The brisk autumnal winds brushed against Twilight Sparkle's coat as she made her way down the rocky path that led to Ghastly Gorge. Above her, the weather ponies were covering the sky with gray rain packed clouds for a storm that was scheduled later that evening. Twilight Sparkle was not worried, since it was about an hour before noon and she was sure she would be back in Ponyville before the storm started. Right now she had a mission to complete.
The day before, she had come across something in her studies. It was something called the Nova Crystal, and was apparently a very rare jewel in Equestria. It was said to have originated in Draconis, but that was only a rumor since it was such an ancient crystal. The crystal was supposed to have a mysterious power that manipulated the memories and the magic of any living creature. It was very dangerous if put into the wrong hands, but also a great area of research for many scholars like Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight had managed to find out about it because Starswirl the Bearded was the first recorded pony to have researched the crystal. According to Starswirl, the magical qualities possessed by the crystal could be extracted and imprinted into a pony's mind. Twilight wasn't sure what he meant by 'imprinted,' and decided she was save that to discover later. She had decided to write a letter to Princess Celestia, informing her of her findings. Remembering that Spike was away on an assignment in Canterlot, Twilight had no choice but to have the letter delivered by postal service.
That morning, Twilight had packed two saddle bags for her expedition. Inside one was a lunch box containing a cupcake from Sugarcube Corner and some apples, and in the other was a book, a note book, and a pencil.Twilight was fully prepared for this and left a note on the door in case anypony came looking for her. Now she was just approaching the part of the path that sloped downward to the bottom of Ghastly Gorge.
She would need to use Rarity's gem finding spell for this, but amplified for gems that gave out stronger frequencies. The sonic resonance of the Nova Crystal should be strong enough for Twilight to be able to pick up on it. So she concentrated, sparks flying from her horn. Then there was a warm glow and Twilight began scanning the area. There was a powerful signal coming from the right of her, so she turned and followed said signal.
As she walked through Ghastly Gorge, the air got quieter and she could soon hear her hooves clearly thudding against the hard ground beneath her. The temperature dropped a little, since it was getting chillier. Twilight found herself wishing she had brought a coat or a scarf at least. It was too late now anyway, she was already getting closer to her goal. She could feel it in her horn. There was a magical sort of tug on the horn, guiding her in the right direction. Soon Twilight realized she was going a little deeper, as the ground sloped downward. There was a thin mist beginning to form, sending a shudder down Twilight's spine.
At that moment, Twilight heard a faint ringing. It was a soft continuous sort of ringing, and it was almost like it was calling out to her. Curious, Twilight looked upward towards her horn, and found herself being pulled towards the ringing. She nodded and continued on, following the mysterious sound.
Soon the young scholar came to a rocky area. It looked almost like there had been an avalanche. This brought to mind a memory of Rainbow Dash telling her about the time she and other flying creatures had a race through this very Gorge in order to pick out the perfect pet. This must have been where Rainbow Dash had injured her wing. Twilight looked at the still pile of rocks and something caught her eye.
There was sort of a glint coming from a few openings in the rock. There was something buried underneath all the boulders. Twilight's horn told her she was in the right place. Still, she couldn't be too sure. Twilight took a few steps back and used to her horn to scan the area. The signal seemed to come straight from the rock fall. Twilight sighed and climbed up onto one of the smaller rocks. She made her way towards where the glint was, using her hind hooves to push herself upward.
Concentrating, she used her magic to slowly levitate the covering rocks one by one. She chucked them aside, uncovering whatever was glowing underneath. Then she saw it. It was a pyramid shaped crystal, and a mixture of fuchsia and deep pinks. In its center there was a bright white glow, which had to have been the source of the glint. Twilight had a good feeling that this was the Nova Crystal, and she smiled.
Twilight reached out to the Crystal using her magic. However, as soon as her stream of pinkish magical energy touched the Crystal's surface, the magic was enhanced and the ringing became high pitched. Twilight was blasted with a powerful wave of magic and thrown backwards. She landed at the bottom of the rock pile in a heap, groaning slightly. She could still feel the magical energy coming from the Crystal.
Twilight rolled off her back and stood up. She started trying to climb back up the pile towards the Crystal. This time she was cautious however, protecting herself with a magical force field. She approached the Crystal once more, trying to reach out. She managed to touch it with the tip of her hoof, but that had been a mistake. There was a loud crackle, and an intense pain suddenly hit her horn. There was another crack, and Twilight screamed out in pain. There was now a searing pain in her horn, and then she saw blood dripping down in front of her. The Crystal before her glowed again, hitting her with double the force this time.
She screamed once more, the pain in her horn too much for her. She could feel her horn crack and heard something clatter beside her. She never got to see what it was, because now she was losing consciousness. The Crystal continued glowing brightly, and Twilight's vision was obscured by a black haze.
~ ~ ~
Flying. One of the best gifts ever given to Pegasi. Flight was a true freedom, and it was Rainbow Dash's life. The mare with the prismatic mane had always loved flying, and she loved flying fast. Hay, flying fast was what had earned her her cutie mark; the multicolored lightning bolt coming from a cloud. Rainbow Dash bore that mark proudly, and almost never failed to find a chance to brag about it.
Rainbow Dash and the weather team had spent the day preparing the skies for a storm that night. She was just flying under the scape of the cloud cover, making sure no one would be caught unprepared in the storm. She looked down as she flew over Ponyville, whose streets were empty for the most part. She flew over the library and remembered seeing the mare leaving that morning. Twilight had been carrying two saddle bags, and when inquired about it, informed her that she was going to Ghastly Gorge for an expedition.
Just to be on the safe side, Rainbow Dash decided she would check on her friend to make sure she was home. She landed in front of the door and saw the note that Twilight had left. It was still on the door, which brought a frown to Rainbow Dash's face. Twilight should have removed it when she had gotten home, because then there would be no reason to leave it on the door. Twilight wasn't the kind of pony to just forget about it. This worried the cyan pegasus, and she turned to take to the skies to find Twilight Sparkle.
She had to find her, since Rainbow Dash was the only one who knew where she was. Rainbow Dash flew straight to Ghastly Gorge, moving at a fast speed. The storm was due to start in an hour, and if she didn't find her soon, they would both be drenched in rain. Rainbow Dash honestly didn't understand why Twilight had chosen today of all days to go on an expedition. She was such a nerd that way, Rainbow Dash thought with a smirk.
She flew over Ghastly Gorge and swooped in low. Rainbow Dash carefully scanned the area as she flew through. Soon she came close to where she had fallen that time when she was picking out a pet. As she neared the rock pile, she spotted a mass of purple and red. The red part scared her, and she immediately moved closer. Rainbow Dash was horrified at the sight of Twilight Sparkle lying motionless on the rocks.
Twilight's mane was matted with blood, mostly at the front. There was a smoking hole where her horn had been, and that fragment of horn lay beside her. She was lying in her own blood, and her coat was becoming paler. Next to her was a glowing amethyst crystal, and Rainbow Dash could feel a certain aura radiating from it. Rainbow Dash had a feeling that the Crystal was the cause of Twilight Sparkle's current state.
She felt a mixture of fear and anger in her heart. She feared for Twilight's life, which was now slowly seeping out in the form of blood. She was angry at Twilight for being so reckless and going off on her own. She was angry at herself for not stopping Twilight when Rainbow had first asked where the unicorn was going. Rainbow Dash regretted not stopping her, and she blamed herself for Twilight's current state.
Rainbow Dash picked up the unattached horn and swallowed. She didn't know much about unicorn anatomy, but she had a feeling that if an unicorn lost their horn, that meant something really bad in relation to their magic. She stuck it in one of the saddle bags Twilight had with her. Then she gently scooped up the unicorn in her arms. It would be difficult carrying her, and Rainbow Dash found it would be best to fly with Twilight underneath her. So she wrapped her fore hooves around Twilight's upper body and held her rear using her hind legs. Then she flew up into the sky and towards Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash went straight to the hospital and straight through the doors.
"Nurse Redheart! Help me, please!" she begged when she saw the nurse coming through a doorway.
The white earth pony looked towards Rainbow Dash, then saw the limp unicorn in her arms. Her eyes widened and she looked at the receptionist. "Call in a gurney, stat!" she ordered her.
The receptionist got a team of doctors to come rushing in. Rainbow Dash let the doctors put Twilight Sparkle on the gurney fast. She made to follow them, but Nurse Redheart stepped in her path.
"I'm sorry, I need to ask some questions first," Nurse Redheart explained. "Do you know what happened?"
Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath and said, "I'm not really sure. I found her at Ghastly Gorge, she was out cold and her horn was broken. I put her horn in her saddle bag, but I couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding. I just brought her straight here."
Nurse Redheart nodded, "Right. Does anypony else know about this? You should go inform them, and then come back if you would like."
"Good idea," said Rainbow Dash. She already had a good idea of who to tell, but first her friends needed to know. "Thank you Nurse. Considering how late it is, I'll be back in the morning."
Nurse Redheart gave her a nod, "That's fine. I promise we'll do everything we can to help her."
Rainbow Dash smiled gratefully at the nurse. "Thanks." Then she remembered something and asked, "Um do you know what happens if a unicorn loses her horn?"
The nurse bit her lip, unsure if she should answer the pegasus's question. She said, "The horn is one of the most vital parts of an unicorn's anatomy. If a unicorn loses it, well it can be very unlikely that a unicorn will survive. A unicorn's life relies heavily on her magic, and since the horn is the ultimate source of their magic... There are ways to fix this, but it is a very difficult process. You're not saying that she..."
Rainbow Dash gulped and nodded. "Y-yeah..."
"Right, looks like this is more serious than I thought," said Nurse Redheart. After a slight glower from the Element of Loyalty, she added, "Of course we treat all injuries very seriously."
"I need to tell the others," said Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash turned and raced out of the hospital. Her heart was racing now. After what the nurse had told her, it sounded like it was highly likely Twilight Sparkle was going to die. She needed to get a letter to Princess Celestia. That was top priority at the moment. Rainbow Dash ran to the Golden Oaks Library. When she reached the library and went inside, she was relieved to see that Spike had returned. The young dragon was, however, surprised to see the cyan pegasus there and out of breath.
"Rainbow Dash? What's wrong?" Spike asked cautiously. "Where's Twilight?"
"No where good," Rainbow Dash said grimly. "She's lost her horn and she's in the hospital right now. I need to write a letter to Princess Celestia. Please Spike, she could die."
"All right, all right," Spike's heart had almost stopped when he heard the news. He cared very much about the mare who was like a big sister to him. "Let me get some paper."
Spike went to Twilight's desk and picked up a quill and paper. Rainbow Dash told him what to write down, then took the letter to read over it first. With a nod of approval, Spike puffed out a burst of green flame onto the paper, sending it off to Princess Celestia. Rainbow Dash decided it was pretty late already, and she would tell the others about it in the morning. She turned to leave when she heard Spike belch behind her. The Princess had responded that fast, which Rainbow Dash found impressive.
"What's it say, Spike?" she asked the young dragon.
Spike cleared his throat and read the letter out loud;
Dear Spike and Rainbow Dash,
I received your message right away. I am sending you this brief note that I have taken it into account, and considering the seriousness of the situation, you will be seeing me at the hospital tomorrow. If you like, bring your other friends along, as I am sure they will be very worried.
Your Princess,
Celestia.
"Not sure if that's good news or bad news," said Rainbow Dash, a heavy feeling in her stomach. "Guess we'll find out tomorrow. Good night Spike..."
"Night Dash, see you," said Spike with a wave.
Rainbow Dash left the library and sighed. It was already raining. She was just grateful she had gotten Twilight to the hospital before the storm had started. Now she needed to tell the others. Rainbow Dash didn't care if it was raining or not, her friends needed to know. First she flew to Rarity's and then Sugarcube Corner, since they were closest to the hospital. Rarity and Pinkie Pie both promised to come straight to the hospital first thing in the morning. Rainbow Dash went to Applejack's next, then finally Fluttershy's. If she had been on foot, this would have taken a few hours. However, thanks to her speed, she was able to let them all know within an hour. They had all agreed to come to the hospital first thing in the morning.
She decided she should stay near the hospital. So Rainbow Dash went to her cloud home and pushed it so it was right over the hospital building. She went inside and dried up before going into bed. She felt better now knowing her friend was being taking care of in the building below. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
~ ~ ~
Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her study. The room was lit by the warm glow of the fireplace. Princess Luna sat on one side of the room, watching her sister worriedly. Princess Celestia had read over the letter from Rainbow Dash several times already. Rainbow Dash had described everything she had seen when she had found Twilight Sparkle. A glowing crystal had been mentioned, as well as a detached horn. This was the most troubling part of the letter.
Princess Celestia had a sinking feeling about the crystal, about what it could have possibly been. She doubted her star student could have simply fallen and hit her head, therefore breaking off her horn. If it was that easy, there would be no unicorns. A unicorn's horn could only be removed by magical means, and there were very few who were willing to do such a feat. After all, magic was the very essence of unicorns.
"Sister," she heard Luna speak. "If I may say something?"
"Of course," said Princess Celestia, looking to her sister.
"You are planning to go to Ponyville tomorrow, right?"
Princess Celestia nodded in affirmation. "Yes, this is a grave matter and I can not hold it off for very long. My star student's life is at stake here."
Princess Luna nodded in understanding. Princess Celestia dug through her head, trying to think of what kind of magic could have caused such injury to Twilight Sparkle. She suddenly got an idea, and looked towards the door. The royal archives, she should check there. It had almost all the information of almost everything in Equestria.
"I'm going to the archives," said Princess Celestia.
Princess Luna nodded and her sister hurried out of the room. She made her way through the castle halls and down to the lower levels. She came to what looked like a dead end, but only she knew of the secret it held. Princess Celestia tapped her horn gently against the wall, and a door slowly appeared. She went through and downwards again, entering the royal archives. She went to the section that held information on all the magical objects in Equestria. She found Starswirl the Bearded's writings on the history of crystals. Finally, she found the book she had been looking for.
Princess Celestia opened the book and read the words before her. As she read the text, her eyes widened in horror. The Crystal had been supposedly dormant for thousands and thousands of years. Starswirl the Bearded had been the one to seal it away. He had said that its power was too dangerous for anypony, even the alicorns, and needed to be hidden away. Now that its power was awakened, Princess Celestia feared for her subjects.
~ ~ ~
Whiteness. That was the first thing Twilight saw when she slowly started waking up. The effects of the anesthesia were just wearing off, and Twilight's eyes were greeted by whiteness. The whiteness shifted suddenly, and faint colors started forming. The colors slowly became more defined, and they took shape.
Brown was the first color, brown followed by a silver disc at the top. There was still white, and the color shifted to form a coat. Her brain quickly added all this information together, and the image before her was a doctor. Kind eyes were looking at her. She noticed them almost right away. There was a gentle smile on his face. The smile suddenly split in the middle, the blackness in between widening. Then there was sound.
"Hello Miss Sparkle," came a voice. The sound was coming from the blackness between the smile, and it took a moment for Twilight's brain to register it as a mouth. The sound came again, and it said, "How are you feeling?"
It was a question. Twilight's brain registered that next. The doctor was aiming the question to her. She needed to respond. Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but instead of words there came a groan. Twilight felt her vocal chords vibrating in her throat. She blinked a few times, a dull pain in her head. Her head. Twilight could feel a slight weight on her head. It felt soft. She lifted up a hoof and brought it to her forehead, feeling cloth over a flat surface. Something told her she shouldn't prod any further, and she lowered her hoof.
"Miss Sparkle, nod if you are feeling any pain right now," said the doctor.
Twilight nodded slowly, her senses fully returned now. She looked around and saw she was in a hospital room. As she looked down, there were several tubes and stickers attached to her chest. There was an IV drip beside her bed and a bandage wrapped around her hoof. She could hear the soft hum of medical equipment, and looked over to where there was a screen currently monitoring her vital signs.
The doctor at her bedside spoke again, "You're very lucky to be alive right now. We almost lost you during the night."
Twilight could hear the grave tone in his voice and swallowed. She tried to remember the events of the night before, and found she could not. In fact, the only thing she could remember before becoming unconscious was this intense light and pain. There was a powerful energy emanating from the Crystal and...wait, Crystal? The Crystal, she realized was still out there where she had left it. It was a scientific discovery, and Twilight was the only one who knew about it. Her heart started racing faster as she began to panic.
"Miss Sparkle, please calm down. You are in a very delicate state right now," said the doctor. "Your friend Rainbow Dash brought you here after she found you at Ghastly Gorge."
"R-Rainbow...?" she croaked. She dug around in her memory of the name. Of course. She had told Rainbow Dash where she had been going the morning before. However, she did not see the pegasus in the room. "Where...?"
"She told us she would be coming to see you this morning," the doctor explained. "It was good to have found you when she did, considering that you've lost your horn."
Her horn. Twilight's eyes widened, realizing that was why her forehead felt so flat! She looked over to where there was a counter and cabinets. On the counter was a silver tray with a purplish, pointy object on it. It was her horn. Twilight paled a little bit. She knew what happened if a unicorn lost her horn. The doctor was right, she was lucky to be alive.
The doctor spoke again, "Several ponies arrived this morning insisting that they see you right away. I told them to wait since you were still asleep. Princess Celestia is here as well. She has requested that she see you first before you see your friends."
Twilight wondered how her mentor could have possibly known she was in the hospital. Then she guessed it was Rainbow Dash. Then another question occurred to her, how had she gotten the message that fast? Moments later Twilight remembered Spike had told her he would be back later in the evening yesterday. Rainbow Dash must have written a letter and had Spike send it. She sighed, knowing her number one assistant had to be worried about her.
Rainbow Dash...Spike...the reality of the situation finally hit her. Rainbow Dash had probably been the one to tell all her friends. Surely they were worried sick about her. Twilight realized that she hadn't even considered her friends' feelings if anything had happened to her on the expedition. Her search for the Crystal had almost cost her her life. She felt horrible for being so selfish towards her friends. Twilight hoped they were coming with Rainbow Dash so she could apologize to them all.
The door opened and Twilight saw her mentor enter the room. The sight of the Princess brought her relief, and she managed a smile for Princess Celestia. The Princess of the Sun had an expression of concern on her face. She came to Twilight's side, relieved to see her star student alive and awake.
"Princess...I'm so sorry," Twilight began.
"There is nothing to be sorry for, Twilight Sparkle," said the Princess gently. "You did not know of the Crystal's true properties had you chanced upon it, and when you did, the results were unexpected. The situation concerning the crystal is a grave matter indeed, but right now I am more worried about you. How are you feeling right now?" she asked Twilight.
"My head hurts...and my horn," Twilight looked over sadly at the horn that now lay on a silver tray on the counter. "Princess Celestia, have I lost all of my magic?"
"No, you simply have the same amount of magic as an earth pony. But even now that magical energy is slowly dissipating," said the Princess with a sad look. "Fortunately I can restore your horn for you, but it will take some time for your magical power to be fully restored. It may take weeks, months even."
"Oh..." Twilight's face fell. "Am I...am I still your student?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course you are, Twilight. This is not reason for me to dismiss you from being my student," Princess Celestia assured her.
Another nurse came into the room looking rather agitated. Twilight recognized her as Nurse Redheart and Princess Celestia turned to face the nurse.
"Princess, five ponies claiming to be the bearers of the Elements of Harmony are insisting that they see Twilight Sparkle right now," Nurse Redheart explained. "Should I let them in?"
"Yes," said Princess Celestia. "Let them in immediately. They will want to see Twilight."
"Yes your highness," said the nurse. She left the room to get Twilight's friends.
Princess Celestia turned back to her star student and said, "Well I will let you visit your friends. Then we will move on with the procedure to restore your horn. I want you to remain in this hospital for another night, and I want to meet with you and all of your friends tomorrow at the library. Understand?"
"Yes, Princess Celestia," said Twilight. "Thank you for coming."
"Anytime, Twilight," said the Princess with a smile.
She turned and left the room, and five ponies entered. Twilight smiled when she saw her friends gathering at her bedside. Then she saw how they all had been affected. Even Pinkie Pie's mane and tail were slightly deflated, and her lips were turned down into a frown. Rainbow Dash's expression was a mixture of anger and worry. A new wave of emotion came over her, and Twilight felt tears coming to her eyes.
"I'm so sorry to make you worry girls," she apologized. "I never should have gone out alone."
"We're just glad to see you're all right, Twilight," said Applejack.
"Wait, where is your horn?!" Rarity asked.
Twilight gestured with a hoof towards the counter. Her friends gasped when they saw the horn laying there, realizing their friend was much worse.
"Oh Twilight I'm so super duper sorry to see you like this! I am going to throw you a party as soon as you get out of the hospital!" said Pinkie Pie.
Twilight smiled gratefully and looked to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, the doctor told me you brought me here. Thank you."
"You're insane for going out there on a storm day," said Rainbow Dash, a hint of anger in her tone. "Do you realize that if I hadn't come to find you, you would have died?" Her voice started raising as she went on, "I know you're an egghead and all, but that was just reckless! Even I know not to go out right before a storm!"
Twilight's lower lip quivered at Rainbow's harsh words. "I know and I'm sorry! I'm sorry to all of you, it was selfish of me and I never should have done it!"
Rainbow Dash's expression softened at Twilight's tears and she said, "I'm just glad you're alive. Just don't do anything stupid like that again, okay?"
Twilight nodded, "Pinkie Promise." She slowly went through the motions and gave her friends a weak smile. "Thank you for coming girls, really."
"Um..." Fluttershy spoke up in her soft voice. "Will you be able to come home soon?"
Twilight nodded, "Princess Celestia said I could come back tomorrow. She wants to meet with all of us though."
Rainbow Dash raised a brow and asked, "Is this about the Crystal that I found with you yesterday?"
"I think it might be," said Twilight. "We'll find out tomorrow, I guess."
A doctor came in right then and said, "Excuse me, I would like to get started on Miss Sparkle's second operation as soon as possible."
Twilight nodded and looked to her friends, "I'll see you soon."
"Good luck Twilight," said Rarity.
"Expect a big party tomorrow, okay?" said Pinkie Pie.
Twilight giggled and smiled at Pinkie. "Okay, I will," she said.
"See you soon, Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, giving Twilight one final look before turning to leave with the others.
Her friends left the room and the doctor came to her side. He got another mask and put it over Twilight's face. Twilight lost herself in the anesthesia again and Princess Celestia walked into the room. She looked over to where Twilight's horn lay on the counter. She levitated it up using her magic and closed her eyes. This was something that required a lot of magical energy, but Princess Celestia was willing to make a small sacrifice for her student. She motioned for the doctor to give them some privacy so she could go on ahead with the procedure.
A soft glow came from her horn. The glow brightened until the room was filled with an intense whiteness. Princess Celestia pushed as much energy as she could into her horn. The light soon enveloped Twilight's horn, and it hovered over to its owner. The bandage on Twilight's head came undone and the horn attached itself to its base. Princess Celestia grunted, feeling her own energy being drained. She started to sweat a little as she put as much as she could into the spell. Soon the horn was fully reattached to Twilight Sparkle's head. With a final cry, Princess Celestia completed the spell. She opened her eyes, panting, as the light faded from the room.
Princess Celestia examined her student closely. The spell had indeed been successful. There was still red coloring around the base of the horn, but that was expected. Now it was up to Twilight to finish the healing process. Princess Celestia smiled and left her student to rest in peace. She returned to the waiting room and was surprised to see Rainbow Dash still sitting there. The cyan pegasus rose in the presence of the Princess and gave a quick bow before opening her mouth to speak.
"Princess, how was the procedure? Is she okay?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearly concerned.
"Yes Rainbow Dash, she is fine," said Princess Celestia. "I am not surprised to see the bearer of the Element of Loyalty still here. Though I must ask why?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, knowing she needed to be honest with the Princess. "Well I sort of knew she was going to Ghastly Gorge. I feel bad about it because I could have stopped her, ya know? But I didn't. I was stupid and dismissed her as an egghead doing what eggheads do. I feel like it's partially my fault."
Princess Celestia nodded in understanding. "I see. Well clearly you are sorry for your actions if you are still here. It's actually convenient for me, because I do have a question for you."
Rainbow Dash stood up straighter, curious as to what the Princess wanted to ask of her. Princess Celestia continued, "When you found my student unconscious in Ghastly Gorge, the Crystal was there as well, yes?"
Rainbow Dash nodded and the Princess went on, "I see...Rainbow Dash, I have a request for you. It is very important that you followed this request, because Twilight Sparkle's life may depend on it. In the first 12 hours of contact, the Crystal's magic will latch onto every living being near it. This means some of its magic is now on you, Rainbow Dash. I'm afraid you are in as much danger as Twilight Sparkle is. You do not feel it now, but if my suspicions are correct, you will start losing your own magic as well."
"My own magic?" Rainbow Dash was confused. "What do you mean? I don't do magic."
"I will explain further tomorrow, but my request to you is that you stay with Twilight Sparkle so I can find you both easily if need be. The Nova Crystal is very dangerous, and can be fatal to those affected by it. So please, for both your sake and Twilight's, stay with her. Again, I will explain when I see all of you tomorrow."
Rainbow Dash thought about this for a moment. This Nova Crystal did sound awfully dangerous, the way the Princess was describing it. She could understand why Princess Celestia would want both of them in the same place. She gave the Princess a nod,
"I'll stay with her, don't worry."
"As expected of the bearer of the Element of Loyalty," said Princess Celestia with a smile. "I will see you soon then."
"See you soon, Princess Celestia," said Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash watched the Princess leave the waiting room. She sighed and sat back in her own seat. It looked like they were caught up in something big once again. And worse, she and Twilight were right in the middle of it. Rainbow Dash looked towards the door that led to the rest of the hospital, knowing Twilight was in one of the rooms fast asleep at this moment. She was worried about her friend, which was natural. Since Princess Celestia had told Rainbow Dash to stay near Twilight Sparkle, she decided she would stay there the rest of the day.
Unfortunately hospital policies did not allow Rainbow Dash to spend the night in the hospital. Of course, she had picked up on that key word, in. She left the hospital and flew upward. Rainbow Dash got a big comfy cloud to sleep on and curled up. She closed her eyes, deciding she would take Twilight home tomorrow.
~ ~ ~
Twilight was ready to be discharged from the hospital. Rainbow Dash was waiting for her in the waiting room, and brightened up when she saw the unicorn come into sight. Twilight thanked Rainbow Dash for being there and the two of them exited the hospital. On the way, Rainbow Dash explained what Princess Celestia had told her yesterday.
"I can understand that," said Twilight when she finished. "Well you're welcome to stay at the Library if you'd like. I have a spare bed."
Rainbow Dash flashed her a grin, "Don't worry I won't be too much of a bother."
"Not at all, it's nice to have company other than Spike," said Twilight smiling back.
Rainbow Dash chuckled, agreeing with her. The two of them finally got back to the library, where they met Spike. The young dragon was relieved to see Twilight back safe, and the two embraced. Rainbow Dash got Twilight to sit down on the couch while she and Spike went around cleaning up for when the Princess came. In a few hours, their friends arrived, and soon after, the Princess.
The six friends gathered around Princess Celestia as she looked at them. "As you now know, two days ago, Twilight Sparkle found a rare crystal known as the Nova Crystal," Princess Celestia began. "The Nova Crystal was discovered by Starswirl the Bearded, and contained many dangerous properties. The Crystal has the ability to manipulate the magic in a pony; in all three types. You may be surprised to know that pegasi and earth ponies also possess magical ability. It is what gives pegasi the ability to fly so well and earth ponies the abilities to tend to the earth so well."
Princess Celestia paused so everypony could take it all in. Then Pinkie Pie raised her hoof, acting as if she were in a classroom. She waved the hoof around wildly, earning a soft laugh from Princess Celestia.
"Yes Pinkie Pie?" Princess Celestia looked at Pinkie Pie questioningly.
Pinkie Pie lowered her hoof and asked, "Why did it hurt Twilight so much?"
"Good question, Pinkie Pie," said Princess Celestia. "The Crystal would have affected any of you just as much had you touched it, because the Crystal itself possess a power so raw and undefined. The Nova Crystal possesses the same magic possessed by all three variations of our species. Starswirl the Bearded studied it explicitly. He discovered that at contact, the Crystal's essence would become imprinted in a pony's mind. It can do a number of terrible things to the mind, it can erase memories, drive one insane, change memories, and the worst, drain a pony of all magical energy. Our souls are closely intertwined with magic, forming a power so strong that magic becomes our very essence. Without magic, we are nothing. This is why the Nova Crystal has the ability to destroy our world."
"So that's why Starswirl sealed it away!" Twilight concluded. "But...I touched it, and it reacted. Does that mean...?"
"I'm afraid so, my little pony," said Princess Celestia. The situation is worse now, because its magic will have surely evolved over the years. I've sent a special team of unicorns to retrieve the Crystal before anypony finds it. If put in the wrong hands, then our very world is threatened."
"Do we need to use the Elements?" Twilight asked.
"Yes," said Princess Celestia. "However, due to the severity of your injury I don't want you using your magic for a week. We can contain the Crystal until you are fully recovered. Then we may use the Elements of Harmony to seal the Nova Crystal once more."
At that moment there was a knock on the door. Princess Celestia went to the door and answered. She found one of the team members that had gone to recover the Nova Crystal. The stallion bowed before the Princess and stood up straight to speak.
"We have recovered the Crystal, your highness. It is on its way to the palace as we speak. We can seal it away when you are ready," the stallion reported.
"Thank you," said Princess Celestia.
She turned back to the six ponies in the Library. "Twilight, I ask you to take a break from your studies and use the time to rest up. I expect Spike to send letters of your progress. I will send you a letter at the end of next week when you are ready to seal the Nova Crystal. Understand?"
Twilight felt reluctant about neglecting her studies for a whole week. She would be so behind if she did that! Still, the look her mentor was giving her told Twilight that she shouldn't argue. She signed and nodded.
"Yes Princess, I understand."
"Until next week then, my little ponies," said Princess Celestia. "Goodbye."
The Princess turned and left the Library. Twilight turned back to the rest of her friends who were looking at her worriedly.
"I'm fine, girls. Really. I could use a nap right now," she said.
"I'll stop by later with some of Granny Smith's apple pie," said Applejack with a smile. "Get well soon, sugar cube."
"Thanks Applejack," Twilight smiled gratefully at her friends.
They said their goodbyes and left the library. Now it was just her and Rainbow Dash. Twilight looked to the cyan pegasus. An awkward silence passed between them. Both of them knew Rainbow Dash had to stay near Twilight at Celestia's request. Rainbow Dash however was currently feeling guilty about the whole situation.
"Twilight, I feel like this is partially my fault. I didn't stop you when you told me you were going to Ghastly Gorge, and now this happens. I'm sorry I was selfish and didn't even-"
Twilight cut off her friend, "Rainbow it's okay. Neither of us knew this would happen. Don't blame yourself."
Rainbow Dash still looked skeptical. "If you say so Twi. Anyway..." she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "You probably should get some rest anyway. I'm gonna go out for a quick flight, just so I don't feel so cooped up in here."
"That's fine," said Twilight. "I'll have Spike make a late lunch for us, then."
"That sounds great!" said Rainbow Dash, perking up at that idea. "See ya Twilight."
Twilight watched as the pegasus left the library and zoomed up into the sky. She smiled, closing the door and heading off to her own bed. Then she took a good long nap.
Author's Note
This chapter has been edited.
