Trace Light and I have been flying a while, but we finally come across the chasm in front of the Castle of the Two Sisters. There, we land in front of the staircase and can now see the tree of harmony.
As soon as the two of us arrive inside the cave the tree is in though, we notice Chrysalis is lying in front of the tree, utterly dejected presumably from the experience in Canterlot. Trace Light and I look at each other with concern. We reluctantly approach her when she notices us.
“Trace Light? Cozy Glow?” Chrysalis sits up and pulls us to her hooves with her magic. “You’re here? I-I was so worried when I didn’t see you two in Ponyville. Where are the princesses?”
“They started dueling our enemies so we could escape the caves along with Twilight’s friends as well as the rest of Aita’s!” Trace Light explains. “We needed to split off to find you all!”
Chrysalis sighs. “Afraid that won’t work since Aita is nowhere to be seen.”
“It will,” I casually reply. “Her knowledge of Equestria is extensive for a reason. Maybe she’d gone home.”
“But how will Aita be safe in the real world?”
Chrysalis’ question confuses us a bit; we thought that world wouldn't be affected by events taking place here.
“It’s certainly a lot safer than Canterlot,” Trace Light says, seeming to possess a theory for why she left. “For all we know, even Equestria at this point.”
Suddenly, the three of us hear hooves clipping behind us. I remember what this is from the last time I was down here. Looking behind us, we see it’s the same hologram of Twilight I saw just months ago.
Good… the spirit flatly says. You are all here.
“But I thought…” I start, only to see the spirit shake her head.
Chrysalis has come for consolation, to be assured there will always be a safe haven in the heart of Equestria for Aita, who is currently nowhere to be seen. Cozy Glow and Trace Light, you best qualify for such providence. Do you say Aita is located in the real world?
I nod at the spirit, who turns to Chrysalis.
Aita will be safe there in trying times of her own, Chrysalis. Think back to yours. After your defeat at the hooves of Starlight Glimmer and Thorax, you fled the hive, seeking revenge. But upon your arrival of the Castle of the Two Sisters, there was something unexpected within you. Is that correct?
Chrysalis looks up, the spirit looking concerned for her. She tears up now. “I… I was reminded of my changelings upon examining the ruins, since Carve and Carina lived with others who did the same. That’s the entire reason I strived to get my hive back.”
And you did earn it back. Those ruins wouldn’t have reminded you of such if they never survived once thrust into the real world. Now it is your subsequent actions that shall help set Equestria on the right path once more. That has been proven with Cozy Glow, who has followed in your example, instead of the much darker path she was once headed; she has given back to her student body back home, led to the acquisition of Trace Light’s cutie mark, and selflessly used her double-edged skill set for the good of her friends… including the young changeling you care most about, Chrysalis.
Chrysalis listens to the spirit’s speech, and looks at us when my actions are brought up. She smiles at me once it’s just us and Trace Light. But it also looks like the windigos have arrived about now too.
“The… the tree of harmony is right… Aita was right… you and I are night and day compared to each other, yet you’ve accomplished as much as I have following my transformation. It doesn’t matter who it is; seeing somepony taking after me is… inspiring.” Chrysalis turns a bit concerned once she gets truly thinking about Aita. “Equestria will have to wait though. Aita needs us.”
Chrysalis pulls us under her wings and teleports us to a world much bulgier than ours. We must be in the real world now. When we approach the house in front of us, Chrysalis knocks on the door, which is opened by Carve of all who would answer.
“Carve?!?” Chrysalis and Carve embrace each other. “I thought you were awaiting my return at the throne room.”
“Not when a changeling needs us.”
We all head inside, Chrysalis closing the door behind us with her magic.
As Carve takes me, Cozy, and Trace Light upstairs, only for us to find in which is presumably Tim’s room, Aita is laying on the middle of the floor with visible puddles below her cheeks from the tears streaming down her face. I sit down in front of her.
“Chrysalis!” Noticing me, Aita gets up and rubs my hoof with her head. “You’re safe!”
“Cozy Glow told me you’d be here, Aita. It’s a relief you’re safe as well.”
Through the corner of my eye, I can see Cozy thinking, hoof under her chin while looking around the room, then walking over to Aita.
“You feeling okay?”
“Oh, thank you for asking, Cozy, but no…” Aita answers sadly. “Everypony fell for Sonata’s humming and nopony even noticed! Not Twilight, her friends, Sunset, Starlight… or ANY of us! And Equestria is now in tension because of the sirens’ magic!”
Carve and Trace Light look at each other. “I mean that much is clear,” the latter replies. “But knowing us ponies, I know every one of us can get ’em back together.”
“But we have no idea where Twilight is!” counters AIta. “And she’s the only one that can fix this!”
Carve nods as she comes by my side. “Yeah we do. Maybe not Tracey or Cozy, but certainly the three of us.”
“You can’t forget, Aita,” I add. “this wasn’t the first time she took refuge, even if this is the first reasonable instance of doing so.”
“Besides, won’t you feel better once we’re all together again? Teaming up and defeating those baddies?” Cozy’s rhetorical question gets Aita’s attention. “We can’t let Twilight and her friends stand alone, can we?”
Aita looks up at me, and for the first time since first encountering Svengallop, she smiles. “Thank you, all of you. Sometimes even I will need some motivation… but we’ll still need a plan.”
Now that’s the nymph I used to care for.
As Aita uses her magic to dry her face, the five of us look to the entrance of the room and see Sophie crossing her arms. “How can I help?”
Aita shakes her head. “Afraid to say, but I can’t let you get in harm’s way, Sophie. I could update you on the situation once this is all over with if you’d like though.”
Sophie looks impressed by this new side of Aita. She ultimately nods and leaves the room the way she came.
Aita begins pacing around the room. “Okay, five of the worst threats, powered up by a magical bell, have taken over Equestria, which has become entirely blinded by distrust and tension, possibly enough to spearhead sightings of the windigos, and it’s up to our circles of friends to put an end to it all.”
“And that’s exactly what we shall do!” I respond with drive as we circle around, stacking hooves of ours on top of each other.
“For Equestria!” we all shout, put each hoof we used in the air.
Once Carve has gone home, Chrysalis and I teleport with Cozy Glow and Trace Light respectively to the Crystal Empire main palace throne room. There, Shining Armor, Cadence and Flurry Heart are present to greet us.
“Aita!” Flurry Heart babbles and laughs, flying over and hugging me.
“Good, you made it,” says Cadence, floating Flurry Heart onto her back once the hug is done. “Twilight and her friends are off along with the rest of yours to defeat the villains. She’ll need your help.”
Chrysalis grins. “Just as we thought. We’ll meet them as soon as equinely possible. You know what to do to get there, right Aita?”
I nod. “Yep. Cadence, Shining Amor, keep Flurry Heart safe. Everyone else, follow me.”
So, I light up my horn and exit the crystal palace, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and Trace Light following me as best as they can while I fly at the fastest velocity I think I’ve ever gone, even faster than when I flew away to the Everfree Forest nearly seven and a half years ago. It’s incredible how far my trailing skills have come, since now I can locate my friends from almost halfway across Equestria now.
“You think they know we’re here?” Spike asks just as we arrive.
And it looks like we came just in time for the baddies to open a portal directly in front of us and step through it.
“I’d say they have an idea,” answers Applejack, everyone now either worried or furious.