“YOU DID WHAT???”
When Sonic returned, he’d barged into Tails’ workshop and explained to Tails and Knuckles about the strange appearance of Discord. He told them that he’d known about the chaos emeralds and was out to get them. Lastly he’d explained what he’d done with the precious stones.
Knuckles was now attempting to punch Sonic, but he was holding him back with both hands. “Knuckles! KNUCKLES!! Stop th- STOP TRYING TO PUNCH ME! I had to do it! KNUCKLES ECHINDA!!!
Tails eventually calmed him down, and Sonic let out a sigh of relief. Knuckles simply glowered at the hedgehog.
“If I hadn’t done it, Discord would have them by now. He’d probably have tortured them out of me. All we can do now is go and find them. Tails?”
“Yeah?” answered the fox vaguely. He was already looking over the scanners for traces of the emeralds.
“That’s strange…”
“What’s strange?” asked Sonic. He peered over his best friend’s shoulder.
“I can pick up long-distance chaos traces, but they won’t tell me exactly where they are. The range stretches all the way across the earth, courtesy of you, Sonic. But I can only find three…”
Knuckles snapped, “It’s all Sonic’s fault. He made the same mistake he made on Mobius, separating the Chaos Emeralds across the universe. It’ll take forever to find them all!”
Both Sonic and Tails ignored the echidna’s grumbling. Tails was adjusting the scanners repeatedly, but there was still no sign except the three it had picked up before. Tails stopped searching and began to think aloud.
“If the state-of-the-art technology can’t find them, then it must mean they aren’t on the planet. Sonic, describe that Discord guy to me. Again.”
Sonic sighed, but assisted. “He had one deer antler, one goat horn, a horse’s head, one lion arm, one-“
“I got it!” yelled Tails, cutting Sonic short. “There’s no mention of this guy here on Earth, so he must be from another planet! Dimension, even, because we have so many alien contacts!”
“So, because of Discord’s interference, the emeralds might have gone to his original dimension!” said Sonic slowly. “Tails, you’re a genius!”
Tails blushed. Knuckles however, marched over and spun Sonic around, planting a gloved finger on his chest.
“So, you caused the precious chaos emeralds to teleport to another dimension, leaving none in our possession, and at this very moment Eggman could have his grubby little hands all over them??”
“Uhhh…” said Sonic.
Knuckles shoved him backwards, but Sonic kept his footing.
He said, “We have to go to the place the other four emeralds went! It doesn’t matter that they are gone anymore, all that matters is us getting to them first!” He turned to Tails. “You can get us there, right?”
Tails nodded. “I’ve studied a lot since the last time I made a portal. I’ll have one ready in half an hour’s time!”
Sonic nodded. Knuckles frowned. It wasn’t like Sonic to wait, at least without putting up a fight.
He looked at Tails, who was already grabbing remotes and devices and tapping in commands.
He hoped that Sonic hadn’t doomed them all.
Twilight stared around at her friends. A few minutes ago, Applejack had flung the door of the Golden Oaks Library open, charging in with Rarity in hot pursuit. Fluttershy, who was trembling, and Pinkie Pie, who was giggling, followed them. They all said they had seen bright lights cross the sky, in the colors of red, blue, green and white.
Rainbow Dash had flown in through the balcony window last. The spirit of Loyalty seemed to have gained even more speed in the recent months, after Discord’s reformation. Twilight was amazed at the speed she could gather so instantly, causing a sonic rainboom in seconds. Dash had reported seeing all the mysterious lights, following the green one till she lost sight of it.
Anything that could move faster than Rainbow Dash wasn’t alive. These lights may be very important.
“A’m telling ya sugarcube, you should send a letter ta the Princess now! There’s no tellin’ wha’ those lights coulda been, and if they’re dangerous…” Applejack gulped.
Twilight nodded. “You’re absolutely right, Applejack. Spike, take a letter.”
Spike hurried out from the kitchen, wearing his frilly pink apron and carrying a plate of daisy cookies. He shared them around to everypony, (bowing majestically before Rarity, who blushed) and ran to Twilight’s side, trading the empty platter for a scroll and quill. But before he could begin writing, a bright light shone from the balcony.
Everypony bowed as Princess Celestia entered the library. Twilight gasped “Princess!” and ran to her, receiving a warm nuzzle from her tutor.
“Twilight Sparkle, my star student. I assume you saw the glimmering lights crossing the sky?”
“Yes, my friends and I saw them,” said Twilight. “I was about to send a message to you…”
Celestia smiled. “In case you were wondering, those lights were neither good nor evil. Those were vessels of power from another world.”
The ponies looked at one another. The lights were extra-terrestrial?
Twilight gazed up at the princess. “What were they?”
“Their names are unknown, but I do know that they are precious gems. I also sense that the keepers are coming to retrieve them. I am unsure, however, if they will be aggressive.”
“We will be ready,” said Twilight. “But what if they are not aggressive?”
“Then welcome them to Equestria, and look after them. Show them we are not to be feared. I will come when you call me.”
The Princess looked out at the sun, almost gone from the sky. Night was approaching, the moon already casting silver light onto the world.
“I have to go, Twilight. I’m sorry I could not stay longer. I need to return to Canterlot.” She smiled at the six mares. “I am proud of how far you have all come. You are almost ready.”
Then the Princess of Day turned and flew from the window, glowing brighter and brighter until she vanished into thin air.
Twilight turned back to her friends. “Everypony go and get some rest. Come to the library only when I call you, all right? And keep an eye out for those visitors.”
The friends said their goodnights and departed in different directions. Twilight shut the door, put Spike to bed, welcomed Owlicious, and trotted down the stairs.
Before she went to sleep every night, Twilight would check the Elements of Harmony were safe in their glass casket. The Princess had entrusted the power to her, and she was determined to keep it safe.
Twilight put her horn into the keyhole. Purple magic illuminated the protection charms on the casket, and the lid clicked open. Twilight looked down at the elements. She gasped. One was glowing.
The ruby-red lightning bolt of the Element of Loyalty was pulsing with light. Twilight stared down at it, and then lifted it from its bed.
Rainbow explosions, blue beams of light, cackling laughter, lightning, Rainbow Dash, Discord, A blue hedgehog, multicolored glowing energy, screaming, yelling, a falling figure, a stone statue, a sky of nothing but red.
Twilight dropped the Element of Loyalty, gasping. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Visions had passed before her eyes rapidly. What exactly she had seen was blurred, but there was so much pain, so much horror. She did not know what to expect.
What would happen to Rainbow Dash?
Twilight closed her eyes and willed the visions away. She put the Element of Loyalty back into the casket. She locked the casket securely.
She clopped unsteadily up the stairs. She crept across the room, trying not to wake Spike. She quieted Owlicious. Finally she slipped into bed.
But Twilight Sparkle lay there, wide-awake, for the rest of Luna’s peaceful night.