Shattered Glass

by Eric Michael Kline

Full Circle

==Equestria Prime (A little over 1000 years ago)==

Wind screamed through the rocky hills and the snow filled valley. For the last few years, winters in the Unicorn Kingdom had steadily become colder and longer. Some said it was the work of evil spirits. Others blamed the Pegasi. Whatever the reason, it mattered little to the lone colt who fought his way through the blizzard. Snow clung to his grey coat and black mane until he nearly blended in with the snow drifts while each breath stabbed his lungs with a thousand frozen needles.

With teeth clenched against the cold, Sombra dragged himself up a snowbank when a cave suddenly came into view. The sight restored his fading strength and he stumbled forward into the safety of the fissure. The interior was cramped, even smaller than the hovel where he had lived with his parents. But it sheltered him from the wind and that was enough for now. From his saddlebag, Sombra levitated some kindling and set it ablaze before setting down at the cave's far end to eat what little he could afford to ration himself. If only they hadn't discovered his hoard. But Sombra had no one to blame but himself. He had allowed sentiment to overcome his sense of self preservation and shared some of what he had hidden away with Ruby Glint. And how did the filly he had through was his friend repay him? By telling the entire village who then had barged into his house to drag him before the Head Stallion .

"Why Sombra?" the Head Stallion had asked. "The only way our village can survive the winter is if everypony shares with each other. Did your parents' sacrifice not teach you anything?" What a joke. As if any of them knew what it was like to watch your family starve because they had given their rations to him. Or what it was like to lose everypony they loved and be powerless to do anything about it. But then it was all their fault to begin with. After the nobles in their marble castles took their tribute and left the crumbs for the peasants, were they allowed to keep what little of what they had grown? No, they had to share it with the others so it could be rationed equally. Sombra's family had perished not because of the winter, but because the rest of the village had leeched off of their hard work. And had not been shy in sharing his views with his former neighbors. "If that is what you believe then you have no place here," the Head Stallion said. "Take the food you've hoarded and go. Until you see the error of your ways Sombra...you are not welcome in this village."

And so they had exiled him. But they would be sorely disappointed if they expected him to come crawling back begging for forgiveness. It had always been Sombra's plan to leave the village once he had enough food for the journey. And while what little he had was nowhere near what he had hoped to amass, it would have to do. Far to the north. That was where he was heading. If the stories his mother told him were true, there he would find a kingdom with a legacy greater than that of the Unicorns'. A kingdom where there was no hunger, no want, and where a pony could learn magic regardless of whether he was a noble or a peasant.

"I will find the Crystal Empire," he vowed, "and become a great magician. And then, I will never be powerless or subservient to anyone ever again."

==Equestria Prime (present day)==

On the balcony of Celestia's quarters, two guards stood watch for any Pegasus foolish enough to trespass into the princess's chambers. Neither of them could understand why Celestia had adopted such a paranoid demeanor but neither of them were willing to question it. For the last few days, Celestia's behavior had become more and more extreme and rumors were beginning to spread between the castle servants. And her outburst when confronted by Luna and the other princesses' earlier that day had only increased the tension among them. Still, the guards would follow their orders as instructed. As long as they were on duty, nopony within their sight would come within spitting distance of Celestia's balcony

And so with the guards' attention focused on what was before them, a puff of pale blue smoke floated up the wall behind them and through the balcony entrance. Being careful not to alert either the guards on the balcony or those outside in the hall, the face of an elder Unicorn manifested on the surface of the plume. The irony that he was using one of Sombra's spells was not lost on him. By his estimate, the young princess should have awakened the first of the book's incantations. But before she could awaken the second one, he would have to speed things along. Especially since Sombra was most likely near to obtaining his own goal within the other Eqestria. Across the room, hanging from the tree was the duplicate mirror shard created by Discord.

"I'm sorry Celestia," he said as he approached it, " I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt you again."

The last thing Twilight remembered after casting the spell in Star Swirl's journal was the world vanishing with a blinding flash. Then the air vanished as well, leaving her unable to scream as she felt herself hurled through space at breakneck speeds until with a second flash, she slammed to a halt.

'Ungh what happened? Girls? Spike? Discord?" Nobody answered. Twilight shook her head and looked around to find herself back out in the catacombs. Across the waterway stood the entrance to Star Swirl's library but something was different. It was something she couldn't put her hoof on but something was definitely missing. Well, she could figure that out later. Right now she had to get back to the others. Twilight ran across the bridge spanning the waterway when something caught her eye and she braked to a halt. "What in the world?" In the water's surface, Twilight's reflection stared back at her except it wasn't the same. Her body shone with a slight luminesce and had adopted a slight translucency. "What happened to me? It looks like I cast Astral Projection on myself. Wait, could that spell in Star Swirl's book have done this? But why would he leave such useless spell." In the middle of her musing, Twilight cast a glance back down the hall and it finally dawned on her what was missing.

"Hey, what happened to the Hydra skeleton?" As if in reply, Twilight heard something rise out of the water behind her. She turned around, and looked up at the five headed Hydra that loomed over her. "What the..." and the monster lunged at her. Twilight shrieked and leapt out of the way, barely avoiding becoming monster kibble. "WHAT'S GOING ON!!" Another head dove down towards her and Twilight dodged and weaved in and out between each pair of snapping jaws. One lashed out in front of her, cutting her off as she broke to a halt and attempted to go the other way when a second head blocked the other way. Trapped on both sides, Twilight shrank back against the wall as the remaining three heads poised to strike when somepony called out.

"Alright what's going on out here?" Immediately, the Hydra ceased its attack though it still kept itself in a strike position. One of the heads lifted up from the path and Twilight saw a figure emerge from the library .

"Mr. Dustmop?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"I'll be asking the questions young lady! Now how did you get down here?" The figure approached her but still remained in the shadows. "An..an Alicorn spirit? How could this be?"

"Excuse me?" Twilight repeated. "But who are you?"

"That's precisely what I was wondering." The figure stepped out of the dark and Twilight's eyes widened in shock. Before her was a grey unicorn stallion dressed in a cloak and hat embroidered with stars and moons. A ring of bells surrounded the hat's rim and a long white beard draped from his chin almost to the floor.

"You're Star Swirl!" she gasped. "You're Star Swirl! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! You're Star Swirl the bearded! EEEEEEE! I don't believe it! It's really you!"

"Uh...yes yes I am," the old Unicorn answered. "And you're an Alicorn. Or an alicorn spirit at least. I thought Celestia and Luna were the only Alicorns. Tell me, are you from the kingdom of Equilonia? Are all the legends of King Coltnan actually true?" But Twilight was too engrossed in her excitement to notice.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! I have to tell everyone! I have to introduce you everyone! Girls! Spike! Discord! You have to see this!" Twilight rushed past the old wizard and ran straight for the Library when a barrier rose around her and trapped her inside.

"Now hold on a minute," Star Swirl said. "First of all, how do you know Discord?"

"Oh," Twilight said. "He's...well I guess you could say he's my friend. Even if he is kind of a pest. He's in the library along with everyone else."

"Young lady I assure you there was no one in my library except me. And especially not Discord. I'll have you know he's still safely trapped in stone up in the castle gardens."

"Trapped in stone?" Twilight asked. Wait a minute. Discord trapped in stone. Star Swirl here and now. And the Hydra. Was it really possible? In the middle of her thoughts, Star Swirl lowered the barrier and approached her.

"Now," he continued, "would you please tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

"Well," she said. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and...I think I'm from the future."

"The future?"

"Yeah that's right. 1000 years from now, I was in your library with some of my friends, and I found one of your journals. The journal had a spell sealed in it and when I activated it, my spirit was apparently cast back into the past." Star Swirl didn't respond. He just stared at her with a bemused expression. Oh no, she realized. He doesn't believe me. Not that I blame him. After all it's not scientifically possible. I'm not scientifically possible!

"Alright then."

"Huh? What?"

"I can't think of any other explanation so that must be it. Especially since I was just working on a spell exactly like the one you described. Although, I can't quite imagine why I would project one's spirit to this particular point in time. Well I suppose I'll find out eventually. And since you're here and a fellow scholar, why don't we continue this conversation in the library. I just happen to have some tea and tiny cakes at the ready."

"Really?" she asked. Did Star Swirl the Bearded really just invite her in for tea? "I'd be honored but I don't think I can eat anything in this form."

"Excellent," the old wizard beamed. "That leaves more for me. By the way, they still enjoy tea and tiny cakes a thousand years in the future don't they?"

"Of course," Twilight said.

"Well that's a relief. For a moment I was afraid that they had gone out of style."

"But...aren't you worried that someone might see me? How would you explain me?" Star Swirl slumped his shoulders.

"I don't think we have to worry about that," he told her. "I...don't get as many visitors as I used to." This must be after he and Celestia had their falling out over the mirror, she realized as the Hydra began to growl above her. "Now Sprinkles you stop that! This is a guest and I want you to behave yourself!"

"Sprinkles?" Twilight asked as a bucket full of biscuits appeared by Star Swirl's side.

"Here, just toss one to each head."

"Oh okay." Twilight levitated five biscuits out of the bucket and tossed them to the Hydra. Sprinkles caught one in each head before his center one thrust down and licked her.

"Aww he likes you!" Star Swirl laughed a Twilight shook the slobber from her mane. "Well now shall we move on to the Library?"

"Oh um sure." Is it really okay to do this? she wondered. I mean, between Celestia and the Sombra from our world do I really have time to take a tea break? But then when am I ever going to get a chance like this again? And if I really have somehow projected myself through time maybe he can send me back to the exact same moment. He is Star Swirl after all. GHEEEEEEE! I can't believe I'm really going to have tea with Star Swirl the Bearded. And so not more than five minutes later, in the kitchenette of the Library, Twilight sat across from Star Swirl with a pot of tea and a tray piled high with tea cakes placed between them.

"You see," he explained. "Actual time travel is extremely difficult. One's own individual time clashes with the ambient time of both the past and future, causing a rebound effect that results in the individual being sent back to their own time. But through the Temporal Projection Spell, a wizard can project their own spirit through time instead of their physical body. Since spirit exists outside of time, it can't cause a rebound effect and therefore, allows the caster to remain indefinitely outside of their natural time."

"Of course," Twilight agreed. "It's so obvious. I can't believe nopony else has ever thought of it before."

"Now it's your turn," he said. "You mentioned Discord as one of your friends. But how is that even possible? He's never been the social type."

"Well," Twilight said, "It's kind of a long story."

"Which usually means it's a good one." And Twilight told him all about the adventures she and her friends had; redeeming Princess Luna, saving Equestria from Discord and the Changelings, her coronation as princess, and the return of the Crystal Empire. Star Swirl was especially interested in Cadance and her claim to being a distant relation of Princess Amore. "Strange," he commented. "I've done extensive research into several royal genealogies and Amore had no close relatives. At least none that survived the banishment of the Empire. Well in any case, I'm glad to hear that the Crystal Ponies have returned. Her inability to save them wore deeply on Celestia's heart. I'm also amazed that your friend Fluttershy was able to redeem Discord without any magic. Even more so that Celestia willingly released him. I suppose she finally decided to let it go."

"Let what go?" Twilight asked. Hiding his mouth behind his hoof, Star Swirl chuckled softly.

"Ask her about the Guinea Pig incident when you return to the future?" Remembering her mission, Twilight cast her eyes down. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure now is the best time to ask her that."

"Why not? Is Celestia alright? Did something happen to her?" Twilight looked at the old wizard and wasn't sure what to do. From what the Princess had told her and the others, her and Star Swirl's relationship was never the same after he learned the truth of her and Sombra. "Princess please tell me."

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "Please don't be mad at her." Star Swirl frowned as he folded his hooves and leaned back in his chair.

"So she is still going to the other world."

"You already knew?"

"I've had my suspicians," he explained. "But I didn't want to say anything until I had definite proof. Or perhaps I just didn't want to know. Alright, tell me everything that's happened. Don't leave anything out." And Twilight told him the whole story of what had happened in the Mirror World, how Celestia had nearly been encased in crystal, the sacrifice made by the other Sombra, and how the Sombra of their world had cursed Celestia before invading the other Equestria. As she finished, Star Swirl rubbed the bridge of his snout and shook his head.

"On for goodness' sake," he groaned as he stood up. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Sombra was never a foe to be taken lightly. Well not to fear Twilight. I've already readied a plan." Star Swirl walked out of the kitchenette and Twilight followed after him to a nearby laboratory

"What do you mean exactly?" she asked. Levitating a stick of chalk, Star Swirl began writing a series of calculations on a blackboard.

"I've had the idea to test Temporal Projection for quite a while but I hesitated to do so for fear of any unforeseen side effects. After all, changing the flow of history can have any number of unseen consequences."

"Changing the flow of history?" she repeated as Star Swirl summoned a spell book to his side.

"From what you've told me," he continued as he flipped through it. "All of this happened because Celestia met the Sombra of the other world. I realize now that it was a mistake to bring her along with me on my expeditions. Therefore, I will project myself back in time and warn myself not to involve her at all."

"She won't be involved? But that means..."

"Yes, she and the other Sombra will never meet. None of this will happen. And the Sombra of our world will stay here were we can deal with him."

"But...but you can't!" Twilight cried. "What if something goes wrong?"

"I'll make sure to keep my interference to a minimum," he answered. "Now I just need to find the right temporal formula and... ah here we are."

"No! I won't let you!" Seizing the book with her magic, Twilight snatched it away and ran off through the main depository.

"Princess!" she heard him yell. "Get back here right now!" Twilight ignored him as she sped and weaved her way between the book shelves. What am I doing? she asked her self. I can't possibly outrun him. But I can't let him cast the spell either. In the middle of her monologue, a light flashed before her and Star Swirl teleported into her path. Twilight screeched to a halt and tried to run back the other way when another barrier suddenly formed around her, trapping her inside as Star Swirl took back the journal she had stolen.

"That is enough!" he roared. "I don't have time for this foolishness! If you aren't going to be reasonable then you can stay in there until I'm finished." Twilight watched him walk away and couldn't believe the wizard she had idolized for so long could do something so cold hearted.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you hate her so much?" Star Swirl spun around and stared at her in shock.

"Hate her? I'm trying to help her. I'm trying to save all of you. Don't you understand that?"

"But you won't save her!" Twilight argued. "If you do this you'll change her! She won't be the same!"

"That's exactly the point!" he told her. "Celestia and Sombra were never meant to meet, much less fall in love. If you really are a princess then you should know that the greater good always outweighs that of the individual. And once I use Temporal Projection, I can correct it and Celestia will become exactly as she was supposed to be!"

"But she already is," Twilight cried. "I used to wish that she and Sombra had never met too, but...the things we go through, the good and the bad, they make us who we are. If you change this about her you could change everything. Who she is, the path of her life. And what about everypony she knows? Their lives will change too. If it wasn't for Celestia, I never would have met my friends. And everything we went through together would never have happened. I don't want to lose that. I want my life. I want my friends. And I want Celestia. The one I know." Twilight paused to take a breath and wiped tear from her eye. "Please, don't take that away from her. Don't take her away from us." Star Swirl looked at her and sighed.

"What would you have me do then?" He looked past her and Twilight followed his gaze to a tapestry that hung from a nearby wall. Upon it, three different creatures were depicted; a goat whose curved horns crackled with magic, a great bull centaur, and three beings that resembled sea ponies but not nearly as approachable. "I've fought more monsters and villains then I care to remember. Regardless of their methods, they all had understandable reasons for what they did. Power, control, wealth, but Sombra...he's nothing at all like them. For him, evil is not a means. It's an end unto itself. Whatever wealth or power he obtains is secondary to the suffering he spreads. And from what you told me, that evil has now infected Celestia. How can you possibly hope to stand against that kind of hatred?" Twilight was unable to say, until she realized the answer was right in front of her.

"There is a way," she told him. "It's the same way we saved Princess Luna, reformed Discord, and stopped Sombra the first time."

"How?" Star Swirl asked.

"Let me out and I'll show you." Star Swirl stared at her doubtfully. "I swear it's not a trick." Star Swirl tensed but finally lowered the barrier he had encased her in.

"Very well," he told her. "Show me." Twilight approached him and her horn lit up with her magic.

"Give me your horn," she instructed. Star Swirl did and Twilight concentrated on all of the memories she had made with her friends. The joy and the sadness, the laughter and the arguments, the happiness and the sorrow. The tip of her horn touched his and the magic flowed into the old wizard, and with it all her memories. Star Swirl cried out from the shock and stumbled back, his hand clutching his chest.

"What...what was that?" he gasped.

"It's the magic of friendship," Twilight answered. "It's what I Iearned from the others. And it's what Celestia learned from the other Sombra." Slowly Star Swirl regained himself as tears began to well up in his eyes

"That is friendship?" he asked. "I had no idea. It...it's so beautiful." Twilight approached him and extended her hoof to him.

"Do you believe me now? Will you give me a chance to save Celestia?" Star Swirl looked down at the hoof and sighed.

"Alright," he consented. "I won't use the spell. And I'll trust in you to save her."

"Thank you!" Twilight said.

"But that still doesn't solve the current problem," he added. "Specifically the Sombra from our world, just how exactly he is causing another paradox, or even how to stop him."

"Well then," Twilight suggested, "let's put our heads together and see if we can't figure something out."

"Oh?" Star Swirl asked. "So tell me. Are you good at making charts? How is your advanced magical theories studies? And do you prefer to take notes on academic or wide ruled?" Twilight glared and walked up to him.

"I live for charts. My second thesis was on advanced magical theories. And wide ruled paper is for FOALS! Let's do this." Star Swirl smirked and chuckled.

"Twilight, you are MY kind of princess."

=Mirror Equestria (present)=

On the parapet of Canterlot Castle's outer wall, Captain Blueblood sipped his evening coffee as he read the last of the daily reports. All three of the guard brigades had completed their daily regimen without issue and it looked as if it were going to be a quiet evening. Of course, ever since King Sombra had redeemed Celestia and Luna, all evenings were quiet.

I wonder if his majesty is alright, he wondered. From what he understood, Sir Discord had finally located the king in the southern badlands. Unfortunately, something had gone wrong and his Majesty had not only defeated Discord, but had actually managed to seal away his magic. Chrysalis' changelings had set off in pursuit but had lost the trail and now, Sombra was once more in the wind. Some captain of the guard I turned out to be. He never should have allowed the king to go off on his own. When the His Majesty had departed the castle for Everfree with those six mares who bore such a striking resemblance to the infamous Mane 6 gang, Blueblood had insisted that Sombra allow him and a squad of guards to accompany them. But the king had instead ordered Blueblood to stay behind and protect the Canterlot citizens in case Celestia launched another attack. Then the sky had cracked open only to heal in a flash of light and everything was suddenly restored to its prewar condition. The Guardians of Equestria had returned to Canterlot shortly afterward, followed by Celestia and Luna. Blueblood had nearly arrested them both before Chrysalis bid him to halt, claiming that something in them had changed. And once the princesses had told them of what had happened, Blueblood knew Equestria was on the verge of an even greater tragedy.

"Hey Captain!" Blueblood looked up as Lieutenant Gilda, his second in command, flapped down to the walkway from overhead. "Just got the word in from the town watch. Nothing too serious. Just a few disputes in the marketplace over vending prices that got a little too heated."

"I see. Thank you." The griffin walked up beside him and followed his view out into the distance.

"Nice sunset huh?"

"Very nice," he agreed.

"I still can't believe it's really over," the mused. "Or even that Celestia and Luna are now on our side. So, any word yet on how the King is doing?"

"Not yet," Blueblood sighed. Not knowing his majesty's condition was hard enough on the captain, but even worse was the fact that he was lying to his men. "But Princess Trixie has informed me that she should have an update on his condition very soon."

"Let's hope so," Gilda said as her beak twisted into a playful smirk. "Speaking of the princess, you get the nerve to ask her out yet?"

"Oh um well...I just don't think now's the best time. After all, we still have a lot of work in repairing all the damage done to Equestria."

"If you say so," she answered. "It's just that I saw Prince Shining Armor trying to chat her up and I could have sworn she seemed interested."

"What!" Blueblood yelled. "Princess Trixie would never fall for that spoiled, pompous..."

"But then she shot him down," Gilda laughed. "Oh wow! You should see the look on your face!" Blueblood fumed as Gilda spread her wings and took to the sky. "Seriously though Captain, you'd better make your move before someone else comes along and swoops her up." Off she flew and Blueblood turned back to the sunset. It was true, he had harbored a crush on King Sombra's apprentice for a long time. She was so unlike the majority of the mares in the Canterlot elite. Modest, intelligent, compassionate, and of course beautiful with a coat the same blue as the sky and hair like spun silver. But how could he think about romance when his own duties weighed so heavily on his mind? Besides, he wasn't so sure that she felt the same way about him.

Far in the distance, the fading sunlight danced and refracted in crimson waves across the clouds. It was a beautiful sight but it made Blueblood uneasy. It almost looked like the sky itself was on fire and was spreading towards Canterlot. Something bad is about to happen, he thought. I think I'd better stay on shift a little longer tonight.

=Equestria Prime (the past)=

After compiling their data and formulating a plan, it was time for Twilight to return to her own time. She stood in the center of the lab while Star Swirl readied the calculations to return her. "Alright I'm done," he announced. "This spell should send you back to your original time right after you originally projected yourself."

"Great," she said. "Remember, you need to hide the journal among a row of books you wrote yourself."

"Understood," he confirmed. "Well, I suppose this is goodbye. It was an honor to meet you Princess Twilight. And I'm sorry if it failed to live up to your expectations." Twilight smiled and shook her head.

"Actually I'm glad. If this whole experience has taught me anything, it's that ponies you admire are the same as everypony else. They can make mistakes and bad decisions as well. It doesn't mean they aren't worthy of admiration. In fact, it makes them more admirable because it shows you don't have to be perfect. You just have to do your best." Star Swirl smiled and lit up his horn.

"You are indeed worthy of your title." And with that, the spell was cast and Twilight vanished in a flash of light. "What a remarkable day this has been." Well, time to get to work. First, he would have to calculate the Temporal Projection formula that would enable Twilight to sent her spirit back to this particular point in time. Standing before the chalkboard, Star Swirl attempted to write down the equation but for some reason found his mind a blank. He had memorized the formula by heart just as he had with every spell. But every time attempt he made felt as if an invisible chain was holding the chalk back.

Why can't I concentrate? he wondered as he set down the chalk. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to get to work on a project of this magnitude. But for some reason he couldn't Perhaps he could leave a message for Twilight in the future to come back and ask her input. Plus it would be nice to talk with her again. And it was then he realized the problem. Stepping out of the laboratory, Star Swirl looked out over the rows of bookshelves that filled the depository. Was his library always this quiet? Had it always been this empty? He had chosen to build his library here specifically so he could work and study in isolation, free from being bothered by others. It was his refuge where he could pursue his interests and passions without interruption. But now, the quiet was stifling to the point that he felt as if he were suffocating.

As if in a dream, Star Swirl felt his legs carry him through the library and out the door. Down the winding catacombs he went until finally, he emerged out of a fissure in the mountain's side. His eyes adjusted to the sudden increase in brightness and took a deep breath of the early evening air. Down the slope of Canterlot Mountain, a short distance across the low hills surrounding its base, an Earth Pony village lay nestled in one of the valleys. Though he had never looked down on Earth Ponies the way some other Unicorns did, Star Swirl realized that he had never really made the effort to know them either. It wasn't that he hated them, he had just assumed that he and them were too different to casually associate. But after meeting Twilight and learning of the deep bond she had forged with so many different ponies and even Discord, Star Swirl was beginning to realize just how narrow his view of the world actually was.

"All this time," he wondered aloud. "What have I actually been doing?"

Equestria Prime (present)

Though the rest of the day had gone off without much issue, Celestia's mood had yet to improve. While the meetings with the celebration committees were thankfully brief and to the point; the confrontation with Twilight, Luna, and Cadance continued to linger on the Princess's mind. Well, at least the day was coming to an end. She could go back to her quarters, lock herself away, and just be alone. Through the front gate she stepped with Kibitz right behind her, the guards giving her a wide berth as she passed them but Celestia no longer cared. They could fall to their knees begging her forgiveness and she still wouldn't grant it. She had given everything for Equestria and not once had her subjects ever shown the slightest concern for her well being over their own. Ahead, a lone Unicorn mare in glasses stood waiting before the entrance to the main keep.

"Welcome back Princess," Raven said. "Did everything go smoothly?"

"Well enough," she frowned. "Did you follow my instructions?"

"Of course your highness. You needn't worry. Nopony tried to enter your quarters while you were out."

"Good. I'll take dinner in my room. Where's Luna?"

"She's been down in the archives since early afternoon," Raven answered. "As for why I'm afraid that I don't have an answer."

"No matter," Celestia muttered. "Just go to her and tell her that I need her to raise the moon immediately. Kibitz, that will be all for the day."

"Yes your highness." Celestia stepped past her and from the corner of her eye, watched as Raven whispered something to Kibitz. Something's going on, she realized. They're planning something behind my back. Whatever it was, so long as they kept her out of it she could care less. Through the castle she walked, barely noticing the discomfort in any of the servants she passed until she finally reached her private quarters.

"You may leave," she told the guards out in the hall, who promptly bowed and half fled from her sight. Once the guards outside on the balcony had left as well, Celestia stepped out and lowered the sun. On the railing, Philomena flew up to take a perch but Celestia didn't even acknowledge her presence even when she chirped at her. "Philomena be quiet," she warned through clenched teeth. Philomena fell silent and watched Celestia return to her room when suddenly, she squawked loudly in alarm and fled from the balcony in a blur of feathers. The princess stared for a second but dismissed it as unimportant. Finally alone in the quiet of her chambers, Celestia sighed and sank to the floor. She wanted to scream, to sob, but all she could feel was an emptiness. What did it matter anymore? She was trapped and alone. Noone to help carry her burdens, nopony for her lean on. But that was how it always was. From the beginning, when Star Swirl had first sought her out and convinced her and Luna to reign over Equestria, they were supposed to share the burden of rule together. But instead, Luna had surrendered to her jealousy and attempted to seize power for herself. And Star Swirl, he had been too wrapped up in his own private world to think of anything else. Why do I even bother? she wondered. I should just leave this kingdom to its own fate. Why should I sacrifice my happiness for them any longer? Perhaps she should. She could leave and find someplace where she could be alone forever and never have to cater to anyone's whims ever again. There was only one thing she would take with her. Rising to her hooves, Celestia crossed the floor to the potted tree and felt a cold shock pierce through her. The mirror shard, the sole memento of her lost love, had vanished from the tree branch, leaving only the string from which it had hung.

"Where is it?" she gasped. "Where is it!" Around the base of the tree's pot, Celestia frantically searched for the shard but found not trace. It couldn't have just vanished. Someone had to have taken it but who? In the middle of her panic, Celestia noticed a thread that had snagged on the rim of the pot. Closer examination however revealed it was actually a strand of hair and Celestia held it up for a closer look. It was long, straight, dark purple in color, but with a slight pink shade to its tip.

"Twilight!" she hissed. "TWILIGHT!"

"Twilight!" Spike yelled. "Twilight snap out of it!" It hadn't been more than a few seconds since Twilight had activated the spell in Star Swirl's journal but even that seemed like an eternity as she remained unresponsive even when he shook her. Around them, the others gathered in a circle of worried faces, including Discord.

"Oh no oh no oh no!" Fluttershy whimpered. "What are we going to do?"

"Cadance isn't there anythin' you can do?" Applejack cried.

"I'm sorry but no!" Cadance answered. "The spell vanished from the page the second Twilight cast it."

"Let me try," Pinkie said as she took a deep breath. "TWILIGHT!" No response. "Well, I'm out of ideas." Just then, a groan passed from Twilight's mouth as the light shining from her eyes faded and Twilight snapped back to normal with a shake of her head.

"Ungh!" she groaned. "My head." With an overwhelming sense of relief, Spike threw his arms around her neck. "Spike?"

"Don't ever do that again!" he told her.

"Darling thank goodness you're okay!" Rarity sighed

"So what the hey happened anyway?" Rainbow asked.

"What did that spell do to you?" Cadance added.

"And did it tell you how to restore my magic?" Discord interrupted as the others gave him dirty looks. "What?" Twilight didn't answer. Instead she looked around the library as if she didn't recognize it.

"Would you all excuse me for a second?" In a flash of light Twilight teleported away as Spike and the others exchanged confused glances. Another flash and Twilight reappeared in front of them.

"I don't believe it! The skeleton is still out there! I'm really back!"

"Whoa there sugar cube!" Applejack said. "What do ya man you're back? Ya never left."

"Oh right!" Twilight laughed. "It's just like when I went back in time to tell myself not to worry. Only this time it was my spirit."

"Your spirit?" Rarity repeated.

"That's right," Twilight nodded. "The spell caused my spirit to project itself back in time. And you'll never believe it. But I met Star Swirl the Bearded. We talked about Princess Celestia and Sombra, and we worked together on a way to help her."

"And that's how he knew about what Sombra was planning," Rarity deduced.

"So tell me," Discord muttered, "what kind of plan did the great Star Swirl come up with?"

"Just a second," Twilight said. Levitating the journal off the floor, Twilight flipped through the pages. "Aha! Found it!" Twilight flipped the book over and showed another spell circle to the others. "Star Swirl said he'd leave another spell that could be used to help release Celestia from Sombra's curse. We just have to bring it to her." At that moment, Discord suddenly tensed as a twitch raced all the way up his back.

"Discord?" Fluttershy asked. "What's wrong?"

"Um Twilight?" he whimpered. "You might want to cast that spell right now!" No sooner had he spoken, the doors to the library were blasted open in an explosion of golden flame. The group ducked for cover as bits of shrapnel rained down on the main chamber, shredding books and shelves in a cloud of paper and wood. The air cleared, and Spike looked up in shock as a tall figure stepped through the ruined doorway.

"Celestia," Spike heard Twilight whisper. With a flap of her wings, the princess launched herself across the cavern to land before her. And the rage in her eyes burned brighter than anything he had ever seen in his life.

"Twilight!" she screamed.

=Mirror Equestria=

In the deepest recesses of Celestia's castle, Fleur and the others watched as Sombra, or rather the Sombra from the other world, sculpted a form from black crystal. Even after hearing the truth, it still was hard to believe. Another Equestria where Celestia ruled and Sombra was the enemy? And now the other Sombra had come to their world to fill the void left by the defection of their world's Celestia.

"Are your assignments clear to you?" he asked.

"Just leave it to us boss!" Flash said, earning him a nasty look from Sombra. "Uh, I mean, your majesty. " Fleur rolled her eyes and glanced up at the ring of black crystal around the base of her horn. Fashioned by Sombra for her own mission, it was specifically designed to lead her to the specific item he had ordered her to find. According to the plan, Sombra would create a distraction, then she would retrieve her item while Flash and Bulk retrieved theirs. If all went well, then they would move on to the next and final stage of their new ruler's plan.

"One thing troubles me you majesty," she said. "You said that the Celestia of your world, the one I saw associating with the Sombra of ours, was in love with him. What if she somehow senses your plan and tries to stop you?"

"I anticipated that," Sombra answered. "And before I crossed over. I took an extra precaution. You see, long ago, when I first seized the throne of the Crystal Empire, I desired to rule over all lands. To do so, I needed an army and my pitiful crystal slaves were woefully not up to the task. So I began to experiment on ways to make them into a fighting force worthy of serving me. One such attempt involved infecting them with my own magic. Enhancing the fear, sorrow, and rage within them until they were consumed by it."

"And it worked?" Flash asked.

"Too well," Sombra explained. "The ponies I infected turned savage and cruel but also unstable and mad. Little more than mindless berserkers."

"And that's what you did to Celestia?" Fleur realized. "But will it work on someone as powerful as her."

"Not usually," he admitted. "But following her separation from the Sombra of this world, Celestia was afflicted with intense sorrow and pain. But instead of facing it, she suppressed it, allowing it to fester and grow. As a result, her spirit was weakened and my magic was able to infect her. I imagine by now it has taken full effect. It's just a shame that I can't be there to enjoy watching her as she destroys her kingdom and everypony she cares about."

"But bo...er your majesty?" Flash interrupted. "What if something happens to break the spell?" Fleur hated to admit it but Flash had a point. Sombra however merely chuckled as he glanced at them over his shoulder.

"That's the beautiful thing about this particular spell. The only one who can break it is the one upon who it is cast. And by now it's far too late."

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[123Dreamcloud]

*takes a deep breath*

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH