With the book bathed in the magic light, Celestia opened it and she sat down. She paused for several moments as the ancient text she recognized as her own littered the opening page. Though millennia had passed, the writing appeared as fresh to her as the day she'd written it and it seemed to leap out at her. She swallowed hard then glanced at Twilight. “I think you should be the one to read it, Twilight. Though it isn't really the reason we're here, there are a great many lessons you and your friends could glean from this ancient journal.”
Pinkie grabbed the pillows off the nearby bed and set them on the floor in front of the pedestal. “These should be comfy enough, Twilight.”
Twilight nodded at Celestia and eased herself onto the pillows. She turned to the first page, and started to read the golden ink.
Dear Diary, my name is Celestia. Today, my sister, Luna, and I are to be crowned princesses of Equestria. I'm starting this journal so we can both write about our amazing adventures as princesses.
The entry went on for several pages, then the ink turned a deep blue.
Diary, we are Luna and we are to be crowned princess of Equestria! Thou art our royal diary in which we shall write our most profound thoughts of being said princess and...
Twilight's voice trailed off but she continued Luna's entry with a slight grin on her face.
Oh, forget it. I was going to try and write in the Royal Canterlot Voice, which Celestia and I learned when we were fillies.
“Forgive me,” said Twilight, “but I'm having a little deja vu right now about Luna's first Nightmare Night.”
Celestia nodded. “Old habits are hard to break, and I'm actually not surprised she at least tried to write in the manner we'd learned to speak, however short the attempt was.”
Twilight looked back to the page. “Let's see. This part talks about the coronation, and this part about touring Equestria."
“Oh!” cried Twilight. “Here's how Luna got the idea to build the castle in the Everfree Forest. It was when Star Swirl the Bearded introduced you two to the Tree of Harmony. Having the castle so close to a source of such powerful magic... Clever!”
Twilight flipped the page. Halfway through the next entry of Celestia's, she furrowed her brow and gave Celestia a playful stare. “'Dork'?”
Celestia grinned, turned her head, and looked up at the ceiling.
"Your own writing, Princess." Twilight cleared her throat. “'It is the Tree of Harmony! Oh, my gosh! I couldn't believe it. I totally flipped! I mean, I literally flipped in the air. Luna snorted at me and rolled her eyes because I'm such a dork.'”
“That doesn't sound like the Princess Celestia I know."
Celestia chuckled. “I was much, much younger.”
“Anyway. Moving on."
"Would you care for a drink before continuing, darling?" asked Rarity with a slight yawn and blinking a few times rapidly. "I brought plenty of water with me and you look like you could use one."
Though the air within the dark chamber was cool, Twilight levitated a small towel from her saddlebag and wiped the sweat from her brow. She nodded at Rarity, took several gulps from the bottle that Rarity handed to her, then resumed her read.
The ponies pushed closer together, each of them trying to get a view of the text on the page as Twilight spoke it aloud. Each page in the book that was turned added another layer to the tension that hung above the ponies. Their breaths beat against the silence like a haunting melody, and the warmth coming from each other wasn't enough to overpower the chill in the room. They yawned here and there, sometimes several of them at once and their eyes occasionally closed fully before reopening a second later.
Twilight progressed through the ancient text. reading aloud the princesses' adventures with building the castle, studying under Star Swirl the Bearded and meeting nobles from the individual kingdoms plus the original ambassadors of the three original pony tribes. She read passages about encounters with a manticore that Luna had named Melvin, befriending zebras, a near war with the griffons, a greedy dragon and his theft of the Crystal Heart, and how the princesses got their cutie marks and became the keepers of the sun and the moon.
By the time Twilight reached the end of the entry detailing Luna and Celestia's newfound mastery over the sun and moon, the other's had fallen into blissful sleep. Only Twilight and Celestia remained awake.
As princesses of Equestria, we will guide and protect all the ponies in the land.
“Nothing so far that would help us," said Twilight solemnly. "Which means...”
Celestia's demeanor turned grim. Keeping her horn aglow to light the area, she stared at the open book sitting at Twilight's hooves while her mind raced faster than it ever had before. “If Luna did leave some information in our journal, we're coming to it now.”
“Precisely..."
After a while, the tone of Luna's entries seemed to change.
“I knew it.” Twilight paused and took several deep breaths, then looked straight into Celestia's eyes. “Ready?”
Celestia turned her head and stared at the stain-glass window of the moon. She felt a deep reservation building up in her heart that gripped her like a vice, and it remained there as she looked back at Twilight, meeting the unicorn's gaze. “I'm as prepared as I will ever be. Let's go on.”
Soon, Luna's entries began to mimic the exact phrases Celestia heard her say in her vision months prior. The sound of Twilight's voice reading them planted the words firmly in Celestia's mind.
Why do they ignore me? The ponies...
It is not fair. My night is just as beautiful as her day. Why does she get all the attention?
The mental image of Luna lying alone in that cold, dark space returned to Celestia. She thought about all the things she could have done better; about all the signs she had been blind to. The longer the thoughts remained, the easier it was for the heartache to overwhelm her. Tears filled her eyes and her ears fell flat against her head.
Twilight turned the page, but partway through the read, she suddenly went quiet.
Celestia wiped her eyes. “What is it, Twilight? Did you find something?”
Several moments passed before Twilight gave a reply. “Listen to this..."
Something strange happened tonight...
There I was, just sitting alone in the grand hall in the middle of the night like I'd been doing these past few months, completely exhausted out of my mind because I can't even get a decent level of sleep anymore, again wistfully wishing things were different. All of a sudden I hear this voice in the room.
'Is that what you truly desire?'
I just about jumped out of my throne when I heard it. (Okay, I lied. I really did jump out of my throne because it was so sudden, but that's beside the point!) I couldn't see where the voice had come from, but then, as I was looking around, I noticed something sitting in the opposite corner of the grand hall. It was tall, about as tall as me, or maybe a little taller. Couldn't really tell because middle of the night and it's dark. It appeared to have the shape of a pony, but I couldn't with certainty tell that either because it wore a large cloak that covered its entire figure from top to bottom and front to back.
Twilight paused, but only momentarily.
I thought for sure my loneliness and exhaustion had finally caught up to me; Princess Luna had finally cracked. But I wasn't crazy, there really was somepony, or something, there.
When I asked the figure to identify itself, it just seemed to stare at me. I asked again, but instead of an answer it started talking in this bizarre, cryptic sort of way, like it didn't want to give me a real answer and was just messing with me. And its voice, it was so... how do I describe it? It was so... ghostly... ethereal...
The mysterious stranger didn't stay for long. I only looked away for a few seconds, but when I looked back, they were gone. Just, poof, out of here. Maybe it was all just a hallucination brought on by how tired I am. Oh well. Tomorrow's another day, not like that will do me any good...
Twilight paused again as the entry ended, sweat now streaming endlessly down her brow and dripping onto the pillows she lie on. Letting out a whimper that shattered the silence of the ancient chamber, she pushed herself up against Celestia, and swiftly kicked the book away with her hoof.
Celestia caught the book with her magic before it slid under the bed by the far wall, causing the light in the space to vanish for a brief moment as she pulled the book back and placed it in front of the pillows upon which Twilight sat. The golden glow around the book faded, and Celestia's magic light returned to the area.
The sudden noise caused the others to snap awake, each of them giving out a startled gasp.
"What?" said Applejack. "What happened? I must have dozed off."
"I was paying attention!" Rainbow stated as she rubbed her half-lidded eyes. "I-I wasn't sleeping. I was just resting my eyes."
Twilight just stared at the book, taking labored and rapid breaths.
Rarity yawned and took a small sip of water from one of the bottles in her saddlebag. She then gazed at Twilight worriedly. "Twilight? Whatever is it? You're positively sweating buckets, darling. Would you like another drink?"
“I-I'm sorry,” stammered Twilight. “It's just, that was an exact recount of Nightmare Night as I was leaving the ruins.”
"What is?" asked Pinkie, tilting her head slightly.
"Somepony, or something, visited Luna during her lonely vigils over a thousand years ago. In Luna's entry she described them as a cloaked, pony-shaped creature that had a ghostly voice and spoke in cryptic messages, and they vanished as suddenly as they came... just like the thing I saw in these ruins back during Nightmare Night."
Celestia folded a wing around Twilight and nuzzled her. "If you want, one of us can take it from here."
"I can do it," said Cadance, pulling the book closer to herself with her foreleg.
“Hold the hay for just an apple-buckin' minute,” called Applejack. “I just need to understand somethin' before we go further: the Pony of Shadows showed up before Luna became Nightmare Moon?”
“Remember, Applejack,” said Twilight. “Nightmare Moon is here now in a body of her own, but according to Luna's diary, yeah. The Pony of Shadows actually precludes Luna's transformation.”
“What does that mean?” asked Spike.
“I have a strong feeling we're about to find out.”
Cadance nodded and flipped to where Twilight had left off then proceeded to Luna's next entry.
Once again, can't sleep. Might have to start trying magical measures because this has gotten ridiculous. In other news, that cloaked stranger appeared again tonight. Guess I wasn't hallucinating after all. Since I had nothing else to do, I started talking with him. Her? It? Bah, whatever! Any company is better than no company... I suppose...
Cadance turned several more pages.
I'm actually sleeping well again (finally) since the cloaked one came into my life and has been visiting me when I'm alone. I still don't know what they look like beneath that cloak of theirs, but frankly at this point, I don't really care anymore. They've been a better friend to me these past few months than my own sister has in years. Seriously, the sun could burn out tomorrow and it wouldn't make any difference to me.
Several tears fell from Celestia's eyes, but she remained silent.
My friend had some rather interesting things to say to me on their previous visit. Apparently, there's a way I could finally get the appreciation that has been denied me. I could use my magic to raise the moon during the day and block out the sun. An eclipse. Of course! It's so simple! Why didn't I think of that? But I feel like I should really lay this thing on thick, make it last for days, just to pound it into the ponies' heads, and especially my sister's head that I will no longer tolerate being ignored. I have taken my friend's advice and will be going on an extended vacation away from Equestria. Since I can't take this journal with me, this shall be my final entry until my return. I'm not sure for how long I'll be gone. Until then, dear diary, fare thee well.
Cadance let out a sigh and glanced around at the others. “I don't know about the rest of you but I'm ready to head back.”
“Same,” stated Shining Armor, rising to his hooves and shaking the dust from his white fur. “We've been here a while and I'm worried about the Crystal Ponies. Plus, we have the journal. I think it's safe to wait to read the rest of it until we're back in Canterlot.”
“Sounds fine by me,” said Applejack with a small yawn. “Not only is it way past time to be gettin' some shuteye, this is a lot of dark and depressin' stuff to be takin' in and I need some time to process it all. And I'm sure Princess Celestia would agree.”
Celestia glanced down at Twilight and saw that the unicorn's eyes were closed and her head rested on her forelegs. “Oh. I hadn't even noticed she'd fallen asleep now.”
“It's a long way back to Canterlot,” said Fluttershy. “And Twilight's been such a trooper since her accident with the Crystal Heart. I'd just hate for her to wake up mid-trip and be unable to go back to sleep tonight.”
Fluttershy pondered for a moment. “Princess Celestia, perhaps we could all stay at my cottage tonight? It's right by the edge of the forest, and tomorrow, maybe we could stop by Sweet Apple Acres and say hi to Zecora and all the others really quick before we return to Canterlot.”
“Hey, yeah!” cried Pinkie. “Please, Princess Celestia? Pretty please with a cupcake and about, oh, eighty-seven cherries on top?”
Rainbow beamed. “Scootaloo's noggin could do with a good rubbing on a job well done taking care of everypony.”
“And Sweetie Belle!” said Rarity.
“Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith...” said Applejack wistfully. “I know it hasn't been that long since we left, but it still feels like forever since I've seen 'em. Not only that, but there just ain't nothin' like the down-home cookin' of my beloved Sweet Apple Acres.” She gazed at Celestia. “Princess, I think Fluttershy's got all the cattle back in the corral with this idea of hers. Can we please?”
Celestia peered at the ponies, noting the yearning within their eyes. She gave them a gentle smile. “We certainly can stop by Ponyville.”
Everypony's demeanor's brightened.
“Yippee!” cheered Pinkie as she bounced up and down. “Come on, ponies! Let's blow this popsicle stand!” Without warning, Pinkie charged through the doorway into the library and disappeared around the corner.
“Pinkie Pie!” called Rarity. “Wait for us!”
There was a moment of silence, then Pinkie's voice sounded out. “I have no idea where I'm going.”
The ponies glanced at each and shook their heads, each one letting out a small chuckle.
“Just stay where you are, darling. We'll find you.”
With the utmost of care, Celestia picked up the old journal with her hooves. Closing it, she slid it into her saddlebag then closed the flap over the pouch. Once that was done, she looked at Cadance and Shining Armor. “Can you two handle lighting our way back? We'll need to levitate Twilight out of here and that takes quite a bit more energy than a simple light spell.”
“Actually...” said Shining Armor as he glanced at the sleeping form of Twilight. There was a strong tenderness in his voice. “I was kind of hoping I could carry her out. It'd almost be like when we were younger. I'd levitate her to her bed and tuck her in when mom and dad were away and Cadance wasn't sitting.”
“Daww,” crooned Rarity. “What a sweet thing to do for your little sister!” She broke eye contact with the others and began to stare at the floor.
“Somepony nominate this guy for the Best Brother Ever Award,” proclaimed Applejack. “Right alongside Big Macintosh.”
“He's got my vote!” called Pinkie from outside the room.
“Stuff like that is exactly why I fell in love with you, you big lug!” Cadance gave Shining Armor a big hug, pressed her cheek against his, and gently ran her hoof up and down his neck.
Celestia beamed, spotting the stallion's ears flatten and his cheeks turn soft pink as he returned Cadance's affections. “I think that's a magnificent idea. Reminds me of how I would do the very same with Luna when we were little. Very well then. I will keep the light going and Shining Armor will carry Twilight.”
Shining Armor's horn lit up and a magical aura formed around Twilight. Slowly, she rose up until she was a couple meters above the floor but still within the light from Celestia's horn.
Celestia looked inside the side pouch of her saddlebag before rising to her hooves. The others followed suit and they left the room, keeping to the same formation they'd had when they entered the forest, except for Spike who was now seated on Cadance's back. There was no sign of Pinkie within the library.
“Are you out in the hall, Pinkie?” asked Applejack.
“Yessum!” replied Pinkie. “Come on in. The total darkness is fine!”
Turning the corner into the hallway, Celestia pushed her magic a little more and the light got brighter. It spread further down the hall and revealed Pinkie standing still halfway down the corridor.
Spike chuckled. “Good to see you again, Pinkie.”
“I'm glad you didn't get hurt when you just ran off like that,” said Fluttershy. “You really should be more careful running around in the dark. You might trip on something and hurt your leg, or you might hit your head on something.”
Pinkie cleared her throat as the others approached and she was soon back at their sides as they proceeded along. “I may or may not have forgotten for just a teensy-weensy moment that there's no light in here. But really, I'm just glad we're going home, if even just for a little bit.”
“You and me both,” stated Rarity. “Really, we could have just taken the diary, gone back, and read it there. That would've been better than sitting here in this cold, dark, drafty old ruin in the middle of this nightmare-touched forest. Don't know why I didn't think of that earlier.”
Applejack shrugged. “Guess we just got caught up in the fact we were about to finally learn somethin'.”
“Wasn't quite as much as we would have liked,” Rainbow said. “But it's something nonetheless, and we weren't done reading it. Luna didn't say there wouldn't be any more entries period. No doubt her very next one is what happened when she got back from her vacation.”
“You can all get some rest when we arrive in Ponyville, my friends,” said Celestia. “I'll never be able to fall asleep tonight. I'll keep reading and fill you all in at sunrise.”
“And I'll make us all some of my famous Sweet Apple Acres cider for breakfast.” Applejack hummed and licked her muzzle. “I'll just, uh, need to be grabbin' some apples.”
“I've still got a lot of apples left from the last bunch you sent me, Applejack,” said Fluttershy. “You can use those if you want. I could make us a nice salad.”
Pinkie beamed. “If we're doing a big old group breakfast then we should go the whole pony mile and top things off with some cookies from Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes won't mind if I take a few long as I leave a note.”
The ponies stepped into the grand hall. As they passed in front of the dais in the back of the chamber, Celestia's thoughts turned away from the conversation the others were having. She glanced up the stairs at the crumbling thrones then at the large hole in the back wall. Turning her attention to the throne that bore the engraving of the moon, she looked to the dark corner behind it where Twilight said she'd seen the shadowy figure on Nightmare Night. Her gaze lingered there for a moment before she followed the others into the castle's entrance hall then out into the courtyard.
The ponies' conversation subsided as they crossed the bridge spanning the chasm in the center of the clearing, and it ended completely once they crossed the threshold into the abyssal forest. They kept their gazes forward, becoming surrounded by the dark trees with the ghostly white trunks and mist rising up from the ground. The rustling of the thick grass was the only thing the broke the silence of the trek as the ponies walked along the path. After several minutes, a breeze kicked up and whistled through the area that made the bushes and the leaves in the trees join in the chorus.
Rarity shivered and pulled her cloak from her saddlebag, wrapping it around herself. “What I wouldn't give to just bury myself in my bed sheets right now, with my pillows beneath my head and a big fire going in the fireplace.”
“All that and more awaits at my cottage,” said Fluttershy, beaming gently.
Spike kept a gentle grip on Cadance's neck. “Only thing I'll be missing is my favorite blue blanky, which I can even hear calling for me. 'Spike! Spike! Come to bed!'” Letting out a deep yawn, Spike closed his eyes and his grip loosened. His arms dangled over Cadance's shoulders, and his head came to rest against Cadance's neck.
A warm smile formed on Cadance's demeanor. She lit her horn and a turquoise aura appeared around Spike which held him in place.
“Am I just going crazy,” asked Rarity, “or is this grass even taller than it was when we got here?”
Applejack swiped hard at the grass with her foreleg. Numerous fragments broke off, and Applejack scowled as she watched the pieces fly away in the breeze. “Who can even tell anymore? Tomorrow it might even come in different colors just like the trees.”
All along the return trip through the forest, Celestia's thoughts lingered on the ancient tome that was housed within her saddlebag. The words within its pages replayed themselves repeatedly in Celestia's mind, growing more pronounced as she followed the others out of the forest.
The other-worldy darkness lifted as the ponies entered the sprawling grassland. They were greeted by the distant majesty of Canterlot Mountain and by the golden light rising up from the palace. Thick clouds covered the night sky from end to end. The moon was visible through the slow, drifting veil, and its silver light against the clouds gave the moon the appearance of having an expansive aura around it, but also obscured it.
Applejack let out a deep sigh. “Ah. Feel that Equestrian air. Feel and smell that Equestrian grass.” She closed her eyes and inhaled, gently digging her hooves into the ground.
“Fluttershy,” said Rarity, “is your cottage even big enough for everypony? There's one, two... ten of us.”
Fluttershy gave Rarity a bright smile. “It's no problem at all. I'll make room. Think of it like a great big family sleepover.”
Rarity returned the smile. “I think that sounds lovely.”
Fluttershy glanced over at Cadance and Shining Armor. “You're both coming too, right?”
The two of them stared at each for a brief moment.
“What do you think, love?” asked Shining Armor. “Think we can spare one night away from the Crystal Ponies even after what's happened?”
“Well,” replied Cadance, “It's already long past midnight. We need to get Spike and Twilight to bed, and if we stay up too much longer we'll be too tired in the morning to be of any help to the Crystal Ponies. I think we can spare one night. I'm sure they'll understand.”
Shining Armor nodded then glanced at Fluttershy. “Count us in.”
“Wonderful!”
"I'd like to check in with Ponyville's guards before we head to the cottage," said Celestia.
Everypony nodded, then shifted their attention to the northwest and started to make their way toward the inviting glimmer of Ponyville's night lights.
Celestia's gaze occasionally turned skyward. A chill ran down her spine as she stared at the moon through the clouds, but a moment later, she pictured Luna's smiling face and the chill was replaced by a soothing warmth that enveloped her.
Before long, the group reached Ponyville's outskirts. A crowd of guard ponies were gathered together on the road, standing in defensive formation and holding their spears out. When Celestia and the others came into view, they gasped.
“Princess!” exclaimed one of the earth ponies. She and all the other guards lowered their weapons and bowed their heads. “Thank goodness! We saw the light come out of the forest and start to come this way. We thought it might be those creatures. Seeing you is such a relief!”
With the nearby streetlamps providing some level of light to the area, Celestia withdrew her magic and the glow from her horn faded. She glanced at the small but cozy-looking dwellings that stood behind the gathering of guard ponies, the sight of each one mingled with the chirping of crickets filled her with a tranquil sensation.
Celestia smiled and gently dipped her head forward. “Have no fear, my little ponies. My friends and I were just doing some investigating in the Everfree Forest and have come to Ponyville to rest. It was close by and they can visit with their families. Since you mentioned it, have there been any Animus sightings around here?”
The earth pony shook her head. “None recently. But we are keeping vigilant.”
“Very good.”
“You mentioned you all would be staying in town tonight. Would you like an escort, or somepony to help you carry your passed out friends there?” She motioned at Twilight and Spike.
“I am very grateful for the offer but we'll be fine, unless Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor feel like they're too tired to carry Twilight and Spike further.”
“I'm feeling fine,” said Cadance.
“I am a little tired from being up so late,” stated Shining Armor. “But I'll be okay.”
The earth pony nodded and Celestia returned her gaze to the group of guards before her. “Keep up the great work, my little ponies.”
The guards all beamed and bowed once more. They parted into several smaller groups and resumed their patrols.
“Where is your cottage, Fluttershy?” asked Cadance.
“This way.”
The ponies assembled behind Fluttershy and followed her as she led them down a dirt road away from Ponyville. Eventually, they came to a small river with a bridge crossing over it. Atop a little hill on the opposite side of the river was a solitary dwelling with a tree bough-like roof and numerous bird houses sitting in the leaves. Two trees were close to the house, one on each side of it, and both had numerous bird houses hanging from the branches. Rabbit burrows were dug into the hill all around the cottage. The path from the bridge lead up to the cottage door, and a small bed of white and blue flowers sat next to the path.
Fluttershy approached the door and gently tapped it several times with her hoof. “Angel. Angel!”
“Who's Angel?” asked Cadance.
Fluttershy tapped the door again. “Angel, it's me!”
A few moments later, the cottage door opened with a small creak and a white bunny stood before the ponies. He wore a blue cotton nightcap, and letting out a big yawn, he rubbed his half-lidded eyes.
Fluttershy beamed down at him. “Hello, Angel Bunny. I'm home!”
Angel gazed up at Fluttershy and a bright smile appeared on his face. He hopped up to her and threw his little arms around her left foreleg.
Fluttershy returned the embrace and dipped her head down, giving Angel a soft nuzzle. “It's so good to see you again.”
Angel yawned a second time.
“Sorry for waking you up.” Fluttershy's cheeks turned a soft pink. She picked Angel up with her left foreleg, holding him aloft. “Come on in, everypony. Make yourselves at home and I'll get a fire going.” Fluttershy walked over to a basket near the door with pillows in it. She set Angel down on the pillows and pulled a small blanket over him.
The ponies entered the cottage one by one. Ducking her head down slightly to fit through the door, Celestia glanced around. She first looked to the combination stove and fireplace, then to the staircase going up to the cottage's second level. After that, she shifted her gaze to the numerous bird houses hanging from the ceiling and the many miniature, mouse-sized staircases that ran up and down the chimneystack and walls toward holes in the walls and ceiling.
“I'm going to propose that Twilight gets the bed upstairs,” said Applejack.
“You beat me to it, Applejack,” stated Rarity.
Shining Armor levitated Twilight up the stairs and followed behind, disappearing from view. Cadance looked around for a spot to put Spike. She placed him on a green chair in the back of the room, pulled her cloak from her saddlebag, and draped it over him like a blanket. “Rest well, little guy.”
A brief moment passed by, then a gentle voice came from upstairs. “Sweet dreams, little sis. Love you much.”
Everypony turned their gazes toward the stairs, wearing warm smiles on their faces. They watched in silence as Shining Armor descended the stairs. The stallion joined Cadance on the brown square rug in the center of the floor, settling himself down and leaning against her. Fluttershy placed several logs in the fireplace, and in mere minutes, the room was aglow with the light and warmth of the dancing flames coming from behind the hearth. Rainbow Dash laid down on a green couch and leaned back against the green and yellow pillows. The others formed a semi-circle in front of the fireplace with Cadance and Shining Armor in the center, Rarity and Pinkie on the side closest to the cottage door, and Applejack and Fluttershy on the side closest to the stairs. Too large to fit into the semi-circle with the others in the crowded room, Celestia settled herself down right behind Applejack and Fluttershy, facing the cottage door. All was silent in the room, but several moments later, Pinkie began to hum a soft, warm tune.
Rarity let out a sigh and took off her cloak, putting it back in her saddlebag. “You know, just being in here like this with all of you is all the warmth I need.”
“Apple Bloom and I used to cuddle up in front of the fireplace like this sometimes when she was a real youngin,” said Applejack. “Especially during those cold winter nights. Big Macintosh and Granny Smith would join us. With the snow fallin' outside the windows, mugs of hot apple cider in our hooves, and the light of the fire on our faces, we'd just rest there and talk until we dozed off in each other's company.”
Pinkie chuckled and glanced over at Rainbow. “Even a pony as totally awesome as Rainbow Dash couldn't say no to something like that. Hint! Hint!”
“Are we betting a dozen cupcakes on that?” Rainbow asked.
“Doesn't matter if we bet a hundred dozen. I know you'll share them with us anyway because it's us and you love us so much.”
“Come on, darling,” said Rarity. “There's room for one more down here and we just aren't complete without you.”
“But from up here, I can keep a better protective eye on my friends that I love so much.”
Applejack grinned. “I'll declare you the most darin' pony for a day.”
“Only a day?”
“How about a week?”
Rainbow pondered briefly. “Well, okay, because you all are my friends and I do love you guys. But me doing this doesn't leave the cottage. Deal?”
Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy all nodded together.
“Deal!” they said in unison.
Rainbow slid off the couch and stepped over to the others, settling down between Rarity and Pinkie.
Rarity began to stare at the floor. “I just had a thought. I really should message my folks and see if they're okay, and I'm sure they're just as worried about me and Sweetie Belle. In fact, I'm going to send a letter first thing in the morning.”
Rainbow's ears drooped slightly, and she glanced away at an empty corner of the room.
“Hey,” said Pinkie, “I should do that too.”
“Me too,” stated Fluttershy. “And actually, I should have done that with my brother and parents as soon as this thing with Nightmare Moon started.”
The conversation progressed with Cadance and Shining Armor mentioning their relatives, then it switched to various other topics. As time went on, the flames in the fireplace diminished as the logs became charred and began to disintegrate. Fluttershy placed a fresh log in the fireplace, and after a moment, the flames had been restored to their former splendor.
Celestia kept quiet while the others talked. Her gaze swapped between each of them as they spoke, but one by one, the ponies drifted off to sleep. Before long, Celestia was the only pony whose eyes remained open. Despite the warmth and tranquility of the space, she did not feel even the slightest hint of sleep poking at her. She glanced through one of the windows at the dark sky outside. Moonlight was partially visible , but showed that the sky was still covered with clouds.
It's likely only an hour or so until the moon has to go down and an hour after that for the sun to come up. Looks like it's going to be a cloudy day tomorrow.
She took a quick glance around the room which then fell upon her saddlebag.
I'll never get any sleep tonight...
Sighing deeply but quietly, she opened the side pouch of her saddlebag and pulled out the old journal. She set it down on the floor in front of her, and by the glow of the fire in the fireplace, she began to read its ancient passages.
All was silent within the Crystal Empire. Atop the palace balcony, Nightmare Moon spoke not a word as she gazed out across the deserted streets. Though there was a strong chill in the air, she did not shiver or flinch. Her cloak, mane and tail all flew gently in the arctic breeze coming down from the Crystal Mountains to the north of the city.
It was daytime. However, the sun and sky were completely hidden behind thick gray clouds which cast a dreary light across the land as far as could be seen with the naked eye.
Nightmare Moon turned her gaze southwest. Through the red magical aura that hung over her eyes, she stared at the towering spire that sat at the heart of Equestria.
She lifted her hoof and pressed it against the Alicorn Amulet which remained firmly situated around her neck. Shortly after, she glanced up to her right at the dark rocky titan which stood nearby in the open space between the palace and the city. She lit her horn, and a ghostly black and white orb appeared above the palace. Little lightning bolts shot out from its surface at rapid speeds and it gave off crackles of energy.
Entropus peered back at Nightmare Moon, keeping its massive claws flexed. It grunted at her.
Nightmare Moon nodded.
The creature leaped into the air and shrunk down, curling in on itself until it looked like a simple giant boulder. It rose up, and disappeared into the rift, which also disappeared shortly after.
With a last glance at the Crystal Empire, Nightmare Moon retreated into the palace. Pausing, she stared at the empty throne at the opposite end of the grand hall. She moved up to the crystalline platform upon which the throne rested, gazing upon the magnificent seat. After several moments, she moved back the direction she had come, but instead of stepping onto the balcony outside, she turned through a door to her right.
Luna's little errand is probably going to take her a while. In the meantime...
Nightmare Moon proceeded deep into the shimmering halls of the palace's interior. Her demeanor was resolute, and she occasionally looked down at her reflection in the polished bluish crystal floor.
As she went deeper into the palace's most secluded back sections, little shadows appeared on the floor that rose up and twisted their form into pure dark ponies with ghostly white eyes. Standing on the edge of the corridors to give Nightmare Moon a clear path, each one kept a firm watch on her and each one knelt before her as she passed in front of them.
I've done it. I've really done it. At long last our hunt is finally over. At long last, my subjects shall finally have a place to call home. Guess I didn't need the throne of Equestria itself to win their love and adoration after all. But if I did take Canterlot...
Nightmare Moon smiled. She continued her trek along the path through the palace as if the shadow ponies were guiding her. Eventually, she came to a passage through which a staircase led down into the depths of the palace. The shadow ponies stayed behind as she passed through the archway.
Nightmare Moon soon reached the bottom of the well. Moving to the center of the chamber, she immediately turned to face the door in the wall at the foot of the stairs. She spread her hooves apart, standing tall with a victorious beam on her face.
There's just one final thing to do. It's time to make this city, and the surrounding area, our very own...
With her gaze fixated on the door, Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow red and a similar aura formed over the door in front of her.
After a moment, the door turned solid black, the frame turned ghostly white, and the door inched open.
The sweet scent of steaming hot apple cider wafted through the house.
Celestia rubbed her weary eyes, but still she felt no fatigue strong enough to tear her away from the ancient text on the wooden table before her. Every word read and re-read burned into her mind like a phoenix fire. She took a small swill of cider from her mug, looked over at a small piece of paper that had numerous things scribbled onto it, then returned her focus to the book and turned a few pages.
“This ain't good for your health, Princess,” said Granny Smith as she entered the room and placed an apple pie on the table. “You need to keep your strength up if'n you want to be helpin' rescue Luna. Why don't y'all try and get some sleep? Or at least take a break from readin' that thing? You haven't set it aside ever since you and the others arrived this mornin'.”
Celestia glanced over and gently smiled. “I appreciate your concern very much, but I'll be fine. I will take a little piece of that pie though, if I may.”
“Darn tootin' you can. Y'all are always welcome to anything Sweet Apple Acres has to offer.” Granny Smith returned the smile. “Help yourself, Princess. We got apples to make enough for two Apple family reunions and have some left over.”
“Many thanks, Mrs. Apple.” Levitating an orange pie cutter off the table, she cut a small slice of the pie and took a little bite before setting it on her plate. She took another sip of her cider, then resumed her read.
“Aw shucks, Princess. You don't need to be fancy with ol' Granny Smith.” She walked over to the large cupboard that stood near the window in the corner of the dining room and eased it open. She proceeded to pull mugs out of it one by one and set them on the table, keeping them in a tidy grouping. “Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Perfect!”
Celestia glanced at the collection. “You keep a lot of mugs for a family of four.”
Granny Smith beamed. “Sweet Apple Acres is always prepared to be welcomin' family and visitors.” She picked up one mug and took it into the kitchen, returning a moment later with the mug filled to the very top with cider. She repeated this until every mug was full then took a moment to stare at the old journal. “If y'all don't mind me askin', how are you comin' along with that?”
Celestia's tone took on a harder form. “I've got most of it down. There are some things here I wouldn't have guessed."
“And what are you writin'?”
“I'm trying to piece together enough information to give me an idea where to go from here.”
“If I can't tempt you to take a break, hows about joinin' everypony else outside for a drink and a bonfire?”
“Isn't that kind of like a break?”
“Maybe...”
Celestia chuckled. “Well, okay then, if you insist. I can carry everything out.”
“You don't have to do all that, Princess.”
“It's the least I can do to say thanks for letting Zecora and the girls' sisters stay with you.” Celestia closed the journal and slid it into the side pouch of her saddlebag along with her notes, quill and ink bottle. She fastened the saddlebag around herself, then focused her magic toward the table. The gold aura swapped to her plate and the mugs which then rose into the air all at once.
“It's been just dandy havin' them all here,” said Granny Smith as she started to ease her way toward the front door of the house. “Why, seein' them girls runnin' around so happy together reminds me of when I was a spry young filly. And that Zecora, I just love her stories about her homeland and that rhymin' just makes me smile for some reason.”
Celestia followed Granny Smith to the door and stepped out into the chilly air of the cloudy, late-Autumn day. She shivered slightly, staying behind the elderly earth pony as they walked down the dirt path. She glanced at the apple orchard to her left and at the great barn in front of them. As they approached the barn, the familiar voices of Twilight and the others reached her. The joy-laden sounds filled Celestia's ears, bringing a smile to her countenance and an increased pace to her steps until she was right up alongside Granny Smith.
Twilight and the other Element bearers, Spike, Cadance and Shining Armor, Big Mac, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Zecora were all seated around a roaring bonfire between the barn, the chicken houses, and the water well. Twilight and Spike were huddled together with Cadance and Shining Armor. Apple Bloom still wore Applejack's stetson on her head, and she and Bic Mac were huddled together with their sister. Sweetie Belle was at Rarity's side, and Scootaloo was seated atop Rainbow's back like she was getting a piggyback ride. Zecora, Pinkie, and Fluttershy sat in the middle of them all. They all wore bright smiles and laughed together as they conversed. Jars of cookies of many kinds, and trays of cupcakes of numerous flavors sat on the ground around them. Once they spotted Celestia and Granny Smith approaching, they waved their forelegs high above their heads in unison.
“Welcome to the party!” cried Pinkie. “We were beginning to wonder if you two would show up! Okay, I totally lied. We totally knew you would.”
Celestia took a seat in a vacant spot between Fluttershy and Zecora.
Pinkie pointed at all the various snacks she'd retrieved. “I got everything that Mr. and Mrs. Cake would let me swipe from Sugarcube Corner for our little family reunion. And there's way more than enough for everypony, so let's make like shovels and dig in!” She grabbed a yellow cookie and bit off half of it, leaving crumbs all over her muzzle. “Mmm! Lemon!”
“Careful,” said Celestia as she set the mugs of cider in front of everypony. “You haven't seen me when my sweet tooth really gets going.”
Pinkie put her hoof to her chin and stared at Celestia. “Maybe we should start calling you, 'Princess Shovel'?”
“Pinkie...” Rolling her eyes, Twilight grinned and shook her head.
Celestia let out a small chuckle. “You really are quite the character, Pinkie Pie.”
“Yeah,” said Pinkie. “I don't know how I do it but sometimes I just feel like some cartoon character. How weird is that?”
“Oh!” said Celestia. “I forgot my slice of pie. Be back in a moment.” She rose to her hooves and made her way back to the house. She returned a few moments later with her plate and pie slice floating beside her and she placed it by her mug before settling herself back down among the group. Taking a small bite of the pie, she glanced over at Twilight with a look of concern upon her face. “How are you feeling today, Twilight? I know we were all up extremely late last night, but you were out before anypony even realized it. It was just like when you stayed up late looking through the library in the palace.”
“I'm doing fine,” said Twilight.
“And what about your eyes?”
Twilight rubbed her eyes gently. “They itch here and there but not anything serious.”
Rarity turned to face Celestia. “Now, magically-inflicted wounds take longer to heal than regular cuts or bruises or things like that, correct?”
Celestia nodded. “They do. In this case, given the severity of the accident, it may take weeks or months for Twilight's scars to even start to heal.”
Twilight rubbed her eyes again.
“Hmm...” Zecora watched Twilight inquisitively for several moments. “Perhaps a potion I can brew for the itch, that your wounds may proceed to heal without a hitch.”
“Some eye drops could help as well,” said Cadance.
Twilight pulled a violet wash cloth from her saddlebag and rubbed her eyes. She then set the cloth down atop her pack and took a deep breath. “Both of those sound good.”
“It just so happens,” said Rarity as she levitated a small white bottle out from her bag, “I have some eye drops right here with me.”
Twilight stared at the bottle then glanced at Rarity. “You picked those up just for me?”
“I grabbed them from my house earlier when I was sending the letter to my parents. You've been rubbing your eyes pretty frequently since the accident. I thought they would come in handy.”
A bright smile emerged onto Twilight's countenance. “Thank you, Rarity.”
“Really, I should have gotten some sooner.”
“That's all right. It's the thought that counts, kind of like that time you offered to make us all new dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala and we went a little crazy with our requests.”
Keeping the bottle aloft with her magic, Rarity slid it through the air until it was several inches above Twilight's eyes. “Hold nice and still now.”
Twilight remained motionless as the bottle was opened and slowly tilted down. A single droplet fell from the bottle into Twilight's right eye. She clenched her eye shut then the process was repeated for her left.
Rarity tightened the cap onto the bottle and returned it to her bag. She then transferred her magic to the violet cloth on top of Twilight's pack and gently rubbed her friend's eyes with the cloth. “That feel better, darling?”
Twilight's eyes opened and she blinked several times as her vision returned to normal. “It does. Thanks again!” She turned her attention to Zecora. “I'd love it if you could make a potion to help these scars heal faster, Zecora. I'd even pay you for it. I can't imagine making a potion for wounds like mine will be all that simple and you deserve compensation.”
Zecora shook her head. “Now, Twilight Sparkle, do not be silly, my friend. It is my pleasure to give what assistance I can to help you mend.”
“Not even two bits?”
“There is no need to pay,” said Zecora with a smile. “Helping a friend is what makes my day.”
“Well, if you insist. Thank you so much, Zecora.”
Applejack picked up her mug and took several large gulps of the hot apple cider. She kept a tight grip on the mug as she looked around at everypony with a warm smile that matched those around her. “Boy howdy. I just can't tell y'all how good it is to be home with my family.”
“Actually, you did,” Rainbow said. “About an hour and two games of horse shoes ago.”
“Oh yeah! I did, didn't I?”
“And again about an hour before that,” stated Scootaloo.
Apple Bloom threw her forelegs around her big sister. “And I wouldn't have it any other way!”
“Eeyup!” proclaimed Big Mac, also giving Applejack a hug.
Applejack's cheeks turned soft red as she returned her siblings' embraces. “Aw shucks, everypony. Y'all are making me blush!”
“You did that already, too,” said Sweetie Belle with a small chuckle.
Applejack let out a hearty laugh. “Well gosh darnit. I'm going to do it all again because I am just so gosh darn happy to be home!”
“Is anypony else worried about Trixie and the Crystal Ponies?” asked Fluttershy. “I'm sure they were expecting us to be back by now.”
Celestia took a small sip of her cider and a bite of her apple pie. “I had one of the guard pegasi expedite a letter to them this morning while you were all asleep telling them we'd be spending the day here.”
Fluttershy nodded. “So, what else does it say in Luna's journal?”
Everypony turned their attention to Celestia as she pulled the ancient book and her notes from her pack.
“Was there anything about the Alicorn Amulet?” asked Twilight.
“Unfortunately it didn't say anything about the Alicorn Amulet.”
Everypony's expressions turned grim, their ears flattened and they looked down.
“However, I did find a few other things...”
The group looked back up but their ears remained down as they stared at the Princess.
Celestia held her page of notes up with her magic for everypony to see. “I've written everything down on this paper here.”
“What did you find, Princess?” inquired Twilight.
“According to Luna's final entries, the vacation she went on didn't stay as such, and when she returned home, she had full intentions of seeing me ruined and Equestria brought under her hoof. The mysterious cloaked friend Luna talks about in the journal, whom we now know to have been Nightmare Moon, apparently led her outside of Equestria to someplace Luna referred to in one entry as 'The Dread Frontier.'”
She paused for a moment to take a swig of her cider, then resumed her recount. “Luna described the place as cold, dark, and given her state of mind at the time, her 'kind of place.'”
“Did she happen to mention where this place is?” asked Twilight. “I've never seen any place with that name on any map I've ever seen.”
“It's likely that she made up the name herself, and no she doesn't say where it is. According to her entries, even she didn't know.”
“So how did she get there then?” Rainbow inquired. “Teleportation magic?”
“The only problem with that theory,” said Twilight, “is that in order for teleportation to work, someone has to both know exactly where they're going, and be strong enough to travel the desired distance. Although, it's not entirely wrong to say that teleportation wasn't used. The only way Luna could have gotten there without knowing where it was would be for Nightmare Moon to actually send her there, or a magical gateway somewhere.”
“What's a 'magical gateway', Twilight?” asked Applejack.
“It's basically a magic door that connects two places long distance. Everything I've read about them says that they're incredibly difficult to make, so we haven't really bothered.”
Celestia nodded. “You're on the right track, Twilight. Nightmare Moon did take Luna there, by leading her to a magic portal.” She paused and took several deep breaths. “And, according to Luna's notes, it's been right under our hooves this whole time.”
There was utter silence as everypony exchanged nervous glances. They muttered quietly, and several moments later, they returned their gazes to Celestia.
“She mentions a series of caverns going deep underground, the entrance to which is hidden somewhere in Ghastly Gorge. And even all of that is still only half of what is in her last entries.”
“What's the rest of it?” asked Shining Armor.
“I said earlier that Luna returned from her vacation with the intention of taking me down and bringing Equestria under her eternal rule. Turns out, Luna's magic alone wouldn't have been enough to bring about the kind of eclipse she had in mind. In one entry, it talks about how Nightmare Moon introduced her to a certain substance: a crystal, dark as midnight.”
Several beads of sweat ran down Twilight's brow. “You mean... the dark crystals that were left in the field between Canterlot and Ponyville when that giant monster attacked?”
“I'm thinking the very same.”
Shining Armor swallowed hard. “And the same dark crystals that infected my horn when King Sombra returned not even a year ago?”
Celestia's ears went flat and she nodded at him.
Both Cadance and Twilight frowned and huddled as close to Shining Armor as they could, giving him gentle nuzzles.
“Princess Celestia,” muttered Twilight, “do you suppose it's possible that Nightmare Moon was behind King Sombra as well?”
“Given the information here in Luna's diary, I'd be willing to bet a thousand bits on it.”
Applejack and Rarity both pulled their little sisters closer, and Scootaloo tightened her grip around Rainbow's neck as she sat on her back.
“So what does the journal say about the crystal?” asked Spike.
“Luna refers to the substance as 'midnium'.”
Twilight tilted her head slightly, gazing at Celestia curiously and wiping the sweat from her brow with her foreleg. “Like the way somepony might refer to natural elements?”
“Similar. Dark as midnight. Like an element. 'Midnium'. I'm guessing that's how Luna came up with the name. Or perhaps Nightmare Moon simply told it to her. Anyway, that much isn't really important. What is important is it seems like Luna did a fair amount of research on it. She says that the midnium crystal gives off negative energy that interferes with the natural magical energies of those around it. Luna categorized it simply as 'solidified dark energy'.”
“But what does that have to do with the eclipse?” inquired Cadance.
Celestia looked over her notes for a moment then levitated the paper off to the side. “Luna's story is that, thanks to Nightmare Moon's help, she learned how the crystal can be broken down and its energy absorbed into the body, which will actually reverse the energy's function and enhance one's own natural magical abilities.”
Twilight maintained her frown. “So then...”
“Yes,” said Celestia. “I suspect that when Luna returned to Equestria, she had absorbed enough midnium energy that she had become powerful enough to perform the spell which brought about the dark eclipse. I also suspect that unleashing such dark power, and so much of it all at once is what caused her form to change. After that, there was one last thing. This isn't actually stated in the journal itself, but after re-reading about Luna's experiments with the midnium, I started to think about another possibility for using it.”
“We're all ears, Princess,” said Applejack.
“It says the energy of a destroyed midnium crystal can be absorbed into a living body. What if the same is true for inanimate objects, such as in the creation of a magical amulet? Or, what if a crystal can be kept intact, and its energy altered to be enhancing instead of inhibitive?”
"Princess..." said Twilight after a few moments of quiet, "I just realized that I never asked you how the scholars were able to remove the dark crystals from the field after your battle with the giant."
Celestia blinked a few times. "They returned shortly after I sent them out. They said the crystals weren't there."
Everypony stared at Celestia with wide eyes, and the only sound that broke the silence was the crackling of the large bonfire that continued to burn in the center of the gathering.
Twilight gazed at her in confusion. When she spoke back up, her voice trembled. "But, I thought... Then who...?"
Celestia prepared to speak again, but without warning, a loud boom crashed through the chilly air. A quick second later, a massive rush of energy washed over her and made her whole body go numb. Her vision blurred and she fell onto her side with a yelp, the sound of which was garbled and mingled with the pained cries of the others that all echoed endlessly in her ears. With her eyes tightly shut, she stayed motionless where she had fallen.
After several moments, the ringing in her ears stopped and the numbness in her body began to fade until it had vanished entirely. Opening her eyes, her vision was still blurry but it too slowly returned to normal, and the fearful gazes of Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Zecora staring down at her came into view. Celestia let out a groan and eased herself up back into the sitting position she'd been in beforehand then rubbed her head. Her horn continued to tingle while little sparks shot out from the tip. Glancing around, she saw that Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor, Sweetie Belle and Rarity were all down on their sides. All of them were motionless, their eyes were tightly shut, and their horns we also giving off sparks.
An arcane pulse? But how...?
Celestia rose to her hooves and rushed over to the other groups, gazing down at the fallen unicorns starting with Rarity and Sweetie Belle then moving to the others.
“What in tarnation was that?” asked Granny Smith as she struggled to stand back up. “I ain't never felt nothin' like it.”
Rainbow shook herself off and flapped her wings. “One second I feel fine, then the next, I feel this huge rush of air like I do when I'm racing, my whole body goes numb, and I get all dizzy.”
“Eeyup,” said Big Mac. “I felt it.”
“I felt it too,” stated Applejack as she helped Apple Bloom stand back up.
“So did I.” Spike gazed up at Celestia. “Princess Celestia, was that a pulse like what you told us about on Nightmare Night?”
“It most certainly was. Judging by the impact it had, it was even bigger than the one that occurred on Nightmare Night.”
“The last one came from the Everfree Forest,” said Applejack. “Right before them no good shadow ponies first showed up. This could only mean that something else is goin' down somewhere.”
One by one, Twilight and the others who had been knocked unconscious slowly came to. But, as they did, a low rumbling picked up in the area and the ground began to tremble, sending the ponies stumbling to and fro except for the winged ponies who took to the air.
“Earthquake!” shouted Pinkie.
Celestia's horn lit up and a golden aura formed around everypony who could not fly. The magic kept them in place, but Celestia's horn tingled again. She winced from the pain and her spell fizzled out a second later.
With Scootaloo clinging to her neck, Rainbow Dash flew up high and put her foreleg against her brow, squinting as she gazed out to the northeast. “Look!” she cried as loudly as she could. “There's something happening way up north!”
Celestia looked down at everypony on the ground as they fought to keep themselves upright against the quaking earth, and also dodging the logs that rolled their way as the bonfire fell apart. With a heavy sigh and a pained groan, she flew up alongside Rainbow and peered in the direction the pegasus was pointing. Though her horn still tingled painfully, she pushed a large amount of magic through it and a light appeared around her eyes that made her irises turn gold like that of an eagle. She gasped as the farsight spell revealed what it was Rainbow was seeing only the bare minimum of.
The whole of the Crystal Empire was being overtaken by dark clouds that burst forth from the palace and which blitzed over every building and every street. The cloud-covered sky above was giving off blinding flashes with each passing second. Lightning shot through the area as quickly as the sky was flashing. The land around the city was splitting apart into deep chasms, and colossal-sized dark crystals were rising up from the ground. Once the crystal spires stopped emerging, the ground immediately surrounding the palace ripped open and collapsed into a deep bowl which isolated the palace from the rest of the city. The palace turned solid black, and a tower of white light erupted from its pinnacle up into the sky which disappeared from view through the clouds. The dark clouds that writhed through the city dissipated. Every building had been changed to the same coloration as the palace, and the color of the earth surrounding the Crystal Empire had also changed to match the city's new abyssal grandeur. A few minutes later, the earthquake ceased.
Celestia's ears flattened and sweat poured down her brow as the pain from her active magic against her tingling horn grew worse. Her breaths deepened, and it quickened along with the beating of her heart, watching in horror as the scene unfolded. Soon, the pain in her horn became too much for Celestia to bear. With a deep, pained groan, she stopped her spell. Her eyes returned to their normal shade of violet and her sight returned to its normal strength. She rushed back down to the ground, landing so that she stood sideways to the others. Dipping her head down, she took rapid breaths.
All manner of animal cries shrieked throughout Sweet Apple Acres, from the chickens that ran frantically in multiple directions away from the toppled chicken houses, to the cows and pigs in the barn. Loud barks joined the chorus as a small dog came rushing from the main house and stopped beside Applejack, giving off soft whimpers.
Rainbow returned to the ground and folded her wings back so that they covered Scootaloo and held her gently against Rainbow's back. “Everypony okay?”
“That woke me up,” muttered Twilight as she stood between Cadance and Shining Armor with her forelegs trembling.
“Princess,” said Cadance darkly, watching Celestia close, “what did you see?”
Celestia maintained her sideways position to the others as all eyes fell upon her. Keeping her head dipped forward, she sat down. Her breathing slowed, but remained heavy. She raised her left foreleg and placed her hoof on the side of her head just above her eyes.
Silently, the ponies watched and waited.
Remaining seated, Celestia lowered her foreleg and glanced at the others. “The Crystal Empire...”
Cadance's tone turned gloomier, matching only the fear that was engraved on her countenance. When she spoke, her voice was weak and cracked slightly. “What about the Crystal Empire?”
“It...” Celestia swallowed hard. “It isn't the Crystal Empire anymore. At least, no longer the one we know. It's been twisted, corrupted. Transformed...”
Everypony's eyes widened again.
“Wh-what?” replied Cadance.
Celestia nodded.
Without warning, Cadance fanned her wings and kicked off the ground. She rose high up into the air and her horn began to glow. Her eyes turned the same gold that Celestia's had. There, she hovered in place, staring off in the distance for what seemed like an eternity.
“No...” she cried. “No!” The anguished cry resonated throughout the area, dying away slowly.
Keeping a stiff watch on Cadance, everypony's ears fell flat and they frowned as the reality of what she was looking at struck them.
Cadance streaked down from her aerial position and landed several meters away from the others. She dipped her head down and slouched her shoulders. Her eyes were tightly shut, tears streamed down her cheeks, and she made loud moans as she wept.
Snow started to drift from the sky as the ponies all gathered around Cadance. Shining Armor put his foreleg around his wife and leaned against her, tears forming in his own eyes. Now in one big group huddle, the ponies glanced at Ponyville, then at Canterlot. For a while, they simply embraced each other, speaking no words as Cadance and Shining Armor's sorrow spread to them all.
“Just when we thought...” said Applejack with a sniffle. “I ain't even going to finish that sentence, it's just too much. Give us a gosh darned break already!”
“At the very least,” said Twilight as she rested her head on Shining Armor's shoulder, “we now know that Canterlot's earthquake protection spells actually work. We should send Trixie another letter saying we'll be delayed for a bit while we look at the damage in Ponyville.”
“Good to know the spells do work,” stated Celestia. “And I will have a guard send a letter.”
“So,” said Rarity, “what do we do now?”
A few tears ran down Celestia's face as she gazed at Cadance and Shining Armor, but when she spoke, her tone was very strong, betraying her solemn demeanor. “We see to everypony injured in the earthquake and to every property that was damaged. Nightmare Moon may be in control of Equestria's northernmost reaches now, but our lives must go on, lest we succumb to the fear that she thrives on. Once we have that situation under control, I have a new mission for you and your friends, Twilight Sparkle.”
“What is it you would have us do, Princess?” asked Twilight.
“You ponies, including Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, will follow in Luna's ancient hoofsteps. Find this portal hidden in Ghastly Gorge. Take it and find this Dread Frontier. Learn everything you possibly can about the midnium."
“What will you do?” asked Rarity.
“I will stay behind and gather every ounce of strength that Equestria can muster. Again, learn what you can, but do not tarry longer than is absolutely necessary.”
Twilight and her friends all exchanged brief glances then she looked back to Celestia. She rubbed her eyes, and gave her a slow nod. “We shall see it done, Princess.”
Remaining huddled together in one big grouping, the ponies turned their gazes northeast, and stared beyond the majesty of Canterlot Mountain toward the ravaged kingdom that stood hidden beyond the horizon. The minutes ticked by in dead silence as the flakes of falling snow got bigger.
Applejack looked up, and several snowflakes landed on her cheeks. She wiped them off with her hoof and stared at the cold water droplets that were left over. Letting out a deep sigh, she returned her hoof to the ground. “Ponies, it's going to be a long winter."