Epilogue
When I started out, I was unsure
Twilight sat watching the rising sun, with her five best friends in the world by her side. She felt a warmness deep in her heart. She leaned against Rainbow’s shoulder, and hugged them tight.
I thought I knew all that I needed, didn’t know what to expect
Starlight took a bite out of an ice cream cone, watching Sunburst with a slight smile on her face. Trixie whispered something to her, and she teleported over to give Sunburst a quick kiss.
But when my walls came down, I saw the truth
Spike ate gems out of a bowl, a self-satisfied grin on his face. Across from him, Thorax slipped a gossamer wing around Pharynx, who rolled his eyes but didn’t push him away.
All along something was missing
Yona pulled Sandbar into a kiss, grinning all the while. Sandbar returned the kiss, and they danced across the floor.
And I think you’ll see it too
Ocellus tapped a hoof in time to the music. Smolder offered a claw with a smirk. Ocellus blushed green, but nodded, and they began to dance.
This is where the magic happens
Gallus looked out the window, staring up at the ruins of Canterlot. Silverstream sat down next to him, and slipped a wing around him, hugging him tight.
This is where the magic lives
The Tree of Harmony looked out over Ponyville. Perhaps it had been too merciless and unforgiving. Perhaps... redemption was better than revenge after all.
Our friendships weave together, stronger
Starswirl approached Mistmane, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, Meadowbrook, Somnambula, and Stygian. He offered them an approving nod. Somnambula rolled her eyes and pulled him into a group hug.
The bonds grow deeper, lasting longer
Cadance and Shining shared a long, sweet kiss, and danced together on the crystalline floor. He spun her around, then she spun him around, before embracing in front of the mixing table.
And the greatest spell you’ll know
Chancellor Neighsay looked up at the crystal palace ponderously. It felt... strange, to know that villains had helped save Equestria.
Is how the magic of friendship grows!
Celestia slipped a wing across Twilight’s back, and pulled her into a close hug. Her student had grown so much.
And no matter how much time goes by
Twilight picked up Flurry Heart, and nuzzled her cheek. The baby cooed something.
The party will still be here with some fun new games to try
Pinkie eyed up Cheese with a smirk. She bounced over to give him a big hug, and planted a kiss on his cheek. He giggled, and hugged her back.
Big adventure’s waiting, obviously
Luna whispered something to Rainbow, who smirked. Rainbow snapped a salute to her, and lit her horn up. She braced against the ground, and launched into the sky.
Long as we’re still here together, we’ll be flying happily
Lightning Dust swerved between obstacles with a huge smile on her face. Behind her, the other Washouts followed, darting between the dangers with care. She looked up to see a sonic rainboom shattering through the sky.
This is where the magic happens
Sunset Shimmer poked her head out of the portal, rolled her eyes, and teleported over to Starlight and Sunburst. She gave Starlight a quick grin, and Sunburst a noogie.
This is where the magic lives
Trixie rolled her eyes, but gave Starlight a friendly shove. Starlight shoved her back, and then hugged her.
Our friendships weave together, stronger
Double Diamond, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider watched the grim winter clouds disperse. The return of the Windigos was over as quickly as it had began.
The bonds grow deeper, lasting longer
The Cutie Mark Crusaders poured over a bunch of paper with crayons. On the paper was sketched Cozy Glow in a Cutie Mark Crusaders uniform.
And the greatest spell there is
Discord laughed with the Princesses, both new and old. It would be fun causing a little chaos for them as they assumed their status as rulers.
Is what the magic of friendship gives
Blueblood comfortably reclined in the Yak diplomatic embassy. He read over a letter, and smiled. Things were looking bright, even if he’d have to instruct all the new princesses on the finer points of diplomacy.
And it’s somethin’ true to pass on down to generations yet to come
Granny Smith spat on the ground. Applejack, an alicorn! Who’d’ve ever heard of such a thing? It was absurd! Ridiculous! Insane! But she and Big Mac hugged her tight anyway.
And we’ll never stop believing in the generosity of the friendship we’ve won
Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles wrapped their hooves around Rarity. She’d always wanted to be a princess, and she finally was one!
And because the love, that I feel
Fluttershy landed beside the Tree of Harmony, looking uneasy. Treelight stared at her calmly. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and raised her head.
For every single living creature
Her horn began to glow pale pink, and the five sticks on the ground became bathed the same color.
Is something that is real
The sticks reconstituted back into ponies. They stared at Fluttershy with a mix of sneers and scowls. With a flash of light, Fluttershy teleported them to Midnight, who regarded them coolly before pulling them into a hug.
Friendship happens so naturally
With a blast of magic, she teleported them to Grogar’s hideout - the closest thing she knew to a home. The Tree of Harmony nodded its assent.
Oh and how I used to wonder
Midnight waved goodbye to her sisters, and teleported back to the other members of the Legion of Doom.
What friendship could be!
Sombra hugged Radiant tight, tears flowing openly down his face. He felt the warmth of the sun on his cheek, and a grin cracked through his grim demeanor.
This is where the magic happens
Radiant Hope felt a surge of warmth in her chest as her beloved hugged her close. Midnight, Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, Tirek, and... Sombra. Her Sombra. Her handsome, beloved, perfect Sombra. She closed her eyes for a moment, to burn the moment into her brain forever.
This is where the magic lives
Cozy flitted back and forth around her friends. Friends, not “friends”. It seemed her final exam in friendship would be working with these ones.
Our friendships weave together stronger
Tirek sighed. What Scorpan had said... it felt odd. To be able to go home again... what would that mean? He’d spent so long fueled by bitterness and anger, and now that was evaporating like morning dew. Could he really see his family again?
The bonds grow deeper, lasting longer
Chrysalis looked across at her... ugh. Her friends. They were smiling. And the worst, most sickening part, was that that made her smile too. Maybe Pharynx was right. It did feel kind of like having her hive back...
And the greatest spell you’ll know
Midnight sized up her friends. Each of them was powerful, and in their own way, nearly unstoppable. But it had been becoming a team that had turned them invincible. Together, they could face anything. It brought a little smile to her.
Is how the magic of friendship grows
The perhaps-not-quite-villains walked slowly towards the rising sun.
How the magic of friendship grows...
Writing this story was a long, but extremely cathartic experience. It has helped me channel all my anger and sadness at the ending into a productive pursuit.
I know not everyone will like every decision I made in this fic. I hope you like most of them, though.
Thank you for reading.
/)
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They've come such a long, long way and I'm happy with this ending. :) I only wish the canon show had something similar.
As sad as it was to see this come to a close, I’m thrilled with the ending and happy with the story we got! I loved your rewrite of the finale. The epilogue was so sweet and true to the show’s core ideas. You even tied up loose ends like the rest of the Mean 6 returning!
The fates of the villains was great as well. Grogar remained an intimidating powerhouse to the end, and the Legion of Doom got redemptions on their own terms. They might not be truly good, but they found companionship and trust in each other. That’s a big step forward for them.
Thank you for persevering and writing this to its conclusion! I really enjoyed it. :)
I've been following this while lurking since I like to do that, but since it's finished now I figured I should finally log in to give it a well-deserved like and favorite. There's a few little choices in here I don't quite agree with, but I think they're all nitpicks in comparison to the bigger picture. This story was really good and if this or at least something a bit more like it had been what actually aired on TV a little over two years ago now I'd have been very satisfied. Thank you for writing a version of the finale I can enjoy.
11026504
Me too...
11026506
This was a long, tedious labor of love, but it was worth it. I'm really happy you enjoyed so much!
11026522
Woohoo! I'm thrilled you liked it!
Wow that was pretty awesome know as much as I want to say there's nothing wrong with season 9 the ending of ends but I will have to admit the way you did it was pretty good and I like the way how everybody got a pretty good happy ending especially the legions of Doom even midnight got to see her friend brought back to life and still love that song and the picture is really amazing this was a really good story keep up the good work
My little pony my little pony ha ha ha haaaaa... end that still gives me goosebumps and very emotional 😢
As nice as it is that they got a chance at life, I can't help but feel that leaving them on their own so soon was the wrong call.
Cameos! And you included Lighting Dust! Neat. I like the imagery at the end alluding to Rainbow Dash.
Nice callback to Eqg. Would been nice to see Sunset's reunion with Twilight and Celestia, but maybe it's for the best if she doesn't realize just how much the main six have "grown".
Poor Sweetie Belle will be so envious.
On the bright side, Rarity isn't going to have a problem getting Stallions to notice her anymore. 
Leaving us to wonder... What ever happened to Gladmane?
Nah I kid. 
I feel that. This is one of a few stories I think was really well done conceptually. And this epilogue may be the most touching part yet.
Not all. But most certainly. A very satisfyingly conclusion to the series, and well done product overall, in terms of hitting all the right emotional tones. Thank you for writing.
11026554
The intent was they'd visit them soon, but that's a fair point.
Awwww! Yay!! So fulfilling and sweet!
This was great. I love how you included the song in your epilogue and how you tied everything together while giving most of the important characters, particularly the former villains, proper endings. So much nice details! After all this time, its nice to see this end so well. That art at the end was also very good. Definitely one of my favorite stories! True to the good parts of the show in both its style and its content.
Needless to say, this was far better then what we got in the show. It's not even close.
Hope will have a field day getting to know Sombra's new friends.
11026630
Thank you so much! That really, really makes me smile.
It's been a ride, and that ride has finally come to it's stop. Going to feel weird not seeing this in my tracked section.
I've really enjoyed the story so far and I hope that you will continue with the good work.
There is something on mind though: What really happened to Grogar?
11026673
Banished to Limbo.
Great stuff here JAPG!
Such a satisfying ending.I wish we got more legion of doom interaction with the other like how Thorax and the other changeling forgive Chrysalis,Tirek talking to his brother,and more.But this was already sweet so great job.
I wonder how this would effect g5 in the future?
I salute you for finishing it. Took some time, but it's great to see it completed, one of my most favourite stories.
Piece by piece, with content that's filled with the spirit of Faust's My Little Pony, we bury that horrible fanfic called Season 9 finale.
You did really good.
11026810
I do plan on doing a spinoff eventually. That sleepover still needs to be told.
11026879
You too Vito. Your art has been an inspiration for years.
11026679
Ah
So what now, what shall go from here? Will this be the end of the line for this alternate universe (besides the sleepover spinoff)? Or will there be more tales in the future? Only in the future will we find out.
Keep up the good work.
Glad you were able to finish.
No mention of Yona and Sandbar?
Anyway, this was a massive and great undertaking. I think you succeeded in your goal of trying to write a finale that actually fit with what the show had been trying to say for nine years. I hope writing it was a cathartic experience, even if it was also occasionally a headache.
11029405
I cannot believe I forgot Yona and Sandbar! I'll fix that.
And yeah, it was cathartic, even though writer's block was a pain. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to reading your stuff in turn now!
Very satisfying ending.
Is the art published anywhere else, or just here?
11032263
https://twibooru.org/2578116
This is well done and so worth the wait. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for writing this story.
I loved this, great work! The ending was well worth the wait and quite satisfying.
I think my favourite perspective was Midnight's. She respected her friends strengths and was willing to help with their weaknesses. The legion of doom is truly unstoppable together.
Thank you for a great story.
Best story
Simply perfection.
Thank you for writing this
REALLY good spin on "What If Grogar was real all along"? (which I REALLY wish the ACTUAL writers went for - they REALLY dropped the ball on the "Discord in disguise" nonsense). Anyway, REALLY good work on the exchanges, characterizations, action and general wrap-up all throughout. Especially loved how a LOT more individuals got fair chances to shine than in the actual version as well as how well you did at keeping Grogar a threat WITHOUT nerfing or dumbing down the heroes (something the actual writers had difficulty with more than once concerning their villains) AND how the Legion eventually did an Enemy Mine with the heroes out of an equal mix of Even Evil Has Standards and Pragmatic Villainy. As aforementioned, absolutely LOVED how the heroes and villains alike fought both smart AND hard, making the victory against Grogar quite well earned. You even managed to get Sombra and Mean Twilight/Midnight on to the Legion and learning how useful friendship/competent allies can be. My favorite parts, though, would probably be ALL the Mane Six ascending (which, I wish the writers of the actual episodes did) and Celestia and Luna cancelling their retirement and just deciding to do a better job sharing the load (again, something I wish the actual writers did).
And, hey, with TEN alicorns waiting for her (including a young adult Flurry Heart), I'm pretty sure Opaline will either be quite a bit less of a threat or realize that she has to fight a lot smarter. At the very least, the heroes wouldn't have to resort to such drastic action as has been implied in the actual G5 either way. And I could definitely see the future Mane 5 eventually being some of the students at the Friendship School in THIS universe's version of G5, which would help THEM a lot.
Anyway, job quite well done.
11089172
Considering all they just survived? Come on. I would think, compared to what Grogar came VERY close to doing, an alicorn version of Pinkie Pie isn't much of a reason for panic.
Brilliant! Absolutely Brilliant! I just got done reading the whole story and one sitting (it was just that engaging) and I have to say that your story was superb. You managed to not only give a proper complete ending to the series. The characterizations were in tact and you kept to the theme of friendship and forgiveness; the foundations on what the show is based on.
Thank you for this wonderful story.
This is one of the best fanfics on this site, i loved the finale, but i also loved this fic
An ending without many loose ends. There seem to be more capable writers in the fandom, than at Hasbro.
Hello! Thank you for your wonderful fanfic! You wrote the best ending for my favorite childhood cartoon series! And your story's ending is much more canon to the MLP universe than the original ending.
Your work is something that everyone truly needs in these dark times. It was great to see heroes, villains, and creatures from across the MLP world unite against Grogar.
Maybe humanity also needs a global threat, such as an alien attack, for us to stop all conflicts and unite? Indeed, despite race, religion, nationality, position in society, differences of views and many other different factors, we are all Homo sapiens. But why can’t we actually behave rationally, constantly fighting and destroying each other, instead of uniting for the best development of the entire human civilization? Why can't people still understand the simple truth that all conflicts in the world can be resolved through friendship and not violence? Is it better to cooperate than to quarrel? Why has the world gone crazy?
In general, please forgive me for my personal thoughts. Thank you again for a wonderful story! I will definitely read your other stories as well! And, finally, I wish you further success in your work!
P.S. I forgot to say earlier: I liked how you touched on the imperfection of the tree of Harmony, the elements of Disharmony, and also remembered the dark clones of the element of Harmony and introduced Midnight, a well-developed character, into the story. I also want to ask: unlike the original, your story has a happier ending, where the heroes, together with the villains (who stood at the end of the path of correction) defeated absolute evil in the person of the real Grogar, do you think that in your version of the MLP universe a disaster will not happen, which again divided the ponies into three warring races and significantly reduced the size and area of the population of Equestria (and the fate of other sentient beings would not be known at all)? One more question: did Tirek lose the magic he absorbed from the ponies? And how do you introduce the events and characters of G5 into your universe?
I will be looking forward to your reply!
sniff OKAY WHO'S CUTTING ONIONS!?
This is great! I am so happy for the legion of doom!
I enjoyed reading this. Thank you.
Oh, how I wish this had been the finale instead of what we got.