• Published 29th Sep 2019
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Tartarus Forged Friendship - Mystic Sunrise



Celestia and Luna are not the only alicorns in Equestria. Twilight discovers this in the most unexpected way.

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Reunions In the Crystal Empire pt. 1

Twilight wasn't sure why she had been called to Canterlot on such short notice, but it must have been important since Princess Celestia had said she needed to come alone.

That in itself was odd. Normally Spike and the girls would come with her, even if she hadn't asked them too. Like they had today, though they wouldn't go with her to see the princess.

As she walked the hallways to the Throne Room, Twilight couldn't help notice the odd looks she kept getting from the Royal Guard stationed at various points. It was something she was used to by now.

Ever since her changes, ponies had been giving her strange looks. Some she could understand, seeing as how much she stood out now. No matter the fact that she had no more power than she used to.

Ponyville had taken it in stride. And even though she had no official power, more and more ponies were coming to her with small problems, ones she tried her best to help with.

When she had asked Princess Celestia about it, her former mentor had replied that it was inevitable now. She had in fact commemorated Twilight on what she had been able to do.

In the same letter, Celestia had also said that, as long as she didn't go overboard with what she did, what Twilight did was her own and that she and Luna would support it.

But there were other things that had her concerned. The looks she had gotten from several strangers had sent shivers up her spine. What they meant she didn't know. And Twilight didn't think she wanted to know.

Finally coming to the Throne Room door, she steadied her breathing and pushed it open. Princess Celestia, as usual, was on her throne, but her usual smile was gone, replaced with a look of concern. One that set Twilight's nerves on edge.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice Twilight. I fear we do not have much time," Celestia began.

Now Twilight was really worried. "What's going on?"

Celestia rose from her seat. "The Crystal Empire has returned."

Twilight's mouth dropped in shock. "It has? But I thought it was lost? Why did it come back now?"

Celestia was taken aback that Twilight knew what she was talking about. It must have shown for Twilight gave her a flat look. "Right. I am not surprised that you know of it."

Twilight shrugged. "Well, when I'm connected to the sister of its previous ruler, then yeah. I've heard of it."

Again, Celestia was taken aback by Twilight's attitude. It made her miss the good old days when she had only been a student. "Then you know what happened to it."

Twilight nodded. "So what do we do now that it's come back?"

Celestia walked over to a north-facing window. "Cadance and Shining Armor are already on their way north to protect the empire. I want you and your friends to help them."

Twilight walked over to the window as well. "Okay. But shouldn't they be able to handle a chump like Sombra?"

Celestia bit back a retort at that. "It is not him that I worry about Twilight."

Twilight took a moment, and then it finally clicked as her eyes widened. "The empire doesn't have a ruler without him. And the only one who could," she paused as her ears fell. "No one knows where she is."

Celestia nodded, but something occurred to her. "I would have thought Penumbra would have something to add to this."

Twilight was surprised. She was right though. Looking inwards, she was surprised at what she found, or didn't find in this case. Penumbra wasn't there at all. Their bond remained, but Twilight couldn't feel her at all inside her like she had for several months now.

Remembering something Penumbra had taught her, Twilight followed their bond to its other end. To her surprise, it worked. After a moment, she found herself sharing Penumbra's body fully, right alongside her.

Brushing her mind up against hers, Twilight felt their mouth turn up in a small smile, one that was quickly extinguished. Looking out through their eyes, Twilight gulped and pulled herself out as fast as she could into her own body.

But not before she heard a giggle in her mind.

She looked at Princess Celestia sheepishly. "She's, kind of busy at the moment."

Celestia didn't have to ask what she meant. "Then I pity the poor soul who must face her judgment."

Again, Twilight was reminded that for all she and Penumbra were now connected and knew each other, they still didn't know everything about one another, while Penumbra and the sister went back centuries.

Twilight though was happy to wait as long as was needed. It wasn't like she was running out of it as she stood straighter. "When should we leave?" She asked.

Celestia smiled. "As soon as you can. Your friends should be at Canterlot Station by now waiting for you."

Twilight briefly wondered how Celestia knew her friends had come with her. But decided it wasn't worth the brainpower.

***

Thirty minutes later, Twilight walked onto the Main Platform of the capitol's train station. As promised, her friends and Spike were there to greet her.

"So what's up?" Rainbow asked.

Pinkie pulled out yer party canon and pulled the string, jumping in time with confetti. "Are we going to celebrate your awesomeness with Princess Celestia?"

Twilight giggled. "Not yet. But we will."

Pinkie slumped to the ground as the confetti was pulled back down with a sad wheeze.

"We're going to the Crystal Empire!" Twilight announced grandly.

Everyone shared confused looks. "The what?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight smiled as the train doors opened. "I'll explain on the way."

***

"So we're here to kick some evil unicorn king's butt," Rainbow asked as the train began to slow down. Outside was all white as the snow fell in blankets.

Twilight nodded as she rolled her eyes. "Pretty much. That's if King Sombra returned with the empire. And with our luck, he did."

"And then what? Say we do beat him and keep this here place safe, what then? Ya said there's no ruler. What do we do, leave em?" Applejack asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know. Cadance is filling in as an emergency ruler, but she won't make it permanent. Not unless the empire asks her to. She won't take someone else's throne."

"Um. Didn't you say there was one? What about her?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight sighed. "No one has seen her since the empire vanished. If her own sister can't find her, then I think we're out of luck."

And that troubled her to no end. She might not know her at all, but Twilight knew enough that would have though Queen Diamanda would return the moment the empire had.

Yes, she had lost her family besides Penumbra, but wasn't now the perfect chance to claim revenge on the one who had taken them from her?

Penumbra wasn't helping that was for sure. She had retreated from Twilight completely it felt like. Only the fact that she could still feel the Soul Bond told her that she was still there in some way at all.

Any other thoughts were put aside as the train came to a halt. Sighing, Twilight stood up and moved to the door, her friends right behind her, Rarity already wearing a scarf.

With a tug of her magic, the door opened and immediately everyone covered their eyes as the snow began to fill the compartment. With an effort, they made their way outside.

"Ha! And you all made fun of me for packing so many scarves," Rarity said with a sniff.

Spike trundled out, his arms full of them. "I didn't say a word." A sudden gust of wind blew them all away. "Hey! C'mere..."

***

For some time they walked in the general direction they hoped was north. There was no way to know for sure through all the snow. Until finally they heard someone shout as a shape appeared in the snow. "Twilight!"

Twilight smiled. "Shining! Over here!"

He must've heard her for he soon walked out of the snow, a smile on his face. "Twily! You made it! We'd better get going. There are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark."

Fluttershy gulped while Twilight rolled her eyes. "Shiny. In case you forgot, darkness is part of who I am now. I think we can handle it."

He bit back a groan. He kept trying to forget that bit. That Twilight no longer needed him hurt enough as a big brother. But it was the power that, as he understood it, she now commanded that scared him.

The fact that this came from the alicorn that ruler over Tartarus itself, darkness, and all the things that went bump in the night didn't help either. Shining still didn't trust Twilight's, friend.

Twilight softened her look a little. "Do you know how far it is to the empire? I can get us there a lot faster and with less hassle than walking."

Shining nodded. "Not far now actually. Just a few miles back the way I came."

Twilight nodded. Closing her eyes, she focused her magic out in that direction. Soon enough, she felt the edges of warmth and love. That would be the edge of Cadance's magic. It was enough.

Reaching out, she wrapped her magic around everyone and teleported the rest of the way there. It actually took less effort than her original spell had.

With a pop, they reappeared in a landscape that looked right out of Ponyville. Green and lush as far they could see.

Twilight's breath hitched for a moment, with everyone giving her a concerned look. "Sorry. It's just that, this isn't exactly my element," she said.

"Is that bad?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Just give me a moment." It wasn't painful to be here, but it wasn't comfortable to be sure.

"Why do you think I rarely ever visited? Dia could only tone it down so much when I did. I know it hurt her that I didn't come more and that she could only do so much."

Twilight blinked as Penumbra reinterred her mind. "Where have you been?" She thought back.

"Preventing a future irritation for you. Reminding the few that do know of me that anything they do to you is an attack on me. And there is no appeal against my judgment on it," came the response.

Twilight gulped. She didn't think she wanted to know what that meant. "So is there anything you can do for us here?"

Penumbra shook her head. "Very little. My power, and by extension yours, is limited here. But there are those who can."

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "How, and who are they?"

Penumbra smiled. "I've been able to contact some of Dia's followers. They will help you as much as they can."

Twilight was still lost. "How would I know them? I only know Cadance and Shining here."

Penumbra chuckled. "They've been helping since before you arrived actually. It's strange though. I've not seen them this excited in a long time. Very excited I might add."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, they were just released from a thousand-year-old prison."

"Maybe. But that is not all there is to it. Something has got them more energetic for a very long time."

"Is that good or bad?" Twilight asked as they entered the city they had seen from a distance and made a beeline to what looked like the Royal Residence.

"That will depend on what has them so happy. Past this, I cannot help you. My magic will, but I can't."

And with that, Twilight felt Penumbra leave as suddenly as she had come, leaving her with more questions than answers. By this time, they had entered the crystal spire and made their way to what seemed to be the Throne Room.

To say Cadance looked bad was like calling Pinkie Pie hyper. She had bags for the bags under her eyes and her mane went in every single direction possible, so much so that Rarity almost fainted.

She at least had the energy to perk up when she saw Twilight and the girls, but only just as she smiled ruefully. "We have got to stop meeting like this Twilight. Whatever happened to the good ol' days?"

Twilight was able to smile as well. "I grew up?"

Cadance rolled her eyes. "Point. One of these days though, we really need to have a girls day out and it not involve the fate of Equestria."

Everyone chuckled at that, but it ended as Cadance doubled over on the throne. Twilight took another step closer. "Are you alright?"

Cadance managed to nod weakly. "I'm fine."

Shining shook his head. "She's not fine. She hasn't slept since we got here, she barely eats. Her magic is what's keeping the empire safe. I do what I can, but."

Twilight nodded. "That's why we're here."

"Why we're all here," Applejack added as the others nodded.

Cadance smiled. "You guys are the best. Right now all we know is that there's some kind of city-wide amnesia going on for all but a few. Most don't even know their own name, let alone how to help."

"What do you mean, all but a few?" Spike asked.

Shining shook his head. "A few ponies remember all that's happened. They're out in the city right now trying to do what they can to undo the amnesia, but it's hopeless."

Cadance nodded, smirking as she looked at Twilight. "One of them said something about a library that could help end all of this. They said you'd be the best to look through it Twilight."

Twilight almost stopped herself from squeeing like a little filly. Almost.

***

In the grand scheme of things, this was probably a bad idea Twilight thought. But at this point, she was running out of ideas.

Her search of the Crystal Library had turned out to be worth the effort. She found something about a so-called Crystal Heart and how important it was to the empire's survival.

Which was good and all, but they had no idea of where it could be or what it did. None of the crystal ponies knew, not even those no under Sombra's amnesia spell.

But they had been able to get help in another way. Crysta Feather, the one who seemed to be a leader of some importance, had been able to show them how the Crystal Fair had been able to help in times of fear.

So now her friends were doing their best to bring joy back to the crystal ponies. And it seemed to be working. Twilight could feel the love in the air, even down here.

If they weren't pressed for time, a spontaneous musical song and dance number were in order.

But that would have to wait. Shining's shield wouldn't hold forever, even with Cadance's magic helping. Even now King Sombra was trying to break back in.

So now here Twilight and Spike were, at the bottom of a seemingly endless stairway as it wound its way around a tower.

Spike glared at it. After the last set of stairs, he wasn't happy. "Now the universe just hates us," he grumbled.

Twilight couldn't agree more. She didn't think she had the power to teleport both of them to the top, even though her magic seemed to be increasing. Which was odd. It had reacted weirdly to the door behind them. It had absorbed some kind of magic from it, without her prompting.

Penumbra had explained that her magic would now react to Dark Magic by absorbing it until she learned to focus and control it. Twilight could only guess that was what had happened to the door.

It had freaked Spike out for sure, and he thought he was used to the new Twilight by now, having lived with her for his whole life. Guess not. "Can't you teleport us to the top? Worked before," he asked.

Twilight looked up as far as she could. She could just see the top of the tower, and a faint gleam of something. "I guess I could," she said.

"Better that than using more stairs," Spike grumbled as he glared at them.

Twilight giggled as she ignited her horn. "Hold on tight. I don't know what's up there or what kind of magic there is."

Spike grabbed a hold of her leg as they both vanished with a pop.

***

King Sombra wasn't the only one being kept out by the shield around the Crystal Empire. Though for the second, it was more by choice.

"For as young as she is, her magic is quite strong," she thought as she looked up at the barrier as it shimmered for a moment.
It was no obstacle for her of course. As strong as it was, one of sufficient strength would be able to pass through easily. But she would not.

She risked weakening the shield if she did, and the empire needed it now more than ever. The Crystal Fair could only do so much.

Now the Crystal Heart was their only hope. Luckily her bond with it remained, so she felt Twilight and Spike near it.

Diamanda could only hope Twilight would be okay. She had no idea what the Heart might do to her if she was able to get to it. Penumbra couldn't help her. Her sister had never been able to get close to it, no matter how much Diamanda toned it down to let her.

She only hoped the same didn't apply to Twilight as well.

***

Twilight knew something was up as soon as the teleport ended. Right as it dropped her and Spike on their heads.

"Well that wasn't supposed to happen," she grumbled as they stood and looked around. It was empty up here. Except for a heart-shaped crystal floating in the center of the room.

Spike grinned as he walked forward. "That must be the Crystal Heart."

Before he could go more than a few steps, Twilight stopped him with a wing and shook her head. "It's too easy Spike. Why just put it here with no defenses?"

He shrugged. "Now what then?"

Twilight extended her wings and flew over to the Heart. Nothing happened as she came up to it. She didn't trust her magic at the moment, so she reached out with a hoof.

The moment she touched it though, she knew she'd made a mistake as an alarm spell went off all around her.

Spike could only watch in horror as a mass of black crystal arose all around her and blocked her from sight. "Twilight!" He cried.

A moment later, Twilight came flying around the corner with a huge smile. Cradled in her hooves was the Crystal Heart.

Spike sighed in relief. "That was too close. Now what?"

Her reply was cut off as they both heard a tremendous crack as the shield spell finally gave way.

Twilight frowned as she turned so Spike could hop onto her back. "Just in time to. Time to return the Crystal Heart to where it belongs. Come on Spike. I have our way down."

***

Down below, everypony watched in horror as the shield shattered. The crystal ponies looked to the girls, but they were as worried as they were.

"Now what? That was our best chance," Rainbow asked as she looked at the unconscious Cadance. Fluttershy and Rarity were even now trying to wake her up.

"We gotta hope Twilight and Spike find the Crystal Heart," Applejack replied, but even she didn't sound confident.

"We don't even know where they are," Pinkie added.

"Up here!" Came Spike's voice as he and Twilight landed in the plaza. He looked happy to just be back on the ground as he jumped off her back. And in Twilight's hooves...

"The Crystal Heart!" A stallion in the crowd exclaimed.

Twilight's smile faded as the saw the black clouds rolling in and how far it was to the castle. She'd never make it on hoof, but.

She closed her eyes. She'd not used her magic on the Heart for fear of what the backlash might do to her. But seeing the fear of everyone around her?

In the end, did it really matter what happened to her, if everyone else was safe?

No. No, it didn't, she thought as she opened her eyes and ignited her horn. Immediately she could feel her magic react to the Heart's as her vision began to swim.

Twilight smiled, fighting back the pain. "The Crystal Heart has returned. Use the light and love within you to make sure King Sombra never does." With that, she floated the Heart over to its resting place.

Two beams came to meet it before the Heart began to spin. Soon a blast of magic pulsed upwards and outwards as everyone bowed toward the Heart.

The wave gave everyone a new crystalline look, even Spike. But the effort drove Twilight's pain towards new heights, even as the love-filled her and a distant voice spoke: "Thank you."

She smiled, knowing it was the voice of the Crystal Heart, even as a roar of denial filled the air. Soon the clouds vanished, revealing blue skies above.

Twilight's smile grew. "We did it," she whispered before the pain overcame her and she collapsed in a heap.

The last thing Twilight remembered as her vision failed was a bright light, followed by a collective gasp as a new figure was revealed. The mare smiled down at Twilight as her horn glowed. "Rest now Twilight. You've done it. Everyone is safe."

Twilight grinned as darkness claimed her.

And Twilight Sparkle knew no more.

Author's Note:

What? Just because Twilight is now the greatest badass in Equestria at the moment, doesn't mean she still isn't the greatest bookhorse in the history of Equus.

That will never change. Even when so much else about her has.