Glint Stones: Answersby Middle GroundChaptersChapter 1 - ExaminationChapter 2 - Catching UpChapter 3 - Quality TimeChapter 4 - DarknessChapter 1 - ExaminationIn the land of Equestria, there is a kingdom where the two reigning monarchs live in. This kingdom is called Canterlot. Canterlot is where the aristocratic ponies, mostly Unicorns, live as well. It is a majestic kingdom that resides on the side of a mountain and both Twilight and Spike are visiting there. Fact is they used to live in Canterlot for quite some time before moving to Ponyville. Right now they're just about to meet with the Princesses, stepping through the front door and into the hallway. "I'm glad Princess Celestia squeezed us in for a visit today. I hope she isn't too busy." Twilight carried some books in a couple of bags. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Twilight. I'm more worried about Starlight...." Spike carried most of Twilight's books as they made their way to the throne room. "Don't worry, Spike...! I'm sure she is more than capable of dealing with those four ponies. She's a great magic-user too." They then arrived in the throne room to see Princess Celestia looking through some paperwork with her sister, Princess Luna. "Oh, welcome, you two. We're almost through with today's paperwork, so just wait right there." "Yes, Princess." Twilight and Spike placed all the books down on the floor to wait. Spike was exhausted from carrying most of the books. After nearly 20 minutes, the Princesses have finished the daily paperwork. "Alright, now we are done. Twilight, you said you needed to speak with me about what was found on the Pie Rock Farm?" Princess Celestia to speak with Twilight and Spike. Her sister followed. "Yes, it's about this black rock Pinkie told me about. I want to see this rock for myself because everything she told me makes no sense." Twilight was still quite skeptic about everything she heard from Pinkie about the Spellbind Brothers. "Ah yes, the black rock. From what the scientists have told me, it is certainly unusual. It is made from multiple metals and minerals. And it is full of magical energy. They're still examining it, but if you to see it for yourself, I will grant you special permission." "Thank you, Princess...! I'll go to it right away!" Twilight was quite excited. "I will take you to where they are examining it. Follow me." Princess Luna then began leaving the throne room. Twilight and Spike both followed her. Twilight then stopped and asked, "Oh wait, Princess, I need to ask. Does the name 'Spellbind' mean anything to you...?" When Twilight spoke the name, Princess Celestia looked surprised. Like she just remembered something. "Yes...it does. But I can't quite remember. I will need to look through the archives for anything that might relate to that name. You go and see the black rock like you needed. I will let you know if I find anything at all." Princess Celestia then left to do so. "Alright then. Bye...!" Twilight and Spike then began following Princess Luna to the black rock. They made their way to Canterlot University where the black stone was being examined. It was located outside the university because the black rock was too big to fit inside. The many scientists and geologists were still examining the rock since they first brought it to Canterlot. They then stopped their work when they saw Princess Luna and Twilight and lowered their heads. "Oh dear...! Your majesties...! You grace us all with your arrival! And you must be Spike, the Hero of the Crystal Empire! A pleasure...!" One of the scientists ran up to them in a panic. Twilight, Princess Luna, and Spike felt a little embarrassed to be praised so much. "Calm yourselves, all of you. I am here as an escort for Princess Twilight so that she may aide you in your examination of this stone. My sister has given her special permission to do so while she visits Canterlot." "Of course...! Absolutely! We would never turn away Princess Celestia's most prized student from aiding us! In fact, help from such an intellect is most welcome!" The scientist could barely keep his glasses on straight in his panic. Spike whispered, "Princess, is he alright...?" "Pay it no mind, Spike. Most ponies are always like this around royalty." Princess Luna was always used to such behavior. "I would love to help you all. Looking at it now, there is definitely something strange about it. I will need to look over anything you have found to know what I'm examining." Twilight began to look at the black rock more thoroughly. "We will get right no it...! Everypony, get all of our findings and have Princess Twilight see them! On the double!" All the scientists starting panicking as they went back to their work. "I suppose that is my cue to leave. Spike, if you wish, you may join me for some tea. I promise to have some gems for you." "Definitely...!" Spike quickly followed Princess Luna out of the university, leaving Twilight to her examination. A few hours have gone by and Twilight was amazed at what she found. "So the Princess was right. This stone is made from many different kinds of metals and minerals such as iron, copper, graphite, clay, and that's just a few of them. And it's full of magical energy too." She was amazed at how well put-together the black rock was despite the countless types of metals and minerals used to make it. "Indeed. Strangely enough though, we tried to break into this rock with various tools, but we couldn't leave a crack in it. It's like it was made to be unbreakable." "Wait...then how did you find out about all those minerals and metals?" "Well, it was mostly through sight at first. But when we called our geologists to aide us, it became somewhat easier. As for why it has so much magic in it, we still don't know...." All the scientists and geologists were still examining the black rock like usual. "I see. Did any of you think to use magic?" "Oh no...! We could not risk it! There are many delicate minerals and metals that could explode should they be tampered with so carelessly! And considering the magic within it, it could make things even worse!" The scientist panicked at the thought. Twilight walked up to the rock and touched it. She then felt like her right hoof went numb without warning. She then quickly pulled it away and the feeling in her hoof returned. This freaked her out and backed away from the black rock. "Your highness, what's the matter?! Did we do something wrong?!" The scientist freaked out when he noticed Twilight's reaction to touching the black rock. Twilight didn't answer him at first. She was still shaken up from what just happened. "Uh...I'm fine. Did...did any of you ever touch this rock at all while examining it? If so, did anything happen?" Twilight was very confused at what just happened. "Oh yes, we have. Nothing really happened during our examination. Why...?" The scientist was as confused as Twilight was. She kept her distance to avoid any more physical contact. She knew there was definitely something wrong with that black rock. "I...think I will leave for now. Maybe I can find something at my old study." Twilight began to leave the university to do so. "As you wish, your highness...! You can come back to aide us anytime you see fit!" The scientists all waved goodbye as Twilight left. As Twilight entered the town, she realized how hungry she was and made her way to a nearby café. She entered for some lunch until she then noticed a familiar face. It was a mare who had a yellow coat, had orange tail and mane with purple bangs, wore glasses and a black sweater. She even tied her mane up. She was a Unicorn who was reading a bunch of books. "Moondancer...! It's been a while!" Twilight walked up to the mare in excitement. The mare didn't react to her since she was so focused on her reading. "Moondancer, it's me. Twilight Sparkle? Hello...?" Twilight's words finally got through to the mare. Moondancer stopped reading for a moment and adjusted her glasses to see who was calling her. "Oh, hello Twilight...." She then went back to reading after speaking to Twilight. Twilight felt empty when that happened. She then turned away to get something to eat. Suddenly, Moondancer realized that her best friend was visiting her, so she slammed her book shut and grabbed onto Twilight. "Twilight, it's been so long...!" Her attitude made a complete 180 upon her realization. "Moondancer, I thought you were too busy to speak to me...." Twilight was worried for a moment. "I could never be too busy to speak with you! You're my dear friend...!" Moondancer was very happy to see Twilight. Twilight was so relieved to know this. So far, this visit was turning out to be quite enjoyable for Twilight. Chapter 2 - Catching UpTwilight and Moondancer began enjoying lunch together when they met up for the first time in a little while. Moondancer was one of Twilight's friends back in Magic Kindergarten. They spent a lot of time together studying, reading books, practicing magic, and other school-related things. But when they grew older, Twilight had to leave Canterlot and move to Ponyville by order of Princess Celestia. That was when Nightmare Moon was about to return and Moondancer had planned a party at the time. Twilight couldn't come and Moondancer felt neglected by this. She had no idea and she spent an entire year in seclusion with her time mostly used for studying. But thankfully, Twilight and Moondancer made up and have spent more time together since then. "So Twilight, what brings you to Canterlot...? On royal business?" Moondancer had her books in her bag to spend time with Twilight. "I guess so. My friend, Pinkie Pie, met up with these really strange ponies. One of them is a big jerk, one of them is really lazy, one of them is always happy, and one of them is too loud. But I'm actually here to see this black rock Pinkie and her family found at their rock farm." Twilight ate some donuts with a cup of coffee. Moondancer adjusted her glasses, "Oh, you mean that black in Canterlot University? I looked at it myself. I've never seen anything like it." "You saw it too...?" "Yes, I did. I'm actually working as an assistant instructor at the university. The payment is alright and I learn something new every day." "Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" Twilight hugged Moondancer knowing that she was doing just fine. "I'm also using your old study as my house. I'm paying the rent for that place now. I hope you don't mind...." Moondancer felt embarrassed admitting this to Twilight. "That's fine, Moondancer. I did give you the key to the place. I'm just glad you're doing alright." They continued to enjoy lunch together for nearly an hour. After they paid the food bill, they then made their way to Twilight's old study now made into Moondancer's home. After unlocking the door, they went inside to see that it remained mostly unchanged. The books on the shelves remained in their place and any books that were on the ground were also put away. There was a sofa, an old clock, a upstairs balcony, and a giant window with large curtains. "It took me a while to clean this place up. It was so dusty. My bed is up the stairs and I stocked the kitchen with food and drinks. Make yourself at home...or study." Moondancer placed her of books on the desk near the main window and sat down on the sofa. Twilight joined her. "At least somepony is using this old place. I completely forgot about this place when me and Spike left. Uh...well, I...uh-!" Twilight then remembered how much of a negative affect her departure had on Moondancer. Moondancer then hugged her, "It's alright, Twilight. I know you had something important to do that day. If you didn't, so many bad things would've happened. I'm just glad we could talk more." Twilight felt relieved at Moondancer's words. They then heard the sound of knocking at the front door. "Who could that be...?" Moondancer answered the door and it was Spike knocking. "Oh Spike...! It's so good to see you!" Moondancer hugged Spike. "Hey Moondancer...! I was looking for Twilight and I thought she would be here. I also heard from the Princess that you live here now. That's great!" Spike was happy to see her too and hugged her back. Twilight walked up to Spike, "Spike, did you need something...?" "Oh right, the Princess wants to see you. She said she might have found something about Sparx and his brothers." "Really? Moondancer, I have to go right now. She might have the answer I am looking for. I'll see you later!" Twilight magically placed Spike on her back then took flight back to the castle with haste. "Alright...! Bye! See you later!" Moondancer saw them off and went inside her home to continue her studies. Twilight and Spike then arrived in the throne room to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looking through some old-looking pages. "Princess, I'm here...!" Twilight ran up to the Princesses hoping they might have found something. "Welcome back, you two. Twilight, I believe we might have found something about the name 'Spellbind'." Princess Celestia presented the old pages to Twilight for her to look over. "According to what we have found, the Spellbind Family were well-known for being powerful magic users. A family of powerful Unicorns. But something happened that resulted in their unfortunate demise. We do not know what caused it since the rest of it has faded due to age...." Princess Luna's words brought sadness to Twilight and Spike. "That's so sad.... I thought that-" "Twilight, where did you hear that name from? I know you're not telling me everything." Princess Celestia knew there was something going on and both Twilight and Spike fell silent. "The Spellbind Family died off over 600 years ago and you know of their name. Why is that, Twilight?" There was no talking out of this for Twilight or Spike. Princess Celestia wanted her answers. "Well...um...you might not believe this, but we actually met with some ponies who have that name. Four of them. Brothers. And they're staying in Ponyville right now." Twilight's words surprised Princess Celestia to think that surviving members of a family that was once known to be dead were alive and well. "How...did you meet with these four ponies exactly?" Twilight told Princess Celestia everything that Pinkie has told her and she even told her all that had happened when the Spellbind Brothers first visited Ponyville. "I see, so they were inside the black rock the entire time and the Pie Family found it. And when they did, they freed those four brothers. And you say that they wield elemental magic?" Princess Celestia was concerned for the well-being of ponies around the Spellbind Brothers. "They do, but they're not so bad! They're all really nice! Except one of them is a big jerk...." Twilight still didn't like Sparx all that much. "Yeah...! I mean, they got into trouble a few times, but they can be nice!" Spike tried to defend them as well. "Sister, I know you're concerned, but maybe we can try to understand them. Speak with them face to face perhaps?" Princess Celestia was reluctant, but she went with Princess Luna's suggestion. She sighed, "Very well. I will speak with these four brothers. But not right now. I'm afraid I have too much to do right now and the meeting will have to wait. I would like you to keep a close eye on these four brothers and report back to me every day." "Yes, Princess...." Twilight felt guilty for keeping secrets from her former teacher, but she also felt guilty for being ordered to spy on the Spellbind Brothers. Even Spike knew this was wrong. "You may do what you must during your visit while I clear my busy schedule. I will notify you when I am finished." Princess Celestia then left the throne room to do so. Princess Luna followed, leaving Twilight and Spike by themselves. "Twilight, do we really have to do this...? I kinda like those Spellbind guys." "Sorry Spike, but Princess Celestia might be right. Maybe we should keep a closer eye on those four. And having them meet with her might actually be better." Twilight wasn't too happy about her task, but there was no other choice. She and Spike left the castle and made their way back to Moondancer's house to clear their heads. Twilight knocked on the front door and Moondancer answered. "Oh...! Twilight and Spike, you're back! Um...what's wrong?" Moondancer, despite her joy, quickly noticed Twilight and Spike's sad faces. "Hi Moondancer.... Can we spend some time here for a little bit?" "Of course! Please come in!" Moondancer opened the door and invited Twilight and Spike inside. They all sat down to enjoy the last hour of daylight before Princess Celestia lowers the sun for night to arrive. Twilight told Moondancer what Princess Celestia what she told her while Spike ate a few old gems Moondancer finished studying. "So Princess Celestia wants you to keep an eye on some ponies you've met a few days ago? Why exactly...?" "Well...it's complicated. These four ponies are very, very, very different from you and me. And destructive...." Moondancer was surprised that a smart pony like Twilight would be anywhere near such ponies. "Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe they'll get along with the Princesses when they meet." Spike said optimistically. Twilight gave him an un-convinced expression. "Yeah...I know that sounds crazy." Even Spike wasn't too confident in his own words. Moondancer knew this could be trouble. After spending some time, the sun finally went down and night began. The clock in the room tolled at 9:00 pm. "I guess we should leave now. I need some sleep after today." Twilight then magically placed Spike on her back. Spike was already fast asleep. "It was great to see you again. Maybe we can spend some time at the café tomorrow? At lunch time?" "I wouldn't miss it for anything. Bye." Twilight then made her way out of the house with Spike still sleeping on her back. Then left for the castle for the night. "Bye...! Good night, Twilight!" Moondancer waved goodbye and they all slept for the night. Except for the Princesses. Luna stepped into Celestia's room to see her looking through some papers before bed. "Sister, you should go to sleep now. You don't want to over-sleep." Celestia sighed, "I know, sister, but I just have too much on my mind to sleep. All these documents need to be completed, and what Twilight told me about these strange ponies who come from a long deceased family who have also been sealed in that black rock for unknown reasons still bothers me." This began to stress Celestia. Luna embraced Celestia and said, "Sleeping will clear your mind, sister. Perhaps you will find the answers you're looking for in the morning." Celestia sighed again, "Alright sister, I'll finish these papers in the morning. I could use some sleep...." She placed her paperwork on the desk to finish in the morning and prepared for bed. "I have my duties to attend to as well. I will see you in the morning. Good night, sister." Luna then opened a portal that lead into the Corridor of Dreams. As one who travels through dreams, she has a few methods to enter the corridor. Sleeping at night is a method uses more often. Entering through magical portals is another method. Her least used method is entering through the mind of any sleeping pony nearby since it results in a quick invasion of privacy. She travelled through the seemingly endless hallway of doors that lead to each pony's dreams for any nightmares that are present. So far, nothing ominous appeared during her patrol and it looked like a good night. But then she noticed a door to a dream was emitting some strange purple light from the other side. She had never seen such a thing before and felt like she should investigate. She entered through the door and was shocked to see pink and purple hearts filling the entire dream. The love-filled light was almost blinding, but she then saw two figures facing each other in a field of flowers. It was Twilight and Moondancer. "Um...Tw-Tw-Twilight...!" Moondancer's face was bright red and her entire body shivered in embarrassment. "Yes, Moondancer...? Do you need something?" Twilight smiled at Moondancer warmly. Luna knew what was happening and began making her way out without being noticed. Except she was still partially blinded by all the love in the dream. "Tw-Twi-Twilight...! I...I...I...!" Moondancer was just about to speak, but then she noticed the blue-colored intruder fluttering about in her dream. She instantly recognized who it was and suddenly the romantic atmosphere shattered just as instantly. Luna was in trouble when the door quickly vanished because of the dream's sudden shift in tone. But instead of being angry at Luna for her intrusion, Moondancer's face became beet-red and she gave an embarrassed scream. "Oh dear...." Luna really messed up. After nearly an hour of Luna trying to calm down Moondancer, they both sat down in the dream to talk things out. "So...Moondancer, it seems you have some rather...strong feelings for Twilight, yes?" Things became very awkward between the two of them. The first impression could have gone so much better. Moondancer nodded. She was too embarrassed to even speak. The dream was all jittery and shaky from the feeling of embarrassment. Luna cleared her throat, "Well, I promise not to tell her, nor will I tell anypony of your feelings. In fact, I have heard from my sister that you are quite the intellect. I'm quite impressed." "Mm...thank you." Moondancer was still embarrassed despite the compliment. The door that lead into Moondancer's dream finally re-appeared as Moondancer began to calm down. "I believe it is my time to leave. I have other dreams to visit tonight." Luna began making her way to the door to make her leave. Moondancer gave a deep sigh of relief to see Luna leave. Luna then stopped, "If I may say so, Moondancer, I wish you the best of luck for the future. Good night." She then left the dream after giving Moondancer her last words. Moondancer was still embarrassed, but she felt relieved to know that somepony supported her. Luna continued her patrol through the dreams feeling rather embarrassed herself. "Twilight must be quite something to create such strong feelings in another mare. I'm almost jealous of-" She then stopped herself when she suddenly felt a surge of negative feelings emanating from another door. Black smog spewed from this one door and it distorted the Corridor of Dreams. "Hatred...and anger. Suffering.... Just who could possibly have such strong negative feelings?" Luna cautiously stepped up to the door, but suddenly a pair of hateful eyes appeared as silhouettes from behind the door. Luna instantly stopped in her tracks and quickly backed away from the door. She felt that if she stepped through the door, that would be the very last door she would step through. Whoever was dreaming, this individual did not want anypony watching. This was yet another first for Luna during her patrols. She then left the door alone and the glaring eyes faded. Luna continued to search for any more nightmares like always. But she couldn't get that hate-filled door out of her mind. Eventually, the night was nearly at it's end and Luna then left the Corridor of Dreams to lower the moon, and help begin the new day. Chapter 3 - Quality TimeThe new morning came with Twilight waking up, fixing her mane, and brushing her teeth like always. She slept quite well in the comfy bed and saw Spike still sound asleep. He always was a deep sleepy. Twilight left the room for the kitchen for breakfast, and as she made her way towards the room, the smell of toast and pancakes filled her nose and she darted inside. Princess Luna was making breakfast like always with Princess Celestia preparing the table. "Good morning, Twilight. I hope you slept well." Princess Celestia then joined her sister after readying the table. "Yes, I did. Spike is still asleep. But I'm sure he'll be here when he smells breakfast." Twilight sat down to wait for breakfast to be served. "That's fine. He is a growing dragon after all. Do you have any plans for today?" Princess Celestia and Princess Luna magically placed plates of pancakes and toast on the table when they were finished. With a basket of apples to go with their breakfast. "Actually, yes I do. I'm going to find more answers on the Spellbind Family in the various libraries in Canterlot and then I'm going to spend time with my friend, Moondancer." Twilight began to magically spreading butter over her toast. "Moondancer...? I believe she was one of your classmates when you were in Magic Kindergarten. She has become a great help to the scholars of Canterlot University. I hear she is quite brilliant." Princess Celestia sat down and began making her breakfast. Princess Luna knew who they were talking about, but remained silent for the sake of Moondancer's privacy. "Yes, she is. She's a great friend too. I hope she won't be too busy today." Twilight began eating her breakfast. Suddenly, Spike dashes into the room in excitement. "I'm here...! I'm here for breakfast!" Spike sat in his seat to enjoy breakfast. "Good morning, Spike. Glad you could join us." They all laughed and continued to enjoy their breakfast. "Twilight, after breakfast, there is something I would like to discuss with you in the throne room before you leave for the University." Twilight knew Princess Celestia wanted to talk more about the Spellbind Brothers. Twilight swallowed her food and replied, "Yes, Princess...." She was nervous since the Spellbind Brothers are certainly out of the ordinary. And the term 'Ordinary', to Twilight, is used very loosely since ponies wielding great magical power isn't anything new in Equestria. "Spike, I would like your help with cleaning up after breakfast if that is alright." "You can count on me, Princess." Spike continued to eat joyfully. They eventually finished their breakfast and did what the four planned to do. Twilight and Princess Celestia made their way to the throne room as planned while Princess Luna and Spike stayed behind in the kitchen. "Twilight, do you remember what I have asked you yesterday?" Twilight was confused since she received her instructions just yesterday. "Yes, I do. You asked me to keep an eye on the Spellbind Brothers and report back to you. Why do you ask...?" "I would like to know if these four brothers have shown any signs of strange behavior. Anything unusual about them?" Twilight began looking back at the last week and nothing really came to mind. Except for one event. "Well...there was this one time where Glint Sparx collapsed for some reason. He was burning with a fever and her was passed out for hours." "Did something happened to have caused him to collapse?" "Well, my friend, Starlight Glimmer, wanted to see just how powerful the Spellbind Brothers were and she let them show off their powers. If my friends and I didn't stop them, they could have destroyed Ponyville by mistake. I got into a fight with Sparx and then he collapsed. He's doing fine right now." Twilight's words concerned Princess Celestia since ponies don't just passed out for no reason. "Anything else...?" "Not...really. That's really all I know. Then I left for Canterlot. That's all." Even Twilight was concerned. Princess Celestia then turned to one of the stain-glassed windows and was concerned about the dark clouds that covered Equestria. "Twilight, I don't want to say this, but I can't help but find it strange that these dark clouds just so happened to have formed when these four brothers made their appearance. Don't you find that strange...?" Twilight then felt a chill from what Princess Celestia was implying. "Princess...you don't think the Spellbind Brothers are the cause of these dark clouds, do you?" Twilight didn't want to share in the accusation. "Twilight, without the light of the sun, Equestria may suffer. Plants will die, farmers won't be able to grow their crops for food, and who knows what else could happen. I will not pass judgment on the brothers until I am certain. What really matters is resolving this issue. Until I meet with these brothers, do what you must." Princess Celestia then left the throne room to attend to her daily duties. Twilight was alone with the thought of the Spellbind Brothers being the cause of this strange darkness. She knew they were strange, but she also knew that they could never do anything to harm others without good reason. She then left for the nearby library, hoping to find anything on the Spellbind Family in any history books. The first library she found had two floors filled with book cases filled with countless books. She visited this library many times when she was still Princess Celestia's student. Visiting this place made her feel nostalgic. She walked up to the front desk, "Excuse me, can you help me?" The librarian was looking through some papers. "Oh yes, what can I help you with?" The librarian stopped his work to help Twilight. "I'm looking for a book on aristocratic families. Particularly the Spellbind Family. Do you have anything like that...?" The librarian started looking through the many lists of books in the library until finally he found something. "I could not find anything on the Spellbind Family, but I did find a book on famous families. It is titled 'Canterlot Families' and you can find it in the History section under the letter C on the second floor. Do be careful with it. It is quite old." The librarian pointed to the second floor to where the History section was on the left side of the library. "Thank you." Twilight then flew up to the floor to start searching for what she was looking for. She looked through the History section until she found the row of books with titles that started with the letter C and eventually found the book titled, 'Canterlot Families'. Just before she could grab it, another pony was about to grab it. What surprised Twilight even more was that it was Moondancer that was going to grab the book herself. "Twilight...? You're here too?" Moondancer adjusted her glasses. "Moondancer...! You're here!" Twilight was happy to see her. But her sudden outburst was a bit too loud and the many visiting ponies hushed her. Twilight was embarrassed and the two left the History section with the book they were looking for and sat down at a nearby desk. "So you're looking for some information on the Spellbind Family too? Why...?" Twilight was surprised to know this. "Well, I wanted to help you. And I was curious since I think I've heard about the family as well. Maybe this book could help us." Moondancer opened the rather old book to find the table of context. They looked through the table and were happy to have found the name 'Spellbind' on the list. They turned to page 128 to find the name of the family on one of the pages. "The Spellbind Family. A family of very powerful and very eccentric magic-users. The family was regarded as master makers of spells, enchantments, and even magical experimentation. While they were highly respected, they were also highly feared as a number of their members were gifted with power far beyond any pony's natural ability." Twilight knew this was true since she has witnessed this great power herself. "Because of constant monster attacks, the Spellbind Family was tasked to aid in any actions necessary for the defense of those who couldn't defend themselves. However, a tragedy occurred which resulted in the deaths and disappearances of it's family members. This tragedy, however, goes unknown to even Princess Celestia. Without knowing who or what caused this tragedy, the mystery of the family's deaths remains unsolved. The Spellbind Family, may they rest in peace for their services." Twilight finished reading all that was written in the few pages. She was frustrated to find that there was hardly anything in the book she didn't already know. "So...the family just died for unknown reasons? Just like that?" Moondancer got a shiver down her back down to her tail. "So it seems. And if I must help the Spellbind Brothers, I must find a way to help them remember their pasts." Twilight closed the book and left to return it to it's place. Moondancer adjusted her glasses and followed Twilight. Afterwards, they left the library to enjoy some lunch. Twilight was still frustrated she couldn't find anything else about the Spellbind Family. "Cheer up, Twilight. I'm sure something will turn up soon. Maybe when the University discovers something from their studies on that black rock." Moondancer was concerned for Twilight. She did her best to lighten the mood. Twilight gave an annoyed groan as she ate her newly-served muffin. Moondancer's efforts had little sway on the mood. After lunch, they made their way to the University hoping for some progress. When they entered the room, they saw a group of Unicorns shooting streams of their magic into the rock. "Ah, Twilight and Moondancer...! Welcome back! You two are just in time for the next phase in our studies!" The rock was being propelled slightly into the air thanks to the combined magic of all the Unicorns. It was chained down to prevent any over-shots. A light shined through the black rock, but nothing else was happening. "I thought you guys weren't going to use any magic on the rock or do anything to upset it." Twilight was slightly annoyed by this sudden change in decision. The lead scientist laughed nervously, "Well...um...this was decided by a unanimous vote. Besides, up to this point, nothing we did had any real affect on th-" Suddenly, the rock dropped back to the ground with a loud thud. All of the Unicorns were exhausted from expelling most of their magic. The light radiating from the rock faded and returned to it's pitch black color. "I guess magic doesn't work either...." After their failure, the many scientists and volunteering Unicorns vacated the study zone to recover their magic. The lead scientist was discouraged by yet another failure. "Maybe the multiple minerals and metals inside the rock might have repelled the magic completely. That might have been the light that shined from within the rock." Twilight continued to study the rock from all angles. "You...might be right. Certain metals have been known to have a resistance to magic. We should have foreseen this from the start." The lead scientist became even more discouraged. "Then there's only other method we can use." "Yes, you're right. We will have to dig into it. But not now. After today most of our fellow scientists have used too much magic to continue operations. We will continue tomorrow morning." Twilight gave an annoyed sigh from the unfortunate set-back. Moondancer continued to look at the black rock. She felt the same kind of chill run down her back again for no reasons. She shook it off and ignored it entirely. Twilight and Moondancer left the University and made their way to Moondancer's home. Moondancer made tea to ease Twilight's frustration. "It's alright, Twilight. Everypony makes mistakes sometimes. We just have to learn from them." Moondancer then served Twilight her cup of tea. "I know.... It's just that something about all this keeps bugging me. Like there is something hidden beneath all of this. And no matter what we do, we're always back to where we started." Twilight took a sip of her tea to calm down. "I'm sure the answers will come to you in time. We just have to wait until tomorrow." Twilight didn't want to accept this, but she had no choice. They then spent the rest of the day enjoying some quality time. Time flew by and it was already 9:23 pm in the evening. "I think I better go back to the castle now. We have a big day tomorrow and I will need my sleep." Twilight left the books she was reading and made her way to the door. "I guess it is pretty late. I'll see you tomorrow then." Moondancer was reluctant to see Twilight leave. "Good night, Moondancer." "Good night, Twilight." Twilight left the house and made her way to the castle. She entered the throne room to see Princess Celestia looking over some paperwork like always. "Welcome back, Twilight. How was your day?" Princess Celestia stopped her work to see Twilight. Twilight yawned, "Disappointing." Twilight told Princess Celestia everything that happened today. "I see.... That is rather disappointing. Then we will just have to wait. Go get some rest, Twilight." Princess Celestia went back to her late-night paperwork. "Good night, Princess." Twilight left with a yawn and made her way to her room. She found Spike already asleep with Princess Luna tucking him in. "Oh, Twilight. I was just tucking Spike in. He worked so hard today with us today. He tuckered himself out." Princess Luna began to leave the room. "Thank you, Princess. I'll be going to bed too, so I'll see you all in the morning." Twilight then flew to her comfy bed without hesitation. "Then I will leave you to it. Good night, Twilight. Sweet dreams." Princess Luna left the room to attend her dream-walking duties. Twilight quickly went to sleep when she tucked herself in bed. After all the disappointment, she hope tomorrow was more promising. Chapter 4 - DarknessA new morning came like always with Princess Celestia raising the sun. Twilight woke up to see her do so, and even though the dark clouds were still so thick, the light of the sun still illuminated the land. She got out of bed, fixed up her mane and tail, and looked at the clock. It was 9:08 am, so she left her room to get some breakfast. She left Spike to sleep in for the morning. She made her way to the kitchen to see the maids gathered around, talking with concerned expressions on their faces. They noticed Twilight walk inside and they quickly dispersed to attend their daily duties. Twilight noticed this and was confused. "Good morning." Twilight's greeting gave the maids a scare. She knew there was something going on. "Good morning, Princess Twilight...! Would you like some breakfast?! We have apples, bread, or we can make pancakes for you!" The maids quickly presented themselves before Twilight in a row. Twilight became suspicious of their behavior considering how obvious it was. "Alright, what is going on? You're all acting strange...." The maids all froze when she asked the question. "Please forgive us, Princess, but Princess Celestia ordered us to not tell you anything...! You will have to ask her!" Twilight became concerned and left the kitchen to meet with Princess Celestia. She ran to the throne room to see only Princess Luna alone, pacing back and forth in concern. "Princess Luna, what's wrong? Did something happen...?" Princess Luna stopped pacing and noticed Twilight. She quickly kept her distance. "G-Good morning, Twilight. Have you had breakfast yet? Perhaps I can make some pancakes for us." Princess Luna tried making her way to the kitchen, but Twilight quickly cuts her off. "Princess Luna, you and your sister are keeping something from me. I want to know." Twilight was beginning to lose her patience with the secrecy. Princess Luna gave a great sigh, knowing she couldn't keep the secrecy going any longer. She then whispered in Twilight's ear and Twilight then dashed out of the throne room and then out of the castle. Spike finally woke up and saw Twilight run out. Spike yawned, "Good morning, Princess.... Where is Twilight going?" Princess Luna then noticed Spike and then hugged Spike from concerned. "Princess...?" Spike was confused by this gesture. "Spike...you need to hear this." It hurt Princess Luna to tell Spike, knowing how young he is. As for Twilight, she ran as fast as she could to the University to see Princess Celestia and the scientists gathered in the room where the black rock was supposed to be. Except this time, there was no black rock to be found. Just a big empty space with red marks on the floor. "Princess...!" Twilight was exhausted from the mad dash due to not only just waking up, but not eating breakfast. Her heart thumped faster than a drum out of terror. Princess Celestia and the scientists noticed her and became very concerned. "T-Twilight...you're here. Please...let me-" "Princess, tell me...! What happened to Moondancer?!" Twilight was in no mood for any more secrets. She wanted answers now. The lead scientist stepped forth and said, "Princess Twilight, your friend, Moondancer, is gravely injured and is at the hospital right now." Twilight felt her entire body turn cold. She looked back at the red marks on the floor and dread the thought of what those marks were. She then turned and dashed off for the hospital, but Princess Celestia stopped her with her magic. "Twilight, you need to calm down...!" "Let me go...! I need to see her right now...!" Twilight struggled to break loose of the magical binding, but Princess Celestia kept a firm hold on her. "Twilight, I understand your concern, but you must calm yourself! We haven't heard anything from the hospital yet, so they might still be treating her!" "I can't just sit here and not be there for her...! I have to do something!" Twilight kept struggling, but she was too tired to keep it up for long. Princess Celestia kept her down until Twilight eventually gave up her struggle. Twilight then sat on her rear legs and Princess Celestia released her from the magical hold. Tears ran down Twilight's cheeks, fearing the unthinkable to happen to her dear friend. "How did this happen...? When did it happen...?" Twilight rubbed the tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself. It was proving to be very difficult. "I can't say for sure, but maybe you should meet with the one who reported this to the Royal Guard. His name is Dusty. He's the janitor. You'll find his house on 4th Royal Avenue. It is number 104. He'll tell you what happened." Twilight then got on her hooves and made her way out. "Princess...what should we do now?" The scientists were all concerned and afraid. "This must be kept a secret from every pony. Whatever happened to Moondancer must never be discussed by anypony. No exceptions." Princess Celestia left the room and the scientists are agreed to keep quiet about this unfortunate event. Princess Celestia sighed, "Twilight, be sure to eat something before doing so. You cannot think clearly on an empty stomach." Twilight nodded silently and made her way to 4th Royal Avenue. As she made her way into town, she walked over to a café to eat a bagel and then left once she was finished eating. Finally, she arrived at 4th Royal Avenue and then she found the house with the number 104 as instructed. She knocked on the door, hoping Dusty was still home. The door was opened by a gray-colored Earth Pony stallion with a blue mane and tail. "Um...good morning, miss. Can I help you?" Dusty looked very tired when he opened the door. "Are you Dusty, the janitor who works at the University?" Twilight had to be sure. "Yes, I am. Though, I'm just one of a few janitor at the University. Why...?" "I'm here to ask about what you saw last night. May I come in?" Dusty then opened his tired eyes wide from the mere mention of what he saw. "Why do you need to know about that...?" Dusty's legs began to tremble like jelly. "Because the mare who got hurt is my best friend." Twilight felt her heart grow heavy out of sadness. Dusty was surprised to hear this. Dusty looked through the avenue and whispered, "Alright, you may come inside. We must be quiet though...!" Dusty panicked as he allowed Twilight entry. They went inside to talk about what happened with Dusty serving tea. Dusty's gray coat grew paler and his hooves trembled. Twilight could tell that whatever he saw must have terrified him. She poured herself a cup of tea considering how much Dusty was trembling. "So...um...what do you want to know?" Dusty tried to pour his own cup of tea, but he could barely keep himself still. "Maybe...the beginning?" "Ah...right. The beginning. Well...I was out doing what I usually do at the University. I was doing my night-shift as the janitor, cleaning up the halls and floors. And then I made my way to the room where that big rock was supposed to be to end my shift. But then I saw that young mare in the room. I was about to ask why she was there, but then I saw her place her hoof on the rock and suddenly the rock shattered. And then all the rocks turned into a liquid and formed into another pony! It was a mare who was as tall as the Princess and her eyes were soul-piercing! She had a horn and wings like the Princess too! I was so shocked by this, and THEN this tall mare used her wings to cut up your friend! And then the tall mare vanished.... I carried the young mare in a panic, brought her to the Royal Guard, and then took her to the hospital! At first, they thought I was the one who did that to the mare, but the teachers and students proved my innocence. I told them all that happened and I couldn't sleep the entire night after that. That's it." Dusty then became really tired after telling Twilight everything he knew. Twilight was horrified by what she heard as she finished her tea. "Did you see what this tall mare look like?" "Uh...no, I didn't. It was too dark to see. And I was too focused on the mare that got attacked. Sorry...." "No, it's fine. As long as Moondancer is safe, that's all that matters. Thank you." Twilight began to make her way out of the house. "Thank you for the tea, Mister Dusty." Twilight then left the house without another word. "Any time...." Dusty was also worried for Moondancer's health. But there was nothing else he could do. Twilight then began making her way to the hospital, hoping to see Moondancer doing just fine. "TWILIGHT...!" Twilight then saw Spike running straight at her with tears streaming down his eyes. "Spike...! Did you-" Spike then grabbed onto Twilight, desperately needing a hug. "Twilight...is it true?! Is Moondancer hurt?!" Spike was scared to death. "Yes, Spike.... I'm going to the hospital to see her right now." Twilight held onto Spike to comfort him. "I'm coming too...!" "Are you sure, Spike? It might be too much for you...." Twilight became concerned for Spike's emotional state. Spike then quickly rubbed tears from his eyes and replied, "Yes, I'm sure." Spike did his best to keep the tears from coming back. Twilight nodded and they both made their way to the hospital. They finally arrived at the hospital and stepped to the front desk. "Excuse me, my name is Twilight Sparkle and this is Spike. I'm here to check up on my friend, Moondancer." The nurse then began looking through the papers to find Moondancer's name. "Ah yes, the one who arrived last night. You two...might not like what you see. Are you sure you're ready to see her?" Twilight and Spike nodded. They had to go see Moondancer to make sure she was alright. "Alright, follow me." The nurse then lead Twilight and Spike to a room on the second floor with the number 7 on the door. "When we go inside, I would like you to please keep your voices down. She is...in a very delicate state right now." The nurse opened the door. Twilight and Spike stepped on through to see Moondancer's older sister sitting at her bedside. "Twilight...you're here. And Spike too." She had a very sad look on her face. "Moon Shine...you're here too." Twilight and Spike sat on the opposite side of Moondancer's bedside. They all looked at Moondancer who was in a deep slumber, covered in bandages. "Moon Shine, what's wrong with her? Why isn't she waking up...?" Spike was so scared to see Moondancer in such a state. "She is in a coma, Spike. She won't wake up for some time now." Moon Shine then placed her forehead on Moondancer's in sadness. "Why...? Why would anypony do something so horrible to her? What did she do to deserve this...?" Tears ran down her cheeks from the heart-wrenching sight. Twilight and Spike had nothing to say to make her feel better. At this point, all they could do was hope Moondancer would pull through. "Spike...let's go. They need some time alone." Twilight then began to leave the room. Spike didn't want to leave, but he did anyway. They then left the hospital and left for the castle to meet with the Princesses. They arrived at the castle and entered the throne room to see Princess Celestia and her sister speaking to a large group of Royal Guard ponies. "Now that I have told you of what happened, I want you to be on constant alert. Double the patrols, double the security, double anything and everything. And do not, under any circumstances, speak a word of this to anypony. Do you understand?" Twilight and Spike knew that this was very serious if Princess Celestia would give such a command. "Yes, Princess!" The Royal Guard ponies then left throne room to do as they were commanded. Twilight and Spike then stepped forward to meet with the Princesses. They were both very sad; Princess Celestia gave Twilight a much needed hug while Princess Luna gave Spike a hug as well. "Twilight, did you meet with Dusty today?" Princess Celestia then stopped hugging Twilight. "Yes, I did. He told me about last night." "Did he tell you anything that might help us?" "He told me that the black rock turned into another pony and attacked Moondancer. I guess you already know that...." "Yes, we do." "He also told me something...unbelievable." "That the one who attacked your friend had a horn and wings, yes?" Twilight was surprised to find out that even the Princesses knew of this. "Princess, I need to know.... Are there other Alicorns besides us?" Twilight trembled at the thought of an evil Alicorn in Equestria. Even Spike was scared. Princess Celestia gave a troubled sigh and replied, "I...do not know. All I do know is that whoever or whatever did this to your friend is still out there. Hiding in the darkness. And the only ponies who might know the answer are the ones who were trapped in the black rock." "The Spellbind Brothers...?" "Yes, Spike. And if they have truly forgotten their memories, then we must help them remember." Twilight and Spike agreed with Princess Celestia. It could be the only way to solve this mystery. "Twilight, I need you and Spike to return to Ponyville and rest for a few days. When you are ready, Twilight, I will need you to bring the Spellbind Brothers to us so that we may find our answers." Twilight knew this could turn out really bad. And this was only the beginning. Twilight and Spike both knew something was going on and this was the only way to know what that is. It was time to return home.
Chapter 1 - ExaminationIn the land of Equestria, there is a kingdom where the two reigning monarchs live in. This kingdom is called Canterlot. Canterlot is where the aristocratic ponies, mostly Unicorns, live as well. It is a majestic kingdom that resides on the side of a mountain and both Twilight and Spike are visiting there. Fact is they used to live in Canterlot for quite some time before moving to Ponyville. Right now they're just about to meet with the Princesses, stepping through the front door and into the hallway. "I'm glad Princess Celestia squeezed us in for a visit today. I hope she isn't too busy." Twilight carried some books in a couple of bags. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Twilight. I'm more worried about Starlight...." Spike carried most of Twilight's books as they made their way to the throne room. "Don't worry, Spike...! I'm sure she is more than capable of dealing with those four ponies. She's a great magic-user too." They then arrived in the throne room to see Princess Celestia looking through some paperwork with her sister, Princess Luna. "Oh, welcome, you two. We're almost through with today's paperwork, so just wait right there." "Yes, Princess." Twilight and Spike placed all the books down on the floor to wait. Spike was exhausted from carrying most of the books. After nearly 20 minutes, the Princesses have finished the daily paperwork. "Alright, now we are done. Twilight, you said you needed to speak with me about what was found on the Pie Rock Farm?" Princess Celestia to speak with Twilight and Spike. Her sister followed. "Yes, it's about this black rock Pinkie told me about. I want to see this rock for myself because everything she told me makes no sense." Twilight was still quite skeptic about everything she heard from Pinkie about the Spellbind Brothers. "Ah yes, the black rock. From what the scientists have told me, it is certainly unusual. It is made from multiple metals and minerals. And it is full of magical energy. They're still examining it, but if you to see it for yourself, I will grant you special permission." "Thank you, Princess...! I'll go to it right away!" Twilight was quite excited. "I will take you to where they are examining it. Follow me." Princess Luna then began leaving the throne room. Twilight and Spike both followed her. Twilight then stopped and asked, "Oh wait, Princess, I need to ask. Does the name 'Spellbind' mean anything to you...?" When Twilight spoke the name, Princess Celestia looked surprised. Like she just remembered something. "Yes...it does. But I can't quite remember. I will need to look through the archives for anything that might relate to that name. You go and see the black rock like you needed. I will let you know if I find anything at all." Princess Celestia then left to do so. "Alright then. Bye...!" Twilight and Spike then began following Princess Luna to the black rock. They made their way to Canterlot University where the black stone was being examined. It was located outside the university because the black rock was too big to fit inside. The many scientists and geologists were still examining the rock since they first brought it to Canterlot. They then stopped their work when they saw Princess Luna and Twilight and lowered their heads. "Oh dear...! Your majesties...! You grace us all with your arrival! And you must be Spike, the Hero of the Crystal Empire! A pleasure...!" One of the scientists ran up to them in a panic. Twilight, Princess Luna, and Spike felt a little embarrassed to be praised so much. "Calm yourselves, all of you. I am here as an escort for Princess Twilight so that she may aide you in your examination of this stone. My sister has given her special permission to do so while she visits Canterlot." "Of course...! Absolutely! We would never turn away Princess Celestia's most prized student from aiding us! In fact, help from such an intellect is most welcome!" The scientist could barely keep his glasses on straight in his panic. Spike whispered, "Princess, is he alright...?" "Pay it no mind, Spike. Most ponies are always like this around royalty." Princess Luna was always used to such behavior. "I would love to help you all. Looking at it now, there is definitely something strange about it. I will need to look over anything you have found to know what I'm examining." Twilight began to look at the black rock more thoroughly. "We will get right no it...! Everypony, get all of our findings and have Princess Twilight see them! On the double!" All the scientists starting panicking as they went back to their work. "I suppose that is my cue to leave. Spike, if you wish, you may join me for some tea. I promise to have some gems for you." "Definitely...!" Spike quickly followed Princess Luna out of the university, leaving Twilight to her examination. A few hours have gone by and Twilight was amazed at what she found. "So the Princess was right. This stone is made from many different kinds of metals and minerals such as iron, copper, graphite, clay, and that's just a few of them. And it's full of magical energy too." She was amazed at how well put-together the black rock was despite the countless types of metals and minerals used to make it. "Indeed. Strangely enough though, we tried to break into this rock with various tools, but we couldn't leave a crack in it. It's like it was made to be unbreakable." "Wait...then how did you find out about all those minerals and metals?" "Well, it was mostly through sight at first. But when we called our geologists to aide us, it became somewhat easier. As for why it has so much magic in it, we still don't know...." All the scientists and geologists were still examining the black rock like usual. "I see. Did any of you think to use magic?" "Oh no...! We could not risk it! There are many delicate minerals and metals that could explode should they be tampered with so carelessly! And considering the magic within it, it could make things even worse!" The scientist panicked at the thought. Twilight walked up to the rock and touched it. She then felt like her right hoof went numb without warning. She then quickly pulled it away and the feeling in her hoof returned. This freaked her out and backed away from the black rock. "Your highness, what's the matter?! Did we do something wrong?!" The scientist freaked out when he noticed Twilight's reaction to touching the black rock. Twilight didn't answer him at first. She was still shaken up from what just happened. "Uh...I'm fine. Did...did any of you ever touch this rock at all while examining it? If so, did anything happen?" Twilight was very confused at what just happened. "Oh yes, we have. Nothing really happened during our examination. Why...?" The scientist was as confused as Twilight was. She kept her distance to avoid any more physical contact. She knew there was definitely something wrong with that black rock. "I...think I will leave for now. Maybe I can find something at my old study." Twilight began to leave the university to do so. "As you wish, your highness...! You can come back to aide us anytime you see fit!" The scientists all waved goodbye as Twilight left. As Twilight entered the town, she realized how hungry she was and made her way to a nearby café. She entered for some lunch until she then noticed a familiar face. It was a mare who had a yellow coat, had orange tail and mane with purple bangs, wore glasses and a black sweater. She even tied her mane up. She was a Unicorn who was reading a bunch of books. "Moondancer...! It's been a while!" Twilight walked up to the mare in excitement. The mare didn't react to her since she was so focused on her reading. "Moondancer, it's me. Twilight Sparkle? Hello...?" Twilight's words finally got through to the mare. Moondancer stopped reading for a moment and adjusted her glasses to see who was calling her. "Oh, hello Twilight...." She then went back to reading after speaking to Twilight. Twilight felt empty when that happened. She then turned away to get something to eat. Suddenly, Moondancer realized that her best friend was visiting her, so she slammed her book shut and grabbed onto Twilight. "Twilight, it's been so long...!" Her attitude made a complete 180 upon her realization. "Moondancer, I thought you were too busy to speak to me...." Twilight was worried for a moment. "I could never be too busy to speak with you! You're my dear friend...!" Moondancer was very happy to see Twilight. Twilight was so relieved to know this. So far, this visit was turning out to be quite enjoyable for Twilight.
Chapter 2 - Catching UpTwilight and Moondancer began enjoying lunch together when they met up for the first time in a little while. Moondancer was one of Twilight's friends back in Magic Kindergarten. They spent a lot of time together studying, reading books, practicing magic, and other school-related things. But when they grew older, Twilight had to leave Canterlot and move to Ponyville by order of Princess Celestia. That was when Nightmare Moon was about to return and Moondancer had planned a party at the time. Twilight couldn't come and Moondancer felt neglected by this. She had no idea and she spent an entire year in seclusion with her time mostly used for studying. But thankfully, Twilight and Moondancer made up and have spent more time together since then. "So Twilight, what brings you to Canterlot...? On royal business?" Moondancer had her books in her bag to spend time with Twilight. "I guess so. My friend, Pinkie Pie, met up with these really strange ponies. One of them is a big jerk, one of them is really lazy, one of them is always happy, and one of them is too loud. But I'm actually here to see this black rock Pinkie and her family found at their rock farm." Twilight ate some donuts with a cup of coffee. Moondancer adjusted her glasses, "Oh, you mean that black in Canterlot University? I looked at it myself. I've never seen anything like it." "You saw it too...?" "Yes, I did. I'm actually working as an assistant instructor at the university. The payment is alright and I learn something new every day." "Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" Twilight hugged Moondancer knowing that she was doing just fine. "I'm also using your old study as my house. I'm paying the rent for that place now. I hope you don't mind...." Moondancer felt embarrassed admitting this to Twilight. "That's fine, Moondancer. I did give you the key to the place. I'm just glad you're doing alright." They continued to enjoy lunch together for nearly an hour. After they paid the food bill, they then made their way to Twilight's old study now made into Moondancer's home. After unlocking the door, they went inside to see that it remained mostly unchanged. The books on the shelves remained in their place and any books that were on the ground were also put away. There was a sofa, an old clock, a upstairs balcony, and a giant window with large curtains. "It took me a while to clean this place up. It was so dusty. My bed is up the stairs and I stocked the kitchen with food and drinks. Make yourself at home...or study." Moondancer placed her of books on the desk near the main window and sat down on the sofa. Twilight joined her. "At least somepony is using this old place. I completely forgot about this place when me and Spike left. Uh...well, I...uh-!" Twilight then remembered how much of a negative affect her departure had on Moondancer. Moondancer then hugged her, "It's alright, Twilight. I know you had something important to do that day. If you didn't, so many bad things would've happened. I'm just glad we could talk more." Twilight felt relieved at Moondancer's words. They then heard the sound of knocking at the front door. "Who could that be...?" Moondancer answered the door and it was Spike knocking. "Oh Spike...! It's so good to see you!" Moondancer hugged Spike. "Hey Moondancer...! I was looking for Twilight and I thought she would be here. I also heard from the Princess that you live here now. That's great!" Spike was happy to see her too and hugged her back. Twilight walked up to Spike, "Spike, did you need something...?" "Oh right, the Princess wants to see you. She said she might have found something about Sparx and his brothers." "Really? Moondancer, I have to go right now. She might have the answer I am looking for. I'll see you later!" Twilight magically placed Spike on her back then took flight back to the castle with haste. "Alright...! Bye! See you later!" Moondancer saw them off and went inside her home to continue her studies. Twilight and Spike then arrived in the throne room to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looking through some old-looking pages. "Princess, I'm here...!" Twilight ran up to the Princesses hoping they might have found something. "Welcome back, you two. Twilight, I believe we might have found something about the name 'Spellbind'." Princess Celestia presented the old pages to Twilight for her to look over. "According to what we have found, the Spellbind Family were well-known for being powerful magic users. A family of powerful Unicorns. But something happened that resulted in their unfortunate demise. We do not know what caused it since the rest of it has faded due to age...." Princess Luna's words brought sadness to Twilight and Spike. "That's so sad.... I thought that-" "Twilight, where did you hear that name from? I know you're not telling me everything." Princess Celestia knew there was something going on and both Twilight and Spike fell silent. "The Spellbind Family died off over 600 years ago and you know of their name. Why is that, Twilight?" There was no talking out of this for Twilight or Spike. Princess Celestia wanted her answers. "Well...um...you might not believe this, but we actually met with some ponies who have that name. Four of them. Brothers. And they're staying in Ponyville right now." Twilight's words surprised Princess Celestia to think that surviving members of a family that was once known to be dead were alive and well. "How...did you meet with these four ponies exactly?" Twilight told Princess Celestia everything that Pinkie has told her and she even told her all that had happened when the Spellbind Brothers first visited Ponyville. "I see, so they were inside the black rock the entire time and the Pie Family found it. And when they did, they freed those four brothers. And you say that they wield elemental magic?" Princess Celestia was concerned for the well-being of ponies around the Spellbind Brothers. "They do, but they're not so bad! They're all really nice! Except one of them is a big jerk...." Twilight still didn't like Sparx all that much. "Yeah...! I mean, they got into trouble a few times, but they can be nice!" Spike tried to defend them as well. "Sister, I know you're concerned, but maybe we can try to understand them. Speak with them face to face perhaps?" Princess Celestia was reluctant, but she went with Princess Luna's suggestion. She sighed, "Very well. I will speak with these four brothers. But not right now. I'm afraid I have too much to do right now and the meeting will have to wait. I would like you to keep a close eye on these four brothers and report back to me every day." "Yes, Princess...." Twilight felt guilty for keeping secrets from her former teacher, but she also felt guilty for being ordered to spy on the Spellbind Brothers. Even Spike knew this was wrong. "You may do what you must during your visit while I clear my busy schedule. I will notify you when I am finished." Princess Celestia then left the throne room to do so. Princess Luna followed, leaving Twilight and Spike by themselves. "Twilight, do we really have to do this...? I kinda like those Spellbind guys." "Sorry Spike, but Princess Celestia might be right. Maybe we should keep a closer eye on those four. And having them meet with her might actually be better." Twilight wasn't too happy about her task, but there was no other choice. She and Spike left the castle and made their way back to Moondancer's house to clear their heads. Twilight knocked on the front door and Moondancer answered. "Oh...! Twilight and Spike, you're back! Um...what's wrong?" Moondancer, despite her joy, quickly noticed Twilight and Spike's sad faces. "Hi Moondancer.... Can we spend some time here for a little bit?" "Of course! Please come in!" Moondancer opened the door and invited Twilight and Spike inside. They all sat down to enjoy the last hour of daylight before Princess Celestia lowers the sun for night to arrive. Twilight told Moondancer what Princess Celestia what she told her while Spike ate a few old gems Moondancer finished studying. "So Princess Celestia wants you to keep an eye on some ponies you've met a few days ago? Why exactly...?" "Well...it's complicated. These four ponies are very, very, very different from you and me. And destructive...." Moondancer was surprised that a smart pony like Twilight would be anywhere near such ponies. "Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe they'll get along with the Princesses when they meet." Spike said optimistically. Twilight gave him an un-convinced expression. "Yeah...I know that sounds crazy." Even Spike wasn't too confident in his own words. Moondancer knew this could be trouble. After spending some time, the sun finally went down and night began. The clock in the room tolled at 9:00 pm. "I guess we should leave now. I need some sleep after today." Twilight then magically placed Spike on her back. Spike was already fast asleep. "It was great to see you again. Maybe we can spend some time at the café tomorrow? At lunch time?" "I wouldn't miss it for anything. Bye." Twilight then made her way out of the house with Spike still sleeping on her back. Then left for the castle for the night. "Bye...! Good night, Twilight!" Moondancer waved goodbye and they all slept for the night. Except for the Princesses. Luna stepped into Celestia's room to see her looking through some papers before bed. "Sister, you should go to sleep now. You don't want to over-sleep." Celestia sighed, "I know, sister, but I just have too much on my mind to sleep. All these documents need to be completed, and what Twilight told me about these strange ponies who come from a long deceased family who have also been sealed in that black rock for unknown reasons still bothers me." This began to stress Celestia. Luna embraced Celestia and said, "Sleeping will clear your mind, sister. Perhaps you will find the answers you're looking for in the morning." Celestia sighed again, "Alright sister, I'll finish these papers in the morning. I could use some sleep...." She placed her paperwork on the desk to finish in the morning and prepared for bed. "I have my duties to attend to as well. I will see you in the morning. Good night, sister." Luna then opened a portal that lead into the Corridor of Dreams. As one who travels through dreams, she has a few methods to enter the corridor. Sleeping at night is a method uses more often. Entering through magical portals is another method. Her least used method is entering through the mind of any sleeping pony nearby since it results in a quick invasion of privacy. She travelled through the seemingly endless hallway of doors that lead to each pony's dreams for any nightmares that are present. So far, nothing ominous appeared during her patrol and it looked like a good night. But then she noticed a door to a dream was emitting some strange purple light from the other side. She had never seen such a thing before and felt like she should investigate. She entered through the door and was shocked to see pink and purple hearts filling the entire dream. The love-filled light was almost blinding, but she then saw two figures facing each other in a field of flowers. It was Twilight and Moondancer. "Um...Tw-Tw-Twilight...!" Moondancer's face was bright red and her entire body shivered in embarrassment. "Yes, Moondancer...? Do you need something?" Twilight smiled at Moondancer warmly. Luna knew what was happening and began making her way out without being noticed. Except she was still partially blinded by all the love in the dream. "Tw-Twi-Twilight...! I...I...I...!" Moondancer was just about to speak, but then she noticed the blue-colored intruder fluttering about in her dream. She instantly recognized who it was and suddenly the romantic atmosphere shattered just as instantly. Luna was in trouble when the door quickly vanished because of the dream's sudden shift in tone. But instead of being angry at Luna for her intrusion, Moondancer's face became beet-red and she gave an embarrassed scream. "Oh dear...." Luna really messed up. After nearly an hour of Luna trying to calm down Moondancer, they both sat down in the dream to talk things out. "So...Moondancer, it seems you have some rather...strong feelings for Twilight, yes?" Things became very awkward between the two of them. The first impression could have gone so much better. Moondancer nodded. She was too embarrassed to even speak. The dream was all jittery and shaky from the feeling of embarrassment. Luna cleared her throat, "Well, I promise not to tell her, nor will I tell anypony of your feelings. In fact, I have heard from my sister that you are quite the intellect. I'm quite impressed." "Mm...thank you." Moondancer was still embarrassed despite the compliment. The door that lead into Moondancer's dream finally re-appeared as Moondancer began to calm down. "I believe it is my time to leave. I have other dreams to visit tonight." Luna began making her way to the door to make her leave. Moondancer gave a deep sigh of relief to see Luna leave. Luna then stopped, "If I may say so, Moondancer, I wish you the best of luck for the future. Good night." She then left the dream after giving Moondancer her last words. Moondancer was still embarrassed, but she felt relieved to know that somepony supported her. Luna continued her patrol through the dreams feeling rather embarrassed herself. "Twilight must be quite something to create such strong feelings in another mare. I'm almost jealous of-" She then stopped herself when she suddenly felt a surge of negative feelings emanating from another door. Black smog spewed from this one door and it distorted the Corridor of Dreams. "Hatred...and anger. Suffering.... Just who could possibly have such strong negative feelings?" Luna cautiously stepped up to the door, but suddenly a pair of hateful eyes appeared as silhouettes from behind the door. Luna instantly stopped in her tracks and quickly backed away from the door. She felt that if she stepped through the door, that would be the very last door she would step through. Whoever was dreaming, this individual did not want anypony watching. This was yet another first for Luna during her patrols. She then left the door alone and the glaring eyes faded. Luna continued to search for any more nightmares like always. But she couldn't get that hate-filled door out of her mind. Eventually, the night was nearly at it's end and Luna then left the Corridor of Dreams to lower the moon, and help begin the new day.
Chapter 3 - Quality TimeThe new morning came with Twilight waking up, fixing her mane, and brushing her teeth like always. She slept quite well in the comfy bed and saw Spike still sound asleep. He always was a deep sleepy. Twilight left the room for the kitchen for breakfast, and as she made her way towards the room, the smell of toast and pancakes filled her nose and she darted inside. Princess Luna was making breakfast like always with Princess Celestia preparing the table. "Good morning, Twilight. I hope you slept well." Princess Celestia then joined her sister after readying the table. "Yes, I did. Spike is still asleep. But I'm sure he'll be here when he smells breakfast." Twilight sat down to wait for breakfast to be served. "That's fine. He is a growing dragon after all. Do you have any plans for today?" Princess Celestia and Princess Luna magically placed plates of pancakes and toast on the table when they were finished. With a basket of apples to go with their breakfast. "Actually, yes I do. I'm going to find more answers on the Spellbind Family in the various libraries in Canterlot and then I'm going to spend time with my friend, Moondancer." Twilight began to magically spreading butter over her toast. "Moondancer...? I believe she was one of your classmates when you were in Magic Kindergarten. She has become a great help to the scholars of Canterlot University. I hear she is quite brilliant." Princess Celestia sat down and began making her breakfast. Princess Luna knew who they were talking about, but remained silent for the sake of Moondancer's privacy. "Yes, she is. She's a great friend too. I hope she won't be too busy today." Twilight began eating her breakfast. Suddenly, Spike dashes into the room in excitement. "I'm here...! I'm here for breakfast!" Spike sat in his seat to enjoy breakfast. "Good morning, Spike. Glad you could join us." They all laughed and continued to enjoy their breakfast. "Twilight, after breakfast, there is something I would like to discuss with you in the throne room before you leave for the University." Twilight knew Princess Celestia wanted to talk more about the Spellbind Brothers. Twilight swallowed her food and replied, "Yes, Princess...." She was nervous since the Spellbind Brothers are certainly out of the ordinary. And the term 'Ordinary', to Twilight, is used very loosely since ponies wielding great magical power isn't anything new in Equestria. "Spike, I would like your help with cleaning up after breakfast if that is alright." "You can count on me, Princess." Spike continued to eat joyfully. They eventually finished their breakfast and did what the four planned to do. Twilight and Princess Celestia made their way to the throne room as planned while Princess Luna and Spike stayed behind in the kitchen. "Twilight, do you remember what I have asked you yesterday?" Twilight was confused since she received her instructions just yesterday. "Yes, I do. You asked me to keep an eye on the Spellbind Brothers and report back to you. Why do you ask...?" "I would like to know if these four brothers have shown any signs of strange behavior. Anything unusual about them?" Twilight began looking back at the last week and nothing really came to mind. Except for one event. "Well...there was this one time where Glint Sparx collapsed for some reason. He was burning with a fever and her was passed out for hours." "Did something happened to have caused him to collapse?" "Well, my friend, Starlight Glimmer, wanted to see just how powerful the Spellbind Brothers were and she let them show off their powers. If my friends and I didn't stop them, they could have destroyed Ponyville by mistake. I got into a fight with Sparx and then he collapsed. He's doing fine right now." Twilight's words concerned Princess Celestia since ponies don't just passed out for no reason. "Anything else...?" "Not...really. That's really all I know. Then I left for Canterlot. That's all." Even Twilight was concerned. Princess Celestia then turned to one of the stain-glassed windows and was concerned about the dark clouds that covered Equestria. "Twilight, I don't want to say this, but I can't help but find it strange that these dark clouds just so happened to have formed when these four brothers made their appearance. Don't you find that strange...?" Twilight then felt a chill from what Princess Celestia was implying. "Princess...you don't think the Spellbind Brothers are the cause of these dark clouds, do you?" Twilight didn't want to share in the accusation. "Twilight, without the light of the sun, Equestria may suffer. Plants will die, farmers won't be able to grow their crops for food, and who knows what else could happen. I will not pass judgment on the brothers until I am certain. What really matters is resolving this issue. Until I meet with these brothers, do what you must." Princess Celestia then left the throne room to attend to her daily duties. Twilight was alone with the thought of the Spellbind Brothers being the cause of this strange darkness. She knew they were strange, but she also knew that they could never do anything to harm others without good reason. She then left for the nearby library, hoping to find anything on the Spellbind Family in any history books. The first library she found had two floors filled with book cases filled with countless books. She visited this library many times when she was still Princess Celestia's student. Visiting this place made her feel nostalgic. She walked up to the front desk, "Excuse me, can you help me?" The librarian was looking through some papers. "Oh yes, what can I help you with?" The librarian stopped his work to help Twilight. "I'm looking for a book on aristocratic families. Particularly the Spellbind Family. Do you have anything like that...?" The librarian started looking through the many lists of books in the library until finally he found something. "I could not find anything on the Spellbind Family, but I did find a book on famous families. It is titled 'Canterlot Families' and you can find it in the History section under the letter C on the second floor. Do be careful with it. It is quite old." The librarian pointed to the second floor to where the History section was on the left side of the library. "Thank you." Twilight then flew up to the floor to start searching for what she was looking for. She looked through the History section until she found the row of books with titles that started with the letter C and eventually found the book titled, 'Canterlot Families'. Just before she could grab it, another pony was about to grab it. What surprised Twilight even more was that it was Moondancer that was going to grab the book herself. "Twilight...? You're here too?" Moondancer adjusted her glasses. "Moondancer...! You're here!" Twilight was happy to see her. But her sudden outburst was a bit too loud and the many visiting ponies hushed her. Twilight was embarrassed and the two left the History section with the book they were looking for and sat down at a nearby desk. "So you're looking for some information on the Spellbind Family too? Why...?" Twilight was surprised to know this. "Well, I wanted to help you. And I was curious since I think I've heard about the family as well. Maybe this book could help us." Moondancer opened the rather old book to find the table of context. They looked through the table and were happy to have found the name 'Spellbind' on the list. They turned to page 128 to find the name of the family on one of the pages. "The Spellbind Family. A family of very powerful and very eccentric magic-users. The family was regarded as master makers of spells, enchantments, and even magical experimentation. While they were highly respected, they were also highly feared as a number of their members were gifted with power far beyond any pony's natural ability." Twilight knew this was true since she has witnessed this great power herself. "Because of constant monster attacks, the Spellbind Family was tasked to aid in any actions necessary for the defense of those who couldn't defend themselves. However, a tragedy occurred which resulted in the deaths and disappearances of it's family members. This tragedy, however, goes unknown to even Princess Celestia. Without knowing who or what caused this tragedy, the mystery of the family's deaths remains unsolved. The Spellbind Family, may they rest in peace for their services." Twilight finished reading all that was written in the few pages. She was frustrated to find that there was hardly anything in the book she didn't already know. "So...the family just died for unknown reasons? Just like that?" Moondancer got a shiver down her back down to her tail. "So it seems. And if I must help the Spellbind Brothers, I must find a way to help them remember their pasts." Twilight closed the book and left to return it to it's place. Moondancer adjusted her glasses and followed Twilight. Afterwards, they left the library to enjoy some lunch. Twilight was still frustrated she couldn't find anything else about the Spellbind Family. "Cheer up, Twilight. I'm sure something will turn up soon. Maybe when the University discovers something from their studies on that black rock." Moondancer was concerned for Twilight. She did her best to lighten the mood. Twilight gave an annoyed groan as she ate her newly-served muffin. Moondancer's efforts had little sway on the mood. After lunch, they made their way to the University hoping for some progress. When they entered the room, they saw a group of Unicorns shooting streams of their magic into the rock. "Ah, Twilight and Moondancer...! Welcome back! You two are just in time for the next phase in our studies!" The rock was being propelled slightly into the air thanks to the combined magic of all the Unicorns. It was chained down to prevent any over-shots. A light shined through the black rock, but nothing else was happening. "I thought you guys weren't going to use any magic on the rock or do anything to upset it." Twilight was slightly annoyed by this sudden change in decision. The lead scientist laughed nervously, "Well...um...this was decided by a unanimous vote. Besides, up to this point, nothing we did had any real affect on th-" Suddenly, the rock dropped back to the ground with a loud thud. All of the Unicorns were exhausted from expelling most of their magic. The light radiating from the rock faded and returned to it's pitch black color. "I guess magic doesn't work either...." After their failure, the many scientists and volunteering Unicorns vacated the study zone to recover their magic. The lead scientist was discouraged by yet another failure. "Maybe the multiple minerals and metals inside the rock might have repelled the magic completely. That might have been the light that shined from within the rock." Twilight continued to study the rock from all angles. "You...might be right. Certain metals have been known to have a resistance to magic. We should have foreseen this from the start." The lead scientist became even more discouraged. "Then there's only other method we can use." "Yes, you're right. We will have to dig into it. But not now. After today most of our fellow scientists have used too much magic to continue operations. We will continue tomorrow morning." Twilight gave an annoyed sigh from the unfortunate set-back. Moondancer continued to look at the black rock. She felt the same kind of chill run down her back again for no reasons. She shook it off and ignored it entirely. Twilight and Moondancer left the University and made their way to Moondancer's home. Moondancer made tea to ease Twilight's frustration. "It's alright, Twilight. Everypony makes mistakes sometimes. We just have to learn from them." Moondancer then served Twilight her cup of tea. "I know.... It's just that something about all this keeps bugging me. Like there is something hidden beneath all of this. And no matter what we do, we're always back to where we started." Twilight took a sip of her tea to calm down. "I'm sure the answers will come to you in time. We just have to wait until tomorrow." Twilight didn't want to accept this, but she had no choice. They then spent the rest of the day enjoying some quality time. Time flew by and it was already 9:23 pm in the evening. "I think I better go back to the castle now. We have a big day tomorrow and I will need my sleep." Twilight left the books she was reading and made her way to the door. "I guess it is pretty late. I'll see you tomorrow then." Moondancer was reluctant to see Twilight leave. "Good night, Moondancer." "Good night, Twilight." Twilight left the house and made her way to the castle. She entered the throne room to see Princess Celestia looking over some paperwork like always. "Welcome back, Twilight. How was your day?" Princess Celestia stopped her work to see Twilight. Twilight yawned, "Disappointing." Twilight told Princess Celestia everything that happened today. "I see.... That is rather disappointing. Then we will just have to wait. Go get some rest, Twilight." Princess Celestia went back to her late-night paperwork. "Good night, Princess." Twilight left with a yawn and made her way to her room. She found Spike already asleep with Princess Luna tucking him in. "Oh, Twilight. I was just tucking Spike in. He worked so hard today with us today. He tuckered himself out." Princess Luna began to leave the room. "Thank you, Princess. I'll be going to bed too, so I'll see you all in the morning." Twilight then flew to her comfy bed without hesitation. "Then I will leave you to it. Good night, Twilight. Sweet dreams." Princess Luna left the room to attend her dream-walking duties. Twilight quickly went to sleep when she tucked herself in bed. After all the disappointment, she hope tomorrow was more promising.
Chapter 4 - DarknessA new morning came like always with Princess Celestia raising the sun. Twilight woke up to see her do so, and even though the dark clouds were still so thick, the light of the sun still illuminated the land. She got out of bed, fixed up her mane and tail, and looked at the clock. It was 9:08 am, so she left her room to get some breakfast. She left Spike to sleep in for the morning. She made her way to the kitchen to see the maids gathered around, talking with concerned expressions on their faces. They noticed Twilight walk inside and they quickly dispersed to attend their daily duties. Twilight noticed this and was confused. "Good morning." Twilight's greeting gave the maids a scare. She knew there was something going on. "Good morning, Princess Twilight...! Would you like some breakfast?! We have apples, bread, or we can make pancakes for you!" The maids quickly presented themselves before Twilight in a row. Twilight became suspicious of their behavior considering how obvious it was. "Alright, what is going on? You're all acting strange...." The maids all froze when she asked the question. "Please forgive us, Princess, but Princess Celestia ordered us to not tell you anything...! You will have to ask her!" Twilight became concerned and left the kitchen to meet with Princess Celestia. She ran to the throne room to see only Princess Luna alone, pacing back and forth in concern. "Princess Luna, what's wrong? Did something happen...?" Princess Luna stopped pacing and noticed Twilight. She quickly kept her distance. "G-Good morning, Twilight. Have you had breakfast yet? Perhaps I can make some pancakes for us." Princess Luna tried making her way to the kitchen, but Twilight quickly cuts her off. "Princess Luna, you and your sister are keeping something from me. I want to know." Twilight was beginning to lose her patience with the secrecy. Princess Luna gave a great sigh, knowing she couldn't keep the secrecy going any longer. She then whispered in Twilight's ear and Twilight then dashed out of the throne room and then out of the castle. Spike finally woke up and saw Twilight run out. Spike yawned, "Good morning, Princess.... Where is Twilight going?" Princess Luna then noticed Spike and then hugged Spike from concerned. "Princess...?" Spike was confused by this gesture. "Spike...you need to hear this." It hurt Princess Luna to tell Spike, knowing how young he is. As for Twilight, she ran as fast as she could to the University to see Princess Celestia and the scientists gathered in the room where the black rock was supposed to be. Except this time, there was no black rock to be found. Just a big empty space with red marks on the floor. "Princess...!" Twilight was exhausted from the mad dash due to not only just waking up, but not eating breakfast. Her heart thumped faster than a drum out of terror. Princess Celestia and the scientists noticed her and became very concerned. "T-Twilight...you're here. Please...let me-" "Princess, tell me...! What happened to Moondancer?!" Twilight was in no mood for any more secrets. She wanted answers now. The lead scientist stepped forth and said, "Princess Twilight, your friend, Moondancer, is gravely injured and is at the hospital right now." Twilight felt her entire body turn cold. She looked back at the red marks on the floor and dread the thought of what those marks were. She then turned and dashed off for the hospital, but Princess Celestia stopped her with her magic. "Twilight, you need to calm down...!" "Let me go...! I need to see her right now...!" Twilight struggled to break loose of the magical binding, but Princess Celestia kept a firm hold on her. "Twilight, I understand your concern, but you must calm yourself! We haven't heard anything from the hospital yet, so they might still be treating her!" "I can't just sit here and not be there for her...! I have to do something!" Twilight kept struggling, but she was too tired to keep it up for long. Princess Celestia kept her down until Twilight eventually gave up her struggle. Twilight then sat on her rear legs and Princess Celestia released her from the magical hold. Tears ran down Twilight's cheeks, fearing the unthinkable to happen to her dear friend. "How did this happen...? When did it happen...?" Twilight rubbed the tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself. It was proving to be very difficult. "I can't say for sure, but maybe you should meet with the one who reported this to the Royal Guard. His name is Dusty. He's the janitor. You'll find his house on 4th Royal Avenue. It is number 104. He'll tell you what happened." Twilight then got on her hooves and made her way out. "Princess...what should we do now?" The scientists were all concerned and afraid. "This must be kept a secret from every pony. Whatever happened to Moondancer must never be discussed by anypony. No exceptions." Princess Celestia left the room and the scientists are agreed to keep quiet about this unfortunate event. Princess Celestia sighed, "Twilight, be sure to eat something before doing so. You cannot think clearly on an empty stomach." Twilight nodded silently and made her way to 4th Royal Avenue. As she made her way into town, she walked over to a café to eat a bagel and then left once she was finished eating. Finally, she arrived at 4th Royal Avenue and then she found the house with the number 104 as instructed. She knocked on the door, hoping Dusty was still home. The door was opened by a gray-colored Earth Pony stallion with a blue mane and tail. "Um...good morning, miss. Can I help you?" Dusty looked very tired when he opened the door. "Are you Dusty, the janitor who works at the University?" Twilight had to be sure. "Yes, I am. Though, I'm just one of a few janitor at the University. Why...?" "I'm here to ask about what you saw last night. May I come in?" Dusty then opened his tired eyes wide from the mere mention of what he saw. "Why do you need to know about that...?" Dusty's legs began to tremble like jelly. "Because the mare who got hurt is my best friend." Twilight felt her heart grow heavy out of sadness. Dusty was surprised to hear this. Dusty looked through the avenue and whispered, "Alright, you may come inside. We must be quiet though...!" Dusty panicked as he allowed Twilight entry. They went inside to talk about what happened with Dusty serving tea. Dusty's gray coat grew paler and his hooves trembled. Twilight could tell that whatever he saw must have terrified him. She poured herself a cup of tea considering how much Dusty was trembling. "So...um...what do you want to know?" Dusty tried to pour his own cup of tea, but he could barely keep himself still. "Maybe...the beginning?" "Ah...right. The beginning. Well...I was out doing what I usually do at the University. I was doing my night-shift as the janitor, cleaning up the halls and floors. And then I made my way to the room where that big rock was supposed to be to end my shift. But then I saw that young mare in the room. I was about to ask why she was there, but then I saw her place her hoof on the rock and suddenly the rock shattered. And then all the rocks turned into a liquid and formed into another pony! It was a mare who was as tall as the Princess and her eyes were soul-piercing! She had a horn and wings like the Princess too! I was so shocked by this, and THEN this tall mare used her wings to cut up your friend! And then the tall mare vanished.... I carried the young mare in a panic, brought her to the Royal Guard, and then took her to the hospital! At first, they thought I was the one who did that to the mare, but the teachers and students proved my innocence. I told them all that happened and I couldn't sleep the entire night after that. That's it." Dusty then became really tired after telling Twilight everything he knew. Twilight was horrified by what she heard as she finished her tea. "Did you see what this tall mare look like?" "Uh...no, I didn't. It was too dark to see. And I was too focused on the mare that got attacked. Sorry...." "No, it's fine. As long as Moondancer is safe, that's all that matters. Thank you." Twilight began to make her way out of the house. "Thank you for the tea, Mister Dusty." Twilight then left the house without another word. "Any time...." Dusty was also worried for Moondancer's health. But there was nothing else he could do. Twilight then began making her way to the hospital, hoping to see Moondancer doing just fine. "TWILIGHT...!" Twilight then saw Spike running straight at her with tears streaming down his eyes. "Spike...! Did you-" Spike then grabbed onto Twilight, desperately needing a hug. "Twilight...is it true?! Is Moondancer hurt?!" Spike was scared to death. "Yes, Spike.... I'm going to the hospital to see her right now." Twilight held onto Spike to comfort him. "I'm coming too...!" "Are you sure, Spike? It might be too much for you...." Twilight became concerned for Spike's emotional state. Spike then quickly rubbed tears from his eyes and replied, "Yes, I'm sure." Spike did his best to keep the tears from coming back. Twilight nodded and they both made their way to the hospital. They finally arrived at the hospital and stepped to the front desk. "Excuse me, my name is Twilight Sparkle and this is Spike. I'm here to check up on my friend, Moondancer." The nurse then began looking through the papers to find Moondancer's name. "Ah yes, the one who arrived last night. You two...might not like what you see. Are you sure you're ready to see her?" Twilight and Spike nodded. They had to go see Moondancer to make sure she was alright. "Alright, follow me." The nurse then lead Twilight and Spike to a room on the second floor with the number 7 on the door. "When we go inside, I would like you to please keep your voices down. She is...in a very delicate state right now." The nurse opened the door. Twilight and Spike stepped on through to see Moondancer's older sister sitting at her bedside. "Twilight...you're here. And Spike too." She had a very sad look on her face. "Moon Shine...you're here too." Twilight and Spike sat on the opposite side of Moondancer's bedside. They all looked at Moondancer who was in a deep slumber, covered in bandages. "Moon Shine, what's wrong with her? Why isn't she waking up...?" Spike was so scared to see Moondancer in such a state. "She is in a coma, Spike. She won't wake up for some time now." Moon Shine then placed her forehead on Moondancer's in sadness. "Why...? Why would anypony do something so horrible to her? What did she do to deserve this...?" Tears ran down her cheeks from the heart-wrenching sight. Twilight and Spike had nothing to say to make her feel better. At this point, all they could do was hope Moondancer would pull through. "Spike...let's go. They need some time alone." Twilight then began to leave the room. Spike didn't want to leave, but he did anyway. They then left the hospital and left for the castle to meet with the Princesses. They arrived at the castle and entered the throne room to see Princess Celestia and her sister speaking to a large group of Royal Guard ponies. "Now that I have told you of what happened, I want you to be on constant alert. Double the patrols, double the security, double anything and everything. And do not, under any circumstances, speak a word of this to anypony. Do you understand?" Twilight and Spike knew that this was very serious if Princess Celestia would give such a command. "Yes, Princess!" The Royal Guard ponies then left throne room to do as they were commanded. Twilight and Spike then stepped forward to meet with the Princesses. They were both very sad; Princess Celestia gave Twilight a much needed hug while Princess Luna gave Spike a hug as well. "Twilight, did you meet with Dusty today?" Princess Celestia then stopped hugging Twilight. "Yes, I did. He told me about last night." "Did he tell you anything that might help us?" "He told me that the black rock turned into another pony and attacked Moondancer. I guess you already know that...." "Yes, we do." "He also told me something...unbelievable." "That the one who attacked your friend had a horn and wings, yes?" Twilight was surprised to find out that even the Princesses knew of this. "Princess, I need to know.... Are there other Alicorns besides us?" Twilight trembled at the thought of an evil Alicorn in Equestria. Even Spike was scared. Princess Celestia gave a troubled sigh and replied, "I...do not know. All I do know is that whoever or whatever did this to your friend is still out there. Hiding in the darkness. And the only ponies who might know the answer are the ones who were trapped in the black rock." "The Spellbind Brothers...?" "Yes, Spike. And if they have truly forgotten their memories, then we must help them remember." Twilight and Spike agreed with Princess Celestia. It could be the only way to solve this mystery. "Twilight, I need you and Spike to return to Ponyville and rest for a few days. When you are ready, Twilight, I will need you to bring the Spellbind Brothers to us so that we may find our answers." Twilight knew this could turn out really bad. And this was only the beginning. Twilight and Spike both knew something was going on and this was the only way to know what that is. It was time to return home.
