Shade of A Crystal Empire

by igotastewgoing

Train Rides and Tough Choices

CHAPTER TWO

Train Rides and Tough Choices

The train ride to Canterlot had been fairly quiet. There had been a brief burst of energy when Pinkie Pie had discovered that the dining car complete with dessert bar was open for business, and had issued an open challenge to anypony who wanted to try and best her in a cupcake eating contest. Rainbow Dash had accepted initially out of pure competitive spirit, but soon found that she wasn't able to match Pinkie Pie's prodigious capacity to consume sweets at an alarming rate. Realizing quickly that she was in over her head once Pinkie's eating outpaced her own at a ratio of three to one, Rainbow Dash quietly bowed out after two cupcakes. Not being a pony to let good sweets go to waste, Pinkie had proceeded to finish the rest of the dozen she had in front of her. This had all been over two hours ago, and the attendant in the dining car was still in cold sweats over the thought of Pinkie returning to clean out the rest of his stock.

Fortunately for him, he had little to worry about. Pinkie was currently experiencing a Category Four Sugar Crash, and was doing little more than sitting motionless in her seat, eyes glued unblinking to the ceiling and mouth slightly agape in an expression that bordered both sleepy and ill. Occasionally a burble could be heard coming from her stomach, to which she would wearily respond "I know. But they were so good."

Fluttershy and Applejack were on the far end of the car, having an in-depth discussion about the merits of having a designated nap time for cows. Fluttershy had apparently done research into the subject, which somehow did not surprise Applejack, but she remained skeptical despite Fluttershy's polite assertiveness.

Rainbow Dash was snoring, spread out on all three seats in the row across the aisle.

In the corner, Spike sat by the window. He was reading the magazine that came tucked in the back of the seat. It was all bridle gossip, but there wasn't anything else to do. Rarity was sitting next to him, doing her best to engage in conversation with Twilight, who had been very quiet.

Even though Twilight Sparkle was staring out the window, she could feel Rarity's eyes. She didn't know why she had chosen to sit in one of the seats where the next row faced inwards, so that everypony was facing one another. She really hadn't felt much like talking. After a bit, she turned her head to face her friend sitting across from her. Rarity looked concerned. Twilight wasn't surprised. She could tell her face probably looked grim.

"Twilight, my dear?" Rarity asked, "You seem very, well, how best to put it? Vexed."

Vexed was certainly one way to put it. Her nerves had been going back and forth between shot and frayed all yesterday. She was so worked up over the implications of the Alicorn Amulet holding some sway over her powers that it was nearly enough to make her forget how bone-tired she was. The past two days had not seen her getting much sleep.

She had left Fluttershy's house early yesterday in the faint growing light of the predawn, and had returned home to find the cleanup that she had instructed her friends not to bother with already in progress. Applejack had insisted on it, balking at the thought of leaving Twilight's house "as dirty as a pig on a Tuesday," as she had put it—however dirty that was. They had stayed up the remainder of the night cleaning the mess, and by mid-morning the place had reverted back to being halfway inhabitable again. The bookshelves still needed to be moved back to their original position, the basement needed straightening, she had to replace the flour, seeing as she used up all that she had, and there was one last thing to take care of that she couldn't for the life of her remember for some reason.

But all that could wait until later. It didn't really matter much what state her house was in when there were far more pressing matters to attend to.

She had explained to her friends the hard, surprising truth that she had finally realized: That there had been no thief at all, and it was Twilight herself who had been unknowingly and uncontrollably teleporting the Alicorn Amulet out of its hiding place every night when she went to sleep. Twilight had instructed Spike to take down a letter to Princess Celestia, in which she explained her situation and how nervous she was. She had asked the Princess for a meeting to discuss what it all meant, and how to stop it. Within an hour after Spike had sent it with his magical fire breath they had a reply, which had simply read:

My dearest student, Twilight Sparkle—

Come to Canterlot on tomorrow's morning train. I shall be awaiting your arrival. Bring the amulet and your friends. Try not to worry.

Princess Celestia

The rapid reply had been appreciated, but the curtness of the letter left Twilight with an additional sense of unease. It had seemed so serious in tone, despite the advice to not worry at the end. This only made Twilight assume that by Celestia telling her to try and not worry, that meant that effort would be required to not worry because there actually was something worth worrying about! Otherwise why would she say it? So worrying was a perfectly valid and smarter alternative for all she knew!

She had voiced such concerns to her friends, who had then told her to not worry so much. It was enough to drive a pony to madness.

It was clear that the only hope they had in unraveling this mystery was the Princess, because try as she might (and she did try), Twilight had been unable to find anything in any of her books about spontaneous development of unconscious nocturnal teleportation of specific objects over the course of multiple days and events. Granted that was a very specific criteria, but it seemed to her that she had a very specific condition. And woefully her books were of no help. And that certainly didn't help her worrying one little bit.

But whether or not the worrying that she could not physically stop was warranted, there she sat on the train to Canterlot. The Alicorn Amulet sat in its box by her side, the box getting its lacquer coating slowly worn down by Twilight's habitual soft tapping of her hoof on the lid. Somepony on the other end of the car might have thought a woodpecker had gotten trapped inside, and was politely but determinedly doing what it did best. Twilight was only partially aware of it. But all that worrying had to come out somehow, and it was either that or start screaming.

And she still had the nagging feeling that she was forgetting about something back home.

Realizing that she had left Rarity awaiting a reply for some time, Twilight finally managed a small smile and turned to face her friend.

"I'm okay, Rarity. I'm just…thinking."

Rarity raised a skeptical eyebrow as the smile faded soon after appearing.

"Obviously it's your magic that's worrying you," she said. "I can relate, you know. I would be mortified if my magic started misbehaving on me as well."

Twilight held back a scoff. Rarity, being a unicorn, did possess some magical talents. But her abilities were mostly used to hold fabric in place or grab a pair of scissors from across the room. They weren't anywhere close to what Twilight was capable of. Before this debacle she had been working on a spell to give ponies fins and gills for swimming. It was in another class altogether, and she couldn't help but feel a slight sting to her ego.

"But all this malaise is simply unwarranted, my dear," Rarity continued. "After all, that's why we're seeing Princess Celestia, yes? Who else would you possibly want but her to help you with your problem?"

"She's right," Spike said from the seat next to her. "Princess Celestia can do anything. She makes the sun rise. I think she can handle your teleportation spell going all bonkers."

Twilight shook her head.

"It's not just my spell that's the problem!" she said a little too loudly. "It's what the implications of it going haywire are!"

At the other end of the car, Applejack and Fluttershy had stopped their conversation and were now staring back at Twilight. Even Pinkie Pie had pulled herself out of her sugar coma to listen in.

"Well," Rarity said, straining the depths of her knowledge. "If you aren't in control of what you're teleporting, and you do it when you sleep, then I would assume that it would be like sleepwalking, yes? That sounds like an easy fix. I believe I once had an uncle who did that, and—"

"NO!" Twilight exclaimed. This time she most definitely said it too loudly.

Rainbow Dash jolted awake with a gasp of "HUH BUH DA WAH?! Wassat?! What's No?"

Twilight realized she had shifted forward to the edge of her seat during the conversation. The combination of the events of the last few days and Rarity's unintentional downplaying of Twilight's skills was starting to get the better of her. Taking a deep breath, she scooted back and leaned against the headrest, lowering her hooves to her sides, where they began softly tapping, sounding out her lingering nervousness. She continued in measured tones.

"The important thing is WHAT is being teleported. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Alicorn Amulet is the only thing I'm bringing to me in my sleep. It's like it wants to be near me! Magical objects don't DO that. They don't think. They don't have an intelligence. At least none that I've ever heard of. Maybe if I was wearing it then maybe it could influence me, but it couldn't do it from across the room while locked in a box, at any rate. If it did, it would have to be something of incredible, unthinkable power."

"Yes," Rarity admitted, "I suppose that does make sense."

"So," Twilight continued, "If it is that powerful, and it is capable of thought and desires, what does it want with me?"

"I'd imagine because it knows you're the most powerful magic user in Ponyville."

"Perhaps. But why would an evil object think that I could help it? Maybe it senses badness in me."

"Perish the thought!" Rarity balked. "That is absurd, Twilight Sparkle. Simply absurd! And I for one won't hear of it!"

"Or maybe the amulet is using me, even though I'm not evil, to serve its own ends. Maybe it's toying with me, and making me do things that help it, even though I would normally go against its evil inclinations."

"Yes, that's a much better explanation!" Rarity said.

"That's not exactly something to be happy about," Twilight deadpanned as she shook her head.

"Oh. I suppose that wouldn't be very reassuring, would it?"

"Especially when I am clearly outmatched by its power," Twilight said. "I don't think I could stop it if I tried."

Her head fell back on the chair as she stared at the ceiling.

"And now I have to go to Princess Celestia and tell her I can't look after it anymore," she said as she studied the storage compartments above her. "It can't stay with me."

"Well, that's probably for the best until we figure everything out," said Spike.

Twilight remained gazing upwards.

"I've never failed like this before," she said as if realizing it for the first time. "My magic has always been enough to see me through anything. But now, I'm not good enough. I'm just not good enough. I just…"

She lost herself in her own thoughts.

Spike got up and walked across to her. He climbed up on the seat, and put a small claw on her leg. He gave a gentle squeeze to try and reassure his best friend.

"I believe in you, Twilight" he said. "I'd trust you with it."

Her head shifted slightly, just enough to look down at him.

"Why would you?" she asked. "I can't even control when I take it out of its hiding place."

Spike started to say something, but then paused as he realized that he didn't have a response to that.

The dream she had in the tub returned to Twilight's mind. She had been pondering that vision, and she was sure that's what it was, ever since the mess two nights ago. She was sure she knew those dark crystals. The coldness coming off of them was unmistakable.

"And if my suspicions are correct, the powers within this amulet are far too dangerous for a screw-up like me to have."

* * *

The train pulled into Canterlot station as it did several times every day. Steam shot from the pistons, the whistle sounded, and the breaks screamed with effort as the train slowed itself, rolling to a stop after giving one final small lurch that was bound to jolt anypony on the train impatient enough to already be standing. The attendants hopped on board to grab the luggage, collect tickets and assist the passengers disembarking.

The station and all of Canterlot was in the throes of spring. Flowers adorned columns and windowsills alike, and from every balcony and streetlamp hung the forked, bisected pale yellow and green flags signifying the season. The smell of blooming fauna and pollen mixed with rich dirt and dark tree leaves was sweet and heavy in the air, along with the subtle hint of wet cobblestones still damp with the morning shower. A heady aroma of fresh baked bread, cut wood, old garbage and newly picked fruit wafted around the market set up outside the station, and the sounds of the city rose up above the train as the engines cooled and quieted to give way to the pulsing heartbeat of the city's shouts and laughs and bangs and thumps and buying and selling and traveling to and fro.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the station of Canterlot, which was carrying passengers from throughout Equestria - Ponies from as far away as Hoofington, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Las Pegasus and even Mustangia had boarded the train that morning - the six ponies and one little dragon from Ponyville stepped out of the door and onto the platform. All but one of them were instantly taken in by the sights and sounds of the buzzing city.

Rainbow Dash's gaze was immediately drawn upwards to the summit of the mountain Canterlot was built into the side of. Soaring in between and around the clouds ringing the peak were new recruits for The Wonderbolts - Equestria's elite pegasus fliers and "Best of The Best." Resplendent in their blue and gold flight suits, they zipped and spun in twirling, ever shifting and evolving formations that lived and breathed like a creature in the sky. The turns and loops and dives were so seamless and coordinated that the pegasi seemed to share one consciousness. There was beauty in their flying for anypony who had eyes to see, but for a flyer like Rainbow Dash, she saw beyond mere tricks and patterns. She saw skill. She saw genius. She saw poetry. And these were the rookies.

Rainbow Dash naturally knew The Wonderbolts were in Canterlot to welcome the Magic Society of Equestria with a show. Indeed, the rainbow-haired pegasus was so obsessed with The Wonderbolts that she had every appearance marked on her calendar so that she never missed a demonstration, whenever possible. She knew their routines by heart - every position, every formation, forwards and backwards, slow and fast - and she practiced them on a daily basis. She bet she knew them better than an average recruit. After all, it was her lifelong dream to become a Wonderbolt, and when the day came to prove herself she wanted to amaze them the minute her wings started flapping.

Hopefully that day would come very soon. Her application was probably still in the mail, headed to their offices. She had applied several times already, and while she had been rejected up to this point, and had been disappointed each time they said "No," she had honestly expected it. She had been far too young before. But this time she was older, and she couldn't see any reason why they wouldn't take her. The anticipation was maddening.

As Rainbow Dash walked with her eyes firmly fixed upwards, she was inadvertently heading straight towards a cart selling pies. Noticing this, Applejack gently put a hoof on her shoulder and pulled her a few steps out of the way. Rainbow Dash didn't even break her pace or unglue her eyes from the recruits in the clouds. The only reaction she gave was to shout out to nopony in particular "No, you amateur! It's an 'Eights on Pylons' after the dive! Not an 'Eights around Pylons!' Geez! I could give that guy lessons, and I'm standing here and he's wearing the uniform!"

"With all that fancy talk I reckon you could," Applejack said, not knowing what any of that tirade meant. "Though it seems to me a Wonderbolt woulda seen that there pie cart."

Rainbow Dash snapped out of her trance long enough to look at Applejack.

"Huh?" she asked. "What pies?"

She then immediately turned her attention back to the clouds.

"Ugh," she called out. "You call that a Split S?! Amatuers!"

As she passed by the cart full of pies which had narrowly avoided decorating Rainbow Dash with its contents, Applejack was amazed at the variety of produce and baked goods in the marketplace. It was here, at the hub of Equestria that all the tastes and cultures from around the kingdom where on display for ponies to try. There were gooseberry and almond streusels from Manehatten, guava and cheese turnovers (a specialty of the port city of Baltimare which received the tropical fruits and gave them an Equestrian twist), fig jam from Saddle Arabia, pumpkin soup with chili cran-apple relish from Trottingham, cherry cheesecake muffins from Dodge Junction, and Hollow Shade's famous blackberry cobbler among countless other confections which filled the air with enough delicious scents as to make a pony's head spin.

Normally one to scoff at fanciness, Applejack had to admit to being impressed with the culinary prowess and diversity on display. When given a basket of apples and told to make something to eat with them, she and the Apple family were beyond compare, but she wasn't entirely sure that she even knew what a guava fruit was or what to do with it. It smelled good, but even the word sounded strange to her ears.

She felt a bit intimidated, but comforted herself in the knowledge that at least nopony in that town could make an apple turnover like she could. It was a talent that could only be cultivated on an apple farm under the tutelage of somepony like Granny Smith. And seeing as Apple Acres was the best apple farm in Equestria, and Granny Smith was the best apple chef, Applejack figured it only seemed

logical that nopony could out-apple the Apples when it came to apples.

As she bounced past Applejack, Pinkie Pie seemed to be enjoying the food selection in the market place as well, but her gaze was directed more towards the cotton candy stand next to the big fountain in the center of the marketplace. Brightly colored balloons floated from the wooden sign above the machine that spun the pink clouds of sugar into the delectable treats, with big bold letters reading "COLONEL CANDY'S SWEETS & PUPPET SHOW." A group of foals gathered around the small stage next to the candy machine, laughing as a hoof-puppet clearly meant to be Princess Celestia bonked another puppet that resembled Queen Chrysalis on the head with a paddle that said "DUMB." A shrill voice from behind the stage could be heard wailing in a wobbly falsetto "Ooooh no, Princess! Please not the Dumb Paddle! My face is too dumb already!"

"Cotton candy AND a puppet show?!" Pinkie Pie marveled. "This is the greatest thing ever!"

She giggled and rushed over to the stage, grabbed a cotton candy, shoved it in her mouth, and joined the fun. Puppet Celestia was getting ready to inflict another round of Dumb Paddle punishment.

"Bonk her on her dumb head again!" she called out through a mouth full of pink clouds.

Rarity was nearly bowled over by Pinkie Pie rushing past her, and was momentarily flustered at her friend's utter disregard for politesse. After all, they were in the most high-class place in all of Equestria, and you never knew who was watching. Doing her best to maintain her dignity in spite of Pinkie's gaucheness, Rarity continued to saunter onwards in as refined a fashion as she could manage, her head held high, aloof and confident.

As they continued into the market, threatening to leave Pinkie behind, they reached the merchants selling clothes and exotic jewelry from the furthest regions of the kingdom. Rarity had noted that the style of the south had been beyond reproach as of late, particularly when it came to necklaces and other accessories. The latest trend there had been weaving gems throughout thin strings of gold like fabric, which when done correctly, as these currently on display most certainly were, created an effect not unlike hair spun from gold and braided with shining jewels that was simply transcendent. It was one of Rarity's favorite current styles.

"Oh my, Rarity," said Fluttershy. "Look at all those lovely pieces of jewelry. They're so pretty."

Turning to look, as if she hadn't noticed already, Rarity did her best to not gawk. But her eyes did bug out slightly, and if anypony could see inside her mouth they would likely notice an increase in salivation. However it was naturally best to not come across as overly impressed, least anypony think her to not be avant-garde. After all, it was poor-form to gush over anything, let alone something that was more than a few weeks old. And that style had been popular for nearly a month!

"Hmm? Oh yes, those," she said. "They're acceptable for somepony on a budget, but they seem a tad quaint at this point, don't you think?"

The stallion wearing a turban behind the booth snapped his head up to give her a rude look. Fluttershy seemed confused.

"Budget?" she echoed. "That costs more than I've seen you make in—"

"A whole day!" Rarity laughed as loud as she could as she cut off her friend. "I know! I might have to save for a weekend to get it. Ah ha ha! Yes, quite right, Fluttershy, my dear! Definitely two days. Two at most! If I wanted it!"

Her laugh was decent, but the delivery reeked slightly of desperation and "Be quiet, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy did just that. Unlike the others, Fluttershy found city life to be too loud and overwhelming. Ponies here shoved and yelled and rushed too much for her, and there wasn't a meadow or forest in sight. The waterfalls were very pretty, but they were far too high up for her to enjoy. She didn't like heights very much, and just looking at them made her dizzy. So she did her best to disappear behind her friends, keep her head down and get this over with so she could go back to her critter friends in Ponyville. Here there were no critters of any kind to be found besides birds, but they were the greedy city birds that only wanted to be fed.

And there weren't even any fish in the river to have a nice, quiet, one-way conversation with. True, there were some goldfish in the fountains in the cul-de-sacs and parks throughout Canterlot, but Fluttershy had always found goldfish to be poor conversationalists at best. You always had to remind them what you were just talking about, and while it must have been constantly exciting and new for them, for anypony talking to them it got boring very quickly.

So Fluttershy was quite happy to stay as inconspicuous and hidden as she could, and followed the group as they wound through the streets, passing through the market, eventually picking up Pinkie Pie again as she hopped back from the puppet show after Chrysalis had been crowned "The Dumbest Face in Equestria." The thought still had Pinkie giggling. Such were the sights of the marketplace that they were all talking about them afterwards, except for Fluttershy, who remained relatively silent except to politely smile and say something like "That's wonderful" on occasion.

The only pony quieter than Fluttershy was Twilight Sparkle.

At the head of the group, she walked like a pony headed to the edge of a cliff. All through the market her head had been down, and now she made her way down the streets which she was well familiar with, barely having to gaze up at all except to dodge the occasional carriage or fruit stand. Each hoof she lifted felt a little heavier than the one before, and the weariness of the last week's debacles were pilling on to take their toll.

The cobblestone pathway twisted and turned around the brightly colored pastel alleys and streets of Canterlot. Twilight followed them by memory. Left, right, right, left at the cul-de-sac, right again. She was doing her best to not look up at her destination in dread of what awaited her once she got there. Then, as she took that last right onto the largest boulevard, the early afternoon sun that had been beating down on her head was suddenly darkened as she stepped into the shadow of something massive. Out of pure instinct she looked up. As she opened her eyes, the green tint that the sunlight had thrown over her eyes began fading, and she made out the familiar outline towering over her, reaching into the sky.

There stood Canterlot Castle.

The spiraling ivory towers and elegant marble bridges connecting them positively shined in the sun. Domes capped with gold and deep royal purple shot heavenwards, lifted up on columns and arches that seemed far too delicate and artistic to be strong enough to hold them. Stained glass windows adorned nearly every surface able to contain them, sending prisms of rainbow colored beams of light cascading all around the towers, making the entire castle gleam with brilliance. Eventually the lights made their way down to the base of the castle to meet the great waterfall, helping to create a virtual storm of rainbows as it plummeted down the mountain into the side of which Canterlot nestled.

No matter how often she saw it, Twilight was never quite able to fully take in the beauty of the castle at first glance. It usually required a bit of staring to process all of it. But those were on normal days when she wasn't afraid of going there. Right then it was unlikely that the castle could appear beautiful no matter how long she looked. As awe inspiring of a sight as it was, it was the second last thing she wanted to see at that moment.

The first last thing was the Princess who, in addition to being her mentor, was also one of her oldest friends.

"There it is," said Applejack. "Hoo-ee! Ever' time I see that place it nearly knocks my hat off."

The ponies were busy taking in the awe-inspiring sight of the castle when Spike, who had been at his familiar place sitting astride Twilight's back, suddenly spoke up.

"Looks like we've got company."

Coming towards them down the boulevard, the ponies saw two members of the Royal Guard approaching. They were an earth pony of brilliant white and a pegasus of dark gray, looking regal in sun-drenched golden armor adorned with the bright blue crest of their helmets. They were headed straight for them. They moved at a brisk trot, but slowed down once they neared.

"Twilight Sparkle," the pegasus said. It's wasn't a question but a statement.

"Yes, that's me."

"Welcome back to Canterlot. Princess Celestia has instructed us to show you all to your rooms. You are scheduled to meet with her in an hour, although she said she would understand if you wanted to rest first."

"Thank you sirs," Twilight said. "But I think I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible."

The guards exchanged a glance.

"As you wish."

The guards then turned to walk back towards the castle. The group fell in line behind them. The others seemed to be enjoying the royal reception, but Twilight still felt like there was a cloud hanging over her that she couldn't shake.

She could only hope that if there was one good thing to come out of what was about to happen - and she wasn't expecting much good - maybe, just maybe she'd be able to sleep afterwards.

There would be that at least. She was so very tired.

The hour passed like minutes.

There was seemingly no time at all for the ponies to even get themselves unpacked and situated before they were summoned to Princess Celestia's throne room. Some of that had been due to Rarity's packing of nearly every conceivable form of attire that may or may not have been likely to be required to look as fabulous as possible, which naturally caused a delay in everypony else being ready. They had all felt quite bad for the poor bellhop who had been forced to carry her bags up to her room, piled on his back as high as the arched doorways, especially when it was clear by the look of fear and recognition in his eyes that it was not the first time that he had dealt with Rarity or her luggage. An ever bigger delay occurred when they had been forced to search for Pinkie Pie after she had bounced off by herself to take in the sights of the castle, having never been in this particular wing of it.

Eventually she had been found in the bakery, sampling the dessert tray for that evening's meal under the authority of an Official Cupcake Inspector. The young stallion preparing the food had been dubious as to the authenticity of her badge, which she had polished and readily available, but Pinkie had been so knowledgeable and discerning that he had found himself seriously considering that the Cupcakers Guild might actually exist, despite having never heard of it before.

It had been difficult to pry Pinkie Pie away from the kitchen, as she was in the middle of a rant after being particularly appalled by the lack of cinnamon in the pumpkin spice cupcakes. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had to drag her out as she screamed "The Cupcakers will be notified of this!"

The stallion in the kitchen stared at her with slight amusement, but at the same time found himself sweating a bit, and as soon as they left he headed straight out to find more information on the Cupcakers Guild and how much power they held.

After calming Pinkie down, they climbed the spiraling staircases back to their rooms. They had been given two suites to split amongst themselves. Twilight, Spike, Rarity and Fluttershy were in the room with a window gazing over the waterfalls, the waters still sparkling rainbows through the stained glass with Equestria spread out below. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were staying across the hall, where the windows were filled with the majestic panorama of the mountain, and an aerial view of Canterlot in all its hustling and bustling glory.

Waiting for them outside their rooms were the same two Royal Guards whom had greeted them earlier. The pegasus addressed them after a respectful nod.

"The princess awaits you," his deep voice boomed down the hallway, bouncing off the high walls and vaulted ceiling.

Twilight found herself unwilling to move. The butterflies in her stomach that had been gathering their strength throughout nearly the past two days had finally taken off, and were mounting a full assault. It was all she could do to just stand there and swallow hard so that none of them found their way out of her mouth. After a moment of her staring blankly ahead at the guards without saying anything, her friends took notice.

"Well, sure" Applejack said, hoping to break the obvious tension and prod Twilight along. "Just lead the way! Always a pleasure to see good ol' Princess Celestia!"

When Twilight still didn't budge, the guard spoke up gruffly.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

A poke in the rear from Spike prodded Twilight to finally speak up.

"No, of course not," she said. The smile she slapped on her face wasn't very convincing. "Best not to keep the Princess waiting."

So they began the long walk to the throne room where their monarch awaited.

The vaulted, arched ceilings rose high above, reaching ever upwards until it seemed that the sky was made of marble, tapestries and stained glass. The gleaming floor was wet with reflection, and caught the pink and yellow tinted sunlight flowing in from the windows and gently threw it against the smooth stone of the throne room with a soft glow. Banners and flags and all manner of decorations adorned the walls with the same bright green and yellow as the rest of the city had had. Hundreds of bouquets of brilliant flowers in full bloom lined the red carpet leading from the grand double door at the entrance to the far end of the great hall, where two massive banners displayed the royal heraldry in glorious green. On the right-hand side tapestry was a representation of the sun, Celestia beneath with wings spread to the corners of the sky, raising the fiery orb up with her magic. On the left was Luna, soaring above the moon as she lifted it from a violent, turning ocean swelling with tide.

And nestled between those two grand portraits, at the end of the red carpet, overhanging a fountain fed by a ornately carved horn which gently poured a steadily tricking stream, underneath a rose-tinted circular stained-glass window containing delicate images of stars, moons, and planets twirling around each other in cloud-floored heavens, sat the golden throne of Canterlot.

Seated upon the throne was Princess Celestia.

The alicorn glowed with an interior light that poured out of her at all times. The throne, already polished and gleaming by itself, seemed to practically radiate while she was seated there. Her mane and tail which were colored in bright pastels floated about her as if in a slight breeze, even when the air was dead still. Her horn had magic swirling about it in a sparkling, soft green haze as she levitated a scroll in front of her, a floating quill rapidly scribbling something down on it. Her pure white wings were catching the light from the windows, turning them slightly pink and reflecting it back to add to the dizzying variety of light sources in the room.

The only thing that glowed more than the light was Princess Celestia's face when she looked up from her scroll and saw Twilight Sparkle and her friends come through the door.

"Twilight," she said. "It is so good to see you."

Despite all her fears, for a moment Twilight smiled, and there wasn't any part of it she had to force. A small bit of her sadness chipped away, and was replaced with hope.

"Thank you, Princess," she said, making her way down the carpet towards her teacher. As the line reached the foot of the throne, the six ponies spread out to stand next to each other. Spike hopped off Twilight's back and stood next to her, the Alicorn Amulet box in his hands. The two guards that led them in took their places next to the other pair of royal guards that were guarding the princess. Once in position, the group bowed.

"I'm grateful you agreed to see me on such short notice," Twilight said after coming up from the bow.

"I only wish I could have sent for you sooner," said Celestia, still magically writing away with her quill. "Then perhaps we may have spared you some trouble. I understand there were some issues concerning flour?"

Twilight blushed.

"Spike!" she hissed as she turned to him, "You didn't have to mention THAT part of it in the letter!"

"What?" he asked. "You didn't say NOT to include it."

"It's quite alright," Celestia said with a chuckle. "I appreciated the creativity. But perhaps next time you should only put the flour at the entrances of your house."

That was such an obvious improvement to the plan that Twilight had to physically step on her front hoof with her other front hoof to stop from smacking herself in the face.

"Ha ha," she weakly laughed as she chewed her lip. "Why didn't I think of that?" She could have rolled over and died from shame.

Celestia finished writing on the parchment floating in front of her, and with a flick of her horn sent it away in a flash of bright green fire as it magically sped off to its destination. Her quill floated down to the small table beside the throne, and the magic haze around her horn faded away. She turned to her visitors.

"Now," she said after a deep breath, "What do we do with this troublesome thing?"

Her eyes had gone to the box containing the amulet. Spike opened it up for her to see.

The amulet lay on a cushion of deep red velvet. It took the shape of an upside-down triangle, and was made from a black onyx which shined with a slick, oily sheen. In the center was a crimson gemstone that eerily gave no reflection despite its shine. It seemed to pulse with a dull power almost on the edge of perception—nearly invisible. A whisper. Perhaps only an idea or just imagination. Cresting the centerpiece was a carving of an alicorn made of the same jet black stone, its eyes and half of each wing the same deep red as the gem. It was a beautifully ominous looking relic.

Celestia simply stared at the amulet at first, not saying anything.

"Hmm," she said after a moment, almost to herself, "This is the first time I've actually seen this amulet. I had heard of it some time ago, but it was more of a curiosity back then."

"What do you mean, Princess?" Twilight asked.

"Well," Celestia used her magic to levitate the amulet in the air, bringing it closer to herself. "Back when I first heard of it, it was really just a legend. I'm actually surprised it really exists, if it truly is the same amulet as in the old tales. Nopony knows exactly where it came from, but as the stories went, a very long time ago a powerful sorcerer created it using his great magic and the pure evil in his soul. Nopony knows who he was, but it was said that he used it to enact a reign of terror. Somehow he was defeated, nopony knows by whom, and the sorcerer and amulet both were lost to time, but not to legend and tall tales. The amulet became the subject of many scary stories, especially in the northern part of Equestria. It was rumored to corrupt any who touched it, and turn them into beings of pure darkness."

Spike gulped. His hands started flailing as he frantically looked to Celestia and Twilight for answers.

"W-w-wha?" he stammered. "I'm the one who put it in the box! Am I going to turn evil?!"

Celestia laughed again.

"No, Spike," she reassured him. "I promise you won't turn evil. I think most of the rumors about the Alicorn Amulet have been greatly exaggerated."

"But how do you know?!" he wailed, sweat beads forming on his brow.

"Because," she said, "The stories also claim that anypony who gazed upon it without the proper enchantments instantly turned to stone. And clearly, that has yet to happen to any of us."

Spike checked himself to make sure he was still scaly instead of stony.

"Yeah," he admitted. "That makes sense."

"So does that mean it's safe?" Twilight asked. "It did seem to corrupt Trixie when she wore it."

"That's right," Applejack added. "She was downright loco! She was always a might unpleasant, but last time she was evil on top of that!"

Celestia's expression turned more serious.

"I do not personally believe that any of you are in danger," she replied. "That is, as long as you don't wear the amulet. I do, however, believe that the Alicorn Amulet contains a dark force. And as long as we don't fully understand it, we should be cautious, and keep it locked away. Twilight, you were quite correct in asking that it be stored here in Canterlot under my protection."

Twilight bowed her head.

"Thank you, Princess," she said. "I only hope that I haven't disappointed you too much. If there's a demotion in my future, I understand. But in the meantime, if it's alright with you, and you decide to not send me away to some magic remedial school, I should probably make arrangements for my things to be brought back here to Canterlot."

Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"I don't believe I understand what you mean, Twilight," she said.

This was the big moment Twilight had been dreading.

"Well," Twilight hesitantly continued, "I'm incapable of controlling my magic. We don't even know if keeping the amulet in Canterlot will stop me from simply teleporting it again back to Ponyville when I return. If I can't stop this potentially dangerous object from affecting me, and I'm letting loose something that might contain evil magic, then what business do I even have being around innocent ponies?"

Her friends were all looking her in disbelief. She hadn't mentioned anything like this on the trip over.

"But Twilight," Applejack said, "Does that mean you're not fixin' on comin' back home?"

"There's no way!" said Rainbow Dash. "She's not going anywhere!"

Twilight shook her head.

"I could be a danger to you all," she said. "The last thing I want to see is any of you hurt because of me. I can't go back."

Rarity gasped and put her hoof to her mouth. Fluttershy was chewing on her lip, about to weep. Spike dropped the amulet box in shock. Pinkie Pie was nearly jumping out of her own hide she was so worked up.

"But-but-but-but," Pinkie gushed, "If you aren't there then that means there isn't going to be six of us and if there isn't six of us that means we can't have a full party roster and if we can't have a full roster for a party that means that there won't be any party at all which also means that on top of not having a party we can't be having a gathering or bash or blowout or function or social or occasion or shindig OR EVEN A HOOTNANNY EITHER! Do you understand me, Twilight?! NOT EVEN A SINGLE, STINKIN' HOOTNANNY WILL BE HAPPENING WITHOUT YOU THERE AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!!!"

Pinkie finished merely inches away from Twilight's face, breathing heavily with eyes wide as the balloons that she would have undoubtedly decorated all those events she described with.

Twilight gazed down at the floor. She couldn't bring herself to look at her friends.

"I'm…sorry."

As the choruses of dissent flared up around her, Princess Celestia began to speak.

"Everypony, please…" she began.

Nopony was listening. They were all panicking over potentially losing their friend.

"Yer no quitter!"

"The thought is simply dreadful"!

"Please don't leave us, Twilight!"

"Think of the parties!"

"Where will I stay?"

"You gonna let that punk amulet send you into exile!?"

"MY LITTLE PONIES! SILENCE!"

Celestia's voice echoed through the throne room. They all stopped their talking and turned to face their princess. There was not a set of dry eyes among the group standing before her.

Celestia rose from her throne to tower above them. She slowly walked down the curved ramp that led up to her seat, and stood in front of Twilight Sparkle. Even with her horn, the young unicorn barely came up to Celestia's shoulders. She looked so small and fragile in her defeated and lonely state. Celestia found herself wishing that Twilight would stop being so hard on herself. It was one of her biggest strengths, always driving her to improve, but too often it would come back and bite her, driving her into these spirals of self-doubt and despair.

Lowering her head, Celestia rubbed her long horn against Twilight's. Using her most soothing voice (and adding a little calming spell on top of it, since as a ruler who was also a magic user, she had learned a thing or two about using her powers for more effective public speaking), she addressed her favorite student.

"Twilight," she said, "First of all, there's no reason for me to send you to a remedial magic school. You are the most talented student I've ever had, and I couldn't be more proud of you."

"But the amulet is controlling my spells…"

"And if it is indeed as powerful as you think," Celestia said, "Then it would be rather unfair to hold you to that high of a standard. I won't punish you for not being as powerful as that ancient sorcerer who made that amulet. You are still a student, yes?"

"I am," Twilight admitted.

"And I don't expect you to be able to fight magic capable of conquering entire realms by yourself. At least not yet."

At that she gave Twilight a little wink. Twilight did grin despite herself.

"And as for the second part," Celestia said as she looked at the rest of the ponies, "I didn't send you down to Ponyville to make all of these wonderful friends who care so very much about you, only to have you leave them. I simply can't allow for that to happen."

Smiles spread throughout the group, but Twilight was still unconvinced.

"I don't want to leave either," she blurted out, "But they might be in danger! I have to leave them because they're my friends! I can't stand the thought of seeing them hurt!"

"Which is why," Celestia cut her off, "They will be allowed to stay in Canterlot WITH you. You will all be honored guests, and shall want for nothing. And in the meantime, we will get to the bottom of this. And we do it together."

Twilight was numb with relief. She allowed the feeling to roll over her like water. She closed her eyes and sank into it. She was only vaguely aware of the arms around her as her friends all hugged her at once. Coming out of it, she opened her eyes and smiled along with her friends.

She still had so many questions, though. There was so much left unexplained.

Princess Celestia seemed to read her mind.

"Before we go any further," she said, "I think it would be best for us to call it a day. You've had a long trip and clearly not much rest. Take the rest of the afternoon to relax and take in the sights and festivities of Canterlot. But be back by the evening. You shall all be my guests at dinner tonight. Six o'clock sharp. Don't be late!"

"That sounds lovely," Twilight said, "But if you don't mind me asking, when will we begin our investigation?"

"Tonight," came a voice from behind them.

Princess Luna stood in the open doorway. Her blue mane and tail floated in the air independent of any wind just like Celestia's did, but whereas her big sister's spotless white coat radiated warmth and light, Luna's coat of deep navy seemed to drink up the sun beams. Surrounding her was that ever-present aura of dimness that carried over into the day from her domain as the ruler of the night and moon.

Her regal voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Have faith, young Twilight Sparkle. The night can tell us much of what we need to know."