Chapter 168: Princess Twilight Sparkle Part 2: Tesy of Friendship
Twilight was in complete shock, starring at Princess Luna who had turned back into Nightmare Moon right before her eyes, the shock fading as she called her Keyblade and was ready to fight, lowering herself down as she glarred at Nightmare Moon.
"Princess, i don't know what has come over you, but I will free you from your darkness like Spyro did before!" Twilight shouted. Without another word said, Nightmare Moon shot a beam of dark magic to the ceiling, causing the roof to collapse and making twilight jump out of the way, avoiding being crushed by the falling debris when she looked up, seeing Princess Celestia in front of her. "Princess Celestia, I'm glad you're ok."
However, without being told anything, Celestia jumped into the air and flew ot the ceiling, Nightmare Moon firing a beam of magic at her to try and hit her, but the princess of the day dodged the attack and landed on the ground, the two sisters glarring at one another.
"Stay still you pest!" Nightmare Moon said.
"Luna, stop!" Twilight shouted, getting in the way. "Remember how long you were banished to the moon! You'll give us no choice but to send you back if you don't!"
"Luna, I will not fight you sister." Celestia said. "You have to lower the moon, otherwise Equestria will die!"
"Luna is gone!" Nightmare Moon said. "Now, I am Nightmare Moon!" She then fired another beam of magic, which Celestia jumped out of the way and started to fly away, going through the roof as she fled. "Where do you think you're going 'sister'?"
Nightmare Moon went after Celestia with twilight following close behind as Twilight watched nightmare moon attack her sister, firing bolt after bolt of dark magic to try and hit her, which the Princess of the Day kept on dodging the attacks, flying with ease as she went, but a moment later, as Celestia was looking back, Nightmare Moon managed to get a clean shot, hitting Celestia in the chest and making her fall, Twilight watching as her mentor fell from the sky and back into the throne room as Nightmare Moon laughed, being victorious over her sister.
"Celestia!" Twilight screamed, flying down and landing in front of her mentor, tears rolling down her face as she saw her motionless body. "Why? Why would Luna do this?" However, as twilight was mourning, Celestia got up, looking up at her sister as Twilight looked at her, happy to see she was alright. "Princess! You're alright!" However, Celestia acted like she didn't hear her, worrying Twilight as she looked at her mentor. "Princess?"
"Forgive me sister, but you leave me no choice." Celestia said.
She used her magic to open a hidden compartment on the floor and a moment later, a pedastal rose up, the same one that Twilight saw in the castle of the Two Sisters where she and her friends went looking for the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon the first time.
"Those... those are the Elements of Harmony." Twilight said, looking at her mentor. "That's how they looked in the past. This was the night you had to banish your sister."
Princess Celestia flew up and used her magic to pull the elements to herself, summoning the sixth element from a stone orb as they all spun around her, turning into a rainbow as a rainbow aura radiated off of her, flying up and starring at Nightmare Moon, both ready to end the fight. Nightmare Moon fired a beam of dark magic at her sister again, but Ceelstia surrounded herself in a barrier as the elements levitated in fromt of her and the five connected beams of magic into the sixth, Princess Celestia's horn charging as she fired a rainbow colored beam of magic, which it connected with the dark magic, but overpowered it as the magic hit Nightmare Moon, causing her to scream as she was sent to the moon, an image of the Mare in the Moon being on the moon as Celestia allowed a tear to roll down her face as she felt heartbroken at what she had to do. A moment later, the vision ended and twilight was back in the present, shaking her head, having returned from her vision to see her friends starring at her with worry.
"Why are you all starring at me like that?" Twilight asked.
"Well... you were mumbling to yourself." Applejack said.
"And not to mention the uncontrollable sobbing." Pinkie added.
"We were really worried about you Twilight." Fluttershy said.
"Well I for one found it delightful." Discord said, laying on his stomach on one of the vines. "Sort of a one pony theater show!" He then pulled out a poster that was animating her crying. "Seriously, you should consider taking it on the road."
"Did you find out who's flank we need to kick!?" Rainbow Dash asked, kicking the air. "And where the princesses and Spyro are?"
"Well, I saw something that happened long ago, but it didn't explain what is happening here now." Twilight replied.
"Perhaps farther back still are the answers you seek, another sip of the potion will give you a peak." Zecora said, presenting the potion to Twilight.
Twilight used her magic to levtate the potion to her, looking at it while the others, besides Discord looked at her worriedly.
"You sure about this Twilight?" Spike asked.
"It's the only way to figure out what's going on and where the princesses and Spyro went." Twilight replied.
She then took another sip of the potion, the potion not tasting as good the second time as Discord reappeared weaeing a directors outfit with a movie camera.
"Oh, I do hope she breaks into a song this time!" Discord said excitedly.
Twilight's eyes turned white again and she was transported to the past again, closing her eyes and opening them again to see a world that was all chaotic, fish swimming in the air, ponies acting goofy, the cotton Candy clouds flying in the air.
"COTTON CANDY CLOUDS!?" Pinkie shouted excitedly, her head busting through the ground to get at them.
"Now, now Pinkie, this isn't your scene." Discord said, appearing next to her. "Don't worry, I'll get you some back in the present. For now, let's let Twilight look for her answers."
"Okie dokie loki!" Pinkie said.
She went back into the ground as Discord snapped his fingers, repairing the ground and disappearing, leaving Twilight confused, but didn't have time to think about it as she saw the two royal sisters again, this time they were together approaching a throne with their saddle bags on. In the throne was Discord, twilight wanting to attack, but then remembered that this was the past, so she restrained herself as she watched.
"Oh, this is so much fun!" Discord said. "How about a game of pin the tail on the pony?"
He held up Pricness Celestia's tail, the princess gasping as she looked at her flank, using her wings to cover it as she blushed in embarrassment and in anger as she glared at Discord.
"Play time is over Discord!" Princess Celestia said.
"Oh, I doubt that." Discord said, eating some seeds before presenting some to the sisters. "Hungry?" They didn't take the seeds, clearly not interested as they wanted to stop Discord. "Suit yourself." He continued to eat the seeds, ossing some seeds everywhere as the princeses got out the Elements of Harmony from their saddle bags, Discord tossing the bag as he looked at them. "Oh, what have you got there?"
"The Elements of Harmony!" Celestia replied.
"With them, we shall defeat you and end this madness!" Luna added.
"Amazing." Twilight said. "This must be the moment when they used the Elements of Harmony to turn Discord to stone."
The Elements spun around the princesses, creating a barrier around them while Discord was laughing, enjoying the moment.
"Oh, you should see how serious you look!" Discord said, laughing. "So sure of yourselves!"
Discord continued to laugh as the sisters connected their horns, their magical auras turning white as a rainbow shot out into the air and went straight for Discord, who was still laughing as the rainbow hit him and he turned to stone before being taken somewhere else, her eyes glowing again as she shook her head, looking around as she saw she was in a cave and at the end of the cave was a tree made out of crystals with five branches and a star in the middle, which twilight immediatly recognized as the Elements of Harmony. She watched as the sisters walked up to the tree, Luna surprised to see it as they approached.
"The Tree of Harmony." Luna said in utter shock and awe.
"The Tree of harmony?" Twilight asked, confused at what she said. She examined the tree and saw the princesses Cutie marks, looking at them before looking to the star in the center of the tree, which it was identical to her Cutie Mark, her eyes widening in surprise. "The tree has my Cutie mark."
Princess Celestia flew up to the tree, using her magic to activate the tree as it started to glow.
"Are you sure this is a good idea sister?" Luna asked, flying up to her.
"We have discovered the only means of defeating Discord sister." Celestia replied. "It is the only way to save our citizens of Equestria." She then staretd to remove the Elements of Harmony from the tree and place them in her bag one at a time. "Besides, without the Elements, the tree will hold a great and powerful magic." The star then opened up and the sixth element came out, all six being in their bags as they looked at it. "So long as that magic remains, the tree of Harmony will continue to contain all that grows here."
Twilight was surprised to have learned the Elements of Harmony came from the Tree of Harmony, now knowing why the Everfree was growing out of control as her eyes turned white again, being brought back to the present as she shook her head, rubbing the temple of it as everyone looked at her.
"So, what did you find out?" Spike asked.
"I still haven't discovered what happened to the princesses or to Spyro." Twilight replied. "But I know why the Everfree is growing out of control like this. Something is happening to the Tree of Harmony."
"Wait, the Tree of what?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"The Tree of Harmony." Twilight repeated. "It's where the princesses found the Elements of Harmony, but now something is happening to it that's causing all this to happen. I think it's in danger."
"Well alright then!" Applejack said. "Let's go save... uh... a tree! But, uh, where's this tree exactly?"
"In there." Twilight replied, pointing to the Everfree forest. "In the Everfree forest."
The others looked spooked, not liking that the tree was in the same forest that was growing out of control while Discord was laughing, wearing 3D glasses and looked ot the readers.
"Looks like I'm going to need some popcorn and some soda for this!" Discord said, laughing.
Meanwhile, back in the Everfree Forest, in a cave with a dying tree in it, there were vines that were keeping something contained, holding it and making it impossible for whatever it was to move, but from one of the vines came some grunting and strained breathing as it moved slowly, something struggling to move inside until two golden blasma blades shot out of the top, spinning around as it cut through the vines until Spyro jumped out of the vine yelling a battle cry as he landed on the ground, having a chance to get some fresh air as he held the Inquisitors Lightsaber with his magic.
"Good thing I keep the Inquisitors Lightsaber as a backup." Spyro said, looking around. "Where in the world am I? This is definitely not the castle."
He looked around and saw the other two, wondering what they were as he walked over and started to cut through the vine, pulling it apart and saw it was Celestia, who gasped for fresh air as she looked at him.
"Spyro!" Princess Celestia said.
"Celestia!" Spyro exclaimed. "What's happening!?"
"I fear this is all my fault." Celestia said. "When we turned Discord to stone, we had to use the Elements of Harmony and we had to take them from the Tree of Harmony."
"Tree of harmony?" Spyro asked, looking up and looking at the tree in the cave, it looked to be made of crystal and he could sense magic coming from it, but it seems to be fading.
"It's an ancient and powerful tree that keeps the Everfree from growing all across Equestria." Celestia replied. "I fear the magic in the tree is fading."
"Not good." Spyro said, looking up adn seeing the vines comign to him. "Hang on, I'll get you out!"
"No, there's no time!" Celestia said as the vines started to wrap around her again. "You must find your friends and help them to get to the Tree of Harmony, return the Elements and save Equestria!"
"But where is the tree?" Spyro asked. "I mean, it's right here in front of me, but where can I find it when I find my friends
"It is underneath the ruins of our old castle." Celestia replied. "We tried to keep them as close to the tree as possible, thinking if they remained close, the magic would remain strong. But you must go there, now!" They both looked up, seeing the vines were getting closer as they knew time was up. "Don't worry about us! GO!"
He wanted to free the princess, but also knew that if he didn't get out, he might not get a second chance, so he leapt backwards as the vines shot down to grab him, turning the hooves on her forelegs to claws and took the Inquisitors Lightsaber, the circular guard around the handle clicking and retracting to allow him to seperate the sabers and he landed on his hind legs. He then turned and ran for the exit, cutting through the vines and roots as they tried to grab him, jumping over a massive one as he rolled forward, getting back up and continuing to run for the opening before kicking down a large vine and brought it down, cutting ti up as he leapt out and flew high in the sky, seeing the ruins where the Elements previously rested as he deactivated the sabers, reconnecting them as the circular guard attached itself and he put the saber on his back. Lookign back down at the ravine, he saw the vines and roots going into the cave to destroy the tree, looking at it before breathing out, wanting to go bac in and save the princesses, but he knew if he did so, there was a chance he would be caught again.
"Don't worry Princess Celestia, I'll come back." Spyro said to himself. "With the Elements of Harmony and my friends."
He took out his Sling Ring again and put it on, holding his hoof up as he spun it around and a portal opened up into Ponyville, flying through it as the portal closed behind him. At the mouth of the Everfree, the group was approaching the forest as the thorny vines continued to grow, everyone stopping at the entrance as they looked at it, everyone feeling nervous as they approached.
"Why, it seems like only yesterday that we came here to these woods to find the Elements of Harmony." Rarity said.
"Seems only yesterday that I foolishly believed that I could come here alone to find them." Twilight said, looking to her friends. "But whatever is ahead of us today, I know we can face them together." The ponies all nodded their heads, agreeing as they continued into the Everfree to find the Tree of Harmony and save their land from the Everfree take over. A while later, they arrived at a river where it was bubbling and filled with green water, seeing a trail of rocks as they went. "There, we can use those to cross."
Twilight jumped on the rocks, but then they started to move, making her stumble a bit as she jumped back and from the water, a massive crocodile like monster with rocks all over it rose out of the water, looking at them and roaring at them.
"A Cragadile!" Rarity screamed. "Run for your lives!"
They all split up and ran in opposite directions, but the Cragadile was only interesting in one pony, which it was Twilight Sparkle, going after her and Spike as he went with them and cornering them against a tree, the Cragadile coming towards her, but then her friends used a vine to tied it's tail up, pulling the Cragadile back before Applejack tossed many makeshift lassos at the massive monster, tying it up as twilight wrapped the vines around three trunks, it's limbs extended outwards while also making sure the mouth was tied up as well, everyone breathing a sigh of relief as they walked away.
"That was too close." Twilight said.
"Ya'll can say that again." Applejack said. "You sure yer alright?"
"I'm fine, but I can't seem to get these wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it." Twilight replied.
"Ah, you'll get the hang of them eventually." Rainbow Dash said.
"But eventually isn't soon enough." Twilight replied.
"Ya'll have been havin' problems with them wings." Applejack said. "And who knows what else might come after us. Maybe ya'll should head back to Ponyville and let us look for the Tree of Harmony."
"What, why?" Twilight asked.
"Well, for starters, ya'll almost got eaten by a Cradadilly." Applejack said.
"We all almost did." Twilight said, clearly annoyed by her friends suggestion. "He wasn't just after me you know."
"Ah know, but we aren't all princesses." Applejack said.
"What does that have to do with anything!?" Twilight asked, her temper flaring a bit.
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are missing." Applejack said, looking at her friend. "And Spyro is also is missing. Equestria can't risk loosing another another princess. And we can't risk loosing another friend."
"Applejack makes a valid point you know." Rarity said. "Even if we do manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it doesn't mean that the princesses and Spyro will return." Everypony in Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence."
"But I'm the only one who knows what the tree of Harmony looks like." Twilight said.
"Huge tree, cutie marks on the trunk, something awful attacking it." Rainbow Dash said, listing what she told them on the way to the Everfree. "Yeah, I think we got this covered."
Twilight felt hurt, tears rolling down her face as she looked at her friends with a broken heart.
"You... you all feel this way?" Twilight asked, her friends seeing that she was hurt. "Feel like I shouldn't be here?"
Her friends looked away, not wanting to make eye contact as they knew they hurt her feelings and felt guilty about it.
"Well, it is for the best." Fluttershy replied.
Twilight was crushed, her own friends saying they didn't need her, though she knew they were right, it didn't make things any easier, walking away as she went back to Ponyville while Spike walked after her as her friends continued without her.
"Come on Twilight, they're just trying to protect you." Spike said
"I know Spike, but..." Twilight said, walking past a tree as she exited the forest and walked to Ponyville. "I just feel like we're now worlds apart, my friends thinking I'm superior to them, wanting to call me princess all the time, I don't know if I can handle it Spike. Maybe... maybe I'm not cut out to be a princess Spike." She waited for him to say something, a tear rolling down her face as she looked back. "Spike?" She looked to see if she could find him, wondering why he didn't reply, but saw he wasn't there, growing concerned as she kept walking. "Spike?"
"He's not here." A voice said. Twilight turned around quickly to see who it was that spoke to her, finding that there was someone in the center of town, approaching her as Twilight stopped. "It's just you and me now."
"Who are you?" Twilight asked.
Without answering, a crimson red blade ignited, freaking Twilight out as the figure leapt at her, Forcing twilight to get her Lightsaber and block the attack, backing away as she defendd herself while her attacker kept on attacking, making her fall down as the figure pointed his or her saber at her.
"Weak, and pathetic." The figure said, the voice sounding feminine. "Just like your little colt friend."
"Where is he!?" Twilight asked, believing she knew where he is.
"No idea." She replied, keeping her saber trained on her. "Like your friends, he abandoned you."
"No, he wouldn't do that!" Twilight shouted, smacking the saber away as she got up. "He'd never abandon us!"
"And yet he isn't here to protect you or your friends." The figure said, walking around as she drug her saber on the ground as twilight kept her saber inbetween them. "He wasn't there to protect you from the Cragadile, what makes you think he'll come to you now?" She then lunged at Twilight, forcing her to block the attack, but her opponent was a superios opponent, her strikes powerful, yet precise, making twilight stumble backwards as they fought. "You were better off without your friends." She then attacked again, nearly knocking out twilight's saber out of her magical aura. "Better off without somepony distracting you! Leading you away from your studies!" She then stuck again, knocking her saber out of her magic before Force pushing her, making her hit the ground hard as her saber skidded next to her. "You're weak, like your prince, and your precious, little princess."
That was the final straw for Twilight, getting up and pulling her saber to her as she charged at the figure, reigniting the blade as she attacked wildly, screamign in rage as she attacked, her attacker blocking each attack before disarming her, grabbing her and holding her saber up to her neck as her eyes turned to Sith eyes.
"You don't know me!" Twilight shouted. "You don't know my friends, my mentor, and not my coltfriend! You know nothing about me at all!"
"Oh, I know more about you than you think Twilight." The figure said, removing her hood. "After all..." When Twilight saw who it was, her blood turned cold as she saw that the pony she was fight was... herself, but her eyes were pure Sith, the circles around her eyes were black and her color was darker. "I am you."
Twilight was horrified, backing away as her saber deactivated, the Sith Twilight in front of her laughing maniaclly as she got her weapon back and reignited it, raising it to finish Twilight off, but as she swung, a rift opened up and a lions paw reached in, grabbing her and pulling her out just in time, getting put down gently as Discord looked at her.
"Dear me, you look absolutely dreadful." Discord said with a smile. "Tell me, are all your Force Visions like that?"
"Vision?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight!" Spike shouted, running to her.
"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed, hugging him as he reached her. "What happened to you?"
"Me?" Spike asked, ending the hug. "You disappeared as soon as you exited the Everfree. I was worried something happened to you."
"Something almost did happen Spike." Twilight said, sitting down.
"I take it your little trip to find the Tree of Harmony didn't go as planned?" Discord asked with a smile.
"Not exactly." Twilight replied. "We ran into some trouble and... my friends thought it best that I stay here in Ponyville incase Princess Celestia and Luna don't return. Or Spyro."
"I'm more surprised that you actually agreed." Discord said. "I didn't take you for the pony who thought herself as somepony better than everyone else."
"I don't think I'm better than everypony else!" Twilight said.
"Oh, how silly of me to think you'd think that." Discord said mockingly, making a royal cape and scepter appear on her back and in her foreleg. "I mean, all you did was choose to keep your precious princess self out of harms while while your friends went into danger themselves. Especially since one of them is pregnant."
"Discord." Twilight said, trying to warn him not to push it.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll all be the best of friends again after they return from their terrifying, yet deeply bonding experience that they're having without you." Discord said, popping out of Twilight ear while looking back into the forest.
Twilight was thinking it over in her head, realizing that Discord might be repulsive and a trickster, he was right and that her friends need her, tossing Discord out of her ear as she ran for the forest.
"I should never have agreed to leave my friends behind!" Twilight said. "They need me as much as I need them!"
"But Twilight, it's too dangerous!" Spike said. "I know Discord claims to be reformed, but he's not that reformed. He's trying to get under your skin."
"Well it worked!" Twilight replied.
She lifted Spike off the ground and put him on her back, running towards the forest while Discord watched, smiling as he waved his hand at her.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" A voice asked. Discord turned to see who it was, seeing Spyro approach him with a serious look. "You purposefully guilt tripped her, tricking her to go back in and help her friends, despite their pleas for her to stay in the village, knowing how dangerous it is."
"Of course I did that on purpose." Discord replied, summoning a chair and puttiong on the 3D Glasses to watch. "They're stronger together than apart. Besides, if the tree dies, then myself and all of Equestria is doomed. Well, mostly myself."
"Of course you'd think about yourself." Spyro said, smiling as he knew he had ulterior motives as he looked to the forest. "They'll need my help. And Twilight will be needing me more than ever."
"You sure you want to go back in there after what those plants did to subdue you?" Discord asked, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
"They need me." Spyro replied. "As they need Twilight. I'm going in."
He then ran into the forest, hoping to catch up with his friends before anything bad happened to them. In the Everfree, the rest of the Mane Six were walking along the shadowy pathway of the Everfree looking for the Tree of Harmony, but they were starting to loose hope, lookign around as they continued on.
"Anypony else thinking this is becoming a loss cause?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We're almost at Celestia and Luna's old castle. I'm starting to think that the tree might not even exist. Maybe there is no Tree of Harmony."
"Or maybe it's down there." Applejack said.
She pointed down a ravine and there were many vines and roots having grown into a massive cave, shocking Rainbow Dash as she looked down.
"I don't believe it." Rainbow Dash said.
"How in Equestria are we supposed to get down there!?" Rarity asked.
They heard Pinkie falling down, looking to see what had happened as they watched her fall down the stairs, everyone else completely missing them.
"Take the stairs silly!" Pinkie replied.
They all looked at one another, shrugging their shulders as they walked over to the stairs to go down and get to the tree before everything got worse. In the Everfree, Twilight was trotting along, trying to find her friends as she looked around in a panic, trying to figure out where they went, but was loosing hpe as she didn't recognize anything.
"Are we there yet?" Spike asked.
"i don't know." Twilight said. "I don't know where we are. I think we're lost." She then plopped down, crying as she felt hopeless and afraid, fear taking over her body. "I should never have left my friends."
"We can't give up now." Spike said. "Maybe if I got higher, I can see them."
He then started to climb the tree to find their friends, leaving Twilight alone on the ground as she watched, making sure he didn't get himself hurt.
"Little good that will do you, 'princess'." A voice said.
Twilight turned around to see who it was that was talking to them, hearing a lightsaber igniting as a crimson red blade appeared in the trees, Sith Twilight walking out of the trees holding the blade with a dark pink aura as she approached.
"You." Twilight said, igniting her blade as her darker version approached.
"What do you need your friends for anyway?" Sith Twilight asked. "They told you to get lost, that they didn't need you."
"No, my friends need me, like I need them." Twilight replied, holding her saber up.
"They left you out here all alone." Sith Twilight said. "They didn't even leave a way for you to follow them if they were in trouble. Face it princess... they aren't your friends. Not anymore."
"Shut up!" Twilight shouted.
She then charged at her dark side, attacking and making Sith Twilight laugh as they fought, both fighting like wild animals as Twilight remembered her training with the Keyblade, using it to fight while Sith Twilight just continued to smile, jumping back to avoid getting hit every now and then while she enjoyed the fight.
"Good princess, good." Sith Twilight said. "Your anger and hatred give you strength. Feel it. Nurture it! Let it become you! Let it show you who you really are!" Twilight kept fighting, putting everything she had into the fight to defat her dark side. "You are a warrior, a hunter, a predator. Let the darkness show you the way. Let it give you strength and grant you unimaginable power!" Twilight then struck hard, almost knocking her dark side's lightsaber out of her aura as she backed away, striking fast and hard as she forced her dark side to the ground, attacking so viciously, she didn't realize she was loosing herself as she knocked the saber out of her aura, pointing it at her dark side, the darkness smiling as she saw Twilight's eyes were Sith eyes again, breathing heavily as she looked down at her. "Good, that's good. Finish it. Strike me down and let that anger and hate make you who you are meant to become! Become a Sith lord! Become Darth Veil Eclipse!"
Twilight looked at her dark side, breathing heaviily as she looked into the gold plating on her lightsaber, seeing her eyes were Sith again as she remembered what Spyro said, that the Sith ruled through fear and drew strength through their anger and hatred, deactivating her saber as she stepped back.
"Never." Twilight said, throwing her blade away. "I'll never join the Dark Side." Her dark side got up, looking at her as she stood. "My friends are my strength, my power, just like they're Spyro's power. I'll never abandon them, as they would never abandon me! They want to keep me safe as I want to help them and despite their worries, I'm going to help them whether they want it or not!"
Sith Twilight, now revealing herself to be Darth Veil Eclipse looked at Twilight, smiling as she took Twilight's lightsaber, Twilight gasping as her darkside took it and connected it to hers, igniting both blades as the green blade turned red, laughing as she disappeared and several massive vines with flowers on them came out and blasted her with gas, making her cough as she tried to escape, continuously getting sprayed as the gas was starting to overwhelm her, falling to the ground as she fell into unconsciousness, the plants surrounding her as she closed her eyes. However, before the plants could finish her off, they heard something heading their way, turning to the sound as Spyro's gold lightsaber came out of the forest and sliced clean through the plants, making them fall tot he ground as he came out of the woods, charging towards the plants as more arrived to attack.
They sprayed their gas to try and subdue him, but his armor activated and created a gas mask for him, the gas having no effect as the mask covered his mouth and nostrils as he started to slice through the plants as they came at him, the blade spinning as he ran, cutting through all the plants that tried to get him, but he was overwhelming them, forcing the plants to back off as he deactivated is blade, running to Twilight as he took off the mask and put it over her muzzle, getting air into her lungs so she could breath. She then started to cough, getting the gas out of her lungs as he removed the mask, helping her to sit up.
"Twilight, you ok?" Spyro asked.
"I... I'm fine." Twilight said, coughing up the last of the gas as she looked to her savior, seeing it was Spyro as her heart leapt for joy. "Spyro, you're alright!" She then lunged forward and hugged him, which Spyro hugged her back as she started to cry a bit as she hugged him. "Oh Spyro, I'm so sorry!"
"Hey, it's alright, everything it alright now." Spyro said.
"No, it's not alright!" Twilight said, lookign at him after ending the hug. "I... I threw away my lightsaber. I... I refused to destroy my dark side in anger! I didn't want to fall itno darkness! I-"
"Twilight, it's alright." Spyro replied, hugging her. "We can always get another lightsaber. But we never get a second life." he then looked at her, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "Don't worry, we'll get it back."
Twilight smiled as a tear was rolling down her check, wiping it away as she hugged him again, glad to have him back as another plant was coming up behind them, but before it could attack, Applejack pulled it away and tied it up and looked at the plants.
"Listen here ya rhododendrones!" Applejack shouted. "Ya mess with one of us, ya mess with all of us!"
The rest of their friends came to the in the nick of time, calling their Keyblades as they slashed through the plants while also making some of the pony eating plants chase them arond the trees, taughting them to get tied up into a jumbled mess, all the remaining plants being tied up against one another as Pinkie threw confetti, celebrating as one of the plants that was still free mamnaged to sneak up behind her, getting ready to eat her when a hot pink beam of magic shot out, hitting the plant and causing it to explode as Spyro helped Twilight up, the others surprised to see he was there, but all happy to see he was alright.
"Spyro, you're ok!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Spyro said. "Got taken down by a little old house plant, but I managed to get free of it and get out before it could do anything else to me."
"We're just glad yer safe and sound hun." Applejack said, running up as they hugged.
"Wait, if you're here, does that mean the princesses are back as well!?" Rarity asked.
"Afraid not." Spyro replied. "The vines have them imprisoned in the cave with the Tree of Harmony."
"Wait, they're at the Tree of Harmony!?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearly shocked.
"Yes, but the vines aren't going to let go until we restore the Tree of Harmony." Spyro answered.
"Easier said that done." Rainbow Dash said. "Those plants are all over the tree. We tried to remove them, but they aren't coming off."
"That's because the tree's magic is fading." Spyro said. "The only way to save it is with the Elements of Harmony."
"You mean... we sent Twilight away for her safety, and we still needed her?" Applejack asked, feeling guilty about what she and all of their friends did.
"Yes, you still needed her." Spyro answered.
"Well, Ah'm glad you came back Twilight." Applejack said.
"I'm glad you girls found us." Twilight said,
"You can thank Spike for that." Rainbow Dash said, Spike looing proud of himself. "He said he saw a dark figure fighting Twilight and then the plants attacked you. Said that the figure took your lightsaber after you threw it away."
"I know, stupid of me to do that." Twilight said. "Speaking of which..." She then took Spyro's lightsaber off her leg belt, presenting it to Spyro as he looked at it. "I think this belongs to you."
Spyro looked at the saber, looking at Twilight as he smiled at her, pushing it away and confusing the lavender Alicorn.
"Why don't you hang onto it." Spyro suggested. "Something tells me you're going to need it before long."
"But... it's your lightsaber." Twilight said. "You said a Jedi must never loose their lightsaber."
"Yes, and you lost yours." Spyro said. "I'm letting you keep mine until you can reclaim your saber. Besides..." He then used his magic and pulled the inquisitors lightsaber out, igniting it and showing he was prepared. "I still have this one. I can use it for the time being."
"So, what now?" Twilight asked, putting the saber back on the belt.
"Well, the truth is Twilight, we're simply lost without you." Rarity said. "We realized when we got to the tree that we needed you."
"Yeah, Equestria may need it's princess." Rainbow Dash said.
"But we need our friend." Fluttershy finished.
They all then hugged, happy to be back together again and when they finished hugging, they went to the ravine that had the cave where the Tree of Harmony was at, being careful not to get wrapped up by the vines as they approached the tree itself, the vines wrapping around it as the tree looked pale, faded, without life.
"So, what do we do now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, to bring the tree back to life, we'll need to return what has been taken." Spyro answered, looking to the ponies.
"What the heck does that mean?" Applejack asked.
"He means we have to give back the Element of Harmony." Twilight replied, shocking the ponies.
"Woah, woah, woah, hold on a minute there." Rainbow Dash said. "How the heck are we gonna protect Equestria?"
"How can we reigh in Discord if we can't use the Elements of Harmony to turn him back to stone?" Rarity asked.
"Twilight, you sure we have to give them back to save the tree?" Applejack asked, walking up. "They're the only thing that keeps us connected, no matter what."
"AJ, you're right about one thing." Twilight said. "The Elements brought us together and helped us to become friends when I realized that there was something more important than my studies. But it won't be the elements that'll keep us connected. It's our friendship that'll keep us connected, for it is more powerful than any magic." She then looked to Spyro, who was smiling at her as he wrapped his wing around her. "My new role means I may have new responsibilities that'll keep us seperated, and it may test our friendship, but it'll never, ever be broken."
Her friends all smiled at her, walking up and hugging the Alicorn princess as she hugged them all back, glad to have the for friends, despite her new role.
"My, isn't this a sweet sight to behold." A female voice said.
They all turned to the Tree of Harmony to see who it was, thinking it was Larxene, but they then saw Darth Veil Eclipse, everyone gasping as she walked towards them.
"Wait, what!?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Another Twilight!? What's going on!?"
"It's my Dark side." Twilight said, getting out from the group hug and walking forward. "She's been hounding me the entire time I've been here in the Everfree."
"You had a chance to destroy me back there." Darth Veil Eclipse said. "You should have taken it and become what you were meant to be."
"I would never become like you." Twilight said. "My friends are always there to help me when I'm in need. I might have changed and have new responsibilities and tasks, but there is one thing I'll never forget, no matter what."
"And what is that, little princess?" Darth Veil Eclipse asked.
"That my friends, and my coltfriend are the most important ponies in my entire life!" Twilight replied. "And nothing is going to change that, no matter what!"
Everyone stood next to her, showing their support for their friend as they stood against the darker side of Twilight, who just starred at them, looking bored as she yawned.
"You done with your little speeches yet princess?" Darth Veil Eclipse said. "Your speeches are beginning to bore me."
She then used the Force and threw all of Twilight's friends out of the cave, Spyro managing to block and hold his ground, getting his back up saber ready to fight, but the vines suddenly wrapped around his legs and pulled him into the ceiling, making him drop his lightsaber as he was dangled upside down before thrown out of the cave. As he was thrown out, a wall of energy appeared and then disappeared, making Spyro rub his head as Rainbow Dash went charging towards the wall to help their friend, but she just bounced off the wall of energy and skidded on the ground, groaning as she rubbed her head before looking at it.
"Hey, what gives!?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Looks like we're cut off." Spyro said, placing his hoof on the barrier. "Twilight's on her own for this one."
"We simply must find a way to get through!" Rarity said.
"She's right Spyro!" Applejack said, calling her Keyblade and striking the barrier. "We have to get in there and help her!"
"No AJ, not this time." Spyro said, getting her to stop. "This fight is hers and hers alone. All we can do now is hope and pray she can overcome her darkness."
"Don't worry everypony, I got this." Twilight said, taking Spyro's saber off her leg belt and igniting it. "No pony, especially myself, treats my friends like that. I'm not going to let you get away with that, and I won't let you tell me who or what I am or what I will be. I know who I am and i won't let anypony else tell me."
"Heh, brave words, little Jedi." Darth Veil Eclipse said, taking her saber and igniting both sides as crimson red blades appeared. "Let's see if you can back up what you throw down."
Both mares stood before one another, Twilight's friends watching as they hoped their friend would be alright and would come out of this entire thing in one piece. Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Discord was watchign everything through a telescope, a massive lense watching the group as it was right behidn them, the chaos being laughing with pure joy as he ate the popcorn he was eating.
"Oh, I'm going to need some more popcorn for this battle!" Discord said. "This is getting good! I wonder if Spyro has any popcorn in his garage?" Discord then snapped his fingers and disappeared from his seat and appeared in Spyro's Garage, looking at the place and liking it. "I must say, this place is quite nice. Wonder where he keeps the snacks?"
However, before he could start looking, he heard something sparking, looking to the terminat as he saw purple eletricity arching through the terminal, scratching his head as it suddenly started to shake, the screens in the entire garage having static in them, eyes appearing in the screens as the entire garage seemed to come to life, some of the machinery going hay wire as the arms started to go berserk, ripping one another off as some of the weaponry started to overload and explode around him, causing Discord to duck for cover as the holo-table activated, but it also had the static as the eyes appeared and a moment later, everything started to overload as as a wave of purple eletricity washed over everything, causing the entire garage to light up as everything then shut down.
"I WANT OUT!" A girl screamed. "SOMEONE LET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Ooooh, looks like someone's not having a very good time in their world." Discord said, looking to the readers. "Seems like when they come back, they're gonna have a whole new problem on their hooves, now won't they?"
Discord then got out of his hiding spot, looking around as he walked out, snickering to himself as he snapped his fingers and when he did, the temrinal came back to life as the screen filled with a whole bunch of codes and data until a special code appeared in the terminal, unlocking a pathway to the Digital Circus, dark mist surrounding the world as the screen turned off, Discord laughing to himself as he went back to Ponyville to see if the fight had started without him.