Astral held her breath as she waited at Willow Whisper’s back door. One moment passed, then two, and as the faint echo of her knock ebbed away, worst-case scenarios started to flash through her head: that Willow wasn’t home; that Willow wouldn’t want to help; that Willow was under the influence of the Collider...

She didn’t have long to contemplate the scenarios before the back door opened a crack. An azure eye appeared in the opening, peering out at Astral.

“Astral?” the eye’s owner asked, and the door opened wider, revealing Willow, draped in a forest green bathrobe that matched her straight mane. She had evidently just rolled out of bed, as her mane was mildly disheveled. “Why are you here this late? Is everything okay?”

“No, Willow, everything is certainly not okay,” Astral sighed, shaking her head as she stepped past the almond earth mare. “I’m in trouble.”

“Trouble?” Willow gasped, placing her robe on a table. While she spoke, she worked her tail into a braid. “How can I help? What happened?”

Astral shook her head, grimacing. “We should get the gang together first; this isn’t news I want to repeat.”

“Oh, of course...” Willow said, sidling up to Astral as the unicorn trotted to the door. “Astral?” she added.

“Yes, Willow?”

“Is everything going to be alright?”

Astral took a long pause before answering. “I… don’t know, Will. But you know I’m not going to give up until I try.”

Astral magicked the door open and marched out; concerned, Willow scampered after her.

It took Astral a short while to round up all the members of her group, but soon, all five of them were assembled in the study section of the Starry Night Observatory.

The fivesome was as diverse was as a group could get, comprised of three mares and two stallions: two earth ponies, two pegasi, and one unicorn. Falcon was the earth stallion, dirt brown with a spiky dirty-blonde and orange-tipped mane, relaxed iron-colored eyes, and a cutie mark of three raptor tail feathers. Violetta, the pegasus mare, stood next to him, her magenta coat giving her the appearance of a giant piece of candy; she had an untamed mess of a plum-and-lavender mane, teal eyes, and a massive smile fitting for her nine-clouds cutie mark. The pegasus stallion Blast Wing had a cerulean coat, an unruly periwinkle-and-cornflower mane, sharp burgundy eyes, and a trio of abstract explosions for a cutie mark -- a special talent ironic for his calm demeanor, yet explained the missing tip of his left ear. Willow was nestled in next to Blast, and all four of them watched as Astral paced in front of them.

“Okay,” Astral said, looking at the assembled group, “let’s get down to business.”

Falcon yawned, “Yeah. What exactly couldn’t have waited ‘til morning?”

Astral closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she remembered what happened to her. In her mind’s eye, she was transported instantly to the darkened barrack, the Collider looming over her with a cruel, sadistic grin. “When I went to Canterlot to visit Stone, something--” she paused “-- strange happened.”

“Strange how?” Blast asked. “Strange like Stone sending you away once you arrived?”

“Strange like Stone trying to kill me.”

There was a tense moment of shocked silence, in which the four ponies reacted to the news in their own way. Willow whimpered and retreated into her mane; Violetta’s wings became half-erect; Falcon gave a small gasp, going bug-eyed; and Blast gained a sympathetic expression.

Violetta quickly broke the silence. “Kill you? That’s ridiculous -- and trust me, I know ridiculous!”

“Vi’s right, Astral,” Blast agreed. “That’s not the Stone I remember.”

“It wasn’t the Stone I remembered either, but it still happened,” Astral insisted.

“What would make Stone try and hurt you?” Willow asked. “He’s so kind and loyal…”

“Something bad must’ve happened to him,” Falcon agreed.

“I think I met that ‘something bad’ on the visit,” Astral said. “When I got to the barrack, there was another stallion in there, in addition to Stone.”

“Captain Chain Mail?” Blast asked.

Astral shook her head. “I don’t know who this stallion was, but he certainly wasn’t a friend of Stone’s…” Astral paused again. “He called himself ‘the Collider’.”

“The Collider…” Violetta contemplated. “Where have I heard that name before?”

“Nowhere I’ve read, that’s for certain,” Astral answered. “I don’t have a clue who he is.”

“Glad I’m not the only one, finally,” Falon quipped. “Maybe if we just ask him--”

Astral shook her head. “He’s not interested in talking. He… He…”

“What?” Willow said, looking concerned at Astral. “What did he do?”

Astral stared down at her hooves and paused for several seconds, before finally saying, “He… tried to turn me into a statue.”

The other four reacted as one to Astral’s news. They spoke over one another, their concerns coming out as little more than unintelligible noise. Astral felt a surge of annoyance that triggered her magic, her horn sparking as she glared daggers at the group.

“Guys, calm down!” she shouted, immediately silencing them. “We’ll never figure this out if we’re talking over each other.”

“Tried to turn you into a STATUE?” Blast asked, disbelieving. “No way he has magic that powerful. He’d have to be an alicorn, and there’s --”

“He was.”

“So what are we going to do?” Willow asked. “We can’t go up against an ALICORN…”

“Not unless we want to get thrown in the dungeons for the rest of our lives,” Falcon said.

“But we can’t just do nothing!” Astral asserted. “Stone’s in danger; I’d rather be turned into a statue instead of turn my back on him.”

“We may not have to!” Violetta cut in, grinning broadly. “I just remember where I heard the name ‘the Collider’ from.”

“Where?” Astral asked. “Where’d you read it?” She turned to an array of bookcases, filled to the brim with textbooks. “I’m sure I have it somewhere--”

“Not a book,” Violetta shook her head.

“Not a book?” Falcon cocked his head to the side. “Where’d you hear it, then?”

Violetta gave a vague smile as she strolled to the door, refusing to elaborate further. After a few seconds of staring expectantly at her, the other four followed.

They followed the blithe pegasus out of Ponyville, their frustration growing with every step they took. Finally, Astral voiced what they were all thinking.

“Violetta, for Celestia’s sake, where are you taking us?”

“Just a little further,” Violetta chirped.

Astral growled and swallowed her retort, falling back in line. The five ponies continued walking in silence until a small building, little more than a shed, came into view. Violetta turned to face the group, beaming.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, I present to you--” she paused for dramatic effect “-- Silver Spirits, the stallion who is going to solve all our problems.”

“Silver Spirits?” Falcon glanced at the shed. “That healer from Canterlot? The one who hates ponies?”

“He doesn’t HATE ponies,” Violetta corrected. “He just prefers to be alone.”

“How do you even know him?” Blast asked.

“Because I was his welcoming committee when he first moved to Ponyville!”

“Of course you were,” Astral said, shaking her head. “So you’re sure this Silver can help us with the Collider?”

Violetta nodded. “Absolutely. Besides, we don’t have any other ideas, so he’s worth a shot.”

She trotted up to Silver’s door and knocked. A muffled complaint sounded, followed by quiet clops. The door was suddenly magicked open, revealing a unicorn stallion that everyone assumed was Silver.

Fitting for his name, Silver’s coat was a dull silver, with a matching dark grey mane that looked like it hadn’t been combed in years. His cutie mark was one that only Astral recognized: an iron blue alchemist’s symbol for sulfur. His olive eyes, as well as his posture, showed that he was annoyed at his late-night visitors.

“It’s midnight,” Silver groused.

“Heya, Sil!” Violetta chirped. Silver gave her a cold glare, and she chuckled nervously.”We, kinda need your help…”

“Again: It’s midnight. What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”

Violetta nodded at Astral. “It’s her brother… He’s, kinda under some kind of curse that’s causing him to do things that he wouldn’t normally do.”

“Can’t help you,” Silver said bluntly. “I’m a healer, not a curse-breaker.” He turned, his horn glowing as he tried to close the door. Astral’s horn also lit up, stopping the door. She forced it back open, her face twisted into an expression of rage.

“Listen here, you,” Astral spat. “Violet said that you’re the only one who can help me break the curse that the Collider put on him, so you’re kind of my only hope. So if you don’t help me, I swear to Luna…”

“Hold on, hold on.” Silver held up a hoof to stop Astral. “Did you say ‘the Collider’?”

Astral paused, blinking in shock. “Yes, I did. So what do you know about him?”

Silver gave a resigned sigh, opening the door fully. “You might as well come in.”

“Why don’t you come out?” Blast suggested nervously, staring up at the building. “This house doesn’t feel very structurally--”

“Just come in!”

Despite Blast’s concerns, the five ponies corralled into the tiny house. It was furnished in an average manner, except for the various alchemical devices lining the wall and the cauldron in the fireplace. Silver went over to a bookshelf, reading the spines of the books as he spoke.

“So, you encountered a pony who called himself the Collider, right?” he asked without looking up.

Astral nodded. “Yes. Who is he? I’ve never heard anything about him, which is usually for me.”

“You wouldn’t have heard much about him in the first place,” Silver answered, as he took an ancient book off the shelf. “He lived over a thousand years ago.”

“Over a thousand years ago?” Blast asked. “Like, with Princess Celestia and Luna?”

“Before them, even,” Silver said as he placed the book on a table. It was a diary of some sort. “He lived around the same time Equestria was first founded.”

“So is that his diary?” Willow asked.

Silver shook his head. “This journal once belonged to a unicorn stallion named Snowsheet -- the best friend of the former Prince Rapport, who you know as the Collider.”

“Where’d you even get that?” Astral asked.

“A friend from Canterlot,” Silver answered, refusing to elaborate further. He opened the journal, which was written in an unrecognized language.

“What IS that?” Falcon asked.

“It’s Old Ponish…” Astral muttered, glancing at Silver. “How old is this journal?”

“Older than Princess Luna,” Silver replied. “Snowsheet and Rapport were some of the first ponies to move to Equestria after its founding, and that’s around when the journal starts.”

“Okay, so, who’s the Collider?” Blast said.

“As I mentioned, the Collider was once Prince Rapport, the Prince of Harmony,” Silver began. “When he ruled, he embraced the powers of the Elements of Harmony to protect Equestria. Now, here’s where the story gets interesting…” Silver gave a slight grin. “According to Snowsheet, Rapport was one of the creators of the Elements.”

“I thought it was the Pillars of Equestria who created them?” Astral said.

“No, the Pillars’ magic is what’s behind the power of the Elements, but apparently, the spell that converted their Elements into the Elements of Harmony was cast by Rapport. This was what gave Rapport his wings.”

“So Rapport was a good guy,” Violetta said. “What turned him bad?”

Silver flipped to a page near the end of the book, and read, “‘Rapport’s been acting strange lately, almost resentful towards Princess Celestia. I finally asked him what he was so upset about, and he said that Celestia didn’t know how to lead Equestria. He said that he’d be able to do better, if only she weren’t in the way. I don’t know what he meant by that, but I hope he’s not going to do anything rash.’” He looked up at the rest of the assembled ponies. “This was one of the last entries that mentioned Rapport. The only other one this far in just read ‘Rapport is gone’.”

“What did Snowsheet mean by that?” Willow asked, tilting her head. “‘Didn’t know how to lead Equestria’... Celestia’s a great Princess.”

“Rapport must’ve felt resentful towards the Princesses,” Silver reasoned. “He apparently thought his power was more than enough to constitute him as Equestria’s rightful -- and only -- leader. My guess is, with his return, he’s already dealt with all five of OUR princesses.”

“This still doesn’t explain why he wanted to hurt Astral, though,” Violetta said. “She’s just another astronomer. Why would she be in his crosshairs?“

“And what are we supposed to about him, or Stone?” Astral added. “I can’t lose my brother -- I just can’t.”

“Very touching,” Silver said, barely suppressing a sneer, “but I believe the answer is in the past. When Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia banished her using the Elements of Harmony. Who’s to say she didn’t do the same to Rapport, or ‘the Collider’?

“So what are you saying?” Falcon said. “Get the Elements…”

“And you beat the Collider,” Silver finished.

“And get Stone back,” Astral added.

“Guys, the Elements disappeared a long time ago,” Blast said. “How are we supposed to use them against the Collider if we can’t even find them?”

“Luckily, Snowsheet already thought of that.” Silver flipped instantly to another page and read, “‘Rapport’s been focused on the task of finding ponies responsible enough to uphold the virtues of the Elements. I believe I’ve come up with a spell that can do just that… But it will require keys.’“

“Keys? Like, door keys?” Willow asked.

“I don’t think so,” Silver said. “A few of the records of Princess Twilight’s battle with Lord Tirek mention six items -- a spool of thread, a flower, a coin, et cetera -- that unlocked a chest. My guess is, you’re looking for something similar.”

“Don’t suppose Snowsheet mentioned what they are,” Falcon said with a nervous chuckle.

Silver shook his head no. “But I think I can figure out where they are. He added a spell that works with the magic the Tree of Harmony uses to locate the keys. All we need is a map…”

“This is bad. This is a bad idea,” Willow fussed.

The group had gone straight to the Castle of Friendship after their visit to Silver’s. Its usually-inviting atmosphere was all but gone in the absence of Princess Twilight. Silver trotted up the steps and pulled on the door handle, which refused to give way: it was locked.

“Locked?” Willow gave a sigh of relief. “Oh, well, let’s go try and find another-- what are you doing?”

Silver’s horn lit up as he bent down to the handles. Faint clicking sounds could be heard before the entire door swung open, magically unlocked. “Lockpicking spell, obviously.”

Astral gave an impressed whistle as the group followed Silver inside. “You’ve got to teach me how to do that.”

“It’s basically just a levitation spell on the pins inside the door.” Silver shrugged. “Nothing complicated.”

They proceeded through the hall and into the main throne room, where the Cutie Map, blank as a regular table, sat in the middle of a circle of seven thrones. Silver immediately made his way over to Princess Twilight’s throne, plopping himself down into the chair. The others nervous sat around the table at the other five pony thrones.

“So how’s this work?” Falcon asked. “You just shoot the Map, and it shows you where the Elements are?”

“In… layman’s terms, yes,” Silver nodded.

He opened the journal to the page where the spell was scribbled down, his eyes scanning it as his horn glowed. A beam of magic soon shot out of his horn, hitting the tabletop. A light blue glow spread across the table as a map of Equestria manifested itself. The magic wasn’t done, however, as more beams shot out of the cutie marks on the thrones, bathing six cities in multicolored light: Coltarcas, Manehattan, Stratusburg, Vanhoover, Fillydelphia, and Canterlot.

“There’s our answer,” Astral said. “Those must be where the keys are.”

“I was hoping for more of an answer as to what we were searching for,” Blast said. “Manehattan’s a huge city; it’d take us forever to find the key there.”

“At least we’re working on familiar ground for some of us!” Violetta said. “Fal’s from Manehattan, I’m from Stratusburg, Silver’s from Canterlot... Couldn’t be more perfect!”

“Sorry?” Silver scowled. “Are you seriously suggesting for me to come along with you?”

“Well… yeah,” Violetta nodded. “I mean, you’re kinda the resident expert on the Collider!”

“Plus, we need six ponies for the Elements to work,” Astral added.

“You’re kind of important…” Willow muttered.

“C’mon, dude,” Falcon urged. “It’ll be fun. Six friends riding across Equestria, huntin’ for the things to save our hides...”

“Are you in or not?” Blast asked, trotting over to Silver, and holding out his hoof. The other four walked up as well, joining the pile.

Silver stared at the hoof pile, then at the map, and finally at the five ponies assembled around him. Finally, he let out a reluctant sigh and placed his hoof on top of the pile.

“Fine. But only to stop the Collider,” he insisted. “Nothing more.”

“Good enough for me!” Violetta said, throwing her hooves up with the others in a symbol of togetherness.

“Just go home, get some rest, and get ready,” Silver said to the group at large. “We’ve got a long trip ahead.”

Author's Note

The plot thickens. Some very meaty exposition here, which took me a while to figure out how to phrase without it sounding boring. Let's hope I did a good job!