With Twilight leading the charge, the ponies raced across the dark desert, following their original trail of hoofsteps to guide them back. The split mountain loomed in the distance and inched ever closer.
Twilight kept a fierce, dark demeanor and did not let her gaze stray from the mountain. Neither the extra weight from her saddlebag overloaded with midnium, or the fact she'd been running for a half hour straight slowed her. In fact she did not feel even the least bit fatigued as she charged toward her goal.
“Twilight!” shouted Rarity from several yards behind and breathing heavily. “I'm as excited as you are to be heading home, but couldn't we just rest for ten minutes or something?”
“I don't think she's listening,” said Spike as he sat on Rarity's back and kept a tight grip around her neck.
“She's been actin' real weird ever since we arrived in this desert,” stated Applejack in a hushed tone. “This place is definitely affectin' her.”
Fluttershy nodded and took deep breaths. “No arguments from me.”
“Double no arguments from me,” said Pinkie.
“I'm really worried, y'all,” continued Applejack, maintaining her low volume and staring at Twilight. “I don't know if all that midnium she's got is affectin' her too. At this point that wouldn't surprise me, but I'd bet every bit I have in my savings those dang scars are the root of it. Like I told her before, soon as we get back to Equestria she's gettin' checked, and now, I don't care if I have to hogtie her to her bed to get it done.”
A dark gleam flashed in Twilight's eyes and through her scars. She glared, but did not look back or slow down.
“Let's not rush to extremes,” said Cadance, also keeping her voice down. “But the rest of it, I agree with you one hundred percent. There's definitely something up with her.”
Applejack frowned and let out a quiet sigh. “I know. I'm just really worried is all.”
Shining Armor nodded. “So am I. All the more reason to make haste.”
The ponies didn't stop until they reached the mountain pass. None of them spoke as they rested. Twilight sat several yards in front of the others, keeping her back turned to them. The others all kept a concerned eye on Twilight, but figured the best thing to do at the moment was to give her some space. They ate a quick snack then resumed their journey.
Having grown used to it by that point, the ponies completely ignored the changes to the sky and to the lighting in the region as they climbed out of the crater. Still being close to the mountain, the area was as dark as midnight. After reaching the base of the mountain, Spike checked his watch and noted that it was mid afternoon. The ponies continued on but at a reduced pace after having spent so much energy racing out of the desert.
Twilight stayed at the head of the group by several meters and trotted along.
The area slowly got a little brighter as they moved away from the mountain, but not by much. It was still dark by the time they reached the abandoned village. The ponies looked up, and though the sky was still covered end to end by gray clouds just like when they'd first arrived, the sight actually gave them a brief feeling of relief. Spike checked his watched again and announced the time as six in the evening. Everypony set their saddlebags aside.
“Shall we keep going?” asked Spike. “Or do we rest here for the night?”
“At the rate we've gone,” said Applejack, “I'd say we'll reach the portal back to Equestria just around normal bed time. What do you think, Twi? You doin' okay?”
Twilight didn't reply. She merely kept her gaze in the direction of the cave at the end of the valley.
Rarity stared at Twilight for a moment then turned her attention to Rainbow and examined her bandages. “And how are you doing, Rainbow Dash? You haven't said a word all day again.”
Rainbow rubbed her head. “My head still hurts...” she mumbled with a hint of annoyance. “So does my chest.”
“Among more... emotional things I imagine,” said Rarity.
Rainbow let out a soft snort and looked away.
“Oh come now, darling. You don't need to hide it from us. We're your friends. You can tell us anything.” Rarity put her hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. “Here, let us rinse off those cuts for you.”
Rainbow closed her eyes. She sniffled and tears began to fall from her, but after a few moments, she nodded.
Rarity smiled and her horn lit up. The cloth scraps around Rainbow's head and chest unraveled then floated off to the side, revealing the gashes leftover from the fight with the Headless Horse.
Fluttershy pulled a water bottle from her saddlebag. She poured a little bit of the water over the wounds, then gently dabbed at them with an un-bloodstained portion of the bandages. She smiled. “There you go, Dashie. They look like they're going to heal well.”
“We'll get you some fresh bandages as soon as we get home, darling.” Rarity patted Rainbow's shoulder as she used her magic to tie the bandages around her friend's wounds.
Rainbow kept still and didn't look at the others and her tears continued to fall. “Thanks...”
“Anytime!” said Fluttershy.
Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie formed a circle around Rainbow and embraced her in a group hug. A moment later, Rainbow lifted her forelegs and wrapped them around her friends as far as she could.
“You're slackin', Pinkie,” said Applejack. “Normally you're the first pony to leap into the action when somepony is feelin' down.”
“Yeah well... Well... Okay. Yeah I'm slacking!”
The group laughed, and even Rainbow in her sullen state managed a chuckle. Spike, Cadance and Shining Armor smiled at the sight, then looked over at Twilight who still sat several yards away with her back turned to everypony and staring in the direction of the cave.
“Twilight,” said Shining Armor, giving her a serious look and tone, “why aren't you—”
He paused, seeing Twilight swaying on the spot. “Twily?”
Everypony turned their attention to Twilight and gazed at her curiously.
All strength had suddenly left Twilight's body, and a chill rushed down from her horn that quickly spread all through her. Suddenly, she fell over onto her right side, making a soft thud as she struck the ground. The last thing she heard before everything went dark was her friends' panicked cries, and the sound of their hooves as they rushed over to her.
“Not again!” shouted Pinkie.
Twilight groaned as she slowly came to. Dizziness wracked her head. She could not feel any part of her body, and she lacked in strength so much that she could not open her eyes. She could hear nothing save for her own slow breaths, and she rested there for a length of time which she could not count. Eventually, the feeling in her body began to return.
She felt something soft beneath her; soft, but grainy. The sound of sloshing of water reached her. It grew in volume until it was almost overpowering, then lessened until it was barely audible before rising again. It repeated this motion endlessly, and the sonance filled Twilight with a serenity that helped to calm her. Finally, enough of her strength had returned that she peeked her eyes open. She blinked until her vision cleared, then stared in confusion as the ground she was resting upon came into clarity.
Sand?
Lying on her right side, Twilight eased herself up onto her stomach and folded her legs in a little. She rubbed her throbbing head then stood up. Her legs trembled with fatigue, but she was able to keep herself steady. Shaking the remaining sand from her fur, she glanced around at her surroundings.
She was standing on a moonlit beach under a ghostly white sky that gave off an eerie glow. A large dark moon hung high in the sky. To her left was the unmistakable growth of the Everfree Forest which stretched as far as the beach did. To her right was a vast sea, but the surface of the water did not mirror the whiteness of the sky. It was as dark as the moon, and its waters glided up and down the shoreline. The area seemed to be illuminated like it was under a full moon, complemented by endless soft flashes of silver light from the water's rippling surface.
Twilight's mouth hung open as she beheld the sight, and all the little cogs in her head began to go into overdrive.
This must be another life-like dream. Okay, Twilight, you weren't sure what to make of the first one, but now that you're a little more experienced, you can figure this out. This all means something. The question is what.
She turned and stared out to the dark sea. Though the surf occasionally climbed up the shore far enough to cover her hooves, Twilight did not budge.
The only thing that's really similar to what I saw before is that ghostly white sky. Though it's not like it would be hard to recapture the natural darkness of the Everfree Forest.
Twilight's thoughts were interrupted when a large shadow suddenly passed over her. She jumped a little and crouched down slightly with her legs spread apart. Before she could speak or do anything else, an extremely powerful gust of wind kicked up. Twilight screamed as she was thrown high into the air far out to the sea. She fired up her horn to teleport herself back to the beach, but her magic fizzled out immediately. Flailing her legs wildly, she tried to teleport again but the result was the same, and she started to fall. She took a deep breath, clenched her eyes shut, and she dropped into the pitch-dark sea moments later.
The force of the fall caused Twilight to plunge a couple meters down before coming to a stop. Holding her breath, she started to kick with her legs to propel herself up. After a few moments of being submerged, a painful pressure began to build in her chest and her face flushed. She kicked her legs even harder as the pressure in her chest got worse and worse.
I should have reached the surface by now! Can't hold it any longer...!
Losing control of herself, her mouth popped open and she inhaled. Her heart raced, but instead of getting a wave of liquid rushing down her throat, the pressure in Twilight's chest lessened. After a few more times inhaling beyond her control, the pressure went away completely and Twilight felt normal again, despite still feeling completely submerged.
Okay...? she thought. Do I dare ask?
It was in this moment that Twilight realized the water wasn't cool; it was actually warm. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she peeked her eyes open. No water seeped into her eyes, and she opened them completely. Looking up, she could see the surface of the sea illuminated by the endless flashes of silver light dancing on the tiny waves. Twilight kicked her legs again, but the water's surface did not move closer; she seemed to be suspended in place within the abyssal waters. She let out a deep sigh, and even that wasn't at all effected by the surrounding water. She glowered, folded her forelegs, and just stared forward.
Great! I'm stuck in the middle of an ocean with water looks and feels like water, but isn't doing normal water things like drowning me. I hate dream logic... She paused and furrowed her brow. Did I just give the impression that I would perfectly okay with drowning?
Suddenly, a dark figure faded into Twilight's view.
Twilight yelped and instinctively kicked at the water to push herself back, but remained in place.
The figure had the shape of a pony. It was the same size as Twilight, and had a pointed object sticking out of its forehead that greatly resembled a unicorn's horn.
Twilight's breath's quickened and her heart pounded in her chest as the creature turned to face her. Though it didn't have eyes, the tingling in Twilight's spine told her it could somehow see her.
The creature began to mimic Twilight's pose along with every other movement she made as the two of them just hung in place within the dark sea. Solid white eyes appeared in its head, as did exact copies of the claw-mark scars over Twilight's eyes and in the same location.
What little light there was in the area suddenly disappeared. The sound of something large plunging down into the water came from above Twilight, but before she could look up to see what it was, she began to feel extremely drowsy. She struggled to keep her eyes open. Through the brief moments of clear vision, she saw a four-pronged claw envelop the creature in front of her. Immediately after, Twilight's eyes shut tight and all feeling in her body went away.
Twilight stirred from her slumber. She felt something soft beneath her head, and something equally soft covering the rest of her. It was very warm in the space and she almost subconsciously curled up more within it, letting out a quiet foal-like coo. After a few moments of clinging to the soft fabric that cradled her, Twilight peeked her eyes open.
She was lying in a small bed with a deep blue wooden frame. Hearts were carved out of the top of each leg of the frame and the pillow her head rested on was a pale violet. The blanket had a checkered pattern, with half of the squares in the design the same pale violet as the pillow and the other half were a light brown. All the violet squares in the pattern had a brown butterfly in them, and the brown squares had a violet butterfly. Twilight sat up slightly and looked around the room. There was a window in the wall to her left, with the sky outside covered by white clouds and a bird feeder situated on the window sill. A desk and dresser stood to her right with a clock on the desk that read two, and above the bed were two small tapestries hanging from wall pins. Both tapestries had pictures of grassy meadows under a bright sun. In the far corner of the room opposite the bed was a closed door. She was alone in the room.
Twilight let out a weak groan as soreness wracked her entire body and a migraine assaulted her head. She rubbed her head, then her itching eyes, then allowed herself to simply fall back onto the pillow. She sighed under her breath.
“What a life,” she mumbled.
At the moment though we have butterfly blankets and windows with bird feeders... I must be in Fluttershy's cottage. That means... She turned over in the bed and smiled brightly as she gazed out the window. Equestria. Home.
Twilight lost track of time as she continued to stare out the window at those homely, pegasus-manufactured Equestrian clouds. Her smile dominated her countenance, but eventually, all thoughts were brought back to hers and her friends' recent journey.
“How long was I out for this time, and that dream...”She began to mull over the dream, but for some reason, it was completely hazy; she could not recall a single thing. After several minutes, she let out a groan and rubbed her head as she lie in the bed. “What gives? Why can't I remember it? I didn't have this issue with the first one.”
Suddenly, the thundering sound of numerous hoofsteps scurrying up stairs came from the hall. The loud noises caused Twilight's headache to grow worse. She winced, folded her forelegs over her head and clenched her eyes shut.
The door flew open and Twilight's friends came into the room with Cadance, Shining Armor and even Celestia in tow. All of them wore bright, relieved smiles. The room quickly filled up with the ponies, leaving little space to move around.
“You're awake!” cried Pinkie as she hopped in place, making the wooden floor creak.
“Not so loud!” replied Twilight. She opened her eyes and gave Pinkie a firm stare.
Pinkie's eyes widened. She frowned and stopped hopping. “Sorry, but I'm just so excited to have you back. You passed out again on our way home.”
“Again? When did I... Oh right. Crystal Empire.” Twilight chuckled and set her forelegs down. She readjusted herself so that she was sitting up and leaning against the headboard, giving her a clear view of the others.
Spike climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around Twilight, holding her like he never wanted to let go.
Twilight beamed and returned the embrace, then looked back to others. “So, how long was I out this time?”
“Three days,” said Applejack, also giving Twilight a gentle hug. “After you dropped, we didn't stop until we got you back here. That was two days ago.”
“With you unconscious,” said Shining Armor, “the trip back through the portal was... interesting. Let's just leave it at that.”
Twilight let out another chuckle and looked down at Spike who still had his little arms wrapped her. She then looked over at Cadance. “Any new scars I need to worry about?”
Cadance kept her smile and shook her head. “Nope.”
“That's good at least.”
“Welcome back, egghead!” Rainbow said proudly. “Again that is.”
Twilight turned her gaze over to Rainbow and smiled. She noticed that the blood-stained cloth strips on Rainbow's head and chest were gone, and had been replaced by brown medical gauze. What's more, Rainbow didn't sound gloomy or look downtrodden anymore. “Well! Seems like you're finally back to your old self!”
“Yeah see, I wasn't really upset about losing that fight with the Headless Horse. I was just in tactical retreat mode.”
“Twenty bits says you're a big fat liar.”
Rainbow smirked. “Now now, Twilight. Don't go making bets you know you can't win. Who do you think you are? Applejack?”
Everypony laughed for a few moments.
“So how are you feeling, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy. “How about I get you something to drink and eat? I'll bet you're starving.”
“I've got a headache and I feel sore all over, and I'd love a snack.”
“Way ahead of you, Fluttershy!” Pinkie rushed out of the room and disappeared down the stairs. She returned a moment later, carrying a large bag full of cookies and doughnuts of all kinds in one hoof, and a mug of steaming hot cider in the other. She beamed and set the bag and mug down on the desk by the clock. “As always, Dr. Pinkie Pie has everything a pony needs to beat back hunger upon waking up from a coma.”
“I suppose Nurse Fluttershy will get you some pain medicine then,” said Fluttershy. “I'll be right back.”
Reaching into the goodie bag without looking, Twilight pulled out a small lemon cookie as Fluttershy left the room. She finished it in two bites and hummed in delight before delving into the bag again, this time snagging a chocolate doughnut with strawberry and vanilla sprinkles.
Fluttershy returned to the room, carrying a single, small red and white capsule on top of a pile of napkins. She gave another warm smile. “Here you go, Twilight. I also got you some napkins since Pinkie somehow forgot those.”
Pinkie gasped and looked inside the bag. “Hey you're right! I did! I left them downstairs!”
“Open wide!” said Fluttershy, holding the medicine out.
Twilight took a small swig of the cider and let Fluttershy drop the medicine into her mouth before swallowing. “Thanks a ton. Treats from Sugarcube Corner, hot apple cider, soft warm beds... I know we weren't gone more than a week but it feels like much much longer.”
“You were just homesick, Twilight,” said Celestia gently. “Everyone gets that feeling when they're away from the place they love. It's also wonderful to have you all back. I'm told your quest went well.”
“It sure did, Princess,” said Applejack. “Except for those few things we told y'all about in the letter.”
“The Headless Horse...” Twilight's expression turned grim. “Also, sorry for scaring you all again by fainting like that.”
“Speakin' of...” Applejack's tone took on a more serious note, and she gave Twilight a concerning look that was quickly mimicked by everyone else in the room. “Now that we're back home, you mind tellin' us what the hay was goin' on with you back there, sugarcube?”
Twilight stared at Applejack and tilted her head slightly. “What was going on with me?”
“The way you started actin' once we set hoof in the desert.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Y'all don't remember?”
Twilight did not reply and maintained her blank stare.
The others all furrowed their brows and glanced at each other. After a few moments, they all turned their gazes back to Twilight.
“Twilight...” continued Applejack. “To put it simple, you started actin' real scary, real... dark.”
“Scary and dark?”
“Yeah,” said Pinkie. “You rushed off ahead without warning and nearly got Spike hurt in the process. Then it was like the only thing you seemed to care about was the midnium. It was almost like you had become possessed or something.”
Twilight frowned and looked down at Spike who remained in her embrace. “Did I really act like that, and did I really almost hurt Spike?”
“How could you not remember?”
“I-I don't know...” Twilight's eyes began to water and she hugged Spike even tighter. “I'm sorry, everypony, and I'm sorry, Spike.”
“It's all good,” he replied gently. “But you were acting pretty strange. What do you remember?”
Twilight stared down at the blanket for a few minutes while the others watched her. “I remember going through the portal to the frontier and how bleak the place was. I remember some kind of freaky mountain, the abandoned village and the Headless Horse, then nothing until I fainted.”
“Applejack suggested it several times,” said Cadance, “and all of us agree, those scars of yours are somehow involved in all this.”
“I do remember we talked about getting me checked for dark energies.”
“Actually we did that already while you were unconscious,” stated Shining Armor.
“Did you find anything?”
Celestia let out a sigh and shook her head. “No. I couldn't find any trace, not even in the scars themselves. Whatever dark energies Nightmare Moon's trap might have planted inside of you, it's likely been very cleverly masked so as to make it undetectable even by one such as myself. If that's the case, only Princess Luna, or somepony expertly versed in such dark powers, like Nightmare Moon, would be able to detect it.”
Twilight mimicked the sigh. “So masked—” She paused and stared down at the blanket for a few more moments. “Or removed...”
“Removed?” asked Cadance.
Twilight turned her gaze back up to the others. “I had a dream while I was in that coma, just like I did after the incident with the Crystal Heart. But the strange thing is I can't remember any of it.”
“That doesn't do us any good,” said Rarity.
“No it doesn't, but what if the reason I can't remember the dream or certain parts of the trip to the frontier are because those memories have been taken from me?”
“Taken by Nightmare Moon?” asked Fluttershy.
“Who else? I don't how but I'm sure she has ways. What concerns me is why. For now though let's just focus on what we know we have. Where is the midnium we brought back?”
“Safe in our bags downstairs,” stated Shining Armor. “We ended up with more than we intended since you insisted on bringing back more. We haven't touched it since we got back.”
“There's also the matter of the Headless Horse.” Twilight took a few moments to gulp down the entire mug of cider which was now only lukewarm. She also grabbed another lemon cookie from Pinkie's bag and bit into it. “And what it being real means.”
“Nightmare Moon, the Pony of Shadows, and now the Headless Horse...” muttered Cadance. “Though the former two seem ultimately the same thing, we have yet another old pony tale is true.”
Everypony glanced down and several moments passed by in tense silence.
“So does this mean that every old pony tale could be true?” asked Spike. “And is the Headless Horse working for Nightmare Moon?”
“At this point it'd be safest to assume so on both of those,” said Twilight, giving Spike a gentle rub on the top of his head.
“There's another matter I wanted to bring up,” said Celestia. “I've already mentioned this to your friends, Twilight, but after you all returned from the frontier, the Crystal Heart started acting up again.”
Twilight's eyes widened. “But how? I thought it stabilized after we sprung Nightmare Moon's trap.”
“It did, but now something else has disturbed it. However...”
“However what?”
“Disturbed isn't really the right word to use. It actually seems excited.”
Her last interaction with the Crystal Heart replayed over and over in Twilight's mind. She furrowed her brow, but she didn't reply.
“We were just about to ask y'all about that when we heard Twilight's groan, Princess,” said Applejack.
“It's in my pack downstairs,” said Celestia. “I thought it best to keep it close by. Just one moment.”
Everypony grabbed a treat from Pinkie's bag while they waited. A minute later, Celestia returned levitating a white saddlebag bearing a picture of her cutie mark on the flap.
Though the bag was closed, Twilight could feel strong pulses of magical energy pulsating from it. But unlike the previous time, these pulses did not cause Twilight's horn or any part of her to tingle. To the contrary, each and every one sent a wave of heavenly warmth through her that filled her with indescribable serenity.
With all eyes on her, Celestia opened the saddlebag and levitated the Crystal Heart up and slightly off to her left side.
The normally aquamarine heart-shaped gem gave off orange and white flashes with each pulse it shot out, mimicking the pattern of a living heartbeat. The flashes were bright enough that everypony had to partially cover their eyes and squint to tolerate looking at the gem.
“It's so pretty!” said Pinkie. “I just want to touch it so badly!”
“So what do we do with it?” asked Applejack.
“I feel so warm!” cried Cadance. “I've never felt so relaxed in my entire life!”
The flashes suddenly stopped and the orangey white glow from the Crystal Heart became constant. The glow got brighter and brighter until it became blinding, and everypony was forced to shield their eyes entirely.
Without warning, the intense light invaded Twilight's vision as if her forelegs weren't covering her face, and as if her eyes weren't closed. Instinctively she winced, despite feeling no pain, only peace. The feel of the blanket and mattress vanished and was replaced by nothingness like she was floating in space. A quick second later, her mind went completely blank.
The total blindness and the feel of floating in space barely lasted a few moments. Twilight suddenly felt something hard beneath her hooves, the bright light that dominated her vision faded, and her sight returned to normal instantly. The medicine Fluttershy had given her was now in full effect, and both her headache and general soreness in her body was gone. Twilight rubbed her temple, shook her head and blinked several times. She spotted everypony else nearby, all of whom were rubbing their heads and shaking them in a similar fashion.
Applejack was the first to speak up. “What the hay just happened? Is everypony okay?”
As the others began to chatter in confusion, Twilight spotted the Crystal Heart hovering above the rocky ground upon which she now stood. It was still giving off a serene orange and white glow, and scattered about the ground beneath it was a large number of the midnium crystals they'd brought back from the frontier. Twilight then felt something gently digging into her mane. She reached up, feeling something on top of her head, and her eyes widened as the item she retrieved was revealed to be the Element of Magic. Loud gasps reached her ears and she turned to look at the others.
Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow and Pinkie were all staring wide-eyed at their own Elements of Harmony. Though the ponies had not been wearing them back at Fluttershy's cottage, each Element had somehow appeared around its owner's neck.
“Where did these come from?” asked Rarity. Suddenly she let out another loud gasp and stared forward at something with her mouth open.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Twilight noticed a bright white glow coming from behind her. Keeping a firm grasp on the Element of Magic, she turned around and her countenance quickly became the same as Rarity's and all the others'.
The ponies had been relocated to the cavern where the Tree of Harmony resided. Its heavenly aura was as strong as ever, illuminating the tiny rocky bluffs around the edge of the chamber, and reflecting off the large amethysts in the cavern wall.
Gazing upon the Tree with a mixture of amazement and bewilderment, they started to lance back and forth between it and the Crystal Heart. The Crystal Heart continued to hover above the cavern floor, and its radiant orange and white aura never faltered.
“How did we get here?” asked Cadance.
Before anypony could say another word or move another muscle, the light from the Tree of Harmony changed to the same orangey white as the light from the Crystal Heart. The same aura then appeared around Twilight, the other Element Bearers and Cadance. The Tree erupted into flames, a powerful wind began to assault the cavern, and the whole chamber was engulfed in a blinding light.
Twilight shielded her eyes with her forelegs and once again felt herself being lifted off the ground. After a moment, she spread her forelegs apart just enough to glimpse ahead.
Outside of the bright aura, all Celestia, Spike and Shining Armor could do was watch.
The Tree of Harmony had taken the outline of a four-pronged claw; not dark but translucent gold and silver, and the flames danced all over its surface. The Crystal Heart hovered between the ponies and the Tree, with all the midnium shards encircling it. The Elements of Harmony began to glow the same light that surrounded the ponies, as did the midnium. Beams of light suddenly shot out from the Tree which struck the dark crystals and shattered them, leaving orbs of translucent gold and silver in their place. One orb flew into each of the Elements of Harmony, while the rest flew into the Crystal Heart.
Twilight's eyes were as wide as the bright lights and flashes would allow. The spectacle happening before her burned itself into the deepest parts of her mind, and it was so dominating that she barely even felt the fierce winds that blasted all around her. Her eyes turned solid gold and silver, a wave of warm magical energy surged through her, and a harmonic humming picked up in her mind. After a few moments, all of the sensations subsided, and she felt her hooves touch back down on the cavern floor.
The light in the cavern faded back to its normal level, the winds ceased, and all was quiet once more.
Twilight's vision slowly returned to normal. Sweat poured down her brow, and she took heavy breaths as her heart pounded in her chest. She rubbed her head, feeling the Element of Magic sitting firmly atop her mane. Looking around, she noticed Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow and Pinkie were sweating and breathing as heavily as she was.
“Nopony answered my earlier question,” said Applejack between gasps. “What the hay just happened?”
Twilight was about to say something but paused when she noticed Cadance passed out on the ground, and a new crown adorning her sister-in-law's head.
The crown looked similar to the Element of Magic, but the metal headband was gold and silver. Instead of a pinkish-red six-pronged star adorning the top, there was a deep blue crystalline heart in the same shape as Cadance's cutie mark.
Twilight's eyes widened then glanced around.
The Crystal Heart was gone. All of the midnium crystals that had been transported to the cave were broken into dozens of tiny fragments that littered the ground.
The image of a heart exactly like Cadance's cutie mark was now engraved in the base of the Tree of Harmony just below the engraving of the moon.
With wide eyes, everypony glanced back and forth between Cadance and the Tree.
“Cadance?” whispered Shining Armor, gently nudging his wife's cheek with his nose. “Love? You okay? Please wake up!”
Cadance... thought Twilight as she stared at the new crown upon her sister-in-law's head. Love...?
She turned her attention to the Tree. That claw....
A weak groan escaped Cadance and her eyes slowly opened. She held one hoof to her temple as she started to rise with Shining Armor and Twilight helping her up. “What... What happened?”
“You're guess is as good as any of ours, Princess,” said Applejack
Shining Armor beamed and wrapped his forelegs around his beloved, nuzzling her tenderly. “I'm so glad you're okay.”
Cadance blushed and returned the embrace. “I'm fine. Actually I feel great. Like I just woke up from a much needed sleep. But what was it that just happened?”
“Princess...” said Rarity. “Darling, you seem to have a, shall we say, new accessory. Permit me to show you?”
Cadance gave Rarity a blank stare, but after a moment she nodded. “Uh, okay.”
Rarity stood on her hindlegs and picked the new crown up off Cadance's head with her hooves. She then held it in front of the princess for her to see.
Cadance stared at the crown. “That's not my crown.” She started to look around the cavern frantically. “Hey! Wh-where's the Crystal Heart?”
“If my theory is correct...” said Twilight, turning to face Cadance. She pointed at the new crown. “This is the Crystal Heart. Or it used to be, but now it has become something greater...” She then pointed at the base of the Tree. “Notice anything different?”
Cadance went silent and looked to where Twilight was pointing. After realizing the new engraving in the crystalline trunk, she began to glance back and forth between the Tree and the crown Rarity held in her hooves. “That... Is this...?”
Twilight nodded.
“Twilight,” said Applejack, rubbing the Element of Honesty that sat around her neck. “Are you absolutely positive about that?”
“I saw the transformation with my own eyes while we were in that light. Or at least part of it. I'm sure all of you did too. And the writing is literally on the base of the Tree itself. What was once the Crystal Heart has been remade into something greater; a new Element of Harmony has been created, and the Tree has chosen Cadance as its owner.”
Several moments passed in total silence.
Cadance took the large crown from Rarity and held it in her hooves. She gazed upon the gold and silver vertical stripe design of the headband, then the small oval rose-colored gems in the metal of the headband, and finally the gem at the top that was an exact replica of her cutie mark. “But how?”
“Remember what I theorized about the midnium after reading Luna's old journal?” asked Celestia as she slid some of the shattered dark crystal pieces around with her hoof.
“Remind me.”
“Luna said it is solidified dark energy. In its raw form, it interferes with a creature's natural magical energies. Luna also said that the crystal can be broken down and the energy absorbed into the body which reverses the function, making it greatly empowering instead of inhibitive, but at the cost of giving one dark thoughts.”
Everypony sat still with their eyes on Celestia as they listened.
“An idea then came to me that, after destroying a crystal, what if the energy could be condensed and placed inside an inanimate object like the Alicorn Amulet? I think what may have just happened here is something similar.”
“That's right,” said Twilight, taking her Element off her head and examining it. “I remember seeing the light from the Tree break the crystals and turn the energy into little orbs of gold and silver light. Those orbs then went into the Crystal Heart. I think maybe the magic of the Tree converted the energy from something dark into something harmonic, which gave the Crystal Heart a surge of power large enough for it to be transformed into a new Element of Harmony.”
“My thoughts exactly,” said Celestia, nodding and giving Twilight a bright smile.
Cadance merely stared as she held her new crown in her hooves. Shining Armor beamed and sat down next to Cadance, wrapping his foreleg around her and holding her close. Cadance still seemed too stunned by this development to notice.
“Them's some mighty fancy wordin' there, sugarcube,” said Applejack before letting out a chuckle. “I'm just going to trust y'all on that.”
“There's more,” stated Twilight. “Not all of the converted orbs went into the Crystal Heart. I saw one enter into my Element as well as all of yours. Not only do we have a new addition to our arsenal, I think the original ones have just been empowered somehow.”
“My Element does feel very warm,” said Pinkie. “I think Twilight's right! It doesn't feel like a necklace anymore. I can actually feel it's magic flowing in me, and not just a little bit either!”
The others all smiled and acknowledged the same empowered feeling from their Elements.
Rainbow's expression quickly turned into a triumphant grin. Flapping her wings, she kicked off the ground a little and flipped in the air, nearly striking the roof of the cave in the process. “Aww yeah! Nightmare Moon doesn't stand a chance now! Luna and Equestria are as good as saved!”
“Save that enthusiasm, Rainbow,” said Twilight. “While the Elements have been empowered, we don't yet know exactly what they can do with it.”
Rainbow waved her hoof dismissively. “Meh. Details. All that matters is that we send Nightmare Moon packing in whatever form that takes.”
“Speaking of forms...” Twilight turned to face the Tree again and gazed up at it.
“What is it, Twilight?” asked Spike.
“Did anypony else notice that, during the light show, the Tree seemed to alter it's form?”
Everypony furrowed their brows.
“I was a little freaked out by how it just set itself on fire,” said Applejack. “But I wasn't payin' attention to anythin' else.”
“While we were in that light, I saw the Tree's image change into something familiar: a four-pronged claw....”
Celestia stared at Twilight with a peculiar curiosity apparent on her demeanor.
“That horrible thing you say keeps popping up in everything?” asked Fluttershy.
“Yeah. Only this one seemed different somehow...” Twilight went silent for a few moments. “Different, and non-threatening...”
“Peaceful and harmonious?” inquired Celestia.
“Yes. Exactly.”
Celestia nodded and turned her attention to the Tree. “Did I ever tell you all that it's been theorized the Tree of Harmony actually has a sentience of its own? An intelligence?”
“Can't say y'all have, Princess,” said Applejack. “I know it's a magical tree and all but I ain't never heard of a tree bein' smart like that.”
“I've read some of the texts on that theory,” stated Twilight, placing the Element of Magic on her head. “It was actually Starswirl the Bearded who first came up with the idea. Supposedly it's how the true bearers of the Elements of Harmony are selected, which would seem to make sense, but nothing else has really developed since Starswirl disappeared. At least not until today...”
Twilight walked up to Cadance and smiled at her. She took the new Element from Cadance, stood up on her hindlegs, then gently placed the crown on her sister-in-law's head.
Cadance remained still as everypony else formed a circle around her. Her eyes were partially wide and she looked around at the beaming faces of everypony else.
Celestia stepped forward. “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, it seems that Harmony itself has chosen you as it's newest guardian. I won't go into a big long speech, because frankly I think that would be very boring. All I will say is that I know you won't let Princess Luna or Equestria down.”
Cadance smiled as everypony cheered and stomped their hooves, except for Celestia who just continued to smile, and Shining Armor who embraced her and kissed her on her cheek. She let out a loving hum as she hugged and kissed him back.
“Welcome to the club, Princess!” Rainbow cried. “The Elements of Harmony just got...” She paused, put her hoof to her chin and stared up at the cavern ceiling. “Hey, Twilight, what percent of six is one?”
“Just go your normal route and say twenty. With Cadance's new Element and the power boost to ours, twenty is probably a safe bet.”
“Nah. I'm going to say a hundred just because I can!”
Cadance maintained her embrace of Shining Armor and leaned her head against his before glancing to the others. “So what is my Element exactly?”
“I think Love seems pretty fitting,” said Celestia.
“I agree!” Shining Armor gave Cadance another tender kiss on her cheek and hugging her even tighter.
Everypony chuckled and nodded their agreement.
“Love it is then!” stated Cadance.
Twilight took one final look at the Tree of Harmony before making her way to the cave's entrance. “Well come on, everypony. Let's get back to Ponyville. We've got a lot of work to do!”
Everypony hurried out of the cavern. Just after they left, a ripple of gold and silver light appeared at the base of the Tree of Harmony which flowed up and over the entire crystalline monument.