//------------------------------// // My Voice Will Carry Far // Story: Our Voices Carry Through The Hills // by Surry //------------------------------// My Voice Will Carry Far Encapsulating, penetrating, all-ensnaring heat wrapped around her tired frame. It was a bold move to challenge her foe head on, but Twilight had no regrets. She had the idea in the back of her mind that maybe her horn would just 'activate' by some miracle, but she knew that was foolish. She knew well in advance that her horn wouldn't save her. The power within her had long been drained, and her impostor had even said as much. However, in that brief instant, squandered away from her damaging world, she was suddenly whisked away to a new realm. The heat scorching her lavender coat had since faded, the strength of her copy's spell long gone, and she found herself among a sea of whiteness. Time had simply stopped for her, as she floated aimlessly through this new, immense emptiness. Where am I? W-where's Rainbow? The overwhelming lucidity flooded her vision, encompassing everything as far the eye could see. The void was truly endless. "What is this place? Ooph--" Twilight quickly cupped her mouth in absolute shock, "I-I... I can speak." The realization sunk in rapidly as she giggled to herself. She flailed about gleefully, caring little that she had no idea where she was. "I CAAAANNN SPEEEEAAAAK!!!!!!" she cried loudly across the never-ending whiteness. Her voice echoed for several seconds into the endless expanse, when she heard something peculiar from behind her. "H-hello," said a gentle feminine voice. Though she wasn't as loud as Twilight, she was still barely audible through the eerie silence. The unicorn somehow managed to turn her body in midair, still floating gracefully along like a breezy autumn leaf. She was admittedly shocked there would be anyone else here, but was still happy to see a friendly face. Before her, standing on an invisible white surface, were two unicorns of varying ages. The taller was a mare who had an opal-colored coat, which did little to help her stand out amongst the white background. Her deeply magenta mane was lushly sinuous, cascading freely down over her shoulders and the length of her back. But, what truly made her radiant to behold, was her cloudy burgundy eyes. Her frame was sleek and graceful, although Twilight could tell she had matured much more than herself. Lastly, either side of her flank end was adorned with falling petals of some whitish-purple flower. She was simply beautiful. At the lovely mare's side, stood and equally eye-fetching school-aged filly. The small girl's profound, emerald irises, colored the same shade as the darkest of grass fields, could melt the firmest of hearts. Her rather short, yet wavy, hunter-green mane and tail curled lightly around her neck and flank respectively. However, underneath all of her other features, her light-fuchsia coat courteously accented her entire angelic appearance. Her flank, however, was unsurprisingly barren. The smaller unicorn seemed almost afraid of Twilight, as she lightly hovered down and planted her hooves on the invisible surface. The filly subconsciously moved closer to the present adult, wary of the advancing unicorn. "Hello," Twilight calmly greeted the mare in return, "Can you tell me what this place is? D-did... I die or something?" "No, you have not passed on," the mare replied with a warm smile, "I have simply brought you here with a small bit of my magic, if you will." Twilight gave a cursory glance all around them. "So if I'm not dead, then where are we?" "This is simply a realm existing between the living world and our own." The mare placed a gentle hoof on the filly's shoulder that had just pressed against her, causing the girl to respond with a meager smile of her own. "And this here... is my adopted daughter, Leya. She's the brightest little filly I've ever known." "Heh," her daughter giggled. "Hi there, Leya," the unicorn happily replied, "My name is Twilight." The shy girl gave her a slight respectful bow of her head. Wow, what manners. She reminds me a lot of myself... at least, when I was that age. "Wait a minute," she thought over the mare's previous words, "D-did you say the... 'Living' world?" "I did," she replied matter-of-factly, "For you see, Leya and myself have passed on. She had no one else to care for her, so I took her as my own. I only wish my wife could've met her, but maybe she will one day." "Oh... I see," Twilight noted glumly, "Then, what's your name? And why did you come to help me?" The lavender unicorn was having trouble reading the mare's expressions through her empty eyes. She wanted to ask the obvious question, to know whether or not she was blind, but she found it better to just assume. However, with the girl by her side, the mare did not seem in the least bit anxious. The adult giggled lightly in a soothing tone, causing her daughter to almost join in with her. "How could I forget? Just call me Lily," she pushed aside the thought, "Now, as we do not have much time together, I suppose I have something important to tell you, Twilight Sparkle." She hardened her soul in response, as she was not so sure as to whether or not Lily could be trusted, but something about her loving demeanor gave Twilight a sense of familiarity. She wasn't quite sure why, but this unicorn reminded her so much of Rainbow Dash; perhaps not in personality, but in confidence. Lily's features stiffened in all seriousness. "I will give you what little remains of my power. When you return to your body, you must use a counter-spell immediately or else she will overpower you. If you are able to do so, you must run from her, for this is the only chance I can offer you, Twilight. Leya and I will continue to watch over you all, but we will not see each other again. With that being said, I suggest you take my warning to heart. You must head for Canterlot, for that is where she will be going as well." "W-wait, why do I have to go now? There's so many questions I have to ask you," she anxiously pleaded. "Time is of the essence, Twilight. The longer we hold this connection, the less of my power I have to give to you." "What about me, mommy?" Lily's attention quickly turned to her shy daughter who simply peered back up at her longingly. "I've got some magic! Let me give her some too!" "Leya, there's no time to--" "Of course there's time!" the filly quickly retaliated, "We have to give her everything we have! Or else she won't make it! Please mommy, I really like her!" Twilight felt her heart lurch at the girl's plea, causing a lump to form in her throat. This filly, who had passed at such a young age, was still willing to give her magic to a total stranger for a cause she knew was noble. Twilight felt tears welling, but they would not show. This was not the time to deny the young girl's bravery. "B-but Leya!" Lily retorted. "No buts, mommy! I may be little, but I want to help too!" Her emerald eyes remained firm in the face of adversity, and her adoptive mother eventually relinquished. Lily let out a long sigh. "... fine. You may give her some of your magic as well." "Yes!" Leya raised a righteous hoof in joy. All at once, tiny, violet flames started to spontaneously materialize around Twilight's feet. They sporadically licked at the tips of her front hooves, and then encroached further up her legs. She began to panic, as she felt the heat intensifying all around her. "W-wait, what's going on?!" she cried. Lily calmly stepped forward and let her delicate voice go to work. "Twilight, you have to go back. Just remember to use a counter-spell as soon as you reach your body and you'll be fine." The spry filly jumped out from behind her mom. "And don't forget, we'll be watching you, Miss Twilight! So don't mess up!" Twilight attempted to laugh at Leya's encouragement, but the growing flames quickly took first priority. She fought against the rotating funnel of fire, however, the heat was proving to be too strong to overcome. She exchanged a few final glances with the strangely serene looking unicorns before her, as they watched her body get overtaken by the swirling flames. The fire didn't necessarily hurt, but the heat and violet fire were still too close to consuming her for her to calm down. Two wisps of magic siphoned from the observing unicorns as their power began to converge around Twilight, and causally, the tunnel of flame. Their mixing, greenish-red aura poured through the outermost layers and engulfed her body. For the first time in two days, she finally felt the warmth of magic running through her frame once again. She had almost forgotten the feeling, and was promptly reminded of just how fortunate she was to use her power on a regular basis. Gazing upon the wonderful unicorns that she would never see again, she was filled with a strange sense of loneliness and pity for them. She knew so little about them, yet with their magic coursing through her own horn, she felt closer to them. With the torrential wall of fire now separating them, Twilight couldn't help but wave goodbye. "Maybe we'll see each other again someday!" She yelled through the violet flame. Lily simply nodded reassuringly. "Of course we will!!" Leya shouted gleefully. It was the last thing Twilight heard before she passed through the gate, ... and then she felt the actual fire. “NOOOOOO TWILIGHT!!!” Rainbow reflexively screamed as loudly as her tired lungs would allow, as her dear friend was completely swallowed up by the blazing inferno. The impostor had unleashed her power in full force, unrelenting upon the landscape and destroying everything in its wake. Twisted chunks of smoldering rock and forest debris were blown far and clear of the immediate area. The sight of this chaos was too much for Rainbow’s heart to handle, for her body began to collapse just at the sight of it. The fake’s powerful beam cut straight through to the hillside and divided the earth itself into two crumpled hemispheres. “I was wondering when you’d show up, Twilight!!” she shouted over her attack. After what seemed like an eternity and an utter hell for Rainbow, her flaming beam finally eased away and ceased. The cloud of debris thickly hovered in the cool night air for nearly a minute, and then slowly began to dissipate. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had not intended to use such a harsh spell on Twilight. She was simply caught off guard and had used a "little" more magic than was necessary to compensate. Ever so coldly, she turned back to Rainbow Dash. “I’m sorry you had to see that Miss Dash,” she smirked, “I do not think she’s dead, but I have been wrong about these things before. Now, what was it you were about to say?” Rainbow couldn’t even speak anymore. Her soul was clearly crushed into a broken shell of its former self, and lost somewhere within the wind. Her flooded eyes said as much. Before she had fallen, her wings had been her life and flying was her dream, but she now realized that Twilight was her dream… and she was gone. With the faintest of stares, she looked up at her adversary through the deepest sea of sorrow. The gem-like reflection of her magenta eyes traveled adeptly, back into her opposite’s eyes, but the impostor gave her no such thing that could be considered called a dignified response. “Stop looking at me like that. I warned you after all,” she scolded. “But…” Rainbow’s voice only cracked above a weak whisper, “I… love… her.” Behind her adversary the dust continued to lift, and the sides of every tree and stone began to alight with a strangely reddish-green glow, but they did not immediately notice. “Like I said, I have orders and I must follow them, Miss Dash.” She gave another devious grin and lowered her horn to the cowering pegasus. A second violet charge started to build and swell at its tip, coalescing into yet another dense sphere of compacting white-hot energy. “Think of all the misery I’m saving you from by not having to see Equestria in ruin. When this is all over, you’ll be glad you weren't around to see it.” Time froze in that instant for Rainbow. An exact copy of her friend, a friend with whom she had spent the previous night and the entire day with, a friend who she had watched suffer for a crime she had not committed, a friend who was willing to sacrifice her own life for her, was now aiming the barrel of an unstoppable, magical cannon directly at her weakened body. She had never felt so defeated. She just wanted to hold the real Twilight in her hooves one more time, but now she was gone. “Maybe this way… I can be with her,” Rainbow calmly whispered. However, in the split-second before she faced utter annihilation, a shot rang out from in front of her. A piercing green beam sliced through the dark cloud, tore swiftly and gracefully across the once grassy hillside-- -and plunged harshly, directly into the side of the impostor. “AHHHHHH!!” cried Twilight’s doppelganger. Her body was violently flung several yards over Rainbow Dash and crashed forcefully into the crackling bark of a sturdy tree. Through Rainbow’s flowing tears, she quickly turned back to the area of the carnage upon the hillside and gazed in awe at the sight of her still living friend, powering through the cloud of debris. Twilight’s body had now been enveloped in a radiantly glowing mixture of two widely contrasting energies. The two clashing burgundy and lime-green auras took turns swelling and receding around her legs and upper body, then finally around her neck and head. Gone was her usual purplish-pink aura, for this power did not seem to be her own. In fact, it almost appeared as though excess energy was seeping from the corners of her eyelids and sprouting off sporadically into the chilly air. Her horn still sizzled with green sparks flaring up from her fiery attack. She gave slight hints that the attack had left her winded. That one… was from Leya. With new confidence rising within her chest, Rainbow limply picked herself up off the cold ground and called out to her. “TWILIGHT!!” The unicorn rushed towards her friend, not ever wanting to be separated from her again. With each step Twilight took, the crumbled rock beneath her feet began to sprout with new life from her residual green trail of magic. Positively overflowing with love in her heart, she and Rainbow met halfway and quickly swept each other up into a tight embrace. Her hooves held stronger than her friend’s though, as Rainbow was still feeling lethargic from her prior struggle. She tried not to show Twilight her weakness, but at this point she no longer had a reason to. She felt the slight warmth emanating from Twilight’s now magically enhanced body ever so gradually seeping into her own. Rainbow wasn’t so quick to ask questions, though. For she was simply relieved her friend had not been lost to her forever. She might still have a chance to tell her what was really on her mind. Suddenly, something stirred came the horrible sound of magical buildup yet again. Twilight’s eyes briefly caught sight of her furious clone preparing a retaliatory attack. “HOW DID YOU--?!!! GRRRRAHH!!!” Unleashing another long battle cry, she immediately opened fire. Twilight had only an instant to react, but she distinctly remembered what Lily had told her. They had to run for it, and this would be their only chance. She made her decision in that fraction of a second and promptly utilized the gift she been generously given. With a brash flick of her horn and a spontaneous burst of explosive electricity, she quickly swept up Rainbow Dash without warning and teleported using every last bit of her concentration. She was not quite sure where she was going, but anywhere was better than here. The rushing river of frothing hellfire sailed clear past any discernable target and collided with only the crumbling hillside yet again. After another sizable portion of earth was indiscriminately lain to waste, she at last relinquished her spell and her horn sputtered eerily silent. She angrily glared at the results of her rage, however, it was painfully clear that she had missed. She took a few steps forward and listened, but she knew by now they were long gone. “NO!! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!!” she cried out, “HOW COULD I FAIL?!!” Through Equestria’s scale of time, Rainbow and Twilight had disappeared for only a few milliseconds, but as the unicorn had given only a brief thought as to where they were going, the time it would take them to get there was left up to what remained of her magical gift. Rainbow had never teleported with Twilight before, and though it took only several seconds to pass, she distinctly remembered every vivid detail. When they first entered the magical gateway, she instinctively clung to Twilight as tightly as she could, for the bright strobing lights made it nearly impossible to see where they were going. They had entered into a kind of starry vortex that twisted and undulated the farther down they ventured. Curling streams of violet, pink, red, and green magic ebbed and flowed along their path, flaring and receding arbitrarily, wandering and fading out into nothing. Then, the colors would explode like supernovas and flooded Rainbow’s vision, forcing her to cling onto Twilight even harder in fear. She nervously looked up, hoping in the pit of her stomach that Twilight was not affected in the same way, but what she saw stunned her. The unicorn never flinched, not even for a moment. She gazed dead ahead only for her destination and nothing else. She had a new profound determination within her and a building sense of purpose holding Rainbow in her hooves. Her wisps of burgundy and lime-green magic left a shining trail behind them even brighter than the one ahead. Rainbow was left completely in the dark about what had happened to her, but she knew this was still her dear friend… although, perhaps she was more than that now. “Is that really you, Twilight?” Rainbow asked timidly through the silence. Casually the unicorn glanced down at her and smiled. Yes Rainbow, it’s really me. You wouldn’t believe what happened though, even if I could tell you. “Where are we going?” she asked. Twilight turned ahead towards her target once more, still smiling and clutching onto Rainbow firmly. To Ponyville, I think… The pegasus shut her eyes serenely and simply let her friend focus on the task at hand. They were approaching an opening through the void that could easily outshine the sun, and Rainbow could not look anywhere near its brilliance. However, Twilight was more than ready. She had done this countless times before, though it was much more physically taxing carrying another pony at the same time. I hope I'm right. For everypony's sake. FLASH! A calamitous burst of electric-green lightning signaled their arrival, as they spontaneously erupted back into the plane of existence only a few feet above the ground. Their back hooves unexpectedly fell onto a sandy bank, and they awkwardly stumbled forward into a light current of water. Twilight went down first, colliding stiffly with the murky sediment-filled bottom, although the stream itself was very shallow. Splashing up some water, she eased herself up and spit out the foul tasting fluid which had unfortunately flooded her mouth. Rainbow had somehow handled herself more gracefully, and planted her hooves firmly before she entered the drink as well. With a quick, frightful glance, she turned to help her friend immediately out of the water. Twilight simply spit a few times and rubbed her tongue against foreleg to remove the last remaining bit of a salty taste, and showed Rainbow an uneasy look of satisfaction. "Are you alright, Twilight? You're not glowing anymore," she noted. Twilight peered at her hoof again and was quite shocked to see that Rainbow spoke the truth. Her reddish-green aura that she had received from her friends on the other side had, indeed, dissipated. Her heart started to race, desperately hoping she had not used all of her power up so hastily. No! It can't be! I can't have used that much magic already!! Rainbow was just as worried, for Twilight's confidence seemed to be fading away faster and faster. She did the first thing that came to mind in these situations and rested a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight, please calm down. We're safe now. See? There's no fire, at all. Your spell worked perfectly!" The nervous unicorn smelled the air cautiously, and the scent of burning earth was gone just as she said. However, her worry only slightly subsided. "Told ya. Now, we just need to figure out where we are." She gave Twilight a warm smile and promptly headed for the water's edge. Rainbow peered her head over the embankment and scanned the surrounding area. The stream seemed to snake through and around some grassy rolling hills, nothing too out of the ordinary. But suddenly, she saw an oddity amongst the landscape. To her amazement, one of the hills had a window, and a birdhouse hanging over it. Rainbow had wondered why this place looked so familiar, and it was because they were only a small ways off from Fluttershy's cottage. "Heheh," Rainbow chuckled lightly, "You're not gonna' believe this, Twilight. Come take a look." Twilight hesitantly obeyed and looked over the edge of the outcropping as well. In that moment, she wanted to laugh right along with Rainbow, but settled for a delighted jab on her friend's shoulder. Neither of them could believe it. After two days of sheer hell, they were finally making progress. Using a bit of the new energy that Twilight inadvertently gave her, Rainbow quickly hopped onto the grassy hillside and helped up her friend as well. The moon hung low above them, giving them a crystal-clear view of the starry night sky. They took a moment to breathe and relax after their near encounter with death, walking closely with each other as they made their way toward the empty cottage. After crossing over a tall hill, Twilight calmly leaned her head into Rainbow's neck again. She did not breathe heavy or anything of the sort, but she still enjoyed this every time she got the chance. The pegasus did not want to disturb the moment, but some issues needed to be resolved. "Should we go to Ponyville, Twilight? Or should we just go to Canterlot? I'll go wherever you choose, I promise." I don't know, Rainbow. I don't want to see Ponyville. Besides, Lily said that the fake me would be going to Canterlot too. I should probably do what she told me. Twilight didn't seem to respond so Rainbow brought up another point. "I saw that you used magic back there. Is there any way you could use it to get your voice back... or make my wings work?" Her voice seemed to trail off. I think it's all gone. But... I guess there's no problem in trying. The pegasus stopped suddenly and waited patiently for her to answer. Twilight gazed out blankly into the field knowing that she had to at least give it a shot, and at last gave Rainbow a slight nod. "So... you want to go to your library?" she asked. Twilight gasped apprehensively at her suggestion at first, but relented and agreed. That would be a very painful trek for her, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad with the pony she admired by her side. "Alright, let's keep going," she said. They passed on by Flutterhy's eerily dark and silent cottage, devoid of its usual slew of woodland critters and her pets. They both agreed to not go in and stay on their chosen path. Off in the distance, the faint, violet glow of a low flame signaled they were almost back where they started. When the first rows of charred buildings came into view, their hearts started to sink. When at last their collective beam of tumultuous energy ceased, another stone weighing several hundred tons dislodged from its prison within the wall and collided heavily with the crumbling floor below. They had been boring into the mountainside for hours, and the unholy quintet of powerful Twilight Sparkles was becoming more anxious by the second. The sun had since gone down, but with two of them taking shifts lighting the way and another two making their way yet deeper into the cavern, it hardly even mattered. These mine shafts had been littered sparsely with various crystals which easily reflected the light of their horns. Seeing through the darkness was proving to be no challenge, and neither would driving straight to the core of this mountain. The leader's two subordinates out in front combined their power yet again, and unleashed a firestorm. Their melded energy easily melted through the layer of rock; however, the deeper they commenced, the denser the layers of rock became. Instead of easily plunging straight onward, they found it much simpler to carve out wide portions of earth at a time. "Damn it!" yelled their leader, "We should've reached the center by now. If we do not finish here in time, we will be late for our meeting with the princesses, and that I will not allow." One of her clones, busy keeping the cavern illuminated, cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why do we not simply attack them first, if they are so important?" "Because," she scoffed, "this spell will take nearly half a day to be properly prepared. We just need the artifact to complete it, and whatever these princesses try to throw at us will not be such an issue. I was merely hoping to get more of an... advantage." "And why is this artifact so vital to your spell?" her clone asked. "Its mystical properties, of course. It directly converts magical energy into physical energy, and vice versa," she hastily professed. "But, is that not what we already do as unicorns?" "It is," she confessed, "however, as unicorns the type of physical energy we create is severely limited. With the artifact within our grasp, my magic's possibilities would be nearly endless. It will amplify my power to have capabilities that reach far beyond that of any alicorn." "Such as... what?" Her clone continued to grimace skeptically at her explanations. "Well, let's just say that by tomorrow everypony in Equestria will know the sounds of true pain and agony." As if her clones had been waiting for those words, their beams suddenly ceased and yet another tremendously heavy slab of earth fell dejectedly from the wall. Its powerful collision with the floor kicked up a thick cloud of crystallized dust, which was quickly blown away by their magic. Behind where the stone had previously lain, opened a grand entrance to a far-reaching tunnel that gradually sloped downwards. As one of her clones peered down the long shaft, a faint orange glow lit up her features. They could all easily fit inside. "What's down there?" she inquired. The leader immediately took point and signaled for the others to follow. "Down this way is the main atrium. Celestia would like us all to believe that no unicorn has ever been down this far, but that is clearly a lie. A friend of mine at the school specialized in advanced geology, and according to what he said, the royal sisters had sealed off this area to perturb any intrusion." Her copies stayed close behind the further she went. "And why would they do something like that?" one of them asked. "From what I have heard, this area can be very... volatile." Her horn briefly flared up with power, causing her to grip the side of her head for a moment and rub her temple. These dull pains came and faded away every now and then. "Grrr... damn these headaches. It's like somepony's taking a blasted drill to my skull." "Should we stop? Are you alright, leader?" another clone questioned. "Y-yes... I'm fine," she shook her head lightly. "Let's keep going." They continued down the long winding shaft and the orange glow only seemed to increase in intensity. The estranged group walked for several minutes and eventually saw the large breadth of a great opening. They could hear some of kind of liquid bubbling, getting louder the closer they came to the clearing. When they had finally reached the precipice, the rocky surface abruptly ended and twisted off to their left into an obviously archaic staircase, easily over a hundred steps in length. The colossal stone room reached far to the other side of the mountain, and high to a stalactite-covered ceiling. Ancient architecture that had been lost for over a thousand years, plagued the walls as a reminder of the history of some bygone era. At the center of this grand room, which easily extended nearly half the length of Ponyville, lied a deceptively docile pool of boiling lava, keeping the monumental chasm dimly lit the color of a dull vermillion upon every broken and cracked side. "Excellent," their leader commented, "this area, along with the upper levels, shall provide us with plenty of breathing room should something... go wrong." "Since when did this mountain have volcanic activity?" asked a clone to her right. "Aeons ago, but its power has since been regrettably quelled. The magma deep within only comes to the surface in slight pockets now and then... at least that is what I remember. However, once we start the spell, we can use a part of its dormant, untapped power. Those fools! How could they not see what was lying under their hooves this whole time?!" "So, you're still doing this for the queen?" asked another subordinate. "For Chrysalis?!" she hissed, "Absolutely not! I do not care what she has done for me! ANYTHING she has done for me! This is about me, Celestia, and everypony else who follows her tyrannical regime!!" Inhaling a deep breath to calm herself, she glared around the expansiveness of the cavern with predatorial eyes. Then, she turned back abruptly to the rocky staircase. "Just follow me," she said dismissively. Her other four copies followed with a hint of concern hidden within their features. They knew what was really causing her headaches, and they knew that no matter how much she fought them off, they would always return in greater force. They genuinely feared for her sanity. They felt her pain, her loss, her sorrow, but even they could not feel her true agony. She was being targeted by something unseen. That was their only clue, and they could do nothing about it. "Careful with your step," she glanced back at them as a warning, "These stairs are ancient and could give out at any second." "Why do we not teleport to ground level, leader?" "Because sister, we've used enough magic thus far. We need to conserve it now, for our real trials are about to begin." The winding staircase followed down the semi-circular wall, as it had been simply carved out ages ago. Their leader contemplated the ramifications of hollowing out this much space within a mountain this large, especially considering that centuries of decay had probably occurred. However, it would all play a part of her plan. After carefully descending the lengthy flight of chiseled earth, their faltering hooves finally found sanctity on the low, rocky floor. They spread out into a loose triangle formation and approached the one boiling pool of lava that illuminated the expanse. From the stairs, it was still a good walk to the midpoint of the chasm, but it gave them enough time to collect their thoughts. The lead Twilight Sparkle peered into the bubbling cauldron below when they at last came upon it. She rubbed her chin in thought for a moment, carefully pondering her next move, and then silently nodded to herself. "Alright," she pointed to the edges of the small pond of liquid rock, "Now, take your positions. Two of you, start forming the sphere as I mentioned earlier, myself and the other two will begin pulling magma from within." Her sisters obeyed, placing themselves at equidistant points along the rim. She nodded to her two clones at the opposite end and they immediately began fusing their two powers. A few wisps of energy started to float away from the tips of their horns and converge at the apex of the pool. Their violet magic spun in place like a miniature black hole, absorbing more and more of their incoming power. Just as their leader had said, the sphere that would serve as the heart of her spell compacted and grew brighter with each new layer applied to it. They had nearly contained their own personal star, which easily overpowered the not quite as luminous glow of the lava pool. With their first phase nearly complete, she signaled to her other two subordinates to begin lifting. Tumultuous plumes of liquid earth funneled upwards synchronously with a wave of their horns. Small droplets of the super-heated material fell haphazardly onto the bright sphere, but it was quickly singed off. Their massively condensed energy had surpassed the inside of the earth in temperature, and it kept on building. Using the other three's combined force, a great wave of lava swallowed up their star and fully enveloped it. At this point, the quintet was apprehensive about the consequences of their actions. It seemed as though at any second the capricious mixture of their energy and lava would explode... but it held. In fact, it started to harden. The leader could feel herself sweating, and by looking around, could also tell she was not the only one. The heat was utterly unbearable, but with more than enough magic to protect themselves they were able to ward it off temporarily. Ever so gradually, the lava began to take on a near glass-like complexion, a result of prolonged exposure to the spell. It was quite beautiful to behold, as the entire pool seemed to freeze over with a new hardened and translucent surface. Pockets of their star's light began to peek through and light up the chasm like the late, evening sky they could not witness from deep within the mountain. And then, they felt a heavy quake beneath their hooves. The stalactites high above them soon came into focus, as they were certain they were about to calamitously fall like a hail storm upon them. However, after a moment, everything quickly subsided. "W-what was that, leader?" asked one startled clone. "The mountain tried to reject the spell," she noted, "but it can't hold out forever. All we need is the artifact, and then we can bend its comatose power to do our bidding." "J-just close your eyes, Twilight. You don't have to see this," said Rainbow Dash. The unicorn tried to look away, but she simply couldn't. Everything she loved was simply gone. Piles of rubble, charred piles of wood, broken frames of homes and business; they all filled the streets. And it was so quiet. There was dead silence for miles around. She attempted to remain calm, but she had to see it for herself, even if only to remind herself that it actually happened. She would not leave Rainbow's side for an instant, almost clinging onto her like a child would hold a blanket. The pegasus could only imagine what she would say, but turned her attention away from it. "Don't worry, Twilight. We'll fix it. But for now, we need to hit the library, and pronto." Her friend finally broke her gaze upon the sight of the carnage and turned back to face her. She would have cried, but her body simply had no more tears to give. You're right, Rainbow. I just hope we're not too late. They slowly meandered past the destruction, carefully avoiding debris and smoldering craters where her impostor had missed her targets. Or at least... that was what they hoped. They tried their best not to pay it any mind. The pair was quite surprised when they finally found the library, for it looked as though it hadn't even been touched. It was still in the exact same condition as when she had left. "Well... that's terrific," Rainbow sarcastically noted, "As if there wasn't enough evidence already." Twilight solemnly nodded in agreement. Yeah. It would be just awful if any royal guard had seen that. Though I'm sure she would've handled them just as easily. Rainbow cautiously approached the front door first and was not surprised to see that it was unlocked. The door eerily creaked open, revealing only blackness inside.Twilight quietly took the lead and stumbled into the atramentous void, pulling Rainbow right along with her. Her hoof fumbled against the wall searching for a light switch. Normally, she just used her magic to find it, or had a few lit candles placed arbitrarily around her home. She finally felt the small piece and flipped it upwards, instantly illuminating her vast collection of books. "Umm... do you have anything to eat?" asked Rainbow. Her stomach had started to ache again as they started walking, but she had done a decent job of keeping it in check until now. Of course, Rainbow. I should have something in the pantry. Twilight pointed to another door off in one corner, and her friend quickly took the hint. As she went off in search of food, the tired unicorn began searching among her endless droves of tomes. Luckily, her section devoted entirely to spells had been neatly arranged at the far right end of her shelves... but she wasn't looking for herself. She wanted to reserve any power she might still have specifically for Rainbow. Not only could she get the message out faster than she could, but Twilight couldn't stand to see her friend so miserable without her wings. She finally pulled out the one book that might have the right spell... When suddenly, she heard Rainbow scream. "AHHH! Twilight! Come look!" Her concentration broke immediately as she clumsily dropped the book out of her hooves. Rainbow had left Twilight's pantry door wide open and could not help but gawk in disbelief at what she saw. She quickly bolted over to her distraught friend and peered inside the door as well. A hot streak of fear ran down her spine when she finally saw it. She painfully gasped at the sight. It was Spike... and he was completely frozen in time. One of his claws was pointing up into the air and his mouth hung open as though he were about to yell something. He looked absolutely terrified. Instinctively, Twilight reached a hoof out to him and lightly touched the side of his hard face. He was covered in a luminous transparent cloak comprised chiefly of violet magical energy. The surface was rough to the touch, almost feeling like stone, yet Twilight had a solution. It would be a stretch, but if she could somehow manage to absorb the remaining magic with her horn rather than concoct a counter-spell of her own, then there was a chance she could break him out of it. "W-what should we do, Twilight?" Rainbow nervously stammered. Confidently, Twilight advanced and placed her horn gently upon Spike's head. Her eyelids clenched tightly shut in her focus, summoning from deep within her mind a magic that seemed foreign to her. It was Lily's magic, but she was not planning to use it all up. Instead, she was going to add to it. Her horn sputtered to life with a low burgundy glow. It cut through the upper most layer of his translucent prison, just enough to administer her own influence, and began draining away the imposing spell. It was not necessarily a strong spell that came him locked away out of time, but with most of her gift from Leya and Lily already used up, she had to work delicately. Bit by bit, his shell began to chip away and crack as she removed layer after layer of purplish energy. The wisps slowly receded into her horn, adding what little power there was to her small supply. Then, his arm started to move. Twilight broke away for a moment as he began to fidget, and suddenly his protective shield burst into mere atoms. His voice cut through the still air like a heavy blade. "TWILIGHT!! WATCH OUT!!" he screamed. The ponies cocked their heads to the side with concern as his pupils started to frantically dart between the two of them. After taking a second to realize he was not in any danger, he cupped his claws over his eyes and wobbled around dizzily. He fell backwards onto his rump and let out a long painful moan. "Ohhhh... what happened?" he weakly asked. Twilight quickly swept him up into a tight hug, and there was no way he could retaliate, at least not in his current condition. She nearly squeezed the life right out of him she was so happy. SPIKE!! I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!! "We could ask you the same thing," said Rainbow bluntly, "because honestly, we don't know either." The unicorn gently plopped him back on the ground and he quietly finished rubbing his eyes. He slowly stared back up Twilight and then to Rainbow Dash. "W-where did you guys come from? The last thing I remember, a pony was standing over Twilight in her bed and then she zapped me before I could say anything." "Woah woah," Rainbow interjected, "You're saying you actually saw someone attack Twilight?" He twiddled a claw upon his lower jaw. "Umm... I think so. It must've been last night or... however long ago I went out." Twilight and Rainbow exchanged worried glances. He doesn't know what's going on, Rainbow. "He has no idea, Twilight," she noted. "Know about what?" he asked timidly. "Um... listen Spike," Rainbow started, "You've been out for awhile, and well, Ponyville was attacked." "Attacked by who?!" he interrupted. "Well," she let out a quick sigh, "We don't know that yet. She looked exactly like Twilight, but I can personally assure you that it wasn't. Although, it seems like you've already met our culprit face to face. She stole all of Twilight's powers... and her voice, if you haven't been able to tell yet." He turned back to the unicorn, almost ready to cry himself, but she could only offer a weak smile to reassure him. "She... stole your voice too, Twilight?" he whispered. She only nodded at his statement, wishing she could tell him everything else. There's so much more to it than that, Spike. These have been the worst days of my life. In that moment she remembered something and quickly glanced at Rainbow. Well, almost the worst. I wouldn't have made this far without her. "Wait a second, Spike," Rainbow swiftly caught his attention, "Did you happen to get a good look at her. Better yet, how did you know it was a she that broke into Twilight's room?" "Um... let's see. Her face was bandaged up mostly, but I could see her muzzle. She was definitely too small to be a stallion. It was pretty dark, but I could see the right side of her face was completely covered. Her eye though, it was blood red, and she looked right at me. As soon as I got out of my bed, boom! She hit me with it. And now... I'm back here with you guys." "Her face was bandaged?" she asked. "Yeah... why?" he responded. "Oh, no reason. I was just asking for Twilight." The small dragon looked back to the unicorn in question, who was contemplating the words he just spoke. Red eyes. Bandages on her face. Who could it be? "How old was she? Could you tell?" "She looked older than you two, but I've been wrong about these things before," he admitted. His eyes traced a line to the door at the front of the library, and nervously pointed at it with a slightly shaky hand. "Do I even want to see what's past that door?" He felt a familiar lavender hoof place itself lightly on his shoulder and start to guide him forward. It'll be hard Spike, but I'll be here with you. Rainbow quietly followed the two to the door, knowing full well that maybe he would take it better with her at his side. She understood though. She enjoyed having Twilight at her side too, and thought perhaps it would lessen the shock. He took a deep breath and signaled for her to open it. He was ready. The door creaked open once again and the sight of destruction flooded his eyes for a split second. He exhaled his long breath and gazed upon all of the charred buildings. He frowned in disappointment, but he had been properly warned, so he hardened his heart and tried to accept it. "Please tell me everypony made it out okay," he muttered. "As far as we know," Rainbow replied. "Good," was all he replied with. Without another word he began wandering off down the same road Twilight had when she heard the screams. No longer worried about the memories, the concerned ponies followed close behind. "W-where are you going Spike?" Rainbow immediately asked. She could tell that's what Twilight wanted her to say. "To pick up the mess," he said sternly. "What do you mean? Hello, we have bigger problems here!" "I'm sorry, it's just what I do. I help. That's all I've ever done," he replied Spike! Would you please just come back here?! I need you more than ever right now! "But we need your help! Don't you see that?!" Rainbow cried out. "Of course I do," he stopped in place along the road and stared up at the rooftops. He let them catch up to him, even though they were obviously flustered. "Then why don't you help us?" she asked more quietly. "I am helping you," he pointed up to a nearby rooftop, "but you can't see what my eyes see. He is the one you really want." The two ponies skeptically glanced up at his target. For the third time that day, Twilight was absolutely mortified at what she had found, as was Rainbow. Spike however smugly nodded at his small victory. He had found Shining Armor.