Just How Many More Times?

‘Thanks for coming after us,’ muttered Twilight.

‘You’re welcome, sis,’ answered the unusually serious Shining Armor. ‘I’m in your debt too, and for now the balance is still on your side. Just remember how many times you rescued me when I was in trouble!’

‘I remember!’ Twilight winced, for she hated praise. ‘You’ll have an opportunity to settle your debts before we are through with all this. If we are, ever, of which I’m no longer sure. Just look below – nothing but ashes! Ranhorn doesn’t want to waste time on trifles and recruits every villain in the book. I won’t be surprised if he is already using grown dragons as his escort. And if it’s true that Elements of Harmony have no power over him, what are we to do then?’

‘I wish I knew,’ Shining sighed.

The land of Equestria under the two chariots flying on parallel courses really looked heart-breaking. Scorched forests, ruined towns and villages, hungry ponies roaming around, totally lost about what to do – that was how the friends saw their beloved country. They tried not to look downwards, but sometimes they couldn’t help it, and then hot tears started burning their eyes. And over and over again they swore to defeat Ranhorn, no matter how strong he believed himself to be. It wouldn’t be their first time, after all!

Flying above their dear Ponyville, now reduced to ashes, they did their best not to look at it, but they saw Canterlot from a great distance and saw at once that Ranhorn had been there. The way the palace looked, usually so shining and glorious, was enough. But where were Celestia and Luna? Could they have been captured again? What had happened to the alicorn power if any villain could so easily vanquish it?

Only now the ponies noticed that for some time they hadn’t seen proper day or night. Both heavenly bodies hung at the horizon, only half visible. Suddenly someone started juggling with them, but that didn’t last long. As if obeying an imperative command the unknown hooligan put the sun and the moon back.

Only Discord could do this, and Twilight’s heart sank. If Discord were on their side, he would have taken responsibility for night and day to leave the miserable ponies this one little piece of normalcy. Instead, he was entertaining himself, just like in those days Twilight was trying to forget. So…?

‘I need to get there!’ Twilight uttered. ‘Don’t even try to dissuade me. And don’t even think of going with me – such a crowd will be noticed and grabbed at once. I’ll sneak there alone and find out what has become of the Princesses. You keep the chest safe and take care of each other.’

The friends descended and set up a camp in the Everfree forest not far away from the old castle of the Two Sisters. Twilight covered them with an invisibility spell and another one, very similar, she put on herself, making it so that she would still be visible to her true friends. Under such protection she went to Canterlot.

She found Celestia and Luna in the caves beneath Canterlot where Crysalis had imprisoned her once. A spell wouldn’t let them leave, but Twilight could enter and exit freely – the spell must have been personalized. Luna slept in daytime, as was her habit, but Celestia sat beside her sleepless, deep in sorrow. Her dazzling white coat was stained with mud; her gorgeous mane hung in greasy flocks. Her powerful horn was helpless, bound by a blocking spell.

‘I owe you many apologies, Twilight’ she muttered at seeing her favorite student. ‘I’m so guilty and so sorry! I should have told you. A thousand years before you were born, Equestria was a lousy place, and unnumbered villains swarmed here. My sister and I imprisoned them in Tartar or turned them to stone nearly every day. I knew that in a thousand years the magic holding them in place would gradually weaken, and they will start coming again, one after another. And I knew that Luna and I wouldn’t be able to beat them even if I free her from the Nightmare Moon curse. We have lost our connection with the Elements, and we couldn’t regain it. A great many will come, and nopony knows in how many days or years another ruthless enemy will break free. That’s why I was so desperately looking for somepony just as capable, brave and selfless as we were when we were young, somepony who would be able to save Equestria. Sunset Shimmer bitterly disappointed me, but when I found you I rejoiced. Your birth was providential, Twilight. But it would be unfair to expect you to fight evil all alone, which is why I insisted on your making friends from the start. That is also why I encouraged Cadance’s marriage to your brother. She descends from the powerful rulers of the Crystal Empire; she is young and her powers are many. She will be an inestimable helper for you, Twilight. But I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to scare you.’

The mention of Sunset Shimmer completely spoiled Twilight’s mood. She was trying hard to forget that brief adventure in a parallel world where she was surrounded by creatures she couldn’t understand or get used to, the loss of her normal appearance, and the hardships accompanying her adaptation to a completely different life. She would rather fight and defeat any villains imaginable than go through the mirror once again. It was obviously useless to wait for any help from Celestia. When she remembered her previous adventures, she had to admit that Cadance really could help when it was critical, but Celestia and Luna were for the most part just spectators, and she and her friends had most of the time solved their problems all by themselves. And she felt that the reason wasn’t just the loss of their connection with the Elements. The Royal sisters had lost something else, something more important, but Twilight couldn’t figure out what it was.

She promised her tutor to free her at all costs and soon left the half-ruined Canterlot. Counting on Elements wasn’t really a good strategy this time – she needed another solution. On her way back she briefly visited Zecora’s house.