> CoH (Book One) : Of Magic and Masquerades
>  by Diespitris
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue : The Conclusion to the Best Wedding Ever
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You have a lot to think about.”

Twilight Sparkle exhaled a sigh. It was a soft, light sound that was completely overshadowed by the mellow hymn that filled the air, for she was only one of countless bridallers who merely stood and watched as Shining Armor and Princess Cadance danced. Their movements, like the music, were gracefully passive. There was no rush. It was, after all, their first dance as husband and wife. And, as they danced, it appeared as though the happy couple were in a world all their own. Twilight could not recall a moment in time that was more joyous for her brother and sister-in-law.

“This is your victory as much as theirs. You persisted in the face of doubt and your actions lead to your being able to bring the real Princess Cadance back to us.”

Gradually, the music slowed to a halt, and so did Shining and Cadance's dance. While her friends dried their eyes, Twilight wiped her own tears away with the back of a hoof. She then turned to Pinkie Pie and nodded. The party pony knew what it meant. Miraculously, the moisture vanished from her sapphire eyes as they grew wide with excitement. She made a beeline for the mix table, plucking a certain shades-wearing disc jockey from the crowd along the way. 

Although, she gave Vinyl Scratch more than enough room to work her magic on the turntable, while she pressed one end of a headphone set to her ear and held up her free hoof to get everypony's attention. “Let's get this party started!” she exclaimed.

It was then that a loud, but upbeat musical number was brought to life. Everypony was caught off guard, given the miniscule window of silence that had followed the comfortable tune of the married couple's dance. But, smiles soon appeared on their faces as they began to move to the new rhythm.

Twilight watched as her friends left her side to join Shining Armor and Cadance on the dance floor. Unfortunately, she was in no mood to dance. Or sing. When Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared out of nowhere to hand her a microphone, she declined as politely as possible. Visible disappointment crossed her pink-coated friend's features, but it lasted for only a second before she shrugged and made a dash for the snack tables. 

Chuckling, Twilight then made her way through the crowd. She didn't really have a destination in mind, until she caught sight of her parents past the sea of both familiar and unfamiliar faces. They had separated themselves from the mass of guests and were seated at one of the small, round tables that were scattered amongst the lawn. Waving a hoof in the air, Twilight called out with an enthusiastic, “Hey, strangers!” 

Twilight Velvet and Nightlight smiled warmly at the presence of their daughter. “Oh! Twilight, dear, how are you doing?” inquired her mother. “Having fun, I hope?”

With a smile of her own, the young unicorn pulled up a chair between them. “Oh, definitely!” she chimed. “Between that whole mess with Queen Chrysalis and the wedding, this has been a day I know I'll never forget.”

“And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all!”

Nightlight crossed his forelegs on the table as his gaze swept over the nearby festivities. “You got that right!” he replied cheerfully, grinning wide at the sight of his son and daughter-in-law. “Just look how happy they are. It's still hard for me to believe that our little Shining just got married.”

“And our little filly made it all possible.” Velvet pulled her daughter into a tight hug. “Oh, we're so proud of you, Twilight. Who knows what would've happened if your brother married that nasty queen!”

“Think about the foals they would've had. Yikes.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I'd prefer not to think about it, Dad," she sighed. She shook her head again as a tremor chilled her to the core. Yes, out of all the things she wanted to not think about, that was near the top of her list. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as her mother's horn lit up. Atop her head, she felt her circlet being straightened. “Now, now,” Velvet gently scolded. “Don't do that. You'll mess up your mane!”

“It's fine, Mom.”

“But, it's so pretty! You should curl it like that more often.”

“I like my mane the way it normally is..."

Amused, Velvet chuckled. “All right, all right, I'll leave it be,” she replied. “Now, why don't you go dance with your friends? Cadance and Shining are sure to take off any second now and this party won't continue without them.” She glanced at the crowd. Much to her surprise, even Princess Luna appeared to be having a good time as she bobbed her head and tapped her hoof to the lively music that was played. 

Princess Celestia, on the other hoof, was watching them from a few yards away. 

Velvet's head tilted to the side. She tried her best not to stare back, but it was hard for her to read the expression on the Princess's face. It appeared neutral at a glance, but there was something else that she just couldn't decipher. In the end, she shrugged it off and returned her attention to Twilight. Her daughter, however, remained seated... and silent. Her amethyst eyes were narrowed, as though she were deep in thought, and they were locked on the table. 

Nightlight noticed this as well. “Twilight?” he said softly. “What's wrong, hon?”

With a start, their daughter jolted out of her trance. “Huh?” she gasped, her gaze rapidly shifting between her parents.

“Are you all right?” repeated Velvet. “You're awfully distracted...”

Their daughter rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Oh, yeah, I'm fine!” she laughed. “Sorry! I didn't mean to zone out like that. I guess today was more exhausting than I realized.” Although, she quickly searched her surroundings for an escape. The sound of the fading music drew her attention to the other bridallers, who had ceased dancing as Shining Armor and Cadance began to take their leave. Rolling her shoulders, she slipped out of her chair. “Oh, look at that! They're leaving. Well, I should see them off before bed. Early morning train and all that,” she said informatively, albeit awkwardly, as she walked away from them. “I'll see you two later, okay?”

Nightlight and his wife glanced at each other, then back at her. “Uh, okay,” her father replied with a nuance of uncertainty. “Be sure to write soon, all right?"

“You got it!” Waving, Twilight trotted away. Only when her back was turned to them did she allow her smile to falter. She instead adopted an expression of neutrality as she maneuvered herself through the countless ponies in an attempt to get to the newlyweds. She paid little mind to all other faces. 

As such, she unknowingly walked right past the Royal Sisters without so much as a passing glance. 

Princess Luna was the first to acknowledge the look of concern on Celestia's face. “What troubles you, Sister?” she asked.

Celestia's eyes briefly fell upon her before she shifted her attention back to her student. “It's nothing,” she retorted softly.

“You speak falsely. This is a joyous celebration, yet you behave as though you have a dark cloud hanging above your head!” Frowning, Luna rested a hoof on her sister's shoulder. “Now, will you please reveal to me what has you in such a mood?”

When Twilight finally disappeared in the distance, Celestia took a deep breath. “Oh, nevermind. I'm sure it's nothing,” she said, smiling at her shorter sibling.

“Tia...”

She feigned a chuckle as she draped a wing over Luna. “Let it be, little sister,” she said. “Let's see Shining Armor and Cadance off, and then we'll partake in what remains of the cake. Sound good?”

Luna raised an eyebrow. She knew better than anypony that Celestia was borderline notorious for using food as a diversion. The Moon Princess held her tongue, however, and yet she made a mental note to bring it up at a later date. Instead, she sighed and nodded as her lips curled upwards in a smile. “Sounds good to me,” she replied.

“Excellent!” the older mare happily exclaimed. At a hurried pace, she and Luna made their way towards the carriage.The crowd parted for them, and they made it just in time to watch Cadance toss her bouquet into the air. While Luna watched in disbelief as Rarity push a few other ponies out of her way to catch it, Celestia once again focused on Twilight. There was a genuine smile on the young mare's face and, much to the Sun Princess's relief, she stood close to her friends as she watched her brother and sister-in-law ride off into the night. 

Celestia had half a mind to talk to her, but Luna gave her tail a tug. "Well, that is the end of that," she said. "Come, Sister, the leftovers await!"

Once more, the Sun Princess glimpsed back and forth between her student and her sibling, before she turned to follow Luna back to where the reception had taken place. Whatever the source of the nagging concern that tugged at her subconscious, she was sure that it was nothing that a slice or two of cake couldn't cure. And, if that was not enough, then a lovely blend of herbal tea awaited her in her bedchambers.
> Chapter One : Snow and Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight wasn't sure if she was prepared for this. When she honed her knowledge in preparation for the test that Princess Celestia planned for her, she had no idea this was the test! Only a mere six months passed since she was face-to-face with the changelings, but now she was to face something much, much greater. 

After a millennium, the mysterious Crystal Empire suddenly popped back into existence. Not even her teacher knew what triggered its reappearance, but it mattered little. The empire's magic was powerful. If it was filled with hope and love, then all of Equestria would benefit from it. If hatred and fear took hold... Well, it chilled the young pupil to the bone to contemplate the consequences, for she knew nothing about the nature of hate and fear incarnate. She didn't want to find out, either, especially after Princess Celestia's demonstration. 

The fiery green orbs that replaced her once-gentle eyes flared with violet smoke. Her body was rigid, her wings extended, all while her horn seethed with the corrupted radiance of dark magic...

How in Equestria could she possibly find a way to protect it, all of it, without any help from anypony?

Sighing, Twilight rested her forehead against the window's cool surface. The vibrations caused by the moving train helped her drain out the voices of the others. All of them were blissfully unaware of her fears as they happily chatted various speculations about their destination, though she was too caught up in her thoughts to make out what was said.

It wasn't until a certain fashionista spoke up that she realized just how much time had passed. “Twilight, darling,” she said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Come now, time to snap out of it. We're arrived.” Smiling, she reached into one of her saddlebags and she produced a navy-blue scarf. “Here,” she added, using her magic to carefully wrap it around the other unicorn's neck. “The others poked fun at me for packing so many of these, but—ha!—I'm the only one here who came prepared! Just take a gander outside. The weather is absolutely horrid!”

“Well, Rarity, we are in the Arctic North,” replied Twilight. As her friend trotted towards the door, she looked down at the given accessory and was pinched by a pang of guilt. In her haste, she neglected to bring warmer clothing. She hadn't brought any clothing at all, in fact. “Thank you for the scarf,” she quickly added, jumping from her seat to follow after her. 

“Oh, don't worry about it, darling. I would never let my friends freeze and I have more than plenty to go around.” 

Behind them, Spike snorted as he struggled to keep the massive mound of Rarity's luggage from toppling off his back. “You got that right,” he grumbled. Despite the weight he carried on his narrow shoulders, he was able to make it off the train shortly after Twilight. The moment the howling wind struck him, however, he had to fight to keep his balance. “Yikes!” he exclaimed, shuddering. 

The mares also braced themselves against the frigid gale. “Whoa, nelly!” gasped Applejack, holding her hat tightly against the top of her head. “It's colder than an open icebox in February out here!” 

“Ugh, no kidding,” groaned Rainbow Dash. “Where's this empire supposed to be, anyway?”

That was an excellent question. As Twilight surveyed their surroundings, she was surprised to see that there was only a seemingly endless blanket of snow all around them. If there was anything out there, there was no seeing it past the blizzard. “Well, it has to be around here somewhere,” she said loudly. 

Fluttershy pressed herself against Applejack as another gust of wind struck them. “We... We better find it s-soon,” she whimpered, relishing the brief warmth from the scarf that Rarity draped around her neck. “It's s-so c-c-cold!”

Biting down on her lip, Twilight stepped off the wooden platform as she continued to regard the area. She even lit up her horn, hoping it would help. It did not. Her heart-rate nearly skyrocketed as it sunk into her barrel. At least, that's how it felt. They had no map, no directional guidance, and she began to fear that they would have to wait out the storm in order to safely locate their destination.

That is, until a voice called out to her. “Hey, Twily, over here!” 

Through the fury of the falling snow, a dark figure slowly came into view. Squinting, Twilight raised a foreleg to shield her eyes so that she could get a better look. It was a stallion. That was all she could make out, at least until he came closer. She then smiled widely once she caught sight of his white coat and two-toned blue mane. “Shining Armor?” she called. “Is that you?”

Sure enough, it was her big brother. He was clad in a protective set of goggles, as well as a scarf that appeared tightly wrapped around his muzzle. As he approached them, he removed both; the goggles were moved to the secure spot behind his horn, and his scarf was lowered to the base of his neck. “The one and only!” he chuckled, opening his forelegs. He then shared a quick hug with Twilight before he motioned for them to follow. “Princess Celestia messaged us that you and your friends were on the way,” he added, “and I sure as hay wasn't going to let you get yourselves lost out here. I don't think this snowstorm is going to let up anytime soon.”

“We're grateful for your help, Shining Armor,” chimed Rarity.

“I doubt we would've found our way, otherwise,” added Applejack.

Pinkie Pie butted in with an energetic, “Yeah! Thanks a whole bunch!” as she bounced a circle around the siblings. 

The unicorn stallion glanced over his shoulder, smiling. “It's no trouble at all, especially for my little sister and her friends.”

Twilight felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “So, Shining, have there been any signs of trouble since you and Cadance got here?” she inquired.

“Actually, no,” he replied.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, we're more than ready to deal with anything hostile, but we haven't seen anything like that yet.” He stopped for a moment, holding up a forehoof to shield his eyes. “There!” he then exclaimed, pointing. 

Even through the blizzard, something bright and round could be seen. Immediately, Twilight could tell that it was a shield. It was pink, and reminiscent of the barrier that her brother conjured to cover Canterlot months before. The empire was... safe? “Wait a minute,” she said. “Princess Celestia sent me to help find a way to protect the empire. How can I do that if it's already protected?”

“It's not permanent solution, Twily.” Chuckling, he walked up to the edge of the shield. “Go on ahead! Mares and dragons first.”

Without hesitation, Twilight lead her friends through the magical wall. In an instant, the scenery changed, and it took their breath away. No wonder it was called the “Crystal” Empire. Pinkie Pie described it as, “Sparklerific,” which was an accurate description. Everything appeared constructed of crystal, down to the welcoming archway they now stood under. Oh, wow, thought Twilight as she took another few steps forward. It's so beautiful.

Soon, Shining Armor was on the other side of the shield. He then proceeded to lead them through the streets towards the palace. There was silence as they walked, for his fellow ponies were silent with awe. “Quite a sight, isn't it?” he asked. “You should have seen Cadance when we first got here. The sight of his place almost had her in tears.”

“I don't blame her!” replied Rarity. “It's gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous!” 

“Easy, Rarity,” warned Applejack. “We're here to help Twilight, not admire the scenery.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at them before her eyes darted around the underside of the towering construct. She didn't look as thrilled to be there as her unicorn companion. “Eh, I don't see what the big deal is,” she said, shrugging. “Just looks like another old castle to me.”

Rarity's eyes grew wide and she scoffed in disbelief. “Another old—? Have you lost your mind?” she gasped. Daring to violate Rainbow Dash's personal space, she got so close to her face that their muzzles touched. “Look at the magni—" 

The rainbow-maned pegasus suddenly burst into laughter, which left Rarity bewildered. Only when Applejack joined her and bumped hooves, did she realize that she had merely been teased. Disbelief and confusion transformed into embarrassment in the blink of an eye. “Very funny, you two,” she muttered as she followed everypony inside.

The interior was just as breathtaking as the exterior. Every smooth surface sparkled radiantly, though it was hard to believe that even the furniture was carved from crystal. “That can't possibly be comfortable,” Twilight thought aloud. Then again, each sofa and chair was covered with a plush lining, so perhaps they were tolerable after all. When they arrived, though, she observed that the same couldn't be said about the throne. 

It was bare, save for the alicorn who sat upon it. Princess Cadance was slightly hunched over and the blue aura around her horn was more than enough to inform Twilight that she was the one responsible for the shield around the Crystal Empire. “Cadance!” she exclaimed, trotting down the center of the room.

The Princess of Love looked up from the floor with a start. As soon as she spotted her sister-in-law, her eyes lit up. Smiling, she leaped to her hooves in a newfound burst of energy and she met Twilight halfway. As was their ritual, they chanted, “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” and went through the motions—breaking into laughter once it was finished. “It's so good to see you and your friends again, Twilight,” said the older mare. “It's been too long.”

“I know, right?”

Shining Armor loudly cleared his throat. “Sorry, ladies,” he said. “I hate to interrupt you, but...”

Cadance's smile slowly faded. “I know, I know,” she replied with an understanding nod.

Her husband gently nuzzled her neck, which made her smile again, then he turned to face his sister. “As I said before, the shield is only a temporary means of defense,” he said. “Cadance and I have been on shifts since we arrived, but we can't keep this up forever. In fact, we've been so preoccupied with the barrier that we haven't had the chance to question the crystal ponies who live here.”

Everypony flinched as Rarity let out a high-pitched squeal. “Crystal ponies?” she exclaimed delightfully, tugging on her mane. “There are crystal ponies!?” A few silent seconds passed before she realized that everypony was staring at her. Her cheeks turned pink as she fixed her hair. “Please, continue,” she chuckled sheepishly. 

Twilight grinned as she looked up at her brother. “Don't worry, Shining Armor. Just leave it to my friends and I. Together, I'm sure we'll find something!” she replied. She looked over her shoulder as the voices of her friends rang out in a chorus of positivity. Their optimism earned them looks of appreciation from both Cadance and Shining Armor as, together, they escorted themselves out.






~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~






If there was something to be found, however, Twilight and Spike were in the unfortunate position continuously hitting dead ends. The crystal ponies remembered little to nothing of their lives before King Sombra's rule. Though she knew nothing of the curse that was placed on them so long ago, Twilight suspected that it was to blame for their collective amnesia, as well as their lack of crystalline coats. Or maybe it was a combination of simply not... existing for a millennium and the curse itself? 

Either way, they were getting nowhere.

To her delight, however, the ponies in question were more than willing to point her in the direction of the local library, since they had no information to give her themselves. It set a few city blocks from the palace, and was easily identified by the crystal gryphon statues that sat in vigilance on both sides of the entrance. “Holy cow, Twilight,” breathed Spike as his eyes wandered over the building. “It's so... shiny!”

With a warm chuckle, his caretaker ushered him inside. “C'mon, let's see what's inside,” she said, her excitement growing. 

As soon as they were through the doors, they were greeted with rows upon rows of dusty tomes and antique literature. Twilight's eyes widened as she basked in the light that bounced off the towering and reflective walls. “Oh, wow,” she breathed. Of course, it didn't come as a surprise that a library would be stocked to the brim with books, but these were ancient books that hadn't been touched in a thousand years. She could compare the collection only to Canterlot's Royal Library, though she dared to imagine that the countless pages before her were far older. 

A twinkle shone in her eyes as she clapped her front hooves together. “This is it, Spike!” she exclaimed. “The answer we need has to be here!”

Spike glanced skeptically over the shelves. “Well, yeah, but how are we going to find it?” he asked. “There must be thousands of books to go through!”

“May I help you two?” inquired a soft, tired voice.

Twilight and Spike turned to face the source of the voice: an elderly mare with round, gilded glasses. Like the other crystal ponies, she possessed no horn or wings, and she had her mane and tail tied up with shimmering ribbons. The piece of parchment that served as her cutie mark lead Twilight to believe that she was the librarian. “Hello!” she greeted as she approached the earth pony. “Sorry to barge in like this, but we're looking for a book.”

Nonchalantly, the older mare gestured to the shelves. “We have plenty of those.”

You do, you really do, the unicorn mentally cheered as she happily looked over the interior once more. She then shook her head and cleared her throat. “A history book,” she retorted simply. “We're looking for a history book. Something that might tell us how the Empire protected itself from danger back in the day.”

“Yes, of course.” The aged pony's brow furrowed and she began to rub her chin in thought. “History... History,” she grumbled. A few seconds passed before her eyes lit up. “Ah, yes! I think I know exactly what you're looking for!” She turned her back to the duo and she trotted to the large set of books that was farthest from them. Of course, they followed after her, only to watch as she struggled to reach one of the highest shelves. 

It was awkward, and a little sad. “Uh, may I help you with that?” inquired Twilight.

The librarian glanced at her, nodding. “Oh, yes, so sorry,” she chuckled. She pointed the tip of her hoof at the second-to-top row. “I-I think that brown book there is the one. Do you see it? It's the one with the two golden bands on the spine.”

Twilight had no trouble spotting it. It stood out amongst the dull colors of its neighbors and, sure enough, was exactly how the elderly mare described. A levitation spell brought the book down to them. She then blew the dust off its cover, revealing three vibrant crystals and the title, “History of the Crystal Empire.” Her smile grew upon reading it. “Yes, this is exactly what we were looking for!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “I just hope that it has the answers we need...” Keeping the book level with her eyes, she turned to the first page as she then made her way towards the front entrance. When she was halfway there, however, she paused. “Thank you so much!” she said, looking at the librarian.

“No problem, dearie! Have fun with... whatever it is you are doing!”

Both the unicorn and her assistant waved her farewell as they left the library. “She was nice,” the dragon said.

Twilight nodded. “And helpful!” she replied. She again lowered her eyes to the pages of the book as she made her way down the smooth steps. She hoped to get some reading in as they made their way back to the palace. When she was a filly, she learned through her love of literature that it was optimal to multitask. If there was anything to be done, then it could be done as she read. No exceptions.

Though she was now a mare, however, she didn't have it down to a science. She finished only the first half of the first page, and her rear left hoof barely lifted off the final step, when she collided with the stiff body of another pony. She gasped as the book was nearly knocked out of her arcane grasp. It fumbled between her hooves, before she clutched it to her chest with a sigh of relief. 

The book had been saved from hitting the ground, but the same couldn't be said for the pony who now sat on his rear before her. “Oh, my gosh!” she blurted, moving to help him up. “I'm so, so sorry! I was in such a big hurry and—” She was taken aback when the stallion, who she just then realized was clad in a large cloak, suddenly stood and trotted past her. She barely heard him say, “It's all right,” as he vanished into a nearby alleyway. 

Raising a brow, Spike slowly climbed onto Twilight's back. “Well, that was interesting,” he muttered. “You should really watch where you're going, Twilight.”

“Yeah,” she replied in a whisper, her eyes never leaving the spot where she lost sight of the stallion. He was a strange one to run into, given his choice of attire. It wasn't an everyday article of clothing; it was something somepony wore when they wanted to hide their appearance, keep a low profile, or both. All possibilities were undeniably suspicious, but, sadly, she didn't have time to track the stallion down and press him for answers. 

She had a book that she desperately needed to read. 






~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~






“A Crystal Faire. According to this book, it was established by their first queen and became their most important tradition. The faire was held every year to 'renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm.'” Twilight smiled as she looked up from the book. Before her, Cadance and Shining Armor were visibly happy to hear the information. Her sister-in-law had relinquished the shield to Shining Armor's care long before her arrival, though neither of them appeared in the best of shape. 

No matter who kept the barrier running, it was clear that neither of them had slept in quite some time. 

“My friends and I can put the faire together,” she added. “Everything we need to know is in the book.”

“That sounds pretty promising,” her brother replied, earning a nod of approval from Cadance.

“We'll get started right away, but...” Her ears folded against her head as she frowned.

Sensing her hesitation, Cadance descended from the throne. “What is it, Twilight?” she asked, placing a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Is something wrong?”

“Well, it's the book, I'm afraid.” Biting down on her bottom lip, Twilight flipped the pages until there were no more pages to turn. At the back of the book, there was a sliver of jagged, torn paper jutting from the center. “There's a page missing,” she added solemnly. It was a discovery she made just before reaching the palace. Upon making it, she had half a mind to return to the library, but it was due to Spike's urging that she continued forward. 

“It's just one page, Twily,” said Shining Armor. “I'm sure it's not important.”

Twilight winced. “At a time like this, can we really take that chance?” she whispered. A single page—a single scrap of missing information—could be the line between success and failure! She couldn't let Princess Celestia down, not after all of the trust that was so generously placed in her. I don't want to do anything that will lead her to doubt me again... Never again.

One of Cadance's forelegs wrapped around her shoulders. “You have all that you need to prepare the Crystal Faire, including your friends,” she said comfortingly. “Don't let one stray page get you down, okay?”

The young mare managed a small smile. “Okay,” she quietly replied. Her confidence benefited well from the princess' words and, puffing out her chest, she spun around and headed for the door. “Come on, Spike, we've got a Crystal Faire to put together!” And I will pass my test!

Spike grunted as he lowered the book. Stupid thing was heavier than he thought, but he didn't complain as he followed after the determined unicorn. Soon, the married couple were left to themselves, and the Princess of Love returned to her spot atop the throne. “Poor thing,” she said. “She must be scared.”

Shining bobbed his head, rubbing his glowing horn. “Well, you know how seriously she takes her tests,” he replied. “Although, she's handling it rather well.”

His wife frowned. “You really think so?”

“Yeah.” His eyes narrowed. “It just bugs me that we can't do more to help her and her friends.”

“I know, Love, but she'll be all right.” Her smile slowly returned as she shifted her attention to the doorway. “I  can feel it in my heart, Shining.” And her heart was no liar. With a soft sigh, she leaned to the side and she nuzzled her stallion affectionately. “All of them are going to be all right.”
> Chapter Two : Shrouded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was pleasantly easy for Twilight and Spike to locate the others. All it took was grabbing the attention of a certain rainbow-maned pegasus as she flew overhead, before she took off to relay the plan to regroup to the rest of their friends. They reunited beneath the arched base of the palace, where Twilight informed them of the Crystal Faire and its purpose. She wasn't met with any resistance when she requested their help putting it all together. In fact, everypony sounded excited to get started, and Twilight was more than prepared to assign each of them a task or two.

She flipped back and forth between the different pages of their one and only guide. Let's see here, she thought as she read. It says that the crystal ponies like jousting. Rainbow Dash is the most obvious choice for that. Rarity, of course, can make the flags and crafts. Applejack and Pinkie won't have any trouble with the baked goods and the construction of some of the stands, I'm sure. “Flugelhorn?” Pinkie can have that, too, along with the games. There was also something about a crystal heart in here somewhere. I'm sure I could do something about that, and... Fluttershy can organize the petting zoo. A broad, excited grin drew the corners of the unicorn's mouth upwards. Yes, this will work perfectly!

And her friends agreed. Each mare took to their part with ease, while Twilight and Spike did what they could to aid them. If Rainbow Dash needed help moving the jousting equipment out of storage, then Twilight was there to help. If Rarity needed somepony to raise the flags as they were finished, then they were raised. Then, over the course of a few hours, booths, tents, and other attractions sprouted around the area of the palace. Once everything had been put in its rightful place, finishing touches like colorful banners and balloons were implemented to tie it all together. 

At last, it was finished!

Twilight gazed upon the product of their teamwork with awe. “It looks amazing,” she said as she glanced back and forth between the book and the faire. “I don't know how I could have done this without you!” Although, I should check one last time to make sure everything is in place, and then the festivities can begin.

Out of the blue, Applejack asked, “Uh, what's this thing for?”

She looked up from the book as the farm pony poked at the crude, heart-shaped statue she had placed at the faire's center. “The book mentioned a crystal heart as the faire's centerpiece, so I used my magic to cut one out of a crystal block,” she explained. Sure, it wasn't the prettiest or the most symmetrical thing in creation, but she was rather pleased with the turnout.

Applejack chuckled. “Nice work, Twi. Think we're ready to get this Faire up and runnin'!”

While her friends hurried to their stations, Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie Pie ascended the palace to retrieve Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. They then trotted out onto the balcony as the sound of the party pony's flugelhorn filled their ears. The noise soon faded, leaving Twilight free to make her announcement. “Hear ye, hear ye!” she shouted—her voice loud enough to rival the flugelhorn's. “Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor do cordially invite you to attend the Crystal Faire!”

The invitation drew the downtrodden citizens to the event right away. Some of them even perked up and brightened before their very eyes. A giddy laugh made it past Twilight's lips as she turned and bumped hooves with Pinkie Pie. “It's already working!” she exclaimed.

“Of course it is, silly!” the pink mare giggled. “Everypony loves a party, 'specially if they haven't had one in a super-duper long time!”

“And you did an absolutely amazing job putting it together,” added Cadance as she pulled her sister-in-law into a warm embrace. 

“Yeah, this looks awesome,” commented Shining. “You two should go down there and enjoy yourselves. We'll keep an eye on everything from up here.”

“Are you sure?” his sister asked as she watched Pinkie Pie vanish in the blink of an eye. 

“I'm sure, Twily. Go have some fun. You earned it.”






~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~







Suggested Listening : Fateful Reunion




Twilight couldn't help but smile as she strolled past the booths that everypony worked so hard on. The crystal ponies seemed to be having a good time, though there were many who remained sad and dull. She directed quite a few of them to places such as the traditional crafts stall and the small arena where the jousting would soon take place. To her delight, her suggestions crystallized a couple more coats. 

However, it wasn't long before she caught sight of a large, cloaked figure out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and, sure enough, the unidentified stallion from her encounter outside the library stood only a few yards away. It appeared as though he was inspecting the crystal heart statue. It also appeared that he was successful in avoiding attention, for nopony else paid him any mind. Twilight was an exception. In fact, she felt the urge to confront him, until Rainbow Dash's boisterous voice drew her attention instead.

“We totally nailed it, right?” she asked, startling the crystal mare she addressed. The nameless pony tried to walk away, only to have her path immediately blocked by the pegasus. “Must be feelin' a lot of love and unity about now, huh?” she pressed.

Clearly uncomfortable, the crystal pony bolted in the opposite direction—running right past Twilight. Rainbow tried to pursue her, but the unicorn put a stop to the chase before it had the chance to begin. “Rainbow Dash!” she scolded. “What are you doing?”

The other mare looked at her in a puzzled manner. “What? I just asked her a question.”

“We're supposed to be making these ponies happy! You don't make a pony happy by borderline harassing them!”

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow snatched a piece of corn on the cob from one of the stands. She took a large bite, then proceeded to talk with her mouth full. “C'mon, Twi, you know it's not my fault that these ponies are so skittish. I mean, really—”

Without warning, two voices cried out, “The Crystal Heart!”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash turned their heads towards the owners of the voices. Two excited mares stood nearby, whose coats glimmered with newfound vitality. “Do you think they really have it?” one of them asked.

Before Twilight had the chance to approach them and answer their question, Rainbow Dash was already on it. “Of course we have it!” she exclaimed, throwing a forearm around the pony's shoulders. “Can't have a Crystal Faire without the Crystal Heart, right?”

“Of course you can't,” replied another voice—the voice of the librarian.

Curious, Twilight slowly walked up to her. “And why would that be?” she inquired.

The older mare's brow furrowed. “Well, the whole purpose of the Crystal Faire is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies so the light within them can power the Crystal Heart, so the empire can be protected.” The words came out of her mouth at an alarming rate as she remembered their importance. As soon as she finished, her coat crystallized right then and there, and she beamed with pride. 

For the second time that day, Twilight felt her heart drop into her stomach. Oh, no... No, no, no! Please tell me it's not—

The librarian clapped her hooves together. “I just can't believe you found it!” she shouted, overjoyed. “King Sombra said he'd hidden it away where we would never see it again! I only hope it will still be as powerful after all these years. Oh, I can't wait to see it!” With that, she turned and trotted away. 

Twilight's knees began to shake. “It's an actual relic,” she breathed.

“What was that?” asked her winged friend. 

Her question was met with two hooves, which firmly pressed themselves into her cheeks as Twilight grabbed her face. “The Crystal Heart is an actual relic, Rainbow!” she cried in despair. Her elevated voice attracted the attention of passersby, so she took a deep breath and released the pegasus. “The missing page!” she then added under her breath. “That must've been what was on the page that was torn from the history book!”

The pegasus rubbed the soreness from her face, frowning. “Missing page? You never mentioned anything about a missing page!” she softly hissed.

“I overlooked it so that we could get the Faire going!”

“Well, okay, but what now? How are we supposed to find this Crystal Heart?”

Twilight bit down on the edge of her hoof as she wracked her brain for the solution. Okay, okay... No need to lose hope just yet, Twilight. No threats have been made against the Crystal Empire. Yet. So, there's no rush. Yet. First things first...

She drew air into her lungs, then exhaled. “I'll head back to the palace and inform Cadance and Shining Armor about the Crystal Heart,” she said with fresh confidence. “Then, I'll look for the relic.” She didn't give Rainbow Dash time to reply. She turned and galloped towards the palace. 

Yet, the rainbow-maned pony followed. “Hold up, Twi!” she called. “Let me help! You can't comb the empire all by yourself!”

Twilight kept her quickened pace. “I have to, Rainbow Dash. Ever since we arrived, I've been trying to figure out how I'm meant to pass Celestia's test. Retrieving the Crystal Heart must be it! But, there is something you can do.”

“Name it!”

“You and the rest of our friends have to keep the Faire going.”

“What?”

“Distract them! They think that we have the Heart, so all of you need to keep them from finding out that the one at the Faire's center is fake.” As they passed one of the flag poles, she reached up with her magic and pulled one of the large flags free. I'll cover the statue with this to buy us some time, she thought. She then glanced at her friend. “Do you understand, Rainbow?”

Her pegasus companion nodded. “Keep the Faire going, and the crystal ponies distracted,” she replied. “Done and done!” 

Saluting, she took to the sky to relay the plan to the others. Twilight was left to run through the crowd alone. She ran as fast as she could, simultaneously dodging all who were in her path. As she backtracked to the fabricated Heart, she was relieved to see that none of the crystal ponies had yet seen it. It was a bonus that the mysterious stallion was also gone.

She unfolded the flag and she threw it over the statue. Slowly, she ran a hoof over the smooth fabric. It's not much, but it will do for now, she thought with a tired sigh. She turned away from the fake relic. Now, to find my brother and— Her eyes settled on the nearest set of doors and she went still. 

The doors were wide open and, standing within the palace, was the stallion in the cloak. He lowered his head slightly, as though offering her a small bow. “Please, follow me,” he said in a deep, but soft voice. He slowly turned his back to her before he ascended the spiral staircase within. 

Completely dumbfounded, Twilight cautiously pursued him. Worry caused her heart to quickly pound within the confines of her ribcage as a thousand questions filled her head. She asked none of them, however, and she kept a relatively safe distance between herself and the stallion, just in case he tried anything funny. She was on her way up to the throne room, anyway, though she didn't expect to find the chamber vacant upon their arrival. 

Cadance and Shining must still be out on the balcony, she thought as her ears flatened against her head. Was that why the stallion dared to come here, because he knew that nopony was around? The thought made her suspicious. “Why did you want me to follow you here?” she asked.

Silent, he approached the crystal throne. There was a strange glow beneath his hood, which Twilight automatically recognized as magic. He was a unicorn. The green glow of his horn soon dimmed and, in a display that caused the mare to hold her breath, a beam of dark magic was fired at the crystal that topped the throne. She feared that it would be destroyed. However, the twisted power simply caused it to turn black in color. The shadow it cast crept downwards, over the throne and onto the floor. “Step back!” the stallion yelled.

Twilight gasped and teleported out of the shadow's path as it stretched across the room—revealing a hidden entrance in its wake. She peered down into the depths, only to see a staircase that spiraled down to wherever the passageway lead. How did the stallion know it was there? She looked towards him to ask, but he was already on his way down the steps. “Hey, wait!” she exclaimed. “Should... Should I still follow you?”

“Yes,” was the simple reply.

Though her curiosity was peaked, Twilight remained vigilant as she lit up her horn and continued after him. They said nothing to each other all the while; the only sounds heard were the clip-clops of hooves against the cold stone of the staircase. It was almost humerous for Twilight that she once again found herself in a damp, underground chamber. 

“It's no use. No one can hear you. And no one will ever think to look for you either! Most ponies have forgotten that these caves even exist.”

She shivered, swallowing nervously, and she banished the malicious voice from her memory with the shake of her head. She quickened her pace a bit, for the stallion was farther ahead than she remembered. A few minutes passed before they finally reached the bottom, where only a single door awaited them. Again, her guide's horn illuminated with arcane power. But, fortunately, it was not dark magic. Upon the diamond-shaped jewel that topped the doorframe, he unleashed a steady stream of pure, glowing magic. It was hard for Twilight to make out the spell, but it clearly did its job. The door swung open and she followed the other unicorn into the room that set on the other side.

It was a bright, white room... that was home to more stairs. They lead upwards now—coiled around a pristine tower of marble. 

Twilight groaned. “What's with all the stairs in this place...?”

The stallion chuckled. “Do not worry,” he replied as his horn lit up for a third time. “I won't make you walk.”

Static filled the air and, in the blink of an eye, they were both teleported to what Twilight suspected was the top of the pillar of stairs. They had arrived at a place of elevation. She could see the sky and she could feel a cool breeze caress her fur. The comfort they provided were soon dulled in comparison to what she saw levitating before her. 

It was the embodiment of love and unity itself, the Crystal Heart.

Its transparent, sapphire form left Twilight enthralled. Without thinking, she stepped forward, only to feel a foreleg impede her progress. “Wait,” the stallion said, causing her to snap out of her trance. She stopped, and then she waited as he approached the Crystal Heart alone. It was probably unwise for her to do so, but he did bring her this far. If it were a trap, then it would have already been sprung. So, she simply watched as he gently took the relic into one of his hooves. The circular pattern on the floor brightened, then faded as though some enchantment had been broken.

He then turned to face her, holding the Crystal Heart out in front of him. “Here,” he said. “Take this and return it to its rightful place.”

Her eyes still on the artifact, Twilight moved towards him. She reached to take it from him once she was close, but her focus faltered when she realized that the hoof  holding the Crystal Heart was as gray as stone. And something clicked.

“One thousand years ago, King Sombra, a unicorn whose heart was as black as night, took over the Crystal Empire...”

“Well, the whole purpose of the Crystal Faire is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies so the light within them can power the Crystal Heart, so the empire can be protected.”

“The Faire was held every year to renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm.”

“I just can't believe you found it! King Sombra said he'd hidden it away where we would never see it again!”

Her eyes widened. Wordlessly, she lifted her head so that she could see into the stallion's hood. She found herself looking directly into eyes, which widened in response to her sudden movement, as green as moss. She had obviously startled him, and the two again stared at each other. She never broke eye contact (and neither did he), even as she calmly took the Crystal Heart into her right hoof. “Thank you,” she said. “King Sombra.”

His eyes betrayed his sudden discomfort, and he began to back away. In a whisper, he replied, “You're welcome,” as his gaze shifted to the ground. Then, he was gone—whisked away by the flash of light that was a teleportation spell.

With a sigh, she looked down at the Crystal Heart. It was warm against her fur. She couldn't believe that she had found it. She didn't do it on her own, but her relief was far too great for it to matter. It would make the crystal ponies happy, and their happiness would again fuel the relic and protect their home. Those poor, innocent ponies were once King Sombra's slaves, however, so why would he return the Heart? 

And, more importantly, was it worth mentioning upon her return?
> Chapter Three : Hearts Alight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not once did Twilight touch the Crystal Heart with levitation as she made the journey back to the throne room in silence. She instead held it against her—cradling it in the nook of a foreleg. Her mind continuously reeled with recollections of how she came to possess it. King Sombra. The King Sombra. The tyrant, the Slave King himself, lead her right to the relic. There were no traps, no sinister intentions. She even inspected the Crystal Heart with a magical fine-toothed comb, in case he had somehow tampered with its power. But, she detected no foreign spells or alterations. It was clean—completely untouched.

So, why? Why would he help me? Why would he help the ponies he once enslaved?

Her horn glowed with a soft light as she stepped into the dark cavern. The throne room was now directly above her. So was her welcoming committee. The magic aura around her horn alerted Shining Armor to her presence. “Twilight!” he called. “Is that you down there?”

She looked up at him. “Yeah!” she called back. “Hold on a second, I'll teleport up to you.” She was tired of walking anyway. Walking... and stairs. If all the stairs in Equestria suddenly vanished, she would count it as a blessing. 

Closing her eyes, she focused on a teleportation spell. Then, in a flash of violet light, she appeared right next to her brother. She smiled when she saw the amusement and curiosity that was etched on his face. “Care to explain to me why there's a huge hole in the floor?” he chuckled.

“What?” she teased. “Haven't you ever seen a secret passage before?” Of course, said passage couldn't remain open like that; somepony was bound to get hurt. Fortunately, all it took was a little white magic to dispel the enchanted shadow that loomed over the floor. Without it, the underground staircase was again sealed beneath the crystal floor. “There!” she exclaimed. “Fixed!”

“Way to go, Twily!”

The pitter-patter of clawed feet reached the mare's ears before she had the chance to present the Crystal Heart. The sound was one she recognized, for it was one that came from none other than her number-one assistant. “Twilight!” shouted Spike as he ran into the throne room. Behind him, Cadance followed—smiling as the baby dragon threw his arms around Twilight's neck. “I'm so glad you're okay!” he exclaimed. 

His caretaker chuckled, nuzzling the side of his head. “I'm fine, Spike,” she gently replied. “I'm so sorry for worrying you.”

“I... I wanted to go after you, but Cadance and Shining wouldn't let me.”

The Princess of Love nodded. “We started getting worried when we saw your friends rushing around the faire and guarding that heart statue you made,” she explained. “Rainbow Dash told us what was going on, once we finally flagged her down.”

“Then we came back inside and saw this staircase,” added Shining Armor. “We knew you had something to do with it, so we kept Spike here—”

“—to honor the conditions of your test.” Cadance looked down at the relic that rested against Twilight's chest. “And it looks like you passed!”

The young unicorn laughed, burying the nervousness she felt. “Well, I didn't pass just yet!” she replied. “I still need to get the Crystal Heart down to the crystal ponies. Once they power it up, the entire empire will be protected again!” 

“You better hurry, then,” said Spike. He sounded anxious. “Everypony is trying to keep the crystal ponies from the fake Heart, but things are getting dicey down there!” 







~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~







Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash huddled around the crude carving as the crystal ponies closed in on them like hungry wolves. “Please, let us see it!” one of them cried.

“What right do you have to keep it hidden from us?” shouted another. 

Applejack took off her hat and began to fan herself with it. “Hold on, y'all!” she retorted. “We ain't hidin' it from ya, we're just savin' it for the closin' ceremony!” Unfortunately, that was the best “excuse” she could muster. She didn't appreciate the corner that the agitated ponies had backed them into, considering that she and her friends had been stuck there for the past hour or so, and it was beginning to weigh on her. She wished that they could have done more to keep them all distracted. 

It was easy in the beginning. She was the first to guard the fake relic, once she was satisfied that she had dished out enough crystal berry fritters and pies to keep everypony's bellies happy. Only one or two ponies came forward wanting to see the Crystal Heart, but she was able to send them away with ease. Then, Rarity ran out of materials for the traditional crafts. More ponies came, more ponies were dismissed.  Their numbers only increased after Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy finished their jousting match. It was only a matter of time before they were completely surrounded. 

Clad in a jester's outfit, Pinkie Pie struggled to make the crystal ponies smile as she balanced on an oversized ball and juggled flugelhorns. Panting, she leaned over Rarity and whispered, “Twilight better get here with the Crystal Heart soon! Even I can't keep this party going forever!” 

Fluttershy trembled as she tried to make herself appear as small as possible behind Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Oh, what if something happened to her?” she asked aloud. 

“Pfft, fat chance!” snorted Rainbow. “That egghead of ours went head-to-head with both Nightmare Moon and Discord. Finding that Crystal Heart will be a walk in the park for her.”

“I have faith in Twilight, I really do, but she had us when she faced those dastardly fiends,” uttered Rarity. “Right now, she's alone out there!” 

Applejack sighed and shook her head. “I don't even know why the Princess would even make her do it solo,” she grumbled. “It don't make a lick of sense to me.”

“No kidding.” Rainbow Dash rolled her shoulders, hoping to relieve the tension in them. That hope, however, was dashed when one of the crystal ponies emerged from the crowd and tried to get close to the statue. She then lowered herself to the ground and growled, which caused the stallion to retreat.

Before anypony could stop him, he backed into Pinkie's ball. She had a hard enough time keeping her balance, but the impact knocked it out from underneath her completely. She let out a surprised squeak as she was sent tumbling forward. To her friends' horror, she only stopped when she hit the statue—causing it to fall over and shatter into two pieces. Everypony gasped in unison as the fabricated Heart skidded to a halt at the crystal ponies' hooves. 

“This... This isn't the Crystal Heart,” a nameless mare whispered. Behind her, others began to whisper as well. It sounded like a mass of gibberish, but the tones of their voices betrayed their uncertainty and fear.

Rarity's first instinct was to laugh. “Oh, of course it's not!” she chortled. “The real one is—”

“—on it's way!” blurted Applejack.

The seamstress glared at her. “I was going to say 'being polished,' to buy us some more time.”

“Oh, sorry...”

One by one, the lustrous coats of the crystal ponies faded as the light in their eyes extinguished. Many of them walked away with forlorn whimpers. Others collapsed into heart-wrenching sobs. “We'll never see it again!” cried one of the downtrodden. 

“Well, I don't think they really have it!” snapped a crystal mare as she pointed an accusing hoof at the Elements. She was one of the rare few who was infuriated by the revelation. “It's still hidden somewhere! It has to be! We should look for it ourselves!”

A gold-coated stallion trotted up beside her. “I agree! King Sombra isn't here. Nopony can stop us!”

Pinkie Pie's ears folded back against her head and she made an attempt to climb atop her ball. “Not good, not good!” she chanted. She was able to rediscover her balance, and fairly quickly, so she rolled back out into the crowd. Out of her pockets, she pulled a few pies to juggle. Her antics, however, weren't enough to calm the crystal ponies. They were growing in both impatience and ire.

Rainbow Dash feared a riot—a fear that was shared by her friends. As such, they released a symphony of startled yells when a set of doors nearby were forcefully thrown open. They turned, and smiles found their way to their faces as Twilight, followed by Spike, Cadance, and Shining Armor, galloped towards them. 

Sliding to a halt on the very spot where the fake Heart once set, Twilight reared back onto her hind legs and cried, “Stop!” She then enveloped the relic in her magic and she held it up for all to see. “There's no need for such outrage! The Crystal Heart has returned! It is the love and light within you that will guide it to protect the Crystal Empire once again, not your fury! Please, I beg of you, do not let such emotions taint the very embodiment of your unity!” 

As if reacting to her plea, the Crystal Heart began to glow and pulsate within her levitating grasp. She slowly retreated as its bizarre power dissipated her own, causing it to float without assistance. Two smooth spikes, one from the ceiling and the other from the pattern on the ground, then extended to hold it in place as it began to spin. The speed and ferocity escalated, especially when the crystal ponies, their crystalline coats suddenly rejuvenated, bowed before it. 

Twilight didn't know what was happening, until a sphere of light burst forth from both the relic and the tip of the palace. While the light up top bloomed into a myriad of sky-reaching strands of light, the other smoothed out and expanded into a dome-like shape until it covered the empire—replacing the shield that her brother and sister-in-law struggled to power. 

There were no words to describe the joy that filled her heart. She did it! She actually did it! The Crystal Empire and its citizens were safe. Ironically, it was saved with help from the very hooves that enslaved and cursed it, but Twilight tried to not let it weigh on her conscious. 

Fortunately,  Rarity's delighted squeal diverted her from the thought, but it wasn't until she turned to face her friends that she realized that another change had occurred. The Crystal Heart had bestowed the likeness of the crystal ponies upon them. One look at her hoof confirmed that Twilight, too, was granted a shimmering coat, along with azure ribbons that tied up her mane and wrapped around her tail. Her friends and family bore similar glamour. The only exceptions were Spike and Shining Armor, who merely glistened in the light of the sun. 

The strange magic curled Cadance's mane up into a bun that was similar to Rarity's, but the fashion pony's hair was adorned with silver ribbon and her tail had more of a curl to it than usual. Applejack's mane and tail were braided and secured with emerald bands, and her signature hat was replaced with a small tiara of crystal laurels. Pinkie Pie possessed a headband and a band around the base of her tail that were a shade lighter than Twilight's ribbons, while Fluttershy's wavy mane and tail were embellished with jeweled floral clips. 

In Twilight's opinion, however, Rainbow Dash received the most surprising makeover. The pegasus' naturally-ragged bangs were smoothed back into a stylish arch, while the rest of her mane was fastened into a ponytail with only a single red clip. There was nothing in her tail, but it was smoothed out in the same manner as her bangs. The elite flier looked over herself in confusion. “Uh, what the hay just happened?” she asked, baffled.

“Something absolutely, positively wonderful!” gushed Rarity.

Applejack, mystified by the disappearance of her hat, ran a hoof over her braid. “Well, I'll be,” she chuckled hesitantly. “Look at us! We're all fancy-like!”

Laughing, Cadance wrapped a foreleg around Twilight's shoulders. “We knew you could do it,” she said. She motioned towards the mass of cheering ponies. “You made a lot of ponies happy today, Twilight.”

Shining Armor smiled. “And it looks like you passed your test with flying colors!”

The younger unicorn smiled, too, albeit nervously. “Thanks. I'm just glad that I could help everypony,” she replied. That was the truth. Sure, in her knowledge that she did not find the Crystal Heart without aid, she was apprehensive. The only thing that kept her from sheer panic was the fact that she didn't just sit around and let Sombra do all the work. It was because of her research that she and her friends were able to organize the Crystal Faire. If that didn't happen, then she wouldn't have run into the Tyrant King, and if she didn't run into him, then he wouldn't have given her the Crystal Heart.

So, she didn't cheat... Right? 

“Are you okay, Twily?”

She looked up at her older sibling. “Hmm?”

Before Shining could say anything more, Pinkie Pie popped up between them. “He probably wants to know why you're being such a quiet-pants!” she chimed. “You know, since you totally just saved the Crystal Empire, which is something to be extra-ecstatic about!” 

“Well, I didn't really 'save' it from anything.”

Cadance's foreleg tightened comfortingly around her. “Twilight, give yourself some credit! You saved it from future attacks. It's because of your determination—”

“—and top-notch problem-solving skills,” her husband quickly added.

“Yes, and because of your determination and your problem-solving skills, you ensured that the Crystal Empire will have a bright, safe future.” The Princess of Love walked Twilight over to her friends. “Speaking of the empire,” she continued, “there's something that Shining and I want to ask of you all.”

The stallion nodded. “While Twilight was on the hunt for the Crystal Heart, Cadance and I discussed a few things.”

“Like our new roles here in the empire.”

“'New roles?'” inquired Twilight. 

The married couple glanced hesitantly at each other, then returned their attention to the group. “Before she sent us here, Aunt Celestia mentioned that, once the Crystal Empire was properly protected, it would still be without a leader,” retorted the alicorn. “She wished to place it in our care upon the completion of your task, Twilight.”

“So, you two are going to be...?”

Shining Armor grinned. “We're going to be the watching over the empire as its new prince and princess.”

“Wow, that's awesome!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. She flew over to Twilight and delivered a playful punch to her shoulder. “You hear that, Twi? Not only did you pass your test, but your brother and sister-in-law are going to have their own kingdom to rule!”

Fluttershy was the next mare to approach her, followed by Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and then Applejack. They stood around her, congratulating her, hugging her, and patting her on the back. She should have been overjoyed. She should have been happy for them. She was, but there was one disheartening thought on her mind that dulled the happiness she felt in her heart. They're going to be farther away from us. From me...

The guttural sound of Shining clearing his throat drew everypony's attention back to him and his beloved. “Anyway, about that thing that Cadance wanted to ask...”

The young princess stepped towards them. “It's more of an invitation than a question,” she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “I was hoping that you would all like to stay here with us for the next week or so. It's been such a long time since we spent any time together, and I mean any real time together. I thought that this would be a great opportunity, you know?”

“Plus, there are plenty of guest rooms in the palace. I'd hate to have to get used to all that empty space with just the two of us here.”

The Elements, plus Spike, circled around each other to discuss the offer. “I think it's a marvelous idea,” said Rarity. “I can't recall the last time we had a vacation such as this!”

“I know I don't have anythin' planned for the next week,” said Applejack. “So, I'm in for some rest 'n relaxation if y’all are.”

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and grinned. “Yeah, I'm game.”

“Me, too,” replied Fluttershy. She looked over her shoulder at Pinkie, who was blissfully munching on (another) slice of pie. “Pinkie would probably like to stay a bit longer, too. I think.”

Spike chuckled and climbed up on Twilight's back. “I'd like to stay for a while,” he said. “What about you, Twilight?”

The unicorn glanced at him, then her friends. While the thought of a respite was nice, she couldn't help but wonder if she should meet with Princess Celestia to discuss the next level of her studies first. If they were important enough that she had to pass a test to prove that she was ready for them, then it was probably crucial that she get started right away. Slowly, she turned her head to the Crystal Heart's podium.

“Take this and return it to its rightful place.”

She looked out into the crowd of crystal ponies. It had dispersed, as the empire's inhabitants departed to enjoy what remained of the faire and its attractions. Somewhere out there, she thought she saw the dark material of a familiar cloak. She then glanced at the ground. A small, contemplative smile graced her lips. “All right,” she said, lifting her head. “A vacation it is, then.” 

As her friends cheered with unbridled excitement, she turned her attention to her assistant. “Spike, can you do me a favor?”

The dragon tilted his head slightly. “Yeah, of course, what do you need?”

“I'll need a letter sent to Princess Celestia.” For a final time, her eyes scanned over the crowd. Maybe, just maybe...
> Chapter Four : Missives
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well done, my faithful student.

Princess Celestia smiled, looking towards the brilliant lights that now flowed elegantly amongst the clouds in the coming dusk. The parchment that levitated before her muzzle was carefully rolled up, then placed to the side as she made her way to one of the windows. She didn't need the letter to tell her that Twilight succeeded in providing the protection that the Crystal Empire so desperately needed after its absence, but it still warmed her heart to read the unicorn's hastily-scribed words. 

Not only would her student move onto the next level of her studies, but the crystal ponies would be guided into their brighter futures by a strong, kind prince and loving princess.

It had been a long time since Celestia felt such a vivid sense of pride. All she could do was smile as she watched the dancing colors above, even as her younger sister pulled her moon into the sky alongside them. She must have lost track of the minutes that passed, though, for she soon heard the large doors of the throne room gently swing open. She witnessed Luna's entrance just as she turned her head to look. “Good evening, Sister,” she said.

“Sister,” replied Luna with a nod. Smiling, she trotted up beside her sibling as she eyed the letter that set next on one of the throne's golden arms. “News from Twilight Sparkle?”

Chuckling, Celestia motioned towards the lights with the wave of a hoof. “Is it not clear, Luna?”

“All of Equestria can see them, dear sister, but it would be kind of you to humor me with a straight answer every once in a while. It's been a long day.”

“Fair enough. Yes, Twilight sent the letter and the news is good. She found a way to protect the empire, and its inhabitants will now look to Shining Armor and Cadance for guidance.”

“Thank you. I am overjoyed to hear that.” Sighing, she sat on her haunches—her gaze drifting to the star-speckled sky. “What shall we do now?” she inquired. “What's next for Twilight Sparkle, Celestia?”

The Sun Princess took a seat on the floor next to her. She said nothing for a few seconds as she looked upon the gardens below. She then inhaled deeply, tearing her gaze from the crooked statue of Discord. “Well, she and her friends will be staying in the Crystal Empire for the week, so I'm content to let them enjoy their vacation before all else,” she replied. “I also plan on sending a little extra security their way, just in case. The empire will need the extra bit of aid for the time being, until their own guard is back in shape. I think I shall send Lieutenant Stronghold and his unit, they're—”

“—busy elsewhere, Sister.”

Her brow furrowing, Celestia tilted her head towards the other alicorn. “'Busy elsewhere?'”

“They're in Trottingham, remember?”

“Oh.” Her response was a reflex. Yet, upon further contemplation, the reason dawned on her. Her eyes widened. “Oh!” she breathed. “The robbery.”

“The fifth robbery this week! The first occurred in downtown Manehattan. Then a shop in Hollow Shades was targeted, then one in Fillydelphia, then Baltimare, and now Trottingham. ”

“Really? How much merchandise did the thief steal?”

“Not a lot.” Luna tapped a hoof against her chin. “I recall that the scoundrel made off with only a few small items that didn't amount to much, which is peculiar. The shops hit are all located in cities along the east coast and all of them sell either antiques or enchanted wares. Well, except the most recent establishment, Latigo's House of Curiosities, which I believe is a small museum.” She shook her head tiredly. “I can't make heads or tails of it, Sister. Why would a pony go through so much trouble, only to make off with so very little?”

Celestia couldn't contain an amused giggle. “Do not let petty theft trouble you, Luna,” she said. “No matter what the criminal's intentions, I'm sure that Stronghold will figure it out. In the meantime, I'll send Lieutenant Flash Sentry in his place. He and his unit are not 'busy elsewhere,' are they?”

Luna playfully rolled her eyes. “They are free to send them wherever you wish,” she replied. “I'm sure they'll be grateful for the opportunity to get out of Canterlot, even if it's only for a short time.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of the Sun Princess's mouth as she cast a glance at one of the tables that set next to her throne. The length of her horn glowed with a golden aura as she levitated a fresh sheet of parchment, an inkwell, and a quill to her. “Excellent,” she said. “I'll let Twilight know of their arrival.” She cautiously dipped the tip of the phoenix feather into the pitch-black ink, and then the chamber drifted into silence as she began to write.
> Chapter Five : Traces in the Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thanks for accompanying me, Fluttershy. I really appreciate it.”

“Oh, it's no trouble at all. I'm always happy to help.”

Twilight smiled at the pegasus, who smiled in returned. She was lucky to have somepony walk with her so early in the morning, even if it was just to check up on everything. The previous night, after receiving the response letter from Princess Celestia regarding the temporary addition of Royal Canterlot Guards, she and her friends cleaned up what remained of the faire. 

Fortunately, they made quick work of it before they called it a night. Despite the day's hectic and... confusing events, Twilight slept like a rock. As did Spike, though she didn't have a problem letting him sleep in when the sun came up. The little dragon deserved a break, and she didn't think he would want to come along anyway. So, she contently trotted alongside Fluttershy instead as they made their way down the sidewalk. 

The streets were nearly silent, though there was the occasional crystal pony who passed them with a friendly greeting. Everypony else was clearly indoors. Twilight speculated that they were with their families to make up for lost time, since it was probably impossible for them to do so whilst under the rule and forced servitude of King Sombra. Then again, many of them were probably still asleep; when she and her friend left the palace, it was almost nine o'clock.

It felt like they were walking through an empty empire and it was a little unnerving.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, wasn't intimidated by the illusory emptiness. There was a small, comfortable smile plastered on her face as she admired the blue and gold hues that reflected off the crystal buildings in the morning light. They were colors that reflected off their translucent coats as well. Whatever spell that was cast upon them by the Crystal Heart hadn't worn off yet, not that anypony complained.

It was quite the phenomenon—one that Twilight was tempted to research. She didn't know how long it would last. But, until it subsided, even she would take the time to accessorize. The silk ribbons were practical, and they were easy enough to weave into her mane and tail. 

As they walked, the noise of chatter slowly broke through the silence. Twilight's ears perked up. “Do you hear that?” she asked.

Fluttershy's head tilted to the side as she listened. “Oh,” she whispered. “They sound like voices.”

“Let's go check it out.” 

The duo picked up their pace as they followed the voices. Soon, after they rounded a few corners, they reached a section of the empire that was close to the edge of the Crystal Heart's protective barrier. There, they discovered a group of crystal ponies who were gathered at what appeared to be a small cafe. Only five mares and three stallions were seated at the round tables that set in front of the establishment. Although, they all seemed to be enjoying hot mugs of drink as they chatted. As Twilight and Fluttershy approached them, a waiter even emerged to give refills. 

“Good morning!” chimed Fluttershy.

The crystal ponies smiled at them. “Hello, there,” replied a stallion whose coat was a light shade of emerald.

“Yes, good morning, Lady Twilight, Miss Fluttershy,” added a peach-colored mare. “What can we do for you?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but she ignored the appointed formalities. “Oh, uh, we were just out and about to make sure that everything was okay,” she replied. “You can never be too careful, after all.”

“That's awfully kind of you, but I think everything is okay.”

“Even if it weren't okay,” punctuated a gold-coated stallion, “we have the Crystal Heart back. No evil-doer can enter the empire.” His fellow ponies nodded and murmured in agreement.

“Wow,” breathed Fluttershy. “Is it really that powerful?”

“Of course!”

Twilight smiled. “Sounds like your memories are beginning to return.”

“Little by little, but we're getting there.” The stallion's cobalt eyes shifted to his drink. “Then, we'll be able to put our lives back together...”

The pink mare took a sip from her mug. “And it's all thanks to you, Lady Twilight,” she said. “Without you, who knows what would've happened to us?”

The unicorn's head tilted ever so slightly. There it was again. Lady Twilight. It was an honorary title, she guessed. It was new, but not the terrible kind of new. “Well, if I wasn't the one to find it, I'm sure that somepony else would've come across it eventually,” she replied, a faint blush gracing her cheeks.

The green stallion shook his head. “'Eventually?'” he pondered, chuckling. “We've already heard of the secret doors, Milady. Rose Quartz is in the right state of mind. There's no telling what would've happened to us if you didn't bring us the Crystal Heart when you did. Probably would've taken us days, or even weeks to find it ourselves.”

Seated nearby was a blue-coated mare, who shuddered upon hearing his words. “Sombra could've come back,” she said softly, though loudly enough for everypony to hear. 

“Don't say things like that, Arctic.”

She shot him a glare. “Hey, it could have happened, Ardent. It could still happen. He's still out there, remember?”

Rose Quartz left her table to join Arctic at hers. “Yes, but the Royal Sisters sealed him away,” she said, placing a comforting hoof on the other mare's shoulder.

“And he sealed us away, but we came back. Who's to say he won't come back?”

Twilight's heart began to race as she glanced between the present ponies. It didn't help when they all turned their attention to her—clearly expecting some form of reassurance. “Well, the power of the Royal Sisters is far greater than Sombra's,” she explained slowly, so that she wouldn't trip over her own words. “If they banished him to the ice of the Arctic North, then that's where he'll remain. Besides, the Crystal Heart is back where it belongs. Even if he did return, then he wouldn't be able to get in, right?”

Arctic's expression softened. “Yes, I guess you have a point,” she grumbled, leaning against her friend. Rose Quartz gently ran a hoof down her back, whispering some more words of comfort.

With a sigh, Ardent smiled at Twilight. “Thank you for that,” he said. “I guess some of us are more on-edge than others.”

“I completely understand,” she replied. She then looked at Fluttershy. “Let's go.” 

The pegasus gave her a nod. “I'll follow you.”

After one final farewell, Twilight lead her friend around the cafe and towards the shield. Alongside the inner rim was where they walked—occasionally making small-talk over the span of two hours. It was a pleasant stroll, up until they came upon the eastern end of the empire.

Chills rippled across Twilight's fur when she suddenly stepped in something cold, wet. Automatically, she looked down. It was snow. Melted snow. 

Fluttershy, who failed to notice her friend's sudden stop, squeaked in surprise when she stepped in a similar puddle. “Oh, snow?” she mused, lifting up her right foreleg. “Where did this come from?”

“Outside, obviously.” Twilight glimpsed over the puddles, making out the trail they formed. It didn't lead anywhere specific. Even if it did, the majority of the water had already evaporated; only the snow and water closest to the barrier remained, though it wouldn't be long before they, too, were gone. Evaporation was a common phenomenon. The sudden appearance of melting snow was not.

Curiosity got the better of her and, cautiously, she poked her head outside. Fortunately, yesterday's storm was long gone. All was now calm, and the landscape was completely covered in a blanket of fresh snow. Yet, before her was evidence that somepony, in fact, came in from the tundra. Preserved in the snow was a much clearer path of hoofprints.

“Fluttershy, come look at this,” she called.

Albeit timidly, Fluttershy stuck her head through the shield. She regarded the hoofprints with uncertainty, yet also with a nuance of intrigue.

“These were made by a pony, weren't they?” asked Twilight. It never hurt to have the confirmation of a second pony, especially when that pony dealt with animals on a daily basis. That kind of hobby came with a wealth of information that she, unfortunately, didn't have, and being able to identify tracks was one of them.

Sure enough, the pegasus took only one more contemplative look at the trail before she smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “These are pony tracks. Definitely.” She held a hoof over one of the hoofprints. “A large pony,” she added,” most likely a stallion.”

Withdrawing her head, Twilight bit down on her lip. “That's interesting,” she said under her breath.

“Why's that?”

“Nevermind. Somepony was probably out playing in the snow, is all.” Playing all the way out there in those hills...

She would bet the Elements of Harmony on the certainty she felt regarding the pony who made those tracks, too. Unfortunately, there was no time to investigate further. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, it was a little after eleven. The guards were to arrive soon. She had to meet up with Shining Armor. “Come on, Fluttershy, let's go.”







~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~







As soon as she walked Fluttershy back to the palace, Twilight made a bee-line for the train station. The lack of a snowstorm made for a quick and easy venture and, to her delight, Shining was already there—crystallized coat and all. “Mornin', B.B.B.F.F.,” she chuckled. “Sleep well?”

The stallion gave her a smile. “You bet, how about you?”

“Slept like a rock, despite sleeping on one.” Sure, the large crystal slab that served as her bed was heavily padded and quite comfortable, but she wanted to at least attempt to make witty banter with her sibling. Fortunately for her, Shining did find it amusing. And they talked some more as they awaited the train. It was nothing special; they simply updated each other on their individual mornings. 

A few minutes later, the familiar howl of a locomotive brought their conversation to a halt. The pink paint of the Friendship Express was visible in contrast to the encompassing white of the Frozen North. Its raw power sliced through the snow like butter and the two unicorns leaped backwards to avoid the tidal wave of powder that came crashing down on the wooden platform as the train screeched to a stop.

From the second car emerged an orange pegasus in a full suit of armor, followed by a varied unit of Royal Guards. Shining Armor stepped forward and saluted. “Welcome to the Crystal Empire,” he said. “Glad to have you here, soldiers.”

The pegasus guard, as well as his comrades, returned the gesture. “Glad to be here, Sir. Lieutenant Flash Sentry and company, reporting for duty.” 

“Nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Shining Armor.” Technically, he wasn't Captain of the Royal Guard anymore. He wasn't about to start referring to himself as “Prince” Shining Armor, either. Those were two major changes to which he had yet to adapt. 

Then, clearing his throat, he motioned towards Twilight. “And that's my little sister.”

She walked up beside him and smiled. “My name's Twilight—Twilight Sparkle.”

Flash Sentry removed his helmet and he bowed his head. “It's nice to meet you, Miss Twilight,” he said before he slipped the article of armor back on. He then flashed her a smile. A split-second later, however, he returned his full attention to Shining. “So, Sir, where do you want us?”

“Follow me, gentlecolts,” replied the former Captain. “I'll set up your routes.”

As the lieutenant and the other Royal Guards trailed after her brother, Twilight took a second to gaze off into the distance as a thought passed through her mind. With the addition of the extra security, she would have to execute her next move with caution. Those hoofprints weren't going to investigate themselves, after all. If her suspicions were correct (and they were, without a doubt, correct), then the last thing she needed was getting caught red-hoofed by a vigilant guard. There was no way she would be able to explain herself to Shining and she sure as Tartarus wasn't going to lie to him again. He knew her better than anypony, and vice versa. She knew how he would react. 

Worse yet, if word reached the crystal ponies about King Sombra's return...

She shook her head. No. It shouldn't. It couldn't. It wouldn't. She had to find out more before anypony else knew. Yes, she needed more information. Much more, and if she had to devise another stealth mission in order to obtain it, then that was exactly what she was going to do.
> Chapter Six : Into the Rabbit Hole
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the sun finally set, and as soon as Twilight was certain that Spike was fast asleep, she teleported out of the shadowed bedroom. The spell landed her a block away from the palace in a spark of violet light. She didn't remain still for long. The bright flash was sure to attract attention, so she made a run for the eastern sector of the empire. She didn't have a problem locating the mysterious hoofprints. Though the traces of their existence long since evaporated within the barrier, all that was needed was a quick peek outside to confirm that she found the right spot. 

When she stepped outside the Crystal Empire's boundary, the tiny snowflakes of a light flurry landed upon her mane and coat. She looked towards the starry sky. She was no weather pony, yet she could tell by the single gray cloud that hung overhead that the light snowfall wouldn't take a turn for the worse. She pushed forward with ease, following the trail as it lead her away to its undisclosed location. There was no need to conjure any light; Princess Luna's full moon radiated a serene glow that smoothly reflected off the surrounding snow. Her path was well illuminated.

The path carried on for more than a mile, during which the flat tundra gave way to smooth hills. There was a light in the distance then—visible only when the young unicorn reached the top of one of the tallest mounds. It didn't look like candlelight. It was fainter, and sapphire in color. But, it wasn't far. She was almost there.

Twilight broke into a gallop, kicking up powder in her wake. Her heart pounded within the confines of her ribcage as she closed in on the source of the illumination. Soon enough, she skidded to a halt at the mouth of a large cavern. She slowly entered, a bright glow encompassing her horn to counteract the dimness within. The interior was smooth and it smelled of wet earth. The icicles that dangled from the ceiling were slowly melting and their tips dropped the occasional bead of water. 

She shivered when a cold drop landed on her head. She made a mental note to keep an eye on the ceiling, in case of potentially hazardous falling ice spikes. Although, the number of icicles visibly decreased as she rounded the tunnel's sudden curve. It was here that she discovered the source of the bizarre light. There were clusters of blue crystals that clung to the walls, similar to wall sconces. 

They were not natural formations, for she could sense the magic that pulsed inside them—the same magic that caused them to glow with unseen fire. She was knowledgeable in the school of Alteration, which possessed what was needed to make objects emit light, but she knew not what magic allowed a pony to grow crystals such as these. Despite her desire to know, she resisted the urge to study them and she trekked onward into the large, round chamber that set at the end of the rocky corridor. 

At first glance, it was obvious that somepony was living there. Furniture carved from stone or magically-preserved ice set about, as well as a few shelves that were carved into the walls and stuffed with books. A campfire, blazing and contained by a circle of rocks served as the centerpiece of the makeshift home. Beyond that, the mouth of a second tunnel came into view, which undoubtedly lead deeper underground.

“Hello?” she called as she trotted up to the warmth of the flame. There was a certain coziness to the room that she didn't expect from a lair that belonged to an evil king. The presence of the tiny library made her wonder where he acquired the books. “Anypony home?” 

On the opposite side of the room, she suddenly heard the grading sound of hooves sliding on stone. She wasn't the only pony in that cave. Biting down on her bottom lip, she moved towards the spot where she heard the noise. At first, she believed it came from the second tunnel but, no, it came from someplace closer—darker, and just out of the firelight's reach. She didn't have to really investigate to confirm it. Before she could make it there, the large body of a familiar stallion emerged without warning, only to take off down the other tunnel just as quickly.

Twilight immediately gave chase. “Hey, wait!” she called. “Come back!”

Unlike the entrance tunnel, this one branched off into numerous paths. It was some form of miracle that she was able to keep up with Sombra. Even when the unicorn stallion utilized his magic to teleport out of her sight, it was a piece of cake for her to teleport after him though the magical residue he left behind. Of course, that didn't stop him from teleporting again and again... and again. All she saw of him during that time was his obscured form. He didn't speak, and he didn't stop. 

The Sun Princess's apprentice slammed her hoof down on the ground, releasing a frustrated shout. How many times did she teleport after the elusive ex-king? Thirty—forty times? Enough was enough. Though her special talent was magic as a whole, she had to relent. It was obvious that Sombra didn't want to see or speak with her. It was the opposite of what she expected. She anticipated some form of attack, especially since she was alone and in a position where she could easily be taken off guard.

She looked around at the small channel she currently occupied. It was relatively warm, and the arcane crystals that clung to the walls shed more than enough light upon her surroundings. With the exception of her own breathing, it was eerily quiet. But, not entirely. Somewhere in the deepest reaches of her mind, her own voice called out,“Where am I?”

And a familiar, crazed voice answered, “The caves beneath Canterlot, once home to greedy unicorns who wanted to claim the gems that could be found inside. And now, your prison.”

“Help! Help!”

Frowning, Twilight shook her head of the distant memory. Another dull scrape then prompted her to turn her head to look in the direction of a darker shaft. For a second, she thought she caught a glimpse of emerald. “I know you're there,” she said, knowing that her voice would carry, “and now I know you're here.” Her brow furrowed. “I don't know why you helped me, Sombra, but I want to know. I really do. So,  I'm coming back tomorrow and you are going to talk to me!” Stomping her hoof for the second time, she spun around and took her leave. 

Of course, there was no guarantee that Sombra would have a change of heart and talk to her. The only thing of which she was certain was that he would still be there when she returned. He had no place else to go. Twilight, on the other hoof, had a warm bed awaiting her. So, she departed from the cave—unaware of the curious eyes that watched her as she left.







~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~







Morning arrived all too soon. By the time Twilight successfully returned to her assigned room unnoticed, it was close to two in the morning. Sleep came easily enough, but it felt as though daylight came in the blink of an eye when she was slowly awakened by the golden rays that shone in through the window. Groaning, she rolled over and pulled the silk sheet over her head.

Unbeknownst to the unicorn, Spike was awake and, unfortunately, he wasn't about to let her slip back into a peaceful slumber. He jumped up on the bed. “Hey, Twilight, it's morning,” he said, giving her shoulder a shake. Her response was to mutter something unintelligible and wave him away with a flailing foreleg, so he shook her harder. “C'mon, Twi! Get up, it's almost time for breakfast!” 

Her stomach growled at the mention of a morning meal. Curses, she thought with a sigh of defeat. “Okay, okay,” she grumbled. She tiredly kicked the sheet away and, running a hoof through her mane, she slid off the crystal bed. “Let me fix my hair first.”

Spike followed her to the vanity table. “So, sleepy-head, were you up late or somethin'?” he asked, grinning.

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes as she smoothed the tangles out of her mane and tail with a brush. Oh, if only he knew. On second thought, would it be wise to let him know? Spike was a trustworthy confidant, especially if he was sworn to secrecy under the sacred Pinkie Promise. She mulled over the thought, weaving the last ribbon around her tail. No, she would have to think more on it before she came to a decision. “I wasn't reading, Spike,” she then said. “I was a little restless, so I went for a walk. Guess I got back later than I wanted.” 

It wasn't the complete truth, but it also wasn't a complete lie.

The young dragon certainly bought it. “Huh, I didn't hear you go anywhere,” he replied. “I was out like—” he snapped his claws— “that. Slept great, too.”

“Well, that makes one of us then.” Smiling, she trotted to the door and she pulled it open with her magic. 

The last thing she expected to see was Flash Sentry on the other side. The look of surprise on his face and his raised hoof were signs that he was just about to knock. “Oh,” he uttered awkwardly. He then rubbed the back of his head and laughed. “You caught me off guard there, Miss Twilight.”

She chuckled. “Sorry about that. How may I help you, Mr. Sentry?”

“Please, just call me Flash, and Princess Cadance sent me to retrieve you and your assistant for breakfast.” He turned and smiled. “C'mon, I'll escort you two down to the dining hall.”

“Sweet!” exclaimed Spike. He pulled himself up onto Twilight's back. “Let's go grab some grub!”

With her assistant in tow, Twilight proceeded to follow the guard. In such an empty place, however, it only took a few silent minutes before she felt the need to strike up a conversation. “So, Flash,” she said, “how was your first night in the Crystal Empire?”

He looked over his shoulder at her. “Peaceful,” he replied. “I had no idea that an entire empire could be so quiet at night. It's totally the opposite of Canterlot.”

“I can definitely see how that would take some getting used to, especially if you grew up there.” Canterlot was a busy city that came with a bustling nightlife. It wasn't as energetic as that of Manehattan or Baltimare, but it was enough to guarantee that there was never a silent night in the Royal City.

The stallion nodded. “Yep, Canterlot-born and raised! You, too? I mean, I guess you did if you're Princess Celestia's pupil.”

“Well, you guessed right.”

“I'm surprised I never saw you around before.”

“Yeah, well, I spent the majority of my fillyhood either reading or studying under the Princess.” It was both, most of the time; she prided herself in multitasking.

Spike rolled his eyes. “That's an understatement,” he muttered. “Twilight here had her muzzle buried in a book almost every hour of every day before we moved to Ponyville.”

Flash's eyes widened. “Wow, seriously? You really like to read, don't ya?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Uh, yes, I do...”

“Hey, I'm not judging! You're an Element of Harmony, the student of Princess Celestia herself, and you helped save Equestria twice so far. I'm sure all that reading helped you achieve those things one way or another.”

She felt her face grow hotter. It was uncommon for her to hear others speak so highly of her accomplishments. “Thanks, that's nice of you to say.”

“No problem.” The pegasus stepped out of her path as he opened a large door. “Well, here's your stop! Go on in, I won't keep you and the little guy waiting.”

“Thank you very much, Flash.”

“It was no trouble at all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to return to my station.” He smiled, then bowed his head as he turned in the opposite direction. “I'll see you around, Miss Twilight.”

Twilight paused for a moment as she watched the stallion walk away, then she strolled into the dining hall. “He was nice,” she said.

Spike frowned. “Yeah, but if he calls me 'little' one more time I'll set his mane on fire.”

“Spike...”

“What?”

Shaking her head, she made her way to the long, crystal-carved table that set in the center of the chamber. Her brother, Cadance, and all her friends were already seated and enjoying the variety of breakfast items that had been placed out for them. The smell of the warm food made Twilight's mouth water and her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

Applejack was the first to notice her and Spike, and she waved them over. “Mornin', Spike! Mornin', Twi!” she said. “Come 'n get some of this here grub while it's still hot!”

In unison, everypony's attention shifted to the violet-colored unicorn as she took a seat between Princess Cadance and Rainbow Dash. Across the way, Rarity immediately set a clean plate in front of her—flashing a quick smile to Spike as he slid into the vacant seat at her side. “Long night, Twilight?” she inquired.

Twilight levitated a scoop of applesauce onto her plate. “Hmm?”

“You're normally an early-riser, darling. Some of us thought you would sleep right through breakfast.”

“Oh, yeah, I had trouble sleeping last night, so I walked around outside for a little bit. I got back later than I intended, though.”

Cadance chuckled. “Perhaps we should have let you sleep in, then.”

“No, it's fine. It was actually Spike who got me out of bed this morning.”

“That's good, and probably better than if you were awakened by Flash Sentry pounding on your door.”

“If I had known we'd be staying, I would've packed my alarm clock. I would've made it down here sooner.”

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash wrapped a foreleg around Twilight's shoulders. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not like you're a fortune-teller or anythin', but now that you are here, I can tell everypony—”

Without warning, Pinkie Pie appeared between them—pressing the tip of her nose against that of her unicorn friend. “Gee, Twilight, if you needed a wake-up call so bad I would've let you borrow Gummy!” She held her stoic, marble-eyed pet above her head. “He's great at waking ponies up!” She beamed with cheer, oblivious that the tiny alligator was now attempting to chew on one of her ears.

Twilight forced a smile of her own. “You... You brought Gummy with you?”

“Of course, silly! I couldn't leave him at home by himself.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “How the hay did you even—”

She was interrupted for a second time as Applejack covered her mouth with a hoof. “Leave it be, sugarcube,” she sighed. “Tryin' to make heads or tails of it will only make yer head hurt.”

Rainbow glared at her, but she wisely took the advice. Clearing her throat, she crossed her forelegs on the table. “As I was saying, I wanted to let everypony know that I'll be spending the day down at the arena.” Her lips curled up into a large, excited grin. “The crystal pony guards heard of my and Fluttershy's jousting matches, and they want me to help them get back in shape!”

Fluttershy's ears folded back against her head as she sank into her seat. “You aren't going to make me go, are you?”

“Nah, Shy, you can sit this out.”

Rarity frowned. “Is it a good idea, though?” she questioned. “It sounds awfully dangerous.”

“Hey, I'll be wearing armor!”

“Well, that's a given, and it looks marvelous on you, but what about—”

Shining Armor gently tapped his hoof on the table. “It's safe, I assure you,” he said, glancing over the face of every mare at the table. “I checked all the arena's gear myself and it's all training equipment. The crystal armor sets are enchanted to deflect minor physical forces and the lances are purposefully dull. Rainbow Dash and the crystal guards will be fine.”

Twilight huffed out a sigh of relief. “That's good to know, Shining.”

The alicorn seated beside her merely nodded, not daring to speak with her mouth full of porridge. Everypony else seemed pleased with the information, so various conversations carried on without worry. As she satisfied her hunger, Twilight unknowingly drowned out the voices as the previous night's events repeatedly played out in her mind's eye. 

Sombra had quite the hideout. It was distant, warm, and he even went through the trouble of constructing his own furniture. Yet, for reasons unknown, it seemed that he was making trips back and forth between the empire and his den. She concluded that one of those reasons was to retrieve the books that were stashed on his shelves. She guessed that even a tyrannical ex-king needed reading material. 

But, what else? What else would he need out there in the cold, barren...?

As Twilight lifted a fragrant orange slice to her mouth, it finally dawned on her. Crushing the juicy fruit fragment between her teeth, she smiled and glanced over the plates, bowls, and baskets of food that littered the table's surface. Even for seven mares, a stallion, and a dragon, it was far too much. There would be leftovers, and that gave her a most wonderful idea.
> Chapter Seven : Welcomed Guest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The palace fell into silence the moment everypony settled in for the night. Like before, Twilight didn't make her move until she heard the light snores of her number-one assistant. Only then did she sneak down to the kitchens, where she found that day's leftovers stored either in the iceboxes or in the large pantry. There was an abundance of edibles; lunch and dinner were as bountiful as breakfast. She took a fraction of it, mostly loaves of bread and a crystal berry pie that Pinkie somehow missed during her dessert binge, and she carefully arranged them in a cloth-lined wicker basket. 

With the goods protectively suspended in her magic, she then returned to Sombra's cave—following fresh hoofprints that were no more than a few hours old. Apparently, the stallion took some measures to make sure she didn't get inside, for she soon bumped into a set of large, stone doors. Locked stone doors. Twilight stared at the obstacles in disbelief. “You must be joking,” she muttered under her breath. She set the basket aside as she inspected the set of doors. 

The first thing she tried was knocking. Of course, there was no response. She then tried to pry them open with her magic, but the doors didn't budge an inch. She released a frustrated groan and she sat down on the cold, hard ground. Stupid Sombra and his stupid magic-proof doors.

At the top of the arch, however, the sparkling sheen of a red gemstone caught her attention. Twilight hummed, tapping her hoof against her chin. Hold on. He used dark magic on the crystal that topped the Crystal Empire's throne, which summoned a shadow to reveal the secret passageway. So, if my magic won't work...

She needed dark magic to get the doors open. Unfortunately, she never used it before and Princess Celestia had only warned her against such forces. Although, her teacher did give her a demonstration that gave her all that she needed to know. She needed only concentration. So, inhaling, she closed her eyes and she thought back to her previous visit to Canterlot Castle.

The throne room, bright and warm. Princess Celestia's magic, the same. Then it twisted in on itself—became something else. Shadowed, sinister, cold. 

"You have a lot to think about."

The fur on the back of Twilight's neck stiffened as a chill settled into her bones. Though she could not see it, she felt her magic slowly morph into something that felt different... and yet did not. It was malevolent, that much she was certain, and its frigidity made her uncomfortable. She quickly rid herself of the dark magic. Her target: the red gemstone. The power, albeit new to her, did just the trick. The doors crept open, clearing themselves from her path.

Beaming with pride, she picked up the basket and she entered Sombra's lair with a triumphant laugh. “Nice try, Sombra!” 

“Not nice enough, apparently.”

The deep voice immediately drew Twilight's attention to the dark gray unicorn stallion standing on the other side of the fire pit. Though he was clad in the same cloak she had seen him in many times before, his hood was down; he made no attempt to conceal his appearance from her. The flames were small, but they were bright enough to illuminate his features. His mane, long and black with strands as blue as Princess Luna's night, was curled just enough to perfectly frame his face. His height and build rivaled that of Shining Armor, and his emerald eyes appeared dull with weariness. 

It was almost hard for Twilight to believe that she now stood before the same cruel king who once had the entire populace of the Crystal Empire enslaved. 

He moved not an inch as he regarded her with curiosity. “You are a mare of many talents,” he said. “I guess that door didn't buy me as much time as I thought.”

Cautiously, Twilight approached the fire. “Thank you, but why did you need to buy time?”

Sombra peered into the flames—holding one of his front hooves close enough to feel their warmth. “I'm surprised you chose to confront me alone. Are your reinforcements waiting outside?”

“I'm... not sure I follow.”

His eyes met hers. “Did you not come here to apprehend me? Or, perhaps you came to put an end to my life yourself? I'm sure my head will make a fine gift to the Royal Sisters.”

Twilight's eyes widened. “Oh!” she gasped. “No, no, no! I'm not here to arrest you, or any of that! I came here by myself and all I want is to talk, I promise!”

“You walked all the way out here merely to talk to me?” He didn't sound convinced. 

Lifting the basket of goods for him to see, Twilight walked around the fire and set it beside him. “Yes,” she replied. “I also brought you some food, since you've obviously been sneaking into the empire to get some.” She smiled. “Seriously, if you're trying so hard to hide from everypony, then you should at least cover your tracks. You were too easy to find.”

Suddenly looking bewildered, Sombra glanced back and forth between the mare and the basket. As though he suddenly lost feeling in his hind legs, he then dropped onto his rear. He cleared his throat. “Well, I-I... I didn't expect this at all,” he said. “Thank you. This is too kind of you, really. You didn't have to do this.”

Twilight sat in front of him. “Well, no, but it's the least I could do for what you did for me... and the crystal ponies.”

Again, Sombra looked at the basket. “I merely righted a wrong. It doesn't warrant such kindness. Not after all I've done. So...” He looked back up at her. “If you wish to turn me in, I won't hold it against you. I already came to terms with my inevitable arrest and execution.”

That must be why he built those doors, she thought. He needed some time to make peace with what he thought was his end.

She didn't know what else to make of Sombra. He appeared to truly regret his actions, but appearances were sometimes deceptive. “Why did you do it in the first place?” she questioned.

“I already told you, I wanted to right—”

“No, not that. Why did you take over the Crystal Empire and enslave the crystal ponies?”

“Oh.” Once again, he broke eye contact as his gaze lowered to the cold ground. “I... wasn't in my right mind back then. Let's leave it at that.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I've been regretting it for a thousand years.”

Her head tilted slightly. “So, you won't try to do it again?”

Sombra's head lifted with a start. “No, absolutely not! Never again!” he barked. When the mare flinched at his raised voice, the sight caused him to flinch as well and he sheepishly began to rub the back of his neck. “My apologies... I didn't mean to yell. It's just a long, long story. I don't expect you to take my words for truth anyway.”

Twilight drew a circle in the dirt with her hoof. “It's all right. Does that mean you plan on staying in this cave?”

“Well, yes. The Royal Sisters did banish me. Just because I'm free from the ice of the Arctic North doesn't make me a free stallion, so to speak.”

“Then, I won't turn you in.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I won't turn you in, but only if you behave yourself.” She stood, frowning. “You're right, I'm not going to believe you just like that. However, I'm more than willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.” The frown faded away, only to be replaced with a smile as she held out a hoof. “You have my word that I won't tell anypony you're out here, but only if you keep your nose clean. Deal?”

Speechless, Sombra's brow furrowed as he repeatedly looked between her hoof and her face. Before long, his eyes finally settled on the latter. Her smile was comforting in a way, as was the calmness that could be seen in the amethysts that were her eyes. Though he still felt that he didn't deserve the kindness, he gradually came to the conclusion that what he did deserve was a life of exile over a quick, painless death. He would be alone with his thoughts, his solitude, and nopony would be burdened with the knowledge that he was alive. 

Yes, he could live with that. Albeit hesitantly, he took her hoof into his and he gently shook it in agreement. “You have a deal.”

Grinning, Twilight released him and took a few steps back. “Great!” she exclaimed, clapping her hooves together. There was a slight spring in her steps as she then made her way towards the exit. “I'm glad we have an understanding! I'll just be on my way, then. I don't want to keep you from filling your empty stomach. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow night, okay?”

“... Very well.”

“Goodnight!”

Still baffled, Sombra silently watched as she vanished from his sight. She even closed the doors behind her as she left, leaving him to wallow in his solitude. His attention shifted to her gift. There was no doubting the hunger that had plagued him since his release. It was one that he was just barely able to satisfy with the crystal berries that grew along the outskirts of civilization. Unfortunately, he would not be able to live off them alone and he refused to resort to theft.

He could think of only two options at that particular moment: search the frozen wasteland for an alternative food source,  or lower himself to searching through garbage bins once the Crystal Empire's economy picked up its pace. Sighing, he reached into the basket and pulled out a soft loaf of bread. It was sustenance for which he was most grateful and, as he took a large bite, his eyes darted to his hoof-crafted doors.

He never broke eye contact (and neither did she), even as he allowed the Crystal Heart to slip into her right hoof.

He didn't know what Fate had in store for him, but it didn't appear as bleak as he feared. His new—friend?—acquaintance was either a very brave mare, or a very foolish one, but that didn't make him any less grateful. I just wish she had given me her name...
> Chapter Eight : Great, Powerful, and Vengeful
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight didn't know the time when she returned to the palace, nor did she bother to check. Though she left Sombra's lair with an energetic amount of glee (for a great weight was lifted off her shoulders with the confirmation that he wasn't a threat to the empire and her loved ones), the trek back proved exhausting. She didn't even bother taking the ribbons out of her hair before she curled up underneath the soft, warm bed sheets. She didn't expect to sleep easy that night, given that her head was swimming with a myriad of questions that she wanted to ask Sombra. She wanted to know more about the Crystal Empire—a settlement of which even Princess Celestia had limited knowledge. 

Her tail wagged as an idea popped into her head. She could write a research paper! She loved research papers, and, due to its millennial-long absence, the empire's history did need to be recorded. She had plenty of time to work on it. And, since the crystal ponies' memories were returning, she could run a few questions by them as well!

She giggled as she hugged one of the down pillows against her cheek. Despite her expectations, she comforted herself enough that she gradually slipped into a peaceful slumber. In that state was how stayed throughout the remainder of the night. However, a few hours after sunrise she was brought out of her slumber by the sound of voices. They were faint—distant—but there were so many of them that Twilight groggily wondered what was going on outside to warrant such noise. Despite her curiosity, the comfort of her bed tempted her to remain there.

Then, somepony screamed. Rarity...!

With a startled gasp, Twilight scrambled to get up onto her hooves and she ran to the nearest window. There was an enormous crowd of crystal ponies gathered at the base of the palace. They were also gathered around her friends, family, and a cloaked figure. Her blood ran cold at the sight, for she feared that she was wrong about Sombra. “Oh, no!” she cried. In a flash, the closest she could teleport to them was the outer border of the gathering. She then turned, and saw that the Crystal Heart was still there. Its presence put her mind at ease. 

After all, if Sombra had lied to her, then he still wouldn't have been able to get into the Crystal Empire. Well, that was one mystery solved. Now, all she had to do was get to her friends, find out why Rarity screamed, and discover the identity of the individual in the cloak. 

“Excuse me,” she said, tapping on a stallion's shoulder. “Could you please tell me what's going on out here?”

Though the stallion's back was to her, he didn't turn his head. “The Queen is taking care of some troublemakers,” he said. The monotone of his voice sent chills down Twilight's spine. 

Queen? Does he mean Cadance? She took a look at his face. Like the lack of emotion in his voice, his face lacked any expression; it was blank and his eyes were glazed over. She looked around and came to the disturbing realization that the other crystal ponies were in the same condition. Something, or someone, had them entranced.

She had to reach the others.

Quickly, but carefully, she pushed her way through the crystal ponies. While none of the Crystal Empire's citizens attempted to stop her, though they were the least of her worries. Soon enough, as soon as she reached the heart of the crowd, she was met with a baffling scene. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Spike were in the midst of comforting a wailing Rarity, while Fluttershy had her forelegs wrapped tightly around a struggling, enraged Rainbow Dash. Cadance and Shining Armor were with them, though they didn't fare much better, for Shining appeared to be consoling his downtrodden wife.

The first thing Twilight noticed was that Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were no longer crystalline. The second was that the Canterlot Royal Guards were not with them, but with the pony who donned the cloak.

Temporarily ignoring the mysterious pony, she galloped over to her friends and family. “Guys, what happened?” she asked.

“Twily, I'm sorry,” her brother replied softly. “I-I failed to protect everypony.” He lifted his head to look at her, and only then did his sibling notice that his horn was gone. 

Twilight's attention turned to Cadance, who had suffered the same fate, though her wings were also taken. The Princess of Love glanced at her and said nothing, shaking her head. Horrified, the unicorn mare turned to her friends. Now she understood why Rarity screamed, and Rainbow Dash's unbridled ire. The former was robbed of her horn as well. The latter, her wings. “Who did this?!” Twilight demanded, though she already pretty much knew who was responsible. It never hurt to be thorough. “Who did this to you?!”

“It was her!” snarled Rainbow, still thrashing around in Fluttershy's surprisingly-strong limbs as she pointed a trembling hoof at the unnamed thief. “She stole my wings!”

“She took my horn and my magnificent crystal visage!” cried Rarity.

Confused and angry, Twilight turned to the cloaked individual, who had begun to cackle. “This is not funny!” she snapped. “Who are you? What right do you have to do this to my family and friends?” And why the hay aren't the guards doing anything?!

“What's wrong, Twilight Sparkle?” sneered the pony in an all-too-familiar voice. “Are you having trouble wrapping your head around such superior magic?”

Twilight was taken aback. She knew that voice!

And its owner snickered at her stupor. “Well, well, well... Looks like a cat got your tongue. At least, I hope so. I hate to think that you've forgotten about little ol' me already.”

The lavender mare's ears folded back against her head. “I haven't forgotten about you... Trixie.”

Grinning, the magician discarded her cloak in one fluid motion. As it was thrown into the air, the fabric evaporated in a flurry of blue, smokey swirls. Trixie then sighed contently, running a hoof over the braid in her mane. “It's good to hear that you still know my name, Twilight,” she said as she looked over her crystallized form, which Twilight speculated was stolen from her three dull-coated friends. “So, how have you been since our last encounter?”

Twilight frowned. “I was fine, up until you came around. Return what you stole, Trixie.”

The azure unicorn grinned again. “No, I don't think so,” she replied with a snicker. “I have unfinished business with your friends, you see.” She reached out to Rarity with her magic and, in a poof of red smoke, the fashionista was fitted into the ugliest brown dress that anypony had ever seen. 

“You beast!” shrieked Rarity, rearing onto her hind legs in horror. “This shade of brown should only be used for accents!” She then fainted—dramatically—onto Applejack's back.

“Leave them alone!” shouted Twilight. “They haven't done anything to you!”

Trixie bared her teeth. “Lies!” she spat, her eyes flashing crimson.

Right away, Twilight noticed the bizarre necklace around the mare's neck did the same, which caused her mental warning bells to ring like crazy. Trixie's eyes never did that before, nor was her magical aura red like that. If she remembered correctly, the azure mare's aura was lilac—the same color as her eyes. The necklace must be enchanted, she thought. She obviously didn't make it. It looks too familiar. Where have I seen it before?

The magician's horn illuminated as she conjured a rectangular screen next to her. “Does this ring any bells?” she asked. A familiar series of scenes appeared in the magical rectangle.

“Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!”

“My, my, my! What boasting!” scoffed Rarity. 

Then, Twilight herself appeared on the screen. “There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?”

“Nothin' at all, 'cept when someone goes around showin' it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons,” replied Applejack.

Rarity continued, “Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us.”

“Especially when ya got me around being better than the rest of us. Eh, I mean, yeah, uh, magic shmagic. Boo!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Twilight bit down on her lip as the screen vanished. Yes, she remembered those events well. Her friends' reaction to Trixie was what sparked her fear of their rejection to her own magical talents—a fear that was later put to rest once she returned the Ursa Minor to its den in the Everfree Forest. “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked. “You were strutting around and boasting about your talents like no tomorrow!”

Anger caused the magician's eyes to again flare with a red aura, and so did her necklace. “Of course I was!” she growled, stomping her hoof on the ground. “I'm a magician, a stage performer, an entertainer! I'm an actress! That's my talent, you fools!” She took a few steps towards them. “Once upon a time, my shows brought smiles and wonder to ponies all over Equestria, and I never had to charge a single bit. I was able to live off tips and donations, and it was a wonderful living. Then, I stumbled across Ponyville and it all went straight to Tartarus.” Grinding her teeth together, she pointed a trembling hoof at Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity. “You didn't have to watch my show if you didn't like it! Nopony forced you to stay, but you did, and you humiliated and demonized me in front of everypony!” 

She returned her attention to Twilight. “Tell me, do you know what happened after you showed me up with that Ursa Minor?”

Swallowing down the bile that had gathered in her throat, Twilight shook her head.

“I became a laughing stock! As it turns out, the word of the Elements of Harmony is as good as gold, because everywhere I went I was laughed at and ostracized. I could no longer do my shows—do what I loved—because my so-called 'fraudulent' acts were viewed as worthless in the eyes of the public! I even had to take a job on a rock farm just to earn a living. A rock farm!” 

“Hey!” yelled Pinkie Pie. “You're lucky a rock farm would take the likes of you!”

Without warning, Trixie hit her with a blast of magic. The arcane crimson cloud faded in time for everypony to watch as the party pony's mane and tail deflated like punctured balloons. Twilight even saw the cheerful light fade from her eyes as she fell onto her haunches. “Trixie, what did you do to her?” she demanded.

“Oh, don't worry,” replied the magician. “I just toned her down a bit. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, my ruined life. Unfortunately, the rock farm gig didn't last long. My employers threw me out onto the streets as soon as they heard of my 'scams.' After that, I had to sell everything I owned—including my caravan, as I was bit-less to the point where I could no longer take care of it. Do you know what it's like to be homeless? Of course you don't. It was nightmarish, to say the least, and it pushed me to... look into other means to hone my magic so I could get back at you savage bullies.” Chuckling, she absentmindedly stroked the red gem of her necklace. “My magic's gotten better since you saw me last, and I want to put it to the test. So, Twilight Sparkle, me and you, a magic duel. Winner stays, loser leaves the Crystal Empire forever! The same applies to Ponyville!”

“Don't do it, Twilight!” shouted Shining Armor. “You've got nothing to prove!”

Twilight shot a glance at him, then returned her focus to Trixie. “What if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, I'll just keep casting spells until you agree. Open your eyes, Sparkle. I influenced both the guards and the crystal ponies to see through your lies. You're outnumbered. Do you really want to see how much more chaos The Great and Powerful Trixie can cause for you?”

Mass brainwashing? That explained a few things, and that was the kind of power that made Twilight nervous. Trixie's tricks were new and vastly improved, but she had to at least try to best her. For her friends' sakes. “Alright, Trixie, let's duel,” she replied with conviction. 

“Good, then draw!”

In a poof of crimson magic, the blue-coated mare made her first move with a weather spell that dropped snow onto her opponent. The Princess' protege was prepared, however, and she melted the cold substance with ease. Twilight then cast the first spell that came to mind: an alteration spell that caused a mustache to grow on Trixie's muzzle. The look on the magician's face was priceless. The humor was short-lived, however, for Trixie immediately conjured shears to cut the unwanted hair away. “Hilarious, Sparkle,” she muttered. Looking over her shoulder, she commanded Flash Sentry and another guard to step forward. “Feast your eyes on this!” she then exclaimed as she cast her next spell on them.

When the smoke cleared, Flash was a foal and the other stallion was elderly. Trixie had cast an age spell, and it made Twilight's heart sink. “An age spell?” she breathed. “But... how could you do an age spell? Only the Royal Sisters know that kind of advanced magic!”

Chuckling, Trixie grinned at her. “Well, Twilight? Give up?”

Twilight's brow furrowed as she eyed the victims of the magician's spell. No. It wasn't over yet! If she could figure out dark magic, then an age spell was nothing! Concentration. That was all she needed. So, she took a deep breath and she closed her eyes. Her magic wrapped the altered guards in a gentle embrace, and then the work began.

Sweat beaded on her face as she tried to put the right pieces of the spell together in her mind's eye. Changing a pony's age obviously fell into the category of Alteration—a school with which she was familiar—but she knew little of its more advanced spells. Altering a pony's age was almost the same as altering somepony's species or even somepony's gender. The closest she came to that level was when she transformed Fluttershy's mice into horses so that they would pull their carriage to the Grand Galloping Gala. Though that plan crashed and burned, it was an accomplishment nonetheless. 

But, mice were not ponies, and the strain became unbearable all too soon. Her magic fizzled out like flat soda, and the guards remained unchanged.

She couldn't do it. She lost.

She gasped as Trixie's aura engulfed her form and lifted her off the ground. The other mare walked towards her, laughing maniacally. “A valiant effort, Sparkle,” she cackled, “but it wasn't valiant enough! Who would've guess that Princess Celestia's prized pupil was so inferior? Well, Trixie did, but that's not the point. You'll never return to the Crystal Empire or Ponyville to face the shame!”

“Stop it!” cried Cadance. She pulled free from Shining Armor's embrace and she put herself between Trixie and Twilight. “Leave her alone, Trixie!”

Shining and the others followed. “I won't let you exile my sister!” he growled.

“Yes, you've proved your point!” added Rarity.

Applejack took off her hat and held it against her chest. “Uh-huh, I'm awfully sorry for how we treated ya, Trixie, but this ain't the right way to settle things,” she said. “I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement that—”

Again, Trixie struck the ground with her hoof, which startled everypony. “Silence!” she commanded, marching up to them. “She agreed to the terms of the duel and she lost! It's her own fault!”

Rainbow Dash lashed out at her with a foreleg. “You can't make her leave!” she spat.

As the others began to argue further with the magician, Twilight angled herself so that she could get a better look at Trixie's necklace. It was made up of silver links and a pendant crafted from a red gem. Above the jewel, there was the likeness of a pony with wings and a horn. Her eyes widened. “An alicorn,” she whispered. There was only one object she recalled from her studies that resembled the trinket: the Alicorn Amulet—a powerful artifact that, while shrouded in mystery when it came to its history, was known to grant untold power to whoever wore it.

Twilight glared at Trixie. “You cheated!” she yelled in anger.

Her outburst caused the argument to cease, and Trixie returned her glare with a feigned countenance of surprise and disbelief. “Cheated?” she gasped. “Moi?”

“You're wearing the Alicorn Amulet!”

Trixie flinched as her ears folded against her head, though she continued to put on her act of innocence. “The what now? I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Twilight looked towards her friends and family. “Her power's not her own! It's the amulet! Whoever wears it—!” Her voice was muffled by the corrupted magic that clamped her mouth shut. She struggled and flailed helplessly against the crimson aura. It didn't bother Trixie, until Twilight attempted to use her magic to escape her grasp. Then, she was more difficult to control, and that was simply unacceptable. 

“That's enough out of you!” hissed the blue mare. Her eyes flashed with the power of the amulet as she cast one final spell on her rival. 

Spike and the others recoiled at the flash of light that came as a result of the unknown spell. When they could see once more, they all took one look at Twilight and, in unison, they gasped in horror. Twilight, free to speak again, glanced at each of them. “What?” she asked, her concern growing. “What did she do to me?”

Before they could answer, Trixie began to levitate her with haste towards the empire's barrier. “Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle!” she shouted, waving. “It was nice knowing you!”

Twilight struggled once more as she passed through the field of magic. It didn't do her much good, since she was dropped on the snow-coated ground as soon as she was on the other side. “Oh, no you don't!” she growled. She ran towards the barrier. To her surprise, it changed colors before her very eyes, and she dug her front hooves into the snow to stop herself as it settled on a pink, yet very menacing shade of pink. Cautiously, she placed her hooves on the surface of the shield. It didn't let her through, even when she pushed on it with all her might. 


Suggested Listening : Vision


“Oh, no!” she grunted. Trixie altered the Crystal Heart. There was no other explanation. Panic began to settle in as she looked at her surroundings. It was snowing heavily, so she couldn't see far. Darn it! Now what?

She bit down on the edge of her hoof. C'mon, Twilight, what's the simplest solution? She eyed the corrupted barrier. Perhaps she could teleport back inside. It was the only thing she could think of on such short notice. 

Unfortunately, nothing happened when she attempted to perform the teleportation spell. She didn't feel the magic as she tried to channel it through her horn, which lead to the realization that she couldn't feel her horn in the first place. Trembling, she reached up to touch the appendage. It wasn't there. Her horn wasn't there.

Trixie had whisked it away with that final spell.

Her panic worsened, the drumming of her heart pounded in her ears. “No, no, no!” she cried. Without her magic, there was nothing she could do. She was, quite literally, powerless, and Spike wasn't there to send a letter to the Princess. Wait, the Princess! 

If she could find the train station, then she could get to Canterlot. If she got to Canterlot, then she could enlist Celestia's aid! She had to brave the blizzard in order to do so, but it was her (newfound) only option. Fueled by adrenaline, she turned and she dashed into the raging snowfall. The station wasn't far. It wasn't far and it was north of the empire. Wait, that was wrong. It was east. Northeast? Perhaps both were wrong and it was south. 

In her panic, Twilight began to wander in countless different directions. It's here somewhere! I'm not lost! I know where it is! She was running blind, and she didn't even realize it until her legs began to ache and the adrenaline wore off due to the cold that pierced the layer of her fur and settled into her flesh. Her confidence wavered. No! I'm almost there! I know it! I... I... 

I have no idea where I am.

The anguish hit her like an arrow and her legs gave out from underneath her. She collapsed on the ground with a heart-wrenching sob. “I can't... I can't... I'm lost.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in her forelegs. There was nothing she could do. Trixie possessed one of the most powerful relics in existence, she was exiled from the Crystal Empire, and now she was lost in the cold. Trixie won. The magician was going to hurt her loved ones and she was powerless to stop it—all because she acted upon her panic and ran blind into a blizzard. She was a disgrace.

“Twilight.”

Sniffling, the horn-less mare lifted her head and peered into the snowfall. She thought she heard something.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

She did hear something! “Hello?” she called, getting back up onto her hooves. “Who's there?”

“Come here.”

She squinted as an orange glow appeared in the distance. She wasn't sure if that was there before, but it renewed her sense of confidence. The uncanny voice continued to call out to her—beckon her—as she approached the illumination. Soon, she saw that the glow came from the ground. The spot on the ground was completely barren of snow and there was a brightly-colored flower growing from it. Twilight stood over it with curiosity. “What is this?” she whispered. The flower was a beautiful shade of red, with yellow and orange bands highlighting the rim of each petal. She could sense that it was magical, and it smelled of a fire-like warmth. 

“Eat.”

Entranced, Twilight beheaded the flower in one bite. It had a strange taste, but it was sweeter than a daisy and she already felt the strength returning to her. Yet, not too long after the small snack settled into her belly, her head began to swim. Afterwards, her forehead ached. Groaning, she fell onto her rump, then onto her side as a strange sensation—almost like static—washed over her. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, and her tired eyes slowly closed.

“Everything will be all right.”
> Chapter Nine : Mysteries in History
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight sighed contently as she slowly awakened to comfort and warmth. She was confused as to why she was not greeted by the silk sheets of her palace bed, but a thick blanket of black wool instead. There was no mattress beneath her, either, only a thin cotton sheet fastened to a stone slab. Yet, it was oddly comfortable. 

Groaning, she sat up and looked around. The sound of hoofsteps drew her attention to the doorway, where Sombra soon appeared. “Oh, you're awake,” he said, smiling. “I thought you would sleep the entire day away.”

“Oh, Sombra. Guess that answers my question as to where I am.”

He nodded. “You're in my cave.”

“How...?”

“I found you outside my door, so I brought you inside.” He frowned. “Were you trying to get here through the blizzard? That was incredibly foolish.”

Twilight winced. Oh, right, she thought. She recalled the blizzard—being lost. Then, she remembered how she ended up there in the first place. … Trixie!

Her eyes widened. “Y-yeah!” she replied loudly. “But, I was trying to get to the train station, not here!” She hopped off the makeshift bed. “I need to get to Canterlot!”

“What? Whatever for?”

A second after he asked, she was so close to his face that their muzzles nearly touched. Her eyes were filled with panic as she began to trot in place. 

“BecauseTrixiecameaftermyfriendslookingforrevengeandshebrainwashedeveryponyandshechallengedmetoamagicduelbutshehastheAlicornAmuletsoIlosthorriblyandshebanishedmesoItriedtofindthetrainstationtogettoCanterlotsoIcouldtellPrincessCelestiabutIgotlostintheblizzardandIheardaweirdvoicethatleadmetoamagicflowerthatIatebutitmademepassoutandthenIwokeuphere!” 

Only then did she remember to breath. She inhaled deeply and then she began to properly catch her breath. “So,” she panted, “I-I have to get to Canterlot. I can't take on Trixie without my horn!”

Eyes wide, Sombra looked at Twilight's forehead in confusion. “I have no idea what's going on,” he said, “but you do have your horn.”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

“Your horn is precisely where it belongs.” His brow furrowed as he touched his hoof to the base of her horn. “Do you feel well? Maybe you had some sort of fever dream...”

She stepped out of his reach. He didn't lie, for she was quick to discover that the magical appendage was right where it was meant to rest upon her forehead. The relief she felt was indescribable. “Oh, thank the stars,” she breathed. She tapped her chin. “It must've been that strange flower.” Now that she had calmed a bit, it occurred to her that she would've recalled seeing Sombra's cave if it were actually there when she became lost in the snowstorm. Was that also the flower's doing, or did she subconsciously teleport there once her horn returned? Either way, she was grateful.

Sombra sighed. “I still have no idea what you're talking about. Though, if you'll begin with telling me your name, I'll be most grateful.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” She held out her hoof. “I'm Twilight Sparkle. Guess I should've told you that sooner.”

Smirking, the stallion gave her hoof a brief shake. “Do not worry about it,” he chuckled. “So, Twilight Sparkle, tell me how you ended up at my door? Slowly, if you please.”

Twilight took a seat on the edge of the bed as she began to explain her situation to him. She began with a brief version of her first encounter with Trixie, which slowly lead into the traveler's reappearance within the Crystal Empire's borders. Sombra listened patiently, though Twilight noticed his eyes widened when she mentioned the Alicorn Amulet. Finally, when her tale was finished, the stallion grunted as he sat before her on the floor. “This is... troubling news,” he said. “Troubling news indeed.”

“I don't even know how she got her hooves on such a powerful item,” Twilight sighed. “Then again, stranger things have happened, such as that flower I told you about.”

Sombra nodded. “I'm afraid that I have no explanation for either, Twilight, but I do know of the Alicorn Amulet.”

“You do?”

“Yes, please follow me.” He stood, then made his way into another chamber with Twilight on his heels. He lead her into the main room—using his magic to pull a worn book off its shelf as he entered. “Tell me, what do you know of the relic?” he questioned, sitting close to the fire. 

The unicorn mare sat beside him. “It's heavily enchanted,” she replied. “It blesses the wearer with untold powers, but corrupts them in the process. It was also crafted with a magical lock, so it can be removed only by the pony wearing it. That's about it, though. Nopony knows who built it, so nopony knows a whole lot about it. There are only a few recorded instances regarding its use in history, but it seems that as soon as it appears it vanishes just as easily.”

Again, the stallion chuckled. “Yes, it's quite a fascinating little trinket. Dangerous, but fascinating. I actively sought it out during my... 'reign' as king.”

Twilight glanced nervously at him. “So you could use it?”

“No, so I could destroy it.” He opened the book, then began to flip back and forth through the dusty pages. “In my blind arrogance and paranoia, I wanted to rid Equestria of it so that nopony would use it against me. I already had the Crystal Empire under my control. I desired nothing else, other than its termination.” He appeared as though he found the page he sought, for his hoof immediately rested upon it to keep it in place. “It's hard to believe that the treacherous item was created by such an esteemed and wise stallion as Starswirl the Bearded...”

“What?” gasped Twilight. She leaned in to look at the book. The aged page depicted a rough, but clear sketch of the grand conjurer—bells and all—sitting at a table with a variety of parts that she couldn't make out. Sombra slowly turned the pages one by one, which showed Starswirl as he worked on, and eventually completed, the item with a countenance of pride. “Did you draw these?” she questioned. She could only assume, for there was no title on the cover of the book, nor on the spine. Even then, the sketches were much too hasty-drawn and scribbled to be part of a published work. 

“Yes.”

“So, you were there when it was created?” She jumped up onto all four hooves. “You watched Starswirl the Bearded craft it with your own two eyes?! Did you know him? Was he your teacher or something? Oh, my gosh, what was he like?! Was he really as wise and powerful as—!” 

She was interrupted as Sombra gently placed his hoof over her mouth. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, there's too much to tell, and yes to your final question,” he said, amused.

Blushing, Twilight cleared her throat and smiled. Although, her smile was a bit too wide and awkward. “Sorry, it's just that I've admired his work for as long as I've studied magic. Just meeting somepony other than the Princesses who met him is, well, exciting.” Then, her smile fell. “I... I guess it is kind of hard to believe that he was the mastermind behind the Alicorn Amulet.”

Sighing, Sombra turned his attention to the book. “Yes, he was its creator, and I was the only witness to its birth, though he never told me why he created such a thing. You see, Starswirl moved to the Crystal Empire before I was born, and I came to know him as I grew. I was only a colt when he began to tutor me in the ways of magic, though it was only for a short time.” His eyes narrowed sadly. “This was the last project we shared, though he taught me only how he constructed the amulet. Upon its completion, he left the empire and never returned. Then, my knowledge of the Alicorn Amulet was fed by mere rumors and encounters with supposed eye-witnesses to its power.”

As Twilight mentally shifted through her knowledge of the historic stallion, she found that none of her books ever mentioned him living in the Crystal Empire. Sombra, however, was both born and raised there. That tidbit of information opened the door to a plethora of questions she wished to ask. But, now was not the time, so she made a simple mental note of it as she sat beside him. She placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “I'm sorry to hear that,” she whispered. “You must've really looked up to him.” 

“Yes, he inspired me to continue my studies, even after he was gone.” He closed the book. “But, that is not the point. The point is that Starswirl's creation is now in the hooves of this Trixie—a mare who now controls the crystal ponies, the Canterlot Royal Guards, and the empire.”

“That's why I should get to Canterlot as soon as—”

“There may not be enough time, Twilight. Your loved-ones may not be in any immediate danger, but it's only a matter of time before Trixie completely loses herself to the Alicorn Amulet. It could be a few days, or a few weeks. Either way, we have to begin planning now.”

Twilight bit down on her lip. She hadn't thought of that. There really was no way for them to determine the effects of the amulet, nor how quickly they took root. “Wait,” she then questioned as the stallion's last few words clicked, “'we?'”

Sombra looked away from her, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “You will need dark magic, the very magic that created it, to destroy the item.” Once again, he opened the book and he returned to the page that displayed the amulet before its proper assembly. “The necklace is comprised of silver, steel, shards of a fragmented ruby, and an expertly-cut red diamond,” he explained. “The majority of it is simply for show. The Alicorn Amulet's power is in the diamond. As such, it can't be destroyed from the outside.”

Twilight understood the implication, and nodded to show that she followed. “It will need to be destroyed from within,” she retorted softly.

“Do not fret, I will teach you how to unravel its inner threads. Your magic is greater than my own, Pupil of the Sun Princess, so I'm positive that you will learn quickly.” He offered a smile as he returned the book to its rightful place on the nearby shelf. As he returned his attention to her, his expression turned stern. “But, I will teach you only how to destroy the Alicorn Amulet,” he then added. “Dark magic sets itself apart from benign magic for a reason, Twilight Sparkle. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Then, we will begin right away. The sooner we get started, the sooner you can stop Trixie.”

“Thank you. You have no idea how much your help means to me.” She smiled, and he did the same.

Odd. Only a few days ago, she believed Sombra to be a horrible monster and heartless tyrant. How quickly her view of him began to change once she came to the realization that he was the one who helped her deliver the Crystal Heart back to the crystal ponies, and it changed completely when they met face to face in that very cave. It was almost silly. Too soon was the Crystal Empire in peril again, and Sombra was there to aid her once more.

She just couldn't help herself. She giggled solemnly, much to the bewilderment of her soon-to-be teacher.
> Chapter Ten : First Day as Future Queen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie giggled excitedly as she sat upon the Crystal Throne. She had no idea it was so beautiful—so sparkly! Then again, she was nearly dumbstruck by the empire's beauty as a whole when she first saw it. It was more beautiful than the cascading rainbows of Winsome Falls, Tall Tale's vast gem mines, and even Canterlot's Royal Castle. It was a shame she had to take it by force.

Nopony was complaining (within earshot), thankfully. The throne room was busy with her subjects as they worked on making the palace more Trixie-friendly. Silk banners embroidered with her image were hung from the walls, and freshly-woven rugs of a similar design were placed on the floors. For somepony working under the threat of having her entire body permanently dyed green, Rarity did a wonderful job.

The thought of the dressmaker reminded her of something then. “Oh, Fluttershy!” the amulet-wielder called. “Come here, please!”

The crystal pegasus slowly emerged from the eastern corridor—careful as not to walk into any of the decorators. “Yes, Q-Queen Trixie?” she replied as she approached the throne. Unfortunately, even under the effect of Trixie's mind-control, she remained rather timid. 

Oh, well, thought the unicorn. At least she follows orders as well as the others. Then, she asked, “Do you know where Pinkie Pie is? Queen Trixie demands to know this information.”

As if on cue, a pink blur rolled into the room like a mobile pinwheel. Its progress stopped beside Fluttershy, revealing the party pony they sought. “You called, Queen Trixie?” she asked. 

Blinking, Trixie stared at the pair for a few seconds. She then shook her head free of the bewilderment and cleared her throat. “The reason your beloved Queen Trixie called you here is that she wishes to know the progress of her coronation dress,” she declared. “She also wishes to discuss the details of said coronation. If she is to be the Crystal Empire's new ruler, then Trixie wants her coronation to be the best coronation ever coronated!”

Fluttershy's head tilted. “Well, I'm no good with parties, but I do know that Rarity is already in the process of designing your dress.”

“Excellent! You shall keep an eye on her for Queen Trixie.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Then, you are dismissed. Queen Trixie has no further use for you.”

A single silent bow was given before the pegasus mare departed, which left Pinkie Pie alone before the throne's usurper. Unlike her friend, however, she wasn't intimidated in the least. Despite the lack of bounce in her mane, a small smile remained on her face. That was what Trixie liked to see. She liked to see ponies smiling at her, not booing and throwing cheap cousine in an attempt to terrorize her off her own stage. That was partially why she restored some of Pinkie's energetic personality and, so far, she didn't regret it. “So, Pinkie Pie,” she said sternly, “as the Royal Party Planner your mighty matriarch expects a lot from you. Do you understand?”

Eyes narrowing, the “Royal Party Planner” saluted. “I understand completely!”

“Alright. Now, what did you have in mind for Queen Trixie's coronation?” She leaned her back against the throne, grinning. She was eager to hear what Pinkie had in store for the momentous ceremony. 

The party pony took a deep breath. She then looked contemplatively around the room before shrugging. “Eh,” she uttered. “I got nothin'.” 

“What!?” gasped the ex-magician. “How can you come up with nothing!? You're a 'party' pony, for crying out loud!”

“Oh, I'm great with parties, Queen Trixie, but I don't know anything about coronations.” She frowned. “Coronations are all serious and official and boring.”

Completely baffled and wide-eyed, Trixie pressed a hoof against her temple. She always thought that coronations were parties—special parties that were held to celebrate one's ascension to royalty! It was something to celebrate, right? Was she wrong? She despised being wrong! “Does anypony here know anything about coronations?” she semi-yelled. She came close to focusing her anger on Pinkie, until she caught sight of another pink-coated pony walking up beside her throne.

It was her designated Palacekeeper, Cadance. “Pardon me, Your Highness,” she said, bowing her head. “But, I know quite a bit about the subject.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow and waved her hoof. “Right, right,” she grumbled. Of course, a fully-fledged princess would know something like that. Well, former princess, given that she had kept the alicorn's horn from her as a precautionary measure. Cadence was nothing more than a pegasus maid now—dress and all. The regal magician didn't know if a real alicorn was more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet, but that wasn't something she wanted to risk. She definitely didn't want to risk it now, when she finally had everything she ever wanted. “Elaborate, Palacekeeper,” she added.

Smiling, Cadance positioned herself before the throne. “It's a simple ceremony, really,” she said. “All you need is your own set of regalia, your loyal subjects, and a member of the Equestrian Royal Family. Once you have a date set for the coronation, you can choose to invite all your subjects to the palace so that they can witness your claim to the throne. That involves said Royal Family member placing the crown atop your head and naming you the Crystal Empire's new queen. Once it's official, then you can throw the grand party you so desire!”

A contemplative look appeared on the amulet-wielder's face as she tapped her chin. So, she wasn't completely wrong; the celebration came after the actual coronation. She could work with that, no problem. “Well, the regalia and the overall gathering won't be an issue,” she thought aloud. She was always an admirer of the Royal Sisters' exquisite sets of gold and silver-plated regalia. It seemed only fitting that, as the soon-to-be Queen of the Crystal Empire, she would possess a set of her own. 

Speaking of princesses... She looked her Palacekeeper up and down. “Queen Trixie has nothing to fear, then. She has you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, to complete the list of all she needs for the ceremony."

“Me?”

“Though you are my maid, you are still part of the Equestrian Royal Family. Are you not?”

“Oh, yes, my crown is not affected by my loyalty to you, Queen Trixie.”

“Then, it is you who shall place the crown atop Queen Trixie's beautiful head! You should feel honored.”

Cadance bowed once more. “I am honored, Your Highness! You are most gracious for allowing me the chance to play such an important part in your coronation!”

Chuckling, Trixie gently touched the Alicorn Amulet. The contact caused it to dimly glow. Trixie is gracious, isn't she? “You are dismissed, Palacekeeper,” she said, waving her hoof dismissively. “You have been more than helpful to your future Queen. She will summon you again when she has set a date for her coronation.” She glared briefly at Pinkie Pie, who merely waved in reply. “The Royal Party Planner and I, however, still have a post-coronation party to put together...”

Said planner grinned at the crystal unicorn as Cadance took her leave. Then, without warning, she bounced towards Trixie until they were so close in proximity to each other that it was very much uncomfortable. “Oh, oh!” she uttered excitedly. “I have an idea now, Queen Trixie! Wanna hear it?”

Flinching away from the other pony, Trixie quickly replied, “Yes, yes, whatever! Just please remove yourself from Queen Trixie's personal space!”

Pinkie complied without protest—the inspired spark never leaving her eyes. “We should have a ball!” she exclaimed. She rose up onto her hind legs. “A huge, huge ball, right in the palace's ballroom!”

For the first time that day, Trixie was pleasantly surprised. “A ball? Queen Trixie is intrigued by this idea. Tell her more!” In spite of her countless travels, she attended only a few parties over the years; she had certainly never attended a ball. 

“Well, I'll need to go over some of the details a little more, since a normal ball just won't do it!” Less than a second passed before she again made her way into the matriarch's comfort zone. “There needs to be balloons and banners and lots and lots of food, but not even all that will cut it!”

Unfortunately for the pink party pony, Trixie wasn't going to tolerate having her space invaded a second time. Her eyes flashed crimson and, growling, she forced Pinkie Pie to the floor with a blast of dark magic. Her surprised yelp of pain brought silence down upon the throne room. All activity ceased, and the crystal ponies regarded the scene with curiosity, confusion, and even a nuance of fear. Even Trixie found herself rendered speechless by her actions. Mouth agape, she attempted to process the situation. She didn't mean to do such a thing. Sure, Pinkie obviously had a habit of getting too close for comfort, but she didn't mean to hurt her!

“Oh, my gosh,” she breathed. She jumped from the throne and she began to help the earth mare up off the floor. “Are you all right?” she asked. “I'm sorry, I—” She clamped her mouth shut; the realization of her weakness had struck her with a force equivalent to that of the Friendship Express. Although that didn't stop her from offering Pinkie a helping hoof, she once again put on her rigid, regal front as she stepped away from the other pony. “Queen Trixie didn't mean to be so strict, but she hopes that you've learned your lesson,” she said scoldingly. “Didn't she already warn you once to remain out of her personal space?”

Pinkie didn't meet her gaze as she nodded solemnly, rubbing the soreness from her left foreleg. “I'm sorry, Queen Trixie,” she whispered sadly.

Trixie missed her smiling face already. Yet, despite the guilt, she remained stone-faced. “You are forgiven,” she replied, her voice as cold as ice. “You are also dismissed. Queen Trixie orders you to keep on planning her ball. Understood?”

A tiny smile made its way to Pinkie's countenance. “Yes, Queen Trixie. Thank you.”

The unicorn turned her back as the party pony left. Now that she was out of sight, Trixie felt a little better. A little, yet she couldn't help but notice the sluggish and downtrodden manner in which Pinkie dragged herself out of the chamber. No. It wasn't wise to dwell on something so insignificant. She was a queen, and soon she would be the rightful and official Queen of the Crystal Empire. She wasn't going to allow her weaknesses to get in the way. 

She reclaimed her spot on the Crystal Throne, shooting a fierce glare at the motionless audience. “What are you looking at!?” she snapped—the amulet around her neck flashing red. “Get back to work!”
> Chapter Eleven : First Lesson as Darkness' Disciple
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What is the difference between dark magic and benign magic?”

“Benign magic is more natural than dark magic. While it can be found in almost everything, dark magic can not. It is what connects earth ponies to the earth, pegasi to the sky, and its the kind of magic that unicorns can directly manipulate with their horns.” Twilight held her hoof close enough to the fire to warm it. “Nothing and no one is brought into this world naturally imbued with dark magic.”

Across the way, Sombra nodded. “Correct, and that is because dark magic is born from benign magic.”

“Yes, it's a twisted version of its former self.”

“So, what causes magic to become corrupted in such a manner?”

Her eyes narrowed as she gazed into the flames. It was difficult to bring any information on the topic to mind, since dark magic was one of the few subjects that Princess Celestia outright refused to teach her. She didn't even know dark magic was real until she made one fateful venture into the Canterlot Royal Library when she was a filly. The library, of course, was where she spent the majority of her time when she wasn't under her teacher's instruction. She handled the overwhelming amount of literature systematically and, as the months passed, it was only a matter of time before she began to pluck tomes from the Starswirl the Bearded Wing. Books and reports ranging from time travel to alchemy were at her disposal. 

Then, she came across a bizarre tome that was bound in leather. 







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







The tiny filly eyed the book suspiciously as she levitated it off the top shelf. Her levitation, still unstable at the time, didn't keep it in the air for long; it landed on the floor with a flinch-inducing “thud!” She coughed when the thick layer of dust on its cover was disturbed. Through the irritating fog, she caught a whiff of the ancient leather. “Whoa,” she whispered, running a hoof over the uncanny binding.

She had never seen the material before. Prior readings told her that while it was used during Equestria's earliest years, it was currently considered both tasteless and morbid to so much as own anything of the sort. It was fascinating, and a little unnerving. Slowly, she opened the book to the first page. There was no author that she could see, so she continued turning pages until she reached some text: “Of all Equestrian forces, magic is the most abundant, powerful, and unpredictable force known to equine-kind. Given its nature, its understandable that dark magic would prove far more dangerous and terrifying.”

Her curiosity still peaked, she kept reading. “History has recorded only a couple incidents where it was proven to have reared its ugly head. The most recent, and the most disturbing, case that I was involved in was that of Jade Sugar. She, her husband Cinnamon Sugar, and their two foals were residents of Hoofington, where they owned a rather successful sweet shop. They lead a happy, peaceful life, up until the tragic death of their—”

She squeaked in surprise as the book suddenly lit up with a golden aura and slammed shut before her eyes. “Oh, dear,” sighed a nearby voice. “I thought I had hidden this one away.”

Twilight spun around, peering up at the approaching pony. “Princess Celestia!”

The Sun Princess chuckled and shook her head as she levitated the book away from her apprentice. “I apologize for interrupting your reading, Twilight, but this book is not for young fillies like yourself.”

“Why not? What's it about? It mentioned dark magic, but dark magic doesn't really exist... does it?”

Frowning, Princess Celestia kneeled beside her pupil—gently draping a warm, soft wing over her small body. “I will not lie to you, young one. Dark magic does, in fact, exist in our world.”

Twilight nuzzled the familiar feathers. “Whoa, really?” she whispered. “What can it do, Princess? Is it like those stories you always read to me, where it transforms princes into monsters and ponies into dragons?”

“I'm afraid it's not quite as harmless as that. It's a dangerous force, Twilight. It twists, corrupts, and destroys all that it touches.”

“Are you going to teach me how to use it someday?”

“I'm afraid not, for I've seen far too many of my little ponies fall to its temptation. All I can teach you is how to avoid and protect yourself against it.” She glanced at the tome, a look of worry sculpted on her divine face. “Someday, when you're older, I'll allow you to read this. Then, you'll understand why nopony should ever trifle with the forbidden arts.”







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







“Bit for your thoughts, Twilight?”

Lifting her head to look at him, Twilight realized that she was so caught up in the memory that she failed to think over his question. Her embarassment made her blush. “Sorry, Sombra,” she mumbled. “I was thinking about something else.”

“It's all right. Care to tell me what you were thinking?”

“Well, I was thinking back to when Princess Celestia told me that dark magic actually existed. Before, I believed it to be nothing more than a story element fabricated by adults to frighten their foals into behaving themselves. But, when I was only eight years old, I came across a strange tome in the Royal Library.” She shuddered. “It was bound in leather, and it was the first book I ever read that mentioned dark magic. I didn't get to read the whole thing, though. Princess Celestia took it from me before I got to the next page. She said that I wasn't old enough to read it.”

A chuckle rumbled in Sombra's throat. “Well, in all honesty, dark magic is a rather macabre subject for an eight-year-old filly.”

“Yeah, she wasn't wrong, but she did let me read it eventually. Shortly before I left Canterlot to live in Ponyville, I took the time to pick up where I left off. I discovered that it was the journal of a Royal Guard who lived over two hundred years ago. He used it to keep a few case reports of crimes committed with dark magic.” Her brow knitted together. “They were... sad, like unfortunate gamblers who used it to rob stores and banks, and victims of domestic violence who used it against their abusers. The most disturbing case, however, was dubbed the 'Hoofington Incident.' It involved the Sugars—an earth pony couple who owned a candy store there.” She sighed sadly.  “Well, they lost one of their two foals to pneumonia. The mother, Jade Sugar, slipped into a deep depression and, according to information recovered by the guard, she began to disappear for short periods of time. During one of those absences, she stole multiple scrolls from Hoofington's public library. During another, she... she dug up her son's coffin and stored it in the basement of their home. She turned to dark magic in an attempt to bring him back from the dead.”

“Goodness, I hope she wasn't successful.”

“She wasn't.” She crossed her forelegs. “Since the foal's body wasn't large enough to contain the kind of magic needed to reanimate him, Jade stored it in a bloodstone instead—forming a magical connection between her son and the gemstone. But, she messed up the spell.” She glanced at Sombra. “She ended up projecting the spell, instead of containing it.”

The stallion opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it again when Twilight held up her hoof. “No, it didn't raise the dead,” she interrupted. “The signal wasn't strong enough to alter the deceased, including Jade's foal. No, the dark magic caused Hoofington's pegasus population to turn violent.”

“What? Why the pegasi?”

“My guess is that the pegasi were afflicted because Jade's son was a pegasus. His magical link to the signal caused the dark magic to seek out only other pegasi. Anyway, it was absolute chaos. The pegasi physically assaulted everypony they could get their hooves on. Some ponies were even lifted high into the air, only to be dropped a short time later. A lot of ponies were critically injured and some were even killed. Cinnamon Sugar, Jade's husband, was even affected by the signal due to the pegasus blood in his veins. So, believing that he could fly, he jumped off the roof of their shop. He lived, but he broke most of the bones in his body as a result of the impact.”

Humming, Sombra held a hoof to his chin. “I've never heard of dark magic backfiring in such an unnerving manner,” he said. “When and how were the pegasi stopped?”

“Oh, the chaos went on for about two hours, until Jade finally emerged from her basement after she gave up on reviving her son. As soon as she discovered her husband, she discovered the horrors she unleashed upon Hoofington. She then returned to the basement and she destroyed the bloodstone herself. Once the signal was gone, the pegasi returned to normal. Well, as normal as they could be, given their ordeal. It's only natural that they demanded Jade's life when she was finally arrested.”

“Was she executed?”

“No, she was imprisoned in an asylum. The guard mentioned that her husband began to see a psychiatrist once he was discharged from the hospital, as did many of Hoofington's residents.” Twilight frowned. “With that story in mind, as well as the others from the case reports, it's safe to say that the most common form of dark magic is born when a pony's natural magic is corrupted by his or her negative emotions.”

Sombra nodded. “Yes, when the heart falls into darkness, magic has a tendency to follow,” he replied, his voice deep with a grim seriousness. “That's why we must take great caution, Twilight. Fear, anger, sorrow, bitterness... There are so many emotions that can be embraced to call upon dark magic. As frightening as it sounds, you will have to embrace these emotions as well.” Absentmindedly, he smoothed a wrinkle out of his cloak. “Part of you probably knew that, however.”

Twilight grimaced as a myriad of past thoughts flashed across her mind's eye—the same thoughts she used to first ignite the corrupted power when Sombra's door got in her way. “I guess I do know the basics, at least,” she muttered. “But, is it normal to feel a chill inside you when you use it?”

“Yes, it's normal. Trust me. While it may be uncomfortable, it's a better feeling than satisfaction.” He looked into the fire. “You don't want to like using dark magic. Once you begin to like it, you lose.”

Unknowing how to properly respond, she watched his face as he drifted into memories more demanding of his attention. She could see the flames as they reflected off his eyes. Those rich, emerald orbs reminded her of a few things she hadn't recollected in a while. Applejack's eyes were green, though they were a lighter shade of the color. Fluttershy's were kind of green. If she had to guess the name of the exact shade of teal, then they were aquamarine. If anything, the color of Sombra's eyes more closely matched the color of Spike's. 

Spike... The girls... 

She dropped her gaze to peer at the ground. She missed them, she was so worried about them. Yet, despite the Alicorn Amulet around Trixie's neck and in light of her own absence, she clung to the hope that their bond would protect Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack from the vengeful unicorn. Hang on, girls, she thought, gently biting down on her tongue. Princess Celestia made me her student for a reason. I'll have dark magic down in no time! Granted, she wouldn't like it if she knew I was learning it, especially from Sombra, but I need it to save you and the Crystal Empire. I just need a little bit more time. Just... watch out for each other until then. I will come for you, I promise!
> Chapter Twelve : The Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack adjusted her hat as she cautiously entered the small chamber where her friends awaited her. It wasn't easy to sneak through the heavily-guarded corridors, but she managed well enough. She hoped the others did as well. Since “Queen” Trixie condemned her to work as part of the kitchen staff, there was no way for her to know how the others were doing and, needless to say, she was anxious to see them. “Rainbow Dash?” she called out in a hush voice. “Rarity? Spike? Y'all here?”

A candle suddenly lit up in the center of the room—illuminating the very friends she hoped to see. “We're here, darling,” replied Rarity. “Come sit with us.”

Smiling, the earth pony approached the small group. “I hope y'all had a better day than I did,” she said, taking a seat next to Rainbow Dash. “Trixie's been workin' me to the bone in the palace kitchen!”

The pegasus scowled, “At least you're not a living target for the guards!” She rolled her shoulders, causing her wings to twitch in agitation. Though Trixie was “kind” enough to return them, she didn't return her magic—leaving her grounded. “Honestly, those guys pack a punch. I'm sore all over!”

“Same here,” commented Rarity. “The only break I had today was for lunch, and that's it! First, Trixie wanted new banners and rugs for the palace, then she wanted a coronation dress, and now she wants me to construct a set of regalia for her to wear! Regalia! How in the world am I supposed to manage all of that?”

Twiddling his claws, Spike gave her the biggest smile he could muster. “I'm sure you'll think of something, Rarity!” he exclaimed. “You always do!” He giggled as his encouragement was then rewarded with a quick hug from the gorgeous unicorn. 

“What about you, Spike?” inquired Applejack. “Where'd you end up?”

The dragon's smile fell. “Ugh... I was 'placed under Cadance's watch' as a maid.” His cheeks turned red. “She's making me wear the dress and everything...”

Rainbow Dash snickered; the mental image was too funny. “Oh, man, that stinks!” she laughed. “And I thought I had it bad!”

Applejack shot her a glare. “Quiet, sugarcube!” she hissed.

Though she was still quite amused by Spike's situation, she made an attempt to calm herself. She cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she replied as softly as possible.

“What we need to do right now is figure out how we're gonna get ourselves out of this mess.”

“It'll be difficult to pull anything off,” said Rarity. “There's only four of us, after all. Everypony else is under Trixie's spell! Even if we somehow managed to get out of the palace, her magical force field will tell her if we try to leave the Crystal Empire.”

“Then, we need to last until Twilight comes back with help!” replied Spike. “She has to be on her way to Canterlot as we speak!”

“Do you think we found her way to the train station in that blizzard?”

“I know she did! You guys know Twilight well enough to know that she would never let us down. She's going to do everything she can to save us!” And she will save us, too! Ugh, I wish Trixie didn't disable my fire-breath, or I'd be able to get a letter to the Princesses!

Sighing, Applejack tipped back her hat. “We wouldn't need savin' if we hadn't acted like foals durin' Trixie's show back in Ponyville.”

Rarity's ears flattened. “Yes,” she whispered. “I suppose we did bring this upon ourselves...”

Their pegasus comrade gave them such an incredulous glare that they could've sworn her eye twitched. “Seriously?” she asked quietly, her voice carrying an angry undertone. “Are you guys seriously saying that we asked for this?”

“Well,” replied Rarity, “we were the only ones who spoke out against Trixie's show. If I remember correctly, everypony else seemed to enjoy it.” 

Applejack nodded. “Yep, we acted pretty rotten. We could've just gone about our days and waited for her to leave town—”

“—but we stayed, heckled her for no good reason, and ultimately ruined her life.”

“Eeyup.”

Once again, Spike twiddled his thumbs. “No kidding,” he said under his breath. He was glad to hear that he wasn't the only one who regretted his actions. He was, after all, one of the ones who wagered against the magician, so much so that he tried pressuring Twilight into the rowdy mix. “Sometimes,” he continued, “I forget that everypony pays attention to national heroes such as ourselves.” That was what really ended Trixie's career. The Elements of Harmony made her out to be a villain, and the false information spread like wildfire throughout Equestria, leaving her without work—without her destined purpose in life.

Rainbow Dash, however, had a hard time digesting what she heard. “And what about the crystal ponies, huh?” she whispered harshly. “Did they ask for this to happen? What about Princess Cadance, or Shining Armor? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Twilight!?”

Eyes widening, Applejack quickly retorted, “Whoa, hold on now! We ain't sayin' she's in the right for what she's done!”

Rarity was also taken aback by the accusation. “Yes, just because three mares made a horrendous mistake doesn't mean Trixie has the right to enslave an entire empire!”

Nevertheless, Rainbow Dash's fur and feathers bristled, and she was quiet for a few seconds. Then, “I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I-I just...” She squeezed her eyes shut. “This really sucks!”

Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I know, sugarcube, I know. Just hang in there.”

Spike latched onto one of her forelegs, while Rarity closed in to give her a comforting nuzzle. “Don't fret, darling,” said the unicorn. “We'll make it through this. Trixie may have taken our freedom and placed a nasty mind-control spell on a few of our friends, but we still have each other!”

As much as she despised such cheesy comments, the rainbow-maned mare cracked a miniscule smile. Perhaps their situation wasn't as hopeless as she believed after all. “Yeah,” she chuckled tiredly, rubbing her left shoulder. “Yeah, we got each other.” Granted, everything seemed bleak and awful and just plain bad, but it wasn't completely hopeless.
> Chapter Thirteen : Fireside Confidentiality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight let out an agitated grunt as she glared daggers at the crystal floating in front of her face. It was a small, jagged stone that Sombra had mined out of the deeper caverns. He had also imbued it with dark magic, and left her alone for the past hour and a half so he could search the depths for more crystals. So far, she had no luck in breaking the stone; either her own dark magic would bounce right off its surface, or it would have no effect at all. 

If only her teacher actually taught her how to shatter the crystal, but, no, all he said before leaving was, “Reach inside the gem. Use your dark magic to unravel its magic from within.” Clearly, he expected her to simply disenchant the stone. She knew how to do that, but not while wielding dark magic. It was frustrating. And yet, the reason for the lack of instruction was not lost on her. 

Sombra was giving her the chance to figure it out on her own. Unfortunately, it was a teaching method to which Twilight wasn't accustomed. Princess Celestia taught her what she knew through both lectures and demonstrations. Other than that, the unicorn learned new spells through tomes, trial, and error. Her current task was similar to the latter, sans any form of reference material. Or demonstration.

She thought that being a student of the esteemed Starswirl the Bearded would have taught Sombra a thing or two about teaching.

She mentally scolded herself. No, no. I shouldn't think like that. Sombra was very kind to tutor me. She then sighed. Although, I wish there was more “tutoring” actually involved.

Returning her attention to the crystal, Twilight again channeled her corrupted power. Come on, break! Her horn slowly became illuminated with a sinister glow, which slowly wrapped around the stone. She tried once more to get inside it—to find out how to undo the dark magic that was rooted within. Again, she had trouble finding the fine threads of magic that were hidden in the murk. No wonder dark magic was so tricky and troublesome; the inner workings were concealed quite well. Okay, that was a good start. The threads were there, she needed only to find and sever them.

It was easier said than done, however, especially when the strain began to eat away at her. Once the headache began, she ceased the search for the microscopic filaments and she growled in agitation. “Stupid gem!” she groaned, tossing the item out of her sight. When the resulting crash and bang reached her ears, she realized she'd thrown it with excessive force. One of Sombra's bookshelves was now flat on the ground—its contents spilled across the cold soil.

Twilight ran a hoof down her face. “Drat,” she breathed. Every fiber of her book-loving being dreaded the mess she made, and she immediately set about fixing it. She righted the bookshelf to its original position against the wall of rock. Then, she looked over the tomes scattered at her hooves. “I'm sorry,” she said to them. “Let's put you all back where you belong.” Smiling, she cautiously encased them in her magical grasp. 

Sombra possessed a rather interesting collection. Many of the tomes had no title or author, leading her to believe that they were his journals, and when they did she wasn't too surprised to see that they were written by Starswirl the Bearded. Between the two, there were authors whose names she didn't recognize. Yet, it was clear that Sombra was a stallion who fancied literature pertaining to the arcane. His library is pretty much outdated, other than Starswirl's work, she thought. She lined up the books around her in a circle, before she began to set them back on the shelves in alphabetical order. 

Only when every row was properly placed did Twilight take notice of the piece of paper that had slipped from one of Sombra's journals. Curious, she picked it up. It was another sketch, though one that was heavily enchanted with protective spells. It portrayed an earth mare holding a small foal in one of her forelegs. Judging by the decorations in her mane and the flowing gown she wore, Twilight assumed that she was a crystal earth mare. Her child, on the other hoof, was a unicorn. The medium of ink possessed no color, so there was nothing more to the imagination than what was there. Not that the lack of color made it any less intriguing. 

She's beautiful. Who is this pony? She's obviously somepony important.

The sound of approaching hoofsteps made Twilight's head turn towards the entrance to the deeper caverns. Surely enough, Sombra soon emerged—a bundle of gemstones bundled together in his cloud of emerald magic. They met each other's gaze, prompting him to set the stones aside. “Did you give up already, Twilight?” he asked, brushing the dust from his cloak. 

“Uh, yeah,” she sheepishly replied. She glanced over her shoulder at the bookshelf. “I also ended up making a mess...”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, but I cleaned it up! Unfortunately, this” —she held up the sketch— “fell out when I was tidying up. I'm sorry.”

Sombra suddenly appeared perplexed as he gently took the paper from her. Upon seeing the image, however, his puzzled countenance changed into one of subtle melancholy. “Ah, I remember this,” he whispered. He smiled at her, and she felt a slight twinge in her heart at how sad he looked. “I thought I searched every single one of those journals for this, and I feared it was forever lost. Thank you for finding it, Twilight.”

“Who is she?” she asked.

Without a word, the stallion slowly walked to the fire and he sat to bask in the warmth. Twilight didn't press him for an answer. Yet, as soon as he was comfortably settled, he glanced at her and said, “She's my mother.”

Twilight followed, and she took a place next to him—peering at the sketch. “She's beautiful,” she said. “What's her name?”

Sombra's eyes remained fixated on the paper. “Sapphire Silk,” he replied softly. “She was a seamstress, as well as a noblemare. My father drew this shortly after my birth.”

“Your parents were nobles?”

Again, he glanced at her. “Well, yes and no. My mother was a noble, yes, but my father was not. He wasn't even a citizen of the empire. They did not marry, nor could they marry.”

“Why? Did the crystal ponies forbid marriages between themselves and outsiders? Or was it simply because he wasn't a noble?” 

“No.” He shifted uncomfortably. “That's not it. Though he wasn't a noble, he was a widely-known unicorn and I'm sure that any family would have gladly accepted him. No, the main reason my parents could not marry was because my mother was already married.” 

Twilight's eyes widened, and her mouth formed a small “o” at the revelation. “That sounds... complicated,” she replied.

He nodded. “It was, but it was my upbringing and I was used to it. My father remained in the Crystal Empire to take care of me. I spent most of my young life in his custody and I saw little of my mother.” He frowned. “My step-father... limited her visits with my father and I. I saw her only on certain holidays, my birthday, and whenever she managed to sneak away to see me.”

She placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

“Don't be sorry. I saw a lot more of her after my father left.”

“He... He left you?” It was a simple question, and yet Twilight wished she could take it back. She didn't know what caused it, but she suddenly realized how tired her mentor appeared. His wavy mane was disheveled from his brief labor in the caverns, and his fur was matted with sweat and soil in some places. She supposed that it was, in fact, later than it seemed. “You don't have to answer that if you don't want to,” she added. “It's... too late at night for this kind of talk.”

With a sober chuckle, Sombra turned his head towards her. “Thank you, Twilight, but it's not as painful as I make it seem,” he said. “I'm not afraid to confirm that he did leave me when I was young.”

“Do you know what became of him?”

“I'm afraid not, Twilight. I never saw him again.” Grunting, he pushed himself up onto his hooves; his joints, stiff as they were, popped and creaked as he moved. “Now, if you'll excuse me, it is late and I am quite tired. I hope you don't mind me calling it a night.”

Twilight smiled. “I don't mind at all. Go get some sleep.”

“What about you?”

“I'm going to stay up a bit longer.” She looked towards her earlier target, which set nearby. “Maybe I'll try to disenchant that crystal one last time.”

“Well, alright, but don't stay up too late. We still have a lot of work to do.” He smiled once more. “I'll demonstrate the proper technique in the morning. I'm sorry for not showing you earlier. I wanted to make sure that we had enough materials with which to train.”

“Oh, it's fine. No need to apologize.”

“Then, Twilight, I bid you goodnight.” Bowing his head, he turned away from her. He then sluggishly took his leave, which left his student alone near the fire. 

Her only company became her thoughts at that point. Wow, it sounds like he didn't have it too easy as a colt. His conception was unintentional, occurred out of infidelity, and the only reason he saw his mother at all was because his step-father allowed it. At least he had somepony to take care of him, even if it didn't last. I wonder why his father left. Was that when Starswirl—? No, that's not right. Sombra said that he knew Starswirl for as long as he could remember. That would be long before his father left, right? 

Her brow knitted together. Wait... Without realizing it, she slowly rose from her sitting position. He said his father was a unicorn, not a crystal pony. He was a well-known unicorn, who left him when he was only a colt. Starswirl did the same. Did two important ponies walk out of Sombra's life, never to be seen again... 

… or were they one and the same?

“Sombra,” she called. She ran towards the stallion, who was still in sight. “Wait a minute. I have one last question.”

Her mentor ceased his progress into the tunnel. “What is it, Twilight?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

“What was your father's name? You didn't mention it earlier.”

His stare fell and, with a heavy, tired sigh, he continued walking. “Goodnight, Twilight,” he repeated. “I will see you come morning.”

Twilight didn't ask the question again. Instead, she listened to the sound of his hoofsteps as they faded into the darkness. Reclaiming her spot near the fire, she stretched her body out on the warm soil—crossing her forelegs so that she could rest her head upon them. That was where she intended to remain. She knew, without a doubt, that she wasn't going to be getting any sleep that night. Sombra's lack of an answer only confirmed her mental guesswork, but now there were more questions buzzing around in her head that she wanted answered.

Nonetheless, tomorrow was another day.
> Chapter Fourteen : Party Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie rubbed her temple as a tired groan rumbled in her throat. It was early in the morning—far too early, in her opinion, but she couldn't ignore the party pony that pounded on her door and yelling that she had a “super-spectacular-terrifically-tremendous” party in mind for her coronation. It better be “super-spectacular-terrifically-tremendous,” or so help me, she thought irritably. Right now, her throne room (which was supposed to be elegantly sophisticated, like one that belonged to a true matriarch such as her regal self) was covered in streamers, balloons, and scraps of cloth. “Alright, Pinkie, inform Queen Trixie of your... party plans,” she said, refusing to think or say the convoluted string of adjectives for a third time.

The other mare's sapphire eyes brightened. “Oh, you're so gonna absolutely love this!” she exclaimed. “I was up all night thinking about all kinds of parties to throw for you. Then I thought to myself, 'Pinkie, you silly-filly, normal parties are for common ponies, not Queens!' So, of course, I just had to toss my old plans and come up with new ones and I really, really, really, really think this is it!” She was close to trembling with excitement as she opened the sketch book, holding it up close—but not too close—to the unicorn so that she could see. There was a scribble of a stick-pony clad in a rather raggedy dress and a mask. “We're gonna throw a masquerade ball!” she squealed.

Blinking, Trixie gazed at the sketch as she processed the idea. Instead of the crude drawing, however, she slowly began to see something else. Trixie's never been to such a celebration before. An entire chamber full of ponies in marvelous costumes, with Trixie having the most fabulous outfit of all? 

It almost hurt to bury her excitement. Pinkie was right. She absolutely loved the idea, but she couldn't let the party pony know. She cleared her throat, nodding; the action felt unbearably stiff. “Your Great and Powerful Queen likes this idea,” she said. “Tell her more about it.”

Pinkie Pie released a joyful squeal, flipping through the sketch book at such an incredible speed that Trixie thought she would see smoke at any given moment. If that wasn't enough, the hyperactive mare spoke at about the same speed, which made it difficult to understand what she was saying. It was irritating. “Enough!” the magician hissed, placing a hoof over Pinkie's racing mouth. “Queen Trixie commands you to speak slower!”

The party pony merely blinked and gave her a nod—prompting the future Queen to remove her hoof. “Oh, sorry,” she replied. “Anyway, as I was saying, since it's your coronation I was thinking that we could invite the entire Crystal Empire to attend. You know, to have fun and see your great awesomeness!”

Trixie nodded. “Of course, that's a given. Everypony will get invites.” She raised an eyebrow. “You do have somepony to make and send invites, correct?”

“Yep! Emerald Pen's providing the materials from his stationary store. He and his employees are making them as we speak!”

“Good, what's next?”

“Decorations! We're so obviously going to need a bunch of crystal decorations to make this place sparkle!” Suddenly contemplative, Pinkie held a hoof to her chin as she looked towards the ceiling. “Well, it needs to sparkle more than it sparkles now.” She held a hoof in the air and she twirled it. “Like, with crystal garlands and a gigantic crystal chandelier!”

The unicorn turned her head upwards to regard the ceiling. “Wow,” she whispered. “That sounds like a... good idea. Who will make them?”

Pinkie shrugged. “I already have Orchid Anvil and her team of crystal smiths working on some stuff.”

Impressive... “What of the dresses and masks? Do you think Rarity has what it takes to make hundreds of outfits?” Because I sure don't. I'm not quite ready to work that pompous seamstress into the ground just yet.

The party pony's eyes widened. “Oh, no, no, no, no, no!” she gasped. “Rarity's good, but asking her to do that would be so cruel!” She shook her head. “No, no, no! I got a whole bunch of the empire's tailors and dressmakers to do it!”

“And the refreshments?”

“The head chef has everypony in the royal kitchens working on it.”

“And the music?”

“I got Evanescent Jewel and her orchestra to play!”

“Entertainment?”

Pinkie's eyes widened, but her smile grew even wider as, without warning, she reared back onto her hind legs and twirled in place. She looked like a miniature pink tornado, until she ceased—suddenly clad in a jester's uniform. “That would be my job!” she exclaimed. “Party pony extraordinaire, Pinkie Pie, will keep all your loyal subjects entertained!” Then, she paused. “Well, that's a whole lot of ponies, so I and some other jesters, trapeze ponies, fire breathers, and dancers will keep all your loyal subjects entertained.”

Very, very, very impressive. “Well done, Pinkie Pie, you have pleased your beloved Queen,” she said, keeping her voice as even as possible. “I shall allow the masquerade ball to proceed. I trust that Rarity and the blacksmiths will have my coronation ensemble ready by then?”

“It'll be ready, Queen Trixie! I promise!”

“Good, you are dismissed.” She smiled in relief as Pinkie Pie bounced out of the room without another word—taking her sketch book, her confetti, and her balloons with her. Though her throne room wasn't completely clean, it was an improvement. Now that the pink mare was gone, however, it was also uncomfortably empty. Everypony is busy putting my coronation together, she thought, stepping down from the throne. Maybe I'll catch up on some of my beauty sleep.

All of a sudden, the Alicorn Amulet flashed. It felt a little warmer than usual around her neck. She lifted her hoof to touch the crimson gem. Then, there came a voice. “Sleep?” it whispered. “Queens don't sleep. Queens rule with an iron hoof and bask in the admiration of their lowly subjects.”

She had heard this voice before, and she wasn't at all intimidated by it. Yet, she was cautious. “But Queen Trixie is tired,” she said aloud as she made her way to her bedchamber. “And she will soon have complete control over the Crystal Empire. Is she not entitled to a quick nap?”

“Oh, of course you are,” the voice replied. “But a glorious Queen such as yourself shouldn't get comfortable.”

“Why not?”

“Because it's not going to all be sunshine and rainbows from here on out. Somepony will try to stop you. Do you recall what happened to King Sombra? He took the throne and the Empire for himself, then the Royal Sisters came knocking.”

There was a momentary pause in Trixie's movements. “The Royal Sisters then banished him to the ice of the Frozen North,” she muttered. She didn't know how she knew that piece of information, but she knew it to be fact. A sense of dread washed over her. Stars above, I completely forgot about Celestia and Luna... Once they discover my takeover, they'll try to take the crown from me! She slammed the door behind her upon entering her room. No! I don't want to give up my rightful place as Queen! She then began to pace back and forth—the Alicorn Amulet flashing once more in response to her growing ire. I deserve this!

“Yes, you do,” cooed her inner voice. “You can't let them take your crown, especially not after everything their precious Elements of Harmony did to you.”

“What a few of them did to me,” she corrected.

“The rest are just as guilty, if not more.”

“And why is that?”

“Remember what happened before you exiled that troublesome Twilight Sparkle? Everypony spat on the evidence you presented and those who harmed you were defended by their comrades as though they had done nothing of the sort. It's not a flawless road, friendship. Aren't friends supposed to let friends know when they're in the wrong?” 

Trixie frowned. “Then, if that kind of behavior is tolerated amongst the Elements of Harmony...” She turned to face the nearest mirror, where she was met, of course, with her reflection. It appeared more sinister to her than she actually felt. “All of them are guilty,” she whispered. “Some are less guilty than others, but they are guilty nonetheless.”

The other Trixie grinned. “There you have it. Queens don't allow lesser creatures such as they to trot all over them like that.”

“Trixie won't let anypony trot all over her!” She twisted her head to the left, causing her mane to bounce; the shine of her crystalline hair cast an array of colors across the room. “That includes those awful Royal Sisters,” she added hautily. Chuckling, she left her chambers. “Now, where would Shining Armor be at a time like this? His Queen needs him to do his job!” Like adding a bit of extra security around here...
> Chapter Fifteen : Northern Lights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Something's not right.”

Groaning, Princess Luna kept her eyes glued to the magazine she was currently skimming—not daring to so much as glance at the taller alicorn standing before one of the nearby windows. Celestia, for whatever reason, had been pestering her non-stop over the course of a few hours; not even the walls of her personal chambers could protect her from her sister's paranoia. “I don't remember granting you access to my room, Sister,” she muttered. 

Frowning, Celestia rested the tip of her horn against the glass. “Are you not listening to me?” she softly inquired. “I think we have more pressing matters, Luna.”

“Ah, yes, remind me. I don't seem to recall the issue.”

“Sister, look to the Crystal Empire's lights.” She touched the window with her hoof. “They're not the same as they were a few days ago!”

Luna closed the magazine. “Thy domain lay with the sun, yet it seems you are not familiar with the nature of light.” She placed the literature on the bedside table before she picked up another. “Light fluctuates—changes. How are the Empire's lights so different?”

“I... simply have a feeling.” She sighed. “You think I'm being too paranoid, don't you?”

Smirking, Luna rolled up the magazine with her magic. “You fear for your student and her friends,” she replied. “Right now, they reside in a settlement of which even we are little informed. It's understandable.” The smirk grew bigger as she proceeded to then tap her sibling atop the head. “It's irritating and completely irrational, but understandable.” 

Celestia retaliated with another sigh; setting her sister's magazine on fire was an added flare. “Luna, please, be serious,” she said under her breath. 

It didn't do much to affect the Princess of the Moon, who snuffed out the flame as soon as it manifested. “I am being serious,” she replied, as though the incident hadn't happened at all. The younger sister then hopped off her bed and headed for the door. “And since you clearly have no other pony to bother with your daft concerns, I'm going for a stroll in the gardens.” Yet, she found herself unable to turn the knob once she engulfed it in an arcane cloud. She looked over her shoulder at Celestia. Her fellow princess, as usual, hadn't moved from her spot. Sometimes, she couldn't help but suspect that Celestia was part statue. Nevertheless, she managed to pull herself away from the door. “I'm sure they're fine, dear sister,” she said. 

“Do you truly believe so?”

“Celestia, even if they were in some sort of unsatisfactory position, they are more than capable of getting themselves out of it.” She approached the other mare from behind. “They are the Elements of Harmony for a reason, after all.”

A nuance of a smile appeared on Celestia's face. “Yes, I suppose,” she whispered.

“You know I'm right.” She touched her sister's shoulder. “Now, enough about the Crystal Empire. Let us eat, perhaps enjoy a steaming cup of tea while we're at it.”

Chuckling, the older sibling finally turned her back to the window. “Well, I guess I could use a snack and a nice cup of tea.”

“Huzzah!” Wings fluttering, Luna hovered during her return to the door—pulling it open with her magic. “Then let us make our way to the dining hall!”

As she disappeared into the corridor, Celestia sighed once more. She looked to the multicolored lights one last time. Despite her sister's positive pushes towards the contrary, the way the lights twitched and seized amongst the clouds when they once flowed like a gentle stream seemed to herald something sinister. Oh, my faithful student, may Luna's trust in you never prove false, and how I pray for the well-being of you and your friends... Slowly, but surely, she followed after her sister. I will see all of you soon, I promise.






~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~






Twilight reared back onto her hind legs as she channeled dark magic through her aching horn. Up near the roof of the cave's designated “living room” floated multiple gemstones—all of which were enchanted by Sombra. Unlike last night's practice, he saw fit to stand by and aid her this time around. “All right, Twilight,” he said. “Your goal is to actually destroy these crystals. Perhaps, in completely dismantling their physical forms, you will learn to tear their magic asunder. We'll give it a try and see how it turns out.” He glanced at the targets. “Are you ready?”

A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Twilight's face. Albeit apprehensively, she replied, “I'm ready,” with whatever confidence she could muster.

“Then... fire!”

Sombra's horn glowed, causing the gems to float around in an erratic manner. Twilight took great caution whilst aiming. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy. With the strain that came with dark magic, it literally felt like her horn was on fire. She had to act quickly, yet efficiently. When she spotted the first gem out of the corner of her eyes, she turned and fired. She missed—taking a chunk out of the rocky wall instead. After cursing herself for the failure, she followed another crystal with her eyes before she took another shot. There was contact, but her magic bounced off the shimmering surface. 

Oh, you stupid thing! Grinding her teeth together, she shot at another gem. No effect. She fired at another. No effect. No effect. No effect!

She cried out in frustration. Stupid gems! Stupid dark magic! Why won't you cooperate with me? I have to do this, my friends are depending on me! Shining, Cadence, Spike... Fresh tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash... I can't imagine how you're faring beneath Trixie's hoof. I hope you're all okay.

Underneath her dissatisfaction, there came a spark of anger. Trixie... She hated to think that the stage performer would and could harm her friends. Back when she first saw the magician, it was clear that Trixie knew her way around enough magic to thwart her friends' attempts to upstage her. They were harmless defensive measures, then, but now that she possessed the Alicorn Amulet... Well, Twilight saw the effect it had on the other unicorn's magic first-hoof. It wasn't pleasant.

“Twilight, focus!” snapped Sombra. “Your dark magic isn't strong enough. Remember what I told you? You need to channel your negative emotions if you wish to destroy the crystals!”

Well, she knew that; delving into the darkest of her feelings was, so far, her only means of calling upon the sinister power in the first place. She didn't like it one bit, but she agreed to the training and, for her family and friends, she'd do just about anything. So, she plunged herself into the required turmoil—emotionally speaking. The arrogant tune of Trixie's voice quickly came to mind. “What's wrong, Twilight Sparkle?” it sneered. “Are you having trouble wrapping your head around such superior magic?”

The tinder was effective, feeding the embers of her anger into something akin to rage. The menacing glow that gravitated around her horn hummed and undulated with the power for which it so desperately craved. “My magic's gotten better since you saw me last, and I want to put it to the test. So, Twilight Sparkle, me and you, a magic duel. Winner stays, loser leaves the Crystal Empire forever! The same applies to Ponyville.”

“What if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, I'll just keep casting spells until you agree. Open your eyes, Sparkle. I influenced both the guards and the crystal ponies to see through your lies. You're outnumbered. Do you really want to see how much more chaos The Great and Powerful Trixie can cause for you?”

Twilight gritted her teeth. “Trixie,” she all but growled. Only once did she blink before she suddenly saw the magician's grinning face within the confines of her translucent targets. It was just so smug and infuriating... It was the last straw. She released all of her fury in a strained shout—tendrils of dark, arcane might branching out from her horn. The magic trapped each gem in its grasp, and it took the tug of a single mental thread to shatter them in unison. The fragments fell to the ground like rain. 

Sombra smiled and stomped his hooves in applause. “Well done,” he praised. Given what he previously saw of Twilight's magic, he expected her to take a systematic approach by defeating her obstacles one at a time; he didn't expect the intense chain reaction he just witnessed. Apparently, neither did she, for her quaking legs gave way at that point and she gracelessly fell into a sitting position. Sombra wasn't concerned—the amount of magic she exhausted was no doubt tiring—until her whole body began to shake. “Twilight?” he called. He crept up behind her, making the startling realization that she was crying. “Twilight,” he repeated, albeit in a softer tone. He seated himself beside her, gently laying his hoof upon her shoulder. “What's wrong?”

She choked out a response that he couldn't quite hear, so he leaned closer. “Pardon?”

He was patient as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Of course, when she finally turned her head to look at him, fresh moisture fell down her lovely face. “I-I don't think I can do this, Sombra,” she said. “It's so hard to focus! I can't stop thinking about my family and my friends... and I can't imagine what they might be going through right now. How... Oh, how do we know she's not hurting them?”

Without thinking, he replied, “There's no way for either of us to know for sure.” He immediately winced in response to his own words—a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. The feeling worsened when his friend struggled to hold back her sobs. He felt the need to kick himself in the flank. Figuratively, of course. Idiot! You need to fix this, now!

He resisted the urge to gnaw on his hoof as he sifted through his mind for a solution. There was no room for doubt in regards to Twilight's love for those closest to her. No wonder they made so little progress. Unfortunately, there was no way for her to check on them; the corruption of the Crystal Heart guaranteed her exile. Access to the Crystal Empire was nonexistent to her... and there lay the answer. “But,” he corrected with a smile, “I do know how I can find out for you.”

Sniffling, Twilight shot him a curious look. “Really? How?”

“Watch.” 

One of her eyebrows arched as Sombra stood and backed away from her—his horn glowing all the while. Whatever he had in mind, it involved more dark magic—dark magic that, like wisps of smoke, slowly consumed the stallion until he was covered from snout to tail in shadow. Then, the darkness expanded into a sizable cloud, which grew until Twilight feared she needed to flee from the room. “Sombra?!” she cried. “What are you doing?!”

From within the smoke, his voice bellowed, “Call it a demonstration, Twilight.” 

She gasped as the green of his eyes suddenly manifested amongst the ominous clouds of magic. “In this form, I will be able to sneak into the Crystal Empire undetected,” he said. “But, I'm afraid you will have to remain here. I'm sorry.”

Hesitantly, she approached Sombra in his new form. There was no helping her fascination. “That's fine, but... Is this... safe? You won't be seen?” And will I be able to pull that transformation off someday?

“It may not have been my means of getting inside before, but nopony, including Trixie, will be privy to my intrusion.” It was the truth. Upon his release, the last thing he wanted to do was use his dark magic. The crystal ponies were jumpy enough upon their own awakening; his current form would've attracted their attention. 

“When do you think you'll return?”

“I will try to be back before sundown.” 

She stepped out of Sombra's path as his massive form floated in the exit's direction. She followed after him. “Be careful,” she said, “and thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

The cloud ceased its movements, and the stallion's “head” rotated to look at her. “It is my understanding that friends help each other. Am I correct?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes.”

Despite the concealment of the magic upon him, Sombra smiled as he took his leave. As much as he disliked parting from Twilight, she would be safe within the protective walls of the cave. Judging by the bitter wind that slapped him in the face once he slipped out onto the tundra, he'd made the right call. His form expanded into mist as he crossed the snow. With all its furious might, the Frozen North attempted to halt his progress with its icy gale. He hadn't been able to change into such a form for so long, and yet his maneuverability was unhindered by his exile; he plowed through it like a locomotive. 

The pink radiance of the Crystal Empire's shield alerted him to his closeness. It was reluctant to allow him entry when he pressed his body against it. A little force, however, and he slipped right on through. 

The streets were not as he remembered. Crystal and Royal Guards alike marched up and down the sidewalks, whilst translucent citizens worked to hoist cobalt-colored flags embroidered with a magic wand. He didn't recognize the symbol. He was more interested in the ponies tending to them. Despite the smiles donning their faces, he could sense the powerful magic at work here. 

Downtrodden by the sight, he shook his head. Their chains now ethereal, the crystal ponies had once again been enslaved.

A flash of crimson light venting from the Crystal Palace's windows drew him to his next destination. Shifting himself into a mist-like state of body, he weaved in between the alleys less traveled and, as he drew near, he heard cackling. Cautiously, he snaked up the smooth surface of the palace's outer wall until he reached the top. Then, he peered into one of the windows. 






~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







Suggested Listening :  Beasts and Cherubs



Trixie's laugh reverberated off the walls of the throne room. “Yes, these will do nicely!” she shouted, circling the herd of crystal rams standing in two tidy rows in the middle of the floor. Through the power of the Alicorn Amulet, she had molded the once-demure animals into ferocious beasts. Thick, curved horns adorned their heads—an “improvement” over the tiny spikes that were once there. Albeit heavy, they were able to support them with the strength of their powerful, muscular bodies and legs. 

The Queen demanded the very best, especially when it came to security. She needed more than guards, and so she took it upon herself to provide that need. And what better addition to her army than a herd of bone-breaking beasts?

“Shining Armor,” she snapped. She turned to face her Captain. “Have one of these rams assigned to each and every patrol unit.”

The armor-clad stallion bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Rams, follow Shining Armor to your new posts!”

Grunting, the altered animals were lead away without protest—their sharpened hooves clicking against the mirror-like floor. Yet, Trixie wasn't ready to relax. “Send in the seamstress!” she growled, shifting her attention to the silent pegasus who stood near the entrance. Fluttershy flinched at her Queen's bitter tone, but she immediately obeyed. She motioned to the guards on the other side of the archway. That was their prompt to enter, along with their prisoner. 

Rarity certainly endured better days. Try as she might to appear as though recent events didn't wear her down, her head hung low and her hooves dragged across the floor. Sleep was an elusive and withheld thing; the only time she was permitted to close her eyes for a spell was when she fell into a nap at her appointed work station—a nap disturbed often by either Fluttershy or a guard. Needless to say, she was less than enthusiastic to be in Trixie's presence. “You called for me, 'Your Highness?'” she sighed, lifting her head to gaze at the tyrant.

In her graciousness, Trixie ignored the absolutely disrespectful tone of her voice. “Your Queen demands to know the progress of her coronation gown and her regalia!” she retorted sharply.

The alabaster-colored unicorn rubbed her tired eyes with the back of a hoof. “Your dress is ready and waiting, as well as your masquerade mask, and the smiths are nearly done with your regalia.” There was no need for her to mention what she went through in order to convince the crystal artisans to construct the accessories for her. She was willing to chalk it up to Trixie's mind-control... but if another creature tried to stroke her hair in the future, she was going to break their limbs. Slowly and agonizingly.

“Then, you are more than free to perform the next task Queen Trixie has for you.”

“I'm sure there are other, more qualified ponies who can—”

“You will make battle armor for my new rams, and I want new sets designed for my guards.” She stuck her nose in the air. “They're all mismatched and your Queen does not like it!”

The dressmaker's jaw dropped in disbelief, before she pointed at Trixie in a sudden flare of fury. “Now, hold on just one second!” she blurted. Much to the guards' and Fluttershy's appall, Rarity stomped up to the magician. “You've had me working non-stop for the past forty-eight hours! I've made your flags, your banners, your rugs, and your accursed dress! I'm tired, my hooves ache, and nopony's had the decency to allow me a simple hairbrush! You want new armor? Then, Your Majesty, you can make it yourself!”

Trixie drew in a sharp breath. “How... How dare you speak to your Queen in such an insolent manner?!”

“Rarity, don't!” pleaded Fluttershy, who glided towards her friend. “You're in enough trouble as it is! Please, oh please, don't make it worse!”

But, she was ignored, and the white-coated unicorn tossed her measuring tape to the floor. “You are not my Queen! You're nopony's Queen!”

“But, I will be Queen!”

“Only because of your brutish magic!” She, in her foolishness, poked the crimson gem of the Alicorn Amulet—unknowing of its power. “Oh, I can't wait until Princess Celestia finds out what you've done. She'll turn you to stone, like she did Discord, or she'll lock you away in the Everfree Forest with all the other nasty little beasts! Either way, your 'reign' won't last long!”

Try as she might, Trixie couldn't stop the thought of retribution from coming to mind. And it was terrifying. Surely, Princess Celestia was reasonable enough to see that she was more than worthy of donning the Crystal Crown? The Alicorn Amulet grew hot around her neck. “I thought we already had this discussion,” it growled. “The crown will soon be yours! Princess Celestia will have no control over you once you are Queen!”

But, the Princess might—

“What happened to not letting anypony trot all over you? Well, you're doing it right now, Trixie. You're letting a servant put doubt in your heart. You're giving her control over you. Remedy this situation, or fall to a lowly peasant!” The necklace flashed hot with anger, as did Trixie's mood. 

She pushed Rarity away from her, baring her teeth. “The Sun Princess has no power over Queen Trixie!” she all but screamed. “I will rule the Crystal Empire far better than she rules all of Equestria!”

Rarity stood her ground in defiance. “If you were half the ruler Princess Celestia is—!” A hoof suddenly struck her across the face—the force throwing her to the floor; pain and stars shooting across her vision were all she knew in that moment of time. 

Amongst the blurry shadows, however, she heard a completely-incensed stage performer shriek, “I'm ten times the ruler Celestia is!” Like the trinket she donned, Trixie's vision was red with fury. Although, a soft gasp reached her ears, which drew her attention to Fluttershy as she helped Rarity onto her hooves. The rage lingered, but the sight cleared her vision. “And just what do you think you're doing, Fluttershy?” she inquired.

Wide-eyed, the timid pegasus stepped away from the other pony. “Um,” she breathed, rubbing her front hooves together. Truth be told, she didn't really know what compelled her to run so quickly to the fashionista's aid. She was, in her head, loyal to the Almighty Trixie. Rarity was an enemy to the Crystal Crown... but, in her heart, there was a different feeling. The delicate strings were painfully plucked upon seeing the exhausted unicorn fall, and something in her mind clicked to match. 

The Queen struck her friend, not her enemy.

However, as her head and heart collided, Trixie felt the weakness in her magical grasp on the pegasus. Ears folding back against her head, she approached Fluttershy—towering over her cowering form. “You will obey your Queen!” she demanded, her horn glowing.

Right away, Fluttershy was rendered rigid from the effect. “Y-yes, Queen Trixie,” she replied softly. “I will obey.”

If other ponies weren't watching, Trixie would have audibly sighed with relief. “Good. Now, be a good loyal subject and help me punish this disrespectful welp.”  She already knew the appropriate punishment, too. Grinning, she engulfed Rarity in a red-tinted bubble before conjuring a shiny, sharp pair of scissors. “Cut off her mane,” she ordered as she handed them to Fluttershy. “Make it as messy as possible.”

“What?!” yelped the seamstress, who proceeded to struggle within her small prison. “No, not my hair! You can't!”

Trixie shot her a glare. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can do whatever she wishes!” She then directed her icy stare at Fluttershy. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Once more, the pegasus' eyes widened as she looked back and forth between the scissors and Rarity. “This... doesn't seem right, Your Highness,” she quietly replied. 

Baffled, the magician pushed her in the dressmaker's direction. “You dare question Queen Trixie?” she snapped. What in Equestria was wrong with her mind-control spell? It was supposed to guarantee absolute loyalty! “Need I remind you of your earlier transgression? Your almighty Queen is seriously considering punishing you instead!”

After a moment's thought, Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. The bizarre combination of conflicted feelings were faint now, but they undoubtedly remained. This wasn't right. None of this was right, and she had to do something about it. “Would it satisfy Your Majesty if I was punished instead?” she asked.

Trixie dragged a hoof down her face. Last time she checked, punishing her enemies and keeping her subjects in line wasn't so agitating. “Somepony needs to be punished!” she groaned. “Queen Trixie is losing her patience! Just make something happen in her glorious name!”

Biting down on her bottom lip, Fluttershy glanced at the bubble-bound unicorn. She had always admired the effort Rarity put into her appearance, especially her hair. The amethyst-colored curls, disheveled as they were, remained in place. Sure, there were some strands of hair sticking out here and there, but it still looked lovely. Her own hair, on the other hoof, wasn't as high-maintenance. It wasn't high-maintenance at all, in fact. She never used any products in it, other than shampoo and conditioner, and having a dwelling full of critters quickly taught her that a simple brush was all she needed to get through the day without looking like an absolute wreck. 

The choice was clear and, disregarding Rarity's desperate pleas, she lifted the scissors to her own mane.
> Chapter Sixteen : Cruel Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	

The succulent aroma of baked, tasty treats permeated the air as Trixie slowly made her way to the royal kitchens—unknowing of the smokey presence following her every move. She believed herself alone with her thoughts, which she so desperately needed after the fiasco with the seamstress and Fluttershy. I'll have to keep an eye on those two... Then again, I doubt the pegasus can break through the amulet's magic a second time. Right?

She shook her head, sighing. She didn't want to dwell on it any longer. The problem was fixed—the disobedient punished. It was time for her to move on to the next phase of her eagerly-awaited coronation: the food. The sugary scent deepened as she neared the kitchens. Her mouth watered, and all negative thoughts were pushed to the far corners of her mind. She couldn't deny her excitement to see what the chefs had prepared for her. As any good matriarch would do, however, she didn't give into her inner filly. With grace and dignity (and a dramatic wave of her mane), she stepped into the kitchens. Loudly, she announced, “Your beloved Queen Trixie hath arrived!”

All activity ceased as the crowded area responded to her introduction with a unified bow and an eccentric, “Welcome, Queen Trixie!”

Trixie soaked in the much-needed praise. Of course, she didn't allow herself to be blinded to the fact that there was one mare amongst the joyous crowd who was not happy about her arrival. Frowning, the unicorn tilted her nose upwards as she approached the orange earth pony standing near the stoves. Applejack appeared to ignore her; she was more focused on the pot of boiling water set in front of her muzzle.

The self-appointed Queen exhaled a haughty cough in an attempt to be noticed. Again, the farmer failed to pay her any attention. Trixie's eyes narrowed. “Is a pot really more important than your Queen?” she asked, her tone sharp.

Without missing a beat, Applejack grunted, “Eeyup,” as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She was bedraggled and drained, yet her fixation didn't waver. While it sure as hay wasn't the cozy kitchen back on the farm, it worked very much the same. No, sir, Trixie wouldn't find any satisfaction here! If there was anything Applejack learned through working each and every Cider Season since she was old enough to walk, it was that she could survive a good number of sweaty, exhausting days—all without sleep, to boot. 

For the sake of her friends, she had to survive, even if it meant treating her ordeal like another busy period at Sweet Apple Acres.

Magic suddenly engulfed the pot as Trixie tossed it to the floor then. The kitchens' startled staff, Applejack included, scuttled away from the scalding water. Applejack had half a mind to reprimand the unicorn for the foalish act, but she clearly saw the fury in her eyes—flashing the same red as her precious amulet. She raised a brow at the sight, yet she didn't speak as she stepped away from Trixie's anger-fueled advance. “There is nopony, nor is there anything more important in this castle, in this entire kingdom, than I!” she bellowed. She knocked a few more pieces of cookware off the stove. “I am the Queen!”

“But you ain't my Queen!” snapped the earth pony in reply. The surrounding ponies gasped. She snorted, tilting the brim of her hat upwards. “You ain't a Queen a'tall, just a tantrum-throwin' filly with a big, shiny crown!” More gasps echoed around her and Trixie.

Trixie's eye twitched. Oh, how badly she yearned to throw the offensive mare out the window. No, no, no, that wouldn't suffice. She, once again, needed to make a statement. It was fortunate that she was a mare of many quick conclusions. On the counter in the corner, there set a tray of colorful, crystal berry delights. They weren't cupcakes, obviously. They were some other form of pastry, albeit ones she didn't recognize, but they looked absolutely delicious either way. She levitated the tray towards herself to take a closer look. “Are these fritters?” she asked.

Again, Applejack's eyebrow arched. “Yeah. Made 'em myself.”

The unicorn popped one into her mouth. As soon as she bit down, there was a savory explosion of flavor that took her by surprise. It was uncomfortably difficult to keep up her poker face. She quickly swallowed the treat, then she lowered the tray and feigned a second inspection. “These are delicious. Queen Trixie hopes that you made them for the coronation,” she said evenly.

Applejack removed her hat and held it to her barrel with a sigh. “Unfortunately, I did. I may not like a single bit of this whole thing, but I'm an Apple and we Apples take pride in our—” She was interrupted as Trixie dumped the contents of the tray on her. Stunned, and dripping with crystal berry jam, she stared at the other mare with wide eyes. 

Trixie smugly returned her gaze. “Well, then, you are to make twenty—no, thirty—platters of these scrumptious fritters. A mere one or two will simply not do!” She flicked her tail as she turned her back to the farmer. “After all, with everypony in the kingdom invited, there will be quite a number of mouths to feed!”

Applejack's stupor simmered into a fiery, disbelieving concoction. “What?!” she yelled. “I can't have all that done by tomorrow night!”

“You'll just have to skip your breaks, then.” She looked over her shoulder. “You don't want to know what Queen Trixie will do to you if those fritters aren't finished by tomorrow.” With another flick of her tail, Trixie elegantly made her way to the exit. “Now, my loyal subjects, your beloved Queen bids you farewell!”

Applejack, feeling lost in the sea of blind adoration and gritting her teeth, seethed hot enough to steam the jam clinging to her fur.





	

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~








Suggested Listening : Prologue to a Conquest




The last thing Rainbow Dash consciously felt was the blunt tip of her opponent's lance when it made impact with her armor. Well, not really. There was the sensation of flying afterwards as she was sent tumbling backwards through the air. Only, she couldn't actually fly. There was no opening her wings and straightening herself in mid-air, as was the norm, there was only a brief glimpse of the sky before she hit the ground. 

She hated—no, she despised—being unable to feel the air against her wings. A pegasus devoid of his or her magic really couldn't call themselves a pegasus. Non-pegasi never worked in the weather factories, non-pegasi couldn't compete in aerial sports...

Non-pegasi didn't become Wonderbolts.

Growling, and fueled by rage, Rainbow Dash rose from the dirt and returned to her place in the jousting arena. The knight responsible for knocking her off her hooves was a silent-but-stern crystal mare. No names were exchanged between them prior to their match (and Rainbow preferred it that way), but it didn't take a brainiac to figure out her opponent was a skilled combatant. Even beneath the armor, the crystal pony's scars could be seen. She'd seen a lot of action.

Rainbow respected that, yet she too experienced plenty of combat. After staring down the likes of Nightmare Moon and Discord, she wasn't going to allow some brainwashed bozo beat her down. She was still awesome, and she proved it by facing the scarred knight for a second time. 

Instead of being greeted by the excited cheers and applause of an enormous crowd, there were only the emotionless stares of the other participants. Vultures, all of them. Rainbow could see the eagerness in their eyes. They wanted nothing more than their chance to face her—to drive their lances into her already-battered form. Blowing a hot puff of air out her nose, she shifted her attention to her opponent—stretching the kinks out of her joints. The other knight, in the meantime, adjusted the lance strapped to her armor. 

Rainbow Dash was confident enough to leave hers alone. It was fine. The other mare just got lucky last time. It wouldn't happen again and, the millisecond the deep, commanding sound of the flugelhorn vibrated through the air, Rainbow charged her marred opponent like a bat out of Tartarus. Futility didn't stop her from flapping her wings as she ran. The dust of the arena stirred in her wake; a sinister cloud gathered behind her. 

The opposing knight saw the fire in her eyes, fire she didn't see before. It was surprisingly intimidating, to say the least, and she found herself slowing down. It was more than enough to guarantee her defeat, as the last thing she remembered was a ferocious battle cry—followed by a metallic clang as the pegasus' lance made contact with her armor. She was beaten...

… and Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest in triumph as her opponent fell. It was a short-lived feeling, as the lackluster applause of a single pony drew her attention away from the crowd. Trixie drew near, carried on a makeshift throne of crudely-carved crystal, thus smashing the exhilaration of her victory. “Congratulations on your victory, Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed snidely. “That was quite the show, though Queen Trixie hopes that her knights haven't been too hard on you.”

Disengaging the lance from her side, Rainbow scowled. “If these guys are the best you've got, then you don't stand a chance against the Princesses!”

The unicorn's eyes narrowed. “Pardon me?”

“Oh, come on! How long do you think you'll keep this up before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna figure out that we didn't come back from the Crystal Empire? I mean, Twilight sent them a letter and everything!”

“What a ridiculous accusation. Queen Trixie fears not the Royal Sisters. She has no reason to fear them. These knights are responsible for my protection, is all.”

“Uh-huh. Protection from what, exactly?”

A frown plastered itself on Trixie's face as she ordered for the lowering of the throne with a wave of her hoof. The ponies—they were servants from the palace, no doubt—did as she commanded, and she stepped down to face Rainbow Dash muzzle-to-muzzle. “Well then, allow Trixie to explain it to you,” she said, her tone dangerously fluent. “My coronation is tomorrow night, you uneducated foal, and you and your pathetic friends have been fighting my supreme rule every step of the way!”

Rainbow's wings bristled. Oh, she had so many things to say about that but, unfortunately, Trixie wasn't done ranting. “You will not ruin this for me! Queen Trixie will show all of you how mighty and superior her reign will be! It will make Celestia's rule look like a mere wagon ride!”

Feathers flared, the pegasus' angrily spread her wings. “That's 'Princess' Celestia to you!” she growled. As though she were a cat, she bent down and pawed at the ground. “You're delusional if you think having a crown on your head for even a second would put you on her level!”

The red diamond flashed red, and Trixie stuck out her chest as she looked down upon the other mare. “Trixie will be Queen! Celestia will bow before her might!”

Reddened mist clouded Rainbow's vision. Wasn't it enough that Trixie used her freaky magic to not only brainwash the entire empire, kicked Twilight out into the unforgiving cold, and bullied them into doing what she wanted? The heat of fury sank into her cheeks, then her neck. Now, she has the gall to insult the Princesses?! 

The entirety of her being felt like it was aflame and there was no forethought as she made an instinctual grab for her lance. She snatched it up in her teeth,and then, with a startling cry, she charged the unicorn. Time slowed to a crawl. The servant ponies reeled back in fear, the knights and guards moved to intercept, but Rainbow Dash was locked securely on her target. As accurate as her clouded consciousness deemed her to be, she soon discovered accuracy meant very little. She was in the possession of a simple lance; Trixie possessed magic.

Said lance stood not a chance against said magic. The weapon shattered into crystal fragments upon contact with the last-second shield conjured by the surprised unicorn. Jolts of pain wormed into Dash's teeth. “Ow,” she moaned, dropping the useless handle. She dropped to sit on her hind legs as she rubbed her jaw. “Stupid, stinking magic...”

In the meantime, Trixie remained appalled by what just transpired. “You... You attacked me,” she whispered. The glow of the Alicorn Amulet intensified and she dropped the shield. “How... How dare you attack your Queen?!” The enraged mare became encompassed in a bright red glow—a glow which lifted her into the air. “What right do you think you have to smite the Great and Powerful Queen Trixie?!”

Rainbow's mouth fell open. Okay, that thing in particular was cause for concern, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle! “You're not so tough!” she yelled. “Stop being all magical and weird and come back down here!”

A ripple of magic akin to lightning cracked across the surface of the empire's protective bubble. Gasps came from the surrounding onlookers as Trixie then emitted a small burst of light. “Queen Trixie will not allow the likes of you to trot all over her magnificent brilliance!” she bellowed. “You will learn this the hard way, whelp!” A toothy grin appeared on the unicorn's face as the air around her grew cold—her horn glowing all the while.

Rainbow's heart sank (but only a little, she convinced herself). The tyrant was whipping up a seriously powerful spell; she recalled many adventures shared with Twilight and Rarity helped her recognize the intense level of magic. Trixie was also levitating and glowing all evil-red, which was a big enough hint, but still... She was in deep trouble. At least, she was certain of it, until the unexpected happened. The unicorn's eyes fell upon her “loyal” subjects, and her smile fell in response. “Why... Why are all of you looking at me like that?” she demanded. “Should... Should your mighty Queen not punish her would-be assassin?”

The small crowd nervously shifted in place; some whispered amongst their peers. They were obviously afraid. Of her. 

They're afraid of me...

As suddenly as it appeared, the maelstrom around Trixie evaporated. She slowly, but shakily, descended until her hooves finally touched the ground. Now that she was no longer suspended in the air, everypony—Rainbow Dash included—calmed. The matriarch's unease, however, didn't lessen. Panting, she ran a hoof through her mane as she took the time to gather her thoughts. 

Silence reigned. Soon, however, a hesitant crystal pony crept closer to her. “Your Majesty?” she whispered. “Are you well?”

The unicorn's breath hitched. She couldn't bring herself to look at her servant. Not yet. No, no! Be strong! She closed her eyes, she rolled her shoulders. Pull yourself together! Be their Queen again! You are the Great and Powerful Queen Trixie! Exhaling, she held her head high as she turned to the questioning pony. “Your Queen is absolutely splendid!” she replied, albeit far too enthusiastically. “She simply needed to strike fear into this... enemy our of beloved empire.” She made a stiff gesture with her hoof in Dash's direction.

The pegasus was taken aback by how quickly she was surrounded. “What?!” she exclaimed. “I'm not the enemy, you morons!”

She was ignored, and Trixie returned to her spot upon the mobile throne. “Furthermore,” she continued, “Queen Trixie has decided that you shall be imprisoned for the remainder of the day, and tomorrow. Your behavior in the meantime will determine whether or not you'll be released in time to witness Trixie's rise to power.”

“Oh, come on! That's stupid!”

After a quick arch of her brow, Trixie conjured chains and shackles—promptly locking them in place around Rainbow's legs. “The Queen has spoken,” she said. “Guards, escort this troublemaker to the dungeons.”

Though restrained, Dash struggled against the trained bodies who proceeded to lead her away from the arena. “You're gonna get yours, Trixie!” she shouted, as loudly as her vocal chords would allow. “You hear me?! You're gonna get yours!”

The unicorn tore her gaze away—her hooves clinging to the throne as it was lifted. “Take your Queen back to the palace,” she ordered. “Do it quickly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Trixie was borderline desperate for the concealing walls the palace provided. She couldn't—wouldn't—allow anypony to know what just transpired. Nopony would ever know she almost lost control of herself. An alarming sense of caution reigned over her as she raised her hoof to touch the Alicorn Amulet. Was the outburst of her own doing, or was her precious treasure the problem? Outrageous. It's just a mindless artifact. Straightening her back, she returned her attention to not falling off her seat. In the back of her subconscious, she continued to snuff out the doubts. I control its power, not the other way around. 

Still, she looked over her shoulder. The exact spot where Rainbow Dash was standing remained fresh in her mind. As did the blackened smear the unicorn imagined as her fate. A cold chill crawled up her back. No... I'm a Queen, not a monster.







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







Pinkie Pie hummed cheerfully to herself as she bounced down the sparkling street. “Oh, let's see, let's see!” she exclaimed in a sing-song voice. She produced a scroll from her mane, which turned out to be a list when she unraveled it. Her eyes narrowed as she read it over. This was one serious party, yet her blue orbs sparkled thinking about it. It had to be the biggest party since Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding! If she played her edible candy cards right, Queen Trixie's coronation would trump even that!

But, it doesn't deserve to be bigger than that, silly-filly...

The mare ceased mid-bounce. It felt as though something had gone horribly wrong inside her, which didn't make sense. If there was a better time for her to smile (which didn't seem possible), it was now! So, why did she feel so horrible? Her hooves touched the ground, as did the list once she dropped it from her grasp. The awful feeling was one she couldn't shake—literally and metaphorically. Although, the “literally” bit made her look like a crazy mare who was purposefully trying to shake her own mane out of existence. 

“Um, Pinkie Pie?” a tiny voice whispered. “Are you okay?”

Another small, high-pitched voice accompanied it. “Yeah, do you have a headache or something?”

The party pony looked down, and she saw two fillies looking back with big, curious eyes. One possessed twinkling shades of blue and teal when it came to her coat and hair; the other was a gleaming variation of lilac hues. Their names were Glass Slipper and Plum Pearl. “Oh!” she giggled. “Hello, girls! What are you two up to?” 

The little ponies glanced at each other. “Our parents are looking for stuff to wear to the coronation,” replied Plum.

Glass Slipper followed her lead. “We already have dresses, so they told us to play outside until they're done.”

“That's when we saw you floating!”

“And shaking.”

“And you dropped this!” The filly held the dirt-speckled list in the air. 

Pinkie gently took the item. “Why, thank you!” She tossed it up in the air. She made no move to catch it, as it was absorbed back into the uncharted abyss of her bouncy curls when it landed on her head. Her mouth opened in an attempt to strike up cheerful conversation. But, upon looking at the fillies once more, the nagging feeling of dread reared its ugly head. “Say,” she began hesitantly, “are you looking forward to Queen Trixie's party tomorrow?”

A broad smile bloomed on Plum Pearl's face. “I can't wait!” she squealed. “My mama bought me a kitty mask!”

Her friend nodded—smiling just as wide. “Yeah, yeah! My mask looks like a crystal lamb!”

“It's going to be so much fun!”

Pinkie Pie's ears twitched, and then they dejectedly folded back. Something was wrong here. She felt it in her heart (and in her knees, but only the left ones). Their smiles... Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to the youngsters, much to their discomfort. Yet, they kept on smiling. It was wrong. Their smiles were all wrong! Like they were fake!

“Uh,” grumbled Glass Slipper. “What are you doing, Pinkie?”

The bubblegum-colored mare felt her eye twitch. Cautiously, she stepped backwards. She needed the space. Well, the fillies needed it more, but those smiles...  Every instinct demanded her to run from them. Even so, her hooves remained firmly planted in place. For only a moment more. No, no, nope! Not doing this! Abort mission, abort mission! “Nothing's wrong!” she suddenly blurted in a fit of uncertain laughter. “I'm fine! Everything's fine! Have a nice day, see you two tomorrow!” Before questions could be asked, she bolted for the nearest alleyway. 

Confused, the fillies gazed at each other. “She's a strange one,” said Plum. 

Glass Slipper rolled her eyes. “No kidding. Let's get some lunch.”

“Sounds like a plan to me!”

Nonchalant about the pink mare's antics, the little ponies departed the area in search of food. Said pink mare, however, busied herself by pressing her face against the cool surface of a crystal house whilst she hyperventilated. Fake smiles?! Why do they have fake smiles?! She couldn't wrap her head around the concept. Even more disturbing was it wasn't the first set of not-smiles she was unfortunate enough to cross. Since she excused herself from the palace to gather supplies for the ball, she had time and space to get acquainted with everypony. And she did. That's when problems arose—problems she didn't realize were problems until just now. 

Every pony she crossed paths with wore a fake smile! Nopony was really smiling!

“Agh!” she cried, standing on her hind legs. “Why aren't they smiling for real?!”

“I think I can answer that question, little filly.”

“Eep!” Pinkie flinched. In doing so, she lost her balance and fell onto her back as her eyes moved to the shadows. Someone stood there, watching her with bemused eyes. The darkness concealed his face, but she knew he was a stallion from the sound of his voice. “Who are you?” she asked.

There came a chuckle as he stepped forward. Pinkie's eyes widened upon seeing that his face remained concealed by a dark gray cowpony hat, while the rest of him was covered by a poncho of the same color. “Somepony looking to lend you a hoof,” he replied. Then, true to his word, he reached down and helped her back up. “And I'm somepony looking to tell you the reason behind all those nasty, falsified grins.”

Pinkie's eyes brightened. “Really? No foolin'?”

The stallion tilted his head to the side, showing her a real smile—one full of pearly whites. “First things first. I'd like you to tell me about this little party you're throwing...” 
> Chapter Seventeen : Nightmares and Dreamscapes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville was blanketed in a thick layer of fog. Twilight didn't consider herself a fan of it at the moment, considering she could hardly see her own hoof when she held it in front of her eyes. But, she knew she was home. Despite the impossibly soup-like nature of the mist, she could easily identify the distinct shapes of the Golden Oaks Library and Sugarcube Corner in the distance. What little light was present lead her to believe it was either early in the day, or late in the afternoon, yet she couldn't see or hear another soul. There was only dead silence.

“Hello?” she called. Her voice echoed. “Is there anypony out there?”

Upon being met with silence, she then walked forward—her hoofsteps muffled by the dirt road on which she strolled. It wasn't long before she came across the empty marketplace, where she stopped. While the streets were, as usual, lined with stalls, there was nopony around to sell wares. She sighed, dragging one of her front hooves across the cold, soft soil. Between the mist and the sheer, unforgiving emptiness... Twilight felt so very, very alone. 

It was more frightening than anything, because it was just as familiar to her as the marketplace—as Ponyville was as a whole. She recognized it as the same oppressive sensation that nearly drove her to the point of no return when Discord turned her friends into selfish, lying, and all-around unpleasant jerks. And, not too long ago, it returned in full-force following her bold confrontation at her brother's wedding rehearsal. 

She drew in a shaky breath. “Where is everypony?” she whispered. Her ears pressed flat against her head as she stepped forward. “Hello? Please, someone...! Someone answer me! Please!” Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes—threatening to cascade down her face at any given moment. 

It seemed her simple prayer saw fit to fulfill itself only when she was on the verge of tears, for it was then she finally heard a noise. She perked up, swiveling her ears to catch the sound once more. It was a faint scraping, reminiscent of somepony dragging their hooves. “Who's there?” she called, galloping ahead. She ran until she passed a small, hidden road that wound its way between two or three houses. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement there. Cautiously, she back-tracked and peeked around the corner. 

Much to her delight, she discovered her eyes had not played a nasty trick on her. Within the alleyway stood a tall figure. The silhouette told her it was another pony; the flick of their tail lead her to believe she was currently faced with their backside. “Um, excuse me,” she called softly. “Can... Can you help me?”

They turned their head, regarding her with a suspicious brand of curiosity.

She bit down on her bottom lip. “I'm afraid I don't know where everypony's gone. Would you happen to know?” She nervously awaited an answer, even stepping closer in hopes of evoking one. 

However, when she neared the other pony, something strange occurred. As though agitated, they grunted and shuffled their hooves. The movements became somewhat erratic—traveling up their body until the quakes plagued only their head. 

Twilight was taken aback by the anomaly. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you need help?”

Somewhere in the distance, the school bell rang without warning. Its dull, even tones echoed over Ponyville, though it was hardly the innocent sound associated with the end of a school day. The bell sounded louder than usual—droning and ominous. 

The unicorn's blood ran cold. “That's not right,” she muttered, looking in the direction of the schoolhouse. “Why does it sound—?” She returned her gaze to the only other soul around, and she screamed. She was face-to-face with her twitchy acquaintance. She was mistaken to assume they were a pony. The spasmodic face inches from her own wasn't even really a face; it was a stitched-together collage of burlap stretched tightly over its head, which was attached to a quadrupedal, fur-less body clad in a filthy smock. 

She had no idea what the creature was, but she didn't stick around to find out. She ran. 

She fled from the marketplace, into the open streets of Ponyville. As the bell continued to groan, the sky darkened. It was a blackness that transformed into a nightmarish downpour—poisoning and corrupting Twilight's surroundings. Walls cracked, paint peeled, glass shattered. Foliage, trees and flowers alike, wilted and died. 

A choked sob hitched in her throat when she saw it happen to the Golden Oaks Library, but her path didn't change. Just as the dilapidation touched the door, she forced it open and she threw herself inside. It took little effort to pull the books from their shelves and pile them in front of the door to form a makeshift barricade. “Spike!” she cried, unaware of the tears on her face. “Are you here?!”

The pounding on the front door was her only reply. It was loud, forceful, and it was definitely not the baby dragon. Twilight flinched, distancing herself from the frightening noise. “No, go away,” she whispered. “Please, leave me alone.”

A harsh scratching joined the knocking, as if to purposely defy her. She ran into the kitchen, where she ducked under the table and promptly covered her ears. “Go away, go away, go away!” Stars, she felt so pathetic and powerless. She tried her best to shut it all out, so much so that she was unaware of the cleansing light that suddenly poured in through the windows. 

The darkness was banished, and blue skies reigned over Ponyville once more.

Through the haze of her fear, however, she heard a normal knock at the door... and a familiar voice. “Twilight Sparkle? My friend, are you in there?”

Cautious and curious, the unicorn slowly emerged from beneath the table. “Who's there?” she called as she ventured to the front entrance. Given the sunshine now illuminating her home, she was willing to chance it. She pulled the door open with a single magical tug, and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “P-P-Princess Luna?!” she gasped.

Sure enough, the Lunar Princess herself stood on her front step with a look of concern on her face. “Yes, 'tis I,” she replied. “Given the state of things, I should have been here a lot sooner.”

Twilight nodded rapidly—resisting the urge to throw her forelegs around the alicorn out of sheer joy. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” she exclaimed. “I have no idea where everyone went! They're gone! I-I think those monsters—!”

Luna stepped forward, wrapping a wing around the young mare. “Twilight, Twilight,” she gently interrupted. “Do not fret. Everyone is fine. You are dreaming.”

“... What?”

“This is all a dream, my friend.” She offered a kind smile. “There are no real monsters, nopony is really missing.”

Twilight's brow furrowed. “Then, how are you...?”

The alicorn laughed. “It's a new trick my sister taught me! Impressive, is it not?” Respectfully, but urgently, she ushered Twilight back inside. “And, before you ask, I am as real as you are, my friend. Well, as real as one can be in this realm.” They seated themselves at the center table, where Luna made herself comfortable. 

Twilight plopped down on one of the floor cushions as she wracked her brain to process the bombardment of information. “So, all of this is a dream,” she muttered.

The Lunar Princess nodded.

“But, you are not a dream, nor are you physically here.”

She nodded again.

“Your consciousness, through the use of a new spell, is here, but your physical body is still in Canterlot?”

Grinning, Luna nodded once more. “Celestia rightfully deemed it 'dream-walking.' It's a wonderful creation that will allow me to spend time with our subjects, even at night. Though, it will take me a while to perfect its usage. It's a miracle I was able to get into your dream at all.”

“But, why visit me?”

“I simply wished to check in on you and the others.” She then chuckled. “With the added bonus of showing off this new power. I knew you, of all ponies, would appreciate its craft and creation.”

Twilight's mind reeled. She did find herself fascinated by this uncanny spell, especially since her teacher created it specifically for Princess Luna. It was so much to absorb, and it was hard to restrain herself from asking all the questions she possessed regarding the so-called “dream-walking.” Stay on track, Twilight, she scolded herself. You can write Princess Celestia about it later.

Still, there was a part of her that dismissed the Princess Luna sitting beside her as another figment of this lucid dream. Yet, now that she was aware she was dreaming... it all made sense, and the awareness hit her like a tidal wave. Of course I'm not in Ponyville, she mused, blushing in embarrassment over her earlier behavior. I'm still in the Crystal Empire!

No, not quite right. Her friends were within the safety of the Crystal Empire's shield, with her brother and Spike and Cadance and Trixie.

Wait, Trixie...?

Twilight's heart rate suddenly skyrocketed, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. “Trixie!” she gasped, leaping up onto her hooves. She then spun to face Luna, who flinched at the unpredicted movement. “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh! You're really here, aren't you?!”

Startled, Princess Luna's mouth fell open. “I... I'm sorry? Did I not make that clear?”

“Yes, but...!” She stopped herself, shaking her head. “That's not important! I need your help!” 

“What's wrong?”

Automatically, the unicorn's legs carried her back and forth in a pace. “Oh, it's such a long story,” she murmured. Where could she begin? More importantly, what could she leave out...? The topic of Sombra was out of the question. To tell Luna of his return would break the promise she made him, and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and then reappearance of her horn was much too bizarre to comprehend, even for her.

Biting down on her lip, she glanced at her silent friend. “Do you know of the Alicorn Amulet?” she asked.

Luna stared at her. Her expression was completely stoic. Albeit, there was a slight wobble in her knees, which the unicorn didn't notice. “Yes,” was her simple, yet cautious, reply. 

Then, that was where Twilight began her tale. She was calculating with her choice of information, while remaining as honest as possible. Trixie possessed the Alicorn Amulet, which she used to not only brainwash the crystal ponies into thinking her their Queen, but to make the Crystal Empire's shield impenetrable. Plus, she had her friends and family as hostages. It was the truth, with only a few minor details omitted. Once she got through it all, she eagerly awaited Princess Luna's reaction.

But, the alicorn's eyes were fixated on the floor. “Are you certain the item is the Alicorn Amulet?” she whispered.

“Unless my copy of Tales of Equestria's Lost Antiquities was horrifically mislabeled as a work of nonfiction, then I'm almost one hundred percent sure it's the amulet.”

Sighing, Luna ran a hoof down her face. “No wonder your dream was blighted...” She came to rest said hoof against her chest as she deeply inhaled, then exhaled. “I will inform Celestia of this unfortunate series of events at once,” she added, her voice carrying a stronger sense of certainty. “Between the two of us, I'm positive our magic trumps Trixie's power.”

There were no words to describe the immense relief that washed over Twilight. “Thank goodness,” she breathed. “I only wish I was able to tell you sooner, but without Spike I—”

“It's alright, my friend.” Luna again reached out with a wing. “Everything will be all right. We'll do all we can to—”

Without warning, their surroundings wobbled. Like gelatin, the bookshelves trembled. Some of the tomes faded in and out of existence, while the floor buckled beneath their hooves. “What's happening?” yelped Twilight. 

“You are waking up!” replied Luna. She jumped into the air, spreading her wings and bringing the unicorn with her in a bubble of azure magic. “Your dream is falling apart!” 

Piece by piece, the Golden Oaks Library dissipated into the vast, starry void that was the dreamscape. And, somewhere in the distance, a voice called Twilight's name. It was far away, yet growing closer. The vanishing dream didn't matter anymore, as the unicorn was instead drawn to the voice. It was deep, urgent, familiar. 

Is that...?

Luna swiveled her ears, taking notice of the new sound. “Who is that?” she asked, bewildered.

Twilight's heart jumped into her throat. As such, she opted for the simple solution of pretending not to hear. “Uh, what?”

“I hear a voice.”

“Oh, really? I don't hear anything.” Oh, no...

The Moon Princess, eyes wide, glanced in her direction. “Is there somepony with you?”

“No. What makes you say that?” Wake up!

Her brow furrowed. “Perhaps it is merely a product of the awakening process...” she muttered, touching a hoof to her chin. She couldn't quite call herself an expert on dreams just yet. Although, she knew with certainty that literally anything could happen; disembodied voices weren't farfetched.  However, when the unknown presence called out for the unicorn again, she quickly threw her doubt out the metaphorical window. “That is a voice!” she hissed. 

Even in her dream-state, Twilight felt her heart beat a little faster. “No it's not!” Wake up, wake up, wake up!

“Twilight Sparkle!”

The unicorn squeezed her eyes shut. C'mon, c'mon! Wakeupwakeupwakeupwake—!

The remainder of the dream finally fell away, and Twilight woke up. She cried out, her limbs scrambling against the warm dust of the cave floor. Almost immediately, there were hooves on her, and the same voice from her dream again spoke to her. She looked up with a start, and saw Sombra standing over her. 

“Twilight,” he said, for what felt like the hundredth time. “Easy, it's me.”

Groaning, she rubbed her eyes. “Yes, I can see that,” she grumbled.

“You were talking in your sleep.”

She blinked. “I was?” Weird. She couldn't recall anything worth talking about, other than the eerie sense of relaxation she now felt. I must have had a weird dream, she thought, standing to stretch out her legs. “So, how was the reconnaissance?” she asked.

“Enlightening, but troubling.” 

“What's wrong?”

Sombra appeared to deflate in response to the question. His head lowered, his ears folded back. “We have less time than I thought,” he whispered. “Trixie's coronation is tomorrow night.”

“What?!”

“We have to act quickly—”

“What about my family, my friends?”

“Trixie split them up. But, physically, they're unharmed.”

It would have been a lie for Twilight to say she liked the news. She took what she was given, however. “Is there any chance for me to be ready by tomorrow night?” she softly asked. 

He shook his head. “I won't lie to you. I thought we had an honest shot by cramming weeks of instructions and teachings into a few days, at least, but it can't be done in that short of time. I'm so sorry.”

“But, you just started teaching me!” She felt her knees quake. “I-I can't take on Trixie that soon!”

Sombra bit down on his lip. Stars, she looked like she would start crying at any second. “I know it seems hopeless,” he said, placing a hoof on her shoulder, “but I'm not going to let you face her alone.”

She perked up a little. “Pardon?”

“I'm not sending you into the manticore's den by yourself.” Effortlessly, he used his magic to pull parchment and a quill off the shelf. “As I said before, in spite of this troubling bit of information, my venture was not in vain. We have at least two things working in our favor—things we can use.”

Twilight seated herself in front of him—fresh hope in her heart. “And they are...?”

“First of all, the shield isn't as powerful as Trixie thinks. I'll be able to get you inside without her knowing.” He smiled. “And, secondly, your pink friend convinced her to hold a masquerade ball. Now, I have a plan. If I'm right, and if everything goes accordingly, that alone will be the key to her undoing.”





	

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







Princess Luna's body violently shuddered as her consciousness abruptly returned from the dreamscape. Her muscles twitched uncontrollably, her legs flailed, and she promptly went tumbling off the cushioned dais she'd been using. She gasped upon hitting the floor—a noise loud enough to alert the trio of Lunar Guards that soon burst into her room. “Princess?!” one called.

“Are you alright?” inquired another. 

Gritting her teeth, Luna stood. “I'm fine,” she replied. As though her fall never happened, she turned to the guards and asked, “Would any of you happen to know the whereabouts of my sister at this hour?”

They were taken aback, and they exchanged bewildered looks. “Princess Celestia is in her chambers,” a mare—the only one amongst them—finally answered.

“Asleep,” added one of her cohorts.

That bit of information should have seemed completely obvious to the Moon Princess, and she mentally scolded herself for it, but she concealed her embarrassment well. Holding her head high, she strolled past the other ponies. “I have an important matter to discuss with her,” she said. “Please, remain here. I will return shortly.”

Albeit confused, the trio bowed—a silent agreement to obey her order. Not that she ever doubted their loyalty, of course, but this was a venture she had to make on her own. Once she was out of their collective sight, she took off down the corridor. Like a bat straight out of Tartarus, she flew through the hallways at an unbelievable speed. Her teeth continued to gnash together. How did a mere magician get her hooves on the Alicorn Amulet?!

A single thought resonated in the back of her mind, causing her to drift into a halting skid in front of Celestia's bedroom door. The robberies...! They had to be connected to the string of thefts; all of it aligned too perfectly. Although, she couldn't imagine why such a relic had not been confiscated and confined within the safety of the castle in the first place. It certainly should have been, a long time ago, but perhaps her sister possessed the necessary information to explain herself. 

“Celestia!” she yelled, pulling the door open.

The other alicorn, who was in bed, immediately jolted into a sitting position—her mussed hair sticking out in an almost hilarious number of positions. “What?! What is it, Luna?!” she half-grumbled, half-yelped. 

Luna ran to the side of her sister's bed. “Twilight Sparkle and her friends are in grave danger.” She gave no warning as she proceeded to then yank the covers off her sibling's sluggish form. “Arise, at once!”

Celestia didn't protest as she rolled off the bed, onto her hooves. “What has happened?” she asked.

“We must go to the Crystal Empire. A unicorn by the name of Trixie has taken control of it and its ponies.” She approached the taller mare, her demeanor urgent. “She has the Alicorn Amulet, sister.”

As though she experienced a slap to the face, the Sun Princess fiercely flinched. “And you're certain of this information?” she inquired. “From where did you receive it?”

“Twilight herself told me of their situation. I was able to visit her through means of the dream-walking spell you taught me.”

Just like that, the older sister was conflicted. On one hoof, she was thrilled to hear her spell worked. On the other, however, she was filled with dread; she never wanted to be right when something was wrong. “And we're certain it's the Alicorn Amulet?” she asked softly, her voice carrying a pleading edge. 

“I asked the same thing. Yet, she is your student, my friend, and I trust her judgment.”

Celestia closed her eyes. “You're right. We must take action.”

“But, first, we must plan.”

“Do we have the time?”

“Twilight Sparkle is exiled, but safe, and it's safe to assume no bodily harm will come to the others as long as they make valuable hostages. It is wise to go in with a well thought-out plan, or our presence will endanger them. You know the outcome is possible.”

The Sun Princess's head lowered. “It's Sombra all over again...”

“The similarities are jarring. Of course, this Trixie is no Sombra. There is, perhaps, room for reason this time around. Yet, we will prevail in one manner or another. Have faith.” With a small smile, Luna passed a hairbrush to her sister. “Now, tidy up, and I will fetch a fresh pot of coffee.”

Said sister gratefully took the item. “That sounds lovely, Luna.”

“Well, we will certainly need it.” 

Celestia continued to brush her hair as she watched the Moon Princess head out the door. Now alone with her thoughts, the process of fixing her mane became automatic, and her eyes drifted to the window. Outside, the unnatural lights of the Crystal Empire could still be seen. How much turmoil must the crystal ponies bear before they can finally live their lives in peace?

Sighing, she returned the brush to its rightful place on the vanity table. She knew Trixie. Not personally, but her personal student had described the unicorn in detail—as was often the case when it came to new faces in Twilight's life—in a past letter. Trixie was a traveling magician, a performer, a teller of grand stories. She carried an air of arrogance and selfishness, but not cruelty. No... Amulet or no amulet, she was no Sombra. 

An imaginative, lively magician could never hope to stand on the same ground as a heartless, wicked warlock.
> Chapter Eighteen : Infiltration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there was one thing Twilight took pride in, it was her magical prowess. She could, thanks to the teachings of Princess Celestia, cast a great number of spells—from generic attacks of pure magic, to something as complex as levitating an Ursa Minor. She could briefly teleport and conjure a temporary set of wings for herself, but never before did she craft the likes of a disguise spell. As with countless feats of magic, she had only read up on them during her studies, and she doubted she could pull one off.

Fortunately, Sombra was a great help in what was her first attempt. Then, her second, her third, her fourth... All were failures.

Magical disguises were tricky, as they affected a pony's physical form in more than one way, and she couldn't be Twilight Sparkle if she wanted to break her way back into the Crystal Empire. Everything needed to be concealed. Her purple coat, the pink and plum streaks in her mane and tail... her horn. It was a jarring thought, yet she remained dedicated to her training throughout the entire morning (with a quick break for breakfast). By noon, she was educated on the basics. Well, her memory of the basics were refreshed—leaving her a little more confident in her capabilities. As Sombra tended to the fire with his magic, Twilight went over her notes one last time. 

A complete disguise spell was, in actuality, made up of a series of smaller spells. Casting each one individually was a cinch. Weaving them together into a seamless appearance, however, was an entirely different story. It took a great deal of power and finess, though it didn't exactly dawn on her exactly how much was needed until she re-read what she managed to write down. No wonder her first attempts were in vain...

“Do you think you'll be able to do it?” asked the stallion, looking over his shoulder at her.

Twilight bit down on the corner of her lip. “I think so,” she hesitantly replied. “How exactly am I supposed to change my body, though? I know I need to be a crystal pony, but what then?”

Sombra turned. “Well, the 'crystal' part is already there, thanks to the Crystal Heart.” He tapped on his chin, briefly inspecting her. “Your horn will most definitely have to go. Despite my lineage, the population of the empire is purely an earth colony. The colors of your hair and coat aren't all that important, just keep them light. Crystal ponies tend to bear coats of lighter colors.”

“Well, you know more about them than I do. What's more common?” After all, proper color-coordination wasn't on her list of specialties.

Humming, he wandered over to the bookshelf. “Perhaps some visual aid is in order,” he muttered, skimming over the tomes. He soon took one into his magic and returned to her side. Levitating the book between them, he slowly turned through the colorfully-illustrated pages. It was another worn journal, with every page depicting the crystal ponies and the architecture of the Crystal Empire. “My father kept quite a few records on the crystal ponies during his years among them,” Sombra said, a small smile on his face. “This will certainly help.”

Carefully, Twilight took the journal into her own magic. It took everything in her power not to gush over it. It belonged to Sombra's father (and she held strongly onto the belief that he was Starswirl), and that made it a relic. Scholars and collectors would pay any number of bits to get their hands on such a unique item. Nevertheless, she swallowed down the excitement and she nodded at the stallion. “Thank you,” she said.

His smile grew a little wider, causing a strange sensation in her abdomen. “You are quite welcome,” he replied. His horn lit up then, and a crystal obelisk sprouted from the ground nearby. “Use this as a mirror,” he added. “It will make it easier for you to put a visage together if you can see yourself.” He made himself comfortable by the fir with a quill and a fresh piece of parchment. “Leave the rest to me.”

“Rest?”

“You'll need a new name, and some backstory for good measure.”

Nodding, and with the journal in tow, Twilight approached the mirror. According to the records, the most common coat colors among the crystal ponies were light blues, golds, and purples, and they doubled as common hair colors. She could work with blues and golds. As much as she wanted to keep a nuance of herself, she couldn't take the risk. So, though it took a great amount of focus, she began to experiment. 

She successfully cast the spells she needed, to her delight, yet she couldn't claim victory in her use of colors. It was borderline chaotic. She felt like a rabid chameleon as her body rapidly changed colors before her eyes, and none of them were what she wanted. Bright pink, sickly green, and at one point she even made herself transparent. Her mane and tail were no better off. Oh, stars, she didn't want to even acknowledge that mismatched disaster.

It didn't help for her to catch Sombra staring in horror at her every now and again. The additional pressure was stressful. “I can't do this!” she yelled. “I can't get it right!”

“You need to calm down,” retorted Sombra. He stood, and he walked up behind her. “You're casting too many spells at once. Slow down, take it one step at a time.”

Twilight groaned and rested her forehead against the mirror. “But, where do I start?” she grumbled. 

“If you can't summon colors out of thin air, then think about familiar ones. What's your favorite color? Try applying it to your coat.”

She thought about it for a moment. “I really like blue,” she said softly. Blue was the color of the sky, the water, the wonderful gala dress Rarity made for her... and it was the color associated with calm... 

… and the streaks in Sombra's hair.

Her face grew hot—an alarmed squeak escaping her throat. With a nervous chuckle, she immediately shook the thought from her mind. “Y-yes! Blue!” she shakily exclaimed. “I'll start there!” True to her word, she did exactly that, and she didn't stop until her coat was a satisfactory shade of light blue. As strange as it was to see herself in it, it was met with Sombra's approval. Besides, it reminded her of Rainbow Dash, and so she moved onto getting her hair in order. 

The advice of her friend helped her remain calm as she tried to think of something more familiar. The colorful spectrum of Rainbow Dash's hair was out of the question, though she was always fond of Fluttershy's pink mane. It was a warm, soft pink—the opposite of Pinkie Pie's intensity (not that there was anything wrong with Pinkie's very pink hair). She was pleased with the results and, as a tribute to Applejack, she transformed the pink and purple strands of hair into a more orange-like hue. She was tempted to keep her eyes the same. However, after a second thought, she settled for a teal to tie it all together.

Now, the hard part was conjuring away her horn. She already knew what it was like to suddenly have it magically torn away from her. Discord was the first. Trixie, the second. Now, to have to do so herself... It was inconceivable. Yet, it was necessary. She took a deep breath and, with one final burst of magic, she was no longer a unicorn. She then took a step back, numbly and silently regarding the blue-hued stranger on the other side of the crystalline mirror.







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







They were hidden amongst a pleasantly light snowfall as they hurriedly made their way to the Crystal Empire. Sombra didn't seem particularly worried, while Twilight couldn't keep her heart from drumming wildly against her ribcage. “Are you sure you can get me through?” she asked. She placed a hoof against the barrier's surface. The magic undulated, but her hoof didn't go through. Unfortunately, her newfound identity wasn't enough to trick the “anti-Twilight” spell. 

Sombra nodded. “Have faith, my friend,” he said. “I know how to solve this conundrum.” Horn alight, his body was once again lost amongst a cloud of black smoke. His altered form pressed against the barrier, piercing it. He then formed a circle, creating a rounded entrance, and he yelled, “Jump through!”

Without arguing, she jumped. Thanks to Sombra, there was a large enough hole in the shield for her to safely pass through and she landed safely on the other side. Adrenaline and giddiness nearly had her dancing with joy. “You did it!” she exclaimed in a hushed voice. “You actually did it!”

The stallion joined her on the ground, his natural form returning. “I told you, did I not?” he chuckled. He took a look around. As he suspected, everypony was too busy with celebatory preparations to mind the shield (and all available guards were, most likely, at the palace). “This way,” he said. He lead the mare behind a small crystal house, where they had a little extra cover. “I'm afraid this is where we must part ways, Twilight.”

“Do we really have to?”

“I'm too much of a liability, you know that.” There was a sadness to his voice. “I'm not capable of conjuring a disguise right now. The crystal ponies' memories may be fuzzy, but they'd recognize me right away. Besides, you won't be alone. I promise I'll keep an eye on you. Right now, however, you have the objectives we planned.”

Twilight nodded. Said plan included making contact with Spike, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack—all while avoiding Trixie like the plague. The worst part was that, for the time being, she was barred from using her magic. 

Sombra cleared his throat. “Good,” he sighed. “Now, let us rehearse.” He stood a little straighter, his muscles becoming rigid as he looked impassively down at her; it reminded Twilight of Princess Celestia's regal stance before she gave a test. “What is your name and occupation?” he asked.

“My name is Beryl Prose. I was a teacher before...” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I was a school librarian before you took over the Crystal Empire.”

“Very good. That's all you will need, so long as you refrain from your magical impulses.” Again, he sighed. “You'll also have to pretend to love Trixie as much as they 'love' her.”

Twilight's stomach churned at the thought. “Wonderful.” Shivering, she rolled her shoulders. “Alright, I better go now. The sooner I get to the others, the better.”

“That would be best.”

She sensed his hesitation as he reached out and touched her shoulder. “You will be fine,” he added. “I will always be nearby, just in case. If something happens, don't doubt I'll be there—whether with information or a helping hoof.”

Automatically, she blurted, “I know.” Heat rose in her cheeks. She did know. Sombra was her friend, even if he made her feel... strange at times. “I should go,” she quickly added. “I have to find my friends.”

He withdrew his limb. “Yes, go. We still have little time to prepare. Good luck to you... Beryl Prose.”

With a little more haste than she meant to give, she turned away from him and dashed from the secure location. There was no choice but to push past the hesitation she felt towards leaving him behind. There was work to be done. She ran a hoof through her mane, if only to feel the invisible horn amongst it. No matter what, she was still a unicorn. I'm still Twilight Sparkle. 

The empty streets soon became sparsely occupied as she neared the Crystal Palace. She took her time. As much as she wished to speed things along, it was of the upmost importance to blend in—to look like any other crystal pony, and all other crystal ponies were acting as though nothing was wrong. Shops were open for business, and doing very well for such an early hour, and many eateries were serving breakfast to sizable crowds. It was nothing like the eerie, monotoned following created upon Trixie's arrival.

Not a single thing appeared out of place. Yet, as she fixated her gaze upon the palace, she felt the nagging sense of its falsehood. It was a different brand of imprisonment—not of chains or shakles, but of the perverse altering of free will through the misuse of magic. The fur on the back of her neck rose. One of the first lessons Princess Celestia taught her was that she must never abuse her powers in such a way. Magic was to be used for the well-being of Equestria and its residents, not for selfish pursuits.

Trixie thought herself an all-powerful Queen, but Twilight aimed to change her mind.
> Chapter Nineteen : Within the Crystal Walls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike hated everything about his forced position: dusting, polishing, washing. All of it was terrible. The stupid maid apron he was forced to wear was the worse part, however. It was black and white, which wasn't so bad, but the stupid lace... It looked like a dress at first glance, which he suspected was the cruel intention. It was fancy, frilly, and obviously meant for a filly. He ripped it off in frustration numerous times to make it more bearable. 

Unfortunately, Princess Cadance was always the one to fix it as soon as she saw it. Every time, she was surprised. “Oh, no! Your apron!” she always exclaimed, as if in horror. “Don't worry, Spike, I won't let you walk around Queen Trixie's halls without looking your best. I'll fix it for you!”

And, oh, how he wanted to scream, “Trixie can fall off a cliff for all I care!” That was truly how he felt, too. He wasn't a maid, and the magician wasn't his ruler. Yet, he was unable to throw a tantrum and proclaim his feelings, because he knew better. Cadance wasn't to blame. She wasn't the one who brainwashed the crystal ponies—wasn't the one who exiled Twilight to the freezing cold.

Twilight...

The baby dragon turned away from the bookshelf he was halfheartedly dusting. He missed her. He missed home. With a forlorn sigh, he dropped the feather duster and he looked around the silent guest room. Cadance left him a while ago to retrieve clean rags, and the other servants were scattered about the palace—all preoccupied with tidying up for the coronation. There was never a more perfect time for a break, and Spike took full advantage of it. 

On carefully quiet feet, he left the lifeless room in favor of the chaotic mess that was Rarity's workspace. It set on the second floor, and was once one of the many empty rotundas. Now, however, it was the unicorn's appointed prison. Rolls and scraps of fabric were strewn about the floor, accompanied by ribbon, lace, crystal shards, and even bits and pieces of metal. Yet, the bright colors seemed dull in the light of Rarity's stress.

She stood at an armored ponnequin, furiously chipping designs into the metal with the combined efforts of her magic and a chisel. It was only one set of many, and the sweat dripping down her lethargic face spoke of how long and hard she'd been working. Spike was hesitant to bother her. The desire for her company, however, guided him forward. “Rarity?” he softly called.

He was startled by the chisel thrown at him—clacking off the wall next to his head. “They're not done yet, you impatient brutes!” the seamstress shrieked. She held a pair of shears menacingly above her head, and the dragon shrank from her crazed gaze to take cover behind a ponnequin.

“Whoa, whoa!” he cried. “Rarity, it's me! It's Spike!”

Silently stunned, her eyes widened in recognition. She slowly lowered the scissors as tears of guilt gathered at the corners of her eyes. “Oh, oh Spikey,” she breathed. “I'm so sorry. I thought you were another one of Trixie's goons.” Her legs trembled. Not even a second later, her rear dropped onto the floor like a rock. “Oh, Celestia, I'm so tired.”

Spike ran to her side. “When's the last time you slept?”

She groaned. “I honestly can't remember. Every time I attempt to rest my eyes, a guard saunters in here and demands their new suit of armor. Even Shining Armor heckled me to hurry it along! Oh, I don't know how much more of this I can take...”

“Don't give up, Rarity! We'll get out of here any day now!”

“You really think so?”

“Twilight's still out there. I'm sure she managed to get to Canterlot! It's only a matter of time before the Princesses show up and kick Trixie's butt!”

Rarity allowed him to help her onto a nearby cushion. “Oh, Spike, I hope it's true,” she replied, resting her chin on her forelegs.

Spike twiddled his thumbs. It nearly broke his heart, seeing his friend so exhausted and disheveled. He couldn't imagine the state of the others, especially with Applejack still toiling away in the kitchens and Rainbow Dash confined to a cell. Thinking of them made him feel guilty. Compared to their servitude, his was a walk in the park.

He almost left the unicorn as she slipped into a nap, until a soft noise of movement came from the doorway. Rarity heard it as well, and she looked up in alarm. “What was that?” she asked, her voice quiet with fear. 

“Hold on, I'll check it out.” He carefully moved to investigate the source of the noise. He feared it was Cadance at first—ready and willing to drag him back to work. Nopony was there, however, only a small cardboard box. Rarity's name was written neatly on one of the loose flaps. He picked it up and he carried it to the seamstress. “Hey, you got a package!” he exclaimed.

She raised a brow. “A package? Let me see.”

Gently, he set the box before her, which she opened with her magic. A loud, startling gasp from her made him jump as she lifted a polished, crystal item into the air. “It's a brush!” she joyfully cried, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. “Oh, Spike, someone brought me a brush!” Exhilarated by the unexpected gift, she looked into the box to see if there was more. She was surprised to see the bottom lined with colorful confetti, in which set a small note. It read, “Your friend said you really, really, REALLY needed this. We hope it makes you smile. Keep it secret and safe. C.S.” 

“C.S.?” she whispered. 

“What?” inquired Spike.

She showed him the note, which he immediately read. “Who the hay is C.S.?” he mused. He glanced at the confetti. “I thought for sure this was from Pinkie Pie. It sounds like something she would do.”

“Oh, Spikey, this is from Pinkie Pie.” She nuzzled the brush. “I just know it! Oh, I should've known Trixie's dreadful magic wasn't strong enough to truly take Pinkie from us! I'm so grateful to her and her friend for this.” She couldn't recall the last time a mere hairbrush looked so beautiful. It filled her with a welling sense of hope she thought she'd never feel again in this dismal place. She had confidence in Twilight, yes, but to know for a fact one of her friends was able to shake the brainwashing was almost enough to make her weep. 

There was the matter of her mysterious friend, of course, but Rarity neither worried or surprised. Pinkie worked in mysterious ways. 

With a content sigh, the unicorn proceeded to brush her hair—the clean feeling washing over her like a refreshing Spring breeze. Yes, she would be all right.






~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~






Beryl Prose stared in horror at the unconscious beast lying at her hooves. It was a crystal sheep—a ram, judging by the horns. But, what happened to the poor thing? The horns were too large, and the ram itself was unusually hostile. She was fortunate she was so quick with her magic, or the animal would have put her in a world of hurt. This was surely Trixie's doing. There was no other explanation. Only she would concoct such a monstrosity for guarding the palace corridors. 

She silently thanked Celestia the ram's armor wasn't magic-resistant. There was only a short period of time before he awakened, however, and so she quickly went on her way. It was hard to tell where the guards and their... pets were stationed. The only guards she spotted so far were out patrolling the streets. Yet, there was nopony at the front doors and it was surprisingly easy to get inside. 

Trixie was awfully content in her position of power, it seemed, as her arrogance dictated. If, for whatever unfathomable reason, Beryl were in her horseshoes she would've sealed up all the doors and windows with barrier spells accessible only by herself and her most trusted staff. On top of that, she would've kept the guards in the same building she inhabited, not that she wasn't relieved by the lack of defenses. It was a lot less to deal with. 

The hallways felt empty up until she reached the third floor, when a soft, cheery humming drew her into a room that appeared to be a study. The back wall was lined with sparkling bookcases. Set before them was a large desk of polished crystal. Dusting said desk was a friendly face Beryl had longed to see. “Cadance!” she exclaimed.

The pegasus (as Trixie had obviously returned her wings), startled, dropped her feather duster. “Huh?” she gasped. “Who's there?”

Containing her enthusiasm, Beryl calmly approached her; she struggled as to not recite their typical rhyme and dance. “Oh, forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you,” she said.

Picking up her cleaning tool, Cadance chuckled. “It's all right! No harm done. What's your name? I don't believe we've met before.”

“I'm Twi—Beryl Prose.”

“Pretty! So, what brings you to this little corner of the palace? Did Queen Trixie send you?”

Her ears folded against her head. She couldn't detect any irritation or ill-will in the other mare's voice. It wilted her previous joy, as Cadance was just as deluded as everypony else, and now she had to think on her hooves. “Uh, y-yes, I was sent by our mighty Queen,” she hastily replied, feeling sick for saying it. “I-I just saw you in here and I was curious as to what you were doing. That's all.” She smiled, glancing rapidly around the room.

Cadance blinked. “Oh, well, I'm the Palacekeeper, so I and my maids are making sure everything is nice and clean for tomorrow's coronation.”

Beryl recognized an opportunity when it presented itself. Maids possessed almost unlimited access to their place of employment. It was a traditionally-strict rule they were to be seen and not heard. As such, it was easy for them to pick up on whatever secrets they overheard, though they more often than not kept their mouths shut for fear of the consequences. Then and there, however, she wasn't worried about consequences. By Celestia, she wanted those secrets—Trixie's secrets—and this was the most ideal position in which she could find herself. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Then you're the pony I'm looking for! I'm new here, you see. Just got recruited to the palace staff.”

Again, the pink mare blinked. “Oh, I wasn't aware Queen Trixie needed more staff.”

“Well, she didn't. I'm a librarian, you see, at the elementary school. But, with the uprising of our glorious Queen and her upcoming coronation, work has been... nonexistent.” Once more, she grinned wide. “So, I volunteered! I wanted to make myself useful, you know?”

To her relief, Cadance seemed touched. “That's so sweet of you, Beryl! Let's find you an outfit and get you right to work! Please, follow me!”

She did as she was so nicely asked, and she did so closely. “So, what exactly needs doing around here?” she inquired.

“Only cleaning, and that's mainly because Queen Trixie's Royal Party Planner is an enthusiastic entertainer.” As they entered into a different corridor, she nodded her head towards a room near the farthest end. Music could be heard there—music that naturally grew louder as they neared. The chaotic combination of winds and drums was almost nostalgic to Beryl's ears. Pinkie Pie... 

She cleared her throat and asked, “Would it... Would it be out of line of us to see?”

“Of course not! It's quite a sight, but keep in mind we can't stay long. There's work to be done.”

“Understood.” She held her breath as she and Cadance peeked in on the scene. As she expected, Pinkie Pie was inside, and she stood proudly on a small box as she played a multitude of instruments for a small band of guards. Among them was Shining Armor. Beryl restrained herself from going in, but Cadance did not. The princess promptly approached her husband, touching his shoulder with a wing. “Shining, love, shouldn't you and your squadron be on patrol right now?” she asked. 

He greeted her with a warm smile. “We've been on patrol since sunrise, Cadance!” he laughed, pulling her into a hug. “I'm sure Queen Trixie will understand. Besides, we were just about to go back out.”

She nuzzled his neck. “Well, alright.”

“It'll be fine, you'll—” Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the doorway, and they widened to the size of dinner plates.

Beryl nervously shifted her weight between her front hooves. Was he looking at her? Did her spell wear off, or did she somehow allow it to dispel in the presence of her family? … No, it was something else, as the other guards soon took notice of Shining's frightened stare. Once they followed his gaze, they all—the Captain and Palacekeeper included—stood at attention and bowed. 

Her blood ran cold. Uh, oh... Slowly, she looked behind her, only to see the last pony she wanted marching towards her. She automatically bowed low to the floor. Pleasedon'tnoticeme, pleasedon'tnoticeme! 

Trixie didn't appear at all happy as she stomped past the timid crystal pony (and Beryl remembered to breathe in relief), instead focusing on the small party within. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded. The Alicorn Amulet around her neck twinkled ominously in the light.

Pinkie Pie, seemingly unaware of the unicorn's irritation, kept playing; somehow, though, she managed to lower the volume so she could be heard. “Oh, hello Queen Trixie!” she exclaimed. “What brings you here?”

“Your Queen demands to know why everypony is slacking off!”

Shining Armor stepped forward. “Forgive us, Your Majesty,” he said. “The Royal Party Planner saw fit to grant us a mere reprieve from our patrol. It was never our intention to shun our duties.”

She arched a brow. “I see, and is the Royal Party Planner your Queen?”

His shoulders slumped. “No.”

“Is she the Captain of the Queen's Royal Guard?”

“No.”

“So, should she be making such decisions?”

“... No, Your Majesty.”

“Then, get back to work!” The amulet sparked. “All of you!”

Cadance and Shining Armor shared a pained glance, causing Beryl's heart to clench. It was bad enough to hear Trixie talk to them like that, but to separate the loving couple... It was hard to estimate the last time they saw each other but, either way, it was heartless and it took everything in her power to not make a grab for the Alicorn Amulet. Even if she managed to get her hooves on the item, she didn't think her minute amount of dark magic was enough to yank it from around the unicorn's neck.

She kept the twinkling crystal floor within her vision as she listened to Pinkie Pie's music. She still played, and Trixie was well-aware of the sound. She wasn't as pleased as everypony else. It made her head throb. The room seemed to spin; the throbbing slowly grew into full-blown pain. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Beryl saw her raise a hoof to her temple. She heard her groan. Restraint was crucial, but it proved even more difficult when the self-imposed Queen sharply and suddenly turned to Pinkie Pie and shrieked, “Stop making that accursed noise!” Her tainted magic wrapped around the earth pony's tiny pedestal and she promptly pulled it out from underneath her. There was a collective gasp from the crowd as Pinkie fell backwards—her instruments flying out of her bizarre grasp in every direction. Cadance darted forward to catch her before Beryl could move a muscle, and Shining Armor easily shielded Trixie from the musical barrage. 

The magician pressed against the Captain, her countenance betraying the horror she felt towards her own actions. Beryl was surprised to see it, yet it was gone in the blink of an eye. Trixie scowled and pulled away from Shining Armor... only to bump nose-first into his shield. “Sun and moon!” she growled, her voice nasally whilst she rubbed her muzzle.

Beryl snickered under her breath; nopony heard.

“Shining Armor!” she snapped. “Your Queen commands—!” She looked up and him and ceased the order. The bright blue of her Captain's eyes caught her off guard and, for a moment, she couldn't help but stare at them. Her violet orbs remained on his cyan, until Cadance’s uncomfortable cough broke the spell. She looked away, shaking her head. “Get rid of this shield, Captain,” she muttered. He did, and she backed away.

She then shifted her attention to the Palacekeeper and Pinkie Pie; the latter stood unusually silent behind the former. “Your Queen finds herself with headaches from all the preparations for her coronation,” she said. “She kindly asks you refrain from any loud noises until further notice.”

Despite what was done to her, Pinkie Pie saluted. “Yes, Your Highness!” she exclaimed. The wince on the Queen's face caused her to falter. Quietly and quickly, she added, “Yes, Your Highness...”

“Good. Now that's settled, everyone is forgiven, and I'm feeling suddenly generous.” She looked over her shoulder at Shining Armor, a motion that made Beryl suspicious. There was a good reason for it, as the magician proceeded to say, “Shining Armor, Queen Trixie feels you will better serve her here in the palace.”

The stallion bowed. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Then, you're promoted. You're now the Queen's Royal Bodyguard.”

Beryl gritted her teeth. Great, another obstacle between me and her.

Shining Armor bowed again. “I'm honored, Your Majesty.” Hesitantly, he looked up. “What of your Royal Guard? They need guidance.”

Trixie lazily waved her hoof. “Oh, don't worry about them. Your duties are henceforth passed onto Lieutenant—uh, Lieutenant...”

“Lieutenant Flash Sentry, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, yes, Flash Sentry. Him.” She gave another wave of her foreleg. “Inform Flash Sentry he's now Captain, by order of the Queen.”

Flash Sentry... Beryl guiltily admitted she had forgotten about him—the kind pegasus who was carrying out simple orders of aid from the Princesses, and another innocent pony caught up in the mess. She was reminded of how many lives, how many free souls, depended on her success. There would be no repeat of history if she had anything to say about it, and there was plenty she wanted to say. It wouldn't happen today, as much as she wished it, but it would happen. She swore on the sun, the moon, the stars. More importantly, she swore on every little drop of magic in her body, both benign and dark, that silently awaited her to unleash it.
> Chapter Twenty : When all Lights go Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie burst into her chambers like a tornado tearing through an unsuspecting valley. The curtains swayed in the manner of windsocks, parchment regarding the masquerade ball flew in all directions. The unicorn didn't care, of course, for there was a cleaning staff for a reason. She trampled over the mess as she made her way to a window, where she was comforted by the cool touch of glass against her cheek. She heard her own heartbeat working in tandem with her splitting headache. Yet, against the window, both seemed to slow as she relaxed.

Through the crystal—momentarily and repeatedly becoming clouded with her every breath—she watched the slowing activity of the empire. The sun was setting, making way for the coming night. The crystal ponies were no doubt home-bound. Her guards, as scheduled, were on their way back to the palace to exchange shifts with their comrades. She contemplated how many of them wouldn't sleep, in earnest for the coronation.

Sleep would definitely elude her this night, though for another reason entirely.

Dragging her hooves, the magician paid a visit to the mirror. She was met with the image of a worn-down mare, who looked twenty years older than her age. She was unsure when the nightmares began. Not that she remembered them; the dreadful images she was forced to witness fled her mind as soon as she awakened. It was stress, no doubt. While she discovered running a whole empire was a tad more difficult than she first surmised, it was all a matter of falling into a rhythm. Such a thing would be easy once her coronation was over. 

Now, there were no more party plans, confetti messes, food tastings, costume approvals—no more anything. If she had known beforehoof all of that would've run her ragged up and down the palace, she would've hired somepony else to do all the work. It was downhill from here, however. Tomorrow, all she had to do was slip into her outfit and wait. She hoped, of course, she'd sleep well enough to be able to enjoy the ball.

The Alicorn Amulet hummed. It was a tickling sensation against her neck. “Yes, little matriarch, it will be a celebration to remember,” it whispered.

Trixie felt herself smile, though her reflection showed it was little more than a smirk. “Tomorrow is going to be perfect,” she replied, her voice low. It would be so perfect, in fact, it would be written in history as the most perfect party anypony ever hosted. Yes, the crystal ponies will absolutely adore Trixie for it, and they will talk about it for years to come!

Little by little, she dragged herself to her bed. The feeling of the sparkly silk sheets almost lulled her to sleep right then and there. Her eyes closed, she felt her muscles finally lose their tension. A sudden disturbance in the Crystal Empire's shield ruined it all—jolting her awake as though she were drenched in ice water. Her heart drummed in her ears, for it wasn't just any disturbance. The placed enchantments revealed it was the intrusion she'd been dreading since her first day.

Her hooves hit the floor with a loud “clack!” as she leaped from the bed, and she magically threw the doors open as she dashed into the adjacent corridor. 

The noise made Shining Armor jump. He barely recognized the blue blur that passed him. “Queen Trixie?” he called. “What's wrong, Your Highness?”

“Alert the Royal Guard!” she retorted sharply, her voice echoing off the translucent walls. “We have intruders!”







~*~*~*~*~*~







“Luna, sister, I question the integrity of this plan.” 

Peering cautiously around a corner, Luna rolled her eyes. “We don't have the time for negotiations,” she replied. 

Celestia frowned. “Yet, there was time to let a pony suffer through a few sleepless nights?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, dear Tia.” Despite Celestia's hesitation, Luna wasn't going to apologize for her choice of tactic. It wasn't like she was the one who planted the nightmares in Trixie's dreams. They were nightmares, Luna hoped, manifested from Trixie's suppressed guilt, but she was unsure. In her decision to play dirty, she refrained from visiting the magician's dreams altogether.  

She wasn't sorry. The “Great and Powerful” Trixie was exhausted, and they needed to make their move. 

Together, they crept through the empire's darkened streets like phantoms. They had only patrolling guards to worry about, albeit their patterns were easy to determine and avoid. Their goal was to get to the palace undetected, to get Cadance and the others out as quickly and quietly as possible. Then, they had to recover Twilight Sparkle, who remained somewhere in the Frozen North; she was hidden, but safe. Once they were all safe and sound, then would come the time to plan against Trixie. 

Conversation was kept to a minimum as they closed in on the Crystal Palace. The haunting glow of the Crystal Heart could be seen hovering in its usual place at the base of the structure. Despite its eerie, fluctuating colors the sight of it moved the Royal Sisters. “I can't believe how long it's been,” whispered Celestia. 

“I know, sister. If only circumstances were—” Luna caught movement out of the corner of her eye and she froze.  Somepony just ducked behind a nearby house; she saw their fluffy tail as it happened. “Somepony's over there,” she hissed, pointing with her hoof. She didn't think they were spotted, but caution was key. Quietly, she led Celestia across the street. They heard voices as they closed in on the darkened home.

“Oh, oh! I just can't wait for tomorrow!” exclaimed a hushed voice. “I wish tomorrow were here already!”

“Patience, little filly,” replied a gruff counterpart. “Tomorrow is worth waiting for.”

The sisters looked at each other. In unison, as they came to the same conclusion, they whispered, “That's Pinkie Pie.”

Sure enough, they saw the pink pony as they both peered around the corner, but they couldn't see with whom she was having her conversation. “Do you think Queen Trixie will like the party?” she asked. Eagerness, ever so slightly, strained her voice. 

“Of course! After all the hard work we put into it, how will she not like it?” A warm chuckle came from the obscurity. “The love of the crystal ponies and your friends are guaranteed, at least.”

Pinkie Pie began to bounce. “They will totally love it! They've been oh-so gloomy the past few days—” Upon those words, she ceased movement, and she took on a countenance of gloom. “They really, really, really, really, need this party...”

An orange-ish hoof emerged, seemingly from nothingness, to settle on her shoulder. “And they will love it, my friend. Hang in there. You'll see their smiles soon.”

Luna was tempted to intervene. Pinkie didn't appear to be in any form of imprisonment and, frankly, she felt the urge to go forth and comfort her. A quick glance at her sister's face told her Celestia felt the same. Yet, before either of them could move, an overly-dramatic gasp came from the party pony as she and her mysterious accomplice took off into the shadows without warning. The Royal Sisters were dumbfounded, until they were caught off guard by the thunder of countless approaching hooves.

They were surrounded before they even realized it. A combination of Crystal Empire and Canterlot Royal Guards formed a tightly-knit circle around them—their faces as stern as what was expected of them under normal circumstances. But, to Princess Celestia, this wasn't a normal circumstance. Each armor-clad pony had a lance pointed at them, as though they were a threat. “Guards,” she gently ordered, “lower your weapons. It is only my sister and I.”

Unfortunately, nopony budged, and a triumphant laugh came from above them. “Ah! So the esteemed Royal Sisters have finally arrived!” boomed an exuberant voice.

Luna and Celestia looked up, and saw Trixie—the very mare who now wielded the Alicorn Amulet—standing atop the house. “You!” snapped the Moon Princess. “How did you know we were here?”

Again, the magician laughed. “Queen Trixie is not stupid, Princess! In a fit of brilliance, she enchanted the shield to let me know if anypony dares to come or go!” She grinned wide. Her left ear twitched. “And you did come, just like she knew you would.”

“Enough of this,” retorted Celestia. “Beatrix Lulamoon, not only have you committed destruction of property and theft, but you've forced innocent ponies into servitude!”

Luna flared her wings. “The empire's throne isn't yours, and neither is the Alicorn Amulet! Surrender both. Don't make us take them from you.”

The Sun Princess ignored her sister's austerity—looking up at the unicorn with a soft plea. “Please, don't do this.” She shot Luna a brief glare. “We can solve this peacefully.”

Trixie ground her teeth, a redness creeping into her cheeks. “Peace?” she spat. “You saunter in here, intent on taking away everything I built, and you dare speak to me of peace?” 

“But, you didn't build anyth—”

“Enough!” Her amulet glistened. “Leave my empire! Leave or face Queen Trixie's wrath!”

Without missing a beat, Luna leaped into the air—her muzzle inches from Trixie's. “You, little pony, are no queen,” she hissed. Well, true as that was, it wasn't wise to say aloud. The Princess of the Night immediately saw red as a blast of Trixie's tainted magic hurled her in the opposite direction. She heard Celestia shout her name as she careened through the air. Though she struggled to recover, it wasn't long before she straightened herself out and launched a counter attack. 

In an exchange of blue and red magic, each mare tried again and again to inhibit the other, while Princess Celestia watched in disbelief. She possessed no doubts regarding Luna's strength, but the unicorn was giving her a run for her bits. She had, admittedly, forgotten the power of the Alicorn Amulet. Her sister needed aid, as much as she disapproved of battle, and as long as the guards remained still as statues she had no qualms flying to Luna's side—shielding her from another onslaught of dark magic with a steadfast bubble. “Luna, we need to coordinate our efforts,” she said. 

The younger alicorn nodded. It was foolish of her, in her moment of weakness, to begin the fight alone and so hastily. “She won't surrender to us,” she said.

“We can't force her to take off the amulet.”

“We can't let her continue her forced reign, either.”

“Please, sister, this isn't like the first time.” She sighed. “Let me try to talk some sense into her.”

Luna turned her head away for a moment's contemplation. She didn't realize how much of a mistake it was until she suddenly found herself wrapped in arcane chains. Celestia shared the same fate soon after. They shouldn't have remained still, for Trixie didn't hesitate to take advantage of the brief ceasefire. Her laughter could be heard once again as she levitated the pair closer to her. “Foals!” she guffawed. “Did the Great and Powerful Queen Trixie not warn you of her wrath?” A manic grin attached itself to her face. She then looked upon the circle of guards below. “Lock these two in the dungeons,” she shouted, lowering the Royal Sisters to the ground.

The Moon Princess sneered. “Are we to be your prisoners as well, then?”

“You got it! Although, you should consider yourselves fortunate. You'll be present for the biggest event this empire's ever seen!” She twirled a hoof. “Well, you won't see much of anything from the dungeons, but Trixie's made her point.” That being said, she made the all-important mental note to not only enchant the cells, but to rid the sisters' of their powerful magic. She didn't know if it was possible to take away alicorn magic, but she had to try. Nopony was allowed to come between her and her crown, not even the Princesses of the Sun and the Moon.

Groaning, she encased herself in a crimson bubble and she flew after the guards. Though she desired to return to her bed, there was a little more work to do. Perhaps then, with her greatest threats behind bars, she would finally be able to rest.

All the while, a disheartened shadow watched helplessly as the Princesses were led back to the palace. “Stars help us,” Sombra breathed. His altered form wound through the streets—his intent to follow. The news was not going to make Twilight happy.
> Chapter Twenty-One : Upon the Reflection of Certain Mistakes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was not happy. Extensive search of her vocabulary failed to bring forth proper terms to describe just how unhappy she felt. It was a feeling far from rage, she discerned, and it didn't take her long to pick out the myriad of emotions welling within her. Confusion, as when she was rudely awakened to find both the sun and moon hanging in the sky at the same time, meddled with horror and disbelief when she was told of the Royal Sisters' capture. She told herself Sombra was mistaken, then. 

Surely, the power of two alicorns rivaled that of a single borrowed power? Yet, there was no denying the proof set before her eyes. The divine duo of celestial bodies had the sky split into gradients of night and day. 

She didn't know she was shaking—her artifical appearance as Beryl Prose fluctuating—as she stopped pacing to face her friend. “That's fine!” she blurted. There was a high-pitched strain to her voice. “Nothing's changed, right?”

Sombra frowned. “Twilight...”

“So what if you just told me that Trixie was able to overpower not one, but both Princesses all on her own with no trouble at all? I can still beat her, right?”

“Twilight.”

In a blink of light, she stood before him—their noses nearly touching. “What does it matter if the Princesses can't perform their duties?” she questioned in a single breath. Her left eye twitched. “Equestria won't fall into absolute chaos if they're missing for a day, right?!”

Sombra gently grabbed her by the shoulders. “Twilight!” he snapped. A pang of guilt poked him in the heart when she flinched, and so he lowered his voice. “Twilight, everything will be fine. You're right. The plan hasn't changed.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Now, listen to me. Ponies are already scrambling about to put the finishing touches on the ball. You have a few hours to prepare yourself and you have to focus. Do you understand?”

Taking a shaky breath, she nodded. Of course she understood, she just didn't like any of it. “It's just,” she whispered, “not fair, Sombra.” It felt as though everything had gone horribly wrong all over again. It was one thing to rescue a whole empire, but it was another to have the entirety of Equestria suddenly at stake. It felt hopeless. 

Then, the stallion hugged her. It wasn't an energetic “happy-to-see-you-on-this-super-fantastical-day” hug like the ones Pinkie gave, nor was it a commonly-friendly hug like the ones given by the rest of her friends. This one made her heart skip a beat, and she instantaneously leaned against Sombra's strong frame. Comfort seemed like such a fleeting thing over the past days. She could never put how much it was appreciated into words. 

Yet, it wasn't meant to last and it was an act of serendipity for them to mutually pull away from the embrace. “Thank you,” the mare said, a smile on her face.

Sombra smiled, too. “Make no mention of it, my friend.”

“And you'll... you'll be around, just in case, right?”

“Yes.” Again, he touched her shoulder. “No matter what happens, I promise you I'll be there.” Of course, he fully intended to keep that promise. He came too far to let the mare fight the battle alone, even if he had to reveal his return to the crystal ponies... with the Princesses of the Sun and Moon present. He owed Twilight that much, and so much more, for the second chance she so graciously gave to him.






~*~*~*~*~*~






Trixie was interrupted out of her peaceful slumber by frantic knocking and shouting at her chamber door. Bitterly, she took her time answering it, as it was the first time and days she was truly comfortable. It seemed duty called out to her, however, and she reluctantly rose to open the door—revealing a disheveled Shining Armor. “Queen Trixie!” he exclaimed, bowing. “Please, forgive me, but something terrible has happened!”

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What is it, guardstallion?” she inquired.

He pointed a shaky hoof at the nearest window. “Just look, Your Highness!”

“... Okay.” She didn't know what he was on about, but she went to the window nonetheless. She didn't know what the big deal was, for the sky rested in pleasant shades of blue and purple. It was beautiful, especially with the sun and moon— She blinked. Then, she rubbed her eyes, but when she looked once more she only blinked a second time. The process repeated itself until there was no denying what she saw any longer. “What in Equestria is going on?!” she screamed. She spun to glare at Shining Armor, like he somehow possessed the answer. “It's morning, isn't it?! Why is the moon out, too?!”

The stallion stared silently at her—his eyes betraying his bewilderment as they rapidly looked between Trixie and the end of the hallway. “Uh, Your Majesty...?”

…

… Oh.

…

… Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!

“Cheese and crackers!” she yelped. In a mass of frantically-scrambling limbs, she sped down the corridor like her flank was on fire. No, no, no! What have I done?!

She'd gone too far, she was certain of it, and panic completely enveloped her every sense. All subjects were ignored—many of whom had questions regarding the outside anomaly. However, no number of greetings or bows would deter her from the palace dungeons. 






~*~*~*~*~*~






I can't believe this is happening. With a disgruntled groan, Princess Luna dragged her hooves down her face as she shot a venomous glare at her sister. “This is positively unacceptable,” she snapped. 

Across the way, her sister opened a single eye to regard her. “You're not wrong, Luna.”

The younger sister scowled. Oh, how she wanted to lash out and blame Celestia's weakness for their capture. Only, that wasn't fair. Despite all their planning, they were both equally guilty of lacking focus. It doomed them from the moment they passed into the Crystal Empire, just like Trixie's perimeter spell. Luna never took into account the stage performer's knowledge of advanced spells—spells she never would've been able to cast without the Alicorn Amulet. 

She had forgotten the artifact's terrifying might. Starswirl, you old fool. What would you say about your amulet if you were here? You always took great pride in your creations. Surely, you would boast.

… She snorted. No, you wouldn't. You knew what you were doing when you crafted the Alicorn Amulet—knew its purpose.

Her head hung low, and she heard her sister sigh. “What are you thinking about, Luna?” she asked. 

Luna's answer was immediate and sarcastic. “I'm contemplating how we ended up being imprisoned by a mere show pony.” 

Celestia, of course, was unamused. “We waited too long, as well.” She paused. “Not that it was unwise to plan ahead, mind you.” Unfortunately, in this rare case, waiting was detrimental to their possible success, as the Alicorn Amulet's hold over Trixie had only strengthened in that time.

“We have to figure out how to get out of here, Tia!” Luna braced her front hooves against the bars of her cell. “Princess Cadance will soon crown her Queen!”

“I know.” 

With so much power at her hooves, there was no telling how the coronation would further embolden the magician. Absolute power corrupted absolutely, as it had done to the Crystal Empire's former tyrant. Celestia was wrong to assume the same thing wouldn't happen with Trixie, and now both she and her sister were literally powerless to stop it. She hadn't felt so... useless since her short-lived fight against Queen Chrysalis. She faced the changeling head-on, hoping to defend what was supposed to be the beginning of her beloved niece's new life as a happily-married mare. Instead, the queen's enhanced magic overpowered her almost instantly.

She just didn't want to make the same mistake with Trixie. She wanted to believe the unicorn wasn't too far gone—that she hadn't yet completely fallen to the influence of the Alicorn Amulet. Again, she was proven wrong. Not only had she accepted the item's dark embrace, but she was actually quite proficient in its usage. Were there not so many lives at stake, the Princess of the Sun would have admired her capabilities. But, surely, she knows not what she does, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. It's the amulet. Oh, Starswirl, what possessed you to leave it behind?

It was ultimately her fault, she knew, for not keeping herself open to the possibility it was still out there—silently waiting for somepony to rescue it from a dusty shelf. It was her belief Starswirl had taken his dark creation to his grave. 

Sighing, she smiled softly at Luna. “Do not lose hope, my sister,” she said. “Twilight is still out there, and may yet succeed where we failed.”

“And how is she to know of our fate, Tia?” the younger retorted. “Even if she knew, in what manner would she be able to stop Trixie when we could not? She may be your student, but she is no—”

The Royal Sisters' heads turned towards the disruptive and thunderous sound of the dungeons' heavy door being thrown open. To their surprise, the sound heralded the rapid approach of the last pony they expected to see. Trixie skidded to a halt between their adjacent cells, her eyes flashing crimson. “Trixie,” she panted. “Trixie may have... may have made a slight error.”

Princess Celestia masked herself in an air of placid unawareness. “Why, whatever do you mean?” she asked.

“'Slight error?'” sneered Luna. “I hope you're referring to your assault against the Elements of Harmony, unlawful mind-manipulation, and banishment of Celestia's—”

“Enough!” Trixie stomped a hoof. “It has come to Queen Trixie's attention that... that she failed to take the natural order of things into account when she sealed your magic.” She cleared her throat. “She... wishes to make some form of arrangement to correct said error.”

Princess Celestia arched a brow. “Now you wish to speak of arrangements?”

The magician glared at her. “She has half a mind to unbind your magic, so be grateful! Queen Trixie can't have the whole of Equestria in a panic over you two! Trixie desires to be Queen! She does not desire chaos!” She didn't, either, especially if there was anypony out there who knew of the Princesses' whereabouts. Her biggest fear was that there was a army gathering in Canterlot as she spoke—that she was on the edge of single-hoofedly stirring up a full-blown war. “Look,” she added, “I'll move you out of the dungeons into a more comfortable, but magic-bound, room.” She rubbed her eyes with the back of a hoof. “I... Trixie can't let the sun and moon remain unattended. Ponies have already noticed something is wrong!”

Celestia knew a chance when it presented itself, and she jumped to claim it. “If you let us have our magic back, you have my word we won't try to escape—enchanted room or not.”

“What?” The unicorn's eyes widened, as though she didn't believe her ears. “Do you really mean it?”

She nodded. “Yes. Truly, you are generous for taking the overall good of Equestria into account and it is greatly appreciated.”

Obviously, Trixie basked in the praise. “Thank you!” she exclaimed, puffing out her chest.

Princess Luna rolled her eyes, then she leered at her sister. “What are you doing?” she mouthed. 

To her annoyance, Celestia smiled and silently replied, “Trust me,” as her attention returned to the magician. “Please allow us to continue our dominions over the sun and moon, and our fates will remain yours even after your coronation.”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, yes! I'll have you relocated at once!”

Luna grunted in irritation as her form was once again wrapped in unbreakable chains. As was Celestia's, before Trixie's magic finally opened their cell doors. They, fortunately, had room to walk as they cautiously stepped into the corridor. “Follow Queen Trixie!” ordered the unicorn, flipping her unbrushed mane. “She knows exactly where to place you!”

The Royal Sisters exchanged uncertain glances, but they followed nonetheless. It wasn't long before Trixie was far enough ahead of them for them to have a quiet conversation. “What in the name of harmony are you playing at, Tia?” demanded Luna.

Eyes set straight ahead, the taller alicorn frowned. “Well, I was successful in having us removed from the dungeons, if that's what you mean.”

“You wasted the chance to bargain for the release of the remaining Elements, and your niece and nephew. On top of that, you just threw away the chance for us to make our escape.” She gritted her teeth. “What were you thinking?”

No amount of pandering would convince Trixie to release Princess Cadance and, unfortunately, she admittedly took what she could get. “One thing at a time, Luna,” she gently scolded. “Besides, only I gave my word we wouldn't attempt to escape. You did not.”

Luna found the comment startling. “Pardon?” she gasped softly. It seemed as though it was her turn to be incredulous.

“You heard me.” Celestia's frown reversed into a playful grin. “Consider it my apology for earlier.”

The Princess of the Night suppressed a snicker. “Just when I thought you had fallen into predictability, Tia,” she muttered. “Apology accepted.”
> Chapter Twenty-Two : Final Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful rear hooves struck the wall of the empty barracks as Rainbow Dash yelled out in frustration. Sure, she had been freed, but there was little satisfaction in it, even as the impact of her kick toppled both the weapon and armor racks. No, she was let out of the cells, but there was no freedom to be found here.

Grunting, she kicked the wall again for good measure and, oh, how she wished it were Trixie instead. Hay, she would've settled for the “Captain of the Guard.” Flash Sentry, she recalled—the pegasus stallion who had the most infuriating look on his face as he delivered Rainbow the news of her release. “The Queen is allowing you to attend her coronation,” he said, pulling the bars open with a wing. “Until then, you're on palace patrol.”

She grumbled an insincere, “Hooray for me.”

He was in her face the moment she exited the cell. “Her Royal Highness gave me very specific orders regarding your behavior,” he snapped. “Her loyal subjects will be keeping an eye on you. If you attempt to leave the palace, you'll end up back in this cell. If you aid her other prisoners against her, you'll end up back in this cell in shackles. If you so much as look at her funny during the ball, you'll be swiftly relieved of your wings.”

The desire to remain uncaged overthrew her urge to break his nose. So, she said nothing, and accepted (with much loathing) her unwanted role. Sulking, she strolled through the palace hallways, her armored hooves clicking with her every step. With a little luck, she would find a private enough place to sleep for the rest of the day. Nopony would notice, as long as they kept wasting their time with Trixie's stupid party.

Rainbow was, sure as Tartarus, not going. “Stupid Trixie,” she grumbled.

“You can say that again...”

The pegasus's wings automatically flared as she spun to look at who spoke. For once, she was greeted by the pleasant sight of a familiar face. “Hey, Applejack.”

Her friend gave her a tired smile. “Hey, Rainbow. Glad to see you're out and about.”

“Yeah, 'thanks' to 'Queen' Trixie.”

Applejack snorted. “No kiddin'.” Then, she leaned against the wall with a sigh. 

Rainbow Dash approached her with caution. “Hey, are... are you okay, A.J.?” she whispered. “You don't look too good.” She didn't care about the glare it earned her. It was the truth. The bags beneath Applejack's dulled eyes rivaled those of her elderly grandmother. Her hat was wrinkled and dirty, and her normally brilliant orange coat reeked of the sweat and kitchen filth that stained it. 

Yet, the farmer chuckled. “I won't lie,” she whispered, “it's been a long, long time since I've felt so plum-tuckered out like this.”

Rainbow grinned. “Apple-Bucking Season?” she teased. She couldn't help herself.

“Oh, hush up.” She lifted a heavy hoof to hit her friend's shoulder. Of course, tired as she was, the force was practically nonexistent. “I would've gladly spent my time harvesting the entire orchard myself again without a lick of sleep instead of... this.” Frowning, she gestured to herself. “I honestly hope Little-Miss-Queenie chokes on one of those fritters...”

Her face immediately scrunched up, and she clamped a hoof over her muzzle. “Alright,” she muttered. “Maybe not that...”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Trust me, A.J., I understand the feeling.”

The frown deepened. “I'm so tired, Rainbow.”

“Lean against me, then.” The pegasus pressed her side against Applejack's. “Now, c'mon, let's go check in on Rarity!”

“But—”

“C'mon! When's the last time you saw her?”

Applejack sighed and, gratefully, relented her stability to Rainbow Dash. “Fine, fine... Let's get goin'.”

Together, the mares made forged a wobbly path to the upper levels of the Crystal Palace. Nopony paid them any mind, as predicted, though Applejack's lack of coordination held them back a ways. Even when they managed to reach Rarity's assigned quarters, so many different ponies were rushing in and out the door like mad it was almost impossible to get inside. Of course, Rainbow didn't hesitate to push them out of her path. “Move!” she growled. The combination of her tone and her full suit of crystal armor cause the ponies to scatter, and she couldn't deny how good it felt.

Her comrade, fortunately, was too exhausted to scold her.

Despite the hectic mess as Rarity and her assistants rushed to hand out costumes, she didn't look too bad. She even waved at them upon their entry. “Oh, girls!” she exclaimed. “It's so good to see you! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Arching a brow, Rainbow wrapped a wing around Applejack. “We need a place to crash for a while, Rares.”

The unicorn paused—her eyes landing on Applejack, as though she had just taken notice of her presence. “Oh,” she whispered. “There's an empty storage room in the back. Feel free to use it.”

“Thanks, Rares.”

“Don't mention it, darling. I'll be with you in a moment.” She shot a glare at a stallion, who rudely cleared his throat to get her attention. She promptly threw his order at him, then directed her attention to one of her assistants. “Topaz!” she called. “How many costumes are left?”

The yellow mare quickly replied, “Only a hoof-full!”

“Be a dear and take care of the rest for me, won't you?”

“But, Queen Trixie assigned you to—” She immediately withered under Rarity's twitching, yet piercing stare. “... I'll take care of the rest for you.”

“Thank you, darling.” Flipping her mane, she retreated to the back room—pillows and blankets grasped in her magic. She draped one gently over Applejack, as the poor mare was on the verge of falling asleep. “Stay with us a little longer, Applejack,” she said.

The farmer yawned. “Hate to be ungrateful, Rarity, but I haven't slept in almost two days.” 

Rarity smiled. “I know, dear, and I'll be quick.” Her smile grew wider as she pulled a small box out of the corner of the room. There was a brush inside, much to the confusion of her friends. “But, I have something fantastic to tell you.”







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







Meanwhile, Twilight had officially run out of patience. In spite of her close proximity to her sister-in-law, she hadn't seen Spike since her arrival. The baby dragon wasn't subjected to Trixie's brainwashing and, despite Cadance's best attempts to keep him in line, he was adamant about skipping out on cleaning duty. Yet, Twilight didn't have time to formulate low-key questions regarding his location. 

The concern for her loyal assistant had boiled over. She had to see Spike—to confirm he was fine.

All it took was a quick flash of fire to smear a few windows, and Cadance was occupied long enough for her to slip away unnoticed. And, like any reasonable pony, she began her search on the ground floor. It certainly wasn't easy. Trixie's security was absolutely ridiculous. In addition to the abundance of Royal Guards, she spotted more crystal rams. They, more often than not, were accompanied by a guard. Their occasional pairing, of course, only made Twilight more nervous. 

For the time being, it was her duty to look like she belonged. With so many scrutinizing eyes around every corner, it was becoming an ongoing struggle to keep her composure. She suspected the false smile she wore was a little too much, even. After gauging the strange gazes she received from both guards and castle staff alike, she realized it to be true. 

She managed it for three floors, however, until she absolutely needed a break. Smiling was excruciating when it was forced. Pinkie would have a conniption, undoubtedly, if she saw it. She pressed her back against the wall and, groaning, she rubbed the soreness from her cheeks.

“Umm... Pardon me.”

Given her frayed nerves, the soft voice was loud enough to startle Twilight. She jumped. “Yes?” she gasped, standing still as a board. It took her a minute to process she was now looking at a very familiar pegasus. Another seemed to pass when she noticed the dragon atop her back. Spike!

… Fluttershy?

Gone were the flowing lengths of her friend's mane and tail. Both were jarringly short, though there was enough of her mane left to hang over her right eye. In a grasp of logic, Twilight thought of it as a slightly longer, albeit pink, version of Rainbow Dash's mane-cut. It didn't look terrible, but why did it look like that?

The friend in question tilted her head in concern. “Oh, are you alright?” she asked. “I hope I didn't frighten you.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, no, no—not at all!” she exclaimed. “It's just that... There's a dragon on your back.” Surely, her recovery was flawless.

A tiny smile graced Fluttershy's features. “Oh, don't mind him,” she chuckled. “He's stubborn, but a sweetheart.”

Crossing his arms, Spike huffed and rolled his eyes.

The pegasus ignored him. “Now, if you don't mind, I have to get this little fella back to the Palacekeeper.”

“Why the Palacekeeper?” She had to remain ignorant. Beryl Prose was new to the palace staff and knew nothing.

“Queen Trixie designated him to be Palacekeeper Cadance's personal assistant.” Fluttershy hung her head with a sigh. “And, unfortunately, he's been shunning his duties lately.”

Again, Spike sounded off with an irritated huff.

“I don't mean to be rude, but we really need to get going now. The sooner I return him to his post, the sooner I can return to mine.”

Twilight stepped closer. “Oh? I'm on the cleaning staff,” she said. “If it will save you some time, I'll happily take him to the Palacekeeper for you.”

Fluttershy's eyes shimmered with joy. “Really? That would be wonderful! Thank you so much, Miss...?”

“Beryl Prose.”

“Fluttershy.” She leaned to the side, which allowed Spike to carefully slide off her back. “This means so much to me, really,” she added.

“It's no trouble at all!”

Smiling, the pegasus ushered Spike forward. “Now, Spike, let this nice mare take you back to the Palacekeeper, okay?”

His gaze fixed on the floor, the baby dragon reluctantly scuffled from his close proximity to Fluttershy. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Let's go.”

Twilight bit down on her lip as she and Spike stepped out into the busy hallway. They just started walking in silence, for she didn't know what to say that would lift her assistant's spirits. To see him so downcast... She wanted to hug him—to make him smile again. Her next decision was impulsive. While nopony was looking, she pulled him into what appeared to be a small closet and swept him up into a near bone-crushing embrace. 

Naturally, he began to squirm. “H-hey!” he whined. “What gives?” He flailed his tiny arms. “Somepony, help! I need an adult!”

“Spike, hush! It's okay!” With a sheepish grin, she released him, and she dropped her disguise before he had the opportunity to speak or run away. “It's me!”

“T-Twilight...?”

She nodded, holding out her forelegs, and watched as her assistant's wide-eyed stare grew into the widest smile she'd ever seen. Then, with a cheerful shout, he jumped into her embrace. “Twilight! You're okay!” he exclaimed.

Laughing, she nuzzled the top of his head. “What? Did you think a blizzard and a barrier could keep me away?”

Spike sniffled as he stepped away. “But, how? Trixie took your horn!”

Twilight drew in a sharp breath. With all the help Spike gave her over the years, she didn't doubt the knowledge he certainly picked up from her own studies, but there was simply no explanation she could fathom as to how she got her horn back. Before she awakened in Sombra's hideaway, she recalled a very bizarre dream after she passed out in the snow. Yet, a dream was hardly anything significant. 

“I, uh, guess Trixie isn't as good with magic as she let on,” she replied. “It took a while, but her little trick wore off!”

There was a sparkle of what appeared to be realization in the baby dragon's eyes. His hands clapped together. “So, that's what took you so long! We...” His expression glazed over with an obvious sadness. “We were beginning to lose hope... We thought you were... You were...”

She ran a hoof over the fins atop his head. “I know, Spike, but everything is going to be okay. I'm going to fix all of this.” Oh, Celestia, do I hope. “Now, tell me everything that happened while I was gone.”







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







Sun and moon preserve me...

The dark haze of Sombra's form bobbed up and down in the air as he struggled to maintain it. No, he should've been able to keep it up for the remainder of the day, at least! Yet, he had overestimated his magical endurance, as he foolishly assumed he was unaffected by his millennium-long imprisonment. Curses, he thought. He needed something else, before somepony noticed. Too many lone party-participants and small groups of servants passed him by without noticing. He was running out of time.

Like Twilight, he needed to look like somepony else.

His luck was either the worst or the best, for the remainder of his body-altering spell fizzled into nothingness as two loud sets of hooves came clamoring down the corridor. He cursed once more, under his breath. There was no time to cast another spell. Hiding was his only option and, fortunately, the palace possessed plenty of empty rooms. It was nothing less than a miracle none of the scrambling servants stumbled upon him as he hurried to shut himself within an empty study. 

His legs were embarrassingly wobbly and, now that he was physical, the sensation of his sweat-dampened coat was greatly unsettling. Stars above, he hoped he wasn't in the same state when he gave Twilight that hug...

The hooves drew near, along with two voices: a mare and a stallion. Sombra pressed his ear against the door. If somepony was heading his way, he didn't want to be taken by surprise.

“Is everything set for Queen Trixie's coronation, Captain?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Sombra's brow drew together. He was cautious as he opened the door a bit to give himself a sliver of a view. The unicorn usurper, her pegasus Captain, and her personal bodyguard stood a few feet from the door, and he watched them as they walked together down the hallway. “You better hope your Royal Guard is prepared for this task,” warned Trixie. “Your Queen wants those troublemakers escorted at all times during her party. If even one of them causes a scene, you'll be replaced!”

Shining Armor was quick to speak up. “Worry nothing of it, Your Highness. Flash here is an excellent guardstallion. He'll keep the soldiers ship-shape and in line for your protection.”

She stuck her nose in the air. “Queen Trixie iterates he better.” She glared at her unicorn guard. “Let's go, Shining Armor. It's time for Queen Trixie to get into her spectacular outfit.”

Flash Sentry saluted her departure, and Sombra quietly closed the door as the pegasus turned to back-track from where he came. The Captain was alone, and Sombra couldn't help but feel as though an opportunity had been presented to him. He had more than enough magic remaining for a single disguise spell. After all, taking on the appearance of another was far easier than forging one from scratch.
> Chapter Twenty-Three : Masquerade Escapades
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie had never felt more larger than life than as she stood, gown and all, before the grand doors to the ballroom. She heard the mass of adoring ponies on the other side, awaiting her remarkable arrival. On her left stood Princess Cadance. On her right, her faithful bodyguard. Behind them, there stood a carefully-selected group of both Canterlot and Crystal Guards—all lead by Flash Sentry.

Her time had come, she wasn't going to wait any longer.

“Your Queen is ready,” she said, her voice loud. “Open the doors.”

A pair of stallions were up to the task. Slowly, they pulled the crystal doors open. A hush fell over the crowd as Trixie began her slow, graceful walk down the crimson carpet. She was surrounded by exquisite costumes and masks, yet all eyes were on her. And she had to admit, Rarity did an absolutely wonderful job on her outfit.

Her gown existed in various shades of light blue—mostly in the layers of the bottom half that rode high on her flank. The trim was a little darker, and her shoes were silver in color. But, amongst the sea of jesters, cats, and demons, she wore a plain white mask over her eyes, for she didn't need feathers or sequins obscuring her glorious, regal face. 

She basked in the attention, and the multicolored lights hanging in delicate strands alongside the crystal chandelier. She took her time in reaching the makeshift throne set on the opposite end of the chamber. Silence reigned supreme until she made herself comfortable. Then, she cleared her throat. “Ladies and gentlecolts of the Crystal Empire, your Great and Powerful Queen thanks you for being here on this historic day,” she said. “Despite all the bumps in the road, she managed to put her all into this celebration! As such, she will not keep you waiting any longer! Let the masquerade begin! Dance, talk, eat, enjoy yourselves!”

With the wave of her hoof, the orchestra began to play. 

The stillness of the crowd shattered in an instant. Ponies flocked to the various amenities the party provided. A long table set along one of the walls, its surface packed with diverse food, morsels, and drinks. The carpet was removed from the floor to provide plenty of room for dance. The orchestra attracted the most attention, it seemed, for many small groups of revelers were gathered before the stage. 

Pinkie Pie did a great job here, Twilight thought in amusement as she popped an apple fritter into her mouth. There was no party in the entire universe comparable to her brother's wedding, however, but she was willing to count this a close second. And that was even in spite of what was at stake.

At least Spike snagged an outfit for her to wear. If Rarity were present, and if the situation weren't so terrible, she would have congratulated her friend on all her hard work. The gown she wore was exquisite. It was sleek and golden, with a canary mask. It would have clashed with her true colors. On the other hoof, a more fitting color eluded her for Beryl Prose.

And, as of now, Beryl Prose was single anonymous pony floating in a sea of nearly a hundred, more concealed than ever.

In theory, it wouldn't be hard to catch Trixie by surprise. The only thing keeping Twilight from doing it right now was the presence of Shining Armor and Cadance. With them so close to Trixie, she couldn't gauge whether or not the power-mad unicorn would act quickly enough to use them as either leverage or shields against her. She would never forgive herself if something happened like that happened.

She shot a glance at said unicorn. Trixie sat, smiling, and her body swayed back and forth to the mellow melody being played. Something about her smile sparked anger in Twilight. In her mind, she imagined the same smile, the same grin, on her face when Trixie exiled her to the brutal snow to freeze, when treated her friends and family like slaves...

Her nostrils flared and for a second, Twilight saw red. It was a flame she quickly snuffed. Her target was in sight. She had to keep her composure. When the chance came for her to strike the Alicorn Amulet, she wanted to be ready for it.







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







“Ugh... I can't believe you dragged us to this stupid thing.”

“Oh, hush up. I didn't wear my hooves down to the bone to miss my creations in action!”

“Yeah, because you have such a fantastic view here.”

Rarity's face flushed red, her hoof dropping the tablecloth. “Well, I certainly don't want to get caught!” she snapped. “Who knows what Trixie would do if she caught us under here!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “What, so all her 'loyal' subjects will see her for the psychopath she is? As if.” Besides, she wouldn't put it past Trixie to let them stay at the party just so they saw her coronation—saw her win. The thought alone made her seethe in silence.

Behind her, Applejack glared. “Can't y'all jabber a little more quiet-like, please?” she groaned. “Bad enough with all those ponies out there partyin' their heads off.”

Pulling the blanket over her shoulders, Rarity sighed. “Sorry, darling, we'll try to let you sleep.”

Applejack only grumbled as she tilted her hat over her face. She missed the moment when Spike slipped underneath the table to join them, his arms full of cupcakes. “Anypony want a snack?” he questioned. He handed them out, with the exception of the napping farmer. 

“Thank you, Spike.” Rarity took a tiny bite out of the treat. Her face scrunched up.

Rainbow glanced at her. “Something wrong, Rares?”

The fashionista held the offending sweet treat away from her. A greenish tint blossomed on her cheeks. “I think... I think there's mayonnaise in this cupcake!”

“Wait, what?”

Arching a brow, Spike chomped half of his cupcake away. “Weird,” he said, his mouth full. “This one is fine. Chocolate.”

The pegasus followed his lead. “Yeah, this one's good, too. Gimme another.” 

Spike rolled his eyes as he handed her another pastry, which she immediately scarfed down. After a pause, she shrugged. “Eh, carrot,” she said. “You really struck out, Rarity.” 

Dumbstruck, Rarity tossed the cupcake at her. It missed, rolling out of sight. “How can you say that?” she scolded in a hushed growl. “Honestly, Rainbow, who puts mayonnaise in a cupcake!? Why, you act like you and Pinkie are out on one of your pra—” Her teeth clicked as she bit her sentence to an end. 

Her friend seemed to reach the same conclusion, for she grew a large, sinister grin from ear to ear. “Oh, yeah! This party just got awesome!”

Despite her attempts to repress the urge, Rarity's smile grew just as wicked. “Yes, I believe we're in for quite a show.”







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







As the tempo of the music picked up, ponies moved to the dance floor. Twilight, while relieved for the extra space, took it as an opportunity to move a bit closer to Trixie. The other unicorn was currently preoccupied picking an hors d'oeuvre off a servant's tray as she crept. Twilight wanted to get close enough to her without rousing suspicion. 

Then, somepony grabbed her hoof and, before she could wrap her head around it, she was dragged into the dancing mass. “Uh, excuse me,” she said, her voice barely audible above the orchestra. The suited stallion turned, expressionless. His face was concealed by a plain gray mask, but she didn't have to see his face to see he wasn't a crystal pony. His coat was a solid orange, much like—

“Flash Sentry?” she whispered.

His stoic facade was cracked by a grin. “Only in body,” he replied. 

Then, his eyes flashed green, and Twilight's heart skyrocketed into her throat. “S-Sombra?” she squeaked. 

“The one and only.”

“What in the world are you doing?”

“I'm afraid I needed another alternative. My other form drains my magic more quickly than I recall.”

“Then, where's—?”

“He's asleep in a closet. He'll slumber through this afternoon's events, I assure you.” He took her hoof into his own. “Now, Beryl Prose, shall we dance?”

“Wait, S—Flash, I'm not much of a dancer.”

“Just follow my lead.”

And so she did, albeit for reasons unknown to her. There was no time for this, yet Sombra's slow, fluid waltz was hypnotizing. Despite her normally-inept coordination, she managed to imitate him with ease. She briefly contemplated asking him where he learned. What came out was, “Why are we dancing?”

Again, the stallion smiled. “Well, we're blending in more than anything. The so-called Queen ordered everypony to have a good time, didn't she?”

Twilight felt a tinge of pink on her cheeks. “She's not the Queen,” she grumbled. A glimpse of Trixie out of the corner of her eye set a fire in her heart. “She won't be Queen, and I need you to do something for me before I can stop her.” 

“Tell me what you need, my friend. I'll do what I can.”

Twilight was more than prepared to do just that, until the floor suddenly shifted beneath her hooves. There was no containing a startled yelp as, though she were on ice, her legs buckled—initiating the consequential topple into her dance partner. They both ended up on the floor, she atop of him.

If they weren't the only ones fallen prey to the slick crystal tiles, she would've been embarrassed beyond words.







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~







Shining Armor's eyes narrowed as he watched the scene unfold. “Uh, Your Highness, something's happening over there,” he said. 

Swallowing what remained of her snack, Trixie shot a disinterested look at the dance floor. “Oh, calm down,” she said. “They haven't danced in—what, a thousand years or so? They'll get the hang of it eventually.” To her left, somepony giggled. When she turned her head, she found herself unintentionally looking into a pair of abnormally-large blue eyes, which gazed at her from behind a fuzzy, moth-shaped mask. She recoiled. “Pinkie Pie, what are you doing?” she demanded in a hushed voice. 

Pinkie's ear twitched. “Oh, I was just checking up on Your Majesty!” she exclaimed. “Are you having a good time?”

“Actually, yes, your Queen is enjoying herself. You've done well, Royal Party Planner.”

“Really? Even with the entertainment?”

“Your Queen appreciates the music. It's classy, like her.”

It was at that moment the party pony took on the unsettling countenance of somepony with a dirty secret. Slowly, she leaned close to the unicorn's ear and whispered, “That's not what I meant, silly.”

Trixie's spine tingled with a chill. “What...? What do you mean?”

At the flip of a metaphorical switch, Pinkie's uncannily foreboding visage melted away. “Oh, I hid a few extra surprises around here,” she said, still speaking softly. Again, to Trixie's discomfort, she closed in on her personal space. “Like the very, very, very, very, very thin layer of slippery polish on the floor!”

And the young matriarch didn't know what to make of this new development. Anger was the first logical emotion to come to mind, as the thought of anypony messing with the greatest party in recent history made her feel. Yet, as she looked among the smiling and giggling victims of Pinkie's antics, she instead came to feel a sense of amusement. “Are all your 'surprises' equally as harmless?” she questioned—an obvious edge to her voice.

The other mare beamed. “Oh, yeah, don't worry! Everypony will laugh their non-existent pants off, they're so awesomely-fantastical!”

“Alright. Your Queen dismisses you.” As soon as Pinkie vanished from sight, the tautness in her muscles melted away, and she reclined to watch her guests in peace. Whilst some of them began playfully sliding across the floor, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of envy. The celebration was off to a fantastic start, and yet she felt as though she was missing out.

At least, until one of the cakes exploded into a glittering cloud of confetti. The crowd broke into a mess of dissonant cheers. Not too long after, a small group of unsuspecting individuals broke into a sneezing fit from sniffing the crystal bouquets. The punch then turned ponies' tongues a myriad of colors. While there was laughter amongst the chaos, it was just one prank after the other in what seemed to be a never-ending stream of nonsense. 

Her ire rose, for she suspected her subjects were more in love with the pranks than her, which was, of course, completely unacceptable.

When Pinkie shown brightly at the heart of the ballroom with her crazy dance moves, Trixie reached the end of her patience. “Enough of this!” she bellowed. In a crimson blink, she appeared before the Party Planner, and the masquerade came to a grinding halt. “Your Queen commands you to stop, right this instant!”

Pinkie Pie blinked. “What's wrong, Your Highness?”

“You are ruining my coronation party, that's what's wrong!” She stomped a hoof. “You assured the Great and Powerful Queen Trixie your tomfoolery was harmless, but it's stealing attention away from her regal-ness!”

“What? But, everypony is having such a good time!”

There was a wave of whispers in favor of the pink mare, fueling the unicorn's anger. “How can they enjoy themselves if the insanity of a peasant overshadows their magnificent Queen?”

And, somewhere, a stallion possessed the answer. “How can anypony enjoy themselves when a party-pooper like yourself sours their fun?”

“Who said that?!” she demanded. “Who dares speak negatively of Queen Trixie?!”

On stage, the orchestra erupted into outcries as, like a party popper, somepony somersaulted out of one of their drums in a burst of streamers. His landing was perfect, as was the manner in which his poncho swayed on the absent breeze. The cowpony hat kept his eyes hidden. “That would be me, little filly,” he retorted, puffing on the party favor dangling from his bottom lip.

Trixie had never seen the stallion before in her life. “Who are you?” she hissed. “How did you get into Queen Trixie's empire?”

He chuckled. “Don't worry your pretty little head over those details, Your Highness.”

“Then, what are you doing here? Tell the Queen now!”

Tipping his hat back, he shot her a narrowed emerald glare. “Any party planner worth their salt can sense when a shindig’s in the works. Yours in particular called my name, so I answered.” He looked out upon the crowd. “Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across not only a party in need of my help, but another party pony as well.”

Trixie glanced at where Pinkie Pie once stood, only to find the mare gone. No matter. “So, you aided with Queen Trixie's coronation party. Congratulations, but I believe your services are no longer required.” The Alicorn Amulet glistened. “Now, leave.”

To her agitation, he grinned. “You're mistaken,” he said. “There's still one more thing I can do to make this the greatest party anypony's ever seen!”

“Humph. You think so?”

Spitting out the party favor, he smiled wide enough to show teeth. “Oh, I don't think so...” Including as much flair as possible, he discarded his clothing, leaving nothing on but a flower-print shirt. “I know so!” he exclaimed. He pulled an accordion out of thin air, singing at the top of his lungs. “The super-duper party pony—that pony is me! You'll never meet another pony quite like Cheese!” He paused. “That's the name, by the way. Cheese. Cheese Sandwich. Nice to make your acquaintance!”

Trixie's jaw dropped. Stunned as she was, she was helpless to stop him from bouncing and dancing all around the ballroom. 

“Come on, ponies! Who here likes to party?”

The uproar was deafening, rattling the magician to her core. Of course, seeing Cheese land from a backflip in front of her was more than enough to reignite her rage. “Oh, when I throw a Cheese party, be sure to not be lame!” he sang. “You'll miss my pie fights, wacky kites, and streamers in your mane!”

The artifact around her neck flashed. “Stop him!” it snarled. 

In a single act of will, said streamers burst into flames before they landed atop her head. The inferno threw the offender off his groove. He dropped his accordion, which she promptly stomped into pieces with a single hoof. With the other, she seized Cheese by the collar. “If you sing a single additional line, I'll turn you into a snail,” she growled. 

The stallion blinked.

She was certain she finally scared him speechless, until she spotted that stupid grin once again plastered on his stupid face.

Then, he slipped out of her grasp like it was nothing. One cartwheel later, he was a few hooves away. “Well, silly, you'll have to catch me first!” he announced, sticking out his tongue. 

“Guards!” she commanded in a roar. “Get him! Seize him! DO SOMETHING NOW!”

All available hooves scrambled to chase after Cheese Sandwich. Even Shining Armor joined the search. At this point, however, Trixie didn't care. The more guards after the intruder, the better. There remained a party for her to further enjoy, and she wasn't going to let anything or anyone keep her from enjoying it!

“Cadance!” she snapped. She kicked a wooden piece of Cheese's accordion. “Get this garbage cleaned up!”

She then began the return to her throne. “Your Queen apologizes,” she yelled. “It was not her wish to use such violence.” She turned to retake her seat. “But, now the masquerade can continue without—” 

She sat down, and a long, inappropriate noise vibrated from under her posterior. Her face grew hot as the sound reverberated off the walls. As it lapsed into silence, she finally forced herself to move. Shifting, she used her magic to pull the object off her throne. The giggles began—soon followed by full-blown laughter.

It was a whoopee cushion.

Of course, Pinkie Pie chose then and there to pop up out of nowhere. “Oh, so that's where that went!” she chirped. She snatched it out of Trixie's magic. “Bad whoopee cushion! You were for later!”

The Queen's vision turned red; her furor finally reached its boiling point. All that time spent planning and preparing... She was the Queen! How dare they laugh! How dare she embarrass me?!

Without hesitation, she snatched Pinkie up in her magic and threw her to the floor. The laughter ceased in a unified gasp. Unfortunately, nothing was capable of calming Trixie. Shrieking loudly enough to curdle blood, she threw herself at the source of her humiliation.

And a single mare charged from the frozen crowd. “PINKIE!”
> Chapter Twenty-Four : Harbinger of Freedom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Something happened. Trixie was too busy struggling to breathe again to contemplate it, yet her understanding extended to the fact that her rage-fueled attempt to throttle Pinkie Pie was foiled. And, according to the lack of air in her lungs, it felt like it was foiled by the impact of a speeding locomotive.

On wobbly legs, she stood with a groan. She looked towards the party pony and, even with blurred vision, saw she was being aided by a mare dressed in gold. “You... Y-you,” she gasped. “How...?”

The mystery mare glared at her and, much to the magician's ire, showed her no attention to finish helping Pinkie onto her hooves. “Don't ignore you Queen,” she hissed. “She asked you a question!” When no answer came, she stomped her hoof as her horn crackled with building magic. “Answer me!”

“How dare you?” the mare growled. “How dare you?! What right do you have to treat ponies so horribly?”

Trixie's mouth fell open. “How...? How dare I?! Trixie is the Queen of the Crystal Empire! Everypony will do as she commands, or suffer the consequences!” Her horn illuminated. “Now, step aside!”

Tossing her mask away, the opposing pony took her stand in front of Pinkie Pie. “Make me,” she retorted.

And the young matriarch tried to do just that, only to have her spell fizzle out like a snuffed candle. “No, impossible!” she exclaimed. Panic flooded her senses as, for a moment, she thought something was wrong with her magnificent amulet; it did feel bizarrely cold, even against her gown and coat. Yet, when she looked down she saw only a few scrapes and smudges. No, the problem was with her unruly subject. “Who are you?” she demanded. 

The crystal pony's eyes narrowed. “Somepony who's going to stop your reign of terror.” 

Without warning, she began to glow. Then, a brilliant flash of light filled the room—reflecting off every crystalline surface until it was nearly blinding. Trixie had to shield her eyes with a foreleg, though it faded soon enough. As soon as she was able to see again, what awaited her vision had her rubbing them to make sure they properly worked. “You!” she hissed. “No! How are you here?! The Great and Powerful Queen Trixie enchanted the Crystal Empire's barrier to keep you out! She took your horn away, for Celestia's sake!”

The charade now over, Twilight Sparkle tore the golden dress off and threw it away. “Did you really think a shield and a flimsy horn-removal spell would be enough to keep me from my friends and family?”

Pinkie Pie wrapped her forelegs around her friend's neck. “Ohmygosh, Twilight!” she squealed. “You're here!”

A small band of hopeful, familiar faces emerged from the crowd. “Oh, could it really be true?” questioned Rarity. As soon as she laid eyes on the lavender-colored unicorn, her excitement surged alongside her relief. “It is Twilight!” she exclaimed. Quickly, she joined Pinkie in hugging her—followed by Spike, Rainbow Dash, and then the sluggish Applejack.

And, ever so slightly, a hesitant Fluttershy crept through the sea of masked ponies to get to them. Her magic-muddled mind knew not what to do, yet her heart soared. All she knew then and there were her friends. She nearly fumbled over her own hooves as she ran. “Girls!” she cried. She leaped into the pile of embraces, which accepted her with open hooves.

Twilight, unfortunately, didn't have forelegs long enough to hug them all at once. “I'm so happy you're all right,” she said. “I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner.”

Eye twitching, Trixie pointed a hoof at them. “Stop that at once! Queen Trixie didn't give any of you permission to have a cheesy, tearful reunion!” She began to channel her magic. “In fact, Queen Trixie didn't even invite some of you!” The resulting magical blast, however, was nullified against Twilight's conjured shield. 

“Leave them alone, Trixie!” she snapped. “This is between you and me!”

“So, you want a rematch, eh?” She reached out and enveloped the ballroom's doors in her magic. They slammed shut, jostling the chandelier hanging above them all. “Very well, let everypony in this room witness yet another one of your humiliating defeats!”

Twilight looked over her shoulder at her friends. “Keep your distance, everypony,” she warned. Then, cautiously, she stepped forward. “Let's duel!” Her eyes widened as the other unicorn immediately tried to blast her with a fireball. A large fireball. She rolled out of its path, cringing when the flames scorched the floor. “What are you doing?” she yelped.

“Issuing your challenge! Keep up with Queen Trixie, or forfeit!”

She shielded herself from a bolt of lightning from the stage-mare's horn, then she retaliated with a simple laser. This wasn't good. This was beyond good, in fact. She couldn't take Trixie on like this, with so many possible casualties around them. And, although she had no other choice, she didn't trust weaving own dark magic around her friends.

As her mind reeled, she remained frozen in place. A nullifying shield kept Trixie's every spell at bay as she simultaneously imitated them to keep in line with the challenge. “What's wrong, Sparkle?” yelled the false matriarch. “Are you too mesmerized by the Great and Powerful Queen Trixie's abilities to give her a proper fight?” Smiling manically, she looked to her subjects. “Give your beloved Queen a roaring applause!”

At her command, the crowd's silence was shattered by what she demanded. 

Twilight fought the urge to cover her ears. Her determination ever so slightly waned. “They're not really rooting against you,” she told herself in a whisper. “It's just Trixie's magic.” It was Trixie's anger and arrogance-fueled magic, at that, and she momentarily hoped the magician would eventually wear herself out.

No, she quickly corrected herself. Don't forget about the Alicorn Amulet. As long as she's wearing it, she'll never let up!

If calming Trixie was out of the question, then... Then, perhaps the opposite would be just as effective. 

Grinning, Twilight stuck her nose in the air. “Mesmerized?” she sneered. “How can I be mesmerized when none of your silly tricks have gotten through my simple shield?”

The crowd gasped, and Trixie seethed. “What?!”

“The challenge was for me to keep up with you, but you haven't even begun to catch up to me!” She looked the other unicorn right in the eyes. “What did you think I was doing out there in the wastes? I was preparing for this little showdown, while you were growing soft up here in the palace!” She tried so hard not to appear daunted by the blast that nearly tore through her barrier.

Baring her teeth, Trixie reared back onto her hind legs. “Soft?! The Great and Powerful Queen Trixie will show you soft, Sparkle!”

“We'll see about that!” Without warning, she dropped her shield and ran like Tartarus. Trixie predictably sent a wave of swirling, fire-hot magic after her, and it was right on her tail—so close she felt the heat singe the tip of her tail. She pushed ponies out of her and its path, until she reached the end of the line. 

The line, of course, were the ballroom doors.

She blinked out of the line of fire, and the spell shattered the doors into tiny crystal splinters. Then, at the bat of an eye, she appeared before her friends. “Quick, I need all of you to get everypony out of here!” she exclaimed. “Hurry, before someone gets hurt!”

Pinkie Pie saluted. “You got it, Twi! One shattered chandelier coming up!”

“Great, now—wait, what?!”

Party cannon materializing out of thin air, Pinkie stuffed herself inside and, before anypony could stop her, she fired herself at the masquerade's centerpiece: the prismatic crystal chandelier. “Everypony watch out!” she screamed, pulling a pair of scissors from her mane. “It's gonna get really, really messy in here!” With that, she severed the chandelier's tethers, and the enormous decoration fell from the ceiling. 

Herd mentality kicked in, and the revelers began to scream and run in mass hysterics as the delicate, hoof-made ornament shattered into a million pieces. Twilight reached out with her magic to keep them contained within a containment field. “Everypony, go!” she yelled—hoping her voice carried over the chaos. “I'll handle everything from here!”

Applejack stomped a hoof. “We ain't leavin' you, Twi! It ain't right!”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “We can take Trixie on together!”

Twilight shook her head. “Not while she's wearing the Alicorn Amulet!” She wished she could've told them about it sooner. “It's an artifact of dark magic, made by Starswirl the Bearded himself!”

Spike hugged himself. “You mean, that super-important old guy you dressed up as for Nightmare Night?”

“Yes! I'm sorry, but you have to trust me to face Trixie by myself! I know how to destroy the amulet!” She motioned to the panicking ponies stampeding around them. “The crystal ponies need your help more than I do! You need to lead them as far away from the palace as you can!”

Spike and the mares glanced at each other in uncertainty. Unfortunately, there was no time to argue, and they had no choice but to silently agree. Then, they joined together in another hug, before they parted. “Alright, y'all!” snapped Applejack. “Let's get these ponies outta here!”

Meanwhile, as the party-goers were basically funneled out of the ballroom, Trixie struggled with gathering her bearings. It felt as though everything had gone to trash in the blink of an eye, and it shook her to her very core. Once again, they had ruined everything.

The Alicorn Amulet shimmered. “Are you going to stand by and let them do this to you again?” it whispered.

The question was a flint, sparking a burning anger to life in her chest. She gritted her teeth. “No,” she growled. The word was deep and low in her throat. “Not again. Never again...”

“Then, wait...” The relic hummed. “Once it's just you and Twilight Sparkle, you can do with her as you wish. The others won't get very far.”

Oh, how she hated the idea, yet the unicorn remained fixed in place—her acrimony festering as everything around her plummeted into shambles.

When the dust finally settled, there Twilight Sparkle stood. Her grip released what remained of the chandelier. The splinters, in their grand pile, slumped and spread. However, it hardly mattered. “It's over, Trixie!” she declared. “There's nopony here to worship or be impressed by you! It's time to stop!”

The other unicorn's gaze dropped to the floor. “And why should Trixie stop? Eh, Sparkle?”

“Don't you see how far you've taken this?” Frowning, she stepped forward. “Brainwashing the crystal ponies, usurping the Crystal Empire's throne? Imprisoning the Princesses?! All of this, because of that incident back in Ponyville?”

Trixie's head rose like a stiff board. “Incident?” she murmured. Her voice immediately raised into a shout. “Incident?! You make it sound like what you did to me was nothing! The only mistake Trixie ever made was setting hoof in that backwater town! It was only another stop—another show! How was she to know Equestria's precious Elements of Harmony would completely ruin her life?!”

Twilight was taken aback when the magician suddenly teleported in front of her. 

“You and your stupid friends humiliated and defamed me! Even when I left your stupid town behind, what you did—what you said—spread to every town, every village in which I dared show my face! Everywhere I went I was treated like some scoundrel!” Her eyes turned to crimson as she loomed over Twilight like a malevolent storm cloud. “Do you know what happens when nopony wants anything to do with someone in Trixie's line of work? That someone goes broke! Goes hungry! Trixie had to get a backbreaking job at a Celestia-forsaken rock farm, had to sell everything she possessed, just so she wouldn't starve!”

Twilight blinked a safe distance away when Trixie took a swing at her. “Trixie, I don't know what to—”

“Don't you say it!” She bared her teeth. “Don't you dare try to sell me an apology! Nothing that comes out of your mouth will ever make what I went through all right! I have the Alicorn Amulet and my Crystal Empire, and I'm done playing games, Sparkle! When I'm through with you, through with your pathetic little friends, you'll wish you'd frozen in the wastes!” 

The mad-mare charged once more, startling Twilight. She raised her head to block Trixie's horn with her own. Malice radiated off her opponent in blood-chilling currents. As such, she dared not look into those crimson eyes. The only silver lining she discerned, however, was her close proximity to the relic behind all of it. Discreetly, she peeked at it. A gasp almost escaped her throat.

There was a crack, tiny and barely noticeable, in the necklace's diamond. 

A reason behind the crack eluded her, but she had a chance and it was now. She propelled forward, and she forced Trixie onto her hind legs. Then, in one calculated move, she speared the miniscule break—the tip of her horn flooding the diamond with dark magic. Hopefully, it was enough to nullify the amulet's power. It was certainly enough to give her an uncomfortable shock as cracks spread inside and outside the sinister gem. 

In spite of the damage, however, the relic quickly rid its host of the intruder, and Twilight dug her hooves into the floor as she was sent sliding backwards by an unseen force. “No!” screeched Trixie. “What have you done?!” Horrified, she raised a hoof to the necklace. The crimson diamond was webbed with jagged fissures. “You... You broke it! You broke Trixie's magnificent amulet!”

“I-I did.” Bit by bit, a smile spread across Twilight's face. I actually did it! She jumped in joy. “Yes!” Thank you, Sombra! “It's over! It's—!” Something struck the side of her head, causing her to see stars. A strange sensation beneath her hooves joined the damp, warm sensation on the side of her head, derailing her train of speech. She gasped. Not only had her opponent struck her, but the floor had melted beneath her. She was trapped and disoriented, blindsided by a tag-team of spells she never saw coming.

Trixie appeared just as surprised. Of course, in her eyes, it was nothing short of a miracle, and she cackled in delight. “Nice try, Sparkle, but it still works!” Her horn blazed with an eerie red aura. “Such is the fantastic, superior magic of the Alicorn Amulet! And, now, Queen Trixie has you exactly where she wants you!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw the remnants of the chandelier levitate into the air. She struggled against her bonds. Her pulse throbbed in unison with the ache in her head; it was difficult to focus her magic. She was a sitting duck. 

“At long last,” continued the magician. “Trixie will have her—agh!” She clutched a hoof to her chest as a sharp pain rattled her concentration. The sharp, menacing shards fell from her arcane grasp, though she tried to lift them once more. Again, the same startling pain distracted her from her spell. 

Terror made her heart race as she looked down at her beloved relic. The Alicorn Amulet still blazed with power, but something was wrong. The fragments of diamond had blossomed from their inset—claiming more of the necklace. The outermost edges, jagged and cold, dug into her coat. 

Wiggling one of her hooves free, Twilight stared at the item with a mix of fear and intrigue. “What's happening?” she questioned under her breath.

The other mare tried to cast another spell, but the sting around her neck returned full-force. Her desire to finally put an end to Twilight Sparkle, however, outweighed her want to avoid physical discomfort. She pushed past the pain, and the floor began to shake. 

Sharpened crystal poles arose from the floor in random spots, and Twilight saw the Alicorn Amulet spread a little bit more across Trixie's neck. Suddenly, her simple mental malady didn't seem so awful. She blasted the crystal from her remaining hooves and she blinked to dodge being speared. “Trixie, something's wrong with the amulet!” she shouted. 

“Quiet!” the other mare retaliated. “As long as it still works, the Great and Powerful Queen Trixie doesn't give a flying feather what else it does!”

Twilight slowly retreated as Trixie ascended off the floor. The air around them grew heavy and electrified. She didn't know what the magician was doing, but it felt disturbingly powerful. Her magic readied a barrier, yet nothing could have prepared her for the storm to come. With an outraged scream, Trixie cast a shock-wave in all directions. The windows were blown out in an instant, revealing outside a darkened sky. 

The air picked up at a rapid speed then, stirring the scraps of the chandelier and whatever wasn't fastened to the floor. The sharp and bludgeoning whirlwind raged within the confines of the ballroom—ripping and ramming Twilight's protective bubble, but leaving its master untouched. “This is it, Sparkle!” boomed the magician. “Soon, you'll be nothing more than ribbons!”

Her heart thundering in her chest, Twilight struggled to keep up her own spell. The crystal shards, however, tore at the barrier faster than she was able to replenish it, and everything else slammed against it like a myriad of battering rams. It was failing. She was failing.

“What's wrong, Twilight Sparkle? Are you having trouble wrapping your head around such superior magic?”

A bitter chill settled at her core, and she was struck by an idea. Careful to keep her barrier going, she jumped into the air. Levitation kept her there as she prepared the next step of her spell. Though her head felt as though it would split in twain, she overcame the pain as she isolated a gravitational field around herself. Then, she reversed it, and she landed on the rounded ceiling.

Despite the stray bit of debris here and there, it was a significantly better spot. She looked “up” at Trixie, who glared right back. Then, without hesitation, the false matriarch tore the crystal poles from the floor and hurled them at her opponent. Twilight teleported out of their paths with ease, grimacing as they tore through the ceiling like tissue paper. 

“Open your eyes, Sparkle. I influenced both the guards and the crystal ponies to see through your lies. You're outnumbered. Do you really want to see how much more chaos the Great and Powerful Trixie can cause for you?”

She snatched one of the pillars out of the air and threw it right back. The magician yelped and dodged. Then, channeling every bit of willpower at her disposal, Trixie poured her magic into the ceiling above. Twilight was thrown off balance as it began to quake. She then watched in disbelief as red, ominous lines divided it into various segments. Gradually, those segments broke apart.

Twilight soon found herself surrounded by said pieces as she clung to her own hunk of the palace. They gleamed with desaturated hues against the blizzard raging beyond the Crystal Empire's protective barrier. Against her better judgment, she peered over the edge. Her vision swam. The entire top of the palace's main tower, to her dismay, was completely gone—throne room and all. Oh, Celestia...

Before she had the chance to plan her next move, Trixie flew into her vision with a ferocious roar. Twilight gasped, for the entirety of the show-mare’s neck and left foreleg were encased in diamond. It continued to spread before her eyes, albeit at a crawl.

She deflected the blue mare's horn with her own, before she leaped to another platform. Trixie gave chase, and the game of cat-and-mouse began. Twilight possessed no plan other than running circles around the magician. She cast a few lasers here and there, yet all were either dodged or deflected. Trixie, in addition, made numerous attempts to knock her off into a fall. Of course, Twilight was adept at teleportation.

Then, she made the mistake of looking down. The palace was surrounded by crystal ponies and, even from her height, she made out the distinct shapes and colors of her family and friends. They were huddled together, their eyes turned to the sky. 

The sight made her view swim once more, and she stood still for far too long. A hunk of crystal barreled into her side. Her vision blanched white with pain and she screamed as she rag-dolled towards a treacherous edge. Groaning, she glared at Trixie, who approached with an unnaturally-stiff gait. “Should've kept your attention on me, Sparkle,” she hissed. As she neared, Twilight saw her eyes glaze over with crimson film. There was also an outlandish, static-like trait to her voice, she noticed. “Time to finish you off, once and for all.”

“Who would've guessed that Princess Celestia's prized pupil was so inferior?”

“No,” whispered Twilight. She angled her head to gaze down at all the lives who counted on her. She wasn't done, not by a long-shot. Though she stumbled, she was able to stand and she lunged at Trixie with a shout. They crossed horns for a third time. “You want my attention, Trixie?” she questioned through clenched teeth. “Well, now you have it!”

Her eyes ignited into shades of green and red, and they trailed purple smoke as she pushed Trixie away. The show-mare gasped, but immediately attacked with a grand magical beam. When Twilight launched her own, the spells collided with such force the unicorn duo had to hold their ground to keep from being thrown off the floating lot.

Trixie was stunned to feel her magic disintegrate against her rival's. She failed to grasp, in her blind furor, the toll on her body due to the rapid succession of spells she cast. The Alicorn Amulet already claimed her hind legs, she realized. Her ability to move was minimal. At any minute now, she wouldn't be able to move at all. 

Her fate was sealed, but that didn't mean Twilight was going to win. 

Her laser petered out into the wind. Then, in one final deflection, she protected herself against the opposing spell. Silence fell as she hung her head. A little more magic was all she needed. Only a little more—a tidbit. Her opponent was tired, too, for Twilight was panting as she stood across from her. “Well, well, well,” she said. Her voice was low. “Guess you must be pretty proud of yourself right now, eh, Sparkle?”

Twilight didn't answer.

“Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, bearer of the Element of Magic, hero to the entirety of Equestria.” She chuckled. “No doubt you're mentally adding 'savior of the Crystal Empire' to your list as we stand here.” Slowly, her face contorted into a nefarious sneer. To her rival's shock, her horn successfully channeled magic. “Well, good luck enjoying your fame and fortune from Tartarus!”

Ripples of arcane power poured off her, and Twilight shielded her eyes when the mad-mare suddenly vanished in an eruption of blinding light. The solid mass of crystal under her buckled, and then tumbled into a free-fall. The dreadful realization Trixie had cast a fail-safe spell came immediately. In one final move, she had condemned them both to a fatal plunge.

Panic didn't even come close to what she felt as she plummeted, surrounded by colliding and collapsing debris. There was nothing left in her. What scraps of energy she possessed went into levitating herself out of the deadly masses' path, and even those moves were strictly instinctual. Her vision blurred with tears. No, no, no! 

The bottom half of the palace came into view.

I'm sorry, everypony! I'm so sorry!

She saw some of the wreckage hit the ground.

Mom! Dad! Shining! Cadance! Spike!

Her blood roared in her ears—the only sound she heard upon squeezing her eyes closed. 

Applejack! Fluttershy! Rainbow! Rarity! Pinkie! S—!

Her eyes snapped open. “Sombra!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Hearing her voice, a winding cloud of dark smoke cut through the remaining rubble like a bolt of lightning—enveloping her in a protective embrace. Somewhere, she thought she heard the stallion's voice, but the clamor of the chaos drowned him out. Even though their fall continued, it was significantly slower and Sombra's mere presence cleared the fog of distress from her mind. 

At least, until he gracelessly dropped her onto the ballroom floor. She rolled onto her side, her chest heaving. Her vision was tinged with spots and darkened edges. She didn't know what happened to make him let her go, but the discomfort of the air being knocked out of her lungs made her too disoriented for anger. She closed her eyes to focus on catching her breath. 

Then, a soft voice whispered, “Twilight.”

She flinched. “... Huh?”

“It's time to get up, Twilight. You did it.”

Groggily, she peeked. Somepony stood over her—blurry, basked in white light, with a fiery mane of red and gold. “Who...?” she whispered. There came a gentle laugh as her only reply, for as suddenly as the entity appeared, it evaporated, and Twilight found herself looking up at the exhausted, concerned face of Princess Luna.

The Moon Princess's wings were outstretched to shield her sister's student. “Twilight? Oh, my friend, are you all right?” 

She continued to fire off one question after the other. Twilight didn't hear them. The ballroom, and perhaps the rest of the palace, was in ruin. The fact it remained standing was a miracle, and she wished she had the strength to feel some form of satisfaction. Unfortunately, she was unable to take her watering eyes off the statue imbedded in the floor nearby.

Solid and unbroken, it was an effigy born of red diamond, brought into existence as the transparent prison for the once Great and Powerful Trixie.
> Epilogue : Not-So Goodbyes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight's recollection came in pieces during the minutes after the rain of debris finally reached its end. Princess Luna, with a single wing draped over her as she cast a variety of healing spells, remained at her side all the while. When Shining Armor and the others arrived shouting her name, she found herself nearly overwhelmed by hugs. She returned as many as she was able with joy in her heart, although she quickly grew weary of the bombardment of questioning that came next.

Fortunately, the Moon Princess put an end to it. “Calm yourselves, my little ponies,” she said. “Let her rest before you ask your questions.”

Princess Cadance opened her mouth to agree, but movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention to the damaged doorway. “Aunt Celestia!” she exclaimed.

Smiling, the Princess of the Sun picked up her elegant canter as she approached them. “Cadance,” she replied, nuzzling her. “I'm overjoyed you're unharmed, my niece. How are the rest of you faring?”

Twilight leaned against her brother for some support. “Well enough, I suppose,” she commented. She accepted the gentle hug from her teacher.

“I'm so sorry you endured this ordeal, Twilight, but there are no words to describe how proud you've made me today.”

Cadance placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “We're all proud of you.”

“You stood up against another powerful tyrant in the name of good. Not only did you emerge victorious, but you managed to rid the world of a dangerous magical artifact.”

Yet, Twilight frowned as she glanced at her silent former rival. “Well, I don't feel very proud myself,” she retorted. Her voice sounded tired, even to her own ears.

The Royal Sisters turned towards the statue, then they shared a glance. “How did Trixie end up in this state?” questioned Celestia.

Before Luna's protest, Twilight answered, “I got a lucky shot at the amulet and broke it, but then it started to... consume her as we fought.”

“Oh, dear.” The Sun Princess circled the statue, inspecting it with great scrutiny. Her sister followed her lead and they shared whispered words along the way. Soon, they returned their attention to the group.

Twilight bit down on her lip. “Is there anything you can do?”

“I'm afraid not, my student,” retorted Celestia. “At least, not without knowing what magic Starswirl weaved into his creation.”

“Unfortunately,” added Luna, “we don't even know when he found the time to craft the Alicorn Amulet. It will be... difficult finding anything regarding its design, but we will try.”

“We'll transport her back to Canterlot with us. She'll be safe and supervised in our care.”

“For now, however, we'll help you get started on cleaning up this mess.”

“Thank you,” said Shining Armor. He reached out and took his wife's hoof into his own. “I'm sure the crystal ponies will appreciate the restoration of their palace.”

Cadance simply nodded, then she reached out to wrap a foreleg around Twilight. “You and your friends, however, have been through enough already,” she said. “What you need is some much-needed rest.”

Twilight's ears folded backwards. “Are you sure?”

Her brother smiled. “You took care of everything else, Twily.” He winked. “Don't hog all the work for yourself!”

“And as much as I love some good ol' fashioned work,” said Applejack, “I would really, really, really love to get some shut-eye right now...”

Now that it was mentioned, Twilight truly noticed the exhausted state of her friends. Applejack appeared on the precipice of collapse, Rarity was a shadow of her former perfectly-groomed self, Fluttershy had been staring at the floor since they were reunited, and Rainbow Dash swayed and stretched her wings at regular intervals. Pinkie Pie, while appearing as her hyperactive self, yawned at an overexaggerated level that was hard not to notice.

“Hey, everypony, sorry to barge in on your meeting!”

Speaking of party ponies... Cheese Sandwich strolled in with a skip in his step. Draped over his withers was one of Flash Sentry's forelegs. The Royal Guard looked tired and disoriented. “Found this poor fellow hiding in one of the storage closets,” said Cheese.

“Wasn't hiding,” grumbled the pegasus.

Shining Armor chuckled, patting Flash's shoulder. “The important thing is you're okay, Lieutenant,” he said. 

“Thank you, Capt—Your Majesty.”

“No problem!”

While her brother and the guard talked, Twilight stepped forward to shake Cheese's hoof. “I'm glad you brought him to us,” she said. “I'm also glad to thank you in person for what you did during the party.”

The stallion grinned. “You're quite welcome. I hope you were able to enjoy yourself a little before that epic throwdown!”

“Well, it was certainly something special.”

As the Royal Sisters approached, Cheese bowed his head. “We must thank you as well,” said the Sun Princess. “Your actions aided not only Twilight, but the entire Crystal Empire and its citizens.”

Luna nodded. “If you wish it, we'll see you are properly compensated for your heroism.”

He laughed. “I'm honored, Your Highnesses, but I'm afraid I must decline. I was just fulfilling my duties as a party pony, is all!”

“Well, in any case, you fulfilled them with great skill.”

“Oh, you humble me!”

Pulling away from Shining Armor, Flash Sentry instead chose the company of Twilight, Cheese, and the Princesses. “I wish I was there, in a way,” he commented, rubbing the back of his head. “At least, I wish I was there to help you take down that other unicorn, Miss Twilight.” 

She tilted her head. “You weren't yourself, Flash. Even if you were there, Trixie's magic would've stopped you from aiding me.”

“Yeah... Gosh, my memories are all fuzzy. I hope I didn't do anything heinous while I was under her magic.”

Somewhere in the background, Rainbow Dash grumbled an obscenity under her breath, but was ignored. “Don't worry about it! You weren't the only one brainwashed,” Twilight replied, matter-of-factly. “The important thing is you're back to normal.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Miss Twilight. I really appreciate it.”

Princess Cadance wrapped a wing around her. “Please forgive my intrusion, but you should really rest,” she said with a soft chuckle.

The pegasus's eyes widened. “Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hold anyone up!”

“Easy, lieutenant, it's all right.” She looked over her shoulder at the others. “C'mon, everypony, the guest rooms weren't damaged in the battle. You can rest there.”

Twilight carefully lifted Spike onto her back before she joined her friends in following her sister-in-law. She couldn't recall the last time she so eagerly looked forward to sleep. In the past, the fact a bed was a non-sentient object, without any intention of going anywhere of its own accord, was comfort enough if she chose to pull one of her infamous “all-nighters.” Staying awake now, however, was so beyond her intentions, it was ridiculous.

They shared one last round of embraces, she and her friends, before she carried the baby dragon into their assigned room. Spike had fallen asleep on her back on the way there, and so she carefully and quietly tucked him into one of the two beds. If not for the light tapping on the balcony door, she would have plunged herself into the other set of soft sheets.

At a glance, she witnessed a charcoal-colored hoof retreat out of sight, and so she tip-hoofed her way outside. Sombra awaited her. “How are you doing?” he immediately asked.

“I feel like I'll be asleep for the next week, but I'll manage.”

Still, he bore a coutenance of concern, and he remained silent for a few moments. “I'm glad you're all right,” he then said. “You did well against Trixie, even if the battle didn't end how you wished. I'm... proud of you.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you, and thank you for all your help. I don't know what I would've done without you.”

He looked away. “Well, you certainly could've done without me dropping you back there, and for that I apologize. I... panicked a tad when Princess Luna arrived.” 

She touched his shoulder. “It's okay, I understand. I'm grateful you caught me in the first place.”

“I couldn't let you fall.” He sighed. “But, we can carry this conversation on at a later date. Rest well, Twilight.”

She nodded. “I'll see you later, Sombra.”

As he transformed into darkness and slithered away, she silently returned inside. Spike, thankfully, had remained asleep. She ran a hoof over his spines as she passed. Her number-one assistant was safe and sleeping, which meant the world to her nerves. Heck, she didn't even bother tucking herself in, and she was out like a light the moment her head fell upon a pillow.






~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~






Twilight slept for almost twenty-four hours. Twenty-one hours, as mentioned by Spike, who awakened her with gentle shakes and news of lunch. It was an optional lunch, were she still too tired to partake. Albeit she was groggy, the temptation of food was too alluring. She and Spike made their way to the dining hall, where their friends and family awaited them. The only exception was Applejack, who remained very much asleep, and would continue to do so for the next few hours.

In the meantime, lunch consisted of an update from the Princesses regarding the palace's repair. The upper tower was successfully pieced back together. What remained was the cleaning and furnishing of the now-empty chambers—a task the crystal ponies worked to complete as they ate.

Twilight was more focused on filling her belly than answering questions. She slipped a few details here than there about the previous day's fight, if only to satisfy the excited curiosity of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Shining Armor. Rarity occupied herself with comforting Fluttershy, as the pegasus's shortened hair was causing her some distres, while Cadance indulged in some quiet chat with the other Princesses.

Despite the activity, there was something... oppressive, Twilight noticed, hanging over them. She noticed it in Pinkie Pie's sudden lapses of silence, Rarity's frowns, and even in the way her brother and sister-in-law would randomly latch their hooves together. Everypony seemed to notice, yet nopony seemed inclined to say anything about it.

That is, until Princess Celestia gently tapped a spoon against her glass. “I beg your pardon, my little ponies,” she announced. “But, I believe the time has come for Luna and I to address the elephant in the room.”

Everyone looked their way as Luna cleared her throat. “We know we are missing a member of this party,” she added. “As such, we ask you to pass our words onto Miss Applejack at your earliest convenience.”

In response to the bewildered look on Twilight's face, the Sun Princess leaned close to her. “Your friends told me of your first encounter with Trixie,” she whispered. “It is something we need to discuss while we have the opportunity.”

The unicorn mouthed a silent, “Oh...”

Celestia straighened her posture. “Now, it is my belief some of you here think yourselves responsible for Trixie's actions over the past few days.” She glanced around the table. “May I ask one of you to elaborate for my sister and I?”

Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight shared nervous looks, before the pegasus groaned and raised her hoof. “Look, Your Highness,” she said. “We first met Trixie when she came to Ponyville with her side-show and stuff. She was...” She ground her teeth together. 

Rarity gracefully cleared her throat. “Trixie was quite... proud of her magical abilities.”

“She was super annoying!”

The unicorn glared. “Still,” she stressed, “she truly wasn't hurting anypony, and yet we acted inappropriately during her performance. Given what Trixie explicitly stated, our actions caused her a great deal of... strife.”

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and huffed. “Yeah...”

Princess Celestia nodded. “It is important to remember yourselves, my little ponies, and to remember how others see you.”

“Ponies admire heroes,” said Luna. “They look up to them. Unfortunately, more often than not, they cling too tightly or look too deeply into their words and actions. When those spread, they are commonly mistranslated or taken out of context. As the Elements of Harmony, may this serve as an important lesson.”

“Agreed. Now...” The Sun Princess took a deep breath. “That being said, there is some blame on my part.”

Twilight raised a brow. “Princess?”

“I have many duties as a Princess of Equestria, and I'm afraid I failed in one of those duties.” Her chin lowered, ever so slightly. “The world is full of magic, and items imbued with it. I had hoped to protect my subjects by locating and removing the more dangerous relics from the public. If I had known the Alicorn Amulet was among them, I never would have stopped searching for it. I beg your forgiveness for my oversight, but it was my belief Starswirl either hid it away or took it with him to his grave.”

For the first time, Fluttershy spoke. “Oh, there's no reason to apologize,” she said. “I'm sure you tried your best, Princess.”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Rainbow. “How the hay did Trixie even get the stupid necklace, anyway?”

“She stole it from a museum in Trottingham,” retorted Princess Luna.

“What?” replied unified voices.

“Before this chaos began, I was investigating a string of robberies along Equestria's eastern coast. After some correspondences, we now know for sure Trixie was behind them. She struck places specializing in antiquities and enchanted items, perhaps looking for an instrument to aid in her revenge. She obviously, and unfortunately, found one in Trottingham.” She sighed. “Do not blame yourselves for what she's done. As a grown mare, Trixie is accountable for her own actions. Therefore, we think it best to take our time in seeking out a solution to her imprisonment.”

Nodding sadly, Princess Celestia took a sip of her tea. “For all the lives she endangered and enslaved, I stand on equal ground with my sister. Even if we do discover how to reverse the effects of the amulet, Trixie shall remain contained until we plan a more suitable punishment. We believe it better for her to answer for her crimes. As for when that time will come, however, we cannot be sure.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “So, it'll be a while before we hear anything about or from Trixie?”

“Yes.”

“Hay, that's good enough for me!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

Rarity rolled her shoulders. “I agree wholeheartedly. At this point, all I want now is to return to Ponyville and put this whole mess behind me.”

“Count me in on that, Rares.”

Fluttershy hummed in agreeance.

Princess Celestia smiled. “I'll make sure the train is up and running for your departure this evening, then.”

Twilight poked at a flapjack with her fork. It felt like she had spent an eternity away from home. She missed Ponyville, missed the library. Yet, the thought of home also made her feel like a rock had fallen into her stomach. Leaving the Crystal Empire meant leaving Sombra. 

What would he do with himself now? Would he attempt to make peace with the crystal ponies? How would he feed himself in the meantime? Would he continue to call the cave in the frozen wastes his home? Would it remain warm enough for him?

She rubbed her hooves together as she grew more and more nervous. As much as she wanted to return home to Ponyville, she couldn't leave her friend behind. Granted, visitations weren't out of the realm of possibility, but she felt it wasn't enough. 

Her mind raced with solutions as the day moved forward. Her body was on auto-pilot, it felt, especially as sunset drew near. She and Spike both packed their bags in silence, she in her thoughts and he in a lingering weariness. As such, when the second set of gentle knocks came rapping on the balcony door, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Thankfully, the baby dragon didn't notice. “Spike,” she called, “can you do me a favor?”

“Yeah, what's up?”

“Will you check on the girls for me? I can handle the luggage from here, but they may need a hand, especially if Applejack's awake.”

With a simple nod, Spike left the room, leaving Twilight free to meet with Sombra. “That was risky,” she said, closing the door behind her.

He hung his head. “I know, but I wanted to see you.” His eyes moved briefly to the half-packed bags inside. In a soft voice, he asked, “Are you leaving?”

She looked into the distance, where the sun neared the horizon. “Yeah, in an hour or so...”

“Ah...”

“You... You could come along.”

“Pardon?”

She bit down on her lip, her hoof dug at the floor. “Come to Ponyville with me, Sombra.”

The stallion's eyes widened for a moment. Behind those eyes, she saw he was thinking it over. Then, in a whisper, he asked, “Are you certain?”

She stepped closer to him. “Yes! It's warmer for you there,” she replied. “And—and, there are plenty of places for you to hide. The Everfree Forest is just on the outskirts of town. It's not the most pleasant place, but there's an abandoned castle you can use!” She surprised herself with her own words; she hadn't thought of the old castle before now. 

It certainly surprised Sombra. “'Abandoned' castle?” he whispered.

Her brow furrowed. “Uh, yes. It used to belong to the Princesses, but they haven't lived there in a millenium. So, it's a little... run-down. It's better than a cave, though, I'm sure!”

Shifting his weight between his hooves, the stallion's gaze again dropped to the floor. He was touched by Twilight's offer, but also uncertain. Was it an offer made out of kindness, or pity? He mentally kicked himself for the thought. Fool. If she didn't desire your company, she wouldn't have asked you. Say something!

“I'll come with you,” he said, looking up at her. “If it means we... can more easily proceed with your lessons, then I'll come with you.”

Twilight's excitement soared. She bounced. “Yes, yes, yes!” she exclaimed. Without thinking, she threw her forelegs around Sombra's neck. “Oh, you're going to love Ponyville, I know it!” She pulled away. “Do you have enough magic for one last disguise?”

He chuckled. “As long as I'm not required to cast anything else, yes.”

“Great! The train leaves at sunset!”

“I'll be ready.” 

Just to be sure, she sent the stallion off with two of her bags—each with more than enough room for all his books, and whatever else he chose to bring. Her mind now at ease, she finished packing the remainder of their luggage with a light-hearted hum in her throat. As soon as Spike returned (and, thank Celestia, he was still too tired to notice they were short a few bags), they gathered up their belongings and met up with their friends in the hallway. Together, they journeyed to the train station. 

A warm farewell awaited them. Shining Armor, alongside Cadance, stood saluting with both the Crystal and Canterlot Royal Guards. The Princesses oversaw the careful loading of Trixie into one of the cars, while a large gathering of crystal ponies bid them all farewell. Many bore gifts. Small, hoof-crafted sculptures, food items, whole gift baskets. Most of them, to her embarrassment, were for Twilight. She didn't have the heart to reject them.

Once she hugged her brother and sister-in-law, she followed the others onto the train. Other than a small number of curious passengers heading elsewhere, they pretty much had an entire car to themselves. She kept an eye out for Sombra, even as she and Spike settled comfortably across from Rainbow Dash and Applejack. He was concealed, she knew, but that didn't stop her.

The conductor's voice called out a warning for a final boarding. She stared, past Spike, out the window, but saw nopony else board the train. Her heart began to race. Rationalization took over—calming her with a variety of likely scenarios as to why she hadn't yet seen her stallion friend. Ultimately, even if he missed the train, he possessed the means to catch up. He said he would be there, and she was going to hold him to it.

She fought the urge to gnaw at a hoof. Then, in the aisle, somepony passed her seat. A stallion, who cleared his throat. “I'm sorry to bother you, miss, but is this Passenger Car Five?” he asked.

“Oh, no,” she automatically replied. She lifted her head. “This is Four—” Her voice died in her throat. 

The unicorn stallion, gray-coated and dark-haired, smiled down at her. “Ah, my mistake,” he retorted. His green eyes shined with merriment. “I'm one car off. I'm sorry to have bothered you.”

Her mouth moved silently a few times, before she was finally able to speak again. “It's no problem!” she squeaked. “Happy to help!”

With a chuckle, he turned and headed on his way. The end of his cloak dragged along the floor as he walked.

Across from her, Applejack snickered. “Easy there, Twilight,” she teased. “The fella asked you for directions, not for dinner.”

The unicorn's hooves pressed over her cheeks to hide their blush. “I know! I just... didn't expect anyone else to come by, that's all.”

“A'ight, whatever you say,” said Rainbow Dash. She shot a curious look over her shoulder at the mysterous pony, before shifting into a more comfortable position in her seat. “He doesn't look like anypony worth getting all worked up about, anyway.”

Applejack lowered her hat over her eyes. “Yeah, you got a point there,” she yawned. “Now, don't wake me up until we get home.”

“Right behind you, A.J.”

As the two mares settled into naps, Twilight suppressed the urge to smile. Sombra had made it aboard. Just in time, too, for the whistle rang shrill through the air as the train pulled from the station. She and her assistant waved at everypony one last time. Once they disappeared from view, Spike leaned back and sighed. “Twilight,” he muttered.

She tilted her head. “Yes?”

“I can't wait to be home.”

With a soft laugh, she reached over and pulled him into a hug. “Me neither, Spike.” She glanced at the door on the opposite side of the car. “Me neither.”