Sky Dancer, the First Flying Unicorn

by Scroll

Chapter Thirty: What Comes Next

Vision, Stern Wing, Feather Wind, Celestia and the apparent image of Crystal Sage all made their way into an icicle cave. Once there, Vision collapsed and shivered. Seeing that, Stern Wing bent down beside her and wrapped a wing around Vision protectively. Looking at this, Feather Wind realized he needed to help with the situation so he grew a small crystal spike up from the ground near Vision and Stern Wing then shot a constant beam at it. Seeing that, Celestia followed suit until the crystal glowed red with a dim amount of light and a good deal more heat. After that Celestia regarded the image of Crystal Sage guardedly.

“Alright, Sombra, explain yourself. Why did your other self leave us alone? What did you do to him?” Celestia asked in a demanding tone. “More importantly, will he be back?”

Crystal Sage was looking out the exit of the icicle cave at the winter storm that raged on out there. Only because of the dim lighting of the cave was any part of that storm outside visible because it was night time. Even if it was daylight, the cloud cover above would have made it much darker.

“Given the stress you have all endured and given the fact that Feather Wind only mentioned this to you once before, I understand why you may have forgotten this but my name is no longer Sombra. I am Crystal Sage now, and I would appreciate it if you only call me that from now on.” Crystal Sage turned around to regard those within the cave, and Celestia in particular. “As for why my other self let us go, it is because he realized it is to his advantage to do so.”

Celestia looked a bit startled to hear that so the transparent image of Crystal Sage waved a hoof at her.

“Let me explain,” Crystal Sage urged. “He and I split apart many centuries ago and we are no longer linked, but there is one important thing we both have in common. We both wish to see the return of the Crystal Empire. Our methods may differ and our goals in what comes next may also differ, but the fact that we both want the Crystal Empire to return is something we have in common. He let us go because he knew that was my plan all along as well, and because we gave him no other choice. With the black obelisk destroyed, you ruined his plan A to summon the Crystal Empire back on his terms and, what's more, the crystal we destroyed is virtually irreplaceable. Did any of you notice how big it was?”

“I certainly did,” Stern Wing concurred.

“That obelisk was made of a rare crystal, or rather to say a bunch of rare crystals which he fused together into one giant obelisk,” Crystal Sage explained. “It took him centuries to gather that much material, and it will take him a great deal more time to gather that much of such a rare material again, if ever. That, in turn, buys us time against his direct wrath. This is why I advised you all to destroy it. However, he also knew I had a similar agenda, albeit using a similar but different strategy. My goal is to summon the Crystal Empire back by collecting positive energy using that Red Crystal.”

“But this gem cannot gather nearly as much energy, can it?” Stern Wing asked. “The Red Crystal is way smaller, and he's gathering that positive energy at a slower rate. If this gem is unable to store as much positive energy as his giant obelisk was able to gather negative energy, then what's the point?”

“The point is to use the Tree of Harmony to make up the difference. Feather Wind's assumptions were accurate on this point,” Crystal Sage answered. “We are only gathering enough positive energy in the Red Crystal to assist the Tree in finding the Crystal Heart which is lost somewhere within the Crystal Empire, which is itself lost in limbo. The positive energy will cause a sympathetic vibration which the Tree could use to find the Crystal Heart, but my plan had always relied upon the Tree itself to draw the Crystal Heart back into the material plane. The Tree will always be a more powerful magnet than anything we can store within that gem because the Tree can tap into all the energy of Harmony across our entire land. That's the advantage of this strategy. We don't have to gather as much energy. What's more, as an added bonus, it won't even cost the Tree energy to do this. It inherently acts as a powerful magnet. All it needs is the means to find the Crystal Heart in the first place, thus it won't cost the Tree energy to do this. In fact, my plan will actually strengthen the Tree. All of the positive energy we gather will be donated to the Tree not only to help find the Crystal Heart but also be added to the Tree's strength from then on.”

“And what will happen to you once the Red Crystal joins with the Tree?” Celestia asked Crystal Sage in curious concern.

“That Crystal is the last shred of my material form,” Crystal Sage answered. “What comes after that, I'm not sure. I have mainly two theories. Either A; I will be absorbed into the essence of the Tree if I am deemed worthy and compatible with its energy source, in which case my magic and knowledge will also be added to the tree, or B; I will move on to whatever higher plane of existence that I deserve to go to. Either way, I will transform, and I'm fine with that. I'm basically just a ghost anyway who has one last unfinished purpose. As soon as I aid in the return of the Crystal Empire, I will have no more regrets left to anchor me to this world. I will trust the future of Equestria to the next generation of ponies and, based on what I have seen through Feather Wind's travels, the future of Equestria does indeed appear to be in good hooves.”

“I think I understand why he wants the Crystal Empire to be returned, but what about you?” Celestia asked with a bit of lingering suspicion towards Crystal Sage. She looked back at Feather Wind as he answered in Crystal Sage's stead.

“Because there is somepony back at the Crystal Empire he dearly loves,” Feather Wind explained. “You remember that song we heard at the end of the battle?” Celestia nodded. “That was her voice. He prefers to hide her real name, so I call her Angel Song. Adding to that, Crystal Sage also cares about the welfare of every other pony that got lost in limbo along with the now trapped Crystal Empire. He aided in its construction in the first place and he put a lot of work into it. A lot of his hopes and dreams are with it.”

“I see,” Celestia said sympathetically to Crystal Sage. “Love is indeed a very noble agenda. I, too, know what it's like to desire a lost loved one to be restored.”

“Obviously you're talking about your sister,” Stern Wing realized mournfully after recalling Celestia's painful encounter with Nightmare Moon back in King Sombra's dark crystal cave.

“I just want to make things right again,” Crystal Sage promised. “That's my only agenda anymore. I've already lost most of my achievements in this world. All I want to do is restore the greatest legacy I ever helped to create. After that, I will finally and completely rest in peace.”

Celestia thought about what he said, then asked, “If what you say is true, why did your counterpart feel it is necessary to gather that much dark energy to accomplish the same thing?”

“Because he did not have the advantage of tapping into a power source that was already connected to all the spirit of Equestria,” Crystal Sage answered. “He had to gather all of that dark energy on his own and he needed a place deep enough to put it. That crystal he used to form the obelisk was rare to begin with but, with it destroyed, there is that much less left in the world so it might take him two-thousand years to gather the same amount of materials again on this world, but he quickly realized we are a lot closer to our goal so, if I were him, I would abandon plan A entirely and simply let my enemies do my work for me.

“His strategy probably would have been flawed anyway. That much dark energy would be extremely difficult to control because such energy is inherently wild and chaotic. More than likely, he would succeed to rip the Crystal Empire back into the material plane but it would be a flawed attempt. Some of the buildings and pony citizens would probably be left behind in limbo, but the Tree of Harmony synergies with the energies spread throughout the city better. Because it is able to resonate with everything within the city better, the Tree can pull the entire city back into phase with the material plane evenly. That, in turn, means nothing gets left behind so, in the end, that leaves King Sombra with that much more to conquer later. Until then, I think he'll lie low now and wait for his enemies to accomplish his goal for him. He won't even try to interfere with the spread of Harmony anymore because, if he did, it would actually further delay his own goals, ironically enough. Being empty of all good essence himself, he cannot aid in its return directly using this strategy so he figures the least he could do is not stand in our way.

“But Princess, I must warn you . . . the moment the Crystal Empire does return to the material plane, he will pounce upon it as quick as he can. It is imperative that either you or some other pony you trust gifted with barrier magic leave to guard the Crystal Empire immediately. If you don't do this then King Sombra might arrive there first and conquer it. He might even raise a dark barrier of his own to keep your allies out until he is finished with his objectives there. I know I would in his place, and I know I'm capable of just that if I manage to access the right resources first in the Crystal Empire.

“Even if you, or some other pony you trust, arrives there and protects the city first, it only buys you time. For a permanent solution, you must restore the Crystal Heart to its rightful place.”

“Being connected with him as you are, I don't suppose you know where he hid the Crystal Heart?” Celestia asked hopefully.

Crystal Sage sighed sadly as he shook his head. “Alas, I do not. We divided many centuries ago. I used to receive flash visions of his memories that he chose to send to me, but there was no way he'd be willing to send me information that could later compromise him. All I know is it's hidden somewhere in the city. It has to be else the winter storms would swallow up the city and bury that which he wishes to conquer. If it weren't for that, I'm sure he'd seek out a way to destroy the Crystal Heart since it's such a potential threat to him but, as it stands, he needs it to a point. Unfortunately this means the Crystal Heart will have to be found before you or any pony you send depletes their supply of magic to defend the city and, on top of that, the Crystal Heart might be defended by various traps that he set up in advance.

“I am so sorry for all this inconvenience. I wish I could help even more.”

“It is a decent plan, all things considered,” Celestia realized. “Actually, it's more than that because your strategy would even strengthen the Tree of Harmony. Your plan is actually ingenious.”

Celestia smiled as she closed her eyes and bowed her head briefly as she said, “I have faced against your darker half twice now, and technically speaking he beat me both times.” She opened her eyes and smiled brightly at Crystal Sage. “What a relief it is for me to finally have some small part of you working on my side for a change.”

That comment made Crystals Sage simultaneously feel both flattered and guilty. “I am also relieved that I can give you some small measure of comfort but, if I had my way, we never would have been enemies in the first place. You have my sincerest apology from the bottom of my heart for all that you have suffered at the hooves of my alternate self.

“Understand this, your Majesty . . . he is just an empty shell of myself, but we are not divided squarely between good and evil. He really does have only my evil side, but I am balanced. I have both sides within me, which means I remain just as capable of darkness as him but, unlike him, I am able to choose the light as well, and I remain motivated to do so.”

Crystal Sage looked down with regret. “I probably wasted far too much time wallowing in self pity over my past mistakes while he, in turn, worked to strengthen his position. This was another mistake I have made. If I had acted sooner, a great deal of your citizens would not have suffered in the first place. I cannot apologize to you enough for all that he has done and for all that I haven't done over these many centuries. Truly evil is destined to succeed when good-hearted ponies do nothing.”

“But you are doing everything you can right now,” Celestia pointed out proudly. “I even think it has a good chance to succeed, eventually. However,” she tapped her lips with a hoof in thought, “you said that a key component of this strategy is to use the Tree of Harmony to draw the Crystal Heart and, by extension, the Crystal Empire from the depths of oblivion, but the Tree has lost its Elements of Harmony a long time ago.” Celestia replaced her hoof to the ground as she shook her head and briefly closed her eyes. “I fear it is no longer strong enough to do as you have suggested.”

“That depends.” Crystal Sage looked back at Celestia. “This is also why I'm telling you this now. For my plan to succeed, you all must accomplish something on two fronts. Feather Wind,” he gestured to the pony in question, “must do everything possible to gather as much positive energy as he can to empower the Red Crystal. He can do that by happenstance, but it is far more effective if he generates that energy through kind acts.”

Crystal Sage looked at Feather Wind squarely. “Know that defeating great evil, like my counterpart, does not promote harmony and therefore does nothing to charge the Red Crystal with the right energy. Instead, opposing and defeating such evil prevents disharmony. This is important too, so great power on the side of the heroes is necessary from time to time, but the primary way to charge that crystal is through every day acts of kindness and compassion. This is mostly in the little things. Watching fireworks with your friends, joining them in fun pool parties, and lending an ear or a hoof to aid a pony who is depressed. All of these things are what's necessary to charge that particular crystal and therefore you will accomplish this goal far more in peace time than you ever could in war. In war time, the atmosphere is saturated with tense energy which is rarely positive. If you must face the bad guys then do it quickly and return to having good times with your friends as soon as you can. That is the best way to accomplish your goal.

“But, in addition to that,” he looked back at Celestia, “the Tree of Harmony must be strengthened too so that it, in turn, can act as a more powerful magnet and the Tree of Harmony draws its strength from spreading harmony across this entire land. Based on its name, what else would you expect? This is the spirit that attempts to calm the natural elements of nature, and it is the voice of conscience whispering in our ears and trying to encourage us to be more friendly but, unlike The Dark Star, it is always gentle with its suggestions. For true harmony to be promoted, it must be pursued willingly so all it could ever do is gently encourage us. That voice is always inside us because it was once the source of magic that crashed upon our planet a long time ago. Long story.” His final sentence was said directly to Celestia in particular. “If you want to know more about that, ask them.

“My point is, I had intended to inform you of my plan anyway, Princess Celestia, because you are in a tactical position to help me with this. You raise the sun and the moon, so you definitely have many ponies attention. What's more, you are an immortal and caring protector of our lands. You've proven today why you are so worthy of that trust. So great was your determination to protect your citizens, you were even willing to resort to dark magic to accomplish that. I know for a fact that plan would have backfired if you kept it up, but it still demonstrates your willingness to go that far and for noble reasons.

“Because so many ponies look up to you, and rightly so I might add, I need your help as well to spread the message of friendship. The more harmony is spread throughout this great land of ours, the more strength the Tree of Harmony could later draw upon.

“The crystals of the Elements of Harmony only act as a focus for each element it represents but, by themselves, the gems are powerless. Every-single-time,” he stomped a hoof with each word, “the gems are used, the Elements of Harmony doesn't just draw upon the spirit of the user, it also draws upon the Tree itself and the Tree gathers its strength from the entire spirit of the land. You see? It's all connected. The reason those Elements are so strong is because it draws upon the united spirit of every pony on the planet, possibly even every creature on the planet. The stronger harmony is on the planet, the stronger the Elements will become and vice versa. I know this because I've studied the relationship between magic and emotions, and crystals can capture those feelings like pouring water into a jar. That makes the energy available to be tapped into later on. Crystals can also magnify that magical potential, much like a magnifying lens, but there must be magical potential to magnify in the first place else nothing will happen.

“Since I know for a fact that the Tree of Harmony is also made of crystal, then it must be an extension of the same crystal science that I know of so well. It houses a living spirit within it just like my Red Crystal does, but on a much grander scale. The spirit of the Tree of Harmony is the combined essence of us all, and our most positive traits in particular.”

“I'm curious about something,” Stern Wing broached. “That song you issued from the Red Crystal . . . why didn't you try that in the first place? Since it was clearly very effective, it would have saved us a lot of trouble if you had resorted to that in the first place.”

Crystal Sage paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then said, “Two reasons. Number one, I may not be long for this world. I wanted you all to hoofle this problem because I will soon be an unavailable resource to draw upon and I did not want you all to grow dependent on me. A strong part of me wanted to help anyway because this was my mess to begin with, but I'm dead. Usually, at most, I could only give advice in my position unless I possess your husband, which I refuse to do again. I did it that one time only for Angel Song's sake and because you all insisted, but I refuse to do it again. It's his life to live so I won't even pretend it is an accessible resource available for me to steal.

“The second reason I delayed that long to use that strategy was because, at first, it had not even occurred to me either until you all sang to uplift Celestia's spirit which she, in turn, used to strengthen her Hearts Warming barrier. As soon as you did that, that gave me the idea so it was really you three that deserve a lot of credit. You held fast and strong and supported each other to the end. That was very commendable but, even after the idea occurred to me, I still waited to see if my idea was even necessary. As long as your song continued, you three were holding your own.

“After King Sombra disabled all magic not attached to dark magic, however, I quickly realized that the Red Crystal was not affected and, truth be told, I was shocked to notice this. The Red Crystal should have been especially vulnerable to this kind of attack because this type of attack undermined the source of the Red Crystal's strength, but apparently the energy you gathered so far after Card Shark drained it was still enough to protect the crystal.

“Remember your wedding in the ancient past? A lot of pure love and friendship energy was absorbed into the crystal at that time. Later on there was your vacation on that tropical island. You all spent it with your friends and family. You all shared in your mutual joy together, and the crystal absorbed that energy too then, on the TARDIS, just before they all faded away (those who were still there, at least), you all sang together which lifted up all of your spirits in one voice of harmony. The crystal absorbed that energy too which included the future version of you, your Highness,” Crystal Sage told Celestia. “So you, too, deserve some credit for the protection of the Red Crystal's stored positive energy which, in turn, later supported all of you during this time period at a crucial moment.”

Crystal Sage regarded the group again with a sweep of his gaze. “In the end they all faded away with happiness instead of sorrow, each pleased to do their own part in helping you all save the world then subsequently having lots of fun together. This was a critical point in your relationship with each other because it capitalized on the true strength of your relationship together. The Red Crystal kept on absorbing this all.

“In that final moment against King Sombra and his black obelisk, I think that energy was enough to protect the Red Crystal and make it at least temporarily immune to the black obelisk's anti-magical aura. When I noticed that, I knew there was an emergency supply of magic to tap and, thanks to your singing earlier, I also had the perfect idea how to use that energy.

“While Vision's sonic device was somewhat effective against the black obelisk, simply screaming at it at high frequency was less effective than generating sonic energy charged with the kind of energy that directly opposed its own. Notice how fast this song shattered it. The reason, I suspect, it was super effective against the black obelisk was because a great deal of the black obelisk's energy was charged with King Sombra's own essence, which also helps to explain how he was able to influence and use it so easily, but that also proved to be the black obelisk's downfall.

“I love the music of Angel Song. It's one of the primary reasons, but not the only reason, I fell in love with her in the first place but my dark counterpart is devoid of any love in his heart. That is why that same song would drive him insane with rage. That is because, for him, all of that loving energy is twisted into unbearable hatred and, since the black obelisk was also charged with his essence, it had the same reaction to the song as he did, so it cracked and shattered soon after the song filled the room. Thanks to Vision's optical speakers, that song was enhanced even further which greatly intensified the effectiveness of the sonic assault. The rest you know.”

“So, in the end, we did make a huge difference,” Stern Wing realized with a proud and happy smile. “As for that lingering energy from our friends, it feels like they reached a hoof, talon, claw or paw out and protected us one last time.”

“The Red Crystal is charged with the emotions of their spirit,” Feather Wind said while his eyes were slightly watery due to love and appreciation he felt for his friends. “You know they would want to protect us if there was any way they could and, in the end, it looks like they have indeed found a way to do so.”

“My role in Equestria is nearly done, your Majesty,” Crystal Sage said as his gaze shifted from Feather Wind to Celestia. “Will you help me secure a brighter future for the next generation of ponies?”

“What you ask is no easy feat,” Celestia replied. “At least I can say I'm motivated to cooperate. I want to see the Crystal Empire return to glory as well, and in the proper way.”

“Anything worth doing is usually very difficult to accomplish,” Crystal Sage said. “I can't tell you how many years were poured into research, development and labor in the construction of the Crystal Heart and the Crystal Empire, but you've seen for yourself what it can achieve at its height. The ponies that once lived in that Empire lived their lives bathed in positive energy. It was a paradise.”

“And a worthy endeavor, in any case,” Celestia said. “It may be a great effort, but the results will be infinitely rewarding,” Celestia looked back at the other three, “but a task this monumental will require us all. Every pony in Equestria must lend a hoof to accomplish something this big. Can I count on you all?”

“Of course, Princess,” Stern Wing agreed immediately.

“You can count on us, Celestia,” Feather Wind concurred.

“I'll do whatever I want,” Vision said a little weakly, still shivering a bit. “I can assure you I have no incentive to spread disharmony at the moment.”

“Then it's settled.” Celestia looked back at Crystal Sage. “Rest well, my new friend. I will do all that I can to guide the next generation of ponies into a better world than either of us have suffered through in our past. I promise.”

“Then I have one less worry and regret on this night,” Crystal Sage said as his voice eased. “Thank you, your Majesty, for all that you have done and will do. Thanks to your efforts and every other pony under your guidance, I know the world will see a better tomorrow.

“On that note, I bid you farewell.”

He bowed to Celestia as he faded away.

xoxo

“There. It is done,” Celestia announced as she returned into the icicle cave after stepping outside for a moment. “The moon is set and the sun is raised. I know it's difficult to tell with all that snowy cloud cover, especially this early in the morning, but it is officially the next day now.”

“Good,” Stern Wing said. “Now, if Vision goes to sleep, she will have good dreams instead of nightmares.”

“This is really the source of your psychic visions?” Celestia asked Vision curiously.

“It used to be until I found another, more reliable source,” Vision said weakly, clearly on the verge of falling asleep, “but I still get psychic dreams when I go to sleep as well, especially around this time period.”

“Why would the day or night cycle have any effect on the quality of your dreams, if I may ask?” Celestia inquired politely.

“I think you'll find the answer to that question very interesting in a personal kind of way,” Feather Wind announced. “Whenever she sleeps at night, she is plagued with nightmares, courtesy of Nightmare Moon but, on the plus side, when it is visions of the future, it can serve as a warning which, if acted upon fast enough, can be prevented. That was how she saved my life so, in an odd way, I owe my life to the darker side of your sister. On the other hoof, if Vision sleeps during the daytime then Nightmare Moon is asleep as well and she, in turn, dreams of being Princess Luna.”

“Really?!” Celestia asked with great interest at Feather Wind then asked her next question to Vision. “Is this true? Do you really see my true sister when you sleep during the daylight?”

“Not all the time,” Vision answered with a yawn. “I wouldn't even say it's common, but she is the reason those dreams tend to be emotionally more positive. Either that, or the dreams end up just plain weird.”

“In that case . . . can you send her a message for me when you go to sleep today?” Celestia requested with a voice full of desperate hope.

“I can, but I already know what your message is,” Vision announced. “You want me to express to her how much you miss her and love her.”

“If you would be so kind, I would be ever so grateful,” Celestia said as she closed her eyes in pain. “This feels so selfish of me after all that you have already done for me and my citizens. Consider this a personal request.”

“I will do this for you if you listen to my request in return,” Vision bargained.

“Anything,” Celestia agreed immediately and looked back at Vision.

“Then listen up, because I'm going to tell you about one of my psychic visions I had a long time ago before I even traveled with the Doctor, but don't worry . . . this is one of the good dreams. This is one of Princess Luna's dreams. In it, it has very good news for you but it has a few conditions attached to it in order to make it possible. The bottom line is, you actually can and will get your beloved sister back, but there is something you must do first before that can happen.”

Celestia nearly choked on her own emotions after she heard the announcement of her sister's possible return and her eyes had watered. She struggled to ask as calmly as she could, but she failed to hide her true emotions from her voice completely. “And . . . what must I do?”

“You must pass on your knowledge to a student gifted with magic, for it is she that will enable your sister to return,” Vision informed and warned. “In particular, you must make sure she understands the magic of friendship, for it is through that knowledge she will once again awaken the Elements of Harmony, and it is through the Elements your sister will be cleansed from the nightmare she is perpetually suffering from right now.”

“Really? But I used the Elements of Harmony against her and she wasn't cleansed back then. Instead she was banished to the moon,” Celestia objected.

“It's difficult to control the Elements of Harmony with precision,” Vision admitted. “It doesn't respond to one's own thoughts but their inner feelings instead. When you used the Elements of Harmony against your sister, you felt hurt and betrayed by her at the time. The pain of her betrayal was just too personal and painful for you so the Elements responded to your emotions by banishing a potential threat and, by doing so, it weakened your own connection to the Elements and turned them into stone, for such a power is against its own nature. Admit it. That was the absolute last time you were ever able to use the Elements of Harmony.”

“It's true,” Celestia admitted as she closed her eyes and bowed her head with regret.

“And that is why, when your sister is finally freed from the moon, you must be nowhere in sight,” Vision warned.

“What?!” Celestia exclaimed sharply as she looked back at Vision. “But . . . it's my fault she ended up like this in the first place!” She placed a hoof to her chest. “I have to be the one to fix this! This is my responsibility, and I do not wish to burden any other pony to fix my mistakes.”

“But you can't use the Elements of Harmony anymore, and that's required to solve a problem this intrinsically deep,” Vision warned. “Your future student, on the other hoof, will be able to use the Elements full potential but only if she's properly guided. If you show up instead when Nightmare Moon comes, then she will target you exclusively with all of her centuries of pent up rage and frustration and take it out on you instead of your student except, against you, she will not hold back at all. She will wreck every building and life between you and her just to make sure she devastates your feelings. If this is allowed to occur, then your future student will also fail to awaken the Elements of Harmony because she'll rely upon you too much instead. Against your future student, however, your sister will hold back because she will underestimate her by cruelly toying with her.”

Celestia closed her eyes in pain.

“So you must choose, Princess Celestia. Do you wish to fight Nightmare Moon again, or do you wish to rescue your beloved sister?” Vision proposed as an ultimatum. “In this case, you can't have it both ways.”

“If you choose to have faith in your student instead,” Feather Wind put in, “and she succeeds to awaken the Elements of Harmony again, then it will also mean you're no longer alone in your struggles to spread the message of harmony. I'm sure the next chosen champions of the Elements of Harmony will also be heavily looked up to which, in turn, spreads your allies out across Equestria. Armed with the Elements of Harmony from then on, you might also be more prepared against any other potential threat to follow afterwards.”

“Plus, consider this,” Stern Wing added. “You're a pony with centuries of wisdom and knowledge. I'm sure somepony like you would greatly benefit a potential student. The more you train her, the stronger your allies become. You've been alone in your burdens for far too long, Princess. Let some other pony carry the torch for once.”

“But I'm so busy as it is,” Celestia complained. “My day is so full of ponies who need my attention that I have barely a second to breathe.”

“You can do far more for Equestria than merely smiling and waving,” Feather Wind encouraged. “Delegate, Princess. If you are not alone in your struggles anymore, then you might find more time to help even more ponies in need when you have others to pick up the slack. Do you trust us enough to believe that we can help you?”

“I do,” Celestia admitted. “It's just that . . . you are all so ephemeral. Even if I learn to rely upon you, eventually you pass away and I'm left back where I started.”

“Not if those you train also train others,” Stern Wing suggested. “That way the lessons endure across each successive generation. That, in turn, eases your burden ongoing. You could live forever and life will still be better when valuable lessons continue to endure and, if any pony starts to forget that along the way, you'll still be around to remind them what's really important.”

“I suppose that could work,” Celestia said as she glanced off to her side, then her eye looked back at the three of them with her face still directed sidewards, “but I have never taught before! At least, not in that capacity. There are rules and standards and I'm so busy and . . .”

“Celestia!” Vision cut her off. “Just ask yourself this . . . for the sake of the return of your sister, what line are you not willing to cross?”

Celestia looked outside to the shadowy daylight and thought of her sister, then bowed her head. “You're right. For the sake of my sister's return and for the sake of the spread of harmony which may someday aid in the glorious return of the Crystal Empire, I will find a way to make time for this project . . . somehow.”

“If you're worried about getting the approval of the E.E.A., then consider this . . . how bad would the publicity be for those on the counsel and their careers if it became publicly known that they rejected the Princess of Equestria's request?” Feather Wind pointed out.

“I'll not use my authority to bully my way into whatever I want,” Celestia insisted back at Feather Wind as she narrowed her eyes at him a bit. “If I'm going to do this, then I must learn to conform to their standards and practices.”

“Which is there for a good reason anyway, Celestia,” Feather Wind informed. “If it helps, I can speak to my father, who is also on the E.E.A. counsel, into giving you a favorable result. I'm sure he can be persuaded to listen to reason and probably even argue in your defense towards the others on the council.”

Celestia giggled a little then said, “That would be nice.”

As Vision continued to fade, she requested, “There is one last request I have before I fade off into sleep. If you cooperate with this request, it will increase the odds of me encountering your sister in person in my dreams. Usually I just get good dreams or bad dreams depending on the time of day but, either way, I rarely encounter her directly.”

“Of course.” Celestia took a few steps closer. “What is it?”

“Sing to me the same lullaby you sing for your sister when you set the moon,” Vision requested. “I've seen you do it in my daytime visions, so I know you do it. That song will help me attune with her essence directly.”

“Oh!” Celestia looked surprised and embarrassed at that request. “That song is . . . very private for me. One I would not choose to share with others lightly. Besides, it's . . . kind of depressing. In that song, I share my pain with my sister in privacy.”

“The words themselves do not matter as much as the feeling you evoke behind them,” Vision informed. “That emotion will tune me into the right frequency in order to see her. Do you want me to spread your message to her or not? It's what you do every time you sing that song anyway, but this time you have a chance to send me and deliver it for you.” Vision yawned then lowered her head, starting to already drift away. “It's up to you.”

Celestia cast a long sigh as she looked out the exit of the cave again, then looked back at Vision. “Okay. Just this once, I will share my song with you. Since you saw it in your dreams anyway, I'm not really sharing anything new to you, and I really want you to deliver my message to my sister.”

“In that case, do you want me and Stern Wing to leave?” Feather Wind offered. “I mean, since you said this song is a private affair anyway.”

“And have the two of you suffer out in the cold while I sing? No thank you,” Princess Celestia rejected. “Besides, Stern Wing is serving as her blanket right now anyway. If I disturb that then she might grow too cold to sleep properly and that would disrupt my plans to have her deliver my message.

“No, you two can stay. I want you to stay, but please be very sensitive to me about this. This song is very personal to me, so please be gentle and discreet about it.”

“Yes, Princess. We will never tell another living soul about this. We promise,” Stern Wing assured.

“Uh-oh!” Star Breeze blinked. “Then you shouldn't be telling me this either.”

“Oh, don't worry about it,” Feather Wind assured his daughter. “I've gained her permission since that time to tell you. I told her about the book I've read and how it will be important to tell my future daughter of my journey. She agreed to allow me to tell you about this part as well but, in return, she requests you be kind to her about it as well. Now I'll need your promise on this issue or I'll skip this next scene.”

“I promise I'll be sensitive to this issue, Father, and protect her secret pending her further permission to spread it,” Star Breeze promised.

“Very well,” Feather Wind said to his daughter then resumed his story.

Celestia paused for a while to gather her thoughts and feelings on this song, then she sang in a deeply soothing and emotionally rich voice.

“Fate has been cruel and order unkind

How can I . . . have sent you . . . away?

The blame was my own; the punishment, yours

The harmony's silent today

But into the stillness I'll bring you a song

And I will your company keep

'Til your tired eyes . . . and my lullabies

Have carried you softly to sleep.”

Stern Wing and Feather Wind were already in awe of the depths of emotion from Celestia, especially love and sorrow they felt from this song, but they were blown away even further as they watched Celestia spread her wings and glow all about her body, particularly her wings, when she sang the next stanza of the song. Meanwhile that light filled the icicle cave with glowing and reflecting light which, of course, had no effect on a blind and sleepy filly.

“Once did a pony who shone like the sun

Look out on her kingdom and sigh

She smiled and said, 'Surely, there is no pony

So lovely . . . and so well beloved as I'

So great was her reign . . . so BRILLIANT her glory

That long was the shadow she cast . . .

Which fell dark upon the young sister she loved

And grew only darker as days and nights passed.”

Celestia's wings grew especially bright when she mentioned the word “brilliant”, but the light quickly cooled off and died down since that point, especially after she mentioned the word “shadow”. At that point she folded her wings again and she stopped glowing entirely. Meanwhile Stern Wing and Feather Wind were dumbstruck and could make no further reactions until the song was complete. Feather Wind's Red Crystal, however, glowed as it started to absorb the feeling of love it sensed in the room.

“Soon did that pony take notice that others

Did not give her sister her due

And neither had she loved her as she deserved

She watched as her sister's unhappiness grew

But such is the way of the limelight, it sweetly

Takes hold of the mind of its host

And that foolish pony did nothing to stop

The destruction of one who had needed her most.”

The next words she sang at a bit lower tone and slower pace.

“Lullaby moon princess, good night sister mine

Rest now in moonlight's embrace

Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth

Through cloud, and through sky, and through space

Carry the peace and the coolness of night

And carry my sorrow in kiiiiiiiind

Luna, you're loved so much more than you know

May troubles be far from your miiiiiiiind

And forgive me for being so bliiiiiiiiiiiind.”

Celestia paused there for awhile before resuming in a much softer voice, and she was definitely crying at this point but managed to keep her voice fairly steady.

“The years now before us

Fearful and unknoooowwwwn

I ne-ver imagined

I'd face them on my ooooooowwwwn

May theeeeeese thousand win-ters

Swiftly pass, I praaaaaaaay

I love you; I miss you

All these miles awaaaaaaaaaay.”

Her voice gained its softest tone yet.

“May all your dreams be . . . sweet tonight

Safe upon your bed of moooooooonlight

And know not of sadness, pain, or care

And when I dream, I'll fly away and meet . . . you . . . theeeerrrre

Sleeeeeeeep

Sleeeeeeeep

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.”

Song completed, Celestia had the whole room in tears, including herself, but excluding Vision. She was asleep instead. It took awhile for Feather Wind and Stern Wing's mind to thaw out, but one thing that helped to yank them out of their stupor was when Celestia started to part for the exit of the cave.

“I need to go now,” Celestia announced to those behind her. “My subjects need me, and I must not tarry for long. I trust you all to find your way back.”

“Wah . . . wait, Princess!” Feather Wind called out to her, forcing his mind to thaw in order to do so. Celestia paused and looked back at him with one eye over her shoulder to acknowledge his call. “Um . . . I can't leave until Vision wakes up and, afterwards, I'll need to repair the wing on her saddlebag, else it will be a long trot back home but, assuming I do manage to fix the wing . . . I can get us all back to your palace faster.”

Celestia's eyes squinted with a teary look of gratitude as she regarded Feather Wind behind her. “I thank you for your kind offer, but I really must depart. I cannot delay long enough to wait for her to awaken, nor would I wish to wake her now that she is beset to deliver my message and surely requires the rest as well, but I was not kidding about my busy day schedule. This journey I considered an emergency and I set a lot of issues aside to address this but, now that the urgency is over, I must return to my subjects, lest they worry about me. They know that I raised the sun and set the moon on time but little else.

“Farewell for now, my beloved friends. Do not forget your promise. Find love, peace and happiness in your own lives. You more than deserve it and, in the process, you also bring hope for the return of the Crystal Empire. I'll do what I can from my end as well. I hope I can count on you to do your part in spreading happiness for yourselves and others. Until we meet again, and I say this with all of my love . . . take care.” She nodded at them one final time and briefly closed her eyes as she did so, then opened them again as she leaped outside and flew away into the winter storm.

{Which left your mother and I alone together as we absorbed everything that happened. Eventually we, too, drifted off to sleep with the sound of the winter storm raging on outside. Since we were inside safe from the storm, the sound of the winds were actually quite soothing. It reminded us of the time we were stranded in a cave during a rainy storm with nothing to warm us but each other and our love.}

xoxo

{And that's what we did. We lived out the rest of our days in peace and happiness, your mother and I. As for Vision, instead of bothering to fix the wing, she instead teleported back to Canterlot after meditating and drinking a magical potion. I requested for her to wait for your mother and I back in Canterlot and she agreed to do so by waiting for me at my father's mansion.

{When we got back, I helped Vision to replace the wing on the saddlebag now that we had more resources to work with, but she didn't stick around long after that. When next I woke up from my bed back in my father's mansion, I discovered she left the book, “Predictions and Prophecies”, on my desk beside me along with a note expressing her heartfelt feelings of our journey together, but also claimed that we no longer needed the services of an oracle to ensure a brighter future anymore because she already foresaw it. Instead, she felt drawn to other worlds and times that needed her help more, just like such places needed the Doctor.

{I, in turn, mailed the book to Princess Celestia along with Vision's final regards spoken by her future self.

{The next order of business I had in Canterlot was making arrangements for me and your mother's second wedding. We were already married in spirit but we wanted to make it official in this time period too and invite whomever could attend. My father was there. So was my uncle and his family. The Orchard family also showed up, as well as all of your mother's family and most of her friends (of which were team members during her Puffball days) and some of the members of the Wonderbolt Cadets and even a few of the Wonderbolts themselves which certainly included Sky Dancer.

{I won't sit here and tell you that the second wedding was hollow. Indeed, it was full of emotions and joy . . . but, as my eyes scanned across the gathered procession, I couldn't help but feel like many faces were missing from that crowd except I kind of felt them inwardly. I still wore the Red Crystal and, in it, I could feel our missing friends' and families' joy. That helped. It really helped a lot. In my head, a phantom image of them appeared, crying out in joy towards me and my new wife.

{At the wedding reception I also spotted the Doctor and Derpy waving at us from a distance. They didn't approach us. I'm sure they had their reasons, but it still felt good to see them one last time.

{Then, one day, I woke up from a dream that inspired me to write a poem and later further inspired me to a major decision. I decided to build a new type of airship. One that was mostly made of clouds instead of a zeppelin and, as such, did not obstruct the view of the sky because the balloon would not be in the way. Since I was gifted with wind control, I also customized this ship to have massive sails above and to the sides of it. With a bit of a budget, I brought this idea to a few engineers from Cloudsdale, the primary capital of the world when it came to any home constructed from clouds. It took some work but they helped me refine the blueprints which I then took back to my father for an investment in its construction. He had me carefully explain the reason for the construction as well as its purpose and plan as to how to repay the loan, with interest of course.}

“Wait, wait, wait. Why wouldn't grandfather just simply give you the bits for this?” Star Breeze asked. “You're his son, and he's filthy rich.”

“Our family did not get as rich as they are by being stupid with money and just giving it all away,” Feather Wind told his daughter. “On the contrary, we got this rich by being smart with money and making wise investments. My father considered me a wise investment after he heard my plan in detail, especially the added part where my weather control could not only make the journey potentially speedy but also cause some entertainment along the way. He was also the one who had some ideas of crew members we could hire to help us take care of the ship as well as our guests on the trip. Those were some very important questions and I had unique advantages in this situation. He also asked me what would happen to the airship after I retire or die. Since I would no longer be alive to assist with weather control, he thought that might later be an issue. In response, I told him that the airship could still propel itself without me. It would just be about as slow as any other zeppelin. Failing that, it could at least be converted into a home.”

{Over the years I also wrote a lot of poetry. All of my adventures felt like it inspired me for a lifetime and, as I wrote down my ideas, I began to finally understand why the Doctor and Twilight called me a prolific writer. I just had to do it. I had to get this out of my system, and it felt so nice not to be rushed at it anymore. Finally I could afford to take my time with each and every piece, and I'd like to think that helped improve the quality too. We are the sum of our journey, and the works I wrote down I felt would help to make our family proud.

{While I was at it, I also wrote down a bunch of letters to many of my future friends and post-dated it to be delivered in the future, just as I had promised. Dunken Doo promised to take care of most of it while also commenting that stuff like this proved how enigmatic the Scroll family could be, to post-date all those letters for ponies who did not exist yet. In response, I just shrugged and gave him a sly, knowing smile.

{Some of the rest of this you know. We did eventually get the airship and we used it to ferry a bunch of passengers and cargo back and forth across Equestria. Sometimes we were hired for speedy deliveries and sometimes we gave slow and steady luxury cruises to fantastic vacation spots which, in turn, allowed us to participate at those places with a discount.

{At every turn, I always did my best to ensure maximum customer satisfaction because, if they were happy, it also gave me a chance to collect their positive energy in the Red Crystal. Since I had an extra reason to have a vested interest in my customers' true happiness, I did everything I could to cause it, even if I occasionally had to be unusually generous to do so. While that may sound like a financial risk at first, it also gave our business a very good reputation which, in turn, later drew in a lot more customers due to highly positive reception. Word of that was mostly spread via word of mouth but also some other mediums like newspapers and magazines. I've also done everything I could to promote greater happiness at many of the vacation spots we visited, even for those who were not directly our customers. In fact, I have done and will continue to do this everywhere I trot for the rest of my life. Causing great weather is just one of the many examples of how I do this in a wide area.

{As you know, this lifestyle allowed us to see all kinds of ponies and creatures from all trots in life. Except for the crew we hired on occasion, this life of constant travel impeded our ability to make lasting relationships but it did provide us with a great variety of friendships and we still write many letters to this day to keep up with many of the more memorable customers and others that we met. Sometimes I send them wind messages, and they respond in kind. This is particularly common with any emergency services I provide to grant rapid transportation wherever they need to go.

{I still have the emotions recorded in the Red Crystal of the day you were born and you finally made our little family complete. It is likely you will know joy like this yourself someday via your own experiences but, if you ever get curious what it was like for us, then I urge you to access those memories when you learn to make a connection with the Red Crystal. There are lots of other messages you could access in that gem which I stored there specifically with you in mind.}

“But won't you feel incomplete without it?” Star Breezed asked in concern. “After this long, I'm sure you feel like it's a part of you.”

“So are you, my Sweet, and the legacy of investing energy into this gem must continue until there is enough for it to fulfill its purpose.”

“How will we ever know its been charged enough?”

“Crystal Sage is monitoring its progress, and he's very familiar with the energy of the Crystal Heart. When it gains enough energy, he will let whomever the current possessor of the stone know.”

“And then he'll be gone forever,” Star Breeze said sadly.

“He'll move on to his just reward,” Feather Wind corrected. “Would you like to be stuck in a gem forever?”

“No, I guess,” Star Breeze relented. “It's just that . . . I'll miss him.”

“Then cherish him while he is here, and when he is gone look for him in the crystal of your heart. We are all connected to the Tree of Harmony, my dear, and he may be more a part of it at that point than ever before. You will feel his spirit from within if you look hard enough. We all must pass on someday, but we also have this opportunity to share in each other's company while we can and, even when our bodies die, our spirit lingers on. I have seen this on many occasions so I know it's true. The afterlife is not a mere possibility to me, it's a confirmed fact. We'll be there someday, don't you worry. In the meantime, we get to play in Equestria as beloved ponies.

“There are many other souls out in the universe eagerly waiting for that same chance and, for all those who desire it, they will get their turn, in their own special way, and in their own special time.

“Believe me when I say to you that you are right where you are meant to be. Allow the memories of my story to help inspire you to make your own story, for someday it will be your turn to tell other ponies of the glories of your adventures.

“In the meantime, we have this special moment now with each other. I thank you for choosing to be born as my daughter, and I'll spend the rest of my life rewarding you for that choice.”

“If that's a promise you made to me when I was born, then I can assure you that you've kept your word ever since,” Star Breeze said lovingly as she hugged her father. While she did so, she asked, “So . . . is that it? Is that all there is to your story?”

“Of course not,” Feather Wind replied. “There are plenty of other stories I skimmed over that I could elaborate later on, such as the specifics of my many adventures in the TARDIS. Also this story continues for as long as we are alive, and can even persist well after that in certain ways. I've caught you up to the present in my story for the most part but, to find out what happens next, all we have to do is turn the page together.”