Sunset had come to it's conclusion with little to no fanfare that day. To be sure, it was no less beautiful than it ever was. Clouds painted in hues of orange and red, reflecting the colors of the sun itself. That giant ball of light descending on the horizon, beautiful to behold, but impossible to stare at, leaving one with that longing to see what perfection may be. Despite all of these things, though, it went largely unnoticed. Although the occupants of the Polaris were unaware of it, there were very few ponies left to witness it.
Amid the fluttering of wings, a dark-hued alicorn alighted upon the deck of the ship, the sound of their arrival drowned out by the heavy thrum of the engines as they pushed the craft ever onward, though to no particular destination at the time. Moments later, the new arrival was joined by Equestria's only known draconequus, who oddly was flying as a pegasus might, which was assuredly unusual for Discord. As he arrived, a familiar yellow pegasus caught sight of them on the deck, trotting up to the pair with a look of awe on her face as her gaze locked on the alicorn.
"Princess Luna!" she declared, kneeling down on her forelegs before a nod from Luna made her rise once more. "S'good to see not everypony's been taken by this...this curse, whatever it is. Capn' will be thrilled to know you're here; she named the ship in yer honor, after all."
Luna at first simply smiled, though her expression appeared worn, as somepony who has worried a great deal would appear. Taking a deep breath, she made to speak, working to maintain composure despite dire circumstances. "It is pleasing to be honored in such a way," she replied with a smile. "I would like to make time to speak to your captain, but first, I am here to see Twilight Sparkle. We need to know where we stand in these...events."
At first opening her mouth to speak, Lightheart quickly shut it, as if she thought better of it. With a quick nod, she trotted off. As she disappeared below decks, Discord adopted a more dour expression. "I hope she has more answers than we have found. I don't much care for being unable to use my magic. It makes things so dreadfully dull." He snapped his fingers as if to conjure up on of his usual effects, but when nothing happened, he sighed wearily, shaking his head. No dice, it seemed.
Luna's expression actually softened a bit as she offered a smile to her companion. "Believe it or not, I would rather you have them back as well. For all of your mischief, you've also proven of great aid to us since your release from stone. For what it is worth, I am sorry you're stuck like this."
Though he offered a small smile in reply, Discord stood with sagging shoulders, clearly leaned toward a depressed state of mind. "Thank you, Luna. It's good to have...friends now." That word, friends, he said with some trepidation. The concept remained fairly new to him, and it was once a word to be his bane, not his ally. Of course, perhaps it was in the very nature of chaos to change so drastically, wasn't it?
Moments later, a purple alicorn appeared on the deck, looking perhaps a bit worse for wear. With a frazzled mane, unkempt fur, and clear tracks running lines down her cheeks, it was no guess that she had been crying. With the absence of her friends, it wasn't hard for them to guess why, and even Discord frowned at the prospect. "Fluttershy...?" He asked tentatively, still showing a deal of favor toward the first pony to befriend him. Twilight slowly shook her head as she approached, leading to a rather crestfallen look on the draconequus.
"I'm sorry Discord," she began, her voice sounding a little broken, another clear indication of the tears she had shed. "She...we lost her when Trottingham disappeared. We've...I've lost all of them..." She looked about ready to break into a new batch of tears just then. Simply mentioning the loss of her friends weighed heavily on her heart, so much so that she stopped a fair distance from the pair as she struggled to regain what little composure she had left.
As Twilight struggled with her fractured heart, Luna and Discord spared a sidelong glance at each other before the latter gestured toward the distraught alicorn, indicating she should be the one to help her. Luna simply nodded before slowly approaching Twilight, who stood with shaking knees, struggling so that she would not simply break down. She had been able to stay strong before, keep a straight face, but that was for her friends' sake. With them gone now, what was she holding on for?
"Hope."
That word rang out like a clarion call to her, breaking her free of the clutches of her sorrow. Slowly lifting her head, her gaze fell upon the smiling princess. Bringing a hoof up, Luna gently shifted Twilight's mane, straightening it up a bit before she continued. "There is always hope, Twilight Sparkle. So long as even one of us remains, there will be hope. I understand how you must feel, now that your friends are no longer with you, but do not let that defeat you. Remember what it is they have done for you, and let that be your strength as you carry on. I am certain we will need you to solve this, after all."
Twilight sniffled against tears that struggled to be free, wetting her eyes to the point that she absently wiped them away with the back of her foreleg. "Thanks," she murmured softly, clinging to those words with fervor. Luna was right, of course. She needed to keep in mind what it was they meant to her. Everything they had done together, what they had done for her, and she for them. There was no true certainty they, or anypony else, were gone for good. It was easy to forget that, though, when you were left alone to face all of the world and it's troubles. It seemed so daunting...
"It's easy to forget the little things," Luna continued, jarring the younger alicorn that much more. Hotplate had said much the same thing toward the beginning of all of this, hadn't he? It seemed to be a recurring theme, and no less true. It WAS easy to forget in the face of tragedy like this. "Just remember what it is you are trying for. Your friends will need you...in fact, I believe everypony does now." This she said with a small smile, trying to bring some measure of calm to Twilight's troubled mind.
Slowly Twilight moved her gaze from Luna to Discord, the latter offering a goofy smile and a wave. She began to pick up on his more subdued manner, which apparently showed on her face, as Luna chuckled softly. Discord himself absently rubbed at his arm, turning his gaze away. Perhaps embarrassed? "Yes, he's a bit more...subdued," Luna commented, bringing light to the thoughts that had passed through her mind just then. "It appears that whatever power is behind these disasters is also nullifying his own. Even I have felt it's effects." Having said that, she frowned in a way that made Twilight all the more nervous. "It is unsettling to think such a power even exists, much less that we've had to face it. I shudder to think of the trials ahead."
Trials? Of course, the idea passed through her mind moments later. If there was indeed a great power behind all of this, something so potent it could quiet even Discord's remarkable power, what kind of an opponent would they be? Could she really stand up to somepony that could wield such ability? What chance could they have against that? Her thoughts began to run with the idea, bringing worry to her face as she considered the implications. Every time she thought too much on it, the situation seemed so...hopeless.
Of course, then she remembered Abacus, and all he had tried to explain to her. Of the idea that love was true magic, that it was the key to...well, all of this. Indeed, she'd even seen it at work. Well, sort of. Abacus had clearly been straining against something, and if he had indeed delayed the disappearance of the Crystal Empire, that itself was a marvelous feat. He had even teleported her out of the city, and he wasn't even a unicorn! If that was possible, maybe, just maybe...
"Twilight?" The firm, baritone voice was unmistakable against the backdrop of her thoughts, and it quickly snapped her from the reverie. Blinking a few times, she found herself almost eye to eye with Discord, who pointed behind her with a smirk as she drew herself back to the waking world. "We have company."
Turning slowly around, she saw the Captain approaching, Lightheart in tow. The former bore a stern, somewhat determined expression, like she knew she had to face something, but didn't want to. As she approached, she spared the trio a quick nod, avoiding the formalities the princesses oft saw in others. "Beggin' yer pardon folks, but we have a few things t'be addressed. Namely, we're flyin' blind here. I can't keep us idle in the air forever, an' we're not doin' anypony any good doin' just that. I need bearings ifn' we're gonna do any good."
Of course, all eyes went to Twilight at that comment. Swallowing hard against a sudden lump in her throat, she looked from one pony to the next, as if seeking some cue from them. When each gave her that expectant look, she drew the rather simple conclusion; this was her task now. As much as had happened, as many ponies as had been lost, all that were left now believed that she was the one to end it all. It suddenly felt as if an enormous weight had been placed upon her back, and it made her weak in the knees. She had known responsibility before, but this?
"So far, we have not uncovered anything of use in our endeavors," Luna commented, a nod from Discord accompanying this. "With the loss of Discord's magic, we have been unable to report on this until now. We were hoping that your luck has been better."
It has and hasn't, she mused to herself, sighing softly as she looked out across the sky to no point in particular. Nevertheless, all eyes followed her own gaze, as if hoping to find something, anything. For a time, the whole group stared out at the last vestiges of the day giving way to the night. It was a calming moment, and something she needed terribly. Clearing her mind, Twilight took a deep breath before turning back to the group gathered, steeling herself for the next steps.
"I have ideas as to what is happening, but no clear idea where. All Abacus could offer was to look to what remains to find the culprit. So all we need to do is find someplace that remains, somewhere that hasn't been taken. It's our only lead."
Those gathered averted their various gazes as they considered her words. It made sense, the idea of it, but then, each was use to whatever cities they already knew, and all of them were gone now. So many taken the same way as the rest, just gone. As each mulled over their thoughts, it became clear that ideas were in short supply. Even the adventurous Captain Starsight seemed lacking in any suggestions, and that unnerved Twilight more than any other. This wasn't looking good...
Suddenly, Luna perked up, a dawning look crossing her face. She turned to face the edge of the deck, staring out at the stars that had begun to peak through the last of the dying light of day, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I have an idea..."
Every pony gathered hung on those words like moths around a flame, almost perceptibly leaning in as they waited for her to continue. Each held bated breath as they watched her with such intensity that she could burst into flame. Just as her silence had pushed them all to a breaking point, she continued, finishing with but two words. "The observatory."
Twilight sighed wearily, bowing her head down as if in defeat, the others not faring much better. "Canterlot's gone, Luna. So is Ponyville at this point. Any observatories I know of would have been there." At her words, Luna turned her attention back to the smaller alicorn, an almost forlorn look upon her face.
"There was another one...a long time ago," she began, her tone low enough that everypony had to strain to hear it. "Celestia had one built on the other side of the mountain, where prying eyes could not easily see it. She meant it as a gift to me, a place where I could admire the heavens, or study them if I so chose. This was around the time I...." She trailed off, the indication clear enough. They all knew the tale of Nightmare Moon, and Twilight had even played a part in helping to recover the princess from her fate. The implication was no less powerful, though, Twilight's face lighting up like a holiday tree in Canterlot.
"So it's possible there's a location none of us knew of, that could still actually be there?" she asked, her voice laced with a guarded hope that they might actually have a solution. Luna nodded solemnly in reply.
"Though it was completed, I was gone, unable to use it. It has remained there ever since, seemingly forgotten until you reminded me of it a few moments ago. Or, perhaps, I reminded myself. It seems a likely place to hide if you wish not to be found, doesn't it?"
Nodding vigorously in reply, Twilight couldn't help but smile. True, they had no idea if it was still there, but it seemed the most likely idea right now, and she had to hold out for hope, didn't she? The little things might count the most, or so she'd heard. Turning to Starsight, she adopted a rather assertive nature, clearing her throat before she spoke. "You heard the princess, Captain. Set a course back to Canterlot with all due haste! We have a job to do."
Although perhaps a bit put off by the change in demeanor, Starsight played along, offering a quick salute to the purple alicorn before she turned to head back to steerage, barking out orders as she went. "Daredevil! Get a course laid in for Canterlot proper! We've got our bearings!"
As she went about the task of managing the ship, Twilight returned her attention to Luna and Discord, adopting a more resolute demeanor. "If this is indeed where our culprit is, we need to be ready for the worst. This magic is unlike anything we've ever seen or heard of before, and I am a bit concerned what that may mean for us."
She paused at that thought, as she was starting to sound a bit rehearsed. How did they even know a pony was behind it? Well, that seemed to be Abacus' implication, anyway, though he didn't seem to know who. Or did he? That was a question she should have addressed sooner, in retrospect. It didn't matter now, though. Truth was, she had no idea what they'd be walking into even IF this was the right place, and that made her more than a bit nervous.
"Twilight? Are you alright? You look a bit..." Luna began, apparently looking for the right word.
"Worried," Discord finished with a sage nod, Luna copying the motion. Twilight simply sighed.
"Truth is, I've no idea what to expect. It could be anypony, anything. Maybe this power has nothing to do with how they could stop us. I just...I have no idea what we're getting into if this is indeed the source...and it worries me."
Oddly, it was Discord that chimed in next, quickly drawing both of their attention. "Well I, for one, will be happy to get this over with. All of this solemn quiet and somber atmosphere is absolutely suffocating! And without my magic, it's just so dull. How do you ponies even survive?" Both stared at him a few moments, unblinking. "Is there something on my face?" he suddenly asked, patting around as if in search of the offending item.
"He's right, you know," Luna chimed in, eliciting shocked responses from both of them. "It is rather...dull. All concerns aside, we could do with some good new, I should think. Whatever we discover there, Twilight, you will not be alone."
Those words gave the smaller alicorn more comfort than they should have, and she smiled at the elder princess for it. "Thank you," she replied simply before turning to head below decks. Glancing back to the pair, she nodded toward the stairs. "We should at least try to get something to eat, and maybe some sleep along the way. If we are to face anything there, I suspect we will want to be ready for it."
"Now that's an idea I can get behind!" Discord replied, perhaps too cheerily, getting the other two to laugh despite the severity of their situation. It was perhaps desperately needed. As the three disappeared below decks, the ship began a slow, winding turn to get on course to the observatory Luna had mentioned. It was time to see if Luna was right, and if so, to put an end to this.