“It would appear that the Everfree is wilder than ever,” Zecora said as she sat in Christopher’s living room. “The flora and fauna acting like this, seen I have never.”

After fetching Zecora, Fluttershy had brought her straight to Chris’s house to explain what had happened.

“Huh,” Aspect mused as he sat there. “They actually came out of the forest?”

“Yes, but Mrs. Megan managed to… um, persuade it to leave in a sense,” Fluttershy said. “They were chasing Manny out of the forest, which is unusual in and of itself. Normally the Wolves wouldn’t dream of hunting someone like him.”

“Hmm,” the stallion mused, thinking it over. “Well we don’t have an Aspect of Nature. And the forest is wild and chaotic, and I’m not asking him to tamper it down. I guess the closest thing we could do is-” he sucked in a breath and put his hoof to his head. “I’m a moron,” he muttered. “Of course this would happen. The one thing I used Earth for back at the castle was to try and pacify the forest to make it more inhabitable for ponies.”

“What has stirred not the absence of Earth,” Zecora said with a small nod. “But an overabundance of magic within the monsters turf.”

“Over… abundance?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, since yesterday the forest has felt out of place,” Zecora nodded as she sipped her tea. “Something, somewhere has upset the balance.”

“...Whelp,” Aspect grumbled. “Gonna talk to Chryssy about that.”

“Huh?” Fluttershy and Zecora tilted their heads.

“Yeah, she started building a hive under my hou—” Aspect began to speak, before his eyes unfocused as a wave of magic washed through his mind.

“Aspect?” Fluttershy leaned closer. “Is everything alright?” She reached out to touch his shoulder…

The stallion was totally lost in the mists of memory as he suddenly recalled everything that had happened a thousand years ago. The reason why the north was lost. A pair of green eyes, burning in the darkness.

“SOMBRA!” he all but growled as he came out of his sudden unsealed memory. “Ladies, I’m sorry. I think I know what’s going on. If anyone asks where I am, tell them I went north.”

“What do you mea—” There came a series of cries throughout the household. Specifically, all the present Aspects that felt the massive pulse of magic coming from up north. The first was Midnight, as she’d been walking past the room. As only 1/3rd Aspect, it wasn’t as bad for her but…

“W-What was that?” she murmured as she stumbled into the room. “My head…”

“Either hope returning, or eternal terror,” Aspect explained as he walked over to her and kissed her. “I’m going to mimic Arabus and ride the Jetstream so I can get north in a hurry. I need to be there before he gets there. Tell Celly to send Shiny and Cadenza as soon as she can. The north is back, and I can’t defend it alone.”

“...What?” Midnight blinked, before Twilight Sparkle teleported into the room. She held a letter out in front of him.

“Explain this please?” she said as he unfurled the scroll.

‘Canterlot. Now. Bring the girls.

Love Celestia.’

“You’ll hear it from her mouth, but suffice to say, a great trial is upon us,” the stallion replied, unfurling his wings. “One of my greatest creations has returned. Along with a tyrant that sought to rule it and instill terror into Equestria. I go now to defend it from him. Follow when you can.”

“...Huh?” Twilight blinked as the stallion abruptly left the room. “Aspect? ASPECT!”

He’d gone.

“Well… buck,” Twilight muttered.

It had taken him half a day of traveling as fast as the wind could take him, as the wind thanks to the power he’d skimmed from the Jetstream. Once it wore off, the Empire was in sight.

He’d have to make a visit to Gelgeth while he was up there, he’d never hear the end of it if he didn’t. The stallion kept himself warm with some applied internal Fire, courtesy of Lavan. Also kept his wings from icing up.

He landed just inside the Empire and folded his wings up...waiting. He knew that any moment now, the blasted shade would show himself.

The city though… it was just as he remembered it, well, sort of. Memories of back then were a little hazy, Sombra’s curse still lingering a little. But this place was quite large. From the gleaming crystal buildings, to the massive castle in the center of the city, the streets laid out in a giant snowflake pattern.

And the Crystal Ponies! Oh, the lifeless, dull coated… wait a minute, that’s not right.

It seemed the curse was affecting more than him. It might not break until the right triggers had been pressed. Still, he turned back to the tundra outside and waited to see signs of Sombra. He knew the shade they’d reduced him to would eventually seek this city out again.

Though right now, all there was was the endless, snowy flurry. A storm that would soon engulf the city too.

A few hours later, Sombra had yet to make an appearance, but a small train did. Containing the married alicorn couple as Shining immediately erected a shield the second they entered the city limits.

“Grandfather,” Cadance rushed over to hug him. “What’s happening here? Auntie Celestia gave us the cliff notes but…”

“Long story short, the Empire was a jewel of the north, things were going great, then Sombra arrived, used dark magic to oust the current ruling family, enslaved everyone, and fought us for control,” Aspect replied. “He was only a unicorn, but he pulled the whole thing with him into the abyss when we banished him for a thousand years. Even my memories of this place were gone, and I don’t think I’m the only one suffering from that curse.” He used a wing to indicate the ponies wandering the streets. “Plus he hid the Heart before we beat him, and I have no idea where it is anymore. If it were in place, he’d never get in. But my memories come and go. The only thing that remains clear is that Sombra must not get in.”

“Well, I shielded an entire army and a storm demon,’ Shining chuckled. “I don’t think this Sombra character is getting in anytime soon…”

A deep, freezing chill went down their spines as they turned to see a massive dark cloud forming outside the barrier.

“Crrrryyssssstaaalllssssss~” the terror-inducing voice hissed as he slipped through the shield like it wasn’t even there.

“And that would be my cue,” Aspect said as he nudged Shining and Cadence. “It’d be better if you worked together, he uses Dark Magic. It can’t abide things like Love. Channel Cadence’s power into yours. And while you work on that, I’ll draw the shade’s attention outside. If I don’t miss my guess, my daughter is sending your sister up here. I’ll occupy his attention so they can get in.”

Cadance nodded as she projected her own shield to replace Shining’s, the stallion frowning at his now-useless talent as Aspect stepped outside the barrrier.

“Crryysstaallsss. Miiiiinneeeee!” the shapeless cloud hissed as it surrounded Aspect.

“You know your power won’t work on me,” he said calmly. “And guess what? I remember how to beat you, Sombra. You think I’m afraid of you?”

“Miiiine!”the cloud hissed louder as dark, black crystals started to form around Aspects wings and legs.

“So be it then,” Aspect sighed, flashing into his alicorn form and breaking the crystals momentarily. He cast his horn up, through the endless storm, and up...and up. And up, until it seized on something. He hoped Luna would forgive him for this.

“I’ve known since we had to fight you the first time how to truly beat you, Sombra!” Aspect shouted into the shadow. “I knew, and hoped the Elements would win anyways! But now? You leave me no choice! Whereas you are the Shadow…”

Something was falling to earth. Something large, and shining. And very, very powerful.

Luna would notice...a star had been pulled out of alignment. And had gone missing entirely.

Aspect raised himself up and held his horn high. “I AM THE LIGHT!”

The star impacted him, and began to be absorbed into his form at a ridiculous speed.

“YOU. ARE. NOTHING!” the dark unicorn growled as hardened shadows slammed into him over and over.

But it was too late. The star flashed at it was absorbed fully into him, and the alicorn transformed…

From a being of flesh and blood, to a living sun, radiating light that burned the shade. He hissed as he recoiled from the living beacon, the shadows falling back and away from the glowing stallion.

“Where you are the shadow, I am the light. Wherever there is sun, moon, or starlight, I am there. Wherever the light of hope burns in a mortal heart, I am there. You will not have my greatest creation again!” The words echoed as the alicorn flared his wings, causing dozens of points of light to be created between the empire and the shade.

The shadow shrank back… and to Aspect’s surprise, retreated deep into the tundra and beyond his sight and senses. The stallion blinked a few times, before closing his wings and falling to the earth again. The glow faded, from all but his eyes. It would take time for him to assimilate the star...but he couldn’t put it back now.

Of course, it was about now that he realised that he took one of Luna’s stars without permission. Circumstances aside, she was going to be pissed. Still, that was a problem for Future Aspect to deal with.

For now, it was time to see to the city's defenses and await Celestia’s chosen to arrive.

This was going to be a loooong day.

It was early next morning when he felt something approach, a collection of magical signatures and two he recognised as Dashie and Twilight. Given that Cadance was having to match Shining Armor in terms of maintaining the shield, she was looking a little haggard. Not to mention Aspect hadn’t gotten to speak with any of the Empire’s residents. He’d literally had the door slammed in his face every time.

Of course, once the Bearers approached, they’d probably pick up on the fact that he was in his alicorn form. And that his eyes were glowing. From within.

Shining had gone out to greet them as well, but as they reached the pair of alicorns… that massive dark cloud started to form again. It had new targets. Weaker targets~

“Excuse me,” Aspect said to Shining, flashing into his Light form and darting out to shine protectively around the Bearers. “Get inside the barrier!” he shouted to the Bearers as he increased the amount of light he was outputting.

Shining joined him, firing bursts of concussive telekinesis at the cloud to try and disperse it. Meanwhile, the six mares, plus Spike headed for the safety of the barrier. The snowstorms were also getting worse, spurred on by the negativity that permeated the air itself.

“You too!” Aspect called to Shining after the girls were inside. “I can do this all day, but you need to help Cadance with the barrier! Get inside! He can’t touch me now!”

“Arrgh, dammit!” Shining yelled as he started to run, but not before some shadows broke away and chased after him and the girls. Aspect darted over as fast as light to shield the stallion, touching the Hope part of his new nature and burning an eerie light-blue as he did. This new form was incredible, even if it was eating through his magic reserves like a starving Celestia at a bakery.

Luckily, it didn’t take long for the others to get to safety.

“Hurry up!” Shining yelled, keeping a hole in the barrier open just wide enough for Aspect to get through. The stallion darted through, keeping his light going bright until the hole closed, before shifting back and letting the exhaustion hit him.

“Whew...until that star assimilates, that’s gonna be hard to keep up,” Aspect muttered, putting a hoof to his chest as he felt the magic drain from him.

“Okay, what is that!?” Twilight said, pointing at the cloud. “And… and what are you right now?” She now gestured to Aspect’s glowing form. “What the HECK is going on here!?”

“Look,” Aspect said, holding up a hoof. “There are problems in this city that need to be solved before we can go into detail. They are twofold. The less important one is the curse on the villagers. Or it would be. They can’t remember anything. And one of them might know the answer to the more important question. The artifact powering this whole city, or what should power it, is missing. You have to fix the villagers, restore their memories. Then you might find the Crystal Heart. If you do that, Cadance won’t have to maintain the shield, it’ll happen naturally.”

“So… that’s the test the Princess was talking about?” Twilight said as she looked towards the Empire.

Wait… what?

“Twilight, it’s not a test,” Aspect said sternly. “It’s vitally important. If that cloud gets in? He’ll instill an atmosphere of fear and terror across Equestria. You have to do this. Because I? I can’t remember. I was around when he pulled the whole thing into the abyss with him. Even my memories. I only have bits and pieces.”

“So whut yer sayin’ is, we can’t rely on y’all ta fix this?” Applejack said. “Well, guess we gotta do this Twi.”

“Let’s find Cadance,” the unicorn said. “She might have a clue to helping fix this.”

The group nodded and started to follow Shining back to the castle, when Aspect noticed.

Why… didn’t they have the Elements of Harmony on?

...Great, he’d have to freaking defend the Empire so that Cadance wasn’t stressed from maintaining the shield, wouldn’t he?

And yet, none of them seemed to notice the dark shard sinking into the grass not a few feet away…

After seeing Cadance, the group of friends headed for the Imperial Library, and Twilight did not squeal at the sight of hundreds of thousands of books nopony had read for a thousand years. No, she had to focus and find the one book they came here for.

The librarian was both abrasive and… useless. She simply didn’t remember where anything was in the library, nor did they use a modern shelving system. It took hours for them to scry the dozens of shelves until they found what they were looking for…

Outside the barrier, the cloud formed again, wisping back and forth in front of Aspect.

“I will have what is miiiine,” Sombra hissed at the stallion.

“No, you won’t,” Aspect retorted. “The longer we stand off like this, the more the star becomes a part of my magical core. By the time this is resolved, I will fully be the Aspect of Light. I will not see you take what I made again. By rights, I should rule here as king! But I don’t, because I possess something you lack, humility! I have never and will never seek a crown on my head, and that alone makes me the better stallion, better man than you, you shade!”

“It is… only a matter of tiiiiime,” the shadow chuckled unnervingly, unfazed by his speech as it slinked back into the snowstorm once again. The shield flickering for a moment… Cadance was running out of power and fast.

Aspect sighed. He was going to have to do something drastic, wasn’t he? If Cadance needed a rest...he could help. But he would need to form a link with Shining, loan him some of his newly-aquired Hope and Light power, to power his shields with. Enough for Cadance to get a rest.

The stallion flashed his way to the palace, before climbing up the stairs, looking for Shining and Cadance.

Once he found them, they were in some kind of drawing room as Twilight was going over a plan.

“So apparently, in order to fuel this ‘Crystal Heart’ with positive emotions, the Crystal Ponies would hold some kind of festival.” The unicorn held up the old history book. “I think, if we can put on this festival the book describes. We can bring the sparkle back to the Empire and the ponies here. Meanwhile, Spike and I are going to search the castle for the Heart. Sombra would have hidden it close I’d wager, given its importance.”

“Fair enough idea,” Aspect said, before marching up to Shining. “You. Form a link with me, now. We need to give Cadance time to rest, and I can give you the power to drive back the shade with your shields. We’ll take it in shifts. I’ll rest, she’ll help. She rests, I help. Got it?”

“Uh… okay?” the stallion blinked, the sudden abruptness catching him off guard. “It’s getting bad out there I take it?”

“I saw the shield flicker, he only needs a moment to get in,” Aspect replied. “Cadance, when was the last time you slept?”

“O-On the train ride here,” she said, heavy bags under her eyes as her horn glowed with a constant thrum. Unlike Shining, she couldn’t create a shield that only needed an upkeep every so often, she she’d been running her magic for the last forty eight hours straight.

“Right, Shining, we link, then you see Cadance to bed until she wakes up again,” Aspect told the stallion. “I don’t remember where those are, so you might have to carry her.”

“Right,” Shining said as he turned. “So, how do we Link then?”

“Cross our horns and run magic through them focused on the same spell,” Aspect said, lowering his horn. “I find a simple light spell will do. It’ll let you get a feel for my magic, and myself yours. Then you hold onto it, and anytime you need more of my Aspect, it’ll pull from my reserves.”

“Hold up Twi… I wanna watch this,” Rainbow said, her cheeks pink and wings erect at the thought. “Eep!”

And that was the unicorn shaking her head and dragging her from the room with her magic, Rainbow waving a goodbye as she was marehandled away. Aspect rolled his eyes and caused his horn to glow, looking at Shining expectantly.

“Right,” the stallion said as he lit up his own horn. Hopefully this would buy them a little more time…

Some hours later, Aspect noticed that not only had Twilight’s friends set up a rather impressive Crystal Fair, but it was starting to draw quite a crowd. In fact, none of them seemed to notice the dark storm clouds gathering outside the city.

Twilight was nowhere to be seen just yet… oh wait, there she was, headed into the throne room?

He had a brief flash of memory of battling the crazed stallion there, before he shook his head and glared out into the storm. “You might as well come out,” he taunted. “I’d like to hear your last words before we disperse you entirely!”

The storm shifted, but didn’t respond…

Then he felt a surge of dark magic coming from the palace throne room… where Twilight had just entered.

He had a moment of panic, before he calmed his heart. Sombra would be more overt than that.

“Come on out, if you’re still a stallion beneath all those smoke and mirrors!” Aspect taunted him. “I’m feeding the shield now, so you’ll not be getting in!”

Still nothing… odd, why wasn’t he taking the bait. Sombra, from what he recalled, revelled in fighting his foes head on…

“Come on you whispy has-been!” Aspect screamed. “Where’s that bravado of a thousand years ago? Where’s the stallion that said ‘You’ll never take me alive, you wenches!’ Where’s the stallion that bucking pulled the empire into the abyss with him?!”

“You know you look like a crazy stallion right?” Shining chuckled as he walked up to the other alicorn. “Shouting at a storm like that.”

“He’s out there,” Aspect grumbled. “I can all but feel the void he leaves in his wake the more attuned to Light I become. The damn smoke cloud is constantly shifting, looking for a weakness, a crack in our defenses.”

”I don’t have to,” a voice hissed. Before a series of onyx crystals jutted from the ground, having fed on the lands magic. One speared up in front of Shining, the stallion yelping as it caught his horn as the shield flickered… and then shattered.

Oh gods… He’d surrounded the entire city, his shadows now surging in like a flood.

“BECAUSE YOUR KING!” His voice bellowed as the stallion appeared atop a black pillar, his body forming, the slate grey coat, his crimson cape and silver armor. “HAS RETURNED!”

“Godsdamnit!” Aspect shouted as he flashed into his Light form halfway, a beam of pure Light magic burning away the crystals on Shining’s horn. “Protect the Fair, the citizens, the castle,” he ordered the stallion. “Leave me the rest of my magic to fight him with!”

“I-I’ll try,” he said as he started to run for the castle. Sombra turned and stared at Aspect.

“Ahhh, so you’ve finally come into your own hmm?” the dark stallion mused. “The Light to match the Shadows. Still, your power is weak… your light will be consumed by the darkness.” He floated down to the ground. “Now… knowing you, you wish to battle no? Some barbaric contest of strength?”

Well, he’d become rather articulated all of a sudden.

“Actually, no. All I have to do is keep you from progressing into the Empire, which, by the way, I planted here two thousand years ago. If anyone is going to rule here, it’s not you. I could claim more kingship that you over this place. All I have to do is keep you out until the Heart is found and, hey presto, we don’t have to worry about you ever again. If you want to fight me to get past, entirely your prerogative.” The stallion of light didn’t have facial features, but if he did, he’d be smiling smugly right about now.

“The Heart?” the stallion chuckled. “It takes somepony with my power to find it. And get past my traps. You’ll never succeed in locating it.” His horn glowed a sickly purple-black hue. “Fine, I shall entertain you for a while. I could do with stretching my legs after a thousand years.”

“Like I said, I don’t have to do a damn thing. I’ve already felt dark magic at work while the brightest mind of a thousand years walked into the throne room. Tell me I’m wrong when I say she’s on the right path.”

“Oh good,” the stallion mused. “The smart ones always bite better when they find the door,” he chuckled. “I have you to thank for that one. ‘Golden doors that lead to dreams’. Now imagine what could happen with blackened doors that lead to endless Nightmares!”

And with that, he fired a blast of black magic that seared the alicorn’s shoulder, his coat sizzling from the touch.

“You realize this is a losing battle for you,” Aspect pointed out as the wound healed rapidly. “I’m not just Light. I’m Hope. And what better hope to instill in these subjects than a dramatic fight with their once-tyrant? The longer we fight, the more they’ll believe in me. The more power I’ll gain. Especially if, oh, I don’t know, the other Aspects of the world believe in me too. If the major forces align against you, Sombra...then there’s no way the light of hope can fail.”

“Light is fleeting, the darkness all-consuming,” he chuckled as he turned and started for the city. “And your fragile hope? I’ll crush it under the weight of absolute despair!”

“Oh please, you’ve not seen all the tricks I can pull off yet! For example, let’s see how bright I can shine, shall we?”

With that, Aspect darted between the king and the city and focused his light, before becoming a beacon that was too painful for Sombra to even look at. It wasn’t just light he was radiating. It was Light magic, and beams of pure Harmony, on loan from Yggdrasil.

“I WILL CRUSH YOUR LIGHT!” he roared as Darkness flooded in, blanketing the city as the girls hard work to rekindle the Light within the Crystal ponies was undone, their coats losing luster as fear and panic took hold upon seeing Sombra’s return.

“You can never crush the Light,” Aspect replied, the light creating a sphere that the shadow lord couldn’t touch. “So long as one being believes in me. So long as one pony thinks that you can falter. So long as one of them hopes for a better future...I will stand in your way. My power will never wane or go out. I will never let you take the Empire again! Not as long as Hope burns in their hearts!”

“Haha, how utterly cliche that is,” the stallion snorted. “The world isn’t one of your human fairy tales Christopher. Good doesn’t always win. Like that Manticore that took your precious friend away. Oh, how I wish I’d seen it myself. Your face must have been tragically wondrous.”

“I made my peace with those I’ve lost over the years. That is the curse of being immortal. But, you have all the time in the world to work those things out,” the stallion of light sighed. “However, I have a light that will never go out that will fuel me. I have found love again. And the mare that believes in me? They are beyond your reach. And their love, their belief, their hope, will power me from now until they die. My powers will burn not just with hope, but with true, utter love. Something you cannot stand to even be near.”

“Oh? But I love a great many things,” he chuckled as he powered down his horn. “I love the screams they make when you whip them. Their defeated faces as you send them to mine more crystals to fuel your empire. I love the seeing an army march to my command, and most of all…”

Aspect heard a yell as he saw Rainbow and the others encased in a black crystal cage each. “I love taking that love away. So… tell me Christopher. Which of these mares do you care about the most? Give me the pleasure of taking it away from you.”

Aspect wasn’t mad. Mad was for lesser stallions.

Aspect’s form exploded, reforming as a giant of light larger than the palace itself as he went Supernova in an instant, his entire body glowing angrily as he stared down at the puny stallion that dared threaten the Bearers, his Dash.

“Ooohh, scary,” the stallion mused as the cages shrank a little around the mares. “Seems that star’s finally kicked in I see. Seems we might have ourselves something of a stalemate. Yes, you have your precious Light and Hope. And I have the darkness and despair that has permeated this land for a thousand years. You have nothing that could tip the scales in your—”

His speech cut off as a beam of light blasted him in the side, sending him sprawling as Celestia landed, decked in golden plate mail as her horn thrummed with Solar magic.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said sternly. The star-stallion nodded to her as he gently tapped each cage, dispelling their nature and sending them to dust with an overload of Light magic.

“Get inside the shield,” he said to the mares.

“Buck no!” Rainbow huffed as wind flickered around her wings. “Imma Rainboom his bucking face for that one!”

“GET. IN. THE. SHIELD.” Aspect boomed. “I can crush him.”

Rainbow frowned at him, stomping her hoof, but Applejack held her close and nodded at Aspect as she started to pull the arguing mare away.

“Hmhm, so she’s the one…” Sombra chuckled as he aimed his horn…

Aspect shrank himself back down, his entire form now boiling Light magic as he stared at Sombra, the places where his eyes were marked by somehow a brighter radiance. “You even so much as try that to any of these ponies here, Sombra, I will drag your flank into the Sun,” he warned.

Sombra chuckled as Celestia launched herself at him, only to phase through his form as she became trapped in a crystal cage herself.

“Sit.” Sombra ordered. “The grown ups are going to play for a while.” He turned as his body erupted into Darkness given form, his eyes marked with glowing crimson spheres. “Now… where were we? Ah yes…”

His horn blazed as countless spears of black crystal rained down at Aspect. The stallion merely turned himself into motes of light, far too many to count, and effortlessly dodged around every spear. Once the rain eventually stopped, he reformed and would have had an unamused look on his face.

“Y’done?” he asked impatiently.

“Ohh, not bad,” Sombra chuckled. “Your turn. Let us see what you have hm?”

“Oh puh-lease. You know my main power comes from Runes. My favorite trick there was to make lasers by compressing light and heat in a fine point before letting it erupt.”

Then motes of light began to form behind the stallion. First a dozen...then they became an impromptu starfield behind him.

“Ever imagine what would happen if I didn’t have to use the Runes to make them?”

“Ooohoho! This should be quite amusing!” Sombra chuckled. “Try not to bore me now.”

Aspect just raised his hooves, and it was then that Sombra noticed…

The motes of light hadn’t just been in front of him. They’d been extended in a sphere all around him.

“Oh dear me,” the dark stallion uttered as countless lasers rained down. His body torn apart by the beams of light as they shredded through his darkness, pocketing the ground with burn marks as he howled in pain.

After a few minutes… there was little left that could still be called a stallion. He was on the ground, entire limbs missing as he was little more than a twitching pile of darkness.

“You… you think… this is funny?” he said in a pained, harsh tone.

“To see you brought low, to see you actually in pain for once, to see you understand an iota of what you’ve been putting these ponies through? No. I think it’s just.” There was no mocking in Aspect’s voice, merely conviction. And he could feel the heartbeat of hope in the ponies he was protecting.

“You know… what I think is funny?” the stallion croaked out.

“Oh, do go on,” Aspect drawled.

Then a spear of black crystal pierced his chest, Sombra reforming almost instantly as he drew in the shadows around them. “That you thought that worked,” he mused. “Also, I have another trick you might be familiar with~”

And with that, he started drawing in the shadows of the ponies that still hadn’t made it to safety yet…

Aspect growled, his form going past white-hot to being blue again as the crystal spear was shattered instantly. He thrust his hooves out and speared the shadows to the ground, disrupting Sombra’s dark magic long enough for them to reattach to the ponies as they ran to safety.

“Bastard, Arabus was just exorcised from me, no way I’m letting you copy his moves!” Aspect shouted out as his form started to expand again. “You’re not going to win with me here, you wanna-be king!”

“His power over shadows was paltry at best,” Sombra mused as he took aim… his spear attack now aimed at a wide area. “I guess I could cull the herd a little.”

He fired… there… there was no way Aspect could stop all of them.

He tried, firing his laser attack, but some slipped through… only to bounce off a magenta barrier.

Twilight stood there, her horn blazing brightly as she panted, her shield broke, but stopped the attack.

Aspect nodded as he blazed brighter. He needed to be stronger. He needed to inspire hope.

His form shifted again, so that he had a corona of violet outlining his form, before he spread his wings.

Shining could take a break, he decided.

And with that, the entire empire was surrounded by a shield of pure Light.

“That will not stay my hoof for long,” Sombra said. “It's only a matter of time before I--”

A pink beam slammed him, knocking him on his ass as Twilight growled. “We found the Heart. Spike's bringing it to Cadance as we speak.”

“That's my girl,” Celestia smiled from within her cage. “I knew she could do it.”

“Even now, you face exile from my creation,” Aspect said as he stood on the air between Sombra and the Empire. “You will not succeed. Once the heart is in place, you will be destroyed by the light it produces.”

Sombra scowled. This… this little mare thought to undo him!? She was no Aspect. She was a simple unicorn!

Then Sombra Winked, appearing above Twilight as his hoof slammed her to the ground, his armored hoof on her horn as she screamed in pain.

“You wretch!” he snarled. “You meddle in affairs above your station.”

“Let her go!” Celestia screamed, slamming her prison walls.

“You sent her here,” Sombra chuckled, pressing down as Twilight’s horn started to crack. “You and she shall reap the rewards.”

Aspect let out a growl as his entire form shifted up the color spectrum. Now he was technically invisible, save for the corona of light around his form.

The laser he produced was definitely visible, and hit the dark stallion head-on. He stumbled back, but the damage was done.

“Twilight!” Celestia slammed the walls of her prison. “Let her GO Sombra!”

Twilight whimpered in pain as motes of magical light leaked from her damaged horn. She opened one eye, looking at Celestia and…

“I'm sorry…” she choked. “I…”

Celestia froze, her eyes wide with shock. Why…. why was she apologising?

The invisible stallion swooped down, picked Twilight up, and put her beyond the shield, and thus, Sombra’s reach. Her horn would heal in time.

“Perhaps she'll learn not to meddle in the affairs of her betters,” Sombra said as he picked himself up.

“I’ll tell her that when I meet someone who’s actually better than her,” Aspect fired back as he rejoined the battle.

“SOMBRAAAAAA!!” Celestia howled with a fury Aspect and the shadowy stallion had never heard from the Princess. The alicorn could not be seen from within the blinding light inside. It was as if the dark crystals were trying to contain the sun itself. The stallions could hear the roar of the flames…

And even more disconcertingly. The anguished roars of the mare somewhere within.

“W-What… is she doing?” Sombra found himself asking, oddly transfixed by the sight. The sheer hatred that rolled off of the sphere was palatable.

“I...don’t know,” Aspect replied.

Then all Tartarus broke loose.

Whatever Sombra might have said in retaliation, he was cut off as a massive gout of flame consumed him, so brilliantly hot that it reduced the ground under him to molten glass and stone.

And from the ashes of her prison…

Celestia stood.

And a deep sense of dread washed over Aspect. No… not again… not his little Tia. He’d seen this sight before, a thousand years ago… An event that tore his family apart.

Aspect let out a howl as he faded back into sight, expanding again and now definitely resembling a star. Specifically, an old, dying one. His body pulsed with light erratically as his entire form crisscrossed with cracks.

Going supernova literally would probably kill everything in the vicinity. Or at the very least, Sombra.

“Enough…” Celestia growled, the snow vapourising under her hooves as she walked, her mane shimmered like living flame, her body rippling from the heat she emanated as she walked towards him. “Sombra will learn… he shouldn't touch my things.” As the dark stallion got up, she slammed him with more fire. “Twilight is Mine! You do not BREAK my things!”

Was… was Celestia still in control!? At the very least, her rage was directed at single point. Aspect gained a little hope, but he didn’t drop out of his form he’d taken. He wanted Sombra to know one thing.

He was done screwing around. He reared up and reached to the stars above, hidden behind the storm clouds.

And from the heavens, a rain of light came down, slamming into him and empowering him even more. He fed the magic into the shield, making it thicker and more powerful.

“Stubborn… Asshole…” Celestia muttered as she turned her wrath on Sombra. A stallion who was now hopelessly outgunned. “Let's fuck his shit up.”

Aspect reached out a hoof and focused, and bands of light formed a semi-solid cage around the dark once-king.

“You cannot win!” the dark stallion howled. “You cannot hope to slay me!”

“No?” Celestia chuckled. “But we can have fun trying!” She reared up as she summoned the full might of her Aspect. A pillar of pure sunfire dropping down on the stallion, the gout of flame causing the ground to tremble and light flood the area.

The giant star stallion reached out a hoof…

...And chains of pure light wrapped around Celly’s back hooves, dragging her away from Sombra. “Enough,” he said. “He will lose soon enough. Once the Heart is in place, he will be banished from the Empire forever. You need not torment him more.”

“Oh but I do~” Celestia chuckled, her draconic eyes gleaming. “He broke MY Twilight. He made her cry! I will torment him until the end of days for his transgressions!” Her flames stopped, and amidst the pile of ash and seared earth, a dark crystal stood, the stallion encased inside.

“Enough!” Aspect growled, putting a hoof between her and Sombra. “I will punish him myself. You focus on restoring your visage to what it used to be. I have no doubt Twilight will appreciate it.”

“DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO!” Celestia screamed, a pulse of magic making him stumble back. “I am sick of your know-it-all attitude! If you had just finished him from the start, none of this would have happened!” She gave a fanged smile and chuckled. “You had your turn. Now I, Daybreaker, will finish what YOU couldn’t!”

The stallion sighed, before creating more chains of light to drag the mare back and hold her down. “Stay out of it,” he ordered her as he walked up to Sombra’s crystal and tapped it with a hoof, flooding it with Light magic.

Then solar magic slammed him and the crystal, shattering it as she sent the stallions flying, sprawling into the frigid snow. “Then I will end you both…” she growled. “You hurt Twilight too. She is MINE! And you will PAY!”

Aspect growled as he picked himself up, before flaring his wings. “Fine. You want to test me? I’m connected to the magical field of Equus itself you know. My power, matches one of you. A mortal, barely compares. But what do you think would happen if I asked every mortal for help at once?”

Faint whisps appeared around his form, each one a whisp of magic from one of the multitude of beings on the world. They dove into the solar stallion, causing him to start glowing in a rainbow of colors as more and more piled up.

“Even you cannot control so much magic for long…” Daybreaker said with a sneer. “And as usual, you fail to see the bigger picture father.”

The stallion was shrinking, still glowing, as the colors and magic piled up quickly and turned him into the kaleidoscope reject from the rainbow vat. The magic kept coming for a while yet...and when it stopped, he opened his pure white eyes.

“We are Harmony...for we are many,” his voice echoed.

A new voice screamed in his head amongst the many, the voice of Yggdrasil.

“Father NO! That power… it is NOT for you to wield. That is NOT your destiny!”

Aspect waved his horn, and a point of rainbow light appeared between himself and Sombra...and himself and Celestia. “Be bathed and cleansed in the light,” he uttered, before firing two lasers of rainbow light.

And at that moment, a great pulse of magic washed out from the Crystal Empire’s heart… It would seem that a certain dragon had returned the Crystal Heart to it’s proper place…

And everything was bathed in the light….

Aspect had a headache.

Eh, scratch that, he’d had headaches before. This felt like a thousand Luna’s hugging his brain while singing in his ear with the Royal Voice. There weren’t enough painkillers in every dimension for this…

Fortunately, someone had drawn his curtains. He didn’t think he could handle the sunlight right about now. All he wanted was to go back to sleep.

Wasn’t he doing something though?

Wait…

His memory came back in bits and pieces. The empire...Sombra...Celestia…

That...thing he’d done to get enough power to purify them. Yeah...that’d do it. He overreached, again.

‘I hope you’re in a great deal of pain,’ a dry voice echoed in his mind, sending sharp spikes of pain throughout his whole body. Oh… hello Yggdrasil.

Not...so loud. Head...hurts, Aspect thought back.

“GOOD!” Yggdrasil yelled in his mind, making him groan in agony. ‘You took what wasn’t yours. Harmony magic is ‘theirs’ and they are less than happy about you encroaching on it Father.’

I only borrowed it for a moment! I was going to give it back once the battle was over!

Yggdrasil sighed. Or at least made a sound like it. ‘The Elements are a part of me Father. They possess some level of sentience. It’s how they pick their wielders. You’re incredibly lucky I was able to reason with them, else they’d have taken much more than your magic for the time being.’

I’m finished, finally, I’ll get it back sooner or later, Aspect muttered. Besides, if I needed to get it back in a hurry, I could threaten to throw myself on my sword. Bet that’d make them realize that they’re overstepping their bounds.

‘You are the one that overstepped, never forget that the Sword can always go to another.’ Yggdrasil gave a long suffering groan. ‘That destiny is reserved for someone else father. Just… never do that again. While the Light can be used… sparingly, Harmony is not EVER to be harnessed by a singular entity. The last time that happened… your daughter was cast away and the other curs—’

I know, Ygg, I was there, Aspect replied curtly. Remind them you’re their father, and I’m your father. I only needed the magic for a moment, to make sure that not only that Sombra was dealt with, but that Cel would stop being Daybreaker. If it’s so important to the Elements that I not touch their precious power, ask them where the fuck they were when we needed their power this time!

‘Father…’ Yggdrasil paused. ‘Destiny has been altered. That which has occurred was not meant to be. As such… I cannot see the future for now. Not until I get my bearings. Celestia is fine. Between Harmony and the Heart, Daybreaker was subdued, but still lingers in her. Worse, she will recall all that has transpired…’

I’ll comfort her. Relay a message to your kids for me. Remind them that I spent days assimilating a freaking star, which I’m sure Luna will berate me for. Remind them I walked this earth for centuries, working my natural magic and shapeshifting to the point where I could do it on command. Remind them I worked hard for that power, stealing every scrap of it from entities bigger and scarier than they could ever be, and if I have to threaten them with a sledgehammer to get it back, I’ll find them and do so.

‘You are as hardheaded and asinine as always,’ Yggdrasil sighed. ‘We shall talk more when you are well. Come see me in person, and bring your mares. I am interesting it meeting them. Just remember. Even you have a destiny father. Though it is not set in stone, anyone can change them, but no-one is exempt from them.’

And with that, he felt the presence finally leave his mind. Well shit, Ygg was angry. He couldn't remember the last time he was angry.

Right now, he had a daughter to find. Aspect slowly crawled to the edge of his bed and gingerly touched down, before noticing that his natural form that wasn’t an alicorn had changed. He wasn’t a pegasus anymore. He was a unicorn. Probably so he could do Light-based things and get away with it easier.

...When he got his magic back from the Elements at any rate. It was only a little bit of power from everyone! He only borrowed it, he was going to return it. Once he had fired those beams. And made sure they took.

He closed his eyes and...well that still worked, he still could feel sources of power. Two were in the throne room. Likely Shiny and Cadance. And…

Oh. His power was still in his chest, just...heavily muted. He could see the thrumming of the star there. If he wanted to, he could just unlock it with runes. Eh...He’d give the Elements a day to do it themselves.

So that begged the question...where was ‘Tia?

As that thought entered his mind, the door opened and a pony entered, a gleaming Crystal mare. Well, so they had come into their own finally? He’d missed some things apparently.

“Well, you’re awake?” she blinked, her crystal blue coat sparkling brightly. Her aqua colored mane bouncing with each step. “That’s good to see. The Princess said you’d recover quickly but it’s no less surprising to see. Oh, where are my manners. I am Heart Pulse, it’s a pleasure to meet you sir.”

“Aspect, and I’d love to chat, but I have a daughter to see to,” the stallion said. “Take me to Celestia, she needs her father’s comforting hug right about now.”

“Ah yes, the Sun Queen, I was about to check on her next,” Heart nodded. “Please follow me. Oh, would you like some assistance in moving about Sir Aspect?”

“I’ll—” Aspect had been about to say ‘be fine,’ but one of his legs buckled under his own weight, and he realized how weak he felt. “—gladly take that offer until we get to Cel’s side,” he finished lamely.

The mare didn’t laugh, she simply smiled and nodded, moving under him and…

Gods she was strong, he now found himself on her back as she started a gentle walk, her hooves clicking on the crystal floor.

“Goodness me a lot has happened,” she said in a bubbly tone. “A thousand years has passed? Can you believe it. We have so much to catch up on. New species to meet. I do hope our new Princess is up to the task… well, she seems like a nice mare so I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Mmm,” Aspect commented. “I’m, uh, sorry we failed you the first time. And didn’t come looking. Even our memories of the place vanished. Every mention of it did.”

“Well, we don’t really remember the passage of time,” she smiled. How the hell was she so… chipper about it. “The fight between Sombra and the Princesses was like yesterday for us. So, it’s a little jarring to know what actually happened. But, not like we can do much about it now. Best just put our best hoof forward hm?”

“I hope you keep that upbeat attitude about it when you realize how much work it’ll be to get acquainted to what’s happened over the past thousand years,” Aspect sighed. “It certainly wasn’t easy for me or Luna…”

“Given what Sombra’s rule was like,” her bubbliness disappeared for a moment, a distant look in her eyes as her coat dimmed for the passing of the blink of an eye. “This is paradise and we shall leave it at that hm?”

“Fair enough,” Aspect chuckled. “Sorry for touching on a sore topic.”

“It’s fine, admitting defeat and losing to the sadness just means he wins and we’re broken, beyond help,” she said and perked back up. These ponies were mortal, under the heel of a stallion far beyond their power to combat… and yet, look at how strong of heart they were. “Plenty of time for that later no? We have a daddy/daughter reunion to get to. Oh, but please be gentle, she seems to be rather under the weather.”

“Then we better get there faster,” Aspect replied. “She’s probably upset at what she did.” Also, mental note, tell Cadance to go through getting therapy for all the ponies here. She’d be better suited to understand it than he would.

“Well, here we are,” she said, stopping at a door and gently setting him on his hooves. “I’ll not interrupt you. Just make sure she drinks her water and eats her food m’kay?”

“Has she not been doing that?” Aspect asked as he made sure his legs were steady.

“Not as often as she should be,” Heart said. “I fear… something has happened and it has made her afeared. Please help her if you can.”

“On it,” Aspect said, pushing the door open and carefully walking into the room. It was dark inside, much like his own room had been. His eyes instantly went to the bed, but found it bare, the sheets a mess. Panicking for a second, he soon heard a sound and glanced at the corner of the room.

A white alicorn, her mane limp as she hugged herself with her wings. The second he took a step closer, she flinched.

“Get out…” she said in a harsh whisper, as if her own voice scared her. “I have… no right to be comforted by you… or anypony.”

“Not happening,” Aspect said as he began making his way towards her. “This is just the sort of thing fathers do.”

“Did you not see what I did?” she said with a pained sob. “The monster I became… Just… get out. Leave me be!”

“I’m not leaving you alone!” Aspect replied, walking closer still. “I have darker secrets than that, and even if I didn’t I wouldn’t leave you alone in her—”

Just as he was about to enter arm’s reach of her, his legs buckled and he began falling to the floor. It wasn’t hard crystal that met him though, but a soft flurry of white feathers and warm fur, the stallion against the breast of the larger alicorn.

“Idiot… you’re a bucking idiot,” she murmured as her forelegs wrapped around him.

“Yeah, not arguing that point,” Aspect muttered as he nuzzled the mare, hugging her in return. “You know, for what you did, you did it for the right reasons. Granted, you went to extremes and even turned on me, but your heart was in the right place.”

“No it wasn’t…” she muttered. “My heart was… not in the right place. I… I thought of Twilight, not as my precious student… but, something I possessed. A thing that was mine and mine alone. What… what kind of pony does that?” She shuddered, as her grip tightened a little. “I know what happened between the pair of you. She confided in me. And yet… she blames herself for it you know? She still thinks you're mad at her, for being indecisive and stringing you along.” She paused. “Back in that moment… I was ready to strike you down for making her feel like that.”

“I probably deserve it,” Aspect shrugged. “But you became what you did not out of jealousy...but love for her. You feared for her so much, that you tapped your darker side, rather than see her hurt again. You’re still you under there.”

“I…” she shuddered. “How… how did Luna live with that? I…I was ready to destroy both Sombra and you…” She was idly stroking his back with a hoof. “I’ve never felt so much rage and hatred before. Especially towards you.”

“It’s the curse of being an Aspect, I suppose,” Aspect chuckled. “We all have a darker side we have to learn to live with. I suppose now that I’m finished, I’ll have to figure out what mine is.”

“How… am I supposed to face her,” Celestia shuddered. “I sent Twilight here, as, I knew she had the smarts and means to finish what we started but…” The alicorn drooped, her wings splayed against the floor as she sighed. “She got hurt because of me, because of my foolishness at once again, throwing her into a dangerous situation again.”

“There’s only one real mistake you made,” Aspect said, softly beeping her nose. “You didn’t send the Elements with them. Other than that, I approve of the direction you took. Shining and Cadance to protect the Empire. The six Bearers to reinvigorate the ponies and find the Heart. The only thing we couldn’t prepare for was Sombra being stronger than the shade we reduced him to, which is where the Elements would have come in handy.”

“I didn’t want to have to overuse them,” Celestia sighed. “Plus, with them being in Canterlot, I feel their close proximity to Discord will keep him in his statue this time.” She blinked and scrunched up her nose, a delayed reaction to the booping.

“Yes, well…” Aspect hugged her a little tighter. “You’re going to have to face up to the fact that it wasn’t just hatred that brought out Daybreaker. It was your care for Twilight. She’s the chink in your perfect armor. If anything happens to her, you lose it.”

“Yes, she is precious to me,” Celestia said. “I feel the same about all of my friends…”

“It wasn’t their name you screamed before you transformed,” Aspect pointed out. “She’s more than just precious to you, isn’t she?”

“She’s my only student, well, my only personal protege,” Celestia corrected herself. “And it’s my fault she was hurt in the first place.” She took a sharp breath, this room was rather stifling, her cheeks felt hot…

“Don’t make me get Cadance in here to make you face the truth,” Aspect warned. “She means more to you than that and you know it. Own up to it.”

“Alright, so maybe I care for her a little more than a teacher should,” Celestia huffed. “She’s been an important part of my life for a while now and…” She slowly trailed off as her eyes widened ever so slightly.

“And so the great light dawns,” Aspect intoned. “You’re finally realizing what she really means to you.”

“Nooo….” Celestia whispered. “Nonono, I… I can’t…” And now his daughter was hyperventilating in his hooves.

“Celly, calm down,” Aspect told her sternly. “It is not as bad as you are making it out to be.”

“How is this not ‘as bad’?” she said, much louder. This… looked oddly familiar.

Ohh, so this is where Twilight got it from.

“I… I can’t love her! Well, not like that anyway,” Celestia exclaimed. “That’s… it’s not proper for starters. I mean, I’ve known her since she was a foal. She treats me like a second mother for buck’s sake!”

“Celly!” Aspect spoke in a louder voice himself. “You. Are going. To calm. DOWN!” He was dangerously close to using the RCV on her.

“I…” She took a breath, a calmer, less panicked one. “R-Right. I…” She had no idea what to do. Was this a side effect of the Nightmare? She’d been so possessive… yes, that must be it.

“Now the first thing you’re going to do is, calmly, tell me why you think you can’t love Twilight,” Aspect ordered her.

“Well for one, I’m her age two hundred times over,” the mare said.

“Same for me and Bon Bon, or Dash, or Midnight,” Aspect replied, calmly shooting that argument down. “Next.”

“Buck…” she muttered under her breath. “Well, I’m her teacher, somepony that practically raised her. That’s… got to be immoral or something!”

“I taught the ponies what it meant to harness Aeromancy, Geomancy, and Sorcery back in the day, and they created martial arts around it. And I learned from them those things. And Hurricane had a crush on me as well. If she’d actually pursued it, maybe I’d be singing a different tune this day,” Aspect continued. “I probably wouldn’t have turned her down if not for all the lightning bolts she dumped on my head.”

Celestia was going to let somepony else explain why Hurricane did that.

“You know the pedestal she keeps me on,” Celestia said, sighing softly. This… actually stung her a little more than she let on. “I’m the perfect pony. An infallible princess that never does anything wrong. Even… even as Sombra hurt her… she… she apologized!” Her calm demeanor she’d found was obliterated under the oncoming sobs she was holding back.

“Oh that’s easy to fix,” Aspect smirked. “Once you two start dating, I’ll break out the family picture album. If that doesn’t bring you down to her level, I don’t know what will.”

Celestia just smacked him with a hoof. “I’m serious. I…” Her brow furrowed. “Oh that’s just great. You of all ponies is giving me love advice. That’s it, I’m doomed to be alone forever.”

“Celly, honestly,” Aspect put a hoof to her chest. “If you love Twilight, and I think we’ve proven that you do. Then you have to tell her. Preferably when Cadance and I are around to calm her down and make her realize it’s not a test or anything, but a genuine relationship offer that she has to treat seriously.”

“I…” she flicked her wings, picking them up off of the floor and tucking them in at her sides. “She probably doesn’t even like mares like that. I am not so fussed about gender or species for that matter. The heart is what counts but…”

“Then we ask. If she says no, then we respect her answer. If she says yes...well, you’ll enjoy each other,” Aspect replied nuzzling her slightly. “Come on. While she’s healing from a cracked horn is the right time, it means she won’t use magic to try and find an answer or teleport away. She’ll be slightly less manic at the thought. Plus, you can tell her how she did on her ‘test’.”

“I am not going to place more stress on her while she’s healing,” Celestia said. “No wonder she dropped those lightning bolts on you,” muttering under her breath.

“Celly, if you put it off now, you’ll put it off later, and tomorrow, and the day after,” Aspect replied sternly. “If it’s worth doing, you do it then. Didn’t I all but drill that into you?”

“Yes, but it’s Twilight, she’d panic regardless of her state and injure herself further…” Celestia felt rather tired all of a sudden. “Just… I need time to think alright. This isn’t something that should be rushed. It worked out for you, three times no less, but that doesn’t mean it suits everypony.”

Aspect rolled his eyes. “Celly, if you don’t confess yourself in a month, I will drag you to Twilight in chains of light to say it to her myself and let her decide what happens next.”

“You wouldn’t dare…” Celestia said with a warning scowl.

“I’d even throw in a muzzle,” the stallion added.

“To your own daughter? Kinky,” Celestia hummed, trying to throw him off.

“I’m sure Twilight will blush adorably when I put you in her lobby to play with,” Aspect turned on her.

“...What the hay happened to the stallion that would so much as blush and freeze at the mention of something like that?” Celestia pouted, a little sad she’d lost that round.

“Three mares happened,” Aspect deadpanned.

“Horseapples,” she muttered, blissfully unaware of what his… more adult relations were like most of the time. “Tch! Fine, I’ll tell her once she’s well. Happy?”

“Better,” Aspect nodded. “Now as long as you actually keep to that, and remember to tell when Cadance and I are there to make sure no freaking out happens, it’ll all go well.”

“Cadance must never know…” Celestia shuddered. “You have NO idea how vested she is in my love life.”

“And who do you plan to have on hoof to keep Twilight in check?” Aspect questioned.

“...Damn,” Celestia swore. “Look, I’ll… think of something okay. You worry about your own mares and less about mine.”

“I’ll worry about my daughter’s love life all I want to,” Aspect replied, beeping her again. “Now will you please cheer up? You’re worrying the staff.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, clearly not aware she was doing as such.

“Not eating or drinking or sleeping to recover from what you and I did during the fight,” Aspect elaborated. “You might be an alicorn, but regeneration only goes so far, Cel. Some regular activity might help you recover more than being stubborn.”

Oh… she’d done that huh?

“Fine, I’ll be a good filly,” she sighed as she started to make her way over to the bed.

“Which means I should expect a prank on the staff in what, half an hour?” Aspect fired back.

“No…”

Yes.

“Missed you, Cel,” Aspect said to her as he began walking to the door.

“Yeah… you too dad,” she murmured as he closed the door behind him. What a day this had been… and yet it was only just starting…

Author's Note

And it might be later than normal, but it's here!

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