Northen Stars

by Flower03

Chapter 2

Twilight's mind had gone blank as she paused to process what was in front of her. Then she finally cleared her mind and reacted with a quick blink.

She took a hesitant step in that direction, after shaking her head a little to shake out the stupor that had possessed her for a few seconds. Now her priority was to find out what that object was doing in a place like that.

The smooth and curved horn, so different from the spiral grooves and straightness of hers, was unmistakable for what it was, and together with the base's gray hue and the crimson somber glow spread along, was hard not to recognize exactly to whom it belonged.

Twilight found her mind working at full speed, as she tried to figure out what was doing that in this place. She stretched out her magic and cautiously grasped the horn, as if she feared that at any moment it would jump on top of her, although in the end she felt a little dizzy after to connect it with her aura. She lifted it up in front of her eyes while keeping it at a safe distance from her body.

Then, her thoughts began to reveal.

Twilight could remember that when King Sombra had been defeated, his horn had been expulsed to the northeast of the Empire, toward the frozen wasteland that stretched far beyond. In a way, constant missions were sent to retrieve it, but all had failed. However... How could it possibly ended up in one of the mountains of the range, to hundreds of feet high and in a cave that was most likely tens, or hundreds, feet below it?

As she tried to find the logic behind these seemingly meaningless questions that began to form in her mind, an almost imperceptible flash suddenly came out of the horn. At one point, the magical connection was interrupted and Twilight could only watch in confusion as the horn seemed to spin slowly before it hit the ground in a vibrating sound.

Immediately afterwards a sudden humming sound resounded and caused the dark crystals around her to vibrate, at the same time echoing in the chamber and increasing in amplitude in a squeaky and very unnatural tone. Twilight pulled both hooves to her ears as her face twitched into a wince.

She didn't know when her vision finally blurred, but all what she could see before unconsciousness claimed her was the dark and bubbling glow spread across the entire length of that object.

---

Twilight woke up with a start and blinked in confusion as she saw the silhouette of furniture in a darkened room. At first she thought that everything that had happened maybe might have been a simple dream. But she knew it wasn't.

"Twilight?" A voice to her left spoke, and she turned her head to see Shining Armor and Spike sitting next to her, both with a worried gaze on their faces.

Twilight blinked quickly as she saw them again, but Spike climbed onto the bed and lunged at her.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" He hugged her tightly as Shining joined them as well.

She extended both hooves to encompass them both for a few seconds. Then they parted slightly, without quite breaking the embrace.

"For all the ponies, Twily, what happened?" Shining inquired as she sat back down next to her bed. "General Sentry quickly brought you on his back but didn't give much explanation, due to the exhaustion of flying so fast and so far. He just told us something about a cave, some flowers, and a strange sound. Did something attack them?"

Twilight looked at her brother with a slight bewildered expression, before she fully remembered what had happened.

"The cave! Shining, you need to go to that cave urgently. There's something in that place that could put us all in danger!"

Both Shining and Spike frowned as they heard her, though the latter detected in more detail what the alicorn's gaze was trying to convey.

"What's up, Twilight? I don't like the look you're making," Spike said with that worried look that he'd given her earlier. "It's almost like every time..."

"Every time that we've been at risk, yes," She finished for him and flattened her ears as she emitted a low growl.

"Tell us, Twily, what did you find there?" Her brother urged her to start talking.

Twilight set out to tell her story, starting from the moment she and the general had left the castle. She continued until she reached the moment where they found the cave and which they had entered thanks to the guiding spell she had previously performed.

While both Shining and Spike were somewhat amazed at the account of the alicorn's discovery, they soon frowned when she reached the second part of her story.

"... And when I turned around after I felt that weird aura, I saw it, the last thing I'd expect to see in that place." She looked down as she put her hooves together. "I found Sombra's horn."

The silence that followed her confession caused Twilight to raise her head again, somewhat surprised by this. She noticed how her brother had wide eyes while Spike still had an even more fearful expression on his face.

"Twily, are you...?" The white unicorn began softly, but was interrupted.

"I'm serious, Shining," She gave Spike a brief worried look. "I don't know why it was there, or why I was the only pony who found it there." Twilight grimaced. "But I know he wasn't completely destroyed. I could feel a small part of his power."

When she finished speaking, she could see her brother's expression contort into a furious grimace that wasn't directed at her. Twilight wondered if had been a good idea to confess that just now.

"How can be possible?!" The unicorn began to walk around the room, or rather to take furious steps that resounded loudly. "My soldiers scanned every portion of the northeastern and their reports were always negative! How could it has fallen into a damn cave in the mountains?!"

"I... I don't know." Twilight looked down, self-conscious at her brother's unexpected but understandable outburst. "But we must resolve this."

Shining Armor calmed his fury a little and nodded as he turned to her.

"We'll take care of that tomorrow. If I can move quickly, then I intend to lead a squad of my soldiers to begin the search as soon as possible," He said, slamming a hoof into the ground.

"Then I'm going to go with you, too," Twilight nodded as she slapped her hooves. "You need my help to guide them to the place and show them the way inside the cave. Maybe..."

She was interrupted by a quick snort from the white unicorn.

"You're going to stay here Twilight, I'm not willing for you to go through the same danger again. I am sure that General Sentry will offer to accompany us."

At her brother's statement, Twilight was left with a bewildered expression on her face that she couldn't hide quickly, but then she ended up frowning much more quickly.

"W-what... Why?!" She replied in a burst as she put a hoof on her forehead to chase away a headache that began to grow. "Shining, please, I need to go with you. You don't know the level of danger that they face if I don't accompany them. Besides, I've been there before, I know how risky it can be."

"And that's exactly why I don't want you to come with us," Shining replied with another snort that irritated his sister. "Understand, Twily, you know me and you know how I am," He concluded, letting out a sigh. "Anyway I need to talk with Cadence to plan everything in more detail, so for now you'd better keep resting."

Twilight looked down and didn't answer, still she was annoyed by her brother's refusal, but when she raised her head again to say something new, a gentle tap on her side made her turn her head in that direction. When she saw Spike's worried face, something inside her caused her to look away. She'd already seen it in Shining, but seeing it in Spike... It made her feel a little bad.

She turned to her brother again with a grudging nod on her part. After that Shining let out a low sigh as he walked away, walking towards the exit.

"Rest for now, sister, I need to let Cadence know about this first and if is possible make the plan to follow," He said after nodding with some heaviness. "Good evening.

After that farewell, the unicorn disappeared behind the threshold and closed the door. Twilight's ear turned when she heard the throat clearing of the dragon beside her, so she turned again.

"You know it's good for you to listen to your brother, Twilight. He cares about you, as we all do." He put a claw on his chest and he gave her a small smile. "Also, you'll always be able to be with me in the castle for as long as they take care of that."

Twilight looked at him for a moment after hearing that, then a small smile appeared on her face. She held out a hoof to hug him again.

"I guess you're right, it's been a stressful day anyway..." She said and shook her head as she let go him.

Spike got out of bed and walked to the door.

"Rest, Twilight, tomorrow will be another day..." He was about to utter a yawn that was covered with his claw. "I'm tired, too," He said as he said goodbye.

She did the same after seeing him come out and close the door.

As she lay back in bed with the intention of having a good night this time, Twilight couldn't help but do what she always did in her mind: try to analyze that problematic situation.

However, just for this time, she discard that option as tiredness took over her body again, inviting her into the world of dreams.

---

Twilight and Spike walked through the halls of the palace to where their brother and sister-in-law were. Shining Armor sent for her urgently after she had just gotten up, and that had alerted her. Therefore, she was sure that they had found a possible solution to the current problem.

Twilight opened the great doors of the throne room. A few ponies were already gathered there, all of them were soldiers belonging to the Crystal Guard. Their captain Shining Armor was a little farther away from them, busy as he was in his own duty to distribute the pertinent orders among the other subordinates.

Twilight's thoughts went for a moment to the curious fact that there were no other crystal ponies in the room besides these, or that the other royal guards were on their routine patrols around the castle.

When Twilight finally entered, she almost didn't have time to react as she was suddenly enveloped in Cadence's tight embrace.

"By Celestia, Twilight! I'm so glad you're fine!" She shouted in her ear as she pressed her to her body.

"Me too... but, Cadence... Could you please? She waved a hoof as she slapped Cadence's back with a bit of force, in an attempt to take some precious oxygen.

Her sister-in-law noticed this and let go her with a somewhat embarrassed look.

"I'm sorry... Shining told me everything you said to him and Spike, but I couldn't be with you when you woke up because I was about to put Flurry to bed at that moment." Cadence sighed, then lowered her head a little. "I was so worried about you when I learned the real reason for what happened, and I still am." Her voice took on a low tone. "Our kingdom, the wellfare of our citizens... We do not want to lose everything we have achieved so far."

Twilight frowned a little at Cadence's words. She understood them, she understood her very well, so her expression finally became determined as he put a hoof on her sister-in-law's shoulder and another on her own chest.

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."

Cadence nodded to what she said with a grateful look that lingered on her face for a moment. She didn't take long for to call her husband. He finally sent the rest of the guards to take care of their respective duties. Then they took Twilight and Spike to a separate room. They walked right behind them, then a pink aura enveloped the door and finally closed it.

Twilight looked around before a fact became apparent in her head.

"Where's Flurry, Cadence?"

"She's with Sunburst right now," She said, making an unusual but brief snort. "After updating him on the situation, we decided that would be better for her to stay with him a little longer, at least while we are busy."

"But now we must get to the question at hoof," Shining interjected. "Between us we decided what was already obvious. I'll take care of the search and Cadance going to stay here in the castle keeping an eye on the situation. According to what you said, we can't just postpone this whole situation, so we going to start as soon as possible."

"Then you're not going to consider the proposal I made to you last night?" Twilight asked and frowned, though she still harbored a modicum of hope that he would change his mind.

"I've already explained what I think about that, Twilight," Shining spoke with slight annoyance at his sister's insistence, as he shook his head. "It's going to be risky, I really need you to stay here and help Cadence as much as you can if possible."

"I don't think it's any riskier than all the previous times I've put myself in danger," She replied to his excuse, ignoring the other thing that he had said.

Shining frowned immediately, annoyed by her retort.

"This is different."

"Do you really think so?" She questioned in a slightly ironic tone.

Cadence intervened before the situation got out of hoof, feeling a little exhausted by it all.

"Shining, Twilight, I think you both need to calm down and take a better look at this situation," She suggested as she walked over and put a hoof on the shoulder of her husband. "You must understand your sister and Twilight..." She turned her gaze to her. "You know Shining only wants the best for you." She walked over to her sister-in-law and gave her a gentle touch on her back. "I know you want to help, but going with them isn't the only thing you can do to make it happen."

At her sister-in-law's words, Twilight softened her gaze and nodded, even if reluctantly.

"But I still think it's my responsibility"

After that brief meeting, Twilight and Spike said goodbye of them and went to different parts of the castle. As Spike went in a certain direction, Twilight trotted slowly toward her bedroom. On her way she was alone with her thoughts.

Even though she had agreed, and even though her brother was right in some way, she still couldn't help but feel that it was partly her fault that they were now in this predicament.

Her mind began to wander into the implications of this, what she had been thinking about until now. And at a certain point, she began to remember.

She remembered the moment when Princess Celestia had entrusted her and her friends to protect the Crystal Empire. Like they, along with her brother and her sister-in-law, had helped while they were in charge of the organization or preparing to face the threat that had been found beyond the protective barrier.

Everyone, in one way or another, had been there for her. Her friends managed to do a good job with the ponies of the Empire, Spike was by her side when they found the Crystal Heart and finally was he who took it to the others at the crucial moment when she couldn't. Together with Cadence and also thanks to the crystal ponies, they had managed to restore peace and joy to the kingdom once again. In the end, if hadn't been for all of them, she wouldn't be there at that moment to tell the story.

And her mind couldn't help but pick one last aspect. Twilight had to hold back a chill when she remembered the alternate future in which none of them had been there to make it.

Twilight then knew what she would do, even if they couldn't share her opinion. A determined expression crossed her face as she quickened her pace towards the bedroom, with one last intention in her mind.

She wouldn't let anypony else sacrifice themselves for her.

---

A ray of moonlight slipped through one of the windows and revealed the organized state in which the room had been left. The occupier was ready to do her job.

Twilight rolled up with her magic the piece of parchment that she had been working with, on which she had recorded all the reasons that led her to do what she was about to do. She just hoped they could understand her.

She walked back to the desk and placed the parchment on it in a way that would be visible to anypony who entered the room. She then walked to her bed to take the blue scarf she had worn before, and once again wrapped it around her neck.

One last glance was what she needed to make sure everything was really in order. After she directed her hooves towards the open window. She put a hoof on the edge of it and let out a slight sigh.

Her room received a final look before she let her thoughts wander.

"Spike, brother, Cadence... I'm so sorry..."

With a last breath, Twilight turned and spread her wings. She took off with a swift flapping her wings, toward the night sky that stretched beyond her window.

Comments

[DarkSnowGaming]

"And that's exactly why I don't want you to come with us," Shining replied with another snort that irritated his sister. "Understand, Twily, you know me and you know how I am," He concluded, letting out a sigh. "Anyway I need to talk with Cadence to plan everything in more detail, so for now you'd better keep resting."

Ya... An idiot.

Twilight was the most powerful unicorn, now she is an Allicorn with more power than any unicorn can dream of, not to mention she also has earth pony magic and Pegasus magic meaning she's stronger and faster mentally and physically in every way possible.

It's always Shining Armor that pisses me off the most in almost every story because of his stupidity, I mean seriously, Twilight saved Equestria and the Crystal Empire, let alone the entire planet multiple times! What did Shining Armor do that could possibly top that? NOTHING!

It annoys me that Shining Armor just thinks that as the older brother it's his duty to look out for his sister, she is a frickin Alicorn! A powerful one at that, more powerful than Cadance and possibly more powerful than Luna. She is the element of frickin magic! AGH! It's like everything Twilight have ever done doesn't matter and that Shining Armor is the boss of everything, it was him who nearly doomed all of Equestria when it came to his own wedding because he didn't listen to her sister! Who does that!?

I really needed to get that out of my system.

Anyways I'll be waiting for the next chapter, I can already tell were getting to the interesting bits now.