Equestria Mares: The Secret Apprentice of Princess Celestia

Chapters

Chapter One: Shards of a Shattered Life
Chapter Two: Reflections and Shadows
Chapter Three: Not All That Cuts is Silvered Glass
Chapter Four: The Chariot of Hippolytus
Chapter Five: On Suns, and Moons, and Starless Skies
Chapter Six: The Sun's Fire-Eating Daughter
Chapter Seven: Amethyst Daydreams, Darkness and Flame
Chapter Eight: Behind the Velvet Shadows of Phaedra
Chapter Nine: A Figure in the Glass
Chapter Ten: The Final Betrayal
Chapter Eleven: The Mirror Cracked
Chapter Twelve: After Inferno, There Shall Be Stars

Chapter One: Shards of a Shattered Life

The twin doors were even larger than the other various portals throughout the palace. Massive, arching structures of blue oak and iron, hearkening back to the days when the Crystal Empire was a place ready for siege. Beside them, two crystal ponies in armor, one to each side, stood at attention. And before them, six ponies and a dragon hatchling gathered, waiting uncertainly.

“Now remember, girls,” Rarity whispered. “Royal manners.”

“Yeah, yeah, we got it,” Rainbow whispered back. “Just relax already.”

“What about Twilight?” Applejack asked. “She’s a princess, so she don’t gotta worry ‘bout it, right?”

“Oh, no, quite the contrary! The obligations of the noble can be quite severe…”

“Guys,” Twilight muttered, “Not helping.”

“Oh, dear. Sorry, darling.”

The giant oaken doors slowly opened inward as two lines of crystal ponies gave regal fanfare to the new arrival, lining either side of the red carpet that led the way to the dais before the seven friends. Twilight tried not to sigh as she led the way into the throne room, and tried to focus on the sisters waiting at the other side of the room. This was all so… much. New wings, new crown, new fusses made… she’d preferred it when such matters had been reserved for her teachers.

At first, such honors had been given to Celestia and Celestia alone. Granted, as Celestia’s adopted niece, Cadence had been called ‘princess’ for years… but she’d never really been thought of as royalty when she was growing up, wings or no. But then Luna had been freed from her prison. And then the Crystal Empire had returned, and Cadence had taken on the burden of its crown. So there had been three princesses. And now, she, Twilight Sparkle, was the fourth.

Looking around at the throne room of the crystal palace, and the new decorations that had been hung for the Princess Summit, Twilight couldn’t help but feel more and more out of place. ‘Princess Twilight.’ Inwardly, she groaned. Celestia and Luna had both been pleased for her new wings and new title, though of course always reserved, always dignified. Fortunately, Twilight’s other friends had been more than happy to pick up the slack. Applejack had marveled at the transformation, Rarity had been in awe, and Pinkie...

Well, Pinkie had been Pinkie.

But Twilight’s favorite moment when she had returned to Ponyville had been Rainbow Dash’s soaring, hugging, ecstatic jubilation at having, as she had put it, “a new flying buddy.” That had been pretty awesome. Twilight smiled inwardly at the memory.

As for herself, well, for a moment having wings had been exciting. Who didn’t want to fly? Only pegasi took the gift they had for granted, and not even all of them. But when Princess Celestia had announced that she, Twilight Sparkle, was herself a princess, Twilight had done her best to not be dismayed. Not just when Celestia and her friends had bowed to her, though that had certainly shaken her. The problem ran deeper than that: how was she supposed to handle any of this? There were no books on being a princess, the transformation was too rare. Well, maybe unheard of was a better description. And the coronation had been… weird. Twilight tried to think of it as joining a family, being closer to Celestia, Luna, and Cadence than she had been before. And sure, that helped. But this was all very new territory. The structure of her old life had been shattered, and she wasn’t sure how to create a new one.

Plus, everypony kept bowing to her. That would just never feel right.

Still, she reminded herself, the other princesses believe in me. And if they think I can do this, then I’ll just have to trust their judgement. And besides, my other friends are all here to help. All I have to do is keep from being too awkward—

Her horn made a dull clunk! against the armor of the sergeant of the guards. Oh, shoot! She stared up at him, aghast. Great going, Twilight. Less than ten seconds in, and you’re bumping into things like a little foal. That must be a new record.

He stared back only for an instant, though. Smiling as though her bumping into him had been rehearsed, he extended a hoof to her and said in a clear voice, “Presenting, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

The princesses descended to meet her, plainly delighted. Cadence got to her first, and as the two of them nuzzled comfortably Twilight felt her apprehensions melt. “I haven’t seen you since the coronation,” Cadence said warmly. Then, in a whisper into Twilight’s mane, “How are you holding up?”

"Not sure,” Twilight whispered back.

“We’ll talk later.”

“’Kay.”

“We have so much to discuss,” Celestia smiled at them all. “But it can wait until tomorrow, if you like. You all look tired from your journey.”

Rainbow Dash stared at her. “Are you kidding? Sleep, now? We just got here! And besides, this is the first Princess Summit in the history of ever! How more awesome can you get?”

“An’ besides, Yer Highness” Applejack pointed out, “If Princess Luna here was gracious enough to stay up to meet us, I reckon we can spare you ladies a few minutes.”

“I am feeling a little tired,” Fluttershy admitted. “But I’d rather stay with you all for a little. If it wouldn’t make problems for anypony, Your Highnesses.”

The sisters looked at one another, smiling. “I am well rested,” Luna said, “though I thank all of you for your concern. I have already risen the moon, though it is day, in celebration of the upcoming event. Still,” she glanced at Fluttershy, “there is no reason for any of you to go without rest. There is ample time for all of you, save of course for Pinkie Pie.” Pinkie Pie’s ears perked up with an audible poink! as the Princess of Night continued, “After all, though the Princess Summit itself is a formal occasion, who else could be trusted to bring about the after-party?”

Pinkie Pie drew in a slow, delighted gasp as her eyes grew in size, staring at Princess Luna. Finally, she managed a quiet, “After-party?”

“But of course,” Luna nodded.

The room seemed to explode in a kaleidoscope of colors as Pinkie leapt into the air, limbs splayed out in all directions, “Yaaaaaaaaaayyy!”

“Oh, but Pinkie Pie, darling, be serious,” Rarity chided her gently as Pinkie landed in an odd crouch near the dais. “You haven’t any time, and you only brought your party cannon – at least, I assume you brought your party cannon—”

The pink-maned mare stared at her with a strange intensity from where she crouched, eyes suddenly taking on an eerie amber hue. Her voice filled the throne room as she snarled through gritted teeth, “You underestimate my power!” Then, as though she had grown wings, she leaped over all her friends in a summersaulting gale of bubbling laughter and bounced to the massive oaken doors. She paused in the doorway just long enough to glance back and squeal, “Hot lava! I win!” And then she was gone.

The six guards (plus the two outside the doors) stared, first at the vanishing mare, and then at the assemblage, completely at a loss. Not that long ago, the kingdom had been invaded by changelings. Before that, there had been Sombra himself. Now the sergeant gave the princesses a wide-eyed look that was part askance and part desperation.

“It’s okay,” Twilight assured him. “It’s just Pinkie Pie. You get used to her.”

Spike cocked an eyebrow. “You do?”

“Well, more or less,” she admitted. “Still, does… anypony besides me feel like we just missed something?”

Rainbow Dash made a sarcastic sound, blowing her bangs away from her eyes in the process. “Pfff! With her? Always.”

Cadence stepped towards her younger friend, her eyes filled with concern. “But… are you sure she’s alright?”

“Han shot first!” came Pinkie’s fading voice as the great doors slowly closed again.

Applejack suppressed a slight chuckle. “Heh. She’s fine.”

* * *

There was small talk, and then dinner. The older princesses enjoyed getting to know Twilight’s friends better, and as the evening went on the younger ponies were able to relax with them, sharing stories and asking questions. For her part, Twilight was able to finally talk to Luna semi-informally, and converse with Cadence, both without some impending doom having brought them together. But after a few hours, the fatigue of their journey had well and truly caught up with the seven travelers. It was Luna herself who suggested that they break for the evening, and this time no one objected.

Twilight knew the crystal palace’s layout well enough that she could decline the sergeant’s offer to guide them, and a few minutes later she and her fellow guests were walking down yet another massive hallway to their rooms.

“Well, that went well, I must say,” Rarity observed. “Pinkie’s outburst notwithstanding, I’d say we made quite the impression.”

“Oh, my... you’re not mad at her, are you?” Fluttershy asked.

“What? Certainly not! I mean, yes, it was a bit disconcerting having her make such a spectacle of herself on her way out… but this is Pinkie Pie we’re talking about. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised she held out so long.”

While her friends continued to quietly converse, Twilight pondered. There had been no chance to speak with Cadence about her own misgivings, everything had been too public. But they’d be in town for at least a few more days, which would give them plenty of opportunities to speak privately. Or maybe Cadence would come see her tonight. The very thought brought back images of the two of them years ago, under covers with flashlights, whispering games and stories. Twilight smiled at the memories.

“Hey, Twilight?” Spike asked.

“Yeah, Spike?”

“What’s the deal with the mirror?”

“What about it?”

“Isn’t that the one from Canterlot? What’s it doing here?”

Rainbow frowned. “What mirror?”

“The free-standing mirror with the amethyst frame, jewel inlays, and blue silver backing,” Rarity answered. “She had it to her right, near the dais. It’s a beautiful piece. You know,” she mused, “I thought it looked familiar.”

“It’s the same one,” Twilight affirmed. “Celestia keeps it in the throne room during the day, and has it moved to a secure location at night. If she travels for any length of time, she takes it with her, though that rarely happens. She’ll probably ask Cadence to put it somewhere safe, or have it moved to her room.”

Spike considered this. “Huh. Funny, Celestia never struck me as the mirror type.”

Rarity looked at him in surprise. “Whyever not? A princess must look her best, after all.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment. Would this be saying too much? Celestia did keep it in the public eye, after all. “I think it was given to her by somepony close to her,” she said at last. “I asked her about it one time, and she didn’t want to talk about it.”

Applejack just nodded. “Yeah, probably a gift from somepony passed on. I bet it was her mama’s.”

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think so. I mean, if that were the case, why wouldn’t she want to talk about it?”

“Well, remember how old she is. Things were pretty rough n’ tumble back then, Twi. Discord, changelings, Sombra, an’ whatnot… maybe somethin’ bad happened.”

“Maybe it was given to her by an admirer,” Rarity suggested. Then, with a delighted gasp, “Maybe it was a courting gift from someone dear to her! Some fine, dashing stallion, who pledged his heart would ever be hers.”

Her expression turned dreamy as she went on, “And even now, years later, she remembers him fondly… his fine, strong shoulders, his coursing mane, his strong hooves, his deep, resonant voice… I bet he was a pegasus, someone she could fly with, all alone in the sky.” She gave a deep sigh. “How romantic! Just imagine the two of them, alone above the clouds, surrounded by the stars. Or even better, a unicorn, someone she could talk to about magic, rulership, and fashion… and at night, he would look deep into her sapphire eyes with his own dark, flashing ones and say, ‘Rarity, my love…’”

Twilight gave her friend a bemused smile, but Fluttershy only looked dismayed. “Oh, gosh, I hope not,” she murmured, “That would be terrible.”

Rarity blinked. “What? Why?”

“Well, because he’s not here now. I hate to think of the princess being so sad.”

“Oh. Oh, yes. Of course.”

“And it is magical, whatever it is,” Twilight said. “After a while, I just figured it was some kind of protection device. Maybe a huge amulet that would protect Canterlot, reflecting an enemy’s attacks back at them, or maybe a scrying device that let her see places far away. Buuut after everything that’s happened recently, I think we can rule all that out.”

“Aw, it’s probably just a long story,” Rainbow offered as she floated lazily above them. “I mean, I bet you were just a filly when you asked, right? Probably she just didn’t wanna take the time to explain it.”

Spike looked back at Twilight. “Didn’t you ever try to find out?”

Twilight gave a small shrug. “It wasn’t any of my business. Besides, she seemed so sad when I asked.” She sighed a little. “Granted, this was when Luna was still imprisoned as Nightmare Moon, so she was never exactly super happy anyway. But, still.” She shook her head again. “Well, whatever it is, she’ll tell me if I need to know.”

* * *

A short time later, Twilight and Spike were in their room, preparing for bed. It still puzzled her friends that the dragon would insist on sleeping so near her. Spike always said it was in case Twilight needed anything, and she never contradicted him. And his assistance was certainly invaluable to her in many ways. But, though he had matured swiftly since he’d first emerged from the egg, it remained: he was still a foal. Since they’d moved to Ponyville, she had noticed that his bed had been quietly getting further from her own. She had every confidence that the day would come that Spike would arrange to have his own room.

Twilight sighed. She had occasionally mused that, aeons from now, Spike would be a wise and powerful dragon. She had wondered what he would be like then, what wonders he would see. She had hoped he would remember her fondly from wherever he finally established his lair. Becoming a princess had changed all that. Still, for tonight Spike was a baby dragon, humming to himself, smiling broadly as he puffed his pillow and made everything ready in his own small bed on the floor near her own. It was only when he noticed her looking at him that he paused. “What?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Spike cocked an eyebrow.

Twilight sighed again. “Everything,” she admitted. “Well, okay, not everything, but… Spike, I never asked for any of this.” She gestured around her, including the coronet he had placed on her nightstand before continuing, “It’s just being thrust upon me. And it’s like it comes in waves. Sometimes, like at dinner tonight, everything’s fine, I’m talking with Celestia and Luna. And then I stop and say, wait a minute, when did they stop being Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?”

“Well, you are a princess.”

“Easy for you to say. But what does that even mean? Cadence was given the Crystal Empire to rule over—” She stopped, staring at him in horror. “What if that’s part of being a princess? What if, now that I'm a princess, Celestia expects me to rule a kingdom of my own?”

His jaw dropped in sheer delight. “That – would – be – Awesome!”

“No – it – would – not! My Element of Harmony manifested as a coronet. Now I’ve got wings. None of that has anything to do with leadership!

“And that’s just the start,” she went on. “Celestia and Luna are over a thousand years old. I don’t even know just how old; reliable history books don’t go back that far. What if I…” her voice trailed off. “I love Celestia and Luna,” she whispered. “But will I be like them? Will Cadence?”

“Uh, Twilight?”

“Do I just outlive everybody else now? All my friends? Centuries rolling past, empires vanishing and being rediscovered, and I just…”

“Twilight,” Spike said, very quietly. “You remember I’m a dragon, right?”

“Right, but what… oh.”

“Yeah.”

She looked at him, looking at her. Most of the time he was just a foal (hatchling, she reminded herself). Well, almost always, really. Sometimes, though, he seemed much older than he was. Or than she was, for that matter.

“I get it,” he said in that same quiet voice.

She lowered her head. “I know you do, Spike.”

He nodded, reverting to his usual voice. “Right. Difference is, this is new to ya.” He shrugged, wandering a few steps away with a careless gesture. “Most of the time I don’t think about it. Dragons’re loners most of the time, even from each other. Me, I like the pony life better.”

“Me, too. But Spike, that’s my point! Cadence is only a few years older than I am, but Celestia is way older, and she’s almost isolated except for Luna. Well, and sometimes Cadence.”

“And you.”

“And me. And tonight, my other friends… I mean, I think it was pretty obvious how much she was enjoying talking to everypony tonight, and that was great… but tonight was the first time I’ve ever seen her do that. And even then, Celestia’s never completely relaxed with anypony, even with her sister. They’re always so formal, even with each other.” She looked at her reflection in the mirror, at the young mare who looked back at her with worried eyes. “Spike, am I going to be like that? Distancing myself from everypony because they keep growing old and dying, and I don’t? Or like Luna… I mean, she’s gotten a lot better with the last couple of Nightmare Nights – not to mention less deafening – but she’s still so removed from everypony personally. Even tonight, it was like talking to Celestia, Cadence, and me was something she was doing so… carefully. And with anypony else, it was just a strain.”

“Huh. Sounds like you’re worried more about them than you.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it off and on for a while.” Twilight admitted. “Ever since I met Luna on her first Nightmare Night, actually. I mean, she knew nothing about dealing with modern ponies-- how much talking can they have done? But this whole princess thing really brought it home to me. They’re sisters, but Cadence and I are closer than they are. Any of our friends are, really.”

“I dunno about that,” Spike pointed out. “I haven’t seen you and Shining Armor being real close in public lately.”

"That’s different.”

Spike waved off her concerns. “Aw, you’re just worrying too much. Besides, when do we see ‘em together when they’re not doing rulership stuff? Maybe they’re just close in private.”

“Wellll, I suppose that would make sense…”

“Sure it does.” He considered her for a moment, then asked, “Who else have you talked to about this?”

“About the princess thing? Nobody. It’s not like I can just go up to them and say, ‘Hey, I was thinking I might outlive your great-grandchildren. Thoughts?’”

Spike gave her a knowing look. “And about the princess’ friendship?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack…”

“Pretty much everybody, right?”

Twilight made a frustrated noise.

“Right?”

She rolled her eyes again. “Right,” she conceded.

“And what did they say?”

“Pretty much what you just said,” she admitted.

“And you know who you could talk to about the other stuff, right?”

“Cadence,” Twilight sighed. “Which I will while I’m here.”

“So okay, nothing to worry about. You’ve got this. Meanwhile, I’m tired, you’re tired…” he interrupted himself with a yawn, and went on, “everypony’s tired. So let’s sleep. Big day tomorrow. And besides,” he hopped back onto the bed next to her, “Worst case scenario, there’s one change you forgot about.”

Twilight looked at him again.

The dragon smiled. “I don’t have to worry about my best friend going away anymore.”

The room got a little blurry to Twilight just then, and she smiled back. “Aw...”

He hopped up into her embrace, and the hug helped hide her tears. Then, as suddenly as he had started the hug, Spike was done. He hopped down again and went back to fixing his bedding. Twilight watched him, head cocked to one side. I seriously need to find out more about how dragons mature one of these days, she reflected. There’s got to be a way to conduct a field study…

After a few seconds, Spike curled up in his own tiny bed. He started snoring almost immediately. Twilight smiled to herself, her horn glowing a gentle violet she reached out with her magic and tucked him in a little more snugly.

Still a foal after all, she thought. At least for the moment.

Chapter Two: Reflections and Shadows

Sleep did not come easily to the new princess, nor quickly.

It wasn’t the stress. Not really. She was tired enough that her worries would normally just translate into dreams. Sometimes Twilight was grateful that Luna only appeared in dreams that did not concern her and Celestia. Other times she wondered how the Princess of Night could tell. Right now, she was too tired to care.

It wasn’t Spike’s snoring, either. Actually, most of the time she thought it was kind of cute, and a little comforting. It was certainly a sound she equated with being home, wherever she was.

No, it wasn’t her worries that were the problem, nor her roommate. It was a new pair of limbs that was keeping her up at night. Until a couple of weeks ago, if she couldn’t sleep, she could just lie on her back and go over the magical exercises she’d learned as a foal. The longer insomnia held her, the farther along her memorized series of visualizations she would traverse. It was both relaxing and empowering. But now, every time she rolled over, there they were. In the way.

Wings.

“Urgh!”

As she had for the two weeks since she’d undergone her Becoming (as the other princesses had called it), Twilight tossed and turned, struggling with body parts still unfamiliar. Every time she thought she had found a comfortable position – every time – something fell asleep, or pinched, or just jerked in such a way as to wake her up as she was dozing off.

It was better now than it had been at first, she reminded herself. The first morning after her transformation, Twilight had awoken both herself and Spike screaming. In retrospect, she shouldn’t have been surprised. New muscle sets were warring for space and energy with the old ones, even as they were struggling to move and strengthen themselves so she could properly fly. And being so new and unused, it made sense for them to easily strain. Yet, for her it had been a realization after the fact. By contrast, every time they her wings had given her a particularly difficult morning – including the first and worst of them all – Cloudsdale’s fastest flyer had simply been there. Knocking on the door bright and early, with liniment rubs and back massages. And that had helped. Immensely.

The real problem was the nights.

So Twilight had tried several sleeping potions until she’d found a recipe that would both put her to sleep and let her wake up on time the following morning. She hated using it. But with everything she had to do the following day…

With a sigh, she reached out with her mind. A gentle violet was added to the room’s lighting as one of her bags opened, and a glass bottle half-filled with green liquid emerged and came to her waiting hoof. She scowled. Either she had forgotten to refill it, or she’d used it more in the last few days than she’d thought. Neither option was a good one. I’m already exhausted, she thought, and my wings have been getting better. She sipped about a half dose, capped the bottle, and replaced it. That should be enough.

That first morning, she had briefly considered making herself a brew for the pain as well. The research would have been simple enough, and the mixing even easier. But after a few minutes’ consideration (and Rainbow’s ministrations), Twilight had rejected the idea. It wasn’t like she was injured, or sick. Besides, the more powerful pain potions tended to impair thought and muscle control, and she needed both. Not to mention that mixing potions was dangerous, even for the experienced.

Now, looking at her travel bags, she determined this batch of sleep potion would also be her last. Hopefully, she would have reached a better understanding with her new wings by the time she ran out. And if not, well, she would deal with the exhaustion. As she felt her body starting to relax, she pulled the covers over herself. Rolling over onto her side, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The door made no sound as it opened.

The sun was still shining near the western horizon, its rays only starting to paint the room in different hues through the curtains. The guards outside continued their vigil as the visitor eased the door closed again, confident that her mind spell would cloud their thoughts for however long she needed. Her cloak was ancient and ragged, obviously cut for a smaller pony than herself, her travel bags worn and in need of mending.

Her face hidden in shadow, only her horn protruded from its depths.

As she scanned the room, her blue-green eyes narrowed at the sight of a dragon hatchling near the upstart’s bed. Palace guards had been one thing, even en masse. But a spell powerful enough for the dragon, or the alicorn sleeping nearby, might be noticed. The stakes were too high for such a risk. Concealing her arrival had not been easy, and she was not ready for a confrontation with her enemies. Not yet.

She waited, still as stone.

It shifted onto its back, blanket falling to its side. After a moment, it twitched. Then it started half-groping for its fallen cover, making helpless, open-mouthed noises. The blanket glowed cyan as it wrapped gently over the hatchling, tucking it in again. The hatchling muttered a “Thanks, Twilight,” then rolled over onto its side again.

Again, she waited, motionless. Minutes passed.

The dragon started to snore.

Satisfied, she moved through the room with a serpent’s grace, her eyes scanning everything around her. Soon, she was standing near the alicorn’s bed, staring at the nearby coronet.

She spent several more minutes magically examining the crown. It was, after all, one of Equestria’s greatest and most prized treasures. In a sense, it was as old as the land itself. The Elements of Harmony were the means by which Discord had been overthrown, and only after his downfall had it been possible to impose seasons and diurnal rhythms upon the world. The Elements had also been instrumental in the destruction of Sombra, and the defeat and banishment of Nightmare Moon. In many ways, the entire planet owed its very existence to the talismans, and once the set was broken it could never function again.

Surely, the princesses would guard such a treasure with all their power. Perhaps protected by spells so subtle and secret that an enemy would not easily detect them. Invisible guardians, spirits bound by ward pacts, nothing was beyond the realm of possibility. All of which was fine with the intruder: there was no way they could have prepared for her. After the crown, she scanned the table. She scanned the sleepers. She scanned the room itself. Then, thinking she must have missed something, she did it all a second time.

The Element of Magic was protected by a series of interlocking protections and wards against magic and various energies, the complexity of which was impressive, even by her standards. They even included several identical wards against chaos magic, interestingly enough, powerful and bound together in a redundancy loop. More importantly, the amazingly intricate latticework of mystical energy was also bound to the bond between the element and its mistress. On a minor note, the wearer would also be protected against everything the crown was. Grudgingly, the robed figure acknowledged the strategy as a good one. But of greater concern, the spell weave ensured that if the crown or its protections were tampered with in any magical fashion, even telekinetically, the alicorn sleeping next to it would be alerted. Probably along with several others.

The interloper mentally shrugged at that last precaution. Those outside the room would sense nothing, she would see to that. It was the wielder of the Element of Magic, bound by sympathetic link and sleeping right next to it, who was the greater concern. Or, at least, she should have been. But instead, the element’s wielder was in a magic-induced slumber, apparently of her own making.

The burglar’s blue-green eyes narrowed. She had come ready to spend hours, with frequent interruptions and tremendous risk of discovery, just dealing with whatever security her enemies might have between herself and this key to ultimate power. Instead, she found its protector unconscious and the prize all but unguarded, simply waiting for her to pluck it like a ripe fruit and taste of its power.

Unbelievable.

She layered the folds of her concealment spell around herself, her energies, and the room. Then, she grasped a corner of the elaborate weave of enchantments with her mind, and gently began unweaving them. The magical protections were strong and had been flawlessly cast, but she was in no hurry. Slowly, slowly, the spells began to unravel, drifting away and dissolving into the aether. Precious minutes ticked away as the vagabond concentrated, body relaxed, mind focused with a laser precision.

Then, at last, it was done. The figure on the bed frowned in her sleep, and again, the intruder froze with an attitude of endless patience. But the alicorn only tossed slightly. She whispered something; it might have been a name. Then, her breathing became once again deep and regular.

A simple act of telekinesis placed the treasure into the burglar’s bag. Only one risk now. By her will, a lump of raw lead and a few crystals floated out from her saddlebags. Then, holding the image of the element’s current form in her mind, she concentrated. The ore ran like wax and began to gleam, the crystals glowed, shifted, cracked and merged, changing color as they did. Perhaps another minute passed, and it was done. Examining her handiwork, she nodded. It was a perfect duplicate of the true Element of Magic. Even the most cursory magical examination would reveal the deception, of course, but she doubted that would happen anytime soon. The switch would probably go unnoticed for days, perhaps even longer. Certainly more time than she needed.

All told, she had been in the room less than ten minutes. No one would see her leave. One long walk through the palace halls unseen, a few moments’ concentration, and she would be gone. With the leisure her stealth afforded her, no one would sense her ultimate departure. And then, she would have everything. She gave a look of pure and utter contempt to the figure almost hidden by bedsheets, a sham princess asleep beside a counterfeit crown.

Fool.

Satisfied, she turned to leave, only to see the door was already open.

* * *

Princess Cadence nodded happily to her palace guards, and they all smiled as they bowed when she passed. To say that life had been difficult for her subjects was a massive understatement. After all, to them it had been only a short time since Sombra was king and darkness had fallen over the land. She, on the other hand, had had the years she’d spent growing up, falling in love, and even getting married. Only then had she returned to the Crystal Empire, and later faced down the demon of her childhood nightmares for her people’s sake.

It had therefore taken time to help the crystal ponies get accustomed to an existence without tyranny, and longer for them to accept that such a state would, indeed, be their new way of life. As their princess, she had been working to help them adjust to the modern world, and to re-establish diplomatic ties with other lands. There had been ups and downs (and long periods of bureaucratic boredom in-between) as Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had accustomed themselves to the arduous task of running a government. Even now, her husband was unfortunately away on business that would likely keep them apart for the next several weeks. But, at the moment, there were no pressing affairs. No special envoys, no catastrophes, no last-minute adventures. All arrangements for the Princess Summit had already been made, and any last-minute adjustments had been successfully delegated to her major domo. The Crystal Princess had, for the next several hours or more, absolutely nothing that just had to be done.

What a rare and wonderful event.

Furthermore, Twilight was visiting. And even though her old friend was technically there on business, Cadence was looking forward to being able to spend time talking in private with her. It had been too long. And if she could help Twilight get a handle on her newfound title and abilities, so much the better. She nodded again as the door guards bowed, thinking to herself for the thousandth time how fitting it was that the mare she loved and the stallion she adored were brother and sister.

It was only as she raised her hoof to knock that she paused. Her visitors had all been very tired, she reminded herself. Twilight might not be up to company, though knowing her she’d likely protest otherwise. Between her relatively recent transformation and the day’s journey, Twilight could easily need sleep far more than conversation, a friendly ear, or advice. And besides, she would be staying for at least a week.

I’ll just peek in on her, Cadence thought. Twilight won’t mind. If she’s asleep, I’ll just speak to her tomorrow. Gently, silently, she opened the door…

For an instant, the princess could not credit what she was seeing. A unicorn mare in a tramp’s cloak, standing over Twilight Sparkle’s sleeping form. Her hood had fallen onto her shoulders, revealing a disheveled mane streaked in crimson and gold, her coat the fiery orange of jasper. From within a face weathered by time and hardship, her cyan eyes bored into Twilight’s helpless form with sheer loathing for only an instant before darting over to stare at Cadence. Through a hole in the stranger’s travel bag peeked a crown identical to the Element of Magic.

Cadence was taken aback for an instant, but only for an instant. Her horn flashed azure as she commanded, “Stop!”

Yet if seeing the strange mare was startling, what happened next was a shock. Even as she spoke, even as Twilight and Spike started awake and they took in the tableau before them, Cadence was raising her magical defenses to protect the room’s occupants and herself from attack. But, instead of attacking with magic, the tramp simply charged without hesitation.The force of impact knocked the wind out of Cadence as she was shoved aside, her half-formed spell dissipating into light. Reflexes gained from years of training guided the guards’ response and they moved immediately. But instead of blocking her assailant, they focused upon their princess, allowing the trespasser to run free.

“Your highness!”

“Are you alright?”

And from within the room, Twilight’s voice cried, “She’s stolen the Element of Magic! Stop her!”

“Forget about me,” Cadence pointed at the fleeing pony. “Sound the alarm! Stop the thief!”

There were guards along the hallway in any case, but now more filed in from adjoining chambers and halls.

“There!” Princess Cadence shouted as she ran. “The thief! Stop her!”

“Stop, thief!” yelled Spike.

The hallway guards looked around themselves frantically as the intruder ran right past them. “Who? Where is she?”

“They can’t see her,” Twilight called out. “It’s up to us!” In a moment she vanished in a violet flash.

Even as she materialized between her target and the throne room, Twilight’s binding spell seized upon the cloaked figure. Yet she scarcely had time to shout, “I’ve got her!” before being thrown back, her enchantment not merely dispelled but actually shattered from within. The intruder did not even break stride, galloping past her as if she were not even there.

Meanwhile, in the palace gardens, the sisters suddenly stared at one another. “That was Twilight’s magic,” Celestia said.

“An offensive spell,” agreed Luna. In an instant, they were flying through the halls of the crystal palace.

Even as Twilight’s spell burst asunder, the alarm sounded and more voices took up the hue and cry, Stop, thief! Stop, thief! Doors along the hallway flew open as Twilight’s friends ran out.

“Hang on, Twi! We’re comin’!” The words were barely out of Applejack’s mouth when the intruder’s ragged cloak took on a life of its own. It rose up from her back, growing, spreading out before the six pursuing friends. It burst into crimson flame even as it filled the entire section of corridor, descending upon them and the nearby guards like a great winged devil. Rainbow Dash, by sheer instinct, thrust herself back and out of the way with a single beat of her wings. But the rest were not so fortunate, and she had less than an instant to gape in horror as the rest screamed and dove in vain for cover.

Yet, even as they did, Spike leaped headlong into the blaze with a defiant yell. The animate robe engulfed him, driven back by the force of his leap even as it wrapped itself around him, falling to the floor in a blazing heap.

Rarity cried out his name in sheer terror, running to the conflagration that rolled and writhed and bunched up on the polished floor. Instantly, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew up, tore a massive tapestry from the wall, and bore it down over the eldritch flames while Rarity’s horn flashed pale blue, covering the robe and the tapestry falling over it with frost.

This, then, was the scene that greeted the Princesses Celestia and Luna as they charged through a side entrance into the hall. Crystal guards everywhere, confused, trying to protect against a threat they apparently could not see. Most of the Main Six frantically extinguishing a magical fire that the sisters somehow had not sensed, shouting Spike’s name. Twilight looking around dazedly, plainly shaking off some kind of backlash. And in the middle of it all…

Celestia stared at the strange unicorn with an expression of heartbreak, taking in her eyes, her face, her coat and mane. And last of all, impossible to deny, her cutie mark: a blazing sun of red and yellow, the colors writhing at its heart in an eternal spiral of concordant opposition.

“Sunset—”

But the flame-maned pony only spared her a glance of purest hatred before vanishing in a flash of cyan.

Luna whipped around, staring at the direction of the throne room. “What…”

All the ponies were staring at those massive doors now, save for two. Even the most unskilled among them had felt that pulse of pure, alien power. Only Celestia and Rarity had not turned. Rarity, frantic, was still pulling and tearing at the charred cloth to reach the young dragon within. But Celestia simply stared at the space where the intruder had been an instant before.

“Oh, child,” she whispered. “What have you done?”

Chapter Three: Not All That Cuts is Silvered Glass

“Rarity, I’m fine, honest!”

“And I’m glad you are. But that was still very reckless of you,” Rarity chided. “That fire was plainly magical. You couldn’t know for certain you wouldn’t get burned. Why, you scared me half to death!”

“Well, okay, maybe I didn’t know,” Spike admitted. “But the odds were still good, right?”

Rarity’s look did not waver.

Spike looked down.

“Aw, lay off the lil guy, willya?” Applejack nudged her gently. “He prob’ly saved all our hides. Besides, there wasn’t time ta think. If he had, like as not we’d’a been fried up.”

“Yeah. Pretty gutsy move there, Spike,” Rainbow Dash winked.

Still looking down, Spike scratched the back of his neck.

“Ohhhh, here,” Rarity walked to the young dragon and gathered him up into a hug. “My poor little Spike. I’m sorry I was so sharp with you, really I am. I was just scared for you.” She looked him over. “Are you quite sure you’re alright?”

Relieved, he gave a quick hug back. “Yeah. I’m good.”

“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy interposed, “but, Rarity, When did you learn how to do that?”

“Do what?”

“When you shot that ice out from your horn!” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “That was so neat!”

“What, that? Oh, heavens, darling, I haven’t even tried anything like that since I was in school.” Spike hopped down as she went on, “My talent’s always been in location and precision, you know, not in power. The detail that embroidery demands, for instance. It’s something that most hooves just can’t manage.” She spared the dragon a fond glance. “But I guess seeing our little Spike in danger brought out my wild side.”

Applejack cocked an eyebrow. “Your… ‘wild side?’”

“Well,” Rarity conceded, “All things being relative, of course.”

“Uh-huh.”

Pinkie Pie bounced up. “So, does that mean you can do ice sculptures? ‘Cuz I’ve got this party coming up and you wouldn’t believe how hard it can be to drum up an ice sculpture around here on no notice and I guess I could see that if we were someplace warmer than here like back in Ponyville when it’s spring or summer anyway but not finding anypony who can do an ice sculpture here is really weird in a way because you’d think with all the snow nearby it would be really easy to just get some ice and cut it into whatever but noooooooooooo so I was thinking if you could make the ice then all I would need would be to find a sculptor but even better maybe if you could just make the ice into—”

Rarity, suddenly at a loss, scarcely had time to open her mouth before the immense doors to the throne room opened. Four royal guards of the Crystal Empire exited, solemnly carrying the massive mirror between them, face up. After them came the four princesses.

“Huh,” blinked Applejack. “That was quick.”

Giving her friend an exasperated look, Rarity stepped forward. “Your pardon, Your Highnesses. It’s just that we were expecting you to be in a private conference for quite some time over this. And it’s only been a few minutes.”

“Under some circumstances, we might have,” Princess Cadence nodded. “But at this time, it was felt that would not be appropriate.”

“Besides, it’s not like I wouldn’t tell you guys as soon as I got out anyway,” Twilight pointed out. “I mean, unless it was somehow Super Top Secret or something.”

“So, that being the case,” Cadence went on, “would you all please accompany us to my sanctum? There’s apparently a great deal to be explained in dealing with this, and Princess Celestia would prefer to tell all of us at once.”

* * *

When they saw the door, the Mane Six were a bit nonplussed. It was made, not from wood, but from the same flawless crystal as the walls. It also matched the wall in its curve towards them. It was as though a giant crystal tube had been stood on its end, and a section of palace had been built around it. The door had no handle, nor purchase of any kind. But it glowed deep blue as the palace’s mistress willed the door open, and the ponies filed into her sanctum sanctorum.

The room was massive, easily the size of the entire Ponyville library, and with its door closed it formed a perfect, almost seamless circle. The ceiling was high and domed, formed from a massive array of stained crystal shards. Most places of royal or state purpose had such windows, often depicting scenes of great historical significance. But this one was almost an abstract, consisting of a series of mystical symbols. Every sigil, symbol and rune portrayed was secure in its own power and significance. Yet none of them stood alone, or needed to, for all of them were precisely intertwined in design and meaning. Rays of evening light shone down into the entire room, flooding it with a scintillating array of color and design, magical images made of light dancing along the gemlike interior.

The four crystal ponies reverently placed the mirror against the wall opposing the doorway, bowed, and closed the door behind them.

Spike glanced around. Rarity was looking everywhere, marveling at the gemlike beauty of the chamber. That figured. But everypony else was looking at Princess Celestia, and she was looking at the floor. Apparently, she wasn’t thrilled about whatever was coming next… yeah, this was going to take a while.

“Excuse me, please.”

He opened the door and slipped through, closing it behind him.

Hesitant, Twilight approached her teacher. “Celestia?” she ventured. “You okay?”

The princess shook her multicolored mane. “It doesn’t matter if I am or not. The time for such concerns is obviously past. I know what I need to tell you.” She reached out and moved a stray lock out from Twilight’s face. “I’m just not sure how to begin.”

“Uh, Yer Highness, y’all know we’re all friends here, right?” Applejack said. “I mean, the rest of us ain’t princesses or anythin’ like that, but if ya got somethin’ ya need ta talk about, we’re here for ya.”

“We all are,” Cadence added.

Celestia gave a sad smile. “I know you are. And I treasure all of you.” Her smile faded. “But I also know I have failed you so many times over already. For most of you, I did so before we even met… even before you were born.”

Twilight cocked her head, frowning. “I find that highly unlikely.”

“Look, Princess, you don’t need to make with all the details if you don’t want to,” Rainbow observed as she circled the dome above. “You recognized the thief who stole Twilight’s crown, right? So, okay. Just tell us about her. We go in, get the crown, come back. No problem!”

But Celestia only shook her head again. “That is part of the very reason I must explain the situation to you all. You can’t all go to retrieve Twilight’s coronet. She must go alone.”

“What? Why?”

“Because for all of you to go would upset the mystical balance of the dimension to which she has fled. Such an imbalance would cause the destruction of that realm from within, and therefore your own deaths.”

The other ponies stared, frozen.

“Oh,” Rainbow managed. “That’s, um, a good reason I guess.”

The light in the room shifted and that same strange, alien power was felt again. Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Princess Luna reached out with her magic and gently pulled Pinkie Pie’s hoof away from the mirror’s surface.

“Oooooo, sparkly…”

As she might for a child, a bemused Luna slowly guided Pinkie away from the interdimensional artifact. After a few attempts at restraint, giggles began throughout the room, turning ultimately into laughter. As Spike returned bearing a huge stack of boxes and cushions, Luna stole a glance at her sister, and saw that she was smiling again.

Ten thousand dancing stars bless you and your gifts, Pinkamena Pie, Luna thought.

Once the laughter had subsided, Celestia took a breath, let it go. “Very well. Years ago, Twilight asked me about a magical mirror that I always sought to keep nearby. One of my mistakes was in not answering her. She had a right to know then, as you all have a right to know now.”

She nodded towards the massive looking glass. “That mirror is the Mirror of Phaedra, so named for the realm to which it leads. It is a portal created by Starswirl the Bearded himself. Phaedra is a mystical dimension, an entire universe the size of a solar system. Magic is extremely potent there, but also wild, overpowering, difficult to control. Additionally, the realm itself is unstable. Even time does not function properly there. Time always runs significantly more slowly on the other side, but the difference is unpredictable. For example, the gate only opens once every thirty moons on this side, though the exact time and duration is unpredictable. In Phaedra the time elapsed might be twenty-nine moons, or only a few minutes. To compound matters, if there is a great deal of magic brought to Phaedra, time becomes even more unstable… as does the realm itself. Which also means, once she leaves, it might be weeks, months or even years before Twilight returns.”

The Mane Six stared at her, exclaiming in unison, “Years?!?”

Spike, meanwhile, was already setting up pillows for everyone near the mirror, completely at ease. “Yeah, we can wait.”

Luna picked up the narrative. “Starswirl crafted the mirror in an early attempt to study other dimensions,” she said. “What he found was Phaedra. Soon afterwards, he realized that any spell he cast there would not only hasten the tiny dimension’s destruction, but also overpower itself dangerously. The least powerful unicorns who entered would find their magic unleashed like a torrent with every enchantment, endangering themselves and anyone around them. Even an earth pony would find that they suddenly possessed uncontrollable magic powers that surged according to their emotional state, and pegasi would have those same surges plus flight that would be so enhanced as to be almost impossible to direct.

“All of these uncontrolled magical acts would also destabilize the dimension further, bringing it ever closer to self-destruction. Powerful magicians were even worse off, being a destabilizing influence by their mere presence. Thus, Starswirl abandoned Phaedra, turning his attention to other realms.”

Rainbow Dash landed on the mirror’s frame, ignoring Rarity’s withering stare to crane over and peer at its surface upside-down. “I bet I could handle it.”

“In matters of flight, I’m sure you could,” Celestia replied. “But that is why Twilight must go alone. Granted, her presence there would be causing Phaedra to slowly compress in on itself. But she is only beginning to unlock her potential as an alicorn. She will therefore have more time than Luna or I would, as her comparatively low power level will cause a more gradual collapse. Additionally, Twilight has both an encyclopedic knowledge of magic and an incredible intellect and skill at adaptation, which allows her to adjust to new magical challenges quickly.” She sighed. “All of which brings me to Sunset.”

“Sunset,” Twilight repeated. “You said that when you saw the thief. Is that her name?”

Celestia nodded. “Sunset Shimmer is far more dangerous than any mere thief. She was my first apprentice. And my last – though of course I have mentored students now and again – until you came to me came to me so many years later.”

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but that’s something I don’t quite understand,” Rarity said. “If this Sunset person is a dangerous enemy, and being a former student of yours I imagine she would be quite formidable, why has nopony heard about her before?”

“That’s true,” Cadence pointed out. “Twilight and I never encountered mention of her in the archives. And you never spoke of her before, to either of us.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow chimed in. “It may have been a long time ago, but it’s not like everypony didn’t hear plenty about Nightmare Moon—” She broke off, looking at Princess Luna. “Um, no offense.”

The Night Princess’ expression was unreadable. “None taken.”

“I moved all records pertaining to her to my private library,” Celestia admitted. “What I did not hide, I destroyed.”

Cadence stared. “What? Why?”

“Because I had seen what folk lore had done to my sister’s memory, despite my best efforts. Even after I was able to stop the worst of the songs and the stories, the burnings in effigy… all her good deeds were lost to common knowledge. All that remained were stories told to terrify children. So I made Equestria forget her as much as I could, rather than have her remembered as a monster.” She sighed. “And still, some traditions lingered, indestructible because I had waited too long. The Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Night.”

Princess Luna shrugged contentedly where she sat. She was thinking of caramel apples, and shrieking, giggling foals on the run. Nightmare Night wasn’t so bad.

Celestia went on, “Sunset Shimmer might not have been so well-known when she left. But there were so many rumors about her already, threatening to become legends in their own right. When she returned, I did not want her immediately treated like an outsider— or worse, like an enemy. Therefore, I made her easily forgotten. It was because I did not want her hated or feared when she returned. And, because… I was ashamed.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Well, I guess she does seem pretty… disappointing…”

But the Princess of Day shook her head. “No, Twilight. I was ashamed, not of my pupil, but of my own failures.” She looked at them all again, incredibly sad, and Twilight felt her own heart sink. “I have lived a long time, my little ponies, and time passes no more quickly for me than it does for you. Whatever my successes have been, my failures always seem to overshadow them.” She looked up at the kaleidoscopic ceiling as she went on, “I can safeguard Equestria, lead my subjects into an age of peace. I can create strategies to defeat our enemies, and secure a kingdom for a thousand years or more.

“But because of my mistakes as a leader, all the ponies of the Crystal Empire were lost for centuries. And Cadence herself, last survivor of her family, was lost for almost as long. Additionally, even after I had thought him vanquished, Sombra would have taken the crystal ponies back into a new dark age of slavery were it not for you. Similarly, I had failed Sunset Shimmer as a teacher and as a guardian, even as I had failed Luna as a sister centuries before.” Beside her, unseen by her sister, Luna’s expression was one of silent anguish. Celestia concluded, “So, it was not a tale I was eager to share. But it is one you need to hear today.”

Twilight glanced at the mirror. “Do we have the time? We’ve been talking a while already.”

“With the time difference, I think we do. In any event, you will need to know about Sunset if you are to pursue her. I would rather you have little time but more knowledge than the other way around.”

“Yay!” Pinkie Pie jumped up again, a pillow-grabbing blur of pink energy. In an instant, the Mane Six and Spike found themselves on cushions in a half-circle around the older princesses with snacks in their hooves, blinking and bewildered. Pinkie happily tossed a hoofful of popcorn into her mouth. “Story time!”

Cadence, Celestia and Luna all looked at one another, smiling again despite themselves. Then Princess Celestia began her tale.

* * *

“Sunset became my apprentice just over a hundred years ago,” Celestia said. “She’d been found and adopted by a well-meaning couple who lived on a farm outside of Ponyville. But though she was just a weanling, her power was uncontrolled and terribly dangerous. At first merely at a loss, in a few years her foster parents had been completely overwhelmed. Ultimately, in the face of such uncontrolled magical power, they’d feared for the safety of foals they’d had since adopting Sunset. They had sent a message to Canterlot begging for a tutor who could handle the child. After several master magicians had examined her, and themselves been both surprised and dismayed at their own helplessness in dealing with her, I saw no other recourse. I took Sunset in myself. She became my apprentice in the mystic arts. And, to her foster parents’ relief, my ward.

“Sunset was a truly gifted student, though not in the same sense as Twilight. She didn’t have the same love of knowledge, for example, nor the creativity with magic. But though her rote learning was certainly wanting, anything shown to her hooves-on was learned instantly. Anything seen and examined was understood. It didn’t matter much what the subject was. She learned best by doing, and at an amazing rate. And she forgot nothing.

“At first, Sunset attended school with other foals at Canterlot. But she had no interest in the company of others, and only succeeded in alienating her fellow students. As she grew older, any ideas regarding friendship that I tried to impart… Sunset had nothing but contempt for such things. Her focus always seemed on impressing her other teachers, finding new challenges and surmounting them. And most of all, upon gaining greater magical power.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Soooo, is that why you were so worried about me having no close friends growing up?”

Princess Celestia started. “What? No, of course not. I was concerned for your happiness, but never that you might become like Sunset. Sunset… had her own troubles. And it wasn’t just that she had no close friends. She had no friends, even as a small filly. No friends, no study partners, no playmates… nothing.”

Her eyes took on a faraway look, casting back across time. “At first, the other foals avoided her. Then, over time, they grew afraid of her. When I pressed her on the subject, she claimed she didn’t want friends, that she was better off without them. Meanwhile, her problems in school grew, along with her outbursts. Eventually, I withdrew Sunset from school and became her sole teacher.

“It seemed a natural move. After all, I was already her teacher in magic. And, at first, it really seemed to help. Sunset had been a limited student, struggling in most every class with regards to books and written reports. So I incorporated my duties into her lessons, and encouraged her to explore through field trips, experimentation, and direct experience. And suddenly, Sunset thrived. Where she had struggled before, now she excelled in almost all of her subjects: art, history, music, architecture, biology… and somehow even more in magic than ever before. But most of all, best of all, she seemed happy.” Celestia sighed. “For a while, I thought we had finally won. I thought I had finally found what she needed to grow into the mare I knew she could become. To build the life for herself she deserved.

“But over time, as her power grew, so did Sunset’s arrogance. The rift between herself and other ponies became more and more impossible to bridge. She was still a foal, but at the Grand Galloping Galas, even the adults would give her a wide berth. She became sullen and angry again, her outbursts more and more frequent. It seemed like we argued constantly; we could scarcely speak without shouting at each other. And then, one day...” Here, Celestia fell silent. After a moment longer to compose herself, the monarch said with closed eyes, “She found the Alicorn Papyrus.”

“The what?” Twilight asked.

“An ancient text, written by Celestia and myself shortly after our own Becoming,” Luna explained. “We were trying to understand what had happened to us, and why. It details the transformation process from mortal pony to alicorn, and its most likely causes. At least, so far as we were able to ascertain.”

Twilight stared.

Luna glanced at her sister. “You did not tell her of this?”

“I was going to give it to her tonight, after she’d rested. Our own first weeks were certainly too filled with adjusting to our new forms to do much else…”

Twilight looked dubious, but said nothing.

Celestia chuckled at her expression. “Fair enough, dear one. I stand corrected, though I would frankly like to read your own assessment before you read ours. In any event, somehow Sunset had stumbled upon the papyrus, and had determined that the power it described was hers by right.” Again, her face grew dark. “She accused me of holding her back, of being jealous of her ability. Of… many things. At length, she flung the scroll in my face and demanded the Element of Magic. I denied her. That very day, Sunset fled through the mirror, and it sealed shut behind her.” She sighed, looking down. “And I have been keeping it near me ever since.”

The room was quiet for a few moments before Celestia said, “And if you will allow me one final confession, it was my experience with Sunset Shimmer that prompted me to put such an impossible requirement for finding another apprentice as I did. I never thought there would be a foal capable of hatching a dragon’s egg. Not in a hundred thousand years.” She looked lovingly at Twilight, adding, “Nor could I have ever guessed on that fateful day that having you enter my life would bring me such joy.”

As Celestia and Twilight embraced, Rainbow Dash soared up again with a wink and a grin. “…Aaaand you’re welcome!”

Rarity gave an indignant sound. “Oh, really!”

Rainbow circled the dome overhead. “What? It was only me being awesome with my sonic rainboom that made her hatching out Spike possible—”

“And my discovering parties and colors and parties and bouncing and parties—”

“…and which benefitted all of you in different ways,” Celestia gracefully broke in over Pinkie’s interruption and Twilight’s giggling. “Which in retrospect was only fitting. After all, friendship is both Twilight’s greatest strength and how she has chosen to manifest the Element of Magic as a princess. And Rainbow Dash is nothing if not a loyal and stalwart friend.”

As Rainbow landed again, she rolled her eyes, saying, “Yeah, even though you’re not letting us help her out on this one, right?”

“Honestly!” Rarity exclaimed, “Am I the only pony here who remembers we’re in the presence of royalty?”

“It’s probably just that everypony is so worried,” Fluttershy murmured. “I know I am.” She sighed, glancing back at the mirror. “Poor Sunset Shimmer.”

“I beg your pardon, darling?”

Rainbow stared. “You can’t be serious.”

“The hay you talkin’ about, girl?” Applejack frowned.

Fluttershy opened her mouth and closed it again, feeling the full barrage of disbelieving stares aimed at her. “Well, I mean,” she said to the floor at last, “I know she’s very dangerous. But it sounds like she was still very young when she ran away. She must have felt awful, to just leave like that. And then she finished growing up in some horrible place, without any family or friends. And now… she’s stealing.” She shook her head. “She just sounds so sad.”

Luna nodded. “Yet again, your perception does you credit, Fluttershy. I can attest to the conflict within her, though for the moment that changes little.” She looked to Twilight. “It remains that Sunset Shimmer has stolen the Element of Magic for her own uses, and taken it back to Phaedra. She is a threat to herself and to all of Equestria.”

Twilight nodded, considering this. Then she turned back to the Princess of the Sun. “So… how old was Sunset when she ran away?”

“Not yet fifteen.”

Silence.

Eventually, Applejack spoke up. “Okay… so… how come Sunset Shimmer hasn’t blown the place up already, or whatever it’s gonna do? Y’know, what with her bein’ so powerful an’ all?” She gestured towards her friend. “An’ if she kin do it, why not Twilight? I reckon she could just whomp up a spell to keep us from settin’ it off.”

Twilight raised her eyebrows, amused. “Um, AJ? I don’t just ‘whomp up’ spells.”

“Aw, you know what I mean, Twi.”

“Because it’s not a question of having the right spells, but of direct personal control,” Celestia replied. “Sunset Shimmer had already gained an unheard-of degree of mastery over her magical energy. She had to, in a sense, because of the degree of power she possessed. By the time she ran away, she could confine her aura to the surface of her skin whenever she wished, becoming all but undetectable by magical means even without concealment spells. So even in an environment like Phaedra, Sunset would likely have near-perfect control over her magic. But having a spell over you, any spell, would just be one more thing to hasten Phaedra’s destruction. And no spell grants self-control.”

“Well, heck.” She glanced at Twilight. “Sorry, sugar cube. I tried.”

Spike swallowed the mouthful of gem he’d been chewing on. “Well, okay, so what do we know about her besides that? I mean, the way she is now?”

“I had never met this Sunset Shimmer,” Luna answered, “nor was her name spoken to me, until this day. During the time she dwelt in this realm, even her dreams were all but completely closed to me, her identity unknown. So for now, I can only tell you she is a pony with powerful shielding around her mind. From what little I could see as she slept, her heart is at war with itself, in a great confusion of love entangled with hate.” She looked at Twilight. “I hope that helps you.”

Twilight rubbed her mane. “Me too. Not sure how it will, though.”

“Nor I.”

“Great.”

Princess Cadence held up a hoof. “With Sunset Shimmer having stolen the coronet and returned to Phaedra, I think her plan is clear. We all know that the Elements have transformative powers. Plainly, Sunset hopes to draw upon the energies of Phaedra, using Twilight’s coronet in an attempt to take for herself the power she had demanded years ago.”

“I agree,” Celestia affirmed. “But that is a twisting of the Element of Magic’s true purpose, and even with Sunset Shimmer’s abilities, the risks to her body and mind are immense.”

Fluttershy stared. “You mean she might…?”

Luna nodded. “She may well perish, overwhelmed by the energies she seeks to harness. Or she might simply become a monster, mutated and twisted by the strange instabilities there. So, too, she might run mad from the strain of flooding such power through her body and her mind.” She considered. “Or any of these.” She nodded to herself. “Or all of them.”

“And no matter what the result, there is the question of what she intends when she returns to our world,” Cadence added. She looked at Celestia, who was appearing more stricken by the moment. “Forgive me for saying, but in light of her recent actions I think we must assume the worst.”

Reluctantly, Celestia nodded. “Agreed.”

“Huh. So how come you don’t go in after her yourself, if she’s such bad news? Y’all seem plenty self-mastered.”

“Applejack!” Rarity stared, completely aghast. Honestly, as if Rainbow Dash hadn’t been bad enough.

But Luna was looking at her sister, frowning slightly “No, that is a fair question.”

“And it deserves an answer,” Celestia said. “Specifically, that no one here can control their aura in the way that Sunset can. However controlled I might seem, I would not be able to prevent a dimensional collapse. In addition, it remains that Sunset left in a state of rage and hate, especially regarding me. Twilight is the most likely among us to find a way past that hatred.”

“Huh. Still sounds awful risky.”

While Rarity glared at Applejack, Celestia went on, “It is. But it also remains that we are needed here. When Sunset first fled, I was alone. Now, though my sister and I again maintain the order of day and night, we can hardly leave Equestria for so long. Even for Sunset’s sake.”

Spike looked up. “What? I thought this was about Twilight’s crown.”

“There’s more at stake here than the coronet,” Twilight said.

“Much more,” Celestia affirmed. “The Elements of Harmony are certainly vital to Equestria’s defence, that’s true. But there are many ways to defend a kingdom. And before Sunset became who she is today, she was a foal in my care.” She looked to Twilight. “I have no doubt that you can retrieve the coronet. But my truest hope is that you can save Sunset. And if you can only save one...”

“Don’t worry, Celestia. I’ll bring them both back.” Twilight walked towards the mirror, then looked back. There were no spoken farewells, only looks of love and well-wishing between devoted friends. Then, she turned and entered the Mirror of Phaedra. There was a moment of cosmic tension and blinding light, and she was gone.

Chapter Four: The Chariot of Hippolytus

The first thing that assailed Twilight was a sense of complete disorientation. She had expected something like it, of course. It was vaguely reminiscent of her first teleportation attempts when she was still a foal. Yet this was different. It was as though she could feel the world spinning under her, even as her senses kept telling her she was remaining perfectly still. She collapsed to the ground in a controlled fall, trying to keep her breathing steady, waiting for the strange vertigo to pass, hoping her arrival had been undetected.

If Sunset Shimmer finds me like this…

With her eyes closed, her other senses were beset by her surroundings. Twilight could feel the thick, silken grass under her body gently compress under her like the finest down, its long blades almost embracing her as she sank into the greensward. There was little sound of animal life, just the occasional sliding sound of something moving across tree or stone. But the powerful scents of the place struck her like a hammer, again and again. The heady, almost intoxicating perfume of flowers and resin-thick leaves was dizzying in its own right, keeping her in check for several moments after the initial after-effects of the mirror had passed.

Yet, in time, she opened her eyes. Her eyes had already adjusted to what passed for night in Phaedra, but nothing could have prepared her for the grandeur that surrounded her, and she gasped as she beheld her surroundings in sheer awe.

The grass she lay on was a green that was vividly deep, the heavy blades impossibly thick and soft. She was surrounded by red-brown trees bearing a thick canopy of rose-colored crystalline leaves, moving in the breeze like chimes. They bore fruit like gems, green, purple and sapphire blue. When the winds moved through them, it was a caress of fragrance and music. Momentarily caught up in the beauty of the place, she closed her eyes and allowed the wind and the sounds and the scents all to wash over her, this time reveling in their symphony. Then, she opened her eyes again, looking upwards for the first time.

The stars of these alien heavens were few, but close and bright, pulsing as they shone like jewels in magnificent tones of ruby, lapis, and pearl. Far closer were the planets, taking up much of the nighttime sky. Here, one was various shades of blue and violet, striped in slow-moving swirls. There, another, reddish-orange, textured and pocked by centuries of its own encounters. Still another, larger than the first two, was green… but ringed by a million scintillating precious stones orbiting in an endless dance of light green, magenta, and deep blue bands. Chief among them all, however, was Phaedra’s moon. Smaller than Luna’s, but impossibly close, its visible half filling almost a full fifth of the sky with its mythril glow. Twilight could see the faint curve of Phaedra’s horizon before it as the satellite majestically revolved its way down, shadows lengthening across its face as its craters and caverns caught the light from a massive red sun only beginning to rise in the west.

With a start, she realized she had been singing as well, wordlessly, caught up in the dance of this strange world. She was also, she saw, hovering several feet off the ground in a violet glow, the rustling plant life drawn towards her as if she were the center point of a brisk wind.

Quickly, she drew her magic back in, landing in the lush green without a sound… and with a gasp instinctively leaped into the air again, landing perhaps thirty feet away. The horned serpent completed its strike even as she moved, each of its twin heads snapping its venomous fangs mere inches from her hooves. Despite its size – each of its necks being as big around as her leg – it had crept under her silent and unseen, completely hidden by the sea of luxurious blades beneath her. Now it raced after her over the green, hissing, gills flared, ready to strike again. Before she had time to think, there was a blinding flash and the stench of charred flesh and burning chlorophyll, and everything was obscured by caustic smoke.

The breeze cleared the smoke quickly, showing her the deep trench that had been blasted before her, a scar upon the rose-colored forest with no end in sight. The Phaedran snake was dead. So was everything else that had been in her power’s path, as far as the eye could see.

Twilight took a deep breath, gathering her magic in as she did so, capping it, trying to seal it within herself even tighter than she had before leaving, and then tighter still. Then she looked around herself again at the alien beauty that this tiny planet presented. She had listened to Celestia carefully before leaving her own world, but despite that had still failed to grasp the full import of what the oldest princess had been trying to explain. Now, being here, seeing Phaedra for herself…

She understood now why Starswirl had wanted so much to study this place.

She understood now why he had to leave.

And, above all, she understood why she had to hurry. For, even in the short time she had been intruding in this deadly paradise, it seemed to her the moon and its companions were just a little bit closer than they had been before.

“Great going, Twilight. Sunset’s around here somewhere with the Element of Magic, I’m on a quest to save two worlds and her, and the first thing I do is almost get eaten by a snake.” She glanced around, a little nervously. “I wonder what else might be around me, hunting me, hidden by the local flora?”

She sighed. “Focus. Okay, what do I know?” She started walking down the smoking trench she’d burned through the greenery. At least nothing could attack her from below. “I know I can’t look for Sunset with spells, and I certainly can’t track her on the ground. Both are too dangerous, though for different reasons. With the time difference, it’s not like she should have gotten far. And I don’t think she’d risk teleporting, not with what she’s planning. But if she were nearby, there’s no way she could have missed me deforesting the place.” She looked around. “So I guess the gateway’s location is as unstable as everything else in this place. That leaves me with a whole planet to search, no matter how tiny a planet it might be.”

Carefully, experimentally, she flexed her wings.

My wings are still weak, she thought. But that might be to my advantage. I can barely get ten feet off the ground at home, and then only for short distances. But here, with everything so amplified, I should be able to go higher with way less effort. Clear the canopy. Then hover, maybe gently glide.

“I’ll just have to be careful,” she decided. “Even if it speeds the collapse up a little, it’ll be worth it.” Then she muttered, “Time isn’t exactly on my side, after all…”

And so, with great concentration and care, Twilight spread her wings, and began to bring them gently down.

She cried out as the trees struck her across the face and shoulders in an almost simultaneous flurry of rapid-fire blows as she catapulted through the canopy at blazing speed, the world fleeing from her below her hooves. The wind dragged greedily at her mane and tail, her feathers, her coat as she rocketed into the sky. With effort, she spread out her wings again, stilling her flight. She shook her head to clear it. She’d been lucky, she realized. After destroying so many trees in the area, there had only been small branches and twigs left in her way. Impacting a major limb at that speed might have been fatal.

Still, looking around, she was exhilarated despite herself. The planets were even closer now, their details that much more jewel-like. The sun was warmer, the stars brighter, their facets more easily seen. Even Rainbow Dash had never flown so high! Yet somehow, the air was no thinner. And faintly, ever so faintly, she could hear something. A sound that had been too far away before to be heard until now. Almost like music, crystalline and pure.

The stars, she realized. The stars were singing.

Despite herself, she reached out to them in wonder. They were still too far away to touch, of course, but she knew she could go to them if she tried. She grinned. She could fly to the stars here, even to other worlds, and explore all their wonders. Imagine!

But no. Now was not the time. With effort, she refocused upon the task at hoof. Perhaps she could come back another time, with better research and preparation, after Sunset was safe. With proper research, she knew, there had to be a way. But right now, the important thing was to bring the unicorn back to Equestria before she destroyed herself. Twilight glanced down at the world below her. With Sunset’s advantages, finding her would not be quick or easy, even from such a vantage point. And flight remained a factor, of course. Still, if flying was that amplified on Phaedra, then…

Twilight closed her eyes, relaxing with the ease brought on by years of practice in the mystic arts. With her heartbeat calm and her mind still, she placed her focus not on her wings’ motion, but rather upon the magic behind it. Even as she began to fly again they moved, though now they seemed more to gesture than to simply flap. And this time her motion was slower, more controlled.

Yes, she thought. Much better. Guide the flight through will, and let the wings be secondary, almost incidental. It was very different than her friend’s flying lessons, which had concentrated on the “basics” of flight: posture, wing movement, trajectory, and so on. In a way, this brought her back to her first magic lessons as a little foal, when she’d still used gestures while casting her spells.

Probably Rainbow was going to bring in the “higher” concepts of flight gradually, she mused, once I’d mastered the basics on a more physical plane. And, Twilight acknowledged, that made sense with most students. Rainbow was an excellent teacher, and Twilight certainly wasn’t going to stop their lessons. But first and foremost, Rainbow Dash was an athlete. Twilight Sparkle was a magician.

And flying, at its core, is just another kind of magic.

Inwardly, she chuckled at herself. I should have realized this long ago, she thought. It’s perfectly logical. After all, it isn’t exactly aerodynamics that lets Rainbow fly upside-down, or lets all the pegasi walk on clouds. I just never stopped to think about it.

Then, she chuckled again, this time out loud. “Rainbow Dash, Master Magician,” she grinned. “Mistress of flight magic. An egg-head in her own right.” She couldn’t wait to tease her about that, once this was all done.

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer was still down there. Somewhere.

Twilight sighed. Well, if she can be anywhere – and it looks like she could be – I guess I’d better just be systematic. I’ll start where I landed, and start circling out. She considered her wings again. Very, very carefully.

Above her, the planets continued their ominous rotations. Was it just her imagination that they were even closer now, that the sun was slightly larger, the heat from its intricate orange-and-red patterns more pressing? She hoped so. It was a painful thought, that she might be responsible for further damaging such a beautiful place.

She sighed again as she searched the landscape below. “Then again, if the place is getting smaller instead of just crunching in on itself, maybe that’ll make the search easier. Of course, if I can see Sunset—”

Without warning, a bolt of fire lanced into her from below, burning across her face and barrel. She cried out, frantically trying to break her fall as a range of coastal mountains rushed up to strike her. Her plunge curved slightly as she desperately aimed for a lush valley between them. Then she was struck again, fire the color of blood and gold. The world went dark, and she did not feel it when she crashed through the valley’s canopy, this one full of sky blue leaves, and then onto the stony ground below.

Silence.

Hoofsteps. Unhurried. A breeze moving gently across the alicorn, shifting her mane over her eyes as a unicorn’s shadow falls over her still form. A female voice, tired, full of bitterness.

“Damn you, Celestia.”

Chapter Five: On Suns, and Moons, and Starless Skies