Lost Time

by McSqueakers

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, Dark, Sad, Main 6, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rarity, Adventure
Length: 80446

Twilight and Rarity are sent 15 years into the future.

When Rarity is given an order for a dress, a series of unfortunate circumstances lead her to request the aid of Twilight Sparkle. When she discovers that Twilight has been studying time spells, she asks if she can help her recover some of her time. Reluctantly, Twilight agrees, but when she is performing her spell, something breaks her concentration causing the spell to become unstable, sending them 15 years into the future. What awaits them in a world where they have been missing for so long? Will they ever get back to their own time? Only time will tell.

*WARNING*
COMMENTS CONTAIN SPOILERS
(I LOVE feedback)

Art by Dreatos
- http://dreatos.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d47n304
Seriously, check out his work. He is one of my favorite pony artists.

Published 2011-11-01 20:20:22 UTC
Last updated 2012-09-18 09:12:42 UTC

[Prologue]

Lost Time [Prologue]

By McSqueakers

==============================================================================

The sun was shining its last lights across Equestria, its crimson rays glowing over the horizon in a blaze of colors that matched the leaves of the autumn trees. A few stars began to appear overhead, their light no longer obscured by the sun, which was barely peeking over the treetops of the Everfree Forest. On a hill were the silhouettes of two unicorns walking back into town, the smaller one hopping playfully ahead while the taller staggered on with her head hung low, as if she had just hiked across a desert.

“Sweetie Belle please. If you keep hopping around like that, you are going to get positively sweaty. We still have so much to do and so little time.” Rarity had been eyeing the position of the sun as she tried to pick up the pace. “Oh my. It’s almost night time and we still haven’t even made it back to Ponyville.” Rarity made a gesture with her front hoof as if to look at a watch that wasn’t there. “I was sure that we would at least have gotten back by now,” Rarity said, clenching her jaw as she shot a cold look at her little sister. Sweetie Belle winced as she felt the tension in Rarity’s voice.

Sweetie Belle had stopped in her tracks and pawed at the ground as Rarity struggled to catch up. “I... I just thought that maybe I could get my cutie mark if I picked some pretty flowers to match your dresses. Maybe it would... be… a… flower.” She looked up only to meet the icy cold stare of Rarity’s blue eyes.

“A cutie mark won’t do you any good if you get hurt or worse out there! You’re just lucky I found you before you got too far out!” Rarity snapped angrily before turning her attention back to getting home. “Now you’ve gone and made me late.”

“I didn’t know I was out so far! I just kept finding more flowers! I just wanted to help!” Sweetie Belle cried, choking back tears.

“Quiet. I don’t want to hear another peep out of you tonight! Do you hear me?” Rarity shouted, her face becoming flushed with rage. “Once we are done, you are going to go straight to your room because you are grounded! INDEFINITELY!”

Sweetie Belle couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. “YOU AREN’T MY MOMMY!” Sweetie Belle screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. “I WISH SHE WAS HERE AND NOT YOU!”

Rarity stood there, mouth agape as if to say something, but no words came out. All she could do was watch as Sweetie Belle sat on her haunches and bawled into her hooves. Unfortunately, their shouting match didn’t go unnoticed by the resident of the library they were now in front of.

The door flung open to reveal the lavender pony who trotted out nervously. “What in Celestia’s name is going on out here?!” exclaimed Twilight, who had been rigorously studying, at least until her peace and concentration had been interrupted by the cacophony that the two sisters were making. “Rarity?” Twilight looked at Sweetie Belle with a worried look on her face. “Why is Sweetie Belle crying? Did something happen?”

“Indeed, something did happen and Sweetie Belle is now grounded. Nothing to concern yourself with.” Rarity’s words had a little more sting than Twilight was prepared for. “I’m very sorry to disturb you Twilight. However I must be on my way. I have much to do.” She said doing her best to regain her lady-like composure now that eyes were upon her. “Come now Sweetie Belle. We have work to do.”

Sweetie sniffled as she stood up and then trailed behind Rarity, not once moving her focus from the ground directly in front of her. She kicked at the air as she followed her sister to Carousel Boutique.

“Mommy!”

“Sweetie Belle! Where are you!” cried out a worried voice. The mare weaved in and out of the foliage that covered the path, her only goal to head towards the little voice that called out to her. She pushed aside a low laying branch to reveal a clearing. There was a bush in the center with a swirly pink and purple tail poking out from behind it. “OH SWEETIE BELLE!” cried out the mare, her voice swelling with relief. She galloped down to the bush and swept up the filly in her hooves. “I’m so glad I found you!”

“Mommy! I was so scared!” cried Sweetie Belle. She was shaking violently in her mother’s hooves.

“Shhh, shhh. Mommy’s here. I’ve got you.” she said, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. “I thought I lost you.”

I’m… I’m s...s...so sorry. I didn’t know I had wandered off. I thought Rare was right behind me and I just wanted to see all the pretty birds but they kept flying off…” her voice trailed off, muffled by the sound of her sobbing. “I’m so sorry!”

The mare nuzzled her filly and placed a hoof to her lips. “Shh shh. It’s okay Sweetie. You’re okay and that’s all that matters.” Her worried tone had been replaced with a soothing one that almost seemed to sing every word to her. “Now let’s get home before it gets any darker.” The mare lowered her filly which clung to her leg as they trotted back to the main path.

The sun had set as they reached the door to their house which was promptly opened by an eager white filly with an expertly styled indigo mane. “Didja find her? Huh? Huh?” Young Rarity inquired. Sweetie Belle peeked out from behind her mother and then bounded up to her sister, wrapping her hooves around her as far as they would go.

“I thought I’d never see you again!” Little Sweetie Belle cried as she held her sister wiping tears into her white coat.

“I thought I lost you.” Rarity’s tone quickly shifting to scold the little filly. “Why did you run off! We were worried sick and….”

The mare had cut her off short. “Rarity, it’s okay. She’s safe and that’s all that matters. Now go get ready for bed. I have to give Sweetie a bath.”

With that, Rarity headed off to her room. The mare led Sweetie Belle to the bathroom and lowered the plug into the drain as she filled it with warm water. As the water began to rise, she placed Sweetie Bell down into the tub, the dirt in her coat quickly mixing with the bathwater, giving it a light brown hue.

“Sweetie, please don’t run away from your sister like that again. We were worried sick about you. I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you.” the mare said, her voice more relieved than tense. Sweetie Belle didn’t say a word as she lowered her head as if to cry but only gave a nod instead. The mare began carefully washing Sweetie Belle, and then with a bucket of fresh water, poured it through her mane which fell flat over her face. The mare had let out a chuckle as if she was cherishing every extra moment she was given with her little filly. Sweetie Belle parted her hair away from her face and looked up at her mother whose radiant smile and azure eyes shined down on her, lighting up her entire world. Sweetie Belle laughed and smiled back as she splashed at the water.

After the bath was done and she had dried her little filly off, the mare sat on the side of the bed as she tucked Sweetie Belle in. Sweetie Belle looked into her mother’s azure eyes which gave of the distinct sheen of tears. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle began to weep as she sat up and wrapped her hooves around her mother, the feeling of guilt overwhelming her.

“I’M SO SO SORRY MOMMY! I’M SORRY!!!” she sobbed rubbing her face into her mother’s chest.

The mare wrapped her hooves tightly around her filly nuzzling her gently. “Shh, shh, Sweetie. Everything is okay. I’m not mad at you.” She said in her soothing tone. With that, she laid the filly back down and tucked her back in. She looked her in the eyes as she started to sing with the voice of an angel.

“Hush now, quiet now

It's time to lay your sleepy head

Hush now, quiet now

It's time to go to bed

Drift, drift off to sleep

Exciting day behind you

Drift, drift off to sleep

Let the joy of dreamland find you

Hush now, quiet now

It's time to lay your sleepy head

Hush now, quiet now

It's time to go to bed.”

With that the filly lay asleep gently sucking on the tip of her hoof. The mare leaned over and gave her a kiss on her forehead and tucked her back in. As she stood up off the bed, she heard one last peep from Sweetie Belle.

“Mommy?”

“Yes dear?”

"I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Suddenly Sweetie Bell bumped into Rarity snapping her out of her daydream. They had arrived at their home. Rarity turned her head to Sweetie Belle, and gave her a sneer. “Please pay attention to where you are going.”

Sweetie Belle said nothing.

“Go wash up. I will not have you all sweaty and dirty while you wear this material. It is quite expensive and I am not going all the way back to Canterlot to get some more.” Rarity gestured towards a roll of fine silk that she was levitating out of her bags. It appeared to sparkle like the stars, even with very little light shining on it. Rarity’s eyes widened as she cooed at the sight of it. “This order is for an extremely high class stallion for his daughter’s cuteceñera. I will not have anything but perfection for this piece.”

Sweetie Belle sighed and turned towards the bathroom, wiping a tear from her eye as she turned.

"Maybe I was too hard on her," Rarity thought. "I should make it up to her somehow, but first..." She focused her attention on the fabric laid out in front of her. She squinted for not more than a second when her eyes lit up with a sparkle not much different than the likes of the fabric. “IDEA~” she sang. Her horn began to glow with a pale white light as a paper and pencil lifted itself in front of her and she began to draw. The figure of a filly was drawn on the paper as the rough form of a dress began to appear around it. Soon the dress had taken on ruffles and lace in tasteful quantities while on the head, a tiara was traced, faceted with gem stones that complemented the sparkle of the coveted fabric. Her meticulous attention to detail played itself on this piece of paper until finally, Rarity let out a sigh of relief. “My masterpiece is complete. When I’m done here, I might just have to make one for myself. Surely with the price he’s paying, I could afford to have one of my very own.” She placed a hoof up to her mouth and let out a notably unlady-like squeal in excitement. A moment of joy cut short as Sweetie Belle walked in, freshly bathed but still wearing a face that showed the sadness of the conversation they had shared not too long ago.

“Rarity…”

“Sweetie…”

Their voices came out in unison.

“Oh, you first…” again, they both said in words shared.

“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity’s voice chimed in. “I’m really sorry for how I acted back there.” Rarity’s voice had lost all façade of elegance. Now she was talking to Sweetie Belle not as an elder, but as her sister. “I was scared. I got so worried about you. I just didn’t know what I’d do if I lost you too.” Her voice took on a much more sullen tone at the last statement. “I was angry, not at you, myself because I thought that I had lost you. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“No. I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have said… what I said. I didn’t mean it. I miss mommy but I still have you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Sweetie Belle’s voice was sounding more mature with every word. “I don’t hate you Rarity. I just miss mommy so much.” She said as she began to weep into her hooves.

Rarity swept in to embrace Sweetie Belle. “I know Sweetie. Me too.” She said, wiping tears and running mascara from her eyes. “Me too.”

They held each other for what felt like an eternity even though it had only been about thirty seconds. Sweetie Belle stood back wiping more tears from her eyes but this time with a smile on her face. “I guess we should start on the dress, huh?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“We still have time. The cuteceñera is two days away.” Rarity said, thinking about her sister’s fragile state. “I’m sure I can have it done and in Canterlot by noon that day.” Rarity gave her little sister a sheepish smile. “We’ve both had a long day. Why don’t we just, ‘hit the hay,’ as Applejack would put it.”

“Or Applebloom!” Sweetie Belle burst out, putting on her first genuine smile of the night.

“Yes Sweetie.” Rarity said, returning Sweetie Belle’s smile. “Now let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow we have to work extra hard, okay?” Rarity said as she began playfully chasing Sweetie Belle to her own bed. Rarity picked her sister up and swung her playfully on the bed and then hopped in herself. She tucked both her and her sister in and rested her arm around her.

“How did I end up with the greatest sister in the world?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“That’s funny. I was just about to ask you the same thing!”

Sweetie Belle gave her sister a wide smile. “Good night Rarity.”

“Good night Sweetie.”

As she laid her head down for the night, she heard one last peep from Sweetie Belle.

“Sis?”

“Yes dear?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The morning sun was beginning to shine over the mountains in the direction of Canterlot. Inside Carousel Boutique, a commotion was stirring. The sounds of crashing could be heard while Rarity’s voice shouted at the top of her lungs. “OPALESSENCE! YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!”

The cat darted under the bed, eyes wide as saucers and shaking uncontrollably. Opal was never one to fear her owner, but this was no longer her old owner. What chased after her was a demon of pure rage, spawned from the tatters of a certain sparkling silk that lay in shreds before her.

“LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE!” Rarity shouted upwards to her ceiling as she stomped her hooves in frustration. She turned around and stormed out of the room and into her shop. “Now I have to get more.” Rarity stammered before dropping to her haunches and letting out a wail. It took a whole minute for her to regain her composure. “Sweetie Belle!” she called out to her sister who was already by her side having heard the commotion. “Oh…’ Rarity said nervously twisting the curls in her hair. “How… uh… how long have you been there?”

“Since you started crying. Is everything okay?” Sweetie Belle looked up to her sister who had turned to hide her shame. “What was all that noise about?”

“Sweetie, there has been an incident with the fruits of yesterday’s labor.” Rarity was now gesturing towards the remains of the silk.

“Oh... That means we have to go back don’t we?” Sweetie Belle looked down at the ground, looking as sad as ever. “But I was going to go Crusading tonight after we finished remember.” She looked up to her sister giving a pleading look. “It was supposed to be our turn to host the slumber party. Scootaloo can’t because her parents are going out tonight and Appejack and Big Mac are off in Appleoosa. Granny Smith has enough trouble with Applebloom alone.” Sweetie Belle’s voice took on a pleading tone as she made puppy eyes to her big sister. “PLEASE?” Neither Rarity nor Sweetie Belle herself knew quite just what she was begging for but she knew she would have to cancel the slumber party if she just said nothing.

“I’m sorry Sweetie. Tonight just won’t do.” Rarity tried her best to sound as comforting as she could. “I would gladly help you find somebody to babysit you while I work but, you see, I need your help making these dresses. You know I don’t have any filly manikins. I don’t often get orders for fillies.”

Sweetie Belle lowered her head towards the ground. “I guess I’ll just tell the Crusaders that there’s not gonna be a sleepover tonight...”

Rarity’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope as she thought up a new idea. “What if I let you stay, under careful supervision of course, and you three could go Crusading while I go back to Canterlot for the silk?

Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up at the brilliant plan. “Hey yeah! There are way more safe things we can do during the day!” Her eyes then dropped suddenly. “At least if… uh… Scootaloo isn’t in charge of the plans.”

“Uh… I’m sorry Rarity. I… I... I’d love to watch them for you but… I have to take care of so many sick animals. Poor Thumbelina over here…” she gestured to a small field mouse sporting a fresh cast over her left front leg “…had a little accident and there is a terrible gas down in Froggy Bottom Bog making all the froggies sick. I... I just won’t have enough time and…” her voice trailing off.

“Say no more Fluttershy. I completely understand. Good luck to you.” With that Rarity gave her friend a hug and went off on her way.

“Maybe next time?” The butter-yellow pegasus called out.

“No way Rare. Not after what happened last time!” The rainbow maned pegasus scoffed at the bold request by the unicorn.

“I still don’t know how you can still suggest three fillies set your home on fire. I don’t even think that is physically possible without magic, and Sweetie Belle here has yet to discover her talent for it. Plus how they would have gotten up there is beyond me, since Scootaloo can’t fly.” Rarity raised an eyebrow at the bold insinuation her friend was making about her sister and her friends. “The only pony capable of such a feat is Twilight and, unless you think she is an arsonist, then I think what happened is nothing more than a freak accident.”

“Well I’m not going to do it. Freaky stuff happens around them.” Rainbow Dash gestured in the direction of Sweetie Belle. “Besides, I have a lot of practicing I need to do. I’m so close to mastering this new awesome trick I made. It’s gonna be sweet!”

“Very well.” Rarity said. “Good luck.”

“Sure I can watch them! Last time I hung out with them we pulled of some pretty cool pranks and we even found a way to make a BURNING CLOUD!” A shower of confetti flew seemingly from nowhere, startling Rarity. “I was like ‘Hey this isn’t possible I’ve tried.’ And Scootaloo was like ‘What about with that?’” Pinkie had gestured to a strange bottle with a fire symbol on it. The bottle, seemingly from out of this world, was constantly leaking a dark purple smoke and giving off a ghoulish moan as it appeared to suck all the light from around it, leaving only a dark aura in its place. “But I was like, ‘I dunno. I’ve never tried that.’ And before we knew it we were flying through the air and Dashie’s house was on fire. I really do owe her an apology for that. OH I KNOW! I’ll throw her a PARTY!” Pinkie took a whole second as if to await a response from Rarity.

Seizing the opportunity, Rarity quickly shoved Sweetie Belle behind her out of Pinkie’s sight. “WELL, I see you have your hands full with your… plans, so I won’t keep you any longer.” With that Rarity dashed off leaving a unicorn shaped cloud of dust where she once stood.

“OKIE DOKIE LOKIE!” chirped the party pony.

“I’m sorry Rarity but I have an awful lot of studying to do. The Princess assigned me to study a new theory that was just released on Temporal Physics and Quantum Dynamics.” She pointed to a book titled “Theoretical Physics and Temporal Paradoxes.”

"Temporal? That means time right?" Rarity thought to herself, scratching her chin as she formulated a plan. “What if you put some of those theories into practice? I mean what better way to learn than by doing, right?” she raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to suggest to Twilight that she had some idea. “You see, I am a little short on time with this project, and I have an idea that could benefit both of us.” She sang as she tried to put on her best innocent face. “If you could use your knowledge to perhaps ‘extend’ the time I have left…”

Twilight extended a hoof in front of her friend to interrupt her train of thought as she opened the front cover and pointed at large bold faced text. ‘All statements in this book are theoretical and have not been performed under laboratory conditions. Do not attempt to reproduce any of the results obtained through the experiments expressed in this book.’

“But...” Rarity interjected, her words falling on deaf ears.

“I’m sorry Rarity but I just can’t.” She said, her voice becoming sullen. “I would if I knew just what I was dealing with, but this is all very powerful magic and potentially very dangerous. Nopony knows what could happen if I tried this and I have yet to receive Princess Celestia’s permission to perform anything in this book.”

A sinister grin came across Rarity’s face, the obvious sign of a devious plan being formulated, surprisingly missed by the scholar. Rarity knew that Twilight was a sucker for flattery and a pushover when it came to disappointing other ponies. “Oh but Twilight, I could not think of another pony more qualified than you to put these theories into practice. You are Princess Celestia’s personal protégée. The most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria!” she boasted, mocking Trixie, the show pony that fell into their bad graces not too long ago. “Besides, Celestia never said not to perform any, did she?”

Twilight blushed at the praise she was receiving. “I g… guess. But…” she started to say before she was interrupted.

“I’m just asking because I’d hate to disappoint little Sweetie Belle here. She was so excited to go crusading tonight but some ‘unforeseen circumstances’ have made it simply impossible.” She said lowering her head. She raised one eyebrow and peeked an eye out for a better look at the unicorn she was trying to manipulate.

It worked.

“Well I guess you’re right. But I haven’t gotten too far in the book. I can’t extend the time you have left but I have come across a spell that could send us forward and backwards in time. It is pretty complicated and I will need my full concentration.” Twilight was a little worried; however her pride had overshadowed her rationality. “Plus I can only target one pony so Sweetie Belle will have to stand aside for this.”

“That is fine. I won’t be going anywhere. Just getting a chance to undo some mistakes that have made me lose so much time.” Rarity said as she wore her most innocent face for Twilight.

Twilight nodded as she opened the book to an earmarked page and began to read to herself. ‘To perform this magic, you must draw the circle in figure 2.3 and place a round-cut diamond in the center. When casting the spell, you must point your horn in the direction of the sun or the moon to go forwards or backwards through time, respectively. Then you must focus your energy into the diamond which, due to its even cut, will refract the energy evenly across the circle. For travel distance remember the simple formula P=3t where P equals power, measured in watts, and t equals time measured in seconds.’ “Well it doesn’t seem too difficult.” Twilight said as she started to trace the lines of the circle with some chalk onto a large empty spot on her floor. “Rarity, do you have a round-cut diamond on you?” she asked.

“Hmm... I do have these earrings.” She said, removing one of her diamond studs. “They are only one carat each. Will that be alright?”

“Well the book doesn’t say anything about size.” Twilight said, the diamond exchanging between the grips of the unicorns’ magic. “This should be good.” She confirmed, carefully removing the gold backing from the diamond. She placed it in the center of the circle, which was drawn with the precision of an artist, as she stood directly over it. “Okay the moon should be directly below since it is almost noon,” she said almost to herself. She stood directly over the diamond and pointed her horn down over it towards where the moon should be. As she focused her magic, her horn began to give off a pale white light. The outer ring began to glow, darkening the room around them. Twilight could sense that she was now in control of a type of magic that she had never felt before. Suddenly, two ribbons made of light came from where Rarity and Sweetie Belle had been standing. Twilight reached out with her magic and focused on the one that she somehow knew was Rarity’s. It gave off a bright glow and soon Rarity had materialized in its place, now within the glowing circle that had become the only thing visible in the void of blackness. Twilight pushed harder now, bright sparks flying from her horn as the rest of the inner circles began to shine.

Suddenly, a powerful blast of rainbow light pierced the blackness and roared with an ethereal ringing that caused Twilight to snap her head up out of instinct. Realizing her mistake, she tried to cancel the magic but it was already too late. Her eyes glowed bright white as her horn pulsated with magical lightning. Rarity ducked in shock. Twilight could feel her control slipping away much like it did at the Academy entrance exam so many years ago. The untamed magic encircled her causing her body to outstretch and lock in place, much like Leonardo DaVincolt’s Peruvian Mare. Her horn glowed brighter than before, spraying out a shower of sparks as it pointed up.

Up towards the sun.

Suddenly a bright light had enveloped them tossing them both violently back and forth through what looked like a tunnel of arcane energy that they were falling down. Twilight’s shock snapped her magic loose long enough for her to regain control of it, a bright light appearing at the end of the tunnel as she did so. She grabbed Rarity by her hoof and pulled her close. “BRACE YOURSELF!” She screamed through the deafening roar of what sounded like wind and lightning, as well as Rarity’s screaming.

Suddenly they felt the impact. While the shock had hurt quite a lot, the impact wasn’t as hard as they expected. Twilight looked up at Rarity with a splitting migraine and a severe case of double vision. “Are you alright?” She mumbled out.

"Y-Yes... I'm... Quite f-fine..." Rarity stuttered, shaken. The extent of her condition wasn’t nearly as bad as Twilight’s.

Suddenly they heard a thumping noise that sounded like someone running down the stairs. Twilight looked up, her vision returning to normal, to see an eerily familiar but noticeably teenage dragon with shiny purple scales and green spines standing above her.

“T…T...Twilight!” He called out in a raspy voice.

[Chapter 1] Changes

[Chapter 1] Changes

==============================================================================

“T...T…Twi?!” the purple dragon stuttered out. His jaw hung low and his face took on a dull hue, as if he had just seen a ghost.

“Ugh. What… Spike?” Twilight mumbled, still woozy from her unexpected trip. “What… what happened to you?”

Spike stared back, annoyed at the question. “To me? What about you? Where have you been? What happened to YOU?” Spike’s head was spinning at the sudden appearance of Twilight. “I want to know what happened! Where did you go!?” Spike stamped his foot down at the ground with a force that caused nearby objects to shake.

Twilight stood shocked at the sudden outburst from Spike. Not once had he ever spoken to her that way. She looked up into Spike's eyes, but as she began to formulate words, she noticed something. He was crying, tears pouring out from his eyes and dripping off of his cheeks onto the floor. Suddenly, he rushed over to her and embraced her, holding on as tightly as he could. Twilight’s mouth fell open but she couldn’t find any words to say. She was overcome with a feeling of guilt as the dragon held her, apparently crying over something that she had done. She wrapped her hooves around him as she began to cry.

“I missed you so much! I thought you were dead. We looked everywhere for you. For both of you.” He tilted his head from Twilight’s shoulder to take a look at Rarity, who had been standing patiently, waiting for their moment to pass. “Where did you go?!” He shouted, sobbing heavily into Twilight’s coat.

“Spike. I don’t know what happened,” she said, trying to catch a moment to console the dragon, “But just how long have we been gone?” She knelt, bringing Spike down with her as she placed her hooves on his shoulders. She could feel her heart beating faster and her breath becoming labored as she waited for him to stop crying.

“Fifteen years to the day.” Spike said in a somber tone. “I was just getting ready to go to your memorial service.”

“FIFTEEN YEARS!” Both ponies exclaimed in unison.

“SWEETIE BELLE! What happened to her?! Is she okay?!” Rarity’s voice was becoming hysterical as she began to hyperventilate. “I was all that she had left! Where is she?!” Rarity put a hoof to her chest as she began wheezing for air.

Spike rushed over to Rarity and led her by her hoof to a chair. “Rarity, I don’t know how to say this...” Spike broke eye contact with Rarity as tears welled up in his eyes. “It’s not easy for me to say but…”

“NO!” Rarity shouted, tears and mascara running down her cheeks. “NO SHE CAN’T BE! SHE ISN’T!” Rarity got up to run but Spike quickly grabbed her by the hoof.

“She isn’t!” Spike cut in “Well we don’t think so, but we aren’t exactly sure. We haven’t seen her in twelve years.” He looked deep into Rarity’s eyes as she tried in vain to look away. “I know this is a lot to take in, but a lot has happened since you disappeared.” Spike was about to say something but something else caught their attention.

Suddenly, Twilight’s knees buckled and she fell to her side. The effects of the adrenaline that was rushing through her blood from earlier was starting to wear off. She now felt just how sore and tired she actually was. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony.. Her vision began to blur as the whole world around her began to spin. Her head ached, as if someone had placed a vice on her temple and was slowly tightening it. She was in excruciating pain, more than she had ever known before.

“Twilight!” Spike shouted. He grabbed a pillow from the couch and rushed over to her side. Carefully, he lifted her head with one hand and slipped the pillow underneath. He could feel beads of sweat dripping from her forehead and mane. “I’ll go get some ice. Rarity, can you keep an eye on her?”

Rarity knew she had recovered enough composure to handle this assignment so she gave a quick nod. As she watched Spike rush off to the kitchen. Rarity leaned down to Twilight, levitating a handkerchief from her bag and dabbing it across her forehead. “Twilight dear, what’s wrong?” Rarity inquired, as she brushed her bangs from her face.

Twilights eyelids hung only slightly open as she began to mumble. “It’s… nothing. I’m… just. tired…” Slowly, she shut her eyelids and she slipped out of consciousness.

“Twilight!” Rarity placed her hoof on Twilight’s cheek and shook her gently. “Twilight! Please wake up!” She shifted her hoof up inches away from Twilight’s forehead when she felt an unnatural heat coming off her horn. By the heat coming off it, she knew that it was hot enough to burn her own flesh. “SPIKE!” She called out. “Please come quickly with that ice!”

Spike rushed back in with a bag of crushed ice as Rarity levitated it out of his hands and placed it below Twilight’s horn. Almost immediately, the ice began to melt as steam rose from around the bag with an audible sizzle.

“Magical discharge.” Spike flatly said to Rarity.

“What was that?”

“I’ve seen this before. Whatever magic she used that got you both here could have easily killed any normal unicorn.” Spike was looking more worried with every word. “I’ll explain later. Right now we have to get her cooled down or she might have a stroke. Stay here and keep that ice on her. I’ll go fill the tub with cold water.” Spike rushed off up the stairs while Rarity tended to the lavender unicorn with an already half melted bag of ice.

Less than a minute later Spike came rushing down the stairs back to where Rarity and Twilight were. “Stand back. I’ll carry her up to the tub.”

Rarity moved over as she curiously watched Spike lift Twilight’s unconscious body with great care. “So this is magical discharge? I’ve never even heard of that before.”

“Most unicorns wont ever experience it in their lifetimes.” Spike said as he carried her up the flight of stairs. “But Twilight isn’t your average unicorn. The amount of energy she must have let off to put her in this state could have rivaled the Princess’ herself.” They reached the tub that had been slowly filling and he gently lowered Twilight in. Steam began to rise from the tub as her body made contact with the cold water.

“What ever does that mean?” Rarity asked with a concerned look on her face. “Is she going to be alright?”

Spike paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “You see, when a unicorn uses that much energy, not all of it can be focused on the spell or else they will overheat. That could cause some serious brain damage. That’s when instinct takes over and casts a protection spell around the horn.” Spike filled a cup with cold water from the running faucet and poured it over Twilight’s forehead. “The more power, the stronger the spell. Unfortunately, the protection spell is primal, unrefined magic. It doesn’t deflect magic backlash but rather stores the energy to be released slowly. The problem with it is the stored energy is really hot itself.” He poured more water over Twilight’s forehead.

Rarity looked impatiently over at Spike. “But is she going to be alright?” She asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“It’s hard to say. If we had taken any longer, she most certainly would have had some permanent damage. Maybe even… died.” Spike looked down at Twilight and took a deep gulp as if he had something lodged in his throat. “But assuming that we got her up here fast enough, then she should only get better from here.” He said looking more confident than worried.

“Well that is good to know.” Rarity wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a sigh of relief. “But please Spike, while we wait for Twilight to cool down, can you tell me what has happened to my sister? Where is my Sweetie Belle?”

Spike looked down at his feet as he let out a sigh of sadness. “Shortly after you disappeared, Celestia came and ordered her guards to look after Sweetie Belle in your absence.” Spike couldn’t look Rarity directly in the eyes out of grief. “After about a month, the search was called off, but they couldn’t just keep looking after her. They sent her off to a foster home where she stayed. We wanted to take her in ...trust me, we did... but Applejack couldn’t. Her farm was just no place for Sweetie Belle. Of course, Rainbow Dash couldn’t, what with clouds and all. Pinkie Pie couldn’t. I mean, she still needed Mr. and Mrs. Cake to look after her. Fluttershy wanted to and even took her in for a while, but after a month, she couldn’t keep up with all the animals and a child. She had to give her up.” Spike began to tear up as he recounted her story.

“Spike. What happened to her? I mean surely they took care of her. Celestia wouldn’t send her to a bad foster home, would she?” Rarity was certain that Spike was just over analyzing how bad her situation seemed.

Spike stayed silent for a moment as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “She started getting into trouble. Fights, stealing; you know, real delinquent stuff. They sent her to counseling but she didn’t seem to improve.” Spike began to choke out his words as if they were fighting to stay in. “Then one day, about twelve years ago, she set her foster home on fire. Everyone got out okay but she just disappeared. We haven’t seen her since.”

Rarity put a hoof up to her mouth and let out a gasp as more tears began to stream down her cheeks. “But Sweetie Belle wouldn’t… She couldn’t do something like that!” She fell to her haunches and buried her face in her hooves.

“A lot of ponies changed with you both gone.” Spike said putting his hand on Rarity’s shoulder in a poor attempt to console her. “Sweetie Belle took it the worst though. She went through a lot of sadness. She even tried to….” Spike stopped himself before he let his words slip.

“She what? Spike. What did she try to do?”

“She… she…” Spike couldn’t bring himself to tell her what had happened. He looked around frantically as if a different topic was going to fall off of a shelf.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Spike let out a deep sigh of relief when a familiar voice called out.

“Spike! What in tarnation are you up to? We missed you at the service this mornin’. Ain’t like you to miss somethin’ like that. Are you alright in there?”

“COMING!” Spike shouted. He quickly turned to Rarity and gave her a quiet shush. “You should stay up here. I think it might freak AJ out if she saw you here without fair warning.” He turned and started running towards the stairs, grabbing a coat on the way down.

Rarity gave Spike a puzzled look as she remembered that Spike had said they disappeared 15 years ago on the day, which would make it Autumn in Ponyville; certainly not the coldest of seasons. Rarity placed an ear to the bathroom door to try and listen in on her friends.

The door swung open with a creak and the sound of wind rushed in as she heard Applejack’s hooves clop on the wooden floor.

“Spike. What in tarnation made you sleep in today of all days?!”

“Something happened. You aren’t gonna believe…”

“And what could be more important than Twilight’s memorial. What do you think she would say if’n she knew you gone and forgot about her?”

“AJ, please. I need to tell you something and there’s no easy way to say it.”

Suddenly Rarity heard a groan come from behind her. She quickly turned back to her friend and grabbed the cup to fill it with cold water. As she poured the water over Twilight’s head, she heard a loud shriek, followed by the stamping of hooves up the stairs.

“Wait AJ!” she heard Spike call before the door burst open, revealing a mare in her mid-30s wearing a thick brown work coat and her trademark ten-gallon hat.

The mare began to pant heavily from her shock as she stared down into Rarity’s eyes and then slowly over to the unconscious Twilight in the tub. She walked slowly right in front of Rarity and placed her hoof on her cheek as if to see if she was solid. “I…i…is it really you?” She muttered out.

Rarity looked into Applejack’s aged eyes and gave her a firm nod. With that, the workhorse embraced her with all her might which, while painful, was also warm and comforting. Rarity suddenly felt wetness on her back as she heard the sounds of sniffling and sobbing.

“I thought y’all were dead! Nopony knew where you went. Why did y’all leave us?!” Applejack took a step back as she held on to Rarity’s shoulders. “We missed you. I missed you!”

Rarity was at a loss for words. Twilight was better at explaining things than her. “I… I don’t know. I haven’t the slightest idea what happened to us.”

“Why, you haven’t even aged a bit! What’s your secret?” Applejack joked, forcing a smile through her tears. She quickly turned her attention to Twilight. “Is Twilight okay? She don’t look to hot.”

Rarity rolled her eyes at the irony of the statement. “She may not look it, but she is actually burning up. This is, as far as I know, the result of everything that led us here.” Rarity began running more cold water through her mane and over her forehead to both keep Twilight cold, and to demonstrate to Applejack the amount of heat that Twilight was emitting. The water steamed off of Twilight’s face as the rest bubbled down her neck. It wasn’t as dramatic as before, since she had cooled off considerably since it started, but it was enough to convince Applejack that her friend was indeed, ‘not doing too hot.’

“Don’t you think we should take her to the hospital? It looks mighty serious.” Applejack walked over to the side of the tub and reached her hoof out to feel Twilight’s head. She stopped her hoof only inches away as she felt the burning heat radiating from her horn.

“The best thing we can do for her is to keep her from overheating.” Spike quickly interjected. “They will do the same thing for her over there. I’ve seen it before.” Spike went over to the tub and reached over to touch Twilight’s head. Brushing her bangs out of her face, he placed the back of his hand right below her horn. “Well her temperature has really gone down. I don’t know how long the discharge should last but it shouldn’t be more than a couple of days. She'll probably just feel like she's had a bad fever or something...” Spike was trying his best to put Applejack and Rarity’s fears to rest.

Spike’s maturity and intelligence reminded Rarity of Twilight. “I see you have certainly kept up with your studies, Spike. You sound much like a doctor.” Rarity said, making an attempt at flattery.

“Thanks Rare.” Spike nonchalantly said as he quickly turned to speak with Applejack.

Rarity gave a confused look to Applejack as if Spike had just said something rude to her. She was used to Spike becoming love-struck even just at the sight of her, let alone at any form of flattery, but Spike just turned as if she wasn’t even in the room. In fact, she began to recall that Spike had hardly even given her much attention since she got there.

“Hey AJ. I need you to do something for me.” Spike said.

“Sure Spike. Whatcha need?

“Well I know how complicated this whole situation is, but we can’t just keep hiding them from everyone.” Spike explained as he pointed in Rarity and Twilight’s direction. “I need you to tell Fluttershy to get Rainbow Dash home from Cloudsdale. Tell her it’s urgent but don’t tell her anything else. I think we should just tell everyone at once.”

“Well Spike, I can try but ah don’t know if Fluttershy can convince Dash ta break practice with the Wonderbolts. Ya know she’s mighty timid and Dash is as stubborn as a mule.”

Rarity gasped as she put her hoof to her mouth. “Rainbow Dash made it into THE Wonderbolts?”

“Not just made it in! She’s their Captain!” Spike exclaimed.

“Yup. Happened ‘round ten years ago. She was prancin’ about like a schoolfilly when she got home from the tryouts.” Applejack beamed, proud of her friend’s success. “It took that girl three tries just to make it in. She was mighty disappointed each time she failed. But she gone and done real good for herself. ‘Bout six years ago, they bumped her up to the main squad and then two years later, she’s co-captain.”

“But just last year, she got promoted to Captain when Spitfire retired!” Spike cut in. “She’s been pretty busy since then.”

“Well I’m sure we’re all proud of her and we still got a lot to fill you in on,” Applejack cut back in, with a hint of urgency in her voice, “but don’t you think that there are some mares that’d be excited to hear of their friends’ return?”

Spike turned towards Applejack and gave her a nod. “Sorry, I’ll let you go. I’ll try and get Pinkie.”

“Thank you muchly.” Applejack nodded as she turned to head down the stairs. Rarity and Spike followed her to the edge of the balcony and watched as she came to the door. She reached her hoof out to grab the door knob but before she opened the door, she turned to Rarity. “Oh and one last thing.” Applejack ordered up to her. “Don’t go disappearing before I get back.” With that, she turned the handle and braced herself for the rush of wind and snow that filled the entryway of the Library.

It was dark out, not only from the gray clouds that covered the sky, but it also appeared to be night. The howling of the wind echoed off the walls of the tree with a ghostly wail that chilled Rarity to the bone. It wasn’t like any weather she had seen before. Even the worst winter she could remember had felt temperate compared to this. Something about this cold just didn’t feel right at all.

Before Rarity could ponder her suspicions further, Spike started to walk down to the door. “Rare, can you watch Twilight while I go get Pinkie?” He asked.

“This late at night and in this weather?” Rarity scoffed.

“Night? But it’s…”

“Spike?” Called out a weary voice.

Rarity and Spike both rushed in to see Twilight with her eyes slightly open, leaning her head against the rim of the tub.

“I think I wet the bed again.” She said, her mind numb from the heat.

Rarity turned away quickly as she put her hooves over her mouth to stop a laugh from bursting out, but she only managed to keep it to a highly unflattering “PFFFT.”

Spike shot her a dirty look as he reached over to brush Twilight’s bangs from her face. He noticed that there were tears forming in her eyes, clearly out of embarrasment. “No, no Twi. That time was just an accident.” He said as he held her hoof to try and sooth her. “You’re in the tub right now. It’s just magical discharge. You’ll be okay.”

Twilight felt a wave of relief, at least until she noticed Rarity snickering in the back of the room. Instantly, her eyes shot open and she let out a high pitched “EEP!” Her whole face turned a shade of crimson through her lavender coat.

Rarity took a second to take a deep breath and compose herself before turning back to face her friend that she had just embarrassed. “Twilight, how terribly rude of me. I know very well that such a situation is no laughing matter. Will you please accept my sincerest apologies.” Rarity tried her best to keep her lady like composure while making amends to her friend.

Twilight slumped down in the tub to where the water came up to her nose. She let the breath out of her lungs which bubbled out in front of her face in disapproval.

“Twilight, you have my word that this conversation will stay between you and me.” Rarity said impatiently. “Besides, we have more important things to be concerned about. We had a visitor since your little ...incident... but she just left not a moment ago. However, she will be back with more company in no time and I would think we should at least look presentable for our fifteen year homecoming.” Rarity reached over to feel if the heat from Twilight’s head had dissipated. Sure enough, her horn had cooled down considerably, and even though it was still hot, it was safe to touch.. “How are you feeling? Do you think you can stand?”

Twilight gave Rarity a look that conceded a stalemate between the two of them as she slowly lifted her body up from the water. She felt a powerful sensation fill her head which, while not exactly painful, gave her a feeling similar to being washed away by a strong current. It knocked her back, luckily into the waiting arms of Spike, but suddenly her vision started fading to black followed by a sharp stabbing pain in her temple. She sat back down in the tub, trying to regain her composure.

“Hey Twi, take it easy. You don’t want to over exert yourself,” Spike said as he helped Twilight down.

“I’m okay. Really.” Twilight lied as she made another attempt to get up. This time, she was able to stand up and bring herself out of the tub. She felt like everything was moving in slow motion as she stumbled around for a few seconds. Rarity levitated a towel over to her so she could dry off. “Wha… what happened? All I can remember is… is...bright lights.” Twilight’s eyes traveled all around the bathroom but, while she could tell it was her home, everything seemed different. Not only was the room bigger than she had remembered, but there was a feeling in the air, or rather lack of, that set Twilight on edge. She put a hoof to her head and winced in pain. Obviously, due to her current condition, heavy thinking wasn’t going to be possible. “Ugh… Spike, how long was I out?”

“Just a few hours,” he said with a relieved smile on his face. “You really had us worried for a second there.” Spike had been extra cautious with his long lost friend because, throughout his learning, he had seen magical discharge a few times, but the cases often left the patients with permanent damage or even proved fatal. Through the time of Twilight’s absence, Spike had gone back to Canterlot to further his education. He had picked up quickly, much like his mentor, and excelled in all of his subjects. Soon, he was able to gain admission into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, due to his relation to Twilight and Princess Celestia herself. It was there that he found a passion for medicine. Eventually, he even made his way to the top of the class, much to the resentment of his fellow unicorn classmates. Unfortunately, his degree had been cut short after the school closed down two years ago indefinitely due to the ongoing blizzard that had covered all of Equestria. Luckily, his medical training had proven useful for this fateful occasion.

Twilight now had the towel draped over her shoulders as she cautiously walked, with the aid of Rarity and Spike, to her former study. As she approached, she noticed that the room had increased in size by at least twofold, while the walls and shelves that once adorned astronomical and magical tomes were now replaced with medical reference books and guides. “Wow Spike!” She said in amazement. “Is all this… yours?”

“Sure is. I’ve been keeping up with the place while you’ve been gone, as well as adding my own little… personal… flair.” Spike held his chin up with pride as he gave Twilight an extremely brief tour of his study. “As you can see, most of this is medical stuff. I’ve really taken an interest in it. Oh I wish you could have been there when I got accepted into Celestia’s School!” Spike beamed as he reminisced. “You would have been so proud of me!”

“I’m sure I would. I am right now. This is all amazing…” Twilight paused, suddenly shifting tones, “But how did you get in? The Academy was a school for magic exclusively for unicorns.”

“Oh It wasn’t that hard, Twi. All I really had to do was mention your name and that I studied under you and they let me in with a full scholarship. You were real famous up there.”

“Well it sure is nice to know that my reputation is so well received.” Twilight made her way to the bed as she eyed various devices and silver tools which, even though they had once served as important medical tools, were simply outdated and only served as decorations for the study.

Exhausted and mentally drained, Twilight plopped down onto the bed and laid back, rubbing her hooves across the sheets. They were new sheets; she could tell from their softness- but while the bed was hers once, it now took on the smell of Spike. The feeling of unfamiliarity had crept back up to Twilight as she recounted all that she had experienced that day. The library she had once called home had changed. It was bigger and redecorated to an extent that it felt like she had just walked into a stranger’s home. Even her friends could not have withstood the toil of time. Spike had grown: he was taller than Twilight now and was, in fact, older than her theoretically. He had changed. He was intelligent, confident, and strong. He was a stranger. She could only imagine how much her friends must have changed, aged into their thirties by now. But what of the Princess? Maybe her friends have aged but surely Princess Celestia had withstood millennia before Twilight. What was fifteen years for a being that could survive for an eternity? Celestia was Twilight’s rock, standing firm throughout the test of time.

Twilight sat back up on the bed, and despite the rush of blood that almost caused her to black out once again, she stood firm. She was determined. Celestia could bring them back to their own world. “Spike!” She called out with strength and confidence.

“Yeah Twi? Is everything okay?”

Twilight nodded. “I need you to take a letter to the Princess. ‘Dear Princess Celestia…’ Twilight began to recite.

“Uh… Twi…” Spike stuttered in. “I… I can’t do that.”

“What?! Why not? Surely the Princess would love to know…”

“Twi…” the dragon quickly interrupted. “The Princess… Princess Celestia…”

“She’s dead.”

[Chapter 2] Reunion

[Chapter 2] Reunion

============================================================================

Twilight was completely inconsolable. She had been crying for a little over an hour since Spike had given her the bad news. Twilight lay on the floor of the bathroom alone, occasionally hearing a knock on the door from someone coming to check on her. After he broke the news, Twilight didn’t know how to react. She bolted out of the study and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her. Her forehead burned but it was nothing compared to the weight she felt crushing her heart. Her mentor was dead and Twilight never even got to say goodbye. From the time that Twilight was a filly, newly enrolled in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, Celestia had been there for her. She was more than just her mentor. She had raised her for the most part of her life. Princess Celestia and Twilight shared a relationship that only a mother and daughter could.

Twilight could feel the emptiness that this world she had been thrown into had exerted. Celestia’s magic had permeated the world that she remembered. Every plant, every animal, every breath; they all shared the warmth of Celestia’s magic from her radiant sun. All that magic was gone now. There she laid, alone, tears relentlessly streaming down her cheeks. All her feelings of confidence, pride, and happiness were replaced by sadness, pain, and loneliness.

*Knock Knock*

Rarity gently rapped on the door and placed her ear on the door, awaiting a response from her distraught friend. She could no longer hear the unrelenting torrents of sobs that had echoed around the library earlier, but she did hear the occasional sniffle that let her know that her friend was, to put it bluntly, still alive. “Twilight... I know how hard this is…” Rarity choked out “but I’m…”

“NO! YOU DON’T!” Twilight shouted through the door. “Celestia meant more to me than you think! She wasn’t just my teacher! She was like my mothe—” Twilight bit her lip, suddenly realizing just who she was talking to. An uneasy silence befell the two ponies for what felt like an eternity.

Tears started to well up in Rarity’s eyes.

“Mother…”

Rarity lay down at the foot of her bed with Sweetie Belle wrapped up in her hooves, gently rocking her. The first rays of morning began to pierce through the thick gray clouds outside. It was utterly quiet except for the ticking of a regal grandfather clock that echoed around the small bedroom. *Tick* Each second seemed to pass ever slowly with each tick. *Tock* The anxiety that filled the room had become nauseating as the pendulum teetered ever so close to the height of its swing but seemed to never reach its apex. *Tick* The decorations in the face of the clock made it look like it was enjoying their pain, mocking them with each second that slipped away. *Tock* Each sound seemed to reverberate around the room for minutes on end. The face contorted to laugh at their suffering. *Tick*

“Rarity… Is mommy going to be okay? Sweetie Belle asked.

“Try not to think about it. The doctors are taking care of her.” Rarity did her best to try and comfort her little sister. “They will do whatever they can.” She brought her sister in close to embrace her as she started to tear up.

Suddenly, several voices could be heard coming up the hallway, stopping in front of Rarity’s door. She could hear them discussing but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Rarity gripped her sister tightly, the anticipation numbing her mind.

The doorknob began to twist slowly until the door hung loosely on its hinges for a moment. It slowly creaked open as an old tan stallion with a flat gray mane walked in. He was wearing a white coat and thick rimmed glasses. He looked down at the two young ponies who sat shivering on the bed clutching each other as if he was the most frightening thing that they had ever seen. He pursed his lips and began to walk over to the bed, taking a seat at the edge near them. “Girls.” He said removing his glasses. “We did everything we could… but… well she doesn’t have much time left. Maybe a few minutes if we are lucky.” With his free hoof, he wiped the wetness from under his eyes. “She wishes to see you.”

Both Rarity and Sweetie Belle got up quickly, tears pouring out of their eyes. Just before Sweetie Belle was about to take off towards the room that her mother was in, Rarity reached out and took her hoof. “Sweetie Belle.” She said between her sobs. “We have to be strong. This… this may be the l... last time we will talk to her…” Rarity leaned down to Sweetie Belle’s level and whispered into her ear. “D… don’t hold anything back.”

They both turned back to the doctor who had already gotten up and was waiting at the door to lead the two fillies to their mother. Rarity looked into his eyes through her blurry vision and she gave him a weak nod. He reached his hoof out to guide the two fillies as they walked to get in front of him.

The hallway to the room had never seemed so large. They lived in a modest home, far from luxury, but cozy in its own. Today, however, the walk down the hallway had been the longest walk of their lives. The walls appeared to tower above them while the door at the end of the hallway seemed to be hundreds of yards away. The walk dragged on and on but with each step, the door seemed to shrink down farther into the horizon. It was utterly quiet. Even the sounds from their sobbing had been drowned out by the hum of the silence. Rarity stopped just short of the door, reaching her hoof out, when suddenly the door opened up.

*Tock*

Twilight was standing in the open doorway, tears flooding her eyes. She looked deep into Rarity’s eyes as she started to break down. “I’m so sorry!” She cried as she rushed to hug her friend. “I… I didn’t mean that. I shouldn’t have said that.” She said between her heavy sobs. “I know what you’ve been through. I’m so sorry!”

“Shh… shh… it’s okay.” Rarity said as she ran her hoof through Twilight’s mane. “All is forgiven.” She put her hooves on Twilights shoulders to break the hug for a second. As she looked into Twilight’s eyes she gave her a strong smile. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Twilight had stopped sobbing as she wiped away tears from her eyes. She gave Rarity a nod and then reached back over to give her one last hug. “Thank you, Rarity.” She said with a smile.

Just then, downstairs, the door opened up and Spike came in, brushing the snow off of his coat. “Hey guys, Pinkie is on her way. Has AJ come back yet?” He called up.

“I’m right here Spike!” Applejack called out from the study. She walked out of the door to speak more clearly to Spike. “Fluttershy should be back with Rainbow Dash any minute now.”

“She got back shortly after you left.” Rarity called out from the top of the staircase.

Twilight walked uneasily out of the bathroom as she looked around. “AJ’s here? When did… why didn’t she come and say hi?”

“Well, you were locked up in that there bathroom cryin’ yer eyes out and well… ya know I ain’t good with all that mushy stuff.” Applejack said bluntly.

Rarity gave her a stern look. “What she means to say, is that she would rather not disturb you while you were grieving.”

“But I’m glad to see ya got all that out of yer system.” She interrupted again. “When I first got here, you were knocked out… uh… cold, so to speak, but after I went and got Fluttershy you were cryin’ yer eyes out. It’s good to finally be able to talk to you again after fifteen years.”

Twilight bit her lip as she tried to come up with the words to say. “It’s all my fault. All the pain I must have caused you all.” Once again, Twilight could feel the pain in her head flare up again. “If, I hadn’t tried to do that spell, none of this would have happened.”

“Woah nelly. Twilight, that’s a lot of blame to put on one pony’s shoulders.” Applejack quickly interjected. “Shoot, we sure don’t blame ya for what happened. I’m just sure we’ll all be glad that yer back with us again.” Applejack rushed over to give her friend the hug that she missed the first time she came over. “It sure is good to see ya again.”

Twilight was swept up and spun around in Applejack’s embrace. The farm pony’s strength was evident as she effortlessly toyed with her like a ragdoll. The hug itself wasn’t very painful, but the spinning had made her head swarm with pain; enough for her to let out an audible yelp.

Applejack quickly stopped, carefully setting down Twilight. “Oops… Sorry Twi. I guess I just got a lil’ carried away.” Applejack kept a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to help stabilize her.

Twilight didn’t respond. Her mind was elsewhere. She tried to concentrate through the pain to remember what had happened during her spell, but more importantly, what she did wrong. The whole event was a blur. None of her memories were clear, but instead, resembled trying to look through fogged glass. "Why did the spell go wrong? I’m sure I did everything right." She thought. "All I can remember is the glowing and then… then…" Twilight put a hoof to her forehead and winced in pain. "There was an explosion. Colorful… like a…"

Suddenly there came a rapping at the door followed by a familiar raspy voice. “Spike, this had better be important! I’m pretty busy you know.”

Spike motioned for Twilight and Rarity to hide as he reached for the door. “Coming!” He called out.

Applejack rushed down the stairs towards Spike as Twilight and Rarity both ducked into the bathroom, closing the door but leaving enough space to where they could peek out of. Once everypony was in place, Spike reached for the doorknob. Almost as soon as he gave it a turn, the door swung open knocking Spike back onto the floor.

“Alright, what’s the big idea interrupting one of my training sessions.” Rainbow Dash blurted out. She was still in her Wonderbolts uniform and her rainbow mane was slicked back. Twilight thought for a moment that it was that way because of the high speeds that the Wonderbolts often exhibited, but Rarity knew instantly that it had been that way only due to a lot of product. She looked unnaturally proud and confident; not that she hadn’t acted that way before, but this time, she had earned the right to be proud.

A moment after Rainbow Dash had finished her outburst, a butter-yellow pegasus pony timidly walked in. “Is there… something that you wanted to tell us Spike? Um… if you don’t mind me asking.” She mumbled out.

"Same old Fluttershy." Twilight thought as she rolled her eyes.

“Well we have to wait for Pinkie, but I have some serious news I need to tell you.” Spike looked up barely able to prevent himself from blurting it out but everypony could tell by his excitement that it was good news.

After several agonizing minutes, there finally came a knock on the door. Spike rushed over and opened it up, revealing a pink pony. However, even though this pony looked like Pinkie Pie right down to the cutie mark, that was where the similarities ended. This doppelganger wasn’t quite pastel pink like their friend, but she was more of a dull, grayish pink. Her mane and tail fell flat and straight and her eyes were red; the sign of fresh tears. She was thin and sickly looking and she walked low to the ground. This pony was not Pinkie Pie, or rather, not the same Pinkie Pie that Twilight and Rarity had left back in their own time.

“Pinkamena! You made it!” Spike said. “I know today is a sad day for you, but we have some good news. Would you like to hear it?” He talked to her like he was talking to an infant but there was a feeling of fear in his voice, instead like he was talking to a mental patient.

Pinkamena just dropped her head and shrugged, but she didn’t make a sound.

“Come here and sit.” Spike said as he led her by her arm over to a seat in the living quarters of the library. “In fact, everyone gather around. You may want to sit for this cause this is some pretty serious news.” Spike waited a moment for everyone to get situated. Applejack, having already heard the news, remained standing where she was. Fluttershy floated over to sit next to Pinkamena as Rainbow Dash remained hovering behind the couch. She had removed the hood of her Wonderbolts uniform, leaving it to dangle behind her neck.

“Everypony,” Spike began. “As you all know, today is the fifteenth anniversary of Twilight and Rarity’s disappearance.”

Everyone dropped their heads in sadness as they gave their friends a moment of silence.

“But today, something wonderful has happened.” He continued on. “No longer will we have to grieve on their disappearance! There is no easy way to explain just what is going on, so instead, I’ll show you.” Spike paused for a moment to try and scout out where the girls had hidden. “Girls, you can come out now.”

“NOW HOLD UP!” Rainbow Dash burst out. “Fifteen years and you honestly think that the solution to all our grieving is to… to… REPLACE THEM!?” Both Pinkie and Fluttershy let out a look of disgust. “HOW DARE YOU EVEN… even…” Suddenly, Rainbow Dash’s jaw hung low as her eyes drifted up to the two ponies now standing on the balcony.

Pinkamena and Fluttershy stared in confusion at Rainbow Dash’s sudden stop. Slowly, they followed her eyes to the stairs that their two long lost friends were now scaling. Fluttershy drew back in shock while Pinkamena squinted to focus on them.

Rainbow Dash bolted from her spot at break neck speeds, stopping short of the two unicorns. The motion was practically instantaneous, as if she had somehow learned, and even more miraculously, performed Twilight’s teleportation spell. She dropped down onto the stairs and wrapped her hooves around both of her friends. Tears streamed from her face as she tried to come up with words to say.

Then, a familiar presence fluttered her way next to the group and wrapped her hooves around them as well. Fluttershy let out a heavy sigh of relief. Applejack made her way over to the group and too wrapped her hooves around them as far as they could go, followed shortly by Spike. It would have been the most loving embrace that the group had ever shared... if not for one thing; Pinkamena never got up from the couch. Instead she stayed there, squinting angrily at the group. She gritted her teeth as she watched their happiness continue to mock her.

Spike reached his hand out towards Pinkamena, inviting her into the group. “What are you waiting for Pinkie? An invitation?” He joked.

Pinkamena’s eyes dilated as her whole body gave a violent twitch. She stood up quickly and headed for the door. “You think I’m a fool!” She stammered “Let’s all trick Pinkie Pie into false happiness again! She loves jokes! Well know this! I AM NOT A FOOL. Twilight and Rarity are dead and nothing will ever bring them back!” She opened up the door and stormed out of the library, slamming the door shut. Several pictures and trinkets nearby were knocked off the walls and shelves by the force.

It had been almost a whole hour of searching and there was no sign of Pinkamena. The first place anyone thought to look was at Sugarcube Corner, but there was no sign of her there. They all had split up after that but nopony had seen any sign of her. Twilight walked down the snow trodden path back to the library from her unsuccessful trip to the mayor’s office, bracing with every gust of wind. However, despite the bitterness of the chill, the cold wind was soothing on Twilight’s forehead.

As Twilight walked, she noticed something off about Ponyville. All around the market, there were ponies going about all of their midday affairs. Down by the café, now remodeled to an exclusively indoor restaurant, she could see ponies enjoying light meals. Shops were open and bustling and the post office was buzzing with activity. Twilight had expected that most places would become accustomed to the continuous weather and eventually carry on with their daily lives, but what struck the whole situation as odd was that it was night. The moon was hanging larger than ever directly overhead through an open patch of clouds, creating a ghostly glow across the snow. As Twilight’s eyes traced the horizon, she noticed, off in the distance away from the town, a grayish figure silhouetted by the moonlight. The figure looked back and then darted off.

Twilight gave chase after her, fighting to keep up against the wind and snow that buffeted her with every step, but to no avail. The figure was just too fast. It had slipped off into the distance, hidden by the increasingly thickening blizzard. Twilight looked around, but Ponyville had disappeared from sight. She couldn’t even see five yards in front of her, let alone any features to help her find her way back. Even her hoofprints disappeared below the constant flurry of snow. “HELP!” Twilight screamed out, but against the howl of the wind, even she could not hear her own voice. She was lost, scared, and alone. She huddled down into the snow as she frantically tried to come up with a way out of her situation.

"I know!" She thought. "I’ll just teleport back to the library." She concentrated on the new details that she could remember of the library and then began to focus her magic into a tunnel of sorts. Almost as soon as she was able to create enough energy to manifest her magic, a spark exploded from her horn, knocking her back into the snow. Twilight opened her eyes to see that her vision had blurred from her disorientation. Her horn flared up, glowing with an arcane fire as she winced at the pressure in her head.

Even though she was still lost, Twilight was extremely lucky. The cold wind was enough to keep Twilight’s horn from overheating, potentially causing her some serious damage and the heat it gave off was enough to keep her from freezing in the blizzard. It created a temperate ‘bubble’ around Twilight that, while not comfortable, was survivable. "I guess I can’t use my magic." She pondered. "My only choice is to wait it out." Twilight had sat in the wet patch of grass that she created with her heat and lowered her head down. She felt utterly exhausted from her attempt at magic. Her eyelids slowly fluttered closed, but just before they shut, she could see a set of grayish-pink hooves step in front of her.

Twilight opened up her eyes to find that she was inside a shack, hastily built, but sturdy enough to protect its inhabitants from the elements. She could hear the howl of the wind coming from outside. Twilight looked around the room to see that it was decorated with old party supplies, tattered streamers hung from the ceiling and deflated balloons lay on the ground around the shack. A table was in the center with party cups and plates set for three. In one of the chairs sat a doll in the shape of a pony. Twilight rose up and walked over to get a better view at it. It was made with white fabric turned gray and stained brown with age. Its mane and tail were made of purple yarn, and on its head was a unicorn horn. Twilight lifted it off the seat to inspect it closer when she noticed on its flank were three blue diamonds for a cutie mark. “Is… is this Rarity?” She spoke to herself. Before she could investigate further, just off in the next room, Twilight could hear a voice speaking in muffled whispers.

“No she isn’t. She isn’t real Twilight. You are. You are the real Twilight.” The voice sounded frantic. “But what if she tries to hurt me?”

There was a long pause but Twilight could hear some incoherent mumbles. She set the doll back where she got it and moved in closer to try and make out what the voice was saying.

“Okay. If you think so, then I trust you…” the voice said assuredly, “but I will keep my eye on her to make sure she doesn’t try anything funny.”

Twilight gave a light knock on the door. On the other side, she could hear the pony on the other side jump up quickly. “Hello… I just wanted to say thank you for rescuing me out there.” Twilight waited and listened but she didn’t get a response. Just as Twilight turned to walk back to the couch that she woke up on, the door swung open, revealing a pink mare with long straight hair.

“Oh… Pinkie… It’s you.” Twilight stumbled over her words. “We were all looking for you and…”

“My name is Pinkamena.” She quickly interrupted as she gave Twilight a sneer. She walked up face to face with Twilight. “Don’t get too comfortable. Twilight may trust you but I don’t. I’m keeping my eyes on you.” Pinkamena turned quickly, whipping her hair across Twilights face.

Twilight was more confused than annoyed at her friend’s behavior. “But…” She mumbled out as her friend disappeared into the darkness of the room that she had come out of. Twilight had no words to say to her friend. She was unprepared for how Pinkamena had reacted to her presence. Twilight knew Pinkie had gone crazy; she wasn’t oblivious- but nopony had explained to her exactly what had made her that way.

Pinkamena returned to the doorway, clutching a lavender doll with dark purple and pink yarn for a mane and tail. She gave Twilight a cold stare as she walked over to the table. She pulled out the one of the empty chairs, carefully placing the doll onto it and pushing the chair in. Curiously, she leaned over holding her hair away from her ear as if the doll had a secret to tell her. After a few seconds, she let out a sigh and then looked over to Twilight. “We were just about to celebrate the day of my friends return, but Twilight said I should invite you.” Pinkamena said through clenched teeth.

Even though the prospect of being guest to such a strange party irked Twilight, she couldn’t refuse the opportunity to try to communicate with Pinkamena. She walked over to the only unset place at the table, directly across from where Pinkamena was now sitting. The two stared at each other silently for several minutes. Even the dolls seemed to be enjoying their time more than Twilight and Pinkamena.

“So…” Twilight awkwardly said, trying to break the silence. “What is the occasion? I mean, I know you said your friend’s return, but what do you mean by that?”

Pinkamena’s face remained locked onto Twilight as she began to explain. “Well, fifteen years ago, two of my friends died. I was really upset and never wanted to throw a party again. Then all my so-called friends thought it would be funny to try and trick me into thinking that they had come back by giving me these dolls.” She let out a loud grunt as she contorted her face into a sneer. “They think I’m stupid. I was so heartbroken but then something wonderful happened.” Pinkamena twisted her face into a grim smile. “Twilight and Rarity came back to me. Well not entirely. Their souls are in the dolls! Now I get the last laugh. I get Twilight and Rarity all to myself.”

Twilight couldn’t stand to see her friend so delusional. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. “It’s me Pinkie!” She screamed as she reached across the table to grab the pink pony by the shoulders, knocking over cups and plates in the process. She began to shake her violently. “Please Pinkie! Snap out of it! It’s your friend! It’s me, Twilight!”

Suddenly, Twilight was struck across the cheek. The force of the impact sent her tumbling over the side of the table, knocking the chair holding the Twilight doll over. She sat up quickly rubbing her bruised cheek with her hoof. Pinkamena was standing above her with her hooves up, panting heavily. Her eyes were completely glossed over and her pupils were dilated. Twilight sat there for what seemed like an eternity as her friend continued her soulless stare at her. She was too afraid to move from that spot.

Without warning, Pinkamena dropped rapidly down towards her, causing her to shut her eyes tight and brace for an impact. Twilight waited for a moment but the second strike never came. She slowly opened one eye to see what had happened. Pinkamena was sitting inches away from her, clutching the Twilight doll. Her eyes were filled with tears as she embraced the doll, rocking it gently.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight!” She sobbed to the doll. “I lost control!” She lowered her head and pressed the doll against her cheek. She lifted herself up and rushed over to pick up the Rarity doll. Holding both of the dolls in one hoof, she galloped over to the room that she had come out of, stopping suddenly in the doorway. She paused for a second and then turned to face Twilight. “As soon as the storm lets up enough, I want you to leave!” She said through her sniffling. With that she turned and headed back into the darkness.

The moon began to shine through the gaps in the clouds and into the window of the library. Rarity was impatiently waiting to go searching for Twilight. All the ponies had immediately regretted sending her off alone when they realized that Twilight was taking too long to return.

“Shoot. We shouldn’t even have let her go in the first place!” Applejack shouted. “Especially not in her condition.”

“Well once Rainbow Dash comes back with that weather report, we can go out and search for her.” Rarity said, trying to offer a little comfort. “Besides, Twilight is a smart girl. I’m sure she found shelter before the storm got too serious.”

“Well, you got a point. It still ain’t gonna stop me from worryin’ about that girl though.”

“I know, AJ, and I’m worried too.”

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door, followed by the sound of somepony letting themselves in.

“Oh that must be Rainbow Dash now.” Rarity stated, getting up to go greet the guest. To her surprise, standing in the doorway was not Rainbow Dash, but a certain lavender unicorn. “Good heavens, Twilight!” She gasped “Where in Equestria were you?! We were so concerned that you might have gotten lost in the blizzard.” Rarity paused for a moment, then eyed Twilight’s face. “What in Celestia’s name happened to your face?”

Twilight placed a hoof up to cover up her bruise. “Oh this? It’s nothing. I just tripped.” She lied. “Well I would have been worse off, but Pinkie saved me.”

“You found her?!” Both Applejack and Rarity blurted out.

Twilight put a hoof up to alert them that she wasn’t finished. “Yes and she is safe for the most part, but I really need to ask you a few questions, Applejack.”

Rarity could tell that Twilight needed her privacy, so she returned up the stairs to spend some time with Fluttershy in Spike’s study.

After Twilight could tell that Rarity was out of earshot, she turned to Applejack, giving her a stern look. “Applejack, I know that a lot has changed since we left you, but there’s something seriously wrong with Pinkie. Can you please tell me what happened to her?”

Applejack let out a heavy sigh. “Ah never thought that Pinkie would react like she did the day you went missin’.” Applejack took a seat on the couch. “When you left, she cried non-stop. Nothin’ we could do would comfort her, like she knew that we weren’t gonna find y’all. After about a month, she had gone missin’ too. We searched for her but we just couldn’t find her, at least until…” Applejack paused.

“Until what?”

“We heard screams comin’ from a house. We came in and found Berry Punch tied up on a chair. Her mane and tail were styled to look like yours, Twilight. Poor girl was frightened, but unharmed. She said that Pinkie had done it.”

Twilight was in shock. “Why didn’t anypony tell me this?! I was out there trapped with her!” Twilight lunged forward and gripped Applejack by the shoulders. “I could have died!”

“Twilight, it was a long time ago!” Applejack interrupted. “We ain’t proud of her for what she’s done, but we ain’t mad at her neither.” Applejack took control of the distraught unicorn and sat her down on the couch. “Twilight, she’s paid her dues, been in and out of the hospital more times than I can count.”

Twilight lowered her head, suddenly feeling guilty for accusing Pinkie of being capable of murdering her.

Applejack lowered herself and put a hoof under Twilight's chin, slowly raising it until their eyes met. “She only wanted y’all back. That’s all.” Applejack took a moment to allow Twilight to regain her composure. “But even though I wish that was the end of it, this story ain’t through just yet. She spent ten years in and out of psycho-whatchit care, but when she was released, we all wanted to give her somethin’ to smile about. Fluttershy made two dolls that looked like y’all for her as some sort a welcome home present. We didn’t mean her no harm, but Pinkie sure didn’t see it that way. She ran off ramblin’ and cryin’ about somethin’ but we couldn’t get her to calm down. She don’t like to see us often anymore. If anythin’, we thought that you guys could fix her back up.”

Twilight only let out a deep sigh of sadness. She knew that whatever she had done only helped to make things worse. “Well, there is one other thing I wanted to ask,” Twilight said, in an attempt to change the subject. “Why hasn’t the sun come up yet? I mean, it has been several hours and the moon hasn’t even moved an inch.” Twilight’s mind was only coming up with one reason for it, but she chose to ignore her suspicions. “I’m sure Princess Luna would be able to handle it after this long without…” Twilight paused, unable to say the words on her tongue.

“Well, that’s a lil’ complicated. I have no idea what happened, but when Celestia… left, the Sun did too.” Applejack began to explain. “Princess Luna said that it just vanished. She don’t move the moon ‘cause it’s the only source of light we have left. It don’t do us much good about the cold though.”

Twilight walked towards the window to observe the heavenly body. Its haunting beauty sent chills down her spine. The clouds that covered most of the sky were kept away from intruding the light by several pegasus ponies. Twilight had gotten so lost in thought about the moon and the Princesses that she didn’t notice the darkness forming beside her.

“Uh Twi…” Applejack worriedly called out to her.

Twilight snapped from her daydream and turned, noticing a small dark purple cloud begin to swirl next to her. The suddenness of it caused her to reel back. “What is that!” She shouted. The cloud grew lighter in color and sparkled like starlight, much like Nightmare Moon’s mane had. As the swirling became more intense, it seemed to focus itself into the center until it burst in a splash of sparkles, revealing a small scroll. The ribbon that sealed it was dark blue, and at the center of the knot, there was a moon insignia fastened to it. Twilight had reached out and grabbed the scroll and slowly unwound it.

“Well, what does it say?” Applejack said impatiently.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight began to read aloud. “It’s for me!” She said, shocked. “It has been fifteen years since you left, and much has changed. Princess Celestia had prophesied before her passing that on this day, you would return, and she asked that I pass on a message to you. I must request an audience with you as soon as possible.”

“Sincerely, Princess Luna.”

[Chapter 3] Searching

[Chapter 3] Searching

“Well, I had better start walking.” Twilight said sarcastically. There was no royal escort knocking at her door. No instructions on how to get to Canterlot through the snow. Luna’s letter had no sense of urgency, no personal touches to show that she cared. Twilight’s disgust was immeasurable. Luna was no Princess Celestia.

“What’s bothering you sugarcube?” Applejack asked, noticing Twilight’s tone of voice.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine…” Twilight said through clenched teeth.

“Well I can tell that somethin’ is bothering you, but if you don’t wanna talk about it, I won’t make you.”

“I’m sorry AJ,” Twilight said, her tone shifting suddenly. “It’s just that Luna’s letter is so… formal. I’m just so used to Princess Celestia’s friendly writing.” Twilight couldn’t hold her tears back. “I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I wish Princess Celestia was here instead of Luna.”

“Hey, sugarcube, I know you ain’t used to it, but Princess Luna has been doin’ the best she can.” Applejack had seen how difficult Princess Luna’s job had become after Princess Celestia’s death during an agriculture meeting. “I’m sure she’ll be much nicer when you go see her. Besides, you ain’t gotta walk to Canterlot anymore. Just take the monorail.”

“The mono-what?”

“Monorail. It’s like a train, but on stilts. They built it over the ol’ train station ever since the blizzard started,” Applejack explained. “See the old trains couldn’t plow through the snow, so they put the tracks up on big concrete pillars.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Twilight said in disbelief.

“That’s what I thought at first, but they’ve been runnin’ daily for a few years now and they ain’t never had an accident. I can take you to go see them if you’d like.”

“That sounds good. We should probably get moving soon anyway. The letter said to get there as soon as possible,” Twilight said impatiently. “I don’t think I should keep the Princess waiting. Besides, I’m really anxious to know what Princess Celestia had to tell me.”

Applejack nodded as she reached for her coat. As they walked to the door, Applejack called up to their friends to let them know they were leaving. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike all came out to see their friends off.

“Where are you all heading off to?” Rarity asked.

“I’m going to have a word with Princess Luna. She just sent me a letter a few minutes ago. Apparently she knew of my return and now she has a message for me from Princess Celestia,” Twilight explained.

“Oh my. Should I accompany you as well? I mean, we were both missing, were we not?”

“No, I don’t think that will be necessary.” Twilight said nonchalantly. “The letter said that Princess Celestia left a message for me and I’m not sure of how sensitive the content is.”

Rarity let out a “hmpf” as she slumped against the door frame, arms crossed in disappointment.

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but I feel that I need to do this alone” Twilight said, trying to comfort her friend. “Besides, while you’re here, you should ask around town and see if anypony knows what happened to your sister.”

Rarity couldn’t argue that. She had really hoped that the Princess would know some information, but given the circumstances, she could probably find out more in Ponyville. “Alright, Twilight,” Rarity sighed out. “I know how important the Princess was to you, so I’ll give you your privacy for this. But while you’re there, if you could ask about-“

“Not to worry,” Twilight quickly interrupted. “I’ve already planned to ask the Princess myself as well as make a stop at the Canterlot Records Depository. If there’s a record of where she’s been, it’ll be there.”
Rarity quickly descended down the steps to give her friend a hug. “Thank you, Twilight,” she said, nuzzling her neck.

“Well, I had better be on my way,” Twilight said as she broke the hug.

As Twilight was walking towards the door, Applejack put her hoof right in the doorframe, blocking her path. “Alright, Twi, I’ll show you the way, but I ain’t gonna let you go nowhere all alone,” Applejack cut in. “I know you need your privacy and all, but you’re still in bad shape. We wouldn’t be able to forgive ourselves if’n somethin’ happened to you out there. Now Spike is the closest thing we’ve got to a doctor ‘round here and he probably knows his way around Canterlot better than you now, so he should probably go with you.”

Spike nodded in agreement.

“But-“

“Nope! It’s final. Either he goes with you, or you don’t go at all. Honestly, Twilight, it’s for your own good.”

“Alright then. I guess I don’t have a say in the matter,” Twilight chuckled. “Thank you all for your concern and understanding."

As Applejack and Twilight turned to leave, they heard a timid squeak from behind them.

“Um… Twilight?” Fluttershy mumbled “If the Princess can send you back to your time... will you, um, promise to say goodbye before you go? Only if it’s not too much trouble.” Fluttershy quickly tucked her head down to her shoulder as if she was afraid of the answer. Suddenly, she felt a set of hooves wrap themselves around her.

“Of course, Fluttershy. I promise.”

Fluttershy cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she stood there frozen in surprise. Slowly, she lifted her hooves to return the hug.

As Twilight turned to head on her way, she noticed that Fluttershy had not let go. In fact, she had been holding on as tight as she could, nuzzling Twilight’s shoulder. “Uh, Fluttershy...” she nervously chuckled.

Fluttershy’s eyes slowly opened to see that all her friends were giving her odd looks. Quickly, she realized that she hadn’t let go of Twilight yet, jumping back in embarrassment. Her whole face had turned red through her coat.

Together, Applejack, Spike, and Twilight headed off to the station, closing the door behind them.

“My, my, Fluttershy. What was all that about?” Rarity teased.

“EEP!” Fluttershy squeaked as she covered her head with her hooves.

“Whoa!” Twilight gawked as she observed the tall archways of the monorail that seemed to stretch on for an eternity in both directions. Above, a monorail train was docked at the station. Its sleek metal hull was unlike anything Twilight had witnessed before. As they walked up the steps, they saw various ponies, mostly in business attire, moving quickly up the steps.

“When they built this here monorail, it made it real easy to get to big cities like Canterlot and Manehattan,” Applejack quickly explained, noticing Twilight’s confusion. “Most ponies figured they could get better jobs over there without havin’ to actually move there.”

Twilight gave her a quick nod as she resumed her gawking at the strangeness of the station. It wasn’t elaborate or unnecessarily large, but just seeing something like that right on the edge of Ponyville filled Twilight with wonder.

“I gotta warn you though,” Applejack said as they approached the toll gate. “Canterlot has gotten much bigger since you left.” Applejack reached into one of her saddle bags and pulled out four bits and inserted two of them into the slot on the gate. A light above the gate flashed green and made a dinging noise as the bar in the middle moved down out of the way. Almost immediately after Applejack cleared the gate, the bar sprung back up. “Here you go sugarcube.” Applejack said as she handed Twilight the two remaining bits.

Twilight slid the two bits into the slot, gawking at every action the machine made. “Wow, this is much easier than using tickets!” Twilight squealed in excitement as the machine let her pass.

Spike simply rolled his eyes as he paid the toll and passed on through. “Twilight, you might be overreacting a little. It’s not that amazing.”

“Well anyways, here’s where we part ways.” Applejack said quickly, trying to change the subject. “This here train will take you straight to Canterlot. As for me, well I’ve got some business to take care of at the farm.” Applejack reached over and gave Twilight a hug and sent her on her way. “You take good care of her Spike.”

“Will do, AJ. It’s what I do best.” Spike said as he followed Twilight into the car. As they walked to their seats, they waved to Applejack through the window.

Applejack waved back as she started to walk back towards the gate. Suddenly, a pony in a black hoodie cut her off, knocking her off balance and onto the ground. Without even turning around to help her up or apologize, the pony rushed through the closing doors without a second to spare. “Well excuse you pardner.” Applejack sneered.

In the monorail car, Twilight and Spike had turned their attention to each other, missing the incident. “Only one rail? How does this thing stay balanced?” Twilight asked Spike. As Spike began to explain the mechanics of the monorail as best as he could, Twilight felt a chill run down her spine. She had an eerie feeling creep up on her; the feeling that they were being watched.

Rarity and Fluttershy had been walking through Ponyville major towards town hall. They had left shortly after the others in order to investigate the records of the Orphanage that Sweetie Belle had been sent to.

“Oh yes Rarity. It was really nice. I visited her a few times.” Fluttershy said as they walked through a freshly shoveled path through the snow.

“But I don’t quite understand! Why would she do all those things if she was so well taken care of? Rarity cried in frustration. “It just doesn’t make any sense!”

“Oh Rarity. I really don’t know. She looked really happy every time I saw her.”

Rarity let out a heavy sigh as they continued on. “I just hope that wherever she is, she is okay.”

Town hall hadn’t changed much in the fifteen years that had passed. Its architecture had remained the same, save for a few repairs, compared to the rest buildings in Ponyville which had undergone many design changes and remodeling. As Rarity and Fluttershy entered, they were greeted by a young looking Unicorn. Rarity noted quietly to Fluttershy that her dark gray suit vest clashed horribly with her light blue coat and her purple mane.

“Is there something that I can help you with?” asked the mare.

“Quite, Miss… um…” Rarity began.

“Tootsie Flute.”

“Yes well, I was wondering if perhaps we could speak with Mayor Mare for a moment?” Rarity continued.

The young mare cocked her head and gave Rarity a blank stare. Rarity noticed that Fluttershy had given her an embarrassed look as if she had forgotten to tell her something.

“Ma’am, Mayor Mare retired eight years ago.” Tootsie Flute replied in a condescending tone. “I believe the pony you are looking for would be Mayor Neighlin, and unfortunately, she is unavailable at the moment.”

“Well when will she be in?” Rarity impatiently asked.

“She is very busy, but I could schedule an appointment for you if you would like. How does next week sound?”

“NEXT WEEK?!” Rarity shouted. “But I only need to see if I can find any records of an Orphanage!” Rarity was leaning over the desk, practically over it and onto the other side.

“Oh well why didn’t you just say so?” The mare nervously chuckled, placing a hoof on Rarity’s forehead and slowly extending it until she was no longer on top of the desk. “Those are public records. I can show you those now if you’d like. What was the name of the orphanage?”

“Oh… it’s uh, Saint Marey’s Orphanage… miss.” Fluttershy squeaked out.

“Oh you mean the one that burned down? I remember that day well. I used to live not too far from there,” she said, giving a solemn look. “What would you like to know?”

“Well you see, my sister, Sweetie Belle, was sent there-“

“WAIT, YOU’RE SWEETIE BELLE’S SISTER?!” Tootsie Flute burst out.

“Yes. Did you know Sweetie Belle?” A glimmer of hope sparkled in Rarity’s eyes. This young mare was the first lead she had found since she had arrived in this time.

“Yeah! They had a day-care there as well. We played together when I went there,” Tootsie Flute had been smiling as she reminisced about her friend, but her expression quickly shifted to shock and fear. “I thought you were supposed to be dead! All she ever did was talk about you.” She quickly looked Rarity up and down and gave her a confused look. “I was sure she had said older sister though.”

“I’m sorry. It’s quite a long story but I need to know where I can find her.” Rarity grabbed her hoof as she pleaded.

“I’m really sorry, but I haven’t talked to her since the accident. I really wouldn’t know where to find her. I do, however, know somepony who does keep in touch though!” She gave Rarity a long pause and then let out a sigh. “But she moved to Cloudsdale last year. I think her name was Scooterly or something.”

“Oh, you mean Scootaloo!” Rarity exclaimed. She would never have guessed that on her first attempt, she would discover such a huge lead. She was so close to finding her sister already; she could feel it in her bones. “Thank you so much! This is more than enough to help me find her.” Rarity hopped back up over the desk and gave the mare a hug and then hastily made her way to the door with Fluttershy in tow.

Rarity began to gallop back to the Library with Fluttershy trailing behind, struggling to keep up. Suddenly, a pegasus zipped out of the sky and darted right in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

“What the hay Rare?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I take some of my valuable time away from the Wonderbolts to help you guys out, and you go and disappear on me!”

“I am so very sorry Rainbow Dash, but I have some pressing matters-”

“You’re pressing my patience,” she blurted out, arms crossed. “I ain’t just loyal to you guys anymore. The Wonderbolts are relying on me too you know. If you’re gonna just-”

“Rainbow Dash, please!” Rarity shouted, her patience wearing thin. “Just hear me out.”

“Listening...” Dash said as she slumped down.

“On your way back to Cloudsdale, can you find Scootaloo and tell her that I need to see her. It is about my sister. You are the only pony I know who would have any idea where she is.”

“Uh, Rare.” Rainbow Dash nervously cut in. “I hate to break it to you, but Scootaloo can’t break practice for any reason.”

“Break practice?” Rarity questioned. “Wait, certainly you don’t mean...”

“Yup! Just made the newbie squad in the last tryouts,” Rainbow dash boasted. “I mean, seriously though, just look at who she looked up to. That girl was destined for greatness!”

“But Rainbow Dash, this is really important! Can’t you do something about it? I mean, you are the Captain of the Wonderbolts after all”

“It ain’t my rule. All Delta Squad members must have one-hundred percent attendance, or else they will be relieved from duty.” Rainbow Dash said sarcastically, quoting the rulebook. “If I let her get away with it, not only would I have to make the exception for everypony, but also I’d be breaking the rules too. I’d get voted out of my position faster than I can fly!”

Rarity lowered her head pitifully. She was so close to finding her sister, only to have her hopes wrenched away in an instant.

“Look Rare.” Rainbow Dash said trying to cheer her up. “I’ll let her know that you need to talk to her and maybe tomorrow, during her class break, you can visit her on campus. Getting there is on you though.”

“Alright, Rainbow Dash, I will be there. At what time does her break start?”

“12:30 sharp. You can’t be late. She gets fifteen minutes and if she’s late returning to class, she gets a mark. Each student only gets three marks a year before they are counted absent for one day.”

As Rainbow Dash turned to fly away, Rarity reached out and tugged on the hem of her uniform. “Rainbow Dash, I just want to let you know how grateful I am.”

Rainbow Dash smiled as she gave her a quick nod and then continued on her way.

The library hadn’t seen this much action since Twilight had lived there. Books were flying from the shelves as Rarity hung from a ladder trying to find the right one. “Where is that book!” she shouted, tossing some of the books to the floor.

Cowering behind a couch with a pillow over her head to protect herself from the barrage of books was Fluttershy. She had been slowly pulling out books one at a time to try and help, but in Rarity’s frantic state, she had only served to get in the way.

“Aha!” Rarity cheered. “Here it is! ‘Cloud Walking for the Flightless’ I can’t believe it’s still here.”

“Oh my. I remember that spell.” Fluttershy said, peeking her head over the couch. “Are you sure you can do something like that? Maybe we should just wait for Twili-“

“Oh please, Fluttershy, dearie. It can’t be that hard.” Rarity said, rolling her eyes as she levitated her glasses up to her face. She began to flip through the pages until she finally came across an entry entitled 'Cloudwalker Spell'. “Ah yes… mhmm… focus levitation… ya, da, da, da, da… place magic lock on horseshoes… da, da, da. Ah yes this should be no problem at all!” Rarity boasted as she removed her horseshoes.

Rarity placed them in an open area of the room and began to focus a basic levitation spell on them. As they were floating in midair, she carefully shifted half her magic on another spell, which would lock the current spell to the shoes for an allotted amount of time. She began to focus harder as her horn started to glow brightly. Then in a flash of sparks, she released her magic and with a smug grin, observed four floating horseshoes. “Do you see Fluttershy? No problem at-“

Suddenly, the horseshoes went rocketing up through the roof of the tree and off into the sky.

“Ah! Those were my favorite shoes!” Rarity squealed.

Canterlot was just coming into view as Twilight gawked at the sheer size of it. “Wow, Applejack sure wasn’t kidding when she said that it had grown. The entire base of the mountain had become an entire business district, complete with its own skyline that nearly reached the Royal Palace itself. Twilight began to reach for her bags to prepare to depart as they neared the first stop in Canterlot.

“No Twilight, the next station will get us closer,” Spike said as he put his hand on her shoulder. “Besides, this station is in a bad part of town.” Suddenly, he began to reach around the floor frantically “Oh man,” he mumbled.

What is it Spike? Did you lose something?

“My bag. It must have slid down the aisle or something while the train was moving,” Spike said nervously. “It had all my bits in there.”

The train was slowly docking into the station as many ponies started standing up and making their way to the front and rear exits.

“I’ll check the back, Spike. You should check the front.” Twilight suggested.

As they both stood up, the doors opened up as a mass of ponies began to exit. It had appeared that Twilight and Spike were the only ones left. Twilight was checking the underneath the seats as she made her way to the back. In the last seat was a pony in a black hoodie lying asleep but Twilight paid no attention to him as she made her way to the steps from the doors.

“I’ve got nothing.” Spike called out from the front of the car.

“Neither do-”

Suddenly the pony rose from the seat blocking Twilight’s path back into the aisle. “Looking for this?” the pony asked in a deep voice as he lifted up a hoof to show Spike the bag. The hoodie had obscured the pony’s eyes in a shadow, leaving only his light gray snout visible. He let out a toothy grin as he tossed the bag into Twilight’s hands and pushed her out the doors just as they closed shut.

Frantically, Twilight tried to pry open the doors with her hooves but they wouldn’t budge. Slowly, the monorail started to move again, quickly gaining speed as she struggled to keep up with it. “SPIKE!” She called out as she reached the end of the platform.

“Twilight!” Spike yelled as he ran towards the back of the car. “Why’d you go and do something like that! What’s wrong with you?”

The pony then removed the hood revealing long flowing purple and pink locks and a unicorn horn. Her green eyes sparkled with a radiance that Spike had never seen before. She was beautiful, but it didn’t distract him from what she had done. “Why did you do that?! She needs my help! She can’t be out there alone.”

“Oh please Spike.” She said in a beautiful voice that caught him completely off guard. “Twilight can handle herself. Why do you think I pushed her out? I can’t stand up to her.”

“No you don’t understand. She’s suffering from magical discharge! She can’t use her magic!” he shouted.

Instantly, the mare’s face dropped she realized her foalish mistake. “Wait what?! Oh no. Why… what… how was I supposed to know?!” she said as she began pacing back and forth nervously through the aisle.

“Wait just a second, how do you know our names?” Spike inquired, raising one eyebrow.

“Seriously?” she snorted. “You mean you don’t recognize me? It’s me! Sweetie Belle!”

“SWEETIE BELLE?!” he exclaimed. “You’re alive! I can’t believe it. Where have you been?”

“I’ve been on the run for twelve years,” she began. “I don’t know why they started chasing me, but when you live your life on the run, jobs don’t come easy, or particularly legal for that matter. I may not know what started this, but I’ve done things that I can’t turn back from now.”

“But you started the fire at the orphanage!” Spike burst out. “You’ve been wanted for arson!”

“What! There was a fire?!” Sweetie Belle shouted, legitimately surprised. “Was everypony okay?!”

“Wait you mean you didn’t know? The whole place went up. Everypony got out okay but you went missing. Maybe that’s why we all thought you did it.” Spike paused and began to mumble through his teeth. “Plus your history kind of supported the theory.”

“Hey! I’m sick of hearing all those rumors about me.” Sweetie Belle snapped “I didn’t fight or steal anything! It was all this girl that used to go there’s fault! She always stole things from town and gave them to me and then told on me. Nopony ever believed me because nopony ever stood up for me!”

“Why didn’t you tell us when we visited? I’m sure we could have put a stop to it.”

“They threatened that if I told, they would hurt me.” Sweetie Belle said starting to tear up. “They always did anyway. Every time she got caught, she blamed me and we both got in trouble for ‘fighting.’ All they ever did was slap her wrist but I got punished. They put me in a dark room for days every time. That’s why I ran away. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“I’m… I’m sorry. I had no idea.” Spike said as he walked over to comfort her. “But why did you push Twilight out. I’m sure she would have understood.”

“I was scared. I know you guys were going to talk to the Princess. I didn’t have much time to come up with a plan.” Sweetie Belle had started crying out of shame. “I overheard you all in the station. I was afraid that she would lead me to the castle. I’d get arrested in a heartbeat. I didn’t mean her any harm. I thought she would be able to defend herself out there.”

Spike put his hand on the back of her head and brought her in to cry on his shoulder. “Shh, Sweetie Belle. We will find her and then we can put this all behind us. What did you need to have me alone for anyway?”

“M… my sister. Where is she?”

“We split up back in Ponyville. She’s worried sick about you,” Spike said as he held her close. “She went to go look for you. We can help you find her if you come with us.”

“But I can’t,” she cried. “You’re going to see the Princess. There are guards everywhere. If they see me, I’ll get locked up for sure.”

“That reminds me, why are you so wanted? Arson doesn’t warrant this much attention.”

Sweetie Belle had quickly sat up at the question, looking around nervously. “Oh… well that… let’s see. Remember those ‘jobs’ I talked about? Well, let’s just say that one of them involved… um… banking.”

“Sweetie Belle, please tell me you didn’t.” Spike groaned.

“Well I was never a good criminal. I was part of a group, and… well… I was the only one they could identify.” Sweetie Belle could feel the distance Spike put between her and himself. “Look, I had no other choice! I had nothing: no home, no family, nopony believed in me. Could you say you would have done anything differently in my place?”

Spike looked down out of guilt. “I’m sorry. It’s just a lot to take in. If I had known, I would have tried to do more for you. Honestly.” Spike looked deep into her eyes. “But we can help you now. We may not be able to clear your name of everything, but we can help you clear your name from the arson. Maybe if you turn yourself in, we can get some leniency.” Spike could tell that his plan offered little solace for the distraught unicorn, but still he pressed on. “Do you know who would’ve started that fire? Anypony at all?”

“I already have a good idea of who did it. She sure talked about it a lot.” Sweetie Belle’s eyes burned with anger. “Her name was-”

Suddenly, the train lurched forward coming quickly to a stop. In the car ahead, Sweetie Bell could see a pegasus guard talking to the conductor as another one quickly descended down the aisle, checking the passengers as he passed them. “It looks like my luck has run out. At least you know Twilight is still looking after you,” Sweetie Belle sighed.

“I won’t stand for this, Sweetie Belle. You are innocent in my eyes.” Spike took a deep breath and blew fire against the window of the car, melting a large hole in it. “Go! I’ll hold them off.”

“Spike! You can’t!” she pleaded. “You’ll get arrested… I’m not worth it!”

The guard had noticed the disturbance in their car at this point, and was now galloping down the aisle towards the door.

“Some things are more important than my record.” Spike said with a smile. “You need to find your sister. You two are all each other have left. Now go!” he shouted, lifting Sweetie Belle through the hole as she jumped onto a service platform below. “Go back to Ponyville and find Fluttershy.”

“Thank you, Spike,” she called out as she descended down a ladder on one of the columns.

Spike watched her go as behind him, a guard grabbed him and pinned him against the window, cuffing his hands together.

Twilight waited patiently in the lobby of a guard station. It was in fact her that had alerted the guards to the kidnapping on the train shortly after it left the station.

“Miss Sparkle?” One of the guards called out.

“Um, yes. That’s me,” she responded nervously. “Did you find my friend?”

“We were unable to catch the perp, but we caught your ‘friend’ helping them escape. He’s going to be spending the night in lockup but he requested to speak with you. If you’ll follow me?” The guard led Twilight down a long hallway down to a holding cell where her purple friend sat waiting.

“Oh, Twi, I’m glad to see you’re alright,” he cheerfully greeted.

“I wish I could say the same,” she sarcastically responded. “What’s wrong with you? They told me you helped your kidnapper get away! Did you forget what he did to me?

“She.”

“Huh?”

“What she did to you,” he corrected. “Twilight, it was Sweetie Belle. Before you say anything, I know that it’s strange but it’s a long story and I don’t have enough time to tell it,” he said, anxiously eyeing the clock on the wall. “Just do me a favor. Go on the next train and at the next stop, head right up Mane Street until you reach Royal Boulevard. Take a left there and the rest of the way should be the same as it was fifteen years ago. You need to go talk to the Princess.”

“But Spike?” she asked. “What about you? What about Sweetie Belle?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to be out in about twelve hours.” Spike took a look around to make sure nopony was listening. He motioned for Twilight to come in closer. “Sweetie Belle is on her way back to Ponyville,” he whispered. “If you see her, keep her safe. She’s in a lot of trouble but she’s innocent.”

The guard started to walk back down to the cell. “Okay, time’s up,” he said as he led Twilight back down the hallway.

“I will, Spike!” she shouted.

[Chapter 4] Celestia's Prophecy

[Chapter 4] Celestia’s Prophecy

==============================================================================

Twilight had been wandering aimlessly around the unfamiliar city for almost half an hour. It could only be explained by a stroke of luck that she found her way back to the monorail terminal. As she waited for the next car, she couldn’t help but feel that everything that had led her back was suspiciously coincidental.

Upon leaving the guard station, Twilight suddenly felt a splitting pain in her skull return, causing her to become disoriented. Using the wall as a brace, she started walking down the street towards the direction she thought she had come from.

For almost thirty minutes she had traveled down the road, unable to recognize any of her surroundings. She knew she was lost, but her stubbornness forced her to press onwards. As she turned at the next intersection, she could see neon lights of taverns and clubs littering the walls of the buildings all the way to the end of the strip. Loud and obnoxious stallions whistled and hollered at her as she passed by, trying not to make eye contact. Unfortunately, an unruly trio of unicorns had managed to cut off her escape. They were large and unkempt, the shades of their coats were indecipherable from the grime and grit that coated the alleyways and their manes and tails were greasy with sweat and dirt.

“Hey little lady,” the gray stallion said with a wrinkled smile. “Are you lost?” He stood right in front of Twilight, blocking her from heading any farther forward.

“Um… no, I’m quite alright.” She said as she slowly began to back up, bumping into a larger brown stallion.

“Looks like she might be havin’ a little trouble. She’s bumpin’ all over the place,” he said as he placed a hoof on her saddle bag. “Maybe we could provide some ‘assistance.’”

Quickly, she turned to remove the hoof and move to the side, away from the pair. Unsurprisingly, the third stallion had maneuvered his way to block her path that way as well, trapping her against the wall. “Gentlecolts, I’m sure… uh… grateful for the offer, but I think I see my ride over there.” She pointed towards the direction of a cart carrying a few cases of bottles down the street, hoping that it would distract them long enough for her to make an escape. Unfortunately, her attempt only served to draw them closer in to her.

“Nonsense,” the gray pony began. “You look tired. Why don’t we find you a place that you can crash for a while? It just so happens that I have a place that may have some extra space for say… a few ponies.” He leaned in wearing a devilish grin and with a slow motion, he placed a hoof on her rump.

In her sudden shock, Twilight shut her eyes tight and jerked forward, bucking the air behind her as hard as she could, making contact with a wooden beam that cracked from the impact. Suddenly, the scaffolding that was above them buckled down, dropping paint cans, bricks, and tools all around her. Surprisingly, when she opened her eyes, the three ponies were covered in bruises and scratches as well as a fine coat of yellow and blue paint, but not a drop or scratch was on her.

“Oh you’re dead!” The once-gray unicorn shouted.

Twilight took the opportunity to dart off between them and make her daring escape. It was no use. They were much too fast for her to keep them off her tail. Her only option was to use her size to her advantage. Quickly, she cut across the street, ducking under the yoke of a passing cart. Her saddlebags were yanked from off her back, but she had no time to recover them.

One of the ponies tried to follow, but slipped up on the bags, falling under the wheel of the cart. All Twilight heard was a loud thump and a few gasps.

Having made a little bit of distance between her and her pursuers, she hastily made her way through the back alleys, trying to shake them off with a series of tight turns. As she rounded a corner, she was startled to find that the route cut off abruptly, leaving the only direction to go as up. She quickly ascended the ladder and galloped across a low rooftop accidentally tripping over a wooden beam. This had given the two ponies enough time to climb up the ladder and catch up to her. The beam, now balancing over the edge of the roof, suddenly dropped, bringing a rope that was tied to it along with it. The rope then wrapped itself around the brown stallion’s leg and yanked him off the building. Both Twilight and the gray stallion peered over the edge at the unconscious pony lying in a pile of broken boxes. After quickly eyeing each other, they continued the pursuit, hopping across narrow alleys and over obstacles.

Suddenly, Twilight’s back hoof got caught in a hole in one of the stone tiles. As she struggled to free her leg, the gray stallion slowly made his way towards her with an evil grin across his face.

“Oh you better pray to Luna that you make it through what I’m about to do to you,” he hissed.

With one final heave, Twilight was able to free her hoof, sending the horseshoe flying into the air, but it was already too late. The paint splattered stallion was breathing down on her as he reached over and grabbed her by her shoulders.

Suddenly, he held a hoof up over his head, blocking a falling horseshoe from knocking him unconscious. “Not this time! Nopony makes a fool out of me!” Twilight winced as he came down at her.

*Crack*

The sound of pottery crashing was the only thing that Twilight heard. Slowly, she opened her eyes to reveal that the pony was frozen in place with his eyes crossed. On top of his head was a single sunflower sitting in a pile of dirt. She looked up to see a ledge with a deep indention from where her horseshoe made contact. The stallion could only mutter a timid squeak before he fell to his side, unconscious.

After she collected her horseshoe and made her way down below, she was caught by a golden ray shining from down the alley that strangely reminded her of sunshine. As she went further to investigate, she found two bits lying on the ground, the golden sun insignia minted on the face. However, the light that came off it was coming from a slightly open fence. After picking up the bits with her tail, she pressed on to investigate the strange light further. As she peered through the crack in the gate, she noticed a bright sign from across a slightly bustling street. To her astonishment, the sign was directing her to the monorail station.

It wasn’t until she finally arrived at the station, and more specifically, the toll booth, that she remembered that she had lost spike’s bag as well as her own. “Oh no, I have no mone-,” she began, suddenly cutting herself off as she remembered the bits she picked up in the alleyway.

Twilight leaned against the tiled column in relief as a soft smile spread across her face. “Princess Celestia, wherever you are... Thank you for looking out for me,” she thought.

As the monorail car approached, Twilight felt a sense of paranoia setting in. Every glance in her general direction was enough to make her jump. Twilight eyed every face she could find and carefully studied every pony whose face she couldn’t. Cautiously, she approached the open doors, scanning the windows for any wandering eyes. As she walked down the aisle, she nervously checked each seat to make sure no pony was hiding there to jump out at her. After she was satisfied with her inspection, she went over and picked a seat with as few ponies around as she could see. It’s not that Twilight’s previous experience hadn’t been overly traumatic, but it was her first experience with the monorail and it hadn’t left a good impression.

The ride to the next station was the longest ride of her life.

As the car came to a stop, Twilight was the first to the exit, practically forcing the doors open faster than they would normally. “Finally! I can breathe!” She shouted, gasping for air as she stumbled to the platform. All around, ponies were pointing and laughing or just giving her odd looks. Suddenly realizing how much of a scene she was making, she nervously stood up and dusted herself off. “I’m… uh… claustrophobic,” she mumbled out to nopony in particular.

Everypony simply began to carry on with their business entering the cars or heading for the exit; all except for one young, light blue mare who continued to stare and even appeared to be carefully studying her from a distance. As soon as she noticed that Twilight was aware of her, she quickly turned to the side and hid her face behind her wavy dark blue and white mane. Twilight quickly tried to duck away behind the crowd. She wanted nothing more than to be in Canterlot Castle, the only familiar setting left for her in all of Canterlot.

As she passed the exit gate of the platform, she found herself in a large, elaborately designed room. Hanging from the ceiling were ornate chandeliers emblazoned with crystals that refracted the lights and flecked the walls with rainbow colored light. Each crystal, however, was strategically placed to avoid the light from refracting to the ground, potentially annoying commuters. The walls were lined with columns, each of which was ornately designed at the top and base with elaborate carvings in the marble. In the center of the room, there was a large clock plated with gold, its hands signifying that the time was 6:47. Underneath was a dial with two settings: AM and PM, the prior of which was marked. “I guess that means it’s pretty early in the morning.” Twilight scanned the signs that hung from the ceiling, finally coming across one that read Mane Street Exit. She hastily made her way to the large revolving door, excited to be able to get some fresh air. As she stepped outside, she was greeted to a much more pleasant sight than the one she had seen at the previous stop.

The streets and sidewalks were clean and properly lit. The ponies were sophisticated and surprisingly well mannered, which helped to put her at ease. Across the street, she could see a pony in a business suit helping a young mare pick up a bag that she dropped. Warm smiles were worn by passerbys and street vendors. But despite all of this, she still felt a tear roll down her cheek. All of the surroundings used to be rolling hills and humble cottages. To her left once stood a park where she used to get some outdoor reading done, but now it was replaced by an elegant dress shop. Farther down to her right was once a toy store where she got her Smarty Pants doll. Now it was replaced by an apartment complex.

As she continued down the street, she noticed that the buildings started to get shorter and the architecture appeared to be getting older the farther she went. Buildings made of steel and concrete faded into buildings made of cobblestone, and shortly after, made of wood and ivory. As she reached Royal Boulevard, to her enlightenment, she found that Spike might have under exaggerated when he said that it was the same from there on. Nothing had changed even the slightest, which shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to Twilight. The oldest part of rural Canterlot was a historic site, once home to many famous unicorns. As Twilight crossed the stone bridge, she could see her old home over the horizon; Canterlot Library, its ivory tower glistening in the moonlight.

It had been so long since she last came by; even longer now since this wasn’t even her time anymore. The Gala had been the last time she came to Canterlot, but the only time she spent outside of the Palace was Pony Joe’s. “It’s been far too long,” she thought.

After her long walk down memory lane, she finally came to the point in the road where it forked. In one direction, the road headed off down around the mountain and on to Fillydelphia many miles away. The other direction headed up the steep slope in a winding path all the way up to the marble gates of Canterlot Castle.

“HALT!” Two guards called out in unison, flaring their wings in the presence of Twilight. “What is your name and business here?”

Twilight reared back in surprise. Last she remembered, the guards only stood at the gates for show, but apparently security measures had increased in her absence. “Oh, my name is Twilight Sparkle and, well I got a letter from the Princess that told me to come and see her,” she shyly tried to explain.

“Can you present said letter as proof?” One of the guards bellowed.

“Well, you see, I…” Twilight began as she nervously pat at the ground with her hoof. “Lost it…”

The guards, unflinching, took an intimidating step forward into Twilight’s personal space. “If you have no official proof of your business here, then you must return from whence you came,” he said as he puffed out his chest.

“Can you please just go let her know I’m here?” Twilight pleaded. “She said it was really important! It was about Princess Celestia and-”

Suddenly the guard stepped forward, bumping her back. “We do not take kindly to jokes. Consider this your last warning: Leave or else we will-”

“Twilight Sparkle!” A booming voice called out from behind the guards. Out from the darkness trotted Princess Luna. She had grown since her last visit to Ponyville, now standing as tall as Celestia once stood. Atop her flowing mane, a large black crown with a light blue gem encrusted in the center rested. “It is good to see you once again after all these years!” She beamed.

Twilight could tell that Princess Luna had adjusted well to the ways of the world in the fifteen years of her absence. Her dialect, while still professional and bold, was now modernized.

“Come quickly. We have much to discuss and so little time.” Luna said as she walked through the gates.

Twilight nervously passed the guards as they gave her a sneer.

Inside the palace, the decorum had changed drastically. The once vibrant white and gold decorations had been replaced by dark blue and black. The gold inlays and accents had been replaced by obsidian. Even the giant sun insignia on the floor was now a glowing moon. Twilight followed closely behind as Luna led her to the throne room, sealing the doors behind them.

“Twilight Sparkle, since you are here, I presume you received my gift?” She began.

“Gift?” She asked, confused. “What gift?”

“Why, the Fortune’s Favor enchantment I put on the letter. It was one of the last things Celly asked me to do for you. She said you would need it.” Luna gave Twilight a confused look. “Certainly you with all of your magical talent would have noticed it.”

“Wait so that means I can’t sense magic anymore either? Argh, I feel so blind.” Twilight quickly shifted the conversation out of frustration with her current physical state. “I’m sorry to change the subject, but what did you have to tell me?”

“Ah, yes… right.” Luna began. “I’m sure you have already been told, but Princess Celestia is gone.”

Twilight gave Luna a look of disgust at her bluntness.

“I’m sorry Twilight, but the time for formalities has passed. Please forgive my bluntness.” Luna continued on. “What I am about to tell you is part of a secret lost in time that only Celestia and I know. Celestia had trusted you enough to ask that I share with you this information. What I am about to share with you, you must not share with anyone. Do you understand?”

Twilight stood in awe at the amount of trust that Celestia had placed in her. “I understand. Please continue.”

Princess Luna gave her a quick nod. “As everypony now knows, Alicorns are not immortal. What they don’t know is that when Celestia died, she was exactly four thousand years old. Not one minute older or younger. This is because Alicorns, are only given that long to live when we are born. I too would be gone now if it weren’t for my timeless banishment on the moon, but I do know that in one thousand years, I too will face my own mortality.”

“That is all amazing, Princess, but why tell me?” Twilight asked. “What good does me knowing do for Equestria? What good does it do for Celestia? For me?”

“Alas, I do not know. Celestia told me that I must tell you, but that you must also find out the answer to your question on your own. She did, however, tell me that I am to grant you access to the Royal Archive.”

“The Royal Archive? But I’ve been there before. Not only that, but I’ve read all the books it has to offer. What more could I learn from going back there?”

“The real Royal Archive. Hidden away for millennia, this archive contains no books, but only a secret that Celestia wished to keep from the world. In fact, I am quite jealous, because you are actually going to be the first to see it.”

“Me?! The first?!” Twilight was more confused than ever. “You mean you haven’t been there before? But you’re a Princess! Can’t you grant yourself access?”

Luna held up a hoof to stop Twilight’s train of thought. “It is not a clearance issue that keeps me from what it holds inside. The truth is that I do not know where it is. Celestia made it a long time ago in secrecy, hidden away from me and everypony else. Before she died, however, she told me that all the answers for you lie in that archive. She said that everything would be alright, and that she had a plan.”

“But look around us!” Twilight shouted “It seems like it’s too late to fix anything! Wouldn’t it just be easier for everyone if you just help me get back to my time so I can ask her myself?”

Princess Luna quickly stamped her hooves down in annoyance. “Twilight, you have never doubted your teacher’s wisdom. All I ask is that trust her as much as she trusts you.” She had begun to tear up at her words. Only once before had Twilight seen an Alicorn cry, and that was during their thousand year reunion. Princess Luna was in pain, and up until now, she was doing a good job of hiding it. “Besides, I do not have the ability to send you back to your time.”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pressure you like that. If you need the book with the time spell in it, I still have it in my library. I can just go get-”

“It’s not that I don’t know the spell. I have both the power and the knowledge to send you back.”

“Then what is it? Why can’t you do it?” Twilight pleaded.

“Twilight, I am not like you or Celestia. My magic works differently than others. As far as I know, I am the only pony alive who is like this.” Luna looked up to the ceiling as if she was reminiscing the past. “You see, as most unicorns get their magic from the power of harmony, I get my magic from the power of chaos. It is how Celestia and I maintained balance for so long.”

“I… I don’t understand,” Twilight stuttered. “I thought Discord was the spirit of chaos.”

Luna snorted at the mere mention of that name. “Discord was a nothing more than a fool with a lot of power!” She bellowed as she stamped down against the tile, cracking it beneath her hoof.

Twilight reeled back. Obviously she had touched a sore subject, one she wisely chose not to press any further, judging by the fate of the tile beneath Luna’s hoof. “I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t know. But just what does that mean for the spell? I mean, I’ve never even heard of anything like this before.”

“Spells like that time spell were designed for the average unicorn. I can use it too, but my procedure would be flipped.” Luna let out a big sigh. “You see, when you want to go to the future, you point your horn to the sun while performing the spell. Am I correct?”

Twilight quickly nodded.

“To put it simply, if I wanted to go to the future, I would point my horn to the moon.” Luna closely eyed Twilight as she waited for her to piece the rest together.

Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought for only a brief moment before suddenly jerking her head up to meet Luna’s gaze. “Without the sun, you can’t go back in time! But then, how will I return? Celestia is the only one who could send me back and she’s gone!” She exclaimed, her tone quickly shifting to panic.

“Twilight, I only know of one pony in all of Equestria that has the power to send you back.” Luna proclaimed.

“Who?”

“Why, you of course. You had enough power to get yourself here.”

“But that was an accident! I lost control and that almost KILLED ME!” Twilight shouted. She quickly placed a hoof to her chest as she began to hyperventilate. “I can’t… even… perform any… magic anymore!” The feeling of claustrophobia began to set in as Twilight broke into a violent sweat. “I… I’m trapped! I can’t do this! I-”

Luna reached over to Twilight, placing her hoof on her shoulder. As she gazed down at Twilight, she sent a wave of energy down to her.

Twilight quickly regained her composure as a feeling of euphoria set in. It felt like she was floating in a viscous fluid; every motion was slow and flowing. Twilight gazed back up to Luna, first seeing a smile, and then her glowing eyes staring back at her.

“Twilight, in time, you will learn the extent of your power. You must stay strong, for the road ahead of you is filled with challenges that will test the very workings of your soul. The fate of Equestria rests on your shoulders.” As Luna released her hoof, the normality of the world began to return and her eyes returned to their normal state. “Now you must go, Twilight, for I have shared with you all I can.”

As Twilight gazed at Luna in her violet eyes, somehow she began to feel at ease. All she could feel when they stared at each other was warmth and the feeling that everything was going to be alright. “Princess Luna?” She called out as Luna turned to her throne. “Before I go, how will I know if I’m heading in the right direction or searching in the right area?”

Without turning around, Princess Luna dropped her head as she began to speak. “Twilight, I wish I could say something inspirational or heartwarming to you, but the truth is that I really don’t know. Celestia has faith in you, and I trust her with every fiber of my being.” She turned to look at Twilight. “I guess all I can say is just follow your heart.”

Even though the castle grounds had remained unchanged, something about the way they looked in the darkness of Equestria’s perpetual night made the once happy, vibrant gardens look sad and sick. Twilight wandered the grounds, hoping that a riddle would fall into her head from the stars and lead her to her next goal, whatever that may be.

*Sigh* “I’m really honored, but maybe Celestia puts too much faith in me. I’m just one mare. How can I solve all of this.” Twilight looked all around at the snow covered grounds as she continued to walk. Suddenly, right before her, she witnessed a figure that she had never seen before. A larger-than-life marble statue of Princess Celestia stood at the entrance to the Sculpture Gardens. There she stood, tall and firm. Her stance was intimidating with her chest puffed out, but her face wore a gentle smile that was warm and welcoming. All around, she was laced with gold accents and accessories. It surely was a fitting statue for a god-princess.

Twilight made her way into the garden first passing a statue of three fillies playing . “Amia Sempiternus. Friendship… who would’ve guessed that would be my most powerful magic of all?”

When Twilight was a filly, her favorite place in all of Canterlot used to be the Sculpture Garden. She would sit for hours trying to find hidden riddles on the plaques even though most only had a sentence or two about their subject. But her favorite statue of all had to be Custos Scientia. Twilight found inspiration from the young mare, the symbol of knowledge. The delicate stone scroll that spiraled around her held riddle after riddle in many different languages, which Twilight would study for hours on end. But most perplexing about the sculpture, was the scroll that was rolled up in her arms. It had appeared to be detached from the sculpture and even had hinges on the stone flap. The statue, however, was very delicate and as such was forbidden to touch. Twilight couldn’t get close enough to see if the hinges were moving parts or just very meticulously designed. As an urban legend once told, Custos Scientia was actually protecting a hidden secret in the scroll, but that was just a bedtime story Twilight’s mother used to tell her as a filly.

Still, curiosity drove her to become attached to the statue. She had studied all the words on the scrolls; enough to be able to recite them by memory, but the biggest mystery and her biggest desire was to one day find out what the “Keeper of Knowledge” dutifully protected day and night for hundreds of years.

Twilight continued on in the garden, her mind at ease. The cold breeze, kept in control by magic, felt comforting on Twilight’s face. She no longer felt the heat coming off her horn; whether she had just become adjusted to the heat or that the worst of it was already over, she didn’t know. As she continued to walk, she viewed each statue, naming it as she passed by. “Amare Sagittarius… De Miles… Armina Victoria.” Twilight couldn’t figure out if Armina Victoria was the mare’s actual name, or was actually Latin for noble victory, or even both. Most of the statues were made in the pre-classical era though, so they often had Latin names for what they represented.

Finally, Twilight came to Custos Scientia. “It’s been a long time, old friend.” Twilight said as she stared into the mare’s eyes. Even in stone, they shone with the spark of responsibility she held to protect her secret. “Ever vigilant I see.” Twilight was about to get lost in the statue like she did so often as a filly, until she noticed a new statue right in front of the entrance to the royal hedge maze. “It can’t be,” she said as she walked closer to it.

The young mare in the sculpture was unlike any of the others. Her irises were colored with amethyst and her cutie mark was etched into the stone. Atop her straight-cut mane sat a golden crown with an emblem that matched her cutie mark: a magenta six-pointed star.

Twilight stood mouth agape as she read the golden plaque on its base.

“Twilight Sparkle - The Element of Magic

Lost in Time - Never Forgotten.

My most faithful student and best friend,

You have shown me that when in times of doubt,

The ones you love will be there for you to show you the way.

Thank you, for being the best part of my life. – Princess Celestia”

“This… this is me!” Twilight thought as dark purple streaks formed under her eyes.

“I knew I’d find you here.” A soft, young voice called out from behind Twilight.

She quickly wiped her cheeks as she turned to see a young, light blue mare with a wavy, dark blue and white streaked mane. She was at least a few years younger than Twilight.

The young mare moved in closer to Twilight as she noticed she had been crying. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” she nervously said. “You are Twilight Sparkle, aren’t you?”

Twilight sniffled away her tears. “Yes, I am. How do you know me?”

“This is my favorite place in all of Canterlot,” she began. “I used to come here all the time with my parents when I was a filly.” She looked up at the statue of Twilight as she continued on. “My mother used to always tell me the legend of Twilight Sparkle, how she… uh… you defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord and saved Equestria twice. They were my favorite stories when I was a filly.” She looked back down at Twilight with a smile, her soft violet eyes sparkling with joy. “When I saw you at the monorail station, I knew right away that it was you. I wanted to meet you, but I lost you in the crowd.”

“I’m honored, truly, but how did you get into the castle anyway… um.” Twilight made a face as if to hint that she was looking for the right way to address the young mare.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! Where are my manners?” She chuckled nervously like a filly meeting her idol. “My name is Nova Shine, but you can just call me Nova. I run the observatory in the Castle.” She turned to show Twilight her cutie mark; seven stars arranged in the constellation of Ursa Minor.” She sheepishly turned her head to the side as she began to blush. “I guess you can say I’m your biggest fan.”

Twilight held out her hoof to shake hers. “Well it’s nice to meet you Nova.”

Nova quickly took her hoof and shook it violently, giggling the whole time. “I never thought I’d be so lucky to meet you. I had always thought you were gone.”

“It’s a long story, and I really wish I had the time to share,” Twilight began, slightly upset that she had to disappoint her fan. “But I’ve got very important things that I need to take care of.”

“That’s alright. I completely understand,” she said, only slightly dejectedly. “If you ever need my help with anything, you can usually find me in the observatory.”

“I’ll keep that in mind”

The young mare slowly started to backpedal to the gates of the Sculpture garden, looking back every few seconds to catch another glimpse of her idol.

As soon as she was out of sight, Twilight exhaled a long awaited breath of relief as she dropped her head. Quickly, she turned her attention back to the statue, carefully reading each line on her plaque. “The ones you love… show you the way. Maybe this is one of the clues. Not very subtle though if you ask me…”

[Chapter 5] Flight

[Chapter 5] Flight

*BRRRRRRRIIIING*

“EEP!” squeaked Fluttershy as she woke to the sound of Spike’s alarm clock dutifully sounding at 7:00 A.M. Slowly, she peeked her nose out from under the sheets that enveloped her as she realized that it was only an alarm clock. After lightly tapping the button to stop the cacophony, she wandered out of Spike’s study slightly dazed and confused. “Oh… my,” She mumbled as she realized exactly what day it was. “I must have nodded off when Rarity-”

“Puh-leeze, just five more minutes!” Rarity moaned from the couch in the lobby barely lifting her head from the wet spot in the pillow. Next to her on the table was a set of floating horseshoes, the fruits of her long hours of labor.

Fluttershy quickly floated down to the lobby of the library and gently shook Rarity. “Um… Rarity. It’s time to get up, I mean, if you are ready. We have a big day today.”

Rarity simply snorted and rolled over, sinking herself deep into the cushions.

“Um… well, okay. I guess we can wait a little. But remember. We have to leave bright and early to go find little Sweetie-”

Rarity bolted up with a snort, eyes bloodshot and wide as saucers. “OH MY GOODNESS! SWEETIE BELLE!” She shouted, startling the butter-yellow pegasus. Rarity jumped off the couch and raced around the room, grabbing supplies and stuffing them into a bag.

“Um… Rare,” squeaked the poor frightened mare inaudibly.

“We’re late! We absolutely must leave right now!” Rarity frantically shouted, barely with enough time to grab a brush and splash water onto her sleep encrusted face.

“But Rarity…”

“No time!” Rarity shouted, grabbing a rope and fastening it to Fluttershy’s face like reins.

“Buh Wawithy… ith only-” Fluttershy tried to speak through her gag and tears, but to no avail. The manic pony behind her was too frantic to notice.

“HYAAA!” Rarity hollered, cracking the reins from her command post on the couch.

Fluttershy squeaked in fear and darted under the table, shaking uncontrollably and crying. She held her hooves over her head to offer assumed protection from being startled further. However, after a full minute of silence, Fluttershy cautiously poked her head up from under her wooden shield to see that Rarity was sound asleep, sprawled out on the couch with her hooves still clutching the reins. She came out from under the table and walked up to Rarity, curious and fearful as to whether she should try to wake her again or just let sleeping ponies lie.

Obviously, she chose the latter.

Rarity awoke only a couple hours later to the smell of herbs and daisy petals coming from the kitchen.

The lobby of Twilight’s library was a mess; a set of horseshoes, pillows, and travel supplies littered the floor, while a curious rope led from the foot of the couch to just beneath the table. Rarity’s mane didn’t fare any better; it was tangled and tasseled in every direction. She wiped the dried crust from side of her mouth where saliva had managed to leak from in an ungodly manner known as drooling. This was what Rarity could refer to as the complete opposite of a beauty sleep.

Rarity began to make her way towards the kitchen, the enticing aromas luring her over. As she entered the doorway, Fluttershy turned to meet her eyes. Suddenly, she dropped the wooden spoon she was holding and ducked away behind a counter.

“Are… are you awake Rarity?” She squeaked out, her eyes just peeking over the counter.

“Why of course, Fluttershy darling.” Rarity said, perplexed with her friend’s sudden fear. “Oh my… is it my coiffure?” She asked, frantically patting at her mane. “I didn’t mean to scare you darling.”

Fluttershy breathed out a sigh of relief as she floated up from behind the counter. “Oh. That’s a relief. It’s just that earlier… well…”

“Is there something bothering you dear?” Rarity asked innocently.

“It’s… nothing.”

“Alright, Fluttershy. Well I see you are cooking.” Rarity said, quickly shifting the conversation. “May I ask what that delectable aroma is?”

“Oh, it’s just a little breakfast before we go to Cloudsdale. I thought that you might feel better on a full stomach.”

“Oh my, that’s right!” Rarity exclaimed. “I got so caught up with my work that I must have dozed off. What time is it now?”

“Half past nine. It should take about two hours to get there so if we leave by ten, we should get there with time to spare.” Fluttershy explained as she turned her attention back to the cooking meal. “Breakfast is ready now. Would you want to come and eat with me…? I mean, if you are hungry.”

“Starving.” Rarity chimed.

“Fluttershy, your cooking skills are quite the feat. That was the most delicious meal I’ve had in… well fifteen years!” Rarity joked.

“Oh no! Then you must be starving! I can make you some more if you want.” Fluttershy offered as she quickly reached for the pan that she had just put away.

“No, no dear. I was merely joking. Thank you for the meal. We should probably be on our way.”

Fluttershy nodded as they headed out to the back of the library. Prepared for their journey was a small wagon, one that Fluttershy often used to transport her animal friends. “Alright Fluttershy, are you sure you can do this?” Rarity asked one final time.

“Yes… um well I think I can,” she mumbled. “I mean, I’ve carried much bigger loads before.”

Rarity gave her a firm nod before carefully lifting herself into the old wooden cart. Certainly, the cart had seen better days. The wear on the wood had whittled it down considerably from its original state. One of the wheels was crumbling from where termites had eaten away at it. Of course, Fluttershy wasn’t a pony to try to stop them. She was probably lucky that there was even a cart left. But despite all the wear and tear, the wagon was sturdy. It didn’t wobble or creak as Rarity got in it and it wasn’t like it needed the wheels for where they were going.

Fluttershy quickly harnessed herself to the yokes of the cart, tying the straps to her waist. “Okay, Rarity. Are you ready for this?” she asked.

“I’m ready when you are, Fluttershy,” Rarity called out.

Fluttershy gave her wings a fierce flap, fanning leaves and snow out from under them, only to lose confidence as she felt herself lift up too fast. Just as quickly as she lifted up, her wings tightened up against her body as she fell back down with a loud thump.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Rarity!” she muttered in shame. “I’ll try harder, I promise.” With a light struggle, she finally flared her wings in preparation for liftoff. Slowly, she began to gently flap her wings until she was able to lift the cart along with Rarity’s weight and hover for a moment. After she gained enough confidence, she began to head off into the direction of Cloudsdale.

Right as they began to near the outer limits of Ponyville, the weather became increasingly thick. The drifts of snow and ice buffeted the ponies causing them to wince in pain. The temperature had dropped considerably since they had left. What Rarity didn’t know was that most of the larger towns and cities were kept safe from the constant blizzards not only by help from the weather teams, but from unicorn magic as well.

Before long, Fluttershy couldn’t proceed any farther. Her only option was to ascend high above the cloud cover if they wanted to make it to Cloudsdale. “Rarity!” She shouted through the wind. “We have to go up. It’s going to get much colder and the air is thinner! Please save your breath!” Fluttershy flapped her wings as hard as she could, her friend’s safety at stake, as she continued to fly higher and higher into the sky. She could feel the tips of her wings begin to ice over as her breaths became shorter, partly from the thinning air and partly out of instinct. She flapped harder and harder, desperate to break through the clouds. Finally, she burst through, feeling the ethereal warmth and glow of the luminous moon out in front of her.

Quickly, she fluttered her eyelids, flicking off shards of ice from her eyelashes. As her eyes fluttered open, she caught a glimpse of the moon, now closer than she had ever witnessed before. It consumed the night sky in front of her, so close that she felt like she could reach out and touch it. Fluttershy hovered there for a long moment, lost in the beauty and the warmth that was the moon. From down below, she hadn’t noticed it, but the moon gave off radiant warmth that, even though wasn’t as strong as what she remembered from the warmth of the sun, had its own mysterious comforting feel to it. In truth, she hadn’t realized that the feeling had been there all along, but rarely did anypony notice since it was always competing with the sun’s warmth.

“Rarity, you have to see this,” she called out. After a moment of waiting, no answer came out. Quickly, she turned her head to look in the basket, only to find Rarity slumped over the edge, unconscious. Fluttershy had ascended too quickly for Rarity to catch her breath in time. Shaking off her amazement from the moon, she hastily made her way to Cloudsdale. She knew that with Rarity unconscious, it would be easier for her to conserve oxygen at such high altitudes, but Fluttershy felt that it would be safer if they could get to the lower altitudes of the weather-controlled Cloudsdale as quickly as possible.

Rarity rose to the relaxing rhythm of Fluttershy’s wing beats. Off in the horizon, she could see the illuminated city of Cloudsdale. A thin layer of high altitude clouds above obscured the moon, leaving a ghostly glow all around her. She sat up in the cart, carefully shifting her wait so as not to disturb Fluttershy’s concentration. The crisp air felt comforting on her face as she scanned the horizon. It whistled in her ears and flowed through her mane as moon’s glow bounced off every cloud, painting a picture of unrealistic beauty that was something that could only have come out of one of Rarity’s cheesy romance novels.

Fluttershy turned her head to check on her passenger as she did every so often during the flight. “Oh my! You’re… you’re awake!” she squeaked, more excited than she was timid. “We are almost there and we’re making good time.”

“What happened? How long was I out?” Rarity asked wearily.

“Well the storm got so bad and I didn’t know what to do,” Fluttershy nervously recounted. “So I went up but I guess I went too fast. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me!” She pleaded.

“Fluttershy, darling, we are okay and that’s all that matters. I’m very proud of you in fact.” Rarity said trying to comfort her. “You handled yourself exquisitely. But I must ask you how long was I out?”

“Maybe about an hour or so,” she responded. “We are a little bit early, but if you want, we could wait for Scootaloo at the Wonderbolts’ training grounds.”

“Yes, Fluttershy, I would love that very much.” As they continued to fly, Rarity began to feel a sense of peace. Scootaloo’s insight would surely lead to her reunion with her sister. All her fears and worries seemed to dissipate the closer they got. The thin cold air had helped to clear her mind. Rarity knew that she could avoid all of this simply by returning to her own time; she had the utmost confidence in Twilight being able to find a way back, but something else drove her to pursue her sister. She didn’t quite understand it, but it was almost like instinct to protect her younger sister that she had raised for years. Rarity had given Sweetie Belle all the love and affection that she could give, teaching her right and wrong, caring for her health, and even teaching her lessons about life. Motherly instinct is what she called it. Sure, she couldn’t fill the hole that their mother left when she passed, but Rarity did try her best to be the mother that her sister deserved.

As they docked at a station they tied the cart to a wooden platform suspended by two large balloons. Solid objects had to be stored like this in Cloudsdale for obvious reasons, but they had often hidden the balloons in layers of clouds.

Rarity took a moment to remove her horseshoes before exiting the cart. Carefully, she focused on them as her horn began to give off a pale glow. After a few seconds, she finally released the spell, revealing four horseshoes floating in front of the cart. After retrieving them, she put them on and carefully lowered herself from the wagon, testing the stability of the clouds with one hoof first, and then another until finally, she stood atop the clouds.

Together, Fluttershy and Rarity walked towards the facility. The structure was enormous, Romare style columns towering in the entryway. As they entered the doors, they were greeted by a powder-blue pegasus wearing a blue with yellow pinstriped business suit, clearly paying homage to the Wonderbolts’ uniform. On his lapel was a pin of a lightning bolt with wings flaring out from both sides. His slicked back blue mane had streaks of gray shaped like lightning bolts spawning from his scalp and flowing to the tip of his mane. Their seemingly unnatural arrangement appeared to be more of a fashion statement than natural graying with age.

“Welcome, ladies, to Wonderbolts Aviation Academy,” he cheerfully welcomed. “Headmaster Soarin, at your service. What can I do for you?”

“Charmed.” Rarity politely responded. “My friend and I were here to have a word with one of your students; Scootaloo, precisely.”

He stood there for a couple of seconds without answering, eyeing Rarity up and down curiously. “How are you... uh… you’re not a pegasus,” he responded dimwittedly.

“Oh, this? You see, it’s a powerful spell. It is very complicated,” she lied. “My name is Rarity, and I’m here because Scootaloo is an old childhood friend of mine, and I would like to pay her a quick visit, if I may.” Rarity was lucky that her element wasn’t honesty, because she would probably be violating some ancient unspoken law of the universe for fabricating so much to him.

“Well… Rarity,” he muttered, “I’m sorry to disappoint you but our students run on a very rigorous schedule and visitors are strictly limited.”

“I am aware, but you see, I have been given explicit permission by Rainbow Dash herself.” Rarity explained. “I was supposed to meet her at 12:30 sharp.”

“I’ll have to verify it with her, but if everything checks out, I will allow you to wait in the mess hall for her.” He quickly turned and headed off to his office.

Rarity wandered around the lobby admiring the architecture and the many decorations that adorned the walls. The ceiling was towering above with traditional Cloudsdale architecture; large columns connecting to sloping archways. On the walls were paintings of ponies wearing old aviation caps and goggles. As she wandered around the room, she noticed the paintings got older, some dating back over hundreds of years. As soon as she passed the door, she noticed that the paintings were arranged to where the newest and oldest would meet at the entrance. Right in front of her was a painting of her dear friend, Rainbow Dash, painted to look fierce yet commanding. Rarity was just surprised that she was able to sit still long enough to get a painting done. Back in her own time, she couldn’t even get her to sit still for a photo.

Rarity’s attention drifted past the next paintings of Spitfire and then the Captain before her until she had come full circle, meeting gazes once again with Headmaster Soarin.

“Amazing huh? I never did get a chance to get my handsome mug up here. My Captain was just too good,” he said as he shook his head in reminiscence. “Well I just spoke with Captain Dash and you check out. If you will follow me, I’ll show you to the mess hall. Scootaloo’s class ends at twelve thirty so she should be down here in a couple of minutes.” They turned the corner passed two double doors to a large room with tables lined up neatly in rows.

“Here we are,” he said as he waited by the door. “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.” Before he left, he winced and moved his hoof up to his face as if to nurse a phantom injury he received years ago. “That’s odd,” he thought as he turned and continued out the door.

Rarity waited with Fluttershy impatiently as the minutes slowly ticked away. The suspense was killing her. It would have helped if the room had any interesting features but it was the dullest room she could have imagined. The table tops were off-white, just like the floors and the walls. Fluttershy could have helped her to pass the time, but her voice was overpowered even by the low hum of the heater.

However, only moments before Rarity descended into insanity, bodies slowly started to trickle into the cafeteria. It was hard to tell any pony apart since each wore the same blue uniform. The uniforms resembled a prep school’s button down shirts, only they wore yellow name tags and commendation medals pinned to their shirts. There were many ponies filling the room, many more than Rarity had expected.

After scanning each of the faces, she suddenly saw the orange mare she was looking for. She had changed a lot since Rarity had disappeared, and not just the way a filly grows into a mare. She was a fairly attractive mare, if Rarity did say so herself. Her mane was fashioned into a bun but she could tell that it she had let it grow out considerably since she was a filly. Her face glowed with beauty but her eyes were just as fierce as ever. She was certainly not how Rarity had expected her to turn out, especially considering who her role model was. “Scootaloo!” Rarity called out, waving her hoof to grab her attention. “It’s me, Rarity. I must talk to you.”

“Rarity!” Scootaloo hollered, surprised to see her. “I thought you were dead! What happened?!”

“It’s a long story,” she replied, hinting at Scootaloo’s lack of time.

“Oh. I see. So what’s up? What did you need to talk to me about?”

“It’s about my sister. Somepony said that you-” Rarity was interrupted by a hoof being pressed against her mouth rather forcefully.

“Shh. We can’t talk about that out here.” Scootaloo nervously said as her eyes darted around to see if anypony was listening. “Follow me. We can talk about this somewhere more secluded.

“Wait here Fluttershy,” Rarity said as Scootaloo led her towards a rear door in the mess hall. She followed her as they cantered out to a rather plain outdoor plaza. There were a couple of benches around a circular plot of clouds as well as a few columns strewn about for decorative purposes.

Scootaloo scanned the area for any signs of life, finding none. “Okay, you were saying?”

“Sweetie Belle! I heard that you still talk to her,” Rarity blurted as quickly as she could. “I need to find her!”

“How did you know?” she asked nervously. “Look, I’m not supposed to talk to somepony like… her.”

“What do you mean, ‘like her?”

“A fugitive. I could get kicked out of the Wonderbolts for collaborating with a known felon.”

“A FUGITIVE?!” Rarity shouted with no regard for Scootaloo’s concerns.

“Keep your voice down!” Scootaloo whispered, once again shoving her hooves into Rarity’s face.

“What did she do?!

“Look,” she began, a sullen look coming over her face. “I’m really sorry, but I really don’t want to be the one to have to tell you this. Just believe me that she’s in a lot of trouble and really needs you back. I’ve helped her all I can, even though the most I can offer is sound advice and friendship, but you are all she talks about. Even if you can’t help her legally, she would be really happy to see you.” Scootaloo reached into one of the pockets on her bag and pulled out an envelope. “Look, I kept this but I destroy the letters, ‘cause I’d rather not get caught with them, but this has a return address on it,” she said as she handed Rarity the envelope.

Magicking the envelope from her grasp, Rarity examined the address. “1133 Whitetail Creek. That’s right near Ponyville!”

“I’ve never been, since I don’t really get time to leave Cloudsdale as you could probably guess, but all the letters come from here and that’s where I send mine,” Scootaloo said as she closed her bag. “If you want to find your sister, that’s probably your best bet. You’ve got to promise me something though.”

“Anything.” Rarity responded. “After all, I owe you everything for all you’ve done.”

“Promise me that you won’t tell anypony about me and her,” Scootaloo pleaded. “She’s my friend, but I’m risking everything that I’ve worked my whole life for just to talk to her.”

Rarity quickly nodded as she moved in closer to Scootaloo. With one quick motion, she wrapped her hooves around her, hugging her as tightly as she could. “Thank you so much!” she cried out.

Scootaloo stood in Rarity’s embrace, slightly embarrassed to be caught off guard even as a Wonderbolt. Slowly, she lifted a hoof and lightly patted Rarity on the back. “Uh… you’re welcome,” she replied awkwardly. As soon as she felt the embrace loosen up, she backed up quickly. “Uh, look Rarity. I’ve gotta go. I can’t be late to my next class. Good luck finding your sister, and when you do, tell her ‘Hi’ for me?”

“I will.” Rarity watched as the young mare flew off towards the campus before turning to go back and meet up with Fluttershy.

Upon entering the mess hall, Rarity was greeted by the sight of one poor yellow mare surrounded by stallions trying to impress her with stories of daring and dangerous flights.

“And that’s when the griffon slashed at my side, but you know what I did?” a brown pegasus bragged, pausing for dramatic effect. “I bucked him in the face at Mach one!”

“Oh my…” she muttered out, feigning interest. “That’s… frightening.” Fluttershy began to duck her head lower as she rubbed her hooves nervously.

“Oh there you are Fluttershy,” Rarity called out, coming to her rescue. “We are late for your appointment, remember!”

“Rarity!” she exclaimed, looking positively cheerful as if she had just seen a baby bunny. She quickly rose from her seat and rushed over to her indigo maned friend.

“Thank you, fellas, for looking after my friend here,” she called out as she led Fluttershy to the nearest exit.

Rarity was in quite the rush to get back to Ponyville. She had raced her way back to the wagon and had already been sitting in it when Fluttershy finally caught up. Fluttershy, on the other hand, was not so anxious. Rarity hadn’t witnessed how much effort and pain she went through just to get her to Cloudsdale, and she wasn’t quite prepared to make the trip again in such a short period of time.

Of course, Fluttershy would never directly voice her concerns.

She carefully strapped herself back into the reins and flapped her wings in an attempt to get them warmed up. “Are you sure we should leave so soon? I mean, what if Sweetie Belle isn’t there?” Fluttershy nervously squeaked. “Maybe we should just… wait, or something.”

“Nonsense. I don’t want to miss an opportunity like this,” Rarity tried to explain. “If she isn’t there, I’ll simply wait for her, no matter how long it takes.”

“But, maybe we can find out more from… um.” Fluttershy stuttered, trying to come up with a possible source of information. “Rainbow Dash! Maybe she can tell us about Sweetie Belle.”

“Fluttershy, Dash already helped us, remember?” Rarity cocked her head and raised an eyebrow at her in concern. “Is there something bothering you, dear?”

“It’s just-”

“Because I really need your help for this,” Rarity unwittingly interrupted, unable to hear Fluttershy’s timid voice. “You know I hate to put so much pressure on you, but you’re the only pony that can help me right now”

Fluttershy’s fate was sealed. She knew she couldn’t voice her opinion against her friend’s desires, no matter how much she didn’t like it. “Well… okay, if you insist,” she winced, “I’d… be happy to help you.” She took her stance and slowly started to flap her wings until she once again lifted off the ground. Once she felt confident in her strokes, she slowly began to take flight, to return once again on her perilous journey.

The skies around Cloudsdale were rarely out of control. With the weather factory shut down, most of the residents lost their jobs. In an effort to reduce unemployment, the mayor created a campaign to Princess Luna to give ponies jobs keeping the skies clear all over Equestria. It was a fairly simple plan, and a successful one at that. With employment at nearly one hundred percent, Cloudsdale was able to experience a prosperity that they hadn’t witnessed in centuries. Most of the employed were able to stay in Cloudsdale, but many had to move to the surrounding cities and towns for their new jobs. Luckily, they were able to maintain their status as Cloudsdale citizens under the terms of the proposal, so all their taxes went back home.

It was a shame to leave the safety of Cloudsdale so soon. A few miles out, they started to experience heavy winds, followed shortly by sleet and hail. Rarity tried her best to shield them from the onslaught, but she couldn’t keep everything out.

Fluttershy was not faring so well. She was exhausted from her round trip, and occasionally she would drop several feet before regaining control of her flight. She was frightened. “What if I can’t make it? It’s still so far away and I’m already so tired. Rarity will be so disappointed in me.” Fluttershy began to feel tears freezing on her cheeks as she tried her hardest to force her way through the wind. Her lungs stung with every breath she took, but no matter what the pain, she would try her best, if only for her friend’s sake.

Fluttershy had no idea how long they had been flying. For all she knew, she felt like she could have been flying for hours in circles. Her mind was just as clouded as the sky as pain swarmed in her body. Her wings had begun to ice over. With every flap, the ice would break off and cut into her tender flesh. “No! I… will… make… it!” she told herself.

Mother Nature was determined to prove her wrong. A sudden powerful gust of wind caught her wings, sending her reeling back. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t bring them back in to her side against the wind. However, she truly shouldn’t have fought the wind; the sickening pop that came out was enough to convince her of that. A surge of pain radiated across her whole right side, almost causing her to black out. Together, Fluttershy and Rarity were sent tumbling down hundreds of feet through the air.

Reaching out for her friend, Rarity magicked her close and wrapped her hooves around her, bracing for impact. The force of the fall, cushioned by the thick layer of snow, caused Rarity to lose her breath. Together, they tumbled across the wasteland until the force caused her to lose her grip on her friend. After tumbling and crashing through the snow and ice for another couple of yards, she finally came to a stop. Her body ached, but she was alright otherwise. “FLUTTERSHY!” She called out against the wind, her voice overpowered by the ghostly howl. She wearily wandered back in the direction she tumbled from, hoping to find her somewhere along the path that she carved into the snow. Before long, she came across a point where she could see a secondary path in the snow. She quickly took off in the direction before finally coming across a yellow and pink mass lying on the ground. Her body was bruised and inflamed and her right wing hung loosely from her back.

“Oh my goodness! Fluttershy!” Rarity cried, crashing down next to her. She quickly scooped her up, leading her to the nearest cover she could find. Carefully resting her down against a tree, she looked around for any sight that could lead her back home. The horizon only faded into white in all directions.

“Rare… Rarity…” Fluttershy squeaked out. “I’m sorry… I couldn’t-”

“No! Don’t say that!” Rarity shouted. “It’s all my fault! I’m sorry!” Rarity desperately looked back to the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that she missed before. Sure enough, off in the distance, just barely inside her range of visibility, was a small structure. Quickly scooping her friend back up and over her shoulder, she rushed over to it with a limp. As it became clearer, she noticed that it was a shack, nestled beside a frozen lake. Without even knocking, Rarity burst through the door and led Fluttershy to a couch that rested against the wall. She gently lowered her battered friend down to rest. She was so caught up in tending to her friend, that she didn’t even notice the figure that had walked up beside her.

“What are YOU doing here?” she spoke through clenched teeth.

Rarity reeled back in surprise before catching a glimpse of a certain pink pony. “Oh Pinkie! It’s only you,” she said in relief. “I need your help! Fluttershy is hurt!”

Pinkamena looked down at the doll she was holding as if expecting it to give her advice. “You should help her,” the Twilight doll spoke to Pinkamena. “She’s hurt! You need to do something!”

Rarity anxiously eyed Pinkamena, who was frozen in thought, staring into the eyes of her doll. “Well?!”

After another long moment of silence, Pinkamena looked up at Fluttershy, and down to her hanging wing. With her free hoof, she grabbed the limp appendage and forcefully lifted it, causing Fluttershy to scream in pain, if only as loud as they could have expected her to.

“PINKIE!” Rarity screamed. “What in Celestia’s name are you doing!?” She tried to grab pinkie’s hoof to remove it from the writhing pony’s wing.

Pinkamena forcefully shoved Rarity back, and once again gripped the limp wing. “I’m helping her! Just like Twilight asked me to!” With one quick motion, she pushed the wing back into its socket with a sickening pop.

Fluttershy’s quiet screaming had stopped, replaced by a short gasp as her jaw hung low and her eyes widened in sudden shock. After a second, she dropped her head and fainted.

Rarity rushed back over to the unconscious Fluttershy and shook her head, trying to wake her. “Fluttershy! Are you okay?! Please answer me!” Rarity pleaded. “What have you done!” she screamed, turning her attention to Pinkamena.

“I helped,” she responded before turning to go sit at the table in the center of the room.

Rarity turned back to Fluttershy, who had broken into a cold sweat. She held her hoof and gently dabbed her forehead with a handkerchief. Despite all the pain that she was in, she looked at peace, which helped to put Rarity slightly at ease.

“I’m so sorry, Fluttershy…”

[Chapter 6] Plight

[Chapter 6] Plight

Pinkamena moved slowly around the table, serving the two dolls cake and drinks before taking her seat. The setup was bizarre; the room and festivities were set up as the Pinkie Pie that Rarity remembered would have set it up, but everything was dull and lifeless. Even the host didn’t appear to be enjoying her time. What really irked Rarity, however, was the way that Pinkamena behaved when talking to those dolls. She would speak normally for a minute, but occasionally, her body would give a violent twitch and she would begin to speak in a weird series of grunts and mumbles while moving the dolls to match the inflections of her voice. Rarity could only assume that this was when Pinkamena was imagining that the dolls were conversing with her.

“I’m glad you two could join me this afternoon, girls,” Pinkamena cheered in a monotone voice. “I really like what you’ve done with your mane Rarity. You really didn’t have to go all out like that just for me.”

“Oh, nonsense, Pinkie!” the Rarity doll said in Pinkamena’s mind. “You know very well that my friends are worth looking my best for."

“Oh well thank you!” She said before pausing for a moment. An inquisitive look came over her face as she examined the doll. “You know what? You’re mane reminds me of purple licorice! I wonder if it even tastes like purple licorice. What does purple licorice even taste like? Oh well, I guess we’ll find out. Pinkamena leaned over to the Rarity doll and began to sniff the purple yarn on top of its head. Curiously, she extended her tongue, grasping a few strands with it and inserting them into her mouth. She slowly moved it around in her mouth before nibbling on it gently.

Rarity looked over to Fluttershy, who was sleeping peacefully on the couch now. She slowly ran her hoof through her mane before pulling the old quilt over her shoulders to keep her warm. Rarity rose up from the couch to investigate Pinkamena’s bizarre behavior.

“Pinkie,” the Twilight doll cut in. “I’d hate to interrupt your moment, but it seems we have company. Say, doesn’t she look familiar?”

Pinkamena looked up to see Rarity standing a short ways away from the table, observing them quietly. Both Rarity and Pinkamena stayed silent and still, unsure as what to do or say to the other.

“Why don’t you invite her to join us?” the Twilight doll suggested. “After all, we do have an extra seat and you know as well as I that a party can never have too many guests.”

“Uh… right.” Pinkamena said, dropping the yarn from her mouth. “Why don’t you join us?” she offered, pointing to the empty seat at the opposite end of the table from herself.

Rarity nervously scooted over to the seat. It appeared that the doll with her likeness never removed its button eyes from her general direction. The silence had continued even after she had taken her seat. It was so silent and still, that if Fluttershy had tried to whisper something, both of them would have heard it.

“Ugh… how about you start with introductions?” the Twilight doll suggested, sounding a little agitated.

“We’ve already had the displeasure of meeting,” Pinkamena whispered to the dolls through gritted teeth.

“Well we haven’t,” the Rarity doll interjected “Besides, she looks quite stunning. I would like to know a few of her beauty secrets.”

“Fine!” Pinkamena barked at the two dolls before turning her attention to Rarity. “My two friends were interested in meeting you. This here is Twilight Sparkle,” Pinkamena said, lifting the arm of the Twilight doll and waving it rather cheerfully, despite how unwilling she was. “She is the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria.” Pinkamena paused for a moment to give Rarity a glare before turning her attention over to the other doll. “And this is my other friend, Rarity. She’s the greatest fashion designer ever.”

Rarity looked at Pinkamena awkwardly before noticing that she was waiting impatiently for her to introduce herself. Rarity thought carefully for a moment. She knew that Pinkamena hadn’t believed Spike when they were first reunited, so trying to convince her that she was the real Rarity might not go over so well. Her eyes darted around the room as she quickly tried to come up with an alias. “Pleased to meet you,” she began, turning her attention to the dolls. “My name is Violet. Violet Diamond.”

Satisfied, Pinkamena resumed her peculiar behavior. “Could I trouble you for a piece of cake?” She inquired.

Rarity looked over to the center of the table where she observed a gruesome sight. The cake, once probably a well-made chocolate cake with chocolate icing, was slumped onto the plate as if it had been slowly melting away. The icing was glossy from the oils that had seeped out after sitting in the open for so long. From where a couple slices had been cut out, Rarity could see the breading of the cake which was dry and stale. Upon closer inspection, she could even see flecks of mold growing in it. Rarity moved a hoof up to her mouth as a feeling of nausea began to set in.

Before she even had a chance to decline however, Pinkamena cut a generous slice of the rotting confectionary and tossed it on the table directly in front of Rarity, landing with a sickening “squish.” Pinkamena leaned over the table, watching her expectantly. “Try it! I made this cake three weeks ago and it was just so delicious that I just had to share it with other ponies!” Her demeanor had shifted to a more cheerful state, which, due to the circumstances, only sounded sadistic.

“Um… I’m grateful for your generous offer, but, you see, I’ve already-” Rarity stopped short in her sentence when she noticed that Pinkamena’s face had contorted into an angry look. “I mean I would love to… have a sample I mean…” Considering what had happened to Twilight the last time that she had seen Pinkamena, she became concerned for her own well-being. That, and the fact that Pinkamena was now leaning in closer to her and there was a knife just within reach.

Rarity took the fork from the table and examined it briefly. “At least this looks clean enough to eat off of.” Satisfied, she took the fork and began to pick at the piece of cake that slouched on the plate in front of her. Every time she poked it, it gave of an unpleasant “squish” which almost caused her to lose whatever contents she had in her stomach. She looked back to Pinkamena with tears in her eyes, hoping that her demented host was merely joking, but the face that glared back was only becoming more and more impatient. With a deep gulp, she looked back down at the plate, much to her dismay; she found that her picking at it had only served to make it even less appetizing than before. The pile of mush that sat on her plate no longer resembled cake. She could’ve even sworn she saw it move at one point.

With the fork in hoof, she slowly reached down to the plate and scooped up a very small portion of cake. As she raised the fork to her lips, she caught a whiff of a foul odor, causing her eyes to water and her nausea to return. She took a second to try and regain her composure.

“It’s no different than the moldy cheese they serve at fancy parties,” she tried to convince herself. With one quick motion, she moved the fork into her mouth and closed down on it, instantly feeling the malicious attack on her taste buds. Rarity scrambled around for something to wash it down, fighting to keep the food in her mouth. She grabbed one of the cups on the table, filled with a clear liquid that she hoped to Celestia was water. She guzzled the entire contents of the cup without regret, feeling the cake slither its way down her throat. The water had been stale, like it had been left out for a while, but it had served its purpose and removed most of the awful taste in her mouth. She let out a gasp for air as she slumped back into her chair, relieved that the ordeal was over.

Pleased with her guest, Pinkamena released the tension she had been building up, lowering herself back into her seat. “Well it was kind of you all to drop by,” she began, taking a sip from a cup. “I don’t get many visitors, not that I particularly mind,” she said, looking to a window out at the snowfall. “I don’t blame them though. Nopony really wants come all the way out here and spend time with me anyways.” Pinkamena couldn’t stop herself from tearing up.

“I have been meaning to ask you that. What are you doing all the way out here?” Rarity asked, still struggling to speak with the unpleasant aftertaste lingering in her mouth. “Why don’t you live in Ponyville where it’s warmer? I’m sure your friends would really love to have you around again too.”

“Friends? Oh, you mean them.” Surprisingly, she didn’t get angry at the mention of them, but instead became even more sullen. “I don’t want to see them anymore. They only like to play tricks on me.” She quickly turned and shot Rarity an ugly glance. “You shouldn’t have helped them. You have no idea how much that hurt.”

Rarity felt a terrible guilt build up inside despite being completely innocent in the whole situation. One of her best friends had been living alone for so long and as far as she knew, nopony had even stopped by to try and work things out. “I’m so sorry Pinkie. I had no idea,” Rarity cried. “I’m sure they miss you a lot.”

“No they don’t!” Pinkamena shouted. “You saw them. The first time they see me in YEARS and they try to prank me!” She bawled into her hooves as Rarity continued her attempts to convince her of the misunderstanding.

“Please Pinkie!” Rarity pleaded. “They miss you! I miss you!”

“SHUT UP!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, causing Rarity to reel back and waking a certain shy pegasus. “You don’t know them like I know them! If you are going to defend them, then I have nothing to say to you!” With that, she stood up and turned away from Rarity, sobbing quietly in the corner of the room.

“W-w-what’s all the shouting about?” Fluttershy called out.

“Oh you’re awake.” Rarity responded, surprised that her friend was up. “It’s nothing darling. We must be on our way soon, at least as soon as you are ready.”

“Oh my… is Pinkie okay?” Fluttershy asked timidly, noticing her crying in the corner.

Before she could go and offer her a shoulder, Rarity held out her hoof to stop her, shaking her head. “She isn’t. I don’t think we can help her either. Not alone at least.”

Fluttershy had enough time to stretch her legs out in preparation for their journey back to Ponyville. Her wing was still sore and swollen from her injury, making it too painful for her to move it. Pinkamena had retreated back to her room with her two dolls already.

Rarity knew that she needed to do something, but with Pinkamena so far gone, she needed the help of all her friends to remind her of their friendship. Besides, there was something more important, at least to Rarity, which she needed to find. In the time they had spent in Pinkamena’s home, Sweetie Belle could have come and gone already. Rarity was worried that she may have missed her only opportunity to reunite with her sister.

Fluttershy stood waiting at the door waiting. “Wait,” Rarity said before turning towards Pinkamena’s room. She gave the door a gentle knock, waiting for an answer, but none came. “Pinkie, you have my sincerest apologies for everything I said, but I just want you to know, that you don’t have to live your life alone anymore. If you ever need somepony, I will be there for you.” Rarity waited for an answer, but none ever came. Disappointed, she turned to Fluttershy and walked towards the door. “Let’s go Fluttershy, while it is still fairly clear.” She gave her a timid nod before they opened the door and headed out.

Pinkamena opened up her door quickly to try and stop them, but it was too late. Her home was empty; just as empty as it had always been.

“Pinkie, I think that she meant what she said. You shouldn’t have been so hard on them,” the Twilight doll said in a condescending tone.

“We made a promise remember. As long as we have each other, we would never need anypony else.” Pinkamena cried. “Right, Rarity?”

The Rarity doll remained silent.

Rarity and Fluttershy made their way back into the safety of Ponyville. Their trip was, for the most part, uneventful, other than the fact that Fluttershy limped the whole way. Their first stop was to Ponyville General. Rarity owed it to Fluttershy to make time to get her wing properly cared for. As they entered the building, they were greeted by an older white mare with a faded pink mane. Right away, she noticed that Fluttershy’s wing was inflamed and swollen and she was walking with a limp.

Nurse Redheart came rushing over to them, letting Fluttershy lean on her to take her weight off her injured hoof. “My goodness, Fluttershy! What happened to you!” she asked, shocked at her condition.

“It’s… nothing… I… I guess I just overexerted myself,” she said timidly.

Both Rarity and Nurse Redheart exchanged sarcastic looks, raising an eyebrow at her explanation.

“Right, well let’s get you taken care of,” Nurse Redheart cut in, breaking the awkward moment. “We should probably check the extent of your injuries.” She led Fluttershy by her injured hoof to an empty room for a quick examination.

Rarity waited patiently in the lobby reading some old fashion magazines that sat on a coffee table for ‘who-knows-how-long.’ She focused on every page, fascinated by each little article; the opportunity to read up on future fashion trends was too much to pass up. The more she read, the more excited she became, practically squealing out loud right in the lobby. Rarity looked up quickly, biting her lip. She shifted her eyes around the room for anypony that might be looking at her before slowly slipping the magazine in her saddlebag. “It’s not cheating. I’m just… finding inspiration,” she tried to assure herself.

Within a few minutes, the door opened up, revealing Fluttershy being led by Nurse Redheart back into the lobby. Her wing was bandaged up and secured in a sling while her hoof was held in another sling. She hobbled over to Rarity with a smile on her face. “See, Rarity. It’s nothing to worry about. I just need to keep from using them for a while,” she said, gesturing to her hoof and wing with a head tilt.

Even though she wore a sincere smile, Rarity was overwhelmed by guilt over her friend’s injuries. If she hadn’t pushed her so hard, none of this would have happened. She rushed over to the butter-yellow pegasus with tears in her eyes as she lent her a shoulder to lean on. “I’m so sorry Fluttershy!” She cried. “I’ve been so selfish. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Oh you don’t have to blame yourself.” Fluttershy beamed assuredly. “I care about Sweetie Belle too, and I will do anything I can to help her.”

Rarity swung around and wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy, being extra cautious of her injured limbs. “Thank you!” Thank you so much!”

“Goodbye, and good luck!” Fluttershy squeaked from her doorway as Rarity headed on her way to the outskirts of Ponyville once again. After their last ordeal, they agreed that it would be best if Fluttershy stayed back and got some rest. The path to Whitetail Wood wasn’t particularly long, but it wasn’t weather controlled either. However, unlike their previous trip, Rarity could handle it on her own.

Making haste, she galloped down the road. She had already lost a lot of time with the unexpected stop at Pinkamena’s residence and then again for Fluttershy at the hospital. By her estimates, it was around five in the afternoon. “At this rate, I’ll lose my dear sister forever! No more distractions. I must find her, no matter the cost!”

Rarity continued down the path until she reached the edge of town, stopping right at the town limits. A chill ran down her spine, not from the colder temperatures, but from an eerie feeling that crept up on her. She looked all around. The only ponies around were a few pegasi, pushing stray clouds out to the edge of town. Resting on top of one of the clouds however, instead of working, a white stallion with a blue mane seemed to be watching Rarity leave town intently.

“Strange,” she whispered to herself. After a few moments, he continued on with his job, moving the cloud he was resting on back out to the edge of town. Rarity quickly shrugged it off as she continued onwards into the white abyss.

She found it hard to navigate her way through a combination of high winds, a barrage of snow and sleet, and chest deep snow covering most of the path. The freezing air was biting in her lungs, but despite the pain, she pressed onwards. Stopping in this weather would mean certain death, but she knew that once she made it into the woods, the weather would die down sufficiently.

Using her magic, she cut an indention in the path of snow ahead of her, making sure she could still see the tan dirt of the pathway before continuing. Without any defining features along the way or horizon to make point, it was the only way she could truly navigate through the abyss.

After a short while, she could finally see the tree line of Whitetail Wood just ahead of her. With an extra burst of energy, she bounded forward into the forest, almost immediately feeling a difference in the climate. The tall, white trees weren’t thick, but their numbers served to create a mild barrier for the wind, creating their own sort of climate control. Still, not many ponies inhabited these areas, due to the dangers of living so far from civilization.

Rarity shivered, knocking off a large amount of snow that had accumulated on her body. She hadn’t even noticed it, since her whole body had been numb from the cold. Her pace slowed to a crawl as she felt the exhaustion of her trip finally began to set in. “I must go on. I’m so close!” She coached herself. “Sweetie Belle!” She called out between pants. “I’m coming!”

Just on the horizon appeared a small cottage, not unlike the one that Pinkamena lived in, but much cozier looking. Rarity continued on, as fast as she could as the features of it became clearer. It was built from stone and wood; not very well, but sturdy enough to survive the blizzard. Its roof was made of hay, but the constant wind had knocked off much of it, leaving holes here and there and revealing the wooden frame beneath it. In front of the building was a wooden plaque, slightly covered in snow. Rarity brushed off the snow with her hoof, revealing the painted numbers 1133.

“This is it,” she said, beaming with confidence and pride. She slowly lifted up her hoof and gave the shanty wooden door a firm knock. Instead of an answer, the door gave off a ghostly creak and slowly swung open. Rarity peeked in and looked around the shack. “Hello~,” she called out with an inflection in her voice. There was no answer but only the ghoulish moan of the wind blowing in through every crack in the walls. Rarity slowly opened the door until a small chain snapped taught. The chain was the only thing keeping the door from swinging wide open but it was easily removed with magic. As she let herself inside, she lit up her horn to provide light in the small, one bedroom shack.

Inside, she could see dust floating around, either as if nopony had been there in a while, or just because the floor was dirt. In the center of the room sat an iron stove with a metal pipe leading up to the roof. Around the walls were simple furnishings: a small bed, wooden chair and table, and a small counter. On the table however, something caught Rarity’s eye; a small rectangular picture frame, covered in dust sat. She magicked it over to her and brushed off a portion of the dust, revealing a picture of herself and Sweetie Belle, fifteen years ago in Canterlot.

She remembered that day well.

“Rarity! Look! Can we? Can we? Can we?” Sweetie Belle asked excitedly. On the path ahead of them was a photographer taking a picture of a couple standing to where Canterlot Castle could be seen behind them.

“Hokay, I’m going to count to three, an’ ven ve take ze picture,” the photographer said in a thick accent. He was a slim tan stallion, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a grey beret over his slick dark-brown mane.

The couple pulled each other close and smiled for the camera as the photographer took his position under the veil, holding up a flash bulb.

“Hokay, vun, two, three-,”

Just before the camera snapped its shot, the colt brought his face to his sweetie’s cheek and laid a big smooch on her. With that she lit up just as bright as the camera’s bulb flashed.

“Awwww,” both Rarity and Sweetie Belle cooed out in unison. Rarity was sold.

After the couple took their photograph and paid the stallion, Rarity went up to him and asked, “How much for a photo?”

“Ah, ze price iz three bits for ze photo, and six for ze photo and frame,” he said with a warm smile.

“I’ll take the photo with the frame. I want to remember this forever,” Rarity beamed.

The photographer nodded quickly and prepared his camera rig for another photo. "Take your positions while I get ze camera ready," he said, working with the dexterity and precision of a surgeon on his camera.

Sweetie Belle had already rushed over to the edge of the walkway overlooking the river and took her place, bouncing with excitement. Rarity followed after her, dropping to her haunches right behind her sister and lowering her hooves on her shoulders to keep her still.

“Hokay, same as before, on ze count of three, I take ze picture,” he said before pulling the veil over his head. Rarity and Sweetie Belle stood still as he held up the flash bulb.

“Hokay, vun, two, three-,”

Just like before, right before the photographer snapped the photo, Rarity swooped down and placed her hooves on her little sister’s sides while placing her snout to her neck and blowing hard to tickle her.

*Click*

The photo captured a beautiful scene. Her sister was laughing happily in her arms with the sun just peeking over the castle in the background. Rarity truly would never forget that moment for as long as she lived.

She carefully sat the picture back on the table with tears in her eyes. That was possibly Sweetie Belle’s last memory of them together before her life took its unexpected turn. Rarity was filled with sadness as she fell into the chair, weeping quietly.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door.

Fluttershy sat on her sofa, surrounded by animals who were concerned about the bandages. Angel stood by her head and brushed her hair while she rested. He was an old hare now; due to Fluttershy’s care and diligence, he was able to live well past his expected lifespan.

While she slept, he took charge and commanded all the animals with a firm paw to give her space, to which they obliged. He turned back to care for Fluttershy, much like she did for him every time he was sick or injured, before a knock at the door startled them both.

Fluttershy hopped off the couch and hobbled over to the door to greet her guest. As she opened the door, standing at the entrance was a pony wearing a black hoodie which covered almost all of its body. Fluttershy squeaked in terror as she hid behind the door. “Oh… uh… hello… Is there something I can help you with?

The pony sat back on its haunches, and removed the hood, revealing her long, flowing, light pink and purple locks and a unicorn horn.

“Sw… Sweetie Belle?!” She called out in surprise, hopping out from behind the door.

“Wow, you catch on quicker than Spike, that’s for sure,” she said with a smile on her face. “I was told that you would know where my sister is.”

“RARITY!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh no! She went looking for you in Whitetail Wood! We’ve gotta go find her.” Fluttershy made a motion to give chase before stumbling into the waiting arms of Sweetie Belle.

“Whoa Fluttershy! Not like that.” Sweetie Belle chuckled. “My word, what happened to you?”

“Oh, I took a little tumble when I tried to fly in the blizzard, but I’m okay,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “I’ll tell you about it later… well unless you want to hear about it now. I think you should go find Rarity… unless you want to wait here for her.”

“No, you’re right Fluttershy,” Sweetie Belle beamed, excited to finally be able to meet up with her sister after so long. “I must be on my way. Thank you so much for your help.” With that, she darted off down the path towards her home in Whitetail Wood.

“Good luck,” Fluttershy called out to the speeding unicorn.”

With boundless energy, Sweetie Belle ran through the snow, having memorized the path by heart now. She was making light of the effort that Rarity had put out to get there. The wind whistled a joyous tune in her ears as she bounded through the snow. The cold air didn’t bother her much, since she would frequently run in the cold to keep her agility up. All of her years on the run made her a fairly fit mare. If she could clear her name, she could probably hold her own as an Olymponic athlete.

Before long, she had already reached the edge of Whitetail Wood, picking up her pace to finally be reunited with her sister. As she reached her cottage, she quickly slowed to a near halt, catching her breath before she would enter to meet her sister. “This is it… Fifteen years and I finally get to see her.”

After catching her breath she pushed open the door to a dark room. Lighting her horn, she quickly scanned the room before seeing her sister sitting at the table with her back to her and her head resting on the table. “Rarity!” She called out with glee.

Rarity slowly lifted her head and turned to see her sister bounding towards her.

Just as quickly as Sweetie Belle had been running towards her, she came to a quick stop when she saw Rarity’s face. She had been crying, mascara running down her face and dripping off her chin. That’s when she noticed that Rarity was hoofcuffed to the legs of the table.

“I’m so sorry Sweetie Belle,” she sobbed.

Just then, the door slammed shut and two Royal Guards jumped out from behind Sweetie Belle, grabbing her and shoving her to the ground.

“Sweetie Anna Belle,” the guard bellowed in a commanding voice. “You are under arrest for the crimes of arson, armed robbery, evading arrest, and six counts of assault.” He flipped her over, forcing her hooves together and cuffing them. “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney…”

His voice began to trail off as Sweetie Belle stared, transfixed at her sisters soulless eyes as she continued to sob. “HOW COULD YOU!” she shrieked in a booming voice. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!”

“I didn’t know,” Rarity said, almost in a dead tone.

“You thought you could run forever didn’t you. We received a tip from a ‘Tootsie Flute,’ that your sister knew where you were,” he boasted. “We simply followed her from Cloudsdale and she led us right to you,” he laughed as he lifted her off the ground. "How does it feel knowing that the only family you have left, led to your inevitable capture.” He moved his face an inch away from Sweetie Belle’s ear. “HOW DOES IT FEEL?!” He bellowed.

“Tootsie Flute?! You trusted her!” Sweetie Belle shrieked even louder this time, causing the house to shake.

“I didn’t know,” Rarity said again, staring off through her tears into space.

“It’s her fault! She did this to me.” Sweetie Belle continued to yell, getting louder with each word. “She started the fire! She made my life hell and you… TRUSTED HER?!”

“I didn’t know…”

The guards were too busy enjoying the torment that the elusive criminal they had been chasing for over eleven years was enduring.

“I HATE YOU, RARITY!” she shouted as a guard led her out the door to a now awaiting wagon. “I HATE YOU!”

The remaining guard returned to un-cuff Rarity and then turned to leave. “You’re free to go now,” he called out before slamming the door shut behind him.

“I’m so sorry…”

[Chapter 7] A Guilty Conscience

[Chapter 7] A Guilty Conscience

The door opened, revealing a young nurse who led the two fillies into the room. On the bed lay their mother, hooked up to several machines. The ambient noise of the beeps that they would occasionally give off, echoed throughout the room, adding to the tension of the situation. Slowly, Rarity led her sister over to the side of the bed.

Their mother had never looked so terrible in all her life. She was pale and sickly looking, while her breathing was labored. Her once luxurious mane was now thin and falling out. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered opened as she turned her head to look at her two daughters. Her eyes carried dark bags underneath as tears slowly trickled out from them.

Rarity lifted her sister up to sit on the bed into her mother’s waiting arms. She nuzzled her filly before making her best attempt to raise herself a little bit. “Sweetie Belle,” she weakly called out in a frail and shaky voice.

Sweetie Belle raised her head to meet the gaze of her mother. “Mommy, please don’t go!” She cried with all her might. “I’ll be good, I promise! I’ll do anything you say-”

The mare quickly cut her off before pulling her in again for another hug. “Sweetie Belle, there are some things in this world that we can’t change. We just have to learn to accept them.” The mare was having trouble explaining the most difficult concept of Equestria to her innocent filly, choking on every word. “There comes a time in everypony’s life when we must return what we’ve borrowed. Princess Celestia gave us all one great gift, and that is the gift of life. I have reached the time when I must return that gift now.”

“But why mommy? Why can’t you stay just a little longer?!” Sweetie Belle begged.

“We can’t choose when our time comes. All we can do is make the most of the time we’re given.” She held her filly’s head as she looked deep in her eyes. “I need you to be strong Sweetie Belle. Your sister needs you just as much as you need her.”

“Okay, mommy… I promise,” she said, sniffling her tears up. “I love you, mommy.”

“I love you too, Sweetie Belle.” The two gave each other one last hug before she motioned for Rarity to come closer.

“Mother… Why you? Why now?” Rarity asked with tears in her eyes

“Rarity, you know that I would give anything for just a little more time with you.” She paused, swallowing the sadness that was building up inside her. “It’s just the way it has to be. I know it isn’t fair, but we take what we’re given.”

Rarity opened her mouth to express her displeasure, but quickly stopped herself. She found that it would be pointless to argue and she didn’t want to spend the last moments with her mother being upset. “I… I understand.”

“I need you to be strong, Rarity. You and your sister both,” she said with urgency, feeling her energy slowly begin to fade. “I want you to take good care of Sweetie Belle.” She paused, taking Rarity’s hoof in hers. “Promise me, you’ll look after her. That you will raise her as your own, but you’ll also be a good sister to her.”

“I promise,” Rarity said assuredly through her tears. She leaned into her mother and wrapped her hooves around her as tight as she could. She motioned for Sweetie Belle to join them, lifting her back up to the bed and wrapping her hoof around her to squeeze her in the center of the group. “I love you, mother.”

“I love you too,” she replied. “Sweetie Belle…” she said weakly. “Will you sing for me? The lullaby. That one’s my favorite.”

With a quick nod, Sweetie Bell cleared her throat and blew her nose, before she started to sing.

“Hush now… quiet now,

It’s time to lay… your sleepy head.

Hush now, quiet… now…

It’s time to go to bed…

Drifting off to sleep,

Exciting… day behind you,

Drifting off to sleep,

Let the joy of –”

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

The constant tone of the heart monitor cut through the melody.

“Mother!”

“Mommy!” both unicorns cried in unison.

“Mother… Sweetie Belle... I failed you both.”

Rarity sat in the chair with her head rested on the dusty table. She hadn’t moved an inch or stopped crying since the guards took her sister. She didn’t chase them down; what could she do against three winged guards? She could only lie on that table, broken down from her own guilt. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so selfish. If I hadn’t forced Twilight to do that spell.” A million thoughts raced through her mind, filling her with guilt with every word. “I failed you…”

“Miss Sparkle?” inquired a royal guard in a stern voice.

Twilight abruptly rose from the chair as she quickly tried to rouse herself from her sleep. “Mmm… uh… yes, that’s me.” She responded, unable to completely focus on the armor clad shape in front of her.

“Your friend is being released. If you’ll follow me.” Without waiting for a response, he started to walk down the hallway to the holding cell. “Right in here Miss Sparkle,” he said, pointing her to a door.

As she walked inside, she saw Spike standing at a booth, filling out paperwork for an upcoming court date. She cheerfully bounded over to him, giving him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m so glad to see you, Spike!”

“Whoa Twi, is everything alright?” he asked, startled by her excitement.

“Oh… I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been so worried about you,” she giggled. “It’s not easy when someone you’ve known that long is in jail.

“Ah, well I’m fine. How did your meeting with the Princess go?” Spike asked as they turned to start leaving.

“Not as well as I thought it would,” she responded in a disappointed tone. “Luna told me that she couldn’t send me back to my time.”

“What? Why?!” Spike barked, snorting out smoke from his nostrils.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Spike. She actually couldn’t, because the spell wouldn’t work for her.” Twilight could tell by the look on Spike’s face that he still didn’t quite understand. “It’s complicated.”

“So what now? Where does that leave you?”

“Well, she said that Princess Celestia wanted me to find a secret archive, but she didn’t leave much information about it or how to find it. Luna only said that Princess Celestia left me clues to find it.”

Spike was disappointed with the answer, having come all the way to Canterlot just for that simple information. “Well, that’s pretty disappointing.”

“Well… yeah…” Twilight couldn’t help but snicker at her own response. “But wait, there’s more. After the meeting, I found that they added a statue of me in the Sculpture Gardens!”

“What?” Spike scoffed, astounded by the news. “But they never held a ceremony or anything for that! It must be fairly new.”

“Well, actually, I met somepony there, and she said she would visit since she was a filly. She was only a little younger than me.” Twilight shook her head to stop herself from rambling. “That’s beside the point though. I think the plaque had a clue on it. I think the next clue is in Ponyville with our friends.

They continued on down the road to the monorail station, stopping first at a bank to withdraw some bits to pay the fare. When they reached the station, Twilight was greeted by the familiar lobby. Its elegant decorum was all the more enjoyable since she wasn’t as frantic as she had been during her last visit. After they passed the toll gate, instead of heading straight to the platform, they headed towards a set of steps that led to an overhead walkway to the other side of the tracks. As they waited for the next Ponyville-bound train, Spike began to recount his encounter with Sweetie Belle to Twilight.

“She thought you would be able to handle yourself out there. She didn’t know about your condition.”

“Still, why didn’t she just introduce herself? I know who she is.” Twilight responded, disgusted with her irrational actions.

“She was afraid you were going to take her to the guards. I don’t blame her either,” Spike snapped, growing increasingly defensive. “She knew that we were going to see the Princess. That and the fact that Canterlot Central Station has more guards in it.”

Twilight was shocked by his aggressive tone, only at first. Slowly, she lifted her hoof to her mouth and let out a chuckle. “Oh… I see how it is. Well she is Rarity’s sister. I should have seen this coming.” Twilight began to giggle derisively at Spike, who was now confused with her sudden change in attitude.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” He snapped again, snorting smoke.

“Tell me something. How pretty was she?” Twilight put on a cheesy grin as she waited for Spike to get what she was insinuating.

Spike’s eyes sparkled as he began to think back about her appearance. “She was beautiful, but I don’t see how…” He paused for a moment, suddenly realizing the trap he just played himself into. Quickly, he reeled back, hiding his vibrant blush that glowed even through his thick scales from the giggling mare. “Hey! Stop laughing! I have no idea what you are suggesting,” he lied, poorly.

“I’m just teasing, Spike.” She said, wiping a tear from her eye. “So… when’s the wedding?”

Rainbow Dash trotted joyfully to the office of her former squad mate, excited that he was finally the one to invite her to talk after all these years. As she reached his office door, she busted in playfully. “Hey Soarin! What’s… up?” Rainbow Dash was surprised to see a concerned Headmaster talking with two Royal Pegasi Guards.

“Thank you sirs,” he continued his conversation after recollecting his thought from before the interruption. “Now if you all will, I need a moment to talk with Captain Dash.”

The two pegasi nodded in unison as they turned and walked around Rainbow Dash and out the door.

“Um… Soarin. What’s going on?” Dash inquired worriedly.

“Have a seat Dash.” He said calmly but with a quiet ferocity that stung Dash’s ears.

“Did I do something wrong? What’s going on?” Dash’s eyes darted around the room, nervous about the news she was about to receive, before she realized just who she was. “I’m Rainbow Dash. Captain of the Wonderbolts, I’m not on trial here!” Dash swaggered over to the chair and plopped herself down. “What’s up Soar? Got something on your mind?”

Soarin reached over the desk and dropped an empty envelope in front of Dash. She looked at him expectantly, to which he only responded by giving her a head nod to suggest that she read it.

“Uh right. This has a return address and it’s addressed to Barrack #12, Bunk #4.” Dash was having a little trouble keeping her cool. “Hey Soarin, I’d hate to break it to you, but unless you have a point, this doesn’t interest me. For cryin’ out loud, the thing is empty,” Dash sneered, flicking the envelope back on the desk with her hoof.

“Tell me, do you know what who is in Barrack #12 Bunk #4?”

“Uh, no. You assigned the barracks, I just manage the team,” Dash scoffed, becoming increasingly annoyed.

“If you had to guess-”

“That’s it! I’m outta here,” Dash shouted, getting up to storm out the door.

“I seem to recall you vouching for this student. Saying, ‘she wouldn’t let us down.’ Does that ring any bells?” Soarin was becoming even fiercer without even raising his voice.

Dash winced at his response, and turned with her hoof still on the door to meet the glare of the Headmaster. “Scoots? Is… is she alright? What’s going on?” Dash lost her act of being tough and showed serious concern for her young friend.

“Captain… This envelope was found in the home of a criminal.” Soarin cleared his throat before continuing on. “The guards came investigating any leads to find any potential associates. In fact, this letter was found on the same pony who you invited into my facility to visit with her. For all I know, you’re working with them.”

Dash looked around nervously, sweating bullets. “Oh… you sure got me! This is a prank, right?” She asked frantically. “Please tell me it’s a prank.”

“Captain, I can assure you this is no joke.” Soarin stood up, moving towards a filing cabinet. He began flipping through the files before coming to the file he was looking for and pulling it out. “The reason why I bring you here is because I know how much she means to you, but I don’t appreciate you abusing my trust, so I am leaving it up to you to try to appeal her inevitable suspension,” he said as he dropped the file on the desk.

Dash moved to the desk to pick up the file. “But you know that they won’t let her stay after something like this. They’ll force me to kick her out.” Tears were streaming out of her eyes as she dropped the file back in front of Soarin.

“Well then, if you’re saying that you won’t do it, then I’ll just turn her over to authorities,” Soarin said as he stood up with the file in hoof to retrieve the guards that were waiting outside.

Like lightning, Dash snatched up the file and turned her head to hide her tears from her ex-squad mate. “Fine, I’ll do this,” she hissed at Soarin. Quickly, she turned back to head out the door, snorting as she passed the frame. She headed down the long hallway where the Board was already waiting outside a meeting room. A sinking feeling had hit Dash, like her wings had been clipped. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not regain her composure. Tears relentlessly flooded her vision as she walked towards the group of ponies that were now making their way into the room at the sight of her arrival. Reluctantly, she began to follow them in.

“Captain Dash,” one of the older representatives called out. “It’s a shame to see you under these circumstances. Shall we just try to make this as quick as possible?” She led Dash into the room as she moved to take her seat at the podium. “Have a seat if you will Rainbow Dash.”

“I’ll stand,” she mumbled.

“Very well,” she continued. “Captain Dash, you stand here today to appeal the suspension of Delta Squad member, Scootaloo. Failing to gain our approval will result in you being the sole pony with the responsibility to carry forth her suspension. Do you understand the conditions?”

Dash nodded in agreement.

“Very well then. Present your case.”

“These charges are absurd,” Dash blurted out. “They found an envelope addressed to her from a criminal. Big deal! They have no proof she wrote back or even got the message!”

“Captain, our records show that you approved a visitor for Scootaloo. This visitor was later found with the envelope in her possession and in the company of a wanted felon at the address specified. We also found that this pony was the felon’s sister. How do you explain this?”

“It’s just a coincidence!” Dash argued, becoming frustrated. “How do you know Scootaloo ever had the letter?”

“How does testimony from a witness sound?” One of the board members retorted.

“What?! Who?”

The senior member took a second to calm the seething pony who had given the outburst before turning her attention back to Dash. “We had testimony from an Undercover Royal Guard who had been following the visitor,” she said as she checked a file in front of her. “Rarity, I presume?”

“Fine then,” Dash responded in defeat. “Who cares? You don’t have any proof that she wrote back or had any contact with Sweetie Belle and Rarity isn’t a criminal. Sharing information with her isn’t against the rules.”

The group turned quickly and began to whisper to each other before they all turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Let the record show that Captain Dash knows the felon on a name basis,” the senior member stated to the stenographer in the room.

Dash’s face dropped at her slip up. She knew things weren’t looking good for her case.

“Captain,” she continued. “Regardless of whether she broke the rules or not, we cannot have an investigation sully our proud reputation. We aren’t looking for proof that she didn’t break any rules here. That, with your testimony, we might be able to overlook. We are looking for definitive proof that Scootaloo isn’t working with the criminal. We know that the two go way back.”

“That isn’t fair! You have no proof that she is!”

“Dash, might I remind you that we are not a military organization. This is a private company, and I am here to represent the best interest of the company, not our friendship,” she retorted. “An investigation would be bad for business, which leaves me with only one choice. Now if you have nothing else to present, then I as Chairmare of the Board have come to my decision.”

Dash could only turn her head away to concede her defeat.

“Then without further ado, we hereby uphold the suspension of Delta Squad member, Scootaloo.” With that, she stamped her gavel on the podium and stood, taking her papers with her before maneuvering her way over to Dash. “Look Dash, I’m sorry things had to turn out this way, but at least, with your testimony, authorities have no grounds to arrest her. All that needs to be done is-”

“I know what I have to do,” Dash interrupted. She wiped a tear from her eye as she looked up to meet the eyes of the senior board member. “Damn it, Spitfire.”

“Hey Dash!” Scootaloo beamed with a smile across her face. “How are…” She stopped herself when she noticed that Dash had been crying. She noticed that Dash was out of her Wonderbolts’s uniform, a rare sight for anypony. Dash stood right in her way, blocking the path to her next class. “Hey what’s wrong?”

Rainbow Dash lifted her hoof and placed an envelope in Scootaloo’s hoof.

“Wait, this is…” she began, appalled at the return of the envelope. “No!”

“It was enough for them to make a decision,” Dash disclosed, turning her head to avoid eye contact with the young mare. “Scootaloo… you’ve been suspended.”

The young mare dropped to her haunches, mouth agape in shock. Dash reached over to lend her a hoof, but right before it made contact with the distraught pegasus, she flared her wing to slap the hoof away. Without saying a word, she took off to her barracks, leaving a trail of tears in her wake.

Fluttershy was getting restless. It had been far too long for Rarity and Sweetie Belle to be out. She was concerned that they might’ve gotten hurt or worse out in the blizzard. Against her better judgment, she decided that she had waited long enough. Angel’s daughter carefully wrapped Fluttershy’s wing and hoof in extra bandages to keep them warm while Angel himself went to her closet to fetch her thickest coat. They had tried to stop her, but facing a determined Fluttershy was like trying to stare down a dragon, ironically something only she could do.

As she came to her front door, there sat a set of warm snow boots waiting for her which she slipped on one at a time. She looked as if she would be ready for a week long arctic expedition. With one final goodbye to her animal friends, she opened the door and hobbled her way down the path. The weather had calmed down quite a bit since her last expedition, but the wind still chilled her to the bone. She continued onwards, finally reaching the edge of Ponyville. Ahead of her lay a white wasteland as far as the eye could see, which was actually a shorter distance than she had expected. With a deep gulp, Fluttershy gained enough courage to press onwards, the possibility of her friends’ lives being at stake.

The trip was rather calm, but if it hadn’t been for Fluttershy’s countless journeys to Whitetail Wood, she would probably have gotten lost in the blizzard. She paced herself as much as she could, being cautious not to further injure her hoof or wing, but still making haste to find her friend.

Fluttershy continued on, almost instinctively in the direction of Whitetail Wood. The area around Ponyville, including the Everfree Forest and Froggy Bottom Bog, were crawling with wildlife, which gave her a reason to constantly visit. The whole area had become like a backyard to her. Before long, she could see the edge of the wood, the tall trees almost obscured by the snow that covered them. She began to pick up the pace, heading straight for the cottage. She had seen it many times before, but every time, she had dismissed it as abandoned. As she approached the run down building, she could feel a strong chill run down her spine. Something wasn’t giving her a good feeling about this place. The door hung loosely on its hinges, slapping the frame as the wind tossed it open and shut constantly.

Reluctantly, Fluttershy moved in to the doorway, catching the door with her shoulder to keep it from slamming in her face. “He… hello?” She called into the dark building. Hearing nothing but the howling of the wind, she cautiously made her way in, straining her eyes to see in the darkness. Fluttershy turned around to prop the door open with a loose stone out of fear of the door slamming shut and locking her in. Just before she turned back towards the darkness, she could hear the sounds of sobbing, almost completely muffled by the howling wind.

“Hello? Is somepony here?” Fluttershy called out again, removing her hood and pivoting her ear to listen for the sounds. She heard more sobbing coming from the side of the room. Quickly, she made her way to the noise, being extra cautious not to bump into anything. As she reached the edge of the room she could feel what felt like a tabletop. The sounds of sobbing were almost directly in front of her now. She lowered herself until she was almost face to face with the grieving pony when she recognized Rarity’s eyes.

“Rarity!” she squeaked, reaching over and shaking her. “What’s wrong?! Are you alright?!”

Rarity only began to mumble incoherently as she choked on her own sadness.

“Please, Rarity! It’s me, Fluttershy! Talk to me!” Fluttershy was getting desperate to find out what was troubling her so much. All seemed to have been going well before she left.

Quietly, Rarity began to speak, only slightly more coherently. Fluttershy was having difficulty making out what she was saying, but three words remained very prominent. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered over and over again.

Fluttershy reached into her bags for a small lantern that she had packed in case of an emergency. It only had enough fuel to last for a few minutes, but now seemed like a good time to use it. She pulled out the lantern along with a book of matches and set them on the table. She turned on the fuel to the lantern and with a quick strike she lit a match, carefully setting it inside to light the burner. Light filled the room as the fuel lit up. Fluttershy looked at Rarity, taking notice to how awful she looked. Her eyes were bloodshot and streaks of mascara ran down her face. Her mane was a mess and her face was red from being in the cold for so long.

“Flutter… shy…?” She weakly murmured, taking notice to her standing in front of her.

“Oh, Rarity! You look terrible. What happened?”

“They… they took her. It was all my fault. I’m so sorry,” she rambled on.

“What? Who took her?” Fluttershy asked in shock. She could only assume Rarity was talking about her sister.

“The… the guards… I led them here… it’s… it’s all my fault,” she mumbled between sobs.

Fluttershy couldn’t comprehend how Rarity would do such a thing. She could only dismiss it as mindless rambling. Besides, something else had preoccupied her thoughts. Rarity began to shiver violently as her snout began to leak. She was getting sick, and the longer they waited, the more chance that hypothermia would set in. She frantically tore off her coat and threw it over Rarity’s shoulders. Immediately, she felt just how cold it was, but her main concern rested with Rarity, who continued to sob and ignore her personal wellbeing.

“Come on Rarity, we need to get you someplace warm,” Fluttershy cried, tugging on her arm. “Please, Rarity, come with me!”

It was no use. Rarity refused to cooperate. All of her will had left and her muscles had shut down. In the back of her mind, she wished that nopony had come to look for her, so that she could waste away there forever. She believed it to be a fitting fate for her transgressions.

Fluttershy began to flex her wings as she undid the sling over her arm. She knew what she had to do; she had no other choice. Carefully, she rested her weight down on all four legs, wincing at every ounce of pressure that she put on her injured hoof. Her wing stung with every flap, causing her to tear up at the pain. With all of her might, Fluttershy pulled Rarity over and into her arms. Using her wings to hold herself upright, she began to walk backwards while dragging Rarity to the doorway. With one mighty flap, she began to lift the distraught unicorn through the threshold and out into the blizzard. None of the pain mattered to her anymore. She seemed to be getting used to it and the cold had helped to numb her nerve endings.

She continued to fly back into the direction of Ponyville. She could feel the remaining warmth of Rarity’s body slowly start to fade away. She had to push herself into overdrive if she wanted to save her friend. Her head swarmed with pain and fear as she flew faster than she ever thought she could. Ahead of her, she could see the light of the moon punching through the dark clouds. She was getting close; she just had to push it a little harder. With every last effort, she pushed herself to breaking point, tearing through the edge of the cloud layer with a trail of ice following her in her wake.

Ponyville General Hospital was the nearest facility in the area, which was where she intended to take Rarity. She needed urgent care immediately. Fluttershy had no time to slow down. She burst through the front doors and into the lobby in a shower of glass, tumbling to a stop just in front of the counter. Once again, pushed to the limit, she began to slip out of consciousness. “Somepony… please… help…” she called out with the last of her breath.

Fluttershy awoke to a bright light shining in her face. Ahead of her, Nurse Tenderheart was eyeing a chart. Behind her, were x-rays of her wings and legs, but she couldn’t make out if everything was in place. Slowly, she tried to lift herself up. “Rarity!” she shouted, concerned about the fate of the unicorn.

Nurse Tenderheart rushed over to the side of the bed, carefully pushing Fluttershy back into the bed. “Hey, take it easy! You’re in bad shape as it is.” She let out a sigh, exasperated with the poor pegasus’s reckless abandon. “Your friend is alright. She’ll just be running a fever for a while. You need your rest. You probably saved her life,” Nurse Tenderheart assured. “But you might not be as lucky…” she continued. “You suffered severe nerve damage in your wing. I’m sorry… but… you may never fly again.”

The news came as a shock to her. She wracked her mind for the proper response to the news, but her head swarmed with pain. Her body’s last instinct was to release that pain in a shower of tears. She bawled into her hooves as the Nurse could only stand and cry for the pain that she was in.

The monorail had reached its destination, now rested at the platform of Ponyville Central Station. Twilight and Spike both exited the train and made their way across the overhead walkway back to the exit gates. It was a relief to finally be home after their ordeal. Twilight was excited to go see Rarity and Fluttershy again; the only thing left to do was to find them. Together, they made their way to the Library, the last place they had seen each other.

As they approached the tree, they could see that all the lights had been turned out, which wasn’t a good sign that anypony was there. Still they went in just to make sure. “Girls? Is anypony home?” Twilight called out as Spike went around the room, lighting the lanterns.

“I don’t think anypony is home,” Spike interrupted as Twilight continued to patiently wait for a response. “Rarity went with Fluttershy and that’s who I told Sweetie Belle to find. I bet you could find them at her cottage.” Spike ascended the stairs up to his study as he slumped over, looking as tired as ever.

“Aren’t you coming?” Twilight asked curiously as she watched Spike.

“Na, Twi… I’ve had a long day. I’d rather just go to sleep,” he said in a long yawn. “Will you tell me how it goes?”

“Alright Spike. Get some rest.” With that, Twilight turned to go back out.

Fluttershy’s cottage had seemed like it was swarming with activity, but it always was with the amount of critters she kept in and around her home. Twilight lightly knocked on the door and waited for an answer. To her surprise, the door opened revealing a very elderly looking hare. He seemed just as surprised to see Twilight, rubbing his eyes in astonishment.

He lifted his paw to suggest to Twilight that she wait right there. He slowly walked over just out of sight before coming back with a note in his paw, handing it over to her.

Twilight quickly read the note, recognizing Applejack’s chicken-scratch writing. The note told her that her friends were in the hospital and to head over there as soon as she got it. Twilight looked at Angel, concerned about the note. “Oh my, are they alright?”

He responded by crossing his arms and tapping his foot to let Twilight know that she was wasting time.

Twilight hastily made her way to Ponyville General, seriously concerned about the wellbeing of her friends. As she approached the building, she noticed that the doors were smashed open as some worker ponies were busy sweeping up the glass that covered the floor. She carefully maneuvered her way around them, cautious to avoid stepping on a stray piece of glass as she made her way towards the counter. “Nurse Redheart, what happened here?” she inquired worriedly.

“Twilight Sparkle!” she exclaimed. “I wish we had time to catch up, but your friends requested that you see them as soon as you got here. They are up on the second floor, Rooms 207 and 209.

Twilight gave her a quick nod before she hastily made her way up the nearest staircase.

She arrived at Fluttershy’s room first, appalled by the sight. Fluttershy was covered in bruises and bandages as her wing was completely secured. Her eyes were bloodshot from tears.

“My goodness, Fluttershy! What happened?” Twilight asked in shock as she made her way over to the side of the bed.

“Oh Twilight!” Fluttershy cried, wrapping her hooves around the unicorn’s neck. “I got hurt trying to save Rarity. I’ll never fly again!”

Twilight could feel the tears dripping onto her back as she leaned in to return the hug. “What happened? Is Rarity alright?”

Fluttershy sniffled as she tried to regain her composure. “She’ll recover…” Fluttershy mumbled as she turned her head in sadness. “But I don’t know if she is alright. You should go see her. I’ll be fine here.” It took a gentle push to convince Twilight to go; she still wasn’t convinced that Rarity needed her attention more, but Fluttershy insisted.

Twilight made her way into the next room to see Rarity sitting up in the bed as Applejack stood at the side of the bed, holding her hoof. There were no machines hooked up to her and other than her distraught appearance, she didn’t appear to have any serious injuries. “Rarity, what’s going on?” Twilight questioned, almost accusingly since Fluttershy was hurt and she wasn’t.

Rarity didn’t answer. Instead, she just sat, staring off into space, occasionally whispering “I’m so sorry,” to nopony in general.

“She’s been like this since I got here Twi.” Applejack explained. “She hasn’t said anythin’ else. I’m real worried ‘bout her.”

Twilight moved in to see if her presence could help the distraught unicorn. “Rarity? What’s wrong?”

“Everything…” was all she said.

[Chapter 8] Luna's Ruse

[Chapter 8] Luna’s Ruse

It had taken over an hour, but Applejack and Twilight had finally gotten Rarity to tell them what had been bothering her. She told them about how the guards had followed her to her sister’s cottage, and that she was the one who led them there; that part she couldn’t stress enough. Other than that, she was unwilling to reveal more, like for example, how Fluttershy had come to her current condition. Twilight couldn’t blame her though. She couldn’t even imagine how guilty she must have been feeling from the events that led to her sister’s arrest.

Still, that wasn’t enough to make Twilight completely sympathetic. She was frustrated with Rarity’s negligence with Fluttershy, but most of all, she was furious that Rarity had given up on helping to make up for anything. Rarity just sat in the bed, moping to herself.

“Rarity,” Twilight pleaded. “You need to get up and do something. It might not be too late to help your sister. I’m sure if we go see the Princess and explain everything, I could get her a royal pardon.”

Uninterested, Rarity slumped down into the bed, tossing the sheets over her head.

“Ugh!” Twilight sighed in exasperation. “You know what? Fine. You can just lay there for all I care.” She stormed off towards the doorway, but right before she passed the threshold, she turned back to put one last word in for the distraught unicorn. “Your mother would be so disappointed,” she grumbled before leaving to go see Fluttershy.

Rarity winced underneath the covers. Twilight was right. Her mother would be disappointed in the failure that she raised. A single tear rolled down Rarity’s cheek as her self pity reached a new low.

“You know, she’s got a point, sugarcube.” Applejack added. “As bad as you feel right now, your lil’ sister is probably feelin’ a whole lot worse.”

“Sweetie Belle is probably better off without me. I’ve messed her life up enough as it is,” Rarity argued from beneath the sheets.

Applejack put her hoof on Rarity’s shoulder as she pulled the sheets off of her head. “Hey, you may have messed up, but I know for a fact that Sweetie Belle ain’t better off without you. You may not think it now, but she needs you more than ever.”

Rarity turned to look into Applejack’s proud eyes. “But what am I supposed to do? What if I make things worse?”

“Well then at least you can say you tried.” Applejack stated. “Look, sugarcube. I wanna tell you a story about a time that I too almost lost my dear sister, Applebloom. A couple of years back, our Granny Smith passed away. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time either, cause only a few days later, we had ourselves a big zap apple harvest. Applebloom was so upset, but ya know, life goes on. When I tried to get her to help out, we got into a fight and well, I said a few things I wish I hadn’t. Applebloom got angry and ran off. I looked for her for hours until I finally found her skippin’ rocks at the lake. By that time, we lost the whole harvest and me an’ her went at it again. That’s when she said that she wished that Granny was alive instead of me. Let me tell ya, boy did that set me off, but do you know what I did?” Applejack looked expectantly at Rarity, the fierceness in her eyes telling her that she wouldn’t let her go until she got an answer for this otherwise rhetorical question.

“You apologized?” Rarity guessed.

“Shoot, I wish.” Applejack scoffed, turning her head upwards in reminiscence. “To this day, I could never forgive myself for what I’d done. I got so angry that I just turned and reared up. I bucked my poor little Applebloom.” Applejack paused to look at Rarity with a distraught look in her eyes. “I bucked her Rarity! So hard that she fell back into the lake. I was feeling mighty proud of myself at the time, but that feeling went away quick when she didn’t come up for air.”

“I felt so guilty, like Applebloom was right and she would’ve been better off if I wasn’t around, but be that as it may, she needed me. I jumped in after her and found her struggling in an ol’ fishing net at the bottom of the lake. I tried to get her free, but I just couldn’t tear her loose. With my last breath, I gave it everything I had before I blacked out. I don’t remember anything after that, but when I came to, Applebloom was standing over me beating on my chest like I was one of Zecora’s drums.” Applejack looked back at Rarity, surprised to see that instead of moping, she was intently listening to her story. “The first thing I did was I pulled her in and hugged her like I never hugged her before. I was so happy that she was alright. We laid there for a while. All we could do was be happy to be alive.”

“But what did you do about the harvest?” Rarity asked.

“There was nothin’ we could do. We just had to pick up and start over. Honestly though, I’d trade a million zap apple harvests for my sister any day.” She was pleased that her story had had the desired effect on Rarity, who had completely stopped crying at this point and was instead waiting for Applejack to go on.

“You see, the moral of the story is even if you think she’d be better off without you, if you see your sister drownin’, you gotta jump in after her.”

Rarity pondered over the moral for a second. It certainly had struck the right chord. Rarity made a motion as if to get up, now determined to help her sister any way possible, but Applejack quickly stopped her. “Now I know you gotta go do what you gotta do, but I know there’s a few ponies that you probably owe a visit to.” Applejack jestured towards the room next to hers. “Twilight’s plan is probably the best you’re ever gonna get, but you gotta get yourself back into her good graces first.”

Rarity gave her a quick nod before getting up. “Thank you, Applejack.” She said with a smile. “I really needed that.”

Twilight was still fuming as she listened to Fluttershy tell her about her injuries. Every time she would mention Rarity, Twilight could feel her temperature begin to rise. The last time that she had been this angry at any of her friends was when Discord had returned.

“Um, Twilight? Is everything alright?” Fluttershy timidly hid her muzzle under the covers as she began to notice that Twilight wasn’t really paying attention.

“What? Oh...” Twilight mumbled as she snapped back to reality. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I guess I’m just upset with Rarity. I didn’t mean to ignore you.” Twilight sighed in exasperation.

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice. “Fluttershy, darling. I was wondering if it would be alright if I had a word with you.”

Twilight looked back at Fluttershy with anticipation. “It’s alright, Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered. “C-come in,” she wearily called out to Rarity.

The door opened up slowly as the white unicorn slowly made her way towards the bed. She glanced up at Twilight peering through the cold stare that the purple unicorn shot at her. “I’m sorry, Twilight. If I could just have a moment with Fluttershy,” she begged.

Twilight sighed releasing the tension she held. “Fine. I’ll wait for you outside.” She turned before Rarity could get another word out, bumping her with her shoulder on her way out. She couldn’t help but be angry. At the moment, she didn’t really care what she said or did.

As she made her way out the door she finally breathed out. The air in the hallway was cooler, which helped to calm her down just a bit. “Well, she is making an attempt at least,” Twilight thought. Slowly, she started to feel a bit of regret for some of the things she said. Frustrated with herself, she leaned against the wall, bumping her head against it a few times. She started to let her mind wander, focusing back to the clue she found on the plaque, doubting that it was even the right clue at all. All her friends had changed in the time since they had left. Each had their own real-world problems to deal with. Pinkie had gone insane. Fluttershy was injured and now had to deal with the prospect of a flightless life. Rainbow Dash was busy with whatever responsibilities came with being the captain of the Wonderbolts. Rarity, for whatever reason, had to save her sister. The only pony that had seemed normal was Applejack, but she was probably busier than ever. Managing a farm was difficult enough and now she had to do so with only the moon to provide light. They all certainly didn’t have time to go chasing clues left by ghosts like a gang of mystery-solving fillies.

“Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Celestia chose the wrong pony for the job...”

Rarity made her way over to the battered pegasus. A wave of guilt flooded her senses, leaving her teary eyed in the seat next to the bed. This was the first time she had seen the extent of Fluttershy’s injuries. “I’m so sorry, Fluttershy! It’s all my fault!” Rarity bawled, falling into Fluttershy’s lap as she continued to mumble incoherently.

“Rarity, I’m fine. Really,” Fluttershy assured. “I don’t really fly all that often. I’m sure I can adjust to the change easy enough.”

“Oh but look at you dear, you look simply awful. Uh... No offense,” Rarity said, looking Fluttershy up and down. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so careless. So stubborn... I can never forgive myself for what I’ve done to you!”

“It’s not so bad. It really only hurts when I try to move it.” Fluttershy said, making a foolish attempt to give Rarity an example. She quickly moved her hoof back to her side as she winced in pain.

“See, Fluttershy. I owe you everything, not only for you saving my life, but for all the pain I've put you through,” Rarity admitted as she tried her best to sooth the pegasus. “I know it’s probably too much to expect, but I will do everything I can to earn your forgiveness.”

“Oh, Rarity,” Fluttershy smiled. “I already forgive you. You came to apologize and that’s already enough for me. Just promise me one thing.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of happiness. “Oh thank you, Fluttershy!” She cried. “Anything! I’ll do anything for you.”

“Please save Sweetie Belle,” she pleaded.

With a firm nod, Rarity agreed. “Of course. I plan to!”

“Now go, Rarity. I’ll be fine, I promise. You should go talk to Twilight. Shes probably waiting for you.”

Twilight had only just let herself sit on one of the chairs in the hallway when the door to Fluttershy’s room opened up. Quickly, Twilight bounded up to see Rarity standing there, waiting to speak to her. “Oh... You’re done. How did it go?” She asked nervously.

“Well she said that she would be alright,” Rarity replied. “She was happy to see that I was okay. I really owe her my life.”

Both Twilight and Rarity awkwardly pat a hoof at the ground and looked around the hallway as they waited for the other to steer the conversation in the right direction. Their silence was only interrupted by the squeaking of wheelchair being pushed by a nurse.

“Hey, I wanted to,-” both ponies began in unison. Rarity, however didn’t let it phase her. “I wanted to apologize for how I acted,” she continued. “I guess I just lost sight of what really mattered. Can you ever forgi-”

Rarity was interrupted by Twilight putting her hoof up. “You don’t need to apologize to me,” Twilight said with a serious expression painted on her face. “You’re up now and that’s all that really matters to me.” Twilight quickly shifted her tone to a more somber one as she nervously rubbed her hooves. “I’m sorry I had to be so hard on you.”

“Not at all, Twilight. I needed to hear it. But I must ask, do you really believe that the Princess will give Sweetie Belle a pardon?” Rarity asked doubtfully.

“Sure. I’m sure if we explain everything that’s happened, she’ll have no problem helping us out.” Twilight impatiently began to gesture towards the exit. “So... are you coming or not?” She asked playfully.

“Lets just tell the others first.”

Twilight had dragged Rarity along at a fairly quick pace. In no time at all, they had made it to the toll gate of the monorail station. Rarity stood in awe at the strangeness of the facility. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. With a few bits borrowed from Applejack, they paid their toll and went over to wait for the next train at the platform.

Twilight continued to watch Rarity as she observed her surroundings but the longer she stared, the more Twilight began to feel restless. Rarity was acting so calm and reserved in her emotions, unlike Twilight, who acted like a filly the first time she saw the station. In truth, she was jealous of Rarity’s now apparent maturity.

The more she let her mind rest on it, the more frustrated she became. There she was, no more than half an hour ago, berating Rarity for her immature behavior and now she was envying her for her maturity. Just before she could feel herself become visibly angry, she tried to change her focus to something else. Unfortunately the only other thought on her mind was her fears that they would never get home.

Just as quickly as it had started, her anger turned to panic. What was she doing anyways helping Rarity out like this? There was no benefit for her in saving Sweetie Belle. Every minute she wasted waiting for the train was another minute she could have spent researching Celestia’s final actions for any clues.

Twilight began to shake violently as her breath became labored. It became apparent to her that all of her actions were only useful if they were planning on staying stuck in this time. Maybe Rarity knew. Maybe that’s why she was so focused on saving Sweetie Belle. Had she maybe missed the notice that said that they were never going back? The questions raced through her mind as she could feel her hyperventilation causing her vision to fade. However, just before everything went black, she felt a hoof move on top of hers, gripping lightly. Rarity had begun to hum a very soothing melody as Twilight felt herself begin to regain composure. It was unexplainable, the feeling that washed over her; it wasn’t much different from the time that Princess Luna had used her magic to calm her down, but there was something else in the way that Rarity did it that just felt... warmer.

Twilight looked over to Rarity as she continued to hum the sweet melody before quickly noticing that Rarity’s horn glowed with a pale white light. Not once did Rarity look back at Twilight; she didn’t have to-, but she appeared to be drawing the power from a source deep in her own mind, possibly from a strong memory or emotion.

It didn’t take long before she had completely regained her composure and even felt a sensation of euphoria sweep through her body. She felt so relaxed, that she was now having trouble keeping herself from drifting off to sleep. “What... what was that, Rarity?” She cooed.

“My mother used to always do this for Sweetie Belle and I when we were scared or worried,” Rarity replied.

“How did she learn to do that? I’ve never even heard of a spell like that.”

“To be honest, I never really knew how she or I learned it. It just... happens would probably be the best word to describe it. My mother used to tell me that it was a strong connection between two ponies. Something you couldn’t teach or practice.” Rarity turned to look at Twilight for the first time since her attack started. Twilight looked back and noticed tears glistening in her azure eyes. “I believe that it is love.”

Rainbow Dash leaned against the door as she listened to Scootaloo unleash her rage and sadness on her belongings. She waited for an opening to try and explain everything to the distraught mare, but her screams and sobs were unrelenting. Growing impatient and desperate, she burst through the door focusing on the orange pegasus. “Scootaloo, please understand!” Dash pleaded. “I did everything I could!”

“No! No you didn’t!” Scootaloo snapped. “When have you ever?! For my entire life, I looked up to you, but I never even mattered.” She started walking threateningly over to Rainbow Dash, backing her against the wall. “All that mattered to you was this stupid club.”

“Hey, that’s not true! I got you into the Wonderbolts. I helped you to live your dreams,” Rainbow Dash retorted, snorting angrily at the outburst from the disgraced pegasus.

“You think I wanted to be a Wonderbolt?” Scootaloo scoffed. “This was your dream, Dash!” She quickly shifted her tone from anger to sorrow as she tried to get Rainbow Dash to look at her. “All I ever wanted was you to notice me, so I tried to be just like you. I did everything I could so that maybe, just maybe, you’d start to care about me. I always wanted you to be like a sister to me. Somepony who would stand up for me. Somepony who would care for me. Somepony to call family.” She quickly turned away from Dash as she returned to her quarters to start packing her belongings. “But right when I needed you most, you left me hanging. All that mattered to you was your precious position.”

“But... but I did stand up for you. I tried to convince them but nothing I said would change their minds. I tried, Scoots-”

“When was it that you started trying? Hmm?” Scootaloo interrupted. “Was it back when I first learned to fly? Was it back when I broke my wing trying to impress you?” She stormed back over to Dash, stopping an inch from her face. “Or was it when it was already too late?” Before Dash had a chance to respond, Scootaloo fluttered back over to her quarters and finished packing up her bags before turning back to Dash once more. “It took me all these years to realize, but you never really cared for me. I don’t care that I lost my position with the Wonderbolts. I don’t even care that I wasted my whole life training for countless hours and breaking nearly every bone in my body. I don’t care. My biggest regret is that I wasted my life looking up to you.” With that, she swung her bags over her shoulders and stormed out the door.

Dash didn’t even try to follow. She couldn’t even bring herself to move a muscle. She could only stand in the empty room with her mouth hanging open in shock.

The train finally docked at Canterlot Central Station. Rarity and Twilight both rose up squeezing into the crowded aisle of ponies waiting to get out. With a loud chime, the door slid open and they began to pour out. Rarity gawked at the grandeur of the building as Twilight led her by her hoof to the Mane Street exit. At the rate she was pacing herself, Twilight seemed anxious to be going somewhere. Rarity could hardly keep up as they rushed out from the platforms into a grand lobby. She took notice of the beautiful decor of the grand room, something that, if on another day, she would have to stop and look at to appreciate. Before long, they had maneuvered their way through the crowds of ponies and out the large revolving doors.

The open air must have given Twilight a second wind, because now she had appeared to have picked up the pace to a near gallop. “Twilight, dear. Could we please slow down?” Rarity asked, her voice falling on deaf ears. She couldn’t really complain, though. Sure she was having trouble keeping pace, but she knew that the quicker they made it to see the Princess, the quicker they could find out if she could really help them. Though, Rarity couldn’t help but feel that Twilight had her own motivations for seeing the Princess.

They continued to press onwards through the busy streets of Canterlot. Rarity was taken by shock over how much it had grown since her last visit. As they came to the end of Mane Street, the took the turn up to Royal Boulevard. Suddenly, with a click and a bright flash, Rarity stopped right in her tracks. Twilight looked back to see Rarity staring at a photographer snapping a picture of a couple standing on the bridge.

“Rarity, we don’t have time for a picture,” Twilight shouted from the crest of the bridge. She walked back over to Rarity who stood transfixed on the group. She waved her hoof frantically in front of Rarity’s face, startling her back to reality. “Rarity? What’s wrong?”

Rarity shook her head quickly as she remembered where she was. “My apologies, Twilight. It’s nothing,” she said as she walked past her. “Shall we continue?”

As they approached the familiar gates of Canterlot Castle, Twilight noticed that the guards that stood at attention were not the same ones from before. “This could pose a little problem,” Twilight thought. She knew it was far fetched, but she had really hoped that the same guards were there so that they would let them in right away.

“Halt. What is your name and business here?” They both demanded in unison, flaring their wings out to block the gate.

“I need to see the Princess!” Twilight pleaded, trying to look as confident as she could. “It’s really important.”

Unamused, the older looking pegasus took an intimidating step forward. “If you are here on official business, then you must present proof of permission from the Princess.”

“Look I don’t have time for this. Just tell Princess Luna that I am here and she’ll-”

The guard, looking irritated at being commanded like that, immediately pointed the spear he held in his right hoof directly at the lavender pony. “Leave now or I will use force to remove you from the premises.”

Twilight reeled back, bumping into the Rarity before falling to her hindquarters. What she wouldn’t do for miracle right now. The princess saved her last time. “Maybe if I scream loud enough, she will come out and save us again,” she desperately schemed. Twilight dropped her jaw and took a deep breath in preparation for the most blood curdling scream she could muster, but just before she let it out, the younger guard spoke up.

“Uh... Commander, sir. I don’t mean to insubordinate you, but I know who she is! That’s-”

With all his rage, he turned to the young guard and butted heads with him, pushing him back against the gate. “Private! What in Discords blazes do you think you are doing interrupting me like this! I don’t care who she is and I’ll have your hide for this insubordination.”

Mustering up the courage, the young pegasus spoke up once more. “Sir, please! That’s Twilight Sparkle! The late Princess Celestia’s protégée. The savior of Equestria.” He winced as he anticipated more than a verbal beat down for his outburst, but looked up to see his superior officer’s jaw hanging down in surprise.

He turned back to the Element of Magic, immediately recognizing her from the statue that stood in the Royal Statue Garden. He quickly tried to draw back his spear, fumbling it as he snapped back to attention. “My apologies Miss Sparkle. If I had known... well that doesn’t matter now. By Celestia’s decree, you are always allowed into the castle. You can find Princess Luna in the Royal Statue Garden,” he stated, matter-of-factly. “Would you like for me to fetch an escort for you and your guest?” The young pegasus guard reached down and helped Twilight up off the ground right before snapping back to attention as well.

“No, that’s alright,” Twilight assured. “I can find her myself. C’mon, Rarity. Let’s go,” she called back to her as she moved through the gates. Rarity quickly followed, finally catching back up with her as they reached the grand lobby. She was astonished at how much had been changed in the time of their absence. The obsidian that accented almost everything in the room, while beautiful, caused Rarity to cringe. The darkness of the once bright palace created a gloomy atmosphere. It was certainly not within Rarity’s tastes. What certainly did catch her attention was the large, crescent moon insignia on the floor. It was tiled with the purest white marble that sparkled in the light from its crystalline appearance. Around the moon was more obsidian, but this stone had crystals embedded just along the surface that made the ground sparkle like the night sky. It could almost be described like the same silk that had started this whole mess in the first place.

They continued through the room towards the grand ballroom, which would lead right to the royal gardens. The room hadn’t changed much since their last visits, other than the fact that the whole room was empty. During every previous visit, the room had been decorated to an almost ‘Pinkie Pie’ extent, but now it was clear of any decorative flair, walls to floor. There probably hadn’t been a party here in months.

Outside the ballroom was a gorgeous sight to behold. All the flora, even the most delicate of flowers, was coated in a fine layer of snow; a result of an incredibly soft snowfall. The garden itself must have had its own climate, separate from the rest of the world. It was unrealistically peaceful compared to the windy and cold weather throughout the rest of Canterlot. Twilight could feel a strange vibe all around the area, but she couldn’t quite explain it.

They made their way towards the entrance of the Royal Sculpture Gardens, the crunching of their hooves against the powder snow disturbing the serenity of the setting. As they passed the impressive statue of Princess Celestia, they could see Princess Luna standing off in the distance, right in front of Custos Scientia. Twilight paused momentarily in her steps. The feeling that she couldn’t explain earlier was now clearer. It was an all too familiar feeling; the distinct feeling of somepony casting an enchantment.

Twilight was elated to find out that she could feel magic again. However, just before she was about to call out to the princess, something else caught her attention. The feeling seemed to be emanating from Princess Luna, and the area in front of her glowed with a pale blue light. As quietly as she could, she began to ease her way towards the Princess, to which Rarity followed suit. Unfortunately for them, before they got close enough to be able to observe what she was doing, the crunching of their hooves caused Luna to jump up and turn towards them in shock.

“Oh my!” she gasped. “We were not expecting you back so soon.”

“We?” Questioned Twilight.

“Forgive me. Old habits die hard I guess,” she said in a more casual, but slightly embarrassed voice. “How goes your search for Tia’s clues?”

“Actually, not so well at all,” Twilight admitted. “But we are here for something else entirely.”

“Something else?” Luna blinked.

“We must ask you for a favor,” Rarity chimed in.

After recounting the whole tale to Princess Luna, Rarity threw herself at her hooves. “Please, Princess Luna. Could you please give my dear sister a royal pardon?” She pleaded.

Luna thought for a second before raising Rarity back up to her hooves. “Of course, Rarity. It’s the least I could do for you after all you’ve done for Equestria.”

Rarity was taken by surprise, blinking rapidly to see if she could snap herself awake if this was indeed a dream. “Just like that? No catch?” She questioned.

“Well, there may be just one problem,” Luna admitted.

“Oh please no...”

“I don’t have any idea where they are keeping your sister imprisoned,” Luna continued.

“Now hold on a second,” Twilight snapped. “Shouldn’t a royal pardon allow them to release her right away? What does her location have anything to do with this?”

“Twilight, please understand. The justice system has changed to accommodate my sister’s absence. I gave up my power over the justice system a long time ago. I was never one for imprisonment.” Luna could tell that Twilight still needed more to explain the situation. “I gave up a lot of powers when Celestia died. Mostly things that changed since my time, but that I had not been able to adjust well to. Those powers, I gave to my little ponies to handle as they saw fit. It didn’t take long before they set up an impressive court system, but they eventually encountered another problem. Equestria was much too large for one court to oversee, so they devised a system of districts that they called precincts. Each would be responsible to handle the crimes committed within their limits.” Luna shamefully looked back to the two unicorns. “I can grant pardons, but for my word to have any weight, the decree would have to be delivered directly to the precinct she is being held at.”

“Well then doesn’t that mean she should be here in Canterlot?” The lavender unicorn became hopeful as she came to the conclusion. “I mean, the bank heist is what they arrested her for right?”

“From what you explained, she has been on the run for many years and has committed crimes all over Equestria. For all I know, she could be anywhere,” the Princess explained.

“Can’t you just ask-” Twilight began.

Foreseeing what Twilight was about to ask, she politely interrupted. “Twilight, the systems put into place are still very new, and as such, they have many problems.” Luna sighed with disappointment before she began to explain the rest. “Unfortunately, communication is one of their biggest faults. They decided that matters such as crime were very sensitive, so they made that information private. You could ask, but you could end up waiting days or weeks for any information to be permitted to be shared.”

Rarity had heard enough. For every step in the right direction, they’d take two steps back. Rarity’s frustration began to manifest itself into heat, melting the snow beneath her hooves. The air started to swirl around her lightly, causing miniature eddies of snow. “I’m tired of this!” She shouted, trying desperately to keep her composure. At the peak of her anger, her mane and tail had appeared to take on a low glow as steam rose from it. She turned to storm off to a place to quietly vent her rage alone, but just before she took the first step, she felt a hoof lightly tap at her shoulder.

“Rarity, I may not be able to help you the way you’d like, but I know what it’s like to lose a sister,” Luna confided. “But all is not lost, at least for you. Your sister is still alive, so there’s still a chance.” The midnight blue Princess turned Rarity around with one hoof until she was face to face with her. She looked down and pulled her hoof up before levitating a small fire ruby to it. “Take this gem, Rarity. I’m sure it’ll serve you better than it could I. Think of it as a good luck charm of sorts.” The gem glowed from a light that resembled an explosion frozen in place emanating from the center of the stone; the obvious sign of an enchantment.

“How could this-”

Luna held a hoof up to Rarity’s lips. “See for yourself,” she stated simply before giving her a wink and turning towards the entrance. “I must take my leave now. I’ve got so much work to catch up on. I will send you a written version of my decree, pardoning Sweetie Bell of all crimes when I complete it. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.” With that, she trotted off back to the castle.

Rarity examined the stone carefully, turning it every angle. No matter what angle she held it at, however, the frozen explosion inside appeared to follow her vision. It was captivating to look at, so much so that she started to get lost in it. As she stared, the world started to become silent. The star at the center started to burn brighter as the explosion seemed to flow away from it at a snail’s pace.

Without warning, her horn burst with a white light, engulfing the entire area with Rarity’s signature gem-finding spell. Only one location started to glow however; the scroll rolled up in the statue right in front of them glowed brightly before revealing a strange sight. It had appeared that there was an engraving within the stone scroll, written mirrored as if it was meant to be read from the outside. The engraving itself was lined with some kind of precious stone, possibly ground up to a dust to fill the space between the thin cuts, allowing them to read it clearly with Rarity’s spell.

‘Twilight Sparkle,’ it read.

She didn’t waste any time at all. Carefully, she reached over the delicate scrolls to the one that was held in the stone mare’s arms. To her surprise, when she touched it, it was evident that the entire scroll was detached from the rest of the statue. She carefully pulled on it, easing it out ever so slowly, cautious not to damage any parts of it or the statue itself. With one final tug, it slipped out, Twilight allowing herself to fall back into the soft snow as she did so. She clutched the scroll in her hooves, savoring the moment. Her entire childhood- no, her entire life, she had dreamed about this moment.

Sitting back up, she carefully lifted the flap on the case, revealing a rolled up and tattered piece of parchment. “This is it!” She repeated over and over in her head.

“Careful, Twilight you wouldn’t want to tear it,” Rarity stated obviously.

Twilight shut her eyes tight as she slowly unraveled the piece of parchment, only to hear a short gasp from next to her. As she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that it was a map.

The second, were the words that read “Everfree City.”

[Chapter 9] Sisters

[Chapter 9] Sisters

The room was dark and gloomy as moisture dripped from the cracks in the stone walls. The only warmth came from a single torch outside of the cell that Sweetie Belle lay in. She was alone, just like she had been most of her life. What difference did it make that she hated her sister now. Nothing had changed. Nothing mattered any more or less than it did only a day ago.

But still, everything mattered, and nothing mattered, but she couldn’t decide what was more debilitating. She couldn’t figure out what part of her had caused her whole body to give up. On one hoof, she had lost her freedom for the rest of her young life, so there was no use in trying anymore. On the other hoof, however, her sister was alive and now there was something worth fighting for.

Sweetie Belle cringed at that thought. “No. She isn’t worth it. She caused all this. She messed up my life. She got me caught!” She slumped over on the pile of hay that clumsily tried to disguise itself as a bed, hiding her face from the warmth of the torch. The thought of letting herself die from the cold crept in as she scooted herself as close as she could to the barred window.

Off in the distance, she could hear the clinking of keys and the clops of a guardspony coming down the hallway. She held her breath, hoping that he’d just pass on by and pay her no mind. All she wanted was to be alone. Unwittingly against her wishes, the guard stopped right in front of her cell.

“You know,” he began, fairly calmly considering what he had been through to catch her. “If you can tell us anything about the other ponies involved with the heist, we could probably forget about the running and lessen your sentence.” He sounded like a young pony; probably only a little older than Sweetie Belle. “You have to forgive my Captain. He can be a bit of a hot head at times.”

“He tied up my sister and used her as bait to catch me. Piss off.” She snapped back to the guard without turning around.

“Well you’ve got a point,” he chuckled rather insensitively. “I guess some ponies are harder to forgive than others. I’m sure your sister probably deserves your forgiveness though. It wasn’t her fault.”

“Don’t act like you know me. Everything was her fault.”

“She really cares about you,” he continued, shifting his tone to a more somber one. “ She begged us to take her instead. Even I felt like what we did was wrong and I’m-,”

“Look, why are you here? If you only came to apologize, you can just shove it up your flank.”

The guard turned around and leaned against back, his armor clanking against the gate. “You know, I too had a sister. I cared for her dearly but then one day, I had to go away for a very long time. It wasn’t anypony’s fault, but it had to happen. She had to endure a lot while I was away and when I finally came back, she was really sick. She tried not to show it, but I could tell that she didn’t have long. I tried everything I could to save her. I spent days, weeks, months trying to find a way and the whole time she begged me to give up and just spend more time with her, but I was too stubborn. We started to fight about it, but I always thought that I was so close to finding an answer. In the end though, there was never anything I could do about it, and she passed away. Ever since then, I blamed myself for not making her final year the best it could be.”

Sweetie Belle sighed aggressively, still facing the wall. “Why are you telling me this. Why do you care what happens to me or my sister.”

“Because, Sweetie Belle, I saw it with my own eyes. Your sister deserves a second chance. Take it out on us. Not her and certainly not yourself either. Your sister needs you just as much as you need her. Besides, you promised your mother you’d be strong, remember?”

Sweetie’s ears perked up. “Wait, what?!”She blurted as she quickly turned around to look at the guard, but there was nopony there. She rushed over to the gate and pushed her head against the bars, trying to get a good view of the hallway, but she couldn’t see anypony. “What just happened? Who was he?”

The warmth from the torch felt good on her face.

Rarity and Twilight sat next to each other on the monorail as they headed back to Ponyville. The ancient map was secured in a holder that Twilight borrowed from the archives, slung over her shoulder. It was a cylindrical container often used to transport important or delicate scrolls, so it seemed like the obvious transport vessel for such an important document.

Rarity was having trouble staying upright. She couldn’t remember the last time she had gotten any sleep. The constant travelling and stress had taken its toll on her. Struggling to stay up, she began to to lean against Twilight’s shoulder.

“Rarity, are you okay?” Twilight asked.

“It’s nothing.” Rarity yawned, extending a hoof over her mouth to hide the faces she was making. “I’m just exhausted is all.”

Twilight lightly pushed Rarity off her shoulder before patting at her own lap, inviting Rarity to use it as a pillow.

Rarity happily obliged, positioning herself to where she could lay down on the seats and then gently resting her head on Twilight’s lap. As she closed her eyes, she felt a hoof begin to stroke her mane. It didn’t take long before her eyelids drooped and she fell fast asleep.

The nurses came in to the piercing tone of the monitors. Two of them quickly tended to the fillies’ mother, calling out a time and shutting off the machines while one tried to lead Rarity and Sweetie Belle out of the room. They protested, flailing against the advance of the nurse who was trying to separate them from their mother. As they wailed, suddenly they heard a gasp as the three nurses bowed in respect.

Taking advantage of the sudden display, the two fillies rushed back over to their mother’s side. To their surprise, the nurses didn’t try to restrain them or hold them back. Instead they proceeded to leave the room with their heads held low. Rarity followed them with her eyes to the door, when she immediately noticed the white alicorn standing in the doorway with a pained expression on her face.

“Rarity and Sweetie Belle,” she announced in a regal but somber tone. “I am Princess Celestia-”

Suddenly, Sweetie Belle rushed over to the Princess and began to pound on her golden, armor-clad hooves. “Why did you take my mommy!” she shouted. “Bring her back! Bring my mommy back!”

Rarity rushed over to restrain the distraught filly, struggling to hold her back from attacking again. “I’m so sorry, Princess,” she began before Celestia held a hoof up to let her know it was alright.

Celestia lowered herself down to Sweetie Belle’s level before taking a deep breath and then letting out a deeper sigh. “Sweetie Belle, there are some things in this world that even I have no power over. When a pony’s time is up, all I can do is hope that they have everything in order before they go.”

“But she was MY mommy!” Sweetie Belle cried, falling to her hooves.

Rarity helped Sweetie Belle back up and held her, allowing her to cry into her chest. “Princess, why did you come here?” She asked flatly.

“Girls, your mother prayed to me last night. She asked me to look after you, and to make sure that you girls are safe. Sadly, I cannot take care of you both, for I have many responsibilities and so little time in each day, but that shouldn’t be a problem, so long as you are up for the task, Rarity.”

“Wha... what do I have to do?” Rarity stuttered.

“Do you believe that you can take care of your sister on your own. It is a big responsibility, taking care of a foal.” Celestia informed.

Looking back at her sister and then back up to her mother, she felt a wave of pride and determination fill her senses. She turned back to Princess Celestia, standing firm as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I am,” she beamed. “I made a promise to my mother that I would, and I intend to keep that promise.”

“Very well.” Princess Celestia nodded as she rose back up on her hooves. “I hereby surrender ownership of this estate from the Bank of Canterlot to you, Rarity. I also decree that your sister, Sweetie Belle, shall be left in your custody and that you be regarded as a legal adult by the laws of Equestria.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said as she bowed before the Princess. “Thank you so much, but what about my mother?”

“I shall see to it that she receives a proper burial,” the alabaster princess confirmed. “Now come with me, we must let the nurses finish their work,” she said as she reached out a hoof to lead the fillies away.

Just before they went with the princess, they both walked over to their mother, saying their last goodbyes and each giving her a kiss on the forehead. With that, they turned to follow Celestia away as the nurses returned. She led them back to their bedroom, taking a moment for them to get situated back on their bed. The antique clock against the wall had stopped ticking, making their breathing the only sound in the room.

Celestia sat at the foot of the bed with Rarity and Sweetie Belle, watching them hold each other with a certain expression on her face like she was yearning for something. She pursed her lips before she began to speak. “Girls. I want you to know a secret about me that not many ponies know.” She began. “Did you girls know that I too, have a sister?” She stated as she waited for a reaction.

Both of the fillies looked at the Princess in surprise. “You... you do?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yes, it’s true. She’s my younger sister, just like you are to Rarity, dear. I love her very much.”

“Where is she now?” Rarity inquired.

“She’s in a distant place. You see, a long time ago, she had to go away. I was very sad but I knew one day, she would come back. But even though she’s been gone for so long, I know that she still loves me and misses me too. You see, there is a magic that sisters share, something that never goes away no matter the time or distance. The nature of this magic is very powerful, since my sister is so precious to me, just as you are to each other. I know she can feel my love because I can feel hers, even though she’s so far away.” Princess Celestia looked out towards the moon that was still setting beyond the horizon before turning back to the fillies. “I know that I will see my sister very soon, because I can feel that magic getting stronger. If you should ever find yourselves apart from each other, this magic can help you find your way back.” She turned towards Rarity, gazing deep into her eyes. “Your sister is the most precious part of your life, Rarity. You have a talent for finding precious things.”

-----

The train came to a full stop, jerking slightly and waking Rarity from her slumber. Twilight began to shake her gently as she leaned over to check if she was awake. “Rarity, we’re here.”

Rarity slowly rose, slightly delirious but strangely at peace despite the nature of her dream. Twilight had already gathered up her belongings, waiting for Rarity to get ready before they moved into the crowded aisle. Rarity quickly came to her senses and picked up her stuff and together, they maneuvered their way to the exit.

The outside was more crowded than usual this time around. Twilight found it difficult to maneuver her way through the crowds towards the lobby, but eventually they found the flow of traffic and made it off the platforms.

Directly ahead of them, however, a familiar light-blue unicorn with a wavy dark blue and white streaked mane stopped in her tracks, spotting Twilight instantly.

“Oh... My... Luna!” She gawked as she skipped over to the two unicorns. “Twilight, I can’t believe you’re here! What a funny coincidence,” she sang.

“Yes, I guess it is an interesting coincidence, Nova. Why are you way out in Ponyville?” Twilight questioned, suspicious of this encounter.

“Oh... you know... stuff. For the observatory I mean,” she responded with shifting eyes.

A very vague answer.

“Ponyville has a part I need for the telescope, so I have to go get it,” she continued. A more believable answer, but Twilight was still suspicious that somepony would send a teenage mare out that far, unaccompanied. “So, who’s your friend?” She asked, gesturing towards Rarity.

“That’s quite funny. I was about to ask Twilight the same thing,” she teased, poking Twilight playfully. “My name is Rarity,” she said, extending her hoof to shake Nova’s. “I take it you’re Nova?”

She took Rarity’s hoof and shook it politely. “Yes. Nova Shine. I met Twilight back in Canterlot not too long ago. I must say, I’m pretty lucky to run into my idol twice already.”

Twilight started to get a little impatient with the young mare. “Nova, do your parents always let you out this far from home on your own?” Twilight asked, blatantly insinuating that Nova shouldn’t be here, at least on her own.

“Oh... yeah... About that... See my parents said I could go get the part on my own,” she mumbled, sweating bullets. “Lets just say that they are blissfully unaware of where I had to go to get it.”

“Nova, go home.” Twilight interrupted, much to the shock of Rarity.

Nova stepped back in surprise. “Oh no... Did I say something wrong?” She thought worriedly.

Twilight was suspicious of the mare’s sudden appearance. She knew that Nova was a huge fan of hers, and even though she wasn’t sure of how much had changed in the years, she was almost positive that Ponyville didn’t have any shops that would have stuff that Canterlot wouldn’t. To put it bluntly, she was suspicious that Nova was stalking her. But that wasn’t what bothered her the most. What worried her was that Nova was wandering into territory that even Twilight wasn’t sure of the safety of. This world was dangerous and Twilight had a feeling that things were about to get worse. If Nova kept following them, she could end up getting hurt. Twilight was worried about this young mare, and her fears gave her a feeling of responsibility over Nova.

“Nova, we are about to go somewhere that I don’t know anything about. This place could turn out to be really dangerous, and not just for me, but for all the ponies of Equestria. The truth is, I just don’t know. I can’t allow you follow us there, so I suggest you go home to your family, where it’s safe.”

“Follow?” Nova asked nervously. “But I wasn’t-”

“Nova, please. Can you do this for me?” Twilight pleaded, looking straight into the mare’s aqua eyes. “Can you go home where it’s safe? When this is all over, maybe then we can spend some time to get to know each other better.”

The powder blue mare sighed, looking down at her hooves. “Alright Twilight. I’ll hold you to it.”

“Thank you,” Twilight responded in relief.

As they watched the mare trot off towards the platforms, Rarity nudged Twilight in the ribs to get her attention. “Twilight, what was that all about?” She whispered.

“I don’t know. I’ve just got a bad feeling about all this and I don’t want her to end up getting hurt.” After a moment, Twilight turned to continue back to the Library to prepare for their journey ahead. “C’mon, Rarity. Lets go.”

With a nod, Rarity followed Twilight towards the exit.

Just before they passed the doors, Nova looked back, noticing that they weren’t looking. She quickly changed direction, darting into the crowds.

Twilight looked back one more time, just to make sure that Nova was gone, but even though she didn’t see her anymore, she felt a chill run down her spine.

“So you were right all along!” Spike shouted with glee as he carefully examined the map.

Twilight nodded happily as she continued to load supplies into her saddle bags, checking off things from a list as she did so. “I can’t believe the legends were true. Custos Scientia really was guarding something important. Not only that, if you look at the Northeast corner of the map, you can see that the city has an archive as well. I think that this is the clue I’ve been looking for.”

Spike chuckled as he continued to inspect the map. “Alright, I think I’ve devised a system of coordinates to help you find this place. We know that the only feature left in Everfree is the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters, which is here,” he said poking the map where a grand castle was depicted. “We’ll use the entrance of the castle as coordinate zero, zero. Now the archive is north and west of this structure right here. Thats about .8 minutes of longitude west and .45 minutes of latitude north.” Spike continued to ramble on as Rarity watched intently at his precise calculations.

“Twilight, are you sure that this place is even there anymore?" Rarity asked. "I mean, we’ve flown over and been through this area and we’ve never seen anything.”

Twilight stopped what she was doing for a second to think. “Well,” she began as she tapped a hoof to her chin. “If we can relate anything to archives we have today, the really secure ones are either really high up, or really far underground. Maybe if we are lucky, Princess Celestia chose to put this one underground.” Twilight stopped thinking for a moment, noticing that Rarity wasn’t packing anything. “Rarity, why aren’t you preparing? We might encounter many things and I want to be sure we are prepared for anything.”

“I’m not coming,” she announced.

“But why? Luna gave you the stone that helped you find the map.”

“Twilight, I think that the stone was only supposed to be a clue for me,” Rarity suggested. “Celestia left you the scroll, remember.”

Twilight was still confused. She was worried that she would really need Rarity’s help for this, or that something may go wrong and she would need Rarity’s magic to help them escape.

“Twilight, I had a dream on the train,” Rarity began to recount. “Well, it was more like a memory. It was about my mother. Back when she passed away, Princess Celestia came to us to try and help us out. She told me something that I wish I had remembered from the start. She told me about the bond that sisters share, but more importantly, she told me that Sweetie Belle is precious to me and that I possess a talent for finding precious things.”

Twilight was still confused. She looked over to Spike who had stopped writing and now wore a dumbfounded look on his face. He looked back over to Twilight and shrugged.

“Twilight, I think she meant that my gem finding spell can help me find my sister. After all, she is the most precious thing to me, more precious than any stone could ever be.” Rarity moved over to Twilight and gripped her by her shoulders. “Luna said that the stone would help me, and I think it did. I think it gave me that dream. Will you please allow me to find out if I’m right about this?”

Twilight smiled, nuzzling Rarity’s hoof with her cheek. “Of course Rarity. You don’t need to ask me for permission. Just promise me that you’ll stay safe.”

“Only if you do the same,” Rarity said, giving Twilight a hug.

“Alright, Rarity. I promise,” Twilight agreed.

Turning back to her now full bag, she lifted it up and threw it over her back. “Alright everybody. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be!” She announced triumphantly.

Twilight travelled down the path that she and her friends took so many years ago in their quest to discover the elements, or rather, themselves. The path had changed, overgrown and unkempt through the passing of time, but Twilight could still feel the magic that they all shared that still lingered, even after all these years. The memories of the challenges they faced circled in her mind as she walked down the winding path that led to the bottom of the cliff face, cautiously passing a large section that had broken off down into the slope. Twilight peered over the edge, gawking at the height of the slope. She may not have realised it at the time, but if she hadn’t caught that ledge or Applejack hadn’t come down to hold her up, she would have ended up as a permanent indentation on the ground below. With a deep gulp, she pressed onwards, snaking her way down the winding path to the canyon below.

She pressed onwards, coming up to a dark thicket. Twilight pushed her way through the brush only to stop in the center of a clearing. All around her were the same crooked trees that, while she admitted was pretty foalish, had frightened her and her friends. The once burgundy trees were now a grayish brown, having dried out in the long blizzard. However, the area still gave her the creeps. She had her friends to back her up last time they were there, but giggling all by herself didn’t feel as comforting as it did awkward. What she wouldn’t give to hear one of Pinkie’s cheerful songs right about now. “Giggle at the ghostly...” she very quietly and worriedly sang to herself as she crept on.

After crossing a shallow creek she came to a point in the overgrowth where it completely cut off. If it hadn’t been for her cautiousness, she wouldn’t have noticed the edge of the cliff that dropped down to the sharp rocks below. Up ahead she could see a silhouette of the old, broken castle. Unsurprisingly, the rickety rope bridge they had used so long ago was out, but for Twilight, that wouldn’t be an issue. Sitting down in a clear patch of land, she pulled out the map and laid it on a clipboard along with a thin sheet of wax paper with a few markings on it. She carefully laid it on top of the map, aligning the points drawn on the paper with the key points on the map.

“Alright, if I set this point as the center,” she began, taking a mental measurement of the distance between her and the castle entrance. Taking the quill in her mouth she began to carefully mark the point. “I haven’t done this in forever. This is harder than I remember.” Of all the things that Twilight could do, mouthwriting wasn’t her strong suit. This was clear by the clumsy markings left all over the paper. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly rolled up the map and stored it away before continuing on.

Rarity took a moment to calm her frustrations. She had been attempting and performing her gem finding spell since Twilight left, with no luck. Spike took the time to research Equestrian prisons, but there wasn’t much around the library to go on. Rarity plopped down on Spike’s lap, exhausted, but desperate for his sympathy.

He took a handkerchief and dabbed at the sweat around her forehead. “I’m sorry, Rare. I don’t think there’s anything here about prisons,” Spike sighed. “Not many ponies want to write books about the subject.”

“It’s quite alright, Spike,” she cooed. “You tried your best and that is all I could ask for.”

Spike thought for a moment, scratching his chin. “Maybe we’ve been going about this the wrong way,” Spike suggested.

Rarity stood back up, curious of Spike’s new revelation. “What ever do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, maybe you’re just trying too hard. You said that the bond sisters share is a connection that never goes away, right?”

Rarity nodded.

“Then maybe you are already feeling it. It’s just been so constant that you tuned it out.” Spike fished around the pile of books for one that he had found in their previous search. “Aha!” he cheered as he pulled a pastel blue book up, dusting it off before handing it over to Rarity.

Rarity looked inquisitively at the book and then unamused back over at the purple dragon. “Spike... this book is for foals,” she criticized. “What could this book possibly have to help me out?”

“Just read it.”

Rarity lowered the book, instantly recognizing the title from her childhood.

‘Learning Magic’

“I have...” she mumbled under her breath.

She opened up the book and cleared her throat in a sarcastic tone as she began to read the book out loud, mockingly. ‘So, are you trying to learn magic? Well then, do we have a few tips for you!” She turned the book around to show Spike the pictures of two fillies struggling to produce tiny sparks from their horns, imitating a preschool teacher reading to her students.

Spike was getting impatient, crossing his arms in contempt.

Rarity continued on. “Sometimes, if you want something hard enough, you have to think really hard about it.” The pages showed a foal with a thought bubble filled with a few cliched desires of children. She turned the page and continued. “Well magic works the same way. If we want something clearly enough, we can make it happen.”

“Let’s try a spell that every unicorn will use every day of their life. Levitation!”

Spike interrupted her for a moment. “Go ahead and try it, but instead think about your gem spell.”

Rarity sighed. ‘Focus on an object, something small like your sister.
Now close your eyes and clear your mind of everything except your sister.’

Rarity pulled out the photograph she found in her sister’s cottage, seeing Sweetie Belle’s beaming smile once again. ‘And think really hard about how much you want your sister back.’ She closed her eyes for a moment, squeezing out a tear and letting it roll down her cheek.

“Now open your eyes.”

Rarity’s eyes fluttered opened to see darkness all around her. Ahead of her appeared a figure, small at first but then it grew to the size of a young mare. She was curled up into a ball, crying. The mare was almost unfamiliar, but she instantly recognized her as Sweetie Belle. Rarity tried to run towards her but, but the vision stayed in its place ahead of her.

Sweetie Belle turned her head to look directly at Rarity. “Don’t cry big sister,” she said in an ethereal voice that echoed throughout the vision. She walked towards Rarity and smiled gently. She came so close that Rarity could swear she could even smell her scent; lilac was always Sweetie’s favorite.

Rarity attempted to reach out and hold her, but right before she could, Sweetie Belle moved to her side and whispered into Rarity’s ear. “I want to show you something.” Sweetie Belle’s horn began to glow before she suddenly shot back into the horizon while the world built itself around her sister, almost as if Rarity had been thrown up into the sky at lightning speed. In no time at all, she could see all of Equestria, and then the whole world, until it shrunk down in the horizon to a single point before disappearing completely. Then once again, Rarity was alone in the black void. She curled up into a ball and began to sob silently.

She suddenly felt a figure grab hold of her and shake her gently. She turned to see Spike shouting something but she could only hear ringing in her ears. With one last shake, the library around her returned and the ringing slowly faded away.

“Rarity! Are you alright?” Spike shouted.

She looked around, identifying the library and then noticing steam rising from her horn before looking back at Spike. She quickly threw herself against the surprised dragon, embracing him tightly. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” She cried with tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

“What happened?!” Spike exclaimed, in shock with the unicorn’s strange behavior.

“I know where she is. I found Sweetie Belle!”

Twilight found herself at a large clearing right around where the map had told her to go. The trees all around grew in an unnatural pattern, stemming from the ground but then rising up and fanning out in all directions, almost completely obscuring the sky. The ground all around was made of some type of stone, laid out like a foundation of sort but entirely coated with moss. It was almost pitch black, save for the single ray of light that poked through the center of the tree ceiling. Small flakes of snow floated down through the hole, refracting the light as they fluttered down gently into a small pile on in the center.

This area was completely quiet. Even her breathing made no sound as she treaded lightly towards the center. The sound of her hooves against the stone floor echoed around the clearing as if she was walking through a grand hallway. Underneath her hooves, she felt strange bumps, like the ground wasn’t entirely even. She began to wipe at the moss on the ground revealing engravings that appeared to be an ancient language, or at least, one that Twilight didn’t recognize. Even though she longed to stop and study the markings, making a catalogue of every engraving she found, she knew that she had something more important to do.

Something seemed to be calling her to the center, almost like a voice. Little did she know, every step she took farther in, the markings that she passed would light up and then fade away. She paused for a moment right before she reached the center, looking up through the small hole in the ceiling and then back to the darkness that she came from. With nowhere left to go, she took one last step.

Almost immediately, the ground directly beneath her hooves sunk an inch with a loud clunking noise. All around her, the markings in the ground began to light up in a brilliant azure light through the moss, spreading along the floor like water through the cracks. The scene was brilliantly frightening, causing Twilight to step back. Once the whole room was illuminated, the lights slowly faded to black before she felt a rumbling beneath the ground. In the center, the pile of snow began to sink down into the ground like sands in an hourglass before the ground around began to sink in semi-cirles around the center about a yard wide, forming steps that led downwards. The noise was deafening, causing Twilight began to pace backwards in fear, cautious that the ground would suddenly cave in and she’d fall into an infinite abyss. Down in the center however, the path created revealed a doorway, lit with the same blue light flowing through etchings in the walls. Once the door was completely revealed, the ground stopped trembling, almost as quickly as it had started.

With extreme caution, Twilight began to wander down the steps into the doorway. The tunnel seemed to stretch on for miles, possibly an illusion created by the pulsing of the lights along the walls. She began to walk, not sure if she was even getting anywhere at all. However, before she started to get second thoughts, the lights suddenly converged into a small ring no bigger than a broom handle or more likely, a horn. “A magical lock?” Twilight thought in disappointment. She wasn’t sure if she could even attempt to use magic to try and break the lock, or if the lock would even break for her. Twilight sat down, defeated. She had come all this way, only to be stopped by this simple device.

“No!” She thought as she looked back up to the hole. “I DID come all this way. I faced every challenge that fate threw at me. I will not be defeated so easily! I am the Element of Magic! I AM TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Twilight threw her head down and forced her horn into the hole, focusing as hard as she could to come up with any spell she could think of. Almost immediately, she felt the pain return, but still she powered on. Thoughts of her friends swarmed her head. She was concerned for each one of them. Their futures were resting on her shoulders and it was her duty to see this through to the end. With one final push, Twilight felt the spark; the same spark that revealed to her the power of friendship. Twilight’s horn lit up drawing the lights from the hallway into the ring around the hole. Once the last ray of light flowed into the ring, she heard a loud ‘clunk.’

The door opened up, splitting the hole right down the middle and releasing her horn from its constraint. Across the other side of the doorway was pitch blackness. With gusto, she marched forward, holding one hoof in front of her to prevent herself from running into a wall. She looked back to observe her progress in comparison to the light from the tunnel, but almost instantly as she turned her head, the wall closed up with a loud ‘thunk.’

Before Twilight had a moment to panic, the walls and ground lit up with the same markings as before, lighting up the room around her. The walls and floor were made of a material that was utterly alien in nature. It shined like glass, but it was a dark blue in color and only slightly transparent like cloudy water. However, when Twilight took a step, it felt and sounded like metal. The lights seemed to float around the walls and sometimes skipped off of them at random intervals. From this, Twilight could get a good sense of the size of the room, being no bigger than the base of her tree home. More importantly, by the way the lights acted, she could tell that the light was actually free-flowing magic, probably left over from an ancient, unactivated spell.

Knowing this, Twilight scanned the room for a trigger point like a pressure plate or a totem, one that would further activate the enchantment from its paused state. In the center of the room was a short circular platform, inconspicuous in nature, but being the only feature in the room, the most logical place to start her investigation.

She proceeded forward, but right before she reached the platform, the lights flowed from the walls into the floors and then around the platform. It slowly began to rise from the ground revealing a large diamond encased in the center of the tall column. As soon as the column reached the the top of its ascent. The lights began to flow up into the diamond which began to shine as brilliantly as the sun, causing Twilight to avert her eyes and shield herself with her hoof.

As the light slowly receded back into the gem, Twilight slowly looked back to see just what had happened. What she saw next caused her to literally scream out of shock. Standing before her was a cream white being with a long, flowing, pastel colored mane. Her whole body had appeared to be glowing with arcane light. Atop her head was a long horn. The figure took a step forward and flared her wings in the presence of Twilight. However, she didn’t make a single noise whatsoever as she did so, not even from her hooves making contact with the floor.

It took Twilight a moment to regain her composure before she could formulate the words to say. With tears in her eyes, she gazed at the regal alicorn standing before her.

“P...P...Princess Celestia?!”

[Chapter 10] Magic

[Chapter 10] Magic

The air around Twilight was as still as could be as she gawked at the glowing regal figure standing before her. She struggled against the pressure in her head as she tried to prevent herself from fainting. “Princess?” She muttered out once more.

The figure seemed to freeze for a moment as it stared down at Twilight. After a couple of seconds, she folded her wings down to her sides and relaxed her body. “You must be the Element of Magic,” the alicorn assumed. “I have waited a long time for your arrival. Sadly, I must disappoint you, as I am not your Princess. I am merely an imprint of a select part of her mind.” The figure returned to an idle position as she appeared to wait for Twilight’s response.

Twilight relaxed her shoulders and slumped over, disappointed. She looked around the room, which was completely dark by now. None of the light emitted by the alicorn nor the diamond seemed to reflect off the walls, almost as if there were none there. Turning her attention back to the diamond, she noticed that it appeared to have a few rays of yellow light that connected with the alicorn. “Well, if you are not Princess Celestia, then who are you? What are you? I have so many questions but the more I find out, the less I seem to know!”

“I am not and have not ever been amongst the living, therefore I have no name,” she continued. “What I am is a magic spell, cast by the Princess of the Sun to hold a secret for the duration of my existence. Should the Element of Magic herself request said secret, I am obliged to present it.”

This doppelganger looked, talked, and even sounded like the Princess. Twilight inspected her carefully, walking around to view her from different angles. All the while, the figure never took her eyes off of her. Twilight walked up to the her and moved her hoof to attempt to touch her, but her hoof never made contact with anything. It simply passed through the alicorn as the light appeared to distort like ripples in water. “Well then...” Twilight paused for a moment, considering how to address the image. “May I call you Celestia?”

The figure nodded.

“Well then, Celestia, can you tell me the secret?” Twilight requested.

“I’m sorry, Element of Magic, but I do not recognize this question. You must ask another question.”

“Well, she either has pre-assigned responses or a limited amount of them,” Twilight thought. “This... is not going to be easy.” Twilight took a moment to think before coming up with a plan. “Well if I can’t just force the information out, I’ll just have to ask things that I want to know and hope that she has an answer for them.” She looked back up to Celestia and cleared her throat. “Why did Princess Celestia bring me here?”

The alicorn paused for a moment once again, but came up with a perplexed look on her face. “I’m sorry, I have two answers for that question. Could you please be more specific?”

Twilight sighed in exasperation. “Why did I have to come here to find out what Princess Celestia’s secret was? Why couldn’t she just tell Princess Luna or even leave me a message?”

The alicorn responded immediately this time. “The information I hold is too valuable to be written down, and while Princess Luna would already know anything I have to tell you, she could not know what information Princess Celestia has left for you since she would be able to act on it and interfere with Princess Celestia’s plans.”

“Plans? What plans?” Twilight asked, perplexed.

“I’m sorry, Element of Magic, but I do not-”

“Alright, alright! I get it,” Twilight interrupted “Well then, why did Princess Celestia leave Luna to tell me that she was 4000 years old?”

The hologram closed her eyes as lights began to flow from the diamond back into the walls of the room. “Element of Magic, there was a time when the Princess wasn’t a Princess, or even an alicorn at all,” the hologram responded, motioning with her hoof for Twilight to turn around.

Twilight looked back to see a young white unicorn filly with a wavy pink mane playing in a field of daisies with another unicorn; dark blue with a light blue mane.

The alicorn walked up beside Twilight as she began to explain. “Yes, over 4000 years ago, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were born as unicorns, just like you.” The world around the filly suddenly began to crumble before reassembling itself into a library. The filly began to study intensely while periodically stopping to practice spells from a book. “She and her sister both showed an exceptional talent for magic.” The image of the filly grew into a teenager who was performing spells that even Twilight found to be rather difficult. A regal alicorn suddenly came in through the doorway and began to address the fillies. He was clad in platinum armor over his crimson coat. His mane flowed much like the Princesses’ but it was golden like the rays of the sun. “Prince Sol took notice of her skills and took her under his wing.” The images played out in front of her showing Celestia growing as she studied book after book and honed her skills.

"But everything changed as an impending disaster loomed on the horizon.”

“Dear sister! Princess Selene requested our presence for something important.” Celestia ran in brandishing a scroll stamped with a royal insignia on it.

Luna looked up from her book to see Celestia impatiently waiting for her to get up. “What is the matter? Is something amiss?” She asked, noticing the fear in her sister’s eyes.

“She said it was important and that we see her immediately,” Celestia panicked.

With a quick nod, Luna reached out her hoof, touching Celestia’s shoulder before focusing her magic. With a quick flash, she and Celestia teleported to the Throne room of the Prince and Princess.

The two unicorns bowed before the two alicorns in reverence before rising to await the news from them. Princess Selene rose up from her throne to address them. She was not wearing her usual golden crown and accessories, leaving her smoky white mane free to flow and her light gray coat completely exposed. “Young fillies,” she choked. “We requested your presence bearing grim news.”

Prince Sol stayed seated at his throne announcing in a passive voice. “You are both familiar with the spot in the sky that dares block part of it day in and day out, are you not?”

Both mares nodded.

“Our astrologers assigned to researching this anomaly have discovered that it is approaching us very rapidly,” he continued.

“It will impact Equestria in a little over one day.” Princess Selene interjected, sensing the Prince’s struggle with presenting the bad news. “Sadly, it will impact our fair land with such force that nothing could possibly survive.”

The two mares stepped back, awestruck at this devastating revelation. They quickly embraced each other before turning back to the royal alicorns again. “What do you want us to do?” They offered pensively.

“Go home.” Princess Selene solemnly answered.

The two mares were surprised by her order. Looking first at each other and then back to the royals. “Surely you can’t be serious!” Celestia scoffed. “Isn’t there anything we can do? What about the elements? Can’t you use them against this threat. I’m sure their power-”

The Princess held up her hoof to stop Celestia’s incessant suggestions. “The elements cannot be of use without the Elements of Magic. Sadly, the Elements of Harmony, as well as the Elements of Chaos are both without.” She swept down to hold the mares, joined shortly by the Prince. “We have squandered your entire childhood training you for a future that you may never have. We cannot ask anything more from you.”

“Go home and spend the rest of the time you have left with your friends and family.” Prince Sol choked, stifling his tears.

The two mares returned to their home in the small village of Canterlot at the base of a steep mountain. The town had been going about their daily business, unaware of their impending doom. The Prince and Princess had decided that it would be best to keep the grim news a secret in order to prevent riots and general chaos.

A light brown unicorn stallion was outside tending to a small crop of potatoes when he noticed the two mares on the horizon. He wiped the sweat from his brow and then brushed his dark gray mane from his face before whistling for his wife to come out. With a smile, he waved to Celestia and Luna as he leaned on his gardening tool. “Welcome home girls!” He called out.

“What is all the ruckus about?” The mare questioned as she wandered out of the cottage. Upon adjusting her glasses, she noticed her daughters approaching. With a gleeful yelp, she galloped towards them.

The two unicorns held their hooves up to catch their mother, forcing out the best smile they could muster, given the circumstances. When they met, they held her as tight as they could, resting their heads on each side of her shoulders.

Their father noticed immediately when their charade dropped. “Girls, what troubles you?” He asked as he began to approach them with worry in his golden eyes.

Their mother broke the hug to examine her daughters’ faces more closely. Sure enough, she noticed the worry in their eyes.

“It’s...” Luna began, struggling to come up with an easy way to tell them.

“It’s just that we must prepare a grand feast for the Prince and Princess by this afternoon, and we are not sure if we can complete the task by sundown,” Celestia finished. She was always better with her words and plans. She always had a solution for everything.

Luna looked back to the alabaster unicorn with confusion painted on her face. “But dear sister, what of-” she began before being nudged in the ribs by her sister.

“Everypony has been granted invitation, but we were hoping that the village would assist us in preparation as well. It would be magnificent if everypony would join us in this grand event.” After her last sentence, she turned towards Luna, winking subtly before turning her attention back to her parents.

With a brief pause, the two ponies smiled back at Celestia and Luna. “We’d love to help out.”

The two sisters both split up to prepare for the evening’s festivities. Luna had taken the task to write a letter to the Prince and Princess, explaining the situation and requesting that they join them for the feast. After, she decided to gather her rather questionable friends. Celestia couldn’t understand why Luna chose to hang out with such an unruly bunch, but she seemed to be able to bring them all together rather harmoniously. Regardless, Celestia had to come up with a way to round up all her friends as well.

Her first stop was down by the bakery. Surprise was an exquisite baker and an even more talented party planner. If anypony could make this event the best night of their lives, it was her.

Celestia walked up to the counter and rang the small silver bell that rested on top. In no time at all, a white pegasus with a bright blonde mane came skipping out.

“Hello, is there anything I can help-” she said before noticing Celestia waiting at the counter. “Celestia! When did you return?!” She gleefully exclaimed, maneuvering her way around the counter to give her a hug.

“It’s good to see you again, Surprise.” Celestia tried her best to return the beaming smile that her friend wore. “I’d love to catch up on everything, but we have much to prepare for tonight. I’ve come to request your assistance in setting up a lavish feast for the Prince and Princess.” Celestia specifically chose to visit Surprise first, not only because she needed her party planning skills, but because Surprise was probably the most attentive pony in all of Canterlot. Surely, if she had visited the others first, the emotional toll would have become more obvious on her face.

Unfortunately for Celestia, Surprise was more attentive than she had imagined. “What is the matter, Celestia?” The once bubbly pegasus asked, almost as if she could feel the emotions coming off of her. “Does something trouble you?”

“It’s nothing.” Celestia lied. “I’m just worried that we may not be able to finish everything in time.” She shifted her eyes around, trying to avoid eye contact with the white pegasus until she noticed something strange. “Surprise, is there something wrong with your tail?”

Surprise sat back, grabbing her tail to hold it still in her arms. “I don’t know. It’s been twitching all day. It kind of tickles,” she giggled. “Hey wait a second. Don’t try to change the subject on me! I can tell something’s bothering you and I won’t rest until I see you smile!”

“Thank you, but I really don’t have much time to waste-”

“Helping a friend when she’s down is never a waste of time!” Surprise insisted. “You know you can always-”

“We are all going to die!” Celestia hissed, trying her best to keep her voice down. She took a deep breath to regain her composure before beginning to explain. Surprise was in shock. She only shook her head in disbelief. “A cataclysmic event is to befall Equestria tomorrow. I just want everypony to be together one last time before we meet our end.” Celestia winced as she expected an outburst of terror or sadness to come from the pegasus.

*Snort*

Surprise couldn’t hold it in anymore. She began to giggle wildly as she rolled around on the floor of the bakery.

Celestia was appalled at the display. “What is the matter with you!” She bellowed.

“Oh, Celestia! Don’t you see?” Surprise wheezed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “You are so worked up over this, yet you’ve already got the best plan laid out!”

“I... I don’t believe I follow.”

“Well, you and I both know that we can’t choose when we have to go,” Surprise explained. “But being together with all our friends and family on our last day; well, that doesn’t seem like such a bad way to go.”

Celestia put a hoof up to her chin in thought. “Heh... I guess if you put it that way,” she said, easing out a little smile, just enough to send Surprise’s heart soaring.

She ducked down out of sight and popped up behind the counter with a chef’s hat on and a mixing bowl in her hooves. “Well, time is wasting. It’s time to get baking!”

Celestia walked on down the street to the town’s kitchen. It wasn’t often that they couldn’t find Brilliant Ember inside. Her cooking skills were impeccable. Even with the limited variety of crops they grew in their quaint little village, she was still able to cook meals that rivaled Everfree City’s cuisine from the Prince and Princess’s personal chefs.

Following closely behind the uniqueness of her talent, however, was her beauty. Her coat always shone brilliantly; not an easy task considering its color resembled ash. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds and her expertly styled mane was toned with a deep shade of crimson. Needless to say, between her skills and her beauty, she was a fairly popular mare.

Celestia entered the kitchen, but to her surprise, instead, there was a cyan pegasus with a rose colored bow in her violet mane carefully chopping some fresh carrots. Noticing her guest, she looked up and gave her a radiant smile before rushing over to Celestia for a hug.

“Featherlight!” Celestia beamed. “It is a pleasant surprise to see you here.”

Featherlight skipped playfully around the unicorn, flapping her wings in excitement before stopping in front of Celestia. Still smiling, she methodically began to make a few gestures with her hooves.

“Luna and I have returned to host a feast for the Prince and Princess here in our little village,” Celestia responded. “I did intend to find you after, but I actually came here specifically to see Ember about the meal preparation. Have you seen her?”

The mare nodded and pointed to the back door but before Celestia had a chance to go investigate, Featherlight held a hoof up to her lips and gave a silent “Shhh.”

Both mares quietly trotted up to the door, cracking it slightly to get peek at what Ember was doing, Celestia standing up straight and Featherlight poking her head between Celestia’s legs to get a peek. Outside, they could see Ember, but just past their field of vision, a gruff stallion could be heard talking.

“I insist,” the gruff stallion spoke. Celestia could swear that she knew the voice from somewhere. “Never before have I laid eyes on a mare as beautiful as yourself. I would be honored if you were to join me for this evening’s gala.”

“Why... this is so sudden.” Ember put her hoof up to her mouth to hide her blush.

Celestia pressed her face harder against the door. “Oh no. She’s going to say yes. This isn’t good...” As she leaned into the door to try to get a better look, the hinges made an audible squeak. Ember turned quickly to investigate the noise, startling Celestia back. Unfortunately, Featherlight still had her head between her legs, causing her to stumble as she tried to back up. Their bodies twisted trying to regain balance until they finally came crashing right through the door and landing in front of the two startled ponies.

Celestia looked up to see Ember’s eyes sparkle with glee. The other pony; one she recognized as a Colonel in the Royal Equestrian Army, did not look too pleased with this interruption.

“Miss Celestia,” he sneered. “To what pleasure do I owe this blatant intrusion of our privacy?”

The alabaster unicorn quickly hopped up to her hooves, dusting herself off nervously. Before she had a chance to respond, she was sent tumbling back to the ground as Ember tackled her in an embrace.

“Tia! You’re back!” she laughed. “When did you arrive?

Celestia's face contorted as she lay underneath the gray mare. “Can’t... breathe!” She stuttered jokingly.

Unsure if she was being serious, Ember jumped back, helping Celestia up to her hooves. “I’m so sorry. I must have gotten quite carried away.” She turned quickly to face the Colonel. “My apologies, but might I have a moment with my friend?” She asked politely.

“Of course, m’lady,” With a slight hint of disdain, he bowed before heading back into the kitchen, followed shortly by Featherlight, who had realized that she needed to tend to the food.

They watched as he left, brooding to himself. “You two know each other?” Ember asked.

“Why, yes. I’ve seen him around Everfree City. Let us just say that he isn’t too fond of my pranks.” Celestia chuckled, before getting a little more serious. “You... well you wouldn’t happen to be planning on going with him tonight would you?”

“Well, I suppose I have been considering it,” she suggested. When she looked at Celestia’s face, she could tell that even though she was trying really hard to hide it through her smile, she was disappointed. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh it’s nothing,” Celestia lied through her smile. “I just want you to have the best night of your life.”

Ember gave her a firm nod before they made their way back into the kitchen. Inside they could hear the beautiful melodies of Featherlight’s whistling ringing throughout the room. She was a very talented whistler and it was a skill that perfectly complimented her talent for bird keeping.

Standing at the counter was the Colonel, completely entranced by the sanguine melodies, at least until he noticed the beautiful mare trotting over to him. “M’lady! I hope you have considered my offer.”

She looked at Celestia who waved a hoof pressuring her to go ahead. “Colonel Ivory, it would be a pleasure to join you for tonight’s gala,” she began. “But I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline.” She waited for the unmistakeable gasp that she’d heard from the so many eligible stallions that she had regected in the past. Surprisingly however, she heard two gasps; one from the Colonel, and one from Celestia.

“M’lady, I implore you to reconsider.”

“My apologies, but I have made up my mind already.” Ember’s words seemed to come out naturally, rightfully so seeing as she had become accustomed to this. “You see, Celestia is one of my best friends and I rarely get a chance to see her, as you might already know. Please understand, under any other circumstances, I would have accepted without question.” The line almost sounded rehearsed.

Celestia glanced over at her shrugging in confusion. “I don’t want you to decline just for me. I want you to have the best night of your life,” she whispered.

“I know, and I could not imagine a better evening than to be together with all our friends,” she responded in the same hushed tone.

“I understand,” he calmly answered. He quickly shifted his attention over to Featherlight who was still diligently preparing meals for the ponies that continuously came and went. “Mademoiselle,” he called out to get her attention.

She looked back at him, pointing a hoof at herself and mouthing the word, “Me?”

“Yes. You have an impeccable talent. I happen to be short on entertainment for the gala and I was wondering if you would be interested in showcasing your lovely talent.” He could tell that she wasn’t avidly considering it and he was becoming increasingly desperate not to be rejected twice in one day. “You will be paid handsomely for your performance. Take whatever salary you make here and double it!”

She shyly shook her hooves and smiled, trying her best to respectfully decline the offer. She wasn’t interested in the money. In fact, she didn’t even work at the Cafe, but was volunteering her time to help out with the rush since Ember was short on help today.

The Colonel had become frustrated at this point. “Are you not even going to show me a little respect and give me a solid answer?” He asked.

Featherlight’s expression quickly changed to sadness as she backed away ashamed. Both Celestia and Ember positioned themselves in between the stallion and their friend, stern expressions painted on their faces.

Celestia was the first to speak up. “She gave you a very clear answer. I suggest that you learn to accept no for an answer.” It was a very bold response to somepony who could be considered her superior considering they both served the Prince and Princess.

“I don’t think the lass needs you to defend her,” he retorted, butting heads with the pink maned unicorn. “She’s very capable of speaking for herself.”

Celestia snorted aggressively at the rude assumption. “That would be very hard considering she cannot speak.”

The Colonel backed up in surprise at his sudden realization as Celestia’s expression quickly changed to a smirk. “Ember, what say we start with the main course?”

Ember nodded with a coy smile as she understood very well what her friend was implying. She closed her eyes as her horn began to glow with an orange aura. Around her, fiery sparks started to rise until suddenly bursting into flames. The Colonel fell back out of his seat as the flames licked his snout.

“You know what they say,” Celestia taunted. “If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen!”

The stallion scurried to the door as another blast of flames cracked like a whip in front of him. “You just wait until the Prince hears about this!” He shouted before forcing his way out of the building.

Ember quickly turned down the heat of her magic as she began to levitate pots and pans over the fires while scooping up the chopped ingredients that Featherlight had prepared earlier and dropping them in. “So, Celestia,” she began “What brings you here?”

Lying to all her friends was the hardest thing she had to do, but it was for the best. Everything had to be perfect and she couldn’t see her friends truly enjoying themselves if they knew the truth. For now, she was satisfied telling everypony that it was going to be a feast.

Celestia continued towards the outskirts of the village where the entrance to the mines began. It was here that she knew a certain Earth pony would be working. Swift Rush had often been hired to work down in the mines by some of the Everfree elite and he was often paid handsomely for his work because he was able to work so fast. Anything he earned, however, he’d use to help support the town.

With the help of some of the workers above ground, Celestia was able to find the entrance to the newest shaft, and most likely where she could find Swift. The caves provided Equestria with a very rare element that was used for just about everything from jewelry to machinery. As far as anypony knew, the caves beneath Canterlot held the largest deposits of this gem than anywhere in the entire world. Very few ponies, however, were willing to do the work because it was so dangerous. The caves would occasionally drop several hundred feet and the gems jet out from every direction like giant spears. The gems, when that size, were fragile like glass and seemed to resonate at relatively low frequencies, making cave-ins frequent. Since the gems also lined the ceilings, a cave-in was considered fatal regardless of the circumstances.

Still, Celestia ventured down the tunnel. The walls had been mined clean of any protruding gems at this point, giving her a little comfort, but it quickly became dark. Celestia cast an illumination spell as she wandered down the path, using the minecart tracks to help guide her. Before long, she could hear the sound of steel contacting stone. She began to pick up the pace as she could see the light from the current work area. “Swift!” She called out, her voice echoing down the tunnel.

Immediately, the picking stopped. She could hear somepony coming her way with a torch in hoof. The pony that rounded the corner was very muscular. His yellow coat was soaked with sweat and he wore a metal hard hat over his messy, two toned orange mane. “Celestia? Is that you?” He whispered.

“Swift! I’m so glad I found you!” Celestia cheered. Suddenly, a hoof came up and silenced the unicorn. They both stood there quiet for a moment. With his trained senses, he could feel a slight rumble off in the distance.

Swift looked back at Celestia with a hint of fear in his eyes. “How’s about I take you up on that race I owed you?” He offered. “First to the exit wins?”

Celestia pretended to contemplate it for as second. “Well I don’t know... how about... THREETWOONE GO!” She shouted as she took off in the direction she came. Swift followed suit.

He quickly caught up with her rushing as he could feel the tremors getting stronger. Genuine fear entered his thoughts. “This one is going to be close,” he thought aloud.

“Only in your dreams,” Celestia responded obliviously. Suddenly, he began to pick up the pace, passing up Celestia with ease as they could see the light of the exit about one hundred yards ahead. Celestia tried to keep up but he was a little too fast. “Well, I guess I have to tap into my reserves a little early this time,” she thought before picking up the pace. Her breath became immediately labored as she began to catch up with him.

The rumbles began to get stronger as they neared the exit. Celestia was still oblivious; she had mistaken the sound of the rumbling for the sound of their hooves against the stone- but Swift could hear the walls crumbling behind them. “We aren’t going to make it at this pace,” he worried. In a quick decision, he began to slow down, falling just behind Celestia who couldn’t help but smirk at him as she passed him up. With everything he had, he picked up his pace, bumping his hard hat up against Celestia’s rump and pushing her with all his might. He could hear a sharp yelp coming from the mare over the rumbling.

There was no time to look back. The exit was so close.

Twenty five yards - “Give it all you’ve got!”

Twenty yards - “Don’t look back!”

Fifteen yards - “It’s so loud now! We’ll never make it!”

Ten - “Yes we can! We’re so close!”

Five - “Ow! Rocks!”

Two - “Well... crap...” He planted himself firmly and pushed as hard as he could, sending Celestia end over end out of the cavern.

In the heat of the race, she hopped up and cheered. “Huzzah! You tried to cheat and trip me, but I win again!” She shouted, turning around and pointing to the cloud of dust behind her. Immediately, her face dropped in pure fear. “Swift?” She mumbled out. “Are... are you there? Please answer me?” She stood there for a few seconds, frozen in fright.

Suddenly, she heard coughing coming from the dust. A gray pony came trotting out, coughing as he was fanning the dust away from his face with his hoof. Celestia collapsed in relief.

“Well...” he smirked. “I guess you win again.”

The pair went to the nearest medical station to get him washed up and checked out. Other than the scrapes and bruises, he was fine. Luckily for them, he was given the rest of the day off freeing up his schedule.

Even though he wasn’t a great cook, Celestia had convinced him to help Ember out with the meal preparation. She had convinced him that with the size of the meal they were preparing, there would be a lot of heavy lifting required.

Still, there was one pony left that she wanted to see. One pony that she had been purposefully saving for last.

The name Garden Growth didn’t really flow off the tongue, but the name suited him well. He could grow a grain of rice in the desert if he wanted. Essentially, he could grow anything and that’s just what he did. He owned probably one of the largest plots of land in Canterlot where he grew everything from Apples to Zucchini. If they needed something for the feast, he would be the first pony anypony would see.

But that wasn’t why Celestia stood in front of his home today. She stood there, biting her lip with a hoof up, ready to knock on the door but frozen in place. She closed her eyes and waved her hoof back and forth carelessly, hoping that it would make contact with the wooden barrier before her.

*Knock... Knock*

The irregular pattern of the knocks echoed in her mind. “Ugh, already sounding stupid.”

Moments later, a stallion opened up the door. He wasn’t very statuesque as one would expect from a farmer. He was shorter than most stallions and, while muscular, he wasn’t as big as one either. He stared at Celestia with his beautiful gray and blue eyes for a moment before being caught off guard by the hug that came flying at him. He slowly wrapped his arms around the mare as she rested her chin against his shoulder. Certainly she had no intention of leaving that position for a while.

“Celestia... I... I didn’t think you were coming back,” he stuttered. “Not after the way you left.”

“I’m so sorry, Gardie!” She cried. “I was a fool for leaving the way I did. Can you ever forgive me for the things I said?”

He broke the hug and looked Celestia in the eyes. She turned her face to the ground quickly avoiding those eyes. Gently, he put his hoof under her chin and rose her face back up and then moved his hoof to brush the hair out of her face. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Celestia walked with her head hung low as they followed the path down to a small grove around the base of the mountain.

“Tia, remember when we used to come here as foals?” He asked, waiting for an answer from Celestia. She nodded shyly. “You told me that we’d never be apart and then you planted the first seed you found in the center of the clearing, where it would get the most light. You asked me to promise you that I’d take care of it because it would represent our friendship?”

“I remember,” she cried, tears dripping down her cheeks. “When I saw you with her, I just got so angry.”

“I really thought you’d be proud of me,” he sighed as he tried to catch a glimpse of her violet eyes. Celestia didn’t respond. They came up to the clearing which had been well groomed for being so far out. “This was my personal project ever since that day. It turns out, the seed you planted was cherry blossom.”

Celestia looked up in excitement to see light shining down into the center of the clearing down onto a gorgeous cherry blossom. The tree had grown quickly under Garden Growth’s care, almost covering the entire clearing. Best of all, the tree was in full bloom. It’s pink petals gently floated down to the ground where they blanketed the grass.

“It reminds me of you,” he said, gesturing with his eyes to her pink mane.”

“I was proud of you,” Celestia finally admitted, finally finding the courage to gaze into his eyes. Those eyes were her favorite part about him. They were gray, but in the right light, you could see the blue shine through. They never faltered, even in sadness, as if he always knew that he’d find a way to make it through. “But, I was just jealous.”

The sudden revelation caught Garden by surprise. So much so that he still didn’t realize what she meant. “Wha-huh?” he asked dimwittedly.

Celestia wanted to tell him so badly, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it again. She had considered it a second chance to back down when he didn’t understand the first time. “C’mon Celestia. It’s just three little words. What do you have to lose?” But like a fool, she could only stand there under the most romantic setting she could imagine with the world about to end and still say nothing. She was lucky that he was patient. “How long has he been waiting? A minute? An hour? I must look so dumb right now!” she panicked. “I was jealous, because I thought it would be me!” She shouted. Wincing in embarrassment. It seemed like an eternity had passed before she had the courage to peek up and look back at him. “I... I love you...”

He placed a hoof up on her shoulder before pulling her in and holding her tight. “I love you too,” he said, but before she had a chance to express her excitement, he continued. “But not like that.”

Instantly, tears started to well up in her eyes before spilling out on the floor. Her heart felt like it had been crushed under the weight of the entire mountain. She wanted to run away as far as she could go, but just as she turned to run, he grabbed a hold of her arm.

“Wait, please understand,” he pleaded. “What we have is special, something that nopony else could even dream of. I mean no offense by this, believe me I don’t, but I don’t want anything to ruin that. Celestia, you are my best friend, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, mustering up a genuine smile.

The way his eyes shined with the tears was unlike anything Celestia had ever seen. He was crying, not from sadness, but from joy. For the first time she could see, his eyes were unsure. Unsure of the future and how things would turn out, but for him, that was the happiest thing he could imagine.

She didn’t need any more convincing than that. “I wouldn’t have it any other way either.”

The hologram of the alicorn returned standing next to Twilight. She had just realized that what she had experienced had not only felt like an out of body experience, but gave her a sense of deja vu. The world around Twilight faded back to the nothingness of the room that she was standing in.

Before Twilight could ask any questions, the hologram continued. Her tale wasn’t done. “Everything went as planned. They spent the night together with their friends and families. Even the Prince and Princess joined them. It could not have gone better unless the end of days didn’t loom on the horizon. And like all good things, this day too would come to pass.”

The images started to return, this time of a sky that flashed with lightning in all different colors from intimidating and unnatural clouds. They were thick resembling smoke and appeared to be burning from the orange and red lights that shone through.

“But as you know, the world did not end that day.”

Celestia lay on the grass beneath the dark sky, admiring the power of the lightning that flashed above. Around her lay her friends, her sister, and her sister’s friends, all in a circle. There was no hiding it anymore so they told them all.

Neither the sun or moon had been visible since the previous day. The object in the sky was so close now that it would have obscured the entire sky, but it wouldn’t have mattered since the electrical storms covered the sky as well. Celestia looked to her left and her right at all her friends as Luna did the same. She was not sad that everything was about to end. In fact, she was happy. She was happy that she led a good life and accomplished everything she had ever really wanted to do and even then some. With friends like these, what more could she really ask for?

The images of her life passed before her eyes with every flash of lightning until it came to the events of the previous day. Surprise was so happy. Even the thought of death couldn’t change her attitude. She’d face every obstacle with a smile and laughter.

Brilliant Ember was always a gem to be around. She was so entertaining and pleasant, but despite her popularity and beauty, she never forgot where she came from. She was always so loyal to the ponies she cared about.

Even though fate told Featherlight what she couldn’t do, she still found the courage to give everypony more than they could ever ask for. She gave joy and happiness in any way she could, whether it was through her whistling, or just giving her time. Where most ponies would just take what they believed the world owed them, she would give whatever she had to offer.

Swift Rush was always first to put his own life on the line for others. Everything he did was to help those who couldn’t help themselves. He worked in the dangerous mines to help support the village. Even his athleticism was so that he could stay strong and protect others as well as do a better job in the mines so he could earn more money. If a little kindness goes a long way, then he would truly reach the stars.

Garden Growth had always been so noble. An honest days work for an honest day’s pay; he never took anything he didn’t deserve. His honesty to Celestia would turn out to be the greatest gift to Celestia he could give, even if she wasn't aware of it yet.

But what about herself. What did she do to make a difference in the world? Everypony around her had something that made each day brighter for her, but what did she really have to offer. Her nights were spent studying for the hope that one day, that knowledge would make the world a brighter place, but she never had the chance to shine. “What could I do with my... magic?”

She felt a spark light up inside her. How could she have not noticed it before? Each of her friends embodied a spirit of the Elements of Harmony. The only one that was missing was magic. The one that was missing was her!

Celestia stood up from the ground as did Luna. “You feel it too?” Celestia asked.

Luna nodded.

Around them, the others watched curiously as they closed their eyes and focused on the sky. The sisters’ horns began to glow intensely as they focused on the most powerful spell they could imagine, fueling it with the happiness of their friendship. Together, they connected horns and a bright beam shot up directly into the sky.With the power of the spell, the ground beneath them started to shake until they themselves lifted off the ground. The beam tore through the clouds making a clear path straight to the object that came closer to the planet.

Around them, everypony stood up in amazement as the two had appeared to be accomplishing something, if anything.

Suddenly, the clouds parted from the center in all directions for miles, evaporating instantly followed by an ear piercing crack. The shockwave had pushed everypony including the sisters down to the ground. In their disappointment, they didn’t even try to stand back up. Up above, the horror of the gigantic meteor was completely visible. The object spanned the entire horizon. At it’s center was white hot as it tore through the upper atmosphere.

However, Celestia was determined. She stood back up and fought through the heat as she cursed towards the sky. “I will not let it end this way! I have something worth fighting for! I am the Element of Magic and I will not let down my friends!”

Celestia’s horn shined brightly as her eyes were completely enveloped in light. Above her appeared the six elements of harmony which circled around the six ponies, lifting them up in the air. Inspired by her sister’s determination, Luna also began to focus her magic, first shining brightly from her horn and then her eyes as well. The six Elements of Chaos also manifested themselves above her and then descended to circle the six other ponies left on the ground and lifting them up much like their counterparts.

With one final push, the elements beamed two great lights up in the sky. The beams began to rotate around each other, drawing them closer together until they fused, creating one massive white beam. It shot up through the sky at lightning speed and pierced the meteor with a loud crack. Across the surface, cracks began to spread fanning out across the body until it was completely fractured. Lights began to shine through the cracks and in one great flash, the meteor disintegrated.

After a couple of seconds, the light of their magic finally faded away, making way for the light of the sun that shone brilliantly overhead. The twelve ponies lay together on the grass, laughing to each other at what they had just accomplished.

Their laughter was cut short by a pair of blinding lights that came from the direction of Everfree City. The lights hovered in front of them and then flared brightly, transforming themselves into the Prince and Princess. “You did it girls!” Princess Selene exclaimed. “All of you did it!”

“We knew you had it in you,” Prince Sol announced.

“Wait, you knew all along?” Princess Luna questioned. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Even though things didn’t go according to our plans we made for you many years ago, you still had to learn of your destinies on your own much like Princess Selene and I did before you.” Prince Sol nodded for Princess Selene to address her student individually before turning his attention back to Celestia. “The danger you girls faced was very real. We had hoped to give you more time to learn your destinies, but fate had conspired against us. Luckily, you girls are stronger than we had anticipated.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Your gift comes with a great responsibility. Together with your sister and friends, you are tasked with maintaining balance between Harmony and Chaos in this world.” Prince Sol lowered his horn over Celestia’s shoulders one at a time officially knighting her. “If ever something comes along to threaten that balance, you must use the elements to defeat that enemy. But for now, you must continue your studies. There is still much you must learn.”

The lights faded back into the gem, leaving Twilight alone in the room with the hologram. The glow was dim now, it’s aura getting weaker by the minute.

“So now you know of Celestia’s past,” the Alicorn concluded. “You are the successor to the Element of Magic of over four thousand years ago. As the Element of Magic, you have access to limitless amounts of power that you must use to maintain balance between harmony and chaos.”

“So what do I do now?” Twilight asked. “How do I get back home?”

“You must learn to control the magical state, when your eyes shine white. You can only do this if all the elements are present, but only then will you have enough power to be able to return to your own time.”

"And the elements of Chaos? What are those?"

"I'm sorry Twilight but I do not have enough power left to answer this question. You will find out on your own, in time."

Twilight pondered for a moment. While the main part of the message was cryptic, she had been given her first solid answer she had been given since she arrived in the future. Still, one thing bothered her more than anything. “Celestia, if I may, I’d like to ask you one more thing.”

“If the answer is short, you may.” The figure began to fade away to a yellow glow, no longer resembling a being anymore. “I do not have enough power to stay for any longer.”

“How did the Princesses become alicorns?”

“That, Twilight Sparkle, is a good question.”

The light faded into nothing leaving Twilight in a pitch black room with no reference point. She cast an illumination spell, but like before, the light didn’t reflect off the walls or the floor. She looked every direction, becoming frantic as she ran around searching for an exit. Something gave her a strange feeling however. Her mind was telling her that her legs were moving and her eyes were open, but she couldn’t feel any part of her body, as if her muscles had gone limp. Her lack of sight also made her unsure if her eyes were even open. She stopped in her tracks and raised a hoof up to her face.

Nothing.

She frantically cast an illumination spell but that didn’t help either. Everything was still pitch black. She was losing her mind. What was this place? Was any of it real? Twilight opened her mouth and felt the wind rush out, harshly grating her throat in what felt like a blood curdling scream, but no sound came out.

Suddenly, there was a spark off in the distance. Twilight squinted to get a better glimpse but it didn’t get any clearer. She rubbed her eyes frantically before taking another look. The light was bigger now. In it, she could see shades of purple. She blinked again and the image became clearer. It seemed like every time she closed her eyes and opened them again, this would happen.

“Twilight!” A voice called out to her. The room trembled once.

Twilight blinked again. There was a mare standing above her but she couldn’t tell who it was.

“Twilight! Are you alright?!” The voice called out again as the room trembled twice this time.

She shut her eyes tight. “Stupid eyes! Work!” When she opened them again, she noticed that the mare was herself. Twilight shot up from the ground, shutting her eyes and backing away rapidly as she screamed. When she opened her eyes again, somepony else was standing where she thought she saw herself.

“Twilight, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“N...Nova?” Twilight gasped.

[Chapter 11] Broken Harmony

[Chapter 11] Broken Harmony

Nova looked down at the frightened mare, extending a hoof to lift her up off the ground.

Twilight sneered at her as she ignored the hoof, getting up by her own volition. “What the hay are you doing here?!” She barked. “I thought we agreed that you needed to go home!”

“I’m sorry Twilight,” Nova squeaked. “I... I just wanted to see if I could help you out...” She timidly backed away, wearing the most pitiful face she could muster. “I... I... followed you into the forest. I lost you for a about a minute, but then I heard screams coming from here. That’s when I found you lying here. I thought you were dead and-”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Twilight interrupted. “Did you say a minute?” Twilight was dumbfounded. The walk through the pathway alone had felt to have taken her over half an hour, not to mention the sights she witnessed had lasted for much longer than that.

“Yeah, I was behind you the whole way but then I must have missed you go into this clearing-”

Twilight turned away in thought, blatanly ignoring the rest of what Nova had to say. “Could it all just have been a dream? No, it couldn’t have. It felt so real. All of it!” She looked around the room for any proof of her experience, but nothing seemed to be there. The pile of snow in the center looked undisturbed and the ground around it was sealed tight. She walked towards it to inspect the ground further for the cracks where it should have split, but then she noticed something odd.

The ground was completely smooth.

Twilight quickly brushed away the patches of moss to discover that the etchings in the ground had all vanished. “No this can’t be!” She panicked. “What I saw was real!”

Nova curiously watched the unicorn as she continued to brush moss away from the ground, getting more frantic the more she uncovered. “Twilight, what did you see?”

Rarity sat in the monorail car, staring at the picture she had taken from Sweetie’s cottage, remembering everything about the filly. Her hair was so difficult to maintain; it had thick natural curls in it that would always seem to get tangled up from who knows what she did with her friends. Even though it wasn’t her style, she loved the way Sweetie Belle would return home covered in filth, but smiling. Sure she gave her a hard time about it, but something about the way Sweetie had fun just completed Rarity. She was so carefree back then.

But what she grew up to be was something different altogether. Rarity’s absence completely destroyed that innocence she once held. She was so cautious and cold now, often how a criminal would be. Rarity was determined. She would not let Sweetie Belle fall any farther. She would make it up to her, no matter the cost.

Something inside Rarity clicked at that moment. Sure she had heard the words and understood them clearly before, but all the lessons she was taught and promises she made about parenting; they all started to make sense. She needed to be strong, despite the situation before her. She had to give in and make the hardest apology of her life, even though it would be easier just to quit and submit to the last words her sister said to her. This is what it meant to be a mother. She could only hope that it wasn’t a lesson learned too late.

Rarity quickly unraveled the scroll that had been sent to her from Princess Luna at the library, reading through it just to be certain that it would absolve her sister of any crimes and allow her captors to release her on the spot. She made sure that the Royal insignia was clearly watermarked at the bottom of the page and Luna’s signature was indeed hers. She had already done all this many times before, but with something this important, she just had to be sure.

Satisfied, she put the scroll and the picture back in her bag. There was nothing left to do but wait. Wait for the train to reach the island of Manehattan. Wait and count the moments before she would be reunited with her sister.

Up ahead, she could see the skyline of the iron jungle that was downtown Manehattan. The light from the moon created a dull glow through the clouds high above, but these weren’t clouds as she knew them. They were pollution from the factories and machines that Manehattan’s citizens had grown so fond of. Once the train crossed over the river into the city, the tracks up ahead suddenly dropped down below the street level, leaving nothing but dirty walls to look at from here on out. Occasionally, another train would come flying by, scaring Rarity out of her skin.

How anypony could become accustomed to this drab setting was beyond her. After about a mile of wall, the train quickly began to slow down, lining up perfectly with the station as it came to a stop. The station was well lit, but judging by the filth that covered the floor and walls, Rarity would’ve preferred that it wasn’t. As the doors opened, a mass of ponies started to flow into the train. Rarity struggled to force her way out of the doors just before they shut closed.

Along the path that led to the stairs, unkempt ponies loitered around the area, all with their eyes trained to Rarity. Some looked as if they were about to mug her, dressed like hoodlums and gang members. The others; the filthy, unkempt ones, reached out a hoof as if Rarity was supposed to give them something. She began to pick up the pace, lowering her head as she tried to avoid the stares of these lost souls. Was this really what had become of one of the most cultured cities in all of Equestria? Vagabonds and hoodlums loitering around waiting for their next target to prey upon like a bunch of cave dwellers? Rarity couldn’t wait to get back above ground.

The city wasn’t much better, but it was nice to be able to have a breeze, even though it wasn’t exactly what one would consider fresh air. The city had changed so much since she had last visited. It had appeared that the city had adapted to the perpetual night by imitating cities like Las Pegasus, where lights seemed to shine from every possible direction, which was exceptionally irritating with her astigmatism. The streets were bustling with strange metal contraptions that looked like miniature versions of the monorail cars. They would zip by, tethered to a network of wires that hung overhead.

Luckily for her, the streets were still the same. While she never had a reason to go there before, she at least knew how to find the prison on her own. It was a bit far for walking distance, but she was utterly terrified of the metal contraptions that whizzed by. With that, she took the first step to begin her journey.

As soon as her hoof made contact with the floor, a group of hooded ponies turned to her, all shushing each other and pointing as if their tourist radar had gone off. Rarity froze in place before awkwardly turning around slowly to find another route. Behind her, a group of unkempt vagabonds were sitting, instantly spotting Rarity and holding their hooves out.

“Taxi!” She called out.

The ride wasn’t as bad as she had expected, even though she could say the opposite about the fare. She grumpily handed the bits to the driver as she stepped out in front of the correctional facility. The colt gave her a dirty look as if to question what a mare like her was doing in a place like this before turning and driving off.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it. If her assumptions were correct, her sister was somewhere on the other side of the unscalable stone walls. The building wasn’t modern like the rest of the city. It almost resembled a dungeon like from olden times. Rarity made her way to the front door only to be greeted by a stallion peeking through a tiny window in the middle of the door.

“What do you want?” He said with a voice that resembled gravel in a blender.

Rarity timidly held the scroll up to the tiny window. “I am here to retrieve my sister,” she squeaked. The window suddenly shut closed and a small drop box opened up below it. Rarity dropped the scroll into the box which shut almost before she had a chance to remove her hoof.

After a couple seconds, the window slid open again and the Guard peeked through once more. “It’s fake. Go away,” he said bluntly before slamming the window closed again.

Rarity was pissed. Her horn started to glow as she stood up on her hind legs. She pressed her hooves against the door, forcing them through the solid object as if she was some kind of spectre and grabbed the stallion by his armor, pulling him against the door as hard as she could.

As she expected, the window opened up again with a shaky stallion standing on the other side, his voice losing any hint of toughness. “Is... is there something I can assist you with?” He stuttered.

“Yes there is. This letter was delivered to me personally by Princess Luna herself. I assure you, it’s real.” She had appeared to roar like a manticore without even raising her voice.

“Let me just fetch my supervisor,” he timidly responded.

Rarity let him go with a smirk.

After verifying the insignia, signature, and watermark, the guards let Rarity in without another word. They had never before received an order like this, so there was no proper procedure for something like this. As far as they knew, they had to escort her around as if she was the Princess herself.

They led her down a damp and cold corridor to a cell with a young mare laying on a pile of hay with her back turned to the gate. Rarity wanted to call out to her, but she was afraid of how Sweetie Belle would react.

“Sweetie Anna Belle, you are being released by order of Princess Luna,” the guard announced as he pushed the key into the lock.

“Oh ha ha. You guys are funny,” she mocked as she raised herself up. “Don’t you ever get tired of harassing-” Sweetie Belle looked up to see Rarity standing in the frame of the open gate. Her eyes were shining with tears of joy as she stared at the young mare. She could tell that her sister wasn’t going to make the first move. She couldn’t. She was at the mercy of the young mare.

Sweetie Belle wanted to yell at her. Just push her out of the way and run away forever, finally a free mare. She tried to turn away, tears soaking her cheeks, but somehow, her gaze kept drifting back to the unicorn before her.

“I’m sorry,” Rarity said. It would be superfluous to say anything more. Trite to try and make excuses or say that it was all her fault as she begged for forgiveness. Both Rarity and Sweetie Belle knew this. They would get so frustrated every time a character would prolong the apologies in their romance novels and movies.

Even though she was a free mare now, she felt a weight on her chest preventing her from running out the doors to reclaim whatever life she missed out on. She stamped her hoof on the ground in frustration. “What is there left for me? My friends, all gone. My life, missed out on. The only thing left for me...” She was done running. She rushed over to her sister and threw her hooves around her as tight as they would go, crying as hard as her eyes would allow.

Rarity returned the hug, never wanting to be apart from her sister again.

“I’m so sorry. I never meant to say those things-”

Rarity shushed the bawling unicorn. “You had a right to hate me. I’m just glad you were able to forgive me for what I’d done. It was always my fault. If I hadn’t been so selfish to try and reclaim a day of lost time, I would never have lost fifteen years instead.”

Rarity nudged her sister gently with her nose to gesture that they should probably get out of the prison. “Let’s go home.”

If Twilight had been alright to walk, she would have led Nova by her ear back to Ponyville. Instead, she was forced to use her as a crutch. Her head ached and her vision was blurred from tears. She replayed the scenes in her head over and over again. It was crystal clear, everything that had happened, but still she couldn’t find any proof that it indeed did happen.

Nova felt a mixture of pride and shame as she led her idol back to Ponyville. She was proud that she was able to help in her own small way, but her parents were probably going to find out where she had gone now. Twilight was sure to tell them.

Just at the outskirts of Ponyville, Twilight lowered herself off the shoulder of the young mare. “I am going to take you straight to the station, and I am not going to let you out of my sight until you are on the train and the doors are closed,” she scolded. “What were you even thinking, following me into the Everfree Forest?”

Twilight didn’t even wait for an answer before she began to forcefully escort Nova to the station. It was a long and quiet walk, something that Nova was grateful for. Though, she really felt like she wanted to say something like an apology. Even though she meant no harm, she had been a little annoying and not to mention she went against Twilight’s wishes and lied to her. Nova slumped her head down, sighing deeply. “I sure am one annoying fan.”

As they rounded the corner to the station, they noticed that the entrance to the platforms was blocked off. Twilight rushed over to the information booth, rapping frantically against the window.

An old mare turned around in her chair and lazily responded to the frantic unicorn. “Miss, can I help you?”

“What’s going on? Why is the station closed? I need to get somepony back to Canterlot right now.”

“Look lady. I don’t know what to tell ya, but there are no more outbound trains for today. Somethin’ about servicing the northbound rails up near Canterlot.” She quickly turned the sign on her window around to the side that read “Closed” in cursive letters. “You’ll just have ta come back tomorrow.”

Nova wanted to smirk, but her better judgement told her not to. Twilight looked back at the young mare with an exasperated look on her face. “Looks like you’re spending the night.”

Nova’s cheeks felt tight.

Twilight returned to the Library, letting herself in. “I’m home!” She called out with the hopes that Spike was around.

The dragon came slowly to the balcony, having just snapped out of a mid-study nap. “T-Twilight? You’re back!” He called down before noticing the young mare standing beside her. “Uh, who’s your friend?”

“She’s just a mare that got lost along the way. She was supposed to be back in Canterlot,” Twilight remarked, shooting a stink eye in the direction of Nova. “But the monorails are closed and I couldn’t just leave her out there on her own. Spike, can I ask you for a favor?”

Spike descended the steps until he was down with the two mares. “Anything Twi.”

“I need you to look after Nova here while I go get our friends.” Twilight leaned in towards Spike as if to recklessly tell him a secret. “She needs help with her studies, so could you keep her occupied?” She requested, giving him a rather obvious wink.

Nova looked back at Twilight, pleadingly. “Oh please no! Can’t I come with you? I promise I won’t get in the way!”

Twilight leaned in even closer to Spike, legitimately whispering something else to him. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Spike gave her a salute as he prepared some of his more advanced books.

“Thanks Spike. You always were, my number one assistant.”

“Aw Twi. I haven’t gone by that in years,” he chuckled.

Twilight planned to make her first stop at the hospital where Fluttershy was still recovering. The mess from earlier had been cleaned as several ponies worked on installing a new door. Twilight made her way around them and over to the counter where a shivering nurse stood, wrapped tight in a sweater and standing in front of a personal space heater.

“Hello, c-can I h-help you?” She stuttered.

“Is Fluttershy still checked in?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, she is up on the second floor. Would you like me to show you the way?” The nurse offered hopefully.

“No that’s alright. I know where it is.”

For some reason, the nurse looked disappointed.

Fluttershy’s room was barely open, but inside, Twilight could hear the sounds of her sobbing. Twilight knocked on the door to signify her presence but Fluttershy didn’t even try to hide the fact that she was crying. She just turned towards the unicorn with tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked as she rushed to the side of the bed.

“Its... its Angel!” Fluttershy cried falling onto Twilight’s shoulder. Her cold tears trickled down Twilight’s back, causing her to shiver. She had never seen Fluttershy cry this hard, and with her, that was saying a lot.

“What happened? Is he okay?!”

The distraught pegasus pointed her hoof over to a note on the table as she continued to sob.

Twilight couldn’t make sense of the strange scribbles on the paper. It was apparent, however, that one of Fluttershy’s animals had written it. “I don’t understand. What happened?”

“He’s dead!”

It had taken a lot of time, but Twilight was able to calm Fluttershy down to the point where she could talk again. The tears, however, never stopped pouring from her eyes.

“Cherub told me that Angel passed in his sleep,” Fluttershy cried. “She said her father was happy, and that he loved me very much. I just can’t believe he’s really gone.”

Twilight lovingly stroked her mane as the butter-yellow pegasus confided in her. Fluttershy had been with angel since she found him as a newborn baby bunny. It was only natural that she would grieve this much. Still, Twilight felt a sense of impatience growing in her. With the help of all the Elements, Twilight could go back to a time when everypony was happy. Back when all their worries seemed so small.

But that’s when Fluttershy asked her the question that she didn’t really expect her to care about.

“I’m sorry, I’ve wasted all your time with my grieving. Did you have something that you wanted to see me about?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight wanted to tell her. She wanted to confess that she only came with the hopes that Fluttershy would help her get back to her own time. Did it really matter how she felt right now? Angel was alive in Twilight’s time. Wouldn’t that be enough for Fluttershy?

“Twilight, are-”

“No,” Twilight interrupted. “No, it’s nothing. I’m here for you.”

With a little convincing, they were able to check Fluttershy out of the on account of a “family emergency,” as they put it. They had returned to Fluttershy’s cottage to a host of animals that had gathered around, some carrying flowers or small offerings while others just wept silently.

In the center of the room, there was a small bed with an old hare lying motionless in it. Cherub let out an audible squeak of despair as she stroked his paw.

Fluttershy walked forward by her own accord, ignoring the pain in her hoof as she continued to cry for her little angel. The crowd of animals parted in front of her to allow her into the ring. Seeing the pegasus, Cherub rushed over and hugged her leg as tight as she could. With her wing, Fluttershy brought the white rabbit up to her cheek and nuzzled her gently before allowing her to climb up onto her head.

Twilight couldn’t help but let a tear roll down her cheek. The emotions of the room were rubbing off on her.

Fluttershy lowered herself to the deceased hare, unsure of how to continue. As a pony who spent her life taking care of animals, she had seen death multiple times; not that it ever got easier to handle the more she saw it-, but this one was different. Never before had she witnessed the death of something so close to her heart as Angel.

With one hoof wiping away tears from her eyes, she began to move the rabbit’s arms so that his paws rested over his chest. With the same hoof that was wiping away tears, she held the mane out of her face and lowered herself down to Angel, giving him a kiss on the forehead before whispering something into his ear.

Beside Twilight, an otter had dragged a small log into the cottage. He tugged on her tail gently before gesturing towards the log. Twilight knew what she had to do.

With the little magic Twilight was capable of performing without exerting herself, she had whittled the log into a casket, which Fluttershy accepted and placed Angel in. In the back of her garden, she had chosen a spot right below the tree where she wanted his final resting place to be.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight, for dragging you into this.” Fluttershy squeaked as Twilight dug the hole with her magic.

“No, Fluttershy. I’m here for you,” Twilight cooed. “I didn’t want you to go through this alone.”

In one quick motion, the pegasus pulled Twilight in and wrapped her up in a hug. “I couldn’t have gone through this without you, Twilight,” she sobbed. “You really are a good friend.”

After helping Fluttershy lay the bunny to rest, Twilight found herself going back through Ponyville. It was her plan to go see Pinkie Pie on the way to Sweet Apple Acres and hopefully convince Pinkie to come with her so they could help her to reclaim her sanity. Twilight, didn’t have a plan for it, but she didn’t really feel like she took the right approach last time.

Right before she decided to continue on towards Pinkamena’s shack, she noticed a rainbow colored streak in the sky. “Rainbow!” Twilight called out, hoping that she could hear her.

Immediately, the streak changed course and zipped right in front of Twilight. “Twilight!” Dash panted. “Have you seen Scootaloo?! I can’t find her anywhere. She left so quickly but I thought she’d come back home and-”

“Dash!” Twilight shouted, shoving a hoof in the rainbow maned pegasus’s mouth. “What happened?”

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily before wiping the wetness from her eyes, possibly from snow hitting her face while she was flying.

“I hurt Scootaloo. Bad. Real bad,” Dash admitted. "I have to find her but I have no idea where she would have gone.”

“Maybe you should take a break and clear your mind,” Twilight offered, feeling a little bit selfish at the moment. “I kind of need your help with something too.”

“Twi, there’s no time. I’ll help you out later, but Scootaloo needs me now.” Dash was uncharacteristically perspective of Twilight’s disappointment as she said that. “Please don’t hate me for saying no but I’ve gotta do this.”

She wanted to protest more, but she had never seen Dash this determined before. Not with her sonic rainboom. Not with the Wonderbolts. Not ever. She could see it in the way that Dash wasn’t ashamed of her tears. In truth, she wasn’t even aware that she was crying at the moment. “I understand. I’ll wait for you here in Ponyville, no matter how long it takes. Just go make it up to Scootaloo.” Twilight didn’t even feel disappointed in saying that this time.

“Thank you for understanding Twilight. You’re a good friend.” With a quick nod, Rainbow Dash turned to take off, but she felt something tug at her tail. “Twilight, please. I really have to go-”

“Try their clubhouse.” Twilight suggested.

Pinkamena lay on her couch clutching her two friends tightly against her chest. She had not moved from that spot for a few hours, yet she hadn’t been tired in the least. Something had irked her to the point where she couldn’t even sit up without having a panic attack. Rarity hadn’t been very talkative since Violet Diamond had left. In fact, Rarity hadn’t even said a word since.

But Pinkamena didn’t even waste time speculating or trying to ask her why. She already knew that she wouldn’t answer her. There was something that Rarity saw in the mare that really changed everything about how they felt about their friendship. It was much like the feeling of nostalgia you get when you’re feeling depressed and you look back on the past to much happier times. Everything seems so much brighter back then.

“Pinkie, don’t let it bother you. I’m sure she’ll come around,” the Twilight doll suggested.

“What makes you think I want to see that mare again?” Pinkamena barked.

The Twilight doll crossed her arms condescendingly. “I meant Rarity.”

Suddenly there was a knock at the door which caused Pinkamena to perk up in elation.

The Twilight doll only snickered derisively, causing Pinkamena to slump down in embarrassment.

“Shut up Twi,” she harrumphed.

There was another knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice. “Pinkamena. I don’t know if you’re in there, but I wanted to talk to you.”

Pinkamena rolled over onto the ground and scurried behind the couch. Quietly, she wiped at the window to clear away some of the dirt that obscured her view. She peered through the hole to try and get a view of the mare at the door, but to her dismay, the angle was off and the window was still blurry from the dirt. She could only make out certain shades of purple.

“I know we kind of left on bad terms last time, but I just wanted to try and make it up to you,” the mare continued.

Pinkamena stayed silent, trying to decide whether or not this mare was worth trusting. She walked quietly over to the door and reached for the handle, but she stopped suddenly, unable to bring herself to open up. “As long as we have each other, we would never need anypony else,” she thought. She looked over to the Twilight doll who just remained smiling from the couch, and then over to the Rarity doll. The doll was slumped over, lifelessly against the arm of the couch, remaining silent.

Twilight raised a hoof to attempt knocking again, but then quickly retracted it, kicking up some snow in front of her. Disappointed, she turned and began to walk back into the flurry of snow.

Suddenly, there came the sound of rusty hinges squeaking, causing Twilight to stop and turn around. There, standing in the doorway, was the grayish-pink mare with the long, straight, pink mane.

“D... do you want to come in?” She timidly offered.

“I’d love to,” Twilight smiled.

Twilight poured the contents of the packet into the cup of boiling water, mixing it gently with her magic. She held the cup up to Pinkamena’s face, inviting her to take it. “Hot cocoa?”

“Thank you,” Pinkamena shyly accepted.

“I’m really sorry for how I acted, Pinkamena. I just wanted you to remember me. I know I’ve been gone for a long time, and I’m so sorry I left you without saying goodbye.”

Pinkamena slumped over, staring into the cup of cocoa. “I’m... I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you. I’m trying really hard, but I don’t think we’ve ever met. I remember everypony. You may have me mistaken for somepony else.”

Twilight was deflated. “Maybe I am mistaken... but if that’s the case,” Twilight looked up with a smile on her face. “I hear you throw an awesome party for everypony you meet.”

Twilight and Pinkamena had spent almost the entire evening baking, decorating and getting to know each other. The party had just gone in full swing. For the first time in a long time, Pinkamena wore a smile across her face as she happily introduced Twilight to her own friends.

“This here is Twilight.” Pinkamena smiled, holding the Twilight doll up to Twilight’s face.

“Pleasure to meet you, Twilight!” She played along. “I’ve heard a lot about you, that you are a very smart and powerful mare.” The opportunity to stroke her own ego was a little too good to pass up.

Then Pinkamena retrieved the Rarity doll, which had been sitting on the couch since Twilight had arrived. “This is Rarity. I’m sorry she’s been so quiet. She’s been a little grumpy ever since Violet left.”

Twilight stood a little perplexed, but decided that it wasn’t important enough to concern herself with. “Hello Rarity, I really love your mane. What’s your secret?” She joked. For some reason, pretending to have a conversation with the lifeless objects didn’t bother Twilight as much as she thought it would. Really, it only felt like when she would play with her Smarty Pants doll when she was a child. Though the real pleasure came from spending time with Pinkie. It didn’t matter to Twilight that Pinkie thought she was somepony else, even though she hoped that she would remember, but to see her smiling was enough to make Twilight happy. She playfully took the Rarity doll and swung her around, using her magic to start the record player off in the corner. After a few squeaks, some party music began to play. Twilight danced around with the doll spinning and bouncing around the room.

Excitedly, Pinkamena joined in, grabbing the Twilight doll and joining Twilight in the dancing. Together, the two mares giggled wildly as they danced the night away, so to speak.

The festivities began to dwindle down as the two mares sat, partied out on the couch. The music continued to play softly as the occasional giggle could be heard from one of them.

“I had a lot of fun today.” Pinkamena said.

“Me too Pinkamena-”

“Call me Pinkie,” She interrupted. "All my friends call me that."

Twilight smiled at the mare. “So does this mean that-”

“Yeah. I think this is going to be the start of a really good friendship.” Pinkie continued. “You are really fun to be around. I’m really glad I met you Starlight.” she said before hopping forward and giving Twilight a hug.

As the two embraced, a single hair popped out of place in Pinkamena’s mane.

Twilight wasn’t surprised to find Applejack hard at work, but she was surprised to see that it was to collect the zap apple harvest. Big Macintosh and Applebloom were hard at work, bucking as many trees as fast as they could, given the time constraints they had against them. Twilight was having trouble keeping up the pace as Applejack rushed from tree to tree, giving each one hard buck, causing the rainbow skinned fruit to fall into bushels waiting below.

“I’m sorry Twi. I’d love to help ya out, but I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Applejack panted.

“Please just hear me out for a second!” Twilight shouted.

With a heavy sigh, Applejack slowed down to a stop in front of Twilight. “Look Twi, I believe you that ya had this vision, but if little ol’ Fluttershy can’t help ya, Dash can’t help ya, and Pinkie don’t even remember you, then how can you be sure this’ll even work?”

“That’s why I’m here. If we can get the elements back in harmony, then we just may have a shot,” Twilight tried desperately to explain. “I can get back to my own time, save Celestia, and stop all this from ever happening! But first, I really need your help convincing the others.”

“Now hold up. Do you even have a plan for when you get back, IF you ever get back? I thought you said that Celestia died because her time was up.” Applejack removed her hat as she placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Believe me, I want to help ya with all my heart, but from what you’ve told me, you can’t even use the elements, none of our friends can help you, and you don’t even have a plan to fix this even if you do get back.”

“Well...”

“You’re asking me to take a big risk,” Applejack continued. “Ever since the sun disappeared, we’ve been struggling just to get by. Heck, we’re late on our loan payment for the house and the farm. Now, I’m not very keen on the idea of luck and whatnot, but as luck would have it, this is the biggest crop of zap apples I’ve ever seen in all my days of applebuckin’. With this harvest, we can save the farm, but without it, well, I don’t even wanna think about it.”

“But I’ve got a year to come up with a plan. I can figure this out.” Twilight begged.

“I’m not worried about the plan. I’m sure you’ll think of somethin’,” Applejack assured. “What worries me is that you don’t know if this will even work or how long it could take. I’ll go with you, Sugarcube, but only if you can swear to me, with one hundred percent certainty, that this will work. Can you do that for me?”

“I’m almost certain-”

“Can you swear to me?”

Twilight contemplated the circumstances. Applejack was right. She was a long way from being certain. Not to mention, all the evidence seemed to point out that she had only imagined the meeting with the hologram. All the markings in that ruin were gone. The ground appeared to be undisturbed. Even the timeframe didn’t allow for any of what she saw. Maybe she was only losing her mind. Maybe she was only chasing ghosts.

“No... I... I can’t.”

Applejack put her hat back on as she walked over next to Twilight. “I appreciate your honesty Twilight. I really hope you can make it back to your own time, but for now, I’ve gotta get back to work.” With that, Applejack placed a hoof around the mare and gave her a modest hug before turning to go buck more apples.

“Wait!” Twilight called out to the workhorse. “Can I help out?”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle had arrived in Ponyville, finally home together after fifteen years. Sweetie Belle was elated. For so long, home to her had been wherever the guards wouldn’t go. Friendship was waiting for letters to arrive, often spending weeks without any correspondence. Family... But all that was going to change. Everything would be better now that she was free and her sister was back.

Rarity looked back at Sweetie Belle’s flank to see a stylized bell with a ribbon encircling it. “What a lovely Cutie Mark, Sweetie. Do tell me how you got it.”

“Oh this?” Sweetie Belle smiled. “Well, I was on the streets not long after I ran away and I was really hungry and needed money. That was when I met another street urchin. He was a very good dancer and, looking back on it, I think he really liked me. He would perform in the park for a few bits, but one day, somepony stole his record player. He was really sad, but then I started to sing for him. The same song he loved to dance to. It was incredible Rarity. Like the whole world had stopped and it was just him and me flowing perfectly in harmony.” Sweetie Belle closed her eyes as she reminisced about the young colt. “That’s when I got my Cutie Mark. But I found out that singing isn’t all I can do. With a little magic, I can make my voice do anything!”

“That’s wonderful, darling!” Rarity praised. “What ever happened to this colt you met. He sounds charming.”

Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks as Rarity brought up the sore subject, but she didn’t intend to keep any secrets. “We were in Canterlot and he was taken by the Marefia. They told me that he wouldn’t be hurt if I agreed to take the fall for a bank robbery. I’m sure you know the rest of what happened to me. I never saw him again after that, not since I had to start running.”

Rarity put a hoof up to her mouth in shock. “I’m so sorry Sweetie Belle.”

“Don’t worry. It was a long time ago. All I want now is to go home.”

The two unicorns arrived at Carousel Boutique. The walls were worn down and the windows boarded up. It didn’t appear that anypony had been there since they both left. Sweetie Belle magicked the boards off the door and let herself in, busting the lock by plowing into the door with her shoulder.

Dust flew everywhere, saturating the air and causing the two unicorns to cough and sneeze. Everything seemed to be in place and, other than a few broken windows, there hadn’t appeared to be any significant damage. Luckily for them, the utilities had been shut off long before the blizzard, so there were no broken pipes. All in all, the place really just needed a good cleaning.

“Shall we?” Rarity suggested levitating a feather duster up in front of her.

A few hours had passed and their home had been returned to a liveable state. The two unicorns sat around the table, lit by a single candle, and told each other stories about their adventures over the past few days for Rarity and the past fifteen years for Sweetie Belle. Despite the cold of the building, the two could not have been happier.

There came a knock at the door, followed by the familiar voice of Twilight. “Hello, Rarity? Are you there?”

“Come in, darling,” Rarity called out with the knowledge that the lock was already busted open.

Twilight entered the building immediately noticing Sweetie Belle sitting next to Rarity. She was a little piqued since the last time she saw her was when she was being pushed out of a train, but she was happy that Rarity had finally found her sister.

“Twilight, I’m so sorry for what I did to you back in Canterlot,” Sweetie Belle apologized. “If I had known... well it was wrong of me either way.”

“It’s alright. I understand and forgive you. I glad everything went well for you two.”

Rarity spoke up, curious with Twilight’s tone. It was a little too calm and formal, an obvious sign that something was bothering her. “And how did your trip go?”

“Good... well bad,” she began. “Actually, I’m not really sure. I think I have a way to get us back to our own time, but at the same rate, none of our friends are really able to help.”

“I’m sorry Twilight,” Rarity comforted, “if there’s anything-”

“Actually, I think we’ll be alright. Over the past few days, nothing else really mattered to me but getting back, but now that I’ve seen everypony and what they’ve gone through, I just want to help them in any way I can.” Twilight walked over to the window to look out towards the moon. “Maybe one day, we’ll get the Elements back in harmony, but for now, I’m just looking forward to making up for all the lost time with our friends.” She turned back to Rarity with a smile on her face and a tear in her eye. “Who knows, maybe this is what I was meant to learn from all this. We can’t know how much time we have left in this world, so we’ve got to make the most of every second we’re given.”

Rarity held her sister tight at the impact of the message. “I’m really glad to hear you say that Twilight. It’s very generous of you to sacrifice so much for us.” Quickly, she cantered over to Twilight and gave her a hug. “You are a good friend Twilight.”

With that, Twilight left on her way to the library, ready to begin her new life.

Pinkamena was busy cleaning the last remnants of the party. On the couch, both Twilight and Rarity were fast asleep. She danced around as she swept, still feeling the joy of the party she had with her new friend. As she passed a mirror, she noticed the single curly hair in her mane. She began to curiously poke at it with her hoof, but a knock at the door broke her train of thought.

“Oh! That must be Starlight again!” She thought as she skipped over to the door. With one quick motion, she opened up the door, but to her surprise, instead of the unicorn whom she met earlier, it was a hooded figure completely dressed in black.

Before she had a chance to react, a hoof flew in and contacted her right in the nose, sending her reeling back until she fell down on the floor. She clutched her nose as she cried in pain, struggling to scramble away from her assailant. It was no use, she had been backed into a wall as the hooded figure casually walked ever closer.

“So Pinkie.” The figure spoke in a raspy voice as she approached the fearful mare. “I heard you went insane.”

The figure flashed a toothy grin before reaching down towards the pink mare.

[Chapter 12] Fall from Grace

[Chapter 12] Fall from Grace

Pinkamena wandered the frozen wasteland, weary and broken. The blood dripping from her nose had already frozen, blocking the flow of air. She breathed heavily through her mouth as she tried to chase her assailant, but she had already lost track of her hours ago. She fought on against the buffet of the wind and sleet, delirious and in pain at the constant attack.

All around her was black. The darkness of the storm had even blocked out the light from the moon. She had no idea where she was, let alone where she had come from. She was lost.

Up ahead, she caught the trunk of a tree. It was large enough to block enough of the wind and sleet for Pinkamena to catch her breath. She used a low hanging branch to grasp onto to help keep herself up, but it was no use. Her legs gave out under her and she fell back against the tree. Up above, she could see various shades of blue from the light of the moon, radiating in a circular pattern down into the blackness where she lay. Pinkamena reached up to the light, desperately grasping at it in the hopes that it would lead her somewhere far away. Away from the cold of the world. “Please... help me...” she cried.

A figure could be made out approaching from the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. It flared its wings out and glowed with a magnificent light. The figure wore a black hooded robe, resembling the angel of death from one of Pinkamena’s mother’s old mare’s tales. “Is it my time already?” she asked, almost pleadingly as tears streamed from her eyes.

The figure approached Pinkamena so close that she could feel the chill of her mane brush against her cheek. She moved her face next to Pinkamena’s ear and whispered in an ethereal voice.

“No. It is not yet your time.”

A light glowed from atop the figure’s head making the wind die down behind her, just enough to reveal the edge of the Everfree forest.

“Save Rarity,” she whispered before disappearing in a sudden gust of snow.

Twilight opened the door to the Library to see Nova sitting down reading a book about astronomy. Around the library, several books were removed from the shelves and in disarray around the young mare. She looked up with a smile on her face at Twilight, ecstatic to begin her ‘forced’ sleepover.

“You’re back!” Nova exclaimed. “How did it go with your friends?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not sure. As far as plans go, terrible, but for the feeling you get after helping out friends, it went pretty well,” She giggled reminiscing about how much she had helped her friends. She was sure that they must have appreciated it more than Twilight could, having missed it for fifteen years.

Twilight shifted her attention to the room, looking back and forth across the room before giving Nova a confused look. “Um... Where’s Spike?” She asked.

Nova’s eyes began to shift around as she began to struggle with her answer. “Um. Well he... took a nap. He got tired after we studied so he went upstairs and took a nap.” Nova pursed her lips as she turned her attention back down to the book to avoid Twilight’s doubtful glare.

“Nova, what are you hiding?” Twilight demanded.

Suddenly, they heard a groan come from upstairs followed by the sound of somebody walking up to the balcony.

“Ugh, my head.” The purple dragon muttered before setting his sights on the unicorns downstairs. “Twilight I’m glad you’re here! She must’ve cast a knockout spell on me or something.” He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Nova.

All eyes were on Nova as they waited for her explanation.

She dropped her head below her shoulders as she conceded her defeat. “Alright, fine. I did cast a knockout spell on you, Spike. It’s just that, I thought I’d be learning about cool magic and stuff... you know, having access to ‘Twilight’s Library’ and all. But Spike is SOOOO BORING!” She groaned.

“What? Twilight said study and that’s just what I did,” He chuckled before looking towards Twilight. “We started with history, all the way from the Pre-Classical Era to now. Then we moved on to advanced Trig.” He looked over to Nova with genuine astonishment in his eyes. “You know that Twilight was around that level around your age.”

He noticed that Nova only stared at him with disappointment and frustration. “You didn’t actually think I’d let you poke your head around Twilight’s spellbooks did you?” He guffawed. “There’s some dangerous stuff in those old tomes.”

“Well it’s no use, I couldn’t find them even with you asleep.”

“Nova!” Twilight barked. “That wasn’t nice of you to do something like that. Not to mention that those are dangerous spells you performed. Where did you even learn a knockout spell? Only Royal Guards are taught those.”

“Well,” Nova began, shyly poking at the floor with her hoof. “My brother actually taught me... But please don’t tell anypony. I don’t want him to get into trouble!” She pleaded.

“Alright, I promise I won’t tell,” Twilight responded. “But you’ve got to apologize to Spike for what you did.”

With a nod, she turned to the dragon and lowered her head respectfully. “I’m really sorry that I knocked you out.” She apologized.

Twilight snickered as Spike blushed in embarrassment.

Nova quickly got the joke. “Shoot. That did not come out right,” she nervously explained. “What I meant to say was that I’m sorry I... overpowered you..."

Twilight bust out laughing this time, unable to think anything else now. “Spike, you got beat by a little filly!” She laughed.

“No, no, no! What I meant was I’m sorry you got your butt kicked by a little filly,” Nova snickered.

“Oh come on!” He shouted. “You aren’t even trying anymore!”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle laid together on Rarity’s bed, tuckered out from the long day of traveling and cleaning. She clutched her little sister tight, doing her best to wrap her tail around the young mare like she did when Sweetie Belle was just a filly. Rarity never closed her eyes, not wanting to waste a single moment with her sister.

Rarity noticed that she had grown well. With all the running Sweetie Belle did, her body had become well toned and fit. Her mane, while rather under-cared for, had grown out and flowed beautifully across her shoulders regardless. If she hadn’t been condemned to a life of crime, she could have become a model or, based on her talents, a pop idol. Rarity slowly ran her hoof through her sister’s hair as she cherished the moment.

Suddenly, there came a knock at the door.

“Not now. They can come back another day,” she thought as she continued to stroke the sleeping mare’s mane, attempting to gently remove the tangles.

Then came another knock. This one louder than before.

“Can’t they just learn to leave well enough alone?” Rarity mumbled under her breath before clutching her sister, pretending to be asleep. The beautiful scent of lilac would have done the job too. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy as she welcomed the feeling of euphoria begin to wash over her.

*Creeeeak*

Rarity’s eyes shot open as she heard the sound of the door open up. In the darkness, she strained her eyes to watch her bedroom door for any intruders. “Sweetie,” she whispered as she began to shake her sister.

“Ugh, yeah sis?” She groaned.

“Sweetie, wake up. There’s somepony in the house.”

Sweetie Belle shot up taking a defensive position in front of the bed. “Rarity, I’ll handle this.” She commanded, trying her best to keep her voice down.

“No! It’s too dangerous. What if you get-”

“Rarity. I’ve been doing this for twelve years. I can handle it.” With that, Sweetie Belle crept towards the door, positioning herself against the wall to where she could peek through the crack in the doorway. It was no use. With the boards still covering the windows, the room was pitch black and attempting to light it up with her magic would only serve to give away her position.

She decided that it would be best if she used the darkness to her advantage. If she couldn’t see the intruders, it was only fair to assume that they couldn’t see her. Not only that, but if they were still in the house, they would most likely be using a light source themselves. Sweetie Belle crept down the stairs quietly, listening for any sound out of the ordinary, though the howling of the wind only made the attempt pointless. Once she reached the ground, she could see the light coming in from the open doorway.

The room was empty. Anything that had entered must’ve left in a hurry, seeing as nothing was taken. Sweetie Belle dropped her guard as she moved forward to shut the door. Just before she touched the doorknob, she stepped on something that had been lying on the floor. It was a plain white envelope, sealed with a dab of wax, just barely enough to keep the flap closed.

She magicked it up and removed the contents, lifting the letter up to her face and using the light from her horn to read it. The reading was hardly legible, as if somepony had been frantically writing.

Rarity,

I really need to see you. It’s really important. Meet me at the ruins of the old Castle in the Everfree forest. Please come alone. I need your help.

-Pinkie

That was it. There was no time or explanation for the suspicious meeting, which put Sweetie Belle on edge. Whatever was going down, it made chills run down her spine.

“Rarity, come down!” She called up.

In no time at all, she had rushed down the stairs, relieved that her sister was safe. “Thank goodness you’re alright,” she sighed as she hugged her sister. “Do you know what it was?”

“I think you should take a look at this.” Sweetie Belle said as she handed the letter to her sister.

Rarity materialized her glasses on her face and read through the letter.

“I don’t think you should go. It’s really suspicious,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “I mean, showing up that deep in the Everfree, alone? Something just doesn’t add up."

“Nonsense, dear. Have you seen Pinkie as of late? I saw her the other day. The poor girl was so hurt, but I told her that if she needs anything, I’d be there to help her.” Rarity informed. “She was really scared. I could see it in her eyes. I don’t blame her for being sneaky about this. Plus, she called me Rarity. That can only mean she’s starting to remember me.”

“Well I’m not letting you go alone. It’s dangerous out there regardless of the circumstances and I’m not going to lose you again!” Sweetie Belle positioned herself in between the door and her sister as if to suggest that she wasn’t going to let her through.

Rarity smiled at her sister’s concern. “I can see that you won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I haven’t the slightest where you got that from,” she joked. “Alright, so be it.” Rarity held her forearm up to Sweetie Belle as if she was expecting to be escorted over there. “Shall we?”

Twilight had finally loosened up with Nova, having felt that sitting through one of Spike’s lectures about the molecular biology of pathogens was enough punishment. With Spike’s help, she had found some of her old, less dangerous, spell books that she was willing to lend to the excited filly.

Nova took to them quickly. Performing many of the spells after only a few minutes of studying and attempting them. She was a talented magician, if not a little bit cocky. “No, no. That looks too easy. Do you have something harder I can try?” She asked after examining the page that Twilight had turned the book to and handed her. She quickly closed the book and pushed it aside.

“Nova, that spell took me two whole days to master,” Twilight argued, pushing the book back in front of her. “Just try it. It’s harder than it sounds.”

“Alright then. Prepare to be amazed!” She boasted.

Twilight chuckled at the familiarity of her statement.

Just then, there came a knock at the door. Spike rushed over and opened it, seeing Rarity and Sweetie Belle standing in the doorway. He quickly led them in out of the cold as he never took his eyes off Sweetie Belle.

“Sweetie Belle! I’m so glad everything worked out!” He cheered throwing his arms out in a bold request for a hug. “How did you escape?”

The young mare rushed over to him, throwing her hooves around him and squeezing him as tight as she could. “Thank you sooo much! I couldn’t have done it without your help,” she said, remembering the bold sacrifice he made to help her escape. She turned to him and planted her lips on his cheek, giving it a big kiss before releasing her hold on him.

The dragon hobbled around while mumbling incoherently, woozy from the sudden rush of blood to his head.

Rarity turned her attention to Nova, surprised that she was still around. “Twilight, what is she doing here? I thought you made it perfectly clear that she should go home.”

“She never left,” Twilight groaned. “She followed me into the Everfree and when I finally found out, the monorail was closed. Now she's stuck here alone and I’ve got to take care of her.”

Satisfied with the answer, Rarity changed her tone to ask what she really came over for. “Twilight, dear. I need your help with something.”

“Sure Rarity. What is it?”

“I think Pinkie remembers me!” Rarity exclaimed holding up the letter. “She has sent me a message requesting that I meet her alone, but I was thinking that it might help her to remember if we both went together.”

Twilight looked at Rarity in surprise. “Let me see that letter for a second.”

Rarity handed it over and Twilight quickly read through it. A confused look spread across her face as she twisted the letter around and held it up to the light, inspecting it for anything they could have missed. “That’s it?” She asked, puzzled. “This looks really suspicious. Why can’t she just meet you at her place or speak to you at yours?”

“That’s what I said!” Sweetie cut in, matter-of-factly.

“Sweetie, please,” Rarity scoffed. “I had explained it to Sweetie Belle earlier. You saw her yourself Twilight. Does it really seem that far fetched that she would act in such a manner?”

Twilight handed over the letter, thinking on it for a moment. “Well, I guess you’re right. Though I have my doubts about it,” she admitted. “I’ll go with you for Pinkie’s sake, but I’ll be there to help you if something goes wrong.”

Twilight turned to Nova who was waiting impatiently for an invitation to join the group. “Yeah. Don’t get your hopes up, Nova.” She teased before turning to Spike. “Spike, can you watch her while we’re gone? Have her study that spell to keep her busy,” she said, pointing to the book in front of the filly.

“What if I master it before you get back? Is there another-”

“You won’t.” Twilight laughed as she wrapped a scarf around her neck. “Spike. Make sure she doesn’t pull any tricks on you again.”

He struck a pose of being at attention before saluting Twilight. “Don’t worry. I won’t fall for that again.”

Twilight nodded as the three unicorns headed out the door

Spike returned to watching the filly as she began to read the book, determined to prove Twilight wrong. She focused on the spell as her horn began to glow with a bright light. “Almost... there...” she grunted as she shut her eyes tight to concentrate harder. Suddenly, the spell fizzled out with a pathetic popping noise as Nova panted in exhaustion.

“You were close!” Spike cheered. “That’s amazing. You know you remind me a lot of Twilight. You know, she has a brother too? He’s actually the Captain of the Royal Guard.” He chuckled at the similarities. “Isn’t that funny?”

Nova just stood with her mouth hanging open in shock.

“Uh, what?” Spike asked curiously.

The trio of unicorns wandered into the Everfree forest, following the same path Twilight had taken only a few hours prior. None of the ponies had anything to fear. Twilight had already proven the path to be harmless, twice. Rarity wasn’t concerned about her surroundings either, not with Twilight and Sweetie Belle by her sides. Sweetie Belle however, was the most cautious of the trio. It wasn’t that she was scared, but that habit was hard to break. All around the forest was quiet. Still, she felt like there were eyes around, all on them.

Soon the forest became too dark to see. All three unicorns lit up an illumination spell, bathing the forest with a bright white light. The density of the trees caused their lights to cast shadows all around the forest. As they proceeded forward, it became hard to tell if there were things moving or it was just an irregularly shaped tree or bush. Off in the distance, the rustling of leaves could be heard.

“Come closer girls,” Twilight whispered, inching closer to Rarity. “Keep an eye out for anything dangerous.”

The shadows had begun to dart back and forth, putting everypony on edge. They each attempted to follow the shadows with their eyes, but with all the movement around, it was hard to keep up. The feeling of paranoia had become almost overwhelming.

“What’s that!” Rarity alerted.

“Look that way!” Twilight whispered.

“Over there.” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

They had been circling each other trying to follow the suspicious shapes until they each had their back to each other.

“Let’s get out of here girls. I don’t want to be in here any longer than we have to,” Twilight worried.

Off in the distance, Sweetie Belle could see two orbs of light, like light reflecting off of a pair of watching eyes. Just as quickly as she spotted them, the reflections disappeared as the sound of twigs breaking could be heard.

It was a tense couple of minutes, but they finally maneuvered their way through the thicket to the other side where the clearing could be seen. They joyfully rushed over to the frozen ravine.

Around, the blizzard had died down significantly, revealing the moon up above through the gaps in the clouds. Twilight began to walk forward, the crunching of snow disturbing the quiet. Something struck her as odd however. Up ahead, there were no hoofprints or signs that anypony, at least those that couldn’t fly, had been there. Twilight knew of a few paths that would lead to the clearing, but from here, this was the only path to the castle. She quickly brushed the thought aside. “We are probably just early,” she reassured herself.

"This way girls.” Twilight led the others to the edge of the overgrowth, weary of the edge of the cliff. Something up ahead, however caught Twilight completely off guard. The rope bridge had been reattached; something an Earth pony couldn’t have done on her own. “Girls... I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe we should turn back.”

“Twilight, this bridge held us all over fifteen years ago and who knows how long it’s been up before that,” Rarity attempted to convince her. “If it stayed up since then, it should stay up now. What are you afraid of?”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. This bridge wasn’t up the last time I came here. Somepony has been here and it wasn’t Pinkie.”

Sweetie Belle put her hoof up to interject. “If that’s the case, then somepony lied to my sister and tried to get her alone here. I don’t know about you guys, but that’s not okay with me.”

“Girls, girls,” Rarity cut in. “I think you girls are letting your fears get the better of you. I mean, really? Tricking me to get me alone in this far away from Ponyville? Who could I have possibly made enemies with in this short of time?”

“But the bridge-”

“What about Nova? You said she was following you didn’t you.”

“Yeah but...”

“And you passed by here, am I correct?”

“Still, that-”

“Twilight, Nova was the last one here,” Rarity finally revealed. “She could have strung up the bridge, thinking you went in here.”

“Well... she did say she lost me at one point,” Twilight finally accepted.

“There’s a chance that Pinkie is in there right now and I am not willing to risk turning my back on her after all she’s been through,” Rarity continued. “I won’t ask you girls to stay, but I hope that you do decide to join me.”

Twilight and Sweetie Belle both sighed. It was a logical explanation. Perhaps they were letting their fears get the better of them. Rarity always did have an attention for details. “Alright,” they said in unison.

One by one, they slowly traversed the rickety bridge. Each slat of wood complained and moaned as they put their weight on it, threatening to give out at any moment. After several tense moments, they had all crossed and began to head through the giant oak doors into the grand hallway where the elements once resided. The arms of the monolith had collapsed from the snow and wind that assaulted for many years, being left unprotected by the broken walls and missing ceiling, leaving only the large centerpiece standing.

There hadn’t appeared to be anypony around the room. The trio wandered around, inspecting any possible hiding place that Pinkie might be watching from. Sweetie Belle walked to the back of the room to the arched windows. She noticed that up a zigzagging flight of steps, there was a large building. In the window, she could see flickers of light coming from a fire; possibly a torch.

“Girls, I think there’s somepony over there,” she called back to the others while pointing off to the building. They all agreed, heading over to the side door that lead to the staircase.

The path was narrow. At one point, it might have been two or three times as wide as it was now and had walls on either side. Now only stood a snaking set of stairs barely a couple yards wide. They cautiously made their way up each step, lowering their center of gravity with every breeze that would blow through. Down below, the cliff sunk down into a frozen valley. After several flights, they finally reached a point where the walls hadn’t fallen down into the pit and it reconnected with the building up ahead; the ancient throne room.

The room almost hadn’t changed except for the back which had been claimed by the rockslides a long time ago. For the most part, most of the columns, walls, and even the pedestal where the throne once sat, were intact. There was a lit torch hanging on the last column before the ground disappeared right next to the pedestal.

Rarity noticed something strange, however. Right atop the pedestal was a small white and purple figure. As she approached, it became clear just what it was. Pinkamena’s Rarity doll lay on the ground dangerously close to the edge of the room. Rarity walked up to it and picked it up before a loud noise interrupted them.

Pinkamena was standing at the entrance, woozy from the cold and her injuries. She looked around the room, strangely surprised to see the three unicorns standing before her. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she dropped a note on the ground as she spotted Rarity holding her doll. “Why did you do this to me!” She cried. “Why did you take her and hurt me! I knew you were all out to get me. Violet! Starlight! I trusted you!”

Twilight walked up to Pinkamena cautiously as she tried to calm her down. “Pinkie, what’s wrong? What happened to you?”

Pinkamena winced in horror as she backed away from the advancing unicorn. “Stay back!” She screamed. Please don’t hurt me!” As she backed up, she tripped over a loose stone, falling to her back. She quickly curled up into a ball, covering her head with her hooves.

“Pinkie, what’s wrong-”

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HIT HER!” Shouted a voice from up above in the rafters. A hooded pegasus rushed down, landing right in between Twilight and Pinkamena. She walked over to the cowering mare, who was now shaking uncontrollably at the sight of her assailant. “Why can’t you do anything right?!” She berated Pinkamena before turning around quickly and pointing her covered hoof to Rarity. “Why can’t any of you do anything right! You were supposed to come alone!”

At that moment, Twilight rushed over to Pinkamena, who was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably, to comfort her . “Pinkie, shh... Everything’s going to be alri-” Twilight was interrupted by a swift kick to her ribs causing her to fall over, winded and in pain.

Both Rarity and Sweetie Belle rushed over to help out their friends but the figure darted back to the entrance away from the group to prevent herself from getting surrounded. Rarity rushed down and helped Twilight up. “Are you alright?!” She panicked.

“Y... yeah, I’m fine. Just winded is... all,” she stuttered.

Sweetie Belle rushed over to block the assailant from any further attacks on the others. "Who are you! What do you want with my sister!” She demanded.

“Stay out of this Sweetie Belle, I don’t wanna have to hurt you,” the attacker ordered.

Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth as she dropped her shoulders and swept at the ground with her front hoof, ready to charge. “Well thats too bad because I want to hurt you!” Sweetie Belle snarled. She lunged at the attacker, tackling her to the ground hard. They began to scuffle against the floor, each desperately trying to gain control over the other.

While the two fought it out, Rarity and Twilight helped Pinkamena up and took her away from the scuffle over to the pedestal so she wouldn’t get caught in it. Rarity gingerly handed the doll over, which Pinkamena quickly grabbed and hugged tightly.

In the scuffle, Sweetie Belle was quickly losing control of the pegasus. In a last ditch effort, she grabbed onto the hood with her teeth and pulled just as the attacker broke free, ripping the hood right off of her head. Sweetie Belle was shocked at who stood before her.

The orange pegasus snarled as she breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath.

“Sc... Scootaloo?!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “But why?!”

Scootaloo spit on the ground as she licked her lip, checking for blood. “Your sister ruined everything for me. I was happy. Even though I had nothing, I was happy not knowing that. Rarity brought me back to reality, but I hate it! I hate her!” Scootaloo kicked her back hooves at the air in frustration. “Pinkie was supposed to hurt her,” she shouted as she turned her attention to Rarity. “She was supposed to blame you for taking her stupid dolls and attack you, but I didn’t know she’d be as worthless as the rest of you.”

Twilight was growing more frustrated by the second. “That’s enough!” she cut in, stomping her hoof on the ground. “This is ridiculous. It wasn’t Rarity’s fault at all. You should just come back with us and forget about all these ridiculous thoughts and maybe we’ll forget about all this.”

Scootaloo started gritting her teeth in frustration as Twilight berated her. Something inside her had snapped. She didn’t care about anything anymore, only seeing her hatred through to the end. “You just don’t get it! I have nothing left!”

Sweetie Belle walked forward to try and comfort the mare. “Please stop this! You have us! You have a home. You have Rainbow Dash-”

Scootaloo felt her hoof flying through the air as a knee-jerk reaction to Sweetie Belle’s words. In an instant, Sweetie Belle was on the ground. Scootaloo looked down at the writhing mare in horror, not for what she did, but that she enjoyed doing it. There was no going back now. A sinister grin spread across her face.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity called out in shock.

Before she could run to help her sister, Scootaloo had positioned herself to charge. In a trained motion, she dug her hooves into the ground and raised her wings. With one powerful swoop, she propelled herself forward at lightning speed directly at Rarity.

Seeing the incoming attack, Twilight positioned herself in front of Rarity to protect her, bracing for impact.

Just before impact, there was a bright flash of light and a light blue blur darted from the left, intercepting the missile. Nova caught Scootaloo, wrapping her hooves around her body. The two mares were sent careening off course, knocking both Twilight and Rarity back off the edge and just hitting the doll loose from Pinkamena’s grasp before falling over the edge. Rarity was able to catch herself with one hoof, dangling from the edge, but Twilight wasn’t as lucky. All three mares plummeted down to the frozen valley below. The wind was whistling past their ears and all the air had escaped the unicorns’ lungs leaving them breathless.

“Let go you little bitch!” Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs, kicking and struggling against Nova’s grip. She had wrapped her hooves around her wings, leaving her immobile as the ground rapidly approached.

Nova shut her eyes as she waited for the end. There was a sickening thump, echoing all the way back up to Rarity. Both mares lay motionless on the ground.

Twilight still continued to fall, only shortly behind the other two. She was able to position herself to where she would get the most wind resistance and angled her fall towards a large bush. She hit her mark perfectly, the bush cushioning her fall leaving her with only a few deep cuts and bruises and severely winded. Slowly, she crawled out towards where the others had landed.

“N... Nova!” she weakly cried.

Up above, Rarity was left dangling on the edge, desperately trying to pull herself up. “Help!” She cried.

Sweetie Belle rushed over, grabbing on to her sister’s hoof and pulling with all her might. It was no use. She couldn’t pull her to safety. She looked over to Pinkamena who was busy searching for her doll. “Please help me Pinkie!” She begged.

Pinkamena continued to search for her doll, getting frantic. “Rarity!” She called out.

“I’m over here! Please help me!”

Pinkamena rushed over to the edge, first seeing Rarity holding on for dear life, and then the doll. The doll was hanging by its mane, having snagged on the jagged edges of the broken floor. Instantly, she dove down to the ground, reaching as far as she could in an attempt to rescue her friend.

“Pinkie! Over here! Please!” Rarity pleaded, witnessing Pinkamena’s delusional rescue.

The threads of the yarn were beginning to tear. There wasn’t any time left. Pinkie looked into the eyes of the doll, crying as she tried desperately to reach her. As she gazed into the eyes, she could see a small glimmer, drawing her attention to the reflection of the mare struggling for her life next to them.

Sweetie Belle, was losing her grip. It was only a matter of time before her sister slipped from her hooves, but she tried desperately to hold on. Her eyes seemed to know that it was a losing battle, pouring out a relentless stream of tears, but she refused to believe it.

Rarity could feel the hold getting weaker. “I’m... I’m sorry,” she said.

“No, Rarity! I won’t let go. Please don’t say that!” Sweetie Belle sobbed.

Rarity blinked away the tears in her eyes before staring into her sister’s eyes one last time. “I love you.”

Sweetie Belle could feel her grip just about to give out. All seemed hopeless. “No...” she whimpered.

At the last second, a pink hoof came flying in, grabbing Rarity and pulling as hard as she could. Pinkamena put all her friend’s weight on her grasp to let Sweetie Belle regain her grip. “You got her?” Pinkamena asked Sweetie Belle. She gave her a quick nod before turning her attention back to Rarity. “Okay, on three,” she began. “One. Two. THREE!”

Together, they pulled as hard as they could, lifting Rarity up the side of the cliff and back onto solid ground. Pinkamena watched as the doll finally tore itself loose from the rocks and fell.

“Goodbye Pinkamena.”

Down below, Twilight crawled across the snow, leaving a trail of red along the way. Her whole body ached from the cuts and bruises she sustained from her landing. Every bone in her body felt like it was broken. She pressured on against the pain, reaching out for the filly that lay on the ground ahead of her. She was still breathing, but it was weak.

“Nova,” she moaned, reaching out and grabbing her hoof. She sat up and pulled the filly up to her lap, wrapping her up in her arms. “P...Please speak to me.”

Nova’s eyes fluttered open, only slightly. She began to smile as she realized that Twilight was okay. Her voice was low and muffled. “I... I told... you I’d learn... the teleport.... spell,” she joked before wincing in pain. “I’m s...so sleepy now.” “I... I wish I had more time... to tell you everything.”

“Don’t say that!” Twilight cried, ignoring the freezing tears that dripped down her cheeks. “You’re gonna be fine. We’re going to get you to the hospital and you’ll...

Nova shook her head weakly. “Tell mom and dad, and our brother... I love them very much.”

“Our?” Twilight asked, confused.

Nova held up her hoof revealing a creased photograph to Twilight. She took it and stared at it in shock and horror.

“I love you... sis.” Nova whispered.

Nova closed her eyes and lowered her head in Twilight’s arm. Her breathing had stopped completely now. She was gone.

The air had become completely still. Twilight, lowered her face down to the filly’s chest crying relentlessly. Around her, steam began to rise from around her body, creating a draft. Miniature eddies of steam and snow began to swirl around her, slowly at first, but then quickly gaining speed. Small bursts of black electricity began to spark around her as the snow around her began to dissipate. Twilight lowered the mare to the ground before backing up in a rage. In front of her, Scootaloo was laying still, conscious but only just.

The eddies had begun to form a whirlwind around Twilight as she focused her rage on the battered pegasus. Scootaloo couldn’t move, mostly because of her broken bones and injuries, but partly from fear. Her eyes grew wide as she observed the beast she had unleashed.

Twilight began to spit and snarl as violent magical energy completely enveloped her. As the energy reached a certain intensity, Twilight began to lift off the ground. At first, it had appeared that she was losing control, but her actions were precise. Her motions were done specifically to cause what happened next. Twilight roared with the intensity of an explosion, causing the ground to rumble and crack around her. Twilight’s body became enveloped in purple light and her eyes glowed pure white before a frightening explosion of blinding light spread across the valley.

When the light faded, Twilight was floating above the ground. Her whole body had appeared to be made of light that took on a hue of her color. Her mane flowed much like the Princess’s, but violet and pink in color. However, around her, the Elements of Harmony circled, but they were not the crown and necklaces that they had once been, nor were they the orbs of stone they used to be before she discovered them. The elements had each appeared as a glowing gemstone, each one a different shape and color. Above her floated a purple star shaped stone.

Her expression appeared to be calm but fierce and her appearance was frightening. Around her sparked the same black lightning, but more actively and around what appeared to be an invisible sphere of energy. Twilight focused on Scootaloo. Her horn began to glow with a black aura as red and black electricity began to arc around it.

“You will pay!” She shouted in an ethereal voice.

As Twilight prepared to fire, a blinding light obscured her view. “TWILIGHT! STOP!” Boomed a familiar voice. The light faded but her vision appeared to be blurred, like she was seeing the world through blue tinted glass. Around her, everything was frozen in time. Even an arc of lightning stood still before her. She could see Scootaloo cowering in fear, but she did not feel the rage from before. In fact, there were no discernible emotions that she could feel; only the feeling of euphoria or enlightenment.

A blinding light approached her from the top of the cliff face, landing directly in front of her. Slowly, it began to take the shape of a pony. It soon became clear that the figure was a unicorn and before long, she was standing in front of Twilight, in full detail; the mare from her vision not too long ago. Her pink mane seemed to flow in an invisible breeze, but not quite like her alicorn counterpart.

The mare was Princess Celestia. The real Princess Celestia.

[Chapter 13] Best Laid Plans

[Chapter 13] Best Laid Plans

Twilight couldn’t feel her body as she walked towards her princess. Everything felt so surreal, like it was just a vivid dream that she had yet to wake up from. Step by step she inched herself closer as her emotions began to rise until they finally spilled over. Twilight rushed over to the unicorn, shutting her eyes and squeezing out a flood of tears. She threw her arms around Celestia, rubbing her face into her chest as she sobbed, unintelligibly muttering words of sorrow and pain.

“Princess-” Twilight sobbed.

“It’s just Celestia now,” Celestia calmly corrected. Lovingly stroking her hoof through Twilight's mane.

“What is this?! Where were you?! What’s going on?!” Twilight screamed as she continued to cry in her frustration. As her tears left her eyes, however, they started to float up into the sky as if the laws of physics followed their own rules here. She didn’t pay much attention to it however.

Celestia let out a heavy sigh as she contemplated where to begin. After several tense moments of holding her student and quietly shushing away her pain, she pushed Twilight away gently until she was able to look into her eyes. "Twilight, please calm down," Celestia cooed like a mother calming her child. "We don't have much time."

Twilight looked up at her mentor, fruitlessly wiping at the relentless stream of tears. She tried her best to quiet her crying so that Celestia could talk.

Celestia looked around at the world in its blue tint. “This is the true nature of the magical state,” she began. “While it gives you access to an untold amount of power, it is also a link to every Element of Magic that came before you.” Around the pair, the faces of dozens of unicorns appeared, watching the two silently from a distance.

“I... I don’t understand,” Twilight began, watching the peaceful faces of the unicorns around them. “Were you hiding here this whole time?”

“No, Twilight. I've been here, but I'm not hiding. This is something like an afterlife. I’ve been here for about fourteen years now, but it only feels like a few days. It’s more like an extended sleep that I only wake up from when I’m needed. I cannot leave, but I can still communicate with you and Luna through the magical state.”

It was all so much to take in, but Twilight suddenly remembered her sister she had just lost. At that point, nothing else really mattered to her anymore. “Well what about my sister? Can I save her?"

“I never meant for things to go like this,” Celestia sighed.

Twilight gave her an accusing stare. “How did you mean for things to go?! How much were you in control of?!”

“Nothing!” Celestia retorted before regaining her composure. “Maybe I should start from the beginning. When I was born, I was given a gift. This gift let me see the future. Many futures. Nearly every future. It was a heavy burden that I had to endure. It never went away, but after thousands of years, I learned to become accustomed to it." Celestia took a moment to collect her thoughts. "I was given a prophecy once. After many centuries of predictions, I saw somepony who would fit that prophecy. I saw you. I saw your power. I saw you become the Element of Magic. But for almost a thousand years thereafter, I never saw you become what you needed to be; not until I created this plan.” She looked down to Nova before shedding a tear. "I did set the wheels in motion for everything that had happened, but I never predicted that she would exist.”

Twilight looked back to Nova, first with sadness, and then with anger. “I’ll save her! I have to.” Twilight stated.

“You can’t.”

“I have control of the elements now,” Twilight scoffed. “I’ll just go right to the past before she dies and protect her.”

“Twilight, she will die. Again. In a different way.” Celestia let out another heavy sigh as she considered how to explain the difficult concept. “Nova came to be in this world because you disappeared. When your parents heard word of your disappearance and presumed death, they grieved as expected. However, I never predicted that in their grief, they would choose to have another foal. I guess in order to protect her, they never told her the truth about you. They didn’t want her to get mixed up in magic.”

Twilight looked down to the picture she still held. In it was a family photo of her parents and Shining Armor, but in the spot where Twilight should have been, Nova was standing. A single tear dripped down onto the photo. “I don’t understand. Why can’t I save her?”

“Because, Twilight, in a world where you exist, she can’t,” Celestia explained. “Her birth was the result of your death, and if you aren’t dead, then she becomes an anomaly. A mistake. That’s the trouble with time travel. In all honesty, the only way to save her from her fate is to ensure that she is never born by returning to your time to set things right. I know it's harsh, but there's really nothing else you can do.”

“There was only one future that I planned for you,” she continued. “You were supposed to reunite your friends and use their friendship to learn to control your element so that you could come back to your time. Nothing more. In all honesty, I never knew that you could control all the elements by yourself without becoming an alicorn first.”

Twilight looked at Celestia in confusion. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘first’?”

Celestia raised her head up high with pride in her student. “Twilight, your whole life, I've been preparing you to be my replacement. It is your destiny as the Element of Magic, just as it was mine and Luna’s four thousand years ago. But Luna and I, we weren’t given a choice like I am going to give you. Your future may have been directed this way, but I will at least give you the decency of the truth and a choice.”

“You didn’t think I would have accepted the responsibility of being the princess?!" Twilight scoffed. "Of course I would have accepted the responsibility! If it’s my responsibility, then I must!”

“Twilight, there is a price you must pay in order to become an alicorn. One that you would not accept had I not sent you here to show you a world without the sun.” Celestia waited for the inevitable response to her choice of words.

“Wait, you sent me here?!” Twilight barked. “But even if you wanted it to happen, it was an accident. I lost control."

“Alas, while it was an accident for you, it was my actions that caused you to lose your focus. In a carefully calculated action, I performed a sonic rainboom that would break your concentration long enough for you to lose control,” Celestia revealed.

Twilight paced around, contemplating the implications. Celestia had sacrificed the world on a gamble that she would end up here at this time. That everything would end up the way it did and that the clues she left would last until then. There were too many variables and Twilight was having difficulty trusting that Celestia relied on anything but luck. Twilight finally stopped pacing, feeling the anger boil up inside her as she faced the unicorn. “You gambled with my life!” She shouted. “With the lives of everypony in the world.”

“Twilight, please understand! I've had four thousand years to plan this out. I never took this responsibility lightly." Celestia took another glance at Nova's lifeless body in the snow. "But it was impossible for me to predict everything. Not every future is set in stone. Every action that anypony makes could alter the course and I could only have influenced so much."

“But it was still a gamble,” Twilight sighed as she remembered the faces of all her friends. The pain and struggles they all went through. "How can you say you love all your subjects..."

“Don't finish that thought!" Celestia begged with tears in her eyes. "Please, Twilight... please trust me,” Celestia pleaded. This was not a ruler commanding obedience but as a friend begging for help. "Regardless of anything I could have done, I was going to die. For reasons I cannot explain, the Sun itself feeds off my energy and if I die without passing on my power to another, it dies with me." Celestia rested her hoof on Twilight's shoulder as she looked deep into her eyes. "The real gamble would have been to let you decide without knowing everything. My predictions always showed that you would have declined if not for this, and if you had lived your life and died, then there would be no fixing this. The line of the Element of Magic would end with you."

Twilight sighed in defeat as she saw the logic in the statement. "What are the consequences for becoming an alicorn?” she asked.

Celestia nervously shuffled her hooves at the snow even though she left no marks upon the soft powder. “Well... you have to die...”

“WHAT!?” Twilight gasped.

“It’s not what you’re thinking!” Celestia immediately responded, waving her hooves in the air frantically. “You have to be reborn from your ashes, so to speak. You will still be you, but you’ll emerge as an alicorn. Unfortunately, you won’t remember your life from before your transformation.”

“But what about all my friends? What about my life?”

Celestia cleared a hole in the clouds overhead, revealing the stars. She stared up at a constellation she asked Luna to make for her a long time ago. The five stars of her attention began to twinkle slightly as Celestia felt a pressure in her chest. “You should not be concerned about forgetting them. They will be around you for the remainder of their lives. Such is the connection you share with the other elements. No, Twilight, the hardest part about becoming nearly immortal is learning to accept the mortality of everypony around you while still not forsaking friendship.”

“I would have accepted those consequences...” Twilight answered, really only trying to convince herself.

“And you must live four thousand years ruling a country through every hardship without faltering as a beacon of hope amongst your subjects as you wait for the elements to complete their four thousand year cycle.” Celestia took notice of her student’s obvious struggle with accepting everything she had been told.

“I... I could, have...”

“Twilight, I know I should have told you, but you were always one to pride yourself on proof and observation. Your stubbornness and endless curiosity was my greatest battle in ensuring the continuation of our line. I had to let you see for yourself if you were ever to accept my prophecy.”

Twilight hung her head low in defeat. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn’t ever see herself in a world without her friends. In truth, she had thought about it often, but she hoped that she would have been the first to go out of all her friends when her time came. She was literally mortified of the thought of grieving, and she hated herself for selfishly thinking that way.

However, something that Celestia had said caught Twilight’s attention. “Celestia...” She muttered. “If the elements followed a four thousand year cycle, shouldn’t the Elements of Chaos also have appeared? And on the same note, since Luna still has a thousand years left, what does that mean for her when they do?”

“I’m glad you asked that Twilight. You are lucky that Luna will be there to help you out in your early years should you choose to accept my request, for you see, her elements follow a different, 5000 year cycle, indifferent of her relatively short lifespan. Together, we agreed that Luna would have to hibernate for one thousand years in order to live long enough to see her successor appear. In order to do this, we had to find her a vessel. One that could live for the entirety of the millenium. Unfortunately, the only other creature like that was Nightmare.” Celestia showed Twilight an image of a floating creature made entirely of black magic. The creature skipped across the minds of ponies, possessing them to do dastardly acts before leaving them broken but oblivious to the suffering they caused as it floated on to find its next victim. “It was pure evil, but at the same time, laughably weak. The only reason it was able to survive so long under our constant hunting was that it was deviously cunning.”

“One thing that it desired most of all was our power, but we used that to our advantage.” Celestia showed Twilight a vision of Princess Luna silently arguing with the creature as it swarmed around her, trying to get into her head. At one moment, it seemed like its words had struck a sour note with the Princess as she dropped her head in sadness and by extent, her guard.

In one quick motion, the mass flew at Luna, entering her head through her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, leaving the alicorn goddess writhing in pain on the ground, clasping her hooves against her head. What came next was horrifying to say the least; so horrifying that Celestia turned away and placed her hooves over her ears, despite it being completely silent, as if the memories were too much to bear.

Luna’s eyes became jet black as she squirmed on the ground, hitting her head against the tile in a frantic attempt to rid herself of the pain. Her body began to shed like a shell being ripped from her body as flakes of color peeled off revealing her black coat underneath. Luna was skilled at transformation, but this was unlike anything either princess had ever seen.

Luna’s face contorted as she began to scream in agony as the last part of the transformation began. Her wings, once pristine and regal, began to snap and break out of shape, taking the form of something much like bat wings. After it was all over, the towering black alicorn slowly rose up, panting as she examined her hooves. She began to laugh maniacally as she flaunted her newfound power, shooting random sparks of lightning in different directions.

Celestia uncovered her ears and wiped the tears away from her eyes as she turned to face Twilight. “And thus, Nightmare Moon was created,” she sniffled. “Luna fell into a deep sleep as Nightmare took control of her. However, we could not allow Nightmare to wreak havoc on Equestria with Luna’s power, so I waited for her outside the castle with the Elements ready. When she came out, I quickly banished her to the moon, where she would be forced to live the duration of Luna’s hibernation in exile.”

Twilight closed her mouth which had fallen open in astonishment as she took a moment to interpret everything that she had been told. If everything Celestia said was the truth, then everything that had happened in the past four thousand years had been planned to a certain extent, from Nightmare Moon all the way to how Twilight’s life would turn out.

“Alright... I get it,” Twilight sighed, depressed from her own realization. “My life was never my own to live, but if Equestria needs me to be who you want me to be, then I will do it.” Twilight took a prideful stance despite the tears in her eyes.

Celestia gave her a pitiful look. “I’m so sorry Twilight. I tried to give you the life you deserved. Not everything was planned by me. The friendships you forged. The good times you had. They all came from you.” She sighed as she remembered the day she found out about Twilight’s destiny. “But fate chose you, and there was only so much I could leave to chance for you.”

Twilight looked up at the top of the cliff face back to where they had fallen from. “Then what about Rarity? I understand that I had to come, but why did you let her come with me?”

“That, Twilight, is a different story. I had to make sure she would be ready.”

“Ready?” Twilight asked. “Ready for what?”

“To raise you once you are reborn.”

“Raise me? What about my parents? Why can’t they do it? Are they not good enough for you?” She sneered.

Celestia winced at the onslaught of questions. “Because, Twilight. It didn’t work so well for Luna and I when we became alicorns.” Celestia once again used her magic to show Twilight her and her sister back when they were young alicorn fillies. A light tan unicorn with a dark gray mane walked into view and swept up the two fillies in each arm. “This was our father. He was a powerful conjurer of his time. In fact, many ponies believed that he would be an Element of Magic, at least, until Luna and I were born.”

The unicorn looked down at the two fillies, but instead of being happy, he looked down at them with contempt and jealousy. “He envied our power. Everypony used to believe that he would have it, but the day we stole his dream away from him, something inside him snapped. Nopony could have seen it coming. He tried to take control of the Element's of Chaos, but they rejected him. The power of the Elements of Chaos tortured his mind and his body, and even though he was able to take away a lot of Luna's power, the ritual transformed him, warping him into a twisted beast."

"Wait, you can't seriously mean that..." Twilight interrupted as she recognized who Celestia was hinting at.

"Yes, Twilight," Celestia continued. "My father died that day, but what emerged from his death was Discord, a psychotic being with a terrible power. His first goal was to claim the rest of Luna's power, as well as kill me so that nopony could challenge his power, but our mother was able to rescue us during the transformation and take us far away from Everfree City. In his desperation he created a blizzard that swept over almost all of Equestria in the hopes of freezing us to death."

“I believe this is where the history you know begins. Luna and I were born at the same time, so before they passed, the Prince and Princess appointed a unicorn council to raise the sun and moon, as told in your Hearth’s Warming Eve story. But since they were gone and Luna and I were merely fillies at the time, this also meant that there was no pony to challenge Discord in his rise to power. He sent the creatures called Windigoes off to find us and kill us, but our mother, Clover, hid us well in the caves beneath Canterlot. You see Twilight, your Hearth’s Warming story is really the story of how Everfree fell and Canterlot rose to be the new Capital, only mistranslated and misinterpreted from over 4000 years of telling and retelling."

Celestia snapped out of her reverie and turned her attention over to Twilight, hopeful that what she had shown her was enough to convince her of her reasoning. Unfortunately instead, Twilight was fuming.

“So you think my parents could go crazy and try to rule Equestria with my power?” Twilight spat.

“I trust your mother and father with my life, but for Equestria, that isn’t good enough. They need a pony they can trust. One like an Element of Harmony, who has risen above the call of duty and made sacrifices that nopony else could have done. Since the world does not yet fully trust Luna since the Nightmare Moon incident, Rarity is my best choice.”

It was a sound reasoning, but one that left a bitter taste in her mouth. Still, she doubted that Celestia or Luna would have reacted any differently if somepony had told them that their father would do what he did.

Suddenly, the hue of the world around them became a little darker as all the faces that surrounded them faded back into nothingness. Celestia looked around with a worried look on her face. "Twilight, our time is almost up. You've used up almost all of your power. You must return to your own time and speak with..."

Twilight held up her hoof to stop Celestia in her thought. "I'm so sorry, Celestia. I understand how much work you put into all this and how difficult it must have been, but I just can't go back," she stated gently.

"But Twilight! There's no other way!"

"I'm sorry, Celestia, but I cannot abandon everyone again." Twilight looked down at the picture and then up to the sky, picturing the faces of all her friends. "They all need me now more than ever. I know that we can't be certain what happens to the timelines when we jump from one to the other, but the book theorized that they just branch off rather than just cease to exist. I can't just go create another world just because this one is messed up. I can't forsake my friends like that. I caused all this, and I need to be here to fix it or at least deal with the consequences of my actions."

Celestia felt helpless as Twilight explained her reasoning to her. Twilight's words were definite. There was no sign of fear or reservation in the way she spoke. For the first time in almost four thousand years, Celestia was speechless.

"But... the Sun..." Celestia weakly muttered.

Twilight gave Celestia a confident and reassuring smile as her horn started to glow. "There are many things I learned in my years studying under you, but there were many things that I found out on my own." Twilight closed her eyes and began to focus her enegy in front of her, creating a small spark of energy.

Celestia's eyes lit up as she saw what Twilight had created. The energy was so overpowering and familiar, despite how short lived it was. Celestia looked back up into Twilight's eyes before noticing that she was sweating and panting in exhaustion.

"Celestia..." Twilight panted. "Princess Celestia. I... need you to trust me on this..." she said as she struggled to keep herself upright.

Celestia only gave her a nod as the rest of the light around them faded to pitch black. There was only the two unicorns left standing in the void. "I... I trust you, Twilight. If this is your decision, then please allow me to bestow upon you one last gift."

Twilight nodded as she felt her eyelids getting heavy.

Celestia reached in and embraced Twilight with all her might. The action surprised her, but before she could react, Celestia leaned in and whispered into her ear. "This is goodbye, Twilight. Please tell Luna that I love her."

"Wait! Princess-" Twilight shouted before Celestia's body suddenly burst into a shower of sparks of energy. The brilliant display of light swirled around Twilight in one massive flurry before flowing into her body from all directions. Just as quickly as it began, the light faded. Tears dripped from her eyes, but Twilight felt no sadness. Even though her mentor and teacher were gone forever, she was happy. She could feel the warmth of Celestia flowing inside her.

The world around began to come back into focus in its normal hue as Twilight could once again feel herself suspended up in the air. She could feel the air around her begin to circulate as the world began to move again, slowly at first but gradually gaining speed until it returned to normal. The energy around her quickly dissipated in a flash as she gently began to descend to the snow and her body returned to its normal state. She felt light headed, stumbling around as beads of sweat dripped from her forehead despite the cold.

The first thing she thought about as she regained her senses was her sister. She rushed over to Nova’s side, lifting her head up and letting it rest on her lap as she stroked her mane lovingly. Twilight found it hard to take that the young mare had no other fate than death at such a young age. She deserved better than this.

Scootaloo sighed in relief as Twilight left to go tend to the mare; a moment of relief that was short lived as she remembered the pain she was in. Scootaloo coughed up blood as she waited for the cold to finish her off. “It’s not fair,” she thought.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash bolted down from the sky to the trio, previously alerted by the explosion of magic she saw earlier. She instantly dashed over to the orange pegasus reaching down to hold her, but stopping short as she realized that she could cause more damage. “Scootaloo!” Dash cried, tears relentlessly streaming from her eyes. “What did you do?!”

“I... I wanted somepony to hurt... as much as I did. I... I was so... so... angry-”

Dash held her hoof up to the mares lips as she shushed her. “It’s all my fault! I never showed you the attention you deserved. I was too cocky. Too proud. I’m so sorry!”

“No Dash... It was all my fault. I never spoke up... I...”

“No! Don’t think that way. Just focus on staying awake!” Rainbow Dash turned her head as she pushed a button on a headset that she kept in her ear. “This is former Captain Dash requesting immediate medevac.”

There was a moment of static before a voice responded. “Roger, Captain Dash. What’s your location?”

“I’m somewhere in the Everfree Forest. Near the ruins. Make an overhead pass. I’ll pop flares.”

“I copy. We’ll send a team right away. ETA: two mikes.”

Rainbow Dash pulled a flare out of a leg holster and struck the flint, creating a bright flash of red sparks. She immediately tossed the flare aside as she turned back to the now quivering mare beside her. “Stay with me Scoots. You’re going to be okay.”

“Former?” Scootaloo mumbled.

“Huh?”

“You... you said former Captain. W...what did you mean?”

“I... I quit the Wonderbolts.” Dash stuttered.” I was going to take you home with me before you stormed off.”

Scootaloo smiled. “You didn’t... have to do that.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “The Wonderbolts are nowhere near as important as you. I’ll get over it. I would never get over losing you.”

Scootaloo felt tears of joy well up in her eyes, but they quickly turned to tears of pain as she coughed up more blood. “I’m sorry...” She didn’t even get to finish her sentence as her eyelids drooped and her breathing stopped.

“No, no, NO!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she began performing CPR on Scootaloo. "Please! Stay with me! Don't you dare!" Dash wailed, desperately trying to suppress the tears in her eyes.

A team of pegasi came fluttering down from the sky, lowering stretchers down as they rushed to both the downed mares. They quickly pushed Dash aside trying to prevent her from rushing in and interfering with their work. It took two medics to fully restrain her while another two tended to Scootaloo. They quickly placed a neck brace on her before pulling out a portable defibrillator.

Rainbow Dash continued to watch in horror as the machine gave off its unmistakable high pitched screech to signify it was charging up.

"CLEAR!" The paramedic called out as he placed the pads on the mare's chest and then pushed the button. Scootaloo's body violently convulsed as the surge of voltage coursed through her body, but still she remained lifeless.

Dash struggled against her restrainers, reaching out desperately for Scootaloo, not even trying to hold back her tears.

"CLEAR!"

The scene was utter chaos as they continued to try to revive her while Rainbow Dash screamed and fought in agony. One other medic had come over to Twilight and Nova to tend to them. There was no doubt on his face when he came down to check for a pulse. Only a few seconds passed before he removed his hat and began to pronounce Nova, offering the mare a moment of silence before turning to offer Twilight some assistance. She slowly waved her hoof to decline as she returned to hold to her little sister.

All of Twilight’s friends were gathered all dressed in black as they waited for the procession to begin. Twilight rushed over to her mother and father as they all held each other once again. Her brother and his wife soon joined in the hug. Even though their family had returned to the way it was before, they all knew that their family would never be whole again.

Princess Luna came in and offered Twilight her condolences before heading up to the altar. She gave a conductor a brief nod and he held his hooves up to conduct. An orchestra began to play a somber tune as the pallbearers carried in two coffins. Everypony in attendance hung their heads low as they brought the coffins to their resting place.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” Luna began. “It is with great sadness that we are gathered today to commend these two to the mercy of the ancients.”

As Luna talked, Rainbow Dash held a handkerchief up to her eyes to stop the tears. She felt incredibly guilty for everything that had happened.

Twilight quickly placed a hoof on her distraught friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Rainbow Dash. It wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could do.”

After Luna had finished speaking, each of Twilight’s family went up and said a few words for Nova. One by one, they told stories of Nova's life through their torrents of tears and sobs. Each story was so incredibly like Twilight's, with her endless curiosity and incredible talent, that it had almost seemed like she was at her own funeral. Finally, Princess Cadence finished her eulogy leaving only Twilight to speak."

Twilight found her way up to the pedestal and looked around at all the mourning faces before she cleared her throat. “I never knew Nova like I should have," she began. "My family tells me that she was just like me. Always curious. Always thirsty for knowledge. They say I would have really loved her, and I did. The little time I had with her, she grew on me. She became every bit important to me as my own friends. In truth, I was never supposed to meet her, but she will always hold a place in my heart. One that will shine forever like the stars she loved to observe. She is and will always be my little sister.”

Twilight stepped down from the altar and leaned over the casket, giving Nova a kiss on her forehead before returning to her place in between her family and her friends.

Fluttershy leaned in closer to Twilight. “Thank you for letting me do this,” she whispered before getting up to go talk at the altar. “Angel was more than just a friend to me...” She began.

Rainbow Dash turned to her right as she felt a nudge from the orange pegasus that stood beside her. Her body was heavily bandaged up and her arm was in a cast. She was chained up in cuffs with two royal guards watching her every move. “Can I say a few words? I want to apologize for what I did,” she asked.

Rainbow Dash looked back to the guards who nodded before turning to Twilight and her family. “I know it isn’t my place to ask, but could Scootaloo say a few words?

Twilight smiled as she gave Rainbow Dash a quick nod. “Of course.”

Everypony gathered around at Golden Oaks Library back in Ponyville waiting for Twilight to arrive. Everypony from Twilight's parents, Princess Luna, and all her friends were there to hear what Twilight had to say, but everypony had already expected it to be the final farewells. There was tension in the air; some of it from fear and some from stress. Nopony really knew what to expect if Twilight was to go back into their past. Either they would all cease to exist, or they would continue on and Twilight would be gone once again.

Most worried of all was Rarity. After the funeral, she had decided that she wasn't going to go back with Twilight, but she wasn't quite sure how to break the news. Sweetie Belle had already endured so much on her own. The thought of leaving her alone again was too much for Rarity to take. Nothing would truly undo the pain that Sweetie Belle had already gone through.

Ever since they were reunited, Sweetie Belle hadn't left Rarity's side. She practically groveled for Rarity to stay once she learned of Twilight's plan to return back to their own time. However, it didn't take much to convince her that it was the right choice.

"I forgive you Rarity!" Sweetie Belle cried. "I'm so sorry for all the bad things I've done. I never meant the things I said! Just please don't leave me again!

Rarity held her sister tightly, resting her cheek against her soft and flowing mane. "You don't have to be alone anymore, darling," she whispered. "I'll never leave you again."

Princess Luna patiently waited. She hadn't said a word since the funeral. Since Twilight pulled her aside and told her of her encounter with Celestia. She desperately struggled to maintain her stoic expression, but everypony noticed anyway. Twilight's words replayed over and over in her mind, and even though she was happy that Twilight was now one with Celestia, Luna couldn't help but feel distraught that she would never see her sister again. Not in her magical state which she would sometimes use to get away from it all. Not even in the afterlife where she was to join the previous wielders of the Elements of Magic when her time too would come.

Still, Twilight hadn't told her everything about the encounter. She never told her about her plan, nor did she even tell her why Celestia did what she did. All she asked was that Princess Luna trust her. So there Princess Luna sat in the middle of Twilight's library, patiently waiting for Twilight to return. She had said that she had some things to take care of, and for everypony to wait for her at the Library.

Not a single word was spoken for the rest of the time they all spent waiting, either out of respect or grief. Only the muffled sounds of sobbing and the wind howling outside were audible. It came as a shock to everyone when there came a knock at the door.

Spike quickly rushed over and opened up the door, revealing the lavender unicorn of the hour. All eyes were transfixed on Twilight, some with elation, and others with confusion. Twilight slowly walked in, all six of the gems that made up the Elements of Harmony circling around her as she made her way to the back of the room. She didn't say a word- she hadn't spoken to anybody since the funeral, save for the few words she said to Princess Luna. Nopony really knew what to expect.

Twilight situated herself in front of the reading desk and waited for everypony to get situated where they could see and hear her. Once the room was still, Twilight took a moment to clear her throat.

"I'm not going back to my own time," she began.