary at all."
"On the bright side, it won't be dark for long with the sun coming up," Vinyl reassured him.
"As long as it's somethin' that can help, I wouldn't mind walking blindfolded," Applejack said.
"Hopefully if one of them knows something they could at least tell us," Rainbow added.
"Mute or not, it is rude not answering a question," Rarity replied.
"Though disturbing their prayers would be just as rude," Jiminy pointed out.
"Let's follow them and see what the morning brings," Twilight instructed.
And so, Twilight Sparkle and her friends proceeded to join the pilgrim's line, slowly following their path towards an unknown destination. Neither the ponies, the little dragon, the cricket, or even their mousy friend uttered so much as a syllable as they followed the trail the hooded figures took. Only the chants of the group ahead of them, or in the Pegasi's case below them, filled the foggy air with sound as they pressed on through the cold air brushing along their coats.
Hiking over the hills, the village far from view, minutes passed for the Equestrians as their journey took them across a steeply arched bridge over a large body of water. The flames of the candlelit torches shined across the river, along with the reflections of the Equestrians heavily shown along the water. Rarity's eyes briefly turned toward the river, noting the way the lights brightened its surface like glowing stars from space. A silent gasp escaped her lips as she stared briefly, her breath hovering into the chilly air before she turned her gaze forward to resume the journey with her friends.
Eventually, their path took them toward the tall trees along the hills. Their limbs were as thin as the branches hovering high above the ground. A few of its leaves brushed along the wind as they slowly marched forward. All the while, the combined vibrato of the men and women chanting together rang soothingly through the ears of all the listeners treading closely. While they wouldn't consider themselves a religious group by any means, something about the notes and their melody gave them a peaceful resolute after everything they've been through. As if all the pain, the embarrassments, and every sign of danger suddenly didn't matter anymore. Not even for this one evening in the countryside that seemed to stand as still as time on pause.
Soon, Twilight Sparkle and company entered the forest. But the strangest part was the natural elements of this seemingly normal setting, almost as though it resembles more of a church than the forest. The trees resembled columns and arches alongside the light, which shone through as though it pierced through stained glass windows. Perhaps this was not a forest at all, but rather this was the pilgrims' church. Nevertheless, the Equestrians were astonished by this sense of serenity bestowed before them in this very environment.
The further along they pressed through the woods, the darker it seemed… yet not a soul shared an ounce of fear. The Equestrians, and the little mouse, stayed close together in a huddle watching the hooded figures continue their hike along the trail. For a moment, Twilight Sparkle turned to look toward her friends behind her. Octavia and Vinyl walked side-by-side as the torchlight reflected off the DJ's glasses, Spike trailing Rarity as she looked on with a warm smile, Jiminy Cricket rode atop Applejack's hat while staring in awe at the surroundings, and all the while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hovered side-by-side with a rare instance of the yellow Pegasus showing no fear.
A single hand touched Twilight's shoulder, the alicorn slowly turned left and acknowledged Mickey Mouse walking beside her. He uttered not a word, but the reassuring smile on his face was more than enough for the princess to surrender herself to the ease she felt as though it felt like an eternity. And suddenly, it didn't matter to any pony where they were going. As if for one brief moment, they forgot 'why' they were even here in the first place. All they needed was peace… and good company.
As the trail grew darker, all of a sudden, a heavenly voice sent pairs of ears perking into the air as the alicorn princess turned toward a dark path. Drawn by the song as though in a trance, Twilight Sparkle silently broke away from the marching figures and proceeded to follow the voice down another path. Her friends, confused at first, were about to call out but they too got swept away by the soothing lullaby of an unknown source.
Ave Maria! Heaven's bride!
The bells ring out in solemn praise
For you, the anguish and the pride,
The living glory of our nights —
Of our nights and days.
The Prince of Peace your arms embrace,
While hosts of darkness fade and cower.
Oh, save us, Mother full of grace,
In life and in our dying hour!
Ave Maria!
As Twilight Sparkle and friends stared into the dark abyss, the same bearded man from earlier walked alongside them and pointed toward that very direction.
"In there?" Twilight asked, curiously.
The pilgrim merely nodded his head silently, yet that was more than enough. The little pony turned ahead and saw a spark of light in the dark. Drawn by one so small, along with the soothing rhapsody, she moved ahead without a second thought. The remainder of her friends followed her down this path as the bearded man waved goodbye.
For the longest time no one amongst the group uttered a single word. It was as though a single word released could disturb the peace brushing along their hides. Shafts of light pierced through the treetops, but not bright enough to lighten the trail. They merely need only to rely on Twilight, Rarity, and Vinyl to guide their way through the lights emanating off their horns. And as they marched forward, Mickey approached Twilight's side anxious to break the ice.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better," Twilight replied. "This environment and its music make me feel at peace somehow, like there's still a chance of hope for everything. And yet…"
"… you're still worried," Mickey finished.
"I am. That vision still haunts me, leaving me uncertain about our future. Are we truly prepared for whatever comes next? Or are we doomed to fail?"
"What do you think, Jiminy?" Mickey addressed the cricket. "You seem like the kind of cricket to give good advice when someone feels down."
Jiminy hopped onto Twilight's head, sitting himself comfortably as a thin line of light began to shine past the tall trees at the end of the trail ahead.
"I don't have the answer to everything," Jiminy replied. "But we understand how you feel, everybody feels that way at some point. You see life is a long, dark tunnel where you can't always see the light at the end."
And it did not take long until everypony noticed the light as they marched on.
"But if you just keep moving…" Jiminy continued.
As they pressed further on, the light appeared as though it opened wide like a door. The light started forming along the hills ahead, as the Equestrians and the mouse departed from the forest into an open valley miles away from the hills.
"… you'll end up in a better place," Jiminy concluded, smiling.
As the sky grew brighter, their eyes could fully adjust and see the white puffy clouds hovering over them along the sky, which slowly turned from blue to orange. The rays of the sun soon sprouted ahead, and those gathering to bear witness smiled as though they were seeing the return of an old friend.
And then, just as the mysterious choir reached its end, a miracle happened suddenly.
Along one of the rays, a thin object hovered over the hills and swept past the rays along a breeze carrying it carefully toward the group below. It was no bird, but instead… the very last sheet of music, colored green much like the previous, the one they had been searching for. It didn't fight the wind, but just flowed with it, sweeping along the brightly lit air toward the stunning gaze of the ponies and their friends, who all could breathe a sigh of relief knowing the search was finally over. As the paper slowly dropped toward them, Twilight's hooves reached out as the paper gently landed upon her hooves and with it the very reasoning of their journey returned to the Equestrians. But more importantly, along this mysterious final tret, it suddenly became very clear for a pony with little certainty of the entire venture…
"I understand…" Twilight whispered, breaking the silence.
Everypony turned toward Twilight Sparkle, smiling proudly knowing the pony they knew had slowly returned as though she never left. A feeling which only grew stronger as they huddled together to watch the sunrise over the hills, symbolism to the coming of a better tomorrow.
"Beautiful," Rarity whispered.
"Have you ever seen somethin' so stunnin'?" Applejack asked.
"Sure is something," Rainbow replied.
"Like a warm blanket that gives you comfort," Fluttershy added.
Alongside their friends, Octavia and Vinyl wrapped their hooves around each other's shoulders for comfort. Spike hugged along Twilight's side, while Pinkie pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her mane to shield her eyes. For the next few minutes, all eyes watched the majestic spectacle of a rising sun. Just then, a portal opened behind them, and all heads turned around. Now at long last, their mission finally complete, they were ready to go back.
"Let's go home," Twilight smiled.
One by one, the ponies and their friends walked toward the swirling vortex. Each of them turned for one last look at the sunrise, before they fully entered the portal toward the other side. And as the portal closed behind them, it wasn't long until they found themselves back to where they began before… back to the orchestra stand, where everyone was waiting for them.