Twilight and Pearl had long since given up trying to figure out where they were in this vast labyrinth. Endless tunnel after countless echoing chambers seemed to go on forever. The dust the kicked up was inches thick, and only occasionally did a side passage open up. Twilight took note of the runes above each door. Each was one she had never seen before and could only guess what they did.
Summer seemed to know where she was going at least. At no point did she stop or appear to be lost. But she appeared to be taking her sweet time getting the group where they needed to go.
"Are we there yet?" Sky asked for the twentieth time as they entered another large chamber, this one filled to the brim with every kind of treasure known to ponykind, and many more that Twilight could not make out an origin for.
Pearl growled as her Soul Gem glowed once more. "Sky. If you don't shut up, then I swear to Celestia that I'm going to shove your head someplace unpleasant! Horn first!"
Pearl's shouts echoed off the roof far above, making Twilight's ears ring as she wrapped a wing around her wife, who shot her a scathing glare in return. At the other end of the chamber, something vast moved in the shadows.
Summer shook her head sadly. "Fortunately then for the both of you, we are here."
Twilight sighed audibly, while Pearl only growled, her anger rising as the dragoness led them to the far end of the chamber. To try and keep her rage in check, Pearl tried to figure out how much she could buy with all of the wealth around her. Forget just buying all of Equus. She could buy the entire solar system, and still have plenty left over afterward.
But such thoughts were soon forgotten as she, Twilight, and Sky lay eyes upon the master of all they surveyed. Only Twilight had met Tiamat before, and that had been a brief interaction after her coronation. But now, she felt something more when she and Pearl looked up at the Dragon Queen.
Tiamat's red scales stood out next to all of the gold around them, her tail ending in a scorpion's stinger. But the trio's eyes were inexorably drawn to her five heads. Black, Blue, Green, Red, and White. All five turned to look down at them with something like disinterest in their eyes.
Pearl gulped, and even Sky looked less sure of himself. For as long as she could remember, Pearl had always wanted to meet the Chromatic Dragon. Even before she had met Twilight, she had loved and been fascinated with dragons. Even as she had helped her mother and become rather proficient in the banking industry, that had never gone away. Her dream to be Equus's foremost Dragon Scholar was still there.
But now, as Tiamat came down to look the group in the eyes, Pearl could only squeak out a "meep of fright at the sight before her. Her gem glowed even brighter at the sight, something not lost on Tiamat as she sighed.
"It is true then. You do bare one of those accursed things," her White head said.
Pearl growled in defiance. "What about it, you oversized gecko?" She seethed, before slamming her hooves over her mouth, horrified at what she had just said and to who.
Sky threw his hooves up in annoyance. "Will someone please tell me what the hay is going on around here? I know Pearl has a big mouth on her. But this is way more than usual even for her."
Twilight's ears fell as she shook her head. "Pearl is becoming a siren. I am sure Rainbow has told you what those are. That gem fused into her chest came from a trio I helped defeat sometime ago now. Pearl thought putting it on was a good idea. You see the result."
Sky's eyes widened in shock. His big sis had told them all she knew about them. It was not much, but it was enough to know they fed on hatred and discord.
Tiamat nodded. "Her transformation is almost total now. You will never make it to the borders of the Dragon Lands before she turns on you and feeds on you as her first meal. Once that happens, there is no turning back for you, Pearl Rose," her Black head said.
Pearl sniffed. "Then what can I do? I hate this! But I love it at the same time." She leaned against Twilight, who wrapped a wing around her wife. "We were going to start a family. I was going to grow old with the mare I loved. I don't care if Twilight outlives me."
Twilight nodded, as Pearl's tears came at last, and Twilight could only nuzzle the Pegasus as she cast a pleading look to the goddess. "Please. There has to be something we can do. Can we remove the gem? I can't lose Pearl. I just can't."
Summer and Sky shared a heartbroken look, while Tiamat shook her heads. "It is too far along now. To remove the Soul Gem would kill you. But there is another way. A way that will not only save you. But give you both the life together you deserve," the Blue head said.
Pearl shot her a look. "Like what? Why do you care so much? I'm nothing to you. I love dragons. Always have, and meeting you is a dream come true for me. But still."
Twilight nodded. "I do not know of anything we can do. Short of making Pearl an alicorn. But only another alicorn can do that, or a Higher Power. And I do not know how to do it myself. Princess Celestia has never told me how she did it."
Tiamat's Green head snorted. "The sun-wrench does not know as much as she thinks she does if she taught you that, Princess Twilight. While those are true, anyone can become an alicorn given the right push. And do not lie to me and say the thought hasn't crossed your mind as well?"
Twilight smiled sheepishly, while Sky heaved off to the side. "I think I'd rather listen to Aunt Pinkie's babbling all day than have to deal with that."
Pearl just stuck her tongue out at him, earning a giggle from Summer. "Well. I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about being an alicorn before. But Celestia and Luna won't do it, and Cadance and Twiggles over here don't know how to. So it doesn't matter in the end. I'm stuck like this," she sniffed.
Tiamat smiled to herself as she reached out a claw. "Then I will do it. No one should suffer the hell you are going through. This will end your torment, and give you the life you deserve," the Red head said.
Before anypony could react, or Twilight to argue, Tiamat's claw touched Pearl's forehead. Immediately, Pearl felt an insane amount of power and magic flow into her, almost overwhelming her, but she was able to hold onto herself, closing her eyes as her body began to glow.
Twilight and Sky shielded their eyes, as Pearl glowed brighter and brighter. She could feel the sheer amount of magic that was pouring into her wife. She knew well what that felt like, and how much it hurt. She could only hope now that Pearl would be able to withstand it all.
After a moment, the glow around the Pegasus faded, and she fell to the ground with a thump, rubbing her snout as she did. "Ow. Did somepony get the number of the chariot that ran me over? I'm gonna beat the snot out of that driver. With interest."
Twilight ran over and helped Pearl to her hooves before her mouth dropped in shock. "You have more important things to worry about, Rosie. Look."
Pearl frowned as she looked up at where Twilight was pointing and felt her mouth drop in shock. A horn. She had a horn. But it was not the same as Twilights. It was scaled, alternating between red, blue, green, black, and white at the tip. Reaching up tenderly, she poked it. It was solid. Not only that, but she could feel the insane amount of magic that now coursed through her veins. Looking down, she saw her Soul Gem was still in place. But now, she felt nothing from it. Her hate and anger were gone. She still felt the gem, but now it seemed to be nothing more than that.
Tiamat smiled, conjuring an ornate crown in her claws before placing it on Pearl's head. The crown's five heads all seemed to curl protectively around Pearl as it settled into place. "By the power invested in me by the Mother of All Life in the Silent Years, I crown you Pearl Rose, Dragon Princess of Equus and inheritor of the Dragon Soul. Use it well."
Twilight looked into her wife's eyes. "Pearl? Do you know who I am? Who any of us are?"
Pearl took a moment, before smiling widely before kissing her fellow alicorn. "Of course, I know who you are, silly. You're the pony I've loved ever since we first met as fillies. The mare I want to spend all of eternity with. The one I want to start a family with."
Twilight's eyes shimmered as she happily returned the kiss.
Sky rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh, but he was smiling all the same. "Great. Now I'll never hear the end of it. One alicorn is bad enough. Now there's two of them."
Summer giggled as she glided over. "Oh, don't be such a sour puss," she purred.
Pearl shot her a look. "Why do you care so much about me?" She pointed at Tiamat as well. "Why do you both care so much for me? I barely know either of you."
Tiamat's White head shot the dragoness a scathing look. "You have not told her yet?"
Summer glared right back. "It was not the right time. It is not like you have ever cared about my kind anyway. Why should you start now?"
Pearl and Twilight shared a confused look. "What are you two talking about?" Pearl grumbled.
Summer sighed, no longer able to keep it to herself. "Tell me, Princess Twilight. Have you ever heard of Twin Souls?"
Twilight's frown grew. "Yes. But what does that have to do with?" She paused as Summer's look finally registered. "No. That can't be. They are too rare."
Pearl poked her fellow alicorn with a wing, glad of the sudden height increase. "What are you babbling about now, Twily? Come on. Don't leave me out of the loop."
Twilight's ears fell as she smiled sheepishly before whispering something in Pearl's ears. Pearl's eyes bulged in shock at what she heard.
"She's my what?!"