THE MAGIX: EPILOGUE

It was late. Much later than Twilight Sparkle was used to staying up. The warm, golden light from her desk lamp and the flickering glow from nearby candles illuminated the empty sheet of parchment sitting on the desk in front of her. She stared blankly at the unmarked scroll waiting patiently to be sent to Princess Celestia. Once again, the unicorn took her quill in her magic grip and poised it over the paper, ready to scribble down her latest lesson in friendship. No words would come.
Twilight sighed and placed the quill back in its inkwell. It was hopeless. It had been almost two weeks since her last letter to the princess, and she hadn't learned a single thing.
The lavender unicorn turned around and stared into the dim, shadowy bedroom behind her. Spike was curled up in his basket and obliviously snoring away. Owlicious stood silently on his perch, his huge brown eyes studying her intently. "What are you looking at?" she mumbled.
Her gaze floated on towards the steampunk-styled clock hanging on the wall. It was almost midnight. The golden gears behind the frosted glass face ticked on with every passing second. Twilight turned back to her scroll and continued to stare aimlessly at the blank piece of paper.
She hadn't learned one lesson about friendship since her last letter. The princess had told her that she only had to send a letter when she learned a new lesson about friendship, but Twilight couldn't stand the idea of lagging for so long between messages. She picked up the quill again. Still nothing came to mind. She dropped the feather pen back into its inkwell, pushed her chair away from the desk and walked away from her assignment.
"Hoo." Owlicious ruffled his feathers and shifted around on his perch. Twilight walked over to the perch and scratched the owl's head. He closed his eyes and nuzzled his head against her hoof. Twilight looked to the window just past the perch and gazed longingly out at the night sky outside.
"Hey, Owlicious, have you learned anything about friendship lately?" she absentmindedly asked.
The owl twittered, spread his wings and fluttered away from his perch. Not knowing what else to do, Twilight followed him. He alighted on the edge of her writing desk and looked up at her with his wide brown eyes, as if asking her to join him. The unicorn wandered back to her desk and sat down.
"Hoo," Owlicious chirped. He edged across to the other side, nudging the parchment in his path.
"I can't write right now, Owlicious," Twilight whispered to him, careful not to wake Spike. "I haven't learned anything about friendship yet. I hate to keep the princess waiting like this, but I just can't right now."
Owlicious twittered again and looked past Twilight at her bed. It was as if he were saying, "You're normally there right now."
"I can't sleep," she murmured, plucking absentmindedly at her quill. "I haven't been able to for days. Not since Pinkie disappeared."
Suddenly Twilight burst into tears. She buried her face in her hooves and sobbed. First Rainbow Dash was gone. Now Pinkie Pie was, too. It had been three days. Nothing. Not even a shred of evidence had turned up. The Element of Laughter had disappeared without a trace. Just like her best friend, Loyalty. Twilight Sparkle couldn't stand it. The Elements were slowly falling apart.
"Hoo."
Owlicious's chirp brought her back to reality. Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at her owl. "Owlicious," she said. "Why is this happening? All my friends are disappearing. We need to all be together. When we're apart it's just... not the same."
Suddenly the unicorn's eyes brightened. An idea sparked in her head. She picked up her quill again and started scribbling down her letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
These past few weeks have been extremely difficult. I find it hard to believe that yet another one of the Elements of Harmony has disappeared. Nothing is the same without all of the elements here together. I miss both my friends with all my heart, and so do the others. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and I have relied on each other a lot through this difficult time. We need each other more than anything to get through this. None of us could ever do it on our own. My lesson of friendship today is that friends are essential to getting through difficult times. They are what hold you up when it seems like everything is falling apart. In spite of everything, our friendship has held us together.
Twilight held her quill over the paper, prepared to sign her name and send it off. But something was missing. Something she couldn't exactly figure out. A shadow of doubt hovered over her, the same shadow that had been hanging over her since the night Pinkie Pie disappeared.
Twilight sighed and put her quill down on her desk. She couldn't. What would Celestia think if she-
"No. She has to know," she said to herself. Twilight snatched the quill and put it to the paper.
Princess Celestia, I can't help it. Something feels wrong. I can't help but wonder if something else is going on. These disappearances are no coincidence. Something else is going on. I can sense it. I want you to tell me everything you know about this case. I want to know the truth. What is really going on?

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

Her head reeling, Twilight placed her quill back in its inkwell and rolled the paper into a scroll to send to the princess. She took the scroll, stood up from her desk, and walked over to Spike's basket. The young dragon was still asleep, snoring with abandon. "Wake up, Spike." She poked him. Spike did nothing but snort in his sleep, roll over, and continue to snore.
"Spike! Wake up!" Twilight shouted at him. She planted her hoof into his side and shoved him sideways.
"Huh?" Spike mumbled. Then he squealed as he was thrown forcefully from his basket. He flew sideways and slid across the floor, crashing into the wall. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head where it had smashed against the wall. "What the- Twilight! I was in the middle of a dream about Rari- um, ice cream! What do you want?"
Twilight straightened up and trotted over to where Spike was sitting, leaning against the wall. "I need you to send a message to the princess. Right now."
"A message?" Spike moaned. "Now? What time is it?"
Twilight glanced at her clock. "12: 14. Approximately three hours and twenty-six minutes from when I first sat down to write this message."
Spike got up and staggered back to his basket. "It's that late? Twilight, Princess Celestia isn't going to read a message she got in the middle of the night. Can't this wait until tomorrow? You know, when the rest of the world is awake?"
"Of course not," Twilight said, placing the scroll in Spike's hand. "It's very important that the Princess receives this message as soon as possible. And besides, there are millions of ponies who are awake right now on the other side of the planet. Now send it."
"Okay, okay, fine." Spike held the scroll in front of him and let out a breath of fire. The paper smoldered in the green flare and disappeared. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed."
Sure enough, the second Spike had his blanket pulled over his shoulders, another burst of green flame exploded from his mouth. A scroll appeared and landed on the floor. Twilight went to pick up the scroll from where it was lying on the floor. "Thank you, Spike."
"Yeah. Don't mention it," the dragon mumbled from under his blanket.
Excitement blazing in her head, Twilight unrolled the scroll. Her eyes scanned over the lines of the Princess's intricate handwriting. She started to read. "Dear Twilight Sparkle..."
It's been a while. Why are you sending me messages in the middle of the night?
"See? I told you," Spike said, listening from somewhere underneath his pile of blanket.
I know that this is a difficult time for you. Believe me, it is for me as well. Normally this would be the time that I tell you that there is nothing going on, that you need to relax and let the court take care of the investigation. But sadly, this is wrong.
Twilight gasped. She couldn't believe it. The princess really had been hiding something from her this entire time. Heart pounding, she read on.
You don't know everything about me, Twilight. There are many things that have been hidden for years not only from you, but from every pony in Equestria. It's time you knew the truth.
The Equestria you live in is a lie. Everything you have known from the day you were born has been an illusion. You were right. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie's disappearances were not simply by chance.
I have a question for you myself. Do you want to know what is really out there?
If the answer is no, then do not respond. Burn this letter and forget everything I have just told you. Let life go on as it always has. But if you do want to know the truth...
Meet me at the palace in Canterlot in three days. I have a message for you from a friend of mine.

Your tutor, Princess Celestia

Twilight nearly dropped the letter on Spike's head. She felt as if she were suffocating. Her princess, her tutor, her friend- Had she been lying to her all this time? She couldn't let this go. She had to know. Twilight grabbed her quill and quickly scribbled down a reply.
I want to know the truth. I'll meet you in Canterlot, just as you asked. Who is this friend of yours?

Twilight rolled up her message and nudged Spike's basket. "Spike. Get up. I need you to send another message."
The dragon rolled over and poked his head out of his blanket. "No."
"What? Come on, Spike. It's really important."
"No. I don't want to. I'm tired."
"Just this last message, Spike? Pleeeeeease?"
"If I send it, then will you let me sleep?"
"Yes."
"Fine. One more message." Spike took the scroll from twilight and set it ablaze. He curled up under his blanket again, only to be shaken by another burst of fire seconds later.
Twilight fished the scroll out from the pile of Spike's blanket. She tore the seal off and unrolled the scroll. Her eyes widened. All it held was a single sentence.

His name is Horus.