The Lords of Harmony

by Whinifree

Act 2 - Journey to the Center of Equestria

“Ponies' voices fill the night. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Happy hearts so full and bright. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Oh, what a sight. Look at the light. All for tonight. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again...”

The words stumbled out of Twilight Sparkle like they were competing against each other. She sighed, stared up at the cloudy sky, and her ears fell flat against her head. She did not even flinch as little snowflakes landed on her face. Through small breaks in the clouds here and there, the deep orange sky was slowly giving way to night.

Normally the pegasi have the whole thing covered, but in this case, I'm actually a little glad they left a few spots open so I can still see the sky. Celestia's light, and soon, Luna's night; two sides of the same coin working together to create perfect harmony...

Everypony in Ponville had assembled in front of what used to be the Town Hall building for their evening community gathering. They had done so every day since the earthquake several weeks prior that leveled roughly half of the town. Fortunately, not many ponies had suffered injuries in the tremor—the worst of which was a few broken legs and some mild head trauma from falling debris—but many of the town's residents were now living in tents or staying with neighbors whose homes were still standing. The ponies continued to sing, but their dampened spirits caused the joyous tune to fall short of its normal exuberance.

Even with the threat of Nightmare Moon and the Animus looming in the north, upon Princess Celestia's insistence, the Hearth's Warming season had proceeded as it did every year. Ponyville had been decorated like it normally would. Snow covered the roofs of houses and the ground and trees. Wreaths were hung on the doors and windows of the homes that remained. Large, plastic candy canes lined the streets, and strands of multi-colored lights hung between them, the streetlamps, and the trees. In the center of the town, the ponies had built a fire pit, and every evening, a large bonfire bathed the area in its warm glow. The light from the fire mingled with the glow from the strands of lights, but where its majesty really shone was the way it reflected off the snow and further brightened the town square.

Twilight shifted her forelegs a little, causing the snow to slide off her yellow rubber boots. Lowering her gaze, she looked to her left at Rarity and Applejack. She smiled, seeing Applejack's stetson back on the head of its rightful owner. She then looked to her right at Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. Afterward she glanced behind herself at Spike who sat upon the blue and cloudy white saddle strapped to Twilight's back, and who had his claws gently gripping her neck.

Spike stared at Twilight. He opened his mouth, but no words came. He rubbed the back of his head.

Twilight gave Spike a warm smile. She nudged the little dragon's cheek with her nose then looked back to her front. Scanning the gathering of townsponies encircled around the bonfire, she spotted Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Zecora. Though she held a place for all of Ponyville in her heart, the sight of them filled her with an even greater joy. She beamed as she watched them. They too were like family to her, for she had come to know them through her closest friends. A moment later, her smile turned into a frown as she remembered that she and the other Element Bearers would be leaving first thing in the morning. She let out a sigh.

I fully get that this mission is critical to bringing this war to a favorable end, but it still hurts to have to be leaving everypony behind again, and there's no telling what it is we'll find once we arrive at this 'Dread Frontier.' At least, no telling apart from certain implications that name has. Also, Nightmare Moon could attack while we're away, and if she does, then Ponyville or Canterlot or wherever won't stand a chance. Still, we have to do this. There's no other way about it.

Twilight's thoughts returned to Luna's old journal. Once the nationwide damage from the earthquake had been assessed, and emergency shelters and medical suites set up, Princess Celestia had made a copy of the old tome, and Twilight had not gone a single night since the earthquake where she had not read it from cover to cover. Every time she read it, the entries within left her even more uneasy than the previous read, and she always paused upon reaching the part where the cloaked figure is first mentioned. Every word of theirs that Luna had written down threw Twilight's mind back to her encounter with the same figure in the old castle during Nightmare Night.

You do not yet know what hides within the veil...

Twilight shuddered as she recalled the words.

The sudden movement made Spike tighten his grip on Twilight's neck slightly and he peeked around at her. “Twilight?”

She looked back at Spike. “I'm just thinking...”

“About tomorrow?”

“Everything.”

Rarity, Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all glanced at Twilight but remained quiet.

“I think I'm ready to call it a day...” said Twilight. She took one last look at the bonfire before turning and walking away from the gathering.

Quickly exchanging glances, her friends followed after her.

All became quiet in the town center save for the gentle crackling of the bonfire as the townsponies stopped singing. With solemn looks upon their faces, they watched as the Element Bearers proceeded down the road.

---

Their trek was slow and quiet. Night had fully settled in by the time Twilight and the others reached Sweet Apple Acres. Following the light coming from Twilight's horn, Applejack opened the door to the house and they stepped inside. After the door closed behind them, Rarity levitated several small logs into the fireplace and the darkness of the living room was soon partially lessened by the light of a dancing flame. They all settled down in a semi-circle in front of the fireplace, save for Pinkie who went into the kitchen and returned a few moments later carrying a tray with seven large mugs on it, all of which were filled with steaming hot apple cider. Each individual present took a mug and Pinkie joined the line.

Time seemed to drag on. The most anypony did was take an occasional sip of their drink, and they glanced back and forth between each other. They were joined by Applejack's dog, Winona, who curled up in the space between her owner's forelegs and promptly fell asleep.

Twilight's thoughts meandered between all that had happened until that moment to the journey that lie before them. The warmth of the fire, the sweetness of the cider, the farmhouse, and the closeness of her friends all helped to ease the tension that dominated her mind. But it was a scattered respite, as it was quickly pushed back each time she returned to her previous ruminations.

“So...” said Rainbow Dash after several hours of complete silence from the group. “Tell me again why we can't just sneak into the Crystal Empire, grab as much of this midnium as we can carry then hoof it back here?”

Rarity shook her head. “That puts us too close to Nightmare Moon, darling.”

“Much as it would make our job easier,” said Applejack, “you have to remember that that part of Equestria is... shall we say... under new management now. It's too risky.”

Rainbow's tone turned slightly more combative. “And what we're doing is any less risky?” She glanced over to a corner of the room where each of the ponies' saddlebags sat in a pile. Each bag had the same coloration as their owner as well as bearing their respective cutie marks. “Suppose Nightmare Moon attacks while we're gone. Equestria will be without its most powerful means of defense.”

“But—”

“And don't say what I think you were going to say, Applejack. Last time was a fluke... End of story...”

“No need to get snippy,” stated Spike calmly.

“Well...” muttered Pinkie, keeping her head down a little. “Rainbow does make a good point. Anything could happen while we're away. If the worst should happen, there may not even be an Equestria by the time we get back.”

“We shouldn't think like that, Pinkie,” said Fluttershy.

As her friends debated, Twilight stared at the floor. “I completely understand what Rainbow and Pinkie are saying. I would much rather go that route as well, but the truth is it's still the riskier of the two options. Suppose we got caught. What would stop Nightmare Moon from imprisoning us, or worse, doing to us what she did to Luna?”

Rainbow turned her attention to Twilight. “What about before? Why didn't Nightmare Moon just turn us when she had us in her literal grasp then?”

“I think perhaps we just got lucky. Had Princess Celestia not arrived when she did, then I think it's safe to say we would not still have our freedom...”

Those words made Rainbow's demeanor soften. A slight frown formed on her face, her ears flattened against her head, and she glanced down.

Twilight finished the rest of her cider before continuing. “Besides, it's doubtful that Nightmare Moon knows that we're going on this trip. It's unlikely that she's got some kind of trap set up for us. So, unappealing as it is to have to be leaving Equestria even temporarily, it's just safer in every way I can think of.”

“I think it'd be a good idea to go over the plan again,” said Applejack. “Also if anypony wants more goodies then now is the time to have it. We ain't going to have time in the mornin'.”

“I'm not sure I'm really in the mood to eat any more tonight,” stated Fluttershy.

By that point, the fire had shrunk down to only a few small flames left. Twilight levitated a fresh log into the fireplace along with some old newspaper clippings, and the blaze was bright and alive again after several moments. She then looked over to the corner of the room with all their saddlebags. “We've got enough food and drink packed for two weeks. I'm just really hoping it won't take us that long. Does seem a little excessive to have that much, since we could just grab some of the midnium and head right on back, but Princess Celestia insisted we take extra just in case.”

“Just in case what?” asked Pinkie.

Twilight took a deep breath. “Well... anything.”

Before anypony could say anything more, the door to the house opened and the ponies were greeted by a sudden gust of frigid air from the wind that had picked up outside during their conversation. From the veil of what was almost a blizzard, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Zecora and the Crusaders entered the house with the door being quickly shut behind them. They were shivering and layers of snow fell from them onto the floor. The snow melted rapidly from the heat of the fire and crowded living room. The noise from their arrival stirred Winona from her sleep, and with her tail wagging fiercely, she gave them all gleeful barks.

Silence returned to the house as everypony just gazed and smiled at each other. Scootaloo joined Rainbow's side. Sweetie Belle went over to Rarity. Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith settle down near Applejack. Zecora found a spot on a couch, since there was little room left on the floor at that point. Once everyone was settled in, Pinkie grabbed the empty tray and went back into the kitchen, returning after a minute with six additional mugs which she distributed to the others.

“All we're missing is Princess Cadance and Shining Armor,” said Spike.

“They'll be here first thing in the morning,” stated Twilight. “And we're heading out as soon as they arrive.”

Rarity gave Sweetie Belle a warm smile. “I know it hasn't been easy for you little ones to stay here and not go running off to try and crusade.”

“We were tempted of course...” said Sweetie Belle, cracking a grin and chuckling.

Rarity furrowed her brow. “Don't joke about that, Sweetie Belle.”

The filly immediately stopped grinning and swallowed hard. “Sorry.”

“I'm might proud of you, youngins,” said Applejack. “Y'all have been very grown up about this whole thing.”

“Oh, we never stopped crusadin',” beamed Apple Bloom. “We just kept it to the farm.”

“But we did run out of things to try pretty quick,” said Scootaloo. “Luckily we had Zecora here to teach us about potion-making. After trying it a few times, it became clear that's one thing I should not attempt again in the near future...” She rubbed a patch of discolored fur on her left foreleg.

Zecora chuckled. “All things can be learned in time, young one. For nothing is ever one and done.”

“Unless you really really suck at it.”

Zecora then looked over at Twilight. “Now then, Twilight. How are those scars and your eyes doing? Are they alright?”

“They don't itch anymore,” she replied. “But the scars don't appear to be healing very quickly.”

“Would you like some more eye drops, darling?” asked Rarity.

Twilight smiled at Rarity and shook her head. “No. I'll be fine, but thanks.”

“You sure?”

“Well... I guess it couldn't hurt.”

Rarity nodded and levitated a little white bottle from a side pouch of her saddlebag. She held it over Twilight so that a single drop of clear liquid fell from the tip into each of her eyes, then returned the bottle to its previous place in her bag.

Twilight clenched her eyes shut as each drop landed then blinked several times until her vision cleared.

“Say, Miss,” said Granny Smith, holding her foreleg to her chin and squinting as she stared at Twilight's scars. “Did you ever figure out why them things look like that?”

“I wish I could say I have.” Twilight frowned. As Granny smith examined her, she covered the left side of her face with her foreleg and glanced to her right.

“Don't stare, Granny,” said Applejack. “It ain't polite.”

Granny Smith took a few steps back. “Sorry, but they just don't look like anythin' I've ever seen. And I've seen quite a lot in my day. I'm gettin' the willies just lookin' at them.”

“Don't be sorry, Granny Smith,” said Twilight, putting her hoof down and looking back at the elderly earth pony. “I guess I'm just still not used to them yet.”

Several of the ponies let out deep yawns.

“Well,” Rainbow said, “guess it's about that time, isn't it?”

“I simply don't know how I'll ever sleep tonight,” grumbled Rarity. “Or at all until we get back. And I'm not saying that just because—”

“We know, Rarity,” interjected Applejack. She reached over, gently set her hoof on Rarity's shoulder and gave her a warm smile. “And we totally feel you.”

“How about one last song?” asked Spike as he nestled up closer with Twilight.

She beamed down at Spike and wrapped her foreleg around him. “Sure.”

After a moment of silence, a soft tune filled the air, with everypony singing slowly together in unison.

“Ponies' voices fill the night. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Happy hearts so full and bright. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Oh, what a sight. Look at the light. All for tonight. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again...”

They sang the song from beginning to end repeatedly. One by one, by the light and warmth of the fire in the fireplace, and each other, they drifted off into peaceful slumber. Twilight was the last of them to be taken, and before everything turned dark, she heard Spike mumbling the lyrics to the Winter Wrap Up song which made her chuckle.

---

Twilight shivered as she felt a cold, hard surface beneath her. Her eyes itched terribly. She rubbed them, but the feeling did not lessen. When she opened them, her vision was partially blurred by wetness, and further hampered by how the irritation made her blink repeatedly. Between blinks, she was able to piece together some kind of idea as to where she was.

A dark hallway stretched endlessly before her. Large marble columns spanned the length of the corridor, and ornate stain-glass windows lined the walls. Many of the windows pictured events from Equestrian history, such as the coming together of the three pony tribes and the imprisoning of Discord.

Twilight glanced around and she swallowed hard as she took in the sight.

This looks similar to my last dream, but the walls are different. This looks like the palace in Canterlot. It definitely looks a lot better in its natural light instead of this.

She rose to her hooves and waited several minutes, still blinking almost nonstop to alleviate the itchiness in her eyes. Eventually it weakened a bit, but the feeling did not go away completely. Twilight sighed. “Okay, now what to do? I could walk this hall from end to end, hoping something happens or comes along. If this is representative of Canterlot like my last one was of the Crystal Empire, then eventually I should reach an exit, though I think I already know what I'll see once I get outside, and what all this means. Well, here goes nothing...”

Twilight walked on and on for what felt like an eternity, but no end to the dark tunnel ever appeared. Finally, she stopped in her tracks and let out a loud groan that echoed all around.

“When does this stupid hallway end? Well I'm getting absolutely nowhere faster than a... Um... Oh, what would Applejack say?”

Suddenly, the entire hallway rumbled and shifted.

Twilight let out a small yelp as she stumbled forward, but she was able to stay on her hooves. “What the hay?” she whispered after stabilizing herself.

The corridor rumbled and shifted again before completely fading into darkness. Though Twilight could no longer seen anything, she could still feel a solid surface beneath her hooves.

“What is going on?”

The corridor came back into view after a minute, but it was different. The floor was hidden beneath a layer of dark mist. The marble columns were gone, and while the window frames remained, the stain-glass had been replaced by endless ghostly-white and pitch-black clouds that were rushing past the windows at incredible speed, causing bright flashes in their wake. The silence of the corridor gave way to a soft but continuous rushing of wind from outside the windows.

Twilight's mouth hung agape. Standing there, it felt like her hooves had become bolted to the floor. That sensation quickly subsided, but still she did not dare to move. Beads of sweat ran down her brow, and her eyes began to water and itch terribly. She winced, whimpering as she rubbed them. She sat down on her hindquarters, unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

In addition to the irritation assaulting her eyes, every couple of moments, the sound of particularly powerful gushes of wind reached Twilight's ears. Each one quickly rose in strength then quieted as rapidly as it came.

Why does it sound like I'm hearing wings flapping?

A loud screech resonated across the abyssal space.

With her eyes clenched shut and tears running down her face, she covered her ears with her hooves and trembled.

And there's that pained screech again, just like in my last dream.

Except for the screech, the sounds continued on. After several more moments, Twilight managed to open her eyes and wipe the wetness from them. She looked out the window at the black and white clouds that flew by, then down to her hooves which were covered in the dark mist that concealed the floor. Looking forward, she let out a gasp.

Several meters away, a cloaked, pony-shaped figure stood with its back turned to Twilight, and it was staring a large door that towered in front of it. The figure turned around, revealing the face of Princess Luna.

Twilight went wide-eyed.

From the shadows within the hood of her cloak, Luna merely stared at Twilight while a nightmarish red aura hung over her eyes.

Just like when Nightmare Moon's forces had arrived to assault the Crystal Empire, Twilight could only tremble as Luna's fearsome gaze seemed to bore into the core of her very soul. Once again, it felt like her limbs had become bolted to the floor that was hidden beneath the veil of dark mist at her hooves. When she did finally summon up enough strength to speak, her voice cracked and she coughed. “Princess Luna...”

A voice suddenly called out from the depths of Twilight's mind, but it was barely audible and she could not make out the words.

The strength returned to Twilight's legs and she smiled with teary eyes at the princess. She started to walk toward her. “Princess...”

Luna watched silently. When Twilight had reached the halfway point between her original position and the princess, a grin appeared on Luna's demeanor. “The night is falling.”

Twilight paused, holding her right foreleg up mid-step. She kept her gaze firmly upon Luna's eyes. The princess's voice was just as regal as Twilight remembered, but now there was no love or care in it, there was only malice.

“The night is falling, with its claw a sickle. Roses and weeds, it is not fickle. So despair, little ones. You cannot hide your fears from her. The mare in the moon is the gardener.”

Suddenly, all control of herself seemed to drain from Twilight's body and she stood there stiff as a statue.

Maintaining her dark countenance, Luna approached Twilight and stopped within hoof's reach of the unicorn. She lifted her left hoof, and as she inched it slowly toward Twilight's face, the dark mist which stuck to it morphed into a very solid-looking four-pronged claw with razor-sharp talons.

Silence had gripped Twilight's voice once more. Unable to move a single muscle, she could only tremble and sweat. Suddenly, the voice in Twilight's mind from earlier called out again. This time, it was clear enough to be understood, and it was the familiar voice of Pinkie Pie.

“Wake up, Twilight!”

As everything turned dark, Twilight heard Luna's voice one final time.

“The seed is planted...”

---

Twilight's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Sweat streamed down her brow, her heart pounded in her chest, and her breaths were rapid and heavy. A throbbing pain assaulted her head. Wincing and groaning, she tilted her head down and rested a foreleg atop her frazzled mane.

All around the living room of the farm house, everypony else gazed upon Twilight with worried looks upon their faces.

“Are you okay, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.

Applejack walked over to Twilight and put her foreleg around her. “Land sakes, hon'. I ain't seen anypony twitch and ramble in their sleep like that since Apple Bloom was havin' nightmares about giant fruit bats. And that was years ago.”

Apple Bloom looked up at her elder sister with wide eyes before looking down at the floor. “I forgot about those...”

Standing on either side of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo each put a foreleg around their friend.

“Uh...” Applejack released Twilight from her embrace. She grimaced, then rubbed the back of her head. “Sorry to remind you, sugarcube...”

Twilight groaned again. Peeking her eyes open, she rubbed them gently before returning her foreleg to the floor and pulling it up against her chest. “What a nightmare...”

“That wasn't just a nightmare, darling,” said Rarity as she levitated a comb over and tidied up Twilight's mane. “That was a full on night terror.”

“Yeah,” stated Pinkie. “And by the look and sound of it, it was a real doozy! You woke us all up.”

“What time is it?” asked Twilight.

Spike rested his claw on Twilight's shoulder. “It's just after sunrise. Are you feeling okay?”

By this time, Twilight's heart rate and breaths had relaxed and she wrapped her foreleg around Spike. She rubbed his side softly. “I'm fine. Now then, we should hurry.”

“What about breakfast?” asked Rarity. “This will be our last home-cooked meal until we get back. Also remember we agreed to let the townsponies see us off to wish us luck.”

“True.” Twilight hesitated for a moment as she pictured the townsponies and their sorrowful gazes in her mind. “And yes, we did...”

“I'll whip us up somethin', as Rarity would say, 'simply divine',” declared Applejack with a smile.

Rarity beamed at Applejack. “Well look at you! Trying to speak with a little class and not being sarcastic!”

Little chortles escaped from everypony and filled the air of the farm house.

“Yeah, yeah, we're all very proud of Applejack,” said Rainbow as she rubbed her stomach. “Let's just eat and get on with this.”

---

Snow drifted down from the clouds that loomed in the sky above the land. Normally dimmed for the time of day, the streetlamps illuminated the snow that fell all around them. However, there was not a single pony to be found enjoying the light, the snow, or the festive Hearth's Warming decorations. The streets of Ponyville were vacant, with every resident having assembled at the southeast edge of the town.

With her friends on either side of her, Twilight stared at the inviting glow of Ponyville's streetlamps.

So thoughtful of everypony to light up the town for us. It's almost like a way of saying they're with us in spirit... so to speak... but also, it's almost as if they're beckoning us home.

She turned her attention to the gathering before her. Just as Twilight had envisioned the night prior, every pony gazed longingly upon her and her friends. The sight of the townsponies' drooped ears, their frowns and the sorrowful gleam in their eyes sent a similar feeling through Twilight's entire being. Several tears emerged, but instead of mimicking the townsponies, she gave them a warm smile. She cleared her throat.

“Before we go,” said Twilight through choked breaths, “my friends and I just want to say how utterly touched we are that you've all come to see us safely off on our journey into the unknown...”

The other Element Bearers, Spike, Cadance, and Shining Armor all beamed at Twilight as they stood there in the their line.

Twilight sniffled and wiped her nose. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that Ponyville isn't just a town, it's a family. We may have problems with each other here and there, but we always come back together in the end. After all, isn't that what a family is?”

Some of the ponies in the crowd began to smile as Twilight spoke.

She paused for a moment. “Recent events have brought us closer together. Not just Ponyville, all of Equestria, just like the old pony tribes did so many ages ago at the birth of this great country. It's just like the song goes. Ponies' voices fill the night. Happy hearts so full and bright. Oh, what a sight. Look at the light. All for tonight...”

The number of smiling ponies in the crowd grew until not a single frown remained.

“Princess Celestia is right,” continued Twilight. “As long as we keep the fire in our hearts, we can win this thing. We can stop Nightmare Moon, save Princess Luna, and save Equestria!”

“Yeah!” shouted Bulk Biceps as he reared up onto his back hooves and flexed his forelegs.

All the townsponies cheered and stomped their hooves, not caring that the thick blanket of snow muffled the sound of the applause.

Wearing a proud grin, Rainbow batted at Twilight's shoulder. “Way to keep it cool, Twilight.”

“That was honestly the most inspiring speech I've ever heard!” exclaimed Rarity.

Twilight blushed as all of her friends joined the townsponies in their ovation. After a moment she motioned with her foreleg and the praise gently faded. “Well, we need to be going now.”

“Safe journey to you all,” said Mayor Mare from her position at the head of the crowd of townsponies. “I think I speak for everypony here when I say that you are truly an inspiration.”

The crowd erupted into loud cheers and stomping again.

“Good luck and stay safe!” shouted Goldengrape.

“Please hurry back!” cried Roseluck, Lily Valley, and Daisy in unison. “Seriously!”

“We'll be back as soon as we possibly can,” said Twilight. “We promise.”

Twilight glanced to one side then her other, taking in the sight of her friends. She looked to the saddlebags strapped to their waists and then her own, picturing the Elements that were housed within by their respective owner. She looked behind herself at Spike who was seated on her back. She then looked to Applejack. A slight twinge of sorrow passed through Twilight, seeing her friend once again without her signature stetson. However, that sorrow was quickly replaced by a gentle warmth, knowing the hat was in good hooves with Apple Bloom, and the sisterly bond their sharing of the hat symbolized.

With one final glance at Ponyville and one last wave to the townsponies—who all waved in return—Twilight and the others turned and headed off. Slowly, both the town and its residents disappeared from sight behind a veil of falling snow.

A heavy tension hung in the frigid air. Nopony spoke as they made their way along the wide open fields. The snow that blanketed the land was deep enough that it was merely inches below their stomachs, slowing their trek to nearly a crawl. By the time they started to pass alongside the Everfree Forest, the falling snow had thickened and also increased its rate of descent, making it difficult for the ponies to see ahead of them.

“Hold for just a second,” said Cadance. Her horn started to glow, and a large translucent magic wall formed around the group that spread about five meters and pushed the snow back. “That's better. Should have done as soon as we left Ponyville. My bad...”

Shivering, everypony sat down on their hindquarters. They rubbed their forelegs together and also rubbed their chests. After a few moments, each of them let out a relieved sigh.

Shining Armor chuckled and rubbed his cheek against his wife's. “It's alright, hon'. I think we all had our minds on other things at the time.”

“It also wasn't a near blizzard out here and the snow wasn't so deep.” Cadance blushed and returned her husband's affection.

“Whooee!” cried Applejack as she continued to rub her forelegs together. “Feels warmer already! Thanks a bundle for that, Princess.”

“Just a regular magic barrier.”

Hovering above the others, Rainbow Dash let out a groan. “At this rate it's going to take us all day and night just to reach the gorge. Why don't we just teleport?”

“I was about to say the same thing.” Rarity continued to shiver within the confines of her violet coat and she glanced over at Twilight. “Twilight, at this rate it's going to take us all day and night just to reach the gorge. That is, if we don't freeze solid before we even get there. Couldn't you just teleport us? That would be far better than practically going snow-shoeing the whole way.”

Twilight returned Rarity's gaze. “I haven't been feeling or sleeping all that well since the earthquake. Plus winter has a way of making ponies lethargic in general. I'm not sure I'd have the strength to do a mass teleport at the moment.”

A frown formed on Rarity's demeanor.

“Even if I did,” Twilight continued. “I don't think it'd be a good idea to mass teleport in a storm like this or with snow this deep. Somepony could easily get buried in a pile of snow, and next thing you know they're out with a nasty cold.”

Rarity grumbled slightly under her breath, but nodded a second later. “Didn't think about that. Hopefully none of us have already come down with a cold from being out here like we were a few moments ago.”

“My barrier will at least protect us from the temperature and the snow,” stated Cadance. “That should speed things up a bit.”

“I don't know about anypony else,” said Fluttershy, “but I'm really hungry. Could we maybe stop for a snack break?”

“A snack break sounds good,” said Spike. “And it'll help us warm back up.”

Twilight pondered for a moment. “A snack does sound good, but this storm has put us behind. I'm afraid we'll have to eat while we walk to make up for lost time.”

Fluttershy's ears flattened. “Oh. That works too...”

Their trek resumed. With Cadance's magic bubble sheltering the ponies from the cold and clearing the snow from their path, they were able to quicken their pace. They kept near the edge of the Everfree Forest to guide them in the right direction.

“Rainbow,” said Twilight after a little while, “think you could brave the storm for a moment and see how close we are?”

“Sure thing!” Rainbow replied, giving Twilight a salute.

While everypony else watched, Rainbow flew up through the barrier and high up into the air until she was out of sight.

Rainbow returned several minutes later. Setting her hooves on the ground, she shook the snow from herself.

“So?” asked Spike.

Prinkie started to bounce up and down in her usual fashion. “I'm guessing a little snow here, a little snow there, and a whole lot of snow everywhere.” She started to sing. “Here a snow, there a snow. Everywhere a snow snow!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly. “That lame old song only works when talking about living things, Pinkie, but you're correct. Snow here, there, and everywhere.”

Twilight's ears fell flat against her head and she frowned. “So we're not even close yet?”

“You didn't let me finish. It's a real winter wonderland out there, but I could see the forest's southern border and the gorge starts right there. Given weather and traffic conditions, couldn't be more than a half hour or so on hoof.”

Twilight's demeanor brightened back up and she blushed. “Oh!”

“And then comes finding these caves Luna talked about in the journal,” said Shining Armor. “You doing alright there, Cadance? You've been holding the barrier for a couple hours now. You want to take a break?”

Cadance shook her head and maintained her warm smile. “I can go for a bit longer.”

“How about when we find the caves? I could light our way in there.”

Cadance giggled. “If you insist!” She then kissed Shining Armor's cheek.

Shining Armor beamed and blushed, which earned some chuckles from everypony around him.

“Hey, Cadance,” said Twilight, “might be a good idea to make the barrier larger. You know, push more snow out of the way as we move so we can find the cliff easier. Finding it by stepping over it and falling into the gorge probably won't be of much help to us.”

Cadance nodded and her horn flashed brightly. The barrier surrounding the ponies grew much larger, now spreading nearly ten meters out.

Just as Rainbow predicted, the ponies soon reached the southern edge of the Everfree Forest. After moving a little ways past the tree line, the ground being revealed changed from mushy grass to solid rock. Soon, all the snow the barrier pushed back suddenly fell away as it was moved over the edge of a cliff ahead.

The ponies moved closer until they were only a couple yards away from the edge. Through the veil of thick snow that continued to fall, a wide chasm appeared before them. Much of the gorge's rocky interior was covered in snow just as the land on the cliffs above. The river that ran through the ravine was visible, but the utterly still water made it appear that the river had frozen over. The ponies just stood there, gazing out upon the sight.

“Ghastly Gorge...” said Twilight after several minutes of silence. “The first leg in Luna's ancient quest for power; the first leg in our quest to understand that power. This gorge has been here since before the founding of Equestria. To think that hidden somewhere within is a gateway to another land...”

“And nopony ever suspected a thing,” muttered Applejack, rubbing her head like she was trying to adjust her stetson.

Twilight stepped forward and looked down over the cliff's edge at the snow-covered ravine below.

From his spot on Twilight's back, Spike also peered down. “So where do we start looking? And how will we know it when we find it? There could be any number of caves down there that we don't know about.”

“This gorge stretches from the edge of the San Palomino Desert up past Froggy Bottom Bog and partway into the Everfree Forest...” Twilight stepped back and turned to look at up Rainbow. “Rainbow, you like to fly through this gorge. Have you ever seen any holes in the cliffs or the ravine floor or something, anything that looked like it could be the entrance to a cave?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nope. Never. Closest thing I've ever seen are the quarray eel nests.” She started to rub the back of her neck. “Then again I never really paid too much attention, so don't exactly go by me.”

“We ain't got time to search the gorge top to bottom,” said Applejack with a slight groan. “There's got to be somethin' we can do to narrow it down.”

“Twilight,” said Shining Armor, “there's nothing in the journal that talks about this cave at all?”

“I looked through that thing a dozen times, but there's nothing about where the entrance is, how deep it goes, or if it branches off to other caves. All it says is there's a cave here somewhere.”

“Luna might have left those details out on purpose,” stated Cadance. “Maybe she was afraid that Celestia might get too curious and peek at her entries.”

Twilight let out a sigh, and sitting down on her hindquarters, she rubbed her eyes. “Probable... I'm almost tempted to say let's start with the eel nests since we know those are like caves.”

“Man,” uttered Pinkie, “wouldn't it be a miraculous stroke of luck if those were actually the caves we're looking for?”

“Oh, don't be silly, darling,” said Rarity. “A pony would have to be crazy to go anywhere near those yucky eels... no offense, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow smirked, puffed out her chest and flapped her wings several times. “Hey, if I wasn't crazy, half of the stunts I do would never happen. Kind of like how everypony always said that attempting a sonic rainboom was crazy.”

“Exactly, Rarity!” cried Pinkie. “A pony would have to be completely loco in the coco to go anywhere near those eels. It'd be the perfect place to hide something you didn't want found. Then again if you did get past the eels, they'd probably just eat whatever you hid in there.”

Suddenly, a light turned on in Twilight's mind. She furrowed her brow and lifted her gaze up from the gorge, staring out at nothing in particular. She gasped and whirled around so fast that Spike was nearly thrown from her back. With a great big smile, she planted the tip of her nose right up against Pinkie's and peered into her eyes. “Pinkie Pie, you're an absolute genius!”

The sudden movement caught everypony off guard and they stepped back, all except for Pinkie who stared back at Twilight with wide eyes.

Twilight maintained her smile and kept her snout pressed against Pinkie's. “What better place to hide something than a place nopony would ever dare to set hoof in?”

Everypony fixed their gazes upon Twilight but remained silent.

“Think about it!” Twilight stepped back from Pinkie and glanced at all the others one by one as she spoke. “The journal says the portal is hidden in a cave in Ghastly Gorge. The nests of the quarray eels are like caves, and they're in Ghastly Gorge. Rainbow says she hasn't seen anything else here that could be a cave. Nopony would dare get close to the nests for fear they might get eaten, so the chances of somepony just randomly stumbling onto it is practically zero. The portal's got to be somewhere inside one of the eel nests!”

“Let me just remind you,” Rainbow said, “I said I haven't really paid too much attention any of the times I was here, so I could have missed something somewhere. You sure you're not just eggheading out of your backside?”

Twilight let out another sigh and rubbed her forehead. “Anypony else got any better theories?”

For several minutes, the others kept quiet and took turns gazing at each other.

“Well...” uttered Fluttershy. “I guess it couldn't hurt to at least have a look.”

“It does make sense when you think about it,” said Applejack.

Twilight nodded. “What have we got to lose except time? It's not like we wouldn't lose that anyway by searching every little corner of the gorge for some other cave.”

A few more moments of silence went by, and everypony nodded together.

Twilight's previous beam returned. “Alright then! Luckily the nests are nearby and close to the ravine floor. I'll teleport us down there, just be careful of the river. It looks frozen but the ice could still break if we try to walk on it.”

Twilight's horn lit up and a bright light enveloped the ponies, blinding them to the area around them. A loud snap shot through the air—muffled slightly by the tempestuous snowstorm—and the group reappeared on the flat rocky ground of the canyon floor several yards away from the edge of the river. The teleport had cancelled out Cadance's magic barrier, leaving the ponies up to their necks in snow.

Cadance immediately conjured the barrier again. Like before, it pushed away the snow and chilly air.

With droplets of ice-cold water dripping from their fur, the ponies huddled together within the shelter of the new barrier. Shivering, the rubbed their forelegs together again.

Rarity shot a glance at Twilight. “So, Twilight... about that mass teleport, and ponies getting buried in snow thing...”

Twilight's ears fell and she blushed while meeting Rarity's stern gaze. “Yeah... Well in my defense, this was a short-distance port. You got me on the buried in snow thing.”

With everypony huddled together while the magic barrier kept the frigid air at bay, the warmth soon returned to the ponies. They glanced around. Beyond the translucent edge of their shield, the cliffs rose up high above them. Several large holes were dug into the cliffs which gave way to darkness within the cave entrance, and there were more cave entrances in front of and behind the ponies. Most of the cave entrances were at ground level, while others were high up in the cliff face enough to be inaccessible without magic or wings.

“Okay,” Rainbow said as she looked around. “There's definitely more than I remember.”

“What do we do now?” asked Spike.

“First thing's first,” said Twilight. “Fluttershy, do quarray eels hibernate?”

“I actually don't know much about them. The run-for-my-life part of me wants to say no.”

Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “Even if they don't, I wouldn't think they'd want to come out in a storm like this. But that don't mean they couldn't still be moseyin' along inside.”

Twilight nodded at Applejack then returned her gaze to the multitude of caves before them. “We'll worry about that part when we come to it.”

“So how do we figure out which cave is the right one?” inquired Rarity. “I'm drawing a total blank.”

“That's actually pretty easy,” Rainbow declared. “It's like a Daring Do book.”

“Uh, R-D,” said Applejack, giving Rainbow a flat stare, “you do know those books are fiction right?”

“Duh! But just hear me out. Something like what we're trying to do now happens in every book, and every time, the answer was this: look for a sign, a symbol, something that marks this path as the right one.”

Twilight furrowed her brow and looked up again.

“Doesn't matter who did it,” Rainbow continued. “Whether the original builder or someone later on, there was always a marker so that people could find it again.”

“It's true actually,” said Twilight. “The circumstances are different but the idea is the same. Nightmare Moon led Luna to the cave, but Luna may have left something behind to mark the location in case she needed to return to it. The question is what? If we want to identify it, we need to think like Luna was all those centuries ago.”

“I'm guessin' a picture of Princess Celestia or the sun is out,” said Applejack with a slight frown.

“Maybe a magical carving of the moon or her own cutie mark?” asked Shining Armor.

“That would be my first guess.” Twilight shuffled her legs and stretched her neck for a few moments. “Though I have a strong feeling we'll know it when we see it.”

She stepped ahead of the others and turned to face them. “Here's what we'll do: we'll split up and search different parts of the area. Cadance, Shining Armor and myself will be in different groups, and we'll each have a barrier up to protect our respective group from the storm.”

“I'm perfectly fine being on my own with this,” Rainbow interjected. “Besides, we need somepony to check the nests higher up in the cliffs.”

Twilight smiled and nodded at Rainbow then looked back at the rest of the party. “Alright, so Rainbow will search on her own. Spike and Rarity come with me. Applejack and Pinkie, you'll be with Shining Armor, and Fluttershy you go with Cadance.”

“What should the signal be once we find it?” inquired Cadance.

“Um...” Twilight put her hoof to her chin and glanced down at the rocky ground. Several moments later, she looked back up at the others. “Everypony stand back.”

They all gave her a confused look but they moved back until Cadance's barrier was right up against their tails.

Twilight aimed her horn at the spot where her friends had been previously standing. Her horn glowed, and a beam of reddish-pink energy struck the ground with a mild boom. Little shards of jagged rock were kicked up from the impact that sprayed in all directions. Twilight held her magic and began to slowly move the beam side to side until a line several yards long had been dug into the ground. She then repeated this, drawing another line that crossed over the first one, resulting in a large X-shaped pattern in the ravine floor. Her horn stopped glowing and she smiled. “There.”

The others all stared at the carved X.

“What's that for?” asked Fluttershy.

“When... well, if... you find the cave we're looking for, come stand on this marker and Rainbow will alert the rest of us. That means this spot is off-limits until we find the cave. And this much is obvious, don't go past where the nests stop. Understood?”

Everypony smiled and nodded.

“Let's get started.”

Rainbow Dash immediately took to the air and became obscured by the falling snow as she climbed the cliffs. The others split into the groups that had been assigned. Soon, there were three of the magical barriers traversing the ravine floor and going in different directions. The area slowly began to darken the longer the search went on.

“Must be getting close to nighttime,” said Spike with a small yawn.

Twilight let out another sigh as she examined the rock the made up the frame of her latest cave of interest. “Not this one. How long have we been at this? I hope the others are having better luck.”

Spike pulled a watch out of his pack and glanced at the mechanical pony whose forelegs indicated the time. “Little under an hour, and yeah it's starting to get late.”

“If we don't find it soon,” stated Rarity, “we'll have to set up camp in one of them and try again in the morning.”

They moved onto the next cave a few yards away.

Spike put the watch away. “I don't think we should break until we find it. Not unless Twilight says we should.”

Twilight did not reply.

“Speaking of,” said Rarity, “you doing okay, Twilight?”

Again Twilight did not reply. She merely stared forward without glancing at either of her companions.

Spike and Rarity both furrowed their brows. Spike lifted himself off Twilight's back, moved his head up along the unicorn's left shoulder, and stared into her eyes. Rarity walked up along Twilight's right side, also peering into Twilight's eyes.

“Darling,” said Rarity, “did you hear us? It's getting late and we wanted to know if you were okay to keep going tonight, or if we should set up camp and try again in the morning.”

Twilight remained quiet for several more moments. When she spoke, there was a small darkness to her tone. “Back to the X...”

Spike and Rarity's eyes widened.

“You found it?” they cried together.

“I'm pretty sure. Let's go!”

Twilight turned and galloped back in the direction they came. Rarity sprinted alongside her, while Spike clung to Twilight's neck and let out small screams like he was about to lose his grip from the speed. They soon reached the spot where Twilight had marked with her magic. Standing there on top of the large X, they waited. Eventually, they caught sight of the others rushing toward them from different directions. Rainbow arrived first, Shining Armor's party arrived second, and Cadance and Fluttershy came last.

“You found it?” asked Fluttershy through very loud and heavy breaths.

Twilight motioned the others with a flick of her head before turning and galloping back down the path she'd gone before. With the others in close pursuit, she returned to the spot she'd previously been, stopping a couple meters in front of the cave entrance.

“So what's the sign, Twilight?” Rainbow inquired. “Is it a carving like the X you made for us to use?”

Panting slightly, Twilight merely stared forward. “Those spikes... Don't they seem a little too perfect in shape and placement?”

Hanging from the roof of the mouth of the cave were three perfectly-smooth rocky spikes spaced evenly apart. The one in the middle was slightly longer than the other two. A fourth spike rose up from the floor of the cave. It too was perfectly-smooth. It had a wider base than the upper three and sat in the dead center of the floor. It's tip rose up high enough that it was almost touching the tip of the center spike coming down from the ceiling. The tips of all four spikes looked as if they would tear a living creature to shreds simply by brushing against them.

Rarity's ears flattened and she took a step back. “They sure do look menacing.”

After gazing upon the vicious sight before her, the dark visage of Luna from her dream flashed in Twilight's mind. It flashed repeatedly. With each one, Twilight's breaths and heartbeat hastened, and sweat ran down her brow unchecked. She then put her hooves up against her eyes and rubbed them. She also ran her hooves along her scars, all the way down to their base near the tip of her snout, then back up her head to the tops of the scars just below her ears.

Applejack gulped. “They almost resemble a...”

Twilight rubbed her scars again. “A claw...”

Everypony immediately turned to look at her.

“This means...”

“This means what?” Rainbow asked.

“This is it,” said Twilight. “This is definitely the cave we're looking for. I'll tell you along the way.”

Without another word, Twilight passed through the opening into the cave on the left side of the lower spike. With concern written all over their demeanors, the others followed, carefully maneuvering through the gaps on either side of the lower spike to avoid contact with it.

Once they were all inside, just like had been agreed earlier, Cadance finally let her magic barrier fall. The brief moment between that and when Shining Armor conjured his own barrier allowed the chilly air to tickle the ponies and they shivered. The cave was wide enough that they were able to get in lines of three and have a bit less than a meter between them and the walls. Spike, Twilight and Rarity had the front. Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow had the middle. Shining Armor, Cadance, and Fluttershy had the back.

Twilight fired up her own horn, and a bright light shattered the darkness of the dank cave. “Hopefully, this cave won't branch off into dead ends or other passageways, but you brought the paint, right, Pinkie?”

“Sure did!” Pinkie reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a large tin container and a brush. “We're not going to get lost in a bunch of caves on my watch.”

“Clever,” said Rarity. “But will it be enough in case there are other passageways?”

“I've got two cans, and the color will stick out against the rock. We'll be fine.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright. Let's move. We have a portal to find and who knows what to explore beyond it.”

The ponies began their trek into the bowels of the cave. The entrance quickly vanished from sight behind them, and all they could hear was the rhythmic tapping of their hooves against the hard ground.

Spike pulled the watch from his pack. “Ten minutes and counting.”

“So, Twilight,” said Applejack, “you didn't tell us why them things back there made this cave stick out to you.”

“Last night...” said Twilight darkly. “In my nightmare, I saw something. I was walking through a dark corridor that looked very similar to the halls of the palace in Canterlot.”

“Why does that sound eerily similar to the dream Princess Celestia said she had?” asked Shining Armor. “She told me and Cadance about that while we were in Canterlot helping the Crystal Ponies settle into the refugee camp.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Then everything changed. I was still in the corridor. The floor had been replaced by a thick dark mist but it still felt solid beneath my hooves. There weren't any pillars around. The stain-glass was gone from the windows. Instead I saw black and white clouds flying past the windows, and I could have sworn I heard wings flapping. It almost seemed like I was traveling inside something.”

“Creepy,” Rainbow stated. “But that doesn't explain this thing about a claw.”

Rounding a corner, the path started to slope and the ponies slowed their pace slightly.

“I saw Luna in my dream,” continued Twilight. “She was under the power of Nightmare Moon just like we saw at the Crystal Empire. She said something really strange. Then she approached and reached out to touch my face. Except... some mist rose up from the floor and covered her hoof... and it reshaped itself into a claw...”

The others all gazed at Twilight with wide eyes.

“Princess Celestia said she saw a cloud of mist in the shape of a claw in her vision,” said Cadance. “The one she had on Nightmare Night before this whole mess we're in now even started.”

“And my scars... Don't they look remarkably like claw marks? There is definitely a pattern here. The claw seems to be some kind of symbol of Nightmare Moon.”

“Twilight,” said Applejack, “you don't suppose—”

“My accident with the Crystal Heart... It was no accident. It was a trap set up by Nightmare Moon, but for what purpose remains to be seen.”

“What did Luna say to you in the dream?” asked Rarity.

Twilight took a deep breath. “'The night is falling, with its claw a sickle. Roses and weeds, it is not fickle. So despair, little ones. You cannot hide your fears from her. The mare in the moon is the gardener.'”

There was a brief moment of silence as the ponies rounded another bend in the cave.

“You're right,” Rainbow said. “That is pretty weird.”

Spike looked at his watch again and also pulled a compass from his pack. “Twenty minutes in and heading due northeast.”

“We must be under the Everfree Forest by now,” said Rarity.

“Just before I woke up, Luna's claw was only an inch from my face and she also said, 'the seed is planted.' It would be safest to assume that Nightmare Moon meant to corrupt me with her trap.”

“Is there a way to examine you?” asked Cadance.

“Maybe Princess Celestia—”

Twilight went silent as she rounded another bend. The ponies entered into a large cavern. The floor, walls and ceiling looked no different than the rocky passageway they'd come through, but their gazes immediately fell upon something in the back of the chamber.

Standing there, against the back wall, was a large statue. It was easily several heads taller than the ponies. The rock was pitch-black, and in the shape of a four-pronged claw exactly like the one that marked the entrance to the cave. The center part of the statue's base between the lower talon and the back portion was flat, with enough room for a pony to stand in.

The ponies simply stood there.

“Even seeing it...” muttered Applejack. “It's hard to believe.”

Fluttershy trembled fiercely, while Pinkie and Rainbow stood on either side of her and wrapped their forelegs around her.

“Dreadful isn't even close to an accurate description,” stated Rarity, shuddering almost as much as Fluttershy was.

A thousand years... likely even longer. Nopony ever suspected a thing. Taking heavy breaths, Twilight's mouth hung open and again her heart pounded in her chest.

Cadance took a few steps toward the statue and scanned it from the base to the top. She did this multiple times. “It looks like it's inactive. I'm not feeling any energy coming from it.”

“Neither am I,” said Shining Armor as he walked up alongside Cadance.

“So what do we do?” asked Applejack.

Keeping her gaze fixed on the statue, Twilight joined Cadance and Shining Armor. “Like I said before, the reason Equestria hasn't really bothered with portals is because they require a lot of energy even to power up, and a great deal more to maintain for a prolonged period. It just wouldn't be safe for the unicorns who attempted it.”

“But you three could get it up and running right?” inquired Pinkie, pointing to Twilight, Cadance and Shining Armor. “Other than the princesses, you three are some of the strongest unicorns in Equestria.”

“There's four of us, Pinkie,” said Rarity with a slight scowl. “I know I'm no super unicorn but I could at least try to help.”

Twilight turned to face the others and gave Rarity a comforting smile. “All we need is enough juice to get it going. If you want to try then we'd be very grateful for the assistance.”

Rarity beamed and took her place at Twilight's left side.

“Okay,” said Twilight, turning back to face the statue. “All together now.”

The others watched in anticipation as the three unicorns and the one alicorn aimed their horns at the statue. The horns began to glow all at once, and a bright aura of pinkish-red and turquoise enveloped the statue. The aura slowly grew brighter, and as it did, the ponies channeling upon it all winced and let out soft whimpers.

After a minute, the statue rumbled.

“Pull back!” cried Twilight.

Their horns stopped glowing and the aura around the statue faded. They wiped the sweat from their brows, and waited.

The statue rumbled again. White lines began to climb up from the base, moving like snakes, though they never crossed each other. One line wrapped around the single lower talon, moving toward the tip. The other lines crossed over the platform in the center and climbed up to the top before sliding down the three upper talons. All of them reached the tip of their respective talon at the same time, and a blinding flash erupted from the statue that covered the entire cavern.

The ponies shielded their eyes. The light faded a moment later, and they returned their gazes to the statue.

The white lines along the surface had vanished, but hovering above the platform in the center of the obelisk was a cloud of white mist. The cloud was round in shape, large enough to fit a normal-sized pony within it, and gave off an eerie glow.

The sight filled every inch of Twilight mind. No matter how much the desire tugged at her, she was unable to look away.

“Well,” said Rarity, who was panting and sweating harder than her horned compatriots. “Looks like we did it. All we have to do now is pass through, grab some midnium, and we're home free.”

“Y'all ain't lookin' so good there, Rarity,” stated Applejack. Frowning, she pulled a small towel from Rarity's saddlebag and gently dabbed the unicorn's forehead, and also rested a hoof on her friend's shoulder.

Rarity placed a hoof over her forehead and leaned against Applejack. Her labored breaths continued. “Even with them helping me, that was every bit as taxing as Twilight said it would be. I feel dizzy.”

Applejack gave Rarity a warm smile, patting her friend's shoulder gently. “You did good, Rarity. You did good.”

Rarity returned the smile. “Thanks.”

“I forgot to mention,” said Twilight, stopping for a moment to catch her breath, “the further away the other side is, the more energy it takes. That one left me feeling completely drained as well.”

“Should we wait until you're all feeling better?” asked Fluttershy.

“Let's go,” said Rarity sternly.

Fluttershy stared at Rarity in bewilderment. “But is it safe in your condition?”

“I don't care. Better we pass through now than wait until morning, risk this thing going out while we're sleeping, and we have to power it up again.”

The others gave Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor the same concerned look they'd given Rarity. They received nods in return and then nodded back. The ponies approached the statue and peered into the cloud of white mist. At Twilight's urging, they linked their forelegs together, forming a chain.

“Here we go,” said Twilight. “Everypony hold on tight.” She raised her free hoof, and eased it forward.

The moment Twilight's hoof made contact with the mist, she and all the others were pulled into it before any of them could even scream.

Comments

[Whinifree]

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Glad you’re enjoying it so far. The ending of 1-2 (act-ch) is definitely my personal favorite of the intro.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Exciting. Loving Pinkie's snow song. These visions are creepy.