As the girls walked away from the defeated plant and looked down at where they were being drawn because Twilight realized that there was no way that they should have found this location so fast. As she looked down the massive staircase, she noticed a cave entrance with thick roots coming out of it but not many of them. Still, they were radiating a lot of chaotic energy, so much that it was almost taste able on the wind itself. Twilight hummed to herself and inspected her friends and noticed that not a single one of them had noticed the energy the roots and location were giving off.
Twilight followed from the back of the group at the insistence of Rainbow and Applejack, which was slightly annoying for her, but she could only shake her head. She needed to be here to help the tree, but her friends had been treating her even more carefully than usual. Twilight was planning to give them such a talking to when they get back from rescuing the Princesses. Rainbow let out an exclamation of awe. "Oh my gosh."
The tree was totally wrapped up with two cocoons hanging off it, most likely Celestia and Luna themselves hanging from the tree. Twilight could feel the weakness in the plant itself, but the moment they had got in range, she could feel the plant waking back up and acknowledging them magically. It was reaching out to the weapons they were wearing and realized that the plant used them to suck up magic and filter it to sustain the continent. Just like Discord informed them about, the weapons were not meant to leave the side of the tree for as long as they did. Twilight spoke not to the girls but to the tree itself. "I understand now, I know what the weapons really are."
The girls were terribly confused while looking at Twilight because all they were seeing a tree in dire need of a clipping. Twilight turned to look at the girls and could only sigh at the fact that they could not sense the truth about the tree. She informed them about what she had discovered. "The weapons are not actual foci, like we believe, they can function as one, but their true purpose is to feed the tree itself. We must return the elements themselves to the tree so it can get all the energy we have given the weapons and allow it to heal."
Applejack looked around for some way that she could explain to Twilight that they needed the weapons to be able to turn Discord back to stone if need be. Still, Twilight quickly clarify that they could come back here at any time and ask for the foci back. Still, she believed that there was better battle regalia somewhere out there. The girls were confused before getting the shape of a box with six keys in it from the tree itself, which caused the girls to look at the tree strangely. The girls could only nod and hand the necklaces to Twilight. Twilight looked at the girls and realized that their trust in her was something she never wanted to lose. She slowly floated up to the trees and looked for some way to get the foci back to the tree. Twilight watched as several holes opened on the tree protected with what little magic it had left and started floating them towards the tree. What she had noticed is the fact that she was being wrapped in roots.
She showed no fear, though, because she knew in her heart that the tree would save them, just like she had saved it. As she slowly lost sight, she heard the tree grind back around the symbols the weapons had taken. Then she felt the massive explosion of Harmonic magic and watched as it released a wave magically all over the continent. She felt the roots disintegrate around her and slowly start falling to the ground when she was caught by Celestia and Luna. Twilight looked up at the two of them and was about to speak when she saw them smiling at her.
Twilight was gently pulled to her feet by her two teachers and could not help but pull Celestia and Luna into a deep hug. While the women that represented the Elements watched with happiness. They started heading back to Ponyville much quicker compared to their trip out there.
---Ponyville---
Discord and Shining Armor were waiting at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. They smiled in happiness when the group appeared. Behind the two men were a group of solar and lunar guards waiting for their two principals. The women they would die for just so they could return to Equestria safe, the fact that this plant had gotten by them would be a stain on their honor for the entire time the guard remains. Celestia and Luna noticed their guards standing there in a grim mood and could not help but shake their heads at the way they were acting.
Twilight sprinted up to Shining and hugged him, and started questioning him about various things like what he was doing here and whatnot. Discord moved over to Celestia and Luna and sighed because he did not like what he was about to do, but he felt the need to. He quickly bowed and put on his best tone of voice. "I apologize, Princesses of Equestria, I released this plant when we were enemies, but for some reason, it attacked the tree and caused this mess."
The two Princesses blinked at Discord and smiled at him and accepted his words of apology, and hugged him, showing that there were no hard feelings. Everyone went to their family members, and Pinkie realized that Onyx was not there and looked for information. Discord spoke up and quickly explained that Onyx was resting from moving both the moon and sun back into their proper positions. Celestia and Luna reached out and felt Onyx's magic wrapped around them comfortably and slowly slipped their magic in between the gaps in his magic and gave him magical comfort before taking their duties back under control.
The twin Princesses said their goodbyes to Twilight and started heading back to Canterlot so they could speak and let everyone know that everything is fine now. Twilight nodded and said she and her friends would be there for the festival.
---Canterlot---
As Celestia and Luna entered the throne room, they noticed a throne off to the side covered in Runes and a plain-looking one and sighed because that was Onyx and most likely the temporary one for Candance. Considering her throne is most likely still in the crystal empire, that was probably fine. As one, they sat on their thrones and spoke words to the entirety of Equestria. "We have returned our people, we are triumphant once more, in part by the Elements of Harmony but of those who kept our great nation safe from panic."
They listened to the people here for a few hours before leaving the throne room and headed to where they sensed Onyx. They were not surprised to see him with a book and resting a window. They noticed that his hair was even more Alicorn-like compared to normal ponies and was more like theirs. Displaying their element what they represent in their hair. Celestia could not help the sadness from appearing in her eyes and walked towards Onyx because it was another mark of him leaving his mortality behind. To watch his brother, grow old and die his nephews and all of his potential children.
Onyx smiled at them and spoke with happiness. "Good evening, my Princesses, welcome home the country is safe, the people are happy, the army watched the border, and all of the paperwork has been completed."
Celestia rushed Onyx and pulled him into a deep hug while Luna could only sigh. They knew what type of person Onyx was for him, not to care that his hair is showing another touch upon his immortal body. He has already started growing taller again. He now reaches just above Celestia's breast with the top of his head, even with her chin. Which considering that he was only equal with her breast before, says some things.
Discord slithered into the room like a snake because he had removed his limbs for fun and slowly encased a chair, sat at the table with Luna, and snorted at the way she was slowly falling asleep. Luna snapped her head towards him and glared. Celestia and Onyx slowly moved over and sat at the table before they heard the doors open. Rose walked into the room with food and a file for Celestia. Discord made everything that touched his plate into a floating ball of liquid and anything liquid into a solid on his plate. Celestia opened the file and looked at what Onyx approved and disapproved, and it closely followed what she would have liked to happen, which surprised her greatly. Celestia looked at Onyx and had to just ask. "How on Equestria did you know what I would like done and not done."
"I had Rose bring me a list of things you had approved and disproved in the last sixth months, along with a 1 sentence reason for the disproval." Onyx answer and sipped at his soup, not realizing that Luna and Celestia were both looking at him like he was crazy.
---Astral Realm---
Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon were attacking Discord with different attacks. Discord laughed and danced around them and giggled when he noticed Asmund sitting on a stone pillar and sipping at some tea, that he magic up. The twin female alters were attacking Discord with high-level attacks trying to damage him and yelling at him for creating a plant that attacked them. Discord quickly flew behind Asmund, using him as a shield. The two females Alters called Discord a massive coward for using Asmund as a shield.
Discord decided that he needed to ask Asmund a deep question. "Does your other self still not realize that Celestia was proposing to him that she wanted to get pounded into the ground?"
Asmund slowly shook his head while laughing at the way Discord worded his sentence because Daybreaker was just getting madder with every word. Daybreaker launched a massive wave of sunlight that bent around Asmund and smashed into Discord, sending him flying while he laughed. Nightmare Moon saw her chance and launched her black ice attack, trying to damage the laughing Chaos Lord.
---Summer Sun Celebration---
Onyx sat in the back and watched the Princesses of Equestria raise the sun and begin the year's actual longest day. Discord popped into existence next to Onyx, sat next to him, watched this event, and spoke with happiness. "First summer sun Celebration I have ever seen Onyx."
Onyx only nodded his head because he could not help but admit that it was just as amazing as he expected when he saw it for the first time. He looked over at Pinkie pie and watched her start looking for him. He quickly headed over and pulled her onto the dance floor. Quickly giving each of the girls, he loved a dance before smiling at Twilight, bowing low to her, and offering his hand. Twilight was quick to take it, and the dance was a slow and romantic one.
---Ethereal Realm---
Harmony and Discord slowly danced together to the beat of their own drums and smiled at each other. When they noticed something, a Filth agent poking one of their Tartarus seals and slipping inside the afterlife. Harmony spoke with worry because none there agents were active in the afterlife, they set it up like this on purpose. 'Who on Equus could the Filth be trying to release from the afterlife?'
Discord hummed and pulled up a list looking up who was near that particular seal and saw there were a few options. Still, there was a couple that was more likely than others depending on the Filth's goals. Discord answered her. 'It depends on what its goals because, in all honesty, Trek is near that seal, but he is only good for a conquest causing mass infection of the berserk type.'
Discord and Harmony looked over the list and admitted there were only three good options. Trek the Warlord, a corrupted pony who led a conquest in the name of the Filth. Sundance, an Ancient Dragon who burned half of a continent while infected before being brought down by three other Ancient Dragon's. Mythic Note caused both Discord and Harmony to suck in a breath, he was a pony like Tirek. Still, instead of a Warlord, he walked into a town and set up Filth nests and corrupted entire towns before moving on. He could hide what he was for so long that he infected roughly 50 towns, and that is the whole reason the Filth levels were so high for so long. He made more nests than any of the others. In the two's opinion, Mythic was the most dangerous one down there.
Harmony spoke with worry. 'If Mythic get's back out, we will have to order his destruction before he can go back to the ways he created.'
Discord nodded in agreement because they would rather the other two to get out compared to Mythic. Discord thought about something and looked for something. Harmony noticed Discord searching for something with one of the trackers that marked her agents and remembered her dead Alicorn of Shadows Scáthach. Harmony mused. 'She could stop only one of them from escaping.'
Discord spoke with resolve. 'Mythic Note.'
Harmony nodded in agreement. 'Mythic Note.'