“May I borrow the happy couple for a minute?” Princess Celestia smiled at us, suddenly appearing at our table.
“Bruh?…” Cadance mumbled out, with her mouth full of cake. Shining Armor looked up from his own piece.
“Yes, Shining Armor, I need you both,” Celestia nodded to my brother. “This is urgent, your highness.”
Right. He’s a prince now. I’m not sure if a Princess of Equestria ever had a prince before. He probably has new responsibilities. I have no idea what kind, I should have researched that. Maybe Moondancer knows. Even Lyra knows a lot more history and ancient legends than I do.
I’m probably going to see my brother even less often, now…
Shining Armor and Cadance looked at each other and got up, trailing after Princess Celestia. “Don’t get too drunk without us, ladies,” Shining Armor grinned at me across his back.
“Anyway, the transformation hurts,” Lyra continued her story. “Big time hurts, I thought I was going to die. And walking on your hind legs full time feels completely different, the balance is off, you have so many tiny new muscles to think about, and all the organs are in slightly different places. If he didn’t have spells to rewire the brain, I wouldn’t be able to move at all. Most of them didn’t work, and he kept trying new ones until he found those that did, I never thought anything could cast spells so fast.”
Somewhere behind my back, I heard Princess Celestia whispering, “…honeymoon destination is going to have to change…”
I felt that nagging worry out of nowhere. It was so strong, that I actually lost my concentration. Lyra’s story is extremely interesting, but she will still be here tomorrow. Cadance and Shining Armor are leaving for their honeymoon on the overnight train, I have their trip itinerary and everything!
Cadance replied to Celestia with something barely intelligible.
I spent hours planning their trip, and everypony pitched in with ideas. It was supposed to be a grand tour across the entirety of Equestria…
“How does a crystal even cast spells?” Rarity wondered. Trust Rarity to be interested in a sapient gemstone and completely ignore the unprecedented transformation magic. “I could understand if it were enchanted with something complex, but even then, it’s impossible to enchant this many spells into a single gem, especially spells that don’t actually work.”
“…the Crystal Empire has returned…” Princess Celestia continued whispering.
“He’s not actually a crystal,” Lyra answered, “Some kind of extremely complex machine with atomic scale moving parts. Complex enough to really be sapient, if you can even believe that, although he doesn’t quite talk–”
“…your train is leaving in two hours…”
Full stop. I tuned Lyra out entirely to listen to the faint, haunting sound in my own head.
I had heard it before. That moment of clarity when I feel like I hear the voice of harmony itself. It doesn’t quite talk, and yet, I’m still sure I can hear it, a thin chime, a sparkle in the twilight, the moment when I suddenly understand everything.
I have heard it before, when Nightmare Moon shattered the Elements, in the voices of my friends. And now I’m hearing it in my memory. The last pieces just came in.
“It means a kingdom capable of ‘impervious’ static defense of the entire population.” … “The Crystal Empire has returned.” … “It’s an important part of your story, with three heartsongs to it.” … “But nopony thought that this would ever happen, because the Crystal Empire had the strongest protection of all: the Crystal Heart.” … “It should reappear within a month, if nothing prevents that.” … “But to do that, Luna and I would have to face the dragon.” … “It’s also his adventure.” … “…your train is leaving in two hours…”
It was like the chorus of all those voices speaking about things so different suddenly coalesced into one melody, that was started and ended in an instant.
But it was enough.
“Sorry, Lyra, I need to go,” I said, jumping up, not even listening for her response. I ran towards where the Princess and my brother and Cadance were standing.
“Princess,” I interrupted their whispering, “I’m going with them.”
“Really, Twilight?” Princess Celestia smiled at me. “Don’t you think this is taking sisterly love just a little bit far?…”
“Very funny, Princess,” I stomped. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been listening in, but you were speaking a bit too loud. You’re sending them to the Crystal Empire, aren’t you?”
Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow and looked at me appraisingly. “I do have a mission that calls specifically for them, but this is nothing you need to concern yourself with, Twilight.”
“Crystal Empire is not a ship, or something else that could simply return, isn’t it,” I stated. “It is a city, a lost pony kingdom protected by the Crystal Heart.”
“How do you know that?” Celestia narrowed her eyes. “Very few ponies know that name.”
“I found a work mentioning it in the old castle library,” I replied.
The library that she directed me to. Did she plan for this? Was that journal part of my quest or not? With Princess Celestia, you never really know. The library that Luna sent Trixie to duel me for. Was this what Princess Luna really opposed? I don’t know her well enough to be sure.
I saw that momentary twitch of Celestia’s eyelids. I know that twitch. Here it comes…
“Absolutely not,” the Princess replied in a stern tone, with her enigmatic smile. I know that smile, too. I know that smile very well. I used to have nightmares about that smile. “I need you here, Twilight.”
“I must go with them, Princess,” I insisted.
“Oh?” the smile grew wider. “Care to explain your reasoning?”
I took a breath. Stand straight. Speak calmly and precisely. Omit nothing.
“Crystal Empire is supposed to have wielded some of the most advanced protective magic of the pre-classical era,” I started. “And yet, it vanished completely without a trace. It has reappeared, and this event was important enough, that you need to preempt the honeymoon and send Cadance and Shining Armor there immediately. The obvious conclusion is that whatever made it disappear despite the protective magic is now a concern, and requires a Princess of Equestria to counter. The Elements of Harmony would make a much better counter, or at least, backup, and we’re all here already.”
“The logic is mostly correct, but your data is incomplete,” Princess Celestia remarked. “You have only found a mention of the Crystal Empire. I have actually been there. Why exactly do you think that the Elements are even useful in this situation? The conclusion that you must go with them does not follow.”
“It’s… Not an entirely rational conclusion, Princess,” I admitted. “But I also know that both Cadance and Shining Armor are still suffering from magic exhaustion. They are recovering, but they’re still not entirely healthy. I…” I took a deeper breath. I never thought I would ever say something like this. “I feel you’re making a mistake. I can’t let you do this. I can’t lose my brother. I can’t lose my new sister-in-law. They’re… they’re my family. They’re my oldest friends. You don’t let your friends go on dangerous missions alone.”
While I was talking, behind Celestia’s back, I saw a plate with cake float in the familiar glow of my brother’s magic towards Cadance, who quietly took a bite without letting her eyes off me. Shining Armor himself was chewing on his lip. Haven’t I read somewhere, “Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction?” Seems like I’m in that direction now.
“But they won’t be alone,” Celestia countered. “They will have a full train of Royal Guard with them.”
“This isn’t what I mean, Princess…” I replied, steeling myself for what I was about to say next. I actually did go crazy in those two weeks, didn’t I? “Do you remember the letter you sent me when I wrote to you about the prophecy of Nightmare Moon?”
In the corners of my vision, I saw a crowd starting to gather around us in a circle. My parents. Minuette and Twinkleshine. Lemon Hearts.
“Of course,” Celestia nodded. “I told you to go out and make some friends. And you can’t argue it did not work out perfectly.”
“That’s not what I’m going to argue,” I replied. “I can’t describe how grateful I am to you. You did what you had to do, and you guided me to some of the most wonderful experiences in my life. And yet…” I looked away, just to get that smile out of my head for a few seconds.
“Oh?” the Princess prompted, when the pause started feeling too long.
“And yet, I already had friends,” I stared back at her. “I know I didn’t treasure those friendships. I know I had no idea how to be a good friend. I’m still learning that. Probably will keep learning for the rest of my life. But by abandoning these ponies, I hurt them. I’m not trying to blame you for this, this is my own responsibility. But it happened because I allowed myself to use your judgment as an excuse. You only heard about my friends. But I have actually been there.”
“Not exactly something I expected to hear from my most faithful student,” Celestia remarked blankly.
I’m so getting banished for this. Or thrown in a dungeon. Or… or whatever. I don’t care anymore.
“Haven’t you taught me that I should think for myself?” I replied. “I would not be very faithful if I didn’t try.”
“You aren’t just thinking for yourself here, Twilight,” Celestia replied. “Sending the Elements means all six of you. Have you just decided for them that they, too, must go to the ends of the world?”
I bit my lip. “I’ve already made a decision for them, just a week ago. And I made a mistake, one that had consequences which still horrify me. But they’re still my friends, even after that. I just hope they will trust me again. But even if they don’t… I would go anyway.”
Suddenly, I heard flapping of the wings next to my ear, and a heavy stomp of four hooves. Looking beside me, I saw Rainbow Dash, who just landed so hard that she nearly cracked the pavement. She snapped a salute at the Princess. “I’m going,” she said. Just like that.
Applejack trotted up to stand on my other side. “Ah don’ see why you got to play these games, yer highness. Ya know what happens when you break Twilight, right? Well, ya know who gets to pick up tha pieces? I’d like mah friend sane, thank ye very much.”
Pinkie popped up next to us, her mane so full of confetti and glitter that she was leaving a trail. Even though she traveled in a straight line, the trail was still somehow tied into knots. “That was mean, princess!”
But Princess Celestia remained silent, never taking her eyes off me.
“Indeed,” Rarity added, joining the group, and making a proud pose. “I won’t deny that I would rather stay, but of course we’re all going. That would only be proper.”
A flash of green revealed Fluttershy, who was there beside me all along. The leaf pattern on her dress lit up brightly like her smile, and then shifted. I felt the targeting matrix in the gem on her flower hairpin readjust as she threw a stern glance towards the princess.
Princess Celestia’s eyelid twitched.
Spike tugged on the hem of my dress. “You’re not planning to go anywhere without your number one assistant, right?”
“No, Spike,” I smiled at him. “I’m pretty sure I’d be helpless without you.”
“So this is… is this what happens on a typical week?” Moondancer asked as she joined us. “Can I come too?”
“Of course,” I replied. “I have a feeling I’m going to need all the help I can get.”
“R-ready for Act Two!” Lyra proclaimed. She was leaning bodily into Bon-Bon, who just stood there supporting her with the most impenetrable face.
“Maybe you shouldn’t decide things like that when you’re drunk?” I wondered.
“Look, I’m not that drunk, Twilight,” Lyra replied. “I knew from the start that I’m not getting away with just one song.”
Bon-Bon rolled her eyes, but made no comment.
“Your highness,” Mary’s voice came from somewhere at the rear of our group, “I think it’s about time for you to back down. Before you need an extra train.”
I never even expected she would want to go.
“So you are all volunteering,” Celestia said, throwing a weary glance across our crowd.
“Looks like it, Princess,” I smiled sheepishly. “Did we… disappoint you?”
And suddenly, the enigmatic, impenetrable smile on her face turned into a triumphant grin. “On the contrary, Twilight. I’ll mark that as B minus,” she declared.
I felt my mane hairs twist their way out of the neatly arranged setup Rarity spent half an hour tuning to her satisfaction, as our crowd erupted in a murmur. This entire exchange, in full view of so many ponies, was… a test?!
“Now, seriously, yer highness, what did ah say about breaking my friend?” Applejack scowled at Celestia.
“Marked down for trying to skip ahead,” Celestia retorted, “I had to improvise. This is far from a situation I expected to present that test in.”
“That’s not what ah meant!”
“Sorry, Applejack, this was just a joke,” Celestia smiled at her. “Mostly.” She looked back at me. Then, at our entire crowd. “Everypony… Everyone who wishes to follow Twilight should assemble at the station. The train leaves as soon as the loading is finished, you have about an hour to pack. Dress warmly, if you can. If you are late or choose to reconsider, the train will leave without you.”
As everypony started dispersing, Celestia leaned in to tell me, “Follow me, Twilight, we don’t have much time.”
“For what, Princess?”
“A last minute magic lesson for my most faithful student.”