Age of the New Sun

by Foreshadow

Chapter 10

Silence. It lasted, it seemed, forever.

A deep pounding in Comet’s chest roused her mind just enough for her to feel anger. Anger so deep and throbbing that she felt like she could explode.

He took everything.

She felt her fur bristle, prickling against a surface that was soft and sturdy. The realization dawned on her that she was staring at a wooden ceiling and her eyes snapped back into focus—she shot upright in a hurry, casting around in utter panic. The room was dark, lit only by a few candles by the bedside, and the walls were draped in old, mythical-looking tapestries.

Where is everypony? Where am I?!

She felt herself breathing much too hard and she tried to get up, only to cry out as pain shot through her whole body. She collapsed back into a quivering mess, her mind reeling. Sudden light hit her eyes and she winced back, shielding her face with her foreleg.

“You’re awake.”

Comet’s ears twitched and she looked past her hoof with wide eyes to see Umbra standing before her, a knick in her left ear but otherwise alive and well. Comet’s ears flopped back and she gawked.

“You’re alive?” she demanded.

Umbra nodded and came close, moving as if to check something on Comet’s body, but the blue unicorn had the other wrapped in a tight hug, choking on air as tears filled her eyes. Umbra clearly didn’t know what to say, but soon pushed back.

“Okay, enough, you’re alright.”

Comet didn’t dare to hope, but she wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof, and asked, “Did... Did Runestone make it…? And… And Orion, is he—?”

Umbra nodded and her steady expression gave in to a small smile. Comet felt like she could melt, and was abruptly a blubbery mess once again.

Umbra stared at her blankly for a moment and extended a hoof to her cautiously.

“Comet?”

“I couldn’t... I couldn’t—”

“Have some water,” the striped unicorn insisted.

She pulled a glass forward with her magic and passed it to Comet, who took a moment before she had stopped shaking enough to take it. She drank deeply and breathed heavily afterward, trying to regain her words.

“I c-couldn’t save them.”

Comet sniffled to herself and her shoulders sagged. Umbra inclined her head, rolled her eyes, and then sighed as her ears folded back.

“Look,” the older unicorn said, seeming to consciously try to sound reassuring, “you couldn’t have helped it. There’s nothing you could have done.”

“Yeah, but...” Comet muttered, her voice soft and defeated.

She rubbed her eyes again and Umbra sat down on the bed and put her hooves on her shoulders.

“Just a minute, let me take a look at you.”

Comet grimaced and nodded, sniffing again and letting Umbra check her over. It was only then that she noticed that three of her legs were wrapped in bandages, along with her middle.

“What happened?” she squeaked.

“They tried to turn you,” Umbra said simply as she continued to inspect the unicorn’s body. “You were surprisingly resilient, but my mother was able to make sure you would be all right.”

“T-Turn me?” she repeated.

“Into a Wraith. Like what they did to the others. They tried it on all of us.”

“And... And you? Are you okay?” Comet asked.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking,” she replied.

“How did we make it out?”

“I felt apprehensive earlier in the week about this battle and the King’s cavalier attitude. I sent Cloudrush to warn my mother of our mission beforehand. She used to be quite the warrior, and is a very powerful pony,” Umbra explained absently, “possibly one of the most powerful in the world. She broke through and rescued us after the army fell.”

Comet’s head reeled and she looked at Umbra with an expression of total shock. Umbra said nothing, but finished her inspection and gave her a pat on the shoulder before slipping out of bed.

“Your wounds are closing nicely and the bruises are fading. Get up whenever you feel ready.”

The striped unicorn slid from the room silently, leaving the door just a little ajar behind her. Comet stared after her for a moment before she lurched forward, pushing herself off the bed. She grit her teeth against sharp pain all through her body and barrelled from the room. She heard Umbra direct her outside as she cast around for her friend and, as fast as she could, she galloped out the only door she saw.

Pulling it open set a shock of light streaking into the cabin; it made Comet’s eyes water anew as she stumbled out into the open. The green before her stunned her still and her mind tripped over itself trying to figure out where she was.

A... forest? A house in a forest?

A fleck of light to her left made her spin on on her hooves, only to see Runestone standing a little ways away, emerging from under stand-alone tree at the edge of a small pond. He was gawking, his eyes wide. Comet’s legs started to wobble. He looked fine. She moved to greet him, but he reached her first, nuzzling his face against hers affectionately.

“I was so worried you wouldn’t make it,” he said in a rush. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

She touched her brow to his, exhausted, and he let her rest for a moment before she pulled back and pushed him away a little, lifting up his forelimb to look at where she was certain she had seen him get stabbed. There was no wound, though. Not even a blemish in his fur. She looked up at him questioningly but he merely gave her a relieved, watery-eyed smile, though the tears that had welled up began to trickle down his cheeks, darkening patches of his fur and freckle spots.

Almost immediately, Comet felt her knees start wobbling and she threw her hooves around Runestone’s neck. He jerked in surprise.

“When I saw you get hit, I was sure you were a goner,” she said hurriedly.

She was shaking. The stallion patted her gently on the back.

“No worries, Comet Strike. We made it,” he said as his ears folded backwards.

She nodded and pulled back, too frazzled to even bother to be embarrassed. She rubbed her forehead with a hoof.

“Did you...? Did you hear if anyone else got out?” she asked quietly.

Runestone’s ears went even lower and his shoulders sagged a bit. He shook his head.

“Umbra told me there wasn’t anyone else.”

Comet grimaced and felt her eyes getting warm again. Her thoughts went to Graham, and the other Wardens, but especially Cloudrush. Her heart ached and she looked to Runestone, her mouth agape as she tried to find words. Graham had been like family to him, despite the short time they had been together. She didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry.”

She felt pathetic, but it was all she could come up with. There weren’t words.

Runestone shook his head again, unable to keep his usual smile on his face a moment longer.

“I just wish...” he murmured to himself, but as Comet’s ears perked and she leaned forward to catch his words, he said, “Never mind.”

When he lifted his head, a tired, forced smile was on his face as he tried to regain some semblance of control.

“I’ll be okay.”

Comet looked back at him skeptically, but didn’t push him. She winced and edged up close again, pawing at him hesitantly.

“We... We’ll save them. I promise.”

Runestone grimaced.

“How?” he asked.

“I... I don’t know yet. But we will. We have to. Right?”

“Y... Yeah,” he said.

“I’m happy to see you two reunited,” a deep, female voice said.

Comet was taken by surprise and whirled, eyes wide, to view the speaker.

Approaching them from around the side of the house was a very tall unicorn with a dark blue pelt, garbed in a muted brown cloak worn over her shoulders and haunches, reaching down a bit past her knees. Her face was long and narrow, elegant, almost regal looking, and her bright turquoise eyes, though solemn, focussed on them intently. Her mane and tail were rather striking: though the tail was very long, her mane was relatively short and some of it was brushed gracefully across her eye and, in the dark blue, it seemed to sparkle as she moved. Comet blinked vacantly, getting lost staring at it for a moment. She thought it was a trick of a light for a moment, but it took her just a few seconds to see that it wasn’t. She was baffled, but her face lit up in an instant when she saw Orion poke his head out from around her shoulder.

The crocodile was bounding towards her quickly, and she took him into a tight hug, squishing her face against his.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” she said.

“How are you feeling, little one?” the tall unicorn asked gently, circling the two ponies curiously. “Your friend here simply could not stop worrying about you.”

Runestone’s face flushed.

“H… How long was I out?” Comet asked; she clutched Orion nervously.

“It’s been four days for you,” the unicorn said.

“Four?!” Comet yelped. “Uh… Well, uh, I’m… kind of rattled. And—“

“Upset?” the tall unicorn asked, her ears pinning back. “I understand.”

“She saved us, you know,” Runestone said quickly, looking at the mare with admiration.

“I heard,” Comet said with a nod as she stood up. “Thank you so much, Miss... uh...”

She felt a prick of embarrassment realizing she had no idea what the unicorn’s name was.

“Call me Luna,” the mare replied, smiling and straightening up a bit.

Her expression, despite the smile, showed a sort of hesitation. Comet didn’t understand, but she nodded.

“Thank you, Luna. We owe you everything.”

The mare relaxed a bit and tilted her head towards the cabin.

“I’ll leave you two for a moment. I need to speak to my daughter.”

Both ponies nodded as Luna headed away into the cabin and used her magic to close the door tightly behind her.

Comet turned to look at Runestone.

“Four days?” she asked again. “Wh… What about you, are you okay?”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I was only out for a few hours, honestly.”

Comet’s eyes widened.

“And Umbra?”

“About two days,” he said. “Luna told us that poison in your shoulder took a huge tole on you. More than we expected. We were worried, but… Well, I’m just happy you woke up.”

Comet nodded and took a deep breath. She sat down, rubbing her forehead, and Runestone sat with her. Orion scrambled between them and flopped to the ground. Runestone patted the crocodile’s head.

“He barely left your side, you know,” he said.

Comet smiled.

It wasn’t long before the cabin door opened and Umbra poked her head out.

“Hey,” she said, “get in here. We all need to talk.”

Inside, they were guided to a low, long dining table in a room lined with bookshelves and bright candles. Luna was already sitting on one of the cushions around it, a small opossum nestled against the crook of her neck. Umbra slid onto one of the pillows and flicked her mane as the others joined them.

“So,” she said, “straight to it, then. The royals are gone. Most of our friends have become Wraiths. River Rush has Zenith as regent, but we know Icicle Star is his brother. He is probably being manipulated. As far as I know, the world thinks the Wardens are gone and no one knows of Icicle’s treachery.”

Comet’s eyes went wide and she looked between her friends.

“Wait, General River Rush?” she said. “But… But he can’t be in on this, can he? He’s not a unicorn, would this weird group even take him?”

“We don’t know yet. But we suspect that, either way, this Icicle Star may be pulling the strings.” Luna leaned forward, tilting her head. “How much do you know about what happened?”

Comet was unsure and looked at Runestone for help. Umbra sighed.

“The tunnel we found was carved by members of the Cult of Nightmare Moon, working for Icicle Star. Their plan was to sabotage the battle. We don’t know why, yet. It may have been solely to get rid of the Wardens,” she said. “Icicle wanted you and I to join him, Comet.”

“I… I feel like my Archmage at the Tower wanted me to join, too,” Comet muttered. “She… She never said directly but she kept trying to put into my head that other types of ponies all hated unicorns.”

“But you did not believe her,” Luna concluded.

“N… No. My big brother, the pony who raised me, he was a pegasus,” she said. “And… And me and Runestone became really good friends really quickly.”

“Sorry, can I butt in?” Runestone asked. “What’s the Cult of Nightmare Moon, exactly?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know,” Umbra said, frowning. “Weren’t you a Sunwalker?”

“Well, yes, but,” he said, bashfully, “I was kind of forced into it. I mean, I’ve heard the name before, but they don’t really tell us much of the history. You know, just blame the unicorns for everything. At least, that’s how it was in the tower.”

“Stonehoof actually said that?” Comet said— she was disappointed.

“No, no, Peachbloom,” Runestone said. “Don’t worry, most of us didn’t buy into it.”

The unicorn felt a bit of relief.

“Anyway,” Umbra said, “the Cult of Nightmare Moon is the group that caused Celestia to disappear and threw the world into chaos hundreds of years ago. Mother?”

Luna nodded.

“Yes. They also became unicorn supremacists, and their work directly gave rise to the Sunwalkers to combat them,” she said. “Ironically, and sadly, their actions lead to the persecution of innocent unicorns that had nothing to do with the Cult in any regard.”

“And… And the Cult, they made the Nightspawn, right?” Comet asked.

Luna nodded.

“Okay, but what do they want?” Runestone asked.

“We don’t know,” Umbra said. “Power, maybe? Control of Equestria? Historically, everlasting night was a goal.”

Comet cringed and rubbed her forehead. She was getting a headache.

“How did this happen?” she asked. “I don’t understand. I thought we were ready for the battle. Everyone seemed so confident.”

“And… and Graham,” Runestone said, his voice taut. “He was so strong. I can’t believe they… they…”

“Shall I show you?” Luna asked cautiously. “I can project my memories. But I didn’t see much.”

Runestone flinched and Comet looked at him, ears drooping.

She wanted to see, but she didn’t want to make the choice for her friend. It took him a few moments, but eventually, he shook his head.

“Just tell me,” he said, “did…? Did you see Graham? The huge griffon.”

“I did,” Luna said, “at the end. He fought like a demon.”

Runestone grimaced, but he nodded. Comet felt her chest tighten, but she took a deep breath

“Umbra,” Comet said, “you said… You said they were Wraiths? What does that mean? Can we save them? Can they turn back?”

Umbra frowned, and she looked to her mother uncertainly. Luna answered instead.

“Wraiths are… Wraiths are ponies, griffons, zebras, anything, infected with Nightspawn poison and magic. They become like one of them, but with much stronger bodies. This is only a spell that can be worked by someone incredibly powerful. This is not normal, especially for Wardens.”

“But can we save them?” Comet pressed.

Luna looked thoughtful. On her shoulder, the small opossum yawned and stretched, and she touched him gently with her snout.

“There may be a way,” she said, “through the Elements of Harmony.”

Comet was stunned. Runestone’s ears lifted.

“You really think so?” he asked.

“I do,” Luna said. “As the stories go, it’s said that the bearers vanished a long time ago, but I believe that the Elements may still be able to help.”

“Okay. So we gotta find the Elements,” Comet said. “I have a book that said Twilight Sparkle and her friend’s had them a long time ago.”

“You may not need it,” Luna said. “At least, not yet. We are on the outskirts of Ponyville. It was once Twilight Sparkle’s home.”

The young unicorn’s eyes lit up and she shot Runestone a hopeful look. He smiled tiredly and nodded.

“We should take a look,” he said.

“Not today,” Luna said swiftly. “Spend one more night. Set off tomorrow.”

“Mother, are you sure?” Umbra asked. “We don’t want to impose.”

“I would feel much better knowing that the four of you are well and ready to travel before setting out,” the mare said.

“Thank you,” Runestone said.

She nodeed and then shot Umbra a smile.

“Besides, Tiberius missed you,” she said.

Umbra rolled her eyes, but the opossum on her mothers shoulder reached out and grabbed her, latching on as he hugged her neck. Umbra sighed and her mother snickered and got up, but her gaze turned to Runestone.

“Colt, a word?” she asked.

Surprised, Runestone got to his hooves and followed her out of the room. Comet shot Umbra a conceded look, but the other unicorn merely shrugged. A little worried, Comet scootched closer to the door to peek in.

It was surprising how tall Luna was, even compared to Runestone, who was uncommonly tall in his own right. He seemed a little nervous as the huge mare looked him up and down.

“You look a little familiar to me,” she told him. “Who are you parents?”

“I, uh… I don’t know, ma’am, I’ve never met them,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “May I ask, who named you?”

“Oh! I was told it was a battlemage who found me,” he said. “There were some old stones nearby, I guess that’s why she called me Runestone.”

Luna nodded and then disappeared from view for a moment. She returned carrying a shield bearing a gold sun and silver moon.

“This may be useful to you,” she said. “It’s an old guard’s shield. It’s not of any use to my daughter or I.”

“Th-Thank you!” he said brightly.

Luna nodded and smiled, and circled the room. Comet drew back as the mare began to speak to him again, reassured that all was well.

Umbra was absently petting the opossum on the table, her eyes glazed and distant. Comet bit her lip and edged closer.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

“No,” Umbra said. “You?”

“Not really,” Comet said. “When… When I left the tower, I never thought I’d get mixed up in something like this.”

“And let me guess, you want to go home?” Umbra said.

Comet was taken aback. She shook her head.

“No,” she said. “No. I’m angry. I… I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry. I want to find those Elements, I want to track down Icicle Star, save our friends, and make sure that unicorn is never happy again.”

Umbra smiled a little.

“I think you and I are going to get along just fine, then,” she said, “I pegged you as more naïve than that.”

“Maybe I am, but after what he did…” She sighed. “I don’t know what happened to you down there, but it was Cloudrush that pinned me.”

Umbra got the hint. She nodded and snorted, her brow furrowing deeply.

“Yes, I understand. It makes me sick just thinking about it,” she said.

Comet nodded. She took a deep breath and sat back down, resting her head on one hoof and stroking Orion with the other.

---

Night came and Luna served the ponies stomach-warming vegetable pasties and broth made from celery, potatoes, and mushrooms. For some reason, it felt to Comet like one of the best meals she had ever had, but she still seethed inside. She felt so betrayed. She also felt so stupid. She couldn’t get over her inaction.

As the others were bedding down, Comet slipped outside into the darkness to get some air. The sky above was clear and bright with stars, and the moon hung high, shining like a lantern through the darkness. She wondered how long it would be until every town and city would need a barrier; wondered, still, if it would make a difference. She couldn’t help but dwell on the thought that she had sent Cloudrush back into the jaws of the beast. The guilt made her ache, and her anger gave her a pressure in her temples.

She wanted to stop Icicle Star, that much went without saying, but what truly, deeply bothered her was that Springbreeze had been his ally. She was the closest thing to a mother than many of the ponies in Canterlot had. That betrayal cut even more deeply deep for her. Her thoughts jumped to her friends in the tower and her worry started anew. Her first thought was to send a letter, but she felt as if that could be too easily intercepted. There had to be another way to contact them, hadn’t there?

Comet was jarred from her thoughts by the sound of the cabin door gently closing. Her ears pinned back and she turned to see Runestone, silver eyes alight in the moonlight, approaching her with a concerned look on his face.

“Aren’t you coming to sleep?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Not yet,” she said.

Runestone watched her silently for a long while. She almost forgot he was there by the time she heard his hooves in the grass getting closer. Without a word, he lay down beside her and shared her view of the sky past the treetops.

“Runestone,” she said quietly.

He turned to give her a puzzled look, but his eyes widened to see that hers were glossy again.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“There is nothing for you to be sorry for,” he said quickly.

She bit her lip and rested her chin on her hooves. Her friend hesitated for a moment, but then put a hoof on her shoulder gently.

“We’ll head to Ponyville tomorrow,” he said, “and then maybe we’ll get some answers.”

Comet nodded and, somewhat self-consciously, checked the bottom of her hoof.

“I sure hope so,” she said.

---

Comet’s rest was uneasy. The sound of faint, distant drums and the glow of white eyes consumed her. She felt a soft whispering in her ears, and a blue light in her dream tried to soothe her, but all she could see was Cloudrush’s face, twisted and dark, with teeth like a dragon’s.

She woke up before the sun rose to find her friends still asleep in their varying cots and blankets. She petted Orion absently and got up. She heard some bustling in another room. Curiously, she peeked around a doorway to see Luna in the kitchen, her magic alight as she wrapped small packages and packed them into a brown travel pack.

“Good morning,” the tall unicorn said. “Did you get some rest?”

“Um… Yeah,” Comet said.

Luna cut her eyes at her and gave her a small, sympathetic smile. Comet gulped.

“A-Anyway, what’s all this?” she asked.

“Food,” she said. “I suspect you’re in for a long trip.”

“Oh! Oh, my gosh, thank you,” Comet stammered. “Let me help. I, uh…”

She rushed out of the room to grab her “bottomless bag” and returned with it. Luna lifted it and looked at the spell weaved into the bottom. She smiled.

“You have good friends,” she said.

Comet was quiet as she packed, but her eyes followed the opossum that trailed Luna around the kitchen. However, as soon as she took her eyes off him, he reappeared beside her, offering her an apple that he had to lift with his whole body.

“Thanks, little guy,” she said as she took it from him.

“That’s Tiberius,” Luna said as the opossum scampered back to her. “We’ve been together a long time.”

Comet smiled and nodded, and went back to work. Luna watched her silently for a little while and the slipped in without a word, taking her hoof.

“My, my,” she said.

Comet cringed, but Luna smiled at her.

“I believe you’re going to do just fine,” she said. “Go lie down for a little longer. Get some rest.”

“But—“

“Trust me, little one.”

Somewhat reluctantly, Comet returned to the bed and flopped down. Orion scooted up to her, positioning himself between her forelegs. He was instantly asleep again. Comet was sure she wouldn’t be able to join him, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she was out like a light.

---

The early morning was filled with last minute preparations for the journey ahead. Runestone wore his light, battered traveller’s armour, with his new shield across his back and Graham’s old sword over his shoulder. Umbra carried no weapons or armour, but she wore two thin, golden bands on her neck above a loose, copper necklace. It was adorned with a purple gem with a surface that swirled with magic, much like the enchanted stone Comet wore.

Comet pulled on her silver, wing-patterned shoulder plate over the healing wound and, cautiously, unbandaged her legs. She winced in anticipation, but the cuts on her body were not nearly as bad as she had thought. They didn’t even look like they would scar this time, much to her relief.

Bidding Luna farewell and thanking her profusely, the ponies and crocodile set off towards Ponyville. Umbra took point, seeming to know the way. The group was silent though. Comet hung back. Her heart was heavy and she couldn’t think of anything that seemed important enough to say. She could hear Runestone sniffling every once and a while, but the way he walked made her think that he was hoping they hadn’t noticed.

After a while, Umbra stomped to a halt and whirled on the stallion with a scowl on her face.

“Will you stop it?” she snapped. “Crying is not going to get us anywhere!”

Runestone shrunk and Comet rushed up to stand between them.

“Umbra!” she said, eyes wide. “Come on, we’re all upset.”

“Yes,” she said cooly, but then leaned around her to lock eyes with Runestone. “But we need to be strong or we will never get anywhere.”

“How can you be so cold?” Runestone barked. “All our friends…! And Graham, he’s—!”

“He was my mentor too!” Umbra snapped.

Comet grimaced but Runestone looked utterly shocked. It was as if he had forgotten. The tall unicorn rolled her eyes, but before she knew it, the stallion pushed in close, nuzzling her face.

“I’m so sorry,” he muttered.

Comet was startled, and Umbra looked completely shocked. She froze utterly, but quickly her expression fell into a sort of tired gratefulness. After a moment, she gently pushed him away.

“That’s enough. Thank you.”

He nodded and drew back respectfully; Umbra took a deep breath and looked to Comet, raising an eyebrow.

“We’re not going to have to hug, are we?” she joked.

The blue unicorn hesitated for just a moment before giving in to a tired smile.

“Yeah, I think we are.”

Before Umbra could protest, Comet wrapped her in a quick, but warm, embrace. She rolled her eyes, but patted the smaller unicorn on the back and managed a smile when they pulled apart.

“You touchy-feely ponies are so strange,” she commented, “but... I appreciate it. This time.”

“This is what friends are for,” Runestone assured her.

She looked back at him quizzically, repeating, “Friends?”

“Friends don’t always have to get along,” the stallion joked.

A faint smile crossed Umbra’s face and she nodded her head towards the small, sparse path.

“Nearly there,” she said. “Come on.”

She lead the way, but Comet hung back a second to check in on Runestone. He wiped his eyes on his hoof.

“You gonna be okay?” she asked quietly.

He nodded.

“Sorry. Sometimes it just gets to me,” he said; he started to move again and Comet followed. “It still doesn’t seem real sometimes, and then I realize it is, and well…”

She nodded. She hoped they’d find some answers they needed in Ponyville.

---

When they arrived at the edge of town, the place was bustling with ponies, some looking quite hard done by. As they passed by one of the low, stone walls at the border, they were met by a white mare, cerulean mane tied back and out of her eyes, her expression tired and worried.

“Are you refugees?” she asked. “Do you need help?”

“No,” Umbra said.

“Are there a lot of refugees coming through?” Comet asked.

“You didn’t hear?” the mare asked. “That fort in the forest got overrun.”

“There were survivors?” Runestone asked.

“Well, there are ponies from even further away who passed through there coming here now,” the mare said, ears drooping. “So you three don’t need any help?”

“No, thank you,” Comet said.

The mare nodded and trotted off in a rush.

The group shared a look.

“I guess we’ll just have to keep out of their way,” Comet said. “Umbra, do you know what we’re looking for exactly?”

“Twilight Sparkle lived here, once,” she said. “Perhaps that’s where we should be looking.”

“Is that a thing we can ask about without sounding suspicious?” she wondered.

“If we play ourselves off as pilgrims, perhaps,” Umbra said. “I’m sure Runestone wouldn’t have a problem. He looks like the religious sort.”

“What? No I don’t,” he whined.

“At least you’re not a unicorn,” Comet pointed out. “But before that, maybe we should take a look around?”

Umbra shrugged and nodded.

“I’ll follow you,” Runestone agreed.

Ponyville was bustling and busy, and it seemed as if the whole town had united to help those who had come from the forest. It was reassuring to see. What looked like a market square was filled with tents for the newcomers to rest their hooves in. Comet took note of a coral-pink unicorn with a pale mane helping out and her heart sunk. She strode past quickly, biting her lip, the strawberry mark on her flank confirming that she must’ve been one of Pointer’s relatives.

“Hey, excuse me!” a high, female voice called.

Comet came to a reluctant halt as a pale orange pegasus wearing light blue traveller’s armour trotted up to her. She had bright blue eyes and wore her red mane in a half-bob, pulled over the right side of her head with a strand around the center in a thin braid. Her tail was long and straight, the red divided by two stripes, orange a and gold, that ran side by side down the middle.

“What do you want?” Umbra asked.

“Whoa, there,” the pegasus laughed, and then nodded at Comet. “You do ice magic?”

“Uh, yes? How did you—?”

“Comet cutie mark. Comets are freezing,” she said, smiling. “There’s some ponies here who could really use some cold compresses. Do you think you could help?”

“We’re busy,” Umbra said.

“Wait a second,” Comet said. “I can spare a few minutes, can’t I? You two could keep looking.”

Umbra shrugged.

“Suit yourself,” she said.

She trotted off and Runestone smiled embarrassedly.

“Sorry about her,” he said. “I’ll meet you back here, Comet.”

She nodded and waved as the stallion trotted off.

When she turned, she noticed a surprised look on the pegasus’s face, only to realize that Orion had poked his head from her bag. The pegasus smiled and waved at him, before turning her pleasant expression on Comet.

“Oh, and your name is Comet, too? Nice coincidence,” she said. “Thanks for agreeing to stay.”

Comet nodded and the pegasus lead her towards what seemed to be a medical tent.

“I’m Talespin,” she said. “This isn’t really my normal scene, but I just couldn’t sit around and do nothing.”

The unicorn nodded again and, finding an empty barrel, froze the entire thing solid and then began conjuring ice to fill it.

“Ooh, thank you so much,” Talespin said again. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Comet said.

“Where are you three from? You don’t look like refugees.” She looked a bit embarrassed. “I was worried for a second when I saw that Sunwalker escorting you, but you seem like you might be friends? Are you battlemages?”

“Oh. No,” she said, and laughed, “no, we’re not. We’re, uh… we’re pilgrims.”

“Pilgrims?” Talespin repeated, her ears perking.

“Yeah. We, um… We came to find the place Twilight Sparkle used to live,” Comet said.

“Oh!” Talespin said brightly, and she started to grin. “I can help you with that, I think.”

“You know where it is?” Comet asked.

“I know a spot,” Talespin said. “One where worshippers like to gather. I’m actually quite a devout Sparklite.”

Comet had never heard that term before, but she nodded and smiled.

“I’d love to see it,” she said.

“And I’d love to take you there,” Talespin said.

---

Umbra scoped the town slowly and deliberately. The magic-steeped air of Ponyville was disrupting her regular ability to sense the arcane, but still, certain spots seemed to radiate. She peeked in to a building, refurbished over and over, that was designed to look like it was made of desserts. It seemed to be little more than a bakery. She darted out again before the mare working the counter took note of her.

Energy also radiated from an area of fields just beyond town, but the trees there, past strawberry patches, had become wild and foreboding. Umbra knew that venturing there alone without even informing the others would be ill advised, so continued on her way. She was sure she felt more near the river.

Meanwhile, Runestone trotted about town, eyes alert and ears erect. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking for, but, near a pony’s door, he picked out a familiar symbol engraved onto a stone totem: a six pointed star. Curiously, he edged over to it and looked it up and down. Though a little hesitant, he knocked on the door to the house. No one answered, so he moved on.

Soon, he started to pick out other totems near houses, some with other markings, such as an apple, or a lightning bolt, but the star stood out most prominently.

Near the remains of a train station that had been converted into a small library, Runestone found something much more striking. There was a circle of roots from the base of a missing tree sticking up from the ground in what seemed to be a ceremonial arrangement. There were gems and offerings of fruit in baskets placed all around more totems. There were six of them, evenly spaced amongst the roots, and at the very centre, a young tree sprouted, its branches decorated with gold and silver jewellery.

Curious, Runestone circled the place, seeing the star once more. Now, he also saw the other marks: an apple, a butterfly, a balloon, a diamond, and a lightning bolt.

“That was Twilight Sparkle’s home, once upon a time” a familiar voice said.

He turned to see the orange pegasus and Comet Strike approaching, and he smiled.

“Everything go well?” he asked.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Comet said, and she pointed out the pegasus. “This is Talespin. He’s Runestone.”

“Good to meet you,” Talespin said brightly. “I see you found this place by yourself. Did it draw you here?”

“Um… I’m not sure,” he said. “I mean, visually it did, sure. It really stands out. You said Twilight Sparkle lived here?”

“Yeah,” she said. “It was her home shortly before the first events that lead to the Nightspawn crisis occurred. Unfortunately, it was wrecked almost completely in her battle with the great beast, Tirek.”

“Never heard of him,” Comet said.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard of a centaur? He’s been described like that, with a face like a baboon mixed with a bull. The stories say he was a devourer of magic,” she explained, “and if he had had his way, he would have eaten Equestria and the whole rest of the planet dry. Twilight Sparkle was imbued with the power of Celestia herself and defeated him.”

“Sounds like it would’ve been quite the battle,” Runestone commented.

“I can tell you the whole story, if you’d like!” the pegasus said brightly.

“That sounds interesting,” Runestone said, “but, I have a question.”

“Anything,” Talespin said, and added proudly, “I’ve been a Sparklite for almost my whole life. I’ve been studying the stories around Twilight Sparkle for years.”

“A Spark—? Oh. Well, alright,” Runestone said, trying to mask his confusion. “Where did she live after this house, or tree or whatever, got blown up?”

Talespin’s eyes widened. Comet cast a curious look at her. She laughed as if trying to cover her embarrassment.

“Well, I mean, there’s rumours,” she began.

“Please. We’d really like to know,” the stallion said earnestly.

Talespin bit her lip.

“Well, I mean,” she said hesitantly, “I’d love to tell you. Really. But, it’s a sacred place. I only just recently got permission to go there from—“

“We don’t mean any harm,” Comet said quickly. “Look, if you can’t say, that’s fine. But so you know, we’re still going to look for it.”

The pegasus’s ears drooped a little, but she nodded and smiled a bit.

“That’s some dedication,” she said. “I’m sorry I can’t help more.”

Comet bit her lip to keep herself from retorting, but she was sure that Talespin didn’t mean any harm.

“Well, thanks for showing me here, at least,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll learn a lot.”

Talespin nodded and her ears perked up a bit and she ruffled her wings.

“Good to hear,” she said. “I should get back to helping with the refugees. Maybe I’ll see you guys around later!”

They waved her off, but as soon as she was out of earshot, Comet puffed out a long, deep sigh.

“What?” Runestone laughed. “She didn’t seem that bad.”

“She wasn’t,” Comet replied. “But I am getting super sick of all this weird secrecy about Celestia and Twilight Sparkle. And I definitely don’t want these Sparklite ponies getting in our way.”

“Can we pull the Warden card? Is that a thing?” Runestone asked.

Comet frowned and shrugged.

“No idea. We should ask Umbra,” she said. “But I think we should keep that quiet for now. Besides, I told Talespin we were pilgrims. She thought you were a Sunwalker.”

“What? Why?” he yelped. “Ugh, it’s worn off on me, hasn’t it? I just look it now, don’t I?”

Comet laughed.

“I’m sure it was just a guess. One earth pony in armour hanging out with two unicorns, I guess,” she said. “Anyway, how long have you been here? Seen anything interesting.”

“Just these stones,” he said. “They’re all around town, did you notice?”

“No,” she said as she started to circle them. “Good eye.”

She walked the full perimeter of the ancient roots and she began to frown with thought. Runestone nudged her to snap her back.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I’ve seen these before,” she said, and then lowered her voice, “these are the marks of the Elements of Harmony.”

Runestone’s eyes widened.

“How much do you think they know here?” he asked. “I’m starting to get really frustrated with all these different versions of everything.”

“I know,” Comet sighed. “In Canerlot, there might as well be no Twilight Sparkle. Everywhere else, she’s like the chosen one or something. Then, there’s the Warden’s version where she had wings. Then there’s what I saw where it wasn’t just her, but five others using the Elements, too. It’s confusing and I don’t like it.”

“And I bet there’s like, five other versions,” Runestone said, and then grumbled, “I guess it must be nice to chose whatever story fits best.”

“Very frustrating,” Comet agreed.

“Then I have some somewhat good news.”

Comet and Runestone turned to see Umbra had snuck up behind them.

“You found something?” Comet asked eagerly.

Umbra nodded, looking thoughtful.

“I also overheard your new friend. I found a large tree at the edge of town that is, quite oddly, kept under armed guard.” She smiled slyly. “And, it reeks of arcane energy. I wonder why that is.”

Comet’s face lit up and Runestone grinned.

“Ten out of ten,” the stallion said brightly. “Alright. What now? Storm in? Sneak over? Can we pull rank?”

“Absolutely not,” Umbra said. “Come on. We need some privacy.”

She began towards the library and continued on past a few trees and some brush until they were out of the way.

“Listen,” Umbra said sternly, “we don’t know the full situation. In one train of thought, Icicle Star knows we’re alive and will probably be searching for us. In another, he thinks we are dead and that the Wardens are finished. Either way, I feel that revealing ourselves would make our location clear, and would be an absolute disaster.”

“That’s a good point,” Runestone said.

“Okay. No problem,” Comet said. “So what do you think? Try to lie our way in?”

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that,” Umbra said with a frown. “If I’m honest, I can confidently withhold information, but to deceive others with words, I’m not so sure.”

“Yeah, I’m rubbish at it, too,” Runestone said. “Have you heard me lie? I’m like a foal. It’s embarrassing.”

“Good thing you have me here, then,” Comet said, albeit a little reluctantly. “I’m almost a professional.”

Umbra’s eyes narrowed a little.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

Comet shrugged, though her ears drooped a little.

“In the Tower, my magic is completely forbidden,” she explained. “Like, they-cut-off-your-horn-if-they-find-out forbidden. It’s bad. I had to lie. All the time. I didn’t like it, but I did what I had to to get by.”

Umbra’s expression relaxed a little, but her ears went back a little.

“Fine. That’s good to know,” she said. “But I feel like avoiding confrontation might be best.”

“So, sneaking, then,” Runestone concluded.

“And maybe you could use some of that perception magic on any guards,” Comet suggested.

Umbra nodded.

“If it comes to that,” she agreed. “I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible.”

“No, we should wait,” Comet said. “I’d like to scope out the place first. And I think we’ll be safer in the dark.”

Umbra was quiet for a few seconds, in thought. Runestone looked between the two mares and then nodded.

“That makes sense to me,” he said.

“Fine,” Umbra said. “You’re right, Comet. Let’s take a quick look around.”

Umbra lead the others towards a great tree that towered over the other half of town. Comet had never seen a tree quite so big as this, but something seemed strange about it. Though its boughs were thick and strong, and leaves bright green and vibrant, they seemed to shimmer in a way that was not quite regular.

The so-called Sparklites had made no qualms about the fact that they didn’t want anyone near the tree. A wall of stone had been built around it, and guards dressed in an iridescent grey armour that shone with purple in a certain light stood ready at corner positions and at a gate. The wall itself seemed rather pointless— a pegasus would certainly have no problem with it; even a regular pony could probably jump it with a running start— serving more as just a symbolic barrier. For some reason, it made Comet a little angry inside. If this place really was a sacred area to Twilight Sparkle, why would she want it blocked off as it was? It didn’t seem likely; it seemed rather elitist to her.

Runestone must have noticed her furrowed brow and her her sour pout, because he edged in closer to her and bumped her with his snout.

“I don’t like the look of it, either,” he said. “Reminds me too much of Sunwalker garbage.”

“Really? You’re don’t miss the authority?” Umbra wondered.

“Dear Celestia, no,” Runestone replied quickly. “I never wanted it. I didn’t even sign up.”

“How does that happen, anyway?” Comet asked, brows raised. “You’ve mentioned that before, but—“

“Ah, right. I’m an orphan, see,” he began, and he tilted his head to gesture for them to keep walking. “A lovely battlemage found me and was taking care of me, but, you know, things happen, and I basically became a ward of the Sunwalkers pretty young. They trained me in Dawncliff for a while and they ended up sending me to Canterlot earlier this year.”

“So, you’re saying you were foalnapped?” Umbra said. “They just took you.”

“What? No, I… I mean… I didn’t really have a choice,” the stallion explained limply.

Comet grimaced. She knew how that felt.

“I guess a lot of Sunwalkers are like that,” she said. “That’s really sad, actually.”

“Why? I mean, I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t the worst,” Runestone said.

“Well, it’s just that, being a unicorn in Canterlot is basically the same for most of us,” she explained, “so really, we’re kind of similar. It just sucks how they pit us against each other when, really, I’m sure a lot of unicorns and Sunwalkers could relate.”

“Isn’t that just how these dictators work?” Umbra mused. “They take control and then have their victims fight against each other so no one notices the wrongdoing.”

Runestone looked like he was about to protest, but his words fell short and he frowned a little. Comet, however, felt a little vindicated.

She turned her attention back on the Sparklite guards.

“So,” she said, “did either of you know about these guys before today?”

“No,” Runestone said, “I’ve never heard of them.”

“I knew there were some sects that worshipped Twilight Sparkle more than average,” Umbra said. “I’ve been to Ponyville a few times before, so I knew there were worshippers active here, but an actual group called the Sparklites? No. Not at all.”

Comet nodded.

“Great, another weird secretive group with dubious motivations,” Runestone said. “My favourite.”

“I suppose we could also be considered that,” Umbra said.

“No way, we’re a weird secretive group with motivations that are absolutely clear,” the stallion corrected.

---

When night fell, the small group was ready. Guards seemed to change every three hours, so as soon as the most recent group had swapped out and were out of sight, Umbra went to work weaving a spell to distract minds of the new guards as they settled in.

Her dark magic wafted towards them like smoke and, one by one, seeped into their eyes without them seeming to notice a thing. From a distance, Umbra watched with a cautious gaze. She bumped Runestone’s shoulder.

“Go talk to them,” she said.

“What? Me? Why?” he yelped.

“As I’ve said, you look the most religious.”

“What do I say?” he demanded.

“It doesn’t matter,” Umbra said, rolling her eyes. “Something polite. If it didn’t work, just comment on the tree and excuse yourself. Honestly.”

Runestone pouted. He grumbled to himself as he wandered off.

The mares watched him with curious eyes. He looked back over his shoulder and Comet waved for him to move. His ears drooped for just a moment before he raised his head and forced them back up as he trotted to the guards. They couldn’t hear what he was saying to the first one, and he turned to the second. After a moment he waved his hoof in front of the stallion’s face. When there was no reaction, he turned around and waved to the waiting unicorns.

Umbra grinned smugly. With Comet close behind, they trotted rather casually towards the giant tree to reunite with Runestone, and bypass the stone wall.

The tree seemed even larger close up, but the way it shimmered in the moonlight stood out more clearly.

“Whoa, would you look at this place?” Runestone said. “It’s kind of fantastic. But, now what? Umbra?”

Umbra frowned slightly and her horn lit up purple. The glow didn’t last long and crackled out sharply.

“Damn,” she hissed. “It’s too strong for me. Comet?”

“Me? But—“

“Just try,” Umbra insisted.

Comet nodded and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes to concentrate, and she felt her energy travel to her horn. She reached out, but Umbra was right, the magic around the tree was very strong. Something about it was a little inviting, though. She got a strange feeling, almost like a a breeze whisking past her right ear. She opened her eyes, but suddenly what was before her wasn’t a tree anymore.

Comet’s jaw dropped and she almost collapsed as she rushed to take in the sight and her mind raced to piece together what she was looking at. What had once been the tree’s giant trunk now appeared to purple and blue crystal in a patchwork that mimicked tree bark. As she took a few steps back to get a glimpse of the branch-like structures that supported spires high above, she was jarred away as Runestone grabbed her.

“Comet? You alright? What’s going on?” he asked.

“It was a concealment spell,” she said.

Umbra turned to look back at the place, but her expression was simply quizzical when she looked at Comet again.

“Yes, I know, but what is it concealing exactly?” Her frown deepened, but then it seemed to dawn on her. “What does it look like?”

“It’s… It’s like a crystal castle, and…” Comet leaned around and then trotted to the right around the base of the structure; her eyes lit up as she found what looked like a large door. “Here! The door!”

“I don’t see a thing,” Runestone said.

Comet hurried to grab his hoof and pulled him towards it. She pushed her good shoulder hard against it. She felt a magic spark and it gave.

As her friend yelped, together they stumbled inward, hooves clattering against a floor of cool, polished crystal. Umbra followed close and the ponies took a moment to observe their surroundings — a room laid out before them with a star in a gold circle on the floor and seven thrones, one of which was much smaller than the others.

“Nice work, Comet,” Umbra said with a smile.

“This… This was under there the whole time?” Runestone asked.

Comet nodded and she gently placed Orion on the ground to let him stretch his legs as Umbra’s magic illuminated the room.

Upon inspection, the thrones were revealed to bear the same marks as the totem stones littered around town. The smallest of the thrones was pressed up close to the larger one that bore Twilight Sparkle’s six-pointed star. Biting her lip, Comet referenced the mark on her hoof to be sure.

“You know,” Runestone said, snapping her out of her thoughts, “this place looks a lot like that weird place you found under Canterlot, Comet.”

“What place?” Umbra asked curiously— she picked up her feet with disdain as Orion scampered about under them.

“There was an old crystal cave hidden under Canterlot, down under the library in the Tower,” Comet explained. “Or, several, I guess, but one was very kind of crafted looking, like this.”

“Interesting,” Umbra said. “Looks like we’re in the right place. Shall we split up and look around? Or would you prefer together. We should have until sunrise before that spell wears off.”

“A few hours,” Comet said, mostly to herself. “I think we should go together. More eyes.”

Umbra nodded and began towards a door on the right side of the room.

“What are we looking for, exactly?” Runestone asked. “Books, maybe? Or a diary?”

“That would be good,” Comet agreed.

Beyond the door lay a somewhat sparse crystal hallway. There were more rooms beyond, the place seeming far larger on the inside than it had been on the outside. There were also stairs that lead to more rooms upstairs. Comet gulped. The task seemed suddenly very daunting.

Peeking through rooms both upstairs and down soon revealed that the task wasn’t nearly as monumental as was first though. The castle was mostly empty, as if it hadn’t really been lived in at all. It soon became clear that the only room that had really seen much action was a large, upstairs room connected to an observatory.

There were bookshelves, coated in dust, that only held a few scattered books. Tables were covered with old maps and, though a portion of it was clearly a bedroom, the place had been forced into the role of a war room. Scattered armour racks were up against walls, but they were bare. Strange, scientific instruments were scattered around somewhat haphazardly. A large lens and mirror sat in a strange spot beside a table, empty beakers and flasks were scattered sporadically over almost every flat surface, along with small crystals that Comet could feel were faintly, arcanely attuned.

The group spread out without any words. Runestone headed for the maps, blowing dust from the old surface with care. Umbra took a look around the bedroom area, slow and cautious. Comet made a beeline for the bookshelves. Though she hoped desperately for a history book or, the ultimate prize, a journal, she found only books on beginner gardening, songbooks for foals, and an inexplicable blank-paged tome with only the word “test print” scrawled on the inner cover. Comet pouted. Her ears perked to the sound of Runestone hmm-ing to himself, and she turned to join him.

“So?” she asked.

“This is actually really interesting,” he said.

Comet leaned over the table to look with him. The maps were ancient, cracked at the edges, colour faded. It looked like it was a poster at some point, perhaps printed in bulk, but it had been modified with writing all over it in dark purple ink.

“Look, here,” Runestone pointed out, tapping the map. “It’s a bit faded, but this looks like where the forest was to begin with, see?”

He pointed out a patch that was relatively small, running nearby Ponyville. However, near it was the purple ink, drawing trees and arrows spreading out in all directions. She let her eyes roam the map, picking out the differences from what she knew. There was no Cloudsdale anymore, but New Cloudsdale now floated to the west, closer to the Smokey Mountain. Some mountains and towns had been renamed, but the main change seemed to be the addition of Zenith in the far northeast.

“Interesting,” she said.

“I know, right?” Runestone said. “Though… I don’t think this helps us much.”

“Unless they put where those Elements of Harmony ended up on here,” Comet said. “I looked, but I might have missed it. You see anything?”

Runestone shook his head. Comet couldn't help but pout. She felt breath puff behind her neck and noticed Umbra leaning in from the corner of her eye.

“Not a thing about it,” she said; Runestone jumped at the sound of her voice. “I think I’ve found something though. Come on.”

She jerked her head to the wall across from the bed and then guided them over. She showed them the floor where part of a carpet had been moved. There seemed to be a symbol there. Umbra rolled it back to reveal it— Comet’s breath caught in her throat and Runestone began to smile— it was a hippogryph.

“That’s great!” Runestone said. “What do we do with it?”

Umbra shrugged. The stallion tilted his head and then, cautiously, touched the symbol with his hoof. Much to their surprise— and relief— the symbol lit up pink, then shimmered a pastel rainbow. With the rumble of grinding stone, the wall before them opened up to reveal a small, closet-sized compartment in the wall that simply housed a polished, crystal orb on a metal pedestal.

“Can we move that?” Comet asked quickly, but before anyone answered, she grabbed for it with her magic.

It repelled her, so she hurried in and grabbed it to pull, Orion scampering up under her legs to mimic her. Runestone joined her so the crystal wouldn’t fall, and together they pushed the stand and crystal into the room.

“I suppose this is important,” Umbra said, ears lifting.

“I’ve seen one of these before,” Comet muttered.

Orion and Runestone both looked at her curiously.

“Really?” the stallion asked.

“Sort of,” she said. “In a room under the library in the Canterlot tower.”

“Full of surprises, aren’t we, Comet Strike?” Umbra said.

Comet shrugged and circled the pedestal and inspected the crystals with an inquisitive eye. From her right, she noted a movement and she straightened immediately despite her heart dropping, sending a ball of light into the dark corner. She heard a yelp, only to see the orange pegasus from before reared back against the wall as the blue orb hovered close to her. Comet sighed with relief and pulled her magic back, but Umbra didn’t seem nearly as happy. She lowered her horn.

“What are you doing here?” she said sharply.

“I’m sorry,” Talespin replied bashfully.

She folded her wings against her body and carefully headed in closer to the group.

“I was just... I was so curious!” she explained, a sort of awed light behind her eyes. “I’ve been studying in the library, and I’ve never been able to open that wall.”

“You knew it opened?” Runestone wondered.

“Well, yeah, there was a difference in the stone colour,” she said, shrugging. “Subtle, but still. And I figured that pattern on the ground was a switch. What did you do to it?”

Runestone shrugged.

“Touched it,” he said.

Though Umbra was about to protest, Talespin skipped across the room to look closely at the pattern on the floor.

“Oh! It’s a…” The pegasus’s eyes widened and she looked between the other ponies with surprise. “My gosh, you’re all Wardens, aren’t you? This is the Wardens of Harmony’s marking.”

Comet bit her lip and cast a worried look at Umbra. The tall unicorn sighed, but she nodded stiffly.

“Twilight Sparkle founded our order,” she said somewhat defensively.

“And she left that mark for other Wardens to find,” the pegasus concluded. “That makes sense. But what could all this be?”

She gestured broadly around the room.

“It’s a recording device,” Comet said, “I just need to figure out how to make it play back.”

“A whatnow?” Talespin asked blankly.

Umbra rolled her eyes and joined Comet as she inspected the crystals. Behind them, Orion ambled over to the pegasus curiously and Runestone beckoned them both closer. A bit hesitantly, Talespin edged into the group, the crocodile following behind her quickly.

“You said you saw some in Canterlot, yes?” Umbra said. “How did you activate it there?”

“I think I stepped on a switch or something,” Comet said.

“Okay! Check the floor then,” Talespin said brightly.

She lifted off gingerly to get a better view and Comet helped Umbra to brighten the room with their magic. As Runestone scoured the floor, Orion scampered about below Talespin until he stumbled over a tile in the floor and slipped unceremoniously downward.

“Whoa, watch out,” Comet laughed.

She helped the crocodile upright, only to notice that his claw had been caught on some small grooves in the floor. Her eyes lit up and she patted Orion’s horned head affectionately and then scampered back to the crystal and its stand.

“Someone help me move this?” she asked.

Runestone was by her side in an instant and, with her steadying the crystal, he easily shoved the pedestal forward with his shoulder until it clunked into place on the grooved tile.

The crystal lit up almost instantly, startling Talespin badly enough that she toppled backwards and conked into a wall. The light channeled a beam that, to their surprise, shot through the mirror and lens to create an illuminated projection on the wall.

The image was out of focus at first, something moving, but it soon came into focus. A purple snout was close, breathing on the crystal to clear it, and then wiping it off quickly with a wing.

“There we go!” she said. “Okay. Recording? Hope so! Sorry for breathing on you, there!”

The pony drew back to reveal a young mare, long, dark blue mane streaked with pink and purple. She had a scar over her right eye and a few down her neck as well. Aside from the wings at her shoulders, she also had the long horn of a unicorn standing out on her brow. She looked to be in high spirits.

Comet felt her throat go dry. She had seen this pony before. She cast a hesitantly look at the others. Talespin had edged over to them, her hoof to her mouth, her eyes watering. Runestone looked as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and even Umbra seemed somewhat shocked.

“Hello!” the recording of the alicorn said. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. Formerly, Princess of Friendship, now Commander of the Wardens of Harmony. And you, who are watching this, should probably be Wardens of Harmony. Don’t worry, though, I can’t see you, so no need to stand at attention.”

She laughed to herself, though a male voice near her groaned.

“Come on, Twilight,” he said. “You’re not really gonna make them just watch through all this stuff, are you? You gotta get to the point.”

A lanky, teenaged dragon, a brighter purple than Twilight Sparkle, spikes and ear fins green, walked into view and frowned at her. She laughed.

“I guess you’re right, Spike,” she said. “Okay! Start it over?”

“No, no, no, Twilight, just say the stuff!” Spike laughed tiredly. “Try to get to it before everyone gets here, okay?”

“Right! Okay. Yes. Okay, Wardens? Listen up! So, as you know, Celestia’s gone missing and it’s up to my friends and I to get her back. What I’m planning will probably work, but just in case it doesn’t, I’m gonna bring this crystal recording sphere with us so you can see what we did and learn from it.” She seemed rather confident despite her words, but then started to frown. “Easier to set up and more durable than film and a projector! Anyway! Unfortunately, some magical disturbances have made what we called ‘Rainbow Power’ weaker than I’d like, which is why we had to pull the Elements of Harmony back from the tree. Hence the forest spreading, the Sun and Moon teams, etcetera. But with—“

The sound of a door closing loudly distracted her and her ears perked up. She began to smile when she looked over to her right.

“Hey, guys!” she said. “I’m just finishing up a recording to explain what’s going on. You make it over okay? How was patrol?”

“Nightspawn are finally starting to stop being like a big, stupid swarm,” a high, growly female voice said.

“Which means something big’s probably coming,” a male’s voice added.

Twilight’s smile fell.

“Right. Right. Good thing we’re doing this now, then,” she said. “It should all be over in just a few days.”

A muscular pegasus mare, her pelt light cyan and pricked with scarring, her mane long, unruly, and the colours of the rainbow, strode into the room, staring Twilight down with intense, bright pink eyes. She was garbed in a burnished silver suit of armour covering her neck to her flank. She was incredibly imposing.

“Twilight, this plan you have, with the... the... whatchamacall it,” she began, “this’ll work? If we have everyone, it’ll work?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Twilight said, nodding; she adjusted some gauges on some far off instruments with her magic. “With the Elements of Harmony and our rainbow powering my magic, I believe I can send us to where they sent Celestia, and we can get her back.”

She turned and smiled at the pegasus, ruffling her wings.

“I can count on you, right, Rainbow Dash?”

“Pfft, you even have to ask?” the mare scoffed. “I’m not “Loyalty” for nothing, you know!”

Twilight smiled fondly, but then turned her gaze past Rainbow Dash to a large, long-eared, white griffon with the spots of a snow leopard entering behind her as he walked up to the crystal ball and tapped it carefully with a talon.

“And this…? What’s this for, Twi?” he asked.

“Like I said, I’m recording everything,” she said, sounding a little proud of herself, “just in case I need to see what I did, or what someone said, or in case we screw up and someone in the future needs this.”

The griffon nodded understandingly and doubled back to stand beside Rainbow Dash. She frowned defiantly at nothing in particular.

“We won’t screw up,” she said, resolute. “We won’t.”

Despite this, she seemed a little on edge. The griffon beside her sighed and nuzzled his beak against her cheek. She leaned into him tiredly.

“Thanks, Gaius,” she grumbled, before pulling away.

He smiled a bit, his feathered crest raising as his expression brightened.

Just then, the sound of a door creaking open drew the attention of the three in the room, and they looked up just as four more ponies entered. One was an orange mare, her yellow-blonde mane and tail both tied back, and most of her body coated in a heavy leather armour. A pale grey unicorn trotted beside her, her purple mane and tail curled elegantly in a way that seemed rather out of place amongst her outfit of light armour and the bow and quiver of crystal-tipped arrows slung across her back. Fluttering behind was a pale yellow pegasus, her pink mane a little hidden under a simple, gold helmet; she also wore a basic, light scout’s armour. Lastly, bouncing on light hooves and wearing dark apparel ideal for sneaking, was a bright pink pony, with a pink mane and tail just a shade darker than her pelt that were equal parts flamboyant and curly— rather reminiscent of cotton candy.

“There you all are,” Twilight said, sounding relieved. “Did you get held up at all on the way over?”

“Oh, only by a few brutish Nightspawn,” the unicorn replied, sounding more annoyed than anything. “Honestly, though, they didn’t stand a chance.”

“I reckon those others’ll be a might cautious around us for a little while,” the orange mare agreed, grinning.

“Good,” Twilight said with a nod, and Rainbow Dash smiled at the newcomers widely.

“Good job, guys. Fluttershy, glad to see you made it, too.”

Fluttershy, the other pegasus, smiled meekly and landed, fluffing her wings a little.

“I talked to Discord,” she said softly. “He said he’d come.”

“Perfect,” Twilight said.

The alicorn turned back towards the crystal.

“So,” she said, “this is everyone for now. We’re the representatives of the Elements of Harmony. Like I said, I’m Twilight Sparkle, there’s Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity.”

The pink pony waved from the back of the room.

“What we’re planning,” Twilight continued, “is to go down into the tunnels that start near the Badlands. There’s supposed to be a place of power connected to Celestia there, something that the Cult of Nightmare Moon stole. I’m going to use the Elements to power up my teleportation spell, and along with that, we should be able to get to where she is and bring her back.”

“And then everything will go back to normal,” Fluttershy said, her voice soft and hopeful.

“Sure hope so,” the orange mare said.

“So, if this works, this is gonna be a cool historical recording,” Twilight said. “And if it doesn’t, well…”

She smiled ruefully.

“Good luck, future Wardens!”

Her horn lit up pink and the recording cut out, but only for a few seconds.

When the image reappeared, there was a horrible cacophony, sounds of battle, shrieks, and the crashing of rocks. The light was bad, but red stones were clear as magic strikes lit up the area. The voice of the little yellow pegasus soon rang clear.

“DISCORD!”

She sounded frantic and horrified.

Something happened and the recording jumped, showing now Twilight Sparkle dragging the crystal towards her with her hoof. She looked scared.

“Something went wrong,” she said breathlessly.

She pushed the crystal and it rolled, and purple claws lifted it up as the alicorn straightened up, standing back to back with the pale unicorn, Rarity. She was shooting crystal arrows out with fervour , sweat on her brow, her pristine mane a little disturbed.

“Twilight, what are you—?” Spike asked.

“Spike. I’m going to do the spell,” she said. “As soon as I do, run. Take the others and run.”

“What, Twilight?! No!”

Her horn began to charge with bright, radiant magic.

“I’m with you, darling,” Rarity said. “We all are.”

“Twilight!” Spike protested.

She began to levitate before their eyes, and Rarity soon joined her, radiating with a purple glow. Blue, red, orange and pale pink gleamed around them.

“I love you,” Twilight told the dragon.

The image washed out in a pulse of magic, shining like a rainbow before washing out white. The recording ended.

It took a few moments of dead silence before Comet snapped back into reality. She didn’t realize how tight she was clinging to Orion and Runestone until the crocodile leaned back in her lap and licked her chin. She awkwardly released the stallion. He looked gaunt, eyes wide. Beside him, Umbra was biting her lip, hard. Comet took a deep breath, only to jump when she heard a loud, high hiccough. She turned and saw Talespin. Tears were pouring down her face and a hoof held up against her mouth.

“I… I never…” She hiccoughed again, her breath ragged. “I never thought…”

She couldn’t complete her thought. Comet bit her lip and patted her shoulder reassuringly. After a little while of silence— aside from Talespin’s whimpering— Umbra got to her hooves.

“They must’ve failed,” she said quietly. “Something went wrong.”

“Alright,” Runestone said with a sigh, “you know magic, yeah? What do you think happened?”

“I’m not certain,” Umbra said. “Comet, jump in if you know, but I suspect something disrupted them.”

“They were under a lot of stress,” she said, “and I guess a ton of Nightspawn were attacking them. I think disruption makes sense.”

“But… But then what happened to them?” Talespin whimpered. “And what about Spike, did he make it out?”

“Well, the crystal’s here, so…” Comet pointed out gently.

Talespin took a deep breath.

“Right. Right…” The pegasus sighed and smiled slightly. “Sorry, I…”

She had to take a moment to wipe her eyes. She laughed quietly.

“She was so normal,” she muttered.

“So now, we seem to have a few choices ahead of us,” Umbra said. “Our ultimate goal has to be stopping Icicle Star.”

“Who, the King’s Battlemage?” Talespin repeated.

“He’s betrayed us,” Runestone said. “He leads the Nightspawn.”

“What?!” Talespin snapped. “You can’t be serious!”

“It’s true,” Comet said, ears pinning back. “So, Umbra?”

“We need the Elements of Harmony,” she said. “The goal of the Wardens since Twilight Sparkle vanished has always been to obtain them. We know we need them to rescue the Wardens as well. We also know that there will be at least some answers somewhere below the Badlands. We also need allies. There’s no way three ponies and a scraggly lizard can do this alone.”

“Four ponies,” Talespin corrected, pointing to herself. “I’m coming with you.”

“What?” Umbra said blankly.

“I’ve heard the stories coming from Harmonia,” she said. “They said no Wardens made it out, but here you three are. That must mean something. And you need the Elements of Harmony? I’ve been studying Twilight Sparkle’s life and powers for most of my life. I know a lot. Let me help you!”

“Well, uh…” Runestone looked between his friends cautiously. “I… I don’t have a problem with it.”

Umbra grimaced a little.

“It’s not that simple,” she said.

“I dunno, someone with historical knowledge could be helpful,” Comet said, but her ears drooped.

Umbra seemed to know more than she was letting on about something.

“Would you give us a little while to decide?” she said,

Talespin looked a little disappointed, but she nodded.

“Alright,” she said. “I understand. We just met, after all. Meet me at the inn if you’d like to talk more. Knock four times. See you later!”

The orange pegasus flitted out of the room and away down the hall. Runestone cast a confused look at the striped unicorn.

“What’s the issue?” he asked. “She seems nice enough.”

“Like I said, it isn’t so simple,” Umbra replied. “Problem is, we’re going to be doing a lot of fighting out there. She isn’t immune to the Nightspawn poison as I am, and as you two soon will be. She’d be a liability.”

“Oh.” Comet pouted. “I… I guess that makes sense.”

“I don’t know, Umbra, Comet and I did pretty well against them before we became Wardens,” Runestone said with a frown.

“I just think maybe we could do with some help,” Comet admitted.

Umbra was quiet for a few, long seconds.

“We should sleep on it,” she said.

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A lot of personal projects taking up my time, both fortunately and unfortunately.