//------------------------------//
// Black Ice and Crystal 
// Story: Save Me, For My Name is Twaith 
// by Michael Hudson 
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	Celestia put her tea to the side as she picked up another piece of paperwork. More legal work to get the empire to be a real part of the ‘modern’ Equestria. All the hoops she was having to go through just to make it okay that these ponies returned was infuriating at this point. She had always tried to teach ponies to accept each other and the unknown so as to be able to grow, and this… this was just disgusting.

The monarch laid her head down upon the table with a brief sigh. The last year had been a nightmare for her, from all the requisition’s paperwork required to get things like Spike’s room, or Sunset’s house into place, to having to spend four days trapped in a room with Luna to make sure she was recognized as a new monarch, Celestia had been wrung out. Luckily, the paperwork had been for such nice things, and brought her closer to those she cared about and loved. Unfortunately, the empire meant pushing one of those away. “Now is not the time to dwell on that though. No reason to let a little loneliness make Kibitz yell at me.”

She was about to pick up one of the paper’s again when a small, blue figure crashed through her window. Glass scattered itself across the room as the pegasus hit the floor. The other pony was beginning to pick itself up as Celestia stepped over, and she finally noticed the horn that was also on the small filly. Luna looked up, a shard of glass embedded into her forehead. “Sister, gather your magic.”

“Luna, why did you do that? We need to-”

“Gather your magic, and get as many ponies out of Canterlot as you possibly can!”

Celestia blinked as she saw her sister shut her eyes. Cuts covered the little filly, but still she channeled her magic, and Luna was not a stranger to danger. If she believed something had gone wrong, Celestia would believe her, and follow the example. Her eyes closed, and she began to focus.

Both of the alicorn’s magics began to flow through Canterlot, first touching all of the denizens of the castle. As the radius grew further and further, the blazing light in the room began to shine like a beacon to the denizens. While they took it as something to stare at while they possibly watched a blessing be put upon them, Celestia and Luna were gritting their teeth at the pressure of so much magic being channeled at once.

It wasn’t enough though. Celestia could feel some of them outside of the radius. The little fillies and colts of the run down skirts of town. They… they didn’t deserve to die just because she wasn’t strong enough. Luna opened one of her eyes a fraction as she began to feel heat beat against her, and watched as Celestia’s mane had flames licking at the edges. Luna almost cried at the sight, before following in her sister’s example. The ground beneath her hooves began to tremble as she felt some of her teeth begin to elongate, and the dark whisper began to return.

But then, they released, and the noisy town of Canterlot, became silent. All was still, for nopony was left there. The one thing that broke the silence, was the glass that crashed upon the streets. Soon stones joined in the cacophony, and the cobblestone roads began to split. Finally, the cause of the earthquake hit its target, and the ground began splitting in two.

Black crystal rose from the ground, forcing dirt and stone to fly. Just behind it were massive columns of ice, so dark that one could not see through it as part of Canterlot Castle exploded from the sudden appearance of them. Celestia, watching from a ledge high above, her legs trembling as she gazed upon the destruction, felt a tear roll down her face. Her home, all of theirs homes, were gone, and they would have been to if not for Luna.

The filly princess slowly brought herself over, and put a hoof onto her big sister’s leg. “It… It’s not your fault Celestia. W-we thought he was gone for good, so you can’t blame yourself-”

Celestia turned away, forcing her tears back as she took in a deep breath. Luna was wrong, but wallowing in self hate would not fix what had just happened. No, she had to take that action, even if every plan she had felt like a shard of ice through her heart. “Luna, get yourself treated for your wounds, and then tell a guardsmen to retrieve the elements. Once I have them, I wish for you to lead these ponies somewhere safe while I check on the rest of the nation, and make sure we put a stop to this. Permanently.”