I stand on the wooden edge. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I will my wings to clamp to my sides. I will fall, but I won’t spread my wings. I inch forward until half my hooves touch nothing but air. I spring forward and spread out mid-air.
I bellyflop into the pond, splashing water all over Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and even Rarity sunbaking on a beach chair. She sits up, chilled and shocked, and tears off her sunglasses. She glares at me and harrumphs, and her piercing eyes make me blush with apologetic embarrassment.
Rainbow roars with laughter and points her hoof at her bejewelled and soaking friend. Applejack tries to stifle her laughter but fails miserably. “Yes, yes. Very funny,” Rarity seethes.
“Eyup!” Big Mac exclaims, but then he too is victim to Rarity’s scornful gaze. He swallows, and then quickly, but gently, runs to the safety of the swimming hole. Rainbow and I bump hooves when Rarity isn’t looking.
I float on my back and, looking up at the sky, can’t help but think about the strange stone I found near Appleloosa. An almost pitch-black sphere with an emerald ring inside. I know there’s more to it than what happened with Sally and Sketchy. And I will find out. Rainbow Dash, completely underwater except for her eyes, swims silently behind Applejack and steals her hat. Applejack spins around immediately and tries to snatch it back, but Rainbow keeps moving it out of her reach and laughing mischievously all the while. I smile. I will learn more about the sphere, but not today.
After a fun-filled day with some of my closest friends, I fall into bed. But I don’t shut my eyes right away. Instead, I look out the window at the night sky and see a pony’s face in the stars. But whose face is it? Is it her, or is it Fluttershy? I force my eyes shut and hope not to dream.
And then a stern voice wakes me. “Mighty. Wake up, Mighty.” I lift my head from my pillow to see Princess Luna standing beside my bed. I can see the determination, the commitment in her eyes beyond their usual veil of seriousness.
“Princess, you have need of me?”
“Always eager to serve, Mighty Targe.”
“For Equestria, Your Highness,” I say as I swing my hooves out from under the blanket.
“Even though, years ago, you asked me not to watch over your dreams I still know what worries you.”
“I will discover the truth about those gemstones. Soon.”
“I know. That’s why I’ve decided to help you on this matter; to put your mind at ease and to help you protect Equestria.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Luna crosses the room to the window.
“You’ll find what you seek in the Crystal Empire. Travel deep into the Crystal Mountains and find a place to sleep. I’ll come to you in your dream and show you the way.” I nod, and then bow as Luna heads for the door. “Prepare yourself, Mighty,” she says and she closes the door behind her. I jump back into bed. Knowing I’ll need all my strength for this mission, I fall asleep almost immediately.
The first train to the Crystal Empire arrives in the warm early morning. Dressed in my purple guard’s armor and helm, I wait patiently for the train. In dire circumstances I would just fly to the Empire, but important missions usually require endurance and the wisdom to use your resources appropriately, including wing power.
Finally, I arrive at the fabled Crystal Empire. The local ponies, with glistening coats and manes, trot and canter merrily as they go about their business. There isn’t any trace of King Sombra’s oppression in this beautiful place.
But I waste no time on sightseeing. I leap into the air and fly toward the nearby mountains. Snow-capped, endless, ominous, the mountains almost emit a magical aura. I don’t think they are magical, but they do give that impression. The warm day starts to turn cold as I get closer to the mountains. Where I’ll sleep, I don’t know, but I hope I won’t turn into an ice cube in the attempt.
It’ll be a little while before night time, so I decide to survey the mountains from the air. I spot some depressions in the mountains, perhaps even some caves; a good thing considering the fragments of ice sprinkling through the air with the coming rain. I flap my wings harder so as to shake off the chill and the dampness. I’ll have to land soon.
My armor dings noisily as the drizzle becomes all-out rain. My green mane sticks to the side of my muzzle just under my helmet. A little frustrated, I decide to land at a small cave entrance. I peek inside and whisper, “Hello?” No answer. I dip my hoof in the darkness, so black it is that it’s seems to pulsate with life. I think about that and am reminded of the shadowy monster that came from the mysterious gemstones. I step inside the cave.
The cave is shallow, only a few steps across. At least I won’t get lost or trapped. I put my back against the wall and slide down to the ground, curling up and trying to force myself to sleep. I pull out a blanket from my saddlebag but wish I brought another. I laugh and close my eyes.
Surrounded by darkness, the cold caressing my body, I try to sleep. Wanting to dream, my mind takes me back to Ponyville. I’m standing beside Twilight. Our friends are sitting on their seats that form a circle in the room. Two seats to Twilight’s right is Fluttershy’s chair. She looks at me with a sincere smile, one that veils something new to me, something I’m unsure about, something I don’t know is really there.
But then Fluttershy grows fangs and her eyes turn red. She spreads her mangled wings and is about to dive. But the world is split open by a dark purple light. The light parts and turns the world into a starry night. Princess Luna emerges from the centre of light and smiles reassuringly. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen your dreams,” she says lightly.
“And I appreciate that,” I say perhaps a little too harshly. She’s been true to her word and has let my dreams be.
“Come, there isn’t much time.” Luna leads the way through the sea of endless stars.
“Can you tell me what’s going on, Princess?” Luna sighs and she stops to turn and face me.
“My sister and I knew of the gemstones you recently came into contact with.”
“But you didn’t tell me. Why?” I can’t help but feel betrayed. I was always told everything… Or was I?
“We don’t know much about them. Only that one remains.”
“But you must know what they are?” I ask. Luna resumes her pace through the field of stars, glittering all the while, hinting at dreams.
“King Sombra was not the only pony of his kind. The gemstones were made by ponies like him, but we don’t know how or why. However, we do know that they are a danger to all of Equestria.”
“But why did you hide the truth?” Luna chuckles at the question and thinks for a moment.
“The griffins,” she says, “once had a device, an hourglass, that kept their guards on edge, waiting for trouble to arrive at any second. It didn’t help their kingdom. In fact it hindered it. We thought the best way to avoid the danger these gemstones posed us was to deny their existence. We were wrong.”
“That’s why you’re helping me now.”
“Yes,” she replies, “before anypony finds them. Your old friends Sally Shield and Sketchy Sword have disappeared. I hope they haven’t found the last gemstone.”
Princess Luna and I trot through the fields of stars, through my dream, through her realm. At first I was upset that the two sisters had kept something from me, but they had a reason. And it was a good reason. Luna has come to me now for help, and that’s all that matters to me.
As we traverse the starry abyss, I remember all the things I’ve heard about King Sombra and about the Crystal Heart. And about Twilight. I don’t know if even she knew what she went up against; his power was great indeed. Perhaps it still is, unless I destroy the last gemstone.
The starry void shimmers with light as it parts for the Crystal Mountains. But dotted within the stark whiteness of the snow are spikes of pitch blackness; sharp towers that stab upwards from the snow-covered earth, jutting out on all sides. A faint magical hue emanates from their cores. “Are they… Crystals?” I ask, and note the tentativeness in my voice. I clear my throat.
“Yes. Sources of King Sombra’s power, and other ponies like him.”
Luna spreads her wings and soars downward. I follow her, cutting through ice in the air. The closer we get and the further we fly, more and more crystal pylons emerge from the mountains. I grit my teeth and growl angrily as one of the black crystal’s edges scraps my armor. “Do not fear, Mighty. This is a dream. Don’t wake up. You must see the way!” I try to obey, but black crystals spring up everywhere. All around and under me they spike through the ground, threatening to throw me off course. “Don’t give up!” Luna calls behind her. I flap my wings over the cutting crystals and freezing wind.
One of the pointed edges cuts through my hoof and I grunt in pain. Luna turns and helps me over the barbed crystals. We fly a little further until we reach the largest of the crystals. It’s immense size and magical power threatens to give me a headache. It pulsates with life, and red energy swirls deep within. I survey the area and try to get my bearings. “North, Mighty. Fly north,” Luna says as the great crystal sends out a black wave of magic.
I wake. I suddenly feel the cold as if my dreams offered some sort of warmth. My armor is adorned with a sheer coat of frost that I try to shake off. Half of it gently falls to the ground while the rest clings to my armor with icy determination.
The morning sun rises at the base of the cave entrance. “At least I didn’t turn into an ice block during the night,” I say, but then remember that Luna was only with me in my dream. I shake my head and then run my hoof over my wings to rub the frost and dampness away.
It’s no warmer outside the cave despite the clear sky and beating sun. I dig my hooves into the snowy ground and flap my wings; slowly at first and then with great speed. The last of the cold is cast off my wings and I take to the air.
North, further into the mountains I fly. I flap my wings steadily, and in the complacent pace I remember diving into the swimming hole in Ponyville and making my friends laugh, except for poor Rarity. I laugh out loud.
And then my hearts beats quickly, heavily, desperately. I put a hoof to my chest when my heart seems to stop. I swallow the lump in my throat. What is this? Intense fear? I hadn’t felt such a thing in a long time. Why now? My heart resumes beating, however quickly and disturbed. I look all around me and can’t see any danger, so it’s not intuition. Why then? I think of Ponyville again, and of my friends there. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Dashie. And Fluttershy. The image of her face stays in my mind; her warm smile and soft eyes. My heart sinks in my chest again.
Then, in the short distance over a slight mound, I spot a black crystal; a strong contrast as it’s set against its white surroundings. It’s not as big as that one from my dream, but it radiates with power and magic I could never imagine. In front of it, however, is a familiar object.
I land on the hard ground and my hooves sink a little into the snow. I step forward toward the pedestal upon which a perfect sphere rests. I caress its sides as Sally did in the Macintosh Hills. The sphere opens to reveal a black gemstone with an emerald ring inside. The last gemstone.
I take out a velvet sack and drape it over the gemstone, picking it up and tying it around my neck. “Mighty Targe,” a deep voice says from nowhere, “Royal guard, friend, protector, thief, betrayer. All these things you are, but which is true to your nature?” The voice echoes in my mind.
“Who are you? Show yourself!” I cry, but only laughter responds.
“I know you, royal guard, royal agent. I know what it is you fear. I know your regrets, of which you have many.”
“You’ll not dissuade me, shadow.” I spread my wings and get ready to launch.
“She is here, Mighty Targe. Here in these mountains. Cold, frightened, alone.” I look into the black crystal and see a sky-blue earth pony. She looks scared, wounded. It’s a trick, I tell myself. But what if it’s not? “Place the gemstone where it belongs, within the sphere, and I shall release her to you.”
“Your illusions won’t fool me again,” I say, thinking about Sally’s enhanced magic, “You wouldn’t be able to capture her.” I lift into the air. “Argh!” A black crystal stabs forward and the chilling pain of ice flows through my hoof. A black crystal has shot upwards from the ground and cut me. I throw my back hooves forward and kick the spiking crystal, breaking it at the tip.
I soar through the sky as fast as I can. The crystal’s power reaches toward me, the tips of its grasp fingering the back of my hooves. Lucky for me, I had my cousin to race against during my earlier years. Racing against Dashie taught me how to fly faster than fast, so this crystal has no chance against me.
I punch through the sky and sound and weight seem to disappear around me. The whole world swirls and twists as I fly faster and faster. It isn’t long before I’m over the Crystal Empire. I keep flying, cold sweat running down my muzzle, until I reach the train station. I see the train conductor calling for the last passengers to board.
Keeping my speed, I crash down onto the train platform. The concrete cracks and sinks under my speedy weight. And not a second later I dive into the train carriage as the carriage door closes. I tumble into the opposite side of the train and huff and puff. Other ponies on the train look me up and down, no doubt wondering what in Equestria I’m doing. But it doesn’t matter. The gemstone still hangs around my neck and I’m on the train to Canterlot. Luna will destroy it and once again protect Equestria. I sigh and catch my breath, resting my back against the side of the train.
Canterlot seems more welcoming than ever. I get off the train and pass through the station and streets until I come to the castle. Luna is waiting for me at the entrance. “Well done, Mighty Targe,” she says, “Come. Let’s be rid of this evil.” She leads me into a chamber under the castle.
The chamber room glows red as magical fires burn on all sides of the room. Luna lifts her hoof and I take the gemstone from my neck. I place it in her hoof and she heads to the largest fire in the room. She casts it in the flame and launches a spell from her horn. The dark purple magic spreads through the chamber like an electric wave. “It is done,” says Luna.
“Are you sure? Aren’t the mountains filled with ponies like Sombra?”
“They cannot harm Equestria without their gemstones. At least for now.”
“So, what happens now?”
“Shadow ponies pose no threat to us anymore. You need not worry. If anything does arise, however, my sister and I will call upon you.” I bow and leave the chamber.
Rainbow and our friends greet me as I return to Ponyville. They hug me and pat me on the back and smile. They say how glad they are that I’m back. Fluttershy and I lock eyes, and our gaze locks for a few moments. But then I look away, a little embarrassed.
I stand on the wooden edge. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I stick my wings to my sides. I fall, but I don’t spread my wings. I leap into the air and splash into the water. Rarity lifts up an umbrella just in time as water sprays all around her. “Not this time, Mighty,” she says. Dashie starts to laugh and we bump hooves.
Everypony is here to celebrate my return. Pinkie Pie gasps loudly and all eyes turn to her. “You know what this calls for?” she asks nopony in particular, “A party!” Everypony laughs, thrilled for the coming party.
