> Stained Glass
>  by Palm Palette
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Bright as Sunshine, Sing and Dance Around. Black as Charcoal, Frown and Fall Down.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight's messy room was full of magazines, newspapers, and old manuscripts strewn about in organized chaos. None of them were current; her parents didn't care enough about her to buy her the things that she loved. She only got whatever leftovers they threw her way. On any other day, she'd be reading, or, well, reading. She didn't get out much because her family was embarrassed and kept her shut up as much as possible. She didn't mind so much because other ponies always gave her hurtful stares. Who needed them, anyway?

Thus, it was with great annoyance that the little filly shoved piles of books away from her closet door and pulled it open. Frowning, she yanked her dark, moth-eaten cloak off its hanger. It was the only piece of clothing she owned. The heavy fabric flopped down, smothering her. She struggled and popped out, leaving the cloak on the floor in a heap. It was too big for her, and she didn't like the way it chafed at her rocky hide. The small filly had to wear it, though, because she had a very rare condition.

Twilight sighed and poked the cloth heap. It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair. She glanced at her rocky skin. It was a dull, bland lavender. Her mane was a dull, bland blue. Even its pink streak somehow managed to be dull and bland. She didn't have a cutie mark, but that wasn't the important part. The important part was her complete and utter lack of luster. Unlike the other crystal ponies, she'd never been able to sparkle. No matter how much she tried or how hard she polished herself, she just couldn't do it.

“Twily, the ceremony's going to start without us. Are you almost done? We don't want to be late.”

“Coming, Armor!” Gloomy thoughts forgotten, Twilight put her cloak on and bounded down the stairs. The oversized fabric trailed after her.

Armor was a bright, welcome sight. He scooped her up in great big hug. The larger pony was almost perfectly clear with a slight milky tint. His sapphire hair glittered and his whole body glistened as if it were directly under the sun. He sparkled so much that he claimed the nickname 'Shining,' though nopony used it except for himself.

Twily returned his embrace, pressing her stony skin against his warm crystalline hide. A smile crept across her face. His stalwart presence and bright light made her forget her worries. Other ponies shunned her, but Armor had never once turned away. He was always there to care for her and help her when no other pony would. He made her feel safe, and she knew that he'd protect her as long as he lived.

Armor broke the embrace and held the small filly at hoofs-length. He had a frown on his face and his cheeks were extra-sparkly from wet tears. Twilight suddenly felt apprehensive. She'd never seen him look so worried before.

“Twily, I don't care. I'll always protect you. Always.”

“Son, that's enough.” Night Light, their father, stepped in. “You know what we've said. You can't protect her forever.”

“I can and I will!” Armor shouted and stomped his hoof.

Twilight felt herself being crushed in an overly-tight embrace. She squeaked, but didn't otherwise complain. She held him with a tiny embrace of her own. “Armor, what's going on?”

“I—It's...” His answer faltered and he simply held her.

Night Light frowned and looked at his wife. “Should we tell her?”

What are they hiding from me? Twilight thought.

Velvet's only response was to turn her back on her daughter. She was much colder than her husband; it was like she had no love in her at all.

Twilight's father sighed and pointed at the door before heading that way himself. “Let's get this over with.” His wife joined him on his way out.

Armor gently set his sister down. Touching the floor with her dull lavender hooves, Twilight asked again, “What's going on?”

He sniffled and wiped a tear from his cheeks, but he didn't look away. He never looked away. “We need to hurry if we want to find a good spot. We can talk on the way.”

Twilight nodded and pulled her cloak down over her head. Whatever the ceremony was, it had to be pretty important if she was going to be out in public. All their glares bothered her. She was glad Armor was there to protect her. Twilight doubted she could survive without him.

Stepping outside, she was shocked at the joyous atmosphere. The other crystal ponies were singing and prancing. Dozens of them lined the streets, which glowed with faint blue light beneath their sparkling hooves. Twilight's own hooves were dull and cast a shadow. There were so many ponies that it'd be easy for a small filly like her to get lost in the crowd. Huddling close to her brother, they moved along with the flow. The singing rang around them.

      

“One by one we sparkle in the sun.
Every day we have loads of fun!
Our pure light is happy joyous love.
It's a gift from the stars above.
We love our princess; we love our heart.
The clearest of joy do they impart.
The sky's aurora is our great pride.
We're clear crystal on the inside.
One by one we sparkle in the sun.
Every day we have loads of fun!”

      

So caught up were they in their singing that they didn't bother to shun Twilight, which was a welcome surprise. The atmosphere was infectious and she couldn't help but smile. A colt about her own age pointed at her, and Twilight waved at him. The boy's mother, however, covered his eyes and forced him to turn away. Twilight frowned and lowered her head.

A bleating noise caught Twilight's attention, and she strayed away from the crowd to investigate. A small herd of tiny huewes was fenced up near a shop, ready for shearing. A light green one had its woolen fur caught on the fence, but despite its many cries, the ponies ignored it. The other huewes milled around, unable to help.

Twilight bit her lip. She didn't want to be late, but this wouldn't take long. Running up to the huewe, she snapped the wooden board like the twig it was. Such soft things were easily crushed by crystal ponies.

“Tha-a-a-anks,” the animal said, and licked her face.

He's so friendly. Twilight giggled.

“Twilight? Twily?” Armor's voice rang out over the commotion.

“Oops, gotta go.” Twilight waved and ran off. “Bye mister.”

“Mister? But I'm a gr-r-r-rl,” the huewe protested, to the bleating laughter of her companions.

When Twilight caught up to her impatient brother she asked, “Armor, do you know what ceremony this is? Why is everypony so excited?”

“It's the Crystal Heart ceremony. We're going to renew its power.”

Twilight gasped. “The Crystal Heart ceremony? As in the most magical event to ever happen in the whole wide world ever? Where the Crystal Princess comes down from the crystal palace and bestows her crystal blessing on all of the crystal ponies? Where the heart's magic explodes with love, joy, and happiness and purges all evil from the land and spreads its aurora throughout the sky?”

He smiled. “Yep. That's the one.”

“Ooh, I can't wait to see it!” Twilight bounced with joy. She stopped and gasped again, deeper this time. “The heart's magic, it makes everything sparkle, even the fleshy foreigners from the southern kingdoms! I saw that once in a magazine. Do you think that I'll finally...”

Armor frowned and turned his head.

Twilight grabbed one of his legs. “Armor, what's wrong? You never look away.”

“Sorry, Twily. I didn't mean to. I was just distracted by that wagon over there.” He pointed across the street.

Twilight looked past her brother. It was hard to see through the throngs of sparkling crystal ponies, but after bobbing her head around, she managed to get a good look at it. It was a wooden wagon that was partially loaded with crates full of colored glass, probably en route to some southern city. All work had been suspended for the ceremony, of course, but glass exports were vital to the Crystal Empire. Twilight had read once that their colored glass was prized because it was lifelike compared to glass manufactured elsewhere. She had no idea what that meant.

Armor reached down and forced Twilight's cloak low over her head. She started to complain, but an even stare told her to be quiet.

“Twilight,” he said in a low voice, “they said this is your last chance.”

“My...what?”

“To sparkle.” He waved a hoof around at the gleeful, glistening crowd. “To be normal. The magic should fix you, but if it doesn't...” He clenched his eyes, wincing as if he'd been stabbed in the heart. “Just... try your hardest to sparkle, okay?”

“Um, okay.” She nodded uncertainly.

“You promise?” He held her chin up and looked her dead in the eyes.

“I promise!” Twilight grinned as widely as she could. I'll do my best for you, brother.

“Good.” He put on smile. “Let's hurry and find the best spot we can.”

“Okay.” Twilight nodded and ran along next to him. She'd read a lot about the importance of the Crystal Heart, and this was her first chance to see it. Her little filly legs worked hard to keep up with her big brother. They made good progress through the crowded streets, well, except for the time a careless stallion stepped on her trailing cloak and caused her to shriek and fall down. The hurtful stares she'd gotten had almost killed her mood.

She had to remain positive, though. Only happy thoughts led to shininess, and she was going to be shiny. Once she'd managed that, she'd find those ponies who'd sneered at her and stick her little crystal tongue out at them. Ha! That cheered her up.

Bounding on, they reached the Crystal Palace. The building was a giant spire that rose up forever. Its height was absurd and defied reality. At its peak, the aurora burst forth and waved lazily across the sky. It was dim now, but it would soon glow with vivid colors once the ceremony was complete.

The base of the palace was open to the air. Ringed by four giant support legs, the underneath formed a giant plaza. Hundreds of crystal ponies poured into the enormous space. Even as big as it was, there would hundreds more who couldn't fit and would be forced to line the streets. Twilight and Armor were lucky; their district wasn't as populated and there was still room for them under the palace proper.

Twilight still couldn't get a good view, though. She hopped up and down but all she could see were crystal ponies' tails. “Armor, can you lift me up?”

“Sure, Twily.” Armor bent down and picked his little sister up. Her cloak trailed down under her, and it almost looked as if Armor was wearing a scarf.

“Wow. It sure is sparkly.” In the center of the throngs of assembled ponies was the Crystal Heart itself. It was a large, multifaceted gemstone cut in the shape of a heart. It was a pure light blue color, is if it had been carved from the sky itself. It gave off a blue glow that matched the color in the crystal streets.

“Put her down this instant,” Velvet hissed. “Are you trying to draw attention to her?”

“Uh, sorry.” Armor frowned and set Twilight down.

“And you, young...” Velvet snorted. “There's a barrel for you over there.” Tucked in an alcove in the shadow of the palace's enormous leg was indeed a barrel. It could easily be mistaken for a garbage bin. “Stay out of sight.” With that, the crystal mare turned her back and stomped off.

“Armor...?” Why is mom so mean all the time? Twilight looked up at her older brother, who hung his head.

“You'd best do as she says.” He sighed. “You can come out when it's over.”

“Aw, okay.” Twilight frowned. She didn't like it, but she knew better than to question her mother's orders. After walking over to the barrel, she paused and looked up at it. “It's too high. I can't get in.”

“I got you.” Armor picked her up and gently lowered her in place. Her cloak caught on the side and she dangled momentarily before he freed it and she plopped down.

The barrel shook as Twilight popped a cork out from the inside and pressed an eye up against the hole. “I don't like it in here. It smells funny.”

Armor carefully set the lid of the barrel back on without latching it. He sat down next to it and furrowed his brow. Nopony would dare touch the barrel if he didn't allow it.

It was mostly a token effort, since nopony was interested in their dark corner. The general crowd was far too engrossed with merriment and happiness to be bothered by them. Armor resisted the temptation to join in with their songs, though he finally relented when he heard the barrel next to him start to sing.

Twilight, bless her little heart, had once again found a way to be happy despite all of nastiness that got send her way. Ponies often asked what Armor saw in her, and what he saw was a sweet child with a great big heart. Despite her condition, she was still the best pony he knew.

When the latest song stopped, he paused to listen to her giggle. He tapped on the barrel and whispered to her the rhyme about the ladybugs, one of her favorites. She responded in kind and their laughter was enough to draw glances from the crowd. Her joy was so indomitable that Armor sometimes wondered if he really needed to protect her. It seemed like only a hammer could break her spirit.

Royal flugelhorns blasted their off-key notes, heralding the arrival of the Crystal Princess and the start of the ceremony itself. A hush spread through the crowd, followed by a wave as the crystal ponies stopped what they were doing and bowed in the direction of the Crystal Heart. It spun in place and pulsed with magic.

Overhead, their princess flew in on wings of glittering diamond. Her body was a rosy quartz, and her curled mane and tail were streaked with transparent topaz, ruby and amethyst colors. As if her wings weren't unusual enough, she had a spiraling horn extending from her head, which glowed with a soft blue light once she neared the Crystal Heart. She herself bowed to it, midair, before turning and addressing the crowd.

“Glow-mares and sparkle-colts, shining citizens of the Crystal Empire, we are gathered here today to celebrate the anniversary of Sombra's defeat and our return to glory as an independent nation!”

The crowd cheered and they reared up to wave their hooves high in the air. It was a tradition that showed off their lack of shackles and thus their freedom. Armor heard a bump in the barrel. Twily must have been trying to do it too.

Once the crowd settled down, the princess spoke again. “Today, on this seventeenth day of...” 

Armor zoned out while listening to the sound of her voice. He'd been here before, but he'd never realized just how lovely her voice was. It was so melodic that he was entranced. She was, by far, the most beautiful pony he'd ever seen.

As her speech trailed on, his ears swiveled when he noticed a sound much closer to him. In the barrel, Twilight was softly talking along. She must have had the whole speech memorized! He couldn't help but smile at her antics. She was proof enough that a pony didn't have to be beautiful to be loved.

“...let everypony gathered here share their love, joy, and hope with the entire world!”

At the height of the ceremony, a magical tension filled the air. Every crystal pony shared in its energy. The crystal roadways beneath their hooves flared with color. In unison, they lowered their heads and the pure, sparkling energy filled the air around them in a magical aura. The Crystal Heart flashed, and the magic was drawn in. 

Its sparkling facets twinkled with the light of a thousand suns. This was the power of the Heart, and the power of the Crystal Empire.

The magic exploded in a shockwave that rocketed outward in all directions. In its wake, everything caught in its blast, everything, became crystalline and sparkly. Along with this burst, the Heart sent up a flare of energy through the entire structure of the crystal palace. At the very peak, the energy split and flowed out in three directions, spreading love, joy, and hope throughout the sky in the form of the wildly dancing auroras.

Twilight had felt her barrel shake from the impact of the magical burst. She'd had to close her eyes to shield them from the light, but now that she'd rubbed the spots out, she was in awe of just how sparkly the world had become.

Her barrel had changed from wood into glass, and even her dark cloak had transformed. Beneath those two glittering layers, she couldn't see herself clearly, so she popped the top off and climbed out. She couldn't wait to see what she looked like.

Tossing her glittery cloak off, she was greeted with... the same dull, unsparkly lavender hooves that she'd always had.

“No, no!” Twilight's eyes popped open, and she backed up against the wall. “This can't be right! It just can't! I-I should be sparkly like everything else!”

Uh, stars, rainbows, glitter, crystal, Armor, wait, rainbows don't sparkle. They sure are pretty, though. Ack! Shiny thoughts! Shiny! Twilight tried her best to think shiny thoughts but it didn't work. Even with the help from the Crystal Heart itself she still couldn't manage even the tiniest glint from her hide. This had been her last chance and she'd failed.

Twilight couldn't sparkle.

She sniffled and tears welled up in her eyes. “Armor, I'm sorry. I can't do it. I don't know why, but—Armor?” Twilight paused a looked up at her brother. He, and every other crystal pony, was stuck in a trance. None of them moved. “W-what's going on?” She looked around in all directions, except up.

“There you are.” A cold voice made her look up.

Twilight eeped as the Crystal Princess landed in front of her. “P-princess.” She bowed.

The mare snorted. “There's no need for that. Come. We must be gone before they come to.”

“Go? Go where?” Twilight wrapped herself around Armor's leg. “I don't want to go anywhere without my brother. What's wrong with him? Why won't he notice me?”

The princess furrowed her brow, and opened her mouth briefly. She paused, then sighed. “As part of the renewal spell, all normal crystal ponies relive the memories of their most joyous and happy moments. Do not worry; it doesn't last long. As to where we are going, I can make you sparkle, but only if you come with me.”

“You can?”

“Yes. You'd like that, wouldn't you?” The princess put on a glassy smile.

“Very much! Um...” Twilight started to step away, but looked back up at her brother. “We should wait for him first. I don't want to leave without him.”

The princess ground her teeth. “Did you, perhaps, make some sort of promise?” She pointed a wing at Armor. “To sparkle?”

“Well, I did say I'd try.”

The princess nodded. “Then if you come with me, you won't have to break that promise. When next he sees you, you will sparkle.”

“Well, if you're sure...” Twilight glanced over her shoulder one last time before stepping away. Armor's blank gaze was a strange sight. She was glad she didn't have to disappoint him when he came to.

As soon as the dull filly stepped next to the sparkling Crystal Princess, she instantly became a bouncing bundle of glee. “Eeee! This is so exciting!” She hopped up and down.

The older pony led the way, walking down the crystal roads away from the central palace. They passed dozens of ponies still frozen in place. It was as if the streets were filled with statues.

“What's it like being a princess? Do your wings ever itch? I read once that wings itch when they start to molt. What's it like to cast magic? Does your crown ever feel heavy? Where are we going?”

“You're... much happier looking and a lot more inquisitive than I expected.”

“And why wouldn't I be? You're finally going to fix me, right? Oh, I can't wait to be a real pony!” Twily jumped up and down again.

The sound of her bouncing caused some ponies in the streets to glance in her direction. They were starting to move again.

“Quick—in here.” The princess pulled open a door and nearly pushed Twilight inside with one of her glassy wings. The filly got the hint and didn't require too much shoving. Shortly after Twilight was in, the princess followed after. There was a 'click' as the door was bolted behind her.

“Um...” Twilight blinked in the dim light. The sun filtered through the recently crystallized walls, creating an uneven light that shimmered over the large machinery, carts filled to the brim with quartz ore, and rows upon rows of neatly stacked boxes. The eerie lighting gave the impression that she was deep underwater.

The Crystal Princess walked past Twilight and rummaged through a pile of various tools. She pulled out a sizable-looking hammer that was studded with diamonds and wrapped around the head with two golden bands. She held it up and waved it a few times, testing its balance. Nodding to herself, she pointed at a hunk of crystal lying on the floor.

“Before we get started, I'd like to demonstrate something about the nature of crystal. Come closer, please.”

Twilight's jaw dropped. That was no ordinary mallet. Twilight once read an illustrated book which explained the designs and uses of many weapons. She recognized the diamond-studded war hammer for what it was. While it was technically better at breaking rocks than an ordinary mallet, it was far too expensive to be used for that exclusively. No, there was only one purpose for which a tool like that was made: breaking ponies.

Twilight turned around and rattled her hoof against the locked door. Where was the latch for the bolt? Where had that bar come from? She didn't hear a sound, but an unnatural waft of air caused her to turn.

The flying princess was right above her. She dove at Twilight, swinging her hammer.

Twilight shrieked. Her body tensed up and she bolted. A crunch just behind her drove a crater into the floor where she'd stood. The hammer narrowly missed smashing the terrified filly's tail. Broken chunks of glassified floor tiling flew past her.

She's crazy!

Twilight screamed as she ran blindly into the neatly stacked rows of boxes. Her voice echoed in the large room, but nopony came to save her. Through the shimmering walls, shadowy figures of ponies in the streets milled about, indifferent to her plight. Inside, a looming, glittering shadow fluttered above. Twilight screeched to a halt and tried to squeeze her small form through a narrow gap. A blue glow wrapped around an ankle and held her in place.

“Gotcha.” The princess hefted her war hammer again.

Twilight didn't think. She twisted her body and kicked at the glowing blue aura as hard as she could. It fizzled and popped.

“Ah!” The princess jerked and rubbed at her horn. She shook her head to clear it, but Twilight was gone. She snorted and wisps of steam came out of her crystalline muzzle. Dark shadows danced on the ground through her body.

“You're only delaying the inevitable. Don't make this hard on yourself. Come out so I can make good on my promise.”

What is wrong with her? Twilight wedged herself between two stacks of boxes. Her breath came in short gasps and she held a hoof over her mouth, attempting to be as quiet as possible. The dullness of her rocky skin blended in with the dark wood in the darker shadows. Her heart thumped in her her chest, and she feared that its sound might give her away. What had she done to deserve this? Oh, how she wished for Armor to come and save her!

The princess flew up and down the isles. Twilight watched with morbid fascination. The shifting, dim, glittering light that was filtering through the walls started to fade. The Crystal Heart's magic had only been temporary, and the walls were shifting back into their original composition of brick and mortar. As they did so, it got darker and darker.

The Crystal Princess, who'd looked beautiful and glittery in the sun, vanished from sight. That was wrong, very wrong. Every crystal pony sparkled due to an inner light that represented their joys and love. While the princess had sparkled in the light, she had no inner light of her own. And now she'd vanished from sight. Twilight held her breath to avoid screaming in panic.

There was a 'clack' and hoofsteps rang out. “Do you know where we are?” The question died out with no answer. “Let me shed some light on that.”

The princess's horn lit with the soft blue glow of her magic, revealing her position. She was close, and Twilight silently whimpered. The light gave the princess as many shadows as glints. She closed her eyes and focused. The light brightened and shot out in front of her, forming an unnatural searchlight. Unlike any ordinary light, the beam passed straight through the wooden boxes, revealing their contents. Every box was packed with sheets of colored glass. There were more colors than a dozen rainbows.

Twilight had no time to contemplate that, because the beam drew closer and she'd never be able to hide from it. Squirming to free herself, she accidentally thumped a hoof against the crates. The beam of light snapped to her position, and Twilight heard the flap of wings.

Oh no. The crystal filly panicked and shoved. The boxes shifted apart and she jumped out. She hit the ground at an awkward angle, and skipped while trying to keep her balance.

A horrendous crash behind her startled her and she tumbled against the opposite row. Splinters of wood and broken shards of glass pelted her rocky body. The war hammer was firmly lodged between the now splintered boxes where Twily had been just moments before. Shattered glass spilled free into the corridor, lining the ground with colored chaos.

“Annoying little brat.” The Crystal Princess abandoned her weapon and flew at Twilight. “There's more than one way to break a pony.”

Twily twisted and attempted to get back on her hooves, but the princess swooped down and grabbed her, carrying her up into the air. “Hey!” She squirmed and kicked.

“Bah. I can't fly too high in here. I may have to drop you more than once. See what you get for being contrary?”

Twilight didn't think much of that and chomped down on a sparkly pink leg as hard as she could.

“Yeowch!” Flailing wildly, the princess dislodged Twilight and threw her off.

Twily screeched as she sailed through the air. She landed with a crash as she hit the pile of spilled glass and bounced off. The wind was knocked out of her after she tumbled to the ground. She laid there groaning while the princess rubbed at the teeth marks and scratches on her otherwise pristine hoof.

The princess flew back to grab her war hammer, and Twilight struggled to get up. She'd bounced out of the warehouse section, and found herself surrounded by looming, dark machinery. The darkness grew and swallowed her now that the last remaining source of light had flown off. Why is she trying to kill me? She had tears in her eyes. Working by feel, Twilight crawled under a large, metal container. The floor felt like a grate, but she didn't care. She was limping, sore, and scratched in many places. She might be a crystal pony, but she was still just a little filly and wasn't used to such punishment.

Crunching of hooves treading on broken glass and the soft blue glow of the princess's magical horn heralded her return. She was holding the cruel diamond-studded war hammer again, and frowned upon seeing Twilight crouched under the vat. “Get out and face what's coming,” the princess commanded.

“Why are you trying to smash me?” Twilight sobbed.

The princess snorted. “You wanted to sparkle, didn't you?” She waved a crystal wing to point towards the stockpiled crates. “There's only one way for your kind to do that, and that's to be ground into glass.” 

“Wha-what?” Twilight crouched down as low as she possibly could under the vat. “I changed my mind. I-I don't wanna sparkle anymore.”

“It was never your choice. I need to smash you whether you care about sparkling or not.” The princess narrowed her eyes and rapped a hoof on the metal container. It rang like a bell. She nodded ever so slightly and flew up in the darkness.

“T-that's not fair,” Twilight whimpered. “P-please don't smash me.” Her plea went unanswered.

Some lights flickered on, and Twilight blinked and rubbed at her eyes. The factory was still quite dim, but she could see the scary-looking machinery around her. From her vantage point, everything was gray, steel, and towering. It was a place for grownups with hardhats, not terrified little fillies.

The machinery lurched into motion. Twilight watched as belts moved and gears turned. Grinding and popping noises emanated from the factory at large. Did the princess intend to feed her directly into the machinery? All of that glass, was it all made from unsparkly little ponies like her? The terrible thought left her cold inside. No; if that was true, they wouldn't need so much ore. It was a small comfort, but it didn't ease the thought of the sickening secret ingredient they used to make the glass more lifelike. Suddenly she understood, and she wanted to throw up.

The grinding and popping came to a halt. Twilight held her breath and looked up when she heard something grainy pouring into the vat above her. The pouring stopped. The brief silence was interrupted by a hum underneath the floor. The grate Twilight was sitting on started blowing air and smelled like gas. A spark flared somewhere down below and there was a foomph as flames erupted and started lapping around her dull stony body.

Twilight stomped on the grate, but she was too small smother the fire and the flames vented around her. The wind rose and the fire grew quickly. Twilight whimpered as her body painfully absorbed the heat, causing her underside to give off a soft glow. She couldn't stay in the fire, or she'd melt. She couldn't flee either, because the Crystal Princess was hovering overhead, waiting with her hammer...

The flames continued to lap at her sides.

This is so unfair. Twilight had to risk it; the pain was too much. She shrieked and stepped out. Reflected in the polished surface of the machine opposite her was the Crystal Princess swooping down for the kill.

Twilight jumped back into the fire and the war hammer crashed into the tile right in front of her. That chilling moment only lasted a split second because the burning heat forced her into motion again. She shot out past the princess, who simply grunted and hefted the hammer again.

“Help! Help! Somepony, anypony, help!” Twilight ran as fast as she could. She had to find someplace to hide—anyplace. Her eyes darted around, but all of the nooks and crannies were either too small or full of grinding gears, spinning belts, or shifting pistons.

Twilight ran on, but the little filly was too slow to outpace the flapping of wings behind her. She screamed again.

“I've got you now!”

Twilight made the mistake of looking up. The hammer swung down and she winced, uselessly holding up a hoof to block it.

“Stop!” A sparkling white figure jumped in front of the hammer.

“What?” The princess pulled her blow, and it looked as if the hammer bounced off an invisible shield. She stared, then flew up and glanced around, scanning the shadows.

“Armor! You came to save me.” Twily wrapped her still-glowing hooves around his leg. He simply glared at the Crystal Princess.

“You—what are you doing here?” The princess hovered. Her expression turned flat and unreadable.

“I came here to save my sister, and it looks like I made it just in time. Whatever plans you have, you can give up on them. I won't let you touch her.”

“No, I mean, why are you here, specifically, in this building? How did you get in? All of the windows are shuttered and barred, and all of the doors are locked and barred from both sides. I even soundproofed the place!”

He snorted. “When I heard the rumors, I thought it prudent to loosen some of the bricks in the north wall near the bakery. I'd hoped that I was wrong, but—”

“Rumors?” the princess growled and gnashed her teeth. “Somepony's getting fired for that.” She flew off.

Armor blinked. With the princess gone, he took the liberty of picking Twilight up and holding her close to his chest. His crystalline form shone with an inner light that no darkness could extinguish. His mere presence kept it at bay.

“Armor, please don't let her kill me,” Twilight whimpered as she clung to him.

There was a grinding noise as something heavy was forced up against the north wall. There would be no escape.

“I won't, Twily. I won't.” He held her close and nuzzled her.

The princess flew back to hover over them. She darted her eyes around, peering into the shadows. “And you came by yourself? There aren't any others?”

Armor narrowed his eyes and snorted. “Like I'd tell you that.”

The princess scowled and flared her horn. Pale blue light bathed the area. Twilight cast a shadow, while Armor became much more brilliant and sparkly. His light refracted and he cast brilliant patterns on the polished machinery around him. It would have been a wondrous sight, if not for the hissing pistons, squeaky gears, and sickening rock-crushers slowly and inevitably grinding rocks down into sand around them. The princess flew off, slowly scanning the building with her strange blue light.

“Armor, I want to go home.”

“Easy there, Twily.” He set her down and looked around. “And I'd love to take you home, but I don't think she'll let us go that easily.”

“What are we going to do?” Twilight looked up at him with big, wide eyes. She sniffled.

“I...” He hung his head. “I don't know, Twily. We can try to break out, but we'd make too much noise and I doubt she'd let us. Even if we did escape, she'd still hunt you down. What we really need to do is to talk some sense into her.”

Talk sense? She's insane! Twilight held her tongue. She trusted her brother. “She won't talk to me, though. She just kept trying to smash me.” She closed her eyes and whimpered.

“Well, she will talk to me.” Armor stomped a hoof on the ground. “She did stop when I told her to, so that gives me hope.”

Twilight made a squeaking noise and darted behind her brother. The blue light returned and made Armor dazzle once again. He looked up to see the Crystal Princess hovering in the air far above them. Her own spell made herself dazzle as well, and her pinkish body cast tinted rainbows that danced on the ceiling in sync with her fluid motions. She looked like a star that had flown down from the sky.

She canceled her spell and vanished in the shadows.

That surprised Armor, and he rubbed his eyes and continued to stare up at the ceiling. He nearly jumped when the princess landed directly in front of him. Her glare was made of ice. “Okay, what do you think you are doing? Why are you protecting this abomination? Step aside.”

Armor growled and furrowed his brow. He stood to his full height, but still, she loomed over him. He was a tall pony, but the princess was the biggest pony in the empire. She stood a full head higher. “My sister is not an abomination! Her name is Twilight. I will not let you harm her!”

“Hmm.” The princess raised an eyebrow. “I can't see the resemblance. Regardless, ponysonifying the abomination isn't going to make it any less of an abomination. It's a danger to the kingdom, and I must destroy it.”

“What? A danger? How?” He pointed at her. “She's just a little girl. She wouldn't even hurt a fly.”

I did squish a fly once. It was yucky.

“Well of course it's not a danger now.” The princess narrowed her eyes and Twilight shrunk further behind Armor. “But it will be when it's older. All crystal ponies who cannot sparkle bear the curse of Sombra. This is why—”

“Sombra?” Twilight poked her head out. “But wasn't he destroyed? Weren't all his magics undone when you overthrew him and came to power?”

“I only wish that were the case.” The princess sighed and looked wistful for a moment. She shook her head and scowled. “But it wasn't, not completely. Some marks he left were permanent. Suffice it to say, our kind was cursed to bear his successor. Thus, those tainted by his evil must be culled at a young age to prevent their ever becoming a danger.”

“But that doesn't make sense.” Twilight looked up at the princess. “Sombra was immortal and trusted nopony. Why would he want a successor?”

The princess snorted. “Of course, you'd say something like that.” She craned her neck around, following Twilight's every motion.

“Twilight's right.” Armor stretched a leg between himself and the princess. “We learned about Sombra in school, and that doesn't fit his character at all.”

“So it's just a coincidence that his last words were, ‘You will never be rid of me!’ and all of a sudden, ponies start to be born who suffer the same condition that he had?”

“Um, yes?” Armor shrugged.

Armor, that's not very convincing, Twilight thought. There's something we're missing here.

“Not the way I see it, it isn't.” The princess pointed her hoof at him. Her cold reflection in the steel also pointed its hoof at him. “You. I'm ordering you to step aside. You will swear secrecy to the events here. I do not wish to harm you, but I will complete my task.”

“No! I will not allow you to hurt Twilight! I refuse to believe that she's evil.” Armor stomped his hoof, cracking the tiled floor.

“Disobeying an order is treason.” She held out her war hammer.

“Issuing that order in the first place is a crime against all that you stand for.” Armor stood his ground.

“Wait—condition, what condition did Sombra have?” Twilight asked.

“You are a very bothersome little thing.”

“Could you answer Twilight's question?” Armor asked.

“Hmm.” The princess rubbed her chin and stepped aside and looked past them at a lever on the far wall. She pulled it with her magic. The noisy machinery lurched and ground to a halt. “I suppose that talking things over can't hurt, but I'd hate to waste my breath. When I convince you that the danger is real, you will set your feelings for her aside and allow me to finish my task.”

“No!” Twilight squealed.

Armor narrowed his eyes. “And when I convince you that she's a danger to nopony, I want you to set your misgivings aside and allow us to live in peace.”

“Very well, then. We have a deal.” She leaned her war hammer against a machine. “To start with, you need to know the full scope of Sombra's evil. That's hard to do without telling our history, so that's where I'll begin. Be warned, though. My version hasn't been colored by skepticism or watered down by the squeamish.

“A very long time ago, many thousands of years, we crystal ponies decided to settle and build our home here in the frozen north. Much of our early history was lost, but I do know that our reason for settling here was not from a love of cold, but rather to serve as guardians and protect the rest of the world from the evil that lurked in the mountains.”

“Evil in the mountains?” Twilight scrunched up her face. “I've never heard of anything like that. No books I've read ever mentioned anything like that.”

“There isn't any evil there now. Allow me to finish. I was getting to that.”

“Uh, sorry.”

“As I was saying, the evil that lurked there was held at bay by the power of our people. We were few in number, but the Crystal Heart was just as vibrant back then as it is now. With the evil locked away, the other pony tribes were able to grow and prosper.”

Armor raised a leg. “Could you be more specific? What evil, exactly, are you talking about here?”

“They were winter spirits known as windigoes. They feed off of strife, anger and hatred. You may have heard of them.”

“You mean like the ones from the founding of Equestria?” he asked.

“The very same.” The princess nodded. “The squabbling and mistrust of the three tribes drew their hunger, but the presence of the Crystal Empire trapped them in the mountains. They could not venture through our kingdom without being driven back, and they could not go around us since our city lies at a choke point in the valley. If they did, they'd be cut off from their source of cold air in the mountains and be unable to cause the mayhem they so desired.

“This agitated them greatly, and they often attacked the city, but their efforts were futile. The Crystal Empire was too harmonious, and there were no seeds of discontent for them to work with. That was, until Sombra was born.

“Unlike the other crystal ponies, his coat was black and he didn't shine. Nopony really knows exactly what caused him to turn on us. Some say that he was evil from the moment he was born. Others say that he was teased and shunned for his lack of brilliance, and turned to evil for revenge. Still others claimed that he was originally a good pony, but his lack of an inner light left him vulnerable to corruption. Regardless of his reason, turn on us he did.

“He struck a bargain with the windigoes and was granted a magical horn. It was made from black ice, and with it, he was able to control the very shadows themselves. That power came with a price, though. It froze his heart and would never allow him to feel love or joy ever again.

“Still, he took it willingly, and with its power he cast a shadow over our land, stole away the Crystal Heart, and allowed the windigoes to roam free. They would have frozen the whole world in ice too, if the softies had not banded together at the last moment and developed a magic similar to our own.”

“You mean the Fires of Friendship, right?” Twilight asked. Her version of history is different, but it's not much more than what could be speculated by using the history of other races as a reference point and matching the timing with Sombra's rise to power. I'm not convinced that she knows our history any better than the rest of us, and what we know is suspect due to Sombra's tampering. Twilight squinted into the princess's glassy eyes, but the bluish, sparkling voids revealed no secrets.

“To answer your question, yes, but that wasn't the important part. The important part was the bit where a pony just like you unleashed horrible evil on the world and went on to enslave and rule my people with an iron grip for millennia.”

“Just like her?” Armor narrowed his eyes. “That's not true. Just look at her. She's not some evil tyrant bent on absolute domination.” He snorted. “If anything, she's less of a danger because there aren't any windigoes left to tempt her. What, uh, happened to them, anyway?”

“What do I care? They're gone now. As for you—” she pointed at Twilight “—being less of a danger is not the same thing as being no danger. I cannot take any chances when it comes to something as dangerous as Sombra. My people deserve better than another many thousands of years of slavery due to carelessness on my part.”

“Carelessness? Carelessness? What about coldheartedness? You'd tear apart a loving family on the off chance that this child could one day somehow turn into a villain?”

“Your family is hardly loving, but that's irrelevant.” The princess picked up her hammer. The diamond studs twinkled in the dim light. “So long as you agree that there is a chance, then I've proven my point. Give her to me. I've work here to finish.”

“Wait a minute!” Armor stomped his hoof on the ground. “I've listened to your argument, so you need to listen to mine.”

The princess snorted. She leaned on her hammer. “Fine. Go on, then, but make it quick.”

“Well...” Armor risked a glance down at his little sister, who clung to his leg tightly. “If you want proof that she's not evil, then you've seen it already.”

“Really?” The princess deadpanned.

“Yes, really.” Armor patted his sister on the head. “You see, the whole purpose of the Crystal Heart Ceremony is to renew its power to spread love, joy, and hope throughout the world. Nothing that's evil can withstand the spell. If Twily really were evil, then she'd have crumbled to dust like Sombra did.”

“I never said that she was evil now, just that she had the predisposition to become evil in the future. But, since you brought it up, her lack of reaction to the ceremony itself is yet more proof of this. As you're well aware, normal crystal ponies spend the aftermath of the renewal spell in a trance. You relive your most recent joys and happy, loving moments.” The princess pointed a hoof at the dull little filly. “She was not affected by the spell at all. This is proof that she is incapable of feeling those emotions.”

Twilight swatted the princess's hoof. A clack echoed through the now-silent factory. “That's not true! I can too feel love and happiness.”

“Really now?” The princess rubbed at her hoof. “Then why didn't the spell work? Can you explain that? If you really are a happy, loving pony then you should be sparkling just like the rest of us.”

“I don't know! It just didn't.” Twilight folded her unsparkly lavender forelegs and pouted.

“Twily, maybe you should show her how happy and loving you can be so she can see for herself just how wrong she is. Let's do the ladybug dance. You always love that one.” He looked down at her and smiled.

She blinked and looked up at him. “Now?”

“If she sees how happy you are, then she'll have to admit she's wrong and let you go.”

“Well, okay.”

Twilight let go of her brother and took a few steps away. She eyed the princess warily and made sure that her brother was between them. The princess just rolled her eyes.

Armor cleared his throat, and they began by tapping their hooves together and ended by turning around and waggling their rears in the air.

     

“Sunshine, sunshine,
ladybugs awake!
Clap your hooves and
do a little shake!”

     

Twilight giggled, then quickly latched onto her brother again. Both of them looked at the Crystal Princess, whose mouth hung open.

“I... You...” She blinked and sat there with a blank expression on her face. She spoke in a soft voice. “I remember that rhyme. I wrote it a very long time ago.”

“You wrote that?” Armor scratched his head.

Twilight gasped. “Wait, if that's true then... You're Cadance? That Cadance? As in the shining star of the fallen city?”

“And if I am...?”

“But that doesn't make any sense.” Twilight looked the princess up and down. “Cadance was a nice pony. She'd never advocate smashing foals on the off chance that they could become evil.”

The Crystal Princess snorted. “I've changed since then. Do not presume to judge me.”

“Wait a minute.” Armor looked at Twilight. “Which Cadance? Who are you talking about?”

“The one who wrote all those happy poems. She's the author of The Stars of Joy. She was the one who found a way to spread hope and joy even in the darkest period of our history. She was best known for her efforts in resisting Sombra's rule.”

“I was also the one who recovered the Crystal Heart and brought an end to his reign.”

Armor frowned. “I think I remember who you're talking about now. Uh, no offense, but Cadance can't also be the Crystal Princess. Cadance was not an alicorn. She was just a regular crystal pony.”

“Oh, these things?” The princess flexed a glassy wing and tapped on her horn with a glittering primary feather. “They were gifts from the Sun Princess, but they didn't help. Nothing helped...” Her voice trailed off and she stared at nothing. The pupils in her eyes constricted to points. She shook her head, returning to normal, and folded her wings. “But enough about me. Our concern here is this little abomination who happens to be very good at pretending to be happy.”

“I was not pretending!” Twily shouted.

“I'm sorry, but one measly little display of affection isn't enough to turn my heart.” She glared at Twilight, who glared right back.

“Princess, I've known Twily her whole life. There's nothing fake or insincere about any of her emotions.”

Yeah, you tell her, Armor.

The princess snorted. “Forgive me if I think you're biased. I have to go by what's logical, and her lack of reaction to the Crystal Heart proves that's she's an emotionless drone. I saw it with my own eyes and there's no getting around the hard facts.”

Twilight stomped a tiny hoof. “Yeah, well, you didn't have any reaction to it either! If that's so horrible, then you're just as guilty as I am!”

Armor put a hoof over Twilight's mouth. He whispered down to her, “Uh, Twily, we're trying to convince her to let you go, not make her mad.”

Twilight pushed his hoof aside. Her cheeks puffed out and her face tinted red. “And you don't have any inner light either! You might be shiny, but you don't glow. You're the real monster here!”

“Twily...” Armor put a hoof on her shoulder to restrain her.

The Crystal Princess sat there with a flat expression on her face. She didn't blink.

“Uh, Princess?” Armor backed away. Twily darted behind him.

The Crystal Princess grabbed her war hammer and spread her wings. “You are not permitted to leave,” she commanded. The calm and unperturbed voice rattled Twilight. It was far too unnatural. Every instinct told her to run and hide, but the princess would catch her...

Twily clutched onto Armor's leg and shrunk out of sight. She-she looks like she's thinking about smashing us both. This is not good.

Armor cleared his throat. “Uh, don't listen to Twilight. She didn't mean those hurtful things.” He put on a fake smile.

“Oh, she meant them all right.” The princess kicked off the ground and hovered in the air. She held her hammer out, pointing in their direction. “And she's right.” Her sapphire eyes narrowed. She rubbed her chin and hmmed. Those glassy irises followed Twilight's every tiny movement.

“Armor, I don't like this.” She wants to smash us both and she's crazy enough to do it! I'd better take cover. With the machines shut down, Twilight didn't have to worry about getting caught in gears or smacked by pistons. She tucked herself into a dark corner. 

Her sparkling older brother did not move. He stared up at the princess, seemingly mesmerized. “You? But... You're the Crystal Princess. How can you not... feel love?”

She hovered in the air and locked gazes with him. Her lips curled down. Eventually, she landed but did not drop her weapon. “My tale is a sad one. I feel like I'm wasting my time here, but if you hear it, you should come to understand just how dangerous that thing you call ‘sister’ is. Are you familiar with the story of Sombra's defeat?”

I am not a thing.

Armor nodded. “Yes. Every crystal pony knows that. He guarded the Crystal Heart with several devious trials, but your light was too pure to succumb to his darkness. You recovered the heart, and used its power to purge him from this land.”

She gave a slight nod. “They're still telling those lies? I've tried correcting them, but ponies insist on believing only what they want to hear.” She sighed. “The real truth is that I failed every trial, and as a result of that, I'm the empty husk that I am today.”

Failed? But that's not possible. Twilight poked her muzzle out of her hiding hole. “What? But didn't you win?”

“Well, yes and no. From his perspective, I won, but from mine, I lost everything.” The Crystal Princess clenched her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I don't like talking about this, but I will. Sombra had guarded the Crystal Heart with three emotional trials.

“The first was a door to your worst fears, where those you loved rejected you absolutely. It was not possible to go on if you cared for anypony. If you had the will to go on despite that, it stole that emotion from you. Only those with no love left in their hearts could pass through that door.”

No love? Twily shuddered. She couldn't imagine life without love, and she was just a little filly.

“The next trial was the staircase of despair. It rose up forever, and each step drained a little bit of joy, a little bit of happiness. The further you climbed, the deeper you sank into depression. Only those who'd fallen into abject despair reached the top, where they'd jump off the spire to end their miserable lives.

“If you still had the will to live, the last trial was the cage of shadows. The Crystal Heart was stored there, but the cage was insidiously designed to counter all attempts at trying to use it or escape. Only those who'd given up all hope were allowed to leave.

“I'm sorry to say that the stories about me have been exaggerated. I was not 'too pure' to be affected; I was an emotional wreck. Sombra thought he'd won, as he always had, but he'd failed to take one last thing from me, and it's the only thing that still keeps me going to this day. His real mistake was in assuming that those drained of emotion would not still have the will to oppose him.” She glared directly at Twilight. The icy stare sent chills down the filly's spine. “And I will oppose him wherever I see him.”

“But I'm not Sombra! I'm not evil like that. I don't deserve to be smashed!” Twilight tucked herself back in her corner, amongst the idle machinery.

“Princess, that is a very sad tale, but Twily's right. Sombra is no more.”

“Must you take everything I say so literally? Of course he's gone! What I aim to prevent is anything like him from ever threatening us again.”

“Well, you don't have to worry about that. Twily's about as far from being anything like Sombra as one can get.” Armor chuckled and tried to put on a smile. The princess was not amused.

“She shares his affliction of the body. She does not sparkle. She doesn't react at all to the Crystal Heart. You have to admit that's all very suspicious. If you have any intelligence in that noggin of yours, you'll agree that she must be destroyed. I will finish my work.”

“And if you have any sort of feeling left in that heart of yours, you'll agree that what you just said is stupid. This is a little girl, not an enemy of the Empire. Anyone with eyes in their head can see that she just wants to go home. If you want to think logically, then what about this? What would any pony who cares do in this situation?”

The princess growled and bared her teeth. She snorted and blew steam out of her nostrils.

So much for not angering her, Twily thought. Armor, do you know what you're doing?

“Do you think I haven't already taken that into account? Why do you think I do this alone? It's because I already know the answer to your question. Other ponies would show mercy. I can't take that risk. Our kingdom can't take that risk.” She flew up and circled above him. Her eyes turned down like a hawk. “You are at the end of my patience.”

This isn't working. We've got to do something else, but what? Twilight shifted a hoof and smacked a metal gear. It clanged.

The princess stopped circling and lit up her horn. A soft blue glow wrapped around the main lever. She yanked on it.

Twily yelped when her 'safe' spot lurched into motion. The gears grabbed her, and there was a snapping noise as the teeth tried to dig into her. She screeched in pain.

Sparkling white hooves reached in, smacked the machinery to shake her loose, grabbed her and pulled. Twily latched onto them and helped push herself out. Her eyes were moist with tears and she frowned at where the metal teeth had dug in and chipped her rocky hide.

“Easy there, Twily, it'll be okay.”

“It hurts.” She looked up at him with big, wide eyes. Above him in the darkness, the princess gently tapped her war hammer against a crystalline hoof. Twily shrunk down. Suddenly, her pain wasn't so important.

Armor craned his neck around. “What was that for!? You broke the machine and you really could have hurt her!”

“It got her out, didn't it? Now all I need is for you to let her go. You have no reason to persist in this foolishness, because I have already proven you wrong. So keep your bargain and—”

“I will not give her up! I love my sister and I will protect her forever!”

Twilight felt his forelegs wrap around her, and he pressed the dull little filly against his chest. Twilight returned his embrace and clenched her eyes shut. For a moment, she dared to pretend that they back in their home safe and sound. Their parents would be shuffling downstairs, squabbling about some trivial thing. The faint musty odor of old literature clung to Twilight's room. Armor would admire himself in the mirror, pretending to be a royal guard. Her Smarty Pants doll sat in a corner, ever ready to take notes in her little notebook like a good little student.

Smarty Pants...

Twilight had wondered about the strange, soft plushie, but apparently all ponies are soft like that down south. She'd love to meet them someday.

Twilight opened her eyes and the tension in the air was so thick that she nearly choked on it. Armor had a look of sheer defiance on his face that made her proud, but the princess wore a matching expression... This was not going to end well. She had to do something.

Twilight gulped. What could she do? If only she were as smart as Smarty Pants. What would Smarty Pants do?

“Crystal pony, I do not wish to hurt you, but if that's what it takes to get you to give up your charge, then I will. Be warned, my methods can be cruel. You do not wish to experience them. Let her go.” The abyss in her eyes tinted green and her horn bubbled black. She was drawing on dark magic just like Sombra. 

Twilight gaped. If she'd sunk that low then she was far more broken inside then anypony had realized. Wait, broken... “Armor—” 

“Cruel!? Cruel!? You crossed that line ages ago. You have no right to—”

“Armor!” Twilight yelled in his ear.

He winced at the noise. “Twily, can't you see that I'm busy?”

She ignored his question and looked past him at the Crystal Princess. She was as beautiful as she was terrifying, but now that Twilight had figured it out, she could only look upon the princess with pity. “Armor, we have to fix her.”

“What?”

“What?”

Both ponies stopped their grandstanding and looked at Twilight. Armor's hackles fell and the princess's magic faded. Despite this, she still clenched her war hammer, and Twilight's fear returned. The princess might have problems, but she still represented a very real danger. The steady clattering of machinery was the only noise.

The princess landed and furrowed her brow. “Well? You've managed to catch my attention. Don't waste it.” Her tone had a nasty edge to it.

Twilight squeaked. “Uh, i-it's just that you can't feel love or joy...” Twilight winced and gulped. “B-but you were once known for those things. We have to make you remember who you once were. I-if we can bring back Cadance, you can be a good pony again.”

“That's your plan? Make me remember? You're in for disappointment. I don't have amnesia. I've never forgotten who I am.”

“So, uh...” Armor scratched at his sparkling mane. “If that's true, then just who are you, again?”

“More history lessons? Ugh. I'm no longer in the mood. You'd best get to your point quickly.” The princess scrunched up her face. Her glassy lips curled down in distaste.

“Armor, don't you remember? Cadance was the sparkling jewel of the fallen empire. Her short rhymes were the perfect things for lifting the spirits of the crystal ponies in those few precious moments when Sombra wasn't watching. The love and joy she spread proved that hope had not been lost forever. Cadance may have lost her own emotions, but the ones she'd seeded in the general population gave the Crystal Heart its power to take down the evil tyrant.”

“I said, ‘I'm not in the mood for more history lessons.’ Are you going to get to the point, or am I going to make my point first?” The Crystal Princess growled. She flared her horn and hefted her hammer over her shoulder.

This isn't good. She could attack again at any moment. Twilight shuddered. All she could think of was the pain in her side from where the metal gears had ground into her. 

Armor patted her on the shoulder. She looked up and gazed into his glittering blue eyes. The gentleness of his touch and the sympathy in his eyes were enough to calm her. His mere presence told her that everything would be all right. She was very lucky to have him for a brother.

Armor cleared his throat and spoke. “Princess, we're not going anywhere. There's no need for you to hurry. Why don't you calm down and just listen to what Twilight has to say? She only wants to help. Can you really fault her for that?”

“Forgive me if I'm skeptical. 'Helping me' sounds more like a wasted effort to save her own lackluster hide than anything else. I will listen, for now, but only from idle curiosity.”

Both ponies looked back at Twilight, who gulped. “Uh, well... I guess let's start with the poetry? Though your poems were simple and short, Cadance, er, you, packed a lot of love into into them. But there haven't been any new books published since the original poems were compiled shortly after Sombra's defeat. I think that's because you've had no love to put to words since then. Is that right?”

“An astute observation, but you're ignoring the whole 'being crowned ruler' and 'becoming an alicorn princess' parts of my life. The poems were effective as weapons in the fight against Sombra, but lacking that, I've had far better things to spend my time on than trivial wordplay.”

Twilight blinked. That answer was very cold and logical and might as well have been a 'yes.' This was not going to be easy. “Uh, but your poems were written to spread joy. That was one of the things that Sombra took from you. Perhaps if you made the effort to write a new poem, you'd start to remember what you'd lost.”

“Do you seriously think that I—!” The Crystal Princess snapped at Twilight, but cut herself off mid-sentence. She landed, sat down, and took a deep breath. Holding a hoof against her chest, she slowly extended it as she exhaled. She opened her eyes, and while her anger was not gone, she did appear to have calmed herself. “Very well, if you wish for me to prove that I haven't forgotten how to craft poetry, then I will do so.” She frowned and tapped on her chin.

Twilight smelled something awful like burnt rubber. She turned her head and looked through her brother's shiny body at the broken machinery. It was hard to see, but she thought she saw wisps of black smoke coming out of the hole she'd been hiding in. That whole conveyor belt had stopped moving and chunks of crushed quartz were piling up and falling off. Does she not even care about this place? Twilight wondered. That's going to be hard to fix.

The princess stopped rubbing her chin and stomped a hoof on the floor. She glanced at Armor, then at Twilight, as she spoke.

       

“Bright as sunshine, 
sing and dance around.
Black as charcoal,
frown and fall down.”

       

Twilight shuddered. “I... don't think I like that one.”

The princess snorted. “Of course you wouldn't. It's a poem about how normal crystal ponies are joyous and innocent, while ones like you are disposed of. It was also a complete waste of my time. I fail to see how this activity could possibly, under any circumstance, help with my condition.”

“Uh, maybe you didn't do it right?” Armor asked. He shrugged.

“Yeah, you didn't do it right!” Twily frowned. “It was supposed to be a happy poem. Try again.”

“Or, I could quit this foolishness and get on with the business of protecting my kingdom.” The Crystal Princess's irises flared bright green and purple smoke wafted from the corners of her eyes. She blasted black magic at them.

Twilight ducked and the beam struck Armor in the chest. The darkness poured into his translucent body. His eyes glowed a matching green and his pupils shrank into points. His crystalline body clouded over and turned grey. His breath came in short, labored gasps. The princess continued her assault unabated.

“Stop it, you're hurting him!” Twilight reared up and blocked the beam with her own hooves. The black magic splattered and failed to penetrate her opaque body.

The princess's glowing eyes flickered. Her magic fizzled and went out. “You annoying little brat! I wasn't finished yet.”

“Twily? Twilight, is that you?” Armor faltered. His voice was weak and labored. The gray blandness in his body and eyes was unnerving.

“Armor! Snap out of it!” He stared down, unblinking. Twilight bit her lip. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs—”

“It is you, you're okay!” Snapping out of his stupor, he grabbed her, and breathed a sigh of relief. “It was horrible. I-I was so certain that I'd lost you forever.”

“It's okay, I...” Twilight frowned. It wasn't okay. That was a very dirty trick. “What did you do to him?”

The princess sighed. “I was trying to show him mercy. By eliminating his love for you, there would be nothing stopping him from giving you up. I could smash you right in front of him and he wouldn't even care.”

Armor growled. “Even if I didn't love her, I'd still never stand idly by and just watch you smash her. That's just not right.”

“Eliminate... love?” Twilight's jaw dropped. “But that's the same thing that Sombra did to you! Why would you force that on an other pony?”

“Because he'd never agree to it?” The Crystal Princess frowned and fidgeted with her hammer. Her eyes darted back and forth and her wings twitched. “I'm no tyrant, though. Usually I do ask; it's just that in this case I made a judgement call in an effort to save him grief. It's a moot point now, though, since your emotionless body interrupted my spell.”

I am not emotionless. Why does she keep saying that? Twilight glanced down at her dull, rocky skin. There's got to be some other explanation for why her magic didn't work.

“You've... done this before? And ponies agreed to it?” Armor asked. Though his luster was returning, he still looked paler than normal.

She nodded. “Without love, there can be no grief. It's a small mercy, but it's one that I'm willing to extend to my subjects if they so desire.”

“Who would ever want that?” Twilight asked.

“Well, your own mother, for one. After your condition was diagnosed, I explained to your parents why it is that dull ponies who never sparkle need to disappear forever. Now, I do wait until drab foals are old enough to participate in the Crystal Heart ceremony, just to be certain there's no mistake, but your mother didn't want to suffer through those years of false hope. She took me up on my offer to spare her grief.”

“My mother... doesn't love me?” Twilight's eyes welled up with tears.

“I made certain of it.”

Twily couldn't take it; her mouth quivered and she sobbed against Armor's leg.

“You are a horrible pony. You know that, right?” He leaned down and whispered in the dejected filly's ear. “Come on, Twily. It's nothing you don't already know. Besides, I still love you.”

“B-but she would have loved me i-if...” Twilight buried her face in her brother's leg and resumed sobbing. She couldn't help it. She hurt too much.

Armor patted Twily on the back. He looked up at the princess and furrowed his brows. His eyes widened, then he smiled. “You seem to have a knack for taking love from ponies. You know what? I will give you mine.”

Twilight gaped. “Armor no! Don't do it! I can't lose you too!”

“Not like that, Twily. You said she was broken, right?” Armor looked back at the shiny pink-hued Crystal Princess. Her glassy form was as alluring as it was dangerous. “Perhaps you just need somepony to love you for real, and you'll start to heal.”

“Are you... propositioning me?” The princess raised an eyebrow and stepped back. She held her weapon more tightly.

He blushed and drooped his ears back submissively. “Uh... maybe?”

“After what I just did to you?” She paused and looked him up and down. She scrunched her face in confusion.

“Well... I know we haven't gotten off to a good start, but I'm willing to set that aside if that's what it takes to bring back the old 'you.' This isn't just some decision I've made on a whim. I, uh, do find you very attractive—” Twilight gagged “—and I'm willing to put in the effort to make it work. You don't deserve the fate you were given. I'd like to see you happy.”

The Crystal Princess frowned. Her eyes rolled up and she scratched at her chin.

Twily looked up at her brother. Armor, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but there's no way she'll agree.

The princess turned back to look him in the eyes. She placed a hoof over her heart. “Very well, I accept.”

“You do?”

“You do?”

The princess snarled and spread her wings. “Do you think that I haven't tried taking lovers before? It was one of the first things that I did! They didn't last long. None of them did. Nopony wants to love someone who can't love them back.”

“Well, true love is unconditional, right?” Armor shrugged. “I've already seen you at your worst. If I can still offer my love despite that, I'm sure I can last a lot longer than those other ponies.”

“If you love me as much as you claim then prove it.” She pointed at Twilight, who shrunk down. “If you truly love me, you will give up your sister.”

Please, no. She's not worth it. Twily looked up at him with wide eyes.

“No! I'm not going to do that!” Armor stomped his hoof. “I love her too.”

“Humph. I knew you wouldn't last long.” The Crystal Princess kicked off and started hovering. “True love demands sacrifices. I've already identified your sister as potential sleeper agent for Sombra's dark magics. She is a threat to the Crystal Empire. She must be eliminated. Someone who truly loved me would allow me the peace of mind from protecting my kingdom.”

“Princess, even if I didn't love Twilight, I'd still stand in your way. And do you know why? I'd do because I care for you. One doesn't let ponies they love do horrible things. If you believe that she is a danger, then allow me to make my own suggestion. Please, give her another chance. I will watch over her very closely and if there is any sign of her turning evil, then I will smash her myself.”

“Your proposal is stupid—” 

Don't call my brother stupid.

“—One such as yourself could not stop something as evil as Sombra. You felt a taste of dark magic yourself. It might not be as powerful as alicorn magic or the Crystal Heart, but it is far, far more insidious. Even the Sun Princess and her sister were not able to end Sombra's reign when they confronted him long ago. They were lucky to escape alive.”

“But this isn't Sombra, it's Twily. She's not even a unicorn and the windigoes are extinct. I can't believe that she has that same kind of power! If you have to keep her locked up, then please, do that instead. Just let her live! I'll watch over her constantly and take full responsibility for everything she does.”

“You'll take responsibility? You? Do you even know what you're asking me to give up?” The Crystal Princess flew high. Her glittery form melded into the shadows up above. Her voice changed, enhanced by magic. The sound of her came from everywhere at once. “My will to oppose evil. It's the last thing I have left. She will be crushed, and I will do it myself!”

“Armor, don't let her!” Twily clung to her brother, and shuddered. The darkness had once again hidden the princess from sight. She could be anywhere. She had to be planning something horrible.

Armor picked Twily up and placed her on his back. “Hold on. I'm going to see if we can still get out. Even if I can't move whatever she blocked my hole with, the mortar's generally weak in that area and I can probably kick down the wall.”

Twily gripped his mane as tightly as she could. Even in the dim light, he broke straight into a full gallop. She could see over rows of conveyor belts on both sides. They lurched in motion synchronously, minus the broken one. In the dim light, she could see rows upon row of crushed quartz heading to the tumblers to be ground further into sand and poured into the melting vats. It was all just rock from the mines, right? Twilight held a lump in her throat. Here and there, she spotted a piece of something darker. Was it just dirt, or something far more sinister?

Armor carried his sister down the long isle. The rock crushers and grinders that fed the conveyor belts loomed up around them, obscuring the limited light from the glassy orbs on the walls. Despite that, her brother did not slow down. He'd made a full recovery, and shone from within with the brightest inner light that she had ever seen in a crystal pony. The shadows could not claim him, no matter how deep or dark they were.

Past the enormous crushers were the hoppers that held the rocks from the quarry. They were up on stilts and fed down into the machines with large chutes big enough for an entire pony. Loose mine carts littered this end, awaiting unloading or transport back to the quarry. Against the wall was an enormous boulder about half the size of a house. Armor stopped running and gaped at it. Massive scrape marks along the floor showed that it had been moved recently. It more than blocked the tiny hole he'd dug. It scoffed at any hope of escape.

“Uh... I guess I'd better start kicking the wall, then.”

Twilight hopped down; her stony hooves clacked against the tiled floor. Silica dust in this area gave her a queasy feeling. She looked around, wondering what the Crystal Princess was up to. She was out there somewhere.

Scraping startled Twilight. She jumped. A large mine cart, about twice as big as the rest, threw sparks from its metal wheels as it lurched sideways across the floor, pushed by a light blue glow and the sparkling pink princess.

“Abomination, duck.” With the cart lined up, the princess gave it a massive heave. Its axles squealed in protest as it rolled forward, quickly gaining speed from the force of her magic.

Twilight ducked. She was just barely small enough that it would pass right over. Armor was too big, though.

Armor grabbed her.

There was a loud crack! when the cart slammed into him. Both of them tumbled, rolling end over end. The world lurched in many directions. Twilight winced with each impact and her head spun with dizziness. On the final bounce, Armor's grip failed and she flew out, landing on her side. She skidded a short distance away.

Twilight groaned as she struggled to reorient herself. A brush of air caused her to look up. The Crystal Princess was above her, swinging her hammer. Twilight's eyes popped open. She was too prone to scramble out of the way. Diamond studded death swung down and filled her vision. “Eeeeee—ack!”

A yank on her tail saved her at the last second. The hammer barely missed her face and gave her a crude haircut. The shockwave from the impact jolted her and she was pelted with dirt and shattered fragments of stone tiles. Twilight's eyes were wide. She drew no breath. She was frozen in panic.

Her brother grunted and stood tall. His breath was ragged and his side was marred with a spiderweb of small fractures. Despite that, he glowed more brilliantly than he ever had before. This shining Armor watched over her like a true guardian.

The Crystal Princess was not impressed. “You fool. I almost had her, and you could have gone home.”

“That's it!” Armor leaped over Twilight. He bared his teeth as landed on his forelegs. Using his momentum to spin around, he bucked the Crystal Princess, knocking her against the wall. The clack of her impact rang out sharply. A sparkling feather wafted to the ground.

Armor grabbed the massive war hammer and yanked it out of the crater. He hefted it up and ran forward in one fluid motion, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Twily couldn't bear to watch. She'd never seen Armor so angry before. 

His warcry ended abruptly. There was no other sound.

Twily cracked her eyes open and gasped. A light blue glow suffused Armor's entire body as the princess permeated him with her magic. He was frozen in place. The war hammer slipped from his grip and clattered to the floor.

“I've had more than enough out of you!” The Crystal Princess stomped forward. Her horn flared a brilliant blue. “You've disrespected my rule, spit in the face of my logic, ignored all my efforts to spare you, and now you attack me? There's only one punishment for that.” She bent down and retrieved her fallen war hammer. “To top it all off, your horrendous attempt at romance was so forced as to be utterly insulting.”

Oh no, he's in trouble. Twilight's stupor ended. She had to do something and she had to do it fast. Maybe if I get between them I can block her magic again. Twilight cantered forward.

“Twily, no! Run!”

The panicked edge in his voice gave her pause. The princess raised her war hammer, but she was aiming at him. Twilight was too late. There was nothing she could do.

She ran.

The sparkling pink alicorn spread her wings wide and jumped in perpetration for meting her justice. The large pony was remarkably sleek and graceful and moved with the fluidity of a serpent. She hovered in the air, eying her paralyzed quarry with a nasty snarl on her pretty face. “Any last words, fool?”

“You can strike me down, but love will yet find its way into your heart.”

“Only as shrapnel.” She folded her wings and dove down at him, swinging her war hammer as she fell. Even in the face of death, Armor remained defiant. She struck him square in the middle of his back. There was a sharp crunch! which rang out and reverberated through the bowels of the factory. Sparkling pieces of gravel flew out in all directions. Some bounced off the princess herself. They failed to penetrate her heart.

With a whump, her momentum brought her to the ground. She stood up, and eyed the results of her work. The pile of gravel sparkled and glinted with its own light. It looked as if a wagon had stopped by and poured rocky glitter on the floor.

The Crystal Princess snorted. Her eyes were cold and impassionless; she wore a slight frown on her face. “Worst date ever.”

Deep in the churning facility, tiny hoofsteps faded away. “You can run, you can hide, but you can't escape! This place is locked up tighter than snow in a globe. You hear me—nothing can save you now!”

Twilight ran.

That didn't just happen. It couldn't be true. She could still hear the echoes of her brother's execution ringing in her mind. It shattered her soul. Every step she took, every time her dull lavender hooves hit the cold, tiled floor, she heard the ringing reverberate through her body. She wanted to turn around, to see things herself. Maybe the princess had missed and hit something else that had cracked so loudly. Armor could still be alive, but frozen in place.

Glancing back, Twilight's heart lurched. Even far away, she could see his glittery remains for what they were. She wanted to lay down, curl up, and cry, but she couldn't. Her own life was in mortal peril.

The factory lurched on with impassionless motion. Each sound of rocks snapping reminded her of Armor's fate.

As much as she hurt inside, she couldn't give way to her emotions. She had been terrified of being smashed, but now that her brother had met that fate, she realized that living alone could be worse. Without him to protect her, she'd die soon too. There was no way that a little filly could oppose an alicorn princess all on her own. What hope did she have? None.

Love? Smashed. Joy? Ruined. Hope? Gone. I guess I'm just like her now. Twilight felt cold inside. She felt empty and hollow. Is this how she feels all the time? Eternal emptiness? How can she go on like that?

Willpower.

That was the answer. Willpower. It wasn't about winning. It wasn't about undoing the past. It was simply about refusing to give in. Twilight had willpower too. If she wants to smash me, then I won't give her the satisfaction.

Further up ahead, Twilight noted that the pile of quartz spilling off the broken conveyor belt had grown. It reached all the way up and nearly covered the entire isle. I can hide in the machine with the broken gears—wait, no. She'd look for me there.

Twilight froze. It had been quiet for a while, and her running had rung out like a beacon. Oh no.

Acting on instinct, she jumped aside and dove headfirst into active machinery. She flailed her hooves, smacking gears and knocking them out of alignment. Behind her, a loud crunch shook the ground as more floor tiles paid the price. A piston smacked Twilight in the cheek. She swatted it and the whole assembly popped loose.

The princess bent her head down and looked in the hole. “Ha! You're trapped now! I'm going to crush this machine and you with—”

Twilight twisted around and jabbed the broken piston into the princess's eye.

“Aaaaaah!”

Jumping out, Twilight ran past her and grabbed the war hammer. “Oof.” It was even heavier than it looked. She could barely lift it.

“Get your dirty hooves off that!”

Twilight heard the blow as much as she felt it. The princess's kick knocked Twilight off her feet and caused her to tumble onto her side. The scuffing aggravated her chipped hide, but Twilight refused to cry out. She had willpower. She was going to go on as long as she could.

Rolling back onto her hooves, she ran.

The Crystal Princess groaned and rubbed at her eye. She spread her wings, but faltered and clutched at her face again. “Nasty little brat. Be glad I don't believe in retribution. Your end will be swift.”

Twilight ran. She fled past past the conveyor belts, and reached the melting vats. She'd hidden under one earlier, only to be driven out by the flames. Such flames were in full force now, licking at the bottoms of the glowing pots. Beyond them were the mercury pools used to level the molten glass as it cooled, and past those were the wooden crates.

Twilight gulped. There were no good hiding places back here. The Princess could easily find her wherever she went. What could she do?

“Die!” By the light of the flickering flames, the princess sparkled with a radiant heat. It looked as if she was burning with anger. Even with one eye clenched shut, her aim was still true.

Twilight jumped into the fire. She rolled under the pot, across the flaring vent, and popped out the next isle over. The fire was intense, but she made it through too quickly for it to hurt her rocky body, much. Twilight staggered as she tried to recover.

Through the shimmering air above the heated vat, the Crystal Princess rose up with her war hammer. She hadn't followed through with her attack and was free to try again. Twilight had to slow her down somehow to give herself more time to run and hide. Her hoof bumped something loose. Glancing down, she didn't think. She simply picked up the rock and threw it.

Tak. It bounced off an invisible barrier that only appeared when the rock hit it. It plopped into the vat.

“Throwing rocks, now? Well I can do that too.” The princess flew up high and all the crushed rocks heading to the tumbling grinders levitated into the air with her. Against the dark ceiling, it looked as if the princess was surrounded by hundreds of glowing blue stars against a black sky.

This is not good. 

Twilight yelped when a stone clacked against her hide. Another cracked the tiled floor next to her and bounced into her leg. The stars were starting to fall, and they were all aimed at her. She needed to find a place to hide, but the only spot of cover was—

Pak! She heard more than felt the rock bounce off her head. She felt dizzy.

There was nothing else she could do. She jumped back into the fire. The open flames lapped at her and the heat quickly seeped into her body. 

“You know what? I'm going to bury you in there and let the fire do my work for me.” Glowing stones clattered to both sides, trapping Twilight under the melting vat.

The fire was much more intense than last time. Twilight had to do something to put it out—anything. Scooping some rocks from the barrier, she pushed them onto the grate, blocking part of the fire. It didn't go out or even lessen. All that did was redirect the open flames away from her. Twilight's hooves seared with pain after getting them too close to the grate. She wasn't going to do that again, but at least the fire was aimed away, for now.

Once those rocks melted, she'd be blasted with heat again. All her efforts did was to slow the rate at which she'd be liquified. The heat hurt so much that she wanted to scream, but she refused to give in. Maybe once the rocks melted and slipped into the vent the fire would be smothered? She couldn't wait long enough to find out, though. Her own body would give out first. 

Twilight resisted the temptation to dig at the makeshift walls. Her hooves were softening and the rocks would slice her apart. Instead, she scooted back and wedged herself between the vat and the wall behind her. This was a terrible, awful way to die.

The heat was so intense that she could barely think. If only she had water, or any kind of liquid to—

The vat itself was full of molten glass, and there was a pool of mercury right next to it. Twilight kicked at the wall, but it held. She kicked at the vat, and, to her surprise, it shifted. Some counterweight somewhere let it swing freely. Twilight landed flat against the searing ground and yelped. The vat swung away and clacked up against its restraints. Something clicked. The fire, which had been redirected over her thanks to the new angle of the vat, sputtered and went out.

Twilight was in too much pain to celebrate. There was no way she could defend herself now. She lay there, waiting to be dragged out and smashed. Armor, I-I couldn't... Her eyes steamed from the moisture they were trying to generate.

The rocks blocking her in glowed blue and floated off. Air wafted in and its coolness was refreshing, but Twilight was too terrified to enjoy it. The end was coming.

“Do you think that you can just burn this place to the ground and expect to crawl out from the ashes? Grr. Once I put this fire out, I'll make absolutely certain that you'll never bother anypony ever again!”

...huh?

Twilight gingerly sniffed at the air. Sure enough, it was tainted by the crisp odor of wood smoke. What happened? Around her, she noted an orange glow where there should be none. Cracking and snapping came from that way as well. The vat... Nopony was around to watch it, so it must have been overfilled. Pouring too much too quickly caused the liquid glass to spill out of its mold and onto the wooden boxes! 

The glow diminished to the sounds of clattering and clacking. She's smothering the fire with her rocks. Twilight forced herself back onto her glowing hooves and gingerly plodded out. She couldn't run in her current state; every hoofstep was painful. She'd been given a slight reprieve, though, and she wasn't going to squander it. She had to find a new place to hide.

She was going on, for the sake of going on. It was all about the willpower. There was no hope. She couldn't defeat an alicorn princess. Armor was the only pony who had loved Twilight. Without him, there was no reason to live. There was no reason to fight. It only delayed the inevitable. Twilight just kept going because she could.

Why? Why did she torment herself like that? She feared the end but... he wouldn't have wanted me to give up.

It was hard to believe that Armor was gone. He'd been such a solid part of her life that she was practically his shadow. Everything she did, they did together. He believed in her, when nopony else would. He believed in her, even when her parents had given up. He... I have to believe in myself now. I'm the only one left who can.

Twilight paused to look upon a pile of spilled gravel. It formed a gentle slope up to the broken conveyor belt. She started to walk around, but curiosity got the better of her and she climbed up. Hiding down below hadn't done her any good; perhaps there would be something better up there.

When she stepped on the rubber surface, it felt sticky and she smelt burnt tar. Her hooves were still smouldering from the fire. Uh oh.

The dull crystal filly stepped back onto the rocks. The conveyor belt was fed from some kind of large grated surface. Crushed rock was rolled over it, the small pieces fell through, and the rest was fed back into the rock crusher. Twilight hadn't noticed it before, but there was scaffolding that led up and overlooked the the top of the grinder.

With a schluck, Twilight hopped back on the conveyor belt and jumped from there onto the metal walkway. The scaffolding was meant for ponies larger than her and she had to to take one cold step at a time. 

Snap. Twilight's lips quivered and her eyes watered. Her foreleg ached with sudden pain. Lifting it up, she saw a crack. My leg cooled too quickly. Heat stress broke it. Identifying the problem didn't make it hurt any less. Twilight cursed her opaqueness. She couldn't see how deep the crack went or how far it had spread. The pain was enough to make her limp, though.

Why couldn't I have been a normal crystal pony? Twilight silently sobbed as she struggled up the stairs. I didn't deserve this.

Behind her, the fire she'd started was almost out. She gulped. She needed to find a hiding spot, and fast.

Why did I come up here? Atop the scaffolding, Twilight could see into the maw of the rock crusher. A load of boulders tumbled down from a chute and poured into the ferocious machine. They clattered and clacked and the snapping, popping, and screeching made her wince as huge metal claws, blades, and pistons scratched, ground, and pulverized their load. Twilight watched with morbid fascination as individual boulders got caught up, sucked in, and reduced to gravel.

Behind her, the last of the fire flickered and went out. A chill went down Twilight's spine.

Looking back at the horrible machine, Twilight's eyes were drawn to the dark depths of the cavernous chute hanging above it. She'd never look for me there. It was a stupid, insane place to hide, but it would buy her more time to live, and that's all that mattered: persisting as long as possible.

Twilight crouched down. She ducked under the railing. She bit her lip as the pain in her foreleg protested her action. She leaned forward and kicked off in a great leap of fate.

She sailed over the maw of death, and landed with a clang on the edge of the chute. As soon as she landed, she started slipping. Twilight flailed her legs around frantically, banging and clattering, until her grip caught and she stopped herself from slipping into the yawning maw of the unfeeling machine.

Pushing herself up, she clambered higher, deeper into the darkness of the rock chute. Her stony heart beat furiously and her breath came in short gasps. Hopefully, the noise from the machine itself had masked the racket she'd made.

“I've extinguished your fire, like I'll extinguish your life. You can't hide from me forever. I know you're out there.” The voice of the princess rang out through the factory thanks to her amplified voice. It was a proclamation. The search was on.

Through the hole of a popped rivet, Twilight watched as the princess scanned down with her magic. As long as she continued to focus the ground, Twilight would be safe hiding up here. Safe, tough, was a relative term. The princess wasn't looking here, because hiding in the chute above a rock grinder was a terrible, stupid idea. Her grip was tenuous, and the next time a load of ore comes tumbling down, she'd be knocked out and ground up along with it.

That gave her an idea—a terrible, stupid idea. If she could goad the princess into flying in front of the chute right as rocks fell, Twilight could jump off the princess's head to safety while the rocks carried the princess down into the machine to be ground up. There were a hundred, million things that could go horribly, horribly wrong, but it was a plan. And that, by itself, was hope. Hope.

You can strike me down, but love will yet find its way into your heart. Armor's last words came unbidden into Twilight's mind. She gasped. He-he still believed in her!

This wasn't right. Nothing was right.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are. I promise, I will make your death swift. It won't hurt... much.”

The princess was a lost cause, wasn't she? Twilight and Armor had already tried to make her remember love and joy, but their plans hadn't worked. Sure, they were sloppy and borne more from desperation than anything else, but the princess hadn't even tried to made them work. She was vastly disinterested, and spent the entire time plotting ways to separate the two of them. It was as if she didn't want to be cured.

A grinding above her startled Twilight. She looked up with horror, but only tiny rocks came tumbling down. Everything went quiet, too quiet. The princess had turned the factory off. So much for my plan. That had been her only hope. Hope.

Hope was the key! That was why the princess didn't—

“I don't know how you've managed to hide so well, but I want you to know that I'm not going to give up. The actor I've hired to take my place at the ceremony can do a flawless job. I have no place I need to be, and, if necessary, I can keep this place sealed up and wait here until you starve to death.”

Yeesh. That was some dedication. Twilight had to be careful not to make any sound. The factory was still settling down, but in the quiet, a little noise could travel a long way.

With no hope, there was no reason for the princess to believe that she could be cured. That was why she wasn't interested. That was why her own efforts to shake off her curse were halfhearted at best. She was left with just willpower and logic, and logic said that without hope there was no reason to even try.

“I want you to know that you're not the first. I've smashed many foals in the past. All have met their fate here. It's our secret ingredient, after all. Crystal ponies who cannot sparkle are ground into glass.”

That-that was horrible. Twilight shuddered and looked at herself. She was no more than a shadow in the darkness. I don't want to be ground into glass. Why was fate so cruel to her? Why did Armor have to die? Twilight's eyes teared up as she envisioned him standing tall, watching over her. But he hadn't been able to save her. He hadn't been able to save himself. Without him, Twilight...

She stopped herself from sniffling at the last moment. She couldn't make a sound. She dare not make a sound. I have to keep thinking.

So the princess had no hope? But she did have logic and her will to oppose evil. Hope itself could be a logical thing, right? There had to be some way of turning that against her.

“Your brother was a waste. He was an idiot. ‘Love finding its way into my heart?’ more like ‘I'm a moron. Hear me fart.’ ”

Twilight grit her teeth. Easy, Twilight. She's just trying to get you to cry out and reveal yourself. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She glanced back through the tiny hole and watched the princess fly back and forth through the factory. The agitation in her movements was plain to see.

She's not as patient as she claims. The observation didn't make Twilight feel any better. The princess would likely use drastic measures soon. She didn't know what that would entail, but it wasn't going to be good. Twilight had to think up a new plan and quickly.

She lacks hope. That's it! I just have to prove that hope's logical and that it's the best way to oppose evil. Twilight held her breath as the princess flew by her chute. 

“I've decided that I'm not going to get angry. I know you're just trying to live, but it's a waste of time. Merely being alive is its own death sentence. All I'm doing is carrying it out.”

And that was supposed to convince Twilight to reveal herself how, exactly? She's running out of ideas. 

Twilight frowned. She needed to talk to the princess, but as soon as she did, she'd be spotted and killed. Nothing she could think of helped. Without the threat of rocks pouring down and flushing her out, Twilight loosened her grip on the walls and sat down to massage her aching hoof. I wish Armor were here. It was an empty wish, and the pain stung her heart.

A blue pulse of light washed over and through everything beneath her. The mechanical innards of the rock crusher were laid bare. The rows of jagged teeth and spiky hammers looked like cold, hungering maws of death. If the princess turned the equipment back on...

“So you want to be that way? Fine. I'll give you an incentive to come out on your own. Ask me for a boon, and I will grant it after your death. A thousand bits for your father, perhaps? He does still love you, though he tries not to show it.”

That was about as close as an invitation to talk as Twilight was going to get. She opened her mouth to speak, but a dread cold held her tongue. Once she spoke, there'd be no turning back. She'd have to save the princess, or die trying.

He life, though short, had been a happy one. Ponies might have mocked and shunned her, but she still tried to see the best in things. Armor had shown her the best in things. While Twilight had been willing to give up on the princess, Armor still saw the potential for good in her. Love will find its way into your heart. I will make certain of it.

Twilight took a deep breath. “Princess Cadance!”

Immediately, a blue light washed over her. It phased through the steel, but her own body cast a shadow. Hovering above with her war hammer, the bright light from her horn darkened the shadows on the princess's face. “No wonder I didn't spot you. That's a very foolish place to hide. You're lucky I turned the equipment off to keep the vats from spilling over and starting more fires.”

Twilight gulped. Her speech faltered in her throat. Death loomed over her.

“Well? Out with it. What boon do you desire?”

Twilight winced. She had to be strong. If not for herself, then for Armor. “Actually, I just want to talk. I promise, it won't take long.”

“Hmm... Very well. If you wish to discard my offer in favor of trivialities, then I guess I can respect that. You'd best get out of there, though. If you're not on a solid surface when I strike you, it can lead to an incomplete break. That's more agony than you want to go through.”

Twilight clenched her teeth and tried to choke back her terror. This was it. She had one last chance. She'd better not fail. “Princess, there has to be something left of the old Cadance; there has to be! You say you can't give up the only thing you have left, but you don't have to! If you wish to oppose evil then why not choose to oppose what Sombra has done to you? You can't logically believe that you have no hope for a cure, can you? Wait. I'm coming out.” 

Twilight jumped out of the chute and grabbed the railing. Though her hoof hurt like fire, she pulled herself up and hopped from the scaffolding back onto the tiled floor. “It doesn't make sense for me to give up, does it? I only do this because I have hope. I have hope that you'll do the right thing. You've already acknowledged that nopony but you is willing to attack a child, and that's only because he stole your empathy and left you with just willpower and cold logic.

“Well turn that against him! If you want to save yourself, you have to refuse to succumb to his influence. Put down your weapon and behave like a normal pony. I believe in you. Armor believed in you. You can still be saved, but only you can take the first step. All you have to do is not smash me.”

“You-you—” The princess stammered; her jaws hung slack and she stared at Twilight with wide eyes. 

Please be Cadance. Please be Cadance.

The Crystal Princess she shook her head and snorted. “Your logic is sound, but I can't take your offer.”

“What?” Twilight's eyes popped open and her ears drooped.

“Allow me to explain. If it were only me who was flawed, I'd agree, but you've never proven that you're anything other than a vessel for darkness. You represent a danger, and I will not, will not, allow my people to be ruled by evil.” The princess of the Crystal Empire flapped her glorious wings and raised her weapon of war, in preparation for smashing a little filly. The darkness glimmered around her. “Say your goodbyes, abomination. It's over.”

Twilight whimpered and curled up into a fetal ball. She clenched her eyes and waited for the end. I'm so sorry, Armor. I tried my best, but I couldn't do it. I-I just couldn't sparkle.

...

Twilight jumped when something clattered to the ground in front of her. It was the war hammer.

Looking up, the Crystal Princess's glistened and wetness dribbled down her cheeks. She faltered in the air. “You-you really are a real pony.” Deep in her crystalline heart, a tiny light sparked. It was so small that it looked to be a trick of the light, but it happened again. Something long since extinguished was trying to come back to life. “A-all those foals, g-ground up to make glass...” That was too much. Cadance flew off sobbing.

Twilight sat there dumbstruck. She didn't want to move in case it wasn't real. What happened? Had Twilight... won? She'd never convinced the princess that she was real, so why had she suddenly changed her mind? Had Twilight finally... sparkled?

Twilight twisted around and gaped at her flank. She was still just as dull and drab as she always had been, but there were more colors there now. A large magenta star was surrounded by five small white ones. It had no light of its own, it was merely the picture of a sparkle.

Twilight had earned her cutie mark.