Turmoil Rising

by JFT

Chapter 42: The Northside Story

“TWILIGHT!!!” the mares cried as they saw everything crashing down on top of her, and then the barrier surrounding them disappeared.

The moment it vanished, Rarity quickly used her magic to summon a pyramid shape shield, covering everybody present. Despite her quick thinking though, the immense force was pressing down on her and she was not used to exerting herself in this manner.

However, the broken unicorn acted fast. “Everypony, quick! Hinds up!”

Tempest rose her backside upwards and pressed her back hooves against the construct of light, other mares following suit. They all felt the pressure the fashionista had to put up with; the weight of the land was crushing down on them. After a few moments though, the pressure began to let off and the quaking stopped. Quiet finally surrounded them, and the mares finally dropped to the ground.

“Sweet Celestia…” Rarity sighed as her construct disappeared. “How Twilight does this for a prolonged period of time is beyond me…”

“Don’ matter,” Applejack answered. “That was quick thinkin’, Rarity. Ya saved our flanks.”

“I’d save celebrations because we ain’t out of the wood just yet.” Tempest stood up. “We only bought ourselves a short amount of time. If we don’t start moving to find an exit we’re gonna run out of air in a matter of minutes.”

“Wait… we’re still in danger as we speak…?” Fluttershy reacted to the realization and began to hyperventilate, only for the former Lord of Chaos to quickly shut her mouth with his tiny arms.

“Fluttershy, normally I wouldn’t begrudge you, but you’re using up all our air!”

“But what are we supposed to do?!” she erupted. “We’re trapped under a mountain of ice and snow!”

Regardless of how calm things were, considering the circumstances, the situation was still grim. They were trapped in a small confined space, formed by the white unicorn’s magic, and they were running out of time.

“I just have one question,” the former lieutenant said. “Does anypony here carry any form of tools with them? Anypony at all?”

She waited. Although she didn’t expect that to be the case; carrying heavy tools on a tracking expedition certainly didn’t promise such possibilities.

The Elements looked at each other and then smiled. “All under control, Tempest,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Chillax. We’ve got the ULTIMATE tool.” Her head turned to the pink pony. “Pinkie Pie!”

She saluted, stretched her puffy mane until it recoiled into a drill, then charged straight into the snow wall and bore into it. It was working; the party planner was able to go through the ice and snow with ease, advancing quickly. Suddenly the drilling sound changed its tune, as it hit the crystal wall and it continued to do so.

“Pinkie, stop!” Applejack yelled.

“What?”

“We’ve gone off course! We need to bore through the snow so we can get to Twilight and Spike.”

“Odd,” she replied. “I just thought it’d be easier to just go outside and go opposite the clock.”

“I think she makes a good point,” Tempest intervened. “If we were to bore directly through the snow, not only are we risking of hurting them, but considering we’re disoriented right now, who knows how long it will take for us to get to her, and we’re kinda short on-”

“Shhhhhhhh!” the yellow pegasus tried to get them quiet. “Do you hear that?”

They listened. They heard a sound as if somebody was trying to dig through the snow, somewhere way in the back. They backtracked and looked for its origin in the cold tunnel. It finally made itself noticed, as somewhere on the floor level the snow was moving and the mares closed in to look at it. All of a sudden, a huge chunk was thrust out of the wall, shaped like a grisly face of a beast.

“YETI!” the party planner screamed and all the mares screamed in unison.

“I’ll give you yeti! Or I would, were my limbs free to toss some confetti.”

It spoke… in a voice that was familiar to them. Its head shook, the face falling apart in a pile of snow, leaving only an old brown cowl in its place. The country pony approached and lifted it, revealing the head of a zebra.

“Zecora!” Fluttershy yelped.

“I would appreciate some assistance,” she said. “The cold is wearing thin my resistance.”

Pinkie Pie and Applejack grabbed the shaman by the head and pulled her out of the snow, showing that she was still clinging to her staff.

“We thought we lost you, Zecora,” Rarity sighed in relief. “Where were you? When we got out of Sombra’s nightmare you simply disappeared.”

She shook her head after she got dragged out, before readjusting her cowl, pausing momentarily after the question was asked. “I… struck my head and passed out, but against what I have some doubt. I woke now under the platform’s edge, it protected me from the collapse, like a ledge. While I have your attention, explain to me the situation and my saddlebags’ location.”

The orange mare was willing to oblige. “Long story short, Zecora: The Storm King’s back, an’ he just took Fear with him back to the Crystal Empire so that it can absorb the rest of the Sombra’s siblings and become whole again, an’ he left us here, dropping the whole of Frozen North on our heads. As for your saddlebags… Twilight was the last who held them after you had disappeared.”

“I’ve heard enough,” the zebra stated. “Let us proceed, while there is still air to huff.”

And they resumed. The party planner continued to drill a hole into the crystal. Several minutes in and they could already feel the air getting thinner, making it difficult for them to breathe, slowing them in the process, prolonging their escape, and in turn, again, making the lack of oxygen become an even bigger issue; it was a cycle they couldn’t break. Suddenly, the wall in front of the drilling mare collapsed and a cold breeze blew in. They quickly crawled out, gasping for air, and found themselves back in the crystal tunnel that was connecting the crossroads of the underworld kingdoms to the room where the “Mother of Fear” was trapped.

“Sweet air!” the drilling mare yelled.

“Ah’ don’ think I’ve been this deprived of oxygen since I fell in Pa’s waste disposal for pigs,” the Element of Honesty added.

“I’d rather not hear about that one, thank you,” Rarity commented nearby.

“Look, let’s just get ourselves properly suited up, okay?” Rainbow Dash said as she fixed up her clothes, the chill starting to get at her again. “This cold draft’s not gonna help us get to Twilight and Spike if it gets us first.”

The broken unicorn gave her a confused look. “Draft? There’s no draft in this tunnel.”

“Well, where’s that wind coming from then?”

They all stopped themselves, realizing something was different. When they came down this way the first time it wasn’t as cold, since the ice was replaced by the crystal formation by the Turmoil’s fragment. Now, however, they could all feel a chilly wind blowing in from the direction of the room where the battle took place, where the princess and her companion had last been seen. Something had changed. They picked themselves up and proceeded to make their way in the said direction. As they made their way forward they could hear the howling of the wind growing louder, yet the closer they got, the sound started to resemble moaning, and by the time the exit came into view, it became clear that it wasn’t wind at all – it was a person… who was crying. They ran through and were met with a surprise: Almost all the ice and snow were gone, leaving most of it on the other end of the large gaping hole that was separating the two sides; that was where the strong wind was coming from. And on the side of the cleared space, the Princess of Friendship lay on the ground, with her dragon companion holding her head in his embrace, crying his eyes out.

“SPIKE!” Fluttershy yelled at the sight and ran to their side, the rest following as they saw the scene. “Spike, what’s wrong? What happened to Twilight?

The little dragon could barely speak in his state. “She… she’s not moving…”

Applejack approached them, putting her hoof on the alicorn’s forehead, and almost instantly pulled it back. “Sweet Celestia, she’s as cold as ice!”

The elegant mare went to his side, gently caressing him in an attempt to calm him down. “Spike, we’re here now. Please, tell us what happened.”

“It… it happened when the ceiling came down on our end. She had just enough time to kick me out of the room before all the ice and snow came crashing down. After it got quiet I immediately started to dig to get to her. I dunno how long it took, I found her buried under a pile of snow, and I fire-breathed the surroundings to give us some room, but…” His waterworks were starting to come on again. “She was like this…”

Fluttershy came closer and touched the unconscious mare. “Oh no! She’s got hypothermia! Her body temperature dropped below what it normally is. If we don’t bring it back up soon, then… she’ll never wake up…”

At those words, Spike instantly let out a loud sob.

“Hey, hey, calm down, Spike!” the pink pony urged him. “We’ll bring her back to normal.”

“How?!” he yelled. “I can’t just use my fire on her, I’ll just end up burning her.”

“Spike’s right, I’m afraid,” Fluttershy concurred. “In order to raise her body temperature, we’ll have to apply a heat source directly on her… And there’s only one way to do it at this point.” She lifted the princess’ limp body, and pulled her into an embrace, letting out a yelp.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” the blue pegasus gave her a confused look.

“I’m t-transferring my own body heat onto her,” she answered. “But I w-won’t be enough on my own. Everypony, c-come on in.”

They looked at each other and nodded. The fashionista, the party planner, and the country pony joined, hugging their unconscious friend, each of them letting out a yelp as they came into contact with her cold body. The Elements came together… except for one. The wonderbolt just stood there, perspiration visible on her face, her thoughts going back days ago to the one event that was still fresh in her mind, especially in this place. And now she was staring at the final fate that would’ve befallen her, had she been even more unlucky. She was anxious; she would’ve been more than happy to assist, but the thought of coming directly into contact with cold on her fur made her freeze in place.

“Hey! You okay?” Tempest bumped her to snap her out of it.

“Y-y-yeah…” she answered in a jittery tone.

“Uh-huh…” The purple mare already knew that wasn’t the case.

The shaman in the meantime wandered about checking every nook and cranny. She was looking for something. Eventually, she stopped on the edge of a giant hole, looking into the abyss, as the strong wind blew upwards, into her face, disrupting her mane.

“Spike,” Zecora asked, “I apologize if I sound tactless, but I demand to know: what made this hole in the crystal floor, and where did my saddlebags go?”

“I dunno,” the little dragon answered. “By the time I finally cleared the area it was already open. And Twilight was the last to hold them. I’ve no idea where they are.”

She turned her head back to the windy opening, thought for a moment, and then let out a sharp whistle. Everybody’s attention was garnered, looking at her as she just stared into the abyss for several seconds. She whistled once again, and then remained quiet for a while.

“What are you-?” Tempest questioned only to be stopped as the zebra raised her hoof at her.

She whistled for the third time and waited once more. And then she saw what she was waiting for: in the darkness, a small bright light was flickering.

She sighed in disappointment. “It is as I feared, all my belongings fell down, and they disappeared.”

“We wish we could help, Zecora,” the country pony said, “but right now, Twilight’s recovery takes priority.”

“Even if the medicine I gave her, could cure faster what ails her?”

“No offense, Zecora, but if your medicine is anything like what I was given it's best we just take our time and let Twilight recover slowly,” the blue pegasus said.

“Time?” Tempest grabbed her attention. “What makes you think we have any time at all? The Storm King’s left us to get buried alive, and considering how quickly he managed to escape to the surface it’s easy to assume he has a way of quickly getting back to the Crystal Empire. I don’t know about you, but if he intends to keep his promise then Glitter Drops is in grave danger. Unlike you guys, I have something to lose if we don’t stop him asap!”

“That’s not true, Tempest!” Spike rose in protest. “Both Cadence and Flurry Heart’s lives are in danger… no, not just them, also Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, and all the students from the School of Friendship that Twilight herself established, not to mention ALL of the Crystal Empire. We all have something to lose!” He let the silence linger, before sighing. “But you’re right. We need to get back as soon as possible and we’re not going to catch up to the Storm King on foot. Twilight’s the only one who has magic strong enough to teleport us there immediately, but in her current state…” His gaze traveled back to his unconscious elder sister, worry visible on his face.

The zebra nodded. “Then by request stand quick as if it stings. All I need is help from one with wings.”

Instantly, the little dragon jumped in the air, his wing has recovered well enough now for him to fly normally. He dashed forward, quickly diving into the hole… only for him to end up being blown out a few moments later, bashing against the ceiling, before dropping to the ground.

“Spike, are you okay?!” Rarity voiced her concern.

He groaned. “Could’ve gone better. This wind that’s coming from below… it’s too strong for me to fly down.”

“Then we need somepony heavier!” Rainbow dash quickly ran to the shy pegasus and pushed her forward to the edge.

She looked into the darkness below, gulping. “It’s so… dark.”

“Come on! You’ve literally come out of your worst nightmare where it’s Nightmare Night all the time!” the blue pegasus pushed her. “You can deal with a little flight in the dark.”

She gulped again. “Okay, I’ll… I’ll try.”

She started flying, going off the ground, and slowly flew into the dark opening. However, as she went deeper the wind just kept getting stronger, and even though she tried to use her wings, it would only push her upwards; she was making no progress.

She flew out and landed next to the other pegasus. “It’s no good, Rainbow Dash,” she sighed. “The wind’s too strong and I can’t fly downward when it’s pushing my wings upwards.”

“Well, it’s no wonder when you’re not using the proper technique!” The wonderbolt positioned herself. “Back at the Wonderbolt Academy, they taught us a technique that enables us to fly against the strong vertical wind. First, crouch your hooves. Then, stretch out your wings and bend them to ninety degrees in a circular formation so that it creates a wind tunnel. That way you maximize your central weight as well as make sure the air current travels in-between as if through a tube, undeterred. And after that… you… just…” She stopped, realizing that Fluttershy was no longer standing next to her, she turned and noticed other mares were standing in line, looking at her, and it didn’t take long for her to realize what they were up to. “Oh no… Nononononononononono!”

“Considerin’ your expertise you’ve just displayed, Ah’d say you’re the right one, Dash,” Applejack bluntly said.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! I still can’t fly! Even if I manage to get down, there’s no way I can get out again!”

Before she knew it, the broken unicorn and the zebra had already tied up a rope around her waist. “There, problem solved. Now go.” The apple horse turned her and started pushing her rump towards the edge.

“Wait! Stop! I can’t do this!” the blue pegasus protested.

“Oh come on! Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark now too?”

“I’M AFRAID OF THE COLD!” she yelled out loud, her voice echoing around them, stopping in her tracks.

“Big deal. Who isn’t?” Tempest rolled her eyes, then nodded at Zecora. “I’d say your stripy friend over here has more reason to be in your position considering she’s not used to it.”

“Dash darling, listen,” Rarity spoke who was still by Twilight’s side, holding her, “I know the events from a few days ago had gotten to you, but you can’t just keep ignoring the problem. You have to face it or it will never get better.”

“We have to get back to the Crystal Empire to protect Cadence, but also we need to help Twilight right now,” Fluttershy said. “Everything depends on you.”

“Rainbow Dash, please… For Twilight,” the dragon said with begging eyes.

She was surrounded, pressured by all of them. “Sure… no pressure…” she sighed in defeat.

The wonderbolt turned back to face the opening on the floor. She gazed over the edge of the abyss, the strong wind blowing in her face, took a deep breath, set herself in a squatting position, and then… she stood there, sometimes passing before anyone finally addressed her.

“Dash?” Applejack asked.

“Just gimme a second, I’m readying myself,” she answered.

And again, some time passed and nothing happened. “She's not gonna move, is she?” Pinkie Pie whispered to the side, everybody nodding in agreement.

Seeing the whole thing not working, the purple unicorn walked over to the wonderbolt. “Need some help to overcome that?”

She sighed in relief. “Yes, thanks, Tempest. You wouldn’t believe what this whole journey has been like for me, I don’t think I can go through another-“

Before she could even finish the sentence, she got cut off as the broken unicorn walked behind her and with a buck in the rump pushed her over the edge. She fell into the blackness, screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Don’t forget to pull the string when you’re ready to get back up!” the ex-lieutenant called from above.

“TEMPEST!” everybody else yelled.

“What? It’s not like I’m just gonna let her fall,” she said, biting down on the end of the rope.

The weight of the falling pegasus pulled her over to the edge, and only with the intervention of the zebra and the workhorse did they finally stop.

She screamed as the fell like a rock, her position completely nullifying any form of pushback from the wind below until she eventually ground to a halt, as the safety line reached its end. She finally stopped, realizing something was different. The wind had disappeared, and for a good reason: just above her head, a large hole was carved into the wall, and that was its source. She also discovered a ledge on the other end of the hole, a weak light flickering; that was likely where Zecora’s things have ended up. Unfortunately, however, it was on a higher elevation so she couldn’t simply swing over on the rope to reach it. She groaned; it meant that to get there she would have to leap higher up, and the only such place was right above her. The pegasus climbed up, strong wind blowing straight at her, chilling her to the bone, making her feel... moist? She looked at her hooves, discovering she was standing in a small puddle of glowing green substance. She's seen it before so many times, but what was it doing down here? Her gaze followed its trail, noticing that it was dripping from the wind tunnel that was curving upwards. It clicked to her now where the wind was coming from: at the center of the crossroads of this underworld that led to the forgotten pony kingdoms, there was a giant hole in the middle. Since they were brought down here from above, a hole was broke open, so the draft from the Frozen North was now coming inside and coming out here. But the question was why? Why did the hole from above lead to this place? It seemed that the drop into the abyss below was even deeper, but what made it? Because it was clear that someone or something bore straight through the solid bedrock. She shook her head, realizing that she was being sidetracked.

She untied her safety line and attached it to a nearby rock to keep it in place. She looked over to the ledge on the other side; it was a long distance, impossible to reach even if she made a run for it, which meant she would require a gust of wind to push her further. The wonderbolt spread her wings and the moment she felt the brush of cold wind against them she felt paralyzed, bringing her right back to that moment in the cavern below the Everfree Forest, in the face of Hatred's icy cold breath. But alas there was nobody else left to act in her place and she didn't want to be here any second longer either. She took a few steps backward, braced herself, then galloped forth and jumped over the edge. The wind raised her, letting her glide across the air, but by the time she got halfway, she started dropping at an increased rate. She wasn't going to make it! Any moment now she was going to miss the ledge's edge and there was nothing she could do! She closed her eyes in panic; this was her final fate – failing her friends as she fell to her end. She didn't want it to end like this. If only her wings weren't still numb... She suddenly felt solid ground under her hooves. It confused her; there was no way she already reached the bottom of the abyss at this point. She opened her eyes, and to her surprise, found herself standing firmly on the ledge. But how was this possible? She was certain she was about to fall and miss it by a horse leg, unless... Her head turned to the side, looking at her wings that were now hanging down. She raised them upwards, they moved in a vertical position, and then... a flap. For a brief moment, she felt the ground underneath her disappear. She did it again. And again. Even though she couldn't flap fast enough, it raised her a few hooves off the ground for a moment.

“AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!” she screamed at top of her lungs.

Suddenly, the dim light source that was lit up nearby went off and a scurrying sound could be heard. Whatever it was it came from a nearby location.

“Rainbow Dash!” the voice came from far above. “Everything alright down there?”

The group waited upstairs for the wonderbolt to give some sign, but it’s been a while now. They returned to unconscious Twilight’s side to keep her warm, while Zecora and Tempest with the rope in her mouth kept watching by the edge.

“AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!” a scream suddenly came from below.

The mares noticed it, and Applejack quickly dashed over. “Rainbow Dash! Everything alright down there?”

It took some time before a reply came back. “Yeah! Pull it up!”

The country pony and the zebra bit the rope, and together with the broken unicorn pulled her up. It was going well… too well in fact. It was almost as if she was light as a feather, considering how quickly they managed to pull her. All of a sudden, the end of the safety line flew up, pushed up by the strong air. Deafening silence followed and the mares instantly rushed to the edge and looked into the darkness.

“RAINBOW DASH!” Spike yelled.

There was no response. A horrible thought nestled into their minds. Their gazes turned away, the shock was just too much for them. They couldn’t believe what has just happened, it couldn’t be possible! Not Rainbow Dash of all people! Tempest especially, as she was the one who tied her up and then pushed her over the edge; the burden of guilt lay solely on her. Suddenly, a form swooped upward from the hole, pushed by the constant wind from the abyss, landing on top of the broken unicorn, knocking her off her hooves. Everybody jumped in surprise by her sudden appearance, as the wonderbolt proudly stood atop the unicorn carrying a pair of saddlebags on her back.

“Gotcha!” the wonderbolt said in her ear. “That’s for kicking me over.”

“Rainbow Dash!” they yelled in unison.

“Well, duh! Who else did you expect?”

“But… but Rainbow Dash, how did you do it?” Applejack questioned. “We thought your line snapped and you fell.”

“Nah. I just sent it back up.”

“But how did you…?” Fluttershy stopped herself, realizing it. “Rainbow Dash, does this mean you can fly again?”

The blue mare spread open her wings and slowly flapped them. “Not yet, but it’s a start. For all the bad memories it brought back, the draft ended up being useful.”

The zebra on the other hand did not meander about. She immediately retrieved her saddlebags and dashed over to the unconscious princess, with the rest quickly following her.

She rummaged through the contents and then stopped, pulling out a little coiled bundle of scales. “Here, Fluttershy,” she said as she handed the tiny lizard to the pegasus. “Let him feel the warmth of your coat, while I find the proper antidote.”

“Awww, he’s so cute.” She nuzzled the little curled-up thing and it quickly got up and rubbed against her face.

The former Lord of Chaos quickly protested. “Hey, buddy, who gave you permission? Get in line!” And in response, the lizard opened his mouth and belched a puff of flame at the draconquues, singing his fur.

“Ooooooooooooh, it’s a fire-lizard...” Pinkie Pie zoomed in.

“Oh… so that’s how you noticed where your bags were, Zecora,” the shy pegasus realized, to which the shaman only nodded.

Out of the bag, she finally pulled a bottle filled with orange glowing liquid.

“Errr… Zecora, is that what I think it is?” Rainbow dash pointed at it.

“You guessed true, and it’s the only way the princess will pull through,” she answered.

The party planner held open Twilight’s mouth, while Zecora poured the potion into it. And then they waited, the blue pegasus preparing for the response she knew would follow soon. The alicorn princess suddenly opened her eyes and rose to a sitting position, but before anyone had a chance to address her, her fur and mane turned fiery red, her eyes bugged out, and she let out an unspeakable scream, accompanied by fire. She quickly lept and dashed for a pile of snow that was lying nearby and plopped on top of it.

“Seriously, Zecora, you need to find a way to mellow down your meds,” Rainbow Dash complained as they all ran to the princess's side. “If I and Twilight are anything to go on, they could do without “the sting”.”

“Ah don’ think we’re out of the woods just yet, Dash,” Applejack responded. “That could’ve just been the reflex.”

They pulled the Element of Magic out of the pile. It was clear she was conscious again, but not quite present and there was a noticeable groggy tone in her voice.

“No BBBFF, two plus two is four, not apple…” she mumbled.

“Oh great, she’s delirious…” Tempest commented.

“That won’t do! We need her to be stable if we want to get out of here!” Rarity pointed out, leaning to the alicorn’s side. “Twilight? Twilight darling? Pull yourself together! We need to get back to Cadence, quick!”

“Sowwy, big brother, but fillysitter just left…” she mumbled, making the fashionista smack her hoof on her face.

“Hold on, let me try,” Pinkie Pie jumped in and pulled Twilight to her side. “Ssssssssh, Twilight. Are you listening?” she whispered.

“Yeeash…?”

“Do you wanna go sleepy?”

“Yeeash…”

“Then think of the warm, comfy bed in your room at the Crystal Empire, and how we’re all there together, and... try not to think about the fact that Storm King is about to invade it and possibly release the umbrum army onto the world.”

“Oh yeah, that’s really tactful, Pinkie,” Applejack said.

“Mmmmmm, bed…” Twilight murmured, when all of a sudden, her horn began to glow.

“Everypony, come in and hold on tight!” the party planner yelled.

Everybody clamped together, and a few moments later, a bright flash of light happened, making everybody disappear from the caverns beneath the Frozen North.

Mistmane went about her usual daily tasks after she had fulfilled the request. Most of them involved making sure that some of the crystals have matured well enough. This is why she recalled that some of the quartzes in the garden have been looking rather dull, and they’d need some recharge or a complete replacement. And as she walked through the large crystal maze that she had grown she heard a strange sound. It was almost as if it was the sound of thunder, but that would be impossible due to the protection of the Crystal Heart. As she continued on her way through the path she knew too well, she heard another one. She was aware of the current situation and knew that Princess Cadence had erected a barrier for protection from an outside force, which is why it puzzled her when it suddenly disappeared. Perhaps the immediate danger had passed? She was about to reach her destination, when suddenly…

KRAKOOM!

The sound of thunder staggered her. Two things happening in a row would be considered a coincidence to her, but three things happening one after another… something must’ve gone wrong, especially after she saw storm clouds rolling in. She galloped, zig-zagging through her garden so she could get to the Crystal Palace.

“There you are! I thought I would have to get you after you sent me to nullify the Crystal Heart! What happened?”

The elderly mare stopped. There was somebody present in her garden, an echoing feminine voice. And did she hear that right? Nullify the Crystal Heart? She slowly walked in the direction of its origin.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Queen of Changelings. They’ll be coming out any second now.”

Did she hear that right? The Queen of Changelings? Here?! And that other one, the grizzled voice… it was familiar to her, but couldn’t quite put her hoof on it.

“Coming? From where?” she asked.

“All over the place,” the elderly one answered. “I left a few portals open so they’ll spread across the whole city. In the meantime, we’ll go to someplace where we can safely watch the chaos unfold.”

“What about the Heart?”

“Leave it. We’ll be too exposed out there with it. Besides, we just need to keep it off the owner’s hooves for long enough for the rug rat to do his duty.”

“And if he doesn’t?” the female raised her tone. “You said it yourself how rebellious he is. What if he’s just going to waste time and procrastinate?”

The male chuckled. “If I’m not mistaken, then he will incur the mother’s wrath if he’s planning what I think he is.”

“But what’s Fear going to do if it’s trapped?”

“Who said I was talking about THAT mother?”

Mistmane could hear the two voices growing louder, and what they were talking about was not good at all. She finally stopped at one of the maze’s walls. Although they were made of crystal, she quickly discovered that one of them wasn’t – the wall was just a simple leafy tree. Somebody had tampered with her garden when she wasn’t paying attention! She stuck her head into it, and through the cover of branches and leaves she could only glimpse a strange formation of light and darkness disappeared… but what was left behind was left clear for her to see.

FLASH!

Everybody ended up falling into a pile, softened by the comfy sheets. They were in Twilight’s room, inside the Crystal Castle. A sigh of relief followed in unison.

Rarity slipped off everybody. “Sweet Celestia, how I’ve missed the warm atmosphere of this place.”

“You and me both, Rares,” Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah... home sweet home,” Tempest said under the pile of bodies.

“All we need now is a nice sunny day to complete it,” the pink earth pony said after she walked to the window.

“What do you mean, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked.

“Emmmm… it’s best that you all come and see for yourselves.”

It didn’t take long to figure out what she was on about. Dark storm clouds have been gathering all around the Crystal Empire, a sight that was too familiar to the Elements of Harmony. And to top it all off, panic spread across the entire city as large dark masses of ever-shifting darkness with yellow eyes were chasing down its residents.

“DANG NABBIT!” Applejack cursed. “We’re too late!”

The doors suddenly slammed open and they watched the Storm King’s former Lieutenant bolt.

“Tempest!” the country pony yelled after her. “Dang it! She’s planning to confront the pile of walking rocks again! We can’t let her face him alone!”

“Well, what are we waiting for then? After-!” the fashionista urged when she was suddenly interrupted.

There was a sound of a firework explosion coming from the window on the other end of the room. They quickly went to investigate and spotted a large visible magical aura, shaped like a heart, pointing downwards, above the crystal garden.

“I think I’m beginning to get what’s happening,” she said.

“What do you mean, Rarity?” the animal caretaker asked.

“Isn’t it obvious, Fluttershy?” the white unicorn proceeded to elaborate. “The storms outside the Crystal Empire weren’t brought here by the Storm King. The last time something like this happened was when Flurry Heart destroyed the Crystal Heart. It was protecting the city from the storms. Which means that it was taken away this time. And I can make a good guess where it might be.”

“How do you know it’s not a trap?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“We don’t,” the blue pegasus responded, “but we don’t know where to find it anywhere else. I say we go for it.”

“Hold on, Dash!”, Applejack interrupted her. “We have to go after Tempest right now before she bumps into Storm King on her own.”

“But we can’t just let the storms consume the empire either!”

“In that case, it’s best for all of us to split,” Rarity suggested. “Those who can fly, go look for the heart.”

“No!” the dragon quickly protested, as he sat near the princess, who was not out cold again. “I’m not leaving Twilight’s side now when she’s at her most vulnerable!”

The zebra reached for him with her hoof, grabbing his attention. “Do not worry, Spike. Take flight, and I’ll look after the princess with all my might.”

Reluctantly he nodded, knowing full well he could best serve elsewhere, then flew over to Fluttershy, Rainbow, Dash, and Discord.

“Alright then,” the country pony concluded. “Me, Pinkie, and Rarity will go support Tempest. Good luck!”

“Right back at you,” the wonderbolt said and then lept out the window along with her team, while others ran through the door, leaving the shaman alone with the alicorn.

The broken unicorn galloped down the hallways of the castle. She’s already come across some leftovers that her former employer had left behind, as the wounded guards littered the floor. She was on the right trail.

“Tempest!” voices in the hallway further behind her called to her.

But she wouldn’t stop. She had to find HIM before he has the chance to get to Glitter Drops. As she was approaching the end of the corridor she saw a figure quickly fly by at a high speed. She couldn’t quite make it out, but it looked like a guard who was carrying a child with him. And then she heard heavy stomps following in their direction. She recognized them! She quickly hid around the corner and peaked. And there he came, a giant obsidian construct walked by, trying to catch up with his apparent prey, and then he stopped, punching the wall in anger.

“There you are, Tempest!” Pinkie Pie said as she and the rest of the “grounded unit” caught up to her. “I thought for a moment we-!”

The broken unicorn immediately shoved her hoof in her mouth to silence her, pointing to the happening around the corner. The rest of them peaked as well, and apparently, the Storm King didn’t hear them, as he was too busy ripping a large crystal pillar from the wall. Then he walked down the corridor, straight in their direction. The mares held their breath in fear of being found, but just before he got to the corner, he faced the wall, pointed the pillar he was holding in its direction, and charged, breaking through. They could hear as more walls were broken down, the construct refusing to stop.

“Sweet Celestia, that thing’s an unstoppable force,” Rarity said. “How are we even supposed to stop that juggernaut?”

“Oh that's easy," Pinkie Pie spoke, "we tip him off balance, that’s his weak spot. It won’t be difficult.” She turned to the orange pony.

“Way ahead of you,” she answered, pulling out a rope.

“Oh, I see what your plan is," Tempest said. "Come. We’ll intercept him. If he just went after what I think he did, he’ll be coming back from the opposite direction. Follow me!”

They ran into the corridor where she saw the pegasus disappear, going further down where the balcony was in sight, right around the corner, and that’s when they saw a carpet on the floor.

“Perfect. Tie it on the nearby pillar and hide it underneath, then we wait close by,” the broken unicorn ordered

They did so and then hid in the corridor opposite to it, holding the rope at the ready. Soon they heard it, the heavy stomping coming in their direction. They saw Flurry Heart run by them, and just as the stomping sound was about to pass, they pulled. The construct lost his balance and landed flat on his face, the wrapped-up bundle around his neck flying off.

“Okay… I’m getting pretty sick and tired of this…” the satyr mumbled. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, also shame on you. But do it the third time, and you’re officially THAT GUY! You know, the one that’s gonna be-!” As his gaze met them, the reaction indicated clear shock. “Wha… WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

Meanwhile, the flying team descended into the crystal garden where the magical image was pointing to a maze. Locating the conjurer, however, didn’t take long, as the old unicorn was visible in plain sight.

“Mistmane!” Fluttershy was the first to respond.

“Ah, hello, little ponies,” the elder greeted them with a warm smile. “I’m so glad somepony heeded my signal. I’m delighted that it was you.”

“We know that the Crystal Heart has been stolen, Mistmane! Do you know where it is?!” Rainbow Dash started inquiring.

The Pillar of Beauty raised her hoof and shushed them. “I know where it is. But before we do anything, I need you to see the situation yourself. No matter what you do, be quiet as a mouse.”

She motioned into the nearby leafy shrub and they all stuck their heads inside. Through the cover of the foliate, they saw a scene on display: The Crystal Heart, flickering, surrounded by changelings wearing dark armor, accompanied by a small swarm of regular ones.

Spike quickly pulled out. “They’re negating the Heart’s magic?!” he yelled under his breath. “How?!”

“They’re changelings, think Spike,” Discord pointed out. “They have a way to negate magic other than their own. What makes you think they can’t do it now when it already happened before?”

“Ah,” the greying mare mused, “that would explain why I wasn’t able to use magic to remove the Heart. For some reason, my spells were just dispersing.”

“We’d need an army to dispose of the swarm that’s in there,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“No, child,” Mistmane retorted. “We’re all we need. And now that you’re here we can return the heart to its proper place.”

“How? You said that your magic is being negated,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Yes, when used directly, but using it to influence the garden itself… that is another matter entirely.”

“Wait… if you were able to do that from the start, why didn’t you?” the dragon questioned.

“I cannot fight them and retrieve the heart at the same time,” she explained. “That task will fall solely on to you all.”

“Mistmane… are you sure?” Spike asked one last time.

“Child, if I was that easily beaten by oversized bug plants I wouldn’t be here today. Now, get ready. You’ll have to act quick.”

They collectively nodded and readied themselves. Mistmane’s horn began to glow, and soon after the ground under them lit up. There was a strange sound coming from the other end of the shrub and soon changeling screeching followed. They looked to the sky and saw the crystal growing upwards, morphing into a plant-like imitation, disorienting the creatures, while leaving the Crystal Heart on top of a great blooming flower. The dragon went first, flying way up to the bloom, and grabbed hold of the artifact. He flew down, and some of the changelings quickly noticed him. He dodged, but there were too many, so he tossed it at Fluttershy. She caught it and flew further out of the garden, yet more changelings came after her. Rainbow Dash lept in the air and started kicking them about, to push them back and widen the gap, but the numbers were beginning to overwhelm them all. Suddenly, beneath them, another crystal formation began to grow, creating a thick shrubbery into which the pursuers crashed and got stuck.

“Go!” Mistmane called below. “Go and deliver it back!”

And they went off. So far so good. They managed to take out the perpetrators of the theft, they just had to make it back to the castle. Although with the wonderbolt’s condition, the flight would take longer. They were close by when the thunder roared, and out of nowhere, the thunderbolts passed over the edge of the building, falling right at the group.

“LOOK OUT!” Rainbow Dash yelled, quickly zipping to the side and grabbing both Fluttershy and Spike, making them drop the artifact in the process.

They landed on the nearby roof, trying to recover from the shock. “You all okay?” the wonderbolt inquired.

They both nodded

“Wait… where’s the Crystal Heart?” the dragon asked.

They all grimaced in response and quickly went to check over the edge, in fear that it might have smashed to pieces from the impact. Luckily their fears turned out to not be true, yet they were left surprised, as it was just lying on the ground, seemingly unscathed. They descended, avoiding the panicking masses that ran past them, only to discover the reason as to why it was unharmed… at the expense of somebody else.

The shy pegasus discovered a patchwork body under the crystal artifact. “Discord!” she panicked, quickly pulling the draconequus from under it. “Say something! Are you okay?”

He groaned. “If I was in my normal state, this wouldn’t have hurt as much as it did.”

“But still… you protected the Crystal Heart, Discord!”

“Fluttershy, as praiseworthy as that is, now’s not the time,” the blue pegasus urged. “If we don’t bring the Crystal Heart back to the pedestal soon, none of this will matter if we don’t pacify the umbrum.”

“I’m more worried about that lightning striking in the same spot twice, Dash,” Spike said. “That definitely wasn’t normal, even from what we were expecting. Where did it come from?”

“I don’t think it matters now. All things considered, it’s best if we make it back on foot,” Discord suggested.

They agreed. They couldn’t risk another potential thunder strike. They ran down the street, yet as it turned out it was just as dangerous. The umbrum flew all about, trying to catch potential prey, luckily, however, they were tunnel-visioning, so they went unnoticed… until they ran through one of them by accident. It took notice of them, and with a roar it gave chase. They were panicking, and even though it fueled their flight, the shadow was simply too fast, and eventually, the shy pegasus tripped and fell over.

“Fluttershy!” They all stopped and quickly ran back to assist her, and that’s when the Umbrum caught up to them.

They prepared for the worst as they huddled together in fear… they felt a shockwave. They noticed that the creature had gone still before them, and then it slowly turned, flying towards the castle.

“Wha… what’s just happened?” the yellow pony wondered.

“Let’s not wait to find out. Go!” Discord urged them.

They went for the last mile dash, the castle was right in front of them, they couldn’t prolong this any longer. And then they finally saw it, the pedestal underneath the castle. This was it. They had expected some last-minute disaster to intervene, but they were proven wrong. The artifact locked itself in its place and spun. The blast wave of magic spread across the empire, and the storm clouds disappeared, letting the sunshine once again.

“Alright! We did it, guys!” Spike cheered.

The rest of them cheered in jubilation on a job well done. But as the streets have finally calmed down from the disaster, they soon noticed that people in front of the castle were showing signs of anxiety, whispering to one another. But why?

They took up and flew up the castle wall, knowing full well there was a balcony they could get in and save themselves the walk time. Yet as they finally reached it, they noticed something had gone wrong. They saw the other group on the balcony, alongside Cadence, who was crying her eyes out.

“Is this a bad time to pat ourselves on the back?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

11169578
What about Celestia?

[Starlight Nova]

Does Discord actually get called out and punished for his actions in this story?

[nightshroud96]

So thats what happened on their end, wow.

[nightshroud96]

11220744
Celestia at least managed to protect Equestria for a 1000 years.
So her reputation wouldn't suffer as much as Luna's.

[JFT]

11220748
Didn't you read the story up to now? Or are you just skipping ahead out of curiosity?

[Doctor_Den]

it was interesting to see parallel events, but it seems to me that this chapter is something that was cut from the previous chapter.
:)

[JFT]

11223294
One part yes. The rest however is whole. I always surprise myself when I see that, with the amount I think is going to be small, actually expands to something long.
I was originally planning to be this and last chapter in one, but you've seen the end result on the lenght.