Biomom

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Chapter Three

Prologue

Princess Twilight Sparkle adjusted her crown and studied herself in the mirror with a bright, sunny smile.

Mother's Day had once again come to Equestria. Ever since moving to Ponyville, Twilight had seen less of her mother than she really cared for—the last time she'd seen her was at her coronation, and that had been nine moons ago. The life of a princess, even an inexperienced one, tended to be hectic, and with all the crazy adventures Twilight and her friends had, she simply hadn't found the time to drop by her parents' home for a visit.

Normally, Twilight and her mother, Twilight Velvet, would spend Mother's Day together in Canterlot. This year, however, Velvet was coming to Ponyville, because Twilight and Pinkie Pie had organized a Ponyville Mother-Daughter Picnic. Pinkie was excited for her mother and her two younger sisters to arrive on the morning train; Twilight had sent the Twinkling Balloon to collect her own mother.

Satisfied with her appearance, Twilight launched herself off the balcony of her royal suite and flew down into Ponyville. She saw Fluttershy browsing a selection of flowers and swooped down beside her. "Morning, Fluttershy!" she said brightly. "Are you bringing your mother to the picnic?"

Fluttershy looked down, eyes sad. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we'll be there," she said. "Mama is afraid of the ground. That's why I've never brought her to Ponyville."

"Oh," Twilight said quietly.

"I'm going to try to convince her to come, but...we're probably going to spend the day together in Cloudsdale, like we do every year." She was near tears. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Fluttershy," Twilight said with a gentle smile. "The important thing is to spend today with your mother."

"I should get going," Fluttershy said. She bought a bouquet of flowers, put them in her saddlebag, then took off, waving a wing at Twilight.

At that moment, Rainbow Dash dropped down next to Twilight. "Fluttershy off to Cloudsdale?" she asked.

"Yeah," Twilight said with a sigh.

"What's up? You look kinda down."

Twilight flicked an ear. "It's just...Pinkie and I went to a lot of trouble to arrange this whole Mother-Daughter Picnic thing for the whole town, and I was hoping all my friends would be there." She frowned. "Sure, Applejack has to bring Granny Smith, because her own mother is, well..." She sighed. "But Fluttershy's not coming, Shining Armor can't make it to be with me and Mom, Maud can't come, Pinkie's upset about that..."

Rainbow grimaced. "Uhh...yeah...I'm not gonna be there either," she said.

Twilight blinked. "You're not?"

Rainbow sighed. "I don't have anypony to bring," she said. "My biomom ran off when I was a foal. I don't even know who she is."

"Oh, Rainbow! That's..." Twilight blinked. "Wait. Biomom?"

"It's easier to say than biocomologimacal—"

"Just...stop," Twilight said, facehoofing. "Okay, so...your 'biomom'. I'm sorry. I didn't know." She frowned. "But wait. Your dad never told you...?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Dad won't say. I've asked him for years, but he won't tell me who my biomom is." She shrugged. "He did a good job bringin' me up, him and his girlfriends. He had a ton of girlfriends over the years. I don't really think of any of them as a mom though. They were more like really cool big sisters." She sighed. "Well, I'd better get to work on the clouds so everypony has a nice clear sunny sky today. Later, Twi!"

Twilight watched Rainbow fly off with a frown. *Rainbow Dash doesn't even know who her own mother is...that's terrible...* She thought back to all the times when she was a little filly and her mother had been there for her: whenever she'd hurt herself playing, when her horn ached from too much practice, when she had a tummyache or a sniffle. Or when a noise or a shadow scared her at night and she wet the bed. Or when her mother had had that special talk with her about estrus and colts...

Dads were great. Twilight loved her father. He'd read to her and give her candy and do lots of neat stuff, but...a dad couldn't be a mom.

A string of girlfriends certainly was no substitute for a proper mother, either.

*I need to do something about this.*

A plan swiftly took shape in Twilight's mind. She headed off to the balloon dock; just as she arrived, the Twinkling Balloon descended into view, a familiar pale unicorn sitting in the basket.

Before the balloon could even land, Twilight had teleported her mother onto the ground beside her. "Hi Mom," she said.

Twilight Velvet blinked. "Good morning, Twiley," she said. "You...could've let the balloon land, you know." She chuckled weakly.

Twilight grimaced. "Mom...I'm really sorry about this, but there's something I need to take care of this morning, and I need to take care of it really fast. I really hate to ditch you, but—"

Velvet cocked her head. "Is this Princess business?" she asked.

"It's friendship business," Twilight replied. "I've got five hours to find out who Rainbow Dash's mother is and drag her here to reunite with her daughter."

Before Velvet could inquire further, Twilight shot off into the sky, headed for Cloudsdale.

Five seconds later, Twilight reappeared in a flash of magic and flung her hooves around her mother in a crushing hug. "Spike's hanging around Carousel Boutique, why don't you meet up with him? I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, she was gone again.

Velvet waited a full ten seconds before heading into Ponyville, bemused, confused, and concerned.

* * * * *

As Twilight landed on one of the many busy cloud lanes in Cloudsdale, her appearance drew quite a few stares and murmurs. She ignored the curious buzz that her presence generated and scanned the lanes. After several minutes of flying errantly, she spotted a familiar pink tail slipping inside a house. She descended and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" a soft voice asked. The door opened, and Fluttershy peeked out. "Oh! Twilight! Goodness...wh-what are you doing here?"

"Sorry to bother you, but I need to find Rainbow Dash's dad," Twilight said.

"Rainbow Blaze?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh...I think he lives..." Fluttershy frowned. "Mama knows where he lives. Just a moment." She went inside; a moment later, an older pegasus with a cherry blossom pink coat and a butter yellow mane peeked out.

Twilight smiled at her. "Oh! You must be Fluttershy's mother."

The older mare quaked in fear. "P-Princess T-Twilight Sparkle?!" she squeaked in a soft, trembling voice.

Twilight's ears drooped slightly. "I...see it runs in the family," she muttered. "Please...don't be afraid. You know I'm one of your daughter's best friends, right?"

"Umm...y-yes..."

"I was just wondering if you happen to know where I might be able to find a Mr. Rainbow Blaze..."

"THAT ASSHOLE!!" Fluttershy's mother suddenly thundered—literally, as her house spat a lighting bolt into the air. Twilight took a step back, wings flared in alarm.

"Now, Mama," Fluttershy said gently, reappearing in the doorway. "It was a very long time ago, and you know it was an accident. Please, please let it go? His daughter Rainbow Dash is one of my very dearest friends..."

"Uhh...Fluttershy? What—?"

"Some other time!" Fluttershy whispered frantically.

"Err...right..." Twilight cleared her throat. "Ma'am...I'm sorry to have upset you, but it's really important I find Mr. Blaze."

Fluttershy's mother seethed. "He lives over on Drizzle Drive," she said. "There's a rainbow fountain in the front yard, you can't miss it."

"Thank you very much. It was nice meeting you."

As Twilight flew off, she heard Fluttershy's mother yell, "I HOPE YOU SHOOT A FREAKING LASER BEAM UP THAT SON OF A BITCH'S ASS!"

"Wow," Twilight said to herself, shuddering.

It took her several minutes to find Drizzle Drive, and a few more minutes to find the house with a rainbow fountain in the "yard". She glided to a halt on the doorstep and knocked.

After nearly a full minute, the door was opened by a stallion with a rainbow mane. His eyes widened. "Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight nodded. "Good morning, sir. You're Rainbow Blaze, father of Rainbow Dash, are you not?"

"Yes...is something wrong? Has something happened to—"

"No, nothing like that," Twilight assured him. "May I come in?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

Twilight followed Rainbow Blaze into a modest living room full of soft, fluffy cloud furniture. "You have a lovely home," she said.

"It's nothing compared to that monument to my little girl's ego floating over Ponyville," Blaze said.

Twilight giggled. "Her house is a bit...over-the-top." She sat down on one of the cloud chairs. "The reason I've come today is to ask you a question. I understand if it's a sensitive subject, but...it's extremely important."

"Alright," Blaze said cautiously.

"I'll get right to the point," Twilight said. "Rainbow Dash's mother. Who is she?"

Blaze frowned. "I'd...rather not say."

Twilight's face fell. "I was afraid you'd say that," she said. "I only learned this morning that Rainbow Dash doesn't know who her mother is. That she was raised by you and a succession of your girlfriends. Is her mother even alive?"

"Yes, she is," Blaze said. "It's...complicated."

Twilight gave him a hard look. "Uncomplicate it," she suggested. "Rainbow Dash deserves to know who her mother is."

Blaze shook his head. "It's not that simple," he insisted. "She left because she didn't want the responsibility of motherhood. And, well...her lifestyle is...not like other ponies."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash is a grown mare. I don't really think those things matter anymore."

Blaze sighed. "I suppose not. Still..."

"I don't want to overstep my bounds," Twilight said. "But as one of Rainbow Dash's closest friends, I really must insist you at least tell me who her mother is. Then let it be up to me to confront her and try to bring them together." She fixed Blaze with an imploring look. "If you can't trust a Princess of Equestria, who can you trust?"

Blaze flinched, looking away. After a long, tense moment, he hesitantly said, "Her mother is...A.K. Yearling."

Twilight blinked. "You're kidding!"

"No, it's true," Blaze said. "Which is why it's complicated. You see, apart from living in a very remote part of Equestria, she—"

Twilight frowned. "But that doesn't make sense!" she said. "After that whole thing with the Rings of Scorchero, and—Daring Do should've recognized her own daughter!" She stood up and began to pace.

Blaze blinked. "Wait. You've actually met..." He trailed off. "You know?"

"That A.K. Yearling is Daring Do? Yes," Twilight said. "My friends and I met her several moons ago. Rainbow Dash helped her defeat Ahuizotl." Twilight tilted her head. "Now that I think about it...they do look an awful lot alike..."

"And...she didn't show any sign at all of recognizing her daughter?" Blaze asked. When Twilight shook her head, he sighed. "I'm not surprised. The only reason she came around was for...well...sex," he said with a blush, "and she kinda flew off the handle when Rainbow Dash happened. As soon as she could get away after foaling her, she took off as fast as her wings could carry her. She never came back."

Twilight frowned. "But...that's...!"

"Daring's got a lot of character flaws that she leaves out of her books."

Twilight sighed, ears drooping. "Apparently," she muttered.

Blaze looked away. "It's...it's part of why I stopped reading them. When Dash wrote me a letter gushing about her new favorite book series...it opened a very painful old wound."

Twilight grimaced. "I can only imagine." She sighed. "Thank you for telling me the truth, Mr. Blaze. I'll take it from here."

"You're...really gonna try to get Daring and Dashie together?"

"Rainbow Dash deserves to know the truth," Twilight said. "Besides, Daring Do is her hero. Even if...even if this knocks her off that pedestal, it's..." She shrugged. "I just need to do this," she finished.

"Good luck," Blaze said.

"Thanks. I have a feeling I'll need it. Oh, before I go..." Twilight tilted her head. "Why would Fluttershy's mother want me to shoot you in the butt with a laser beam?"

Blaze blinked. "She what...?"

"What did you do to that poor mare?"

Blaze snorted. "Fifteen years ago I accidentally hit her in the lady parts with a tiny little lightning bolt when I was wrangling a thundercloud. I apologized, but..." He shrugged. "She can really hold a grudge."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "Wow." She shook her head. "Well...I've taken up enough of your time and I really need to get going. Thank you for being honest with me."

Blaze bowed. "It was a pleasure, Your Highness. Tell Dashie to drop by sometime soon!"

* * * * *

Twilight sighed as she left Cloudsdale. She knew she didn't have enough time to fly to Daring Do's cabin before the picnic, so she resigned herself to returning to Ponyville empty-hooved.

Once she arrived, she flew to the park where Pinkie Pie was setting up things for the picnic. She found her mother and Spike under a tree and landed next to them. "I'm back," she said. "Sorry about leaving you like that, Mom."

"It's okay, dear," Twilight Velvet said. "I understand. So, did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes and no," Twilight said with a sigh. "I found out who Rainbow Dash's mother is, but actually getting the two of them together is going to have to wait until later."

"That's too bad," Velvet said.

"So who is it?" Spike asked.

"I'll tell you later," Twilight said. "You'll never believe it."

Spike gave her a half-lidded stare. "Is it Daring Do?" he asked flatly.

Velvet blinked.

Twilight sighed. "Yep."

Velvet's jaw dropped.

"I totally believe it," Spike said.

"You have got to be KIDDING ME!" Velvet yelled, attracting attention from ponies around them. "All the years I've known that crazy mare, and she never once thought to tell me she'd had a foal and...and up and abandoned her?!" She frowned. "Oh, have I got words for her..."

"Wait," Spike said. "You know Daring Do?"

"Of course I know that featherbrain," Velvet said. "I'm her editor."

"Oh yeah," Spike said. "Huh. I totally forgot about that."

"I've had to keep her secrets for a long time," Velvet said. "It looks like she's been keeping a really BIG secret from me." She ground her teeth. "Why, of all the...I have half a mind to..." She began muttering under her breath.

Twilight's ears wilted. "Umm...okay, so...how about we enjoy this lovely picnic together, and worry about the whole Daring Do thing later?"

Velvet sighed. "You're right, dear. I'm sorry."

Still, Velvet's mood didn't improve much over the course of the afternoon.

* * * * *

After the picnic, Twilight found Rainbow Dash napping on a cloud not far from the park. "Hey Rainbow," she said.

"Oh, hey Twi," Rainbow replied sleepily, waving a hoof. "'Sup?"

"Daring Do is your mother," Twilight said.

Rainbow fell through the cloud and hit the ground face-first.

"WHAT?!"

Chapter One

Rainbow Dash sat on the ground, rubbing her head with a hoof. "Uhh...Twilight? I must have sunstroke or something, because I coulda sworn you just said—"

"Daring Do is your mother," Twilight Sparkle repeated.

"—that. Yeah. Umm. WHAT?" Rainbow shot to her hooves and got in Twilight's face.

"I went to Cloudsdale this morning," Twilight said. "I talked to your dad. I got him to tell me the truth."

"You got my Dad to tell you that Daring Do is my biomom?!"

"Yep!"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA," Rainbow said, pacing around Twilight. "That...that's insane!"

"Actually, it makes perfect sense to me," Twilight said. "I mean, if you think about it...she's got the same build as you, the same eyes, the same attitude...even her mane is like a grey version of yours!"

Rainbow plopped down. "But...but then why didn't she say anything?" she asked in a small voice.

Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder. "That's a good question. And one we'll ask her together."

Rainbow looked up at Twilight. "Together? You mean...actually go to her place and...and ask her...?"

"Uh-huh."

"But..."

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "Don't you want to know? Don't you have questions you want to ask? You're twenty-one years old. It's time you found out the truth. All of it. Even if it means..." She sighed. "Even if it means you find out your idol isn't all she's cracked up to be."

"Are you kidding? Having Daring Do be my biomom would be AWESOME!" Rainbow declared, shooting into the air. Then she stopped. "Oh. But...then there's findin' out why she took off on me an' Dad..." She landed again, wings falling limp at her sides. "And that'd kinda suck."

"Yes, it would. But...I think this is something you need to do." Twilight smiled. "And you won't be doing it alone. I'll be right there with you."

Rainbow took a deep breath. "Okay. Yeah. No problem. Let's...let's go. First thing tomorrow morning."

* * * * *

When Twilight returned to the castle for the night, Twilight Velvet was pacing in the vast entrance hall, swearing up a storm.

Twilight's ears wilted. "Umm...Mom? Rainbow Dash and I are going out to Daring Do's cottage tomorrow to sort this whole thing out." She fluffed her wings. "I know you said you'd be spending a week here in Ponyville with me, and I'm sorry to just run off on you like this, but—"

"Oh, I'm coming with you," Velvet said firmly. "I need to have a little talk with my oldest and dearest friend."

"Umm..." Twilight spread her wings. "Actually...Rainbow Dash and I are gonna, well...fly there," she said. "And, well..."

Velvet slumped. "Oh," she said.

"Besides, I was kind of hoping you'd house-sit...err, castle-sit," Twilight said. "I'll be back soon enough, and...and we can have some mother-daughter quality time!"

Velvet smiled. "Alright," she said. "But if you manage to bring Daring Do back to Ponyville with you, I owe her a chewing-out." She frowned. "That's assuming she's home. I know she's been researching her next book, but she has a habit of leaving on an adventure without bothering to send me a postcard."

"Hmm...that could be a problem," Twilight said. "I just hope we don't walk in on the kind of mess we found last time..."

* * * * *

While Twilight Sparkle was nowhere near as fast or experienced a flier as Rainbow Dash, her moons of practice—along with lingering aftereffects of her temporary empowerment with the magic of the other princesses—allowed the pair of ponies to keep a swift pace, easily crossing the vast distance between Ponyville and Daring Do's remote home in a surprisingly short time. They stopped to rest twice along the way, then finished the last leg of the journey on hoof because Twilight's wings were getting tired. It was just past noon when they reached their destination.

"I hate distance flying," Twilight complained as she shook a loose feather from her cramped left wing.

"Eh, you'll get used to it," Rainbow said. "Then again, you'll probably figure out how to teleport from one end of Equestria to the other soon enough."

"Not with just my own magic I won't," Twilight muttered. "Ponyville to Canterlot's about my range limit on a good day. Probably for the best, too. Spike's been getting after me about my weight lately."

"Yeah, I wasn't gonna say anything, but your rump is gettin' kinda plump," Rainbow said. "Don't sweat it, I can help you work out an exercise schedule."

"Thanks," Twilight said sourly. "There it is. Daring Do's cabin."

"Oh man, I'm...I'm more nervous now than I was the last time I was here," Rainbow said.

"Are you ready?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow steeled herself. "Y-yeah," she said. "Let's...let's do this."

The two ponies trotted up to the door; Twilight knocked.

They waited.

They waited some more.

Twilight knocked again.

Rainbow frowned. "She's as social as ever, huh?"

Twilight's brow furrowed. "I'll check inside," she said before disappearing in a flash.

A few minutes later, the front door opened and Twilight stuck her head out. "She's not home," she said.

Rainbow's face fell. "You mean we flew all this way for nothing?"

"It looks like we just missed her," Twilight said sadly. "Guess she's already gone off on her next adventure."

"Heh, she's probably off doin' something totally awesome!" Rainbow rose into the air, her voice cracking. "I wonder what dangerously devious dastardly ne'er-do-well she's thwarting this time! What amazing, wonderous mystical artifact she's searching the deepest, darkest wilds for! What terrifying beasts she—"

"She's looking for the Tomb of the Unknown Prince," Twilight said from inside the house.

Rainbow trailed off. "Say what now?"

Twilight walked out, three books floating in her aura. She frowned as she studied them. "The Tomb of the Unknown Prince," she repeated. "I've never even heard of this legend...it says here that before the founding of Equestria, there was...there was an alicorn who distanced himself from ponykind. He saw the lack of harmony between the three tribes and felt he couldn't possibly connect with or help ponies that couldn't even get along with each other. He lived apart from pony civilization, in a remote..." She trailed off, then flipped through the book. "There are pages missing here. Dozens of them." She sighed. "This book's pretty old. It looks like it's been...well..."

Rainbow studied the ancient book. "Rotting?"

Even as she said that, the book's bindings disintegrated, loose pages drifting to the floor of the cottage. "Gah!" Twilight cried, staring with horror at the scattering pages.

"Oh man," Rainbow moaned. "Daring Do's gonna kill us for that, I just know it!"

"It was an old book, Rainbow," Twilight said with a sigh. "Hmm...the Unknown Prince...an alicorn..." She frowned, stroking her muzzle with a hoof. "If this is an ancient alicorn legend, then Princess Celestia might know something about it."

"Then what're we waitin' around here for?" Rainbow asked excitedly. "Let's get our butts to Canterlot!"

"Or we could just wait for Daring Do to come back—"

"Nope. Canterlot!" Rainbow took off like a shot.

"RAINBOW DASH! WAIT UP!" With an aggravated groan, Twilight spread her wings and launched herself into the sky.

* * * * *

It was almost sunset by the time the two very tired ponies arrived in Canterlot. Even Rainbow Dash could barely flap her wings anymore; Twilight Sparkle had given up flying altogether, choosing to teleport half a mile at a time until they entered the city.

Their approach was noticed by a pair of pegasus guards, who quickly swooped in to intercept them. "Your Highness! What happened? You look exhausted!"

"Just...been flying...all day," Twilight panted.

The guards looked at one another, nodded, and helped Twilight and Rainbow the rest of the way to the city. Once their hooves touched the paved streets, Twilight put her head between her front legs and took several deep, gasping breaths.

"We'll summon a chariot at once to escort you to the castle," one of the guards said. The second guard ran off. "Is there some emergency in Ponyville? Should we alert Princess Celestia?"

"No, it's...it's nothing like that," Twilight said. "There's...there's no crisis, no catastrophe...we've just had a really long flight."

The guard frowned. "From Ponyville?"

"From halfway across Equestria," Twilight clarified. "It's...personal business."

"Oh. Forgive me then, Your Highness."

"No, it's okay," Twilight said with a wave of her hoof.

A chariot coasted up, pulled by the other guard. Twilight and Rainbow gratefully piled into it and allowed the guards to carry them to the castle. As they approached, they could see Celestia and Luna standing on the balconies of their respective towers. The sun gently dipped below the horizon; as the sky darkened, the moon slowly rose into the sky.

"You know, they really need to make dusk last longer now," Rainbow said. "You know...since there's a Princess Twilight and all..."

Twilight blushed. "I...don't think I'd be comfortable with that..."

By the time the chariot reached the castle, night had set in fully, and the dark sky was sprinkled with stars. A slightly recovered Rainbow and Twilight disembarked from the chariot and followed the guards through the massive doors. A unicorn guard at the gate studied them curiously; at a nod from one of the pegasus guards, he galloped off in the direction of Celestia's tower.

"We'll meet with Princess Celestia in her private study," Twilight called to the departing unicorn. He turned, blinked, nodded once, and continued on his way. Rainbow and Twilight followed after him at a slower pace.

By the time they arrived, the unicorn was waiting outside. His horn glowed and the doors opened for them. Celestia stood inside, her mane billowing behind her. She smiled at them. "Good evening, Twilight Sparkle! Rainbow Dash! It's such an unexpected yet lovely surprise to see you this evening!"

"Good evening, Your Highness," Twilight said, bowing. Rainbow Dash bowed as well.

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Twilight. When are you going to stop that?"

"Sorry. Force of habit." Twilight stood, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Quite alright, my little pony. So, what brings you to Canterlot?" She nodded to the guard outside, who closed the door. A moment later, Luna appeared in a silver-blue flash.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Princess Twilight," Luna said. "And you as well, Rainbow Dash."

"Hello Luna," Twilight said. She levitated four large, plush cushions from a pile in the corner, arranging them neatly in the center of the room. Once each pony had taken a seat, she began, "I know this is going to sound strange, but...have you heard of the Tomb of the Unknown Prince?"

Celestia's eyes widened. Her body stiffened. She exchanged an uneasy glance with Luna, who was noticeably pale.

"Yep, they've heard of it," Rainbow muttered.

"How...how exactly did you come to hear about...about that?" Celestia asked.

Twilight and Rainbow exchanged a glance. Rainbow shrugged. Twilight looked back at the princesses. "We were paying a visit to...to A.K. Yearling," she said.

"The author of the Daring Do books," Luna said. "They are most enjoyable."

"Well...she wasn't home, but she's...it seems like she was researching the Tomb of the Unknown Prince. We found an ancient book in her house related to that legend. I've never even heard of it." Twilight frowned. "Most of the book's pages were missing. It was so old it...sort of fell apart while we were reading it."

"Yes, anything pertaining to that would be immeasurably ancient," Luna said with a frown. "What interest would Dr. Yearling have in the Tomb?"

"Research for a new Daring Do novel, I'm sure," Celestia said. She frowned. "She must be an incredibly resourceful pony to have even found books about that."

"You have no idea," Twilight said, rolling her eyes. "So...what can you tell us about this Unknown Prince?"

Celestia and Luna traded a glance. Celestia frowned. "Very little," Celestia said. "Only that he lived...before our time. Before Equestria. Even before the three pony races."

"And he died, obviously," Luna said.

Twilight frowned. "That's...not much to go on."

"He is called the Unknown Prince for a reason, Twilight Sparkle."

Celestia sighed. "In any case, Dr. Yearling is chasing a legend so old it's unlikely she'll learn much about it. And even if she does, well...it would hardly make for a very exciting book."

"Aww," Rainbow moaned. "I was hoping maybe this old tomb had some, I dunno, super awesome treasure of legend in it that Daring Do could bring back."

"Well, Dr. Yearling is more than welcome to invent whatever fiction about the tomb she pleases," Luna said. "It is not as if any living pony knows anything about it."

"Except you two," Twilight pointed out. She sighed. "You...don't even know where this tomb might be located?"

Celestia's brow furrowed. "Well...yes," she admitted. "But...why?"

Twilight and Rainbow looked at one another. Twilight's ears drooped. "We're pretty sure Dr. Yearling is trying to find the tomb."

Luna let out a bark of laughter. "Ha! Twilight Sparkle, surely you jest! Dr. Yearling is a writer of fiction, not some...some adventuring archaeologist!"

"Umm...actually..." Rainbow said.

Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" Luna asked, blinking.

Twilight gave a heavy sigh. "The Daring Do books...are based on Dr. Yearling's real-life adventures," she said. "A.K. Yearling is Daring Do."

"Oh my," Celestia said, lip twitching.

"That seems...extraordinarily unlikely," Luna said in a flat, disbelieving tone.

Twilight shrugged. "It's true. So...we're trying to find her, and if she's figured out where this tomb is..."

Celestia bowed her head. "I'll draw a map." She studied Twilight intently. "Be careful, Twilight. This...this will not be an easy journey."

"Rest here in the castle tonight," Luna said. "You will need your strength come morning."

Chapter Two

Princess Celestia insisted on treating Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash to a lavish royal breakfast banquet. Neither offered any refusal; they were both ravenous after the previous day's exertions.

As the servants laid out the sumptuous spread, Celestia levitated a roll of parchment to Twilight. "You'll want to study this map carefully, my faithful student," she said. "I believe your studies of Starswirl the Bearded may aid you in your journey."

"Starswirl? Why—?" Twilight unsealed and unrolled the map even as she munched on a piece of frittata. Her eyes widened. "Maretania?"

"Starswirl's journals don't mention this—at my personal request, for I fully intended to publish all of his writings and teachings—but he was the first pony in centuries to discover the tomb you seek." Celestia frowned. "I trusted Starswirl to abide by my wishes, but if Dr. Yearling has any solid evidence as to the location of the tomb, Starswirl might have recorded it through a proxy."

"Perhaps Clover the Clever," Luna suggested.

"There's a secret tunnel deep within the caverns," Celestia explained, levitating a butter knife along the map. "You'll need to find the markers yourself, but..."

Twilight followed the trail marked on the map with a hoof. "There's a secret valley," she said, eyes wide. "That's where the tomb is?"

"That's where the entrance to the tomb is," Celestia corrected. "Find that valley, and you'll find the Holy Road that leads deep beneath the earth. Follow the Holy Road, and you'll find the tomb. It's in the catacombs underneath Ponyhenge."

"Ponyhenge?! Seriously?!" Rainbow cried.

"Ponyhenge was erected to mark the Tomb of the Unknown Prince," Luna said.

Twilight studied the map again with a frown. "This...this is at least three days' travel," she said.

"Yes. It will be a long journey, and not without peril," Celestia said.

"Wait. If this tomb's under Ponyhenge, why can't we just...y'know...fly to Ponyhenge?" Rainbow asked.

"Because you will not be able to enter the tomb from above ground," Celestia said. "Teleportation magic will not get you into the tomb, so unless you'd like to try to tunnel through six feet of solid marble with your bare hooves..."

"Aheh...yyyyyeah...I'll pass on that," Rainbow said sheepishly.

"Are there traps in the tomb?" Twilight asked.

"It is a tomb, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said. "What purpose would it serve to set traps in a tomb?"

"Lots of the tombs Daring Do explores have traps," Rainbow said with a pout.

Celestia laughed musically. "I suspect a certain amount of poetic license has been taken with regards to those tombs," she said. "In any case, I can personally assure you there are most definitely no traps in this particular tomb."

"Oh," Rainbow replied, seemingly crestfallen. "Is there treasure?" she asked hopefully, her wings buzzing.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "I'd very much prefer the two of you not do any graverobbing during your quest," she said.

"I was just asking," Rainbow said sullenly, crossing her hooves and pouting.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about this tomb?" Twilight asked.

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance. "I'm sorry, Princess Twilight. We've told you all we can. The rest...the rest is up to you."

After breakfast, Celestia arranged for provisions for the two travelers, then sent a message to Spike in Ponyville, letting him know Twilight and Rainbow would be gone for a while.

"Be safe," Celestia said.

"We will," Twilight said. "Thank you." Adjusting her saddlebags, she turned and nodded to Rainbow. They walked out onto the balcony of Celestia's tower and launched themselves into the sky, soaring off in the direction of Maretania.

As Celestia watched them go, Luna walked up beside her. "So. The time has finally come."

"So it would seem."

"This will not be an easy journey for her," Luna said.

Celestia sighed. "No. No, it will not."

* * * * *

Four pegasus guards accompanied the two mares for the first leg of their journey, keeping a respectful distance. When Twilight and Rainbow landed for a late lunch, the guards swooped low, wished them godspeed, and returned to Canterlot.

"So Ponyhenge is just a great big tombstone," Rainbow muttered as they ate. She shook her head. "Yeesh."

"The archaeological and scientific communities would be devastated if they knew the truth," Twilight said. "They've romanticized Ponyhenge for centuries."

"And now DARING DO is gonna bust the secret of Ponyhenge wiiiiide open! Awww yeah!" Rainbow said, pumping a hoof and fluttering her wings.

Twilight frowned. "I think maybe we shouldn't let Daring Do publish a book about this one," she said. "Besides, don't forget what we came here for in the first place. We're not here because of Ponyhenge or this old tomb. We're here to find your mother and get some answers."

Rainbow sighed. "Yeah." She took a bite from an apple fritter. "How uh...how do you see this goin' down, anyway?"

Twilight's ears drooped. "I honestly don't know, Rainbow Dash," she said. "Hopefully it'll go well. I mean, you and Daring Do got along pretty well after your last meeting. She even put you in a book!"

"Yeah, but she also didn't recognize me," Rainbow said.

"The impression I got from your dad is that, well...she was a lot like you back then. Impulsive, reckless, didn't want to be dragged down by things or ponies. Except she didn't have your loyalty."

"Yeah, she sure has that whole loner thing goin'," Rainbow agreed. "But..." She gestured with her hooves. "You'd think she'd at least have reacted to meeting me! I mean, I came outta her BUTT! And she just..." She trailed off.

Twilight grimaced. "Uhh...Rainbow Dash...that's not how giving birth works—"

"I KNOW THAT!" Rainbow cried, cheeks red. "It was hyperbubble!"

"Hyperbole."

"That too." Rainbow sighed. "My point is, she spent eleven months with me inside her. I don't see how she could just...y'know...not even notice I was her kid."

"Well, once we find her, we'll ask her," Twilight said. "I just...I just hope the answer doesn't hurt you."

"Pssh," Rainbow muttered derisively. "I can take it." She polished off one more fritter, then stood, stretching her wings. "C'mon, we've got a lotta ground to cover before nightfall."

Twilight packed everything away, and the two of them took wing again.

* * * * *

Daring Do stood at the end of a narrow, winding tunnel. Tiny droplets of water plinked against the stone floor from a narrow fissure overhead. Daring adjusted her pith helmet with one hoof while studying the faded old parchment she held in the other by the light of a magical lantern.

"The Path of Loss is marked by the tears of the Sun and the Moon," Daring read from the ancient manuscript.

Another droplet splashed to the cavern floor.

Daring stashed the manuscript in her saddlebag, then lifted her lantern, carefully examining every surface of what, to all appearances, was a dead end in a natural cavern. She raised the lantern to examine the ceiling. The fissure which was dripping water at her hooves ran down the middle of a rough carving of the sun. "The tears of the Sun," Daring muttered.

A loud, hollow *plink!* resonated off the stone before her.

Searching, she found a second fissure which ran along the length of a carving of a crescent moon. "Ah-ha..." She carefully located the midpoint between the two fissures, then searched the rock face in that area.

She almost missed it, as it was hidden in the shadow of a chunk of rock that jutted out of the wall: A glittering relief made of natural crystals, arranged in the shape of a large six-pointed star, set into a hole roughly twice as wide as her hoof. She smiled. "And the Star shall open the path to the Holy Road," she finished from memory as she pressed her hoof into the hole.

The star clicked, and the rock wall before her began to glow. Stone dissolved into mist, creating a dark hole the width and height of two ponies.

Collecting her lantern, Daring flew up into the hole and trotted carefully into its dark, misty depths.

Behind her, the rock wall became solid again. The cave fell into darkness.

The dripping of water echoed in the stillness.

Chapter Four

Applejack sighed and ran a hoof over the edge of the Cutie Map. "Man. It's jes' too quiet around here with Twilight an' Rainbow Dash gone."

"I wish we'd gone with them," Pinkie Pie said. "They're off having fun without us!"

"Oh, I don't know," Fluttershy said quietly. "I mean, we don't really know what it is they're doing."

"Well, if they're following Daring Do, they're likely to find trouble," Twilight Velvet said. "That pony can't go a week without flying headlong into danger."

"Well I understand Rainbow Dash doing something this crazy," Rarity said, "but Twilight? There has to be more to this."

Velvet and Spike shared a look. Spike shrugged. Velvet sighed. "Apparently, Daring Do is Rainbow Dash's mother," she said.

"WHAT?!" the other mares cried.

Fluttershy blinked. "Wait. Is THAT why Twilight was in Cloudsdale the other day? Trying to get Mr. Blaze to tell her who Rainbow's mother is?"

"Yep," Spike said.

Applejack scratched her head. "Huh," she said.

"And Dashie didn't know?" Pinkie asked.

"Well obviously not, darling," Rarity said. "So this whole business is Twilight trying to bring the two of them together?"

"Yes," Velvet said. She sighed. "I only hope...this doesn't end badly for any of them."

"We'll have to plan a party when they get back!" Pinkie declared.

"Well now, that all depends on whut happens when they find Darin' Do," Applejack pointed out.

* * * * *

Rainbow Dash craned her neck left and right excitedly. Twilight Sparkle's magic brightly illuminated the carved marble walls which ran alongside the broad paved path. "Oh man," Rainbow said excitedly, "I feel like I'm living a Daring Do novel!"

"You are," Twilight said absently. "I don't understand why my Cutie Mark keeps showing up," she said. "Oh, I wish I could read this ancient language...!"

"Hey...your Cutie Mark was on the Tree of Harmony too, right?" Rainbow said suddenly. "Maybe this is all related to that somehow?"

"Maybe," Twilight said with a frown. "But I don't get what that has to do with the Tomb of the Unknown Prince. I mean, I understand how I'm connected to Harmony, but how could I be connected to some ancient alicorn who had to have died thousands of years ago?"

"I bet Daring Do can tell us as soon as we find her," Rainbow said. "Come on, slowpoke! Race ya to the tomb!"

Twilight smirked. "Alright, you're on," she said. They took wing and shot down the length of the ancient underground road, Twilight's light bobbing ahead of them.

* * * * *

Daring Do stared in wonder at the sight before her. "Incredible," she breathed. "I mean, I've seen some pretty amazing old ruins, temples, tombs...but this..."

"It is a most impressive find, is it not, Doctor Do?" a deep male voice rumbled in a heavy Neighpoli accent.

Daring spun around. "I know that voice..."

A large bronze-skinned minotaur in an expensive ash grey silk suit walked slowly toward her, hands behind his broad back. He leered down at her. "It has been a long time, no?"

"Dongnocc," Daring snarled, stamping a hoof. "How in the HELL did you find this place?"

"Oh, it was quite easy," Dongnocc said, pacing in a circle around her. "I have...certain friends in Canterlot Castle." He chuckled. "Two foolish mares were asking about the Tomb of the Unknown Prince. One of them is Equestria's newest Princess. Naturally, Princess Celestia told them exactly where it is. They, like you, have taken the long way here." He grinned. "I, on the other hand, found an easier way."

Daring stared at him. "What do you mean, an easier way?"

"It wasn't difficult to figure out where the secret valley was once I learned it was between Maretania and Ponyhenge," Dongnocc said, examining his fingernails. "I simply flew my airship over the valley and, well..." He chuckled. "Avoided getting my suit dirty crawling through miles of caves."

Daring shook her head. "You haven't changed," she said.

"Nor have you, Doctor Do. Now, if you would kindly stand down..." He grinned. "I am about to make the find of the millennium."

Daring heard machine gun bolts clack as a dozen masked ponies in brown uniforms emerged from behind the tomb's many marble columns...

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash slowed to a stop and touched down on the ancient stones as they came upon a broad exit, framed by a marble arch with gold inlay, to either side of which phoenix flame torches were mounted on the wall in gold sconces. Shining white steps led down into a place far too well-lit for an underground tomb.

And once more, on the lintel, the crests of the Sun and the Moon were displayed, inlaid in gold and silver respectively, along with the six-pointed star, inlaid with pink topaz...and a fourth symbol, larger than the others, represented by a shimmering pearl surrounded by dozens of rays of light, inlaid with gold.

"That symbol showed up a lot in the carvings on the walls," Twilight said, staring up at the pearl.

"Maybe it's this dead guy's Cutie Mark?" Rainbow suggested.

"It might be," Twilight said.

A series of loud, sharp cracks filled their ears.

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Was...was that...?"

Twilight's ears fell. "Oh no." She charged down the broad steps, Rainbow at her flank.

The scene before them was like something out of an adventure film...or, fittingly, a Daring Do novel come to life. They emerged into a massive underground vault whose walls, floors, and ceiling were made of shining white marble blocks, with numerous thick columns supporting the ceiling. Dozens of tiny glowing sunstones set into the walls in a seemingly random pattern illuminated the tomb. In front of them, two massive alicorn statues, one alabaster and one onyx, faced a large five-sided obelisk with a broad, flat crystal prism on top. The same pearl emblem from the outer arch marked each face of the obelisk. The prism itself pulsed rhythmically with a steady, bright white glow.

Several rapid metallic cracks rang out, and a tan blur shot past, ducking behind a column.

Two ponies in uniforms leaned around two more columns, signalling to one another before aiming machine guns in their direction.

Twilight frowned. "Alright, I don't know what's going on here, but it ends now." Her horn glowed...

In a bright flash, a dozen uniformed ponies appeared in the open space between the two statues. The weapons they carried floated over to Twilight, who made them disappear. Bereft of their weapons and faced with an angry alicorn, the ponies dropped to the ground.

A gold and grey head topped with a pith helmet peeked from around a column. Rose eyes blinked. "Ooookay," Daring Do said.

"Ahh, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Welcome to our little party."

Twilight and Rainbow stared as a minotaur in a suit walked into view, clapping slowly. Rainbow's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh...is...is that Dong-knock?"

Twilight facehoofed. "Dongnocc," she corrected. "It's Neighpoli." She scowled. "What are you doing here, Dongnocc?"

"I could ask you the same question," Dongnocc replied smoothly.

"I wanna know what ANY of you are doing here!" Daring Do said, landing between them and glaring at everypony around her. She stamped a hoof. "Jeez, can't a girl check out an ancient tomb nopony was even supposed to know existed without winding up flank-deep in evil minotaurs and gunponies and princesses and clown-haired fangirls?"

"HEY!" Rainbow yelled.

Twilight held up a hoof, then stepped forward. "Yeah. Hi. Umm...big fan, you already know that, but...I also happen to be a Princess of Equestria, so..." She cleared her throat. "I think I'd like a few explanations. Then we can get down to the real reason Rainbow Dash and I came here."

Daring frowned at her, adjusting her pith helmet. "The real reason you're here? What are you talking about?"

Twilight looked over at Dongnocc, then shook her head. "That can wait. For now, I want to know what you're doing here, what he's doing here—"

"I," Dongnocc said, "am merely here to vindicate myself. My reputation as an archaeologist crumbled when I posited that Ponyhenge was a marker for something greater. Something buried. I suspected it might be an ancient alicorn tomb." He grinned. "Now that I see I was right, I intend to claim this find, restore my honor as an archaeologist...and, of course, make a tidy profit from the relics my team and I will return to the surface with."

"You're not taking ANYTHING from this tomb, Dongnocc!" Daring insisted.

Dongnocc scoffed. "Please, Doctor Do. You are hardly innocent of graverobbing. It would be hypocrisy for you to suggest I not ransack this tomb."

"Nopony's ransacking anything!" Twilight declared, slamming her hoof on the marble floor. "Daring Do, why did you come here?"

"Because I found evidence that there was a buried alicorn tomb here and I had to check it out for myself," Daring said. "So little is known about the alicorns that came before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. This could be the greatest find of all time." She gestured at the two statues. "The fact that I found statues of the Princesses themselves here is proof enough that I've stumbled onto something bigger than I could have imagined."

Dongnocc snorted. "It is hardly a surprise, Doctor Do. My colleague overheard Princess Celestia herself giving this upstart directions to this tomb! Of COURSE she knew it was here!"

"Then that raises an even bigger question!" Daring said. "If Princess Celestia has known about this tomb all along, why keep it secret? Ponies have been trying to solve the mystery of Ponyhenge for hundreds of years! If there was never a mystery to solve, then why?"

"WHO CARES?" Dongnocc roared. "Pony archaeologists can debate and argue and question and complain and worry themselves into their own graves over the significance of this find for years! All I care about is that I was right! All I care about is getting what's owed me! My reputation! Great sacks of gold and gems!"

"That's your problem right there!" Daring shouted, getting in Dongnocc's face. "You never cared about archaeology! You never cared about history and finding answers! All you ever care about is yelling 'First!' and getting paid for it!"

"SO WHAT?" Dongnocc replied, stamping a hoof and pointing a trembling finger at Daring. "I don't care about pony history! All I care about is fortune and glory! Don't tell me those things mean nothing to you...'A.K. Yearling'." He sneered. "You, Doctor Do, are the greatest hypocrite of them all."

"Alright, that's enough! Both of you!" Twilight shouted. She strode forward, wings flaring. In twin bursts of magic, Daring and Dongnocc found themselves separated by four pony lengths. Twilight stood between them, glaring at each of them in turn. "Here's what's really going to happen. I'm going to investigate this tomb. I'm going to listen to what each of you can tell me about it. I'm going to take my findings to Princess Celestia. We're all going to leave here together, and nopony is taking anything out of this tomb."

"Who died and made you the boss?" Daring demanded.

Twilight spread her wings and glared at Daring.

Daring backed away a step. "Oh. Right. Sorry. Forgot." She coughed. "That...seems fair to me, Your Highness."

"And if I refuse?" Dongnocc asked, crossing his arms.

Twilight turned her glare on him. "Don't," she advised. Her horn began to glow dangerously.

Dongnocc frowned. "You are...rather irritable," he said.

Rainbow snorted. "This is nothing," she said. "I've seen her literally turn Ponyville upside down over a late report to Celestia. And that was before she became an alicorn!"

Dongnocc sighed. "Very well," he conceded. "But on one condition. I want it known, in all Equestrian archaeological journals, that I was right about Ponyhenge."

"We'll see," Twilight said. She strode toward the obelisk in the center of the tomb, brow furrowed. "Is this...well...him?"

"It has to be," Daring said. "The Unknown Prince's Cutie Mark is on it, and it's the only thing here other than the statues and the engravings along the Holy Road." Her eyes widened. "Wait a second..." She moved to stare at Twilight's flank. "Your Cutie Mark..." She gasped. "That symbol! The one—"

"Yeah, I know," Twilight said. "For some reason, my Cutie Mark is all over the place down here. I have no idea why." She shook her head. "It's on the Tree of Harmony too. Always paired with Luna and Celestia's Cutie Marks..." Twilight absently laid a hoof on the obelisk.

The pulsing glow of the prism became a solid, blinding white light. The pearls on the sides of the obelisk lit up brilliantly. The horns of the two alicorn statues glowed with spiral streams of golden magic.

"Uhh...Twilight? Something's happening..." Rainbow said, eyes wide.

Dongnocc's cronies looked around in fear, muttering to themselves. Daring Do backed away from Twilight and the obelisk.

All around the tomb, bright golden runes spread out from the sunstones, forming complex, flickering patterns. A deep bass thrum shook the floor.

Twilight's eyes began to glow as she rose into the air, a helix of magenta and white magic spinning around her.

The prism strobed like lightning. The twisting runes began flashing faster and faster even as the sunstones went dark. The ponies and minotaur gathered in the tomb could only watch in stunned fascination as the runes began strobing, casting everything in silhouette.

A bright beam of light from the obelisk engulfed Twilight. She screamed.

* * * * *

Celestia stood on her balcony and watched as a blinding white beam, visible all across Equestria, lanced the sky over Ponyhenge. She bowed her head and sighed.

"Forgive me, Twilight..."

* * * * *

The runes went dark. The sunstones began dimly glowing.

The prism at the top of the obelisk resumed its soft, steady pulsing.

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash stared at the spot where Twilight Sparkle had stood moments earlier.

"Twilight...?" Rainbow asked quietly.

"Sweet Celestia," Daring breathed.

"Uhh...boss?" one of the henchponies said nervously. "I think...maybe we should get out of here..."

Dongnocc frowned. "Yes. Something tells me you are right." He snapped his fingers. "But first, secure those two."

The henchponies surrounded Rainbow and Daring.

Chapter Five

"What in the name of...?"

Five mares and a dragon stood on the road leading up to Twilight Sparkle's castle, staring at the column of bright light in the distant sky.

"That...can't be good," Applejack said.

"Do you...do you think that's where Twilight and Rainbow Dash are?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"I certainly hope not," Rarity said. "But something tells me that's exactly where they are."

Twilight Velvet's ears wilted. "Spike...take a letter."

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and massaged her temples with her hooves. Her skull throbbed with a dull, persistent ache. "Ugh...what happened?"

She looked around. The tomb was gone. Rainbow Dash was gone. Daring Do was gone. Dongnocc and his goons were gone.

The morning sun shone overhead. She lay sprawled on hard soil in a plain littered with sparse patches of crabgrass. "Where am I?" she wondered.

"A more apt question would be, from whence do you hail?"

Twilight blinked stupidly at the soft, lilting male voice. Pushing herself to her hooves, she looked around.

Some feet away stood an alicorn stallion.

He was easily as tall as Princess Celestia, if not taller, and as broad as Big Macintosh. His pale golden coat shone in the sun, and the soft breeze picked at his short, shaggy midnight blue mane and tail. Streaks of solid black ran through their length. His fetlocks were unevenly shorn; his black hooves were rough and chipped. He regarded her with red-orange eyes like pools of liquid sunfire.

Twilight stared, mouth hanging open. "Who...?"

"By name, I am marked as Inner Light," the stallion said. "In isolation I roam this barren stretch of land, far removed from the equine tribes. Long has it been since I laid eyes upon another of my kind. By what name are you marked, good lady?"

Twilight shook her head stupidly. "Umm...Twilight Sparkle," she replied. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Well met, Lady Twilight Sparkle," Inner Light said, dipping his head in respect.

"Where exactly am I?" Twilight asked. "I was...I was underground..." She gasped. "The others! What..what happened to them?"

"You were beneath the earth?" Inner Light asked with a quizzical tilt of his head. "Most curious. You seem...fatigued."

"I've been travelling," Twilight said absently. She fluffed her wings. "You haven't seen a pegasus around here with a rainbow-colored mane, have you?"

"I should say not."

"Oh," Twilight said. "I hope...I hope she's alright..." She frowned. "Wait...you said 'the equine tribes'. Do you mean Equestria?"

"Equestria?" Inner Light repeated, frowning. "It is a word I do not know." He pointed with a hoof. "A fortnight west on the wing lie the lands governed by the three equine tribes. If they have bestowed names upon their stakes, it is not known to me."

"The...the three equine tribes..." Twilight repeated, frowning.

"Aye," Inner Light said, nodding. "The unicorns who master the lore, the pegasi who mind the skies, and the earth ponies who tend the fields."

Twilight shook her head. "But...the three pony tribes united thousands of years ago..."

"Pardon me, good Lady, but you speak nonsense. I have walked the land and flown the skies for countless thousands of moons, and never have I witnessed earth, unicorn, and pegasus ponies living in harmony. Indeed, their lack of harmony is the very reason I choose to distance myself from them."

"But...! No!" Twilight insisted. "The three tribes put their differences aside a long time ago! Equestria is a land of peace and harmony!"

Inner Light tilted his head. "Perhaps...your time below ground has addled your wits, good Lady. Come...you may rest and refresh yourself in my home."

* * * * *

Rainbow Dash gave a wild yell as she wove through the three ponies attempting to tackle her. As they skidded on the marble, she whirled around in midair, kicked one of them in the knee, grabbed him by the tail, and swung him into the pony next to him.

"Nice moves, kid!" Daring Do called as she flew to the ceiling and dropped into a wild, hoof-first dive on top of one of the henchponies. He cried out as his back cracked sickeningly. Daring hefted him up off the ground and threw him at the three ponies charging her; they went down like bowling pins.

"GET THEM! GET THEM!" Dongnocc roared.

Rainbow flew past the henchponies recovering from her attack and tackled Dongnocc, blasting him off his hooves. "WHAT! HAPPENED! TO! TWILIGHT!?" She seized Dongnocc around his massive neck and started shaking him.

"I don't KNOW!" Dongnocc replied, grabbing her around the barrel, prying her off, and throwing her. She slammed into the statue of Celestia with a painful-sounding thud and slid to the ground.

Daring wrestled with four ponies, thrashing and swearing as they piled on her, kicking and punching. She threw them off, but three more poured on top of her.

Dongnocc stood, brushing dust off his suit, and snapped his fingers. "Change of plans," he said. "We are leaving. These two will remain here." He stomped over to Rainbow Dash and hauled her up by the mane. "You are so worried about your missing princess? Stay in this cursed place and mourn her." He threw her at Daring, who caught her with a grunt.

Dongnocc pulled a hand radio out of his suit. "We are returning," he said into it. "Prepare the charges. We are blowing the entrance to the tomb." He studied the obelisk. "But first..." He backed up to the wall and sprinted toward the obelisk. With a great leap, he plowed shoulder-first into the glowing prism, knocking it loose. The sunstones around the tomb flashed several times; the prism's glow faded and slowed. "At least I won't leave here empty-handed."

"No! You can't!" Daring cried. She lurched to her hooves, grimacing; as she put her weight on her left front hoof, she gasped. She tried to fly, but her left wing was stiff and unresponsive.

Dongnocc chuckled darkly as he tucked the prism under one massive arm. "Farewell, Doctor Do," he said. "Rest assured, your death will make a gripping final novel in your series. I am certain I can find a pony to ghost-write in your style." He threw back his head and laughed as he and his henchponies left the tomb as quickly as their hooves could carry them.

"NO!" Daring yelled, struggling to give chase. She fell to the floor. She groaned and looked over at Rainbow, who was barely conscious. "No," she repeated as her eyes sagged closed.

* * * * *

As abruptly as it had begun, the column of light shooting into the distant sky narrowed to a pencil-thin ray, then winked out of existence.

"Well...whatever just happened, it seems to be over now," Rarity said.

"Wonder whut'n tarnation all that was about?" Applejack said, scratching her head.

Seconds later, Spike's cheeks bulged and he exhaled a plume of green flame into the air. A scroll materialized. He unrolled it and read it. "Princess Celestia wants all of us in Canterlot immediately," he said. "Including you, Mom."

The mares looked at one another worriedly.

Spike jumped onto Twilight Velvet's back, and the group galloped to the train station at full speed.

* * * * *

Inner Light led Twilight Sparkle across the sparse plain to the edge of a cliff overlooking a shining green valley below.

Twilight gasped. It was the same valley she and Rainbow Dash had been in mere hours before, only...not quite. The entrance to the tomb and the canopy of trees that concealed the valley's existence were nowhere to be found; additionally, a structure had been erected on the west side of the valley, amid a grove of pecan and pear trees: a long, humble cottage of rough stones and wooden slats, with wood-framed windows and a slate roof. She looked around in awe. "What happened to the tomb? And the trees? Where'd this house come from?"

Inner Light tilted his head at her. "This is my home," he said. "There has never been a tomb here, and as you can see, there are many trees in the valley. Perhaps you need more rest than I thought...a good meal, as well."

Twilight shook her head. "This...this doesn't make any sense..."

"Come inside," Inner Light said, trotting toward the cottage door. Twilight followed him.

The cottage was as plain on the inside as it was on the outside, with a wooden floor, a large, rough wooden bed with a thin mattress, and a wooden table. At the back of the cottage, a fireplace sat recessed into the wall, with an iron kettle hanging in the middle over an unlit fire. Clay plates and cups were stacked on a set of stone shelves, and a wooden bookshelf contained an assortment of thick tomes and scrolls.

"I realize it lacks elegance," Inner Light said. "I have few needs, and fewer visitors still, so I choose to maintain a humble manner of abode."

"It's fine," Twilight said distractedly. "I've...never known an alicorn stallion before."

"Until today, I believed myself to be the last alicorn," Inner Light said. "The others gave up their immortality long ago to create the three equine tribes..." He sighed and bowed his head. "Such a tragic waste..." He frowned. "You must hail from a greater distance than even I have traveled...strange. I was of the belief I had explored every corner of the world in my solitude."

"The last...? But...no!" Twilight shook her head. "Canterlot isn't even that far from here! Princess Celestia has been around for thousands of years...and there's Princess Luna..."

Inner Light frowned. "I know not of any of these names you speak," he said. "Granted, it has been several moons since I last ventured beyond the cliffs."

"Several...moons?" Twilight echoed, tilting her head. "But...Equestria...Canterlot...all of it...it's all centuries old!" She shook her head. "I don't understand any of this!"

"I believe we are both confused," Inner Light said as he lit the fireplace with his horn and began levitating bowls and plates and cups. "Perhaps a good meal and a decent rest. I will begin preparing supper."

"I guess I'm a little hungry," Twilight said. "I'm...I'm just going to take a quick look around, see if I can get my bearings. I'll be right back."

Inner Light's brow furrowed, but he nodded. "Very well. I shall fetch you if you tarry too long."

Twilight stepped out of the cabin into the bright green valley. "This is definitely the same valley," she muttered as she looked around. "But...this cabin wasn't here...the tomb is missing..." With a frown, she flew up into the bright blue sky. It took her a minute to clear the tops of the cliffs. Tracking the path of the sun, she focused her magic and teleported to Canterlot.

She found herself flying alongside a stark, barren mountain. The Everfree Forest sprawled below her...

...and there was no trace of Ponyville. There was no giant crystal tree castle. There was just empty prairie as far as the eye could see.

"No," Twilight whispered, her ears wilting. "No, no, no, no, no..."

She turned and flew back in the direction of Ponyhenge, building up power for another long-range teleport. In a bright flash, she disappeared, reappearing over the hidden valley. As she searched the area above and around the valley, she reached a sudden, horrible realization:

The sparse plain where she had first encountered Inner Light was Ponyhenge. The monument itself simply did not exist.

Twilight's eyes widened. Her ears fell flat around her skull.

"What...what's going on here?"

* * * * *

"Hey."

Daring Do stirred. Her head was pounding and her body hurt like hell. "Ugh..." She opened her eyes and stared into an identical pair.

"Drink this," Rainbow Dash said, pressing a canteen to her lips. Daring reflexively drank. She tried to sit up, but felt a hoof pushing her down. "Easy there," Rainbow said. "You're pretty banged up. I, uh...I found your pack. I bandaged you up a little..." She chuckled. "Heh...had to do the same for myself."

Daring drank some more water, then looked around. The sunstones around the tomb were still just barely glowing. "How long...?"

"No idea," Rainbow said with a weary sigh. "Dong-knock sealed us in. The explosion woke me up. We're...in a pretty tight spot here."

"No kidding," Daring said.

"Umm..." Rainbow licked her lips. "So, I was thinkin'...our only way out of here alive might be to figure out what this thing did to Twilight and...and try to get her back."

Daring stared at her. "What makes you think she's even still alive? For all you know, that obelisk vaporized her."

Rainbow planted a hoof firmly, spreading her wings wide. "There's no way!" she cried. "Twilight Sparkle is ALIVE, and she needs OUR help to get back!"

Daring frowned, but decided not to argue the point. "Easier said than done," she said. "This tomb is unlike anything I've ever seen before. And...well...Dongnocc took the prism." She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it's important."

"So we gotta bust outta here and get it back?"

Daring grimaced. "I...don't really know how we're gonna manage that. We're both pretty banged up and we're sealed in. By the time we can even think about an escape plan—"

"Hey. You're Daring Do. If anypony can figure out a way out of this mess, it's you. Especially with me here."

Daring smiled. "Heh. Maybe."

Rainbow set the canteen down and procured a couple loaves of crusty bread, one of which she offered to Daring. The two pegasi sat and ate in silence for a long moment. "So, uhh..." Rainbow rubbed one foreleg with her other hoof. "Kinda super-sucky timing for this, but...me an' Twilight actually came here lookin' for you."

Daring raised an eyebrow. "Heck of a long way to go for an autograph."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "That's not it," she said. "Don't you...don't you recognize me? At all?"

"Of course I do. You're Rainbow Dash. You helped me defeat Ahuizotl." She grinned. "That was actually kinda fun."

Rainbow's wings dropped. "Not from that. From...before that. Like...like about twenty-one years ago."

"Twenty-one yea—" Daring blinked. "Oh Celestia."

"I know," Rainbow said softly. "I know you're my mother."

Daring's ears wilted.

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle trotted back into the little cottage. A pleasant smell filled her nostrils.

"Ah, there you are," Inner Light said. "Supper is almost ready. I do not fancy myself a great chef, but the simple, hearty vegetable soup and bread I make is filling."

"It smells great," Twilight said. "Listen...Inner Light...can I ask you some questions?"

"But of course."

Twilight sat down at the table, brow furrowing. "Something very strange is going on here. I took a trip to where my home is supposed to be. It's...it's not there."

Inner Light raised an eyebrow. "In such a short time, you traveled to this...what did you call it?"

"Canterlot," Twilight said. "Do you...do you know of a tall mountain, about two days from here by air, above a dark, wild forest?"

"The Everfree Forest?" Inner Light frowned. "I know to stay well away from that wretched place. It is not for the faint of heart." His brow furrowed. "The mountain you speak of...yes, I know it."

"There...there should be a city on the side of the mountain," Twilight said. "A huge city, with the royal castle...but it isn't there." She swallowed. "There...there should be a village at the base of the mountain, in the prairie. Ponyville. My home. It's...it's gone too."

Inner Light shook his head. "I have never known of any such places," he said. "That entire area is but wilderness. The three equine tribes have made their homes far to the northwest of there, in less hospitable climes."

"And the names Equestria, Canterlot, Celestia, Luna, Discord...none of these names mean anything to you?" Twilight asked.

Again, Inner Light shook his head. "Sorry, no."

"I see..." Twilight frowned. "I think...I think I'm starting to understand what happened to me. How I got here. Where I am."

A bowl of soup and a plate with a thick slice of bread floated onto the table in front of her. "Pray tell," Inner Light said as he sat across from her. "You have my undivided attention."

Twilight took a sip of her soup; the broth was savory and the aroma tantalizing. "I think...I think I've been sent back in time." Her ears drooped. "I think this is the past. Before Equestria."

"You believe you have traveled in time?" Inner Light asked politely as he took a bite of his bread. "Interesting."

"If...if it's true, then..." Twilight's eyes welled with tears. "I may never see my friends or my family ever again..."

* * * * *

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do sat in the shadow of the statue of Princess Luna. Rainbow stared at Daring with a hard expression. "So...why?" she asked hoarsely. "Why did you just leave when I was born? When you met me a few moons ago...did you even recognize me?"

Daring sighed. "I guess...maybe I thought it was you," she admitted. "But I didn't...I didn't wanna deal with that. I wasn't even sure you knew the truth."

"I didn't," Rainbow said. "Until a few days ago, I had no idea who my biomom was." She frowned. "What kind of pony just shits out a foal and flies off?"

"Look, kid..." Daring began before sighing heavily. "Yeah, I skipped out on you and your dad as soon as I had you, and...and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Because that's not my life, okay? Staying in one place, being...being some kinda mom, kissing skinned knees and teaching you how to preen and whatever the hell else...that's just not who I am. I'm always on the move, always charging headlong into danger. I just...staying in Cloudsdale, doing the whole mom thing, it's...it's just not who I am." She looked at Rainbow Dash. "Now that's not an apology, because I'm not sorry for what I did. But..." She looked away. "I'm...glad you turned out okay. And...I guess I'm glad you found out the truth."

Rainbow stared at her for a long time. Slowly, she shook her head. "I guess...I'm just like you," she said quietly. "I mean, a lot of what you just said...it sounds like me. Except for one thing." She looked Daring in the eyes. "I'd never leave anypony hangin', especially if they were my own kid."

Daring dropped her gaze. "Heh. Then you're a better pony than I am." She sighed. "Look...we can hash all this out after...after we figure out what happened to your friend. And find a way out of here. Alright?"

Rainbow frowned. "Yeah, alright. Figuring out what happened to Twilight is way more important right now. But as soon as this is all over and we're all safe and sound, we've got a lot to talk about."

* * * * *

The stars littered the sky above. The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace.

"You are welcome to the bed," Inner Light said.

"I couldn't," Twilight Sparkle protested.

"I insist, Lady Twilight of the future," Inner Light pressed.

"Well...alright."

Twilight stretched out on the bed, closing her eyes.

*If...if I'm really in the past...*

*No...Rainbow Dash and Daring Do will find a way to bring me back. I'm sure of it...*

*Or...at the very least, Rainbow will get a message to Princess Celestia, and she'll be able to...*

Twilight glanced at Inner Light. She hadn't noticed it before, but in the flickering firelight, she could see that his flank was blank. *He...he doesn't have a Cutie Mark...?*

Inner Light's horn glowed, and the fire went out.

Chapter Six

The Royal Guards opened the gates to Canterlot Castle for the party of five mares and one dragon. They were swiftly ushered into the throne room, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna awaited them. Celestia wore a set of sturdy, expensive saddlebags, while Luna wore a pensive frown.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly," Celestia said.

"What's going on?" Twilight Velvet asked. "What was that light in the sky? Is...is something wrong with Twilight?"

Celestia sighed. "It's...difficult to explain," she said. "And I cannot explain the situation fully until we reach our destination."

"Beg pardon?" Applejack asked.

"The short explanation is that Twilight Sparkle has activated Ponyhenge," Celestia said. "The rest...will have to wait. For now, we must make haste. Something has gone terribly wrong, and we have little time to lose. You are all to accompany me to..." She looked down and cast her eyes away from the group. "To my father's tomb," she finished sadly, her ears folding back.

* * * * *

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do stood in front of a pile of crumbled, blasted rubble. The debris was so dense that no light shone through the cracks.

"So, uhh...any ideas?" Rainbow asked.

"With my leg all messed up, I don't think I'll be digging through any rocks," Daring replied. She frowned thoughtfully. "For now, it might be a good idea to at least try to figure out what exactly happened to your friend."

Rainbow scratched her head. "Yeah, that sounds good. So...how do we do that exactly?"

"There might be some clue in the inscriptions in the Holy Road...but I can't read that language."

"Didn't you decipher the ancient ponyglyphs of the—"

"Yeah yeah, book two," Daring said dismissively. "It wasn't as easy as I made it sound in the book, kiddo. It actually took six moons."

Rainbow's jaw dropped. "WHAT? But...but..."

Daring turned to face her. "I take dramatic license sometimes, okay? Truth is..." She sighed. "Truth is, the cool, butt-kicking, tomb-raiding, treasure-hunting stuff in the books is only about ten percent of what I do on these little adventures. The rest of it is travel, research, study, careful excavation..." She frowned. "Washing ticks out of my mane..." She shrugged. "Nopony wants to read about that."

Rainbow sagged.

"Buuuut," Daring drawled with a smirk, "our air's not gonna hold out that long, and we need to figure out what happened to the princess, find some way to get out of here, kick Dongnocc's butt, get back the prism, and save your friend." She grinned. "So just this once, I'll pull off a miracle. Somehow." She stretched. "Now, get my lantern out of my pack so I can get started."

"You got it," Rainbow said. "Mom," she added.

Daring facehoofed.

* * * * *

An exhausted Twilight Sparkle trudged through the door to the small cottage. "I'm back," she called.

"Welcome back," Inner Light said. "You were away so long, I was beginning to worry."

"Sorry," Twilight said. "I wanted to see some things..." She sighed.

"You were mourning the loss of your home and loved ones again," Inner Light said as he stirred the kettle over the fire.

"I wasn't..." Twilight began, before stopping herself. Her ears wilted. "I was trying to figure out how far back in time I've gone."

"I see. And?"

Twilight peered at him. "You still don't believe me, do you?"

"What I believe is of no importance. You are free to chase whatever truths you believe to your heart's content. I will welcome your company for as long as you wish to remain."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you," she said. "You've been nothing but kind to me this past week."

"Think nothing of it," Inner Light replied with a dip of his head as he ladeled two bowls of vegetable soup and floated them to the table. "So, have you any plans to further your quest to return home?"

Twilight shook her head. "Until I visit the unicorn tribe, I can't be sure."

Inner Light frowned. "I would not advise that," he said. "It is best if the equine tribes remain ignorant of the existence of alicorns."

"But..." Twilight frowned. "I don't understand."

Inner Light pulled a loaf of bread from a shelf and cut it into thick slices. "My lost brothers and sisters spawned the three tribes centuries ago," he said. "No living memory of our kind remains within the tribes. Even the lorekeepers have been denied knowledge of our existence."

Twilight worried at her lip. "I don't understand, but...it doesn't matter. I need access to the unicorns' lore or I'll never find a way back home."

Inner Light frowned. "The unicorns will not possess any magic that can return you to your time. Not even we alicorns, gifted with what most would consider immortality, can bend time itself to our will."

Twilight sighed. "I don't expect them to," she said. "Even Starswirl the Bearded barely understood time spells, and the only one I was ever able to cast with my own power had a temporal elasticity effect and only took me back in time less than a week for about thirty seconds."

Inner Light blinked. "Truly? You have breached time itself?"

"Yeah, but like I said, only for thirty seconds and I didn't even go very far," Twilight replied. "Of course, that was back when I was a unicorn..."

The piece of bread that was on its way to Inner Light's mouth froze. "I...beg your pardon?"

Twilight blushed. "Oh. Well. I was born a unicorn," she said. "I...I've only been an alicorn a little less than a year."

Inner Light's eyebrows climbed his forehead. "Indeed? That...must be quite a tale, Lady Twilight..."

* * * * *

Daring Do frowned, tapping her muzzle with a hoof, as she studied the same row of ancient script for the fifth time, scrutinizing the illustrations carved above it. "If I only knew the exact relationship between the Unknown Prince and the Royal Pony Sisters, this might be a lot easier to figure out," she said.

"What I wanna know is why Twilight's Cutie Mark keeps showin' up," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, I don't know jack about magic and stuff, but I've seen her Cutie Mark on the Tree of Harmony, and...you gotta admit, that's pretty freakyweird."

"The Tree of Harmony?" Daring asked, whipping her head around sharply. "You've seen it?!"

"Seen it, saved it, helped Twilight get her sweet new castle from it," Rainbow said. "Her Cutie Mark is on the Tree, same as Luna and Celestia's."

Daring scratched her head. "That's interesting," she said. "The references I have on the Tree of Harmony don't say anything about that..." She began to pace. "If the Princesses found the Elements of Harmony in the Tree of Harmony, then..." She turned to Rainbow Dash. "Was that other Cutie Mark on the tree? The one on the obelisk?"

"That pearl thing in the tomb? No," Rainbow replied, shaking her head. "Just Twilight's, Celestia's, and Luna's."

Daring tilted her head and examined the engravings again. "That's very interesting," she said.

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, it means Princess Celestia knew your friend was gonna be an alicorn princess," Daring said. She frowned. "But..." She shook her head, brow furrowing. "This tomb is older than Equestria. The Elements of Harmony were first used against Discord..."

"Yeah, Twilight said something about seeing a vision of the Princesses finding the Elements," Rainbow said. "After she drank some funky zebra potion when the Everfree Forest tried to eat Ponyville."

Daring glanced at her, blinking slowly. "Okay. Seriously. What?"

Rainbow laughed. "I'll tell you later. Let's just say sometimes my life is as crazy as yours."

Daring rolled her eyes and smirked, then went back to studying the engravings. "Hmm," she muttered. After a long moment, she gasped. "What...?"

"What is it?"

"Look here," Daring said, pointing with a hoof. Rainbow trotted over and craned her neck to look.

An engraving showed two smaller alicorns, one light and one dark, lying at the hooves of a larger alicorn with Twilight Sparkle's Cutie Mark engraved over her head. The two smaller alicorns had the Cutie Marks of Celestia and Luna engraved underneath them. Farther away, an alicorn stallion stood apart from the three, with the marking from the Tomb engraved above him.

Rainbow scratched her head. "Okay. I give. What am I lookin' at?"

"I don't know," Daring replied softly. "But I'm starting to get a very weird feeling about all this..."

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle packed the thick wool cloak into the rough canvas saddlebag Inner Light had given her. "When you reach the unicorn lands, be certain to conceal your wings," Inner Light said.

"I will," Twilight agreed.

"Will you return to the valley once you have found what you seek?"

"Of course," Twilight said.

"Then I await your return, Lady Twilight." Inner Light paused, chewing on his lip. "Before you go, however...if I might entreat upon you with a question?"

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"The markings on your flanks...forgive me, I do not wish to seem impertinent, but...I have never seen such a thing."

Twilight blinked. "You mean my Cutie Mark?"

"Cutie Mark," Inner Light repeated with a frown. "Such an odd thing to call it..."

"You've...never seen a Cutie Mark before?"

"Nay," Inner Light replied. "It is...quite unusual."

Twilight's eyes widened. "I've gone so far back in time that...that ponies don't even have Cutie Marks?!" She shook her head. "I can't believe there was a time when...when..."

"May I assume this to mean that such markings are commonplace in your land of origin?"

"Yes," Twilight said. "A pony's Cutie Mark is a representation of that pony's special talent. It's...it's who you are. Everypony has a Cutie Mark. Not from birth, but...but as soon as a pony discovers that one thing that makes them special, that makes them unique...their Cutie Mark appears."

"Appears," Inner Light repeated. "Are you saying this...'Cutie Mark'...is a magical manifestation?"

"That's right," Twilight said. "Cutie Marks are the magic that unites all ponies. It doesn't matter if you're a unicorn, a pegasus, an earth pony, or...or an alicorn. Everypony is special. Everypony is unique. And the Cutie Mark is a symbol of that."

"Interesting," Inner Light mused. "If you would permit it, I would like to study this magic upon your return."

"Of course," Twilight said. She trotted to the door, then hesitated. "You...you could always come with me," she said. "I wouldn't mind the company."

Inner Light looked away. "I want nothing to do with the equine tribes," he said. "They are...they are a painful reminder of the folly of my brethren."

Twilight's ears drooped. "Oh. Well. Alright then. I...I'll see you later." And with that, she took to the sky.

Inner Light trotted outside and watched her go. "Safe travels, strange maiden."

Chapter Seven

Two royal chariots glided through the sky toward Ponyhenge. Princess Celestia, Twilight Velvet, Spike, and Rarity sat in one chariot; Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were in the other.

"What exactly has happened to my daughter, Your Highness?" Velvet asked.

Celestia sighed. "I would rather not explain that until we reach the valley," she said.

"Valley? I thought we were going to Ponyhenge."

"Our immediate destination is a hidden valley beyond the mountains," Celestia said. "Even if I could teleport all of you directly into the tomb, it isn't safe to use magic anywhere near Ponyhenge right now. Our best option is to enter the Holy Road through the valley."

From the other chariot, Fluttershy began waving frantically to get their attention.

"What's up with Fluttershy?" Spike wondered, looking at the other chariot. The others turned their heads to look as well. Seeing she had their attention, Fluttershy pointed ahead of the chariots, her hoof shaking.

"What could...?" Celestia frowned and looked ahead. Her eyes narrowed. "It would seem we have company."

Rarity produced a pair of opera glasses from her saddlebag and peered through them. "Is...is that an airship?" she asked.

"Yes, my little pony," Celestia said. "And whatever went wrong here, I'm willing to bet that airship has something to do with it. Guards? Fly faster, if you would please."

The guards glanced at one another, then strained to pick up the pace, the other chariot following suit. The land below sped by in a blur.

* * * * *

Rainbow Dash yawned and ruffled her wings. "Okay, this is startin' to get boring."

Daring Do gave her a sharp glance. "Seriously? Your friend's life may be at stake, and you're bored?"

"Hey. I'm a mare of action. Not a mare of bein' stuck in some underground tunnel when there's a bad guy out there who needs his butt kicked."

Daring rolled her eyes. "Yeah...you get that from me," she admitted. She sighed. "We might as well see if we can clear some of the rubble from the entrance."

"Think your hoof's healed up enough?"

"Probably not, but we need to try anyway."

As they trotted away from the tomb, Daring cast odd, awkward glances at Rainbow. "So, uhh...how's your dad?"

"Good. He's good."

"Still in Cloudsdale?"

"Yeah. Why, thinkin' of lookin' him up?"

Daring looked away. "Probably not a good idea." She trotted away from Rainbow and sat down heavily, her tail dragging straight out behind her. "Blaze...wanted me to stay. Begged me to stay. I...I said some pretty nasty things to him." She bowed her head and removed her pith helmet. "I was...kind of a bitch about the whole thing." She snorted. "He wanted to get married, you know. He...he tried to do it right, and I...I laughed at him. Told him the day I got hitched was the day I got my wings clipped."

Rainbow frowned.

Daring looked back at her. "I hurt him," she said throatily. "I know I hurt him, and...and I meant to hurt him. But..." She sighed. "I felt like a total wad. But instead of...instead of tryin' to make it right, I..."

"You left."

"Practically the second I had you out of me, yeah," Daring said heavily. "I...I couldn't...I just couldn't stay. I wasn't ready." She looked back at Rainbow. "I'm still not," she said. "Having a family...it's not who I am. It's not my life."

"So...this is the real Daring Do," Rainbow said. "Selfish. Irresponsible. Hurts anypony that gets too close to her."

"Gee, don't hold back," Daring said sourly.

"Or maybe you were just scared," Rainbow said, looking Daring in the eyes. "Scared of tryin' to be a mom an' messin' it up. Scared of havin' to stop bein' who you are. Scared of lettin' anypony in." She trotted over to Daring. "You know...one time, this little filly I know...she didn't wanna admit she was scared, because she thought I'd stop thinkin' she was cool. I had to tell her that...when I was her age, I got scared too." She smiled. "I still get scared sometimes, even though I'd never let anypony know." She frowned as she looked back in the direction of the tomb. "Right now...right now I'm super scared. Scared I'll never see Twilight again." She tilted Daring's head up and gazed into the eyes that looked just like hers. "I don't think you're any more cut out to be a mom than I am, and I know I'd suck at it. But...right now...I need you. I need you to help me get my friend back. Whatever else...everything else we have to work out, we'll deal with it later."

Daring let out a shaky breath and nodded with a small smile. "We'll get your friend back. I promise." She examined her bandaged hoof. "I have no idea how we're gonna get out of here, but..."

"Hey. We're awesome. We'll figure it out."

The two pegasi continued their long trot toward the valley entrance.

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle landed on a ridge overlooking a vast unicorn city.

Stone parapets and shining marble buildings dotted the landscape as far as the eye could see. Unicorns in hooded cloaks trotted along flagstone streets, many immersed in scrolls and tomes as they walked.

Twilight wrapped herself in the cloak she'd borrowed and teleported down into an empty alley, then trotted out into the street.

As she looked around, she saw that none of the ponies had a Cutie Mark. She trotted up to a middle-aged mare with gold-rimmed spectacles. "Excuse me," she said.

The mare turned and looked at her. Her muzzle furrowed. "Ae'v na'er saen ye befaer," she said. "Whaer frem ye caem?"

Twilight blinked at her strange dialect. "Umm...I'm a traveler," she said. "From far away. I was wondering if there's a library or...or a scholar of renown around here."

The mare tilted her head curiously. "Shaer'an ye sprake an aude tine, nass. Nae maetre. Twis bein' thae Aethenaeum ye sook." She pointed with a hoof. "Aen thayer."

"Thank you," Twilight said, trotting in the indicated direction.

She entered a large, stately marble building from which a steady stream of unicorns came and went. Enormous bronze torches sat to either side of the polished steps, magical blue fires blazing merrily in the hammered bowls.

Inside, there were hundreds of wooden shelves containing thousands of tomes. Twilight's eyes shone with wonder. "So...many...books..."

An ancient, wrinkled unicorn with a bald head and bushy white hair shooting out of his ears sat at a large desk near the front. Twilight trotted up to him. "Hello, excuse me," she said.

The elderly unicorn looked up, frowning. "Yae'r nae caem frem hire," he said. "Caen Ae helf ye?"

*I guess that's just the way unicorns talked in ancient times.* "I'm honestly not sure what I'm looking for," Twilight confessed. "I've travelled a long way, and I need to do some research on...on this land."

The old stallion rubbed his chin with a hoof. "Yae'r faer tae helf yaersuf ayn awer lurr," he said. "Ae'm klower'n dane wan yon sol laens dane."

"Umm...okay," Twilight said. "Thank you." *I have no idea what he just said...* She wandered over to a nearby bookshelf, pulled down a thick tome with a green binding, and trotted over to a desk with it. Upon opening it, she recognized the runic writing within, but was dismayed to find the book was written in the same bizarre dialect. Her ears wilted as she started trying to read. Her ancient runes were rusty, and that combined with the unicorn dialect made the process slow torture.

Four hours passed, and she began to get a sense of the dialect. She pulled two more books and began reading them more rapidly and with greater comprehension.

The sun began to lower two hours later, and Twilight was already on her fourth book. The old stallion trotted up to her. "Ae'm klower'n dane nigh," he said. "Yae'r faer tae caem haer wan yon sol raesen."

*The library's closing until sunrise...I see.* "Thank you," Twilight said. "I'll be back tomorrow." She levitated the books back onto the shelves, then left with the last few straggling researchers.

She watched the sun dip below the horizon. As the moon began to rise, she retreated into a shadowy alley, then teleported to the roof of the Aethenaeum. Looking around to make sure she wasn't spotted, she stowed her cloak in her pack and flew up to the ridge, then set about making camp for the night.

* * * * *

As the chariots drew nearer, the airship turned; all along its broad side, ports opened up, revealing long iron cannons.

"Princess! They're about to open fire!"

Princess Celestia's eyes narrowed. "They wouldn't dare."

Booming blasts cracked the still air. Hundreds of iron pellets tore through the sky. The guards whinnied and dodged; Celestia used her magic to steady the passengers.

"HEY!" Pinkie Pie yelled. "What's the big idea?!"

"We need to land!" Celestia yelled to the guards. Her horn glowed white-hot; the others covered their eyes as she projected a blinding beam of magic against the airship, slicing a deep gash in its side. The guards banked low as another volley of iron shot burst forth from the cannons.

"We need to turn back!" a guard called back. "If we land on the cliffs, we're dead!"

"Dive through the trees!" Celestia said, pointing to the thick green canopy just past the cliffs.

"Are you CRAZY? Err, Your Majesty?"

"TRUST ME!" Celestia replied.

As another broadside from the airship grazed them, the pegasus guards reared in midair, whinnied, and made a beeline for the trees below. Celestia extended a broad golden shell of magic around the two chariots. "Brace yourselves, my little ponies!" she yelled.

Leaves rustled and branches cracked as the chariots tore through the tree cover. The airship above disappeared from view, hidden by snapped branches and flurries of disturbed leaves.

The harnesses snapped, and the chariots spun away from the pegasi pulling them, slamming against the cliff walls. Celestia's magic barely kept them intact; they spun and lurched in freefall. The ponies in the chariots clung to each other and yelled in fright as they plunged down, down, down...

Celestia's magic slowed the chariots' descent, and they glided to a soft, safe stop by the edge of the pond. The pegasus guards landed beside them.

Celestia's protection spell melted, and she staggered out of the chariot. "Well," she said brightly, looking around at the trembling ponies. "Any landing you can walk away from!"

"Pardon me, Your Highness," Rarity said. She staggered over to a row of bushes and emptied her stomach.

Celestia looked at her guards. "You two, go back up and keep an eye on that airship. If it leaves, follow it. You, return to Canterlot. Report this incident to my sister. You, stay with the chariots."

The guards saluted and carried out her orders.

Applejack looked around the valley. "This is some mighty fine place," she said. "You wouldn't know from all them trees that there was a valley like this down here."

"It is quite lovely," Twilight Velvet said. "I'm a bit curious as to how you knew about this place. If...if you don't mind my asking."

Celestia looked around the valley, breathing in its scent. "My sister and I were born here," she said. "This...this is my home."

* * * * *

The stars were out when a weary Twilight Sparkle landed in the valley. She opened the door and trudged wearily into the little cottage. "I'm back," she said tiredly.

"Welcome, Lady Twilight. I trust you had a fruitful journey?"

Twilight sighed. "I didn't...really find anything useful," she said. "Even after I mastered the unicorns' strange dialect, all I found was that their lore is all stuff I've been studying my entire life. I didn't find anything new..." She groaned in frustration and flung her saddlebags against the wall. "UGH! The last two moons were a complete waste of time!"

"Calm yourself, Lady Twilight," Inner Light said. "Come, have some tea."

"Thanks." She sighed as she slumped down at the table. Inner Light placed a teacup in front of her. She massaged her head with her hooves. "I...I guess I'm stuck here," she said sadly. "Away from my friends...my family..."

Inner Light looked at her with sad, solemn eyes. "That...is a feeling I know far too well," he said. He sipped his tea. "Rest a few days. Perhaps...perhaps then, you may think to turn to your own wisdom, rather than relying on the wisdom of others."

"My own wisdom..." Twilight scratched her chin. "I guess...I have nothing but time to work on it..." She looked up at Inner Light. "Maybe...maybe there are some things you can teach me?"

Inner Light smiled. "Perhaps. In any case...I welcome your company for as long as you are willing to share it." He looked into his tea contemplatively. "Long have I been alone...too long, it would seem. Though you shared my home only a short time, I...I found myself pining for your return with each passing day."

Twilight blushed. "I..." She sipped her tea. "Thank you," she said. She looked around. "Are you sure about that, though? I mean...I could build myself a little shack or something in the valley..."

"I see," Inner Light said. "You...no doubt value your privacy..."

"It's not that!" Twilight said. "It's just...the cottage might be a little cramped with two of us. If I'm staying. I mean." She ducked her head.

Inner Light chuckled. "Perhaps we can remodel the cottage to make room for the both of us." He sipped his tea. "We shall discuss it after you recover from your journey."

Chapter Eight

"You were...born here?" Rarity echoed, looking around the valley.

"That's right, my little ponies," Princess Celestia said. She smiled wistfully. "I can still remember the smell of Father's vegetable soup...the rough stone walls and wood floors of the cottage where Luna and I grew up..." She looked around and sighed. "Long since gone, of course. I've preserved the valley itself to the best of my abilities, but the cottage where we grew up...that's been gone for over a thousand years."

"You had a father?" Pinkie Pie asked, jaw dropping.

"Yes," Celestia said with a musical laugh. "And a mother, too. Just like any other pony." She smirked. "What...did you seriously think my sister and I were goddesses that preceded all creation?"

The ponies looked around at one another. "Well...yeah," Pinkie admitted.

Applejack scratched her head. "Yeah, uh...real wistful an' all, Yer Highness, but uhh...whut're we doin' here exactly? An' why was that airship shootin' at us?"

Celestia frowned. "I have no idea who was in that airship or why they attacked us, but I promise you, they will face justice. Especially if they've done what I think they've done. As to why we're here..." She took a deep breath and trotted toward the far end of the valley. The others followed her. "Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash journeyed here in search of the Tomb of the Unknown Prince. It is the resting place of my father, but it is also an extremely powerful magical apparatus that...that only an alicorn can activate."

The others gasped. "So...that light in the sky?" Twilight Velvet asked.

Celestia nodded. "Ponyhenge is connected to my father's tomb," she said. "It is a complex magical array. If...if the light in the sky hadn't stopped so abruptly, I wouldn't be so worried. But..." She looked back at the ponies. "Something has gone wrong...I can feel it."

"So...what was this array supposed to do?" Rarity asked.

Celestia pursed her lips. "That...is complicated," she said. "And we don't have the time for it right now."

After a few minutes' walk, they came upon a marble edifice flanked by phoenix flame torches. "Oh no," Celestia said, drawing to an abrupt halt and raising a hoof.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked. She followed Celestia's gaze and gasped. "Oh my..."

Just beyond the carved arch, a pile of rubble blocked the entrance to the tunnel beyond.

Celestia frowned. "Whoever did this...they will pay dearly."

* * * * *

The candles flickering over Twilight Sparkle's desk danced with the changes in the room's air currents as Inner Light entered and set a steaming clay cup beside her. The warm scent of spiced apples filled her nostrils. "Mmm..." Twilight looked up, setting her quill aside. "Thank you," she said.

"I must thank you," Inner Light said. "Your designs for that cider press...when you first began building it, I thought you were mad, but...I must admit, the results are more than impressive." He sat on a bench along one wall of the study, looking around at the dozens of sheets of parchment affixed to boards that covered every wall that wasn't occupied by a bookshelf. "I will never accustom myself to your astonishing intellect and productivity," he said. "When first you crossed my threshold in the spring, I thought you a madmare."

Twilight took a sip of cider and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "And now?"

Inner Light grinned. "Now I know with absolute certainty that you are a madmare," he said. "And without question the most brilliant, most amazing alicorn I have ever known."

Twilight blushed.

"So...you have been sequestered in your study since midday," Inner Light said. "What has so possessed you?"

Twilight sighed. "I'm...just working on some ideas," she said. "I'm...trying to figure out how to rework Starswirl's time travel spell. To put enough of my own power into it to...to send myself back where I belong, and remove the elasticity component." She shook her head. "Something was powerful enough to send me here, so there has to be a way back. I just..."

Inner Light stood and trotted over, grazing a hoof lightly across her back. "Is remaining here with me so abhorrent to you?" he asked softly. "These past seven moons...I have not been as happy in many centuries as I have since you arrived."

Twilight looked at him and ducked her head. "It's...it's not that," she said. "It's just...I don't belong here. I shouldn't be in this time. I could...I could change history. I could destroy the future. And...and I miss my friends. My friends...they're everything to me."

"And I am nothing to you?"

"I didn't mean that!" Twilight said hastily. "I..." She shivered suddenly. "When did it get so cold in here?"

"Night fell a long time ago," Inner Light said. "Come...finish your cider and rest. You need your rest."

"You're right," Twilight said with a sigh. She drank her cider slowly, savoring it, then extinguished the candles. She followed Inner Light to the spacious bedroom and crawled onto the large bed, levitating the thick blanket over herself. Inner Light smiled and lay beside her, sharing the blanket and her warmth.

* * * * *

"Shit," Daring Do spat.

"You said it," Rainbow Dash said.

Daring sighed. "Diggin' our way outta here's gonna take hours. Maybe days."

"Don't reckon you brought any explosives, huh?"

"I don't make a habit of carrying explosives," Daring muttered. "Besides...it'd probably just make this worse."

"Dammit...! We gotta get outta here!" Rainbow cried. "Dong-knock could be miles from here by now! There's no tellin' where he went!"

Daring started laughing. "Dong-knock!" She slapped her good hoof on the ground, then rolled over on her back, clutching her stomach. "Dong-knock!"

"Uhh...you okay there?"

Daring gasped and wheezed. "All these years...all the times I've butted heads with that obnoxious walking pile of bullshit...I never once thought...of calling him...DONG-KNOCK!" She completely lost it and collapsed into a helpless, giggling pile of fur and feathers.

Her laughter was infectuous; within seconds, Rainbow Dash was right beside her, laughing her fool head off.

After several minutes, their laughter subsided; they lay on the floor, letting out the occasional wheezing giggle. Daring rolled over and sat up. "I needed that," she said.

"Heheh...yeah...me too." Rainbow sat up, flexing her wings and grimacing. "So, uhh...I guess we just...start diggin'?"

Daring sighed. "I guess we don't have a choice..."

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle flew halfway up the cliffs, smiling as the warm spring sun shone down on her face.

Inner Light joined her, smiling at her. "It is a pleasant day," he said. "Too pleasant to stay inside, cooped up in your study."

"You know, you're right," Twilight said. "I have an idea!" She turned to face him. "Let's go on a trip."

"I beg your pardon?"

Twilight flew a lazy circle around him. "Let's fly out to the pony tribe lands!"

Inner Light flinched. "I...would rather not..."

"Inner Light," Twilight said with sudden sadness, "you shouldn't shun the ponies. I know...I know how you feel about them, but...trust me when I say that there is harmony within the ponies. They just...they just don't realize it yet." She shook her head. "Besides, this whole hermit lifestyle...it's no way to live. You need to get out of the valley once in a while...make some friends!"

"I have you," Inner Light said. "You are all the friend I need."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I used to be just like you," she said. "Come on, let's go to Unicornassus. We can use that disguise spell I came up with. They don't need to know you're an alicorn! Besides, I'd love a chance to talk to Willow the Wise again."

Inner Light sighed. "Very well. For you...I will meet with the unicorns."

* * * * *

Princess Celestia studied the pile of rubble. At length, she sighed. "I guess I have no choice," she said. She turned to the group. "All of you...stand back."

"What're you gonna do, Your Highness?" Spike asked.

"I'm going to clear a path," Celestia said. She raised each hoof and removed the golden slippers she wore, levitating them into a neat pile at Twilight Velvet's hooves. She stretched each leg, then cracked her neck. "I have not done anything like this in quite some time..."

"Uhh...Ah think we'd best be movin' back, y'all, like th' Princess said," Applejack said, ears flattening as she cantered back ten paces from Celestia. The others followed suit, Rarity bringing Celestia's shoes with her.

Celestia backed up five paces, then spread her wings, raising herself into the air. Once airborne, she drew back another ten pony lengths before rocketing forward, undulating her body so that her powerful hind legs faced the obstruction. Her hooves began glowing with a bright, golden light...

The very earth shook as Celestia's hooves impacted the marble. With a deafening *crack-BOOM*, a plume of marble dust and hundreds of chips and pebbles of stone sprayed out of the opening, along with a blinding golden flash.

When the dust cleared, two pegasi, coated in white dust, blinked identical rose-colored eyes.

Chapter Nine

Twilight Sparkle and Inner Light, disguised as ordinary unicorns, sat in a cabin hollowed out from a large, solid boulder, lit by magical lamps. Aside from the large stone table in the center, almost every inch of the cabin was occupied by scrolls and books, with a simple straw sleeping mat in the back. Across the table from them sat Willow the Wise, a wheat-coated unicorn mare with a brown and green mane and gold eyes.

"It has been a long time since your last visit, Twilight Sparkle," Willow said with little trace of the accent common to the unicorns.

"I've been busy," Twilight said. "Well, we've been busy actually. We had to finish rebuilding the cottage and preparing the valley for winter, and then, well..."

"Of course," Willow said. "You did mention that your home is quite distant from Unicornassus." She smiled at Inner Light. "So...is this handsome stallion your mate?"

Twilight blushed furiously. "Gah! We're not...I mean..." She ducked her head.

Willow smiled. "I jest," she said, though she gave Inner Light a knowing wink. "Now, if I may be so bold..." Her smile turned into a smirk. "Will you not dispel the concealment magicks you wear? I swear on my horn I can be trusted."

Inner Light's eyes widened. "How can you tell—?"

"I am not called Willow the Wise because I was foaled by an owl," Willow said, eyes twinkling.

Twilight laughed and shook her head. "We can trust her," she said. Her horn glowed, and a soft ripple filled the air. Inner Light sighed, shook his head, and broke his own glamour.

As the alicorns' true forms were revealed, Willow raised an eyebrow. "I had suspected as much," she said. "So...alicorns do remain among us."

"You know of us?" Inner Light asked. "But...I had believed all knowledge of alicorns lost to the equine tribes!"

"A queer thing, knowledge," Willow said with a smirk. "It is not that simple a matter to erase it." She studied Inner Light. "Might I have your name, milord?"

"Inner Light."

Willow's eyes widened. "Indeed." She heaved herself up and trotted over to a crowded shelf, flinging several tomes aside before she pulled out a slip of parchment which was very old, very yellowed, and slightly weather-worn. "I believe I have a message for you."

"A message for me?" Inner Light repeated with confusion, accepting the old parchment with his magic. His eyes widened as he studied it. "This...this is...!"

Twilight looked over his shoulder. She frowned. "I've seen that script before," she said. "In...in the tomb..."

"It is the ancient formal language of the alicorns," Inner Light said. He swallowed heavily. "This...this is a letter from...from my mother."

"I would be most interested in knowing what it says," Willow said. "If it is not too presumptuous."

Inner Light shook his head as he scanned the parchment. "It says... 'The light within you must shine upon our descendants. The ponies of the earth, of the sky, and of the lore are meant to bear...'" He glanced at Twilight. "...'are meant to bear within them a light of their own, that will shine for the rest of ponykind to see when each and every living soul finds that one unique aspect that distinguishes them. That light will shine the way to harmony, as equines learn how and why each member of their society is necessary to the whole.'"

Twilight gasped. "It's talking about Cutie Marks," she said.

"Cutie Marks?" Willow asked.

Twilight stood and turned, showing her flank to Willow. Willow tilted her head as she studied Twilight's Cutie Mark. Her horn glowed. "Fascinating," she said. "And curious. I've never encountered magic of this nature."

"That's...that's because it doesn't exist yet," Twilight said. She frowned. "Inner Light...you remember during the summer, when you studied my Cutie Mark at length?"

"Indeed I do," Inner Light said. "I felt the shape of its magic. It felt...right, somehow."

"I think...I think you're the source of that magic," Twilight said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The ponies of this time don't have Cutie Marks," Twilight said. "The magic doesn't even seem to exist yet." She looked Inner Light in the eye. "In my time, alicorns have special talents that affect all of ponykind in one way or another. At least...at least Celestia and Luna do. Cadance too, I guess. I think..." She swallowed. "I think you might...you might be the pony who creates Cutie Mark magic."

Willow remained silent through all of this, though her eyebrows raised progressively higher as Twilight spoke.

Inner Light frowned. He looked back at the letter from his mother. He stroked his muzzle with a hoof. "Hmm..."

"Why don't..." Twilight swallowed. "Why don't you try to duplicate the magic of my Cutie Mark," she suggested. "Not to create an identical mark, but...just to see if you can feel its shape." She looked at Willow. "Do you mind volunteering for an experiment?"

Willow grinned. "Being experimented on by an alicorn would be an honor," she said.

* * * * *

The group of ponies in the valley stared at the two filthy pegasi in the mouth of the tunnel.

"Uhh..." Rainbow Dash uttered numbly.

Applejack trotted forward. "Rainbow Dash!"

Twilight Velvet joined her. "Daring Do!"

"Uhh...hey, Vel," Daring Do said, shaking dust out of her mane. "Uhh...nice to see you?"

"I'm relieved to see you're both safe," Princess Celestia said. "Is...is Twilight Sparkle with you?"

Rainbow shook her head. "This cockamamy place zapped her and she vanished..."

The rest of the mares present gasped in shock.

"And she has not returned?" Celestia asked.

"Nuh-uh," Rainbow said with another shake of her head. "We've been tryin' to figure out how to get her back, but that bastard Dong-knock sealed us in here..."

"I beg your pardon?"

Daring coughed. "Your Highness...a minotaur named Dongnocc stole a glowing prism from inside the tomb shortly after Princess Twilight disappeared."

"He has the prism?!" Celestia cried. She began to prance in place. "No. No. No. No. No..."

"Uhh...you okay, sugarcube? Uhh, Ah mean...Yer Highness?"

Celestia began to pace. "Ponyhenge doesn't work without the prism, and if it's been removed, then the connection's been broken..." She whirled to face the assembled ponies, eyes wide and frightened. "We may very well never see Twilight Sparkle again."

* * * * *

Inner Light's horn glowed. Sweat dripped from his brow. His eyes narrowed in concentration.

A faint glow lit Willow the Wise's flank from within. It faded, then grew brighter. She stood still, watching in fascination.

Slowly, an image came into focus on her flank: a brown owl clutching a scroll and a quill. With a bright white flash, the image fully solidified.

Willow gasped. "Incredible..."

Inner Light sagged as his horn faded. He let out a sigh. "Did...did it work?"

Twilight Sparkle began jumping up and down in place. "You did it!" she cried happily.

Inner Light stared at Willow's flank. His eyes widened in wonder. "I...I can feel a connection to your light," he said. He turned to Twilight. "And...and to yours as well..."

With a blinding flash, Inner Light's flank lit up. The entire cottage filled with soft, shimmering white light as, gradually, a Cutie Mark appeared on Inner Light's flank: a shining white orb, with dozens of radiant lines streaking away from it.

"Well...that was unexpected," Willow said.

Inner Light examined his own flank. "The mark of my destiny," he breathed. "This is what I am meant to do. This...this is the role I am meant to play in this world..."

Twilight's eyes widened as she got her first good look at Inner Light's Cutie Mark. She gasped. *The Tomb of the Unknown Prince...! Then it's HIS—*

* * * * *

"What do you mean, 'never see her again'?" Twilight Velvet demanded. "What happened to my daughter?!"

Princess Celestia sighed. "Ponyhenge...and the tomb..." She bowed her head. "They were designed with a single purpose in mind. Ponyhenge is a two-way portal, one only an alicorn can access."

"Like the mirror thingie?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"No, my little pony," Celestia said. "The mirror is a gateway to another world. Ponyhenge...it's a gateway to another time."

Daring Do gasped. "THAT'S IT!" she exclaimed. "Now it all makes sense!" She stared at Celestia. "But...that would mean—"

"So it doesn't work without that prism thingie?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, flying in between Daring and Celestia. "Because we know Dong-knock has it. We just...we just gotta kick his ass and take it back, right?"

"It's not that simple," Celestia said. "Removing the prism broke the connection, and...and it wasn't designed to be recharged." Her eyes began to moisten. "It...it was only intended to work one time. One round trip. With the connection broken...there isn't enough power left in the tomb to reach Twilight."

Everypony stared somberly at each other. "So...so what do we do?" Fluttershy asked.

Nopony spoke for some time.

"We find this prism and get it back from whoever stole it," Velvet said. "Once we have it back...there has to be some way you can figure out how to get her back." She laid a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "You have to."

Celestia nodded shakily. "You're absolutely right," she said. "I'll do...I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back to us." She tilted her head at Daring. "By the way...I don't believe I've had the pleasure. Would you prefer I call you Daring Do or Dr. Yearling?"

"Eheh...gettin' harder to keep that secret," Daring said sheepishly.

"The airship!" Spike exclaimed. "That had to be Dongnocc!"

"Hey, that's right!" Pinkie said. "He has an airship just like that in the Daring Do books!"

"Then we haven't a moment to lose," Celestia said. "Rainbow Dash, Dr. Yearling, Fluttershy, I want you all to accompany me. We're going after Dongnocc. The rest of you, stay here." She swallowed heavily. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Now this is gonna make one hell of a book," Daring said, adjusting her pith helmet.

Chapter Ten

Twilight Sparkle and Inner Light remained in Unicornassus for the next three weeks. With Willow's help, they moved freely among the populace, undisguised. They were met with reactions ranging from disbelief to curiosity to suspicion, but slowly, Inner Light spread his newfound talent through the unicorn populace.

What none of them had expected was its capacity for self-propagation.

For every ten unicorns Inner Light bestowed with a Cutie Mark, twenty more developed Cutie Marks all on their own. Traders from the earth and pegasus tribes came into the city and left forever changed.

After their time in Unicornassus, they traveled to Fort Pinion, the Pegasus castle in the clouds. They were not welcomed as openly as they had been by the unicorns, but they persuaded the pegasi to listen to them, and Inner Light spread his magic among the pegasi.

Two weeks later, they ventured to the earth pony lands. By this point, word of the Cutie Mark Miracle had spread far and wide, and more earth ponies had Cutie Marks than lacked them. Many were still confused; many thought the unicorns had ensorcelled them. Twilight spent every day, from dawn to dusk, moving among the earth ponies, teaching them about the meaning and magic of Cutie Marks.

Every night, at whatever lodgings they ended up sharing, Inner Light and Twilight would cherish one another's company. Each grew more and more fond of the other; with each passing day, Twilight found herself unable to deny the very real love and affection she felt for a stallion she had only met by a twist of fate.

It was well into summer by the time they returned to their home in the valley, with a promise to return to the equine tribelands in a year's time.

As the summer wore on, Twilight found herself with a completely unexpected surprise to share with Inner Light.

* * * * *

"Umm...excuse me...Your Highness?" Fluttershy trailed behind the other pegasi and Princess Celestia as they ascended to the tree cover above the valley. "I...I don't think I should be, umm..."

Celestia paused in midair. "You want to remain behind with the others?"

"Oh, well...y-yes," Fluttershy said. "I mean...Rainbow Dash and Ms. Do are...are much better at this sort of thing than I am, and..."

Celestia drew up in front of Fluttershy. "I understand you're scared," she said softly. "And if I didn't need you, I'd have left you behind with the others. But what's happening right now is very important, and I need everypony I can count on."

"But...your guards..."

"The guards are sworn to follow my orders to the best of their abilities," Celestia said. "But you, Fluttershy, would do anything to help your friends. Time and time again, you've surpassed your own limits and faced your own fears when your friends were in trouble. Right now, Twilight Sparkle needs her friends. I need you. Please, I beg you. Help me help Twilight." She frowned. "If...if we even can..."

Fluttershy swallowed heavily. "A-alright," she said.

"HEY! What're you slowpokes hangin' around down there for?" Rainbow Dash cried. "We've got a minotaur to mangle!"

Celestia and Fluttershy flew after Rainbow Dash and Daring Do.

When they emerged from the tree canopy, there was no sign of the airship or the guards. "Oh no," Fluttershy whispered. "Which way did they go?"

Daring scratched her chin with a hoof. "Dongnocc has a villa in Neighpoli," she said. "I'm willing to bet that's where they're headed."

Celestia nodded. "Then let's move."

* * * * *

"Have you enough blankets, my love?"

Twilight rolled her eyes as she lay upon their bed, cocooned in a deep pile of blankets. "I think so," she said dryly. She sipped her warm cider, savoring its spicy aroma, and turned a page in her book.

Inner Light stared out the window. "Were it not winter, I would travel to Unicornassus and fetch a doctor—"

"What for?" Twilight asked. "I'm perfectly fine."

"But I—"

Twilight lightly smacked Inner Light with her book. "It's a perfectly natural process," she said. "Pregnant mares don't need to be looked after by a doctor all the time. Heck, in olden pony times, they didn't even have midwives! It's not necessary."

Inner Light sighed and paced around. "I just worry for you. For our child."

Twilight smiled. "I know, and that's sweet," she said. She shook her head and giggled. "I never would've imagined I'd wind up stuck in the distant past, pregnant with the foal of the alicorn who created Cutie Mark magic." She frowned. "I really hope this isn't completely ruining Equestrian history or anything."

Inner Light nuzzled her. "I can see no possible way in which this miracle can end in ruination," he said softly.

Twilight nuzzled him back. "Come to bed," she suggested. "It's cold. You should snuggle up under the blankets with me."

* * * * *

"Hey Fluttershy?"

"Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

"So uhh...who's lookin' after Tank if you're here and Spike's not back in Ponyville?"

"Oh, don't worry," Fluttershy said. "I have Cheerilee, Big Macintosh, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders taking turns checking on and feeding the animals until we get back." She smiled. "I do have a system for when I have to leave Ponyville."

"Oh. Okay. Cool."

"So who's Tank?" Daring Do asked.

"My pet tortoise," Rainbow replied.

Daring raised an eyebrow. "Tortoise? A pegasus with a tortoise?"

"A flying tortoise," Fluttershy said with a smile.

Daring scratched her head. "Huh?"

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Now that you mention it, I've heard of the infamous flying turtle in Ponyville, but I have yet to see it with my own eyes."

"Oh, well...Twilight rigged up this magical harness thingie that lets Tank fly around. I'm...not really even sure how he steers it, but it works." Rainbow shrugged. "It just makes him awesome."

Daring shook her head. "A flying turtle. Good grief."

"What about you, Miss Do? Do you have any pets?" Fluttershy asked.

"Nah," Daring said with a dismissive hoof wave. "I live alone out in the middle of nowhere, I'm gone more often than I'm home..."

"Oh. Yes. I suppose that's a good reason..."

* * * * *

For lack of anything better to do, the earthbound group ventured into the tomb. "Wow, look at all these ancient carvings!" Pinkie Pie said. "It's exactly like something out of a Daring Do book!"

"Well, I suppose that makes sense, since Daring Do was here exploring this tomb," Rarity said.

Twilight Velvet scratched her chin with a hoof. "I wonder what brought Daring and Dongnocc to this tomb?" She slowly trotted along the walls, lighting the engravings with her horn. "Huh. This language is ancient," she muttered.

"Can you read it, Miss Velvet?" Rarity asked.

Velvet shook her head. "Nopony alive can read this except Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," she said. "This is the ancient script of the alicorn race."

Rarity blinked. "I beg your pardon. Did...did you say the alicorn race?"

"There are very few surviving samples of this writing," Velvet said. "Several moons ago, Daring Do showed up at my house out of the blue with this ancient book she couldn't translate. She wanted access to the Canterlot Archives to try to figure it out. We spent an entire week researching, but we never found anything. Then one day, by chance, I passed Princess Celestia in the hall at the Archives. I took a chance and asked her if she recognized the language in the book. That's when I found out about the language of the alicorn race. She was amazed a book that ancient even still existed."

"Yes, all well and good, but...alicorn race?" Rarity repeated.

"All Princess Celestia could tell me about them was that they predated Equestria by thousands of years, and they created the three pony tribes." Velvet shrugged. "Celestia and Luna are the last True Alicorns in existence."

"I...I see," Rarity said.

"Hmm," Pinkie mused, rubbing her muzzle with a hoof.

"What is it, Pinkie Pie?" Spike asked.

"Weeelllll...I can't read this old writing, but if you look at the pictures, doesn't it seem an awful lot like this is the story of Luna and Celestia losing their mommy and daddy? And this whole place is their daddy's tomb, but it just says their mommy...well...left. Oh, and she had Twilight's Cutie Mark."

Everypony stared at her, blinking.

"Or it could be a recipe for alicorn cake," Pinkie added with a shrug. "Eh."

Rarity frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm. I wonder..." She marched up and down the lines of engravings, horn lit. Velvet stood still, chewing her lip, her brow furrowed.

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle stared down at the beautiful white alicorn foal that lay atop a pile of blankets, still damp from being birthed. Her wings were stunted and hadn't fully grown in, and her short, messy mane and tail were a bright salmon pink. Her legs were longer than most foals Twilight had seen, gangly and slender. The little foal blinked sleepy greyish-pink eyes up at her and yawned.

"She's beautiful," Inner Light said in a soft, wonderous tone, staring down at their daughter.

"Yes, she...she is," Twilight said, eyes wide. "But...but this is...this is impossible..."

"What is, my love? That our daughter is an alicorn? Because, well...we are both alicorns."

"No, not that," Twilight said. She studied the little foal intently. Even in this tiny, undeveloped form, the pony she had just given birth to was unmistakeable.

*But...but how...?*

Inner Light nuzzled her. "I have seen you perplexed about many things, my love. Today is not a day for puzzlement. Today is a day for jubilation. We are a family now." He gently floated the tiny foal up into the air; she fussed and fidgeted at the unfamiliar sensation of floating. "Come, beloved. Name our daughter."

Twilight stared at the foal, her heart hammering in her chest. With a deep, shaky breath, she whispered the only name that could belong to this impossible foal:

"Ce-Celestia."

Chapter Eleven

Three pegasi and an alicorn princess flew with all possible speed to the province of Neighpoli.

Fluttershy drew parallel with Rainbow Dash. "So," she said quietly, "is Ms. Do really...you know...your mother?"

Princess Celestia blinked and glanced at them.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said. "We've...we've got a lot to talk about after we kick Dong-knock's butt and get Twilight back."

Celestia flew closer. "Is this true? You're the daughter of Daring Do?"

Daring Do frowned. "Hey. Don't talk about me like I'm not here." She sighed. "Yeah, this squirt's my kid."

Celestia looked between the two of them. Her lips quirked. "I do see the family resemblance," she said.

Daring raised an eyebrow. "Funny you should say that," she said. "You don't look a thing like your mother."

Celestia winced. "You've figured it out, I see."

Rainbow frowned in confusion. "Whaddya mean?"

"Ms. Do, how could you possibly know what Princess Celestia's mother looked like? I mean—"

Celestia sighed. "It's...it's time I told you the truth, my little ponies. So that you'll understand what has happened...and why."

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle watched Celestia prance around the valley, wings fluttering as she leaped at butterflies. She giggled. "Celestia," she called.

Celestia trotted over to her. "Mommy, when's Daddy coming home?" the five-year-old filly asked.

"Hopefully soon," Twilight said.

Celestia cantered around to peer down at her mother's notes, which were spread out in the cool grass. "Whatcha workin' on, Mommy?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet," Twilight replied. "I've just...been thinking a lot about how I got here, and...and about you," she said. "And your sister."

Celestia frowned. "I don't got a sister," she said.

Twilight smiled. "You will," she said. She leaned in and whispered, "Don't tell Daddy. He doesn't know yet."

Celestia's eyes widened. She giggled.

"Now, I need you to get the basket and collect lots and lots of berries, alright?" Twilight said. "If you do a good job, I'll bake a yummy pie."

Celestia's wings flared as she let out a squeal of joy. "Yay!" she bolted into the house, then returned a moment later with a basket floating behind her in a soft golden aura.

Twilight smiled. *Already able to use her basic magic...*

An hour later, Celestia returned with a basket overflowing with different kinds of berries. Twilight gathered up her notes and shepherded the filly inside, where she began working on the promised pie.

By the time the pie was cooling on the windowsill, the front door opened. "Twilight? Celestia? I have returned."

"DADDY!" Celestia bolted into the living room, giggling and squealing. Twilight smiled and followed sedately.

"Welcome home, Inner Light," Twilight said. She trotted up to her husband and nuzzled him warmly. "Did you have a good trip?"

"I did indeed," Inner Light replied. "The crystal ponies..." He shook his head. "I would never have believed such a thing possible. I still have no clue as to how these crystal ponies came to exist..."

"Was the Crystal Empire well and peaceful?"

"Oh, absolutely," Inner Light said. He sighed. "If only the three equine tribes could know such harmony," he lamented.

Twilight bowed her head. "It'll happen," she said. "There's a crisis they must overcome first before they can truly unite. I...I wish we could do something about it now, but...but I can't risk changing history. Harmony is something the pony tribes need to create for themselves."

"I pray you are right, my love," Inner Light said.

Twilight swatted him. "Of course I'm right," she said.

Inner Light levitated a smooth crystal prism almost as large as Celestia out of his saddlebag. "In any event...I received this from the Crystal Queen as a token of gratitude."

Twilight's eyes flew open. "Oh my gosh!" She took it in her own magic and studied it from every angle, her heart hammering. "Do you know what this is?"

"It is a magically receptive prism," Inner Light said with a shrug. "A curiosity, to be sure. The Crystal Queen thought I might find a useful purpose for it."

Twilight set the prism on the table and began pacing. "This prism...it's part of the device that brought me here in the first place," she said.

Inner Light tilted his head. "Truly?" He leaned in and poked it with a hoof. "Curious."

Twilight started pacing furiously. "But that means..." Her ears flicked repeatedly. Shaking her head, she grabbed the prism in her magic and bolted for her study. "I've got a lot of work to do there's pie in the kitchen don't let Celestia eat too much and by the way I'm pregnant again!" The door slammed shut behind her.

Inner Light stared after her, jaw agape.

Celestia giggled. "Mommy's silly."

* * * * *

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash hung limp in midair, their eyes and mouths wide in shock.

"...WHAT?!" Rainbow screeched.

Daring Do shook her head. "This kind of shit is exactly why I don't read sci-fi. Ontological paradoxes make my brain hurt."

Fluttershy frowned. "So...that means...everything you've done for Twilight her entire life...it's all been part of this...part of your history?"

Princess Celestia grimaced. "Don't misunderstand," she said. "Even if none of this were true, I would have nurtured Twilight Sparkle and helped her grow into the wonderful mare, true friend, and humble princess she is today." She sighed. "But...yes, everything I've done, every challenge I've placed before her...all of it was to prepare her for the day she would travel back in time..."

"To make babies with some random alicorn dude?" Rainbow asked.

"There is nothing random about Father," Celestia said, faint anger in her voice. "My Father was the kindest, most gentle soul to ever live. And..." She looked toward the horizon. "He made the single greatest contribution to ponykind of any pony that has ever lived."

"Oh yeah?"

"My father, Inner Light, created Cutie Marks."

Daring Do whirled around, screeching to a halt. "Ooookay, THAT I didn't get from the engravings."

Celestia smiled. "Only because you can't read ancient alicorn," she said.

"Whaddya mean created Cutie Marks?" Rainbow demanded.

Celestia laughed softly. "Mother tells the story so much better than I...and it has been thousands of years. Perhaps you can wait to hear it from her..." She sighed. "If we can get her back..."

* * * * *

Celestia stared down at the screaming, squirming blue foal. "Wow, she's noisy," she said.

Twilight Sparkle giggled. "Even as a foal, Luna's loud..."

Inner Light frowned at her. "You're doing it again," he said. "Every so often, you say something that...seems out of place. You have been for some time now..." He glanced at Celestia. "Since our first daughter was born, in fact."

Twilight grimaced. "Tia? Would you go pick some apricots, please? Mommy is hungry."

"Okay Mommy."

Once Celestia was outside, Twilight nuzzled Luna, then looked up at her husband. "There's something I haven't told you," she said. "I...I wanted to be absolutely sure. Until Luna was born, there was still a chance I was wrong, but...but now..."

"Yes?" Inner Light asked patiently.

Twilight sighed. "I know you don't believe I'm from the future—"

"I've accepted that it is...plausible."

"Liar," Twilight said. Shaking her head, she continued, "Our daughters...Celestia and Luna..." She sighed. "Where I come from, Celestia is the ruler of Equestria. She raises the sun. She taught me magic. I was her personal student for years." She frowned. "And now that...now that I know...now that all this has happened, it's making me look at my entire life to this point in an entirely different light." She leaned down and nipped at a stray feather on Luna's wing. "It's crazy, but...the very pony I grew up worshipping...is that silly little filly I just sent out to pick fruit. If I hadn't been sent back in time by y—by the tomb..." Twilight's ear twitched. "Celestia and Luna would never have been born, would never rule Equestria...I'd never have become Celestia's student, I'd never have become an alicorn..."

Inner Light frowned. "What you're describing is a paradox."

"Exactly," Twilight said. "And...and I don't know when, or how, but...I think I'm the one responsible for my being here. That prism you brought back from the Crystal Empire is proof. Why else would you and I have it if I wasn't...if I wasn't meant to use it?"

"So...you intend to build a time travel device...not to return to your own time, but to guarantee your own destiny? And theirs?"

"Yeah," Twilight said with a heavy sigh. "But...I'm hoping if I do it right...I can also use it to go home."

Inner Light hung his head. "Twilight...when are you going to accept the fact that you are home?"

* * * * *

"But you know...I think I'm startin' to get the whole 'Twilight went back in time to become your mom' thing, but..." Rainbow Dash glared at Celestia. "You built a time machine and sent her right to it, you KNEW this was gonna happen, you've let us all freak completely out over this..."

Princess Celestia held up a hoof. "Alright, I admit that when all is said and done, I have much to apologize for, but let me make one thing clear. I did not build the machine that sent Mother back in time. She did."

Rainbow drew up short. "Twilight...did?"

"Of course she did," Celestia said. "She had to. Because as soon as she realized she was my mother, she had to make sure she would be sent back in time to meet Father and foal my sister and I."

* * * * *

"Mother," Celestia grunted as she cut into the ground with a beam from her horn, "why must I...nnnngh!...spend all my time helping you destroy the countryside and haul all this heavy marble clear across the mountains when Lulu gets....agh!...to stay home and play all day?"

"Because her magic is not as strong as yours yet, Tia, and I can't do this all by myself. Even with your father helping, this is still a huge job."

"I still don't understand what...GAH!...it is we're building here! Why couldn't we...hnnnnngh!" Celestia's horn dimmed; she hung her head and panted.

Mother stopped and laid a hoof on Celestia's head. "I'm sorry, Tia. Go ahead and rest. Go play with your sister. I think we made a good enough head start that I can finish up now." Mother stood tall and proud, spreading her wings. Her horn practically shone in the sun.

Celestia looked up in awe at her mother. She had always been much larger than herself, of course, but when Celestia was a young filly, Mother had been much shorter than Father. Now, she stood his equal, with long, strong legs, a slender but supple body, and a long, sharp horn. Her soft violet eyes shone with light and love and intelligence and warmth, and her long, silky purple mane streamed and billowed even with no wind. The pink streak in Mother's mane had been joined by a bright golden streak since Luna's birth.

"You'll want to at least move to a safe distance if you're not going home right away," Mother said.

Celestia's eyes widened, and she flew backwards and up, angling away from the dry, crabby plain. Mother rose into the sky on an invisible wind, her eyes glowing a soft white. A bright magenta glow surrounded her horn.

The entire mountain shook. Huge chunks of dirt and rock rose into the air; Mother unceremoniously flung them into the distant mountains.

Celestia shook her head and returned to the valley. If Mother was going to be tearing up the mountain...well, it would be a shame to get that much dirt in her coat and mane.

Besides, Luna would make fun of her.

* * * * *

Rainbow's mouth opened. She raised a hoof. She closed her mouth.

Daring Do shook her head. "You see why I hate ontological paradoxes?"

"Umm...girls? And...Your Highness? I think I see the airship..."

In the distance, they could see a faint dark spot in the sky, moving slowly away.

Rainbow and Daring exchanged a glance, smirked, and shot off after it.

"Wait! ...oh dear." Celestia sighed. "We should hurry." She flew off after the two pegasi, Fluttershy following in her wake.

Chapter Twelve

Spike scratched his head as he looked up at the engravings. "Huh," he said. "You know...as random as Pinkie Pie can be most of the time...sometimes she says something really smart."

Twilight Velvet looked down at him. "Spike? What are you thinking?"

Spike shrugged. "Well...I've been reading a lot of comic books lately, and there's lots of comic books where somepony goes back in time, they think they screw up the past, and it turns out they actually caused the future to happen."

"An ontological paradox," Velvet said. "Science fiction authors love them. They're patent nonsense."

"Well...I was just thinking...what if this tomb thing is some kind of time machine, and Twilight got zapped back in time?"

"And gave birth to the princesses?" Velvet snorted. "That's crazy."

"Actually, it wouldn't terribly surprise me," Rarity said as she approached the two of them. "Any way you look at it, these lovely engravings seem to record the history of a family of alicorns. And, well...not to put too fine a point on it, but Twilight Sparkle's Cutie Mark is everywhere down here. As are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's Cutie Marks. And that one symbol...it must be the Cutie Mark of the princess' father..." Her eyes brightened. "Why, Velvet, darling! You could very well be the grandmother of the rulers of Equestria!"

Velvet facehoofed. "Time travel is impossible," she said.

"No it's not," Spike said. "Twilight's done it before."

Velvet blinked. "She...she has?" She sat down, frowning. "She never mentioned it..."

"Probably because she created a time loop that resulted in her freaking out for no good reason for an entire week," Spike said. "Seriously, you should've seen her. She went totally nuts!"

"She looked like a sleepy pirate with a bad manecut!" Pinkie added, giggling.

Velvet blinked. "Huh. Wonder what else Twilight hasn't told me about..."

Spike, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie exchanged evil grins...

* * * * *

"Mother?"

"Yes, Tia? What is it?"

Celestia and Luna stood just inside the entrance to Twilight Sparkle's study. Their mother was, as usual, immersed in five books at once, with three quills zooming around the room taking notes and updating diagrams for the monument they had spent the last twenty years building.

"Lulu and I were talking, and, well..."

"Why don't we have our Cutie Marks yet, Mama?"

Twilight's quills fell still. She turned to face her daughters. "What brought this on?" she asked.

The sisters exchanged a glance. "Mother," Celestia began, "we have been to the equine tribes again and again. We have witnessed fillies and colts, not even half our age, earn their Cutie Marks. And yet...you have taught us both magic for years. We're more skilled and learned than any ten unicorns. Why—"

"Tia. Lulu." Twilight walked over and embraced her daughters. "Cutie Marks aren't about age. They're about finding a connection to the thing that...well..."

"To the one thing that sets you apart from other ponies and makes you special, we know," Luna said. "But Mama...Tia and I have many talents, and yet..."

Twilight smiled. "My beautiful daughters," she said, "you are alicorns. Your destinies...they may be greater than you can possibly imagine." She ruffled her children's manes affectionately. "I'll let you in on a secret," she said. "Your father was thousands of years old when he earned his Cutie Mark."

"We know," Celestia said. "After all, Father is the source of Cutie Mark magic."

Twilight winced. "Oh, right...you knew that. Heh." She cleared her throat. "Well...the point is, you're not like other ponies. The ponies in the three tribes, they'll only live a hundred years or so, a hundred fifty tops. You girls...you'll live for thousands of years." She smiled. "Doesn't it make sense that it might take you a little longer to find your true calling?"

Celestia frowned thoughtfully. "Well...when you put it that way..."

Luna sighed. "It just seems so...unfair," she said.

Twilight giggled. "You remind me of three fillies I knew a long time ago..."

* * * * *

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do streaked through the sky, gaining on the airship. "So how do we get aboard?" Daring Do wondered. "I've never been able to get inside that airship."

"We're not going in," Rainbow said. "We're bringing it down." She looked at her mother. "You might wanna lose some altitude." With that, she fell back, the rainbow contrail behind her fading out.

"Huh? What are you talkin' about?" Daring Do asked.

"I'm about to do the most awesome thing ever," Rainbow said. "You may be my mom, you may be Daring Do, but you'll never be able to do this."

And then, with an intense look of concentration on her face, Rainbow streaked forward, gaining speed. Before Daring could blink, she was a colorful speck with a bright cone streaming ahead of her. She shot toward the airship, then overtook it.

"What is that little brat doi—"

And then the sky exploded.

"GAH!" Daring tumbled in midair, struggling to gain control of herself. Her ears rang from the tremendous boom that had just shaken the entire sky. A brilliant rainbow shockwave spread out, washing over her. She stared, wide-eyed, at the epicenter of the blast. "What...what the..."

"That, Dr. Yearling, was a Sonic Rainboom," Princess Celestia said from behind her. Daring turned to see Celestia and Fluttershy, enclosed in a shimmering force bubble. Celestia frowned. "Rainbow Dash is not one for subtlety, it seems."

"Sonic Rainboom?" Daring repeated, blinking rapidly. She shook her head. "I thought...that was just a legend..."

"Rainbow Dash is the only pegasus that can perform the Sonic Rainboom," Fluttershy said. "Not even the Wonderbolts can pull it off."

"Huh," Daring said.

"More importantly..." Celestia dropped the force bubble as the last vestiges of the shockwave subsided. "Look there."

The three watched as huge rips formed in the shell of Dongnocc's airship. Small explosions rocked the vessel as it lost altitude. It shuddered as its rudder broke away and fell to the ground below. Slowly, the mighty vessel descended...

Celestia, Daring, and Fluttershy nodded to one another and sped after it.

* * * * *

Four alicorns gathered around their dining table, enjoying a simple but hearty breakfast.

Luna frowned as she looked out the window. "Hmm..." She scratched her muzzle with a hoof. "Is it me, or is the sun rather late in rising this morning?"

"It does seem as though it should have already risen," Celestia agreed.

Inner Light sighed. "I was afraid of this," he said.

"What is it?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"When I last travelled to Unicornassus to collect the sun stones you requested, I learned that the unicorns and the earth tribe are...not faring well in their relations."

Celestia frowned. "Father...are you saying the unicorns are ransoming the sun to pressure the earth ponies?"

"I hope that is not the case, but..." Inner Light sighed. "Even after I bestowed my great blessing upon the equine tribes, their lack of harmony only grows..."

Twilight sighed, her ears folding around her head. "It's...it's supposed to," she said. She looked at her husband. "Incidentally, is the weather growing cold in Unicornassus?"

"It is," Inner Light said with a frown. "Unseasonably so, in fact."

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. "It's beginning," she said.

"What is, Mother?" Celestia asked.

"The crisis," Twilight said. "The crisis that very nearly destroys ponykind, but ultimately leads to harmony between ponies." She sighed. "I'm sorry, my little ponies, but...starting today, none of us are to fly past the Everfree Forest. The tribelands are off limits for the next few decades."

"But why?" Luna asked.

"Because..." Twilight sighed. "Because they have to solve this problem by themselves. We can't interfere with their destinies."

* * * * *

Dozens of armed henchponies boiled out of the airship as it crashed into a vast forest. Rainbow Dash wove through the trees. "Come outta there, you friggin' cow..."

"Hey! Don't hog all the fun!" Daring Do called as she, Princess Celestia, and Fluttershy descended into the forest. "Besides, you can't take on that whole mob of henchponies by yourself!"

"Why not? You do it all the time."

"Yeah, but I've been doing it longer than you've been alive." Daring cracked her neck. "Anyway, think of it as a little mother-daughter bonding."

"Oh my...those ponies have g-guns, d-don't they," Fluttershy said nervously.

Celestia frowned. "They most certainly do, my little pony. We will need to be careful."

"They wouldn't dare shoot at THE Princess, would they?" Rainbow asked.

"THERE THEY ARE!" a henchpony yelled.

"SHOOT THE PRINCESS!"

A hail of bullets flew at them.

"Horseapples," Rainbow muttered, ears pinned flat against her skull.

Chapter Thirteen

Princess Luna appeared in the valley just as the group was making camp. She looked around and frowned. "My sister is not among you?"

"Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and Fluttershy went after Dongnocc, Your Highness," Twilight Velvet reported, kneeling. "He stole something from the tomb...Princess Celestia reacted rather strongly."

Luna frowned. "Yes...I suppose she would." She paled. "Wait. It wasn't...it wasn't a crystal prism, was it?"

"As a matter of fact, it was."

Luna's ears pinned against her skull and her wings drooped. "No..."

Rarity cleared her throat. "Your Highness, would you mind answering some questions for us? We've developed some...rather interesting theories after studying the engravings in the tomb..."

* * * * *

"What is WRONG WITH THESE PONIES?!" Princess Celestia screamed as she rendered dozens of bullets harmless with her magic.

"Dongnocc's minions aren't generally known for their intelligence," Daring Do said as she weaved between strafing fire, kicking two henchponies in the muzzles. "Or for their aim, fortunately." She grabbed one of the henchponies' guns, drew back the bolt, and cut down five more henchponies with it.

Rainbow Dash paused in mid-tackle, nearly taking a bullet through the wing. "Did...did you just KILL those ponies?" she gasped.

Daring ran out of ammo and chucked the gun at the nearest pony, knocking him unconscious. "Yeah," she said. "I do that sometimes."

"But...but..."

"Look, sometimes, it just happens. Why do you think I'm still alive?"

"But...in the books, you never—"

"What kind of awesome hero would I be in the books if I wrote that I killed some of my enemies?" Daring asked. She rolled across the ground, grabbing another gun and emptying its magazine into a phalanx of henchponies. Many of them survived, but all fell to the ground bleeding from assorted non-lethal wounds to the legs or flanks. One unfortunate pony lost an ear to a bullet.

"Excuse me, Ms. Do?" Fluttershy asked. "If you wouldn't mind...would you please stop shooting the bad ponies? I, umm...I think we can do this without killing them." Even as she said that, she grabbed one henchpony around the neck and suplexed him, then flew up into the air with him, spun him around, and threw him at three more henchponies.

Daring stared up at her. "Whoa. Did NOT see that coming."

Even Celestia blinked. "Well, this is...unusual behavior for Fluttershy," she commented.

"Yeah, pissin' Fluttershy off...usually not a good idea," Rainbow said as she tackled a pony, snatched his gun, and clubbed another pony upside the head with it.

"Oh, I'm far more terrified than I am angry," Fluttershy said as she landed back-to-back with Rainbow. "But I'll do whatever it takes to help Twilight." With that, she launched herself at the nearest henchpony, kicking him square between the eyes.

"Why...would so many ponies...risk treason charges...attempting to kill their Princess?" Celestia grunted as she fired multiple precision blasts at the mass of ponies, overheating their guns. Sweat started to lather through her coat. "Ugh...I am dreadfully out of shape..."

"These ponies aren't Equestrian citizens," Daring said as she dove hooves-first into a pile of ponies, sending bodies flying left and right. "Dongnocc recruits all his henchponies from the barbarian herds of Shitland."

"Shetland," Fluttershy corrected as she rearranged a pony's spine.

"Have you ever been there?" Daring retorted.

"Well...no."

"Well I have. Trust me, it's Shitland."

"How the hay are there this many ponies coming out of that airship?" Rainbow wondered.

"Worry about that later!" Celestia ordered. "For now, we battle!"

* * * * *

"And that is the entire story," Princess Luna said.

Her audience stared at her in awe. "Whoa," Spike said.

Twilight Velvet grimaced and massaged her temples. "I really hate paradoxes," she said.

"But...wait..." Applejack said. "As crazy as Twilight can git sometimes, how in th' hoof did she go back in time, git caught up in, well...makin' you an' Princess Celestia, plus all that other stuff you jes' told us about, an', well...NOT manage to totally screw up history?" She scratched her head. "Or...did she screw up history, an' we jes' don't know it's screwed up on account of it bein' all...well...screwed up?" She winced. "Dangit! Now AH got a headache!"

Luna's ears folded back. "Our mother...was actually quite careful to avoid changing history as she knew it," she said. "She kept us away from the three pony tribes once she saw the signs of the Windigoes' arrival, for starters. Also, she could easily have...well...warned me about my darkest hour, and yet she chose not to. She did not even tell my sister and I what our ultimate roles in Equestria would be. All things considered, Twilight Sparkle was exceptionally careful..." She coughed. "Apart from the events she had no foreknowledge of. Such as being our mother, or Father's importance to pony history."

"That doesn't sound much like Twilight at all," Pinkie Pie said.

Luna chuckled. "The Twilight Sparkle I knew as my mother...was very different from the Twilight Sparkle you all know. She was far calmer and more mature." She dipped her head. "I suspect true love and motherhood played heavy roles in that change."

The assembled ponies looked at one another with worried expressions.

"So...if we do manage to get Twilight back..." Spike swallowed. "She may not be our Twilight?"

Luna sighed. "I will simply suggest...that you prepare for any eventuality, my little ponies."

* * * * *

"Happy birthday, Mother!"

Twilight Sparkle smiled at the massive cake her daughters had baked. "It looks wonderful!" she said.

"We felt perhaps sixty candles would be a bit...hazardous," Celestia said primly. "So we decorated it with sixty hazelnuts instead."

"I see that," Twilight said. She shook her head. "It's hard to believe so much time has passed..."

"Indeed," Inner Light said as he spread plates out around the cake. "Four decades hence, you entered my life and changed it forever. I cannot fathom life without you." He nuzzled Twilight, who nuzzled him back affectionately.

"You will take today off from working on your device, will you not, Mother?" Luna asked.

"Of course," Twilight said with a chuckle. She sighed. "After all, I have the next twelve hundred years to complete it..."

"I sincerely doubt it will take you quite that long," Inner Light said.

"I hope not." Twilight's horn glowed, and five hoof-stitched plush pony dolls floated into the room. She placed them around the table wherever there was room. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Celestia and Luna exchanged a sad glance. "Come, Mother, try some cake," Celestia said.

* * * * *

Four mares stood, heaving and lathering, in the center of a war zone littered with dead, injured, and unconscious henchponies. Hundreds of shell casings covered the forest floor. Guns were scattered all over the place.

"Well, well, well," Dongnocc said as he strode toward them, holding a massive silver saber in each hand. "I am impressed." He pointed a sword at Rainbow Dash. "You. You are the one who destroyed my airship. I believe I will skin you alive and adorn my study with your hide."

"Give us back the prism, Dong-knock!" Rainbow shouted, pawing the ground with a hoof.

"...the name is Dongnocc," Dongnocc said testily.

"You heard her, Dong-knock!" Daring Do called with a mocking grin. "You're outnumbered and outclassed!"

"You have desecrated a protected historical site!" Princess Celestia yelled, planting her hooves firmly. "You have plundered my father's tomb! I swear to you, I will bury you so deep in Tartarus you'll—"

"OH, SHUT UP, YOU PRISSY PRANCING PONY!" Dongnocc bellowed, snorting steam.

"Don't you DARE talk to the Princess that way!" Fluttershy said.

Dongnocc snorted. "I care nothing for princesses. Your crown means nothing to me!"

"Be that as it may, you have committed crimes on Equestrian soil, and you WILL be punished for them!" Celestia said, stamping a hoof. Her horn began to glow.

"Uh, Your Highness? You don't wanna do tha—" Daring began.

A golden beam shot forth from Celestia's horn. Dongnocc parried it with a saber; it rebounded on Celestia, knocking her back several feet. She shook her head, twitching her ears, and glanced at Daring. "Runic blades?" she asked.

"Yep."

"So we do this the old-fashioned way!" Rainbow cried, rushing Dongnocc. He readied his sabers, becoming a whirling tower of bladed death as Rainbow flew around him, searching for an opening. Daring joined her; Dongnocc held both of them at bay with his swords.

Fluttershy trotted next to Celestia. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Celestia replied. Lowering her voice, she said, "He doesn't have the prism on him. While he's distracted, I need you to search the airship."

"Right!" Fluttershy nodded, then flew off into the wrecked airship.

Celestia's horn glowed brightly; in a blinding flash, a full set of gleaming golden battle armor formed on her body. With a grim set to her jaw, she charged into the fray.

* * * * *

The inside of the airship was hot and stifling. Fluttershy prowled through damaged furniture, jutting rods of jagged metal, twisted instrumentation, and broken glass as she explored the wreck. "Goodness..."

She ran into a few ponies who she supposed were Dongnocc's flight crew. They tried to fight her, but she evaded them easily; they were so clumsy on their hooves that they knocked themselves unconscious tripping over the rubble. One weak, stringy pony came at her with a wrench; she dodged, allowing him to strike a metal bulkhead. When the pain from the vibration forced him to drop the wrench, she grabbed him by the neck and gave him the Stare. "Where does Dongnocc keep the things he steals?" she asked.

The pony gulped nervously and pointed a trembling hoof down the dark, ruined corridor. "B-back there," he said. "I-in his private c-cabin."

"Thank you," Fluttershy said primly, dropping him. It only took her a moment's search to find the cabin: it was opulent, full of gold and plush velvet and rich woods, most of which were thoroughly ruined. As she searched through a pile of ravaged plunder, a faint, pulsing glow caught her eye. She dug through the ruins of a mahogany desk and found it: a crystal prism, roughly the size of a small filly. A faint white light slowly pulsed from within the crystal; its brilliant surface had begun to darken, grey, smoky blotches forming within the prism. It was warm to the touch, but the warmth was ebbing. "Oh my," she whispered.

As quickly as her wings would carry her, she fled the airship.

* * * * *

A swing of Dongnocc's saber nearly took off Princess Celestia's horn; she darted back, teleported behind him, and gored him in the shoulder. As he roared in pain, Daring Do bucked his left hand hard enough to force him to drop a sword. Rainbow Dash flew up and drop-kicked him in the back of the head.

Daring reeled and hissed in pain as a slash caught her in the side; Rainbow cried out and grabbed her around the barrel, hauling her away from the path of a follow-up swing. "Hang in there!"

"I'm alright," Daring grunted. "I've had worse..."

Dongnocc stomped over to them, picking up his other sword. "You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, Doctor Do," he seethed. "And YOU—" He pointed a sword at Rainbow Dash. "—YOU are without question the single most annoying pegasus I have ever had the displeasure to meet."

"Go knock a dong, Dong-knock," Rainbow retorted.

"GRAAAAAH!" Dongnocc threw back his head and lowed threateningly. "MY NAME IS NOT DONG-KNOCK! IT IS DONGNOCC!!" He raised his swords. "And now, I will CARVE IT INTO YOUR HIDE!"

"Hey Dong-knock," a soft voice said from behind him.

He turned...just in time to be hit full in the face by an entire uprooted tree surrounded by a golden glow.

As Dongnocc crashed to the ground, pinned beneath the tree, Celestia took a step closer. "Got wood?" she asked. Then she looked at Daring. "Did...did I do that right?" she asked. "I've always wanted to try using a one-liner..."

Daring blinked. "Uhh...yeah," she said. "Not...not bad..."

"PRINCESS CELESTIA!" Fluttershy yelled as she sped toward the group. "I got the prism! Did you...oh. Oh my. Yes...yes, you DID defeat the evil minotaur..."

"You retrieved the prism?" Celestia asked, turning to face Fluttershy. She seized it in her magic and pulled it to her. As she saw the state it was in, her eyes widened and her ears wilted. "No..."

Dongnocc roared in rage and threw the tree into the air, rising to his hooves. "I WILL NOT BE HUMILIATED BY—"

A single gunshot rang out, and Dongnocc fell to the ground, dead from a fresh hole in his skull.

Fluttershy and Daring both turned to stare at Rainbow, who held one of the discarded machine guns. Smoke curled from its barrel. She looked at them. "What?" she asked. "I was sick of hearing him moo."

Daring shook her head. "Yep. You're my kid alright." She flew over to Celestia. "Uhh, so...are we done here?"

"Father," Celestia whimpered. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the last of the faint white light of the crystal prism pulse weakly one final time.

Then the prism turned a dark, smoky grey and grew cold in her hooves.

"Father..." Celestia whispered, hugging the cold, dead hunk of crystal to her chest. "No..."

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle placed the prism in its setting atop the obelisk, stepped back, and looked around. "Finally," she said with a sigh. "Everything is exactly how I remember it. The sunstones, the embedded runes, the obelisk...even the statues of Luna and Celestia."

"Yes, Mother, it is all quite..." Luna chewed her lip, then looked at Celestia. "Help me out here, sister."

"Mother...exactly what is the purpose of all this?"

"This is the device that brought me here," Twilight said. She laughed shakily. "To think, when I set out with Rainbow Dash all those decades ago, I never imagined I'd be the one who built Ponyhenge...or the tomb..." She turned to smile at her daughters. "Or that...that I'd become the mother of the two most amazing ponies..."

"Tomb?" Celestia asked, tilting her head.

Twilight ignored her, pacing around the obelisk. "I hope I did everything right," she said. "I only had a few minutes to look around before..." Her brow furrowed as she looked up at the prism. "I'm not even sure how to charge this thing up," she said. She began worrying at her lip. "And the carvings in the Holy Road...I hope they weren't essential to the..." She shook her head. "No. No, they were just engravings. Ponyhenge and the tomb itself were what brought me here, I'm sure of it."

"Mother," Celestia said firmly, stepping in front of Twilight. "What do you mean, tomb?"

"I know what she means," Inner Light said as he trotted into the tomb, studying the obelisk. "It took me some time to understand, but..." He approached Twilight. "This place...this is my tomb, is it not?"

Celestia and Luna gasped.

Twilight looked away. "Yes," she said. "When...when your time comes...our daughters will bury you here."

"Ah." Inner Light nodded. "That, my love, is the detail you're missing. The one thing your plans did not account for."

"Huh?" Twilight asked.

Inner Light smiled sadly. "Twilight, my love...I am immeasurably ancient. Until you came along, I was alone for centuries. I have known such love in these last six decades..." He sighed. "But my time is nearer than you think."

"Father...?" Celestia asked.

"I am not the brilliant mage and scientist you are, my beloved," Inner Light said as he stared up at the prism, "but there are two things of which I am absolutely certain, having studied your plans and diagrams and notes all these years.

"The first is that without this device, your destiny will never be fulfilled. You will never have come to this time, we will never have fallen in love, you will not have given me two beautiful, precious daughters, and I will never have realized my own importance in this world.

"The second is that..." Inner Light sighed heavily. "For all of that, you do not belong in this time. You must return to your own time...you must return to the friends you love, that you have pined for these many years."

"What?" Luna gasped. "Mother...leave us?"

Inner Light smiled. "Your mother must leave," he said. "And...and so must I."

"Father? What...are you saying?" Celestia asked.

"What are you saying?" Twilight echoed, staring at Inner Light.

Inner Light nuzzled her, then stepped back. "My love," he said with a sad shake of his head, "your grand device will not function without the full power of an alicorn. And by 'full power', I mean..." He stared at the obelisk, which bore his own Cutie Mark in pearl relief. "ALL of it. Not just magic, but the very life essence."

Twilight gasped. "What...?!"

"The four of us, exhausting our magic every day for a thousand years, could not fully power your device," Inner Light said. "Because magic alone will not suffice to perform the impossible miracle that brought you to me." He shook his head. "No. For this to work—for us to work—my eternal soul must be a beacon to guide you across time. To guide you to me."

"Father, no—"

"You're speaking nonsense, Father!" Luna shouted, stamping a hoof.

Inner Light smiled. "My beautiful daughters...I will miss you. I am proud of you, in every way a father can be proud." He nuzzled them; they returned his affection, tears gathering in their eyes. He turned to Twilight. "My beloved Twilight Sparkle..." He swallowed heavily. "Your friends are waiting for you. Your destiny is waiting for you. And I...I will be waiting for you."

He gently pushed the three mares away with his magic, then faced the obelisk. Taking a deep breath, he planted his hooves. His horn glowed with pure white light. He channeled a beam into the prism. He opened his eyes, which shed a bright, pure glow.

The tomb began to shake as the prism glowed more brightly.

"Father, you mustn't!" Celestia pleaded.

Twilight stared at Inner Light, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Goodbye, my love," she said.

"Mother, you must stop this!" Luna demanded. Her own horn began to glow...

Twilight turned and embraced her daughters, erecting a protective magical barrier around them.

The light intensified as Inner Light's form began to slowly fade into smoke and shadow. The shaking of the tomb grew stronger...and then stopped as suddenly as it began.

The prism pulsed softly, like a steady heartbeat.

Inner Light was gone.

"Goodbye," Twilight said again. She held her daughters, sharing in their sorrow.

* * * * *

"I...I guess we were too late," Rainbow Dash said quietly. She looked around. "So...so what now?"

Daring Do sighed. "We go back." She hesitantly laid a hoof on Princess Celestia's shoulder. "They're waiting for us."

Celestia whimpered, sitting down on the ground and folding her wings protectively around the prism.

"We should...probably give her a minute," Fluttershy whispered.

Chapter Fourteen

Night had long since fallen by the time Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and Fluttershy returned to the valley, exhausted and weary.

"Sister," Princess Luna said as the weary ponies joined them. "Worry not for your duties; I saw to the setting of the sun in your stead. Did you succeed in retrieving the prism?"

"We have it," Celestia said with a sigh. "But, well..." She levitated it out of her saddlebag.

Luna gasped. "No..." Tears streamed from her eyes as she beheld the dark, cold prism. "Father's soul..."

"I know," Celestia said. "We're too late."

"What do you mean you're too late?" Twilight Velvet demanded. "You got the prism, right? You can...you can bring my daughter home, right?"

Celestia sighed. "I'm afraid not," she said. "Without the life essence of an alicorn, the machine lacks the necessary beacon to guide Twilight Sparkle through time. Father sacrificed himself to be the power source for this device." She caressed the prism lovingly. "Without his life essence, there is nothing that can reach across time to call her home."

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle stared at the steadily pulsing prism atop the obelisk.

"Mother...come home," Celestia said.

"Not just yet," Twilight said. "Just a bit longer..."

Celestia sighed. "Mother...it's been six months," she said tiredly. "Whatever Father thinks he accomplished...it failed."

"No," Twilight said, shaking her head. "He succeeded. I'm here, in this time. You and your sister live. The...the tomb worked. Inner Light's sacrifice was not in vain. But..." She sighed, hanging her head. "I don't understand...why I'm still here..." She sniffled. "I should...I should have gone back by now..."

Celestia laid a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm glad you didn't," she said. "I don't wish to lose you, Mother."

Twilight turned and embraced her. "Nor do I wish to leave you, Tia," she said. "But I have to." She smiled sadly. "I have a life to return to. Friends who need me. We have important things to do..." She shook her head. "The ponies of my time need me and my friends. My friends need me. And I need them..."

A long silence passed.

Just as Celestia turned to leave, Twilight gasped. "My friends!" She shot out of the tomb, flying down the tunnel into the valley.

"Mother! Wait!"

* * * * *

Princess Celestia gently floated the prism into its proper place at the top of the obelisk. Nothing changed; it remained dark, and the sun stones around the room remained dim. She sighed. "Rest in peace, Father."

The others watched her silently.

"So...what now?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We got the prism thingie back, but...but we're never gonna see Twilight again?"

"I simply can't accept that," Rarity said. "There must be a way...!"

"C'mon, y'all," Applejack said. "We gotta...we gotta buck up...Twi wouldn't want us like this..."

"I'm sorry, AJ," Pinkie Pie said sadly. "I don't...really feel much like smiling and laughing right now..."

"Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? Can't...can't you do anything...?" Fluttershy asked.

Celestia sighed. "I...I'm sorry, Fluttershy. Everypony. I just don't—"

Luna gasped. "Celestia! There is a way!" She grasped Celestia's shoulders, excitement shining in her eyes. "Don't you remember? The day Mother left?"

Celestia blinked rapidly. "That day..." Her eyes widened. She looked at the other ponies. "Of course..."

* * * * *

Celestia and Luna watched curiously as Twilight Sparkle flew above Ponyhenge. Its six marble towers, each shaped like a giant stone chair, stood in a circle around a broad, flat stone mesa.

"I'm an idiot," Twilight said, facehoofing as she stared down at Ponyhenge. "It was right in front of me the whole time!"

"What was, Mother?" Celestia asked.

"Ponyhenge...it's the Cutie Map. And the thrones from my castle." Twilight shook her head. "And...I completely forgot about the engravings..."

Her horn glowed, and six beams of magic spread out from it, each striking one of the marble towers. Glyphs appeared at the top of each, inscribed in the ancient language of the alicorns. Celestia and Luna watched, puzzled, as each glyph formed:

HONESTY

KINDNESS

LOYALTY

GENEROSITY

LAUGHTER

MAGIC

Twilight's horn fell still. She descended to the mesa, spreading her wings. A bright smile lit her face.

Each of the six towers began to glow. A loud, ringing chime filled the air. A wind picked up on the plateau.

"Mother...?" Celestia asked.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at her daughters. "Take care of yourselves," she said. "We'll see each other again..."

* * * * *

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie each leaned against one face of the obelisk, eyes closed in concentration.

"Call to Twilight Sparkle," Princess Celestia said. "Pray for her return." She turned to Twilight Velvet. "Meditate on your desire to see her again. Think of nothing else except your love for her."

A wind stirred the mares' manes and tails. Their Cutie Marks began to shine. The prism began to strobe in six different colors.

From the corner, Spike, Princess Luna, and Daring Do watched in awe.

All around the tomb, the sun stones flared back to life. Golden runes undulated from the very walls of the tomb, flashing and pulsing as they writhed and swam in the air.

* * * * *

Six beams shot from the spires of Ponyhenge, each a different color. They converged on Twilight, coalescing into a glowing rainbow tornado before shooting into the sky, a bright white pillar of light.

When the light faded, Twilight Sparkle was gone.

Luna began to weep. Celestia wrapped a wing around her.

"Safe journey, Mother...we'll miss you."

* * * * *

A column of white light burst through the ceiling, slamming into the prism, which bent it toward the far wall of the tomb. A brilliant flash, like lightning amplified tenfold, filled the room.

When the light faded, the group of ponies stared at the tall, regal figure that stood there.

"Twilight...?" Twilight Velvet asked softly.

"I'm back," Twilight Sparkle said.

"TWILIGHT!" Five mares charged her, engulfing her in a giant group hug. She laughed and hugged them all back.

Velvet approached curiously, one hoof raised. "Twilight? Is...is that really you?"

Twilight smiled. "Hi Mom," she said. "I...I guess I've...changed a bit, huh?"

"Hay yeah!" Rainbow Dash cried. "Geez, Twilight! What's up with you and getting blasted to atoms by crazy magic, then we all get worried about what happened to you, and then when you show up again you've gotten all princessy on us?" Tears streamed from her eyes as she laughed.

"It...does seem to be a recurring theme with you, darling," Rarity said with a tearful smile. She studied Twilight critically. "Hmm. I suppose I'll have to fashion you a completely new wardrobe...again..."

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna slowly approached, wonder on their faces. "Mother," Celestia said softly.

Twilight looked at the two ancient alicorns, tears in her eyes. She smiled. "Celestia...Luna..."

She sniffled.

"You're grounded."

Epilogue

Twilight Sparkle looked around at her friends, shaking her head. "I can barely believe it," she said softly, tears streaming from her eyes. "All of you...you're really here...I'm really back..." She sniffled. "My friends...I've been dreaming about you for decades, aching...aching to see you all again..."

"Decades?" Applejack asked. "But...Twi...you've only been gone a couple'a days..."

Twilight smiled. "Is that all?" she said, laughing. "Just a couple of days..."

"The hardest couple of days any of us have ever faced," Rarity said.

Twilight hugged her. "For me, it's been sixty years," she said softly.

The others gasped. "WHAT?!"

"Wow, no WONDER you're so big!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Oh, Twilight..." Fluttershy said. "It must...it must have been so awful..."

Twilight scratched her head. "Well...I missed all of you terribly," she said. "But...I wasn't alone." She trotted over to the obelisk, staring up at the prism with sad eyes. She laid a hoof on the cold marble. "My beloved," she said. "Thank you..." She looked back at Princess Celestia. "What went wrong, Tia? Inner Light should have brought me back here..."

"Dongnocc stole the prism, Your Highness," Daring Do said. "We...we got it back, but...not in time."

Twilight frowned. "I see," she said. "So that's why it's...dark..."

"Father is...Father is truly gone now, Mother," Celestia said. "Not even his spirit remains."

Twilight smiled, tears spilling down her face. "You're wrong, Tia," she said. "His spirit resides in all ponies. It has for thousands of years. Every time a filly gets her Cutie Mark, it's...it's him. And...he lives inside the two of you." She swept her daughters up in a great, feathery hug, and they cried together. The others gave them their space, watching with misty eyes and sad smiles.

Rainbow Dash's lip quivered. With a loud, bawling wail, she threw her hooves around her own mother and pulled her into a crushing hug. Daring Do rolled her eyes, smiled, and hugged her back, nuzzling her affectionately.

"So...does this call for a party?" Pinkie Pie wondered as the moment reached its apparent end. "I'm...I'm not really sure what kind of party to have here...so much has happened..."

Twilight sniffled, then teleported over to her mother and hugged her. "How about a redo on the Mother-Daughter Picnic?" she suggested. She smiled around at the room. "We can all bring our mothers...daughters...grandmothers...whatever." She looked at Rainbow and Daring. "ALL of us."

"I think...that would be lovely," Celestia said.

* * * * *

The vast expanse of hilly terrain between Ponyville proper and Twilight Sparkle's castle had dozens of pavilions set up, with picnic blankets and sun umbrellas and cushions scattered haphazardly far and wide. Huge picnic tables covered with dozens of serving dishes filled the area. It was a warm, sunny day, and an atmosphere of good cheer, frivolity, and love filled the air. All across the picnic area, families sat in groups; beneath the largest, most lavishly decorated pavilion, nearest the grandest buffet table, an entire crowd had gathered:

Granny Smith, Applejack, and Apple Bloom.

Fluttershy and her mother, Cherry Blossom, who stared around in fear at all the ponies, but refrained from flying away in terror due to constant whispered assurances from her daughter.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle and their mother, Cookie Crumbles.

Pinkie Pie, her sisters Marble and Limestone, and their mother Cloudy Quartz. Much to their surprise, Maud had managed to show up this time—completely unannounced; she'd spontaneously appeared out of a large picnic basket, scaring Pinkie half to death.

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do, who had decided, in light of the most recent adventure, to come out into the open and reveal her secret to all of Equestria and damn the consequences. Tank flew over their heads; Daring watched him with wide, wary eyes.

And on the largest blanket was the family that had shocked Equestria: Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Velvet, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. To the chagrin and bemusement of many present, Celestia wore a T-shirt which said "I'M GROUNDED", and Luna sported one which said "I'M GROUNDED TOO."

"I still can't believe I'm the grandmother of the rulers of Equestria," Velvet said, shaking her head. "Especially when you're both thousands of years older than me."

Celestia laughed musically. "Ours is quite a complicated family." With a twinkle in her eye, she whispered, "Don't worry. We won't insist on back birthday presents."

"Mother, how long must we wear these embarrassing shirts?" Luna complained.

Twilight chewed absently on a hay cake. "Well...how about one day for every year I spent in the past?"

"Sixty days?! But Mother...!"

The others around them laughed. "THAT...is gonna take some getting used to," Rainbow Dash said.

"No kidding," Daring agreed. She shook her head and sighed. "You know, you've probably pissed off a lot of my readers."

"How so? By being your daughter?"

"By killing off Dongnocc," Daring said. "He was a popular villain. Not as popular as Ahuizotl, but still."

Rainbow shrugged. "You're Daring Do. You'll never run out of bad guys."

Daring laughed. "True." She ruffled Rainbow's mane. "And...you know...having my estranged daughter as my sidekick might actually go over well with the fans. Whaddya say...next adventure, wanna come with?"

"Do I?!" Rainbow cried.

"Oh, by the way," Velvet said, casting an aside glance at Twilight, "while you were...away...Spike and your friends told me some very...interesting stories." She raised an eyebrow at Twilight. "I don't seem to remember raising you to be quite so neurotic, dear..."

Twilight cringed. "Aheh...I have no idea what you're talking about..."

Celestia and Luna exchanged wicked grins. "Oh, I'm sure I can vouch for at least some of what they told you," Celestia said.

"Tiiaaaaaaa," Twilight growled. "I made you. Don't make me unmake you."

Luna looked out over the gathered ponies. "You know...until recently, I hadn't thought of Father in years," she said softly. "He...he would have loved to see Equestria as it is today..."

"Yes, he would have," Twilight agreed. "I told him...I told him ponies would find harmony. If only he'd lived to see it..."

"But he did," Celestia said. "You said it yourself. Father's spirit lives on inside all ponykind. Luna and I may be his flesh and blood, but we are all his children, in a way..."

As the sun shone down on happy families laughing, talking, eating, and enjoying each other's company, a ghostly golden alicorn stallion stood on the highest balcony of the crystal castle, watching them with eyes like liquid sunfire. He smiled. "Take care of yourself, my love..."

~the end~

Author's Note

What can I say? This story went WAY off the rails from what I had originally planned. And I couldn't be happier for it.

I think I'd actually have liked this to be longer, but I wanted it to read and feel like a pulp adventure novel, without getting too bogged down. There probably should have been more action sequences. I maybe could have given it even more of an Indiana Jones vibe. But I think there's just enough action in the story to do the job. On the whole, I'm mostly satisfied with this little story.

For those who haven't figured it out: Inner Light's name is a multiple-level play on words. First and foremost, his name is a reference to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Inner Light"; you'll notice that what happens to Twilight Sparkle in this story is quite similar to Picard's experiences in that episode, with the major exception that Picard merely had a lifetime of memories and experiences implanted in his brain, whereas Twilight actually did go back in time and become part of a stable time paradox. The framing device, however, is the same: more and more time passes for Twilight as the characters in the present deal with the immediate crisis of getting her back.

Inner Light's name is not merely a reference to this, however. It also refers to his destiny as the source of Cutie Marks, which are the inner light within all ponies; lastly, it refers to his soul being the power source for the time machine. He was the inner light within the prism.

There's sequel potential in this story. I'm not sure if or when I'd ever get around to writing a sequel, given my laundry list of other unfinished stories that need attention, but it's not outside of the realm of possibility that I'll pay another visit to the world in which Daring Do is Rainbow Dash's mother and Twilight Sparkle gave birth to Celestia and Luna. Only time will tell.

Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed it. And to all mothers everywhere, I hope you have a joyous Mother's Day in the bosom of your family.

~ MythrilMoth, May 10, 2015

Chapter Three

Two days had passed since Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash had set off to visit Daring Do.

As Spike swept the throne room of the castle, he looked up at the chandelier overhead, made from the roots of the Golden Oak Library, and wondered where Twilight and Rainbow were at that moment and what epic adventures they were getting into.

"Spike? I'm going out to dinner. Won't you come with me?" Twilight Velvet trotted into the throne room, looking around. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this place," she said with a chuckle.

"Oh...hey, Mom. Is your room okay?"

"It's fine, Spike," Velvet said. She stretched. "Well...so much for my week with my daughter, huh?"

"Eh, she'll be back soon," Spike said. "Besides, you can afford to spend more than a week in Ponyville, right?"

Velvet shrugged. "All things considered," she said. She started pacing. "I can't believe Daring Do never told me she had a daughter. I can't believe her estranged daughter is one of my daughter's best friends! I can't believe my daughter and her friends all know A. K. Yearling's secret! I can't believe my daughter and her best friend are chasing after Daring Do when she's in the middle of one of her adventures!"

Spike dug in his ear with a claw. "I can't believe you and Twilight both do that pacing and ranting thing," he muttered. "So, do you have any idea what it is they're all looking for? Did Daring Do tell you what her next book is about?"

Velvet shook her head. "She never tells me what she's up to. I only find out where she's been and how close she's come to getting herself killed again when I get her manuscripts in the mail."

Spike chuckled. "It's funny, though. All this time you've known Daring Do is a real pony, and you never told anyone..."

"Well, of course," Velvet said. "I'm her oldest and dearest friend. And her editor. If I blabbed, I'd lose a friend and be out of a job." She frowned. "Still, I'm pretty mad at her for never telling me she had a foal. I guess that explains that year she disappeared." She fell into a brown study.

"So...you said something about dinner?" Spike said into the awkward silence that ensued.

"Oh...right. We should get going." *So help me, Daring Do...if you get my daughter hurt or killed, I'll never forgive you!*

* * * * *

"Ugh," Rainbow Dash muttered. "I thought going through some old cave headed for an ancient tomb would be more exciting than this. This is...this is boring."

Twilight Sparkle stepped around a stalagmite jutting up from the broad, uneven cave floor. Every so often, she had to dodge a particularly long stalactite hanging from the uncomfortably low ceiling. A large, sparkling ball of magic hung in front of her, lighting the path ahead.

The caverns of Maretania stretched on for miles. There were side tunnels and alcoves in all directions. In some places, the ceiling was higher. In others, it was so low they had to crawl along the the ground to pass. More than once, they'd encountered an impassable obstruction, forcing Twilight to teleport them past it.

Twilight checked her map, looked around, and made her way to a dark tunnel opening on her left.

"Seriously! There aren't even any monsters down here? Snakes? Big hairy spiders? Nothing?"

"Rainbow Dash! I'm trying to concentrate!"

"Sorry," Rainbow muttered. "I'm just bored. And anxious. And I hate not bein' able to fly."

Twilight sighed. "I know, Rainbow Dash. Honestly, I'm disappointed too. I was hoping a place Starswirl the Bearded had explored would be more..."

A fireball spat out of the tunnel they were headed towards.

"GAH!" Twilight quickly erected a magical forcefield around them. The fireball bounced off, striking the ceiling, where it knocked loose a skinny stalactite that clattered to the cave floor.

"Now we're talkin'!" Rainbow yelled excitedly, her wings fluttering. "Come on out, whatever you are!"

With a loud hissing noise, a scaly creature crawled out of the tunnel. It had a flat, dry reptilian body with thick, pebble-like black scales; its four broad legs ended in curved claws. It had a long, skinny tail, barbed at the end, and two serpentine heads, their necks intertwined, with spiky rings of scales around their crowns and deep-set, glowing golden eyes. One head had fiery red scales, while the other had deep blue scales.

"Wow, that thing's ugly," Rainbow commented. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Twilight said with trepidation, raising a hoof. "I've never read about a creature like this in any of my books!"

The blue head drew back, then snapped forward like a whip. A huge blue ball of mist flew out of its mouth, headed right for Rainbow Dash. She dodged to the side, then charged forward and bucked the blue head. The red head snapped at her; she barely missed losing a hoof to its jaws. Behind them, the misty ball impacted on the opposite wall of the cave and exploded into a thin layer of frost.

Twilight dropped her shield and fired a stunning spell at the red head. It twitched, shook groggily, and spat another fireball at her. She teleported out of the way.

"Okay, this thing's tickin' me off now," Rainbow said. She kicked each head, flipped past the creature in midair, and drove both of her back hooves into its scaly body in a powerful buck. It toppled over onto its side; the blue head snapped around and spat an iceball at Rainbow which struck her left wing. She screamed as her wing iced over.

"RAINBOW!" Twilight charged forward, horn glowing. Both heads of the reptile glared at her. Both mouths opened. The red mouth glowed with heat; the blue mouth issued clouds of freezing breath.

Twilight snagged both heads in her magic and pointed them right at each other just as the creature cut loose.

A massive steam explosion shook ancient dust loose from the walls and ceiling. Chunks of scaly flesh sprayed in every direction as the creature's heads exploded, splattering the walls.

"Whoa," Rainbow said with a wide-eyed stare at the creature's remains.

Twilight sagged. "I didn't mean to kill it," she said quietly. "I just...I reacted..."

"It's okay, Twi," Rainbow said shakily. "You probably saved both our lives. That thing was seriously nasty." She examined her frozen wing. "Gah...this sucks," she hissed, wincing. Twilight's horn glowed again. A gentle heat shimmered around Rainbow's wing, which slowly thawed out. She shook it out, gingerly testing each feather. "Thanks," she said.

"Sure thing," Twilight said. She looked at the creature's remains and shuddered. "Let's...let's just keep going, okay?"

* * * * *

Daring Do frowned at the repetition of symbols that marked the reliefs carved into the walls of the Holy Road.

"That star-shaped symbol that keeps appearing...where have I seen that before...?"

The symbols of the Sun and the Moon were obvious, especially if her theories about the identity of the Unknown Prince were true. But that star-shaped mark...

Something about it was familiar. Not from her studies of archaeology or ancient pony history, but something more recent...

She stopped to catch her breath, taking a moment to study the engravings. The script that ran along the length of the walls was in an ancient language only two living ponies could read, but some of the carvings seemed to depict the birth of Equestria.

And two very distraught alicorns grieving for the death of...

A brother? Husband? Son?

...a father...?

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle checked the map, then led Rainbow Dash down a sloping tunnel into a smooth, rounded cavern with no apparent exits.

"Aaaand you lead us to a dead end," Rainbow said.

"Celestia said there was a secret tunnel," Twilight said. "She said we'd need to find the markers ourselves. Check around, see if you see anything."

"All I see is a dead end," Rainbow repeated. She craned her neck around. "There's some rock over here...oh look, there's some more rock over here! Oh, hey, check this out! It's rock."

"Rainbow," Twilight sighed tiredly. "Cut it out." She expanded and brightened her magic glowball and began searching the barren tunnel.

The plink of a drop of water hitting stone echoed in the stillness.

"Huh," Rainbow mused. "There's water dripping in here."

Twilight frowned and looked up at the ceiling, searching it. "Look there!" she said, pointing with a hoof. A narrow crack split a carved relief of the sun.

Rainhow scratched her muzzle. "Huh. I guess...that must be a marker?" She flew up to it and started pushing against it. "It ain't doin' nothin', Twi."

"There must be something else," Twilight said. She kept searching. "Another one! It's the moon this time." Her muzzle crinkled in thought. "The sun and the moon. Celestia and Luna!"

Rainbow blinked. "Wait. You think...you think they built this tomb we're lookin' for?"

"Or at least found it and marked the trail," Twilight said. She narrowed her eyes as she studied the two markers. "But what does it mean? Oh, if only I had something more to go on..."

"Hey, I think I see something," Rainbow said suddenly. "Move your magic ball thingie over here." Twilight walked over to where Rainbow was pointing, lowering her magic light to the ground. "Something's glittering down there."

"You're right!" Twilight leaned in for a closer look. "It's some kind of crys...tal..." She gasped, taking a step back and nearly landing on her butt. "But...but that's impossible!"

"What?" Rainbow leaned in for a closer look. Her eyes widened. "Whoa."

Twilight stared at the crystal relief underneath the rock. "It's...it's my Cutie Mark," she said softly. "But why...?"

Rainbow leaned in and prodded it with her hoof. It clicked, and the rock wall above them began to melt. "Whoa!"

"What...?"

A cloud of mist billowed out of a dark hole in the cavern wall. Twilight and Rainbow stared at one another, shrugged, and flew through.

They found themselves in a long, narrow tunnel full of foul-smelling mist that clung to their coats, making them shiver. They were forced to walk single-file. "So this goes to the secret valley, huh?" Rainbow asked.

"It has to," Twilight said.

For nearly an hour, the two ponies crept through the tight, damp tunnel. "I see something up ahead!" Rainbow cried suddenly. "Put out your light!"

Twilight extinguished her magic light with a sigh of relief. Up ahead, dim sunlight lit the tunnel's exit. "Whew...finally," Twilight said. "We need to stop and rest as soon as we're out of this tunnel."

"I hear that," Rainbow said. "I hope there's some place to wash this nasty fog out of my wings..."

A few minutes later, they reached the end of the tunnel. They stepped out onto cool, moist green grass. Spreading out, they looked around and gasped.

They had emerged into a vast, grassy valley with a large, clear pond. Sunlight filtered through a canopy of trees which grew out of the sides of the cliffs towering over them. The trunks and branches of the ancient, gnarled trees intertwined in such a way that nopony would ever suspect, looking down from above, that there was a valley below.

All around the valley, ripe fruits shone on the branches of trees; bushes of berries lined the cliff faces, and sweet-smelling flowers and clover shot in haphazard paths through the fresh green grass. A thin, burbling stream meandered this way and that from the pond, which itself accepted water from a ribbon-thin runoff in the cliffs above.

"This place is beautiful," Twilight breathed, ears twitching.

Rainbow bolted for the pond and drank deeply, then dunked her head in and shook droplets from her mane. "Twi, you gotta come try this water!"

Twilight smiled and glided over to the pond, dipping her head in for a drink. She looked up, letting out a happy sigh and a small burp. "So refreshing," she said.

"I'm all for stoppin' for a bite to eat," Rainbow said, looking at the ripe berries on the bushes and licking her lips.

Twilight giggled. "I'll go along with that," she said.

The two mares spent some time wandering around sampling the various fruits, nuts, and berries that grew in the valley. Everything was sweet, cool, crisp, and delicious. "We should totally bring some of this back to Ponyville with us!" Rainbow said.

"I don't think it'd survive the trip," Twilight said. Something caught her eye; she looked toward the east end of the valley and gasped in surprise. "Rainbow Dash! Look!" She pointed with a hoof.

Rainbow whipped her head around to look in the direction Twilight was pointing. "Whoa."

At the east end of the valley stood a broad marble edifice with pristine columns, an intricately engraved lintel, and a sloped roof. Two phoenix flame torches in brass sconces stood to either side of the entrance. Above the lintel, a carved relief of two alicorns—one dark and one light—bowing their heads over a tomb stood out sharply in the flickering torchlight.

"I guess...that's the entrance to the tomb," Rainbow said.