Our studies of the crystal caves progressed slowly, the necessity for secrecy demanding that we not do anything too overt. In the meantime, we were also faced with the task of reintegrating into the new Equestrian society and adapting to the changed practices of the existing regal courts. When the regents decided to offer us our titles again, the great citadel of Canterlot Castle, still under construction, was given over to us and adapted to suit the needs of a diarchy.
Fifty years passed. We settled into our new position comfortably, as the nation itself settled into a new state of peace. But by this point our investigations began to stall. We realised that we had reached the limit of what we could do by ourselves without drawing too much attention. So we decided to transfer the research to a specially-hired team of scientists, who could devote more time to the work than we could.
A small number of scientists and mages were personally recruited from the various educational institutions, while adverts went out for other workers to perform simple tasks such as earth-moving. They were provided with accommodation on the outskirts of Canterlot, along with cover stories and salaries.
We put much care into not allowing the split focus of the research and the nation to interfere with our work or draw attention to the project. But even so I found myself having to keep track of yet another concern. I could already see my sister had changed, poisoned by Discord’s lingering influence. Her priorities began had shifted, and I found myself taking the role of her conscience, carefully reminding her of what was important when necessary.
Eventually, despite our efforts, the research did draw attention from an unexpected party. The events which followed had a profound effect on the nation and on my understanding of the nature of Harmony.
Once again, Harmony chose for itself a single pony whom it used as a conduit to act in the world. Unlike at Everfree I had some prior warning of this, but chose to keep my involvement to a minimum in order to ensure that everything happened naturally and as it should.
What followed had a profound effect on said pony, in ways which I could never have predicted. I only wish I could have played some larger part in what happened, but this was one chapter of my story for which the burden had to be carried by others.
Princess Celestia
Princess Luna rose early that morning. The affairs of state had been taking up much of her time recently, and she hoped to use the remaining hour before sunrise to process some paperwork before heading to court. A lot of it was just tedious red tape, requiring a signature and nothing more, but there was so much that it was remarkably time-consuming.
She had nearly finished reading over a final agricultural report when the appointed hour came, and she stood and walked out to the balcony adjoining her quarters. Looking to the west, she saw the moon drifting obediently towards the distant horizon. She cast her magic out to it, and carefully gave it a push, giving it the momentum it needed to traverse the far side of the world during the day.
She then turned to face east. From her high vantage point at the apex of one of the castle’s tallest towers, she had an unobstructed view across the great eastern moors which stretched away from Equestria’s domain, all the way to the distant horizon from which the sun and moon emerged each day. Delaying for a final moment before returning to her duties, she stood and waited for her sister’s sun to rise.
Nothing happened.
The seconds drew on, and Luna grew more and more concerned. Nearly five minutes passed, but the sky remained dark and empty.
Luna recalled the morning, not so long ago for her but now many centuries in the past, when the sun had first refused to rise. She shuddered, wishing not to remember the horrific events which this had heralded.
Back then, the sun delaying for even a few seconds was cause for concern. Since Celestia had taken control of its motions small deviations had become more frequent and understandable, but her sister had never been more than a minute late without prior warning. Beginning to fear the worst, Luna leapt from her balcony into the night.
Soaring between the spires of the castle, she paused for a moment next to one of the many guard towers. Two armoured pegasi obediently took to the air and assumed formation behind her. The three of them proceeded back through the castle and approached the tower which housed Celestia’s quarters.
They alighted on the balcony. Luna nodded to her guards, and they took up sentry positions on the platform, while she pushed the bay window open and stepped into the spacious bedroom.
It was a magnificent chamber, identical in all but decoration to her own. It was even larger than her room in the old Everfree Castle, and Celestia had had the walls adorned with numerous tapestries depicting ponies dancing and playing together. The floor was covered by a thick circular rug, patterned with the symbol of the sun. On the far wall was a mahogany dressing table with stands for her royal tiara and peytral, and a large wardrobe stood next to it holding her various ceremonial dresses. Luna noted that the stands on the table were empty.
But the most visible absence in the room was in the empty bed. The sheets were disturbed, but clearly not slept in. Celestia had apparently not been here overnight, and she had not informed Luna that she would be away. There was no sign of a struggle, but that itself would have been unthinkable, as any attack on the castle would never have gotten so close to the princess without raising alarms.
Luna knew where she was most likely to be if not here, as the research below the castle had taken up most of Celestia’s time recently. But even then there was no reason why she would miss the rising of the sun. On which note, there was something which must be attended to before any further investigation was performed.
She stepped back onto the balcony, and the two guards saluted her.
“At ease,” she said absent-mindedly, her thoughts elsewhere. The guards lowered their hooves and relaxed their postures.
“Orders, your Highness?” one of the guards asked. He retained his composure with practiced ease, carefully hiding his confusion.
“In a moment, Captain,” she responded. “First, I must attend to my sister’s duties in her stead. Then we shall pursue this matter further.”
Raising her horn to the sky once more, Luna reached out her magic to the sun, which sat waiting beyond the horizon. Controlling it did not come as naturally to her as controlling the moon, but she had practiced the art long ago in preparation for teaching it to the unicorns. She gave the sun a push, and it lifted itself above the horizon.
Her mind returning to the balcony, she turned back to face the pegasi waiting behind her. But before she could say anything, something caught her eye. From between the folds of cloth on Celestia’s bed, she could see something glowing. She gestured silently for the guards to follow her, then re-entered the room and approached the bed.
Lying on the bed was a shard of blue crystal. It was about a foot long and roughly cut, many irregular facets covering its sides. Light shone out from within the crystal, and through the largest face, Luna could see a pony’s eye staring back at her.
“What is it?” one of the guards asked.
Luna didn’t respond, but picked up the crystal with her magic, staring back at the dark purple eye.
“Princess Luna,” a high mare’s voice said from within the crystal. “Judging from the sky, I see that you’ve discovered your sister’s absence.”
Luna’s eyes narrowed. “If thou hast done anything to hurt her...”
“Don’t worry,” the voice replied, calmly but in a tone that was anything but reassuring. “Nopony has been hurt. And we hope to keep it that way. We never had any intention of getting her involved, but she... got in the way.”
“What is it that thou wantest?” Luna asked. “Money?”
The voice chuckled. “No, we already have more than enough money, and you haven’t got anything else we need.”
Luna stared back into the strange eye. “Then why art thou even talking to me now? Why involve me as well?”
The eye rolled back. Clearly its owner would have preferred not to be having this conversation either.
“You would have involved yourself either way,” it replied. “I just wanted to warn you. You won’t find us, so don’t waste your time. And anything you could possibly do to interfere with our work would only make things worse for everypony.”
“Thou honestly expectest me to sit back and do nothing after thou hast abducted mine own sister?” Luna shouted.
“No,” the unidentified pony replied. “I expect you to do nothing because we abducted your sister. The most powerful pony in all Equestria — no offence — is at our mercy, and the same will happen to you if you try anything. If you do anything to provoke us, we have orders from the regents to respond as we see fit. We have the power to bring harm to many, and we will not hesitate to use it. The consequences lie on your shoulders.”
“The regents? What hath they—”
Before she could finish, the eye vanished and the crystal went inert again. Luna turned it over frantically in the air, probing it for any information. A communication spell remained linked to it, but she could not activate it or trace its source. Growling in frustration, she threw the crystal back onto the bed. She stared at it, panting heavily, a powerful rage welling up unconstrained in the back of her mind.
Behind her the guards shifted uneasily. The princess’s temper was seen only occasionally, but when it was she seemed to change. It was subtle, impossible to describe accurately, but on seeing her like this ponies immediately wished to find themselves elsewhere. After a long silence as Luna stared at the crystal lying on the bed, the captain cleared his throat.
“What shall we do, Princess?” he asked carefully. “Are we going to heed their warning, or—”
“No!” The princess whirled around and stared at him, her chest heaving. “We do not bow to the demands of terrorists! They will be made to pay for this attack! Take this,” she said, throwing the crystal over to the captain, who caught it in his teeth. “Now follow me. I know where they will have been last.”
Lowering her head, she charged out onto the balcony and leapt over the edge.
~ ~ ~
Folding her wings across her back, she twisted gracefully in the air and fell down through the centre of the castle. Bridges and platforms whipped past her, until she passed through the great foundation structure and emerged amongst the buttresses which anchored the citadel to the mountainside. She spread her wings and swooped towards the cliff, landing on a narrow path which wound down the rock face.
She proceeded along the path away from the castle followed by the guards, who landed moments after her. She took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She would need a clear head in order to investigate properly.
Finally, she reached the cave entrance. It was only a narrow opening, barely large enough for her to fit through. She squeezed past the rocks, followed closely by the guards, and lit her horn to illuminate the cave beyond.
It was truly a sight to behold. The rocks, dirt and animal remains which had covered the walls and floor previously had been cleared away, revealing the massive crystals which lined the cave on all sides. The crystals shone an eerie blue in the light of Luna’s horn.
The cave was deserted. There was no sign of the research team that had been occupying it for the last few months. Passages split off from the first cavern, the structure continuing a long way into the mountains in all directions. Along the far wall was a row of trestle tables, which had previously held numerous piles of parchment and scientific equipment, but they were all empty now.
“Is anypony here?” Luna called out, her voice reverberating through the cave, but no response came. She walked between the passageways, looking carefully down each and calling again, but the immediate vicinity seemed to be deserted. After checking the final passage, she turned and headed back towards the entrance, deciding what to do next, when she heard a quiet voice from behind her.
“Princess? Princess Luna, is that you?”
The voice was muffled, almost inaudible. Luna returned to the passage and walked cautiously into it. It was as deserted as all the others.
“Princess! Over here!”
The voice came again, this time much closer. Luna turned and stared at the wall where the sound had come from. Suddenly, in the light from her horn, she noticed something moving inside the crystals. Her eyes went wide as she realised there was a pony trapped in the wall!
“How didst thou get in there?” Luna called as she tried to find any gaps in the crystals. “Guards! I need a hoof in here!”
“No, it’s okay!” the mare responded. “I hid myself here when they attacked.”
Luna paused, confused. “Hid? How?”
“Give me a minute. I’ll see if I can do it again.”
Luna stepped back from the wall. She held up a hoof to stop the guards as they arrived, and the three watched the pony in the wall. Moments later, a quiet rumble filled the cave, the walls shaking, and a narrow seam spread through the wall around the pony. The crystal blocking her in slid downwards, and was absorbed into the floor.
Luna stared, impressed by the display of magic she had just witnessed. She carefully examined the pony who now stood, bent over in concentration, in front of her. She was young, probably only just an adult. Her cutie mark showed a large sapphire, split into three pieces, clearly representing her talent. She was very heavily built, no doubt as a result of spending her life working with rocks, and her thick chestnut fur stopped short of her exposed, well worn hooves. But what drew Luna’s attention, obvious through her loosely hanging mane, was that she did not possess a horn.
“She’s... an earth pony,” one of the guards noted. Luna waved a hoof again, and the two of them stood to attention and backed away. As the young mare collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, the princess approached her and cautiously proffered a hoof, but she ignored it. She curled up against the wall, hiding her head in her forelegs.
“Do not fear,” Luna said, sitting down next to her. “They hath left now.”
The earth pony looked up at Luna, her eyes red and sore. “Are you sure?” When Luna nodded, she continued. “They came out of nowhere. Yesterday evening they... they just appeared, and... and they took everyone!”
Luna nodded. Her suspicions were right, then. The attack had happened inside the caves.
“What is thy name?” she asked.
“Sapphire,” the earth pony responded. “Sapphire Stone. I’m part of the earth-moving team.”
Luna lay down on the floor next to Sapphire. “I know this may be difficult, Sapphire,” she said, “but I need to know what happened here last night. What dost thou remember?”
Sapphire closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked back out towards the entrance. “It wasn’t long after sunset. The princess... your sister had come down to check on progress before we packed up. They were all out there talking science and I... I was through here, staying out of the way.”
She shivered, closing her eyes tightly. “Then I heard voices I didn’t recognise. They were shouting, and I could hear spells being fired. I panicked, and I hid.”
“Thou didst not try to save them?”
Sapphire squeaked and hid her head under her hooves. “I didn’t know how! Instinct just took over, and I...”
Luna realised that she had raised her voice, and laid a wing over Sapphire’s back, which seemed to calm her down. “Forgive me,” she said. “I should not have been so harsh. Thou wert able to hide thyself because of thy special talent?”
Sapphire nodded. “It just sort of happened. I was about to run away, and I tripped and fell against the wall. Next thing I knew, I was trapped. I guess it was instinct, or something. I didn’t dare move in case somepony saw me, and I’ve been here all night.”
“This is an unusual talent for an earth pony,” Luna commented. “Hast thou always been able to do this?”
Sapphire shook her head. “No. I’ve always been able to...” She paused, looking around, trying to find the right word. “I’ve always been able to sense crystals. Know where they are, see how pure they are, things like that. Celestia said I’m connected to crystals in the same way most earth ponies connect to the soil. I never realised I could move them as well until I came here. It’s something about how big the crystals are.”
“Thou art able to draw from the inherent magic in the crystals,” Luna mused.
“Celestia said that too,” Sapphire responded, nodding. “I felt weird as soon as I came to the cave. I could feel the power around me. It got even stronger when we exposed the crystal itself and I was able to feel it with my own hooves. I then found that I was able to move the crystals round if I concentrated, and I’ve spent a lot of the last few months practicing.”
“That is why thou wert here last night?” Luna asked. Sapphire nodded.
Luna looked at the strange pony lying next to her. Celestia had not mentioned Sapphire’s talent to her, but this was not in itself surprising. Knowing the inherent power in these caves, they had decided that their research should be kept quiet until they had a proper understanding of what it represented. So, while Luna took care of the public affairs of state, Celestia had volunteered to assume complete executive power over the research. They had kept discussion of the work to an absolute minimum to avoid the risk of anything being leaked. While she trusted her sister completely, they knew that their royal court was not entirely watertight, filled with numerous informants for various powerful ponies.
But as she considered Sapphire, she realised that her talent may present an opportunity. Something which the attackers hopefully had not considered.
“Let us go somewhere less cramped, Sapphire,” Luna said. She stood and helped Sapphire up, then the four of them walked back out into the main cavern. She walked over to a lantern that hung against one of the walls and lit it, better lighting the space, then turned back to the guards.
“The crystal, please.”
Sapphire looked over at them, her curiosity piqued by the mention of another crystal. One of the guards pulled the blue shard out from beneath his armour and gave it to the princess, who took it in her magic and walked it over to Sapphire. She caught it and turned it over between her front hooves, examining every side of it.
“I need to know if there is anything that thou canst tell me about this crystal,” Luna said.
Sapphire looked up, wide-eyed, at Luna. “This is beautiful! Where did you find this?” she asked. Luna did not respond, so she looked back down at the crystal, examining it carefully.
“It's incredibly pure,” she said eventually. “Purer than anything I’ve ever seen. It’s got a lot of power in it for such a small piece. There’s even... Has a spell been cast on this?” Luna nodded at her, and she looked back down at the crystal, feeling it’s power through her hooves. “There’s something more to it, though. This isn’t it’s original shape. It used to be part of a larger formation; I can still feel echoes of it. I wonder if the spell's be binding the two parts together somehow. This can’t have been part of these caves though...”
Sapphire’s voice trailed off as she lost herself in the crystal, then her eyes flew open and she staggered back, dropping it on the floor. Luna watched the crystal as it came to rest, then approached Sapphire.
“Art thou hurt?” she asked.
Sapphire continued to stare in shock at the crystal. Her voice shook when she spoke. “I’ve never felt anything like that! It’s... it's still connected to its home, and the power coming from it... it must be the largest crystal in all Equestria!”
Luna stepped over the crystal and sat down in front of Sapphire, bringing their heads level with each other. “Thou sayest it is still connected? Using this crystal, wouldst thou be able to locate its source?”
Sapphire nodded, her mind still reeling from what she had seen. Luna nodded, then turned back towards her guards.
“I want you to prepare a chariot,” she said to them. “I will determine the origin of this crystal, and then I will be leaving immediately to stop this madness and—”
“No!”
Luna stopped and turned to see Sapphire staring back at her, equally surprised by her sudden outburst. She lowered her head, shaking it, then looked back up.
“I mean, uh... there’s something more.” She sat down next to the crystal and looked at it contemplatively. “I could feel something reaching out from the crystal. It’s like it’s alive, and it was calling out to me. It was in pain. It was scared, and it was begging me to help it!” She looked back up at the princess, and Luna could see that she was deeply conflicted, unsure what she was trying to say.
“I’ve never felt anything like it before. Something's being done to it. I feel sick just thinking about it, and I think... I need to stop it. Princess, please. I want to go too. I think I need to. I need to fix whatever’s happened.”
Sapphire stared expectantly at the princess as she considered it. Luna knew that she should not send the young pony into danger so readily. This was her fight; it was her sister that she was rescuing. And Sapphire’s desire to go just to heal the pain she had felt did not sit right with the princess for some reason.
But Luna considered the good fortune she had already had in meeting Sapphire. She had had many conversations with her sister over the years on the subject of destiny, and they both believed that many things did happen for a reason. This abduction was clearly related to their crystal research, and thus Sapphire may be uniquely suited to deal with the situation in this case. She was perhaps the only pony in Equestria who would be able to find her sister’s attackers, and who knew what power she may have access to at this new crystal formation?
She had even volunteered for the job. This was a rare luxury which few ponies in similar situations were given. Remembering also that there were other tasks closer to home which needed attention, Luna decided that it may be worth the risk.
“Art thou certain this is what thou wantest?” Luna asked Sapphire. The young mare again looked uncertain, still fighting a mental battle to balance her own needs with her new desires. Eventually she seemed to reach a decision, a new look of resolve appearing on her face.
“I’m sure, princess,” she said. “Please. I need to do this.”
Luna nodded, then returned to the guards.
“There has been a change of plans. You will now be escorting Miss Stone instead. She will guide you as you travel, and you are to protect and aid her in any way you can. Any orders she giveth you are given with my authority. Do you understand?”
The guards saluted the princess, then bowed towards Sapphire. The young pony stepped back and looked worriedly at Luna.
“You’re not coming with me?” She asked.
“I am afraid not,” Luna replied. “There are matters which must be dealt with at this end. But do not fear. I have confidence in thine abilities. I am certain that thou wilt not fail. Now please hurry. We must waste no time.”
Luna watched as Sapphire picked up the crystal and left the cave, escorted by the two guards. There was one more thing she would do before following, however. She lay down on the ground, magically extinguishing the lamp, and closed her eyes.
~ ~ ~
Luna stood on a grassy hillside overlooking a farm. The sun was setting in the distance, and a large number of ponies were gathered in the farmyard. There was a long table filled with all kinds of food, and many were dancing to a band in the evening light. In the field behind the yard, fillies and colts were playing together, throwing a ball around and chasing each other.
She looked down to her side and found what she sought. Her sister lay on the grass, watching the foals playing, a calm smile on her face.
“You always pick such simple dreams,” Luna said.
“There is nothing more precious in my life than seeing the joy of ponies enjoying each other’s company,” Celestia replied. “I come here often when I need to be at peace.”
“I am confused by this game,” Luna said as she sat down next to Celestia.
“It has no name,” her sister explained. “Its rules are constantly changing, only existing when they are needed. It is the sort of game that only a foal could ever imagine.” Celestia chuckled, then turned to look at Luna. “But we have more important things to discuss, I think.”
“Indeed.” Luna turned her head and met her sister’s eyes. “I am glad you thought to come here also. But why did you allow yourself to be captured?”
Celestia shook her head. “They took us all by surprise. When they saw me, they used the other researchers as hostages, demanding that I cooperate. I could not risk any harm coming to the others if I fought back.”
Luna considered this for a moment, then nodded. “I understand. Still, you are putting yourself at risk by doing nothing. These ponies are clearly dangerous, and you should not be sitting idly by while they prepare whatever it is they are planning.”
“Indeed I will not,” Celestia said. “I need to know what it is they are doing, and by allowing them to bring me here I hope to be able to determine their intentions. I have also allowed them to believe that I am under their control. That is why I chose not to raise the sun today.”
“That was wise, sister. Had the sun risen on time it may have been many hours before I became aware of your absence.”
Celestia nodded and looked back out over the farm as the sun began to set in the distance. “Now, there are a few matters which must be discussed before we part again. I noticed that not all of the research team were brought with me.”
“I found Sapphire Stone in the caves this morning,” Luna said. “She managed to conceal herself within one of the cavern walls. Her special talent is impressive, sister. On her request, I have sent her to you to assist.”
Celestia raised her eyebrows, thinking. After a few moments, she smiled. “You made the right choice,” she said. “I expect great things from Miss Stone. If she is here, I may not need to intervene at all.”
“You expect a lot,” Luna replied. “Unless you suspect that—”
“I think it is certainly possible. If so, there will not be much I can do in any case. I will have time to consider this further before she arrives, though.” Celestia paused, then turned to face Luna again. “You are not coming with her?”
“I am not,” Luna replied. “I need to address something here.”
She told her sister about the crystal which Sapphire was carrying, and about the message that she had been given.
Celestia looked troubled by the news. “It concerns me that they were able to access my quarters. But if they have the support of the regents then they would have a lot of freedom within the castle.”
Luna stood and started pacing restlessly. “It concerns me more that the regents have ordered an attack on the castle, and on us. I am going to confront them as soon as we are finished here, and they will be made to pay for their treachery!”
Celestia rose also and held out a hoof to stop her sister. “That should not be necessary, fortunately. From what I have heard since my arrival, my captors no longer answer to the regents. I suspect they may be rogue agents, and that they probably only mentioned the regents to you as a stalling tactic.”
Luna considered this. “It is still worth investigating, though. To find out what their connection is to this.”
“Indeed.” Celestia settled back on the hillside. “Remember, though. They should not be our enemies. Be safe, sister. I will await Sapphire’s arrival.”
Luna nodded and faded away. Celestia sat in silence for a few moments, then woke herself up.
~ ~ ~
Sapphire Stone curled up in the back of the chariot, sheltering against the cold winds which were blowing past. They had been flying for nearly nine hours now, stopping only occasionally to recheck their bearings or to find food.
They were being guided entirely by Sapphire’s sense of the crystal’s connection to its parent. She had no idea how much farther it was going to be; all she could tell was that it was somewhere to the north of them.
She had hoped that their destination would become clear as they approached. A structure that large should have been easy to spot from the air. But there was nothing as far as the eye could see. The rolling grassy hills of northern Equestria had long ago given way to a vast frozen expanse of tundra, well beyond the direct influence of the pegasi. If the crystal was out here, it must be buried beneath the earth, which would make it harder to find. Sapphire started to worry that it may not even be possible.
The long hours of silence had given Sapphire plenty of time to think, but she was still a long way from understanding how she had ended up here. For some reason, she had just volunteered herself for a mission into completely unknown, and certainly dangerous, territory. She had no idea what was going to happen, she had no idea what she was supposed to do to stop it, and she didn’t even know where she was going. Her brain screamed at her, saying she should be home with her parents now. She should never have left home at all, never gone to Canterlot, and then she wouldn’t be out here on this stupid suicide mission.
Burying her head in her hooves, she pushed the incessant worries out of her head, and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. What was done was done. She was here now, and she had better make best use of the situation as it stood.
She quietly scolded herself for letting herself get so carried away. She had always known how easily she lost herself when she found a strong crystal. The effect of joining herself with one was indescribable, different every time, and could affect her thoughts in strange ways. Even so, this had been different. What she had felt calling out to her seemed to be alive itself. It was like seeing into, becoming one with, the mind of another, and for a brief time she had shared its needs, its pain, its desires. Then, while she still wasn’t back to her normal self, she’d made a rash decision that could get her and everypony else killed.
She could feel the weight of the crystal in her saddle-bag. She only held it in her hooves when she needed to, but even now she could sense the magic in it calling to her, echoing quietly in the back of her mind. It had been getting continually stronger ever since they left the castle. Either it was simply because they were getting closer to the source, or whatever was causing the pain she felt was getting stronger. Sapphire hoped it was the former, but suspected it was both.
Carrying the crystal was difficult. She had at one point considered giving it to the guards to hold, but she felt she needed it with her to remind herself why she was here. The longer she felt the cries for help from the crystal, the more she was able to convince herself that it was right for her to be there.
She lifted her head up over the front of the chariot, scanning the horizon for any sign of landmarks again, but saw nothing.
“I want to land again and check the direction,” she called to the pegasi pulling the chariot. “We must be close by now.”
The guards nodded, and the chariot started to descend towards the earth. They flew along about fifty feet above the ground as the pegasi scanned for a suitable place to land.
Suddenly there was a pulse of magic in the air, and the guards’ wings locked up. They strained, trying in vain to continue flying, but the chariot started to fall helplessly to the ground. One of the guards swung his head round and shouted back to Sapphire.
“Miss Stone! Jump!”
She had barely had a chance to realise what was happening when she heard him. Panicking, she closed her eyes and leapt away from the falling chariot. She crashed to the ground, rolling to a stop in the branches of a small bush. When she picked herself up, she saw the chariot, lying on its side twenty yards away from her. The guards were unfastening themselves from their reins and trying to loosen their stiff wings. She was about to call out to them, when she heard voices coming from her left.
She ducked back into the bushes, hoping that the new arrivals hadn’t seen her. Watching through a gap in the branches, she saw a group of five ponies walk past, muttering about having been disturbed. There were scuffling noises as her guards presumably tried to resist capture, but Sapphire saw green flashes of light and heard the all-too-familiar hiss of spells being fired, then the fighting stopped.
“A chariot?” one of the ponies said over the whistle of the wind. “Were you expecting to just walk in, pick up your princess and leave? I’m impressed that Luna found us so quickly, but we’re not so stupid as to leave our base undefended, you know.”
“Should we change our plan?” another voice asked.
“No, we stick to our schedule,” the first voice replied. “We’re nearly ready now. No point in hurrying at this point. Let’s put these two inside with the others.”
The ponies filed past again, carrying the unconscious guards. Sapphire kept still, holding her breath, in the hope that they wouldn’t hear her. Once they had gone past, she raised her head cautiously, just in time to see the group disappear through a small hole not too far from where she had landed.
She waited a minute to be sure that everypony had gone, then pulled herself out of the bushes. She was alone again. For the second time in as many days, she had watched as those ponies stole her allies from her.
Swallowing her fear, she walked towards the entrance. She couldn’t afford to sit around helplessly this time. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could go home.
~ ~ ~
Luna sat alone in the middle of a field, waiting. A cloud hung overhead, a light but persistent rain falling over her.
Upon her return to the castle, Luna had sent messengers to the three regents, demanding an immediate audience. Four hours later, a single response came, asking that she meet them at this location. Their reluctance to come to Canterlot was unusual, and betrayed a clear distrust in the princesses from the regents. In light of this, their decision to request an open, neutral meeting point was understandable, but it was a shame that they considered it necessary.
Half an hour after Luna arrived, she saw the regents approach. King Platinum and Chancellor Ridgeway each arrived in their own chariots, while Commander Ravenwing chose to fly in by herself. The three of them convened together at the edge of the field, talking quietly with each other, then approached the princess together.
“Good afternoon to you all,” Luna said as they arrived. “A shame about the weather, though,” she added, glancing towards Ravenwing.
“We can’t simply cancel a shower because you’ve demanded to see us,” the grey pegasus retorted, hovering into the air.
Luna nearly reprimanded the commander, but decided against it, remembering her sister’s advice. “I understand,” she said. “But I do feel that this atmosphere is not conducive to peaceful discussion. I hope thou dost not mind.”
She stood up and unfurled her wings. A magical aura shed from her feathers and spread out into the air, forming an iridescent blue dome over them and holding the rain back. Satisfied that the shield was sound, Luna closed her wings and lay down again. Ravenwing cast a disgruntled look at the shimmering barrier above her, then landed beside her allies. The three regents sat down on the now-dry grass.
“Now that we art all sitting comfortably,” Luna continued, “it hast come to my attention that mistrust hast grown between us of late, and this troubleth me. I hope I can provide you with the reassurance you need in order for us to work together harmoniously once more.”
King Platinum idly examined one of his hooves. “The thing is, your Highness, trust is something which one needs to earn. It cannot just be handed out on a silver platter.”
“What the king is trying to say,” Ridgeway added, “is that some of us—” she glanced back at the king, who rolled his eyes and looked away “—feel that our predecessors should have given you more time to prove yourselves genuine and worthy of your historical status before it was granted to you.”
“I see,” Luna responded. “The regents of the time did have their reasons for trusting us, of course.”
“Oh, please,” Ravenwing laughed. “You know the story of Hearths’ Warming as well as any of us. They were embarrassed!”
The king nodded. “The then-chancellor and commander and my... dear sister... had nearly destroyed any chance of reclaiming our homeland simply because of their stubbornness. If we were not too busy trying to rebuild our entire nation they would have been ousted long before. When two legendary alicorns appeared out of nowhere, they hoped that allying themselves with you would give them some credibility again.”
Luna nodded. There was still a long way to go, but she was glad to be getting answers from them. She found their sudden openness strange though. There must be more to their reasons for being here.
“I wish you had spoken to us about this directly,” she said. “You must understand that my sister and I see our titles not as a right, but as an honour. We would have been more than happy to come to an alternative arrangement if you wished. There was no need to spy on us.”
“Hmph.” King Platinum stood up and began to walk around the edge of the domed area. Luna watched him carefully as he paced. “You clearly know about our agents, yet thou continuest to feign ignorance over their purpose.”
“They were not sent to investigate my sister and I?” Luna asked.
“They were,” Ridgeway said, lowering her head. “But they were sent because of a more specific concern. They...”
“We know about your research project,” the king interjected.
Luna stood and turned to face the king. Her mind ran back across all the court meetings she had been in over the past few months, trying to think of anything that she may have said to reveal the existence of the research. But she had already thought over all of her engagements after first realising that the caves had been targeted, and had come up with nothing.
“How did you come by this information?” she asked.
“That is not important,” the king replied. “Needless to say we have sources high up in Princess Celestia’s staff. We do not know exactly how high,” he added.
“They approached us a few weeks ago,” Ravenwing continued. “They told us about research the two of you were doing into some powerful magical artefacts, and how you were deliberately concealing it from your subjects. I imagine you can see why we’d be concerned.”
Luna nodded, lowering her head. “We had kept it secret because we feared that others may try to exploit it before it was fully understood. I assure you we had intended to reveal everything eventually.”
“But we have only thy word for that,” the king said. “They offered to bring us more information. All we had to do was provide them with, ah, funding, to cover for the risks they were taking.”
“Naturally,” Luna responded flatly.
“I’m surprised that you don’t already know all this,” Ridgeway said. “When we lost contact with them two days ago, we assumed that you had discovered them, and that they were captured and being interrogated.”
Luna looked round at the chancellor. “You have not heard from them in two days?”
The three regents exchanged glances.
“Er... no,” Ravenwing shuffled uneasily, then stood up and stared at Luna. “This is not your doing?”
“No, it is not,” Luna replied. “But I think you will all be interested to discover that Princess Celestia was abducted last night.”
~ ~ ~
Sapphire found herself walking through a maze of narrow tunnels dug into the earth. The only light came from a strange florescent green substance which clung in lumps to the walls. She had no idea what it was, but didn’t dare touch it to investigate further. This didn’t feel right for a secret hideout. It felt like these caves had been carved out by some form of wild creature, and the ponies were only occupying it.
She continued down passage after passage, listening out for any sounds of life in the deserted tunnels. She could feel the crystal at her side more strongly than ever now, and it almost felt warm against her side now.
She could swear that she could feel something else now. Another force, much more powerful, calling to her directly through the earth. She was getting close.
She reached yet another junction, still with only the sound of insects scurrying across the floor to keep her company. This place was making her stomach turn. She breathed heavily through her mouth, trying to avoid inhaling the stale smell of the cave. The nausea wasn’t made any better by the constant presence of the magic screaming in her mind. Part of her wished that she could shut it out, just for a while, and clear her head again. But she reminded herself that she had come to help whatever was calling her. Swallowing down the fear that was rising in her throat, she turned towards where the magic felt strongest, and continued on.
Nearly a quarter of an hour later, she was startled by a new sound. Jumping backwards into a small nook in the wall, she held her breath and listened intently to try and identify it. After a few moments, she realised that it was a pony, and that they were humming. More importantly, she recognised the voice.
Cantering down the passage and around another corner, she came to an entrance. It led into a small room, lit by torches instead of the green substance. Against the far wall, a prison cell had been built, thick crystalline bars covering the entrance. Inside the cage, Princess Celestia lay on the ground idly straightening her mane.
“Princess!” Sapphire whispered as she galloped across the room to the cell. “Are you okay?”
Celestia looked up, and smiled warmly when she saw Sapphire. “It is good to see you again, Sapphire,” she said. “I am fine, and I am relieved to see that you were not captured.”
Sapphire hung her head. “My guards were, though. That’s the second time I’ve failed to help somepony when they were attacked. I just hid and did nothing.”
Reaching through the bars, Celestia laid a hoof on Sapphire’s back. “But you are here now. That is more than I could expect from anypony. My sister even informs me that you volunteered, which was remarkably brave of you.”
Sapphire looked up, confused. “Your sister? How did Luna...” She shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the task at hand. “Never mind. I think I might be able to get you out of this cell. The bars seem to be...”
Celestia interrupted her with a wave of a hoof. “Do not concern yourself with me. This is not my fight, and it is important that I stay out of the way. I will explain later, but now I suggest that you find your fellow scientists. I believe they are being held further down this corridor.”
“But Princess,” Sapphire said. “What am I supposed to do? I’ve no idea what’s happening, or how to stop it! I need your help!” She started to hyperventilate, crouching down on the floor, but Celestia pulled her head round and stared into her eyes. The sight of the princess’s warm smile calmed her, and her breathing started to level out.
“I know this is a lot for you to deal with now,” Celestia said. “You have every right to be nervous, but there is something you should know. I can sense great potential in you, more than you realise. All you need is the chance to use it. I am confident that you will not disappoint me.”
The princess let go of Sapphire’s face and stood up, and Sapphire followed suit. She was still breathing heavily, and she still felt so tense that she thought she was going to explode at any moment, but talking to the princess always seemed to give her confidence.
“So I have to do this on my own?” she asked. Celestia shook her head.
“Like I say, I suggest that you find your fellow scientists. Hopefully your guards may be with them as well. I think it is vitally important that you have companionship at this time, to give you strength to get through what is to come. Now, we have delayed long enough. I suggest you move on.”
Sapphire looked round at the dark passageway behind her. She still felt guilty over abandoning the other scientists, and this was not a reunion she was looking forward to. She walked to the doorway, and with a final look over her shoulder at the princess, stepped back into the darkness.
~ ~ ~
“I can't believe they betrayed us!”
Commander Ravenwing stomped back and forth across the grass. All three regents were standing now, and the king looked as furious as the commander did. Chancellor Ridgeway stood to one side, impatiently scratching her leg.
Luna lay still on the grass, watching patiently as the regents vented their anger. She had spent the best part of an hour explaining everything that had happened. She had told them all she knew about the research, and of the abduction itself. In turn, they had told her everything they knew about their informants.
The clouds overhead were now starting to turn orange in the evening light, but it had at least stopped raining. The sun would be needing to set in less than an hour, and with any luck this would all be over by then. Luna had no idea where Sapphire was or how she was faring, however. She did not expect to hear anything more, either, as she doubted that Celestia would risk sleeping again at such an important time.
“After everything we gave them, they turned against us!” Ravenwing continued.
“I told you we shouldn’t have been so quick to trust them,” Ridgeway said, glaring at the other two. “Especially after your big speech about not trusting the princesses.”
“We did not trust them,” King Platinum stated. “They were already traitors, and deserved no such luxury. But they had important information, and we could not ignore their offer.”
Luna stood, and the regents fell silent. “I can understand your feelings, all of you, but it would seem that we have all been manipulated. They hath taken what they needed from all sides and gone their own way.”
Ridgeway cleared her throat and stepped forward. “It has to be noted that we’ve still only your word that their disappearance is not your doing,” she said.
Luna looked to the north for a moment. Bring me peace, my sister, she thought to herself. She had hoped that she would be able to win their trust more easily, but it had perhaps been optimistic to think so. She still had one option left, however, and while it would not be easy for her, she hoped that it would be enough to at least secure their cooperation.
“You are correct, of course,” she said, turning back to Ridgeway. “I should not ask you to trust me completely without evidence. But alas I cannot provide any proof either way. However, as I said, I already have a pony working to stop these agents’ plans, and all we can do in the meantime is wait. I will remain with you, and answer any and all questions you ask of me. Please, at least give me the chance to reassure you.”
“Thou askest a lot,” the king said. “If thou art working against us, this could just as easily be a trap.”
Luna nodded, then lay down on the grass again. “Then there are a few things thou shouldst know,” she said. She gestured up to the translucent dome which still hung above their heads. “This shield ist mine own natural magical barrier. Whilst I have shed it thusly, I am entirely at the mercy of anything thou doest to me. And I promise not to do anything in self-defence. If you wish to leave, you are welcome to. If you wish to take me into custody for further investigation, that is your right. I ask you to stay only so I can help allay your concerns.”
After considering this for a moment, the king walked cautiously past Luna and approached the shield. He held his hoof out through it for a moment, examining the barrier. Then, returning to stand by Luna’s side, he held his hoof up again and placed it on the princess’s withers, seeing if she would react. She ignored the hoof, staring calmly into the distance.
After a few moments, the king sighed and lowered his hoof again.
“It must be difficult, placing so much trust in us,” he said. “I suppose the least I can do is return the favour, at least for the moment.”
Luna smiled, and looked over her shoulder at the king. “Thou hast my thanks, your Majesty. Thy willingness to cooperate will not be forgotten.”
The king nodded in acknowledgement, then returned to the other regents, then the three of them sat down once more on the grass.
“So, now what?” Ridgeway asked. “It seems you have already answered any questions I had as well as you can.”
“I suppose so,” Luna said. “Then I suggest we just spend the remaining time in each other’s company, as the friends that I hope we can be. So, Commander,” she said, turning to Ravenwing, “how ist the weather today?”
~ ~ ~
Sapphire crept further along the corridor. She was starting to hear voices in her head constantly. The crystal in her saddlebag was drowned out by its parent, so close now that its magic seemed to fill the air around her.
But not all of the voices were in her head. She could also hear more familiar ones, coming from very close by. She followed them until, at last, she found another torchlit room. In this one, a large crystalline cell stood in the centre, with the guards and the rest of the research team sitting in it. Once more the room was unguarded. Wherever the other ponies were, they clearly had more important things to do.
She hesitated outside the room. All the ponies in the cell, nine of them now, were trapped here because of her, because she failed to help them before. She wanted to try to help them now, but the only things she could do were leave them here or put them in even more danger. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously entered the room.
As she did so, Studious Method, the lead researcher, noticed her. “Miss Stone!” he said. “You made it!”
Sapphire was at least relieved to talk to Studious first. She barely knew the scientists, but even though he was always proper and formal, he had at least been friendly. She couldn’t say the same for some of the others. Still, she found it strange that yet again he seemed to be expecting her.
“You knew I was coming?” she asked. Then she noticed her guards, sitting at the far side of the cell. “Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot.”
“So you’re here to rescue us?” another scientist, who Sapphire didn’t remember as well, said.
“I guess so,” she replied, shrugging. “Do you know where those other ponies went?”
Studious pointed over to an exit on the other side of the room, which sloped down away from the room. “They went down that way with our notes and equipment after they interrogated us. It seems they only took us for our research. They went that way after bringing your guards in as well, so I assume they’re still down there. Do you know what they’re doing?”
“Oh, come on,” the other scientist said. “You remember her, little miss shy and timid. I don’t know how she ended up on this mission, but don’t give her any hope of succeeding, Stu. If they captured Celestia, what hope has she got?”
Studious turned and faced him. “First, please don’t call me that, Pestle,” he said. “Second, she’s the only help we’ve got. Unless you have any other ideas, I think I’ll give her a chance. Is that clear?”
Pestle sneered and turned away, so Studious went back over to Sapphire. “Sorry about that,” he said. “Now, do you think you can get us out of here? I’ve had no luck with my magic; I think the cell’s enchanted. But it’s made of crystal, so I was wondering...”
Sapphire shook her head. “No, I’m leaving you here, at least for now. I don’t want to put anypony else in danger.”
“You can’t be serious,” he replied. “You’re going to do this on your own? I assume you have a fairly good plan, then.”
Sapphire opened her mouth to say something to reassure him so that he’d stop worrying. But before she could think of a suitable lie, she found herself saying “No, I have no idea what to do.”
Studious stared blankly at her. “No plan at all?” Sapphire shook her head.
“I’m not sure what to make of that,” he said, pacing back and forth behind the bars. “If you have no idea what you’re doing, why are you even here?”
Sapphire sighed and lay down, then, reaching into her saddlebag, she pulled the crystal out with her teeth and placed it carefully on the ground in front of her.
“I’m here because of this,” she said. “It’s part of some crystal they have here. They left it in Canterlot.”
“Doesn’t look very special,” Pestle said.
“On it’s own, I guess it’s not,” Sapphire said. “But it’s still connected to the crystals here. I can sense what they’re doing here through it. When I hold that in my hooves, I can see... I’m not sure how to describe it. There’s powerful magic here, and something’s hurting it. I’ve felt its pain, and I think I need to stop it.”
“You don’t sound very certain,” Studious said.
“I’m not,” she replied. “I’ve been asking myself ever since I left if I should be doing this. It feels like the world made this decision for me, and now I’m trapped.” She looked down at the crystal again. “But every time I feel the magic in that calling to me, it feels like it’s pushing me on, telling me that I can. I don’t know how, but I think I’m supposed to do this. It’s something I have to do, one way or another.”
Studious put a hoof on his chin and considered this. “You said you could feel another crystal? Even with your skills, how is that possible? We must be hundreds of miles from Canterlot here.”
“This is different, though,” she said. “How big is the largest crystal under Canterlot?”
“Huge,” he replied. “We found some continuous sections which were nearly fifty yards across.”
“Largest on record,” another scientist added.
Sapphire nodded. “They’re nothing compared to what’s here, though. Whatever it is, it must be miles across at least! Its power is still linked to this shard, and it’s the strongest force I’ve ever felt!”
Studious stared at the shard, and then whistled in awe. “You know, it’s starting to sound like you may actually have a chance. I’ve seen what you can do in the right circumstances.” He knelt down on the floor, smiling reassuringly at her, and she looked up and met his eyes. “You may not believe you can do this, but I think part of you knows you can. And I trust you enough to let you try. Now let’s get this cell open and—”
“No!” She jumped up and looked down at him. “Weren’t you listening? I’m doing this on my own! This is my job, and I’m not going to let the rest of you get hurt again!”
Sapphire stared at him, panting heavily. Studious stared back, completely calm, waiting for her to relax again. When her breathing slowed, he asked “What do you mean, ‘again’?”
Sapphire’s brief anger disappeared, and she hung her head, shutting her eyes firmly to hold the tears back.
“I let you get captured,” she said. “I could have done something. I should have at least tried. Instead I tried to run, and then I hid. Then I got here, and I hid again as my guards were captured. I didn’t do anything to help you then, so if I can keep you out of danger, I have to.”
“Don’t worry about us,” one of the guards said from the back. “Our job is to protect you, and that is what we have done. If you had tried to stop them you would have been captured as well, and we all would have failed.”
Sapphire looked over at him. She was surprised to see the stoic guard giving her asmile, and returned it. “Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that. But that doesn’t forgive what I did to the rest of you.”
“Sapphire, there’s something you need to understand,” Studious said. “I don’t care. I doubt you’ve ever fought anypony before, and your abilities were still new to you. I couldn’t expect you to come charging in and save us all. To ask so much of you would be unforgivably selfish of me. Besides, you’re here now. You’re putting your own life on the line for all of us, and I’ll be damned if I’m just going to sit here and send you off on your own. You’re not putting me in danger. I want to help you.”
“Me too,” one of the other scientists said. The others all murmured in agreement, and even Pestle gave shrug of agreement.
Sapphire looked into his eyes, and realised he was telling the truth. “You’re sure?”
“I am,” he said. “I admit I don’t know you very well, but I admire your honesty in admitting your fears. I trust you, but I still think you’re going to need help. You don’t have to do this alone. Please, let us out of here.”
Relenting, she stepped forward and put her hoof on one of the crystalline bars. It was too small for her to manipulate on its own, but there was so much magic in the atmosphere that it started to respond to her. Concentrating hard, she managed to force two fractures through the top and bottom of the bar, and it fell onto the floor.
One by one, the captured ponies squeezed out through the gap and gathered around Sapphire. Surprised but happy to have so many willing to help her, she walked towards the exit, feeling somewhat more confident than when she arrived.
~ ~ ~
Still sitting in her cell, Celestia became aware in a change in the ambient magic. There was still pain everywhere, but she could feel something else now. There was anticipation, something welling up, waiting to be released. She smiled, and waited with it.
~ ~ ~
The group made their way along the dark passage. This tunnel felt more recent than the ones she had found before, but was still lit by the same strange substance. It wasn’t long before Sapphire saw a light coming from ahead. Upon seeing it, the group picked up the pace, and a minute later emerged into a vast cavern.
Sapphire looked up towards the roof of the cavern, and it immediately took her breath away.
It stretched upwards for hundreds of metres, and disappeared into the darkness in all directions. Every surface beyond the mouth of the tunnel was made of pure, unbroken crystal, clearer than anything Sapphire had ever seen. A number of torches had been scattered around, their light reflecting off the walls and casting beautiful rainbow patterns through the cavern.
She stared numbly at the sight for a minute, but then her attention was drawn by a strange whooshing sound to her left. She turned, and saw a dark brown pegasus stallion approach them. He looked at them, confused for a moment, and his eyes dwelled on Sapphire for a particularly long time. Then he turned and called into the cavern.
“Asshah! Our guests appear to have escaped!”
There was a long pause, and Sapphire faintly heard strange rasping noises echoing back through the cavern. Then it was replaced by an eerie buzzing noise, and she saw four other figures emerge from the gloom and fly towards them. They landed on the crystalline floor a few metres from the scientists, and Sapphire stared in shock.
They were built like ponies, but the resemblance stopped there. They were each covered in a waxy black coat, which clung to their bones and muscles in a strange, alien way, their limbs riddled with holes. Their wings were not feathered like on pegasi, but were a translucent film, like an insect’s. Each also had a crooked horn, as well as fangs and huge, blue-green eyes.
“Who... what are...” she stammered. Her question was answered a moment later, as the pegasus that greeted them was engulfed in green flame, and emerged again as another of the creatures.
“Changelings!” one of the scientists shouted.
Asshah, the leader, chuckled, and walked forward. “Well, you were going to find out eventually. Now you I don’t recognise,” he said, examining Sapphire. “What’s your name?”
“Sapphire. Sapphire Stone,” she said, her voice shaking. She could feel the strange creature’s cold breath on her face, and the confidence in which the five of them were facing down her group gave her the chills. “But... you’re a fairy tale!” she said.
In a second burst of green flame, Asshah disappeared, and was replaced a moment later by an exact copy of Sapphire herself. Speaking in her voice, he said “Believe that if you wish. It won’t change the fact that I’m right here. And I suppose you’ve come to stop us,” he continued, changing back to his natural form. “Do you even know what we’re doing here?”
Sapphire shook her head nervously. Asshah chuckled, and continued. “Well, I’ve got some time to kill at the moment, and, you know, I’m quite pleased with our plan, so why not? Oh,” he added, “Remember, you’ve all fought us before and failed, so don’t bother trying anything.”
He jumped into the air and flew around above them. “We discovered these caves years ago, while building new hives after you all moved. We had no idea what to do with it, though. Crystal is so hard to burrow in. So we just abandoned it! Can you imagine that?”
He laughed, but none of the ponies joined him.
“Well anyway,” he continued, “A few years later I’m undercover in Canterlot, as some insignificant personal guard for Celestia, and I start hearing about another cave of crystals, and all the power it holds. I remembered these caves, and saw an opportunity. I gathered a few colleagues, and the information I had was enough to wring some funding and materials out of your regents. That made our job so much easier.” He laughed again, clearly enjoying himself. “Now who here knows what changelings do?”
The scientists didn’t respond immediately, but then one of them said “You feed off love.”
“Correct,” Asshah responded, enjoying playing the part of teacher. “We’ve always had to do so one pony at a time. Any more and we’d draw attention to ourselves, and nopony wants that. But the magic and influence of this crystal spreads over all Equestria! When we found out we could channel spells through it, we realised we could use it to feed off your entire race! All at the same time! The changelings would never go hungry again!”
Many of the scientists gasped in shock. “This is crazy!” Pestle shouted back. “You expected to do all this without being noticed?”
Asshah landed on the ground and walked up to him. “Well of course we were going to be noticed,” he snarked. “I’m not that delusional. But by the time your race realised what what was going on, it would be too late. By that point, we would have taken our results back to the queen, and our entire race would gather here, feeding until we were strong enough to hold back anything you could throw at us. We just needed to stay hidden for long enough.”
Sapphire stood, surprised by everything he was telling them. Then it hit her.
“Wait,” she said. “We know you’re here now. Why aren’t you worried? Why are you even telling us this?”
“Because,” Asshah said, turning to her, “as I said, by the time you discovered us, it was too late. The spell is cast, and it’s only a matter of time before it spreads out over the land. Then, we’ll be able to begin feeding, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it!” He turned around and walked away again, waving a hoof dismissively over his shoulder. “This was a pleasant distraction, but I have work to do. Rassish, keep watch over them. Make sure they don’t break anything.”
He took off and headed back into the cavern, followed by the three he had arrived with. The fifth one remained, watching them.
Sapphire walked forward to where the crystals started. Rassish watched her carefully, but didn’t stop her, unaware of her ability. When she reached the crystal, she placed one hoof carefully down on the surface.
Immediately, her mind was overwhelmed. Countless spirits flowed through her, screaming out in agony. She could feel the changeling magic too, spreading out, pulling the spirits in towards it. It seemed as if she could feel the entire world connecting to her through the crystal, and its spirit was crying out as one, fully aware of what was coming. It was so close to the end now, but she had no idea how to stop it. Completely helpless, she succumbed to the pain and collapsed onto the ground sobbing.
Then something pushed its way through the pain. She felt a hoof on her shoulder. A voice worked its way into her mind, and she heard Studious Method talking to her.
“Come on, Sapphire,” he said. “Don’t give up yet. You can do this. I believe in you.”
One by one, she felt the others join him. They gathered round her, speaking words of encouragement. In amongst the pain, she felt a small spark of warmth, reassured by the newfound friendship from her companions. She clung on to it, and it began to fill her.
In an instant, the spark burst forth, and impossibly powerful magic flowed into her body. Her eyes flew open, burning bright, and the air in the cavern stirred, swirling around her.
The walls of the cave shook as the magic poured out of Sapphire and into the crystal. Tendrils of light flowed through them, spreading from her into the entire space and away into the rest of the great formation. It found the natural magic flowing through the crystal, and began to weed out the alien spell which had been introduced.
As she latched onto the changeling spell, Sapphire saw the connection it was forcing to the spirits of every pony in Equestria. In turn, the spirits were drawn in to her, flowing through her as Harmony purged them of the parasitic magic.
Her body became a conduit, providing the magic residing in the crystal with a direct route to Harmony. But still the natural barriers within her tried to resist. The flow quickly overwhelmed them however, and they were torn down, the spirits of all three tribes pouring into her, bonding with her and reshaping her.
Her entire body was consumed by light. The crystals stirred, a vast column rising up beneath her, lifting her into the air. There were screams of shock as claws of crystal sprang from the walls and caught hold of the changelings. Sapphire was carried to the centre of the cavern, as the changelings were brought into place around her, supported by pillars rising from the ground. The light pouring from her body spread through the vast space, illuminating even the farthest reaches. Her voice filled the cavern, joined by thousands more which seemed to echo directly from the walls.
“Leave this place,” she said, addressing the changelings, who were held motionless before her. “Never return. If you do, your entire race will be made to pay for its transgressions. Harmony is, and will always remain, under our protection.”
There were panicked screams from the changelings, as they wriggled helplessly, trying to free themselves from their bonds. Then the claws rose to the cavern’s ceiling, and they were carried through the rock and soil to the surface and thrown far away from the caves.
The tendrils of light which coursed through the walls retreated back towards the centre, where they flowed up the crystalline column, shaking it to breaking point, and poured back into Sapphire.
The column shattered, while the pillars which had held the changelings fell to the ground. As Sapphire's hooves lost their connection the the crystal, the entire cavern fell still and silent once more. She hung in the air, borne on wings of light which blossomed out from her glowing body. The scientists stared in awe as she floated down and settled back on the ground among them, the light receding to reveal her form once more. The magic began to retreat from her, but before the connection was lost, she projected a single thought out through Harmony:
It is done.
~ ~ ~
“Ah.”
Luna stood suddenly, surprising the regents. They had spent the last half hour having strained but refreshingly pleasant conversation about the state of the nation, but the thought which echoed into Luna’s mind immediately pulled her attention away.
“What is it, your Highness,” Ridgeway asked, standing as well.
Luna smiled. “It would appear that my agent hath been successful,” she said. “Now, I must leave and make sure everything is taken care of. I would ask you to make your way to Canterlot. On our return, we will explain everything.”
She disappeared in a flash of light, following the thought back to its source.
~ ~ ~
A second later, Luna appeared, and found herself standing at the entrance to the vast cavern. At the same instant, Celestia emerged next to her, drawn by the same thought. None of the other ponies in front of them noticed their arrival, though, distracted by something else.
Looking over the crowd, the two of them saw Sapphire lying on the ground, exhausted. The effects of the awakening were still clearly visible, for it had changed her in many ways. She had been opened up to the spirits of the world, and had become one with each pony tribe, inheriting their magic.
“That was unexpected,” Luna said, examining Sapphire’s new wings and horn.
Celestia nodded. “Indeed it was. I had expected her to trigger an awakening, but I had not anticipated this result. It is a pity; I would like to have had the opportunity to guide her in the transformation. This must have been very stressful for her.”
“Still, we are here now,” Luna responded. “She has friends to comfort her, but she will need guidance.”
They slowly made their way towards the group, and the scientists parted as they approached. As they arrived, Celestia noticed Sapphire’s cutie mark. It had been one of the first clues she had had to Sapphire’s potential. A crystal-based talent was much more common in unicorns than earth ponies or pegasi, and was rare even then.
But now the mark had changed, showing something even more. The three segments of the sapphire had been brought together, forming the image of a single, flawless gem.
Celestia considered the significance carefully. The meaning of the change was clear, given what had happened. But the fact that her cutie mark had anticipated this change had profound implications.
Luna noticed it also. “What do you think this means?” she asked her sister.
“I do not know,” Celestia replied. “But I think there are ways in which Sapphire’s unique position may be put to use. When we return to Canterlot, there will be much to discuss.”
Luna nodded, but they fell silent as they approached Sapphire, laying down next to her and placing their wings over her protectively. Exhausted, Sapphire fell into a deep sleep between them, her wings rustling as she dreamed.
That day was the beginning of a new chapter in Equestria’s history. The revelation that a mortal pony could become an alicorn had a profound effect on the nation, and provided the first seeds of the move to finally dispense with the historic tribal structure.
But even while it signalled the start of true unification of the three tribes, it also brought about the emergence of a forth. The power of the great crystal plain buried in the north was too great to be ignored, and it was decided that a new kingdom should be built on it, to protect and use it for the good of the entire nation. The magic of the crystals shaped this new kingdom’s population even as they shaped it, and in time a new tribe of crystal ponies emerged, sharing the connection to crystals which had previously been unique to Sapphire, this gift manifesting in many different talents.
With my training and support, Sapphire Stone was able to take leadership of the new kingdom, putting her special talents to great use in shaping it, both physically and spiritually, and over time it expanded into a great empire as new deposits were discovered across the land. She became the first of a long line of alicorns, one arising every one or two generations within her family to take over leadership of the empire, and the connection to the crystals’ magic remained with them through the ages.
Through the empire, much was learned about the magical potential of the crystals, and, along with the Element which the trust she gained through her honesty had managed to awaken, I was able to use this to construct the final tools I needed.
The necessary research took me many generations, but in this time the Crystal Empire’s magic helped ensure peace across the land, and the Elements’ power was not needed again. It was not until many centuries later, when that peace nearly came to an end, when it finally happened.
Princess Celestia