The Immortal Dream

by Czar_Yoshi

Into the Ground

The train car Faye and Seigetsu entered was mostly empty... entirely empty, actually, after a look around.

Faye's thoughts weren't on the train, however.

"I'm not quite certain you aren't already Discorded, courtesy of someone else..."

Egdelwonk's - or Discord's - words rattled around in her brain. What was that supposed to mean? Turning her gray, flipping her personality inside-out? But Halcyon could hardly be considered an inversion of her. An idealized self, according to a flawed set of ideals, maybe, but Halcyon wasn't even here right now. How could-?

Procyon stared at her from a seat on the train.

Her coat was tinged with color, mother-of-pearl instead of plain silver. Her mane and tail were silver instead of gray. And her hooves, instead of being a singular, bloodstained red, held all the colors of the dawn.

She gave Faye a look that seemed to say I told you so.

Faye didn't make eye contact. What did this mean, going forward? Just this morning, she had been full of thoughts about how she and Halcyon were two halves of the same whole, who needed to work together to move forward. But where did Procyon fit in with that? The easiest way to think about it had always just been to ignore her. It didn't instinctively feel like she fit in anywere. Like she was different, a whole other person, and one Faye and Halcyon had an awkward relationship with at that. But if she was the original, and Faye was somehow an inverted version of her...

What was Faye the opposite of, anyway?

No sooner had she thought the question than she wished she hadn't asked. An image filled her mind's eye of her own power, the bracelet enveloping her in flames of green. What would she be if that didn't scare her, but excited her instead? Who would she be if she embraced her place in history, if she relished the power she had inherited and lusted after every chance to use it?

None of that made sense next to any of her memories. It wasn't possible. If she had once been like that, she couldn't have ended up where she was now, wouldn't have the history she remembered herself having. She could even see her own history in mirrorlike dreams, more accurate than any conscious memory. Unless...

A distraction blessedly came at just the right moment, courtesy of Seigetsu tying herself up.

"What are you doing?" Faye stared at her as she took her place in a seat, proceeding to bind her legs in place.

"Restraining myself," Seigetsu said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Once I am done with what I can reach, would you mind getting my hands?"

Faye rubbed at her eyes, but this was definitely happening. "Why would you do that?"

Seigetsu nodded at Discord. "To avoid debasing myself while... under the influence. The train's magic makes precious few exceptions, and alas, I have no better way than this one."

Discord grinned. "She gets remarkably cuddly when souped up on chaos."

Seigetsu's eyes shadowed. "I would appreciate it if you kept such details to yourself from now on."

"Right, then..." Faye trotted away, but looked on curiously as the process was completed. Discord finished the bindings himself, snapping a talon and conjuring restraints out of a beautiful pink lace rope tied with an elaborate bow, and even gagged Seigetsu with cloth featuring a print of his own face. Seigetsu closed her eyes and sighed... and Discord tapped her on the nose with a talon.

A wave of gray washed over her from head to foot, covering her uniform as well as her scales. The process took about a second. She opened her eyes, blinked, looked confused and then disappointed.

"And there you have it," Discord said, strolling past and ruffling Faye's mane. "You're free to untie her. She'd probably love you for it, at least up until she's back to normal. I'll be gooning out in the refreshments car with Fluttershy and the others if you'd like to gab, but otherwise, feel free to go where you will! Next stop, Ponyville!"

He snapped his talons and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Moments later, the train began to roll.

Faye blinked, realizing she was still alone in this car save for Seigetsu. That was probably by design, actually. It would cause nothing but questions if passengers who didn't need to know saw a dragon inquisitor bound, gagged and completely gray on the train.

Curious, she walked closer to the tied-up dragon, noting how Seigetsu's clothes had turned gray along with her. Her own robe, looted from the palace, didn't have any color either, she realized... not that it had any to begin with. What about her other garments? Usually, she didn't dress in colors. Did she?

The coat Corsica gave her had colored trim, right? She was fairly sure it did, but now that she thought about it, could she go back and check? That coat was probably still in Fort Starlight, ruined from her fall in the Flame District.

There was nothing for it but to try wearing something colorful once she got to Ponyville. That could give her a hint about whether this was really what had happened to her.

She sighed, looking around the train car for anything worth staying here for. Being alone for a bit might be nice, particularly if it wasn't in a cage in the palace. But at the same time, shouldn't she be busying herself winning Twilight's favor and doing things that might gain her leverage to help Ironridge? That was what Halcyon would want. Maybe she should switch cars...

But there was something here, now that she looked. One of the seats by the rear exit seemed to push at her eyes, encouraging them to skim over it, to move along and pay no mind to what was there. But now that she realized, and forced herself to focus on it, she was fairly sure there was actually nothing there... Nothing at all. Not even a seat. Just a patch of empty darkness that felt the same to look at as balancing on a sphere of ice.

What was that?

Faye trotted closer, until she had to actually turn her neck to look away. And her neck tried to turn, almost as if it was being pushed by a weak subconscious magnetic field. But she held her ground, and squinted into the darkness. "Hello?"

"So you can see me," said a voice that Faye took a moment to realize belonged to Princess Luna.

She jumped a little. "No, not really!"

"At ease," the darkness said. "However acrimonious our first meeting, we are not enemies. And this is merely a spell that allows me to pass on these trains unaided. In hindsight, I should not be surprised someone like you was able to notice me."

Faye warily took a step back.

"You have nothing to fear," Princess Luna's voice insisted, sounding like she was still expecting Faye to flee.

Something in that expectation provoked Faye's legs to steady themselves. "So you... have your own way of skipping the train's magic?" she asked.

"Not one that can easily be shared with others," Luna explained. "But yes. I do."

Faye didn't know what else to say. This was awkward. And she didn't really want to be here. It was thanks to Luna that she was now separated from Halcyon. And even if she was confident enough to control her power, there was nothing to reach for here that could help her.

At the same time, this was one of Equestria's monarchs. One she had gotten off on the wrong hoof with, yet would need the support of to secure an intervention in the north.

For anyone more charismatic than her, anyone better at winning friends, this would be a golden opportunity to advance Halcyon's agenda. If only she was anyone else, someone like Corsica, who didn't stumble when it came time to take action... but she wasn't.

But for Ironridge's sake, and for Coda's, and even for herself, she had to try anyway.

"Look, I-I'm sorry," she said, stumbling over the first words that worked their way up into her mouth. "About... yesterday. In the Aegis room. I didn't mean to do that."

"Would that it were easy to undo things we regret," said the darkness. "Alas, it is not. But second chances are more than many can wish for, and you yet have one."

Faye fumbled with her memories, trying to keep what she knew of this princess straight in her mind. Long ago, someone - Lilith, maybe? - had told her Luna was allegedly responsible for the creation of all batponies. And then Seigetsu said Luna had been banished from Equestria for generations, only recently returned after repairing a rift with Celestia.

"Is it true that you created batponies?" she asked.

"...It is," the darkness said. "Although I was unaware legends of that persisted commonly in the north. Much and more of my legacy there had credit claimed by another."

"How come?" Faye asked. "I mean, why did you make us?"

"Why do parents have children? Why do artists create art?" The darkness seemed to shrug. "My reasons were little different from those. And yet I have never met a batpony who did not eventually ask that question. Was this the reason you were expecting?"

Faye allowed herself to look away. "I don't know what I was expecting. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"You are welcome to."

So she sat down, taking the seat across from the darkness.

"How come..." Faye swallowed. "You're just okay with me being here? You know where I'm going, right? The whole point of this trip is to try to revive a Flame of Harmony. It's going to be done in the home of a second Flame of Harmony. The consequences you could suffer if a bad actor got involved don't seem worth taking any chances with. And someone with my track record..."

The darkness was quiet for a moment. "You have accurately voiced my concerns. I understand the mission that brings you to Equestria relates to the resuscitation of this flame. While I did not know this when we met inside the Aegis's chamber, it would not have changed my feelings on the matter once you assaulted the Crystal Heart. But do not underestimate the value of a dragon's oath. In claiming you, Seigetsu has taken responsibility for all your actions, be they good or bad. She would not have done so had her judgement not warranted it. And Seigetsu has my trust."

Oh. So if Faye messed up again, it would be on Seigetsu's head, huh?

"Additionally, the place you will be visiting is Twilight Sparkle's domain," Luna continued. "Her title is the Princess of Friendship. Though that may sound silly to a northerner, Celestia and I give ourselves no say in who she chooses to place her trust in. The decision on whether anyone is to be allowed in that place rests with her alone. And Twilight Sparkle has a history of being generous with second chances."

Faye looked away. "That's good to know."

"If you are eager to redeem yourself," Luna's voice said, "I do have some questions we never had the time for yesterday."

Faye's backwards ears folded. "Such as?"

"Why is it," the darkness asked, "that you are hidden from me?"

"What do you mean by that?" Faye asked. "You said something about being invisible in the eyes of gods, but I don't think I'm invisible."

"So, you do not understand what I am talking about," the darkness clarified. "Are you aware of any curses you may be under? Have you had any dealings with other godlike beings?"

Faye hesitated. "Maaaybe... What is it to you?"

"Alicorns can perceive the world in a multitude of ways," Luna explained. "Some of which took centuries for my sister and I to understand how to use. In particular, we can see the color and form of a creature's soul - a technique I explored during the creation of your kind. However, you appear as if shrouded in an impenetrable haze. I can see your body with mortal vision just fine. But to whatever lies within that body, I am as blind as any other."

"You can... see souls?" Faye asked. "What's that like?"

"It is merely a tool we stumbled across in trying to understand our own powers," Luna said. "One of many that Equestria's younger alicorns have yet to learn to use. However, I am more interested in your circumstances. According to Discord, you are evidently able to bypass this train's magic without doing anything special whatsoever."

Faye focused on the window. "He says I can."

"And you think there is nothing more to it than that?" Luna asked. "A question for a question. Indulge me, and I will answer in turn whatever you have to ask, be it about your race's history or otherwise."

"He says I might already be chaos-flipped," Faye sighed. "Or whatever you call it. Don't you think asking someone their thoughts on finding out they might have lived their whole life as the opposite of who they were supposed to be is a little personal?"

"As is asking a god why they would create your people," the darkness answered. "Or many other questions you could choose to ask."

"Well, I guess it's possible," Faye admitted. "It sounds wrong. But you could convince me it was true. I just heard it now, though. I need to do some testing, and see if the idea holds up with what I can observe for myself."

"Spoken like a scientist," Princess Luna said. "Supposing it was true, could it be related to why I cannot see you?"

Faye shook her head. "I don't know. I can't say that it isn't. If it happened, it would have been two and a half, almost three years ago. You said I'm shrouded in fog? What does the fog look like?"

The darkness shifted, as if leaning in to scrutinize her. "Like a golden mist, encapsulating roughly four hooflengths around your body. It travels with you as you walk, and never lingers."

Golden mist. Just like the light spirit.

"Have you ever heard the name..." Faye swallowed. "Unnrus-kaeljos?"

The darkness exhaled. "I would ask where you have heard it, first. Though it seems it would not be hard to guess."

"What does it mean?" Faye asked. "Have you met them, too? What are they, and where do they come from? What do they want?"

"...For all of those questions," the darkness said after a moment of thought, "you would be better served searching for answers in the Crystal Palace beneath Twilight Sparkle's castle than asking me."

"Why?" Faye pressed. "What's down there?"

"In Equestria's early days," Princess Luna said, "the nation's borders were ill-defined. It was populated by indigenous dragons, as well as small, sparse villages of ponies with little to no trade. Civilization resembling the way you think of it now only came to these lands two thousand years ago from the north, carried by a great many refugees, led by my sister and I, fleeing the destruction of Old Unicornia where Yakyakistan now stands. Ours was a struggle to survive, to rebuild the comforts of our old homes, and also to explore the lands we had taken for our own, in the Equestrian heartland beyond the belt of land claimed by the dragons."

Faye's backwards ears perked. The answer to that question required a history lesson, huh?

"Our world has nine Crystal Palaces, each with its own Flame of Harmony," Luna explained. "In those days, all nine were intact. There was no Aldenfold splitting the north and south, no flames that had gone silent through our own folly. Six of them formed a hexagon around the Crystal Empire - back then, the true center of the world. Three of them formed a triangle near the outer edge of the world. Six and three, for what Yakyakistan's faith now knows as the Personal and Societal Virtues. Or, as we call those six, the Elements of Harmony."

Faye nodded, listening keenly.

"My sister and I discovered the power of the Elements, and sought to visit each and every one of the flames," Luna went on. "At Equestria's zenith beginning some thirteen hundred years ago and ending with the creation of the Aldenfold, our borders encompassed five of the six palaces dedicated to the Elements, with the sixth held by our sworn allies, the dragons of Cernial. And the Crystal Empire, its name an anachronism even in the days of Equestria's first founding, was a vassal state in the heart of our lands. Now, tell me: were you sovereign monarch of so much land, as we were, where would you choose to put your capitol?"

"In the center," Faye pointed out. "I gather you didn't have the trains at the beginning. You probably wanted somewhere close to all your provinces to easily administer them. And if you were specifically trying for all these Flames of Harmony to be within your borders, you would want to be equidistant to them. Hence, the Crystal Empire."

"That would be sensible," Luna said. "But it is not what we did. Guess again."

Faye furrowed her brow. "Near Yakyakistan, then. If you came to the lands as refugees, you would have taken the first suitable place to settle that you could find. And those lands would have been where ponies first started settling down, and where the oldest and biggest cities grew up."

"It would be easy to think so, from this side of history," Luna agreed. "But the first land we reached was Cernial. And though we forged a friendship with the dragons, we could not claim their land as our own."

Faye thought harder. "Well, your current capitol is close to Ponyville, where we're going, right? So you figured it would be better to be on top of one of the flames than far from them all."

"Precisely," the darkness praised. "But the city of Canterlot was only constructed a thousand years ago, after the rift between myself and my sister and the destruction of our original castle. That castle was constructed not merely in the neighborhood of a Crystal Palace, but directly on top of it. And out of all the Crystal Palaces within our borders, we chose that one specifically for a reason."

"There's something special about it," Faye guessed. "Something that's different from the others? I noticed Twilight's Element seems different from her friends', as well."

"In more ways than one," Luna said. "She has always been the leader among her friends. So, to answer your question as to what is down there: something you would not have seen just by visiting the palace in Ironridge, or the others anywhere else in the world."

Faye's brow furrowed. "That was an awfully long preamble for an answer that's basically 'wait and see'."

"What more is needed when you will be seeing for yourself before the night is upon us?" the darkness asked. "Some things are better seen than heard about."

Faye sighed. "So if you went to all that work trying to include the Crystal Palaces in Equestria's boundary, why make the Aldenfold? Actually, is it true you made them?"

The darkness seemed ashamed. "I could not tell you. Equestria was restructured substantively in the wake of the war between myself and my sister as she assumed sole control. She withdrew from many places our nation once laid claim to, and did create the mountains and split the world in two."

"How come?" Faye asked. "And how? The amount of power it would take to make a mountain range that big across the entire world..."

"The same power that was used to create the world in the first place," the darkness explained. "The three Societal Virtues, like the Elements of Harmony, are not mere concepts but immeasurable power that can be wielded by certain beings. My sister used hers, the Virtue of Knowledge, known as the Noble History, to reshape the world in many ways before forswearing that power and sealing it away. She created the Aldenfold, and she created these train tracks and their enchantment as well. As to why she would do these things... First, it is my turn for another question."

"Go ahead." Faye swallowed.

The darkness didn't hold back. "What power did you employ on the Crystal Heart?"

Well, great.

How could Faye answer that? Honestly? Evasively? Did it even matter? It probably did matter, actually. If Luna's special alicorn senses were obscured and she could only perceive her with plain old eyesight, her identity as a changeling queen might actually be a secret. But if she told a lie here, would she be able to keep her story straight later? Would she even remember the details, even if she wasn't forced into a situation where she would be outed?

"If you are not comfortable saying," the darkness offered, "I am not forcing your hoof. You merely will not learn the answer to your question."

"If I tell you," Faye said, "it'll actually be a satisfying answer, right? This will explain why Equestria is so stingy with border crossings and the spread of information? Why someone would set up a train system that works like this, why you let the dragons erase memories when someone learns the wrong thing, why it's so hard to find the truth around here? You're really offering to tell me that if I tell you this?"

The darkness hesitated. "All of those things are closely related, and stem directly from the actions my sister took immediately following her victory. But you will not likely be satisfied with what I have to say."

"Why?" Faye pressed. "Because it's too dangerous to tell someone like me the full story, and you'll hold back important details? Or just because I won't think the reasons are good enough?"

"...I would have my answer first before I answer that."

"What were you fighting over, anyway?" Faye dodged, trying to buy time and work up her courage. "Did it have to do with this?"

"It was a war of jealousy in which I was in the wrong," Luna said, her tone indicating that it was Faye's turn.

Faye swallowed. She tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat like bile. "I'm..."

There was no panic, this time. Only a clammy inevitability: she couldn't do this. Her secrets were all she had. If she wasn't the mare who couldn't talk about who she was, then who was she?

"I can't tell you," she said, her head hanging and her voice bitter. "I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want to. When it's only that, any old person can put up with stuff they don't want to get stuff they do. I just can't make myself. I wish I could. But I guess you can keep your secrets for now."

The darkness watched her. "That is more resignation than I usually hear in the voice of a secret-keeper. Are you being blackmailed?"

Faye shook her head. "No. Though, I guess that's what I would say if I was. There are some things normal ponies can just do or talk about where I just can't, for no good reason. Can't explain it. Can't justify it. Can't do it."

"Do you suspect this is related at all to your ability to ride this train?" Luna asked.

"Probably," Faye sighed. "But when I think about it like that, I'm not sure if I want to change. I'm sorry, I haven't had much time to process that yet. I don't have well-formed thoughts on it yet."

"Then take the time you need to form those thoughts," the darkness bade. "We shall likely meet again before your time in Equestria is over."

---

After several hours, most of which were spent in awkward silence in the refreshments car as Corsica joked with Twilight and her friends and Faye couldn't find a way to join in, the train began to slow, approaching a rustic station at the edge of a town in a hilly meadow near a large, dense forest. The buildings were colorful and made from a mix of painted timber, thatched roofs and fired clay, with dirt roads and whimsical shapes guiding the architecture. Most buildings had two floors, and the fields surrounding the town seemed to be a mix of farmsteads and orchards, the breeze carrying a sweet scent of flowering buds to Faye's nose.

Near the train platform, the most immediately-visible thing was an open-air market with wooden stalls and lively hoof traffic. The ponies of this town didn't seem to think much of staying indoors, with every business and establishment having outdoor seating or else a storefront that was easily peruseable from the road. Almost no one wore clothing, save for a smattering of hats on the stallions, and a couple of foals tumbled together out from one alley and into another, their laughter mixing into the sounds of haggling, barter and the wind.

"Home sweet home," Applejack announced, adjusting her hat. "Welcome to Ponyville, you two."

"Huh. Looks pretty chill." Corsica nodded in approval. "I like it."

"It's peaceful ninety-seven percent of the time," Pinkie Pie informed her. "The other three percent being when it gets invaded by giant eldritch behemoths, but that's just Equestria for you."

Right. One of the things Faye had picked up while listening to everyone talk on the ride was that Abyssinia or its war with Cernial weren't really known or talked about down here... but they still came to call occasionally, in the form of lone Abyssinians wandering the land. Most Equestrian ponies, apparently, had no skills for dealing with that other than running and hiding. Which, in some cases, turned out to be very much justified.

"Right," Twilight explained, stepping over to Nanzanaya, Faye and Corsica - by her demeanor, Faye guessed she hadn't yet learned to do whatever soul-sight Luna had been talking about, and couldn't notice anything off about her whatsoever. "So you can probably see my castle over there? That's where I'll be putting you up for the night, and where I need to go while everyone makes a quick run home to drop their luggage, but after that we're not going to waste any time in visiting that Crystal Palace. Understood?"

"Aye aye!" Rainbow Dash saluted, and was gone in a blaze of color.

Everyone else dispersed as well, leaving Spike and Starlight with the noble assignment of showing the newcomers around the town.

Starlight seemed ambivalent about this. Spike clearly relished the role.

"And this," he explained, striding pompously down the main street and pointing out establishments as he passed them, "is Quills and Sofas. Emporium of exactly what it says in the name."

Faye and Corsica stared. It really did seem to be a shop that sold just those two things.

"Your local culture is fascinating," Seigetsu remarked, no longer gray or tied up, having caught up with the group shortly after the train station.

Nanzanaya was more focused on the eateries they passed, her unnerving golden eye impassive even as her real eyes darted excitedly about. "Sure like the smell of that one!"

"That's Sugarcube Corner," Spike explained. "Great bakery. Two thumbs up. Pinkie works there, lives with the couple that owns it and helps them out in exchange for room and board. Might be able to get you a discount! Though, uh, Twilight warned me not to let you anywhere near her money."

Nanzanaya rolled her eyes. "As if she could say no to a friend of a friend."

Spike gave her a smug look. "I dare you to try it."

Nanzanaya immediately started heading for the bakery. "Challenge accepted."

Spike stared after her, eyebrow raised, tapping a foot and tossing his coin pouch repeatedly with a hand.

"What's her problem? We had refreshments on the train," Corsica pointed out.

Faye shrugged. "Maybe she's just not used to having readily-available food? She did say her homeland is in trouble."

"It's possible," Seigetsu agreed warily.

Spike raised an eyebrow at her. "So, like... are you following us all the way down to the flame for whatever Fluttershy's doing?"

"Unless Her Majesty explicitly requests that I do not," Seigetsu said. "...And by that I mean Princess Twilight."

"You'll have to ask her yourself," Starlight said. "But what about Nanzanaya? Call me cautious, but I don't trust her."

"Don't trust her with what?" Spike raised an eyebrow. "Money, duh, but you think she'd get up to no good down in the Crystal Palace?"

"She does have a tendency to go running off on her own," Seigetsu said. "I would be most interested to observe her when she thinks she is unwatched. She has made her intentions in coming here quite clear, but any caution you chose to exhibit on her behalf may not be unwarranted."

Starlight shook her head. "Actually, I'm more worried that if we all leave her behind up here with no one to watch her, someone will regret it when we get back. If she did come here with the intent to sabotage the Crystal Palace somehow, the absolute worst time to do it would be when so many of us are down there to stop her. But I've met a ton of nefarious people in my life, and every last one of them has been smart enough to know not to tamper with the world's foundations. Believe it or not, it's usually the good guys who are behind that when it happens."

Seigetsu nodded slowly, considering her words.

"Well, you're the ones who live here," Corsica pointed out. "You never had any instances before of someone trying to mess with this place?"

Spike glanced at Starlight. Starlight glanced everywhere but at him.

Corsica tilted her head.

"I mean, there was one time," Spike suddenly said. "We had the town almost get overran by these nasty black vines. But that turned out to be the result of the tree getting weaker because it didn't have the Elements - the physical things, the jewelry - because Twilight and her friends were using those, and they fixed it by giving the jewelry back to the tree. But there wasn't really a villain involved with that, so, you know?"

Starlight frowned at him. "You told me about giving the Elements back to the tree, but didn't mention vines. How did this happen, again?"

Spike shrugged. "I dunno, it was a while ago. Twilight probably remembers better than me. I think the tree was creating some sort of force field that kept the vines at bay, or something, and it just weakened?"

"And it's just the tree for the Element of Magic," Faye said, "but you had to give it all six Elements?"

Her brow creased in thought. Was this related to what Luna had said about this one being different?

As Spike nodded, Corsica asked, "we're not going to run into that barrier trying to make it to the bottom, are we?"

Starlight looked concerned. "I suppose we'll find out. I've been as far in as the lobby before, but never all the way to the bottom of this one. Hopefully we can get there; we don't exactly have a lot of other options. But maybe if there is something bad down there, we'll all be able to deal with it."

Seigetsu listened with interest.

"It's also possible this 'barrier' you're talking about is the ether river itself," Starlight added. "In which case, I'm not aware at all of the possibility there could be anything beneath it. It's supposed to be the foundation of the world. But if there was, it wouldn't matter, because the flame we're looking for is above the surface. Either way, if there's a problem that blocks our path, let's deal with it when we come to it. I've visited a lot of Crystal Palaces before, and none of them have been completely straightforward to get to. Stands to reason this one will be the same."

Nanzanaya came trotting back out of Sugarcube Corner, a jumbo cupcake balanced on her back. "I got," she announced to Spike, "free stuff."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Not on anyone's tab?"

"Nope!" Nanzanaya grinned at him. "Now, where to next?"

---

After half an hour of walking and sightseeing, everyone emerged on the far side of Ponyville, the town giving way to grassy hills that sloped down to the edge of the forest. Dark and broody, it reminded Faye vaguely of the old Ansel when he was having a mood.

"The Everfree Forest," Spike narrated in a dramatic tone. "A little more dangerous than most ponies have the stomach for. Magic doesn't always work right there, hence why it's so wild - normally, the pegasi manage Ponyville's weather, but they can't control the stuff that goes on above there. And it's also right where we have to go!"

He strolled along a path to a cottage nestled right up against the edge of the woods, where Twilight, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were waiting, standing around and watching for the others. "Hey, Spike!" Twilight waved.

"Hey, everyone!" Rainbow bellowed, doing a flip in midair.

"Hi," Fluttershy said, looking slightly embarrassed by the forcefulness of her company.

"Well, that just leaves three more," Twilight said as everyone gathered around together. "Anyway, now that all the newcomers are here-" Her gaze found Nanzanaya, and her face fell. "Are you coming with us?"

"Should I not?" Nanzanaya frowned at her.

Twilight pointed a hoof at her. "How about you give me your best reason why you should? Because I'm still ticked about the food thing."

"You're trying to revive a diminished Flame of Harmony," Nanzanaya said. "I've never gotten the opportunity to do that, myself. But I did live my whole life in the shell left behind by another that disappeared. If this doesn't magically go as smoothly as you hope, my extra perspective could help you make a breakthrough. Besides, I'm here to make a substantially large ask of your nation. You might think me a goof, but I can read the stakes. If I help you here with something that really matters, that will be a big credit to my name."

"What do you mean, a shell left behind by one that disappeared?" Rainbow pressed.

Nanzanaya shook her head. "When these flames give up the ghost, their underground Crystal Palaces become massive aboveground crystal towers. Ask them if you don't believe me." She pointed at Faye and Corsica. "They've seen one appear with their own eyes. There used to be a palace in the Aptann Valley, but it underwent that transformation a thousand years ago. And the resulting structure is where my people have lived ever since."

"Wow," Fluttershy breathed.

"Incidentally, that's your castle, is it not?" Nanzanaya nodded back at Ponyville.

Near the town's edge, on the side close to the forest, was what looked like a treehouse with a giant tree grown around it, only the whole thing was made from crystal, tree and building alike. It glittered teal and periwinkle in the mid-afternoon light, refracting the sun with its myriad branches.

Twilight nodded.

"How much do you know about how and why it's here?" Nanzanaya asked. "From what I've heard since arriving in Equestria, it's a very new fixture. Even your own reign predates it. Clearly, it's not the same thing as the Aptann tower. It's not nearly big enough, for one, and I don't sense anything wrong with the laws of nature in this region on the scale a full collapse would cause. But this forest has always defied your magic, hasn't it? And the entrance to the Crystal Palace presumably connected to that castle is in the middle of it?" She raised an eyebrow.

Twilight swallowed.

"All I'm saying is..." Nanzanaya shrugged. "If you like knowing things, you might have a lot to gain from being friends with me. I don't know this area's history, and can't tell you what the things I've observed mean. So why don't we give cooperation a shot? I promise, as long as Equestria has a chance of being the key to my people's salvation, I am your stoutest ally."

Twilight carefully sized her up. "That's a lot of words that didn't include 'sorry about the room service incident'."

"Is that really what matters more to you?" Nanzanaya looked genuinely confused. "Hospitality sure works funny here. But I'm sorry about your research budget."

"There. Was that so hard?" Twilight raised an eyebrow, then nodded in approval. "Alright. But stick near me at all times. No one runs off to investigate alone, no matter how interesting the Crystal Palace is. That goes for everyone. Got it?"

Everyone nodded. "Wise words," Starlight said.

Moments later, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity appeared over the hill, and the group was complete. "Let me lead the way in the forest, everyone," Fluttershy announced as they sortied in front of the entrance, reminding Faye of Spike's interrupted warning. "I'm friends with most of the forest's creatures, and know the paths. Our goal is a ravine on the edge of the castle ruins in the center. At the bottom of the ravine, Twilight's tree is in a small grotto. And once we find that, I hope someone else knows what to do."

"Right," Twilight encouraged with a nod. "Move out!"

---

Traversing the Everfree, Faye could see why it creeped the townsponies out. The canopy was almost impenetrable, making it seem more like a bright night than the middle of the afternoon, green and blue foliage choking the ground and cutting off the sky. But Fluttershy moved through it as if tending a garden, stepping deftly across gnarled roots and fallen branches and ducking under hanging vines, and eventually the sun once again broke through the leaves, the party emerging unaccosted at the edge of a vast, overgrown clearing. On a hill in the distance was a ruined castle, but Faye's focus was tugged downward instead, pulled by a sensation that had been growing all throughout the forest.

It was like the Crystal Empire, a mass of power and emotion waiting far beneath the earth. But unlike there, it felt aware of her presence.

She walked by instinct alone as Fluttershy and Twilight led the group on a steep, narrow path that hugged the cliffside, descending into the ravine. What was this feeling, deep down beneath her? Magic wasn't a feeling, instinct, emotion or ideal, as she had pointed out to Twilight back in the Empire. If this flame was the flame of Magic, what kind of personality would that breed? The Kindness flame had been predictably gentle and kind, but this one...

It wasn't just one thing. An immeasurable longing, a powerful restraint, an eternal sadness. Feelings that pulled at her, yet backed off and left her alone. Emotions complex enough to deny themselves, to sate themselves with existence at the bottom of the world, and yet powerful enough that in the time it took her to blink, she was at the bottom of the canyon. Had she really been herself this whole journey? If she leaned into the feelings in this ground, tried too hard to sense them, they would consume her and she would become them.

The power in this place was dangerous.

"Here we are," Twilight said, and Faye saw the tree. Made of crystals that looked closer to diamonds, it had five major branches sprouting into hundreds of smaller ones, growing into and out of the wall at the back of a shallow cave. Each major branch held a colored gemstone inset into the junction where it split, and the main trunk held a final stone, each one perfectly matching the special talent of one of Twilight and her friends.

Sans Starlight, of course. Starlight wasn't an Element.

Twilight stepped closer, looking down at five golden necklaces and a crown, arranged lovingly together on the ground at the foot of the tree. "...Hasn't changed a bit since the last time I was here."

"Well?" Rainbow asked, floating around. "Where do we go now? There's supposed to be a way further down from here?"

"Give me a minute," Twilight said, staring at the tree. "Starlight, you said there was a way, right?"

While they talked, Faye stepped closer to the tree, seeing her reflection in each and every one of its facets. The gemstones, the Elements of Harmony given physical form... She realized with a tingling feeling, not even sure how she knew for certain, that those were made of the same material as her mask.

Were they... idealized forms or pieces of a person? Somebody else's masks?

"There," Starlight said, stepping back from the tree, horn glowing. Faye pried her attention back to the main trunk, where a door was carving itself into the crystal. "That's our entrance."

"Woah," Rainbow said, landing to inspect the door. "...So is that a whole tunnel? How far down does it go?"

"To the bottom," Starlight said. "Presumably. But this first room is all I've ever seen before. Who's ready to explore their very first Crystal Palace?"

"I am!" Pinkie shivered in excitement.

"I was born ready," Rainbow insisted.

"Can't say I didn't come out here for something else," Applejack volunteered.

"Well, if it's half as dazzling as the exterior then the trip will hardly be in vain," Rarity added. "Though here's hoping for a successful mission as well as the fun of exploration?"

"Mhmm," Fluttershy firmly agreed. "This is right. The flame wants to be here."

"Then let's go in," Twilight said, leading the way as the crystal door finished carving itself and slid open.

The others followed her, first her friends, then Faye and Corsica. Nanzanaya brought up the rear, followed last by Spike and Seigetsu.

The door gently sealed itself again behind them, melding into the crystal until no trace of it remained.

Comments

[Mini-Joe]

Oh man this is cool

[Numinos]

And we'll never see nor hear anything about them again. Roll credits? : )

Gosh, I love all those lore info dumps after multi-million-words of hints and theorycrafting. Luna is the best princess : )

[RoboRed]

God I love the lorebuilding so much.

[Thunder twister]

congrats on 100 chapters!

[PropsValroa]

Time to go in!