“It’s rare that it’s just the four of us. Maybe we should do something as a group after we get done here,” Discord proposed. He looked around the table, glancing over the grimacing changeling and brooding unicorn. “Or maybe it’ll just be us two.” He turned back to Twilight who awkwardly fidgeted in her seat.
“I get the feeling this might not be an easy task, Discord. We’ll know more once Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrive.” With a look of resignation on her face, Twilight mumbled, “If they ever arrive, that is.”
Twilight had spoken too soon as the doors of the small meeting hall flew open. The two regal sisters entered with a covered object levitating between them. The guards closed the door behind them and they took their seats in front of the four, placing the mysterious item on the table. “I’m sorry to have called you to Canterlot without warning, and for meeting you all in such a small room,” Celestia apologized.
“This is the furthest part of the castle from the rest of Canterlot,” Luna mentioned, eyeing the one window room. “It’ll have to do as we do not have time to fret over it.”
“What’s gotten you two so worried? What happened?” Twilight asked.
Luna levitated the cloth from the object, revealing a glass container – an empty glass container. Twilight and Sombra gasped at the sight. Discord looked at the two, then to Chrysalis, giving a shrug. “What happened to it?” Sombra cried. “Did you two manage to destroy it?”
“It?” asked the changeling.
“No. When it arrived we took special care to place it in a magically sealed room, but the next day it had mysteriously vanished. We were hoping you might know what happened, Sombra. Or, if you know who could have taken it.” Celestia eyed the unicorn, waiting to hear his response.
“What’s it?” repeated Chrysalis.
Sombra closed his eyes and tapped his forehead. “This is bad. Really bad. The only ones that were supposed to know about it were those who were helping destroy it. Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, you two, Twilight, and whomever you’ve all told. How is it you managed to lose it!?”
“What. Is. IT!?” Chrysalis slammed her hooves onto the table, shouting her question.
Celestia focused on the changeling, realizing she hadn’t even noticed the queen’s presence. She then looked to Twilight with a curious eye. “Sorry, she wanted to tag along,” Twilight apologized. “If it’s gone then there’s no harm in telling her, right?”
“I suppose not.” Celestia turned back to the changeling queen. “There was a dark, empty hole in the center of this container that was dubbed the void. It’s gone now. It was what Sombra used to take The Crystal Empire from Equestria for a thousand years.”
“It’s not just gone, it’s missing. We were meant to destroy it, but before we could do so it vanished. Perhaps it’s now in the hooves of somepony that desires destruction, or perhaps it’s not gone at all.” Luna’s face was like a wall of stone, unchanged and unmoved as she spoke. “We hoped that Sombra might be able to tell us what happened, or perhaps Discord could locate it for us.”
Discord tapped the glass, taking a nail and scratching towards the bottom. “As much fun as spending a thousand years trapped in – oh wait, I already did that.” He stuck his tongue out at the two sisters, a smile appearing within the protrusion.
Shaking her head, Twilight said, “Discord. This is serious.”
“Why not just open it and see if it’s still in there? If you’re so afraid, take it to an empty area with no one around,” Chrysalis prompted. “It’s not like there is any harm in trying. If it is still there just put the glass down real quick. Problem solved.”
The two sisters looked at each other, Luna’s eyebrows drew together as she nodded. Celestia shook her head in response, then said, “If we test it then it needs to be far away. I also don’t want you there, Luna.”
“What? Why not?” the younger sister wailed.
The elder raised her hoof, stroking the younger’s cheek. “You’ve spent enough time in isolation, away from Equestria. Let this burden fall to me.”
“I won’t let her go it alone, Luna,” Twilight interrupted. “I’ll protect her, you can count on it.”
Celestia tried to tell her no, but the draconequus’s laugh overshadowed her denial. “I guess that means all of us are going.” Discord shrugged. “I go where Twilight goes. I’ve got a bet to win, after all. And it’s poetic justice to have the one who said we should open it and the one who made it both be there.”
A chair screeched from the other end of the table. “Discord. I sincerely loathe you,” Chrysalis bemoaned.
Sombra nodded. “For once I agree with Chrysalis. I mean, Discord’s right, but I still hate the idea. Though I have my doubts about it actually being inside. It can’t perform its own magic or make itself invisible.”
“Then that settles it. I suppose my hooves are tied.” Celestia rose from the table and levitated the container. “We’ll have to go now while it’s still night. If it’s still in there, hiding, then I’ll want to find out before the city awakens.”
Chrysalis leaned to Twilight and mumbled, “Can’t she decide when the sun rises?” Though she spoke low, Luna had heard and giggled in response, garnering a coy smile from Chrysalis.
They all followed Celestia out of the tiny meeting room and down a labyrinth of halls back to the castle foyer. Before heading off, Celestia said her goodbyes to her sister. I won’t let anything happen to Celestia, I can make that promise to myself, Twilight believed. The night sky revealed no color change to the inside of the glass container. Twilight made sure to keep an eye on it at all times, wondering and waiting for anything to happen.
For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something but it was only a spec of snow that slowly drifted down from above. Canterlot had been hit with winter just like Ponyville, though their streets were swept far more often. Still, little snowflakes began to cover the five as they walked through the city and out the front gate. Their hoofprints made a trail down the cliff side, beneath Canterlot. They traveled far from the city, into a forest of snow covered trees.
Twilight’s eyes wandered for a moment, noting that everyone except Celestia was shivering. She hadn’t realized it had become so cold. She was too focused, too determined. It can’t have just vanished. There’s got to be some explanation. A detail I’m missing.
“We’re here.” Celestia’s horn burst with light, shining over the rickety cabin in the woods. As the light stayed, the snow melted around and on the cabin. Using her magic, she opened the door and stepped inside, placing the glass container onto the table that sat in the middle of the decrepit shack.
Twilight followed her in, noting that the size of the cabin was even smaller than that of the meeting room. “Is this someone’s home?”
The fireplace exploded with flames, warming the room as well as brightening it. “No. This is a dead drop location.” Celestia used her magic to close the door behind the trio of ex-villains. “Everyone ready?”
Dead drop location? That sounds ominous. Twilight quickly stepped beside Celestia, waiting for the glass container to be lifted from its base. “Ready.”
As Celestia kicked off the locks and began to raise the glass, Chrysalis yelled, “Whoa, hold on a second! Can’t we just do this from a safe distance or something? Maybe sacrifice someone else to do it? I-I’m not sure I’m ready to… Well, take a thousand year vacation, like some of you have.”
Celestia placed the glass back and gave a sigh. “You are free to leave, Chrysalis. Please wait at the edge of the woods.”
Chrysalis’s face lit up, only to be stricken with fear a moment later. “If I have to lose another thousand years, then I may as well make her suffer through it too!” Sombra hollered as he threw the glass off with his magic, sending it to the edge of the table.
Nothing happened.
Twilight lowered her hooves from her face and noticed everyone had done the same thing. Not like it would have done any good, she noted with a shake of her head. “Well, I suppose that answers that question.”
“You could have ruined EVERYTHING!” Chrysalis shrieked, slamming her nose into Sombra’s. “What would have happened if it had still been there!? Huh? What were you thinking!?”
“Oh pipe down. A thousand years goes by faster than you think,” he replied.
“Not when you’re trapped in a statue.” Discord crossed his arms.
Ignoring the squabbling, Twilight began to look over the remnants of the container. She levitated the glass top back to its base and stared inside. Using her magic, Twilight searched for any signs of the void. No trace. Nothing. Her eyes drifted back to Celestia who was staring at the changeling and unicorn. “I don’t think there was anything ever in here,” she said to her mentor, trying to gain her attention.
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, snapping her mind back to the matter at hand.
“Nothing there? Twilight, you saw it back in the Crystal Empire,” Sombra said, throwing aside his argument with Chrysalis like a used paper towel. “We both know it exists.”
Chrysalis growled, still concentrating on the stallion. “Maybe you faked it! Maybe you’re a liar! A big, stupid liar!”
“Enough!” Celestia’s voice rang with confidence, taking command of the situation. “Twilight, I saw the black void. Luna did as well. It was definitely here just a few days prior.”
Twilight lifted her hoof to argue but dropped it dejectedly. “Would you mind if I take the container back with us? I may be able to study it more and find out what happened. I’ll recruit Starlight to help me, perhaps together we’ll find something.”
“I’m not sure if there is much reason for that, Twilight. However, I’ll allow you to do so if you truly believe there is something to it. In the meantime, I shall send word to Spike for everyone else to come to Canterlot. A celebration must be had! The void is gone from this world!”
“And good riddance!” Chrysalis added.
A party? I’d rather wait till I can be sure the void wasn’t stolen, Twilight rationalized. “That sounds great, then Starlight and I can examine the container at the same time.” I hope we’re not counting our chickens before they hatch.
“Very good! Let us return to the castle so that we may bring Luna the good news.” Celestia smiled as she passed by the ex-villains. The flames of the fireplace vanished as she stepped outside, leaving the room dark and cold. Twilight levitated the container from the table and followed her out.
When they returned to the caste, Celestia and Luna set their guests up with their own rooms. Twilight immediately went to hers and began work on the glass container. Minor spells seemed to show little promise for her tests. A knock came to the door before she could try anything more powerful. “Come in,” she called, eyeing the door. “Hello. Do you need something?”
“What I need is for you to find that thing,” Sombra replied, direct and to the point.
“So you don’t believe it just up and vanished either.”
“No, of course not. The void wouldn’t just disappear. Not after all this time locked away, and especially not as we began to move against it. Do you have a lead?”
“Well, besides this glass, I’ve got nothing. I’m testing a few magic spells but with no results. Do you know if it could have been transferred to a different container? Maybe removed altogether without causing it to set off?”
He shook his head. “Twilight, even undoing the locks would have caused it to start up. There’s no way somepony could have teleported it, removed it, or replaced it. Something happened to it or it’s really gone. There is no in-between.”
“Then there’s something we’re not seeing, Sombra. I’m going to run a few more magic related tests tonight. You should get some sleep, maybe see if you can’t think of anything that might help us.”
He nodded and the door creaked to close, but before the latch snapped shut Sombra pushed it open once more. “Hey, Twilight?”
She looked up from the glass, noticing his smile. “Y-Yes?”
“Thanks for all this. If it really is gone, then the last piece of my horrid past will be taken care of, and I’ll finally be able to sleep easier. It’s all thanks to you. I just wanted you to know that.” After saying his peace, he closed the door.
You’re welcome, Sombra. But I’ll sleep easier too once I know for sure what happened. No one else should have to suffer being gone for a thousand years.
Though she spent most of the night awake, Twilight did manage to find time to sleep. The next morning she arose from her slumber just to begin examining the container once more. Several exhausting hours passed before she finally gave up and set off for food, her belly grumbling with every step she took.
“There you are! I’ve been looking for you for ages!” Discord shouted as he came walking down the hall. “I tried asking Celestia which room was yours but she wouldn’t tell me. Instead, she kept trying to find out what my intentions with you were. She finally sent me away once I turned her tail into cotton candy.” He then reached into his mouth and pulled out some of the sugary candy. “Want some?”
She could feel her stomach ache for the sugar, but where it came from made it churn instead. “N-No thank you.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied, tossing it back into his mouth. “Oh, I should also tell you that Fluttershy and the other annoya- I mean, our other friends have arrived as well. I believe Pinkie Pie insisted on helping with the decorations for the party or whatever.” He tapped his cheek. “There was something else, too. But for the life of me, I can’t remember what. If only Celestia didn’t sound like crickets chirping…”
“Celestia doesn’t sound like crickets, Discord.”
“She does if you’re really good at ignoring her,” he gleefully replied, chuckling to himself.
An exasperated sigh dragged from her mouth, bringing another growl of her stomach with it. Discord followed at her side as they made their way through the large castle halls. “You know, it’s odd how fast my life has been changing,” she thought aloud. “It feels like just yesterday I was galloping down these same halls with the girls because of some cotton candy, chocolate milk-filled clouds.”
“I can still make those, y’know. You do sound a little hungry.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. It’s just odd, though. I barely remember my time here prior to my move to Ponyville, yet it also doesn’t seem like that long ago. Things move fast, and yet here you are, a thousand years out of your time, and you still take things so slow.”
“That’s a backhanded compliment if I’ve ever known one,” Discord replied, taking his claw and brushing off the back of his paw.
“It’s not meant to be either one, actually. It’s just impressive. You, Tirek, Sombra, and of course Princess Luna. Each of you have dealt with it in your own way regardless of how it came about. You’ve all pulled through and mingled with the present. I’m not sure I could’ve done something like that, gone through what you all have.”
Discord stopped. “Twilight, why are you telling me all this?”
She turned around, staring up at him. “I was working on trying to find the void all last night, I didn’t get much sleep. But as I worked, Starlight’s words came back to me. We had been talking about Tirek. She said that we could show him the light, that he could learn from us… and we could learn from him,” she recounted. “Last night I did learn something.”
“What did you learn?”
“You, Tirek, Sombra, and Luna. I never want to deal with what you four have gone through. I never want to be taken from my home, friends, and family. It frightens me. So, I’ve got to do whatever I can do find the void. Because I don’t want anyone else to go through that ever again.”
“You really think it’s still out there, somewhere?”
“I know it is. That or I’m sleep deprived – which is a definite possibility.”
He stepped forward and went to one knee, placing his hands on her shoulders. “If you do find it, then I’ll be sure to help you destroy it. No one should have to deal with being thrust across time. I’m just glad someone else finally understands that, without having to have gone through it.” His somber eyes remained locked with hers as he smiled.
Thank you, Discord. I never want you to be taken from me, either. As he held his position, she leaned up and kissed him, catching him off guard. He fell backwards and she followed him, holding the kiss as she climbed onto his chest.
“Oh come on! I see enough of that at home already!”
They shot off each other like fireworks, quickly standing up and spreading apart. “S-Spike! What are you d-doing here?” Twilight asked as she wiped her lips.
“Discord was supposed to be getting you up but it was taking so long so they sent me to fetch you. Seriously, in the middle of the hall? You two are gross.”
“You… I…” Twilight struggled to form the right words, her vision shifting between the draconequus and dragon.
“We’re gross? Have you seen yourself eat cereal in the morning, Spike?” Discord intervened. “I specifically stayed at Fluttershy’s so I wouldn’t have to see that every morning.”
Spike scratched the back of his head and laughed. “Yeah, but that’s a different kind of gross!”
Discord leaned close to the dragon and whispered, “Kissing isn’t the gross part. It’s what comes after kissing that gets really gross.”
“I really don’t want to hear this,” replied the dragon.
“And you aren’t going to.” Twilight lifted Spike onto her back and trotted away, giving a glare at the grinning draconequus as she passed.
Twilight made her way down to the great hall where the Grand Galloping Gala usually took place. The room had been set up with appetizers and small plates of snacks. Though it was filled with her friends, the hall felt much larger without the noble citizens of Canterlot that usually accompanied the room. “There she is!” she heard the pink party pony scream from half way across the hall.
The Elements and Starlight rushed to greet her. “Hello, everypony. Sorry I’m late. Did I miss anything?” Twilight asked as she let Spike hop off.
“Celestia told us everything! Why didn’t you tell us about some evil black void thingy!? We could have kicked its butt together!” Rainbow Dash smacked her hooves together.
“Rainbow, I’m surprised you could even remember what the princess said, what with you snoring through most of the meetin’,” Applejack replied.
“Don’t worry about it, Dash. There was no evil black void thingy’s butt to kick. Just an empty glass jar.” Twilight stepped around them and they followed. “I would have told you all about it after The Crystal Empire but I promised Sombra I’d keep quiet until after we found a way to destroy it.”
Applejack snorted. “See, Rainbow? A promise is a promise.” She then turned and saw the wide eyes of Pinkie Pie glaring at her. “Hey, a Pinkie Promise is a whole new ball game.”
“I’m just glad it’s all been taken care of thanks to you, Twilight,” Rarity gushed. “When I first heard its description I almost fainted, it sounded like a truly terrible thing! All of Equestria owes a great deal to you.”
“Equestria has owed you all for quite some time,” Celestia noted, startling the group. They quickly turned to face her and gave their bows. “Many triumphs have been caused by you six, and this is another. Without all of you, none of this would have happened.” She leaned back, eyeing over the ex-villains and her sister. “This party is the least we could do to thank you for everything you’ve done. So please, celebrate to your heart’s content.”
Everyone cheered and then meandered back to the rest of the party, leaving Twilight to catch up to Celestia. “Princess, I spent all night trying to find the void but I’ve come up with nothing. Is there anything you can tell me about when it disappeared?”
“Certainly, Twilight. But perhaps later. Right now you should be with your friends.” Celestia leaned down to the younger alicorn and whispered, “Unless you’d rather be off with Discord.” She gave a wink and a nudge.
Twilight turned her head back to the others, eyeing over Discord and Spike. Alright, which one of you told her? “Celestia, please.” She turned back to her beloved mentor. “It’s important.”
Before Celestia could respond, the sound of Twilight’s stomach grumbling interrupted them. “It certainly must be important enough for you to skip eating. I suppose you won’t eat until you’re satisfied with an answer.” She sighed. “Alright, the last time it was inside the glass case was just a few days ago. The place we sealed it in was only accessible by Luna and myself, which makes me believe it truly has disappeared.” She then placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’d say that this has satiated your want to find the void, though I’m sure it hasn’t,” she said, smiling.
“You know me all too well, Princess Celesta. I’ll continue my search after I grab a bite to eat.”
“Good. Also, spend some time with your friends. From what I hear, you haven’t had much time for them. Perhaps they might be able to help.”
If the void is still out there then no one has much time for anything. She gave a nod and scampered back to the buffet of food, scarfing down as much as she could, as fast as she could. Pinkie had already busted out the record player and played some dancing tunes. The hall filled with the clatter of hooves as her friends made their way to the dance floor. Twilight grabbed a few more helpings and headed for the door, hoping to be out before anyone could notice. Unfortunately, someone had noticed.
“Off so soon? But the party has only just begun!” Chrysalis greeted, blocking Twilight’s path to the door.
“Yes, well, I’ve got to work on some things,” Twilight replied, stuffing her face with the last of the treats she had procured.
“Are these things so important that you’re going to ignore your friends?”
She looked up at Chrysalis. “Wait, even you think I’m ignoring my friends? I’m not! I’ve just got to get what I was working on done. It’s important, that’s all.” She shook her head and stepped around the changeling.
“Really? Is it so important to toss away friendships? Even I’m beginning to wonder if I should bother with this little bet. The only ones I ever see hang around you are Discord and Tirek, and we both know why they’re hanging around.”
“Chrysalis, what exactly are you implying?”
The changeling stepped into Twilight’s path once more, blocking the door. “Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. There’s one thing I’ve learned about you in my time becoming reformed, one little thing I’ve noticed.” She lowered her head, stretching her neck to stare deep into Twilight’s eyes. “Whenever you become obsessed with something you tend to put your friends aside. My changelings, dating, reading, reforming villains. You just never seem to have time for them. Maybe they’re not really your friends.”
“T-They know I care about them! They also know me, and they know that’s how I am!” Twilight argued. “What are you trying to say, Chrysalis? Spit it out!”
“It just seems to me that right now you’re going off to search for a new obsession. Am I right? A little void?”
“What if I am? What’s gotten you so interested in it all of a sudden?” Twilight lifted a hoof, pointing it at the changeling. “Do you know something about its disappearance?”
“Me? Oh, Twilight. What makes you suspect me of making it vanish? I’m just a changeling. I can’t do anything but change things. Right?”
She could feel the changeling’s words twisting in her ears. “I-If you did happen to come across the void, what would you do?” she questioned.
Chrysalis stepped out from in front of the door, levitating it open for the alicorn. “What would I do? Well, I’m a bit spiteful. I’d bide my time, maybe make it vanish. Or at least that’s how it’d look on the outside.” She leaned against the door, her pearly white teeth bearing down as she spoke. “It wouldn’t really have vanished, it would just be hidden. Waiting for a moment to bring itself back to the world. It could take minutes, hours, or days. However long it needed to have its container open and free to the unsuspecting fools that thought it was gone.” She then walked away, but not before saying, “But as long as the glass was kept on, then everything would be fine, right?”
Twilight shriveled with dread as she heard those final words. The frosty stare and menacing grin of the changeling were bad enough, but now fear had truly taken over. Rushing out the open door and barreling down the halls, Twilight tore through the castle back to her guest quarters. Papers flew amongst the room as she threw open the door. Nothing’s happened, she thought as she stared at the base. She quickly dropped the glass lid on and locked it in place, hoping she had not been too late. Sweat dripped down her nose, landing on the glass and running down it. She stared and stared, waiting for something to happen.
“Twilight!”
The sudden call of her name had startled her so much that she knocked the container off the desk. She quickly caught it with her magic and turned back to her pupil who stood in the doorway. “St-Starlight? W-What is it?” Twilight panted.
“I saw you freak out and run out of the hall! What happened? Is everything okay? Is it the void!?”
She took a moment to catch her breath and plan out what she was going to say. She is my pupil, there’s no reason I should keep my thoughts on Chrysalis a secret. “No, everything is not okay. I think Chrysalis may just have earned herself a few points back with that scare. I can’t believe I fell for it too!”
“Chrysalis? She’s been nothing but kind, if not a little rough around the edges. What could she have possibly done?”
“I thought she was the one that might have stolen the void. The way she talked made it seem-”
“Wait, you thought Chrysalis would do something like that? That’s ridiculous. She hasn’t done anything evil since she’s gotten here!” Starlight waved a dismissive hoof.
“No, but that doesn’t mean she can’t return to being evil! She hasn’t even reformed yet!”
Starlight’s voice rose as she spoke. “Chrysalis just pledged to me that she’ll come talk to you about her apology to Canterlot in the next few weeks! She’s been too scared to do so but she’s finally willing thanks to the changelings’ move! What makes you think that she’d want to throw all that hard work away?”
Twilight stomped a hoof. “Hard work? She used to lay around my castle and do nothing for days! She hasn’t even done anything to earn the right to move on to the apology! The only thing she has been doing is turning you against me!”
“Maybe she’s not the one doing it! Maybe you’re just a bad teacher, and maybe you spend too much time on things that don’t matter! Did you ever think of that, Princess of Friendship!?” Starlight rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
A scream of anguish was all the alicorn could utter in response. I hope I was never this way to Celestia! She sighed and looked back to the glass container. But maybe she’s right, maybe I am spending time on something that doesn’t matter. Her reflection stared back at her with steely eyes as she became lost in thought. But I am the Princess of Friendship, and there’s no way I’m going to lose a friendship over one little fight! And I’m definitely not going to lose it to Chrysalis!