The Magic Question

by Manaphy

Rating: teen
Tags: Trixie, Mystery, Starlight Glimmer, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Drama
Length: 37545

Twilight Sparkle wonders about the mysteries surrounding magic and its role in the world. However, something ominous is brewing in a distant land, and it may have answers related to Twilight's research.

Even for ponies such as Twilight Sparkle, magic is something that's both easily understood, yet full of unknowns at the same time. Wondering about the mysteries surrounding magic and its relationship with Equestria as a whole after an innocent question, Twilight tries to research whatever she can about the subject.

However, there is something ominous brewing in a distant land that may relate to Twilight's questions about magic, but solving some of those mysteries will require more than just research. She'll have to overcome her most dangerous challenge yet in order to uncover the truth.

Published 2016-06-30 22:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-09-08 22:08:24 UTC

From One Question to Another

Twilight's latest project was different than the norm.

Unlike previous instances of research or organization, Twilight was working alongside Starlight Glimmer part of the time instead of by herself. The rest of Twilight's close friends were scheduled to visit later in the day, lunch and other delightful activities awaiting them. Spike had agreed to meet up with them at the front door, though exactly when they'd arrive was anypony's guess.

As Twilight gazed at the sheets of paper atop the crystalline table, she cracked a smile and sat down, satisfied with her work. Her theories regarding the world behind the mirror still had some questions to be answered; they ranged from whether the artifact had some relationship with the school on the other side to why she transformed, both of which she planned on addressing in separate studies. Such questions required more than just studying how the mirror worked, something that Twilight knew would require another trip to that world in the future. Unfortunately, finding the perfect time for that wasn't going to be straightforward. There was usually something coming up.

Twilight sat down, spreading her forelegs out and taking a deep breath. She gazed at the ceiling, the light bouncing off the walls and spreading apart into a series of stunning colors. And as Twilight brought her sights back to her research, she wondered how Sunset Shimmer would react if it all went well. It felt like ages since she last stepped through the mirror and mingled with her.

"How's everything going, Twilight?" a soft voice asked. "Find what you're looking for?"

Twilight raised her head, Starlight Glimmer standing nearby with a slight smile across her face. While her pupil sometimes got carried away in mentioning her past, her growth into a kinder mare in such a short time warmed Twilight's heart. There were still lessons to be learned, but there was always something new to discover.

"Everything's all set," said Twilight. She gently waved at Starlight; her friend trotted over to the table and placed her hooves atop it. "I've figured out the kind of magic that allows ponies to cross between the two universes. It runs off of magic similar to those time travel spells we used, though the differences are noticeable." Pausing, Twilight noticed Starlight's cheeks flushing. The two chuckled together. "So while I understand how that mirror works, I'm curious about one last thing."

Starlight cocked her head. "What would that be?"

"This is probably going to sound weird." Another series of giggles left Twilight's lips. "Believe it or not, ponies who go through the portal end up looking completely different in the other universe. We become bipedal, have hands, and even have clothes and accessories with us the moment we cross!"

"Seriously?" Stepping back, Starlight's eyes widened as if a ghost flew past. "I didn't even know a mirror could change what you look like. I always thought it required a spell meant specifically for that. Maybe that's part of the mirror's powers." She paused, rolling her shoulders and wearing a puzzled expression. "Have you tried looking into that?"

"That's what the mirror's magic suggests." Twilight stood up, gently swishing her tail as she marched around the table. "I've studied spells related to transformation in the past, some more complex than others, but there's one problem." When she was inches away from Starlight, Twilight then leaned against one of the thrones. Its smooth texture sent chills down her spine at the touch. "I've never seen or heard about what I transformed into."

"Maybe what you became once lived here? Then again, you'd have probably figured that out if that was true." Starlight tapped the floor with her hoof, clacks echoing throughout the room. "But is that the only parallel universe there is? If there are more, does your appearance also change in those universes?"

"I've heard rumors about one similar to ours." With a sheepish grin, Twilight nudged away from the throne. "Princess Celestia said she trekked there once, not changing at all when she stepped through the mirror. However, that mirror was lost a few hundred years ago. Who knows what was on the other side?"

As the two stared at each other, Twilight then noticed a group of ponies and a small dragon approaching them from one of the hallways. All six wore grins brighter than the sun. Five of them skipped toward her and Starlight while the light blue pegasus merely flew alongside them. They were all Twilight's closest friends: Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike. And given their plans for the day, Twilight couldn't help herself from adopting an expression just like theirs.

"Looks like we got here at the perfect time," said Spike as a matter of fact. Marching up to Twilight, he crossed his arms upon reaching her. "Everypony loved my jokes, Twilight, especially the one about the three ponies in the bar. I told you they were great!" Spike cracked a cocky grin, then glanced back at the other ponies. "Isn't that right?"

"I don't remember that happening," Applejack admitted. She snickered, adjusting her hat and playfully tapping Spike's shoulder. "We liked a few of 'em, but that fell flat." Applejack then assumed eye contact with Twilight. "Anyway, how's the project going? We heard you were close to findin' out how that ol' mirror worked."

"Well, I've figured out the important parts," said Twilight. "I know the magical properties used to get a pony from one universe to the other, but I'm also hoping to find out why my appearance changes into something unfamiliar." Pausing, Twilight rubbed the top of her head. "Finding a related spell won't be easy."

"When is the stuff you do ever easy?" Rainbow asked, shrugging. "I mean, even your most awesome spells make little to no sense. I just—" she performed a small loop in the air "—go with the flow. Besides, if it's coming from you, chances are that it's right. You do know your stuff."

"And going with the flow doesn't always work for the Weather Team, eh?" Spike quipped.

Rainbow blushed, smiling sheepishly. "Okay, maybe Cloudchaser had a point when it came to clearing the skies, but it usually works. She is the egghead of the group, after all." Rainbow landed back on her hooves, forcing a chuckle from her mouth. "Well, at least you have things under control."

Pinkie stretched her foreleg toward the sky, the rest of her body barely able to keep still. "I have a question!" she bellowed, hopping over to Twilight and shaking her tail seconds later. "It's not related to the mirror thingy, but it's something I sometimes ask myself. So do you mind if I ask you this teeny question?"

Twilight bobbed her head. "Go right ahead."

"Well, ever since we attended Flurry Heart's Crystalling, I can't help but wonder why she's so powerful." Pinkie rubbed her muzzle, humming a catchy tune for a few seconds. "I know that she's an alicorn, but her spells were already looking just like yours, Twilight! And she broke the Crystal Heart by crying! How did she do that?"

"Remember when you first looked after Pound and Pumpkin Cake?" Fluttershy added. She made her way over to Pinkie. "You said that Pound flew around and Pumpkin used magic spells, which sounds a lot like Flurry Heart. So if anything was behind her spurts of magic, it was probably the same thing."

"You do have a point." Shrugging, Pinkie nudged away from Fluttershy. "And I remember what happened with little Pound and Pumpkin Cake. It's just that Flurry Heart was much, much harder to control than they were. I mean, the stuff she did was unbelievable! What made her magic that amazing?"

"You already answered your question," said Twilight. "She's an—" As she thought about it, Pinkie had a point when it came to Flurry's magical strength. Flurry's powers were eventually limited by Sunburst's spell, but prior to that, some of her spells rivaled ones used by highly skilled ponies. And while infants often had heightened abilities a few days after birth, they weren't overly problematic and wore off quickly. Flurry was different, not because of her being an alicorn, but due to her magical surges being much more erratic than even the most troublesome of foals.

Then there was also the question of Starlight's magical talents, her friend nearly as talented as she was when it came to casting certain spells. Yet at the same time, Starlight lagged far behind on some spells Twilight had mastered. Even the truth of how all living beings had their own magic captured Twilight's attention. If they weren't casting spells, yet depended on magic to survive, how was magic impacting them aside from what was already known? Each question churned out another question, Twilight pacing back and forth unconsciously as she thought about each one.

Bringing her gaze back to Pinkie, Twilight sighed and uttered her least favorite phrase, "I don't know."

"Perhaps this is your next research project, dear," said Rarity. She leaned over to Twilight, pressing a hoof against one of the thrones. "We might know about how unicorns can cast spells and how magic is all around us, but there are still plenty of mysteries to be solved. I think you might discover something marvelous if you did enough research."

"If I found something, it'd be a major breakthrough in the study of magic," said Twilight. Her tail swung back and forth like a pendulum. "However, there's the problem of where I'd start. We all have magic, but what do we do with it? Why is it that some exhibit more magical expertise than others?"

Starlight raised her hoof. "I can help find out!" she shouted. Her cheeks flushed immediately after, nervously chuckling as everypony stared at her. Inching closer to Twilight, Starlight puffed her chest out and exhaled. "After all, working together on that magical mirror went well. Maybe it'll be more fun with two ponies instead of just one."

"You're more than welcome to join me." Twilight glanced back at where her earlier research for the day sat, quickly bringing her focus back to Starlight. While finding out the last mysteries of her most recent project would've been exciting, there was just something tempting about tackling Pinkie's question. Finding out exactly how the mirror worked could wait; there was no need to rush. "Everypony can help out if they want. Just let me know if you're interested."

"We'd be delighted to lend a helping hoof, dear," Rarity said as she twirled her mane. "But how might we be able to assist you? I'd loathe to get in the way or make things needlessly complicated. Still, I'd do almost anything to help my friend with a project." Nodding, Rarity then turned to where some of her friends stood. "All of you agree, right?"

Rainbow flapped her wings and hovered just above the floor, her confident smile standing out. "Of course we'd love to help out!" she shouted. "Besides, I try out dresses for Rarity or tend to Fluttershy's garden for a reason. Isn't helping out what friends are for?"

"Rainbow's right," said Applejack. "And Rarity brings up a good point, too. We're all here if you need us, but I think it'll probably be for little things." She chuckled, a cheeky grin on her face. "Even I gotta admit that I don't know anything about spells."

"No need to worry," said Twilight. She approached the group, ruffling her wings as she briefly made eye contact with each of her friends. "I understand why you might be concerned about how to help." Taking a quick breath, Twilight touched her chest. "To be honest, I'm also a bit worried. But I'm not going to let anxiety get the better of me."

"Same here," Starlight added, wiping her forehead. "Though given how I kinda-sorta messed with Big Macintosh's speech patterns for a day, I'm still nervous about how it'll all go." She chuckled nervously, eyes swiveling over to Applejack as the latter merely arched an eyebrow. "I'll try to keep my magic under control."

"We'll work out the finer details," said Twilight. She gently nudged Starlight, her pupil replying with her own smirk. "For now, let's focus on having an enjoyable lunch together." Twilight rubbed the top of her head, nostrils picking up a burnt scent as she recalled the last time she attempted cooking. Luckily, there were other ways of contributing. "What do you have in mind, everypony?"

"I can bring some sandwiches," said Starlight. "Simple, but I know how to make them." She crossed her forelegs, gently kicking the air and softly smiling. "Making food was never one of my specialties, but sandwiches are things anypony can make. I can add some variety if you want."

Pinkie arched an eyebrow, her expression incredulous. "But what about the time you made that amazing—"

"I'll just bring sandwiches!"

"Then I'll bring desserts!" Pinkie sprung into the air. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake make the tastiest desserts in Equestria! I'll see if they have anything special that I can bring for lunch!" She paused, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "And maybe I can bring some pastries, too! They're so good, you'll be wanting more and more!"

Applejack placed a hoof to her chest. "You know me, I'll bring some apple-related dishes. I've got plenty of delicious treats in the kitchen, though I've got more than just apples." She adjusted her hat and a sheepish grin adorned her face. "Aunt and Uncle Orange also make some great food, so I'll bring those as well."

"Well, I guess everything is under control," said Fluttershy. She glanced around the room for a moment, almost as if she was looking for something. "Does anypony have something else they'd like to bring? I don't have much outside of salads, so I hope that's okay."

"Y'all can bring whatever you want." Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy. "If you think we might like it, bring it over."

Nodding, Fluttershy cracked a smile. "Okay, I'll bring a salad all of you might like."

"Alright, let's get our food and meet up by the dining hall when we're done," said Twilight. Feeling warmth bundled in her chest, she instinctively grinned and pressed her hooves together. "I'll organize everything while you're out getting what you need. Since there's eight of us, be sure to bring plenty of food. And I'll get some drinks, all of them ones I know you'll like!"

"Sounds like Twilight's found her role," Starlight quipped.

The eight laughed in unison, smiles on their faces as they split up and embarked on their missions. Twilight skipped across the floor, the different drinks tailored to her friends' tastes dominating her thoughts. Based on what she knew of her friends, Twilight knew her ideas were guaranteed successes; those always were causes for celebrations. And with Spike tagging alongside her, everything would go quickly and smoothly, just as long as Spike wasn't messing around with the silverware this time around. How he hadn't hurt himself was a minor miracle.

However, Twilight felt as though something pinched her nerves. It was definitely out of place, everything around her about as blissful and spotless as it could've possibly been. And she knew it wasn't related to her next project. Twilight took a deep breath, touching her chest and then extending her foreleg. She couldn't help herself from wondering if something ominous had happened.

Maybe it was just her thoughts running wild again.

While anxiety sometimes persisted, a few tasks were excellent at washing it away, and organizing was just the activity for Twilight.

Nopony understood the joys of organizing as far as Twilight was concerned. There was just something about moving things into place that calmed her down, regardless of what the context might've been. While Twilight readily admitted that the few times she reorganized bookshelves for fun was unusual, all that mattered to her was having that tingling sensation in her chest, the same kind that she got from reading a fantastic novel.

Eight chairs surrounded a rectangular table, Twilight nudging the white cloth atop the latter until everything lined up perfectly. She checked the plates and silverware one more time, all of them sitting just before each chair with the forks and knives to the plate's left and spoons to the right. Pacing around the table for a moment, Twilight's smile widened a tad. She nodded, focusing on the empty space in the middle.

Twilight picked up a vase with her magic, flowers poking out of it and highlighted by an intricate pattern of blue and white swirls. The vase slowly approached the table as though it was given life, Twilight lowering her head with the vase softly landing on the table's exact center a second later.

At last, everything looked perfect.

Briefly clapping her hooves together, Twilight turned toward Spike, noticing the small dragon sweeping the floor with a broom. She couldn't help herself from patting Spike on the head, everything beneath them sparkling like a gemstone. "Thanks for helping out," Twilight said, admiring the room's appearance. "I couldn't have done this without your help."

Inching away from Twilight's hoof, chuckles left Spike's mouth. "Hey, no problem," he said. With his head raised, Spike donned a proud grin. "And how's the table coming along?" He leaned to the left of Twilight, eyes moving up and down. "Looks pretty good, but I don't know if we'll need the flowers."

Twilight shrugged. "How come? I thought they'd look great in the dining hall." She peeked back at where the flowers resided. They were among the best flowers Roseluck had to offer at the time, and Twilight would've kicked herself if she had nowhere to put them. "Should I get something else?"

"Not at all!" Spike quickly shook his head. A brief moment later, he hopped onto one of the seats and pointed at the vase. "The flowers look amazing, but I'm wondering if they'll even fit with the food. You've got most of your friends bringing food, and you know how Pinkie is with desserts."

Twilight's cheeks warmed up. She snickered. "Yeah, that's Pinkie for you, but I'll see if I need to move the flowers once the food gets here." Twilight stared over at one of the doors, the room she and her friends were at earlier in the day right behind it. Soon enough, ponies would start trotting in with their treats, Twilight yearning to have everything in place prior to their arrival. Anything less might've spoiled the lunch.

"If you're worried about the flowers, why not just move them somewhere else? My room's looking kind of boring, so maybe it'd look much better with them." Spike placed his hands behind his back.

"It'll be fine, but I'll move them to your room after lunch." Twilight approached one of the chairs and sat down, muscles loosening a bit upon touching the cushions. "We should still consider adding a few decorations, maybe something Rarity might like." Spreading her forelegs, Twilight raised her head and stared at the decorate ceiling above.

"Yeah, and maybe—" Spike cut himself off, cheeks puffing up like a balloon. And before Twilight had a chance to respond, Spike burped out a letter, sparks and tiny flames appearing in the blink of an eye and vanishing just as quickly. Spike looked down at the scroll, picking it up and focusing on the ribbon.

The gold-colored stamp featuring a pair of wings and a horn caught Twilight's attention most of all. Her throat tightened as if somepony was strangling her. That symbol was definitely the one Princess Celestia used when sending letters. And while Princess Luna also sent scrolls, they were few and far between.

"What's going on with Princess Celestia?" Twilight muttered. Touching her chest, she felt her heart thumping faster and louder. "It's not like her to just send a letter without warning." With a deep breath, she leaned closer to Spike. "What does the letter say?"

Removing the ribbon, Spike slowly unfurled the scroll. "I hope it's nothing awful." He cleared his throat, eyes shifting from left to right. Yet after a minute or so, his cheeks became pale, Spike lifting the letter toward Twilight. "Um, you might want to read this for yourself. It's serious."

Biting her lip, Twilight took the letter and flipped it around, eyes focused on the cursive writing. The intricate style removed any doubts; Celestia was definitely the one who sent her the letter. With another deep breath, her wings twitching uncontrollably, Twilight began reading the scroll's message.

Princess Twilight,

I've had what my sister describes as a prophetic dream, the contents of which have me worried. Strange pillars of light are appearing from a land beyond Equestria, their magical properties unlike anything I've felt before. These incidents may foreshadow at something sinister coming our way. As such, I will be scouting the uncharted territories south of Equestria. While sending just the Royal Guard is possible, I fear that it would be too risky without my direct help.

If I do not report back in three days, please gather up your friends and search for me in the south. Otherwise, you're more than welcome to resume normal activities. My sister is the only other pony who knows about this, though I've sent Princess Cadance the same letter. If Equestria knew of what I must do, most ponies would panic, as the uncharted lands to the south of Equestria are rumored to be dangerous. As such, please try to keep it confidential between you and your closest friends. As for informing other ponies about the truth, only do so if absolutely necessary. Otherwise, use my sister's story about how I am meeting with somepony important.

Should I return home from these investigations in under three days, we will meet inside your castle to discuss what must be done. While there is no telling what these phenomena mean for Equestria, I can't help but feel tense the more I think about it. If you have any questions, please send a letter to my sister. She agreed to help manage Equestria on my behalf.

Yours truly,

Princess Celestia

Placing the scroll on the table, Twilight clenched her teeth. The last time Celestia had a prophetic vision, the damage was nearly catastrophic, what resided in that crystal box the only reason why the consequences were instantly fixed. Twilight's veins froze. Perhaps it was just an oddity and nothing to worry about. Then again, a truly heinous foe might've been making its way to Equestria. But as Celestia wasn't given much in the way of specifics for her vision, Twilight couldn't help herself from wondering why that was the case. The fact that Celestia and Luna knew it was a prophetic vision also pricked her nerves the more she pondered it.

Twilight wasn't certain of how her friends would take the news, especially with an afternoon of relaxation just ahead of them. The fate of Equestria was of the utmost importance, such incidents warranting a change in plans. Twilight couldn't help herself from donning a frown and ruffling her brow.

"What should we do?" asked Spike. He twiddled his fingers, cheeks tautened. "Princess Celestia could be in danger." His pupils dilated; a gasp left his lips. "If she doesn't return, how are we going to know exactly where she went?"

Twilight swallowed a lump. "I wish I knew," she muttered under her breath. She stood up, rubbing her head as the sounds of heartbeats polluted the air. "Whatever happens, we'll need to prepare for the worst just in case. I'll break the news to everypony when they arrive. Afterwards, we'll need to agree on a plan."

Spike's face turned pale. "Um, I guess that works."

Suddenly, the door opened up, Twilight noticing Starlight making her way inside. Hovering around her and wrapped by a bluish aura were two platters, a gleaming lid covering what was inside. The fact that her friend wore a smile drove needles into Twilight's heart, aware that it and the ones her friends were likely wearing would vanish in an instant. Yet Starlight assumed an emotionless expression when she turned to her. Twinkles appeared in the mare's eyes, looking as if she peered into Twilight's soul.

"What's wrong?" Starlight asked. She placed the platters on the table, inching her way closer to Twilight. "Something serious is happening, isn't it?" Her body shook as if a blizzard raged past her, the expression on her face grim. "Please tell me it's something that can be easily fixed."

"I'll explain once everypony's here," said Twilight. A sigh left her lips. "But yes, something serious is happening, but the details are scarce."

While her friends have all braved frightening obstacles and enemies before, Twilight just hoped that the news wouldn't put too much of a sour mood on the day. But knowing Celestia, she would've wanted everypony to have a good lunch together, even if she was dealing with something problematic.

As Twilight heard thousands of times before, when were problems ever straightforward?

There was something surreal about having both anxiety and excitement at the same time, yet Twilight knew she was experiencing just that.

Maybe it was the mouthwatering food her friends brought, all of them displayed like trophies atop the dining table and beckoning somepony to take a bite. The sandwiches Starlight made were sublime, the tomatoes in particular, and the treats Applejack brought made stomachs growl just by gawking at them. Furthermore, the desserts from Sugarcube Corner were guaranteed to be sweet and moreish, the chocolates truly fantastic. Maybe lunch was the perfect recipe for calming down after the announcement.

Perhaps having a close group of friends was what brightened the mood. Everypony brought something to the table that guaranteed smiles and laughs, something Twilight wished she could've preserved. However, she recognized that hiding the news from her friends was impossible, mentioning and then rereading the letter's contents just as everypony was seated.

The vacant stares she received upon recounting Celestia's message were expected. It never mattered that Equestria had braved similar situations, some of which involved Celestia being incapacitated. Widened eyes and stressed visages were often the result whenever such announcements or events came.

Nopony spoke up for a few seconds, Pinkie breaking the silence by saying, "Now what?"

"We go on another adventure," Rainbow said. She placed her hooves behind her head, though her cheeks were still pale. "I hope it's an awesome one, too. And if we can beat Tirek, nothing can stand in our way." Pausing, Rainbow forced a smug smirk across her face. "It's just a matter of where to go."

"I don't know 'bout that," said Applejack. She took one of the tarts from a nearby tray, placing it on the plate before her. "Some adventures might be exciting, but a few are truly frightening. Goin' back to your example, Tirek nearly killed us all, and it took Twilight finding the last key to stop him."

Raising her brow, Rainbow then gave Applejack an accusatory glare. "Hey, I never said it'd be easy." She adjusted her seating posture and then swiped one of Pinkie's treats in a flash. "And I know how scary they can be. I mean, it's not like I'm charging into some evil lair while gushing about feeling awesome. I'm talking about seeing new, exciting places!"

"Fair enough." Applejack crossed her forelegs. "I just don't want you doin' anything stupid."

"But Princess Celestia should be okay, right?" asked Fluttershy, hoof slightly raised. "I know she's faced threats stronger than her recently, but she knows what she's doing. We can't just go there and disturb her." She twiddled her mane. "Shouldn't we follow her instructions? Three days, right?"

Twilight nodded. "That's right, and we visit the uncharted territories down south if she doesn't report by then."

"And have you written back to Princess Luna?" Rarity added. "I only ask because it seems bizarre for Princess Celestia to go out by herself. For horrendous problems, doesn't she go with her sister or send Discord nowadays?" She froze for a second, blushing afterwards. "Oh, right. Discord had the thing with—maybe we can ask him for help if things are dire."

"Discord is learning more about friendship," Fluttershy stated as a matter of fact. She donned a sheepish smile and tapped her hooves together. Soft clacks filled the room. "I know he's still a troublemaker at heart, but the Discord from when he joined up with Tirek is a thing of the past." Her eyes locked onto Twilight's. "That reminds me, what do you think those magic pillars might be?"

"Nobody knows at this point," Twilight murmured. "Besides, even Princess Celestia wasn't entirely sure what was going on. All I know is from what she wrote, which is that these pillars of light are exuding a strange, magical energy." Twilight gently pressed her hoof against her cheek. Already, she brought her thoughts back to the research question she had earlier, the number of mysteries growing by the minute.

"Maybe it's one of those advanced spells," said Starlight. With her magic, she took one of the sandwiches, then turned to Twilight. "Revising Star Swirl's spell about time travel was one of the trickiest things I've ever done, so maybe it's kind of like that. Maybe this is a spell that nopony has tried before."

"That's definitely possible." Twilight rubbed her muzzle. "But why would Princess Celestia then get a prophetic vision about it? It just doesn't add up."

"Lots of things don't add up," Pinkie replied, shrugging. "Whether it's why some foods have strange ingredients or magic stuff, a lot of things seem odd when you think about it. Like, there was this one time where I was helping my family on the rock farm, and I really, really, wanted to give them a party afterwards. That's why I came up with a rock-themed party!" She stood up, face beaming with excitement. "Totally sounds weird, but trust me, it rocked!"

Starlight rolled her eyes, groaning as though somepony punched her in the stomach. "Let's save the puns for later."

"But you know where I'm getting at, right?"

Everypony in the room nodded in unison.

"Great! Now we just have to figure out what to do!"

"I have an idea," said Applejack. Pausing, her lips briefly moved without uttering an audible word. She then exhaled. "Since we don't know if Princess Celestia is coming back after three days, we should get ready to head out in case things go wrong. We'll gather supplies, figure out a route, and figure out where she might be. Aside from that, we continue business as usual."

"That sounds like it could work," said Twilight. "However, we should inform Princess Luna if we're taking action. Everypony involved should be up to date with what's going on, and we may need her help if all of us journey southward." She caught her breath. "Does that sound good?"

As before, all of the ponies bobbed their heads.

"Excellent." Twilight's sights turned to the food before her. While focusing on a leisurely activity at the moment seemed rather unusual, she figured that relieving some stress would be worth it in the end. She and her friends had things under control, and they'd definitely be prepared if they were asked to rescue Celestia earlier than planned. However, the purring stomachs needed addressing first. "Well, let's have some lunch. We wouldn't want to waste all this food, right?"

"Of course!" Spike added, quickly gobbling up and swallowing a pastry. "Besides, I'm hopeful that things will go well. Princess Celestia has faced all kinds of troubles before, so I wouldn't worry so much about her." He twiddled his claws. "For now, let's just try relaxing. Worrying all the time won't help us or Celestia."

As the group all nibbled on the treats, their lunch also coupled with various stories and bursts of laughter, Twilight still couldn't shake off all the anxiety bundled in her chest. With Celestia's struggles against Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek fresh in her memories, she wondered if being sent to the uncharted lands was inevitable. But at the same time, Celestia had prevailed against previous threats in the past. There was just no predicting the future.

One thing was certain. Twilight needed as many answers about magic as possible. Celestia's letters plus her thoughts following Pinkie's innocent question had to be answered. Where she'd start was an entirely different problem, but she figured that somepony who became a princess was perfect for the job.

Even in times of worry, a little optimism might've been what Twilight needed most of all.

A Wizard's Latest Surprise

Time had a habit of flying past, regardless of the circumstances.

Case in point, a whole day had already passed since Twilight received that ominous message from Princess Celestia. Much to her disappointment, there hadn't been another letter since then, Twilight taking deep breaths to calm herself. Maybe the lack of any news meant things were going according to plan. And it wasn't as though Celestia had the time to write letters if she was in the midst of something important.

There was still another conundrum facing Twilight: Was focusing on her studies instead of joining Celestia the right thing to do? Celestia had ordered Twilight to stay back for the time being, the latter in no hurry to go against her idol's suggestions. She knew that ruining whatever plan Celestia might've had by showing up days early would probably make things worse.

Regardless of what the future had in store, if Twilight was going to make it out of the next few days with her sanity intact, she needed something relaxing to distract her. And the questions she had from yesterday might be just the distraction she needed to make it through the next few days. The journal resting inside her saddlebag helped her with this, the latest spell she used when working with Rarity and Rainbow Dash earlier in the day her most recent entry.

Luckily, working alongside Starlight was the perfect recipe for calming down, the open fields where spells were often tested the icing on the cake. Blades of grass shone under the sunlight; it and a nearby river looked like something out of a painting. A few trees reaching for the sky only helped add to the scene. As Twilight trotted for a moment, she turned to Starlight, her friend's eyes twinkling like stars as she also surveyed the environment.

"You never told me about this place!" Starlight blurted out. Prancing over to Twilight, she donned a smile brighter than the sun. "And you weren't kidding when you said it was perfect for trying out magic." She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders and standing tall. "By the way, is there more to today than just testing magical potential—or whatever it's called?"

"Remember, magical potential isn't what I'd call it," said Twilight. She made her way toward Starlight, playfully nudging her shoulder. "I'm thinking it's along the lines of some kind of magical energy, something that I know all ponies have. But there's something about you that's different."

"What do you mean?"

"It's no secret that you're a prodigy." Twilight pointed at Starlight's cutie mark, slowly moving her hoof to her friend's chest. "Whether it's because of your cutie mark or you've dedicated time to learning spells, I know that you have a lot of talent. You might even be almost as good as me."

Starlight blushed. With a sheepish smile, she chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far. Besides, you are a princess."

"No need to be so humble." Twilight's muscles loosened. "Anyway, the question I'm hoping to answer is why some ponies are extraordinarily talented at magic, yet some never seem to be able to reach that level. Is knowing a variety of powerful spells reliant on your cutie mark, or is it just that we're interested in these things? Those are some of the questions I hope to answer."

"And that's why you worked with Rarity and Rainbow earlier today?"

Twilight merely bobbed her head.

"So at least we know that whatever you did before should work here." Freezing in place, Starlight adopted a confused look, brow raised. "But when you say you're looking at my magical energy, just how do you plan on measuring that?" Her head cocked to the left. "There's kinetic and potential energy, so how does magic play into this?"

Giggling, Twilight's smile widened. "You're thinking of something completely different. We're dealing purely with magic today."

"Okay, but I have one more question." Starlight paused, the shimmer in her eyes suggesting uncertainty. Twilight had seen that look enough times to know what it meant. "What if I have more of this magical energy than Rarity, or what if the amount varies depending on who you examine? Would it then become something like how toned somepony's muscles are, or would it be something we're stuck with?"

"We'll answer those questions when we get there." Twilight paced back and forth once again. She recalled that both Rarity and Rainbow exhibited the same amount of magical energy, not a single noticeable difference from a simple spell to one of Rainbow's most daring stunts. It was why Starlight was the last piece of the puzzle for this question; she knew almost as much as Twilight and was easily one of the most talented unicorns in Equestria, at least when it came to magic.

Twilight glanced behind her shoulder, then back to the world in front of her. She brought the book in her saddlebag over to her via magic, opening it to the bookmarked page a second later. Recognizing the symbols and writing, Twilight knelt down, the cold dew tickling her coat. The book joined her and softly landed on the earth.

"So I should fire off any spell?" asked Starlight. She glanced at the book's notes, eyes shifting from left to right. "And I know this is beside the point, but what's in the book is your spell, isn't it? The writing is yours and everything looks organized to the last detail, nothing like the other books I've read."

"You have a good eye," Twilight admitted. "When it comes to writing spells, keeping everything tidy makes it much easier to follow. Some of the things I've written are straightforward, but others have proven difficult." She squinted at the book's contents. "This spell, for example, does work for the most part."

"What do you mean?" Starlight's cheeks tautened.

"It sometimes fails, but it's nothing to worry about." Twilight rubbed Starlight's shoulder. Her friend's expression brightened up in an instant. "What some ponies don't know is that with most spells, misfiring or getting it wrong produces some harmless sparks. It's only for the complicated ones with sensitive variables that are dangerous. Those you have to be careful with."

Starlight wiped her forehead. "At least it's nothing awful. Thank goodness we probably won't have to clean up if this doesn't work." She straightened her posture and nudged away from Twilight, blankly staring at an empty part of the field. "Should I try out one of my spells, or should I cast something specific?"

"Anything will do, but make sure it's potent and safe."

Starlight took a deep breath and closed her eyes. As a turquoise aura wrapped around Starlight's horn, large bubbles appeared from nowhere, all of them almost as large as the average pony and dancing just above the mare. It was a spell Twilight had some familiarity with, the rainbow-colored streaks decorating the bubbles indicating it as one of the more artful ones. And as it was taught in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, it was one not anypony could've mastered right away.

Everything was finally in place.

Returning her gaze to the book, then back to Starlight, Twilight clenched her teeth and began casting her own spell. Shocks coursed through her veins as a violet light wrapped around her horn. Yet after a few seconds, pathetic sparks flew from Twilight's horn, all of them vanishing upon touching the grass. Twilight tried the spell again; the second time was what worked for Rarity and Rainbow's demonstrations.

All Twilight got were more sparks. They descended like leaves from a tree, lazily swaying back and forth before fizzling out in a flash. Twilight's heart sank, a deep sigh escaping her lips. The results weren't entirely unexpected, but it hadn't changed the fact that such a sight left bitter tastes in her mouth.

Starlight ceased casting her spell. Upon turning to face Twilight, her expression twisted from a bright smile into a grim frown, nervous chuckles escaping her lips. Twilight wore a glum visage of her own, swiftly closing the journal with a thump, the noise causing Starlight to shudder in surprise.

"It's fine," said Twilight. She stood up, placing the journal back in her saddlebag. A groan left her lips. "Really, it's just the spell I wrote being finicky again."

"We can try again, right?" Starlight asked. "If Rarity and Rainbow both gave you results, something will come up soon enough." She rubbed her muzzle, tapping the ground with her other hoof. "And I don't mean to offend, but maybe the spell needs improvements. Do you think a few tweaks might help?"

"Probably. Besides, this is far from the first spell I've had to modify." Twilight froze in place before forcing a smile. "Even when you've studied magic your whole life and have written spells before, there's always a few that require revisions. Anyway, shall we look it over during our break?"

Starlight nodded without a second thought, trotting right over to where Twilight stood. "That sounds like a plan to me. But I am a bit parched, so maybe we could go for some tea during our break." Her hoof stretched out and pointed at a small, brown tavern visible in the midst of Ponyville. "There's this wonderful cafe that I found not long after settling in Ponyville. Does that interest you?"

"It most certainly does!" Twilight paused, gently tapping Starlight's shoulder. "Oh, and thanks for helping out."

Starlight shyly brushed her mane. "As I said, it's only fair that I lend a helping hoof. And I bet you would've figured out that the spell needed work eventually." She grinned and leaned closer to Twilight. "Come on, you know how talented you are. Not everything's going to be perfect right away."

"Okay, maybe I'm also being too humble." Twilight's laughter picked up, Starlight joining in shortly after. "Gosh, it's almost like we alternate between teacher and pupil. I'm teaching you magic and friendship; you taught me a lesson the day you met Trixie. It's truly amazing! Who knows what's next?"

"I guess we'll soon find out."

The two made their way down a slight incline and toward Ponyville. While the thought of having to revise her spell stung a little, Twilight kept her head raised. Yet the spell working twice before prodded her nerves at the thought. A few spells were certainly unreliable, but it was typically clear whenever they had design flaws.

Hopefully, somepony knew exactly what the spell needed.

Life was full of surprises; today was no different.

What surprised Twilight this time around was not having a problematic spell, as that was just how new spells worked, but having a meal with one of her friends for the second day in a row. Those rarely ever happened, the previous instances usually being mere coincidences like this particular outing with Starlight.

Twilight and her friend sat just outside the cafe, an umbrella above them to provide some much needed shade. Ponies trotted in and out of the cafe, voices polluting the air. Some were easily audible while others were mere murmurs. And despite the sun shining brightly overhead, a slight breeze sometimes flew past, Twilight shivering on occasion.

The oak tables were somewhat warm to the touch, their surfaces as smooth as silk. Placed at the center was an unlit candle, two small menus listing a series of drinks surrounding it. What captured Twilight's attention most of all, however, was the pungent scent of coffee coming from the cafe's interior. Whirring sounds reached her ears whenever one of the machines indoors ran, and it was almost always followed with that ever familiar tune of liquid being poured into a cup. Those senses weren't exactly what she'd call soothing, but they weren't irritating to the point of pushing her away.

Starlight made eye contact with Twilight. "Aside from our research, what else has been going on?" she asked. She nudged an inch closer to Twilight, adopting a quizzical visage. "I'm still getting used to Ponyville, but you've been busier than a bee. Speaking of which, didn't you get interviewed about a boutique?"

Nodding, Twilight rested her forelegs on the chair. "I sure did," she replied. "It's a long story, but the gist of it is that my friends and I were interviewed after Rarity for You had its grand opening." She paused, the memories of that day forcing her lips into a wide grin and tickling her chest. "It was quite the mess at first, but both the opening and the interview turned out great."

"That's a relief. You know what Rarity can be like when she's nervous." Starlight chuckled softly. "But at the same time, I know that she would've made it work. All of you know how to make it through something tough. I definitely admire that, even if I felt otherwise when we first met. You know why."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Starlight, do you mind if I ask you a question?" She paused, pressing her hooves together and donning a stern expression. "It's a bit sensitive, so if you feel uncomfortable, please let me know." With a deep breath, Twilight then gazed directly into Starlight's eyes. "This thing about your past being brought up a lot makes me worry about you."

"About me becoming evil again?"

Twilight quickly shook her head. "Not that, but rather about the past haunting you. I know we've had some problems here and there, but I'd love to help out if I can."

"Thanks." Starlight nodded. "It's tough adapting to a new life. Ever since Our Town forgave me, I've been wondering if they truly had. Not everypony can be as understanding as you, Twilight."

"I just know it'll work out in the end." Twilight touched her chest, Starlight merely pressing hers together. "Maybe once things start to calm down, we'll both visit Our Town again. They're a friendly bunch, remember? They wouldn't have hugged you like that if it wasn't genuine, after all."

"Yeah, the four who stopped me that one time seemed forgiving." She twiddled her mane, twisting a strand into a slight curl. "Maybe you and your friends could give a helping hoof if we visit the town again. I'm not exactly ready to revisit the townsponies on my own just yet. There's a lot that might go wrong if I went by myself."

"Maybe I should keep that in mind," a familiar voice said.

Twilight recognized that voice from anywhere, the owner without a doubt being Trixie. And as she turned to the left, her assumption was spot on, the blue mare adorned with a hat and cape pressing her weight against the cafe's wall. Surrounded by a bluish aura and hovering before her was a cup, Trixie occasionally drinking from it and licking her lips. Electricity coursed through Twilight's veins, but it was soon accompanied with her mouth curling into a soft smile.

"Oh, hello," Twilight replied with a sheepish smile. She turned to Trixie and gently waved at her.

"Hello, Twilight," Trixie continued. "And hello, Starlight." She took another sip of her drink. "How is everything?"

"We're fine." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "But where did you come from? Were you snooping on us?"

"Not at all!" Shaking her head, laughter then left Trixie's mouth for a moment. She tugged her cape and inched closer to Twilight. "I just got here, but just saw you after getting a drink. I merely chipped in when I had something to say." Trixie adjusted her hat. "Anyway, I have a little something to share."

"What would that be?"

Trixie cleared her throat. "It's a little story. See, after the incident with the Alicorn Amulet, I met some friendly acquaintances during my travels. However, I thought trying to make friends would go poorly like earlier attempts." Standing on all fours once more, she approached Twilight and Starlight's table, sitting down at one of the empty chairs. Trixie then brought her attention to Starlight. "It wasn't until I met you, Starlight, that I realized how important friendship was. The moment we first met each other at the spa, I knew you were the pony who'd become my friend."

Starlight blushed. "I'm glad I met you, Trixie," she said. "Despite what others might think, you're a kind pony." She gently poked Trixie's chest, the latter looking down for a moment. "You've got a good heart. And believe me, trying to become a better pony is tough. I've still got plenty to learn."

"Tell me about it."

"Anyway, what brings you back to Ponyville?"

Trixie's grin exuded a palpable excitement. She slid her chair an inch closer to Starlight. "I've been gathering supplies for my wagon over the past few days. Trixie's next shows are planned to be the most impressive yet!" Trixie caught her breath. "One of my stops was in Ponyville, and I wanted to get something to drink while I was here. I just didn't expect to see the two of you."

"Same here," Twilight added. "And how has everything else been going?"

"They've been terrific! Ever since we last saw each other, my shows have been improving immensely. Discovering more about friendship has helped so much. And yes, I've been trying to best limit my onstage behaviors—" Trixie giggled and wore a sheepish grin "—when I'm not performing."

"That's wonderful, but. . ." Twilight's wings itched. There was something she needed to get off her tightening chest. "I also wanted to apologize for how I acted the last time we met. I was too paranoid and I should've given you another chance. I was so concerned about everything that day."

"It's fine, Twilight." Trixie patted Twilight's shoulder. "I made plenty of mistakes that day, too. I just got caught up in the heat of the moment during our argument, and it's safe to say that you and Starlight were justified in feeling upset. To be honest, I should also apologize for what I said."

"Apology accepted."

Trixie rubbed her eyes. "I wanted to ask you something else, too." Pausing, she pursed her lips and briefly tapped the table's surface. "What's going on with Princess Celestia? I saw her with some guards yesterday, but I never found out why. She just flew past with this serious look on her face."

"How did you see her?" Twilight's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Celestia was an expert at avoiding detection if needed, always plotting out routes where virtually nopony would see her. How Trixie or anypony for that matter spotted her couldn't have made sense, even if the magician traveled miles with her wagon. Twilight took a deep breath, feigning a cough. Sweat dripped down her forehead. "I mean, she's not doing anything important, but it's still odd. Did you try getting her attention?"

"I thought about it, but she seemed occupied at the moment." Trixie's brow sagged somewhat. She blinked, her visage donning a curious expression. After a few seconds of silence, both Twilight and Trixie merely staring at each other, the latter suddenly muttered, "You're hiding something secret, aren't you?"

"Not at all!" Twilight's head shook wildly. "I'm just surprised!" She chuckled, cheeks feeling as warm as the sun. Trixie must've been much cleverer than she appeared, not too surprising since even she had to have studied a variety of tricks. But this was beyond what Twilight expected. Her eyes swiftly moved about, avoiding eye contact with Trixie. "And I'm thirsty, too."

"Shall we go order a drink?" asked Starlight. She raised her hoof, twinkles flashing in her eyes. "Tea is still the plan, but I'll get some water if you're up for that." She stood up, pushing her chair against the table via her magic. Starlight then turned to Trixie. "And is there anything else you'd like?"

Trixie shook her head. "I'm fine."

"And can you come with me for a moment, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded, standing up and immediately poking her head inside the cafe. Starlight trotted toward her. Their shoulders rubbed against each other the moment they stepped inside, creaks filling the air as they stepped on the old, wooden floor. The cafe's interior sent chills through Twilight's spine despite the front door being open. And before Twilight had a chance of looking at the menu, she noticed Starlight's lips moving closer to her ear.

"Trixie knows that something's up," Starlight whispered. "She may not know what Princess Celestia is doing, but telling her it's nothing won't work." She paused briefly, brow ruffled a little. "And is it just me, or is there something about Trixie that suggests she's much stronger than before?"

"How would you know?" Twilight retorted.

"You seriously haven't noticed how much she's matured?"

Twilight quickly shook her head. "Not like that. I'm talking about how you know that she's improved immensely at magic."

"There's just something about her that suggests she's changed, the way she acts the most obvious part. And I bet she's improved immensely in magic, too. It's as if somepony passed on their knowledge onto her." Starlight paused briefly, faking a smile out of nowhere. "Maybe we should ask if she wants to join us for the project."

"Slow down, please." Twilight placed her hooves on both of Starlight's shoulders, adopting a concerned frown. "I'd love to have Trixie working with us, but we'd have to change a few things first. Remember, we need to keep Celestia's mission a secret. If Trixie's joining us, we can only mention it when it's just us, okay?"

Starlight bobbed her head. "Works for me. Like what Princess Luna said, I'll just say that Celestia is meeting with somepony important. And if we do have to visit the uncharted lands, should we tell Trixie the truth or just keep it a secret? We should tell the truth by that point." Her eyes swiveled from left to right, eventually staring into Twilight's again. "Besides, maybe—"

"We can't just go around announcing things like that." Twilight's muzzle scrunched up. She leaned closer to Starlight, their cheeks less than an inch away from colliding. "Remember, all of Equestria will go crazy if they find out what truly happened. And while Trixie's a much better pony, I don't know if she's the kind of mare to keep secrets. We'll only tell her as a last resort."

Starlight stepped away from Twilight and dusted herself off. She gazed up at the menu hanging above the counter, the names of drinks and snacks carved onto a wooden board. It blended in with the cafe's interior, much of it constructed with unpainted oak planks, though it was large enough to where it commanded attention as well. Looking back at Twilight, Starlight trotted up toward the counter, motioning back to her friend.

"Let's focus on other things for now," Starlight said. "The less we fret about what Celestia is doing, the easier it'll be to keep secret."

Twilight nodded, her cheeks puffed as she forced a smirk. Shaking off the tension gripping her muscles seemed downright impossible. She hoped that Trixie hadn't overheard her and mentioned it to somepony else, even if that would've required hearing better than a bat's. And if ponies like Lily Valley or Sweetie Belle discovered what happened, it would've been inevitable that everypony else knew.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight pressed her hoof against her chest. She stretched her foreleg out and closed her eyes. Upon opening them, she trotted up to Starlight and kept trying to maintain her smile. Twilight's friend at least grinned and bounced around at the prospect of having tea with her. It was just enough to make Twilight's expression genuine.

While some ponies were fortunate enough to have their drinks right away, Twilight lacked the same kind of luck this time around. Listening to machines whirring about for other customers, waiting for the tea to be prepared, and making sure it wouldn't burn her tongue at the touch was a process that felt like hours instead of just a few minutes. But with everything in place, Twilight and Starlight lifted their cups and trotted outside once more. Trixie was still waiting for them, yet Twilight's coat became pale as she touched the cold, ticklish grass.

Trixie wore a smug smirk, hooves behind her head as she reclined on the chair. While this was an expression the mare likely spent years mastering, one she often wore during her shows or whenever things went her way, Twilight knew that spotting it now of all times only meant one thing.

"I heard what you were whispering," Trixie teased. She waved a hoof at Twilight and Starlight, the two staring blankly at each other before returning to the table. They sat down in unison. Trixie then leaned closer to them and said, "But you have nothing to worry about. Your secret is safe with Trixie."

Starlight raised an eyebrow. "How did you hear us?" she asked, glancing to her left and right before looking at Trixie. "Nopony who trotted past us even batted an eye. Yet here you are, sitting outside, and somehow you know everything we said?" Starlight's eyes widened a little. "How did you do that?"

Trixie tapped her hooves together, cheeks flushed. "I just have great hearing," she quickly said. In a flash, she adjusted her hat, looking up and then rubbing her forehead. "Honestly, that's what happened." Chuckling, Trixie crossed her hind legs. "Anyway, I understand why you were hesitant to tell me."

"Well, we were told to keep it a secret in most cases," Twilight explained, the tension in her body dissipating. "We were only allowed to tell other ponies if it was absolutely necessary. Then again, it looks like you've already pieced things together." Twilight lowered her head and focused on her drink, then looked at Trixie and smiled shortly after. "And thanks for promising to keep it a secret."

"I'm not a fool. Anything about Princess Celestia is important." Trixie placed her hooves atop the table, gently sliding her empty cup out of the way. "But what about making sure nopony knows what's going on? Princess Luna might be able to keep things running, but Equestria will notice something's amiss soon enough."

"Supposedly, Princess Luna has said her sister is meeting with somepony important," said Starlight, shrugging. "That's what I've heard, and it does sound like something Princess Celestia would do. The problem is knowing what to do if Twilight, her friends, and I have to go rescue her."

"If you need more company, the Wonderbolts might be able to help." Trixie paused for a moment, twiddling her mane. "I've met with them before, and I know that they'll join you if needed. They might not be as strong as you and your friends, Twilight, but having more allies by your side helps wonders."

"Wait, first Rainbow Dash told me about them, now you?" Starlight cocked her head, rubbing it shortly after. While Twilight recalled what Rainbow said regarding Starlight not knowing about the Wonderbolts, actually seeing it made the princess wonder just how long Starlight resided in Our Town. Most ponies Twilight met heard of them or at least found the name familiar.

"I'll explain what their history is later," Twilight said, her lips curling into a bright grin. "It'll be just like teaching Rainbow about the Wonderbolts' history again!"

Starlight's brow rose. "Wait, what? I thought Rainbow knew everything about the Wonderbolts."

"Well, we all have to start somewhere."

Trixie nodded, glancing at her drink and then back at Twilight. "I can attest to that," she said. "Going from an amateur who thought she was the best in the world to truly becoming one of the greats felt so surreal."

Without warning, Twilight shivered a little. She recalled having her saddlebag on the ground, and looking to her left, it was right where she remembered leaving it. Her journal still sat inside. While Trixie had a long way to go before becoming one of the greatest mages, at least in Twilight's view, there was a slim chance she knew how to fix the spell.

"Trixie, can I ask you for a quick favor?" Twilight muttered.

Trixie leaned closer to Twilight and made eye contact. "How might the Great and Powerful Trixie be of assistance?" she asked, her tone exuding confidence. Her widening grin and cheerful tone captured Twilight's attention. And while Twilight saw Trixie as friendly nowadays, it wasn't as though the latter hoping to best her at something was unexpected.

"I've written this spell on how to detect magical energy." Twilight lifted the book with her magic and placed it on the table. A thud rang in her ears, Twilight immediately opening the journal to the bookmarked page. "Here is the spell in question. Each of the symbols looks right, yet the spell seems to fail more often than not."

Trixie lowered her head, twisting the book around and scanning the pair of pages. Her eyes shifted from left to right, rubbing her muzzle and nodding on occasion. However, her eyes locked onto the bottom of the book, always happening whenever she reached that point. And after over a minute of pure silence, Twilight and Starlight not budging an inch, Trixie slid the book back to Twilight and assumed a stern expression.

"I think the two symbols at the end might be wrong," Trixie muttered. "Most spells follow a distinct pattern, right?"

Twilight bobbed her head. "Most spells do, but some are different than the norm."

"Other than what I mentioned, everything else seems fine." Trixie shrugged. Standing up again, she pushed her chair in and looked at the journal once more. "I wish I knew what was happening, but it looks like you're on your own for this one. Maybe try changing the last two symbols to reflect the spell's pattern. That's all I have."

"Thank you for helping, Trixie." Closing the book, Twilight's horn then became enveloped by an aura, the book returning to the saddlebag. "It's not much, but a start is better than nothing." Pausing, Twilight raised a hoof. "But I do have one other question."

Trixie stood perfectly still, brow raised. "What is it?"

"How did you improve in magic so quickly? It's surprising seeing how much you've learned ever since we first met." Twilight pushed herself upright, standing on all fours once more. "So what's your secret? You found out ours, so it's only fair that we learn about yours."

"I just started studying much more." Trixie twiddled her mane. "I'd be lying if I said it was easy, but it was possible." Trixie crept over to Twilight, the latter following suit. Seconds later, Starlight stood up and joined the pair, all three of them huddling up. "And I also learned a lot from both of you."

"We learned a few things from you, too." Twilight drank her last sips of tea, placing the cup down. "But are you sure it was just studying? I know you're a talented pony, but such a vast improvement must've meant having a tutor. That's how I became much more proficient when I was a foal." She decorated her face with a sly smile. "What's your secret? There's got to be more than just that."

Feigning laughter, Trixie rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, you do learn a lot about how spells work just by practicing for shows. It's not like I voluntarily tutored with a crystaller after a show, learning that I needed to change a few things I thought were right." As Trixie chuckled again, Starlight gave her a curious look. "Okay, maybe I met one a month ago, but it wasn't much."

Twilight arched an eyebrow. However, she smiled once more, prancing away from the cafe. "That does sound specific," she teased. "But I'll take your word for it. Both sound like good plans for anypony curious about magic." Twilight then waved at both Starlight and Trixie. "Come and join us if you want, Trixie. Starlight and I are going to try the spell again."

Starlight patted Trixie's back, the latter shuddering in surprise. "We could use another friend, you know," Starlight said.

Trixie caught up to where Twilight was, head raised. "I'm up for it. Just tell me what you need."

Suddenly, an idea took form in Twilight's mind. While having Starlight volunteering to help out by casting an array of spells, having a second pony such as Trixie doing the same would've possibly opened up more findings on how magic functioned. The two unicorns had their similarities, but plenty of differences as well. Everything was finally starting to fall in place.

"There is something you could help with," Twilight said, looking back at Trixie. "When we head back to the open fields, Starlight is going to cast some spells while I try studying whether a pony's magic determines what spells they can cast. I call this magical energy, and if you could do the same as Starlight, that would be great."

Trixie slowly nodded at Twilight, the former's smile exuding confidence. "The Great and Powerful Trixie's most magnificent spells should do the trick," she said. "I'll use some of the spells I've mastered for my shows, maybe include a few others here and there. And you should watch in awe."

"I guess it depends on how my revised spell goes." Twilight's cheeks felt ticklish. Trotting once more, she waved at Starlight and Trixie, both of them following right beside her. "Anyway, let's go someplace quiet and do our best."

As the trio marched forward, smiles adorning their faces, Twilight couldn't help herself from feeling a little proud of herself. Sure, getting used to Trixie's antics wasn't happening overnight, but being on more positive terms with her was something she admittedly appreciated. And as the Princess of Friendship, understanding other ponies was crucial, and Twilight knew she was improving at that the more she learned about friendship.

Maybe she'd discover something completely new minutes later.

Twilight wondered if Trixie knew what improvements the spell needed, yet kept the answers to herself. There was something peculiar about the magician that tickled Twilight's coat at the thought. As they arrived at their destination, cracks reaching Twilight's ears as she stepped onto a lonesome branch, the possibility that Trixie was different than before kept seeming more likely than ever.

Trixie's boastful attitude was still present, albeit in smaller doses as Twilight predicted after their third meeting. However, the exponential growth of her magical abilities just didn't make sense. Nopony Twilight had ever heard of could've improved that much by their lonesome in such a short amount of time. Was Trixie holding back the entire time? Whatever was going on, understanding Trixie's growth was just another question among the pile of mysteries Twilight had to deal with.

However, having another gifted pony helping out warmed Twilight's chest, even if a few of Trixie's claims were dubious. Yet the possible connection with Sunburst was something she just had to discover. He was Starlight's best friend during their foalhood, so perhaps inviting the three of them to lunch was a possibility. Of course, that depended on whether the connection actually existed.

Twilight took a deep breath. "Can I ask you a question, Trixie?"

Trixie nodded without hesitating. "What do you have in mind?" she replied. "Any changes to what we're doing?"

"Not really." Twilight crept over to her acquaintance, the pair making eye contact. "I wanted to ask if you met a pony named Sunburst during your travels."

"Sunburst?" Trixie's eyes widened. With rosy cheeks, she glanced over to Starlight, who merely responded with a soft grin. And as Trixie turned toward Twilight, she let out a sigh. "Okay, I couldn't improve that much on my own. Sunburst was the pony who taught me how to become better at magic." She crossed her forelegs. "When we first met a few months ago, he told me how to improve. Relearning how spells worked was something I did with him."

Starlight made her way over to Trixie, patting her friend on the back. "That's sounds like Sunburst to me," she added. "I wouldn't be surprised if you reminded him of me." Laughter momentarily escaped her mouth. "Anyway, we recently reunited after both of us got separated years ago. And while he doesn't cast powerful spells, hardly anypony knows more about magic than him."

"No kidding. I sometimes didn't understand the stuff he was saying." Trixie briefly focused on Twilight's saddlebag, the latter's journal clearly visible. "Anyway, shall we try out the new spell?"

"I have one more question," Twilight responded, hoof raised. She approached Trixie with a comforting smile. "How come you said it was just from you studying? We wouldn't have judged you for learning about magic from somepony else. Remember when we agreed that all of us have to start somewhere?"

Trixie bobbed her head.

"Just think of it like that."

"I'll do my best." Trixie paused momentarily, catching her breath. While the somewhat blank expression she wore suggested that there was more to the truth than she admitted, pressing the matter further would have possibly caused more problems. However, discussing it another time was required. "As I was saying, let's give this new spell a try."

Twilight pulled the book out of her saddlebag, flipping to the relevant page for a third time. Glancing what she had written over and over, thinking about the rule of patterns Trixie pointed out earlier, she spotted the two elaborate symbols at the end that might've caused conflict. If the spell ran off of patterns, it should've ended with a diamond-shaped symbol and one that looked like a sun. Noting this change, she used her magic to push the journal to her right, Twilight then making eye contact with Starlight.

"Ready?" Twilight asked.

Starlight nodded with a confident smile. "Ready."

As before, Starlight's horn was enveloped by a turquoise aura. Seconds later, an array of colorful lights revolved around her, the sight commanding attention and causing Twilight's jaw to drop a bit. The spell's beauty shone through now that she took the time to appreciate it. However, there was a job she needed to do; gawking could wait.

Twilight took a deep breath, activating the slightly modified spell. And in less than a second, electrifying sensations coursed through her body once more. Numbers began swirling in her mind, possibility after possibility being narrowed down until the result made itself known. But something caught Twilight by surprise.

The answer was the same as with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. 10,000 was the lucky number, regardless of who was being surveyed.

"Anything?" Trixie muttered.

Twilight took a deep breath. "It's the same as the previous calculations," she said. At this moment, Starlight ceased casting her spell, a perplexed visage decorating her as she approached Twilight. "It looks like no matter what spell is being used or who is being examined, the results are the same. 10,000 seems to be the constant for how much magical energy exists per pony." As both Trixie and Starlight were completely silent, Twilight cleared her throat and said, "If you're wondering, the spell was designed to make magic quantifiable."

"Okay, now I get what the number is for," Starlight replied. "But all of us having the same result is unexpected." She rubbed her muzzle, head lowered as she tapped the ground with her other hoof. "As cool as it is, this just leads to more questions, namely how a pony's cutie mark plays into this. And how does that explain some ponies casting powerful spells without much trouble?"

"It does leave food for thought." Twilight shrugged, ruffling her wings and smirking sheepishly. "So all ponies have the same levels of magic, at least according to the spell." Her brow rose. "I guess that might explain why we all need magic to survive. So if we have less than that amount, we can't perform tasks as well."

"And it must be the opposite if that number goes up," said Trixie. She tugged her cape, tail swishing about briefly. "Well, since we have our answers, what should we do now? Trixie could show you the most dazzling spells in Equestria, and maybe we'll find out if your theory is correct."

Twilight nodded, her expression calm. "That works for me."

Trixie turned away from the duo, glancing back to make sure they were at a safe distance. She then began firing a variety of spells, starting out with some illusion spells before willing gusts of wind to swirl around her. Twilight cast her spell once more, measuring Trixie's magical energy. And despite the creative use of Trixie's spells making it appear as though she was hovering, among other artistic expressions that demanded attention, Twilight's spell and the equation related to it brought her to the same answer as before: 10,000.

Trixie ceased casting her spells, then donning a confident grin. "Trixie can see the look in your eyes," she teased, waving her hoof. "My spells have been improving exponentially." She glanced over to Starlight, then back to Twilight. "Though I must be frank, I couldn't have gotten here without your help. Even a boastful mare like me has to draw the line somewhere."

"There's no denying that you're a talented magician," said Twilight. She paused, stuffing the journal back in her saddlebag. "However, it looks like both you and Starlight had the same level of magical energy." Twilight hummed briefly, rubbing her muzzle. "Looks like the theory about magical energy being the same for everypony is true. While this does answer one question, it opens up many others."

"Like what this means for the world as a whole?" asked Starlight.

Twilight nodded. "Precisely, which is why more research is needed."

"What plans do you have next?" Trixie added, wearing a puzzled expression. She quickly made her way closer to Twilight.

Twilight rubbed the top of her head. "Probably something about how magic works outside of spells. I think that I'll just need to modify a few aspects of the spell I just used, as the principles should be the same or similar. Whether it'll need something much different, however, is anypony's guess."

While finding out answers about such mysteries excited Twilight, she couldn't help but feel nervous at the same time. Celestia still hadn't reported back from her mission over in the uncharted territories, the third and final day of waiting approaching fast. Focusing just on her studies would only help for so long. But with her friends all ready to help out, Trixie likely joining them if needed, making it through the unknown appeared possible.

Tomorrow was destined to be her longest day yet, regardless of what the future held.

A New Series of Questions

Twilight already couldn't help herself from shivering once morning arrived.

Just as with the previous two days, Twilight pondered whether Celestia was okay or if she had to blindly search for her in a region unfamiliar to virtually everypony in Equestria. There still hadn't been a single message from Celestia since she left, Twilight hearing the same story whenever she wrote to Luna or Cadance about the issue.

Celestia's status could only be subject to rampant speculation at this point, the kind of thoughts that always turned Twilight's coat pale. Twilight had no choice but to try and distract herself with more research while Spike waited for news back at the castle, as per his own requests. Yet with her droopy eyes and slight headache, anxiety was already taking its toll. A comfortable bed and a glass of something soothing to drink might've been necessary.

At least the weather at Sweet Apple Acres calmed her a little, the faint breeze tickling her coat and the birds chirping a familiar tune. The nearby barn even exuded a cozy appearance, hay bales and baskets filled to the brim with apples sitting just outside. Lifting up an apple with her magic, Twilight took a small bite, cracking a smile as her taste buds picked up the fruit's juicy taste. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Starlight all took bites of their own apples, responding with grins much like Twilight's.

Everypony involved in today's research was scheduled to show up; all but one of them arrived early, Twilight not surprised about who was shaping up to be over ten minutes late.

"Where's Trixie?" Twilight blurted out. She twisted her head from left to right, approaching the red barn shortly after. "She should've been here by now." Freezing in place, she turned to Starlight and arched an eyebrow, her friend slowly making her way toward her. "Is she usually this late?"

Starlight shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "She seemed to be good with time when we first met." She paused, rubbing her muzzle before taking another bite of the apple. "I know Trixie said that she had to finish up something first, so maybe she's working on another trick. You know what she's like."

"Well, Trixie did say she was studying more." Twilight snickered in return.

"It's nice to hear how much she's grown," Fluttershy added. Flapping her wings, she approached to Twilight, hovering in the air upon arriving. She twiddled her mane. "I know that you haven't gotten along with her, Twilight, but I always thought there was something interesting about her. It was like she was looking for something."

"A friend, right?" Applejack muttered. She adjusted her hat, glancing at the array of apple trees before returning her gaze at the trio. "I won't lie, but her attitude is hard to get used to. Reminds me of Rainbow whenever she outdoes the Wonderbolts, only somehow more boastful. I didn't even think that was possible." She rubbed the back of her neck, wearing a sheepish smile. "But I guess I'll get used to Trixie."

"I bet her boastfulness would take time getting used to." Fluttershy landed on the ground, a ruffling sound reaching Twilight's ears. She then turned to Applejack. "Speaking of which, do you know how the Wonderbolts are doing? I bumped into Fleetfoot a few days ago, and she was a lot nicer than I was expecting. They seem different last I checked."

"I don't know much 'bout the Wonderbolts." Applejack shrugged. "But I remember Rainbow tellin' me that Spitfire's rearranged a lot of what they do. They're now more focused on brains than brawn, and it's working out for 'em." She turned to Twilight, pressing her weight against the barn. "It's kind of like how you described Trixie."

"They are much more effective from what I understand," Twilight said. She rubbed the top of her head, wings twitching a little. "Maybe the old way just didn't suit Spitfire, so she changed it around and found something that best fit the team. Aside from their uniforms, they hadn't changed much in over two decades, so I guess Spitfire eventually figured out what they needed."

Another series of rustles filled the air without warning, Twilight quickly turning toward the noise's source. Approaching the group was none other than Trixie, still wearing her signature hat and cape as she huffed and puffed, sticking her tongue out. Twilight couldn't help herself from grinning, if only because everypony invited had finally shown up.

Trixie wiped her forehead, panting louder than ever as she struggled to stand upright. "S-sorry," she murmured, trying to catch her breath. "I-I found this amazing spell t-that might be what you're looking for." Sitting on the grass, Trixie lifted her cape up, revealing a small pouch she had been carrying with her. She used her magic and retrieved a sheet of paper. After checking it, she brought the sheet closer to Twilight. "Surely you must be impressed that Trixie found this."

Twilight grabbed the sheet of paper and gazed at its contents. Just like with the spell she used yesterday, this one was composed of a series of symbols and writings. However, the pages lacked the precise organization Twilight preferred, though it was still simple enough to follow. And on the sheet's upper-left corner was a familiar name, Willow Wisp, one of the wisest magicians known for crafting her own spells. However, there was just one simple problem.

A sigh left Twilight's lips. "Trixie, I already know this spell," she murmured. However, she then wore a slight smirk, playfully tapping the top of Trixie's head. "But thank you for taking the time to find it. Not many ponies know who Willow Wisp is, probably because she secluded herself in a small cabin all the time." She stepped back, stretching a hoof out to Trixie. "It may not be new, but I'm still impressed."

Trixie feigned a chuckle, standing on her own and wearing a sheepish smile. "Well, I wanted to make a splash," she confessed. "Besides, the best mages in all of Equestria should know about Willow Wisp, the mare who discovered how changelings disguise themselves. So surely finding this spell must count for something."

"It does, but let's save the self-congratulating for later," Applejack quipped. She approached the sheet of paper and briefly stared at it, immediately arching an eyebrow. "I'll leave you, Twilight, and Starlight to figurin' out this spell. None of those scribbles make a bit of sense." She inched away from the three unicorns, straightening her posture.

"Just follow along and things should work out," said Twilight. "The spell we're using was meant for tracking other spells, though I don't see why it couldn't be used for pegasi and earth ponies." Twilight turned to face Applejack and Fluttershy. "Even if this doesn't yield any results, it may teach us a thing or two about how magic works."

"So nopony's done this before?" Starlight asked, tilting her head. "If the spell's right there, surely somepony must've asked a question like yours before."

"Maybe they hadn't thought of using the spell in this way." Twilight caught her breath. "It was for tracking a unicorn's spells, and maybe they thought it'd require a thorough revision. I know some of my friends in Canterlot have shied away from a few questions because they were too complex. It might've been the same for ponies in the past, too."

Starlight bobbed her head. "If that's the case, let's first make sure we're not doing anything stupid."

"That goes without saying." Backing away from the group, Twilight then took a deep breath, recalling how the spell on detecting magic worked. She rolled her shoulders and glanced over to Fluttershy, the two making eye contact. "Fluttershy, could you fly around for a bit? Don't worry, it doesn't have to be spectacular, so anything will do."

Fluttershy took to the air once more, hovering just slightly above the earth. "If you want," she murmured, cracking a smile. "How long should I fly for?"

"I'll let you know." Twilight looked up as Fluttershy slowly flew in circles. While her friend was a much better flyer than most might've assumed, not pushing her to do anything dangerous or intense was for the best. Fluttershy was braver and more assertive now than when they first met, but still delicate in a few places. "It shouldn't take too long."

Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes, opening them a few seconds later. Her horn became wrapped in a purple aura as electric-like sensations coursed through her body. And in an instant, the world around her changed colors, everything gray aside from a few streaks of bright colors. Her eyes itched, Twilight wishing she could've rubbed them without possibly interrupting the spell. At least the colors near Starlight and Trixie corresponded to their magic auras. Applejack and Fluttershy had their own glows enveloping their bodies; the spell was a success.

With the first step out of the way, Twilight raised her head, eyes following wherever Fluttershy went. Yet nothing noticeable caught Twilight's attention. The fact pricked her nerves. However, as she lowered her head, she noticed a blue line connecting Trixie's horn to a nearby apple, the fruit making its way over to her. Nothing of the sort appeared around Fluttershy. Perhaps the notion of flight depending on magic was false, which hadn't exactly explained why nopony could fly without magic.

Trotting forward, Twilight squinted at where Fluttershy was once more. She noticed minuscule, yellow bubbles residing just under her friend's wings, the bubbles occasionally changing shape. They brightened up ever so slightly at times, but whenever Fluttershy was far away enough, they may as well have disappeared.

Twilight blinked thrice. The world's bright colors quickly returned as if nothing had happened. She rubbed her eyes, tears tickling her cheeks for a second or two, and waved. Fluttershy descended back to the earth upon noticing Twilight's gesture, quickly making her way toward her with a curious expression.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Fluttershy asked, crossing her forelegs. "I could fly around for a bit longer if you want." She rubbed her head and looked up, eventually bringing her focus back to Twilight. "I still don't know why we need magic to fly. It all feels like it's just the wings."

"That's what I thought at first," Twilight confessed. She raised a foreleg and patted Fluttershy's shoulder. "But as it turns out, there's a small hint of magic being used to keep you airborne. You'd have to use the spell and be close by to notice it. Otherwise, it looks like there isn't a connection."

"But what about that scary thing with Tirek?" Fluttershy shivered as if a snowstorm swirled past. "I saw the damage he did, and those ponies he hurt couldn't fly without their magic." She took a deep breath, standing as tall as she could. "If we hardly need magic to fly, wouldn't losing it just make flying a little harder?"

"Maybe it's like a small but important part," Starlight muttered. "Magic plays a tiny role when it comes to flight, but without it, flight would be impossible." She twiddled her mane and gave Twilight an uncertain stare. "That's a possible explanation, right?"

"That's probably what's happening," Twilight replied. She rubbed her muzzle, donning a radiant grin seconds later. "Wait, this might be the beginning of what could be an amazing discovery! I haven't met anypony who knows exactly why pegasi need magic to fly, but this hypothesis might be the answer we're looking for!"

"So what exactly does this discovery mean?" Trixie asked with a raised brow. She adjusted her hat and nibbled on her apple. "We're much closer to finding out how magic works for pegasi, but what if there's a lot more to it? You might be on the right track, but—" Trixie winked at Twilight "—the case isn't closed just yet."

Twilight's cheeks became warm. A series of giggles left her mouth. "Well, I never said that everything was done."

A smirk adorned Trixie's visage. "Then we haven't made an amazing discovery just yet. If there are still questions to be answered, there are more pieces to the puzzle. You of all ponies should know that." She inched over to Twilight. "One of your friends can do something called a Sonic Rainboom, right? It's the one from your lecture."

"That's Rainbow Dash's signature move." Twilight quickly nodded; she already knew where Trixie was going with this. She'd suggest checking out how magic played a role in that, though Twilight already knew the answer; magic caused the rainbow-colored trail and the sudden burst in speed. "And yes, I've thoroughly studied it in the past."

"That's what I assumed," said Starlight. Her cheeks suddenly flushed. "Honestly, it was a nice lecture, even if I used it for—other means."

"Anyway, we should find out how magic works for—"

"Wait!" a familiar voice shrieked.

Swiftly turning to her left, Twilight spotted none other than Spike dashing toward her with widened eyes and a gaping mouth. She recalled the agreement both of them made earlier in the day, which narrowed it down to two possibilities. Either Celestia had returned and was waiting to share the news, or there was trouble looming in the distance. Twilight yearned for it to be the former.

Spike eventually caught up to the group, catching his breath. Raising his head, he gazed into Twilight's eyes and grinned slightly, Twilight responding in kind. At least such an expression narrowed down the possibilities, the news more likely than ever what she wished to hear. Anything else would've crushed her spirits.

"Guess what?" Spike muttered. He snickered, straightening his posture and placing his arms behind his back.

Leaning closer to Spike, Twilight's brow rose. "What is it?"

"Princess Celestia is back! She's okay and wants to talk with you right away!"

Twilight's heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

"Why would I ever lie about that?" He sprung up, unable to stand still for even a second. His eyes shifted over to the other four. "You're all invited, too. There are a few things that she wants to talk about." He paused, shoulders raised. "Don't know what it is, but it must be good!"

"That's wonderful!" Fluttershy responded, her face beaming. She approached Spike with a skip in her step, the others following close behind. "I'm so glad Celestia is okay."

"Maybe we'll learn a thing or two about those strange pillars," Starlight added. She playfully nudged Twilight with a smile on her face. "And I bet you're wondering whether towns exist in the uncharted lands. I remember how excited you got before visiting Griffonstone for the first time." She snickered, Trixie following suit.

"I guess some things don't change," Trixie teased, gently waving her hoof. "Always heading off to new, amazing places, huh?"

Twilight giggled, the tip of her hoof touching her lips. "I've noticed that." She took a deep breath and then marched forward. "Let's find Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow. They'll want to know what's going on." Halting, she glanced over to her friends. "Oh, and thanks for helping out, too."

"We're always here for you," said Applejack. She approached Twilight and, just like everypony else, trotted alongside her. "I know I didn't do much, but at least I know what to do for next time. We can try learning more about magic tomorrow. Catching up with Princess Celestia is more important."

"Sounds like a plan!"

As Twilight and company trekked to their friends' homes, she couldn't help herself from wondering just what Celestia encountered during her mission. Given that she only just returned on the last day, there had to have been something threatening going against her. And if Spike's enthusiasm was anything to go by, the news was most likely the best case scenario.

However, the future often had surprises in store.

"Excuse me?"

If only the future was as calm as Twilight hoped, those two words she uttered echoing the thoughts of everypony except for Celestia. Even Luna, who was among those present in the throne room alongside Twilight and her friends, wore a look of disbelief. And while Twilight was genuinely shocked by what Celestia started the conversation with, it wasn't out of the ordinary. Dealing with beings such as Discord taught her that even the seemingly impossible had a chance of occurring.

Twilight made eye contact with Celestia, both of them wearing static expressions. "Could you repeat that, please?" she continued.

Celestia slowly nodded and took a deep breath. "Very well," she said. "While I succeeded in stopping the pony who orchestrated the spell, the mission is far from over. I've merely prevented the worst from happening, but that doesn't mean somepony else might try to continue his work."

"And just what kinds of ruffians might we be dealing with?" Rarity asked, hoof slightly raised. She leaned closer to Celestia. "You mentioned one pony at first, but it sounds as though there's a whole group of them." She shuddered, her cheeks turning pale in an instant. "I hope it's nothing ghastly."

"I unfortunately don't have much information. All I know for certain is that there's a group headed by an illusionist."

"So just like Chrysalis?" Rainbow pointed out. She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, we were all awesome enough to stop her, so who's to say that this group is any different?" Pausing, she glanced down at the table before her, briefly muttering something to herself. "We just don't get tricked and we're golden."

"That's only part of it," Applejack said, crossing her forelegs and giving Rainbow a doubtful look. "We've been tricked plenty of times before, and there's no tellin' what might happen. If we're going to the south of Equestria, we best prepare ourselves for anything. We can't afford to be too reckless."

"We'll need to find the right balance," said Twilight. "We can't afford to be too careful. Time is not on our side, which means we'll have to take some risks here and there." She rubbed her muzzle, a thought reaching the tip of her mind not long after. "Wait, you told me about overcoming all kinds of dangers. Remember when you saved Apple Bloom from that chimera?"

Applejack nodded without hesitating. "Of course I remember. And I get that we have to take risks." A sigh left her lips. "Just don't want y'all getting hurt or anything. Trust me, I'd do anything to help if everypony was in a pinch."

"That reminds me," Celestia added. She made her way over to the table. "There were a number of interesting sights I saw during my journey. Some of these may prove helpful if you decide to investigate for yourselves." Standing still, she then placed her hooves on the table, glancing at everypony in the room. "For starters, there are indeed villages outside of Equestria."

Twilight nudged closer to Celestia until she was on the edge of her seat. "Is there anything worth noting?"

"There is one thing that should interest you." Celestia cracked a smile and ruffled her wings. "Ponies and changelings coexist with each other in the village, all of them joyful from what I noticed. The town was ecstatic to see somepony from Equestria come by to visit, as they rarely ever get visitors."

"That sounds amazing!" Twilight rubbed her hooves together as she wore a grin brighter than the sun. "I can't wait to learn more about that village!" She took a deep breath, sliding back into her seat. A moment later, Twilight then pressed her hoof against her cheek. "But how come they left the Changeling Hive? I thought almost all changelings preferred living there."

"Many of the changelings arrived shortly after Queen Chrysalis became their leader." She trotted around the table, stopping after just a few steps. "I didn't want to press them on the subject, but I hypothesize that these changelings wanted to maintain a friendlier relationship with the outside world. That might also explain why the residents all got along."

"Do the magic pillars relate to the town?" Starlight asked. Arching an eyebrow, she stared right into Celestia's eyes. "If the villages are close to where the problem is, did any of them know exactly what was going on?" She placed her forelegs atop the table. "I'd imagine at least one resident knew."

"Sadly, they lacked any information about what was going on." Celestia caught her breath, turning to the table before her and staring at its surface. It was as if she was expecting the Cutie Map to appear once more. But after a few seconds, she then brought her focus back to the rest of the group. "I had no choice but to approach those magic pillars, which is where I met the figure responsible."

"Who might that be?" Pinkie blurted out. Her eyes widened as a gasp escaped her mouth. "Maybe it was one of those meanies we've bumped into before." She rubbed the top of her head, shaking it after only a few seconds of thinking. "Nah, Flim and Flam and Zesty aren't anything like that. It's got to be somepony we've never met before."

"He wasn't a pony, that much I'm certain of." Celestia rubbed her forehead. "All I know was that he was used illusions and had what looked like leaves for limbs. Even I never knew about him until now." Pausing, she took another deep breath, then rubbed her muzzle. "His name is still a mystery."

"Did you try asking him?" Rainbow suggested. She couldn't help herself from looking confused, turning from left to right as though she was banking on somepony else having the answer. "I mean, if you stopped him, surely he'd give you a name. Even jerks like Sombra gave ponies a name, and he rarely ever spoke."

"I tried getting a name, but he refused to mention it for some reason." A sigh left Celestia's mouth. "All I heard was that he was hoping to use some powerful magic." She closed her eyes, humming for a second or two. "Now that I think about it, he refused to tell since he claimed to have already done so."

"How's that possible?" Rainbow shrugged. "Is he crazy?"

Celestia lowered her head. "He never explained why. All he was concerned about was trying to stop me from catching him. His magic hurt more than I was expecting, but not enough for him to escape." Her eyes swiftly focused on Twilight, the latter biting her lip. "No need to look pale, Twilight. I wasn't severely harmed."

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad to know that." Her body warmed up again, Twilight placing her hooves on her chest. "Anyway, have you found out anything about those pillars of light?"

"That's part of why I wanted to speak with all of you." Celestia pursed her lips.

Twilight shuddered, swallowing a lump. Any hopes for everything being resolved quickly was dashed, replaced with the same uncertainty that gripped her chest for the past few days. The grim visage Celestia wore wasn't helping matters. And while Twilight had a hunch that her next assignment was to investigate the same lands Celestia visited ever since she received the letter, she recognized that doing so was inevitable at this point. The only bright spot that could've made itself known was Celestia taking care of the first step.

"It looks like you know where I'm going with this," Celestia continued, making her way back to where Luna stood. "We'll need to revisit the lands to the south of Equestria. And this time, I'm afraid that I won't be able to solve the mystery on my own." She wrapped a wing around her sister, Luna responding in kind. "I sincerely apologize for this."

"We've helped you out before," Twilight pointed out. She stood up, stepping an inch away from her seat. "We've already gathered supplies in case we needed to go. If we have to embark on another journey tomorrow, we should be just fine." With a curious look, she then turned to where Luna stood. "By the way, will you be joining us?"

Luna nodded slowly, glancing over to Celestia and then back to Twilight. "That's what we have in mind," she said. "We'll arrange everything so that Equestria runs smoothly in our absence. My sister and I have dealt with problems together in the past, the most recent one just before Spike visited the Dragon Lands."

"And won the Gauntlet of Fire," Spike immediately added, smugly grinning and flexing before everypony. As he saw the everypony but Trixie wearing confused looks, the wizard merely smirking instead, Spike blushed and stepped back. "Um, sorry about that." He snickered nervously. "What were you saying, your highness?"

"It's fine." Luna playfully waved a hoof, giggling. "As I was saying, both of us know what the process is whenever we're needed. Princess Cadance should agree to fill our roles for the time being, and it wouldn't be the first time she's done that." She paused and looked at each member of the group for a second. "And before we leave, we'll need to know when to leave and what we'll be doing."

"And we can't afford to leave anything unnoticed," said Twilight. She pressed her hooves together. "I'll make sure everything's organized before we leave. Right now, let's gather any additional supplies we might need before tomorrow. We'll leave tomorrow in the morning." She stood as tall as possible, then took a deep breath. "Any questions?"

Everypony else merely glanced at each other, shaking their heads in unison.

"I think we have everything straightened out, dear," said Rarity. Standing up, she inched away from her seat, the rest of the ponies sitting down following suit shortly after. "Of course, if anypony thinks of something marvelous that might help on our journey, I'm more than open to listening."

Starlight raised her hoof with a sheepish smirk on her face. "I still need to get a few things," she said. "I'm probably a bit short on supplies." In a flash, she turned right to Trixie, waving a hoof at the mare. "And I'm pretty sure Trixie still needs to get a few things if she's joining us. Isn't that right?"

Trixie crossed her forelegs, then nodded. "I'll get anything that might prove useful," she replied, wearing a confident grin. "And I'm okay with sharing what I already have." She winked at the group. "Just let me know if anything piques your interest."

Nodding, Twilight approached Trixie with a smile of her own. "Thanks for the offer," she said, placing a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "I don't know if we'll have to share, but it's definitely something to keep in mind." She paused, turning to where the other ponies were. "That being said, some overlap is okay, but let's not get too carried away."

Whispering something to Celestia, Luna then stepped over to the table whilst wearing a brooding expression. "There is one thing I want to discuss with you, Twilight," she said. She glanced behind her shoulder, making eye contact with Celestia before returning her gaze to Twilight.

"Of course," said Twilight. Pursing her lips, she cocked her head and raised her brow. "What's on your mind?"

"We'll get there soon enough." Luna exhaled, both she and Celestia wearing faint smiles as if to reassure Twilight that everything would be just fine, even if Twilight was expecting the opposite. "For now, please take your time preparing for the journey ahead. We'll meet up with you at the castle in about an hour."

"This should give you enough time to arrange things," Celestia added. "And don't fret about being late. We've waited for guests back in Canterlot plenty of times before." A faint giggle left her lips, Celestia then releasing a soft sigh. "There also haven't been any meetings with Blueblood to get me riled up." Pausing, she pursed her lips, wings twitching. "Anyway, we wish you the best of luck."

Twilight nodded without hesitation. "Thank you," she said, hoof touching her chest. "I'll get everything ready as quickly as possible." She looked around the room, assuming eye contact with everypony for a second. "We'll report back at the castle once everything's set. And after I meet with the princesses, we'll go over final preparations. Any last questions?"

Nopony spoke a word, their faces static.

"Alright, let's get to work."

As Twilight turned away from the throne room and trotted down the hallway once more, she couldn't help herself from wondering what else she needed for the journey at hoof. There were the basics, of course, but Celestia's tales also proved to be both relieving and stressful news. The former was due to the presence of friendly villages, likely having shops to help travelers; the latter involved the mysteries still awaiting Twilight and the weight crushing her shoulders.

Then there were the mysteries surrounding magic, the ones she studied before this new quest of hers. Twilight wanted to continue reviewing these questions in some form, though finding time was destined to be a challenge at this rate. Maybe researching such questions during quieter moments was the key.

Twilight felt shivers down her spine nonetheless. She hoped that her latest quest as well as the meeting with Celestia and Luna turned out well.

Meeting privately with either Celestia or Luna always sent chills down Twilight's spine; all of her friends were still making preparations while Twilight was only one of three strolling throughout the castle. Sure, each occurrence went without anything horrible happening, even during the moments when one or both of the two sisters furrowed their brow and scowled at her. Yet the thought of screwing up in front of them refused to leave Twilight. It never mattered that she was now a princess just like them, possibly even better at some magic than both of them. The two sisters had a palpable aura wherever they went.

Given how their chat was moved from the throne room to the balcony, Twilight wondered if the fresh air was supposed to symbolize something. Luna in particular was fond of finding appropriate locales to discuss things, likely a byproduct of the countless dreams she visited.

As Twilight finished ascending a few flights of stairs, she arrived at a small hallway with a door to her left. Approaching it, she pressed her hoof against the smooth surface. Her foreleg twitched momentarily as she pushed the door open, a soft breeze greeting her by tickling her cheeks. And as she looked through the doorway, she noticed both Celestia and Luna staring at her.

"Thank you for coming, Twilight," said Luna, waving a hoof. "Join us outside for a second."

Twilight crept forward as instructed, gently closing the door upon passing through the doorway. "Well, I wouldn't refuse a call from either of you," she said, chuckling nervously. She straightened her posture with a sheepish smile. The moment she was right beside the two mares, Twilight arched an eyebrow. "Just wanted to check, but how come you moved the conversation up here?"

"It's nice up here." Luna cracked a faint smirk, though it vanished seconds later. "But you know there's more about why I moved our discussion over here."

Nodding, Twilight at least took comfort in knowing that her first hypothesis was correct. There was indeed something about standing so far above the earth, looking down on the growing town of Ponyville as it went about its usual business. Though lately, usual was atypical of the town, some of it Twilight's own doing.

"This view represents how far you've progressed," Luna continued. She approached the balcony's edge, resting her forelegs on the gold railings. "After Nightmare Moon was stopped for good, I distinctly recall how small everything felt." She turned to Twilight once more, her smile returning. "This town's growth was partly thanks to you, Twilight. Remember that whenever you're in a bind."

"I always saw my ascension to Princess of Friendship was in part from everypony who helped or taught me something." She shrugged and donned a confused look. "But why do you tell me this now? I've been a princess for over a year now, and even with these wings, there's still a lot I have to learn."

"Learning is never over," said Celestia. She approached Twilight and gently touched her shoulder. "You know that my sister has learned many things since her return, some that you've helped her with. And despite everything I have witnessed, even I learn a few new things here and there." She knelt down until her eyes were level with Twilight's. A bright grin adorned her face. "It's just that sometimes, I feel as though you're too hard on yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"I know when you're afraid of what might happen." Celestia took a few short steps back. "There was a look in your eyes that told me you didn't want to make a mistake in front of us. You were afraid that something might go wrong. I saw it when you arrived a few minutes ago, when I was frustrated at dinner, when Discord crashed the Grand Galloping Gala, and so on. While I can't force you to feel calm, just know that a few mistakes won't end our friendship."

"But what about—"

In a flash, Celestia lifted her hoof next to her lips. "You're a princess for a reason. Nothing you've done since that moment has even come close to taking that away." She paused and took a deep breath; Twilight did the same. "And remember, if something ever concerns you, please write to me or my sister."

"You've helped us dozens of times before." Luna's smirk widened. "And even though you haven't written reports to us in a long time, keeping in touch and being honest will help." She made her way toward Twilight once again until they were inches apart. "It may not seem like much, but you'll be thankful for doing it." Both Luna and Celestia looked at each other for a moment, then back to Twilight. "It's better to be reassured than worried, and I can speak from experience."

Twilight's lips curled into a faint grin. While it wouldn't be effective all of the time, there was something comforting in knowing that Celestia and Luna supported her for a reason, going so far as to remind her that she could write to them about anything. Why this never crossed Twilight's mind was something that stuck to her, but at least she could rest easy knowing that it was acceptable. It also warmed her heart in a way, Twilight feeling as though a cozy blanket wrapped around her.

"Thank you," Twilight said. She took a deep breath, chest briefly puffed out. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"Be sure to bring your research along with you," said Celestia. She turned to her right, then back at Twilight. "The journey will be a long one, and there will likely be periods where there's nothing to do. Furthermore, we recommend that there's a way to communicate with all of us." She paused and gently shook her wings. "If Spike wants to come along, you can take him with you, but please make sure he doesn't hurt himself." Celestia rubbed the back of her neck, snickering. "You know what he's like."

Twilight giggled in return. "Yeah, that's Spike for you."

Luna joined in on the laughter, her visage as jubilant as ever. "Shall we head back to the throne room?" she asked.

"Sounds like a plan!"

Leading the way, Twilight passed through the doorway and descended down the staircase, head raised. While she recognized that the conversation hadn't eased all of her anxieties, it was an important start when it came to being a princess and working with Celestia and Luna. However, Twilight could only focus on those pillars and the mysterious world to the south.

Perhaps Celestia and Luna's words of wisdom would've also been helpful for the journey ahead.

Journey to Hidden Woods

Twilight had lost count of how many times she boarded a train. Most of the time, the trip was to Canterlot or the Crystal Empire, places she knew by heart. Journeys to new places were among the rarities, often bringing a mixture of excitement and dread. At least Twilight's destination, the village known as Hidden Woods, was a quiet and peaceful town from what she heard. However, those were the only things she knew about that town aside from the general layout.

There were more important things worth thinking about, most of which dealt with either her research or the problem Celestia needed assistance with. Both she and Luna were likely at the town already, traveling by themselves as to not make a commotion. By this point, keeping their mission a secret was no longer possible, though Twilight and her friends lending a hoof calmed some ponies a little. Perhaps that was one of the perks of saving all of Equestria multiple times.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight rested the back of her head against the seat. She glanced over to where her other friends were. Starlight sat right next to her, reading a book and occasionally glancing at the window, though nothing outside stood out aside from the tall cliffs. Pinkie was being her usual self, cracking jokes to cheer everypony up and sometimes gobbling up treats in seconds. Applejack, interestingly enough, was also reading something plucked from Twilight's bookshelf. Why Applejack ended up reading one of her books was unexpected, but Twilight couldn't help herself from smirking at seeing some of her reading habits spreading to her friends.

As for Fluttershy, she gazed at the scenery outside. Her head was raised as she focused on the jungles resting at the top of the cliff. There were all sorts of critters that called the mysterious jungle their home, Fluttershy perking up whenever she saw one of them. Twilight's attention then turned to Rainbow, the mare wearing a grim visage while Rarity rubbed her shoulders. And then there was Trixie, the magician jotting something in a journal of her own, likely a new spell or trick.

This wasn't helping her pass the time; Twilight needed something more than just observing what her friends were doing. Reading a book would've been enjoyable, but she recently perused through two dozen pages of a novel just a few minutes ago. And as she looked at Rainbow once more, a thought reached the tip of her mind. Twilight then turned to Starlight and gently tapped her friend's shoulder.

Starlight raised her head and smiled. "What's up?" she asked.

"Rainbow's looking more nervous than usual," said Twilight. She glanced at Rainbow, the latter's cheeks as pale as ever, then back to Starlight. "She's not usually like this. I've been on adventures with her many times, and not once has she looked this anxious. Do you know what's bothering her?"

Shrugging, Starlight pursed her lips. "What makes you think I'd know?"

Twilight released a soft chuckle. "Good point." She stood up and exhaled. "I just figured that you might've heard something from Rainbow earlier today." Stepping back, she then waved at Starlight, the latter responding in kind. "Anyway, I'm going to check up on Rainbow. I don't think it should take long."

Carefully making her way down the train car, the floor beneath her shaking, Twilight kept her focus glued to Rainbow. Maybe there was something dealing with the Ponyville Weather Team she forgot about before leaving. Then again, Rainbow took her duties seriously despite Cloudchaser occasionally keeping her in check, so an issue about that was likely out of the question.

Twilight ruffled her wings, staring at Rarity and then back to Rainbow. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Rainbow shook her head without hesitating. "You saw her, right?" She cleared her throat. "Lightning Dust is here, and I totally bet she'd love to get revenge on us! I mean, I got her suspended from the Wonderbolts Academy! What if she does something reckless?" She gasped, mouth agape. "What if she causes something that threatens not just us, but all of Equestria!"

Twilight tapped Rainbow's head, kneeling down and gazing into her eyes. "Rainbow, there's no need to fret." She took a deep breath, her lips curling into a faint smile. "I know you're nervous, and I don't blame you. Lightning Dust didn't exactly leave on good terms with us, but I seriously doubt she'd do anything that wicked."

"That's what I've been trying to tell her, dear," Rarity added, a frustrated look adorning her face. "I think it's just some jitters before embarking on a noble quest. All of us have had those before." She resumed rubbing Rainbow's shoulders. "The unknown is truly frightening, but it can also be marvelous." As Rarity brought her hooves back to her chest, Rainbow quickly turned to the mare. "No need to worry. Even brave ponies get scared at times."

"I'm not scared of our adventure at all," Rainbow muttered, crossing her forelegs. Her cheeks tautened as she looked back at Twilight. "See, I think it's going to be awesome. It's just that Lightning isn't the kind of pony who'd see the error of her ways. She's so not like Trixie, Starlight, or Gilda."

"What makes you think that?"

"Just the way she looked at me." Rainbow pursed her lips, hooves pressed together. "It was nothing like the time I bumped into Gilda when I first saw Griffonstone. I mean, since I had a role in preventing her from making it to the reserves the first time around, I bet she's still angry."

Twilight nodded, though she kept a stern visage. She guided plenty of ponies through the steps toward redemption, and even if Lightning was uncooperative at first, Twilight couldn't help herself from feeling a little confident. "Well, if I see Lightning trotting around here, I'll try talking to her. Sound fair?"

"Yeah, but good luck on getting anywhere." Rainbow rolled her eyes, groaning as she almost hit her forehead against the back of a seat. "Back at the academy, she'd listen to nopony. Even the most stubborn of cadets got the memo they had to pay attention, but Lightning was different." She took a deep breath, chest puffed out. "So don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Twilight touched her chest and donned a soft smile. She dealt with all sorts of troublemakers before, some of which must've been more problematic than Lightning. While pointing the mare toward a brighter future was something Twilight knew would take time, it wasn't anything worth fretting over. "And please let me know if anything else comes up."

"Got it!" Rainbow bobbed her head.

As Twilight slowly made her way back to her seat, she noticed Trixie attentively staring at her. That stern visage of hers appeared as though it was from a dream, Twilight's acquaintance usually not the kind of pony to exude seriousness. Even her melancholic moments lacked that kind of intensity.

The moment Twilight sat down, sinking into the seat's cushions, she turned to Trixie and raised an eyebrow. The two made eye contact. "What's going on?" asked Twilight. She cocked her head, lips pursed for a moment. "If you have any questions, you're more than welcome to ask."

Trixie stood up and approached Twilight, kneeling down once they were inches apart. She tugged her cape. "Hearing Rainbow Dash holding this grudge kind of makes me uncomfortable," she whispered. Her cheeks flushed, Trixie looking away from Twilight briefly. "Okay, I know I held a grudge against you. I can't deny that and it didn't work out well for me."

"You're uncomfortable because of what I did when you and Starlight first met, right?"

"Exactly." A soft sigh left Trixie's lips. "Look, I don't blame you for not trusting me after everything I've done. And you know Starlight much more than you know me." She glanced around Twilight's shoulder and waved at Starlight, the unicorn replying with a wave of her own. "It's just that—" Trixie bit her lip "—that day struck a chord with me."

"I saw how much you were hurting." Twilight donned a somber frown, head hung low.

"But at least we apologized."

In a flash, Twilight's posture perked up. Her lips curled into the faintest of smiles once more as she gently tapped Trixie's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm glad things worked out." She paused, looking to her left and right, hoping to find any traces of Lightning. Yet nothing stood out among those seated. "I'll try to be gentler with Lightning Dust."

"I wonder where you learned that from." Trixie winked at Twilight, both of them plus Starlight chuckling together. She then stood up and returned to her seat, opening a book upon sitting down. "By the way, we should soon be arriving at Hidden Woods, right?" Groaning, she rolled her eyes. "We've been sitting here for what must've been days."

"A few more minutes," Starlight answered. She turned to the window, looking out and noting the cliff right beside the train. "The map shows that this represents the southernmost point of Equestria. Just look out the window, and you should notice the cliff getting shorter when we're almost there."

"That long?" Pinkie blurted out. "Why does the map make it look so small?"

"I know, right?" Spike responded. He jumped out of his seat, arms spread out. "Maybe they call their town Hidden Woods because nopony can find it." A loud, popping noise pierced Twilight's ears as Spike cracked his knuckles. He then sat back down and sighed. "No wonder we don't know a lot about it."

Yawns left Twilight's mouth. She also yearned for the train to start slowing down for the station, wherever that was. The faint screeches that polluted the air as the train chugged along made sleeping seem impossible. And while Twilight wasn't exactly tired, especially since evening was still hours away, sleeping some of the way would've helped ease the tedium of waiting to arrive.

Twilight closed her eyes, only to open them again seconds later as thumps filled the air. She glanced behind her, noticing a turquoise pegasus with a dull visage making her way down the train cart. The mare's amber, flowing mane was somewhat familiar, Twilight certain she had met this pony before. And as the mare stretched her wings and squinted toward where Rainbow sat, everything suddenly fell into place.

"Lightning Dust is here," Twilight whispered under her breath. "That's definitely her." She rolled her shoulders and kept her gaze glued to the mare. "Alright, I just have to confront her, get her side of the story, and figure out what can be done to make this better." She clenched her teeth; if only she had a checklist with her. "Just have to remember how it's done."

Lightning stood still, muttering something to herself. It was as though she was practicing for some speech, likely directed toward Rainbow since the latter knew of her presence. She then took a deep breath and resumed trotting forward, but not before Twilight stretched a hoof out and gazed directly into her eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" asked Twilight.

Sighing, Lightning rolled her eyes and nodded. "Make it quick," she said. "If this is about who I am, then don't worry. I'm already ahead of you on that."

Twilight arched an eyebrow. "Can you elaborate on that last part?"

"I'm not cruel or anything, just cool." Lightning swiped her hoof over her mane, donning a smug grin. She leaned against one of the seats, forelegs crossed. "I still believe you have to do anything to be the best, even if that means making a tornado or leaving ponies in the dust. What I do is all about winning, okay?"

"Are you one of those ponies who think winning's everything?" Starlight questioned, a puzzled look decorating her face. "I don't think that's the only thing the Wonderbolts or whoever you're interested in look for in a pony." She paused and pressed her hooves together. "Isn't it also about teamwork?"

"That's not the way I do things." Lightning feigned a chuckle and ruffled her wings. "Captain Spitfire may seem tough, but trust me, she's a softie when you find out what she's really like. Her barking orders, criticizing how we fly, and giving us nicknames is just part of her job." She flicked her tail, giving Twilight and Starlight an indifferent look. "That and dealing with your bratty, lame friend are why I decided to go a different route."

"What would that be?" asked Twilight.

"Treasure hunting, duh!"

Twilight inched away from Lightning. She rubbed her head briefly and then shrugged. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me right! Just like Daring Do, but real!"

"Hold on a moment!" Rainbow shrieked, bouncing off of her seat and charging toward Lightning. She furrowed her brow and gnashed her teeth. "Little do you know, but Daring Do is—" Rainbow cut herself off, eyes shifting to Twilight for a second before blushing. "I mean, what makes you think you can be a treasure hunter like Daring Do?"

Lightning playfully nudged Rainbow. "Looks like Rainbow Dash's finally here," she teased. "I thought you were faster than that."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Enough with the jokes, Miss Reckless. Why exactly are you here?"

"Listen up, because I'm only going to tell this once." She leaned closer to Rainbow, swiftly turning her head to Twilight a second later. "So there's this rumor going around about a treasure to the south of Equestria. And as you all know, when there's treasure, there's a chance for fame and fortune!"

"That's what treasure usually is," Starlight deadpanned. She lifted a hoof up, pressing her shoulder against a window. "So what exactly is this rumor?"

"I'm glad you asked." Lightning donned a slight smirk, then took a quick breath. "From what I heard, there's a large, iron door nearby a mountain range. Behind that door is an old civilization that hasn't been inhabited in hundreds of years! And with a city that old, there's bound to be treasure!" Her eyes lit up like fireflies. "And part of that rumor says there's some old jewelry that has to be worth millions!"

"And why do you want the treasure?" asked Twilight. She raised an eyebrow. "Is it just for the wealth?"

Lightning immediately shook her head and chuckled. "Of course it's more than just that. It's about the adventure, exhilaration, and all of the awesome stuff that would've went with becoming a Wonderbolt. I might've given up on that, but I believe—"

"You weren't banned," Rainbow interrupted. She nudged closer to Lightning and sighed, her expression devoid of emotion. "Captain Spitfire said that you'd probably return after that whole mess. And she told me that after a year, you'd be able to become a trainee again, but only if ponies kept an eye on you."

"Because I'm awesome?" Lightning gently nudged Rainbow with her wing.

In a flash, Rainbow winced and gnashed her teeth. "No, it's because you're reckless. I mean, you didn't care that other ponies were in your way." Her cheeks reddened, brow sagging as she glared at Lightning. "I even told you that you could've killed somepony, but you didn't care. You would've abandoned anypony at the drop of a hat." She extended a hoof toward Lightning before the latter even had a chance to retort. "And don't say that Spitfire was encouraging that. She might've messed up once or twice, but nowhere did she suggest that putting ponies in harm's way was okay." She paused, everypony around her scuttling a few inches away from her with stunned visages. "You were reckless, not awesome. Got it?"

Blushing, Lightning slowly nodded, crossing her forelegs and wearing a sheepish smile. "Well, can I please go on with my story?"

"Sure, but don't go adding stuff about how awesome you are."

Lightning cleared her throat and then rolled her shoulders. "As I was saying, the abandoned city is special because you have to pass through the door. You might think you can fly into it, but there's this barrier keeping you out. It even hides the place from outsiders. Heck, hardly anything proves its existence."

"So how do you propose getting in?" asked Twilight. Having never read any books alluding to such a door, Twilight figured that Lightning's story was a folktale at best. Yet she wanted to discover more about the rumor, even if just for sheer curiosity. "Right now, I don't even know if this old city even exists. Who inhabited it? Why is it now abandoned? And how can you be so sure there's treasure, assuming that the city even exists?"

"Some alchemist told me about it." Lightning waved her hoof. "She seemed smart enough."

"Are you sure this alchemist wasn't just crazy?" Starlight added, slightly cocking her head. "Did this pony start the rumor, or was it somepony else?"

"No, and it wasn't a pony who started the rumor." Lightning flicked her tail and trotted away from the group. "It was some old figure wearing a black cloak. Talked a lot about an impending crisis or something, and given what happened the day after the alchemist met him, he's worth keeping an eye on." As she reached the end of the train car, Lightning opened the door and looked back at everypony. "What happened was that I tried jumping at a red centaur who almost killed me, forcing everypony with me to do the same." She glared at Rainbow with puffed cheeks. "Don't mention it to the Wonderbolts or the Ponyville Weather Team."

Rainbow shrugged. "Whatever," she muttered under her breath.

However, as Lightning left the train car, Twilight couldn't help but feel a tightness gripping her chest. The centaur was without a doubt Tirek, a name that was etched into Twilight's memories whether she liked it or not. While the cloaked figure and Tirek were likely different beings, she recalled the latter wearing one before starting his rampage. And even Queen Chrysalis feared him if the reports were true, and she was particularly nasty. Maybe it was all a coincidence; Twilight wished that was the case.

Twilight took a deep breath. "We need to catch up with her," she muttered.

"I wouldn't worry about it," said Rainbow. She placed a hoof on one of the empty seats. "Besides, there's probably just some old stuff inside." A smile appeared on her face, Twilight feigning one as well. "The most trouble she'd cause would be knocking over a vase."

"What about who started the rumor?" Trixie asked. "Tirek wore a black cloak when I first saw him, and I narrowly escaped with my life. It might be a coincidence, but those two events happening within a day of each other sounds suspect." Shuddering, her eyes widened. Her cheeks became pale. "I could hardly sleep for days after that mess, and Trixie needs enough sleep to perform her marvelous tricks."

"Wait, Tirek wore a black cloak?" In the blink of an eye, Rainbow turned to Twilight, the two making eye contact. "Is that true?"

Nodding, Twilight wore a somber look. "That's what Princess Celestia told me before Discord got involved."

Rainbow's smile vanished like a mirage, sweat dripping down her forehead. "That's bad." Nervous chuckles left her mouth. "Okay, so we can't let Lightning do anything dumb. But where do we start? I mean, it's not like she'll listen to any of us, and who knows where that door is?"

"Maybe you should fly after her," Applejack suggested. She looked behind her shoulder and stared at Rainbow. "You're plenty fast enough, so try findin' out where she went." Pausing, she then adjusted her hat. "Just don't go too far. We don't want you getting lost."

"Sounds like a plan." Rainbow sat down on the seat in front of Twilight's. "She'll learn her lesson the hard way."

"Speaking of which, could this relate to those pillars?" Starlight asked, her eyes shimmering. "They might have something to do with stealing magic."

"I hope it's not that," Twilight murmured. She took a deep breath. "But there's only one way to find out."

Without warning, a bell chimed, signaling that the next stop was just a minute or so away. It was the kind of sound Twilight hoped to hear for what felt like ages. And as her body jerked forward, screeches piercing her ears as the train slowed down, she couldn't help herself from wondering just what waited outside.

Regardless, asking Celestia and Luna about that rumor was essential.

Not once had Twilight thought that she and her friends would be waiting for Rainbow for the next couple of minutes, yet that was exactly what transpired after leaving the train station. Her friend hadn't wasted a second in searching the area. However, there was no telling where Lightning went after stepping out of the train, let alone if she had even departed yet. Whatever was going on, Twilight hoped that it all turned out well.

Seconds later, Rainbow merely descended by her lonesome with a glum visage.

"Couldn't find her," Rainbow muttered, touching the ground once again. A sigh left her lips, head hung low. "She must've flown away the moment the train stopped, and by that point I could only guess where she might've gone." Straightening her posture, she rubbed her head, wings spread out. "I'd have caught her if I knew where she went."

"We'll find her eventually," said Fluttershy, wrapping a wing around Rainbow. "Maybe she's going the wrong direction. From what I heard, it sounded like she didn't know too much about the rumor." She feigned a smile, Rainbow following suit. "Let's focus on meeting up with Celestia and Luna first." Her head slowly turned from left to right. "Does that sound reasonable?"

"Works for me." Rainbow paused for a moment, tapping the soil beneath her. "Maybe they'll know more about that door."

"If anypony knows whether a rumor is real or not, it's Celestia," Twilight said as a matter of fact. She turned around, looking behind her shoulder and at her friends. "The princesses should be waiting inside the inn." Reaching into her saddlebag, Twilight pulled out a map, twisting it a little and making certain that it was positioned correctly. "It's a few blocks from the train station. Follow me, everypony."

The group stayed close behind Twilight as requested, all of them studying the layout of Hidden Woods. As the name implied, there were plenty of trees growing out of the earth and reaching for the skies, the leaves surprisingly green. Cabins built from wooden logs or planks were evenly spread out with an open yard in the middle. The layout was eerily similar to Our Town, only without the scorching desert and homes that looked more like large boxes. At least the ponies out and about all had genuine smiles.

As Twilight and company continued surveying the town, she couldn't help herself from wearing a confused look. The inn should've made itself known by now, yet it either blended in with the rest of the cabins or the map was woefully outdated. Twilight gazed at the map once more, yet it insisted that the inn was right before her.

"Do any of you spot the inn?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

Trixie shook her head. "Haven't seen anything that looks like one," she said. "Maybe they just do things differently here, or it's right under our nose like any good magic trick." She rubbed her muzzle, faintly humming for a few seconds. "The sign we passed says we're in Hidden Woods, so I know we're in the right town."

"Somepony should request more variety," Rarity deadpanned. She winced, then rolled her eyes and pouted. "I can only hope their fashion sense isn't as preposterous and in need of work." Twiddling her mane, she approached the cabin that was assumed to be the inn and squinted at it, lips pursed. "What kind of inn would hide itself? It defeats the entire purpose."

"Yeah, who'd construct a town where everything looked the same?" Starlight quipped, blushing. With a sheepish grin, a series of awkward chuckles left her lips, the rest of the group all staring at her. Everypony else then joined in the laughter, genuine smiles decorating their faces for the first time in what felt like days.

Twilight ruffled her wings. "I'll go check if the inn is over there," she said, pointing to the cabin in question.

With short steps, Twilight made her way over to the structure until she was inches from the door. She took a deep breath and raised her hoof. And with a knock on the wooden frame, its rough texture poking her nerves, the door opened in the blink of an eye. Standing before her was a pegasus mare adorned with a rose-colored dress. It reeked of luxury, the flowing design working brilliantly with the mare's greenish coat. And as the mare stared blankly at Twilight, her wings opened up, eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Another alicorn?" the mare shrieked. She gasped, her jaw dropping as low as it possibly could. Violently shaking her head for a few seconds, she then took a deep breath and grinned. "Please make yourself comfortable! I assume that you're here to meet up with the other two princesses, right?"

Twilight nodded with flushed cheeks, faintly chuckling. "That's right," she said. "My friends and I have important business with Celestia and Luna. Do you know where they might be?"

"That's simple!" The mare glanced at Twilight's friends, her grin somehow even brighter than before. "They're on the second floor, first door to your left! Just knock like you did here and let them know you're here, but please try to not make a huge commotion." With flushed cheeks, she giggled and twirled her pinkish mane. "See, not many ponies come to visit, let alone three princesses." She caught her breath and took a step back. "And your friends must be the Elements of Harmony, right?"

"For the most part," Spike answered, making his way closer to the mare. He placed his claws behind his back. "And besides, we gave them back to the Tree of Harmony a while ago. My friends now have new ways to protect Equestria."

"Oh, that's right!" Snickering once again, the mare then shuffled to the right, pointing away from the group. "Anyway, my name is Rosebud. Please make yourselves comfortable."

"Nice to meet you, Rosebud," said Applejack. She stepped inside the inn, her friends all following suit. "Quite the cozy place you got here, but how come there isn't a sign outside?" She made eye contact with Rosebud, cocking her head a moment later. "Plenty of travelers would love resting here."

"This place wasn't an inn at first." Rosebud crossed her forelegs, then swayed her tail back and forth. "I bought it after moving here years ago before deciding to convert it into an inn. All of the rooms were there, but all I needed was a desk and some other necessities. Those took out most of the budget, but I'm hoping to have a sign soon."

"I guess that explains things," Rarity said, her attention glued to the mare. "By the way, your dress is truly marvelous. The stitching is top-notch and everything about the fabric to the flower-like decorations evokes beauty. Please, you must let me know who designed this dress!" She leaned closer to Rosebud until their nostrils were inches apart.

"Thank you." Rosebud stepped back, Rarity doing the same and smiling sheepishly in return. "Anyway, this was stitched together by a newcomer to the scene. She's from Manehattan, but is both shy and sweet. I think her name is Coco Pommel, so go meet up with her if you ever want a dress."

"Coco designed this?" Rarity squealed with delight. "Oh, I'm so proud of her!"

"You know her?"

"Absolutely!" Rarity cleared her throat. "Coco is exactly how you describe her, and I've worked with her numerous times. We truly are close friends, but I can tell you the whole story after we've met with the princesses." She twiddled her mane and inched toward the stairs. "And thank you so much for helping us."

Rosebud nodded without hesitating. "That's why I'm here!"

Bobbing her head in return, Twilight then waved at Rosebud, turning around and making her way up the nearby staircase. The steps were taller than she was expecting, though not to the point where she came close to tripping. After ten flights or so, she reached the second floor, her friends all close behind. Before her was a narrow hallway that looked like the inside of a tree's trunk, virtually everything a shade of brown. At least a green carpet that ran the length of the hallway spruced things up a little.

"First door to the left, right?" asked Spike.

Twilight glanced back at Spike and nodded. Approaching the door in question, Twilight lifted her hoof and knocked on the smooth frame. She stepped back, straightening her posture and taking a deep breath. There was much to discuss with the princesses; starting with the rumor and moving forward to the matter at hoof was likely the best course of action. And just as she finished planning out what she'd mention, the door opened, both Celestia and Luna standing right before her with smiles on their faces.

"I'm glad to see you've made it," Luna said as a matter of fact. "I know this isn't a typical inn for princesses, though it was the only inn this town had." Chuckles escaped her lips, Luna's grin brightening a tad. "But please make yourselves comfortable. We'll need to rest up a little before embarking on our journey."

As Celestia and Luna stepped out of the way, Twilight and company made their way through the doorway. Despite it not being up to par with the luxuries inns at large cities provided, there was something cozy about the place that tickled Twilight's coat. The lit fireplace gave the room a comfortable ambience; it was the same story regarding the stylish furniture. At least it was far from a rotting complex with a pungent scent.

"There's one thing we've gotta say," Rainbow muttered, eyes locked onto the two princesses. "Have you heard about this iron door?"

"You will have to be more specific," said Celestia, pressing her hooves together and donning a stern visage.

"What Rainbow's referring to is a door to the south of Equestria, possibly near where we're supposed to go," Starlight added. She trotted closer to Celestia and raised her head. "Rumor has it that there's an abandoned city behind that door, and that door is the only way to gain access. The rumor was started by a cloaked figure that may or may not have a connection to Tirek." Starlight swiftly turned to Twilight. "That was his name, right?"

Twilight nodded, wings twitching a little. "That's correct," she replied. She assumed eye contact with Celestia and pursed her lips. "We met this pony who's headed for that lost kingdom, wherever it may be." Sighing, Twilight touched her chest. "There's supposed to be treasure inside, though given that this pony heard the rumor a day before Tirek attacked Equestria, I'm worried about what might be there." She paused for a moment. "That depends if the city even exists."

Celestia arched an eyebrow. She leaned closer to Twilight, the latter stepping back in return. "And who told you this?"

"Somepony named Lightning Dust," said Rainbow. "And she got it from an alchemist."

Nodding, Celestia then stood as tall as she could. She paced back and forth. Everypony except for Luna merely wore a puzzled expression. Twilight wondered just what was going through Celestia's mind. If her inaudible whispers suggested anything, Twilight assumed that the abandoned locale actually existed. The thought sent chills down her spine.

"I don't think there's anything to worry about," Celestia continued, turning back to Twilight. "However, the place you're talking about does exist. It was indeed the former home of Lord Tirek, but snowstorms ravaged the area before he assumed his new title." Freezing in place, Celestia took a deep breath. She briefly rubbed her head. "From what I recall, the legend goes that these storms were a direct effect of Tirek's crimes, almost as if nature was rebelling against him. His father and the other nobles eventually decided to abandon their kingdom and head northwest, their new home much closer to Equestria."

"Can I ask a quick question?" Trixie murmured, slowly raising her hoof with a nervous smirk.

"Of course." Celestia nodded at Trixie, the latter wiping her forehead. "What is the matter?"

Trixie took a deep breath. "How come you know so much about that place? I thought you never visited the lands south of Equestria."

Celestia made her way to Trixie, playfully nudging her wing against the wizard, the gesture earning a few faint chuckles. "That is an excellent question. And you're more than welcome to interrupt me if something doesn't make sense." She lowered her head until her eyes were level with Trixie's. "If you're as polite as you just were, I won't get frustrated."

"Oh, okay." Trixie rubbed the back of her neck. A sheepish smile appeared on her face. "It's just that since you're the Princess Celestia, I didn't want to—"

"I understand." Celestia raised her head, pursing her lips momentarily. "As I was saying, Trixie makes an excellent point. How do I know all about this place if I never visited it? I may have centuries of knowledge, but even somepony like myself should have limits." Pausing once more, she stepped back and briefly stared at everypony in the room. "The answer is that Scorpan told me about their history."

"Scorpan?" Fluttershy repeated, rubbing her cheek. "Isn't he the one who betrayed Tirek?"

"That's correct. He told me the full story, which also helped with Tirek's capture and banishment to Tartarus."

"Could this rumor have something to do with Tirek?" Applejack asked, tugging her braid momentarily. "And may this have something to do with those weird pillars?"

"There's no way of being sure until we get there." Celestia tilted her head a little, shoulders raised. "That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some connection. We can investigate the ruins at some point, but right now, making sure those pillars don't cause damage is our main priority."

"We could be walking into a trap," said Luna, looking somewhat nervous. She touched her lips with the tip of her hoof. "After we arrive at Maple Village, the town with the changelings, we'll have to exercise extreme caution." She looked to her left and lowered her head. "There are beverages downstairs, so we should stock up on them before traveling across Enigma Crater."

"I've got plenty more if you need it!" Pinkie announced, her face somehow as radiant as ever. "Water, soda, root beer, and so much more! I've got 'em all in a special cooler I brought with me!" She quickly glanced back at Rainbow, trying her best to suppress a giggle. "And no, I don't have any cider, even though I'd love to have that."

"Trixie has plenty of drinks, too," Trixie added with a slight smirk. A soft giggle left her mouth, Trixie then standing tall. "But they're all just bottles of water. And since we're all in this together, you're more than welcome to have one." She twiddled her mane. "Just don't waste it all before we get to the village."

"Alright, we'll stock up on anything while we're here before heading out," Twilight said. She opened her wings and took a quick breath. Based on the notes she received, there were plenty of perils to keep in mind when crossing Enigma Crater, namely the scorching temperatures and rough terrain. It made continuing her earlier research impossible until arriving at her destination. But as much as she loathed admitting, Twilight knew she had no other choice. "Let's all do the best we can."

As the ponies stepped through the doorway once more, slowly making their way down the stairs, Twilight couldn't help herself from pondering about everything that had transpired since she first heard that rumor and everything that transpired. Maybe there was something more nefarious going on with those pillars of light; it wouldn't have shocked her if Tirek was related in some manner. Much stranger things had happened in Equestria before.

However, as Celestia mentioned, directly confronting the issue was the only way to find out.

Crater and Dragon

Adventures were different from most things Twilight dealt with; she either wished to do many more of them or avoid them altogether. There was no middle ground at any point in her life, likely due to just how chaotic some of her quests became. But at the same time, there was something about them that made her heart race or attracted her imagination.

Twilight couldn't recall the last time she went on a long journey with her friends. Slowly trotting across the scorching lands of Enigma Crater somehow brought both a sense of amazement and dread. The latter emotion outweighed the former, though with her friends all by her side, Twilight kept her head raised.

However, as the group trekked for what felt like hours, both of those emotions were soon replaced with boredom. The heat being increasingly unbearable as time marched on was also not helping matters. Twilight knew she wasn't trotting over molten lava, but the cracked, barren earth beneath her seemed just as warm.

If only they left at night. That was what Twilight occasionally thought. But doing so meant possibly bumping into the beasts that roamed Enigma Crater, the region's nocturnal monsters in numerous ways a greater threat than the brutal heat from what Celestia told her. Twilight considered some discomfort better than becoming a giant serpent's meal.

The sweat dripping down her body and the relentless heat cooking the soil made any thought of staying at Enigma Crater a few extra minutes seem downright absurd. And as Twilight took a deep breath and wiped her forehead, nostrils twitching a little, she noticed a small lizard scurrying past her. It was the first sign of wildlife she saw ever since she left Hidden Woods; Twilight couldn't help herself from smiling.

"That's an Enigma Lizard," Fluttershy explained, trying to exude even just a fraction of excitement. "They're bodies are covered with a thick, gooey substance that helps them withstand the region's heat." The lizard dashed away from the group, quickly vanishing from sight. Fluttershy merely sighed in response as her shoulders sagged. "Sorry to ask, but how long is Enigma Crater?"

"We're about half of the way there," said Celestia. She and the others resumed trotting, some of the ponies pulling a canteen out of their saddlebags. Celestia then raised her head a little and gently tapped the ground. "Yes, this hill's slight incline means that the hardest part of the journey is over. Temperatures cool down from here, though it may take a while."

"A while?" Rainbow shrieked. She rolled her eyes and groaned, wings nearly poking the ground. "Sorry, but how can a crater be this big? I mean, it feels like forever since we last left town." Pausing, she then took a sip of water. Rainbow licked her lips. "There has to be somewhere we can nap, right?"

"We can't waste too much time." Celestia approached Rainbow, the two staring directly at each other. "We only have so much water to last us the entire journey, and if we waste it all before reaching Maple Village, we'll be in deeper trouble." Her brow sank a little as she ruffled her wings. "Patience, Rainbow Dash. You can take some breathers here and there, but nothing too long. There will be plenty of time to rest soon."

"These darn rocks are even hot to the touch," Applejack added. Panting, she ceased trotting in place for a moment and reached into her saddlebag. Pulling out two pairs of boots, she swiftly tugged them onto her legs. "I wasn't expectin' to use these again. This place makes that fiery swamp seem like nothing."

"It might as well be one of those swamps," said Starlight. A bluish aura wrapped around her horn, soon enveloping the rest of her body as she began hovering an inch above the earth. Both Trixie and Rarity stared at her with widened eyes. Starlight, however, blushed in response. "Okay, so there's a spell for flying. It'll never make you as good a flyer as a pegasus, but whatever works."

Fluttershy and Rainbow flapped their wings in unison, both of them cracking a slight smirk. Twilight followed suit; her hooves no longer felt as though they were melting or being stung by needles. Trixie got out long, leather boots of her own and slipped them on, Rarity following suit with a short but stylish set of her own. As for everypony else, Celestia and Luna appeared content with the regalia adorning their hooves. Spike, meanwhile, paced back and forth during these few seconds, mumbling something to himself.

"Come on, it's not that bad," Spike muttered, his voice just loud enough for everypony to hear him. "It feels kind of nice once you get used to it."

"Maybe it's because you're a dragon, dear," said Rarity. She feigned a chuckle, then playfully rubbed the top of Spike's head. "Ponies don't take those lava baths for a reason. I would've loved joining you and Ember that one day, but I'd have been burnt to a crisp!" Trotting once again, Rarity kept her gaze glued to Spike, the dragon skipping over to her. "Spas are what ponies have instead. You might like it, darling!"

"Only if Rainbow Dash tries one, too."

In a flash, Rarity and Applejack turned to Rainbow, both of them wearing the widest grins they've had all day. Rainbow gave them a sheepish smile, cheeks flushed, and snickered briefly. Twilight and company quickly understood Rainbow's little secret, all except for Celestia and Luna wearing sly smirks of their own.

"Um, spas aren't my thing," Rainbow said, pressing the tips of her hooves together. "But I'd be there if my friends invited me."

"Is that so?" Starlight quipped sarcastically. "I've seen you sneaking into Ponyville Spa."

The group all laughed together as they kept marching. While it wasn't much, Twilight felt as though those brief, awkward moments lifted a weight off of her shoulders. Maple Village seemed closer than it actually was, even if anything indicating that they were almost there hadn't appeared yet. The land was as empty as ever, no sources of water or trees in the distance visible.

There was also the question of how to spend the time it'd take to reach Maple Village. Twilight quickly glanced at Starlight and raised an eyebrow. She focused on the bluish aura surrounding her friend for a few seconds, Twilight's eyes widening afterwards. Already, a question somewhat related to magic popped into her head. With a deep breath, she nudged closer to Starlight until they were inches apart.

"Can I ask you something?" Twilight muttered.

Starlight nodded without hesitating. "I'd pretty much answer anything at this point," she teased, playfully waving a hoof. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm curious, how are you able to fly using magic?" Twilight peeked at her wings, resuming eye contact with Starlight a moment later. "I've seen nopony else use such a spell. And back when we fought, you were nimble enough to keep up with me." Twilight tilted her head a little. "So how did you do that?"

Starlight pursed her lips briefly. "Well, I'm using the magic to lift my body up." The aura around her body brightened. Starlight then slowly ascended, only to descend back to where she was as her magic dimmed. "Trust me, it's not as easy as it looks. You saw how exhausted I was when we fought in the past."

"That spell must require a lot of magic." Twilight rubbed her muzzle; it wouldn't have been the first spell she knew of that required a lot of exertion or had some drawback. Teleportation, freezing spells, and so on often had some sort of flaw. Only the simplest of spells required little to no effort. "How long did it take you to master?"

"About a month." Starlight shrugged. "It was one of those ideas that I just had one day. Never expected to use it, let alone for—you know." She chuckled nervously, wearing a sheepish grin. "If you're wondering, it was from a book I bought while in Canterlot. It was part of some festival."

"The Canterlot Star Swirl Festival?"

Starlight bobbed her head without hesitating. "That's the one! I remember being confused by everypony wearing robes and fake beards at first. It wasn't until I knew who Star Swirl was that I understood what was going on." Rubbing the back of her neck, Starlight then donned a perplexed expression. "But the thing about wearing old armor and chugging mugs of beer still confused me."

"Ponies have fun in a variety of ways." Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Starlight's shoulder, the latter squirming briefly until she was comfortable. "You should join me for something like that when we have the chance. It might make for an excellent friendship lesson, not to mention be tons of fun. I can even bring Pinkie with us." She turned to Pinkie and waved at the mare. Grinning radiantly, Pinkie responded with a wave of her own. "Maybe Sunburst or Trixie might want to join us."

"Of course I'd join," Trixie chimed. She caught up to Twilight and Starlight, then raised her head. "Trixie would dazzle ponies with her latest tricks, but I can also make room for anything you, Starlight, and Sunburst want." Adjusting her cape for a second, Trixie slipped in a slight giggle. "I've always loved those festivals, even when I'm not surprising everypony with my amazing performances."

Twilight turned back to Starlight. "See, it'll be a lot of fun!"

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Starlight. She nodded slowly. "Alright, sounds like a plan." Turning to face the world before her, Starlight raised an eyebrow. "Do you think Maple Village might be holding a festival? If they're outside of Equestria, I bet they'd have traditions of their own."

"They almost certainly do," said Luna. "However, I don't know if they're celebrating anything today, let alone this week."

Without warning, Twilight's ears twitched. She looked behind her and spotted Spike wearing a pale expression. The small dragon sniffled as though something was irritating his nostrils, but it couldn't have been allergies. No such plants made themselves known, nor would they survive in such a harsh climate on their own.

"There's something up ahead," Spike murmured, twiddling his claws. He bit his lip and pranced ahead of the group, stretching an arm out. "Do you see that smooth, silver bump?"

Twilight looked ahead and spotted exactly what Spike described. It seemed like anything else she might've traversed over earlier, only something was peculiar about its shape. It arced more smoothly than anything else in Enigma Crater, even if it appeared minuscule from where the group stood. The white smoke rising near the lump and into the sky also caught her attention, a faint scent polluting the air. Twilight rubbed her nose, nodding with the rest of the group.

"That's a dragon's back," Spike continued. "I recognize the smell of their breath from anywhere."

"But how'd you smell its breath?" asked Applejack. She wore a confused expression, head cocked a little. "That dragon has to be miles away, 'cause all I see is a small bump up ahead." She paused for a moment, whipping her tail back and forth like a pendulum. "Here's what I'm worried about: Is it a friendly dragon, or would it want to gobble us up?"

"It's how dragons know where to go for migrations or when they're summoned by the Dragon Lord. And as for your second question, it depends." Spike shrugged, twiddling his claws moments later. "Either it's the first one or the second."

"And what if it's the second?" Fluttershy asked, looking surprisingly calm compared to everypony else having pursed lips or glum visages. "Maybe I should intimidate it if you're okay with that. But I also don't want to do that if it's already friendly." She curled her mane momentarily. "I just want what's best."

"We can try avoiding the dragon altogether," Luna said, raising a hoof. "But if the region around it appears too dangerous, we'll have to sneak past it. I assume that shouldn't be a problem." She looked at Twilight, Starlight, and Trixie, cracking a smile shortly after. "We're not making much noise, and we have three ponies talented in magic with us."

"Let's see what option we take first," Twilight suggested, placing a hoof to her chest. Her throat dried up; there was always something about being inches from a colossal dragon that sent chills through her spine. Just thinking about it was no different. "If it's possible, we'll go for the first one. The second should only be a last resort."

"If we're sneaking past, I'm totally cool with that," Rainbow said, performing a tight loop in the air. "So whatever works for me!"

"I'm more in favor of the first one," said Pinkie. Her body shook violently. "I still remember when we had to deal with that big, scary, red dragon a while ago." A gasp left her mouth. "And I'd hate for this dragon to be even meaner! That would be terrible! Besides, we'll be doing cool, fun things soon!"

"Yes, there should be plenty of fun at Maple Village," Luna muttered. "For now, we should be careful with that dragon up ahead."

Twilight slowly nodded. "I think that goes without saying," she whispered to herself. Taking a deep breath, she resumed making her way toward the dragon, the rest of the group packed close together. While Twilight had learned a great deal about dragons ever since she first moved to Ponyville, there was still plenty about them that remained a mystery. And given how Spike knows more about dragons than anypony but Celestia and Luna, Twilight recognized taking his words seriously.

However, Twilight and most of her friends had dealt with gigantic dragons before, though such encounters were more often than not shaky at best. But if dragons such as Spike, Ember, and Torch were anything to go by, there were plenty of friendly dragons out there. Twilight held her breath for a moment, hoping this new face was kindhearted.

While the next mile or two since Spike noticed the dragon hadn't taken long, Twilight felt as though hours flew past since then. Her tightening chest wasn't helping, nor were the shivers coursing through her spine. Realizing just how massive the dragon was only made those sensations worse, albeit with Twilight also feeling awestruck.

When the group was about half a mile from where the dragon slept, all of them raised their heads and blankly stared at the creature. Nopony budged an inch, eyes unblinking. The winged reptile was at least the size of a mansion, maybe even more. Then there was its wingspan, likely wider than four buildings put together. What demanded the most attention, however, was the dragon's bright, armor-like body. On occasion, smoke bellowed out of its nostrils, the pungent stench akin to sulfur.

Twilight pursed her lips, landing on the earth and immediately nudging forward. "Do—do you think we could just avoid it?" she asked. In a flash, she turned to where Celestia and Luna were, both of them wearing stern visages. "It's massive, but anything else seems like a better plan."

Celestia rubbed her muzzle, shrugging after a few seconds. "We'd be cutting it close if we moved around it," she said. "If the dragon wakes up, it would certainly see us from here." She squinted, muttering something inaudible to herself briefly. "If we keep a safe distance, about a mile or so, it would be possible to avoid it. But there's just one major problem." She then turned her head to the left, then to the right, and pointed at a region up ahead. "Do you see the bursts of steam coming out of the ground?"

The rest of the group gazed at where Celestia was pointing, nodding their heads in unison a second later. Thick, white clouds rose from the earth, obscuring most of the region. A strong, burning scent polluted the air. Eruptions from the hundreds of geysers visible occurred every ten seconds or so without fail.

"Those geysers spew steam several times hotter than water that's about to boil." She caught her breath, Celestia then momentarily pursing her lips." From what I learned on my first trip to Maple Village, one blast could knock a hydra over, and the temperatures there are even worse than what we just experienced." A sigh left her lips. "Going through them is indeed possible, but we'd need plenty of water to withstand the heat. It's a place that's normally avoided, the patches of land where the dragon is one of the few parts of the region where there are no geysers."

"How much water do we have left?" asked Applejack. She flicked her tail, then pulled a canteen out of her saddlebag. Opening it, she peered inside, closing it soon after. "I'll make it if I conserve water the rest of the way." She turned to face the other ponies. "How's everypony else doing?"

As if by command, everypony else grabbed their own canteens, repeating the same steps Applejack took. As Twilight checked on hers, she figured that there would be just enough water to make it even with the added distance. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Trixie, and Rainbow all wore glum expressions; not a word needed to be uttered about how much water they had left. They'd risk being baked by the geysers if they tried trudging across them. There was the possibility of asking Celestia or Luna to move the sun and moon respectively, thereby cooling the temperatures. However, the risks of throwing the day and night cycles out of loop were too great.

Such a plan might've even disturbed the dragon, which could have been one of those nocturnal predators.

"I guess we'll have to sneak past," Twilight said as a matter of fact. She swallowed a lump, shivering for a brief moment. "Is everypony ready?"

"Ready as always," Rainbow replied, gliding over to Twilight. She forced a confident grin across her face. "If that dragon wakes up, I'll get everypony out of there in ten seconds flat." Nudging away from Twilight, Rainbow then placed her hooves behind her head, wings still flapping as she floated an inch off the ground. "I bet it'll be a piece of cake."

"I hope you're right," Fluttershy murmured. She pressed her hooves together and bit her lip. "But we can't rush something like this, remember? If one of us moves too fast, we might make a noise and wake the dragon up." She paused for a moment. "At the same time, we can't be too slow."

"Quick, light steps should do the trick, dear," said Rarity, slowly trotting in place. She then swiveled her head, making eye contact with Spike. "You might know a thing or two, Spike." Rarity then approached him, the latter's eyes shimmering. "Do you have any marvelous ideas on how we can get past that frightening dragon?" She winked at Spike and cracked a smirk. "I'd highly appreciate any suggestions."

Spike twitched a little, giggles leaving his mouth. "Well, take it one step at a time and not touch anything," he said. "It'll all work out if you do it like that." He then turned to face Twilight and donned a sheepish smile. "Twilight did that back when we lived in Golden Oaks. And not once did she wake me up!"

Blushing, Twilight rubbed the back of her neck, feigning a few chuckles. "It feels so long since I lived in Golden Oaks," she admitted. It still felt as though years had passed since she last stepped into the humble library. How she became used to her new abode in less than a year still surprised her. "But yes, I remember now."

"We'll stick close together," Luna said, wearing a nervous expression. "That should ease things a little."

"Anything else?" asked Rainbow.

"Maybe we should take our boots off," said Trixie. "For those of us wearing them, that is." She tapped the ground for a moment. "It'll be uncomfortable, but we'll be quieter. And while I may be the Great and Powerful Trixie, I—" she gulped "—I don't think I'd stand a chance against a dragon."

Rarity winced and stepped back, cheeks tautened. "If you insist," she said. Rarity then slowly took her boots off, placing them back into her saddlebag. Both Trixie and Applejack followed suit. "But this better be quick." Rarity trotted in place and clenched her teeth. "Burning myself would be a disaster!"

"Trixie knows what she's talking about." She approached Rarity, playfully tapping the mare's shoulder and donning a faint smirk. "I know that it's uncomfortable, but we'll put them back on once we're in the clear." In a flash, Trixie's visage transformed into a blank expression, slightly frowning as Rarity snickered nervously. "Don't make a fuss about it for just a few minutes, okay?"

Rarity nodded without hesitating. "I'll keep the dramatics to a minimum." She wiped her forehead. A sigh then left her mouth. "But my hooves better not be burned by the time this is over. They have to all be in pristine condition, even when I'm not sewing something marvelous."

Trixie slowly bobbed her head, brow sagging slightly. "Let's hurry up and get this out of the way."

With everypony now touching the ground with their hooves once more, they all nodded together and trudged over to where the dragon rested. Much to Twilight's relief, the earth beneath her wasn't the oven-like surface it once was, though her hooves stung at times. At least it was tolerable enough for sneaking past something.

However, what Twilight wasn't counting on was the journey going by much quicker than she expected. And just seeing the giant up close turned her coat pale. It was as though she was trotting up to her castle again, but without the comfort that typically brought. All she felt were her muscles tightening.

Twilight wished she could've said something, anything to ease the tension, yet one small peep might've been enough to disturb the dragon. As such, she glanced behind her shoulder and at the rest of the group, waving a hoof at them and pointing to her left. With slow, short steps, they all crept around the dragon. Any thirst that Twilight had minutes ago suddenly vanished.

Sweat dripped down Twilight's forehead. The beating of her heart echoed into her ears, chest tightening a little. She alternated between looking ahead and at where the dragon's eyes were. Her ears twitched erratically whenever the monster snored. Twilight wished she took the alternate route, even if the risks of running out of water were high.

The group was already nearby the dragon's massive, sleek snout. Clouds of smoke left its nostrils, Twilight's own nose itching somewhat. Thoughts of teleporting away from the dragon crossed her mind, though there were a few problems with that. First was that she could've only teleported a short distance with the others, both the size of the group and having never been to Enigma Crater working against her. The second part would've been figuring out where they'd all be safe.

As amazing as magic was, even it had limits.

Twilight and company continued their journey, eventually reaching a point where they could just resume trotting forward. Just making their way around the perimeter of the dragon took at least a mile, Twilight's hooves aching a little. With step after step, she glanced back at the dragon each and every minute. And of the many times she checked, not once had the beast moved.

When Twilight checked for the fourth time, the dragon then suddenly opened its eyes. Twilight stared directly at one of them, her coat the palest it had ever been. Even Celestia and Luna bit their lips upon noticing the creature staring right back at them. More smoke rose from the dragon's nostrils, the sounds of sharp teeth grinding together polluting the air.

Yawning, the dragon stood upright, opening its wings. It turned to face the ponies, eyes blinking as it then gnashed its teeth together. Twilight couldn't help herself from shivering, most of her friends doing the same. She quickly glanced to her left, then to her right. Both areas had those dangerous geysers nearby, but the land behind her was clear.

Twilight took a deep breath. She quickly turned to face her friends. "Think of a plan and start running!" she shrieked.

In a flash, Celestia fired a beam of magic from her horn, striking the dragon's wings and preventing them from moving. But despite the spell's success, Celestia nevertheless stepped back and turned away from the massive beast. At least Twilight knew she could take some comfort in knowing that the dragon would be slower now.

Everypony galloped as fast as they could without a second thought, Spike even hitching a ride on Celestia's back. As they scurried away from the behemoth like ants, a purplish aura soon enveloped Twilight's horn. She looked back at the dragon and fired off a powerful blast. It struck the dragon in the jaw, but it only recoiled a little.

"Was that even full power?" Starlight blurted out. She cast a spell of her own, but like Twilight's it only made the dragon flinch. "I don't care what the spell is!"

"You have that freezing spell, right?" Twilight retorted. "Use that!"

Starlight nodded, then fired off another spell at the dragon. And just as planned, a pinkish block of ice surrounded the dragon, rendering it immobile. However, the ice shattered in about a second, the dragon roaring at the skies and violently flailing its wings. A powerful gust swirled through Twilight and friends, all of them still upright and still galloping.

"I have an idea!" Luna exclaimed, brow sagging. All of a sudden, the princess slid across the ground with her hooves, raising her head and making eye contact with the beast. Dust swirled around her like a tornado. A blue glow wrapped around her horn, sparks flying out of the tip. "It just has to get in range first! Stand back!"

"Have you lost your mind?" Rarity shouted at the top of her lungs. "We'll be eaten alive if it catches us!"

A confident grin adorned Luna's visage. "It was vulnerable to Starlight's spell. Trust me, it'll work."

Leaping toward the dragon, Luna then licked her lips as the aura surrounding her brightened. A burst of magic fired from her horn, quickly constricting the dragon much like a python. Twilight's jaw dropped at the sight; any magic potent enough to halt a dragon in its tracks was worth gawking over, regardless of where it came from. However, as Twilight stared at Luna, she noticed the princess gritting her teeth and grunting.

"Luna, that's enough!" Twilight begged, rushing over to her friend. "You'll hurt yourself if you don't stop!"

Luna slowly turned to face Twilight, sweat dripping down her face like a rainstorm. "I'll be okay," she murmured. And before Twilight could respond, Luna ceased casting the spell. The electric-like sensations pricking Twilight's coat ceased. The world was much dimmer than before, and as for the colossal dragon, it remained completely static. "We have thirty minutes, give or take."

Twilight gazed into Luna's eyes. She pursed her lips, touching her chest and taking a deep breath. "That was amazing, and there's no denying that. But please don't do anything like that again." Twilight lowered her head; she noticed Luna's legs wobbling as if they'd collapse at any moment. "You could've passed out!"

Panting, Luna wiped her forehead and feigned a smile. "But it worked." A soft chuckle escaped her mouth. Luna then trudged toward her sister, wrapping a wing around her once they were inches apart and almost collapsing. "Sister, can you help me trot with our friends, if just for a little bit?" She then stood as tall as she could once again.

Celestia nodded in an instant. "Of course," she said. "But as Twilight said, please don't exert yourself too much. You know we've been over this before."

"I know." Luna's cheeks flushed; she donned a weak smirk. "As I was saying, let's get out of here before the dragon breaks free."

As requested, the group all continued their journey toward Maple Village, leaving the frightening beast behind. Not having to worry about being chewed meant Twilight could finally appreciate the surrounding scenery. It wasn't much, but there was something special about the distant geysers shrouding the lands to the east and west. A rainbow off in the horizon was one of the more notable features, Trixie unable to avert her gaze from the radiant sight.

Tiny and harmless critters skipped across the cooling earth, growing in numbers the more Twilight and company trotted. Grass began appearing up ahead, tickling Twilight's hooves whenever she stepped on it. It was there that Luna was able to walk on her own once again, releasing some of the tension gripping Twilight's chest. Birds sang a beautiful cadence, toads croaking and hopping across nearby ponds, the first signs of water in what had to have been ages.

All of that paled in comparison to what was ahead. The silhouette of a town was obscured by mist, though as if by magic, the mist gave way and revealed Maple Village, the trees' autumn-colored leaves and the forest in the background warming Twilight's heart at the sight. A river of sparkling water divided the town into two segments. Fish occasionally hopped out the water and commanded attention, a few undisguised changelings watching them with bright smiles. It was there when Twilight recalled what made Maple Village special; the changelings were noted as being noticeably different than the ones from the ominous Changeling Hive.

Twilight turned to Starlight, the two trotting alongside each other. "Looks like we made it," she said as a matter of fact. A sigh of relief left her lips. "I think it goes without saying, but let's focus on resting up before doing any research or adventuring." Wiping her forehead, Twilight giggled for a moment.

"As long as we don't get chased by giant dragons again, I'll be fine," Starlight quipped. "It's no wonder that few even made the trip across Enigma Crater. If the heat doesn't stop you, those dragons and beasts will." Her eyes widened a little, Starlight rubbing the top of her head. "Speaking of which, why is the town here of all places? It's not like Equestria's lacking open fields."

"Maybe they moved here at the right time," said Applejack. "Seasons and environments change, so maybe those monsters weren't around back then. Heck, I bet they settled here because it's got great farming land." She looked over to her left. "It's by a river, and maybe the soil's perfect for crops."

"Or it could've been because they wanted to live somewhere that's pretty and fun!" Pinkie added, hopping about like a rabbit. "The farm stuff Applejack said makes sense, but if Maple Village is prime territory for having fun, then it totally makes sense for them to live here! And I don't mean parties, but rather spelunking, diving, and so much more!"

"It could have a little of everything," said Fluttershy. She bobbed her head briefly, the smile across her face brightening. "And since it must have a different culture from ours, let's be as polite as possible." In a flash, she swiveled her head toward Rainbow, donning a serious expression. "And that means not making a mess of things."

Rainbow blushed and chuckled nervously. "Okay, so maybe I gushed too much at Baltimare's Daring Do Convention. I mean, it's not often you get to meet A.K. Yearling, the most awesome writer in all of Equestria!" A grin adorned her visage, Rainbow flapping her wings and hovering an inch above the ground. Seconds later, she touched the earth once more and cleared her throat. "But don't worry, I won't wake anypony up this time."

"I'll try to be more polite, too," Rarity added. "An extra pinch of kindness goes a long way, you know."

"Whatever is in store for us, I know we'll be at our best," said Twilight, head raised. She ruffled her wings and glanced back at the rest of the group. "We've visited new towns plenty of times before, and Celestia knows this place better than any of us. Let's try to also have some fun, everypony."

While the rest of the day would've consisted of getting to know Maple Village and resting up, Twilight was eager for the following day. Not only would researching magic be possible once more, she wondered if there were any clues about those mysterious pillars nearby. Despite being steps away from the town, she hadn't seen them yet, so perhaps things were shaping up to be easier than expected.

Of course, trouble could've reared its head at any moment, something Twilight hoped to avoid if possible.

The Changeling and the Elder

Twilight couldn't help herself from feeling as though she stepped into an alternate universe as she gazed at Maple Village. Whether it was how the cottages looked or the general layout of the town, it all bore a striking similarity to Ponyville. The myriad of new faces and a gray, imposing structure looming over the horizon were the only differences.

The structure in question, a castle-like mansion that stood out like a sore hoof, must've been the town hall. And if Twilight's assumptions were correct, she knew that there was a chance of finding out more about the community and perhaps those mysterious pillars. Neither she nor the rest of the group had seen them ever since embarking on their quest, but they had to have been somewhere outside of the village.

There were a few other matters to deal with, namely her growling and ticklish stomach. And as Twilight turned to her left, surveying the town and the many inhabitants, she already noticed Pinkie chatting with some of the younger locals, three of them pointing to their left. Over where the fillies were pointing at was a small restaurant, its neon sign glaringly out of place. But with ponies and changelings alike trotting out of the establishment with smiles, it seemed like a decent spot for food.

"Looks like Pinkie Pie is hungry again," Rarity teased. She trotted ahead, stopping after a few steps and staring at the cabin-like restaurant. "I honestly cannot blame her. Hopefully, they don't serve the same garish meals that Restaurant Row churned out." Giggles escaped her lips, and Rarity couldn't help herself from cracking a smug grin. "Well, at least until Pinkie and myself helped out."

"That's what the Cutie Map wanted?" Starlight asked, wearing a curious visage. "I thought that was about solving friendship problems—" she gently waved her hoof "—or whatever ponies call those nowadays." Pausing, Starlight's eyes widened as Rarity blankly stared at her. The former blushed in response. "Oh, you mean there was a friendship problem at a restaurant."

"Of course, dear." Rarity snickered, and when Pinkie caught up with the rest of the group, she joined in the laughter. "I should have been more specific as to why the map called us over to Canterlot, though it's always informing us about friendship problems. I doubt it was meant to double as a restaurant guide."

"True, but that would be useful," Fluttershy admitted. She twirled a strand of her mane, donning a sheepish smile. "It's sometimes hard finding a good place to eat when you're traveling."

"I can attest to that," Trixie added. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I have good luck with restaurants, but finding something in Canterlot that wasn't the garbage Zesty Gourmand calls food was harder than it should've been. I lucked out when I tried The Tasty Treat." She looked over to her left, then to her right. "Trixie recommends you try it out."

"Rarity and I are a step ahead!" Pinkie chimed. She bounced over to Trixie, patting the mare's shoulder and wearing a wide smile. "That was the restaurant we helped make popular, and the moment you mentioned Zesty, I knew you were talking about Canterlot! Like, those things she says are good taste like rotten socks!" Pinkie pretended to gag, tongue sticking out. "Trust me, don't try one of those."

Trixie shrugged, nodding shortly after. "Oh, I've tried. But now, I just check the ingredients first."

"Better safe than sorry." Without warning, a grumbling sound polluted the air, everypony in the group bringing their attention to Pinkie. The mare in question donned a slight smile, cheeks flushed. "What are we waiting for? Let's get eating!" Pinkie bounced toward the restaurant, the rest of her friends following close behind. "I hear they've got lots of delicious stuff!"

A warm, mouthwatering scent reached Twilight's nostrils as she approached the cabin. She knew that Pinkie was on the right track. It was the kind of smell that evoked an image of buttermilk pancakes, both a delicious meal and—as she eventually discovered—a decent pillow. Twilight hoped that the food's taste was as excellent as its aroma.

Pinkie reached the restaurant's front door seconds later, raising her hoof and pushing the wooden frame. Sharp creaks split Twilight's ears as her friend opened the door. However, before Pinkie trotted inside with the rest of the group, a changeling with a dyed, raspberry mane and tiny fangs protruding from her mouth stepped outside.

Twilight and most of her friends stepped back, Celestia the lone exception. While Spike proved with Thorax that there were changelings out there that were kindhearted and radically different than Chrysalis, it was a fact Twilight hadn't quite gotten used to yet. But despite her preemptive move, the changeling merely smiled and bowed.

"You must be from Equestria," the changeling said with the slightest hint of a lisp. She smiled, closing her eyes for a second and beating her wings. "You're not the only ponies who came from there. Everyone who sees us for the first time acts like that, so we assume it's natural." A sigh left her mouth, the changeling's head lowered. "Blame that idiot queen if you gotta blame someone."

"Sorry if we offended ya," said Applejack. She approached the changeling and adjusted her hat. "As you said, ponies do have a history with the changelings. I'll admit that it ain't the healthiest attitude, and it'd be wonderful if ponies and changelings got along better." She looked back at the others and winked. "Ain't that right, everypony?"

"I think that goes without saying," said Starlight. She extended her foreleg to the changeling. "Anyway, what's your name?"

"My name's Silk. It's nice to meet you." She raised her head and forced a smile. "So what brings you over to Maple Village? It's not often we get visitors." Silk then turned to face Celestia, the former's smile widening a tad. "Hey, I saw you here before, but I never found out why. Is there something you have to do?"

"That is correct," said Celestia. She approached Silk and wore a warm, welcoming smile. It was almost as if Celestia knew of Silk and the friendly changelings that made their home in Maple Village long before she first trekked there. "I have been investigating those strange beams of light near the town, and I have enlisted the help of my sister and friends."

Silk leaned closer to Celestia, her compound eyes glittering. "Sounds serious."

"We're not taking any chances this time," said Twilight. Her brow sagged a little. "After the incident with Lord Tirek, we can't afford to let anything that serious occur again. That's why we're investigating these strange sights and magical abnormalities. Anything to avoid trying to find the solution at the eleventh hour is preferable."

"Tirek?" Silk's cheeks suddenly turned pale. "Oh, he makes Chrysalis seem like nothing. Rumor has it that even she's afraid of him."

"Can't exactly blame her," Rainbow added as an aside. "He's nasty."

"I've never met either of them, thank goodness." Silk wiped her forehead, breathing a sigh of relief. "But I've heard things, things that could cause nightmares." She paused, rubbing the top of her head and mumbling something incoherent to herself. She then raised her voice again and said, "But don't worry about them. Just focus on whatever it is that you're doing."

"Tirek won't be a problem anymore," said Twilight. "He's in Tartarus and definitely won't be escaping again."

Starlight raised her hoof. "I have a question," she muttered, inching closer to the changeling. "I know that changelings feed off of love and all, so how does that work?" Tilting her head, Starlight then rubbed her muzzle, tapping the ground with her other hoof. "I heard it can be extremely painful."

Silk blinked, a blank expression on her face. "You're serious?" She blinked again, this time rubbing her eyes a second later. "Oh my goodness, you're serious."

"Twilight once told me that there was an incident at Shining Armor and Cadance's wedding." Starlight arched an eyebrow. "Ever heard of that?"

Silk bit her lip, spitting briefly as laughter soon escaped her mouth. The changeling took a deep breath and rubbed the back of her head, snickering for a few more seconds. And as she noticed Starlight and some others giving her judgmental looks, Silk merely inched back and feigned another chuckle.

"So what you're saying is that it's not always harmful?" Twilight asked, tilting her head. Pausing, she then swayed her tail back and forth, lips pursed. "I don't know, Shining Armor looked out of it when Chrysalis was siphoning his love. So if a changeling can get love without harming somepony, how come the invasion at Canterlot was so—" she waved her hoof in a circle "—you know, messy."

"Think of it this way." Silk cleared her throat. "Some ponies are messy eaters while others are clean and polite. Chrysalis and her little band of changelings would be the former, while changelings over here would be the latter. I don't know why Chrysalis is like that, and I doubt she'd give you a good answer. And if you're wondering why they don't just use each other for getting love, it's a bit complicated."

"How so?" asked Applejack. "Wouldn't it be just like gettin' love from anypony else?"

"Changelings have some differences to ponies." Silk lifted her foreleg up, showing off the holes that adorned it, and then looked through one of them. She rubbed her jagged horn and shook her insect-like wings. "Some are obvious, but us changelings don't exactly know how to get love from each other."

"So the ponies provide your food?"

Silk shook her head. "Not always, as we eat the same kind of things ponies have. They're not as delicious as love, but they do the trick."

"Well, at least everypony here seems happy," Fluttershy murmured as a matter of fact. She rubbed her mane, wearing a slightly nervous expression as she gazed at Silk's eyes. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know anything about what we're searching for, right?" She paused for a few seconds. "Have you heard about those magic pillars?"

Once again, Silk hadn't wasted a second in shaking her head. "I wish! All I know is that they're south of here and look kind of snazzy. You'll have to talk to the village elder if you want details. He knows everything!"

"Where can we find him?" Rainbow asked. She lifted herself off the ground and leaned closer to Silk. "Is it the town hall? I mean, it is the only building here that isn't totally boring."

"It's not the town hall, but one of the cottages." Silk rubbed the top of her head, licking her lips with her forked tongue. "It's cottage 1099, I think. It has a garden in front of it and some animal-shaped decorations. If you see a house with a flamingo in front of it, you're in the right spot. And be sure to tell him that I sent you."

"How come?"

"He's usually picky when it comes to strangers." Silk looked up at the sky, rubbing her muzzle. "Sometimes, you can get away without explaining yourself. And since you're a princess, I guess you'll be okay." Another series of giggles left her mouth. "Just don't get too annoyed when he starts rambling again."

Twilight bobbed her head. "Thanks for helping us out, Silk," she said. "Is there anything else you'd like to mention?"

"Nah, I'm good," said Silk. "Just don't do anything stupid." With her head raised, she trotted away from the group, waving at them with a beaming grin for a brief moment. "Good luck! And don't be afraid to ask anyone else here! Someone might know about those pillar-thingies!"

With Silk skipping away from Twilight and her friends, smiling brightly, the group then brought their attention back to the restaurant. Twilight couldn't help herself from feeling ecstatic about how the conversation went; it wasn't often that she or anypony else spoke with a changeling. And while she already had friendly interactions with Thorax, it hadn't changed the fact that learning just a bit more about the changelings made visiting the town worth it.

Twilight pushed the restaurant's front door, a creaking sound reaching her ears, and stepped inside. Her friends all followed suit, the group careful as to give each other and passersby some breathing space. The hallway leading into the wide dining area was narrower than expected, but at least the nearby benches were long enough to accommodate the group. Twilight sat down and dusted herself off, soon being sandwiched by Starlight and Trixie.

Trixie quickly leaned closer to Twilight, the former adjusting her hat. "You think that those pillars aren't a threat right now?" she whispered into Twilight's ear. "If Silk doesn't know about them and we haven't seen any yet, maybe fixing all of this will be easier than we thought. If we're smart, we can solve this quickly."

"Maybe, but that depends on how things go," Twilight muttered, nodding. "However, I can say with certainty that those pillars are no laughing matter. If Princess Celestia thinks they're bad, then they'll need to be dealt with as soon as possible. I still think it has something to do with magic, but there's only one way of finding out."

"Right." Trixie turned away from Twilight and touched her cheek. "It's never that simple, huh?"

Starlight nodded, looking over to where Trixie sat. "I learned that the hard way," she added. "We have a habit of running into the unexpected."

Blushing, Twilight softly chuckled and tapped Starlight's shoulder. "Yeah, all of us have dealt with some strange happenings."

"I may have caused some of those," said Trixie, cheeks flushed. She pressed her hooves together, looking over to the dining area and then back at Twilight. The two made eye contact. "So what do we do after eating? There's speaking with the village elder, but then what? It's not like we can just waltz on over to the pillars. We don't even know what to do with them yet."

"That's what today and maybe tomorrow are for. We have to plan things out accordingly, organize what we'll bring and who will go where, and try to learn as much about those pillars as we can." Twilight ruffled her wings, adjusting her seating posture. "It's not something we will figure out in just a day."

"Let's just focus on visiting the elder first," said Starlight. "We'll see if he knows anything about those pillars, and then we can decide how to deal with them."

Trixie pursed her lips briefly, cracking a soft smirk seconds later. "Alright, I guess we could do that."

Twilight nodded in response. "It does sound like a good idea," she muttered. A deep breath escaped her mouth. "Alright, we'll start planning things out after visiting the village elder." She then turned to her right, eyes glued to a menu at the restaurant's back wall. "But first, we should get something to eat."

"Duh! I'm starving over here!" Pinkie chimed, her stomach growling as if by instinct.

Twilight and her friends giggled momentarily, patiently waiting for when a table would've been open. While gathering more information on those pillars was the sensible option, Twilight couldn't help herself from thinking about how she'd address finding them. She couldn't have cared less if her thoughts had the chance of being made irrelevant with whatever she learned. But focusing on it later would've loosened the tension in her muscles, if just for a brief moment.

After all, a hearty meal was awaiting Twilight and her friends.

Maple Village had more in common with Ponyville than just the architecture and layout, a fact that became quickly apparent to Twilight. The isolated village even had its own share of weirdness. This was particularly evident after she and the rest of the group sat down, making themselves comfortable on the wooden chairs.

Surrounding the group for a brief moment were some ponies and changelings, all of them with beaming smiles as they gazed at the three alicorns. This was more often than not followed by them returning to their seats and allowing the next batch of onlookers a closeup view of the three princesses. Twilight couldn't help herself from blushing momentarily, but after the fourth or fifth time, it began pricking her nerves.

"Alright, give 'em some space!" a voice shouted from afar. "Do ya wanna make 'em feel comfortable or not?"

In a flash, everypony around Twilight and company dispersed. She noticed Fluttershy donning a slight smile as she took a deep breath. Shortly after, both Applejack and Spike wiped their foreheads in unison. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Trixie couldn't help themselves from gluing a wide grin to their face as they waved at the onlookers.

"I take it the locals are quite fond of us," Luna said, slipping in a faint chuckle. "Since we're waiting for our food, I thought of asking a few questions to pass the time."

Twilight bobbed her head, turning to face Luna. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

"Nothing important, though I am curious about how your research on magic has been going." She paused for a moment, touching her muzzle and rubbing it moments later. "Before we were all whisked away on another adventure, what kinds of questions were you hoping to study next?"

"I hadn't gotten that far." Twilight shrugged, then cracked a sheepish smirk. "But if I had to take a guess, I'd imagine that magic pertaining to earth ponies would've been next. Everypony who studies magic knows that earth ponies have a strong connection to the land, but I wanted to learn a little more about it."

"Yeah, that's somethin' I wonder myself," said Applejack. She adjusted her hat, tongue sticking out for a second. "The Apples have known all sorts of nifty tricks 'bout farming, some of 'em kinda crazy when you put your mind to it. I think I don't have to remind y'all of the gestures I make when workin' on the farm."

Spike nodded without hesitating. "No kidding," he said. "How you or anypony discovered that, let alone made it work, is beyond me."

"It might have something to do with the magic of earth ponies," said Luna. She ruffled her wings, turning to Applejack and then back to Twilight. "Perhaps some methods that others might find unorthodox are related to this magic. And without Applejack's dancing, among other things, the magic wouldn't work." She leaned closer to Twilight and cracked a mischievous grin. "Need I remind you of the times your methods have seemed strange?"

Twilight felt her cheeks becoming warm. "Okay, so maybe I got carried away when studying efficient ways of quickly organizing bookshelves." A few laughs escaped her mouth, some of the other ponies in the group following suit. "Dramatic posing doesn't exactly improve the process."

"No kidding," Spike added, rubbing his forehead. "Tell me next time you do any of that, okay?"

"Guess I can do all of that stuff for ya next time," said Applejack. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Try not to be too surprised when I start actin' like a rooster again. Trust me, if there was a better way of managin' the farm, I'd do it in a heartbeat." Applejack took a deep breath, placing her hooves on the table shortly after. "It's much more tiring than y'all think."

Trixie nodded as quickly as possible. "I don't blame you. Just doing a few advanced spells tires me out," she said. "I'm panting and sweating by the time I finish practicing magic tricks." She pursed her lips, then turned to face Twilight and assumed eye contact. "Wait, that has something to do with what we researched earlier, right?"

"That's correct," said Twilight. "Because magic spells take some amount of stamina, the tougher ones will tire you out." She looked behind her shoulder, noticing there were still some curious onlookers gawking at them, and then back to Trixie. "Anyway, back when we were fleeing the dragon, remember how Luna almost passed out after using her spell?"

"Naturally."

"That's because she used a spell that requires a lot of magic to pull off. If you or somepony else tried what Luna did, you'd have probably fainted right there." She paused, donning a blank expression while Trixie pressed her hooves together. "Uh, I'm not saying that you couldn't cast the spell, by the way."

"I know." Trixie tugged her cape. "The Great and Powerful Trixie might be a stupendous magician, but all ponies have their limits." She looked over to where Luna sat. "And I'd be foolish to suggest that I could match an alicorn princess in magical prowess, even if I trained all my life."

"What's important is that you keep learning and growing from your experiences," said Celestia. Her wings twitched momentarily, the mare touching her chest. "With friendship and knowledge, you'll keep on surpassing your limits. Just remember why you're here, and while you may not surpass Luna and me, you will get closer and closer."

"So it's like having a goal to keep striving for, even if you know you can't reach it," Starlight murmured, gently twiddling her mane. "There's something to be said for that, even if it doesn't have that feeling of success in the end." She glanced down, staring at where her cutie mark was, then back to the others. "It's a reminder that there's always room for improvement, whether you're a pupil or a magician. Wish I could've learned that a tad earlier. Would've saved us a lot of trouble."

"It's okay," Twilight said, playfully waving a hoof. "What matters now is that you're bettering yourself." She caught her breath. "I always saw great potential in you, Starlight, even before we became friends. And there's always room for improvement. Isn't that right, everypony?"

"You bet!" Pinkie chimed. "Besides, Cheese Sandwich taught me so much about being a party pony when we first met, and I did the same for him! It was super-fun learning all about what makes a great party, how we can make parties even better, and so much more! Now ponies love our parties even more!"

"Same with me and Spitfire!" Rainbow added. "We're always learning from each other, and that's what makes us awesome!"

"There's always going to be something new to discover," Twilight said as a matter of fact. "You've seen how much the Princess of Friendship learns more about friendship." Before she had a chance of saying another word, everypony's orders arrived, the plates gently floating toward them via magic. The sight of scrumptious buttermilk pancakes caught Twilight's attention. The rest of the group evoked a similar guise as they gazed at their meal.

Twilight's stomach growled instinctively, her belly ticklish. A similar purring sound reached her ears, albeit without the same sensations, though Starlight and Rarity were blushing together for seemingly no reason. And it wasn't long before another series of grumbling noises polluted the air.

"I mean, how long has it been since we last ate?" Rainbow asked, gazing attentively at her food.

"Too long!" Pinkie blurted out. She grabbed her drink, sipping it, and then focused on the many dishes she ordered. The mare was unable to sit still for a few seconds, eventually taking a deep breath and freezing in place. "Alright, let's chow down and get some food in us! Ready? Go!"

As Pinkie gulped down her soup, eyes glued to the other items she ordered, everypony else looked at each other and chuckled briefly. Shortly after, Twilight and company began enjoying their own meals while Pinkie slowed down her chewing, the former grinning wildly as the warm, soft texture of the pancakes excited her taste buds.

Much to her delight, talking once more about magic and the theories behind it alleviated some of the tension gripping Twilight. She was still nervous about the pillars and what might've been lurking outside the town, but anything that involved exploring her favorite subjects was something she wouldn't have passed on.

Twilight hadn't forgotten why she was all the way over in Maple Village nonetheless. It wasn't long before her mind began formulating what she'd ask the village elder, among other residents. Maybe it was smooth sailing from here, though with so much still undiscovered, Twilight wasn't letting her guard down just yet.

The village elder could've had troubling news for all she knew.

Attention was a double-edge sword as far as Twilight was concerned. On one hoof, there was something warm and fuzzy about being admired by ponies and even changelings outside of Equestria, even if it was just for her history and status. On the other hoof, some locals proved to be a little too enthusiastic when it came to spotting not just her, but the other princesses as well.

Perhaps that was why as the group headed over to where the village elder was, a few locals followed them while focusing on Celestia and Luna, all of them keeping their distance. A few whispers about this being Celestia's second visit as well as the presence of both Luna and Twilight often left their mouths. Some even knew of Twilight's friends, correctly recognizing them as once bearing the Elements of Harmony.

However, such distractions occasionally got in the way of trying to find the elder's cottage, Twilight noticing both Pinkie and Rainbow examining homes twice more just to make sure they hadn't read something incorrectly, often after being distracted by the villagers' somewhat erratic behavior.

"We should be close to the elder's home," said Applejack, counting the address numbers affixed to each of the cottages. "Just passed by 1074, so his home should be a block or two away, right?" She quickly glanced back at the rest of the group, then resumed surveying her surroundings.

"Silk did inform us of his home's decorations, dear," Rarity said as a matter of fact. She then mumbled something to herself, looking to her left before saying, "I only hope that he has a marvelous garden. It's probably not as gorgeous as the one Roseluck works on, but anything that isn't hideous will do."

"Well, taste is subjective," Trixie muttered, giving Rarity a sly smirk. "Even though I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie, one of the many things Twilight and Starlight taught me is that not everypony will enjoy what you like." Blushing, she then slipped a soft giggle. "Really could've learned that one sooner."

"No kidding," Rainbow murmured under her breath.

Trixie's ears twitched. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Standing as tall as she could, Rainbow looked away from Trixie and stretched her wings out. "Just thinking about something else!"

"Found it!" Starlight shouted at the top of her lungs.

In a flash, Starlight pointed over to a cottage with a few shrubs in front of it, all of them rather small and adorned with brown leaves. Twilight noticed Rarity recoiling in response less than a second later, though the former couldn't help herself from smiling as she approached the house. A pink flamingo stood behind one of the shrubs, its withered form and faded colors commanding some attention, though she had seen worse. And affixed to the front door was a small sign, a message hastily scribbled on it in red marker.

Advice: Ten Bits

That was the only thing written on the sign. Twilight rolled her eyes and groaned. Ten bits for something that might've gotten her nowhere wasn't what she considered a wise investment. Nonetheless, given the severity of the problem at hoof, she realized that there was no other choice. And if others were confident in his wisdom, Twilight figured he'd have something new for them.

"Does anypony have ten bits with them?" Twilight asked, glancing back at the group.

"I do!" Pinkie replied without hesitating. She bounced over to Twilight, swiftly reaching into her saddlebag and procuring ten bits. "I was hoping to get some souvenirs after we took care of that pillar stuff, but I can chip in for some advice!" She gasped, eyes widened. "Maybe he knows some of the fun, fantastic things you can do here!" Before Twilight or anypony else had a chance of responding, Pinkie took a deep breath and giggled. "But important stuff goes first."

"That's correct." Twilight brought her attention back to the front door, knocking on it shortly after. The door's wooden frame had a rough texture, bumpy in a few places. "I just hope that the village elder knows a few things about those magic pillars. Maybe he knows exactly how to stop them."

The door nudged slightly open. "Then you've come to the right place," a raspy voice said. Poking his head out was a lavender-coated unicorn, a thick beard flowing down his muzzle and his grayish mane covering the back of his neck. Twilight blinked, wondering if she stumbled upon an imitation of Star Swirl the Bearded, though she realized that his appearance wasn't a perfect match. The beard was much too messy for starters, looking as though it hadn't been groomed in months.

"You must be the village elder," Twilight said, touching her chest. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends. We'd like to come inside and ask you a few questions."

The elder nodded, grinning. "A princess, eh? Don't get many of those around these parts."

"Yeah, there's a lot of responsibility when it comes to being a princess." Twilight smiled, wings twitching momentarily. "Just ask Celestia and Luna over here." She feigned a snicker, Luna joining in with one of her own. "Anyway, we wanted to ask you about the pillars that have been appearing just outside of town. Do you know anything about those?"

"Pillars?"

"So you don't know," said Rainbow.

The elder shook his head without warning. "Patience, young whippersnapper. I know what your friend is talking about. I'm just trying to think about all I know about those things." Humming, the elder rubbed his beard. "Now then, what about those pillars?" His eyes suddenly became the size of saucers, mouth opened. "That's it!"

Fluttershy leaned closer to where the elder stood. "You know something?" she asked.

"You bet! Trot inside, make yourselves comfortable, and I'll tell you youngsters everything I know!"

Twilight and company made their way through the doorway, the former looking around the room and noticing all kinds of old trinkets sprawled throughout the place. It made everything rather cramped, each of the ponies except for the elder having difficulty finding somewhere comfortable to sit, let alone stand. Shelves were attached to each of the walls, pebbles with strange carvings on their faces and strange jewels adding some light to the room among the more common artifacts. A few books that were close to falling apart were near them, though a few were in pristine condition. However, some empty envelopes and old papers littered the floor, some of Twilight's friends grimacing at the sight.

"Pardon the mess," the elder said. A hearty laugh left his mouth. "I've been meaning to clean this place for a while, but I've never gotten around to it."

"Better get on that, dear," Rarity whispered under her breath.

The elder playfully waved a hoof. "But at least I have all of these valuable knickknacks with me." He then pointed to one of the topmost shelves, said section adorned with the aforementioned pebbles. "Right over there are ancient artworks from a time well before Celestia and Luna reigned. They're not worth much nowadays, but I've always loved how much detail they had."

"They're from before the founding of Equestria," Celestia said, smiling. "Archaeology students back in Equestria have found quite a few of them, so I'm predicting that they must've had some sort of importance." She pressed the tips of her hooves together. "Maybe they were used as currency."

"You make a strong case, Your Highness." The elder played with his long beard, twirling it around his hoof. "I don't know what they used 'em for, but I sure do love collecting 'em. I've got pages of guesses about what those things mean." He stood as tall as possible, making eye contact with Celestia. "Would you be interested in hearing my guesses?"

Celestia immediately shook her head, wearing a stern visage. "Now is not the time to relax. For starters, we need to learn as much as possible about those pillars we mentioned." Taking a deep breath, Celestia rolled her shoulders. "Firstly, we know that they're to the south of this town. They were created by somepony hoping to use them for some nefarious purpose, though exactly what's planned is unknown."

"Yes, those things." The elder ruffled his brow. "They call 'em Lustrous Lights, and corny name aside, they're not to be messed with. I've done a bit of research on them, even had somepony spying on them tell me about what they're for. And after what she told me, you'll need plenty of luck stopping them."

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow blurted out. She spread her forelegs out, pouting. "We gotta mess with them in order to save Equestria! Princess Celestia over here and a vision about them, and those are always bad news! You've heard of Lord Tirek, right? That big, scary centaur? Celestia had a vision about him!"

The elder gnashed his teeth. "Of course I've heard of Lord Tirek! Any living being who lives here has heard of him! That tyrant etched his name into history ever since he nearly wiped out all life as we know it!" The elder took a deep breath, rubbing his muzzle and grumbling. Everypony else merely looked at him with quizzical expressions. "Sorry, but I have a history with him."

"You do?" asked Starlight. She bit her lip and gently tugged a strand of her mane. "But isn't Tirek from almost a thousand years ago? I know Twilight and her friends helped stop him again, but does that mean you've met with him before?" Pausing, Starlight rubbed the top of her head. "Did he attack this town during his rampage?"

"Very good questions, lass." The elder cleared his throat. "Tirek never attacked this town, but I recall freaking out at the possibility. Ponies, griffons, changelings, and more were powerless under his wrath, which made his defeat all the more amazing. I watched him battling a small pony from a long ways away, thankful I had my telescope." He looked behind his shoulder, then back to the group. "Speaking of which, do you want to see my telescope? You can see Canterlot—"

"Maybe later," said Twilight, wings twitching for a moment. "Let's get back to the topic at hoof. What do you know about the Lustrous Lights—or whatever they're called?"

The elder feigned a chuckle. "You have no idea how close you lot are."

"What are you talking about?" Trixie asked, cocking her head. She arched an eyebrow. "We barely know the basics, which is why we came to you in the first place."

"What I'm saying is that it has something to do with Tirek."

The whole group leaned back simultaneously, mouths agape and eyes widened. Either some piece of the puzzle was missing, or Twilight had the answer under her nose the whole time. Even the rumored treasure Lightning Dust had been searching for seemed more like a coincidence as opposed to a possible connection. The myriad of possibilities made Twilight's heart race, sweat pouring down her coat.

"Surprised?" the elder murmured.

"Of course we're surprised!" Trixie shrieked. Her cheeks became paler, the mare looking close to passing out as Pinkie clung onto her. "Six of these ponies defeated him with a blast, and I thought that was the last we'd ever hear of him! How in the world does Tirek play into this? And more importantly, how do you know this?"

"Would it surprise you if I knew how those pillars came to be?"

Twilight shivered as though a blizzard swirled past her. Taking a deep breath, she then inched closer to the elder. "Well, how did they come about?"

"Gather 'round, youngsters." The elder rubbed his hooves together, lips pursed for a second. "I've got a little story to tell you."

"A story?" Pinkie nudged closer to the elder with a beaming grin. "Ooh, I hope it's a good one!"

"As was previously said, the pillars came about thanks to the work of a pony, but he's not like the ponies you and I know." The elder gently tapped his forehead. "He's what you'd call an umbrum, pony-like creatures from a distant land. A few of them are behind those pillars, though whether they're connected to that hidden kingdom of theirs or are by themselves is unknown."

"Hidden kingdom?" Twilight murmured. She tapped her hoof against the floor, raising her head for a moment. Even among all of the different lands and creatures she had studied, not once had she read anything about the umbrum. Yet they sounded vaguely familiar, almost like a creature from an alternate universe. "Do you know where this hidden kingdom might be? If we talk to their ruler, maybe we can find out the magic behind their pillars."

"Good luck with that." Chuckling, the elder cracked a faint smile. "It's some portal near the Crystal Empire. Nopony knows how to get in."

"Figures," Rainbow grumbled.

"So since visiting the umbrum's homeland won't work, what should we do?" asked Fluttershy. "It's not like we can ask the umbra nearby about the Lustrous Lights. They'd probably try to hurt us before answering." She shuddered, wings spread out for a few seconds. "I don't want to get into more trouble."

The elder cracked a slight smirk, chuckling for a few seconds. "You'll only get in trouble if you look for it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Starlight quipped, wearing a confused expression. She approached the elder and leaned closer to him, muzzle scrunched. "If anything, we'll be in trouble when we least expect it. And if this is supposed to be some cryptic message, then why not tell us upfront?"

"It only means that you shouldn't do anything foolish." The elder ruffled his brow. Shortly after, Starlight inched back and gently flicked her tail. "I know you can't control everything, so just stay focused and things will turn out okay." Another series of laughs escaped his mouth. "The umbrum aren't overly dangerous. Trust me, they might put up a fight, but they're about as threatening as any other pony."

"Not the most comforting words," Trixie murmured. She pursed her lips, taking a deep breath and then saying, "But let's assume that we bump into them. How should we go about dealing with them? I'd rather avoid fighting somepony tough. Illusions and magic tricks are more my thing."

"You're not going to like my answer."

Trixie sighed, wearing a bemused look. "Figures."

"I don't know how else to put it, but stopping the Lustrous Lights won't be a cakewalk. The umbrum aren't exactly privy with this whole friendship thing, and if those lot aren't involved with their kingdom, they'll be even less likely to listen. But if it makes you feel any better, stopping them should be like that infamous wedding mess."

"You mean Queen Chrysalis and her soldiers, right?" Twilight responded.

"The second part."

Twilight rubbed her muzzle, brow sagging a little. While fighting of any kind wasn't anything she wanted to deal with, especially since the crisis involving Tirek, there was little doubt that she'd have to get her hooves dirty at some point. Her heart wished she could've coerced the few umbrum causing trouble with words. She was the Princess of Friendship, after all, and part of her title involved spreading the magic of friendship to those who hadn't discovered it yet. A carefully crafted argument might've been what was needed; it worked with Starlight and some of those before her.

"You have an idea, Twilight?" Applejack asked, leaning closer to her friend's ear. "Anythin' reasonable works for me."

Twilight nodded, cracking a smile and standing as tall as she could. Her eyes then gazed directly at the elder's. "As the Princess of Friendship, I'm going to try and resolve things as peacefully as possible," she said. "Having spread the magic of friendship to many who lost their way, I'm sure that convincing the umbrum to stop what they're doing is possible."

The elder shrugged and donned a sheepish smile. "Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you." He swiftly stood up, nearly knocking over a few things before dusting himself off. Carefully making his way past the group, he twisted his head to face them. "I've said all that needs to be said. Everything else I don't know or is too small to care about."

"But what if something else comes up?" asked Luna. She hurried over to the elder, touching his shoulder, and wore a stern visage. "We can't be sure that's all there is behind those pillars. If one of those minor details becomes much more important, can you promise that you'll help us out?"

"Normally, I'd say no." He turned to Luna, then brought his focus to Celestia, and finally to where Twilight stood. "But you clearly aren't normal ponies." He turned away and trotted over to the front door. "I'll help you out on your little quest, but don't expect me to know everything. I'm not just some expository machine that tells you everything."

"That's what we usually have 'Tia for," Luna teased, giggling. Celestia couldn't help herself from blushing in response, something virtually nopony ever saw from her. Luna then stretched her wings and said, "Anyway, please don't hesitate to inform us. We'll be at the hotel if we're not investigating the Lustrous Lights."

"Right, I know where the only hotel in town is. I'll just ask where you're staying." The elder opened the door, stepping outside and taking in the fresh air. "Alright, I'm off to do some errands. You lot can go shop for supplies and do whatever it is that adventurers do." His grin suddenly widened. "As for me, a trip to the spa should do wonders."

"I have one tiny question," said Fluttershy. She flapped her wings and glided over to where the elder was. "What's your name?"

"Golden Chronicler." He feigned another few chuckles. "I was destined to do this job from the start, I tell you."

"Well, it's an honor to meet you."

Chronicler nodded, looking back at the group again. "And it's wonderful to meet so many heroes. You keep on fighting the good fight." He then stepped outside the cottage, shuffling aside and pointing to the outside world. "Unfortunately, this means you'll have to leave for now. It's for cleanliness, really."

"Right," Rainbow murmured, rolling her eyes.

"Goodbye, youngsters!"

Chronicler waved a hoof, trotting again shortly after. Twilight and company waved in return and, as Chronicler requested, made their way out of the cottage. Spike closed the door once everypony was outside, Twilight feeling as though she had ample breathing space for the first time in what felt like days. She wiggled one of her forelegs, then the other, and surveyed the town.

With a number of options available to them before heading south, Twilight figured that getting some much needed rest was the first item on the agenda. Once that was out of the way, either doing some research or embarking on their quest early would've followed. It was just a matter of figuring out how to approach either of those options.

"Uh, he does realize that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are over a thousand years old, right?" Spike said out of nowhere.

Everypony in the group chuckled together, Twilight sensing something warm tickling her coat. The cheeriness in the air helped lighten some of the load on Twilight's shoulders, relieved that she had the help and support from her friends. Maybe stopping the Lustrous Lights wasn't going to be difficult in comparison to some of Twilight's other escapades.

Tomorrow, Twilight knew they'd be even closer to their objective.