> Tartarus Forged Friendship
>  by Mystic Sunrise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Unexpected Meetings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In all the vast lands of Equestria, there was a place none ever spoke of. Or if they did, they did so in hushed whispers, in fear of something they could not name.

The Walls of Night.

For those of a superstitious nature, the mountains marked where the sun went to die each night, to be reborn again the next morning in the Gates of Dawn beyond the eastern seas. Of course, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both knew that to be a load of horseapples, but even for them, it was a place they avoided if at all possible.

For under them lay the Gates of Tartarus. In a way she refused to explain to all but her sister, Luna was the only one who had free reign to pass the shadow of the gates unhindered. All others had either been condemned to an eternity in its depths or had been allowed inside by whatever or whoever was lord of the realm. Luna, of course, knew who the power was, for they had been more than just friends of old. But even she knew that it was a power that was not to be trifled with.

But for the first time in uncounted years, a new part was about to be added to the equation.





Twilight Sparkle found herself stuck in a dilemma she had not taken into account back in Ponyville when she had started on this crazy journey.

For several days now she had been taking Cerberus back to his place guarding Tartarus. It was not the most glamorous of jobs, but somepony had to do it. And to avoid whatever disaster Future Twilight had tried to warn her about. And now she had come to the last place she ever expected to be.

The Walls of Night had been growing larger and larger in front of her for some time now. Twilight could see why they were called that too. The mountains, even in broad daylight, drank up light like a sponge and were blacker than even the most moonless nights. Cerberus had grown more excited as they had grown closer to where the gates were said to be. Twilight took that to mean she was on the right track at least.

Now they stood before the tallest peak. In its shadow, Twilight felt cold. Instinctively, she knew that this was a place no mortal pony had any right to be. But she a task to finish and finish it she would.

In front of her was a cleft in the rock. Figuring it was a good place to start, Twilight lead Cerberus into it. To her surprise, the cleft soon widened into a tunnel that was just barely over Cerberus's head. As she walked down the path, Twilight got the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. But there was nothing around her but the cold stone.

The tunnel went on for quite a distance before ending rather suddenly.

Twilight had never really thought about what the Gates of Tartarus looked like. She had never thought she would see them herself. But now that she could, she could see why none had ever escaped.

The gates were the same black color as the surrounding rock but cast in metal. Her magic began acting odd as soon as she came in sight of them. On a hunch, Twilight cast a Detection Spell on them. The spell slid off like water, confirming her suspicions.

The gates were cast in Pure Cold Iron.

Twilight admitted she was jealous she couldn't study them. Cold Iron was rarer than Orhicalcum or even Mithral and just as valuable. Very few in Equestria even knew how to craft with Cold Iron. But those who did were amongst the very best blacksmiths in the world. One thing made it invaluable above all other metals. Done correctly, anything made from Cold Iron was forever immune to any and all magic. Even alicorn magic was all but useless against it.

Twilight pushed her inner scholar down for the moment as she looked again at the gates. There were no locks or latches upon them. It made sense, but how did they even open then? At the top was a pony's head, at the spot where the keystone of the arch would normally be. Twilight at first thought it might be Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. But the shape didn't fit either of them, leaving Twilight even more confused.

And she swore the head was glaring at her.

Walking up to the gates, she was not exactly sure what she was supposed to do. Feeling sheepish, but not knowing what else to do, she knocked. Nothing happened. "Um. Hello?" She called out. "I brought back Cerberus. Should I just leave him here or?"

Still, no response came. She sighed. What had she expected when she came here? A thank you maybe? Something? Turning around, she found Cerberus smiling at her. She smiled back. For all his outward ferocity, he really was just an overgrown dog.

Just as she was about to bid him farewell, there came an almighty clang that made jump her out of her fur and left her ears ringing. Turning around, Twilight watched in awe as the gates opened with a screech of hinges not used to be used much. For the rest of time, Twilight could never really explain what overtook her at that moment. Maybe it was the desire to see what no other had or maybe she followed some call she could not hear, but Twilight did it.

She crossed the threshold and entered the Realm of the Damned.

As she did and saw that Cerberus was following her, she noticed several things. The cold was severe, as the worst days of winter. It was a chill that went right through her coat and into her bones. Thankfully the path ahead looked clear, so Twilight began to follow it. As she did, she took in her surroundings.

Mountains and cliffs surrounded her. At various points, other paths branched off the main path. Looking down one, Twilight could see a circle of mountains in the distance, and in their center was a cage with a form she could not make out.

It was at this point that she noticed that Cerberus had stopped following her. Looking back, she saw his distant form back near the gates. For some reason though, Twilight did not feel afraid to be going alone. She still knew where she was, but she felt no fear. Maybe because she had no reason forever end up here again. She hoped.

It was as this thought crossed her mind that she began to notice the shadows begin to lengthen and grow darker. As she continued to walk, she swore that she saw shapes and forms out of the corner of her eyes, but they vanished as soon as she looked at them.

This went on for some time before she finally grew tired of it and shouted "All right. Show yourselves!"

At that moment, a gust of freezing wind blew through her mane. Instantly, Twilight was shivering even worse. She had never felt anything so cold.  A rock clattered down a cliff next to her and instantly she spun around to face it.

A pair of black eyes looked back at her a moment before vanishing into the gloom.

Now Twilight knew for sure. She was being followed.





Far away, another watched the pony continue her journey. Her presence intrigued her, for only one other had ever entered her domain that had no business being there.

"My lady. What shall we do with her? She does not belong here," a voice hissed at her side.

"Bring her to me."





Twilight was not sure how long she had walked the winding road. There was no sun or moon to help her gauge how much time had passed. But it felt like hours. Or maybe it could've been a few minutes. Twilight did not know, and it worried her. None of her books had prepared her for this. Very little had ever been written about Tartarus. For a good reason, she assumed. Twilight herself would not be adding much once she left.

She hadn't brought any writing supplies.

What little had been written had mentioned something about a citadel that sat in the middle of the realm, where the one who ruled here dwelled. It was said she could see all that happened in her realm from there. She didn't know how much stock she should put into it for the book was over a thousand years old, written by someone named Luuwa

Twilight had not been able to find anything else out about the author. And she had even asked Princess Celestia about it. But the princess had been even more mysterious than usual. She had even asked Princess Luna. But all she had gotten out of that was a roaring blush followed by a quick teleport away. So, Twilight had nothing else to go on.

Even as the thought crossed her mind, Twilight saw forms flit through the shadows all around her and frowned. She knew she was being followed. But now they were becoming bolder.

Just as she was about to say something, a voice as cold as a winter's night called out. "Halt pony. You do not belong here."

Twilight spun to face the voice. But all she found was a vague shadowy shape in an indistinct form before her. It's cold eyes bored into her, making her shiver. "I. I brought back Cerberus," she squeaked.

"And our mistress thanks you for that," it responded.

Twilight tilted her head. "Your mistress?" She asked before she could stop herself, and then slapped herself upside the head for asking in the first place.

The shadow nodded. "She wishes to see you. And she does not like to be kept waiting." It turned and beckoned her to follow. "Come." And glided away.

Despite thinking this was a bad idea, Twilight followed.





From her palace, Penumbra watched as one of her shadows brought the newcomer to her. There were several reasons why she wanted to see her up close. That she had brought back Cerberus was one. But as she watched, she realized something more.

She was lonely.

It was a shock to be sure to admit that. Her "staff" (as best she could think to call them) were slavishly loyal, but that only did so much. Her relationship with Luna had turned sour long ago, and her family? She had not seen her sister Diamanda in ages. For all she thought her sister was a bit quirky (spending so much time in Equestria as she had), she still loved her and wished she would visit.

Which was more than she could say for herself. She would never be able to leave Tartarus on anything like an extended period of time. It was the condition she had accepted when she took over its rulership. Except, there was one way she could. But Penumbra had long ago accepted it would never happen to her. Really, who would ever be willing to do that with her?

No. She was always bound to be like this. No one would ever have the heart to change that.





As she followed her guide, Twilight took in more and more of the scenery around her. It was hard to do so though as darkness seemed to be a constant here. But that did not explain how she had been able to see so much when she had first entered and still did. It only reinforced her thought that something was allowing her to see so much, and it wasn't her guide.

But something stood out as well, even as a bead of sweat fell down her snout. "When did it get so hot?" She grumbled. Her guide ignored her. It did not make sense. Under the mountains like this, she would have thought it would be much colder. Another thing on her long list of questions she had no answer to.

Even as the thought crossed her mind though, she noticed her guide had come to a stop. Looking up. Twilight felt her jaw drop. They had reached what looked like a castle carved from solid darkness. The doors to the main structure were carved from obsidian and towers stood at various intervals around it. As she registered that, Twilight thought she saw something in a window. A deeper darkness amongst the shadows moved for a split second before it vanished.

As she tried to see it again, Twilight heard the doors open. Contrary to what she had expected, they opened rather quietly. Her guide entered first before turning and beckoning her inside. Gulping down her sudden fear, Twilight crossed the threshold. The first thing she noticed was that the Foyer was much more lit than anywhere else so far. Braziers filled with purple flames lined the walls while doors lead off into who knew where.

Twilight took all this in as she was led to a door at the far end. It resembled the one at the front gates of the castle but now bore stylized images of what Twilight swore was an alicorn. But that couldn't be right. Could it?

Her guide turned back to her. "The mistress is waiting for you. It is best not to keep her waiting. She is not the patient kind."

Twilight nodded as she pushed the door open and entered. It closed with a soft click behind her, but she did not hear it. Her gaze was on who sat on the throne before her.

The first thing she felt was the overwhelming sense of fear the mare radiated. it flowed off her like a wave, much like how the darkness around cloaked her. But this was not normal fear. This was on a primal level, harkening back to an age when ponies had been nothing but dumb heard beasts on the plains and valleys of prehistoric Equus.

Twilight found she was shaking like a leaf, but she couldn't help it. She had never been this afraid in her entire life. Not even in the darkest hours of facing down Nightmare Moon or Discord had she been this afraid. Now Twilight understood. Ponies had once feared the dark and the horrors it held. But that had been nothing. She was the darkness. In the flesh and in all of its glory.

Twilight forced herself to look at the mare though. Her first thought was "Nightmare Moon?" But on looking closer, she realized that she was not her.

Her coat was a deep shade of purple, almost black, while her mane was a lighter shade of the same. A horn protruded from her forehead while at her side large dragon-shaped wings lay folded. Her eyes were also draconic in nature. Now, Twilight had never been particular about her sexual preferences since moving to Ponyville. She had been caught staring at stallions several times, even a few mares. But she could outright say that the mare before her was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen.

She must have been caught staring for the mare rose a single delicate eyebrow. "I do believe that it is impolite to stare at somepony like that."

Twilight blushed sheepishly. "Sorry. It is just that..."

"You do not know who I am?" The mare replied while Twilight nodded. "Very well then. I am Penumbra. Alicorn of Tartarus, Darkness Incarnate, and Mother of Monsters."





Penumbra gave the pony credit. Usually, when beings heard her titles, they turned into sniveling cowards and ran away or begged for her mercy. But she had none to give. Only those who had done truly heinous crimes ever saw her personally. She would then drag them (kicking and screaming) down into the very lowest levels of her realm.

The Catacombs were none but herself went voluntarily, and even she made a habit of never going down there unless she was taking a condemned soul there. They were truly the Lost and the Damned, as she called them.





Twilight held her breath. She had so many questions running around her brain but said nothing as Penumbra refocused on her. There was an odd look in her eyes now.  "Does that mean anything to you?" She asked.

"Um. No?" Twilight replied.

Penumbra's eyes narrowed. "The Crystal Empire, Queen Diamanda, changelings. None of these ring a bell?"

Twilight shook her head, very confused. "Should they?"

Penumbra was angry now, Twilight could feel it. "We were erased from history like we didn't belong. Why?" Twilight heard her mumble before she turned her gaze back to her. "How much of history do you know, miss..."

"Twilight Sparkle. And I know about Hearth's Warming Eve, Discord, and Nightmare Moon if that's what you mean. Why?" Twilight replied.

Penumbra stood up and stepped down from her throne. "Then Twilight Sparkle, you have been lied to. All of Equestria has been lied to. Hearth's Warming, Discord, and Nightmare Moon I will give you."

"Then what is the lie?" Twilight asked, annoyed her mentor was being called a liar, but interested in what she had to say.

"The idea that the Three Tribes were the first here, that Celestia and Luna were the first alicorns. They were not," Penumbra replied before her voice softened. "But that is a tale that can wait. I want to thank you for bringing Cerberus back. Not many would do that."

Twilight blushed at the praise. "I was just doing the right thing."

"Indeed. For that you have my eternal thanks," Penumbra replied as she looked down at Twilight's body, which she just realized was a mess. "And you are welcome to stay and recover from your travels."

Twilight wanted to; she really did. But. "I can't. I have to get back and prevent-"

"Prevent what? There is no looming threat. I would have heard of it," Penumbra replied.

"But my future self said-" Twilight tried again.

Penumbra held up a hoof. "What exactly did she say was looming? Or did you not allow her to say anything at all before the spell ran out?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She had heard this story before.

Twilight raised a hoof to argue with her but stopped and really thought about it for a moment. Her hoof dropped as she sunk to the floor. "Ah, ponyfeathers." She grumbled as she looked back at Penumbra sheepishly. "I think I will take you up on that offer."





Penumbra watched as her guest left the Throne Room. In some way, she was actually glad Twilight had decided to stay for a time. Her palace had been empty for far too long. But in another way, she was conflicted. The way Twilight had looked at her after overcoming her fear had been the same way Luna had at one time looked at her.

She shook her head. Those memories had been buried long ago. It would do her no good to remember them now. Her mind focused on another thing Twilight had mentioned.

And a talk she felt was long overdue.





Sometime later, having seen Twilight to her room and her heart heavy with the revelations she had given her, Penumbra watched the Surface Orb hum to life, establishing a connection she hadn't used for a millennium. Soon the Throne Room of Canterlot Castle swam into view. But she was only focused on one aspect in particular. Namely, the face of Princess Celestia.

Celestia hid her shock well on seeing the globe swim into view in front of her and put on her best diplomatic smile. "This is a surprise. To what do I owe the honor Penumbra?"

Penumbra smiled, remembering how much they had once been on first-name terms. "This is a day for surprises Celestia. One of your ponies was found outside the Gates having just returned Cerberus to his post."

Celestia's brows shot up. She had received a letter from Spike to that effect several days before but had never really considered it. "Did she give a name?"

Penumbra nodded. "She did. Twilight Sparkle." She saw Celestia's concern deepen. "Do not worry. She is safe with me. I have offered to let her rest here for a time before returning to Equestria." Her brows creased as her thoughts darkened. "However, she has told me several things. Things that both concern and anger me at the same time."

Celestia wilted a little. "If this is about Luna-"

"This has nothing to do with your sister. What we had is dead. She made that clear when she spat on her oaths in her arrogance and pride and almost ended this world," Penumbra snapped before reigning in her emotions. "Do not mistake me, Celestia. I cherish what she and I had. But in all that, I never once allowed our love to blind me to my duties. Luna should count herself lucky she is not wasting away eternity in my realm right now. Twice over in fact," she continued.

Now Celestia really blanched. Penumbra took some satisfaction in seeing the normally unflappable Solar Princess out of sorts. "You would not have?" She tried to retort.

Penumbra arched an eyebrow. "Would I? I take my vows very seriously Celestia. You know this. You make me excuses for it, but you and I both know the truth. Every action Luna took was her own. No other force controlled her."

Celestia wanted to argue, she really did. But she could not hide behind her lies forever. "Then how long would she have been down there?"

Penumbra shrugged. "Until she either repented or showed no signs of ever-changing. If she had not, then I would throw her into the Catacombs and let rot. Or until the other damned ripped her to shreds."

Celestia was aghast. "They would not have."

"You do not know what lies forgotten down there Celestia. There are things that make us alicorns look like ants. You do not know what Dia and I had to go through to wrest this land away from them long before we met," Penumbra replied. And by their mother, she hoped her sister had never told Celestia some of those stories. Eve now ages later, some still haunted her.

In those days, she and Dia had only had each other for comfort. She had long ago lost count of the number of times Dia had comforted her, her wings holding her close. Sometimes she wished for those long-ago days when it was just her and her big sister against the world. Before the burdens of their rule began.

Penumbra shook her head and pushed the memories aside. It did her no good to go there now, even though they had a bearing on what she and Celestia were talking about. "No Celestia. It is what Twilight did not tell me that has me wondering. She did not know that I existed, nor did she know of my children or the Crystal Empire. Or for that matter, the four of us. Why?"

Celestia gulped. She had hoped that this would never come up. Luna had once asked the same question.

Penumbra saw her hesitation. "Well?"

Celestia sighed, unable to lie anymore. "After Luna fell, I was torn up inside. You know how Sombra stole the empire when he was defeated."

Penumbra nodded. "Yes, and I had to talk Dia down from giving you an even bigger tongue lashing than she did. She lost more than her home. Her family was lost besides me, and there was little I could do to ease her pain."

Celestia let her ears drop. "And then came Luna's fall. I could not take the pain of losing two that I loved, and so I erased any and all records of us. I demonized my own sister to hide my guilt."

Penumbra's own annoyance wilted some at seeing Celestia so vulnerable. "Something must have survived because I have imprisoned more so-called monster hunters than even I care to count. All from the same organization. They should count themselves lucky I let them live."

Celestia nodded. She had never given her full support to S.M.I.L.E. It had only come to light after it had collapsed that they had mind-wiped ponies who had seen them at work. Now that she knew what had happened to most of them, which did not really shock her, she was glad it had before Penumbra had done more.

Penumbra's own annoyance abated after that. "I am not saying that you tell everything Celestia. But ponies have forgotten what they once knew, why they once feared the dark. Your light blinds them to things they must know. You cannot hide them forever. The world will find a way to make them realize that they are not supreme on Equus." 

Celestia wanted to glare at her for that, but she couldn't bring herself to. A part of her knew she was right. Equestria lived in blissful ignorance of the wider world and how dangerous it really was. Before she could say more though, a new voice joined them. "Who are you talking to auntie?"

Celestia turned to find her niece Cadance approaching. She smiled slightly. "An old friend of mine and Luna's. One I have not seen in a long time."

Cadance smiled. "Can I meet her? Or is this a bad time?"

Celestia shook her head as she turned the orb. "I do not see why not."

Penumbra nearly fell out of her throne in shock on seeing Cadance. "No. It can't be. She looks just like... But she was lost when the empire fell," she thought.

Cadance must have noticed her hesitation. "Are you alright?" She asked with concern.

Penumbra recovered a second later. "Yes. You just reminded me of someone I lost a long time ago."

Cadance didn't know what that meant, but she could feel there was a deep sense of loss there. But she also felt that she should know this mare. Why she did not know, but it felt like she had seen her before. Putting that aside for the moment, she bowed, for even from a vast distance she felt this was a being deserving of respect. But even with that, Cadance still felt a tinge of fear. "Hello. My name is Cadance, Princess of Love and adopted niece of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," she intoned formally.

Penumbra nodded. "Cadance. A play on Cadaneza. I am Penumbra, Mistress of Tartarus among many other titles."

Cadance tilted her head. "I did not know Tartarus even had a ruler."

Penumbra rolled her eyes. "Yes. So I have been told. There are probably many things you do not know. Ask Celestia, she will be able to tell you more. Or ask Luna. She and I go back a long time."

Now Cadance was interested. "She's never mentioned you. What did you two mean to each other?"

"We were lovers once. Then she turned on Equestria in her arrogance. What we had is dead," Penumbra replied with a forlorn look on her face.

And for the first time in a long time, Cadance knew she was right. Maybe Aunt Luna still loved Penumbra, but the feeling wasn't returned. That thread has been cut long ago. For all her ability with love, Cadance could do nothing if the feeling of love was not mutual between two ponies.

Not that she had anything against same-sex couples of course. Far from it. More than once, she had helped two stallions or two mares find love with each other. They were not as common as regular couples, but it still happened. "So then, why are you calling? Did something come up?" She asked.

Penumbra nodded. "I have received a visitor. One Twilight Sparkle." She saw Cadance's eyes bulge in shock. "I see you know each other."

Cadance nodded in shock. "What is Twilight doing in Tartarus?"

"She returned Cerberus to his post. I am letting her stay for a time before she returns," Penumbra replied, even as she saw Cadance's concern deepen. "Do not worry. She is as safe as she will ever be. No one enters my realm unless I allow them to. For her time here, Twilight is under my protection and as such, no harm will come to her."

Cadance let out an audible sigh of relief at that. She felt the honesty behind that statement. For all that Penumbra scared her on some level, she knew for sure that Twilight was in safe hooves.
> The Soul Bonding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight had to admit. For being in Tartarus, the accommodation was pretty good. Better than she had expected in fact.

After leaving the Throne Room, she had been lead to what she had been told was the Guest Room. Why such a place even had a Guest Room was beyond her, but she decided it wasn't worth the brainpower trying to figure it out.

Inside the room was rather spartan. A bed stood along one wall near a doorway that leads to a bathroom. On another side was a window that offered a view of the surrounding mountains.

Twilight admitted it was a nice view in fact.

Aside from that though, the room was bare. Dust sat several inches deep on everything as if no one had used this room in many years.

"That is because no one has used this room in over a thousand years," a voice said as if reading her thoughts, causing Twilight to jump in fright and turn to see Penumbra giving the room a sad look.

Twilight wondered what she was thinking of, for she had never seen somepony so down before. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Penumbra looked at her. "I saw that you were wondering why this room looked so abandoned. The last pony to sleep here has not visited for over a millennium, and now I doubt she ever will."

Twilight cocked her head. "Who was she?"

Penumbra sighed. "You know her as Princess Luna. At one time she visited quite often. But she has not even talked to me since her return."

Twilight was conflicted. She felt this was none of her business, but she couldn't help it. "What happened between you two? You sound like..."

Penumbra laughed. "Like I love her?" Twilight nodded. "Yes. At one time I did love her. She was the greatest thing to ever happen to me, and I wager she will say the same about me." Her gaze hardened. "But then she turned on us all."

Twilight gulped. "Nightmare Moon."

Penumbra nodded. "Yes. At that moment, the mare I loved was gone. For all that I loved her, Luna allowed her vanity and pride to overcome her sense. She came to me, just before she turned on Celestia, and tried to convince me to join her."

She spat. "Fool! In our love, I never once allowed it to blind me to my duties or my oath. I refused. I tried to talk her out of it, but she refused to listen and left in a rage. I'm sure you know the rest."

Twilight nodded and filed this all away for later. She wasn't sure if she should ever tell anyone else or not. Walking over, she placed a hoof on Penumbra's should and gave her best smile. "Luna has changed. I don't know all of what happened, but can't the two of you talk it out? Come back with me to Equestria. I'm sure she would be happy to see you again."

Penumbra smiled weakly. "Maybe, and I long to be free of this realm, to see the surface again." Her head dropped. "But I cannot ever leave here. Only unde exceptional circumstances can I, and only then for a limited time."

Twilight was aghast. "Are you sure there isn't another way?"

Penumbra closed her eyes. "There is, one last way for me to be able to leave. But no one would ever do it. Not with me."

Twilight looked her straight in the eyes. "What is it?"

Penumbra sighed. "It is called a Soul Bond. I would tie my life force to that of a pony willing to let us, in essence, become two souls sharing one life together. At times they would allow me to take over them, their body becoming my own. Their minds would remain theirs of course. But I would be in the driver's seat so to speak."

Twilight blinked as she digested this. "I've never heard of this kind of magic before."

Penumbra nodded. "It is only known to alicorns alone, so it is no surprise you don't know of it. We don't like to speak of it if we can."

Twilight could see the wisdom in that now that she thought about it. "But why would no one ever do it with you? You're too nice to remain alone."

Penumbra smiled. A real one. "You are one of the few ponies to ever say that to me Twilight. And I know you mean it." Her tears fell. "But why do you think? Think about who I am, what I do. Who would ever do that with the Personification of Darkness herself?"

She turned away. "No Twilight. I will always be alone, and I will never leave here. I see that now. Go back to Equestria. Forget about me. Forget I ever existed. Maybe it's better this way."

Twilight watched her go with a heavy heart. She wanted to go after her, she really did. But what could she say? What comfort could she give to her? She was just a regular old unicorn.

Her mind awash with a million thoughts, she turned back to the room and walked over to the window. Plopping down in front of it, she set her hooves on the sil, followed soon by her head.

She sat there like that deep in thought deep into the night.

***

Twilight awoke the next morning to find herself tucked in bed. For a moment she was confused. The last thing she remembered was looking out the window digesting all she had been told. It was a lot to take in, to say the least.

But it was what she had been told last night that was really on her mind. No matter what she had been told, she could never forget Penumbra or all she had been shown.

Every time she pictured her host from the night before, Twilight's heart broke a little more. Nopony should never be alone like she was. But what could she do? She wasn't her mentor or her sister. She was just a small-town librarian.

Well, there was something she could do, but could she really go through with that kind of commitment? She would be tying herself to someone she barely knew. This was what her head said.

In her heart though, Twilight had already made her choice.

But she wasn't sure if she was ready to take the plunge. This would normally be something she would want time to think over, talk with her friends and Spike, get their opinions. Maybe even ask Princess Celestia what she thought she should do.

Twilight was afraid though that as soon as she passed the Gates and returned to Ponyville, she would never be able to find her way back here again. Even if she did, there was no guarantee Penumbra would even let her back in or even remember who she was.

If she was truly committed to this, this might be her only chance to do so. Or miss it, and regret it for the rest of her life.

"Princess, I'm sorry," Twilight whispered. For some time now, she had felt her mentor had been grooming her for something important. What it might be she didn't know, and while she was honored that the princess thought so highly of her.

It was time she started thinking for herself and not being tied to something she knew would not last forever. She would always love the princess and what they had. But from here on out, Twilight Sparkle made her own path.

And destiny could choke on it for all she cared.

Her mind made up, Twilight went into the bathroom to clean up, before setting out to find Penumbra and make ready for whatever came next.

***

In the Vault of Harmony, the Elements all flared together once before returning to their normal states. They had felt the strands of fate change, but they were glad of it.

On top, the Element of Magic too began to change. But it would be some time before it became evident.

***

Just like the day before, Penumbra was once again on her throne. Most days were like this. The only time that changed was when a soul came to her to hear its fate. All who came here came to her first.

But today, like most days, there were few to none that came. And she was glad for it for her mind was not really on her duties today.

Her mind kept returning to the day before. Namely to Twilight Sparkle. She could not deny that having her stay for a while had brightened her heart more than anything had for many a year.

But she knew that wouldn't last for long. Twilight would return to her life in Equestria, and she would remain here alone. For the rest of time.

A small, petulant part of her, urged her to throw caution to the wind and just ask Twilight to form the Soul Bond with her. But she quickly crushed that line of thought. No matter how much she wanted to be free, she could never ask her that.

What right did she have to ask that? They barely knew one another, and as friendly as she was, Penumbra doubted Twilight would ever do something rash like that without talking to her friends or Princess Celestia first.

And there was always the chance she would outright reject the whole idea. Penumbra knew her heart would be crushed then and there, and she feared what she might do if it was.

A better question now was why did she care so much all of a sudden about this? She hadn't had this kind of feeling for over a thousand years.

So engrossed in her thoughts was she that she didn't hear Twilight's approach until she heard her clear her throat at the base of her throne. Looking up, she found Twilight giving her a concerned look.

"Is this a bad time?" Twilight asked.

Penumbra shook her head. "No. Today is a slow day. Like most days." She eyed her idly. "I thought you would return to Equestria soon. Is this not true?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. There's so much here I could learn about, but I'd miss my friends and family too much." Her gaze became pleading. "Come back with me. Whatever happened between you two, you and Princess Luna need to make up, and I'm sure Princess Celestia wouldn't mind seeing you again."

Penumbra let her gaze drop. "You know I can't Twilight. I wish with all my heart that I could leave here. Just for one day if at all. But I never will."

Twilight took a step forward. "But-"

"Go Twilight. One of my Shadows will see you to the Gates. Leave, and don't look back. Never look back. Forget about me. Forget you were ever here," Penumbra replied in a low voice.

Twilight felt her heart sink. She heard the resignation, the loneliness in that response, and it filled her heart with resolve at what she was about to do. "No," she said, causing Penumbra to raise her head in surprise. "I'm not leaving. Not yet. I still have one last thing to do."

"And what would that be?" Penumbra asked in confusion even as she felt something gathering around them. "She isn't. She wouldn't," she thought.

Twilight smirked as she ascended the dais. "Making my own destiny," she replied as she leaned forward. "I am getting you out of here."

And kissed Penumbra, who jolted in shock, to say the least. But that soon passed as she let go of her worries and returned the kiss in full.

As she did, both felt their horns ignite, Twilight's Fuschia aura melding with Penumbra's own dark purple aura. Soon they were one and the same.

Even as they felt that both felt the Soul Bond ram home between them like a chain. Neither would feel the full effects for some time.

But right now, neither cared as a bright light filled the room.

***

When Twilight opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the Throne Room, or even in the Palace at all. She was back outside the tunnel entrance. It was daylight again and the fresh air felt amazing after being in Tartarus.

She was confused though. "Penumbra? What happened? Did it work?"

"It worked perfectly Twilight. Our souls are bound now."

Twilight blinked at the voice in her head. "Where are you? I thought you'd come with me?"

"I am with you, now and always. I am still here. But now I feel and see all you do."

Twilight was still lost though. "When will I see you again? I still have so many questions about all this."

"In time. I will come to you. When your need is greatest. Now go. Your friends are waiting for you."

Twilight suddenly remembered everything she had left when she had entered Tartarus. Turning to the path ahead, she began the long journey back to Ponyville, the memories of her time in Tartarus fading away into nothing like mist.

***

Penumbra watched her go with a smile, and for the first time in a very long time, she was happy. Though at the same time, there was an undercurrent of sadness.

"I am sorry Twilight. I'm sorry you won't remember any of this. Not yet. You're not ready, Equestria is not ready," she whispered as she folded her wings around herself.

One by one, the braziers sputtered and went dark, filling the castle with darkness.

"Until that day, you were never here. We never met."
> Wedding Crashers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight never remember being this miserable, and it was for something she had never thought would be possible.

She had finally called out 'Cadance' on how awful she was acting to everyone, but nopony had believed her. Shining Armor had all but disowned her, her friends had abandoned her, and her mentor...

She had never seen Princess Celestia more disappointed, not even during the Lesson Zero incident had she looked so disappointed. "You have a lot to think about," she had said before leaving with the others.

Where had it all gone wrong? This was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Her brother was marrying Cadance, her old foalsitter and the closest thing Twilight had to a sister.

Now she had lost it all. Lying on the steps of the altar, she let her tears fall. For a moment, she lay like that, before she felt a hoof pat her on the head. Looking up, she found Cadance giving her an odd look.

It was too much for Twilight. "I'm sorry," she choked out.

For a second Cadance said nothing, then her face twisted in a scowl. "You will be!" She said in a tone that didn't sound like her at all.

At once her horn ignited in a green aura. Twilight watched in shock as the magic spread around her in a wall of green flames. Cadance's smile became so twisted it wouldn't have looked out of place on Discord.

But there was nothing Twilight could do as Cadance began to walk away. She was surrounded, and it felt like she was sinking into the ground as the flames covered all of her.

"No! It will not end this way."

Twilight jumped as a voice she didn't recognize entered her head. But it felt like she know it. Deep down.

"Remember me Twilight. Remember the time we had."

And Twilight remembered. She remembered the time that she felt had always been missing from her memories like a nagging tooth. It all came back. "Penumbra?"

"Yes. I'm sorry it took this for you to remember. But it was a side effect of the Soul Bonding. I once said I would come to you in your time of need. That time has come."

Twilight didn't know what she meant, but she hoped Penumbra had an idea as she was almost sunk into the floor now. "What are you going to do?"

"End this farce."

Twilight said no more as she felt her horn ignite in a blaze of power. It felt like her magic surge as a filly, but this time it felt right. Twilight smiled as she let go of her control as her eyes blazed white.

***

Cadance left the meddling fool to her fate. That brat had almost ruined everything. Luckily for her, ponies were far more stupid and blind than she had thought. Where Twilight was going, she wouldn't be bothering anyone anymore.

If she was lucky, maybe she would even get rid of her other guest down there in the caves.

She was almost to the door when she felt the backlash of magic from behind her. Turning around, she watched in shock as her spell sputtered and failed, the green flames replaced with flames of black. Inside them, a new form began to take shape, as a shaft of black light shot upwards.

***

All across Canter Castle, everyone jumped as they felt the release of magic, followed by a wave of fear. No one knew what to make of it, but the Mane 5, Spike, Princess Celestia, and Shining Armor all turned back to the Ball Room.

Shining's Royal Guard training overcame the mind control he was under. Something was wrong, and whatever else had happened between them, his love for Twilight overcame his earlier anger. She was at the center of this.

Princess Celestia meanwhile was both concerned for her student and worried. She knew this feeling, but that wasn't possible. She hadn't felt this since...

"No. It can't be her. How can she be here?"

***

Far away, another pony too felt the release of magic, and for the first time in more years than she now wanted to admit to, she smiled a real smile, even as she added a bit of her own magic to what was happening in Canterlot.

"Good luck Penny."

***

When the flames died away, Cadance's shock rose as the very last pony she ever expected to see stepped forward. Alongside that came another sensation she was unused to.

"You? How are you here?!" She asked with fear and horror.

Penumbra stretched her wings for all they were worth as she took stock of what was in front of her. She knew that aura anywhere. But to see it here like this? Either it spoke of gross incompetence on Celestia and Luna's part, or something else was going on.

"I have every right to be here creature," she replied, taking pleasure in the look of horror she was getting. "Far more than you do at least."

Cadance only replied with a spell blast to Penumbra's face. Her smirk dropped when Penumbra walked right through it. She gave the insect credit. There was considerable power behind that blast. It might have even worked on somepony else.

"You know. I was hoping my first time back in Equestria after so long would've been under better circumstances. But stopping you will have to do," Penumbra replied as she spread her wings and dropped all restraints on her Aura of Fear.

Even as she did, the door to the room burst open and the Mane 5, Spike, Shining, and Princess Celestia ran in. Immediately, all felt the full force of the Aura Penumbra was projecting.

Only Celestia knew it. But to see her here and in all of her glory was more of a shock than anything had been for a long time.

The others on the other hoof? They were on their knees, their bodies close to the ground. All of them were trembling, their faces all bearing the same expression. Pure and absolute fear. Not even Applejack or Rainbow Dash escaped it. They couldn't even try and hide it.

Celestia felt sorry for them. No mortal was ever meant to be in Penumbra's Aura when she had it at full power. Not even she could for long, and they weren't even being targeted.

Then her eyes drifted to Penumbra's cutie mark, and her heart sank at what she saw. "Oh, Twilight. Why?" She whispered as her tears fell.

It was a combination of Twilight's and Penumbra's own. Half Twilight's starburst and half Penumbra's pentagram.

Penumbra finally noticed them. Her frown deepened as she beheld the ones who had left this devolve into what it had, but it was not her place to take them to task about it. She briefly wondered where Luna was in all of this. She would've felt it by now. A detail for later as she turned back to Cadance. "Reveal yourself," she commanded as a beam of magic jumped from her horn and struck the mare.

Immediately she was engulfed in green flames that soon revealed her true form. Penumbra was not shocked to see it who it was, even as everyone else was still confused. "Chrysalis. Why am I not surprised? Only you of your sisters were ever stupid enough to think you could get away with anything like this."

Chrysalis spat. "Fools. This world is our by right. These cattle are less than nothing to us. To me. Equestria is weak, ripe for conquest. Equus will fall before me."

"And if I stand before you?" Penumbra asked, already preparing a spell.

Chrysalis sneered. "Then I will remove you as well. You've made us hide in the shadows for far too long. No more."

Penumbra nodded as the spell fired at Chrysalis's hooves, manacles locking around all four of them. "That is all I needed to hear." She turned to face Celestia. "I am not asking for your permission Celestia. I know what your thinking."

Celestia gritted her teeth. "She attacked us Penumbra, replaced my niece, and who knows what else. She must face justice for that."

Penumbra laughed an ugly sound that made everyone's ears hurt. "And what kind would that be? Yours? You are too forgiving Celestia. You always assume the best, and never prepare for the worst. This whole debacle is a perfect example of that."

Celestia glared at her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Penumbra sneered at her. "You know exactly what I mean. But I'm not the one you have to apologize to," she said as she looked at her cutie mark and smiled. "You know what Twilight has done, how I'm here. I hope you know why she would."

Celestia nodded, as much as it hurt her inside. At the same time though, she couldn't help but be proud of her student.

Penumbra finally allowed her Aura to return to normal. All at once, everyone felt a wave of relief wash over them. Fluttershy was the first to speak as she looked at Chrysal. "So, what happens to her?"

Penumbra frowned once more. "She has broken Changeling Law. My law. She will be punished and the Hive Council will hear of this. What happens to her hive after that is up to them."

"What about Twilight?" Rarity asked.

Penumbra smiled. "She is fine. She is still with us. But I am in the driver's seat, so to speak."

"What the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked.

"It is complicated, but right now we have another problem to worry about," Penumbra replied. They had to hurry too. She and Twilight could not keep this up much longer. That they had lasted this long was something of a miracle.

She turned her gaze back to Chrysalis. "Where is Cadance?"

***

Hours later, after Chrysalis had finally revealed where she had hidden the real Cadance and a Royal Guard squad had been sent to bring her home, everyone was once again gathered in the Ball Room.

Chrysalis had been condemned to eternity in Tartarus, and her hive had scattered to the four winds outside Canterlot's shield. No one had said anything about it, though Celestia was still somewhat sore about the whole thing.

Luna had finally shown up partway through all of this. To call her and Penumbra's reunion awkward would be like calling Pinkie Pie hyper: a massive understatement.

***

Luna wasn't sure why she had been called away at this time of day. As far as she knew, there was nothing that needed her to be present. The only major event of the day was the Wedding Rehearsal being held in the Ball Room.

A wedding she was not planning on attending. Not to spite the bride and groom of course. But her social skills were still not fully up to date, and a wedding would be a perfect chance to make a fool of herself.

But more than that. She barely knew Cadance at all. Her niece. It had been a shock at first when they had first met, to find that she had more family now. Cadance of course had always made an attempt to get to know her better, but Luna had always brushed them aside.

It only hit her how rude she was being when the wedding invitation had come to her. She hadn't even known Cadance was engaged. At that moment, she had felt broken inside that she had rebuffed her niece's attempts to befriend her.

So she had declined, afraid she had lost any chance. And now Cadance was soon to start a new family and all that came with that. She wouldn't have time for Luna.

She had planned to attend the Reception of course to congratulate the new couple. For no matter what, this was an occasion for clebration no matter what she thought.

Whe she had been called now she didn't know, but maybe it had something to do with the massive release of magic she had felt earlier. If it was, then she was worried. 

"It can't be. She can't be here. It's not possible," she thought, for she knew that magic well.

When at last she reached the Ball Room and entered, she was greeted by the very last pony she ever expected to see again.

"Hello Luna," Penumbra said icely.
> Reunions And a New Twilight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna was frozen in shock for a moment while Peumbra looked at her with an icey expression. Everyone else watched in some confusion as to what was going on. All but Princess Celestia and Cadance that is.

They alone knew what had gone one between these two. Of them, Cadance was the most worried. 

She remembered well the feeling she gotten talking to Penumbra some months ago about this very topic. But that had been nothing compared to now.

Of course, seeing her in the flesh on her return to the surface was a shock, but after hearing how she had been able to crash the wedding's attempted hijacking, she was glad she was here.

Shining stood next to her. The mind control spell had been easy to break since Chrysalis was no longer a threat. Even now the Royal Guard was sweeping Canterlot looking for other infiltrators. With a spell Penumbra had provided to find and decloak them.

Cadance would be ripping Shining a new one later on how he had treated Twilight, and how he had taken the coward's way out of never telling her they were getting married. She had been telling him for months that he should.

But for all that, she still loved him. And for that matter, she would be ripping Twilight's friends and Aunt Celestia for the very same level of stupid they had shown in the last few days.

For the moment though, the girls and Spike stood next to them. All of them were uneasy, and Cadance couldn't blame them. Even though Penumbra's Aura had been toned down, it was impossible not to be afraid in her presence.

Right now, they were giving Luna and Penumbra odd looks. "Is there something we're missing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Cadance sighed. "Aunt Luna and Penmubra know each other. But the last time they met, they didn't exactly leave on the best terms."

"I feel there's more to it than that," Rarity added.

Cadance nodded. "They were lovers once. From what she's told me, Penumbra saw it as the best thing to ever happen to her. I can only guess Aunt Luna feels the same."

"But?" Pinkie prompted.

Cadance sighed. "Then Nightmare Moon happened. Luna tried to convince Penumbra to join her. She refused. Her love for her died in that moment."

"And Princess Luna?" Fluttershy asked. As afraid as she was at what had happened and was still going on, she still felt for them. For all her outward scariness, Penumbra still had a good heart. That much she knew.

Cadance shook her head. "There is still something there, I can feel it. But the feeling isn't returned."

"So does that explain what the hay happened to Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"What does it even mean?" Spike added.

Cadance looked at Penumbra's cutie mark. "I have no idea. This is something I've never been told about, and I feel like I should've been."

***

Luna for her part heard none of this. Her mind was stuck between flight and facing down what she had been avoiding for so long.

In the end, she opted for running. But before she could even begin to move toward the door or possibly teleport out, she felt an Anti-Teleport Field slam down around the room and the doors lock with a tinge of Solar Magic.

She glared at her sister, who glared right back. "No Luna. You've been avoidning this for far to long. We are not leaving until the two of you work this out." Her gaze softened. "You owe Penumbra that much if nothing else."

Luna wanted to argue that, but she didn't. Maybe it was a wish to stop running from this, maybe it was a hope the two of them could be what they once were, she didn't know.

Swallowing her pride, and making a mental note to get back at Celestia later for putting her on the spot like this, Luna nodded and approached Penumbra.

***

Penumbra for her part watched Luna approach with something close to anger, but not enough to lash out at her. Call it something she had inherited from Twilight.

Speaking of whom, she wondered how they were still like this. The connection should have run out by now and Twilight returned to herself while she returned to Tartarus. In time it would recharge and they could do this again.

But it hadn't. Not that either of them was complaining of course. But there was something else going on. For a brief moment, she thought she heard the faint echo of laughter, as if from a vast distance.

And why did it sound like she had heard it before?

Penumbra quickly dismissed the thought as her mind returned to the task at hoof.

***

Luna gulped as she came to a stop. "Hello Penny."

Penumbra almost gave in at the use of her old petname, but she stayed the course. "Hello Luna. I must say this is going better than the last time we met. Then again, you were so full of yourself then."

Luna glared at her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Penumbra glared right back. "What do you think? You came to me, not as I had known and loved you, but petulant and so convinced you were right and everypony else was just to stupid to see it."

Her wings flared as she stood up. "A petulant filly throwing a temper tantrum because she wasn't getting as much love as her sister. A sister she was too lazy to try and talk to to try and change things!" Her gaze dropped. "Did you really expect me to side with you? I loved you Luna. But I could see as clear as day the monster you were becoming."

Her gaze rose once more. "I have said this to Celestia, and now I say it to you. You were lucky that you were defeated as you were, because you would not have liked the alternative."

Luna glared back defiantly. "And what would have been the alternative?"

"On the very small chance you had killed Celestia, your victory wouldn't have lasted. The Elements of Harmony would never side with you, and I would have risen. You would not have won that fight," Penumbra replied.

Now Luna was confused. "Why is that?"

Penumbra looked around the room at the others, who had been listening intently this whole time. "You have never seen me at my full power, when I have thrown off all restraint."

"The night would have been my help," Luna tried, but she knew it sounded hollow.

Penumbra snorted as she shook her head. "I am the darkness! What would you have done then when every shadow is mine to command if I wished? No Luna. Count yourself lucky you got what you did and deserved."

She walked closer to her. "I will always cherish what we had Luuwa, but we will never be what we once were." She softened her tone a bit. "We can still be friends. But it will be a long time before I fully trust you again."

That last bit bit harder than anything else for Luna as she let heard hang low, but there was nothing more she could for it. It was only then that she saw the mark on Penumbra's flank. "Then I hope that Twilight Sparkle takes better care of you than I did."

Penumbra felt Twilight gawk, blush, and sputter all at the same time in her mind. She held back a giggle but smiled all the same. "I don't think we have to worry about that."

Luna nodded, but finally gave voice to something that had been bothering her. "How are you still here? Should the connection not have run out by now?"

Penumbra nodded. "It should have. But something is keeping it going." Her body though began to tingle. "Though I think it won't last much longer now."

Cadance walked up to them. "Is it Twilight?"

Penumbra shook her head. "I do not think she minds. She's helped me so much, I am not going to spit on that trust now."

Rainbow Dash finally threw her hooves into the air in exasperation. "Can somepony please explain what the hay is going on?!"

Celestia, Luna, and Penumbra shared a bemused look. "Do you think we should tell them?" Celestia asked.

"They're going to find out anyway," Penumbra grunted as the tingle in her body grew. Even as she felt that, she felt Twilight begin to resurface. "More than likely in the next few minutes. My time is up."

This was more annoying than she had thought as Penumbra felt Twilight push herself to the front. It was a thought Twilight shared as well.

Before anyone could say more, Penumbra's body was engulfed in a black light. In the center, the group watched her form shrink back down into one they all knew and loved.

But something was different about her as the light began to fade. Something that shocked them all as Twilight finally emerged from the lightshow. Her mane and tail now resembled Penumbra's own, her cutie mark's colors had changed as fuschia became crimson and white became black. When she opened her eyes there was another shock as they had become draconic.

Twilight blinked a few times as she readjusted to being herself again. "Wow. What a rush," she said before noticing the looks everyone was giving her. "What?"

"Uh Twi?" Applejack said as she pointed at Twilight's back. When she looked back, she was shocked at what she saw. A paor of wings now lay folded at her sides.

She flapped them experimentaly a few times. They worked as easy as magic, maybe even more so. "Well. These are new," she said absently as she looked at Princess Celestia. "Is this normal?"

Celestia shook her head. "I am not sure. No one has ever done what you and Penumbra have Twilight. It might also have to do with the fact that you were not an alicorn to begin with." She raised an eyebrow. "I have to wonder why you did though?"

Twilight didn't back down. "I just couldn't leave her down there to rot away eternity princess. This was my choice. I'll face whatever comes with it."

Celestia was taken aback. Twilight had never used that tone with her before. A part of her was proud that Twilight, but another worried about what it could mean.

Even though she had departed and Twilight was herself again, Celestia could still feel Penumbra's influence on Twilight. It was partly why she had become an alicorn. But there was something else, something she recognized. The Element of Magic had aided in her transformation as well.

She shook her head. That was for later. "I am not mad Twilight," Celestia said as she put on her best smile. "And I would be lieing if I didn't say that I am proud of you for doing this."

Twilight blushed. Praise of any kind from her mentlr was something she always enjoyed, even if the circumstances could have been better. "As for your question Rainbow. Well I guess you could say that Penumbra and I are soulmates now," she explained.

"You mean like in a romantic way?" Shining asked.

Twilight chuckled. "No, not like that." She blushed. "Though I did kiss Penumbra to form the Soul Bond."

Luna huffed, miffed that somepony else had kissed Penny besides her. Fluttershy though was still confused. "What's a Soul Bond?"

"It is a special bond only an alicorn can form with someone," Celestia explained. "The other being does not need to be an alicorn themselves for the bond to form. In essence they become two souls sharing the same life force. You've seen the maine effects of that."

"And the kiss?" Spike asked. He was still worried about Twilight, no matter that she seemed fine now.

Luna sighed. "Unknown. No alicorn as far as we know has ever done this before. So we cannot say for sure. That Twilight and Penumbra have formed one says it is a way to form one. There may be more we do not know of."

Twilight nodded. "It was the first idea that came to mind when I made up my mind to do this. It felt right at the time." She looked at herself and gulped. "Does this mean I'm a princess now? I don't think I'm ready for that."

Celestia chuckled. "Not unless you want to be Twilight. Yes you are an alicorn now, and all that comes with that."

Cadance stepped over and pulled Twilight into a hug. "But you can do what I did for so long."

"And what's that?" Twilight asked.

Cadance smiled. "Be a princess in name, but don't take on any responsibilities. I was a princess for years after I got my horn before I did anything royal. Remember how I was your foalsitter?"

Twilight nodded. How could she forget all the good times they'd had together?

"Well, that was because I tried to have as normal a fillyhood as I could. Aunt Celestia was more than happy to let me." She chuckled. "I did all the things mares my age did."

Twilight snickered. "Even the coltbands?"

Cadance nodded proudly. "Especially the coltbands."

Celestia giggled as well. "I can't count the number of times I had to yell at you to turn those down."

Cadance just stuck her tongue out at her. "You just never appreciated my great taste in music auntie."

Everyone chuckled at that, even Cadance did after a moment. But there was something else on her mind at the same time.

It had only come to light after Penumbra had departed. There was something else there between her and Twilight. Something she didn't think either of them knew of yet.

And it made her smile even more.
> Between Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, after the wedding had been put back on track and Cadance had ripped everyone a new one for their treatment of Twilight over the last few days, she went looking for her favorite filly.

She found Twilight sitting at her old bedroom window in what was one of the many Guest Rooms of the castle. Even now though, seeing the wings on her back took Cadance by surprise.

Of course, she wasn't too shocked. Aunt Celestia had hinted for a while now of a possible future idea for Twilight that involved this. But she didn't think this was how it was meant to go.

She would be the first to say that Twilight deserved her newfound alicorn status. Probably more than many in Canterlot thought she did. And that lead to another thing.

All of Canterlot was in an uproar over the failed Invasion. The House of Lords had called an emergency session to discuss all that had transpired. The uproar had become even worse once news that Twilight's warning something was very wrong had been ignored and she had been dismissed as a delusional fool from the wedding.

Even the Blueblood Family, known for their unwavering loyalty to the princesses, was asking Celestia, the Element Bearers, and Shining Armor, to appear before a formal inquiry to explain what had happened.

Once news of Twilight's ascension got out, Cadance could only imagine the reaction Canterlot and Equestria would have to it.

Twilight must have heard her for she turned around. When she saw who it was, her face broke into a grin. "Cadance. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Cadance returned the grin. "After all that's happened? Sleep is the last thing I need. Besides, we delayed the wedding a day to allow everyone to catch up on it."

Twilight nodded, seeing the reasoning before her mind went to a place she had been avoiding all day. "Did you talk to Shining?"

Cadance didn't need to ask what she meant as her grin grew. "Yeah. I talked to everyone actually. Ripped them a new one for how they treated you earlier. Even Aunt Luna ripped them a new one."

Twilight smirked. In another lifetime, she might have felt horrible for how she had acted earlier, or even asked for forgiveness from the others for her outburst.

Now? She only felt a very smug satisfaction for being right and everyone else being wrong. She still loved them of course. But this made her feel ten feet tall. "Where's Princess Luna? She's been avoiding me all day. I mean, we're not that close. But this feels like more," she asked.

Cadance sighed. "She's not avoiding you Twilight. She's avoiding Penumbra."

Twilight was confused as she looked at herself. "But I'm not Penumbra. I mean, I kind of look like her. But I'm not. I'm still me."

Cadance rubbed her forehead. "I know. But Auntie Luna is still torn up inside from what happened between them a long time ago. Even if they've since made up. You're reminding her of her lost love."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well she has nopony to blame but herself," she mumbled, before slamming a hoof over her mouth. Where did that come from? That wasn't something you said about the princesses. No matter how much it was true.

Cadance saw it to but didn't comment on it. "What was it like?"

Twilight didn't need to ask what she meant as she smiled. "It was, weird. I still felt everything that was going on. Saw it all too, but it was like, watching from a distance. But at the same time, I've never felt so amazing before in my life." She grinned goofily. "I'd say it was even better than sex!"

Cadance rolled her eyes. "Easy there Ladybug. Wait till you've had sex before you say that."

Twilight stuck out her tongue at the use of her old nickname. "Well you'd be the expert on it, so I'll take your word for it."

Cadance snickered before she rememberd there was another thing. "Where is Penumbra now? Is she still with you?"

Twilight shook her head as she looked at herself. "Not, really. I guess she's always with me now. But right now, she's returned to Tartarus. I might even say she's as tired as I am."

Cadance nodded, then bit her lip. "Twilight. I know how you two came together, but I have to wonder. Do your feelings for Penumbra go beyond just being friends?"

Twilight tried to hide her blush by turning away with a huff. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cadance rolled her eyes as she walked around to face Twilight head-on. "Nice try Ladybug." Her tone softened. "Come on Twilight. I'm the Princess of Love. I won't judge you for that."

Twilight bit her lip. She wanted to argue the point, but lieing to her old foalsitter and friend just felt wrong. "I. I don't know. I feel safe around her. I'm comfortable being with her. Is that wrong?"

Cadance nodded. "It's a good start, but?"

Twilight sniffed. "What if I'm not good enough? She's, and I'm," she gestured at herself as she sniffed again. "I'm noting special. I don't even know if she prefers mares now after what happened." A tear fell. "I don't want to break her heart again. She can do so much better than me."

Cadance smiled. "Twilight. You are an amazing pony. Anyone will tell you that. I know Penumbra knows that too." She sighed. "I can't say for sure about much, but whatever she and Aunt Luna had is dead and gone."

Twilight pulled back. "That's my point. I don't want to do that to her again." She slumped. "And look at us. We can't be together like other ponies can."

Cadance nodded. "And long-distance relationships are never easy." Her smile grew as she pulled Twilight close again. "But, and I say this as your sister and friend, not as a princess, you both deserve to be happy." She smirked. "I know you prefer mares, so don't deny it."

Twilight blushed but didn't argue. "Okay fine, I do. But what am I supposed to do? I just can't say that to her face. Not now."

Cadance nodded. "I can't help you there Twilight. Love works differently for everyone." Her smile grew. "But I will say that when the time comes, you'll know it."

Twilight grinned. "And sweep her off her hooves right?"

Cadance giggled as she pulled Twilight into a hug. "And sweep her off her hooves. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll always be friends. Never forget that."

Twilight nodded, her worries abated after the talk. The two of them sat there like that for some time.

***

In Tartarus, Penumbra felt and heard all that Twilight and Cadance had talked about, and it sent her reeling. Not for a long time had this ever come up.

Twilight liked her, like that? She was stunned. Even in her weariness, she sat on her throne.

She had always preferred mares, as evidenced by her past relationship with Luna. But after what had happened, her heart had been broken and she had forsworn love of any kind for anyone ever again.

She could not take the heartbreak twice.

But now this had come up. And it left her confused. Could she feel the same way again?

Penumbra sat deep in thought long into the night.
> Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight wasn't sure of where she was. But it was quite possibly one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. It even put Canterlot to shame in some ways.

All around her, a city that seemed to be made entirely of crystal stretched off to the horizon. In front of her, a single palace spire rose high into the sky.

On a balcony near the midpoint, Twilight could just make out a single pony. The details were lost with distance, but the figure radiated warmth and love in a way she had only ever felt from Princess Celestia.

But it was the ponies around her that held most of her attention. Every mare, stallion, and foal shimmered in the same way as the buildings around them. Like they too were made of crystal.

"What is this place?" Twilight finally asked.

"This is the Crystal Empire. As it should have been."

Twilight jumped at the voice that was at her shoulder. Looking over, she found Penumbra giving the scene a melancholy look. Questions of how she was here were pushed aside as her academic brain took over. "What do you mean? How come I've never heard of it?"

Penumbra gave her a sideways look. "You would be better to ask Celestia that. As for what it was. It was once the most beautiful place on Equus. Not even the minotaur capital of Knossos can rival it."

Twilight wished she had a notepad to write all this down. It was incredible. But she felt there was more to it. "So what happened to it?"

Penumbra's gaze fell. "It was lost more than a thousand years ago." She saw Twilight's mouth open to ask a question. ''Do not ask me to speak of those days Twilight. I don't wish to relive them."

Twilight closed her mouth. She could feel there was something there that bit deep for Penumbra. But it wasn't her place to ask about it. Maybe one day. Her gaze though was drawn back to the figure on the balcony. To her surprise, so was Penumbra's. Now though, there was something in that gaze that compelled her to ask. "Who is that? Do you know them?"

Penumbra smiled. "Quite well actually. That is my sister Diamanda."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "Your sister?"

Penumbra chuckled. "Yes. If you want to know more, then you should ask Celestia as well." She rolled her eyes. "They used to be lovers."

Twilight's flank hit the ground with a resounding thump. "They were what?!"

Penumbra chuckled. "Oh yes. They got into a lot of, as Rainbow Dash might say, hanky panky."

Twilight's brain melted. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. About her own mentor for that matter! "She's never said anything about any of this before."

Penumbra raised an eyebrow. "Well of course not. It's not something she shares with everyone. Would you have believed her if she had told you any of this?"

Twilight thought about it for all of three seconds as she looked back at the figure. "Probably not. So what happened to her? I've never seen her before."

Penumbra sighed as her head dropped. "After the empire was stolen away. Dia confronted Celestia and Luna for not doing more to save it. We all knew they could have. She lost more than just her home. She lost her family aside from me."

Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion, even though a part of her was telling her to leave well enough alone. "What happened to them?"

Penumbra gave her a sorrowful look. "Her daughter was murdered, and her granddaughter," she sniffed as tears fell. "We don't know what happened to her. No one ever saw her again after the empire's fall."

Twilight was aghast. She placed a hoof on Penumbra's shoulder, or as best she could with her smaller size. "What happened to your sister?"

Penumbra smiled darkly. "After her blowup with Celestia and Luna, Dia went into seclusion. No one has seen her since then."

"Not even you?" Twilight asked.

Penumbra shook her head. "Not even me. I know she is alive and well. But I haven't seen her in so long." Her ears fell. "I miss her."

Twilight didn't know what to say after that, so she just remained quiet and did her best to just be there for her.

***

In the Far North, a seal that had held for over a thousand years began to weaken.

In Canterlot, Princess Cadance woke with a start. She felt something calling out to her. Something she had been searching for her entire life, but only now just realized it.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna too felt it. But it was still too early to do anything. Even so, they began to lay the groundwork.

And plans long in gestation began to turn.
> Reunions In the Crystal Empire pt. 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight wasn't sure why she had been called to Canterlot on such short notice, but it must have been important since Princess Celestia had said she needed to come alone.

That in itself was odd. Normally Spike and the girls would come with her, even if she hadn't asked them too. Like they had today, though they wouldn't go with her to see the princess.

As she walked the hallways to the Throne Room, Twilight couldn't help notice the odd looks she kept getting from the Royal Guard stationed at various points. It was something she was used to by now.

Ever since her changes, ponies had been giving her strange looks. Some she could understand, seeing as how much she stood out now. No matter the fact that she had no more power than she used to.

Ponyville had taken it in stride. And even though she had no official power, more and more ponies were coming to her with small problems, ones she tried her best to help with.

When she had asked Princess Celestia about it, her former mentor had replied that it was inevitable now. She had in fact commemorated Twilight on what she had been able to do.

In the same letter, Celestia had also said that, as long as she didn't go overboard with what she did, what Twilight did was her own and that she and Luna would support it.

But there were other things that had her concerned. The looks she had gotten from several strangers had sent shivers up her spine. What they meant she didn't know. And Twilight didn't think she wanted to know.

Finally coming to the Throne Room door, she steadied her breathing and pushed it open. Princess Celestia, as usual, was on her throne, but her usual smile was gone, replaced with a look of concern. One that set Twilight's nerves on edge.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice Twilight. I fear we do not have much time," Celestia began.

Now Twilight was really worried. "What's going on?"

Celestia rose from her seat. "The Crystal Empire has returned."

Twilight's mouth dropped in shock. "It has? But I thought it was lost? Why did it come back now?"

Celestia was taken aback that Twilight knew what she was talking about. It must have shown for Twilight gave her a flat look. "Right. I am not surprised that you know of it."

Twilight shrugged. "Well, when I'm connected to the sister of its previous ruler, then yeah. I've heard of it."

Again, Celestia was taken aback by Twilight's attitude. It made her miss the good old days when she had only been a student. "Then you know what happened to it."

Twilight nodded. "So what do we do now that it's come back?"

Celestia walked over to a north-facing window. "Cadance and Shining Armor are already on their way north to protect the empire. I want you and your friends to help them."

Twilight walked over to the window as well. "Okay. But shouldn't they be able to handle a chump like Sombra?"

Celestia bit back a retort at that. "It is not him that I worry about Twilight."

Twilight took a moment, and then it finally clicked as her eyes widened. "The empire doesn't have a ruler without him. And the only one who could," she paused as her ears fell. "No one knows where she is."

Celestia nodded, but something occurred to her. "I would have thought Penumbra would have something to add to this."

Twilight was surprised. She was right though. Looking inwards, she was surprised at what she found, or didn't find in this case. Penumbra wasn't there at all. Their bond remained, but Twilight couldn't feel her at all inside her like she had for several months now.

Remembering something Penumbra had taught her, Twilight followed their bond to its other end. To her surprise, it worked. After a moment, she found herself sharing Penumbra's body fully, right alongside her.

Brushing her mind up against hers, Twilight felt their mouth turn up in a small smile, one that was quickly extinguished. Looking out through their eyes, Twilight gulped and pulled herself out as fast as she could into her own body.

But not before she heard a giggle in her mind.

She looked at Princess Celestia sheepishly. "She's, kind of busy at the moment."

Celestia didn't have to ask what she meant. "Then I pity the poor soul who must face her judgment."

Again, Twilight was reminded that for all she and Penumbra were now connected and knew each other, they still didn't know everything about one another, while Penumbra and the sister went back centuries.

Twilight though was happy to wait as long as was needed. It wasn't like she was running out of it as she stood straighter. "When should we leave?" She asked.

Celestia smiled. "As soon as you can. Your friends should be at Canterlot Station by now waiting for you."

Twilight briefly wondered how Celestia knew her friends had come with her. But decided it wasn't worth the brainpower.

***

Thirty minutes later, Twilight walked onto the Main Platform of the capitol's train station. As promised, her friends and Spike were there to greet her.

"So what's up?" Rainbow asked.

Pinkie pulled out yer party canon and pulled the string, jumping in time with confetti. "Are we going to celebrate your awesomeness with Princess Celestia?"

Twilight giggled. "Not yet. But we will."

Pinkie slumped to the ground as the confetti was pulled back down with a sad wheeze.

"We're going to the Crystal Empire!" Twilight announced grandly.

Everyone shared confused looks. "The what?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight smiled as the train doors opened. "I'll explain on the way."

***

"So we're here to kick some evil unicorn king's butt," Rainbow asked as the train began to slow down. Outside was all white as the snow fell in blankets.

Twilight nodded as she rolled her eyes. "Pretty much. That's if King Sombra returned with the empire. And with our luck, he did."

"And then what? Say we do beat him and keep this here place safe, what then? Ya said there's no ruler. What do we do, leave em?" Applejack asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know. Cadance is filling in as an emergency ruler, but she won't make it permanent. Not unless the empire asks her to. She won't take someone else's throne."

"Um. Didn't you say there was one?  What about her?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight sighed. "No one has seen her since the empire vanished. If her own sister can't find her, then I think we're out of luck."

And that troubled her to no end. She might not know her at all, but Twilight knew enough that would have though Queen Diamanda would return the moment the empire had.

Yes, she had lost her family besides Penumbra, but wasn't now the perfect chance to claim revenge on the one who had taken them from her?

Penumbra wasn't helping that was for sure. She had retreated from Twilight completely it felt like. Only the fact that she could still feel the Soul Bond told her that she was still there in some way at all.

Any other thoughts were put aside as the train came to a halt. Sighing, Twilight stood up and moved to the door, her friends right behind her, Rarity already wearing a scarf.

With a tug of her magic, the door opened and immediately everyone covered their eyes as the snow began to fill the compartment. With an effort, they made their way outside.

"Ha! And you all made fun of me for packing so many scarves," Rarity said with a sniff.

Spike trundled out, his arms full of them. "I didn't say a word." A sudden gust of wind blew them all away. "Hey! C'mere..."

***

For some time they walked in the general direction they hoped was north. There was no way to know for sure through all the snow. Until finally they heard someone shout as a shape appeared in the snow. "Twilight!"

Twilight smiled. "Shining! Over here!"

He must've heard her for he soon walked out of the snow, a smile on his face. "Twily! You made it! We'd better get going. There are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark."

Fluttershy gulped while Twilight rolled her eyes. "Shiny. In case you forgot, darkness is part of who I am now. I think we can handle it."

He bit back a groan. He kept trying to forget that bit. That Twilight no longer needed him hurt enough as a big brother. But it was the power that, as he understood it, she now commanded that scared him.

The fact that this came from the alicorn that ruler over Tartarus itself, darkness, and all the things that went bump in the night didn't help either. Shining still didn't trust Twilight's, friend.

Twilight softened her look a little. "Do you know how far it is to the empire? I can get us there a lot faster and with less hassle than walking."

Shining nodded. "Not far now actually. Just a few miles back the way I came."

Twilight nodded. Closing her eyes, she focused her magic out in that direction. Soon enough, she felt the edges of warmth and love. That would be the edge of Cadance's magic. It was enough.

Reaching out, she wrapped her magic around everyone and teleported the rest of the way there. It actually took less effort than her original spell had.

With a pop, they reappeared in a landscape that looked right out of Ponyville. Green and lush as far they could see.

Twilight's breath hitched for a moment, with everyone giving her a concerned look. "Sorry. It's just that, this isn't exactly my element," she said.

"Is that bad?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Just give me a moment." It wasn't painful to be here, but it wasn't comfortable to be sure.

"Why do you think I rarely ever visited? Dia could only tone it down so much when I did. I know it hurt her that I didn't come more and that she could only do so much."

Twilight blinked as Penumbra reinterred her mind. "Where have you been?" She thought back.

"Preventing a future irritation for you. Reminding the few that do know of me that anything they do to you is an attack on me. And there is no appeal against my judgment on it," came the response.

Twilight gulped. She didn't think she wanted to know what that meant. "So is there anything you can do for us here?"

Penumbra shook her head. "Very little. My power, and by extension yours, is limited here. But there are those who can."

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "How, and who are they?"

Penumbra smiled. "I've been able to contact some of Dia's followers. They will help you as much as they can."

Twilight was still lost. "How would I know them? I only know Cadance and Shining here."

Penumbra chuckled. "They've been helping since before you arrived actually. It's strange though. I've not seen them this excited in a long time. Very excited I might add."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, they were just released from a thousand-year-old prison."

"Maybe. But that is not all there is to it. Something has got them more energetic for a very long time."

"Is that good or bad?" Twilight asked as they entered the city they had seen from a distance and made a beeline to what looked like the Royal Residence.

"That will depend on what has them so happy. Past this, I cannot help you. My magic will, but I can't."

And with that, Twilight felt Penumbra leave as suddenly as she had come, leaving her with more questions than answers. By this time, they had entered the crystal spire and made their way to what seemed to be the Throne Room.

To say Cadance looked bad was like calling Pinkie Pie hyper. She had bags for the bags under her eyes and her mane went in every single direction possible, so much so that Rarity almost fainted.

She at least had the energy to perk up when she saw Twilight and the girls, but only just as she smiled ruefully. "We have got to stop meeting like this Twilight. Whatever happened to the good ol' days?"

Twilight was able to smile as well. "I grew up?"

Cadance rolled her eyes. "Point. One of these days though, we really need to have a girls day out and it not involve the fate of Equestria."

Everyone chuckled at that, but it ended as Cadance doubled over on the throne. Twilight took another step closer. "Are you alright?"

Cadance managed to nod weakly. "I'm fine."

Shining shook his head. "She's not fine. She hasn't slept since we got here, she barely eats. Her magic is what's keeping the empire safe. I do what I can, but."

Twilight nodded. "That's why we're here."

"Why we're all here," Applejack added as the others nodded.

Cadance smiled. "You guys are the best. Right now all we know is that there's some kind of city-wide amnesia going on for all but a few. Most don't even know their own name, let alone how to help."

"What do you mean, all but a few?" Spike asked.

Shining shook his head. "A few ponies remember all that's happened. They're out in the city right now trying to do what they can to undo the amnesia, but it's hopeless."

Cadance nodded, smirking as she looked at Twilight. "One of them said something about a library that could help end all of this. They said you'd be the best to look through it Twilight."

Twilight almost stopped herself from squeeing like a little filly. Almost.

***

In the grand scheme of things, this was probably a bad idea Twilight thought. But at this point, she was running out of ideas.

Her search of the Crystal Library had turned out to be worth the effort. She found something about a so-called Crystal Heart and how important it was to the empire's survival.

Which was good and all, but they had no idea of where it could be or what it did. None of the crystal ponies knew, not even those no under Sombra's amnesia spell.

But they had been able to get help in another way. Crysta Feather, the one who seemed to be a leader of some importance, had been able to show them how the Crystal Fair had been able to help in times of fear.

So now her friends were doing their best to bring joy back to the crystal ponies. And it seemed to be working. Twilight could feel the love in the air, even down here.

If they weren't pressed for time, a spontaneous musical song and dance number were in order.

But that would have to wait. Shining's shield wouldn't hold forever, even with Cadance's magic helping. Even now King Sombra was trying to break back in.

So now here Twilight and Spike were, at the bottom of a seemingly endless stairway as it wound its way around a tower.

Spike glared at it. After the last set of stairs, he wasn't happy. "Now the universe just hates us," he grumbled.

Twilight couldn't agree more. She didn't think she had the power to teleport both of them to the top, even though her magic seemed to be increasing. Which was odd. It had reacted weirdly to the door behind them. It had absorbed some kind of magic from it, without her prompting.

Penumbra had explained that her magic would now react to Dark Magic by absorbing it until she learned to focus and control it. Twilight could only guess that was what had happened to the door.

It had freaked Spike out for sure, and he thought he was used to the new Twilight by now, having lived with her for his whole life. Guess not. "Can't you teleport us to the top? Worked before," he asked.

Twilight looked up as far as she could. She could just see the top of the tower, and a faint gleam of something. "I guess I could," she said.

"Better that than using more stairs," Spike grumbled as he glared at them.

Twilight giggled as she ignited her horn. "Hold on tight. I don't know what's up there or what kind of magic there is."

Spike grabbed a hold of her leg as they both vanished with a pop.

***

King Sombra wasn't the only one being kept out by the shield around the Crystal Empire. Though for the second, it was more by choice.

"For as young as she is, her magic is quite strong," she thought as she looked up at the barrier as it shimmered for a moment.
It was no obstacle for her of course. As strong as it was, one of sufficient strength would be able to pass through easily. But she would not. 

She risked weakening the shield if she did, and the empire needed it now more than ever. The Crystal Fair could only do so much.

Now the Crystal Heart was their only hope. Luckily her bond with it remained, so she felt Twilight and Spike near it.

Diamanda could only hope Twilight would be okay. She had no idea what the Heart might do to her if she was able to get to it. Penumbra couldn't help her. Her sister had never been able to get close to it, no matter how much Diamanda toned it down to let her.

She only hoped the same didn't apply to Twilight as well.

***

Twilight knew something was up as soon as the teleport ended. Right as it dropped her and Spike on their heads.

"Well that wasn't supposed to happen," she grumbled as they stood and looked around. It was empty up here. Except for a heart-shaped crystal floating in the center of the room.

Spike grinned as he walked forward. "That must be the Crystal Heart."

Before he could go more than a few steps, Twilight stopped him with a wing and shook her head. "It's too easy Spike. Why just put it here with no defenses?"

He shrugged. "Now what then?"

Twilight extended her wings and flew over to the Heart. Nothing happened as she came up to it. She didn't trust her magic at the moment, so she reached out with a hoof.

The moment she touched it though, she knew she'd made a mistake as an alarm spell went off all around her.

Spike could only watch in horror as a mass of black crystal arose all around her and blocked her from sight. "Twilight!" He cried.

A moment later, Twilight came flying around the corner with a huge smile. Cradled in her hooves was the Crystal Heart.

Spike sighed in relief. "That was too close. Now what?"

Her reply was cut off as they both heard a tremendous crack as the shield spell finally gave way.

Twilight frowned as she turned so Spike could hop onto her back. "Just in time to. Time to return the Crystal Heart to where it belongs. Come on Spike. I have our way down."

***

Down below, everypony watched in horror as the shield shattered. The crystal ponies looked to the girls, but they were as worried as they were.

"Now what? That was our best chance," Rainbow asked as she looked at the unconscious Cadance. Fluttershy and Rarity were even now trying to wake her up.

"We gotta hope Twilight and Spike find the Crystal Heart," Applejack replied, but even she didn't sound confident.

"We don't even know where they are," Pinkie added.

"Up here!" Came Spike's voice as he and Twilight landed in the plaza. He looked happy to just be back on the ground as he jumped off her back. And in Twilight's hooves...

"The Crystal Heart!" A stallion in the crowd exclaimed.

Twilight's smile faded as the saw the black clouds rolling in and how far it was to the castle. She'd never make it on hoof, but.

She closed her eyes. She'd not used her magic on the Heart for fear of what the backlash might do to her. But seeing the fear of everyone around her?

In the end, did it really matter what happened to her, if everyone else was safe?

No. No, it didn't, she thought as she opened her eyes and ignited her horn. Immediately she could feel her magic react to the Heart's as her vision began to swim.

Twilight smiled, fighting back the pain. "The Crystal Heart has returned. Use the light and love within you to make sure King Sombra never does." With that, she floated the Heart over to its resting place.

Two beams came to meet it before the Heart began to spin. Soon a blast of magic pulsed upwards and outwards as everyone bowed toward the Heart.

The wave gave everyone a new crystalline look, even Spike. But the effort drove Twilight's pain towards new heights, even as the love-filled her and a distant voice spoke: "Thank you."

She smiled, knowing it was the voice of the Crystal Heart, even as a roar of denial filled the air. Soon the clouds vanished, revealing blue skies above.

Twilight's smile grew. "We did it," she whispered before the pain overcame her and she collapsed in a heap.

The last thing Twilight remembered as her vision failed was a bright light, followed by a collective gasp as a new figure was revealed. The mare smiled down at Twilight as her horn glowed. "Rest now Twilight. You've done it. Everyone is safe."

Twilight grinned as darkness claimed her.

And Twilight Sparkle knew no more.
> Reunions In the Crystal Empire pt. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight swore that one day, she would retire from this saving Equestria business. Seriously, she felt like there was a minotaur in a china shop. And the china shop was her head.

"Did anypony get the number of the train that ran me over?" She grumbled as she came back to wakefulness. Wherever she was, it was the most comfortable she could remember ever being on.

A musical chuckle answered her. "The Crystal Heart always did have that effect on Penny's magic. But then, she never handled it."

Though she didn't know the voice, something told Twilight she should know it as she finally opened her eyes and looked around. Her friends, Spike, Shining, and Cadance all surrounded her bed with worried expressions, ones that fell away as she woke up.

Behind them though was a mare she didn't know. If she had to guess, she was the same height as Princess Celestia. Her bright white coat stood out against the crystal walls, while her mane and tail were several shades darker.

Her friends saw where she was looking, but it was Fluttershy who spoke up first. "She's rarely left your side Twilight. She was the one who helped us bring you up here."

Rainbow Dash gave the mystery mare a sideways look. "We still don't know who she is, but the Crystal Empire seems to. They keep saying things."

Twilight looked again at her. It couldn't be, could it? Not after so long. "Who are you? I mean, I'm glad for all the help, but."

The mare only smiled wider. "Come now Twilight. You must have some idea. You are rather tied to my sister in a way few alicorns ever have been."

Twilight's eyes widened in shock as she slumped back on her pillows. "Queen Diamanda. I am so unprepared for this."

Diamanda's own smile fell. "A queen no more. I have not held that title for over a thousand years. I have no right to be."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

Twilight's ears drooped. "If you asked, I'm sure the crystal ponies would take you back. After what Sombra did..."

Diamanda shook her head. "I relinquished my title long ago. My daughter died defending it. And my granddaughter," she paused as her tears fell. "I don't know where she is."

For a moment, Cadance felt something pass between her and this mare. The next it was gone. She still felt horrible for her though.

"So what does that mean?" Applejack asked.

Diamanda smiled as she looked at Cadance. "From what I have heard, you have done a fine job these past few days defending the empire."

Cadance blushed at the praise. "Thanks. But it wasn't just me. We all helped. If you really want to thank somepony, Twilight is the one."

Now it was Twilight's turn to blush. "I was just doing what anypony would. I'm nothing special."

Shining chuckled. "That's not what the crystal ponies think. You're now the official savior of the Crystal Empire and the greatest thing ever in most eyes."

Pinkie nodded. "They're even building a statue in your honor outside. Looks pretty good to me."

Now Twilight wished she could melt into the floor, the embarrassment was too much for her. Dia giggled at the sight. "I see what Penny sees in you Twilight."

"What is that?" Rarity asked.

"Everything she needs in a friend. She's been too long in Tartarus. I hope you treat her well. No place in Equestria or Equus will be safe if you break her heart," Dia replied.

Twilight regained some of her composure as her head fell. "Penumbra can do better than me. I won't risk our friendship on a crush."

Diamanda smirked. "Keep telling yourself that if it helps. But I feel you don't give Penny enough credit. She said much the same thing when she and Luna first started."

Twilight threw up her hooves as she looked up. "And look how that ended. I won't do that to her," she replied, her head falling again before she felt a hoof lift it up and she looked right into Diamanda's eyes.

"Twilight Sparkle. I know that isn't true. You are a better mare than to break Penny's heart. I know she feels the same," she said with a smile.

Twilight wanted to believe her, but her doubts remained. "But what if she says no? What would that do to what we have?"

Dia shook her head. "I can't say how she would react. Only Penny can tell you that. But I know she knows you are a wonderful pony. Anyone can see that."

Twilight's friends nodded enthusiastically. That helped her nerves a bit, but not fully. "But how do I even tell her? I'm here, and Tartarus is a long way away. Even for me."

Everyone shared a knowing look but it was Fluttershy who finally broke the silence. "Didn't you find it the time you took Cerberus back to the Gates?"

Twilight nodded. After a moment she saw where her friend was going with this. "I could probably find the Gates again. But it was a long trip last time, and the Walls of Night are a long mountain range. It could take me ages just to find it again."

"It's not like you're running out of time," Rainbow mumbled, earning a glare from Applejack and Rarity.

Twilight chuckled. "Point. But I'm still too tired to do anything about it now. I just want to rest and enjoy the peace for a while if it's all the same to you guys."

Dia chuckled. "You would have a hard time leaving anyway I believe. You're a national hero now, and almost everypony in the empire wants to meet you before you do go."

Twilight's face turned bright red from embarrassment as everyone laughed.
> News From Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, so Twilight admitted that the statue of herself that had been raised near the Crystal Heart was beautiful and well made. She made a note to commend those who had worked on it.

But it was still deeply embarrassing to be singled out so much when her friends had done just as much as she had. Any of them could have returned the Heart to where it belonged.

It had just been her luck to be the one to do so.

Of course, her telling this to the crystal ponies seemed to make them love her even more. It seemed that being humble was a sign of greatness to the Crystal Empire.

Or a sign of awesomeness as Rainbow Dash had said after she had talked with some of the foals. Twilight seemed to be even more loved among the younger ponies.

She shook her head after a moment. As much as she did like the statue, her being here helped keep her thoughts off of things that had been going on in the last few days.

The effect of Sombra's amnesia over the empire had vanished once the tyrant had been destroyed by the Crystal Heart's magic, though ponies were still readjusting to being able to live freely again.

Contact had officially been made with Equestria, and while it would take time to set up all the necessary arrangements and connections, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had already promised to help get the empire back on its hooves as much as they could.

Plans had already been laid for the Great Northern Equestrian Railroad to extend its tracks to the empire. With the Heart's magic now at full strength, the tundra was receding from around the city's borders.

Cadance had stayed on as a temporary ruler until the empire formally decided. While all of the crystal ponies loved Cadance and Shining for what they had done defending the city, some were still leery of a stallion close to the throne.

While Twilight knew her brother was nothing like Sombra, she could not really blame ponies for being like that. Shining himself seemed to understand it too for he kept himself busy with the Imperial Guard and trying to bring it up to modern standards.

How well that was going Twilight didn't know, but she hoped he was having luck with it. A lot had changed since the city had vanished so long ago. Most though seemed to be doing fine so far.

Diamanda had been a huge help from what Cadance had told her. While Twilight's sister in law had known some of what it means to run a country, Diamanda's knowledge was second to none, and her time as the former ruler of the Empire made her Cadance's best source to go to when she had a question.

And boy did she have a lot of questions. Princess Celestia's teachings on ruling did fine up to a point. But the Crystal Empire differed from Equestria in many ways she wasn't ready for.

Speaking of Equestria though, Twilight bit her lip as she remembered as to why she was out here all alone at the moment.

***

The moment Twilight saw the sigil of the Judiciary Committee on the letter Cadance was holding, she knew something was wrong. As she read it with her sister in law, her ears fell. She had been expecting this honestly.

Her friends though, didn't understand what the big deal seemed to be. "So what's up?" Rainbow asked.

Cadance and Twilight shared a look before Cadance answered. "This is a summons for miss Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Captain Shining Armor, and mister Spike Drake, to appear before the full Judiciary Committee one week from receipt of this letter.

This is in regard to actions taken by the individuals listed before the wedding of Princess Cadance to Captain of the Royal Guard Shining Armor Sparkle.

Failure to appear in the time allotted will be seen as contempt of court and further actions may be taken against those named here."

Everyone but Twilight and Cadance shared a confused look. "Can somepony explain what the hay that all meant?" Applejack asked.

Twilight rubbed her snout. "It means you're being summoned to explain the whole mess from the wedding rehearsal and before. The fact that it comes from the full Judiciary Committee means that both Houses of Parliament voted to bring this to a full hearing."

Cadance nodded. "It also means that Aunt Celestia can't get you out of this. From what I understand, she's also being called to testify and explain how nopony saw Chrysalis and her replacing of me."

"So how come Twilight isn't on the list?" Spike asked.

Cadance gave the younger mare a small smile. "Her actions at the rehearsal, and by extension Penumbra's, have exonerated her in the eyes of the committee."

Twilight nodded. "Plus the fact that I was the only one to call out how wrong everything seemed to be, helped my case."

No one could really argue that, but they still didn't like this at all. "We're national heroes. They can't do this to us," Rainbow grumbled.

Twilight shook her head. "They can Rainbow. Being a hero doesn't put us above the law. I would go to if they were requesting me to appear as well."

Cadance nodded before she looked back at the group. "I am still a princess of Equestria. I do not want to have to force this, but I must ask you all to go to Canterlot and see this through. It will go much easier for everyone if you do."

Shining's Royal Guard kicked in at that moment as he snapped to attention. It wasn't an order, but years under Princess Celestia, and then both her and Princess Luna, had conditioned him to pick up subtle cues.

Even if he didn't like it.

Twilight's head lowered. "I'm sorry guys. There's nothing I can do. I don't have the power or authority to overrule this." Her eyes closed as she fought back tears. "Just, do as Cadance says, and I'll see you all back in Ponyville when you're done."

***

Twilight's ears fell just thinking about the whole thing. Her friends and brother had left that morning to catch the first train back to Canterlot. She had seen them off of course. But it hadn't been a happy parting for anyone.

She would have gone with them, but there was still so much of the Crystal Empire she wanted to see. Cadance had let her use the room she had woken up in as her quarters for as long as she stayed in the empire.

And she would be lying if she didn't want to see more of the Crystal Library. Her first time had been somewhat rushed of course with trying to find a way to defeat Sombra.

With all the time in Equestria now, Twilight looked forward to really getting to know the library better. Who knew what it contained? Maybe it even had books that the Canterlot Archives or the Golden Oaks Library.

The idea made Twilight squee slightly just at the thought.
> A Princess's Heritage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight wasn't sure why she had been called away as she had. It wasn't that she didn't mind spending time with Diamanda. The mare was a window to a world she was only just beginning to understand.

When she wasn't helping Cadance learn as much as she could about the Crystal Empire and all it took to run it, the former queen was usually out and about in the city, helping the regular ponies as much as she could.

While Sombra's hold over them had been broken, not all wounds were visible. Many still bore the psychological wounds from years of forced slavery under the tyrant.

"It will be a long time before all wounds heal," is how one pony, Rose Quartz, had explained it to Twilight. When Twilight had asked what she could do to help, Rose had only smiled. "Just do what you have been. It's helping more than you know."

Twilight had been forced to concede the point. She could see it if she looked hard enough on the ponies around her. So she did the only thing she could do in this situation.

She was as friendly and outgoing as she could be. And it seemed to be working. Or at least she thought it was. She hoped it was.

But as she walked toward Diamanda's room, Twilight could only wonder why she had been asked to come. While she was always happy to spend time with the older mare, something told her that this wasn't a social call.

As she came to the room, Twilight steadied her breathing before poking her head through the open door. Diamanda was standing next to an open window, its view showing the city beyond.

She cleared her throat. "You wanted to see me?"

Dia turned with a smile. "I did Twilight. Come in."

Twilight trotted in. The room wasn't much at first glance. A bed along one wall while on the other a bookcase stood partly empty. Twilight recognized some of the books from the Crystal Library.

She shook the thoughts from her mind as she focused on the here and now. "So what's up?"

Dia smile grew. Her sister had influenced Twilight more than either realized it seemed, but that was for a later day. "While I have many questions, maybe you can help me with this. It's about a pony you know rather well here in the empire."

Twilight had an idea of who she meant. "Cadance?"

Dia nodded. "There is something about her. I don't know what it is, but it is there. What do you know of her? I know Celestia adopted her as her niece."

Twilight nodded as her ears fell. "Cadance was an orphan. An earth pony family found her abandoned and all alone as a pegasus filly. They raised her as their own. The village where they lived was way out in the middle of nowhere, so her origins were even odder."

She smiled though as she remembered the tale she had been told. "But despite being the only Pegasus in an earth pony village, they never shunned her. She was loved by everypony."

Dia smiled at the story. It was always nice to hear more of that, for she remembered a time when the very idea of that was anathema to all ponies. Equestria really had moved on since that time.

Twilight's smile fell though. "But one day, a pony named Prismia began to steal all the love from the village. She had some kind of charm or necklace that stole all love from those around her."

Her gaze looked out the window toward the south and Equestria. "Cadance couldn't stand to watch her family, her friends, rip themselves apart through hatred, so she confronted Prismia. She eventually broke through Prismia's hate and showed her what love really meant."

She chuckled as she looked at her own horn. "The next thing she knew, she was in what Princess Celestia calls the Astral Plane. Celestia herself was shocked to find anypony there, let alone somepony so young."

Dia chuckled as well. "I bet. Very few have ever been there before. Few have earned the right to see the Astral Plane. Only those who have done great deads ever see it."

Twilight nodded. "Cadance became an alicorn that day. When she had learned the full story of where she came from and that she was an orphan, Celestia adopted her as her neice." She smiled sheepishly. "And the greatest foalsitter in the history of foalsitters."

Dia smile slyly. "I assume that is how she met your brother Shining Armor?"

Twilight nodded. "Yep. You'll have to ask them that story." Her brows creased though as a question came to mind. "Why? Do you know more about her?"

Dia shook her head. "I do not know. Cadance reminds me so much of my granddaughter. They even look alike. But your story raises even more questions than it answers."

Twilight stepped closer. "You said nopony knows what happened to her. Maybe she's descended from her?"

Dia smiled slightly. "Maybe. I will not pressure her though. I will not force on her a pony she isn't. That wouldn't be right of me. We barely know one another."

Twilight placed a hoof on her. "Cadance is a loving pony. I'm sure you two can always be friends, even if there is nothing there."

Dia nodded, before smiling again. "You are wise beyond your years Twilight. Celestia will need to keep up, or you'll leave her in the dust when it comes to wisdom."

Both chuckled at the idea before falling into silence for a time.

***

Unnoticed, Cadance had heard everything Twilight and Diamanda had spoken of, and it had her wondering as well.

She would always love the family that had raised her before she came to Canterlot with Princess Celestia. Somedays she missed the days when she had been just a regular Pegasus whose only worry was that her mom wouldn't make something icky for dinner.

But now, as she silently left the room behind, her mind began to wonder about things. And questions she had not asked herself in a long time, came back to her mind.
> More News from Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment Twilight saw the newspaper floating in Cadance's magic, and the stricken look on her sister in law's face, she knew something was wrong. But it was the title of the paper that confirmed it.

"Is it about Equestria? Is there something going on?" Twilight asked.

Cadance shook her head as she floated the paper over in her magic, which Twilight caught. "Equestria is fine for now. But."

Now Twilight was really worried. "But?"

Cadance sighed. "Just, read what it says Twilight. You need to know about this."

Twilight gave her a look, but decided to see what she meant and opened the Canterlot Times to the front page. Her jaw dropped as she read the headlines. 

"Diarchy in shambles! Princess Celestia and national heroes condemned following the failed Changeling Invasion. Princess Celestia temporarily removed from power as ponies question her decisions over the last few months."

"In an unprecedented move, Parliament voted overwhelmingly to condemn the actions taken by Princess Celestia Sol Invictus, former Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, and the Elements of Harmony, before and during the wedding of Princess Mi Amora Cadenza and Shining Armor."

"When question why nothing had been done when Twilight Sparkle brought up her worries to her friends and mentor, Princess Celestia was on record as saying. "Twilight had nothing but base accusations against who I thought was my niece. Someone she had not seen in some time."

"And yet it never occurred to you to at least give her the benefit of the doubt?" Lord Fancy Pants asked. "I do not know her well, but she does not seem one to throw something like that around without good reason."

"There was a wedding going on," one Rainbow Dash interrupted at this moment in the interview."

"For a pony none of you aside from Twilight herself knew. A pony none of you even knew existed before you were invited to help with the wedding preparations. One who had done nothing but insult you since the moment you arrived. I see nothing but your own greed and lack of belief overcoming what I assumed was a strong friendship," Lord Blueblood is on record as retorting.

That caused Twilight to wince. She and the Blueblood Family had never gotten along in all the years she had been Princess Celestia's student. But they had at least respected each other. Coming from Prince Blueblood's father, that was a glowing compliment.

"On top of all of that, there was a known threat against Canterlot. One that yourself, Captain Armor, provided a shield for the city against. Yet in the end, it seems you forgot or ignored that fact," Fancy Pants continued.

"Captain Armor had no comment to give on this statement."

The bulk of the article was mostly the Judiciary Committee's questions and the defendants' answers. None of what Twilight read helped her mood. In fact, it made it worse, and it again made her question why it had all almost gone wrong that day several months before.

Only at the end did Twilight find what she was looking for again. And all it did was make her heart sink.

"In a move nopony ever thought would come to pass, the full house, in conjunction with Princess Luna herself, voted to strip Princess Celestia of all her powers as a princess temporarily, and sentenced the Bearers of Harmony to 6 months community service."

"Princess Luna summed it up when she finally spoke after the vote. "I believe somepony once said it best, sister. You have a lot to think about. Maybe this time, it will actually stick with you. This kind of thinking cost you myself a thousand years ago. This time it nearly cost you everything."

"Ponyville took the news as well as one could expect. Granny Smith, Matriarch of the Apple Family, said it best I feel. "Ah raised my grandaughter better than this. Twilight might be on the odd side now and then, but she's like family to all of us. And family don't do this to each other."

Twilight did smile a bit at the glowing praise from Granny Smith, but she couldn't help but go back to something else as she looked at Cadance. "Can they do that to Princess Celestia?"

Cadance nodded her own mood down. "If Aunty Luna herself also voted for it, then yes they can. It's not widely known, but if one princess if found guilty of failing Equestria, then the next princess in line can make whatever verdict she wants on the punishment."

It clicked for Twilight. "And since you're here, Princess Luna is. What about Shining though? They never said what he got."

Cadance nodded. "Because we're married, what happens to him is left up to me." She sighed. "But I feel he's suffered enough as it is. Your parents are doing worse than I ever could."

Twilight rolled her eyes. That was an understatement if what she was hearing from her mom and dad was any indication. "But what happens to Princess Celestia now? Who's raising the sun?"

Cadance looked out a nearby window at the star. "Aunt Celestia still is. It's the only duty she has at the moment. She told me that she is taking a long vacation, and not to look for her."

Twilight's eyes grew large. "She's what?! Where did she go?"

Cadance shook her head. "I don't know. She didn't say. Aunt Luna is now in charge of Equestria. From what I hear, she's not any happier about it than we are."

Twilight couldn't really blame Luna for it as she sighed and set the newspaper on a nearby table. If she was in her shoes, she wouldn't be any different. Though with nothing bad seemingly not being said, Luna must have been doing a good job so far.

She wondered though where Princess Celestia had vanished too. With the sun still rising and setting on schedule, she was obviously fine whever she was, but Twilight was still worried about her mentor.

As mad and annoyed as she was at the whole thing, she had never wanted any of this. Not even in her most vindictive moments had she wanted it. She didn't even think it was possible.

But there it was.
> Cold Iron Springs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and Cadance shared a confused look as Diamanda lead them down deep beneath the Crystal Palace, the way ahead lit only by the light coming from all of their horns. Why they were going this way was beyond them at the moment.

Earlier, Diamanda had come to them, saying it was time they both learned something new. Something that really only applied to alicorns. While that had gotten the both of them excited, it was beginning to wane, the longer they walked.

Cadance finally asked what both she and Twilight were thinking at the moment. "Where are we going?"

Dia smiled as she looked back at them. "Something both Celestia and I feel you are both ready to know about. She was able to get in touch with me from wherever she is at the moment. This was not how she had planned for this to happen, but circumstances change."

Twilight looked around at the rough cut tunnel they were in, even as her magic played up again. "How far down are we? And why is my magic acting up?"

Cadance nodded. She too could feel her magic acting strangely, and not just her unicorn magic either, but her Pegasus magic as well. "I've never felt anything like this before. It's like something is blocking my magic."

Diamanda nodded, even as her own horn flickered. "There is a reason for that, and it is part of why so few know about this place." She stopped as the tunnel widened out into a large chamber. "And we are here."

Cadance and Twilight soon followed her out and stood on either side of her. There wasn't much to be seen. Both of them took a tentative step forward into the gloom.

At that exact moment, their magic cut off entirely and the room was plunged into total darkness. But their magic simply wasn't working anymore. it was gone, as it had never existed, to begin with.

Twilight and Cadance began to shiver. Their magic wasn't being suppressed or held back by some force. It was no longer there in any way like it had been stolen from their very being.

To Twilight, it almost felt like she was standing at the Gates of Tartarus once more. The feeling was almost the same as she had felt the day when she had returned Cerberus. But this was something else entirely. "What happened to our magic?" She finally managed to ask.

"This," Dia said as she walked over to a nearby wall. Taking a hoof, she scratched it above a torch bracket. The shards cut loose was enough to ignite the torch, which erupted into a bright blue flame. All along the walls, other torches soon burst into flame as well, their light showing something neither of the youngest princesses had expected.

A vast lake filled the center of the cavern, its surface as black as night. Not even the light from the torches made a difference, and no waves disturbed its surface.

Cadance walked over and dipped a hoof in the water, but quickly pulled it back. It was colder than anything she had ever thought possible. "This can't be what I think it is, can it?" She asked.

Diamanda nodded as she and Twilight joined her at the lake's shore. "Pure, undiluted, Cold Iron. Not the tainted lower grade, you might have seen or heard about. This is the Magic Killer in its purest form. Only me, Penumbra, Celestia, and Luna, know about this place aside from the two of you."

Twilight was in awe at what she was seeing. She had never thought she would see this much. She didn't think it was possible for this much to exist. "How can so much of it exist? It's supposed to be super rare."

Dia chuckled. "I don't know myself for sure. I found this place by accident not long after the Crystal Empire was formed. It is the largest and most pure source of Cold Iron on Equus. Not even Sombra knew where it was, though he looked for it."

Cadance took a careful step back. "But why is it here? It's not supposed to exist this far north. Even Equestria only has a few places where it can be found."

Diamanda shook her head. "It is not native to any one place on Equus, for it is not native to this planet, or even this galaxy. In fact, it is not even native to this universe, or this dimension. This is what the Armor of Eternity was forged from, bathed in the heat of a thousand dying universes."

Twilight rolled her eyes at that. It was an old myth, old even during the Three Tribes Era. Few believed the old creation myths anymore in this more, scientifically advanced age. Twilight herself didn't buy them herself. She did have a question though. "How did they make the Gates of Tartarus, if the lake is here, and its all the way out west?"

Dia giggled. "With great difficulty. Only pure and true alicorns can do anything with Cold Iron in its purest state. They must beat it to the mold of their will. If they remain true and pure in the task, it will eventually bend to their will. Once it does, it will answer to no other master but the one who forged it."

She rolled her eyes at some long-ago memory. "It took Penny weeks just to get enough to forge the gates, let alone listen to her. And it took even longer to forge her War Armor. The same can be said of my own armor, though I have not worn it in a long time."

Cadance tapped her chin. "Did Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna ever try something with it?"

Diamanda shook her head. "Celestia never saw it as more than a curiosity to be studied, and Luna, as far as I know, never tried to do anything before the empire was lost. They both know of it, but that is as far as I know with them."

Twilight looked at the lake with a renewed sense of wonder. She would be lying if she said she didn't want to study it. Even if it was something only for alicorns, it was still a new subject for her, and that made her almost bounce in place with glee. 

Something that Diamanda said though had her confused as she and Cadance shared a look. "Do you think either me or Cadance could ever do something with it?"

Dia tapped her chin. "I honestly cannot say for sure. You both are the first ascended alicorns Equus has ever known, and therefore, nopony knows what that could mean with Cold Iron." She smiled after a moment though. "But I cannot see why not. It is worth a try at least."

That helped ease the younger alicorns' minds a little as they shared a smile. It was something worth trying at least in the future. Though for what, neither could say for sure at the moment.
> Great and Powerful Old Face
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight had rather grown used to some of the odd things that had happened to her life in the last few months. While she was still coming to terms with some of the aspects of her new life, she was getting used to it nonetheless.

Seeing the blue unicorn with a stage magician's outfit on, was something and someone she hadn't expected to ever see again. "Trixie?" She asked, finding the unicorn in question setting up her stage in one of the empire's main squares.

Trixie shot her an irritated glare. "That's the Great and Powerful Trixie to you, Twilight."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Right. How could I forget?" She looked around, spotting what had to be Trixie's new wagon parked off to the side. Her face fell. "What happened to you? You ran off so fast we never got a chance to talk."

Trixie paused her work, before sighing. "What else was I supposed to do? Ponyville didn't want me. Not after the Ursa Minor." She gave Twilight a forlorn look. "They still don't blame me for that, do they?"

Twilight's heart sank. "Trixie. We never blamed you for what happened. Snips and Snails told us the full story after you ran off. Those two are grounded until the heat death of the universe for that stunt." She shook her head. "I didn't think colts could be that stupid."

Despite how she still felt about that whole mess, Trixie couldn't help but laugh. "What about your friends? They seemed happy to let Trixie get squashed by the Ursa."

Twilight's left eye twitched. "My friends were being extra dumb that day. I honestly didn't care for them dragging me into it. I was actually rather enjoying the show."

Trixie gawked at her. "Sparkle says what now?"

Twilight giggled as she threw a hoof around the unicorn's shoulder. "It's true. Just because I am the Element of Magic, that doesn't mean I cant' enjoy a magic show. You're a stage Magician, Trixie. Unlike someponies I can name, I didn't hate you for your boasting. It's part of who you are."

Trixie preened, looking rather smug with herself. "And don't you forget it, Sparkle. The Great and Powerful Trixie has a reputation to uphold!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "And despite everything that happened, I know a lot of ponies in Ponyville who did enjoy your show. Most ponies did in fact. I think if you went back, ponies would still come and watch you. Hopefully without an Ursa Minor this time."

Trixie sighed as she looked away. "Maybe. But for now, the Great and Powerful Trixie has a show to do here in the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadance already signed the paperwork for it. The crystal ponies could use a pick-me-up after King Sombra. And that's not the only reason I'm here." She looked back at Twilight. "I was looking for you as well."

Twilight blinked. "Why are you looking for me?"

Trixie pointed at her wings. "You're even more famous now than you used to be, Twilight. Unlike most ponies though, I know the full story. I know about your Soul Bond with Lady Penumbra."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "How do you know about that?"

Trixie pushed herself away from Twilight. "Not all of Equestria forgot about Lady Penumbra and Queen Diamanda a thousand years ago. Her cult lived on, even if Diamanda's was lost with the Crystal Empire. I'm a part of Penumbra's cult. Safe to say, they are not happy about what the two of you have."

Twilight scratched her head. "What did I ever do?"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "You have a bond with our Dark Mistress that none of us have ever had. Many have wanted what the two of you have. Some were willing to kill you to get it. Or have you murdered in the worst ways possible, so that they could take what you have?"

Twilight was aghast at the thought. "But. Why haven't they tried anything? You're not out to kill me, are you Trixie?"

Trixie scoffed. "As if. Unlike some, I wasn't stupid enough to think I could take you on. Our leader, whose name I refuse to say, went after the Alicorn Amulet. The only thing that could kill you. He never got a chance to use it though."

Despite her horror at what she was hearing, she was curious now. "What happened to him?"

Trixie sighed. "Penumbra sent one of her Greater Shadow Demons, a Lord of Shadow, to claim his soul and drag it into the very lowest levels of Tartarus. His mangled and mutilated corpse was sent to the rest of the cult as a warning. Anyone who tried to kill you would face the same fate. No exceptions." She gulped. "We got the point after that. Even if we didn't have to like it. I came here to try and get away from all of that."

She paused, as she looked toward the Crystal Palace. "And to help bring a family back together again. With your help of course. Princess Cadance knows you better, and is willing to listen to you."

Twilight frowned. "What does Cadance have to do with this? She has a family."

Trixie shook her head. "An adopted family, Sparkle. I'm sure she told you the story. How she was found as an orphan Pegasus filly and raised by an earth pony family. Until she ascended and was adopted by Princess Celestia."

Twilight's frown grew. "I know the story, Trixie. Cadance never knew her birth parents or her family. She was the only Pegasus in the entire village. The only one for miles. Nopony even knew where she came from. She just... Seemed to appear out of nowhere one day in the forest."

Trixie nodded. "Don't you find that a little odd? What kind of parent would leave a newborn alone in the forest like that? And then there's her cutie mark."

Twilight tilted her head. "What about it? It's the Crystal Heart."

Trixie pointed at the actual heat. "Exactly! Why would an unknown Pegasus, from the middle of nowhere, have the Crystal Heart as her cutie mark? Decades before the Crystal Empire returned. Nopony had even heard of the empire at that point. And yet this filly gains the empire's greatest protection as her cutie mark."

Twilight began to suspect something, something that was so far-fetched, that she couldn't believe it. "Then what are you saying, Trixie?"

Trixie poked Twilight in the chest. "King Sombra murdered all of the old Royal Family. All but one that is. One that managed to escape into the future by some miracle, and was found by an earth pony couple."

Twilight's eyes widened in shock, as things began to fall into place. Things that made far too much sense. "Then?"

Trixie nodded, her smile softening. "Princess Cadance is Queen Diamanda's granddaughter."
> A Past Revealed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diamanda listened impassively as Trixie explained all that she had told Twilight. "That is a bold assertion to make, Miss Lulamoon. Especially now of all times."

Twilight, though, shook her head. "You said that they never found your granddaughter's body correct? Not even Sombra did. Ponies remember him demanding they search for her after he took over. Why would he do that if she was dead?"

Diamanda nodded. This was true. "And how would she have gone forward in time? No magic that I know can do this. Only Elder Magic can, and none have ever lived who can use it. Most believe it is only a myth."

Trixie smiled hopefully. "Maybe someone we don't know cast it? You said yourself she and Princess Cadance are identical. Why can't they be one and the same? Just cast forward in time?"

Diamanda frowned, and the temperature dropped dramatically as she did. "You forget yourself, Trixie Lulamoon. My sister's protection ends at the gates of the castle. Do not mistake that we are talking as we are as meaning you have free reign. I have dealt with your kind before. I will do so again."

Trixie gulped, backing up in fear, and even Twilight gulped. Diamanda saw this and allowed herself to relax slightly, letting the temperature rise. "I am sorry. But this had ripped open an old wound I had thought long healed. But the truth remains. My granddaughter is dead. It is only coincidence she and Princess Cadance look alike."

"Who do I look like?" Cadance asked as she joined the trio from a side chamber. "Sorry. I did not catch all of what you were all saying. Something about me? Good things I hope?"

Twilight and Trixie shared an uneasy look before the unicorn bowed and saw herself out. "This is far above the Great and Powerful Trixie's paygrade, so I will leave you three to continue. I have a show to get ready for, and a good magician never leaves her audience waiting."

Twilight's eyes twitched. Damn it, Trixie. Where was an Ursa Major when you needed one? She cleared her throat as Trixie closed the door behind. "Um. Yes. We were talking about you Cadance. I'm sure you have heard about Queen Diamanda's family by now?"

Cadance nodded, looking at the elder alicorn with concern. "Yes. Many ponies have said how much I look like your granddaughter. Identical in fact, according to her Crystaller. I'm sorry I'll have a chance to meet her. She sounded so wonderful and full of life."

Diamanda nodded, smiling at the memories. "She was. I believe the two of you would have gotten along great. And yes, the two of you are identical. But she was a Pegasus. You are not."

Twilight nodded, another piece of the puzzle falling into place. "Ah-ha! That is just it though. Cadance was not always an alicorn!"

Diamanda looked at her. "Is this true? I had heard something to this effect."

Cadance nodded, smiling sheepishly. "It is true. I was born a Pegasus. An earth pony couple found me in the woods not far from their village near the Unicorn Range. Mother always said there seemed something special about me. A special kind of love they did not understand. It's part of why they named Mi Amore."

Diamanda's breath hitched. That was the ancestral name of her family. No other family used it aside from her own. How could a family living on the outskirts of Equestria know it? "And you have no memory before you awoke there?"

Cadance shook her head. "No. The first memory I have is waking up in my mother's hooves as an infant." She smiled. "They never hid the fact that they were not my birth parents, or that I was the only Pegasus for a hundred miles in every direction. I didn't care. The other fillies and colts never excluded me from their fun and games. Yes. There were things they could do that I could not, and things I could do that they could not, but we never cared." She chuckled. "You should have seen their reaction when I returned as an alicorn."

Diamanda smiled, and even Twilight couldn't keep a straight face. No matter how many times she heard this story, it never got old for her. It seemed to have more impact since her move to Ponyville, but she did not care. "Is there a way to know for sure?" She asked hopefully.

Cadance and Diamanda shared an uneasy look, and so Twilight pressed forward. "Look. Maybe this is all nothing but a load of horeapples. Or maybe it is not. Would it not be better to know for sure?" She looked at Cadance. "Your cutie mark is the Crystal Heart. It cannot be a coincidence."

She looked at Diamanda, and her heart sank as she put a hoof on her shoulder. "And maybe your granddaughter truly is gone. I cannot imagine what that feels like. But if this does prove to be a false lead, then the two of you can stop tiptoeing around each other like this. It is not fair to either of you."

Diamanda thought about it for a moment, before she sighed. "There is one way. A Soul Weighing."

Cadance and Twilight both blinked in confusion. "A what?" Twilight asked.

Diamanda chuckled. "The Soul Weighing. I am not surprised you do not know of it. It is older than I am. It is a way to determine if two ponies are truly connected. Either in love or by blood. We each put a part of ourselves on the scales. If one weighs more than the other, we are not. But if they are balanced..."

Twilight nodded, heading for the door. "I know where we can get some scales then. Give me a moment."

Diamanda chuckled as she ignited her horn and produced a set of golden scales she set on a nearby table, the weight already zeroed out. "No need, Twilight. This magic requires a very specific set. Fortunately, I know the spell to summon them." She walked over to Cadance and bent down so that their horns were touching. "You must trust me for this, Princess Cadance. This will sting a little."

Cadance didn't know what she meant, but she closed her eyes and let herself relax. She did trust Queen Diamanda, though she did not know entirely why.

Diamanda nodded as she too closed her eyes. Their horns ignited together in a golden glow before both gasped as what appeared to be a part of their souls floated out of their bodies and settled on the scales. Opening them, the trio watched as the process began.

For a moment, the scales tipped back and forth, and for a time, it seemed as if the scales would tip in Diamanda's favor. Twilight could only assume that it did so because she was the elder of the two, but she could not be sure and made a note to ask about it later.

But then it happened. The two halves began to align themselves, before stopping dead as the scales aligned perfectly. Nopony said anything, not daring to hope that this wasn't anything but a cruel joke. But the scales never moved. As the seconds passed, the two soul pieces began to glow brightly, seemingly attracted to each other, before they returned to their respective ponies.

Twilight could not believe it. Was this true? But as Diamanda and Cadance opened their eyes, she could see it in them. This was no joke.

Cadance choked back a sob. "Grandma?"

Diamanda's breath hitched. It was just like her mother's voice. "Cadenza? How? When?"

Cadance didn't respond, only burying her head in Diamanda's shoulder, and letting loose years of tears unshed at having finally found her birth family. A second later, Diamanda let her own tears fall as she pulled her granddaughter close. The two sat like that for a long time, just letting it all out and talking.

Unseen and unremarked upon, Twilight quietly saw herself out, smiling widely as she quietly closed the door behind her.





Later that night, as the Great and Powerful Trixie dazzled the roaring crowd with her best tricks, and even a few new ones she had created for just this occasion, a reunited family sat together in the front frow, cheering as loudly as the citizens around them. Their closeness would raise many questions, and even more so once the news broke to the empire, but for now, nopony paid it much mind.

At their side, Twilight tried not to bounce in place from the excitement. She would be putting in a good word for Trixie for sure once she returned home to Ponyville. Not just for her help in bringing a family back together, but also for a rather good magic show.

Twilight only wished their first meeting all those months ago now could have gone as well as this. But that was in the past now, and while she doubted she and Trixie would ever be super close, Twilight didn't mind calling her a friend.

But all of this had awakened something inside of her. It was time. Time for a long-overdue confession. There was just one question. How the hay was she going to not make an absolute fool of herself in front of Penumbra?
> Confessions and A New Future
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure you will not stay longer, Twilight?" Cadance asked as the train whistle blew, announcing the imminent departure. 

Twilight nodded with a sigh. "I am sure, Cadance. I can't take this anymore. Either I confess to Penumbra. Or I will go insane. Pinkie Promise."

The two giggled at this, for even Cadance, for not knowing Pinkie for as long or as well as Twilight did, knew how seriously these kinds of promises were taken. Neither wanted to think of what might happen if one were to be broken.

Cadance pulled her sister-in-law close. "I understand the feeling, Twilight. Shiny can tell you how bad it is. He agonized for months before he confessed to me. But it will be worth it in the end. I know it will be."

Twilight's ears fell, an old fear reawakened. "And what if she says so? What if this destroys our friendship? I will not do that to her. Not again."

Cadance frowned. "Twilight. I can't speak for Penumbra. But I refuse to think that she would stop being your friend over something like this. Breakups destroying friendships is a lazy trope used by cheap romance authors. Most of whom probably are still single and still virgins."

Twilight giggle-snorted. "Right. I forgot that you hate most of those stories. What were the six things you used to say you absolutely hated more than anything else in Equestria?"

Cadance smirked. "Incest, fetishes of any kind, foalcon, sharing my husband with any other mare in the world, rape, and romance tropes. I know how other mares have looked at him. I do not blame them. I would too if Shiny had always been with someone else. But anypony who thinks I am going to share Shining with anyone is delusional."

Twilight rolled her eyes. She had heard it all before. Several times in fact. But that was all beside the point. "And if she says no? Then what? What about our bond?"

Cadance bit her lip. "I cannot say for sure, Twilight. Only she can tell you that. I still do not understand Soul Bonds all that well. Even when Diamanda has said she will help me to learn about them."

Twilight looked around at the crowd they were drawing, and for once, it was not all about her. The news had gone out the day before of Cadance's family connection to the Crystal Empire, and ponies seemed to still be digesting the news. "How is the empire taking the news?"

Cadance sighed as she looked around, knowing of what Twilight spoke of. "They are in shock, mostly. Not that I blame them. It will take time for it to settle in I feel. And I still do not know how I am going to explain this to aunt Celestia and aunt Luna. Did they know about this? Why did they not tell me if they did?"

Twilight's ears fell. This was a question that had been plaguing her as well. She shook her head as they pulled apart and she headed for the train. "Wish me luck, Cadance. I feel that I am going to need all that I can get."

Cadance giggled as the door closed behind the younger alicorn. "Do not worry, Twilight. I know that you can do it. Now go sweep Penumbra off of her hooves like I know you can."





As the train pulled beyond the Crystal Heart's shield, Twilight felt all of her strength and vitality skyrocket, earning a moan of delight in the process. She had forgotten what this felt like. It was good to be out in the wider world again.

But it was only a minor distraction from her bigger worries, as she watched the tundra pass by. "I wish I had your confidence, Cadance," Twilight sighed, unable to stop the gloomy thoughts in her mind. "So much can go wrong with this. And I just know it will."

"Love trouble?" A new voice asked, startling Twilight out of her funk as she looked up to see who had spoken to her. An earth pony mare with pumpkin coloring sat down across from her. For some reason, Twilight felt she should know who this was. "This seat is not taken is it?" The mare asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No. Do I know you? You look familiar for some reason."

The mare giggled. "You might know my family from Canterlot. I used to go into the Canterlot Archives a lot. Name's Pumpkin Spice. We used to know each other."

Twilight's mouth dropped in shock, the name finally ringing a bell. "The heir to the Cushaw Family?! That Pumpkin Spice?"

Pumpkin giggled. "That's me. And the only earth pony ever born to a unicorn family. Yeah. That was a shock for mom and dad for sure."

Twilight could only nod in surprise. It had been a shock to all of Canterlot when the news had broken. Next to the Apple Family, the Cushaws was well known for making some of the best pumpkins in Equestria. How a predominantly unicorn family did so well in a field usually dominated by earth ponies was not known. But very few would argue that their skills in Life Magic were second to none.

Even Applejack, as stubborn and set in her beliefs as they came, always had good things to say about the family. 

Twilight shook her head, trying to get back on track. "So, what brings you to the Crystal Empire? Is it not a little cold?"

Pumpkin rolled her eyes. "There were rumors about a lost branch of the family living in the empire. But that turned out to be a load of horseapples. Nopony with our family name has ever lived in the empire. Not even a remote branch. But I did lay the groundwork to expand up here in the future. Father is getting up in years. It is time I start doing these things. One day, they will all be mine."

Twilight nodded. That made sense, as sad as it was.

Pumpkin, though, smirked. "Now, what about you, Twilight? I know you always blew me off when we were fillies, no matter what our parents tried. You look like you need a friend at the moment, though."

Twilight kicked herself, suddenly remembering all the times Pumpkin had genuinely tried to be friends with her. And every time, she had blown her off. No more, she swore with a sigh. "Maybe I do. And I am so sorry, Pumpkin. Your right. I did ignore you, and you were always so nice to me. It is time I tried to fix this."

Pumpkin smiled, before poking the alicorn. "So, spill, Twilight. What is on your mind? Trouble with love?"

Twilight nodded sheepishly. "Yes. Cadance says I need to be direct with her, or I will never get the mare of my dreams."

Pumpkin nodded, not surprised by this bit of news. "Well. I can't say I personally know the mare you're talking about. But even I can tell you have it bad for her. You should listen to Princess Cadance, though. Who else knows love better than she does?"

Twilight groaned. Why was everyone saying that? "It is not that simple," she grumbled as she pointed at her cutie mark. "We share a bond that nopony else has. If I do this, and she says no, then what does that to it? I will not do that to her."

Pumpkin looked at the mark. She had heard of what had happened before the wedding. Her father was a leading member of the House of Lords, so she also knew of what had been discussed during the hearings. "The Lady of Tartarus must be something else for you to do that with her."

Twilight briefly wondered how her friend knew that, but held her questions for now. "She is. Maybe I should have thought it through more before I did. But I did not know what else to do, and here I am."

Pumpkin giggled. "And here I thought you always thought things through, Twilight. Guess not. Personally, I say you should be direct about, and damn the consequences. Love does not need to make sense. Trust me." She tapped her chin. "How are you getting back to Tartarus anyway?"

Twilight rubbed her snout irritably. "I still remember how to get to the Gates. I will not risk teleporting inside. I am not sure if I even could do so. So, I will be walking. It is impossible to miss the Walls of Night."

Pumpkin rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you want to go alone? I could use the exercise, and I would be lying if I said I was not curious to see all of the sights."

Twilight chuckled. shaking her head. "Thank you, but no. This is something that I must do alone. I plan to get off in Canterlot and spend some time with my parents before I do though." She smiled widely. "And I could use a friend right now. I blew you off so much when we were younger. It's time I make up for that."

Pumpkin smiled as well, and soon the two were talking about anything and everything that came to mind.





Several days later, Twilight wondered why she had thought coming here by herself was a good idea, as she finally came out of the treeline. Maybe it had been her not paying attention with Cerberus on her heels, but nothing here felt right at all. The land had changed, as she looked up at the Walls of Night once more. Oh, it all still looked the same as before. But there was something... wrong in the air. Twilight could feel it, even as the ground beneath her shook once more. As if something far below raged against its confinement.

Twilight frowned as she walked forward. The earthquakes were coming faster and faster, the closer she came to the Gates. Something was wrong. Very wrong. But she had come too far to stop now, as she once more came to a cleft in the rock.

Several minutes later, she once more stood before the Gates of Tartarus. Even knowing what to expect, Twilight shivered to be close to this much Cold Iron. She looked up in worry as dust fell on her as another earth-shattering pounding echoed through the tunnel. Now there was no doubt. It was the sound of something trying to break free from confinement. Something large whatever it was.

With a clang, the doors opened, allowing Twilight to rush through before the whole tunnel collapsed on top of her. Would that not be a way to go, she thought sarcastically. Killed, not by some villain, but by rocks. It would just be her luck, she chuckled as the doors closed silently behind her. Fortunately, she had memorized the way to Penumbra's castle during her last visit, and so she wasted little time in following the road down towards the flatlands.

She had not gone more than a mile when a cold voice stopped her. "You do not belong here, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight watched as a deeper shadow detached itself from the shadows around her. A Lesser Shadow Demon if she remembered correctly, as she frowned. "I am here to see Penumbra."

The Shadow shook its head. "Our mistress has no time for you, today. She is busy. Go away."

Twilight's frown grew as she stepped right into its face. "Then she can come to tell me that herself. Not send one of her lackeys. I can find my way to the castle without any help if I have to."

The Shadow went to answer before a new voice answered instead. "I admire your spirit, Twilight. But this is not a good time."

Twilight watched as Penumbra herself detached from the darkness between two large boulders. The Shadow bowed and floated away, disappearing into the gloom. Twilight shook her head with a smile. "Okay. How do I learn to do that?"

Penumbra smiled as well. "I can teach you, but you have picked an inauspicious time to return. I am sure you can feel what is going on beneath us?"

Twilight nodded, as another tremor shook the area. "What exactly is going on? It feels like something is trying to break free of some kind of prison below us."

Penumbra nodded. "It is the sounds of something best left forgotten. An Elder God if you must give it a name. Far below even the deepest vaults of Tartarus lie the Catacombs. Confined and locked away in the deepest darkness are things that even I fear. Nameless things that were ancient when the world was young." She shook her head. "From time to time, one tries to break free. I must bend all of my powers to keeping it locked away at such times."

Twilight's ears fell. "Is that why I have not felt you since I left the Crystal Empire?"

Penumbra nodded. "Yes. Dia has told me all of what you did, however. I can never thank you enough for what you and your friends have done. Not just for the empire. But for my family as well."

Twilight blushed. At least she did not have to explain it all then as she turned around. "Then this can wait. You do not need me to distract you."

Penumbra stopped her with a wing and turned her around with a smile. "Twilight Sparkle. You came back all this way for a reason. I do not need our Soul Bond to know that. But I want to hear the words from your lips." Her smile softened. "Tell me what is in your heart. I can see it in your eyes."

Twilight's blush grew. Darn it. She had not planned nearly as well as she had thought, for now, the butterflies in her stomach had grown into dragons. But there was no turning back now as she stepped up and nuzzled the elder alicorn. "I love you, Penumbra. I always have, since we first met. Maybe this is stupid, and this will destroy everything we have, but I don't care. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Penumbra's ears fell. And there it was at last. "Twilight. You know what happened between Luna and me."

Twilight's ears fell. "I know. That's why I never said anything before now, or what it might do to our bond if you say no. I will not do that to you." She sniffed as her head fell. "Maybe this was all for nothing, and I am being stupid. Chasing something I can never have. But my feelings are real. I know they are."

Penumbra shook her head. "It would not change our Soul Bond. It would strengthen it in fact, to unheard-of levels."

Twilight smiled a little. That was a weight off of her shoulders at least. "But you don't love me as I do you. I can see it. This whole thing was stupid. I should have known better. Fairy tails never work out in real life. Why should I be any different?"

Penumbra's heart fell as she saw the heartbreak in Twilight's eyes. It was more than she could take as she shook her head. "No, Twilight. I do not know if I feel the same way about you that you do me." Her smile grew as she lifted the alicorn's head with a hoof. "But we can find out. Together. If you will have me?"

Twilight saw that she meant it, and it made her heart soar. Before she could stop herself, she locked lips with Penumbra in a deep kiss. A moment later, Penumbra returned it in full. They stood like that for several minutes, before Penumbra led the two of them back to her castle, her wings wrapped around the younger alicorn, who leaned into the embrace, even as their tails started to intertwine.

Neither paid it any mind. While the future was uncertain, they both knew that whatever might happen. They would face it together.