Daughter of the Night

by Word Wizard

Chapter 6

The night was cool, unending and unbroken. A velvet darkness had descended on Equestria, the darkness in which stars shimmered and trees wept by water. It was quiet; oh so quiet.

When darkness descended, it was time for bed, time for the evening. The hubub of the towns slowed to a grinding halt, leaving the streets bare and silent. Some choose this moment to bask in the moonlight, to overlook the quiet, shimmering cities. Once and awhile, a light speeds through the darkness.

That speeding light is the Night Train, a train that, once a night, makes the transit from Canterlot to Ponyville, and the next night vice versa. Toads on the track leap out of the way of its bright glare, the fog light shining through the night with unnecessary potency.

Inside, late night commuters snored, read, and chatted. It was a soft, relaxed atmosphere. But in a private car on the back… Restless Vigil sat, sipping at a green drink, and staring cooley at his captive.

Ropes secured her to the seat, preventing even the slightest movement of her hooves. Not only did physical bonds constrain her, but a cold metal harness covered her horn, keeping her mental powers in check with a light magical field. On her neck, a silver necklace hung, glinting in the light given off from the chandelier, which was swaying back and forth overhead.

Twilight Sparkle gave Restless a strong, accusing glare as she struggled at her bonds.

“You’ll never get away with this,” she said, coldly. “Princess Celestia will come through.”

“On the contrary, Miss Sparkle,” Restless chuckled. “I have taken every safeguard to prevent your retrival on her behalf.”

“You’re trying to outwit the ruler of Equestria,” Twilight reminded him smoothly, “you know you’re going to lose.”

“Actually, I didn’t,” Restless Vigil smiled. He sipped at his drink, the cool green liquid cascading down his throat. “Care for a drink?”

“How do you expect me to hold it?” Twilight said, flaring her eyes. “Besides, why would I take it from you?”

“Sorry. Force of instinct, I suppose. Hosting dinner parties does get ones nerves set up for the atmosphere, I’m afraid,” Restless grinned, watching Twilight’s growing anger. “Oh, and if you’re going to explode or anything, I’d rather you didn’t do it on my carpet.”

“The Royal Guard has detectives smarter than you!” Twilight cried. “They’ll bring you down.”

“Oh my, you really are impressive. I merely didn’t leave them anything to be smart with. You simply must get it in your head that you aren’t going to be saved, Miss Sparkle,” he said, laughing.

“Tracking spell. Celestia could use a tracking spell; I bet you don’t have anything for that!” she said triumphantly.

“Look at that necklace you have on,” Restless said, pointing. Twilight looked down, surprised. “That was made by one of the finest silversmiths in Equestria. It holds an anti-tracking enchantment, yet at the same makes being farther away from me than I want you to be very uncomfortable.”

Twilight flattened her ears. Restless grinned, sipping up the last of his drink in a dainty slurp. Outside, the darkened countryside rolled past.

“I don’t know what you want with me,” Twilight growled. “But I’m not doing it.”

“It’s really rather simple,” Restless smiled. He hadn’t had this much fun in a while, a long while. “You’re going to kill Celestia.”

He smiled wider, looking at the expression of horror and disbelief on her face. Her eyes opened wider than saucers, her jaw dropped slack and her ears stood on end. It was, Restless thought, the finest horrified pony he’d seen in a long time.

“I- I-” the librarian stuttered. Her mouth clamped shut as she stared Restless straight in the eye, attempting to make him feel as small as possible. “You can’t make me do that!”

“You wait and see,” he said, mischievously. “But when the time comes, you’ll find yourself holding the bloody knife, with some very vivid memories.”

“How could you possibly-”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Restless clicked his tongue mockingly. “My little cold blooded killer. I believe we have had talk enough.”

“What-” she started, but the question was cut off.

A gag was thrown over Twilight’s mouth and a bag descended over her face, leaving her sightless, voiceless, and very annoyed. She flattened her ears underneath the bag. Celestia would come through, wouldn’t she? She always had. This was no time to start thinking that she wouldn’t… No time…

The night rushed on outside the window, and Restless looked at it in a bemused sort of curiosity. He held an empty glass in one hoof, and a small trinket box in the other as he watched the darkened countryside fly by outside. He looked down at the box, and then at the gagged and blinded figure of Twilight… and slid open the lid.

A golden glow shimmered eerily onto Restless’s face as he looked inside,grinning to himself. The box’s red velvet spilled over the edges slightly, making a padding around the dark oaken shell.

“Time will come,” he whispered to the box, hoarsely. Twilight cringed as she heard it; his voice was scratchy and painful to listen to; an insane kind of glee concealed in its depths. Hooves screeching on chalkboards were in it too; it didn’t, as Twilight reminisced, sound at all like Restless’s usual voice.

“Time will come!” Restless said again in the scratchy voice. “Celestia will… fall.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight tried to say, but all that came out was a gurgle. Restless ignored it, his eyes and soul fixed on the golden glow of the box. The moon shone its milky white light through the window, causing the golden glare to grow stronger in Restless’s hooves.

“We will take our rightful place once more!” Restless screeched. With that, Twilight heard the box slammed shut and gently stowed in a traveling bag. Restless got to his hooves and trotted out of the room, leaving Twilight to recount the events.

Her mind whirled in a turmoil of disorganized thought, until she narrowed it down into a list, just like the ones she so often made. It went like this.

1. Crazy pony convinced he can make me kill Celestia
2. Crazy pony wants to take crown
3. Crazy pony seems to have something for an item in a box
4. Crazy pony needs to get speech lessons

That last bit was unnecessary, but Twilight added anyway because it just seemed like a good idea. Of course, the other three items kept her on the edge of her mental tipping point, much more than a pony in need of therapy.

A creak filled the room as Twilight heard the door being pushed open, and a thump as it closed again. Hoofsteps entered, as did the sound of voices; Twilight shivered, wondering what they were going to do this time. But the voices paid her no notice, and simply talked.

“...is out?” the voice Twilight recognized to be that of her captor. It was in a normal pitch, yet the very sound of it sent shivers down her spine.

“Indeed,” a second voice said deeply. Inspite of the depth it possesed, Twilight spotted a certain… insane quality to it; a quality that made the librarian very uneasy. “I sent Fiery Gale myself.”

“Very good,” the first voice said. Twilight heard a soft creaking as the ponies sat down, and a slight thump as an object was set on a table. “What do you know about this?”

“Of course,” the insane voice said, filled with awe and wonder. “The Alicorn Amulet, the artifact responsible for corrupting King Sombre. Oh, and the tip of his horn. Went through a lot of trouble to get that, mind you.”

“Indeed,” the first voice said, slightly ruffled. There was a clink as metal plates were presented on the table. “What about this?”

“Nightmare Moon’s armor,” the second voice said, calmly. “I went through a lot of trouble for that, too. Honestly, why are you doing this? I GOT all these artifacts.”

The first voice ignored him and plunged onward. Another thud reached Twilight’s ears as yet another artifact was placed on the table. “What about this?”

“The Discordant Gauntlet?” the second voice said, listlessly. “I nipped that right off the ice, if you don’t mind.”

Twilight gasped. The Discordant Gauntlet; she knew she read about it somewhere. It was a part of Discord… supposedly fueling his magic. But didn’t some say it merely gave him the malice to destroy ponies for fun?

Nipped it off the ice. Didn’t he get reformed on the ice? Wait, what? That can’t be right. Maybe it fell off while he was ice skating? Maybe that’s why he stopped being… evil. Twilight gasped again.

“What does that thing look like!?” she tried to shout, but all that the ponies heard was a loud gurgling noise.

“Looks like our guest wants a better view,” the first pony said, and the gag and bag were removed in a woosh of air. Twilight squinted at the bright lamplight, her eyes adjusting to the sudden illumination. “Having fun?”

“No,” she stated, flatly. “But I am interested in that artifact of yours.”

“Oh, well, too bad!” the Restless said, grinning at the insane one. The pony that belonged to the insane voice beared a bright orange coat, and a fiery red and orange mane. His tale was a burst of colors, colors from all across the spectrum. His eyes were red and burning, with a purposeful glee smoldering inside of them.

“Hello, Miss Sparkle,” he said. Twilight recognized him as the one who had broken into her library on that fateful evening, and he seemed just as loopy as he had then.

“I would like to see the Gauntlet,” she stated, giving the Aurora an icy cold glare. Restless slid back the lid on the oaken box and slipped it into a saddlebag. He looked at Twilight smugly, lording a piece of knowledge she didn’t know over top of her.

“I think you’ll see it soon enough,” he said, smugly. “Now, I think you had better catch up on some much needed rest. The train arrives at dawn, and I should hate for you to miss the Ceremony.”

“Although I don’t think you’ll be able to,” Aurora laughed. Restless gave him a leveling glare, stopping his laughter in a swift second. He swallowed his glee, and gained a placid composure, inside which he squirmed.

“I don’t think rest is the problem here,” Twilight said coldly. “Besides, I’ve been out for what, ten hours?”

“Nine hours ten and a half minutes!” Restless recited. “Maintained with enchantments!”

“Aren’t you just so clever?” Twilight said sarcasticly, rolling her eyes. “Anywho, I don’t think rest is the problem.”

“Then sit in the dark for a few hours,” Restless stated, waltzing from the room. “It doesn’t matter to us, as long as you’re still here. Which I don’t think is the problem, Miss Sparkle.”

The door slammed shut as the chandeliers’ candles extinguished in a puff of smoke; darkness descended on the room. Twilight never liked the dark; always too… well… dark, for her taste. She was never afraid of the dark; it just made her shiver whenever its inky velvet descended.

In the blackness, a tear slowly rolled down Twilight’s cheek. She looked out the window at the countryside, watching it roll by with a downturned look. The moon shone down on it with a milky white glow, casting gentle shadows upon the darkened grass.

“Luna,” Twilight sobbed, looking up at the moon with tearful eyes. “Please, please just tell me you’re coming.”

The night went on, and no sign came. Twilight watched the twinkling stars stay still, as a backdrop for the rolling hills. She sniffled, and buried her face deep into her hooves.

“My friends will come through for me,” she said softly, over and over again to herself. Gently, she rocked back and forth in her bonds, finding what little comfort she could in the constant sound of the train’s wheels clicking over the track.

“I know it,” she muttered, looking at the ceiling once more with desperate eyes. “They will come.”

The night rolled on, sleepless and unending. Terror was all she knew. Terror that would grow to panic come morning.

Canterlot Gardens was a quiet, sophisticated patch of greenery. Gardeners meticulously cut at every leaf and twig, shaping them into a uniform shape and size. Powerful enchantments protected the paths from getting muddy, as, heaven forbid, somepony might get dirty! Aristocrats strolled throughout its perfect foliage, discussing 'proper' business and eyeing the local wildlife from a safe distance; often times throwing a distasteful glance at the more vile of the creatures. A 'proper' Canterlot pony's definition of vile, mind you, generally involves mud.

Mud mud mud. One of the great mysteries of life, in Canterlot's opinion, is why foals have this primal urge to roll in the stuff. Many a sharp glare and a disdainful look at anypony with merely a speck of the dirt upon them have been thrown. Canterlot Gardens was engineered and evolved to do all that it can to prevent such an inconvinience.

The afternoon sun shone down over the perfect gardens, casting long shadows under the trees. Its orange light wound its way through the foliage, peeping out at any available point.

Cadence looked over the grassy fields, eyeing the derilect, rusting, playground equipment with fondness. Nature had reclaimed the once pristine swings, entwining the chains in thick, leafy vines. Rust covered the slide; as did the more industrious of ivies. It was a truly pitiful sight; but all Cadence could see was ten years back, when she and Twilight would happily play on the glistening equipment. The foal's happy laughter still rang in her ears, filling her with joy, but also remorse that such a sight she would never see again.

"Princess," a reverent, solid voice began, "we await your command."

"Oh," Cadence turned around, "right." The guard captain stood firmly before her, his golden armor shining in the afternoon sunlight. He looked at her with steady, solid blue eyes. Quickly he raised his hoof in a salute as Cadence looked at him; as did the nineteen guards behind him. Each of them held shovels in hooves or in magic, face set in stoic determination.

"Our orders are to follow your directions," the captain explained patiently.

"Right," Cadence looked back at the playground. "Hold on."

So many places it could have been buried! Where did they dig that hole?

"That's the problem with time capsules," she grumbled, "you can't find them after time's gone by."

"Dig behind, in front of, and around every bush you can find in the vicinity," she said firmly. "It was near a bush, but I don't know which one."

"Yes, your highness!" the chorus of guards chanted simultaneously, rushing to the nearest bush and pushing their shovels into the dry, crumbling soil. Cadence paced the ground, nervously surveying the work.

Piles of dirt grew with each clump of soil hurled atop of them, forming mountains of earth around the bushes. Cadence’s horn glowed as she stepped into the center of the clearing, closing her eyes as the dull pink light shone across the grass. In her head, an image formed.

It was a loose, spindly image, lacking detail or complexity. It coalesced, finding shaky grounds on what it could in her mind, showing her the world. But this was not the normal ground she saw with her eyes; this was underground.

Rocks dotted the underground landscape from here to there, cluttering her mind with glowing dots. Different kinds of rocks gave off different light, displaying a comprehensive map of rocks underneath the park. But Cadence did not want rocks; she wanted a small pouch, inside of which Twilight’s journal hid.

A long while back, while Cadence foalsat Twilight, the young unicorn kept a journal. It was simple and crudely written in her foalhood scrawl, but she loved to jot down the events of the day and everything she’d learned. As the year went forward, her hoofwriting progressed, becoming ledgible, but lumpy.

When Twilight filled that journal up, she didn’t know what to do with it. That was when the idea of a time capsule came to light, and her beloved book of scrawl found its way underground, waiting patiently for somepony to discover it.

Now Cadence looked about for the yellow glow that indicated cloth. Sweat beaded on her eyebrows as she stood, motionless with closed eyes, looking around the park in her mind. The energy that surrounded her horned pulsed constantly.

The guards hurled dirt upon piles in a feverish excavation, until a plume of dust halted their work.

“What-” one of the guards choked, looking at the ground. A small bag was in the hole, square as a book, smoking. The guard gave it a quizzical glance and prodded it with a shovel.

A small arc of purple energy leapt onto the shovel and disappeared in a flash. The bag stopped smoking, and the sun shined its orange evening light upon the hole, showing perfectly onto the bag.

“PRINCESS!” the guard shouted, leaping out of the hole. Cadece awakened from her trance-like state with a jerk, looking at the guard conceridly. “I think I found it!” he shouted, plunging back into his hole. Cadence broke into a gallop.

Dirt was slipped and flew under her hooves as she rushed towards the hole. Her steely gaze was fixed straight ahead, and grimace of determination on her face. Inside, she wanted to jump for joy, but emotions do not interfere with duty. Not now.

“Here!” the guard called, tossing the princess a dusty cloth bag. Cadence’s eyes widened as she brushed the grime off it and undid the drawstring. Gently, she slipped the precious book out of the bag and onto her hooves.

The book was just as she remembered it, although older. The golden binding still laced about its side, the same little silver latch still held it shut, and the starry ornaments on the front still looked just as curious. Cadence let a gush of air as she turned it over, and dusted off the metal coverplate. Etched in the sparkling surface were the words:

“Halt the search!” Cadence shouted in joy. “It has been found.”

“We must report to Princess Celestia at once!” the guard captain stated flately. Cadence looked down at the diary and enveloped it in her magic.

“Yes,” she said, grimly. “I will take it. Our darkest hours have yet to come!”

“Luna!” Celestia called, wandering the castle. Red of the waining twilight spilled through the windows, casting its eerie glare upon the shiny stone walls. Celestia shivered and pushed upon Luna’s door, sending it creaking inwards.

“What, my sister?” Luna asked, staring intently at the eastern horizon. Her horn began to glow softly as she coaxed the moon into view. Gentle mists of magic floated from the balcony’s Vuxian railings, twiriling around her horn in a vortex of magical energy. Far off, a purple glow surrounded the moon.

“You will perform a search in the night, I trust?” Celestia asked, gravely.

“Of course. You will come,” Luna responded, solemnly hauling the moon over the horizon. Celestia nodded.

“Yes.”

“It is time to set the sun,” Luna said, turning a soft cheek in the pale moonlight. Her deep blue eyes radiated youth, yet her expression showed insight and wisdom. But on top of that, lay malice. She gritted her teeth. “Whoever stole did this to me. They will pay.”

“What?” Celestia gasped, looking around. “What- what do you mean?”

“Whoever made me lose your respect! Whoever dared to deface me from my subjects?” Luna thundered. Her eyes grew wide with rage as she stomped an angry hoof on the floor, sending cracks along the stone. “You did it. Didn’t you?”

“Luna I-”

“You did. You betrayed me!” Luna rose into the air, her wings turning red in the sun’s waining light. Her horn spun with dark energy, and her ethereal mane turned stained red with anger.

“NO!” Celestia shouted, tears streaming from her eyes. She looked upward, praying to anypony. Anything anything that would listen. “Not again!”

Luna’s eyes flashed with ire and hatred, and when Celestia looked it was just as she had feared: her sister bore the pupils of a dragon. Her mane grew thicker and darker, her mouth grew horrid, threatning fangs, and her horn crackled with energy.

“Dare you not to do that again!” Luna shouted, baring down on her sister with a steely glare infused with malice. “Do not cross paths with NIGHTMARE MOON!”

Celestia cried to the heavens, a bolt of energy struck the princess of the sun right in the chest, and the world fell apart around her. Only the wicked cackling of Nightmare Moon remained, ringing in her ears like the devil incarnate. Nightmare Moon had, at long last, gotten her revenge.

Celestia awoke with a start, and lay, breathing heavily, on the floor. Why she had fallen asleep, she didn’t know, and why she was in front of her throne… some questions need not be answered. Slowly, she climbed to her hooves and wiped the sweat from her brow.

It was a red twilight, just as her dream had had, but no Nightmare Moon hore down upon her. Instead, the cheerful stained glass of the throneroom cast beautiful colors upon the carpet, making Celestia smile. Then another question came to mind: how come nopony had noticed her torturous sleep?

“Guard?” she called, weakly. She strained her ears for an answer, but all she heard was a faint echo of her own voice. The throne room doors were shut and bolted, and the castle was deathly silent.

Celestia walked shakily to the back door of the courtroom, gently unlocking it with a soft glow of magic. The door creaked open, revealing a dank, empty hallway. “Anypony?” she shouted.

This time, she got hoofsteps echoing down the hallway in answer. Celestia relaxed, and began to trot towards the sound. She sighed, and began to turn the dream over in her mind.

Luna must be angry. Then, in that case, turning once again into the monster that was Nightmare Moon would be quite possible, wouldn’t it? But would she, like the Luna in her dream, turn towards Celestia for vengeance?

They must find Luna, and fast. Long before she turns the corner to insanity. But the tracking spell could only be cast once in a few day period, as it took a tremendous amount of power to perform. Twilight was in danger… and yet so was the entirety of Equestria, with the possibility of Nightmare Moon.

Celestia stopped and stared. Which was more important? The student she loved like her own daughter, or her sister? Maybe Cadence could help.

Celestia turned her attention to the task at hoof and began trotting, once more, towards the noise. It seemed to come from the side corridor, and was rapidly approaching.

“Who’s there?” Celestia asked, warily. The thundering hoofsteps grew to a constant gallop, and then screeched to a halt.

“Quickly!” Cadence shouted, shoving a dusty book into Celestia’s hooves. “We haven’t much time.”

Celestia stared at the beloved manuscript. The metal plate still shone as bright as before, and oh, what lovely memories it contained! But Cadence’s panicked voice hammered the painful truth of the matter home to Celestia: Twilight was in danger, and she must be helped.

“Yes,” Celestia said, firmly turning towards the throne room. “We have even less than you, or I, think.”

“What could her captors want with her?” Cadence pleaded, “She’s such a nice young mare.”

“Power. Power and greed. That is all they want,” Celestia stated gravely, her horn beginning to shine yellow. Quickly, before Cadence could say a word, the princess vanished in a pop of magic.

Darkness enveloped Equestria. Not evil darkness… merely the darkness that descends when the iridescent glow of the moon shines. But it felt empty; out of place, as though a hole had been cut and removed in the spirit of the night. Celestia looked out over it, sighing as she stared at her hooves.

In one hoof, a golden bound journal lay, glinting in the hollow moonlight. In the other, a crown, encrusted with one milky white diamond, sat. The diamond shined the moonlight upon the floor, making it dance in the slight shaking of Celestia’s hoof.

Beside her, a small pedestal carved of crystal sat. Fine engraving of mystic runes covered it; the language of Celestia’s homeland. It was made of the finest Tenthrop Crystal, mined at the height of the empire’s golden age.

“Who?” Celestia muttered, looking back and forth between the two. “Which shall I find?”

The fate of Equestria may lie upon her finding Luna, yet her student was in danger. Without Twilight, Equestria would be defenseless, as one of the Elements of Harmony was missing. Perhaps, if Twilight was found, and Nightmare Moon really did come back, the Elements could stop her.

That must be it. Celestia looked at the book, but back at Luna’s crown as well. Eventually she set down the artifacts, and stood up. The milky Moonstone sat, shining a radiant white light upon Celestia’s stricken face. The stars watched, twinkling in anticipation as the princess picked up the journal in both hooves and stared at it.

“Do me well,” she said, setting it upon the small crystal pedestal. The pedestal glowed faintly, striking a bright blue light upon the floor. The book flew open, the pages turning rapidly in one direction. Celestia watched the flapping pages sullenly. The stars seemed to shine brighter as the pedestal’s light grew, casting a large and larger crystal glow upon the carpet.

Suddenly, the book stopped turning and waited, stuck open on a single page. Celestia couldn’t resist a glimpse before beginning the spell. There, in crude scribbles, a window to the past opened.

June Twentieth, Year 985,

Mom and dad say I’m going away for school in a few months. I sure hope it involves a lot of reading! Mom says I’m far more eager than she was, and I don’t get it. Who couldn’t be excited about books? Dad says there’s gonna be a whole library for me to read out of!

My very own library! But mom said I have to spend some time with other ponies, besides my brother, of course. I don’t get it. Books are all the friends I need! They told me friendship has some sort of… mystical power or something, but that’s not written in any books I’ve read.

I wanna go to school and learn enough that I can do research on this… friendship thing, and see if there really is any of this ‘mystical power’ in it. All of that aside, mom said I did SO WELL in my evaluation, that I’m gonna go to a special school for smart ponies! Maybe somepony there will think like I do.

But I don’t really care about that. BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! A library all my own! That’s amaz…….
The book slammed shut, leaving Celestia’s gentle smile faced with the hard cover. She knew what the pedestal was trying to tell her: it was time to find Twilight. She breathed out heavily, and her horn began to glow.

The night was dragging on, and the moon was almost overhead. The flashes of magical energy sliced through the inky darkness like a hot knife through butter, throwing pure white light bolting through the air. In the middle of this, Celestia stood, staring coldly at the crystal pedestal.

Her horn glowed brightly, the magical energy pulsing up and down as she crafted a spell. Celestia poured all she could into it, making the glow brighter and brighter, beating back the darkness of night. Visible vines of pure yellow energy twisted through the air, winding into the crystal pedestal. The journal began to float, as two vines of energy looked through its very essence, its history, to find the identity of its most beloved holder.

Celestia continued to glare, unblinking, at the pedestal. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts, doubts, and hopes. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she concentrated on the spell, trying to forget all but her work.

Suddenly, a pillar of energy shot out of the journal, landing right on the pedestal and sending crackling energy through it. The pedestal glowed a bright amber, pulsing with the magical energy. The air crackled as a little hole opened up in the crystal, grinding and pulling with the other glowing crystals as it pulled away.

The vines drew back, retreating to Celestia’s horn like coiling snakes. Celestia stood back, watching anticipatedly as a bright light flashed from the crystalline artifact sliced through the darkness. Celestia’s eyes were used to that of fire, so the blinding flash did not phase her a bit, although what came next she could never get over.

The great flash simmered out, conforming to a small beam of multicolored light shining
out of the pedestal. This light seemed… unnatural to Celestia. It was, in fact, completely unnatural. A beam of pure color, bending and twisting the most fundemental laws of the universe without so much as an afterthought. Projecting onto a surface that wasn’t there, curling its rainbow’s of color around pure vacancy and forming any shape it wished.

Yes, thought Celestia, watching the light part in mid air and bend itself into a sphere. This is no light like the sun shows.

From the beam, a blurry sphere took shape in the center of the room. Its body was a mass of distorted colors, some vaguely shaping familiar contenents, and a few uncertain oceans. Suddenly, the colors began to right themselves. Equestria smoothed into a detailed map, as did Griffonia, and all the other continents and countries.

The map didn’t stay spherical for long, however. The view quickly began to focus on one point near Everfree, and flattened its plane out as it zoomed in closer. There, a large red X moved unevenly over the trees, showing the location of Twilight.

Celestia furrowed her brows. Of course it was Everfree. Of course.

The map shifted forwards, showing an empty clearing. Celestia looked at it, puzzled.

“Why do you show me this?” she said aloud. In response the map focused even closer on one edge of the clearing. Celestia gasped.

“What?” she focused her glare even harder at the map. A unicorn stallion was stepping forwards… but that wasn’t the weird part. There was only half a unicorn stallion stepping forward.

“Do you show me lies?” Celestia asked the pedestal sternly. If pedestals could shake their heads, this one would have. Celestia stared at it, baring her steely gaze down upon the crystalline artifact.

“Do you?” she asked, and then a pang of relization hit her. She was talking to a crystal. Sure, a magical crystal, but a crystal none the less.

“This must be a mistake,” she said, turning to the map again. The half a unicorn still stood, paused in midair. “The only way that could happen would be with a cloaking field. Everypony knows a cloaking field can’t be maintained that far. It would require obscene amounts of power… unless.”

Celestia’s complexion suddenly delve for the paler side of white. She stared at the image, transfixed with horror. She didn’t move when Cadence opened the door.

“Celestia?” Cadence asked cautiously, stepping towards her aunt. Celestia didn’t move, but looked on in dread. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” Celestia replied, flatly. “I must speak with Glowing Night at once. This may be a matter of the survival of Equestria.”

With that, the sun princess pushed Cadence out of the way and dashed towards the exit, rounding the corner with expert grace. She plunged down the hallways, half gliding on her outstretched wings.

“Glowing Night knows about these things,” she muttered, “perhaps he can explain how they got a spell of that… that magnitude. He must be able to. Fast.”

The night rolled on, turning near dawn as Celestia soared out of the castle. She watched the stars wink out as the gray glow of the dawning sun overtook them. “Or we,” she added, taking a dive towards the Royal Archives. “Will vanish in the sunshine.”