Twilight's vision was blurry as she slowly came back to consciousness. At first, she could only make out a few blurry shapes in semi-darkness. She tried to raise her hoof to rub at them, only to find that she couldn't move it high enough before something tugged it back with the sound of clinking metal pieces.

Blinking several times to clear her vision, instead, she looked down at her hoof, only to see a heavy metal band clamped around it, connected to a short set of chains on the floor.

It was only then that she remembered what had happened. She had been trying to interrogate Delta when they were attacked by another pony, and she'd been knocked unconscious.

With a thought, she tried to use her magic to begin breaking the chains, only for her to feel some kind of blockage, something keeping her magic bottled up inside of her body.

Before she could follow the train of thought any further, her attention was caught by the sound of a door opening. Looking to the other side of the room, she saw a thick steel door swing open, revealing three ponies approaching her. Two were stoic-looking guards in midnight-blue armor, while the third was a face she was rapidly coming to hate: Delta Raider.

"Well, would you look at that! She's finally awake! Your timing is impeccable, Miss Sparkle!" He chuckled darkly, an act that seemed more honest than anything Twilight had heard from him up to now. "First, you decide to interrogate me just outside the entrance to our Southern Headquarters, and now you awaken practically on cue!"

"Alright, who are you, really? Where am I? What do you want from me?" Twilight made sure the questions came hard and fast, trying to take control of the situation.

"Oh, we already have what we want from you, Twilight Sparkle..." Delta reached into a saddlebag at his side, retrieving a small photograph, which he held just out of Twilight's reach for her to see.

It was a photograph of her unconscious body, laying helplessly on the floor, bound in chains and a thin black line indicating her inhibitor ring around her horn.

"We have leverage over our enemies." With another gleeful chuckle, Delta placed the photograph back in his bag. "One copy to Princess Celestia, and she'll be at our beck and call. One copy to Pennington Inkwell, and he'll bring us exactly the artifact we desire..."

"As for who we are? I suppose there would be no harm in telling you, seeing as you've already done so much for our cause..." He stepped slightly to the side, showing the emblem emblazoned on the chest piece of the guard behind him.

It was a pale blue crescent moon, accompanied by three stars placed equidistantly from the center, standing on a hazy cloud of blue. At first, Twilight felt only a passing recognition, as though the source was just on the tip of her tongue.

Then, all at once, it clicked. She had seen that crescent moon once before, on another piece of armor. The armor of a warrior queen who had nearly destroyed Equestria as they knew it.

"Twilight Sparkle, welcome to the OLD Lunar Republic: the TRUE acolytes of the night sky!"

Twilight's jaw hung loose. She was dreaming, she had to be. This was a nightmare.

"Aww, it looks as though Celestia's prize pupil might need a moment to collect herself! Why don't we leave her with something to think about?" Reaching into his bag, Delta retrieved another photograph, which he tossed to the ground in front of her as he and his guards retreated back through the door.

"And don't even consider trying to escape... You're clever, I certain you can determine what the consequences will be."

Looking down, Twilight gasped as she saw Spike, chained to the wall in a cell seemingly identical to her own.

"Breakfast is at midnight, Miss Sparkle! I'd suggest you get some sleep now so you don't miss it!" Delta called back as he and the guards disappeared from the room, slamming the heavy door shut behind them.

After a moment to make sure she was really alone, Twilight sighed and sat back on her haunches, trying to take account of the situation.

There's no way that Princess Celestia would let herself be bossed around by these terrorists, she'll be counting on me to escape on my own. Obviously, they don't understand whom they're dealing with! But on the other hoof, Pennington... If that photograph doesn't terrify him out of his mind, it'll make him angry. I hate to say it, but he's definitely the "White Knight" type who'll fall for this kind of ploy in a heartbeat. It's the most obvious trap in the universe, but I doubt he'll care if I'm the one in danger...

So, I have to get out of here and rescue Spike. After that, I can try to get a hold of him to let him know I'm safe. Or before. I don't need to BE safe, I just need him to think I'm safe so that he doesn't come trying to rescue me...

When I first met the NLR, Penn and Sure Shot laughed off what I said about them being a terrorist group. Guess I had the wrong ponies...

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Pennington took a quick inventory of what they had, laying everything out on the bed he'd been sleeping in since they arrived.

They had managed to avoid losing any of the artifacts that they were planning on using to appease Scorch, the Tidal Wand, Ruber Locomotus, and Invisibility Cloak were all still safely tucked in his saddlebags, along with pens and paper for letter-writing and any beastiary entries. Turvian had been kind enough to offer them new rations for the rest of their trip, and Pennington was sure they'd be set for the rest of their mission. Aside from rations and their offering to Scorch, though, they had cast aside everything else when they'd left the cave at the base of the mountain, trying to lighten their load. He'd managed to save Cat's hairpin from the fireplace and place it back in his bag, though he still wasn't quite sure why he'd felt so bidden to do so.

I don't even have rope, Moonstone forgot to pick it up after Turvian untied it to bring us here! I ALWAYS need more rope on these trips!

Moonstone had plotted out the trip to her family's home, and she had been right. According to the map, it wouldn't take them far off-course, and Pennington was more than ready for any help they could find there.

Pennington had to admit, he was worried. This was just about the most unprepared he'd ever felt in his life.

Pennington turned away from his bags, catching sight of Crankshaft poking her head through the door.

Crankshaft nodded and stepped into the room, joining Pennington beside the bed. In one of her hooves, Pennington could see that she was tightly clutching an envelope. He was tempted to ask her about it, but he didn't want to force her to talk too much while she was still becoming accustomed to trying to speak with a stutter.

"You know, I didn't get to see her much from the outside, but the Surprise really, well, surprised me! I mean, I know the topography of what we dealt with just to get this far into the mountains, and I would never have believed that such a tiny vehicle could survive for that long under these conditions!" He smiled and gave Crankshaft a friendly nudge with his shoulder, noticing that she was blushing and looking down at the ground.

"I don't know what you're planning on when you get back, and I'm sure that the Solar Empire's going to take good care of you for your injury in the line of duty, but... I know that the Cliffjumper's crew is always looking for talented mechanics! I could definitely put in a letter of recommendation for you to Sure Shot! Not to mention he owes me, BIG TIME, after the last time I saw him."

Glancing over, he saw that Crankshaft was staring up at him, her eyes glimmering with a mix of excitement and tears. He wasn't entirely sure what to say, turning back to his inventory.

"I mean, the NLR is a great place for ponies who want a fresh start, but it's not for everyone, so- mmph!"

Pennington was cut off as Crankshaft reached up and pulled his face to hers, holding him in a momentary kiss before running from the room, leaving him shocked, perplexed, and suddenly very embarrassed.

Glancing back at the bed, he saw that she had left the envelope there, with his name scrawled on the front. Still somewhat in shock, he quietly opened it, unfolding the letter inside.

I'm sorry to have to speak to you like this, but it would likely take me the better part of an hour to try to say it out loud. Moonstone and I have been talking, (Mostly Moonstone) about what's happened in the last 48 hours, or so, and she told me about what you did after I fainted on the mountain. About how you dug me out of the snow and carried me on your back, as if you were going to take me all the way to the top of the mountain. I know that unicorns aren't inherently built for heavy labor, and that earth ponies like myself are built quite heavily. It's why we excel at physically-oriented jobs, like being a mechanic.

You were determined to save my life, and you did. You could have just left me in the Surprise to freeze, assumed that I had died alongside my best friend. You could have just written me off as dead weight when you discovered my concussion, thinking like I did that there was no way I could survive. Moonstone says you were afraid, every bit as much as I was, when you heard that we had to try to make it to the top of the mountain. I can barely believe her, you never showed it one bit.

I want you to know you saved my life, not just once, but at least three different ways. You refused to admit defeat and... well, that's an inspiration to me. I promise that I won't waste this second chance, and I promise that if you ever find you need help from a stuttering mechanic like me, I'll be happy to help you.

You're my hero. Thank you so much for not giving up on me. I hope our paths cross again when you come back to Equestria.

The words pierced through Pennington like an arrow. He HAD been afraid, he had been terrified! He had thought that what they were doing was impossible, that they were all going to die up on that mountain. The only he had kept going was for Crankshaft, because he knew that he and Moonstone were all that she had. He hadn't done all of this for himself, he had done it for her.

In that moment, Pennington felt something change inside of him, an ache in his chest ease and melt away. He finally felt a hole in his heart mended.

In his mind came back every happy face from his book signings, every little filly or colt who had run up to him and told him "I want to be like you when I grow up!" Every pony who had ever given him a smile, a thanks, who had told him that he was an inspiration to them to do the things they thought were beyond them.

His own words, seemingly an eternity ago, echoed back to him, words he'd once spoken to Twilight.

Please, just try to see it... To those ponies out there, there isn't much difference between Daring Do and I. The two of us may as well be the same because we basically are, and all that they have ever seen is a pony who cannot be harmed, a pony who always comes out on top! And that makes them braver...

Glancing back over his equipment, Pennington now saw a veritable feast of potential. Even without any of this, he knew that he would be more than ready for Scorch, because he had what he'd always had, and the only thing he'd ever needed:

Equestria's hopes and dreams. Ponies looking to him as a mirror to show their own potential back to them, ponies searching for someone to show them the truth: that nothing was impossible, not for those who kept the love of adventure close to their hearts.

He gingerly folded the letter and tucked it back into the envelope, taking care that he made the fold between two lines of text so that he could save it for later preservation. He knew just where he'd keep it when he made it home again.

"PENN!" Moostone called from the next room. "Come here, we've got something for you!"

Pennington took a deep breath to brace himself, then trotted to the next room, trying to work his stiff and sore muscles back to their full capacity.

As he found himself back in the dining area, Turvian and Moonstone were both sitting at the table, both smiling from ear to ear.

"So, should I be expecting an ambush, or what?" Pennington joked, taking a seat at the table across from the two of them.

"No! What I have here is simultaneously a gift for you and a mission!" Turvian smiled, taking his hoof and slamming it onto the table, something tightly wrapped in his grip. "Miss Adelinda was kind enough to inform me of your magical dilemma, and I believe that I may have a theory!"

"It wasn't a problem with your body!" Moonstone grinned and jumped up onto the table. In a few strides, she had crossed the table and rapped her knuckles against his forehead. "It was all in your head!"

"Miss Moonstone tells me that you suffer from recurring sleep paralysis, accompanied by a phobia of paralysis, correct?" Turvian didn't wait for a response from Pennington. "Well, what else but a re-enactment of one of your nightmares could break through the mental barriers preventing you from using magic? You believed your magic to be lost completely, as irrecoverable as your lost pride upon losing your horn! In that case, you could never find your magic, again in a million years!"

Pennington was slowly coming to understand, though he could scarcely believe it. "So, you're saying... I only couldn't use magic... because I thought I couldn't use magic?"

"My boy, I took the opportunity to study your injury whilst you were asleep, and I see no reason why you should not be able to make a near-full recovery! Perhaps even to come back stronger, with the right prosthesis! That is where THIS comes into play..." Uncurling his hoof, Turvian revealed what appeared to be a false horn. This one looked almost prismatic, a sheen across the surface that split any light that touched it into its colored components and sending them washing across its surface like oil on water. The base color seemed to be white, when Pennington could catch glimpses of the true color beneath the surface.

"It's hardly subtle..." Moonstone smiled, picking up the piece and offering it to Pennington. "But right now, it's our best shot. I'm going to need you at a hundred percent if we're going to do this, buddy..."

"It's hardly what?" Turvian asked, taking a sip from a a mug that flashed between white and rainbow-banded.

Pennington reached out, taking the false horn in his hooves. It was unexpectedly heavy, like it was made from stone or metal, but Pennington couldn't quite place the material. Glancing over at Moonstone, seeing the hope in her eyes, he nodded, placing it against the fragmented base of his horn. To his surprise, felt it slip perfectly into place, and a newfound power course through his body, pouring into and through him. He inhaled sharply, feeling the magical energy finally flowing through his body again. He closed his eyes, focusing on this new feeling, making that power a part of himself again, just as it had been before.

"I... can't thank you enough, Mister Turvian... You saved our lives, and quite possibly all of Equestria's lives with them, and now you helped me find a piece of myself I'd been missing for a long time..." Pennington whispered, finally looking up at their host with tears in his eyes.

"No need to thank me, Mister Inkwell. In all honesty, you've done me a huge favor, as well!" Reaching beneath the table again, Turvian produced a familiar book.

Discord Days: A Dissertation on the Need for Chaos

By Pennington Inkwell

"This book, along with what you described to me of a draconequus in the Royal Court, have convinced me that it may be time that I rejoined Equestrian society... Perhaps I could even be of some use in the coming calamity." He looked around the room, letting out a melancholy sigh. "I will miss the peace and quiet of this place, though..."

Turvian hopped down from the chair, giving Pennington a pat on the shoulder as he passed by.

"There's nothing to go and get!" Moonstone hopped down from the table and onto Pennington's back. "Like we said, it's all in your head! Not to mention, Turvian said something about this thing tapping into that chaos magic he said he saw running through your body!"

"Yeah, I still don't know if I'm too sure about that..." Pennington shook his head. "I mean, Whipstitch told me chaos magic's a lot more complicated than that!"

Moonstone shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand it, either, but it's supposed to make your magic stronger, so I'm not going to question- UUUURP!"

Moonstone was cut off as an undignified belch burst out of her mouth. Rather than a scroll or letter, however, a single, small item fluttered to the floor, no larger than a postcard. Pennington reached down, retrieving it with his hoof. On the side facing them was a short note, followed by a set of coordinates.

To find her alive, meet us here. You know what we want in exchange.
-Sails

"Sails? As in, Full Sails?" Moonstone swallowed loudly. "There's no way we can go there, right?"

Pennington turned the letter over, hoping to find a clue on the other side. As he did, his blood ran cold as ice. He and Moonstone both stared at the photo for a moment, each dumbfounded.

Pennington flung the photograph across the room, where it landed in the fireplace and quickly disintegrated.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're going to go and get her." Pennington gritted his teeth, striding back into the bedroom with a newfound determination. Sitting on the top of the bedspread, on top of all the other objects was one item in particular: Cha'Qued's mask, its dozens of sharp teeth twisted into a gleeful grin. Pennington wordlessly picked up the mask, staring at it with all of the loathing he could muster, and shoved it into his saddlebag.

"We'll have to make this quick, that way we can make it to Scorch before more ponies are hurt in Equestria." Pennington muttered, ignoring Moonstone's argument.

"Why's that?" Moonstone asked quietly, starting to look somewhat fearful as Pennington quickly packed the rest of their belongings.

"Because I finally remembered why I love going on adventures. I remembered why I do the things I do..." Pennington started to host the saddlebags onto his back, then changed his mind. Slowly and deliberately, he set them on the ground and ignited his new horn. The saddlebags rocketed upwards, slamming into the ceiling with enough force to send cracks through the stone roof.

Pennington and Moonstone both cringed as he released his grip and the bags fell back to the floor, significantly misshapen.

"Look, I'm used to having to try one hundred and ten percent to do even little things, I'm going to need time to adjust..." Pennington muttered, fixing the saddlebags on his back by hoof. Finally, for the last touch, he strapped his sword's sheath onto his back, tightening the strap across his chest and taking only a moment to adjust so that the grip was just above his shoulder.

Penn and Stone: Dynamic Duo

by Pennington Inkwell

Renewed