>The ability to see the walls of reality was few and far between.
>Nightmare Moon had somehow picked it up when she became a resident of the World Between.
>The gift of sight was not yours to have, but after tortuous days of training, you were able to ‘feel’ the walls.
 
>It was an extremely strange sensation, since the veil was everywhere.
>The barrier was both intangible and solid at the same time.
>It worked in ways that neither you nor Nightmare Moon could ever hope to comprehend.
 
>There was an odd feeling as you sat in the throne room, watching your reflection in the polished floor as you kicked your legs idly.
>Nightmare Moon was staring into the empyreal abyss as her eyes glowed white with power, the Discorb sparking wildly as it spun rapidly around her head.
 
>So this was it, huh?
>Both of you had made it to the home stretch, the final stop zooming into view of your crazy train.
>Discord’s prophecy still hung high over your head, the proverbial Sword of Damocles constantly keeping you on edge.
 
>She was completely oblivious to the world around her as she peered inside the primordial chaos of the Discorb.
>You were sitting on the armrest of the large obsidian throne, keeping watch over her as you cradled the empty staff in the crook of your arm.
 
>Deciding to take advantage of the situation, you gingerly slipped off her frosty helmet and set it next to you.
>You ran your fingers through the wispy aether of her starry blue mane, watching it flow like water around your hand.
>Feeling a little bold, you let your hand rest against her cold neck.
>Nightmare Moon was shaking ever so slightly as she struggled to comprehend what did not want to be understood.
 
>Considering you weren’t dead yet, you decided to do something far more riskier than anything you’ve ever done before.
>With a trembling hand, you slowly made your move.
 
>You poked one of her dusky ears, watching it twitch in response.
>There was a sense of wonder as you prodded it again, getting the same reaction.
>Checking to make sure she was still in her trance, you threw the staff aside as you started poking both of her tall ears.
 
>Electing to stop while you were still ahead, you gave them one last nudge as you got off the throne.
>Your shoes clicked loudly on the dark stone floor as you picked up your gilded weapon.
>Putting her helmet back on, you took your seat on the armrest again.
 
>Even with your recent entertainment, there was still something gnawing at you.
>It felt like there was something wrong.
>No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t shake that feeling.
>You got up and started pacing back and forth, your restlessness growing.
 
>With one last look at Nightmare Moon to make sure she was safe, you left the throne room in search of the disturbance.
>It could just be Discord’s words making you uneasy, but with everything on the line you couldn’t dismiss it at that.
 
>While you couldn’t take the Discorb for protection, you could still twist the World Between to accomplish something similar.
 
>Jogging through the throne room doors, you began moving toward the entrance to Castle Midnight.
>Your intuition started feeling more concrete the closer you got.
>Throwing the portcullis open with your will, you started sprinting for the old hill.
 
>As you crested the top, you finally realized what this sensation was.
>You felt it every time there was a breach between the veils.
>Even the World Between had its own walls you could feel.
>The reason it felt so strange was because you weren’t expecting it!
 
>Nightmare Moon couldn’t have done it, she was too busy with the Discorb.
>There must have been someone else who could cross planes!
 
>“What Luna can use, I can use...”
 
>It couldn’t be!
 
>As you looked down from the hill to the mass expanse of verdant plains, your heart was filled with dread.
>Seven shapes silhouetted in the moonlight, one far taller than the others.
>The yawning maw of a portal spiraled behind them as the figures made their advance.
 
>Why now!
>And how!?
>Open ground had you at a disadvantage without the Discorb, as your control over the World Between was limited to a small radius.
>The only choice you had was to retreat into Castle Midnight and hold them off for as long as possible.
 
>You slammed the portcullis closed as you ran as fast as you could to the throne room.
>Nightmare Moon had to be protected until she could finish unraveling the secrets of the Discorb.
 
>While your skill was far below hers, you did the best you could to make the entrance appear as just another wall.
>You couldn’t create architecture like her, but illusions weren’t that far beyond your capabilities.
 
>It would be dangerous, but you would lead them as far away from her as possible.
>This place was still confusing even after you spent days walking its halls, getting them lost in here shouldn’t be too arduous of a task.
 
>Creating a fake Discorb to put in your staff for personal comfort, you waited anxiously in the foyer for their arrival.
 
>You could hear them at the tall gate of Castle Midnight, talking amongst themselves on how to open it.
>Direct confrontation was out of the question without the Discorb, you would just have to keep yourself hidden as you drove them away from Nightmare Moon.
 
>Pressing your hand against one of the sturdy walls, you focused hard to will it intangible.
>You wouldn’t need much space, just enough for you to fit inside.
>Letting your body slide into the aetheric wall, you sealed off the main passageway to the throne with one of your illusions.
 
>They opted for the simple route, and combined their magic to shove the gate upwards enough for them to quickly pass under.
>There was a loud slam as they let it fall back down.
 
>“Oh my, what a dreary place this is!”
 
>Why were you not surprised Rarity didn’t like this beautiful interior design?
 
>“Have you even SEEN how limited the color palate is here Rarity? I feel uncomfortable just being here, how the hay could Anonymous ever stand it?”
 
>Well, you couldn’t exactly argue with Rainbow Dash there.
>This place really could use a little livening up with some more color.
 
>“Girls! Focus! Lets start looking around for them.”
 
>Ah, Twilight, always the leader.
 
>The six-pony ensemble walked right past your hiding place.
>Trailing behind them was a translucent Luna, who was constantly looking over her shoulder.
 
>So she could project herself too...
 
>The Elements of Harmony must be serving as her anchor to the World Between.
>Her reasons for staying in Equestria were unknown, but this was at least a piece of fortunate news.
>Luna would be able to do little to help out in that state.
 
>You followed them through the walls, making sure to make enough of it immaterial as you walked so you didn’t get stuck inside them.
>They were approaching the other entryway to the throne room.
>It was too late to make a wall appear there, an oversight which you were mentally kicking yourself for.
 
>So you elected to take a far less subtle approach.
 
>There must have been some lingering traces of chaotic magic in you.
>Because when you were thinking ‘giant golem’, you were imaging it to be made of something more solid than ice cream.
 
>There was a loud roar as it charged down the throne room hallway, its chocolate and vanilla body leaving large footprints on the ground.
>It was roughly humanoid in design and about eight feet tall.
>Wide as a truck and built like a tank, its creamy body was resistant to conventional weaponry.
 
>It sure looked intimidating, even if it was made of delicious ice cream.
>What they didn’t know was that it was all bark and no bite.
>You just didn’t have the skill to make it incredibly powerful.  
 
>Still, it did its job well, making them all run in terror further up the hallway at first sight of it.
>Following behind them through the walls, you silently cheered it on.
>Said cheering stopped as it trapped them in a dead end.
>How were they going to run further away if they had no choice but to fight?
 
>Rainbow Dash raced past it and struck it in its head, gouging off some of its chocolaty goodness to little effect.
>It simply diverted part of its body to fill in the empty area.
>Applejack tried to get her lasso around it, but due to its composition she was unable to get a solid hold on the flowing mass.
 
>Fluttershy did... well... nothing, seeing as it didn’t have any eyes or intelligence outside of rudimentary programming.
>Twilight Sparkle and Rarity tried to trap its limbs with their magic, but it could absorb any part affected back into itself and recreate it as it moved forward.
 
>The golem flexed its arms as it exploded in a delicious blast.
>Rainbow Dash was struck by the onslaught and was forced to the ground, covered in its freezing mass.
>Twilight was able to shield the others as ice cream harmlessly sloughed off her magical barrier.
 
>“C-C-COLD!”
 
>Dash’s teeth were chattering loudly as she tried to scrape off her coating of frosty delight.
>Maybe you had underestimated this golem.
 
>It lost a bit of mass, but it was still going strong as it clenched its semisolid fists and hammered at Twilight’s protective shield over and over again, splattering bits of itself across the hall with each blow.
>Luna was unable to do much to assist the Elements in her ethereal state.
 
>“Pinkie! Get back inside!”
 
>You raised an eyebrow at this new development.
>Pinkie had jumped out of the shield as the golem pulled its arm back for another strike.
>Despite her friends desperately calling her to retreat, she stood her ground as the construct swung at her.
 
>In the blink of an eye you watched its large fist disappear into nothingness.
>You did a double check just to make sure your eyes hadn’t stopped functioning.
>Pinkie had ice cream all over her face as she reared up in joy.
 
>“It does taste as good as it looks!”
 
>There was nothing to do but watch in horror as Pinkie Pie single-handedly bested the enormous golem by EATING it.
>Well, you’d definitely need a new plan now.
 
>With your creation bested, the rest of them quickly surrounded Rainbow Dash to help her recover from the icy assault.
>Working your way through the walls, you sealed off the other two entryways to the throne, making sure to clean up the footprints of the golem so they couldn’t retrace them.
 
>Thankfully, they were going the opposite way when you found them again.
>You had to intervene little as they got themselves lost inside the labyrinthine interior of Castle Midnight.
 
...
 
>So THAT’S where the library was.
>Honestly, you’d been looking for that accursed place for days.
 
>“Ah swear we’ve been down this dang hallway before! Whys everything in this place gotta be so darn similar lookin’!”
 
>“Honesty is correct, we hath been traversing in circles.”
 
>The seven were standing outside the entrance to the library with varying states of annoyance.
 
>“There has to be someway to navigate this place! We just need to figure it out somehow.”
 
>Twilight spoke the obvious as they all put their hooves to their chins in thought.
 
>“Oh! I remember from this one Daring Do book! She marked the walls with some chalk to prevent herself from getting lost!”
 
>There were murmured agreements as Dash came up with a half decent idea.
>Twilight’s horn was encased in purple as she made a simple magical marking on the wall.
>They started walking back down the hallway triumphantly.
 
>You took the time to mask the marking with an illusion when they weren’t looking.
 
...
 
>“Look! We haven’t tried this one yet!”
 
>There was a silent giggle from you as you watched them go down the same exact hallway again.
>You had already sealed off all the exits with fake walls.
>Thank goodness the second floor was huge, otherwise they might have noticed something.
 
...
 
>“Oh come on! We’re back HERE!?”
 
>You lost track of how many markings you’ve had to cover up.
>They were all sitting at a ‘dead end’.
>Leaning against a solid part of the wall, you idly started stretching.
>You looked at your bare wrist, pretending there was a watch there.
>Just how long would it take Nightmare Moon to finish with the Discorb?
 
>“Wait!”
 
>Bored curiosity drew your attention to the fashionista who spoke up.
 
>“This wall! It’s different from the others!”
 
>You calm state of mind was smashed as you almost fell out of the wall in surprise.
>What did she just say!?
>Rarity had your full attention as you watched her get very close to the illusionary wall, one blue eye closed as she scrutinized it.
 
>“Yes! It’s indeed different! I had a sneaking suspicion something looked out of place as we walked endlessly through these drab and incredibly similar halls.”
 
>That stupid attention to detail she had just made things complicated again for you.
>There were imperfections in all of walls you created, you just couldn’t match Nightmare Moon’s precision.
>The surrounding ponies expressed their surprise as they watched her pearly hoof pass through the false wall.
 
>You were gripping your head in frustration as they all moved through it and went back to the first floor.
 
>Alright, calm down Anonymous.
>It wasn’t over yet.
>They would be paying very close attention to the walls now, but that meant they weren’t looking too far ahead of themselves.
>A simple trap to keep them away from the throne was all it would take.
 
>They were moving at a slower, but still hasty pace.
 
>Running ahead of them, you wracked your mind for thoughts of anything to drive them off.
>You kept getting nothing as you watched them move closer and closer to one the false walls.
>An old memory suddenly surfaced from looking down the rectangular hallway.
 
>The space in front of them was filled with an enormous cube of translucent ooze.
>A classic trap!
>While this one lacked most of the offensive qualities of its cousins, it should be sufficient enough to hold them in place.
 
>“We order you to halt!”
 
>Luna’s commanding order made them come to a stop right before they walked into the gooey prison.
 
>“There is an ancient monster standing before us!”
 
>Damnit!
>You should have known Luna could easily beat DC 15!
 
>“Do not touch it! Destroy this ooze with magic!”
 
>This princess was such a thorn in your side!
>The rest of them backed up quickly as they too noticed the slight sheen that betrayed the location of the ooze.
>Twilight and Rarity stood in front of them, horns aglow.
 
>You needed to think of something else to draw them away.
>The two unicorns were already making short work of the gelatinous cube as you ran past them.
 
>With a deep breath you left the safety of the wall.
 
“And where do you think you’re going!”
 
>You drew all of their attention as your voice rang out.
>The six Elements went into a guarded stance as they prepared for a fight.
>Though you had no intentions of giving them one, as you made sure to go far down the hallway.
>You would run as soon as they gave chase and hide in a wall when you turned the corner.
 
>After that, well, you’d just have to improvise.
 
>“Take not one step!”
 
>Luna extended her wings as a barrier to prevent them from going after you.
>There was a cold scrutiny in her royal eyes as she started walking toward you.
 
>You leveled the fake Discorb at her, trying to force a response.
>Your hopes were dashed as Luna held them back once again.
 
>“Focus on removing that ooze!”
 
>Twilight and Rarity refused to turn away from you, but a stern look from Luna made them relent.
 
>“Thou hast hidden thyself well, Anonymous. We must be very close to our goal if thou reveal thyself so suddenly.”
 
>You could only glare at her as she pieced everything together.
 
>“It is written all over thine face. Thou art not prepared.”
 
>Your gambit had failed, Luna was able to see right through you with those millennia old eyes.
>Putting all your strength into twisting the World Between, you ran through the walls to the throne room.
>At least you still had that advantage over them, there was no way they could know how this plane worked.
 
>Nightmare Moon was still in her trance as you ran to her.
>While you weren’t sure what the repercussions of suddenly taking the Discorb were, there was no time to ponder it.
>Snatching it out of its orbit, you let the fake disappear as you put in the real one.
 
“What. will. happen. to. me. during. her. rebirth?”
 
>It sounded weary and slightly worried.
>You would have been concerned if the situation wasn’t so desperate.
 
“Now’s not the time, Dis! We need to prepare ourselves for a fight!”
 
>Nightmare Moon was still out of it as you looked over your shoulder.
>You started lightly slapping her cheek to try and get her awake.
 
“Come on... come on...”
 
>Damn the consequences, you started putting a little bit more force into your strikes.
>You quickly stopped as soon as she started moving.
 
>“An-Anonymous? What’s going on? Why have you interrupted me?”
 
>There was no time to explain anything as you heard the large double doors being thrown open.
>Turning around, you faced the defiant group of ponies as they audaciously strode into this sacred room.
 
>Everything was still as you stood there in the moonlight.
 
>What would you say?
 
>What COULD you say?
 
>You had no words to give as they slowly advanced.
 
>Your breath caught in your throat as you looked upon all of them.
>Discord’s words shook your confidence as you started backing up.
>No matter what you did, you would lose everything in the end.
>All of this struggling was for nothing.
 
>Nightmare Moon recovered from her daze quickly, getting off her gleaming throne as she prepared to face her old enemies.
>You wanted to say something, get her to retreat from this surely losing battle.
>There was a relentless conviction burning in her eyes as she walked past you, unburdened by thoughts of defeat.
 
>The battle had already begun as you stood back on the dais, Nightmare Moon wreathed in her own magic as she guarded against their first strike.
>They fanned out as they opted to take her on from all sides.
 
>Even with her armor, she was still but a shade of her former glory.
>She would lose this battle if you did not intervene, even without the heavy hand of fate crushing her.
>While the World Between should be exempt from those rules, it still bowed to the whims of the strongest will, even if they weren’t aware of it.
 
>And all together, the Elements of Harmony had quite a formidable strength.
 
>“Give it up.”
 
>You gripped your head in agony.
>Meeting Discord again was the worst thing that could have happened to you.
>Nightmare Moon was losing distressingly fast as she was forced to split her attention amongst five combatants in her weakened state.
 
“Father’s. words. still. eat. at. you?”
 
>Hearing the Discorb again brought you out of your clouded plight.
 
“I. remember. much. from. him. when. I. was. created.”
 
“While. I. do. not. know. why. he. lost. his. vital. spark. I. know. it. is. the. nature. of. chaos. to. rail. against. fate.”
 
“Chaos. fights. order. Order. fights. chaos. Take. his. words. as. an. obstacle. to. overcome. You. will. never. regain. the. past. Embrace. who. you. are. now.”
 
“While. I. have. seen. the. inhabitants. fail. to. surpass. destiny. Remember. that. you. are. an. outsider. to. this. world.”
 
>It- It’s right!
>You were an anomaly!
>Your very presence caused a deep conflict with Equestria itself!
>And in that sense, their fate had no hold over you!
 
>The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.
 
>The battle was over by the time you came to this realization.
>Nightmare Moon was lying defeated on the once glistening floor, now scored with marks from deflected magic.
>The Elements of Harmony were floating in the air, ready to deliver their final attack.
 
“My heart and actions are utterly unclouded! They are all those of ‘Justice’!”
 
>You drew their attention as you walked toward your fallen comrade.
>Crouching down, you put your arm around her and helped get her back on her hooves.
>Her breathing was unsteady and she didn’t seem too happy to see you.
 
“I’m sorry... I was lost for a long while. It took until now for me to finally open my eyes.”
 
>You whispered gently into her ear as she leant on you for support.
 
>The Discorb was right, you could never return to your old life with those six.
>Even if you did give everything up and surrender to them, you would still be sent away.
>There was only one option, and that was to fight until your last breath!
 
“Twilight!”
 
>Your voice did not waver as you slowly stood up, Nightmare Moon close by you.
 
“Friendship is magic! That is the source of all your strength, is it not?”
 
>They said nothing, as they remained floating in the air.
 
“I know of a force that cannot be stopped by anything! Friendship and harmony can hold nothing to its raw power!”
 
>Everyone showed some sign of surprise at your insane revelation.
>Even Nightmare Moon was watching you intently with curiosity as she tried to recover from her defeat.
 
>“Impossible! What force could a blackguard like thou possibly have that could defeat the Elements!?”
 
>You were grinning like a madman as your heart hammered loudly in your chest.
>It was now or never!
 
>If you were really outside the grasp of Equestria’s fate, then none of its rules or laws should apply to you.
>But Nightmare Moon was still bound to it, which meant it would be up to her to utilize the power you were about to invoke.
>You really hope you were right in your assumption or else this wouldn’t work.
 
“Even the darkest of hearts can posses this! And it don't take money, don’t take fame! Don’t need no credit card to ride this train! It’s strong and it’s sudden, it can be cruel sometimes! But it might just save your life!”
 
>Thank goodness you weren’t lactose intolerant, because this was just getting cheesy.
>Why exactly was this the first thing you thought of when trying to pull this off?
>You swore you could hear the accompanying music as you put all your heart and soul into the next line.
 
“THAT’S THE POWER OF LOVE!”
 
>Grabbing the back of Nightmare Moon’s head, you pulled her into a deep kiss.
>You’ve wanted to do this for a while, but kept denying to yourself that it could ever happen.
>Now that the only possible options were a resounding success or a swift end, it wasn’t hard to take the gamble.
 
>Nightmare’s eyes were bugging out as you threw the Discorb to the floor and used both of your hands to keep her in place as she struggled against you.
>You would not be denied this moment, this feeling of her supple and chilly lips against yours.
 
>There were loud gasps of surprise from the seven ponies as you continued your flagrant display of affection.
>Nightmare Moon slowly stopped trying to pull away from you as the initial shock started wearing off.
>Your heart soared as you felt her start pushing back against you, her glittering cyan eyes staring softly into yours.
 
>Unfortunately, you needed air to live.
>Breaking the kiss with a gentle pop, you cradled her ebony head with your hands.
>Little trails of saliva left a record of your deed.
>While it wasn’t done in the most gentle or eloquent of manners, it still held all your passion.
 
“Nightmare, I’ve been wanting to say this for some time. I love you. I don’t care what fate has to say in this matter. Whether we succeed or fail, it matters little, so long as I have you. Let the ashes of the world fall around us if it must come to it.”
 
>Your words, even as quiet as they were, echoed loudly in the silent throne room.
>Her legs gave out, forcing you down to your knees to catch her.
>Holding her in a tight hug, you supported her shaking frame.
>There were incoherent words stumbling out of her lips.
 
>Leaning back to face her, you silenced her with another kiss.
>Nightmare Moon looked wholly blindsided by everything you’ve done, she had probably never calculated this.
 
“There is so much more that has to be said between us, but first we must deal with the issue at hand.”
 
>Still keeping her close, you picked up the Discorb as you pointed it at the assembled Elements of Harmony.
>As you raised your weapon, they were broken out of their stupor from seeing such an unlikely sight.
 
>Despite the current situation, you were utterly calm.
>Even while facing down the same attack that had felled greater forces than you, there was peace.
>The massive rainbow shot directly at you two in a climatic surge of energy.
 
>You were no longer restrained, no longer burdened by doubt.
>It didn’t matter if you lived or not.
>Even if both of you were to perish, at least you would go together.
>You had practically spent the same amount of time with her as you did those six.
>Your lives were already bound together, taking this next step felt right.
 
>While you would still consider the Elements of Harmony as friends, if you survived you would not hesitate to strike them down anymore.
>All was fair in love and war.
 
>Unleashing everything the Discorb had, you fired off a massive prismatic beam of your own at them.
 
>The opposing forces actually met in the middle, much to your surprise.
>Hope burned brightly in you as you pushed your hardest against their supreme power.
>But your strength alone was insufficient to hold them off for long, as you slowly lost ground inch by inch.
>You were exempt from the power boost your love could give you in this magical land.
 
>Gritting your teeth, you kept trying to give more than you could.
 
>A soft sensation brushed against your shaking fist as you endeavored to hold onto the staff.
>Looking down, you could see Nightmare Moon had taken off one of her armored slippers and put her hoof against your hand.
>She was staring at you fixedly, a strong confidence radiating off of her.
 
>She said nothing as she closed her eyes in concentration, her horn shining brighter than ever before.
 
>A gloriously incandescent trail of magic snaked it way around the staff and through the Discorb, joining her power with yours.
>You could see the tide of the battle turn as the rainbow was being pushed further and further back.
 
>A sudden explosion and a large cloud of pulverized stone marked your victory as you scattered the six ponies to the ground.
>Shortly thereafter, a powerful shockwave slammed into you.
 
>You were grateful you would already on your knees, for you would have collapsed when the tremendous force finally let up.
>Letting the fatigue catch up to you, the tip of the Discorb hit the ground as your grip on it finally loosened.
>Nightmare Moon, who you still held tightly with your arm, mirrored your ragged breathing as the battle came to an end.
 
>Luna could only gape in disbelief at what had transpired.
 
>Nightmare Moon lifted her head up with difficulty to look at her other half.
 
>“L-looks like I’m st-still better than you, Luna. At l-least I can find s-someone.”
 
>Letting the staff fall out of your hand, you weakly brought her head against your chest, encouraging her to save her strength.
>Thoroughly flustered, Luna said nothing as she quickly opened a portal underneath the unconscious Elements and disappeared.
 
>With the threat finally gone, you started laughing.
 
“We... we did it! HAHAHA! WE DID IT!”
 
>You collapsed to the cool obsidian floor on your back, taking Nightmare down with you as you both broke out in raucous laughter.
>Squeezing each other tightly, you both kept laughing until your chests hurt, then laughed some more.
 
>Resting your head on the ground, you slowly let your weariness drift you off to sleep.
>Nightmare Moon held on to you closely as she joined your slumber.
 
“We actually did it... we... we stood against the... the strongest... force...”
 
>Your mumbling was replaced with gentle breathing as moonlight poured over both of you.
>Hope blazed brightly in your hearts and warmed your bodies.
>While the war wasn’t over, you had won a decisive battle.