Applebloom and Rumble quickly found the rounded up mercenaries, and the soldiers taking them and some crystals holding elven ponies away from the city. Realizing that Scootaloo was in danger, they quickly turned and ran back towards her home, hoping they could get to her before Time Twister could.
They were too late of course, the open door and fresh hoofprints in the snow leading away made it clear, Time Twister had been and gone, and Scootaloo was not where she had been left.
“Great, now he’s got her, what do we do now?” Rumble questioned.
“I’m thinking,” Applebloom replied. How was Scootaloo important to whatever it was Time Twister was doing? That was the only part that made no sense. He must have got what he wanted, there just was something they weren’t getting, “for now, we need to follow him, we have to save Scootaloo.”
As Applebloom turned and tried to leave, Rumble grabbed her.
“But Applebloom, it's Time Twister, you know, the captain of the Royal Guard, who can freeze time and did so to save Princess Maakera herself from an assassin? How can we hope to stop him.”
“Ah don’t know, but we have to try something, do you want to give up on her?”
It didn’t take too long to follow where Time Twister had gone. He followed the path to the center of Oriel, and as Applebloom and Rumble arrived, he stood looking at what appeared to be a statue, with the unconcious Scootaloo beside him. Of course, they were heard as they drew closer, but he didn’t look at them.
“So, you still desire friendship with this pony of another world? You realize, of course, that soon you will have to part ways. And you will never see her again.” Time Twister said, slowly turning around.
“It don’t matter! We’ll know, and we’ll always be friends, ya don’t stop bein’ friends just because you can’t see each other anymore!” Applebloom replied.
“Of course, you think I don’t understand that? Why, Canterlot’s own Twilight Sparkle believes there is a basic core magic at the heart of friendship, and is researching it. It is my duty to understand our world and our way of life, so I can defend it.”
Time Twister turned again to the statue, which Applebloom now saw looked like an alicorn, and if it hadn’t been a statue, it would have passed for a living pony. The mane was blue and frozen in a wave pattern, the stone painted the shade of the night sky, with a black smudge spot upon the flank with a moon.
“The Crying Goddess.” Rumble whispered.
“Is that what they called her? How interesting,” Time Twister smirked, “she is a myth in our world, though some believe our Princess is ancient, and this pony was one of her daughters. Luna, the goddess of the moon and stars.”
“Ah know this one, it’s said she and her sister, Celestia, became hungry for power, and saw the other as a threat. Sun and Moon fought, and only the Earth could stop such a war, Maakera forced to banish her daughters to places far beyond our imagining.”
Time Twister slowly walked around the statue, even as Scootaloo stirred. He wasn’t dumb, she would try to escape but found her bracelet was pinned to the ground.
“Maakera, Celestia and Luna. Earth, Sun and Moon. Interesting right? But not why I am here. This is the source of the Princess’s worries, and the power that will push Equestria into a new age. All countries will bow before us, all who oppose will fall.”
Applebloom watched him carefully, a hoof on Scootaloo to stop her struggling and injuring himself. What was he looking for?
“We can’t be here! We’ll wake the Crying Goddess!” Scootaloo hissed at Applebloom.
“It’s just a statue!” Rumble protested.
“Ah ha! Here we go,” Time Twister used his magic, pulling Scootaloo towards him. It refocused and removed the gem in her bracelet, “funny, this gem is, as I expected, a tiny fragment of this power source. I can put it back and the new age for Equestria will begin.”
Slowly the fragment was pushed back into place. The trio and Time Twister watched as the statue flashed. And then there was nothing.
“What? I-I don’t understand! I was so sure.” Time Twister looked dejected.
There was another flash, so bright all ponies had to look away. At the portal to Equestria, Princess Maakera had arrived just in time to see the flash.
Applebloom, Rumble and Scootaloo covered their ears and winced in pain as a loud wailing cry filled the air. Time Twister backed up a little, his ears hurt from the sound too, but he was in shock. The statue had become a real alicorn!
“W-who broke me out?” the blue alicorn looked at each pony in turn.
“You don’t understand! I killed this world! In my anger, my fury, I killed it! And I can’t save it! And now you free me, when I imprisoned myself in stone forever as punishment? How could you?”
Her crying got louder, and the city of Oriel shook. Nearby buildings started to crumble, and all four ponies begun to run away.
“The only safe place is outside the city.” Time Twister shouted over the wailing cries and collapsing buildings.
“Why are you helping us now?” Scootaloo asked him.
“I made a mistake okay? No one should have to die for it!”
As they ran down another street, a building collapsed, seperating Applebloom and Rumble from Scootaloo and Time Twister.
“Now what do we do?” Applebloom shouted.
“Just keep running that way, find the entrance to the city and stop for nothing!” Time Twister replied.
Scootaloo turned back the way they had come, and as fast as she could ran back towards the alicorn. The only way to be safe, was to either get the alicorn to stop crying, or to turn her to stone again. Time Twister, with little to do, followed.
Applebloom and Rumble soon made it to the city edge, just in time to see Princess Maakera arrive. The Princess stared down at them, not because it was her attitude, but such is the way of an adult looking at a child. Slowly, she lowered until she lay upon her barrel.
“Tell me what that idiot has done now.” she said, in a surprisingly warm voice.
Time Twister and Scootaloo were just a single street away from the alicorn now, and the shaking of the city was getting worse. It was only Time Twister who looked around watching for any buildings falling. A rumble in the ground made him crawl to a stop.
“Can you fly?” he asked Scootaloo.
“What? No! I have a rare condition where I have wings but the density of an earth type.” she replied.
“Alright, well, what I’m going to do next will hopefully help and eventually save you, but for everything else, I’m sorry. I only wanted to do good. I just, went about it wrong.”
Before Scootaloo could ask him what he was rambling about, she was surrounded by his magic, and thrown far. She groaned as she stood and went to yell at him, only to watch as the street, and the ground beneath him, caved.
There had been some parts of the city, which had sat above open spaces, with enough air to keep them warmer than the snow. This had melted some snow into them, which eroded more of the surface. Finally, the weight of the street had been too much, and simply it had caved in. Scootaloo could only watch as Time Twister fell into the cave, and into the darkness. It was unlikely he could survive. Even if he did, there were pieces of falling building and street paving. At some point, he would be hit and go out cold, and meet his fate.
“Thank you. I wish you could have redeemed yourself.”
The Crying Goddess was still there as the city of Oriel fell around her. Scootaloo dodged falling buildings and shards of glass as she ran closer. She thought for a moment, what could she do to save her home, even though there was no future? Her mind wandered back to what she had heard as she woke up, of course after Time Twister had knocked her out. He had been talking about friendship, and how it could be a magic as yet not understood. Slowly and calmly, Scootaloo took a breath, friendship. It was worth a try, she had nothing to lose after all. Once she drew close, Scootaloo held her, and the crying slowed.
“It wasn’t your fault. You’re just a hurt child, really? You broke something and it isn’t your place to fix it. We’re not angry, we’re upset for you that your mother isn’t here to comfort you. So just let me instead.” Scootaloo said.
The alicorn was shocked, but returned the hug, her crying turned to sniffing and taking deep breaths, and the collapse of Oriel was finished.
“Thank you, dear child.” the alicorn replied.
“What’s your name?” Scootaloo smiled, staring at the eternal night sky.
“I’m Luna. And I’m sorry I don’t have the ability to lower the moon here.” Luna sniffed again.
The pair remained like that for a while, as around them, the snow finally stopped falling.