Come Dawn or Darkness

The cracks were growing at an alarming rate. Several ran along the wall behind the mirror but far more were spading out into the air around it instead, black lines periodically pulsing with with iridescent green energies.

"I don't understand. How could this have happened?"

"It shouldn't have been able to. It just doesn't make sense; we were gone for five... maybe six hours at the most. This sort of deterioration should take weeks to develop. It doesn't just happen on its own..." The knight bashed his fist against the wall in anger, the vibrations shaking the looking-glass slightly.

The princess took a step closer to the mirror, peering deeply into the cracks spreading across the wall upon which it hung. "These cracks... They're weak points I reality on our side, correct? Weakness in the structure of our world itself?" The wanderer nodded. "So why, then, are they growing like this? I thought you said you had set up defenses against the spread of such things."

"Something on the other side must be doing it. I assumed they would attempt to force their way through with shear power; but this... It looks like something is specifically targeting the faults that already exist. Focusing every last bit of strength not on breaking through the mirror, but on widening the minute gaps that already exist; these cracks that you see here... My wards are keeping them from charging head-long through the portal, but if they manage to widen one of these faults, there's very little I can do to stop them. Only the power of this world can repair it..."

He walked to the mirror, gazing into the swirling pool of darkness which obscured his reflection. "The last time I went through there was an army waiting for me. It was a rabble of large, oafish creatures, far to stupid to accomplish something like this. Something that would require this type of precision and organization. Had it not been for their numbers I'd have rid driven them away then and there... Now though..."

The princess picked up on his sudden loss of confidence. "If you cannot stop them from entering our world then it falls to us to do so. Luna and I stand as Equestria's strongest line of defense against such horrors. Open the portal and we will show them that this is not a world to be trifled with."

"Would that it were that simple, your highness, but I simply cannot allow that. The two of you together would certainly be able to turn them back, I do not doubt that. But the are.... ramifications to entering the Abyss. Ones that would put your precious world in far greater danger than this encroaching shadow ever could."

She flinched at that, an unbidden wave of memories suddenly assaulting her mind. Darkness. Darkness as we have never known before. Oh please, sister, do not press this course any further. That wish was in vain though, as she had suspected it would be.

"I will accept whatever consequences may come my way. If there is even a chance that I can protect my citizens from what you claim is approaching, no sacrifice is too gre-"

"Sister, please! Thou does not understand!" The images were so vivid, the memories returning to the forefront of her mind as though they had just happened earlier that night. "If thou should enter that darkness unprepared, it will take hold of thee and never let go! True, we might turn this threat away from our world, but thou would be lost in the process!"

"So be it. If that is what is required to keep our people safe. My life is nothing compared to the billions of innocent souls who would suffer should the dark premonition come to pass. I would gladly gi-"

The wanderer stomped the floor beneath him with a steel-rimmed boot, silencing the guardian of the sun before she could continue. "You are not listening!" Light suddenly faded from the room as his shadow spread across the walls. "What Luna was trying to tell you was that you would be 'lost' to the Void. You wouldn't be dying to give your people a better future, you wouldn't be sacrificing your life in order to protect theirs'.

"You would survive, have all of your powers tainted by the Abyss. And then, once that horrible plane was done having its way with your mind, your body would return to Equestria as an emissary of darkness, the raw energies of the Void itself coursing through your veins and controlling you're very action. All the while your soul sits trapped somewhere in the back of your consciousness, completely aware of what is going on as you utterly destroy the world you swore to protect..."

The wizard's shadow retreated back to its usual place upon the floor behind him, allowing blessed light to fill the room once more, though the mirror continued to drink up any that strayed too close to its swirling depths. "...And once that happens, once your empty shell returns to tear Equestria apart, who will it fall to to stop you? We can defeat these creatures, given enough time to prepare, but trying to fight off a foe strong enough to control the very sun and moon themselves? No, if you enter the Void, all you will accomplish is damning your world to a fate worse than death."

Celestia clenched her teeth, the rebuttal she may have had in mind suddenly useless. Luna moved to her side, hoping to comfort her elder sister. "We will find a way through this, sister. There is still time. The evacuation is already underway and our subjects are proving to be most understanding about the gravity of the situation."

"Its not enough." She had never seen Celestia like this. Her sister had always been the very image of confidence, always in control of the whatever was going on around her. She feels helpless. For the first time in her life, she is facing a crisis which she cannot influence directly.

"On that much we are in agreement. That's why I'm going back in; I intend to find out just what's causing this and do everything in my power to stop it."

"Oh? Did you not just say that the last time you went in there the sheer number of foes sent you scrambling back through the portal? If anything their forces will have only grown in size by now. What makes you think this will end any differently?"

"The fact that this time, I won't be going in alone." He allowed her to chew the statement over as he went back to gazing into the mirror. "You may not be able to cross over, but there are others here who can. Others who have been through the Void before, who are prepared to face it again..."

"...So that's your plan then... That's why you were so insistent that the Elements of Harmony be present. Because you knew if you had asked me to send for Twilight alone I would have seen right through your little game. I would never have asked for her presence had i known this was what you wanted!"

Luna could sit idle no longer. She moved to his side, the elegant princess of the night. Her ethereal mane and tail billowed out behind her as she neared the mirror, as if caught in some heavy wind. "Sister, this was our doing, not Torrent's. He had intended to plunge back into the darkness alone this day, but we begged him to reconsider. We knew thou would never allow Twilight Sparkle to put herself in harms way... so we had to trick you. We are sorry for our deception... But we will not allow thee to put thine own feelings for thine student before the needs of all of Equestria!"

"Twilight is more than capable of handling herself in a dangerous situation; your own tests of her will should have proven that much. Its time to see what all of that courage and wisdom you've imparted on her is really worth."

Celestia remained within the confines of the small chalk circle where she had been standing for the past hour, bound in place by the Void itself. She said nothing, taking in every aspect of the situation that was slowly unfolding around her. It had been by her own command that they had descended to the basement of Twilight's library in order to properly inspect the mirror. The wizard had demanded that the Elements be brought here to help seal the growing cracks, to which she had obliged unquestioningly, sending her guards to gather the Twilight and her friends. Only then had he dared activate the ritual circle upon which she had stood.

The Void acted as the spell's anchor, making it impossible for the princess to leave the designated area. She had struggled for at first, certain that her sister was trapped in it as well. But when Luna left the circle undeterred, the truth of the matter began to dawn upon her. "The two of you planned this all along... But why, Luna? What have I done that would make you resort to such a thing?"

"You misunderstand, sister. This is for thine own good, for thine protection! It is not what thee has done, but what the would have done were thee free to stop Twilight Sparkle. Or worse, attempt to sacrifice thine self, as thou already said was thine plan."

"You will be invisible to their eyes when they arrive, their ears deaf to your words. Should one of them step upon the circle, they will pass through you as if you are not there. And so long as the Void exists, no magic in this or any other world can break the spell. It will disappear when the three of us return back through the mirror. Should the worst happen, the circle is set to fade in a matter of hours, freeing you from its grip... I pray you will not follow us should that come to pass..."

"...You had best pray that you do not return at all, wizard. If anything happens to Twilight in there, I swear I will find whatever is left of you in whatever plane of existence you attempt to escape to and make it wish it could die..."

"Sister! Why can you not understand this is the only way!"

Celestia failed to acknowledge her.

"Sister?..."

Silence. The princess continued to stare into the cracks on the wall. Cursing them with her eyes.

"...Very well sister... Come what may, we promise no harm will come to Twilight Sparkle."

"No harm CAN come to her..." The wanderer was preparing a second ritual, studying an ancient tome suspended before him, cradled by one of the arm-like strands of his cloak. "That manacle she wears will prevent any physical harm from coming to her, so long as I still have a body which can be harmed in her stead."

That tore her attention away from the wall. She was about to say something, perhaps wishing for more details on the subject that had just presented itself through his words. But at that moment, the door above them crashed open as six technicolored mares scrambled down the stairs and into the room which housed the mirror.

Just as he had said, they neither saw nor heard her. The site of her sister in such a helpless, powerless position sent a sudden pang of sorrow through the lunar princess' heart, but she had to ignore. Much and more was depending on her keeping up the act. "At last, we were beginning to worry that our message did not reach thee."

The yellow one bowed as she came to a stop before the princess, the white one as well, but the rest were too preoccupied by the look of the room itself to truly acknowledge her presence at first. A horizontal whirlpool of shadow was slowly spinning its way toward the mirror, sending bizarre patterns of light flowing over the walls and floor. She quickly realized that, aside from Twilight, none of them had actually seen the room like this yet.

Twilight Sparkle herself was the last one down the stairs, accompanied by the orange one. The Element of Magic sat atop her head, glowing dimly as she descended into the strangely lit room. She looked around expectantly, but when her mentor proved to be nowhere in sight she was finally forced to question the situation. "Where's Princess Celestia? We were told she'd be here."

"Apologies, Twilight Sparkle, but our sister had to depart soon after sending for you. Something most urgent has come up just outside of Ponyville which demanded her immediate attention."

The sorcerer was soon by her side once more, the second ritual circle he had been preparing finally finished on the floor beneath the looking glass. "While her power would have been a great asset to us here, I trust whatever it was which arose outside of town is of the utmost importance. With any luck we will not need her for what needs to be done here anyway."

He motioned for Twilight to come closer, a request to which she obliged hesitantly, but loyally. "As you all may know, something is gathering on the other side of this portal, something which wishes to bring about the end of all existence in Equestria. I intend to go in and try to stop it before it gets the chance to break through and combat us in this world... However I cannot hope to achieve victory here alone. As such, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have both graciously offered their assistance in the matter, and promised me that the six of you may offer yours as well."

"Just let me at em! After what those things did to me in the woods I've been itching for some payback! You just say the word and I'm there!"

"If Dashie's going, count me in too! I still can't believe I missed the last little adventure you all ended up going on together!"

The wizard smiled, but beneath the surface Luna could tell there was a sudden sense of dread growing within him. He does not wish for something to happen to them. Its Twilight he cares about, truly, but should anything happen to the others it might ruin her by extension. Were they to attempt to traverse the Void it could spell disaster for us all.

"Your enthusiasm is much appreciated, both of you... But I'm afraid this is and adventure that you simply cannot accompany us on. You see, only those who have been touched by the Void before will be able to make this journey and return safely. As such, we will be going, while the five of you remain here to guard this portal with your lives. Nothing gets in or out of this room until we or Princess Celestia return, understand? Should something go wrong for us in there, she will know what to do."

The six looked at each other, clearly not prepared for this turn of events. "Wait... So, you and Twilight are just going to walk right in there? After everything you said about how dangerous it is right now?"

"Yeah! Ya tried this before and those things drove ya back to our side. What makes ya'll think dragging Twilight along with ya will be enough to change that? If she goes, we all go."

"Out of the question. I'll not risk all your lives so foolishly. None of you have experienced the effects that the Abyss has on your body and mind. And preparing you for such would involve having each of you open your own portal into the Void, just as Twilight did... another course of action which neither I nor the very fabric of this world are prepared to undertake. No, I fear only those who have already traversed the Void will be going."

He turned to face the mirror, the intricate ritual circle on the floor beneath it suddenly blazing with deep red light. "I am sorry there was not more time to prepare you all for this, more time to warn you." The mirror burst to life behind him, its swirling unlight stretching out to fill the entirety of the chalk circle. "Remember, no one but Princess Celestia enters or leaves until we come back. Oh, and Pinkie, remind me that I have something for you when I return. I'm not sure how much of tonight I'll actual remember once I pass back through."

He stepped toward the growing darkness, while Twilight remained with her friends for another moment, reassuring them that she would be back soon. Luna could see her sister, still invisible to the other ponies, glaring intently at the wizard as he approached the mirror. She would like nothing more than to know that he is never coming back...

The thought bright more sorrow to her heart, until from somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind reminded her: We could always ensure that he doesn't. Perhaps then our sister would finally see our worth? It wouldn't take much, he's not as strong as he was last time and his mind is going. Thou knows it, thou sees it. Twould be mercy, truly... And perhaps if we rid this world of him, sister might accept once again. Sister might love us once again...

"ENOUGH!" Her voice shook the room, drawing all attention to her. Even her sister forgot her rage for a moment and turned her head worriedly to the Princess of the
Night. She felt frightened, confused, cornered by her own thoughts and the room full of eyes that were now upon her. The moment seemed to drag on for a lifetime, until at last, another voice broke the silence.

"She's right, now's no time for goodbyes. You'll all see each other again soon, I promise. Now lets go, both of you, time grows short."

"Whats all this 'Both uh ya' talk? Ah though he said only y'all were goin', Twi."

"Well... technically he said only those who have already experienced the Void were going... Princess?"

She was not certain how to respond. The story had always been something that she had meant to burry with the rest of her past. Beyond her sister no one was ever meant to know the truth of the matter. Yet here were all the clues, laid out for anyone smart enough to piece together. Finally, she felt she had to say something.

"Time grows short, Twilight Sparkle, and such things are best discussed when all involved are present. Ask us again when our sister has returned. Perhaps she will know how best to explain... Until then, best thou does not dwell on the matter. We are accompanying thee on this journey, that is all thou needs to know."

"If your both done..." His words were strained as his energy began to drain, his strength waning as he pried apart the barrier wards protecting the portal. "...I'll only be able to hold it open for a moment, we all need to cross together."

Twilight looked back at her friends, her expression frozen in a mask certainty. "Its alright, girls. Nothing's going to happen. I'll be fine. You'll see. I'll be back soon and we'll put this whole thing to rest then."

Luna heard the words, but more importantly she recognized the meaning. She is not speaking to them at all. She is trying to assure herself of these things; to convince herself that everything will turn out fine. The entire situation seemed so familiar, so close to what she had experienced. The only difference now was that the role's were reversed, and now it was her turn to be the one to see through that self-deception. She WILL be fine... As for the rest of them, though...

A massive CRACK split the air, shaking the entire room as the portal was torn open. The darkness flooded in, crashing against the perimeter of the ritual circle like a tidal wave. "We have to go, NOW!"

Without another word the two of them followed the wanderer into the shadowy torrent, swallowed up by its vast emptiness the moment they crossed the chalk lines on the ground.

Goodbye, sister. Perhaps when we return, thou will think better of us...