Took long enough getting here, eh? Two weeks shy of three years. This star got pretty damn crowded. The main story is finished but there are still some things to come on this blog!
A full thank you post to patrons (with all this month’s cameos, which I couldn’t insert into the story itself)
A flowchart of the plot because there’s a lot of callbacks to obscure things all over the place
Assorted epilogues which will filter in as and when!
Recap below!
Luna and co emerge from the portal at the Gate of Cronus. Luna connects where they end up with what she already knew about it: that it was indestructible, covered in the planes symbol, and nobody knows who built it. Cerberus, now free from Bellatrix’s control, is as harmless as a puppy when Luna calls him, and they ride him to Tartarus.
When they get there, Twilight and her friends have a reunion group hug. (Well. group tackle.) Luna also has an emotional reunion with Clover, who she hasn’t seen since she died. After explaining that they’re there retrieve Twilight, Twilight and Clover take the opportunity to grill Luna about all the things Clover’s been telling Twilight.
Luna reveals that Clover’s information is correct, and that some time between her banishment and return, a cover-up had taken place. When Luna questioned Celestia on it, she was told to keep quiet, and Luna complied out of fear of immediately re-entering conflict with her.
Discord finds them, and Luna questions him about his motives for creating the demiplane of Equestria in the first place, and then trying to destroy it. Discord reveals that his experiment had run its course, its cycle of events was beginning to repeat itself, and he was terminating it. He also had not expected to be overpowered by his own creations and kicked out to Tartarus, the “wastepaper basket of the universe”. He storms off in a huff, insulted by this line of inquiry, while raising the point that death doesn’t really exist in a meaningful way in Equestria. Twilight, Clover and Luna agree to talk over that conundrum another time.
They leave Tartarus (leaving Clover behind) and return to Canterlot. Shining Armor is overcome with emotion when they run into him in the corridors. He was unaware of Luna’s mission and had been carrying on his investigation as if Twilight had died permanently. When he collects himself, they exchange information. Where Twilight and Shining had experienced twelve days in Equestria, Luna and the others experienced twelve hours in the outer planes. Luna identifies Shining’s suspect, Bellatrix, as a cultist and agent of Sombra from a thousand years ago, who she deduces must have escaped Tartarus.
Twilight goes to confront Celestia about what she’s learned. When Celestia realises this, her welcoming demeanour turns cold. She interrupts her by presenting a statement, which states that Twilight miraculously recovered from a coma and will return everything to normal. Twilight throws it in her face. The argument escalates, until Celestia snaps, demanding that they end it. Twilight responds by chiding her in Clover’s tongue.
As if responding to the instruction of her former teacher, Celestia capitulates, admitting that she did it to avoid losing her sister again. After comforting her, Luna tells her that she can’t bear the weight of these secrets alone - but Celestia insists that what she’s hidden is dangerous knowledge. Twilight proposes a compromise based on her knowledge of previous Element Bearers’ experiences dealing with planar threats. Before, the Elements came together by accident and blundered into costly victory. With the proper support structure, they could more properly tackle these threats and ensure dangerous knowledge is contained, while allowing the more innocent history to be released. The suggestion is met with broad agreement. Shining Armor even has their first lead: following up the actions of Bellatrix between her escape and capture.