//------------------------------// // Stay the Night // Story: Clarity // by AmpUpHeart //------------------------------// "I don't understand," Clarity said. Play gradually regained his balance, to see the two of them in the middle of a ruined palace. Tattered tarps hung on soiled walls. Moss filled the cracked stone. Clarity had an extremely worried look on her face. "What happened?" She asked. "Of course," Play said, "You're used to coming here. Celestia moved her abode to Canterlot." "Oh," said Clarity, "why?" 'She doesn't know about Nightmare Moon. The Crystal Empire vanished before Nightmare's banishment.' "I... Don't know," Play simply answered. "Okay. But I can't teleport to Canterlot," Clarity said. "Why not?" Play asked. "I've never been there. As you probably know, a unicorn has to have a visualization of their destination before they can teleport there." "Oh," Play said. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the distance. "Picking herbs to heal the sick. My potions take effect quite quick." "Zecora!" Play exclaimed, "She can help us." "Who's Zecora?" "She's a zebra who lives here in the Everfree Forest. She blends herbs and plants to make potions. Ponies go to her when they have an unusual illness that the nursing ponies can't diagnose. She's also very wise. She often gives advice and counseling for troubled ponies." Zecora then saw them. "Goodness me! Who is there? I apologize if I gave you a scare. I didn't see you as I walked past You're either very stealthy, or very fast." She walked up to the duo, staring as a look of realization crossed her face. "Sorry for staring, the air is so tense. But something is wrong, or so I sense. I recognized Push Play with great ease. But you look quite a bit like Clarity Breeze!" "You know who I am!?" Clarity exclaimed. "A potion I've made can reveal the past. And how through the future its effects can last. The original mix could only be used by alicorns But I altered the brew and I see that it warns...." "Warns what?" Play asked. "What it warns, I do not know. What I saw was Clarity's final blow. But ask Princess Twilight. She's in Ponyville. Just a ways from that hill." "Of course!" Play said. "Princess Twilight?" Clarity asked. "Twilight Sparkle is the princess of friendship and harmony. She and her friends go across Equestria to spread the magic of friendship. And she has close ties with Celestia. She'll know what to do." He then turned to the zebra, "Thank you, Zecora." "You're very welcome, Push Play. I'm happy to help any day." ........................... "Woah," Clarity said. The two ponies had headed into Ponyville and were now standing in front of a large, crystalline tree. "Hello?" Play asked as he knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a purple alicorn. "Hello," she said, "May I help you?" "Princess Twilight," Play said, hitting the record button on his camera, "My name is Push Play. I'm a reporter from Manehattan." "You know what I told the press," Twilight said, cutting Play off and using her magic to turn off the camera, "No paparazzi!" "This isn't about you!" Play said a bit sharply, "I need your help with something." He stepped aside, revealing Clarity. Twilight's expression immediately turned into shock. "What in Equestria!?" She exclaimed. Clarity, frightened, took a few steps back. "Twilight! What is it!?" A voice said from within the castle. A purple and green dragon scrambled to the door and crashed into Twilight's hind leg. Clarity gasped and, out of fear, counterattacked. Pale purple crystals shot out of the ground and encircled the dragon. "Clarity, stop!" Play said. "Spike!" Twilight said, racing up to the dragon now in a crystal cage. Spike, though, took a bite out of his prison. "Mmmm, Amethyst Quartz!" He said. Clarity had a look of fear and confusion present on her face. "Could someone please explain this?" She asked. "That's what I want to know!" Twilight said, who are you!?" "Princess, this is Clarity Breeze. She's the heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire. I found her trapped in the Canterlot caves. "And Clarity, that dragon is Princess Twilight's assistant, Spike." "Correction. I'm her Number One Assistant!" Spike said as he finished eating his way out of his cage. "I'm sorry," Clarity said, "Old habits die hard. Dragons were always a threat to the Crystal Empire due to all the crystals." "But I'm still really confused. What happened, and how did you find her?" Twilight asked. ....................... One recap later ........................ "Wow," Twilight said to Clarity, "How did I not see you?" "You've been in the caves before?" Play said. "When Chrysalis was posing as Cadance before my brother's wedding, she imprisoned me in the caves. She used the crystals as an intercom and I tried to destroy her by firing at them." "So you must've made the shattered crystals that were relatively new." "But it doesn't explain why I didn't see her." "The Crystal Empire reappeared after the wedding," Spike said, "Maybe that has something to do with it." "Wait, what do you mean 'reappeared?'" Clarity asked. "After Sombra was defeated by Celestia and Luna, he sent the empire into the future, just over a thousand years." Twilight said. "Oh my goodness," Clarity said. If she hadn't cried so much earlier that day, she would've been sobbing. But now her eyes were glassy, far away. "What would they say?" She whispered. "How about we worry about that tomorrow?" Play asked, "It's been a long day. How about we get some shut eye?" "Where exactly?" Clarity asked, resulting in an uncertain look from Play. "You can stay here for now," Twilight said, "Spike, write a message to the princesses." "All of them?" "Yes. Tell them to meet us here at sunup tomorrow." "Ok." Clarity marveled at how the letters simply floated to their destinations in the form of smoke after Spike burned them. "You ought to meet my friends tomorrow," Twilight said, "They're a really fun bunch." She then turned to Play. "And if you came here for my help, why were you recording me?" "Habit, I guess?" Play said sheepishly. Twilight then took the camera off of Play's ear. "Hey! What was that for!?" He asked. "Talk to my friends about recording them. Until then, break your habit."