Shining Armor was waiting for them when their train pulled into the Crystal Empire station. The wind was whipping the snow around the platform as the nine mares stepped out and shielded their eyes against the storm.

"Twiley!" Shining shouted over the wind.

"Shining Armor!" Twilight shouted back. "What's up with this weather?"

"It started last night," he said as he moved closer. "The Crystal Heart stopped glowing."

"Oh my," said the Fluttershys as they held their hooves up in a motion of shock.

"Of all the worst things that could happen," said Rarity. "This is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" She then promptly fainted on top of Applejack.

Rainbow Dash almost lost her grip on the ground as she pinned her wings to her sides. "I don't think anypony's gonna be flying in this weather."

Applejack looked annoyed as she pushed Rarity off of herself, "gosh darn it girl, git a hold of yerself." She looked back to Twilight, "We probably should git outta this weather and form a plan."

"We should get moving then," said Celestia as she stepped off the train. Luna silently following behind her, lost in her own thoughts.

They all started moving through the storm as Pinkie looked over their party, rubbing her chin, "something feels off."

The party forced their way through the snow as they pushed their way up to the Crystal Palace, the wind threatening to blow them over every step of the way.

"This is worse than last time!" Twilight shouted up to her brother. "The snow's even made its way into the city. Didn't Cadence try to put up a shield around the city again?"

Shining nodded, "she tried. Whatever's happened to the Crystal Heart seems to be affecting her too. We've even had a scholar from out of town look at it, but he doesn't have any clue either. I was hoping you might take a look at it after we warm up a bit."

"This scholar's name wouldn't happen to be Random Fact, would it?" Twilight lost her footing as she fell into a snow bank.

Shining turned back to help pick her up out of the snow, "you know him? I didn't think you knew that many stallions."

"He's very well read, possibly more than I am," Twilight said with a twinge of embarrassment. "If he can't figure it out, I probably can't either."

"That's unusually humble for you, Twiley," Shining Armor gave her a smug grin as he resumed his trek toward the palace.

"It's been a crazy week," admitted Twilight as she made to follow him.

Their conversation was interrupted when a loud boom was heard overhead, drawing all their attention. They could barely see through the blanketing snow, but in the middle of it was something that looked like a small star made of lightning.

The weather wasn't much easier for the elder alicorn as Luna rushed up to meet them while struggling to stay upright. "Twilight Sparkle," she said while trying to keep her breath under control. "Doest thou still have thine ring?"

Quickly understanding what Luna was getting at, Twilight pulled the black ring from her saddlebag and placed it over her horn. Running some magic through the ring, she cast her gaze upward as runes filled her eyes. "It's one of them, Princess Luna."

"We thought so," said Luna. "Tis most likely the pegasus Storm Chaser."

"How can you be so sure?!" Twilight shouted over the ever increasing wind. "I didn't think any pegasus could fly in this weather."

"Recall what Spectrum said about the holders," inflected Luna.

"They get stronger...You really think it's him then?" Asked a concerned Twilight.

"We do. Unfortunately this weather is too harsh even for us to fly in, otherwise we'd make chase." Luna said sadly as they watched the spectacle fly away to the north.

"As fascinating as this all is," said Shining Armor. "We really should get out of this storm before we all freeze."

They were all thoroughly chilled to the bone by the time they made it to the palace. The palace wasn't able to keep all of the cold out for they could still see the frost collecting on the walls. But at least they were out of the wind now as they made their way inside.

Shining Armor guided them away from the empty throne room and into a small sitting room in one of the side chambers where a roaring fire was burning in the hearth. Princess Cadence and Random Fact sat around the fire in rapt conversation when the other ponies joined them.

"Twilight!" Cadence smiled as she turned to face them. "Why does it seem like every time we meet, the fate of Equestria hangs in the balance?"

"Cadence!" Twilight excitedly rushed ahead and embraced her sister-in-law. "Tell me about it. We really need to plan a disaster-free weekend."

"Oh but Twilight, you're freezing!" Exclaimed Cadence. "Come everypony, come sit down by the fire."

The twelve ponies rearranged themselves as they huddled around the fire and soon everypony had a steaming cup of cocoa to help warm them up.

"So Random," asked Twilight once she was feeling cozy. "Big brother tells me you've been investigating the Crystal Heart? Have you found out anything about it?"

Random took another long sip of his hot cocoa before answering, "I actually just had a breakthrough on that. Something was removed from deep inside it, that's what I was discussing with Princess Cadence when everypony got here."

"Something was removed?" Twilight looked at him inquisitively. "How is that possible?"

"Altering an artifact isn't too overly difficult with enough magic," stated Random. "It's more impressive that the surface of the heart wasn't disturbed at the same time. Speaking of artifacts, how's that ring I gave you?"

Cadence's ears picked up at that as she looked at her sister-in-law with a mischievous grin, "Twilight? Are you accepting rings from stallions? When's the wedding?"

Twilight turned beet red as she covered her face, "Cadence..." She whined. "Not you too, I already got enough of that from Luna." She begrudgingly pulled the ring back out of her bag, she had taken it back off because the metal was freezing her horn in the middle of the storm. "I think it's still working," she told Random while trying to ignore her old foalsitter's jabs at her love life. "Although it had us chasing a changeling all throughout Canterlot."

Cadence had been taking a drink when she said that and started coughing into the steamy beverage. "You found a changeling in Canterlot? What was one of those foul insects doing there?" She made no move to hide the disgust in her voice. "Is Chrysalis making another attempt on the city?"

"We don't think that's the case," said Luna. "He seemed far more interested in testing and playing with us than anything else."

"That should be enough evidence right there that something's off," said Random. "Most changelings will just make a run for it if they've been discovered." Everypony started staring at him with that statement. "What?"

"How do you know so much about changelings?" Asked a skeptical Shining Armor.

"I've done some studies on them and talked to a few once I tracked them down," he quickly retorted. "It's almost impossible to catch one in a crowded street and they'll never draw attention to themselves. Which leads me to an interesting question." Random looked over at the two Fluttershys that were sitting there enjoying hot cocoa. "Are you a twin? Cause it's been bothering me since you walked in."

Silence reigned over the party as they all turned to face the pair of pegasi. The two pegasi slowly turned toward each other before leaping back simultaneously and giving out an "eep."

Twilight let out a groan as she facehoofed, "please not this again."

One of the Fluttershy's started chuckling, "you're right, we're not playing this game again. Although it says something about your skills of observation that it took you this long to notice."

"Spectrum," sighed Princess Luna. "What do you want?"

"Would you believe I just want to get out of the cold?" Said the fake Fluttershy.

"No!" Snapped Shining Armor. "And I should throw you out into the snow myself."

The real Fluttershy walked up to her double, causing her to step back cautiously, "It is awfully cold out there." She grabbed her twin's hoof and to everypony's amazement, dragged her over to the fire and curled up beside herself.

Cadence looked annoyed as she looked over to the three visiting alicorns, who were just looking defeated as they went back to her drinks. "How come you're looking so relaxed? There's a changeling right there!"

"Cadence," said Celestia calmly, cutting off the protests. "Just leave him be. After the stunt he pulled in Canterlot, I don't think any of us could really stop him from being here and I'd actually feel better knowing where he is." She turned to the pair of yellow ponies that were all snuggled up by the fire, "how long have you been beside us, if you don't mind me asking?"

One of them opened a purple eye and looked at her, "since Shining Armor picked you up from the train. I was actually in one of the sleeper cars, testing you lot really took it out of me."

"Test? What test?" Asked Celestia.

"Ugh," groaned the fake Fluttershy as she ruffled her feathers. "Guess we're doing this now, would one of you get me some more hot cocoa?"

He waited for a bit while Random made him more of the warm beverage, "thank you Random." He took a slow sip of the drink, "ooo, that warms me right up. Anyway, my master was insistent that on top of accomplishing his main goals, that the powers that be in Equestria be tested. The first test was failed when Luna didn't realize something was magically wrong about her date." He added privately to her. "This shows that we're subject to subversion and espionage. If Storm Chaser had been an assassin, well, I don't think you need me to finish that statement."

They all looked over to Luna, who was surprisingly composed, "We actually came to the same conclusion once we had taken a moment to compose ourselves."

"Now Smokey on the other hoof..."

Applejack was up in a flash and would've been on top of Spectrum and pummeling him if Rainbow Dash hadn't jumped up just as quickly and held her friend back. "Calm down, AJ. That's not gonna help anypony," she said to the apple farmer.

"Smokey Vines..." continued Spectrum like that he hadn't almost been attacked. "Was supposed to make a clean get away except that Twilight over here passed the next test, a test...of magic."

"Well yeah silly," said Pinkie. "She is the element of magic after all."

"That doesn't mean as much as you think it does," he quipped back. "However when it came to apprehending him, all the elements failed. A straight up lack of discipline allowed him to walk all over you."

This earned a growl from all the elements as they glared at him. "What hootenanny are ya spoutin now?" Snapped Applejack.

"All his attacks were purely psychological or physiological," he rambled off. "Each and every thing he used against you can be beaten with proper training and conditioning."

He received a collective snort from the ponies in the room.

"Don't blame the messenger," said Spectrum as he took another drink. He looked around the room and met the angry gazes of both Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. "Tell me, o rulers of the Crystal Empire, I believe I already know the answer seeing how you reacted to me being here. But how did you react when Luna found the ghost of Sombra wandering the north?"

Cadence's fur stood on end as she glared daggers at him.

"I see..." he paused for a moment. "Anyway moving on," he nonchalantly brushed off the royal glare. "The last test was specifically for Miss Twilight Sparkle even though Luna tagged along. Which, by the way, you passed with flying colors," he raised his yellow hoofs and started clapping them. "Well done."

"You call that a test?!" Fumed Twilight Sparkle. "You made me...you made me..."

"And why did I, princess?" Spectrum leaned forward to look her right in the eyes. "What would've happened if you hadn't attacked your teacher?" This elicited a collective gasp from the rest of the room.

"She would've really hurt Luna," Twilight's voice cracked a bit as she felt everyone's eyes on her.

"If she were to go mad and attack her little ponies, would you be willing to stop her?" He pointedly asked her.

Twilight hesitated in her answer as she met her teacher's eyes, who smiled and nodded at her. "Yes, I would. I would strike her down if there was no other way," she said with determination despite the tears in her eyes.

"I sincerely hope that day never comes," said Celestia, glad that she had that talk with Twilight after the incident. "But it brings me great comfort to know that they would be safe, even from me."

"So Spectrum," said Luna, interrupting their tender moment. "I'm noticing the only ponies in this room that haven't been 'tested' are Celestia and Random. What of them?"

"What of them indeed?" The fake Fluttershy sat there tapping a pondering hoof to her chin.

Before anyone could speak another word, a loud crash could be heard coming from the throne room.

"And we're out of time," the plucky imposter pegasus stood up before downing the rest of her cocoa and fading out of existence.

"Are your lives always this exciting?" Asked Random.

"Meh. More or less," shrugged Pinkie Pie.

They galloped their way into the throne to find the entire space lit up bright as day, despite the clouds outside not letting any sunlight through. Wind whipped through a broken window and in front of that window they found a pegasus wreathed in crackling lightning standing there.

"What is that?!" Shouted Random over the storm.

"That is Storm Chaser," said Luna as she looked at the aberration before her. "What art thou doing here?!"

Storm Chaser lifted his head, his dark mane looking like a thundercloud as it framed his electric blue eyes, and he spoke with a distorted voice, "everypony's here. I didn't brave that storm for nothing."

They saw him reach back and grab a dark bundle of cloth that despite the light that was emanating off his body, remained pitch black. Storm hefted the bundle and threw it into the room, the bundle giving a grunt and a moan as it bounced across the floor.

Storm pointed at the ponies watching him as the light coming off his body started to dim, "he's your problem now." That was the last thing he said before all color drained from his body. A moment later, a glass statue of a pegasus stood before them. A few moments later they watched in bewilderment as cracks appeared in his wings and started to spread all throughout his body.

Slowly, pieces started to fall from the statue, tinkling as they bounced off the ground. The destruction of what was once the pegasus sped up as he collapsed in on himself, becoming a pile of crystal that littered the floor. As they stared at the pile of broken crystal, mist drifted up from the wreckage and formed into a symbol of lightning splitting the clouds. The image only lasted for a moment before disappearing into nothing.

"Twilight?" Asked a confused Rainbow Dash. "What just happened? And why did I just see Soarin's cutiemark?"

"I don't know, Rainbow," Twilight was just as confused.

They turned back to the bundle of black fabric in the middle of the throne room. They could see it moving as they cautiously approached it.

Luna was the first to get there, seeming to be a little less afraid than anyone else as she reached out and started examining the bundle with her hooves.

She eventually found a seam in the fabric and pulled it apart, shocking everyone in the room what now lay before them.

King Sombra laid at the ground before them, looking terrified as he examined his surroundings.

"What am I doing here?!" He cried in a panic. "I never wanted to see this place again!" He put his hooves over his head as he started to whimper, "not again...please not this again."

"What is this?!" Cadence was shaking furiously at the sight before her. "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

Twilight curiously looked upon the sight as she stood beside the other princesses, "he seems scared, but why?"

"Whatever the reason," asserted Celestia. "We should destroy him before he comes to his senses."

"I'm afraid we must disagree on this one, sister," Luna shook her head. "Something isn't right and I feel that destroying him is the last thing we should do."

"No, you need to destroy me," pleaded Sombra. "Please! Before it finds me again! I can feel it, it's close."

"Aunt Celestia," said Cadence. "Help me end him. I can't let him terrorize my subjects again."

Celestia nodded to her niece and they took up positions around Sombra, leveling their horns at him. "Luna. Twilight. Help us."

Twilight took a few steps away from them, "something feels wrong about this," She said hesitantly. "Why would they bring him here just for us to destroy him?"

"What are you waiting for?!" Sombra cried out with tears in his eyes. "Please...before it finds me and my hell starts again."

Celestia ignored Sombra's pleas as she looked disappointed at the two princesses, "we'll talk about this later." She said before turning back to the evil king and charging her horn along with Cadence.

Gold and blue magic arced from their horns, shaking the world as they unleashed their power against the evil that lay prone before them. Sombra for his part just closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

Light and dust filled the room as they erased the creature from the world. They kept their eyes trained on their target, wanting to be sure he was truly destroyed before they relaxed.

However when the dust settled, Sombra was still there. He looked confused to still be alive as he was surrounded by a pink shield. Cadence stepped up and tapped the shield a couple times with her hoof. No doubt about it, this was her husband's shield spell.

"Shining Armor?!" She shouted in confusion as she turned around. "What are you doing?!"

But as she turned around, she found her husband levitated up in the air and held aloft by a green aura. Next to him, with his horn lit the same green was Random...giving them a judging glare.

"I swear Celestia, thy folly truly knows no bounds." He said in a voice unlike what they've grown used to hearing from the scholarly unicorn.

"Random?!" Shouted a confused Twilight. "What are you doing?!"

"For what it's worth, Twilight. I am truly sorry it has to come to this." He looked up at the helpless Shining Armor in his magical grasp, his eyes switching from green to red. "Time to wake up Ret," he said calmly.

The room watched in stunned silence as a red glow of magic encompassed Random's whole body before arcing outward and piercing straight through the prince in his grasp. Shining Armor's body went limp and his eyes went blank as the magic ran through him.

As the magic syphoned off Random and flowed through Shining, everyone watched as the red glow receded from Random. Started at his tail, the green hair turned brown and his grey coat took on a golden color. When the magic got to his cutiemark however, a green cloak unfurled and settled down his sides.

Meanwhile, magic was flowing out of Shining Armor and collecting on the ground. As more magic collected there, another pony came into view. It was a unicorn mare with a green mane and grey coat, same as what Random used to have. However her cutiemark was a set of crossed black and red quills. She even had a set of those same quills tucked behind an ear as she look at them with dispassionate red eyes.

Shining Armor slumped to the ground once his color and cutiemark had faded away and after taking stock of her surroundings, the new mare in the room just shrugged and started walking away.

"Are you with me, Ret Con?" Asked the pony that used to be Random.

Ret looked back him and just silently nodded, her face seemingly void of emotion.

A flash of light entered the side of his vision as he jumped away from Celestia's attack. His jump barely cleared the attack as the solar rays tore through his cloak. As the remnants of the garment fell from his back, they all heard Celestia Gasp as she took a few steps backward.

Twilight attention snapped to look at her teacher when she heard the gasp. Was that fear she saw on her teacher's face? Celestia's eyes had narrowed to pinpricks and her bottom lip was quivering.

"It can't be...you," Celestia was shaking as she struggled to get the words out. "That...that cutiemark."

Twilight looked back to the golden unicorn that had just attacked her brother as he leapt across the room. She got a good look at his cutiemark as he turned back to face them. It was a green, four-leaf,...

"Clover?!" Cried out Celestia, breathing heavily and looking even more unsteady than she did a moment ago. "Clover the Clever?! How...How are you still alive?!"

"Hello Celestia," said Clover as he turned his green eyes on her. "It's been a while."

Author's Note

How many of you knew who he was?
What chapter did you figure it out in?

This is the picture I based his appearance off of in case you were wondering?

Gah! Now I have to go work on the finale chapters!