"Starlight and Trixie...how can I put this?"
"It's alright, Cadance," said Twilight. "I'll tell them."
"Tell us what?" Trixie queried. Starlight Glimmer was just as anxious to know. Twilight sighed.
"We just had another encounter with Stellas Spatium; he was able to break through the city's defences with aid from one of its residents. Me and my friends tried to use the elements of harmony against him—it didn't work! It turns out he was pursuing the elements to transform them into the 'Dark Elements'! Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack have all become the exact opposite of what they stand for, and are now serving Spatium. In other words, I gain no pleasure saying it, but there's even less hope than there was before!"
"We can't just give up!" Trixie protested.
"I wouldn't even suggest such a ridiculous course of action for even a single moment," said Twilight.
"I think the very first one we take should be re-rendezvousing with my family and Fluttershy," Cadance offered. "Strength in numbers, you know?" The others nodded, and all departed, with Tirek, of course, being the exception to this. The sky darkened, and the air became irritatingly chilly, as if it had no concern for its ill effects on ponies. As the atmosphere became increasingly gloomy, so too did the group's moods; even Trixie, despite what she had voiced, could not help feeling utterly hopeless.
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"Stellas Spatium?" The unicorn Lyra Heartstrings trotted rather hesitantly into his throne room (formerly belonging to his sisters). Spatium tightened his already-iron grip on his throne arms.
"You will address me as master only," he hissed. "Make it snappy! Or I will snap you—physically and emotionally."
"I was gonna ask whether it's true that members of the Mane Six have joined us; I mean, I just couldn't believe it when I heard...but here they are in the flesh."
"No we're not!" Applejack lied.
"Spatium, when are we gonna go after Twilight and all that again? I just can't wait!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"They'll be weeping and weeping and worse once we're all done with them!" Pinkie Pie cackled.
"Ooh, how fun this is," Spatium joined in on Pinkie's sick guffawing.
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"Twilight!" Fluttershy hugged her friend, and then Discord. "We saw everything. Are you alright?"
"No," Twilight had to be honest. "None of us are. But that doesn't mean we stop fighting back."
"What do you suggest?" Shining Armour asked.
"I don't believe we can stay," Discord voiced. "No doubt Spatium and his new buddies will be back for us."
"That goes without saying," said Twilight. "But I don't think we have anywhere else to go. Spatium's taken over everywhere in Equestria, and..."
"Dimension Nameless?" Discord interrupted.
"We'd be safe," Twilight acknowledged. "But what then? Another formulation of ideas on how to bring about Spatium's downfall. We have none!"
"Begging your pardon," Starlight Glimmer said. "But we do."
"Sunburst?" Cadance inquired hopefully.
"Right first time. I think he should tell you his idea himself."
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It was the very first time Twilight Sparkle had been in a home containing even more books than her own!
"They're absolutely everywhere!" She had exclaimed in awe. She was correct. You name it—in piles on the floor, on Sunburst's beside table, scattered aimlessly on shelves...
"Is this guy the dictionary definition for nerd?" Trixie had asked.
"Trixie!"
"What—he would know the dictionary definitions of most words, wouldn't he? It was worth asking." Sunburst was in his study (reading!). The group entered and Starlight Glimmer did not waste a moment:
"Sunburst? This is urgent! Please...I need you to explain your plan to these ponies!"
"Twilight Sparkle? It's been a while. I don't believe I've met the fellow that looks like he's composed of all different sorts of creatures..."
"Please! Time is something we're running worryingly short of!"
"Well...of course, I'm sorry." Sunburst grabbed an ancient-seeming book from across his shiny desk and opened it. "This book is a record of every known spell kept in the Canterlot archives."
"Me, Pinkie and Spike went there once," Twilight recalled. "We were looking for a spell to stop time! Err...please don't ask why."
"Very well, well...it's one particular spell in here that caught my eye. You won't believe me, but, allegedly it gives allicorn and unicorn ponies gifted in the mystic arts the power to communicate with the dead."
"How can this help us?"
"The late Princess Celestia and her sister are the ones who know Spatium best; if anypony can give us advice on how to put a stop to his madness, it has to be them!"
"I'm doubtful this will ever work..." Discord began, but Twilight stopped him.
"If there are fully-functioning time travel spells in that archive, I'm willing to give Sunburst the benefit of the doubt."
"There's only one thing," Starburst's face turned a little less lively. "The book says that only one conjurer has ever successfully pulled the spell off: Starswirl the Bearded."
"I think I remember reading about that now," said Twilight. "I suppose I'll be going into the Starswirl the Bearded wing for the second time, right?" Sunburst nodded. There was no more talking after that, just doing. With no time to waste, the group began the journey to the Canterlot Archives. They just hoped it would not prove too perilous once they arrived there.