When Friends are Said and Dun

by xenos29

First published 12th of January, 2014

A tale aboutTwilight coming into her own as a Princess, learning one of the hardest lessons about friendship. Safe for readers big and small as they explore Equestria. Reccommended, but not necessary, to be familiar with the show and comics

Since coming into her own as Equestria's newest ruler, the newly minted Princess Twilight Sparkle has handled her responsibilities with grace and skill. Despite her new duties, Twilight has not by any means forgotten her lessons on friendship, nor about the ponies that taught them to her. These six friends are nothing short of inseparable, and the magic inside them is stronger than ever!

Still, there is evil in Equestria, an ancient one which only pure chance could have allowed to return. It is the source of fears stretching back to the time of Starswirl the Bearded, and even the Elements of Harmony alone may not be enough to defeat it.

It is up to Twilight and her friends to restore peace to Equestria, but this villain will test every ounce of their resolve, pushing them to their limits and beyond. And for Twilight Sparkle, there will be one more difficult lesson to learn about being a leader, and a friend. Without the guidance of her mentor or even her friends, she must decide for herself what sacrifices are acceptable, and if they're even hers to make in the first place.

Prologue

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...

If the adventures of Twilight Sparkle and her friends have proven anything, it's that the spirits of ponies are, if nothing else, resilient. No more than a few hours after Tirek's defeat at the hooves of the six friends did the citizens of Equestria begin rebuilding their respective communities. Looking at them, one would think it perfectly natural for ponies to spend as much time repairing their buildings as they did actually living or working in them. In that light, the residents of Ponyville were especially lucky; they had the pleasure of a new crystalline palace at which to marvel as they went about their daily business of plowing debris, patching roofs, and planting trees.

Speaking of business, there was still the issue of what would become of the library, which was sadly damaged during the battle. Still, the value of a walk and a little solitary reflection was obviously not lost on Twilight as she trotted down Mane Street, towards the path that would eventually carry her into the Everfree Forest, and beyond that, The Castle of the Two Sisters. The aloof, yet majestic ruin had been an endless source of memories and knowledge for the Princess of Friendship, and on this morning, there was one particular memory she wanted to revisit, for this one had taught her some of the hardest lessons she had ever learned, both about magic and friendship.

As Twilight walked, the still-fresh memories of Tirek, the palace, and her new title all bobbed in and out of her head, mixing with details of the memory she was trying to recall. The swirl of faces, the vivid recollections of every emotion she felt, and a thousand other little details all seemed very relevant now. Like the whole affair with Tirek, the events of this memory had imparted no shortage of wisdom to her about being not only a great princess, but a good friend and leader. Both had come at a time when she had felt unsure about being any one of those things, and despite the doubt that once clung to her, she finally understood the hardship and sacrifice all three roles required.

The castle loomed into sight, along with its single rope bridge entrance, which sat precariously as ever over the chasm below. Feeling very much alone and not in the least bit troubled, Twilight made her way across the bridge, past the great front doors, and at last into the library. She made herself comfortable in the hidden reading room, where she and her friends first discovered the princesses' diary, and began to stare out the stained-glass windows. As she did, in this hallowed and historied place, she came to realize all these past events had taught her something even more important: that friendship made those hardships and sacrifices well worth it.

The windows began to glimmer as the crystalline contours of their designs danced around the new sun, as if they were too excited with anticipation to touch the light. When they finally did, the simple pictures of stars, clouds, and mountains lit up in color, and in a brilliance too garish, too perfect to be seen anywhere else besides some fantastic dream. The spectacular display invited Twilight's mind to gently wander, and drift back to when she was still a neophyte princess, on a mission that brought her and her friends into the depths of the castle, beneath the foundations, beneath the Tree of Harmony, and into a strange and ancient prison constructed by two of her fellow princesses.

Author's Notes:

For those who are wondering:
This story, rated E, is meant to strike a tone somewhere between that of the show and the official IDW comics. So, if you're into some wholesome adventure, with no shortage of peril and fun lore Easter eggs, then by all means, read on!

For the squeamish, I want to assure that there is no gore, no swearing, no graphic violence, no suggestive themes, or shipping.

For the curious, the prologue contains allusions from the following episodes:

-Friendship is Magic, part 1
-Castle Mane-ia
-Twilight's Kingdom, part 2

Part 1

The Forest, the Castle, and Ponyville

Chapter 1

“Twilight, are you ok?”

Twilight awoke slowly, blinking several times before she saw Spike and remembered where she was. They were standing on the platform of Ponyville’s train station. Rather, Spike was standing on the platform, while Twilight was unflatteringly slumped over the chest containing the Elements of Harmony, feeling less than excited about being awake.

“Yes, Spike, I’m ok,” she said in a yawn.

“You fell asleep again. How late was everypony up?”

Twilight shut her eyes again and sighed. “Pretty late. We were still studying when the princesses showed up.”

Twilight’s eyes shot open, with the look of a student who had forgotten to do the reading for class today. Earlier in the evening, both Princess Celestia and Luna had come to the study with very serious looks on their faces, told her that they had to come to the Everfree forest, and that they would explain everything on the way. Not only had Twilight slept the entire train ride, but she had dozed off simply standing at the station, and still didn’t have any idea what was going on!

With Spike and chest in tow, Twilight hurried to the other end of the platform where everypony was waiting. She sighed in relief. Thankfully, it didn’t look like she had been sleeping on the chest for very long. Her friends must have sent Spike to get her once they saw she had fallen behind.

While the princesses seemed fine, a closer look at her friends told Twilight that they were just as exhausted as she was. Rainbow Dash’s head was drooping so low, her muzzle almost touched the ground. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity politely did their best to hide their fatigue, but the lines under their eyes spoke volumes to Twilight. Even Pinkie, who should have been hopping about like a slinky come alive, had decided to simply play with her mane, lazily spinning it around her hoof like cotton candy.

Twilight screeched to a halt, so quickly that Spike bumped into her, almost sending him and the chest onto the ground. “Princess Celestia! I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to fall asleep on the way over. I know that this is important, I don’t know why I couldn’t-”

“It’s alright, Twilight,” the Princess assured. She added light-heartedly, “You were all already on the train and fast asleep before we left Canterlot. We decided you could use the rest.”

Luna cut in, “My apologies, but time is of the essence, and there is much you all must know. The guards have gone off ahead; we should hurry.”

Together, Twilight, her friends, and the princesses walked in silence for a short time from the station, following the edge of the Everfree forest. Finally, they came to an old cobblestone path that appeared to lead straight to the heart of the forest, but instead stopped dead at the edge, blocked by a thorny thicket. Two royal guards were pulling it apart, though with little success. The ponies couldn’t simply go around the thicket either; the trees to the left and right of the path were large and close together, forming a wall that stretched far along the edge of the forest.

Finally, one of them, a unicorn, decided that she had had enough, and gave the thicket a powerful blast from her horn. The trees splintered at the bottom of their trunks, allowing her pegasus partner to knock them aside with an armored hoof.

The unicorn guard turned around. “Sorry, Your Highnesses, but it’s going to take forever to get through this way. The path’s completely overgrown. No way for us to use the chariots.”

Princess Celestia nodded thoughtfully, “Of course, I should have expected as much.” The princess turned to Twilight, “This path used to lead straight to the castle. I was hoping the path would still be clear enough to use.”

Rainbow Dash chimed in, “Uh…hello? Let’s just fly over there.”

“There’s a thick canopy blocking the clearing where the castle is,” explained the guard. The unicorn shook her head,” We couldn’t cut through it, not even with magic.”

Magic-resistant plants? Twilight thought for a moment, recalling everything she had ever learned about the subject. It wasn’t much. The Everfree forest had always been a strange place, but never in her studies had she come across anything, animal or plant, that could just shrug off spells like that.

Applejack nodded. “Then it looks like we’re hoofin’ it,” she said, with no shortage of determination.
Rainbow Dash groaned. “All the way to the castle? Remember how long it took last time?”

“We don’t have a choice, Rainbow,” said Twilight, gesturing her friends towards the opening.

One by one, the ponies entered the opening: first the guards, followed by the princesses, and finally Twilight and her friends. Being the last to enter, Twilight took a deep breath and squeezed through, taking care not to prick her wings on the thorns.

As they moved deeper into the forest, the light from the opening quickly faded, and soon the ponies found themselves in total darkness. With a single thought, the end of Twilight’s horn glowed, bathing everypony in a rich violet light. Twilight took a moment to place her hoof around Fluttershy, whose trembling was starting to match a hummingbird's wings.

Twilight nodded to Spike, and he opened the chest with the elements. Gathering them up in her magic, Twilight silently placed them on each of her friends. They all stared down at their elements with a mix of worry and weary interest as Twilight carefully stepped through the undergrowth, taking the lead. Whatever was going on, she knew Princess Celestia would know what to do, though if she and Luna were worried, then it must be serious. Twilight’s thoughts seesawed between confidence and doubt, but she quickly decided that whatever was waiting for them at the castle, she and her friends would face it together. With that in mind, the newly-minted princess set the pace for the group, trotting confidently into the depths of the pitch-black forest.

Chapter 2

As the walk to the castle dragged on, Twilight found her earlier confidence disappearing quickly. She had fallen in behind Princess Celestia and Luna, who were now lighting the way. Everypony, including the princesses, had been strangely quiet since they entered the forest. The urgency Twilight felt earlier had vanished, but dread and uncertainty took its place. The feeling weighed her down, and she was too tired to move it to a more comfortable part of her mind.

“We are almost there,” said Luna, glancing back at the young mares.

Twilight felt a tug on her mane. She turned her head and saw Spike sitting on her back. He looked at her, then at Princess Celestia, then back at her. He nodded slightly in the princesses’ direction.

Twilight nodded, understanding her number-one assistant. This was no time to be timid. Princess Celestia had brought them here for an important mission, no doubt. She had to find out as much as she could before things got out of hoof. Twilight trotted up alongside the princesses. She thought carefully about what she should ask first, but instead ended up clumsily blurting out, “Princess, why are we here?”

The princesses stopped walking and turned to face Twilight and her friends, who were now standing side-by-side. They all looked just as confused as her, and unconsciously arranged themselves so Twilight was standing square in front of the two sisters.

Princess Celestia called out to the guards. “Excuse me, Smoke Jumper?” The unicorn turned around. “You two go on ahead. We will be with you shortly.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She snapped off a quick salute, and the two guards continued down the path.

Again Princess Celestia turned towards the ponies. She frowned, trying to find the words. When she spoke, it was in an even, but deliberate voice. “Many years ago, Luna and I built an addition to our castle, one that we placed deep inside the underground caves with the hopes that nopony would ever see it again. Within that part of the castle is a cage, a magical prison we believe was built by the griffins. It is all but impossible to escape from it.”

“It sounds horrible. Why would they make such a thing?” asked Rarity.

“Because that prison is all that stands between Equestria and one of the greatest evils the world has ever known,” replied Luna. “His name is Blight.”

“Blight,” repeated Twilight, noting how bitter Luna sounded when she said the name. She thought for a moment, trying hard to remember if she recognized it, but like the plants the guards had described earlier, none of her magic or history books had ever mentioned somepony called Blight.

“We don’t know much about Blight,” Princess Celestia continued. “Not even his real name. Starswirl only made brief comments about him in his journals. It’s strange, because we are certain that he was once one of Starswirl’s students.”

“So he’s a pony,” Applejack remarked.

“He used to be,” Luna said coldly. “What Starswirl did mention was that Blight was a talented student, and that his talents were rivaled only by his monstrous ambitions.”

The Princess turned to Twilight, “The world has done its best to forget him, but we fear he’s on the verge of escaping.”

Rainbow Dash stood on her hind legs, grinning. “What’s the problem? If this Blight guy gets out, we go inside, whip out the Elements of Harmony, and save the day, just like with Nightmare Moon and Discord.”

“This is no time to be a hotshot Rainbow,” Applejack chided.

“Rainbow Dash,” said Luna in a level voice, “Blight is unlike any threat you all have faced, and for your sake, I hope you never do. Everywhere he has gone, he has sown destruction and misery, both within and beyond Equestria. He is a monster in every sense of the word, and not to be trifled with.”

“I’m afraid Luna is right, ponies,” said the Princess. “You all must be prepared for the worst. I wish we could tell you more, but over time we have relied on less…direct methods of handling him. It seems that is no longer enough.”

Twilight shook her head. “What do you mean, Princess?”

Before the Princess could answer, Smokejumper appeared from the darkness, panting. “Your Highness, come quick!”

The ponies rushed along the path, with Rainbow Dash flying ahead. The path ended at a small cliff overlooking the clearing where the castle sat. To Twilight's relief, the bridge they had crossed on their quest to stop Nightmare Moon was still standing. A familiar shroud of fog blanketed the area. The only light came from the princesses’ horns and the starlight which trickled through the gaps of the canopy, but still gave the ponies a clear view of horrible sight before them.

Princess Celestia uttered but a single word, but the distress and defeat of her voice alone was enough to send shivers up Twilight's neck.

“No...”

Chapter 3

Instead of the castle, the ponies saw nothing but a giant mound of thorny vines which shifted around each other slowly, like a nest of snakes. The vines twisted together into a column, forming a thick trunk that towered over the rest of the trees. And at the top of the trunk, the vines spread out once more, creating a roof that blocked the night sky. For a moment, the ponies just stood there, their expressions combining shock, disgust, and terror into one. To her right, Twilight could see Fluttershy, shaking like a leaf.

Princess Celestia spun to face the ponies. “We must hurry. It’s worse than I thought. We don’t have much time.”

Without a second to lose, the group made their way to the front door of the castle, which was buried behind several of the vines. Immediately the guards got to work trying to pry them off, with a little help from Applejack and Rainbow Dash. It didn’t take long for them to realize that the vines weren’t going anywhere, with or without magic, until Princess Celestia stepped forward.

“Stand back, everypony,” she said as her horn began to glow a hot white.

A lance of blinding light shot from the Princess’s horn, singeing the surface of the vines. They trashed about before reluctantly retreating, allowing the guards to open the heavy doors.

Twilight and her friends entered the castle first, taking in the familiar space, now overrun with the vines. One didn’t have to be psychic to know what they were thinking about. It felt like forever since the last time they were here. Each wondered how things would turn out this time. They had come a long way since their last visit, and to see the castle like this was certainly strange.

As the princesses and guards entered, their attention shifted to a giant hole in the floor, which was located right next to the pedestal that once held the Elements of Harmony. It seemed that all the vines in the room, perhaps even the ones growing over the castle, originated from this single crater. As the six of them gathered around it, Twilight looked down and saw the vines disappear into blackness. She levitated a small rock over the hole, and with an ounce of hesitation, let it fall. The ponies waited for almost half a minute, but heard nothing.

Applejack waved everypony forward. “Come on, y’all. Let’s get down there.”

“How?” asked Rainbow. “This hole’s not big enough to spiral down, and there’s no way I’m going to fly head-first into the ground when I can’t even see where I’m going to crash! We don’t even know how far down it goes, or if it’s clear all the way to the bottom.”

“We’ll only know when we get down there,” said Twilight as she examined the hole. She spread her wings, comparing their width. “We might not be able to fly down safely, but there’s enough room for us to float down.” She quickly counted everypony. “And there’s enough of us to safely carry everypony.”

Hooking his front hooves with Smoke Jumper’s, the pegasus guard picked her up and hovered over the hole. Though the pegasus had to flap his wings furiously, he managed to slowly lower the two of them straight down. Princess Celestia did the same for Rarity, followed by Luna and Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy floated down alone, then Rainbow Dash carrying Applejack. As Spike tightened his grip, Twilight positioned herself at the edge of the hole and began to flap her wings with all her might. With a deep breath, she hopped off the edge and floated down into the darkness once more.

Thankfully, the vines stuck to the sides of the shaft the entire way down, giving the ponies a clear path. Strangely, as Twilight descended, the tunnel became brighter. When she looked down, she could clearly make out the silhouettes of her friends gliding below her, and further down, the princess and the guards.

As she emerged from the end of the tunnel, her view was taken up completely by a structure that resembled a gigantic birdcage. Twilight was mystified, for the structure was huge, easily five times the size of Ponyville’s town hall, and had an ancient air.

Twilight looked around and could see the cave was divided into two parts: the plateau where the ponies stood now and the island where the structure sat waiting. Behind the ponies was a collapsed staircase that must have once lead up to the castle. A worn-out stone bridge connected the plateau and the island, flanked by two rows of columns that stretched to the cave ceiling. A pair of enormous fires roared in front of the structure, on the roof of what seemed to be the entrance hall. They must have been magic to burn for so long with nopony watching them, Twilight thought. Like the castle though, the cave was also covered in vines.

“Wow,” said Spike, eyes glued to the building.

“Can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like this before,” remarked Applejack.

“I don’t know, looks like every other ancient ruin we’ve been in,” countered Rainbow jokingly.

“Over here!” shouted Smoke Jumper from deeper in the cave. Everypony rushed over to see what she had found: the source of all the vines that had taken over the castle.

The seed sat on a pile of dirt and rock as if it were a throne. It clearly wasn’t a normal plant seed. For one, it was huge, larger than a filly, and when Twilight looked at the inside closely, she could see a deep red glow, like the one on a unicorn’s horn when doing magic. Everypony had gathered around now, trying to make sense of it, when Luna spoke.

“Sister, this must be what I saw earlier,” she said.

Celestia turned to Twilight, “We thought it might have been just a stray meteor, but all signs pointed to it being some plan of Blight’s to escape.”

“We must keep moving,” urged Luna.

The ponies quickly crossed the bridge, following vines which traveled over the bridge and forced apart the heavy wooden doors at the other end. The ponies passed through these doors into a small, circular chamber. For some reason, the torches in this room had gone out, making it hard to see where to go next. With a wave of her horn, Princess Celestia lit the torches, revealing the contents of the chamber.

There were statues of five ponies arranged around the far reaches of the room- three on the right, and two on the left. Covering the walls were dozens of flags: Equestria, the Crystal Empire, the Griffin Kingdom, one with a dragon Twilight didn’t recognize, and several others.

Before anypony could get a good look at the statues, Luna hurried them along, especially Rarity, who seemed fascinated by the outfits the statues wore. There was another open door at the far, shadowed end of the chamber, and the light coming from beyond it suggested they were about to enter the cage part of the structure. As the group walked on, Twilight stole a quick look at the statues. There was something frightening about them. They were wearing armor like the royal guards, but theirs was plain-looking and less bulky. Instead of fancy horseshoes and metal plates, they wore boots and heavy capes on top of what looked like a shirt made out of tiny chains.

It wasn’t their outfits which troubled Twilight, however. Except for one, each statue had an expression of either pure hate or sorrow. The one who didn’t stood out, for not only did the pony look like she was happy, but her statue looked brighter and cleaner than the others. Because it wasn’t covered in moss and dust like the others, Twilight also caught a glimpse of the name on the pedestal: Tawny Timbre. A picture was also engraved next to the name: music notes coming from reeds on a sandy river bank. A long stone box laid at the foot of this statue, but there wasn't time to figure out its purpose, as Twilight was quickly forced to catch up to her friends and the princesses, who had just entered the main chamber.

Somehow, the cage looked even bigger from the inside. There was no time to admire the architecture however, as the ponies’ attention was immediately drawn to the center of the room, where yet another statue stood in the dim light. He was dressed like the others. His head, completely encased in a blocky metal helmet, hung low to the ground. Behind the statue was a large box covered in strange symbols, connected to the statue's neck by a chain and shackle. A clump of vines snaked around the box, the thorns making awful scratching noises against the stone surface.

Before they moved even ten feet into the room, something else among the vines moved. From out of the tangled mess, a large crimson flower stretched out before the ponies. Its petals were closed, and it bobbed back and forth as if it were studying them.

“That ain’t like any plant I’ve ever seen,” said Applejack.

“So this guy’s master plan was a giant flower?” Rainbow laughed. What’s it gonna do, give us allergies?”

Fluttershy finally spoke up, “Um Rainbow Dash, I think we need to be more careful…”

Then, without warning, a vine from further back shot past Rainbow Dash, wrapping itself around Princess Celestia’s legs and dragging her towards the center of the room.

“Princess Celestia!” cried Twilight, who rushed to her teacher’s side, using her magic to cut the vine as quickly as she could. Spike leapt from Twilight’s back and pulled against the vine reeling them in.

The next several minutes were chaos. Dozens of smaller flowers, similar to the first, sprouted among the vines on the floor and immediately attacked the ponies. Thankfully, these ones were much weaker than the ones that they had encountered already, but there were so many of them. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and the pegasus guard were able to simply tear off the vines or stomp them into mush, while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy distracted the menacing plants from Luna and Rarity, who were blasting away with their horns.

“This isn’t as fun as it looks!” shouted Pinkie, as she tied several vines into a neat little bow, rendering them harmless.

Applejack leapt through the air and tackled a vine behind Twilight. She stomped on its flower several times before shouting “How the hay do we stop these things?!”

“I have no idea, we don’t even know what they want,” said Twilight, as she finished cutting the vine around Celestia’s leg. “Princess, what do we do?”

The princess pointed towards the flower: “We can’t let it open that box, no matter what.”

The first flower was probing examining the lid of the container, as if looking for a weak spot. From where the ponies stood, it looked miles away.

Twilight rallied her friends, “Come on, girls, we have to stop them from opening it!” Together, they sprinted for the center of the room towards the red flower, which took notice of the ponies once again. A ring of the smaller flowers grew around the first, forming a wall that blocked the ponies’ view of their goal. The flowers and vines spewed forward like a wave, ready to crush Twilight and her friends, who continued to run.

Twilight readied her horn, but stopped when she saw a brilliant light forming around her and her friends. She looked back and saw Princess Celestia and Luna, their horns interlaced, creating a barrier around the girls. Flowers bounced off the shield, vines snapped as they tried to wrap around it, and after what felt like an eternity of running, the ponies were finally in reach of the box.

It was too late. The flower’s petals glowed red, and with a blinding flash, the lid of the box flew open.

Chapter 4

It was very quiet in the chamber. Nothing moved until, with an abrupt change of demeanor, the vines and flowers slithered peacefully into the now open box, feeding into it like strands to the center of a web. Everypony stood frozen, their eyes locked on the shrouded opening the lid had uncovered.

“Princess, what do we do?” Twilight asked, fighting the urge to panic.

The Princess looked shocked, but she quickly snapped out her trance and shouted, “We have to go, now! Grab him!” she commanded, pointing to the statue, which had disappeared when the box opened. In its place was a pony who had fallen from the pedestal. He laid flat on floor, surrounded by scrolls from his ripped saddlebag.

The box now oozed deep red from inside. The dark tips of more vines slowly rose from the opening.

“You guys go! We got him!” yelled Rainbow as she waved Applejack forward.

The princesses ran out of the chamber, followed by Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity. As Applejack and Rainbow approached the pony, they looked at each other, uncertain of what to do next. The stallion was big, and with his armor, most certainly heavy. It didn’t help they were both exhausted, either.

Twilight appeared alongside them and lifted the pony with her magic. She took no more than three steps before her fatigue returned at a gallop. Her grip on the pony slipped, but not before Applejack and Rainbow could place themselves under him. With a grateful smile, Twilight carefully balanced him across their backs, and the three quickly made their exit.

Everypony had made it across the bridge when the cave began to shake, throwing them all off balance. Rock and dirt rained from the ceiling, and one house-sized boulder crashed into the middle of the bridge. The struts underneath the walkway held for a split second before collapsing, taking the entire structure with it into the abyss.

Twilight turned and saw everypony standing next to the guards, who were trying to keep a cluster of smaller vines from growing over their escape route.

“A few more grew while we were in there. We just need a few more seconds, your Highness,” said Smoke Jumper.

“As quickly as you can,” replied Luna as she and Princess Celestia attended to Fluttershy, who looked as if she had taken a bad fall. Her coat was covered in grime and the feathers on her wings were ruffled.

“Fluttershy, are you ok?” asked Twilight as she looked her friend over.

“I’m fine, Twilight. I just tripped when we were running away.” Fluttershy smiled. “We’re all ok.”

With those words, Twilight glanced over all of them quickly, and a look of horror overtook her face. “Where’s Spike?!”

Everypony looked around frantically, searching for him, when they heard his voice in the distance. “Twilight, somepony, help!”

Spike was still at the other end of the bridge, the stallion's saddlebag clutched tightly between his claws. Unknown to him, and to the horror of everypony, a ghostly mass of vines was dragging itself towards the little dragon, and in the middle of it sat a pair of sickly, yellow eyes.

“Spike!” Twilight screamed. She desperately tried to gather the strength in her horn, but stopped when Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“I will get him,” said Luna, spreading her wings.

“No, I will,” said a new voice.

In an instant, the pony that Applejack and Rainbow were carrying rolled off their backs and galloped towards the collapsed bridge. With a single jump, he leapt halfway across the gap. For a moment, it looked like he was going to fall, until he unfolded his wings and flew the rest of the way. He landed hard next to Spike, who quickly climbed onto his back and held on tight. The vines and the eyes drew closer and closer.

The pony took off again, barreling straight for Twilight and the rest of the group. As he and Spike flew away, a vine reached out and grabbed one of the pony’s hind legs. In a single movement, almost too fast to follow, he spun around, unsheathing a large sword as he did, and cut the vine just as it went taut.

More chunks of rock showered the ponies, and in quicker succession, and suddenly Twilight felt herself spun around until she faced Rainbow.

“Come on Twilight, we gotta go!”

Everypony who could fly carried somepony who couldn’t. They all flew straight up through the narrow tunnel, dodging the vines which still gripped the walls. With a speed exclusive to terror and desperation, the ponies fled from the castle, across the bridge, and back into the heart of the forest.

They all ran as far as they could, but eventually their breath forced them to stop at the bank of a wide river, the same one where the ponies had met the sea serpent once upon a time. They were still far from the end of the forest, but they had put enough distance between themselves and the castle, at least for the moment.

Everypony collapsed. The stressful night had finally taken its toll, forcing them to lay on the grass as they panted and wheezed. Even the princesses and their guards wearily eased themselves onto the ground. The only ones who didn’t seem exhausted were Spike, who was busy checking on everypony, and the new stallion, who was watching the path they had taken from the castle.

Twilight struggled onto her hooves and slowly walked to Princess Celestia, who was also gazing back at the castle. “Princess,” she said quietly, “that was Blight we saw, wasn’t it?”

The princess nodded. “Yes, Twilight, that was him. We were very lucky to escape when we did. It seems his imprisonment has weakened him a great deal, but we cannot rely on that advantage to last. We need to leave the forest. Once we do, Luna and I will cast a spell sealing him within it.”

“Will that be enough?” asked Twilight.

The princess shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Our magic is strong, but the source of Blight’s power is ancient, as old as the Elements of Harmony. That will make it difficult for us to defeat him.”

“How can we?”

“There may be a way,” the Princess responded, looking past Twilight. “Alpenglow, could you come here please?”

The new pony gave the path one last glance and joined them. As he came to a stop, the Princess told him, “When we reach the town on the edge of the forest, I want you to talk to the rulers of the Crystal Empire. I’ll be placing the prince in charge of keeping Blight in the forest, but I need you to tell him and his guards everything you can.”

“I understand,” the stallion replied flatly. As he scanned the forest he said, “We can’t stay here; he’ll be here as soon as he has the strength to spread out.”

Princess Celestia looked to Twilight, her friends, and the guards. “They could use a little longer to rest. They’ve been up all night.”

“It doesn’t matter how tired they are. We need to keep moving.”

Luna stepped forward, “I am sorry, Sister, but I am inclined to agree with him. We simply cannot afford to stop right now.”

Princess Celestia sighed. “I’m sorry, everypony, but we must reach the end of the forest as quickly as possible.” They all slowly rose and began their trek across the river.

The ponies forded the frigid water and continued their walk out of the forest, walking in single file behind the princesses, their heads held low. Smoke Jumper and the pegasus guard followed sluggishly, trying their best to stay in formation. With a furtive glance backwards, Twilight watched the new pony, Alpenglow, who was far behind all of them. He kept stopping every few seconds to watch the path behind them, then would turn around and continue walking.

Twilight slowly put together everything that had happened in her mind. She still felt completely lost. Princess Celestia said there may be a way to defeat Blight’s old magic, so was this pony part of her plan to stop him? He had to be. He and the princesses obviously knew each other, and he clearly knows who and what Blight is. Twilight shook her head, trying to put together a plan for the coming hours.

As the sky began to lighten, Twilight let out a sigh of relief. The ponies were almost out of the forest. Maybe once they were out, she could track down Zecora and ask her if she knew anything about Blight or his magic. She certainly knew a lot about strange and ancient-

Zecora…

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, causing Rarity to walk into her. “Twilight, what’s wrong?” she asked.

Twilight looked around frantically. “Which way to Zecora’s?!” she cried.

The ponies expressions switched from fatigue to panic as they realized their zebra friend lived about five minutes away…back the way they came.

“Alpenglow, go with her,” Luna ordered. “The rest of us will be waiting at the edge of the forest.”

“Whoa, there’s no way I’m leaving Zecora behind! I’m coming too!” said Rainbow.

“We’ll be right back!” shouted Twilight as she, Rainbow Dash, and Alpenglow took off down the path.

In a few short minutes, they reached Zecora’s hut, which was sitting quietly in its grove. Twilight ran to the door and gave it three frantic knocks. “Zecora, are you there? Zecora, it’s Twilight! You have to get up!”

Ten agonizing seconds passed. Twilight knocked for five of them, and was about to force the door open when she heard a rustling from inside. Finally the door opened, and behind it stood Zecora, her eyes barely open.

Zecora yawned and rubbed her eyes, “Ah, my favorite princess is here, but not for a friendly visit, I fear. Who is this, might I ask? How strange to see a pony with an iron mask.”

“I’m sorry Zecora, there’s no time to explain,” said Twilight. “We need to leave the forest right now, before it’s too late.”

Zecora frowned, and leaned behind her door. She pulled out a saddlebag and placed it on her back. “I am ready to go, but your words worry me so.”

“We’re not alone,” said Alpenglow, drawing his sword.

Twilight looked out into the forest; something was moving among the trees. Her eyes widened when she saw the outline of vines, silently creeping along the forest floor.

“Ponies, we are leaving!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

The four ran from Zecora’s hut and back to the path. Twilight looked back and saw the vines were closer now, growing even faster.

Twilight ran as fast as her drained legs would carry her. Zecora was at her side, keeping up, while Rainbow Dash and Alpenglow flew just ahead of them. Soon, they saw the end of the forest, where everypony was waiting, shouting and waving like mad. Twilight wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but she saw the princesses’ horns glowing, and didn't dare look back to find out why.

She wouldn't have a choice. A wide shadow stretched over Twilight and onto the path in front of her. Without expressly meaning to, she turned around and gasped. The vines, no longer individual strands, had fused into a huge wall and was tumbling towards the ponies like a tidal wave. With the very last of her strength, Twilight ran even faster, past the edge of the forest, past her shouting friends, and slid onto the grass. Panting heavily, she turned around and saw the wave of vines, trapped behind another magic barrier, this one stretching clear across the forest. The vines came together in a huge column and threw themselves against the magical wall, trying to break it, but thankfully to no avail.

Twilight’s friends rushed to her. “You made it!” Pinkie cried, hugging her tight.

“Twilight, are you all alright? You’re not hurt, are you?” asked Fluttershy.

“Thanks, girls. I’m fine. We all are,” panted Twilight as she returned Pinkie's hug.

Applejack wiped her forehead, “I reckon that was a little too close. At least we got to you before it was too late, Zecora.”

Zecora smiled and nodded appreciatively. “I shall thank you in due time; right now I have no breath to rhyme.”

“Indeed,” agreed Rarity. “We’re safe. That is all that matters right now.”

The ponies walked over to the princesses, who were sitting in the grass facing the barrier. Alpenglow was standing next to them. Through the shield, they could see the vines still hammering away fruitlessly.

“Princess, what do we do now? Is Blight trapped in there?” Twilight asked.

“For the moment,” replied Princess Celestia. “The magic of the forest will occupy him, and the barrier will prevent him from escaping it. But this is only temporary. Given enough time, he will break through.”

“How could he possibly break through a barrier that both of you created?” asked Rarity.

“It is difficult to explain,” answered Luna. “As we said, Blight’s power lies with old, powerful magic, the kind which has existed long before the founding of Equestria. For reasons we don’t understand even now, little of our magic seems to have lasting effects on him.”

Applejack crossed her legs and spoke up, “So now what? Is there some ‘old magic’ of our own we can use?”

Rainbow lightly elbowed Applejack. “Hello, Elements of Harmony, AJ, remember?”

“Will they work, Princess?” asked Twilight.

Princess Celestia frowned. “I’m not sure. I had hoped you would have had the chance to use them at the castle, but it was too dangerous to stay. Alpenglow, I was hoping you would have an answer.”

Twilight forgot that Alpenglow was standing there. She turned to him. “Do you know a way to stop Blight?” she asked shyly.

Alpenglow's answer was as short as it was unhelpful.

“No...Your Highness. I don’t.”

Luna frowned. “How can you not?” she snapped. “It was you who defeated him before, or am I mistaken?”

“It was, but I don’t remember a great deal about what happened that day.” He looked away and took a slow, deep breath. “I’ve been fighting to keep him as weak as possible for just in case he found a way.” The helmeted head slowly surveyed the landscape, as if it were noticing it for the first time. Alpenglow nodded in the direction of Ponyville. “I’m guessing that was a long time ago. How long has it been? I don’t recognize this town.”

The princesses looked at each other for a moment before standing. Finally, Princess Celestia told him, “It’s been…a little more than a thousand years. We’re just outside of a town called Ponyville.”

Twilight slowly shifted her gaze to Alpenglow, his head now pointed square at the ground. His jaw, the only part of his face the helmet didn't cover, clenched tightly, but slowly relaxed after a second or two.

Everything that had happened tonight- the castle, the vines, Blight and Alpenglow- had all filled Twilight’s head to the brim. She had a mountain of questions and next to no answers. She mainly wanted to figure out what to do next, but her head ached and it was hard to stay standing. They all desperately needed time to rest.

Princess Celestia must have felt the same way, for after a brief pause, she said to Alpenglow, “I’m sorry, but we should head into town now. We can talk once we settle in.” She turned to Twilight. “I told Shining Armor and Cadance to meet us at the library. We can meet them there and decide what to do next.”

All Twilight could do was nod. “Yes, Princess,” she said, and turned to her friends. They all nodded in turn, and began to walk.

The trip to the library was short and silent. Twilight dragged her hooves the entire way, too tired to pick them up, but when she saw the silhouetted figures waiting at the front door, she found the energy to walk forward briskly and hug both of them tight.

“It’s so good to see you Twilight!” said Cadance, who looked as beautiful as ever.

“Are you alright, Twilie? You look awful,” said Shining Armor, who was looking at her closely.

As everypony entered the library, Twilight took a deep breath. “I’m fine. We’re all fine. It’s been a really long night.”

“An understatement,” agreed Luna.

“Twilight,” asked Princess Celestia, “would it be alright if everypony spent the night here? I think it would be best if we all stayed together for the time being.”
Twilight tilted her head slightly. “Of course, Princess,” she answered, pointing her hoof up the staircase. “I have plenty of pillows and blankets for everypony to use down here. Um…you and Princess Luna can use the beds upstairs if you want.”

Princess Celestia smiled warmly. “That’s quite alright, Twilight. This is your place. Luna and I will be fine down here.” Luna nodded in agreement.

“The same goes for us, Twilight,” added Cadance with a good-natured smile. “Besides, you all look like you could use the beds more than us anyway.”
Zecora gave Twilight a knowing smile. “A good night’s rest will do you well; tomorrow is the day to dwell.”

Twilight looked around the room for Alpenglow, but didn't see him. She glanced back at the front door, but then through one of the windows noticed somepony standing on the outside balcony. Twilight unconsciously took a couple of steps towards the staircase, but Princess Celestia placed a wing on her back.

“Don’t worry about him; he’s fine. He’s just going to stand watch for the night, and we'll speak with him in a moment. Luna and I need to let him know about everything that has changed. He’s just confused right now.”

As great as it was, even Twilight’s curiosity could no longer compete with her need to sleep. With Spike on her back, already out like a light, she nodded at the Princess and went upstairs, followed by Pinkie and Rainbow. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy quickly finished laying out simple beds for everypony, then came upstairs.

“It’s not fair,” Pinkie said sleepily. “All the princesses are sleeping over, and we didn’t even get…to...toast…marshmallows.” Then, without missing a beat, Pinkie Pie passed out on the bed across from Twilight's, snoring softly to herself.

“You know, as crazy as it sounds, I think I’m going to follow Pinkie’s lead on this one,” said Rainbow Dash, who flopped next to her on the bed and immediately started snoring, only not quite as softly.

The rest of ponies looked at each other with weak, slaphappy grins, then climbed onto the two beds, lying down sideways so there would be enough room for all of them. It looked very uncomfortable, but nopony seemed to care, as a diverse chorus of snores immediately filled the room. Twilight gently lifted Spike from her back and tucked him into his basket. With one last yawn, she blew out the candle on her nightstand, climbed onto her bed, and was asleep before her head even hit the mattress.

Chapter 5

“Twilight! Twilight, wake up!” shouted Spike.

Twilight’s eyes shot open, and the previous night’s pains returned instantly. Spike was in front of her again, shouting at her to wake up while everypony was rushing to get out the door.

Twilight shook her head several times and tried her hardest to think clearly. A new wave of dread washed over Twilight as she woke up and asked, “What’s happening, Spike?”

“It’s Blight!” cried Spike hysterically. “He got out! He’s attacking Ponyville!”

“Come on, you guys!” shouted Rainbow Dash, who quickly disappeared out the front door. Twilight picked up Spike and sprinted out of the library. Her friends were in the middle of the street, trying to fight the vines which already ran rampant. It was an absolute nightmare. Ponies ran around in panic, trying desperately to escape the vines that covered their homes and carts. The town sirens blared and the mayor’s strained voice could be heard over the town’s public address system, telling everypony to evacuate the town via the train station. In the distance, Twilight could make out town hall, and a large column of vines standing next to it.

Twilight joined her friends, “Where’s Princess Celestia?” shouted Twilight over the noise.

“We don’t know,” Applejack shouted back. “Princess Cadance woke us up and told us the town was under attack. We haven’t seen any of 'em since!”

Twilight raised her horn and cast a protective bubble around her friends and the crowd of ponies around them. All the vines unfortunate enough to be caught in the shield were neatly cut off from the retreating main mass, and the ponies they held were finally free.

“We need to get out of here! Applejack, Rarity, go find your families! The rest of you, start herding the townspeople towards the train station! Check every house! Make sure nopony gets left behind!”

“So where in the Sam hill are you going?” cried Applejack.

Twilight pointed to town hall. “I’m betting that’s where the princesses and my brother are. I’m going to help them however I can, and figure out how to stop Blight from spreading all across Equestria. Meet me there once everypony’s safe!”

“You got it, Twilight.” answered Rainbow, turning to the crowd behind her. “Come on everypony, we’re getting out of here!” With Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy bringing up the rear, Rainbow lead the group down the road and out of sight. Applejack and Rarity meanwhile ran off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

“Are you ready, Spike?” asked Twilight as she focused her gaze on the town hall. She concentrated for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, they teleported to the roof of a building overlooking the Ponyville’s central plaza. There, they saw yet another battle taking place. On one side was Cadance, who was helping a few ponies to their feet and ushering them in the direction of the trains. Twilight looked to the right and saw Shining Armor, who was standing on the hall’s second story balcony. He was using his magic to form a shield around the princesses, who were hovering high off the ground, using their magic to burn away a large column of vines that had formed next to the hall. Alpenglow was there as well. He stood on the balcony with Shining Armor, hacking away at the vines climbing up the walls.

“Twilight, watch out!” shouted Spike.

Something wrapped around Twilight's front leg, and with a jolt she found herself being dragged off the roof. She instantly focused her mind on Cadance, and with mere seconds to spare, teleported before she and Spike hit the ground, appearing just inches away from Cadance, who jumped back in surprise.

“Cadance, what’s happening? What are you all still doing here?” asked Twilight.

Cadance sent the last straggler towards the trains and explained, “We’re buying time for everypony to evacuate Ponyville. I just sent the mayor and her staff on their way. It should be just us left. Where are your friends?”

“I told them to go help the townspeople. They should be here soon.” She waved Cadance forward. “Quick, the princesses need our help!”

The two ran to the other side of the hall, where the princesses were still battling the column. For a moment, it looked like the princesses were winning. The column quickly shrank under the magical barrage, but just as it seemed on the verge of collapsing, a cluster of vines would shoot out towards the princesses and distract them just long enough for the column to rebuild itself. The battle looked to be a grueling stalemate, until Cadance and Twilight joined in.

Magic resistant or not, even the vines couldn’t ignore the combined power of the four princesses. Twilight watched with relief as vines crumbled, burned, or were simply torn apart under their spells. The column split apart and crashed to the ground, leaving an ugly stump of clumped vines sticking out of the ground. Inside the stump, Twilight could make out the battered remains of a seed.

As Shining Armor and Alpenglow made their way down from the balcony, the princesses floated down to Twilight and Cadance.

“Wow, Twilight. That was…amazing,” exclaimed Spike. “I remember when there was no way you could have done something like that.”

“Thanks, Spike But we did it together,” said Twilight, trying to catch her breath.

“Good work, everypony,” said Luna. “Now, we all must leave Ponyville before Blight recovers. This column was the central hub for the vines attacking the town. Destroying it has given us enough time to evacuate.”

Across the plaza, Twilight saw her friends, who ran to her.

“Did you guys just take that thing down? Awesome!” Rainbow shouted triumphantly.

“Is everypony alright?” asked Twilight.

Applejack nodded, “Yep, everypony in town is on a train and on their way to Canterlot. We did some mighty fine work here today, y’all.”

“It’s not over though, is it?” asked Fluttershy.

Before Twilight could answer, a raspy laugh crept over the ponies, freezing them in place. They turned to face the stump and shrunk back as they saw that same pair of sallow eyes emerge from the tangle of vines. Unlike last time, the eyes had a mouth, a splintery face, and a neck that merged seamlessly with the vine from which it grew. As the face slithered closer and closer to the ponies, its eyes locked with Twilight’s.

“Not even close,” said Blight.
 

Chapter 6

For a moment, nopony knew what to do. Blight stood not more than fifty feet away, and was lumbering forward, when suddenly, Princess Celestia spun to face Twilight. “The elements, now!”

“No!” screamed Blight.

Twilight and her friends joined together and their elements began to glow. As the ponies were lifted off the ground, a familiar white light surrounded them. For a split second, Twilght’s concentration broke when she saw Blight, who dove forward. He would have surely smashed into Twilight and her friends if weren’t for Alpenglow, who tackled Blight, distracting him for a few precious moments.

Twilight could feel the presence of her friends around her: Fluttershy’s kind heart, Rarity’s unending charity, Applejack’s earthy integrity, Rainbow’s fierce devotion, and Pinkie’s unbridled joy. Twilight basked in the warmth of their friendship, reminded herself how lucky she was to have them, and opened her eyes.

A beautiful rainbow spiraled above the ponies. It arced through the air and slammed into Blight, causing him to writhe and thrash about. He tried to shield himself with his vines, but the magic of the elements cut straight through. As Twilight and her friends floated to the ground, they could only see a smoking hole where Blight and the stump had stood. The princesses, her brother, and Spike gathered around. Alpenglow was cautiously walking towards the hole.

“Ponies, one; dumb plant monster, zero!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“Is he…gone?” asked Applejack.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but a groan from the pit cut her off. The ponies looked in disbelief as a vine grabbed the lip of the pit. Inch by inch, Blight climbed out, looking much smaller than he had before. He almost looked pitiful. Instead of legs, he supported himself on a tangle of twisted roots. The vines that made up his stumpy, hunched body were singed and bruised. His face, now covered in patches of stone, had the tired look of an old pony, but his eyes burned with renewed rage and hate.

“What did you do to me?!” cried Blight. Vines shot from his body towards the ponies, but stopped in their tracks and turned towards Alpenglow, who had thrown himself against Blight once more. Twilight bounded forward while the princesses gathered everypony together. As she started cutting the vines holding Alpenglow, she could hear their venom-filled exchange.

“You’re like a weed, Alpenglow,” hissed Blight. “Every time I think I’ve finally stomped you out, you come back. Do you even know how long we’ve been in there? Do you even care? No, the second we’re out, you go back to doing the only you know how to do: fight.”

“Maybe you’re right, Blight,” answered Alpenglow, his voice as cold as ice. “But this time, I won’t stop until you’re nothing but a greasy smear on the bottom of my hooves.”

Blight sneered and turned his attention to Twilight. “Tell me, little princess, does that sound like a pony to whom you would entrust the safety of Equestria?”

Twilight ignored him and continued cutting the vines. She had to use her magic to tear Alpenglow away from Blight, even though it seemed like the last thing the stallion wanted. His helmet fell off and skittered to the right before Spike scooped it up. Blight roared and plunged his roots into the ground, causing it to shake once more. Everywhere the ponies looked, vines split the earth and flowed through the town, completely engulfing it in a mass of thorns and razor-shaped leaves.

“Twilight, over here!” shouted Fluttershy.

Twilight turned and saw everypony gathered around Princess Celestia, whose horn was glowing increasingly brighter. Twilight turned to run, but then remembered in a panic Spike, who she saw was several feet behind her. He was running as fast as he could, the helmet and bag slowing him down with every step. Before Twilight could turn and grab him, Alpenglow threw him onto his back, and the three sprinted for the group.

Blight roared again. He surged towards the ponies, but the tips of the vines on which he walked became stiff. They turned grey and brittle, then exploded beneath him in a pile of dusty rubble. Twilight ran into the circle of her friends, with Spike and Alpenglow right behind. Princess Celestia’s horn continued to grow brighter. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, they were in a train car, surrounded by their various neighbors from Ponyville. Twilight let out a sigh of relief. They had made it.

“That…was close,” admitted Rainbow Dash.

“A little too close,” added Fluttershy.

Twilight took in the scene in the crowded train car. Everypony looked miserable, and as far as she could tell, none of them carried bags or suitcases. It seemed Blight had attacked the town so quickly, nopony had had time to grab any of their belongings. Most of the townspeople sat in their seats quietly, trying to understand what they had just been through. The princesses and Alpenglow were quietly talking in the corner of the car, but before Twilight could talk to them, she felt somepony nudge her shoulder. It was Rarity.

“Twilight,” she said, gently raising her hoof. She was pointing at Applejack, who was sitting at a window with her hat off and head down. The rest of the girls were gathered around her. Twilight followed Rarity over to the window and the two placed their hooves around Applejack. Twilight was just about to ask what was wrong, but lost her voice when she looked out the window.

From the train, Ponyville was unrecognizable. The shapes and outlines of the familiar buildings were lost in a sea of twisting, black-green mass. As Twilight looked ahead towards the hills surrounding Ponyville, she saw they were covered too, but not with vines. Hundreds of royal guards from all across Equestria marched towards the town, and among them flared the magic of unicorns. An enormous shield of changing colors began to form in the sky, quickly blanketing Ponyville. Before the town disappeared behind the shield, Twilight squinted and could just make out Sweet Apple Acres, silhouetted against the still rising sun. Vines jutted out of the barn and were spreading into the surrounding orchards, tearing up the earth and throwing apple trees into the air.

With a jolt, the train suddenly picked up speed, leaving Twilight and her friends to huddle close together as they watched Ponyville shrink into a blur on the horizon.

Part 2

You Can't Go Home Again

Chapter 7

It was almost noon when Canterlot's central station appeared outside the car windows. The train quickly emptied, but having nowhere to go, its weary occupants lingered on the platform like a fleet of adrift ships. It was a gloomy sight until, to Twilight's comfort, royal guards immediately began guiding ponies towards a clearing across the tracks, where the beginnings of a large camp already lay. The princesses, Shining Armor, and Alpenglow stood talking at the entrance of the station while everypony else watched the guards raise row after row of tents.

Rarity tore her gaze from the camp and walked over. “Twilight, darling, I suggest that we make sure everypony settles in well. In the meantime, you can go find out from Princess Celestia and that Alpenglow character our next steps.”

“Right. I’ll be back soon,” replied Twilight. As she turned in the direction of the princesses, Spike hopped from her back.

“I think I’m gonna go help everypony else,” he said. “It looks like you guys are going to be talking about important princess stuff.”

“Spike, you know nopony will mind if you’re there, too.”

“I know, but to tell you the truth, I’m kinda worried about Applejack. I mean, everypony's upset right now, but I think it hit her pretty hard.”

“You’re definitely right about that. Think you can keep an eye on her?”

“You can count on me!” replied Spike. As he ran off, Twilight realized he was still carrying Alpenglow’s helmet and bag, and was about to call him back before deciding that returning them could wait. For her, it was no small comfort just to see somepony in reasonable spirits.

The platform had become deserted by the time Twilight approached the princesses, Shining Armor, and Alpenglow. Luna motioned her to follow, and the six of them quickly walked from the station to the castle. They stopped in the courtyard leading to the archives, and Princess Celestia spoke.

“The new shield should prevent Blight from escaping, at least for a time,” she explained. “Luna, once we check on Discord’s progress, you and I will return to Ponyville. Since Blight will no doubt use his time to regain his strength, we will have to keep a close eye on him. Shining Armor, I would also like you there to help coordinate the guards and patrol the shield for any weaknesses.”

“Of course, Princess. We’re bringing everypony from the Crystal Empire we can spare. They should all be here in under a day.”

“Good.” The Princess turned to Cadance. “I’m sorry to task you with this, Cadance, but I need you to stay here in Canterlot and ensure the rest of Equestria stays calm and collected when they learn what has happened. I know it’s a tall order, but if you can, try to make the citizens of Ponyville as comfortable as possible during their time here. I can only imagine what they’re feeling right now.”

“I’m sure I can find a way,” assured Cadance.

“We’re going to check on Discord now,” the Princess added. “We’ll come find you both shortly. In the meantime, please spread the news among the royal staff and inform them of their duties.”

As Cadance and Shining Armor continued on to the castle, Twilight and the princesses made their way into the archives. The unicorn guards at the entrance saluted the three before pulling apart the tall doors. As they entered, Twilight peered back and saw Alpenglow return the guards’ salute before closing the doors himself, leaving the four of them in a dimly-lit hallway. From there, it was a short walk to the Starswirl the Bearded wing. Twilight couldn’t help but think back to the last time she was here. She decided entering through the front door was a big improvement.

With a wave from Princess Celestia’s horn, the iron bar door to the wing creaked open, and they all stepped inside. There, reading in the center of the room, under the cart-sized hourglass, was Discord. The former spirit of chaos hovered atop a heap of old scrolls and books, seemingly absorbed by whatever he was reading. Twilight couldn't decide which was the stranger sight: that the draconequus was needlessly floating upside down, holding the book with the pages facing away from him, or that he almost appeared calm. Actually, he was probably just bored.

Discord finally took notice of the ponies and flipped to his feet. “Ah, my friends, there you all are!” His expression turned into an annoyed pout. “Hopefully to tell me that Blight is defeated, the day is saved, and I don’t have to spend another minute in this dreadful place. If I didn’t know better, Celestia, I’d say you were trying to convince me that being trapped in stone wasn’t so bad after all."

For all Discord's grumbling, his current plight hadn't affected his mad-as-a-hatter disposition, which he made all too apparent when he turned to Twilight, grinning his cheshire grin. “And look at you! Why, it feels like only yesterday when you were just a little purple unicorn I could pick up and toss into the air. Oh wait, you still are, and I still can!” chortled Discord as he did just that. Following a quick noogie, he dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor, then pulled a handkerchief from his ear and dabbed his eyes. “They grow up so fast, don’t they, Celestia?” he said wistfully.

“Discord, please,” said the Princess. “We are facing a serious crisis right now. The citizens of Ponyville have just lost their homes, and if we don’t find a way to keep Blight under control, they will only be the first to suffer.”

“Ah yes, of course,” Discord apologized, with what may have been actual sincerity. He stretched out onto the pile of books, spinning one on his finger. “Sorry to disappoint you, Princess, but there’s nothing in here about Blight you don’t already know. Besides, I don’t see what you need me for when you’ve got the tin pony over there. Surely he has the answers.” He pointed at Alpenglow, who was half-glaring at Discord.

“No, I don’t,” said Alpenglow. “It was over a thousand years ago. I can’t remember what happened, just that I defeated him.”

Discord tapped his lips thoughtfully. “Come now, you can’t remember, or you don’t want to?” An actual light bulb flashed above Discord’s head, and he extended his hand towards the stallion. “Maybe I can help with-”

“Don’t even think about it,” growled Alpenglow, backing away. “I might not remember how to stop Blight, but I know exactly who you are. You want to back off, right now.”

Discord drew back his hand, offended. He stood, and with a snap of his fingers, a thin dueling sword appeared in his hand. “You, sir, have offended my honor!” he said in a haughty voice. “En garde!”

“Mistake,” said Alpenglow, drawing his own sword.

“Enough, both of you!” barked Luna. “Alpenglow, we told you already that Discord is reformed. He is no longer our enemy.”

Alpenglow held his stance a moment before sheathing his weapon. “If you say so.”

Discord wiped a tear from his eye. “How you can be so heartless?” he howled. “The only way you know me is from what Celestia told you; now you’re judging me?”

Twilight spoke up, eager to get back on track. “Princess, why did you have Discord doing research on Blight? Maybe he could help us fight him. He is the spirit of chaos. His magic could definitely help us.”

“True, Twilight," answered Luna, "but we cannot risk Blight trying to manipulate Discord. For that reason, we have asked that he remain here to learn as much as possible about Blight.”

Discord pulled at his horns. “A request that could very well be the end of me," he griped.

“Princess, what if we looked in the other annex of the archives?” suggested Twilight. “Jade Singer knows it like the back of her hoof. She might have some ideas.”

Princess Celestia thought for a moment. “I hadn’t considered searching there. Those collections don't contain many spells, but it does contain some of the oldest written works in Equestria.” She turned to look at Alpenglow as well. “I’m sure between the two of you and Jade, you’ll find something you can use.” She turned back to Discord. “I’m sorry, Discord, but until we’re absolutely sure there’s nothing here, I’d like you to stay and continue searching.”

Discord’s expression soured as two pairs of reading glasses landed on his head. “Oh, joy,” he said dully, and his face disappeared behind the book once more.

Twilight turned to follow the princesses and Alpenglow out of the wing, but was stopped by a tap on her shoulder.

“One moment, Twilight,” said Discord from behind his book. “I’d like to give you a little piece of advice.”

Twilight's eyes narrowed on reflex. “What is it?”

Out of the book's brown cover, between the words of the title and author, Discord’s oblong eyes popped into view. “Just so you know, Celestia’s been rather tight-lipped to me about that pony. Whatever happened between him and Blight took place far away from here, far from the eyes and ears of her and Luna, but the little I’ve figured out for myself tells me I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a room with either of them. Be careful as you turn the pages of this story. You may not like what you find.” Upon finishing, Discord cackled to himself. Over what, Twilight couldn't guess, but she disliked it just the same.

“What do you mean?"

“No time to explain, best princess! While chaos is an ache, hate is a sting, and not even knights can escape its thorny cling. The rest you must find out for yourself. Now go, your adventure awaits!”

Twilight frowned and rushed left the wing, feeling none the wiser from Discord's 'advice.' She marched out of the archives building and into the courtyard, where she found only Alpenglow waiting.

“They went to go check on Princess Cadance and the Captain," the stallion said. "Nothing apocalyptic, just had to be taken care of right away. Something to do with making sure there's enough space for the ponies from that town. They said you knew the way to the archives, and that your friends would meet us there.”

“Yes, I know the way," she said, pointing down the road. "Just follow me."

“Yes, Your Highness."

For a while, the two of them walked in total silence. The sun blazed square above, and apart from a couple of fillies playing hopscotch and some ponies having lunch, the street was strikingly quiet.

As they walked, Twilight glanced over at Alpenglow, who held his gaze steady at the path in front of them. Unfortunately, the majority of things she knew about him wouldn’t make for very good conversation, so she started with something simple.

“So, Alpenglow, what do you think of Canterlot? Does it hold up to the princesses' old castle?”

Alpenglow looked around, taking in the street, the buildings, and the majestic skyline. Though she couldn't be sure, Twilight could have sworn he was indulging her. “Without a doubt, Your Highness. It’s a beautiful city. Puts the old one to shame, though I can't say my memory of it is all that reliable."

She jumped in, “You can really just call me Twilight. I haven’t been a princess for that long, and I’m really not that crazy about being saluted and called ‘Your Highness’ everywhere I go.”

“Sorry, ma’am, it’s an old habit. If you don't want me to refer to you as ‘Your Highness,’ I won’t.”

“It’s your choice, but I think it’s for the best. We’re all friends here, so there's no need to be formal.”

“If you say so, ma’am.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. “Twilight,” she said. “Just Twilight, really.”

“Yes, ma’am…Twilight.”

Feeling she had made a little progress, she tried something else. “I’ve never seen an emblem like that before,” she said, pointing to a dragon stitched on the right of Alpenglow's cloak. The gold-trimmed bat-serpent lay upon a red field, wings spread, with the ruby dust of a fiery breath sparkling around its mouth. "Where did you get it?"

“It was a gift,” he replied, regarding the symbol with a lack of fascination. "A long time ago, the dragons were having some kind of family dispute or trouble with the younger ones. I don't remember what it was all about, but we got in the middle of it, helped them work it out, and the eldest gave this as thanks."

To her credit, Twilight’s mouth hung open only briefly. She sprang in front of Alpenglow, eyes glittering.

“You’ve...been to the dragon homeland?! Please, tell me everything! Where is their home? What’s it look like?”

Alpenglow's face, somehow less expressive with his helmet off, drew back from Twilight and her sudden enthusiasm. Finally he answered, “I’ll tell you everything I saw...Twilight, but we should stay focused on the mission.”

The two continued walking. “Oh, of course,” she said, a bit disappointed. She added hopefully, “If we have some time later, I'd love to hear about it."

“You have my word." He paused. "I can see what the princess meant when she said you were always her most promising student.”

Twilight blushed. “I don’t know about that, but I’ve always loved learning.”

“That’s good. The responsibilities of being a princess can weigh down on you. Finding time for things you enjoy are important, something you can go home to, to just stop and rest."

“My friends have helped me a lot, too. I don’t know where I’d be without them. They celebrate my victories and catch me when I fall.”

“They seem like good ponies. You’re lucky to have each other after everything you've been through...very lucky."

Before Twilight could ponder that strange bit of emphasis, they arrived at Jade Singer’s home: the unassuming building of the royal archives.

Chapter 8

“Twilight! It's so good to see you!” said Jade Singer, greeting Twilight with a hug. Her expression softened. “One of the royal messengers was just here. I’m so sorry about Ponyville.”

“It’s ok, Jade,” said Twilight. “We’re going to fix this, but first we need your help.”

“Of course, what can I do for you?"

“We’re looking for any information about the Everfree Forest, especially Princess Celestia and Luna's old castle.”

Jade rubbed her chin. “Hmm, we have plenty of books in the history section about Equestria during that time, but I’m having trouble remembering if there was anything on the castle specifically.” She waved Twilight and Alpenglow along into the main hall after her. “Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

The three walked upstairs to the history wing. After several minutes of perusing the towering bookcases, Jade gave an annoyed sigh. “A lot more than I remembered being here. This may take a while. We can set up downstairs, if you want. I already had some tea on the stove. Would you like any, Twilight?”

“That’d be wonderful, Jade. Thank you."

Jade looked past Twilight, smiling politely. “And you, young sir?”

Alpenglow turned to face her. “Yes, ma’am, please. And thank you for your hospitality."

Jade beamed. “Ah, such manners from such a young pony!” She quickly pretended to fix her mane. “A stallion after my own heart. Quick, Twilight, introduce me!”

Twilight shook her head and smiled. “Alpenglow, this is Jade Singer. She’s the royal archivist, and a very talented author. I’ll show you her books later.”

Jade chuckled. “Please don’t, I'll never be convinced that the second one measured up to the first. Besides, Twilight isn’t telling you the best part, about how the two of us met. A while back after I wrote my first book, I let my fears get the best of me, and tried to hide away here in the archives. Then one day, this young mare shows up at my door, organizes the entire collection in less than a week, and convinces me to go back to doing what I love. Not bad at all.” Jade smiled to herself. “I’ll never forget that first day you showed up. There you were, full of sugar and spice, and me, hobbling around, grumpy as a gargoyle. Good times.”

“Sounds like it, ma’am."

“And what about you?” said Jade, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “I know I’ve never seen you before, yet there’s something I can’t quite put my hoof on, like I should recognize you from somewhere. I assume you’re one of Twilight’s new guards?”

“Not exactly, Jade. He’s…um,” Twilight hesitated. She still didn’t have any real idea who or what Alpenglow was. He knew the princesses, and must have served some kind of official role, but there was little for her to say beyond that.

“I’m nopony, ma’am,” Alpenglow said quickly. “I’m just here to help Princess Twilight.”

Jade raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Is that right? Well, let me go get that tea, then I’ll come join you two.”

Together, Twilight and Alpenglow hauled several stacks of relevant books downstairs. Plopping them onto the large circular table in the middle of the room, they sat down and began to quietly flip through the various volumes. Almost twenty minutes had passed before Twilight tore herself from their work and realized Jade hadn’t returned yet. Didn’t she say that she was just going to get tea?

As if on cue, Jade strolled into the room, levitating a tray and a large, gilded book. She gently lowered the pot and cup-laden tin onto the table, but almost threw the book onto it, looking delighted.

“My eyes might be shot, young stallion, but I’m not senile just yet. Either the pony who designed your uniform has great taste in children's stories, or you’re a lot older than you look.”

Alpenglow looked up from his book and rubbed his neck, looking uneasy. Though he hid it well, the faintest of embarrassed smiles appeared on his face. Twilight looked at the book Jade had brought: The Legend of the Equestrian Knights. She didn’t recognize it. Examining it further, she could make out a detailed drawing of six ponies, three stallions and three mares, all clad in shiny, extravagant armor. They were standing on a hill looking very heroic, and on the far right of the group stood a pegasus. Twilight looked at the stallion in the picture, then at Alpenglow. The blue-grey coat, the ochre eyes, the pale gold mane, even the painfully serious expression- they were all a picture-perfect match.

“This book was beyond ancient when I was a filly,” said Jade, picking up the book. “It was one of my favorites growing up. Even now, I still enjoy pulling it out from time to time for nostalgia's sake. All those rousing adventures and gallant figures...I loved every single page of them.” Jade leaned slightly on the desk towards Alpenglow. “But I just don’t understand. If you’re real, then why have I never seen anything written about you outside this single storybook?”

Alpenglow shrugged. “A thousand years is a long time, ma’am. Things change. Ponies forget, and things get lost. I suppose over time, the truth of what we did turned into stories. Isn’t that how it usually happens?”

“Of course, but if half of these stories are true, you must have been known throughout the world, and not just Equestria, either!”

“I’m sure there’s been plenty of exaggeration over the years, ma’am.”

Jade began flipping furiously through the book. “So you’re telling me that you didn’t once save the king of the griffin kingdom from being eaten by a rampaging troll?”

“It was just a coincidence that we were there,” explained Alpenglow. “Princess Celestia just sent us there to escort the king to Equestria for a royal summit.”

Jade turned to another page. “What about when you rescued the entire Equestrian Congress after they were kidnapped by a long-lost civilization of subterranean ponies?”

That last one seemed to catch Alpenglow off guard. He looked a little bewildered as he rubbed his eyes. “Oh...them. They were just ponies protesting some badly thought-out city planning decisions. I don't know what Chancellor Blueblood was thinking when he made those proposals. There were a few hundred of them living under the streets, scaring everypony and causing trouble. It took some time, but we managed to calm them down and convince them to let the congress go without a fuss. I'm hoping you'll tell me ponies today are more level-headed.”

"No comment," replied Jade with a smirk. She flipped to another section with practiced ease. “Then how about when the six of you single-handedly defeated an army of changelings sent to invade the Crystal Empire?”

“That sounds about right, though I wouldn’t have called a couple hundred an entire army. Still, it was- it wasn't a good day.”

Jade finally shut the book, managing to show awe, disbelief, and annoyance all at the same time. “‘Nopony,’ my rump,” she grumbled. “And what do you have to hide, anyway? That kind of enigma is overrated, and should be beneath a pony such as you.”

Alpenglow gave a short, weak laugh that sounded more like a wheeze. “Very little is beneath a pony such as me, ma’am." He paused, and his face grew more serious. "And I’m sorry I lied to you. Explaining who I was just didn’t seem that important.”

Jade huffed disapprovingly, then sat down. “You know, Twilight, this is kind of a dream come true for me. As a filly, I always imagined meeting the knights and asking them about their adventures. It’s not quite as dramatic as I’d imagined…” She rested her head on her hoof thoughtfully as she looked at Alpenglow, “…but in a way, you’re everything I thought you’d be: professional, composed, dashing. But tell me something, Alpenglow, why just you? Where are your friends, the others?”

Alpenglow froze, his eyes lost in the books before him, or possibly somewhere else. Twilight anxiously considered Jade’s question, recalling what Discord had said. She watched Alpenglow carefully from the corner of her eye. He blinked once slowly, then said in a trailing voice, “I’m sorry, Ms. Singer, but that'll have to be a story for another time. We should focus on finding what we came here for.”

“Oh, I see,” said Jade. She cleared her throat, looking suddenly embarrassed, and perhaps a little bit guilty. “I'm sorry for prying. My curiosity got the better of me.”

"I understand; no need to apologize."

Jade shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and with a hushed sigh, opened the book in front of her. Twilight did the same, and the three ponies were left alone with their work.

Chapter 9

Twilight was beyond glad when her friends finally arrived; not only was she happy to see them, but they had broken the listless silence that had filled the room for the last half-hour. They entered in a group, and Jade stood to greet them.

“Hello, girls. Good to see all of you safe. Are you doing alright?”

“Yes, ma’am,” answered Applejack. “Firing on all pistons, but we’re getting it done. Everypony’s settled and got a place to sleep now.”

Jade nodded thoughtfully. “Good. Well, we’ve already made some headway. Everything you should need is on the table. Just make yourselves comfortable while I get more tea.”

“Thank you, Miss Singer,” said Rarity.

As her friends walked towards the desks, Twilight examined each of them closely. They all seemed much better than they did this morning. Even Applejack looked like herself again. “Is everything ok down at the train station?”

“Yep,” said Applejack, wiping her forehead. “It took some time, but we finally found a place for everypony. They’re crowded, but should be comfortable enough until they can go back home. We were lucky enough to have some kind Canterlot folk helping out.”

“It was so nice of them to volunteer,” added Fluttershy. “We couldn’t have done it so quickly without them. Pinkie and Spike even managed to set up a puppet show to cheer up the little ponies.”

Pinkie Pie hopped in place. “All in a day’s work, right Spike?”

“Yep!”

“What have you two found so far?” asked Rarity.

“Actually, I found out…” Twilight stopped. She had finally discovered something significant about Alpenglow, but lacking a good way to bring it up, she decided now was the time everypony could get to know each other. As far as she could tell, they were all going to be spending some time together. “Well, for starters, would you care to introduce yourself, Alpenglow?”

The stallion stood, and after surveying Twilight’s friends for a moment, he said formally, “Hello, everyone. My name is Alpenglow. I’ve been an Equestrian Knight for...well, let’s just say a long time. I promise to do everything I can to help you stop Blight.”

Rainbow Dash cocked her head sideways. “Sooo...are you like one of the guards?”

Alpenglow nodded. “Not too different. In addition to being protection for the princesses, we were also their personal ambassadors and assistants. We were often acted on their behalf for matters in and out of Equestria, if and when they were otherwise busy.”

“Sounds like y’all were pretty important,” said Applejack. “How did you wind up a statue sittin’ under the princesses’ old castle for a thousand years?”

“It was my last battle with Blight. He was hiding on the edge of the griffin kingdom for months, preparing to attack Equestria.” Alpenglow frowned. “I don’t remember what happened during the fight, but I stopped him before he could. That box I was chained to likely had something to do with it.”

“How can you not remember something as important as how you beat this guy?” asked Rainbow.

“Rainbow Dash, don’t be rude,” said Rarity.

“I’m sorry, miss, I just don’t. It was a long time ago. I don’t remember a lot about what happened that day,” said Alpenglow, his eyes downcast.

“It’s alright. We’ll figure it out,” assured Twilight. “First of all, I want you to meet everypony, Alpenglow. This is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike.”

Alpenglow bowed his head slightly to greet them. “We really should get back to work,” he said flatly and sat back down.

Everypony's eyebrows rose, then lowered as they looked at one another, frowning in confusion. Then, they all pulled up chairs and began to read. Shortly after, Jade came back with more tea and sat down next to Twilight. For an hour they all sat, reading quietly until Spike scooped up his book and bounced over to Twilight’s side of the table.

“Look, Twilight!” he said, holding up the worn pages. “This book on the founding of Equestria has a section on the princesses’ old castle.” Spike read from it, following the words with his claw. “This chapter says the castle used to have a museum dedicated to 'the fabled knights of ancient Equestria.’”

“That’s exactly what we need, Spike!” exclaimed Twilight. She lifted the book onto the table where everypony could see. “It says here that the museum contained many artifacts belonging to each generation of knights, including replicas of the Elements of Heroism.”

“‘Elements of what?’” asked Rainbow.

Twilight flipped through the next couple of pages. “The book doesn’t say what they are, just that they 'allowed the knights to defeat evil time and time again.'”

“You think they’re like the Elements of Harmony, Twi’?” wondered Applejack.

“I don’t know. The book says there were only three elements, but the words are faded. I can’t tell what they say.”

“Courage, Altruism, and Integrity,” Alpenglow said from across the table, causing everypony to look at him in surprise.

“Altru-what?” asked Spike.

“Altruism,” corrected Twilight. “It means being kind to others, just because it’s the right thing to do. Think of it as generosity and kindness combined, while integrity means being loyal and honest to what you think is right and wrong.”

“Oh, got it,” said Spike.

“I can’t believe I forgot them,” continued Alpenglow. It was our secret, back when Equestria was founded, along with the knights. It’s how I beat Blight before, and if we can find them, I can do it again.”

Everypony stopped to think. Finally Twilight asked, “But if we can use them to stop Blight, why didn’t Princess Celestia tell us before?”

“Yeah, and why didn’t the Elements of Harmony work on Blight, anyway?” asked Rainbow.

Alpenglow leaned forward on the table. “The princesses didn’t know about the Elements of Heroism. Like I said, it was a secret, from Starswirl to us, each and every generation of knights. Princess Celestia decided it would be best for it to remain our secret, in case anything ever happened to her or Luna. They definitely knew about the elements, but they never asked about them out of respect for Starswirl and the tradition.”

“So how did you use them?” asked Applejack.

Alpenglow shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “You don’t remember a lot, do you?”

“Rainbow!” scolded Fluttershy.

“I’m sorry. It’s all coming back to me, but slowly. I just need more time.”

Twilight shut the book and handed it to Spike. “Jade,” she asked, turning to her, “do you have any ideas about where else we can look for information on the Elements of Heroism?”

Jade looked around the library, her eyebrows furrowed. “I'm not sure. That has to be one of the oldest books in here. Unless…” She rubbed her chin again. “Have you thought about the Crystal Empire? Their records must be even older than the ones here. They might have what you need.”

“That’s a great idea, Jade!” Twilight turned to her friends. “We’ll check in with the princesses and my brother, then we’re going to the Crystal Empire.”

“Slim or not, that’s a lead if I ever heard one,” said Applejack.

“Road trip!” squealed Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash shot out of the room, stopping just long enough to turn her head around and shout, “Let’s get a move on, then! We're not gonna beat Blight just sitting here!”

Twilight hugged Jade goodbye. “Thank you so much for the help, Jade. We’ll be back soon.”

Jade hugged her back. “Happy to help, Twilight. If I find anything else, I’ll make sure it reaches you. Here, let me show you out.”

As the ponies walked down the hall and towards the front door, Twilight noticed again that Spike was still carrying Alpenglow’s things. She stopped Spike, looked at the helmet, then motioned her head towards Alpenglow. Her assistant nodded, and with a timid tap on the knight's shoulder, he gingerly held out both items. “Here,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I think you dropped these earlier.”

Alpenglow looked down at Spike for a moment before taking his things, slipping the helmet over his head and the bag over his back. “Thanks,” he said, “but you should have just left them. By stopping to pick them up, you put yourself and everypony else at risk, twice.”

Spike stepped back, looking hurt. “Sorry, they looked important. I didn’t want to leave them.”

“Even had they been important, they were not worth endangering any of us or the mission for. Be careful and think next time, because we can't afford something like this happening again.”

“Oh, okay,” Spike sighed as he walked to join everypony else.

Twilight looked at the stallion next to her, somewhat taken aback. “He was just trying to help."

“I’m sorry,” replied Alpenglow, his apology echoing harsh and metallic with the helmet, “but you know as well as I do that we need to focus on stopping Blight. Nothing else matters. The more your friends understand that, the better off we’ll be.”

Twilight frowned. “Maybe, but we need to work together if we’re going to save Equestria. It's how we've gotten this far."

“I don't doubt it, Twilight, and I trust you, but you need to realize that having friends alone won't stop Blight, finding the Elements of Heroism will.”

“If those stories Jade told about you are true, then I think you know both will be important. And maybe having one will help us find the other,” she said firmly, but sincerely.

The helmeted head swiveled to face her. “If you say so.”

Jade and everypony had were already waiting at the door. As Twilight and Alpenglow continued to walk down the hall, she asked, “Could I see one of those maps you mentioned?”

“Sure. Try the one on the left.”

Twilight opened the bag with her magic and pulled out the largest scroll. She unrolled it halfway, revealing a huge map of ancient Equestria. The historian in Twilight marveled at the absence of Canterlot and Ponyville, as well as the various symbols and trails that peppered and crisscrossed the map. She unrolled it more, looking for the legend, when another scroll fell to the floor. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to bother Alpenglow, who kept walking as Twilight stopped to pick it up. It was addressed to Princess Celestia, and though part of Twilight began to lecture the importance of not opening things that didn't belong to her, she couldn't help but carefully peel off the seal and unfurl the yellowed parchment.

She would soon regret her curiosity. As she read the letter, Twilight’s face drooped with each passing line, and by the end, her eyes were a little glossy at the edges. Thankfully, she was in nopony's sight, and even if she were, she was holding the map right in front of her face. Without expressly meaning to, she started rereading the letter, if only to make sure she had learned everything she could from it:

Dear Princess Celestia,

For the past two hours, I’ve been sitting here, alone in my tent on the outskirts of the griffin kingdom, trying to figure out just what I should do and what I should say in this letter in response to your letters and some questions you have asked regarding our mission. I have purposely not told you very much about my world over here, because I thought it might upset you. Perhaps that has been a mistake, so let me correct that now. I still doubt you will be able to comprehend it. I don’t think anyone can who has not been through it.

I live in a world of horrors. I have watched despair and hatred twist my friends into individuals I can no longer recognize, and I take full responsibility for my part in making them so.

Bridge Builder was the first to go. A week after we arrived, Blight showed himself on the edge of the kingdom. He had taken over one of the small towns there and enslaved its citizens, so we had to fight through them to reach him. But the second we did, he released his control over the townspeople and escaped, but not before sinking the entire city into the ground. It shook all of us up, but that didn’t change our resolve. We chased him to the next town, and he did it again. And again and again and again. Eventually, Bridge Builder had had enough. He said everything happening was our fault for chasing Blight. He turned on us, then disappeared. I believe now that Blight must have cast some spell on him during our fights. Regardless of whether he did or not, we never saw Bridge Builder again. I will spare you the details of what happened to the others, as their fates were ultimately the same. It is now just me and Tawny Timbre left, though I fear even that will not last. Everywhere Blight has gone, he has left a trail of destruction and misery, and we are caught in its wake.

So far, we have done our duty the best we can, and if you believe we haven’t, then I am sorry. As I look out over the countryside that once held the griffins’ lush orchards, I can see nothing but a wasteland of mud, shriveled vines, and rotting trees, reminding me of every time we have failed to stop him, and what those failures have cost us all.

My hopes for the future have sustained me, Princess. But like everything else around me, my hopes are dying, too. In spite of everything, our plan to recapture Blight may succeed, and perhaps one day you will see us again, but we will not be the same ponies you remember from our school days with you and Luna. No one can go through this and not change. We are all monsters. In the meantime, we just go on. Somehow, someway, this will have an ending. Whatever it is, I am ready for it.

Alpenglow

Twilight closed the letter. The storm of despairing images from her first reading had subsided into a clinging chill, leaving her with the reality that, unlike the stories Jade had told, this letter was only simple, pitiless truth. Every struggle, every misery it described had happened, not to some larger-than-life hero, but to a pony Twilight spoke to not more than thirty seconds ago. Discord's advice suddenly made a little too much sense.

The question was what she would do now. To ask Alpenglow would be to make him relive something he had forgotten with good reason. To tell everypony except him was no option either, as the trust he had given her was new, fragile, and based too heavily on her being a princess. Barely knowing Alpenglow was no excuse to betray that trust, so if Twilight was to respect his past with the princesses, as well as bring everypony together on this mission, all she could do for now was clear her eyes and thoughts, tuck the scrolls under her wing, and join her friends outside.

Chapter 10

By the time the train station crawled into view, Twilight had effectively forgotten the letter and joined her friends in their improved spirits, a task that proved to be more difficult than she first realized.

In the ponies' brief time at the archives, the station had become twice as busy; there were royal guards everywhere, loading equipment and filing onto a train that had just steamed in. Fortunately, Twilight's mere presence proved enough to part the hustling gold sea, and eventually revealed Shining Armor, who was busy giving orders to a pair of pegasi.

“Shining Armor, have you seen Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked over the commotion.

The two pegasi flew off as Shining Armor turned to her. “Sorry, Twilight, she and Luna left over an hour ago. Had to go back to Ponyville to reinforce the shield. It’s holding, but I’ve been getting reports of things slipping through.”

The six of them looked at each other. “What kind of things?” squeaked Fluttershy.

“We’re not sure,” said Shining Armor. He levitated several scrolls in front of him. “But all of them say they look like…seeds. This guard says she saw a single vine force its way through the shield, then something large shot out of it and disappeared before she could follow.” He put away the scrolls, frowning. “I’ve only heard about four so far, so it's probably pretty difficult for Blight to send them out.”

“How long will that last?” Twilight wondered aloud.

“I wish we knew, Twilie.” He pointed towards the clearing, which was now a forest of tents. “Cadance is somewhere in there with a message from the Princess. I had to hand it off to her so I wouldn’t lose it.”

“Why didn’t she just send it to me?” asked Spike.

Shining Armor shrugged. “I have no idea, Spike. She was in a pretty big rush. Maybe she wasn't thinking about it.”

That didn’t sound like Princess Celestia at all. Twilight turned to face everypony. “Let’s check in with Cadance, then we can figure out how to get to the Crystal Empire."

"No need, Twilight. Cadance and I figured you'd need a ride at some point. We've got a train ready for you when you want to leave."

"You guys sure work fast," said Rainbow.

"We try," replied Shining Armor as he looked to Twilight's left. "Hey, Alpenglow, you mind staying here? I wanted to get your thoughts on something.”

“No problem, Captain,” he said in a surprisingly casual voice.

As Alpenglow and Shining Armor began discussing strategies for organizing the guards, Twilight led everypony into the camp. Walking into the nearest tent, she asked the ponies inside if they had seen Cadance. The googly-eyed pegasus nodded, and her stallion companion said the princess had come through looking for the camp's doctors. Twilight thanked them and rejoined her friends.

“Rainbow, can you fly up and find the hospital tent?”

“Sure thing, Twilight." Rainbow shot into the sky, scanned the area, and pointed her hoof. “This way!” she called, taking off in the same direction.

Following Rainbow, the ponies worked their way through the drab fabric maze until they stumbled upon a tent in the middle of its own little clearing, a red cross stitched along the top of the entrance. Past the wide, flapped door, they found Cadance talking to a distraught Nurse Redheart.

“Cadance? Is everything alright?” asked Twilight.

From behind her mane, which hung ever so slightly knotted in front of her face, the Princess of Love gave them all a friendly smile. “Oh, there you are, girls. It’s nothing, we’re just having trouble tracking down all the doctors. Ponies keep coming in asking for help at their tent, the doctors leave, and then we have nopony here to help Nurse Redheart with the patients here.” Cadance sighed as she rubbed her eyes.

“Is anypony hurt?” asked Fluttershy.

“Nothing serious, thankfully. Some ponies were hurt during the evacuation, but they’ll be fine. The doctors are mainly worried about everypony living so close together. It’d be easy for one pony to make the entire camp sick.” Like Princess Celestia's recent forgetfulness, seeing Cadance stressed struck Twilight as strange, though certainly not surprising.

“Don’t worry, Cadance. I’m sure you can handle it."

“Here's hoping.” She lifted a scroll from underneath her wing. “Princess Celestia wanted us to give you this. She would have sent it to you, Spike, but she was exhausted from this morning and wanted to save her strength for the return to Ponyville.”

Twilight took the scroll, levitating it in the space before her. “What does it say?”

“I don’t know. I think it was advice in case you didn’t find anything at the archives, as well as some more information on Alpenglow and Blight.”

“We could definitely use some," said Applejack. "That pony's about as lively as a rock in a bucket of glue."

Cadance smiled again, knowingly. “I’ll admit he’s a bit on the stoic side, but try to imagine what it’s like for him, waking up one day and finding out it's a thousand years later. Except for Princess Celestia and Luna, Equestria is a whole new world to him.”

“She's right, girls,” said Fluttershy. “It might be a good idea to make him feel more welcome."

Pinkie pouted. “Now I feel even worse for not throwing him a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!”

“Uh, Pinkie, the only game we could have played at that party was ‘Don’t Get Crushed by the Giant Vine,'" Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“It might’ve been fun!”

“I just think you should try and show him what Equestria today has to offer,” continued Cadance. “Shining Armor and I talked to him last night while you all were sleeping. He really is an interesting pony, and I get the feeling Princess Celestia wouldn't have made him her student back then if she didn't trust him to help you all.”

Except for Twilight, everypony looked at each other, puzzled. “How could he’ve been a student of the Princess?” asked Applejack. “Last time I checked, he was a pegasus.”

Cadance gave another, knowing smile. “Maybe you should ask him. He told me he was very surprised to see two new princesses, so I’m sure he has plenty of questions, too.”

“I reckon we’ll have plenty of time to talk on the way to the Crystal Empire,” remarked Applejack.

“Glad to hear it,” Cadance said finally. She hugged each of them goodbye. “Good luck, girls. In the meantime, I’m going to-”

An explosion of shouting reverberated through the tent, forcing everypony to cover their ears. Somewhere in the high-pitched din, Twilight could have sworn she heard words. They almost sounded like “Cutie Mark Crusaders Humanitarian Workers!”

The ponies turned around in time to see Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell stampede into the tent, flattening Fluttershy in the process. “HiRarityhiApplejackhiRainbowDash!” they shrieked in unison as they flew past.

“Hi, Princess Cadance! How can we help?” Scootaloo asked eagerly. “Also, what does 'humanitarian' mean?”

"I already told you what it means, Scootaloo!" said Sweetie Bell in a high-pitched groan.

"And now I'm asking Princess Cadance, Little Ms. Dictionary!"

"You're being a total ignoramus!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

“Girls...,” Rarity said patiently, “...this is no time for your fighting or your games.”

“We know...” said Applebloom, puppy-eyed, "...but we really do wanna help.” She poked the ground with her hoof. “And if we could earn our cutie marks while doing it, then that’d be ok too, right?”

Cadance was still recovering from the fillies’ entrance. “Well girls, I’m not sure exactly what you three specifically can do…”

“Ooh, what if we changed bandages, or helped injured ponies get around?” suggested Sweetie Bell.

“I don’t know, Sweetie Bell," said Applebloom. "I ain’t taking any chances of earning a bed pan cutie mark."

“A what?”

Nopony could help but smile as they turned to leave. “They’re yours now, Cadance,” Applejack teased.

The Princess of Love smiled as she rolled her eyes. “You don’t say. Well, girls, if you want to help me, there are some ponies I’d like you to track down…”

It was another affair for the ponies to make their way back through the camp and onto the train platform. Once they did, they found it now empty except for Shining Armor and Alpenglow. On the tracks next to them sat a small train, consisting simply of an engine, a freight car, and a caboose.

“You guys ready to go?” Shining Armor asked.

“Yup,” answered Applejack.

“Alpenglow and I were just talking about how we can keep Blight trapped in the shield. I’m heading down there as soon as you guys are gone, but it looks like we can keep it going for as long as we need to. We just need to switch everypony out as they get tired.”

"We have that in our favor, at least,” said Rarity.

“Let’s get this show on the road!” Rainbow Dash trumpeted as she strode confidently onto the train, followed by everypony else.

Shining Armor took off his helmet and hugged Twilight. “Good luck, Twilie, and be careful."

She hugged him back. “Thanks, you too. We’ll be back as soon we can to help.”

“I hope so.” He turned his head in the direction of Ponyville. “Everything the Princess said about Blight gives me a bad feeling. There’s no telling what he’s planning.”

"We’ll be ready. We just have to stick together, and it’ll be alright.”

Shining Armor grinned. “See that? You’re getting better at being a princess every day. Keep it up and Princess Celestia will start coming to you for advice.” He walked off, leaving Twilight alone on the platform.

Twilight smiled, shaking her head. She could accept the idea that she was finally getting used to the idea of being a princess, but there was no way she could carry herself like Princess Celestia did every day.

“Come on, Twilight!” called Spike from the engine.

Rainbow immediately hollered after, “Yeah, get over here before Pinkie starts trying to drive this thing!”

Twilight put one hoof on the train before she remembered Princess Celestia’s message. She quickly pulled it from under her wing and unrolled it:

My dearest Twilight,

I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to see you off. News from Ponyville came while you were gone. Blight is slowly pushing back against the shield. Luna and I believe he is testing its strength, and we must go there to ensure it does not fall. As you no doubt already know, Blight has managed to pierce it in an attempt to spread his presence across Equestria. Since he knows you are the Elements of Harmony, he will surely try to find you. You must not allow him to slow you down, or to turn you and your friends against each other.

I truly hope you found some clue in the archives. If you didn’t, then head South to the Applaoosan Mountains. There, you will find an observatory once used by Starswirl. It was one of his private libraries and studies, and a place he used to watch the dragons during their migration. I am certain you will find something you can use, and Alpenglow will know the way. We made sure that he knows as much as possible about Equestria today and how it has changed.

Finally, please take care of him for me. He was our student once, mine and Luna’s. Seeing him after all this time was difficult, for he has changed a great deal. I fear that on his mission to stop Blight, something happened to make him cold and bitter. He avoided many of our questions when we spoke with him last night, and I am certain his behavior is the result of whatever befell his friends, the other knights. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, but even I don’t know exactly what happened to them, and I would rather that Alpenglow offer that information himself.

Have faith, Princess Twilight, and remember all the lessons you have learned about the magic of friendship. Whatever happens, they shall guide you through all your doubt and hardship.

Good luck, my faithful student,

Princess Celestia

Twilight rolled up the letter. It was a bizarre feeling, knowing more than Princess Celestia, though she still took comfort from the last paragraph as confirmation of what she told Alpenglow- that no matter the obstacle, the friendship she and her friends shared would see them through. Her confidence partially restored, she climbed aboard the train.

Everypony had already made themselves comfortable inside the caboose which, instead of individual seats, had two long ones lining the sides of the car, a small writing desk in the corner, and large bay windows. Twilight peered through the back door and saw Alpenglow standing on the little railed platform outside. She considered bringing him in, but decided that could wait, at least until they started moving.

A minute later, the train pulled out of the station, gradually building speed. The moment they passed the outer walls of Canterlot, everypony in the caboose gazed out the north-facing window. Together, they took in the familiar, but still breathtaking view of the crystal mountains.

Chapter 11

After the initial thrill of moving had worn off, the ponies slowly began to admire the steady sounds of the train as it rolled over the wooden slats of the track, the warm, pretty texture of the caboose's spruce walls, the cozy folds of the soft seats. Combined with the abuses of last night, it was hardly a surprise that they all began to yawn contagiously, let themselves sink into the seats, and into the carefree world behind their eyelids.

Several hours later, Twilight awoke to the sound of Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash playing “I spy” through the frost-covered windows while Rarity, Applejack, and Spike sat in the seat opposite her, talking about the past day and night.

“Nice to see our sisters handling things so well,” said Applejack, twisting around to look outside for a moment.

“I always knew my Sweetie Bell was adaptable, but looking at her, you'd think she was glad to be living in a tent,” said Rarity. She turned her head, resting it against the seat to stare out the window. “Though sometimes, I worry the dear doesn’t know what it’s all about.”

“Nah, Rarity,” replied Applejack. “Those fillies weren’t born yesterday. Deep down, they got it figured that we’re gonna fix all this, us and the princesses.”

“Let’s hope they’re right,” said Twilight, sitting up.

“Hey, Twilight,” said Applejack.

Twilight tapped Rainbow on the shoulder, and she, Fluttershy, and Pinkie turned around in their seats.

Applejack took off her hat. “I’ll be honest, y'all, when we left Ponyville and I saw the farm…I don’t know. Somehow, I couldn’t stop thinking that I’d never see it again.”

“Hey, that is not gonna happen,” said Rainbow. “We’re gonna find the Elements of Heroism, take back Ponyville, and blast Blight into next Tuesday.”

“Thanks, Rainbow,” said Applejack, mustering a smile. “But do ya ever feel like this isn’t just another of the Princess’s missions?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, this whole situation does seem a little strange. We know almost nothing about Blight, and even less about him.” She pointed at the rear door.

“We know he likes swords, and cupcakes!” blurted out Pinkie.

Rainbow cupped her face with her hoof. “And you know he likes cupcakes how, Pinkie?”

“It’s a given, Dash! We have to start with the basics!”

“Twilight,” continued Rarity, “you’ve spent some time with Alpenglow. What’s your impression of him?”

“Apart from the fact he’s kinda weird,” Rainbow threw in.

The letter was burning a hole in Twilight's saddlebag next to her. “I think we can trust him," she said, finally. "And I’m sure he knows we’re on the same side.” Twilight struggled, trying to decide what else she could bring up. “...I don’t know. I didn’t learn that much before you showed up at the archives. But you were right, Applejack. Alpenglow and the knights used to be important.”

“He seems rather old-fashioned, not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course,” quipped Rarity. “Personally, I find it charming.”

Twilight turned her head. “What about you, Fluttershy? Any thoughts?”

Fluttershy rested her hoof on her mouth. “I don’t know, Twilight. I’m waiting to find out more about him and his friends before I jump to any conclusions.”

“Do we even know what happened to these other knights?” asked Applejack.

“I have no idea,” said Twilight, the lie already troubling her.

“What about those statues we saw back at the castle?” suggested Spike.

Dumbfounded, Twilight exclaimed, “Of course, how did I not realize it? There were five statues in the cave. With Alpenglow, that makes six knights, which is how many the books say there were!”

“So does that mean the other knights are, what, still stuck in that cave? How come the princess didn’t have us free them, too?” Rainbow pointed out.

Twilight sighed. “I wish we knew, Rainbow."

“Um, excuse me, girls,” Fluttershy suggested, “but why don’t we ask Alpenglow ourselves? We probably shouldn't be talking about all of this without him, and I think if we remind him that what we’re doing is important, he’ll be happy to answer our questions.”

"Yeah, if he can 'remember' how to answer questions," jeered Rainbow.

Rarity pointed towards the back door. “Fluttershy is right. This mission is far too important for secrets. Twilight, why don’t you go bring him in? I strongly doubt he’ll want to stay out there much longer, and he seems more inclined to speak to you.”

Rarity’s innocent comment about secrets stuck to Twilight as she stood up. She pulled open the door, and every ounce of warmth was sucked out the opening, leaving the inside of the car in a frigid vacuum. Everypony shivered furiously as Twilight inched outside onto the platform. Looking left and right, she could see the powdered hills whip past, their steadily rising height foretelling the ponies' arrival at the mountains. Alpenglow stood staring at the endlessly growing path the train left behind. As far as Twilight could tell, he hadn't moved since they left Canterlot.

“Alpenglow, are you alright out here?” Twilight shouted over the wind.

“I’m fine,” he answered without looking back, hardly raising his voice.

Twilight was freezing solid where she stood, so she quickly said, “I wanted to ask you more questions about Blight. Do you think you can take a break from standing out here?”

Alpenglow wordlessly turned around and followed Twilight into the car, sitting down on the end of one couch, next to Spike and Rarity. Twilight quickly closed the door- to everypony's relief- and sat back down next to Rainbow. Applejack looked at Alpenglow, eyes slightly narrowed. Whether it was from suspicion or fascination, Twilight couldn't say. In all honesty, she still felt a bit uneasy whenever she had to turn to look at Alpenglow, only to be met with a razor-thin visor instead of eyes.

As if she had read Twilight's mind, Rarity used her magic to remove Alpenglow’s helmet and place it on the floor next to him. “A thousand pardons, dear, but it’s considered polite to take off one’s headgear indoors nowadays,” she said pleasantly, "especially if it covers one's face."

“If you say so, miss."

No reaction as far as Twilight could tell. “So," she started, “let’s go over what we’ve learned so far. We know that Blight is some kind of conjurer or wizard from Starswirl the Bearded’s time.”

“A might powerful one,” Applejack threw in.

“And…really scary,” bleated Fluttershy.

Twilight continued, “We also know he’s somehow able to resist the Elements of Harmony.”

“No kidding,” griped Rainbow, “They didn’t do a thing to him. What’s up with that?”

“But they did,” Twilight reminded. “The elements destroyed the vines that took over Ponyville, and they did something to Blight that made him want to get rid of us. I hate to admit it, but that might've been the only reason we escaped so easily.”

“I still don’t get how he pulled that off,” said Applejack with a shrug.

“Me neither.” Twilight turned her head. “Alpenglow, do you know why the elements weren’t enough to defeat Blight?”

The stallion's eyes wandered outside. “It’s hard to say," he said dryly. "The Princess told me the Elements of Harmony are the strongest magic to date that she and Luna have discovered. Still, Starswirl did mention that before Blight first disappeared from Equestria, he had shown a worrying interest in dark magic, and had spent the last years as his student searching the world for various artifacts.

“And how do you know all that?” asked Applejack.

Alpenglow cocked his head. “Because that’s what Starswirl told us.”

Twilight’s eyes were saucers. “You. Talked. To Starswirl the Bearded?!” she shrieked, leaning until her face was only inches from Alpenglow’s.

Spike tugged on Twilight’s mane. “Focus, Twilight.”

Twilight sat back down, blushing. “Um, right.”

Alpenglow stopped leaning away from Twilight and continued. “I remember now, he used a crystal like the ones from the Crystal Empire, but his didn’t just store messages and pictures. It was a portal that allowed him to talk with us from his own time. The crystals were passed down through each generation of knights, and once Blight escaped, mine used it to ask for Starswirl's help."

“In other words, time travel...ugh,” Spike groaned as he held his stomach.

Twilight chuckled. "We've dealt with something like that before. Let's just say it wasn't the best time we've ever had."

“I imagine. Whenever Starswirl tried to explain the magic behind it, he made my head hurt.” Alpenglowe rubbed his neck. “That kind of magic is always…messy.”

“As messy as bubblegum cake batter?” Pinkie asked earnestly.

“Sorry, miss, I wouldn’t know.”

Pinkie beamed. “Just wondering!”

“So where do we find this here time crystal?” asked Applejack. “Gettin’ help from a unicorn like Starswirl’s gotta count for somethin’ against Blight.”

Alpenglow shook his head. “It was lost on my mission.” Twilight pouted; so much for meeting Starswirl.

“Hmm, perhaps finding out what happened during your mission will be just as useful,” proposed Rarity. “Twilight knows a memory spell that-”

“We’ll find everything we need at the Crystal Empire,” snapped Alpenglow.

A thick silence fell over the car. Thankfully, Fluttershy quickly spoke up. “Twilight, did you learn anything from Princess Celestia’s letter?”

Twilight reopened the parchment. “Actually,” she said, reading, “the Princess mentioned that there’s an observatory in the Appaloosan Mountains that Starswirl once used. If we don’t find anything at the Crystal Empire, we’ll head there next.”

“Yeah, good thing it’s all the way in the opposite direction,” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

“We might not have a choice, Rainbow,” Applejack pointed out. She turned to Alpenglow. “So tell us a bit ‘bout yourself, Alpenglow. Cadance told us you used to be a student of the princesses.”

“Yes, do tell. I wasn’t even aware that pegasi could be magic students,” said Rarity.

Alpenglow's eyes shifted sideways, then he spoke. “I wasn't, at least not in the usual sense. I was just a colt when I first met her. There were six of us that Princess Celestia chose for what she and Luna called ‘special instruction.’ We tended to be separate from the other students, most of which were unicorns, like the school is today.”

“Those five were the other knights, weren’t they?” asked Twilight.

The stallion hesitated a moment. “Yes,” he let out. “There was me, another pegasus, two unicorns, and two earth ponies."

“Huh, that sounds familiar,” Applejack said with a small grin.

He continued, “Roughly half our day was spent with one of the princesses, and the other half was athletic training. Sometimes they sent us to class with other students if there was something specific they wanted us to learn: history, math, most of the subjects you'd expect.”

“Exactly what kind of instruction did they give you, if not in magic like Twilight?” asked Rarity.

“Well, they did in a way," he said, staring into space. "But it was more about teaching me what magic was, how it exists in everything and everypony.”

“Princess Celestia taught me that, too,” said Twilight. “She told me all the time that there’s magic in everypony. It just shows itself in different ways.”

“Of course,” added Fluttershy. “Pegasi do magic when they control the weather, while earth ponies have a special connection to nature, which makes them wonderful with plants and animals.” Fluttershy smiled down modestly at her cutie mark. “Of course, sometimes the talents mix.”

“What about when we use the Elements of Harmony?” wondered Rainbow Dash.

“Of course,” answered Twilight, “the elements allow us to channel magic already inside all of us: the magic of friendship.”

“And not a thing in the world can beat that,” Applejack said proudly.

The train shuddered, throwing everypony onto the floor as a terrible rumbling vibrated through the floor. The ponies could feel the wheels under them jump as they drove over something.

“What the hay was that?!” shouted Rainbow.

Picking herself up, Twilight climbed over to the window, which was completely covered in frost, and opened it to peer outside. Without warning, the train threw again, and she smacked her head against the side of the window frame. Rubbing her pounding temple, she looked out again towards the engine. In the distance, through the gray film of snow and wind, she could see the tracks leading into the dark blue mouth of a ravine, which cut deep into the snow-capped mountains, forming a pass between them. The train jerked again as Twilight struggled to focus her sights on the spinning wheels below her. There, running alongside and over the rails, was the unmistakable outline of vines.

Chapter 12

Mere seconds passed, and the train jostled the ponies faster- and harsher- as it sped through the polar foothills. The way everypony stumbled and fell about the caboose, it would have been reasonable to assume the world outside had gained a mind of its own, and was reaching out with some invisible hand to shake the car like a snow globe. With every vine it hit, the entire train would pop off the rails just an instant before landing with a jolt. It was only a matter of time before one came along that was too thick to run over. What would happen after that, Twilight quickly decided thinking about was unproductive.

“We gotta stop this thing before it flies off the tracks!” yelled Rainbow as she flung open the front door of the car.

Twilight spun to face the rest of her friends. “Everypony, strap yourselves in!” A moment later, and she was after Rainbow: out the door, over the freight car, and into the open engine, the wind and snow shoving her back the entire way.

When they left Canterlot, Applejack mentioned that this train didn’t need a conductor; the engine automatically fed itself coal, so all a pony had to do was pull the lever when they wanted to stop. Rainbow wrapped her hooves around it and pulled until she was lying flat on the floor. A deafening screech whistled below as the wheels locked into place. The train’s speed dropped slightly, but it continued to barrel forward, plowing into a series of rapidly thickening vines. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, and again the violet aura formed around her horn.

Rainbow grunted as she held the lever down. “I hope you’ve got a plan, Twilight."

“I do. I might not be able to get rid of the vines on the tracks, but I can help the train avoid them.”

“How?”

Horn sparking like a firecracker, Twilight concentrated, and the length of track between the train and the ravine glowed as it began tearing itself from the ground, leaving behind all but the most stubborn of vines where they had grown. With another strained thought, she planted the tracks far to the right, creating a sudden, but gentle curve in the rails. The glow around the tracks faded, and Twilight finally wiped the frosty sweat from her forehead. “That should do it."

“Nice one, Twilight!” shouted Rainbow, still holding the brake lever. The two braced themselves as the train hit the curve with a sudden lurch. Aside from a few bumps caused by the leftover vines, the ride was smooth all the way to the foot of the mountains.

As if succumbing to the cold, the train gradually slowed, coming to a complete stop just inside the pass, which Twilight could see was well large enough to fit five trains five by side. As for the vines, they were no longer intertwined with the tracks, but had grown onto and all along the cavernous walls on either side. None of them moved, though that was scant comfort to Twilight as everypony joined her and Rainbow at the engine car.

“Whew, that was some mighty quick thinking, you two,” said Applejack. “I thought we’d never stop.”

“Now we just gotta figure out how to start this thing again,” said Rainbow as she examined the engine controls, already stumped. “Well...at least there’s not so much wind and snow blowing in here.”

Every minute they spent in the pass was a strange mix of security and anxiety, like a weather-worn guest who's not quite sure if they're overstaying a welcome. Alpenglow in particular was making Twilight nervous. His unceasing glare towards the vines, though somewhat reassuring, was nonetheless nerve-racking as everypony else fought with the dials and switches for several minutes. It was a disquieting scene, even more so when they all instantly froze, and not because of the cold. The ponies silently looked around, listening for the foreboding sound again, and surely enough they heard it: the wet scraping of stone, and the crackle of tumbling rocks.

“Is that what I think it is?” whispered Spike.

“Can’t be,” Applejack whispered back. “We’ve come this way plenty of times, and not one of ‘em have we ever heard anything wrong when we passed through here.”

“I think it’s coming from ahead of us, not above us,” said Twilight. “We'd better take a look.”

They all squeamishly climbed off the train and followed the tracks deeper into the pass, which turned sharply left just ahead, as did the vines. The sounds were coming from around the corner, bouncing off the sheer walls.

As they rounded the bend, the ponies discovered the source of the noise: a fat mound of vines that filled the width of the pass, burying the tracks underneath its tangled mess. Several vines stretched out from the lumpy hill, probing the walls, where one of them found purchase on a shed-sized boulder and sent it crashing to the ground. The pass shuddered.

“What’s it doing?” asked Spike.

“It’s trying to bury us in here! We gotta stop it!” shouted Rainbow. She flew at the nearest vine, trying to wrestle it away from the wall as the mound took notice and launched a pair of especially thorny vines. Rainbow smoothly dodged them, and in their reckless fury, the three barbed ropes pulped themselves against the rocks behind her, then were thoroughly crushed when those same rocks hastily, and loudly, buried themselves in the snowy floor.

“Ha! You guys might be magic, but you’re gonna have to do a lot better than that to catch me!”

Pinkie Pie scooped up Spike. “Be right back, Twilight! Come on, Spike, I've got something that'll help!” she shouted, and the two of them disappeared back around the bend.

There was no time to find out what in the world Pinkie had in mind, so Twilight lead the charge as everypony rushed for the mound. “We have to find the center of it!” she shouted, her horn already glowing. A jungle's worth of vines sprung from the mound and poured towards them.

“Scatter!” barked Alpenglow, cuing everypony to split off in different directions. The vines tracked the ponies as they ran, but Twilight kept a close eye on everypony as they deftly bobbed and weaved their way through- they had had plenty of practice by now- and gradually closed the distance, foot by zigzagging foot. Alpenglow and Rainbow flew just overhead, one hacking away at the vines with his sword, the other tearing off the ends of them with her bare hooves.

Her forehead now an amethyst inferno, and her face set in the steely serenity of focus, Twilight came to a dead stop and aimed her horn at the mound. The pass lit up like the day as the beam shot through the air, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared the instant it reached its target, sending ripples through every layer of the fibrous, moving mountain. The attacking vines all fell limply to the ground. Twilight squinted and saw she had cut a large hole clear through the center, revealing a half-destroyed seed suspended in a hollow den. In a good imitation of panic, the hill hastily reeled in its vines, the majority of which shifted and twisted to remove its damaged members and cover the mangled opening.

“We have to destroy the seed!” shouted Twilight. “Alpenglow, Rainbow, don’t let it close up!”

“You got it, Twilight!” Rainbow answered as she and Alpenglow flew forward and began tugging. Fluttershy and Applejack soon joined them, followed by Twilight and Rarity with their magic, but even with all of them pulling, the thick cords slowly but surely continued to seal the gap.

Spike's voice echoed through the ravine, “Everypony, get clear!” They all looked back at him and Pinkie, who were waving and shouting at them to run. The two had dug a small trench in the snow next to the raised tracks, and on the tracks themselves sat Pinkie’s party cannon.

That was all the convincing everypony needed. They all wasted no time sprinting for the trench; even Rarity dove in headfirst without hesitating. Pinkie lit the fuse, and the cannon went off right after.

The cannonball sail and spun through the air gracefully, in slow motion, like a balloon rising sideways. The metal melon bulls-eyed the hole and, a split second later, an explosion too loud for Twilight to remember having heard ripped through the pass, showering the ponies in pieces of smoking, half-raw plant.

“Huuhh…uuuughhh…eeewww!” stammered Rarity, who looked absolutely mortified.

“Deep breaths, Rarity,” comforted Applejack. “Just pretend it’s one of yer freaky mud baths.”

“I’ll try to,” she whimpered.

Rainbow hoof-bumped Pinkie and Spike. “That. Was. Awesome!”

“What exactly did we put in that thing, anyway?” asked Spike.

Pinkie proudly grinned from ear to ear. “A little bit of everything! Soda, pop rocks, and a little something I like to call 'nitro-gelatin!'”

“You're a very interesting individual, miss," said Alpenglow, brushing off his armor.

“Thanks!”

“Um, everypony,” said Fluttershy. "I hate to point this out, but…” she pointed towards the simmering remains of the mound. The train tracks underneath it were completely wrecked. The rails were warped and twisted, the foundations completely ripped from the ground, and to add insult to injury, the section of the pass just ahead was completely blocked by a deep landslide, the vines' work from much earlier, before the ponies arrived.

Rainbow groaned. “Great."

The dried-out remains of the mound shifted, causing everypony to jump. They warily approached it, and like an abandoned house, the brittle shell collapsed upon itself with a final, wooden groan. Another red flower slowly rose from the pile of burnt fragments, a sinister phoenix, and everypony gasped as its petals dried and peeled back, revealing, as far as they were concerned, the exact opposite of fragile beauty.

Blight, or at least Blight's face hung from the vine, the size of a globe, no more than a couple feet from everypony. He looked a strange mix of annoyed and pleased as he surveyed the ponies with that face, then spoke in a low, raspy voice.

"Hello, girls." He looked down briefly at his former, mindless minion. "Quite the display. No, downright impressive. It took the guards hours to stop the one I sent East. Still, I suppose even the Princess had to get it right sooner or later. Though it doesn't change the fact that she took a gamble when she gave them to you." He waved a disdainful vine 'arm' over the gem in Twilight's crown, and the ones in everypony else's necklaces.

“How do you know what they are if you weren’t even around then?” demanded Applejack.

“It was simple enough to figure out once I was free, and I had heard about such things before. Even if I hadn't, I can practically feel their power from here."

“Princess Celestia didn’t ‘give’ us anything,” retorted Twilight. “We earned them because we represent the Elements of Harmony, and because we can control their power.”

"I believe you, Princess Twilight. And I have no doubt each and every one of you is the embodiment of your specific element. You see, when I first saw you in Ponyville, I was honestly somewhat confused. A bunch of young, small-town mares tasked with protecting all of Equestria? Not exactly the most prudent choice for the knight's successors.”

“What, we’re not good enough for you?!” challenged Rainbow Dash, digging into the ground with her hoof. “Come on, we'll take you on right now!”

“Rainbow, wait,” Twilight said firmly. She stepped forward. “Who are you? And how do you know who I am?”

Blight's yellow eyes met Twilight's, but the way his head swaggered back and forth, she figured he was humoring her questions rather than answering them. “You may as well call me Blight," he said. "I'm sure the Princess implanted that name into you already. As for knowing who you all are, I found what I needed in Ponyville. I'm looking forward to finally catching up on everything. It's been forever since I've had the pleasure of being in an actual library."

Twilight bristled at that last part, but kept her cool as she asked him, "Why are you doing this? Why did you attack Ponyville, and us back at the castle?"

Blight bit his splintery lip as he answered, "It was an...unsavory, but necessary precaution."

Rainbow stomped her hoof. "'Precaution?' What the hay are you talking about?"

"I had just escaped. So, naturally, I panicked, as I'm sure you can understand. I took over Ponyville to discourage Celestia from trying to imprison me again, or worse, destroy me outright."

Twilight shook her head. “Princess Celestia would never do that."

"If you say so, Twilight, Blight answered, cocking his head. "But I've been around longer than all of you put together, and I know Celestia. The ponies of Equestria can do better than her, with my help."

Applejack stepped next to Twilight. "We've already seen enough of your 'help' to know we don't want it."

"You do, Applejack. You just don't know it yet. Celestia says I want to take over Equestria; she's wrong. Unlike her, control doesn't interest me, freedom does. I'd settle for my own, but I've watched her and Luna since the beginning, watched how they squandered all of our time and energy on petty things. Raising the sun and the moon? Parlor tricks. And ponies wasting their potential as farmers and weather-makers when they could be so much more, when Equestria could be more. Everypony with the power to use magic beyond your understanding, beyond even your imagination. But no, with the princesses, it's always about keeping everypony exactly where they are."

“The Princess doesn't decide what ponies can and can’t do!” said Twilight angrily. “She and Luna were chosen for being good leaders that could rule Equestria peacefully and fairly.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow shouted in agreement. “You couldn’t be half as great as them if you tried!”

Blight sighed, shaking his head. “You can see for yourself, Twilight. I’m not a monster, the spirit of chaos, some fairytale villain who wants to take over the world. Just an old pony who’s had enough of Celestia’s pretending to be some wise, all-knowing leader. Please, help me get rid of her and Luna. Together, we can make Equestria a better place, and you can all go home again.”

“How about not?” Rainbow shot back.

“Twi’,” said Applejack, “You’re not believing this guy, are you? After what he did to Ponyville?”

"I had no choice."

"You're a bad liar," said Fluttershy with a scowl.

Blight rubbed his eyes, then stroked the leafy growth that made up his beard. "Look, you all seem like bright ponies; there must be some way for you girls to see my side of this."

"Blight, enough," Alpenglow finally said. "They don't believe you. In case you forgot, I'm here, so don't think for a second you can get away with lying to them."

Blight looked up. His face snaked forward and came very close to touching Alpenglow's helmet. Though everypony was standing within a few feet of them, he whispered, "Are you really going to lecture me, Alpenglow? You forget, I know you, and I sincerely doubt you want them to find out what kind of pony you are."

"If you do know me at all..." Alpenglow growled, "...then you know I don't care. I'm coming back, Blight, and then you're going to pay for everything you've done."

"There's the knight I remember," Blight smirked. "You hold onto that feeling and share it with these fillies, because it's the only way any of you stand a chance." The face retracted until it was looking at Twilight again. "I don't know what you all are doing here, but if you come back to Ponyville, convince Celestia to let me go, then this can all be over. I promise nopony will be hurt...as long as I can have my say with the princesses."

It startled Twilight how the old pony's words ran so opposed to his wrinkled, frail expression. She recalled Alpenglow’s letter, what she had seen on the morning that felt like weeks ago. Taking a deep breath, the princess stepped closer yet to Blight.

“You’ve already shown us who and what you are. You are a liar, and a monster, and I will never help you. None of us will.”

For a fleeting moment, the yellow eyes ignited in orange embers. He turned away, then said dismissively, “Hurry back, girls. I need to let Celestia know I'm not playing games, and seeing as how you won't help me, I can't say how long I’ll wait before I raze Ponyville to the ground- just as a warning to her. I'll start with the library first, then work my way out to Sugar Cube Corner, then to Carousel Boutique, then Sweet Apple Acres. And then the rest of the town. Applejack, Rarity, do me a favor and tell your sisters the bad news. And be honest; tell them how you threw away the only reasonable option you had. Make sure they know it’s your fault they’ll never go home again.”

Blight's face receded and shriveled away with the remains of the mound. The sky darkened, and suddenly the ponies found themselves stranded, knee-deep in snow and debris.

Part 3

The Errant Knight

Chapter 13

Blight left no trace when he disappeared, but once he had, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that the sky had become darker, the mountain walls slightly steeper, and the snow between her hooves a little coarser. Blight's words still burned in her ears, but was beaten by the wind as it picked up and unkindly reminded her of more immediate concerns. The ponies needed to reach the Crystal Empire before dark, and without the train, Twilight was hard pressed for ideas. She desperately looked to her friends for some clue about what they should do next. She didn't find much.

"Now what?!" bawled Applejack, clearly trying not to cry. "We’re a hundred miles from anywhere, and we don’t even know what we’re gonna do when we get there!"

Alpenglow had disappeared entirely, but his hoofprints had carved the snow into a path that doubled back to the train. Everypony else was a mess. Rainbow was pacing back and forth with her head held low, fuming and kicking up snow. Pinkie was sitting on the tracks with her hoof around Fluttershy, who was sobbing quietly, asking what was going to happen to her cottage and animal friends. As for Rarity, she had simply sunken into the snow, staring blankly at the ground where she sat.

Miraculously, a spark of new understanding kept Twilight's own mind afloat. For better or worse, she finally understood what Princess Celestia, Luna, and Discord had meant in all their warnings and instructions: Blight wasn't just a nuisance, some troublemaker that could be chased out of town with a few scolding words. He was planning to overthrow the princesses, knew something long-buried about Alpenglow, and had just promised the ponies destruction of their homes and livelihoods as casually as somepony decided what to do with an afternoon. Perhaps worst of all, he was still vile- or deluded- enough to claim that he wanted to help Equestria. Twilight sure didn't believe it, and she began to wonder if Blight did himself.

The feeling of Spike climbing on guided Twilight back again to their current plight. The circumstances might have changed, but the immediate goal hadn't: reach the Crystal Empire, find something, anything about the Elements of Heroism they could use to stop Blight. The more Twilight thought about it, the more she realized how slim a lead it was. Still, if she didn’t keep leading her friends forward, she knew she might give up, and so would they. The newfound responsibility made her wonder if Princess Celestia had to do this often, to push on even in doubt just so ponies have someone to follow when things looked hopeless. She walked over to Fluttershy and helped her up.

"I'm sorry, girls, but we have to keep moving. Let’s head back to the train. It looks like Alpenglow has an idea."

The ponies marched back to the train in a silent, weary line, but stopped once they saw fortune's latest gift to them: the locomotive, smashed, buried underneath a small landslide that had come down during the fight. Without a shred of irony, Twilight silently wished this could have been the worst of the news, but in light of their exchange with Blight, it wasn't even close.

Alpenglow was on top of the freight car, busy unbuckling the latches that held the walls of the container together. With one last metal snap, the side of the container flipped open onto the snow, revealing a large chariot. The ornate vehicle was adorned with engravings of stars and comets, and despite the growing shade of the mountains, it gleamed as if sunlight were hitting its golden finish.

"You have your brother to thank for this, Twilight," Alpenglow said as he guided the chariot down the makeshift ramp. "He said he didn’t want us taking any chances." He pointed at Fluttershy and Rainbow. "Between the four of us, we can easily fly straight over the mountains to reach the empire. I'm guessing this pass must have been based on an old river, since it winds back and forth between the mountains, rather than going straight through. Either way, we'll never make it on foot going through here."

Alpenglow climbed inside the shipping container and removed several bags. He threw them on the ground. "Bundle up. We’re going to be out here a while."

"We should grab whatever we need from the train, too," Twilight added.

The ponies quickly retrieved their saddlebags from the caboose and returned to the chariot. The bags Alpenglow had given them contained heavy masks and cloaks, which everypony quickly put on before the next wind blew through.

They all gathered around the chariot and began to climb aboard. As Twilight strapped herself into the rear harness next to Fluttershy, she saw Applejack step in front of Alpenglow, her face the same as the one Twilight had seen on the train out of Ponyville, only stained red. In a low voice she demanded, "What'd Blight mean by what he whispered to you back there?"

Alpenglow steadily met her glare through his helmet. "It’s not important," he said flatly. "All that matters now is getting to the Crystal Empire..." His voice tightened. "...and that’s all you should be thinking about."

Where this conversation was going was all too clear. Twilight hurried to untangle herself from the harness. "Applejack, this really isn’t the best time-"

"Like hay it isn’t, Twilight," she said, keeping her eyes on Alpenglow. "You and the Princess said we could trust this guy, that he used to be some sorta hero!" She turned to Twilight. "We still don’t know him from a hole in the ground, and whenever we ask him about anythin' important, it just so happens he doesn’t remember!" She faced Alpenglow again. "I wouldn’t trust Blight as far as I could throw 'im, but that don’t mean I trust you."

"Come on, AJ, you saw him take on Blight back in Ponyville. We’re all on the same side," said Rainbow Dash, shaking impatiently in her harness.

Rarity climbed from the chariot and joined Applejack. "She isn’t wrong, Rainbow. The only reason we’re here is because he can never seem to remember anything we need, or whenever we've asked him."

Twilight finally freed herself from the harness and placed herself between Applejack and Alpenglow. "I know what Blight said hurt, Applejack," she said gently, "but you can’t take it out on Alpenglow. He’s here to help us."

"Shoot, Twilight, I know he rattled me up a bit, but that doesn’t change the facts. We can’t trust this guy! And if we can’t trust him, how can we expect him to help us save Ponyville? He’s been with Blight this whole time. How do we know he’s not brainwashed or somethin’ like that?"

The letter shouted for freedom in the back of Twilight's mind, but before she could even consider the possibility, the helmeted head leaned forward, scraping the brim of Applejack's hat.

The stallion's mouth uttered with mechanical clarity, "We're going to the Crystal Empire, we're going to stop Blight, and whether or not you trust me could not be of less importance to either of those goals."

Applejack stood her ground. "I ain’t gonna put my home, all our homes, in the hooves of somepony I don’t trust."

"You don’t have a choice."

"Really? ‘Cause you’ve been a real big help so far. I’m startin’ to think we shoulda asked one of those other knights for help." Twilight winced. Her gaze slowly shifted to the knight, whose head stiffly nodded.

"...You’re right. You don’t know me, and Blight obviously got to you." The voice coming from the helmet soured further. "You’ve already wasted plenty of our time standing here, and if you start doubting me or what we’re doing, it will cost us the town for sure, and it will be your fault."

Applejack’s eyes narrowed as they tried to bore through the knight. After several seconds, her legs locked in place. Soon after, they began to tremble, and so did her lips.

The helmet swiveled to face everypony and said loudly, "Let me be perfectly clear: I accept that Princess Celestia chose you all for a reason, but what you're doing right now is not going to cut it. Blight makes one threat, you all collapse and start crying. But this is bigger than you or your town. Keep going like this, and I promise we will fail, because every step we get closer to the Elements of Heroism, he’ll get crazier and meaner. The helmet found a way to lean even closer to Applejack and whisper, "You better get mean too...AJ."

Twilight remembered it was Alpenglow speaking as he turned to face everypony once more. "There is a strong possibility that Blight will make good on what he said, for no reason besides the fact that he can. So deal with it, because at this point, the only thing worth concerning yourselves with is stopping him. Nothing else matters."

Twilight wasn’t waiting to see what anypony else had to say. With a wave of her horn, she pushed Applejack and Alpenglow apart. "Enough! We’ll sort this out once we get to the Crystal Empire, but we need to go before it gets dark."

As if to prove her right, a gust of wind blew through the pass, causing everypony to flinch, even under their cloaks. Twilight looked to the entrance of the pass. Slivers of orange light clung to the walls, but they were growing shorter and thinner by the second. She was already having trouble making out everypony’s faces, though that may have been for the best as she watched Applejack and Rarity silently climb aboard the chariot.

As Twilight struggled to refasten the straps of her harness, a pair of hooves reached over from her right and began tightening them. Alpenglow quickly finished the last one, and Twilight met his shaded eyes through the visor. Her expression was a mix of sadness and reproach as she looked at him, trying to figure out what awful spell Blight had cast to make Alpenglow say what he had said. She sighed softly, shaking her head as he left to enter the remaining harness. Once in, he looked expectantly at Rainbow, then back at Fluttershy and Twilight. They all nodded, ready to fly, if nothing else.

Facing the entrance to the pass, the four began to run, kicking up plumes of snow as they did. To Twilight's fatigued relief, the chariot rose immediately once they all began flapping. Following Rainbow's lead, the chariot made a sharp u-turn towards the mountain, and the ponies began their steep climb upwards.

Chapter 14

For what seemed like hours, Twilight felt only the flapping of her wings, a chill wherever the cloak didn’t quite cover, and the gray, jagged face that had pushed itself into her own, taking up her entire view forward. It seemed they would never cross the mountains until Rainbow Dash steered the chariot towards the snowy plains below and Twilight’s thoughts reluctantly returned to their mission.

As they descended, the chariot quickly glided away from the stony, peaked wall, eventually landing with an icy crunch. Everypony sitting in the chariot stirred slightly with the small jolt, and as Twilight caught her breath, the snow began to fall in a slow, thick haze. Through the course of the day, sections of the fine, frozen powder had interwoven randomly with glossy, iced-over strips of land, a frozen patchwork quilt Twilight could scarcely appreciate as she looked back at the chariot. "Is everypony ok?"

Rarity lowered her mask. "Yes, Twilight, just fine," she said, answering for all of them. "How much further?"

"We’re almost there." Up ahead on the horizon, she could see the outline of a vacant train station, which meant they really weren’t far at all now, a long walk. Beyond that, the lights of the crystal palace sat unsupported in the middle of the black felt sky.

Their destination finally in sight, the ponies hastily changed places in the chariot. As Pinkie took Fluttershy’s place in the harness, Twilight helped Applejack into hers, noting a silent disapproval at being behind Alpenglow. With the two pegasi remaining at the front, the ponies resumed their trek.

The snow had stopped by the time they arrived in the empire proper. Row after row of umbrous, geometric houses slid past the ponies, as if they were walking in place, not really moving, but being glided along a frozen sea towards harbor, which shined just ahead. The wheels made a rich sound as they rolled over the polished streets, like a marble rolling over a wooden floor.

Instead of nopony, the empire’s royal messenger was waiting at the main entrance. The crystal pony ran to greet them as the chariot pulled into the covered spot between the pylon "feet" of the palace.

"Princess Twilight!" she exclaimed. "The Prince said you would arrive by early evening. We were preparing to send out a search party."

"Thank you, Quicksilver. Thankfully, we’re all fine." Twilight decided to save the time explaining what had delayed them. "We had some…problems getting here."

"I have no doubt, Your Highness. It seems news of the attack has spread in no time. I can only imagine the pressure Princess Cadance is under right now."

"Don’t worry, if anypony can keep Equestria together at a time like this, it’s Cadance."

"Of course, Princess. With her and the Prince gone, most of the castle staff have gone home for the day. Please, let me to show you to your rooms."

Quicksilver led everypony inside through the tall corridors of the palace, which glinted and gleamed even in the dim light of the hanging chandeliers. Eventually they came to the wing which held the guest rooms.

"I’ll be back early tomorrow morning. If any of you need something during the night, the guards will be happy to help." She left, and everypony retired to their rooms without another word.

Twilight turned around and closed the door to the royal suite, her eyes sagging and her mind scattered. However long she stood there, it was enough for Spike to climb into his basket and make himself comfortable before finally noticing her. "Are you alright, Twilight?"

Still facing the door, Twilight let out a disheartened sigh. "No, I’m not. Oh Spike, everything's such a mess. I don’t know how much longer everypony can keep going like this."

Spike wrestled himself from his basket and walked to her. "You’ll figure it out, Twilight. You always do." He placed a reassuring claw on Twilight’s hoof and walked her to the bed. She genuinely tried to make herself comfortable as Spike returned to his basket.

"I don’t know, Spike. I feel so lost. Ever since we left Ponyville, I feel like I don’t understand anything that’s happened. Now we’re looking for these Elements of Heroism without even knowing what they are or what they do, just because we hope they're the answer to stopping Blight." She tried to look outside, but the window was a black screen. "...I don’t know why Princess Celestia would leave me with so little to go on."

"Maybe she doesn’t have the answers either, Twilight. Maybe she thinks you’ll be able to figure out something she can’t."

Twilight thought for a moment. "Like what Blight did to make Alpenglow the way he is now."

Spike shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe he was always like that. He's from a different time; he probably had to be tough to be a knight." Spike frowned bitterly as he crossed his arms. "But he didn't have to say all that, and honestly, I think Applejack and Rarity are right."

"What do mean?" she asked uneasily.

"I dunno, after what he said, I don't think we can really trust him. Sure, he'll help stop Blight, but he made it pretty clear he doesn't care about us or Ponyville."

Twilight closed her eyes with a sudden realization. For reasons she couldn't quite name, she was convinced that Alpenglow was their key to saving Ponyville. If her friends started taking sides based on whether or not they trusted him, became divided over it, then there was only one way this mission would end. She looked at her saddlebag, whose contents even now seemed to peer at her from the foot of the bed. Telling Spike would decide whether or not she told the rest of her friends, not to mention Alpenglow, and what happened after that was anypony's guess. At this point, what did she really have to lose? Keeping this secret had done nopony good so far, so it was high-time for something different. She lifted her eyes open and sat up.

"Spike," she started, "When we were at the archives, I found out something about Alpenglow, something he doesn’t know I know. If I'd told you all right away, it might have helped us get through to him, maybe avoided coming to the Crystal Empire in the first place. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner."

"Don't worry, Twilight," said Spike, sitting up. "I’m sure you had a good reason. But why didn’t you tell us?"

"Because it would have wrong for you to hear it from me, and hurtful to Alpenglow, especially if everypony but him had found out." Twilight picked up her saddlebag and removed the letter. "He wrote this to Princess Celestia before he was turned to stone. It says a little about what happened to his friends, and his plan to use the Elements of Heroism to stop Blight."

"So what did happen to them?"

Even at its simplest, the truth was all too adequate. "Blight turned them against him, one by one, and he never saw them again."

"Oh..." Spike's frown from earlier softened. "So...all of them?"

"I don't think so. Alpenglow mentioned somepony named Tawny Timbre was still with him towards the end. She was one of the statues we saw in the cave underneath the castle."

"I didn’t get a good look, but I remember one of ‘em kinda stood out. Was that her?"

"Yes. I still have no idea what happened to her."

"Do you think Alpenglow does?"

"I'm not sure. I really think he just chose to forget all of them."

"But why? They must've all been friends once."

"Probably, but…" Twilight shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I don’t know, Spike. He’s been fighting Blight for over a thousand years. There’s no telling what he might’ve forgotten."

"He remembered the princesses and the Elements of Heroism well enough." He hit his palm with a fist. "We gotta ask him."

"You really think so?"

"Come on, Twilight, you're the one who taught me lying gets you nowhere. And not telling the truth when it’s important- that’s not exactly any better."

"I know, Spike. And I’m sorry for keeping it from you all."

"Nah, it’s alright, Twilight. I’m not saying you did anything wrong. Still, everypony needs to know about this, and it's not gonna be pretty for Alpenglow one way or another. But like Rarity said, our mission is way too big for secrets." Spike laid back down in his basket. "And between you and me, I think Applejack needs to hear it too. She probably has no idea what she meant when she said that to Alpenglow."

"I’m just worried about what telling Alpenglow will do to him, or if it's going to be enough to make everypony come together."

"Well, I think it will. And he’ll be ok...once he’s got us to help him through it."

"If he’ll let us." Then, Twilight smiled, playfully raising an eyebrow. "Since when did you become so wise and sensible?"

Spike stretched and placed his hands behind his head. "Since the day I was hatched," he said coolly.

Twilight smiled. "Thanks for listening, Spike. Sometimes, I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"I’m sure you’d do fine. Just not as stylishly."

Despite their best efforts not to, the two of them laughed, but quickly quieted down for fear of waking up anypony.

"I just hope I’m doing the right thing."

"Don’t worry...Twilight." Spike yawned long and loud. "Plenty of time…to worry...tomorrow."

Like magic, Spike fell fast asleep when the last word left his mouth, and Twilight couldn't help but envy the skill as she sank into her own pillow. She lay there for a bit, then finally found the peace of mind to sleep.

Chapter 15

The first rays of sunlight were hitting the crystal window when Twilight awoke. A lot was waiting for her this morning, but at last she felt rested and in some shape to take on the day. She had obviously woken up far too early; when she instinctively nudged Spike awake, he didn't even look at her. He looked past at the clock Twilight knew was behind her, then immediately re-buried himself in his blanket.

Opening the door as quietly as possible, Twilight peeked into the hallway. Everypony else’s doors were shut. Taking care to close the door behind her, she walked down the corridor to a common room where, to her surprise, she found Alpenglow. He was staring out of one of the windows, his helmet on the couch next to him.

"Good morning, Alpenglow," Twilight greeted pleasantly.

The stallion slowly turned his head. When he saw it was Twilight, he briskly spun around. "Good morning, Twilight," he said as she joined him at the window. For a moment, they simply admired the view as the morning casted light on the glittering glass cityscape.

"Have you been to the Crystal Empire before?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. I remember coming here a lot, actually. Don't remember why, though."

"Well, maybe it’s time to start remembering."

Alpenglow turned to face Twilight, his face still. "What do you mean?"

Twilight slowly lifted the scroll from underneath her wing. "You wrote a letter to the princess before you went to stop Blight. Do you remember?"

"No, I don’t," he said, unblinking.

"Please, Alpenglow. I know you’ve done your best to forget what happened, but I don’t think we can stop Blight unless you remember."

"We haven’t even looked in the archives yet. We’ll find what we need there," he insisted.

"What if we don’t? What if the only way to stop Blight is to know how you did it the first time? We need you. If you won’t do it to remember your old friends, will you at least do it to help your new ones?"

Alpenglow shook his head. "I’m sorry, Twilight. I have nothing but respect for all of you, but that's not how it works. You know that."

"I guess not, but I was hoping-"

The knight sighed in defeat. "At the archives, I promised I would do everything I could to help you. But I need you to understand something first, Twilight." He turned away from her and leaned against the window sill. "Have you ever…fought with your friends?"

"Yes, of course," she said, softly.

"But you forgave each other."

"Yes."

"Mine didn't." He turned away. "Imagine if you had fought with them, and one by one, they all left you. After a while, you couldn’t remember what their names or what they looked like. Your memories of them were gone, but so was the feeling of losing them." Alpenglow took the letter and looked her in the eye.

"Would you want to remember that, Twilight? Even if it meant losing them all over again?"

Twilight hesitated. She had never thought about what life would be like without her friends. No matter how she looked at it, there didn’t seem to be a right answer.

Alpenglow opened the scroll, carefully peeling off the seal and unrolling the worn paper. Twilight winced slightly as he began to read it aloud. Line by line, Alpenglow’s face flickered between confusion, heartbreak, and rage, and when he read the Tawny Timbre's name, he stopped for moment to gaze out the window. Though he had to be around the same age as Shining Armor, his face looked very old in the light of the window.

Once finished, he let the letter fall from his hoof. It floated gently down onto the table to the left. His head hung low and he refused to look at Twilight. Suffocating silence filled the room. She began to reach out to him with her hoof, and he said, "You can come in now."

Twilight around and saw everypony walk timidly into the room. They all stood in a semicircle around the two of them, looking a little embarrassed.

"Crystal floors aren’t made for sneaking, ladies," Alpenglow said weakly.

Fluttershy stepped forward. "We are so sorry, Alpenglow. We had no idea what Blight did to you and your friends."

"There was no way you could have, miss. What’s done is done, and it’s probably best that you know."

Applejack took off her hat. She stared into it, and a flicker of anger lingered before she let out a heavy breath, snuffing it out. Applejack, ever dependable, had proven her character again. "What I said before...that was a low blow, partner. I'm real sorry." She hid her mouth behind her hat. "Think you can forgive me?"

"Of course, miss. You have nothing to be apologize for. You didn't know, and I'm sorry for what I said before. I don't know what got into me, but..." He walked over to the couch and scooped up his helmet. He stared at it a second before saying, "I know Blight. He won’t destroy Ponyville, not yet, which means we still have a chance."

That new hope brought everypony to silence for a moment. Then, Rarity spoke up, and the whole morning took on a different color. "It is nice to finally clear the air. Apologies for distrusting you, Alpenglow."

"For the record, I didn’t doubt him for a second," Rainbow quickly pointed out.

"Me neither!" added Pinkie. "Or maybe I did, who knows?"

"Uh...you should, Pinkie," said Rainbow.

Spike had apparently read Twilight’s mind. "So now what?" he asked.

Twilight pointed outside. "Let's head to the library now. We’re sure to find something there."

As everypony walked towards the exit, Fluttershy asked, "Is there anything else you’d like to say, Alpenglow?"

"No, miss, but thank you for asking. I’m fine; reading the letter just gave me a lot to think about. I’m starting to remember a few things, but nothing’s all that clear yet. If anything useful comes up, I promise to let you all know."

Fluttershy gave a friendly smile. "We’re all here for you if you need to talk. And you can just call me Fluttershy."

"Same goes for the rest of us, Alpenglow," added Applejack. "Besides," she chuckled, "you’ve got a few years on us anyway. You got every right to use our names."

With the sun now well in the sky, Twilight, her friends, and Alpenglow all made their way to the library.

Chapter 16

The ponies had climbed no more than a step of the library staircase when they heard Quicksilver come galloping down the street. She screeched to a stop and, unlike last night, was looking a little frazzled.

"Apologies for not finding you sooner, Your Highness. We’ve just finished preparing a train. It will take you all back to Canterlot as soon as you're ready."

"Thank you, Quicksilver," replied Twilight. She turned to her friends. "Come on, everypony, let’s get to work."

The ponies entered the sparkling bibliothèque, taking in the majesty of the venerated bookshelves that towered above them. Amethyst Maresbury, the librarian, appeared from behind a stack of books on the reception desk. Though the old crystal pony looked the part with her scroll-shaped cutie mark and oversized reading glasses, she lacked the hermit-like solemnity so many otherwise friendly librarians tended to sport as she greeted them.

"Hello again, everypony. Can I help you find something?"

Twilight reluctantly tore her attention from the shelves. "Yes, we’re looking for any information on the Equestrian Knights. Where can we find the archives?"

"Oh, no need to go searching there, girls. We have plenty of history and references on them in our regular collections."

"Really? That’s incredible! The archives in Canterlot barely had anything."

"Is that right? Hmm…how strange."

Amethyst led the ponies downstairs to the history section, where they began to peruse the shelves. "Here we are," she said to Twilight. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"We need to find out more about the Elements of Heroism. One of the books in Canterlot said they were the source of the knights’ power."

"Not quite, my dear," Amethyst corrected.

"Huh?"

"Like plenty of ponies before you, it sounds like you first heard about them from one of those silly children’s books. They were very popular back in the day, filled to the brim with overdramatic tales about the knights, but not many accurate depictions of who they were or what they did."

"What do you mean?"

"For starters, they didn’t just roam the world righting wrongs and fighting monsters. Contrary to popular belief, they mostly protected the princesses and served as advisors. In fact, one of them was a very popular musician here in the empire. I wasn't a huge fan myself, but I remember there was always such an excitement whenever she came to perform." Amethyst scanned the nearest shelf. Instead of a book, she pulled a thick folder stuffed with oversized papers. "If you’re curious, here's a collection of some of her most popular works, though I suppose it all doesn’t matter much anymore."

Twilight looked at the music, then at Alpenglow.

"It might…to some."

"You'll have your work cut out for you," continued Amethyst. "You see, the Elements of Heroism were a bit of a secret among the princesses and the knights."

"We know. Let's just say right now, we'll take any clues we can."

"Let me know if you find anything," she said before returning upstairs.

As books were pulled and covers pried open with quiet sighs, the morning began to truly shine in the new. The sun hit the building precisely as the hour struck, causing the walls to sparkle, and things felt very much like four nights ago, when the ponies were doing research for the 'Remembering Our Roots' festival. So after several tranquil minutes of searching, it was Pinkie who, unsurprisingly, proved to be the luckiest.

"Found it!" she shrieked, bringing everypony to the table in the center of the room. As they all gathered round, Twilight examined the cover. The title read Order of the Royal Equestrian Knights: Facts and Myths. As Pinkie blew through the pages, she came to one filled by three elaborately-drawn symbols: a shield, a scale, and a cornucopia.

Twilight read the caption aloud, "The Elements of Heroism: Courage, Integrity, and Altruism. Though the story of their creation is still unknown, the artifacts were said to be a small part of the unicorn contribution to the then newly-united Equestria, implying Starswirl the Bearded as one of its possible craftsponies. Since their creation, they have passed from one generation of knights to another, and though the artifacts themselves contain a powerful magic, their actual power is said to come from the knights, as well as a closely-guarded spell. Selection of these ponies falls solely to the Royal Sisters, and each was chosen for his or her ability to represent an aspect of the harmony early Equestria hoped to achieve. The existence of only three elements means only one knight uses them at any given time, most often the leader of the cohort."

"Well that’s about an earful and a half," said Applejack. "How ‘bout it, Alpenglow? Any of this ringing a bell?"

"Yes," he replied, tucking his helmet beneath his wing. "Starswirl told us that our elements were made specifically to counter evil and dark forces. From what the Princess told me about the Elements of Harmony and your battles with Discord, I had the feeling that they're far more powerful than the Elements of Heroism, but lack something that can guarantee an immediate effect on Blight."

"How's that?" asked Applejack.

"It's the difference between breaking a rock with a tidal wave versus...a pick. In just about every way, the wave's stronger, but the pick's design allows it to work better, but only in that one situation."

"So if you used them against Blight back then, why's he still around?" wondered Spike.

"And where are they now?" added Rarity.

Alpenglow looked to floor. "I...can’t remember."

Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration, but Fluttershy quickly quieted her down.

Twilight placed a hoof on Alpenglow’s shoulder. "I’m sorry, Alpenglow, but we have to find out." Her horn began to glow softly. "All you have to do is think back to when you defeated Blight, just for a second. I'll do the rest."

With weary eyes, Alpenglow stared at Twilight. A moment later, he nodded, and everypony unconsciously stepped back as Twilight's horn grew brighter.

Given the state of Alpenglow's memory, the scene formed around Twilight with surprising speed. She was standing in an enormous cave, up to her knees in clear, glowing water. In front of her hovered Alpenglow, his helmet off and eyes shut tight. Facing him was Blight, who screamed words Twilight couldn’t hear. A triangle of light floated between the two, and at each corner was a gem shaped like one of the Elements of Heroism. Alpenglow grimaced as he opened his eyes; they shone a sickly green and oozed purple mist as a multicolored beam erupted from the triangle. The gems shattered, and the memory came to an abrupt end. Twilight opened her eyes and felt queasy, seasick.

"Whatd’ya see, Twilight?" asked Applejack.

"The Elements of Heroism...they’re dark magic," she said, causing everypony to gasp as she steadied herself. "That’s why they work against Blight. They use the exact same power his magic needs to work."

Applejack took off her hat. She scratched her head, then said, "Now why in the world would something like the Elements of Heroism be dark magic?"

"I don’t know. Alpenglow?"

Twilight turned around, and as everypony did the same, they froze. Alpenglow was trembling, his forehead dotted with beads of cold sweat as he began to breath heavily. His helmet clattered to the floor, scraping deep into the crystal tile.

"Alpenglow!" shouted Twilight.

The knight's breathing became a strained snarl. The faintest purple wisps appeared on the edge of his eyes, and he began to bare his teeth.

"Snap out of it!" yelled Rainbow, who shook him like a heavily armored ragdoll.

With a violent shudder, the stallion's body reset to relative normalcy. His breathing slowed, his posture relaxed, and as he looked at everypony, the purple haze dissolved. "Sorry, I just…remembered something," he muttered, rubbing his left eye.

"What’d you remember?" asked Applejack.

"Nothing important; we found everything we’re going to here." He scooped up his helmet. The battered steel swallowed his head again, and the conversation was finished.

"So...what? Do we know where the Elements of Heroism are now?" asked Rainbow.

"Not exactly," explained Twilight. "In the memory, I saw the them being destroyed. But with Princess Celestia’s help, we might be able to use the Elements of Harmony as a replacement."

"How?"

"When we were looking for the crystal heart our first time in the empire, Spike and I found this door blocking our way. And when I tried using dark magic to open it, it triggered one of King Sombra's traps, which made us see our worst fears."

"I hope we never have to face something like that," commented Fluttershy.

"But, when I tried something else, it opened the door and showed us the way to the heart." Twilight levitated the book above the table. "I bet the Elements of Heroism work in a similar way."

"I don’t follow," said Applejack.

"The book said the true power of these elements comes from the knights themselves. I'm guessing they draw their power from the magic inside a pony, then change it into dark magic to be used against others like it."

"That makes sense, I guess," said Applejack, "But how does that help us?"

"If we can find something- a relic, or some other item- that uses dark magic, we can channel the Elements of Harmony into a form that can stop Blight."

"Something tells me such artifacts are not simply lying around Equestria, are they?" Rarity pointed out.

"What about that box that Blight was in before?" suggested Applejack. "That thing didn't seem quite right when we first saw it."

Twilight thought for a moment. "I don’t know. Maybe the Princess would know more. If it is, it might work."

"And what about that spell?" said Spike, "Where're we gonna find that?"

Twilight’s shrugged. "I have no idea. It has to be important to all of this, but without knowing more about the box and the elements, there’s no way to be sure."

"At least we’re finally getting somewhere," said Rainbow Dash. "I say we double-time it back to Canterlot. If Discord’s got nothin’ for us, then we head to that observatory the Princess talked about. One of ‘em’s gotta have the spell."

"No argument here," agreed Applejack. "Why don't we stop by and check in with the princesses? See if we can make this box idea work? We’ll be heading that way anyway."

"Shall we ship out, then?" asked Rarity.

"We’re not taking a ship, Rarity; we’re taking a train!" said Pinkie. With that, everypony went back upstairs to the library's main floor, leaving Twilight alone with Alpenglow. She turned to him.

"Are you sure you’re alright?"

Alpenglow faced the bookshelves, shaking his head. "Forgetting, then remembering it, even for just a second, was like...waking up one morning and realizing that you didn't know what you looked like. You finally find a mirror, but then..." His gaze fell. "...you don't even recognize what you're looking at."

"I’m sorry, Alpenglow. I had to do it."

"I guess if I’d ever sent that letter to the Princess, that’s what she would’ve said too. It doesn’t matter anymore, what’s done is done." Alpenglow’s head swiveled up, and that razor-edge visor looked through Twilight. "And when the time comes, I’m going to do the job she should’ve a thousand years ago," he spat before marching upstairs. His plodding steps thundered in Twilight's stunned ears, shaking the beautiful, delicate shelves around her.

Chapter 18

Thankfully, the trip back to Equestria's capital was much less exciting than the one from it. Once again, the ponies spent much of the ride resting and relaxing, knowing full well they had no idea what the coming days would bring. Alpenglow had said nothing the entire way, and as the pointed domes of Canterlot finally came into view, Twilight decided it was safe enough to ask him more questions. He was sitting by himself at the front of the car, a few seats away from everypony else. Taking care not to wake up a napping Rainbow Dash, Twilight stood up and gingerly sat next to him.

"Are you alright?"

Alpenglow glanced at her before turning back towards the window. "I’m fine. What can I do for you, Twilight?"

"Nothing, just wanted to see how you're doing."

"I'm fine, thanks. Why are we stopping at Canterlot? I...forgot."

"I wanted to see how Cadance is handling things, and if Discord or Jade has anything new for us."

"Sounds good. We should also grab supplies while we’re there."

"Yes, definitely," Twilight replied, wondering if he knew what she would certainly ask next. Several uncomfortably silent seconds passed. "If you don’t mind my asking, Alpenglow, have your memories started coming back to you?"

"Some," he replied, turning his head from the window to the seat in front of him. "For the most part, they’re memories from when I was the princesses’ student."

"You really can’t remember anything about your mission or your friends? Even after reading the letter?"

"Right after I did, I started remembering bits and pieces about them, but no matter what I do, it's hard to remind myself that we were friends. Their faces are muddy, and their voices aren’t clear, if that makes sense. I guess I can...feel them." He shook his head. "But I can’t remember them."

"I’m sorry, Alpenglow. If there’s anything we can do, just let us know."

"Yeah...thanks, Twilight. Sorry, I know it doesn’t make any sense. I just feel like I'm missing something, like there's some little, random memory that would make it all meaningful again." He pursed his lips. "If you don't mind, I could use some more time to myself to think about it."

Twilight left him and sat again with her friends, who were quietly talking amongst themselves. Applejack leaned over in her seat and glanced towards the front of the car. She frowned and muttered, "Don’t think I’ve ever seen somepony less alive. Not a lot we can do about it, though."

"I guess not," said Twilight in a low voice.

The train lurched to a stop, and everypony quickly stepped off and onto the platform where, of all ponies, Cadance was waiting.

"There you are! When Quicksilver sent word that you didn’t arrive yesterday, I was so worried. What happened?"

"It was Blight, Cadance," answered Rainbow Dash. "He tried to stop us from reaching the empire, but we handled it."

"Thank goodness you all weren’t hurt. I’ve been receiving reports from all over Equestria about these seeds. I just don’t understand why Blight keeps sending them out. So far, every single one has been destroyed."

"He’s probably trying to keep us off balance so we can’t focus on gettin’ rid of him," Applejack suggested.

"That makes sense. Whatever he’s planning, Princess Celestia has asked me to join them in Ponyville to help with the shield. Her last letter made it sound like something is wrong. I’ll be leaving soon."

"More guards?" asked Spike.

"Just to be on the safe side," the princess assured.

"We should go with you," said Twilight. "We’re going to the Appaloosan Mountains next. Ponyville is on the way, and we need to talk to Princess Celestia and Luna."

Cadance nodded. "Feel free to take care of whatever you need to do here, then we can leave together. Oh, I almost forgot, Jade Singer wanted me to tell you that she found more on the Elements of Heroism. She said that not just anypony can use them, and they still need a spell to make them work."

Twilight nodded. "We know, Cadance. But it’s good to be sure. That’s what we’ll be looking for in the mountains."

Cadance tapped her lips with her hoof. "Good. And I haven’t heard anything from Discord, but the last time I checked on him, he said he found something ‘interesting,’ but wouldn’t tell me what it was."

"Hopefully it’s somethin' good for us," said Applejack.

The Princess of Love nodded, then pointed out a group of crystal guards standing on the far end of the platform. "I’ll let you all go. Alpenglow, could I borrow you for a moment? I was hoping you could share what you know with them. They only arrived from the Crystal Empire early yesterday."

"Of course, ma’am." As the two of them walked away, everypony gathered in a circle.

"I think I’m gonna go check on Applebloom, see how she’s doin’," said Applejack, turning to make her way towards the camp.

"I certainly wouldn’t mind doing the same for Sweetie Belle," added Rarity, turning to follow.

"Hey, wait up!" said Rainbow, "I gotta make sure the squirt’s doin’ okay!"

The three quickly faded into the panorama of the tent mini-city, leaving Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike on the platform.

"My goodness, where did the last two days go?" Fluttershy wondered aloud.

Twilight shook her head. "I have no idea."
"What do we do now?" asked Spike.

"How about we go make sure we have everything we need for the trip?" Twilight suggested. "Pinkie, Fluttershy, is there anything either of you need to do before we go?"

Fluttershy anxiously rubbed her hooves together. "Actually, I was thinking I could go to the castle garden and ask the birds if they’ve seen any of my animals. Some of them might have escaped from Ponyville."

Twilight smiled. "That’s a great idea. If any of them did, then we can bring them back here. I bet that'd really cheer up everypony."

Fluttershy's face brightened as she asked, "Pinkie, do you want to come with me?"

Ponyville's resident party pony flung her hooves around Fluttershy. "You betcha!" she said, and the two of them took off for the castle.

For the next half-hour, everypony went about their business, eventually finding their way back to the platform, packed and ready to go. Cadance and her guards had already boarded, and as Twilight, her friends, and Alpenglow went to do the same, a familiar voice rhymed from behind, "Off again to save the day, but first a goodbye, if I may?"

Everypony spun around. "Zecora!" exclaimed Twilight as she hugged her. "Thank you! Sorry for not finding you earlier, we’ll be back as soon as we can. We just need one last piece of information to stop Blight."

The ponies' striped friend warmly returned her hug. "You will succeed, I have no doubt, and put this dreadful beast to rout." Zecora turned to face Alpenglow. "And as for you, my fine young knight, thanks for the rescue that dire night."

He nodded. "It was Twilight who realized you were in danger, ma’am. I was only there to help." He turned his head towards the train a moment. "I apologize, but if you’ll excuse us, we need to be going now." He donned his helmet before disappearing into the train.

Zecora cocked her head. "Though he is but a stranger to me, a little shy and sad of eye, but very wise, seems he."

Twilight frowned. "We're not sure what to do, Zecora. Princess Celestia said Alpenglow used to be one of Equestria’s greatest heroes. He’s been fighting Blight for so long, he’s forgotten who he is and who his friends were. And I can’t shake the feeling that we’ll need him back to normal if we’re going to stop Blight." Everypony nodded in agreement.

The zebra tapped her hoof thoughtfully. "To lose oneself is quite a plight; friends are a must to see the light."

"Uh, sorry to break it to you Zecora," said Rainbow, "but his friends are all kinda...statues."

"And if we woke ‘em up, chances are we’d have five monsters on our hooves on toppa Blight," added Applejack.

Zecora smiled and shook her head. "Of his friends of old I do not speak; you must bring back the pony you seek. If you are in need of the knight of yore, friendship is key so he may war no more."

Twilight almost stumbled from Zecora's couplets, for in their own, helpful way, their message had stung. Looking back, Twilight saw she truly had done well in following Princess Celestia's instructions: look after Alpenglow, keep everypony together and focused on Blight, feats the last two days proved to be less than easy. Yet to her surprise, and regret, she hadn't done anywhere near enough. In all the time she and her friends had spent with Alpenglow, Twilight couldn't see that she had never really talked to him, and not merely in the familiar, friendly sense. She couldn't. She was simply incapable of talking to him- not by any shortcoming of her own, but for one simple reason: for Alpenglow, the mission had never ended. He was still in the griffin kingdom, still writing that letter, still fighting in that cave. He wasn't here with everypony; he lived there. He existed there. And that gulf between them was as real and inexorable as the years that separated him from his former life.

Yet, as Twilight looked at each of her friends, she realized something else, something much more important: there was a time when she never would have dreamed of being so close with ponies that were once so different, so distant and alien to her. Now, she challenged herself to imagine a world where they were anything but her family, unconcerned by the petty rules of space and time.

The ponies said their goodbyes to Zecora and boarded the train with newfound conviction. Sitting down next to Cadance and Alpenglow, they all looked at each other and wordlessly agreed: they might not be able to give this errant knight his friends back, but they could- and would- do the next best thing.

Chapter 19

"Are we there yet?" groaned Rainbow.

"For the fifth time, no," Applejack groaned back.

Though they had only been traveling for twenty minutes, everypony was restless, fidgety, and those two had gotten the worst of it. Nopony could blame them; since the escape from Ponyville three nights ago, the ponies had easily spent a full day cooped up on a train. The guards in the car were still sitting like statues, and despite occasionally muttering to one another, they were the picture of stoicism.

On their side of the train, Cadance and Alpenglow were talking, with Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity sitting quietly as they listened. As for Spike, he was sitting next to Twilight, trying his best to pay attention too. He yawned frequently as boredom and drowsiness gained the upper hoof.

"So what happened at the dance?" Alpenglow asked Cadance.

"Well, I did go with Buck, but once we got there, I quickly told him that we should just be friends and went to find Shining Armor."

The stallion grinned somewhat. "Very efficient, Your Highness."

Cadance rolled her eyes playfully. "I try. To make a long story short, Buck got what he deserved, and Shining Armor and I finally had our dance. You wouldn't believe it, but the two of them are actually good friends now."

"Two young ponies in love, a bully, and a dance. That’s quite the story, Princess."

"Cadance is fine, really."

"Well then, Cadance, I think one you should definitely save that one for the history books...or the romance novels."

She chuckled. "I’ll keep that in mind. What about you, Alpenglow? You told us a little that night in the library, but you must have some stories of your own."

"Yes, tell us about the princesses when you were their student. What were they like?" asked Rarity.

Spike groggily woke up as everypony turned their attention towards Alpenglow, who took off his helmet.

"They really weren’t that different back then. Honestly, it's surprising how they’ve barely changed, even Princess Luna."

"What do you mean?" asked Applejack.

Alpenglow's mouth curved up just noticeably. "You must've heard her talk in public by now. Her voice tends to leave an impression on ponies...and on the wall behind them."

Twilight smiled. "Oh, right. She’s gotten much better about that now. You should see her when she comes to Ponyville. She’s kind, outgoing..."

"And loves having fun!" Pinkie finished.

"She truly is another pony when royal duties aren’t on her mind," Rarity confirmed.

Alpenglow shook his head in disbelief. "That’d be something to see. It was rare when the Princess and I could get a smile out of her. A laugh...I’d sooner try to teach a rock to sing. She was always about as festive as one."

"Remind you of anypony?" teased Rainbow as she slugged Alpenglow’s shoulder. For a moment, he stared where Rainbow had hit him, one eyebrow raised. Then, to Twilight's silent delight, his mouth curved into another smile, microscopic though it was.

"You might get a chance to see her like that at the Remembering our Roots festival," said Applejack.

"What's that?"

"It’s a festival where everypony learns about the ponies that lived in Equestria before us and what their lives were like," Twilight explained. "It’s a chance for everypony to share their family history and traditions. We were helping Princess Celestia prepare for it before everything happened. It’s a week from tomorrow."

Alpenglow looked away for a moment, then said sincerely, "Don’t worry, we’ll get this done before then."

"Maybe you could help us out, Alpenglow," Applejack suggested. "I bet you could tell us all sortsa things about what Equestria was like back in the day. Like what’d y’all usually eat?"

"Yes, perhaps you could help me visualize what kind of fashions were in style?" added Rarity. "Descriptions in books simply do not do them justice."

"Sorry, I couldn’t tell you much about either of those things. I was pretty busy as the princesses' student. I didn’t really think about much outside of my studies." Alpenglow shrugged. "Looking back, I probably should've tried to. It kind of made me a one-trick pony."

"If studying was what you enjoyed, then you're in good company," Cadance said with a wink at Twilight.

"Still," pressed Rarity, "you must have done something with your time when you weren’t 'venturing into the unknown' and 'saving the day.'"

"I suppose I must've. Nothing out of the ordinary, really: reading, relaxing, training."

Rainbow was looking out the window, ever so slightly bored, when suddenly her eyes lit up with opportunity. She turned away from the window and asked suspiciously, "Did you guys ever race?"

Alpenglow cocked his head. "On occasion."

"Aw yeah!" Rainbow whooped. "First chance we get: you, me, Twilight, and Fluttershy."

"Please no," Fluttershy whimpered.

"...Though I guess I'd better wait 'til we can get some of the Wonderbolts to watch. I’d rather have some star witnesses when I win."

Alpenglow raised an eyebrow. "You haven’t won anything yet, Rainbow Dash."

She leaned forward, jabbing her hoof at Alpenglow. "Eh, I may as well've. You didn't know, so you're off the hook, but you’re talking to the winner of the Best Young Flyers' competition and official Wonderbolt candidate."

"Don't rest on your laurels. I paid attention during the flight over the mountains yesterday. You started off fine, but your posture was sloppy by the time we crossed the peak."

Applejack laughed, "Whew, he’s calling you out, Rainbow!"

Rainbow’s face turned red, though Twilight couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or indignant anger. "Come on!" she shouted, "Let’s race right now! Then we'll see who’s got the sloppy posture!"

The stallion stood up. "I’ll be back in a minute," he said serenely. "Need to ask the conductor how much longer we'll be." He walked off, and Twilight caught a glimpse of his effort to keep a straight face.

He was gone for the brief remainder of the trip, but everypony made the most of their time, namely by teasing Rainbow, and her bruised ego, until the glowing dome of Ponyville loomed into view.

Chapter 20

For a second, it looked as if the train had stopped without reason, but as the ponies looked outside, they found themselves in the middle of a huge camp of royal guards. Some of them were coming, others going, and they all looked exhausted.

Cadance and her escort climbed off the train first, followed by everypony else. From the crowd, Twilight saw somepony trotting forward to meet them. It was Smoke Jumper, the unicorn guard who was with them the night Blight escaped.

"Your Highnesses!" she saluted. "Princess Celestia and Luna are waiting. Their tent's at the center of camp. You’d better follow me; it’s easy to get lost in here."

Smoke Jumper led the ponies through a maze of tents not unlike the one in Canterlot. Everywhere she looked, Twilight saw guards hurriedly eating, talking quietly, or trying to sleep. It was a gloomy sight, contained only once the ponies came to a tent, in front of which stood Smoke Jumper's pegasus partner. Stepping into the dim interior, they found Princess Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor standing around a large table, examining the map that covered it.

Smoke Jumper saluted, clicking her heels together as she came to a halt. The princesses and Twilight's brother looked up with a start.

"Your Highnesses, Princess Cadance and Twilight are here."

"Thank you, Smoke Jumper," said the Princess. "Come in, everypony. We weren’t expecting all of you."

"Are you two alright?" asked Cadance.

Princess Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor walked away from the table. "Don’t worry, we’re all fine. Keeping the shield up has just taken its toll on everypony." Through one of the tent's plastic windows, the Princess pointed over the peaked roofs of the tents. Behind them glowed the shield, looking exactly as it had on the morning of Blight's escape. Through its shifting bands of colored light, Twilight could make out a few buildings, still standing, miraculously.

"We have to rotate ponies out every hour to keep them from collapsing," Shining Armor explained. "We don’t know how, but Blight’s pushing back on it. We’ve been able to keep it from breaking by expanding it every now and then, but we’re not sure how long we can safely do that."

"Fortunately, we have taken care to reinforce the shield as well," Luna added. "He should no longer be able to send out his seeds, though we fear it is only a matter of time until he discovers a weakness."

"Sounds like he already has," said Alpenglow. "He’s not trying to escape, Princess, he’s been biding his time to get his strength back." He turned to Twilight. "We were lucky. It looks like the Elements of Harmony did something to him. Chances are he’s had to deal with whatever effect they had on him in addition to the shield."

Rainbow frowned. "So how does that help us?"

"It means we have more time to figure out how to stop him for good, without wiping Ponyville off the map." He turned to face the princesses. "I figured you kept that in mind from the start."

Princess Celestia frowned. "Yes, we did. As dangerous as Blight is, even he couldn’t stand against everypony here. But doing so would surely destroy Ponyville and the surrounding area in the process. We must keep that plan only as a last resort."

"Please," said Luna, "tell us you have found another way."

"We have," answered Twilight. "With Alpenglow’s help, we were able to fight past Blight and reach the Crystal Empire. We found in the library that the knights used the Elements of Heroism to defeat Blight."

Princess Celestia thought for a moment. "That must be how Starswirl imprisoned Blight the first time. Alpenglow, when we brought you and Blight back to Equestria, we found no trace of the elements."

"They were destroyed," Twilight explained, "but there might be another way. When I looked in Alpenglow’s memories, I saw that the Elements of Heroism were dark magic, which makes them work against Blight."

Luna looked at Twilight, worried. "You...saw what happened the day he defeated Blight?"

Twilight continued, not quite understanding Luna’s concern. "Not a lot, but enough that I think we can use Blight's box with the Elements of Harmony to trap him again."

"That ain’t all we found," added Applejack. "We’ve got it figured to head to that observatory in the Appaloosan mountains. We’re betting on finding the spell to make the whole thing work over there."

"That’s a lot more than we had three days ago," Shining Armor said, wiping his brow. "You guys did some good work."

"Without a doubt," said Princess Celestia. "We will send what we know to Discord right away so he can offer his thoughts on the matter. Cadance, while the rest of them search the observatory, I’d like you to stay here and help with shield. I am certain the rest of the royalty in Canterlot will be able to manage."

Cadance hooked Shining Armor’s hoof with hers. "I’d be happy to."

"Luna and I must remain here as well, but we have every confidence that you will succeed."

"You've made a great deal of progress already," said Luna.

"But as always, be on your guard for Blight," the Princess warned. "He attacked you once, and will certainly try again, if given the chance."

"We’re always careful, Princess!" Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

"Some more than others," Applejack pointed out as they all turned to follow Smoke Jumper out of the camp.

"One moment, Alpenglow," said Luna, "We would like to speak with you. In private."

"Yes, Princess," answered Alpenglow. "...May Twilight stay?"

Princess Celestia and Luna looked at each other a moment. "If you’re sure that’s what you want. Twilight?" the princess said.

Twilight nodded as Spike climbed from her back and left with everypony else. For a moment, nopony talked. The princesses stood next to each other, facing Twilight and Alpenglow, who took off his helmet and clipped it to his saddlebag.

Luna stepped closer. "This is the second time now. When was I ever anything other than ‘Luna’ to you?"

The stallion shrugged. "It’d been a while. It didn’t feel right anymore."

Princess Celestia stepped closer to him. "It doesn’t matter how much time has passed. You’ll always be our student, and our friend. Why couldn’t you talk to us back at the library? We could always talk when it was just us."

"I just...don’t know, Princess. I forgot a lot when I was in there, but I always remembered you, both of you." He paused. "And I always will. But things can’t be like they used to."

"Why not?" asked Luna.

He lowered his head. "It’s different now. I’m not that kid anymore."

Princess Celestia draped her wing over him. "Alpenglow, we told you, many times, that we saw something special in you. It was there when you were a colt, and it’s still there now." She raised his chin with her hoof so he was looking at her. "Nothing you do could ever make us think different. Whatever happened, you can tell us."

Slowly the depth of the three ponies' relationship formed in Twilight's mind. While she appreciated the additional understanding of how personal this whole affair was for both the princesses and Alpenglow, it suddenly made her feel awkward, as if she were intruding. The discomfort passed quickly, for Twilight realized- with no shortage of relief and pride- that her presence was surefire proof of Princess Celestia's trust in her. And perhaps in his request for her to stay, Alpenglow felt the same. Though it had only been mere days, the first time she met him was beginning to feel like a lifetime ago.

Twilight couldn't deny it; she was dreading where this conversation might take all of them, but unlike that night in the Everfree Forest, she truly believed in her power to control her apprehension, as well as the doubt that had kept her quiet in the Crystal Mountains. There was no telling why Alpenglow had asked her to stay, but it didn't change the fact that she was here, and could change things for the better. She held out the letter in her hoof, and everypony's eyes slowly descended upon it.

"Alpenglow," said Twilight, "I know this is hard right now, but you know they just want to help you. We all do. But Princess Celestia and Luna need to know what happened first. They deserve to know. You can’t change your past, but you can rise to face it."

Alpenglow’s eyes were coal lumps, but as he looked up at Twilight, his mouth opened slightly. There was a spark in his eyes, as if he had been waiting for her to say those exact words. He nodded and looked again at the princesses.

"It wasn’t your fault. Even if I said it, none of it was your fault."

Princess Celestia stared at the letter, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. With a slight reluctance, she took it from Twilight and opened it in front of herself and Luna. As Twilight had done the first time she read, their faces drooped with each passing line. Their eyes wavered from left to right, first quickly, then slowly, finishing on the verge of tears.

Princess Celestia hung her head in shame. "I’m...sorry. I'm so sorry, Alpenglow. When we finally found you, we had no idea what happened. We never should have sent you there.

"You did the right thing. If you hadn't sent us, it would've been a lot worse for the griffins. We didn’t know what Blight was then, and when Bridge Builder finally turned on us..." He shook his head. "None of us wanted to believe it."

Luna stared at the letter dolefully. "All of them? Honeydew? Vera?" Alpenglow nodded.

"What about Tawny Timbre?" asked Princess Celestia. "She wasn't with the others when we brought all of you back to Equestria."

"I don't remember."

"If there's a chance that you do, would you take it? If you are willing to remember, then we don't have to risk sending you, Twilight, and everypony else to the observatory. We could stop Blight as soon as tomorrow."

"I can't argue with that."

"Then if I may," suggested Luna, "perhaps it’s time we continued from where we left off at the library." Her horn began to glow.

Alpenglow backed away, but whatever he saw in Twilight's eyes gave him the strength to stop and face Luna. He swallowed hard as her horn came to rest on his head.

There was no flash, no sudden sensation of being somewhere else. The walls of the tent merely melted away before Twilight, revealing not the hills surrounding Ponyville, but an ugly forest of gnarled, dead trees. Twilight felt mud beneath her hooves, and when she looked down at the ground, she saw her body, hazy and translucent. She looked to either side, and could see straight through both princesses, too. Behind them lay more of the same, sad wasteland, so grotesque that it looked unnatural, artificial. It was as if someone had come and with sludge painted over what had once been a pristine pine forest.

The princesses looked around the lifeless landscape in horror, until movement turned their attention forward. Twilight followed their gaze and saw Alpenglow, who was standing at the gaping maw of a cave. Unlike Twilight and the princesses, he was solid. Next to him was another pony in worn, muddy armor. The young mare wore a round, hat-like helmet, and when she turned to look at Alpenglow, underneath the dirt and grime, Twilight could see a caramel face and a pair of bright, hazel eyes. The mare's legs rocked her back and forth sleepily, the way a breeze gently shook a reed, and where the mud hit her hooves, its sloshing became the gurgle of a stony stream. Between that and her vanilla mane, which draped her shoulders like the leaves of a willow, the pony was a pearl in a sewer.

"I guess this is it, huh?" she said in a maple voice.

"He has to be here," Alpenglow uttered hoarsely. "The griffins back in the village said this forest was healthy just a few days ago. We've had nothing else to go on this week."

"You really think the elements will work?"

"That's what Starswirl told us. Blight just never stuck around long enough for us to use them."

The mare rubbed her eyes as she stared back at the dead forest. "Where did last week go?" she sighed.

"I don’t know."

"We’ll find Nautilus and the rest of them. They couldn’t have gotten far. Princess Celestia can fix whatever Blight did to them, then we can work on helping the griffins rebuild their homes. We can fix all of this, right?"

Alpenglow silently stooped over, like an over-burdened mule. When he continued to give no answer, his friend stepped in front of him and used her hoof to force his chin up.

"Right?"

"Yeah...sure."

The mare pouted. "I didn't realize we brought Luna on this mission, too."

"Funny."

"Somepony has to be with you around."

Alpenglow exhaled heavily. He straightened up and smiled weakly at her.

"Thanks, Tawny."

She hugged him, and as the two of them faced the cave again she said, "No sense waiting here. Let’s go."

Alpenglow and Tawny Timbre waded towards the mouth of the cave, the three ghostly princesses following behind. As they walked, Princess Luna explained, "This is not too different from when I enter a pony’s dreams. With luck, Alpenglow's memories will slowly reveal themselves, allowing us to finally see what happened, as well as how he stopped Blight despite losing the Elements of Heroism."

"But if we can see his memories, why didn’t we do that in the first place?" Twilight asked.

"We tried that night in the library, Twilight," answered the Princess. "But he had forgotten too much. The few memories he had left contained nothing useful, which is why we sent him with you."

Twilight thought for a moment. "And you wanted to see if we could help bring him back to normal, to when he was your student."

"Yes. As difficult it may be to believe, he used to be a very different pony. He was always serious, but never cold. He loved to learn and explore, and no matter where he went, he inspired the ponies around him." The Princess frowned bitterly. "It’s hard to remember him in such a way now."

"We had hoped the time spent with you all might help him leave behind his past," continued Luna. "This spell depends on his willingness to remember it, and though I sense he has recovered somewhat, whether or not it is sufficient remains to be seen."

The princesses were cut off by Tawny and Alpenglow talking. They were all deep inside the cave now. Weak slivers of sunlight still trickled in, but quickly retreated when Tawny lit a torch and placed it in a slot on her saddle. Alpenglow took off his helmet. The two knights stood at a crossroad of three tunnels, three neatly dug cylinders.

"I’ve got an idea: let’s split up and cover more ground!" exclaimed Tawny. Alpenglow glared at her in disbelief, giving him no sense to react when Tawny pushed him. He landed on his side with a dusty thud.

"Gotcha," she said with an exhausted smile. "You really thought I was serious."

"You’re nuts, you know that?" Alpenglow stood and brushed himself off. He briefly considered the tunnels and said, "Luna always bragged to me about your sense of direction. Which way?"

"Well, the way I see it, he can’t have been here for more than a day or two, which means he hasn’t had chance to turn this place into the usual maze."

"So all these tunnels should lead somewhere," Alpenglow finished.

"Yeah, we'll probably run into a vineyard before him, but we'll have to take those out anyway. He’s probably still catching his breath from yesterday."

"Which means we’ve got him cornered."

The two of them pointlessly debated on which tunnel to choose for a minute, then settled on going straight down the middle. As they stepped towards the mouth of the tunnel, they crossed onto a patch of loose, freshly dug dirt.

The cave trembled. Like worms emerging from an apple, vines shot from the mud of the cave walls and out of the dirt patch, knocking Tawny and Alpenglow into the air. The torch fell into a nearby mud pit, and with a hiss, darkness took the knights and princesses alike.

Twilight opened her eyes. The memory was over. The princesses snapped out of the spell’s trance, horrified. Alpenglow stood in a daze, his hooves shaking steadily and his eyes fixed on nothing.

"No...I’m done," he whispered, and left the tent.

Luna stamped her hoof angrily. "It is as we feared. There is nothing we can do to make him face his past. He no longer cares." She hung her head in shame. "He is gone. We have failed…again."

"We can’t give up," said Twilight. "There has to be something we can do."

"I don’t see anything we can," Princess Celestia whispered. "Twilight, your best chance is to reach the observatory and find the spell while Luna and I retrieve the box. Alpenglow will of course help and protect you, but I’m afraid you will not be able to count on him for more."

"There must be something we can do," Twilight insisted. "We can try again."

"He is not the pony we knew. He is beyond our help." said Luna bitterly.

The Princess turned away. "I’m afraid Luna is right. Neither of us are in any position to help him, and there are things that time and hate do to a pony that even we cannot fix." In a tone eerily similar to Alpenglow’s, she added, "For now, we must focus on the current task of defeating Blight. Nothing else matters."

"Princess...that’s not true."

"I’m sorry, Twilight, but we knew him for a long time, and maybe one day we can help him, but for now, we are on our own. Now go. There is no time to lose." In a weary walk, the princesses lead her out, and before she could even turn around, they had retreated back into the tent.

Twilight shook her head, almost fuming. Back in the mountains, she realized that being a leader meant persisting even in the face of doubts, whether they came from within her or without. While it hadn't been easy, she accepted that responsibility- to stop everypony from giving up- readily. It was one story with her friends; they all depended on each other, and she would do anything for them. But to see the princesses give up on Alpenglow, after all the time she had spent getting to know him, was just a bit too much to bear. She was frustrated with all three of them for not having the same strength as her friends, but she stopped herself when a moth in her ear whispered:

"Your memories of them were gone, but so was the feeling of losing them. Would you want to remember that, Twilight? Even if it meant losing them all over again?"

It seemed understanding always came at a price. Twilight appreciated that she still struggled to answer Alpenglow’s question. Apparently so did he, and so did the princesses.

Chapter 21

Even grim necessity couldn't tarnish the rustic beauty promised by a trip to the Appaloosan Mountains. When the train stopped at a lonely platform near the foothills, an autumn colored forest reached through the windows to welcome the ponies with late afternoon's light. The strange sense of calm enchanted them to step outside the car, where the world bloomed into a sea of smoky reds, greens, and yellows that hung from chocolate branches. Far off, a monolithic crag stood protectively above the pastel canopy, its golem-like facade gateway to the ponies' true destination.

Taking a map from Alpenglow's bag, Twilight stopped to double-check their route through the mountains, and certainly not to linger in the forest, where everypony- herself included- was letting the change of scenery breathe new life into them.

Alpenglow had reverted back to silence for the train ride- Twilight could hardly blame him-, but it seemed everypony else had sensed this too, and were slowly walking him back to the present. They moved to sit with him and Twilight when they boarded the train at Ponyville, taking care to keep the mood light with their usual jokes and chatting during the trip. This had apparently worked, for when Twilight furtively glanced over the top of the map, Spike had successfully waved Alpenglow over to join everypony as they talked and admired the landscape.

"So what can ya tell us about this observatory, Alpenglow?" asked Applejack.

The stallion took off his helmet. "Not as much as I’d like to. All I know is it used to be one of Starswirl’s studies and libraries. The way he told us, it sounded like he had several where he liked to work, study, and do less than sane magic experiments."

"Sounds like paradise, huh Twilight?" joked Spike.

Twilight lowered the map and smiled. "Maybe, and I’d love a chance to look around, but after we find what we’re looking for. What do you think, Alpenglow?" she asked, pointing to one of the winding paths on the map. "Will this one work?"

He glanced over and nodded. "That'll be fine. It’s a bit narrow where the cliffs butt up against each other, but it is the most direct path to the observatory. We’ll just have to walk single file."

From her unknowable pockets, Pinkie promptly produced a bowler hat and an atrocious Cockney accent. "Alright, quick as you like! Queue up, lads and lassies!"

Doing her best to keep her wings tight by her side, Twilight put one hoof through the jagged opening. The crag seemed more akin to an apple press as she squeezed between the rough walls, but one by one it allowed the ponies to pass through.

Luck continued to smile on them, as the hike through the mountains proved to be just as peaceful as the one through the forest, if ever so slightly less comfortable. Guided by the natural shape of the rock, the path wound back and forth, forked, and sometimes even looped back on itself. Nevertheless, the ponies finally emerged from the granite-spun labyrinth onto a small outcropping, halfway up a huge, foggy canyon. Turning her head towards the sky, Twilight watched in awe as the layers of mist dramatically peeled away and revealed the observatory.

It was quite a site. The stumpy building sat wedged high between the two adjacent cliff faces, supported precariously by a spider web of ropes and wooden struts. Behind it sat a pair of waterfalls on either side, creating a veil between the interior of the canyon and the prairie that lay just outside. Through the curtains of water, Twilight could make out a small river which ran to the prairie from a pool below. Looking down, she could also see what looked like the remains of an old elevator system. Some of the ropes and pulleys were still in place and lead straight up into the heart of the observatory. Twilight realized that the elevator must have once been the main entrance, since the waterfalls would stop anypony from flying in, and the path they took was much too small to have been used regularly.

"Wow," Spike whispered, wide-eyed.

"Now that's somthin' else," said Applejack.

Fluttershy covered her eyes with her hooves. "Heights. Why did it have to be heights?"

"Are we really going up there?" asked Rarity.

"Unless there's another one around the corner," quipped Rainbow.

A near-vertical staircase ran a hollow vein through the cliff's side. With Rainbow hovering close by, the ponies made the slow climb, just in time for the wind to make its bellowing entrance inside the canyon. To Fluttershy’s credit, she kept only one eye closed, and screamed but once when she slipped on the worn-smooth steps.

The staircase ended- eventually- at the foot of a large wooden door. It filled the canyon with a rusty groan as Twilight pushed on the dried-out planks. Spike propped the door open as everypony entered, giving Rarity a chance to relight the torches that lined the ceiling.

"You look even more beautiful by torchlight," said Spike wistfully.

"Why thank you, Spike," Rarity pleasantly answered.

"Over here," Alpenglow called from the front of the room. As everypony walked to join him, Twilight could see that the room widened as they went, like a clamshell. The wide end's wall was simply a large, curved window that faced outside. Twilight imagined that had the glass not been coated in dust, she could have easily looked out and seen the prairie from earlier, with the two waterfalls flanking the view.

Before the window, everypony gathered around a sweeping wooden desk, which was covered in quills, ink pots, and marked paper. Rarity finished the last torch, and the observatory revealed in full its trove of filled bookshelves, maps, and all manner of scientific instruments.

"Wait, this desk belonged to Starswirl the Bearded!" Twilight said with a growing shrill. She started at a trot, but soon began galloping from one corner of the room to another, her speed a hummingbird's envy. "I’m standing in his observatory, touching his desk and holding his books!" she shrieked like a filly.

"Uh, Twilight? Are you here?" Spike asked, bringing her hooves to the ground.

It took Twilight several seconds to stop prancing around and return to the desk, blushing. "Um, right. Sorry."

Applejack grinned. "No problem, Twilight. We all know this is like a dream come true for you, but back to what we’re doin’."

"Just FYI, Alpenglow," Rainbow explained, "Twilight gets pretty excited when we’re around ancient ruins and stuff."

"I’m starting to understand that," he said politely.

Applejack laughed, "Yep, if she gets like that, best to just nod yer head and smile."

"Same thing with Pinkie Pie," Rainbow cracked. Rubbing her chin, she added, "Then again, she’s been pretty not-so-crazy these past few days."

"How can you say that?!" Pinkie shouted indignantly. "I do my best, darn it!"

"So how’re we supposed to know where this spell is?" asked Spike.

Rarity surveyed the room. "This place isn’t terribly big. Surely we will happen across it if we all search."

Everypony picked a corner of the observatory and searched from ceiling to floor, but found nothing. Twilight sat and pored over Starwswirl’s desk, looking for some clue about the spell needed to recreate the effects of the Elements of Heroism. Sadly, this also meant quickly brushing aside everything that obviously had nothing to do with their mission, including some fascinating notes on 'hairless biped anatomy,' 'pony transmogrification,' and 'the spatial-temporal properties of mirrors.'

After minutes of fruitless searching, Twilight smacked her head against the desk. All the information anypony could want about anything, and she couldn’t find the one little piece she was looking for. She twisted in her seat to look at the room in its entirety. Apart from being devoid of any information about Blight, the Elements of Heroism, or the knights, Twilight realized another upsetting detail: the whole place was a mess. Books were carelessly strewn across the floor, shelves hung haphazardly from the walls, and even the dust seemed disturbed.

Twilight looked at the path she and her friends had wiped through the dust when they entered. Interlaced with their hoof prints were thin, long streaks that snaked across the floor, ending at the chair where she sat. Turning back around, she carefully levitated everything off the desk. As the papers and books slowly rose, a shred of red petal floated gently to the surface. It was still fresh.

A cold tingle, then a seizing flash of total, genuine terror. "Everypony, to me!" Twilight cried, her horn already charging.

Like the first drops of rain, thin shapes silently fell from the ceiling, erasing sections of room as they smothered the torches. More launched from the walls and covered the window, removing the only light that wasn't Twilight's. From every corner of the room, she could hear her friends shouting as they bumped into the furniture or each other. It took several agonizingly long moments, but everypony regrouped around her and began standing back to back.

"Uh, we might have a problem," said Rainbow.

"We gotta get out of here," whispered Applejack.

It took effort for Twilight to stop her head from darting between every shadow and speak. "Alright...we'll move quickly and carefully towards the door, together."

Spike pointed to the desk. "What about the spell?"

"It'll have to wait. We can't get trapped in here. Just shout if you see anything move."

In a multicolored tortoise, the ponies hastily shuffled towards the sliver of light left behind by the door. Just as the circular handle came within reach, a vine from the ceiling and landed in front of them. It lay there for a moment like an old log, then snapped to life so it could slam the door completely shut.

"I wasn't expecting you," crept a voice from behind.

With more dread than fear now, everypony slowly turned in unison to face Blight, standing barely out of hoof's reach. His face rested once more on the stem of a large red flower, looking ever more ghoulish in the glow of Twilight’s horn. He looked completely at home here, in the dark, among the dust and decrepit wood.

"I'm glad to see the memory loss wasn't permanent. Had it been, I never would have thought to come here." He turned away from the ponies. "It looks like you found your way here all the way from the empire. Maybe I gave Celestia too little credit before. There's definitely more to you than meets the eye."

"Save us the sweet talk," shot Applejack.

"Believe me, girls, I mean it..." Without warning, more vines wrapped around everypony’s legs. He turned back around. "...which is why you're not leaving here."

Blight’s head paced back and forth in the dark. "Everything's been coming back to me, slowly. I know why you're here, and it's crazy." From beneath the folds of his body, Blight produced a single scroll, holding it by an outstretched vine. With a desperate lunge, Spike threw himself forward and reached out with a flame, but Blight swiftly pulled it out of reach. How he discovered Spike's ability to communicate with the Princess, Twilight couldn't begin to guess.

"Even if you could remember what it says, Alpenglow, you're the last pony I'd have use it. It doesn't matter anyway; the elements are gone, and as powerful as this spell is, it's useless without them. But you know this, so why did you bring these girls here?"

Given Alpenglow's hatred for Blight, his ability to stay quiet around him was amazing. He stood there, not saying a word, until his silence made Blight huff in disapproval.

"Hmph, fine. You never did feel the need to explain your actions to anypony." He turned to everypony else. "Makes me wonder why you all didn't get rid of him the second you found out."

"What're you talkin' about, you overgrown weed?" Rainbow said offhandedly.

Blight raised an eyebrow. "His memory’s had to return by now, or hasn’t he told you?"

"Told us what?" demanded Applejack.

"About what happened when Celestia sent him and his friends to find me. Did he tell you how he destroyed a dozen towns just to get a chance at me? Or did he not trust you enough to say?"

Twilight quickly caught the lie. "That's not what happened. You took over the griffins' homes, and when the knights came to stop you, you destroyed them so you could escape."

"A one-sided account. I gave them plenty of warning of what would happen if they kept chasing me. Alpenglow alone made the choice to, and everypony else paid the price. If you keep letting him lead you on like this, what do you think will happen to Ponyville? Trust me, I know he doesn't care about you or your town. It's not in his nature."

"And you just happen to know him so well?" snapped Rarity.

"More than you can imagine. Ever since I met him, I could see it. The wish to make a better world- more importantly, the will to make the sacrifices necessary for it. But he's misguided, and as Celestia led him and his friends to ruin, so will he to all of you."

Applejack looked at Alpenglow carefully. "No. He does care. We know he does."

"Don't be so sure," Blight retorted. "He’s always been so caught up in his duty and high-minded sense of right and wrong that he couldn’t see past his own helmet. Celestia’s no different. That's what I've been trying to show all of you this whole time."

Twilight leaned forward at Blight, unafraid. "We know who Alpenglow is and what he’s done. He might be from the same time as you, but he’s nothing like you, and there’s nothing you can do to make us think otherwise."

"In that case, Princess Twilight, how about an experiment? Surely you of all ponies will appreciate what we can learn from it."

Twilight’s answer was a quick blast from her horn. Blight had no time to shield himself and was stunned momentarily as she began to cut through the vines holding everypony. She had almost freed herself before a cocoon wrapped around her, muffling the concerned shouts of her friends.

Twilight immediately began to cutting her way out, but with the seed of nowhere in sight, it was impossible to keep them from growing back. If she let up for even a second, she knew she would be completely trapped.

Suffocating seconds passed, and as Twilight felt the last of her strength wane, the cocoon fell apart. To her disappointment, Blight looked only angry as he rubbed his singed face. He must have done the same to Rarity, who was panting heavily next to her.

Herding the ponies along with him, Blight turned and approached the window. He parted the vines covering it, causing dirty light weakly trickle through, and with a negligent wave of his 'arms', the window shattered. The papers on the desk danced and leapt like a flock of birds in the new wind before spewing outside. They would have a long way to fall.

Arranging them side by side, Blight inspected the line of ponies. Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity glared at him, and he passed over them. He sneered in disgust when Fluttershy recoiled from him, but his expression turned to satisfied interest as he turned his attention to Pinkie and Spike. He thoughtfully stroked the leaves of his beard.

The vines holding Rainbow buckled as she fought and kicked. "Hey, you get away from ‘em!" she shouted. Blight ignored her, picking up Spike and Pinkie. He brushed everpony else to the side, his eyes locked squarely on Alpenglow. With a vicious swipe, he tore off the knight's helmet. It spun wildly until it became a dot on the canyon wall, another reminder of how high up they all were.

"We have to stop meeting this way, old boy," Blight muttered to Alpenglow. He must have meant it to be a private remark, but the two stood no more than a meter away from everypony. "Believe it or not, I still have hope for these young mares, as domestic as they are...and you. But first, we need to show them the price of making a difference, that ponies like you and me are just two sides of the same coin. One might be up, the other down, but they both come from the same mold. Power, progress...peace. That's you, Alpenglow. And that's me."

"Don't listen to him, Alpenglow!" shouted Twilight. "You’re not like him!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow yelled. "He's just trying to mess with your head!"

Blight moved further out the window, bringing Alpenglow, Pinkie, and Spike to hang from the window with him. Horribly, the vines holding them slowly began to slacken. As Pinkie and Spike clambered frantically for a better grip, Blight held out the scroll.

"It's all so familiar, isn't it? There's always a mission; always a choice...and a price. Time for you to choose, Alpenglow. With my attention split between all of you, you stand a good chance of taking the spell. If you're fast, you could fight for the scroll and save one, but certainly not both."

Something had tied Twilight's voice shut, and everypony watched in horror as Alpenglow's eyes went from Pinkie, to Spike, to the scroll.

"Alpenglow!" yelled Spike, digging his claws into the vine holding him, "You gotta save Pinkie! She’s one of the Elements of Harmony! You guys gotta get the scroll and get out of here!"

"Spike, no!" cried Rarity.

Twilight yelled, "Alpenglow, you have to save them! We can search your memories for the spell again!"

"Please, Alpenglow," pleaded Fluttershy. "We trusted you..."

Applejack shook her head in anger, tears welling at the edge of her eyes. "If any of us ever meant a thing to you, then you'll stop him from doin' this!"

"You heard it, Alpenglow," Blight snapped. "They don't want to get their hooves dirty; they think they'll get through without even trying, without sacrificing anything, as long as you give them what they need. Here, show them just how wrong they are." Blight tightened his grip on Pinkie and Spike, and with a mighty swing, he hurled each of them in a different direction.

Time slowed. Everypony began shouting and pleading at Alpenglow. He broke from the vines holding him. A second passed. He looked at Blight and the scroll. Another second passed. The knight unsheathed his sword, gripping it firmly in his teeth. Rarity and Fluttershy looked away as Applejack and Rainbow lowered their heads. Twilight joined them.

"Alpenglow, I…" she answered, "...I would still want to remember them."

Before she could look up, Twilight heard the air crack. The blue-grey blur of Alpenglow shot down towards Pinkie as a silver shimmer spun through the air, slicing the vines that kept Blight attached to the building. He slipped, and his grip on the ponies relaxed as he scrambled to reattach himself to the observatory.

With newfound strength, Twilight and Rarity began to cut the vines holding them. They finished freeing Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy when Blight regained his grip and faced the ponies, his face contorted in a gruesome snarl. An instant later, a mass of blue, pink, and purple slammed into Blight from behind, knocking him into the room. Everypony instinctively backed away as he tumbled inside, bringing pieces of the walls and support struts with him. The building groaned in protest, its walls and floor splitting at the seams as Twilight scooped up Spike and everypony ran for the door. Alpenglow wasn't with them; he and Blight were fighting dangerously close to the edge, oblivious to the building crumbling around them.

"Alpenglow, what are you doing?! We have to go!" shouted Twilight.

"Get out of here, now!"

"Not without you!"

A wall of ruined rocks and wood crashed to the floor, sealing Alpenglow on the rapidly disappearing side of the room. Everypony tore at the broken barrier in a frenzy, until Pinkie finally squeezed her way through. From where she stood, Twilight could see her pull at Alpenglow, he and Blight wrestling closer to the edge with every struggled movement.

Tired of the damage, the floor shattered like glass. For the second time, Twilight saw Pinkie fall, along with Alpenglow and Blight. Mustering every ounce of strength she had left, she teleported to Pinkie, and the two quickly hooked their hooves together.

Looking down, Twilight could see Alpenglow, completely entangled by Blight’s and his vines, one of which still held the scroll. The two enemies continued to fight, undisturbed by the wall of water and rock plowing towards them from below. The wind whipping Twilight's face made them look miles away, but when she reached out, her hoof just brushed his. He felt her, and turning away from Blight, his eyes locked firmly with hers. The ground was so close, she could see ripples in the water. Shadows of the falling debris slowly formed on the surface, smudging it like ink on paper.

A slow nod of Alpenglow’s head told Twilight what she had to do. She looked away, and before she could contemplate her decision, she and Pinkie were standing on the stone staircase. Everypony gathered around and greeted them with wordless hugs. The relief wouldn’t last for long however, as a few reluctant steps brought them to peer over the stone guardrail.

At the bottom of the canyon, where the waterfalls pooled, now laid a hill of rubble. Plumes of brown-red dust trickled from it, staining the spotless sky.

Part 4

When Friends are Said and Dun

Chapter 22

It hadn't been a hard choice to tell Twilight to leave with Pinkie. For that, he allowed himself to be proud. Oh, and to hope the feeling would last until he hit the ground. There was no panic, no feeling of defeat or failure, or even the sad resignation he expected. Just the grip of Blight on his wings, and the wind that forced his eyes wide open, as if to give him ample appreciation for the beauty of the rocks and river he would soon join below.

His helmet was gone, and the jagged debris that fell with him and Blight began to tear at him, his cape and chainmail. Once done, they were little more than rags, their rust and dust fighting to stick to his coat. Soon, even those old marks were gone in a series of filthy brown-black streaks draining from his body. He had forgotten how stale and confining the armor was; it had been too long since he'd been out of it. He slowly rolled his head, feeling quite peaceful. He looked down- not long now. The warm, wet clay on the river bank smelled of a cozy fireplace from long ago, welcoming him to the earth. The instant before he finally met it, he closed his eyes with a final thought.

They were safe, and that mattered to him. Go figure.

Chapter 23

The mud wretched and sputtered as he wade through it, his only guide a tiny light in the distance. He hadn't a clue of who he was or why he had come back here, only that this little spark, which sometimes seemed right in front of his face, was the world (he knew it didn't make any sense).

As he pushed forward, the mud deepened, the tunnel narrowed. He knew he'd stop sinking if he stopped, but onward he marched, and just as the light seemed within reach, an invisible hand snatched it away. Something beneath the mud stirred, wrapped around his back leg, and viciously dragged him beneath the surface.

Alpenglow awoke slowly, feeling more dough than pony. He was dully surprised by the feeling underneath him of not the canyon floor, but of a comfortable bed as he looked around the small room, in which he was alone. A breeze brought his head to turn right, where the pearly towers of Canterlot gave a nurturing glance through the window.

The click of an opening door turned him back left, in time to see a charming mare wearing a nurse’s cap enter the room. She wheeled in a cart and gently closed the door behind herself, not noticing Alpenglow as she began rummaging through the contents of one of the cart's shelves. For reasons he couldn’t quite figure, he immediately felt sorry for her. The way she moved was stiff, yet rushed, and the tired frown she wore was an upsetting contrast with her pretty white coat, rosy mane, and sapphire eyes.

The mare quickly found whatever she was looking for and finally turned around, a worn out smile taking her face. "Sorry," she said, "I’ve been running around all morning. How are you feeling?"

"Like a broken toy. But still in one piece, miss, so that’s something."

"Good. You’ve been out for a while. Sleep well?"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"I’m sorry. Twilight said you’ve been through a lot. Alpenglow, is it?"

He nodded. "Where is everypony?"

"They brought you in almost a day ago. I don’t know where they are this minute, but I’m sure they’ll be by sometime. I'm looking after you until then."

"Thank you, Miss…?"

"Redheart. And you’re welcome."

Alpenglow moved to slide off of bed. With surprising speed, Nurse Redheart was at his side and easing him back onto the bed.

"Oh no you don’t! I don't want you walking around until I have someone else take a look," she said, pointing to one of his back legs. "You fell from the top of a cliff, remember?"

"You say that like it’s a problem."

"Now don’t you start. I’ve already had more than enough patients today tell me there was nothing wrong with them. It’s not broken, but you’ve got to give it some time and take it easy for the next few days."

"I don’t have that long to wait."

"You don’t have a choice."

"No. I guess I never did," he said, propping himself against the headboard of the bed.

Nurse Redheart frowned as she considered him. "Hmm… you know, Twilight and her friends warned me you were a little…odd."

"Funny. Did they say anything else?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Since it’s not every day Princess Twilight fetches me to take care of one pony in the middle of a crisis, I wanted to make sure I knew a bit about you. You know the first thing they said to me, Alpenglow?" He shrugged.

"They said you were a jerk. A hostile, ruthless pony who didn't belong here any more than that monster, Blight." She paused to fiddle with the strange beeping medical equipment by the bed. "Apparently, talking to you was like pulling teeth. I think Twilight’s exact words were ‘stodgy, obsessive, and somber.' And Pinkie? She called you a ‘Debbie Downer.’ You must have made quite the impression to make her say that."

Alpenglow looked back out the window. "I guess. I can’t say they’re far off, though."

She smiled again. "Incidentally, Twilight also said you were one of the bravest and most noble ponies she had ever met, and that you’ve been having some trouble fitting in."

He huffed. "That's putting it lightly."

Reheart sighed as she looked at Alpenglow, her face filled with that quiet, intense compassion common to all good doctors. She pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down.

"You know, Alpenglow, I wouldn’t be a very good nurse if I couldn’t tell what ponies were feeling, or when the cause of their problems wasn’t in here…," she said, pointing to his leg. "…But up here." She pointed to his head.

"I don't follow."

"I've been around those six ponies long enough to know that they're good ponies. Yes, they need your help, but they care. Anyone in Ponyville will tell you that."

"I’m a semi-educated knight from a thousand years ago whose sworn enemy is an evil plant-pony lich." He paused and cheerlessly added, "I wasn't meant to be here. I was wrong to let the Princess involve them in this."

"Your continuing good health disagrees. I’m surprised you haven’t even bothered to ask yet. Do you know how you got here, or how you survived that fall?" Redheart walked to the cart and opened a large cabinet on the bottom. Inside were Alpenglow’s things. His armor and cape were scraps, sword snapped in half, and his helmet looking like somepony had taken a can opener to it. Finally, Redheart pulled out a barrel's worth of deflated balloons and tossed them in his lap. "Don’t ask me how, but ‘somepony’ filled your bags to the brim with these, along with a way to inflate them. They cushioned your fall when you hit the water and helped stop the rocks from crushing you outright."

"...Obviously."

"I wish I were joking. That's one of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard. But when it comes to Pinkie Pie, we in Ponyville have learned not to question these things."

"You're from Ponyville, then."

She nodded. "And I’m hoping to go back there someday."

"You will, soon."

"Is that a promise?"

"It is." Alpenglow shook his head. "I appreciate what you’re saying, Miss Redheart, but I still don’t think I belong here, with them, with all of you. This world isn't mine."

"You belong wherever you want to. You belong wherever you’re wanted." She stood up. "You’re wanted here and now."

"You’re very wise, Miss Redheart."

She smiled once more. "I try."

He returned the smile. "Yeah, so do I."

Redheart left his things draped over the chair and packed up her cart. "In that case, you keep trying."

He shrugged. "That’s really the only thing I know how to do. I’m not a brilliant doctor like you."

She playfully rolled her eyes. The gesture was considered somewhat rude when he was a colt, but for some reason, seeing ponies do it now made him smile despite himself. "Sorry to leave you, but I have to finish my rounds. It’s been even busier around here since guards from Ponyville started being sent back. Keeping that shield up has worn them so thin, they’re becoming more vulnerable to diseases. And in that camp, they spread like wildfire."

"I'm sure you handle it fine."

Nurse Redheart smiled her thanks as she opened the door and pushed the cart into the hallway. With the door halfway closed, she turned around.

"Do think about what I said, Alpenglow." The door closed behind her, and after a few moments of staring at the towers outside, the stallion took her advice by peacefully drifting to sleep.

Chapter 24

Pinkie Pie showed remarkable restraint as the ponies entered Alpenglow’s room. That is to say, she waited five whole seconds before showering the room with balloons and confetti. "Rise and shine!" she sang from the foot of the bed.

By choice or exhaustion, the stallion hardly reacted to the noise. He sat up in the covers groggily, the streamers and colored paper avoiding him as they fell.

"Darn good to see you, Alpenglow," said Applejack. "It was pretty touch-and-go when we were carryin’ you to the train." Rarity and Fluttershy earnestly nodded.

"I knew he was going to make it. He’s tough- just like me!" Rainbow said modestly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Twilight, studying him as he slowly looked around at all of them. He still had that weary look of an old pony about him. His eyes drooped and his face serenely impassive, both familiar sights to everypony by now. Yet, as his ochre eyes scanned her friends, Twilight could have sworn they turned a shade brighter as they came to rest on Pinkie. With some effort, he climbed from the bed and took a few tentative steps towards everypony.

"I’m fine. I'm glad to see the same for all of you."

Applejack gave him a quick pat on the back. "Parta that’s thanks to you, Alpenglow. Don’t know what we woulda happened if you weren’t there to save Pinkie and Spike."

Alpenglow lowered his head. "Pinkie Pie, Spike, I owe you both an apology. Back at the observatory, for a time...I thought about letting you fall so I could take the scroll from Blight."

"But you didn’t," Spike quickly pointed out.

"No, but it doesn't change that I thought about it, even though I knew it’d be wrong. I almost cost both of you your lives, and I’m sorry."

With a face more serious than Alpenglow’s, Pinkie took two deliberate steps towards him, her eyes boring through the centers of his. Nopony moved.

"You’re one of the meanest, grumpiest, and hateful ponies I’ve ever met," Pinkie growled. Everypony gawked at her, wide-eyed. She leaned in closer to Alpenglow, the blue in her eyes like a stove top.

"Um, Pinkie…?" said Twilight.

"But you’re still a good guy!" she shrieked, lifting Alpenglow in a bear hug that would make Big Mac take notice. Everypony exhaled in relief, and Twilight almost felt the need to wipe sweat from her forehead as she watched Rarity pick up Alpenglow’s things from the chair. She looked positively dejected.

"Oh dear, such a shame. It might not have been high fashion, but you couldn’t deny its, shall we say, robust charm? Dreadful sorry, Alpenglow."

"It’s alright, Miss Rarity. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'll just borrow something from the guards’ barracks."

"It most certainly is not ‘alright!’ A knight without his armor...It’s just not proper! It’d be as wearing an haute couture summer frock without a matching hat or bonnet!"

"I see..."

"Just smile and nod, Alp’," teased Rainbow. Applejack stifled a laugh, unsuccessfully.

Rarity scoffed, "All you filly-stines may be ‘alright’ with it, but I shall make it my mission to have something for you by the end of the week. Something old with something new, something inspiring, something…heroic!" Ponyville's avant-garde designer was now standing upright, her hooves outstretched towards the ceiling and looking not particularly lady-like.

"I don’t suppose I can convince you not to worry about it?"

Applejack shook her head once. "Nnnope."

Twilight couldn't help but smile. For the first time since this all started, she felt a measure of peace, especially in light of how Alpenglow had changed practically overnight. Seeing him now, unharmed and untroubled, it made her feel all the worse for what she was about to say. There was still a long way to go to defeat Blight, and since they didn’t find the scroll while digging for Alpenglow, only one other option remained. "I’m sorry to bring this up, Alpenglow, but…"

"Don’t worry, Twilight, I know," he said quickly. "We need to head back to Ponyville and talk to the princesses."

"There’s no need for that," spoke an authoritative voice.

The ponies spun to face the patient room door, and there stood Princess Celestia and Luna, their majestic visages hampered only by a slight wilt in their shoulders and a few lines around the eyes.

Twilight turned to Alpenglow. "When they heard what happened, they came to Canterlot as soon as they could."

"We’re so relieved to see all of you safe," said Princess Celestia.

"And you needn’t worry, Alpenglow," assured Luna, "Discord has taken our place alongside Cadance and Shining Armor. He is currently studying the box, which we recovered from the forest with the help of Smoke Jumper and some other guards. All we need now is the spell. We must have it in order to understand how we may the channel the Elements of Harmony."

"How're we supposed to do that, Princess?" asked Applejack. "Didn’t Twilight tell ya what happened in her letter?"

"Yes," replied Luna, "but there remains one last place to search. As long as he is willing to remember, Alpenglow’s memories will reveal the spell, as he must have used it during his last battle." She turned to Alpenglow. "The last time we tried, you were not willing. The memory was too painful. Even now you choose to forget." Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the brusqueness in Luna’s voice melted away as she asked, "Alpenglow, are you ready to remember?" He nodded. "Then perhaps we should have some privacy."

"No, it’s alright," he said, turning to face everypony. "It’s your choice, everyone. After the things I’ve said to you, you deserve to know everything, but only if you want to."

"Are you kidding? I’m right behind you, Alp’," Rainbow declared with a confident grin.

"Me too," added Fluttershy.

"We all are," agreed Twilight, putting her hoof on his shoulder.

Luna nodded approvingly. "Then prepare yourselves."

Everypony gathered in a circle. Luna’s horn began to glow, and as she brought it to rest upon Alpenglow's head, a bright light engulfed them all.
 

At first, nothing changed, but then the warm colors of the wallpaper oozed and sank into the floor, leaving behind a rainbow of dirt to decorate the hospital room. The tile beneath the ponies became blackish mud that swallowed their hooves as the bed and all other furniture faded from view. The only feature that survived the transformation was the window light, but even that eventually decayed into a lifeless overcast glow.

Ponyville was a pile of rubble. Burning thatchwork roofs tore and imploded within the confines of their walls. The earth of the streets contorted painfully, shattering into dried wedges where the intersections once lied. A powerful vice squeezed Twilight’s chest, and she gasped for air as her mind fought back to reality. This wasn’t Ponyville.

Everypony stood under a sweeping archway, the griffin town's former entrance. Petrified, Twilight and her friends' transparent faces scanned the town. There was a deathly quiet, only broken by settling dust and crumbling debris, though that may have been preferable once an even harsher sound emerged.

"This is your fault, Alpenglow!" screamed a voice.

Further ahead, three ponies stood in the middle of a broken street, and though they all were covered in dirt, Twilight could recognize Alpenglow and Tawny Timbre by their helmets. Tawny was holding back the third, a large stallion wearing a bulky armet. He was trying to claw his way closer to Alpenglow, who stood facing the ravaged town.

"Come on, Nautilus, that’s enough!" shouted Tawny, her grip barely holding.

"But it is! He wouldn’t listen!"

"You need to calm down!"

"He turned us into monsters!"

"Calm down, Nautilus!"

"No…NO!"

"Stop!" Tawny desperately pulled at him, tears in her eyes. "Alp...?!"" she called desperately.

The sight of Alpenglow in his helmet had also become much too familiar to Twilight by now. The visor, the flaking rust, the jagged corners- the very glimpse of it all made her uneasy on reflex. Nautilus had slackened in Tawny's grip, and she let him go. Alpenglow silently turned to face his fellow knights. Perhaps it was an illusion, but when finally he talked, his mouth didn't move to match the words.

"We have to keep moving if we’re going to catch him. Let’s go."

Tawny took a step towards him. "Alpenglow, you’re not just gonna ignore this, are you?"

"The griffins made it out."

"But they’ve got nowhere to go! It’s over a hundred miles to the closest settlement with no supplies...you know that."

"They chose to leave on their own, and we’re not in any position to help them. Our mission is to capture Blight. Nothing else matters."

"Princess Celestia never said that."

"I’m saying it. He’s done too much damage to turn back now. We need to move out and find him before the trail goes cold. If we don’t, then this was all for nothing."

The ponies watched as Alpenglow and Tawny began to walk off. The other stallion, Nautilus, sat in the dirt, his gaze trapped in the crumbling town. "We could’ve stopped this," he whispered hoarsely. "All we had to do was walk away."

Alpenglow stopped dead in his tracks and spun to face his distraught friend. "We had Blight cornered and I made the call to move in. There’s nothing else to it."

Nautilus sprung to his hooves. "This town is gone!"

"I made the call, not you."

"Why?! I thought we were a team!"

"We are, Nautilus, but the fact is we have a job to do, whether you’re willing to do it or not."

Nautilus tore off his helmet. It landed before Alpegnlow with a sickening scrape against the dried soil.

"Do it yourself," the large knight spat. "I’m done. You’d better be too, Tawny, if you know what’s good for you." With that, he started on his journey to nowhere, its first leg marked by the flat wasteland that lay just beyond the rows of ruined cottages.

Alpenglow picked up the helmet. He scowled at it a moment, then without warning, violently threw it down. The hollow steel screeched as it bit the dirt again, spinning uncontrollably until it pitifully rolled to a stop some meters away.

Luna shivered, and with the slightest tremble said, "This…this is too early. I will try to bring us closer." Her horn flared again.

The world around the ponies fast forwarded. When it stopped, they were standing at the end of a claustrophobic tunnel. Behind them sat a sheer wall of dirt, forcing their gaze forward towards a curving path that stretched into a hungry void, like the esophagus of some giant beast. In the dark, it took the ponies a few seconds to notice Alpenglow lying on the ground in front of them. He was covered in dirt and breathing heavily. Rainbow Dash flew over to his side, only to have her hooves pass through his.

"Remember, everypony," said Luna, "these are Alpenglow’s memories. We are simply observers. He cannot see or hear us, nor can we say or do anything that affects him. All of this happened long ago."

A dusty cough cut Luna off. Slowly, Alpenglow came to and quickly walked through everypony. Throwing off his helmet, he began to dig through the wall. It was several minutes before the wall of dirt collapsed, revealing another layer of heavy boulders. Alpenglow huffed in frustration before putting his mouth to a gap in the rocks.

"Tawny?" He put his ear against the opening. No answer. "Come on, Tawny, if you’re there, I need to hear you."

After several seconds, Twilight heard another cough, this time from the other side of the rocks.

"Yeah, I’m here." Tawny made a sound that was half cough, half desperate laugh. "That probably could’ve gone better."

Alpenglow let out a deep breath. "Yeah, that’s about right. You ok?"

"I’m fine. Landed kind of funny and twisted my leg a bit, but nothing serious. I’m wrapping it now." There was a brief pause. "How come they’re not swarming us?"

"I don’t know. Looks like that trap collapsed the cave leading in. It might’ve crushed the vines, too. Either way, he probably knows we’re coming, so we’re gonna have to move fast." He looked past Twilight and everypony towards the tunnel that lead deeper into the cave. "These tunnels have to meet up somewhere. Start heading down yours and we’ll find each other. You got it, Tawny?"

Alpenglow peered through the whole, searching for Tawny, when her face suddenly appeared in the gap. Even now, the hazel of her eyes cut through the inky blackness. With no room to spare, she squeezed her hoof between the boulders and grasped Alpenglow’s.

"Sounds like a plan, Alp’. I’ll see you on the other side. You be careful, ok?"

He nodded, squeezing her hoof. "Always."

With a steadfast smile, Tawny disappeared from the opening. Alpenglow scooped up his helmet, considered putting it on, but decided he already had enough trouble seeing. Attaching it to his saddlebag, the knight began to wander down the tunnel alone, his invisible entourage following close behind.

Irrational though it was, Twilight began to worry as the minutes dragged on and the tunnel continued with no visible end for Alpenglow, his last torch now little more than a cinder on a stick. Neither he nor anypony else had seen a sign of Tawny Timbre, or the path she had taken.

As the last bit of light bled from the stick's burnt tip, the tunnel miraculously opened up into an awe-inspiring cavern. Stalactites high in the roof glittered as their speckles winked and danced from one to another, water steadily trickling from their coned bottoms all the while, a pitter-patter symphony to compliment the ballet of ripples that took place on the surface of the ponds- luminescent, turquoise dots perforating the stone floor.

Twilight could see the magical scene was lost on Alpenglow as he marched through the ponds. His cloak was dripping by the time he reached the edge of a huge lake. A little island sat in the middle of it, as well as a tiny light that seemed to hover in midair. A jump and a strong flap of his wings sent Alpenglow bounding onto the pebbled shore, his hooves denting the loose gravel sheet.

A small stone desk lay in the middle of the island, covered in carving tools, scrolls, and quills. A small lamp sat there as well, its flame still fresh and strong. Twilight leaned forward to find a better view over Alpenglow’s shoulder as he inspected the scrolls, but found it pointless. Gibberish and alien symbols filled each to the margins, which he apparently couldn’t read either, as he brushed them aside and focused on the shape that loomed on the other side of the desk: a large box, with a chain attached to the lid. As he approached it, the imposing container showed its face, adorned with strange symbols that had no doubt been carved by the tools on the desk.

Before he could inspect it any further, a soft splash to the knight's left brought out his sword. Everypony followed his gaze as he scanned the surface of the lake. Whatever had made the sound, it was well hidden at the bottom. The glowing turquoise water was no longer a delicate mosaic of ripples, but instead came at Alpenglow in distorted waves, soaking his hooves as he baited himself towards the lake edge.

With a deep-pitched splash, a vine pierced the surface of the water- a thorned viper- and pounced. In a single move, Alpenglow dove to the right as he swung. The severed tip of the vine landed with a dull thud.

Flailing like a whip, the remaining stump stopped to smack the lamp off the desk before retracting into the lake. Everypony, Alpenglow included, could only watch as the lamp skittered across the rock, plunging into the lake with a splash and a hiss.

Once the water had settled, nothing in the cavern moved. Despite the water's glow, it was hard to see. Alpenglow stood defiantly in the dark, completely still, listening for any sign of movement. If Blight attacked now, he would come from the water again, or perhaps the ceiling, but he didn’t come. Slowly another vine rose from the water, calmly, holding something Twilight couldn’t make out. With an almost negligent gesture, the vine threw whatever it was holding. The object landed, making another awful metallic scrape against the rock. Alpenglow looked down, and the sword slipped from his grasp.

It was Tawny’s helmet.

The ponies watched in horror as the hulking, wriggling mass of Blight emerged from the lake like some fairytale sea monster. Alpenglow gently picked up Tawny’s helmet, his eyes lifelessly fixed on it as Blight began to circle him.

"Alas, poor Tawny Timbre…will not have her swan song." Blight pondered the helmet, considering its worn, scratched surface. "She really was the best of you. Even then, I doubt I'll ever understand how you two were so close."

Alpenglow roared as threw the helmet at Blight, then dove for his sword. A wall of vines stormed forward, but the flurry of hacks from the enraged knight were too savage, too accurate, and in groups of twos and threes, the vines fell to pieces, their sharpened tips giving up only inches from his sap covered boots. Blight pulled away, wincing. Even now, he did not attack. Instead, he gave a pained groan as he clutched his injured vines. Now Alpenglow circled him, his stance low and sword clenched between his teeth.

"You’re angry, Alpenglow. I understand that. You have every right to be, but you need to know what I did wasn't-"

Alpenglow threw himself at Blight, plunging his sword deep into the wooden body. The two struggled for a moment before Blight wrestled him away, holding him at arm’s length with a pair of vines. Sword still stuck in his side, Blight continued, though with more difficulty.

"- it wasn’t personal, you know that, right? Celestia forced my hand when she sent you after me. It’s her fault we’ve been doing this for the last three months. And while you've done your best to make my life as miserable as possible, despite our differences, I have nothing but respect for you."

Alpenglow ignored him as he clawed and bit at the vines. Clearly wrapped up in his own words, Blight went on talking.

"What you don’t yet understand, Alpenglow, is that ever since I was one of Starswirl’s students, I knew I saw things differently. I can give us a future beyond anything you've ever known. Immortality, ultimate knowledge, we can have it all."

Blight frowned as he realized Alpenglow was still struggling. With a simmering huff, he waited. Surely enough, Alpenglow tired after several minutes, and eventually stopped, though his eyes reignited, as did Twilight's, when they refocused on Blight. His shaded silhouette seemed to revel in the dark, seamlessly merging into the wet charcoal canvas of the walls as the thorned tendrils of his torso shifted and coiled.

"You’ve never been one to deny what's right in front of him. You’ve made some tough decisions the last few months, ones that nopony like the princesses could’ve made. You kept your team together the best you could, and carried on when they didn't have the heart to. Loyalty to your friends and mission, that's a principle I understand, Alpenglow. I applaud it, in fact. Someone like you could change the world. Your only fault is having been raised by a couple of spoiled, lofty-minded ponies who think they know what’s best for everyone."

Alpenglow shook his head. "You're insane," he muttered, and for a moment, Blight just stared through him, lost in memory. Gradually, his face contorted in barely stifled rage. His wooden lips pursed so tightly, they looked as though they might crack.

"Really? I’m not the one who destroyed a dozen towns because some prissy princess told me to! I’m not the one who drove the only friends he ever had to this!"

Four vines shot from Blight. Arcing through the air, they dove into the lake, breaking the surface again before the water had even settled. In their grasp they held four statues, which dripped on Alpenglow as they descended in a ring around him. As his he turned to each of them, his face turned pale as theirs towered over him, glowering in sorrow and contempt as they pierced him from every direction.

"It didn't take me long to find them, Alpenglow. They were more than happy to become statues after what you forced them to do. I kept them around with hopes that I could persuade you to join me. No more games, no more pointless fighting and running. But Tawny couldn't accept that. Celestia had gotten too far with her. But I know you'll make the right choice."

Twilight didn't have to be psychic to know what Alpenglow was thinking. He held his forehead with his hoof, shaking it in a sad weariness. "No...you’re lying. They’d never help you. It...you won't win."

"You really think so?" Blight shook his head. "Here, take a look at this," he said hospitably as he walked past the desk, stopping at the box Alpenglow had seen earlier. From within the folds of his body, Blight produced a torch and lit it. More clearly now, Twilight saw the strange carved symbols on the box, but within the jumble of shapes and ancient letters, she saw two very familiar ones: a sun on the front of the box, and a crescent moon stamped onto the shackle at the end of the chain.

"Between four of her knights and this, I have more than enough help and leverage. I don’t suppose you ever studied enough magic to understand what this is. An old project of mine when I was still a student. Celestia will go in the box, Luna on the chain. Once they’re in it, their magical power will be pitted against one another, trapping both of them until…well, forever."

"It won’t work."

"Of course it will. I designed it so they will have no choice but to fight. Imagine it, the two royal sisters, bound together in a battle that will last for all eternity. I never had Starswirl's passion for words, but I’d say there’s some poetry in there, given their history."

His attention set proudly on his work, Blight unwittingly let the vine holding Alpenglow swing closer. With a desperate twist of his body, the knight grabbed the handle of his sword and pulled it from the decaying trunk. In a single movement, he cut the vine holding him and landed on his hooves.

Blight grimaced, though in pain or anger, Twilight couldn't tell. He looked down at his body, the majority of his vines severed now. "You still want to fight. Fine, I guess you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But believe me, Alpenglow, by the time this is all said and done, you'll see I was right...even if I have to grind you into the dirt to prove it."

With a roar, Blight went into a ferocious leap. Alpenglow dodged him with ease and shot toward the ceiling, his wings blowing misty waves upon the cavern floor.

"It’s over, Blight." Alpenglow opened his saddlebag and pulled out three shaped gems: a shield, a scale, and a cornucopia. He closed his eyes, and a purple haze began to trail from them as the gems began to burn in the air. Alpenglow’s mouth was moving, muttering something, and Twilight strained to hear it. She looked to Princess Celestia, who nodded sluggishly; she had heard it.

With his last three complete vines, Blight grabbed hold of the gems. The cave, now a blazing inferno, grew ever brighter as beams of light shot between the three gems, connecting them. Alpenglow opened his eyes, now a sickly green. A beam shot from the center of three gems, cutting into Blight. Despite everything, he roared again and held on even tighter.

Then, the gems shattered, throwing both of them to the ground. The two watched in disbelief as the sparkling dust rained around them. Blight huffed as he lay on the floor, obviously hurt by the Elements of Heroism, and rubbed his head.

"Well," he said, "either the relics weren't stable when the old goat first made them..." He looked at Alpenglow. "...or the pony who used them wasn't compatible. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just another one of Celestia's lies. She'd sooner blame me than accept the fact that this is just the real you. Still, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Like Nautilus said, all you had to do was stop."

Alpenglow shut his eyes, shaking his head. "No...everything...all this...it was your fault."

"If you say so. I think the griffins would disagree."

"I was trying to save them."

"Really?" Blight held out a flower. It opened, and a panorama of burning towns painted the cavern walls. The statues of Alpenglow's friends took on a life of their own, their faces all bearing down on him once more.

"You're no savior, Alpenglow. Your talents lie elsewhere. It's just as well- it's an overrated profession."

Alpenglow whispered, almost too low to hear, "I-I didn't mean to hurt anybody..."

"No, no, of course not." Taking a vine, Blight draped it over Alpenglow's shoulder, like a reassuring parent. "You wanted to do what you thought was right. But right and wrong aren't for everypony, Alpenglow. Ponies like you and I do these things because we know the price of making the world a better place. It's our...duty, you could say. To help the weaker, more simple-minded ones along, the ones that believe they can run things without getting their hooves in the dirt." Finally he added, "But you're not one of them. You understand how it works now. You fought a good fight, but it’s time to stop fighting."

Alpenglow gave no sign that he heard any of that, but at last he turned his head at Blight. The stallion's eyes were dirty, yellowed like globes of oily kerosene, his face locked in a dead stare that made Twilight's face numb.

"No, Blight...it’s time to start."

With a bite whose sound echoed through the cavern, Alpenglow chomped down on the vine Blight had placed around him and began marching towards the box.

"Alpenglow, wait...! No! No, no, no!" Blight screamed as he frantically clawed at Alpenglow, the ground, and any rock that promised him refuge from his own twisted creation.

His reluctant burden still in tow, Alpenglow threw open the box, heaved Blight into it, and with a final violent pull, slammed the lid shut. Muffled shouts continued to steam from it, but the knight ignored them as he picked up and sheathed his sword. He took one last look back at the statues and Tawny's helmet, lying still on the ground. Grim determination personified, Alpenglow donned his helmet and placed the shackle around his neck. The ring of rusty metal snapped close, and the memory came to an end.

Author's Notes:

Any of you Spec Ops: The Line fans will probably catch the parallel here. I hadn't always meant for it to be so explicit, but decided it'd make a good Easter egg, and would fit the scene well.

Generally, the big challenge of writing this is to keep the tone light enough to keep it recognizable as MLP, but still venture into serious enough areas and situations, like the comics do. In the end, it creates an experience that has both the charm of the show as well as some underlying, more mature themes for older audiences.

Chapter 25

Alpenglow left the room right after. Taking Princess Celestia’s advice, nopony followed him. Instead, they all retired to the study, the same one where they had done their research for the ‘Remembering Our Roots’ festival. The princesses left to examine the spell, and after an hour, returned with Alpenglow. The three of them entered the study and sat down on the u-shaped couch with everypony. The princesses looked at Twilight and her friends; Alpenglow looked somewhere far away.

"Good news, everypony," said the Princess. "It seems we may be able to recreate the effects of the Elements of Heroism using the spell from Alpenglow’s memory."

"Allowing us to recapture Blight," Luna finished. "However, we must also devise a way to enter Ponyville without risking the shield, or providing him an opportunity to escape. To that end, we shall remain in Canterlot until we have both."

"How can we help?" asked Twilight anxiously.

Princess Celestia placed a wing over her. "Thank you, Twilight, but you’ve all done far more than we could have asked for. You can help by being well rested and ready for when we return to Ponyville. I believe Alpenglow would like to help with that over the next few days."

Twilight looked at him. He nodded slowly, but still wouldn’t raise his head to look at anypony. The princesses gave him once last worried glance as they left, but could do little to stem the silence that replaced them in the study.

It took a moment, but Twilight finally reached out to him with her hoof, not knowing exactly what to say. More silent seconds passed as they sat. To Twilight's relief- and silent gratitude- Applejack took the initiative, leaning over at him.

"Alpenglow, are ya here?" He looked at her, but said nothing. His mouth hung open a little, as if he wanted to say something.

"Would something sweet help?" Pinkie gingerly suggested, holding up a cupcake.

"Hey, Equestria to Alpenglow!" Rainbow shouted, shaking him. "C’mon, you gotta snap out of it!"

"Easy, Rainbow," said Applejack.

"It’s alright," he said finally, slowly.

"No, no it's not," wept Rarity. "Even after everything you told us, we had no idea just how horrible it was. Making you relive…that." She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. "You must despise us!" Fluttershy put her hooves around her.

Alpenglow looked up. He frowned at Rarity, contemplating her ashamed sobs. Perhaps he realized that a pony who cried over harm they did to a stranger was nothing less than a rarity in his world. Taking care to favor his good leg, he stood up slowly and walked until he was crouching square front of her.

"Miss Rarity," he said, "when I first met you, I thought all of you were naive and helpless. I couldn’t' have cared less about you, your friends and family, or your town." He looked away. "But I was wrong. You didn’t hate me for it, so I will never, ever hate any of you. I like you, and I don't want what happened to me to happen to you."

"We're still sorry we had to do it," said Twilight.

"Me too, Twilight. But I've had some time now, and I'm slowly getting used to the memories again, especially when for when for the longest time, all I could remember was fighting Blight."

"So that’s what being attached to that box was like?" asked Applejack.

He nodded. "It was like he said. We fought each other nonstop, but the way he made it, if one of us got the upper hand, we’d start over before he could finish off the other, and we didn’t have a choice whether we fought or not. After a while, I got so weak, I couldn’t even remember Tawny or anypony else. I began to wonder things like 'did I have friends,' or 'did I have a home?'"

"That’s horrible," said Fluttershy. "I can’t imagine such a thing."

"I wouldn’t try too hard," he said grimly. "Looking back, I guess it was kind of like a bad dream. Wouldn’t want to go through it again- couldn’t go through it again."

Applejack took off her hat and wiped her brow. "You’ve got more brass than a marching band, partner."

"Same to you, Applejack..." he said, nodding. "Not many ponies could’ve gone through this and still be themselves. It says a lot about all of you."

Twilight put Spike on her back and walked to the knight’s side. "Alpenglow, we can never replace your friends or the life you had, but we’d be honored if you learned...to call us your friends." Everypony nodded in unison.

Twilight felt Alpenglow’s eyes sweep over everypony, a look of tired wariness hanging from his face as he considered them. Slowly, that face melted away in a small smile, and it wasn’t until she exhaled that Twilight realized she had been holding her breath. Strangely, it was just then that she noticed the stallion's cutie mark: a three-peaked mountain range, backed by the colorful bands of a sunrise.

"I always liked to think of myself as a quick learner," Alpenglow muttered. Taking Rarity’s hooves in his, he stood her up.

"On your hooves, ladies. We have work to do."

Chapter 26

"Alright, Rainbow, remember: high knees, high wings. Drive forward. Fast but relaxed."

It took Rainbow Dash more than a few seconds to catch her breath, not that he could blame her. The two pegasi had been up since sunrise, practicing sprints and takeoffs, and while Rainbow had been happy enough to fly, he could sense her growing impatience.

"Another one? Come on, Alpenglow. You said we’d get to the cool stuff today. This is way more than just a warm-up."

"This is important. Being able to explode from a standing posture to a sprint, knowing how to keep good form and technique when you’re exhausted, they're all valuable skills. Even for you."

"But everypony’s practicing with swords and armor and stuff now! How come you’ve got me here doing things I already know?"

"Because if I know Blight, then I'm sure he's figured you’ll put up the biggest fight out of everypony, so I want to make sure you know how to deal with that when he goes for you. Come on, one more time."

In another thirty seconds, they had sped through three hundred meters of rough sky, hoops, and other obstacles, finishing on a cloud left thoroughly misshapen by their previous landings. Past the bandstands, Alpenglow could see the plastic model of Canterlot wedged into the mountains, and further out, the bright speck of Ponyville. The sight proved a good distraction as he caught his breath, though Rainbow apparently did not agree; she was stooped over her knees, her panting muzzle almost touching the ground. He reached over and flicked her head upright.

"Don’t do that. When you’re tired, stand tall. Better for breathing. Posture and technique, Rainbow: it’s the difference between an excellent athlete and a phenomenal one."

She nodded, struggling to keep her head up. "But what about Blight?" she asked between gasps. "You said this is all so I’m ready when he goes for me. What about when we go for him? I gotta learn that too!"

"Yes, you do. But don't get so caught up with the idea that you forget why we're fighting him. We just need to buy enough time for you to use the elements. That's what matters."

The two of them passed the next few minutes stretching their sore and stiff limbs. As they finished, Rainbow stood up and grabbed a water bottle from her bag. "Hold on a sec, I thought stopping Blight was why we're going back."

"We'll fight him because we have to- to protect Equestria. So you can all go home."

"Are ya sure...?"

He gave a frustrated sigh. "What are you getting at, Rainbow?"

"I'm just sayin,' ever since we met you, you said it was always about stoppin' Blight."

"Not anymore." He thought for a moment, searching for the words to explain what had changed. Finally he said, "Before, I thought I could do it all again- stop for nothing and nopony to stop him- and have things turn out differently. Instead, I almost proved to all of you, and him, that the two of us really were the same. I would’ve destroyed Ponyville a hundred times if I thought it would stop him."

"What about now?" she asked anxiously.

He shook his head. "That's not who I am. Rainbow...what do you call a good guy who uses a bad guy's methods?"

Fast as always, she confidently answered. "Duh, a bad guy."

"An athlete and a scholar," he smiled.

Ponyville's head weather mare floated into the air, making a show of wiping her forehead. "Yeah, I am pretty awesome."

"That you are." As he packed up his things, he noticed her eyeing his scabbard. It hung carelessly from his saddlebag, empty.

"Sooo...when do we start the other training?" she asked, anticipation creeping back into her voice.

"I was thinking later in the afternoon, once it cools down."

"How about when I get to start carrying a sword like you?"

Alpenglow paused, considered Rainbow’s enthusiasm, and sighed. A long time ago, he had learned that being a knight spoke to a harsh truth: evil existed in the world, and while he was duty bound to do everything within his power to combat it, his role ensured he would never really play a part in making the world a better place. That was the princesses' job, and the realization once lead him to many moments of self-loathing and bitter frustration when he was younger. His friends and victories helped, no question, but to Princess Celestia, Luna, and years of experience and self-reflection, he chiefly owed his ability to contently say, "You know, there are better things out there than being an expert swordfighter or a crack-shot archer."

Rainbow stubbornly crossed her hooves. "Maybe, but those things get the job done."

In a single stride, Alpenglow was next to her, eyes alight.

"No, Rainbow. Those things allow other ponies to get their jobs done."

The two took off for Canterlot, the sun now well in the sky, and Alpenglow continued, "I’m the princesses’ protector and advisor, but they’re the ones Equestria depends on."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You should spend some time talking with them about what they do. They’re a pretty incredible group of ponies if you think about the pressure they're under every day. Who knows, maybe you’ll be doing a job like theirs someday, leader that you are."

Rainbow frowned as she tried to imagine it. "If you say so." She sighed, "But I get what you’re saying, I guess."

Alpenglow clenched his jaw and nodded. "I’m glad you do. You got it a lot faster than me, that's for sure."

"Eh, I'm not surprised," she teased, lightening the mood. She briefly barrel rolled to the side, then rejoined him. "Oh well, I guess this is good practice for the Equestria Games."

"No question. I know you’ll do great."

"Did you ever compete?"

"I mostly coached, but yeah, when I was younger. Once upon a time."

"What did you do?"

"Oh, I was a sprinter, like you."

A violet sheen appeared Rainbow’s eyes. With the sliest smirk he'd ever seen, she asked, "So…race to the study?"

He went to answer, and with mouth barely open, Rainbow vanished, as did every trace of her earlier 'fatigue.'

Hurting though he was, Alpenglow still felt himself smile, and with his wings shouting in protest, soared after her.

Chapter 27

The renewed sun came reluctantly to Equestria the following day. At first, it blew an angry red onto the sky as it poked over the mountains. Yet, as the morning took shape, its light subdued into a sobering orange, and by the time it reached Twilight in the Starswirl the Bearded wing, it had mellowed into a tender, gold glow.

"Hey, Alpenglow, can I ask you something?" Spike asked, swinging his feet from atop the desk where Twilight worked. The two of them were talking as they helped her study the books Discord had pulled for her. So far, there was nothing truly noteworthy (in fact, it was as if each and every book had been chosen at random), but it was still a welcome change of pace from the grueling workouts Alpenglow had put them through yesterday. As she pondered the dinner the Princess proposed for later in the week, anxiety of returning to Ponyville crept at the back of her mind, but she had high hopes that everypony would be ready by then. All they had to do was wait, and hope whatever magic the Princess had in the making would work.

Alpenglow answered with a raised eyebrow. "By all means, Spike."

"I was thinking...you were real popular back in your day, right? I mean, real popular. Like, everypony-lining-up-to-meet-you popular."

"I suppose, Spike. But if they were, I never noticed. Getting attention wasn't my job."

"But you did anyway, right? Did you have any 'admirers?'"

"I suppose it's possible, sure."

"How could you tell?"

"Spike, I'll tell you whatever you want if you ask."

"I dunno. I was just wondering- just plain old curiosity! You know how dragons are!" he joked.

Alpenglow rolled his eyes, good-naturedly. "Let's hear it, Spike."

Spike's eyes widened slightly, as if the knight's answer had been a little too obliging. Finally, the little dragon took a deep breath and asked, "How do you know if somepony like…say, a girl, likes you, but...more than a friend?"

"A friend who’s like a girl, but not a girl? What planet do these creatures come from?"

"Ok, ok, a girl."

"Like...Rarity?"

"Uhhh, that’s a good example. But I’m not saying it’s her!"

"No, no, of course not."

"So how would I know if she liked me?"

"Well, I suppose whenever you came around, your charming good looks would make her hair stand on end." Alpenglow chuckled weakly as he flicked the scales on the dragon’s head.

Spike groaned, "Come on, Alpenglow, I’m serious here."

"That's a gait I never got to walk, Spike." He took in a thoughtful breath. "But I will say this: there’s no need to rush. There will be a time, and when it comes, you’ll know. Just be confident and honest about your feelings, and if she feels the same way, the rest will fall into place- but not overnight."

"That’s it?"

"No, but the rest would be telling."

"Come on, you gotta know something!"

"It is truly mysterious, the land of the heart, and the best roads through it are the ones you pave yourself."

"Ugh. That was awful."

"Sorry, I hoped it would sound alright out loud." Alpenglow looked to Twilight. With a sympathetic smile, she shrugged. He turned back to Spike. "Well, my little squire, next time we talk, I’ll try to have something better for you. I put in a special order with the mare down in the armourer’s bay. I’m sure your friend, whoever she is, will think you cut a very gallant figure."

Spike leaned forward, expecting him to say more, but to his disappointment, Alpenglow’s only response was a knowing smile at Twilight. She grinned in return, and the three of them went back to work.

Chapter 28

The sun began to set, and honey-colored sky swirled through the air around him and Applejack as they pulled their carts into camp. After unloading crate after crate of food, medicine and other supplies before a grateful group of ponies, the two called it quits, parking their carts in front of the hospital tent. As they walked out, Alpenglow unwittingly turned his head back and saw Nurse Redheart standing in the doorway. She beamed at him, nodding approvingly before she disappeared back inside. He hoped he would find a way to thank her, as well as Ms. Singer, and the zebra who had seen them off to the observatory- preferably before this was all over.

It had been a busy day of moving supplies and training, though a rarely-used part of Alpenglow's mind gladly anticipated meeting everypony back at the study, which had become their impromptu meeting place. He pondered the novel feeling as they stopped at a balcony overlooking much of Equestria. In the distance, the pearly bead of Ponyville cast a weak glare on his eyes.

"Guess we shoulda stopped at a different spot, huh?" said Applejack.

"Looks that way. Aside from that, it is beautiful up here."

"You said it."

A moment of silence passed as they watched the sun continue its descent. He looked at Applejack as he leaned against the railing, becoming vaguely fascinated by the large, wide-brimmed hat she wore. He had never seen anything like it. Was it a personal fashion, or commonplace? Doubtful- he had yet to see anypony else wearing one. Still, it seemed to suit Applejack well as she tipped it to cover her eyes from the sun. In the past, such trivia always had a way of occupying him when he was tired or bored. Just then, it had served another purpose: it made him realize that for all the time he, Twilight, and everypony else had spent together, he still knew almost nothing about any of them. Why hadn't he tried to find out more when he first met them? He sighed. He must have just forgotten.

There wasn't much to go on. Rainbow was clearly some sort of student athlete, probably aspiring professional flyer. Everypony else, on the other hoof, wasn't quite so obvious, especially Pinkie. In a way, she reminded him of Tawny, albeit with just a little more sugar and spice. Oh, the trouble they would get into here in Canterlot, surrounded by so many stuffy, pampered ponies. The two of them would've been as thick as thieves- just one more reason Tawny should've been the one standing here.

The sun was visibly lower now. As it fell between the gaps of the mountains beyond the Everfree Forest, the sky bloomed. The meadow of orange, red, and gold above had become some sort of heavenly reflection of the ground below, and as the gorgeous pastoral scene unfolded before Alpenglow, another startling thought struck him: for the longest time, he had considered himself simply a part of the long tradition that was the Equestrian Knights; that he would be the last never occurred to him until now. To say he didn't consider himself most deserving of its legacy would have been a gross understatement.

Alpenglow’s gaze eventually wandered back to Applejack, who was wisely just admiring the scenery. He let the previous train of thought go, and a smile returned. Blight had clearly gotten more than he'd bargained for when he attacked Ponyville. Maybe Applejack and the rest of them weren't knights, but there was something special about them, something he couldn't quite put his hoof on. Whatever it was, Princess Celestia's trust in them was well placed, and while Alpenglow hated to ruin the mood, he respected Applejack too much not to ask for her honest opinion now that she knew everything. He cleared his throat.

"Penny for your thoughts, Applejack?"

"What the hay’s a penny?

"Nothing important." He chuckled once despite himself, then was back to serious. "I was just wondering, do you think I...could’ve done things differently?"

"Now don’t you try and go down that road, partner. Yer gonna get stuck in the mud before ya get anywhere, and I ain’t in any spot to second guess the coulda’s and shoulda’s of what happened or what ya did."

"It’s funny. You, Twilight, everypony, you don’t wear armor, spent every day guarding the princesses or fighting monsters, but in a way, you’re better knights than I ever was."

"That ain’t true."

"I'm not trying to flatter you, AJ, or even put myself down. It's true; it's no accident you all are friends. I don't know how, or why, but I know you all are going to change the world someday, in a way Blight couldn't even imagine, even with all his power."

"How d'ya figure? Like we got some sorta grand destiny in store for us?"

"Maybe, but even destiny needs a helping hoof. Some of it's fate, some of it's free will."

"So how d'ya know which is which?"

Alpenglow smiled, but didn't answer. He continued, "Princess Celestia saw it, and now I do, too. I just wish I could've seen it earlier. I've made some mistakes the past few days. And years."

"I hear ya. But that don't mean you haven't done some good. We're darn lucky to have you."

"Even luckier if Tawny was here instead."

That made Applejack turn her head. The shimmer in her eye was familiar to Alpenglow by now; he had seen it from all six of them. They stood in stark contrast to Blight's hollow, pasty eyes, always staring at him from the crypt of his mind. But for a moment, the emerald kindness beat back the deep-rooted image.

"You wanna know what I think?" said Applejack. "Way I see it, the stuff you had to go through woulda ground down anypony, eventually. It took real courage to be willin’ to face it again."

"Thanks, Applejack. For what it’s worth, I’m sure you could’ve done it, and more."

"Here’s hopin’ I never have to find out."

"You won't- not if I have anything to say about it."

"That's mighty kind of ya."

"It's the least I could do for the Princess's newest group."

"Huh? What d'ya mean?"

"I'm going to guess and say you guys aren't knights. But you are the Princess's advisors or something, right?"

For a second, Applejack looked at him as if he were some sort of alien. Then, her lips pursed together in a squiggled smile. It broke into a snicker, a hushed chortle, then at last, a long, loud laugh.

"Alpenglow!" she hollered. "I ain't no fancy, schmancy royal advisor! I'm a farmer! You got that? A regular ol' apple farmer! And proud of it! What d'ya think this cutie mark stands for? The 'Apple and Banana Republic?!'"

Alpenglow considered the three apples of Applejack’s cutie mark, recalled everypony else’s, and suddenly felt very, very stupid.

"I guess not. Sorry, Applejack, I should’ve just asked."

"Nah, nothin’ to be sorry for! Just the idea…you thought I was…" she broke off laughing again, taking off her hat.

He smiled, embarrassed. "I must've thought they were symbolic."

"Well, that sure does explain it! An apple a day keeps the royals away!" she laughed yet again.

Alpenglow leaned against the railing. "Is it really that funny?" he asked, rubbing his chin as he pondered Applejack’s sudden energy. "So...what about everypony else?"

"Well..." Applejack answered, wiping a tear from her eye, "...you probably got it figured with Twilight and Rainbow, but Pinkie works at this place called Sugarcube Corner. If you got a sweet tooth, you'll find no place better to take care of it. The best way I can describe Rarity is crazy. Oh, and uh, she designs dresses and fancy things for all the lots of high-society ponies across Equestria. The two of us don't always see eye to eye, but I'd never think twice 'bout her skill with a needle and thread."

"Interesting…"

"Last but not least, you’ve got Fluttershy. True-blue sweetheart, cares for all the critters around Ponyville, though you’d best not startle her. She’d probably run up the nearest tree if she weren’t so scared of heights." Applejack laughed again. "Whew, you gotta love ‘em…Hey, you all right, Alpenglow?"

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting all that."

"Hope I didn't give you too bad a shock."

"Not at all. It's funny, really. In three days, you all gave Blight more trouble than he ever could’ve imagined." He shook his head and smiled. "And he knows it. I know he does."

The sky had darkened quickly with the sun's disappearance. Plum-colored stains began to mix with the orange as the remnants of the day retreated behind the mountains. It was like watching somepony stir a giant pot of jam and marmalade. The two ponies continued to watch as the first stars glimmered into view, and most spectacularly, as the moon leapt into their midst in time to catch the last amethyst shades of dusk.

In the new, pale moonlight, Applejack’s face hardened. Putting her hat back on, she looked at him and asked, "You really think we got a chance to fix this, Alpenglow?"

The old knight paused, looked down at himself, and felt a twinge of shame. Nopony had confided in him in a long time, and it hurt to think he had almost forgotten how to do it. Applejack's unexpected bout of giddiness suddenly made sense, and the importance of this mission to her instantly formed in his mind. It took a moment, but he finally managed to place his hoof on her shoulder and say, "I’m sure we do. It won’t be easy, but whatever happens, I’ll make it work for you guys." He nodded in the direction of the study. "Come on, let’s head back. It got late pretty fast, and we definitely don't want to keep Twilight waiting."

They turned to leave the balcony, and he added, "For what it's worth, Applejack, I think the Princess bet on the right horses for this."

Ponyville's beloved farmer smiled as she put her own hoof on his shoulder.

"She ought’ve. She’s had plenty of practice pickin’ ‘em."

Chapter 29

"Pinkie Pie, are you sure we should be down here?"

"Don’t be such a Doubting Thomas, Alpenglow! I know everything about cakes: tasting them, eating them, sampling them, you name it!"

"If you say so..."

"I know so!" With an energy normally associated with tornadoes, tsunamis, and other natural phenomenon, Pinkie zoomed around the castle kitchen. The staff ponies watched, half amazed, half horrified as the pink and magenta streak blew open cupboards, lit stoves, and placed pans. Alpenglow had just ushered out the mortified bunch when Pinkie came to a screeching halt in front of him, the kitchen behind her a flower-coated, modern art masterpiece.

"They’re leaving? Oh well, their loss! Now…" she stood tall and began to pace in front of Alpenglow. "Today, we embark on the noblest of missions. Under the leadership of Princess Twilight, we few, we happy few…" She pointed at him. "That’s you and me...and Applejack, since she said she’d come by and lick the batter when we were done. Ahem…We shall bring joy and the best sweets ever known to the downtrodden citizens of Ponyville, at the first ever Sorry-For-Your-Loss, We’re-Taking-Back-Your-Hometown-Party!" As if on cue, noisemakers sounded and confetti poured from the ceiling.

Following Rainbow’s advice, Alpenglow simply smiled and nodded in preparation for the alien, otherworldly task before him. He made himself comfortable in front of a mixing bowl as Pinkie, in her saccharine tones, explained just how much he reminded her of a certain donkey she knew.

Part 5

One Last Lesson

Chapter 30

"Mares and gentlecolts, your attention, please."

Though the ballroom was packed, the crowd of ponies quickly settled under Luna's announcement. A sea of wide, colorful eyes faced the stage at the end of the room, where she, Twilight, and Princess Celestia stood. Apart from Alpenglow from Alpenglow and her friends, Twilight noticed the crowd from both Ponyville and Canterlot stayed a respectful distance from the stage. Their combined silence was deafening as Princess Celestia stepped forward, horseshoes clinking like faraway, ethereal bells.

"First off," the Princess started, "I want to thank everypony who helped make this dinner possible. Though terrible events have brought us together, we in Canterlot are nonetheless glad to have you here. We hope that tonight will provide you some relief from the hardships you have endured, as well as an opportunity for us to demonstrate our continuing admiration for our neighbors in Ponyville. Know that tomorrow, you will be able to return to your homes, thanks in no small part to the efforts of your very own friends and neighbors. Please keep them in your thoughts and hearts tomorrow. Thank you."

The citizens of Equestria stamped their applause as the Princess turned to face Twilight. It was no small comfort to finally see her mentor and Luna after several days of relative peace and comfort. While nothing less than rejuvenating for Twilight and her friends, to go for so long with only an occasional letter from the princesses had left everypony a little on edge, if only because they were all right next door to each other. Still, for all their isolation and unceasing work, the two alicorns each kept a gentle smile, a magical feat in itself as they, Twilight, and everypony else gathered in their private little circle.

Princess Celestia surveyed all of them for a moment, her satisfied smile only growing bigger as her eyes swept over each of them. She ended with Twilight and asked, "Is it ready?"

"Yes," Twilight smiled, nodding at Rarity. As she and Spike hopped behind stage, everypony walked Alpenglow forward, following him as they did.

The crowd had already dispersed into mixed groups of six or so, filling the round tables spread throughout the ballroom. They began eating as Rainbow gave Alpenglow a friendly shove, bringing him to stand before Twilight and the princesses.

In her own, restrained way, Luna glowed. "It is…beyond wonderful to have you back, Alpenglow."

"Twilight and her friends tell us you’ve changed a great deal since you all first met," added Princess Celestia. "I’m glad to see they were able to accomplish what we couldn’t." She sighed. "We’ve lost so much time, and still have so much to catch up on. I fear tonight is all we’ll have for now."

"It’s alright. We'll just have to make the most of it. As for them..." he said, turning towards Twilight and her friends, "...I wouldn’t be standing here- in more ways than one- if it weren’t for all of you."

"It was our pleasure," said Fluttershy.

"I look forward to many more pranks and discussions of your glorious military conquests, Alpenglow," added Luna. "Such fun!"

"Luna," said Princess Celestia, "I believe you're forgetting that we only ever sent them as ambassadors."

The princess of the night gave a coy smile. "Ah yes, of course." Leaning close to Alpenglow, she muttered, "We shall talk later."

The stallion grinned, shaking his head. "I’m looking forward to the old routine, Princess: following you all day, watching you sign papers and cut ribbons, and then up until morning with Luna after a whole five minutes of sleep."

"Surely the duties we gave you were not so unjust?" Luna scoffed.

"Maybe, but you weren’t the one with the bruises after those midnight manticore bouts you dragged me into."

"Nonsense," she protested, "you always gave the impression that you enjoyed it!"

"Maybe you were just too busy to notice when you were throwing it at me and laughing like a lunatic."

Pinkie giggled as she wiped away a tear. "Heeheehee, that’s classic!"

"Excuse, me, Twilight?" called Rarity from behind the stage. "Are we ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be."

The princesses moved aside as Twilight and Rarity stood to face Alpenglow, holding in their hooves a large but neat pile of cloth and metal. Using their magic, they lifted the individual pieces and began assembling the shiny jigsaw puzzle around him. Once finished, Twilight stepped back to marvel at their work.

For somepony whose focus was fashion, Rarity had outdone herself. The silver plates of the armor glistened like a stream in the sun, complimenting the dark lavender cloak embroidered with the Elements of Harmony. She noticed Rarity had also opted to keep the boots and chainmail underneath. They added an air of adventure to the ensemble, something she must have said to herself while making it. Passing the helmet to Spike, she circled Alpenglow, eyes ever more critical in the face of her own work.

"To be perfectly honest, metalworking is not my forte, but I think a few simple etches made for a rather...austere charm? The visor, on the other hoof, was a bit of collaboration between myself and the royal blacksmith. I felt all the screws and latches would be too obtrusive, but she insisted it was the most practical option. If it's all the same, an open helmet makes for a much more heroic façade, don’t you think, Alpenglow?"

The polished steel rubbed silently against itself as Alpenglow twisted and turned in the armor. "I wouldn’t know; I’m no hero," he said, smiling. "It’s beautiful. Thank you, Rarity."

Ponyville's renowned fashionista beamed. "You are most welcome."

"A small detail, Alpenglow," the Princess noted solemnly. "The symbol you wear is not just decoration. It has a greater meaning. From now on, you are no longer an Equestrian Knight."

"Indeed," continued Princess Luna, "per the request of Princess Twilight Sparkle, you are hereby assigned to her royal guard, of which you are- unofficially- the first." Her formal demeanor evaporated. "I believe congratulations are in order, perhaps a round of cider and some sort of noise makers?"

"I’m not sure I understand."

Princess Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Luna and I felt it best if we finally left the knights to history. We’d be happy to have you in this sense, as our guard, and I know you’d like the change. You've been feeling tired, haven't you? If you’re ready, we can start over."

He frowned, uncertain. "What do you think, Twilight?"

"I’d be honored, but if you’re going to be my guard, there’s one rule I need you to always follow."

"What is it?"

Twilight took the helmet from Spike and slipped it over Alpenglow's head.

"You have to be a good friend."

Before everypony left to join the dinner in progress, Rarity made Alpenglow promise he would come down and spend some time with them all. Since then, he, Twilight, and the princesses had passed the evening sitting on stage, talking, laughing, and sharing stories as the dinner gradually unfolded between the ponies of Canterlot and Ponyville. In twos and threes, they finished eating and began to wander into the garden. After much high-pitched beckoning from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Luna eventually joined them. Her raucous laughter now carried well into the ballroom, whose windows were now the stage for Scoootaloo as she zipped above the treetops outside, her little wings held aloft by a steady blue glow.

"Wasn't there a time when you couldn’t even get her to smile in public?" asked Alpenglow, rubbing his neck.

"Yes," the Princess smiled. "I have trouble believing it myself sometimes, but I’m so glad we were able to move on. I feel as if I know her better than ever."

"No doubt. I can see it in you, too. It’s good to see you two let your hair down...so to speak." Somewhere, Twilight heard Pinkie laugh. "By the way, you never did tell me how you do that."

"You’ll find out when you become a princess," she teased.

"A thousand years later, and you still won’t tell me." He sighed. "Oh well, had to ask."

"Hello, little friends. Are you here? I’m back."

As if under some enchantment, the foliage of the garden peeled away, revealing a miniature crowd of beaks, paws, and furry noses. They all approached slowly, drawn to the sweet notes of the pony standing in the clearing, yet cautious of her heavily armored companion.

"They’re a shy bunch," said Alpenglow.

"Oh yes, but if I’ve learned anything from them, it’s that everypony has a song." She gingerly petted a squirrel at the front of the group. "You just have to learn to play it."

"You’ve got quite a gift, Fluttershy."

"Oh, it’s nothing, really. You could do it too if you wanted."

"Thanks, but I’m happy just watching."

He marveled at Fluttershy as she continued to dote on the critters, recalling the rare instances when he indulged in something as peaceful as animal watching. During the mission, such escapes were rare and fleeting: a flock of migrating birds, a tree untouched by Blight and their battles, the sound of Tawny playing her flute as they made camp for the night. She would've absolutely adored Fluttershy’s voice. She would've liked it here in the garden.

Another lovely chord flowed from the pegasus, and a trio of birds floated down from the treetops, landing on her mane without making so much as a crease.

"That’s amazing."

"I was lucky to have lots of good teachers," she said, perching a sparrow on her wing. "What about you, Alpenglow?"

"Plenty, just not with music. Tawny tried to teach me once, though. I was no Nat King Colt, but I could hit the notes."

"King who?"

"Before your time," he grinned. "You know, you’ve held up pretty well the past few days, helping everypony when they needed it. But what about you? Are you going to be alright for tomorrow?"

She tickled the squirrel, now draped over her shoulder. "Don’t worry. I know I’m not the bravest pony, but I’ll gladly join all of you tomorrow. Ponyville is our home, and we can’t go back until Blight is gone. Everypony is counting on us. We won’t let them down."

"You’re braver than you let on, if that's how you feel."

"Oh, I don’t know about that."

"Trust me, you are."

"Not like you. You saw me at the observatory. I’m still terrified of heights. I get scared of places where I can't see well, even here in the garden."

"Well, how about I let you in on a little secret?" He leaned closer to her. "So do I."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It's not very fun, is it?"

Fluttershy's eyes closed as she shook her head. "No...it's not."

"The first lesson Luna taught me was about being afraid. Courage, real courage, isn't being unafraid. It's doing what's necessary even though you are afraid. You've done it already- lots of times, according to Twilight. And the trick is understanding the difference between danger and fear. The first is very real, but the second can only exist in your head."

"How do you know which is which? Alpenglow…?"

"Hold that thought, Fluttershy. Do you hear that?" He shut out the noise of the animals, the noise of the dinner, the sound of his breath, and closed his eyes. The earth whispered a rustling of leaves and mulch. Fresh wood made a stretchy moan as it was stepped on and bent. Behind the critters sat a large, youthful hedge, its flowers in bloom and its leaves a furtive sage.

"I don't hear anything."

"Just focus. Block out what you already know. Listen for what you don't. It'll come."

Alpenglow smiled as Fluttershy closed her eyes, her ears slowly but surely homing in on the hedge. The sea of critters parted before her as she walked forward. Sitting down, she gingerly reached out and bent back one of the branches, revealing a shaggy silhouette and a large pair of disquieting, brown eyes. The shape's growl was quiet but constant.

"Shhhh, no need for that, little guy. We’re all friends here." As she reached out, a clawed foot swiped at the air in front of her outstretched hoof. She didn’t budge.

"We’re so sorry for waking you up. I was just visiting some friends in the garden. We can leave now, if you want."

The shape kept up its growling, but after a minute, the growl shrank to a grumble, and a little tongue stretched from the hedge, licking her hoof. With more rustling of leaves, the shape reluctantly left its little hideaway.

It was a possum, round and grey, with the face of a donkey who had just been out in the rain, but even his stony exterior melted the second Fluttershy began to cuddle him like a shaggy, sharp-nosed baby.

"Unreal," muttered Alpenglow.

"He was just a little grumpy from all the noise," she said as she petted their former recluse. "Did you know that mama opossums have a pouch to carry their babies when they're born?"

He suddenly couldn't remember if he had known that or not, and it made him a little sad.

"These little guys are amazing. And they're just one of the many creatures you can find in the trees. They all love to gather around and snack on fruit hanging from the branches, and it's a great way to see the shyer ones, if you know where to look."

He hadn't looked in a long time.

"So what were you saying, Alpenglow? About the difference between danger and fear?"

"You already know what it is."

"But what?"

"Intuition. You must use your intuition, Fluttershy. It will open your senses and anticipate the movements of the world around you. Actually, those might've been Luna’s exact words."

"It sounds like you learned a lot from her."

"Yeah, I did."

"Say, how about when this is all over, I teach you how to sing more?" She smiled earnestly. "It’s the least I can do, since you taught me something today."

"Nothing you didn’t already know, but I won’t say no to that offer. I’d love to."

"It’s a deal. Just as long as you don’t jump off any more cliffs." She blushed. "I’m sorry, that wasn’t very funny."

"No, it’s fine," he chuckled. "And don’t worry, if everything goes to plan tomorrow, I won’t be going anywhere for a long time."

Instead of returning straight to the ballroom, Alpenglow’s legs carried him farther and farther into the pastel groves of the garden, where trees in bloom cast a pallet of perfumed scents on him. The gentle breeze of the mountain brushed its hand over the foliage, causing leaves, grass, and flowers alike to dance in their own silent, green gala.

A heartbeat later, the world turned flimsy and plastic before his eyes, as if somepony had stolen the real trees and plants and replaced them with cheap cutouts. The terrain degraded further still, decomposing into joyless features: choke points, possible swarm and ambush spots, natural bulwarks that could be used for fortifications. Standing in the middle of it all, out in the open, he felt sick, disoriented, as if he were about to lose his balance.

Sitting under a tree had been a reliable form relief for him in the past, but here he took an instant disliking to it as he eased himself against a nearby willow. The bark was scratching him, the crooked branches overhead waiting to fold over and crush him.

He quickly stood up and began to pace, eventually settling on a patch of dirt that let him sit with his back to the garden wall. With a wary distrust, his eyes picked apart every shadow. He listened for the scraping of thorns against rock, head titled slightly towards his scabbard, still empty.

The smell of flowers, and freshly-cut grass, and clean air was overpowering now, vistas of past and present bearing down on him in a tangled, muddled mess. An absurd, but very sincere thought crossed his mind: this couldn’t be real. He must be imagining it all. Twilight, her friends, the princesses, this whole world was just some sad delusion, a last-ditch effort of his grief-roasted mind to escape his existence in the box. Whether it ended sooner or later didn't matter. Inevitably, he would wake up in the cave, wearing his old, rusted armor, looking Blight in his yellow eyes, his gateway back to exhaustion and desolation.

Miraculously, the distant sound of Pinkie's laughing brought him back to his senses, and possibly his sanity, too. Being here, in the garden, with everyone close by, he realized with a shock that he had gradually come to doubt the existence of places where ponies were happy, not fighting, suffering, or sprawling in the mud. Still, that moment of rampant despair was not a welcome development, brief though it was. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, but it turned sour, sharp, and sudden. He let it go, and it came out in a choked gasp.

Alpenglow slowly took off his helmet, placed it on the ground next to him, and for the first time in recent memory, he began to sob quietly. Strangely enough, it helped.

Chapter 31

"I can’t stand it!" whined a voice. "All these ill-bred rubes dining in Canterlot Castle? It’s unheard of! We had this room reserved for tomorrow!"

"Come now, Jet Set, have a heart," replied a distinguished voice, "These poor folks have lost their homes."

"Did you say ‘folks?’ For goodness sake, you’re even starting to talk like them. Just because they’ve had a bit of bad luck doesn’t mean they should be allowed to just wander about, getting under everypony’s hooves! They have that camp for a reason."

Having seen a young Canterlot couple invite Applejack and her family for a night on the town, Alpenglow was in a relatively peaceful mood, even as he watched Rarity’s eyes boil at the pompous unicorn standing at the ballroom entrance. He was just as inclined to ignore the situation, but duty called him to keep a professional air as he followed Rarity towards the source of the grating voice: the pony apparently named Jet Set, who was standing next to a fussy-looking mare and an older stallion wearing a monocle and vest. The three unicorns took notice of Rarity as she closed on them.

"You, sir, are everything ponies hate about Canterlot," scowled Rarity. "You prance about, thinking yourself better than everypony else when there are others in need. How can you be so callous?"

To Alpenglow’s curiosity, the unicorn with the monocle said nothing as he thoughtfully considered Rarity’s reprimand. The dapper fellow looked at Jet Set, waiting for a response.

"Oh. It’s you," he said in a tone that was quickly getting on Alpenglow’s nerves. "It’s no surprise to me that you don’t see the bigger picture. The ponies from that town are a problem. That camp of theirs is becoming a bigger nuisance every day. All that commotion, all that mess- it’ll be no time at all until we’re all bumbling about, sick as dogs because of them."

The mare croaked, "I don’t think Miss Rarity is broad-minded enough to appreciate the bigger implications of having those ruffians around. After all, she seems quite happy living among them. Maybe she likes it, some sort of misguided affinity for the poor fools?"

"More likely she enjoys holding herself above them."

"Hah! Queen Rube! Has quite a nice ring to it, doesn’t it, dear?"

The fancy unicorn frowned. "Now, now, there’s no need for-"

Alpenglow stopped the fellow with his hoof. Rarity’s face was a star about to go nova. "And I suppose that makes you the king and queen of pretentious country-club brats," he said in a level voice.

Wide-eyed, the two unicorns glowered at him. "And just who are you?" demanded Jet Set.

"My name is Alpenglow. I'm a royal guard."

"Oh perfect, another mindless drone," squawked the mare. "I’m sure you of all ponies can explain the politics of the situation to her."

Alpenglow wasn't impetuous, but had he thought he could get away with it, he would have certainly clubbed her over the head with a nearby punchbowl. He took two steps towards the two unicorns, towering over them, his chestplate brushing against Jet Set's frilly, tied-back sweater.

"I won’t pretend to understand you," he said deliberately, "but I will endeavor to make you understand me. You do not speak to Miss Rarity- ever- in such a disrespectful manner. She is not only a close friend of mine, but of the princesses, and will be treated with respect. Now, you will render that respect, or I will plant my hoof in your mouth. Do I make myself clear?"

Jet Set’s jaw dropped. "You, you dare threaten…you brutish, savage…"

As Alpenglow stepped even closer to the two unicorns, the monocled one cleared his throat. "I strongly suggest you two retire for the night," he said in a refined voice, "This young stallion looks like he means business." The two unicorns pouted, and with a final ‘humph,’ they left the ballroom.

"Thank you, Fancy Pants," said Rarity. "I couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t have been outright unladylike."

"You were well in your rights to be, though it’s quite good you were able to keep yourself together. I haven’t a clue what’s gotten into those two the past few days. Regardless, it’s good to see you again. I’m terribly sorry about Ponyville."

"And I as well. Thank you."

Fancy Pants turned to Alpenglow. "As for you, young stallion, I respect a pony who’s willing to be frank in the face of such foul behavior. Rarity, would you care to introduce me to your juggernaut of a friend here?"

With a smile that glittered, Rarity answered, "Yes. Yes I would."

The dinner was long over when Twilight awoke to the sound of voices whispering in the hall. She pushed back the sheets, and quickly noticed her room was still pitch black. Taking care not to wake Spike, she climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the door. A soft glow at the foot of the door prompted her to investigate, and with a touch more delicate than a wisp of smoke, she pulled it open.

Thankful that Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie had opted to sleep at the camp, she quickly made her way past their rooms and towards the glow just around the corner at the end of the hall. Princess Celestia’s voice gently reflected from one decorated wall to another.

Coming to the bend, Twilight peered out for only a moment before ducking back, but that was plenty of time to see who was talking with Princess Celestia in the common area. She and Luna were sitting on a couch across from Alpenglow, all silhouetted by a lamp on the table between them.

"…I still believe we should have told Twilight earlier," whispered Luna.

"I hear you, Luna, but I just didn’t want her dreading it all week. This is the first time since I met her that she’s seemed relaxed."

"We’re not disagreeing, Alpenglow, but are you sure they’ll all be ready by tomorrow?"

"Don’t worry, I promise they'll be fine. I don’t expect the fight to last too long, as long as the shield holds and no seeds leave Ponyville. We just need to be careful. There’s no question he’ll try something once he figures out what we’re doing." Alpenglow sighed. "They’re a wonderful bunch, Celestia. I wish we didn't have to bring them in."

"They’ll be alright. You know as well as us they're stronger than they look." Then, the three of them were quiet. A clock, hidden somewhere in the dark corners of the room, ticked the seconds away one by one. It played the melody of the night, until Alpenglow spoke again.

"You remember that one night during the Equestrian Games, the eight of us falling asleep during the speeches?"

Princess Celestia chuckled softly. "Yes, that was…very embarrassing, being woken up the games coordinator. In all fairness, the preparations were exhausting."

"I’m trying to remember…what was the coordinator's name again?"

"I care not to try," sneered Luna. "She was quite unpleasant, like a shrew crossed with a viper." The three quietly laughed, then were silent again.

"I’m sorry to keep bringing this up, Alpenglow, but you must carefully consider how this may affect you," Luna pressed.

"We've been over this already. It’s up to Twilight alone. What kind of pony would I be if I didn't trust her now? She and her friends have given too much for me not to. She'll do what's right. I know she will."

"You never did place much importance on safety or forethought," said Luna.

"What can I say, you two taught me well."

"It just seems cruel to throw all this at her at once," said the Princess.

"One last lesson, Celestia. If she can do this, then there’s no doubt that she’ll be ready for whatever else the world throws her way."

Princess Celestia sighed. "I can’t argue with that. I suppose you’ve made up your mind?"

"I have." He paused. "Here, we probably shouldn’t be burning the midnight oil, given tomorrow. We’ll talk more in the morning, and then I’ll talk to Twilight." He yawned. "Sorry, Luna, guess this means I’ll have to take a rain check on that manticore bout."

"Take care you are not too out of practice when we finally do."

Twilight heard the princesses and Alpenglow stand. Before she knew it, she was back in her room, easing the door closed.

"Goodnight, Alpenglow," the Princess whispered. "We’ll see you in the morning."

Twilight could still hear the soft clatter of hoofsteps as she let the doorknob turn to its unopened position. After half an hour, she decided the ceiling above her bed was not going to offer any predictions about tomorrow, and let her trust in the Princess and Alpenglow finally carry her to sleep.

Chapter 32

"Twilight, are you ok?"

Twilight awoke slowly, blinking several times before she saw Spike, felt the lavish sheets beneath her, and sighed. The view through her window still didn't include town hall or Sugarcube Corner.

"Yes, Spike, I’m ok. I’m up."

Spike crossed his arms. "Could’ve fooled me. I had to ask five times before you woke up."

"Sorry."

"Come on, everypony’s waiting for us. Oh, and I think Alpenglow said he wanted to talk to you."

Twilight felt a tingle of dread spark from her tail and blaze a trail to her horn. She had no idea what Alpenglow wanted to tell her, and frankly, she didn’t want to know. Nothing about the conversation from last night sounded like welcome news.

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I saw him after everypony told me to go wake you up. I think he's out on the balcony."

With more resignation than determination, Twilight left the safety of the bed and opened the door into the hallway. Instead of following Spike around the corner, where she could hear her friends talking, Twilight turned left and found Alpenglow. He was staring off to the right of the balcony, looking very much like he did that one morning in the Crystal Empire, old and gloomy. Yet when he turned to face her, she could see his face warm to a smile.

"Morning, Twilight."

"Good morning, Alpenglow. Spike said you needed to talk to me?"

He nodded as Twilight joined him to lean on the balcony. The air outside was chilly, as the sun had yet to fully rise. It was calm.

"You do some good work, Twilight," the stallion said, nodding.

"I didn’t do it alone."

"True enough. Like you said, you had your friends, Princess Celestia-"

"And you."

"A bit, I suppose. The seven of you held up better than anypony could’ve expected you to, in no small part thanks to you. You made sure none of them gave up, kept us moving, and made the tough decisions so we’d be ready for today." His gaze kept on the horizon even as he frowned. "Which is why we need you to make one more."

"We?"

"Your friends, the princesses. Everypony, really."

"What is it?"

"Princess Celestia will explain the details later, but between the new spell, the Elements of Harmony, and Blight’s box, we should have everything we need to re-imprison him. There’s just one last thing that needs to be ironed out. The princesses did the best they could, but when it came down to it, Blight had just changed too much. None of the spells they put together was enough."

"But you said we had everything we need."

"We do. But, Twilight..." He turned to face her.

"Somepony will have to go with Blight…"

Her heart dipped.

"...And...the princesses and I decided it should be up to you to choose."

For the first time ever, Twilight felt as if she were facing something she could not understand- not simply struggle to, but was outright incapable of grasping. Of all the lessons, of all the tests and assignments she had ever been handed, this had to be the one destiny would dictate her to fail. "I...I don’t understand. Why?"

"Because you have more experience with Blight as he is now, a better understanding of how he thinks, what he can do. It'll all be vital when we face him. Believe me, she didn't want to saddle you with this, but it made the most sense."

Twilight's legs were turning to sand under her. "Does anypony else know?"

"No- just me, the Princess, and Luna. I gave everypony else the impression that there was a decision to make. Without knowing the details, every one of them said they trusted you to make it. I'm willing to bet any one of them will do it if you ask."

The dread and panic of the first nights were starting to return. "But…no! That makes no sense! Why would they do that?"

Alpenglow smiled, horribly, with pride and respect. "Look in the mirror, Twilight. You’re young, but in every way that counts, you couldn’t be more like Princess Celestia if you tried. You're a leader, like her."

"What if you’re wrong?" Her head fell. "What if…what if Princess Celestia was wrong?"

She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked up. Alpenglow had taken off his helmet, the ink of his eyes set confidently on her.

"If you’re half the pony I’ve gotten to know, if you’re half the student Celestia trusts and adores, then you won’t concern yourself with proving us- or your friends- wrong."

Twilight took a deep breath, then let it go. "But…how do I choose?"

"The spell only needs a pony with a good, strong heart- in other words, the opposite of Blight. That means anypony here will do, though I don't think you should choose yourself or the princesses. The three of you are too important to Equestria."

"When you say everyone, does that include Spike?"

"I'll admit, I had my doubts at first, but he proved himself at the observatory when he told me to save Pinkie." He nodded approvingly. "He’s going to grow up into something very special someday, Twilight."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Alpenglow put on his helmet. "I trust you, Twilight. I knew I could the day I met you. And whatever happens, I know you’ll do the right thing."

"I wish I had that much confidence in me."

"Until you do, borrow ours in you." He put his hoof around her as they walked from the balcony. "Come on, we’re burning daylight here, and I want to make sure the blacksmith got your sizes right."

Chapter 33

"We. Look. Awesome!"

Twilight had to admit, Rainbow Dash was by no means wrong. With the exception of Alpenglow, everypony was thoroughly occupied admiring their shiny new armor as they strolled from the royal forge and into the castle courtyard. Their knightly attire- courtesy of the royal blacksmith, who clearly took joy in her work- clinked and clattered as they walked, making them feel ever so slightly invincible. Twilight wondered if Alpenglow ever felt this way.

As everypony settled in the middle of a clearing, she ran an eye over herself, encased in an outfit that was part art, part engineering marvel. The fit was so perfect it was uncanny, from the glossy helmet that sat neatly over her head and horn, to the horseshoes that left crisp dents on the grass where she walked. To her surprise, the metal plates that lined her sides shifted effortlessly with each twist and turn she made. Really, the whole getup felt no more cumbersome than her old dress for the Grand Galloping Gala.

The innocent comparison sent Twilight into a bit of melancholy; today would be nothing like that night she and her friends had enjoyed once upon a time.

She watched with vague envy as everypony sat down and busied themselves with talking, tightening straps, appreciating the little unique details of their own armor. What she wouldn't have given for a similar distraction. A choice, an awful choice whispered constantly at the back of her mind and tugged relentlessly on her mane, and a self-imposed silence kept her from further consulting Alpenglow. He hadn't said a word to her since this morning on the balcony, and now he sat no more than ten feet from her now, helping Spike attach small saddle to his back. Pretending to adjust her armor, Twilight listened as the two quietly talked.

Spike muttered, "I still can’t believe Twilight said yes to this."

"I did promise her you’d be safe with me, Spike. Besides, she’ll be plenty busy organizing everypony, and I could use the extra hand, squire."

"Really?"

"Of course. We've put in the practice; you’re ready. Just make sure you keep that lance facing up and forward. I'd rather not go down in history as the first living hobby horse."

"You can count on me!"

"I know I can. By the way, did you pick out a picture?"

"Yeah, right here." From a pocket in his armor- which closely resembled Alpenglow's- Spike pulled out a tiny picture of Rarity, not much bigger than a bit.

"Perfect. Here." In his hoof, Alpenglow held out a little metal disk. Looking uncertain, Spike took it, probing a seam in the weathered brass. With a pop, the disk opened on a hinge, revealing an ornate little arrow atop an eight-pointed star.

"A compass..?"

"There’s a clip on the inside of the lid to hold the picture. When I was a colt, you’d put somepony you care about in there. Keep it, Spike."

"Really?"

From the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Alpenglow smile tiredly. "I’ve had it for a long time, but it’s yours now. Take care of it, and it’ll point you in the right direction no matter where you are...and no matter where she is." Without saying a word, they both looked at Rarity, who was busy admiring her reflection in Rainbow's helmet, to the annoyance of the latter and her strained neck.

"Wow...thanks, Alpenglow."

"You’re welcome, Spike."

Her back now to both of them, Twilight strained to hear Alpenglow whisper, "Spike, on the desk in my room, there’s a scroll and a stack of boxes next to it. When you get back, give the scroll to Twilight; the rest are labeled."

"What are they?"

"You’ll find out soon enough."

"Wait, but..."

Twilight!" Alpenglow called, "Ready when you are."

"I was born ready!" proclaimed Rainbow.

"Let’s get ‘er done!" trumpeted Applejack.

The ponies marched towards the train station with a purpose, heads gleaming and held high. When they arrived, Princess Celestia and Luna were already waiting for them on the platform wearing armor of their own. Give them a stage and a few gems on their capes, and Hoity Toity would have hired everypony on the spot.

As it turned out, the ponies were on a stage, just not one for a fashion show. Heads began to poke from the tents in the camp, and a crowd formed in front of the platform with surprising speed. Mayor Mare, the Cakes and Apples, and countless other familiar faces all stared up in silence, no doubt waiting for Princess Celestia to say something.

Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight?" asked the Princess, "Is there anything you’d like to say?" Without expressly saying yes, she cleared her throat and stepped forward. As it turned out, nightmares about school presentations were just as scary when she was awake.

"Everypony…my friends," she corrected, "Two weeks ago, we were forced to abandon Ponyville, our homes. I'll never forget that day, but I also won't forget how lucky I was that no matter what happened, I was never alone. We've all been together every step of the way, and there's no way I could have asked to be with ponies stronger and more caring than the ones I'm standing in front of right now." She stopped to look back at Alpenglow, then continued, "We've all lost something important to us, but we’re all together now, in a wonderful spot, to honor a wonderful thing: the friendship that will allow us to rebuild when this is over. Stay brave, everypony. We'll all go home again soon."

The applause came like the first drops of rain- too subtle to be really worth noticing, but nonetheless undeniable in the greater force they forbore. And forebear they did, because the stamping of dozens of hooves soon joined the first trickle, and sent ripples through the field as Ponyville cheered for its princess. Nothing else could ever make the world seem more full of life than the vibrating of the air and earth as the ponies beat the drum around them. Twilight would have been reluctant to turn away from them, had it not been the sight of her friends behind her, beaming with unspeakable pride.

"Near brought a tear to my eye, Twilight," AJ said, tipping her hat a tad.

Rarity added, "You truly have risen to the occasion."

"We all have," Twilight smiled. Eventually the applause faded, and from the crowd, Jade of all ponies appeared. Needless to say, Twilight practically threw herself off the platform to meet her.

"Jade! We missed you at the dinner! What are you doing here?"

Everypony quickly joined them on the grass, and Jade pushed her glasses up. "Well, I sure wasn't about to let you leave without saying good luck."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Singer," said Fluttershy.

"Don't mention it. Nice speech by the way, Twilight."

Twilight blushed. "Thanks, Jade."

The aged author smiled when she looked Alpenglow, but said nothing, strangely. "As fun as it'd be to join you all, I've got a job to do here, helping out the camp as best as these old joints will let me."

"We couldn't've asked for anythin' more," said Applejack.

Jade laughed. "Good! All this out of doors isn't good for a bookworm like me. I'm just glad I could help you girls out. Just make sure you'll all come back and tell me about it."

"We will," said Twilight.

With one more hug, Jade walked off, and the princesses took her place in front of the eight of them.

"Apologies, everypony," said Luna. "We’ve just received word from Cadance and Shining Armor. I fear the two of them and Discord have bought us all the time they can; they say they are being pushed back." She waved her head towards three chariots, their royal guard drivers standing at attention. "We can return to Ponyville as soon as everypony is ready."

"Just a sec’," said Applejack. "I really gotta go say bye to Applebloom and everypony- ya know, just so they don't worry."

"And I as well," added Rarity.

"Yeah, I’d better, too," Rainbow said, waving after them before turning around. "How ‘bout you, Alpenglow?" she asked offhandedly. "Anypony you need to say bye to?"

Twilight winced, and everypony visibly flinched as Rainbow, for once at a loss for words, realized her mistake. As for Alpenglow, he simply looked at all of them, as if seriously considering his answer. His face said nothing else however, a talent that continued to amaze- and unnerve- Twilight.

To everypony's chagrin, he silently lowered his visor and turned away from them. But as he walked to the chariots, the voice inside the helmet answered contently, "Nopony who isn't already here."

Even now, surrounded by her steel-clad friends, Twilight couldn’t shake the whiff of nostalgia she felt when she looked at Spike, the scales on his head swept back as the chariot streaked through the air.

This time, they were finally going home.

The princesses both gave Twilight a reassuring nod as Smoke Jumper, her pegasus partner, and several fresh-looking guards pulled the three chariots into a tighter formation. It had been a silent trip from Canterlot otherwise, with everypony keeping to themselves. Hardly surprising, given the circumstances; they weren't exactly coming back from vacation.

Gradually, the view of the countryside disappeared from the sides of Twilight’s view, swallowed by the mountainous dome of Ponvyille. Not five minutes ago, it was the size of a beach ball, with the chariots gravitating towards it like some distant star to navigate by. Now, no longer satisfied with being part of the scenery, it had engulfed everything that wasn't part of itself and began approaching them like the front of a storm.

The camp was gone now, replaced by a ragged line of tents that marched around the glowing semi-sphere, wrapping around it like a rope about to snap against the strain of its burden. Below, among the dirty gold throngs of royal guards, Twilight could see the thin, lumpy figure of Discord, and next to him the mixed outline of Cadance and her brother.

The chariots floated to the ground, and Twilight stepped off first, greeting each of them- save Discord- with a hug. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Cadance, whose legs were just slightly wobbly, nodded. "Just fine. You’d think I’d have gotten used to this by now," she said with a halfhearted smile.

Shining Armor put his hoof over her, though looking less than lively himself. "Having Discord here has been a big help," he said

"One is glad to be of service," chimed Discord said with a bow so deep, he would’ve fallen over had it not been for his ability to float. "This is exciting, isn’t it? The whole cast, all together for a showdown with a mysterious and powerful foe! You can almost feel the energy in the air!" he said. A staccato of lightning bolts slapped the ground at the draconequus' mismatched feet. It gave everypony a start, making them jump back in alarm as Discord let out an opera-worthy laugh.

"For ponies’ sake, do you take anything seriously?" snapped Applejack, fixing her hat.

"This is me taking things seriously," said Discord as he lazily scratched his back. "I’m well aware that this crazy old weed is a problem. If we don’t stop him now, he could bring untold chaos to Equestria. Do you have any idea what that would do to my reputation?!"

"Relax. I doubt even Blight could find a way to make you any less likeable," sniped Alpenglow. For better or worse, his attitude towards Discord hadn't changed a bit, but Discord, not the slightest dismayed, bent like a blade of grass to look him in the eye.

"You wound me, mon petit poné. But oh, I am glad to see Twilight and her friends were able to breathe some life into you." He rapped on the Alpenglow's armor, which made a deep, hollow sound. "Though I'll always think of you as our own tin woodspony."

"Call me whatever you want. Is it ready?"

"It most certainly is," he said in a refined voice.

"Then let’s go," pressed Rainbow.

"One moment, ponies." Discord snapped his fingers, and Blight's box blinked into existence in the middle of all of them. Without delay, Smoke Jumper and the guards began loading it onto a nearby trolley.

"I suppose you all understand how it works?" probed Discord.

"Yes," Twilight answered.

"Oh…?" Discord raised an eyebrow. "Well then, good luck...to you all."

"They won’t need it," Alpenglow, shaking his head.

For a moment, the spirit of chaos took on a look of almost profound understanding, and perhaps respect. "I see. Well…good luck, nevertheless." He disappeared, and everypony finally approached the threshold of the shield, a white wall marking the edge of the world.

"Everypony ready?" Twilight asked, tugging her crown, now fastened to her helmet.

"Ready as we’re gonna be," answered Applejack.

"If Blight’s laid even one tendril on my boutique..!"

"Let’s get this party started!"

"Eep."

As they all double-checked the rivets keeping their elements in place, Alpenglow instructed the guards, "Smoke Jumper, troopers, once we’re through, you all will bring up the rear with the box. Stay close, but don't get too attached. Like we went over before, I need you to stay flexible and be ready to help if anypony gets in over their heads."

The guards saluted. "Got it, sir," replied Smoke Jumper.

"What about Cadance and Shining Armor?" asked Twilight.

"Sorry, Twilie," her brother answered, as he and Cadance propped each other up. "We'll have to stay here and make sure Blight stays in. But we'll do our best to stay in touch."

"Good luck, everypony, and be careful," Cadance added.

A strange, partly déjà-vu sensation filled Twilight as she saw the princesses position themselves on either side of her. Everypony else formed in front of them with Alpenglow and Spike at the center. Finally, the guards and the box brought up the rear, completing the 'arrowhead.'

Alpenglow twisted his head back. "On your go, Twilight."

Twilight nodded, taking one last look at everypony. Applejack and Rainbow, good; Fluttershy, nervous but ready; Rarity, blushing at the picture she saw in Spike’s compass, which he held open as he sat on Alpenglow's back.

"Once more unto the breach, Twilight," the stallion whispered.

She felt her heart skip, but surrounded by her friends and family, she took a step forward, and they all followed suit.

"Let’s go."

The not-so-new princess trotted forward confidently, setting the pace, and leading everypony into the light.

Chapter 34

Nopony was prepared for the barbed mesh of vines that collided with them the second they crossed the shield's threshold. Breaking off into pairs, the ponies pushed on, scraping their armor and tearing their capes as they wormed their way through the treacherous reef. To Twilight, it felt as if she were being dragged through a fishing net too finely-spun for her to slip away, knowing full well that she was actually walking forward with all her might, clearing the way for Luna to follow behind.

Slightly worse for wear, the ponies managed to escape the hedge, only to find themselves in a clearing that was no less inhospitable. High above, the shield looked the same as it did from outside, a ghostly dome of shifting light serving as sky for a dreary bog. A foul, soupy fog clung to Twilight’s hooves, along with blackish mud that seemed bent on halting the ponies’ progress. It was a landscape as otherworldly as some feverish nightmare, and everypony's faces reflected it. Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack let slip small grimaces; Pinkie and Fluttershy, heavy, quivering sighs. As for Alpenglow, he had looked away, no doubt giving himself time to adjust to the familiar sight as the princesses recomposed themselves and beckoned the Smoke Jumper and the guards, still struggling to extract the box from its thorny throng.

"This ain't Ponyville…" said Applejack. "It can’t be."

"No, look," Twilight pointed ahead. Past an orchard of wagon-sized vine clusters and mud pits sat a river, or at least the dried out remains of one. Above it, in the muddied yet familiar pastoral decor of Ponyville's architecture, a lonely bridge stood as if attempting to flee its decayed surroundings. Twilight was wondering how many times she and her friends must have traveled across it when Spike began fidgeting on Alpenglow's back. "Why is it like this?" he asked. "Where's the grass? And the trees?"

"It's how Blight keeps up his strength, Spike," Alpenglow told him. "He sucks the life out of everything he can get a hold of: plants, magic...ponies." He exhaled in a huff.

"Was Ponyville always that far away?" asked Fluttershy.

"Most definitely not," Luna answered.

Rainbow chimed in, "Guess Cadance wasn't kidding when they said they got pushed back."

Rarity pointed optimistically at the foggy distance. "No matter. It’s not far at all to the town proper. We’ll be there in no time."

As if to protest, the ground shuddered like a thing possessed. Where the ground was dry, it split at the seams; where it was mud, it bubbled as something stirred beneath the surface, and one by one, just about everypony was thrown to the ground. Beating their wings, Alpenglow, Rainbow, and the princesses stayed on their hooves, scanning the horizon as the tremor stopped.

"You were sayin,' Rarity?" Applejack jeered as she stood. Twilight had just righted her own self when Alpenglow spun to face her.

"I get the feeling that wasn't an earthquake," he said dryly.

She nodded. "He knows we're here."

"Knowing Blight, he's waiting for us at town hall. What do you want to do?"

Twilight thought for a moment. Blight no doubt had something in mind for them, but he couldn't have known about the box already. They had to act while they still had that element of surprise, which meant picking up the pace.

"Alright, everypony, let’s get to the bridge."

Back in formation, the ponies quickened their pace towards the river, careful to give a wide berth to the vines, which thrust straight from the ground in clumps, like grass in an abandoned lot. Though the growths formed a haunted avenue overhead, not one attempted to attack, or even slow the ponies down, which Twilight found more suspicious than anything else. Barely five minutes after entering the shield, and Ponyville's doorstep was in skipping distance. By all rights, that should have been a victory in itself, so why did she have this feeling that things were about to go horribly wrong? As Twilight took the first step onto the bridge, the roofs of the closest houses slid out of the fog and into view, though the scene brought less comfort still. A fibrous, thorny blanket had been thrown over the town, the outlines of buildings the only evidence of something better underneath.

"Uh, is it just me, or is it way too quiet?" Rainbow wondered aloud.

"No...it's not quiet at all." whispered Fluttershy.

Rainbow's ears twitched, and she frowned. "You going batty, Fluttershy?"

She shook her head and turned to Alpenglow. "Do you hear it?"

"I don't hear anything," said Applejack.

Alpenglow nodded approvingly and put his ear to the ground. "No, Fluttershy's right. We've got company. Twilight..?"

Twilight nodded, and with practiced ease, the ponies stepped into two outward-facing lines on either end of the bridge, blockading it. Together, Twilight and everypony faced Ponyville; the guards, the bog where they all had entered. The box, which took up a great deal of the bridge's width, was sitting in the safest possible place: at the center between the two lines, where the bridge's curve placed it highest from the ground. Rainbow hovered above, scanning the area, while the princesses positioned themselves just behind Twilight, their horns glowing steadily. Standing shoulder to shoulder, everypony was cramped, but relatively secure. Long minutes passed, and soon they began to look at one another, nervous, wondering if their little show of force had been enough.

No such luck. With a roar, the ground burst in ten places at once. Mud bubbled and geysered into the sky, narrowly missing the ponies as it threw droplet shrapnel across the ground. The clumps of formerly docile vines spasmed, and as Twilight looked closer, she could see a balloon-sized seed at the center of each and every one.

A nearby group of vines moaned woodenly as they tore themselves from the mud and coiled around each other, forming three, thick stumps and a stubby, pear-shaped body. With deceptive frailty, a pod at the head of the body opened, revealing a pitcher flower with a single budded tendril extruding from its center. The creature finished climbing from its hole, and as it took its first clumsy step forward, Twilight realized another important detail: it was not alone. Dozens more had appeared on both sides of the river, uprooting themselves with the same quiet moan.

"Huh, this is new," muttered Alpenglow, eying the army of creatures that now surrounded the ponies.

Rarity shivered. "What are those…things?"

Applejack un-slung her lasso. "Whatever they are, somethin’ tells me they ain’t friendly!" With a single deft throw, she snared one of the creatures. A hearty pull from the earth pony sent it pitching towards the group, where Alpenglow was waiting with a new sword. A quick chop later, and the beast collapsed in two heaps. Rainbow wasted no time as well, swooping down and making quick work of three others. She called from above, "Ha! They’re not so tough!"

Determined to prove her wrong, the severed remains of the creatures trembled. Little fibers grew between every piece, and with mechanical defiance, the reconstructed creatures righted themselves and continued their shamble forward.

Rainbow landed next to Twilight. "Uhhh, I think that’s our cue to leave."

"We can’t. The box is too big to fly into town."

"Not to mention Blight would just pick us off if we had to carry everypony, too," Smoke Jumper threw in.

"She's right, Rainbow," said Applejack. "We're gonna have to walk on in."

Alpenglow and Spike swiftly re-pruned the creature in front of them, and with Luna's help, tossed it aside, where it fell into the riverbed. "We'll hold them off while you think of a plan, Twilight."

"Right."

Luna added, "We should use our magic sparingly as well. We will need anything we can spare against Blight."

Rainbow pounded her hooves together, hard. "Then I guess we do this the low-mana way!"

The next few moments unfolded tensely as Twilight, Rarity, and the princesses hurriedly positioned themselves at the center of the bridge, finding the best view and their first targets while everypony prepared to, quite literally, stand their ground. No longer spread out, the mob of ambulatory plants were advancing in a wave that, while sluggish, was nevertheless bearing down on the bridge and its pony defenders. The air shook with the pounding of the creatures' 'feet' against the mud, like a storm of barrel-sized raindrops, or the march of a thousand little giants. It was an unforgettable sound, one that would continue to echo unrelentingly in Twilight's ears as Alpenglow raised his sword against the first of the creatures, and chaos finally took the reins.

The ponies worked like an assembly line, with Fluttershy and Applejack reeling a creature close enough for Alpenglow, Spike, or Rainbow to cut it down to size, then tossing it into the riverbed with the Rarity or Twilight's help. On the other side of the box, out of Twilight's view, Smoke Jumper and the guards had no doubt set up a similar strategy for the other end of the bridge. The princesses were going back and forth between the two lines, giving help where needed. As for Pinkie, she had left to climb on top of the box. Once up there, she was the picture of happiness with a grin on her face, a twinkle in her eye, and her hooves clasped firmly around her party cannon. Between that, Princess Celestia, and Luna, the creatures were forced to spread out, lest they become powderized or trapped at the bottom of a bubblegum-lined artillery crater.

As impressive as the ponies' little fort of a bridge was, it was a far cry from invincible. Just as the conveyor belt at Cherry Hill Ranch had gotten the best of Fluttershy and Pinkie, they all were running the risk of being overrun on the bridge, a possibility that became all the more real when the creatures revealed another nasty surprise: a paralyzing venom stored in the bud of their main tendrils, which hung from the flower like a lure. A quick sting from one knocked Applejack to the ground, where she froze in place. Fluttershy pulled her petrified friend back towards Princess Celestia, who quickly began improvising a spell to unthaw her. Twilight stepped forward, closing the rank.

Their nonstop hacking and slashing was actually keeping the creatures at bay, though only the occasional blast from somepony's horn seemed to stop the creatures for sure, as it reduced each one it hit to a pile of crude fertilizer. In theory, they could hold out against the creatures at any range, the farther the better.

Actually, at some three hundred to fourteen odds, the creatures could probably continue their advance, make no effort to use their venom or heal themselves, and still steamroll over the ponies.

Twilight shook her head furiously, trying to think of a way to stop the creatures for good. Unlike the vines, what the beasts lacked in speed and aggression, they made up for in tenacity and toughness. For the moment, all she could do was plant her hooves, ready her horn, and look for a solution, just like she'd always done.

For what very well could have been half an hour, Twilight simply watched, poring over every detail of the battle, seeing which creatures healed, which didn’t, all while trying to remember Alpenglow’s lessons about breaking holds whenever a thorned "arm" came her way. Finally, she saw Rarity hold one creature still with her magic, giving Rainbow a window to line up an unfriendly kick to the pollen tube. The flower and ragged top of the stem went sailing across the bog, where it landed with a distant splash. Its lower half stopped moving altogether, and as it broke down into soil, Twilight finally saw the creatures' fatal flaw. They couldn’t grow back their missing pieces; they simply reattached what had fallen off from themselves or their friends, but with enough distance between the pieces, the spell bringing them to life broke.

The world felt very small as the creatures clustered together into a solid wall on either end of the bridge. Realizing it was only a matter of time before the creatures got it in their collective heads to simply tear it apart, Twilight leaned out over the railing to her left. Below, the river which might have made a useful escape or barrier now sat dry and useless.

The river...

"Twilight, we cannot hold this position," Alpenglow said matter-of-factly.

Over the din of everypony shouting and pounding mud, Twilight yelled, "I've got an idea! But we need a way to make them spread out!"

As Spike fended off a creature with his lance, Alpenglow turned to face everypony. "Twilight wants options. Let’s hear 'em."

"These beasts will likely follow us wherever we go," said Princess Luna. "If we split up…"

"We don’t have to fight them to stop them," Fluttershy pointed out.

"Fluttershy’s right," said Applejack, "we just gotta buy enough time to stop Blight."

Twilight nodded. "Princess Celestia, can you give us some room?"

"Of course, Twilight." Beckoning Luna to follow suit, the Princess's horn flared, and from the mud, a ten-foot wall of clay shot skyward around the ponies. Smoke Jumper ran her horn over the wall, and the entire ring heated, then cooled into brick.

With the sound of the creatures hammering against the wall, everypony gathered round as Twilight explained her plan. "Ponyville Dam is just upstream from here. If we can break it, the river will flood, at least for a little while."

"What'll that do?" asked Rainbow.

Twilight pointed at the wall. "Those things need to reattach parts of themselves to keep going. If we can lure them into the river, cut them down to small enough sizes…"

"…then the river will wash enough pieces away to stop ‘em cold," finished Applejack. "Good thinkin’, Twilight."

"We’ll split into two groups and follow the riverbed. One will go to the dam, the other to the edge of the shield where the river ends. That group will have to separate all the pieces that wash down. Anything still moving, we can just throw into the reservoir. It should buy us time if they have to climb out."

"Your Highness," said Smoke Jumper, "I think we should take the reservoir. There’s no way the box will make it all the way upstream."

"Agreed. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, can you go with them?"

"Sure can, sugarcube."

"I’ll go as well, Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "We’ll all meet back here once we finish-"

A brittle crash put a period to the Princess's sentence as the plants finally smashed the barricade and began climbing over. The closest was no more than five steps away when the ponies climbed onto the bridge's thin railing, readied themselves, and all at once, jumped over the wall.

Landing with a sticky splash, Twilight, Pinkie, Alpenglow, Spike, and Luna galloped from the bridge, dodging the odd creature that had wandered into the riverbed. As she looked back, Twilight could see everypony else take off in the opposite direction. With Princess Celestia's help, the trolley holding the box landed gently, and thankfully began moving as the guards ran in their harnesses. The horde split in half along the bridge, taking the first steps of what was sure to be a slow, drawn-out pursuit.

Twilight cursed her weak flying the entire way as she led the group to the base of the dam where, apart from several little streams trickling down from the top lip, the structure seemed to be holding up well. The healthy trees and plants to either side of the ponies also told Twilight that Blight had left this area untouched for the time being. All they needed to do now was wait, and hope the others were ready at the reservoir.

"Whew," said Spike, wiping his forehead, "that was kinda close back there."

"Are you kidding, Spike?!" yelped Pinkie, "That's got to be the coolest thing we’ve ever done! Ooh, I’ve got an idea! Let’s catch one and ride it!"

"Most…invigorating, I must say," Princess Luna said with relish. "I am beginning to see how you used to fill your days, Alpenglow."

Alpenglow grunted as he yanked a thorn from his thigh. "Now you know why I kept asking for hazard pay."

With her magic, Twilight pulled an old log from the forest, leaving it for everypony to sit and catch their breath while she examined the dam. Once she felt confident about where to make the holes, she turned to Alpenglow, who had already walked over to her.

"You doing ok, Twilight?"

"Yes, it’s just…I don't know...maybe this isn't a good time."

"What?"

"I meant to ask you earlier, but I guess I forgot with everything happening. I was just wondering...what was he like?"

"Starswirl?"

Twilight nodded. "I’ve read every book on him, but none of them really talk about what kind of pony he was."

Alpenglow smiled. "Well..." he started, rubbing his chin, "...he was brilliant, of course, wise, and…" He nodded. "...very kind. He and the Princess were very close too, but...I don't know, something happened not long before I lost contact with him. He never was quite the same when I talked to him afterwards. Nothing I could do."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. All he'd ever say was that Princess Celestia disappointed him somehow."

"I can't imagine the Princess disappointing anypony."

"Me neither, but she was still young then, and new to being a princess, much like you. Remember, Twilight, she's only a pony. She makes mistakes, has feelings..." He looked away, lost in thought. "...And somehow she and Starswirl had hurt each other's that day."

"I- I never knew."

"I'm sure you will, at some point. I figured I might as well give you some warning."

"But they were still friends after all of it, right?"

"Of course. Those later years, Starswirl was on the call a lot with ponies coming to him for help. But he handled it, and our talks seemed to help him unwind. You know...I really miss him. He could be strange at times, comes with the genius, but at the end of the day, he was an academic at heart. He would’ve liked you a lot, Twilight."

Twilight smiled, a slight blush taking her cheeks. "You really think so?"

"I do. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll meet him. Anything's possible in Equestria."

Twilight opened her mouth to say more, but was interrupted by a line of blurry silhouettes in the distance. Everypony sorely stood up, their eyes fixed on the jagged horizon marching towards them.

Alpenglow snapped his visor down. "Party’s coming- not an actual party, Pinkie."

"Awww…"

As the first wave of creatures trickled into clear view, Spike and Alpenglow charged. The lance skewered two, knocked over another, and for the coup de grace, Alpenglow made a generous sideways swipe with his sword, sending plant pieces raining all over the riverbed.

The trickle of creatures was now a stream. Dozens came at a time, sending waves through the mud. With surgical precision, Twilight began drilling a set of strategically placed holes in the dam. Murky water jetted from the holes, immediately soaking the ponies’ hooves as cracks in the concrete raced skyward.

"I believe it’s time we made our exit," observed Luna, as she used her magic to enthusiastically prune the next wave of creatures, Pinkie’s party cannon sounding off all the while. Some of the creatures were already recovering and resuming their march towards oblivion. The ponies fought, every creature that followed them was eventually cut down, and a final, thunderous crack from the dam told Twilight it was time to go. With a single thought, she teleported everypony to the small cliff overlooking the river. A split second later, the dam gave way, and a mini tsunami washed over the severed remains of the creatures.

Mission completed, the team doubled back to the bridge.

Chapter 35

The temporary river proved to be a relaxing, if slightly revolting, sight when the latest slurry of plant pieces floated below Twilight. Watching the stringy, green chunks bobbing up and down in the current wasn't the most appetizing sight, but it slowly proved to be reassuring as Twilight leaned against the bridge. So far, the ponies had seen no other creatures, much to their relief. They hadn't seen Princess Celestia’s group either, but that was to be expected. They were no doubt busy disposing of everything that had washed downstream. A thought crossed Twilight's mind to continue down to the reservoir, but realized that if any of the creatures had survived intact, somepony should be waiting for them here.

Alpenglow, Spike, Pinkie, and Luna were quietly leaning against the railing as well. Occasionally, one of them would twist their head back to look for the others, only to turn back around and shrug. Before long, Pinkie and Spike began skipping stones on the river. Because of the current, they never made it far, but Pinkie had a talent for making the stones practically dance on the water. Soon, everypony was doing it or, at the very least, trying. With a casual flick of her hoof, Luna sent one far up the stream, where it skittered for a moment before sinking. Alpenglow managed to get one decent skip before the current stopped his stone cold. Picking up a nicely shaped one, Twilight carefully aimed her hoof and threw. With a breathtakingly lame plop!, it splashed and sank straight to the bottom.

"Masterfully done, Twilight," said Luna with a hardly-stifled chortle, soon repeated by Pinkie and Spike.

Twilight gave an annoyed groan, and with a pout, eased her head onto the railing. "There’s no reason that shouldn’t have worked! I accounted for the angle, the surface tension of the water, even the change in viscosity because of the plant pieces!"

With angel-like innocence, Pinkie pointed out, "Didn't a bubble once save you from a super long fall when the hydra was chasing us?"

"Yes, but..."

"I rest my case!"

Twilight sighed, "It just doesn't make sense."

"Nothing we do makes sense! But that's the fun of it! Who needs coherence? Writers and narrators, that's who!"

"You are an enigma, Pinkamena," Luna said with skyward eyes.

If Pinkie had knuckles, she would've been blowing on them. "I try," she said with a mysterious air.

Spike laughed heartily, "Not even you can predict everything that's gonna happen, Twilight!"

She glanced at Alpenglow.

"No...I guess not."

Spike was first to spot everypony else coming from the reservoir. Without a second to lose, he hopped from Alpenglow’s back, and made a dash for Rarity as Celestia’s group approached the bridge.

With the enthusiasm everypony had come to expect, Spike hugged her tight. "Rarity! Are you alright? Is everypony ok?"

"Thank you, Spike, I’m fine," she said, warmly returning the hug. "We’re all just fine."

"I don’t think I’m gonna complain about weeding around the farm any time soon," chuckled Applejack.

"What happened?" asked Twilight.

"A lot of the plant chunks got stuck at the bottom of the river," replied Rainbow. "A few of ‘em grew back together. Let’s just say it got kinda...messy."

Rarity then carefully wrung her mane dry. "And let us never speak of it again."

"And thanks to Fluttershy, we won’t have to worry about those things, either," added Applejack. "The way she lead this one group'a critters, you woulda thought she was some kinda wicked witch."

"Sorry to disagree, Applejack," muttered Fluttershy, "but it was nothing, really. I’m just glad they managed to hide from Blight for so long, and they were more than happy to have some fresh greens to eat."

Applejack playfully nudged Fluttershy. "Wallop my withers, even during catastrophes, you’re still so darn agreeable."

Fluttershy bashfully hid behind her mane. "I’m not being agreeable…but I can be if you want me to."

Suddenly, Alpenglow cupped his face, doubled over, as if sick. Twilight went to see what was wrong with him, but as she stooped down to have a look, the stallion lost control of full-blown laugh. Pinkie’s eyes lit up in understanding, and she threw herself to the ground in a fit of snort-riddled chortling. Eyebrows raised, everypony regarded the pair, dumbfounded, until they finished. "Alright, let’s go," Alpenglow said, shaking his head as he and Twilight took the lead on the dirt path that fed into town.

As they walked, Twilight couldn't help but say, "That was the last thing I was expecting from you, Alpenglow."

"Can't say I was expecting it either, Twilight." He looked off to the side. "It’s been a while since I felt good enough to do that."

"Did you always make a habit of laughing in situations like these?" inquired Luna.

"I might laugh at danger, but that doesn't mean I think it's a joke. You taught me how to get over my fears, Luna. Sometimes that means pushing it to the back of your mind to deal with later, other times it means laughing it all out as it comes."

Looking at Pinkie, Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Fine by me, just as long as you don’t start singing."

"Huh?"

Fluttershy giggled. "I guess you could say that was before your time."

The bridge and their successful crossing fading behind them, the group watched as downtown Ponyville slid out of the fog, an eerie corridor of warped buildings that constructed itself as they walked down the vine-covered street. The town looked and felt ill, with every familiar shop and house calling to Twilight's attention like exhibits on a twisted tour of the new Ponyville. It was necessary to urge Rarity forward as they passed Carousel Boutique, then Pinkie as they passed Sugarcube Corner. The delightful building, even now a focal point of the town, had the look of a moldy gingerbread house.

Twilight pulled her eyes forward and the buildings out of sight. They were all in Blight’s world now, one he would certainly make a living nightmare for them, if they weren't careful.

Town hall now loomed dead ahead- rather, a lumpy tower of vines that just happened to share its shape did. As the ponies pressed on, the street seemed to narrow, the buildings leaned over them, and Twilight felt they were being forced through a tube. In another eerie development, most of the vines she saw early on had disappeared, adding to her anxiety.

"Everypony alright?" asked Alpenglow.

"Yeah…" said Applejack as she hopelessly tried to peer around the hall and at the other side of town. What she was looking for, Twilight didn't have to guess.

Spike wondered aloud, "Ever feel like you moved away, but nopony told you?"

"I hear you, Spike," answered Alpenglow. "It'll take some time, but you'll all get to go back. And it'll be just like before. This is only temporary."

"It is strange," admitted Rarity. "So familiar, yet alien…and quiet."

"Boy, does that sound familiar," said Rainbow, eyeing the houses suspiciously, the sword Alpenglow had given her at the ready.

"Be careful, everypony," Princess Celestia warned. "We’ve made it this far, but we have no idea what Blight has planned next for us."

At best, the ponies’ blissful ignorance lasted ten seconds longer. As they approached an intersection, with all streets walled off by thorny hedges, the ground shook once more, and vines came out to play. They burst from every doorway, window, and hole in the ground, flash-flooding the street.

Princess Celestia shouted, "Everypony, to me!"

Leaping next to and around the Princess, the ponies watched anxiously as the vines arched high in the air, poised to strike. With a last-second yank, the guards pulled the box as close as possible, and a bubble of light engulfed everypony. It was nerve-racking, the sight of the vines raining down, but instead of bouncing off like Twilight expected, the vines simply disappeared as they touched it, like sticks of butter poking a hot buzz saw. The vines entered one side of the shield, but didn’t exit out the other.

"Aw yeah, good one, Princess!" Rainbow cheered as the shield dropped. The vines, their tips all mysteriously missing, reeled back.

Alpenglow barked, "Smoke Jumper, troopers, protect the box! The rest of us will clear the way!"

Splitting into teams of two, the ponies went house by house, cutting vines down to size, locating seeds, and methodically disposing of them. It was a grueling task, for every room was covered in vines, and had to be cleared before moving on to the next. Twilight and Applejack had just finished with a seed inside the quills and sofa shop when Spike appeared at the front door.

"You guys! Out here, quick!"

Racing out the door, Twilight saw how with the nearby seeds destroyed, the hedges blocking their way had broken down into soil, replaced by one final, enormous snake of vines. The lumpy, green serpent was occupying another shop across the street, its body weaving within and around the remains of the building like a worm in an apple. Its flower "head" bobbed back and forth near the chimney, and while it had the telltale burns from magical attacks, its nest had proven to be an effective shield.

Two of the royal guards were lying in the middle of the road, paralyzed, while Smoke Jumper was waving Twilight and Applejack over to join everypony in surrounding the creature. Rainbow and Alpenglow had ducked into the alleys on either side of the shop, out of sight, as Pinkie, Smoke Jumper, and the princesses approached the front of the building, baiting the creature. Fluttershy, no doubt a willing volunteer, was quivering just behind the four of them.

Twilight ran to Princess Celestia's side, and the beast made its move. With deceptive speed, it leapt from its stronghold and lunge forward, its flower gaping like an unhinged jaw when it dove for the three princesses. They dove to the left, and the flower buried itself in the cobblestone road.

In a blur of movement, Applejack unslung, readied, and launched her lasso. The honey-colored rope sailed gracefully through the air, wrapped around the beast’s upper body, and brought it to keel in front of everypony. No sooner had it hit the ground, than Applejack secured the lasso to a nearby lamppost.

The flower thrashed about, but everypony quickly piled onto it, and with practiced precision, Rainbow and Alpenglow flew from their hiding places, and at the same time, brought their swords down hard on the thickest segment of the thorny mass. When the steel met the plant, its vines split apart like a rotting mushroom, smelled like one too, and as the two pegasi finished cleaving their way through, it sprayed everypony with sap and splinters. The sound Rarity made defied description.

Headless and outnumbered, the remaining stump slithered back into the crater that sat inside the building. The ponies climbed off the flower and its severed tip, and for a moment just stood there, catching their breath.

"Awe...some! shouted Rainbow, hoof-bumping Alpenglow and Pinkie.

"Speak for yourself," whimpered Rarity, desperately trying to wipe herself off, "Why does saving the world have to be so...messy? Ohhh...What did I do to deserve this?!" she howled. Thankfully, Fluttershy was quick to move to her side and begin scraping off the sap with a stick.

Applejack laughed as she shook her hat dry. "That sure was somethin. Now let's never do it again."

"Agreed," said Luna.

Alpenglow knelt down, taking a moment to inspect the lifeless vine. "Guess we can’t be friends now."

"So now what?" asked Rainbow.

Twilight scanned the newly-cleared street. "I think we're ok to head into town hall."

Smoke Jumper stooped down to examine the box and her frozen comrades. "Your Highnesses, once we get them unstuck, we should move-"

The piece of vine erupted in berserk convulsions, and with a final defiant, vicious gesture, slammed into Smoke Jumper. The force of the hit sent the royal guard flying into the box, and she hadn’t even hit the ground when Luna reduced the vine to a sappy stain and everypony rushed to Smoke Jumper’s side. She quickly moved to stand up, but her front right hoof slipped and folded underneath her weight. She collapsed in a heap.

"Are you kidding me?!" Smoke Jumper shouted angrily. As her pegasus partner and Applejack stood her up, Twilight examined the injured unicorn. Taking a splint and bandage from Alpenglow’s bag, she quickly wrapped the battered leg. The guard took a couple of uneasy steps, frowning. "I’m fine," she grumbled.

With a friendly casualness, Alpenglow placed his hoof on her shoulder. "You will be, trooper…tomorrow. Today, you’re going home."

"He’s right," said Luna. "We are close enough to carry the box ourselves. Gather up the others and make your way out as quickly as you can."

Smoke Jumper grumbled, but with Twilight and Rarity’s help, she quickly unloaded the box from the trolley and in its place, laid her paralyzed friends onto the wooden plank bed as Princess Celestia quickly began to unthaw them. Their stiff limbs finally eased onto the trolley, though they were effectively still rag dolls. Still fuming, Smoke Jumper and her pegasus partner strapped into the harness and began the walk out of Ponyville. As they left, Twilight couldn’t help but feel relieved for them, and strangely regret having never asked the pegasus guard his name.

The box now in the magical tow of the princesses, the ponies turned to face their ultimate goal.

Chapter 36

"That’s it, I officially wanna go home!"

"But we are home, Rainbow!" Pinkie pointed out.

"Everypony in, now!" shouted Twilight as she waved both of them into town hall. A new wave of plant creatures had sprouted all around the ponies the second they approached the building’s doorstep, and as the princesses shut and barricaded the heavy door behind them, Twilight realized what a miracle it was they had all made it inside.

"How long will it hold?" Fluttershy asked anxiously.

"Well," proposed Spike, "I’d say anywhere between five minutes and...zero."

"Very funny, Element of Optimism," Alpenglow mumbled as he turned from the door. With a curious boldness, the ponies approached the center of the hall, the vines hastily retreating wherever they walked. Above, the balconies and ceiling rafters were interlaced with more vines, all shrouded in darkness, like the wiry bars of a cage. Twilight frowned; to think this bleak room was once brimming with a horde of Pinkie Pies.

Everypony followed Twilight’s gaze upward as Alpenglow’s voice echoed into the ceiling, "Come out, Blight. It’s time we finish this."

All was still in the hall, until a series wooden creaks descended from the ceiling. The shifting mass of Blight leaked from the rafters, landing with a thud on the opposite side of the room. Had his face lacked any more emotion, it would have surely turned to stone. That pair of yellow eyes met Twilight once more as it regarded the ponies and spoke at last.

"Nothing is finished, Alpenglow. Nothing is ever finished. You know that." His head tilted ponderously. "But I think we both knew it had to play out like this." He paused, his eyes settling on the box. "So...what are you going to do if your plan doesn't work? Burn the town? Flood it, like you did the river? Or how about the other ten barbaric ways in which you tried and failed?"

Alpenglow ignored him and continued, "It's not too late, Blight. We can still work this out."

"No."

"We don’t have to do this," pressed Alpenglow. "Nopony else needs to get hurt. You can come with us. The student Starswirl once told me about is still in there. You can still be him. We can start over."

Twilight thought she had seen all there was to Blight; she was wrong. A look of simple disgust grew over his face and he turned his head away slightly, eyes halfway clenched and mouth twisted in revulsion.

"I don't believe it," he mumbled. "Look at yourself, Alpenglow. They've dressed you up into something you're not, making you talk like a pampered foal who thinks everything will work out if he smiles and pretends the world is his garden." He leaned forward. "You’re not one of these mares. You never were. You’ll never belong here…even if you’d like to."

Twilight saw Alpenglow look to the side, and though some doubt took root in his face, he stepped forward to face the old pony.

"I know you weren't always like this, Blight. You were smart, passionate about your work, about making the world a better place-"

"And what did kindness and 'passion' get me?" Blight snapped. "My work would have given ponies the power to shape the world however they wanted."

Alpenglow looked around the hall. "If this is what you meant by shaping the world, then Starswirl was right when he said it was too dangerous."

"He tried to deny me my greatness in favor of his own."

"You know he wasn't like that. Working with these plants has affected your mind, Blight. We can help you-"

With a powerful leap, Blight sailed up into the ceiling. The rafters caught him, creaking miserably in the process.

"Spare me. I don't have your stomach for sugar-coated lies. All those years we spent in there…" Blight bellowed, pointing at the box, "…I said it to you once, and I’ll say it again. When this is all over, you’ll see I was right. You’re dirt to them, nothing. And I won’t throw away my future so you can find out!"

With a stiff roar, Blight tore a beam from the wall and hurled it at Alpenglow. The ponies all scattered as it flew, and the beam exploded, sending a shiver up Twilight’s back as she hurriedly brushed splinters from herself.

Every window in the hall exploded. The doors blew off their hinges, taking the barricade with it, and paving a debris-laden path for the creatures to follow inside.

Rainbow pounded her hooves. "We’ve got company, ponies!"

Twilight turned to Alpenglow. "We’ll hold them off. Can you lure him back here once we’re ready with the elements?"

Alpenglow nodded. His wings beating a maelstrom, the knight soared upwards and headfirst into darkness. Twilight wished him luck.

The vine-laden rafters sighed as their newest burden landed. Alpenglow steadied himself where a pair of the beams met, and felt a surreal déjà-vu as he looked at Blight, their bodies little more than shadows within the cavern interior of the roof.

"They’ve really ground you down, Alpenglow."

"No, you did. A long time ago."

Blight sneered. "Feels like yesterday to me. But I made you into the knight you are, and only then did you have what it took to stop me. Had you clung to the Princess like your friends, you wouldn't have made it the first time. Nautilus, Bridge Builder, even Tawny- when it came down to it, they just didn't have the heart to make those choices. Without you, Twilight and her little friends never would have stood a chance today. They need you a lot more than you need them, and they know it."

"Don't talk about things you don't understand."

"Who else could've destroyed the towns, placed the shackle on their neck? Who had to push everypony else when they were on the ground, sniveling and crying because 'it wasn't easy?' Who had to make the real sacrifices? Not any of them, that's for sure." He hissed, "They've got you wrapped around their little hooves, Alpenglow. They promised they'd give you a new start, a chance to be the hero again in their fantasy queendom...just as long as you help them. Can't you see what this is really about?"

Blight’s words clawed at Alpenglow. The old pony always was articulate, too articulate, and he wasn’t completely wrong either. For the last thousand years, the only company he had known was Blight. In that dreamscape battlefield, there were moments when the two would lie there, exhausted from their grueling, endless struggle. As they waited for the magical forces within the box to make them rise once more, the two of them would silently glare at each other, understanding perfectly what the other was thinking and feeling. Alpenglow couldn’t deny that kind of experience had created a connection between them, one he couldn’t quite describe, or escape.

"No...no, you're wrong. It's not like that."

"Lie to me, Alpenglow, but don't lie to yourself. I could've snuffed you out whenever I wanted. But I didn't, because I saw potential in you, and didn't want to stamp on it like Celestia and Starswirl did to me. I'm asking you again. Help me, and I won't throw you away the second you're no longer useful. I know what they're planning to do. What do you think is going to happen if they win? Who's going to be tossed aside with me?"

Alpenglow said nothing. He readied his sword.

Blight sighed heavily. "Loyalty always was your biggest strength...and weakness. You still want to fight- fine, I'll indulge you one last time. I guess you really can't teach an old pony new tricks."

"Speak for yourself, Blight."

Blight’s body stirred and contorted, as if out of his control. His vine limbs twisted and wrapped around each other, forming four thick legs. The bark of his body cracked and separated, forming rough plates that covered his body from head to just-formed hoof. Finally, a separate vine from below appeared, clutching a rusty metal sword. The eyes met Alpenglow with the tired face they both knew all too well, and in that moment, the stallion resolved to himself that somehow, someway, this would have a happy ending, at least for Twilight and her friends. Whatever it would be, he was ready- and willing- to see it through.

Chapter 37

Blight's strange attire couldn't have been accident; it wasn't like him to restrict himself in such a way, even in light of how his new pony form flowed and slithered across the rafters towards Alpenglow. In a fraction of a second, the black, viscous shape was halfway to the stallion's neck before he even reacted.

Instinctively, Alpenglow put his sword straight out in front of him, brandishing it to the right to deflect Blight's blade. The rusty cutlass caught on Alpenglow's polished arming sword, and with a jerking twist, managed to clang against his helmet, almost knocking him off balance. Wings gusting, he leapt to a beam at his back as the cutlass swung off course after the impact. That's when Blight rushed him, teeth bared in a familiar but no less disturbing expression.

One of Blight's hooves turned inward, and Alpenglow knew he would take one more step and go into a savage leap. For all the old pony's power and intellect, perhaps he had forgotten that Princess Twilight's newest guard was still in the prime of his youth, that he had been trained by not only the royal sisters, but by some of the greatest minds and warriors of Equestria's history. At any rate, it was so easy, it was almost like he was back in school. A single, ungentle kick at just the right angle sent Blight falling helplessly onto a lower rafter. His pony form fell apart, and his vines buried themselves in the ceiling to save him.

As Alpenglow floated down, Blight laughed painfully. "You never could disappoint when it came to this sort of thing," he said, clutching his cutlass, now snapped in half. "But no matter much you'd like to, you can't beat me this way."

"I can try."

"You certainly can, but I don't think you want to."

"Just give it up, Blight."

"I can give you a life nopony else can. I understand now. It was a meaningless infatuation; you were lonely after being out of the box. But you'll never be as important to them as they are to each other. I know it isn't fair, but it's true, and you know that."

Alpenglow readied his sword for another blow. "You're starting to repeat yourself. It's getting old."

"Then what if gave you the only thing you've ever wanted since we came here?"

Blight waved his head, and a flower-tipped vine spun around Alpenglow, its open petals glowing centimeters away from his face. With a blinding flash, it filled his vision with pictures of Bridge Builder, Nautilus, Honeydew, and Vera, all still statues beneath the castle.

"I hate to do pressure you like this, Alpenglow, but you've given me no choice. I can bring them back. How does the saying go? New friends are silver, but old ones are gold. What do you say?"

"You're lying. The Princess told me what you did couldn't be fixed and I take her word over yours."

"Are you ready to completely bury that hope when I say I can fix them?"

The image projected by the flower began to change. The stone coating of the statues cracked and gave way to other pictures: the six of them, including Tawny, laughing and talking like they used to.

Alpenglow knew it was pure garbage, and he hated Blight all the more for tempting him with the fantasy he did his best to avoid, but he could even hear his heart racing, feel his face flushing with the familiar longing. Blight must have seen it too, for he slowly began to smile.

"I knew I shouldn't give up on you just yet. Consider this a gift, my way of proving that I really do care about you."

Before Alpenglow could answer or even move, a sanguine aura bled from the flower as vines took hold of his legs. He struggled for a moment, but slowly Blight and town hall disappeared as his world went white, then finally, black.

The illusion lasted only a second. Feeling for his sword, he took hold of the hilt crushed against his shoulder and pushed outward, slicing the vines around his legs. Whatever spell Blight had cast, he had beaten it, but there was scarcely time to revel in the victory as he braced himself for the next attack, an attack that never came.

Blight had left- no, that wasn't right. He had just disappeared, as if he had never existed in the first place. Alpenglow shook his head frantically. He had only been blinded for a second, so what happened? It was silent in the hall. A rock formed in the bottom of his gut, and he suddenly felt very alone as he peered past the rafters below and at the ground floor, where he half expected Twilight to be looking up at him.

She wasn't. Twilight, everypony, the box, even the vines. They were all gone.

Chapter 38

It seemed peace wasn't quite what Alpenglow had always hoped for as he floated from the ceiling. Instead of serenity and resolution, he felt a disorienting turmoil as he slowly walked out of Ponyville's town hall. No longer covered in vines, which would have at least been familiar, the town had taken on a grainy, grayish air, like that of an old photograph.

He walked slowly, in no rush, the shops and homes silently passing him like strangers on a street. And why should they have been anything but strangers? With a flash of red, the bitter thought began running rampant through his mind. He had been here once before Blight escaped. This wasn't his home or his fight. Both of his were long ago, and he didn't owe anything to Equestria anymore. Looking back, it was surprising to think that he had ever agreed when the Princess asked for his help that night in the library. Oh, and it looked as if he had passed the lushly-canopied athenaeum already.

It didn't matter. It's not like he meant to go inside, so as to satisfy some foolish sentimentality. It didn't mean much to him, and he learned to make good company for himself after the others left anyway. Even with Blight, in the box, he was alone in every way that counted. He might as well relax while he figured out where in the world everypony was. For once, his time was his own.

As he walked on, he felt eyes scrolled across his body. He reached for his sword, but realized it had gone, along with his armor. Slowly Alpenglow took in his surroundings, and in every building, pairs of gray eyes against gray windows looked sadly at him. Thinking back to the cave, the eyes were too familiar and painful a sight, so he turned his back on them and walked away, out of town, across the countryside, until he found himself standing on a beach. More impossibly, he was standing at the bow of a majestic sailboat that could take him away from all this.

Foolish and sentimental though it was, Alpenglow smiled. Back in the day, there were numerous occasions when missions- due to weather, terrain or distance- required the use of a boat exactly like this, and he loved every second of it. Tawny didn't; she said the constant motion was stressful, but to him, it was the most comforting feeling, like the earth cradling him in its arms. Seeing no harm in spending a little time sailing, he quickly climbed aboard, pointed the masts, and shoved off.

Having become utterly lost but not particularly worried, the urge to figure out what had happened to the world gradually fell from Alpenglow's concern as Equestria faded behind him in a haze. A storm of brownish-black clouds with green lightning had descended upon the mountain of Canterlot, as well as the spot that was Ponyville, and Alpenglow was relieved to be finally beyond it. He had no idea where he was going, only that he would stay wherever he happened to land. That would be good enough.

Sleep had come easy on his journey (for a change). One moment, he was lying on his back and staring at the sky, which grew brighter the farther he went from Equestria. The next, he found himself awoken by the sound of surf, and the soft creak of the boat's hull against sand. The golden powder puffed into a glittering cloud as he planted his hooves on the beach. Some grains remained on his face and body, warming him as they gleaned in the sun overhead. Looking around, he had arrived on the edge of an emerald forest with its trees leaning outward onto the beach, shading it like a creek. A pair of cattails grew where the soil met the sand, similar to the bank outside Tawny's old house. In fact, the whole area bore a striking resemblance to the grove where she used to live. If he remembered right, a pair of low hanging branches just ahead concealed the gravel path leading to her house and- yes! He peeled back the branches and there it was, as overgrown as the last time he saw it. He slowly looked up, following the winding trail which traced up the hill, and then he saw it: the cabin, sitting quietly, peacefully, a wisp of smoke pressing ever so gently on the air above the chimney.

An impossible question entered his mind, and he couldn't tell if the urge to know was greater than fear of the answer. But if his hopes turned out to be right, he certainly couldn't leave. The walk up the hill was another nostalgic eternity as he slowly walked, then broke into a trot, then full gallop to the door. He never knocked before, so he didn't now. The door slowly creaked open, and he entered.

An overpowering familiarity nearly drew tears as he stepped onto the wool carpet. Photos lined the wood-panel walls of the cabin, some with all six of them, some with just him. All brought forth cascades of memories, but none so powerful as the smell of the flowers outside, the heat of the fireplace crackling in front of him, and most of all, the sounds of somepony rummaging back in the kitchen.

Even he wanted to, he couldn't move. Why, he couldn't say, but there he stood, frozen at the entrance until the door to the kitchen opened, and the pony inside stepped out.

"Hey, Alp," smiled Tawny. "It's about time you woke up."

He saw it, but he still didn't believe it. Tawny, standing right in front of him. He didn't remember moving, or practically running across the room to hug her tight.

Tawny shook, laughing silently as she hugged him back. "Don't think I've ever seen that before. You doing ok?"

"Yes...yes, I am," he said in choked words.

"I've never heard that before either."

He smiled, blinking several times to clear his eyes before they pulled apart. "I really missed you, Tawny."

She smiled off to the side. "I guess it has been a little longer than usual since we've all gotten together," she laughed. "But here, I need to finish before everypony gets here, so-"

He let go and looked at her. "Wait....the others are here, too?"

"Yeah, Nautilus said they'd be by in a little while. I wasn't expecting anypony else so early."

"Tawny..." He lead her silently to the couch in front of the fireplace and sat the two of them down. Tawny's eyes danced an ethereal dance in the flicker of the fireplace, and every word that swam in his mind failed him, ignoring how many times he had imagined what he would say to her if ever given the chance.

Tawny made a pouty smile. "I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say you want to talk about something." He nodded. "Ok..." she warned, "but you'll be the one explaining to Honeydew why the food isn't ready for her to inhale the second she gets here."

"I think I can handle that," he whispered.

"You sure you're alright? You've been sleeping out on the bank for almost an hour. I thought you'd be up sooner."

The bank? He muttered, "I was just sleeping on the boat."

She frowned slightly. "Ummm...nope, you were just down the hill, up against that old willow like always."

"Huh?"

"...Though I bet Nautilus would be impressed if you managed to get that monster of his all the way upstream."

"Stream?" He stood up and made his way to the window opposite the fireplace. From the hill, he'd be able to see past the tree line where the boat landed. Instead he saw only forest, no vast sea separating him from Equestria, no greenish-black storm. Those things wouldn't have made sense, anyway. He was at Tawny's house in the middle of Equestria, just west of the princesses' old- no, current- castle.

"I guess I just...dreamt it."

Tawny shrugged. "I guess. Must've been some dream."

"Yeah, it was." The question was where the dreaming had ended...and the waking began. It was easy to reason that he must have fallen asleep on the bank, dreamt being on the boat and sailing away from Equestria, but what about earlier?

"What was it about? Sounds like it wasn't just another of Luna's pranks. Remember that one Vera talked about? The one with the troll and the zap apples?"

"It was about Blight."

"Oh..." Tawny got up and stood next to him at the window. "So that's why you're so out of it."

"Tawny, I know it's weird, but...what happened that day you and me went into the cave?"

"What, you don't remember?" He shook his head. "After we split up, Blight got the drop on you, had you in some kind of trance. I barely found you in time to help, but we managed to turn him back to stone. Lost the Elements of Heroism, but we all got back safe. And the Princess was able to unthaw everypony else. It was months before everypony was back to normal." She frowned worriedly. "Any of this ringing a bell?"

"Where's Blight now?"

Tawny's eyes narrowed. Her lips pursed, as if reluctant to stay on the subject. "Underneath the castle. He's been there ever since we got back. You really don't remember, do you?"

He shook his head again. "I dreamt...you were gone, and Blight destroyed the elements, but then, I found a way to stop him. There was a box that sealed both of us away, like Tartarus, and a long time after, he escaped. It was almost a thousand years later. He'd taken over this town called Ponyville, and I met up with these six mares and...their baby dragon." The more he thought about it, the more it sounded ridiculous to him, too. "I'm really happy to see you, Tawny."

She smiled tiredly. "You were always sweeter than you let on to the princesses."

"Maybe I should've been more like that to Bridge or Nautilus back in the griffin kingdom."

"It was a bad time. But you did you what you thought was right then. That's what you've always done."

"None of it would've happened if I had just stopped."

She sighed. "You know...when we got back, the Princess asked me what happened."

"What'd you tell her?"

"The truth. All of it. And you know what she said?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing. Not a word. She knows you're a good pony. And that's all she's ever wanted from you." She leaned closer. "What's done is done, Alp.' You can't change the past, but you still deserve a future. I want you to have one."

"We all do," said a motherly voice.

Alpenglow turned towards the door. It shut behind Princess Celestia as she and Luna and sat on the couch with him and Tawny.

"Princess..?"

"You always did make good company for yourself, Alpenglow," said Luna.

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

Princess Celestia smiled. "You've come a long way since your time as our student, even further since you faced that nightmare in the cave. But even now, we can tell you have doubts."

"Ever since you were a colt," explained Luna, "we told you difficult decisions would lie ahead. Now that you've made such decisions, you fear that you must become like Blight- harsh and cruel- to continue making them, to stop him. You feel that is your duty. But it is not."

The Princess put her wing over him. "However you acted otherwise, deep down, you always wanted to do what was best for Tawny, Nautilus, and the others."

"And you would've given anything to see us again," Tawny finally let out.

At that, Alpenglow's eyes widened, and he stood up in front of the fireplace and looked at all of them, suddenly not too sure of where he was.

The Princess's words calmed him once more, "Are you happy here, Alpenglow?"

The hazel in Tawny's eyes shimmered anew as he pondered the question. Finally he answered, "Yes. I'm...confused, but I'm happier than I've been in a long time. And...I'm not sure I want to leave."

"That's a problem," a new voice said.

By reflex, his eyes went to the door. It opened, revealing an old unicorn with a cane. His graying mane was tied back, giving full view of the pony's tired, yellowed eyes- those yellowed eyes that Alpenglow knew as well as his own reflection.

"Surprised to see me?" said Blight.

Unaccustomed to the sight of Blight without his vines, it didn't occur to Alpenglow's temper to flare. "This is impossible," he stammered.

"In here, it most certainly is," Blight replied.

"How?"

"You know," said Tawny.

Alpenglow turned to her, and a frost grew over his heart. Tawny's body had become ghostly. He could see clear through as the light of the fire touched the couch behind her.

"Tawny!"

Around him, the cabin began to lose its color, with pictures, wallpaper, fading as they gave themselves up to time. Tawny continued to smile, looking at him expectantly. He held his face in his hoof and admitted sadly, "You're not real. This all in my head. Blight...all of it...it wasn't a dream. I thought...I hoped..."

With a remorseful smile, Tawny shook her head. "You wanted to so badly. You remember what the Princess taught us that one afternoon in the garden? No matter where you go, you carry a part of everyone you know and care about. They shape you, as you shape them. Think of us...as echoes of the ponies you've known."

His teeth clenched as he looked at Blight. "Then why are you here?"

Blight, being himself, answered his question without hesitation. "Whether you like it or not, the part of you I shaped doesn't want you to stay here. How ironic, I know. It's the part that's obsessive, callous, and realizes that as happy as you'd be here, nothing you do or say would matter, would make a difference."

"Then why can't I leave?"

"I knew you would eventually figure out this wasn't real and would want to leave- but only out duty and obligation, as always. No, it's not enough to want to leave, Alpenglow. You have to want to go.

He shook his head. "Go to where?!"

"Not to where, silly! To who!" chimed a cotton candy voice.

Another, very bookish, corrected, "To whom, Pinkie."

Those voices, so very familiar, lingered in the faraway realm of fantasy until Alpenglow turned back to the doorway, and saw nopony other than Twilight Sparkle standing in it. She stepped inside, followed by Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike, and stood by the princesses. Unlike them, so full of color and life, Tawny was even fainter now, her face and smile little more than his imagination. Not that it had been anything more before. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but look at Twilight and her friends. Like those moments when he was falling from the observatory, he was surprised by the warmth seeing them brought to mind, and the sadness he knew would replace it if he wasn't there to help them.

Blight cocked his head. "Ever since I saw you with them, I thought you were the one coming to their rescue. I was wrong. It's the other way around."

"They looked out for each other, Blight," said Tawny, blinking once. "That's what friends do." She paused. "Alpenglow, it's time for you to prove once and for all what that's worth to you."

Luna nodded in agreement. "As you have given Twilight one last lesson to learn as a princess, so must you relearn the lessons they have taught you. To finally move on, to fully accept the gift they have offered, and become again the pony you were meant to be."

Even in his head, Luna managed to speak with such grand diction. But one last thorn stuck though he realized she was right. "If I go..." he said weakly, "...I'll lose everything here. This is the closest I'll ever get to seeing any of you."

Four armored, shadowed figures had appeared behind Tawny. Unlike in the cave, their stony faces glittered with laughter and shared memories, and on their behalf Tawny whispered, "Alpenglow...what we have here, right now, is just a dream. I wouldn't've traded it for anything either, but it's still just a dream. Your dream. And you don't want to live in it forever, not when you have friends out there counting on you."

A sob of uncertain origins seized him as he let out, "I had to tell you...I'm sorry. For being here. For not saving you. You weren't just my friends, you were...you were my family, and I...just wanted you to be here again."

"We'll always be together, Alpenglow. Even if you can't talk to us. But you've got responsibilities, and you need to...go now."

Everypony but Tawny faded away completely, suddenly. He struggled to keep her in his mind's eye as she became harder and harder to see, but eventually she came to rest and exist only in his head. The first time she left him, he had no tears as he picked up her helmet. This time he had plenty as emptiness filled the cabin, their heat as they streamed down his face a reminder of how it feels to care about anything so much as to cry about it.

"Thanks, Tawny."

Then he ran- down the hill, off the beach, across the sea, and straight back into the thorny jaws of Ponyville town hall.

It was still dark when Alpenglow opened his eyes, but around him he could feel the vines, their grip slowly rotting away as the spell tying him to the fantasy broke. Had his heart been free to move on its own, it would have leapt from his chest and buried itself in the flower to return to the cabin. In a few seconds he had lived a lifetime, and as he pulled himself back together and looked down, he realized he was far from alone. Twilight, the princesses, and everypony were below, fighting a desperate battle against the plants as Blight watched from a rafter no more than three feet below.

Though drained, Alpenglow felt his lips crack into a thin smile. Maybe loyalty was his weakness, but vanity was Blight's, and the old pony was going to sincerely regret his carelessness, not to mention his cheap attempt at manipulation. Wings picking up speed, the knight carefully rose to the very top of the ceiling, took aim at Blight, and a heartbeat later, let the weight of the world drop him like an armored meteor.

Chapter 39

A sharp pang of fear seized Twilight as the horde of creatures closed in on the ponies, forcing their backs to the box. Everypony was rapidly approaching the point of collapsing, and their fatigue showed as the next wave of creatures approached, virtually unopposed.

"It's startin' to get a might' crowded in here!" hollered Applejack as she bucked a creature onto its side.

"Just a little longer, everypony!" shouted Twilight. "We just need to hold on until Alpenglow-"

Over Twilight's voice, a staccato of wooden cracks thundered from the roof. All at once, the ponies looked up, and out of the darkness, a pile of beams- mixed with the tangle of Alpenglow and Blight- rained from above, flattening many of the creatures as they smashed into the floor. The impact drew a screen of dust over the hall, forcing Twilight to shield her eyes. When it cleared, Blight lay under the splintered debris, and Alpenglow just off to the side. Rainbow and Spike rushed to help him up as Twilight and the princesses cautiously eyed Blight, horns at the ready. Amid the crumbling pile of wood and plaster, the creatures were already reassembling themselves.

"Alp’, you alright?" asked Rainbow, patting him on the back.

"Yeah. Thanks, guys," he groaned as he stood. "Getting too old for this. Come on, we gotta- "

Blight burst from the pile, freeing himself as he lunged for Alpenglow. Flinging Spike onto his back, he and Rainbow dodged out of the way. A quick swipe of Spike’s lance sent Blight stumbling into Rainbow, who gladly delivered a swift kick to his face. The old pony roared, and every vine in the hall sprung to life.

"Everypony, to me!" shouted the Princess, the shield materializing above her and Luna’s head. Twilight leaped inside just as the vines flew through the air in their telltale arc, but soon realized not everypony had made it in. Alpenglow, Rainbow, and Spike were too far away, doing their best to dodge their way through the crowd of vines and towards the safety of the shield, but to no avail. Slowly but surely, the vines found their way around a leg, a tail, and finally, a claw. As the shield faded, Blight, still snarling, held up his prizes, daring the ponies to approach as the severed vines receded.

"Sorry, Alp’," said Rainbow. "I should’ve been faster."

The knight let fall a tired, proud smile. "No, you guys did great. You do this sort of thing long enough, you learn just how much luck is involved."

"Let them go, Blight," the Princess ordered.

"I’ve waited a long time for this, Celestia," Blight hissed. "Your time has passed, for both of you. You’re weak. You always were."

"Let them go, Blight. I won’t ask again."

"No. I’ve lost too much time to let you of all ponies stand in my way. And you’re not going to do a thing about it, because that’s just who you are. You’ve never been the one to make a difference, to make the hard choices. That’s not what you do."

The plant creatures had finished rebuilding themselves and were starting to rise again. Princess Celestia’s horn glowed tiredly, and with a sharp wave of her head, every creature in the room popped like a balloon. The princess’ eyes narrowed as she spoke.

"Hurt any of them, Blight…and I promise you will be surprised by what I do."

For the first time Twilight had seen, Blight looked uncertain. His eyes locked with the princess’. Whatever he saw in them, it forced him to look away, and in that instant, a star flared at the tip of Princess Celestia’s horn. A blinding beam shot through the hall and slammed into Blight as three protective auras materialized over Rainbow, Alpenglow, and Spike. Luna quickly lowered the three to the ground, and they ran to join everypony as Blight crashed into the opposite side of the room.

"Bit of a close trim, don’t you think, Princess?" asked Alpenglow with a grin.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Alpenglow," she said warmly.

Luna pushed the box forward. "Let us finish this. The spell."

Alpenglow took a scroll from his bag. Unfurling it, his eyes darted from left to right, up and down the parchment, and finally he turned to Twilight, nodding his head.

With elements at the ready, everypony formed a wide line, with Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity on Twilight’s left; Applejack, Rainbow, and Spike to her right. The princesses moved to join Alpenglow, who was now hovering in the air. Seeing them all take their positions, Blight frantically threw aside the debris burying him, and reached out with his vines.

It was too late. For the second time in recent memory, Twilight felt the warmth of her friends, each of them a different colored flame that together created a power that ponies like Blight couldn't begin to understand. The six of them opened their eyes, and a brilliant rainbow filled their view as the shining arc washed over Blight. He reeled back, falling on his rear vine legs and nearly wrecking one of the walls as he did. The hall shuddered feebly, and over the pained sounds of the building, Alpenglow’s voice bellowed:

Forever more as in days behind,
Lie past and present that we must mend.
And in our friends hate and doubt will find,
Heroes all, and magic without end!

Then, Twilight felt a different sensation. She still felt her friends around her, but they all had changed. Their flames had become narrow, but more intense beams, and paired off: loyalty and honesty, kindness and generosity, magic and laughter. The three facets took on an identity of their own, and Twilight couldn't help but name them.

The first pair she called integrity, which mended the cracks in her resolve.

The second she called altruism, which shielded her from the torrents of despair and self-pity.

The third she called courage, which pushed back the dark in her heart.

The rainbow had transformed into a three-sided prism, with each facet a different side. The shape split in half, melted onto the box and Blight, and soon his body was covered in a coat of shifting color. The color faded, and immediately after, the tips of Blight’s vines stiffened. His face turned pale, though Twilight couldn’t tell whether the change was from fear, or from the rough, stony texture that had overtaken his body. Either way, Blight’s face kept that petrified expression, and nopony dared to say a word until they wearily shed their leaden armor, let the image settle in their minds, and fully accept the sight before them of the statue that had replaced the old pony.

Blight was, once again, trapped.

Everypony let out collective sigh of fatigue-ridden relief, and Fluttershy asked the question they were all thinking. "…Is it...over?"

Applejack thoroughly wiped her forehead. "Looks like. Kinda hard to believe, after all this time."

"I am most ready to believe it," sighed Rarity.

Rainbow slumped onto the floor. "Whew! Nice job, everypony."

Beside the box, Alpenglow was talking quietly with the princesses, their hooves on his shoulders. The three of them turned to face everypony when the building groaned angrily, its tolerance for the damage wearing thin.

Alpenglow pointed back at Blight. "We'll deal with him later. It’d be pretty dumb if we defeated him only to get buried in here. You guys go. Me and Twilight can make sure Blight and the box are secure."

"No argument here," said Rainbow.

"Y’all better be right behind us," Applejack added firmly, scooping up Spike before the six of them made their way out of the hall. Princess Celestia and Luna lingered, their wings wrapped tightly around Alpenglow.

"It'll be different this time," whispered Alpenglow.

The princesses tore themselves from him, their eyes glossy at the edges as they looked at him, then Twilight. Slowly they left the hall, and refused to look back as Twilight and Alpenglow approached Blight. The old pony’s face held in a passionless grimace, his body pitifully arched over. If Twilight hadn’t known better, she’d have thought his outstretched vine had once held a walking cane.

"I’m sorry, Alpenglow, but I can’t help but feel sorry for him."

"I know, Twilight. It's ok. I guess I kind of do, too. In the end, he fought because that was the only thing he knew. He couldn’t let go of his anger for Starswirl and the princesses. He must've been so sure what he was doing was right."

"Can’t we just leave him like this?"

"It won’t last, not to mention he got out of Tartarus the last time Starswirl tried." He ran a hoof over the box. "Between the Princess, Luna, and Discord, we did the best we could. Maybe someday you'll all find a better way, but right now, this is the only way we can be sure." A beam fell from the ceiling and exploded on the floor.

Alpenglow turned to Twilight. "You've done a lot already, Twilight, but it's time to make another choice."

"I know. I have."

Alpenglow gave an awful smile. "Don’t leave me guessing."

Twilight felt a grip on her throat. "You said I’d have to choose between everypony," she whispered. "You didn't tell me it would feel like this."

"It’s one of the hardest lessons you’ll ever learn. And if Blight ever said anything true, it's that having the resolve to choose is just as important as what you choose in the end."

"What kind of choice is it if I'm making you do it?"

"No, Twilight. When I do it, it'll be because I want to, because you're my friend. That's the difference. That's what a leader makes happen."

Twilight took a deep breath, then another. She felt a spark in her chest, she had what it took. And finally she squeezed out the words, "Alpenglow, I...we need you to stay with Blight, for as long as it takes to keep Equestria safe."

Alpenglow casually snapped off a salute. "It might take a while, but I’ll get it done…Princess."

"Alpenglow…that’s the last time you get to call me 'Princess.'"

He grinned. "What can I say, it felt right. You’ve proven you have what it takes to be a leader, Twilight, again. You have every reason to be proud."

"I don’t feel proud."

"The right decision is never the easy one, Twilight. But you did it, without giving up your friends or yourself. Make no mistake, you have what it takes to become what he could never dream of."

The hall shook more and more. A cluster of rubble crashed into the door, blocking it, though a broken window on the second floor still provided Twilight an exit. With a numb fatigue, Twilight lowered the still petrified Blight into the open box, closed the lid, and walked around it to rejoin Alpenglow. He was looking at the shackle somberly, preparing to return to his battle of forever.

A large section of the ceiling fell, landing no more than ten feet from them. Alpenglow took a deep breath. He looked at her, the shackle dangling from his right hoof.

"I'm...gonna miss you, Twilight."

Her eyes watered. "…Me too."

Alpenglow put his hoof on her shoulder. "You’ll know where to find me. And I’ll always have your back…even if you can’t talk to me. Now go. You've still got work to do. And I don’t want you getting turned to stone, too."

Though it was harder than anything she had done before, Twilight left, appearing right next to her friends and the princesses as town hall crumbled in front of them. Confused and concerned, everypony frantically asked where Alpenglow was, until Twilight silently pointed at the wreck that was once the building. The dust settled, and the ponies began digging. There, at the center of the rubble pile stood Alpenglow, chained to the box, as he was before. His body was cold and gray, like before, only now he stood tall, with a warm smile on his stony face.

Chapter 40

Three days later, and life had gradually returned to normal for everypony, despite the fact it would take weeks to repair all the damage. Though town hall had to be rebuilt from the ground up, much of Ponyville was still intact. Mayor Mare was even talking about having the 'Remembering Our Roots' festival late.

Everypony went about their business, trying to unwind and rebuild. To her relief, Twilight learned that not only had Carousel Boutique, Sugar Cube Corner, and the library gone unharmed, but that Sweet Apple Acres had survived as well, losing only its west field, where the fruit bats had taken over. Applejack said she and her family would replant it anyway, hoping it wouldn’t come back to bite them later.

The princesses decided it would be best for Alpenglow to return to his place underneath the old castle. The last time they spoke to Twilight, they were busy clearing out the cave with the help of Discord, the royal guard, and a fully healed Smoke Jumper. Nopony had talked about Alpenglow. They all had silently agreed that visiting him could wait until Ponyville was back on its feet. Twilight figured her guard would understand.

When it came time to travel back to the castle, Twilight and her friends decided to walk, which gave them a chance to stop by Zecora’s house. After a brief visit, she gave the ponies a bundle of wild flowers and wished them farewell. It was still well early in the day when they had begun crossing the bridge. Once inside, the ponies went down the hole one by one like before. The sun was just starting to climb into the gap between the mountains when Twilight floated down into the cave.

The ponies crossed the rebuilt bridge, through the chamber with Tawny and the other knights, and into the cage containing the box. They walked slowly, seeing their surroundings with new eyes. The princesses, Discord, and the guards were already inside the cage, waiting next to the box and its prisoners.

Twilight approached the princesses carefully, trying to keep her gaze from wandering prematurely to the center of the room. Princess Celestia cleared her throat and gestured her head towards the entrance. The guards promptly saluted and left, while Discord appraised Twilight with an approving nod before snapping his fingers and disappearing into thin air.

"Is everypony alright?" asked Princess Celestia. "You all look exhausted."

"Not physically, Princess," answered Rarity.

"I understand. We've been feeling the same way."

"I just don’t get it, Princess," said Applejack. "Why’d he do it and not tell us? Why'd he put it all on Twilight?"

"He told us he left a note for you all. Did you find it?"

"We did," said Twilight, looking to Spike. He hopped from her back, carrying a bundled stack of small, flat boxes and a scroll. Twilight almost forgot about them; they were so light, she had hardly noticed the extra weight when Spike had climbed on with them back at the library. Each of the boxes had a name on them, and soon everypony was holding one, and Twilight the scroll.

"Interesting," said Luna, "we never knew Alpenglow to be one for buying gifts."

"I don’t think he bought anything," said Princess Celestia, as the two curiously watched the ponies open the boxes.

"Huh, it’s a book," said Applejack, holding it up. There was a note taped to the cover that Applejack read aloud, "Applejack, my friend Honeydew shared your love of farming and family. There was a time when I would go over to her farm and bake with her and her little sisters. This is a copy of one of the recipe books we used, courtesy of Ms. Singer." Applejack quickly flipped through it. "I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any of these…hmm, I bet with the right seeds, me and Applebloom could grow everything we needed. And I bet these'd be great for the festival."

Rarity opened her box delicately. She pulled out a cone-shaped hat, adorned with ribbons and the glittering speckles of tiny cut jewels. "Oh my…" Once again, there was a note attached the gift. "As you probably know better than me, Rarity, these hats were normal wear once upon a time, especially among city ponies. Though my friends never cared for it, I thought it might suit you. If you ask nicely, the princesses can lead you to the rest of the outfits, still stored away somewhere, for the festival or for you to use as you please." She examined the hat fondly. "They don’t make them like this anymore."

"We can have the rest of the wardrobe sent to Carousel Boutique, Rarity," Princess Celestia offered.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Princess."

"Not really sure what to expect…" said Rainbow, opening her tiny box. Inside sat a badge of the Equestrian flag, backed by a pair of wings, as well as a horseshoe-shaped baton used for relay races. "Rainbow," she read aloud, "I may have forgotten to tell you that over the years, I helped coach some of Equestria’s most promising fliers, including a relay team that went on to place third in the Equestrian Games. This was the baton they used. As for the badge…well, let’s just say even the Wonderbolts have a history, a history I hope you will learn and inherit someday. Fly fast, and fly safe." Rainbow picked up the two objects with a strange reverence, holding them out for everypony to see.

"Oh, I hope Alpenglow didn’t go through too much trouble finding whatever this is," Fluttershy said, opening her box. Inside was a record labeled ‘Nat King Colt Classics: Nature Mare, Starsoot, and Smile,’ the last of which drew Pinkie’s attention as she peered over Fluttershy’s shoulder.

"Nat King Colt?" Rainbow shrugged. "Never heard of him."

"Fluttershy," she read aloud, "I guess I’ll have to take a rain check on those voice lessons. Here are just a few I think you’d like, thanks again to Miss Singer. Never forget your intuition, Fluttershy. When you know the music, singing is easy."

"Ooo, it’s my turn now!" shrieked Pinkie, as she haphazardly threw the lid of her box off, but froze when she saw that inside, wrapped in tissue paper, was a flute, wooden with crystal highlights, and the initials TT carved onto the mouthpiece.

"Whoa…" muttered Rainbow.

Pinkie gingerly picked it up, simply staring at it, until Twilight used her horn to pick up the note and read it aloud: "Pinkie, Twilight told me what a musician you are. The princesses managed to retrieve this when they went to the griffin kingdom. It was Tawny’s favorite, and it would mean a lot to me to know that you have it."

Applejack shook her head in awe. "Whew, you’d best guard that fiercely, Pinkie. That thing’s gotta be older than all of us put together."

"Uh-huh…" was all Pinkie Pie could manage to say.

"What about you, Spike?" asked Applejack. "I doubt Alpenglow woulda forgot about you."

"Oh, he didn’t," said Spike coyly, holding up his compass. Everypony turned to Rarity, who quickly averted her gaze upward, her face sporting a couple more tints of red.

"So what’s in it, Twilight?" Rainbow asked, pointing to the scroll.

"One way to find out," Twilight answered. She opened it, and instantly felt a strange bit of pride, and tears, as she began to read these new, yet strangely familiar words:

Dear Princess Twilight,

Over the past few weeks, I learned from you and your friends some very important lessons on friendship, lessons I had let myself forget. You all taught me that a pony’s past doesn’t have to control them, and that the first step to stopping it is to let go of your anger, whether it’s at somepony else, or yourself. I hope you can understand why I made the choices I did, and that you’ll forgive me for not helping you understand sooner.

I came into your world as a stranger. I lost everything that day in the cave. Everything I had, everything I was. I knew I would never be the same after that, and accepted the fate of never having anything besides my mission and the blind desire to complete it. But what I couldn’t know is that I would come to care for others again, that I would come to care for all of you. I spent the last thousand years with my hate for Blight as my only companion. I didn’t want that for any of you. That’s why I did it, why I’d do it again if I had to.

Goodbye, everypony. Many challenges lie ahead, none of them easy. Never forget that together, there's nothing you all can't do. Keep fighting for what's right, and I will, too.

Your faithful student, guard, and friend,

Alpenglow

Everypony gathered around Twilight as she laid the bundle of flowers on Alpenglow’s pedestal. For a moment, the ponies all stood there silently, as if waiting for a reaction from him. Nothing happened. Alpenglow didn’t move. His eyes stayed fixed on the horizon. His face kept that small, simple smile, but it didn’t move all the same.

Princess Celestia draped her wing over Twilight. "He’s right, Twilight. You’ve all done far more than anypony could be expected to do. You saved Equestria from Blight, and you taught Alpenglow something even Luna and I couldn’t."

"Indeed," said Luna, "that letter was meant for all of you. He was proud to be your friend, as we are proud of him."

"You’re going to miss him, though, right?" asked Spike.

Princess Celestia gaze remained on Alpenglow. "Very much, Spike, and someday, we will find a way to free him from his burden. For now, it’s important we realize how lucky we were to see Alpenglow- the real Alpenglow- before he left us again."

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. "I know we didn't know 'im that long, but..." Everypony nodded.

Princess Celestia looked at Applejack approvingly. "Maybe, but since when is it necessary to know somepony for long before you can care about them, or be their friend?"

"What do we do now?" asked Rarity.

"Alpenglow asked that we seal this place away again," answered Luna. "I’m afraid that will make visiting somewhat…difficult."

Twilight looked at Alpenglow, realizing their time was quickly running out. "I don’t understand…why did he ask me to choose when he knew it would be him?"

"How to deal with losing a friend is one of the hardest lessons a pony can learn, Twilight," explained the Princess, her words echoing Alpenglow’s. "I think he wanted you to learn it in a way that didn't mean hurting all of you."

Twilight lowered her head. "I’m not sure it worked."

"I know, Twilight. I know."

"What Alpenglow said in the letter is not all he taught you," Luna pointed out. "Though he is gone, the best of him lives on in all of you: his courage…"

"His determination…," said Twilight.

"His integrity…," said Applejack.

"His chivalry…"

"His intuition…"

"His athleticism..!"

"And his puns!"

"Guess you could say he was a real…knight in shining armor!" laughed Spike.

Everypony smiled, shaking their heads as they walked from the room. As they crossed the bridge leading to the tunnel up, Twilight turned her head back at Alpenglow, his body but a gray silhouette inside the cage now.

"Yes…he is."

At this point, past and present began to swirl together for the princess of friendship, and with a slight reluctance, she stopped telling herself this story, feeling proud of where she and her friends had taken themselves. As she left her cave of knowledge and memories in the reading room and opened the front doors to the castle, she noticed it was looking to be a beautiful day, just as it had been when she, her friends, and the princesses had emerged from the tunnel the day they left behind Alpenglow. The newly-risen sun glinted through the old, cracked windows, casting rainbow shards onto the old stone floor, just as it had that day. Crossing the bridge back towards the Everfree Forest, Twilight stopped to look at the castle once more, just as she did before, vowing to always remember what she had learned from her new, old friend: the stallion who stood like a mountain, with the sunrise in his eyes.

Epilogue

It was a familiar dream in a familiar place. Only this time, Alpenglow knew it wasn’t a dream. He was here, wading through the same tunnel filled with the same cloying mud. The jagged spears of rock lining the tunnel prodded him forward, as they did before, towards the netherworld arena that lay at the end. There, he would meet Blight, and the two would begin their worthless, endless struggle.

From his last imprisonment with Blight, Alpenglow had learned an important truth: in here, the two of them were simply gears in the machine. Though they ground against each other, the real torment came from yourself: your body as it tired, your mind as it dulled, and your spirit as it withered. They all shouted at you until everything went black and he and Blight lay feebly on the cave floor, only to rise and fight again. This pattern repeated with ruthless precision, as if managed by some cruel, well-tuned clock.

Alpenglow clenched his teeth. If they were ever freed from this place again, he’d make Blight eat the stupid box with a dull spoon.

The tunnel came to an abrupt end, sealing shut the second Alpenglow emerged from it. As he took in the shadowy contours of the arena, he could have sworn that it no longer resembled the cave from before, but the interior of Ponyville’s town hall. Alpenglow couldn’t decide if he preferred it to the cave, though whether he did or not seemed like a bit of a moot point.

The scraping of thorn on rock echoed from the other side of the arena as Blight crawled out of his tunnel. With frustrated effort, he dragged himself onto his vine legs and stomped into the center of the room. If looks could kill, Alpenglow would have been worried. Blight glared at him, frozen with a rage that escaped in violent trembles as the reality of their entrapment sank in. Alpenglow calmly walked to stand in front of Blight, taking care to stand just out of immediate reach. Blight stayed silent, and some seconds passed.

"If I remember right, you usually talk first, Blight." The old pony said nothing, then looked away.

Alpenglow moved to look Blight in the eye. "I meant what I said before. You could’ve come quietly. You could’ve had a fresh start, but you couldn’t let it go, and this is where it got us." Blight still said nothing.

"Don’t be like that. If anything, I should be mad at you."

The arena rumbled, growing impatient with its two prisoners. Alpenglow knew it wouldn’t be long until he lost the strength to talk, so he took one last shot to lay the foundation before the storm hit.

"You remember what happens if we don’t fight, don’t you? Don’t have much longer. You need to see that you lied to me, Blight. All the time, you told me we were the same, and that we would make the world a better place. And ever since I met you, you’ve done nothing but destroy. So tell me, what's the last thing you've ever created? Because right now, the only thing I can see is this box." Alpenglow kept his gaze squarely on Blight, who finally acknowledged the knight’s presence. His eyes were milky and grey. The arena shook again, this time more violently.

"I. Hate. You," he finally croaked.

"I know you do. It’s funny; I don’t think I hate you."

"Why?"

"Because Twilight and everypony taught me, taught me to see what fighting for hate turns you into. Their world is wonderful, Blight. It’s cute, and strange at times, but worth caring for, and worth fighting for."

"It won’t last. They’ll all forget you, sooner or later."

"Maybe, but as long as I’m in here, they’ll always be my friends, and I’ll always care about them, whether they forget or not. All you’ll have is your hate for me. You're gonna have a tough time in here."

The arena gave one final, enraged shake. Rocky spines sprouted from the floor and walls. They quickly closed around Blight and Alpenglow, and the two realized the arena had run out of patience. With weary resignation, the impromptu gladiators readied their respective weapons, and had at it.

It had been hours, surely. No, that wasn't right. Months, that's it, yes. Maybe a little more than a year? Alpenglow wondered if this is how Pinkie thought about things. More remarkably, he wondered why he had the strength to wonder anything, if he had completely lost track of time. For just a moment, something had drawn him away from the battle with Blight, a welcome distraction. There it was again, a quiet trembling that came from somewhere he could only describe as 'outside.' The external sensation was accompanied by a warmth Alpenglow felt in his chest. It felt like the sun, the moon, and all the love he had ever felt fused together into a purple nova of a star. Yet something threatened even this power, a hungry fire whose burn Alpenglow felt in his feathers. He couldn't quite put a name to it, so he decided to ask the only pony he could. He lazily dodged one of Blight's attacks and tossed his sword aside so he could speak.

"Hey, Blight," he said, surprised by the hoarseness of his voice. "Do you feel that?"

The old pony's head wavered, and while it took him a moment to snap out of the trance of battle, he finally lowered his vines and answered with equal hoarseness. "Yes. I feel it," he said.

"What is it?"

"Battle."

"Can you tell who?"

"You should know at least one."

"Yeah, I do. But Twilight was never near that powerful."

Blight shut his eyes, as if listening for something. "I can feel her, Celestia, Luna and the other one, Cadance, too. But they're all coming from the same place."

"What's it mean?"

The arena gave a stony huff of disapproval, irritated by the break in its normally well-managed routine. Blight kept on listening.

"Your princess friend is in danger. The other one...he's as old as me, and swelling with the power of an entire kingdom."

Alpenglow didn't honestly believe Twilight could hear him all the way up there, but he lowered his head and whispered anyway, "You'll be ok, Twilight. You all will. Don't let it wear you down."

After a while, the star Alpenglow felt flared out, making the next few subjective moments unbearable until suddenly, there was one last burst of warmth, a rainbow that washed over the knight. He sighed deeply, feeling both his burdens and spirits lifted for a few glorious moments. He didn't even notice when Blight picked him up and slammed him into the arena wall. Somewhere, somehow, Twilight and her friends had come through again.

Blight stopped his attack to 'listen' outside again. He muttered in disbelief, "I don't understand. How?"

"Because, Blight, no matter how strong you are, friends can make you stronger."

"But you felt it. Just earlier. She had no power, no magic. How did they do it?"

The arena grumbled again. Standing up, Alpenglow smiled and looked his old, naive companion in the eye.

"Isn’t it obvious, Blight? Friendship is magic!"

The End