Crescent stared in shock at the letter and reread it again, muttering to herself as she did.
"Dear Ink Crescent,
Princess Luna tells me you are a wonderful student at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I would love to meet you and possibly help you out. If you need it that is. I would love for you to stay in Ponyville for the next few months. Please, consider this offer and if you'll come, then pack tonight.
Signed, Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"Will you?"
Crescent jumped as Luna stepped from the entryway. "What?"
"Will you go to Ponyville? It's safer there," Luna said. "Canterlot is becoming less safe. Celestia, Discord, and I have sensed magic differences in the air. Dark magic roams the world. Please, will you go? We only want you to be safe."
"Safe?" Crescent was shaking. "B-but -- Canterlot has become my home, Princess Luna!"
"I know. And I promise you can return once the danger's passed," Luna replied, calmly. "It's only for a few months."
Crescent took a deep breath and drew herself to her full height. "You will know my decision at dusk." Without daring to meet her teacher's eye, she trotted past her and straight to her room at the end of the hall.
~~~
Crescent checked her list once again. "Quills, check. Scrolls, check. Journal, check. The Journal of Empress Lucena, check," she muttered to herself. She sighed, putting her saddle bags carefully over her wings, before draping her cloak over herself once again. She checked her mane -- which was always in one large brilliant phthalo blue braid that reached the floor with a grayish blue persian aura surrounding it -- before pulling her hood over her head, shadowing her face.
"Time to go," a soft voice said from the entrance.
Crescent whirled around. "Mother!"
Midnight Ink smiled, walking forward to stand in front of her daughter. "Ink Crescent, look at you. About to set off on a mission," she whispered. She leaned forward, pulling Ink Crescent into a hug. "Stay safe, my beloved daughter. The princesses have allowed me to come and get you. We must hurry. No one can see you leaving. They will suspect something."
"Right, of course," Crescent murmured. She pulled away from her mother and followed her down the steps.
"Crescent." Cadance was the first to draw her into a hug when she reached the library. "I'll miss you." She sighed, wiping a tear from her eye, and pulled out a small gift. "Here. It's a little something from Shining Armor and I. Only use it in the most dire of circumstances."
Crescent gratefully took the letter and the gift, tucking them into her saddle bags before turning to her father. He was crying, tears dripping from his cheeks. "Father," she murmured, hugging him. "Are you crying?"
"I assume Midnight Ink already gave you your present," he said, sniffling.
"You seeing me off is gift enough," Crescent murmured in reply.
"That's sweet," Silent Moon whispered. He pulled something out from under his wing: a letter. "I wrote you a special song. Only sing it when you want to remember me."
"Why would I ever forget you?" Crescent whispered, but gratefully took the letter, placing it carefully in her saddle bags. She turned to Luna and Celestia.
Celestia had tears brimming in her eyes, but she stood tall and gazed at Crescent with determination and trust in her eyes as well.
Luna had lit her horn a brilliant cyan and was walking toward Crescent. "Celestia and I bestow upon you possibly the greatest gift we could ever give," Luna began. She paused, glancing at Celestia, her eyes also brimming with tears.
Celestia gave her a small nod and lit her horn a pale golden and, with both the alicorns' magic, a beautiful pinkish-golden light -- the color of dawn and dusk, the two moments in the day when the day and night touched -- began to wrap around Crescent. "The Gift of the Siren's Gem. Not only will you spread your song, Crescent, but you can now spread peace throughout Equestria. But you must remember -- "
" -- that you are not connected to your Gem like the Sirens were connected to theirs. If yours breaks, you can still sing," Luna finished for her.
Crescent felt a new kind of magic energy flow through her; it was peaceful, but this one also had a ferocity to it -- a burning sensation. Touching her chest, she felt a gem; it was a gem shaped exactly like the ones the Sirens had that she had seen in pictures. Looking down, she realized it was not red, but a brilliant cyan, like her eyes.
Giving everypony one last hug, and telling Luna and Celestia thank you, Crescent began her trek toward Ponyville.
~~~
Crescent stared up at the large, crystalized tree that was Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle.
"Eh," she muttered. "I've seen better." She rolled her eyes and knocked on the door. She'd barely even been here for a thirty minutes and she was already complaining. Just keep it casual.
"Oh, hi!"
A small purple-and-green dragon was standing in the doorway.
Crescent scowled for a moment then smiled. "Hello, there. I'm Ink Crescent. Is Princess Twilight here? My -- uh -- friend requested that I talk to her."
"Yeah," the dragon replied. "Twilight?" He leaned back a bit as he called for the purple alicorn.
"What is it, Spike? Who's at the door, sugarcube?" A country-accented orange earth pony walked over to the door, blinked, then mumbled something inaudible. "Twi? You have a guest."
"Really? Oh, is it that Ink Crescent pony that Princess Luna was talking about? Let her in!" Twilight's voice sounded distant. "Bring her to the library."
"Okay!" Spike called. He stepped aside, as did the orange pony, and motioned with his hand for her to come in. "Come on in, Ink Crescent."
"Thanks," Crescent muttered. As soon as she stepped into the castle, she felt crystal beneath her hooves. Who makes their floor out of crystal? she thought. Other than Cadance.
"Welcome, sugarcube. Ah'm Applejack. If you'd kindly follow me to this 'ere library, you'll see the Princess of Friendship at work with four of her five friends," the country pony said, smiling.
"Honestly, Applejack, I don't think she needs a tour. She just needs to speak to Princess Twilight." A purple-maned white pony with a Manehattan accent trotted toward the library door, her horn lighting up a light blue as she opened the door a bit more. "Just come in, dear. I am Rarity," she added, tossing her fancy-styled mane.
"Yep. That's Rarity, Rainbow Dash," -- Applejack pointed with her hoof to a blue pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane, who waved a hoof -- "Pinkie Pie, who will be throwing you a Welcome-to-Ponyville Party" -- she pointed to a pink pony who was blowing up a balloon, her pink mane poofier than possibly any mane Crescent had ever seen -- "and that is Fluttershy." The last pony was a yellow pegasus with a pink mane who was petting a bunny.
"We're so pleased you made it!" Fluttershy smiled.
"How's it going?" Rainbow Dash seemed a bit distracted.
Rarity and Applejack, however, paid full attention to Crescent, as did Pinkie Pie -- sort of.
"So, do you want a themed party? I've got it! Nightmare Moon themed!" Pinkie gasped. "Yeah. Because, you know, you look a lot like her."
"What Pinkie means, dear, is that you have a wonderful look. I love your mane," Rarity interrupted, before Pinkie could say anything anymore. "You simply must come to Carousel Boutique sometime!"
"Thank you?" Crescent replied.
"Hi! I'm sorry, but I got a reply from Princess Luna, saying that this unicorn was -- oh! You must be Ink Crescent." Twilight held out her hoof and Crescent reluctantly shook it.
"Yeah. I'm Ink Crescent," she said. "Princess Luna told me to see you to get some help finding a hotel room and a job."
"I know! You should work at Sugarcube Corner with me!" Pinkie shouted.
"I can't assist you right now, I'm afraid," Twilight replied, ignoring Pinkie's crazy shouting. "I'll have Spirit Shadow Moon show you around, though."
Spirit Shadow Moon? Crescent wondered. Who's that?
"She works at the Hay Burger and is a wonderful cook. Her orange smoothies are simply divine!" Rarity explained, as if she had read Crescent's thoughts.
"It is her special talent," Applejack said, putting a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. "That reminds me." She turned to Crescent. "What's your special talent, sugarcube?"
"Mine?" Crescent asked. She shifted uncomfortably, putting a hoof to her chest as she felt the gem. "Well, it's -- uh -- "
"We understand if you don't want to talk about it," Fluttershy said. She could tell Crescent was uncomfortable.
"Thank you." Crescent looked around. "So, where can I find this Spirit Shadow Moon?"